Chapter 11
Blade struggled to fall asleep, but when he finally did, he slept like a baby. When he woke the next morning, Dakota was already up, and the fire was going.
“Did it burn through the night?” he asked, rubbing sleep out of his eyes as he sat up.
Dakota shook her head. “No, I had to restart it.”
There was a pot on the fire. “You making coffee?”
“Sure am,” she replied with a knowing smile. “I want to start the day off right.”
Blade sighed appreciatively and moved closer to the fire.
The sun hadn’t even risen yet, but birds were already chirping in the nearby trees, and there was a slight red tint on the horizon.
They had made it through their first day unscathed, and he was hoping that the rest of their journey would go just as smoothly.
They ate leftovers for breakfast, had a cup of coffee, and then they were on their way.
Traveling with Dakota was a new experience, and Blade loved every moment of it.
They had spent their entire lives together and had done almost everything two friends could do together, but he would never grow tired of her company.
Having a new experience to share was special, though, and he hoped that Dakota was enjoying it too.
It took them six days to get to Stanley.
On the sixth night, they camped on a nearby hill, overlooking the town.
Both of them knew what the next day would hold, and since they’d gone over the plan multiple times, they wordlessly agreed not to talk about it.
Blade felt a little uneasy and kept waking up throughout the night.
He was both nervous and excited to tick off the first murderer on his list. He had been waiting so long for that moment, and now that it was almost there, he couldn’t quite believe it was finally happening.
They didn’t rush the next morning. They took their time eating breakfast and cleaning themselves up as best they could.
Newcomers in a town always drew attention, and it was best that they didn’t look like a complete mess.
Luckily, they hadn’t gotten too dirty, so a fresh set of clothes and a quick face wash did the trick.
Dakota combed and braided her hair, refusing to put it up, and then they were ready to go.
Soon they would have to stop to wash themselves and their clothes, but that could wait for another day. The only thing that mattered at that moment was finding Liam Reed and executing their plan. The man had been living without facing the consequences of his actions for way too long.
Together, they made their way into town.
Stanley wasn’t a big town, but it also wasn’t small.
They received some unwelcome glares, but mostly the townsfolk simply ignored them or greeted them politely enough.
Overall, it was similar to most towns Blade had visited.
Both of them carried their pistols on their hips but had hidden their rifles in their bedrolls, not wanting to attract any unnecessary attention.
“I don’t want to stray too far from Africa and Riot,” Blade said as they made their way down the main road.
All their belongings were on the horses, and although it wasn’t uncommon for travelers to leave their horses, belongings, and all outside saloons for hours on end, Blade didn’t like the idea.
“We’ll tie them up outside whichever shop we stop at. ”
Dakota nodded in agreement. “Sounds good to me.”
Blade kept an eye out for Liam as they made their way through the town.
The plan was to simply walk down every road to see the layout and scout the area.
It was always best to know a quick and easy way to escape.
Dakota had told Blade that she had a vague idea of what Liam looked like, but Blade could clearly see the man’s face in his mind’s eye.
He had always had an extremely good memory.
Sometimes he wished he could simply forget the events of that day, but they were ingrained in his mind.
Blade had hoped that they would spot Liam so that they could take care of him and be on their way, but there was no sign of him. It was still early, though, and Blade was positive that they would find him.
“We should get something to eat,” Dakota suggested. “I want a strawberry pastry or maybe a freshly baked bread roll.”
Even though they had eaten breakfast not too long ago, Blade’s stomach rumbled, causing both of them to laugh. “I guess we’re going to the bakery.”
Leaving Africa and Riot right in front of the shop, Dakota and Blade headed into the bakery.
The smell of freshly baked bread, cakes, and pies hit them as soon as they set foot through the door, and Blade’s stomach rumbled again.
“I think I might have more than one pastry,” he said with a chuckle as he eyed the food on display.
“Why don’t you get some treats for us, and I’ll wait by the door?
” He wanted to watch the people passing by as well as be close to Africa and Riot.
“Sure,” Dakota agreed, holding her hand out. “I’ll pay this time.”
Dakota was so different from other women that it genuinely fascinated Blade at times.
They rarely spoke of the future, but she had made it clear on many occasions that she had no intention of ever depending on a man to take care of her.
She had once said that if she ever decided to get married, it would be because the man loved her and respected her for who she was.
Over the years, Blade couldn’t help but notice that despite her age, many men seemed a little confused and even somewhat irritated by her independent behavior. Blade, however, loved it.
“All done,” Dakota announced a moment later as she approached him with a parcel wrapped in brown paper. “These are so fresh, I can’t wait to taste them.”
“We’d better hurry and find a place to sit then,” Blade said with a laugh.
There were a couple of benches scattered throughout the town, so they found one situated across from a busy road and made themselves comfortable.
With Riot and Africa close by, they watched as people went about their daily business.
Blade had no idea where Liam worked or lived, so they were simply going to have to search for him until they found him.
Once they had an eye on him, they would have to figure out how to take him out.
It wouldn’t be the first time that Blade had killed a man.
In total, he had killed nine men during his time helping Sheriff Wolfe.
They were all bad men and deserved their fate.
Those kills all happened in the heat of battle, though, and killing Liam was going to be much different.
Blade hoped that it would give him the relief he’d been craving for the last seven years.
They spent the entire day trying to blend in with the townsfolk while searching for Liam Reed.
The possibility that he had moved and was no longer living in Stanley weighed heavily on Blade, but as the sunset arrived, they caught a glimpse of him.
Blade saw him from the corner of his eye as they were walking down the main road and came to a sudden stop.
“Over there,” he whispered, turning to look at Liam’s retreating figure.
Dakota followed his line of sight. “Which one?”
“Come on,” Blade instructed as he started walking, staying on the opposite side of the road. “The one with the dark hair, beard, and light blue shirt.”
They didn’t speak further as they followed him, keeping a good distance so he wouldn’t notice them. Liam was on foot while they were on horseback, so they had to walk pretty slowly. It didn’t take long before they discovered his destination. Like many men, he made his way into the saloon.
“What now?” Dakota asked as they brought their horses to a stop.
“We prepare ourselves and wait.”
After scouting the area, they decided to wait for Liam behind the building across from the saloon.
It was getting dark, and most of the people had headed home, leaving the streets empty.
The only noise came from the saloon, and the men visiting the establishment only had drinking, relaxing, and probably women on their minds.
Blade and Dakota watched the saloon impatiently. There was a narrow alley between the two buildings across from the saloon that offered a great view of the door.
“We should put our masks on,” Blade suggested. They had been waiting for a long time, and he wanted to be ready when Liam finally left the saloon.
Dakota nodded. “I was thinking the same thing.”
With their masks on and their weapons in place, they waited.
Liam took his time, but eventually, he left the saloon and started down the road.
He was on foot, so catching him wouldn’t be difficult, but Blade and Dakota had to be clever.
The idea was to leave his body where it would be found, but at the same time, they wanted to avoid causing too much chaos, if possible.
From the way Liam stumbled as he walked, it was clear that he was intoxicated.
It was impossible to know exactly how drunk he was, so Blade and Dakota kept a safe distance just in case.
Killing him right there on the main road would make a big statement, but there were men outside the saloon who would see, and that could lead to the law showing up.
Blade had no problem with getting into a gunfight, but at the same time, it was best to avoid it if possible.
Liam didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry, but eventually, he turned onto a narrow, dark road.
“Let’s do it,” Blade said, glancing at Dakota. With the light of the moon shining down on them, he could just make out the nervous expression on her face.
She nodded. “I’m ready.”
With her confirmation, Blade sped up. They closed in on Liam quickly, and he turned to see where the sound was coming from. They were galloping down the middle of the road, and he stepped out of the way, almost tripping over his own feet, attempting to give them space to pass.
When they were close enough, Blade brought Africa to a sudden stop.
“Whoa!” Liam yelled as he took another step back, clearly realizing that they weren’t simply passing by.
Dakota stopped next to Blade as he reached for his Colt and pointed it at Liam.
“What do—” Liam reached into his pants pocket. “I don’t have much.”
“Hands where we can see them,” Dakota demanded.
A couple of coins spilled from Liam’s pocket as he raised his arms. “You can have all my money,” he offered with slurred words.
Blade shook his head. “We don’t want your money. We want revenge.”
“Revenge?” Liam asked, confusion washing over his face. “For what?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know.” Blade pulled down his neckerchief, allowing Liam to see his face. He was sure that Liam wouldn’t recognize him, but he could hope.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Liam took a step back. “I don’t know you. I haven’t done anything.”
Blade chuckled. “What about all the families you killed?”
“Our families,” Dakota added.
“I didn’t kill your family!” Liam argued. “Just take my money and go.”
“Does the name Jasper Cassidy ring a bell?” Blade asked. “Or what about Hawthorne? Are you really so drunk that you can’t remember murdering the people who gave you a job? The people who worked with you and called you a friend?”
Despite the darkness, Blade could see Liam pale as realization dawned on him.
“Who are you?” Liam asked, looking between the two of them.
“Slade Cassidy,” Blade stated proudly.
“And Dakota Hawthorne,” Dakota added.
Liam shook his head. “You were supposed to be dead.” He was looking straight at Blade, his voice trembling as he spoke the words.
“Well, I’m not.” Blade positioned his pistol to aim at Liam’s head. “But soon you will be.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Liam pleaded. “I’m sorry. I’ll do anything you want.”
“It’s too late for that. Besides, I’ve been looking forward to this.” Blade pulled the trigger and watched as Liam stumbled back and crumpled to the ground.
The bullet had hit him right between the eyes. There was no way for him to survive, but Blade watched for a few seconds anyway, just to be sure.
“We should go,” Dakota whispered, her voice trembling.
She was right. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.”