They had rode a good ways to reach Rye and Sons Aviation. Leaving the horses concealed in the trees the two ex soldiers approached on foot with rifles at the ready. As they got close Boomer began to sniff the air and snarl. Raylan reached over and stroked the dog's neck "easy boy, easy. Let's not tell em we're here just yet" As they peered around from the side of the hangar they could make out the scene over by the house. About a dozen peggies had the place surrounded. One out front of the house was calling inside, like he was trying to talk them into coming out.

From the top window Raylan could make out a familiar voice yell back "I done told you to fuck off and gimme back my plane" followed by a shotgun blast. The men fired back at the house and there was a blue streak of cussing from within. Well Nick hadn't lost his fighting spirit yet.

Glancing over at Grace he began to outlay his idea. "Ok I'm gonna cut around and get up close to the house with my shotgun. When I start blasting and make a break for the back of the place, you keep those peggies pinned down. I'll deal with any in the back."

Grace began to lay down and open the bipod on her rifle "you got it." Raylan moved off with Boomer on his heels. When they had gotten close to the house as they could, Raylan pulled the slide back on his Mossberg making sure he had one in the chamber.

The two men who were closest to the treeline had their backs turned, facing the house. Pointing to the closest one he spoke his dog "Boomer, sick em" The dog shot forward like a bullet from a gun, crossing the yards between him and his target in a second before diving onto the man's back. As the dog took off running Raylan stood and raised his 12 gauge, leveling it at the next closest man and fired. A blast of shot hit the man square in the back. Taking off at a run he crossed the yard, gun up firing at the other men who were now trying to focus in on this new threat.

They didn't have much time to assess their target though before rifle shots began picking off any man who was visible from the hangar. High powered rifle rounds punched precise holes in targets at rapid speed. Grace was champ for a reason.

Raylan stayed on the move, running in a half crouch to make a smaller target. As he reached the side of the house his shotgun ran dry. Rather than reload he dropped the weapon and drew his 45. He moved fast coming around the corner of the house and getting the drop on 3 more of the peggies. The first two were easy fodder for the handgun, only 10 yards away and standing side by side, Raylan gave each man two slugs. The third man tried to use the back porch as cover but a rifle shot from within tore splinters from the deck, making him jump up in shock. Raylan shot him twice in the gut and once more through the throat. "Nick, Kim, don't shoot it's Raylan." he hollered at the top of his lungs before moving to the other side of the house. One last man had been crouched behind the wall and the deputy knocked him to the ground before kicking him senseless. As the gunfire died off, the front door was unbolted and Nick Rye stepped out to greet his family's saviors.

"Raylan, hot damn man you just got here in time. They was threatening to burn the place with us inside if we didn't come with em. I'd told em no way was my baby gonna call Joseph the father, he's got a father. Me!" Nick was his same old self it seemed, turning to see Grace coming across the tarmac to join them "Hey, you brought Grace with you, oh this is just awesome."

Raylan had always liked Nick. The guy was just constantly upbeat, even when he had been getting shot at it seemed. Back when Raylan was in high school, Nick was the go to guy for him and his friends to get beer from until Mary had been old enough to buy it for them and even then they still liked to have him in the group. Something of an oddball and young at heart, Nick was happy to join them on their adventurers and help them get into trouble. As soon as he had gotten his pilots license, Nick had taken pretty much everyone up for a ride in Carmina, his family's plane. Both the man's father and grandfather had been military pilots but Nick had chosen not to enlist despite the heat he got from his dad over this. In Nick's opinion all that fighting had been done so he didn't have to.

Inside Kim's voice called out "Is everyone all right?"

Nick's head jerked around and he ran back inside the house "oh, oh yeah honey. We're all fine. How are you? Did you get hurt at all? How's your back? Need anything?" Raylan chuckled to see Nick fussing over her like this. Irresponsible Nick Rye about to be a father and trying his best to look after things. Will wonders never cease.

"I'm fine, just a little wore out from all the stress. Lemme sit down" Kim replied as she shooed her husband away. Taking a seat on the couch she almost smacked him when he tried to get her more pillows.

Raylan decided now was the time to chime in "well I'm just glad to see you folks are alright."

Nick stood back up and came over shaking Raylan's hand "and again, thank you man. The other day we were getting all set to fly outta here when all this mess started. Suddenly these guys showed up and I barely got Kim back inside quick enough to bolt the door before they started banging on it demanding we come join their project. I was like, man I hated doing projects in school why would I wanna be in yours? Next thing I know they grab Carmina and take off and we been stuck here ever since."

Raylan took his hat off and grabbed a chair at the table while Grace leaned against the wall. "Yeah we heard they got the plane. My thoughts are on getting it back. First thing is we gotta know where they took it" A groan from outside drew all 4 heads "and our intel has just woke up, excuse me"

Coming back around the side of the house Raylan found the man he head stomped coming to. Grabbing hold of the fella by his shirt collar Raylan dragged him over to a picnic table and bent him over it "now listen friend. I ain't got much time for talking so I'm gonna make this fast. Where did they take my friend's plane?"

The man shook his head and yelled "we are the followers of Father Joseph and Eden's gate, sent to reap souls and collect onto the father what is his, and we shalll...Aiiiieee!"

Raylan had decided to interrupt the cultists rant by stabbing him through the hand with his Ka Bar knife, pinning it to the wooden table. "Now I thought I made it clear a minute ago. I don't have time for that. Now are you going to tell me where they took the plane or shall I start pulling and twisting that blade?"

The man's face was white as a sheet as he shook and nodded "yeah, uhh yeah. the plane, auuhhhh, the plane ittssssss. The ranch, it's parked on the river at John's ranch now hhaaaahhh please take it out"

Raylan pulled the knife back out drawing a pained gasp from the peggy, who knelt clutching his hand. Raylan wiped the blade off on the asshole's shirt and put it away. Walking to one of the dead men he took a Browning High Power off the corpse before coming back and sticking the pistol in the other man's belt. "Alright there, now they can't say I didn't give you some kinda fair play. On your feet" Pulling man up by his arm, Raylan then took a a few steps back and pushed his coat away from his holster.

"Woah, wait what?" The man was shaken and trying to talk his way out of this, Raylan wasn't having any of it

"You just spent the last day or so keeping an innocent man and his pregnant wife trapped in a house and shooting at them. I ain't lettin' ya go and I got no cell to throw you in so this is how it's gonna be, now draw you piece of shit."

The peggy had both empty palms held up now trying to beg "no please, just lemme"

Raylan shouted now, his eyes colder than ice "Draw! Or I go for mine on three. One, two"

The peggy made a desperate attempt to claw at the gun in his belt using his good hand. But shaking hands and bad nerves make for a shit draw. Raylan's was smooth and well practiced, hours spent getting a feel for the holster and his weapon. The 45's barrel rose and boomed once knocking the man flat on his back. The folks inside watched all this with a look of shock on their faces. Even Nick had no wit for this moment. Coming back inside Raylan changed the magazine in his gun and replaced the missing bullets in the other.

"Alright, so we know where they got Carmina. Grace, I want you to stay here with Kim. Not that I couldn't use you but you need to stay for two reasons. One, we can't be leaving Kim alone" Raylan raised his finger to the pilot's wife as she began to speak "not that you aren't capable of looking after yourself, but you're caring for two there and right now no one should be on their own, buddy system. Reason two is there are only the two horses and Nick's coming with me." Grace didn't seem happy to be left behind but she nodded and Raylan knew she wouldn't let him down. "C'mon Nick."

They walked back up into the woods where Ace and the gelding Grace had brought were stashed. Both men mounted and turned their horses south towards the ranch John Seed had taken over. "Man, I ain't ridden in years, gonna be so damn sore when we get there." Nick muttered as they set off.

...

They had been on the trail for awhile before Nick spoke. "I gotta ask man, that shit back there. You know with the knife and the showdown you pulled. That was some cold blooded shit. I mean I know we weren't best buds or nothin' but you and me been friends a long time and I ain't never seen you like that. Don't get me wrong I ain't accusing you of nothin' god knows that jerk probably had it all and worse coming to him. But that took some doing. Where'd that side of you come from? I mean, was it this whole shit with the cult or going to war?"

Raylan was quiet at first, horse still walking along as he listened. So much had happened in the last few years. How would anyone understand what he'd gone through unless they'd been there? Would they know what it was like that night he was trapped in a small house in the Afghanistan mountains, cut off from his people and surrounded by enemies? The hours of tense stand off and when darkness fell the 4 hours of fighting that followed. Or those days going door to door in the city, clearing houses and never knowing which would be empty, a family inside, or a killer waiting for you to let your guard down. Laying on rooftops with a rifle, watching the world through a scope as you reminded yourself that anyone in this town, man, woman or child could be the one looking to kill you and your friends.

Coming back to a shattered home and all that you fought to get back to ripped from your hands. And now his brother and sister officers in the hands of some crazies, his home county being taken over, people who he knew and loved being killed or captured.

It was true, something inside him had snapped, did it happen just these last few days or did it happen back in that roasting pan of sand and blood only to have the repair work torn off when this all came about. Raylan didn't know. Maybe he never would. Sighing as he turned around in the saddle to speak to the bearded bush pilot "I guess I've just had enough dealings with assholes. These guys found my last nerve and they are gettin' on it."