Steve McHugh - Born of Hatred

"It took us a few days more of planning and going out during the night to scout the house. It was a big property with a lot of places to hide and watch without drawing any undue attention. And then after nearly a week, we watched as the sheriff left to see his whores and put the plan in motion."

Sam had stopped crying and just looked angry. "We broke into the house, and searched it as we'd planned, but we couldn't find the guns. Lee was irate when I wouldn't stop looking, and refused to help me search further. Instead, he went room to room looking for anything of value. I went to leave the house, but heard the shouts when they found him and panicked. I hid in a wardrobe, and was forced to listen to them torture him. He told them everything, but didn't give me up. And then he arrived. I heard his voice. It was deep and filled with amusement as Lee screamed. Lee told them everything. About me, where I was, and what was happening. I bolted, but they caught me and dragged me to a large living room where Sam was tied to a chair. His face was just blood. Nothing else. I can remember seeing fingers on the floor. They'd cut off his fingers, Nathan."

Sam took a deep breath before continuing. "They tied me up and made me watch as this… thing started working on Lee. He was still alive, and they made me watch as they hurt him. Sometimes, that monster didn't even touch Lee with more than a hand, but it made him scream in pain. All night they continued, until all that was left of Lee was a whimpering mess. But by then the sun had risen, and the monster who had tortured Lee had to leave.

"They left me tied to a chair for the day, alone to watch the final moments of Lee's life ebb away. I didn't even understand how he was still alive. I knew that would be me the next night, and I knew I had to get away. The deputies who grabbed me, the same ones you met in the woods, hadn't searched me, and I managed to get a knife out of my back pocket and use it to start cutting through the ropes. It was awkward and painful, but it was the only hope I had.

"The sheriff arrived that night, with a deputy, and told me he'd killed my dad. That he'd taken his time and tortured him until my dad had given up the information they needed. And then he killed him with his own gun. He showed me the gun, right under my nose and pulled back the hammer. I snapped the rest of the rope and plunged the small dagger into the side of his face. He fell back, but the gun went off and caught the deputy in the head. The sheriff cracked his skull on the floor hard enough that he remained still. I took my dad's revolver, the other was still in the holster the sheriff wore, and I wanted to kill him."

Tears fell again, this time in great big sobs. "I couldn't do it," Sam cried. "He was right there. I pressed the barrel against his temple, but I couldn't kill him. I saw the body of the deputy, saw the hole in his head, and felt sick. The sheriff murdered my dad, had tortured Lee right in front of me. But I couldn't kill him. Why couldn't I do that?"

"You're not that person," I said softly. "Don't ever be that person."

"Why? You are." He flinched at his own words. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Yes, you did. And you're right. I would have put two in his head and called it a day. Whatever part of my soul would once have once stopped me doing that is long gone. I'm not the passive guy who lets things go, I came to terms with what I am a long time ago."

"There's more," Sam said. "Lee was whimpering. They'd cut out his tongue and removed his lips, but I could still hear his words… Kill me. It took me… I don't know how long, but eventually I placed the barrel against his head. I couldn't pull the trigger, couldn't kill him. He reached up, his hand was missing three fingers, but he placed his bloody hand against mine and I positioned his finger to pull the trigger. He said thank you and then he killed himself."

Sam wept for a long time — for himself, his dad and his friend. I sat beside him and he buried his face in my shoulder. I didn't know what to say, sorry wasn't enough, so I just sat there stoic and unyielding as Sam's emotions ran out of him.

"I couldn't get the second gun of my dad's," he said eventually. "The deputies came back, and I was forced to flee. I grabbed the nearest horse and rode toward the forest, but they shot the horse and I had to abandon it and go on foot. Then you met me."

"Thank you for telling me that, and I don't want to do this to you, but I have some questions, is that okay?"

Sam nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me that the sheriff was the killer? You asked me to help you find your dad's killer."

"I wasn't sure if I could trust you. And even if you weren't involved, who would want to help me kill a sheriff?"

He had a point. "What can you tell me about the man who tortured Lee?"

"He was tall, but he wore a hood, so I couldn't see his face. I could see his eyes though. They were bright red. And he was in charge. Even the sheriff was wary of him."

"Did you see any other… things around? Any kind of odd creatures for example."

Sam shook his head. "Just the sheriff, his deputies and that monster."

"Sky knows what your monster is," I said. "I think that's why she's really here."

"Are you going to kill him, the monster I mean?"

"I get the feeling that's Sky's job."

"She's scary."

We both watched as Sky walked around the yard below avoiding any of the Crow tribe warriors, who in turn wanted little to do with her. "She's something," I agreed. "You're going with her to a fort close to here."

"You going to be okay down in that town alone?"

I stood. "I think I can take care of myself."

"I want to kill the sheriff. I need to do it."

"You sure? You can't undo something like that."

Sam stared off into the distance. "I feel like it's something I have to do."

"Then I'm sure you'll get your chance," I said, but my thoughts continued. And then we'll see if you're the kind of man who can walk away from that. Or if you're more like me than you ever want to be.

The conversation with Sam had not been an easy one… for either of us. Hopefully he realised that running into a town, guns blazing, where there were a thousand people, many of them armed, would be a very short mission of vengeance.

There was also the fact that Sam had never killed anyone, I doubted he'd ever hurt anyone in anger before. If it were up to me that wouldn't change, but he would have to decide his own path. At some point, I was certain that he would get his chance for retribution.

I wished everyone a safe journey and spent the rest of the day riding toward Kilnhurst, with only Valour for company. It started raining after a few hours and I was grateful for the long coat that at least allowed me to stay mostly dry. The occasional use of fire magic kept me warm as a cold wind swept in.

The weather didn't appear to bother Valour who kept a steady pace the entire journey, only stopping in five minute bursts every hour to rest and have a drink of water.

By the time I'd reached the outskirts of the town of Kilnhurst, darkness was once again closing in for the night and the inhabitants were few and far between, with many making their way into houses and shops with a slam of the door as I rode past.

I stopped Valour outside what was easily the largest building in town, a three story monstrosity that loomed over me as I hitched Valour to the post and left her to drink her fill of the full trough.

The raucous atmosphere inside the establishment hit me well before I'd stepped inside the entrance where the cacophony of noise continued as dozens of men watched several attractive women dance on a stage at the end of the huge room. They wore bright, billowy dresses that showed off their bodies perfectly, driving the men who watched them crazy with need.