The Outlaw

Chapter Fourteen

Ethan and Grayson rode into Devils Fork around midnight and led their horses to the stable. Ethan knew it was only a few more hours of riding until he reached his father's hideout at the old fort and if they kept riding they'd get there at dawn. Ethan wanted to have the cover of darkness when he rode in so they were going to stay here in Devil's Fork until dark fell the next day and then make their way to the fort.

"You better take good care of my Annabelle." Grayson said to the young stable hand. "She'll tell me if you don't, kid, and then there will be hell to pay."

"Yeah, mister, sure. I'll take care of your horse." The boy said. Grayson puffed up angrily.

"Her names Annabelle, dammit." he bellowed. The stable hand looked over at Ethan to see if this man was serious but Ethan just shrugged and threw his saddlebags and the pelts he'd collected over the last two days over his shoulder.

"Sure mister. I'll take care of Annabelle." the boy said. Grayson grabbed his own saddlebags and glared at the boy.

"And mind how you rub her down boy! I'm a jealous man." he said and before the boy could respond to this Grayson turned and walked out of the stable.

"Is he serious, mister?" the boy asked Ethan. Ethan shrugged.

"Just don't rub his horse the wrong way and I guess we won't have to find out." he replied and followed Grayson out the door. They took their stuff to the hotel and Grayson rented both of them a room on the second floor. Ethan didn't like the first floor because it was too easy for outlaws to come through the windows and he didn't want the third floor because you couldn't jump out the window if somebody came through your door.

"I don't know about you, kid, but I'm feeling a bit thirsty." Grayson said. Ethan nodded. He'd made some money over the last two weeks by shooting coyotes and deer and selling their pelts in towns when they stopped. He had some more to sell but the general store was closed till morning.

"Sure I could use a drink." Ethan replied. He pulled his bandana off his neck and tied it around his face so all that was visible beneath his hat were his eyes.

"What the hell you doing, kid?" Grayson asked with a laugh.

"Might be some folks around here that would recognize me." Ethan replied. "Folks that would be real surprised to see me looking so healthy."

"Alive you mean." Grayson countered. Ethan shrugged.

"I figure it's better if I make myself a little harder to recognize." Grayson nodded and the two men walked down the dusty road to the saloon. They ordered two whiskeys and then walked to a back corner where the shadows were dark enough Ethan could pull his bandana down without fear of being recognized.

They sat there in silence for a long while scanning the saloon and Ethan's eyes fell on four men he recognized. Dusty, Zachary, Pete and Freddy, his fathers men. Men that had helped his father hold him, Caroline and Jasmine. Men that had stood by and laughed as his father had forced Caroline to shoot him and then stood by and allowed him to kill little Jasmine anyway. In Ethan's mind they were men that deserved to die.

"Mitchell wants all of us to meet up at the fort tomorrow. Tommy and Blue are already out there with him along with Franks and Doomer. Mitchell says he's got a job for us up in Pikes Basin. They got a new bank and their sheriff is real green." Dusty said.

"Sounds good to me. I've about went through my earnings from the last job." Pete said before letting out a loud belch.

"He should be easier to be around now that Ethan is dead. Won't be so much tension." Zachary agreed.