Chapter 7

Written by: Iliena Bosu

“You are a rotten little scumbag!”

Mary felt insulted and furious. The spark of romance, which kindled in her heart the previous night, turned into a raging fire of revenge. She noticed Jake's gun peeping out of his holster. Filled with indignation, she snatched the loaded weapon and aimed it at Saul.

"How dare you?"

"Ah, it's the purring kitten acting like a wildcat. Very se..."

However, before Saul could finish, he heard the emphatic bang from the gun. A bullet raced past his left earlobe and disappeared in to the bushes behind him.

Although Saul was untouched by the bullet, his petrified expression made Mary laugh humorlessly.

"What's wrong with you?" Jake angrily pulled Mary to him by her slender waist and put a hand over the gun, taking it from her. He pointed it at her.

"You will get the next bullet if you don't stop talking right now."

Mary turned to Saul hoping he would remember the magic of the night before. He woozily got up on his knees. Ignoring Jake Mary splashed chilled water on Saul’s face. As he regained his senses, he became dizzy and fighting back tears of pain stood unsteadily.

“Save those manly tears for the captains of ships sailing to America,” Mary jeered.

Both Jake and Saul looked at Mary as if she pulled out their deepest darkest secrets.

Mary untied Saul and handed him a skull shaped decanter containing the last remaining whisky. The hard liquor worked as miraculously on his troubled nerves as elixir brings one back from the dead.

“Why America?” Jake asked. This made Mary smile and Jake felt a flutter in the pit of his stomach.

Mary fished out a piece of folded paper from her skirt pocket. It was a torn and tattered newspaper clipping. She fixed her eyes on Saul while she deliberately unfolded the piece of paper and laid in flat on the table, smoothing it with long fingers. It was an advertisement. Princess Maya Devi from India was going to exhibit her precious jewelry, her family heirlooms, in New York.

“Where did you find that?” Saul snatched it from Mary.

“I found it in your pocket. Is that the reason why you want to go to America?” Mary said in a low voice. “…To steal her jewelry?”

Saul realized he could not get away with lying anymore so he remained silent. However, Mary was not going to stay quiet.

“All this while I have been treated like a bag of rice, which has been through too many hands. Can you believe, my own father lost me to this clown in a game of cards?”

Jake, opened his mouth to defend himself and snapped it shut at Mary’s bidding.

“The world is full of the rich and affluent,” Mary cheerfully continued. “So acquiring a little bit of their riches would not make a dent in their fortune.”

“What are you suggesting?” Jake asked.

“Let's be the bushrangers and Mary. I have a brilliant plan.”