Desperate for Hope

Stagecoach Robbery

It's been a week since that night at the hotel. I've been doing my best to steer clear of Arthur, avoiding him whenever he's around. I try my best to get lost in the work, doing chores where I can and helping out on a few coach robberies with Javier.

At the moment Javier and I plan on robbing a coach set to leave Valentine a little before noon. It's a straight forward job, surprisingly no guards protecting the carriage. An easy target.

"This should be fine. The tip I got said that is only carrying two passengers out of town but apparently they got some cash stored away with them." Javier explains. "These passengers didn't want to attract any attention with heightened security."

"Right, lets get our things and head out." I say as I place my cattlemen revolver in its holster on my hip.

Javier and I make our way toward the horses hitched to the post. I've been spending more and more time with him since that night. He's a good friend and helps take my mind off things.

As we mount our horses I catch a glimpses of Arthur. Every time I see him I feel overcome with a mixture of guilt and embarrassment. How could I let myself be such a fool?

When I look at him I can tell he's looking our way, but not at me. He's looking at Javier, and the look in his eyes is not a good one. What did Javier do to Arthur? I can't help but wonder to myself.

I try my best to ignore it and carry on with the mission. Leading our horses out of the forest, we set out for the road.

We ride about 20 minutes out, stopping our horse on a small hill, gaining a good vantage point of the road below.

"Ok the tip said they would be taking the east road out of town, so this should be our best spot at finding them and catching them off guard."

"Great, now we wait." I say staying the obvious. "I hope this one pays out more then the last one"

"It should if that tip was right. Apparently its some rich man and his wife leaving back to Saint Dennis after visiting family in Valentine"

Hearing this causes me to think about my own family, or at the least the only family I got left. My brother and his kids. His wife Anna died a few years back from Pneumonia, it broke my heart to hear the news knowing that my brother was all alone, raising his children without a mother.

Come to think of it, it's been longer than usual since he's written to me. I know he disapproves of the way I live but he still cares about me. Thinking about this more I decide I should write him whenever I go back into camp.

Pulling me out of my thoughts, Javier points out the carriage approaching nearby.

"There's our ride, let move out now." He says in a serious tone, eyes focused on the carriage.

Placing the mask on my nose, I tightly grab the reins. Lightly kicking Philly Midnight with the heel of my boot, he starts to gallop down the hill, keeping in pace with Javier's horse.

We stop up ahead, cutting of the coach from the road. I left my gun from my holster and aim at the driver.

"This isn't your lucky day feller. Step down from the coach now, or your day is going to get a whole lot worse." I say in a tone that lets him know that I'm not playing around.

Raising his arms in the air he slowly stands up from his seat on the coach, trembling slightly.

"Alright! Alright, don't shook ok? He says with a shaky voice. Slowly he get off the coach. My gun trained on him, never leaving him for a moment.

Javier rounds the side of the carriage stepping toward the door. "Alright, you two inside get out NOW!" He yells, pointing his pistol at the door.

After he says he's this the two people in the carriage step out, with there hands raised. The look of fear fills both there expression. "Go stand by the driver, while my partner here sees what you've got" Javier continues.

Seeing as he's got the others at gun point, I go inside the carriage and take whatever valuables they got. A couple of pieces of jewelry, a gold pocket watch. And 80 dollars. Not bad.

"Alright were good." I say turning to Javier. I go to the horses pulling the carriage, pull out my knife and cut them free. I give the horses a slight slap on there backs, signaling them to flee. Theses people are not going anywhere in a hurry.

Javier and I mount back on our horses and take off before anyone wandering on the road finds what we've done.

We head out around 5 or 6 miles away from the scene of the crime and pull off into a small patch of woods. I take off my mask, a smile on my lips, and check what we got.

"We got some pretty good loot here Javier" I say with a grin. "Way better then the last coach."

"Great, lets divide up the money when we're back at camp" he says? Pulling his horse back on the path.

We head back on the road, taking the lesser travel paths to avoid unwanted attention. Up head I notice a few men mounted on horses, stopped beside the road. I don't like the look of this but there is no other path.

Before we could get too close, the men move onto the road blocking our path, the same way we did to the coach earlier.

From the looks of them, I'd say they're Colm O'driscoll's men.

"Not so fast there fellas. There is a fee to pay for riding these roads." A man with a dark mustache, hooded eyes crooked nose speaks out. "Now you're going to have to pay."

"Look pal, we've got places to be. Get the hell out of our way!" I yell out with annoyance in my tone.

"I'm suppose to be intimidated by that?" The man says while the others laugh along with him.

"I'd do what the lady says" Javier speak out, a small smirk on his face.

"What about you pretty boy" He sneers at Javier.

"Alright enough of this!" I say, quick as a whip, I pull out my revolver. Feathering the hammer with my other hand, sending bullets flying toward my assailants . I take out two of the men. Javier follows my lead, shooting the other men in the chest, his body slumps over and falls from the horse.

I turn to Javier.

" I was seriously hoping I didn't have to kill anyone today" I say in a flat tone.

"I think you got your hopes too high."