Title: Chuck vs. the Wildcat 11/12
Author: dettiot
Rating: T
Summary: It's the 1870s in the American Southwest. Charles "Chuck" Bartowski, after avenging the death of his sister, has fallen in with gunslinger John Casey. There's a range war in El Dorado, and Chuck finds himself on one side of the war. And on that side is a woman named Sarah Walker.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck or El Dorado. No copyright infringement intended.
Author's Note: This is the final chapter of Chuck vs. the Wildcat; there will be an epilogue posted later this week or early next week. There is a lot of action in this chapter, which I'm not used to writing. I hope I've managed to make it exciting and enjoyable!
XXX
Chapter Eleven: Down the Valley of the Shadow
XXX
The rustle of hay and a sudden chill shifted Chuck from asleep to awake. He blinked, his eyes slowly adjusting to the dimness in the barn. Looking to his side, he saw Sarah sitting up, her back to him.
He spoke softly, not wanting to startle her. "Sarah?"
She turned her head and gazed at him over her shoulder. "Hi."
"Are you okay?" he asked, propping himself up on one elbow. If she had been moving around more, he'd suspect she was preparing to leave, to slip back into the house. He'd understand that, but the fact that she was just sitting there was confusing him.
"I'm fine," she whispered, turning to face him. "I woke up and I-I just started thinkin'. About what I always wanted, about what I want now . . ."
Chuck pushed himself up into a sitting position and faced her. "You said you wanted to travel."
She nodded. "Yeah. See a bit more of the world-be different from all the other women in town, settlin' down and raisin' babies and . . . and never havin' nothing for themselves."
"Sarah, you can still have that." He reached out and took her hand.
"Can I?" she asked, looking at him. "If we're gettin' married . . . babies have a way of comin' quick after that, Chuck."
"I know that," he said, moving closer to her. "But who's to say we have to settle down right away?" He searched her face as his thoughts raced. "Lots of people go on wedding trips, after they get married. We could do that-but we'd just do a long one. Say, about a year or so."
Sarah's face lit up. "You think so? You'd wanna travel for that long?"
"Why not?" Chuck asked. "I never got to see much when I was moving around, and you want to see more of the world, so why can't we take a year and travel, and then we'll . . . well, I'd like to come back here, but we can talk more about that when the time comes."
The smile on Sarah's face was dazzling. He was surprised it didn't light up the barn-it certainly made him feel like the sun had come up early.
She let go of his hand and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing her lips against his. Chuck closed his eyes and kissed her back, enjoying the feel of her. He still felt sleepy, like he might be dreaming this warm, soft, amazing woman.
Sarah moved closer to him, one hand lightly brushing over the curls against the back of his neck. Something about the intimate gesture made him deepen the kiss. He wanted even more. Tugging on her, he drew Sarah into his lap, pressing his hands against her back.
With a soft gasp, Sarah slid her hand into his hair, holding on to him tighter. He looked at her quickly, getting a glimpse of her flushed face and wide eyes, before he kissed her with a hunger he didn't know he possessed.
After a few moments, he felt Sarah's free hand pressing against his chest. He broke the kiss, staring at her as he panted. Her cheeks were pink and her hair was mussed, and he felt a wave of love and affection and passion, all for her.
Her voice was breathy and her words came in starts. "I-I don't wanna stop, but I think-I think we better."
Chuck swallowed, slowly catching his breath. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right." He looked at her. "I just got carried away . . ."
She gave him an amused smile. "You weren't the only one. But it's not the right time." She gazed at him, her fingers playing with his hair. "Soon, though," she said softly.
He nodded. "Soon." He smiled at her and gently lifted her off his lap. "Did you want to go back to the house?"
"I should," Sarah said with a sigh, pulling her hands away from him. She ran a hand through her hair, then started straightening her clothes.
As he watched her, the idea that had been in the back of his mind for days, the one that he'd kept putting off doing-it finally seemed like the right time. "Sarah?"
"Yeah, Chuck?" she said, a bit distracted as she slid her belt back through her belt loops.
"I . . . I have something I want to give you," he said, reaching into the pocket of his trousers.
Sarah looked at him, her face uncertain, as he drew out a heart-shaped locket, minus its chain.
"This was my sister's," he said. "I've kept it ever since her death. But now-now I want to give it to you."
He could see her swallow. "Chuck . . . are you sure?"
"Yeah," he said. "I've been thinking about it for a few days, and . . . Ellie would like you to have it. You don't have to wear it. I don't have the chain anymore-I pawned that a few years back, but I kept the locket, and Ellie would want me to give this to someone I cared about, so I want you to have this, too." He looked at her, holding the locket out to her, hoping that she understand how important this trinket was.
After a moment of looking at the locket, Sarah lifted her eyes to his. And the soft, happy expression on her face made him realize everything was all right.
Sarah kissed him softly, then took the locket. "Thank you, Chuck." She slid it into the pocket of her trousers. "I'll treasure this."
He smiled brightly at her. "I know."
She smiled back, then started pulling on her boots. "I'll see you at breakfast." After her boots were back on, she kissed him again, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. He returned the gesture, then watched her walk away from him. When she reached the ladder and turned to climb down to the barn floor, she paused and looked at him, and Chuck gave her a wave. She grinned brightly at him and whispered, "G'night."
"Good night," he called after her softly as she vanished down the ladder. There was still an hour or so until the dawn, he guessed. Getting some more sleep would be the wise choice. Chuck laid down, gazing up at the barn ceiling as he waited to see if he could drift off. But his mind was so busy with thoughts of Sarah and what the upcoming day held that there was no chance of more sleep. He was still lost in his thoughts when a servant woke up Morgan and announced that the sun was up.
XXX
After washing up and a hurried breakfast, Chuck and Morgan stepped out onto the front porch of the Walker house. The three Walker brothers were milling around, talking softly. Chuck leaned against the porch rail, sipping a second cup of coffee. He felt butterflies in his stomach now that the fight was so close. He closed his eyes, taking a few moments to collect his thoughts and settle his nerves.
When he opened his eyes, Sarah had joined them on the porch. He smiled at her, noticing how she had changed her clothes and had even pulled her hair back into a ponytail. He nodded at the glass of milk in her hand. "I thought you didn't like coffee."
"I don't," she said, sipping her milk. "But I didn't wanna let on to that, since I'm already different enough."
He grinned. "Well, I'm glad to know something real about you."
She smiled at him before stepping away to talk with one of her brothers. Chuck kept sipping his coffee, watching her and talking with Morgan, until a rattling wagon announced the arrival of the sheriff and Casey. They were followed by another wagon containing Miss Gertrude's men: four men of various sizes, all of whom had the look of being experienced with guns.
Mr. Walker came out on the porch and looked at Beckman. "Well, Sheriff, seems like it's time."
"Yep," Beckman said, swinging down from the wagon and facing Mr. Walker. "Everyone know what they're doing?"
Nods were seen all around, and Beckman looked at them all for a long moment. "A'right, folks, then do your jobs."
Morgan looked at Chuck and smiled, looking nervous. "Good luck, Chuck."
"Good luck to you, too," he said, swallowing. Now that they were getting started, it all felt very real to him. The thought that in an hour or so, things would be very different from how they were now, was a sobering one.
Chuck pushed away from the railing, heading towards the wagon that Casey was now driving. He paused and looked for Sarah, managing to catch her eyes for a moment. In that moment, they said a hundred different things without speaking a word. Then, Sarah gave him a small smile and headed toward her family's stables and Chuck climbed into the back of the wagon.
Casey snorted. "You and the Wildcat done makin' goo-goo eyes at each other?"
"For now," Chuck said lightly, not bothered by Casey's jibes. "How's your hand?"
"Not all the way there, but no worse than yesterday," Casey said with a shrug. "You all set back there?"
"Yeah, I'm okay," Chuck said, making room for himself among a few rifles and boxes of ammunition.
Two of Sarah's brothers had climbed into the wagon with Miss Gertrude's men, while her brother Johnny had followed Sarah to the stable. Morgan had already taken his place on the driver's seat of the wagon that he and Chuck had driven out yesterday and started driving to Shaw's place.
Beckman climbed back up to join Casey on the wagon bench. "Let's go, Casey."
Casey nodded and picked up the reins a bit clumsily, setting the horses moving. They followed Mr. Walker, who was riding towards the Shaw ranch. Mr. Walker would go alone to Shaw and playact that he was going to exchange his water rights for his son, and then Beckman and Casey would interrupt the proceedings and buy Morgan enough time to get the servants out.
When the servants were safe, Morgan would give the signal, and that's when the fight would begin.
Chuck laid down in the bed of the wagon, the high sides concealing him from view. He breathed slowly, looking up at the sky and trying to stay calm and focused. The success of this plan didn't hinge on him, it was true. Yet he had a part to play, and he couldn't let his nerves interfere. By the time the wagon came to a stop, Chuck felt less stomach-churning fear and self-doubt.
"Okay back there, Bartowski?" The sheriff turned around on the wagon seat, looking down at him.
"Yeah, Sheriff," he said.
She smiled, a bit sympathetically. "Nervous?"
He nodded, knowing that there was no sense in denying it.
"Figured. Just remember to breathe, and things'll work out," she said.
"Yeah," Chuck said quietly. "Breathing. Breathing is good. And very important."
The sheriff chuckled and turned back around on the seat, leaving Chuck alone with his thoughts while they waited.
XXX
It was about ten minutes later that they started moving again. Chuck looked over his gun and made sure his knife was still secure, then double-checked that the rifles were loaded and ready. He stretched out, making sure he was flat against the bed of the wagon, and waited.
The sound of men's voices grew louder, and soon Chuck could hear Mr. Walker arguing with Daniel Shaw.
" . . . I wanna see my boy! You're not gettin' anything signed 'til I know he's a'right!"
"Patience, Mr. Walker." Shaw's voice was silky-smooth, giving the impression that he was talking about the weather. "I want confirmation that you're serious about following through on my little offer."
"Your ultimatum!" Jack Walker was certainly acting the part of an outraged father, Chuck thought.
"That's how you see it, Mr. Walker, now . . ." Shaw's voice trailed off, and Chuck wasn't sure what was going on until he spoke again. "What's the meaning of this, Sheriff Beckman?"
"Got word from Jack here that you took his boy," Beckman said bluntly. "So you're gonna hand him over now and I'm gonna hold you for kidnapping an' attempted extortion."
"No tricks, eh, Walker?" Shaw asked, the disdain thick in his voice. "Should have known you weren't to be trusted."
"Not when one of my own is at risk," Jack Walker retorted.
It wasn't the time to think about this, but Chuck couldn't help comparing Mr. Walker's attitude about his son versus what he'd said about Sarah. The injustice of it all once again struck him, and he marveled that Sarah wasn't more bitter about her ill-treatment at the hands of her father.
Chuck heard the cocking of a gun and felt the wagon shake from what he assumed was Beckman climbing down. "Shaw, bring out Adam Walker."
"Why should I?" Shaw didn't seem rattled by the sheriff holding a gun on him. "I haven't gotten what I want, and I have plenty of men to help me get it."
"If you wanna have any chance of gettin' what you want, you'll humor us and prove no harm's come to Adam Walker." Beckman's voice was icy.
A deep sigh, and then Shaw gritted out, "Very well."
There was the sound of rustling feet and then Mr. Walker spoke loudly. "Adam! You a'right?"
"Yes, Pop," came a voice which Chuck recognized as belonging to Sarah's oldest brother. He took a breath and thought to himself, "Come on, Morgan, come on . . ."
"As you can see, young Mr. Walker is fine. He's been treated like a guest, so there's no call to act like he was chained up and surviving on bread and water."
Chuck grimaced. Shaw was really annoying.
"I can see that, Shaw, but-"
Whatever the sheriff was going to say, she didn't get the chance to finish her sentence. A loud, piercing bugle call rang through the clear morning air.
That was the signal from Morgan that Alejandra and the other servants were out of the house and on their way to El Dorado. And it was the signal to begin the attack.
Before the bugle call ended, three things happened. Beckman and Mr. Walker immediately started shooting at Shaw and his men, while Mr. Walker yelled at Adam to hit the ground.
With a loud "Hi-yah!" Casey whipped the horses and turned the wagon towards the abandoned gatehouse.
Chuck sat up, firing his shotgun and providing cover for Casey and himself. He saw that the sheriff and Mr. Walker had taken cover behind a large rock, while Ty Bennett and two of the Ring's gunslingers were firing back at them, moving slowly back towards the house and the protection it provided. Daniel Shaw was already running towards the house.
Gunfire echoed from all directions; the remaining Ring-provided gunhands had opened fire from the house. Keeping them pinned down was the shots fired by Miss Gertrude's men and the other Walker brothers from the barn towards the house. That would prevent the men in the house from sneaking out the back door and getting to the stable. At least, that's what Beckman had said when they had planned out their strategy.
He kept firing, deliberately aiming high. He wasn't going to shoot anyone if he could help it, especially not when his priority was keeping Casey safe. He noticed that another part of the plan had come together: Sarah had appeared from her hiding place and pulled Adam up behind her on her horse, before turning and galloping to safety.
Within a few moments, Casey had gotten them to the gatehouse. Chuck wiggled to the end of the wagon, still firing, and jumped down. He snatched up the rifles and handed them to Casey, who awkwardly took them. Chuck fired another shot, scooped up the extra boxes of ammo, and dashed after Casey into the gatehouse.
"Okay, Casey?" he asked between pants.
"Yeah, yeah," Casey said, his voice tight. He tossed one of the rifles to Chuck, who somehow managed to catch it. "Gimme some ammo."
"You can't load with your hand," Chuck said, taking up position near Casey. He peeked out through a window and quickly fired his shotgun, then holstered it and got ready with the rifle.
Casey grunted. "Take low, I'll take high."
Chuck nodded and crouched down by the doorway while Casey aimed through the window next to him. Together, the two of them started firing.
XXX
Wiping an arm quickly across his face to remove some of the sweat pouring off him, Chuck paused to reload. "Casey!" His voice was scratchy, the smoke in the air affecting him. "You all right?"
He'd noticed that Casey was firing slowly and deliberately. Perhaps Casey's hand was bothering him and he didn't want to admit to it.
Casey sighed and turned towards Chuck. "Whaddya think?"
It didn't sink in at first. Not until Chuck saw the blood streaming down Casey's right leg.
"Casey!" Chuck set down his rifle and got up, immediately pulling Casey's right arm over his shoulders. "C'mon, over here." He half-walked, half-dragged Casey towards the far wall, then clumsily helped him sit down.
The sight of blood never failed to make Chuck feel nauseous, and this time was no different. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, pushing down the bile, then looked at Casey. "Gimme your bandana. I'll try and stop the bleeding."
"Ain't no use," Casey said, his voice sounding thin. "Leave me and keep shootin'."
"Not without taking care of you first," Chuck said, yanking at Casey's bandana and shaking it out. He leaned down to wrap the piece of cloth around Casey's leg, trying to ignore the increasing number of pings from bullets hitting the gatehouse's walls.
"You gotta hold the line, Bartowski," Casey muttered.
"I know!" Chuck scrambled to his feet and went back towards the front of the gatehouse, peering out through the window to get a sense of how the battle was going.
As best as he could tell, they were at a stalemate. Bennett and another man were shooting from the front porch of the house, Shaw crouching next to them. A body lay on the ground about fifteen yards in front of the house. Chuck assumed it was the second gunslinger that had been with Shaw and Bennett when the shooting started.
Chuck craned his neck, trying to see the sheriff and Mr. Walker. They were still crouching behind the large rock, fifty feet away. There didn't seem to be any way to get word to them. If he left the cover of the gatehouse, he'd be a sitting duck. Plus, he couldn't leave Casey alone. With all the noise, it was unlikely that they'd be able to hear him if he shouted, but he had to try.
"Sheriff!" he yelled. "Beckman!"
"No use, Chuck," Casey said.
His voice was a lot closer than it should be, and Chuck looked over his shoulder, seeing Casey had somehow managed to walk or crawl until he was crouched by the door, his injured right leg stretched out to the side.
"Load a rifle for me," Casey demanded.
"Casey . . ."
"Load it!" he barked.
"Okay, okay," Chuck said quickly, scooping up one of the rifles. He quickly shoved some ammunition into the gun, then handed it to Casey.
"I'll take low this time." The older man looked out through the doorway, then moved back under cover. "Keep your eyes open-they gotta be plannin' somethin', like an escape."
Chuck nodded as he loaded his rifle. "Right, okay."
"Bartowski."
He looked at Casey, swallowing. "Y-yeah?"
"Ain't no different from shootin' at cans. You hear me?" Casey's face was drawn, but his blue eyes were lit with the fire of battle. "Just aim and shoot."
"Aim and shoot," Chuck repeated. Casey was right. He couldn't think of this as any different from his shooting practice in the corral behind the jail. If he could stay calm, he could do his part, help end this fight. Survive and get the life he wanted.
Casey nodded. "Aim and shoot. Let's go."
Chuck looked out quickly through the window, then turned back and fired. Casey also started shooting, timing his shots for when Chuck had ducked for cover. It almost became a piece of music as they kept shooting, concentrating their fire on one end of Shaw's ranch house.
XXX
They were down to half a box of ammo when Shaw and Bennett vanished from the front of the house.
"Where'd they go?" Chuck called out to Casey, his voice loud in the sudden silence.
"Went in through the window," he replied, lowering his rifle. "This ain't good."
"Yeah," Chuck said, frowning.
With the Ring's forces pinned down inside the house, the gunfire had stopped. Casey leaned out the doorway cautiously and called out, "Diane!"
He had some kind of silent conversation with the sheriff, then pulled himself back under cover quickly. "Damn it. They're outta ammo."
"We don't have much ourselves," Chuck said.
Casey nodded. "Means we gotta get this finished. But if we're low, Shaw and the Ring are probably just as bad off as we are."
"What are we gonna do, then?"
"Diane's gettin' Gertie's men to go along the back side of the house, try an' cut off any moves they make towards the stable. Gonna take some time, though. And we ain't got much of that." Casey glanced out the doorway again.
Chuck swallowed and gripped his rifle tightly. He didn't know what Casey was thinking, but he had a bad feeling about this.
The lull in the action was broken by sudden gunshots from the ranch house. Casey cursed and started firing. Chuck joined him, trying to concentrate and shoot only when he was confident of his aim, in order not to waste ammunition.
Casey's guess that the Ring forces were running low on ammo didn't seem to be accurate with the way they were firing. They were spraying gunfire from several directions, and not just from the house, Chuck thought. He started scanning the landscape, trying to figure out where all the men were.
"Casey! Looks like there's somebody shooting from the stable!" he shouted.
Chuck's shout made Casey crane his neck to get a better look, then he cursed. "You're right-peekin' around the far corner. Gives 'em cover. Bet they're all gonna try and get to the stable and sneak out the back way."
"Where's Miss Gertrude's men?" Chuck said in frustration, firing and missing the man by the stable.
"Can't see 'em. They musta run into some firepower on the back side of the house." Casey grimaced. "We're gonna hafta turn the tables if we don't want Shaw and the rest of 'em to escape."
It wasn't just Casey's words that struck fear into Chuck at that moment; it was his voice, his attitude. He sounded like a man with a plan that pulled out all the stops, without caring about what would happen to him.
Chuck swallowed. "What . . . what are you thinking?"
Casey looked at Chuck, his eyes measuring. "Go out there and draw the fire. Give Gertie's men more time to reach the stable and cut off the escape."
A sudden noise from behind them made Chuck whirl around. "Sarah!"
She smiled at him tightly as she climbed in through the window. "Hi."
"What are you doin' here?" Casey asked gruffly.
"I've been ridin' 'round the perimeter, keepin' an eye out. Miss Gertrude's men are inchin' closer to the house, but they're pinned down under heavy fire."
"Just like I thought," Casey said, looking at her. "So what are you doin' here?"
"Bringin' you ammo, for one," Sarah said, tossing two boxes of bullets to them.
"Thanks," Chuck said, catching the boxes easily. "We're gonna need these."
Sarah nodded. "So what's the plan?"
Casey groaned as he tightened the bandana around his leg. "Think you're gonna butt in, Wildcat?"
"We were just talking about a plan when you arrived, Sarah," Chuck said, intervening in the conversation.
"Yeah? What is it?"
"You're gonna get ammo to your father and the sheriff," Casey said. "We'll handle the rest."
Chuck looked at Casey, wondering why he wanted to get rid of Sarah. His bad feeling got even stronger, but he turned to Sarah. Taking her hand, he took a moment to just enjoy looking at her, at the way her hair was messy and her face was flushed. She looked beautiful, but right now they both had more important things to do. "They're out of ammunition, so they really need your help, Sarah."
She nodded, gazing up at him. She quickly squeezed his hand. "Then I'll go supply 'em. Good luck, fellows."
He smiled at her. "Good luck to you, too."
"Thanks," she said softly. She let go of his hand and went back to the window. "Be careful."
"Sarah Walker, telling me to be careful?" He grinned at her, marveling yet again at how she made life seem a bit brighter, no matter how dark things really were.
She grinned back. "You're rubbin' off on me, Chuck Bartowski."
"Git goin', Walker!" Casey shouted. "I need lover boy over here."
"Go, Sarah," he said, helping her out through the window.
She gave him a quick wave before mounting her horse and riding away.
He watched her go, savoring this moment. Getting a chance to see her was unexpected but wonderful. It gave him a shot of confidence and courage, enough to face what was ahead of him.
"Casey, who's gonna draw their fire?" Chuck asked, crouching down by the older man.
"Me," Casey said.
"No way," Chuck said, shaking his head. "You're already injured, between your hand and your leg. You'd get three shots off if you were lucky."
"You don't got the skill, Bartowski."
"No, I don't," Chuck said, looking at Casey levelly. "But I'm the better person to go out there. I can move faster, and with Mr. Walker and the sheriff getting more ammunition, they can back me up."
Casey shook his head. "You don't wanna do this, Chuck. You're riskin' too much."
Chuck took a deep breath and started reloading his rifle. "I know. But I'd be risking a lot more if I don't do this." He looked at Casey, hoping he understood what Chuck was saying. Casey had been a lot of things to Chuck since they met: a mentor, a protector, a role model, an example of what not to do. Now, it was time for Chuck to take what he had learned and stand on his own feet.
After looking at him, his eyes searching Chuck's face, Casey nodded. "Yeah." He handed Chuck his rifle. "You'll need this."
"Right," Chuck said. He passed Casey his shotgun, then swallowed and started loading the second rifle. "Any advice?"
"Stay low. Don't give 'em much of a target."
"Right," Chuck said. He shoved bullets into his pockets and stood up. He adjusted his hat, tightening the string to just under his chin in order to keep it on his head, then picked up the rifles.
"Good luck, Chuck," Casey said, looking up at him. His voice was a bit choked, like he was holding back on his emotions.
"Thanks," he said, his own voice coming out deeper than normal.
Chuck squared his shoulders, looking outside and preparing for what he was about to do. Then, with a deep breath, he ran out the door of the gatehouse and into the middle of a gunfight.
XXX
The noise was so much louder than he expected. But he couldn't let it slow him down. Chuck barrelled out of the gatehouse, heading for a small valley he had seen about fifteen feet in front of the gatehouse. He ran as fast as he could and threw himself to the ground, keeping the rifles in front of him.
The small dip in the ground was enough to protect him slightly. He pressed down, wiggling a little to deepen the indentation, then pulled one of the rifles up and started shooting. He focused first on the man firing around the corner of the stable. He started shooting at the edge of the building, chipping away pieces of the adobe structure.
One of Chuck's bullets finally blew off a large chunk of hardened mud, hitting the other man in the face. The man cried out and dropped to the ground, and Chuck took a deep breath. One down.
Loud shouts were coming from the ranch house, and Chuck quickly rubbed the sweat out of his eyes as he switched rifles. He fired a few shots, trying to apply some pressure. It was time to end this, no matter the cost towards Chuck.
Suddenly, four men burst out of the ranch house, men that Chuck didn't recognize. They moved along the front porch towards the south end of the house, firing non-stop. When they reached the corner of the house, they crouched down and kept up their attack.
Chuck squinted as he fired at the men. It looked like they were serving as a distraction for some other action. He managed to wing one of the men, who fell to the ground and became a gap in the line. And through that gap, Chuck saw two men climbing out of a window and crouching by the end of the house.
It was Shaw and Bennett. He guessed they were trying to get to the stable and freedom. And Chuck couldn't let that happen.
He braced himself, bringing his knees underneath himself to prepare for a jump to his feet. To his surprise, he saw one of the other defenders grab a wound that appeared on his chest and fall back. Chuck whipped his head around and saw Sarah, firing as she ran towards the stable.
With Sarah backing him up and only two men left, Chuck had no time to lose. He jumped to his feet and tried to fire, but his gun jammed. Tossing down his rifle, he started running. When he got within range, he reached behind himself and threw his knife, burying it in the shoulder of one of the two men remaining.
Sarah ran in front of him, giving him cover. She pointed her rifle at the last defender, who quickly dropped his gun and raised his hands in the air. Chuck leaned down and yanked his knife from the man's shoulder before turning towards Shaw and Bennett.
"Freeze, Shaw!" He held his knife ready, trying not to show his nerves. Sarah had picked up the other man's gun and stood next to him. She trained her rifle on the two men, her eyes narrowed.
Shaw gave him a scathing look, then turned on Bennett. "Don't just stand there, shoot him!"
"I wouldn't advise that, Bennett," said the sheriff, advancing on them, her rifle held firmly in her hands. "'Cause you might be able to shoot Bartowski, but you're not gonna beat both me and the Wildcat."
Chuck took a step back, giving way to the sheriff. Now that Shaw and Bennett were under arrest, he felt the adrenaline leech away, leaving only exhaustion. He'd done it. He'd done his part and helped end the fight, and it was all he could do to keep himself from dropping to the ground. As it was, his hands were shaking as he realized what he'd done.
"Chuck?"
Sarah's voice was soft and gentle. She took his hand, her fingers firm and warm against his. It made his nerves start receding and made the reality sink in for him. He was safe-Sarah was safe-and they had their whole futures ahead of them.
She smiled at him. "Okay?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Yeah." He looked at her, then tugged on her hand to pull her closer to him, leaning in and kissing her softly.
All he wanted was to keep kissing her forever, but a hand clapping him on the back broke the kiss. "Not bad, kid," Casey said, grinning a little.
Chuck licked his lips, feeling embarrassed. He was pretty sure Casey wasn't talking about his shooting. "Thanks, Casey."
Casey nodded and limped over towards Beckman, who was talking to Shaw.
"It's over, Shaw," the sheriff said, still keeping her rifle on him. "If your men throw down their guns, we can settle this peacefully-no more bloodshed."
Shaw snarled. "This isn't over. Not as long as the Ring exists."
"We'll see. Stand down, Shaw," Beckman said, steel in her voice.
Almost faster than could be seen, Ty Bennett drew his gun on the sheriff. Chuck jumped, trying to get his knife up, but Casey was faster than him and everyone else. A gunshot rang out and Ty Bennett dropped to the ground.
Chuck swallowed at the sight of the blood spreading across Bennett's chest. Casey holstered his gun and kept looking at the body of his old master, even as the sound of pounding feet reached them. It was Morgan, Miss Gertrude's men and the Walker brothers, rounding the corner of the house and standing in front of them.
"Sheriff!" Morgan sounded frantic. "Is everythin' okay?"
"Yeah, Grimes," the sheriff called out. "Go get the wagons-we're gonna need to take some people to the grave-digger's."
Chuck could see Morgan trying to collect himself, but he nodded. "Right, Sheriff. Comin' right up." Morgan turned and spoke to the other men, and they started going their separate ways.
The sheriff looked over at Casey. "You a'right?"
Casey, who had been clumsily kneeling by Bennett, looked up at the sheriff and nodded. "Yeah," he said, trying to stand up.
Chuck hurried over and helped him up, getting shoved away by Casey as soon as he was on his feet. "I'm a'right."
"Hell you are," Beckman said. "One of those wagons is gonna take you right to Doc Wood's."
Casey sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Everything else good?"
"Yeah," the sheriff said. "Just gotta get Shaw back to the jail."
"I won't go back," Shaw said, his voice dark.
"Sorry, Shaw, you ain't got a vote here," Beckman said.
"That's what you think."
Before Chuck understood what was happening, Shaw was lunging towards Jack Walker. Sarah lifted her rifle and shot him quickly, sending Shaw to the ground with a bleeding shoulder.
"What-Sarah, what did you do?" he asked in confusion, staring at her.
"He had a knife-he was gonna stab my pop," she said, her voice shaking a little, her body tense.
"He sure was," Mr. Walker said, moving over to Sarah and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Easy there, darlin'."
The sheriff walked over and kicked away a lethal-looking knife. She crouched down by Shaw, looking at his injury. "Nice clean wound. Won't get in the way of you standin' trial-and we can add attempted murder to the list o' charges." She looked up at Sarah and smiled. "Nicely done."
Sarah nodded, still looking dazed. Chuck moved over to her. "Are you all right, Sarah?"
"I-I've never shot someone," Sarah said softly, looking up at him.
"Hey, hey," he said, moving closer to her and touching her arm. "He was going to hurt your father."
She nodded. She looked up at her father, then stepped away from him. "Pop, gimme a minute."
"Well, what's this?" Jack Walker's voice was intrigued. "You wanna explain yourself, darlin'?"
Sarah flushed, looking at a loss for words. Chuck stepped up, reaching out and taking Sarah's hand. "Mr. Walker-"
"I'm talkin' to my daughter right now, Bartowski," Mr. Walker said, looking at Chuck for a moment before returning his gaze to Sarah.
Chuck squeezed Sarah's hand, trying to give her the courage to face her father. He could see her square her shoulders, preparing what she was going to say.
"Pop, I know you think you know what's best for me. But stayin' on the ranch isn't what I want anymore. Not when I've got Chuck."
Mr. Walker arched an eyebrow. "And what exactly does that mean?"
Sarah looked at Chuck, then at her father. "I know you said I won't get much if I leave, but I don't care. I don't care that I'd hafta start over, 'cause I'd have Chuck and we're gonna be a success together."
"That so?" Mr. Walker looked at Chuck. "Is my daughter speakin' the truth, Bartowski?"
"She is, Mr. Walker," Chuck said, not looking away from him. "I couldn't ever find a woman better than Sarah, so I want to spend the rest of my life making her happy."
An uneasy silence fell over them as Mr. Walker looked at Chuck, his eyes sizing him up. Chuck felt like he was being found wanting. Like he couldn't measure up to what Jack Walker wanted for his daughter. Then Casey grunted. "Knock it off, Jack. Like you're gonna stand in their way."
"I'm her father-I gotta make sure she's not makin' a mistake!"
"Pop, it's not up to you," Sarah said quietly, her voice firm. "After all, if you don't approve, you can just hold back what you were gonna give me when I got married."
"Oh, you mean the fifty acres, thirty head of cattle and three hundred and fifty dollars in gold?"
Chuck stared at Mr. Walker. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Sarah looked equally surprised.
Mr. Walker grinned. "You really thought I was serious about the six head of cattle and fifty dollars in gold? You really thought I'd do so poor by my only daughter?"
Sarah blinked, then threw her arms around her father. "Pop!"
"It's what you've earned, darlin'. All those years of workin', you've earned it." Mr. Walker rubbed her back, then stepped out of her arms.
"But why did you say that was all I was gettin'?" Sarah asked, sounding dazed.
"Weed out the men who just wanted the money, of course," Mr. Walker said. "And it worked." He nodded to Chuck.
"Sorry to interrupt the happy occasion," Beckman interrupted, "but Chuck, you're still my deputy, and there's work to be done."
Chuck shook his head and looked around, realizing that one wagon was getting loaded with bodies, while Morgan was waiting by another wagon, Casey sitting in the back.
"Oh! Right. Yes, of course, Sheriff. What do you need?"
"You and Sarah, ride back to town with Morgan and Casey. Take him straight to Doc Wood's, no arguments." Beckman grinned at him. "And congratulations, you two."
He couldn't help smiling. "Thanks, Sheriff."
"You're welcome. Now git," Beckman said, gesturing towards the wagon.
"Getting, Sheriff." He tugged on Sarah's hand and lead her over to the wagon. "How are you feeling, Casey?"
The older man grunted. "I got shot in the leg. But my hand's workin' again, now that I don't need it."
Chuck grinned widely. "Really? That's great news, Casey!"
"Yeah, yeah, get in the wagon so we can get going." Casey sounded grumpy, but there was the smallest upturn to his lips. Like he was happy for Chuck and Sarah.
Sarah hopped up into the wagon, sitting in the bed just behind the wagon seat. Chuck climbed up after her. "Morgan, let's go."
"You got it, Chuck!" Morgan slapped the reins and started the horses on their way back to El Dorado.
"Alejandra and the other servants make it out okay?" Chuck asked Morgan.
"Yep! They got out safe, and we'll see them back in town." Morgan looked over his shoulder at Chuck from his seat on the wagon bench. "So . . . was Casey tellin' me the truth? You and Sarah-you're going to get hitched?"
Chuck looked at Sarah, who smiled at him. He reached out and took her hand. "Yeah, we're gonna get married."
"Well, that's somethin' good to come outta today!" Morgan said, grinning. "Besides takin' down Shaw, of course."
"Yeah," Chuck said softly, looking at Sarah. It was hard to believe that in a few months his life had changed so much. He had closed one chapter and started another, begun a new life that was full of happiness and possibilities. When he had come to El Dorado, he had finally set his sister to rest, five years after her murder. He hadn't known what he was going to do next. And now, he had a job, friends, and a fiancee.
He hadn't expected all this. He hadn't realized that coming to this small town would be where he'd grow up, where he'd figure out what kind of man he wanted to be. When he thought about these twists and turns, it seemed so amazing. Through luck and hard work, he'd made this new life for himself.
And he wasn't going to be alone in this new life. He would have Sarah. He'd have an amazing, smart, strong, absolutely beautiful woman, someone who'd be there in good times and bad. He wouldn't be alone.
Sarah squeezed his hand. "Earth to Chuck. You were a million miles away."
Chuck looked at her and smiled. "No, not a million miles away . . . only fifteen or twenty years. Imagining our future."
"There you go again, bein' sweet." She moved closer to him, a big smile on her face. "I have somethin' to show you."
"Yeah?" he asked, dropping her hand and wrapping an arm around her.
She nodded and drew aside the collar of her shirt, revealing the locket he had given her. "Put it on a chain that was my mother's." She gazed up at him, her eyes soft.
Chuck reached out and softly stroked the chain, his fingers running down to touch the locket. "It looks beautiful on you."
Her cheeks blushed pink, but she smiled up at him. "Thank you."
Casey harrumphed. "Can't believe you tamed the Wildcat, Bartowski."
Chuck laughed and looked at Sarah. "Taming the Wildcat? Why would I want to do that?"
Sarah grinned at him. "Smart man." She leaned in and kissed him softly.
He closed his eyes, savoring this moment. It was the first of many, he knew. A lifetime of moments with his wildcat.
End, Chapter 11