Justice by Twilight

“Would you believe me if I told you that I actually AM a silver heiress?”

Her only answer being a flat look, Lenore continued.

“Well, I’m not, nor was I ever. But I almost was! Sort of… look. I grew up in a little cattle town on the backside of nowhere, my family had barely a few pennies and a bale of hay to our name for most of my childhood. As I was getting old enough to help with some chores, we had a stroke of good luck.

You see, my father worked in a mine some distance away from town. The mine dried up, to put it simply. The company that owned it was pulling out and everyone was out of the job. My father, however, believed the mine had more to give. He purchased it for next-to-nothing and moved his family out to the site as our new home. The administration building was nowhere near comfortable or large, but it was about the same size of our old home.

For two weeks, he worked alone in the mine. For two weeks, my family had to ration what little food we had since our only source of money was busy underground. For two weeks, he brought nothing but sweat and rock dust up from that forsaken hole.”

Lenore’s voice wavered, emotion bubbling up at the seams.

“Then, miraculously, he came stumbling out of the hole around noon one day. My mother and I were just starting to prepare a threadbare lunch when he burst through the doors. We thought he had gone mad, his mouth was moving but no legible sounds were coming out. Then he holds out his hand to us, palm up, holding a chunk of silver ore the size of my fist.

We were ecstatic, his hard work and perseverance was about to pay off, we’d struck a rich vein of silver. Our lives were about to change for the better.”

Her eyes darken in a way Sophie had never seen before.

“Then, it was all ripped away from us before it really began. Somehow, despite telling NOONE and being as cautious as possible, we were found by a gang of outlaws. Caravan raiders, thieves, murderers. They were looking to turn the mine into their own little hideout.”

The pause that rends the air is as heavy as a horse, Lenore rubs her arms.

“They intended to kill us, get rid of any witnesses, any that knew they were there. My father, the damn fool, tried to bargain with them.”

When Lenore doesn’t immediately continue, Sophie speaks up for the first time since she started her tale.

“Did… did they kill him?”

A laugh, bitter and keening, pierces the air from Lenore’s direction. She throws her hands to the sky.

“No! They took him up on it!” Her voice cracked.

“What did…”

“Let my family go, he said, and I’ll work the mine for you. I’ll be your prisoner, just let them leave. And they did! They shoved us onto our horse and chased us out, never to return.”

Shoulders shaking, she fell to her knees as tears stained her cheeks.

Sophie knelt beside her, unsure of what else to do, and put her hand comfortingly on the other woman’s shoulder. Lenore turned and lunged into her chest, burying her face above Sophie’s badge. Sophie was understandably unprepared for that. She patted her back in what was likely the least comforting way possible.

“That’s the last time I saw my father.”

While she tried to wrangle her emotions, Sophie’s mind raced with the new information. When the sobs quieted and Lenore stopped shaking, she spoke again.

“This hideout in the ravine, it’s not just a ravine is it? It’s a mine. The mine.”

She felt the other woman nod against her chest.

“You’re here for revenge, is that it? And I’m the means to your end.”

The other woman pulled away sharply, scowling up at her with fiery eyes. Her voice was even despite how her chest still seemed to heave.

“You are more than the vessel for my revenge, Sophie. I trust you more than anyone else, outside my own family. I did not ask you here to get retribution, though the thought isn’t unpleasant.”

Her brilliant colored eyes bore into Sophie’s own, breath catching in her throat.

“I asked you here to help me rescue my father.”

“He’s alive?”

Lenore nodded, “If the steady stream of silver ore means anything, it means he’s still down there.”

The pieces clicked into place in Sophie’s head. The rundown tools and supplies, all of the money, it was all going toward tracking down the gang and the mine, gathering information. Still, questions lingered.

“So were all of the other times just a test? Each time you called me so you could ‘turn yourself in’, but instead lead me to another group of criminals? Seeing if you could trust me?”

“Well yes and no.” Lenore had the grace to look embarrassed, taking a step back. “Most of the outlaws I lead you to were part of the original gang that took my father. You could say I was tying up loose ends, while also testing your skill and honor and whatnot. And each one let me get that much closer to the mine.”

“And now we are here.”

“And now we’re here, and you know the truth. I’ve laid it all out for you. Once my father is safe, I fully intend to turn myself over to you, once and for all.”

“If I agree to help you. I could just take you in right now, notify my bosses about the mine and let them sort it out.”

“You could.” Lenore stepped up to her again, raising her arms in front, wrists held together. “You could do it right now.”

The iron handcuffs hanging at her belt suddenly felt very heavy.

“But… I don’t think you will.” Her hands lowered.

Sophie did not respond, her eyes clouded with thoughts.

“I need some time to think about it, is that alright?” She says after an eternity.

Lenore was taken aback, but schooled her features and nodded. “How much time do you need?”

“A day or so.. I think. How long do we have to act?”

“They aren’t exactly going anywhere.”

“I’ll be back.”

She walked out of the campsite without another word.