Wheels of riches!

[Tully]

As he fired, Tully flinched and closed her eyes, waiting for pain or darkness, of an audience with the Devil hisself...but when she opened her eyes she was still here, staring at the barrel of the gun pressed to her forehead.

The kid reached out and touched her hair and it was all she could do not to pull away, but this wasn't the time....not yet...

“You do not fear like the others,” he said as he was observing her. Did he read her well? She had a story. Did he want to know? Did he want to know why she was bold? Was he seeing himself in her? Did she live the painful life he did? “Where's your family?” he asked. Lewt had asked these questions sometimes. It was good to figure where this person stand in society.

"Ain't none'a yer...." She took a breath, holding very still but looking him in the eye. "Mama's dead, don't know who my papa was...she never would say. Been on my own since I was six...worked for a time fer th' family my ma worked for..." She stopped then, she didn't like to talk about it, it was hers to keep and no one else needed to know. "Got no one ta miss me, if that's what yer worried about."

[Jeremiah Benjamin Atkins]

Tully' eyes where deep with life. Jeremiah wanted to take his eyes away from her because he was seeing her soul and he did not have the heart to stare her down. The eyes are a portal to the soul. That was an expression. He had kept his eyes on her for fear he will look weak.

Curl's life was like his own life, and a few of the Les Coureur Enfer's members lives too. Tully had nobody, no family, and no friends. Jeremiah could relate to her pain of loneliness and betrayal. It was life. The children suffer the most. That's why he disliked parents or trust women.

The Adam's apple on Jeremiah had gone up and down as he fought an emotion of anger. He swallowed the bitter taste. He had wanted to take her in his arms embrace her to comfort her. That was something he could not do. That was something he'd fear to do to let a stranger enter his heart. That would be truly alien for him.

“That's a shame,” he replied, pulling the hammer back again. He was staring down the barrel that was at her face. She was not begging to be saved. She wasn't crying. She was scared, he had the barrel stuck in his face too many times. He welcomed death, there was nothing to live for.

Jeremiah placed the cold steel barrel against her right cheek. He gentlly scraped the barrel up to her jaw joint, slowly brought down her jaw line. He was observing her to see how she would react, “You ever been kissed by the devil?” He asked.

[Tully]

"Not th' Devil," she muttered, watching him but not moving, "but a few'a his minions...weren't my choice..." Slowly, she reached up and put her hand over the trigger, so that if he fired the pin would fall on the webbing between her thumb and forefinger. It would hurt like hell, but it wouldn't kill her.

"Do whacha want, don't seem like no one else ever asked." She would be dead before this was over, she had no doubt of that, but maybe she'd have a chance to take him to Hell with her. After all, he seemed to fancy himself the Devil...

[Jeremiah Benjamin Atkins]

What the hell with her? She was not making this easy. She was lucky he was not a rapist. He would try to rape her and kill her, if he was one. Lewt would not want on in his gang either.

With Curl's hand on his gun and her in his trigger, she could accident make him shoot her. He used his other hand to struggle his gun to point away from her and him. He touch was warm too.

Jeremiah's eyes bore into her. “damn you! You are twisted!” he said as he tried to shake her hand out of his trigger of his gun. “Let go! It's my gun!'” the gun shot a bullet. The bullet hit the tree behind her. “You going to get us killed!”

[Tully]

“Let go! It's my gun!'” the gun shot a bullet. The bullet hit the tree behind her.

Tully yelped and stumbled back, startled that the gun had actually fired. "What th' heck!?"

“You going to get us killed!”

"Yer th' one what pulled a gun!" Tully retorted, glaring at him, "like ya was afraid I was gonna fight ya or somethin'!" She was scared, so she was shouting, and it didn't occur to her to try to run. "I just come down here ta get water, that's all! Don't mean no harm, an' I don't know as I could harm ya if I tried!"

Trembling, she drew a breath. "Sorry, I didn't know ya'd actually shoot th' thing." Her anger was waning, but she remained guarded. "So, now what? Ya wanna kiss that bad? Just...I swore I'd kill th' next man thought he could just throw me down an' do what he wants...or die tryin'. I don't aim ta change that..."

So, there were her cards on the table...the next move was his.

[Jeremiah Benjamin Atkins]

Tully yelped and stumbled back, startled that the gun had actually fired. "What th' heck!?"

“It is loaded! I never carry it unloaded,” he said shooting her a glare. She smelled too. Not a good smell. Not a bad smell. She just smelled as she needs a bath. Of course, he was standing with wet clothes, and he had a bad sun burn covering all his exposed skin.

Jeremiah shook his head, shoved her the direction to the water. “Jus' drink tha' damn water,” he said. That was two bullets he used. He looked down at the dead lone wolf. It was dead, he shot it right.

What was he going to do with her? The gun was hanging from his right hand, which his arm was relaxed to his side. He was watching her, rubbed his chin with his left hand. She was pretty. There was nobody around. He could take an advantage of her, but she had claim she would kill him. How? He was the one with the gun.

The boy did not want her to get his stash too. What could he do? Knock her out, get his stash and hide it again? The gang could pass by here too. Okay, he figured she should not die. Why? Don't ask, he had felt it would be wrong.

She was traveling. Where was she going? He could help her get there, she be gone, and he could go back to do what he need. “Where are you heading, Curl?” he asked her as she was drinking water. Jeremiah moved up behind Tully, his gun ready to kill her.

[Tully]

Tully looked at him for a moment, then passed him and headed to the creek. She sure couldn't make him out...for all the big talk, he seemed uncertain, but she was at least glad that he at least was hesitant to assault her or just outright shoot her.

Kneeling down, she scooped up some water and drank, realizing only then how thirsty -- and hungry for that matter -- she really was. Sighing, she took another drink, then doused her face, rubbing away dust.

“Where are you heading, Curl?”

Standing, she faced him again, giving him a shrug. "That'a way..." She gestured toward the town. "Don' know th' name, just a town...someplace where no one don't know me, won't judge me." Sighing, she shrugged again. "Maybe even find a place ta sleep that ain't...wet." Food...a meal would be good, too, but that was low on the list.

[Jeremiah Benjamin Atkins]

Curl pointed toward Del Fuego. Why in the world was she going there. “Del Feugo?” he asked. He was hoping she would say some place else. That was a city where Les Coureur Enfer gang members hang out. That where he was going to spend his cash if he could. He waited to see what she had to say. What should he do to her if she said yes.

“Why do you want to go there?” he asked as he was staring down at her. This was important question too. He had not want her there. He had a reputation and to have her live in the town could ruin his reputation. The gang find he let one person live would ruin him. The Devil's child is not evil as he was. The gang will think he was not a real man or not tough as he claimed. damn, secrets! He hated them!

[Tully]

Curl pointed toward Del Fuego. Why in the world was she going there. “Del Feugo?” he asked.

"Yeah, reckon, if that's what it's called." Such a pleasant name, she thought sarcastically, hotter'n Hell, or just Hell itself, just great!

“Why do you want to go there?”

Tully bristled. What business was it of his? Still, there was no reason not to answer. "Closest town, an' I got this odd habit'a likin' ta eat." She shrugged. "An' th' other, too...don't wanna sleep outside fer a night'er two. Bein' on th' trail's fine fer a bit, but it's good ta sit'n rest, too...an' ta eat..."

[Jeremiah Benjamin Atkins]

“Kay, Curl, you eat in Del Fuego, and you move to the next town,” he told her. “I pay you a ticket for the next train, I buy you food. Del is a bad town, very dangerous,” he tried to convince her that.

The entire plan was to give her money that he had on him. Send her way to the town. Watch her go and be sure she was far away, and he can get his loot. Sell some of it in the town, get some girls. That he could do tomorrow.

“Look, you better not travel to night,” he warned her. “It is dangerous out there at night. You can run into wolves, like this one here,” he said turning to look at the dead wolf. He was not lying. It was dangerous. “I get us fish in the mornin' in that creek there,” he told her. It would be gratifying to have someone near by. He won't feel to alone, but he was not going to trust one bit. He was going to have his gun ready to shoot her if she tried anything funny.

[Tully]

"Yer gonna..?" He'd been so hostile and rude to her just a minute ago, and now he was offering her food and money? What had changed? Or did he plan on waiting until she was asleep and then attacking her before she could react?

Well, no matter, she couldn't very well turn him down, she'd just find a place where her back was protected and 'sleep with one eye open'...after all, she slept lightly anyway.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. I can sleep over here." She nodded to a tree that was growing out of the embankment. "Ya mind if I get my hat?"

[Jeremiah Benjamin Atkins]

“Hog, nos!” he said shot her a look. His eyes were angry. He did not like to be called something he wasn't. Sheesh, he had a little temper. “I ain't raped women, and I am not plannin' too,” he pulled his wet jacket. The wet clothes he had on were not helping him, because they were making him shiver. “A man who rapes a man is not a man. A woman says no. That's that,” he turned to her. “Now, go, over to that tree and lay down,” he waved her with his gun.

“O, get yer hat,” he said grumpily. He wanted to be in his warm bed, but he was not taking her to the gang. She could be danger, they will ask questions, and Lord knows Jeremiah did not want to answer questions because he hates when they get noisy. Other words, he sensed the gang would tease him. He was the teases them, they not tease him.

“If I was a cold murder. or robber, or a thief, or a gangsta, or a gambler, or a smuggler, or dirty old, bum, homeless, grave robber, drunk, womanizer or an escapee,” he said to her. “I am hell no rapist,” he held his finger at her, “So, you got nuthin' to worry about, darlin', you can have my word on that,” he told her. The truth was he was telling her the truth that his word he won't touch her. But the list of things he could be was the truth, but he had said IF.

The tree that was near his hidden booty, he took that tree. There was no way he was going lay at the rocks. She could think he was hiding something. He leaned his back against the tree, he stared at her, watching her. So, he was wondering she trusted him. Did he care? No. He just was protecting his stash of stolen goods, he was going to get rid of her. Hell, he could killed her, now. Nobody did not know her. He had got rid of the body, but, that wasn't right. She did nothing to deserve the fate. Hell, she was like him. Which he hated. A female with no family. Should he kill her like a wounded dog? No. He was unable to shoot his own horse which was injured. Some other gang member shot it for him.

Jeremiah was freezing, he got up from the tree because he needed to move. Blast, he was going to make a fire. He looked for wood, he gathered some wood, took it to a flat, area of land. He used his foot sweep the dead leaves to clear the area. After, he grabbed the tree, placed it in cleaned area. He stood the twigs in a tee pee look. His eyes are always looking over at Curl. “I am making a fire,” he told her.

"You might want to come over," he was digging for his flint, "We do not need a big fire. The wolves will come to explore. If we get a pack. We might not make it for the night,," he finished telling her.

[Tully]

Tully moved slowly when he let her fetch her hat, picking up the battered thing and frowning as she put a finger through the hole in it. It wouldn't keep water off any more, she'd have to steal a new one...and she'd been fond of this one! Listening silently as he declared his honor, she watched his face, seeing the truth in his words...sure would have solved a lot if things if he's said that sooner.

With a simple muttered, "Sorry," she moved over to the tree he'd indicated, pulled off her coat and settled down on her side, using her hat as a pillow and the coat as a blanket. Carefully, so he didn't see, she pulled the knife that was concealed beneath her coat, clutching it closely, just in case...

Wearily...and warily...she closed her eyes and tried to relax, keeping track of where he was, frowning as she heard him moving around. Cracking her eyes open, she watched as he made the fire.

“I am making a fire,” he told her.

"Looks like," she mumbled, wondering where this was leading.

"You might want to come over," he was digging for his flint, "We do not need a big fire. The wolves will come to explore. If we get a pack. We might not make it for the night,," he finished telling her.

For a moment she hesitated, but then the breeze sent a chill through her and she shivered, sitting up and wrapping her coat around her shoulders. Moving slowly, she slid the knife into the coat pocket, then approached the fire. She sat cross-legged across from him then gazed into the growing flames, a distant look on her face. After a few moments her eyes started to droop and she finally gave in, curling on her side, facing the fire, her hat as a pillow and the coat draped over her shoulders. The crackling warmth her quickly lulled her to sleep...

[Jeremiah Benjamin Atkins]

IJeremiah watched Tully get tired. As she slowly laid down, he felt different in a way. It was not just his life he was concerned, but hers too. Stealing glances at her through the fire, he was checking to see she was surely a sleep. The fire was snapping the wood, he was feeding it. The fire was small. Not a fat chance he was going to let it get too big.

Warmth came to his heart, he had not with nobody else. You see, the females in the gang were part of the gang. They had sex, messed around, but they were the gang. Heck, he knew them, and they knew him. They knew each other as much information they shared. Everyone had secrets.

The chirping of the grasshoppers or crickets where like music at night. The full moon was shining brighter. That lady train robbery, he was remembering her. He was laughing inside how he had her scared. He bet she think he will crawl in her window and get her in her bed. He smiled. The kid knew he was a prankster at heart. Place fears in the people's heart.

The young man, eventually, dozed off but as soon he heard any some movement, he quickly looked at the direction. It was nothing. He had to remember to stay calm, because the night can play tricks. You know how the shadows start to have a shape, they move, and you think they are coming toward you.

It was gratifying to see a woman sleep like how Tully was sleeping. It was different. It gave him a purpose. It was she had trusted him just for a little. That would not be wise. He would use her for his purpose at the proper time. That's why he had to get her far away from him. There was this one time, he could have mercy to one person.

Jeremiah pulled out the small flask in his jacket. He wished he took one of the other flasks he stole from the train. He opened it, took a sip of it. It was low. He could have not waited get in town to get drunk and party. That was a plan.

Morning, he was observing the creek for fish. He saw two trouts, he quickly shot the fish in the water, killing them.

BAM!

BAM!

[Tully]

Tully had made the mistake of letting her guard down, of believing that she was, to some degree, safe, and falling into a deeper sleep than she intended.

At the sound of the shots, she jumped up without thinking, grabbed her hat and ran. Instinct, survival and panic all made her keep going without looking back...