Ch 9
Kid was on first watch when he saw Buck and Ike coming in fast.
"They figured the others out. They didn't need our help but the men are right behind us." Said Buck.
"How many?" Asked Kid.
"Only six. They cut them in half."
Kid ran to tell Teaspoon. Noah gathered the girls and took them into the back of the cave. The others got ready.
Max and his men followed the tracks. Soon the old mine came into view. They dismounted and eased their way around to surround it.
"That was quite a little trick back there, ladies. It worked well but not well enough!"
Teaspoon didn't answer.
"Come on out and give me back my belongings. It wasn't yours to take. If you give it back, then I'll let you walk away."
Two men eased closer to the mine with sticks of dynamite.
"The ladies only took what was theirs! As I see it, you never owned that boat so all that money belongs to Mary!" Yelled Teaspoon.
"Think so. It's mine. I took it once, old man, I'm not afraid to take it again."
Men began to fire at the mine. Kid and Teaspoon returned fire. Kid tried to change positions as he saw a man coming to his right. The man fired striking Kid in his leg. He fell down holding his calf. Teaspoon saw and ran over to help him out the open. The man lit a stick of dynamite and tossed it near the cave entrance.
"Buck! Ike! Get them out!" Screamed Teaspoon.
Buck grabbed Audrey and pulled her outside. Noah and Ike got hold of the other two. They went to run out when the dynamite exploded throwing them back in the cave and sealing the exit.
"No!" Screamed Buck.
Teaspoon looked around. It was three to six with Kid hurt, more like two to six. The odds weren't in their favor. Teaspoon and the others kept firing.
"I'm getting low!" Yelled Buck.
"Me too!" Answered Teaspoon.
The gunfire stopped.
"Walk away and leave Audrey. She is mine! I'll let you go, just walk away and leave her! We'll even dig the others out! I know my prize is in there!" Yelled Max.
Teaspoon looked over to Audrey. She nodded for them to leave. He shook his head and fired again. Another shot rang out and a man fell dead. Teaspoon glanced up to see Jimmy, Lou, and Cody coming up behind.
"Our luck just changed boys!" Yelled Teaspoon.
Jimmy shot another man leaving only four. Teaspoon looked again, confused. They still had their dresses on. Lou ran around to get to the side. A man took aim and fired hitting Lou in the arm. She tripped over her skirts and fell. Audrey jumped up and ran to her. She helped her behind some rocks.
"You ok Louise?"
"Yeah, it's just my arm. I'll be fine."
Jimmy hiked up his skirts and charged at another man while firing his gun. He hit the man twice. He took cover beside the dead man. Teaspoon saw another man try to light some dynamite. He stood and killed him. Now there were two. Buck was kneeling at the cave entrance trying to find a way inside to the others. Audrey saw Max turn to run to his horse like a coward. She picked up Lou's gun and ran behind him. The last man came up behind Jimmy taking aim while he was looking over the rock. Cody fired, hitting the man in the chest. Jimmy looked at Cody who nodded at him.
Max mounted his horse and went to flee when he heard a gun cock. He looked over to see Audrey standing there.
"Audrey, you know you can't pull that trigger."
"Why can't I? I'm not letting you leave!"
"You don't have it in you honey."
"I have suffered enough because of you! And so have my friends and everyone else on that damned boat!"
Teaspoon and Jimmy came up behind Audrey.
"Suffer? Hardly. You had the best rooms and the best dresses. I took care of you and this is how you repay me!"
"I'm going to kill you."
"You won't. You won't shoot your husband."
"Watch me." Said Audrey as she pulled the trigger striking him in the heart.
Max looked down at the blood spreading on his shirt. He looked to Audrey before falling to the ground.
"You weren't never much of a loving husband." Whispered Audrey as she cried.