Outlaw - Born & Bred

Chapter 24 - Colm O'Driscoll

Casie woke with a start. There was pressure on her temple, it was cold. She knew what it was, even before she opened her eyes.

Casie opened her eyes, One man was crouching beside her, holding a gun to her head. Another was standing in front of her, hands on hips, grinning. Not a pleasant grin, more of a malicious grin.

"What the hell do you want?" She said, glaring at man standing in front of her.

The man, lifted his foot, and put it on Casie's chest, with enough pressure to make Casie wince.

"I want you, to shut the fuck up." He said, glaring at Casie, as he removed his foot.

He looked at the man, who was holding a gun to Casie's head "Tie her up," he growled.

The other man flipped Casie, onto her stomach, and roughly tied her hands behind her back, then pulled her onto her knees.

It was at this point, that Casie saw Arthur. He was on his knees, with a gun pointed at his head.

"What the hell do you want, Colm?" Arthur glared at the standing man.

Colm O'Driscoll looked at Arthur, and laughed. "Arthur Morgan, even you can't be that stupid. I'm taking Dutch's little girl."

"Over my dead body," Arthur growled.

"That can be arranged, but for now, I need you to let Dutch know, that I have her." He smirked.

Colm pulled his gun from its holster, aimed the gun at Arthur's shoulder, and pulled the trigger.

As the bullet entered Arthur's shoulder, he groaned in pain.

"Arthur!" Casie screamed.

The man who had just tied Casie up, glared at Casie, "I thought he just told you, to shut the fuck up."

Casie, felt the butt of his pistol, hit her jaw, she tasted blood, just before she blacked out.

"Now Mr Morgan, hopefully, you'll live to make it back to where Dutch is currently camped. But in case you don't..." Colm O'Driscoll, shoved a letter into Arthur's coat pocket.

He turned to the man, who had been holding the gun to Arthur's head. "Get him on his horse."

He then turned to the man, who had just knocked Casie out.

"I don't remember telling you to hit her." he said, glaring at the man.

"Sorry boss, I thought.." the man replied.

"I don't pay you to think." Colm raised his gun, and shot the man between the eyes.

Colm looked at the other man, who had finished putting Arthur on his horse.

"Get her stowed on my horse, we're heading back." He walked over to Arthur's horse, and slapped it on the rump.

Arthur's horse, headed south, with the injured Arthur Morgan holding on, hoping that his horse would get him home, before he bled out.

Dutch glanced over at the bed. Jack was still fast asleep. He'd fallen asleep in Dutch's arms yesterday. Dutch wasn't sure how this was all gonna work out. The youngsters he'd taken in, had always been teenagers, mostly broken, in one way or another. Jack was different. Not just because of his age, but because he was actually Dutch's flesh and blood.

Dutch walked over to the bed, and looked down at the sleeping boy. They needed to find a permanent solution to all this running, and death. If not for the rest of the gang, but for Jack. His thoughts then turned to Casie. He needed to make this right, not just for Jack, but for Casie as well.