Bustin' A Cap - (Day 4- Early Afternoon)

The logging road twisted and snaked it’s way along. It clung precariously to the slopes and hillsides through which years of horse and wagon traffic had worn its mark. Carpeted in snow as it was, it offered a near-silent passage for the four sets of hoofbeats that even now trotted in the direction of town.

The riders came two by two. In the lead was the tall, blond-haired man who rode alongside a perpetually smiling woman of dark hair and complexion. They talked and laughed among themselves, cheer rising in the aftermath of a job well done and the anticipation of their coming night together in town. Behind them rode the henchmen, each quiet as his own thoughts focused on a payout…or a payback.

Aluns was grim-faced. The bloody scrap of bedsheet he’d used to bandage his ear made his countenance none the friendlier as he scowled at his partner in crime. “Don’t care whatcha say,” he growled. I’m stickin’ around til’ I get to take an ear offn’ her head.” Before him was the boy, Gill. Though he sat upright, his hands were tied behind his back. The cloth he’d used to bind up last night’s wolf inflicted wound was now drenched in crimson, and leaving a trail of little drops in the whiteness.

Gill turned his head once more, as his sister’s fate was discussed. Haddie was still tied up, hand and foot. She’d been slung over the saddle like a sack of potatoes. Gill couldn’t see her face, just the red boots, the crude field bandage he’d fashioned over her shotgun graze, and the tattered dress which disappeared into her new winter coat. Were they…was “she”….really gonna let this guy start cutting pieces off of his little sister?

“Shut up, Aluns,” the Fair Man said over his shoulder. “She gets to decide…and you’ll prob’ly get a few more coin for your trouble.”

The second henchman laughed. “S’right. Just think…an hour from now, you’ll be sittin’ in the Crosscut with a bottle and your pick of the hostesses.”

“Not after this. Tonight, I’m goin’ to Miss Pearl’s house.”

The Dark Woman turned her head. “Why? Why pay so much more for somethin’ you’re only gonna do for thirty seconds?” At this, the Fair Man and the second lackey burst into laughter. Dark Woman joined in, laughing merrily as the offended Aluns hurled rebukes upon them all. As they rounded a bend notched from the hillside, even the overhanging trees echoed the derisive guffaws.

“Hi!”

Their laughter faded at the sight of a smallish, Spanic woman on horseback. She also had a sawed-off “over and under” double-barrel trained upon them. “Whatcha doin’?” Marisol asked.

“We got business,” the fair man commanded. “Ride along, Little Missy.”

She shrugged, then shook her head. “Can’t. See, those are my kids you got there. I’d be obliged if you’d hand ‘em over now.”

Dark Woman’s brows lifted in recognition. “Wait…I know you,” she said as her pistol came up. “You’re that woman what’s singin’ with them sly boys at the cabar-ett”

“Aww,” the Spanic cooed, “a fan!”

“Let’s take her!” Aluns exclaimed. “I give her somethin’ no sly boy could.”

Marisol grinned. “A slab of fat like you couldn’t rise up to give me your chair. Now why don’t you just let those kids down, and ride off?”

“Mighty brave talk,” Fair Man’s pistol was held aloft, “for one of you facin’ four of us? How you think this will end? Tell me, before I let these boys get all friendly.” At that, the two henchmen growled with mocking laughter.

She glanced from one trained firearm to the next. “I gotta admit,” Marisol offered a pleasant smile, “that your math is right. One of me….but,” she cocked an eyebrow, “I do have something you don’t.”

“Oh yeah?” the woman asked. “What’s that?”

“Him.”

Vas waved from an overhand. “Quack.” He said, leveling his shotgun down at the ducklings.

The punk’s shotgun roared from above them, depositing most of its blast into the right shoulder and head of the second henchmen. He cried out in surprise from the fresh pain as the buckshot knocked him from the saddle, blood oozing out of his now shredded shoulder.

Marisol’s shotgun belched smoke as she spurred her horse. With a visceral yell, she charged forward, her shotgun a lance volleying fire and pellet, as the would-be kidnappers’ horses reared and dodged.

Vas, his perch no longer leading an advantageous shot, leaped from the overhang. He crashed into the bulky Aluns, the broad side of Vas’s shotgun crashing into the man’s face as they hit the ground. Aluns gasped and sputtered, spraying blood and few teeth into the snow. Vas drew his machete in a single fluid motion, the tip dipping across the man’s neck. Aluns mouth worked, trying to get air. A hand clamped over his neck as he struggled to keep his blood from all pouring out, as the boy moved on to his next target.

With a hiss, the Dark Women kicked her horse into gallop, closing the distance to their prize, the child who had already caused so much trouble.

The riderless horse upon which Haddie was propped shied away from the smell of blood and loud noises, it’s unwilling payload no help as she struggled and squirmed, only adding to the poor creature’s frightened prancing.

Marisol spied the Dark Women both made a play for Haddie. She surged forward, murder in her eye. The two women clapped their hands on the hapless girl at the same time, ushering a lethal tug of war. Marisol laid a firm hand on the ropes around Haddie’s midsection with a vise grip pulling as the three horses and their struggling humans whirled a macabre dance amid the mayhem.

The Dark Lady had the child by the leg. “I’ll kill you, you sly whore!” she growled as Haddie kicked and thrashed.

“You can try, *puta,*” Marisol replied through gritted teeth. She swung her pistol, going for a point-blank shot until the horse between them panicked. The animal reared, it’s shrieking neigh resonant as both women clutched for the child, who suddenly found herself hauled onto Marisol’s saddle. Seizing the moment, she spurred the mustang away from the scene. “Gonna get you safe!” she reassured Haddie during their ride, even as a bullet nicked its way through her hair.

The Dark Women’s face was furious as she fought her spooked horse, firing once more at Marisol with her own pistol.

Another bullet disturbed the air by Marisol ‘s right ear. “Bitch is good,” she gasped as the pair retreated.

Vas bore down on the Fair Man as he struggled to get up. The punk feigned and ducked as the Fair Man fire as he swung his gun to where he had though the boy was going.

The boom of Marisol’s shotgun spoke again, giving the Fair Man to scream as his pistol fell from the mangled fingers of his right hand. Vas quickly followed up his blade dancing arose the man his fingers still twitching as he fell gurgling.

Marisol burst through the confusion and rearing horses to went to secure Haddie before she slipped off the gorram horse! “Hang on, kid!” she exclaimed as her shotgun was holstered. “GILL!” Marisol cried out as she drew her pistol, her shotgun now empty. “GO! GO!!”

The horsemen had scattered and died, trying to put distance between themselves and Vas Jat. The dark woman was taking careful aim on the mohawked kid. Marisol leveled her pistol and fired…once, twice, three times, to see her quarry reel in the saddle.

Gill spurred his horse, which charged through the fray to bolt at full gallop around a bend in the road. Marisol squeezed the trigger once more, this time striking a retreating henchman with a gut shut that sent him, wailing and writing in pain, into the snow. She spurred Flyer, who was only too glad to race away from the melee, until she could again see Gill, attempting without hands to bring his horse to a stop.

Before setting off to retrieve the boy, Marisol cast a glance over her shoulder. Vas was on the ground, forcing the life out of another hired gun his blade swinging down with ruthless indifference. Dark Woman’s hip glistened with fresh blood as she fought to control a prancing spooked horse from bolting…but her target was still the young punk. The pistol came up again her face etched with grim determination.

“VAS!” she cried out in a world gone slow motion. “VAS!!!”

The punk whipped around to face the Dark Women.

The Dark Woman’s gun was trained; the hammer cocking back. Marisol was whirling her horse about, twisting her body to draw a bead, but couldn’t direct her weapon fast enough to make the shot.

There was a burst of gunfire …

Riley pulled the trigger twice, double-tapping the woman drawing down on her crew chief, center mass. Luckily, her horse was as sure as he was steady, and the bullets both found their mark. *You do not threaten my crew,*she thought bitterly. Relieved as she was that the crew chief was fine, among the bodies, she didn’t see what she was looking for. Her horse cantered to a stop as the Lieutenant quickly dismounted, both feet crunching deep into the snow.
“Oh … Hey Lieutenant! Thanks.” The young Crew Cheif said in a chipper tone. “You want any of ‘em alive?”
“No. Where’s Haddie?” She asked, answering his question with one of her own.
Vas pointed to Marisol where Haddie was still tied up across her saddle.
Having seen the relief of Riley and the others on the scene, Marisol whirled about, spurring the mustang into a furious gallop to catch the runaway horse. She leaned forward, head down as she goaded speed from a horse who’d been waiting all day to run. Flyer earned his name as he raced along the road, hooves kicking up both snow and some underlying mud..
“Hang on,” Marisol cried into Haddie’s ear. The buck knife came out, making clean slices of the girl's ankle and wrist bindings. Haddie wasted no time, proving her nimble skills as she took a sitting position before Marisol on the saddle. “The saddle horn! Grab it! Hold tight!”

Gill’s panicked horse was ahead still running, but apparently the animal was beginning to tire of its’ gallop. “I’m gonna lean way out,” Marisol cautioned the child. ‘Don’t move.” Somehow, the boy had managed to remain aboard the horse as it bounced him, terrified, along the rough logging road. Flyer came up on the left side, Marisol stretching fingers which soon danced over the animal’s flank. The reins were out of her reach, but after another burst of speed, her fingers closed around the halter. “Whooooaaa!” she cried, reining both Flyer and the escaped horse to a slow stop. “Whoa!”

“Looks like she got both thing one and thing two. Kill ‘em all are you want one to interrogate Lieutenant?” The punk asked looking up to the mounted piolet. “Should probably If Doc is nearby, give ‘em a once over too.” He added.

“Just finish it.” Riley said, weighing all options. Bringing him to the authorities would be the right thing, the smart thing to do, but would also implicate Jat and besides, bastards went after their kids.

Vas shrugged dispatching the targets who remained alive. The less witnesses the better meant no questions.

“Meester Vas!” Yeva was off her horse like a shot. She grabbed her medical kit before descending upon the punk. “You are hurt? You are hurt?” she demanded, her hands probing him urgently, testing every spatter and bloodstain. “You are not hurt?” she stepped back, relieved at the notion. “Is someone else’s blood?”

“I-uh what? I’m fine really I’m okay!” Vas said trying to defend his person from Yeva’s determined probing fingers! “It got a little mess is all! Nothing some bleach and scrubbing can’t fix!.” He said trying to dissuade her wandering hands!

“Yeva!” Marisol shouted from down the road. ‘’Yeva!” The new med assist turned to see two horses, closely united as they approached in a trot. She could see both kids! Marisol was standing in her stirrups, waving for Yeva to hurry. Her right arm was around Gill’s shoulders to steady him in the saddle. The boy’s face held the pallor of death.

“Haddie?” Riley called, relief washing over the lieutenant as she caught sight of the little girl a top Mariol’s horse. A half smile crept over the alliance soldier’s face. “Gave ‘em what for, did you? Let’s get you home and warmed up, we can sort everything out back on the Veil.”