CHAPTER TWO

It wasn’t daylight yet, but Jess was packed. He thought a long time before he moved to the fireplace and removed a gun from a concealed compartment, hidden among the stones. He stroked the revolver like he would a woman, slow and steady, feeling each part of the weapon. It had been weeks since he had carried this gun. He had promised himself never to use it again. He had put it up, and walked away from handling it, just like he had turned his back on that part of his life, but now he found that he couldn’t walk away. He was back to wearing this gun.

He knew he should say goodbye, but he was never good at goodbyes. He read one more time the note he had just written. ‘Left for Carson Springs. Jess.’ He knew it wasn’t much of a note, but then he wasn’t much for writing. He hoped all the words were spelled correctly. The only ones he could be sure of was his name.

He glanced one last time at the room. His eyes traveled slowly around the room, moving from table to chair to couch. In the few short weeks he had been at the Sherman Relay station, this room had become his haven, a place he felt welcome and safe. Here he didn’t need to sit with his back to the wall facing the door for he knew he was among people he could trust. With a sigh, he tossed the note on the table, then left the house and rode away.

Back to Fanfic

Back to The Hired Gun

Chapter Three