Epilogue
There he is.
Ace spotted Roscoe standing behind a boulder shaped like a spider. Well, sort of: the bulk of the rock resembled the body of a fat spider, and jagged pieces jutted from one side in a passing imitation of legs. What mattered was that Roscoe was in place, watching and waiting, prepared to kill.
I can shoot him dead from right here. Ace was standing beside a damp tree with his rifle drawn and Bonnie at his side. In the distance, he could see Henry Ashford talking to the buyer as the herd grazed. Finn and Clyde were with him—so was Dallas.
“There he is,” Ace whispered. “I have a clear shot. One bullet is all it’d take.”
Bonnie stared at Roscoe through sour, angry eyes—eyes that, as Ace knew, had been hardened by years of abuse and neglect. “Not like this, Ace. You gotta make him draw on you first. When I testify in a courtroom, I can’t lie to God. It’s gotta be a fair draw.”
Ace knew Bonnie was right. Besides, he wasn’t the type to shoot another man in cold blood while his back was turned. “Stay here. I mean it.”
“Ace?—?”
“Bonnie, I need to end this.” Ace gently put his hand behind Bonnie’s head and looked into her eyes. “I can’t kiss you yet because you’re still married to Roscoe Carver. When I kill him, you’ll be free.”
“I want to be free, Ace. I want to be your wife.” Tears began to fall down Bonnie’s face. “I’m tired of being scared. I’m tired of running. I’m tired of all the pain. Please, Ace—end this.”
Ace wiped a tear from Bonnie’s cheek with a loving hand. “You’re going to see how much I love you today.” He’d never spoken such words in all of his life, but with her, they came as naturally as breathing.
Without another word, Ace started down a rocky rise, silent as a whisper in the wind, with his rifle ready to kill.
Roscoe continued to face the herd, watching and waiting, looking here and there.
I’m gonna make him suffer for all the pain he’s caused Bonnie. I’ll show her how much I love her.
Ace continued down the rise and then crept forward like a wolf stalking a deer, careful not to make any sound that might alert Roscoe to his presence. Step by step, he moved across the dry ground, moving from one medium-sized rock to another until he was about twenty yards from Roscoe.
Now, it ends.
Ace stepped out into the open and yelled, “Drop it, Carver!”
Roscoe froze, his entire body stiffening. His arms slowly extended outward, and his rifle dropped to the ground. “Okay, Carter, you got the drop on me… just take it easy.”
“Turn around!”
Roscoe turned around.
Ace walked forward with his rifle at the ready. “You’re all alone out here, aren’t you, Carver?”
Roscoe scanned the area. “No law?”
“I’m all that’s standing between you and Bonnie, Carver. It’s just you and me.”
“Is that right?” Roscoe narrowed his eyes.
“That’s right.” Ace lowered his rifle. “Take off your gun belt and throw it down. Keep your hunting knife.”
“Is that how it’s gonna be?”
“Yes.”
Roscoe licked his lips. He looked past Ace and spotted Bonnie standing on a rise beside a tree. “That’s my wife up there.”
“Bible says a woman is set free when her husband dies. You’re gonna die today, Carver. Now take off your gun belt—if you’ve got the guts, that is. If not… I’ll just shoot you down like the dog you are.”
“Who do you think you’re talking to, boy? I’m the most powerful man in Texas—and the most feared. Not even the law dares to say a word against me!”
“Seems to me, you ain’t nothing but a yellow-belly coward. Now drop your gun belt before I shoot your legs out from under you,” Ace growled.
Roscoe’s eyes filled with fury. “Blood for blood?”
“Blood for blood.”
“You seem awful eager to die, but so be it.” Roscoe removed his gun belt and threw it down. Then, he drew out a sharp hunting knife from a sheaf attached to his right leg. “Okay, boy. I did my part.”
Ace tossed his rifle down behind him and threw his gun belt down, then pulled out a hunting knife he’d carried since before the war. “This ends here and now, Carver. I’m gonna set Bonnie free once and for all.”
Ace saw unfiltered rage course through Roscoe’s eyes. The man was a woman beater, a cold-blooded killer, and a drunk, yes, but he didn’t back down from a fight—Ace had to give him that.
It ain’t bravery that keeps him from turning tail, though. I seen his kind. It’s his desire to kill that makes him fight. He’s like a wounded coyote, backed into a corner. Before he dies, he’s gonna go for blood. Just the way it is.
Roscoe spat into the dust at Ace’s feet. “Boy, you ain’t nothing but a gnat buzzing around my head! I’ve killed worse than you and walked away with a smile.”
Ace took a step forward and aimed his knife at Roscoe. “Shut up and fight me.”
“With pleasure!” Roscoe spat again and then lunged forward and lashed out with his blade, going straight for Ace’s throat.
Ace ducked low and came up with a hard fist to Roscoe’s stomach. Roscoe stumbled back and then thrust his knife forward, still intent on slitting Ace’s throat open. Again, Ace ducked under the blade and drove his fist into Roscoe’s stomach.
Roscoe staggered, nearly falling down, then kicked dirt up into the air and charged forward.
Ace’s mind was immediately thrust into the past as the cloud of dirt transformed into acrid smoke.
He heard rifles firing, men screaming, and the earth being ripped apart by cannon fire while cavalry soldiers charged across a bloody field.
For one horrifying moment, Roscoe became a Union soldier charging Ace with a bayonet—the blue uniform, the hat, and all.
Then, the scene shifted, just as the point of Roscoe’s blade reached the tip of Ace’s nose. He threw his head back just in time and lifted his knee.
Roscoe let out a painful groan and stumbled back, clutching his stomach. Before he could recover, Ace brought his blade through the air with a lightning-fast hand and sliced the snake’s cheek open. A fat piece of skin flopped down, followed by a river of blood.
Roscoe grunted in pain and stumbled back even more. “I’ll kill you where you stand!” he roared.
Ace took a few steps back and shook his head to clear it. This ain’t the war. You’re fighting for Bonnie now. Stay focused.
Despite his best efforts, he found himself facing a Union soldier again. He shook his head, more vigorously this time, but the scene remained the same—back on a bloody battlefield. He saw the enemy soldier’s bayonet sweeping toward his head.
With one quick move, he dodged out of the way and brought his blade down on the soldier’s left wrist, nearly cutting the hand clean off.
A cry of agony made the scene shimmer momentarily, but Ace was still trapped back in the war. His opponent spat blood at him and then tried to slice his throat open. Ace jumped back just in time and thrust out his knife, feeling the tip of the blade encounter bone.
The enemy soldier groaned and fell to one knee, bleeding profusely, and Ace saw that he’d scored a hit to the man’s ribs.
Then, the soldier began to talk. “You might kill me, boy, but I’ve already won. Bonnie will never escape me—I took her, mind and body, and I’ll always live inside of her!”
Inside of her… her… her.
Inside of me… me… me.
The war still raged on inside of Ace. The war was, to him, what Roscoe was to Bonnie. A tormentor. A constant nightmare. A never-ending blood trail.
Ace shook his head, and this time, the scene cleared, revealing Roscoe’s bloody face.
He’s right. Bonnie will never be able to escape him completely—just like I’ll never be able to escape the war. It has to end. It has to end today for the both of us.
He lifted his knife and pointed it at Roscoe. “Fight me.”
Roscoe struggled to stand up. “You may kill me, boy, but you’ll never have her. I won. I took her body first. I took her innocence. I took her mind. I took her heart,” he spat. “You’re just getting the broken pieces.”
“You’re wrong!”
Ace froze when he saw Bonnie jump out from behind the spider rock with a rifle in her hands. Roscoe slowly turned around, blood spilling down his face to coat his throat in red.
“You’re wrong, Roscoe! You never broke me! You might have violated me, but every time, my heart was far away, in Heaven with the angels. Each time you hit me, I cried out to God. Each tear that fell, God wiped away!”
“You’re a filthy liar!” Roscoe roared. “I broke you!”
“You only wish you did!” Bonnie yelled back. She lifted her hand and pointed at Ace. “He’s the man I love! He’ll walk me into Heaven someday while your filthy soul burns forever and ever!”
“You’re a whore, Bonnie—nothing but a stinking, good-for-nothing whore! Do you hear me? I had to go get other women because you disgusted me!”
“No, Roscoe, you went to the real whores because you could never break my spirit!” Narrowing her eyes, Bonnie raised her rifle and aimed at Roscoe’s chest. “You shoulda been smart and stayed home—where girls belong.”
Roscoe opened his mouth, but Bonnie didn’t give him a chance to speak.
“That’s right, Roscoe. You heard me. The only real man standing here is Ace!”
“I’ll kill you!” Roscoe threw his hand up, plainly intending to throw his knife at Bonnie.
“No!” Ace dropped to one knee and flung his knife out just as Bonnie’s rifle went off.
Ace’s blade dug into the back of Roscoe’s neck before the monster could flinch. At the same time, a hole appeared in the middle of his forehead—Bonnie’s bullet had found its mark.
Roscoe’s body jerked violently. He dropped his knife and grabbed his throat. Then, his legs gave out. He dropped down onto his knees, staring at Bonnie through wide eyes.
Bonnie ran forward, grabbed him by the hair, and yanked his head back. “The hounds of hell are coming for your soul!” she growled, then shoved him to the ground.
Something strange happened to Ace as Roscoe hit the dirt. A curious black shadow covered the body and then pulled out something hideous—some sort of spirit. The spirit hissed and fought as it was drawn inexorably into the earth.
Then, the shade burst into a million shards of brilliant light, and a surge of peace coursed through Ace’s heart like a mighty wind breaking over a mountain top.
And then… silence.
Bonnie was standing over Roscoe’s dead body with her head bowed.
Ace struggled to stand up. He walked over to Bonnie and gently put his arm around her. “Bonnie…”
“It’s over. I saw the hounds of hell come for his soul,” Bonnie whispered. “It’s over, Ace. I’m free.” She placed her head down onto Ace’s shoulder just as Clyde and Finn came running up.
“We heard shooting!” Finn hollered. “We?—?” He stopped when his eyes landed on Roscoe’s corpse.
“We’ll tie him up and haul him back to town, Finn,” Ace said in a calm voice. “We’re gonna need some rope.”
“Got it, Ace.” Clyde nodded once, then walked off without saying another word.
“Finn?”
“Yeah, Ace?”
“Think you and Clyde would like to go into the ranching business with me?”
“Reckon so,” Finn answered with a grin.
“Good.” Ace pulled Bonnie close. “Let’s get the herd sold and get back home. I’m tired of being on the trail.”
“Me, too,” Bonnie whispered. “Take me to my new home, Ace. Please.”
“I will,” Ace promised. He turned Bonnie away from Roscoe’s dead body and walked her away.
It’s finally over. Now we can have peace—and hope. The war is over for the both of us.
THE END?
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