CHAPTER 21 – RISING SUN

July 2nd, 1861

West Plains, MI

Wild Card Cass kissed his wife and walked outside of his ranch to smoke the cigarette he just rolled. His sons, Peter and Eli, approached him from the road. He could see Union blue colors tucked behind their saddles. They sat down on the porch next to Wild Card on his rocking chair. "We gotta talk to you 'bout somethin’, Pa," forewarned Eli, the older of the two.

"It’s about the war, isn't it?"

Peter cleared his throat, "We enlisted."

Wild Card was outraged. He wanted to beat them into unconsciousness, just so they couldn't leave home. But all he said in response was, "I just hope you boys joined up with the right side."

That night Wild Card’s sons left and took the train to Springfield, where the Union Army was gathering. Wild Card would not hear any word of his boys for the months to come. After rumors of a terrible battle gone awry for the Union at Wilson's Creek Wild Card's nerves were racked. He packed his horse and holstered his Remington 1875 in his left-handed bandoleer around his waste. He said good-bye to his wife with a kiss, who had a cough and hid her handkerchief from him well. Wild Card went out in search for his boys.

Before he could leave the town, Winfield crossed paths with an odd man. He claimed to work for the government and was sent to recruit Wild Card. Wild Card regrettably denied and told the man about his sons in the war. "Missouri will soon fall to the Confederacy…That much is clear. What if I told you," the man said discreetly, "That your boys' lives will be saved… if you let them work for me?"

"How?"

"I can put them on special ordinance, far far away from the front line."

Wild Card was no fool, "What's the catch?" he demanded.

"No catch. All you have to do is sign their rights over to my command."

"They're both of age, they have their own papers."

"Not the kind of papers I require."

They got off their horses and Wild Card felt like he had been riding for countless miles. He was no longer in West Plains, but an unknown town with a red saloon towering above him. The man escorted him into the saloon where they arranged the papers. Wild Card signed his two sons over to Lt. Commander Jebediah FreeLander.

AUGUST 10, 1865

DODGE, KS

Peyton and Marshall informed Ira and the rest of the group that they were going out to scout ahead. They left the train station as Ira and Will sat down at a private table, Emma and Wild Card remained at the bar, and the sun tenderly peeked over the horizon, catching the dusty dew.

Together, Marshall and Peyton headed across the street to the nearest hotel. After going inside and checking it out, Marshall ran back to the train station to inform the others, and Peyton made his way to the Hotel bar. Marshall crossed the street once again unnoticed. He entered the train station and told Ira and Will of the hotel.

"You should go get a room with Emma, and wait this whole thing out," proposed Ira to his brother.

"I'm staying," demanded Will.

"This isn't your fight."

"They tried to kill me and my wife!"

"And I'll make sure that they pay for what they've done."

"Oh, perfect, Ira to the rescue. Why don't you take her to the hotel?"

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"You know damn well what it means!" Will went on, "You've always loved her. And you've always pushed her to me."

"That's not true!"

"Even our first kiss was because of you, Ira. If you didn't stand her up and send me to tell her, it would've never happened."

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At this point, both Wild Card Cass and Emma were hearing the ruckus and came over. Emma looked back and forth at Ira and Will arguing. "What's the problem, boys?" she softly asked.

"No problem," Will answered, "I'm going to tell the sheriff this whole town is in trouble. Ira's gonna take you to a hotel where you two will...wait this whole thing out." Without any chance for rejection or disagreement Will put his hat on and walked out the doors. Wild Card quickly followed, silently volunteering to go with him.

"We're not finished, Will!" Ira yelled out to no avail.

Marshall ran past Ira, after Wild Card and Will, and said, "Take this..." he handed Ira a pouch full of money, "I'll go with them, and then come get you at the hotel."

Marshall was the last one out the door, leaving only Ira and Emma to go over to the hotel where Peyton was waiting.

Ira walked hand in hand with Emma as they entered the hotel lobby. He caught Peyton talking to the bartender across the hall, in the bar and joined him.

"Who do we ask for a room?" Ira inquired.

"That would be me," the bartender resided, "I own this hotel."

Ira bought a room with Marshall's money and another girl led them upstairs. Peyton remained downstairs and kept talking to the bartender, "Nice place...How long have you owned it?"

"Seems like a lifetime now." She kept looking over at Peyton with a familiar look on her face. Peyton could not help but ask, "Do I know you?"

"I certainly know you."

"Should I be worried?"

"You should be in penance."

And then he realized who this woman once was. That night, in the Orphanage, long ago, when the priest was talking of foreclosure, the night Peyton's life changed forever, the night of his first heist, it was Sister Annie who the priest was talking to in the kitchen.

"It's not Sister Annie anymore," she scoffed, "Now...it's Madam Annie."

Peyton had another look around. Maybe this was a hotel on the outside. But it was clear now, that old Madam Annie was running a brothel in her hotel. Women in loose lingerie were leading men up and down the stairs like clockwork. This hotel was a den of sin and lust. Peyton knew he was to blame. He knew that innocent Sister Annie's life was ruined as a result of the choices Peyton made.

"After the orphanage burnt down, I was the only one left...besides you four,” Madam Annie continued, "Nobody wanted me in town anymore. I was ready to kill myself before a business man walked into town one day and bought the property from me. I used the money to buy this hotel, and I've been here ever since..."

Ira and Emma followed the young girl up to the room. When they got inside, Emma closed the door behind them and locked it. Ira did not notice. He was too busy looking around, scaling up the room. "This is too small for a headquarters. We must-"

"Ira, the only thing you must do is relax."

Before Ira could answer back, she sat him on the bed and got behind him, rubbing his shoulders. He fell silent and closed his eyes. Ira was tired; so tired of being on this endless journey, tired of never getting what he wanted, tired of being on the run from himself. He fell back on the bed and knocked Emma over beside him. Their shoulders touched and she was laughing. They turned their heads in towards each other and became silent. All that could be heard was their muffled breath. Ira looked deep into her eyes and only wanted one thing. Emma looked back into his eyes intently.

"And I've heard all about you...Blackheart Quade."

The entire bar stopped moving and looked over at Peyton. The bartender went on, "All the jobs, all the banks you robbed, the people you've killed. So what is it...that you've come back to Dodge for?"

In all her honesty, what was the sense in keeping anything secret anymore, "I've come to kill the gang I was in."

"Then I know where it is that you have to go."

Her reaction was odd to say the least, but Peyton knew what he had to do, "What do you want in return?"

"Why, your legendary charcoal guns of course..."

Marshall, Will, and Wild Card entered the rundown sheriff's office. The journey to the center of town was harrowing, but it was still early and not many people were out. They got inside the door under the rising fog. There was no one in the one-room sheriff's office. There were cobwebs everywhere with no signs of life for some time.

"Great!" Will sighed.

"There's no law in this godforsaken town?" fretted Marshall.

Wild Card said nothing. Marshall looked over at him. His temper was rising past the point of control. He was ready to snap. It was clear to him Wild Card knew exactly what they were walking into, and yet he gave not one word of warning. He just went along in a mindless conviction.

"THAT'S IT!" Marshall slid his buck knife from its sheath for Wild Card's throat. "TELL US EXACTLY WHAT IS GOIN' ON HERE, CASS!"

Will pulled his gun. They both looked at him. To their surprise Will pointed his gun at Wild Card's head, saying softly, "Who are you, old man?"

"It doesn't matter who I am, or what I do. All that matters is which side I take."

"What are you talking about?"

"The end has already been decided."

"You're crazy, Cass."

"Start makin' sense," ordered Will as he cocked his gun, "Or I start shootin'."

"Kill me, boys.” Wild Card closed his eyes, “Rip my throat open, Marshall, and free me with death."

Marshall's thoughts were in a toss. Will's attention was caught by something in the Dodge City background, and he lowered his gun. He had seen something no one else had noticed yet. Now was his chance to get ahead and beat his brother. More than anything in the world, Will had always wanted to be better than Ira.