Bulletproof

Chapter 14 - A Hanging

I was fucked, that was the long and the short of it. Stuck in jail in Strawberry, for a crime I didn't commit.

Somehow, Dutch had arranged to kill Billy, and then got someone to frame me for it. All because I didn't want to be his next conquest.

Then there was Arthur, he was complicit somehow. Probably came here, straight after he'd dropped me in Valentine. Unless they'd set it up before. What better way to keep someone in a gang of outlaws, than to put a bounty on their head.

I looked across at the cell door. One of the deputies had brought me some food and water. No point trying to starve my self to death. I walked over and picked it up. At least it looked edible. Not rotten or crawling with maggots.

I wondered if I'd get offered a choice of food, before they hung me. I'd heard rumours that's what they did, before you were hung.

I sat on the cot, my legs crossed eating the food, there was little else to do.

I looked towards the barred window, the sun was beginning set. Guess that was gonna be my life for the next few days just eating and sleeping.

I chucked the empty metal bowl and cup towards the cell door, and lay down on the cot.

I'd only just closed my eyes, when I heard someone calling my name.

"Jesse, Jesse over here."

I recognised the voice immediately, I ran over to the barred window. There he was, Arthur fucking Morgan, and some other ugly bastard.

"You fucking bastard!" I hissed.

"Ooh she's a feisty one, ain't she, Morgan," the other man smirked.

He had longish blond hair, and a horseshoe moustache.

"Shut up Micah, you're not helping!" Arthur hissed, glaring at the other man.

Micah shrugged.

"Listen, Jesse. I'm...we're here to get you out." Arthur explained.

I narrowed my eyes, "Why, you're the one who got me in here!"

Micah took a step closer to the cell window.

"Technically, that would be me, princess, but I was following orders!"

"Dutch!" I snarled.

I glared at the two men, "You do know they're gonna hang me!" I hissed.

"Not if we get you out, Jesse." Arthur began, "but if we do, you have to come back to the camp, and join the gang."

I stared at Arthur in disbelief, and grabbed the bars on the window.

"You're fucking kidding me! He set me up, just so I'll come back?" I snarled.

Arthur nodded, "that's about it. You'll already have a bounty on ya, so it makes sense."

I shook my head, "No! You go and tell that piece of shit, I'd rather hang than go anywhere near him again. I hope he rots in hell!" I hissed.

Arthur sighed. "C'mon Jesse, be sensible. They're gonna hang you."

"Yeah, they are, and I'd be hung ten times over, rather than spend another second in the company of that old bastard. You go and tell him that!" I growled.

"C'mon, Morgan. We're done here, lets go tell the old man." Micah grumbled.

I turned my back on the pair of them, then stopped. I turned back, as I watched them walk away.