Chapter 7: The Shoot-out
The meeting with Ganon had shaken Link. He felt horribly ashamed that he was still tempted by Ganon's offer. What if he could provide the solution?
Link strove to keep Aryll safe as long as he would live. The rest of his family had already fallen to pieces so Aryll's safety was the most important thing in the world to him.
He had finally reached a train station that read "Linebeck Trading." Link rode straight to the front door and tied his horse to a hitch. He pushed open the swinging doors to the store and entered. He met the eyes of a man behind the counter.
The man had long, light brown hair. He wore no hat on his head, something rather uncommon for men to do in that particular era of New Hyrule history, though it was far from unheard of.
He also had a very thin beard and separate moustache, which was equally thin. He was rather well dressed for a shopkeeper, wearing a white, collared shirt with a red bow tie and light blue vest. His tailcoat was a darker blue with large cuffs. He gave Link a sly smile when he entered.
"Welcome friend. This is Linebeck Trading. It's a family business that's been run for centuries. I am Linebeck VI. What can I help you with?"
Link was wary of the sly, scheming tone with which Linebeck spoke. He reached into the inside pocket of his duster and pulled out Marshal LaFaron's letter.
"My name is Link. I am a Castle Town Marshal. I've come to request your services as a marksman and tracker."
Linebeck chuckled.
"I'm afraid I don't do that anymore. I run this business now."
Linebeck noticed the letter in Link's hand.
'What's that about?"
Link smiled.
"Marshal LaFaron sends his regards. He also says he's calling in a favour you owe him?"
The smile instantly left Linebeck's face as he snatched the letter from Link's hand. He quickly read it over.
"He can't be serious. He wants me to help you take down the Bulblins?"
Link nodded.
"I'm afraid so. See, my sister was kidnapped by Ganon and my goal is to get her back and take down every last one of those bastards."
Linebeck couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Are you insane!? What the hell is wrong with your brain? You'll get killed on your own!"
"Well, why do you think I'm here?"
Linebeck knew very well why Link was here but he was not interested in dying over someone else's crusade. Still, Marshal LaFaron was a man he owed a great deal to and he knew he could never live with himself if he turned Link away.
Linebeck had no right to refuse Marshal LaFaron. He made a promise and, even though he knew he had little courage to speak of, he had to do it for the Marshal.
"Fine" Linebeck said reluctantly.
"Let me get some things ready and I'll be right outside with my horse."
Linebeck was about to start gathering up his supplies when he stopped.
"I will need to be compensated for this, you know."
Link smiled again.
"Of course, Linebeck. You will be greatly rewarded for your efforts. There's a hefty bounty out for most of these men. I'll let you keep the payment for them all. How does that sound?"
Linebeck's eyes sparkled. The thought of all that money and the glory to go right along with it gave him an adrenaline rush. He was suddenly very excited to get going.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Are you scared or something? Come on! There's bounties to collect!"
Link laughed at Linebeck's sudden change of heart. As soon as there are riches to be had, Linebeck is all for doing everything he can.
Within minutes Linebeck had gathered everything he needed, including his rifle and revolver. He saddled up his horse and started leaving before Link had even climbed back into the saddle of his horse.
"Come on, slowpoke! There's Bulblins to hunt down! Don't be scared, I'll be right by your side!"
Link laughed again as he climbed into the saddle.
"You do have an active imagination" Link said.
Linebeck was about to take off again when he realized something.
"Uh, where are we going, exactly?" he asked.
Link chuckled.
"We're headed toward Anouki Town. Malladus was headed up that way. He split off from the Bulblins and is trying to form his own gang. We'll start there."
Linebeck's expression changed again from joy to fright.
"Malladus? Isn't he the crazy one?"
"That he is, Linebeck. We'll need to be careful. Come on, I'll lead us there."
"That would be best" Linebeck said nervously.
Link and Linebeck rode side by side on a northern heading. This began a long and strange friendship between two very different men.
By nightfall of their third day travelling, Link and Linebeck had crossed the border into the northern Anouki Province. They were just outside of Anouki Town, having entered a graveyard. Linebeck had tracked Malladus to this point.
Link and Linebeck had left their horses at the gate and were moving through the graveyard on foot. As they walked, snow began lightly falling, adding to the powdery coating that already covered the ground. As they moved, Link stopped them.
"What? Why are we stopping?" Linebeck asked.
Link shushed him as he stood silently and listened.
"I hear digging" he said. "And voices. I think they're here."
They moved further into the graveyard and eventually saw Malladus watching six outlaws dig up various graves.
One of them had stopped and was saying something to Malladus. Suddenly and without warning, Malladus drew his revolver and a loud shot echoed across the silent night. The man collapsed as Malladus' gun smoked. He had shot the man right between the eyes.
"Does anyone else want to question me and tell me that there's no gold in this graveyard?"
There was nothing but silence to answer him back.
"Keep digging!" he bellowed.
Link and Linebeck looked at each other.
"Grave robbing? In the tundra like this? He really is crazy" Linebeck said. "There isn't actually any gold buried here, is there?"
Link shook his head.
"Of course there isn't. Not in the Anouki Province. It's just not how they do things. The Anouki have never buried gold with their dead."
Linebeck shook his head.
"So he's made up some legend about Anouki gold in his head. He's more than just crazy. He's full bore, lunatic, insane!"
Link was staring out at the men, plotting.
"What is it?" Linebeck said, noticing Link's concentration.
Link counted the number of men and noticed the numbers were well short of what Ganon had said.
"There's supposed to be fifteen men with Malladus. Well, I guess it's only fourteen now. There are only five with him over there. That means there are nine missing. We'll have our work cut out for us."
Link looked to their right and noticed a church. The windows showed light from the inside.
"I think they may be in that church. At least some of them are, most likely."
Link took another long pause as he surveyed their surroundings. He noticed a rather tall mausoleum not too far from where they were. It would make an excellent vantage point for someone who was a crack shot.
"Linebeck" he said finally. "I'm going to boost you up to the roof of that mausoleum. Use that rifle of yours to pick them off if and when I get into trouble. I'm going after them head on. Keep your eye on the church, too, because I plan to draw them out."
Linebeck stared at Link as though he were a madman.
"Don't look at me like that" Link said. "We'll be fine, trust me. I've been doing this stuff for years."
They made their way to the mausoleum and Link boosted Linebeck up onto the roof. Before he left, he whispered up to him.
"Linebeck." The man peered over the edge of the roof at Link.
"Make your shots count."
Linebeck scoffed at Link.
"Please, who do you think I am? You might even learn a thing or two."
Link did not respond to this and simply moved toward the group of outlaws. He found a particularly large headstone and crouched behind it. He waved a hand to Linebeck who waved back. They were ready.
Link took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the headstone. He called out to Malladus.
"Malladus! The Castle Town Marshals have come for you."
The outlaw turned and saw Link standing beside a large headstone and quickly looked around to see if there was anyone else.
"Marshals? I only see one, law dog. You must be touched in the head to come after us all by your lonesome."
Link steadied his left hand over his holster as Malladus spoke and calmly answered back.
"We have the graveyard surrounded. I wouldn't suggest trying anything."
Malladus grabbed the arm of one of the outlaws and pushed him forward.
"Zant" he said as he pushed him "Waste this dumb bastard."
The outlaw called Zant reached for his gun and as soon as he did, a shot rang out and he hit the snow-covered earth. Link had drawn his pistol and fired faster than the man could even react.
A second man reached for the gun at his hip and he managed to pull it from his holster before the blast of a rifle was heard. A bullet tore through the man's skull and he, too, fell to the ground. Malladus and the three men remaining with him took cover behind various headstones.
"Come out here, boys! We've got trouble!" Malladus called out.
Link ducked behind the large headstone he stood beside and listened in the direction of the church. Sure enough, he could hear the door open and the footsteps of several men. After that, he heard two rifle shots in quick succession. He leaned out from behind the headstone and saw two men laying on the ground.
One was dead from a shot to his head and the other had taken a shot in the shoulder. He lay on the ground bleeding and it was clear that he was out of the fight. Link was impressed. Linebeck had already taken three outlaws.
Link watched and saw that every remaining man with Malladus had come out of the church. One of them spotted him leaning out from behind cover. He already had his pistol drawn and took a shot at Link. He quickly ducked back behind the headstone and the bullet harmlessly grazed the edge of the stone.
Just after getting back behind cover, he heard another shot from Linebeck's rifle and heard the man who shot at him hit the ground. It was then that Malladus caught on to Linebeck's location.
"Up there on the mausoleum, boys. Fire up there!"
Every man from the church turned and spotted Linebeck and he was soon under heavy fire. He crawled backwards off the roof and dropped in behind the mausoleum to escape the hailstorm of bullets.
Link suddenly jumped out from behind cover and, drawing the revolver on his right hip, began firing both at the men by the church. After a rapid succession of five shots, another of the outlaws fell. Link then bolted for the mausoleum and was quickly beside Linebeck.
Link looked at Linebeck's terrified face.
"How many are left?" he asked.
Linebeck hesitated but managed to remember.
"Nine, including Malladus" he said.
Link nodded and proceeded to lean out from behind the mausoleum. He was greeted with a gunshot and quickly ducked in behind the mausoleum again.
"I can't tell how many are coming at us."
Linebeck started panicking.
"Well, what do we do?" he asked, frantically.
"We can't stay here. Our best chance is to take cover in the church."
Linebeck was incredulous.
"What!? We'll get shot to pieces before we even get there!"
Link reloaded the chambers of his revolvers and turned to look at Linebeck.
"I'll go out first and give you some cover fire. You need to holster that rifle and run as fast as you can to the church. Wait for me there."
Linebeck shook his head. He still thought this was crazy but he decided it was better if they moved rather than staying here.
"Ready?" Link asked.
Linebeck nodded.
"Alright, go!"
Link bolted from behind the mausoleum with Linebeck in tow.
He fired several shots at the outlaws as he ran for cover behind a tree that stood between the mausoleum and the church. The shots distracted the outlaws enough for Linebeck to run past them unscathed. He was almost to the church.
Link was now behind the tree and leaned out to take another couple of pot shots at the outlaws. When he ducked back behind the tree his heart sank as he counted how many outlaws he had seen. He only counted seven, including Malladus. There were two unaccounted for and Link could guess where they were.
Just as he was about to call out and warn Linebeck he heard one of the outlaws call for Malladus.
"Boss! We got us one of the law dogs, like you said we would."
Malladus grinned and called out to Link.
"We got your boy over here, Marshal. I didn't see anyone else out there with you so I'm guessing you're all that's left. Holster your weapons and come out."
Link quickly reloaded his revolvers and holstered them. He breathed deeply as he stepped out and faced the outlaws. Two of them were holding guns to Linebeck's head standing just in front of the church entrance.
Malladus continued speaking to Link.
"You sure got us pretty good. But it's all over now."
Link stealthily reached behind him and unsheathed his hunting knife. None of the men noticed.
"Come over here. Slowly."
Link took several careful steps toward the outlaws, concealing the knife in his hand. Malladus shoved one of his men forward.
"Take his guns" he said.
As the man approached, Link readied himself. Linebeck caught the look in his eye and shook his head. No, he thought. Please don't try anything.
The man stopped in front of Link and reached for his gun belt. In one swift motion, Link stabbed the man in the side of the throat and quickly shoved him toward Malladus. The man hit him and they both tumbled into the snow.
Link then quickly turned to the two men beside Linebeck and drew his left revolver, firing two lightning fast shots, hitting both men square in the forehead. They both dropped to the ground and Linebeck made a dash for the church.
This time, Linebeck made it inside and held the door open for Link.
"Come on, hurry!" he shouted.
Link drew his right revolver and fired two more shots at Malladus' men, hitting one of them in the chest. He then made his dash for the church and made it inside. Linebeck slammed the door shut and lowered the door bar to barricade themselves in. He turned to Link, incredulous.
"Trust me, he says. I've done this before, he says. Why in holy hell did I agree to come with you?"
"You're still alive, aren't you? Come on, draw one of your damn guns and watch the back window."
Link stood at the door as Linebeck turned around and gasped.
"By all the Spirits of Good..." he said.
Link turned around to see what Linebeck was talking about and his eyes narrowed at the sight.
The Anouki grave keeper and monk who lived here were laying in front of the altar in a pool of blood. Their antlers had been cut off and it was clear that Malladus had tried to remove their heads as well but clearly did not have the proper tools to do it and so gave up. Malladus had also written a message in their blood on the walls but it was entirely illegible.
"Poor bastards..." Linebeck said.
"This why they all need to go down."
They suddenly heard the voice of Malladus calling to them from the front of the church.
"This needs to end, law dogs. If you give it up now I promise I'll kill you quickly."
Link and Linebeck turned to look at each other.
"Hear that, Linebeck? Malladus says he'll kill us quickly."
Linebeck scoffed.
"Well, I'm honoured he would have such respect."
Link motioned for Linebeck to cover the back windows behind the altar. When he was in position, Link holstered his two revolvers and pulled the double-barreled shotgun from his back.
"All right, Malladus. We're coming out."
"Don't try anything this time" Malladus said, angrily.
Link lifted the door bar and started opening the door slowly. After opening it about a foot, he surged forward and raised his shotgun. He fired each shell at two men standing on either side of Malladus, dropping them as well. He then rushed Malladus himself and swung the stock of his shotgun at his head, knocking him to the ground.
Linebeck heard two men outside the windows behind the altar. The first one tried to climb in but was blasted away by a shot from Linebeck's revolver. The second man managed to get in and had just raised his gun to Linebeck when a second shot rang out. The outlaw dropped dead on the floor of the church.
Link stood over Malladus, having knocked him unconscious. He looked to Linebeck who exited the church proudly and surveyed the scene.
"That's all of them" he said.
"Where's that one you wounded in the shoulder? Find him and take him to your horse. We're taking these two back to Castle Town alive."
Linebeck was confused.
"Alive? Why would we do that?"
"You've never been a bounty hunter before, have you? Bringing these two back alive means a bigger payout, especially for Malladus."
Linebeck's eyes shone as he remembered Link's promise to let him keep all of the bounty money.
"Really? Interesting. I'll be happy to accept a bigger payout if that's the case."
Link and Linebeck collected all the guns and put them into a sack. There were no green bandanas as these outlaws had disavowed their ties to the Bulblins.
Linebeck found the wounded man and dragged him back to his horse.
Before Link had even made it back to his horse with Malladus, Linebeck was already sitting in the saddle, waiting.
"Boy, you sure are slow. I've been waiting here for ages. Come on, pick up the pace! That bounty won't collect itself."
Link heaved Malladus onto the back of his horse and tied him to the saddle.
"Let's get going then" Link said with a smile.
After their astounding victory, Linebeck was feeling very pleased with himself and couldn't wait for the payout from these bounties.
Link shook his head at the prideful grin on Linebeck's face as he spurred his horse and led Linebeck back toward Castle Town.
