Chapter 12
I started off slowly along the trail not knowing how far or where they had gone but I didn't think that even they were stupid enough to leave the track and go out onto the Indian's Land, that would just be an act of suicide and they would sooner kill you than look at you if they didn't know who you were. I'd always heard stories of what had gone on between us and the Indians and I hoped that I wouldn't ever be one of the ones telling the stories. I didn't know where I was going but I had more important things to think about, such as what I was going to do when I found them and to remember to keep my eyes open for them at all times. I shifted my weight awkwardly in the saddle Edges amour for me restricting my movement, I stop and look around me hoping to see anything, any sign of life anywhere to reassure me I wasn't on my own. I carry on riding till I see the ridge drop slightly into a small gorge before even-ing out again for what seemed like miles ahead of me, I climbed down from my horse and walked over to the edge which gave way to about a ten foot drop to the ground below. I saw their horses tied up to a rotten old tree stump and Stephanie sitting beside them.
"Stephanie, are you alright!?" I call down to her; she looks up and sees me as I start running down the slope towards her. As soon as I reached the bottom and grabbed hold of her I knew this wasn't right, surely they wouldn't make it this easy for me to find them and just leave her there unless..It was a trap! "We have to get out of here," I say grabbing her hand and running back up the side of the gorge helping her.
"Chris you shouldn't have come here, they're waiting for you. They knew you'd come after me, they're going to kill you" she tries as we stumble to climb up the dry soil, I turn back to her and pick her up in my arms and carry her the rest of the way. "Just leave me here, go back and get help" she sobs, I put her down and grab her hand.
"I am not leaving you, I said I would save you and that's exactly what I'm doing. I cant live without you Stephanie," I say helping her up onto my horse and climbing up behind her, I pull my shotgun out from the flap of the saddle and load the pellets into it.
"Just go back, they wont know you've been here!" she says pulling the gun out of my hand and struggling against me. I grab hold of her and kiss her stopping her from struggling, I let go of her and take the gun from her "I cant loose you" she says hugging me tightly.
"The only way you are going to loose me is if you keep fighting against me and make me shoot myself, now just leave me to do this, I know what I'm doing" I lie as she lets go of me, I grab the reins and head towards the town as fast as I can. I look behind us as I hear them coming after us on their horses, firing at me as they go. "Take these and keep going," I say handing her the reins, I turn around so I can see them and bring the shotgun up so I can aim at them. I let my finger press lightly against the trigger lining the barrel up with one of the outlaws; I squeeze the trigger softly as the gun thuds against my shoulder from the shot. I curse under my breath having missed them and load another pellet in, Mad dogg starts gaining on us and moves to my left, I try and turn to fire at him but Stephanie grabs the handgun from my holster and fires it at him knocking him from her horse.
"One down, four to go" she grins at me turning the chamber so her gun is loaded again, I shake my head and smile at her before firing another shot at the oncoming DX group. I hadn't even notice Hunter leave the group and ride around till he was a hundred metres or so to our left. "Chris!" Stephanie shouts to me pointing him out while she tries to keep our horse moving steadily, I turn round to face him and squeeze the trigger knowing this shot would get him. I see him grab his leg after my shot, his hands stained with his own blood. He looks up at me before raising his gun and firing. I didn't have time to react; the bullet hit me hard in the chest knocking me from the horse.
"Jesus Christ!" I yell clutching my chest as I lay in the dirt in agony, I hear Stephanie run over to me and drop to my side. She grabs my hand and holds it tightly in hers, brushing the hair from my face as I close my eyes again and let my headrest on the floor.
"I knew it was a bad idea, I knew this would happen!" She yells as me making me smile weakly, I was dying here and she still couldn't help but be mad at me "I told you that you should have just gone back and got help! Why do you have to try and be the hero all the time!" she shouts wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Because everyone loves a hero," I mumble trying to sit up but finding that it hurts too much.
"I love you anyway Chris Jericho, you don't have to be a hero," she whispers running her hand down the side of my face "I love you as you are" she says "Please don't die"
"I'll try not to" I smile trying to lighten the mood a bit but realizing it wasn't the kind of mood I should be lightening in this was the last time I might ever see her again. "I'm sorry for loving you so much that I came to save you, I'm sorry that I kept getting myself into trouble and I'm sorry that you'll have to go to the party with deputy Test now, of all of them that is what I'm most sorry for" I say bringing her hand up to my face and kissing it.
"Christ almighty!" Edge yells running towards us with a few others from the town including my father and Sheriff McMahon, Edge kneels at my side and grabs my shoulders "I told you not to get shot! I told you to wear it! This would never have happened if you hadn't worn my bullet proof armor I made you," he shouts trying to hold himself back from crying.
"The armour" I whisper studying my hand, there was no blood..no blood meant..It didn't
I started off slowly along the trail not knowing how far or where they had gone but I didn't think that even they were stupid enough to leave the track and go out onto the Indian's Land, that would just be an act of suicide and they would sooner kill you than look at you if they didn't know who you were. I'd always heard stories of what had gone on between us and the Indians and I hoped that I wouldn't ever be one of the ones telling the stories. I didn't know where I was going but I had more important things to think about, such as what I was going to do when I found them and to remember to keep my eyes open for them at all times. I shifted my weight awkwardly in the saddle Edges amour for me restricting my movement, I stop and look around me hoping to see anything, any sign of life anywhere to reassure me I wasn't on my own. I carry on riding till I see the ridge drop slightly into a small gorge before even-ing out again for what seemed like miles ahead of me, I climbed down from my horse and walked over to the edge which gave way to about a ten foot drop to the ground below. I saw their horses tied up to a rotten old tree stump and Stephanie sitting beside them.
"Stephanie, are you alright!?" I call down to her; she looks up and sees me as I start running down the slope towards her. As soon as I reached the bottom and grabbed hold of her I knew this wasn't right, surely they wouldn't make it this easy for me to find them and just leave her there unless..It was a trap! "We have to get out of here," I say grabbing her hand and running back up the side of the gorge helping her.
"Chris you shouldn't have come here, they're waiting for you. They knew you'd come after me, they're going to kill you" she tries as we stumble to climb up the dry soil, I turn back to her and pick her up in my arms and carry her the rest of the way. "Just leave me here, go back and get help" she sobs, I put her down and grab her hand.
"I am not leaving you, I said I would save you and that's exactly what I'm doing. I cant live without you Stephanie," I say helping her up onto my horse and climbing up behind her, I pull my shotgun out from the flap of the saddle and load the pellets into it.
"Just go back, they wont know you've been here!" she says pulling the gun out of my hand and struggling against me. I grab hold of her and kiss her stopping her from struggling, I let go of her and take the gun from her "I cant loose you" she says hugging me tightly.
"The only way you are going to loose me is if you keep fighting against me and make me shoot myself, now just leave me to do this, I know what I'm doing" I lie as she lets go of me, I grab the reins and head towards the town as fast as I can. I look behind us as I hear them coming after us on their horses, firing at me as they go. "Take these and keep going," I say handing her the reins, I turn around so I can see them and bring the shotgun up so I can aim at them. I let my finger press lightly against the trigger lining the barrel up with one of the outlaws; I squeeze the trigger softly as the gun thuds against my shoulder from the shot. I curse under my breath having missed them and load another pellet in, Mad dogg starts gaining on us and moves to my left, I try and turn to fire at him but Stephanie grabs the handgun from my holster and fires it at him knocking him from her horse.
"One down, four to go" she grins at me turning the chamber so her gun is loaded again, I shake my head and smile at her before firing another shot at the oncoming DX group. I hadn't even notice Hunter leave the group and ride around till he was a hundred metres or so to our left. "Chris!" Stephanie shouts to me pointing him out while she tries to keep our horse moving steadily, I turn round to face him and squeeze the trigger knowing this shot would get him. I see him grab his leg after my shot, his hands stained with his own blood. He looks up at me before raising his gun and firing. I didn't have time to react; the bullet hit me hard in the chest knocking me from the horse.
"Jesus Christ!" I yell clutching my chest as I lay in the dirt in agony, I hear Stephanie run over to me and drop to my side. She grabs my hand and holds it tightly in hers, brushing the hair from my face as I close my eyes again and let my headrest on the floor.
"I knew it was a bad idea, I knew this would happen!" She yells as me making me smile weakly, I was dying here and she still couldn't help but be mad at me "I told you that you should have just gone back and got help! Why do you have to try and be the hero all the time!" she shouts wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Because everyone loves a hero," I mumble trying to sit up but finding that it hurts too much.
"I love you anyway Chris Jericho, you don't have to be a hero," she whispers running her hand down the side of my face "I love you as you are" she says "Please don't die"
"I'll try not to" I smile trying to lighten the mood a bit but realizing it wasn't the kind of mood I should be lightening in this was the last time I might ever see her again. "I'm sorry for loving you so much that I came to save you, I'm sorry that I kept getting myself into trouble and I'm sorry that you'll have to go to the party with deputy Test now, of all of them that is what I'm most sorry for" I say bringing her hand up to my face and kissing it.
"Christ almighty!" Edge yells running towards us with a few others from the town including my father and Sheriff McMahon, Edge kneels at my side and grabs my shoulders "I told you not to get shot! I told you to wear it! This would never have happened if you hadn't worn my bullet proof armor I made you," he shouts trying to hold himself back from crying.
"The armour" I whisper studying my hand, there was no blood..no blood meant..It didn't