Title: Aftershocks

Author: Cindy Ryan

Notes: See part one

"We don't have enough people, Kid."Lou whispered as they moved around the back of the restaurant.

"Doesn't matter."Kid replied as they entered through the back door. "We just have a small amount of time to do this if it's going to work at all."

"It will."Lou assured her fiance. "It has to."

Kid spotted who he had been looking for and called. "Jesse!"

The teen quickly turned and ran toward them. "Teaspoon practically sent me back to the house. Don't tell me to do that too, Kid. I want to help them. I'm a good shot you know I am."

Kid nodded as he placed a hand on the youth's shoulder."Follow us out the back. Don't let Rachel see you or this plan is over before it starts."

Jesse's eyes lit up and he glanced back at the front door where Rachel was standing before he pulled out his gun and ran out the back entrance. He caught up with Kid and Lou at the head of the alley.

As the sound of gunfire intensified Kid looked at the two guns in his hands. He couldn't risk Lou's safety, not after everything.

Lou saw the hesitation in Kid's eyes and reached her hand out just as Jesse reached them.

"Kid, I'm okay."Lou said quietly. "I'm getting stronger every minute. They're my family as much as you are. I can't just stand by and do nothing to help."

Kid met her gaze and slowly handed her the gun. After a moment Kid looked over Lou's shoulder at Jesse.

"Jesse, if things turn bad I want you to get Lou to safety no matter what. Promise?"

Jesse nodded. "Promise. So what's the plan?"

Kid peaked out the alley. "Simple. Wilcox and his men are cocky. They aren't watching their backs."

Lou double checked her gun."Perfect. We come up from behind and they have to let Jimmy and the others go."

"If it works."Kid stated as he inched out of the alley.

"It will."Jesse replied.

Kid looked back at Lou. "You ready?"

Lou took his free hand in hers and squeezed it. "Let's go."

********

"Cody, Noah fan out."Teaspoon ordered as the gunfight intensified.

"Hold off on that."Buck stated his gaze fixed on the far end of the street.

"Why?"Cody asked.

"Odds just evened."

***********

Cody glanced down the street and saw what Buck had seen. Kid, Lou and Jesse had just exited an alley and were approaching Wilcox guns drawn.

"Lets end this."Teaspoon ordered as he came out from behind the protection of the platform firing as he went.

"Right behind you."Jimmy affirmed his gaze briefly meeting Lou's.

*******

Lou came up behind the first of Wilcox's deputies and pressed the barrel of her gun against the back of his head.

"Drop the gun."

The man started to turn but Lou cocked back the hammer. "I said drop it."

The man hesitated but finally dropped his weapon. Lou reached around and picked it up.

Lou glanced over and saw Jesse had disarmed another deputy.

Two down two to go. Lou thought worriedly as she looked at Kid who was a few feet ahead of her.

**********

Kid had just disarmed the deputy nearest him when the deputy Lou had subdued suddenly shouted a warning to his boss.

"Damn."Kid swore as Wilcox and the other deputies whirled around.

Kid knocked out the man in front of him just as a bullet sped by him taking out the deputy a few feet away.

Kid risked a glance back and saw smoke coming from Jesse's gun. Kid nodded at the teen before he ran toward the cover of a water trough.