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<blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 3301719" data-attributes="member: 8530"><p>Chapter 220, “Shooting at the Mine“, Saturday, April 1st , 1882, 2:30 P.M. </p><p></p><p>Maska has managed to run far away that she only gets struck by a minimum of flying debris. Nanuet has also found partial cover behind a rock but is still knocked to the ground and then pelted by flying rocks. Chester fares the worst, being caught in the brunt of the blast. Only his magical coat prevents pieces of the door from penetrating his torso although his legs are badly struck, the right leg breaking in the process. </p><p></p><p>A half mile away, Jake and Ruby hear the sound of the explosion. "What the Hades was that?" Ruby says, reaching down for the rod and slinging it over her shoulder. She pulls out her gun and drives the wagon faster towards the mine. </p><p></p><p>The others are a mile away and also hear the explosion, "Faster, Miss Florencia. We need to find out what that was." Even as Kate spoke the dwarves started putting on all the speed they could. The group moved together at top speed toward the explosion. Katherine hears words coming out of Minerva that she is pretty sure are not very preacher like "Hold on!" Minerva hisses to Kate and spurs her horse on. </p><p></p><p>Nanuet grits his teeth through the pain. He is wounded, but will live for the moment. "Chester? Where are you? Are you OK buddy? Let me know you're alive. I know it hurts, but I can heal you. Just let me know where you are." Nanuet also focuses on Maska, he realizes that she is OK. He commands her to go find the others. Chester screams loudly from the pain. He grabs his leg, which is bent at an odd angle. </p><p></p><p>As she drives the wagon Ruby says, "You know, we're burning these books. Actually, we should probably turn around and get back to Promise City. I have a really bad feeling, I know this whole thing is a setup. If our friends weren't there..." "You can tell me I've been fooled later, let's get there." Jake says. "I'm going damn it." </p><p></p><p>Minerva and the miners have the wagon in sight as Maska darts out from around a hill from the direction of the mine. Ruby and those in the wagon are rounding the bend and just see the now settling dust could ahead of them. "Maska! Minerva yells. "Where is Nanuet!" </p><p></p><p>Ruby and Jake arrive at the site and see debris everywhere. Ruby stops the wagon and looks around. Jake leaps out of the wagon with his shotgun in his hands. He also looks around carefully for foes and listens. </p><p></p><p>Chester screams loudly from the pain. He grabs his leg, which is bent at an odd angle. </p><p>Nanuet makes his way towards the screams trying to locate his friend. Ruby hears the scream and reconizes it as Chester. She disregards a blown cover and yells out "Hello..." she calls out in a Kate like voice, "Is someone hurt?" as she glances around nervously, knowing Chester is invisible. </p><p></p><p>Maska leads Minerva directly to Nanuet. "Nanuet, where are you? are you hurt?" she leaps off her horse and runs toward the sound of his voice. "Where is Senor Chester?" Kate stayed on Minerva's horse, her eyes watching the surrounding area, looking for any members of the Cowboy Gang. </p><p></p><p>Nanuet says, "Seems like Chester is hurt worse than I am. Look, we all can't stay here, we are sitting ducks. I think this is him over here. I know you can't see me and I am not ready to lose that advantage yet. Help me get him to the wagon." Nanuet takes a hold of Minerva and guides her to Chester. Kate kept control of Minerva's horse, trying to make it look as if the animal was just following along while using it to block as much clear view of Minerva as she can. </p><p></p><p>"Damn it!" Ruby hisses under her breath. "Oh well for the plan. Come out and get your damn books," Ruby call out loudly, knowing the plan has now been completely blow to pieces. Ruby straps on her backpack. She hops off the wagon and starts unhitching the horses. "All of a sudden not interested in the books? she yells out again. </p><p></p><p>Once the initial shock wears off, Chester manages to regain some control. "Hades take those cowboys. Nanuet! Where are you?" He tries to pull himself behind the rock to get it between him and the cave entrance. As Minerva and Nanuet attempt to locate and begin to move the invisible Chester they inadvertantly induce more pain causing him to cry out further in pain. Jake alone can see that Chester's leg is mangled. </p><p></p><p>Nanuet hears Chester's cries. He does his best to remain calm. "Ok, this isn't going to work, he is too badly hurt to move right now. Just stop here. Chester hang in there I am going to heal you now. Minerva hang on a second I have to heal him. Chester how badly are you hurt?" The only response is a cry of pain. Nanuet decides to use the necklace to cast a cure critical wounds on Chester. </p><p></p><p>Jake, not seeing any opponents, runs over to help them. He speaks in a whisper. "Senorita, I am not a healer but I could straighten his leg and you could help him. Or else he needs to become visible, you'll never move him like this. Chester, Senorita, what should I do?" Jake's moving Chester's leg helps to prevent the bone from being set in the totally wrong position by Nanuet's spell, but not being an experienced healer it is less than perfect. Chester feels immesurabely better but the leg appears to still be broken. Minerva holds Chester and talks to him in a soothing voice "Hold on Senor Chet You will feel better soon." </p><p></p><p>A shot rings out from the top of a hill to the southwest, missing Ruby by mere inches. "You missed you bastard!" she says and as moves to the opposite side of the wagon. "And here I thought there was no one here to greet us," Kate muttered under her breath as her head swiveled around, looking for where the shot came from. Ruby continues to unhitch the other horse while watching with one eye to see where the shot comes from. </p><p></p><p>Nanuet hears the shot ring out as he is healing Chester. He finishes his prayer and says </p><p></p><p>"That should help him. Can you two get him back out of the way? I want to go after where that shot came from. I am still invisible and if I remember correctly since they shot they are not." Jake says, "Sorry Chet, gotta run." Jake heads off in the direction of the shot that was fired and looks for the source. </p><p></p><p>Chester says, "Thanks Nanuet. I owe you. I think the leg's still broken. We need to get behind cover now. Where's my rifle?" Minerva finds it for him. "Thank you for finding it for me, Minerva. Where are they? When I get my hands on them... The jacket shielded me from the worst of it. How are you and Maska doing, Nanuet?" </p><p></p><p>Nanuet replies, “We'll be OK Chet. If it's still broken you can't walk or ride. We have to get you to a safe spot." Nanuet and Minerva help Chester up and has him lean on her as she quickly moves to the nearest cover. Nanuet stops for a minute and surveys the scene. With people scattering he does not want to leave the books unattended. </p><p></p><p>They now hear the sound of a horse galloping off, the sound coming from the southwest. Ruby hops on the unhitched horse and takes off after the sound. Kate took the horse and started it running southwest, hoping to get a look at the shooter. "Mierde!" Jake cries as the horses ride off without him. He asks, "Nanuet, did you track any? How many were there?" The Indian replies, "I followed the tracks of 3 men up here. They went into the mines I think, there was a lantern in there too." </p><p></p><p>"If they are in the mine it doesn't look like we have to worry about them much." Jake remarks. </p><p>"Minerva, have the dwarves unload the books. There are four sticks of dynamite in them to be removed. Also have them go in the other door way and see if anyone is in the mine. Have them watch for traps." Jake thinks a moment. "Might as well burn those books. "Nanuet, track back with Maska. I don't believe the others are in the mine. I'll follow you." </p><p></p><p>Chester says, "I should have looked for a trap. We almost got killed there. We should figure out where the other three went." Nanuet takes Maska and begins to head back the direction they came. He looks for any tracks that branch off. He will do this all the way back to where the horse and foot tracks branched off from one another. Chester sits on the ground against a wagon wheel, rifle in hand. He scans the area in front of him. </p><p></p><p>Maska and Nanuet follow the tracks. They find where the men joined up with the one who had taken the horses. Three of the horses then rode off from there back over an hour earlier in the direction of Promise City while avoiding the road to the mine. The remaining horse tracks go to the southwest hill. They follow that to the top of the hill finding an envelope similar to those previously sent stuck into a cactus plant with a Bowie knife. The envelope has "Katherine Kale" written on it. Nanuet kneels down and examines the site around the note. After he believes it is safe he will approach and remove the knife and the note, making sure to keep the knife in his hand as he returns. Jake makes sure it is not trapped before removing it. </p><p></p><p>Ruby has surprisingly good horsemanship given that she is riding a saddle-less draft animal rather than a riding horse. She manages to round the hill and pick up the trail of the man riding off, soon joined by Kate whose horse begins to overtake Ruby. They are maybe a quarter mile from the mine when they see the rider 250 feet ahead. It is hard to be totally sure from the back but it appears to be Ringo, although the horse the man is riding is not the speckled gray that Kate associates with him. </p><p></p><p>Kate pushed the horse faster while she pulled the book she had secreted her scroll in out of her pocket. If she could make sure it was him and knock down his magic, she and Ruby could unload on him with the Magic Missle wand and the rod. But first she had to get close enough. </p><p></p><p>Ruby sees a rider-less horse match her pace. "Kate! The scroll, cast it!" she calls out. "Don't get too close!" Ruby does not hesitate to pull the rod around. She grips the horse as tight as she can with her thighs, she grabs the rod, places her fingers and lets a ball of fire loose, judging the distance based on him riding, placing it to hit Ringo. </p><p></p><p>Kate closes to 150 feet of the rider, who still appears to be Ringo. He turns and looks back, then spurs his horse on faster. Through many long hours in the saddle, Kate controlled her horse without thought, instead putting her concentration on casting the Dispel on the man on the horse. She read the scroll clearly and hoped it took effect. If it wasn't Ringo, and she suspected it wasn't, this should show them. </p><p></p><p>The beam of light exits the rod in Ruby’s hand and flies through the air, quickly covering the distance between her and the rider. Maybe the gods are looking out for her as the shot falls upon him. A massive fireball erupts as the man and his mount are ripped to shreds, body parts flying in all directions. Kate’s spell struck a moment too late, which in hindsight was probably for the best as it would have negated the weapon that Ruby used. </p><p></p><p>As the fireball lets loose Ruby has to grab on the poor horses mane to keep herself on the horse. She continues riding to the carnage. Once there she gets a grossed out look on her face as she jumps off the horse and searching for any clue as to who the charred remains are. Kate kept riding forward to the carnage that had once been a man on a horse, hoping to get a clue as to who he was before she had to look away. </p><p></p><p>The head and part of the shoulder is found. Kate's spell apparently did work, as the burnt face no longer bears any resemblance at all to Johnny Ringo, the man looking younger, with a rounder face and an orange mustache. "Ugh." Ruby shudders then gets back on the horse. "Ok, not Ringo. That's really very gross though." she says to the rider-less horse. "And YOU, what the hell do you think you're doing riding off alone? Damn It! This is why you should have stayed back in Promise City! Let's get back." </p><p></p><p>Kate says, "I wasn't alone, I was with you. And I rode because most of us do not have horses. I didn't go visible and no one shot at me." "You weren't with me when you started off. Did I mention earlier they have HEAT SEEKING bullets? And they could have been aiming for me and hit you too with one of those balls of fire like I just threw. Doesn't matter if you are invisible or not. I'm sorry Kate but it's careless, no matter what the excuse." Ruby pushes her black hair off her face. "We'll have to argue about it later." Kate didn't answer. They were going to fight about it anyway, and likely Ruby was going to win. But there was no time for second guessing in a fight. That much she had learned. Hesitation is what gets you killed. </p><p></p><p>They ride their horses back to the wagon, Ruby oohhhing with every thump. "What's going on?" she calls out. She sees Minerva sitting by the wall. "Where is everyone?" Kate asked, "Who's here? Is Chester alright?" Minerva looks up. "We're going to have a book burning. The dwarves are just finishing unloading the wagon. I don't know where everyone ran off too. " </p><p></p><p>"Jake, where are you?" Ruby calls out, trying not to panic. What if he went off and I can't find him because he is invisible? After hopping off her horse she asks Minerva again, "Where is everyone? Where is Chester? How hurt is he?" "They are okay Ruby. Chester has a broken leg but he will be alright and Jake and Nanuet went to follow some tracks." "Crap." Ruby starts wandering around. She listens for movement and searches the landscape for footprints. "Jake? Nanuet?" Chester waves from his place by the wagon. "I'm here. Leg's broken, though. Did you find the cowboys?" </p><p></p><p>The miners open the other tunnel entrance as well as the shed. They conclude that nobody else is around. Nanuet and Jake climb down from the hill and see that Ruby and Kate are back. Nanuet says, "Found another envelope up there. Jake say's it's for Kate, I can't read it. Looks like some tracks went back towards town, though not by the road. Other tracks went up the hill there. This is all we found up there though. Everybody OK? Anyone need healing?" Minerva hears Jake and Nanuets voices. "Kate's right here, she's fine." </p><p></p><p>Jake says from nowhere. "We are back. Nanuet has a letter for Katherine." Jake goes over to stand by faux Katherine. "Glad you are fine." Ruby jumps as Jake's voice rings in her ear. She reaches out and grabs him. She finds his face and, placing both hands on it, kisses him. When the kiss is done Jake says, "The last time I kissed Mrs. Kale you were angry with me." Ruby can't see </p><p>the expression on his face but can imagine it. </p><p></p><p>"Oh! I forgot!" Ruby pulls herself away from Jake and smacks him. "You let me kiss you like that? EEeewww." She then says, "I shot a ball of fire at the guy riding away. He's charred but we saw he's not Ringo. What's this about a letter? What does it say?" </p><p></p><p>Kate took the letter and opened it. The letter is in the same fancy script. It reads: </p><p>Mrs. Kale, </p><p></p><p>My war is not with you but the Earps. I need what is rightfully mine to fight them. Your continued insolence and greed is trying my patience. This if your final opportunity to comply with my wishes. </p><p></p><p>Tonight when the orator begins his speech, and the town is focused upon him, a wagon will ride south down Fremont Street. It will stop at the intersection of Main, load the items on there. If it is allowed to depart the town unhindered our business will be concluded and we need not meet again. </p><p></p><p>However, if you choose otherwise then the six closest to you, the employees and loved ones of those who I contacted, will each suffer my wrath just as I have promised. </p><p></p><p>J.P.R.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Silver Moon, post: 3301719, member: 8530"] Chapter 220, “Shooting at the Mine“, Saturday, April 1st , 1882, 2:30 P.M. Maska has managed to run far away that she only gets struck by a minimum of flying debris. Nanuet has also found partial cover behind a rock but is still knocked to the ground and then pelted by flying rocks. Chester fares the worst, being caught in the brunt of the blast. Only his magical coat prevents pieces of the door from penetrating his torso although his legs are badly struck, the right leg breaking in the process. A half mile away, Jake and Ruby hear the sound of the explosion. "What the Hades was that?" Ruby says, reaching down for the rod and slinging it over her shoulder. She pulls out her gun and drives the wagon faster towards the mine. The others are a mile away and also hear the explosion, "Faster, Miss Florencia. We need to find out what that was." Even as Kate spoke the dwarves started putting on all the speed they could. The group moved together at top speed toward the explosion. Katherine hears words coming out of Minerva that she is pretty sure are not very preacher like "Hold on!" Minerva hisses to Kate and spurs her horse on. Nanuet grits his teeth through the pain. He is wounded, but will live for the moment. "Chester? Where are you? Are you OK buddy? Let me know you're alive. I know it hurts, but I can heal you. Just let me know where you are." Nanuet also focuses on Maska, he realizes that she is OK. He commands her to go find the others. Chester screams loudly from the pain. He grabs his leg, which is bent at an odd angle. As she drives the wagon Ruby says, "You know, we're burning these books. Actually, we should probably turn around and get back to Promise City. I have a really bad feeling, I know this whole thing is a setup. If our friends weren't there..." "You can tell me I've been fooled later, let's get there." Jake says. "I'm going damn it." Minerva and the miners have the wagon in sight as Maska darts out from around a hill from the direction of the mine. Ruby and those in the wagon are rounding the bend and just see the now settling dust could ahead of them. "Maska! Minerva yells. "Where is Nanuet!" Ruby and Jake arrive at the site and see debris everywhere. Ruby stops the wagon and looks around. Jake leaps out of the wagon with his shotgun in his hands. He also looks around carefully for foes and listens. Chester screams loudly from the pain. He grabs his leg, which is bent at an odd angle. Nanuet makes his way towards the screams trying to locate his friend. Ruby hears the scream and reconizes it as Chester. She disregards a blown cover and yells out "Hello..." she calls out in a Kate like voice, "Is someone hurt?" as she glances around nervously, knowing Chester is invisible. Maska leads Minerva directly to Nanuet. "Nanuet, where are you? are you hurt?" she leaps off her horse and runs toward the sound of his voice. "Where is Senor Chester?" Kate stayed on Minerva's horse, her eyes watching the surrounding area, looking for any members of the Cowboy Gang. Nanuet says, "Seems like Chester is hurt worse than I am. Look, we all can't stay here, we are sitting ducks. I think this is him over here. I know you can't see me and I am not ready to lose that advantage yet. Help me get him to the wagon." Nanuet takes a hold of Minerva and guides her to Chester. Kate kept control of Minerva's horse, trying to make it look as if the animal was just following along while using it to block as much clear view of Minerva as she can. "Damn it!" Ruby hisses under her breath. "Oh well for the plan. Come out and get your damn books," Ruby call out loudly, knowing the plan has now been completely blow to pieces. Ruby straps on her backpack. She hops off the wagon and starts unhitching the horses. "All of a sudden not interested in the books? she yells out again. Once the initial shock wears off, Chester manages to regain some control. "Hades take those cowboys. Nanuet! Where are you?" He tries to pull himself behind the rock to get it between him and the cave entrance. As Minerva and Nanuet attempt to locate and begin to move the invisible Chester they inadvertantly induce more pain causing him to cry out further in pain. Jake alone can see that Chester's leg is mangled. Nanuet hears Chester's cries. He does his best to remain calm. "Ok, this isn't going to work, he is too badly hurt to move right now. Just stop here. Chester hang in there I am going to heal you now. Minerva hang on a second I have to heal him. Chester how badly are you hurt?" The only response is a cry of pain. Nanuet decides to use the necklace to cast a cure critical wounds on Chester. Jake, not seeing any opponents, runs over to help them. He speaks in a whisper. "Senorita, I am not a healer but I could straighten his leg and you could help him. Or else he needs to become visible, you'll never move him like this. Chester, Senorita, what should I do?" Jake's moving Chester's leg helps to prevent the bone from being set in the totally wrong position by Nanuet's spell, but not being an experienced healer it is less than perfect. Chester feels immesurabely better but the leg appears to still be broken. Minerva holds Chester and talks to him in a soothing voice "Hold on Senor Chet You will feel better soon." A shot rings out from the top of a hill to the southwest, missing Ruby by mere inches. "You missed you bastard!" she says and as moves to the opposite side of the wagon. "And here I thought there was no one here to greet us," Kate muttered under her breath as her head swiveled around, looking for where the shot came from. Ruby continues to unhitch the other horse while watching with one eye to see where the shot comes from. Nanuet hears the shot ring out as he is healing Chester. He finishes his prayer and says "That should help him. Can you two get him back out of the way? I want to go after where that shot came from. I am still invisible and if I remember correctly since they shot they are not." Jake says, "Sorry Chet, gotta run." Jake heads off in the direction of the shot that was fired and looks for the source. Chester says, "Thanks Nanuet. I owe you. I think the leg's still broken. We need to get behind cover now. Where's my rifle?" Minerva finds it for him. "Thank you for finding it for me, Minerva. Where are they? When I get my hands on them... The jacket shielded me from the worst of it. How are you and Maska doing, Nanuet?" Nanuet replies, “We'll be OK Chet. If it's still broken you can't walk or ride. We have to get you to a safe spot." Nanuet and Minerva help Chester up and has him lean on her as she quickly moves to the nearest cover. Nanuet stops for a minute and surveys the scene. With people scattering he does not want to leave the books unattended. They now hear the sound of a horse galloping off, the sound coming from the southwest. Ruby hops on the unhitched horse and takes off after the sound. Kate took the horse and started it running southwest, hoping to get a look at the shooter. "Mierde!" Jake cries as the horses ride off without him. He asks, "Nanuet, did you track any? How many were there?" The Indian replies, "I followed the tracks of 3 men up here. They went into the mines I think, there was a lantern in there too." "If they are in the mine it doesn't look like we have to worry about them much." Jake remarks. "Minerva, have the dwarves unload the books. There are four sticks of dynamite in them to be removed. Also have them go in the other door way and see if anyone is in the mine. Have them watch for traps." Jake thinks a moment. "Might as well burn those books. "Nanuet, track back with Maska. I don't believe the others are in the mine. I'll follow you." Chester says, "I should have looked for a trap. We almost got killed there. We should figure out where the other three went." Nanuet takes Maska and begins to head back the direction they came. He looks for any tracks that branch off. He will do this all the way back to where the horse and foot tracks branched off from one another. Chester sits on the ground against a wagon wheel, rifle in hand. He scans the area in front of him. Maska and Nanuet follow the tracks. They find where the men joined up with the one who had taken the horses. Three of the horses then rode off from there back over an hour earlier in the direction of Promise City while avoiding the road to the mine. The remaining horse tracks go to the southwest hill. They follow that to the top of the hill finding an envelope similar to those previously sent stuck into a cactus plant with a Bowie knife. The envelope has "Katherine Kale" written on it. Nanuet kneels down and examines the site around the note. After he believes it is safe he will approach and remove the knife and the note, making sure to keep the knife in his hand as he returns. Jake makes sure it is not trapped before removing it. Ruby has surprisingly good horsemanship given that she is riding a saddle-less draft animal rather than a riding horse. She manages to round the hill and pick up the trail of the man riding off, soon joined by Kate whose horse begins to overtake Ruby. They are maybe a quarter mile from the mine when they see the rider 250 feet ahead. It is hard to be totally sure from the back but it appears to be Ringo, although the horse the man is riding is not the speckled gray that Kate associates with him. Kate pushed the horse faster while she pulled the book she had secreted her scroll in out of her pocket. If she could make sure it was him and knock down his magic, she and Ruby could unload on him with the Magic Missle wand and the rod. But first she had to get close enough. Ruby sees a rider-less horse match her pace. "Kate! The scroll, cast it!" she calls out. "Don't get too close!" Ruby does not hesitate to pull the rod around. She grips the horse as tight as she can with her thighs, she grabs the rod, places her fingers and lets a ball of fire loose, judging the distance based on him riding, placing it to hit Ringo. Kate closes to 150 feet of the rider, who still appears to be Ringo. He turns and looks back, then spurs his horse on faster. Through many long hours in the saddle, Kate controlled her horse without thought, instead putting her concentration on casting the Dispel on the man on the horse. She read the scroll clearly and hoped it took effect. If it wasn't Ringo, and she suspected it wasn't, this should show them. The beam of light exits the rod in Ruby’s hand and flies through the air, quickly covering the distance between her and the rider. Maybe the gods are looking out for her as the shot falls upon him. A massive fireball erupts as the man and his mount are ripped to shreds, body parts flying in all directions. Kate’s spell struck a moment too late, which in hindsight was probably for the best as it would have negated the weapon that Ruby used. As the fireball lets loose Ruby has to grab on the poor horses mane to keep herself on the horse. She continues riding to the carnage. Once there she gets a grossed out look on her face as she jumps off the horse and searching for any clue as to who the charred remains are. Kate kept riding forward to the carnage that had once been a man on a horse, hoping to get a clue as to who he was before she had to look away. The head and part of the shoulder is found. Kate's spell apparently did work, as the burnt face no longer bears any resemblance at all to Johnny Ringo, the man looking younger, with a rounder face and an orange mustache. "Ugh." Ruby shudders then gets back on the horse. "Ok, not Ringo. That's really very gross though." she says to the rider-less horse. "And YOU, what the hell do you think you're doing riding off alone? Damn It! This is why you should have stayed back in Promise City! Let's get back." Kate says, "I wasn't alone, I was with you. And I rode because most of us do not have horses. I didn't go visible and no one shot at me." "You weren't with me when you started off. Did I mention earlier they have HEAT SEEKING bullets? And they could have been aiming for me and hit you too with one of those balls of fire like I just threw. Doesn't matter if you are invisible or not. I'm sorry Kate but it's careless, no matter what the excuse." Ruby pushes her black hair off her face. "We'll have to argue about it later." Kate didn't answer. They were going to fight about it anyway, and likely Ruby was going to win. But there was no time for second guessing in a fight. That much she had learned. Hesitation is what gets you killed. They ride their horses back to the wagon, Ruby oohhhing with every thump. "What's going on?" she calls out. She sees Minerva sitting by the wall. "Where is everyone?" Kate asked, "Who's here? Is Chester alright?" Minerva looks up. "We're going to have a book burning. The dwarves are just finishing unloading the wagon. I don't know where everyone ran off too. " "Jake, where are you?" Ruby calls out, trying not to panic. What if he went off and I can't find him because he is invisible? After hopping off her horse she asks Minerva again, "Where is everyone? Where is Chester? How hurt is he?" "They are okay Ruby. Chester has a broken leg but he will be alright and Jake and Nanuet went to follow some tracks." "Crap." Ruby starts wandering around. She listens for movement and searches the landscape for footprints. "Jake? Nanuet?" Chester waves from his place by the wagon. "I'm here. Leg's broken, though. Did you find the cowboys?" The miners open the other tunnel entrance as well as the shed. They conclude that nobody else is around. Nanuet and Jake climb down from the hill and see that Ruby and Kate are back. Nanuet says, "Found another envelope up there. Jake say's it's for Kate, I can't read it. Looks like some tracks went back towards town, though not by the road. Other tracks went up the hill there. This is all we found up there though. Everybody OK? Anyone need healing?" Minerva hears Jake and Nanuets voices. "Kate's right here, she's fine." Jake says from nowhere. "We are back. Nanuet has a letter for Katherine." Jake goes over to stand by faux Katherine. "Glad you are fine." Ruby jumps as Jake's voice rings in her ear. She reaches out and grabs him. She finds his face and, placing both hands on it, kisses him. When the kiss is done Jake says, "The last time I kissed Mrs. Kale you were angry with me." Ruby can't see the expression on his face but can imagine it. "Oh! I forgot!" Ruby pulls herself away from Jake and smacks him. "You let me kiss you like that? EEeewww." She then says, "I shot a ball of fire at the guy riding away. He's charred but we saw he's not Ringo. What's this about a letter? What does it say?" Kate took the letter and opened it. The letter is in the same fancy script. It reads: Mrs. Kale, My war is not with you but the Earps. I need what is rightfully mine to fight them. Your continued insolence and greed is trying my patience. This if your final opportunity to comply with my wishes. Tonight when the orator begins his speech, and the town is focused upon him, a wagon will ride south down Fremont Street. It will stop at the intersection of Main, load the items on there. If it is allowed to depart the town unhindered our business will be concluded and we need not meet again. However, if you choose otherwise then the six closest to you, the employees and loved ones of those who I contacted, will each suffer my wrath just as I have promised. J.P.R. [/QUOTE]
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