Unshaken

Way Down We Go

Liam woke to the same attitude from camp as usual. Dutch and Micah stayed near his tent. Always talking. Liam was suspicious, something didn't feel right. He knew that they needed to keep moving. He didn't know where, though. He figured they'd only be there for a few more days. As he sat in thought at the fire, Karen approached from behind.

"A lot on your mind, too?" She asked, sitting down beside him. "Yes ma'am." He replied. "Everyone's been so snappy at each other. Don't know why we ain't left here yet." She said. As he was about to reply, they watched Susan approach Dutch. "Dutch! What is going on?" She yelled. "Going on, Miss?" Dutch asked as he sat with a book. "With you. You're not yourself, somehow." She nagged. "Then who am I?" He asked menacingly, closing his book. "I have no idea, who are you?" Susan asked. "Who are you? To question me? I mean..." Dutch said standing up and threateningly getting in her face, causing her to back up. "I have always been loyal, Dutch. And I shall go on being loyal, but what are we doing here? We need to move, and keep moving!" She told him. "We need... we need money, you dumb fool! Money! Or we are all dead!" Dutch screamed in her face, retreating to the cave.

Liam and Karen watched in shock. Susan shook her head and stormed off. "What in the hell was that?" Liam asked quietly. "He seems fully off his knockers." Karen said. Liam sighed and climbed on Colter and headed to Annesburg. He rode into the mining town from the hills. There was a Scottish professor yelling about science, Liam didn't understand anything he talked about.

Liam took a deep breath and walked to the meeting spot between the buildings where his mother was. She had cleaned herself up a bit from the day before. He didn't greet her. "So, uh, what have you been up to?" She asked, eyeing the guns on his hips. "You know, this and that. Found some ranchers around here who needed a hand." He told her. She looked at him for a moment, as if she didn't believe him. "Well I'm glad to see you're doing good for yourself. How about we go to lunch?" She asked. "Sure." He responded. He followed her down to a restaurant at the end of the line of buildings. "You look healthy. You used to be so skinny, Liam." She told him. He but his tongue at the comment. They walked in and sat at a table.

They ordered and their food came. It was nothing special. "I never told you, but I returned to Rhodes for a bit. And I came home. And you walked in. You said I ruined your life." Liam told her. "Well... I-I, was stupid. And I've changed. You didn't ruin my life. You made me see where life could bring me. Now, I know this ain't high society, but it ain't Rhodes." She told him. "That's something, I guess." He said. "I thought about you, a lot. It's nice to know you were up here most of the time, doing honest work." She said. He bit his lip. "Yeah, it is." He said.

"Hey, I've got a place just up the hill there. I'd love for you to come and see it." She said. He thought about it for a moment. "I guess." He told her. She got excited as he paid for their food and walked out. She climbed on her scrawny nag and he followed. Maybe she had changed. He started to feel more comfortable with her as they rode. They rode up into the hills to Manito Glade. "Here it is. I know it ain't much, but it's something." She said. He climbed off his horse and followed her up to the house.

He couldn't believe how she had changed. It made him feel differently, almost as if she actually loved and cared about him. As she opened the door, she mumbled something. "Huh?" He asked. "I said I'm sorry." She said. "For what?" He asked. "For this." She said, stepping back when three men emerged from the house. His face went white. He pulled out his revolver and pointed it at them. "Bounty hunters, are you serious?" Liam yelled in anger. "We know who you are, we're gonna need you to come with us, boy." They said. Liam shot the first man in the skull as he ran down the steps and took cover behind some crates in the yard. He watched his mother run in the house. He shot another bounty hunter down, blindsided when the last one rushed him.

He jumped on top of Liam as they fought over the bounty hunter's pistol which was slowly pointing towards Liam face. The two rolled across the ground for a moment before the bounty hunter came out on top again. He grunted as he fought the gun. He freed his leg and kneed the man in his groin. He fell over and Liam stabbed him in the throat. Blood splattered all over him. He wiped his face. The anger he felt was like no other. "You snake, you snake!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as he rushed into the house, kicking down the door.

He saw his mother cowering under the bed. He grabbed her by the hair and drug her out from under it. She screamed. He forcefully threw her to the floor. "Why?" He screamed, tears starting to fill his eyes. "I always knew you were a low-down killer! Running with a gang of outlaws!" She said. "You don't know anything about me!" He screamed. "I know you killed your father!" She yelled. He laughed, almost psychotically. "You... you are the most selfish, delusional, pathetic person I ever known." He told her. "I know the bounty on your head, Liam. If I didn't get money soon, I was gonna starve. It was me or you." She said. He grew infuriated at her words. She couldn't reveal his identity. "I guess it might as well be you." He said menacingly. "What? You wouldn't!" She yelled. "There's many things I wouldn't do, things I couldn't bring myself to do, but killing you ain't one of them. You've betrayed me for the last time. And to think, I'm your only son." He told her, heartbroken. "Your father was right, Liam. You are nothing!" She yelled.

He closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. She collapsed to the floor, blood pouring from her head. He let out a breath and stood for a moment. He closed his eyes again and sat on the bed and sobbed. Just when he had thought she had actually loved him, she went and stabbed him in the back. He sat there for what felt like hours. His hurt turned to anger. He composed himself and walked out. He dragged the bounty hunter's bodies into the house. He saw a framed photo of his father looking at him. Rage filled him again. He took a fire bottle out of his satchel and threw it on the bodies. He watched the picture go down with the flames.

Liam walked out the house and didn't look back until he got to his horse. It was halfway burned down already, the roof caving in and beams falling. He swallowed a sob and rode off to the Kamasa River to wash off.