CHAPTER 5 – SINS OF THE FATHER

December 1862

New York, NY

Trojan Railroads Executive Offices

Marshall walked out of his office to join his father and his brother for New Years Eve. They were to meet at Trojan Towers, their company headquarters. Marshall became a doctor out of school, where his older brother, Ivy took on the family business and was now second in command of Trojan Railroads. When Marshall got to the towers he found his brother's office empty.

Fireworks lit up the night outside and flashed through the towers. Marshall avoided his father's office and went down to the saloon, in one last attempt to find his brother. There he was sitting at the bar with a dirt-torn suit on, holding a nearly empty bottle in one hand and a slip of paper in the other. Marshall sat down next to him. "Ivy, what's gotten into you?"

"Have a drink, little brother, in honor of me."

He poured some of the whiskey into a glass in front of Marshall. He looked at the glass and grabbed the bottle from Ivy's hand.

"To you," he said as he drank from it.

"I'm done, Marshall."

"What?"

"If I ever see him again I'll kill'em."

"Pop?"

"He's a monster, and I- No, we're..." Ivy trailed off.

"Ivy, what's goin' on?"

"I enlisted this morning."

"YOU WHAT!? Are you mad! He'll never let you get away with it."

"He doesn't know. And as for FreeLander, if he sends that dog for me, I'll kill’em."

Jebediah FreeLander was a government bounty hunter, a free agent of death, and Wyatt Kaleb Troy's right hand man. As the boys entered adulthood, and Marshall went off to school, Ivy apprenticed for Wyatt. In his tenure he had learned many of their father's terrible truths and dark secrets. Their family's legacy was built on the blood and bones of innocent people; One last fact that sealed Ivy's hatred for him. He could no longer lie.

"But there has to be something, something more than what we know, something you're not telling me. Ivy, What aren’t you telling me?"

"Our mother, Marshall, she was Pawnee. She was an injun."

"What?! That’s imp- No. I can't..."

"And that's not all," exhaled Ivy as his stature dropped in despair. "He killed them. After she died, the women, the children, all of them, he burned their land for the railroad. It was his plan all along."

"That can't be. What kind of man could do such a thing?"

"The only reason they met was because of that god damn railroad. It's the only reason he's rich and we're alive. Don't you see little brother? We're his evil incarnate."

"How could he get away with it?"

"Manifest Destiny. Imminent domain. Pick a reason. Told the courts he had just cause, blaming it on some Black Pawnee named Ten Crows."

"And they bought his story about an Indian outlaw?"

"It’s no story. Ten Crows is real. Accounts of his robberies and duels are all over Wichita and Dodge. According to the paper, bein' a rebel an' all, he joined up with the confederates to fight in the war. Well, I'm gonna go find'em!"

"Listen to yourself, Ivy. None of this makes any sense. A confederate injun? Now I've heard it all. You're really gonna go through with this?"

Ivy handed Marshall the slip of paper he was holding in his hand. It was a Union Army recruitment stub. He was shipping off tomorrow morning.

"So that's it then."

“It’s a done deal.”

The brothers sat together in that bar and drank all night, both wishing it would never end.

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Marshall walked Ivy to the docks in the morning. Marshall couldn’t say good-bye to his brother.

"I'm going with you," he said, "you can fight, and I can treat."

"Don't be a fool. You need to stay here, little brother" Ivy hugged him and walked out onto the ramp to the ship.

"Who's gonna protect me?"

"You're a grown man now, Marshall.”

Marshall blushed at that. Like he needed reminding.

“Just remember, it’s who you choose to be that matters, not where you’re from, and you'll be okay."

Marshall shook his head, too upset, and overwhelmed to respond.

"And Marshall..." Ivy yelled out from the boat as the deckhands pulled the ramp up, "Never come after me."

He watched his brother sail away south, into the war.

In the months to come, Marshall, under pressure from his father, closed his practice, and took Ivy's place as Vice President of Trojan Railroads. Marshall would never see his brother again. And by the time he got to him at Appomattox, he was just buried as Ivy under the wretched mysteries of their despicable father. Marshall sat by the grave, rehashing all this in his head. Then he finally mustered up the will to say good-bye to his lost brother.

"I might be breaking part of your last words, but I'm here to tell you that I'm devoting my life to the rest."

July 1865

Mount Hope, WV

Marshall, Ira, & Kid Colt

Marshall reached for the rope while hanging upside down from the tree. He wasn’t getting close enough. The tree was just too big for him to maneuver. This might not have been as good of an idea as he first thought. Kid Colt was choking to death. Just beyond them in the chaotic town square, Ira finished shooting his revolver and returned to his rifle. He reloaded it and planted his feet. Ignoring the deputies moving against him, he lined up the perfect shot.

Ira "Ace" Davis iced a bullet clean through the head of the Sheriff, snapping the noose loose from the tree.

Ira’s single rifle shot released both Lady MacPherson and Kid Colt from the grips of death. She immediately ran to her son’s side. He wasn’t moving on the floor. Ira tried to reload as a deputy came up on him, cocking back his pistol. Hanging like a monkey from the tree, Marshall swung around and shot the two remaining deputies. He finally jumped down off the tree and they both made their way over to Kid Colt.

"Jimmy! Jimmy!" his mother panicked by his side, "He's not breathing!"

"Step aside, Ma'am" Marshall holstered his gun, passed Lady MacPherson off to Ira, and knelt down before Colt. He checked the kid’s breathing by putting his ear up to his mouth. "We need to start compressions."

"What?" Ira froze.

"Trust me, I'm a doctor" said Marshall. "I used to be." he muttered as he pounded Colt's chest with his arms repeatedly, "If now was the time, I would explain." He bent over to check his breathing again when Kid Colt stirred awake.

"Oh, thank the Lord," praised Lady MacPherson.

She held her only son in her lap and stared at the big yellow sun rising.

Without wasting any time, they got Colt up.

"We gotta get goin' kid" advised Ira while Marshall got their horses and the Mayor rolled over to his feet.

Marshall spoke to him bluntly, "Everyone will be okay if they seek proper medical attention. Everyone except the Sheriff that is… He's dead. We are taking the kid with us and never coming back here. It'll be in your town's best interest to let us go."

The befuddled Mayor shook his head speechlessly.

Kid Colt bid good bye to his mother. She was done crying and knew this is the way things had to be. This is what’s best for her Jimmy. Lady MacPherson could not go with her son on the rest of his journey. She took off her necklace and put it around Colt's neck. It was his father's wedding ring. Ira silently consulted the Mayor. When Marshall asked him later Ira said that he insured the Lady’s safety in the town.

“You know we can’t come back,” said Marshall.

“I know.”

“Nor can we confirm her survival once we leave,” he persisted.

“Which is exactly why I did what I could just now,” said Ira.

Kid Colt hugged his mother and mounted his horse.

Marshall looked over at Ira, unsure. They left before noon and did not speak on the ride out. Three horses and plenty of rations fled from the Mount Hope Hotel. Two regrets placed on the coming horizon.

After a couple of hours riding, they came across a man on the verge of death. He was too sickly to sit up and was huddled over a rotten corpse of cattle. It was a horrendous sight. Marshall dropped down from his horse and began to set up camp.

"What are you doing?" asked Ira.

"I'm making camp for the night."

Kid Colt followed Marshall, getting off his horse, and began to unpack.

"Guy looks like he could use a nice warm fire, maybe some fresh food and water."

"Another charity case, we're gonna be a small army by the time we reach Dodge," Ira groaned.

Marshall woke the starving man, gave him some water, and asked, "What's your name?"

After a drink and a couple coughs, his airy voice answered, "Peyton. My name is Peyton Quade."

Ira and Marshall were unaffected by the name, but Kid Colt was flabbergasted. There was no way that he was sitting next to one of the greatest outlaws in the west. This man was a beggar. Just then the man got enough energy to roll over, revealing his black charcoal revolvers. Kid Colt gasped.

"It is him!"

End of Saga Two

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