As the dust settled after the shocking gunshot, Jed rushed to Charlie 's side, his heart pounding like a war drum. He had dragged the boy to the relative safety of a nearby alley, away from the chaos and the noise. Charlie 's limp body lay sprawled on the dirt, the vibrant crimson of blood streaking his pale forehead. Jed dropped to his knees, his hands trembling as they hovered over the boy. For a moment, he couldn't bring himself to touch him. His chest tightened, his breath hitching in his throat.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFWAw8wu2U
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEFCJm1M0T
"God damn it," he muttered, his voice raw. "No…not like this. Not now."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97D2J9lm7n
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLYKGa0yEu
Tears welled in his eyes, and he squeezed them shut, biting down on the inside of his cheek until he tasted copper. Memories flooded his mind like a river breaking its dam.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNektG8ehu
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBrkUU4Ut7
Jenny's face shimmered in his thoughts, pale but radiant as she cradled her newborn son. The baby had barely cried, his tiny hand curling instinctively around Jed's calloused finger.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTsNWUKtjP
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSbaoXhapV
"Isn't he beautiful, Jed?" Jenny whispered, her voice fragile as glass. Her dark hair clung to her damp forehead, but her smile was steady.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqOXNkNm4M
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hqoajZvaN
Jed nodded, his throat too tight to speak. He had never been one for sentiment, but holding that tiny life in his hands had shaken something loose in him. He finally croaked, "Yeah. He sure is. Looks like his pa."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4RQIk5KrY
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeQUt7fbPT
Jenny's lips quirked into a bittersweet smile. "I was thinkin' of namin' him after his father."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPTIj2KBzr
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCw2cqKtd9s
Jed shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the baby and then back at her. "That's a good idea, Jenny. A damn fine idea."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpF26fnE8jI
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUltige6qw
Her smile faded as her strength ebbed, her breathing growing shallow. "Jed…promise me. Promise me you'll take care of him."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuDBVJwLZK
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZh4Rs6Q7D
"Jenny, don't talk like that—"
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyByOitySFR
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaVGDCuR0V
"Promise me," she insisted, her voice trembling but resolute. "Raise him right. Keep him safe."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrO7kJQJ1j
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfmET6GY4t
Jed's jaw clenched, and he gave her the only answer he could. "I will. With my life, Jenny. You got my word."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcb8YEgR629
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrStd2Rx2AV
Her eyes glistened as she reached up to touch his face. "Thank you, Jed. God bless you…"
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDs1xoiSwRh
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDD0zlE1Lp
Her hand fell limp before she could finish, and Jed felt something inside him shatter. He had buried her behind the barn under the shade of the old oak tree, marking the grave with a simple wooden cross. He stood there for hours that day, cradling the baby she'd left behind.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaCBlb9KWV
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ssQSF6pw4
The memory shifted. Charlie was six, all wide eyes and gangly limbs, too curious for his own good. It was late one night when Jed was roused by a soft knock on his bedroom door. He swung his legs over the bed and opened it to find Charlie standing there, clutching a threadbare blanket.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghJ97bUxkw
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzI9Jzk3y0
"Uncle Jed," the boy whispered, his voice barely above a whimper. "Can I sleep in your bed?"
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyM2sIUVdn9
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMvc5E5z7P
Jed raised an eyebrow, scratching his beard. "What for? Ain't you got a candle in your room?"
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfSdQXyYHQ
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWEI3gYzH8
"Yeah, but it's still scary," Charlie admitted, twisting the blanket nervously in his small hands.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28of2C1IBh
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14vIRBhPq8
Jed sighed, stepping aside. "Alright, alright. Get in here. Just don't go kickin' me in your sleep, ya hear?"
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBcqQIEhEU
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3MyGp80y6
Charlie grinned, climbing onto the bed and curling up beside him. "Thanks, Uncle Jed."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuoOVBug1X
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVtLV3OGKg
Jed shook his head, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Don't thank me. You're still makin' the damn coffee in the mornin'."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3435qdISnG
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WXHx4nFne
Back in the present, Jed snapped back to the harsh reality of the alley. His chest heaved, and tears streamed freely down his weathered face. He let out a shaky breath, brushing a bloodied hand across Charlie 's brow.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzWyC4jXHh
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7TGuRgsl7
"You ain't dyin' on me, kid," he growled, his voice breaking. "I made a promise, and I aim to keep it."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRKvwliAgr
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaU880iA9jO
Finally, he pressed trembling fingers to Charlie 's neck, searching desperately for a pulse. Relief washed over him like a cold drink on a blistering day when he felt the faint but steady thrum of life. Charlie was alive—barely, but alive.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaBA60c7X1
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFHLjn97yw
"You stubborn little bastard," Jed muttered, his voice gruff with emotion, his dark humor kicking in as tears streaked his weathered face. "Don't you ever scare me like that again, you hear? Or I'll wring your neck myself."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGk1DO4xOg5
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMrHOK8AXY
His hands worked with practiced care as he inspected the wound. The bullet had grazed the front of Charlie 's head, tearing through skin and leaving a nasty gash. Jed studied the angle of the injury, his cynical mind piecing together the chaotic sequence of events.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3yaV4PyiQ
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjSL3qYReu
Damn near too close, he thought grimly. The shot had struck at a glancing angle, sparing Charlie from a fatal blow by sheer luck—or providence, if one believed in such things.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFcNi2u0ah
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyoctcQlIK
Jed's mind churned with details as he replayed the scene. George had been standing no more than 20 or 30 feet away when he fired. At that range, with a .44 caliber revolver, the odds of hitting Charlie squarely should've been high. The revolver had an effective range of around 75 yards, more than enough for a clean shot. Yet George's haste and nerves had ruined his aim, causing the bullet to skim past its mark.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DXDEyAsOF
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNYgk7mvqu
"That close, and you still botched it, George," Jed muttered under his breath, half in relief, half in anger. "Good thing for Charlie you're as steady as a rattlesnake in a hailstorm."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIUVo81Gkg
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0EMiuFdrM
The .44 was a powerful weapon, designed to drop a man in one shot. A direct hit to the head should've been fatal, but the angle saved Charlie . Jed understood just how slim the margin of survival had been. The impact alone could've been enough to fracture his skull or worse, yet somehow it hadn't. The boy's luck—or stubbornness—had kept him alive.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVE1R9A6VN7
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwGjFpis3z
"Hell of a gamble you're playin', kid," Jed muttered, his hands steadying now as he pressed the cloth harder against the wound. "But you're still breathin', and that's what counts."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGIVmjzBBN
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUOy0uQKSV
The wound bled heavily, but Jed could already see it wasn't as bad as it first looked. Charlie 's pulse was weak but steady. He let out a long breath, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tZyCuiDFY
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4ZdBmyILR
"You're tougher than you look, boy," Jed murmured, his voice softer now. "I'll give you that. Just don't go makin' a habit of testin' my heart like this."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGbAJ9fdud
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9gAQdVi00
Jose groaned as he struggled on the ground, his leg twisted at an unnatural angle, blood pooling beneath him. He spat into the dirt and glared at George with a venom that could curdle milk. "Come out, you *goddamned coward,*" he snarled, his voice a mixture of pain and rage.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5OQTPUvpR
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8EQO4QWAu
George emerged from the shadows, walking with a deliberate, unhurried stride. He stopped a few feet from Jose and cocked his head, his cold, calculating eyes scanning the pathetic sight before him. "Still alive, I see," he said softly, his voice smooth and dripping with condescension. "I have to admit, I expected you to be… quieter by now."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxfCbLHLaz
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yBKhh1fNx
Jose smirked through the pain, his teeth red with blood. "Quiet? You don't know me, George. I don't shut up, not even for the devil himself."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfZBPxdkeX
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUWlcWlf3u
George chuckled, a low, unsettling sound. "Oh, I've come to know you well enough, Jose. Brash. Reckless. And, if I may say, entirely lacking in foresight. Look at you now—your leg's a mangled mess, your stomach's full of holes, and you're lying in the dirt. Tell me, how do you plan to crawl your way out of this one?"
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGd3w7b9C0
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9cghrm2RE
Jose sneered, his voice dripping with defiance. "Plan? Who said anything about a plan? I'll get my revenge with or without this busted leg. Hell, take the other one too if you want. I'll drag myself to you and make sure you pay for every damn thing you've done."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEyIBaL53F
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMRSthOQmM
George sighed, shaking his head in mock pity. "Jose, you misunderstand. I'm not interested in taking your other leg. I'm merely pointing out that, in your current state, revenge is little more than a fantasy." He crouched down slightly, his tone shifting to something almost compassionate. "You know, if you'd used your brain instead of your temper, this might have gone differently. But now? You're just another loose end."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRh8hFNA96K
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzkpTJDpMz
Jose tried to push himself up, his hands trembling as he fought against his body's limits. His face twisted in pain, but he managed to spit at George's feet. "You talk too much, George. Just like your ants—always swarming, but never getting the job done."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLdCux0znY
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjAgi9yMiD
George straightened and aimed his revolver at Jose's head, his expression calm and unbothered. "Well, I suppose it's time to correct that, isn't it?"
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNJNG9nTQT
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36gyUGBwbv
Before he could pull the trigger, a voice rang out from behind. "You always were a fancy talker, George."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWiju2pt3zQ
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLyeKqkXwa
George froze, his eyes narrowing as he turned to see Jed stepping out of the shadows. The old man's revolver was already drawn, though it hung lazily at his side. His grizzled face bore a dark smirk, and his eyes glinted with cynical amusement.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6A1muh8mr
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZIBrhro9R
"Jed," George said, straightening himself. "What a surprise. Come to rescue this pitiful excuse for a man?" He gestured toward Jose with his free hand, his tone sharp with disdain.
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfrM0hb4gZ
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6bF7250VW
Jed snorted, his voice carrying a mocking edge. "Rescue? Hell no. Jose ain't worth the trouble. I just came to watch you squirm a bit."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWd8447G9My
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldCaqaJ7a6
"Is that so?" George's lips curled into a faint smile, though his eyes remained cold. "You're always so quick to mock, Jed. But tell me, do you really think you stand a chance without your friends?"
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1SRfKnBi3
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQU0Ufx1aeZ
"Friends?" Jed barked a laugh. "Listen here, George, I wouldn't piss on Jose if they were on fire. But you? You're worse than both of 'em combined, and that's saying something and Charlie is my fucking nephew you just shot."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaRAxmnqdu
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqQu3TkmK9
Jose, still on the ground, groaned and muttered, "Go to hell, Jed."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJLci5fpuQ
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpNMc39pmv
Jed ignored him, his focus locked on George. "You and me, no ants, no tricks. Let's settle this the old-fashioned way."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5vxpnhzYP
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNeuuhdHWnc
George smirked, his demeanor calm and calculating. "And what makes you think you're any match for me, Jed? I've been perfecting my craft and my skills."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtFEgm3fMq
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPl6QOYR99
Jed's smirk widened, though his eyes darkened. "You might've perfected your little tricks, but I survived the Civil War, George. I've stared death in the face more times than you've changed your shirt. And I ain't scared of some smug bastard who hides behind bugs."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ784znO8I8Y
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAYv3uOajH
The air grew tense as the two men sized each other up, their words laced with venom and the promise of violence. Jose, lying in his own blood, managed a bitter laugh. "Kill each other, for all I care. Just make it quick. I've got better things to do than watch you two flap your jaws."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3VGcqxRQT
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65UAFQNzYd
Jed spared him a glance, his voice dry. "Shut up, Jose. You're lucky I don't shoot you myself."
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfpgOdCPjW
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfPuqHZLNd
George smiled faintly, his confidence unwavering. "Well, Jed, shall we?"
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HxYFYQKuM
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EPoTCNEDk
Jed raised his revolver slightly, his expression hardening. "Let's."
ns 15.158.61.4da2
