Battle for Peace

By A. Craig Newman

Lines are draw and everyone chooses sides. Vega gathers men with fear and hatred. The Family and The Black Leaf Tribe come together out of necessity. They stay together working as one with the leadership of a legend: The Falcon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Notorious Newmans, LLC
• Release date: Nov 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215990100

A. Craig Newman

A. Craig Newman is a New Jersey native who has been writing since he was 10. He recently received his Masters in Creative writing from Wilkes University. Craig plans to work on his backlog of story ideas for short stories, screenplays, stage plays, and poetry until he finds his voice and his place in the writing world.

Book preview

Battle for Peace

Souls of the Black Leaf Forest: Book 7

By A. Craig Newman

Copyright © 2023 Published by Notorious Newmans, LLC at Smashwords

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address the publisher.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

ISBN 9798215990100

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Author's note: All characters depicted in sexual acts in this work of fiction are 18 years of age or older.

To my mother, who inspired and encouraged my imagination, my faith, and my love of old westerns.

Appreciating You

Dear, Reader,

A book that is never read has all the significance of a whisper in a hurricane. Words are meaningless until you read them. My words and your imagination create worlds full of people and adventure, giving life to the story.

Thank you for bringing my stories to life. I hope it stays alive within you long after you put the story down.

If you enjoy my work, please visit my author page on Smashwords (https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ACraigNewman). Here, you can find more of my work, about future releases, and information about me.

You can find me on Facebook: facebook.com/ACraigNewman

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Please post a review where you found this story.

Thank you for your support.

A. Craig Newman

Table of Contents

June 23, 1875

July 4, 1875

Epilogue

June 23, 1875

By the time the sun was rising, Vega had contacted every man from Jasper who had not gone on the ill-fated attempt to punish Jefferson and Eliza. He sent messengers in all directions, until every town in riding distance had been alerted to the threat they faced. 

Blacks and injuns were attacking law-abiding white folk without any cause. 

This teaser led to a dozen or more men from every town riding into Jasper, armed to the teeth with pistols, rifles, and knives. Whatever the malicious or menacing force they were going to face, everyone wanted to be prepared.

Vega figured about fifty men packed the lobby of the Golden Arms hotel. They stood around every table, on each step to the second floor, around the front desk, and spilled out into the street. Though the morning air was cool, the men were hot, flushed red, and sweat running down their cheeks. Standing at the landing to the second floor over them all, Vega preached to those who had come so far to hear him.

I don't know why those niggers from the Pritcher Farm and the injuns from the Black Leaf tribe are working together. Everything was fine until their master, and my beloved brother, Chauncey, died. Since then, they've been out of control! More than a dozen men have been taken or killed from Jasper alone! Imagine what they will do when they get to your towns. If they feel so bold from this lawlessness, they will continue to attack and kill and butcher and murder us all! Do you want that?

The men in the hall erupted into shouts of No! and grumbles of concern and outrage.

A man pounded the railing on the stairs and shouted, They'll kill us all if we let them!

Every last one of them want to kill us, said another.

Not just us! said a young guy by the door. They want to kill our families!

I hears those darkies want to rape our women! Your daughters and wives! They'll come after all of them.

Vega held his hands up and gradually the rowdy crowd calmed to a low hum of murmurs. Each one of you needs to decide what's important to you. If you're OK with these lawless animals' savagery, then go home, do nothing, and wait for it to come to you and your family. But if you want to protect yourselves and your loved ones, join me before it burns out of control.

Now, Vega, said a man standing towards the front, "what you say is good and all that, but what does the law say? What can we do to