Avenging Sam Abernathy

There’s nothin’ worse than the smell of steel after the sun has been beating on it. I can tell by the way the blade is bent, and how the blood runs down my arm, that this one is a goner for sure.

You have to give him credit, though. He didn’t make a sound as he crept up behind me. You see, that’s what happens when you get too used to dealing with livestock and not men. They just slip in and out of nowhere without making a noise, and before you know it, your head is in some stranger's hand.

I straighten up, wipe the edge of my knife on my pant leg, and walk back towards camp. For a second there, I had thought about telling them that I wasn’t dead yet. But then I remembered what happened to old man Lewis last time we tried to play tricks like that. No, best just to let them think they got one over on us.

The fire has dwindled down to nothing but embers and ash now. A shard of moonlight breaks through the haze of smoke and dust above our heads, casting eerie shadows across the crooked faces of my men- well, our men now that ol’ Sam passed on to his maker only three months ago.

I smile at them all as I approach- we had started off with four dozen men, now merely eight remain as we head towards Albuquerque for our big score or bust. A few others went their own way once word got out about how Sam died- how he broke his neck trying to jump from his window into a wagon bed full of barrels of wine and whisky on Christmas Eve two years ago- but most stayed behind determined to carry on his legacy by robbing the banks in Albuquerque for him so he could finally retire.

I start getting excited as I round the corner and see their little pile of rations divided between eight plates sitting next to eight canteens scattered around their circle of blankets- they haven’t eaten yet! I take my seat next to Charlie as Bill hands me a plate saying, “you won’t believe who showed up today.” He gets quiet as he leans in close, whispering, “it was Mary! Mary Smith! She said she had heard about us robbing banks in her area! Said she wanted in!”

Mary had always been a saucy and unpredictable character from our hometown. I couldn't help but reminisce about her past identities and escapades. As Bill continues filling me in on the details of her arrival, I notice Charlie standing guard, holding his rifle aloft like some ancient statue half-buried in ash and rubble.

Kate bursts into laughter as she walks by saying, "Charlie might look funny standing there like that, but don't let him fool you, he ain't no statue. He's quick as lightning is Charlie! As fast as Old Sam used to be once upon a time before he turned into an old geezer himself..." Kate then proceeds on a long tangent about various memories involving our group members and Old Sam, all while serving plates of food.

What follows is a heated conversation filled with accusations, blame, and reminiscing about the late Old Sam at the forefront of everyone's mind. Ultimately, we realize that our focus should remain on our mission - robbing that bank in Albuquerque.

However, the unpredictability of life leaves us wondering what might have been different if ol' Sam hadn't been killed trying to steal whiskey from those wooden barrels only three months ago, instead of being killed buying copper wire from some stranger passing through town three months earlier.