Missing Angels --Another Petticoat Posse Tale

[Elegant Ella]

To say that things happened too fast or all hell broke loose was the worlds biggest understatement. Upon reaching the river things got real hairy real fast, literally.

Patches was contemplating the rolling water and watching for water mocs when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and began to tickle. Instinctively she rested her right hand on her crossdraw pistol, while holding both reins in her left. Quickly she attempted to look in all directins at once, when out of the corner of her eye she saw Lucky jump for the water.

THEN she saw the human shaped shadow slipping like oil from the rocks.

Fast she drew her pistol, shouting the single word "AMBUSH!" as she did. No sooner was her finger pressing the trigger when out of nowhere 200 pounds of solidity slammed into her back from the left.

She got one shot off, which went wild, before the gun flew from her hand. She and whoever had jumped her slammed to the ground with numbing force and she took two punches to the kindeys before she could even gain her breath back.

Thunder, in the meantime, had screamed and reared, then attempted to take off away from the water. But he was no dumb horse, realizing that someone was trying to catch him. He spun on a dime, half in mid air, bucked and kicked his attacker in the head - killing him instantly - before running off to the shelter of the rocks.

Meanwhile, Patches struggled with the greasy smelling thing that straddled her back. His arm circled around her throat, choking her and bending her backwards at the same time.

She reached up with both hands, trying to see through the stars obstructing her vision, and gouged as deeply as she could at the mans face. He screamed as blood tricked down both cheeks, raising his hands to his wounded face. Patches took that opportunity to spin underneith of him and slam the heal of her hand squarely into his nose. He fell back screaming and kicking, and Patches sprang to her feet.

Next thing she knew...they were all over her. What truely couldn't have been more than 7or 10 men seemed like a horde and Patches did the only thing she could do -- she started throwing punches.

The scuffle couldn't have lasted more than half a minute (although it seemed like an eternity), before Patches found herself face down in the mud attempting to roll with each kick what surely had been coming from 20 or 30 different boots. Not that she didn't get her share of licks in, but one blow to the gut doubled her over and she was done for.

She heard someone ask someone else what he should "do with'er", and another person answer "Kill'er". She was rapidly losing consiousness and the only thought in her pain filled head was "Don't worry Bill, I toldja if I die, I'd haunt ya for the rest of your life."

She had every intention of doing just that too. Returning as soon as she could as a ghost to haunt the lab at the Southern Star forever, or until someone at the Star could hear her message....

~Several hours later ~

Patches swam out of a deep darkness, her eyes coming open slowly. It was still dark. Dark like it was when she and Scarlet first left the cave.

That could only mean one of two things. One: She had not been unconsious for too long or two: She had been unconsious for most of the day.

It was still raining too. Each drop coming to crash on her badly bruised back making her feel like a cushion full of holes.

Obviously she wasn't dead. She hurt way too much to be dead.

She raised her head attempting to blink the liquid out of her eyes. Only one eye was working properly. She groaned at the sharp pain in her neck as she lifted her head.

"Aw crap," she mumbled through swollen lips. This was not good. Carefully and with a great deal of effort she managed to roll over, letting the stinging rain wash the blood from her face for a moment. Again, she slowly opened her one good eye and attempted to make sence out of a water coated world.

A soft blowing from her right cought her attention and she turned her head to look. Peaking out from between two rocks, tentative, was Thunders head, his reins dangling down.

"C'mere boy," she said as loudly as she could. At what point did her throat become filled with ground glass? The horse took a slow step forward. Patches patted the ground with her hand, hoping the horse would realize she was alive and in desperate need of a hand up.

It took some doing but finally he came up to her, bending his head to softly blow in her face. She reached up and tugged at a rein.

"Gotta lay down," she whispered, still trying to find her voice. Thunder looked at her as if she were speaking in tongues. She tugged the rein a bit harder. "Lay down....need help."

God only knew how long later Thunder finally got what she was saying and laid down next to her. Using the tack, the reins, and the saddle horn as leverage she was finally able to slide down and wriggle around enough to get one leg over the saddle even though every little movement caused an excrusiating, seering pain throughout her body.

Surely this operation had taken hours.

"Up..." she said and this time the horse obeyed, instantly gaining his feet. Patches' head went dizzy and her vision greyed to almost nothing as Thunder rose. She sat as still as possible on the nervous horse, doubled over, until it cleared.

She reached for the reins, but could only catch one. Finally, short of breath and weakening more with every movement she just let go and wrapped her arms around Thunder's neck.

"Go home boy," she whispered into his wet main. "Gotta go home and get help."

That seemed to be a command the horse understood and he took off.

Patches was in and out of consiousness during that half a days ride, never really sure how long it took or why she never fell from the saddle. Thunder only stopped once or twice to drink from some ouddle before pushing on. When she was consious she spoke to the horse as she could, urging him to go faster, but he was very aware of the condition of his rider and didn't jostle her too much. When he thought she was slipping from the saddle he'd stop, and the stop always woke her.

~Somewhere around 8 PM~

Dr. Bill stood under the shelter of the porch roof of the telegraph office smoking a cigar, listening to the rain coming down, and staring into the inky blackness of the night.

Where was she? She should have been back long before now WITH Scarlet in tow. Something had happened. Something terrible and hurtful and by God he could feel that in the core of his very bones.

His eyes frantically searched the land he could not see, although his body was held in a stance of calm like never before. To look at him, a person would think he was casually standing there smoking, perhaps enjoying the sound of the rain before turning in, but every muscle in his body was tense and ready to spring should the need arise. His normally active mind that held a myriad of thoughts at any given time now only screamed one sentence: "Where are you?"

He realized quickly that in this weather, as dark as it was, his eyes would easily deceive him, perhaps tricking him into seeing that which was not there to begin with. Several times already he thought he saw movement where there was none. But he recalled a lesson in listening from back in Arizona, where Patches had taught him to seperate sounds.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and listened.

Rain, spattering down, not as hard as it was earlier. Horses in the barn. Running rain water from the roof of the house. A voice calling to someone, also from the house. Hoof beats...coming in fast.

Hoof beats?

His eyes snapped open, searching the darkness. Where, where were they coming from? Patches? Hoof beats, closer now....

Then the flair went off. Bright yellow lighting up the night. THERE! A shadow of a horse running in, with a lump on its back. Thunder?

He had no time to make his mind register exactly what he was seeing in the eerie yellow glow, he simply tossed his cigar and ran as fast as he could into the rain.

Bill came to a screetching halt just as the running horse did the same. There was a moment when horse and human simply looked at eachother. Thunder was covered in foam and scratches, his head down, breathing hard. Bill took a tentative step toward him, hand held palm out. Thunder looked over his shoulder, then back at Bill.

Bill stepped around, his heart slamming full throttle into his throat. Fast he stepped to the saddle and cought Patches before she could slide off and fall to the ground.

"Oh God," he said as he cradled her in his arms. She was hurt and bad. Even her knuckles were scraped and bloody. "Patches? Patty!"


"My God what happened?" Johnny's voice by the horses head.

"Where's Scarlet?" Fritz's voice at Bill's shoulder.

Bill wasn't even aware they had joined him. He stood and turned around, his face set in a mask of concern. Johnny and Fritz took one look at the limp form in their friends arms and all three men rushed to the house.

Ella ran down to the kitchen in response to Johnny's bellow and met the men coming in.

"Lay her there on the kitchen table," she ordered while pulling her supply box out of the pantry. "Fritz, fetch water and boil two pans full. Johnny, bring lanterns in here for extra light. Bill... ," her voice trailed off as the naked emotions on Bill's face stopped her from sending him away.

She took out a piece of soft cloth and moistened it with her disinfectant. Handing it to Bill, she said quietly, "Clean her face and hands."

Ella turned to assessing the injuries. Patches had broken ribs for sure, and only a miracle could have prevented a punctured lung, but both lungs sounded clear and sound. She had a broken collar bone as well. The bruises on her throat were going to be more dramatic-looking tomorrow, but were not an important problem now. Her eyes were responding to light normally, so her head wasn't damaged too badly.

Rose had come in with the lanterns, and sent Fritz and Johnny out. Then Rose helped Ella undress and bathe Patches. Ella bit her lip at the sight of blood that could only have come from kidney damage.

The jar of bruise ointment was empty by the time Ella and Rose had applied it to all the places that needed it. After Ella had bound Patches's ribs and set the collar bone, Rose helped her dress Patches in a soft nightgown. "We can take her out to her bed in the telegraph office in the morning. I don't want to move her until then," said Ella.


The probability of surviving any injury or combination of injuries was a mathematical equation. Since the human body was not a series of independent variables the total probability was a summation and not a summation of squares and root of the sum. SHE'S GOING TO DIE SHE'S GOING TO DIE SHE'S GOING TO DIE SHE'S GOING TO DIE. Per istam Sanctam UnctioXnem, et suam piisimam misericordiam, indulgeat tibi Dominus quidquid per visum deliquisti. Amen. Per istam Sanctam UnctioXnem, et suam piisimam misericordiam, indulgeat tibi Dominus quidquid per auditum deliquisti. Amen. YOU'RE NO PRIEST. YOU COULDN'T FINISH ANTHING. YOU WERE'NT THERE WHEN SHE NEEDED YOU THE MOST! SHE'S GOING TO DIE. SHE'S GOING TO DIE. SHE'S GOING TO DIE. SHE'S GOING TO DIE. SHE'S GOING TO DIE. Assigning a value of "X" to the probability of successful recovery and solving for the cumulative percentage we arrive at a statistical negative result that normalizing SHE'S GOING TO DIE. SHE'S GOING TO DIE. SHE'S GOING TO DIE. SHE'S GOING TO DIE. SHE'S GOING TO DIE Per istam Sanctam UnctioXnem, et suam piisimam misericordiam, indulgeat tibi Dominus quidquid per odoratum deliquisti. Amen. Per istam Sanctam UnctioXnem, et suam piisimam misericordiam, indulgeat tibi Dominus quidquid per gustum et locutionem deliquisti. Amen. FIND THEM KILL THEM FIND THEM KILL THEM FIND THEM KILL THEM FIND THEM KILL THEM FIND THEM KILL THEM FIND THEM KILL THEM FIND THEM KILL THEM.



Through this holy annointing, and His most loving mercy, may the Lord forgive you whatever wrong done. Amen




"Bill?" A voice from far away, too soft to break through the litany in his head. He couldn't take his eyes off the battered form on the table. For some reason everything was swirling.

"Bill?" He should have been there. He could have protected her, SHOULD have protected her...


"BILL!!" His head jerked around, his eyes finally meeting with Ella's. Thankfully -- for the moment -- the internal clamor stopped. "I think that's all we can do for right now," Ella said, calmly. "I'll put the coffee on and we can sit here with her." She handed him an unused bit of leftover bandage so he could clean his glasses before turning toward the stove to start on the coffee. He sat near her head and cleaned his glasses all in one fluid motion, removing the tears that had accumulated on the lenses.

Once his glasses were back on his face he noticed some dirt and twigs or something in Patches hair. The fact that her hair was loose and so unkempt bothered him terribly for some strange reason. Ella must have unbraided it in order to check for head injuries, and all 40 inches of it was balled up under her neck.

"I need a brush," he said gruffly. Those were the first words he'd spoken since he found her drapped over the back of her horse.

Ella turned. "What?"

Gently Bill lifted Patches head with one hand and began straightening out her hair with the other. "She doesn't like to sleep on her hair," he said. "I need a brush."

Ella looked at him, then down at her. Was the brushing of Patches hair something that he needed to do for her or for himself? She supposed it didn't matter as long as Bill was occupied enough to stay sane. She smiled just a tiny bit. "I'll get you one." She said and went to retrieve a brush.

"Bill?" Another voice disturbed his attempt to sort out all the other voices that threatened to fill his ears again. Bill looked up. It was Tensleep. His mustache drooped and he held his hat in his hands. "How bad is it?"

"Bad," Bill said, as Ella handed him the brush. Ella poured coffee for both men.

"Has she said anything yet?" Sleep took a step in the room.

Bill shook his head. "Not yet," he said quietly as he carefully began to remove bits of dirt and grass from Patches's hair.

Tensleep sagged against the wall. "Patches hurt, Scarlet missing and Fritz is goin crazy with worry. Sure wish I knew what happened out there."

"I'm sure you'll find out as soon as Patches regains consiousness," Ella stated guiding 'Sleep into the room to sit down with his coffee.

'Sleep looked up at her and nodded, then looked at Bill. "She'll make it Bill. She will," he said comfortingly.

Bill nodded, never looking away from his methodical brushing, his mind recalling every last scientific fact he knew about human hair. He thought that he looked forward to watching all that fiery red turn to gray, slowly, over time. Years and years and years watching her hair turn. He wondered how long it would be in 20 years if she still refused to cut it. But will he be able to after this? The first 24 hours were always crucial. How long could a hair grow in 24 hours?

"Ella," Fritz and Johnny had come in the room followed by Bo and Jimmy.
Ella turned, reached down more cups, filled them then went to the kitchen door. "How is she?" Johnny asked.

"She's breathing slow and steady," she said with a glance over here shoulder. "But hasn't woken up yet. It's going to be a very long night. And don't even think about asking Bill to leave her or get some rest because I can tell you right now, he won't."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Fritz said, staring. If that was Scarlet laying on that table, 25 pounds of TNT couldn't get him away. He tore his gaze from the scene in the kitchen, accepted the proffered coffee and sipped although it held no flavor for him.

"Bill and I will stay with her, I assume you and Tensleep will come on and off. For right now though, we'll give her room to breathe. I'll let you kniow when she wakes or if she says anything. Alright?"

Fritz and Johnny both nodded and then left, taking Bo and Jimmy with them.

"Bill's holding in a lot of pent up anger," Fritz noted to Johnny once they gained the hall.

"Wouldn't you?" Johnny asked.

"Oh yeah. Figure he might need something to do while waiting. He can't brush her hair forever."

Johnny raised one eyebrow. "I think you've got tetched." He quipped as best he could under the circumstances.

"Maybe so." Fritz agreed. "But I know that if I was in his position I'd wanna be killing something. All that waiting is enough to drive a man mad."

Johnny sighed. "Is Scarlet the only person in this world who can make sence out of what yer sayin?"

Fritz almost laughed. "I think so. I'll be right back."

And so Johnny Longknife stood in the middle of the hallway and watched his soon-to-be-son-in-law stride out door. A few minutes later he came back with a long branch, his unsheithed knife still in his other hand.

"Figure Bill might want to make her a cane. With broken ribs she might need it. Might give him something to take his agressions out on too."

And with that he strode back into the bedroom.

~ Somewhere around 3 am ~

Patches groaned softly. Bill sat straight up in his chair, the branch Fritz had given him sliding off his lap to clatter to the floor. Ella lifted her head from the table at the sound, took one look at Patches and went straight for warm water and a cloth.

Bill took her hand, very gently. "Patches?"

Her one good eye fluttered open. "Bill...."

Bill smiled inspite of himself. "Yes darlin. It's me."

By this time Ella was swabbing her face gently. It must have felt good to her because she closed her eye and moaned softly.

"Bill..." Her voice barely above a whisper, her eyebrows coming together with the effort of her thoughts. "Tell Johnny...."

She stopped. Bill glanced at Ella who indicated he should encourage her to go on. He leaned down closer to her, one hand on the top of her head.

"Tell Johnny what darlin?" He asked.

"Tell ...Johnny...Travis sees..." She managed.

"Travis?" Bill was confused. "What does Travis see darlin?"

Patches moved her head to the side, almost a jerking motion. She swallowed hard twice then Ella gave her a sip of water while Bill held her head.

"Travis...sees...where Scarlet....is going." She whispered. "Travis sees....love you darlin. Be alright." And with that she fell back into oblivion.

Bill, his eyes beginning to tear up again, leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Love you too darlin." He whispered. She squeezed his hand.

"I think I need to get Johnny," Ella said.

[Elegant Ella]

Johnny's frustration grew, he tried not to show it but he wondered if Scarlet lay dead in the rain someplace. Hell maybe Patches hadn't even caught up to her. He was impressed with the effort the men had put into recreating the maps. Unfortunately, they had approximate places. With approximates they could be a half a days ride one side or the other and not even know.

He had dozed at his desk in between trying to remember little details and checking on Patches.

Bo had done what he could and when he was no longer any help he picked up a small piece of paper and wrote on it. He remembered the question Tensleep had asked earlier and wrote it on the note.

Places where Scarlet goes alone.
He drew the barns of the Starr and some of her favorite horses stalls. In one corner of the paper he had put Devils Mountain. She used to go there a lot. He drew the high point on the ranch she liked to go. The big tree near the rose garden, the horse fountain...he put a little star next to that. She loved that thing, just like her mother.

He drew the trails she took the horses on to exercise them, the culvert she jumped along that trail, then looped down around the cemetery and home. He was getting to tired to think so he just started to doodle. Filling the small details in of the cemetery; his drawing wasn't big enough to put people's entire names on so he put initials. He finally laid the drawing on the floor and put his head back falling asleep.

"Johnny." Ella said softly.

Johnny jerked his head up and blinked. "What is it, everything ok? Is Patches"

"Patches is saying things, I don't know if she is delirious but she seemed like it was awful important to tell you." Ella said as she watched Johnny jump up and move swiftly with her to Patches side.

By the time they reached Patches room she was quiet.

"What did she say?" Johnny asked.

Bill gave him a puzzled look. "She said Travis sees where Scarlet is going. Does it mean anything?"

Johnny rubbed his chin. "I don't know."

He picked up the cloth that Ella had been using and gently dabbed Patches forehead and cheek. She'd come to mean so much to him in such a quick time. Johnny always had a place in his heart for spitfires. He sort of grinned wondering what it would have been like if Patches and Scarlet really were sisters. He could only imagine having to chase after both of 'em.

"Don't you give up on me." He said softly.

Patches reached for the voice, instead her hand landed on Bill's arm. "Ring." She said weakly.

"What?" Bill leaned closer to her.

"With ring."

Bill, Johnny and Ella all exchanged puzzled looks.

Patches grew frustrated. In her mind she could hear herself asking full sentence questions but nobody seemed to understand.

"Travis sees...maps with ring. He watches....Bill...love you." Patches hand slipped from Bill's arm and she was out again.

Johnny had started to write down what she'd said, mumbling something about more damn codes he went back to his office.


A trail of men seemed to continuously stream in and out of the house all day long; some coming in for food, some for instructions. Sonny had followed Jimmy straight into Johnny's office followed by Hank. The men working on the maps didn't show themselves until they got the news on Patches.

Sonny had walked by the kitchen and stopped momentarily in the doorway. If anybody noticed the look on his face they would have seen sorrow but not shock. He'd seen plenty of Cutters work close up.

Sonny bowed his head and said a quiet prayer asking God to look after the young lady. Then he was heard to say a few more words in Comanche before he went back to Johnny's office.

Hank spotted Marshal Ross standing over Patches as he went towards Johnny's office. They had not had time to speak with all of the activities and he didn't even know how he was going to tell the man Rebecca hadn't made it to Sonny's, especially now. She could have been jumped by any outlaw but Hank figured it was a pretty safe bet it was Cutter's men.

Hank vaguely heard Johnny introduce Sonny to Tensleep as he stood looking at Rebecca's shotgun leaned against the wall. He was lost in his own thoughts.

After shaking hands with Sonny 'Sleep was just about to ask how they'd done redrawing the lost map. Before he could get the words out his eyes took in the shotgun against the wall.

"Hank..... where's 'Becca............ Hank?"

Hank's eyes fell on Tensleep. It took him a moment to realize the man was talking to him.

He handed the two shells they'd found to Tensleep. "Found these about five miles from Sonny's long with the gun." He pulled the letter from his vest and handed that to Tensleep. "She left this where she knew I wouldn't find it until later in the day. She was at the Ace for breakfast, but I don't remember seeing her after that."

"Awwwwwwwwww Gawd! Now they got 'Becca!" Tensleep just stood and shook with rage. Finally he gathered himself.

"I don't know what to say." Hank said softly.

"Nothin' to say Hank. Hell.... you couldn't have stopped her if you had known what she was gonna do. That is one strong willed woman. Never since I have known her have I seen anything that would scare her, but it looks like this sure has. It's really hard for me to believe."

Tensleep felt as if his world had turned upside down. He didn't know what to do or say. He was having feelings that he had never had before.

Tensleeps words made Hank feel a little better. "We all have things that scare us. Marshal, how can I help?"

"Hank.... I really need to know everything that you know about Scarlet..
an' now 'Becca... Everything, stuff that you know that they might not tell me. I need to know how they think so we can find them, and so we can get them back when we do. Please Hank?"

Hank looked a little puzzled. "You want to know about Scarlet I can help you some but you should be asking Bo. Becca...I can help you there.

Ya know Scarlet once told me the most important lesson Johnny taught her was not to expect others to do things you wouldn't do yourself. Becca's the same way. It shows in how they treat folks. The people that work for her. She treats them all the same, nobody is any better than somebody else. They are both liked and respected for that. Ask any of the men on the ranch about Scarlet they'll tell ya the same."

"How they think...I'm sure Becca took off because she didn't want to bring harm to anyone. You don't find anybody in that mountain if they don't want to be found. I don't know a lot about Cutter, only the things I've heard from hanging around Scarlet an them.

I'm pretty sure he'd not ride into a Comanche camp. That's where Rebecca was going..ta see her brother."

"Scarlet" He thought about it for a minute then he half smiled. "I often heard her say 'my fight, I'll choose the battle ground.'

Sleep that man has taken alot of things over the years from Scarlet. Loved ones, morals, the feeling of being safe.

I can tell you she's tired of him. For her to ride outta here without anybody. She means to kill him. Ain't no law gonna stop her this time. Law stopped her last time. I'm sure she's got some wanted poster says dead or alive on it. She covers herself that way." Hank waited for a response.

"Hank I don't care if she kills the whole damn bunch, what I know now, they deserve whatever they get. All I want is 'Becca, an' Scarlet back here safe fast as we kin do it.

"If these deputies of mine don't kill tha Rowens then I will."

"Just don't get yourself killed in the process, or worse from what I understand captured. He's the type that enjoys what he does yanno." Hank bowed his head thinking of Patches.

There was another one in the prison system. Don't rightly member his name. I'm sure Sonny does if it's not in your reports. Maybe you could find where he is and get the right person to get some information out of him." Hank half grinned.

"Harry Montgomery. That's who you're looking for; was Cutters right hand man. He was tried in El Paso the same time but sent someplace else to serve time." Sonny said without looking up from what he doing.


When Scarlet regained consciousness her ears rang and she could feel the swelling on her chin; it took her a few minutes to figure out the world was black because they'd blindfolded her. She could feel an arm around her waist and judging from the large size of the horse and the smell of the man behind her it had to be Harry.

Scarlet wasn't sure how long she'd been out or how far they'd ridden. She was cold and her clothes were still damp, maybe from the river maybe from the rain, but it had stopped raining.

She took a mental inventory of herself. Her hands were bound and tied to something. She thought for a moment.

Trying to make as little movement as possible to let her captors know she was awake she tried to feel what she was tied to; the saddle horn. Nice she thought, kept her from bailing off and running or trying to take control of the horse. She continued to think and thankfully decided nothing was broken.

They stopped once to let the horses rest. She could hear a stream and the breeze blew across what sounded like tall grass. Scarlet heard one of them comment on the field of blue. That didn't help her figure out where she was, blue bonnets where everywhere.

The ground soon turned hard, in spite of the rain; the horses hooves made a hollow sound as the hit the ground, like they would on rock or a road that had been traveled heavily and packed down and the wind now blew through trees.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity of smelling the greasy foul odor mixed with blood they came to a stop. She heard the men dismount. Someone hurried up two wooden steps and through a door. Then she heard Josh's voice and the man from the Ace?

"What the hell ya doing!!" Josh shrieked.

"I told you it's what she does for a living. Get over it, ya won't be her first." Phil yelled back.

"Who else, who else has she been with?!"

"Can't count that high."

"Martha Ann you tell me he's lying."

It was faint but Scarlet was sure it was Rebecca's voice. "Oh geez they had her too." Scarlet thought.

"Your Martha Ann's not been with anybody." Then the voice got louder and Scarlet was sure it had to be Becca. "I'm so glad you're home. He's been making advances on me all day."

Then the sound of two men fighting rang in Scarlet's ears, the sound of gunfire made her jump.

"STOP IT" Cutter Growled as he holstered his gun.

Scarlet was untied and yanked off the big horse then the blindfold was removed.

Josh and Phil sat on the ground exchanging hateful looks. Rebecca stood on the porch in a wedding dress looking at Scarlet with fear on her face.

Josh looked up a Scarlet. "Who is that woman?" He gestured with his head towards Becca.

Scarlet shook her head in confusion. "Martha Ann?"

She could see the relief wash over Becca's face.

Josh glared at Phil "Told you. Keep your paws off." He said standing.

Cutter limped up to Scarlet. "I don't care what you call her. If you misbehave, I'll kill her, then I'll kill the other one."

Scarlet's eyes darted around looking for someone she recognized. They fell on the blonde who stood in the doorway. She was relieved that it wasn't one of her friends, then felt guilty for thinking that.

She looked around the landscape before she was shoved towards the house. The house seemed to sit in a circle of cliffs except at one point where the cliff almost looked broken; the place had two exits, the break in the cliff and the way they came in.

Then it dawned on Scarlet "beyond the field of blue lies the broken shoe. Egads! The broken shoe homestead." It was a good day's ride from the Starr.

The place had been abandoned for years. Old man Garrett died and left the place to a son that lived in the East. As far Scarlet knew the son had never come to live here. They had called it the broken shoe because the valley where the house sat was in the shape of a horse shoe, open at one end except for the broken part.

She had the place marked on her maps as a highly likely place for Cutter to come. How she wished she'd just told Patches where to find those maps.

"Ah Gawd Patches." Scarlet felt ill as she thought about the scene at the river.

"Come on." Cutter said pulling her into the house with the rest of the group.

He sat at the table and laid Scarlet's gunbelt and gear he'd taken from her on it; then looked up at Scarlet. "I ought to do the same ta you." He said looking down at his leg. "But instead you're gonna stitch it up for me and if you're not nice about it. I'll have a discussion with my brother about who Martha Ann really is.

Phil is very knowledgeable about the company she's been keeping lately." He leaned towards Scarlet. "Cept I might put a little twist on reality and make up a few stories of my own." Cutter smiled sinisterly.

When it came time for them to turn in for the night Cutter tied Jenny and Scarlet back to back with Jenny's hands to Scarlet's ankles and Scarlet's hands to Jenny's ankles.

He leaned down and kissed Scarlet on the cheek. "There are two guards in the house watching you at all times."

[Elegant Ella]

A cold wind blew desolaton through the deepest, darkest recesses of her mind. A darkness surrounded her, and the only thing she could hear was a steady throbbing beat.

Thump, thump...thump thump...weak but there.

On the table in the kitchen her body shivered. Dr. Bill leaned toward her, gently placing a hand on her arm. Ella turned from pouring yet another one of the hundreds of cups of coffee for Bill to look at her. Something was definately happening.

"Where am I?" Patches said. Bill glanced at Ella who shrugged.

"In the land of peace," an invisible voice answered her.

It was quiet here, but the darkness was too thick. And the silence surrounding the thumping was also too thick. She couldn't see a thing.

"Ssssshhhhhh...." that invisible voice, cold. "It is time to rest now."

Patches sighed. "Rest...."

"Yes. Rest. Sleep. You are safe here. Let the silence comfort you."

Silence never comforted her. She couldn't remember a time when silence made her feel safe. Nor dark either for that matter. Her head twitched on the table.

"It's dark here," she stated. Ella lit a lamp and brought it closer. Patches eyes moved back and forth rapidly under the lids.

Bill looked up at her. "Is she dreaming?"

Ella's face was set in an odd expression. She shook her head no, then reached for a cool cloth.

"The dark is soft, it covers you like a blanket. It is a good place. Just like the silence." The voice was starting to sound a tad bit patronizing.

"I hurt." She said.

"There is no pain in the dark, in the silence. Come with me into the dark."

The silence was getting thicker, suffocating the sound of the thumping. She strained to hear, but she caught another sound. Clop...clop. Hoofbeats? Here? She strained to see.

"Don't listen Baby Girl," a very familiar voice spoke. "The pains what lets you know yer still alive."

"Sarbuck?" Her eyebrows knitted together. "Yer dead."

"Ella. What's going on?" Bill asked.

"I believe she's delerious," Ella said, lifting her eyelids to check her eyes. The pupils dialated but there was no other movement. She was literally out cold--yet speaking too.

Sarbuck laughed. "Dead? Me? Never." Then she saw him partially materialize. Sitting there proud on the jet black stallion with the red glowing eyes. "Always lookin out fer you Baby Girl. Always have, always will."

The other voice hissed like an angry snake. "Don't listen to him. He is a demon. He will trick you. Come to me. I will keep you safe."

Patches looked at her brother. "I'm dying."

Bill's head snapped up and he took her hand in his.

"You are if you listen, Baby Girl," Sarbuck said.

"Ain't ready to die, Buck." She said.

Bill would have said something but his heart was stuck in his throat.

"Then don't, Baby Girl," Sarbuck said. "Reach out."

As if it were that simple. Right now she couldn't move.

"See? The pain is going away," the hissing voice spoke. "No more pain, no more feeling, no more emotion. Its safe here. Here in the dark, here in the silence."

Her body moved a bit on the table. "Who are you?"

"I am God," the voice seemed mocking now. "And it is time for you to come with me."

There was no way she would believe that heaven was filled with dark and silence. Her body shivered, she was so cold.

"He lies Baby Girl," Sarbuck said, the two dogs at his side materialized and began growling. "Reach out. Find Bill."

"You MUST come with ME!" The other voice close now in her ear yet loud as if it were yelling.

The thumping sound quickened a bit, became louder.

"Bill..." she said.

"I'm right here darlin," Bill whispered to her.

"Bill can't help you," the voice said. It felt suddenly as if tenticles had wrapped around her chest and began squeezing. She gasped for breath and was met by a sharp pain. "Bill cannot defy the word of God."

"Reach out Baby Girl!" Sarbuck said urgently as his horse stamped and the dogs began to howl.

"I can't breathe," Patches said haltingly. "Bill. Where are you?"

Bill placed his hand on the top of her head. "I'm here darlin. Right here!"

"Louder, Bill," Ella urged suddenly. "She can't hear you."

"Don't be afraid of the pain," Sarbuck encouraged. "Dark and silence are no place for you. Reach out!"

"Patches!" Bill said intently to her face. "I'm here darlin. Right here!"

"No! You will come with me!" The voice screamed, the tenticles gripping her tighter.

"NO! BILL!" Her head twisted toward him as if she were seeking him. Her whole body jerked. Her arm reached upward.

"Look for the light Baby Girl," Sarbuck said.

"There is NO LIGHT!" The other voice screetched.

Patches hitched trying to find a breath. "Bill, please..."

Bill grabbed her hand hard, placing his other hand on the back of her neck.

"Sit her up! She's choking!" Ella said as she helped Bill sit Patches up.

At the exact moment Bill grabbed her hand Patches heard a sound very similar to breaking glass. Shards of the darkness flew around her and she instinctivly ducked even as she felt her spirit core turn toward it.

There was the light. Not the bright light she was expecting, but a warm orange yellow light. Light like what would come from a lantern, a candle or a fire in a hearth.

"Patches hold on!" Bill urged as loudly as he dared in the silence of the room. "Come on Darlin, hold on!"

In the middle of the light was a figure. A head, neck shoulders, part of a torso, silohetted against the warm light. The light of comfort, of home, of safetly.

"Come on Patches! Take hold!" Bill's voice from the shadow. His arm reaching out.

"You cannot have her!" The voice screamed. "She is MINE. It is her TIME!"


"NO!" She screamed as well as her wounded throat would allow her. "Not today!"

"Grab hold, Baby Girl," Sarbuck said and she could hear the smile in his voice. "Bill's got you."

She looked up, saw the urgency on Bill's face, the dark wind blowing his hair across his brow, his glasses halfway down his nose, one strong arm reaching for her from above, the fingers of his large hand splayed, the other bracing himself on a jagged peice of broken darkness.

"Bill!"

"Take hold, Patches!" He said to her his fingers working her hand. "I've got you!"

With every effort she could muster she reached up and grabbed his hand, hard, squeezing with all her might. In her mind he pulled her out of that deep hole, in the kitchen that was the precise moment she sat up and began coughing.

She threw her arms around Bill's neck. He slid her onto his lap sitting back in the chair at the same time. Ella was right there patting her back slightly until she coughed up whatever obstruction was in her throat.

"Patches?" Bill asked breathless while he cradled her.

"Don't...let go...please," she managed.

"Alright," he said with a smile. He'd never felt more like laughing in his entire life. "I'm here. I won't leave you."

She heaved a sigh, then groaned. Sarbuck was right. The pain let you know you were still alive.

After a few minutes she drifted off to sleep and Bill looked up at Ella.

"What just happened?" He whispered. Although he already knew he simply wanted confirmation.

Ella smiled. "I'd say you pulled her from the brink of death."


Marshal Ross cleared his throat, then said, "Ella, if you've got a few minutes, I need some information run down."

Ella turned to face him. "Patches doesn't need me right now, she just needs Bill to keep holding her hand. What information do you need?"

"Present whereabouts of Harry Montgomery from Cutter's gang."

"That name was in the records of Cutter's trial. Harry Montgomery was sentenced to ten years in Huntsville State Prison. I'll send the query out, but don't really expect any answer before morning," replied Ella. "By the way, did what Patches said earlier about 'Travis sees where Scarlet is going' make any sense to Johnny and Bo?"

[Doctor Bill]

Originally Posted By Scarlet:

Johnny's frustration grew, he tried not to show it but he wondered if Scarlet lay dead in the rain someplace. Hell maybe Patches hadn't even caught up to her. He was impressed with the effort the men had put into recreating the maps. Unfortunately, they had approximate places. With approximates they could be a half a days ride one side or the other and not even know.

He had dozed at his desk in between trying to remember little details and checking on Patches.

Bo had done what he could and when he was no longer any help he picked up a small piece of paper and wrote on it. He remembered the question Tensleep had asked earlier and wrote it on the note.

Places where Scarlet goes alone.
He drew the barns of the Starr and some of her favorite horses stalls. In one corner of the paper he had put Devils Mountain. She used to go there a lot. He drew the high point on the ranch she liked to go. The big tree near the rose garden, the horse fountain...he put a little star next to that. She loved that thing, just like her mother.

He drew the trails she took the horses on to exercise them, the culvert she jumped along that trail, then looped down around the cemetery and home. He was getting to tired to think so he just started to doodle. Filling the small details in of the cemetery; his drawing wasn't big enough to put people's entire names on so he put initials. He finally laid the drawing on the floor and put his head back falling asleep.

"Johnny." Ella said softly.

Johnny jerked his head up and blinked. "What is it, everything ok? Is Patches"

"Patches is saying things, I don't know if she is delirious but she seemed like it was awful important to tell you." Ella said as she watched Johnny jump up and move swiftly with her to Patches side.

By the time they reached Patches room she was quiet.

"What did she say?" Johnny asked.

Bill gave him a puzzled look. "She said Travis sees where Scarlet is going. Does it mean anything?"

Johnny rubbed his chin. "I don't know."

He picked up the cloth that Ella had been using and gently dabbed Patches forehead and cheek. She'd come to mean so much to him in such a quick time. Johnny always had a place in his heart for spitfires. He sort of grinned wondering what it would have been like if Patches and Scarlet really were sisters. He could only imagine having to chase after both of 'em.

"Don't you give up on me." He said softly.

Patches reached for the voice, instead her hand landed on Bill's arm. "Ring." She said weakly.

"What?" Bill leaned closer to her.

"With ring."

Bill, Johnny and Ella all exchanged puzzled looks.

Patches grew frustrated. In her mind she could hear herself asking full sentence questions but nobody seemed to understand.

"Travis sees...maps with ring. He watches....Bill...love you." Patches hand slipped from Bill's arm and she was out again.

Johnny had started to write down what she'd said, mumbling something about more damn codes he went back to his office.

************************************************************
Originally Posted by 1st Sgt Fritz King

A bit earlier that evening...

Fritz led Thunder back to his stall. The horse followed without argument. He took an old wool blanket and wiped him down. It came away covered in blood. Not great gouts of it...but enough. Only problem was, Fritz couldn't tell WHOSE blood it was.

He took the saddle off and hung it on the stall. Fritz took the battered can of salve down from a shelf, and began daubbing it on the small wounds that littered Thunder's legs. Ella said the stuff was "good for man or beast." In truth, he'd used it on a few of his own cuts too.

Fritz lifted each of Thunder's hooves, and inspected them for damage. He'd hoped to find bits of rock or clay; something, ANYTHING that might point him in the right direction. Unfortunately, his search was in vain.

Once done, Fritz forked over about half the horse's usual ration of oats and water. Thunder gobbled them down, and looked at him greedily.

"No, no...not right now. Let's have some time to settle down. Don't want you to get sick." Fritz brushed the horse for awhile.

"Damn...now I'm talking to 'em."

"There are two possibilities," Fritz said to himself. "Either Scarlet's been captured...or...she's dead." The latter was too terrible to contemplate.

Patches and Scarlet were like sisters. There was no way she'd leave her while she still had fight in her. Although Patches wasn't as foul-mouthed as another frontier woman he'd known, she was just as tenacious.

"All right," Fritz replied. "Captured then."

He finished with Thunder and and headed to Strider's stall. He'd not removed the McClellan from the buckskin's back. Fritz checked the cirsingle, ensuring it was tight. The rain fell in torrents. If there had been any sign, it was long gone now.

"Damn..."

*********************************************************************************************
Originally Posted by Patches McDuff

"Dagummit Buck!" Patches cursed as she threw the long grass from her mouth and into the bubbling water. "Why's everything gotta be so hard?"

She looked out over the creek, squinting in the Georgia summer sunlight. She could just barely see the back of Daddy's workshop through the trees.

"Where's the fun in that?" Buck said with a lopsided smile. "Ever'thin' bein easy?"

She looked at her brother, sitting there with his dogs. For as long as she could remember he'd always had two dogs.

"Yeah but Scarlets in trouble and I got information and I cain't seem ta git it out." She said picking up a pebble.

Sarbuck looked at her. "Anybody ever tell ya why Pop named ya Patience?"

Patches rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Cuz I kept'im outta the Gold Rush in '49. Heard that story hundreds'a times, specially when HE was losin patience."

Buck chuckled. "Yeah well that aint the whole truth. See cuz I was there when you was born."

She looked at him attempting to see his eyes through the dark glasses he wore. Glasses not unlike her own but instead of blue lenses like hers, his were pitch black. "So?"

He turned to face her for the first time. "So. You come outta Ma real quick like. Ya took one cough, looked around, then settled inta Pops arms."

She looked at the cabin again. "So?"

"So," He said looking out over the water again. "You always had patience. Was Pop that needed it." He smiled. "Now you need it too. Ever'thing happens fer a reason Baby Girl."

Patches sighed and tossed the pebble in the water. She watched the splash then the ripples. Then she watched the ripples get swallowed by the current of the water running around the rocks.

"So that's what I do? Get patient? Hurry up and wait?"

Sarbuck nodded. "Yep. Scarlets gotta chase her demons. We all got our demons."

Patches turned to him once again. "Like you Buck? Whoever that voice was before said you was a demon. Last I heard demons were evil. You aint evil, least not ta me."

"All demons are bad, Baby Girl," he said factually. "But not all demons are evil. I ain't never killed nobody what din't deserve it."

She reached over and put her hand on his arm. "You aint an angel?"

He tossed his own rock. "Nope. Just did what I had ta do ta make sure you made it through."

"Like now?" She grinned.

He grinned too. "Yep. Like now. Ever'body's got two roads ta follow."

"Whatcha mean?" She asked. He tapped her forhead with his fingers.

"Gitcher head outta that religion ya hold so dear an' remember whatcha learned from Little Skunk'n them. Theres a black road anna red road. I took the black road even though it was fer red reasons."

"Scarlet said sumpthin about that. I was supposed ta tell Johnny." She frowned, then looked at her older brother. "Did I?"

He shook his head once. "Nope. Not yet."

"Dang." Another frustration her condition wouldn't let her solve immediately.

There was silence for time then Patches stood and brushed the red clay from her tan canvas pants. "Reckon I gotta get back, ya think?"

Sarbuck stood too. "Reckon so. One more thing though."

She turned, shaking her head a bit because he should have been right behind her but now he was up on his horse and to her right. "Huh?"

"When ya talk next? Remember thet Travis is a ghost."

"Geez," she mumbled. "Ghosts and demons."

Sarbuck laughed as he began to fade. "Yep. We all got'em."

Patches heard the sound first. The steady scraping of metal on wood. A sound she was very familiar with and comforted by. Back in Georgia, where she had grown up, her father was a wood worker. He built furnature and cabinets and had even built their home in Blossom Creek. He was always scraping wood to prepare it.

She opened her one good eye. It was still dark, but there were sounds coming from all over the house.

"Bill?" She couldn't see him and turning her head was not an option. Way too painful for right now.

****************************************************************************************
Originally Posted by Scarlet Angel

Patches squinted her eye. "Bo?" She whispered. He stepped closer, a coldness seemed to surround him as he looked down. Patches couldn't remember when Bo had grown that mustache, how long had she been out? She didn't remember his eyes being that blue either. When he spoke his voice was deeper with more of a drawl.

"The first battle is lost but don't let the bastards win the war little sister."

"Bill" she said a little louder.
******************************************************************************************
Patches moved slightly. The whole side of her head hurt so much that it didn't seem to matter that she couldn't see out of that eye. If anything the rest of her hurt more; almost more than she could stand. If she had the energy she would have cried or screamed it hurt so much. She was on something soft though. She vaguely remembered Bill picking her up and carrying her somewhere. "Bill?" she weakly called again. It was very quiet. She could hear the big clock down the hall and for just an instant she thought she was alone.

"I'm right here darling," she heard from somewhere to her right. There was the sound of an object being placed on a table and a chair creaking. He moved into her field of vision. The oil lamp next to her bed reflected off something. Bill was wearing both of his Remington pistols. "Strange," she thought to herself. "Never wears those things anymore even when we're going to town. "Patches?" she heard him ask again.

"Thirsty," she finally managed to get out. Bill disappeared and then came back into her view a moment later. A few drops of cool water dribbled between her lips. It even hurt to swallow but the water was good. Patches opened her one good eye again. Bill was patiently spooning water from a cup to her lips.

"It's nearly dawn," he said. "You've been asleep for almost four hours this time. I thought you would sleep longer considering the shape..." he paused for a moment.

"Hurt too much." Patches said. There was something she was supposed to tell Bill. Something Sarbuck told her.

"I was afraid of that, darlin'," Bill said. "I can't give you any buffered salicylic acid. I've tried that on myself enough to know it thins the blood and you don't need that. I'm goin' to give you some morphine. It'll be bitter because I'm goin' to mix it with water."

He was right. It was terribly bitter. Patches cringed in spite of herself from the taste and her face hurt from the effort. Almost at once though she could feel the pain starting to ebb away. She still hurt but it was almost bearable. Bill leaned forward and gently kissed the right side of her face. "I'll be right here as long as you need me," he said. "I'll never leave you as long as you need me."

She was getting sleepy again. There was still something she had to tell Bill. Just as she was falling asleep again she remembered it. "Sarbuck says Travis is a ghost. Love you Bill," and then she was asleep again.

Bill stood over Patches watching her for several moments and then reached into his pocket. Taking the rosary from it he hung it over the bedpost by Patches's head and then sat down in the chair again and picked up the small leather pouch from the table. He placed a pinch of dried leaves in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "Travis is a ghost", he said to himself. Travis certainly was a ghost. Scarlet's late husband had been dead for about five years. Scarlet had once said that he haunted the Southern Starr. Bill would have to think about that for a while. He picked up the cottonwood branch and knife and began carving again.

[Scarlet Angel]

Combined effort of 1st Sgt Fritz King and Scarlet Angel


Johnny had gotten all the words down verbatim. What Ella had said Patches said and what he had heard.

Bo and Fritz had woken up at the sound of Johnny leaving the room. They watched him walk back in. The looks on their faces told Johnny they feared he would bring back bad news.

"Patches is about the same." He said handing the pad of paper to Bo. "Cept now she's talkin' to Scarlet's ghosts too."

Bo looked over the words thoughtfully. "I don't ever member those maps having rings on them."

Fritz had looked over Bo's shoulder at the words but then the drawing on the floor caught his eye. He was started to think about the key he'd found. It had been in the barrel no more than six months, which meant she had to have put it in there sometime after they came from Arizona. They'd practically gone everywhere together since then. She had mentioned wanting to take him the high point Bo had marked on his map. The only other place she had been with out him was the cemetery. He wondered.

Johnny had the paper again and was trying to make sentences out of what Patches said.

Travis sees where Scarlet is going.

With the ring.

Travis sees the maps with the ring.

He watches Bill. Johnny scratched through Bill so it read Travis watches...

Travis sees the maps.

Johnny looked at Bo. "You guys checked behind any pictures didn't ya?"

"Yep." Bo replied.

It suddenly dawned on Fritz. "Quick! What the name of Travis and Scarlet's old ranch?"

Johnny seemed annoyed. "The C-Bar-C. Why?"

Fritz smiled. "We're looking in the wrong place!"

"That's where she took the first set of maps from; the main house." Bo sighed. " And I looked in the spots I knew didn't find anything. Unless yer thinking of the house they lived in together. I don't think Scarlet will go back into that house Fritz."

"I think he's right Fritz. Scarlet gave that house to Bo. Told him if he didn't want it to burn it to the ground." Johnny said wishing Fritz was onto something.

"Damn it...what else would Travis see....Travis C?"

"Why don't ya just ask 'em. Hell that's what Scarlet would say." Johnny huffed as he got up to go fill his coffee cup. "That or one of them horses." He was heard to mumble on his way out.

Bo narrowed his eye's at Fritz. "What are ya' thinking?"

"We've been thinking that Scarlet would've hidden the maps here, in this house. What if Scarlet hid them at the C-Bar-C? Are there any paintings or pictures of Travis over there?"

Bo sort of smiled. "There's a painting there. If ya want to go for a ride we can go look." Bo said doubtfully.

The two men walked towards the door, pausing in front of the kitchen. "We're gonna take another look out at the ranch." Bo said to Johnny.

"Good luck." Johnny replied.

Out in the barn Bo pulled his saddle off the rack and started to saddle his horse.

"Why don't you talk to me like Scarlet says ya talk to her." Bo mumbled thinking of his brother. He pulled his coat around him as a cold wind blew through.

"You still got that key don't ya'?" He called to Fritz.

"Yeah." He heard Fritz reply over Dancer's pacing. The bay gelding stopped at the gate of his stall and pressed his chest against then began to paw furiously.

Bo went over and put his hand on the horse's nose. "Quit."

Dancer stopped for a moment and when Bo turned his back he nipped and snagged Bo's coat. Bo looked at the horse. "Bad." He said pointing at the horse.

Dancer pinned his ears and raised his head then began to paw the railings finally rising up on his back legs he turned and ran out into his paddock spun around and ran back in. Bo was back at his horse tightening the cinch when Dancer began to paw at the gate again.

"He probably thinks it's time to go and run, this is about the hour Scarlet was taking him out. I haven't seen him act like that in a long time. Usually he's WELL BEHAVED." Bo said looking at the horse who was now ignoring him and pawing at the gate so hard he was beginning to break a fine sweat.

"What's going on in here?" Jimmy's voice echoed thorough the breezeway as he walked towards them.

Dancer stopped pawing, nickered and looked hopefully at Jimmy.

"He's pissed about something." Bo answered.

"He's been in the stall to long, Patches is laying there with us all wondering if she's gonna make to sunrise, Scarlet's gone, he knows Bo." Jimmy said as he took Dancer's bridle off the wall.

The horse nickered and hung his head over the top rail so Jimmy could put his bridle on. "Take him instead of your horse you'll get where you're going faster." Jimmy rubbed Dancers neck then opened the gate and led him over to Bo.

"Scarlet rides him again, you can too." Jimmy said flatly.

Bo sighed, unsaddled his horse and put his gear on Dancer, then swung into the saddle.

"Lets go." He said as much to Fritz as he did Dancer.

Dancer arched his neck and held his tail up making it look like a long black flag flying behind him as he loped through yard.

Bo noticed some of the ranch hands looking twice as he rode by. From the kitchen window Johnny stared, blinked his eyes and looked again. "Damn." He mumbled.

"What is it?" Tensleep said looking out the window.

"I'm seeing ghosts too." Johnny replied.

[Scarlet Angel]

Combined effort of Fritz & Scarlet

Bo and Fritz rode towards the main ranch house of the C-C. They had gone halfway when Bo pulled Dancer to a stop and looked up the road that led to the house Scarlet had lived in with Travis.

"All my instincts say no, but we are here we might as well be sure." Bo said turning down the road.

Stopping at the three room ranch house the men dismounted, tied their horses to the rail, then stepped up onto the porch. The porch was covered in dust, showing signs that no one had stepped there in along time.

Bo pushed the door open and looked in. The house that was once filled with laughter and warmth stood cold and empty. A thin layer of dust evenly covered the inside.

Bo stepped in and went to the window pulling back one of the curtains to let in the light. He remembered coming back with Scarlet once or twice to get a few things after Travis's death and judging from the layer of dust in the place they were the last ones to have been here.

Fritz stepped in behind him and looked around. The house whispered with the sounds of once-happy voices. Such voices never completely died away. The house could've used a woman's touch. But since he began riding with his posse, he wasn't quite sure what that meant anymore.

Bo walked to the first room and opened the door. The same layer of dust was all over everything. Fritz could see a picture of a woman with long hair draped over her shoulder on the dresser. Bo looked at her for a moment, smiled a bit sadly and closed the door.

"I used to live here too, after she died. I don't know what I would have done without Scarlet at the time." He said quietly.

Bo pushed open the next door. The light danced across the carved wooden ponies hanging above the crib. The same thick layer of dust on everything and no foot prints saying anyone had been here.

"Thought the trips down memory lane were supposed to be good ones." He mumbled going to the next door and pushing it open.

"I guess my instincts were right, nobody's been here. But now we can say we looked." Bo said looking into the room that Scarlet and Travis had shared.

A picture on the dresser caught his eye. He walked in and picked it up.

Blowing the dust off he carried the picture back into the main room looking at it.

He showed it to Fritz. "This was taken not to long after they moved in."

Fritz looked at the picture. It was a picture of what he thought at first was Bo standing behind Scarlet with his arms wrapped around her taken in front of the house.

He was about to ask why there were pictures of Bo with Scarlet but he hadn't seen any of Travis yet when Bo turned on his heel and went out the door. He stood back looking for something.

The picture had been taken of Scarlet and Travis near the front of the porch. But there was something different; something was missing from the front of the house that was in the picture.

Bo held the picture out as Fritz approached him. "What's missing?"

Fritz studied it for a moment "What happened to the stone?" He asked pointing to the large stone leaned up against the corner of the house in the picture. "And what is written on it?" He said looking closer trying to make out the writing.

"It's the C bar C brand. Travis painted it on that stone the day we finished building the house. I member pop let him pick the name of the ranch when we moved out here. He told us the ranch would be ours someday to share. Travis chose the C bar C because it was the initials of both our last name er something like that."

"Travis C's" Fritz thought unaware he'd said it out loud.

"What?"

"Where's the stone now?"

"In the cemetery someplace."

"She wouldn't have put the maps in Travis's tomb would she?" Fritz was almost afraid to ask thinking it would be a bit macabre.

Bo half grinned. "Maybe if he was in a tomb and maybe if she didn't want to ever get it out, but Travis is buried up on the hill." He pointed to the top of the knoll.

Bo and Fritz mounted up and rode to the top of the hill. Dismounting they walked to the gates of the small cemetery. In some places, it would've been called a 'family plot.' Fritz put his hand to the gate and pushed. It moved freely enough, but screamed in protest. It swung on its hinges, sounding like a wounded animal.

Fritz removed his slouch, letting it hang on its stampede strings. Bo thought it a bit odd, but followed suit. He stood before the stone. Its granite face was a bit worn, but shone with care. It read:

"Here Lies Travis Corbin...Beloved Husband and Father."

Fritz turned, with the stone to his back. In the distance was the mountain.

"Travis sees where she's going..."

Bo turned and looked. He'd been here plenty of times, but never really looked at the surroundings. You could see the Starr from here, Devil's mountain, turning the other way you could see what Scarlet sometimes referred to as Heaven or the high point, from which you could see almost everything.

Devil's mountain. No doubt she was headed there. She would feel safe there, would be a place she could gather her thoughts. Bo thought to himself.

"There's got to be more to it than that." He said turning back to the grave stone. He walked over to the small circle of stones, kneeled down and looked at it. "She used to sit leaned up against the back of that headstone for hours sometimes; would build a fire when it got cold. Dancer would stand under that.." Bo looked up to see the bay horse standing under the big tree just outside the fence his head dropped, his eyes closed and his back leg cocked resting on the tip of his hoof. He was and entirely different animal than what had left the stables.

Bo stood and turned back around to face Fritz. His eyebrows knitted together as he looked at the back of the headstone and he half smiled. "So that's where she put it."

"What's that?"

Bo pointed to the stone that was mounted in the back of the headstone. "That stone that was in the picture. It's right there."

Bo and Fritz locked gazes. "You don't think?" Bo said with disbelief.

[Scarlet Angel]

Combined effort of Fritz & Scarlet

Bo and Fritz stood behind the headstone looking at the stone with the C-C painted on it.

"Travis C's" Fritz said.

"With the ring... Scarlet once told me she gave her ring back to Travis. I didn't know what to think at the time...It can't be hollow can it." Bo said looking at the headstone.

Fritz looked it over. The slab on the front was one piece; the back had been built to incorporate the stone with the brand on it.

"There's not anything in any of those stories that tells us how to open it is there?" Bo asked seriously.

Fritz kneeled behind the stone, and tried to think of all the things he read and heard about. Nothing helped. So he asked God.

"Dear Lord, someone I love is in great danger, and I ask you, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, to help me in my quest. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit...Amen"

He'd crossed himself without thinking.

"It can't be that easy...can it?"

Fritz pressed the top of the stone, then the center, then the left and right sides. With a click, the face of the stone swung down on well-oiled brass hinges.

Bo whistled. "The Lord DOES work in mysterious ways!"

Frit peered cautiously inside the dark hole trying to see inside.

"Ya thinking there's some kinda trap in there." Bo chuckled thinking Fritz was smart to be cautious.

"I wouldn't put it past her." Fritz said looking around for something to stick in the hole besides his hand.

Bo picked up a stick and handed it to him then stood back and to the side.

Fritz stood to the side and ran the stick around the inside of the opening. The two men almost looked surprised when nothing happened.

Fritz moved a little closer putting the stick in deeper he felt something. Using the stick he tapped it, it made a metallic hollow sound. Just as both men smiled they heard the unmistakable sound of rattlers. Fritz jerked his hand out as he jumped back.

"You ok?" Bo asked looking suspiciously at the opening.

"Yeah." Fritz said taking a deep breath.

"Something ain't right." Bo said looking at the headstone that now sat quiet.

"Really." Fritz said somewhat sarcastically.

Bo chuckled. "If we were diggin' round in one of Jimmy's or Johnny's hiding places, I wouldn't put my hand back in there for anything, but this is Scarlet, and if there's one thing I know about Scarlet is she has about the same amount of love for snakes as I do. If she wanted to retrieve something from here she wouldn't be puttin' no snake in there."

Bo found a longer stick. "Just in case I'm wrong." He said as he went back to the headstone and placed the stick inside. Moving it very slowly he heard the slow rattle, the sound of the rattle matched the speed of how fast he swept the stick around. Bo half grinned and fished around a bit more hooking the rattles he pulled them out. The rattles were tied to a piece of horse tail and hung just above the small metal strong box.

Bo took a deep breath hoping he knew Scarlet as well as he thought as he reached in and lifted out the box.

"I bet that key fits this." He said handing the box to Fritz.

[Doctor Bill]

It was nearly 8:00 in the morning when Ella looked in on Patches. What she saw made her smile in spite of the worries about Patches's condition and the unknown whereabouts of Scarlet. Bill had pulled his chair close to the bed and had gone to sleep sitting in it with his head lying on his crossed arms next to Patches. Though she was asleep as well, the fingers of her right hand grasped one of Bill's hands and she seemed to be resting comfortably for the moment.

Ella stepped into the room and the floor creaked slightly under her foot. Bill opened one eye to look at her but didn't move otherwise. "I thought I would check on the two of you and see if you might want some coffee or breakfast," she said as she crossed the room and placed her hand on Patches's forehead. "No fever," she commented. "And she does seem to be sleeping well. "Did you give her anything?" she asked looking at Bill.

Bill had carefully placed Patches's hand on the bed and was stretching. There were several noticeable "cracks" as he did so. "Only half a grain of morphine," he said as he stood up from the chair. "Given what I estimate her weight to be it should have been just enough to dull the worst of the pain without puttin' her in a stupor." He reached for the small leather bag sitting on the bedside table but stopped when Ella "tut-tutted" and picked the pouch up before he could reach it.

"I'll let you know if anything happens. Why don't you go get a bite of breakfast and change shirts? Anyway, I want to check Patches's bandages in a little while and I think I can take care of that by myself." Bill started to protest but Ella had already taken over the chair and opened a book to read while she sat with Patches. In any case, Bill noticed that Ella did not seem inclined to give the leather bag of cocoa leaves back to him right now so he might as well find something else to do for a while.

The kitchen was empty but there was still a pot of coffee on the stove and from the smell it was not too old. He poured a cup and sat there looking out of the window. The sky was still darkly overcast but it was not raining as it had nearly all the previous night. He knew he should be worried about Scarlet but right now all his thought were with Patches as she lay in the bedroom down the hall. Bill refilled the coffee cup and wandered out the door toward his adobe cabin and laboratory.

It was cold and the wind was blowing but he didn't notice. He had made a terrible mistake. After months of staying near the ranch he had forgotten how dangerous this job truly was. In an analytical way he realized that, but when he spent most of his time either at the workbench or picking through the scene of a crime long after the violence had occurred he became removed from the hazards of the job and had forgotten that he, and the people he loved, could be affected by it.

He walked through the door of his adobe house and straight into the hallway that lead to the workshop on the other side of the berm. After pulling the chains to open the skylights and then turning the polished tin reflectors on the roof to gather as much of the meagre sunlight as possible, he lit a few of the carbide lamps, started a fire in the stove and set to work.

He laid the cottonwood branch on the workbench across the room from his desk. He had carved the wood into rough shape the previous night but now he wanted to put some finishing touches on it. With a thin-bladed coping saw he removed the top portion of what was now obviously a walking cane and mounted it on the lathe using an eccentric chuck. After making sure that the boiler and steam engine outside the other end of the lab was running well, he pushed the drive belt from the lathe into place with a long wooden pole and started working on the spinning wood.

Normally, this was a time for him to relax and clear his mind. It was one of the few pursuits he could enjoy without "spoiling it by thinking too much" as Patches frequently accused him of. But that was the problem. Right now all he could think of was Patches and how close she had come to dying because he wasn't there when she needed him. He stopped and looked at the wood. It was nearly done now. He would glue the pieces of cherry and ebony inlay in place later and then reattach the handle this evening. Patches wouldn't need it for a few days at least. If she ever... He stopped the thought before it was finished. He had to make sure he didn't fail her again. He placed the chisel aside next to the lathe and quickly walked to the cabinet that held several firearms in various states of repair.

It was after lunch when he finished. The two shotguns he had started out with had been cut down to a bare six inches of barrel and the pistol grips. The hammers had been severely bobbed as well. The thumb-rests were completely removed leaving only a semicircle of metal to strike the firing pins. "Have to create some lighter loads for these things" he mused to himself as he looked at the two guns. He might not be the fastest or most accurate but with something like this any shot that was even close to being on target would end a fight in a hurry. Now, if he could just get someone to design a harness rig to hold all this hardware.

*****************************************
Originally posted by Scarlet Angel

Combined effort of Fritz & Scarlet

Bo reached back into the opening, feeling around he pulled out a few loose papers setting on the stones wondering if they were notes that may help in their search. He unfolded the first one and looked at it.

He recognized Scarlet's handwriting; she used to come here a lot to talk to 'em he remembered. He frowned as he read the first few words.

There's nothing I know to say except I am sorry. I guess I wasn't very good at keeping our baby safe.

Bo stopped there and unfolded the next one.

They follow me at a distance; I know they are afraid I will take my life like Connie did. Some days I wish I could.

He took a deep breath remembering how he and Jimmy would take turns watching her. They thought she never knew, he continued to look through the notes to see if there was anything that would be informative.

Some of the notes told Travis she loved him and were full of guilt of what had happened. Some of them talked about significant things that had happened over the years. He smiled when he read Bo has been my shoulder to lean on. I don't know what I'd do without him. Bo opened the last one, he recognized the date as the day of the party Rose had when the posse signed on with the new Marshal.

I know it's been sometime. I've been away for awhile. You know how I like a good adventure. I've found a new family, you would like them.

I have fallen in love again too, which after the past few years I was sure would never happen.

Bo read the next line then folded it up. He stepped over to where Fritz was kneeled down looking at the contents of the box.

He tapped Fritz on the shoulder and held out the folded paper.

He didn't know if he should be giving it to Fritz, hell he probably shouldn't have read what he did. They were her personal thoughts, but sometimes folks should say things to one another and Bo really didn't know how often Scarlet had told Fritz her feelings or if she did. She'd managed to shut people off from that side of her along time ago and until recently if you didn't know her well you weren't welcome to knock on the door she'd locked them behind.

"It's sumthin' Scarlet wrote not long ago, you may or may not want to read it." Bo said.

Fritz held the note for a long time. He wanted very badly to read the words inside. But he remembered all the times he'd packed up the belongings of his dead troopers. Fritz had to read their letters and journals. He scoured the contents just to make sure there was someone back east to send the traps to. So many times those possessions just sat in his office, collecting dust. Someone would throw them away one day...

But not Fritz.

"She's still alive," he insisted. "And I won't stow her gear until she's dead. I won't let her die, Bo."

He put a hand on the old soldier's shoulder.

"I know," Bo said. "So, what's in the box?"

********************************************
Originally posted by Elegant Ella

Patches woke up while Ella was changing her bandages.

"How are you feeling, Patches? " she asked.

"Finer than frog hair, but mebbe not split. Thirsty," Patches answered. "Where's Bill?"

"I sent him off to eat while I change your bandages. I confiscated his cocoa leaves, so he might fall asleep if he lets himself relax. He watched over you all night, and is pretty worn out," answered Ella while she fetched a cup with a straw and held it to Patches's mouth.

Patches sipped from the cup for a minute, then drifted back to sleep. Ella finished changing the bandages, then went down to the kitchen.

Rose asked, "How is she?"

"Sleeping. I think she'll be hungry the next time she wakes up," answered Ella, putting a pot on the stove to start some broth cooking.

Once the broth was simmering, Ella went looking for Bill and found him in his laboratory looking at the oddest firearms Ella had ever seen. "Patches IS going to recover, Bill. But you are not going to do her any good by fretting yourself into a fever."

***************************************
Originally posted by 1st Sgt Fritz King

Fritz folded the paper up and put it in his vest pocket. He'd give it back to Scarlet once they'd found her. If she wanted to tell him what was on it, it was her business.

The key fit smoothly into the lock. With an audible click, the lid popped open. Inside the box was a leather-covered binder, and some papers tied with a piece of latigo.

"Must be the maps," Bo said. "We'd better get them back to the Star."

In the bottom of the box was a simple gold band. Fritz touched it, and looked at the stone. He closed the box, and slipped it back into the compartment.

"This belongs to you sir," Fritz said, closing the trap.

***************************************

Bill leaned on the workbench and closed his eyes as Ella watched. He did not speak for several moments. "I'm sorry," he said as he removed his glasses and placed them on the bench. "I just can't give up feeling that I should have been there with her. Patches may be awfully independent natured, and I love her for it, but..." He let the sentence trail off.

"Bill, Patches has made it through nearly the first twenty-four hours without any sign of a fever and she just had some more water and spoke to me for a moment before she went back to sleep." Bill started to say something but Ella stopped him. "Now, why don't you let me help you shut things down here and then you can come back to the main house and try to take a nap in the other guest room across the hall from where Patches is convalescing. After that, Patches might be awake and you can apologize to her if you feel that you really need to."

Bill slowly put his glasses back on and with Ella's assistance closed the shutters over the skylights and put out the carbide lamps. Together they walked back to the ranch house as the sky began to darken in the West. Just before stepping into the guest bedroom Bill stopped and turned around. "Ella, I don't know if anyone has said this enough but, thank-you. I sometimes don't know what the rest of us would do without you. I don't know if I can sleep or not but I'll just lay down for a while." Ten minutes later when Ella walked back down the hallway, Bill was sound asleep on the bed.

[Doctor Bill]

***************************************
Originally posted by Scarlet Angel

Scarlet's eyes flew open as she felt his touch on her breast. "You're either braver or stupider than I thought." She hissed as she glared at him.

Cutter leered at her. "You seem to be harmless in the position you're in."

"You've called me a witch for years; I'm surprised you'd touch me." She smirked.

"What you going to do to me?" He chuckled.

Scarlet thought a moment, she knew she'd not cleaned the cut before she sewed it up, and she'd not cleaned the blade after she'd gutted the rabbit for dinner the night before. If she was right the wound in his leg should be red, sore and inflamed by now.

"I've been cursing your rotten soul for along time, but last night you let me touch you." She rolled her eyes and chuckled.

Cutter narrowed his eyes at her. His leg was sore but he had figured it was from the stitches and the cut, like all the cuts he'd had before.

"What'd ya do?"

"If you're lucky there's no red streaks, if there are your time is limited, curse is headed towards yer heart, if not you may only get gangrene."

Cutter stood up and backed away unbuttoning his union suit as he did. He pulled the garment down until he could see his leg. The area was bright red, puffy and weeping. A small red line ran up and down his leg. He gingerly touched the inflamed area, suddenly aware of how sore it really now was.

Cutter pulled up his union suit and glared at her.

"What did you do to me!" He stepped forward and kicked her in the stomach.

Normally a blow like that would have doubled her over but in the position she was tied she couldn't bend over. Scarlet closed her eyes and gasped.

"Go ahead, you hurt me to bad and I won't be able to help you even if I wanted to." She choked.

Cutter leaned over and untied the two women. "You're gonna fix it now." He growled at Scarlet.

"and you're gonna make me something to eat." He spat at Jenny.

Rebecca followed Josh into the room.

Scarlet was glad to see her still in the white gown and wondered how long she'd be able to put him off. They had to get away.

Cutter's words interrupted her thoughts. "You're going to tell Martha Ann how to fix my wound. I don't think I'm going to take the chance of you touching me again."

He turned to Phil. "Take somebody, ride into El Paso and find out what's going on."

Phil went out the door taking one of the others with him.

"Tell her how to fix it." Cutter said flatly eyeing Scarlet.

Scarlet told Rebecca how to make a charcoal poultice using the burned wood from the fire and boiled water. She then instructed Cutter to change it a couple times a day. "It should be better in about four days." Scarlet said as he watched Rebecca tie Scarlet's hands to her feet, at least this was more comfortable than she was before.

"I've seen that work and I've seen it fail." Rebecca whispered.

"It will help with the oozing and I hope we'll be long gone by the time we know if it's going to work or not." Scarlet said softly.

Cutter dressed then came and sat next to Scarlet.

"Such passion burns in your eyes." He half smiled. "Who is it for?" He said as he pulled the ring off of her finger and examined it.

"Don't confuse the passions of love with blood lust for you." She growled.

He looked at the yellow cord weaved through her hair. "Oh come now, there's someone, I'm going to guess a soldier by the looks of this." He leaned back and took the barrette out of her hair that held it up.

She watched closely as he laid it on the floor between them, relieved he'd not looked too closely at the piece that held the fancy wire in place.

Cutter ran his hand along the long braid.

"Taking chances again?" She said with a glare.

"Come on Angel, who's the man who has your heart?" Cutter said as he started to take the cord out of her hair.

"You cut my heart out along time ago, I buried it with my husband. You just haven't been man enough to manage to take my life." She had a few other choice things she thought about saying. Things about being a man after seeing him wander around half naked but decided to hold her tongue for now.

"Phil says he's a Yankee soldier, rides with the new marshal."

"How well do you know the group of men I ride with?"

Cutter raised an eyebrow "Why?"

"Really" she rolled her eyes and snorted "how close do you think they'd let a Yankee to me?"

"Then what's this?" He pulled the cord from her hair and held it out towards her.

"I've been known to take a few souvenirs now and then. Yellow cords, belt buckles, sometimes the entire head." She smirked as she looked him in the eyes.

Cutters eyes flashed anger. He stood, walked to the table and sat down laying the things he'd taken from Scarlet in front of him. He stared at them thinking about what she'd said, wondering if Phil had been mistaken in his information.

Phil couldn't be wrong, but Scarlet had only been back for a short while. Phil had told him stories of her spending time alone with the bartender, dancing with the man who folks said was her brother in law, would a man who she was engaged to tolerate such behavior, he wasn't sure.

Cutter looked over the table at Scarlet. "Who's the big man you spend time with?"

"Who do you mean?"

"The one they call you're brother in law."

"Well that would be my brother-in-law." She said sarcastically.

"He looks just like the one I killed." Cutter grinned.

Scarlet shot him a confused look. "No he doesn't, you seein' ghosts through him or something?"

Scarlet held a straight face but on the inside she was grinning ear to ear. She could tell by the look on Cutter's face she had him spooked and questioning himself now.

"What about this Marshal you're working for?"

"Ya seein' ghosts through him too?" Scarlet retorted.

"Which one of you he sleeping with, Phil says it's her." He glanced Rebecca's way.

Scarlet rolled her eyes and turned her head. "If Phil is so knowledgeable ask him."

Josh's head snapped up and he looked around. "What do you mean she's sleeping with the Marshal, I thought that was her job." He said gesturing with his chin towards Scarlet. "Or is it the army?"

Cutter chuckled at the comment. "Martha Ann been sleeping with the Marshal, Angel been sleeping with the army, keep up."

Josh bolted out of his chair sending it tumbling across the floor. "What Marshal! You said you'd wait for me while I was away."

He grabbed the poker from the fireplace and went after Rebecca.

Rebecca tried to evade him but one of the other men standing around caught her by the wrists as Josh swung at her side sending her to her knees.

Rebecca pulled her wrist away quick enough to block the next blow with her arm.

Josh raised the poker again.

"STOP IT JOSH YOU'RE GONNA HURT HER!" Scarlet's voice held a tone of anger and authority at the same time.

He wheeled around glaring at Scarlet. "Why shouldn't I?. She's been cheating on me!"

"It's not Martha Ann sleeps with the Marshal." Scarlet was trying to think fast, bits and pieces of conversations with Trixie racing through almost forgotten memories.

"If it's not her, like Phil and Kevin say then who is he bedding?" Josh's eyes held a crazy look that nearly unnerved Scarlet.

"Rebecca....Marshal sleeps with the whore that runs the Ace of Hearts, Rebecca Valentine."

All eyes were on Scarlet even Rebecca's.

Cutter had leaned forward. This is gonna be interesting he thought to himself.

Josh stepped closer to Scarlet. "They been saying she's Rebecca." He gestured towards Becca with the poker.

"That's Martha Ann, your Martha Ann..she promised to wait for you before you left for the war." Scarlet said frantically

"How do you know?"

"She told me..she told me you were the only one she loved and she'd wait forever for you."

"How do I know she's not the whore?" he growled.

Scarlet hoped she knew Rebecca as well as she thought as she spoke. "Your Martha Ann would never wear the kinda clothes Rebecca would. What was she wearing when they brought her to you?"

Josh thought a moment. "What kind of clothes would Rebecca wear?"

"Corsets she wears corsets even to church, and lace lots and lots of lace."

Josh turned and looked at the woman on the floor with her feet tucked under her holding her arm. "She was wearing one of those skirts you ride in and a button up top, made of some heavy weight material."

"No corset, on the outside anyway or lace where someone could see?"

"No." Josh mumbled letting the poker slide out of his hand and bounce on the floor.

He went back over to Becca and kneeled down taking her hands in his. "I'm sorry Martha Ann. Will you forgive me?"

"I forgive you Josh, I love you how could I not forgive you. You were only doing what you thought best." Rebecca sighed.

Josh helped her to her feet. "Are you hurt?"

Rebecca shook her head slowly up and down. "Will you let Scarlet look at me and make sure nothing is broken? She is good with that kind of thing and I am unfit for you to look upon."

Cutter chuckled and shook his head back and forth. "Very good Angel, very well played. Look at her wounds, but if you try anything I will beat her to death myself."

Josh narrowed his eyes at his brother as he untied Scarlet. "If you misbehave I'll beat you." He whispered to Scarlet.

The two women disappeared into the bedroom. Jenny tried to follow but Cutter called her back.

In the bedroom Scarlet looked at the bruises while she told Becca what she could remember of the girl Martha Ann.

"I don't think you broke anything but you're going to be sore. Ella would have ointments for stuff like this, everything I had was in my saddlebags." Scarlet said as she pressed on Becca's ribs.

"I seen Lucky. When they brought you in, he was skirting the tree line."

"Thank the Gods." Scarlet said "I don't think he was hit, Cutter took a shot at him. Least I got some extra gear and a ride outta here if he's ok."

Before they walked back into the main room of the house Becca told her Jenny's husband was the son of the man who used to own the place. They were new to frontier living and were looking forward to the adventure.

"Damn" Scarlet snorted.

[Doctor Bill]

************************************************
Originally Posted by Patches McDuff

"Damn," Patches mumbled. She heard the door open and soft footsteps coming in the room. That could only be Ella.

A soft touch to her forhead. "What 'damn'?" Ella said kindly.

"Hurts." Patches mumbled as her hand drifted to her midsection. "Like a knife." So far she hadn't even opened her eyes much preferring to listen to see.

"Hmmm," Ella said. "And no wonder too with all those broken ribs. It's a miracle you didn't puncture a lung."

Patches attempted a half snort. "Wadn't me that broke ribs. Was the fella with the silver tipped boots."

Ella raised an eyebrow at that comment and made a mental note to tell the Marshal. Now she had to venture into another territory even though she really didn't want to.

"Patches?" She asked softly as she held the morphine laced water.

"Hmm?" Patches returned as she swallowed. She grimmaced but didn't complain about the taste. Whatever that stuff was it made the pain go away and sleep come. She'd been having some pretty interesting dreams since Bill had given her the first dose. They were kinda neat, what with Sarbuck and Travis being in them and all.

"What happened to Scarlet?" She held her breath. The last thing she wanted to do was upset Patches but she had to find out something.

"They took her." Patches said her eyebrows knitting together as if she were trying hard to recall every last detail.

"You mean kidnapped?" Ella asked. Patches nodded.

"Stunned her. Picked her up. Went away." The morphine was already doing its job. Suddenly her thoughts were all jumbled. "West I think." She said after a moment. "Might have been east. No sun to tell. Where's Bill?"

"In the other room resting. Right across the hall." Ella said softly brushing Patches's hair. "Do you want me to get him?"

"Is it lunch time?" Patches asked seemingly on a whole different subject.

"Not quite but are you hungry?"

Patches head nodded once. "Wanna take lunch with Bill," she said even as she drifted off. "Cuz we do that....every....day...."

**********************************************
Originally posted by Elegant Ella

With Patches and Bill both asleep, Ella decided she had time to check the telegraph office. She had heard the key chattering when she went out to check on Bill.

She lit a lamp and pulled the strip from the graphite key. It looked like several messages had come during the day. Sitting down with a sheet of paper, she transcribed them.

Harry Montgomery sentenced to 10 years at Huntsville State Prison.
Huntsville Prison and inmates leased to Ward, Dewey Co. of Galveston.
Harry Montgomery leased to Lake Jackson Plantation.
Montgomery went missing from Lake Jackson Plantation March 20.

Ella thought some of the words that would never pass her lips, and took the flimsy in to the Marshal's office.

*************************************************
Originally Posted by Scarlet Angel

Cutter watched Scarlet and Rebecca enter the room. Why couldn't women just behave and do as they were told. He thought to himself. Like horses, if their rider was killed they just accepted the new one, happy with whoever gave them their next meal.

He watched Scarlet bend down, pick up the barrette he'd taken out of her hair earlier and put her hair back up. There was something he liked about her. Was it the fire that burned in her soul? The fact she was more dangerous to him than anybody he'd ever known? She'd kill him first chance she had, he knew that. Even now as they looked at one another he could tell she was figuring her next move. She knew how to get to him. Maybe there was something to be said about a woman who had a mind of her own. He smiled, he'd break her one way or another, she was a challenge, maybe that's what he liked the most.

"Why didn't just kill me back there? You could have you know." Scarlet said dryly.

She was looking his way but deciding what her odds at getting her knife back. No doubt it would be a distraction and the two of them would probably go rolling across the floor trying to kill one another. With the men that were standing around, Josh in the equation, the odds were not good for Becca to get out, worse for Jenny. At least Rebecca would fight or run, Scarlet wasn't sure about Jenny.

"You're my ticket to wherever I want to go. Those men that ride with you, they're not gonna let anything happen to ya. My guess is if I tell them to jump, they'll ask how high to keep you alive. Then.....I can kill em one by one and watch you suffer."

Cutter smiled and moved slightly back from the knife as he put his hand on his own.

"Those men that ride with me. They will kill you without mercy if I don't first. If they think I am suffering they will kill me."

Cutter chuckled. "I have observed them well enough to know better than that. Trade their lives for yours, yes, like you would them. Kill you, I think not."

"Longknife I finally figured out he's your father. Kill men, he would without a second thought, kill his own daughter, no."

"Bo Corbin, the man has spent more time stitching you back up and covering your ass than I can count. There's a loyalty there, his life for yours...absolutely...put a bullet in you..I doubt it."

"Then there's your ghost, James Bradbury. Kill his own brother, they say he did that. Hell woman we used to tell spook stories round the campfire during the war about the man they called the Confederate Ghost. I believe if either one of those other two raised the gun to shoot you James would kill them."

"Then there's the soldier you deny having feelings for. Love does crazy things ta folks..look what it done ta you. How long you been chasing me because I killed the one you loved? You would have shot yourself before you shot him. I suspect that soldier is cut from similar cloth Scarlet or you wouldn't have looked twice at him."

"Marshal JB Ross, I'm guessing my ticket to freedom with him is having both you women. If that ain't enough them other four men will keep him in line. I've seen it before you know. Done it enough times ta know."

"Oh wait lets not forget the scientist guy. He's probably gonna shoot some gaseous thing at me. Course again, there's you and Reb..Martha Ann. He's got five against him gonna keep you ladies safe."

"And I'm not letting any woman posing as a doctor within miles of me. Mite slowly kill 'em all off though. The red head put up a good fight, she was tough. You always surround yourself with interesting people." He grinned at his analogy while Scarlet looked at him in disgust.

She hated talking to him, was still trying to figure out the pleasure he got from talking to her. The only benefit was getting deeper into his mind, and frankly she was in as deep as she wanted to go.

"At least she went down fighting, not on her knees begging." Scarlet snorted.

Cutter tried his best to ignore the last remark.

"When's the last time you heard from my loving mother? I might have my hands on her too." He smiled evily.

Scarlet knew he'd been fishing for information on her loved ones and now he was starting to dig for information on Trixie.

"You don't have her." There was irritation in Scarlet's voice.

"What makes you think so?"

"I was at her funeral. Don't lie Cutter. You're mother is buried in the local cemetery in Mokehill, died of the fever two months after your trial. I guess she thought she could finally rest in peace." Scarlet lied.

Cutter watched her, it was always very difficult for him to tell when she was lying or not.

How he'd love to get his hands on that good for nothing tramp that was his mother. She'd ruined their lives and she had to pay. He had no intentions of keeping her alive. He wasn't sure what he really wanted to do with Scarlet. He wondered what would be more fun. Watching her suffer as he took the lives of her friends or watching them as he took her life. His lip curled up in a sadistic smile.

Jenny stepped timidly up. "May I take my husband something to eat? It was cold last night and he's not had anything."

Cutter's sadistic smile turned charming as he looked at her. "I won't let you near him, I wouldn't want you getting any crazy ideas. But Harry will take him something for you."

"Thank you." Jenny said politely making a plate and handing it to Harry.

Harry smiled and went to the barn. Sitting on the milking stool he looked up at the now blue body that hung from the rafters and began to scarf down the food. "She's a good mrs. Wonder if the boss will let the rest of us have a turn at her." He grinned up at the dead body and wiped his mouth on his sleeve then went back into the house.

*************************************
Originally posted by Tensleep

As Tensleep walked from the house to his cabin his mind was moving in a hundred different directions.
Was Patches going to be all right?
Where were Scarlet and Rebecca... his beloved Rebecca? Were they still alive?
Were they together? Did Cutter have them? If so, where?
Were Johnny and the others going to be able to redraw the map?


Ross looked out the window and saw Jimmy standing looking across the open plain.

Opening the door Tensleep hollered to Jimmy. "Can you come in for a while?"

Jimmy turned and walked to the marshal's cabin. "What can I do for ya?"

"Jimmy I figger that we need to start to load up. Gonna be ridin' shortly an' there's lots o' stuff we gonna need. I figger two mules to pack stuff on. Grub an' bedrolls, tent, medical supplies you know as well as I do what's needed." Tensleep had fallen back into the vernacular of the range hand he had been for most of his adult life.

"See if you can find me two big strong mules with good feet, legs an' lotta heart. We gonna travel fast an' I woan 'em to keep up. Pack saddles for both, coupla hunnert foot o' rope, some dynamite, caps an' fuse. I need to see what Bill has in tha lab that we might use.

Jimmy turned and walked out without a word. Tensleep knew that the requests that he had made would be filled and everything would be done as if it were the only task in the world. The marshal took his rifle from the wall and laid it on his desk along with enough ammunition for both pistols and rifle to last an eterity. Only then did he leave the cabin. When the fresh air hit his face so did the sight of Bo and Fritz riding into the ranch yard.

Both men swung down from their saddles and Bo said, "Found it!" He waved the maps. "Gonna go see Johnny." Fritz made to follow Bo.

"Sergeant!" Fritz stiffened and came to attention, did an about face and then saw the grin on Tensleep's face. "You did it again didn't you Captain?" Fritz smiled referring to Ross' former rank in the Union army.

"Sure did... Fritz we need to see Bill, think you can find him?"

[Doctor Bill]

Someone was calling Bill's name. He wished they would go away and let him sleep but whoever they were they seemed to be determined to wake him up. Bill slowly opened his eyes. He could just make out Fritz King standing in the door of the room. "Sorry to wake you up, Bill but the Marshall wants to start getting things gathered up and sent me to see what you had in your workshop that you wanted to pack."

Bill swung his legs over the edge of the bed and picked up his glasses from the bedside table. He checked his pocketwatch and then looked past Fritz across the hall to where Patches lay in the other guest room. She was still asleep in the bed almost in exactly the same position he had last seen her. It was hard to believe that someone could call himself human, much less a man, and treat a woman like that. "Let's get goin' Fritz," he said as he picked up his coat from the back of the chair. We've got a lot of stuff to look at and we better get the Marshall as well."

"I've got a lot of the smaller ordinance in here," Bill said opening the door to his workshop. "The heavier firepower, high explosives, and more dangerous materials are stored out in the bunker and then there is something special I want to show you in the test shack." He began opening the lockers along the West side of the lab and methodically laying boxes of armaments out on the nearest workbench. Tensleep and Fritz recognized most of the equipment; the small flash, smoke, and pepper bombs that could blind, or confuse an opponent or provide cover for an escape. Then there were the metal-cased fragment bombs which, though looking like nothing more than a soup can, could cripple, maim, and kill several men at a time with the horde of lead pellets each one unleashed upon exploding. Boxes of illumination flares, and signal flares were placed on the table as well as armour piercing shotgun rounds – lead slugs with a hardened steel core. There were explosive charges that detonated on contact, some that jumped into the air and sprayed shot in all directions and also much larger versions that would throw pounds of lead pellets at one time like a giant shotgun. "We just have to decide how much of this stuff we can take with us," Bill commented as they looked at the plethora of material laid out on the bench.

"Not going to be able to carry a whole lot," Tensleep commented as he hefted one of the fragment bombs. "And we need to be sure that we don't hurt Scarlet in the process of taking care of Cutter and whoever else is with him," he added looking at the mass of equipment.

Bill opened one of the last two cabinets. "Here," he said as he handed a leather scabbard with a shotgun in it to Fritz. "You're familiar with this one I think." Fritz pulled the shotgun out of the leather sleeve and realized that it was not the coach gun he thought it was but the silent rifle he had seen Bill shooting several weeks ago. Now however, the firearm sported a telescopic sight. "I added the sight just a week ago. The barrels are regulated to one hundred yards and the telescopic sight is zeroed to that range as well. Remember whoever uses this has to soak the barrels in water first so the felt and leather packing doesn't catch fire. The scabbard is waxed leather inside just for that purpose. I've got about a hundred rounds cut down and loaded," he added setting a box of the elongated 0.45 rounds that he called '45-50-250's on the bench.

"One last thing," he said opening the final cabinet. He tossed a leather duster each to Fritz and Tensleep. Fritz nearly dropped the coat in surprise at the weight.

"What are these things made out of, Lead?" Tensleep asked hefting the coat he held.

"Tempered steel wire and silk actually, with padding under it and extra thick leather on the outside," Bill said flipping the lining back on a third coat he held to reveal the layers of tightly interwoven metal and silk threads. "It's something that our military is working with based on medieval Japanese armour. They're hot, stiff, and heavy, but they'll turn everything except a rifle cartridge or a large pistol bullet at very close range. For a little while anyway," he concluded with a frown.

"Only for a while?" Fritz asked holding the duster out in front of him and looking at it. "What if you're wearing this and get hit a couple of times in a row or somebody cuts loose at you with something like a 45-70-500?"

"That," Bill replied, "would be very bad to say the least." The implications of the statement didn't require further explanation. "Come on out to the test shack. I need you to help me with something that I haven't gotten around to and this is as good a time as any.

The 'test shack' in reality was nothing more than an old chicken coop that Bill had adopted to use as a proving ground for some of the equipment he created for the Marshall and the other deputies. By now the walls were covered with patches where burned, splintered, and punctured wood had been replaced as the result of various trials. When the door to the single-room building swung open both Fritz and Tensleep involuntarily flinched. Hanging nose-down from one of the crossbeams of the roof was a large, finned missile. They had seen these weapons tested and knew what the large quantity of blasting gelatine and shot in the nose of the missile could do.

"Oh don't worry about this girl," Bill said walking to the weapon and removing the safety cover from the trigger in the nose. "I modified the missile to only have three metal parts, the percussion cap, the firing pen, and the spring that holds the pen away from the cap," he said pointing to the tip of the nosecone. "I also replaced the normal gallon of blasting gel and lead shot with a large combination flash, smoke, and pepper charge. Now, if the two of you would be good enough to step back outside and close the door behind you," he added while picking up what was obviously a release line to drop the missile on the floor.

"Bill," Tensleep said worriedly, "you aren't planning on staying in there are you?"

"Actually, I am," he replied. "This device, or more precisely, its twin that is sitting in the storage bunker could well be detonated in close proximity to Scarlet and I need to be absolutely sure that it is as safe as possible. She won't be able to wear the protective masks that I normally would use so..." he shrugged and stared at the two.

"Bill, I think I need to keep ya' company in that case," Fritz said stepping into the room. "One of us might have to drag the other one out."

Bill handed an oilcloth package from a shelf next to the door to Tensleep. "Here is one of the mask and goggle sets. If we don't manage to get out on our own, you'll have to drag us out. There are buckets of water and soap next to the door along with a tin of olive oil; wipe with oil first then plenty of soap and water," he added as Tensleep closed the door. Bill and Fritz both looked at the missile. "I think it would be better if we faced the door," Bill said. "And we probably ought to shut our eyes just in case."

"OK," Fritz replied. "By the way, you ever tried anything like this before?"

"Nope," Bill said as he jerked the lanyard and the missile dropped to the floor behind them.

Outside the building Tensleep heard someone yell "Oh Sh.." and the rest was lost in an explosion. On reflection, the actual blast was not all that loud: not much louder than a ten-gauge shotgun. The other effects were astounding. The small building almost seemed to swell from nothing more than the degree of light coming out of it. For a moment every crack in the wood, every joint, even the fibres of the planks themselves seemed to be outlined in searing white light. Tenseep blinked and when his eyes opened, thick white smoke was virtually jetting out of every opening in the building. "Fritz, Bill," he yelled tearing open the oilcloth package and jerking the goggles and mask over his face.

Inside the building Bill and Fritz had heard the missile hit the floor and then both were knocked to their knees from the concussion. His ears were ringing and Bill could already feel every exposed inch of his skin stinging as if it was on fire. Through the closed lids of his eyes he could see the after-image of the interior of the room. Somewhere beside him someone was coughing.

"Doc" came a single, strangled word from somewhere. A hand landed on his shoulder. Bill grasped the hand and started crawling forward toward what he hoped was the door. His eyes burned horribly in spite of not opening them. Tears poured down his face. "This might have been a mistake," he thought to himself. Just as it seemed he would have to breathe another hand grasped him by the collar and rapidly began to drag him forward.

The fresh air was wonderful in spite of the fact that it seemed to make the stinging even worse. Bill and Fritz found themselves side by side on their hands and knees coughing while Tensleep stood to one side lecturing them about exactly what a pair of idiots they were for trying such a fool stunt. The oil and soap had helped but they both were still almost incapacitated. "Had to be sure it wasn't going to be fatal," Bill finally managed to gasp out as he rolled over and sat watching the shack. The smoke almost completely obscured the building and formed a column that rose for well over a hundred feet in the air.

"Damn," was Fritz's only comment as he also moved to a sitting position.

"You two were out of action for nearly ten minutes even with the washing up and olive oil," Tensleep informed the pair as he studied his watch. "You sure this won't be fatal?"

"Nothing's one hundred percent sure," Bill said without commenting on the aghast look that appeared on Fritz's face when he heard this. "The metal spring could hit you in a vital location, you could have a pre-existing lung condition, there are plenty of things that could happen but I think it's about as safe as I can make it and still do the job. Come on," he said standing up. "Let's go get the other one from the bunker.

Doctor Bill

[Doctor Bill]

"The Bunker" was another two hundred yards away from the house. When the Southern Star was first built, it was just an earth dugout to store gunpowder and dynamite for blasting out stumps. Concurrently with the building of his new workshop, Bill had asked for permission to renovate and enlarge the old dynamite magazine as well. It now was a storage facility that would make a military outpost proud. The entire structure was topped with a heavy earth and timber cover and it backed into a natural swale in the earth so even the detonation of the entire contents would be directed away from the ranch.

They left Bunsen the mule and the small wagon at the top of the stone incline and walked down to the heavy double doors. Tensleep opened the lock though all three of the men carried keys to the heavy oak and iron door.

Inside a short hallway branched off into a few small rooms. The walls were built of large stone blocks mortared together. Light was brought into the rooms through glass prisms and polished tin tubes that pierced the massive roof structure. Gunpowder, dynamite, tri-nitrotoluene and other explosives were stored here. The rocket was in a room which also held some small stacks of shells for the two cannon back at the main ranch house.

After they had carried the wooden crate containing the missile out into the hallway, Bill went to the metal locker at the end of the hallway farthest from the door. In small, precise lettering the word "DANGER" was stencilled across the two doors. Tensleep and Fritz watched as he pulled a key attached to his watch-chain from his vest pocket and opened the door.

The cabinet was filled with spherical sealed glass containers and metal cans. Some of the vessels were wrapped with a padded cloth mesh. Others simply were unadorned but they all were restrained into the cabinet by cords. Fritz King and the Marshal stepped forward to look at the contents. The liquids that were visible were definitely not water. The materials in these sealed glass orbs were green, yellow, and other unnatural hues. Those that were violently tinted swirled within the glass and even those that were clear seemed to move slightly as they watched. Many of them held an atmosphere above the liquid that was a similar sickly colour.

The metal tins, though fused and looking like a larger version of the fragment bombs, were labelled only with the letters "WP". While these did not look as ominous as the glass bottles, the fact that they were stored with the other items indicated that they were worthy of extreme respect.

"Bill," Tensleep said breaking the silence. "You figuring you might want to take something out of there?" The question was not inconsequential. Bill had impressed on all of the regular residents at the ranch the danger contained in any one of these vessels. There was a long pause.

"No," Bill said and sighed as he began to close the cabinets. "There are limits to retribution and to what it can correct." He shut the doors, carefully locked them and put the key away again. He didn't speak again until they had loaded the rocket on the wagon.

"Marshal," he began. "I thought about making the men that hurt Patches suffer like they never did before in their lives; making them scream for somebody to put a bullet into their brains to stop what they were feeling. I actually was looking forward to it but just now it suddenly seemed to be nothing; just an empty act. I need to stay here with Patches. I think right now my being with her is more important that carrying out some act of revenge against someone I don't even know. I hope you understand."

Tag to Tensleep and/or Fritz

[Elegant Ella]

As Tensleep, Fritz and Bill approached the house they saw Johnny talking to the town Sheriff. It didn't go unnoticed there was a body draped over the horse the sheriff lead.

The three men could hear the conversation as they approached.

"I sent him out to check out some cattle rustling. The rancher brought him in earlier. Coroner says he's never seen anything like it."

Johnny walked over to the blanket and pulled it back. He wrinkled his nose at the stench of the skinless body.

"I seen Indians do a lot of things, but nothing like this, we didn't even think it was Indians." The sheriff said watching Johnny.

There was little that made Johnny ill, but suspecting it wasn't Indians who did it and knowing Scarlet could be with the man who did turned his stomach and angered him.

"Ain't indians sheriff." Johnny pulled back the blanket a little further to look at the body better. The bit of sun that had peered through the clouds glinted off the deputy's badge that was stuck in the chest muscle.

Johnny swore under his breath.

"Ain't a stitch of skin left on him is there?" Sonny's voice came from the porch.

Johnny and the sheriff both spun around.

"How you know?" the sheriff asked as Sonny approached them.

"Tell me Andy, was there a fire going next to the body?" Sonny asked as he loosened the ropes and pulled the blanket back for a better look.

"What?"

"A fire....he burns the skin as he peels it off."

"How the hell you know that." Johnny's eyes bore into Sonny's.

"Cuz that's what he done to Tommy. Not even skin left on his eyelids, no finger nails either. That's what wasn't in the reports that were filed."

"It was Cutter wasn't it?" Johnny asked confirming his own suspicion.

"Has damn little respect for the law Johnny." Sonny said taking a closer look at the body. "Just like he done to Tom." Sonny shook his head.

"Cutter?" the Sheriff asked.

Rowan is his name, he's called Cutter." Tensleep had stepped up. "We are putting together a posse now Sheriff. Figger he is hold up somewhere not too far away and has some hostages. Just starting to get things gathered up. Dr Bill has a few more things to show me."

As Tensleep turned and walked away he felt as if he would retch. The sight of the skinless deputy was almost more than he could take. Many were the atrocities he had seen during the Late Unpleasantness and his years fighting Indians but nothing had prepared him for what one 'civilized' man had done to another this time.

In his mind he was thinking what he would do to Cutter Rowan when they had him. A small hot fire, a tripod with Rowan suspended over the fire, watch a his brains came to a slow boil. 'Sleep wanted to hear this Rowan scream as smoke seared his lungs. Rowan's skin would char and drop off... his eyes would swell and burst. The Shoshoe had taught him many tricks, maybe now was the time to use them.

Regaining Bill and Fritz Tensleep asked, "How do we get that missle in to where Rowan is? I want that bastard!"


Ella and Rose were in the kitchen making journey bread when the sheriff arrived to talk to Johnny. They heard a bit of their conversation with the other men.

Ella shook her head, "Patches is doing well enough that you and Bill can take care of the nursing she needs, and Scarlet might need medical help when they rescue her, but I don't want to ride out with the posse. I'm afraid I would be more hindrance than help in the event of any fighting." She paused and sighed before continuing, "Probably the biggest reason for my reluctance is that the men are going for blood, and I don't want to see them while they take vengence. Better to send them off as heroes with the provisions and supplies they need and greet them as victors when they bring Scarlet home than go along and risk seeing them act like barbarians."

Rose smiled understandingly. "Ella, I think it's best if you stay. Cutter...he is...well, Scarlet has always called him a demon. The more I hear of the things he's done. See what he is capable of I am starting to believe he is the devil himself.

"It is obvious to me by the way they have secured this place they don't want Cutter to get to us. You should have heard the lecture Johnny gave me about staying close to the house, take one of the men with you, even to the barn. Have you noticed every time you step out of the house you are trailed? Seems they come in pairs. I'm sure they know things they are not telling us."

Rose dropped her head to her chest. "Cutter has that affect on folks, Ella, brings out the very worst in 'em.

Scarlet has done things I know she is not proud of and for what ever reason she had, she had Jimmy at her side for the worst of it."

Rose lifted her head and looked Ella in the eyes. "It's taken everything I have not to ask him to go and show no mercy. I guess that means Cutter's getting to me too, but I won't ask any of them to trade their life for hers. Scarlet wouldn't be very happy if that were to happen."


It was hard to keep detached; remain unemotional. But he'd been a professional soldier for far too long. Fritz resolved to keep a cool head, even if others lost theirs. He had to trust Scarlet. She was a big girl, and could take care of herself. If there were a way out, she'd find it.

If not...

Fritz smiled at Bill. His respect for the man rose. He decided to take himself out of the equation. As a scientist, Bill knew he must keep his objectivity.

Unfortunately, that meant that Fritz had to become an expert with all of Bill's "toys"...and fast.

"Bill," Fritz asked, "can one of your congreve rockets hoist a payload that large?"

Bill took Fritz over to where the wooden crate lay on the wagon. "An original Congreve rocket was a piece of junk. They used metal tubes, a cast iron cannon ball for the warhead, no stabilization fins and nothing but black powder for the explosive and propellant. I started over with the basic concept of a rocket and redesigned it from the ground up." As he spoke, he pulled the crate off the wagon and laid it on the ground with Fritz's help. "To start with I constructed the body of the rocket from layered paperboard and used a ceramic liner for the rocket motor and nozzle. This reduced the weight by half right away. I changed the propellant to a mixture of sulphur, zinc dust, potassium chlorate, and powdered sugar. It provides a steadier, more stable thrust than the black powder and further increases the payload. Finally, I replaced the old thirty-pound, cast iron with a paperboard laminate nosecone and percussion detonator. Even my antipersonnel model, which carries nearly ten pounds of shot and a gallon of blasting gelatine, has a maximum range of over a mile. This one will travel even further if necessary."

By now Bill had flipped the sides of the crate down to form two legs and the remaining portion of the crate became a trough to hold the missile. "The fins are not attached but they will fit in these slots on the side." He held the thin sheet-metal triangle in one hand and indicated the slot on the side of the rocket where they would slip into place. "Once you have the front of the trough pointed at the target in a left to right direction by dead reckoning, you have to set the elevation. I didn't count on anyone who used this thing doing geometric triangulation in their head so I came up with an aiming device."

He handed Fritz a small telescope that had a third opening in the centre of the tube. Two long pieces of cotton cord were attached one to each end of the brass tube and a small wooden protractor was attached to the end of each cord. "Unfortunately it takes at least two and preferably three men to fire the rocket," he said as he clamped the tube across the trough above the rocket. "Marshall, if you would give us a hand. Fritz, look through the eyepiece and you will see a split image with two cross hairs like the telescopic sight for a rifle. When each string is aligned with it's respective cross hair, tell us to stand still." Bill and Tensleep each took one of the protractors, stretched the cords to their fullest extent and with a moment of hand waving and directions from Fritz they were both in the correct location.

"Now," Bill said. "I roughly aimed it at the far corner of the berm around the lab. Marshall, use the sights on your protractor to aim at the same point then read the angle where the cord crosses the scale and I'll do the same." A moment later both men had called out the angle. "Fritz, you could solve the distance using two right-angle triangles or you could look at the inside of the crate where you will find a table of angles. Match up the two values that we just gave you and where they intersect you will find the elevation for the front of the launch ramp. The legs are already marked in half-inches and can be adjusted. It should be accurate to a few feet at the point of impact. The plunger in the nose will detonate the charge once the safety cover is removed and you simply light the fuse to set it off."

"It just took us nearly five minutes to set this up and get a firing solution," Bill said as he rolled up the string. "You may not have that long. I always figure that if it's less than a hundred yards, the rocket will fly flat enough to aim by rough sight and let it go. Out to one hundred and fifty; aim a little high and light it up. Fritz, I've been the only one using most of this equipment for too long. Unfortunately, the only way to get a good feel for how some of this hardware performs is to actually get out and use it. If you could spare an hour or two, I've got five missiles that, though they are loaded with shot and blasting gel, would give you some practice in aiming. We also could try out the other gear as well. You and anyone else on the posse at least need some instruction in using the dust mask and goggles since it would be a great advantage to actually attack Cutter while the capsicum and smoke is still hanging in the air. Feel like blasting a few huge craters in the landscape?"

Fritz always enjoyed experimenting with new weaponry, but wasn't sure if now was the time. Maybe it'd be best to stick with the tried and true...at least for now.

But he wasn't the C.O. of this unit.

"Marshal," Fritz asked, using the title as 'Sleep so often did with him, "what are your orders sir?"

"Sergeant I think that you have about three hours til we move out. Practice is in order. I can see a real use for this piece of weaponry."


Johnny stood back for a moment watching the three men.

Finally he had to ask. "What happens if someone takes a shot at that thing with a buffalo gun?"

"Unless you happened to exactly hit the percussion cap in the nose cone," Bill replied, "nothing other than you get a hole in the missile." "Oh, it would ruin the rocket motor; it couldn't fly with a hole in the side of it; but you could tear the nosecone off, knock the charge in the warhead out, pile it up in the middle of the floor and light it off with a fuse and you would still get the same effect. There is nothing in here," he slapped the side of the rocket," that is shock sensitive as there is in dynamite.

"In fact," he continued, "your back-up use of this wepon should be to remove the nosecone completely right here," he indicated a point just behind the junction between the nose and the body of the rocket, "and just worry about getting the nose section into where most of the miscreants are located. Drop it point first, cut a hole in the side a stick a length of fuse in, or even as I said earlier, build a fire under it and wait for it to burn."

[Elegant Ella]

Cutter rose and went out the door followed by Josh. Rebecca watched them go then sat next to Scarlet.

Scarlet was watching the fire. Rebecca knew the look in her friend's eyes. Scarlet was most likely trying to figure the best way out, timing, route, and casualties. That's what was keeping her in line, Rebecca knew it.

Scarlet glanced over at Rebecca. She knew the look in her friend's eyes, something was eating at Rebecca.

"Just ask me. There are few secrets between us Becca."

Rebecca looked at the knife in the middle of the table.

Scarlet half grinned. "If I reach for it Harry'll shoot me in the back, same goes for you. Odds are not in my favor at all. Choose your battles carefully ya know. Without looking I'd be willing to bet he's eyeballing my every muscle twitch. But that ain't what you're wondering."

Rebecca's gaze darted to the floor then into the fire watching the flames dance.

"Scarlet, how do you think Fritz would feel about you if you had to lay with one of these men to keep yourself alive?"

Scarlet turned her head and looked at her friend slightly surprised, but she knew she shouldn't have been. "I've known men that would throw their wives into the street for doing something like that. I would like to think Fritz is not that type, I know he wouldn't be happy but I think he would think it was better than the alternative, where some men wouldn't."

Scarlet could see a slight sadness cross Rebecca's features.

"But that's not what you wanted to ask me either."

Rebecca locked gazes with Scarlet.

"I think Tensleep is like Fritz in that respect." Scarlet said as she took the barrette out of her hair.

"It's been a long time since I had to be with someone I really didn't want to be with. I'm afraid of him Scarlet." Becca said softly.

"I know." Scarlet said as she rolled the piece that held the wire barrette in place over in her palm for Becca to see.

"That's beautiful." Becca said looking at the polished horn.
"Mom gave it to me along time ago." Scarlet said holding it for Rebecca to see. "A girl can never be to safe."

Rebecca hid her surprise as she saw it was actually a long thin folding knife.

"Just in case." Scarlet said winding Rebecca's hair in the barrette. "What horse are you riding?"

"Cloud" Rebecca's eyebrows pulled together thinking it was a strange question.

"When the odds change Rebecca I want you to get on that horse and ride for the mountain, don't stop, don't look back."

Rebecca started to object.

Scarlet shot her what Rebecca referred to as "the look". When you saw the look you knew you were being handed down orders not negotiations.

"You get to Black Wolf. It's faster and more cover to go there than trying to make the ranch. Once there you send one of the braves to the ranch, one of the ones the boys know so he won't be shot at. You tell him to tell Johnny or Bo the black road leads to the gates of hell. It's at the gates of hell the devil will make his last stand."

"Cloud will never out run that horse Cutter is riding."

Scarlet chuckled. "There are only a few horses in the Southern Starr stables I would wager on beating that Comanche Indian pony oh ye of little faith."

Becca half smiled. Black wolf did know his horse flesh and Cloud was one of the better ones she thought.

"Will Johnny know where these gates of hell are?"

"Exactly."


Fritz wasn't a ring-knocker. He hadn't attended the Point. If he had, he would've been schooled in artillery. As it was, he was a Mustang; an enlisted man rose from the ranks to a commissioned officer. He served his purpose during the war. Afterwards, he wasn't needed anymore.

And besides, he was a horse soldier.

Fritz never thought of himself as a smart man. His father was an engineer, and had tried to teach his son the trade. But during the war with the Seminoles, they transported the Second Dragoons to Florida. A young trooper, not much older than Fritz, had lent him a Hall carbine. He and the trooper spent many hours firing from the boxcars.

Fritz had an afinity for firearms. He'd mastered almost every weapon he'd put his hands on. But the only artillery piece he'd fired with regularity during the war was his unit's mountain howitzer.

The weapons he'd dealt with were primarily flat trajectory. Even the small brass cannon he used mainly to fire cannister. So this rocket was, at first, a study in frustration. The first round overshot the target by at least fifty yards. But the concussion rippled the air like a rock dropped in a pond.

"Whoa..."

"I'd guess that you were aiming at about five hundred yards," Bill said, looking through his spyglass. "Prepare a second rocket, and drop your elevation about a half inch."

"I might need more tha five rounds to get this right Bill," Fritz replied.


The explosion was heard in the house, and woke Patches from her sleep.

"What...," she mumbled sleepily.

Ella brought her a glass of water, and said, "Fritz is learning how to shoot Bill's rockets, for the posse going after Scarlet. Bill is going to stay here, to watch after us."

Patches sipped sleepily and murmured, "Bill makes me feel safe," as she drifted back to sleep.


"Part of it's math, part of it's just getting the 'feel' for where a projectile goes. I guess the closest approximation I know is shooting billiards," Bill said as Fritz put a second rocket in the now smoking wooden rack. "Anyway, we're not looking for pinpoint accuracy here. The dispersion of smoke and dust should be pretty large. It would be nice if you can catch them in a building but even out in the open you should have a pretty good area of effect. Of course, if theres any wind you would have to take that into affect in laying the cloud of smoke. Light that one up now and let's see what happens."

Fritz picked up the smoldering punk-stick and pressed it against the end of the fuse that protruded from the tail of the rocket. The pencil-sized cord smoked for a second then began to sizzle and burn. Bill and Fritz both took a few steps away and waited.

With a whosh and roar the rocket jumped into the air leaving a trail of white smoke behind it. After a few seconds of burn the engine stopped and the rocket, which now was nothing more than a small spot, began to drop. Bill raised the telescope to his eye and watched.

"You see, if you can get close enough the flight is nearly flat. The engine burns for almost ten seconds so as I said earlier, for anything less than about one hundred and fifty yards I wouldn't even try to aim it with the cord and," he paused for while several cubic feet of rangeland were vaporized and the ground jumped beneeth their feet. "string aiming device." he concluded. "That was a lot closer to the mark. Why don't we pick out a new target and see how you do."

They were rolling up the cords after Bill had called out the second angle to Fritz. "Remind me to give you a clockwork fuse or better yet two before you go," Bill said. "That would make it possible for you to aim the rocket, set the fuse, and then move in closer to wait for it to fire without having to leave a fuse burning. I'll show you how to set two of them to work on a single fuse so there's less chance of a failure of some sort. I don't want everyone to be counting on some gizmo of mine to save the day and have it fail at the last minute," he added with a frown.


Fritz took a third rocket from its crate, and slipped the fins into place. There was a big-barreled cactus about 200 yards out. Fritz dropped both legs, and set the rocket in the trough. He used the sides of the trough like a rear sight notch, and the nosecone as the front sitght blade. Moving as quickly as safely possible, he aimed the rocket and lit the fuse. The rocket streaked forward and struck the base of the cactus. It, and much of the surrounding flora were vaporized with a flash and a satisfying crump.

[Bushwack Bill]

------Interesting!  Verrry interesting!-------

[Scarlet Angel]

Posted by Fritz

Fritz smiled, looking at his watch. "Two minutes, eight seconds...now that's more like it."
_________________

Scarlet

Rose stepped on the porch looking in the direction of the artillery fire, it stirred bad memories of the war. The sound of the hoof beats drew her attention towards the barn.

The sight of the five horses, two mules, Dancer and Moonshine made Rose draw a sharp breath as they stopped outside of the barn. A group of animals the ranch hands had nicknamed the hard stock. It was a name that was earned and worn with pride. The animals had all proven their worth under fire at one time or another and had the endurance to match most of Rose's Arabians. Some of them required better riders, but Rose guessed Jimmy had chosen them as spare mounts and the men who would be riding them were good horseman.

Sugar and Spice, the two mules, would earn no beauty points and on some days needed attitude adjustments, but they knew their jobs well and would not slow the crew down.

Moonshine had been young when Jimmy rode him off to the war, Rose couldn't begin to imagine the miles the pale palomino had traveled in his life. To look at him now the middle aged Arabian looked the same as the day Jimmy had ridden off, in fact he looked exactly the same as the day they came home, the McClellan saddle, the long curved knife that hung from the saddle, the only thing missing was the ragged uniform Jimmy had worn. Jimmy had tied Dancer to his saddle as his own spare mount.

Rose watched Jimmy tie the spare mounts to the fence, pick up the lines for the mules then swing into the saddle and head off to where the others were.

Jimmy stopped in front of Johnny and handed the lead lines to Johnny.

Johnny looked him over. He knew by Jimmy's actions he was headed out, there would be no changing his mind or asking him to wait.

Jimmy saw the way Johnny looked at him. "Takes less than a minute to stop a heart beat. The bastards had too much time already. It's time to give him something else to think about." Jimmy said flatly.

"Leave us signs." Johnny said as he watched Moonshine start to move off followed by Dancer.
_________________
Dr. bill

Doctor Bill watched the blast from the last of the missles and nodded slightly. "I think you're getting the hang of it," he said as he lowered the telescope. "It's about time to get things packed up anyway," he added looking at his pocket watch.

He explained the use of the timed fuse for the rocket as he and Fritz rode back to the workshop on the wagon. The small wooden boxes each were fitted with a single timer dial on the face that was graduated from one to thirty minutes. The lever on the top of the box set a hammer inside and the metal gromet on the side was for the insertion of the end of a piece of "quick-fuse". At the appointed time, the internal hammer would crush a fulminate of mercury capsule which in turn ignited a mixture of magnesium ships and an oxidizer that set fire to the fuse. With two of the units both set on the fuse, it should provide reliable ignition of the rocket without the need for someone to sit and wait with a match in hand.

"The whole thing doesn't weigh all that much," Bill added as he and Fritz lifted the rocket in its box onto the wagon. "One mule should be easily able to carry it on top of a packsaddle. All the other gear should be distributed between the various riders anyway since it could be needed at any time." He looked at the various crates sitting on the wagon. "Let's haul this over to the house so it can get loaded."

_________________

Scarlet

Johnny walked the two mules back to the rest of the string. He eyed Jimmy's choice of spare mounts with interest.

Dynamite, the lead horse on the string laid his ears back and bobbed his head up and down. Johnny suspected he'd be stuck on the big sorrel with the wide blaze and borderline disposition; one of the few horses on the ranch that didn't accept treats from people, but a solid ride if one knew how to handle him.

Johnny felt the nose of one of the horses in the corral brush against him and turned. The two geldings eyed him curiously as they waited for attention. Johnny reached up and rubbed the grey face of one of them and removed the note attached to the animals halter.

He chuckled as he read it.
If Doc goes..

"Why didn't he pull you out for me ay Sam?"

The horse leaned his head down and put his nose in Johnny's hand. Johnny thought Jimmy had a good eye to match horse and rider, almost as well as Rose and Scarlet. It was no secret that Dr. Bill appreciated a gentler, kind animal.

"There are times I wish I had Jimmy's attitude." Bo's voice came from behind Johnny.

"I don't think I could handle that Bo." Johnny half smiled. "But I know you're thinking the same thing Jimmy said, we need to get on it if we're goin' at all."

He led the mules to where Dr. Bill's wagon had come to a stop.

"Let's get 'em packed up and move out." He said looking at Bill then turned his attention to Tensleep.

"Best get whoever's going aboard their horses 'for Cutter sends us an invitation."
_________________

Fritz

Fritz hopped from the wagon and grabbed Strider's reins. 'Sleep was waiting for him.

"How ya feel about those rockets son?"

Fritz sighed. "I wish I had more time with them, but I should be able to drop them close to where they're needed."

"Yep," 'Sleep replied. "That's why I want you to stay with the wagon and launch 'em, while we ride in."

Fritz let go of the reins and turned.

"Marshal Ross," Fritz said, trying to remain calm, "I'm a cavalry trooper. I do my best work on the back of a horse."

"That ain't necessarily so," 'Sleep responded. "I've been talking to Ella."

"Damn..."

"She told me when you first rode with this posse, you were hell with a long-range rifle. Saved alot of lives down Mexico way."

Fritz took a deep breath, and let it out slow.

"You're the only one who's had time on them rockets...I need you Fritz."

'Sleep laid his hand on the old soldier's shoulder. "You can come in once the rockets are inbound. We'll get her back...I promise."

"Okay," Fritz said. There was no use in arguing...

...because 'Sleep was right.
_________________
Dr. Bill

Bill and Fritz tied down the large smoke and pepper rocket and then began to make piles of the smaller munitions for each of the riders. Each man was assigned fragment bombs, smoke and flash bombs, the armour piercing shotgun rounds, incendiary bombs, the impact detonated buckshot bombs, and the smaller hand-thrown pepper bombs. A number of the dust mask and goggle sets were stacked alongside the individual rations of weapons. Additional reserve munitions were left in the wagon along with the large rocket. It only took a few minutes to get everything ready for each of the riders to stow in their individual saddlebags. The noiseless rifle and its ammunition was also carefully stowed in the wagon. The two bullet resistent coats were each packed away as well in case they were needed.

Tensleep walked back over to the two men to inspect the progress. "You sure about wanting to stay here, Bill?" he asked.

"I'm sure, Marshal," Bill replied. "I think Fritz will do just fine with the rocket and most of the other gear is almost fool-proof." He was quiet for a moment. "This is the worst I have ever seen Patches be injured and; well, I know how important getting this man is; and I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about giving you some of the stuff out of that locked cabinet; but I just have got to stay here with Patches right now. She needs me and I need to be here with her."
_________________
Scarlet

Cutter was becoming agitated; he could feel the tension and stress building. He needed some kind of relief, it had been days since he had the pleasure of feeling warm blood wash over his hands as he took someone's life. Suddenly he grinned, turned and went into the house.

Cutter went to the chair Scarlet's slicker was hung over and searched the pockets, delighted to find her badge, he then went to the table and pulled her knife from it.

"Tie 'em up, I'm going out."

Harry moved immediately putting his gun to Scarlet's temple. "Why don't you try anything?" He whispered in her ear.

It irritated him she didn't even look at him as one of the others tied her hands behind her back then tied Rebecca's. The two women were then tied together and to the table leg.

"What about that one?" Harry said leering at Jenny.

"Long as everyone behaves themselves and she doesn't go near the other two or speak to them you leave 'er be. If they get out of line...you do what ever you want with them except kill em. You can beat them near to death but leave some breath in their bodies."

"Come on Josh" Cutter said going out the door.

Cutter's look outs had reported a small herd of cattle being driven not far from them, four men was all, so he took one of his men and Josh and set out knowing they wouldn't be out of earshot of gun fire should a posse be spotted.

The cattle looked like they were walking on water as they strolled through the grass just on the other side of the blue flowers that blew in the morning wind. Cutter couldn't wipe the grin from his face thinking of what was coming until they were almost upon the drovers.

The lead man stopped and cautiously watched the three men riding towards them.

Cutter had pinned the badge on his jacket and flashed it for the man to see as they approached.

"Mornin' Marshal."

Cutter touched the brim of his hat. "Mornin'"

"What kin I do fer ya?"

"There's been some rustling in the area and my deputies and I are checking it out. Ya got papers on these cattle?"

"Yes sir." He turned in his saddle and waved to one of the other men to come in.

"I'd like to get a closer look at yer men too, just to make sure they don't fit the descriptions of the outlaws we're looking for."

"Anything to help Marshal? I didn't catch your name." He said waving in the others.

"It's deputy actually, US deputy Corbin."

Cutter pretended to look over the papers the cowhand had given him as he waited for them all to get close.

As the last man rode in Cutter leaned forward holding out the papers. The cowhand reached out to take them as Cutter drew his pistol and pulled the trigger.

Josh and Cutter's other man had the drop on the other two cowboys.

"Raise 'em." Josh said sliding off of his horse. He stepped up to the two cowboys, relieved them of their weapons and pulled them off of their horses.

The fourth cowhand hand not been as close as the others when the gunfire started, he wheeled his horse around and tried to escape. Cutter grinned sadistically as he pulled the trigger shooting the man in the back. The cowboy slumped forward in the saddle but was able to hold on and keep the horse moving.

"We've not done anything deputy." One man yelled.

"String that one up." Cutter said cheerfully.

Josh and his partner forced the man to a nearby tree. Taking the rope of the cowboys horse they put the noose around his neck and pulled everything tight, securely tying it off before the led the horse slowly away from his rider.

"Take me into town deputy I can prove we are who we say we are." The last cowhand begged.

Cutter stepped off of his horse, his eyes dancing with excitement.

"No doubt you are who you say you are." He said walking behind the man.

Cutter kicked him in the back of the knees grabbing the man under his chin as he fell. Taking Scarlet's knife he plunged it into the mans stomach and jerked it upward until it stopped just below the mans throat. The warm feeling of blood spilling over his hands brought Cutter a feeling of satisfaction and power. He took a deep breath as he let the lifeless body fall forward.

The three outlaws mounted up and rode back to the ranch house. Cutter thought his day had started out perfect, three killings all before lunch. The fourth one might live long enough to tell someone Deputy Corbin shot him in the back, at least Cutter hoped so.
_________________

[Scarlet Angel]

Tensleep

"Sounds good to me Bill." Tensleep turned to Fritz. "Sarge," he said with
a wink "be sure and leave some space in the wagon for some feed for the
horses and mules. As fast as we hope to move there won't be much time
for grazing."

"Hank, you and Sonny gonna ride with us?"
Hank was sitting at a small table on the porch and had busied himself at
what looked like to be drawing. His head jerked up at the sound of
Tensleep's question.

"I ain't no deputy Marshal, and I don't think I want to be deputized."
Hank said standing and handing the drawing and the old wanted poster to
Sonny.

"I'm a bit slow on the draw anymore too, anybody could tell ya that."
Hank continued, trying to ignore the snort he'd heard from Sonny. "Ain't
real good with a long rifle, although I can hold my own. If you want me
ta ride with ya I'm in."



There was no denying the angry look on Sonny's face as he looked at the
drawing. "Son of a bit..." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Been
here under our noses alla this time. Shook hands at the trial." He
shoved the two papers back at Hank cursing under his breath.

"I'll be ready in under five minutes Marshal." Sonny turned on his heel
and went into the house to retrieve his rifle and tell his wife he was
going.

Hank stepped off the porch and handed the drawing to Tensleep. It was a
man with short dark hair, and wide set eyes.

"Ya recognize him?" Hank asked.

Tensleep could see Hank had traced the features of the face from the old
wanted poster of the man with the long light colored hair and sparse
beard marked Unknown then drawn the dark short hair on it.

"Yeah dammit! It's that Phil character been hangin' round tha Ace lately. That devil is a spy for Cutter!" Tensleep threw down the matchstick he was chewing on. "We got no time left to waste."

Tensleep saw that Johnny was still talking to Bo. "You near ready Johnny?"
"Been ready." Johnny said looking in Tensleeps direction then to the wagon.

Seemed as if there were all kinds of things slowing them down Johnny thought.

Tensleep saw Johnny's look. "Tell one of the hands to ride with Fritz Johnny, we gotta fly an' catch up to Jimmy!"

Johnny chuckled. "Sleep your horse is gonna have ta have wings ta catch Jimmy. If I know that boy he'll not even stop to change horses just slide from one ta the other only slowin them sos they can catch their breath or if he has to check something out. He'll reach the mountain long before we do."


"I thought Dr. Bill said that stuff could be packed up on the mules." Johnny said looking at the items in the wagon. "Fritz, it's up to you, if you think it's best to pack it on a mule do it, if not choose a man ta ride shotgun with ya."

Tensleep mounted Buck and adjusted himself to the saddle. Hank and Sonny were mounted and ready. Johnny stood by Velvet Ears. "I'm gone boys, stay with me if ya can!"

Johnny swung into the saddle, took up the line on the spare horses and waited for Fritz to reply.
Fritz
Fritz tied Strider's reins off to the back of the wagon.

"Sorry fella," he said, patting the buckskin's head. He leaped to the buckboard seat.

"Zeke!" Fritz yelled. "Grab your shotgun! We gotta go now!!!"
_________________
Scarlet

Zeke waved a acknowledgement to Fritz, stopped in front of two of the other hands for a brief moment then ran to the bunk house for his gear.

In the moment it took him to return one of the ranch hand had tied Zeke's horse next to Strider and the other one had stowed some extra harness pieces in the wagon.

Johnny half grinned as he kicked his mule. Efficiency, he was proud of the way the men worked togeather, most of the time. Why Fritz had chosen Zeke Johnny wasn't sure, but it was a good choice.

The sound of fast moving horses filled the air as the group moved out.



The stage driver put his hand out to help the fancy dressed lady down. She was pretty he thought. It was hard to tell her age, he wasn't sure if she was older or just maybe had hit a few hard times.

She smiled sweetly at him as she stepped down and stood aside for the black dog to step off the stage with her. The driver chuckled, the slick black dog had a fancy leather color. They both must come from a well ta do family someplace.

He pointed her to the train station and telegraph office. She politely thanked him and lead the dog down the boardwalk.

Trixie smiled to herself. She had saved her money and made the fancy dress because she'd fallen in love with the fabric she'd found in the mercantile. Some of the other women had teased her about having the occasion to wear such a dress. It was never intended to be something to hid in, but Kevin was not looking for a fancy lady, he was looking for a working girl.

She stepped up to the counter and told the man where she wanted to go. He smiled at her and took her money, then looked at the dog. "He'll have to ride in the stock car."

She pushed more money his way. "Nope"

Trixie noticed the way he was looking her up and down. She leaned close and whispered something in his ear. The man grinned and pulled down the curtain then opened his office door. Trixie laid the leash on the floor and told the large black dog to stay.

Trixie adjusted her fancy clothes and fixed her hair in the small mirror that hung in the ticket masters office, picked up her ticket and went out the door.

The man smiled as he watched her go. He'd never had a fancy woman, just the cheap whores at the saloon. It was worth the private room on the train he'd practically given her he thought.

Trixie had just enough time to go to the telegraph office and ask for a telegram be sent to US Deputy A. Corbin. Southern Starr El Paso, Texas.

Uneventful
Mr. Dawg

She hoped Scarlet would know that meant she was ok and hadn't seen any signs of her son's or their henchmen.

The telegraph operator looked up from the note. "Is that all ma'am?"

"Well I'm sure that's all he told me to send." She gave him a puzzled look and he smiled thinking her husband sure would be mad if there was more.

"Yes ma'am."

"Thank you." She said going out the door back towards the train depot.

She waited patiently for the train to board, handed her ticket to the conductor and was politely escorted to her room.
--------
Fritz

Some of the gear bounced around a bit, but the ordnance had been lashed down tight. Considering how long he and Bill had worked, Fritz was pleased with the results.

Zeke spoke up above the tinkling of harness.

"Fritz! Give me the reins!"

"Why?"

"Cuz from what I hear," Zeke replied, "you're a better shot!"

Fritz handed over the reins. He took the scattergun and placed it in his lap, the barrel pointed outboard. Reaching behind him, Fritz grabbed the Springfield.

The posse was pulling ahead, and Zeke was set on closing the distance.
_________________
Scarlet

Cutter smiled at his own ideas as he stepped off his horse and tied it to the rail of the ranch house.

Now that he'd released some of the pent up energy that had been distracting him could think more clearly. If his mother was dead he wanted proof. If she wasn't he wanted her, and he had a few ideas on how he might get the new marshal to do it for him.


"Across flat ground spare me not." Scarlet was famous for rattling off quotes or poems about horses.

"Across flat ground spare me not." It kept running through Jimmy's mind as he pushed the two horses as hard as he dare, he knew where he wanted to start looking for Scarlet and Rebecca.

Before Jimmy knew it he was nearing the base of Devil's mountain. According to Scarlet's map there were a few different possibilities where Cutter might be hol up. If Jimmy could figure out which way she was headed when she and Patches were jumped it would narrow it down.

He guessed Cutter would not venture inside the mountains so it had to be the outskirts. Scarlet would have picked a spot near water to camp, which was no help as there were many small streams winding through the mountains. Cutter had to be someplace fairly close to have taken Rebecca and been able to jump Scarlet and Patches too, half a days ride at the most, which narrowed it down more.

Jimmy thought about it, if it were him he'd hold up at the old Broken Shoe. You could guard it well and there was an abandoned ranch house there if it still stood. Or there was the small town just south of the shoe, the town nobody asked questions in. Scarlet had had a star on the map for those two places. "Go with yer gut feelings" he thought to himself turning the horses in the direction of the old ranch.

He rode slow and quiet blending with the rocks skirting the base of the mountain. He was beginning to wonder if he was wrong this time when Moonshine pinned his ears against his neck and snorted. The horse had always done that at the smell of death. Considering horses smell was better than peoples Jimmy could understand why the horse didn't like it.

Jimmy slid off his horse and cautiously looked around before he approached the body. The man's skull was crushed at the forehead. Horse kick Jimmy was pretty sure of it. Looking on the other side of the river he spotted another one.

Jimmy found a shallow place to cross and went over to look at the other body. The man had a look of pain on his face and his hand was over his chest. Jimmy moved the mans hand looking for a gunshot. Nothing.

Thinking of the first man Jimmy lifted the mans shirt at the collar and looked down. There was a perfect hoof print partially over the mans sternum and ribs. Jimmy pushed on the spot outlined by the hoof print, it to was crushed, the man probably had suffocated.

Jimmy knew this was Lucky's handy work. The other he wasn't so sure, but this one, Lucky could have cow kicked judging from the placement of the hoof and the angle of the print.

Jimmy stood and looked around wondering which way they went. The trail had been washed away by the storm. The small low broken branches caught his attention. Something had gone through them like a locomotive. He looked closer examining the flat grass, broken branches. There was a definite trail here, not one used by many, maybe one or two horses. Jimmy stopped at one of the branches and picked the black hairs from it. Between the print on the dead body and the black hair stuck to the branch Lucky had to have come this way.

Jimmy looked down the path the horse had blazed. Scarlet wouldn't have ridden him that way, she would have made him go around things. Lucky was most likely rider less at the moment. If he stuck to his normal habit he wasn't far from Scarlet though.

Jimmy mounted up and headed back to intercept the posse.

------------------------
Scarlet

Jimmy watched the horizon. He knew where the posse should be, what he couldn't figure was the movement off to the side following them. He wondered if somebody was riding drag.

Jimmy found a high concealed spot, stashed the horses, melted into his environment and began to watch the movement.

The posse was closing fast. When they finally came into view of his spyglass Jimmy half smiled. Somebody had the good sense to have Zeke at the reins of the team. One of these days Johnny was sure to find who all was having wagon races, he had to really know though thought Jimmy.

Jimmy recognized one of the other riders too. It was Phil, the irritating cowboy from the Ace that was always too friendly for Jimmy's taste. He didn't recognize the drifter that rode with him, but he did recognize the surge of adrenaline that told him he needed to be on high alert.

He thought for a moment trying to figure out how to warn the posse without alerting the others. Taking the small mirror he quickly flashed it hoping one of the posse members would see it and check their flank.

Jimmy came out of his hiding spot, mounted up and moved out towards where he figured the two cowboys would intercept the posse. The posse would have some kind of cover fire if they needed it.
---------
Fritz

Fritz scanned the horizon, looking for something...anything. Just when he thought he was going blind, he saw it. A flash caught his eye. The bright reflection of a mirror...or polished steel.

Fritz shifted on the seat, and brought the butt of his Springfield to shoulder. It was then he caught movement off to his left. Two riders coming in. Instinctively, he brought the hammer back.

"Zeke...Trouble!"
---------------

Scarlet

Zeke looked in the direction Fritz had looked. The two riders weren't coming in fast but they would definitely all be meeting soon. At first he wondered why Fritz was thinking trouble; it was when the two riders split he got nervous.

"Hang on Sarg we're not getting caught out here with a wagon full of stuff and our pants down when we could be up there with the rest of them."

They had been keeping fairly close to the posse but now Zeke wanted to be right up there in the middle of 'em.

He leaned forward. "HA!"

The wagon surged forward with as the team responded.

Johnny not only had seen the flash of light from the mountain but he could hear the pounding of the team's hooves closing fast.

It meant trouble. He was sure of it. Johnny saw one rider and wondered who it was and if there were more.

The posse grouped together and came to a stop.

[Scarlet Angel]

Combined effort of Scarlet & Tensleep

Jimmy had stowed Dancer in the brush then taken Moonshine and ridden to where he could get a clean shot at the incoming riders should he need to.

Unbeknown to the posse they had stopped about twenty yards from where the palomino lay still on his side in the tall yellow grass. He had one ear cocked in the direction his rider had gone.

Jimmy was surprised when Hank had pulled his horse to a stop next to the tree and right beneath him, more surprised when just one rider came in to greet the posse.

His eyes darted, looking for the other man.

Tensleep watched as the rider approached. The glaring Texas sun was as bright as could be and obscured the man's face.

It seemed like forever standing there watching the rider come in.

"Howdy Marshal, gentlemen." Phil said as he slowed his horse to a stop.

Phil noticed there was not a friendly face among them as he looked at them.

"What brings you out here?" He asked.

Jimmy listened as he watched for the other man.

"Why we just like to ride Phil." Tensleep watched the man's face. "What might you be doin' ridin' out here in the middle of nowhere? Oh.... by the way, ask your friend to ride in real slow and keep his hands where we can see them."

Phil smiled his normal happy smile everyone was used to seeing at the saloon and shrugged his shoulders as if he knew the marshal meant it was none of his business what they were doing out here.

"Boss been expecting a few cattle ta come in, they haven't shown up yet so he sent us to look for the herd." Phil turned in his saddle and looked the direction his companion had ridden in then looked back at the men. "I'm supposed to catch up with him at the river. He said we didn't have time ta visit cuz we had our orders and the boss is waitin' on us. I tol' him I thought it was you and we best let ya know we were out here too." Phil said cheerfully, it was the truth, for the most part anyway.

"How is ol' Mr. Elliot?" Hank asked knowing Phil had been working for the outfit since he came to El Paso.

"Doc says if he keeps his temper under control he won't have no more of them spells like he had couple days ago. Scared the Mrs. almost inta' having one too. Made things more pleasant around the place him not yellin' so much."

Hank shook his head in agreement. He was trying to figure out if Phil had been to his employers recently enough to know the latest news and apparently he had.

"Leave the ladies at home Marshal? I sure enjoy seeing them when I can. Course they never are to chatty, cept Miss Rebecca, she's always very pleasant."

Johnny was looking through his spyglass. "You're friends almost near the river Phil." He said as a matter of factly just to let the others know Phil had not been lying.

What he didn't see from the ground and Jimmy did happen to from his vantage point, now looking through his own glass was Phil's friend meeting up with another man.

"Actually Phil this is a coyote hunt, we are just out for a day of sport." Tensleep noticed the remark about Rebecca but didn't show it. "When we heard that there was a pack of coyotes in the neighborhood we thought we might just do some roping. Lotta fun that.... coyote ropin' that is."

"With spring coming, the cows calving and horses foaling ya might just think of shooting them if they are to close to the ranch." Phil said in his cheerful voice, wondering what was in the wagon but dare not asking.

Jimmy caught the movement of another horse coming in. He looked closer, it looked as if the rider was either dead or dying by the way he was slumped over the saddle, the horse was completely covered in sweat. Dead men were no concern right now to him so he looked back towards Phil's companion. Two men at the river now and movement of one heading back to where ever he'd come from.

"Oh I expect there will be some shooting too. You know... whatever it takes. Ropin' an' draggin' coyotes is fun though. Ya shoot 'em it is over too quick, kinda want to see 'em suffer." Tensleep grinned.

The other men in the posse had caught on to what Tensleep was getting at and had a chuckle.

"Ya drag em Marshal then the hides get all messed up. Then they're no good for skinnin' and making something out of." Phil said.

"Oh ya can still skin em' just fine." Johnny chuckled.

Sonny turned and looked in the direction of the incoming horse.

"Can I borrow those?" He said reaching out to Johnny indicating the spyglass.

Johnny handed it over.

"What brand them cattle carry you're waiting on Phil?"

"Lazy G"

"Looks like them boys ran into some trouble." He said looking at the brand the horse was wearing.

The sweaty horse whinnied and began to move faster towards them.

Jimmy raised the heavy Whitworth and took a bead on the man slowly moving towards the posse, he'd be in range in short order.

"What ya seein' Sonny?" Sleep stood in his stirrups, his eyes going back to Phil, watching him closely. "See the herd?"

"Nope see a dying man on a Lazy G horse."

"What!" Phil said his eyes shooting in the direction of the incoming rider. He was caught off guard. He knew the herd was out there but he'd told Cutter to leave 'em be. They didn't want any reason for the Sherriff or Marshal to be coming that close to the hide out, or so he had thought.
_________________

Combined effort of Scarlet, Fritz & Tensleep


Jimmy watched the inbound riders. If they were just drovers that was one thing, if not that was something entirely different.

Jimmy steadied the rifle while he reached in his pocket and took out a pebble. He tossed it towards Zeke, it over shot the wagon and landed between it and Moonshine who's ear flipped at the noise.

"Damn" he thought to himself.

Jimmy took a second pebble and tried again. This time it hit Fritz on the shoulder.

Fritz' eyes were open and looking over the sight of his carbine. If one of those riders tried anything foolish, their backbones would be found about fifty feet to their rear. Something hit his shoulder; not hard enough to hurt, but enough to get his attention. He didn't want to, but he had to risk a look over his shoulder...

"Should somebody go collect him Tensleep?" Sonny asked handing the spyglass to the Marshal. The horse was getting close enough to see the rider with out it.

Jimmy rolled his eyes, irritated with his poor shot at pebble throwing, he hadn't meant to hit Fritz. It appeared he had somebody already in his sights, but now he had been distracted.

Jimmy took a sugar cube and tossed it. The Sugar cube hit Fritz on the top of the shoulder and bounced into the seat between him and Zeke making a faint noise.

Zeke cocked his head, his eyes glancing down at the seat, he spotted the sugar cube then shot Fritz a curious sideways glance.

"...what the hell?" was all Fritz could muster.

Jimmy wondered if this was going to be fruitless. It would be nice not to be shot outta the tree by his own side if he ended up torching the rifle off. He wasn't thrilled that Moonshine could be right in the line of Fritz's fire should the horse stand up either.

He pulled another sugar cube out of his pocket. Surely they would figure out it wasn't raining the things, besides he'd only have one left after this and that was for his horse, he'd have to resort to pebbles again if they didn't catch on.

This time threw it a bit harder. It hit Fritz on the shoulder and bounced off his neck before it fell into the seat.

Zeke looked sideways and down again, trying not to draw attention to them, then at Fritz.

"Scarlet calls you sugar but I never figured you'd leak the stuff."

It would be comical if the situation wasn't so deadly. Fritz looked over his shoulder, towards the high grass.

Jimmy.

Fritz took his hand off the stock, and touched the brim of his slouch.

"We're covered," he whispered. "And have the advantage."


"Why don't we all ride since that's the way we are goin'?" Sleep said still watching Phil.

Maybe it was somebody else shot that cowboy Phil was thinking as he turned his horse to follow the Marshal.

Everyone moved to follow Tensleep.

Zeke had the team reined in moving slow so Fritz could keep an eye on the incoming riders and he had liked the idea of being covered with an advantage. The posse rode slow with the wagon making Zeke smile to himself, because they barley had gotten anywhere when the dying man's horse trotted right up to the Marshal's.

It took every ounce of what was left of the man's strength to raise his head off of the horse's neck and look at Tensleep.


Trying to smile at the face he recognized from some time ago he coughed out.
"Deputy Corbin shot us up"

Phil was shocked when he heard it.

"Get him off that hoss quick." Sleep scowled. Fritz stayed in the wagon but Zeke was on the ground going for the rider. Hank and Johnny had dropped to the ground too.

As he was lowered from his horse Tensleep asked, "What did this Deputy Corbin look like?" The marshal's eyes still had not left Phil and the man knew it. 'Sleep's mind held the sketch that Hank had made.

"said thieves Corbin shot us." Were the last words the cowhand said as he slid into Zeke's arms.

"He's dead Marshal." Zeke said laying the man on the ground and hurrying back up onto the wagon so he had control of the horses if anything happened.

The men looked somber unwilling to believe the words of the dead man.

Johnny wanted to tell 'em Scarlet wasn't a back shooter, but the right time, right place, right circumstances he didn't know if he'd be wrong or not.

Phil sat with a shocked look on his face.

Tensleep's Remington was in his hand in a flash and covering Phil.

"Step down from the saddle Phil, we need to talk."

Phil looked blankly for a moment at Tensleep, beginning to wonder if they had an idea that he was not just a happy go lucky cowhand, but the dead man said it was a deputy that shot him.

Slowly Phil raised his hands and began to step down. He knew he didn't have a chance, Tensleep was to close and he knew if the Marshal didn't shoot him Hank would, there was something cold and deadly in his eyes.
_________________

Scarlet

The posse had only gotten a hundred yards or so away from Jimmy so he had a clear view of what was going on with the posse. The two riders had stopped about three hundred yards out and were watching the events.

Being out of earshot of normal conversation he couldn't hear what was being said but out of the corner of his eye Jimmy saw Phil raising his hands.

He also saw one of the two riders dismount, wrap the reins around his forearm and bring a long rifle to his shoulder. Without looking he knew it was aimed either at the Marshal or Phil.

He'd seen men shoot their own to keep 'em quiet so he made a decision.

He took aim, let out two low whistles and touched the old rifle off.

Things happened quickly after that. Moonshine was on his feet and heading for the tree.

First the posse heard the roar of the rifle, those who looked in the direction of the noise could see smoke billow from high in the tree.

Jimmy moved immediately, shouldering his rifle and coming fast down from the tree. Johnny's head jerked in that direction but he couldn't see how Jimmy made it out of the branches so fast and now stood on the back of his horse.

The outlaw had taken aim on Phil. He had his orders, Phil was valuable to Cutter but he wanted to keep the winning hand, Phil may leak if caught, don't let it happen was what he said.

The second outlaw had waited to see if his partner was as good with the long range rifle as he claimed to be. What he heard and saw shocked him.

The mounted outlaw had never been close to a man that was hit like that before. The thud it made as it entered the man's chest didn't shock him so much as spray of blood, flesh and bone fragments that splattered the rifleman's horse. The hit had made the rifle fire go wild.

The combination of noise from the rifles and red shower spooked both horses. The dead mans horse bolted dragging the body with him like a rag doll.

The mounted outlaw clung to his mount as the animal bucked then lined him out for cover as he tried to figure out what in the hell had just happened.

"Runner three hundred yards." Jimmy yelled and pointed in the direction of the fleeing rider, before he jumped to the ground and began to reload.
_________________

[Scarlet Angel]

Fritz

Fritz swung the muzzle around. "Zeke...DOWN!!!"

The rider was spattered in gore, but had enough sense to wheeel and run.

Zeke fell to the floorboards as the Springfield roared. Zeke's arm was close enough to feel the heat; his sleeve moved with the concussion. The shot caught the rider in the right shoulder, flipping him forward over his mount's head. The spooked mare kept on running...right over her rider.

"Well...that's gotta hurt," Fritz said, reloading his carbine.

Zeke brushed flecks of unburnt powder from his sleeve. "Nice shot."

Fritz shook his head. "Nah...I was aiming center mass."
_________________
Scarlet

Jimmy saw the rider go down and half grinned; one could ever be sure if it was a look of approval or one of somebody admiring a job well done. He brought the rifle up and steadied it on the horse's saddle as he looked through the telescope for the next target. He knew there was another man out there, he'd seen him.

There in the trees he could just make out the rider who had stopped and was looking in the direction of the gunfire. The rider began continue in the direction he was headed.

Jimmy figured the man to be out of range but he knew he was going to have to unload the rifle one way or another so he squeezed the trigger. He could see the horse move off faster but could not tell if the rider had been hit or not.

Jimmy put his rifle in its scabbard and mounted up.

"No doubt they will be expecting us." He said quietly as he rode by the posse.

"Should've saved that 'un for you." He growled as he passed Phil on his way to retrieve Dancer.


Rose had slipped in Patches room between Bill and Ella coming and going. She just put the finishing touches on a painting she'd been working on off and on for a short time.

She put it up in the corner of Patches room, stood back and smiled at her accomplishment. Rose didn't know if Patches could hear her and really didn't expect any response but she spoke softly anyway.

"What do you think? I think I captured our likenesses pretty well." Rose said looking at the portrait she'd painted of Ella, Patches, Scarlet, Becca and herself.

They were on in the gowns they wore at the New Years Eve party at the Ace. Becca and Scarlet sat on the bar their long legs crossed. Rose had caught the devilish grin both women sometimes got. Rose had put herself standing on the floor between Scarlet and Rebecca. Patches stood sideways on Scarlet's left , her face turned slightly so she appeared to be looking at the painter. Rose had caught the mischievous smile Patches sometimes got when she had an idea. Ella was on Becca's right standing fully facing the painter. She had a knowing smile and a sparkle in her eyes that told you she could be just as mischievous as the rest of the girls when she wanted to be. Rose had given herself a proud look, because she was proud to know each of the girls and in a way she felt close to each and every one of them. The women all had drinks in their hand and appeared to be toasting.

"I hope I did right by all of you, kind of difficult since it was never posed for.

I know we're not blood related but you and Ella are like daughters to me too. So you better pull through Patches. You're a woman of the Southern Star now and women of the Southern Starr are a tough lot."

Rose looked at the picture for a moment. Even though Patches had said nothing Rose acknowledged her like she had.

"You know I think you're right." Rose said. She took her paint brush and neatly wrote across the bottom of the portrait. The Women of the Southern Starr.

"When you feel up to it you and Ella can help me decide where to hang it."

Rose began to sing softly enough not to disturb Patches as she straightened a few things and arranged a few of the flowers she had brought in earlier.

Rose turned at the soft sound of Ella's footsteps followed by Bill's heavier ones, she tried to smile pleasantly but could not mask the fact she was worried.

"It's the waiting I've always found to be the most difficult.

Is there any thing else we should be doing for her or anything more we can?" Rose said looking from Ella's face to Bill's.
_________________

Ella

"It's time for her to wake up and eat lunch," replied Ella, putting down the tray she had been carrying. "I've been feeding her honey water whenever she rouses, to give her some energy, but she should be ready for some more solid food. She hasn't indicated any pain this morning, so I haven't given her any morphine yet today. Bill, why don't you wake her?"
_________________

combined effort of Tensleep & Scarlet

"Should've saved that 'un for you." It was probably the most words Jimmy had ever said to Phil.

Phil watched Jimmy ride off then looked at Tensleep.

"I've never done anything to him, that boy just has snake blood in his veins. He's gonna kill me marshal. Did ya see the look he gave me?"

Tensleep studied Phil for a moment. "Ever have any family? Ever have yer family mistreated? Abused? Hurt? Ever feel the pain of loss when you lose someone you love? That boy loves Scarlet... and Rebecca. Scarlet like a sister, Rebecca as a close friend. Jimmy sees lots o' things others don't Phil. Jimmy is one who takes family an' friends seriously. Jimmy thinks you know somethin' an' he's gonna dawg you til he decides whether or not yer friend or foe."

While he talked the marshal had been looking through Phil's saddlebags.

Phil's mouth twisted for a moment. Tensleep had asked him a question nobody had in years.

"My ma died along time ago Marshal." His eyes rolled into the direction Jimmy had gone again and narrowed. "Hell, he's probably the one shot 'er.

I didn't think Jimmy had friends or family. Thought he was just loyal to the brand, heard the Southern Starr has a lot o' men like him." Phil watched Tensleep as he went through the saddlebags.

"Look marshal, I ain't done nuthin'. All you're gonna find in there is grub and some papers on them cattle I'm supposed to be getting. Sounds like you got bigger problems, with one of your deputies shootin' drovers in the back."

"Never in yer life think that one of my deputies shot somebody didn't need shootin' Phil. Why don't you mount up an' ride? See if you can find yer cattle." 'Sleep mounted again as did Phil who turned his horse.

"Oh an' Phil, remember, Jimmy is one o' my deputies when he wants to be.... an' he's watchin' you!"

A cold shiver danced through Phil's body. That boy was probably worse that Cutter he thought.
"Well Marshal I might rethink that statement if Jimmy's one o' 'em. Scarlet, no I don't believe she'd do it, but that 'un." He snorted, then turned his horse and rode in the direction he figured he'd find the cattle just in case he was being watched.

Hank and Sonny watched Phil ride off.

"Sleep, Jimmy didn't see that paper I showed Sonny." Hank said "ya know if he had.." Hank's voice drifted off.

Johnny looked between the men. "What paper?"

"Ya got it with ya Hank?" 'Sleep drew on his pipe. "If ya do show Johnny.
Ever wonder jus' what Jimmy does when he rides off by hisself?"

Hank took the drawing and the wanted poster out of his saddlebag and handed it over to Johnny.

Johnny studied it a moment raising his eyebrow as he did. He thought for a few seconds narrowing his eyes and grinding his teeth.

"I don't worry 'bout it much Sleep. If I ever want to know I just ask him. If he's been up to no good he'll tell ya ya don't want to know. I used ta have to make him clean out the outhouse or whatever nasty job I could think of to get him to tell me stuff, but he grew out o' that.

Why'd ya let that boy ride off?" Johnny said as he handed the paper back to Hank.

"Figger he will start to stew an' mebbe do somethin' foolish. If he does, Jimmy will see him do it, might lead us to tha wimmen. That's what I want, wanna find tha girls.... whatever it takes." Tensleep nudged Buck into a walk toward the man Jimmy had shot.

Johnny chuckled softly. "If Jimmy didn't see that paper then sumptin has crawled under his skin about that boy."

Johnny followed Tensleep towards the shaking, blood sprayed horse who had finally come to a stop.

He looked at the man. "Jimmy always was a good shot."

Zeke held his hand out towards Hank wanting to see the paper that was passed between the men.

Hank handed them over.

Zeke studied the wanted poster of the unknown man and the drawing that was obviously Phil. "Damn" Zeke said under his breath as he looked at it.
_________________

[Scarlet Angel]

Tensleep

When Tensleep got to the body his eyes were on Jimmy who head down, was watching the ground. 'Sleep stood in his stirrups and whistled loudly, the sound like an eagle's scream. Jimmy's head came up and he turned looking back at the marshal.

Tensleep held Jimmy's gaze for a moment then looked in the direction Phil had ridden. Jimmy followed with his eyes then looked back at the marshal.
Tensleep nodded slowly. That was all it took, Jimmy began to drift his mount in a direction that would soon intercept Phil's track.

"Just when did you an' Jimmy git so close?" Johnny was beside Tensleep talking quietly.

The marshal grinned. "Lots o' things happen when folks can't sleep Johnny." Tensleep winked.
_________________

Bill

Patches listened carefully. Somebody was calling her name. She recognized the voice almost at once. It was Bill. She tried to smile. The side of her face still hurt but she was able to move the corners of her mouth up a bit. "Welcome back, darling," she heard Bill say. She managed to open both eyes this time though her left eye was still swollen. She swallowed and licked her lips. "Glad to be back," she replied.

Bill reached for the water glass beside the bed. "Do you want some more water to drink?" he asked her as he turned back toward Patches.

"I . . ." she paused and tried to smile again. "I'm hungry."

Bill grinned back at her. Those two words were the best news he had heard in days. "I believe Ella has some soup right here so let's get you sitting up in bed, if you think you're up to it." His brow furrowed and the worried look returned to his face.

Patches smiled at him again. "I'm sore and I still hurt darlin' but I think I can sit up if you help me." Bill reached forward and carefully placed his arms around Patches being sure to avoid the broken ribs. She leaned forward and laid her head on his shoulder while putting her arms across his back.

For one of the very few times in the last few days Patches felt comfortable. She sighed even though she knew it would hurt her ribs to do so. She could feel the muscles moving across Bill's back as he gently lifted her into a sitting position while Ella piled the pillows up against the headboard. When Bill started to lower her onto the pillows she grasped his shirt and spoke. "No."

She could feel Bill flinch under the cotton material. "Did I hurt you, darling?" he asked. She couldn't miss the sudden concern in his voice.

"I'm fine. Just not yet," she replied and held onto him for a little longer.
_________________

Scarlet

Cutter ground out his smoke with the toe of his boot and entered the cabin. Some of the men were sitting around the table near Scarlet and Rebecca.

"Whacha' like blonde?" One of them asked as he ran his fingers through Scarlet's hair.

Cutter could tell by the look on her face she wanted to tear the man into little pieces. He wondered if she would break any teeth the way she was gritting her jaw. By the raw look of her wrists she'd already tried the ropes more than once.

One of the other men put his hand against her cheek "I know what you'd like" he said as she jerked her face away from his touch.

"I know what she'd like too." Cutter said.

Everyone's heads spun around to look at him. He was back earlier than they'd expected and while they'd really done nothing but torment the women they didn't think he'd approve.

"We was only havin' a little fun boss." One of them said.

"I told ya to leave the women alone." Cutter replied half smiling.

Rebecca sat with her knees up and face buried in them. Scarlet glared at him obviously fuming.

"We didn't touch Jenny, an we only touched those to a little." Came another voice.

"Yeah boss, you can't 'spect us to be gentlemen, cuz we're not. You n Josh 've had somethin' warm to hold at night the rest of us would like somethin' too." Harry chuckled.

"Shouldn't have killed Red." Cutter smiled as he watched the brief look of sorrow play in Scalret's eyes only to be replaced with more hatred.

"Which one o' ya wants her bad 'nuff ta try it?"

"Ya say she's like a wild mustang. Here tell if ya break one they are a might fine ride. I've been a rough stock rider before." Doug stepped up with a smile and looked down at Scarlet. "I'd be happy ta break 'er for ya boss.

Cutter looked at the man, he was new to the mob, and a bit cocky. "All balls and little brains. Let's see how long ya last. My moneys on blonde." Cutter chuckled as he tossed some gold coins on the table. The rest of the men followed suit naming who their money was on.

"Oh God" Rebecca whispered. "I'm sorry Scarlet."

Doug grabbed Scarlet by the ankles and pulled her legs straight than sat on her thighs. He smiled as he looked into her eyes. "Ya might just kill me with that look lady." He said.

He started with her cheeks then let his hands familiarize themselves with her body.

Scarlet's skin crawled at his touch and she knew what it was like to be an animal in a trap willing to chew it's own leg off to escape. Doug's hands stopped just below her breasts and she felt his tongue on her chest.

He felt her muscles ripple under his touch and thought he heard her growl.

"She's real sweet boss, I don't know what the problem ya have with her is, maybe she just don't like y'all." He chuckled.

Cutter laughed. "Boy it ain't fair to try and ride a mustang when she's all tied up." He swung the sharp blade. "Let 'er buck."

Scarlet couldn't believe her luck when she felt her hands come lose, Cutter had sliced the rope that bound her to Rebecca and the table.

She curled her hands into tight fists and brought them against Doug's ears as hard as she could.

The man screamed in pain and surprise as he felt her hands on his chest shoving him backwards while she tried to scramble to her feet.

She felt a fist to her thigh then her ribs before he grabbed her by the leg bringing her back down. She kicked at his face missing but causing him to let go of her. She was on her feet then felt him hit her low and lift her up. She balled her hands together and hit him in the small of the back. The two crashed into the door, down the step of the cabin and into the dirt.

"Looks more like a cat fight ta me!" could be heard amongst the laughs and the "Ride 'em cowboy"

Cutter watched the two figures roll, kicking and punching one another. He figured this would take Doug's big ego down and maybe wear Scarlet out. The two of them were beating the hell outta one another. He had to wonder where Scarlet learned to fight, because she was sure holding her own against a man who was not being kind because she was a girl.

As they rolled through the dirt Doug felt her reach for it. He couldn't believe it, she was fast and accurate as she pulled his gun from it's holster.

He pulled Rebecca close "Who taught her to fight?" He asked.

"Don't know." She replied.

The whistles and calls suddenly turned to cursing and men moving about.

Cutters head jerked up as the sound of two shots rang the air. Doug lay at Scarlet's feet blood running from the whole in his head and his shirt soaking up the blood from the chest wound.

She had a crazy look in her eyes as she stared at Cutter over the top of the pistol.

He pulled Rebecca closer and shoved his pistol into her ribs. "Give it up Scarlet, or I'll do it."

Scarlet stood her chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath for a brief moment she wondered if this would be the only chance they had. It would be bad at best, she knew Becca would die, with the guns that had been drawn while she stood staring at Cutter she would die too, if she was lucky. If she was not she'd have to live with Rebecca's blood on her hands as well as Patches. Scarlet let the pistol slide from her hand and drop into the dirt.

She heard it but she wasn't sure who said it or where it came from. "The battle is lost, but the war is not over."

"I'll kill you one day Kevin Rowen." She mumbled as she walked past him back into the house.

"Or dye trying Scarlet." He said pushing Rebecca after her.

Scarlet leaned against the wall then sunk to the floor drawing her knees up she took a deep breath. The pain told her her body was bruised. Doug had been a fighter and what had started out fun and games for him had turned into a fight he'd not expected. He had fought for his life never minding it was a woman with whom he fought and the aches were letting her know.

Rebecca sat down next to her and handed her a damp cloth.
"You're a mess and you're a fool." She said brushing Scarlet's hair away from her face.

Scarlet locked gazes with her.

"Cutter wouldn't have let him do anything to you, he's just wearing you down." Becca said softly.

"I know." Scarlet said touching the cloth gingerly to her split lip.

"You should have run when you had the chance Scarlet."

"He would have killed you, most likely slow." Scarlet whispered.

"Maybe he'd be doing me a favor." Rebecca's eyes darted in Josh's direction then back to Scarlet.

"Do you really believe that?"

"No." Becca said flatly. "I'll just have to suck it up and deal with it. After all I been with scary men before. If you don't like them you just pretend they're someone you want to be with, makes it easier." She said it to convince herself as much as Scarlet. What she wasn't prepared for was Scarlet's simple answer.

"I know."

A puzzled look crossed Rebecca's face. It was the words as much as how it was said that told Rebecca Scarlet had been with someone while she was thinking of someone else.

"If you're doing that it's time to cut another pony from the herd." Becca said softly.

"Yep." Scarlet snorted.

"Scarlet it's not..." Her question was interrupted by a man coming through the door.

"We got company boss." The man said as he sat in a chair near the two women.

Cutter looked at the wound in his arm. "Looks like one of them left his calling card."

"Little bastard took a long shot at me. What the hell they shooting that can range like that?" He said taking off his shirt and looking at the lump just under the skin in his tricep.

The outlaw took out his knife and cut his skin, the bullet bounced to the ground, rolled and came to a stop at Cutter's feet.

The outlaw bent over and picked up the hexagonal bullet and examined it. "I ain't never seen anything like that boss. What's it from?"

"I'd say you've been tagged by a confederate sniper. What would you say Scarlet?"

Scarlet raised one eyebrow. "Dead man walking." She half smiled.

Cutter grinned back. "I think we need to go meet our guests." Cutter thought a moment then reached towards Scarlet.

Her eyes flashed fire at him; she was ready to fight him too and he knew it. Cutter thought a moment longer; looking over at Jenny he smiled his sinister smile.

"Come here." He reached towards Jenny. Smiling even more wickedly he took his knife, grabbed Jenny's hair and cut a handful. He then took a sack and placed the hair and a spyglass in it. Thinking a bit more he looked Rebecca over.

"Give me the ring." He said holding out his hand.

Rebecca slid the emerald ring she always wore off of her finger and handed it to him.

Cutter dropped it in the sack then tied it all with the yellow cord he'd taken from Scarlet earlier.

Turning to one of his men he said. "Here go put that on a tree at the head of the trail, just below the cliff. Make sure it's someplace they will find it."

He turned back to Jenny and looked her over. She'd been allowed to wear her undergarments and that was all. Cutter took Scarlet's slicker off of the chair, pinned her badge back on it and handed it to Jenny. "Put it on." Turning to Harry. "Tie them other two up, same deal as before, if they don't behave, cept I'll have Jenny with me this time."

Cutter looked Jenny over again, picked the ring he'd taken from Scarlet and put it on Jenny's finger. "Whacha think?"

"Could be her sister. Could be her if you don't look to close at the face." Harry replied.

Cutter found another sack and put it over Jenny's head. "There" he said proud of himself. "Let's go. You two behave." He said to Rebecca and Scarlet. Then lead Jenny out the door and put her up on his horse. A small group rode off.
"What you think he's gonna do?" Rebecca said watching them go.

"You can bet it ain't gonna be good." Scarlet replied.
_________________

Fritz

At the base of the cliff the trail widened and split. Well worn wagon ruts headed east and west, but there were fresh hoofprints going staight ahead. Off in the distance there was a house; little more than a cottage really. But smoke rose from the chimney. Horses both in the barn and on the rail. Phil's horse plucked shoots near the hitching post.

Jimmy was first to notice it; a burlap sack swinging in the breeze from a low-hanging branch. He rode foward, covered by Fritz's Trapdoor. Jimmy flipped out his knife to cut the cord it hung by, and stopped. Gingerly, he pulled it from the branch, and rode back to the posse. He could feel eyes on his back from the house.

"Whatya got there?" 'Sleep asked.

Jimmy shook his head. "A calling card. Fritz, come here."

Fritz jumped from the buckboard and walked to the mounted men. It was then that he noticed the cord. Jimmy unravelled the cavalry cord and handed it over. Fritz said nothing. He took off his slouch and replaced the cord. 'Sleep saw the mucles in Fritz's jaw clenching, and noticed the color in his cheeks rising.

"What else is in the bag?" 'Sleep cupped his hands, and Jimmy emptied the contents. The heavier items fell out. A leather-wrapped spyglass, and an emerald ring. 'Sleep recognized it immediately. Lastly, a hank of blonde hair floated lazily out, to rest in 'Sleep's hand. Fritz reached up and took the hair.

"Scarlet..."

Fritz mounted the buckboard and took his seat.

"I think the high ground on the left will be a good spot for the rocket."