The Woman with Eight Fingers

Part I: Halfway There

The soft crack of a far off rifle split the world. The shambling thing that used to be a person looked up. Then its head snapped backwards. It crumpled down to the wet bayou floor. Its blood stained the ground, but the blood soaked country paid little mind to any new blood spilling. Louisiana was an ocean of blood.

One the other end of that fatal shot Isom Addison stood up. "That's for the 10th Cavalry!"

JJ nodded to him as he closed his pocket telescope. "Good shot. That's one more."

"That's what, fifty-two now?"

"Fifty-two." JJ nodded.

"Fifty-two... good god, only forty eight more. Then a homestead."

"Well, forty eight and however many of those shambling things you need to run off your property when you and Niyoel-"

"Niyol."

JJ nodded, "damn, did it again?"

"Yep. You're closer though." 

"Well that's good. When you and Niyol set up that homestead."

Isom nodded, "yeah... but it will be better than wherever the government is marching her and her family. God... I hope she's alright."

JJ nodded.

For a moment the world was cold.

Despite the blistering Louisianan heat.

"Isom... what happens when I collect that bounty for you?"

Isom turned his head away, slowly thumbing a round back into his worn Spencer rifle.

"We're... nowhere near finding the woman with eight fingers..."

"We will."

"What if we don't. Not before you have your homestead?"

Isom shouldered his rifle. "I dunno."

"Isom... I do."

"Look, JJ... you've saved me too many times to count. I'll help you-"

"No! Isom... look... my ma went through hell to get her farm... I... when we earn this bounty, and the government gives us that homestead, I want you to get Niyol and her parents there – and be with them? You hear?"

"What about you?"

"I'll come visit. Like you said I've saved your life. I'm sure that's good for a few drinks."

Isom laughed, "its good for more than a few. And... I'm here to pay you back more than a few drinks."

JJ shrugged and stood up, "too bad I'm not accepting that pay." He smiled and offered his hand to Isom. "Forty-eight to go."

"Yeah... forty-eight to go."

"And I get number fifty-three."

"Oh... we'll never get to one hundred if you spend forever trying to hit number fifty-three."

The two laughed.

The nearby bushes shuddered from the force of their laughter – and for it hadn't heard such sounds in so very long.

Perhaps it was because the landscape was so uncomfortable with happy sounds that is echoed the report of a gunshot.

Then another.

And more.

There was a fight.

Isom looked at JJ. "We got to help." JJ urged.