Lou winced as she heard the twig beneath her booted foot snap loudly. She stopped and listened around her before continuing. She could see the burning torches surrounding the camp just ahead of her through the trees. She took a deep breath and tried to steady her trembling hands. The entire plan hinged on her ability to get into the camp and she was suddenly experiencing self-doubt.

She stopped again, just on the edge of the dense forest and squinted her eyes to get a better view of the guards. There were four all together, one posted on each side of the walls enclosing Stall’s operation. She only needed to charm one, but from her angle, she couldn’t tell which one would be more susceptible to her feminine wiles. Deciding to approach the youngest looking of the group, she straightened her dress and patted her hair one last time before walking leisurely to the front wall.

“Hey sugar... you’re lookin’ mighty lonely up there.” She called as she emerged from the shadows.

She froze as she heard the hammer of his gun click back. “What are you doin’ here?” He asked gruffly.

Trying to look fearless was a difficult task since her knees were shaking beneath her skirts uncontrollably. However, she managed to throw him an almost normal smile before responding. “You can put the gun away darlin’... I don’t bite unless you want me to.”

“I asked you a question.” he responded unfazed.

“Well... I work in town and--”

“You’re a long way from town aren’t you?” He interrupted.

“Well yes... you see, I overheard some men talkin’ and--” “Who?” “Well, if you let me finish my story, I might tell you.” Lou said angrily, momentarily forgetting herself and the gun pointed at her. Mentally kicking herself, she smiled again.

Before she could continue, she heard a voice call from inside the camp, “Hey John, what do you got over there?”

“Just a whore from town.” He responded quietly.

Lou bristled slightly at his words, but this time she contained herself and continued smiling as sweetly as she could. She heard a rustle above her and soon found herself staring at the leering faces of the three other guards.

“Well darlin’, what brings you out here?” A man missing his front teeth inquired seductively.

Lou lowered her eyes and looked at the ground. “Well, I know how hard you boys work out here and I just thought that you’d like some entertainment.” She responded flirtatiously.

“Well I’ll be damned. Go and let her in John.”

“What? You know what Mister Stall said, no one is supposed to--”

“Did you hear what I said boy. Go let her in.” The man said gruffly. Lou smiled as the young man jumped down from his perch and opened the massive door to admit her. He looked at her in disgust as the other three guards jumped down to greet her. A burly man who smelled of cigar smoke and cheap whiskey pulled her into an embrace and began to nuzzle her neck. Fighting to hide her aversion, she relaxed in his arms and began to search for his gun. Finally her hand rested on the hilt and with lightning speed she pulled it from it’s holster.

“What the hell!!??” he exclaimed as she pushed him towards the others.

“Throw your guns down, real nice and easy now.” Lou said dangerously. John looked like he was about to draw his weapon, but the deadly glint in her eyes stopped him in his tracks. He quietly complied with her order, as did the others.

“What are you going to do now little girl?” One man sneered at her. “We out number you. There’s no way you’re gettin’ out of this alive.”

“I managed to get in here and get your guns by myself, didn’t I?” Lou asked sarcastically as she put her fingers between her teeth and whistled.

A few seconds later the boys walked in through the open door and looked at Lou in a mixture of relief and approval. Kid approached her and smiled boyishly as he pulled some rope from his belt.

“What the hell is goin’ on here?” John demanded.

“None of your business. If you’re real quiet like and cooperate, we won’t have to kill you. We’re here for that yellow coward boss of yours.” Ben said quietly as he began to shut the door.

“Now what?” Charlie asked. Lou could hear the trembling in is voice and prayed that Ben didn’t.

“Now we tie up these gentlemen. Kid would you do the honors?” Ben replied as he looked around the empty camp. “If I’m right, half of Stall’s men are out on a business run.

“I ain’t sayin’ nothin’.” John responded stubbornly.

“So...that leaves about ten men, right?” Ben continued as if he didn’t hear him.

“I told you, I ain’t sayin’ nothin’.” Before any of them knew what was happening, Ben pulled his gun and placed it against the young man’s temple.

“Ben, what are you doin’?” Lou asked in alarm.

“This boy here is going to tell me what I want to know or I’m going to send him straight to hell.” Ben replied as he clicked back his hammer to let them all know he was telling the truth.

“There’s twelve men left, including us.” One man spoke from where Kid was tightening his bonds.

“When are they due back?”

“Sometime tomorrow.”

“You old coward.” John muttered under his breath just before Ben brought the butt of his gun down on the lad’s skull. He fell to the ground with a sickening thump, but Ben didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he moved his gaze around the encampment, looking at the various warehouses of ammunition. Finally his steely eyes rested upon a solitary darkened house in the corner of the bastion.

“That’s where Stall is.” he said quietly, pointing to the extravagant building.

“Well, let’s go.” Lou said, turning towards the house. Ben looked at her and alarms started going off in her head.

“I’m really sorry about this Lou.” Kid said from somewhere behind her as she felt a sharp object connect with the base of her skull, sending her spiraling into a world of darkness.

Lou rolled to her side and opened her eyes groggily. She tried to bring her hand to massage the aching pain in the back of her neck, but realized with dismay that her hands were bound, as were her feet. She looked around her and discovered that she was still inside the camp.

As she began to try and sit up against the wall, she became aware of the gunfire coming from the enormous house in the corner of the camp. Stall was in that house, at least that is what Ben had said. Ben. Suddenly she was filled with a rage unlike any other she had experienced.

Her eyes suddenly filled with tears at the betrayal she had suffered at the hands of her friends. They had purposely deceived her and that hurt more than the pain in her head. She began to rub furiously against the wall, ignoring the blood beginning to dribble down her wrists as they chafed against the splintered wood. Before long, her hands were free and she bent down to untie the bindings at her ankles.

With her chest heaving from exertion, she ran towards the house, stopping only once as she picked up one of the guards’ discarded guns. She ran hurriedly up the numerous stairs to the door, entering the house now set ablaze with gunfire. She didn’t know which direction to go, but the howling of Charlie sent her into the left wing of the house.

She found him sprawled on the floor, a large, gaping wound in his middle. Not far from him, another man lay dead in a pool of his own blood. Lou ran to her friends and knelt beside him.

“Lou...it wasn’t my idea...” he whispered as she clutched his hand.

“Shh...I know it wasn’t Charlie.” she tried to soothe.

“I did good, didn’t I?” he smiled.

“Yes...Ben will be so proud.” Lou responded, tears falling across her cheeks.

“I didn’t do it for him.”

“I know Charlie, I know.”

“I’m not gunna make it, am I?”

“Of course you will.” Lou argued as she clutched his hand tightly as if that would stop him from dying.

Charlie smiled beatifically as he closed his eyes. His grip on her hand faded until it was no more and Lou knew he was gone. She began to sob as she brought his rough hand to her lips. She brushed some hair away from his forehead and lowered his hand.

She was brought back to reality as she felt a bullet zip past her head. She quickly retrieved her gun from the floor and fired into the darkness. A dull thump from the corner told her that she had hit her target and she felt some satisfaction. With new resolve she stood up and rushed to the back of the house. She didn’t know why she ran in that direction, but instinct told her that she’d find Stall there since the battle seemed to be taking place in the front of the place.

She heard a gun fire from one of the back rooms and then laughter. Immediately she sprang into action and entered the dimly lit room where Ben was leaning against the wall, clutching his shoulder. She took a sharp intake of breath as she recognized the other man standing over her friend.

It had been a few years since she’d seen him, but he still looked the same. His stringy white hair hung in a greasy mass down his back. He was tall and portly and Lou realized she was just as scared of him now as she was then. He turned his strikingly pale blue eyes in her direction and smiled, revealing severely discolored teeth.

“Well, what do we have here?” He asked lasciviously as he approached her.

Lou watched the scene as if she weren’t really there. She felt disconnected from the entire event. Something inside her head screamed at her to level her gun and kill him on the spot. But she stood frozen in place as he pointed his menacing gun at her chest and laughed.

On to Chapter Seven

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