"GET A WIGGLE ON, WE GOTTA GET 'ERE BEFORE THE HEIFERS COME HOME"
"JENKINS, I SWEAR TA-"
America was woken by the sound of men shouting and horses neighing. He adjusted his glasses on his face to see the sun barely breaching the horizon.
He sat up with renewed energy. He needed to get a move on, he knew Ivan was not stupid. He would figure it out, probably sooner than latter. Liberty was already munching on forgotten hay in the car. He quickly saddled liberty and led her to where the others were congregating. As he attend to watering Liberty, filling his cantine, ect, he failed to take notice of five conniving looks from across the stock yard.
Soon they all departed, the boss and his second at the front, the chuck wagon following, next came the point, swing, and flank riders and wrangler. At the end was the drag riders, eating the dust from the horse up front.
The land was dry, vapid, yet it still held plush countenance as the grass, slightly yellowed, swayed as a ocean current. The sky seemed to stretch forever into a vastness so blue it took al's breath away. In the distance a huge thunder cloud raised regally above the rolling hills. If america squinted he could pretend those dark cloud were jutting mountains. The clouds blew into different shapes catching light differently. The contrast with the illuminated grass made the sky below the clouds a stark, contrasting, dark, stormy blue. Of course he had been here before, yet he had not had the time to immerse himself in the beauty as other things occupied his mind at the time. Al snickered at his own narcissistic compliment,hey, self love is important.
These were some of the few restful moment he had had in...years. It was new for him to not reflect the storm brewing inside on the horizon. Al wished it could always be that way. However he was remind that the storm had yet to completely dissipate deep down.
Al pulled his bandanna over his face, his glasses catching the brunt of the dust from his eyes. He ignored the riders saddling up close to him, in favor of loosing himself in his thoughts.
Danny shared a look with the others as the pulled al's hat into his face, nearly causing him to fall off his horse, "Hey son, hows the trail treatin' you so far?"
The others snickered at al's misfortune, making bets as to if he would be thrown off his horse.
Al, finally managing to remain upright glared at the man, moving liberty ahead of them, "It was a treatin' me just fine till ya did that."
Danny followed al forward, "ya names Sam, right? you all down but nine, me and the boys was just sawing. No harm done right?"
'Sam' gave them a unamused glare and testily responded, "No, there was harm intended, and you misters are trouble."
Danny was growing impatient with this boy, yet he would play along, "ya know what son, next saloon we pass, your drink is on me, Right boys?"
He received noncommittal yes. They were making it harder to make them likable to the young man.
"Have you met these fine gentlemen, Sam?"
"No."
"Here is the the Thomsons, Andrew, John, and George. Andrew and John are brothers and George is their cousin. 'en 'ere's Jeb...not much ta say 'bout 'em." Danny finished the introductions, and Jeb leveled him with a glare.
"watch ya step danny boy." Jeb retorted.
Daniels eye twitched. Jeb and Daniel started arguing about things that were irrelevant. George got between the two trying to stop a fight as the brothers looked like they were ready to start one themselves.
Al could not help it, they were too much like England and France, he laughed. He laughed so much it drew attention from up ahead and the others looked at him as if he had gone loco. Maybe he had.
By the time the sun bid goodbye and the moon greeted hello, al had grown warmer towards the group.
Frankly, al did not care two bits about them, however they were a funny bunch to be around. He had always been alone before he met audy, and now he was alone again. He was missing audy, and he also missed his brothers, even though it would kill him to admit it. They reminded him of his little family across the pond, always squabbling light heartily.
He stoked the fire as rations of beans and jerky simmered. He noticed curious glances of the others.
George spoke up, as the silence was killing him, "Hey, Sam, why don't cha' tell us a yarn about ya self?"
Al looked mildly uncomfortable at the request. The 'yarns' about his past were...not exactly something he wanted to share.
Jeb noticed and hit George in the shoulder as he offered al a drappie, "leave 'em alone, if he don't wanna tell, lets not make 'em."
Al appreciated the offer. He took a big gulp, it seared the way down and bottomed out in his stomach as a warmth. He felt his fears vanish with a haze on his thinking. He reckoned that he could mix in some half truths and tell them about his family. That wouldn't do any harm.
The drink did what Jeb had hoped, and al began to become chatty.
"I gotta brother in Canada, an' one in...uh..Whats south of 'ere?"
"Texas?" they answered.
Al looked puzzled as he drank some more and slurred," good enough, I gota few uncles 'scross the pond.... 'is is 'ere it gets crazy... my brozer up north's pa' is french and mines a limey" he broke off in hysterical laughter. The others cackled at how he was sloshed already.
He sobered up a bit and attempted to continue to the delight of the two-legged coyotes, "my ma' shes...uh..shes...my brozers all don't think I shoulda 'eft 'ome but my pa' is a...a...my brozers say I burn't down 'ere house....uhhhh?..but 'ey took...my a?..dau-uhh?..my audy 'is a...my audy..." he suddenly became violent throwing the bottle on the ground breaking it into a million pieces.
As he staggered towards the horses, danny caught him and they threw him on his saddle bag where he tossed and turned babbling incoherently. The other moved away from al on by the fire towards the horses. It was a strategy meeting.
Danny began, "Good job with the bottle Jeb, I do believe we might 'ave something to work with 'ere."
The Thomsons agreed with him, " yeah, he is right where we want him, how is this going down exactly?"
Danny gave a russia smirk and leaned to tell exactly they were going to get pay dirt.
________________________________________________________________________________
The cattlemen reached the ranch at the dawning of autumn. Along the way the drag riders had become like brothers to al. When he got bit by a rattler, they were there like family. He was ride or die, just like he had been with...he didn't know what to call them anymore...his..other? family. They were never as close as the gang was. Tales of audy were never dismissed, her existence was not denied, nor his. He could honestly say fore the first time in years, that, he was almost content with life.
Jeb on the other hand, battled with the regret of leading the boy astray. He was like his dearly departed brother. Energetic, outgoing, ect, yet the others were willing to sacrifice his trust and him to meet their own greedy wants. Not to get him wrong, he was just as greedy, but he was coming to a painful realization. He did not want to admit that his brother had bitten the dust for the same reasons and profit as this young man faced.
All throughout the winter when pay got low, various payrolls to the neighboring forts were knocked over. The first time al was introduced to their true profession he was going for a ride in the fresh air when he saw them. he went for his gun to, as he put it, "take them to justice". However, danny was a faster gun, and after much talk and brainwashing al was destine to be the best in the business.
The spring would come and so would the drive northwards for green gold on the life of a steer. 1866 started coldly and none felt the fiery cold or the determination behind a task, as Russia did. As to whether al would realize his folly or pay the cost of his sanity and freedom was yet to be determined when paths crossed.
