The Retrieval Page #2

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Why?

You smell it on my breath?

You smell it on my breath?

Come on, n*gger. Teach me a lesson.

Just wait up now.

Come on, boy. Grab the sh*t. Let's go.

Take water if you need.

The rest belongs to their kinfolk.

Damn, if you ain't an uppity n*gger.

Slave for the Union

is still just a slave.

- He ain't like other men I seen.

- Yeah.

He's worth more. And don't you forget.

What if it was you?

Well, it ain't.

Look at me, boy.

Look at me.

You wanna go back

to sellin' tobacco for pennies?

Now, you can live hand to mouth

for the rest of your life.

Or...

you can make some money.

Maybe even enough to find your daddy.

Get down, boy.

When I was your age, I was climbin'

like that and broke a leg.

How's it now?

It's fine now.

Well, if it ain't a problem,

I'll keep climbin'.

I always make you mad, don't I?

Can you throw that?

Show me how.

Go on. Climb that tree.

Got any other family?

Besides your brother?

Nothin'?

I had a woman...

not too far from here.

Wasn't no words spoken over us,

but she was my woman.

No children?

We had a child.

Probably be a little older than you,

but he ain't make it.

You don't see her no more?

Best this way.

Got nothin' weighin' me down.

- So what was her name?

- Rachel.

There's a lot of Rachels out there.

Lord, I known a lot of Rachels

in my day.

Where you say your Rachel's from?

We rested long enough.

I'll fill this up, then we'll keep on.

I'll fill it for you.

This'll do for tonight.

Come on. Let's get some wood.

No fire tonight.

We're too far from Union lines

and don't need the attention.

Well, I'm makin' a fire.

So if you don't like it, you can

freeze your ass on down the way.

Get up.

Let him be. The boy's feet ain't good.

Come on now, boy.

You gonna have to be

your own man someday.

Maybe we can do

something nice for him...

'fore we turn him in.

You think you good, but you ain't.

You'd do the same thing if you was me.

Can't we just...

ask him for the money he owe Burrell?

Goddamn it, boy.

Burrell don't want money from him.

Nate done killed a man,

and Burrell's gonna kill him

to get the bounty.

Now, I'd do it for the money myself,

but Burrell will kill me and you both...

if we don't deliver him

exactly how he say.

Stop talkin' to that old man

'fore he figure us out

and we got to kill him and drag

his dead ass all the way back.

This ain't just about the money.

It's about your life.

Nate's a dead man

and can't nobody help him.

What is it, boy?

You ain't sleepin'?

I can't always sleep neither.

All of a sudden you quiet?

Where's Nate?

Get the boy!

All right. All right.

- Get down.

- All right.

All right, come on.

All right, now, let's have a look.

Come on.

We'll get you right.

This just so we ain't slowed down.

You do everything I say

or I'll leave you.

Understand?

Come on. You're all right.

We only got two or three more nights.

There used to be

some freedmen livin' out here.

We appreciate you havin' us

on such a night.

Your son look hungrier than you are.

Me and your uncle

didn't always get on well,

but it was kind of him to come

tell me the word about my brother.

He died doin' a good thing.

When the soldiers came,

he tried to save himself.

Why'd you come back for me?

What's your name?

Will.

William.

William sounds old.

They call me Abby, instead of Abigail.

Who's that man you with? He kin to you?

Just a man.

Just a man?

That's cold, boy!

You stayin' here?

You should stay here.

How come?

Where you goin'?

There ain't much other children

round here.

I ain't children.

Ready?

We gettin' closer now.

I can't be seen in these parts.

All right.

When you throw it,

hold your arm straight out.

Let's see how you do.

Come on.

Come on.

You used a hammer?

Hold it like that.

Lower.

What's wrong with you, boy?

Come on, now.

Pick a tree, not too far.

Boy, what's wrong with you?

Come on. Pick a tree.

Marcus didn't steal your salt pork.

It was me.

I'd have give it to you

had you asked me.

Nate.

I...

I got to tell you...

If they see us, you just run.

Don't look back.

You got any other family

round Leesville?

When we get back, what you gonna do?

I do odd jobs for a white man.

I'm savin' up to go look for

my pa if he ain't back soon.

What kind of jobs?

Different things

up and down the Nottoway.

I thought you said

you was from Leesville.

No.

I am.

It ain't too far from there.

I saw you talkin'

to that girl back there.

- You ever had a girl of your own?

- No.

Don't.

They trouble.

- Not all of 'em.

- Yeah. All of 'em.

But they worth it.

I'm bringin' him.

- I done like Burrell said.

- We ain't ridin' with Burrell no more.

Son of a b*tch killed Hayden

two days ago.

He ain't right.

We found your boy.

Where you two headed?

I got a brother sick down in Leesville.

We headed down that way.

Ain't we?

Y'all look to be in a sorry state.

I ain't like to see men like that...

n*ggers or not.

Might as well make our way together.

That's kind, but we'll be all right.

We'll just keep alongside,

if it suits you.

I don't give a damn if it suits him.

Stop!

I warned him.

We only got one more night after this.

So I guess we'll just make do tomorrow.

You saved me back there.

I was savin' myself.

You had a woman near here?

Yeah.

Y'all ain't never had

another child together?

It ain't always that simple.

But them times was all right.

You ever killed a man before yesterday?

'Bout six years back, my master died.

His wife left for Boston

and set me free when she did.

So I headed up north to earn money

to buy out my woman from her master.

But a couple of pattyrollers

tried to take me back.

I showed 'em my papers.

I killed one of 'em.

Maybe I ain't have to, but I did.

After hidin' out near five years,

I lost touch with my woman.

She ain't but five miles

down that way... or was.

Probably should've never left her.

I miss her, but it can't be helped.

I ain't never told no one

'bout that before.

Why didn't you send word to her,

tell her what happened?

It ain't safe knowin' a man like me.

I'd have wanted to know what happened.

That night before my father went north,

we fought over somethin'...

what I can't even remember now.

I wish I hadn't done that.

I ain't sure he'd be too happy

to see me these days.

He'd be proud of you.

I got something to say.

If you gotta do something...

you don't want to,

that you know is wrong,

but you ain't got no choice in it,

are you goin' to hell?

I don't know.

You ain't got no choice,

you ain't got no choice.

Most times, we got a choice.

Nate?

Nate?

Nate!

You thought I left you?

I wouldn't leave you.

But I might if you don't bathe soon.

Maybe we should stop by

to see your woman.

What? We gotta keep movin'.

It ain't too far.

Don't talk 'bout that no more.

I don't know what the hell I'm doin'.

Be quiet.

I should just head on out of here.

We done decided.

She don't want to see me

after all this time.

And I don't care nohow.

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