“I didn’t mean to kill him,” Annie says to Sheriff Albright. He ‘s getting more than a little frustrated.

“I remember you, Annie,” he drawls, squinting at her, “you and them thieves caused a whole lotta trouble in my town.”

“You weren’t even Sheriff when we ran this place,” Annie mumbles.

*

She and Captain made this their first stop. Annie wanted to put up some tombstones in honour of her fallen friends. She didn’t have anything of theirs (all hands and belongings were lost to the sea) but she felt they deserved something. She’d paid the undertaker to erect several pillars on the edge of the graveyard, alongside the railroad tracks they’d robbed so many times. He’d made a comment about the kinda money she must have to be wasting it on dead folk who weren’t even there, but she ignored him.

They’d already collected two people for their cause: a former slave who called himself Dove and a pregnant woman named Josie. Chu tried to make small talk with them, but they were lost in their own little world, doting on each other. It took them three days to open up to the rest of the motley crew.

Josie’s fiancé was- to put it lightly- infuriated that she had run off. Even more so because it wasn’t his child she was carrying. Annie saw him approaching their camp one night. It was her husband.

Yes, the one that ran off with a red headed prostitute. He must’ve run out on her too, and trapped poor Josie not long after.

Buford cocked his shotgun and pointed it at Annie. “Well look who it is, my useless bitch of an ex-wife.”

“Technically we’re still married, you adulterous drunk,” Annie retorted venomously, “I’m not surprised that Josie found comfort in the arms of another- you’re not much of a man no matter what woman you’re with.”

He roared and charged towards her. Swiftly, Annie ducked out of his way and snatched the gun from the hands that had beat her bloody so many times.

“Don’t be stupid,” his eyes were almost black with anger.

“Oh, I’m thinking clearly for the first time in your company,” Annie smiled, “I ain’t afraid of you no more, Buford.”

She shot at him- aiming in between his legs- but the gun was rusted and she missed. It hit him square in the thigh and painted the sand with thick, dark, arterial blood. He screamed and cursed and begged for Annie to help him. She just stood there, cool as a cucumber, while the others came out of their tents to see what the ruckus was about. Dove held Josie to his chest and Captain told Chu to clean up the mess and fetch a doctor.

The Sheriff arrived with the morning. He grabbed Annie and took her away. No amount of protesting stopped him.

*

Annie steps over Albright. He shouldn’t have left his gun laying around. He’ll live, but she’ll be long gone by then.