Frontier

'I don't know what to say to that, but we're honest men through and through sir, I never met no hitman before...' His voice was uneven and like course yarn, cracking in odd places. He swallowed a lump in his through and took a slow step back, not sure whether or not to run, maybe it was just a cruel prank or maybe he really had met his maker.

"Aww hell," Billy groaned, lowering his gun slightly. "Looks like I've been played for a right fool here." He didn't holster the gun yet, looking the man square in the eyes. "Question now though, is what do I do?"

The double doors of the saloon in "Perfection" open with a crash, a lone boot set above the ground slams onto the wooden slats of the establishment and the owner strolls in as if she owns the place. Multiple eyes land on her and turn away as soon as they do. The entire building falls silent save for the footfalls of the young lass walking up to the saloon's main counter. She grabs the stool on the far left side of the counter and drops her rear on the cushion. The tip of her left hand's index finger moves the brim of her hat up so she can see the person serving her. "Bargirl, house specialty on the rocks." Autumn says in a half polite tone. She turns in her seat and spots the Sheriff she had dealt with before going out on her bounty and tosses him a bag of the settled item he would need to see as proof of the bounty's death after digging around in her pouch for a second. "Jim Hersch is a dead man, Sheriff. Trust me, there woulda been no way I coulda brought him in after what had happened. Crazy bastard dropped off a cliff and took his own life just so I couldn't."

James took a deep breath and reached for his pistol. There they were atop the hill he had passed moment ago. Their speed was stunning. "...Seven?" He thought aloud. "Great." He drew his weapon but before he could get a shot off they zoomed past him. He turned as fast as he could and became confused. They kept on riding to wherever they were going, completely ignoring the lone man. He let go of the breath he had been holding and eased his tensed muscles. He was relieved, he certainly couldn't take them all by himself head on. "...Not for me then." The dust finally settled and he started walking again. He kept the strange encounter in mind however and watched his back a little more then usual.

'Look sir... Ah... Ah'd really appreciate it if you put that gun of yours aways' He lowered his arms in an attempt to express his sincerity. He began to speak in a softer tone, hoping he was getting through to this armed stranger in his home.

'My name is Jimmy... I don't have much... but I won't say...'

Before he could finish he was cut off by the sound of horses outside, it must be his brother he thought, back from the delivery. Goddamn he's going to flip. Now the man just stood in silence looking at the main door, listening to the sounds of the horses kick their heels into the soft dirt outside.

'Please, it'll just be my brother, he won't like you being here, but if we go explain we can just forget this right?' He pointed at the door in a gesture asking for permission to leave the barn and go outside.

Considering it, Billy shrugged and said "Now that sounds like an idea. You go out the door first though, and stay in front of me." He lowered the gun however. "I'm willing to hear you but.....but no funny business, or I will put a bullet between your eyes."

'Autumn...' Sandy grunted, 'you just missed out on the biggest catch of your career for this bozo...' He knocks her bag with the end of his pipe. 'Nother fine catch I assume...$45 if I remember right?' he said smiling and sipping his drink, a wobble in his hand telling he was just a little too tipsy.

Sliding in his seat and resting his arm on his thigh he spoke with excited tone 'You know just sent out a batch of green boys to catch the one and only Clarence Obediah... Yeah that one' he said with a laugh. 'Been hiding out with the O'leary's downstream...' he brought his drink up to his lips and winked at the lady, he certainly admired her in more ways than one. 'Could still catch em' before he's brought back to town, easiest $200 you'll ever make'.

"O'leary's eh? Buncha no good hounds they are." Autumn says with a toothy grin. "Alrighty Sheriff, I'll bring 'em down. Same deal as last time? Bring you their eye and I run with the cash or do you want them caught like a buncha salmon ready for the fire?" Without waiting for a reply, Autumn stands from her stool and begins walking right out of the door she had walked in. Before her boot kicks open the door again, she calls out to Sandy. "You give my cut of the money to the Bargirl there for my drink, you hear? I'll be waitin' for it." As these last few words leave her lips, the sound of wood near breaking off its hinges fills the saloon again. She steps out in the sunny heat, walks over to her black stallion and after a couple of tries of getting on the majestic beast sets her direction and shoves off downstream.

Jimmy nodded at the stranger, 'thank you sir, I swear I'll be good we ain't decivin' folk'. He walked to the front door, unhooking the lock and pulling it aside. The door jammed at first, kicking up dirt and dust into his eyes, the light outside was blinding and in the heat he couldn't make anything out. His back pressed against Billy's gun a reminder that his life hanged by a thread. It was enough to make his heart drop, but it didn't matter now, his brother would know what to do and this would all be sorted out. He looked back at Billy with a nod to let him now he was stepping out but as he did a shot rang through the air.

His longjohns stained red by his blood, his guts spilling outside his body. He fell backwards onto Billy spurting blood and wheezing. His entire torso was ripped open, a wound caused by a shotgun. Clearly the assailant was pretty close. Jimmy looked up into Billy's eyes but before he could speak another round, a rifle or a revolver spliced his head in two.

'Come outta there Clarence, gots you surrounded...' a voice from outside the door yelled.

The Sheriff nodded, at Ela, assuring her that the drink would be covered. Though she wasn't comforted by this... Wasn't that Clarence man the gentleman that Billy was here to collect on... What was the Sheriff talking about. Was Billy really lying the whole time? Or was it something else.

"Fuck!" Billy shouted, ducking back behind the door, both guns drawn. "'fraid you're mistaken there. Ain't no Clarence here." He was already considering his options again, eyeing the exits.

'That's certainly original' the same voice yelled. 'Now Clarance, we want you alive' right... Now you can do that, or we can burn the barn down. Just throw your weapons outta door and come out with those hands up.'

The rapid clopping of the horse's hooves pounding against the dirt and the wind pushing against Autumn's hat, nearly bringing it up reminds her of why she got into this business. The fresh air, albeit a bit dusty, is refreshing to her. She lived like this for many years, though she would prefer to not completely rehash her past. Her head turns to look at the stream as soon as she leaves the small town and she can faintly see her destination a ways off in the distance. It shouldn't take her too long at all to reach it, collect her bounty and get out of Perfection after getting her drink.

"This Sandy's doing?" Billy demanded, still behind cover. "Gonna put a bullet in that no good two timing snake in the grass!"

'This is your doing Clarence, finally getting what's coming to you.' The man turned to his companion signaling him to prepared a firebomb. 'You gots ten seconds Clarence, come out or we burn the barn down.'

Autumn forces the horse into a sharp turn with a bit of a neigh in defiance from her steed. She slows the horse down after a short while and looks down the stream. She has a clear view of the barn from here and can see a few men standing around, no doubt hostile. Her head turns sharply to a bundle of bushes using the stream as their food source. She hops from her horse and makes her way to the bushes. She hopes she doesn't stick out of her position too much. She sits a bit closer and instead of going guns completely blazing, she decides to wait it out.

"I got a better idea," Billy replied. He retreated further inside the barn, going for the same entrance he used before. They'd firebomb the place sure, but that could give him some cover.

'Goddamnit Clarence don't make this hard, I give you my word we take you in peacefully, double reward that way aye? No incentive to kill yah right?

He whistled to his men at the back letting them know he was dismounting his horse. 'Look Clarance, just work with us here...' he said reloading his shotgun.

Stopping at the back door, Billy thought better of it, moving to the upper levels; odds were they had the back covered as well, so his only option was up.

'Fuck it, burn him', he flicked his wrist and the other man chucked the firebomb, causing it to collide with the barn door. The fire flickered at first but fed by the fumes of the brewing alcohol inside it spread up towards the sky. 'Got nowhere to run now' the man said, watching the flames chew through the barn.

Autumn moves to a closer bundle of bushes, and then another until she was within shooting range of the barn. She can see clearly the men in front of the barn, and they weren't the O'learys. "Sandy you double crossin drunkard. Givin my bounty off to someone else like that ain't makin me a happy woman, I'll have ya know." She breaks off a few of the twigs inside the bush so that she can mount her lever action rifle and aim down. She watches as the firebomb soars through the air and hits the barn. Soon after, the fire rises high due to the alcohol inside. "Well that ain't good. How's I'm supposed to get their eyes if they're burnt to a crisp?" She takes aim at the one who had thrown the bomb and fires. A loud crack fills the sky, possibly revealing her location.

Always somewhere to run, Billy thought as he peered out from the upper window. He was ready to take a shot at one of the men outside, but a bullet from an unseen person took them out. Huh, really must be my lucky day, he thought, firing at the other man.

'What the fuck?!? He's got backup' The leader screamed as the man to his right crumbled over his horse clutching his throat.

The two men at the back of the barn watched the flash of gunfire from the riverbed, dismounting and firing their repeaters at the location of the flash. 'you're outgunned asshole' one of them shouted.

The leader jumped behind his friend horse, he'd prefer to take cover in the barn but the whole thing was being eaten by flames.

Smoke and fumes of alcohol began to gang up on Billy, making him cough and wheeze. He had to get out and fast, so he jumped out of the window onto the ledge of the barn rooftop, looking for a safe way down. In the meantime he kept firing off shots at the man he missed, keeping him suppressed.

Bullets whiz passed her head, nearly grazing her pretty face. She reloads as quickly as she can and aims at where the bullets coming at her had come from. She can see the figures of two men peeking out from their cover, and as soon as one peaks out, she fires. She doesn't wait for a confirmation of their kill, and instead runs further up to the barn. She takes cover behind a sturdy looking rock and reloads.

'Jesus' the leader said watching Clarence scuttle across the roof. He brought his shotgun up to his chest and closed an eye. He wouldn't get a fatal but he could clip his leg and watch the bastard roll off and fall into the dirt. He tracked the man, holding his breath, paused then fire. The shell exploded scattering debri and pellets at Clarence.

One of the gentlemen firing into the riverbed dropped his rifle, clutching his friend's chest. 'Don't die on me, come'on I'm getting you otta here', he croaked. But he couldn't move him in fear of getting shot himself.

Fuck! A shotgun pellet clipped Billy in the leg, and while he didn't fall he stopped, crouching on the roof. To hell with this, he thought. Turning to face the leader, he brought both guns up, focusing on him. And he fired, one shot after another, emptying both wheels at the man.

One round then the next, sliced through him. How did this happen, he muttered to himself, it was all in his hands. He fell backwards, unable to move. He didn't know where he was hit, but he could feel the heat, the stings of the wounds. He pulled his gun closer to him, clutching it like a child...

He was gonna die, he could feel it but god he did he want to fire his gun until the end. The comfort of the kick against his arm the the ringing in his ears. He pointed it vaguely back at Billy's direction, the best he could in his wounded state and fired as many times as his finger could. 'Fuck you...'

Autumn suddenly remembers that the Sheriff had said something about sending a bunch of greenhorns to their deaths for this bounty. She weighs the options and decides that killing them would be best. She'd have less competition in the area, meaning more cash. With a sly grin, she stands up, aims her rifle down as soon as the man who had left the barn's upper window had been shot at, and looks for the one who had been shooting at her while she was on the riverbed. Without seeing him, she moves up closer, trying to get the jump on him from behind. The multiple revolver shots ring out and she uses it as sound cover so no one can hear her running. Her back slams against the side of the barn and she peeks around the corner. She slings her rifle around her arm and brings her revolver out from her holster. She can see the men, one holding the one she had shot at. She aims around the corner and fires a few shots at them both.

That next shot went wide, missing Billy completely. Whew, he thought. On to the next problem: this place is on fire. Taking his grapple gun, he fired a bolt into the roof, making sure the line was secured. Then he jumped off the side, rappelling down the face of the barn, even as flames began to engulf the place.

The pressure on his friend's chest disappeared as they both fell other. He'd been shot by that bitch. He could still scuttle away if she took mercy but she didn't seem the type. 'Look' he said pointing at Clarence grappling down from the roof... 'your bounties gettin away...'

Autumn barely hears the words spoken by the wounded man as she takes off to the front of the barn. She had to cut her bounty off lest he'd manage to leave the scene. Chances are, he'd try to thank her for her help. If he doesn't then she'll just have to take him out quicker than he'll take her out. The heat from the barn is intense. There would be no way to get her prize from the O'learys even if she wanted to. She goes into a crouch, wondering if the leader of this small gaggle of banditos was even still alive. "Doubtful, I'd still be hearin gunfire if that were the case." She decides to call out, hoping that someone would answer, "You alive or dead?"

His grip was too weak, his finger even weaker, the shotgun fell from his sight. He couldn't even move his head now. He wanted to answer, that was the sound of a woman, his mother? A lover? He didn't do anything though he just watched the flames from the barn as the dirt beneath him mixed with the last of his blood.

Landing on the ground, Billy broke into a run for one of the horses. Oh he was gonna get out of there, track Sandy down and shove his gun down that snake's gullet if it was the last thing he did. Then he heard someone call out....and the voice sounded oddly familiar. Oh no... he thought. "Autumn?!" he called. "Christ al'mighty, is that you?"

The voice flows into her ears and a pang of her brain tells her it's a familiar one. The man obviously knew her name, which wasn't too much of a problem since most people knew, but this one was different. She stands up straight and walks out from the burning barn to see a man standing. She looks him over and calls out, "Hell's frozen over, Billy Hayes." She holsters her revolver and walks up to him. "You get yerself in the worst kinds of situations, you know that?"

"No shit," Billy replied. "God dammit.....I'm gonna guess a Sheriff Sandy sent you here, did he?"

"He did, you see someone named Clarence Obediah round these parts?" Autumn asks as she looks around. "He said somethin about him hangin with the O'learys. Two hundred bucks on the line here and I'm lookin to cash in." She looks at Billy once more and gives him a cold stare. "You didn't happen to take my bounty, did ya?" Her face may be pretty, but the words she is using ooze with venom.

Ela traded Sandy his change, 'send Autumn my way if she comes knockin' he nods. She shifted uncomfortably, she never felt like taking money for human lives was a particularly godly occupation and no matter how villainous the hunted might be, she didn't want to assist the killin of no one.

She watched Sandy leave, the man whistling a drunken tune. Sighing she continued pouring another glass for a man at the end of the bar. Today was killing her she thought as she took a glance at her reflection in the back of one of her trays. She looked like shit, that was all there was to say.

"Obediah?" Billy said. "Killed him two hours ago on a train; tried to collect from the sheriff, but the rat bastard denied it, said I was lyin. Offered me half the original bounty for the O'Leary's and called them crooks. Couldn't be further from the truth on that one though." Looking back at the burning barn, he looked back at Autumn and said "His ass is mine."

Autumn sighs, "Well, I better get to work." These are the only words she says as she approaches the corpse of the leader of this small bounty hunting group. She takes a small knife from her satchel. She crouches down over the man's lifeless body, and plunges the knife into the left eye. Blood splashes around a bit from the fresh wound. Probably the last bit of blood left from the man, in fact. Before one would notice, she deftly removes the eye and cuts the nerve like it was an umbilical cord. She fetches a small bag from her pouch and drops the eye into it.

"Sandy ain't the kinda guy to check in these things, I've learned. Or if he has, he's been too stupid to realize who's eye he's takin." She laughs heartily as she stands and closes the small burlap bag. "You let me get my bounty from him and you can do whatever the hell you want, deal?" She says with a smile.

He didn't flinch when she removed the eye. Honestly, he had seen just as bad, if not worse. Shrugging, he said "Sure, why not. Either way, I'll just be glad to see him dead."

She walks up and passed Billy as she drops the bag into her pouch and whistles. Suddenly, her black stallion can be seen galloping to their location. She slows down to a trot and Autumn finds the footholds to the saddle. Once again, after a bit of difficulty pulling herself up due to her small stature, she positions herself comfortably. "Well alrighty, sir, I'll see ya in town. Drinks'll be on me." Without another word, she snaps the ropes and the horse gallops away back the way they had came.

That just left Billy standing there, dirty and bloody with a burning barn behind him, dead and one mutilated bodies around his person. This has certainly been a day, he thought. He grabbed one of the other horses, and galloped on after her.

Dennis had ditched the cart outside of The Yeoman, his first delivery of the day he thought wiping the sweat off his brow. 'Dennis', Ela greeted him 'got some of that fine O'leary brew for me', 'you know it,' he chuckled kicking the first barrel off the back. 'Come on' she insisted, 'bring it inside and I'll get you a drink'

'Sounds great' he grinned, 'things ain't been easy back at the barn'. Ela turned on her heels as she changed an empty barrel. 'Jimmy getting in trouble again?'. Dennis rubbed the back of his neck, the same sore spot he rubbed whenever he got uncomfortable... ''well...''

Ela's nostrils flared, 'Goddamnit Dennis, you've been there for him all this time, working yourself to the bone, brewin' it, deliverin' it? And that's what he does...'

'Hey it's...' he chewed on his words, this wasn't the first time he'd have to defend his brother, 'He's my brother, El... It's just what you do'. Ela nodded, she understood, she had siblings once and if they were still here she'd do anything for them. Wasn't like Dennis didn't know what it was like to lose loved ones. 'hey, you know, you ever need help...' Dennis stopped Ela before she could finish, 'well you could start with a drink he said', pulling up a stool. 'You got it', she smiled.

It was quicker on horseback, getting back to town. Though that wasn't surprising; he had walked to the damn distillery after all. The town came back within sight soon enough and he was raring for a go at the Sheriff.....though for now, he slowed down, out of sight.

He'd let Autumn collect her bounty. As of right now, he just wanted a pound of flesh.

The town comes into sight and she snaps the reins once more commanding the horse to go faster. She rides into town like a bullet, passing all of the people and nearly running a couple over. Sure, they were mad, but they knew who she was. She'd just flash her gun and tell them to move along if things got hairy. She makes the horse slow down to a trot as she nears the saloon, the Yeoman and dismounts. She takes a rope from the horse's satchel and ties it to a post in front of a freshly poured stall of water. She pats herself off of the dust that she had accumulated that had kicked up on her ride there and walks up to the door. She decides she had scared the establishment enough for one day and like a civilized young lady, pushes it open.

"I hope y'all got my drink ready for me, Bargirl." She says as she steps in, looking for Ela. She spots her and as soon as she does, she spots Mr. Dennis O'Leary. A smile cracks from her lips and a light laughter erupts from deep inside her. "Aw hell, Dennis." She says through her laughter as she approaches the two. "You ain't gonna like what happened to your stuff." She continues, staying as cryptic as she can.

Hopping down from the horse, Billy crept slowly up behind one of the buildings. He'd need a good vantage point, somewhere to see when Autumn left town. There was always using his rope-gun, rappel up to the roof......if he still had any harpoons. Something he had taken for granted, was the fact that each time he used the rope-gun he needed to cut the the harpoon from the line; the damned things had to punch into whatever he shot them at to secure the line, and unless he actually had time he couldn't just dig them out. There were spares on his bike but he couldn't get them without tipping off anyone else he was alive.

Bargirl... urgh, Ela hated that. Dennis on the other hand visibly shuddered, the drink he was holding fell to the bar with a gentle thunk and his brow seemed to deepen. Turning towards Autumn Dennis spoke in a toner much deeper and rougher than before. 'Just what the hell is that supposed to mean killer? You rob my cart outside? Huh, you shoot my horse?'. Dennis wasn't going to let this short haired honey think she could do whatever cause she had a gun and some friends. Admittedly, his behavior was perhaps an overreaction. In truth he was nervous it was something bad, like his brother getting his hands too deep into someone else's troubles. He tried his best not to let that concern flicker on his face though he did briefly break eye contact with Autumn and look back at Ela for support... Though the only comfort Ela could offer hims was a wide eyed look and a half agape mouth.

Ela nervously balanced on one foot as she leaned over the tall bar top. 'Autumn if you're making trouble again... Well... You forget ever drinking here again.' Even Ela had to admit her threat seemed pathetically weak and irrelevant. Though she committed to the one legged lean look to toughen it out, she wasn't gonna back down for Dennis' sake.

Her smile grows to well near the lobes of her ears, much like a deranged cat, in response to the threats. She ignores Ela altogether, she might tote a big gun under her desk, but that's all she has. "Before you start gettin angry with me, I suggest y'all take a seat for this one." She takes the nearest seat she can find and sits in it herself. Comfort is the best way to be in for the news Autumn is about to deliver, that's what she believes. "It ain't just your stuff, Mr. O'Leary. Nah. Some men came to claim a bounty on you, your brother, and a Mr. Clarence Obediah. I watched it happen and I tell you what it was a spectacular sight watching your barn go up in flames." She stretches out and takes a poor man's drink from the table beside her and by the time he tries to protest, she already has her gun pointed at him. She takes a small break from her debriefing to drink and with an audible sigh of joy after feeling the hot burning liquor passing down her throat, she continues.

"Oh, and your brother was in the barn." She says in a happy tone.

'Oh god please don't do it!' Ela said attempting to dislodge Autumn's gun by half jumping over the counter and flailing her arms at her, completely disregarding her own safety.

Dennis couldn't move, he couldn't even look at the gun, he saw it in his peripheral vision but was unable to process the threat it posed. All he could do was visualise all the horrible things she'd said. He didn't want to believe they were true, he couldn't... 'what... Jim.. He's...'... his mumble was barely audible as he brought his hand up to his face clutching his head. It was like everything had split open, everything... He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry and he wanted to throw the goddamn smile of this brass assed statue's face.

Dennis did none of those things though, he did exactly nothing just stood still the shock coursing through him as a thousand tiny question. 'the debt.. god the debt they'll send us to the work camps, five years at least... Might even chop off an arm...' He was babbling nonsensically, having twenty conversations with himself at once.

"Better to just end it all, right?" Autumn says in a distracted, nonchalant tone as her smile fades away. "Work camps ain't that fun, I've heard. They do you in real nice. Break ya, even. I'd never want to see anyone placed in them. Even my cold heart can't take it." Her voice turns more and more soft as she trails along with Dennis. "Knew a guy, he was real sweet. Looked a bit like you. He had a high debt on his shoulders, Dennis. They worked him hard. Next time I saw him he was laying six feet deep." She sighs as she makes up all of this information. "What I'm saying here is, you're a good guy. Just got a bit over his head. You're in a situation where you're going to die or you're going to die a ragged death." She keeps herself seated and glares at Ela with an icy stare. She had been ignoring Ela to this point, but her making a fool of herself while Autumn is doing her work has started to wear thin. "I'm not going to pull this trigger." She says confidently. "But there just might be a death here." She turns her attention back to the lone O'Leary, "Better to end it all now before they get hold of you, right?" Autumn says once again.