"So is this the part where you take me out behind the jail and shoot me?" Caldwell asked nervously. He wondered what was going on, what with the sheriff coming in drunk during the night and the Marshal acting like she was about to sneak out of town before anyone noticed she was gone.

"I don't have a reason to," the Marshal said quietly, looking down at the base of the door. She ran her hand down one of the bars to the lock. "When this place was built, it was state of the art. No room to lift a door off the hinges, and a lock that would take even the best a good six minutes to pick. Back then, there were three deputies and a sheriff. Jed was just a little boy back then."

She looked at her fingers and rubbed the dust off of them.

"I don't know why I told you that," she finally said, frowning and looking up at Caldwell.

"Did you and the kid have a fight?" Caldwell asked cautiously. "He seemed mighty upset about you killin' that Abe fellow. Not that I like either of you that much, but should you be runnin' off with things left all messed up between the two of you? That's how people get shot in the back."

"When Jed was a little boy," the Marshal began, just as quietly as before, "he...needed someone. He needed a mother. And I left. I guess for years I've been trying to make it up to him and to Char, coming by more than I should, trying to remember birthdays, trying to teach them how to be adults. But I wasn't there for them when they needed me, and I guess I've been trying to make them need me, when they don't. When people don't need you, I guess that's the time to leave. But I couldn't bring myself to leave, so I could never leave them with just good memories. I've never really managed to leave people with good memories--just once or twice. So I guess I've overstayed my welcome here, too. And when you know you aren't wanted, well, I don't think you should stay after that."

Caldwell started to speak and then hesitated. As much as the presence of the Marshal had kept him from sleeping, it was the events of the last few days more than anything that had kept him awake. When he closed his eyes, he could see the faces of his men. People who had trusted him, who had followed him without hesitation. He'd done something stupid, gotten caught, and without him, they'd been slaughtered by Meyer and his men. He wasn't the sort to express his emotions, but those people had been the closest thing he had ever had to family and they had probably died not even knowing he cared about them. That was something that would be stuck in the back of his head for whatever span of days were left allotted to him.

"Marshal, not to be interfering in your business unless it keeps me alive a little bit longer, but if those kids mean as much to you as it sounds like, you owe them more than slinking off the first time you have a spat. You might not get another chance. Odds are we're going to get gunned down the instant we stick our heads out of this fleahole of an excuse for a town."

"You think I'm taking you with me?" the Marshal asked, tipping her head. "I know how to survive. I've lasted when I never should have. But this isn't a first spat. I've know these kids since--since--for a very long time. Longer than they know or probably they'll ever imagine. I've watched them go through their ups and downs and fought with them and trained them. But I've always been of some use to them. I'm not any more. If it takes taking on an entire gang by myself to keep them safe, I will. They'll trail me, not stick around throwing stones at a little town that's not worth the wood that built it. They'll be safe and...and they can go on with their lives."

"Oh, you're not takin' me with you? That's fine then, you get right along with whatever you feel like you have to do. Been real nice knowin' you, Marshal. Maybe you can handcuff me some other time."

"I guess so," she said quietly, the turned and walked over to Jed's desk. She slipped her gun into its holster, then picked up her hat and examined it. After a moment, she placed it on her head and secured it into place. She ran her fingers along the edge of the desk, then opened the desk and looked at Ezekiel Cane's badge.

"I can't be their guardian angel anymore," she whispered to it. "I'm sorry."

Caldwell was already running over his escape plan. Jed was drunk and the only law in town. Right about now, the best shape he would be in would be incredibly hungover. With the Marshal safely out of the way, there'd be nothing to stop him from unlocking his cell door, stealing a horse or preferably a steam eagle, and making a run for it. Naturally he'd also steal enough guns to fight off any of Meyer's men stupid enough to cross his trail. And then it was off to Mexico to lie low for awhile and decide whether or not he was stupid enough to keep trying to make a living as a bandit leader. Still, he couldn't resist the urge to meddle a bit more.

"You going to at least let the girl know you're leavin'?"

The Marshal froze, her hand on the doorknob. She didn't move for a few minutes, then finally turned.

"Fine," she said gruffly, sweeping through the room and up the stairs, her boots clicking against the floorboards. The upstairs apartment was still incredibly quiet, and she carefully made her way to Char's room and pushed the door open.

The room was empty, Char's bed neatly made. The Marshal frowned, then went to check and see if Char had crawled out onto the roof again. No luck.

"Caldwell," she said briskly, coming back down the stairs. "Did she leave while I was out this morning?"

"I was dozin', but not so hard that I would miss somebody creepin' through here. You've been the only one doing that," Caldwell answered. "Why, what's wrong?"

"She's gone," the Marshal said, spinning and heading back up the stairs. She burst into Jed's room a moment later.

"Get up," she growled, splashing some water into his face. "Now."

"Shutup!" Jed yelled back, pulling the pillow back over his eyes. After which he grumbled, "it's too early for any of this crud."

"Oh really? So you really wouldn't care at all if I told you your little sister is missing? You're more selfish than I thought."

With those words, Jed was out of his bed in less than a second. Soon after, he nearly fell flat on his face. Instead, he balanced himself against the low-sloping roof of his room. "When did this happen?"