Jess plays a horrible, wailing tune on her harmonica.
She's pleased with herself, warmed by the campfire and the whiskey and the girl at her side.
The one who'll kill her, one day, but not tonight. Tonight they're lovers, out under the stars.
And then it all goes to shit, before she's even had a chance to enjoy the spoils of the day.
"Jessie Bowman?" Asks a man stepping from the shadows, rifle at his shoulder.
The tune dies on her lips.
"You're wanted. Dead or alive." He continues, and Billie draws on him before she can say anything.
"Back off." She says. "This one's mine."
"Whaaaat, you're a bounty hunter? Shit." Jessie says to her girl, unconvincingly.
It doesn't matter, she's already decided he can't leave here alive.
"Ain't backin' off on this one, Bill. Money's too good."
"Ain't it always." She hisses. "You aren't dumb enough to start this with me over three hundred dollars, Hank."
"Situation's changed, Bill. One-five-hundred, alive." He pumps the rifle's lever. "Or one-two-fifty dead. I ain't picky."
Billie goes white.
"Jess, what in the hell did you do?"
Hank answers for her. That's fine, the less eyes on her right now the better.
"Knocked off a federal treasury train. She's wanted across state lines, Bill. Now we can do this peacefully or-"
Half of his head is gone before he can finish. He drops into the mud, blood rushing down to join the river.
"Jess, what the hell!?" Billie yells at her, but she's already dropped her shotgun and started packing up camp. "I was handling it!"
"No you weren't." Jess says, kicking out the fire. "And even if you was, he'd know you had me and didn't finish the job. Implication like that'd ruin you, Billie."
"The hell, Jess." Billie repeats.
"I was you, I'd get far away from here before anybody else sees you." Jess says, tearing down her tent and stowing it on her horse. "I know that's what I'm doing."
She pauses, long enough for the weight of the bounty to settle on her shoulders.
"We-" She starts. "We ain't gonna see eachother again, I don't think."
She kisses Billie, but it don't feel the same as it did. It's over now, and there ain't nothing she can do to fix it. The kiss is as empty as a million promises of a better future they ain't never gonna have.
"I-I gotta go, Billie."
She gets on her horse, and hears the click of a hammer behind her.
"I'm sorry." She says, without looking back.
She rides away, and no shot follows her.
The money weren't ever going to be good enough.
The way her heart's hurting, she wishes it was.
