No Escape from the Past.

John was confronted by a man seeking revenge for a brother killed in Roanoke, leading to a deadly shootout. After protecting Jack and racing back to the ranch, John faced Abigail's frustration over the violence.

The man then asked John if he killed a fellow out in Roanoke a few months back, mentioning it was his brother. John said that man was trying to rob him, so he had nothing to do.

And then they started shooting me without another word, forcing me to draw my weapon in a desperate bid to protect the boy.

The first thing I did was make a hole through the skull of that man who came for this fight to end his threat immediately. The violence was sudden and loud, echoing through the trees as the remaining outlaws scrambled to find cover from my return fire.

After shooting the second man down with a quick headshot, I targeted a leg of the third one so he didn't die right away. I wanted to ensure he was grounded and unable to flee or continue the assault.

Then I went close to him to finish the encounter once and for all. I put my knife through his chest to end him, ensuring no one was left alive to follow us back to the ranch.

I had to get to Jack, but before that, I looted all the bodies for whatever coin or supplies they carried. Because you know, I'm not going to rob innocent people, so I'm gonna need the resources from those who tried to kill us. I gathered the items quickly, keeping my eyes on the horizon for any signs of more riders.

I went back to Jack to see if he was unharmed. It looked like the kid was really scared by the sudden explosion of violence, so John had to convince him it was okay and that the danger had passed.

They jumped on the wagon and I had to, you know, ride towards the ranch to get the boy to safety. But I was riding real fast, snapping the reins to push the horses to his limit. I thought I had to run fast because there might be more enemies behind us looking for revenge for their fallen companions.

The kid kept asking why I was going too fast, his voice filled with a mix of fear and confusion. I slowed down a little later, realizing that the frantic pace was only upsetting him more.

At last we reached the ranch, and I parked the wagon by the house of John to unload the supplies. The familiar sight of the barn and the fence provided a small sense of relief after the chaos of the road.

Abigail came out to check on Jack, but the kid rushed inside without saying a word to her. I told Abigail something was off, and John had to tell her what happened out on the trail. Her face hardened as the story unfolded, the peace of their new life once again shattered by the ghosts of John's past.

As Abigail got mad about the danger Jack was put in, John told her it was because of the dress that Abigail ordered. But the lady went inside saying it was actually a gift for John, leaving him standing alone in the yard.

The irony of the situation was bitter, as a gesture of love had led to another trail of blood.

So it was the next morning when John was doing his chores at the ranch, and it looked like he was suggesting to himself to just do one thing or another.

He realized he could not be two people at once.