The Name, 'Phoenix Runaways'

Irish slang used:

Bloke: Man

Lad: A young man

Thick: Dumb and stupid

Jack: Money

Grand: good

Wagon: Not a nice person

Mot: Wife

Deadly: really great

Eejit: Idiot/ Fool

As we were getting ready to rob the town, I had been having a nervous twist in my stomach ever since Austin had died. The feeling just wouldn't leave my side. It was like cancer that was growing in expressional terms. It felt like a stinging and agonizing pain. Maybe it was because I was nervous, but that wouldn't have explained the stinging part. As we loaded the horses up with our weapons on us and loaded to the max. I mounted Bailey, and I could tell that she was nervous as well. I patted her neck "it's ok hun, I'm scared too we'll get through this you and me." The cannibal looked over at me and shook his head. "You just made a promise that you can't even keep." I looked over and stood completely still.

"Oh. I get it now, you're the quiet one in the group, how unfortunate that no one ever notices you, because you are really pretty." I smirked at him. "Don't even know my name and you already are flirting with death James Patton." He smiled "Death is a curious thing when you're twenty years old, you get bored working on the farm." I tilted my head. "Not only a man-eater but a farm boy?" He nodded. "My mama's farm before she died and we lost everything." My expression softened as we were ordered to start moving. The plan was four of us stood guard while two others stay with the horses. While in the bank, the four others will be stealing and loading. A possible wagon will be stolen by yours truly before even going.

Now how I had to get that wagon was a different story altogether. It requires something I never want to do ever again. Having to try and seduce a man so that I can get him high off of his own feelings. I got to the point where I was behind the wagon and was luring him in by swinging my hips shaking my ass at him. I ever do hate, once he was there I took the knife and cut his throat. I was still wondering if it was necessary that I said "You are disgusting with your imagination sir." as he fell to the sawdust ground. I began shoving him in the back of the covered wagon. The stables weren't too far. Only a few yards, as I made it in the barn I got to choose the horses I needed. Strong and durable, shire? No, Morgans? Oh hell no. My eyes then laid on a pair of Clydesdales. One was black with a white bald face blaze, two front white stockings, and long feathers for the hooves. While the other was a brown, black mane and tail, stockings on all feet, and had an interrupted blaze he was a boy while the other was a girl. I quickly grabbed the harness and horse blinders and put it on the two and lead them to the wagon and hooked them up. They really didn't fight me or anything though one did veer up on me which I quickly got out of the way before I could be kicked. "Easy girl, easy, we're on the same side," I said. She slowly came to reason, while I was hitching there was a gunshot fired. It sounded more like a warning fire than an actual something got shot. Because as close as it was there was no screaming. As I finished I quickly jumped up on the side and scrambled to the seat and began to whip the reins to make the two clydes start moving. I started whistling an old tune, one that meant the world to me 'the riding man' as I made the way close to camp I whistled to see ten people riding at a canter out from the trail they stopped right beside me.

I whistled for Bailey and she came running along with another horse. I got off the wagon and walked over towards Bailey. I quickly examined the horse that was new until I realized it never was. Martin sat back in his saddle and looked over at James. "How good are yah with guns?" His friend who still had the mask over his mouth said. "Very good actually." The Fox-trotter came over only for me to realize it was Austin's horse, Dutch. He had no saddle on him, he was bareback and staring at all of us. "He thinks that Austin is here," Sawyer said sadly. Davey walked over to the horse that was owned by his best friend. "He's not here Dutch." He whispered as he stroke the middle of his large head. Dutch didn't move nor did he understand, he just stood there confused. Davey then pushed Dutch away and walked over to the wagon. Dutch followed him when Davey realized that he went over to the horse and punched him again. "Boy, don't you understand? You're free Austin is gone." Dutch wouldn't take it, in my eyes it's almost as if the horse viewed this lifestyle as his freedom.

We tried to usher him away from us but he wouldn't move. Every step we took he took one step closer to us. We didn't dare say that we would ever take him back in. It was forbidden by the death wish that Austin had asked for. We continued our way down to the town, waiting for anything to be going down the way it should be. The wagon was parked right at the edge of the town while some of us moved our horses farther in towards the town. I moved Bailey closer to the general store as I got off her I put my hand to ground telling her to stay. I then walked into the alleyway between the gun shop and general store, luckily it was in view of the bank I watched Davey, Martin, Willie, and Abe walk over towards the bank, with bandannas around their necks getting ready to put them on and take on their challenge of the day. While I stayed farther back to where I could see them and keep a lookout. As I watch them go in I began watching everyone in the town as they didn't have a clue to what was happening to them. But as I watched closely some were already skeptical about it, some meaning a few, so I wasn't too worried. I looked over at another spot where James oddly was put to watching as well. I looked over at him I began to grow nervous and began twirling my braided hair more and more. The more he noticed the more sweat came down on his chin. he was just as nervous as I was. I had a strange feeling that Martin was doing the "businessman move" which I beg to think that it was the most bloody stupid thing anyone could have created. As we began to wait more and more the more anxious all of us became. the "businessman move" consisted of one bloke acting as a businessman no surprise, and the three others as just colleagues of his. They usually try to get to the head person of the bank and get them drunk off their arses. This usually goes somewhat well, but you have to predict how much alcohol the man can manage. If you brought one bottle and he can take three. Oh, you're screwed lad because then you can't get the man drunk. Part of me reckons that they are not doing the "businessman move" because the thick lads would already have gotten out of there with the jack. As we sat patiently for the four men to get out, I realized how much I was hiding my accent, trying to sound more American. Although must've have been easy to sniff out, if Martin and Austin heard it and assumed. James looked over at me and gave me a thumbs up asking if I was somewhat grand. I shook my head and gawked at the window of the bank. I began to see Martin putting a gun up at the man in charge, I looked over at James and stomped my foot to get his attention. When he looked up I mouthed the words "Get ready" he then pulled out a pistol that Martin had snatched from his beloved wife. As if she needed any protection, that wagon of a mot he has, I could care less if she kicked the bucket at all. She would deserve it anyway, nothing but a bitch she is.

As we got closer, we saw the man opening the safe. Couldn't really hear anything that they were saying but whatever it was it sounded deadly. I had my hand near the gun as I waited for them to start bolting to the wagon I stole. But they went out of the front and ran to the wagon. I and James ran alongside them I whistled for Bailey to follow, "Are you guys really that thick of stone?" I yelled to Abe. He shrugged as he carried the bag of money as if he didn't know what I had said. Sawyer sat on the wagon top and waited for the money to be loaded. That's when we were getting shot at, as pulled out our guns and began firing the town began dropping like flies as if fighting was new to them. They stood out in the open only a few took cover and they knew what they were doing. Then we heard hooves digging into the earth like a stampede. On the other side of town was the gang, that was huge that I and Austin saw go by when we first came here. They began to stop and sat there for a while until a large lean man on a black and white horse came up to the front. "Well, well, well, A gang stepping into the territory of the Buckshires? Man, you must be stupid." I mounted my horse Bailey and stood farther back with my gun drawn. "Oh, you can put that away little lady that's for later." I then began to snap the quiet woman persona in half. "Feck off, You think that scares me lad? I've seen more terrifying things in Texas then you, you eejit ." My gang stopped and stared. "The hell did you just say, Lydia?" Sawyer said. I didn't answer him. "So don't you dare tell me to put my gun down or call me 'little lady' we Irish will fierce up to a bloke who says otherwise." Everyone stood in silence the man was definitely not pleased with what I was saying. I moved Bailey closer to him and stared him down. I maybe sixteen years old but that doesn't stop me from snapping my reins. My guns still are drawn and my brown eyes staring down at the man like a hawk looking for prey. "A fight is what you want?" Said the man to Martin who sat right beside me on the ground. "Well, you just offended an Irish woman so it's safe to say yes, a fight is what we want." Our gang began spreading out so that none of us could get shot. Nonetheless, it was almost as if this gang protected the town, and yet terrible they were. They began dropping like flies as well but not the big man. I got off Bailey and took cover, I was by James again. "So this lad is the is Big Bob?" He nodded "You take him down it will be easier afterward, he seems to be the only good shooter here, I mean they are dropping like flies." He said as he shot one of the members. "You are really good with a gun Lad." He smiled. "You could say I am a gun boy." I Then got up and shot a member in the head. "Funny, I'll keep that in mind Gun boy," I said with a giggle.

The only thought I had was to kill their leader, with a quick swift someone had shot Big Bob off of his horse. It made this war stop, and everyone stood up and looked around. "Who shot him?" A member said. Everyone shook their heads. Until one raised their hand, one of their own. "I did," A man with black short hair around his thirties was standing with two guns in a holster at each side of his hip he wore a black jean, he had round glasses a cleaned shaved face. "What's your name killer?" Martin said as most of us gathered behind him. "Tom Georgeson" He said, I stood at the end by Bailey, who had been shot in the hindquarter. I was trying to tend to the wound reaching my finger into the tiny hole trying to get the bullet out of her, I then stopped when I heard. "We surrender," I looked over at the lasting members which were only five. "I beg your pardon, you will have to be louder," Martin said sarcastically. The men looked down and then with their last might they yelled "We surrender!" I led Bailey carefully over, she was limping now whining in pain. "We have a horse carrier." The man who shot his own leader. I didn't say anything, but Sawyer had answered for me. "Will it be able to hold this Shire?" Tom looked over at Bailey, "I believe so," I was about to have Bailey go over to the man but Martin held his hand for us to stop everything we were doing. "I know you surrendered and everything, but I never said you could join." The five men stood there unable to understand what he was saying once more. "Are we allowed to join then? One of our own shot Big Bob," Martin began considering then said. "Fine but you need to tell me more about you links with the Mountian Smokers." The five looked at each other with wide eyes. "Them bastards, we have no link with them, Big Bob only wanted the gang's wives." Martin laughed, "Are they that good looking woman?" Tom shrugged "We've never seen them, only Big Bob had." He said looking over at the dead leader. "But we have seen their gang leader, or at least we think we did." Davey tilted his head and said, "What do yah mean 'at least we think we did?" Tom shrugged his shoulder. "That man works in a mysterious way, no one knows who it really is." Davey then argued, "But then how would you know, do you have a name?" The five looked at each other for any confirmation. "We can't say," said one who was the tallest out of the five, he had brown long hair, had a bullet hat, and a mustache, his clothes looked like he worked as a bartender. "Why not Lad?" I said with my hands on my hips. "Too scared to say it, or are sworn to not say?" Sawyer moved closer to move. "You're talking way more often now." I rolled my eyes. "Which ones Lads?" They all backed away "How can we trust you, you have an Irish woman on your side." Martin shrugged. "She's an excellent allopath, and she's not an ordinary Irish lady," Tom tilted his head. "How so? show your proof!" Martin then grabbed me and moved me closer to the men. "She is quiet." The men widened their eyes. "Well, I be damn." Said the bartender member. "She was rather quiet. How much luck do you have?" Martin sighed. "A lot, she gave helped people live alive." One of the other men started to stare at my breasts. I watched him silently as I didn't want to disturb my silence. "Though she told off Big Bob, Adam ." Tom said to the bartender man who I assumed was "Adam". The man raised his index finger, "but he also offended her." Sawyer nodded "indeed he did, you should never call an Irish woman 'little lady." I nodded because that was a really true statement. "Hey, can we please get the wagon she's not gonna be standing for much longer," Davey said rather worrisome as he saw my horse swaying back and forth. Tom nodded and got on his horse and bolted to where the wagon was at. Some followed him while I had to stay behind. I was afraid that Bailey may not make it, she was swaying so heavily that I thought the Lass was gonna fall. As the men came back with the horse carrier wagon, it was a big brown wooded wagon that had about six wheels and box-like carrier it was huge and they did say it would carry a shire like Bailey. I loaded her onto the wagon and stayed with her so I can remove the bullet, Abe was with me as well in case the men turned on us. "Where to mister?" Tom asked. "Martin is my name, and we are going to California." Abe and I looked at each other. "Did he say California?!" Abe said in shock. I nodded "Aye, he did!"

We stood up and looked through the peephole that we had. "So soon? We will die Martin." Davey said in shock. Martin shrugged it off "get on the wagon and start moving," he said getting on the horse. "We will distribute the money when we stop for camp." Distribute my arse you mean, I never once had gotten money, saying I had no use for it. What a bunch of bohawk, Abe then settled back down again. "Unbelievable," The man who was driving the wagon was Tom I stood and knocked on the hatch on the top of the wagon. Tom opened it "What do you need Irish?" I stood up and looked at him. "How many people lived here?" Tom raised his head to the sky. "Don't matter now." I tilted my head "What do you mean lad?" He stopped the wagon and looked down at me with a serious expression. "You killed them all, every last one besides us,"