The Outlaw

Texas June 1879

Rain had Caroline Baker's long dark hair plastered to her head and her blue cotton dress clinging to her body. Raindrops mixed with teardrops and combined with the dirt on her face leaving muddy trails down her cheeks before falling to the ground. The sun was setting to her left and she could just barely see it through the gray clouds trying to hide its light.

The revolver felt cold and heavy in her shaking hands as she looked fifty feet in front of her at the man she was supposed to use it on. His face was bloody from the beating he had already received. His hands were tied behind his back as he stood there in nothing but his muddy trousers and his black stetson hat. His chest was covered in bloody welts from the lashing Mitchell Thompson had given him with his whip.

She forced herself to look into his dark eyes and she was shocked that she saw no fear. He was looking at her with so much love and trust that she very nearly dropped the gun from her cold wet hands.

"Kill him now, Caroline." Mitchell Thompson's deep gravely voice said sternly from behind her. She turned to see him standing there watching her with his arm wrapped tightly around her ten year old sisters shoulders. Caroline shook her head.

"I won't kill him, Mitchell." she said forcing her voice to remain strong though inside she was quivering with fear. "I love him."

"Did you hear that boys!" Mitchell asked loudly, looking around at the armed men standing all around them. "She loves him!" Mitchell gave a harsh laugh that ended just as quickly as it had begun and his icy blue eyes hardened as he looked at her.

"You had no right to love him, Caroline. You are mine. I own you. Mind, body.. Your very soul belongs to me. I bought it the day I killed your family." Caroline shivered at the possessive coldness in his voice. She shook her head.

"I will not kill Ethan. You will just have to kill me." she said.

"You think I won't!" Mitchell yelled. "I will strangle the life from you with my bare hands if necessary. I will beat you until you have no fight left in your spirit.. I will break you, Caroline!"

"You won't lay a hand on her, you fucking snake bastard!" Ethan yelled angrily from where he was standing. Caroline turned just in time to see one of Mitchell's men named Blue knock the breath from Ethan with a punch to his gut.

"Stop!" She screamed. She wanted to run to him but her feet were shackled. Mitchell threw a glance at Blue and he stepped away. Ethan stood straight again and squared his shoulders. Caroline knew he was in pain but she admired his strength as he refused to let it show… That was one of the many things she loved about this man.

"If threatening to kill you will not work then I will just have to try a different tactic." Caroline turned back to Mitchell and she saw her sister silently screaming in fear and her blood froze in her veins. Mitchell had her pulled tight against him with his revolver pressed against her temple.

"No please!" Caroline cried. "Don't kill her! She is only ten. She is just a child!" Mitchell shrugged.

"This decision is yours. You either kill Ethan or I kill her." he replied coldly. "You better make a decision before I count to ten or my men will kill both of them."

Caroline could see the fear in Jasmine's blue eyes and the paleness of her skin. She felt desperation enter her. This was an impossible choice and the smile on Mitchell's face told her that he knew how torn she was and he was enjoying every second of it.

"One." he said as he began his countdown.

"Caroline." Ethan's deep soothing voice called her name from where he stood. She tore her eyes away from Jasmine and looked at him.

"Two." Mitchell said. Ethan's eyes were full of love as he looked at her and she nearly cried out and fell to the ground with the hopelessness of her situation.

"This isn't even a choice, Caroline. Just remember that I love you and I am sorry I couldn't get you away from him."

"Three." that cold voice said behind her.

"No, Ethan! I can't do it. I can't kill you!" she said through her tears. He smiled at her.

"You have to, Caroline." he replied gently. "For Jasmine."

"Four, Five, Six…" that voice said quickly and Caroline nearly dropped the gun from her slippery hands.

"I cant…." she said. The man across from her was the other half of her heart… She couldn't do this….

"Seven."

"You have too, Caroline. Just pull the hammer back and squeeze the trigger darlin'." Ethan said gently.

"Eight." Caroline held her arms out in front of her and aimed the gun at Ethan's handsome face. She couldn't let her sister die. She was all Jasmine had since Mitchell had killed their mother and father and brothers. She had to protect her sister.

"I love you, Ethan." she managed to choke out through the lump of dread in her throat.

"I love you too." Ethan said and still she could hear no fear in his voice. He was being strong for her and that just made it even harder.

"Nine." Caroline laid her finger on the trigger and took a deep breath. She squeezed and the sound of the shot filled the air as Ethan's body fell to the ground. Caroline screamed his name as her heart shattered to a million pieces and she fell to her knees crawling across the wet muddy ground to his body. He was lying on his stomach and before she could flip him over she heard Mitchell laughing and she looked back at him.

"That was very well done." he said. "I always knew you had it in you to be as cold blooded as me."

"You are a heartless son of a bitch." she spat. "He was your son!"

"Well then if I am such a heartless son of a bitch, I certainly can't let her live can I?" he said tilting his chin toward Jasmine. Before Caroline could even let out a scream Mitchell Thompson squeezed the trigger of the revolver he was holding and her beautiful little sister fell lifeless to the ground with the back of her head missing.

Caroline screamed in pain and rage. She cocked the revolver as she stood and fired a shot straight at Mitchell's laughing face but nothing happened.

"You fool! Did you think I'd give you a pistol with more than one bullet?" he demanded. Just then a man on horseback came over the rise of the canyon.

"Boss that damn posse's coming! We gotta get the hell out of here." he shouted. Mitchell nodded. He walked toward Caroline and she tried to run away but the shackles on her ankles kept her from doing so.

"You should have been loyal to me and kept your hands off that boy and then none of this would have happened." he said and then he brought his fist down hard on her face and her world went black.