Chapter 7: The Redeye Gang
"I've got nothing to fear. Any coward shooting from night ambush will be too nervous to hit me." ~Elijah S. Brant when warned he would get shot.
Bull Run
The hot afternoon sun shone down on the rider, as he urged his horse forward. He had been on the trail for several days, and knew that he needed to get to Bull Run with speed. Dirt and small pebbles kicked up behind him as he thundered across the plains. Anxiety clawed at his gut, and grew more noticeable as the town, once a speck in the distance, grew larger and larger. The rider cleared his throat, and looked to his right. He spat, the wad of spit sailing out of his mouth and landing on the ground, already behind him. After taking several seconds to wipe the saliva that was left on the side of his cheek, the rider urged his horse harder.
Within an hour, and the setting sun starting to dip below the horizon, the rider reached Bull Run. Ignoring the pedestrians crossing the street, and the cries of indignancy as he quickly plowed through the street, the rider made his way to the sheriff's station. As soon as he pulled his horse to a stop, the door to the building opened. A cape buffalo, holding a rifle stepped out, momentarily shielding his eyes with his left hand from the setting sun. He had heard the commotion and after looking through the window, saw that the rider was making his way to the station. He told Clawhauser to stay put, and had grabbed his rifle and walked out on the deck to meet him.
At the sight of the cape buffalo, the rider nodded his head. He reached down to his left, and pulled out a canteen of water. After taking a sip, he spoke "You the Sheriff of this here town?"
"That I am," Bogo nodded in response. "What's it to you?" The cape buffalo gripped his rifle.
Seeing the movement, the rider responded, "I've come with a message. If you'll allow me, I can get the letter out of my knapsack, here."
Bogo relaxed, yet he kept a suspicious eye on the animal. "Go ahead. Who's it from?"
"I don't know sir. All I was told was to get the letter to you with all speed possible." With that statement, the rider reached behind him, and after a couple of seconds ruffling through the knapsack, pulled out the letter.
He handed the letter to the cape buffalo and awaited a response. After Bogo took the letter in his hand, he saw the red waxed seal. At that sight, his heart dropped, and Bogo sighed heavily. The Sheriff slowly placed the rifle on the ground, until it was leaning against the post that supported the roof. He nodded to himself and looked up. "Thanks. If you need a place to stay, look at the Pink Pony."
The rider nodded. "Thank you. But I need to keep going. I've got to return."
"I understand." Bogo answered. "Tell him that I'll be along within a few days."
"That I can do." With that word, Bogo watched as the rider pulled his horse around and gallop through the town, ignoring the indignant cries by the pedestrians. Within a few seconds, the rider turned a street corner and disappeared from sight.
The Sheriff of Bull Run sighed, as it seemed the burden on his shoulders grew by every second. In his hand, he clutched the letter. Turning around, the cape buffalo opened the door and stepped inside his station. It was stifling hot, and the cells remained empty, save for one. A jackrabbit laid on one of the mattresses, his one good eye rolling around in his head. He was looking at the ceiling and chuckling madly to himself.
Bogo shook his head. He wished that One-Eyed Jack wasn't in his station, but he knew that it was his duty to care for him until he could make an appointment with Judge Abernathy, an aardvark who oversaw the courts of Bull Run, Deer Creek, and Tulare. Last Bogo had heard, Judge Abernathy was doing his rounds in Deer Creek and that was a week ago. Once he was done, it would take Abernathy several days for the aardvark to arrive to Bull Run. Until then, Bogo knew that he was stuck with the crazed rabbit.
"What's that you got there, Sheriff?" Clawhauser spoke up, his voice interrupting Bogo's thoughts.
Bogo looked away from One-Eyed Jack and focused on the fat cheetah. He sighed and shook his head. "Probably nothin' good, the way our luck has been goin' the past several months."
"Who's it from?"
Bogo glared at the cheetah. "An old friend of mine. He's helped me with somethin' and I owe him a favor. I guess he's here to collect." He stopped himself and spoke, "Why am I explaining myself to you? Don't you have anything better to do?"
Clawhauser jutted a thumb at the jackrabbit in the cell. "Other than keeping an…" the cheetah paused for dramatic effect, "eye on him?" He smiled at his own joke.
Bogo only rolled his eyes and shook his head. He groaned audibly as he made his way around his desk and pulled back his chair. After sitting down, Clawhauser continued, disheartened by the fact that his joke wasn't appreciated, "I've got nuthin' else."
The cape buffalo only nodded to himself as he settled in his chair. He grabbed his spectacles and after putting it on, started to break the wax seal that held the letter together. After the red wax crumbled down onto his desk, Bogo unfolded the letter and started to read.
July 2nd 1825
Sheriff Bogo,
I regret writing this letter to you, but I have no choice. I know that we are friends and we have helped each other many times in the past. I have never and continue to do so, held any favors that you owe me over your head, and it is my sincere hope that because of this, you will come to my aid. If you do come, you can clear your conscience once and for all about any favors that you may owe me.
Yesterday, a group of six wolves, attacked the bank in Applehill. Unfortunately, they made it off with the items stored within. However, we have taken a captive. My deputy shot him, and he had fallen off his horse. The wolf told the rest of his crew to continue, and we gave chase. But after an hour of hard riding, they were able to elude us. But as to the wolf that is in our custody, his name is Charlie Vane. He is currently being held at my station in Applehill, and I need to transport him to Springfield to put him on the train to Wolf's Spring where he will face trial.
As you know, this is Charlie Vane, Bucky Callahan's number one wolf. I am trying to organize a small group to help me to bring him to Springfield alive. I don't think that Callahan will return to free him, but I want to take every precaution possible. This is why I am writing this letter to you, Bogo. I need your help. Please come with haste, or our efforts would have been for naught.
J.B.H
Sheriff of Applehill
Bogo sighed and placed the letter on the desk. He took the time and reread it, making sure that he didn't miss any piece of information. After he finished, he beamed and jumped up, his chair clattering against the ground.
Clawhauser jumped, and One-Eyed Jack stopped his incoherent rambling. The jackrabbit sat up on his bed, his one eye blinking curiously. "What's goin' on, Bogo?"
"I've got to make a trip, Clawhauser." Bogo responded, moving around the desk and walking across to the cabinet in front of him. After he pulled it open, the sheriff grabbed another revolver and placed it in his second holster. The cape buffalo turned around and spoke, "You're in charge."
Clawhauser nodded. "How long'll you be gone?"
"Around two weeks. Maybe more."
"And what're you doin?"
Bogo smiled at the fat cheetah. "The sheriff of Applehill's got an animal in custody. I'm headin' over there to make sure he gets to Springfield alive to go on the train to Wolf's Spring. And Clawhauser… this animal is Charlie Vane!"
At the sound of Charlie's name, a wild screech was emitted from One-Eyed Jack. The jackrabbit rolled off his bed and crawled on all fours across the small room until he was stopped by the metallic bars. "Wait, Sheriff!"
Bogo turned to look at the insane rabbit, one eyebrow raised inquisitively.
"Vane still owes me money!" One-Eyed Jack spoke. "And since he hasn't paid up yet, I was hopin' you'd settle the score for me!"
"No." Bogo responded immediately.
"But Sheriff! It's somethin' simple. Somethin' easy!" Jack's voice dropped to a whimper. "Take pity on an old jackrabbit!"
Bogo sighed, and looked at Clawhauser. The fat cheetah could only shrug and the sheriff looked back at the rabbit. "What'd you want me to do?"
One-Eyed Jack giggled, showing his toothy smile. Reaching out with his paws until it was holding onto the metal bars, Jack leaned in and spoke, "When you'd get to Vane, I want you to grab him by the ears and sink every teeth that you've got in his neck!" Jack screeched insanely, as he bit onto the metal bars.
Bogo rolled his eyes as the rabbit continued to chomp on the bars of the jail. He turned around and looked at Clawhauser, and spoke "Good luck with this 'un."
"Wait! Before you go, promise me one thing." Jack screeched again.
Deciding to humor the rabbit again, Bogo turned around. "What?"
"Tell me what he tasted like!" With that statement, the rabbit fell backwards, cackling insanely. Bogo shook his head, turned around, opened the door and stepped outside. Within a few minutes, he was at his house, gathering supplies.
Within an hour, and the sun disappearing beneath the horizon, the cape buffalo had mounted his horse. After turning around, Bogo galloped out of town and into the plains beyond, unaware that two pair of eyes rested upon him.
/
Tulare
The night breeze blew through the air, causing the leaves of the forests to rustle, disturbing the quiet night. The silvery crescent moon shone its light, barely illuminating the small town of Tulare. Every business was closed and locked up for the night. Those that were still awake, soon blew out their candles and settled in for the night. The last candle to be blown out was the light in the Sherriff's station, as the two-animal team retired to their beds, their bellies full and their cells empty. Outside of the station, the river was calmer, unfettered from the strong winds earlier in the day. The water gurgled, as the once busy wooden docks to the sandy banks bobbed up and down.
A train whistle was heard, reminding the animals of Tulare that it was the railroad, which caused the businesses to suffer. Within a few minutes, a train, carrying cargo and passengers, sped past the small town, heading for the bigger cities such as Deer Creek and Bull Run. But the racket of the machinery did nothing to destroy the quiet of the night. Down at John Henry's hotel, a bunny laid in her bed, fast asleep. The din caused by the train failed to reach her ears, as her mind wandered into the land of dreams.
The sun beat down Judy Hopps' back as she worked on the dirt. It was planting season, and she sighed wearily. The harvest has not been good for her, but she was not willing to give up. Every day, she awoke, went outside and toiled the ground, from sunrise to sunset without fail. Every day, the farmer told herself that there would be a miracle in the form of a storm appearing in the distance, to send rain to the once fertile valley.
She stood up, hoe in hand and straightened her back, her muscles protesting from hours of being bent downwards. The farmer transferred the hoe from her right to her left paw and used the right to dust off her red and blue striped shirt. The sound of pawsteps reached her ears, and the bunny looked backwards. Her sons, Morgan and Samuel, walked several yards behind her, with pouches slung around their shoulders. Their paws reached inside the bags, and grabbed some seeds. The boys then placed them into the dirt, ready to be planted.
Judy smiled to herself. The boys had been outside, helping her, day in and day out. She looked up towards the sky and saw that the sun had passed its zenith and started to descent. The bunny nodded, dropped her hoe next to the small ditch that she had made and spoke out loud. "Right. Time for lunch."
The farmer strode forward and after placing her paws on the top of both of her sons' head, she urged them towards the house. Not saying a word, the two bunnies turned and did their mother's bidding. They walked across the dirty ground, and once arriving at the shade of the deck, Judy took off her hat and beat it against her leg several times, dust flying out. Morgan turned around and selected a barrel, which was next to the door, and jumped on it. Taking a couple of minutes to take off his boots, the eldest bunny jumped down and walked inside the house. Samuel did the same, instead the youngest elected to sit on the edge of the deck, and he walked inside also.
After Samuel opened the door, the smell of freshly baked bread wafted through the air and caused Judy's stomach to rumble. She smiled to herself as she followed Samuel's example, sitting on the edge of the deck and taking off her boots. Instead of immediately going inside, the farmer elected to stay outside and inspect their hard work.
If only we had rain… Judy thought to herself sadly. The past several years had been hard on her and the boys. Yet, she was proud of her sons, not once complaining and obeying every word. After looking across her land in the valley, the bunny slowly stood up and stretched one more time.
The farmer turned around and started to head into the farmhouse. As she took a step forward, a noise stopped her in her tracks, and she looked back with shock. The sky darkened as the sun disappeared behind the clouds. Several seconds later, water droplets started to fall out of the sky, and hit the dirty ground with a small splash. The smell of fresh rain overcame the strong odor of food, which was emanating from the farmhouse. Judy opened her mouth with surprise, and still under the roof of her porch, slowly and shakily held a paw out. The water droplet splashed against her palm, providing relief from the hot and dusty climate of the valley.
The farmer laughed out loud and stepped out from under the roof. She looked up at the sky and closed her eyes, enjoying the sensations that the rain provided against her skin. Within a few seconds, the rain started to fall heavier and harder. With her eyes closed, and her arms outstretched towards the sky, Judy stood unmoving, wishing that the rain would never end.
A noise erupted from behind her, yet Judy stood motionless, enjoying the rain that she thought she would never see. Suddenly, a heavy paw landed on her right shoulder, forcing her to turn around. She snapped her eyes open and was face to face with an older bunny.
His bright blue eyes were dimmed with worry, as he looked down to his right. There, shielded under his arm was a younger bunny. The man looked up and met Judy's eyes, and spoke "You need to take him and get him out of here. Go back to Henny and Samuel."
Judy shook her head. "He's small. He can hide. Let me help you."
"You can't, Judy… You know that."
"But Wyatt, we've always done things together. We can take him down together!"
The older bunny shook his head. "He wants me and only me. Please get out of here, Judy!"
The farmer could feel her eyes filling up with tears as she took her son. "Wyatt, let me help you!" She pleaded.
Wyatt Hopps smiled sadly, as he leaned in. The two kissed deeply, and after they were done, Judy's husband knelt down and looked at Morgan. He sighed and clutched his shoulders. With a deep voice, full of sadness and comfort, Wyatt spoke, "Be strong, son. Care for your mother and always look to the future."
With a small voice, Morgan, still young to understand, nodded his head, "Yes, Father."
With that word, Wyatt stood up and looked at Judy. He nodded his head and spoke, "I love you."
Tears rolled freely down the bunny's cheek as she nodded her head, ignoring the rain that was pelting against her back. "I love…"
The sentence was interrupted as a gunshot noise was heard. Wyatt lurched forward and fell onto the ground, his paw clutching his right shoulder. Judy looked at her husband with shock, and stood as still as a statue. A small cry of fear was emitted from Morgan, who immediately looked away and wrapped his arms around his mother's left leg.
Wyatt groaned and slowly stood up, blood spilling out of his shoulder and through his finger. With a painful grunt, the bunny pulled out his revolver and spoke with urgency, "Run!"
"No! I won't leave you!"
"Run, Judy! Get out of here!"
"No! Please… NO!"
Another gunshot was heard, the bullet penetrating through Wyatt's left abdomen. He took a step forward, crying with pain. With his bloodied paw, the bunny gave Judy a shove, and the farmer finally sprang into action. She leaned downwards, picked up her son, turned around and fled. Once she arrived to Breeze, several yards away, Judy threw her son on the saddle, before climbing on, herself. Turning her horse around, the farmer turned her head back at her husband.
The rain was getting harder, and the wind was blowing faster. But the elements of nature seemed to not bother Wyatt. He stood his ground with blood oozing out of his shoulder and back. Wyatt raised his revolver and took aim. He fired once into the darkness. In response, another gunshot noise was heard, and Wyatt fell backwards onto the ground.
Out of the darkness, a smiling wolf approached the fallen bunny. He took several steps forward and looked down at his mortal enemy. With his left paw, he holstered one of his revolvers, and looked up at Judy, who was watching from the distance. Not breaking eye contact with her, the wolf's smile turned into a sneer as his right paw squeezed the trigger.
The door slammed shut behind her, snapping Judy from her trance. She found herself standing outside in the farmhouse, her arms still stretched, touching the sky. The rain had slowed down, yet it still provided the same comfort. She slowly lowered her arms and turned around, looking at the house.
The once bright house, adorned with candles inside, was quiet and dark. The wind had blown, causing the door to slam shut. Judy took a step forward, her right paw resting nervously on her revolver. She took a step onto her deck, and the wood creaked with protest. With her left paw, stretched outwards, the bunny cautiously opened the door.
She was greeted with darkness. The farmer took another step and crossed the threshold. As soon as she did, the door slammed behind her, causing her to jump. The pitch black enveloped her, yet she quashed any uprisings of fear that threatened to consume her. "Henny? Boys?" she called out, to no avail. Taking a deep sigh, the bunny raised her left paw and put it to her side. After she made contact with the wall, she kept her left paw on it, and started to walk.
Judy counted her steps, and once she reached the fifth step, she immediately stopped. The bunny slowly moved her hand down the wall, and nodded with satisfaction, as she a table that was against it. Turning to her right, the bunny took another step forward and found a door. Pushing it open, she was greeted with silence as the light from outside did nothing to brighten the kitchen.
The farmer moved quickly through the kitchen. The smell of freshly baked bread was gone, replaced with dust and mold. Summoning her courage, the bunny called out, "Henny? Morgan…. Samuel?"
Silence reigned the room, and after spending several seconds to gather herself, the bunny started to walk to the door. She drew her revolver and placed her left paw on the door knob. After twisting it, the bunny opened the door to the living room of her house. Judy was greeted with a single candle glow from behind the couch.
Keeping her revolver out, Judy quickly looked around, and after she was satisfied that no one else was there, the bunny started to walk. She cautiously made her way around the couch, and once she did, the familiar scent of death overcame her. The farmer instinctively gagged, momentarily lowering her revolver, as she continued around. As soon as she did, she dropped her revolver to the ground with shock, as she raised her left paw to cover her mouth.
Before her, in a pool of blood, laid three animals. Henny, Morgan and Samuel were all on their backs, their eyes staring vacantly at the ceiling. Each animal had a bullet wound evident on their foreheads, as decaying skin was displayed in patches. Unable to tear her eyes away, Judy could feel tears starting to form. As she wept, she was unaware that another animal approached her from behind.
The cocking of the hammer was heard, and Judy was greeted with the cool metal of the barrel of the revolver resting against the back of her head. The animal leaned in closer, exhaling heavily. The bunny shuddered as the hot breath washed over her, yet she could not bring herself to face her enemy.
"This is what'll happen, if you go after me." Bucky Callahan spoke with a snarl in his voice "Everyone you love and everyone you ever held dear, will die. Once they're all gone, you'll come crawlin' to me, begging to be joined with your loved ones. When that happens, I'll be there to give you the gift you'll be wantin'."
Judy gasped, as she felt the barrel move away from her head. Callahan turned around and walked away, his footsteps disappearing into the darkness. As soon as he disappeared, Judy sunk to her knees, and started to wail out loud, her heart broken and her spirit crushed.
"Judy!" A voice was heard, and the bunny slowly looked up from her tear-stained paws.
Her youngest son, Samuel had sat up, his dead eyes unblinking. His mouth opened and moved, yet it wasn't his voice. "Judy!"
It was another animal… someone she knew. Judy searched in her mind for the familiar voice. Samuel's mouth moved again, as it became louder. "Judy! Are you okay?"
Suddenly, Samuel reached out with his paws and grabbed the bunny by her shoulders. He leaned in closer, the scent of death stronger than ever. "Judy! Wake up!"
As soon as her son clutched her shoulders, Judy balled her right paw into a fist and punched, making contact with his nose. As soon as she did, Samuel fell backwards, his body hitting the ground, with a small thud.
Judy snapped her eyes open, as her fist made contact with a creature. She scrambled around, clutching the sheets of her bed. She looked around the room wildly, and her eyes rested on some familiar animals. William "Buffalo Bill" Cody stood in the doorway to her room, his right paw around the metal ring that was holding the lantern. Behind him, the black furred fox, John Henry peered curiously around the buffalo's giant frame. Nicholas "Doc" Wilde grunted with pain, his paw around his nose.
"Doc! Callahan was here!" Judy spoke, breathlessly. "He was here!"
Nick took a step forward, shaking his head. "Darlin', there's no one here, other than us." He groaned again and shook his head. He took his paw off his nose and looked at it. There was a small drop of blood, then gave a small smile. "You've got a mean right hook with that paw of yours!"
Judy refused to believe her friend. "But! It was so real, Nick… I…" the bunny shook her head.
Buffalo Bill cleared his throat and spoke, his deep western accent providing a sense of comfort for the beleaguered bunny. "Marm… it was naught but a dream."
Judy looked at the giant animal and fell back against the bed. "I was talkin' again, wasn't I?"
"Screamin' was more like it," John Henry answered. "You're gunna wake up everyone in this hotel!"
"John!" Nick glared at his friend and the black furred fox shrugged. "I've got a business to keep!" the hotel manager responded.
Judy rubbed her face tiredly with her paws. "I'm sorry…" she sighed. "I'm fine… go back to sleep."
John Henry immediately obliged, turning around and leaving the room, his pawsteps getting quieter with each passing second. Buffalo Bill hesitated for a couple of seconds, but after Judy nodded encouragingly, the giant animal took a step forward and handed the lantern to Nick. "Here ya, go."
Nick accepted the lantern, and after the buffalo left the room, he turned and looked at his partner with concern. "That was quite sumthin'" Doc spoke. "Want to talk about it?"
Judy shook her head, drawing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around it. "Not really."
Unsure of what to do, Nick nodded. Several seconds passed, and the fox spoke, "Well… I'll be in the room next door if ya need me."
"I'm fine!" Judy snapped. "I can take care of myself!"
A small hint of hurt flashed across the fox's face, and Nick nodded uncertainly. "I know you can." With that, he turned around and stepped across the threshold into the hallway. Before moving out of sight, the fox turned around and spoke, "Good night, darlin'" He gave a half-smile before continuing on his walk.
Judy opened her mouth to apologize, but Nick was already gone. With a groan, she fell back onto her bed, and spread her arms wide, staring at the dark ceiling above.
Through her mind, her dream echoed as Bucky Callahan's voice appeared. "This is what'll happen, if you go after me. Everyone you love and everyone you ever held dear, will die." An evil chuckle interrupted her mind, before the wolf continued, "Once they're all gone, you'll come crawlin' to me, begging to be joined with your loved ones. When that happens, I'll be there to give you the gift you'll be wantin'."
For the second time that night, Judy started to cry softly. Once her energy was spent, tiredness washed over the bunny, and she fell asleep. That dream did not bother her again for the rest of the night, as Judy was sound asleep until the morning dawn arrived.
As she slept, Doc Wilde was in his own bed, wide awake. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out his watch. The vulpine moved his fingers to click it open, but at the last minute, decided against it. Instead, he brought the watch to his lips and he kissed it sadly, before putting it away. The fox rolled to his right, opened the small door to the lantern, and blew the candle out, causing the room to be enveloped into darkness.
/
Bull Run
As Seaeyes and Xavier watched the giant buffalo ride away, they immediately made their way into town. They had left their horses several hundred yards out of town, and changed out of their usual clothes that marked them a Bloodhound. Seaeyes donned a long brown duster coat, which covered his dark blue shirt-pant combo that portrayed him as a miner. On his head was a grey tweed hat, and his paws were shoved into the pockets of the coat, yet the wolf could still feel his revolver holstered in his belt. Unlike Seaeyes, Xavier dressed in a tattered dark brown buttoned shirt and grey pants. As usual, around his hips was his gun belt with one revolver, but in his right paw was a bottle.
As soon as they entered Bull Run, Seaeyes looked at Xavier and the wolf nodded. At that nod, Seaeyes turned and started to walk towards a building, with a giant sign that read, "The Pink Pony." Xavier watched his partner enter the building, before turning to his left and walking down the dirt road towards the Sherriff station. Pedestrians of different specie paid no attention to the lone wolf, as Xavier walked unhindered.
After a few minutes of walking, the wolf finally arrived at the deck of the building. Making sure that he was not standing in front of the window, Xavier swayed his body a bit. After summoning his courage, the wolf took a drink out of the bottle and nodded to himself. After swishing the alcohol through his mouth, he swallowed. Xavier then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small clear vial. He undid the lid and poured the small content into the bottle. After he did, Xavier swished the bottle around, the two liquids combining with each other. Finally, he cleared his throat and took a step forward, forcing himself to stumble as he went through the door.
He fell face first onto the ground, and rolled onto his back giggling. Clawhauser quickly stood up out of his chair, concern written all over his face. The fat cheetah looked at the antelope who was laying on the mattress, and the antelope shrugged. The deputy sighed, walked towards the wolf, and grabbed his shoulders, pulling him up.
Xavier spoke, slurring his words to the best of his ability. "Please bring me your finest wo…" he stopped and his eyes narrowed. The wolf looked around the room with confusion, and started to giggle again. "Wait… this isn't the…" the wolf winked, "entertaining establishment."
Clawhauser shook his head. "Wrong place, friend. You're in the Sheriff's station." The fat cheetah grabbed the bottle out of Xavier's paw. "And it seems like you have a lot to drink." Keeping a heavy paw on the wolf's shoulder, he started to guide him towards the cell. "Why don't you spend the night here, sober up, and I'll let you go tomorrow mornin'?"
"But… I wanna…" Xavier hiccupped. "I wanna go…"
Clawhauser shook his head. "You're goin' nowhere, friend." With that statement, the fat cheetah shoved the wolf into the cell. Xavier tripped and fell forwards, his paws reaching out to break his fall. As soon as he hit the ground, he continued his drunken act and looked up at the ceiling, giggling to himself. Finally, the wolf climbed slowly stood up and moved to the dirty mattress. As soon as he sat down, Xavier had to stop himself from smiling broadly.
In front of him, lying on another mattress with his back to the wolf, was a jackrabbit. Xavier rubbed his eyes and yawned to himself. He laid on his back on the mattress and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.
An hour passed, and the sun disappeared below the horizon. Xavier's ears perked up as he heard movement. Clawhauser had stood up from his chair and walked to the antelope. He reached inside his pocket, pulled out a key and handed it to his partner. "Alright, it's your turn. I'm going home."
"But, I've been on the night watch last night!" the antelope protested.
"And I've took care of the crazy rabbit all day today," Clawhauser shot back. "You'll have an easier time. They're fast asleep."
Silence passed for a couple of seconds. Finally, the voice of the antelope was heard. "I guess yore right. Give it here, before I change my mind!" Within a few seconds, the door opened and closed, telling the wolf that the fat cheetah was gone from the building.
Xavier turned on to his side, his eyes seemingly closed, as he watched the antelope. The bottle of alcohol was still on the table and the cheetah hadn't touched it, much to Xavier's disappointment. But the wolf slowly smiled to himself as the antelope left his chair and walked across the small room. He finally reached the desk, and sat down in Bogo's chair, his rifle in hand. After looking at the bottle, and back at the wolf, the antelope shrugged. He picked it up and took a deep drink, finishing the bottle in one go. The deputy finally sat down in his chair, and took off his hat. After placing it on the table, the animal closed his eyes and fell asleep
Xavier smiled. With his knowledge of herbs that he learned from his father, the antelope would be in a deep sleep forever. With that thought in mind, the wolf turned on his back and looked up at the ceiling. As he did, he closed his eyes, and waited for his partner to show up.
Another hour passed and the sound of the door being opened alerted Xavier. He yawned and started to giggle again, resuming his drunken act.
Seaeyes' whispered voice cut through his joviality. "Shut up, idiot! Is he dead?"
Xavier stopped and stood up. "As a doornail."
Seaeyes nodded and walked towards the antelope. With a paw, the wolf pushed on the antelope's shoulder. True to Xavier's words, the antelope did not respond to Seaeyes' prodding. The wolf smiled with victory and looked back at Xavier. "Well done! Where's the key?"
"In his pocket. Hurry up won't ya! We need to get him back to Callahan!"
Seaeyes nodded and turned back to the deputy. Within a few seconds, he had the key in paw and walked towards his partner's door. He inserted the key into the lock, twisted it and heard the bolt unclick itself. Xavier pushed against the metal door and it swung open, hitting the other cell with a clang!
The wolf stepped out and both lupines looked at the cell across them. On the mattress was the jackrabbit that they were sent to get. Both lupines looked at each other and Seaeyes shrugged. He put the key into the door and unlocked the cell. As soon as he did, One-Eyed Jack sprang off his mattress and barreled through them like a bowling ball, and with a couple of steps, was out of the door.
Seaeyes and Xavier looked at each other, dumbfounded. Then they looked at the wide open door, where Jack had ran out.
Realization struck both lupines and they cursed out loud. They scrambled among each other and started to give chase. As dirt was being kicked up from behind them, both wolves were careful to not cause any noise. They chased Jack up the street, before the jackrabbit rounded a corner and immediately turned right, disappearing in an alleyway.
As Seaeyes and Xavier stopped, Seaeyes nodded. "I'll go this way, and you round him about." As soon as he said it, Xavier winked with agreement, and moved back down the direction they came from. After counting to fifteen, to give Xavier time to reach his position, Seaeyes started to walk. Keeping his paw on his revolver, Seaeyes cautiously walked through the dark alleyway. He looked around nervously, hoping that Xavier was at the other end of the alley. The lupine slowly inched his way to a corner and turned his attention to the right. The small amount of light that the moon gave did nothing to help Seayes to see. He heard movement behind him, and the wolf turned around quickly, his revolver out of the holster and the hammer cocked, all in one motion.
"Hiya, boys!" Jack screeched. Seaeyes fired his revolver and heard another gunshot in response, breaking the once silent night. The wolf smiled with victory as he heard a cry of pain emitted from the darkness. He took one step forward to see his prey, then fell forward onto the ground face first. The wolf was dead!
Several minutes passed, and One-Eyed Jack jumped off the low roof of the building into the small alleyway. He walked towards Seaeyes and pushed his body over, revealing a bullet wound as blood oozed out of it. The crazed rabbit turned around and walked several feet behind him and saw another wolf, this time, was lying on his back, his vacant eyes looking at the night sky.
Jack clapped his hands with glee. Both wolves had shot each other in the darkness. He quickly crawled on all fours and looked out of the alleyway. He smiled a toothless smile as no animal decided to leave their beds to investigate. The rabbit turned around and walked towards Xavier. Grabbing the dead wolf by his shirt, and with a powerful grunt, the insane grave robber started to drag him.
Within an hour, One-Eyed Jack had both wolves out of the town and into the dusty plains. He shook his head and wiped the sweat off his brow. The rabbit looked at both wolves and looked around curiously. Finally, he started to whistle, a shrill noise that once again penetrated the silence.
Nothing happened, and Jack tried again, this time a different tone. He did this several times, before he was greeted with a galloping noise of the horses. Once they arrived, Jack smiled again as he inspected the saddle. He took several minutes to explore the contents, and finally found what he was looking for, a giant hunting knife.
Jack whistled to himself softly and stuck the knife into his mouth, the pointy blade inching its way into his gums, and the insane rabbit licked his lips, relishing the taste of his own blood.
"Now… which one would be better?" He mused to himself. He looked at Seaeyes and nodded his head. "You'll do." With an insane laugh, he got to work, plunging the knife into the body of the dead wolf.
The sun started to reappear from below the horizon, as Jack climbed up on the horse. Grabbing the reigns in his hand, the rabbit turned the horse around and started to trot in a Southeast direction.
Rotting in the morning sun, was the dead body of Xavier, a small pool of blood still around his still form. Next to him, an even bigger pool of blood was evident in the dirt, as Jack whistled to himself. He looked behind him and made sure that the large sack was securely tied to the saddle. With that assurance, the jackrabbit turned his attention toward Tulare, and Judy.
/
Tulare
The hot morning sun greeted Judy Hopps as she stepped outside. She instinctively lowered her head, allowing her hat to block the rays of the sun. The bunny stretched her back, hitched up her gun belt and looked around at the small, sleepy town. Animals were finally starting to wake up, evident by loud chatter, which was being emitted from the houses and the hotel behind her. The owner of the lone store flipped their sign around, showing that their business was open, yet they knew that customers would be far few. A door slammed in the distance, as a child, a young monkey, dressed in nothing else but overalls and a pair of brown boots, ran out of his house. After watching him for a few seconds, the child disappeared in a small alleyway that led to the outskirts of the small port town.
Yawning to herself, Judy decided to go for a walk. She stepped off the porch of the small hotel, and started to head down the dirt street. She arrived at the small intersection and looked to her left, and saw the way she had ridden with her partner the day before. Electing to keep going straight, Judy continued her exploration. As she passed the locals, many suspicious glances were given her way, just like the day before. But as the bunny walked past, she carried an aura of friendliness that caused many animals to be at ease, as she nodded to each and every townsperson she passed in greeting. Once she arrived at the edge of the town, a rumbling noise was heard, and the bunny intuitively placed a paw on her hip, and she glanced quickly to her left.
A wagon with a single horse, was being driven by a bright green iguana. They rumbled past her and took a right into the town. The carriage rolled for several feet, before stopping in front of a small rundown building. Judy watched as the driver jumped down from the bright red vehicle, his claws hitting the ground, and sending up a small dust cloud. The iguana coughed for several seconds as he took his hat off and waved it in the air, clearing his vision. He turned to his right, and opened the door to the wagon. The farmer took a curious step forward, as the iguana pulled out a large brown bag, closed the door, and walked towards the shade of the rundown building. Grabbing a small stool that was leaning against the post, the iguana picked it up and set it down on the wooden deck. He climbed up on it, and with a loud and clear voice, yelled, "Mail delivery!"
The iguana repeated the sentence several times. The townspeople arrived before him in droves. Claws and paws of different animals were in the air, as they clamored for any letters and packages from their loved ones. Judy smiled to herself as she watched the scene unfold before her, but she couldn't help and think, I hope Henny and the boys are alright…
With that thought in mind, the bunny turned around, and continued her walk. Within a couple of minutes, she was at the bank of the river. The water babbled and gurgled as it passed through some rocks and pebbles. Judy took a step forward, to take off her boots, but immediately stopped as she remembered her dream. The feeling of the cool and refreshing rain washed over her skin, yet she shuddered. Quashing down any sense of anxiety and reminding herself that it was just a dream, Judy took her boots off, and gratefully sunk her paws down into the sandy bank, underneath the chilly water. She stood there for a couple of minutes, enjoying the relief that the river provided after a little more than a week of hard riding and hot weather.
She was lost in her thought, which caused her to not hear an animal approach her from behind. The bunny jumped slightly, when a voice spoke, cutting across the noise of the river, a southern drawl evident in their words. "If I had time, I'd show you a grand swimmin' spot."
Still stationary with her paws underneath the water, Judy turned around and looked at the speaker. Nicholas "Doc" Wilde stood, still on dry land, a cigarette around his finger. The gambler raised it to his mouth, and he took a deep drag, before exhaling it and quashing it beneath his boot. "Yeah?" Judy asked, "How'd you know?"
Wilde shrugged. "I've spent a lotta time here." The fox nodded and smiled softly, his eyes seemingly in a faraway place, as his paw unconsciously made its way into his vest pocket. As soon as it touched the metallic casing of his watch, the gambler snapped back to the present. He shook his head, sighed and spoke, "Well… Buffalo Bill's anxious to get goin'. He must really like his rifle if he wants it back that badly."
The farmer nodded her head. She twisted her body around and pulled her feet out of the sandy bank, and took several steps forward. The farmer reached down, and picked up her boots. Within a few minutes, she had her boots securely around her feet, and both the bunny and fox started to walk down the street together.
Silence passed between the comrades for a couple of seconds, as they listened to the iguana bellow out names. Finally, Judy spoke, "Doc… about last night, I just wanna apologize for snapping at you."
The vulpine casted a look at her and he gave her a small smile. "Already forgiven and forgotten, darlin'."
Judy nodded her head with thanks. Several seconds of silence passed between them. Finally, she spoke up, "So you spent a lot of time here? Why?"
Nick shrugged again. "Before the railroad over there, this town was busy, see? Animals came here and it became a prime gamblin' spot. I won lots and lost lots." Nick smiled again. "It was the time of my life."
"And John Henry's here too."
Doc nodded. "Yeah. He actually arrived before the boom and started the hotel. When the river business took off, he earned a lot of money and told me about it. I've lived here for several years. Met some really good friends and poker players."
Judy nodded, interested in Nick's small story. "What were their names?"
"Well, you've got Prancer Sloan, Pistol Pete and…" Nick thought for a couple of seconds, before a beam crossed his face "Mute Gentry." The fox chuckled to himself. "Mute was a talker, that 'un."
"Mute?"
"On the account of when he drinks too much whiskey, he forgets how to talk… and he drinks a lot!" Nick shook his head, still smiling.
"There was also Tall Timothy, Smokes Rainer and…" Doc's smile disappeared, and his bright emerald eyes dimmed with pain. He gave a big sigh and spoke, "Campbell." His voice dropped until it was almost a whisper.
The bunny and the fox crossed the intersection and they were several yards away from the hotel. Finally, Judy placed her paw on the fox's arm, stopping him in his tracks. "What happened to Campbell?"
Nick shoved his hands into his pockets and spoke, "Buffalo Bill's out behind the hotel. He's packin' his saddle. You ready to go?"
Trying to not show frustration on her face, Judy nodded her head. "My rifle's still in my room. Lemme grab that."
"Alright, I'll meet you back there."
At that statement, Wilde turned around and started to walk to his right. After several yards, he turned left and disappeared around the corner. After the fox disappeared, Judy shook her head and thought, I don't need to know him. He's just helpin' me, that's all.
With that thought in mind, she turned and walked into the small hotel. As soon as she crossed the threshold of the door, a movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. A black furred fox was wiping a table, his back to her. Judy watched him for a while, then started to walk towards the small hallway that led to her room. But as soon as she did, curiosity came over her, and the bunny stopped in her tracks. She turned around and started to walk to the hotel manager.
"John Henry?"
At the sound of his name, the ears of the older fox perked upright. "Yes, darlin'?" he asked, as he turned around.
"Doc Wilde. What can you tell me about him?" She asked, folding her arms.
John Henry chuckled. "Too much, darlin'. It would take several weeks to tell a story about that fox."
"But he's lived here for several years, right?"
The vulpine nodded his head in response. "Well, not necessarily, darlin'. Nick's never lived anywhere. He was always on the move that un. But he's always come here."
"Okay." Judy nodded her head, then decided to get to the point. "Who's Campbell?"
The fox's smile disappeared. "How'd you know that name?"
"He told me."
John Henry's eyebrow arched upwards. "He did, huh?" The fox moved away from the table and took several steps towards the bunny. "His name is…" he stopped and corrected himself, "was Calvin Campbell."
"What happened?"
"That's a long story… but the short version bein' that he died."
"How?"
Immediately the fox shook his head. "It's not my place to tell you, darlin'. You'll have to talk to Doc. Only hisself can tell you."
"And what about the pocket watch? The one he looks at all the time?"
John Henry opened his mouth to start to talk, but then thought second about it. The black furred fox sighed and shook his head, before speaking, "You'll have to talk to Doc about it."
Judy groaned audibly. "John Henry!" She protested "I'm just concerned for our well-being. I don't want Nick to make a mistake while we're out there." She took a step closer and tried again, "If I could know what happened, I can understand."
The fox shook his head again, but he responded, "No can do. But what I can tell you about Nick is…" he sighed and smiled. "That fox is fiercely loyal. Once he gets his mind set on somethin' he will get it done. So don't worry about that. If it comes to it, he will die before anything would harm you." With that statement, the fox folded his arms and spoke, "That'll get him killed someday, mark my words." When he finished speaking, the vulpine turned around and focused on his work.
Judy slowly nodded her head and took several steps backwards, while keeping her eye on the hotel manager, hoping that he would speak up and give more information. But John Henry was silent, and the bunny turned around and walked down the hallway. Once she arrived to her room, the farmer pushed open her door, stepped inside and made a beeline to the corner that was on her left. She grabbed her Winchester Repeater, turned around and left the room, closing the door behind her.
After bidding her goodbyes to the fox, John Henry merely grunted and spoke "don't get yourself killed, darlin'," before he resumed his focus on his chores.
The bunny stepped outside, turned left and started to walk down the same direction that Doc took. Arriving at the alleyway, where Nick disappeared, she turned left again. After several seconds of walking, Judy found herself in a small circular lot. To her back was the hotel, and in front of her was a small dirt area, and the railroad tracks.
Doc Wilde pushed himself off the wall of the hotel that he was leaning against and walked towards the bunny. "Breeze's over there." Wilde nodded in the direction.
Judy followed his glance and saw her horse eating out of the giant paw of a buffalo. The bunny nodded her thanks and started to walk towards the animal. "Good mornin'. Supposed to be a scorcher today. Feels like it."
At the sound of her voice, William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, grunted in response and turned around, his massive frame blocking out the sun as Judy looked up at him. He stroked his beard thoughtfully and spoke, his heavy western accent evident in each word. "Which is why we need to get goin', Hopps. I wanna get this done with."
"Why are you so anxious?" Judy inquired. "It's just a gun. Can't you get a new one?"
At that question, Buffalo Bill roared with laughter. "Just a gun? Just a gun? It's not 'just a gun!' It's the gun! It's a bolt action, fifty-caliber rifle, capable of takin' down Callahan before he even knows what's happenin!" The buffalo's chortle died off, then he continued, "That rifle's been with me long before you even started carryin'. So we're getting that rifle back once and for all!"
Judy nodded and looked sideways at her partner. Doc Wilde shrugged and looked between the buffalo and the bunny. Finally, the farmer answered, "Well, I've got a promise to keep. Let's get your gun back." A thought struck her and she continued, "Speaking of guns…" she paused as she held up her rifle and tossed it to Buffalo Bill. "You can borrow mine. One-Eyed Jack said you're a good shot with rifles."
Buffalo Bill smiled. He cocked the Winchester Repeater and looked through the sight. "Trusty thirty-thirty, huh?" The giant buffalo moved the rifle away from his eye and turned around. He walked towards the railroad tracks and stopped several yards away. At the edge of the track was a pole, with a metal circle attached to it.
Judy followed the buffalo, curious to see what was happening, aware that Doc was standing behind her. Buffalo Bill took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. Finally, he raised the Repeater and fired. The bullet sailed through the air and struck against the metal circle, causing the arm to swing backwards. It swung from the left side to the right, causing the track to change direction from the left to straight. As the arm swung to the right, Buffalo Bill had already thrown the lever forward, ejecting the casing, and brought it back to its normal position, and fired.
The bunny dropped her mouth in awe, as the ex-sniper moved at speeds that even she could never achieve. Buffalo Bill hit the metal target several times, until the gun was empty. He turned around and beamed "And it seems to be modified a bit to carry twelve bullets. Is that right?"
Judy nodded wordlessly. Finally, she spoke, "My husband tinkered on it for several weeks before he got it right."
Buffalo Bill nodded with newfound respect. "My compliments to your husband, marm. He must be a good gunsmith. Thank you for lettin' me borrow this."
At that statement, the buffalo walked past both the bunny and the fox to his giant horse, which towered over Breeze and Midnight. After placing the repeater into the saddle holster, he heaved himself up on the horse and looked at the two animals. "Well, are we goin'?"
Doc Wilde chuckled and shook his head. "Comin after you, partner." He followed suit.
Judy did the same, but when she got on her horse, Breeze nicked in greeting. The bunny patted the horse and spoke, "Where're we going?"
Buffalo Bill nodded. "My show got ambushed up that roadway there." He pointed in the direction of the forest. "The Redeyes usually avoid us since we were a large group and all, but they got confident. Took us by surprise. All I know is that they're in there somewhere."
Doc nodded in agreement. "Redeyes never leave their territory. They always attack animals that pass through or go around the forest. The Redeyes are a large gang, but they always split themselves into smaller groups. So how would we find your rifle?" As soon as he finished talking, the fox started to cough.
Buffalo Bill looked back at the vulpine. "Sounds like a bad cough, Wilde. You okay?"
Nick nodded, wiping his mouth with his handkerchief. "Just peachy, chief."
"Well, get a rope around your cough, fox. We've got the advantage of surprise, so we've gotta be quiet when we get there."
"Don't worry, Cody. I can handle my cough when we get there."
Buffalo Bill looked at Wilde with silence. Finally, he spoke "To answer yer question, I'd assume they set up camp near where they hit me. This happened yesterday mornin' so I'd wager that they'd be there."
Nick nodded his head and spoke, "I'm a gamblin' fox, and I like those odds." He looked at Judy and spoke, "Shall we?" After she nodded, the buffalo urged his horse into a trot, and the farmer and gambler followed close by.
After a half hour of riding in silence, they reached the halfway point. Finally, Judy spoke up, "Where's that fox of yours?" she asked as she searched her mind for a name. "Annie?"
Buffalo Bill called back, "I told her to stay behind. We had some wounded in that ambush. When they're all healed up, they are to continue on the show. She's in charge when I'm gone."
"And you'll join us?" Judy asked.
The giant buffalo slowed down until the bunny was next to him. He looked sideways at her and spoke. "Callahan's always bothered me and my show. He'd ambush the town and nobody'd do anything about it. I'd do somethin' but my animals need me. I'm happy to see an animal such as yourself and Doc Wilde, standing up to him and I'm a Buffalo of my word."
Judy nodded, satisfied with his answer. "But I don't think the three of us will be able to take Callahan and his whole crew down. We need more."
"I agree with you on that, marm." Buffalo Bill responded. "As a matter of fact, I happen to have a lead. There is an animal who could help us… Hopefully."
"Really?" Judy asked, excitement in her voice.
The giant buffalo chuckled. "But I'll tell you about that later. No use to tellin' you now to get your hopes up and we all end up dead because of these stupid weasels."
Next to Judy, Doc laughed. "Can't argue with that logic."
As soon as the fox finished that sentence, the three animals restarted their riding. Another half-hour later, they found themselves in the outskirts of the forest. The trees towered up into the sky, the canopy blocking the rays of the sun. But light still shone through the small spaces between each tree. As soon as they entered the forest, they slowed their horses down into a small walk. A cool breeze blew through the air of the shade provided by the tree, and Judy took off her hat, using the edge to wipe off the sweat that was on her brow.
The three animals continued to ride in silence, the sound of hoofbeats hitting the soft dirt, being the only thing that destroyed the calm. After a few minutes of riding up the pathway through the forest, Buffalo Bill slowed his horse to a stop. "This is where we were ambushed." The sniper looked around and nodded his head, confirming his statement as fact.
"But this is a large forest." Judy spoke. "Where can we find the camp?"
"We split up." Doc responded. "We leave our horses over there, and out of sight, and we walk for a few minutes in each direction. We already know that they're not south because that's where Tulare is."
Judy looked at Buffalo Bill and the giant animal was silent, stroking his beard in thought. Finally, he spoke, his voice rumbling. "As much as I think it's a bad idea, Doc's right. We have a better chance of findin' the camp faster if we split up."
The farmer nodded with agreement. She urged Breeze to the spot where Nick pointed out to leave the horses. "We have thirty minutes to search. That'll give us more than enough time to find the camp. Once we do, we come right back here. If the thirty minutes are up, we come right back here." She looked between the fox and the buffalo. "Are we in agreement?"
Both the sniper and gambler nodded wordlessly in agreement. Once they arrived at the hidden spot, the three animals climbed off their horses and tied the reigns to a low hanging branch. Buffalo Bill drew out Judy's repeater from the saddle holster and spoke, "Right, which way we goin'?"
Taking charge, Judy spoke, "Bill, you go east, towards the river. I'll go north, and Doc…"
"Go west. Got it."
"Remember…" Judy started.
"Thirty minutes." Both Buffalo Bill and Nick spoke in chorus. When they finished they looked at each other, and the giant buffalo spoke, "She's pretty bossy."
Doc chuckled. "You don't know half of it."
"I'm right here!" Judy spoke, bristling.
"And fiery too." Buffalo Bill laughed. "I think I'll enjoy being in this small group."
Doc's smile disappeared. "Well, it's like you said, chief. We've gotta survive this first."
After nodding their heads at each other, the animals went in their assigned directions, ready to hurry back at the first sight of the camp.
The sun slowly reached its zenith in the sky, its light being blocked by the large branches of the trees. Judy sighed as she walked quietly and looked around, grateful for the shade that the trees provided. Finally, once the sun reached the center point, the bunny stopped and shook her head with despair. No one's around here.
She turned around and continued to walk back, knowing that it would take her another thirty minutes to get back. Once the time passed, the bunny arrived at the small spot, and Breeze threw her head up in greeting. Did you find them?
The bunny shook her head. "No."
Maybe they'll have better luck.
"Hopefully." Judy rubbed her face with tiredness. She then walked towards the horse and pulled out a canteen off the saddle. As she unscrewed the lid, she continued her conversation with the horse. "We need to find them, soon. Buffalo Bill will be a good addition."
Breeze didn't answer as Judy drank from the canteen, the water washing down her dry throat. Several minutes passed, and Midnight nickered a warning. At that sound, Judy put her paw on her revolver and heard pawsteps.
She relaxed as she saw that it was Buffalo Bill. The disheartened buffalo grunted in greeting as he held Judy's Repeater in his right paw. After looking around for a couple of seconds, he spoke, "Doc's not here?"
"Not yet." Judy spoke, worry creeping into her voice.
"Let's give him a few more minutes." Buffalo Bill spoke. "Maybe he's just late."
"I hope so."
Twenty more minutes passed, and Judy was starting to pace. Even the giant buffalo himself, was beginning to worry, but he did not show it. Finally the sniper spoke, "Right. I think we need to look for him."
"Better take the horses. If he's hurt or worse, we need a fast getaway."
Buffalo Bill looked at the bunny and nodded his head. "That's a good idea."
With that statement, both the bunny and the giant buffalo climbed undid the knot around the tree and Judy looked at Midnight and spoke, "Can you follow me?"
Midnight nickered and nodded his head. As soon as he did, Judy climbed up into her saddle. After she settled in, she looked at Buffalo Bill and spoke, "Nick went that way. Let's go."
The buffalo and the bunny started to trot, as the shadows deepened with the sun passing its zenith point. Worry weighed heavily in both animal hearts, as they prayed silently that no harm would come to the missing comrade. They rode in silence for forty-five minutes, weaving through trees and looking around on all sides for any hint.
Finally, Judy slowed Breeze to a stop and Buffalo Bill did the same. She reached and grabbed her canteen. After she swallowed a drink, Midnight gave a huge neigh and started to gallop. As Judy and Buffalo Bill watched the black horse run in the direction they were heading, a gunshot noise was heard, followed by two more. Both the bunny and the buffalo looked at each other and sprang into action, urging their horses to chase after Midnight.
/
The Redeye Forest
Nicholas "Doc" Wilde sighed and placed his paws on his hips as he looked around. He shook his head as his heart became heavy, and he looked up at the sky. Through the cover of the leaves, Doc could see that the sun reached the center of the sky, marking the time for the fox to turn around and head back. Deciding to walk several feet more, Doc climbed over a fallen tree trunk and stood on top of it, hoping to see any hint of civilization.
He was greeted with silence and the same scene he saw over and over again. Rows of trees dominated his vision, as it spread for miles. The fox sighed, turned around and jumped off the trunk of the tree. As soon as his boots hit the ground, he felt his throat scratch, and the vulpine fought his urge to cough.
He lost the fight, and the fox doubled over coughing into the ground, as phlegm and blood spewed out, wetting the dirt below him. His hat fell off his head as the fox coughed for several more minutes, his eyes focused on the ground as he attempted to clear his throat. Finally, after reaching into his jacket pocket and grabbing his handkerchief, Nick wiped his mouth and shook his head, smiling softly to himself. Gonna need a new one.
He stood up, and put the handkerchief into his pocket. Doc's eyes looked up the ground, searching for his fallen hat, but it was nowhere to be seen. Pawsteps was heard to his left, and Nick immediately drew his thirty-eight caliber revolver from his front holster and took aim. As soon as he did, he heard a familiar sound of a bolt action rifle being cocked behind him, and felt the barrel hovering several centimeters away from his head. "You're surrounded, pardner. Drop it."
Nick's revolver was trained on a weasel. On the top of his head was his cowboy hat. Not moving his head, Doc's eyes scanned the scene before him. In front of the fox, there were five weasels, all with revolvers trained on him. Some were dressed in tattered clothing: shirts and pants, or overalls.
Doc slowly nodded his head and spoke, "I'm a gambling fox and I know when the odds are against me. I'm puttin' my revolver down."
"You do that, pardner." The voice behind him spoke. "Don't you know who we are?"
The vulpine holstered his revolver, and keeping his paws in the air, turned around. Standing before him were three more weasels, two holding revolvers and one was holding a rifle. At the sight of the rifle, Nick spoke, turning on his southern drawl. "You're the Redeyes and I believe that gun belongs to my friend."
The weasel narrowed his eyes and spoke. "Yore with that giant buffalo and his group, eh?"
Doc quickly shook his head. "Not necessarily, friend. But that buffalo wants his gun back. You give it back, and you survive."
The bandit laughed loudly. "And give up my spoils? I'm not gunna do that, friend." Still chuckling, the weasel took a step forward and spoke again, "This is what I'm gunna do. I'm going to steal everything you have on you and… mebbe kill you… mebbe not. I haven't decided yet."
With that sentence, the bandit leader looked at his minion and motioned the weasel forward. The minion grabbed both of the fox's revolvers out of his holsters and tossed them on the ground. Holstering his own revolver, the weasel started to pat the vulpine, starting on his sides and moving down the legs.
Nick's heart started to race as the weasel brought his paws around to his front. His anger started to build up in the pits of his stomach and threatened to consume him. He had been quashing it for several minutes, but he was still angry at himself for being caught unawares. But as soon as the paw made contact with the watch that was still in his vest pocket, Nick's fury reached a boiling point. With a small roar, he pushed the weasel away, balled his right paw into a fist, and slammed it against his nose. With a cry, the weasel fell backwards, hitting the ground, blood spurting out of his face. But as soon as the weasel did, the bandit leader took a step forward, and slammed the butt of the rifle into Doc's stomach.
Nick sank to his knees, a small cough erupting out as he felt his breath being driven from his lungs.
"That was stupid, fox." The weasel breathed heavily. He looked up at his minions and spoke, "Take him back to the camp. We'll kill him there and bury him elsewhere."
As soon as he spoke, Nick felt himself being picked up by two other weasels, and saw his revolvers being picked up from the ground by a third. After twenty minutes of walking in the direction that he was going, found himself at the weasel camp.
They dropped him onto the ground, and still trained their guns at the vulpine. Around him, Nick saw overturned wagons, which served as shelter. A fireplace roared in the center of the camp, as bottles and cans littered the ground. Over the fire, a clothesline was hung, with shirts and pants drying.
The leader took a step forward. He had lowered the rifle and the leader spoke, "Let's see what you have on you. Don't do anything stupid, now."
He dropped the rifle on the ground and resumed the search. Nick wisely didn't move, knowing that it would cost his life. The weasel felt the watch in his pocket, and pulled it out. As soon as he did, his jaw dropped as the watch gleamed in the light of the fire.
The bandit leader chortled and spoke, "Well, boys! This'll fetch us a pretty penny!"
Attempting to control his fury, Nick spoke, "Please… take my guns. Take my hat… take all of my money that's in my boot. But leave me my watch." A sob was caught in his throat. "It's the only important thing in my life."
The weasel raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly to himself. He clicked it open, and after it sprung, his eye was caught by the inscription. The bandit leader narrowed his eyes and growled. "Ahhh. I can't read this stupid thing!" He threw the watch down into the ground and took a step forward. Grabbing Nick's face, the weasel spoke, his face several inches away. "Why is this watch so important to yer?"
Doc stammered, forgetting to turn on the charm to try to disarm his opponent. "It… it just has a lot of meaning to me. It reminds me of… of my mistakes."
"Mistakes eh?" the weasel let go of the fox, and looked back at the watch. Finally, he shrugged and spoke. "Well, I've no use for you. Kill him."
At the sound of revolvers being cocked, Nick yelled out, "Wait!"
At the sound of his voice, the bandit leader raised his paw, stopping his minions. "Whaddya want?"
Nick took a deep breath and spoke, "By the right of the Redeye custom, I invoke the blood oath!"
At the sound of Nick's statement, all the weasels gasped. Even the bandit leader was taken aback. After gaining his composure, he spoke, "No one's invoked the blood oath in many years! The last one to be invoked was hundred years ago, while everyone was still usin' swords!" His eyes narrowed as he stared with hatred at the fox. "How'd you know about it?"
Nick smiled. "I'm a wanderer. When you wander, you learn things you need to survive."
The weasel grunted at that answer, then he shook his head. "But you can't invoke the blood oath. Yer not a weasel! The blood oath is only for members of this family… this gang." The weasel gestured to the animals around him. After staring at the fox, he shook his head, "This blood oath is used to challenge the leader for the gang"
"You're right." Nick spoke. "But that still doesn't stop me from giving out the challenge."
The weasel thought for a minute, then chuckled. "And you want to lead this small group? What makes you think they'll follow you if you win?"
"They're bound to it."
The weasel was taken aback by the fox's knowledge of the Redeye custom. "Yer do realize that if you win, another weasel could challenge yer?"
After Nick nodded, the weasel thought for a minute. After reaching a decision, he spoke "Alright, fine. What are yer terms?"
Doc smiled dangerously. "A duel. You verses me. If I win, I get the rifle, my watch and I go away from the camp, scot-free. If I lose… well, I'm dead and you'll get everything I have."
The bandit leader looked around. All of his minions had slowly lowered their guns, interested to see how it would play out. Finally, he spoke. "A duel against me for the rifle and watch? No can do. I can tell that this watch is important to you…" the weasel paused and spoke again, "You vs me and one of my best gunslingers."
Nick nodded his head, knowing that if he backed down, it meant that his life would be forfeited. At his nod, the weasel laughed. "Right! Let the blood oath begin!"
Doc stood up and looked at the weasel who was holding both of his revolvers. Nick spoke, "By the right of the custom, I am to have a weapon."
The bandit leader chuckled evilly. "A weapon." The weasel looked at Nick. "Nowhere does it say that it had to be a gun."
At that statement, another weasel stepped forward, holding two large stones. He handed them to Nick, who weighed them in both of his paws. He looked at the weasel and spoke, "This seems unfair."
"You said it yerself, fox. You're a gambler. Didn't you see this comin'?"
Nick chuckled and spoke, "I most certainly did not."
At that statement, the fox walked to his left, with both of the stones in his hand. As he walked, he looked at both the bandit leader and the minion he had chosen to fight alongside with him. The bandit leader had dropped the rifle on the ground, and held his revolver in his right paw. The weasel minion had his own weapon, another revolver in his left.
As Doc stood before them, he spoke, "Do you mind if I have my hat back? It doesn't seem right for me to die without my hat."
The bandit leader rolled his eyes and nodded his head, deciding to humor the fox. At the nod, Nick turned around and nodded his thanks as another weasel handed him the hat. Doc placed a stone underneath his right armpit and clamped it. With another stone in his right paw, he used his left paw to grab the hat, and place it on his head.
After seeing the hat securely on the vulpine's head, his left paw still on the helm of the hat, the bandit leader started to talk, "Right! Now we can…"
His words were cut off as Nick's hat flew through the air, blocking his vision. A second later, the bandit leader felt his breath being driven from his lungs as a stone smashed into his stomach. He fell backwards and hit the ground with an oof as his finger squeezed the trigger, sending a gunshot in the air.
Nick transferred the stone from his left paw to his right. As soon as he did, he saw the second weasel raise his revolver. As the gunshot was heard, Nick quickly sidestepped sideways, feeling the heat from the bullet as it grazed his jacket, before embedding itself into the wooden boards of the overturned wagon. The second weasel gasped as he saw that he missed his shot. His thumb quickly went up to cock the hammer, but he was unable to as the second stone, flung by the gambler, sailed through the air and smashed against his skull, silencing him forever.
Doc Wilde breathed heavily, not believing that he came close to death. He shakily took several steps forward, and leaned down, picked up his watch and pocketed it. The fox walked some more and picked up the blood soaked stone from the slain weasel and stood over the fallen bandit leader.
"Not… fair!" The weasel croaked with pain.
Doc Wilde smiled. "Nowhere in your customs did it say that we had to establish a specific time to start fighting."
The weasel groaned with pain. "You knew that it was an unwritten rule!"
Nick's smile disappeared, as a dangerous snarl appeared on his face. "I was going to honor that rule, but you took my watch from me!" He raised the stone up in the air.
The bandit leader raised his arm, as a feeble defense. "You cheated!" he tried again. "I demand a rematch."
Nick shook his head. "I'm a gambler… and there's one thing you should know about gamblers, you rotten, no good, coward!" Nick sniffed. "Gamblers always cheat."
The fox brought the stone down repeatedly, snuffing the weasel's life out. As soon as he finished, he stood up, breathing heavily, his ears perking up to the noise of hoof beats
Midnight neighed loudly, as he screeched to a halt outside of the camp. Nick turned his attention towards it and saw his black horse standing still. A smile appeared on his face, then it disappeared as he realized what was going to happen. The fox dove to the ground as William "Buffalo Bill" Cody and Judy Hopps thundered into the camp, their weapons raised into the air.
Judy took down several bandits in quick succession, while Buffalo Bill dispatched several more. The weasels did not fight back. When they saw seven of their comrades fall, they turned around and ran in the opposite direction. Within a few seconds, the camp was silent, save for the crackling of the fire.
The farmer climbed down off Breeze and gasped as she looked at the blood spatter that was on her partner's face. "Are you…?"
Nick raised his paw and spoke, "I'm fine, darlin'. This isn't mine." He shook his head and looked around. "Well, y'all took your time gettin' here!"
Buffalo Bill chuckled, his voice rumbling deeply. "You're a hard fox to find!"
Nick turned around and reached down on the ground next to the fallen bandit leader. He picked up the rifle and tossed it to the giant buffalo. "I believe this is yours."
Cody caught the rifle with his left paw and shuddered as joy enveloped him. He took a deep breath and shuddered with joy. Finally, after adjusting the brown strap, he put it around his shoulder and handed Judy's repeater back to her.
The bunny followed suit, slinging her repeater around her shoulder and spoke, "What happened here?"
As Nick retrieved his revolvers, he gave a quick rundown of the story, and when he was finished, Buffalo Bill laughed loudly, his glee echoing through the forest. "The blood oath eh? I've heard about it." As he wiped the tears off his face, he continued, "I'm startin' to like you, Wilde." As he said that statement, he gave the fox a powerful slap on his back, sending him stumbling several steps forward. Finally, the buffalo turned around and walked back to his horse. After holstering his rifle, Buffalo Bill called out, "I wanna get back to Tulare before dark. The survivors'll tell others what happened here."
Doc nodded with agreement. He walked to the dead weasel's body and picked up his hat that was next to it. After it was nestled safely on his head, he climbed onto Midnight. As soon as he did, he leaned down and kissed the horse's neck, speaking softly, "Thanks, buddy. I owe you one."
Midnight shook his mane. One? Only one? The horse snorted derisively. You owe me more than one.
The gambler rolled his eyes to the heavens and shook his head. As he did, Judy pulled up next to him on Breeze. She spoke, "Glad to see you're still alive."
Doc winked. "It'll take more than a group of weasels to take me down." With that sentence, the three animals started to head south, out of the forest and towards Tulare.
The sun was starting to dip below the horizon when the three animals arrived back in the small, sleepy town. As soon as they approached the hotel, Buffalo Bill wheeled his horse to the left and spoke, "I'm gunna see Annie and check in."
Judy nodded in response. Within a few seconds, both the bunny and the fox had hitched their horses to the hitching post. Doc hitched up his gun belt and nodded his head, stepping sideways, to let the bunny enter the building first. As soon as she did, Doc followed her inside. His eyes scanned the room, as the hotel seemed busier than before. Animals roamed the room, many chatting and eating.
Judy continued to walk straight, as if she was heading to the hallway that led to their rooms. But as soon as she reached the entrance, she spotted an empty table in the corner, the farthest away from the door. She pulled a chair back and sat into it, and looked at Nick, waiting for him to take a seat.
Doc shook his head, pointing at his face, where the blood was already dry. "I'm going to take a wash. I'll be back soon." He gave her a half-smile. Judy nodded again in response and as soon as the fox disappeared, she leaned back into her chair, folding her paws behind her head.
Fifteen minutes passed, and Buffalo Bill walked into the room, his giant frame towering over other animals. The chatter died off slightly as the locals saw the huge buffalo, but after recognizing him, they started to talk again. As he stood a head taller than the animals, the buffalo looked around. He spotted Judy sitting alone and strode towards her.
Pulling back a chair, Buffalo Bill plopped into it and nodded his head. "Annie's headin' out of town with my show. I'll stick with you until this business with Callahan is over. Like I said, I'm a buffalo of my word."
Judy smiled and spoke, reaching out her paw. "It's good to have you with us Buffalo Bill!"
The giant buffalo shook her paw, his own enveloping her tiny one as he chuckled merrily. "What a strange group we make! A farmer, a gambler and an ex-soldier! Who would have thought?"
"Not me, that's for sure." Doc Wilde spoke. He sat down between the bunny and the buffalo, his fur still wet from the bath.
Judy laughed in response and looked at Buffalo Bill expectedly. "If I recall correctly, you said you have a lead in regards to another animal who could join us." She looked between the fox and the buffalo. "It seems like we're still alive, and you have your rifle. So… what lead do you have?"
"This one." Buffalo Bill spoke. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter. He handed it to her and the bunny saw that it still had crumbs of red wax still on it. As she read it, her eyebrows inched higher in shock. "Charlie Vane's been captured?"
At the sound of his name, Doc grabbed the letter out of Judy's paws. As he read it, his eyebrows inched higher and higher with shock. Finally, he shakily stood up and spoke while tossing the letter back on the table, "If you'll excuse me, I need some air… I feel a cough comin' on."
Doc turned around and quickly went through the crowded room and out of the door. As he disappeared, Buffalo Bill looked back and spoke, "What's with him?"
Judy shook her head. "I don't know. I tried askin' but it's not my business."
Buffalo Bill nodded his head. "I understand… everyone's got the devil inside them that they've gotta battle."
As soon as he said that sentence, an image of Bucky Callahan entered her mind, and Judy forced herself to stop from rolling her paws into fists. Instead she gave a small smile and didn't say anything else.
Outside, Nick Wilde stood underneath the moonlight, the din of the crowd from the hotel became quieter as he stood in the empty streets. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out his watch. The fox clicked it open, and read the inscription. As soon as he did, a tear rolled down his cheek, and the gambler closed the lid. He squeezed the watch in his right paw, and sighed, his breath shuddering.
Suddenly, a dangerous smile appeared on his face, as he placed the watch back into his vest pocket. He turned around and started to walk back into the building, grabbing his handkerchief out of his pocket. Wiping his mouth to make it seem like he was coughing, Doc weaved through the animals and sat down in the chair between Buffalo Bill and Judy.
"Right." Nick sighed. "Who's JBH? The Sherriff of Applehill?"
"That's the dog, who's going to help us, no doubt about it." Buffalo Bill responded. "His name's James Butler Hickok. But don't let his manners fool ya. He's not called "Wild Bill" Hickok for nothin'."
Doc nodded his head immediately. "I've heard of Wild Bill Hickok. He cleared out a town of criminals in a day. Just by his lonesome!"
Buffalo Bill smiled. "And that town was Applehill. He's there still, and needs my help to transport Charlie Vane. As you know, Vane's the number one wolf for Callahan and there's no way that Callahan will be coming back for him. If he did, that would go against his reputation." Buffalo Bill shrugged. "But if we go and help him, I'd say that Hickok would help."
Judy nodded, glad that they had a plan. "Only problem." She spoke. "Applehill's north of Bull Run. It'll take us a week to get there. Who's to say that he hasn't left yet?"
Buffalo Bill shook his head. "I know Hickok. He may be dangerous, but he's not stupid. He won't go anywhere with a prisoner without ensuring that he has enough animalpower. No… he's still waiting for me to show up… or at least to hear back."
Judy looked at Doc and the fox cleared his throat and spoke. "Well, it seems that our group will be getting larger. Now we'll have a Sheriff helpin' us."
"And a grave robber!" A familiar voice screeched across the din of the crowd. The animals stopped talking as they glanced quickly at the stranger who was standing in the doorway. Buffalo Bill stood up and chuckled softly, shaking his head. Judy searched her memory for the voice, and as she did, realization struck her, and her heart sank.
Walking towards them, and carrying a large sack slung around his shoulder was One-Eyed Jack. Doc Wilde laughed loudly as he saw the jackrabbit get closer, as the fox stood up from his chair. "You ol' devil! You got out of the jail! How?"
One-Eyed Jack glanced at the fox, his good eye blinking, then the rabbit laughed loudly, his voice shrieking. "It seems that every animal forgets one important thing!"
"What's that?" Buffalo Bill inquired. Both the buffalo and the fox resumed sitting in their chairs.
The jackrabbit turned his head to the giant buffalo. "Mister Cody!" He screeched. "Seems to me that they found you after all!" The jackrabbit dropped the sack on the ground in front of him and raised his paws in the air. "They forget that I'm One-Eyed Jack!"
Doc chuckled. "Yes, yes, you are."
Keeping her eyes on the sack, Judy spoke, worry entering her voice. "What's in the sack, Jack?"
Jack beamed as he looked at Judy. "Hello, my future wife!" He winked, causing the bunny shudder. Buffalo Bill chortled loudly at the interaction, but after a dangerous glare from Judy, his merriment died off quickly.
The crazed jackrabbit continued, "I'm so happy you asked… because when I was in jail, I've broke out with the help of Callahan's wolves!"
"Callahan broke you out?" Nick spoke with surprise. "Why?"
Jack shrugged. "I didn't stick around to ask, but if I had to guess, they know about you."
Judy sighed. This was another burden that she didn't want to bear. But at the sound of Jack's next sentence, her spirit was lifted a little. "But they won't bother you… not for a few weeks at least."
A beat passed between them, then Doc spoke, "Why, Jack? What did you do?"
Jack looked at the fox, and put on an innocent look. "What makes you think that I, old Jack, did something?"
Nick smiled softly. "Because you're One-Eyed Jack."
"You're right I am!" Jack screeched. He opened the sack, reached inside and pulled something out. He tossed it on the table with a crazed laughter. "And that's why Callahan won't be bothering you for a few weeks!"
Judy couldn't tear her eyes from what Jack put on the table, as all three animals stood up from their chairs. Nick placed a paw on his forehead and shook his head, groaning audibly. Buffalo Bill cringed his face, and Judy immediately felt the need to throw up as the scent of death washed over her. She had seen many dead bodies in her time, and she was used to it, but not as mangled as the one that was on the table.
Because on the table, in a small pool of blood, staring vacantly at her, was Seaeyes' severed head!
