Peter followed the river back to the pool and returned to the camp site to find the once roaring fire had snuffed down to a pit of red embers. The ground was trampled with hoof prints all clustered together. Peter dismounted Storm and walked along the tracks although he didn't know why, he couldn't track by tracks. "Trust your instincts" he sighed remembering what the old man told him "wise words accepts my instincts keep telling me I want to go home!"
Frustrated and distraught Peter dropped onto a fallen tree just on the edge of the camp his thoughts swirling around rescuing his friends, it wasn't long before his head started to feel like it was pounding closing his eyes Peter tried massaging his temples and it slowly worked the pain began to slowly subside and images of the camp soon took place following a trail into a small town with a sign reading Knoxville and a jailhouse where he saw an imprisoned Colt trying to reach for a set of hanging keys. Peter's eyes quickly sprang open and the shock caused him to fall over to the ground "I found them!" he shouted "I don't know how but I did. Hang guys I'm coming" Peter quickly jumped onto Storm and sped away following the trail of his vision "at some point I'll have to look into how that was even possible"
Storm raced at thundering speeds across the plains Peter still had no idea of how he was going to save his friends since if he walked into Knoxville and the general or his goons saw him the town would most likely erupt in a storm of gun fire and spoil the element of surprise.
Meanwhile in Knoxville jail house the deputy was passed out at his desk with a half-eaten bun and cold plate of beans in front of him and a bottle of whisky wrapped in his arms. Leaving Colt plenty of opportunity to try and reach the spare keys hanging just around the support beam on a hook dangling just a hairs length out of his reach "come on just a little farther" he groaned straining his arm even more "remind me again why I'm stretching my arm out here when James has extending claws!" he growled.
"Because you stuck your arm through the bars and started grasping at the keys" Rawhide replied
James and Laura snickered and snorted at the blank stare on Colts face as Rawhides words sunk in "shut up!" he snapped "James get the damn keys!" he ordered.
"wouldn't do any good Colt that's the dummy pair sheriffs leave them close by to amuse themselves at the dumb criminals who try to escape" James told him.
"And you didn't stop me from trying to reach them!" Colt shrieked yanking his arm back through the bars.
"You heard me say it was amusing right?"
"Oh god I'm going to shoot you when we get out"
"Wonder how Sasha and Marek are holding out?" Laura asked.
Marek was left in the stable next to the inn shackled inside a pen isolated from the outside awaiting general Stewart and his execution. But in his solitude he found time with his thoughts precisely the day his oldest brother died.
It was a normal day on the Parker ranch Marek was just finished with his afternoon chores and was ready to go out back and hit the range. He loved the farm life but Marek always intended a life as Ranger like his father and his uncle before him. So there he was firing at cans fine tuning his draw speed and accuracy getting considerably better each time when an older teenager started towards him he was taller and broader than Marek "you're still firing before the barrel levels out Marek, remember when you fire from the hip the barrel should line up alongside your hip bone" the older one said helping Marek angle his revolver properly.
"Thanks Billy" Marek replied "hey Billy how come you didn't join up? You've got the fastest hands in northern Texas and you're the best shot in 3 counties" he asked.
Billy looked at his eager little brother and saw a familiar hopeful glint in his eyes of course that was before he was called to duty and saw the horrors of war and blood shed despite living on the farm the brothers were raised in New York after moving there with their mother after their father died where Billy was drafted and fought against the confederacy. "when I was your age Marek all I wanted to do was join the Rangers and make dad proud, but after seeing all that blood and carnage in the war…I can't hold a gun without seeing flashes of those horrors and I like being a farmer, living with that iron on your belt is just a death wish" Billy told him with a sincere smile "but I'll support you and whatever you choose Marek…every man needs to find his own path"
Time flashed forward ahead and an older Marek was now riding up to the family ranch his uncle passed away months ago, a funeral he regrettably missed because he was down in New Orleans retrieving a wanted marshal killer. His Aunt June was just hanging out the laundry while Miles was chopping wood and Billy was returning from tending to the cattle "well look what rode in an ass on a horse" Billy laughed.
"You laugh now but I promise by breakfast you'll be asking this ass for help" Marek laughed dismounting his horse.
"Whatever you say Ranger boy, how was New Orleans?" Billy asked
"It was good, and oh yeah I bested rattle snake Jake" Marek boasted.
"The marshal killer impressive thought he was the fastest gun around?"
"There's always someone faster. But when I was down there I found myself on a plantation…I've never wanted to shoot someone so badly in my life this creep was beating on some helpless slave girl…"
Billy heard his brothers tone change and knew there was something off about it "Marek what did you do?"
"I blew the bastards ear off pissed off the confederate master to no end, also I think he was some kind of officer in the confederate army…Officer Stewart?"
"General Stewart?" Billy blurted.
"Yeah that's him. You know him?"
"I killed his son during the war…he didn't see you did he?" asked a now worrying Billy.
"No I was wearing a mask, also brought his daughter home she's in town at the inn"
"You stupid bastard you've doomed us!" Miles shouted "those confederate guys are like blood hounds they'll hunt you down until you're dead! I'm not dying because of you!"
In a turn of unusual event Miles cracked and pulled Marek's rifle from his saddle the first bullet tore through Marek's side dropping him into the dirt Billy went to intervene between his brothers only to have Miles turn on him to another gunshot filled the air. His brothers lied at his feet their blood soaking the dirt under them Miles dropped the rifle and looked to the house his Aunt June stared in horror. Miles was now and forever would be on his own, stealing his little brothers gun belt and horse Miles rode off leaving Marek to try and crawl to his big brothers aid but as his blood ran so did his strength fading to black unable to help his brother.
Days later Marek awoke in the clinic next to a young Sasha and the county sheriff with his face on a wanted bill delivered from New Orleans and so became the story of Black Mask Marek.
"Sorry Billy looks like you won't find peace after all" Marek sighed "come on kid hurry the hell up"
While Marek was left alone Sasha was guarded by two of her father's men one sat by the door and the other by the window covering her only exits. Sasha was trapped and short of stealing a gun and shooting her way out she would stay that way. "might as well relax young lady there's no way out for you and even if you did get by us your father arranged every floor and balcony be watched" one of her guards scoffed.
"I really can't wait to see how this plays out and where you jackasses and my father all end up…besides at the end of a rope" Sasha retorted
"Not a very nice tone for a young lady to speak of her father"
"My father can rot in hell" Sasha snarled.
"I wonder if the good general would mind me playing with his spirited daughter" the other one snickered.
Sasha grabbed a hold of the candle stick on her night stand if one of these creeps made one advance on her she would bash their skulls in.
Peter and Storm raced across the terrain arriving 2 miles short of Knoxville where he came across a group of traveling entertainers and a small church group. As Peter trotted up to the group he felt the uneasy presence of being watched by dozens of eyes until a petite young blond haired nun approached him "excuse me kind sir our wagon was damaged could you help us?" she asked. Peter being the guy he was could never turn away a women in need so he dismounted his horse and followed the nun to her wagon the wheel had fallen off. "Father David this kind young man has offered to help us" the nun said to the priest
The priest then rose to his full height and turned to Peter only to see a scrawny young kid "I asked the lord to send us help and instead he sent a scrawny whelp" he scoffed "sorry sister Sarah this boy will not be of help"
Peter quirked an eyebrow at the name of the nun and was mentally kicking himself (Chibi Spidey soccer kicked himself into a back flip landing flat on his back "that's actually harder than you'd think") "Sister Sarah?" he asked bringing the nuns attention back to him with a curious look about her
"Yes young man" she replied.
"Sorry but I think we've met before just outside D.C" Peter replied pulling his bandana from his face causing the nuns face to light up she recognised Peter
"You're the boy who saved the children from the burning church" she quickly pulled Peter into a tight hug "thank you we didn't get a chance to say it before"
"Don't mention it" Peter replied "here father I'll help you" with ease Peter lifted the wagon from the ground catching the priest and the entertainers all by surprise.
"What are you?" the priest gasped jumping backwards away from Peter in fear "some kind of demon!"
"Again with the demon remarks" Peter sighed stretching his hand out and grabbing the wheel before fitting back on the axle lowering the wagon.
A metallic click caught Peter's attention a familiar chill set in as he turned around to face the priest pointing a gun in his face "seriously dude a priest with a gun that sounds like a bad punch line to a terrible joke" he jested. The priest seemed to take offence to Peter's slang because he put the barrel to his forehead the cold barrel pressed against his skin "yeah the man of god is going to kill me, I thought these guys were all about thou shan't kill and what not"
Sister Sarah quickly stepped forward and gently pushed the priest back "father David this is the young man from Washington who saved the children from the church fire" she explained "David put the gun down" Sarah pleaded.
Peter glanced from Father David to Knoxville slowly working out a plan, it wasn't a good plan "please forgive me for this". "Hey uh father what size of robe do you wear?" he asked "and how wide is that collar?" before the priest could answer Peter drew his gun on him "I'm afraid I'm going to need them"
David and Sarah froze in shock staring at Peter in disbelief "to rob a servant of the lord is robbing the lord himself" David protested handing Peter his robe and clerical collar "you will be punished for your sins"
"Yeah, yeah god and his keys to the lightning cabinet I went to Sunday school. I'm sorry but I have to save my friends" Peter replied as he threw on the robe and collar "so shot in the dark here I won't get an invite to the church picnic?" he stared into the angry faces around him "right well thank you and bye bye" Peter blurted before racing back to storm and riding for Knoxville.
"So I robbed a priest…yep I'm going to hell"
Peter was now dressed like priest but kept his regular clothes and gun belt on as he rode into Knoxville he saw men with rifles walking across roof tops and balconies. Mainly surrounding the stable and the inn, but the jail house remained unguarded and since he was dressed like priest Peter figured he could walk in without too much trouble. He tied Storm to a post and swiftly made his way to the door the deputy was still asleep in his chair while the majority of his team was locked up in the cell. "Ok here we go" he told himself pushing the door open to anyone who'd never seen Peter's face he looked like a simple teenage priest but as he walked in all eyes in the cell turned to him.
"Peter! You're alive!" Rawhide exclaimed as he jumped off the bench
"Alright payback time" Colt cheered "get the keys from Deputy to drunk over there and get us out"
"Seriously no one's going to say please get us out?" asked a sarcastic Peter "fine then I'll come back later when one of learns some manners" he joked.
"Just get the damn keys!" James ordered
Peter walked over to the deputy gently slid the drawer open and began rummaging for the cell keys "and I thought my desk at home was cluttered" Peter continued sifting through the drawers but there was still no sign of the keys and because Peter was so focused on finding the keys he didn't notice the deputy began slowly and groggily awaking behind him.
"Huh wha…hey what are you doing!" the deputy shouted drawing his pistol on Peter "since when does a priest try to steal?" He growled.
Peter slowly rose to his feet with his hands in the air he needed to be delicate and tact when handling this situation he was after all posing as a priest "eh what the hell I've robbed a priest, posed as one might as well be a bad one" Peter quickly spun on his heels and clocked the deputy hard with his right fist. He was out before he hit the floor revealing the keys fastened to his belt.
"So…why a priest?" Laura asked as she and the others walked free "really you do not wear the cloth well should go back to red coloured clothes" she told him
"Ahaha bite me" Peter deadpanned.
"Excuse me Mr. Snips" Laura replied.
While Peter and Laura bickered like school children James, Colt and Rawhide collected their gear and locked the deputy in the cell they now only had to rescue Sasha and Marek and they could resume their pursuit of Shade. Colt poked his head to the window trying to work out a plan but with guards and guns everywhere busting out guns blazing was a bad idea "does anybody have a plan?" he asked.
"split up and shoot' em all" James suggested
"A plan where we don't get shot again" Laura added.
"Splitting up could work though some of us get the boss the others rescue Sasha" Rawhide said
"Oh good we have a plan and here I thought I was just going to have to make it up on the fly" Peter chuckled.
Laura and Rawhide snuck out the back while Peter crawled out the window to the roof Colt and James sat and waited for Peter's signal. Once on the jail house roof Peter reverted to his stealth capabilities picking off Stewarts men one by one pulling them from their perches and knocking them out and hiding their bodies in wagons, side alleys and even dropped a couple in the pig pen.
Colt and James now sprinted across the road into the saloon below the inn which was full of miners, prospectors and General Stewarts men with the general. The saloon quickly fell silent with all eyes focused on them "howdy general you're a dead man as promised" Colt manically chuckled pointing his pistol center at the general with every intent to pull the trigger
"Bryan hand over the girl before the kid puts a hole in your head" James ordered.
General Stewart however was uncommonly calm and took a swig from his glass and lit a cigar "well now ain't this a pickle the escaped kid Colt has me dead to rights how frightening ha-ha. Oh wait that's right there's a 1000 dollar bounty on him… dead or alive" the general finished "how fast are you boy, can you beat all 22 of these fine gentlemen with a simple 6 shooter?" he smugly asked blowing a puff of smoke over his table "because I don't think so…kill hi…" before the General could finish his order both of Sasha's guards fell from the upper levels and crashed onto their table throwing their drinks, smokes, cards and money across the room. A very edgy calm sunk in as all eyes began shifting to one another until another voice broke the silence
"get the money!" the sound of 40 sum chairs scrapping against the wood floor filled the saloon and one large brawl broke out bottles shattered, tables splintered Colt saw a small glimpse of red race down the stairs with Sasha "time to go boys" Peter blurted.
"Hey guys what kept you?" Sasha asked
The four young heroes raced next door to the stable where Marek was freed by Rawhide and Laura "you're late Peter" Marek laughed as he rubbed the red marks from his shackles but Peter didn't quip back instead he and Colt grabbed the stable doors and forced them shut.
"We've got a fight coming our way!" Colt yelled as both he and Peter started barricading the doors but not before catching sight of a giant crank gun on wheels "they have a Gatling gun" he gulped.
"oh great" Rawhide pouted "so a dozen 6 shooters against a small army with a Gatling gun…well I had a good run how about you guys?"
"I'm not dying yet!" Marek snapped "Colt can shoot out a sparrow's eye in midflight at 200 yards, Peter can dodge bullets and James can't die not to mention Bart your hands are faster than unchained lightening. I say we fight to our last breath!"
"Hell yeah! Let them come!" Colt ferociously agreed drawing his pistol I'm going high to the upper window"
Colt went high Peter, James, Marek and Rawhide took cover on opposing sides covering the door leaving the girls to find another exit. The main door was locked and barricaded by barrels and fence posts, the stable was stuffy and humid with sun beating down on the roof the heat only intensified but much to everyone's surprise the bullets hadn't yet started firing.
"Come on now boys" came General Stewart's voice "yawl is escaped fugitives your lives are over. but since I am a fair man you hand over my daughter and put a bullet in Marek's head and I'll give the rest of yawl a day's head start before I inform the marshal" he negotiated.
"General…go to hell!" Marek yelled back.
There was silence again from the outside except for the sound of clinking metal and loading bullets "tried to offer you kids a deal but you refused the silver…so I guess you'll take the led". The bullets shredded the walls and every stall wall inside splintered wood rained across the area and straw was blasted over the floor. It was like waiting out a lethal rain storm with everyone ducked under cover while the bullets continued their onslaught decimating the wooden structure of the stable.
For what seemed like forever the bullets kept shredding through the walls until they just stopped, Peter pushed out from under a few broken panels choking on dirt and dust "everyone ok?" he choked.
"We're good" Laura replied as she and Sasha pushed themselves up from the floor with straw in their hair and clinging along their bodies "is that it?" she asked.
"Not likely" Sasha groaned "if anything my father is thorough" she warned.
During the calmness James heard the sound and caught the scent of whisky being poured over the outside wall and mixed with dried out straw "we need to get out now!" he shouted backing away from the door as an orange glow emitted through the cracks seconds before the wall was engulfed in flames. The fire climbed the wall and jumped to the straw covered floor the new growing heat suffocated what air remained in the stable, breathing became a struggle and the smoke limited their vision. To add to the team's troubles the bullets began firing again forcing them all to duck down again. The fire continued spreading shrinking their spaces and limiting their movements to a few feet on the ground and Colt on the upper deck shoveling out any excess straw from the windows in an attempt to prolong the fires spreading.
Peter kept looking around as best as he could for a way to escape but he could see was fire, smoke and burning wood and his team. "Hey James?" he coughed fighting to breathe "how much do you weigh?" he asked
"About average" James replied.
Without further notice Peter grabbed James by the back of his coat and summoning all the strength he could Peter threw James through the wall creating a large hole the others quickly ran out but the extra induction of air gave more life to the fire increasing the speed it consumed the stable. Peter quickly jumped to the upper level to grab Colt but it was far worse, the smoker was thicker and heat was more intense "you know now that I think about it hiding out in stable might have been a bad idea" Colt told him.
"Might have been" Peter replied "come on we have a way out" he ordered.
Colt kicked out a charred section of the wall overlooking the general and his cronies "be right there…I made a promise to that southern swamp hillbilly" Colts eyes narrowed, they were fixated on the general his barrel lined up on the generals sword unsheathed and hanging just off his waist. Colt took a deep breath and fired a round the bullet sailed through the air striking the hilt of the sabre piercing the general's waist and dropping the sabre to the ground. The general hit the ground bleeding and screaming in pain distracting his men and James came charging around the corner claws drawn quickly making mincemeat of the others.
The fire was consuming more and a desperate Peter tackled Colt out of the window their clothes smoking from the exposed heat "OW!" Colt groaned as he tried to stand up "how about a little warning next time!" he snapped at Peter as he staggered over to the whimpering and attempting to flea general. Colt picked up the sabre and held it tightly "look at you General Bryan Stewart master of one of the 5 biggest plantations in Louisiana, beats on slaves, and even threatened his own daughter you're one sick son of a bitch I'm doing the world a favour ridding it of you!"
Colt plunged the sabre into the generals heart but quickly adverted his eyes shooting someone was easy you never had to look them in eyes but stabbing them forced that gut wrenching situation upon you and Colt just couldn't stomach it. He lurched over the nearest fence and threw up his stomach with Peter and James fishing water from the trough to refresh themselves paying no attention to the man with his camera on the bank balcony capturing their photo.
Hours passed as the team took time to recharge and preplan, Shade now how had a week and a day's lead on then them they would never catch up to him on horseback they would need a train to dodge city now.
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