The Way of the Gun
The Red, the Green and the Blues
Chapter 6: Holocaust at Hollister
"In a duel the battle is won even before you draw irons. It is your will against that of your opponent. Never stare into the eyes of your enemy, stare at his forehead instead, right where you want to give him a new third eye."
Words attributed to James Possible, Marshal, to his daughter Kim Possible
Shego stares at both of them with eyes wide in disbelief! "Drakken an' the Blues? Am I hearin' this right? Holy shit, girl! I had no idea…"
"He killed my family when he razed New Brighton to the ground," Red mutters in remembrance, "He killed almost everyone."
"The kids here," Markus adds, "an' most of the staff are the only survivors, thanks ta Red an' her friends."
"We gotta call them back," Red says, "They'll want a piece of 'em too."
"I already sent out a dispatch. Wade said he's on top of it, but don't count on them returnin' 'till after this fight's over."
"That's better than nothin', an' they deserve to be here at the very least. Thanks, Markus."
"Yer welcome, Red."
"You're gonna need a fast horse," Shego says to her as she pulls a pistol from her holster and starts loading it.
Red turns to her with a sheepish look, "Yeah, 'bout that…"
Shego cocks her head to the side quizzically, "What is it Kim?"
"I…kinda need ye to stay here, Shego."
"WHAT?"
Red, the horses, and their riders flinch from the outburst and the bounty hunter offers her a weak smile. "I jus' gave ye a job to look over the Estate. I need someone who can prepare the grounds here to repel an enemy attack. If this thing with Drakken goes sour for us he'll eventually make his way here. The kids don't have any other place to go, Shego. They don't have any families to take them in; all of us here are their mommas an' daddies. Someone needs to stay behind an' protect them. I'm askin' ye if ye'd do that for me."
Shego gives her a withering glare and crosses her arms across her chest. She finally shakes her head in resignation. "Fine, Kim…I'll do it. I don't like it, but I'll do it."
"Thank ye, Shego," Red says sincerely, her eyes broadcasting to the Indian her feelings.
"Since I ain't goin' anywhere you should take Midnight,"Shego says to her, an accusatory tone still in her voice, "He's faster that the other flea-bitten mares here and he's pretty smart. Get your gear an' meet me in the stables. I'll get Midnight ready for you."
"We'll wait for ye down by the road," Markus says to Red as he mounts Dee and spurs her to movement.
Markus and the other riders head for the fence gate as Red nods to them. Shego heads to the stables and Red runs inside to get her gear ready. She runs upstairs to her room and grabs her gun belt. She opens a closet door and grabs a duster and a fedora so her 'look' is complete. She buckles on her gun belt and draws her 1860 colt pistols, spins them around faster and faster on her index fingers, and then shoves them back into their holsters. She grabs her rifle then runs to leave the house and meet Shego in the stables.
Red steps up to the stable and she can hear Shego talking to Midnight from inside.
"You watch her you hear me? She hasn't recovered from her injuries yet an' I need you to look after her for me. Can you do that, boy?"
She can hear him whinny and snort in response. "Good boy, I knew I can count on you. You come back to me, you hear? An' make sure Kim comes back too."
Red makes her entrance into the stables. Shego pulls on the saddle belt and ties it off. "I'll be comin' back," Red declares, "Ye have my word on that!"
Shego does not look at her instead she gives the saddle belt one last tug to make sure it is tight. "You'd better," Shego says in the same accusatory tone from before.
Red walks up to her and sighs, feeling the weight of guilt on her shoulders. "I-I'm sorry Shego. I want ye to come along, but I canna think of anyone better to guard this place in case things go bad."
"I know," Shego says quietly, "Next time, Bounty Hunter, I'm going! No if's and's or but's!"
A small smile appears on Red's lips, "Ye have my word on that, Shego."
Shego turns to her and suddenly wraps her arms around her in a gentle embrace, still careful about the gashes on her back. Shego's lips meet Red's and it is Shego who is the more forceful kisser this time. Red is caught completely off guard from the assault of the Indian's raging passion. Shego releases her but keeps the red head close, whispering hotly into her ear, "That's only a small sample of what awaits you for when you return. Don't keep me waiting!"
"Uh huh," Red answers, dazed.
Shego's demeanor remains stoic as she helps Red onto Midnight. Shego rams Red's rifle into the saddle holster and pats Midnights rump affectionately. Red grabs the reins and turns the black stallion toward the opening.
"Hurry back," Shego says, a measure of tenderness creeping into her voice.
"I will," Red answers vehemently.
Shego gives her an almost imperceptible nod and Red spurs Midnight to move. Shego watches her leave with the same stoic face, but her insides are a chaotic mixture of emotions.
Red spurs Midnight into a gallop to catch up to Markus and the others. Jensen has taken the lead and as soon as Red catches up he spurs his paint, Bucky to a full gallop. The other riders spur their horses to catch up. Shego, the staff of the Brighton House and all of the kids watch in silence as the riders fades into the distance. Shego leaves the stables and heads back to the House; she has a lot of work to do.
On the road towards Hollister, hours later
"How are ye doin', lass?"
"Don't ask."
"I'm askin' anyway."
She rolls her eyes and sighs in exasperation, the old gunslinger could be so infuriating at times!
"Fine," she answers in a measured tone.
"Ye be a lousy liar, Red! Yer lower lip quivers a bit ever time ye fib, an' ye've done it ever since ye was a wee sprig."
"I'll have to work on that," she replies, her voice a low growl.
"Aye, that ye do," he replies in a light-hearted tone.
"What do you want me ta say," she hisses at him in a low voice so the others could not hear, "I'm feelin' so conflicted an' angry right now I could…I could…CUSS!"
His eyes go wide in mock horror as a small smile spreads across his whiskered face, "Oh no! Not that, anythin' but that!"
"You ain't helpin' me mood," she says sourly.
"Miss her already don't ye?"
"I'm sooo not talkin' 'bout it!"
"Why not?"
"It ain't proper! 'Sides, it's no one's business!"
"What if I make it me business?"
"Don't ye dare, ye old coot! Ye got enough on yer plate already! Hell, ye jus' about run Coal Town outta yer office! Give me some space!"
"Aww, yer no fun!"
"We're on a mission," she reminds him, her tone is severe.
"We got time, lass. We'll git there when we git there. In the meantime I wanna know how ye be feelin'."
Red sighs as she turns to her old friend. The old coot's eyes sparkle with mirth that should have left a man at his age long ago. "Ye are impossible, ye know that?"
"That's what your Da' used ta say ta me."
"That's what I hear them ol' ladies say to ye too, ye dog!"
"Aww, now Red! Yer gonna make an ol' man blush!"
A smile cracks her scowl and a chuckle escapes her lips. It was always so damn hard to stay mad at him for long. He guides Dee so that he is alongside her and smiles his cheery, warm smile. "I gotta tell ye, Red. I've been lookin' forward to this fer a long time."
"Me too."
"How are ye wantin' ta do this? I mean, are ye plannin' on bringin' him in?"
"Nope."
"I…see. Are ye prepared to live with the consequences o' yer actions, then?"
"Aye, that bastard's had this comin' to him fer a long time, an' not jus' from me, but from all o' the people that he's hurt an' killed. It's gotta end, Markus, an' I'm gonna be there to see it through."
"Ye know I got yer back, Red."
"Thanks."
"No matter what happens."
"I know."
"We all do."
"I know, Markus!"
"I jus' wanted ye to know is all."
"Ye are doin' that on purpose! Canna ye be serious for a moment?"
"Of course! Wait till I draw me irons, then ye will see, but now's not that time. I'm doin' what I do ta keep ye loose. Ye need it ta relax, 'cause once the bullets start flyin' it's a whole 'nother story!"
"Thanks, I guess," she snorts with mirth, "But I wanna remain focused on what we gotta do. We need to come up with a plan."
"I take it ye have one in mind?"
She smiles at him, but it is not a pleasant one, "I do."
She tells him and they ride on. They ride until the sun falls below the horizon. Jensen and the others make camp as Red starts the campfire and then helps Markus with dinner. Soon after the riders huddle around the fire as Red and Markus pass out plates of jerked beef, potatoes, gravy and hardtack. The air has a definite chill as the last of the sun's rays disappear. The group eats in silence for a while until Jensen breaks the silence with a question.
"Who was that new woman at the House?"
Several other members of the group turn to Red with expectant looks. She turns to Markus who shrugs. She can feel her face blush with heat as she searches for the right words to say.
"She's…a friend."
No lip quiver 'cause it's the truth. "We get that," Jensen presses, "But who is she? I haven't seen a girl with that color skin before!"
"Her name be Shego," Markus speaks up, "She's the new head o' security at the Brighton House."
Another young man, David, speaks up, "How did you meet her, Red? I saw them pistols at her hips an' they look well used. Is she a gunslinger?"
"Yes," Red replies evenly, "An' as to the color of her skin, I have no idea. You can trust her…I do."
Her answer seems to satisfy the young buck and he goes back to diving into his plate. "She's a looker, that she is," exclaims O'Donnell, a freckle-faced youth exclaims.
The others in the group murmur their agreement energetically, a little too energetically for Red's liking. "I think she's taken boys, so cool yer heads," Markus declares.
Red steals a worried glance at him but he says nothing else on the matter. The others mutter and murmur their disappointment at the news. Markus nods at Red and winks at her, the worry disappears from Red's face. The others start conversations between themselves giving Red the opportunity to eat. She eats quickly and excuses herself from the circle. Markus watches her as she walks over to Midnight with a brush. He turns back to the conversations after Red starts brushing Midnight's mane.
"How are ya doin', boy? Do you miss her?"
He whinnies and paws the ground once with a hoof. "Don't worry," she coos into his ear, "We'll be seein' her soon. Does she give you this much attention? I'll bet she does since your mane is gorgeous."
He snorts happily, his ears fully forward. "I can tell she's good to you. Here, I got somethin' for ya, boy."
She pulls out a sugar cube from her pocket and gives it to him. He takes it and licks her hand to get the flavor from it. She smiles at the steed then pats him several times on his thickly muscled neck. "We'll take the lead tomorrow so get plenty of rest. I wanna hit Hollister before nightfall; do ya think yer up to it?"
He whinnies and paws the ground again, once. "Good," she says with a smile and one more pat to his neck, "I'll see ya in the mornin'."
She heads back to the circle, says good night to everyone and retired to her tent. She sleeps fitfully throughout the night, the nightmares have returned.
Next day
Red takes the lead after they break camp, rather, Midnight takes the lead, and the other horses are hard pressed to keep up with the green-eyed stallion. Midnight runs hard without any prompting from Red and the company rides hard throughout the day. Red is utterly impressed at Shego's steed, he has boundless reserves of energy and stamina and the horse is noticeably irritated at the other horses when they have to stop for rest and water. Dee, the old Appaloosa draws most of the stallion's ire. He nips at her rump, his ears back against his head. Dee nips back but Midnight is too fast for the old warhorse. Markus barks at the stallion to stay away from him but Midnight does not listen, instead running circles around Dee to irritate and prod the Appaloosa to movement. Red apologizes to Markus and Dee but even she has a hard time corralling the temperament of the stallion.
Midnight pushes the other horses to their limits and the company makes great time. What would normally have taken them three days or slightly less to reach Hollister Midnight had done it by nightfall, just like Red asked of him. The other horses were nearly at the point of collapse and Dee was worse off than the rest, but the old warhorse somehow kept pace. The riders were almost as exhausted as their horses. Markus complained of not being able to feel his legs and it was all the damned stallion's fault. Jensen and the other young bucks were sore but rarin' for a fight!
Red felt totally fine.
The company stops finally atop a hill that overlooked the large town of Hollister below. The sun was setting in the horizon, bathing the land below them in a pinkish hue that would look stunning if it was not for the scene of devastation before them.
Several homes on the outskirts of town were nothing more than burning husks. The small echoes of hootin' and hollerin' could be heard from below, interrupted at times by the crack and pop of gunfire.
"I hope we're not too late," Markus huffs as he tries to catch his breath, "This puts a damper in yer plan, Red," he says to her ruefully.
Her stare is hard and cold as she observes the scene below, "Screw the plan."
Several columns of black smoke rise from the far end of the town. "Careful lass, ye have ta keep yer head straight on this one," Markus admonishes.
"What do you suggest then, 'Dead-Shot?"
She uses the old gunslinger nickname that made him famous for a time. His legend was simple: He fires once and you were dead, hence the moniker of 'Dead-Shot'. He scowls at her use of his old nickname. "We need rest, Red! We're all tired! If we go in there now we're dead, pure an' simple! Use yer damn brain!"
"Do ye hear what's goin' on down there," she asks angrily, "I canna sit by an' wait while he's down there, hurtin' an' killin' more people! You kin wait here if ye want, but I'm goin' in!"
With that, the fiery red head spurs Midnight and she tears down the hill to the town below. "Kim! Stop," Markus yells futilely.
Jensen spurs his horse to action and follows her down the hill. "Damnation," Markus curses as he raises a hand to stop the others from following suit, "Don't ye even think it," he growls at them.
"Red! Wait," Jensen yells to her as they reach the bottom of the hill, "We gotta wait for the others!"
"They'll be along in a minute once Markus gets his head outta his ass," she replies angrily as she continues on to the town.
Red stops at the furthest standing building from the town proper and dismounts. Jensen does the same. Red lowers Midnight's head so they are eye to eye.
"You stay here, got it?"
He paws the ground once. "Good," she answers, "Stay outta sight and come for me when I call you."
He paws the ground again and shakes his mane. Red pulls her modified Henry rifle from the saddle holster and rests it against her shoulder as Jensen dismounts. Red ties Bucky to a tree while he readies his pistols.
"W-what's the plan," he asks shakily.
"The Blues wear blue sashes around their waists to identify themselves," she explains, a hard edge in her voice, "shoot 'em."
"That's it?"
"Yep."
"Hell of a plan ya got there, Red."
"I kin amend it by sayin' shoot 'em 'till they stop movin' an' fire back, but I dinna think I needed to go into such minute detail with ye."
"Hey, ya know I got yer back," he says giving her a hurt look.
"An' I got yours," she says, nodding, "Oh, one more thing…"
"What is it?"
Her stare turns Jensen's blood into ice as she says, "Drakken's mine!"
He gulps audibly as she brings her rifle down from her shoulder and moves to the side of the building. Jensen draws one of his pistols and follows her. She raises a hand to stop him from moving forward. She quickly peeks around the corner then ducks back to the side of the building.
"The sun's gone down so stick to the shadows. I know yer good with a pistol, but how good are ye with a rifle?"
"I hit what I aim at," he replies.
"Good, take this," she commands as she tosses her rifle to him, "Find ye a high spot with good cover an' pick off anyone wearin' blue sashes."
He holsters his pistol and nods. "I got ya, Red. Where are ya goin'?"
"I'm gonna find Drakken. Good luck."
Jensen nods then scampers off to her left to find a good vantage point. Red inhales deeply and exhales slowly. She steps out from the side of the building and onto the street. Gunfire echoes throughout the town. She can hear the screams of wives and daughters suffering under the unwanted attentions of The Blues. More gunshots echo from the rooms where the women dare to resist.
Several carts lie overturned on the main thoroughfare and the ground is littered with the bodies of the dead, both human and equine. She walks past the bank, the front doors were blasted open and the acrid stench of charred bodies assaults her nose. Her stomach threatens to rebel but she forces it down.
She dives underneath a cart and in the same motion draws her pistols as movement to her left startles her. Three cowboys, each wearing a telltale blue sash around their waist, fire their pistols in the direction of the building Red and Jensen hid behind. The well-known crack of her modified rifle pierces the air and the Blues member in the center jerks, and then falls to the dirt, blood pouring from a new hole in his forehead. The other two split, one runs to the right while the other runs left back down the street.
Red intercepts the Blues member that ran to the right. She fires one shot from each colt and the bullets hit their mark as a bullet tears through each knee. He screams in pain as he falls to the ground. She leaps from under the cart and runs at the fallen cowboy. She punts the cowboy's face with her steel toed boot, knocking him out. Another crack from her rifle tells her that the other Blues gang member would be a problem no longer.
She takes her time to reload. In the distance she watches Jensen run from his hiding spot and leap into another building. She brings her pistols up to her shoulders and turns around.
The screaming and the gunfire stops. Her head moves to the left and then to the right. Her eyes take in everything around her. Her trained eye spies movement in the shadows of the windows overlooking her from several buildings around her. With a running start she flips over the overturned cart in front of her as several windows flash with bursts of gunfire. She lands on the inside of the cart and she can hear the bullets hit the stout wood behind her.
Then as quickly as it began the barking of gunfire ceases.
"Come on out Red! We were expectin' ya," a heavily accented Mexican voice bellows from her right.
She takes a breath. Silence follows. "Da Boss said you'd come! He wants ta talk!"
"Where is he, TNT," she yells from her position.
"Come on out an' I'll tell ya!"
TNT. One of Drakken's many lieutenants. A vicious killer, he was forced to leave Mexico once the Mexican Army got on his trail. The story went that he was one of the first to join Drakken and was the inspiration behind the Blues and their sashes. An expert with explosives of all kinds, TNT was one of the most dangerous outlaws in the West!
She does not move. She waits. "All right, bitch! Have it your way!"
Now.
She stands and aims her pistols at his voice. TNT and a handful of other Blues members stand in the blasted out doorway of the bank. TNT was one of the ugliest hombres Red had ever seen! He was Mexican, squat, and fat. He had way too much hair where there should be none and not enough where there should. The right side of his face was horribly burned and scarred, thanks to his terrifying weapons of choice, dynamite. But what angers her is the Marshall Star his has pinned to his gunpowder-covered jacket! That was the star worn by her father! He holds a crossbow in each arm, each bolt tipped with a stick of dynamite, their fuses already burning. His smile only adds to his ugliness when her presses the triggers of his crossbows as Red stands to face him.
Red fires her colts as the dynamite-tipped bolts fly toward her. The bullets hit their intended targets and the sticks explode long before they reach her, but the explosions and resulting shockwaves cause TNT and the other Blues gang to scatter.
Red does not think, she reacts. She walks towards their position, firing her colts. Cowboys drop, clutching their shattered knees, bloodied arms, or staring at their trigger hand in shock as fingers disappear. TNT stumbles up the ruined stairs to the bank and falls backwards inside as Red reloads. Behind her she can hear her rifle pop off twice followed by bodies hitting the ground behind her. A mirthless smile spreads across her face, nice shootin' Jensen! I knew you had my back. She flips her colts on her finger after she finishes reloading. She can hear TNT coughing from inside the blasted bank.
"D-Damn you! Ya are dead, ya hear me!"
She can hear the hiss of lit fuses from within and she holsters her colts. A trio of black metal balls the size of a fist sail out from the entrance. Red runs to her left and leaps as the bombs explode. The flash of heat is terrible at her back and side and the concussive force sends her rolling on the dirt. The stench of gunpowder assaults her nose as she rolls. She is on her feet in an instant and has to move quickly as another bomb lands close to her feet. The bomb explodes as Red runs for her life!
TNT stomps out of the entrance of the shattered bank cradling more bombs in his thick arms. An evil smile frames his scorched face. He starts lobbing bombs out everywhere, not caring where they land or what they destroy. The street in front of the bank is soon cratered from his chosen weapons. He tosses several bombs further, and a few of them fall into the open windows of several buildings. The explosions are enormous and the buildings catch fire easily.
Red brings her shoulder up to shield her face from the exploding debris around her as she runs for cover. She leaps onto the front porch of the Saloon and dives through the window a moment before the front steps explode. Her duster protects her from the shards of broken glass and splinters as she rolls across the floor and onto her feet. She dives over the bar as cowboys appear from the stairway on the second floor and fire at her with their pistols. More Blues members pour in from the back, draw their pistols and fire at the bar. Whiskey, beer and wine rain down on Red from the exploding bottles. She draws her colts while the bar above her is riddled with hot lead! She attempts to stand and return fire but she is forced back down from the fury of their gunfire. She is trapped!
Jensen reloads Red's rifle, thankful that he also uses .44s. He kneels next to a window; the bodies of two cowboys with blue sashes lie dead on the floor. He cocks the rifle, stands, and squints as the customized rifle pokes out of the open window to the scene of devastation below. He spots the squat Mexican bandito as he barks orders to the gathered cowboys around him and gestures towards the Saloon. Jensen counts at least ten of them and they converge on the Saloon. He moves away from the window and runs downstairs to find a new vantage point closer to the Saloon. Jensen tears out of the building and runs across the street, using the fires and overturned carts to hide himself from the Blues as he nears the grocery store next to the Saloon. The Blues around TNT draw their guns and fire into the Saloon. Jensen slams his back against the side of the grocery store and sets Red's rifle against his shoulder as he takes aim…
Red flattens herself against the floor from the new hail of bullets coming from the front. She cannot help herself by smirking mirthlessly as she hears grunts and gurgling sounds coming from behind her as several Blues members are the unfortunate recipients of the attack from outside.
Red's perception of time slows to a crawl. She leaps to her feet and jumps over the bar as bullets zip past her face. She draws her colts in the same motion as she flips through the air. Her father's revolver's bark at the two remaining blue-sashed cowboys three times, the cowboys drop their pistols from bloodied, useless hands and fall to the knees from the holes torn through their legs. She lands on the soles of her boots, her spurs echoing ghostly against the screams of the cowboys and the popping of gunfire from outside. She twists to face the entrance of the Saloon, her duster flaring up, seemingly dodging the hail of hot lead on its own. Her 1860 colts take careful aim, and she empties both chambers into the street.
Time returns to normal as the Blues scatter. TNT grunts as his heavy frame flattens itself on the hard dirt. One of Red's bullets knocked a lit bomb from his hand and he stares at it in horror as it lands at his feet. He kicks it away at the last second, but unfortunately the bomb sails into the path where the other Blues members had retreated for cover. The bomb explodes, showering the Mexican in blood and body parts.
The death screams of his fellow compatriots do not bother him in the least.
He scampers to his feet and notices movement from the corner of the building next to the Saloon. He tosses two bombs in that direction as he steps heavily toward the Saloon.
Jensen recoils Red's rifle as the bombs land on the ground and roll toward him. He backs away at a dead sprint as the bombs roll around the corner and explode. The force of the combined blasts knocks Jensen off of his feet and sends him hurling into the back street beyond. He lands on the dirt hard, skidding and rolling until the wall of another building stops his momentum. The young gunfighter is dazed, and in shock.
Red reloads quickly and heads upstairs. Her eagle eye spots the chandelier and the rope holding it. She traces the rope to where it is tethered to the wall and she runs toward it as TNT enters.
"Where are ya, Red? I gots sum-thin' for ya," he growls menacingly as he scans the ruined first floor.
He holds a bomb in each hand, waiting for any sign of her so he can flick his wrists just so to light his weapons. Red reaches the rope and starts to untie it as TNT moves deeper into the Saloon. With surprising strength she heaves against the rope as she finishes untying it and leaps onto the banister, holding the rope with both hands. Her spurs jingle as her boots land on the banister and TNT looks up just as Red swings down on the rope.
His eyes go wide in surprise and shock and he forgets about the bombs in his hands. Red's extended boots connect with TNT's fat stomach with full force, sending him sprawling to the floor. Red lets go of the rope and lands in front of him, the chandelier crashing and shattering into a million pieces behind her. TNT had dropped his weapons from the forceful impact and his hands reach into his coat pocket.
Red's pistols stop a few feet away from each of TNT's eyes. "Don't even think it," she growls dangerously.
TNT laughs wickedly, a deep belly laugh despite his precarious position. He slowly brings his hands back out from his coat and raises them in surrender.
"Where's Drakken?
Another wicked laugh. "Not 'ere as ya kin see."
"So he's at Baybridge?"
TNT shakes his head, "Nope! But, he's a lot closer than ya think!"
At this time Markus and the rest of the cavalry arrive. Jensen follows behind Markus, rubbing the back of his sore head. Markus's pistols are out and he trains them on the fat Mexican. The bandit's eyes widen in fear and recognition.
"D-Dead-Shot? Y-yer still alive?"
"'Fraid so," he replies evenly, "Where's yer boss?"
"Not here," Red answers for the bandit, "But he's gotta be close."
"Not even a quarter of the Blues were here, how 'bout Baybridge?"
"This is rich," TNT exclaims in evil laughter, "his plan worked perfectly!"
"Plan? What're ye talkin' about?"
"Black Dog returned to us an' told us everythin'," TNT explains with a wicked smile, "He told us all 'bout Coal Town."
"Shit," Markus curses in understanding.
Red pistol-whips TNT hard in the face, rendering him unconscious. Her face is a deeper red than her hair in abject rage and fear. She rips her father's star from his coat and puts it in the front pocket of her duster.
"We'll never make it back in time," Markus says, his voice hard and sad.
"I can!"
"Red," he says sighing, "Think 'bout this, will ye? Even with that steed o' yers, it'll take ye more than a day to get back. It's impossible!"
Her arms visibly shake in barely restrained anger and she holsters her pistols. She turns to her old friend and her look sends a shiver of fear down his spine. "I told ye anythin's possible! Go ahead an' try ta stop me, I dare ya, Dead-Shot!"
He raises his hands in surrender, "Ye know I ain't gonna do that," he says quietly as his gaze turns down to the unconscious Blues lieutenant, "What 'bout him?"
Red grabs her rifle from Jensen and storms out of the Saloon, "Do what ye do, I don' care anymore."
She whistles and Midnight runs up to her. She shoves her rifle into its holster and mounts the stallion. She turns him towards Coal Town and home. "We need to git home as fast as ye can, Midnight, ye hear me?"
He rears onto his back legs and whinnies into the night air. He tears off at a full gallop. Even before they leave the devastation of Hollister she can hear the echo of multiple gunshots coming from the direction of the Saloon…
