Family in Shambles

Bonus Chapter

Jack stood quietly on the shore, staring down at the body of Edgar Ross, his eyes narrowed with hatred. His entire family was killed because of that man, but now Jack had finally made things right.

He had gotten his revenge, not only for his father, but for all of the other lost souls he once knew. Dozens of faces he had seen as he grew up were now replaced with headstones - because of Edgar Ross.

But now, the former Pinkerton was lying dead at Jack's feet, and although the boy was full of hate, a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He then walked away, getting on his horse.

What am I going to do now? Before his mother had passed, she spoke of a place to the north - Canada, she had called it. It had been Helen's and Charles' desired destination after they were married.

According to his mother, life in Canada was much simpler. She would receive letters from Helen every so often about her life on their ranch. Jack had been intrigued by this lifestyle - living in a new country, owning property and taking care of his own.

Maybe I should go up there.... He rummaged through his horse's saddlebags as he trudged on through the desert. With a sigh of relief, he pulled out a small, rectangular lockbox.

He opened it gently, staring down at the numerous letters that were exchanged between his mother and his distant aunt. He pulled out one letter in particular, opening it and reading its content quickly.

With a nod, he stuffed it in his jacket pocket and returned the lockbox to its saddlebag. Looks like I'm going to Canada.

~~~~

It was a long journey, from Blackwater to Canada - a week of trudging through mud, rain, dry heat and humid air. Jack had thought of turning back, to return to the land he was familiar with.

But he didn't give up on his endeavour - he owed it to himself to find some peace. He held the letter tightly in one hand, his horse's reins in the other, as he rode down a tree-lined path.

Not much farther now, I don't think. In that letter, there were directions that led to the Smiths' ranch home. "You and the boys are welcome any time to come visit - Charlie worked day and night to build this place for us!" the letter had read.

Jack smiled faintly at the cheerful line, glancing down at the letter for a moment. I never understood why she called him that, or how Charles tolerated it from her and no one else.

Jack slowed his horse when he spotted a structure in the distance, and his heartbeat quickened with anticipation. There it stood, a home similar to his back in Beecher's Hope, but it looked much darker than he was expecting.

He stepped off his horse once he stopped in front of the abandoned home. There was still a cow or two grazing near a rundown barn, as well as a stray horse wandering near the fence of the ranch.

Jack then hitched his horse with a long sigh. He felt almost out of placing, walking up the stairs, standing in front of the door. He had seen the patches of dried blood near the barn, which made him feel like he was intruding on his family's final resting place.

But with nowhere else to go, Jack took a deep breath and grabbed hold of the doorknob. Before he could walk in, however, the sound of horse hooves made him whip around in alarm.

His revolver was already in hand, and he raised it up to the newcomer. "Whoa!" He was greeted by a tiny, high-pitched voice, and he finally realized who this newcomer was.

A little girl, perhaps no older than 10, was riding on the back of a donkey. "Hey there, mister! This house is already occupied!" she called, stepping down with a huff. What the...?