The Fire Inside

Chapter 23

Days passed by, and you slowly started to regain your strength. Susan would come in to see how you were doing, and bring you food. Mary-Beth would occasionally come and read to you, or bring you a book to read.

Your thoughts often wandered to Dutch and Arthur. How they were fighting over you. Why? It seemed ridiculous to you. You never thought of yourself as particularly attractive, although Dutch would often tell you that you were, and Arthur had called you pretty.

You didn't really believe it, and you always knew that as outlaws, the next big score was always at the back of there mind. That's what you were, the next big score.

Well no any more. Javier had been right, you were strong. If you could pull off what you were about to do, Dutch's crazy plans would seem lame.

You waited until nightfall, you quickly peered out the tent, everything was silent. Everyone was sleeping.

You walked to the corner of the tent, and opened the chest in the corner. Sad that all your worldly possessions, now fit into such a small chest.

You rummaged around in the bottom, and found the money clip. You smiled, remembering stealing the coach with Hosea and Arthur, then delivering it to Seamus.

You shoved the money in your pocket, then dug out the oldest shirt you could find. It was quite badly worn in places, but that would be perfect.

Looking in the chest, you saw the gun and holster that Dutch had bought for you. It was lovely, but too good for what you needed. It saddened you slightly that you had to leave it behind. You looked at the initials embossed into the holster. BA. You chuckled, your first romantic encounter had been with Billy Adams behind the school house. He had tried to kiss you. It had been all wet and slobbery, more like getting a kiss from a dog. Not like the kisses that you had got from Arthur and Dutch.

You took off your shirt and bra. You started to rip the shirt you had been wearing into strips. You weren't very big up top, so this would make life easier. You bound your breasts down, as tightly as you could, with the strips of cloth. Then put on the old shirt. You buried the bra in the bottom of the chest. The last thing you needed was them suspecting what you were doing. You found the small knife, that you had used to cut the name with, when you marked your fathers wooden cross. You slowly started to chop off your hair, as short as you could manage with the knife. You were no longer Blair Adler, you were now Billy Adams.

Digging further into the chest you found you fathers old pistol, and a box of extra bullets. You loaded the gun, and shoved the bullets in your pocket. Putting the gun in your belt.

All you really needed now was a hat, you could always buy one.

Finally you grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil.

Thank you for everything, but I can't stay.

Please don't look for me, I'll be fine.

Blair

You crept out of the tent, and slowly went through the trees, avoiding the path out of camp, and whoever was on guard duty.

Once you reached the main track, you looked around to get your bearings, and headed towards Rhodes.

By the time you reached Rhodes, the sun was beginning to rise. Luckily the General Store was already open. You went in and grabbed some supplies, mostly fruit and chocolate bars. You also bought a hat, a little cap, the sort that you'd seen stable hands wear. You took everything to the counter to pay for.

"Anything else you need, son," the shopkeeper asked.

"No thanks sir," you said lowering your voice slightly, and managing to stop from grinning. It seemed that your plan was working.