The job wasn't supposed to go down like this. It was supposed to be quick and easy. It was supposed to have no blood. It was supposed to get us paid. When we walked in it seemed like it was going to be just those things, the clerk was afraid and out of his wits, the bystanders all nice and obedient.....all seemed well. Actually, maybe from our point of view at the time, but when the sheriff and his deputies walked in guns raised....hell broke loose. I hardly had time to pull the revolver from my holster before the lead began flying.

"Juan! Where the hell is Jessica!?" I screamed at the Mexican.

"I don't know! We gotta get outa here though!"

"NO SHIT! But we don't leave anyone behind! You know that!"

"Alright! Jessica!?"

"I'll look for Ron!" I turned away from Juan and tried to get my bearings. It was then I saw his form huddled in a corner. I ran over to him in a crouched position, tears in my eyes as I saw the blood.

"Ron.....," I put my hand on his shoulder, grief filling my heart. Or at least the hole where it used to be.

"Daniel?" He coughed up some blood, looking up at me, giving me that classic smile.

"You're...you're gonna make it okay!?"

"Don't kid yourself.....I'm dead.....and so is Jessica."

"Wh-what!?"

"I saw her head kick back at the first," he coughs again and looks hard into my eyes," doesn't matter....you gotta take care of James for me okay? Please....and Francine....."

"I promise old friend....." His eyes closed and his mouth formed a contorted smile. I couldn't focus on him anymore, I had to get Juan and myself out of here before we all died.

"JUAN! SHE'S DEAD!"

"WHAT!?"

"WE GOTTA GET OUT NOW!" A bullet grazed my shoulder and I grunted in pain.

"WHERE THOUGH!?" I looked around in a panicked manner, and decided we'd take our chances out the back.

"The back! Worst case scenario we ambush these guys and kill 'em!"

"You sure!?"

"HELL YEAH I AM SURE, IT'S OUR BEST BET!" As I moved to the back another bullet grazed my ear, and blood from my forehead blinded my left eye. I tried to spot Juan but thought it was best if I left him to his own devices at this point. I ran through to the back and spotted a window, jumped through it and landed on a pile of wood. I groaned as I got off and looked around for a horse, a little Morgan was nearby and I wasn't particularly picky as of right now so I mounted her and hoped Juan would jump out too. As soon as I had the thought he came barreling out of the window with a hell and landed on the logs too....and his left leg twisted unnaturally.

"AGH! Damn it!" I rode over to him and gripped his arm, helping him onto my new steed. I kicked her sides and she went off, a dust trail for ing behind us as we rode away from a little town called Pollsville. Juan looked behind us for any lawmen giving chase, I heard a couple gunshots but that was it, their screams now distant and our horse galloping ever faster. We took the long way to try and lose any persistent men, and Juan groaned with every bump.

"It'll be okay...least you didn't end up like Jessica or poor Ron...."

"Hey man, it went South okay? Shit happens...."

"But that bad!? I mean what the hell was George thinking!?"

"I don't know....maybe his eyes have gotten bigger than his stomach."

"Tch, or something. We didn't even have a plan! We just went in and fucked it all up!"

"Ngh, bring it up with him man. But let's get back to our camp first okay?"

"Whatever, I'm heading back now....shouldn't be too long now." I slowed the horse down and turned her around, setting off in the direction of camp. When we tore through the forest, said hello to Penelope and rode in I stormed off to George's tent and screamed as loud as my lungs would let me.

"RON AND JESSICA ARE DEAD YOU DUMBASS!"

"Excuse me!?"

"THEY. ARE. DEAD."

"What happened!?"

"I'll tell you what happened! We had no plan and flunked it, and the law was on us by the drop of a dime!"

"How is that my fault Daniel?"

"YOU'RE OUR LEADER, THAT'S HOW!"

"YET YOU'RE THE ONE WHO MADE IT GO AWRY!"

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO HAD NO PLAN BIT WANTED MONEY YOU GREEDY BASTARD!"

"FINE.... I'LL PUT YOU IN YOUR PLACE! YOU DUMBASS BASTARD!" I glares at George, debating about putting a bullet between his eyes.

"So! I want to take a poll here in camp, Everyone looked at George as he stood in the middle near the fire pit,"Who would you have as leader....Me!? Or would you have Daniel as leader!?" The camp broke off into whispers, occasionally looking over at me and George.

"Now just what the hell are you doing George?"

"Proving I'm in charge and I'm out leader. And that everyone else thinks so to!"

"George I just got back from getting shot at and Juan is injured! Jessica and Ron are dead and you want to do this shit right now!?"

"You shut your mouth!"

"You best just watch your tone!" The camp looked shocked at my mention of our friends deaths....Francine broke down crying and their some tugged at his mom.

"Where's daddy!?" The poor kid didn't understand his father wasn't coming back. And now he was my responsibility too. And right after that I heard everyone say something that filled me with dread.

"Daniel!"

"WHAT!? WHO'S ALWAYS LEAD YOU ALL!?"

"And look where that's gotten us! My husband is dead! My boy will be fatherless the rest of his life! And we're running out of money! And it seems like everyone is doing under your greed George!" George took a step back, his burly frame twisting to face me...his face red with rage and his hand diving for his holster. I drew my gun in under a second and blasted him, his brains flying out the back of his head. I heard the screams and shocked yelps from everyone else as is stood alone. One of my best friends lay dead right in front of me...and two more lay dead in that accursed town.

"Fuck........"

"Daniel! You okay!?"

"I'm fine Juan, bastard tried to shoot me.... would've been the third bullet today. Where the hell is Weston!?"

"He's helping me right now..."

"Sorry Daniel! I'll be right over as soon as I tie this cloth off!" I let him nice his time with Juan and walked over to my tent, past the stares and shock, back to my little paradise. I later down on my cot, blood forming a puddle around my head and dripping through the fabric and onto the ground. Today....today was a horrid day...and the next one didn't look any better honestly.

Authors note time!

I hope you enjoyed! It's my first Western and I'll try and update my other story more often. I'm a bit lazy :/ and I'm really sorry about that! Anyways I'll see you next chapter! Buh bye!