The Good, the Bad, and the Raccoon - Chapter 4: This Ain't no Fairy Tale

Far outside the borders of Hindus Valley, the prison convoy transporting Blood Red Ted and Wild Will made its way through the desert towards the penitentiary it had come from - Iron Rock itself.

Built over a decade ago, the prison's main focus was to lock down the worst outlaws to ever haunt the American West; Blood-Red Ted being a prime example of how vile a crook had to be to deserve a jail sentence at Iron Rock. Originally under the control of Warden Edward Jones, the prison was eventually passed down to his daughter Sarah after the elder Jones passed away from illness. Though Edward always hoped to have a son, he made sure to instill a strong sense of justice and honor upon his child as she grew up to mold her into a strong, intimidating woman with no tolerance for those who were incarcerated at Iron Rock for their despicable crimes.

Ever since she had been given control over the prison upon inheriting it from her father on his deathbed, the already tough as leather vixen became even more deadly and made it her duty to treat the prisoners at Iron Rock like garbage. It was a price they had to pay for doing the wrong things. Little did Sarah know, she was in for a nasty surprise.

As they made their way across a plateau, one of the longhorns riding next to the prison wagon felt smug and veered his horse close to one of the windows on the transport to look inside. "Feelin' comfortable in there fellas?" He gloated to the bobcat and coyote inside. "I sure hope yer enjoyin' the ride, because once we get to Iron Rock, this'll be the last time in yer lives that you'll get to travel anywhere by wagon."

To his confusion, the steer was met only with silence instead of a string of hateful swears from Wild Will or a death threat from Blood Red Ted, until the latter released a low, ominous chuckle and replied, "Buddy, if only you knew who you were dealin' with here…"

"That's right! Don't ya know who the fuck-"

Will's outburst was immediately silenced by a growl from Ted, who made it clear to the bobcat was forbidden from uttering a word throughout the trip due to getting himself caught.

Suddenly, the wagon pulled to a complete stop, making the warden confused. It was over a three hour ride to Iron Rock from Hindus Valley, but they had only been traveling for about an hour and a half. "Somethin' don't seem right..."

"Warden!" Called out one of her guards who had ridden further ahead of the group to serve as a scout. "A bunch of rats are askin' to speak to ya!"

With a furrowed brow and a hand over her whip, Sarah got down from the front seat of the prison wagon and made her way to the front of the convoy, coming face-to-face with a trio of rats in rag-like clothing. "Howdy, are you the one that they call Warden Jones of Iron Rock?" One of them asked.

"Indeed I am. What's it to ya fellas?"

"We've gotta confess that we've committed a horrible crime..." One of the rats answered, showing shame. The rest of the rats follow the talkie's move. "And what crime might that be?" Sarah asked suspiciously.

The three rats' expressions of shame changed into malicious smirks as they looked up at Sarah and her men and shouted in unison, "We've set Blood-Red Ted free!"

Before any of the convoy members could think, the rats brandished their pistols and began firing at Sarah and her men like mad, which Sarah barely managed to avoid by jumping behind a nearby boulder. Before Sarah could brandish her own firearm to start returning fire, she noticed that her men were being shot at by an unknown fourth assailant from above. Turning her head to see who was shooting at her men, Sarah was shocked to find a small rolling ball bowling down the side of a nearby mesa. Once it reached the bottom of the mesa, the ball rolled over to where the three rats stood and uncurled, revealing itself to be a chubby, blue-skinned armadillo wearing a white button-up shirt, a purple waistcoat, grey pants held up by a brown belt with a gold buckle, a black bowtie, and a matching bowler hat on his head. Upon holstering his pistol, the armadillo grinned at Sarah, and the warden could make out a prominent gold tooth glistening from his upper jaw, and another one from his lower jaw.

"Do I have the pleasure of addressing a Warden Sarah Jones of Iron Rock prison?" The armadillo asked Sarah in a confident, civil manner as if the preceding shootout hadn't occurred.

"You better believe it, ya rat bastard!" Sarah snapped venomously as she looked out from behind the boulder to glare daggers at her assailants. "But who the fuck are ya to ambush my convoy like that?!"

Undaunted by the bile in the vixen's tone, the armadillo tipped his hat and answered, "Thomas Powell at your service ma'am, though seeing as we're beyond formalities at this point, you can call me Gold-Tooth Tom. As for the ambush you were just in, I must say that as much as I dislike having to keep a lady of the law from doing her duty, I'm afraid my boys and I can't let you proceed with that coyote prisoner of yours."

"And why the fuck not?!"

"Let's just say my employer wants to speak with Blood Red Ted in regards to a highly lucrative business proposal. But seeing as Ted's on his way to get a permanent residence at the scariest prison in the West, I felt it necessary to interrupt this little transport and bring him back to my boss. Weasen will be very pleased to see we've gathered the leader of the Rancid Riders!"

Snarling, Sarah marched out from behind the boulder, stood her ground and shouted "You'll gather him over my dead body, ya son of a bitch!"

"I believe that was the idea," Tom retorted.

Curling back into a sphere, Tom zoomed towards Sarah in an attempt to run her over. Fortunately for the warden, her reflexes were quick and she was able to jump over Tom before he collided with her. Upon landing, she turned to and began to pull out her whip, but was surprised to see him making a U-turn and rolling back to her direction. With a gasp and collecting all her thoughts, Sarah leapt over him again.

"Damn!" Sarah thought to herself. "He's too fast! I've never seen an armadillo move like this; how's he doing it?!"

Before the vixen's feet could reach the ground, she suddenly felt herself land on something hard and round, and upon looking down she was surprised to see she had landed on the still-curled up armadillo. Frantically flailing her arms about in hopes of regaining her footing, Sarah lost her balance and fell face-first onto the dusty desert ground. Rolling onto her back, she began to get up, only to find herself face-to-face with the smirking Gold-Tooth Tom. "Fast, aren't I?" He gloated.

Sarah quickly reached for her pistol, aiming it at Tom's face. "I can be fast too, ya bastard!"

Tom raised an eyebrow in mock curiosity. "Is that so? Well then, Warden, feel free to dodge this next move..."

Suddenly, a sharp pain emerged in Sarah's shoulder which made her scream in agony. Taking advantage of the Warden's pain, Tom curled back into a ball and rolled backwards to a safe distance from the screaming vixen. Looking over her shoulder, Sarah saw that one of the rats had snuck up on her with a pocket knife, attempting to kill her. Before he could try again, Sarah reeled her leg back and delivered a strong kick to the rat's face, knocking him back a few feet. As the rodent was disoriented, the warden pulled the blade out of her shoulder, leapt to her feet and brandished her whip, cracking it so that it wrapped around the rat's neck to choke him. As he struggled to get the whip off, Sarah yanked her weapon and made the rat stumble towards her. Once he got close enough, the vixen grabbed both sides of the rat's head and twisted it with all her might until she heard the snap of his neck bone. He fell to the ground, dead as a doornail.

The brief silence that followed was cut short when a wide-eyed Tom quipped, "…Well that was certainly unprecedented."

"And ambushing my convoy and trying to shoot me and my men wasn't?!" Sarah hissed angrily as she glared at Tom. "And that little varmit wasn't the first man I've killed! You'll be the next on my bucket list if ya don't surrender now!"

Tom smirked. "Such big words...for a woman. Though I suppose I shouldn't have expected less from the warden of what's essentially Hell on Earth for every outlaw in the West."

"Such big balls for a little, little man." Sarah smirked back. "I'll give ya that. But don't you dare underestimate me. I'll make sure your ass is locked away with the crazy bastards I'm transporting! You'll be lucky if I choose not to rip that shell of your back and use it as a guacamole bowl!"

"We're all mad, Warden. I thought ya knew that by now."

Sarah's blood turned cold as she heard the new yet familiar voice behind her. Turning around, she found to her shock and horror that the owner of the voice was none other than Blood-Red Ted, towering over her with a menacing leer on his face while Wild Will stood next to him with a maniacal glint in his eye. Grabbing a hold of her by the neck, Ted lifted Sarah up to his eye level, his nose just inches away from her face. Sarah coughed, struggling to get out of his grasp. "After all, yer surrounded by them crazy folks all the time in Iron Rock."

"H-H...How...?"

"I had some help gettin' out of that wagon from some old friends..."

Glancing away from Ted, the vixen could see said "friends" standing behind to the coyote and bobcat, which to her horror turned out to be the rest of the Rancid Riders. The same outlaws who had terrorized Hindus Valley for years and were presumed dead shortly after their leader's arrest. Looking around, she could easily identify each member of the gang after spending of her time looking into who the members of the most murderous band of outlaws in the West.

First there was Louis Clanton AKA Iron-Horn Lou, a massive Texas longhorn wearing a white undershirt and blue pants held up by black suspenders; his lack of brains and surplus of brawn made him the enforcer of the group and his name was befitting due to the metal prosthetic he wore in place of his broken right horn.

Next to him was William T. Cornett AKA Boot Hill Bill, an elderly yet evil-looking vulture wearing a black coat with a blue button-up shirt, a bolo tie, and a black top hat on his head. Despite his old age, it did nothing to deter him from joining in on his gang's despicable deeds or serving as Ted's scout from the skies.

Then there was Vincent Hackwood AKA Quickshot Vince, a tough-looking Gila monster donning a jet-black coat, a matching black Stetson hat and a dark pair of boots, whose skills with any kind of firearm earned him a place as the gang's sharpshooter.

After him was Enrique Sanchez AKA Eight-Eyed Enrique, a scruffy-looking bandito tarantula wearing a brown jacket beneath a red and yellow striped poncho and a dusty brown sombrero on his head; his multiple eyes not only made him the perfect lookout for the gang, but also a deadly marksman due to being able to see in multiple directions and hit targets from all around him.

Finally, there was Raymond Pierce AKA Rattlin' Ray, a sinister-looking rattlesnake who, in spite of having no arms to hold guns with, had stealth skills and a venomous bite so lethal it could kill a man in under an hour, which made him a shoo-in as the gang's assassin and stealth expert.

With a menacing sneer, Ted brought his muzzle close to Sarah's ear and whispered, "You didn't really think you'd run inta me without runnin' inta the rest of my gang, didja Warden?"

"HEY!"

All eyes turned towards the source of the voice, one of the bulls who was part of Sarah's convoy to escort her now-former captives to Iron Rock. Despite looking roughed up from the shootout against Tom's rat accomplices, he glared daggers at Ted and yelled, "If you know what's good for Woolen, you'd better let Warden Jones the fuck go unless you want me to crush your goddamn spine!"

"Frank…No…." Sarah croaked out, though sadly her plea fell on deaf ears as the Rancid Riders cackled in cruel amusement and began to brandish their firearms.

"Stop."

The Riders froze at their leader's command, and Sarah could see the expression of absolute bloodlust adorning his features as he snarled, "How's 'bout you boys save your ammo for later? I'll deal with this beefy fucker." He then threw Sarah to the ground, giving her little time to recover as Boot Hill Bill and Quickshot Vince grabbed her by the arms and stood her up. Unable to reach her weapon and knowing how outnumbered she was, Sarah could only watch helplessly at the carnage that was about to unfold.

"I think yer gonna need this, boss," Quipped Iron Horn Lou as he held up a firearm that made Ted grin in pleasure. This particular gun was Ted's weapon of choice, a double-barreled rifle with a T-shaped branding iron attached to the front of the barrel and a sharp blade attached to the bottom of the stock. Grinning as Lou tossed his weapon towards him, Ted caught it by the barrel, admiring it for a few seconds before turning back towards Sarah's convoy member and muttering, "It's high time for a little bloodbath."

With an enraged roar, Frank pawed the ground with his left hoof and began to charge at Ted with the strength of a runaway locomotive. He had not more than six steps before Ted aimed his rifle at him and squeezed the trigger, firing a shot that hit Frank in his left shoulder which made him slow down and scream in agony. Quickly reloading, Ted fired another shot at the bull's other shoulder, making him skid to a halt and clutch his bleeding shoulders in pain. Before he knew it, Ted had dashed up in front of him and thrusted the side of his gun into Frank's face, breaking his nose before spinning the gun around and plunging the butt of his weapon into the bull's abdomen. Screaming as the blade tore into his midsection, Frank fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around the new wound.

"Oh, Frank?"

Looking up from where he was kneeling down, Frank paled as he looked straight into the barrel of Ted's rifle as the coyote bore a murderous grin and snarled, "Hope you get a kick outta the afterlife. Tell Satan Blood Red Ted says hello."

BANG!

The now-lifeless body of Frank fell to the side with his head shattered like a dropped pumpkin and his brain matter splattered around the ground behind him. Feeling pleased with himself, Ted blew away the smoke coming from the barrel and marched back towards his gang and former captor. "So warden," he began as Sarah gaped in horror and start to tear up at her subordinate's corpse, "where were we?"

"Ahem."

All eyes turned towards Gold-Tooth Tom, who was trying his hardest to hide his discomfort at the butchery that just unfolded. "As much as I hate to interrupt your little bloodbath," began Tom, "I believe we have some business to discuss, Mister Woolen."

Ted glared daggers at the armadillo as he snarled, "And just who the fuck are you supposed to be, runt?"

"Easy there, boss…" Quickshot Vince spoke up slowly to avoid any further bloodshed. "This here armadillo helped us break you out. Said he wants to talk to us about some kinda proposition."

"A most lucrative proposition, to be exact," added Tom as he turned back to the Riders' leader and continued, "My name is Gold-Tooth Tom and I'm here on behalf of my employer, Professor Weasen Wilson, who would like to make a deal with you and the rest of your gang. I'd have told them sooner, but I felt it'd be inappropriate to do business with the Riders without their leader present."

"What kinda deal does he want?" Ted demanded suspiciously.

"Professor Weasen seeks to hire all of you for a job he has planned that will require some extra brawn and firepower that he's hoping you can provide. If you wouldn't mind letting me escort you all back to our hideout, I'm sure he'll be happy to explain what he has in store."

"Is that right?" Ted asked rhetorically before taking on a faux-apologetic tone. "Well, I'm sorry to say, but the Rancid Riders don't do business with just about anybody. If your boss wanted to talk about hiring us, he shoulda come here himself. And what makes you we're interested in any of this?

"We ain't boss," piped up Rattlin' Ray. "On the other hand, the little guy did pay us a handsome fee for lettin' him help us break you out. He said there'd be a lot more where it came from if we went with him, and that this Weasen fella's got an offer we can't refuse."

Nodding in agreement, Eight-Eyed Enrique held up a large sack of gold coins and said to his leader, "This is how much dinero we got in exchange for letting him join us, jefe. He said this is pocket change compared to how much we'll make if we get in on his boss' plan." The arachnid then flung the sack towards Ted, who caught it and took a look at the contents inside. He was pleased with what he saw. Turning towards the still-apprehended Warden Jones, he commanded, "Bill, Vince, go throw this bitch off that cliff. Show her what the bottom of a canyon looks like after fallin' into one and breaking all her bones."

The vulture and Gila monster immediately obliged and dragged Warden Jones to the edge of the plateau, with the defiant vixen kicking and screaming all the way. Once they reached their destination, the two outlaws shoved her off the plateau, watching her face contort in fear as she screamed and fell out of their line of sight, with her screams beginning to die down as she plummeted. Satisfied, they made their way back to the group as a stern-looking Ted was speaking with Tom while hoisting him up to eye level by the front of his shirt.

"Aright Gold-Tooth, we'll come with ya to hear what yer boss wants. But so help me God, if this turns out ta be a giant waste of my time, you'd better believe I won't just have yer head roasted, but your organs pulled out an' used for target practice!"

"N-not to worry Ted," Tom gulped. "The good Professor Weasen is a fellow who's nothing if not persuasive! Just wait!"

"He'd better be!" Snapped Wild Will. "Otherwise we're gonna be seein' how many bullets it's gonna take for that shell of yours to break!"

"No, ya won't."

Will's fire immediately died down as he looked up at Ted, who was now sporting a frown of both contempt and disapproval at the bobcat.

"B-boss?" he asked nervously.

Still bearing the frown, Ted turned his head towards Lou made a gesture by tilting his head towards Wild Will. Nodding in understanding, the bovine lumbered behind the crazed feline and firmly grasped his arms, preventing him from moving away.

"Lou, what're ya doin?" Will asked his cohort in growing fear, at which Lou merely shrugged apologetically.

Meanwhile, Vince had handed his leader a small can of oil and a match. Opening the can, Ted poured the contents over the branding iron on the end of his gun before tossing the can away. Then he lit the match, holding the flame up to the oil-soaked branding iron and immediately set it ablaze. Immediately, Will realized what Ted was preparing for, and immediately began to struggle in a vain attempt to escape Lou's grasp.

"Boss, what the hell's goin' on?!" Will demanded fearfully.

Ted looked back at him with an icy glare and replied coldly, "What's goin' on Will, is that yer services are no longer needed with the Rancid Riders. After that little stunt you pulled yesterday back in Hindus Valley, I'd say we no longer have any use for a wild card in our deck."

"Yer still mad about that?! But we're free now, aren't we?!"

"That's irrelevant!" Ted Hissed. "The point is that you gettin' humiliated an' caught yesterday by that goddamn raccoon's made the rest of us look like a buncha amateur goat thieves! If there's one thing I can't stand other than lawmen, its one o' my gang members puttin' our reputation as the most dangerous gang in the West at risk with some crazy-ass general store stickup!"

"B-boss-"

"When I let ya into this gang, I did it 'cause I thought it'd be beneficial to have someone unpredictable like yerself on our side. But if yesterday's anythin' to judge by, it looks like ya can't be trusted to shuffle those wildcard tricks of yours to the bottom of the deck, so I'm afraid yer about to be let go."

"I'm sorry! I swear to god it won't happen again!" Will screamed as his struggling increased. Ted payed this no heed as he used the blade on his gun to slowly tear open the bobcat's shirt to expose his bare chest.

"…Yer right, Will. It won't happen again." Ted replied in a calm yet malicious tone before screaming, "BECAUSE YOU WON'T BE ALIVE TO PULL IT OFF!"

Before Wild Will could think, a searing, white-hot pain ran through his body as Ted thrusted the blazing branding Iron onto his chest, making the bobcat scream in terror and agony. The pain lasted for ten long, agonizing seconds before Ted pulled the trigger on his weapon, sending a bullet straight through the bobcat's body. Wild Will fell to the ground, dead as a doornail with a brand and a bullet hole marring his torso.

Taking a deep breath through his nostrils to regain his composure, Ted turned back to Gold-Tooth Tom, who checking his golden pocket watch to distract himself from the execution that had just occurred. "So, Tommy-boy," began Ted impatiently, "are you gonna be takin' us to yer boss or we just gonna sit around here in the sun all day?"

"Huh? O-oh, right, of course," Tom answered before calling out to his rat accomplices, "All right boys! You heard the coyote! Let's get a move on before someone gets another bullet shot through their bodies!"

Hurriedly, the rats went to retrieve the wagon they and Gold-Tooth Tom had ridden to intercept the convoy while the Rancid Riders brought around their own horses. Once they were all on their horses, barring Boot Hill Bill who had given his mount to Ted in favor of flying above the group, Ray who was coiled around Vince's waist like a belt, and Enrique who was perched backwards on the croup of Lou's horse, the Rancid Riders rode off after their new partners in crime while Ted began thinking of different ways to kill Tom if the armadillo's proposal turned out to be a waste of time.

Little did any of the outlaws know that a certain law-abiding vixen had overheard the entire conversation, even as she dangled precariously from the side of the cliff she was thrown from. Silently praising the angels above that there was a branch protruding from the canyon wall for her to wrap her whip around and grateful that Bill and Vince didn't bother to watch her fall to her doom, Sarah determinedly began to climb back up the cliff, trying her best to ignore the still-fresh stab wound in her shoulder.

"I gotta get back to Hindus Valley!" she told herself in resolve. "They need to know that Blood-Red Ted is free again!"

Back in Hindus Valley, a desperate chase through the valley was in action as Tennessee rode Dash as fast as possible after Weasen's fleeing carriage, with Percy and Rudy Wilcox running by his side. Despite not being on horseback themselves, the jackrabbit brothers' inherent speed allowed them to keep up with their ring-tailed friend. Hoping to lose their pursuers, some of Weasen's rat goons stood on the roof of the carriage and began firing at the trio. As Percy and Rudy dodged and weaved to avoid the onslaught of bullets, Tennessee began returning fire with his own gun, succeeding in injuring one and killing two others.

"Tennessee!"

Peering over his shoulder to find the who said his name, and excited grin came to Tennessee's face as he saw Sheriff Henderson quickly catching up to them on his white and brown stallion, pistol brandished as he fired off shots at the retreating carriage.

"Sheriff!" Tennessee exclaimed as the Bloodhound rode his horse next to Rudy. "I was startin' to worry ya weren't gonna show up to help us! We've gotta stop these bastards!

"You really think I'd let some fancy-pants conman come into my town, let him steal our valley's foundin' treasure and kidnap our mayor's daughter, and not do a damn thing about it?" Sheriff Henderson asked rhetorically. "Not as long I wear a badge, deputy!"

"Say fellas?!" Shouted Percy as he and his brother began to slow down from fatigue. "I'm glad that we're all together, but I don't think Rudy and I are gonna be much help if we're not on horses like you two!"

Deciding to fix this problem, Tennessee spun his gun around and held the golden hook in front of Percy, allowing the older jackrabbit to grab it so that Tennessee could hoist him up and place him on the back of his saddle. Once Sheriff Henderson lifted Rudy by the back of his shirt and placed him on the back of his own saddle, the chase continued with the four brave pursuers more determined than ever to retrieve what Weasen and his men had abducted.

As Tennessee and Sheriff Henderson positioned their horses so that they were galloping on both sides of the carriage, Percy and Rudy took the time to brandish their own weapons. Hurriedly, Rudy pulled out a slingshot he had kept in his pants pocket along with several small rocks and began to fire at the attacking rats. Though Rudy's pebbles weren't anywhere near as dangerous as bullets, they were still effective as the young jackrabbit fired one pebble at one of the windows on the carriage and shattered it before shooting another one at the eye of one of the rat goons. On the other side of the carriage, Percy quickly fastened a lasso out of some rope he had been savvy enough to bring with him and used it to latch onto the handle of one the carriage's doors and rip it off with his and Tennessee's combined strength. Unfortunately, before the raccoon and jackrabbit could take even a glimpse inside to see the kidnapped Jessica Evans, another rat goon stepped through the doorway bearing a rifle and an agitated snarl on his face.

"Goddammit!" Percy shouted in frustration, "How many fuckin' rats does he have on that wagon?!"

The rat aimed his rifle at the two with a menacing grin, but Rudy had no desire to see any harm done to his brother and new friend and fired a larger pebble through the shattered window that hit the back of the rat's head, knocking him unconscious and making him fall out of carriage.

"Nice shot, kid!" Commended Sheriff Henderson as Rudy donned a proud grin on his face.

At that point, Weasen had decided he'd had enough of the irksome lawmen who were pursuing him and decided to take action. Appearing on the top of the carriage in a puff of smoke, Weasen called out to his pursuers, "Well gentlemen, this little chase has been quite a thrill, but I'm afraid it's time for me to make my leave! Sorry to leave you without so much as an autograph, but I've got places to go and people to swindle! Farewell!"

With a snap of his fingers, the weasel suddenly made a large plume of dirt rise up from the ground in front of the carriage, and Tennessee, the Wilcox brothers, and Sheriff Henderson had little time to register what had happened as they rode into the plume, where the high amount of dust in the air immediately stung their eyes and flooded their lungs. Blinking rapidly through tears and coughing as the dust began to clear away, the four immediately began to look for any signs of the carriage they were pursuing, yet to their dismay they could not even find hoof prints made by the horses pulling the carriage or tracks made from the wheels of the wagon itself.

"No, no, no, NO!" Tennessee shouted in outraged desperation as he frantically searched for any sign of the carriage. "How the hell did it get away from us?! Where the hell'd it go?!"

Climbing down from behind his friend's horse, Percy quipped, "I don't know, but I know one thing's for certain: Mayor Evans ain't gonna be happy that two-bit conman made off with the two most important things in his life." Turning to a frustrated-looking Sheriff Henderson as he helped Rudy down from his horse, he then asked, "Say Sheriff, don't suppose you could try pickin' up their scent so we can figure out where they went, could ya?"

Sniffing the air a few times, the canine lawman sadly detected nothing but dust as he responded, "Sorry Percy, but I'm not pickin' up anything. Whatever that little magic trick Weasen did was, it sure did cover his tracks well enough."

"This is all my fault," Tennessee berated himself, earning the attention of his companions. "I knew there was somethin' off about that weasel when he wanted Jessica up on the stage with him! I should've put a bullet in that smug face of his when I had the chance! I should've-"

Tennessee ceased his rant as he felt a small hand on his leg, and he looked down to see Rudy looking up at him with comforting, gentle eyes in hopes of calming him down. "Tennessee," he began softly, "I'm sorry that Weasen got away, but beatin' yerself up over it ain't gonna help us find Miss Evans. We'll find out where they went somehow."

"How though?" Tennessee asked morosely, "Thanks to that stupid trick of Weasen's, how're we supposed to find 'em if Sheriff Henderson can't even pick up there scent?"

Before Rudy could reply, a pained groan alerted the four to one of the rat goons that had fallen off of the carriage, who was currently curled up on the ground and clutching his head in pain. With a stern frown, Sheriff Henderson marched over to the rat and hoisted him up to eyelevel by the back of his shirt. "Well shortstuff, I think it's safe to say that your boss has broken the record for the shortest time it's taken someone to be labelled an outlaw in this town with what he's done today," the sheriff explained in a calm yet clearly angry tone. "So how's about you make this easy on yerself an' tell us where your gang is headed, an' I just might consider throwin' you in a cell with a window."

The rat smirked haughtily, "Forget it old mutt, ain't nothin' you do is gonna make me-URK!"

The rat suddenly felt himself being seized by the throat and torn from the shocked bloodhound's grip, and before he knew it, he found himself being thrusted against a nearby boulder and staring into the face of a livid-looking Tennessee.

"That carriage! The one yer boss is on! WHERE'S IT GOIN'?!" Demanded Tennessee

"I got nothin' to say to you, raccoon!" Spat the rat defiantly.

Percy and Rudy watched the unfolding scene in awe, never expecting that their usually laid-back friend could display such fury. Sheriff Henderson meanwhile was beginning to grow concerned at his acting deputy's actions, and he was definitely hoping whatever methods of interrogation Tennessee had in store for the rat wouldn't end with the latter's brains being blasted out.

"Is that right?" Tennessee asked menacingly. "Well, if yer not up for spillin' the beans about where yer boss is headin' maybe I can convince the sheriff and Mayor Evans to let me use ya fer target practice. How's that sound to you?"

"Y-yer bluffing!"

Tennessee's eyes narrowed as he pointed his gun at the rat's forehead before snarling, "Asshole, my aim's so good I once shot the flies off a cow's back from ten feet away! That means I never miss a target, no matter how small or ugly it is! That sound like a bluff to ya or do ya wanna see me pull it off with you?!"

Losing his nerve, the now panicked rodent blurted, "Alright I'll talk! I'll talk! Weasen's takin' the girl and the Blood Diamond back to our hideout!"

"BE MORE SPECIFIC! WHERE'S YOUR HIDEOUT LOCATED?!"

"In one of the abandoned mines outside of the valley! We're held up in the one nearest to the river rapids! That's all I know, I swear!

"Much obliged," Tennessee said calmly with a pleased smile on his face, his previous bad mood having vanished as soon as the rat answered his question. He then lifted the rodent up by his shirt, walked him over to a nearby cactus and thrusted him back-first into it, making him scream in agony as the cactus needles pierced his back. To silence him, Tennessee spun his cane/gun around and held it by the barrel before thrusting the golden hook part into the rat's face, knocking him out cold.

Turning back to his companions as Sheriff Henderson began to tie up the rat to put in the town jail, Tennessee instructed, "Rudy, you go along an' head back to town. The sheriff, your brother, and I are headin' out to find this abandoned mine."

"Aw, but I wanna come too!" Pouted Rudy.

"Not in this life!" Exclaimed Percy sternly. "Yer still grounded, remember? Not to mention yer too young, and yer lucky we let you help us chase after the carriage and even luckier you made it out of that unharmed! I'd say you've gotten enough adventure for one day, mister!"

Annoyed by his brother's concern, Percy nonetheless understood his older sibling's unwillingness to let him join in on the rescue mission as he slouched in defeat. He then felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Tennessee smiling at him comfortingly. "Hey, don't feel so down, Rudy. I think you've done enough to help us today with that slingshot of yours. And if ya really wanna be of any more help, I suppose ya could keep an eye out for us and let everyone know when we get back."

As Rudy smiled at the raccoon's kind words, Sheriff Henderson cleared his throat as he mounted his steed once more, this time with the still-unconscious rat being dragged behind him by a rope he had fastened to his saddle. "We'd all best be headin' back to town," he declared. "We've gotta stock up on supplies we'll need for the mission and everyone's gonna be wonderin' what happened to the Blood Diamond and Miss Evans. Hopefully Bill won't bust a blood vein once he hears how Weasen escaped with his daughter."

Chuckling at that last remark, the foursome began making their way back to town as soon as Tennessee mounted himself on Dash once more and rode him next to Sheriff Henderson as Rudy and Percy walked alongside them.

"So does anyone have a clue about what that rat meant when he said Weasen was hidin' out in the mine closest to the river rapids?" Tennessee inquired to his friends.

"He was probably talkin' about the Flooded Mine, Tennessee," Percy replied, "Back when Hindus Valley was first founded, some prospectors struck gold in one of the mines that were established outside of the valley, and folks would be drawn to that mine like moths to a lantern hopin' ta make a fortune fer themselves. Then someone got the idea that if a dam was built to stop the nearby river from flowin', it'd provide a way for folks to get water without gettin' scared of bein' swept away by the rapids."

"Of course, once the dam was built," Rudy added in, "people found out a little too late that when ya stop a river from flowin' through its natural path, all that water's gotta flow somewhere, and with the usual route blocked, the water ended up flowin' underground and flooded up the mine from below. A lotta people ended up drownin' there because they were too stubborn and greedy to abandon their gold, and since then that mine's been abandoned."

"Until today that is," Sheriff Henderson concluded. "What I don't get is why Weasen would pick the Flooded Mine of all places to set up camp in."

"Well I think we're gettin' close to findin' out," Tennessee said resolutely.

At the Flooded Mine, Jessica Evans was not enjoying herself as an unwilling guest of her captors as she was situated at the center of the main cavern of the mine on a wooden chair, with ropes keeping her wrists and ankles tied tightly together and some more tied around her midsection to secure her to the back of her seat while a gag was placed over her mouth. To make matters worse, some of Weasen's goons, which consisted of rats armed with short-ranged pistols and bowie knives, horned lizards wielding pickaxes, and buffaloes with lanterns and rifles had decided to have some "fun" with their captive, which included trying to sniff her hair, touch her in inappropriate ways, and worst of all giving her "the whistles."

"Hohoho! This little lady's a feisty one, ain't she boys?" One of the rats exclaimed as he made an attempt at looking up the female raccoon's dress. Enraged, Jessica reeled both her legs back and kicked the rat in the jaw, knocking him backwards and out cold as his cohorts hooted in amused laughter.

"Gentlemen!"

All eyes turned towards Weasen, who was making his way down a wooden walkway from the upper level of the cavern where a large, shack-like structure was built to serve as his office. A disapproving frown adorned the weasel's face as he scolded, "Haven't any of you ever heard of courtesy towards the fairer sex? I'm sure the poor dear is already frightened enough without you all demeaning her."

"Not sure 'bout that boss," one of the horned lizards spoke up, "seems to us like she's holdin' up just fine."

"For now, perhaps," Weasen said, now making his way towards them. "However, I'd like to know what she thinks of her current predicament." Stopping with a smirk in front of his captive, the weasel ungagged her and asked, "How are you doing my dear?"

Without hesitation, Jessica spat directly into Weasen's eye. The illusionist was hardly fazed though as a deadpan expression came to his face, and as he took out a handkerchief to wipe away the spit he replied, "Now that was simply unladylike."

"You bastard!" Spat Jessica. "Do you have any idea whose daughter I am?! How much trouble you're gonna be in for kidnappin' me?! If you think you can get away with this, you're dead wrong! Someone's bond to come after me, and when they do, they'll make sure you'll never see the light of day again!"

"Well, of course I know whose daughter you are," Weasen answered in an annoyed tone, "otherwise I would never have gone through the trouble of trying to abduct you. And don't bother expecting someone to come rescue you, my dear. After all, this is no fairytale in which some knight in shining armor will come to rescue you and haul me and my men off to jail, this is reality. I will admit, that raccoon with odd firearm did put up a valiant attempt at chasing us down, but unfortunately his efforts were in vain."

At the mention of her crush's name, Jessica's angry expression became one of surprise. "Tennessee? He tried to rescue me?" She asked with hopeful eyes.

"So that's the lad's name, is it? Weasen smirked. "And yes dear girl, he did try to rescue you with those two rabbit brothers and the old sheriff. Though if you haven't already noticed, my men and I managed to evade them and they probably have no idea where you're being held. Furthermore, I've had my men step up their patrols so that the security of this lair is tighter than a girdle on an overfed opera singer. So I suggest you make yourself comfortable, Miss Evans, because until my plan is complete, you will remain here."

"What plan?" Jessica wondered out loud.

"All in good time, Miss Evans, all in good time."

Just then, the sound of multiple trotting horses echoed throughout the cavern, and as all eyes turned towards the main entrance of the hideout, a grin came to Weasen's face as he saw Gold-Tooth Tom ride into view with the small posse of rat goons he had brought with him on their wagon as Blood-Red Ted and the Rancid Riders followed closely behind on their own horses. The sight of the homicidal coyote alone was enough to make Jessica gasp in terror, though she had little time to ask herself how he escaped the convoy to Iron Rock before Weasen put the gag back over her mouth and smiled, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm afraid there's some business I must attend to."

Once Gold-Tooth Tom and the Rancid Riders were on the main platform in front of Weasen, Ted ordered the rest of his gang to stay put as he and the armadillo approached the grinning, well-dressed weasel walking towards them. "Thomas, my boy!" exclaimed Weasen as he shook his second-in command's hand. "Good to see you and the others made it back in one piece! I take it the little errand I sent you on went swimmingly?"

"Well, there were a couple casualties here and there, but we got the job done," answered Tom calmly before glancing at the approaching Blood-Red Ted. "Anyhow, don't you think now would be a good time to explain to our guest what he's here for?"

"Quite right, quite right," agreed Weasen as he walked past his cohort to the coyote. "Welcome, Blood-Red Ted, to the Flooded Mines! I'm your host: Professor Weasen Wilson, Illusionist E-"

"I know who ya are," Snarled Ted irritably. "Yer little armadillo chum told me all I needed about ya on the way here."

"Did he now?" Weasen asked with a raised eyebrow. "Please tell me he didn't give you all the details. I don't like spoilers."

"Nah, he just said that you wanted to hire me and my gang for a little job ya have planned, and that it'd be worth my while if I heard it," Ted replied as he folded his arms. "He also mentioned somethin' about there bein' "big rewards" if we went along with your little hustle and I wanna know if that's somethin' you can prove."

"Ah, but of course! What kind of employer would I be if I couldn't live up to my promises to my recruits?" Weasen asked rhetorically before clapping his hands twice. Immediately, a pair of rats exited from Weasen's office and made their way down towards the main platform while carrying an object that was hidden under a white cloth. Frowning in confusion once the rats reached their boss and handed him the object, Ted heard Weasen say, "I've heard that you and your gang have made numerous attempts at pilfering a certain treasure of Hindus Valley, Mister Woolen. I don't suppose that treasure would happen to be…this?"

Once Weasen pulled the cloth away, Ted and the rest of his gang let out a collective stunned gasp at the sight of what the weasel held in his hand: the Blood Diamond, the very same gem that they had made countless attempts to steal and had killed countless citizens of Hindus Valley in hopes of obtaining. From her tied-up position, Jessica also gasped through her gag, but in horror upon seeing that her home's founding treasure was being held in front of the most depraved fiend to ever torment her town.

"Is…Is this what I think it is?" asked Ted in astonishment as his gang members instantly forgot about his orders and raced over to get a closer look at the stone they had tried and failed so many times to steal. Ted paid them no mind as he slowly raised his arms, taking the Blood Diamond from Weasen's hand with a slowly-building grin of avarice spreading across his face as he admired his reflection in the precious stone.

"I know what you're all probably thinking," Commented Gold-Tooth Tom as he joined in on the ogling of the Blood Diamond, "and I couldn't agree more: the Blood Diamond looks so much more beautiful when it's not trapped behind a glass case, don't you think?"

"Actually, Thomas," Added Weasen as he smirked at the shocked expressions of his guests, "I believe they're wondering how I managed to prevail in stealing it on the first try where they failed at multiple attempts. The answer to that is simple: sometimes the key to a successful heist doesn't involve brute force and excessive firepower; all it takes is careful planning and a good enough diversion."

Snapping out of his greed-induced daze, Ted faced Weasen once more and stated, "Alright weasel, I'll admit ya piqued my curiosity with yer little proposal, but now you've done and gotten my attention. What's this little plan of yers gotta do with the Blood Diamond?"

Before Weasen could answer, Eight-Eyed Enrique noticed something behind the weasel and gasped in recognition of what it was. Quickly patting his leader on the leg, the tarantula pointed out to his leader what he saw, and a malicious and lustful grin came to Ted's face as he added, "And not that I have a problem with it, but to what do we owe the pleasure of havin' the lovey Miss Jessica Evans here with us today?"

Pupils shrinking in dread that she was noticed, Jessica began trembling in utmost terror as the Rancid Riders began to approach her, eyeing her hungrily like vultures towards a fresh carcass as they began circling her in a similar manner.

"I was wonderin' that myself, boss," hissed Rattlin' Ray as he slithered up around the chair to look directly into Jessica's eyes, which were now crying tears of fright as Jessica kept trying to convince herself that this was all just a horrible nightmare and she would wake up safe in her bed at home.

"Aw, looks like the little lady's scared of us, boys," taunted Ray in a tone of faux-pity as his cohorts chortled sadistically. "No need to worry, darlin'," the rattlesnake continued as he circled around Jessica's head, "we Rancid Riders know how to handle ourselves around the ladies. Matter of fact, you could even call us…lady killers," Ray finished with a hiss in the female raccoon's ear. In spite of the crippling fear that wrecked her body, Jessica couldn't help but giggle as the snake's forked tongue tickled the inside of her ear.

"Alright, alright, settle down gentlemen!" Weasen ordered. "There will be plenty of time to have fun with Miss Evans, but at the moment we need to get down to business. If you'll all join me up in my office, I'd be happy to explain my plan."

Nodding in agreement, Ted motioned for his gang to follow him, Gold-Tooth Tom, and Weasen up to the latter's office as Jessica remained tied to her chair, now crying tears of fright from how close the Riders were to her and desperately praying to God for someone to come to rescue her from the horrible place she was trapped in.

XXXXXXXXXX

Once the Riders entered the small building that served as their host's main office, they were impressed by what they saw. Weasen's office was a classy-looking, well-furnished room that had scarlet-painted walls, an expensive-looking rug spread across the floor, and a sparkling crystal chandelier that hung from the ceiling. On the left side of the room were a pair of windows that provided a good view of the cavern and had crimson-colored curtains hanging around them that went well with the room's coloring. On the other side of the room was a comfortable-looking sofa that was seated beneath a large map of Hindus Valley and the surrounding area that hung from the wall behind it. Lastly, on the far end of the room was a mahogany desk that had two chairs positioned in front of it and a third one behind it, and on the wall behind the desk there was a large painting of a slim, well-dressed male weasel that looked remarkably similar to Weasen, barring the fact that he wore a bowler hat and had a goatee surrounding the oily-looking smirk on his face.

"Well gentlemen, now that we're all present and accounted for, it's time to get to business," Weasen announced as Tom went behind his desk and fetched a bottle of wine and several wine glasses for their guests. Noticing that Ted was gazing deeply into the Blood Diamond once more, Weasen began, "Tell me Mister Woolen, I'm already aware of how many times you and your gang have tried to steal the Blood Diamond, but what do you know about the Blood Diamond itself?"

Glancing away from the diamond towards Weasen, Ted merely shrugged indifferently and answered, "Eh, what's to know about it? It's big, it's shiny, and it makes whoever owns it rich." Glancing around his host's fancy-looking office, the coyote added, "And I gotta say Weasen, this is one helluva hideout ya got here. Wasn't expectin' this from a fella who goes around swindlin' folks while doin' magic tricks, but I guess for some crooks, crime really does pay, and it looks like you've been paid well."

"Quite true, Mister Woolen, quite true," Weasen chuckled as Tom poured some wine into the glass he was holding. "Though in spite of my many…unlawful activities throughout my career, I prefer to consider myself a victim of an injustice that has haunted my family for generations. If anything, the real criminal here is the current mayor of Hindus Valley, Mayor William Evans. And the same could be said for just about every other no-account member of the Evans dynasty preceding him."

Ted was now intrigued, especially upon hearing Weasen's normally civil tone become one of venomous contempt when referencing the Evans family. Accepting a glass of wine from Gold-Tooth Tom, he asked, "The Evans family are crooks? What's that supposed to mean?"

"What it means, Mister Woolen, is that Hindus Valley was never founded by the Evans family. Its true origin lies within my family tree," Weasen began as he pointed to the painting of the weasel above his desk. "You see, back in the earliest days of Hindus Valley, my great-great-great grandfather Kenneth Wilson was one of the numerous settlers who decided to make the valley their home, and under his leadership, the settlers following him were able to begin construction on what is now the Valley's main town. However, when it came to deciding who would be the leader of Hindus Valley, Kenneth faced opposition from Thomas Evans, a fellow settler whose family frequently clashed with mine in regards to land to live and farm on, mines and rivers to prospect from, and so on. Thomas Evans wasn't going to stand by and let his hated rival assume leadership of the valley he felt entitled to lead, so he and several other settlers who supported him went to war against Kenneth and all who supported him. Eventually, my family was driven out of the valley and Kenneth was executed shortly after Thomas assumed leadership over the Hindus Valley. Shortly after that, the Blood Diamond made its debut to the public."

"…So what's that all mean?" Ted questioned after being captivated by Weasen's story. "The Blood Diamond's got somethin' to do with yerr ancestor's murder?"

"Why do you think it's called the Blood Diamond, Mister Woolen?"

At first confused, the coyote's expression slowly became one of realization as he began to piece the information Weasen gave him together. "Ya mean…"

"That's right," Weasen confirmed with a frown of contempt, "They used my grandfather's blood to create a symbol, a reminder of what my family lost. Not only did it become a trophy for the Evans clan, but also an icon for Hindus Valley. They dug up the largest diamond they could find, and used my grandfather's blood as a pool for the rock, eventually staining it long enough for it to become the Blood Diamond that you see today."

"…Damn," Ted reacted in bafflement. "So yer family got booted outta their home all those years ago by the Evans's. That's certainly a colossal kick in the ass. But what's any of that gotta do with me and my gang? What do you want with us?"

Weasen, despite his anger, remained calm and collective. "I want revenge, Mister Woolen. For generations, my family had to suffer from the humiliation of losing our valley. I want to make history repeat itself, only this time, the right way. I've heard of your and your gang's notoriety from your frequent rampages in Hindus Valley and how you single-handily wiped out nearly the whole town on one of your failed thefts of the Blood Diamond. You have strength, ferocity, and the Devil himself on your side, Ted. I admire that in an outlaw. What I want from you is simple: join me. Help me take back what is rightfully mine."

Pleased by the weasel's flattery but still not fully convinced, Ted asked, "What's yer plan?"

"Using the mayor's daughter as a bargaining chip will be Plan A: hold her as ransom in exchange for Hindus Valley."

"...And if that doesn't work?"

Weasen's grin widened. "Plan B, of course. I'll need you and your gang's help taking the valley by force."

"What's in it fer me?"

"You wanted the Blood Diamond, yes? Help me succeed, and it will be all yours."

"Why don't you want it? It's got yer grandpa's blood all over it, after all. Don't that make it some kinda heirloom to ya?"

"Please, all that rock is to me is a reminder of the worst day of my family's history, you can do whatever you want with it," Weasen replied indifferently. "Besides, once Hindus Valley is rightfully mine, I think I'll recreate the Blood Diamond by drowning it in Mayor Evans' blood!"

Blood-Red Ted smirked. "I gotta say, yer little proposition interests me Weasen. Guess that little armadillo wasn't pullin' my leg when he said you were persuasive."

"What can I say? All it takes is the right cards to play the game right." Weasen then proceeded to fill the glasses up once more. "More wine?"

"Please and thank you," Ted says, holding his glass out. "To partnership,"

"And to newly-found friendship." Weasen finishes, clinking their glasses together before drinking.

Unbeknownst to Weasen, Blood-Red Ted, or any of the Rancid Riders, a familiar trio had arrived outside the Flooded Mine to put their rescue mission into action. Gazing up at the colossal mesa that was the Flooded Mine, Tennessee dismounted from Dash and remarked, "So this is where Weasen's held up, eh? Looks pretty big. Think it's gonna be hard to find Jessica Evans in there?"

"Not really," Percy answered, now sporting a crossbow-like weapon on his right forearm and a small pouch on his belt that carried several small wooden darts. He got off his own horse, named Ricochet, and led him behind a nearby boulder so that nobody could see him. "Given how flooded this place is with water, Weasen's probably got her held up somewhere on the upper levels of the mine so she won't drown. Only question is, how do we get in there?"

"I take it goin' in through the main entrance wouldn't be the best idea?" Tennessee joked.

"Of course it wouldn't," Percy deadpanned, "If we did that, we might as well just walk in there with targets painted on our chests."

"Say boys?"

Tennessee and Percy turned to see Sheriff Henderson standing a few feet away from them, having dismounted from his horse, Musket, and was peering into a spyglass from the edge of a nearby cliff.

"I got some good news and some bad news. The good news is I think I've found us a way into the mine."

That news brought a grin to Tennessee and Percy's face, and they began to walk over to the bloodhound with Tennessee saying, "Yer right, that is good news! But what's the bad news?"

"Look for yourself," the sheriff answered as he handed Tennessee the spyglass.

Before putting the spyglass over his eye, Tennessee took a good look at what laid before him and his friends. Before him was a small canyon that was flooded with water which had a large round dock that had several small tents scattered around it, and he could see at least three buffalo guards patrolling their "island" with lanterns shining lights in front of them and rifles ready to be fired. On the far end of the dock, Tennessee could see that there was a ramp that led to a heavy-looking metal door on the side of the mesa that he was certain blocked their entryway into the mine. As he put the sheriff's spyglass over his eye, he could see that near the start of the ramp was a crank that was locked down by three padlocks, and Tennessee was certain that crank was for opening the heavy door on the mesa. Lastly, the raccoon could see that there was a ramp in front of them that led down to the dock, but at the end of the ramp was a tall iron gate that prevented them from entering the dock unless the gate was unlocked from the inside.

"…Well, this is sure gonna be hard to get in," Tennessee remarked dumbly.

"Hard?" Percy asked sarcastically as he gazed through his own spyglass at what laid before them. "Seein' as how we've gotta get through a cast-iron gate, a makeshift island that's got God knows how many guards on it, and a heavy-ass door that can only be opened by a locked-down winch, I'd say this is almost impossible."

"That's right," added Sheriff Henderson, "almost impossible. All we gotta do is find a way to get that gate open and unlock that winch, and I'm guessin' the guards are carryin' the keys to open both."

Upon hearing this, a confident grin came to Tennessee's face as he said, "Well, lucky fer us, I happen to know a thing or two about pickin' pockets. You boys just sit back for now, I'll get that gate open fer us."

"First you gotta get onto that dock, though."

"Oh don't worry," smiled Tennessee as he noticed a pair of pointed rocks protruding from the water near the dock. "There's more than one way to get around a locked gate."

With that, Tennessee began quietly making his way down the ramp towards the gate. Once he reached the ramp's edge, he jumped off and performed a ninja spire jump from rock to rock until he was on the dock. Immediately he got to work on sneaking up behind the nearest buffalo, using the golden hook on his cane/gun to begin digging out the contents of the guard's back pocket. After digging out a few gold coins, Tennessee was pleased to find that the guard he was pickpocketing carried one of the four keys, and he slowly snuck away to avoid being detected.

From their hiding place, Percy and Sheriff Henderson watched in amazement as their friend quietly maneuvered his way through the maze of tents, picking the back pockets of the unsuspecting guards and ducking through the nearest tent whenever the light from the lanterns they carried got too close for comfort. Eventually Tennessee was able to obtain all four of the keys he needed, but then he realized that the still-patrolling guards would be undoubtedly unwilling to let him and his two cohorts enter the mine using their stolen keys.

"Better take these bastards out unless Percy and the sheriff wanna take a dirt nap," Tennessee thought to himself.

Immediately, Tennessee snuck up behind the nearest buffalo and pointed his gun at the guard's left butt cheek and pulled the trigger. As his victim jumped upward and screamed while clutching his posterior in pain, Tennessee threw his gun up and watched it twirl before it landed back in his hand, upon which he fired another bullet into the buffalo's skull as soon as he hit the ground. The gunshots alerted the other two guards and they quickly began making their way over towards the source of the commotion, but Tennessee was quick to hide himself within the nearest tent to avoid detection.

Soon after making short work of the remaining guards, Tennessee made his way back towards the main gate and use one of the keys he acquired to unlock it, allowing Percy and Sheriff Henderson to come inside.

"That was some fancy pickpocketing, Tennessee," Percy remarked in an impressed tone, "where'd ya learn how to pull that off?"

"Self-practice," Tennessee answered promptly, "now how's about we get that door open?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself," agreed Sheriff Henderson.

As the three began walking over to the locked-down winch, the sound of a loudspeaker turning on was heard followed by the all-to-familiar voice of Weasen himself.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen!" Weasen announced through the loudspeaker. "I wish to remind all of you that all the entrances to the mine are to be kept under careful watch at all times! We can't afford to have any trespassers. And while you're at it, keep on the lookout! According to our hostage, she thinks some raccoon is going act like some knight in shining armor and break into our hideout to rescue her and the Blood Diamond! So if any of you see any raccoon on the premises that isn't our hostage, kill him on sight! On another note, Blood-Red Ted and the rest of the Rancid Riders have agreed to aid us on our operation for Hindus Valley, so make sure they feel right at home during this whole ordeal, or else! That is all, Weasen out."

The trio's stomachs dropped like rocks in horror of this revelation as Percy's eyes welled up with tears. It was bad enough that Blood Red Ted was on the loose again and he was back in command of his gang, but the knowledge that he had joined forces with Weasen made it worse. In spite of this they decided that rescuing Jessica was still their top priority, and they nodded resolutely to each other before heading to the winch, using the keys Tennessee had stolen to unlock it. Though it took the trio's combined strength to get the winch to turn, they were eventually able to get the door to the mine open.

Before Percy could make his way up the ramp to the mine's entrance, he felt himself being jerked back and he turned to see Sheriff Henderson grasping the back of his shirt collar with a stern frown.

"Whoa, slow down there, son. Just what do you think yer doin'?"

"W-what's it look like I'm doin'?" Percy asked, making it clear that he was shaken by the news of his parents' killers being free once more. "I'm helpin' you two find Miss Evans."

"No, yer not." Tennessee countered as he shook his head. "Look Percy, I appreciate that yer tryin' to help us out here, I do, but I'm not plannin' on lettin' ya risk yer life by comin' into the mine with us."

"He's right," agreed Sheriff Henderson, "it's dangerous enough for you to go in there with Weasen's goons on the lookout, but with the Rancid Riders bein' in there and all, ya might as well be signin' yer own death warrant by goin' inside."

"C'mon fellas, you know I can help ya here!" Protested Percy. "If that mine's got as many guards patrollin' it as we think it does, yer gonna need someone with great hearin' to know when to hide and when it's safe to move. Not to mention with those shootin' irons of yours, you're probably gonna attract a lot of unwanted attention with your gunshots echoin' through the mine. That's why I have this," he gestured towards the crossbow on his arm, "to make sure the guards go down quietly. Besides, I haven't forgotten how ya saved my little brother, Tennessee. So I think it's high time I return the favor and help ya save Miss Evans."

Blushing, Tennessee looked towards Sheriff Henderson, who still seemed reluctant about letting their younger comrade join them. After several seconds, the bloodhound sighed and said, "Fine, ya can come inside with us, Percy. But if ya get injured at all while yer in there, ya brought it on yerself when you insisted on comin' inside with us, understand?"

"Absolutely."

"Good. Now let's go."

Frowning in determination, the trio made their way up the ramp and into the tunnel, where they were immediately consumed by darkness, though they could feel that they were standing on some mine tracks. Fortunately, Sheriff Henderson was able to make out a lantern sitting on a nearby crate and lit it before tilting his muzzle upwards and sniffing the air.

"I've got Jessica's scent. This way."

Tennessee and Percy obliged and began following the sheriff deeper into the mine, each of them feeling both determined to rescue Jessica Evans and afraid of the possibility of having to face the Rancid Riders. Soon growing tired of walking in silence, Tennessee turned towards Percy and decided to ask something he had been wondering about since their mission began.

"Say, Percy" he began while gazing at the weapon on the jackrabbit's arm, "what's the story behind that contraption you've got on yer arm?"

"Ya mean my crossbow?" Percy asked for clarification, at which the raccoon nodded. "Just a little somethin' I made in case I ever get into a fix and I've gotta protect myself."

"But why use that instead of a gun?"

Percy's expression became somber as he replied, "I…I haven't been a fan of guns ever since my parents got killed."

"Oh…Sorry I asked," Tennessee apologized, instantly feeling regretful for bringing up a bad memory for the jackrabbit.

"Anyway," Percy continued as he cleared his throat and tried to get back on topic, "this crossbow of mine lets me take out enemies without gettin' thrown off by the bang." He then reached down towards his waist and unbuttoned a small pouch that was hanging from his belt and pulled out a small wooden dart and loaded it into his crossbow. "All I gotta do is shoot one of these little beauties at the bad guys, and they're down for the count."

Tennessee glanced skeptically at the small bolt and remarked, "Well, unless yer fixin' to shoot down crows in a cornfield or barnyard rats, I don't think those little things are gonna be enough to bring someone down."

Percy only smirked and replied, "Then it's a good thing I made sure to have each of these darts laced with rattlesnake venom so the bad guys'll-"

"Shush!"

Percy and Tennessee instantly went silent at Sheriff Henderson's command, and they turned to see the dog hastily blowing the lantern's flame as another light slowly began to approach them. Gasping in alarm, the two younger mammals quickly took shelter behind some crates stacked on one side of the tunnel, pressing their backs against them as Sheriff Henderson ducked behind a nearby barrel on the opposite side of the tunnel.

With their breath held, the raccoon, jackrabbit, and bloodhound kept as silent as possible as a large buffalo trudged past them, eyes focused solely on whatever the light from his lantern shined on. Tennessee could only thank his lucky stars that the buffalo's peripheral vision seemed to be so poor. Suddenly, he felt a light tapping on his leg and he looked down to see Percy trying to tell him something.

"Watch this," the jackrabbit mouthed silently.

Before Tennessee could think, Percy lifted the arm his crossbow was mounted on and fired a dart at the buffalo, which landed on the back of his neck. Grunting in pain and cursing at the fresh pain at the back of his neck, the guard pulled out the dart and glared at it confusedly. Suddenly, the buffalo felt lightheaded and incredibly ill, and before he knew it he had fallen to the ground as his vision went dark.

Deciding not to stick around to see if the buffalo was truly dead, the group quickly went back to making their way through the tunnels, more determined than ever to find Jessica and the Blood Diamond and bring them home. Soon enough, Sheriff Henderson was able to pick up the familiar scent of his friend's daughter and led his companions to the end of the tunnel they were walking through.

"She's close," he remarked to Tennessee and Percy, "I can smell her."

Peering out from behind their hiding place, the trio was met with the sight of a large carven that was flooded with six feet of water, which came from a waterfall on the far left side of the cavern. Above the water was a large wooden platform that had several guards patrolling it and had several small bridges that led to a few smaller platforms scattered throughout the cavern. Tennessee took special notice of the mine carts that were stationed on some of the platforms, which he figured would make for a good means of escape in case things went south for them. On the upper level of the cavern, Tennessee could see a large, shack-like structure built into the cavern's wall, which he figured served as Weasen's office and was where the Blood Diamond was being kept.

"Fellas!" Percy whispered urgently and pointed downwards, "I see Jessica Evans down there!"

Looking towards where the jackrabbit was pointing, Tennessee and Sheriff Henderson could see the familiar form of Jessica Evans tied to a chair at the center of the platform below them between to stacks of wooden crates. Though he couldn't see Jessica's face due to her back being turned to him, the mere sight of her being tied up was enough to make Tennessee seethe with rage.

"We gotta get down there!" Tennessee declared resolutely. He then turned his head to see that the mine tracks he and his partners were walking on led to a narrow bridge, which had a narrow staircase built into it that led down to the main platform of the cavern.

"Fellas," Tennessee whispered to his cohorts, "I can see a way down to Jessica from here. Just follow me and keep quiet, if we get caught here, we're done for."

Once Percy and Sheriff Henderson nodded in conformation, Tennessee began quickly yet quietly leading them out onto the bridge towards the staircase, each of them careful to make as little noise as possible.
Hurriedly descending the staircase, the trio then crossed a narrow catwalk at the bottom before stepping on the platform, taking note of the numerous crates and barrels scattered across the platform in case they would need a place to hide from the guards.

As the trio slowly and cautiously approached the tied-up Jessica Evans, Tennessee could hear the mayor's daughter crying, undoubtedly out of fear for her life and desperation for someone to save her. Smirking playfully to himself, Tennessee quietly snuck in front of Jessica as she had her head down so she couldn't see who was in front of her.

"Pardon me, little lady," Tennessee began in gruff tone before using the golden hook on his cane to tilt up Jessica's head by her chin. Fearfully, Jessica cracked her eyes open, and then they went wide with surprise as Tennessee finished with a smirk, "but I think it's time we got you outta here."

"…T-Tennessee?" Jessica asked, not sure if her mind was playing tricks on her, but once she saw her crush smile and nod in confirmation, her heart fluttered with joy and an elated smile came to her face as she gleefully shouted, "TENNESSEE!"

The next thing Jessica knew, her rescuer's gloved hand was slapped over her mouth as Tennessee frantically hushed her and whispered, "Not so loud! The last thing we want is fer anyone to hear us escapin'!"

"Sorry Tennessee," Jessica apologized once Tennessee removed his hand. An appreciative and relieved smile adorned her features as she continued, "But I just can't tell ya how glad I am that yer here! I just knew you'd come to save me!"

"Actually, I didn't come to save ya…we did."

Furrowing her brows in confusion, Jessica then heard someone clear their throat behind her, and upon turning her head to see who was behind her, she was greeted with the pleasant sight of two familiar faces.

"Percy? Sheriff? Yer here too?"

"What," smiled Percy, "ya think I wouldn't come all this way to help one of my best friends out?"

"And as long as I wear a badge, it's my job to make sure no harm comes ta anyone livin' in my valley," Sheriff Henderson added.

"Okay, now that we're all together, here's my plan," Tennessee began to explain to his cohorts, "You two are gonna get to work on gettin' Jessica outta those binds. I'm gonna try to sneak a look inside Weasen's office to see if the Blood Diamond's bein' kept in there. If I'm right, we're gonna skedaddle and come back later to try to get it back, right now bringin' Jessica home's our top job. Got it?"

Sheriff Henderson and Percy nodded in confirmation as the latter brandished a pocket knife to cut the ropes with. Satisfied, Tennessee turned around and walked towards the edge of the platform and onto a wire that ran from the platform to a stalagmite that rose up from the water below. Walking across the wire, he then spire jumped onto the stalagmite and then onto another nearby stalagmite before finally landing on a small outcropping that stuck out from the cavern wall. Tennessee looked up and was satisfied to see he was below the structure that served as Weasen's office. Pressing his back against the wall, Tennessee sidestepped up a narrow ledge that led to another small cliff, and from there he sidestepped up another ledge until he was below one of the windows of Weasen's office. He then crouched down in preparation before leaping upwards, using the hook on his gun to grab onto the window's stool. Pressing his feet against the building, Tennessee grasped the window stool and held his gun between his teeth and peered into the office. The raccoon was greeted to the sight of Weasen, Blood-Red Ted and the rest of the Rancid Riders chatting pleasantly with each other over wine, with the Blood Diamond being held by an intimidating-looking bovine who looked particularly tipsy given the way he staggered and laughed across the room drunkenly.

"Damn," Tennessee thought to himself with a frown, "Gettin' the Blood Diamond back's gonna be harder than I thought."

Meanwhile, Sheriff Henderson was working hard to cut Jessica loose from her binds. Unfortunately, this was easier said than done since cutting through the ropes with Percy's small pocket knife was taking far more time than the Sheriff had hoped for. After cutting through the ropes that bound the raccoon's feet together, the canine was working as fast as he could to sever the ropes that kept Jessica tied to the chair by her midsection.

"Say Sheriff, how much longer 'til those ropes are all cut?" Percy asked as he kept his crossbow raised, prepared to fire a dart at the drop of a hat.

"I'm halfway done. Though this'd take a lot less time if you'd broght a bigger knife with ya," Sheriff Henderson grumbled irritably in response. "Would it have killed ya to bring a bowie knife for this?"

Percy decided to ignore that question and went back to keeping a lookout while Jessica patiently yet anxiously continued to await being set free. As she waited, Jessica suddenly felt a small itch in her nose. Furrowing her brows, she tried scrunching her face to make it go away, but that did nothing as the itch began to grow into a tickle in her nose, which started to quiver uncontrollably. Jessica then realized what was going to happen.

"O-Oh no."

"Oh no?" Asked Percy as he and Sheriff Henderson glanced at her in concern. "Oh no what?"

"Ahh...I-I think…ahh…I'm…ah…ah…gonna sneeze!" Jessica fretted as she went cross-eyed and her breathing became more hitched.

Percy and Sheriff Henderson immediately looked at each other in panic before the latter began cutting the ropes at a much faster pace as the former rushed over to Jessica, stammering, "O-okay Jessica, just take it easy! Try not to think about sneezin' and maybe it'll go away!"

Unsurprisingly, the jackrabbit's advice was of no help to Jessica as her sneeze grew stronger by the second as her eyes fluttered uncontrollably and her muzzle scrunched up in preparation of what was to come.

"Ahh…Ahhh….AHHH…AHHH-!"

At the last second, Percy quickly held his pointer finger beneath Jessica's nose, which seemed to have the intended effect of halting the sneeze. A collective sigh of relief was shared between the dog, jackrabbit, and raccoon as a disaster was narrowly avoided. From his position, Tennessee sighed as well, grateful that his lady friend hadn't blown his cover.

"…Well," began Percy with an unsteady laugh, "that was certainly a close shave, am I right?"

Jessica was about to reply, but then the sneeze came back full force and this time, there was nothing that could be done to stop it.

"AH…AH…AH…AH-CHEW!"

Jessica's sneeze was cute and petite-sounding, but loud enough so that it echoed throughout the cavern. In a panic, Percy and Sheriff Henderson bolted in opposite directions to hide, with the canine ducking behind the nearest stack of crates while the rabbit leapt into nearby barrel and closed the lid, not caring that it was filled with gunpowder. Tennessee meanwhile let his hang loose as he retained his grip on the window's stool, just as one of the Rancid Riders, Boot Hill Bill, stuck his head out of the window to see what was occurring outside.

Tennessee dared not make a sound as the vulture above him surveyed the cavern, watching as a pair of buffalo approached Jessica to investigate the source of the commotion.

"There a problem out there, Bill?" Asked Blood-Red Ted from within the office. Bill said nothing in reply as he and the raccoon hanging below him watched the two guards approach their captive.

"Oh, s-sorry about that boys," Jessica said with a nervous laugh and tried to appear as if she was still tightly-bound to her chair. "This hideout is pretty dusty and dust tends ta make me sneeze."

The guards glared suspiciously at Jessica for several seconds before glancing at each other, then they both shrugged and began walking away in opposite directions.

Tennessee suppressed an exhale of relief to avoid detection from the bird above him, who finally answered, "Nothin' boss. Just our little guest gettin' the sniffles is all."

"Good. Thought it was a trespasser or something. And close that window, it's gettin' chilly in here."

Before Tennessee could think, Bill abruptly slid the window down to close it, unwittingly onto the poor raccoon's fingers. Letting out a pained yelp, Tennessee dropped down to the cliff below him and let his gun fall from his mouth, cursing in pain as he tried to shake the pain from his fingers. Observing this, Jessica giggled in amusement, despite the fact that Tennessee only narrowly avoided detection by one of her captors.

As Sheriff Henderson cautiously emerged from his hiding place and went back to cutting Jessica free, a new sound met the ears of the bloodhound and female raccoon, and they turned to see the barrel Percy had hidden in rocking back and forth. The barrel then fell over to its side, the lid coming off before the barrel rolled in front of Jessica and the Sheriff as the gunpowder stored inside spilled out, leaving a thick trail of gunpowder in front of Jessica and Sheriff Henderson. Once the barrel stopped rolling, Percy slowly crawled out of his hiding place and looked around before catching his two friends giving him half-lidded, unimpressed stares.

"…I'm not gonna say anythin' about what just happened, so let's just get back to business, okay?" Percy asked quickly with mild embarrassment.

Sheriff Henderson nodded wordlessly and went back to cutting Jessica's binds. As Percy walked back over to the two, the sound of approaching footsteps made them turn to see Tennessee making his way back over to them after climbing down from Weasen's office.

"Well, that sure was a close shave, wouldn't ya say?"

"Which one?" Percy asked while dusting the gunpowder off himself. "When Jessica sneezed or when Boot Hill Bill closed that window on yer fingers?"

"Sorry about that Tennessee," Jessica apologized, "I really did try to hold it in."

"Aw, don't be sorry Jessica, accidents happen," Tennessee smiled. "Least now I know yer as cute when yer sneezin' as you are when yer bein' tickled."

Jessica averted her gaze shyly, blushing in flattery at the compliment from her handsome rescuer.

"And there…we…go!" Sheriff Henderson declared as he finished cutting through the last of Jessica's restraints.

"Finally, I thought those ropes would never get cut," Percy commented as the sheriff handed his pocket knife back to him. As soon as Jessica stood up, she stepped towards Tennessee and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Blushing in surprise at the unexpected embrace, Tennessee slowly brought his arms up and wrapped them around her waist, hugging her back.

"I knew you'd come for me!" Jessica whispered as tears of gratitude began to leak from her closed eyes.

Their hug was cut short as Percy cleared his throat, making the raccoons turn to look at him as he said, "Listen, I hate to break up yer cuddlin', but we'd better start hightailin' it outta here before someone sees us."

"Percy's Right," Sheriff Henderson agreed, "the last thing any of us want is fer us ta-"

CHK-CHK

The group immediately went silent with dread at unexpected sound of a firearm being cocked, and as they slowly turned around to find the source of the sound, they were greeted with the wholly unwelcome sight of Weasen standing before them wearing a smug smirk, Gold Tooth Tom and Blood Red Ted flanking him as they and the rest of the Rancid Riders had their weapons raised and menacing leers donning their features.

"…get caught" Sheriff Henderson finished weakly.

"Oh damn…" Percy whimpered as his ears fell limp at the sight of Blood Red Ted standing before him.

"So," Weasen began calmly as he rested both his hands on the top of his cane, "the fearless heroes have come to free the damsel in distress from her captors. A noble sentiment, but oh so predictable. Nevertheless, I'm impressed you've managed to find my hideout, gentlemen. If anything, I thought you'd still be out searching for wagon tracks by now."

Tennessee only glared and countered "Yeah well, seein' as how ya made off with Miss Jessica and the Blood Diamond and almost got innocent people blown up with that damn box trick of yers, I guess we owe it to ya fer givin' us some incentive."

"You're welcome," Weasen smiled with a tip of his hat. "Sadly, I'm afraid I can't allow you to leave with Miss Evans here since she's too important to my plan to be let free. So please be as kind as to relinquish her to us, otherwise have to let my associate here deal with you," he finished as he gestured towards Ted.

"Not that it matters though," Ted grinned maliciously. "Whether ya give up the little lady or not, we still get to…wait a minute…" The coyote paused as his nose picked up a familiar scent, sniffing the air a few times before turning his attention to the still terror-stricken Percy.

"Say," Ted began as a flash of recognition came to his face, "I remember you. Yer one of them kids of those Wilcox rabbits. Percy, right?" The jackrabbit's nod of fearful confirmation made Ted grin wider as he continued, "I thought so. I'd recognize that scent anywhere, along with the taste of freshly-killed jackrabbit. You must have a serious death wish ta show yer face to me, boy."

"B-believe me, Ted," Percy began shakily, "th-the last thing I'd ever want is ta get into any trouble with you and yer gang. A-and honestly yer the last person I'd expect to be here after seein' you and Wild Will get carted off to Iron Rock earlier today."

"Well, lucky fer me my gang was around ta make sure that convoy never reached the jail," Ted replied with a sneer. He then continued sarcastically, "Though I'm sorry ta say, we won't be seein' much of ol' Will anytime soon. What with him bein'…relieved of duty as ya might say, I'd think that the only good he is now is lunch fer buzzards."

"And…Warden Jones?"

"Most likely lyin' dead at the bottom of canyon," Ted answered coldly, "bein' thrown offa cliff tends ta do that ta people."

The Rancid Riders cackled viciously while Sheriff Henderson gaped in horror about what he had just heard.

"Sarah…" he muttered in worry.

"Though ta tell ya the truth," Ted continued casually, "throwin' folks off cliffs ain't exactly my first option when it comes ta killin'. If anythin' I prefer fer my victims ta go out with a-"

BANG!

Percy yelped in fright as Ted shot at the ground in front of the former, making him duck behind Sheriff Henderson as Jessica screamed and bury her face in Tennessee's chest while the Rancid Riders howled in sadistic laughter. As this was happening, Tennessee noticed Eight-armed Enrique holding something in his hands, and as he narrowed his yes to get a better look, the raccoon realized that it was the Blood Diamond itself.

"Motherfuckin' psychopath…" Percy muttered to himself.

"That was just a warning shot, boy." Ted snarled. "My next one won't be so forgiving..."

"Alright, that's enough for now Ted," Weasen declared as the laughter died down. "Now it's decision time, Tennessee. You can either hand over Miss Evans willingly or we can take her from you by force. The choice is yours."

"Not that it makes a difference," remarked Lou as he pulled a cigarette out and stuck it in his mouth. "Whatever choice you make ain't gonna…aw dammit."

"What?" Tom asked in confusion upon seeing Lou check all of his pockets.

"I'm outta matches. Anyone got a light on em'?

Quickly glancing down at the gunpowder that laid between his group and their foes, an idea came to Tennessee as he reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a match.

"Sure, I've got one for ya, big guy," Tennessee smirked.

"Ya do? Well, thanks fer that ringtail," Lou smiled appreciatively as he took the unlit cigarette out of his mouth. "Almost makes me feel bad fer havin' ta kill ya."

As this was happening, Tom glanced down and noticed the gunpowder that was scattered across the floor and looked back up to see that Tennessee was holding the lit match out for Lou to light his cigarette with. A sense of dread instantly washed over the armadillo as he instantly realized what Tennessee was doing just as Lou stuck out his cigarette to be lit.

"No, wait Lou! It's a-"

"Oops!"

With a devious grin, Tennessee released his grip on the lit match and jumped back, just as the flame connected with the gunpowder on the floor. It ignited, and an explosion erupted in front of the villains that made them stumble back in alarm and caused Enrique to throw the Blood Diamond upwards in alarm. The gem sailed through the air until Tennessee used the hook on his gun to catch it. Smirking as he handed the diamond to Sheriff Henderson, he taunted, "Sorry fellas, but that's what happens when yer not careful with gunpowder!"

Weasen snarled in anger as Tennessee took hold of Jessica's hand and began running back the way they entered the cavern. "Don't just stand there gawking you dolts!" Weasen shouted at anyone who could hear him. "Make sure they don't escape!"

Not wanting to displease their boss, Tom, the Rancid Riders, and any other guard that was in the cavern obliged and began firing at the retreating group with reckless abandon, though Tennessee's group made sure to weave and dodge while firing back at their attackers.

With a growl, Ted glanced upward and noticed a large stalactite hanging from the cavern ceiling that was rigged with some sticks of dynamite. Aiming his gun at the explosives, Ted fired and made them go off, causing the stalactite to detach from the ceiling and plummet downwards. Despite being far enough away to avoid getting crushed, Tennessee and his friends knew they were in trouble when the stalactite crashed through the catwalk they were going to cross, cutting off their main escape route.

"Goddammit!" Percy shouted in dismay as he fired a dart at a horned lizard charging towards him. "How the hell do we get outta here now?!"

Quickly glancing around, Tennessee noticed that there were two other catwalks on his left and his right. Each catwalk led to a set of mine cart rails that led to different parts of the mine, but only the rails on the left had a mine cart stationed on them.

"We're gonna have to split up!" Tennessee declared. "Sheriff, you and Percy take the Blood Diamond and use that cart over there to hitch a ride outta here! Jessica, yer with me!"

Nodding in agreement, Sheriff Henderson and Percy made a beeline towards the mine cart, the minecart held safely within the former's arms, while Tennessee led Jessica over to the other set of rails. Once they got there, Jessica looked distressed that there was nothing they could use to escape their pursuers.

"No mine cart!" Jessica fretted and turned to Tennessee. "How are we gonna get away now?!"

Tennessee merely smirked and adjusted his hat before answering deviously, "who needs a mine cart when you've got me?"

Before she could inquire what he meant, Jessica cried out in surprise when Tennessee hoisted her into his arms bridal style. He then jumped up and performed a spin in midair before landing on one of the rails, quickly sliding into the tunnel before them as Jessica's cries of alarm echoed throughout the place.

"That ring-tailed vermin!" Cursed Weasen as he, Tom, and the Rancid Riders rushed over to where Tennessee once stood. "He's just signed his death warrant for meddling in our affairs!"

He then turned to face all of his nearby henchmen, barking out, "Listen here, you depraved cutthroats! That accursed raccoon and his friends have just absconded with both of our bargaining chips! Under absolutely no circumstances are they to escape this mine alive!"

"Oh, you can bet they won't," added Ted with a sadistic grin as he loaded his gun. Tom sent the coyote a confused glance as he asked, "you want to help us stop them from escaping? I thought you were only going to work with us if you had the Blood Diamond?"

"An' miss out on a chase like this? Not on yer life, Gold-Tooth," Ted replied. He then turned back to his men before shouting, "Alright boys, you all heard the weasel! Those bastards are off with our meal ticket and we ain't gonna let 'em leave this place alive! Load up yer shootin' irons fellas, 'cause it's huntin' time!"

XXXXXXXXX

"Yer free ta open yer eyes now, ya know."

Jessica, her eyes shut tight in fear and arms wrapped around her savior's neck, cracked an eye open at Tennessee's suggestion. A second later, both her eyes went wide with amazement as she saw that Tennessee, still carrying her bridal-style, was sliding down one of the rails of the set of mine cart tracks below them, carrying both raccoons through the tunnel at a fast pace.

"W-what the?!" Jessica stammered in amazement. "H-how are you doin' this?!"

"Self-practice!" Tennessee answered cheekily. "Really comes in handy when ya gotta get away fast and ya don't have a horse around!"

Before Jessica could respond, she let out a surprised yelp as Tennessee hopped onto the next rail over once he saw that the one he was riding was cut off by a fallen stalactite. Noticing Jessica's bewildered facial expression he asked, "This ain't botherin' ya, is it Jessica?"

Despite her shock at her current situation, the longer Tennessee glided down the mine track at his current speed, Jessica found her previous shock changing into delight as a grin began to spread across her face.

"Say," Jessica began as she began to enjoy the feeling of the wind against her face, "this is kinda fun!"

"You better believe it is!" Tennessee chuckled back. "This is why I love goin' inta mines like this! With so many of these tracks around, it's almost impossible fer me ta-"

BANG!

Jessica yelped in fright as a bullet whizzed past her head, making her tighten her grip on Tennessee in terror. Turning around, the male raccoon gasped at the sight of Weasen and Gold-Tooth Tom pursuing them on a handcar, the former wielding a pistol that was aimed at the raccoons while Tom kept pumping the car's arm as best he could to keep up with their chasees.

"I honestly hoped it wouldn't come to this, Tennessee!" Weasen shouted. "But alas, your refusal to cooperate and stay out of my business has made you too big a problem for me to let you live! You and those nitwit friends of yours will not leave this mine alive!"

"Don't count on it, asshole!" Tennessee countered before firing back at his pursuers.

Grunting angrily and shielding himself with his cape as bullets whizzed past him, Weasen continued to fire at Tennessee, but was unable to hit his target as the raccoon kept jumping from rail to rail to dodge as the track kept making twists and turns.

"Tennessee! Jessica!"

The raccoons glanced up to their left to see a familiar jackrabbit and bloodhound riding along a set of tracks above them in the mine cart they had commandeered, both looking anxious as they gazed at their friends.

"Don't suppose you could give us hand here?!" Shouted Percy urgently.

"We're a little deep in shit ourselves right now, Percy!"

"Whatever trouble it is yer in, our problem's bigger!"

Before he could respond, the sound of a loud train whistle made Tennessee and Jessica turn to see where it came from, and their eyes went wide upon seeing Sheriff Henderson and Percy being pursued by a large, jet-black train engine that had been commandeered by the Rancid Riders. The feared outlaws were hanging from different parts of the locomotive, cackling maniacally as they fired their weapons at the small mine cart.

"YEE-HA!" Ted hollered as he stood on the locomotive's roof. "This is more fun than blowin' up dams and downin' whoever's below 'em!" He then lifted his gun and fired at Percy, the bullet hitting the jackrabbit in his right ear and making him scream in pain at the newly-made notch in his ear.

Firing back at their pursuers with his own pistol, Sheriff Henderson shouted at Tennessee and Jessica, "You two just worry about gettin' out of here! We'll be fine on our own!"

Nodding in agreement, Tennessee turned his attention back on the mine track as his friends and the Riders vanished into another part of the mine. Glancing to see their own pursuers, Jessica gasped as she saw Weasen raise his cane and fire a bolt of lightning from the crystal ball handle.

"Tennessee, jump!"

Not bothering to ask why, Tennessee leapt onto the other rail as the lightning bolt whizzed past them.

"You can't run forever, raccoon!" Weasen ranted. "I will have that girl back!"

"Keep dreamin', jackass!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Percy grit his teeth, biting back a new string of swears as he knelt down in the mine cart and clutched his wounded ear, setting the Blood Diamond aside as he did so.

"If yer done Percy, I'd love some help in gettin' away from these bastards!" Sheriff Henderson snapped as he kept firing at the locomotive behind them.

Fighting to ignore his pain, Percy stood up to see where their mine cart was going. Fortunately for them, the track ahead had two different routes: one that kept going straight, and the diverging track that led upwards onto a higher path.

"Sheriff!" Percy exclaimed upon seeing a pontential escape route, "lean the cart to the left!"

"What?!"

"There's a fork in the track ahead of us! If we lean the cart enough to the left, we can get on the other track and maybe loose these bastards!"

"Well why didn't you say so?!" Sheriff Henderson shouted before throwing all of his weight to the left side of the cart. Percy followed in suit and as he hoped, the cart tilted to the left and they were soon on the other track as the Rancid Riders cursed furiously at their fleeing prey.

"I think we lost them!" Announced Percy in relief.

"Are ya sure?"

BANG!

The sound of a gunshot made the duo turn to see that they were now being chased by another mine cart that was carrying a trio of rats who had their pistols aimed squarely at them.

"Never mind."

Groaning in exasperation, the sheriff tried to fire at their new pursuers but was dismayed to find he had run out of bullets. Acting quickly, Percy raised his arm and fired a bolt from his crossbow that struck one of the rats in the eye and made him screech in pain. Meanwhile, Sheriff Henderson ducked down to see if anything in their cart could help them, noticing some dynamite sticks of dynamite on the cart's floor. He grasped one of them and fished a match out of his pocket, quickly glancing around to see their cart and the rats were crossing a worn-down wooden bridge. Hurriedly, the sheriff lit the dynamite and waited a few seconds until the fuse was short enough before standing up and throwing it down into the bridge. As he had hoped, the dynamite exploded and made the bridge start to collapse. While the cart carrying the sheriff and Percy made it to the other side of the bridge safely, the rats weren't as lucky as the bridge crumbled beneath them and they fell to their deaths.

"Halleluiah!" Percy exclaimed in relief as their cart went onto another track. "Looks like lady luck's finally decided to cut us a break!"

No sooner had the jackrabbit spoken than the familiar and unwelcome sound of a train whistle made the duo turn to see the Rancid Riders' locomotive thundering towards them from a dark tunnel, the outlaws themselves looking all too eager to shed the blood of their prey.

"Oh for fuck's sake!" Percy ranted.

Catching sight of their targets, Blood Red Ted hollered, "We got 'em now boys! Keep on shovelin' that coal, Enrique, I'm movin' in for the kill!"

The Hispanic did as he was ordered while Ted began making his way to the front of the locomotive, adrenaline and bloodlust pumping through his body as he made his way in front of the engine's smokestack. Once the locomotive was close enough, Ted leapt forward and landed on the edge the mine cart, making Percy yelp in fright and press his body against the opposite end of the cart as the sheriff stood before Ted, willing to protect his younger friend however he could.

"Nowhere left to run, fellas! Yer time has come!" Ted snarled with a maniacal leer as he readied his gun and aimed it at the dog and terrified jackrabbit. "Ya gave us one helluva time in chasin' after ya, but you've already signed yer death warrants by takin' our Blood Diamond! But don't you two worry! Least this way, you'll get an early and permanent retirement Sheriff! And you'll be joinin' yer ma and pa soon enough, Percy! Hell, once yer dead, I might just head back to Hindus Valley an' pay a visit ta that grandpa and lil' brother of yours! THEN YOU'LL ALL GET TA BE DEAD TOGETHER!"

"Boss!"

Ted whipped his head around to see Quickshot Vince pointing ahead of them with a look of pure fright that was shared by the rest of Ted's gang. The coyote, along with the sheriff and Percy, turned to see where Vince was pointing and gasped in alarm, as they saw that the track they were on had given out at the edge of a chasm. In spite of his alarm, an idea came to Sheriff Henderson as he threw his weight towards the back of the cart and made it perform a wheelie. This caused Ted to lose his balance and fall backwards, though he was close enough to the locomotive to land on its cattle catcher and not fall onto the railway.

"The brakes! Hit the brakes!"

Longhorn Lou, not wishing to die or displease his boss (which would be just as bad as dying), immediately pulled the lever to apply the brakes, making sparks fly from the wheels as the locomotive began slowing down. Since the mine cart had no such braking mechanism, there was nothing the two mammals riding in it could do to stop it from barreling forward and flying off the broken track.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"

The duo clung onto each other for dear life as they sailed over the chasm, though as luck would have it, they were able to land on another track on the other side and continue forward. The same could not be said for the locomotive, which was too heavy and not moving fast enough to make the jump, so the Rancid Riders were helpless when it carried them over the edge and plunged down into the water below.

The sound of a loud splash felt like a godsend to Percy, who practically melted onto the cart's floor with relief. "Phew!" he remarked with a smile. "Finally! I thought we'd never get rid of those assholes!"

"Don't get too comfortable yet, kid." Sheriff Henderson told him. "We still gotta get outta this mine with the Blood Diamond and make sure my new deputy and Miss Evans are okay."

Seeing the lawman's point, Percy stood up after making sure the Blood Diamond was safe and took a look at their surroundings.

"Now that you mention it, I wonder if Tennessee and Jessica have already made it out of the mine. I sure hope they're holdin' up alright."

"Is there any way to get out of this god-forsaken mine?!"

Tennessee said nothing, yet he shared Jessica's exasperation with how long it was taking them to find a way out of the Flooded Mine. Although they had managed to shake off Weasen and Gold Tooth Tom a couple minutes prior, they still had to find a way out of the mine itself, which was easier said than done since the mine was much larger on the inside. On the plus side, losing their pursuers was enough to calm Jessica's nerves and make her remember how much fun she was having from Tennessee carrying her as he slid down the railway.

"Tennessee! Jessica! Down here!"

The two raccoons looked down to their left from their track to see a familiar dog and jackrabbit grinning up at them from the mine cart they had commandeered.

"There's enough room in here fer two more!" Sheriff Henderson announced. "Ya wanna join us?"

"That's the best offer I had all day! Get ready Jessica!"

Once the she-raccoon gave her nod of approval, Tennessee jumped off the rail he was riding and allowed himself and Jessica to fall into the mine cart that carried their friends. Though briefly dazed by their landing, the raccoons were quickly embraced in a hug by an all-too relieved Percy, and it wasn't long before they were hugging him in return.

Despite the heartwarming sight before him, Sheriff Henderson cleared his throat, announcing, "Don't start celebratin' yet, you three. We still gotta get outta this mine."

"Aw, c'mon Sheriff," scoffed Percy. "We've gotten this far, haven't we? You and I saw the Riders fall into that pit, an' I don't see Weasen or that tubby armadillo that was with him! I've got a feelin' that from this point forward, it's nothin' but smooth sailin'!"

ZAP!

The quartet of mammals screamed in alarm when a blast of electricity struck the back of their cart, and they looked back the track behind him to see Weasen and Gold-Tooth Tom approaching them on their handcar. Weasen, who had fired the blast from his cane's handle, looked as though he had completely run out of patience as his face twisted into a livid snarl and gripped his cane tightly in his gloved hand, eager for the chase to end. Tom also seemed ready to end the pursuit, but this mostly appeared due to how exhausted he was from having to do most of the pumping for the handcar, which left his clothes damp with sweat.

"…Are you fuckin' shittin' me now?!" Percy screamed towards the sky as Sheriff Henderson and Tennessee facepalmed and Jessica ducked down into the cart.

"This is your final warning, boys!" Hollered Weasen as Tom kept pumping the handcar. "Relinquish the Blood Diamond and the girl and I promise your deaths will be swift and painless! This the best offer you have at this time, so you'd better decide soon before it's off the table!"

Tennessee merely raised his middle finger at him, further infuriating the weasel and making him spew a string of profanities, though he was silenced when Percy fired a bolt from his crossbow as a warning shot. Ducking into the cart, Tennessee popped the cylinder of his gun open to see how many shots he had left.

"Dammit!" Frowned Tennessee. "Only three bullets left!"

"Then ya'd better make 'em count!" Percy said as he fired another bolt at their pursuers. Realizing the wooden projectiles weren't as fast as bullets, Weasen knocked the bolt away with his cane before turning to glare at his armadillo henchman.

"You know Thomas, if you wouldn't mind going a bit faster, we could capture them and finally be done with this asinine chase!

"Then…maybe…we should…trade…places!" Panted Tom as he kept on pumping the cart forward.

As their chasers were arguing, Tennessee looked forward and saw that there was a fork in the track ahead of them that went into opposite directions. To the raccoon's pleasure, he could see that the left route had sunlight shining from it, making him realize it was their best bet of escaping the mine.

Putting the cylinder back in its place, Tennessee aimed his gun at a lever that controlled which route the carts would take and fired, making the lever move forward and shift the blades connected to it to the left. As soon as their cart was on the track Tennessee wanted, he fired another bullet at the lever to make the blades switch to the right, which did not please Weasen as his and Tom's handcar veered in the opposite direction.

"Sunlight! Guys, I see sunlight! We're finally gonna get outta here!"

Percy wasn't wrong, as Tennessee could see that there was light at the end of the tunnel they were coasting through, and for the first time since the chase started, the group felt their hopes soar like eagles in the sky. However, as they continued along the mine cart collided with a thick wooden board that stretched from one wall of the tunnel to the other. The collision made the board break and caused the cart to start slowing down, though the animals riding in it were more confused about what they had struck. Pulling a piece of the broken board up to inspect it, Sheriff Henderson saw the wood he held had the word DANGER printed on it in large red letters.

"Danger?" he asked to nobody in particular. "Danger of what?"

The canine would soon get his answer once the mine cart finally came to a stop just as they exited the tunnel. Though briefly blinded by the sunlight after their time spent in the mine, the group was able to adjust their vision to see that they had emerged from the mine into a canyon, and the tunnel they had gone through was built into one of the canyon walls. Looking to his left, Tennessee could see a large yet rickety-looking wooden dam, and he recalled what Rudy and Percy told him about the Flooded Mine's origins, specifically about the dam that was built that led to numerous deaths by drowning.

Turning forward, the raccoon could see an entrance to another tunnel on the other side of the canyon, but since the track they were on didn't lead to that entrance, it was hard to say how they would get there.

What the group did see though, with great discomfort and worry, was that the track they were on led down a hill into the canyon, where it seemed to break off once curving upward at the hill's base. But what got them most concerned was that there was a grove of painful-looking cacti at the bottom of the canyon.

"Well…" Percy began as he nervously glanced at what laid below them, "Now we know what that sign was for."

"There, uh…there sure are a lotta cactuses down there." Gulped Jessica uncomfortably. "Maybe we should find another way down."

"Faster!"

Sheriff Henderson's ears perked at Weasen's voice echoing from within the mine. "There's no time fer that!" He declared "We've gotta find a way down before Weasen catches up to us!"

Quickly looking around, Tennessee noticed that there was a metal cable that ran above them across the canyon and ended near the entrance on the other side of the canyon. A risky idea came to his mind as he turned to his friends and said, "I've got a plan, but I need you all to trust me. Can you all do that?"

They quickly nodded, and Tennessee hurriedly explained his plan to his comrades. Honestly, none of them were enthused about what the raccoon was suggesting, but between the plan and the chance of Weasen catching them, they readily chose the former.

As soon as everyone was ready, Tennessee threw his weight to the front of the cart, making it move forward until it began speeding down the hill. As it went faster and faster, Tennessee stood on the edge of the cart and clutched Jessica's hand as tightly as he could. In turn, the mayor's daughter linked her arm tightly with Sheriff Henderson's while he did the same with Percy, who clutched the Blood Diamond in his free arm.

"I swear to God Tennessee, if your plan gets us killed, I'm gonna stick my lucky foot up yer ass in the afterlife!" The Jackrabbit thought to himself as the cart rushed up towards the end of the track.

Time seemed to slow down for the group as their cart literally flew off the rails, none of them daring to look down at what laid beneath them. Once the cart was high enough, Tennessee jumped, dragging his friends into the air with him as he held his gun by the barrel and stretched his arm as far as he could.

Fortune was on the raccoon's side as he managed to loop the golden hook of his firearm around the cable, and it wasn't long before two raccoons, bloodhound, and jackrabbit were ziplining down towards the other end of the canyon, the three Hindus Valley residents screaming all the way.

The short ride over the canyon ended with the group ungracefully landing near the opening of the other entrance. Shakily sitting up, the quartet glanced at one another, stunned about what they had just experienced.

"We made it…" Percy whispered as a smile made his way onto his face. "I don't believe it! We made it!"

"Thank God!" Jessica sighed as Tennessee helped her to her feet. "I don't know about any of you boys, but I think I've had just enough crazy chases through mines for one lifetime."

"I'll say," grunted Sheriff Henderson. "I'll never be able to look at a mine cart again after this day. But I suppose we should give credit to Deputy Cooper for his little plan, batshit insane as it was."

"MOTHER OF SHIT! THE BRAKE! PULL THE BRAKE, TOM!"

The foursome turned their heads to see Weasen and Gold Tooth Tom speeding down the hill towards the cactus grove, the armadillo pulling the brake lever on their handcar to make it lose speed. Sparks flied from the wheels as the handcar came to a stop just shy of where the track ended, much to Tom and Weasen's relief and the disappointment of the animals they had been chasing.

"Well, that was certainly a close shave, wasn't it?" Weasen asked a still- panting Tom.

Sadly for Weasen, fate proved to have a twisted sense of humor when a mine cart emerged from the tunnel behind them carrying a pair of horned lizard henchman. Seeing what laid before them made the reptiles panic and climb out of the back of the cart, which caused it to move forward and start speeding down the hill. Weasen and Tom could only watch as the cart grew closer, both of them knowing what was coming for them.

"Oh fuck," Weasen deadpanned.

The cart collided with the handcar, sending it and its riders flying off the rails and into the cactus grove below, though Tom was able to curl up into his shell before landing in the spiky plants, sparing himself a very painful landing. Weasen however had no such protection as he landed headfirst into the grove.

"YYYYEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW!"

Weasen leapt upwards out of the grove, clutching his backside as he screamed in pain from the cactus needles piercing his skin. Tennessee's group burst out laughing at this, all too pleased to see the fiend who caused them so much grief throughout the day finally getting some comeuppance. It wasn't long before the weasel stumbled out of the cactus patch, grimacing in pain and outrage of his humiliation. Seconds later, Gold-Tooth Tom emerged in suit, curling out of his shell and in much better shape than his boss since his armor let him roll out of the cacti unscathed.

"Well, that was just fantastic," Tom grumbled irritably as he dusted the needles off his body. As he ran a hand over his head, he realized he was missing something. "Oh dammit, my hat is still in there!"

"Fuck your hat!" Weasen snapped lividly as he glared up at the raccoon who had caused his humiliation. "We can't let our bargaining chips escape!"

"Say Weasen!" Laughed Tennessee down at his pursuer. "I love that look for ya! Maybe instead of goin' around doin' magic tricks, ya could show yerself off at the world's ugliest pincushion!"

"You meddlesome, motherfucking, ring-tailed miscreant!" Roared Weasen as his chasees continued to laugh. "You've meddled my affairs for the first and last time! Why do you even run?! Why not come down here and face me like a man?! At least prove to me that you can use that gun of yours!"

As the group's laughter began dying down, a new sound alerted everyone to a boarded up tunnel which someone was attempting to escape from. Seconds later, Iron-Horn Lou burst out of the tunnel horns-first, snorting heavily as his cohorts followed him outside. The sight of his parents' killers, who were sopping wet and downright livid, made Percy's face fall in dread as he cried, "Oh crap, it's the Riders! We've gotta get the hell outta here now!"

Tennessee however didn't hear him as he popped open the cylinder of his gun, seeing that he still had one bullet left. He then noticed that there was an open box full of dynamite sticks on the ground near him before glancing back at the worn-out-looking dam. Finally, he saw that there was an empty barrel a couple feet away from him that had the lid leaning against it.

An idea came to the raccoon as a smirk of inspiration spread across his face before he reached down and picked up a stick of dynamite.

"Tennessee, what are ya standin' around for?! We've gotta get movin' now!"

Looking to see that his friends had already gone further into the tunnel, Tennessee responded, "Actually Percy, you three go on ahead, I'm gonna try holdin' them off for ya!"

"What?! But what about-"

"Look, don't worry about me!" He interrupted as he placed the dynamite stick in his gun holster. "What's most important is Jessica and the Blood Diamond gettin' back ta Hindus Valley! I promise I'll see ya back there!"

Not waiting to see the reactions of his comrades, Tennessee walked over to the cliff's edge and announced, "Ya know what, Weasen? Yer Right! Maybe it is time I come and face ya like a man! I'll be down there with ya in no time!"

Before anyone could think, Tennessee pushed the empty barrel onto its side before kicking it onto a steep hill next to the cliff he stood on, watching it roll down into the canyon below him. He then jumped onto the hill and slid down as well, using his gun's golden hook to slow his fall. Upon reaching the bottom of the hill, he leapt upwards and did a midair flip before landing on his feet. Getting his bearings, Tennessee could see a smirking Weasen and an impressed Gold-Tooth Tom standing several feet in front of him while the Rancid Riders stood off to his left, weapons raised and ready to kill at a moment's notice.

"So ya finally decided ta face us like a man, eh Cooper?" Blood Red Ted began with a malevolent grin. "Not sure if that makes ya brave or just plain-ass stupid, but I appreciate ya makin' it easier fer us ta kill ya. Kinda a pity though, ya sure gave us a helluva time chasin' ya down, but I suppose makin' us work extra hard to put a bullet in ya will make it all the more satisfyin' to kill ya."

"Well, what can I say?" Tennessee remarked with a friendly smile. "Tennessee Kid Cooper's not an easy man to bring down. I've pissed off quite a lotta people in my time, you all are just the newest names on a long-ass list."

"Well, sadly for you, you won't be able to live to put any more names on that list." Weasen declared smugly. "It's good that you decided to face us like a man rather than run away like a boy, but as you can see, you are both outgunned and outnumbered. So I ask you, Mister Cooper: before you're sent into the next world, do you have any last requests?"

Despite seeing that he had numerous firearms pointed at him when he only had one bullet left in his gun, a sly smirk stretched across Tennessee's lips.

"Well, now that ya mention it," answered Tennessee slowly, "all that chasin' around in the mine's made me a little thirsty. Anyone else feelin' parched?"

Weasen raised a confused eyebrow at the question, Tom gave an uncertain shrug, and the Riders could only look at each other in confusion.

"Well, I don't know about any of you, but I could go fer some water," the raccoon continued as he slowly reached for his holster. "And fortunately, I know just where to get some, AND PLENTY OF IT!"

In the blink of an eye, Tennessee seized the dynamite stick and threw it into the air with all his might. His foes could only watch as it sailed over Weasen and Tom's heads and get closer and closer to the old dam above them. Once it was close enough, Tennessee aimed his gun and fired his final bullet, which struck the dynamite stick and caused it to explode. The force of the explosion combined with the dam's old age led to just what Tennessee had hoped for as the dam began to crack and crumble, getting closer to burst by the second.

Taking advantage of his aggressors gaping in horror, Tennessee dashed back over to the barrel and stood it upright, taunting, "Sorry about that fellas! Sure hope ya'll know how ta swim!"

The dam finally burst, a colossal wave of water coming down as Tennessee hopped into the barrel and crouched down inside. Snapping out of his stupor, Ted turned towards his gang and screamed, "Run for it boys! Back in the tunnel!"

While the Rancid Riders rushed back into the tunnel they had emerged from, Tom hastily curled into his shell to avoid the watery onslaught that approached him. Weasen, who was nowhere near the tunnel and had nothing to protect himself with, could only stand as the wave rushed closer and closer and screamed, "THAT MOTHERFU-"

He was unable to finish his sentence as the wave struck him full force, washing him and everything and everyone at the bottom of the canyon away in a high-speed current, the canyon flooding with water for the first time in years since the establishment of the Flooded Fine.

Sometime later, a couple of miles down the canyon, a sopping wet, badly injured, and fuming Weasen managed to pull himself out of the river by grabbing onto a nearby log, heaving himself back onto dry land and collapsing to his knees in exhaustion and frustration. Tom, who had uncurled himself and was floating on his shell with his recovered hat laid on his chest, followed his boss's lead and made his way back onto dry land after climbing onto the same log.

"Well, that was a highly unfortunate turn of events," He commented as he dusted himself off. A pleased smirk then came to his face as he inspected his hat and remarked, "But at least I have my hat back, so there's some consolation here."

Weasen said nothing as he remained on his knees, trembling in rage as he thought of the interlopers who put him in his current situation, specifically the smug, devil-may-care raccoon that escaped with both his bargaining chips, made him fall into a cactus patch, and nearly got him drowned.

"You boys have a nice swim?"

The weasel and armadillo looked to see the Rancid Riders mounted on their horses in front of them, Ted's expression unreadable as he dismounted and walked over to the duo. Tom immediately became anxious as he recalled they had lost the diamond they had promised the Riders in exchange for their services.

"N-now, Ted," Tom began nervously as the coyote stopped before him, "I'll be the first to admit that losing the Blood Diamond was a major misstep in our plan, but I can promise you that-"

Tom ceased his fearful rambling when Ted let out a good-natured chuckle, a smile gracing is lips as he said, "Ya know what? Don't you worry 'bout that, shortstuff. Even if the Blood Diamond's gone now, we can still steal it back later now that we know it's goin' back ta Hindus Valley."

"Y-you mean you're not upset that they escaped with the diamond?"

"Nah, I've enjoyed myself too much today with that chase in the mine ta stay mad at ya. I oghtta give ya'll credit fer givin' me a new set of targets ta go after. So me and my gang are still in, but we want more than just the Blood Diamond now."

"What is it that you want?" Asked Weasen as he got to his feet.

"First, I want the Blood Daimond. Second, if this little takeover of Hindus Valley yer planin' works out, I want us ta be allowed ta do whatever the hell we want once yer in charge. And lastly…"

Weasen and Tom leaned forward as a grin of bloodlust stretched across Ted's face.

"If I get the chance, I wanna be the one ta finish off both Tennessee Kid Cooper and Rudy Wilcox."