Meryl, Milly, Kate, and Mark woke up when the sound of the shot went off.
"What's going on?" Meryl asked, startled.
"I don't know." Milly said.
"Wait, where's Vash and Ace?" Kate said, alarmed.
Just then, Vash and Ace came into the clearing.
"We have to find a safer spot!" Vash yelled.
"Why? What's wrong?" Mark asked.
"Sphinx has found us, and she'll find this location in a few minutes." Ace said, "Now let's move!"
Milly and Meryl carried Mark as Vash and Ace guarded the front and Kate brought up the rear. They found a small ledge and hid under it. A few seconds later, a shot skimmed across the ledge.
"Was that Sphinx?" Kate asked.
"No, it was a different gun." Ace said, "I can tell by the sound, and that must means there is another sniper out there. Listen, I'm going to lead Sphinx away while the rest of you stay here."
"Are you crazy?" Meryl asked.
"A little, but I do have a plan." Ace replied and he ran out from the ledge.
Sphinx was close to where Ace was heading and she tried to find a decent position. She didn't know that Ace was nearby aiming right her. She managed to spot him before he could shoot, and evaded him. Ace went to a new spot as Sphinx did the same. She found a tree that would provide with a perfect position and she climbed up. Ace hid behind a boulder and checked his ammo. He only had five bullets, so he had to use them wisely.
"Hey Ace, why don't you come out and just get it over with?" Sphinx said as she looked through her scope, "Just come on out and get in my cross hairs and it over quick, I promise."
"I don't think so, bitch." Ace said, "If you surrender and go home now, I'll let you live."
"You're funny." Sphinx said, "You should have been a comedian, not a gunman."
"Hey, you forgot explosive expert." Ace said and he jumped and threw a satchel that landed close to the tree, but the explosion didn't reach up to where Sphinx was.
Meanwhile, Vash and the rest of the group had to worry about the other sniper.
"I was hoping the single assassin theory would play out." Meryl said to Vash.
"Well, things don't always go as we hope." Vash said and he saw some movement in the bushes. He aimed his gun and fired.
Ten minutes passed, and Ace and Sphinx were at a stalemate. Ace only had two bullets left and he hadn't hit Sphinx yet. He knew he had to think of something.
"Ace, you're a fool." Sphinx said, "I don't know why those people what to have anything to do with you. I think that after I kill you, I'll take out your friends except you the redhead. I plan on making her suffer, how does me shooting her in the kneecaps and leaving her to die in the desert sound?"
Ace was now getting mad.
"You won't get that chance." he said," Even if you kill me, you won't get past Vash the Stampede."
"Nice try." said Sphinx, not believing him, "Like I'd believe that you managed to join forces with Vash the Stampede. Tricks like that won't fool me."
"How about this one?!" Ace yelled and he flung a strobe grenade at Sphinx.
It went off, temporarily blinding Sphinx. She lost track of Ace and she saw him looking for a new position. She aimed and pulled the trigger. CLICK was only thing the gun did. It had jammed up and Ace took the advantage. He pointed his gun and he fired just once. Sphinx saw the flash, and the last she heard was the glass in her gun's scope shatter. Her lifeless body fell to the ground. Ace picked her rifle and broke it in half.
A short time later, everyone saw the damage Ace's shot had done. Sphinx looked the same, except her left eye was now a bloody, empty socket.
The other sniper was only wounded by Vash's shot he was told he would be spared if he left and took Sphinx's body and gun back to Miller. The other did so, and when Miller saw had happened to Sphinx, he damned Ace and told Ivan to finish him off.
The next morning, Mark was well enough to travel, and everyone went back to New Wichita. In the afternoon, everyone was sitting outside the bar and were relaxing for a while.
ÔMeryl, how do you think the chief when react when he finds out about this?" Milly asked.
"Hey, what he doesn't know won't hurt was." Meryl said.
"Sounds like you've hung around with Vash too long." Kate said.
Everyone laughed, when Ace stood up and looked nervous.
"What is it?" Mark asked.
"He's coming." Ace said.
"Who, Miller?" Kate asked.
"No, it's Ivan." Ace said, "Everyone get inside and hide."
"No way, I'm helping you." Vash said.
"Don't, this is my fight." Ace replied, "I have to face my demons alone."
Everyone reluctantly went inside and Kate was very worried. Ace went out into the middle of the street and saw Ivan coming. Ace could see the heavy suppression machine gun Ivan was carrying and knew he meant business. Ace faced down Ivan when he stopped twenty feet in front of him. In Ace's mind, a song kept repeating.
*Lay me down, in the cold, cold ground. Where afore, many more have gone. Lay me down, in the cold, cold ground. Where afore, many more have gone. When they come, I will stand my ground, stand my ground. I'll nay be afraid.*
"Playtime is over now, Ace." Ivan said, "It's time for you to die."
Ace stared at Ivan as a drop of sweat ran down his forehead. He was ready.
TO BE CONTINUED...
"What's going on?" Meryl asked, startled.
"I don't know." Milly said.
"Wait, where's Vash and Ace?" Kate said, alarmed.
Just then, Vash and Ace came into the clearing.
"We have to find a safer spot!" Vash yelled.
"Why? What's wrong?" Mark asked.
"Sphinx has found us, and she'll find this location in a few minutes." Ace said, "Now let's move!"
Milly and Meryl carried Mark as Vash and Ace guarded the front and Kate brought up the rear. They found a small ledge and hid under it. A few seconds later, a shot skimmed across the ledge.
"Was that Sphinx?" Kate asked.
"No, it was a different gun." Ace said, "I can tell by the sound, and that must means there is another sniper out there. Listen, I'm going to lead Sphinx away while the rest of you stay here."
"Are you crazy?" Meryl asked.
"A little, but I do have a plan." Ace replied and he ran out from the ledge.
Sphinx was close to where Ace was heading and she tried to find a decent position. She didn't know that Ace was nearby aiming right her. She managed to spot him before he could shoot, and evaded him. Ace went to a new spot as Sphinx did the same. She found a tree that would provide with a perfect position and she climbed up. Ace hid behind a boulder and checked his ammo. He only had five bullets, so he had to use them wisely.
"Hey Ace, why don't you come out and just get it over with?" Sphinx said as she looked through her scope, "Just come on out and get in my cross hairs and it over quick, I promise."
"I don't think so, bitch." Ace said, "If you surrender and go home now, I'll let you live."
"You're funny." Sphinx said, "You should have been a comedian, not a gunman."
"Hey, you forgot explosive expert." Ace said and he jumped and threw a satchel that landed close to the tree, but the explosion didn't reach up to where Sphinx was.
Meanwhile, Vash and the rest of the group had to worry about the other sniper.
"I was hoping the single assassin theory would play out." Meryl said to Vash.
"Well, things don't always go as we hope." Vash said and he saw some movement in the bushes. He aimed his gun and fired.
Ten minutes passed, and Ace and Sphinx were at a stalemate. Ace only had two bullets left and he hadn't hit Sphinx yet. He knew he had to think of something.
"Ace, you're a fool." Sphinx said, "I don't know why those people what to have anything to do with you. I think that after I kill you, I'll take out your friends except you the redhead. I plan on making her suffer, how does me shooting her in the kneecaps and leaving her to die in the desert sound?"
Ace was now getting mad.
"You won't get that chance." he said," Even if you kill me, you won't get past Vash the Stampede."
"Nice try." said Sphinx, not believing him, "Like I'd believe that you managed to join forces with Vash the Stampede. Tricks like that won't fool me."
"How about this one?!" Ace yelled and he flung a strobe grenade at Sphinx.
It went off, temporarily blinding Sphinx. She lost track of Ace and she saw him looking for a new position. She aimed and pulled the trigger. CLICK was only thing the gun did. It had jammed up and Ace took the advantage. He pointed his gun and he fired just once. Sphinx saw the flash, and the last she heard was the glass in her gun's scope shatter. Her lifeless body fell to the ground. Ace picked her rifle and broke it in half.
A short time later, everyone saw the damage Ace's shot had done. Sphinx looked the same, except her left eye was now a bloody, empty socket.
The other sniper was only wounded by Vash's shot he was told he would be spared if he left and took Sphinx's body and gun back to Miller. The other did so, and when Miller saw had happened to Sphinx, he damned Ace and told Ivan to finish him off.
The next morning, Mark was well enough to travel, and everyone went back to New Wichita. In the afternoon, everyone was sitting outside the bar and were relaxing for a while.
ÔMeryl, how do you think the chief when react when he finds out about this?" Milly asked.
"Hey, what he doesn't know won't hurt was." Meryl said.
"Sounds like you've hung around with Vash too long." Kate said.
Everyone laughed, when Ace stood up and looked nervous.
"What is it?" Mark asked.
"He's coming." Ace said.
"Who, Miller?" Kate asked.
"No, it's Ivan." Ace said, "Everyone get inside and hide."
"No way, I'm helping you." Vash said.
"Don't, this is my fight." Ace replied, "I have to face my demons alone."
Everyone reluctantly went inside and Kate was very worried. Ace went out into the middle of the street and saw Ivan coming. Ace could see the heavy suppression machine gun Ivan was carrying and knew he meant business. Ace faced down Ivan when he stopped twenty feet in front of him. In Ace's mind, a song kept repeating.
*Lay me down, in the cold, cold ground. Where afore, many more have gone. Lay me down, in the cold, cold ground. Where afore, many more have gone. When they come, I will stand my ground, stand my ground. I'll nay be afraid.*
"Playtime is over now, Ace." Ivan said, "It's time for you to die."
Ace stared at Ivan as a drop of sweat ran down his forehead. He was ready.
TO BE CONTINUED...
