Chapter VI:

When Kody returned to the ranch John asked, "What do you think?"

Kody shed his duster and lit a Parodi as he replied, "I suspect he was involved in the planning at the very least."

Upon seeing his father begin to speak Kody said as he exhaled a cloud of bluish smoke, "I know you and Kayce don't agree with me and Beth and that's fine."

John; knowing his son as he did sked, "You put a tracker on his car didn't you."

Kody grinned as he replied, "Yep sure did."

John chuckled as Kody grabbed a beer for them both and they smoked and drank in companiable silence. They were almost finished with their beers when Tate came running into the room. Kody asked as he stubbed out his Parodi, "Whoa there cowboy where's the fire?"

Tate replied, "You said you would teach me how to rope."

Kody arched a scarred brow as he drawled, "I did did I?"

Tate nodded as he said, "Yep."

Kody grinned as he shrugged back into his duster and dark brown shotgun chaps and grabbed his rifle and said, "Well then I reckon we got us some ropin' to do."

And with they walked outside, saddled a couple of horse he put his rifle in the saddle boot, pulled on a pair of work gloves, grabbed a 60-foot braided nylon lariat. Then he said, "Saddle up cowboy."

Tate scrambled into the saddle and off they went.

They had been practicing roping for about 45 minutes when Rip, Walker Lloyd, Teter and Colby rode up. Kody curled a leg around the saddle horn and asked, "What's up boss?"

They all chuckled for they all knew that Rip did anything Kody, John or Beth said. Rip said, "There's a fence cut in several place out in the east pasture."

Kody knew exactly what he was talking about; it was the pasture the Divine Discord biker gang had attempted to burn. He looked at Tate and said, "Ride back with Teeter and Colby."

When the two hands went to protest, he said, "I want y'all to tell Beth what is goin' on and find Monica an the boy an keep her inside. Understand?"

They nodded and turned to ride away when Rip called, "Send Walker, Kayce, Travis and Jay to meet us."

Teeter lifted a hand as they rode away. Once they were gone John and Kody spurred their horse toward the pasture. Kody slid his Henry from the saddle boot as they headed for quite possibly a very brutal fire fight.

When they got there, they saw that the Divine Discord biker gang was attempting to set the pasture ablaze. Kody snapped his rifle to his shoulder and sent a Remington Core-Lokt .30-30 Winchester 170 Grain Core-Lokt Hollow Point straight into the kerosene pouring biker. Killing him. Then he quickly worked the lever and sent another round into a bilker attempting to set off the kerosene. He was tracking a third target when automatic fir rained around them. Walker was struck twice, once in the abdomen and one in the neck. John raised his Vaquero and shot one of the bikers in the head. Kody fired his last two to rounds at a biker that advancing on Walker's severely wounded form. He deftly slid his now empty Henry in to the boot and drew his 686 and downed a biker with two the midsection He continued forward and continued to fire; he managed to wing two of the bikers before his pistol ran dry. He quickly reloaded as he arrived by a badly bleeding Walker. He deftly slid from the saddle taking his empty rifle with him. He grabbed Walker by his jacket and drug behind a shed. He was reloading his Henry when John, Rip and the others arrived. John asked, "How many do you count?"

Kody replied as downed a gunman with a head shot, "12 oh I mean 11."

Both John and Rip chuckled as Kody asked, "Any word on those reinforcements?"

Both Rip and John were about to shake their head when they heard the rattle of hooves. They peeked around the corner of the shed and spied Colby, Teeter, Jay, Travis and Kayce. Kody yelled as he rolled out from behind cover with both his rifle and pistol in hand, "Give em suppressin' fire."

He spied a fat biker taking aim at Kayce and emptied his 686 at him; killing the biker. He holstered his empty pistol and was taking aim with his rifle when Lloyd called, "We're losing him."

Kody dropped to his knees beside Walker and drew his bowie and sliced open Walker's blood-stained shirt and with Rip's help pulled both his shirt and Jacket off the badly wounded man. Once those were gone, he carefully examined the badly bleeding bullet wounds. Rip commented in a low voice, "I don't think he's going to make it."

Johm asked, "What do you think you son?"

Kody replied, "I just don't know. If we can get the lung wound under control he might just might stand a chance."

Lloyd watched them work and even though he detested Walker for how he flaunted his relationship with Laramie; he really hoped the younger man wouldn't die. He asked, "Can we do anything?"

Kody was about to say something when a flurry of movement caught his eye. He watched as Travis went down with a bullet to the upper back. He saw Kayce gun down the shooter and ride by and swing Travis into the saddle; then they all rode hell for leather for the shed. Kody barked out orders to Rip and Lloyd, then quickly reloaded his weapons and swore bitterly as the others joined him. He jumped into the saddle of Kayce's horse as he snarled, "This shit ends now."

As he went to take off John asked, "What about your word; you promised never to the true grit stunt again."

After several minutes Kody nodded briskly as he handed his rifle to John along with his hat and duster and unsheathed his bowie and with a devil may care grin twisting his lips disappeared into the night. Kayce said as they worked on Walker, "This is going to get really bloody. He was grinning"

John said, "He's going to lay them all under a blanket of red."

Kody stealthily went from one biker to another slitting their throats. When there were only to left, he wiped his bowie on a dead biker's cheek and sheathed it and challenged, "Come on y'all wanted to kill us here's your chance. Come get some."

The two very powerfully bikers rushed the smaller man. He grabbed one biker and threw him to the ground with a judo hip throw; knocking him unconscious. He whirled back around and was knocked the ground by a devastating haymaker that made his head ring. He flipped back to his feet and hit the biker in the midsection with a roundhouse kick and him in the face with a Muay Thai knee strike; shattering his nose. The biker backed up a few steps and lunged for Kody and got him in a powerful bearhug. Kody smashed his midsection with vicious knee strikes. When he felt the grip loosen, he sprang back and peppered the injured midsection with a flurry of jabs, hooks and uppercuts then he kicked the biker in the thigh repeatedly with Muay Thai leg kicks Then he took him to the ground with a double leg takedown. He went from half guard to full mount and peppered the biker's face with hooks, Hammer fists and elbow strikes. Then he captured the biker in an armbar and snapped his arm and right before he rolled to his feet he kicked the biker in the throat with an axe kick. The biker slowly climbed to his feet and croaked, "You're a fucking dead man; and with that he pulled out a .45 GLOCK 30 SF. Before he could even fire Kody palmed his 686 and put three bullets in him. He sensed movement behind him and whirled around put his last three rounds into the one remaining biker. Then he calmly reloaded and rejoined the others.

A few days later Caroline Warner and Malcolm Beck were sitting in her office when her assistant brought in a large box. He set it on her desk as she asked, "Who delivered that?"

Her assistant replied, "It has no return address. Would you like me to open it?"

She replied, "No I'll have Malcom open it. You may go."

He left and Malcolm Beck stood up and sliced open the box and recoiled in disgust upon seeing its contents. Carolne Warner stood yp and asked in alarmed voice, "What is it?"

Malcolm Beck replied, "Take a look for yourself."

She nodded and tentatively looked into the box and she too recoiled back in disgust; for the box was filled with the severed heads and scalps of the Divine Discord biker gang."

Her face was ghost white pale as she asked, "Who would send us such a package?"

Malcolm Beck replied, "Kody Dutton."