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The sun blazed unforgivingly down on the now silent rebel encampment. Dust swept up by the commotion still swirled gently around, blending with blood as it rained back to earth, creating dark muddy patches around the dead. The bodies laid haphazardly behind makeshift cover and inside the crude doorways of their rundown housing. They had been pitifully unarmed. This rebel camp was one of the least prepared Javier had ever come across. It was likely they were more civilians than rebels, but he knew Allende rarely saw the difference. They had refused to hand over his bounty and it escalated.
Javier took a long slow drag on his cigarette as he considered his life. He’d lost everything he’d ever known twice now. Once when he was forced to flee Mexico, and again in the months before he was forced to return. The gang he had once considered his family was almost entirely dead and buried, the rest were driven to scatter like cockroaches.
It hadn’t taken Allende’s men long to find him again. Unable to find work out of the eye of the law in the United States, having his face plastered all over the country as a highly wanted individual, he figured returning to his home country would be no worse of a fate. At least in Mexico they might shoot him on sight rather than locking him away to rot awaiting a trial before inevitably hanging him.
When he’d been caught, he had only been living in his home country for a week. Instead of being executed, he was taken to face the man he’d formerly fought against with every ounce of his being. Allende gave him the option to work for him as a bounty hunter or see his remaining family killed. The choice was easy.
Javier hated the man he’d become. Every value he’d once held dear was destroyed, leaving him a cynical and angry husk of his former self. He rarely felt much of anything anymore.
He’d been given a posse of men to order around, though he knew their allegiance lied strictly with the tyrannical leader. They were there to watch him. To get away he’d willingly take on any bounty he was given, regardless of who it was targeting. Any struggle he’d had with morality was now gone from his mind. He often requested the more dangerous bounties though, making a name for himself and gaining Allende’s favour quickly. He’d never speak it out loud, but perhaps if he was lucky he’d go out in a fair firefight and end this suffering. He could never end it himself, he believed too deeply that if he did, he’d never see his mother again in heaven. So he fought on.
The bounty on the back of his horse began to stir and Javier was roused from his deep thought. He breathed a sigh as he examined his cigarette, choosing to finish it before riding back. It was then he heard the sound of footsteps emerging from a building to his left.
He drew his weapon and pointed it at a young man, holding a knife. “My boss,” He started as he glanced at the man stowed on the back of Javier’s horse, “he’s like a father to me… please show mercy.”
Javier’s eyes grew cold, “Allende has business with him, kid.”
“Then… If you take him, you take me too.” He was hesitant, but there was a fire in his eyes.
Bewildered, Javier laughed darkly. The young man looked like Javier had once. Full of fight, full of spirit. Stupidly loyal; enough to offer his life to a cause. Javier scoffed at the young wanna-be revolutionary in front of him. “So you want to hang with him? Do you think you’re being noble?” He asked, his chest filling with rage. This boy could still escape with his life, he was being a fool.
The young man spat on the ground. “You government lap dogs make me sick! Do you forget where you live? What’s worth fighting for?” He hissed, taking a step closer. Javier cocked his pistol in response. Unfazed, the boy took another step forward.
Suddenly a voice called out hoarsely behind Javier, “Julio! What are you doing?” The bounty had woken up, seemingly to plead with his foolish subordinate. “Run, son! While he’s letting you!”
Javier sucked air in through his teeth. The man, though speaking Spanish, sounded remarkably similar to Dutch. His mind was momentarily flooded with memories. He forced the pain down and spoke coldly, “Listen to your boss you fool.”
“No, Diego, it can’t end like this!” Julio pleaded, “You’re all I have left.”
“You’re young, go make a better life for yourself!” Diego called out.
Javier, though fighting the urge, felt his face fall. He shot once at the ground by Julio’s feet. “Leave!” He commanded.
The boy reluctantly took a step back, tears in his eyes as he turned. Javier moved to walk to his horse when the boy suddenly charged at him with an animalistic cry, the knife raised over his head. Javier had ample time to react, unloading 3 bullets into the boy, hoping to end him quickly.
Diego cried out in anguish. Javier struck the man in the head, knocking him out, before climbing onto his mount.
“Idiot,” He breathed as he flicked the butt of his cigarette to the ground and began the ride back to Allende.
Gripping the reins a little tighter, Javier swallowed a lump in his throat. Spurring his horse into gallop, speeding away from the scene, he reassured himself that he didn’t feel anything anymore.