The Vicky Series: Book 1: Chasing a Dream

Chapter 23

As she tied her parcels to Jonah she heard a familiar voice and turned, smiling. Jebb was riding toward her. Finally! Someone she wanted to talk to. Since the fight this afternoon, she'd been stared at by women, followed around by kids, and pestered with questions by curious men.

"Heard you got yourself into some trouble this afternoon."

"A little." Vic lied, turning again to her parcels.

"Heard you handled it well."

"I'm alive aren't I?"

"I reckon you can take care of yourself now." Vic spared a glance his way. He grinned broadly at her before continuing, "I hear there's a new stage service making for California. S'posed to leave town in a few weeks. Way I see it ya got ya two choices son. You can pay your fare and ride inside, or you can ride shotgun to California and then to Santa Fe on the return trip."

"What do you think I should do Uncle Jebb?" Vic was still smiling from Jebb's reference to her as "son". He'd called her "boy" up until now.

"I think the experience 'ud do ya good. Ya got the skills ya need with horses and that rifle of yers. It's been a long time since I seen anybody as good with a rifle. I say ya ought to think about riding through to California on its first run.

First run'll be the toughest. It'll be new for the folks handling the stage and for the Indians whose territory you'll be runnin' through. Hell, might even be new for some of the animals. Good experience for a young strong lad whose willin' though."

"Then that's what I'll do. How do I get hired on?"

"I already spoke to the rep they got here. I invited him out to the depot tomorrow. Moses 'n me set up a little game for ya to show off to that rep just what ya can do."

"I don't know Uncle Jebb. I never had an audience before. I'll run a few practice runs tonight if it's ok."

"Damnation it ain't alright." He snapped frowning at her. His face softened a little as he explained, "I know you can do it, son. 'Sides, you can't practice staying alive out there. You know what you need to know. Just remember to keep a level head and you'll be alright."

Vic was still smarting from the reprimand when they arrived back at the depot that afternoon. She knew Jebb was right. She just wished she shared his confidence in her untested abilities.

Although she retired early, sleep didn't come for hours. She kept thinking about the gunfight. She was lucky she'd hit him at all the first time. She'd let his heckling rile her; why another few inches and she'd have missed him entirely—meaning she would have been dead.

With a sigh, she flopped over to her other side and stared at the wall.

She'd never imagined herself a killer. The thought burned into her conscience, each syllable pounding surreally in sync with her heartbeat. KILL—ER. KILL—ER. KILL—ER.

She shook her head to erase the thought. The sensation was gone, but the word remained. KILLER. She was a now a killer. It was self-defense, no doubt at all. Still she had snuffed out another life.

"Even though it wasn't worth much." She muttered and winced at her casualness.

A life was a life, even if it wasn't a particularly good one. A human heart stopped beating today and she was the cause...And in a gunfight none-the-less! She was still a Christian. "Thou shalt not kill" was a simple commandment. She sighed soulfully.

Life west of the Mississippi was hard, brutal even. Like the land, it was raw and unforgiving. She fell back onto her cot, using her folded hands behind her head for a pillow. Staring at the peeling ceiling she was soon lost in thought again. Somehow, she must remember everything out here was different.