The Five Dollar Mail (Book 1: The Green & Book 2: Lynch's Boys)

48: Friendly Fire

Book cover painting by Angela Taratuta. Character artwork of Storm by Diego Candia. All graphics by me.

On one hand, Bender was relieved to see that Rob Yarl was asleep. On the other hand, the big farmer's snoring was enough to make him contemplate going over there and emptying the water bucket over the blokes's head. Other than that, he and Peltier were alone in the jailhouse.

Rhys, one of the Holt's deputies, had gone to to the dunny. Again. Judging from the pattern Bender had observed in the last several hours, Rhys had to visit the dunny a lot. Bender had been wondering if it was his kidneys, his bladder, or his prostate most of the night. Then he had discovered that the dunny contained a cache of cards with pictures of naked women on them and realized it was a different body part entirely. He didn't expect Rhys to be back anytime terribly soon.

"Bender?" Storm leaned his back against the wall behind his bunk, as he had most of the night. His jean-clad knees were drawn up on the stained straw mattress of the cot and the blanket Bender had brought him last night swathed his shoulders. His head rested on the wall behind him and his eyes were closed. Bender had thought he was asleep until hearing him speak. I guess I should have known better. No way he's going to fall asleep in this place. Not with the bloodstains he left last time he was here still showing on the floor and the man who did his level best to beat him to death across the room.

"Yeah, Mate?" Bender got up and went over to the bars on Storm's cell, quietly so as not to wake up Yarl.

"You know I'm not getting out of this," Storm said, opening his eyes and turning his face towards Bender. "Not now. You heard what Yarl said. And Rhys last night."

Bender had seen the look he now saw on Peltier's face before. He'd seen it on caged animals and dying men. He'd seen longhaired men in feathers and hairpipe on the opposite side of jail bars before and had never known that situation to end well. He drew in a deep, helpless breath, trying desperately to find something to say. Peltier was right. This was not likely to have a happy ending. No point lying about it, Peltier wasn't a stupid man. Still, no point making him feel any worse. "Mate, look, we both know you didn't..."

"What we both know is that nobody is going to take my word over Yarl's. After word of William's Station...I'm surprised I haven't been dragged out and murdered by an angry mob yet. The trial is just a formality."

"Peltier...listen, mate, they aren't going to hang you over this..."

"Keep..." He stopped himself, paused, then spoke carefully. "Keep the girls away from here. Promise me."

Bender cocked his head, surprised. "Come again?"

"I don't want them down here. Last thing I want is for...for...them to see me stuck in cage. Or...you know. Let me have at least a shred of dignity. Keep them away from here. And make sure you get word to the Absároke at the Lower Bighorn...Fiona knows which band."

Bender closed his eyes. I can hardly stand by scratching my knackers while an innocent man hangs, but on the other hand, am I really finding myself in such a bad cock-up that my only alternative is to send a boy who hasn't even started shaving yet to the gallows? "You ain't gonna hang for this. Because you didn't do it." He opened his eyes and looked hard at Storm. "You didn't do it, mate."

Storm was watching his face. "No..." he said slowly, narrowing his eyes down to knife slits, studying Bender's face for a long, unnerving pause. "And you know who did."

Bender stared back, feeling the intensity of Storm's gaze like the hard push of icy wind. He suddenly knew that even though he hadn't said anything, he'd said too much. "Mate, look, we're gonna get you out of this, fair bloody dinkum. I'll keep the girls away, if that's what you want. But don't start writin' your last will and testament quite yet..." He scrambled, trying vainly to derail Storm's train of thought, knowing it was too late for that already.

"It's one of us. Isn't it." It wasn't a question.

He knows, bugger him. "Peltier..."

Storm broke his gaze and stared across the cell at the brick wall. His brow was pinched and his eyes vacant with deep thought.

Then it happened. Bender could actually see the moment Storm pieced it all together. He cringed, watching Storm's black eyes go wide and his mouth open. Ah bloody hell...

Storm gave a sharp gasp, and then his eyes closed with despair. "No," he whispered, dropping his chin to his chest. "Oh, Little Brother." He rubbed his brow with the heel of his hand, exhaling slowly. Bender almost recoiled when Storm looked back up and locked a fierce gaze on his.

"You aren't going to say a damn thing about this." Storm's voice cracked.

"What, Mate? Am I gonna just let them come in here and hang you? What do you want from me, to just watch?"

"I want you to take it to your grave, Bender. Just let this thing play out."

"If it plays out, they are going to kill you, mate. There ain't no playing out. They're gonna pretend to try you, then they're gonna drag you outside and hang you. What the bloody hell are you thinkin'?"

"I'm thinking that would be better than watching them do it to Luis. If I go to trial, there is a very, very slight chance that I might actually survive this mess. But that's more than the chance I'll have if I end up having to confess to trying to kill Levi Yarl."

Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying this story, please let me know by giving me a star or a comment! I appreciate your support!