CHAPTER XIV

BIG VALLEY, WEST ELIZABETH, JUNE 9TH 1900

Neither Vic nor Sawyer could be sure, but both were confident they were getting close to the Fort. The map that Vic consulted had shown that Fort Riggs wasn't far at all from Strawberry. But ever since the two had saddled up in town and galloped off on their way, the heavens had opened and a torrential downpour of rain had began to fall, leaving any further use of the map impossible.

Sawyer almost wished that he'd taken the long blue coat now instead of giving it to Vic. Everything, from his duster cap to his boots, was drenched right through. Even Neigan seemed to be slipping around now and again thanks to the ground having become considerably softer. Still, the outlaw didn't mind it that much though, as he really just wanted the job to be over and done with so they could get back on Roland's trail.

The two renegades didn't even get the chance to consult each other about a plan of action since the rain was thudding and splashing off of everything around them, making it hard to hear much of anything else. They were so focused on making sure their horses didn't tumble that they'd completely neglected that debate so far. Vic had outright refused to hurt any soldiers, whilst Sawyer didn't see any way the job could be done without it. They were both sour about that disagreement, which most likely played another part in the discussion being avoided for as long as it had been.

"We're gettin' close, right?!" The lawman asked, shouting out.

Sawyer looked over, "How the fuck d'ya expect me to know?!"

"You're the guy who's wanted in this fuckin' state!... Which means you know more about the land!... Than I do!" Replied Vic, spitting out drops of rain.

"Maybe so! But I can't give you an answer!" Sawyer replied, wiping his face, "I say we just keep headin' down this road! We'll hit it soon enough!"

Vic scoffed so loud even the outlaw heard him clearly, "You call this a road?! I feel like me and the mare are gonna sink into the fuckin' ground!"

Sawyer just laughed. The deputy had a point, the weather was atrocious and might only serve to hinder the job at hand. Nevertheless though, the image of Vic and April being swallowed by the mud tickled him a little. They clearly weren't used to the heavy rainfall and were struggling to keep upright. Sawyer and Neigan however, had done this kinda thing a lot together, so naturally the young outlaw took point ahead.

Vic had tried real hard to light a cigarette ever since they'd set off, with every attempt failing. It may have been one of the only times he ever wished that he wore a hat like most others. Eventually the maverick lawman gave up and put the smoke and matches away. His thick black hair was drenched like his clothes and now stuck to his cheeks and temple, an itchy feeling that served to only irritate him more. If there was one thing he could say for certain, it was that he didn't mind the complete absence of rain back in New Austin.

Mercifully, though the rain was heavy and the land pulpy, the two men could still see where they were going. The water soaking everything around them made the vast valley of West Elizabeth glisten ever so slightly. It helped make sure that neither the deputy or the fugitive happened to gallop into a tree, an accident which had been known to kill some folk if stories were to be believed.

Sawyer eventually glanced over to Vic, "You sure it was the best thing?! Leavin' Ellie alone like that?!"

Vic spat water from his mouth again, "The Anderson's ain't fuckin' perverts!"

"Jesus! That ain't what I meant!" Sawyer yelled, shaking his head, "I just mean... We're gonna get a hard fuckin' time in the mornin'! You know that, right?!"

"She'll be a'ight!" Vic shouted in confidence, "Once we're done with this shit and get back, by sunrise she won't even know that we were gone!"

Sawyer glared to himself, "Yeah well, I'll let you deal with that one!"

"You know as well as I do, kid, that it's better we do this alone!" Vic shouted, "This is a risky fuckin' job as is! Best we don't drag her into it too! You get my meanin'?"

Sawyer nodded in agreement, "Yup! I get ya!"

The two men continued on, their horses not letting up at all because of the weather. Both were galloping faster than either rider expected, which made them wonder how Fort Riggs hadn't came into view just yet. Soon enough though, they finally saw it.

"I think I see it!" Sawyer called out to Vic.

Both the outlaw and the deputy brought their horses to a sudden stop on the road, causing them skid their hooves across the sludge-like mud below. The two men looked carefully across the rain-swept valley, observing the structure. They saw a large circular fence, broken down and decrepit just like Peter had told them, enclosing a broken down tepee and an equally dilapidated cabin. Outside this cabin, in the middle of the complex, there was a large campfire burning. Even in the rain it was still burning good and bright, giving light to what otherwise would be a pitch black area.

"You sure that's the fort?" Vic asked, wiping the rain from his face again.

Sawyer kept squinting as he looked, "Confident enough."

After another moment observing, Sawyer noticed that just down the road on the left side, there was a tall cliff face that overlooked the fort. Instead of heading on up there though, the outlaw thought it easier to just hunker down at the base of it, within the trees and bushes, to get a better vantage point.

The outlaw nudged Vic and pointed, "Over there, come on."

Sawyer then got his horse to trot on further down the path and Vic's mare soon followed without any instruction, almost like she already knew what Vic was going to say. Neither horse had seemed bothered at all by the rain, as their efforts didn't seem in any way weaker than usual.

"This'll do, boy." Sawyer said to Neigan as he patted his neck.

Both the fugitive and the lawman stopped their horses and climbed outer the saddles. Each found a strong enough tree nearby to hitch them to aswell. Sawyer made sure to take the two sacks to store the guns in from his horse before leaving his side. The spot that the outlaw had chosen to take cover was low and dark enough to not be seen by anyone passing by. It was even a little dryer too, thanks to the branches overhead fighting back the rainfall. The only problem was that someone might notice the hitched horses and think they were up for grabs. The outlaw had to just hope that wouldn't happen.

The two men stayed low and moved through the wet shrubs and bushes until they could see the fort again across the path and the field. Now that they'd gotten closer, Vic started to notice the group of people sitting around the campfire. He could only make out silhouettes, but there was people there for sure.

"You seein' those guys too, kid?" Vic pointed.

Sawyer was giving the Fort an inspection through his binoculars. The rain didn't seem to hinder their quality either.

"Yup... That'd be our soldiers." Sawyer replied, "Looks like they're warming up next to the fire. Can't see any guns in their hands... Though that don't mean the guns ain't there."

Vic took the opportunity of the dryer spot to finally light the smoke he'd been craving. The ember burned smoothly once it got going and the drag of tobacco soon made him feel ready for the job ahead.

Sawyer kept scanning the area through the lenses and finally came to see the one guard overlooking the Fort with a Sniper Rifle. That guard was on the edge of another small hilltop, this one right on the other side of the Fort wall. He was able to keep an eye on everything going on within the complex. Sawyer knew that if they wanted any chance of success, that guard had to go.

"That's the overlooking guard post that Peter mentioned." Sawyer then pointed, "Soldier up there's gonna be a problem."

"Damn straight..." Vic took another drag and slowly exhaled, "We won't be able to make one move without that fella plantin' a bullet in our heads. And trust me... He'll be accurate even in the dark."

Sawyer turned to Vic, "Then he's gotta go first."

Vic then looked sternly at the fugitive, "We ain't killin' anyone, kid. Thought we was clear on that?"

The outlaw sighed, "Listen to me. You wanna get to Roland Payne? Then you gotta be willin' to get your hands dirty here, Deputy."

Vic grimaced at Sawyer, clearly not a fan of the fugitive's words.

"Desperate times call for desperate fuckin' measures." Sawyer whispered sharply, "Now if you got any idea on a better way of doin' this, please let me know. But you'd best think fast, 'cause we ain't got much fuckin' time."

Vic kept staring at Sawyer, "There's gotta be another way, kid."

The outlaw then scoffed, "A'ight then knock the fucker out then! But just make sure that when he wakes up, it's gonna be at the crack of dawn."

Everything fell silent for a minute. The rain kept falling, the soldiers kept sitting and Vic kept thinking. The lawman didn't like what he was being made to do. A part of him even started to wish they'd just went after Roland without the aid of the Anderson Brothers. But that was a futile thought. Now that he was at the Fort, he had no real choice but to continue on. Enough time had been wasted up to that point and he wasn't about to waste anymore.

"So what d'ya need me to do then, kid?" Vic asked.

Sawyer, after putting the red bandana around his face and the empty sacks over his shoulders, pointed back to the overlooking guard, "You go on up there and make him see stars. Take his rifle and cover me in Fort if I get into trouble."

"You're goin' in alone?" Vic asked again, "You sure you wanna do that?"

The outlaw loaded a few shells into his shotgun before pumping it, "Not exactly, no."

Without another word, Sawyer left Vic's side and disappeared into the branches and bushes. The maverick lawman then finished his smoke, threw the butt away and then headed off through the undergrowth himself towards the guard post.

The rain was still falling, though it had noticeably eased off a little as Vic made his way across the open grass and field. He was crouched as he moved and even though the rain still drowned out many sounds, he tried hard to make as little noise as possible. The only sounds he couldn't suppress were his sloppy footsteps across the softened mud. With every stride his boots seemed to sink further in until he came upon the main road and the ground became harder. The deputy then took the chance to sprint the rest of the way across.

After crossing the open road, Vic quickly scanned his surroundings, seeing nobody and nothing in the area other than the soldiers and the Fort. Things were going smoothly so far, even if they hadn't really started yet. Not waiting around, the deputy continued making his way up the soaking wet slope of the hill.

At the top, he found the small wooden structure that the sniping guard was sitting under. It wasn't as much of a cabin as it was a wide plank of wood supported by four beams. Underneath sat the overlooking guard, his scoped Springfield rifle laying across his lap. He was smoking what looked and smelled like a cigar while casually swinging his stool back slightly with his foot.

Vic took the guard's moment of rest as an opportunity. Quickly and carefully, the deputy launched towards the guard and wrapped his inner-elbow around the man's throat.

"Sorry, fella. Nothin' personal." Vic whispered genuinely while the guard began to struggle.

Vic pulled the guard back so far that he himself ended up on his own back. The lawman continued to throttle the guard by applying pressure with his other arm too, dealing with the man's attempts to grab or hit him. Fortunately, the soldier didn't manage to land a single blow on Vic before letting out one final strained breath as he succumbed to the choke-hold. He wasn't dead, but wouldn't be waking up for some time.

The maverick deputy then laid the guard gently in the corner of the wooden structure, took his Springfield and then searched him. Rummaging through the uniform's pockets he found more ammo for the sniper, some cigarettes and another, unsmoked cigar. He left everything but the bullets. Searching the actual post itself revealed nothing but a small basket for the guard's bottles of bourbon. As tempting as they were, Vic didn't need it at that moment.

After closely examining the wet Springfield, Vic chose instead to keep using his Bolt-Action rifle, having had more experience with them in the past. Realising the Springfield's scope would be a useful addition in covering Sawyer however, Vic removed it from the rifle and quite easily attached it to his Bolt-Action. He then loaded a round into the barrel, crouched down on one knee and looked down at the drenched Fort through the scope, looking for any sign of his younger ally.

"Come on, kid." Vic whispered aloud, "Show me somethin'."

Meanwhile...

Far across the other side of the Fort, Sawyer had managed to make his way around the perimeter to the west-side of the fence. The rain had mercifully slowed down to a light drizzle, making things both easier and a little harder for the outlaw. Less rain meant more of a chance being spotted, but less rain also meant a better chance of spotting any approaching soldiers, so he knew he had to be as vigilant as possible.

Sawyer clutched at his Shotgun, but only with the intention of hitting guards with it, not shooting them. One shell of the shotgun going off would certainly be heard and end the job prematurely and he and Vic would end up with nothing, and that wasn't an option considering how far they'd both come. Whilst he couldn't see or contact the deputy in any way, the outlaw was more than confident that Vic would be managing well, may even be watching him through the rifle's scope by now.

With fast and sharp observations, Sawyer could still see the soldiers sitting around the campfire outside the cabin. They were laughing and yelling at each other, he noticed. They might've even been drunk, and if so, that would also make things a little less challenging. But the best part about seeing the soldiers was that the outlaw could now see exactly how many were there, and it was three. Three soldiers, drunk, sitting around the fire with seemingly no others within the Fort. He knew the rest were obviously guarding the outside, probably on a consistent loop around the fence too.

As soon as Sawyer realised that, he heard the footsteps approaching to his left. The outlaw had to act fast but quickly realised there was nowhere to hide, so the guard was going to see him any second unless he made a move.

Throwing caution to the wind, Sawyer chose to attack rather than defend. He dropped the shotgun and suddenly lunged towards the footsteps as fast as he could move. Within seconds he could see the soldier, who could also see him. As the guard raised his Repeater to fire on the outlaw, Sawyer had already grasped it by the barrel, pulled at it so hard that it came from the soldier's wet hands, then drove it back in the same direction he'd taken it, slamming the stock of the gun right into the man's face.

Sawyer watched as the soldier held his now bloody nose and mouth, stunned and holding onto the fence to keep upright. To make sure he went down and stayed there, the outlaw then gave the guard a hard punch to the gut, causing him to lean forward gasping for air. While the man was bent down, even more unsteady, Sawyer then whacked the Repeater's stock over his head again, this time knocking him out cold.

After a quiet moment of ease, Sawyer knew he had to hide the man. He soon picked up the beaten guard onto his shoulders and hastily carried him a few yards away from the Fort's perimeter, dumping him and the Repeater in a bush before making his way back and picking up his shotgun.

Now with only three soldiers within the broken Fort walls to worry about, Sawyer slipped his way through a large gap between the wooden beams. Inside Fort Riggs, the outlaw found the ground littered with broken planks of wood, rocks, and old collapsed tents. The place was a wreck, showing obvious reasons as to why it wasn't really in use any longer.

Looking for the next place to take cover, Sawyer noticed the semi-ruined tepee. Stepping over the garbage and trash, Sawyer rushed silently over to the broken down Indian tent and crouched down outer sight. Beyond it was the burning campfire and the three drunken soldiers, still laughing it up and talking louder than was necessary. The only problem, was that Sawyer couldn't see any of them.

"Fuck..." The fugitive angrily whispered to himself, trying to think of something.

Among the sounds of the dying rain and a crackling fire, the outlaw could now hear the soldiers' conversation rather easily. They seemed to be talking about the usual stuff when drunk. Girls, money, who had the best aim. Sawyer didn't mind listening to it all, for as long as they were bullshitting to each other, it meant they couldn't hear him and weren't suspicious of anything.

While thinking of a way to see the guards and their positions without alerting anyone, Sawyer felt the tepee's leather-like canvas and thought it seemed weak. After all, it was an unused tepee and had been stood there, slowly crumbling for god knows how long. The young outlaw felt it'd probably be easy to cut through, so he equipped his knife, stabbed it into the tepee and then pulled the blade down slowly in a straight line until the hole was as tall as he was.

Sawyer then pulled either side of the torn hole apart and carefully slipped through into the tepee. While crouching low and staying quiet, the outlaw could already see the three soldiers. They were passing around a small bottle of bourbon with each taking a gulp. One of them was spitting into the fire and causing it to sizzle. Sawyer couldn't believe how some Army men could be so child-like. But then again, that's what bourbon could do to some folk. As stupid as these soldiers were acting, the young fugitive wouldn't dare cross them, especially if they were sober.

"I could shoot better'an most veterans, boy!" One soldier yelled, slurring each word before burping.

Sawyer just waited, watching closely. He needed any form of opening to move. Peter had told him and Vic that the weapon stash was inside the cabin. And having made his way into the Fort and now hiding in a tepee, Sawyer knew that the shipment couldn't be anywhere else. So he had to just sit and watch, waiting for anything to give him the go ahead. Maybe the soldiers would go for a walk, maybe they would even pass out, but so far, no opportunity was showing itself.

Meanwhile...

Vic kept his sights on the tepee. It'd been minutes since Sawyer made his way into the Indian tent through the back and now he wasn't moving an inch. The lawman kept taking random glances towards the sleeping guard next to him, and he hadn't moved an inch either thankfully. The deputy also knew there was supposed to be another guard on the hill but they hadn't shown their face just yet, which was another reason Vic was quietly begging his outlaw friend to do something soon.

The rain had stopped a few minutes earlier, just as the kid had gotten through the fence. Now the deputy could really focus, despite still being drenched. What he could mainly see better was the three soldiers sitting around the fire. Two of them had started trying to choke one another, having some sort of play fight. It was those three guys stopping Sawyer from making a move towards the cabin, where the weapons were surely being stored.

"What the fuck are you doin?..." Vic whispered aloud again, painfully wanting the outlaw to make some kinda move.

More minutes went by and Vic kept waiting and watching. His patience was failing him. The more they waited, the bigger the chance of being caught and probably shot on sight. There was still one guard on the hill that hadn't appeared and could be anywhere, and along with the three soldiers outside the cabin there was another two guards around the fence. It was too much, too dangerous to keep on lingering.

Vic thought for a moment with a sense of desperation. Maybe the kid needed help, maybe Sawyer needed him to do something. After all, it was only the three soldier's getting in the outlaw's way. If they were gone, then he could get in the cabin, get the guns and they could both get on their way back to Strawberry. All the deputy had to do was think of some way of helping. And after another few seconds, he had an idea.

Vic sighed, "Okay... Fuck it."

The lawman aimed his Scoped Bolt-Action in the air, far above the Fort, and fired a single round. The shot echoed loudly across the area, seeming for a moment to make everything else fall silent. Every soldier would've heard it, and that was the point.

The deputy watched his surroundings, waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, he reloaded and aimed again, this time around the campfire where the stunned soldiers were sat frozen. Vic then pulled the trigger again, the bullet this time hitting a spot on the ground next to one of the three men, send a ray of dirt into the air. That shot was what it took to get people moving.

Meanwhile...

Sawyer jumped outer his skin again when he heard the second gunshot. After the first had been fired, he was left fearing Vic had been killed. But when he heard and saw the next bullet hit the ground outside the cabin, he knew exactly what the deputy was doing. He was distracting the soldiers.

The three drunkards had simply froze in position when the first shot went off, but started scrambling around for safety after the second. They didn't know whether to hide or attack, and in the midst of their panic, Sawyer silently slipped back out of the tepee via the hole he'd sliced through the leather canvas.

"What in the fuck?!" One soldier yelled, "Wha's goin' on up there?!"

Another soldier pulled out his Cattleman revolver and aimed up at the guard post, "I'll teach'at cocksucker!"

The young outlaw watched closely as he manoeuvred his way around the wooden trash, logs and broken crates. The three soldiers were all facing away from him, making the job so much easier. Vic's plan was working well. Before long, another bullet hit the ground next to the guards, strangely causing them to start laughing instead of panicking.

"Can't even shoot!" One laughed to another, "C'mon! We're right here!"

As the soldier's began to wave their arms out in the open, taunting whoever they thought was firing down at them, Sawyer slipped outer sight. He managed to get behind the cabin before seeing another guard beyond the ruined fence. Another soldier from the perimeter route. The young fugitive dove to the floor immediately, landing behind a large stack of wooden planks in order to conceal himself.

While laying there, he equipped his Schofield instead of the shotgun, just in case. After coming so far, Sawyer was happy to ignore Vic's morals and just kill his way to the weapons if he had to. But as another few moments went by, listening to the soldiers yell upwards against the hill, firing their own revolvers in the sniper posts direction, Sawyer decided to take a look over the wooden stack and fortunately could no longer see the perimeter guard. Clearly he hadn't spotted Sawyer. He'd probably gone to investigate the sniper outpost along with the others. In which case, Vic would need to get moving, the outlaw thought.

Now that nobody could see him, Sawyer finally made his move and jumped up towards one of the cabin's small rear windows. He clung on tightly and then pulled himself inside.

The cabin's interior was as grimy and broken down as the rest of Fort Riggs. The only source of light in the room was a small lit lantern in the corner which only seemed to highlight the rotten wood and dampness. Above all else though, the light revealed what Sawyer had came for. The shipment of arms.

There were two long crates. Not too big, not too small, just as Peter had informed them. The outlaw soon equipped his knife and pried open both crate lids to make sure he was taking the right wares. When the lids were open, Sawyer saw everything that he was taking back to the Anderson Brothers. Knives, machetes, bandoliers and even packs of dynamite. Primarily though there were repeaters, shotguns, many revolvers, pistols and plenty ammunition. Everything was pristine, shiny and brand new, straight outer the factory. The outlaw's age-old instincts almost came to the surface as he thought about just taking it all for himself, but he soon fought away those feelings. He and Vic were there to do a job, and Sawyer was gonna see it through. He wasn't a bandit anymore.

Time was now of the essence even more so than ever. Sawyer quickly got to work transferring the guns into the two sacks he'd brought with him. It all looked as though it was gonna fit in the bags without much trouble, even if he had to sling one or two rifles over his back. But just as the outlaw neared finishing and had both bags almost crammed full, he suddenly realised that all the shouting and wailing outside from the soldiers had stopped. Everything was silent, aside from the burning campfire and drips of rain coming through the cabin roof.

It was eerie, hearing nothing all of a sudden. There were no more gunshots from Vic and no more yelling from the drunken soldiers. Maybe they'd gone, Sawyer thought. Gone to see who was shooting at them, which meant Vic might've been in danger.

After sharply slinging both heavy sacks of guns over each shoulder, Sawyer moved, albeit whilst struggling, to the cabin door. Slowly and cautiously, the outlaw opened the thin door and aimed his shotgun out in case of any threat. Thankfully, he saw nobody. But more worryingly, he now saw two fires burning. One campfire a few yards away, but also a much larger fire, high up on the hill. It took a few seconds for Sawyer to figure out that the sniper post was somehow ablaze.

Meanwhile...

It had been Vic's last ditch effort to get all of the soldiers, both in and out, to leave Fort Riggs and get their asses to the hill. He had dragged away the unconscious guard to get him at a safe distance, before dousing the sniper post with one of the man's bottles of whiskey and then throwing three lit matches into the golden puddle. Within seconds, the structure had began to scorch, much quicker than Vic had anticipated.

Now backing away slowly, into the darkness of the bushes and the field, Vic kept his eye through the sniper scope to make sure the soldiers were coming. And they were. All remaining six were coming from either side of the complex. The three weird ones from within the Fort had joined one perimeter guard and were marching up the left hillside. The last two were coming from the right.

"Come on... Come on, boys..." Vic whispered, "That's it... Good."

The Tumbleweed lawman was astonished at how easily these soldiers had fell for the bait. They hadn't even left a soldier behind within Fort Riggs to guard the weapons. Nonetheless, the deputy was thankful for their stupidity, as it meant Sawyer was probably bagging the guns that very minute, or had already done so. All Vic had to do now was rendezvous with him.

After taking his time, pacing himself as he stepped back, the deputy finally hung his Bolt-Action on his shoulder and made a run for it, towards the horses. The area was still dark, but with the rain gone it was pretty easy to spot where April was. Her white, pearlescent fur still shined rather brightly across the dim blackness. Vic kept his eyes fixed on her as he ran, with the odd glance backwards towards the burning structure. The soldiers had begun surrounding it, looking closely to find their comrade, who Vic had lay asleep a few yards away. He was confident that they'd find him before too long. The most important thing was that they hadn't seen the deputy himself. Vic was in the clear.

After running fast across soggy ground for a few more minutes, Vic crossed the road again, through the bushes and soon found himself at the trees that April and Neigan were hitched to. Vic untied Neigan's reins but climbed into April's saddle with the intention of riding her but leading Neigan at the same time. Once they found the kid, they would all be home free.

"A'ight you two, get movin'. Lets go see Sawyer, huh?" Vic said aloud, petting Neigan's back while giving April a nudge with his leg.

Just as the stallion and the mare were about to start moving, Vic felt April's reins get snatched from his hands and heard a gun cock. The lawman immediately grabbed one of his LeMat's but then felt his gun arm get grasped tightly too. Vic turned and saw an immaculate Mauser Pistol pointed at him. It was in the hand of a familiar face.

"Now that sounds like a darn good idea, Victor. Why don't you just lead the way, huh?" Said Agent Wilson, with a sinister smirk.