A/N Hello everyone again. We have reached chapter 20! I've been settling with my new job. Its a full time job so I've been having less and less time working on the editing plus going back and fixing previous errors. So the story will still be updated once a week as plan. It just may be released either on Thursday/Friday depending on how I feel said day.
But thank you all so far for your patience. Feel free to leave a review. Enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 20
Present Day, 1885
"You can't stay still can you Miss Nijima?" Ren had caught her behind a tree, revolver pointed directly at her.
"Let me go and I'll hand you your gun back after," She told him.
"If I let you go, there won't be an 'after'. Now please hand it back." He stretched out his hand waiting for her to give his pistol back. But she had other ideas. Quickly drawing the gun, she raised it to Ren's head.
"Let me pass."
"I can't allow that," Ren said to her.
"I will shoot you if I have to!"
Ren sighs at the situation," Morgana put the gun down, her threats are empty." Makoto was confused until she felt the barrel of the gun behind her back. "Miss Nijima, my gun please." Handing it over without a choice, the three walked back to camp.
"Way to keep an eye on things meat head!"
"What the fuck did I do!?" The blonde hair gunslinger yelled back to the younger brother. The two bickered by the fire while Ren escorted Makoto to the tree again.
"I really hate having to do this to you. But I can't have you running off getting killed." He sat down across from her once tying her up. "I know it may not seem like it, but I get why your insistent. I understand your desire for revenge on your Father. I understand you probably miss your Sister's love. The man who has taken over Northsbury, he's the man I'm after. He belongs to a inner circle of people connected to a man I only know as Samuel. I had been accused of a crime by him that almost had me hung. I've been tracking him and his associates down since then. If your father's killer is amongst this group as you say, then don't worry, he will meet his judgement day." With that said, the elder Amamiya brother went to his bedding to catch a few more hours of sleep.
8am the next day had the gang ready for their plan. His revolver was loaded and clean as Ren holstered them. His extra pistol he had to retrieve the night before was given to Ann as she would cover Morgana. Ryuji's gun belt held extra bullets for his shotgun and repeater he cared over his shoulder. Morgana made a last minute check on his scoped rifle to make sure it wouldn't jam. Their newest recruit was twisting and flipping the knives in his hand getting a feel of them.
"Hey brother….remind me not to upset Yusuke in the future he looks scary with those knives." Ren had snicker at his younger brother's confession.
"Just be glad he's on our side, speaking of which." He called both Yusuke and Ann over to him. "Since this is your first time you will be going on an 'outing' with us, you two need code names. Sometimes we wear masks and go by codes as we don't want others to find us. Do you have any preferences of your own?"
"Call me Davinci."
"No."
"The Great One?"
"Nope"
".…Kitsune?" Yusuke suggested,
"Kitsune? What is that?"
"It means fox in my homeland."
"Then how bout 'Fox'? Ren suggested back.
"I guess that will do." Ren turned towards Ann for her suggestion.
"Hmmm, I'm not quite sure what it is I want to be called."
"What about 'Lady' Ann!" Morgana loudly suggested as well.
"It's not suppose to have her name dumbass!" Ryuji bickered back. "Besides, I think 'Bones' would fit since I'm Skull."
"Can I be called Panther?" Ann confirmed ignoring the others.
"Panther it is. Alright we're cutting it close as is. Shiho will you and Shinya be alright here?"
"We'll be fine Mr. Ren, I'll make sure to feed Miss Makoto as well." Nodding back, Ren hopped on Arsene and lead the way. This reminded him of the mini shootout at the brothel roughly a month go. Thankfully they all came out unscathed. But nothing could compare to the shootout of New Years of '84. It was just him and Morgana hunting down the gang that murder and burned that schoolhouse. Over 50 men against 2. It probably help that the members were sitting on a dynamite deposit blowing half to hell. Morgana had to shoot like a needle in a haystack.
"Joker! Panther and I will veer off here at the entrance of the ridge. We'll find our spot on the hill. Good luck brother, I'll see you on the other side."
"Same to you Mona. May your aim stay true." Ren, Ryuji, and Yusuke directed their horses into the ridge by the town itself. Few people were out and about doing morning routines.
"Gentlemen, lets initiate the plan." Nodding, Ryuji trotted to his spot before reaching his side of town as done by Yusuke as well. Ren would take the straight and narrow path into Northsbury. As soon as he came into a view, four men step in front of his horse.
"Good morning stranger, Imma have to ask you to remove your iron and hand it over to the deputy over here. We can hold it for you for 20 bucks, your horse for 70," the man in front of him said.
"90 dollars for my six shooter and horse is a bit steep don't you think. Why do you all have your weapon?"
"We're the lawman around here boy."
"You need all these lawman for this size of town?" Ren said eyeing about 6 men now. Two more showed up by the grocery store.
"How many we have is non of your business. Now hand over your weapons!" Chuckling, Ren gets down from Arsene and slowly pulls out his revolver placing it in the palm of his hand.
"Here you go Sir. You're more than welcome to take it from my hand." The man took one step towards the elder brother. " Though I must warn you I have one hell of a crackshot. You lay a finger on it and your hand will be missing. Sure you won't let me by gentlemen?" Ren calmly said with his gun in the palm.
"You can walk on through once you've relieved yourself of your firearm and pay the fee."
Ren signals to Arsene causing the horse to jog off out of view. "Hmmm I see, Well I do have the money to pay, but I don't think my companions feel the same." From there, Ryuji came out of his hiding, repeater lowered to the ground a smug smile littered his face. The leader of the four men in front laughed.
"You two honestly think you can take us?" They all heard a thump as one of their guards fell from his hiding spot on the roof, a knife was protruding out of his back. Yusuke had appeared from behind the sign 3 knives at his hip. Unfortunately, some blood got on his white shirt but the dark blue vest was spared for now.
"I'll ask one more time sir, you sure you don't want to let us through peacefully?" Ren asked again nicely, palm still up with his revolver in hand.
"You are all going to be dead men after what you just did!? They all had their gun raised at Ren while Ryuji had his weapon read to aim at the two men standing on the grocery porch.
A subtle gunshot was heard in the town as the man harassing Ren was shot straight through the heart and collapsed on the ground; a angle coming from above. Morgana had position himself on a hill overlooking the town. It had a clear view of the main street center where the event was going down. With a clear day upon them and little wind, he shot straight and true.
"Nice shot Mona."
"Thanks Panther but stay down," he whispered.
To say the rest were stun was an understatement. At the thud of the first man body dropped, all hell broke loose. Spinning the gun in his hand, Ren cock back and shot 3 times in the chest of the men in front of him. Ryuji nailed the first guard by the store before the second ducked in. Any of the reaming civilians screamed and ran for cover.
Another guard ran out of a store underneath Yusuke. He prepared to aim the knife but the guard was shot down first. Another kill for Mona.
"Fox get down here, you're a sitting target!" Ren yelled firing into the grocery store with Ryuji where they last saw one of the guards. Ryuji had the angle from the window and fired before the other could. A loud groan could be heard as the bullet ripped through the hired gun. 5 more men came running in from 2nd street. Yusuke jump down surprising one by throwing the knife at his throat and pinned him to the wooden store pillar. Grabbing the first knife he threw from the dead body, his aim was off and it landed one mans shoulders. But Ren had his back and fired a bullet straight towards the guards forehead. The three other guards fired back forcing Ren and Yusuke to take cover from the bulletstorm. Another gunshot rang from above just missing one of their targets who hid on the side of the building.
"There's a sniper, find him!" One of them left towards the hills.
"Shit I hope Panther and Mona are ready," the elder brother muttered.
The two more men came towards Ryuji at the grocery store, firing their shotgun that left the blonde hair gunslinger diving for cover. He jumps behind the cashier ledge as they blasted threw the windows. Switching to his own shotgun from the other shoulder, he pops up and shoots. Missed. Two more shots fire through before he attempts again.
"Augh!" Another guard slumps forwards on the window ledge dead. Moving to another part of the store, he quickly cuts between cover from the back to the front. The guard shoots grazing Ryuji in the ribs.
"FUCK!" He yells. It was only a graze but it still stings. Having to guess, he hears the hired gun reload just outside the window. Popping up from hiding, Ryuji fires a round at a turn outside the window and pulls the trigger. Blood sprays on the broken glass as he hears no more shots in his direction.
Ren and Yusuke were pin down hiding behind some fruit cart as the guards continue to shoot from the building side.
"Mona, if you can get one more shot off, that would be great," Ren hoped.
"I can't get a good angle myself without being shot at," Fox mention. They were running out of cover as the bullets broke away the fragile wood. Another shot rang out again and the two thieves heard a groan.
"You'll pay for this you bastards!" Ren peaked and saw one of the two had been downed but not dead.
"This wouldn't have happen if your leader left these fine people here alone!" The elder Amamiya reloaded his revolver and fired towards the last standing guard. Hitting a finger, the man dropped his gun in pain leaving Ren to fire another shot in his chest, killing him.
The one guard left was attempting to crawl away as he bleed out. " Leaving so soon? I have a few questions to ask though." Ren grabbed the wounded man up. They were on limited time and hope the lone guard that headed up the hill would be taken care of.
Picking off the stragglers had been fairly easy before Joker and Fox got pinned down. He did his best to get a killshot, but missed a few times. He heard bullets hit the underside of the rock he was laying on. "Panther, get ready we got company!"
"Right."
Ann took cover behind another rock as one of the guards was trying to run up the steep hill they resided on. She went to shoot the gun like Ryuji taught her but missed the first attempt. The man was aiming at Morgana who was trying to focus on the town below. Taking a deep breath, she jump from behind the rock and empty the chamber towards the hired gun, hitting him in the stomach and chest. The body fell backwards and rolled down the hill.
"Damn you shot the hell out of that guy."
"I did." She said to Morgana. Her adrenaline starting to calm down as reality sets in. Dropping the gun, Ann began to shake at what she just done.
"It's okay 'Lady' Ann, just take deep breath, it will be okay." Mona tried to coax her through, killing another human being usually illicit a reaction. Some have it immediately while others have it come later or the memory being triggered by a noise or smell.
"Lets go find the others." The two grabbed their guns and headed down to to town, all the gunfire has ceased. The civilians still stayed in their stores and homes hiding in case another fire starts.
Hoisting the injured guard to the wall, Ren starts his interrogation. "Start talking, where'd your Boss go?"
"I ain't telling you shit!" Spitting blood in Ren's face. Not liking that he threw an elbow to his face.
"I'm going to ask nicely one more time, where is your Boss? The large short man, suppose to have receding brown hair, wheres a purple suit."
"He was visiting an associate of his, an Azazel or maybe Asmodeus, I don't know I only heard them in passing…." The guard paused coughing up more blood.
"Hey you're not done yet. Name, give me your Bosses name." He threw another elbow jab to the dying guard.
"OW!"
"Name now!" Ren demanded.
"Kaneshiro….Boss wanted to ...steal the money from the bank but...stayed for the mining profits. That's…. all …..I….swear." He slumped forward, collapsing dead.
"Asmodeus?" Yusuke questioned behind him.
"Yeah Kamoshida. I'm not sure who Azazel is, but if Kaneshiro was heading to Kamoshida's last location he won't find much. Kamoshida ran an illegal sex ring and this Kaneshiro is supposedly making prfoits from a nearby mining site. The wheels in Ren's head were turning. The two knew each other atleast if he took this guards words for it. Kamoshida was receiving a lot more than one would make out of the brothel. Maybe they exchange goods. Kamoshida had distributed the women around, but that cost money. Could Kaneshiro might have paid him for the women to use here?No, that doesn't fit with the town's layout. They passed threw though possibly? Another link in a chain to figure out.
"So did we get them all?" Ryuji said coming out of the store he hid in. Ren could see he was gripping near his right rib.
"You okay there Skull?"
"I'll live, just a graze."
"Ryuji!" They heard Ann yelling, her and Morgana were coming down the hill together.
"Please slow down Lady Ann or you'll trip."
"The coast is clear up on the hill, are you all right?" The lady of the group asked.
"Just some bumps and scratches, Miss Ann but we're okay. Ryuji could use more extensive looking however. Yusuke replied too truthfully. Ryuji had elbowed him in the back with his good arm. "Ouch!"
"You're hurt Ryuji?" She asked the blonde hair gunslinger.
It's just a graze Ann, nothing serious."
"Stop trying to down play your injuries. Let me see." Giving in, he removed his hand from his ribs. It wasn't a clean shot, but it did cut enough skin to bleed through his vest.
"It just needs to be cleaned and bandage, see nothing to—" Ann interrupted him by pulling him in a hug shaking. Sighing, "Why don't you fellas start cleaning up, I'll be there in a few moments."
Taking the hint, Ren, Morgana, and Yusuke started gathering the bodies and putting them in a pile. He looked back towards the two blonds still in an intimate embrace. The gunslinger whispering in her ear before sharing a kiss. Ren had to remember Ann wasn't overreacting to the wound but the thought of almost losing Ryuji again. Afterall Ryuji's skull almost been blown off all over her at one point.
"Is It safe to come out Sir?" A frighten civilian had asked peeking through a window.
"You all are safe at the present moment, but if you have a wagon to carry these bodies, that be appreciated.
"Uh…..right away Mister.
Ren couldn't wait to hit the bed after this cleanup…
A/N So we had a heated gun fight, I tried to make it sound interesting. I was actually partially inspired by a movie scene. When I was making the chapter outline for this, I had Magnificant Seven playing in the background the movie based off 7 Samurai but with Denzel Washington and I was like the movie was "eh" but the scene is pretty well choreograph.
Till next week, thank you for reading so far and feel free to leave a review.
