The rest of that night was spent drinking whiskey and getting in contact with the family. Tommy seemed to already have an idea of who was behind the visit and simply said he'd figure it out. He told them that they could go to sleep but Evie wasn't planning on it. The horses had been taken to the stables after they'd gone to the Garrison and she needed to check on them.
"Can I borrow the car by chance?" she asked Michael.
He sighed. "I'll drive so mum doesn't kill me," he said.
They made it to the stables in one piece and gladly noted no one else was there aside from the stablehands. To be on the safe side, they both still had their firearms and an additional shotgun as they entered. Michael spoke with some of the stablehands and they were directed to where their two horses were situated. The duo made their way to them and Evie hopped into the stall of one of them, checking it over.
Michael stayed in the walkway, standing guard. Evie was satisfied with the status of the horse and the items in its stall, so she hopped into the stall of the second horse to do much of the same. The sun was rising outside so she hoped that Tommy was, indeed, figuring things out.
A car could be heard pulling up outside the stables' entrance and Michael stood on guard. Evie was still busy checking the horse when Michael told her to stay hidden - some people were coming. She heard him walking a little ways away and she sought shelter by the water trough, so if the horse in the stall startled she should be safe from most kicks or rearing it might do.
Some shouting, then a few gunshots - the horses shuffled their feet but didn't spook. Silence, and then a lot of shooting, likely multiple guns. This made the horses, all of them in the stables, start to react - she was in the stall with the chestnut horse and its feet started darting out as it shuffled around the stall. It kicked the trough, and startling itself, bucked harder, chipping some of the stone off the edge, sending small rocks flying at Evie. She covered her face and kept her head ducked, trying to keep fragments from getting in her eyes.
The horse shifted to the other side of the stall and she took the opportunity to pull her pistol from its holster and jump onto the edge of the water trough to then hop the stall wall. She stayed low but edged her way towards the exit of the stables, opposite of where the shooting had been coming from. It sounded like everything had calmed down outside but she needed to get a look before daring to venture out.
Exiting the stables then peering around the edge of the building towards the front, she saw a welcome yet gory sight: about four men were on the ground dead, but a group consisting of the Shelbys were standing, guns in hand. It looked like the goons from last night - or someone associated with them - had come for the horses but Evie and Michael beat them there. Michael's shooting likely prompted the Shelby clan to open fire, as it looked like they were shortly behind the enemy.
Evie heard Michael calling back into the stables for her. She quickly ducked back into the building so she didn't risk walking out to the group and being shot. "Michael, I'm down here," she called back.
He jogged towards her, some blood spattered on his clothes. She put her pistol down as he gave her a quick hug. "Okay, everyone is okay then," he said, guiding her to the entrance. The Shelbys were beginning to file into the stables, Tommy examining the horses.
"Do you know why there's so much interest in these two from some goons?" Evie asked. "Do I even want to know?"
Tommy smirked. "I don't think you do, no."
She inwardly groaned. Some bad types stopping by she expected. But to be training horses that are apparently worth kidnapping or dying for? That's a bit more than she was planning for.
