'Out Of Time'

“You wanna talk?” She said as I began to put my undergarments back on. “Some guys they wanna talk.” She carried on, “They wanna talk and tell you ‘bout their lives and all their problems and about their wives giving them trouble.” I slipped my trousers on as she spoke, “Then some guys just want to do their business and be gone.” She paused, bite her lip and asked- “Are you the talking type, mister?”
“Nup.” I replied and lit a cigar.
“Oh God, open the window, mister. I can’t stand the smell of those things.” She order me, and after a pause I did as told. It was still light outside and I could see my horse tied up down stairs. It’d be about 15 minutes before Jack and company arrived. It wouldn’t take them too much trouble to find me. The town was pretty much without face or character, just waiting for the wind of the civil war to blow through and tear it apart.
She stayed within the sheets of the bed, just watching me. Her crimson hair tumbled prettily around her pale shoulders. The girl hadn’t been cheap, but I figured that if it going to be my woman before I die it might as well be a good one. I can’t remember if she said her name was Lily or Rosemary, but I might have got her confused with another one of the girls in the building. The madam told me that she was 21, but I think she was only 17. It didn’t matter. I’d enjoyed it.
“Mister?” She asked, “You want me to go?”
I shrugged.
“You don’t say much, do you?”
“Nup.” I picked up my gun holster and slipped it on. I wasn’t planning on using it when Jack and company found me. They’ll be expecting me to surprise them and surprise them I will- by not fighting back.
“I hate those things.” She announced, “Guns, not the holsters that is. My pappy got himself killed with one. He was working on the farm and then men came all in black and ridin’ on black horses and- blam.” She sighed, “And that was the end of Pa.” I nodded. Probably hired killers. I done one or two jobs like that myself in the past. Never liked killing farmers. They always had families. When I killed Fred I did not feel bad- he had deserved it. The one time I don’t feel guilty is the time it comes back to haunt me.
“You ever killed a man, mister?” She asked.
“Noah.”
“What?”
“My name aint ‘Mister’. It’s Noah.”
She opened her mouth and let out a long ‘Oh’. Then her eyebrows narrowed and she said, “Like the Bible guy?”
“Yeah. Just like the Bible guy.”
“I used to go to church. I liked all the singing.” She frowned, “They don’t let me in church anymore, not since Mrs. De Winter took me in after Mama died. She died about a year after Pa. My brother, Billy went off to join the army, then my sister Fran got married to a nice man.” She paused, “She died too. So did that baby of hers. She never got to see it. I think… Mister Noah, that I might be cursed when it comes to family. They all seem to die. You got any family?”
“Nup.” Jack and company had made sure of that. Trying to spurn me into action but instead I just ran away- like a coward. But now I’m going let them catch me. I’d had enough of running.
“Where you going, Mister Noah?”
“What?”
“I mean, after here. Nobody wants to stay in this town. Not even me.”
I let out a small smile along my cracked face, “Somewhere I haven’t been before.”
“Like an adventure?”
“You could say that.” I stubbed out the cigar and threw the butt out of the window. “You mind if I have another?”
She shook her head. “Nope. I like talkin’ to you. You don’t say too much.” She smiled, “I’m not going to stay in this town forever you know. No, not me.” She leaned forward, “I’ll tell you a secret, Mister Noah-” And she in an almost whisper, “I’m gonna run my own farm.”
Crazy girl. No one would ever let some ex-whore run a farm. “Cute dream.” I said.
“No, I know how to do it. When my pappy was alive I used to help on our farm. I cold do all the stuff the boys could do and then some.” She folded her arms across her chest, “Hell I could run a farm with my eyes closed and arms behind my back.”
“’Course.”
“I am very serious about all this. All I need’s the money, that’s all, and I reckon I’m almost half way there from what Mrs. De Winter gives me.”
“Money aint everything.” I said and I meant it. If it weren’t for the damned money I wouldn’t be here waiting for Jack and company to find me- waiting for them to kill me. My family would still be here. I wouldn’t have had to run for 5 years. Did the money make it worth it? No it did not. In five years I spent maybe three hundred dollars out of the ten thousand I had stolen. I could not spent it or else it would leave a trail for them to find, but now I did not care and I had spent a little of the money for them to follow me. They could have it for all I cared.
I looked out of the window down the street and I could see a group on the horizon riding up. It had to be them, who else would stumble into this little town than Jack and company? My time was up. I turned and looked and the girl on the bed, and I said. “Get out.”
“What?” She said surprised.
“Get your clothes on and get out.”
There was hurt across her face at my suddenness, she slowly got out of the bed and picked up her clothes, she looked at me and said, “I thought you wanted to talk.”
“I changed my mind.”
She began to put some of her clothes back on but she wouldn’t look me in the eye. Poor little girl. As I watched her return to her clothes I began to get an idea, I figured it might be worth it. She was about to leave when I said, “Wait.” She turned back to me and I picked up my jacket from the floor and pulled on a little grey bag. It was filled with notes and gold that I had stole. “Here.” I said and tossed it towards her.
She took it in her hand and looked back up at me and said, “Mister?”
I looked out the window and saw that Jack and company were in town now. I looked back at the girl and said, “Just get going.”
Her little hands felt the bag and she realized what was in it, “Mister Noah-” A grin spread across her face, and I cut her off.
“Talk to no one. Just get out. Hell, take my horse. It’s the grey one outside.”
“But-”
“Don’t ask questions. Go find your farm.”
There was a smile on her face so wide it could have covered Texas. She opened the door, and stepped into the corridor, taking one last look at me then shutting the door.
I guessed she’d probably pass Jack and company on the way down stairs. I found it pretty funny that they’d pass the girl and she’d be carrying all the money they were after- the money I killed Fred and wounded Jack for. At least somebody’d be actually using the money now.
Every step I heard on the stairs I was convinced it was theirs. Death was coming towards me, but I wouldn’t fight. I’d had enough running for my life, I’d make my peace with God. Or the Devil, whichever of them’s got a hold of my ass. I’d be waiting right here to see Jack again, see if he’s still got the crazy look in his eye. Doesn’t matter now- I don’t have the money. Joke’s on you, boys. Ha.