Unshaken

Catfish Jacksons

Liam saw Dutch and Lenny walking to their horses. Arthur was grabbing his gun, about to follow. "Y'alI are sticking up the trolley station, ain't you? I heard Dutch talking to you about it." He asked. "You always wanna know, don't you?" Arthur said. "I won't argue with you there." Liam said. "We are. Dutch scoped it out and he thinks Bronte's right." Arthur said. Liam gave him a look of disbelief. "Seriously? Bronte is a damn conman. He's setting y'all up! Why would he want his own money stolen?" Liam asked, confused. "Look, kid, I don't know. I'm gonna go with Dutch and try to see things out. Just calm down." Arthur said walking off.

Liam threw his hands up in annoyance. He saw Sean sitting by the fire. He walked over and plunked down back onto the log. "Don't you just love the gators and mosquitoes, Little English?" Sean asked. "Not as much as the ghosts and creeps around here." Liam said, slightly annoyed. "Say, you remember how I said there's plenty of homesteads 'round here just waiting to be robbed?" Sean asked. "I guess, so what you thinking?" Liam asked. "Well, I was ridin' and saw an old-as-dirt rundown house over at Catfish Jacksons. People talk about a drunk who hoards his money there. I figure I'll go and rob the fucker blind." Sean said. Liam laughed. "Of course you will. You need any extra guns?" He asked. "Awe, does Little Liam need some money?" Sean asked, patting the top of Liam's head. "Nah, I'm just messing wit yas. Of course I want some company! Who do you take me for?" He asked. "Well, what are we waiting for?" Liam asked. "Patience, Little English. Let me get my things and we'll go." Sean said.

Liam got on his horse with Sean soon following. Sean led the way southwest to Catfish Jacksons. "How you feeling about all this?" Liam asked. "I see things happening two ways. Either everything goes to plan and we're harvesting coconuts in Tahiti, or everything's gonna go to bloody shit." Sean told him. "And by shit, you mean Pinkertons are finally gonna get us?" Liam asked. "Probably so. I used to feel like people gave Dutch a hard time for the hell of it, but he ain't acting like he used to." Sean said. "How you mean?" Liam asked. "I don't know, he's just different, or maybe I'm crazy. But that'll have to wait, we're here." Sean said as the house came into view.

They pulled on their bandanas and slowly crept around the house. "Let's go through the back." Sean whispered. They went up to the backdoor and listened in. The man and his son were arguing. "I reckon you've had enough, Pa." the boy said. Sean motioned Liam to stay quiet. "Enough? All I had enough of is you!" The drunk yelled. Sean told Liam to follow his lead. He quietly opened the back door and they crept into the house, the two watching the man and his son. "We ain't had food in the keep for weeks." The young man said. "Well you ain't a babe no more. You full growed now, boy. Start pulling in your pieces." The dad yelled. The son stood up, angry. "You'd only gamble or piss it away if I did!" The son yelled. The drunk stood up. "You damn maggot! Who the hell you think you talking to? You need to learn some respect!" The man yelled, back handing his son across the face.

Liam put his head down. It reminded him exactly of his situation a couple of months before. "This is why Ma left. Look what happened to you." The son scolded. He rushed past the man and started towards his room. Liam and Sean threw themselves against the wall. The son didn't see as he went to his room and slammed the door. Sean pointed towards the room for Liam to go in while Sean handled the dad. He motioned his fingers in a countdown and began, "Give us all your damn money now!" He yelled pointing his gun at the father. Liam kicked down the son's door and held him at gunpoint. The father yelled in confusion. "Pa! There's someone in the house!" The son yelled with no response. "You keep it down! Give me everything you got!" Liam demanded in a harsh tone. As the son started pulling all of his valuables out of his chest, Liam heard struggling from the living room and a gunshot.

"You don't move a muscle or I swear I'll kill you!" Liam yelled as he ran out the door. Sean was standing above the drunk who now had a hole in his chest. "Greedy fucker didn't want to hand it over, bastard tried to kill me." Sean said, looking elsewhere for valuables. He checked the chimney and found a hundred dollars. "Pa? Pa!" The son yelled, scared to death. "Your pa ain't coming, boy!" Sean yelled. Liam checked the father's room. "Looking good! Found some jewelry. Go check the kid again, I don't think he gave me everything." Liam yelled. Sean went into the room and demanded the son give him everything. Liam picked up some letters on the nightstand. He quickly read them. They were from Nate's mother. She had been writing to him, inviting him to come live with her. Liam grew angry.

He walked back into the room. Sean punched Nate across the face, making him give the last of what he had. "Hey, hey, let up." Liam said. "You killed my Pa?" Nate yelled, holding his face. "Yeah, but don't mourn too much. Apparently he's been holding your mama's letters from you." Liam said. Sean looked confused. "What? My ma wrote me?" Nate asked, confused. Liam threw him the letters and gave him back his cigarette cards. "Alright, take was pretty good. Catch you back at camp?" Sean asked. "Yeah. See you later." Liam said as Sean walked out the door.

Liam was about to leave and then looked at Nate who was now on the floor, weeping, desperately reading his letters. He sighed and walked back into the room. Liam squatted in front of him. "How old are you?" Liam asked. "Sixteen." Nate said. Liam looked down again. "Didn't your mama say she'll send for you?" Liam asked. "Yeah, if I'm alive until then. I ain't ate in days and now you two just took everything I got. My Pa weren't perfect, but he was all I had." Nate said. "Well now you got your mama. Here." Liam said handing him fifty dollars. "Go get yourself some supplies to last until she sends for you." Liam said. "That's... that's kind of you. You're a good man." Nate told him. Liam stood up. "That's where you're wrong. Now you grab that shotgun, get on your horse and get yourself something to eat. When I return you best be packed and ready to leave." Liam said. Liam loaded the shotgun with shells for him.

"Okay." Nate said grabbing the double-barreled shotgun, climbing on his horse, heading to Rhodes. Liam watched as he rode off to Rhodes and then climbed on Colter. He rode back to Shady Belle as the night fell.

When he returned, Lenny was sitting Dutch down. He had suffered a head injury. Arthur came up behind him. "You and Hosea were right. It was a damn setup." Arthur said. Before Liam could get any words out, Arthur interrupted him. "And yes, before you tell me, you told me so." Arthur said. "How's Dutch?" Liam asked. "Fine, I hope. He hit his head hard when we flipped the trolley." Arthur told him. "Sounds like Bronte gave you quite the hassle." Liam said. "Damn right. He better pray that Dutch doesn't want revenge, cause he's in a world of trouble if he does." Arthur said. "But l thought revenge was a fool's game to you boys?" Liam asked. "To me, yes. I don't know about Dutch. I don't know much about him anymore." Arthur said walking off.

Mood was starting to shift around camp. Liam couldn't put his finger on it though.