Forgiving An Outlaw

Randall estimated that the ring was worth more than he’d ever stolen. It was made of gold with platinum engraving. The stone inlaid was nearly as dark as obsidian, with red shimmering through a few hairline cracks and a small crater on its surface. This ring was one of his first trophies, taken from a man he’d killed long ago. What seemed less important at the time was the letter in the dead man’s jacket pocket.

___________

Randall tapped his finger on the freshly polished countertop and took a deep breath, staring at the clerk. In the time Randall had come in, taken a poster off the wall, and asked the clerk if he knew the whereabouts of the letter’s recipient, he observed at least two people enter the small office space. One had left, and another man with a large unkempt mustache waited behind Randall.

“Oh yes,” the clerk finally said, “Miss Matthews lives on a small farm, just outside the city limits. It should be the one with the scarecrow on a red pole.”

Randall turned to leave, when a man stepped forward, nearly bumping into him. Randall glanced at the man, who had a large unkempt mustache. Randall’s fingers brushed against the grip of his revolver.

“My bad, friend,” Randall said before exiting the building.

In his seventeen years of absence, the town exploded into a city. The post office was the same as when he first arrived. When he met Augustine and his brother Bertrum. Randall had bumped into them running from the law after setting a carriage on fire. This gave the older boys a good laugh and it wasn’t long before Randall was welcomed into the gang and was terrorizing the infant city and its surrounding communities.

Randall soon found himself trotting up to an old farmhouse with a scarecrow on a red pole and got off his horse. He began walking up to the door when a girl no older than seventeen threw the door open and pointed a shotgun at him.

           “State your business now or state it to the Lord,” she called.

           “I’m delivering something. Is Miss Matthews here?” Randall waited for the kid to kill him or lower her weapon, which she did – slowly.

___________

She traced her fingers along the ring’s ornate design and stared in awe at the stone. Randall sat across from her and watched her play with her father’s ring. He looked around the home. A few pictures were hung up on the walls. Three shiny rocks were displayed on the coffee table.

           “Thanks again. For letting my horse rest in your stable.”

           “Of course.”

           “How’d you get this mister?” She quickly glanced at him before turning her eyes back to the ring.

           “I…found it. A long time ago. There was a letter with it,” he placed it on the table, “and I’d like to give it to your mother. Directly.”

Merideth reached for the letter, but Randall gently placed his hand over it and pulled it closer to him.

           “I gotta deliver this personally. Along with a verbal message.”

           “Why’s that?”

           “The client’s request. Said it was of the utmost importance that they be delivered together.”

           “If it’s that important, why are you here and he isn’t?”

Randall gave the girl a little smile and chuckled.

           “You know, that is an excellent question. I’ll ask him next time I see him.”

She rolled her eyes but smiled and turned her attention back to the ring. Randall could hear thunder off in the distance, then a door opening to his right. Miss Matthews and a teenage boy walked into the house. Upon seeing Randall, Miss Matthews dropped what she was holding and gasped; the boy grabbed the shotgun that rested by the door and hastily fumbled it in Randall’s direction. Merideth stood quickly and stepped forward.

Randall stood and took his hat off and held it against his chest.

           “Miss Matthews…I found a letter addressed to you. One that probably should have gotten to you sooner.”

___________

Miss Matthews cried as she read the letter and held the ring in a fist against her chest. The rain’s gentle taps on the windows and roof of the house grew more violent as the storm progressed. Randall kept his hat off as she read and had his head bowed.

           “Oh, David. It’s been so hard without you here,” she said. Randall closed his eyes and turned his head to the side. Merideth, who had started to cry when her mother had, was dabbing her eyes with a small cloth. Jackson had turned his head away but sniffled every minute or so.

           “Miss Matthews…”

           “It’s a meteorite. Well, part of one. That’s what you were going to ask me right? Yes, it’s such a strange stone, but David loved it. He found it as a boy and always carried it with him. He said it was his good luck charm.”

           Randall nodded.

Miss Matthews smiled at her children. Merideth smiled back and took one of her mom’s hands. Jackson, who had turned back misty-eyed, smiled at his mother. Thunder cracked in the sky. Another bolt of lightning followed.

           “I’m sorry mister,” Miss Matthews said looking back to Randall, “You said that there was another part of the message?”

           “Yes ma’am. I am…I am here to apologize to you and your family. I k – “

The front door crashed against the wall and the man with the unkempt mustache tackled Randall to the ground.

           “I told you I saw the son-of-a-bitch!” he called.

Randall pulled his gun and fired three rounds into the man’s stomach. He let out a moan as Randall shoved him off. Two more men had come in the front. Another from the back. One of the men slammed his foot on his wrist. Jackson was subdued by the other two men. Miss Matthews and Merideth were screaming and crying, trying to get away.

           “Get the women and shut them up for fuck’s sake.”

The man standing over Randall rushed over to the other side of the room. Randall reached for his gun again when Augustine’s face came into view.

           “Hey, buddy!” He lifted his foot, “Good to see you again,” and brought it down on Randall’s face.

___________

Randall experienced that night again. He, Augustine, and the man with the mustache were Merely boys. Robbing a stagecoach with Bertrum, when a man rode and shot Bertrum point blank.

Randall had been in the carriage, unseen, but Augustine and Mustache were walking back from hiding the bodies of the passengers and the driver. Mustache ran back into the brush, but Augustine went to pull his weapon before he was spun left, tossing his pistol away. The vigilante advanced on him.

Randall kicked the carriage door open, firing four bullets into the man’s side. He dropped his gun and stumbled. Randall jumped into the dirt and sent the last two into his skull. He ran to Augustine as the body fell to Earth.

The bullet had grazed the side of his head and taken his ear. He pulled himself up to his knees and then looked over at his brother’s body.

           “Bertrum.” He started crawling towards the body, swaying slightly with each movement.

Mustache ran to Augustine and Randall stepped over to the man, sliding his hands into his pockets, pulling out the ring and letter. He stuffed them into his pocket and spit on the body before making his way to Augustine, Mustache, and Bertrum’s body.

___________

Randall woke slowly. He was in the barn, arms tied to a chair in front of a table, and Augustine sat across from him. A lantern on the table illuminated an ugly scar that went from his dead left eye to his missing ear. He gave Randall a big smile when he noticed him waking, and spun Randall’s revolver on the table. Rain pummeled the roof of the old barn.

           “Welcome back Randall. To the waking world, and mine. You need anything? A smoke? A drink?”

           “Untied would be nice.”

Augustine laughed.

           “I bet. I don’t know how many of you had the honor of meeting Randall here, but he was always a funny guy.” He gestured to two other men who were standing at either side of him.

           “I gotta say though, what you did to Phillip, that was cold. Shot him in the gut and let him bleed out. Looked painful.”

           “Where’s the family?” Randall asked.

           “They should be in the house with Butch. He joined up after you ran away. Left me, Phillip, and the other boys to deal with the law after you killed that poor, poor vigilante.”

           “I recall saving you. Should I have let him kill you?”

           “Well, you wouldn’t be in this predicament right now, would you?”

Randall rolled his eyes. Augustine smiled and spun the revolver again.

           “This is his family ain’t it? That poor, poor vigilante’s woman and his offspring. What you here for? To beg forgiveness? Here I thought that a man wanted in several states would be a ruthless bastard. Not some coward who goes around begging forgiveness from those he’s wronged.”

           “I’m still ruthless to those who are deserving.”

           “You know Randall, though you abandoned me, today you’ve done me a kindness. That vigilante killed my brother, and I reckon I’m owed some blood.”

Randall stared at Augustine who pulled the ring from his shirt pocket.

           “I gotta earn this ring somehow. I mean you killed for it, so I should too. Doesn’t fit my finger though. Wasn’t made for a man’s hand, but you know, it may just fit that girl’s finger.”

           “I’ll play you for it,” Randall blurted, “I’ll play you for the ring. For the family.”

Augustine placed a hand on his chin and thought for a moment then smiled again.

           “Okay, Randall I know a game we can play.”

He opened the chamber of Randall’s revolver.

           “The advantage of living in a city such as this, you meet a lot of folk from all over.”

He pulled two bullets out of the cylinder and closed it again.

           “I met this one guy from somewhere across the ocean, and he introduced me to this little game.”

He spun the cylinder then placed it on the table and spun it. It pointed at Augustine. He picked up the pistol and placed it against his head. Staring into Randall’s eyes, he squeezed the trigger.

Click

He pointed the pistol at Randall.

Click

The other two men laughed as he turned it back on himself.

Augustine stared into his soul. The men on either side of him laughed louder every time the chamber clicked and started to hoot and holler on the fifth round when Augustine pushed the gun into his skull and pulled the trigger.

Click

Randall bared his teeth and pressed the balls of his feet hard into the dirt. Thunder exploded in the sky.

           “Well Randall, it’s been – “

Randall launched himself forward, into the table, and Augustine. The lantern went out. The gun went off and hit the chair. The two guards fired in the direction of Augustine and Randall.

Lightning lit up the barn and one of the guards saw Randall approaching him with the broken end of the chair before he felt it in his gut. He let out a grunt and bent over as Randall grabbed his knife and slammed it into the base of his neck. Randall ripped the lever action rifle from the dying man’s hands and fired four rounds into the other guard, who fell into the dirt. Augustine barreled into him, knocking him to the ground, before running to the door of the barn and pushing it open. Thunder boomed in the sky as Augustine ran out in the rain screaming for Butch with Randall right behind him.    

___________

Butch was sitting across from Merideth, Jackson, and Miss Matthews. She cradled her son’s head as he’d received a vicious beating after being subdued. She was still crying, but Merideth had stopped and looked around her home for different weapons that she could use on Butch, who held their shotgun in his lap. He was at least two heads taller than her and as big as a horse. Her concentration was broken when they heard the gunshots coming from the barn.

           “Guess your messenger boy is gone.” Butch laughed.

He settled back into the chair that had once belonged to Mr. Matthews but after another clap of thunder, he sat up straighter. Merideth watched him and listened. They could all hear Augustine screaming for Butch. He looked at his hostages and muttered to himself before walking over to the window, where he saw Randall tackle Augustine into the mud.

Butch opened the door and Merideth grabbed one of the heavy smooth stones and ran after him. Before her mother could object she was out the door and Butch had stepped off the porch, raising the gun towards Randall. Merideth jumped off the porch with the stone above her head and brought it down on Butch’s head. The stone sounded like thunder when it connected with his head. Both he and Merideth fell in the mud. Randall looked up to see her fall and Butch fall and Augustine threw a handful of mud in his eyes.

           “Fuck!” Randall cried.

He tried to wipe the mud from his face when a fist hit him in the stomach and he was thrown off. Randall rolled onto his stomach and got to his feet. Augustine ran forward and threw a punch at Randall, who side-stepped it and threw his own, nailing Augustine in the mouth. He reeled back and let out a laugh before raising his pistol.

           “You always were a better fighter than me.”

           “Put it down!” Merideth screamed, pointing the shotgun at him.

Augustine held his hands up still holding his gun.

           “You know why he’s here girl? You know why I’M here?” Augustine asked.

Miss Matthews came out onto the porch and called for Merideth. Thunder roared. The rain felt like razors on their skin.

           “He killed your daddy! Shot him six times! And he came back to taunt you with this!” Augustine pulled the ring from his shirt pocket.

           “I came here to stop him! To free you fine folk from the terror he was going to inflict on your family!”

           “Merideth – “

           “Is it true?” She turned the gun on Randall.

           “I came to apologize for killing your father. I was young and –“

           “Shut up!” she screamed. Rage began to swell in her. Her family had suffered ever since her father was taken from them and the man responsible was in front of her. The man who led these men to her home was in front of her. Merideth’s mother called to her.

           “You have every right to kill me, Merideth. I came to apologize to your mom. You. Your brother. Your whole family. I wanted to return the ring. That’s all.”

           “Kill him, kid. He deserves it.”

Merideth looked from Augustine to Randall and aimed the gun at him. Merideth’s mother began walking towards them calling to her daughter. Lightning streaked across the sky.

           “You have every right to, but don’t do it for him.”

Merideth met Randall’s eyes, and he nodded. She started to lower the gun – and Augustine did the same. He aimed the barrel at her head and started to squeeze the trigger. Randall tackled him and the gun went off. Merideth watched the bullet travel past her head and into her mother’s chest. Miss Matthews stumbled forward and stopped, then looked to her daughter and fell backward. Merideth screamed and the sky boomed. She pointed the shotgun at Randall and Augustine. Randall pushed himself off his old friend and Merideth blew a hole in his chest.

Augustine let out a groan and looked at his chest, then at Randall. Merideth threw down the gun and ran to her mother. Randall walked over to where Augustine had stood and picked the ring out of the mud.

___________

Miss Matthews was resting on her bed. Her left hand over her right, showing off her new wedding ring. Jackson sat with her while Merideth sat on the porch and watched Randall load bodies into the cart that had been used for supplies the night before.

           “All of these men should have bounties if they're with Augustine.” He walked up to her and handed her Augustine’s poster. The man was worth almost two thousand dollars.

“He’s been building that since before you were born.”

Merideth looked at it for a moment then nodded and folded it back up. She looked at her and Randall's boots. Randall looked down at her and nodded before turning away, walking from the porch, towards the cart.

           “How much are you worth Randall? I’m sure my mother and father aren’t the only people you’ve killed.” She looked up at his back. He nodded slightly, let his head hang, and placed his hands on his hips.

           “I’m worth at least six thousand dollars. In this state.”

           “You’re not a good man, are you Randall?”

           “No ma’am. But I thought I might try to change.”

There was a long silence between them.

           “If you were to die, do you think that would make some people happy?” Merideth closed her fingers around the gun that rested next to her.

Randall looked at the sun, which was rising to the middle of the sky, and chuckled.

           “I think a lot of people would breathe easier.”

Merideth pointed the shotgun at Randall’s back. She sat there for what felt like forever.

           “Don’t get a taste for it like I did. You’re a good kid Merideth. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry for…for all of this.”

           “For what it's worth, I forgive you, Randall.”

Jackson heard a gunshot and ran to check on his sister.