Free Earthbound by Adam Lewinson Page A

plan.”
    “That’s it? You trust Pace and his plan? You
barely know him! You’ve known me your entire life! And I’m telling
you his plan is going to ruin your life!”
    I put my hands on her fine shoulders. What
the eff.
    “I’ve got nothing to live for right now.
Unless you wanna tell me different.”
    The waterworks started going in Becca’s eyes.
I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
    “Asher, you really have no clue, do you?” She
buried her head in my chest and just started sobbing. I glanced
over at Pace and shrugged. He shrugged back. I don’t think either
of us really understand girls.
    “If it’s just that you’re having a hard time
choosing between us,” Pace mused, “we could flip a coin. Or you
take even days and I’ll take odd.”
    I guess that was a little chauvinistic. The
sobbing thing seemed to be replaced by her righteous anger. “Pace,
shut your effing mouth!” Then Becca shoved me away. “And Asher,
you’re such an asshole! You’d have a future… we’d have a future… if
you didn’t rob that bank!”
    I looked at her for a second. Was she saying
we’d have a future together? Or just I’d have a future, and she’d
have her own separate future. It was all kind of vague to me. That
and the whole thing of whatever Becca and Pace had been doing in
their secret liaisons over the past couple of nights. No, Becca was
just trying to manipulate me. Pace was the one she cared about. And
if I didn’t do the bank robbery, he wouldn’t dare go it alone. He
needed my muscle. She was just trying to protect Pace. I had a hard
time believing she’d be that calculating, but I believed it
anyway.
    “Pace,” I said, “let’s go.”
    “I should see Rebecca home,” Pace
replied.
    “We’re headed to the bank. Wanna be there
when it opens.”
    Pace ran up to Charon and tried to stop me
from riding away. “We’re not ready Ash! We haven’t finished
planning for…” But I wasn’t really listening.
    “Now or never Pace!” I declared and rode off.
Soon I heard hoofbeats behind me. Two horses. Both Pace and Becca
were following behind. Not sure Pace wanted to stop me or join
me.
     

     
    I arrived at the bank just as that guy Frank
was unlocking the front door, switching the sign from CLOSED to
OPEN. Frank politely held the door open for Old Pearl, the
seamstress, who had been waiting for the bank to open. Not sure how
but she managed to keep working eight hour days with arthritic
hands. Not a complainer. I respect that.
    Old Pearl smiled and thanked Frank for his
courtesy. Little did she know. Then Frank noticed me and looked at
me kinda nervously and tipped his hat and said “good morning.” I
didn’t respond. Wasn’t in the mood to make nice. Not that I ever
was.
    I heard two riders approaching. When they
were close by, Pace yelled at me.
    “Ash we’re not ready! I was sewing us
masks!”
    I just kinda looked at Pace. “Sewing?
Really?”
    “Everyone’s going to know it was us!”
    “Isn’t that the point?” This was a moment of
clarity for me I have to say. “What do you think we’re gonna do
after we’re done, go down to the saloon and suck down a bottle of
whiskey? If Boze had even the slightest hint that it was us, it’d
be the first time he’d actually do his job. Then we’d just be
sitting around waiting to get arrested. I think that’d worry Becca
more than us being gone.” I glanced at Becca. She had no idea what
to say. So I said it for her. “After this we’re gone. Just a couple
a ghosts. There’s a better life for us out there. You know there
is. And we’re gonna find it. There’s nothing here for us. Right
Becca?”
    I dismounted and tied off Charon at the
hitching post. Becca dismounted too and I felt her latch onto me
from behind. She wasn’t trying to pull me back. She was just
holding on. So I turned and gave her what I thought she deserved –
a truthful statement.
    “I’m doing this, Becca. Wish it could