The Outlaw's Son

Indecent

CHAPTER 21 - INDECENT

     Lucas was pacing around outside the barn, red faced and sweating. I offered him a cigarette but he just swatted it away and continued pacing. I gave a sidewards glance at Uncle Seth who just shrugged and went back to checking his saddle bags. Mary Beth sat next to me on the back of the wagon and I could feel the tension radiating from her body. I could tell she really had no idea what she was getting herself into when she asked to come with us.

"You alright?"

She picked at her skirts for a minute before answering. "I reckon I am. I just don't know how to take all this. Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine. I just need to find Paw soon. I don't know where to go from here." I honestly didn't know what to do. I hadn't the slightest clue of where they might be taking my family and I hated to admit it, but I was worried about Paw.

"You know, this was all excitin' at first. I was on an adventure. But now, I'm so upset and it's not even my family that is in trouble!" Mary Beth cried. I turned to face her and stared.

     "It's gonna be alright. They are gonna die for what they have done to my family. Simple as that."

     Mary Beth's lips quirked up in the corners of her mouth and she tilted her head slightly when she looked at me. "Britt, that doesn't make me feel much better."

"Me neither, darlin'."

Lucas was driving the wagon to West Wood while the rest of us followed on our horses. It would have been faster if he would have just put his prissy ass in a saddle, but no. He was not having any of that. So, we followed from a safe distance. It would be painfully obvious that something was up if we were all riding together. We didn't need to draw unwanted attention to ourselves, although I was sure Lucas would find a way to do just that. By the time we were getting close to West Wood I had been rationalizing my intentions to shoot him in the back of his head for quite a while. We were all sick of hearing him bitch and moan about how hot he was and how sore he was.

     Just outside of town I spotted a black object on the ground, swaying with the tall grass it lay on top of as the wind blew. The closer I got, the more it resembled a hat. A familiar hat. A black hat with a small blue jay feather in the band. Just like the feather my mama had given my Paw, saying it matched his eyes.

     I stopped and picked it up. I didn't have to examine it to know who it belonged to because I already knew. "This is Paw's hat."

     As I turned it in my hands, searching for any clues, I felt Uncle Seth move beside me. "Look there. Is that blood?"

     "Yeah. No way to know if it's his or someone else's."

     "Britt." Mary Beth said quietly beside me. "Let's keep movin'. I don't too much like the look of things."

     I looked up to meet her eyes, about to ask why when I followed her gaze to the far tree line. It was starting to get dark and I could just make out a figure watching us. No doubt the same one who had been watching us before.

     "Mary Beth is right. Let's keep movin'. Ole Lucas isn't waitin' anyway." Uncle Seth said while mounting his horse. He was right. Lucas apparently hadn't noticed me had stopped and was now a good distance away.

     "Alright. Let's stay close together. Keep an eye out." I led us onward towards West Wood at a fast pace. We needed to get some answers.
Soon.

The figure was long gone by the time we reached town. I felt less anxious and decided to split up our group to look for Paw. Mary Beth stayed with me and Uncle Seth and Lucas started looking around and asking questions at the livery. Mary Beth and I headed for the saloon. "Naw, haven't seen him." The barkeep answered while trying to keep the nervousness from his face. I nodded and we stepped outside.

     "How can you do that? You're so cute but you are slightly intimidatin'."

     "I don't know what you mean."

     "Yes you do. But okay, you don't have to tell me your secret." Mary Beth smiled and I couldn't help but return it. We walked to the bank and asked around, then to the gunsmith. The man inside told me he had sold a pistol to a man the night before who matches my description, but didn't have any other information to offer. That was good, at least I knew he had been here.

     We were looking for Uncle Seth and Lucas when I noticed how anxious Mary Beth was and I couldn't help but notice her shifty eyes. It was almost dark now and she seemed scared that someone was just going to jump out at us. "You alright? You seem nervous?"

    Mary Beth stopped. The look on her face was hard to read in the dark. "Britt Mason, your family is missin' and you're askin' me why I'm nervous? Me? What about you?"

     "I'm fine."

     "No. No you're not 'cause I can practically feel how worried you are. Why don't you just talk to me about it? Stop tryin' to be the tough guy." Mary Beth took my hand and squeezed. I pulled her to me and kissed her forehead. Even in the dark I could see her cheeks flush from my public display of affection. That kind of this is frowned upon by the upstanding citizens. Damn them.

     "I knew I'd be glad you came along." 

     "Britt, you shouldn't do that out here in front of people."

      I laughed and pinched her behind through her skirts. "If only they knew I've seen you naked."

     "Britt Mason!" She squealed. "I have half a mind to slap you right now!"

      "Yeah, but you won't. Not as long as you want to see me naked again." I turned and started to walk away. Her curse words and grumbling behind me about how I was indecent only confirmed what I was thinking.

     She didn't slap me, must mean she does want to see me naked again.