CHAPTER 11

"Riders comin'." Lou yelled as she made out the sounds of the arriving buckboard. It was too dark for her to see, but she could hear it coming.

The rest of the riders made their way outside to congratulate the couple they knew were soon to be husband and wife. As the buckboard approached the excitement that filled the group became one of confusion. They could make out only one rider coming toward them.

Dani quickly stopped the horse and jumped down from the buckboard not paying any attention to the riders walking toward her. She hurried inside. They shot each other questioning looks as they watched the once blushing young lady run into the house in a very determined fashion.

"Something must have happened. Noah, maybe you should go check on her," Kid put in his suggestion.

As Noah made it to the top step of the front stoop Rachel came running out, "Buck's been shot," she yelled out to the riders. Panic took over in the riders as they approached Rachel. All except Noah who quickly made his way into the house and up the stairs. He flung the door open.

He could just make out her disheveled appearance in the dimly lit room. "Dani, are you alright?" She never turned her attention from her bag that now rested on the bed in front of her. Noah approached grabbing her arm and turning her toward him, "What happened?"

The subtle light of the candle now revealed the blood that was spattered on her chin and all over the once beautiful satin gown. She pulled out of his grasp and continued to unpack her carpet bag. Ignoring any sort of manners as a lady she hurriedly stepped out of her dress and began pulling on her pants and shirt.

"You got called out, didn't you?" He just continued to watch as she dressed in front of him. She never acknowledged his question, but he already had his answer. She pulled out her holster and Colt and strapped it on. The sounds of heavy footsteps could be heard in the hallway.

"This is all your damn fault. I knew havin' you here was a mistake. He could be dead now because of you!"

Jimmy angrily lashed out at her as Kid attempt to hold him back. Noah stood in the line of fire making sure Jimmy didn't try anything stupid. Dani finished putting on her jacket and hat as Jimmy continued to shoot the blame at her for Buck's condition. She ignored him as she grabbed her bag and walked in the direction of the door.

Kid continued to hold Jimmy back as they both blocked the doorway.

"Get out of my way," she stated in a stern voice.

"So, what? You're gonna just run now and leave him to die?"

She repeated her earlier statement, "Get out of my way."

Jimmy pushed Kid off of him and stood toe to toe with her. "You're not leaving him like that."

She drew her pistol before he had a chance to move and now stuck it to his chest. "I'm not leaving him. I'm going to finish this, so get out of my way!"

"Dani, you can't go alone," Noah pleaded with her.

"This is my fight," she bluntly stated as Jimmy moved out of her way.

She continued to point her gun ahead of her as she exited the house and made her way to the stables as the other riders, except Rachel and Ike who had already made their way to Buck on the buckboard, just looked on. Once in the stables she holstered her gun and began to saddle up her horse. She made out footsteps behind her and quickly drew again.

"You're not going alone," Noah now stood behind her with Jimmy in toe.

"This ain't your fight," she stated again as they both began saddling their horses as well.

"They made it our fight when they put a bullet in Buck," Jimmy stated as he mounted his horse.

Noah in turn stated, "I haven't turned my back on you before and I'm not gonna to do it now."

She re-holstered her gun and turned her attention back to her horse. As she mounted up the rest of the riders came in and began saddling their horses.

"We're going to see to Buck," Kid stated. Jimmy and Noah nodded to him as Dani kept her focus ahead and galloped out of the stable.

Kid, Lou, and Cody made their way to Doc Barnes and as they dismounted the door slammed open in front of them. Out stomped a pale Buck, the stains of blood evident on his jacket and shirt.

"Buck, you're alright?" Lou ran up to him.

Teaspoon yelled from within the office, "Buck, you can't stop her." Buck ignored the older man's cries and headed for the nearest horse.

"Buck," Kid approached him, "You're in no condition to ride out of here tonight."

Buck slowly attempted to mount Lightening as everyone looked on.

(Buck, this is who she is. A ring isn't going to change that.) Ike signed to him.

"She's going to be my wife. I'm not walking away from her now or ever." With that he kicked Lou's horse into a gallop and headed toward the end of town.

Teaspoon turned to Kid and Ike, "Go with him, we'll catch up." With that Kid and Ike mounted up on the two remaining horses and headed in Buck's direction.

They met up with him a half a mile outside of town. He had dismounted and was staring at the tracks on the ground.

"Buck, you're never gonna find them without any light."

"I don't need sunlight to find her." He mounted Lightening again and off they went.

They road for a few hours until daybreak made their journey a bit easier. They stopped by a nearby stream and filled their canteens.

Kid questioned Ike, "Do you think he knows where he's going?" Ike just shrugged his shoulders and pulled his canteen from the water.

Suddenly gun shots rang out no more than 200 feet away. All three mounted up again and headed in the direction of the shots. There, in the distance, they found Noah and Jimmy holding their weapons on the scraggily looking group of bandits that surrounded the bearded man. Dani was now standing directly opposite of the man in an obvious gun fighting position. Buck dismounted removing his weapon from his holster and pointing it in the direction of the group.

"Dani, you don't have to do this. We can take them to Teaspoon. It'll be over," Buck shouted to her.

Her sights never left Holland and her hand stayed ready to draw. "Buck, this will never be over. Don't you understand? There will always be someone like him gunning for me. This ends here."

Ike and Kid now stood on opposite sides of Buck watching the events unfold in front of them. Everything seemed to shift to slow motion.

Dani and the Holland both drew down on each other. Two shots rang out. Dani hit the rocky dirt behind her as the bearded man began chuckling.

Buck instinctively ran toward her as Holland pointed his gun at him. No sooner did he turn as Buck put two shots into his chest. Holland fell to the ground dead.

Buck ran to Dani's side as he dropped his gun and kneeled beside her. Her face becoming ghostly pale as he placed his hand on her cheek.

"I'm sorry," she said almost too soft to hear.

He looked her up and down as he noticed the blood exiting a wound on her chest that she was instinctively covering. He lifted her hand from it as the tears began to form in his eyes.

Noah ran up beside them and kneeled down to the other side of her. The others just watched in horror keeping their guns aimed at the camp of outlaws.

"You didn't have to do this," Buck said to her softly.

"It had to end here," she stated gasping in a deep breath.

He began pushing back her hair as he continued to hold on to her hand. She let out a low cough as blood escaped her mouth. He lowered himself down to her ear.

"I love you," he calmly stated and pulled back to look into her eyes. She nodded to him and her eyes shifted back.

She gave one last deep tug on his hand and she fell limp. Buck kissed her forehead and dropped her hand to her chest. Noah leaned in kissing her cheek, whispered something in her ear and pulled back placing his hands on her eye lids to close them.

Buck stood from her side, calmly walked to Noah's horse and mounted it. He road off as fast as he could. The riders watched as their dear heart broken friend road off into the dawn. They allowed him the freedom to do what he needed to do.