•Tombstone• Brothers Under The Sun

Chapter 18

𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓼𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓫𝓮𝓰𝓪𝓷 𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷.

After grouping up, Wyatt Earp, Texas Jack, Doc Holliday, McMasters, Turkey Creek, and Ellanora Raycroft rode to the Tucson train station. Night had fallen and the cold air creeped in. Fog had laid itself on the ground, giving the night an eerie feeling. Not many people were around, just the few men leaving for business into the night.

Virgil, Lou, Allie and Maddie came with them, as they were leaving for California. The group stood with the company that were leaving and all bud their goodbyes. Wyatt hugged his brother close. Standing outside the train station Elle was stopped by a hug by Virgil. With one hand in a sling, it was just a one handed hug. Stumbled by the hug, she leaned into his grasp, taking in the hug. He pulled away and smiled to the girl.

"You be careful now." He said.

"I'll try my best." She laughed a little. Virgil patted her shoulder and smiled down at
Elle, "Good bye Virgil." Ella spoke softly.

Virgil shook his head, "This ain't goodbye Miss Raycroft, we will see each other again." He said calmly, as if he knew Elle would make it out safe.

Virgil turned away and Elle bid goodbye to the ladies before they walked into the train station and disappeared from sight.

"All right," Wyatt said approaching her, the other boys behind him, "you all know the plan." He said calmly.

The group watched as Wyatt went ahead of them in the fog and approached the two cowboys who were set on killing Virgil and the ladies before they left. Wyatt shot the other cowboy and started yelling at the other. The fog was thick so it was hard to see who the cowboy was until she moved closer with the other men.

Upon setting closer, Elle saw that the other cowboy was none other then Ike Clanton. He was on the ground, crying like a baby, covered in blood. The other cowboy was dead, shotgun holes in his chest.

"The Cowboys are finished. You understand me?" Wyatt yelled at Ike.

Standing behind him was now Turkey Creek, Doc Holliday, McMasters, Texas Jack, and Ellanora Raycroft.

"I see a red sash, I kill the man wearin' it."

Ike got up from his feet and started to whimper. He quickly turned and ran away.

"So run, you cur. Run! Tell all the other curs the law is comin'!" Wyatt was now turning red and in a fight of rage. "You tell 'em I'm comin'! And hell's comin' with me, you hear? Hell's comin' with me!"

The group watched Wyatt yell at the cowboy as he ran down the train line. For a moment Ellanora felt worried for this man and his sanity. Wyatt was in a fit of rage over the death of his brother and the pain they caused Virgil. Elle questioned her motive, but shook it off quickly, she knew she was doing the right thing. Someone had to do it.

Wyatt turned to his group of respected friends. They were all outlaws now. His breathing had gotten ragged, putting his shotgun down, Elle saw a small hesitation in his eyes.

"Where too now?" McMaster's asked.

"South. That's our best option." Turkey Creek said.

Men yelling interrupted their conversation. All the men, and Elle, looked at each other and all ran towards their horses, just outside the train station, in the woods. Law men came running after them, shooting even, to tell them to stop running.

Not caring about the other men around her, Elle ran as fast as she could in the dark. Her boots pounded the sand below her as sweat formed on her brows. She was the first one to reach Ash and the other horses, not long followed by Wyatt, Doc, Turkey Creek and Texas Jack.

Pulling the reins up to her chest, Ash lifted his front legs, turned to the left and dashed off. They needed to find a safe place to get the law off their backs.

"Where do we go?" Elle asked Wyatt as he rode next to her.

"Go up towards the woods, there's a canyon with a river." He turned back to look at the men in black chasing them in horses, "then dismount and hide in the river cave." Elle gave him a worried look, which he saw and responded with "don't worry, you'll see it!"

Dashing away, she saw Wyatt fall back and tell the men their plan, "You'll go in pairs of two!" He announced. "I'll draw them off!"

Wyatt then darted off to the right and the ground behind them split. Two men went after Wyatt while three more continued after the others. Feeling the cold night wind beat on her face, Ellanora watches as Turkey Creek and Texas Jack, split off from Elle and Doc. One man chases after them. Looking over at Doc, who's eyes are straight ahead, determined on where he's going, Elle urges Ash to run faster.

The two finally reach the woods and Doc jumps off his horse, "The river is down here." He says putting his arm out for Elle to take, which she doesn't.

Jumping off Ash, she grabbed her shotgun from the saddle and follows Doc down a small hill and they both fall into the cold river below. They both rush to their feet and hide themselves under the small hill that they ran down. It's hallowed out sort of like a cave. The water spots moving with them, as the two are up to their necks in the water. The water was colder then the night air. Elle began to shiver as the water consumed her.

The two were kneeling in the muddy water, the water rushed past them with a small current rushing around them. All that can be heard is their heavy breathing, and the sound of the slow moving water. Suddenly they hear two men on horses run above them on the hill.

"Which way did they go?" One asks.

"I don't know John, their horses were back there. They've got to be around here somewhere." The second replied.

The sound of two men jumping off their horses were heard between the two, and footsteps coming closer. Elle clenched her shotgun, as she held it above her head to avoid it getting clogged with water. Doc Holliday looks at the women and nods his head to the outside of the cave.

A man suddenly jumps down into the river near them, causing Elle to gasp. Doc, as quick as he is with a gun, pulls Elle closer and covers her mouth. The law man looks around as he hears water moving. Doc was that quick that when the man dropped into the water, Holliday moved towards Elle. Making the water noises sounding like it was him falling into the river.

Elle glanced up at Doc as his eyes stayed on the man outside the cave. Her heartbeat had increased and she tried to make her body a stone wall. Breathing in and out, with Doc's hand over her nose and mouth, she realized she could smell him. The faint smell of liquor and cigarettes were apparent on him. Along with a soft smelling hint of smoke. Like a fire smoke.

Looking up towards the law man, he spoke from outside the cave, "There's no way their in the river Henry, let's get out of here."

Jumping back up over the hill, Doc and Elle waited to hear the horses gallop away before they moved. Doc slowly took his hand off Elle's face and stood up from the cave, once outside he he stood straight. Elle held her shotgun above her head and also walked out of the cave.

"Why did we get the river?" Elle grumbled as she shivered. She felt exposed in the night air.

Doc turned to Elle and nodded, "Let's go find Wyatt and the rest."

Holliday began to climb the hill and once he was at the top, offered Elle his hand to help her. She was too cold to protest, and her clothes had gotten so heavy on her. Looking at his hand, she grabbed it and he helped pull her up.

What surprised Ellanora the most about all this, was that Doc Holliday's hands were still warm after hiding in the river.