Out Of Time

Beau and Penelope

"Come on, you degenerate, no good, white trash, hillbilly piece of scum!" McGregor shouted. It jolted Sam out of her thoughts. "I know you, Billy Lime," McGregor kept on as he walked away we with tied up men. Sam assumed they were Lemoyne Raiders.

Dutch put a hand on Sam' shoulder. "You're gonna be okay. The first kill is always the hardest one."

Sam shrugged him off, turned around and walked a few steps away, still looking at the blood on her hands. She heard Dutch sigh and start up a conversation.

"Finally," he said, "we have alighted on a land so stupid, a backwater so backwards, that even we look like geniuses." Sam heard Arthur and Dutch laugh. "Bill! Get this stuff outta here!"

Sam heard the wagon pull away. Suddenly she felt warm arms wrap around her from behind, Arthur's scent hitting her nose. It provided small comfort in this situation. "C'mon, let's get out of here, huh?" he asked, brushing her hair to the side so he could kiss the back of her neck.

"...Okay," she replied softly.

Sam turned around and the two walked to their horses with Dutch. "Bit of trouble back there, Arthur?" Dutch asked.

"Ain't there always?" Arthur responded. "From what they was yellin', I think they were the buyers."

"Old Archibald didn't ask too many questions so neither should we."

"I ain't plannin' to."

"That was worth the effort, though. Deputized and hidin' in plain sight. These lawmen, these two families...I mean, I really think we can play this from all sides. It's got Hosea written all over it."

"This is startin' to sound like the young Dutch again," Arthur said happily.

"What do you mean, "Young Dutch"? I'm as strong as I have ever been. Hey, you know what...why don't I race you back?"

"Okay, you're on. Sam, you want in on this?"

Sam considered for a moment the fact that both of them had two horses known for speed while she had a work horse, which was not known for its speed. "No. I'd never keep up with you two."

"Oh come on," Dutch said. "Where's your sense of competition?"

"It died along with that man back there," she muttered to herself.

"What's that?"

Sam shook her head. "Nothing. Just-"

"Come on, Sam. Race with us. We'll take it easy on you," Arthur said, chuckling at her.

Sam let out a huff of air. She knew they were trying to keep her mind off things, so why not let them? She arched a brow at Arthur. "Take it easy on me? Oh please...gimme your best shot."

Dutch laughed. "That's the spirit. Okay, on my word, set...go!"

Dutch, Arthur, and Sam went racing off down the trail. Almost immediately the two men were ahead of her and she growled in irritation.

"Come on, Orion! Hustle!" she said.

Orion started going faster but she was still unable to keep up with the men. Suddenly she realized Dutch and Arthur were taking the road to camp. A smile spread on Sam's face and she turned off the road. She was going to take a shortcut. She raced Orion across the field and soon she was ahead of the two men.

Sam could hear Arthur cackling. "Hey, that's cheating!" he yelled.

"Not in my book!" Sam yelled back.

She crossed to the road and started hauling on it, but soon the men started catching up. She needed another shortcut and quick. Arthur came up alongside her with a smile on his face.