A Fallen Tree
I watched as my father fell to the ground.
This couldn’t be. He had never lost a duel. He’d been sheriff of our small town for over six years, and he had never once taken a bullet.
I felt time slow as I watched blood start to pool around him, and somewhere in the back of my mind, I recognized that I was trying to get to him… but hands were on me, holding me back.
I struggled, finally pulling away. Running toward my father’s body, I could see the life leaving his eyes just as I knelt beside him. I could see his fear. An emotion I had never seen in my father’s eyes before.
A haunting, ferocious sound sprang from my chest like a wildcat. A shadow fell over me, and I felt my blood run cold. But I wasn’t afraid. Not of death, and certainly not of the man standing before me.
I slowly raised my tear-filled eyes, scanning every inch of him. The man who they called The Butcher Baron.
His duster jacket skirted around his worn leather boots as he took a step closer to me and bent down to get a better look at me. His tanned face was barely visible in the shadow of his wide-brimmed hat, but I could see his dark eyes looking… almost concerned.
“Sorry, darlin’. No hard feelings. Just had a job to do.”
I spat at him, and he snarled, reaching down to roughly grab my wrist.
“Unhand me, you… you… scoundrel!”
He chuckled and reached to grab my other wrist as well, standing and pulling me to my feet.
“You know, I don’t think I will! Someone clearly needs to teach you some manners, and seein’ as how I’m the new law ’round here…”
He glanced at all the people who had gathered around to watch his standoff against my father.
“…it might as well be me. Anyone got a problem with that?!”
I looked around the gathered crowd, seeing my daddy’s friends, neighbors, colleagues… all the people he had spent years protecting… simply shake their heads. They had accepted surrender, giving over our town, our fates, and our futures to this man. The man who had just killed their sheriff.
My heart sank as I stared helplessly at their familiar faces. Surely someone would stand against him?
A cruel laugh pulled me out of my daze and I looked over at the man as he adjusted my arms so he could hold both of my wrists in one of his large, powerful hands before bending down and pulling the sheriff’s badge off of my daddy’s vest. He righted himself and looked out among the townsfolk once more.
“Well then… if anyone needs me, you know where I’ll be.”
Then he pulled, yanking me along with him as he walked towards the jailhouse. It was a building I had been inside countless times. To see my father as he sat at his desk going over maps and routes. To bring him fresh well water as he babysat one of the town drunks… but I had never been there as a prisoner.
I screamed as he pulled me through the doorway and into the one-room building.
“No!! Let me go! I’ve done nothing to deserve being thrown in here, you fiend!”
I kicked at him trying to get purchase against his leg so I could push myself away. He grunted and slammed me against the wall, pressing his body against mine while he held my arms above my head. His other hand came up to tightly grip my jaw. I struggled but it was useless. He had overpowered me.
He turned my face roughly toward him, forcing me to look into his eyes. It was the first good look I’d gotten at him, and his allure only made me more angry. His trimmed, dark facial hair accentuated his strong jawline, and his expressive, rich mahogany eyes were fixed on mine.
“Stop fightin’ me, little lady. I only need to keep you in here until you..” He pressed himself into me more when he felt me struggling again. “…calm yourself.”
I watched his jaw clench as he stared at me, clearly frustrated with my unwillingness to submit to him like everyone else had. He let out a deep sigh and leaned back, his hips and legs still holding me in place while he looked around the room.
“Where are the keys to the cells?” His voice was harsh and filled with annoyance.
A laugh escaped my throat without a hint of amusement.
“You left them on my father’s corpse, you son of a—“
He clamped a hand over my mouth and leaned in, his dark eyes narrowing.
“It’s a shame that the sheriff of this town ended up bein’ your daddy, darlin’. A cryin’ shame, to be sure. But I can’t help that the men I kill may or may not have a family.”
He turned and spotted a length of rope laying in a pile near the door and removed his hold from my mouth and wrapped his arm around my lower back. I remained secured firmly against him as he moved us both across the small space to press me to the doorframe, bending down to hoist the rope onto his arm.
“Now I apologize, darlin’, but I can’t be draggin’ you along with me while I go attend to the business of your father.”
He started wrapping the rope around my wrists, his deft hands tying knots without issue. I scowled at him, my teeth grinding together.
“You can’t just… you can’t just ride through here and take whatever you want.”
He leaned in closer, his face so close I could feel the heat of his breath against my lips.
“I can, and I did.” He pressed even closer, until I felt the tickle of his moustache against my lips. “And the people of this town will be thankful before long, I assure you.”
He let out an almost animalistic growl as he pulled away from me, turning my body and heaving me up over his shoulder. I yelled and wriggled, trying to escape his grasp as he carried me over and set me down on my father’s desk chair.
“Stay put, honey. I’ll be back once I have your daddy’s keys.”
He started wrapping the rest of the rope around me and the chair, taking a little extra time to tie my ankles to the chair legs before standing. He looked down at me like he was admiring his handiwork as he reached behind himself to pull a bandana out of his back pocket.
“After that, we can get to know one another.”
“I don’t have any desire to know you, you—“
He shoved a good portion of the bandana into my mouth, cutting me off, then tied it behind my head to keep it in place before squatting in front of me.
“Now, I know what they call me, but the name’s Harlan. Harlan Monaghan.” He stared at me, politely, as though he hadn’t just tied me to a chair. “You don’t have to tell me your name, I’ll get it out of one of the fine folks of this town.”
He pushed himself to stand once again, walking over to the door and opening it before he looked back at me.
“What I did to your father was… regrettable. I wouldn’t have had to if he had listened.”
And with that he was gone.
