Eighteen year old Kristal Starr sat on the swing in the old barn
awaiting Belle's return. A soft smile was splayed over her face as she
remembered last weeks excursion. They had robbed a stage filled a safe
box of one thousand dollars. It was enough to last for quite a while.
She had hid her stash somewhere safe so none of the gang... or
Belle... or even Casey knew where it was. She loved outlawing. It was
her life. It was her passion.

"Ho! Rider comin' in." Someone shouted.

Kristal hopped off the swing and headed out of the barn. She pulled
her black stetson that Bell had given her down a bit to shade her eyes
from the sun. Her face lit up when she saw the riders. It was Belle!
She raced out and headed for the house where she knew the riders would
stop. Sure enough, Belle and three of her gang pulled their horses to
a stop at the porch of the house. Kris reached the house only minutes
after panting the whole way.

"Ma..." She began, but quickly stopped. Belle's expression was
anything but friendly at the moment. What was going on? Both of them
were supposed to go and pick up Casey at Craig's that evening. Craig's
nephew Timmy was over and asked if Casey and him could go fishing the
day before. Belle had readily agreed and had allowed the kid to stay
the night as well.

"Pack yer thing's Kris an' fast. We need t' get outta here as fast as
possible." Belle said turning her grey eyes on the teenager.

"What, why?" Kristal protested.

"Don't argue Kristal! Do it now!"

Shock appeared on Kristal's face. Belle had never demanded anything of
her so harshly before. Something bad was happening and she didn't know
what it was, nor did she like it. "Fine." She said stubbornly and
kicked a wooden bucket over. Walking into the house, Kris went
straight to her room and began to pack her things in a huff. She
didn't want to leave the ranch. And now she would need to dig up her
money stash and bring it with her... and what about Casey? They needed
to get him. She'd be damned if they were going to leave him behind.
Belle had some explaining to do and Kris hoped it would be sooner
rather than later.

Casey wasnt sure what was going on. He had had his bags packed for an hour now, Belle was supposed to have already picked him up. Where was she? He sat patiently on the wooden planked porch and waited. He fiddled with burlap bag he had his dirty clothes in. They had been fishing that day and his other set of clothes had gotten muddy. Casey sat with his knees drawn up, with his elbows resting on them. His palms resting against his cheeks. Freckles dotted his nose and cheeks, although he would eventually grow out of them. His dark brown, fairly wild hair hung in whisps over his eyes. He whistled to himself to pass the time. He knew that this was not normal. Something was going on. Why was she late? She was never late. He let out a small sigh and withdrew one hand from his cheek and began tracing with his finger on the ground.

A voice interrupted his daze. "Casey?" He looked around to see who had spoken. It was Craig's mother, who looked just as puzzled as he seemed to be. "Hey.." Casey said in response, in a soft, faint tone of voice. He returned his thoughts onto his mother and Kris. Where were they? Were they coming? Maybe she was going to leave him there? Maybe she didnt want him anymore and this was her way and putting him off on somebody else. He shook his head. No. No! His ma wouldnt do that. There had to be a reason. "Where's your mother?" She asked, in a sincere but curious tone of voice. Casey just shrugged. "I dont know..." He said. "Maybe she's not going to come.." He stated, the thought causing him to frown slightly.

She sighed at the boy and frowned, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be here soon honey.." She stated, although wondered herself what was going on. It wasnt like Belle to just leave Casey there. Casey and Kristal were Belle's pride and joy. She loved both kids with all of her heart and wouldve done anything thing for both of them. She wouldnt just leave them somewhere and forget about them like that. "Your mother will be here soon. I'm sure she just got held up.. " She said, with a warm smile. Casey gave a small half grin back and nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure she will.." He said and fell silent. Craig's mother gave him another pat on the shoulder and then turned and headed back into the house, pausing only for a moment to speak to Casey again. "It's hot out here honey. You can come in the house and wait if you like.." She said.

Casey turned his attention around on her and gave a small shrug. "Nah, I'm ok. She'll be here soon.." Casey said and with a confident sigh, turned his attention back on the dirt driveway, just watching. Little did he know that his mother would never come. He would never see her again, nor his sister. Nor the ranch. He didnt know it at the time but his wait was in vain. She would never show. Her absence would cause Casey to wonder. It would have an effect on him for years to come. He would believe that Belle had abandoned him, not wanting him anymore. 

--- In DestinyOutlaws@yahoogroups.com, Sum <sum4jc@...> wrote:
>
> The fighting began and it was brutal. Many of Belle's men fell within the first few seconds of the gunfight.Belle herself fought gallantly, bringing down quite a few of the outlaws and renegades, but it wasn't enough. In the end Belle was captured. As she was brought to the ground, her gaze turned to the barn. One of the men noticed and sent a few men Kristal's way.
>
> Kristal, who had had climbed up to the hayloft, had watched everything through a small cut in the barn wall. Seeing Belle fall, Kristal pulled out her gun letting her angry temper start to control her. She was not about to lose her Ma! Her green eyes narrowed as the men approached the barn and she moved to the edge of the hayloft. When one of the men came into view below her, Kristal jumped down and landed on top of them. Both fell to the floor scrambling to get the upper hand. Being the youngest and more lithe than the larger man on top of her, Kristal managed to get her gun cocked and pulled the trigger before the man knew what was going on. The bullet lodged itself deep in the man's skull, ending his life.
>
> However, the other man managed to regain his footing and lunged at the young girl taking her off guard. Kristal went down, a pile of hay softening her fall. The man then jumped on top of her a knife gleaming in the light from the window above. The smell of smoke suddenly drifted to her nostrils and Kris frowned and glanced back at the open barn door, which ended up being a big mistake. The man brought his knife down and if she hadn't turned just in time, she would have been killed. As it were, her collar bone was slashed from her right shoulder to just above her left breast. Her shirt was cut and her chest burned and seared with pain. Hissing and biting her lip to keep from making any noise, she turned her attention back to the man. His knife slashed in front of her, but Kristal managed to kick the man and crawl away. Free of the hay and the man, she stood up and faced him.
>
> A scream pierced the air then and Kristal gasped. It had sounded like Belle! Forgetting the man, she raced to the open door to see her ma tied to one of the posts of the house as it burned around her. "Ma!" She screamed and was about to race to save her, but something hard and sharp hit the back of her head. "Ma..." Kristal barely managed to let out as she fell to the ground. The man smirked as another ran over. "She dead?" The man nodded. "I'm sure... doubt anyone could survive a blow like that." The other man cursed. "Ya idiot! The boss wanted the girl alive!" He backhanded the man and then handed kerosene and a match to the one who hit Kristal. "Burn the barn... and her too. We don't want no bodies being found." With that he ran back to the burning house. The man that had fought Kristal kicked her and began to pour the kerosene over the hay. Igniting the fire, he kicked the fallen girl one more time and ran off to join the rest of the men by the house.
>
>
> > >
>

Craig's mother turned slowly and went back into the house, turning a quick
glance back toward Casey's still form, sitting on the front porch. It bothered
her that Belle hadn't shown yet. Her absence was puzzling. It wasn't like her to
do this and little did she know, Belle wasn't coming. Casey watched quietly, as
Craig's mother turned and went back into the house, sighing quietly, barely
audible to even himself and returning his gaze back toward the drive. It was
oddly quiet and his thoughts returned to the last time he'd seen his adoptive
mother, Belle. She'd bid her goodbyes to him, with the promise she'd pick him up
the next day and now she was late. Where was she? Or atleast Kristal? This
wasn't normal.

It was getting hot and he decided, to evade the eventual heatstroke, to go back
inside, like Craig's mother had suggested. He stood quietly, letting his gaze
linger on the road momentarily. He picked up his overnight bag, then turned and
went back into the house, letting the door close quietly behind him.  Craig's
mother was setting the last of the two blackberry pies she'd just made on the
windowsill to cool, when she heard the door. Her eyebrows pulled together in
confusion.

'Casey, must still be here..' She thought quietly and made her way to the
doorway seperating the kitchen from the foyer. "Casey?" She spoke aloud, her
voice coming off confused. "I'd thought Belle would've picked you up by now.
She's still not here?" She asked, flickering her gaze toward the front door.
"No.." Casey said, his voice, sad. "I don't think she's coming.." He mumbled
quietly and dropped his bag at his feet. "I'm sure she'll be here soon.." She
assured him, although, she was really starting to wonder.

--- In DestinyOutlaws@yahoogroups.com, "sweetraspberries86"
<sweetraspberries86@...> wrote:
>
>
> Casey wasnt sure what was going on. He had had his bags packed for an
> hour now, Belle was supposed to have already picked him up. Where was
> she? He sat patiently on the wooden planked porch and waited. He fiddled
> with burlap bag he had his dirty clothes in. They had been fishing that
> day and his other set of clothes had gotten muddy. Casey sat with his
> knees drawn up, with his elbows resting on them. His palms resting
> against his cheeks. Freckles dotted his nose and cheeks, although he
> would eventually grow out of them. His dark brown, fairly wild hair hung
> in whisps over his eyes. He whistled to himself to pass the time. He
> knew that this was not normal. Something was going on. Why was she late?
> She was never late. He let out a small sigh and withdrew one hand from
> his cheek and began tracing with his finger on the ground.
>
> A voice interrupted his daze. "Casey?" He looked around to see who had
> spoken. It was Craig's mother, who looked just as puzzled as he seemed
> to be. "Hey.." Casey said in response, in a soft, faint tone of voice.
> He returned his thoughts onto his mother and Kris. Where were they? Were
> they coming? Maybe she was going to leave him there? Maybe she didnt
> want him anymore and this was her way and putting him off on somebody
> else. He shook his head. No. No! His ma wouldnt do that. There had to be
> a reason. "Where's your mother?" She asked, in a sincere but curious
> tone of voice. Casey just shrugged. "I dont know..." He said. "Maybe
> she's not going to come.." He stated, the thought causing him to frown
> slightly.
>
> She sighed at the boy and frowned, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm
> sure she'll be here soon honey.." She stated, although wondered herself
> what was going on. It wasnt like Belle to just leave Casey there. Casey
> and Kristal were Belle's pride and joy. She loved both kids with all of
> her heart and wouldve done anything thing for both of them. She wouldnt
> just leave them somewhere and forget about them like that. "Your mother
> will be here soon. I'm sure she just got held up.. " She said, with a
> warm smile. Casey gave a small half grin back and nodded. "Yeah, I'm
> sure she will.." He said and fell silent. Craig's mother gave him
> another pat on the shoulder and then turned and headed back into the
> house, pausing only for a moment to speak to Casey again. "It's hot out
> here honey. You can come in the house and wait if you like.." She said.
>
> Casey turned his attention around on her and gave a small shrug. "Nah,
> I'm ok. She'll be here soon.." Casey said and with a confident sigh,
> turned his attention back on the dirt driveway, just watching. Little
> did he know that his mother would never come. He would never see her
> again, nor his sister. Nor the ranch. He didnt know it at the time but
> his wait was in vain. She would never show. Her absence would cause
> Casey to wonder. It would have an effect on him for years to come. He
> would believe that Belle had abandoned him, not wanting him anymore.
>
>
> --- In DestinyOutlaws@yahoogroups.com, Sum <sum4jc@> wrote:
> >
> > The fighting began and it was brutal. Many of Belle's men fell within
> the first few seconds of the gunfight.Belle herself fought gallantly,
> bringing down quite a few of the outlaws and renegades, but it wasn't
> enough. In the end Belle was captured. As she was brought to the ground,
> her gaze turned to the barn. One of the men noticed and sent a few men
> Kristal's way.
> >
> > Kristal, who had had climbed up to the hayloft, had watched everything
> through a small cut in the barn wall. Seeing Belle fall, Kristal pulled
> out her gun letting her angry temper start to control her. She was not
> about to lose her Ma! Her green eyes narrowed as the men approached the
> barn and she moved to the edge of the hayloft. When one of the men came
> into view below her, Kristal jumped down and landed on top of them. Both
> fell to the floor scrambling to get the upper hand. Being the youngest
> and more lithe than the larger man on top of her, Kristal managed to get
> her gun cocked and pulled the trigger before the man knew what was going
> on. The bullet lodged itself deep in the man's skull, ending his life.
> >
> > However, the other man managed to regain his footing and lunged at the
> young girl taking her off guard. Kristal went down, a pile of hay
> softening her fall. The man then jumped on top of her a knife gleaming
> in the light from the window above. The smell of smoke suddenly drifted
> to her nostrils and Kris frowned and glanced back at the open barn door,
> which ended up being a big mistake. The man brought his knife down and
> if she hadn't turned just in time, she would have been killed. As it
> were, her collar bone was slashed from her right shoulder to just above
> her left breast. Her shirt was cut and her chest burned and seared with
> pain. Hissing and biting her lip to keep from making any noise, she
> turned her attention back to the man. His knife slashed in front of her,
> but Kristal managed to kick the man and crawl away. Free of the hay and
> the man, she stood up and faced him.
> >
> > A scream pierced the air then and Kristal gasped. It had sounded like
> Belle! Forgetting the man, she raced to the open door to see her ma tied
> to one of the posts of the house as it burned around her. "Ma!" She
> screamed and was about to race to save her, but something hard and sharp
> hit the back of her head. "Ma..." Kristal barely managed to let out as
> she fell to the ground. The man smirked as another ran over. "She dead?"
> The man nodded. "I'm sure... doubt anyone could survive a blow like
> that." The other man cursed. "Ya idiot! The boss wanted the girl alive!"
> He backhanded the man and then handed kerosene and a match to the one
> who hit Kristal. "Burn the barn... and her too. We don't want no bodies
> being found." With that he ran back to the burning house. The man that
> had fought Kristal kicked her and began to pour the kerosene over the
> hay. Igniting the fire, he kicked the fallen girl one more time and ran
> off to join the rest of the men by the house.
> >
> >
> > > >
> >
>

>>Just then Cornelius Rains approached her table. He was a fairly decent man, for the most part. However, when he called her "Ma'am" she stiffened. If there was one thing Kristal hated, it was being called Ma'am and miss.... and whore... but that was another thing entirely. Lifting her head, she glared at Rains. "Don't call me that." She practically hissed. When he announced Billy the Kid, her glanced at him before nodding and going back to the knife in her hand.

"Yes'm," Cornelius said, nodding quickly toward Billy before excusing himself.  Not a matter he particularly cared to a part of.  She wanted gun hands, he'd found her one, a good one.  Hopefully, that would be enough to keep him on her good side for awhile.

Billy watched him go, allowing his eyes to remain on the man until he disappeared from sight -- out of paranoia.  He trusted no one.  Hell, he barely trusted himself.  Truth be told.  Turning back to Kristal after a long moment, he smiled, cocking his head slightly.  "Depends on the job," he said.  He was looking for a job, but he wasn't a fool � and he wasn't about to put himself out for an impossible errand.  "I'm not a yes man or an errand boy; I do things my way, and I don't much like being told how I can and cannot go about things.  If you're looking for lackeys then no, I'm not.  Like I said, it depends on the job � and the pay."

Taking a seat across from her, he drew his hat off and laid it in the chair beside him.  She seemed like a smart woman.  She had to be, or she wouldn't have survived.   It was the only way to go about things out here.  You either lived or you died. 

"Why thank ya," he said, offering her another smile for her compliment.  Wasn't often somebody noted a difference between the monster and the man.  He wasn't as bad as they'd painted him to be � and quite honestly, that was a terrible picture they drew from.  But, whatever, shit happened.  What else was there to do?  Not like he could approach the artist and bitch about the job.  "As you know, I'm a man of many talents.  Pleasantry is one of them, but I'm also a background type.  I like anonymity.  Very few people know me � and I prefer it that way.  Can't trust anyone in this day and age..."

>>Danny then began talking to her about how it had been one of the men she hired that had started the fight in the saloon and Kristal frowned. She didn't like men who made a ruckus. It caused people to talk... and if that man mentioned her... well her plan would be over in a heart beat. It now appeared that she had a wayward soul to deal with. But for now, she needed to see if Billy was with her or not. Hearing the sound of Kid's voice shouting at someone, Kristal turned her head and moved Midnight a bit to get a better look. It was young man... and a sheriff no less, that Billy had been shouting at. Slowly, Kristal's left hand slid to her gun just in case this lawdog got any ideas. "Looks ta me like ya got yer work cut out fer ya." Kristal told the man, though the way he was eyeing her made her feel uncomfortable. "Enjoy." Kris tipped her hat to the young man and turned Midnight in the opposite direction. "Let's go 'afore he gets any ideas."

Casey's eyes were trained unfallibly on the blonde woman, and even through the several years of wear from the hot sun and hard living, he could tell it was her.  As plain as day, it was her� his sister, Kristal.  Her name bubbled on his lips but he hadn't the gumption or the coherence to speak as he stared at her in amazement, watching she and her companions mount their horses.  He should go after them; it was his duty, and he wore his badge proudly, but still, there was a part of him that didn't � simply because she was his sister.  And yet, he wanted to know why she'd abandoned him, left him there at Craig's farm when she was clearly still alive and now acting as if she didn't know him.  Why?

Blinking away a couple of stray tears, the young sheriff stepped forward, defiance streaking across his features to replace the wave of pain. "No." he said, his voice firm and authortic. "Why did you abandon me?" he sniffed. "I want answers and after all of these years of thinking you were dead, I think I deserve them. You left me there � no you *abandoned* me there and you never came back." Anger struck his voice, spiking it to an unlevel and shaky degree as he glared at them � at her.

Billy watched with careful eyes, shifting them between the two.  The boy seemed a little more than unstable; he seemed passionate over something� revenge maybe? The Kid couldn't tell, but whatever it was it was making him extremely uneasy.  He waited for direction, shifting his weight in the saddle as he turned toward the boy and tipped his hat up over his forehead to reveal his face.  "Kid, you got a helluva lot of nerve.  You're lucky you aint been shot yet. What the hell's your problem?" he asked, not bothering to hide the irritated snap in his voice as his hand discreetly slid toward the gun holstered on his hip.  If this kid were cruising for some kind of death wish, he'd come to the right place to have it granted. 

"My problem?!" he growled. "My problem is a deadbeat sister who acts like she don't even know who I am � that's my problem!" Another wave of the volatile concoction ravaged his guts, twisting them until he could barely contain the boil of his blood.  He wanted answers; and he wasn't going to leave until he got them.