We were about a full days hard ride from town, when we slowed. I didn't know which way we were going, cause I was blindfolded, gagged and bound. Good for them I was both. If I had seen where we were going, I could steer the horse with my knees, and if I could talk, I would be screaming and yakking the whole way. And I think they knew that. As night fell, I began to fall asleep on the horse. I could feel my money bag bouncing under my shirt. I drifted off, and was shaken roughly. I leaned forward in the saddle, and kicked out with my foot. Whoever I hit, I nailed hard in the stomach, and I heard the 'bluuuu' of the person. I heard the boy laugh.

"She's a handful ain't she?" he said.

"Why did we take her anyway?" said another man. He was older, seemed wiser. Even blindfolded I matched the voice to the blonde hair brown eyed man. He wore a rugged hat and brown pants. A white flimsy shirt with a dark brown coat.

"Because, Doc," the boy said, "We couldn't just tell her to drop the gun and walk away. Sides she saw us and knew who I was."

"Right." I cursed under my breath through the gag, and suddenly, we stopped moving. I heard the others get off their horses, and one came over to my left side. "Would you like some help down?" the voice was Doc's. Kind and considerate. But I knew better. I kicked out again, this time nailing him in the chest. The boy laughed again.

"Wooohoo Doc! Got jammed by the lady!" came another voice. This one I took to be the rugged, dirty one. There could have been a whole world of fleas leaving in his clothes. I was suddenly grabbed around the waist and dragged off the horse. I was pushed down roughly, and told to stay. Stay? Like some pup? HA! I felt behind me, looking for something to cut the ropes off my hands. Nothing to sharp, but I did find a rough rock. Before the men could even BEGIN to set up came, I was working away at the ropes.

About an hour later, I was still at it. I heard a fire crackle, and the men settle down around it. One of them walked over to me… I guessed the boy because his footsteps were lighter. The gag was ripped off along with the blindfold.

"Howdy!" the boy said, "Nice to see those lovely green eyes again." I frowned, and he smiled. "you to I guess. What something to eat?" I just glared at him. And surprisingly, his smiled turned, and he frowned.

"Who are you guys?" I asked. The boy sat down, still frowning.

"Well, not much by the gang name yet… but I'm Doc." Said the blonde, "The dirty one is Steve, and that over there…" he pointed to a dark figure standing out of the fire's light… the Indian… "Is Shavez." The figure tipped his hat. "And that son of a gun, with no sence over there is…"

"Doc shut it will ya?" Steve said, "Man's gotta eat in silence." Steve started poking away at his tin plate full of food.

"So does a girl." Doc said. He picked up a plate and walked over to me. "Look, we're not gonna hurt you." I flickered my eyes over to the boy. Just one look at his eyes told me he was the unpredictable kind. "I won't let him." I looked at Doc, startled. "Not that he would." He held up the plate. "Hungry?" I looked at him, wondering. A thief like him with such nice manners. Why was he with that murdering boy over there. My eyes sweeped back to the boy, and Doc chuckled. "Don't try anything. He may be just a kid but he can whoop some butt. Don't matter if it's a ladies this time around either. Now… some food?" I grinded my teeth and nodded. I WAS hungry. I never ate before I left town. So yeah, I was hungry. Suprisingly, Doc untied me. He set the plate down in front of me.

"Thanks." I said.

"Just remember. Nothing funny." Doc said kindly, "For some reason, that kid's a bit itchy around you." I looked up, startled, but he stood up and left. Around me? That kid? Why? I had no clue… but I didn't want to find out. My hands were free, and my horse wasn't but five yards away. But the food came first. I didn't exactly take my time eating it. I had to get ahead of the others. As I did, I memorized where each man had his guns. Steve had a sawed off rifle leaning against his saddle maybe three feet away. Doc had his pistols under a blanket, and a rifle on top of that. But both those were behind him. The Indian didn't have a gun.

But he played with a knife around his finger. I guessed he had more of those. But he put his knife away, in a buck skin sheath behind his back on his belt. I'd have at least a three second run before he realized I was running, and pulled out his knife. But the kid… the boy had his pistols right there. He was leaning on his saddle, knees up and eating. But one hand was always free. The plate was on the ground, and he held the fork, but one hand was always free. And that had was closest to his pistols. As I watched, the boy kept shifting his eyes over at me. I just glared back, and he would look away and finish chewing talking or whatever. The boy… dang it.

He had his guns within a half a second reach. How was I suppose to do anything with that? Ok… think. I had at least one second surprise… not including the kid. He was expecting something with his shifty blue eyes. But other then that… I had one second surprise… and the longest it would take for them to get weapons and propose them to me…. If they were good… was about two seconds. That did leave me much. But that kid. Arrh! He was ruining my plan… and he knew it to.

I wanted to throw my plate at him… but a thought suddenly came to me. My plate… and empty tin plate. And the fire. A distraction. I would throw the plate like a Frisbee, straight at the fire. They had set up the wood in a tee pee style. So if I could hit it just right… it would knock over. Giving me about a three seconds of surprise. Not much to work with there, huh? Ok… so I couldn't get to my horse… but did I need to? I looked at the circle around the fire. Steve's rifle was close to me. Maybe less then two yards. I had to be fast. And accurate.

I gripped my plate, starring at it as the fire light shinned dully against it. This was going to be dangerous. Oh yeah… reall dangerous… just the way I like it. Without any more hesitation, I threw the plate, and jumped to my feet. I half chased the plate as it hit the fire… just a bit off target… but it still fell. It fell with a crackle and the flames burst, and then went down.

They snapped around, their hands going for their weapons… bit I already had mine. It was loaded, cocked, and pointing straight at Steve. They all stopped. My eyes had suddenly took the wild look of the fire just seconds before it went out.

"I swear, you remind me of my mother." Steve said. I almost had to smile, but I didn't.

"Shut up." I snapped.

"What do you think you're doing?" the kid asked, his eyes dancing.

"Getting out of here, numbnuts." I said. Steve laughed, his eyes shifting to the boy.

"She called you numbnuts." Steve said… "She just…"

"Shut up Steve." The boy said, his eyes flaming. Steve did. "Now, you can't be getting out of here."

"And why not?" I asked. Billy shrugged. I was suddenly aware that I only saw three men… or two men and a boy. The Indain was gone. I heard the ever so slightest crackle, and the wind change. I spun around, slamming the butt of the rifle into the Indian's stomach. I then jerked my elbow up and nailed him under the chin. At the same time, I heard clicks behind me. I didn't have to turn around to know how many guns were pointed at me. I spun around and before I could cock my gun, I felt cold metal agansit my neck.

"Alemina, Chika." The Indian said in my ear his voice hot and angry. I slowly lifted my hands, the rifle in one. The boy stood up, and jerked the rifle from my hand. He leaned into my face.

"Your quick." He said, his piercing blue eyes starring hard into my mind. But there was a spark there to, something I knew was suppose to scare me. My eyes flared and gave him a glare so hard it could bruise. That spark in his eyes disappeared, and was replaced with something I didn't recognize. "Pull a stunt like that again, and you'll be dropping more then a pistol." He grabbed my shoulder. Forgetting about the knife, I kneed him in the stomach and tried to swing at him, but he ducked.

"You ever touch me again, you're going to be HOLDING parts to keep yourself from looking like some freak from mars… you mutated pig." Billy frowned. From the look in his eye, I know he wanted to say something back, but he turned around and sat down. Shavez, set his hands lightly on my shoulders. Why he did that after I just slammed the kid for doing the same thing… I don't know. But my eyes were on the kid. Shavez pushed me forward gently, and placed me in the circle around the fire. Steve came behind me and tied my hands back up… but left the gag off.

I starred at the fire as it licked the sky and crackled in the night. The heat warmed me up, and hugged my face. I didn't need a mirror to know my eyes flamed just as madly as the fire. But I could feel eyes pinning me down. Light, but hard blue eyes watching me. There was no use in escaping tonight. I was tied back up, and had already put them on skittish. I had made a move and they would put a watch up tonight. Well that was fine. I could get some sleep now.

I laid down, and fell asleep… or so they thought. After a while of 'sleeping' my breathe became slow and steady. I let my mouth hang open slightly, and let my body relax. Maybe about an hour of 'I wish I really WAS asleep' and they changed their conversation to something interesting.