Winstons |The Outsiders|

19. Family

Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars.

The train travelled down the track, gaining speed under the yellow moon.

This train was not like the others it passed on the few stops for resources. This train carried special cargo.

In the very back car, sat Tony.

He didn't fight against the metal shackles as they dug into his bloodstained skin. He laid on the bare mattress in the car, listening to the train chug along, catching a few glimpses of the pale moon as they travelled.

Let me see what spring is like on a-Jupiter and Mars

Attempted murder was a serious charge back in New York. But first-degree murder was even worse.

Tony smiled to himself, basking in the glorious feeling of avenging his brother's untimely death.

His hands and clothes still reeked of her blood and tears, but he didn't care. He wore her blood like a medal. Hannah Winston was dead, bled out in an alley. And Tony Harland killed her.

In other words, hold my hand.

The passengers were asleep as the train creaked steadily on. 

Almost all the passengers.

In other words, baby, kiss me.

Sam Walker was a very smart man. So how he became involved in such a horrible plot was a surprise, even to him.

The key to Tony's car hung on a loop around his wrist, his gun on his hip. I'm doing this for us, Annie. You, me, and the baby. Once this is over, we'll be alright.

The cars squealed as Sam neared, eventually pushing the key into the lock, and twisting until it opened.

Fill my heart with song, and let me sing forevermore.

Tony yawned lazily as he rose from his bed. "I was beginning to think you had forgotten about our agreement, Walker."

He said nothing as he hastily fished a smaller key out of his pocket and rushed to undo the handcuffs on Tony's wrists.

You are all I long for, all I worship-

"I remembered my end of the deal, now remember yours."

-and adore.

Tony's smile glowed in the darkness as the moon shone through the minuscule cracks in the wall. "I disappear, and your family is safe. I don't go back on a promise, Samuel."

Sam cringed as he walked out of the train car, Tony at his heels.

In other words, please be true.

The wheels scratched against the rails, screaming into the night. The sound resonated deeply in his mind as Sam reached for his ears, trying to stop their dreadful cry.

If only he noticed Tony slip his hand into the holster on his hip.

"What was your part of the deal again?"

The colour drained from his face as bitter wind whipped around them. His knees grew weak as he stared down the barrel of the gun, and a wicked smile behind it.

"You can't do this, Tony," he gasped.

"I can do whatever I want, I have the gun."

Sam's fear was momentarily replaced by rage.

"After everything I've done? I killed Charlie,"  his voice grew from a whisper.

"I told you where Dallas and Hannah were," he took a step forward.

"I am helping you escape!"

Tony pulled the trigger.

The cart rattled as Sam's lifeless body dropped to the floor, crimson blood flowed from the hole in his chest while Tony stepped over him carelessly.

"I really do appreciate everything you've done, Sam. And you did it all so well, very convincing on your part. In return, your wife and unborn child get to live."

Tony didn't look back at the body while he massaged his bruised wrists. The frigid air filled his lungs as he prepared to jump into the nearby prairie field.

He dropped the gun as he jumped over the railing. The grass stained his shirt and pants but in the dark of midnight, he couldn't care less. His leg ached slightly, it had been ever since Buck Merrill shot him outside his bar the night before.

Tony limped after the train. The track would take him all the way to New York, to his family.

The business was certainly a dirty one. Loose ends were constantly needing tying up, sometimes messy deals were the only way to succeed. Sometimes, these messy deals went askew, and someone got hurt. 

Tony turned his eyes to the dark sky, breathing in the frigid night air.

Yes, the business was dirty. But it was a family business.

Everyone had to make sacrifices for the sake of family.

"In other words, I love you."