Make My World Go Black

Chapter Fourteen

"I haven't heard any bad things about you, that's for sure," Mr. Ward leans away, "But that doesn't mean that answers why you have business in La Belle."

"We have a message to deliver to a certain woman. Perhaps you know her? Callie Dunne?"

"I know Callie," McNue slowly nods, "...She's my children's schoolteacher. And what message do you want to deliver to her that needs all four of you to deliver it?"

"A message from a relation; her sister," Goody clarifies as he slowly takes out the letter from his jacket, being decent and harmless by jumping off of his horse to walk over and deliver the parchment to the Sheriff of La Belle to show that he is no potential threat. Billy's muscles appeared to tighten around his back, Faraday noticed and his hand hovered over his knives to prove to Mr. Ward that he will cause harm if Goody is taken advantage of while off his horse.

As McNue takes out a pair of broken spectacles to read the letter for himself, Goodnight smiles up at Mr. Ward and continues, "But the reason the four of us are traveling together is because we also have relations waiting for us in La Belle. Seeing as you folks are out here, I wonder if you aren't aware of them."

"I just came from there," Mr. Ward points out while McNue returns the letter to Goody, "The Sheriff here has been away from town for a while and I was just escorting him back. I'm assuming your relations are with three men and a woman, all of different backgrounds?"

Goody's eyes were nearly shining and nods, "Yessir."

Ward looks at McNue for a moment where they appeared to share the same expression of understanding before he turns back to the four men opposite of them, relaxing a little while explaining, "Then we'll ride together back into town. But... you should probably know that by the time we get there, La Belle may become a war zone."

"What the hell does that mean?" Faraday frowns in confusion.

McNue reaches into his pocket and holds out a burnt piece of the newspaper clipping to Jack Horne as he was the closest within reach after Goody retreated to his horse's back again. Horne takes the newspaper and reads for a few moments, his lips move silently along the paper before looking up at the two gentlemen, "Who is Roy Goode?"

"That'd be me, sir," Mr. Ward says almost shamefully as Horne hands the newspaper over to Goodnight while turning towards the others to explain the situation.

"It appears as though this young fella right here is wanted by a very dangerous man," Horne explains to Billy and Faraday while Goodnight continued to read on his own, "Frank Griffin. I've heard about him. He shames all who read the good Lord's will. And if this paper is right--"

"It ain't," McNue cuts in.

"It doesn't matter. Frank Griffin will believe it," Goodnight cuts in while handing the newspaper clipping over to Billy next, the atmosphere between the strangers change as they discuss the situation, "And he's no doubt closer to getting to La Belle than we are if the publication date on that paper is correct. Sam and the others are probably helping the locals get ready for a fight as we speak."

Billy's face hardens if that's even possible while reading the paper before finally handing it over to Faraday. The gambler reads a few of the words as the paper talks about the town of La Belle for some time before mentioning how the ladies there were harboring a fugitive, Roy Goode. Then it mentions some current happenings caused by Roy Goode trying to antagonize Frank Griffin and his men, such as the manslaughter that took place in a town called Creede and then a promise from Frank Griffin that he will murder any man, woman, or child who even dares hide Roy Goode from him. Goodnight and the others watch Faraday's expression remain stoic the entire time he reads the article before he crumples it up into a ball and stares dead ahead at Roy with a heated glare.