The Good the Bad and the Brady

Chapter Nine

For MaryArtemis xxx :)

"I say we untie their horses" Ste suggested.

"Good idea Steven. As for us maybe it would be better if we continue by foot."

"What about our horses?" Asked Rhys.

"We'll tie them up, and you guard them with ye life Rhys, do ye hear me?" Answered Brady.

"Okay Sheriff"

"Ye shoot anyone that comes near ye and we'll do the rest."

The sheriff approached the five horses and one by one untied them, leaving them to run free. Without their horses the bandits couldn't get far and that would give them an advantage. In place the men tied up their horses and as Sheriff Brady suggested Rhys stood guard awaiting the remaining four men to return. Brady led his army further in to the deserted town; he was desperate to find his beloved sister and wouldn't stop until he had.

The men searched the buildings one by one and as they got closer to a particular one that was obviously a saloon in its former glory, they heard music and laughter. Most of the windows were still intact and even one door was still hanging, but it had seen better days and looked like it was going to collapse any minute.

"What do we do now Sheriff?" Asked jack nervously.

"I say we go in there and teach them a lesson!" Replied Tony.

"Just follow my lead men and stay close together. Remember that they don't know we're here and we have to be smarter than them."

The sheriff crept up to the window and peered through, he couldn't quite see everything but he could see three of the outlaws laughing and drinking at the bar. He wanted to stop them laughing but he knew he had to take in everything first, he had to be prepared. He noticed the older bandit join the men at the bar and then he saw her, his sister Cheryl. She was being carried about by Warren who was clearly taken with her. She was screaming out and kicking her legs but Warren seemed to enjoy her feistiness and just held on tighter to her. The sheriff watched in horror as Warren carried her up the stairs, was he going to hurt her? He couldn't take anymore; he drew his gun and charged in to the saloon as if his life depended on it. Ste, Tony and Jack weren't far behind him.

"Give me my sister now."

The sheriff stood in the saloon with his gun pointing straight at the outlaws and the other men soon followed suit.

"We've been waiting for you Sheriff. You have quite the army there, but a little outnumbered don't you think?" said Silas who couldn't help but laugh at Brady and his small army.

"But we all have our guns out. Now I'll ask ye one last time before I'll blow ye brains out. I want my sister now."

"You call that asking do you sheriff?"

Brady didn't give him a reply; instead he pulled back the trigger on his gun and shot the older bandit in the head, he then bolted up the stairs, leaving Ste, Tony and Jack with the other bandits.

The outlaws pulled out their guns, hoping to unnerve the men, which it did a little. None of the men had shot anyone before and with Sheriff Brady out of the equation nerves had started to get the better of them.

"Are you going to shoot me Ste?" asked a shocked walker.

"I will do what I have to do" Ste replied.

"What you two know each other?" Added jack.

"Yeah you could say that, we go way back."

"How is that then Ste?" Asked Tony suspiciously.

"Walker is…was a friend of the family that's all."

Jacks hand slips on the trigger and he watches in disbelief as Ally falls to the floor. The young outlaw Joel shoots back at jack and he collapses instantly. Ste joins him to see if he is still breathing and is horrified to find that he isn't.

"We need to stop this before we all kill each other" Shouted Ste.

All men knew that things were starting to get serious, Silas and Jack were dead and ally wasn't far behind them. The sound of Warren being thrown down the stairs distracted the men and Sheriff Brady was right behind him. Ste was shocked at the amount of Anger that was coming out of his lover, but he knew how much Cheryl meant to him. While Brady was violently striking Warren and the other bandits were watching, Ste made his way upstairs. He found Cheryl crying on the floor by the bed, her clothes were a little torn and she had a bleeding lip. Ste knelt down beside her and put his arms around her.

"Cheryl are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm…okay…it's what could have happened if Brendan hadn't of saved me."

Once again gunshots were being fired and all Ste knew is that he had to get Cheryl out in one piece.

"Can you stand up? Are you good to walk?"

"Um…yeah…I think so"

"We need to get you out of here, like now. You ready?"

"Yeah I'm ready Ste."

"I'll protect you, just stay behind me okay?"

"Okay Ste."

Ste quietly walked down the stairs hoping to find Brendan in complete control and the other Bandits dead, instead none of the surviving men were in the bar. Ste and Cheryl made their way outside where Sheriff Brady and Tony were fighting Warren and Joel and not with guns with their bare hands. Walker was nowhere to been seen and Ste wondered if he had got caught in the shooting somehow and that maybe he was dead along with the others. Ste had to get Cheryl out of here; he knew that would be what Brendan would want him to do.

"Cheryl, I'll take you to Rhys and the horses and then I'll come back for Brendan…I mean Sheriff Brady and Tony."

Ste was true to his word, he got Cheryl safely to Rhys without anyone noticing, but unfortunately he didn't notice that Walker was also there waiting.

"Ste we have to stop meeting like this."

"Walker, I thought you were…"

"Dead? No not me."

Walker was armed and Ste was pretty sure that he was dangerous now.

"Lets us go Walker...please?"

Walker made his way over to Ste and whispered in his ear.

"You know what I want."

Ste knew that Walker wanted him back, it wasn't that bad with him, it's just that Ste has had the best now and he doesn't want to settle, but if it meant saving Cheryl then he was prepared to do it.

"Anything you say Walker, but you have to let Rhys take Cheryl home?"

"Fine…go on you heard him, go!"

Ste watched as Cheryl flew in the arms of Rhys.

"Go...now!" he shouted.

And as Walker pulled Ste close to him, Ste looked on and felt relieved at the sight of Cheryl being safe, even if it's cost him his life.

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