A cool breeze swept over the Mesa one night, gently rocking the trees and making the river shiver from its cold touch. Everything was peaceful and quiet in the land, until a slim blue heifer ran through the thick brush. Clutch close to her now bloody and cut arms was a small bundle. She continued to run as her persuaders were slowly catching up to her until she at last stopped at a river deep in the woods. Placing a basket she grabbed from the campsite on the ground, she looked at the bundle one last time. She gave it a kiss and squeezed it goodbye before laying it into the basket and watched it drift down the river. She was suddenly grabbed and thrown against the forest floor. Something heavy held her arms and legs down as she struggled to free herself.

"Well, well, well Annie, I must say, you put up quite a fight. Your little tag game cost us some time. Now why can't you be like your husband? He went so easily." A gravelly voice came from a coyote as he stepped from the shadows. He sneered as he watched the heifer struggled to get free from the two over weight coy dogs that held her down. He pulled a knife. Its sliver blade glisten in the moon lit night, running his finger against the edge of it. "Now my dear, why don't you tell me where that sweet little one of yours is?" the blade pushed against the soft bluish skin of the woman's neck. Ann panted as her struggle to be free of the two henchmen was coming to a failing end. She tiredly looked at the coyote and spat in his face.

"I would rather die, then tell you anything." Her voice cracked with hatred as he wiped his face free of her spit. He grabbed her by her hair and roughly yanked her up so she faced him. His scowl slowly turned into a smirk as he looked into her eyes. He let his grip on her go and smiled as she fell to the ground hard.

"Very Well." He said coyly. "I'd hate to kill such a pretty lady, so how 'bout I make myself more comfy?" the next thing Ann knew, the two coy dogs grabbed her and held her down. One covered her mouth as the coyote knelt in front of her. "Don't worry darling" he sneered. "I'll make it last a long time." Her muffled screams were deafened on cold ears.

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The hot mesa sun beat down on a young yellowish tan bull. He rubbed his eyes as he stood in front of a troubling scene. Thundering Raven Heiferton lay slumped over, a large gunshot wound brandished his stomach, and the blood that dried on his lips confirmed that the murder took place long before they had come.

"Moo?" The bull snapped at attention of the mentioning of his name. "Should I alert his tribe?" a medium size adult buffalo wearing native mesa garb looked at his friend.

"That'll be mighty appreciated J.R." Moo said. None of this made any sense. Why kill him? Thundering was the nicest buffalo anywhere on the Mesa. But more troubling then anything was where Annabelle, his wife, and their child were. He had folks looking all over the wooded area for the two. Ann probably took the calf and hid in the woods and waited for the violence to blow over. Moo hated giving the bad news to the widows, almost as much as…

"Marshal Moo! We found her!" Her? Didn't he mean them? He walked towards the search party, avoiding the thorn and pricker bushes that grew heavily in the woods. As he got close to them, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what made his stomach do a double flip. Annabelle was lying in front of him, her throat was slit, and her dress looked like it was used to wipe the mouth of an extremely grumpy lion after feeding time. What made Moo blow smoke out of his nose was where her green dress was torn. Whoever attacked her, raped her as well. He bent down and saw tears in Annie's fear stricken eyes. He bent down and wiped them away before closing her eyes.

"Marshal Montana." A cold voice sneered. Moo glared at the speaker behind him. An elderly purple bull was standing by an almost deep red ox. "Me and the good sheriff Terrorbull heard of this most tragic," Moo growled under his breath as the Mayor Bulloney gave his fake sympathy on the matter. "Attack on two of Cowloon's finest. Stormy-"

"Thundering." Moo corrected with anger lining his voice.

"Right, right. And his dear beloved Annabelle will be truly missed. It's such a pity such a horrible mugging-"

"Mugging?" Moo bellowed. "They were murdered on purpose! Nothing they own is missing!"

"Now, now Montana there's No need to get hasty. Might I remind you, that you're still in training to be a town marshal? Only after nine years of training will you be the true marshal of Cowtown. Now why don't you go and contact the families?" Bulloney sneered as Terrorbull chuckled. Moo glared at the ox then looked back at the mayor.

"Jose Ray is already contacting his tribe. I'll go get Dakota." Moo said coldly as he walked off. Mayor Bulloney watched him leave and waited for him to be out of hearing distance when he slapped Terrorbull against the head.

"You fool! I told you to send the best!"

"Yeow!" Terrorbull yelped then glared. "Ah did! Didn't expect them to have their way with the girl!"

"That's not what I mean! There are only two bodies! They didn't finish the job!" Bulloney whispered.

"So?" Terrorbull rubbed his sore head.

"So my dear Terrorbull, where is the third?"