Chapter 4
That morning Tennessee woke up when he heard the sounds of a commotion coming from outside. He sat up in his bed, noticing Clara began to stir from her sleep when he did this. He laid his hand on her shoulder, telling her that he was going to check it out and for her to get more rest. He got out of bed, putting back on his orange shirt, black vest, belt, boots, and hat. He needed to see what the commotion was about. He grabbed his revolver off of the table and left the hideout. Once outside he ran over to a telegraph pole line where he scaled up it and perched on it so he could get a good view. He discovered the commotion was actually an angry crowd. Men and woman yelled in rage as they gathered around one person. Tennessee moved closer to get a better view, seeing that the person the crowd was gathering around was an amber female buffalo that wore Indian clothing, it was none other than Strongheart.
"Please you have to believe me!" Strongheart pleaded.
"Why should we believe ya? You're just one of them there trouble making buffalo!" one person yelled.
"If you all don't believe me then my people will end up attacking you. I'm telling you that you have to refuse to fight and convince them they have been tricked. They won't believe me so you're my only hope!" the female buffalo replied in a pleading tone.
"Ha I bet ya'll just trying to trick us into lowering our guard!" another person yelled.
"No that's not it, you're all giving what that female skunk wants! You're all making a mistake!" she said.
No matter how much Strongheart pleaded, no one would believe her. The town's people began preparing for the rival of the Indians.
Tennessee crossed his arms and sighed; he couldn't believe how ignorant people can be at time. He saw the female buffalo stare down at the ground in defeat. Quietly to make sure no one spotted him, he made his way over to Strongheart and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her into the shadows. Before she could say anything the male raccoon placed his hand over her mouth, quietly shushing her so they wouldn't get caught.
"I heard what ya told those people and I believe you." he whispered.
Strongheart's eyes widen in shock; she had never imagined after the scene she had just witnessed from the town's people that there would actually be someone that would believe her.
"Come on, you can explain to me more back at the hideout. But you'll have to wait outside a few moments before going inside." he said.
Strongheart nodded before following the male raccoon back to the clock tower.
Tennessee had her wait outside before going in to wake up Clara and have her dress. It didn't take long for the female raccoon to get fully clothed again so the female buffalo could enter the hideout.
Strongheart looked around in wonder at the inside of the large clock tower, her blue eyes studying very detail of her surroundings. She hadn't seen anything like that before due to living in the Indian village her whole life. Silently sat down at the small table, her body shifting a bit because she wasn't use to sitting in a chair. With a sigh she began telling Tennessee Kid and Clara about how Jeanette came to her village and told the Indians the town was going to attack them to steal their land. She explained how she tried to convince the chief that Jeanette had lied to them and they were allowing themselves to fall for her tricks, but no one bothered to listen to her.
"Jeanette Le Paradox, you mean that smelly skunk that's always causing trouble. If she's behind this then she has to be playing at some sort of angle.' Tennessee said.
Clara nodded her head in agreement, remembering how the female skunk had taken her as a hostage in an attempt to try to complete the heist. She remembered about during her short time of being a hostage how Jeanette had the tendency to manipulate others to her will through her lies, always promising someone something but in the end betraying their trust.
"How soon do you think your people will be here Miss Strongheart?" Tennessee asked.
"Soon, my people travel very quickly. They will arrive in large numbers and be ready for a fight to the death." the female buffalo replied.
"Well I can't convince the town's people to not fight since they won't believe me, so that leaves only one option. I'll gather up a team to help me pull a heist on the bank Jeanette is targeted. The skunk will get so steamed you could cook eggs on her head if we steal from the place she wanting to steal from. Now I'll need some muscle and brains for the job." the male raccoon said.
Strongheart stood up, placing her hands firmly down on the table top. Her blue eyes looking stern.
"This plan may not stop the fight I dreaded, but at least it will stop that skunk from being satisfied. I shall help you, I will be your muscle. I may not look strong but I inherited my father's strength." the female buffalo said.
"Is your father the chief?" Clara asked.
Strongheart shook her head before replying "No, my father was a bison with fur as red as fire and eyes blue as the sky, I never met him, but that my mother always described him like that. He died in an avalanche after he traveled north."
"So exactly strong are ya?" Tennessee asked.
"When I was younger I managed to easily take down the other boys, I'm even strong enough to carry heavy logs." she replied.
The male raccoon nodded his head in understanding. He considered the female buffalo to be strong enough to complete the job, meaning all that was left was the brains for the job and Tennessee knew just the person.
Meanwhile at the town's saloon there was a male white mouse wearing a white shirt, blue vest, black pants, and small circular glasses. The mouse sighed in frustration as he slowly cleaned one of the beer glasses with his white rag, waiting for a customer to show up and demand for beer. His ears twitched when he heard the sound of the saloon doors swinging open; he kept his back turned toward the customer as he continued to clean the beer glass.
"What'll it be sir?" the mouse asked.
"Ah shucks ya should know why I'm here Noir." a male voice said.
The mouse named Noir nearly dropped the glass he was cleaning when he heard the voice. He turned around to see Tennessee Kid Cooper sitting at the bar with a smirk. Noir quickly sat down the beer glass and looked around the saloon to make sure there were no law men around.
"Tennessee why are ya here? Ya know nobody's supposed to know I helped ya with the train robbery." the male mouse said in a hushed tone.
"I know, but I need your help. We're going to pull a heist on the town bank and you're the only one that's got the brains who would be able to open the vault faster than me." the male raccoon replied.
Noir bit his lip nervously; he had always been afraid that if he goes on a heist that everyone would discover that he'd help Tennessee in previous heists.
Tennessee explained to the male mouse that the only reason he was going to rob the bank was to prevent Jeanette from pulling getting the money.
Noir cringed at the name of Jeanette, in the past even he had fallen for her manipulative ways. She had came into the saloon one day and flirted with him, saying that she needed someone smart for a special job which like with all the men she promised a very special reward from her. Noir had helped her the with heist just like he wanted but the only reward he got was a cold jail cell since Jeanette had him take the fall for her. It took him months to rebuild his life after what Jeanette had done to him.
"I only hope none of my descendants will ever make the same mistake I did." he thought to himself.
After a few moments in thought Noir agreed to help Tennessee with the heist; he figured it might be the best way to get back at Jeanette Le Paradox for destroying his life.
Tennessee grinned at the fact Noir had agreed to help. He knew with Noir's brains and Strongheart's strength combined with his thieving techniques that they were definitely able to pull off the heist.
The town's people kept a tight grasp on their guns as they stared upon the horizon, awaiting the upcoming battle. They narrowed their eyes when they saw the Indians began to approach. The Indians all wore war-paint upon their faces, some had their bows and arrows drawn, others had their guns loaded and ready to fire. Chief Thunderhooves stood in front of the Indians, staring down at the small town in anger, silently he raised one of his arms and gave the signal to attack. The Indians let out their battle cries as they began to charge forward, firing both their gun and arrows. The town's people cried out a battle cry as well as they began firing their guns at the Indians. The sound of gunfire filled the air, people's screams of anguish engulfed the area, bodies fell to the ground that were either injured or dead. Rage filled Chief Thunderhooves' eyes as he continued to charge forward, determined to wipe out all of the town's residents. The numbers of the injured and dead grew larger and larger, both sides determined to win the battle.
Strongheart tried to block out the sounds of the battle that filled the air; she no longer felt guilty about the battle she once dreaded. She had talked to both sides, pleaded for them to listen to her, but now she sees them as fools for letting their pride blind their judgment. She ran to the doors of the bank that were boarded up before the big battle. She reared one her legs back before smashing it into the wooden planks making them crack upon contact. She kept bashing her leg against the planks with all her might, not once slowing down. Finally with one last kick the planks one the door shatter, allowing access to the bank's entrance. Strongheart placed her hands on her hips, admiring the handiwork she had done with her strength, proving she did indeed have her father's strength. She turned around and waved her arms in the air, signaling that she had gotten the bank door open. It didn't take long for Tennessee and Noir to run up to the female buffalo.
"Whew, Miss Strongheart, ya made work of that door quicker than a jackolope with his tail on fire." Tennessee commented.
"Save the compliments for later, Tennessee, we still got to rob this bank before Jeanette shows up!" Noir said.
The male raccoon nodded his head in understanding and quickly opened up the front door to the bank. The trio quickly rushed in, remembering each of their parts.
Strongheart stood in front of the front door, ready to fight anyone that ends up entering the bank.
Noir ran up to the vault door and he cracked his knuckles before placing his hand on the dial, his mind quickly began cracking the vault.
Tennessee crawled up to a window and perched up it's sill. He quickly loaded his gun; a surge of adrenaline rushing through his body when he heard the clicks of his gun. He kept his brown eyes focused as he lifted up the gun and pressed his finger against the trigger. His finger twitched a few times due to the fact he was already eager to fire the gun but he resisted the urge, knowing it would give away their position.
Sweat dripped down Noir's forehead as he continued twisting and turning the vault's dial at top speeds. Finally his eyes widen when he heard a loud click. The male mouse pulled on the vault's door handle, grinning in success when he saw the large metal door open up.
"I got the vault open!" Noir proclaimed.
Tennessee nodded and had Strongheart help Noir carry the money to the wagon where Clara was waiting while he kept an eye out for Jeanette. As he waited for the female skunk to show herself, his eyes glanced at the battle still taking place at the town. He studied the blood that covered the ground, other people mourning the loss of their loved ones. He wished he could have done something to stop it, but he knew that wouldn't believe him and the fact Jeanette was too sneaky that she had never been caught in her web of lies. Finally the one he had been waiting for arrived, he watched as Jeanette approached the bank with her men. The male raccoon was sickened at the fact the female skunk was grinning about the battle that was happening. She had caused it with her twisted lives and now she's responsible for all the people that are killed and injured. Tennessee resisted the urge to laugh when he saw Jeanette's smile turn into a horrified expression when she saw that someone had beaten her to the bank.
"What how?! Who could have possibly robbed the bank before me?!" she exclaimed.
Her eyes glanced upward to see the certain male raccoon smirking out her. Rage begin filling her instantly; she had gone through so much trouble to plan the heist to finally prove that Le Paradox Clan was the greatest thieves and now the very member of the clan that her clan is rivals with had beaten her to the punch. Jeanette was in so much rage that Tennessee could almost swear that her face was started to turn redder than her necklace.
"Don't just stand there ya idiots! Shoot him!" she screamed in anger.
The coyotes and longhorns quickly pulled out their guns and began firing at the male raccoon. Tennessee tilted his hat down before jumping down from the window sill, dodging the bullets from the guns being fired at him. Once he was on the ground he used his Crack Shot technique to quickly take out five of the longhorns.
Jeanette yelped in fear when she felt the bullets whizzing past her body, narrowly missing her. Her fear was replaced with anger when she saw only a few coyotes were left.
"You want something done right, then do it yourself." she snarled as she pulled at her two guns.
She yelled in rage as she started rapidly firing her two guns at Tennessee, trying to do everything in her power to kill the male raccoon. At first she didn't want to kill her rival but with her anger combined with the painful memories of her past began fuelling her. Her hands tightened around the guns as she remembered the long black whip slapping down on her back; her cries and screams for the whipping to stop as blood poured done her back, the more she had begged the harder the whip come down. At first she found it hard to believe her father was willing to whip his only child, but now she understood he was trying to toughen her up, make her heart as solid as his, blocking out all feelings.
Tennessee noticed the female skunk's focused look as he continued to dodge the bullets coming from her guns; he knew that she wanted him dead. With one last dodge he ran up to Jeanette and whacked his gun against her head, knocking her to the ground. Seizing the opportunity Tennessee pinned the female skunk to the ground with his body, using one hand he pinned her arms above her head and using the other he knocked away her guns.
"Get off of me! Let me go!" Jeanette screamed in rage as she struggled underneath the male raccoon's body.
"I don't get this. Why do you keep doing this Jeanette?" Tennessee asked, forcing his grip down harder on the female skunk's wrists.
"I don't need to tell ya!" she spat with venom dripping off of her words, "Ya should know by now, it has been happening ever since the beginning!"
Before Tennessee could get anymore answers Jeanette got one her arms lose and punched the male raccoon in the face, causing him to lose his grip on her which allowed her to shove him off her body. She tried to reach for her guns to seize the chance to kill Tennessee but she saw a foot stepped on her guns. She looked up to see that foot belonged to Strongheart. The female skunk cowered in fear when she saw the angry female buffalo. Without any other option she quickly ran away out of fear.
Strongheart grinned in victory that she managed to chase off the female skunk she despised as she helped Tennessee up off the ground.
"Whew that was closer than a five dollar shave. I reckon I outta thank ya, Miss Strongheart." Tennessee said as he shook the female buffalo's hand.
"Anything to help out an ally." she replied.
They both turned their heads when they heard the sound of gunfire dying down. The Indians had retreasted due to the fact their numbers kept growing smaller. The town's people looked around at the result of their battle, grief filling their hearts when they found themselves surrounded by death, realizing they could have avoided it if they had listen to Strongheart's advice.
"So will ya be returning home now Miss Strongheart?" Tennessee asked.
The female buffalo shook her head before replying "Because of the chief's ignorant pride many of my mother's people are now dead. They are no longer my people, but neither is this town. You Tennessee Kid Cooper, along with Clara and Noir are now my people."
Tennessee tilted his hat, deciding to honor Strongheart's wishes to stay with them; he knew that meant she was accepting the life of an outlaw, but it was her choice and not his. So the gang headed back to the hideout, pleased with the heist they managed to pull.