Red Dead Redemption Sequel:
CHAPTER 1: Jack Marston visits Bonnie McFarlane
Jack Marston rides from Beechers Hope one day on his Hungarian-Half Breed also known as the White Stallion. Jack is riding to MacFarlane’s Ranch. It’s now 1914, Jack is now 19 years old, he is wearing his Rancher Clothing because he was only just feeding his cows straw in the pen not that long ago, now he’s riding to MacFarlane’s Ranch to go to the General Store to buy some chicken seed for feeding his chickens and hens which he bought at the Manzanita Trading Post not so long after he killed Edgar Ross down at the Mexican Border; the man who gunned down John Marston, Jack’s father. Jack remembered that he hadn’t seen Bonnie MacFarlane since his father once took him down to MacFarlane’s ranch to buy some supplies when he was 16 years old. Now it’s up to Jack to look after the ranch on Beechers Hope. Jack rides through Thieves Landing which was once known as the roughest part of the West. Jack continues to follow the road into MacFarlane’s Ranch.
Jack hitches his horse by an old cabin that his father used to use when he was helping out on the ranch 3 years ago, that’s where John learned his skills for ranching and was going to transform his ranch, he had made some good progress, got cows, got horses, but unfortunately it was short-lived, but luckily managed to teach Jack a few ranching skills and also taught him how to hunt. Jack walks into the General Store and looks at the store clerk, touches his hat as a sign of respect and says “Good mornin’ partner”, the store clerk says “Good mornin’, what can I do for you, sir?”. Jack replies, “I’m looking for a bag of chicken seed, I’m lookin’ for the smaller bag so I’m able to balance it on the back of the horse”. Store clerk says “No problem sir, one small bag of chicken seed coming right up”. Store clerk fetches it of a stack near the back and carries it to the counter and says to Jack “That’ll be 5 dollars sir”. Jack then fetches money from his pocket and gives the store clerk his $5, puts the money back in his pocket, another man who was in the store not that well dressed, but has a gun, a silver revolver strapped to his right hip, he has seen the wad of bills that Jack has on him. Jack lifts his bag of chicken seed and carries it over his right shoulder, he begins to walk out of the store, but the poorly dressed man gets in his way and takes the silver revolver from his holster and points it at Jack’s face. Jack stops in his tracks, the store clerk notices this and was slowly reaching for his semi-automatic shotgun that he had underneath the counter. The poorly dressed man notices this and points his silver revolver quickly at the store clerk and says “Hey, I wouldn’t do that if I was you”, a man obviously with a poor background and no education which Jack could easily tell because of his poor grammar. The store clerk puts his hands on the counter after the poor man gave him that order. The poor man says to Jack and brings the gun back to him “Look, I saw those lovely wad of green bills that you had on ya and I was wondering if I could have some”. Jack slowly puts the chicken seed on the ground and laughs like he hadn’t laughed so hard in his life. “Is that all friend?” he continues to laugh. The poorly dressed man is getting a bit irritated and says “What is it that you just find so darn funny?” Jack begins to calm down and says “Well not only do you have bad grammar, I wouldn’t take up being a robber as a profession if I WERE you. Jack chuckles and says “This is even better than the books I used to read”. The poor man gets a bit annoyed and says “Gimme some of your fuckin’ green now!!” whilst shoving the silver revolver closer to Jack’s face. Jack then gets a bit angry himself and shouts at him and says “I will, just as soon as you take the gun out of my face before I knock it out of your hand and punch you in the fuckin’ face a couple of times before I lasso and hogtie you and take your sorry skinny white ass down to the foreman’s office. You’re choice, pal!” The poor man considers the possibilities and sees that his odds don’t look too good. The poor man holsters his silver revolver. Jack then says “Yeah, that’s right friend. That’s what I like to see. Unnecessary trouble is avoided. Now how much do you want friend?” The poor man says “50 dollars”. Jack stares him blank in the face and then smiles “Now that I can do. Hey, why not 100 dollars? Saying that I got plenty of money to spare.” The poor man could not believe his luck. Jack reaches for the money in his pocket and takes out $100 and gives it to the poor man and puts the rest of the money in his pocket. The poor man gives a heckling laugh and pocketed the money and says “Much obliged…sir”. Jack says in a more serious tone “Now I believe you have learned a valuable lesson today.” The poor man says “Yes, sir, I believe I have”. Jack then says “Now what would that lesson be?” The poor man says “Well like you said sir, I’m poor at opportunist crime especially gun-point robbery and that if I need somethin’ I should ask for it.” Jack nods and says “Well there is that…..However there is also the fact that if you do that the next time? On the wrong person? They might not be as kind as I am.” The poor man nods and says “I’ll keep that in mind, sir” and he turns around to walk out of the shop whilst Jack kneels down to the chicken seed, but then had a thought, but a crazy one at that and called out to the poor man before he walked out of the General Store “What’s your name friend?” The poor man turns around and says “The name’s Jeff, and you sir?” Jack says “My name is Jack Marston.” Jeff looks at him astonished and says “You’re John Marston’s boy?” Jack replies “Yes, that’s right.” Jack then lifts the bag of chicken seed onto his right shoulder and continues to say “This may sound crazy Jeff, but do you want a job?” Jeff yet again cannot believe his luck. Jeff says “Yes sir, I would.” Jack then says “We’ll you’re in luck Jeff. I need some help with my ranch out on Beachers Hope. Why don’t you get on your horse and ride on out to Beachers Hope and make yourself comfortable in my barn and I’ll speak to you once I get there.” Jeff smiles and says “Very well, sir. I will do just that”. Jack then says “You know what just happened there?” Jeff looks at Jack with a blank expression. Jack continues “Well I bought you off for 100 dollars, now you’re willing to do work for me. That technically makes you my bitch now doesn’t it?” Jeff was not impressed. Jack just laughs and says “I’m only kiddin’ with ya, Jeff.” Jeff says “Right” and walks right out of the General Store and he then gets on his animal, which wasn’t even a horse, it was a mule and begins to see the funny side and laughs and he then rode his mule out to Beachers Hope. Jack now was putting the bag of chicken seed on the back of the horse and tied a rope around the bag and the horse in order to make the chicken seed secure.
Jack thought that he should visit Bonnie before he leaves MacFarlane’s ranch. He leaves his horse hitched at the cabin and begins to walk down towards that big house that he saw on the right when he entered MacFarlane’s ranch and walks to the door and knocks. The door is opened by no other but Bonnie.
Bonnie looks at this man at her doorstep and to her this man looks a lot like John Marston, but she thought, how is that possible? I read in the papers that John Marston was dead. How could he still be alive? Although he does look younger.
Jack says “Hello….ah, Miss MacFarlane.
Not John’s voice. Sounds like his son. Jack!! Bonnie smiles and says “Hello Jack. My, my, my, you’ve changed a lot. The last time I saw you was in 1911. 3 years ago. How could a boy change so much in 3 years?
It was true that he had changed a lot, not just in looks, but within himself, there was great pain, sadness and grief on the day he lost his father. Not to mention what happened to Uncle and after that, her mum Abigail didn’t do great, still couldn’t get over John’s death. She died earlier in the year, leaving Jack all by himself, there was also a great pain, sadness and grief on the day he lost his mother combined with the sadness of missing his father. He had to bury his own mother. Jack never felt truly alone until his mother passed away. He was an orphan boy, but was he going to sit there like an orphan boy? Or was he going to become a man? Try and completely transform Beecher’s Hope and make it flourish. Finish off his father’s ambition? Jack was having an array of emotions; he was in a mixed emotional state. Jack HAD to confront his father’s killer. So he had to seek out Edgar Ross, the Federal Agent that tormented his family and to seek out justice for betraying his father. Any person would think that he was looking for vengeance, he wasn’t seeking revenge; he was seeking justice. In the Wild West, that’s what justice is; a man with a gun and a bullet through the head.
Jack chuckles a bit and says “I’m OK, I guess Miss MacFarlane”, but in a serious tone he says “Well I guess I’ve grown up a lot. A lot can happen during 3 years”.
Bonnie says, “Well why don’t you come in?”
Jack smiled and says “It’ll be my pleasure ma’am”. He touches his hat again as a sign of respect.
Bonnie chuckled “You do sure remind me of your old man.” Bonnie step aside to allow him in and Jack stepped into her house. Bonnie closed the door behind him and she says “By the way, call me Bonnie”.
Jack says “Sure thing”.
Bonnie walks into the direction of the living room and says “Let’s go into the living room and sit down.” Jack follows her and Bonnie rests herself in her armchair and puts her feet up on the stool in front of the armchair. Jack sits himself down on one of the sofas facing Bonnie. Bonnie is wearing a nightgown indicating to Jack that she’s only out of bed. Bonnie then takes a big yawn and then says to Jack “So, what brings you out this way?”
Jack says to Bonnie “I was just getting a bag of chicken seed at the General Store”.
Bonnie smiles and says “You got chickens now?”
“Yeah, even have a mother hen. I bought them at the Manzansita Trading Post in Tall Trees. It’s good having chickens on the ranch; they’re certainly the most interesting species of bird”, Jack says.
“Really?” Bonnie laughed. “They just walk around cluckin’ all the time, borin’ to watch if you ask me. Though it is good when they lay eggs, it’s good for business.”
Jack smiles and says “That is true Bonnie, but what comes first? The chicken? Or the egg?”
Bonnie chuckles and says “Jack. That is the dumbest question I’ve ever heard. Everyone knows it’s the egg that comes first, silly.”
Jack smiles and says “Well, mystery solved then. Yeah that’s right, silly me, I forgot to ask how you were doing… So how are you doing?”
Bonnie says “The ranch keeps me a busy woman, whether it’s takin’ care of the horses, cows, or shootin’ those damn coyotes”.
There is a small moment of silence, Bonnie reminded Jack of both his father and his mother, and Jack reminded Bonnie of John Marston. Bonnie then says “I read in the papers about what happened to John, your father, I’m sorry for your loss”.
Jack smirked a bit and says “Thanks Bonnie. It’s nice to hear somebody say that I guess. It’s good to have a friend to talk to.”
“What about Abigail, your mother, how is she doing?” says Bonnie.
Jack replied “She’s dead….Died earlier in the year”. A tear trickles down Jack’s cheek and says “I had to bury her…I had to bury her all by myself”.
Bonnie says “Oh my God, you poor, poor, boy. I’m sorry about your mother too. I only had the pleasure of meeting her once. I think we would’ve got along your mother and I.”
“I’m sure you would. She was a great woman. I loved her and my pa loved her. I think when my pa died, my mom also died as well. Somethin’ died within her, her spirit, I guess; the very essence of a human being gone. My mom didn’t feel like my mom. She was a broken woman. Couldn’t cope…I was strugglin’ and I missed my pa just as much as she missed him, but I was bein’ strong for her. I tried to talk to my mom about pa, but she didn’t ‘wanna’ talk about it. Every night since my pa had died, she couldn’t get to sleep, stayed up most of the night cryin’. I wanted to consul her, to say somethin’ to make it better but I just couldn’t find the words and I didn’t want to go in to her room either. I wanted to give her a hug, but I didn’t want to make her feel bad for wakin’ me up.” Bonnie can now hear a few sobs from Jack. “However one night I didn’t hear any cryin’ anymore. The next mornin’ I walked into her room, I saw my mom sleepin’, which I thought was odd because she was usually up before me, and I said ‘Mom, it’s time to get up, you’re sleepin’ in’. I got no answer. I said again ‘MOM!!’ she didn’t wake up, and I shook her a few times, but she didn’t wake up”. More tears were streaming down Jack’s cheek. “Her body was limp and that’s when I realised she was dead.” Bonnie started to produce tears. “I didn’t…I didn’t really know what to do. I broke down; I leaned over her body and cried.”
Jack puts his head into his palm and Bonnie gets up of her armchair and sits down beside Jack and puts her hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry Jack; no boy should ever have to go through what you just did”.
Jack continues “Eventually I had to go down to the doctor in Blackwater and bring him up to see my mom so that he could confirm her death.” He turns to look at Bonnie “Everythin’ that happened in the past 3 years was because of Edgar Ross. I had to find him and bring him to justice.”
Bonnie takes his hand of Jack’s shoulder. “And did you?” Bonnie asks.
“Yeah. I found my pa’s guns in the attic” says Jack.
“So how do you feel now? Bonnie asks.
“I dunno, I didn’t feel anythin’ for him, I guess a bit sad that his wife had to lose her husband, as she seemed nice but I’m also glad that he has been brought to justice. My pa probably wouldn’t have wanted me to do it, but I guess at the same time he would’ve been proud as I’m sure he would’ve done the same thing as me.”
Bonnie curious asks “How did you find him?”
Jack says “Well, my best bet was to head out to Blackwater as I knew that’s where these Federal fellas where, they have a Federal building there after all. I saw this fella by the train station who just ‘reeked’ government, turns out, he was one of those Federal fellas and I asked him about Edgar Ross. Told me what had happened and where he settled down with his wife. I go there and I find his wife and she tells me that Edgar was somewhere down in Mexico fishin’.
Bonnie then says “Well I guess all of this is over now, huh?”
Jack replies “Not quite. I don’t feel like it’s over yet.”
“How’dya mean?” Bonnie asks.
“After I shot Ross, I laid low at my ranch. I looked after the cows. I also tended to the horses. I went out hunting, used some of the meat for dinner, but also sold the rest of the meat at Manzanita Trading Post and the General Store in Blackwater. While I was there I bought the Blackwater Tribunal to see if there was any news of Edgar Ross’death, but there wasn’t. However the paper did mention Edgar Ross in their big headline, detailing how Edgar Ross took out Bill Williamson, Dutch Van der Linde and Havier Escuela single-handily.” Jack gets a bit angry “Which we all know is a big lie. The only part was true was that he shot my father, but they made him out to be somethin’ he was not.”
“That’s just the government spinnin’ their stories” says Bonnie.
“I dunno, it doesn’t feel that way to me. Y’see I think the Federal government and its law serves a purpose and I like what the Federal government stands for. I think sometimes you’re not going to like certain federal agents, example, Edgar Ross who abuses their power, thinkin’ that they can do whatever they want and get away with it and become corrupted. People who think they’re above the law. Like certain politicians. Usin’ propaganda to spin THEIR stories.” Jack says.
“Hmmm. Perhaps you’re right there, Jack.” Bonnie says. “So what’cha gonna do now?”
“I’m thinkin’ of ridin’ out to Blackwater one day and talk to one of those government type lawyers to see if he would be interested in takin’ my case to clear my father’s name in the eyes of the law and to strip the Medal of Valour of Edgar Ross’ grave because he didn’t deserve it.” Jack says.
Bonnie says “I’m sure if ya succeed, your father will be very proud of you”, she then smiles, “That would be one for the story books: JACK MARSTON BATTLES CORRUPTION WITHIN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT”.
Jack smirks, liking the sound of that, says “You really think so?”
Bonnie smiles and says “Sure, why not!.. What about your ranch?”
“Well I’ll do my best to look after the ranch when I’m there. When I’m not there, I’ll get someone to look after the ranch for me and I think I already got that covered as I employed somebody about 15 or 20 minutes ago.” Jack says.
“After what had happened to your mother and father it must be hard adjusting to life at the ranch. I suppose it’s good to have the help”, Bonnie says.
Jack nods, stares at the floor for a while and then says to Bonnie “Well, if you want I can cut you in some of my produce which I can sell at your general store. I have got some milking cows as well so I can sell milk as well as eggs.”
Bonnie smiles and says “I would like that”.
Jack then gets up and says “Well, I have got to get back to my ranch. I’ll let you tend to your duties here.” Jack touches the tip of his hat, “See ya ‘round Bonnie”.
Bonnie gets up and hugs Jack closely and Jack embraces the hug. Bonnie says, “Take care Jack”.
Jack replies “I will, you do the same”.
The hug has now come to an end. Jack turns and walks out of Bonnie’s house and closes the door behind him.
Jack unhitches his stallion, gets on the saddle and rides on out back to Beecher’s Hope.