What Needs to Be Done

Voss looked at the boy for a long moment, then turned to me.

“Take him somewhere quiet,” he said. “Find out who sent him and what he knows. I don’t want any more surprises.”

I nodded. I pulled the boy up by the arm and walked him a short distance into the trees, far enough that the others wouldn’t hear. He didn’t fight me. Not really.

When we were out of sight I shoved him against a tree and hit him twice in the stomach, then once across the face. Not hard enough to break anything. Just enough to make him understand I wasn’t playing.

“Who sent you?” I asked.

He coughed and spat blood onto the ground. “No one. I came on my own.”

I hit him again, lower this time. He doubled over.

“Try again.”

He stayed bent forward for a few seconds, breathing hard. When he spoke, his voice was rough.

“My parents’ farm. Voss is going to take it. I heard what he’s planning. I just… I couldn’t sit there and do nothing.”

I looked at him for a moment. Then I leaned in a little closer, like I was checking how bad he was hurt.

“Voss doesn’t have all the papers yet,” I said quietly. “If someone were to talk to the right people in Westfall before he does… it might slow things down. Might even stop it.”

He lifted his head and looked at me. There was confusion in his eyes. He wasn’t sure if I was helping him or just talking out loud.

I straightened up.

“That’s all I’m getting out of him,” I called back toward the road. “He doesn’t know anything useful.”

I waited a few seconds, then cut the rope around his wrists with my knife. He stared at me.

“Go,” I said. “Before I change my mind.”

He hesitated, then turned and disappeared into the trees without another word.

I stood there for a moment and wiped my hands on my trousers. Then I walked back to the road.

Voss was waiting. Marlow stood a little behind him.

“Well?” Voss asked.

“He didn’t know anything,” I said. “Just some angry kid. I took care of it.”

Voss studied me for a second, then gave a short nod.

“Good. Let’s keep moving. I want to be off this road before dark.”

I mounted up without answering.