Last of the Wilde's

[InstaNoodles]

This is a fanfic/backstory for my RDO character, Charlie Devereau. Hope you guys enjoy!

 

Last of the Wilde’s

 

Chapter I: Eastern Oregon, Summer of 1897

 

The campfire danced as the sun burned the dusky sky, the clouds illuminated with wonderful shades of oranges, pinks, purples, and blues. But for the group around the campfire, there was no interest in the beauty of the setting sun or the vast plains that surrounded them. Instead their minds were focused on celebration. The group danced and laughed with both drunkenness and glee. Liquor was being passed around and songs were being sung.

 

One of the men stood alone though, leaning against one of the large wagons around the camp. Out of everyone, he was the youngest amongst them at the age of twenty. Cleanly shaven with a handsome jawline and dark brown hair that appeared black in the evening light. His sky-blue eyes glanced around, taking in the atmosphere and his right hand clutched an opened bottle of beer. As he sipped off his beer, one of the women stumbled over to him.

 

“Why’th long face ther, boah?” She asked, slurring her words. He chuckled before answering.

 

“I don’t know. I... I guess what we did just isn’t sitting right with me.”

 

“What’w did?!! Charlie Devereau, did’y fr’get yur’n outlaw, y’silly fool?” Charlie sighed and looked her in the eyes with straight face.

 

“Aileen, you’re drunk. You’re not seeing what I’m seeing.”

 

“Whatev’r. Yur just’a big pouty kill joy ‘cuz y’didn’t get yur way,” she slurred before she stumbled away.

 

In a way, she was right. He found out about a wealthy ranching family that was rumored to be hiding gold somewhere on their land. But the gang seemed more interested in robbing the Bank of Wawatah, the small, local bank of a nearby town. He was on to something though. If the rumors were true, they’d have more than enough money to flee the country and the lawmen pursuing them. But before he could do more digging, their leader rounded up the gang for the robbery. After all the robbing the’ve done, it was their first bank heist. The attention the robbery drew was the last thing the gang needed. The days of the wild west were coming to an end. Other gangs were being tried and hanged left and right, and it was only a matter of time before their turn on the gallows came. But that didn’t seem to concern them. Most of them were acting like the wild west was never going to end. The rest of them, however...

 

“How you holding up?” another young woman asked Charlie as she approached him. She looked a few years older than Charlie and spoke with a slight Latino accent. Her tan skin seemed darker amidst the light of the setting sun and the glow of the campfire. Her long midnight-black hair was tied carefully and beautifully into a single braid that snaked over her left shoulder. Around her neck was a turquoise beaded necklace.

 

“I don’t know,” Charlie sighed, “Disappointed, I guess? That lead I was looking into? It would’ve given us more money than that bank ever could.”

 

“Mmm,” she nodded, “If the rumors were true.”

 

“I was turning over stones, Rosie, I knew they were hiding something valuable.”

 

“But you didn’t find out what it was. You said it was gold, but you didn’t even know for sure.” Charlie breathed out of his nose heavily as Rosie finished her statement. “Like or not, it’s the truth. You couldn’t bring Annalise something solid, so she went with Shane’s plan.”

 

“I just needed a little more time-”

 

“And we don’t have time,” she interrupted. Charlie took a large sip off his beer before focusing his gaze on ground and crossing his arms. Rosie sighed, “Look, I liked your plan. A lot better than Shane’s. The bank job brought a lot’a heat on us that we didn’t need. But you’re plan needed time we didn’t have.”

 

Charlie looked up at her. She wasn’t drunk, though he secretly wished she was. It would’ve made this conversation a lot easier to brush off.

 

“Well I can’t go back into Wawatah now,” he continued, “Someone’ll recognize me.”

 

“With that baby face, no one will think you just robbed their bank.”

 

Charlie snorted. ‘The Baby Faced Bandit’. The day he saw that on his wanted poster, he tried hard not to laugh, but after that everyone in the gang started calling him Baby Face. It didn’t help that he was the youngest member, but he had proven his worth over the eight years he had been riding with them. His schemes always needed time, but payed out well. Rosie was right, though. They didn’t have time anymore. It was running out. How long would it be before his time was up? How long until Rosie’s? Charlie took another large sip off his beer again, hoping the alcohol would push those thoughts out of his head.

 

“Th’hell was that for?!!” a sudden, drunken shout came from the group. Charlie and Rosie looked up to see two of the group members fighting, Byron and Jasper. They were both older than Charlie and Rosie and significantly larger. Byron stood a full head taller than Charlie while Jasper was a head and some shoulders taller. Out of the two, Byron was the more heavier set one. Jasper on the other hand was all muscle. From the looks of things, Byron had just shoved Jasper backwards. Jasper straightened his back towering to his full height. His huge hands had balled into fists as he got up close to Byron.

 

“Y’spilled m’beer, f*ckin’ sh*thead,” Byron answered. Jasper’s fist then crashed into Byron’s cheek, sending him falling to the ground. Before Byron could even pick himself up, Jasper got on top of him and began repeatedly punching Byron in the face. The other members shouted at the them. Some cheering on, the rest trying to stop it, but given how large Jasper was it was understandable why no one was willing to step in. Suddenly a gunshot rang throughout the commotion. Annalise, the leader, stood pointing her Schofield Revolver straight up into the sky, glaring at Jasper.

 

“That’s enough. Take a walk, Jas,” she commanded as she holstered her weapon. Jasper stood up once again to his full height. Annalise might’ve been the oldest at twenty-nine, but Jasper dwarfed her in sheer size. Despite his physical advantage, he did as he was told, walking away while nursing his bleeding knuckles. Byron was left on the ground moaning in pain. His nose was broken and bleeding heavily, cuts and bruises all over his face, and his left eye was blue and swollen. Rosie couldn’t help but crack a smirk. In her mind, Byron always deserved what was coming to him. She absolutely hated him.

 

“Shane, Gabriel,” Annalise called. The two walked up to Byron and attempted to pick him up, struggling against his heavy frame. Holding him by the arms, Shane and Gideon dragged Byron to his tent. Annalise grabbed some rags and antiseptic before following after them. Charlie sipped off his beer again, shaking his head. Even though she was the leader it often felt like she was babysitting them more than anything. But she was a strong leader, regardless. The gang wouldn’t exist or hold together without her.

 

Annalise Wilde formed the gang out of orphans and runaways who had nowhere to go. Being an orphan herself, she became a expert thief and swindler. By her late teens, she had progressed to robbing people at gunpoint. She always took in kids who had nothing. Most were more trouble than they were worth, but those who she saw potential in, she gave them a place to belong. A group to call family.

 

Charlie was more than grateful for Annalise. His mother walked out on him when he was eight and his father was an abusive drunk. Running away from home at the age of twelve wasn’t easy. He had to steal quite often and that’s how Annalise found him; pickpocketing people in The Dalles. He’d more than proved his worth to her, from finding opportunities to rustle livestock to robbing stagecoaches across Oregon. She always had confidence in his schemes and plans but they always took a long time to dig up. A few days to a week of digging at least. With the law closing in, all jobs had to be found quickly and be solid, something Charlie wasn’t used to.

 

After a short while, Shane and Gabriel returned to break the awkward silence. “Alright,” Shane announced, “Annalise said that y’all need start packing. W’leave at first light tomorrow.”

 

The group did as they were told, the most intoxicated ones stumbling to their bedrolls and tents. Charlie downed the last of his beer before tossing the bottle into the fire. Rosie walked with him, her gazed locked on the ground and her hands held in front of her as they continued to their tents.

 

“You ever think about what you’ll do after this?” she asked, stopping in place. Charlie turned to face her. He looked up and cocked an eyebrow as he thought before responding with a simple shrug.

 

“Not really,” he said, “Annalise has a plan for us, so...”

 

“I know she has a plan. She always has a plan. But that’s what she wants. What do you want?”

 

‘What do I want?’ Charlie pondered the question. He’d never really thought about it. Annalise’s plan for them was to just steal enough money to start somewhere new. Where that somewhere was she never specified. It was always a new answer every time; Fiji, Australia, Brazil. It was never a solid answer. But what did he want? Well, he definitely wanted to bring a few people with him. They were the closest thing he had to a family, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to take Byron with him. Definitely Rosie though. Maybe Aileen, Lawrence, Thomas, and Gideon. The rest of the group, he wasn’t sure about.

 

“Well, I’d definitely bring you with me-“

 

“That’s not what I mean,” she interrupted shaking her head, “I mean if you had to start over and no one from the gang was with you, what would you do? What do you want for yourself?”

 

“I... I don’t know what to tell you, Rosie. I... I just don’t know.”

 

Rosie sighed and nodded. It wasn’t the answer she was hoping to hear. Out of everyone, she was hoping her bestfriend had at least thought of something. Rosie turned her attention to the sunset. The wild colors in the sky mesmerized her as she thought.

 

“Well, what do you want?” Charlie asked.

 

“A ranch. A ranch with horses. A loving husband and three children. That’s what I want,” she then turned to Charlie, “I want to be a mother. I want to give my children a good life. A life I never had.”

 

Charlie nodded and smiled, “That sounds wonderful.” As the two parted ways, the question she asked continued to ring in his head; What do you want? He kept thinking as he helped pack the gang’s supplies into a wagon. Did he want a wife? A family? A nice plot of land to live off of? He wasn’t sure. No part of him was sure. The sun had set by the time the gang had packed most of their things. Charlie was lying on his bedroll, staring up into the night sky. What do you want?

 

The sun had just barely lifted off of the horizon when Charlie awoke to a swift kick in his left leg. Charlie groaned in both pain and surprise as he looked up. Shane stood above him, hands on his hips and a dumb smile on his face.

 

“Mornin’, Baby Face,” Shane mocked, his voice thick with an Irish accent. Charlie rolled his eyes as he sat up. “Pack your sh*t. Time t’go.”

 

Shane was a bit of an ass sometimes. Not to say he wasn’t a likable guy, he was dependable and fun to get drunk with. He was just an ass. Shane stood about Charlie’s height and was about the same build; scrawny yet fit. His long, shaggy red hair was combed backwards and a scruffy beard covered his chin. His face was dotted with so many freckles, everyone swore another freckle appeared every time he drank. For some odd reason, Shane was Annalise’s second in command. It was probably because the two were always sweet on each other, because Shane’s pine tree was definitely missing a few cones.

 

Charlie rolled up his bedroll and stowed it in the wagon he’d be riding in. The rest of the gang were taking down the remaining tents and loading them into the wagons. Charlie was walking over to help them when Byron passed by. The swelling on his face had gone down, but he was still bruised and battered. Byron had taken off his shirt exposing his big, jiggling belly. Byron’s blonde goatee was still blood stained and his mid-parted, shaggy blonde hair was still dusty from his fall. Byrons gray-blue eyes fixed on Charlie.

 

“Th’hell you looking at?” he sneered.

 

“Jesus, Jasper really did a number on you.”

 

“Listen here, you little sh*t,” Byron got up close to Charlie, but before he could do anything, Annalise had noticed them.

 

“Byron,” She called as she walked towards them, “Put your f*ckin’ pride away for five minutes and help us f*ckin’ pack.”

 

Byron scoffed as he walked away to do as he was told. Annalise had always been very pretty. Just about every man in the gang at least had feelings for her in the past. Her smooth facial features, brown hair that was always well kept in a ponytail, and deep brown eyes that could swoon and swindle just about any man. Despite her appearance, her presence commanded respect. The way she carried herself and the led the gang, none of the other members dared to challenge her. Not even Byron.

 

“Thanks, Ann,” Charlie said.

 

“Don’t mention it. Go on, go help the others,” she said in a lighter tone.

 

Like everyone else, Charlie did as she said. He made his way over to Thomas, Lawrence, and Gideon who were loading the last of Annalise’s belongings into a wagon. Thomas and Lawrence were identical twins. Both had well cut light brown hair, clean shaven faces, and light brown eyes. Even their voices sounded alike. That’s how they always made their money, using their identical appearance to fool, trick, and swindle strangers. Aside from Rosie, the twins were Charlie’s next closest friends in the gang. After them came Gideon. Gideon had very dark skin. His black hair was short and curly at the top with a fade going down the sides of his head. His eyes were a shade of brown so dark, they almost appeared black.

 

“Charlie,” Lawrence called out, “Can you go with Gideon and get the last of Anna’s things?”

 

“Yeah, I can do that.” Charlie and Gideon walked to where Annalise’s tent once stood. A few large chests were all that remained.

 

“That was quite a show last night, huh?” Gideon asked as he picked up one side of a chest and Charlie grabbed the other.

 

“No kidding. Thought Jasper was about to send him to his maker.”

 

“I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t have any problem with that.”

 

“Lets be honest, no one would. He got up in my face this morning just for looking at him.”

 

“Psshh, asshat. You’d think he’d be more grateful for what we do for him.”

 

Charlie and Gideon made their way back to the wagon and hoisted the chest up to the twins’ reach. As they turned to go back for the other chest, they saw Jasper carrying the it in his arms as if it weighed nothing. Jasper laid the chest on the wagon, placing his right hand on it to slide it towards Thomas and Lawrence. The four of them got a good look at his knuckles, scabbed and bruised from colliding with a human skull. They all kept quiet, pretending to ignore it.

 

Jasper had always been untalkative. He joined the gang long before Charlie, Gideon, and the twins, but often kept to himself. Even when he got drunk he talked even less. The only times he’d been outspoken was when some unfortunate fool had set off his temper. Luckily, most of the other members try to avoid doing that. That wasn’t to say there wasn’t something to like about him, but whatever that something was, most were too intimidated to find out. Jasper was built like a fortress. Broad at the arms and shoulders and narrow at the hips, his impressive stature was complimented by his intimidating features; a sharp, broad jawline, nearly shaved head, and strong brow. His piercing gray eyes didn’t make him any more approachable either.

 

Like always, Jasper didn’t say much to the four, but he knew they were staring. It seemed like all everyone ever did was stare. After sliding the chest to the twins, he silently walked off to tend to some other business. Lawrence let out a breath of awkwardness from his mouth and looked nervously to his friends and brother. The twins put the last chest into place before Charlie broke the awkward silence.

 

“So, guys?” he started, “You ever think about what you’re gonna do after all this?”

 

“What do you mean?” Thomas asked.

 

“Well... After our time here is done. You know, we can’t live like this forever. The world doesn’t want people like us anymore. So, do you guys have a idea of what you want to do after all this?” Gideon and the twins exchanged confused glances.

 

“You’re talking as if this is the last time we’re gonna see each other,” Gideon said.

 

“That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just asking if you guys have a plan. Just in case things don’t work out. Something to fall back on.”

 

“Uh, we don’t have anything in mind,” Lawrence said. Charlie nodded.

 

“Yeah, neither do I,” Charlie said.

 

“Hey,” Lawrence said, “Annalise will figure it out. She’s got a plan for us.” Charlie again nodded. It wasn’t what he was hoping to hear. But what was he expecting? Something wonderful like Rosie’s dream? They had put as much thought into it as he had.

 

Once everyone had finish packing, Annalise had called for a meeting. Charlie, Gideon, and the twins met up with Rosie as everyone crowded around Annalise.

 

“Alright,” she started, “That bank job got us a good amount of money, but it wasn’t enough. And the law is on our tracks so it won’t be long before they track us here. So we’re going south through Nevada and headed to New Austin.”

 

“Why can’t we just hold up in Nevada?” Aileen asked.

 

“That’s too close. Law will figure we went to another state when they can’t find us here. They’ll be searching California, Washington, Idaho, and Nevada. We’ll have more time if we head straight to New Austin.”

 

The gang exchanged nervous glances with each other. They’ve state hopped before, but this was a bigger trek than all the others. Nonetheless, they still had faith in Annalise. With belongings and supplies loaded up, they left bound for New Austin.

Edited April 6, 2020 by InstaNoodles

[InstaNoodles]

Last of the Wilde’s

 

Chapter II: Central Nevada, Summer of 1897

 

   The sun beat down on the caravan as they traversed the vast desert. The trek into Nevada had been completely uneventful. There was the occasional weary traveler passing by, but Annalise had ordered the gang not to rob anyone during the trip, not wanting to leave a breadcrumb trail for the law to follow. With that in mind, it was easy to understand how boredom had swept across the gang like a plague. Charlie, the twins, and Aileen rode in the back of the wagon being driven by Gideon. In an attempt to busy himself, Charlie was cleaning his Cattleman Revolver. Aileen sat across from him with her gaze blankly staring out at the open horizon and the twins sat at the edge of the wagon’s tail with their legs dangling off.

 

   “One-hundred an’ twenty-seven,” Aileen said abruptly.

 

   “What?” Charlie asked out of confusion.

 

   “That’s how many cactuses we passed,” she answered.

 

   “Cacti,” Lawrence corrected.

 

   “Cact-what’s the difference?” Aileen asked, “Don’t they mean the same thing?”

 

   “No,” Lawrence stated, “It’s like with deer. The plural for deer is just ‘deer’. Not ‘deers’. And the plural for cactus is ‘cacti’. Not ‘cactuses’.”

 

   “Alrighty then,” Aileen shrugged, “We’ve passed one-hundred an’ twenty-seven cacti.”

 

   Charlie rolled his eyes. That was Lawrence for you. He was smart, but a little too smart for his own good. It was annoying sometimes, but unlike some of the others, Lawrence had more going for him. Same went for Thomas. Charlie swore that the two probably split a brain while they were still in their mother’s womb.

 

   Aileen had returned to silently counting cacti. In the time the group had known her, she was both a puzzle and an open book. Her past was never known to the gang. Not even Annalise. At the same time, she was very approachable with the way she carried herself and her friendly demeanor. She was quite a bit heavier set, but definitely not as much as Byron. She was still fairly attractive with smooth facial features, wavy reddish-brown hair kept in a neat bun, and icy blue eyes. Around her neck was a gold necklace with a heart-shaped charm attached to it. Aileen had had that necklace long before she fell in line with Wilde’s gang. Charlie wondered who had given it to her in her past life. Part of him wanted to ask her right then and there seeing as he had nothing better to do, but then again, he didn’t want to upset her. There was a reason why she didn’t talk about her past.

 

   Charlie’s attention went back to his gun. He spun the cylinder out of pure boredom, listening to the mechanical ticks as it spun. He continued spinning the cylinder over and over again until Gideon finally piped up.

 

   “Could you cut that out?” he asked, “It’s getting annoying.”

 

   “And being annoying is Shane and Tucker’s job,” Thomas chimed in.

 

   “Ain’t it yours too?” Aileen asked Thomas.

 

   “Nah,” Thomas answered, “It’s my hobby. There’s a big difference between a job and a hobby.”

 

   Yep. The twins definitely split a brain. Charlie chuckled to himself at the thought as he holstered his gun and, like Aileen, set his gaze to the empty horizon. They’d been on the road for over three weeks now. Only stopping to eat and sleep. Another boring half hour passed before a sudden voice called to them.

 

   “Eh!” Charlie, Aileen, Gideon, and the twins turned to see Gabriel riding on horseback next to them. He had slowed down from riding alongside Annalise’s wagon, acting as one of the guards to the caravan. “Town’s up ahead. Ann says we’re gonna stop for supplies real quick, so no funny business while we’re there. Got it?”

 

   The group nodded in agreement. Gabriel slowed down to continue delivering his message to the rest of the caravan. Gabriel always took things seriously. A little too seriously. He knew how to have fun, but not without the help of a bottle of liquor. He was one of the older members. A natural scowl on his face and a pair of dull brown eyes. Even his hair was serious with it being in a military cut. To be honest, he would still make a better second in command than Shane, but that was still ultimately Annalise’s decision.

 

   As the caravan rode on, they passed an old wooden sign with the name ‘Derrie’ written on it. As they traveled into the dusty old town, the few residents that were outside stared them down. They tried to pay no mind to them though. Annalise, Shane, Jasper, and Gabriel walked into the general store leaving the caravan to themselves for a while. Everyone hopped out of the caravans to stretch their stiff legs. Thomas twisted his back and felt multiple pops in his spine.

 

   “Gaaaahh,” he exclaimed, “That felt good.”

 

   The gang split up, many heading into the town’s saloon, the rest staying with the caravan to stand guard. Aileen had broken off to head into the saloon, leaving the boys to themselves. Gideon took out a packet of cigarettes and began passing it around the circle. Striking a match on the bottom of his boot, he lit his cigarette and held the match up so Charlie and the twins could light theirs. Rosie had caught up with them and Gideon offered her a cigarette to which she greatly accepted.

 

   “God,” she moaned, “If only Tucker had the good sense to be quiet.”

 

   “He talking sh*t again?” Gideon asked.

 

   “No, worse,” Rosie answered, “Everyone we passed by, he’d go on and on about how he’d rob them, what he’d do with them, and a bunch’a other bullsh*t. That chickensh*t doesn’t even have the stones to steal a lollipop from a little girl.”

 

   The group chuckled a bit from the comment. They continued talking and puffing off their cigarettes until a stranger began calling out to Rosie.

 

   “Ay señorita, por qué no vienes aquí con ese dulce culo?” The gang looked over to a group of Mexicans standing infront of the saloon. Rosie rolled her eyes and tried her best to ignore him. Most of them couldn’t understand Spanish, but they could tell when someone was catcalling. “Qué? Una puta como tú no está interesada en el dinero?”

 

   “No vales la suciedad de mis botas,” Rosie responded.

 

   “Ay, no tienes la decencia de dejar sola a una dama?” Lawrence chimed in. The group of Mexicans looked at Lawrence, surprised that he could speak their language.

 

   “Este es nuestro negocio. Mantente fuera de eso, gringo,” the stranger directed to Lawrence.

 

   “Hasta el tuyo, ojete,” Rosie fired back. The stranger began sternly walking towards them, an angry look on his face. The gang had their hands positioned over their guns, ready for things to escalate.

 

   “Una puta como tú necesita aprendeaprenderr respeto,” he muttered getting very close to Rosie.

 

   “Y una mierda como tú necesita modales,” Rosie muttered back, “Elige tus acciones sabiamente, pendejo.”

 

   The stranger looked at the Charlie, Gideon, and the twins. Then back to his friends who hadn’t joined them. He was outnumbered. Especially now that he had the rest of the caravan’s attention. Some of them had went back to their wagons to fetch rifles and shotguns. His pride wasn’t worth dying over. The stranger turned and left with his friends. A sigh of relief came over the gang as a potential shootout had been avoided.

 

   “Thanks, guys,” Rosie said.

 

   “It’s no problem,” Lawrence said, “Wasn’t gonna let some asshole talk to you like that.”

 

   “And you know we always got your back,” Charlie added. A bit of time passed by before Annalise, Shane, Jasper, and Gabriel walked out of the general store carrying large crates and sacks. Following behind them was the store owner carrying more supplies. They loaded the supplies onto one of the wagons before turning go go back for the rest. Annalise, however, stopped to talk to Rosie

 

   “What was that all ‘bout?” she asked having seen the commotion from inside the store.

 

   “Just a bunch of horny assholes,” Rosie answered, “Don’t worry about it.”

 

   “I am worried,” Annalise said, “Rosita, that could’ve gone bad if they decided to take their chances.”

 

   Rosie nodded, “I know, but it didn’t. Let’s just be grateful for that.”

 

   Annalise wasn’t satisfied with that answer. They didn’t need more enemies right now. But there wasn’t anything she could do at that point so she returned to loading up the wagon. They were ready to head out after a few minutes. With everyone back in the caravan, they left the town behind. Rosie rode with Charlie, Gideon, Aileen, and the twins this time, both out of comfort and to avoid Tucker’s constant rambling. Like before, the time passed like it was made out of molasses. Aileen was once again counting cacti and Charlie was fiddling with his gun again. Rosie began softly sing a song. The group looked up at her, entranced by her soft, smooth voice.

 

Salías de un templo un día, Llorona,

cuando al pasar yo te vi.

Salías de un templo un día, Llorona,

cuando al pasar yo te vi

 

Hermoso huipil llevabas, Llorona,

que la virgen te creí.

Hermoso huipil llevabas, Llorona,

que la virgen te creí

 

Todos me dicen el negro, Llorona,

negro, pero cariñoso.

Todos me dicen el negro, Llorona,

negro, pero cariñoso.

 

La pena y lo que no es pena, Llorona,

Todo es pena para mí,

La pena y lo que no es pena, Llorona,

Todo es pena para mí,

 

Ayer penaba lloraba por verte, Llorona

Y hoy peno lloro porque te vi.

Ayer penaba lloraba por verte, Llorona

Y hoy peno lloro porque te vi

 

Ay de mí, Llorona, Llorona 

Llorona de azul celeste

Ay de mí, Llorona, Llorona 

Llorona de azul celeste

 

No dejaré de quererte, Llorona

Y, aunque la vida me cueste

No dejaré de quererte, Llorona

Y, aunque la vida me-

 

   Suddenly a gunshot echoed through the empty desert. The gang ducked their heads and frantically looked around in search for the source. Riding up behind the caravan was a gang of Mexicans, revolvers and rifles aimed at the caravan. The caravan’s guards stopped their horses, firing back at their attackers. The wagon drivers whip the reigns to get the horses galloping. Those who were riding in the wagons leaned out to shoot. Rosie leaned out of the wagon to get a look at the attackers and instantly recognized them.

 

   “They followed us!” she exclaimed, “The men from the town! They followed us!”

 

   This time, it wasn’t just the three men. There had to be a gang of at least thirteen. They might’ve had less people than Wilde’s gang, but they still had the element of surprise. Suddenly, the front wagon, Annalise’s wagon, broke off from the group and stopped. Annalise had hopped off with her Carcano Rifle aimed at the pursuers. Five shots came from her rifle, each one causing one of the horsemen to fall off their horse dead. The caravan guards managed to kill three more attackers. The remaining five turned and fled, no match for the gang’s numbers and firepower. The Caravan had stopped and Annalise was walking down each wagon asking the same question;

 

   “Is everyone ok?” Everything seemed fine up until she got to the last wagon.

 

   “Is everyone ok?” Annalise asked.

 

   “Edwin and Felisha got hit.”

 

   “sh*t,” Annalise muttered. With that, the group helped the two injured members out of the wagon. Felisha was hit in the shoulder, while Edwin took a bullet to the arm. Annalise rushed back to her wagon to grab medical supplies as the a few other members tried their best to slow the bleeding. Rosie walked up to the commotion with feelings of guilt. This happened because of her. Though they weren’t fatally wounded, their wounds were still of her doing.

 

   Annalise returned with Gabriel, the medical supplies, and a bottle of whiskey. Gabriel made Edwin and Felisha drink the whiskey to numb the pain before he operated on them. After ten minutes, Gabriel had finished his work and was walking over to Rosie. He was wiping his bloody hands with a rag and had a look of disdain as he approached her.

 

   “Annalise said that you knew those men?” he asked.

 

   “I didn’t know them,” Rosie stated, “They were bothering me back in town.”

 

   “I told you to not cause any trouble,” Gabriel exclaimed, “And look what you did!”

 

   “I-I didn’t mean for this to happen!” Rosie cried, “I didn’t mean for any of this!”

 

   “Maybe if you kept your legs closed, this wouldn’t have happened!”

 

   “She never had her legs open, you dumb son of a bitch!” Charlie butted in. Gabriel punched Charlie in the face sending stumbling backwards. Gideon and the twins grabbed Gabriel and were about to lay into him, but before they could, Annalise ran over and pried them off of each other.

 

   “Knock, it off all of you!” she shouted, “Rosie, I know you didn’t mean for this, but like it or not, it happened! Gabriel, you have no right to blame her for this! No right!”

 

   “Annalise!” one of the other members, Walker, called, “We got’a live one! One of ‘em survived!”

 

   The group hurried over to Walker, who was standing over the surviving attacker. Coughing up blood, the bullet hit him right in the upper chest.

 

   “Hijos *cough* de puta,” and gargled as blood drizzled out of his mouth.

 

   “Rosita,” Annalise called. Rosie stepped behind her as Annalise knelt down with her revolver in hand, “Translate for me.”

 

   Rosie nodded.

 

   “Ask yourself, was your pathetic life really worth dying for this?”

 

   “Pregúntese, valió la pena morir por su vida patética?” Rosie translated. The man spat at Annalise, blood and spit splattered all over her face.

 

   “Well, that answers that question,” Annalise said. Before Rosie could translate, Annalise put the barrel of her revolver up to the man’s eye and pulled the trigger. The man’s brains splattered on the ground behind his head. His remaining eye rolled back into his skull and his mouth cracked open as every muscle went limp. Annalise stood up and wiped the blood from her face. The gang stood unshaken. They were used to this side of Annalise. The side that was willing to kill if it meant protecting her family.

 

   With the excitement over, the gang filed back into their wagons. The caravan travelled on, leaving behind the lifeless bodies to cook in the soaring sun.

[InstaNoodles]

Last of the Wilde’s

 

Chapter III: Gaptooth Ridge, New Austin, Summer of 1897

 

   Charlie was standing guard as the afternoon sun began to sink towards the horizon. A pack of coyotes yipped and yowled off in the distance as he stood with a Litchfield Repeater in his grip. They had been in New Austin for almost a week now, set up at an abandoned mine in the western parts of the state. Annalise had been scouting out the nearby town of Tumbleweed in search of a lead, but from what Charlie had been told, Tumbleweed didn’t seem like a town worth robbing in the first place. Most of the townspeople had left and those who didn’t were just barely scraping by. He had a feeling that they’d be leaving soon if they couldn’t find something.

 

   “Hey,” a sudden voice called making Charlie nearly jump out of his skin. He turned to see Gideon walking up to him.

 

   “Jesus,” Charlie gasped, “don’t creep up like that! I could’ve shot you.”

 

   “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” Gideon said.

 

   “Well you did,” Charlie chuckled.

 

   “How you doing?”

 

   “Bored. As usual. Nothing’s out here except cacti and coyotes, so... “

 

   “Sound fascinating.”

 

   “Yep. This is the life,” The two chuckled. Gideon took out his packet of cigarettes and offered one to Charlie. Charlie slung the repeater over his shoulder and accepted it while Gideon struck a match on his boot before lighting his and Charlie’s cigarette. Gideon spoke again after taking a puff off his cigarette.

 

   “So, you remember what you asked me back in Oregon? You know, about what I’m gonna do if all this falls apart.”

 

   “Yeah,” Charlie nodded.

 

   Gideon continued, “I... still don’t have an answer. And it bothers me that I can’t see past this. Like life as an outlaw is all I got going for me.”

 

   “I know how you feel,” Charlie said, “Rosie’s the one who asked me that and I couldn’t give her an answer either.”

 

   “What’d she say?”

 

   “Hmm?”

 

   “About what she’s gonna do? What’s her plan?”

 

   “Well... she wants a ranch with horses. A husband. Kids,” Charlie explained, “She wants to be a mom. And she wants them to live better than she did.”

 

   Gideon smiled, “Sounds nice.”

 

   “You have an idea of where you’d go?” Charlie asked after puffing his cigarette.

 

   Gideon shrugged, “Not really. You?”

 

   Charlie chuckled, “No, but I’m definitely not going back to Oregon. f*ck that place.”

 

   The two chuckled briefly before standing in silence. They puffed off their cigarettes, staring blankly into the empty desert.

 

   “Ay, Baby Face,” Lucas, another gang member shouted, “Came to relieve you.”

 

   Charlie handed the repeater to Lucas and the two switched places. Charlie and Gideon walked back to camp, still puffing off their cigarettes. The abandoned mine wasn’t too bad of a place to hold up. Amongst the rusty minecarts and tracks, there were a few old buildings still standing. It wasn’t much, but it was four walls and a roof. Understandably, most of the gang still chose to sleep outside given how dry rotted and rickety the buildings were. As Charlie and Gideon entered the camp, Gabriel called out to them.

 

   “What are you two slackers doing?” he barked.

 

   “Heading back to camp?” Charlie answered.

 

   “So you lazy asses can just lounge around?” Gabriel yelled, “No, go find some work to do! There’s always work to be done!”

 

   Charlie and Gideon groaned out of frustration before throwing their cigarettes on the ground and stomping them out. Annalise and Shane were still out chasing leads leaving Gabriel in charge. When Gabriel ran things, everything had to be micromanaged. Every guard shift change had to be on time, every chore needed to be done in a timely manner, and if you had nothing to do, he wanted you to find something. Even if everything had already been done. It was safe to say his popularity, or what little there of, took a steep decline when he was left in charge.

 

   Gideon motioned for Charlie to follow him once he was sure Gabriel wasn’t looking. He then led him to an old shack a little ways away from the camp. The old shack was open on one side with what looked like old tools and machinery stowed inside. Charlie could also see Aileen, Rosie, and the twins hunkering inside, safely away from Gabriel’s tyranny.

 

   “Found this place yesterday,” Gideon explained, “As far as I know, we’re the only ones who know about it.”

 

   “Good,” Charlie said, “Lets keep it that way.”

 

   “Hey, Charlie,” Rosie greeted, “Hey, Gideon.”

 

   “We were just talking about scoping out another town,” Aileen informed them, “It’s a ways east of Tumbleweed, called Armadillo. Heard Shane talking about it the other day. It’s bigger than Tumbleweed and more lively. Should be able to dig something up.”

 

   “If we can sneak passed Sergeant Strict-Ass, that is,” Thomas added.

 

   “Yeah,” Rosie said, “We need to get away from Gabriel. Annalise has been gone every day for the past four days and we need some time away from him and the camp.”

 

   “Not a bad idea,” Gideon said, “You guys got a plan?”

 

   “Double Trouble,” Lawrence said without any hesitation. The group looked at each other with mischievous smiles.

 

   Back at camp, Gabriel was barking orders at two of the gang’s female members when he saw the twins come running out, shouting and yelling. Lawrence then tackled Thomas to the ground, held his right arm in an uncomfortable position, and pressed his face into the dirt.

 

   “Where is it!!!” Lawrence demanded.

 

   “Up yours, dumbass!!!”

 

   “It’s the only thing I have left of her!!! What the f*ck did you do with it?!!”

 

   “Hey! Hey!!!” Gabriel shouted as he rushed over to pry the twins apart. As he pulled Lawrence off of Thomas, Thomas turned and lashed out at Lawrence. Gabriel forced himself in between the twins in a attempt to break up the fight.

 

   “You sack of sh*t!!!” Thomas shouted, “You always assume I did it!!!”

 

   “That’s because it’s always you!!! Always!!! Mother would’a thrown you away if she’d known the kind of scum you’d become!!!”

 

   “I hate you!!!” Thomas lunged at Lawrence and Lawrence lunged at Thomas. Gabriel, still standing between them, tried his best to keep the raging twins apart.

 

   “Hey Gabriel!” a shout came from across the camp, “Thanks for lending us the wagon!” Aileen shouted with a smug smile on her face.

 

   With that, the twins grabbed Gabriel and shoved him backwards, making him fall flat on his back. The twins took off running towards the wagon where Charlie and Rosie reached out to pull the twins on. Gideon whipped the reigns, making the horses break into a full gallop. Gabriel got to his feet as quickly as his aching body would let him and chased after the group. But with a five second late start, his acts were fruitless.

 

   “We’ll be back later tonight!” Aileen shouted. The gang laughed, hooped, and hollered at their accomplishment.

 

   “Good ol’ Double Trouble,” Gideon exclaimed. 

 

   “Works every time,” Charlie cheered. The twins took a gracious bow as Charlie, Aileen, and Rosie applauded their performance.

 

   “Alright,” Gideon announced, “Onward to Armadillo.”

 

   By the time they had reached Armadillo, the sun was beginning to set. The sky was ablaze with dazzling oranges, reds, and blues with not a single cloud in the sky. A steam locomotive was stopped at the train station billowing smoke out of its funnel and cargo hastily being unloaded from its box cars. The town was definitely livelier. More people were out and about and the sound of a piano being played could be heard from outside the saloon. Gideon stopped the wagon and the group hopped out, excited for what the town held.

 

   “Alright,” Gideon directed, “Rosie, Aileen, go see what you can dig up in the saloon. Thomas, you’re with me. Charlie, Lawrence, go see what’s loaded on and off of those trains.”

 

   The group split off as they were instructed. Charlie and Lawrence approached the train station, spotting a man who looked like the boss of the freight workers barking orders at his employees.

 

   “Good day, sir,” Lawrence greeted.

 

   “I don’t have time to talk,” the man hissed, “this train should’a been out’a here five minutes ago. Hurry up! Time is money!!!”

 

   “Hold on now,” Lawrence said, “We’re new in town. Just bought a piece of property west of here. But my stepbrother and I unfortunately don’t got enough money to keep ourselves going. See, we had plans of starting up a ranch of our own and-“

 

   “Get to the point,” the man hissed.

 

   “We’re looking for work,” Charlie added.

 

   “Alright,” the man said, finally giving them some attention, “You both look fairly strong.”

 

   “Strong?” Lawrence asked, “What would we be lifting?”

 

   “Supplies and goods mostly. That’s not the hard part though. How good are you two with cattle?”

 

   “Uh... ,” Charlie stammered.

 

   “We load cattle to be auctioned off, son.”

 

   “We’re not good with cattle,” Lawrence falsely admitted, “We’re sheep farmers.”

 

   “Then you’re not much use to me.”

 

   “Understandable. We don’t like working with cattle anyhow,” Charlie said, “But thank you for your time.”

 

   Charlie and Lawrence walked away from the train station, schemes cooking in their minds. They spotted the holding pens filled cattle not too far away from the station. They’ve rustled cattle before and gotten good payouts. Things looked promising so far. They spotted the group standing outside of the saloon after doing some more digging.

 

   “Well?” Gideon asked.

 

   “Supplies and goods get dropped of by the train. Not much there,” Charlie informed, “However, livestock gets loaded to be taken to auction.”

 

   “We lookin’ to rustle us some cattle?” Aileen asked.

 

   “Oh yeah,” Charlie said.

 

   “So we got something,” Rosie explained, “It’s not a lead, but it’s some fun. Some asshole bumped into Gideon and didn’t have the decency to apologize. We think it’s only fitting if we nab something of his, but we’re gonna need both twins for it.”

 

   “We’re doing Dead End,” Thomas said.

 

   “Ooh,” Lawrence exclaimed excitedly, “Who’s the target?”

 

   “White shirt, red and black vest,” Gideon said, ”He’s got a gold chain hangin out his vest pocket which means he’s got a pocket watch. He’s also got two friends with him. Big guy, blue shirt, and an old man, blue and red vest. They know my face so I need to stay out here. Charlie you’re on watch. Thomas, Lawrence, Aileen, Rosie? You all know what to do.”

 

   With the plan set, they set out to see it through. Charlie went in first. He ordered a drink at the bar and leaned against the counter. Aileen came in next with Thomas.  Thomas wore a hat low to avoid anyone getting a look at his face and Aileen approached the bartender to request a room. After she paid, she and Thomas walked upstairs, cueing Lawrence. Lawrence came in and began ordering shot after shot of whiskey. After a few minutes of drinking, Rosie walked in and began speaking seductively to Lawrence in Spanish. Lawrence acted drunkenly seduced by her, and followed after her as she playfully tugged him. In a feigned thick accent, she requested a room from the bartender. Lawrence then stumbled falling onto the man they were targeting. With a quick sleight of hand, Lawrence nabbed the pocket watch away and stuffed it into his pocket as he fell to the floor. The men he fell between helped him to his feet and Rosie ushered him away upstairs. Now all there was to do was wait.

 

   The man didn’t seem to notice at first. Not until he heard the gentle clinking of his watch chain bouncing off the bar counter.

 

   “Wha-,” he asked bewildered as he held the chain. It didn’t take him long to put the details together. “That bastard! Arthur, come with me!”

 

   “What’s wrong, Dutch?” Arthur asked.

 

   “Little bastard nabbed my watch! Come on!”

 

   Charlie watched them scramble upstairs. The two men charged onto the second floor only to see Lawrence drunkenly enter a room after Rosie. They chased after and kicked to door in, breaking the dead bolt and startling the two lovebirds.

 

   “What do’y think yur doin’?” Lawrence asked them with a faked slur.

 

   “Give it back son,” Dutch demanded.

 

   “Give what back? I didn’t take an’thing from you. ‘Less yur in’rested in her.”

 

   Arthur stormed in and grabbed Lawrence by the throat, “Now you listen here, boy. You give back what you stole from him or else I’m gonna make you regret your whole miserable life.”

 

   “I didn’t take nothing,” Lawrence pleaded, “Check’m pockets! I swear!”

 

   Arthur searched every pocket and patted down Lawrence’s sleeves and pant legs.

 

   “It’s not on him!”

 

   “What? Search him again!”

 

   “Honest, Dutch! He doesn’t got anything on him aside from a few dollars!”

 

   “sh*t. sh*t.”

 

   With Lawrence free, he and Rosie fled the room.

 

   “Maybe you dropped it somewhere.” Arthur exclaimed.

 

   “I didn’t drop it. That little sh*t took it!”

 

   “Then why the hell didn’t he have it on him?”

 

   Rosie and Lawrence ran out of the saloon, Charlie followed soon after, and the three met up with Gideon back at the wagon. Lawrence rubbed his neck, still feeling a little soreness from the viselike grip.

 

   “You ok, Thomas?” Charlie asked.

 

   “Yeah,” Thomas said, “Didn’t expect him to grab my throat is all.”

 

   Back inside the saloon, Aileen and Lawrence came out of the room, both of them smiling. In the short time they had, the twins had swapped places, Lawrence going with Aileen, and Thomas going with Rosie. Thomas had handed Lawrence his hat so he could hide his face.

 

   As the two walked back into the bar, Aileen said seductively, “Hope to do this again sometime soon.”

 

   “Oh, I do too,” Lawrence said, “This is always a lot of fun. I always love doing it.”

 

   The two walked out of the saloon and over to the rest of the group. Lawrence reached into his pocket and flashed the pocket watch. Smiles came across the entire group’s faces and laughs erupted at the success of the con.

 

   “That was quite the show,” a voice said behind them. They turned to face the old man standing with his arms cross and a smug look on his face. Behind him were Dutch and Arthur, the pair of them looking furious. “But I’m afraid you still have something that doesn’t belong to you.”

 

   Lawrence nervously handed the pocket watch to the old man’s outstretched hand.

 

   “What’re we gonna do to them, Hosea?” Arthur asked. The group looked nervous. In the heat of their thrill, they had forgotten about the third man.

 

   “Let them go,” Hosea said, much to Arthur and Dutch’s surprise.

 

   “They robbed me!” Dutch exclaimed, “And just want to let them walk?”

 

   Hosea shrugged, “I can appreciate a good con when I see one,” he said, “Killing them would be such a waste of good talent. C’mon now.”

 

   Hosea then turned and walked away. Dutch and Arthur glanced at each other in disbelief, before hesitantly following after Hosea. The gang breathed a sigh of relief, having gotten away with their lives. They got sloppy this time, but it wouldn’t happen again. They piled into the wagon, tails between their legs and licking their wounds, heading west back to camp.

 

   “What. The hell. Were you idiots thinking?!!” Annalise shouted when they arrived.

 

   “We just wanted to get out of the camp, Ann,” Charlie said sheepishly.

 

   “So you assaulted Gabriel?!! And stole a wagon?!!” Annalise continued shouting.

 

    “See, when you put it like that it sounds bad,” said Thomas.

 

   “Don’t get smart with me! Had it never occurred to you morons to just ask to leave?”

 

   They all knew Gabriel would’ve never let them do that, but no one was willing to speak up. Annalise rubbed her brow out of frustration and groaned.

 

   “Where did you go?”

 

   “Armadillo,” Rosie answered, “We heard Shane talking about it. We just wanted to scope it out for you since you and Shane were busy.”

 

   Annalise looked them in the eyes. She was still cross with them, but her anger had eased up. “What did you find out?”

 

   “There’s cattle to rustle,” Lawrence answered, “Charlie and I just need to find out when they’re bringing in the next herd.”

 

   “Thomas and I chatted up some guys that worked at the stables,” Gideon said, “They run an underground business in stolen horses. They’ll pay handsomely, especially for thoroughbreds.”

 

   “And Rosie and I met a man that worked at the post office,” Aileen said last, “For the right amount of money, he’ll give you everything you need to know about the stagecoach deliveries and he’ll turn a blind eye.”

 

   Annalise nodded, “Good. Good work.”

 

   “What?!!” Gabriel exclaimed, “That’s what they get?!! They shove me to the ground, disappear for hours, and they get a job well done?!!”

 

   “I’m not finished yet, dingus,” Annalise snapped, “Y’all are on probation. No leaving camp, no going on jobs, none of it.”

 

   The group groaned in protest, but still nodded in agreement. Annalise’s word was law and there wasn’t anything they could do about it, but it could’ve been worse. They could’ve gotten beat for their actions, so they happily accepted probation. With the lecture over, the gang split off for the night, mentally preparing for another boring week of doing chores and standing guard.

[InstaNoodles]

Last of the Wilde’s

 

Chapter IV: Gaptooth Ridge, New Austin, Summer of 1897

 

   There was always a sweet spot that came with the desert morning. As the rising sun began to warm the chilly air of the night, it became the perfect temperature for a few brief minutes. But soon, the scorching heat would sweep through the desert and it would be miserably hot again. Charlie was trying to enjoy this sweet spot before his shift on guard duty came. Standing around a dying campfire, he sipped his coffee and gnawed on his biscuit. He and his friends had spent the past week on probation. Annalise and her lieutenants had already left for the day and were probably out rustling cattle, robbing a stagecoach, or stealing thoroughbred horses as he stood there. He sighed after taking another sip off his coffee. He wanted to be out there. The boredom would kill him before any lawman or bounty hunter would. He heard someone approaching behind him and turned to see Rosie walking up to him, a lit cigarette smoking away in her hand.

 

   “Hey,” he greeted.

 

   “Hey,” she greeted back. She held up her cigarette, offering him a hit off it, but he shook his head in decline. They stood in silence as he continued to eat and Rosie smoked. Rosie then looked to him and asked, “You ever think about leaving?”

 

   “Um... Sometimes,” he answered, “Why do you ask?”

 

   “I don’t know,” she responded, “Part of me wants more to life than this.”

 

   “More than standing around on probation?” Charlie asked with a smile, “That’d make anyone want more.”

 

   Rosie glared at him, not appreciating his humor. She puffed off her cigarette again before continuing, “You know what I mean. Just, leaving Annalise and the gang behind and starting all over.”

 

   “And settling down to raise a family?” Charlie asked to which Rosie nodded. He could feel her wanting to ask him again. He still didn’t have an answer, but maybe he could make up something to satisfy her. He asked her, “You have any idea of where’d you go?”

 

   “East,” she answered, “Away from the wild west and into someplace more civilized. Someplace better for children.”

 

   Charlie nodded as he ate the last chunk of his biscuit. The two once again stood in silence. He continued to sip his coffee before he finally drank the last of it.

 

   “Well, I gotta go,” he said.

 

   “Ok,” Rosie said, “I’ll probably be at the shack after I finish my chores.”

 

   “Alright, I’ll meet you there.”

 

   Charlie went to his assigned position. It was the same spot every day since they came to New Austin. He spotted the current guard on duty and whistled and waved. The two swapped places and Charlie’s long shift as a guard began. The minutes went by at a snail’s pace and Charlie was once again left bored enough to start thinking; What do you want? He had thought about it every day, every time he was on guard duty. And every time, he still couldn’t find an answer. The only idea he had was to fall in love, but that didn’t sound like a full answer. Even if Rosie was satisfied with it, who would he fall in love with? Some girl who had no idea of who he was or the trouble he would bring with him? No. He needed to think more. Something would come to him eventually.

 

  The minutes turned into hours and he had given up thinking for the day. He wished time would move faster so he could go up to the shack and play cards or something. The sun was directly above him now. He had about an hour or two left before he would be relieved.

 

   “Baby Face!” a voice shouted from behind. Charlie turned to find Byron and his friends, Gregory and Clint, approaching him. Coming along with them was Lucas, but Lucas didn’t look like he came voluntarily. “We’re heading out on a job and we need a fourth. You interested?”

 

   Charlie was suspicious. He didn’t like Byron as much as Byron didn’t like him.

 

   “Why don’t you just take Lucas with you?” Charlie asked.

 

   “Well, Lucas here decided he wanted to come relieve you early,” Byron explained, “Such a generous one, he is.”

 

   Charlie didn’t believe that for a second.

 

   “Look, I know we’ve never been on good terms,” Byron continued, “But we need someone like you. A good con artist who can talk himself into and out of hell itself.”

 

   “I’m still on probation,” Charlie pointed out, “Annalise will skin me alive if she finds out.”

 

   “And she never will. You’ll be back before anyone knows you’re gone.”

 

   Charlie studied the ground. He knew this was a bad idea. Annalise would beat him for this if she found out. He feared Annalise. He didn’t fear Byron.

 

   “And if you come, Gabriel won’t find out about the shack.”

 

   Charlie looked up in surprise. Their safe haven wasn’t as safe as they thought. The shack was the only thing making probation worthwhile. Not just for him, but for all his friends too. Charlie heaved a heavy sigh. He didn’t seem to have much choice in the matter.

 

   “Fine,” Charlie groaned, “But Gabriel doesn’t find out about the shack, and if Annalise finds out I left, it’s on you.”

 

   “Oh, of course,” Byron sneered, baring a grimacing smile. He was up to something. Something terrible. “Sneak out and head east. Follow the road ‘till you get to the first junction. We’ll meet you there.”

 

   Charlie handed the repeater to Lucas before walking away. He had bad feelings about this plan. Byron’s jobs were always messy. And what would he really need a con artist for? None of it was making sense, but for the good of his friends, he had to do this. Charlie hadn’t set foot in camp for even a minute before Gabriel started yelling at him.

 

   “What the hell are you doing here?” Gabriel demanded.

 

   “Lucas wanted to take his shift early,” Charlie explained. Gabriel didn’t look convinced. “If you don’t believe me, you can go ask him yourself. He’s still there.”

 

   Gabriel stormed off, not before demanding that Charlie find some work to do. Charlie nodded, and once Gabriel was far away enough, Charlie mounted a horse and rode on east. He did as he was told, following the dirt road until he came to the first junction. It didn’t take long for Byron and his friends to catch up.

 

   “Alright,” Byron asked, “You ready?”

 

   “I don’t even know what we’re doing,” Charlie responded.

 

   “We’ll explain on the way,” Clint said. Though he had nothing against Clint or Gregory, he didn’t particularly like them either. They were reckless and trigger happy. Not as much as Byron was, however. They rode north from there, the feelings of unease still hadn’t left Charlie even though he was out of the camp.

 

   “We’re headed to Rathskeller Fork,” Byron explained, “Your pal, Gideon, talked about someone in Armadillo willing to buy stolen horses. Well, the caretaker at Rathskeller has an interest in breeding Mustangs. Thoroughbred Mustangs. Reckon’ we could get four-hundred a horse.”

 

   “So why do you need me then?” Charlie asked.

 

   “We’re not smooth talkers,” Gregory stated, “So we need you to get us in there. The settlement’s walled off with only two ways in, so there’s no sneaking in without getting noticed. We gotta go in obvious and in broad daylight.”

 

   “What do you want me to say?” Charlie asked.

 

   “I don’t give a f*ck,” Byron answered, “Just think up something.”

 

   Charlie’s mind raced as he tried to think up a plausible story. Something that needed to sound believable and get them into the settlement. The only problem was that he couldn’t see Byron, Gregory, or Clint following through with it. He still had to try though.

 

   They slowed down as they arrived at Rathskeller Fork. They could see the large clay wall that surrounded the settlement. It was definitely too tall to scale without getting noticed. The roof of the stable poked out from behind the wall. Their targets no doubt penned up inside.

 

   “Follow my lead,” Charlie instructed. The group rode up to the first entrance, two guards spotted them and aimed their repeaters at them.

 

   “Halt!” one of the guards instructed, “What do y’think you’re doing here?”

 

   Charlie dismounted and slowly approached with his hands raised. “We’re not looking for trouble,” Charlie informed, “We heard that this place houses quality horses. We’re interested in buying.”

 

   The guards didn’t look convinced.

 

   “Sirs, we mean no harm,” Charlie continued, “Our employer is interested in purchasing some of your horses for his ranch.”

 

   “Go get Wallace,” one of the guards said to the other. The guard to the left turned and left to find the caretaker. The standing guard watched all of them carefully as Byron and his friends all dismounted from their horses. A little bit later, the guard returned with the man they assumed to be Wallace. He was short and stocky, with a well groomed handlebar mustache. His white ten gallon hat covered what looked like a bald spot amongst his golden white hair. Wallace scowled at the group, suspicious of all of them.

 

   “My men tell me you’re lookin’ to buy some horses?” Wallace asked. Charlie nodded in confirmation.

 

   “Yes sir,” Charlie said, “Our employer is interested.”

 

   “Who’s your employer?”

 

   “Lawrence Delaney,” Charlie answered. He didn’t mean to say Lawrence’s full name, but it was the only name he could think of. “He’s the owner of Lone Stallion Ranch. The new place just west of here?”

 

   “Lone Stallion?” Wallace asked himself. He’d never heard of it before. But in this sparse land, word travelled slow. “How much he willing to pay?”

 

   “How much do you want?” Charlie asked, a relieved smile on his face. Wallace had fallen for the con.

 

   “Five-hundred a horse,” Wallace stated.

 

   “Done,” Charlie said, “You mind if we come take a look? It’d be nice to see exactly what we’re buying.”

 

   Wallace nodded and motioned for them to follow. Rathskeller Fork was a good sized settlement. The buildings were flat roofed and made out of clay. Wood patios lined the front of the buildings and individual wagons were left sitting around the property. As they approached the stables, they could see six horses in the pens. Each one large and muscular, promising a good payout.

 

   Suddenly, Byron pulled out his Double-Action Revolver and shot one of the escorting guards in the back of the head. Charlie looked back in surprise. He knew they were going to pull something, but he didn’t expect this. Clint shot the guard behind them and Gregory began firing at the other guards standing around the property. The group ducked behind a wagon as bullets rained down on them.

 

   “You bastards!” Wallace cursed as he ran to the safety of his employees, “Kill them! Every single one!”

 

   “What the hell were you idiots thinking?!!” Charlie shouted.

 

   “Shut up ‘n’ shoot, dammit!” Clint shouted back.

 

   Charlie peaked out from behind the wagon. There were too many of them and they were too far away. A revolver wouldn’t do enough. He needed a rifle. He spotted the repeater belonging to one of the fallen guards. It was out in the open though. Mustering up the courage, Charlie darted out from behind the wagon and scooped up the repeater as he ran. He made it to the stables and ducked behind a stack of hay bales. He looked at the gun he grabbed, a Carbine Repeater. He had only seven shots. He peaked his head over the hay bales and spied one guard in front of one of the buildings firing at Byron and his friends. Charlie took aim and pulled the trigger, hitting the man dead center in the chest. The man fell to the ground, lifeless.

 

   “Don’t worry about them!” Byron shouted, “Get the horses! We’ll hold ‘em off!”

 

   Charlie slung the repeater over his shoulder and did as he was told, running to the pens and opening them as bullets flew past him. The panicked Mustangs galloped out of the stable and fled the settlement.

 

   Charlie felt a strong force shove him forward and a sharp pain in the back of his right shoulder. He could feel his back soak with blood from the bullet that had struck him. Charlie darted back to the hay bales, ducking behind them as he held his aching shoulder.

 

   “Thanks for the help, Baby Face!” Byron shouted as he and his friends ran, abandoning Charlie in the middle of the scuffle.

 

   “Byron? Byron!” Charlie shouted, “You bastard!!!”

 

   Charlie slumped to the ground, disbelief and anger raging in his head. There wasn’t an easy way out. He didn’t have enough ammo to fight his way out and he knew he couldn’t make it to the exits without getting filled with lead. Even if he did make it out, he’d still be out in the open. Charlie looked around, desperately looking for an escape. His gaze fixed on the wall and a foolish idea cooked in his head.

 

   Charlie made a break for the wall, leaping in an attempt to scale it. His fingers caught on the edge and a sharp pain came through his shoulder as he hoisted himself up. He felt more bullets hit him, two embedding themselves into his lower back and another one in his upper right leg. He pulled himself over the wall and fell a good seven feet before landing hard on the desert floor. The plan had worked. With the wall between them and him he had a few seconds of breathing room. Despite his pain, he forced himself on his feet and limped towards his horse, the only one who hadn’t abandoned him. Pulling himself into the saddle, he whipped the reins and turned the horse around, galloping away as bullets began whizzing past him again. He yelped as a bullet grazed the lower left side of his head. His heart pounding as he fled. Blood dripped off of his back and onto the horse’s. He was losing a lot of blood and he was losing it fast.

 

   It didn’t take long before he could feel himself getting lightheaded. His eyes became heavy. His breaths slowed. He could feel his muscles relaxing.

 

   “Girl... ,” he begged the horse, “Just... Just get me back... So they can bury me... “

 

   Charlie slumped against his horse’s back. His body lifelessly bouncing as the horse galloped.

 

   Night had fallen as the camp bustled with excitement. Annalise, Shane, and a few others had returned from robbing a stagecoach. They were sharing the spoils when Annalise heard someone shouting for her.

 

   “Annalise!” Aileen shouted. She, Rosie, the twins, and Gideon rushed over to Annalise, panicked looks on their faces, “We can’t find Charlie!”

 

   “What?” Annalise snapped.

 

   “He said he’d meet up with us after he was done with guard duty,” Rosie explained, “He never came and we searched everywhere for him!”

 

   “We don’t know where he is!” Thomas exclaimed, “He’s been gone for hours!”

 

   Suddenly, the neigh of a horse echoed through the camp and a brown mare galloped in. The gang stood in horror as they saw Charlie’s body slumped against the horse’s back, his back soaked in his own blood. They rushed over to him, quickly and carefully hoisting him off of the horse, and resting him on the ground. He was so pale and cold. Rosie got on her knees and shook Charlie, crying and pleading for him to wake up. Gideon placed his hands over his mouth in shock and disbelief. Aileen stumbled backwards, the twins catching her before she fell. The twins held Aileen, tears welling in their eyes as they watched Rosie continue to shake him and cry. The rest of the gang crowded around, some bursting into tears and others covering their gaping mouths in horror.

 

   A shuddered gasp came from Charlie’s mouth as his eyes fluttered open, his sky-blue eyes held barely any life left within them. Rosie hugged him tightly, her eyes now crying tears of joy. Annalise rushed to his side, and he hazily focused his eyes on her.

 

“By... By... ,” he said through whispered gasps. The group was quiet, carefully listening to what he had to say. “Byron... He... He... “

 

   Before he could finish, his eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped over again. Rosie put her head against his chest, hearing a slow, faint heartbeat.

 

   “He’s still alive!!!” she yelled.

 

   “Get him onto the table!” Annalise shouted, “Gabriel! Pincers, needle, and string!”

 

    The gang cleared away to make room for Jasper as he carefully picked up Charlie. He walked over and placed him on a nearby table, flipping him onto his back. Annalise and Shane pulled off his shirt, revealing the bullet wounds.

 

   “He’s got one n’his leg, too,” Shane informed.

 

   Gabriel rushed back with the supplies Annalise had requested. Gabriel then turned to the shocked crowd of onlookers.

 

   “Give us some space!” he instructed, pointing them away. The gang dispersed into the camp. Rosie, Gideon, Aileen, and the twins walked towards one of the camp’s fires. Gideon trying his best to hold back his tears, Aileen and Rosie held each other as they both cried, and both the twins stared at the ground, horribly shaken. They sat around the campfire, hearts heavy and eyes watering.

 

   It had almost been an hour when Annalise, Shane, Jasper, and Gabriel came to them. They had cleaned off their hands, but still couldn’t get the red stain out of their skin. The group stood up, preparing themselves for the worst.

 

   “He’s alright,” Shane said. A sigh of relief came over them. Gideon gave a small chuckle of gratitude. “He’s lost a lot’a blood, though. He’s still unconscious.”

 

   “He said Byron’s name,” Aileen said, “Why did he say Byron’s name?”

 

   “You can ask him yourself,” Gabriel said as he saw Byron, Gregory, and Clint ride into camp.

 

   “Annalise!” Byron shouted melodically as he and his crew dismounted, “Guess how much money we made?!!”

 

   Byron stopped as he saw the entire gang walking towards him, all following behind Annalise. She looked angry. Very angry.

 

   “Charlie came back,” she said, very monotone, “He came back covered in his own blood and barely alive.”

 

   “W-what happened?” Byron asked.

 

   “Don’t play dumb!” she shouted, “He said your name! Your name! What. Did. You do?”

 

  Byron stared at the ground, “I-I might’ve asked him to come along-“

 

   “Bullsh*t!” a voice shouted from within the crowd. The crowd split apart, revealing Lucas. “You blackmailed him! I was there! You made him go with you!”

 

   “You,” Byron grumbled, “You backstabbing little-“

 

   Annalise interrupted by hitting him in the head with the butt of her revolver. Blood trickled down Byron’s face as he looked at her in surprise. She continued to beat him over the head, even as he fell to the ground with his hands up, pleading.

 

   “You ungrateful sh*t!!! Everything I’ve done for you!!! EVERYTHING!!! And this is the thanks I get?!! You put a member of my family in danger?!! Nearly cost him his life?!! YOU BASTARD!!! YOU MISERABLE BASTARD!!!” she shouted as she brought her revolver down on his head over and over again. She screamed angrily as she continued beating him until he finally slumped over, unconscious.

 

   Annalise stood over him, breathing heavily. She then turned to Gregory and Clint. They looked terrified. Terrified of what she was going to do to them. But she simply pointed to Byron.

 

   “Pick him up,” she demanded. They did as she asked, heaving as they lifted his heavy body. Blood dripped from Byron’s chin as his friends scurried off with him in their arms. Annalise then turned to the rest of the gang, “Show’s over. Go on! Get!”

 

   The gang dispersed except for Rosie, Gideon, Aileen, and the twins. Rosie timidly came up to Annalise.

 

   “Ann,” she said sheepishly.

 

   “What?” Annalise snapped.

 

   “Is... would it be ok if we moved our beds next to Charlie’s?”

 

   Annalise stared down at her hands. They were shaking and covered in blood again. Blood that wasn’t her’s. The only difference was that this wasn’t the blood of a good man. She clenched her fists and took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She nodded.

 

   “I know how much he means to y’all. He’ll want to see all of you when he wakes up. Go on. Get your things.”

 

   “Thank you,” Rosie said. The group walked off to grab their bedrolls and cots. Annalise let out another heavy sigh. She couldn’t help but feel some sort of responsibility for letting this happen. If she had just payed a little more attention to Byron, she could’ve stopped him. If she was around the camp more often, she could’ve talked Charlie out if it. She began crying. Her inability to control her own gang had caused this. She softly wept and tears streamed down her cheeks. Shane walked up behind her, putting his arms around her, and resting his head on her shoulder. 

 

   The two stood there, alone. One ready to fall apart, the other trying his best to hold her together.

[InstaNoodles]

Last of the Wilde’s

 

Chapter V: Gaptooth Ridge, New Austin, Fall of 1897

 

   Thomas looked up from his notebook, the pencil in his hand stopping all movement as he studied Charlie. Even though it was late morning, Charlie was still fast asleep. With his shirt off, his wraps and bandages were clearly visible, reminders of his near death experience. Thomas looked back down to his notebook, continuing to draw his friend as he slept. It was all he could do to busy himself before he had to change Charlie’s dressings. His glance allowed him to take in a few more details; the directions of the wrappings, the texture of his black hair, and the shadowing caused by his lean-to tent. He was very pleased with the end result. It looked almost like a photograph.

 

   Charlie stirred and turned his head to look at his friend.

 

   “Mornin’,” Thomas greeted with a small smile.

 

   “What time is it?” Charlie asked, hazily blinking.

 

   Thomas shrugged, “Almost noon, by my guess.”

 

   Charlie sat up, wincing at the sharp pain in his lower back and shoulder as he lifted himself. It had been five days since the incident. Charlie had woken up on the second day and told Annalise and the gang everything; the shack and how Byron had used it against him, the horse rustling plan, and how Byron had been left to die in the mess he made. Lucas had also told them about how Byron had manipulated him, bribing him with a cut of the money they would make from the job if he took his shift early. Lucas said that if he had known what Byron was really going to do, he would’ve never accepted it.

 

   Charlie wasn’t mad at Lucas though. He accepted Lucas’ apology and the two left on good terms. For now, Charlie was left to rest and regain his strength. Annalise wanted one of his friends to stay with him throughout the day to fetch him food and water and change his dressings until he had fully healed. The group wasn’t on probation anymore, but with Charlie’s severe injuries, they all decided to stay at the camp regardless. Today it was Thomas’ turn to stay with Charlie.

 

   “Hungry?” Thomas asked as he put down his notebook.

 

   “A bit,” Charlie answered with a short nod, “What’cha drawing?”

 

   Thomas picked his notebook back up and flipped to the page before handing it to him. Charlie smiled at the picture. Thomas was a naturally gifted artist. Every little detail from the lighting down to the texture of his hair was well drawn and stunning. It was one of many drawings Thomas had done of him. There were at least three or four drawings of him and their friends in that notebook, all of them in incredible detail. Charlie handed the notebook back to Thomas.

 

   “How you feeling?” Thomas asked.

 

   “Like I took four bullets a few days ago.”

 

   “Smartass.” Thomas chuckled.

 

   Charlie got up to his feet, wincing at the pain from his right leg.

 

   “What are you doing?” Lawrence asked, getting up to hold Charlie, “Annalise said you needed to rest.”

 

   “I’ve been lying down for the past four days,” Charlie stated, “I just want to stretch my legs.”

 

   “You sure you’re good to walk?”

 

   “Yeah. And if I’m not, I hope you catch me in time.”

 

   Thomas chuckled nervously at the joke before following after. Charlie limped on, pain still erupting from his right leg and lower back. The bullets to his back had just missed his spine, one embedded itself into his waist and the other into his organs. The bullet to his shoulder had broken his shoulder blade and the bullet to his leg had broken his femur, but all things considered, he had gotten off better than Byron. Annalise’s beating had left him in a coma. At least he was awake. At least he could still talk to his friends

 

   The two made their way over to a supply wagon. Thomas dug into one of the opened crates in the wagon and pulled out a biscuit and a few strips of bacon jerky and handed them to Charlie. The two then made their way back to Charlie’s lean-to. Thomas had noticed Charlie’s limp was getting a little worse. Every step he took seemed to be wearing down on him more and more. Thomas quickly moved to Charlie’s left side, putting his left arm over his shoulders, and having him lean on him a bit to take the weight off of his right leg.

 

   “Thanks,” Charlie said, “But I was doing fine.”

 

   “You just looked like you needed help,” Thomas explained. He could tell Charlie was trying to hide his pain. It was awkward for both of them. Charlie wasn’t used to needing help for the simplest of tasks and though Thomas wanted to help, he didn’t want to be a nuisance. Regardless, the two had at least accepted that things were going to be this way for a while. Charlie looked so relieved after Thomas had helped him back onto the cot. The pain eased as he sat down and his strained facial expression left him.

 

   “That shack was not worth nearly dying for,” Charlie sighed, “Looking back, I don’t even know why I did it.”

 

   “Because you weren’t thinking about the shack,” Thomas reassured, “You were thinking about us. You just wanted us to still have a place to go and be together.”

 

   “I guess that’s true,” Charlie agreed, “But I still shouldn’t have gone with him. I should know better by now.”

 

   “Don’t beat yourself up for it,” Thomas continued, “He’s a manipulative son of a gun who will bribe, beat, and blackmail anyone to get what he wants.”

 

   Charlie appreciated Thomas’ attempt at reassuring him, but it still didn’t change how he felt. He just silently nodded in understanding, hoping Thomas would accept it. Out of the corner of his eye, Charlie had spotted Rosie walking towards them. She was looking down and holding her hands in front of her.

 

   “Hey,” she greeted.

 

   “Hey,” Charlie greeted back.

 

   “How you holding up?” she asked.

 

   “Doing better,” he answered, “I took a walk just a minute ago.”

 

   “Good,” she nodded, “That’s good.”

 

   Thomas looked at them, feeling a deep awkwardness.

 

   “I’m gonna… Leave you two alone,” he said as he slipped off. Rosie sat down next to Charlie, still staring at the ground.

 

   “You know,” she began, “You really scared me. Scared all of us.”

 

   “I know,” Charlie said, “I shouldn’t have gone with Byron.”

 

   “Don’t blame yourself for that. What matters now is that you’re alive.”

 

   “How could I not? I should’ve just let him tell Gabriel. It would’ve saved everyone the heart attack.”

 

   Rosie scooted closer to him, “You’re alive. That’s what’s important.”

 

   Charlie nodded and looked down. He wasn’t going to win this argument. When he looked back up at her, she was leaning in, lips puckered, and eyes closed. She kissed him. He stared with his eyes wide, not expecting any of this.

 

   Rosie leaned back, and when she opened her eyes, she saw how surprised he was. A look of regret came over her. She looked away and shook her head.

 

   “I’m sorry,” she said, “I shouldn’t have done that.”

 

   “Rosie…” before he could say anything more, she got up and stormed away, tears welling in her eyes.

 

   Annalise was standing at the mouth of her tent, a cigar smoking away in her hand. She had decided to stay at the camp for a while, letting Shane and Gabriel go out on jobs. Things had been better since then. The gang’s morale had gone up and people seemed happier with her than Gabriel. She had reminded Gabriel over and over again to not be so hard on everyone, but it always seemed to go in one ear and out the other. His habits were just so hard to break. She spotted Rosie walking by, tears streaming down her face. Annalise snorted and cracked a smile. She knew exactly what had just happened. She put her cigar in her ashtray before making her way over to Charlie’s tent.

 

   “You ok?” she asked Charlie as she walked up and sat next to him.

 

   “I… I don’t know,” he answered.

 

   “Do you feel the same way about her?”

 

    He looked up at her in surprise, “You knew?”

 

   “Everyone knew, Charlie! The way she looks at you, the way she talks to you, the amount of time you two spend together. The only one who didn’t was you.”

 

   Charlie sat dumbfounded. He had to have noticed something at some point. He should’ve noticed something. The question she asked him back in Oregon, was she hoping that he wanted the same thing? Was she hoping he wanted a future with her? But he said that he wanted to bring her with him. Did she want a better answer than that? He didn’t even know what he wanted. He sighed heavily.

 

   “You care about her, right?” Annalise asked.

 

   “Of course I do,” Charlie answered.

 

   Charlie rested his head in his hands before speaking again, “I f*cked up again, didn’t I?”

 

   “Yes,” she answered, “but this one can be undone.”

 

   Charlie nodded. He sat for a few moments before attempting to stand up again. Annalise quickly got up and gently grabbed him.

 

   “Whoa whoa whoa, where do y’think you’re goin’?”

 

   “To answer her question,” Charlie said as he limped on after Rosie. Annalise didn’t try to stop him or follow. She stayed behind, arms crossed and a small, proud smile on her face.

 

   He found her on the edge of camp. She was wiping the tears from her eyes as she held herself. She turned to face him when she heard him coming. He got up close to her, not speaking a word.

 

   “I… I understand if you don’t feel the same way,” she began, trying her hardest to hold back more tears, “I just… That night I realized that any day could be our last… and I just wanted you to know-”

 

   Charlie leaned in and kissed her. He wrapped his arms around her, despite the pain in his shoulder, and rested his forehead on her’s.

 

   “I know what I want now,” he finally answered.