The opportunity was available to all, but only a few would succeed.

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

Episode Seven

 

It had always puzzled him. He was an educated man after all, overly so by some standards. He was a man of science and of logic...but this "sense" of what was about to happen that periodically invaded his well-organized world still puzzled him.

 

Teach did not know that the men gathered at the far end of town were casing the bank, but he felt it. Edge City had been packed with people the entire day, so it was hard telling what those folks were really up to. But he felt it. They could be just a bunch of boys from one of the larger ranches gathering for payday. But he doubted it. It was a cracker box of a bank for sure, ripe for the picking. Slowly he moved down the street.

 

Whistler stepped out of a doorway and was now walking beside him. "You get that feelin?" he asked Teach. Whistler had learned to trust "that feelin'", it had gotten them all in and out of many situations during the war.

 

"Seems like a lot of cowpokes."

 

"You recognize any of them, Teach?"

 

"No...not for sure...one maybe..."

 

"Think I'll just cut through here and come up on the other side there, o'l buddy." With that being said, Whistler dodged off and moved between the buildings to afford a better angle on the group of men.

 

"Good morning Deputy!" Fritz shouted from across the street as he approached.

 

Two or three heads rose from the group and looked towards the two men.

 

"How you doing today, Deputy."

 

"Fine thanks," Teach replied as he kept his gaze trained on the group near the bank.

 

"Say, I'm working on a piece about all of you. Wondering if you can fill in some of the holes for me. I'm trying to get a first edition run by the end of the week," Fritz stated.

 

"Anything I can do to help."

 

"Is something wrong Deputy? I notice you keep looking down the street."

 

"No...I'm sorry." Teach gave Fritz his full attention. "You were asking something?"

 

At the sound of the first shot, they both turned. The second shot blew the hat from the top of Fritz's head.

 

"Get inside!" Teach shouted as he simultaneously shoved Fritz and drew his revolver.

 

The next few shots that rang out he immediately recognized as the report of Whistler's Sharps Carbine snapping off rounds. Behind him chaos reigned as men scurried for cover and horses bolted from the sounds of gunfire. Teach was closing the gap rapidly as he watched a pack of masked men pour from the bank, all firing in every direction at once. Bullets whipped past his head and kicked up the dirt at his feet as he continued to close in on the group. When he was within range he stopped, raised his weapon and in a hail of bullets he began squeezing off well-controlled rounds.

 

Bodies tumbled to the ground, while others jumped and ran toward the horses being held by one lone cowboy. The pale youth stared wide-eyed at the explosion of gunfire around him. Both hands were full of reins and he was holding on for dear life as the animals reared and pulled. Slowly Teach turned his attention to the youth, and squeezed the trigger firing his last shot. The white haired man spun around from the force of the bullet and was thrown to the ground as the rest of his companions grasped the dangling reins of their horses and mounted up, spinning and spurring their animals directly at Teach.

 

Methodically he loaded his weapon, counting the men as they neared. Eight of them had made it out of the bank. As he loaded his sixth shot and closed the chamber, two tumbled from their saddles, both striking the ground and bouncing beneath the hooves of the horses behind them. As he raised his gun to sight the next target, Doc's voice boomed.

 

"Teach!"

 

The gunmen galloped nearer as the Deputy turned to see Doc pointing. Teach instantly focused his attention to Doc's warning and saw to his horror a woman, not more than ten feet behind him, standing beside a camera and holding the flash pan. She was intent on getting a picture.

 

Teach felt the ground shake as the horses moved closer and he sprang towards the young lady shouting at her to get out of the way. She remained frozen in spot, focused...calmly waiting for the right moment.

 

Within seconds Teach had closed the gap. Bullets were striking the dirt and the boardwalk all around them, one whizzing past his ear. As he reached out for her, the pan flashed. Instantly the Deputy was blinded. His momentum carried him into her, and her camera. The galloping horses reared, and in the confusion three more robbers were hit and fell dead to the street. The pair tumbled onto the ground as the remaining desperados galloped out of town.

 

* * * * * *

 

Whitey moved slowly through the dark alleys of Edge City, his side burning where the round had passed. He could not ever remember hurting so much. The warm blood soaked his shirt and saturated his gun belt. It had been a long afternoon.

 

It had seemed like such a good idea. All he had to do was hold the horses, ride out with them, and get his cut. Easy, simple they had told him. No one was going to get hurt, it would be a snap. The blood continued to flow and he winced as he placed the bridle over the horse's head. The saddle was going to be the hard part...that and explaining to the Kid what had happened.

 

It had seemed like such a good idea.

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

Episode Eight

 

Fritz was the first to reach the couple. "Jen! Are you all right! I told you it was crazy!"

 

Boom Boom was next. "TEACH!" he shouted. "You ok?"

 

The Deputy stood up, lifting the woman to her feet. As he rubbed his eyes, he demanded, "How many got out?"

 

"Three. Me and Whistler could of got 'em, I think...........then there was that flash," Boom Boom looked annoyingly at Jen.

 

Whistler rounded the corner, his hand pressed to his side and blood trickling between the closed fingers. "We going after them?" he asked.

 

"You're not going anywhere!" Doc shouted from down the street as he moved quickly toward them.

 

"Doc's right," Teach said as he blinked rapidly. "Boom Boom, Preacher and I will go after them."

 

"Five dead. You made a quick job of it," said Doc as he took a quick look at Whistler's injury.

 

Teach had finally regained his sight when he asked, "What about the pale fellow, holding the horses? White hair, younger man?"

 

"None of the corpses fit that description. They all appeared to be pretty rough hombres," Doc answered.

 

"Thought for sure I got him...thought for sure," mumbled Teach.

 

The three were soon mounted and riding hard in the direction of the robbers. As they rode out of town, Fritz and Jen stood watching.

 

"Who was the Deputy that ran into me?" she asked Fritz.

 

He smiled, knowing that look, having seen it many times in his life on the faces of others. "Don't you mean - swept you off your feet?" he replied with a grin.

 

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

 

The three lawmen rode fast, as the trail had been easy to follow.

 

"Boom Boom, I want you to go and see if you can get us some help from the CJW crew. If we can wrangle up a couple of men to help us out, surely we can hem the three of them in...trap them between us, the Indian Territory and the KGB homestead," Teach instructed.

 

With a brisk nod, Boom Boom spurred his horse and turned towards the CJW ranch. Teach and the Preacher continued on the trail.

 

It was almost dusk when Boom Boom came upon a group of men running a fence line for the CJW ranch. He galloped up and skidded to a halt in front of the group. "The bank in Edge City got hit this afternoon and three of the robbers are coming this way. What I need is for you to keep a sharp eye out for anyone coming from this direction, is that clear?" Boom Boom shouted excitedly as he pointed down the road.

 

Boom Boom dismounted and quickly deputized the CJW men. The men understood the importance of what they were being asked and each was determined to help the law in this new territory. The group then prepared for what might happen.

 

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

 

The Kid had spent most of the day rounding up cattle and driving them back to the holding pen. It had been backbreaking work, but a very profitable day. He and his men had gathered up several horses as well and he was looking forward to breaking a few of them himself. As he headed for the gully on the far end of his property, he thought it odd that he had not seen Whitey all day. He found it hard to believe that Whitey had such pressing business in town. The Kid had learned, however, you never really knew what Whitey was up to.

 

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

 

The three ranch hands had no idea what they were riding into. They had been sent by the Kid to check the fence line between the KGB and CJW ranches. The three slowly trotted over the rise, precisely where Boom Boom was waiting.

 

Boom Boom had no way of knowing which one of his deputized men shot first, and once the bullets started to fly, it really didn't matter. The ambushed ranch hands reacted quickly, turning their mounts and spurring them back in the direction they had come. In mere moments, two of the KGB men suffered serious wounds as the three raced off in the orange twilight of dusk.

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

 

The robbers rode hard into the failing light. "Think we lost 'em?" one of them shouted over to the leader.

 

"Not sure...got to keep movin," he responded.

 

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

 

Teach knew he was close. With the light fading fast it was easy to lose your bearings and with the way the tracks turned, he was convinced that the bank robbers had gotten themselves lost. He was sure they were turning in a circle....so sure that he sent Preacher straight across the plains to intercept them. It wasn't long before he had proven his theory. Before him the setting sun silhouetted the three horsemen as they rode hard, side-by-side.

 

Teach spurred his already exhausted mount forward. No way was he going to let these men get away, not on his watch. The gap narrowed and his quarry loomed closer. Ahead was a small dip in the plains, not much, but just enough for him to possibly lose track of them. While still at a full gallop, Teach drew his Winchester rifle from its saddle scabbard and took aim on the man to the far left of the line. Timing the horse's bounce, he squeezed the trigger. The man tumbled from the saddle like a rag doll. Still running at full speed, he cocked his rifle and took aim at the robber on the right. Once more, waiting until just the right moment, he squeezed off another round, and again the target fell to the ground.

 

The Kid heard the first shot, scrambled for his gun and threw himself against the wall of the gully. As the second shot rang out, this one closer, he braced himself and pulled back the hammer of his revolver.

 

Teach was certain that he would only get one shot at the last of the fleeing robbers. Once more he raised the Winchester...and just as the rider's horse began to dip down out of sight, he pulled the trigger.

 

The third shot was closer still and moments after it echoed a pile of man, horse and money spilled into the gully. The horse screamed as it struck the ground kicking and thrashing for footing. The Kid dove to one side, just escaping the slashing hooves of the stunned animal and the falling body of a man.

 

Teach skidded his mount to a halt at the edge of the gully, dismounted and leapt over the rim. When he landed he and the Kid were face-to-face, gun barrel to gun barrel.

 

"What's going on!" the Kid shouted as he locked eyes with the dust-covered man.

 

"Drop the gun!" Teach bellowed as he pushed his gun roughly against the Kid's chest. It was then that he heard the groans from the man on the ground.

 

"Don't be a fool, son." a voice spoke calmly behind the youth. "I'll say a prayer for you, but sure as God made green apples - I'll drop you where you stand." The Preacher moved closer as he cautioned the steady handed lad.

 

"No trouble here. I was just fixing the fence line is all," he was setting the gun on the ground at his feet while explaining. "I heard the shots, and well as you can see this came tumbling in!" the Kid was pointing at the now silent robber, the money still drifting in the air and falling to the ground around them.

 

"Seems pretty convenient, Blaze, you being right where they were headed," Teach said as he lowered his gun and bent to retrieve the pistol on the ground.

 

"I told you I was fixing the fence line, and that's the truth."

 

The Kid was covered with the kind of dirt that only a full day's work could produce. Teach handed the pistol back to the young man, looked him square in the eyes and said, "You had better just head back to your ranch."

 

With those words of advice, and thankful to get out with his skin, Korey Blaze headed home.

 

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

 

The night curtain had dropped, but the full moon had risen and shone bright across the land. In the distance the Kid identified three riders closing fast. He wasn't able to make them out but they were heading to his homestead. Angling his horse slightly, Blaze turned in the direction of the three unknown riders. As he came closer, he heard a warning shout from one of the men.

 

"Who is that! I'll shoot!"

 

"Easy now Pard!" Korey shouted back as he reined in his horse slightly.

 

"That you Kid!" the man asked.

 

"That you Curly?" the Kid responded.

 

"Boy am I glad to see you! Wild Bill is hit pretty bad, and Blush took one to the leg!" Curly informed his boss as they came together.

 

"What happened?"

 

"Got jumped by them CJW boys along the fence line! They just opened up on us, Boss! We didn't have a chance!" Blush answered between clenched teeth.

 

"Why? I mean, I thought we had an agreement!" The Kid took the reins of Bill's horse and they began to move toward the house.

 

"I think the agreement is off, Boss," Curly mumbled.

 

Wild Bill and Blush were helped from their horses and taken inside for treatment. Quickly the word spread and soon everyone on the ranch gathered to hear the tale.

 

"They just gunned us down!" Curly shouted to the group of men.

 

"Easy now, Curly. Let's not get too worked up," one of the cowhands said from the crowd.

 

"Worked up? Worked up! It ain't you that was gettin' shot at!" Pointing at the house Curly continued, "It ain't you that's layin' in there bleedin'...at least not yet it ain't! If they is out for us...then by gum I say we take it to 'em!"

 

Just then Whitey rode slowly through the gate. The men turned and the horse stopped. The Kid emerged from the house and they all watched as Whitey slowly slid from the saddle, wincing with every move. He walked toward The Kid holding his side.

 

Curly stepped forward shouting excitedly, "They jump you too? Bet they did! Them CJW boys did us too! Shot Blush in the leg and we don't know if Wild Bill's gonna make it or not! They jump you too, Whitey"

 

It seemed the best way out of a bad situation. Before he collapsed, Whitey said, "Yep."

 

That having been said, the feud was on.

 

They all recognized him and they all knew who he worked for.

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

Episode Ten

 

The air hung thick with revenge as the men of the CJW ranch buried two of their own. A feud was the last thing that CJ wanted...but it was the way of the West. Fight for what you want, and defend it with your life once you have it. The men CJ had hired were good with a gun, as were most men in this part of the country...but now she needed more. It would be costly. She needed professionals and it was time to hire some gunmen of her own. Many would come just for the chance to build a reputation in this new territory...and many would die.

 

At first Josh had been against the whole idea. But as was the pattern, CJ managed to convince him it was the only way to insure their hold on the land they had recently staked. She was well aware of the fact that after the dust had settled, only two came out on top. Now that blood was drawn, she intended to eliminate her competition and in any way that she could. If it meant gunslingers, then so be it.

 

* * * * *

 

Over night, Edge City had become a boomtown. As the season started to change, so did the man on the street. More and more arrived each day; they carried their guns low, and their tempers high. They say a town, like a man, goes through growing pains. Edge City was now in its teen years, and it showed. It was becoming much too common of an event...two men...face-to-face...the flash of powder...and only one left standing. The undertaker was doing a fine business.

 

It was not an easy task for the law to be everywhere at once and without the help of his men, the Colonel would have never been able to pull it off. Over time, each of his men had begun to carve out a life for himself.

 

Doc was busy right from the start, healing a town that had been without medical care for some time.

 

Joseph "Law" Boss, on the other hand, found himself with a lot of free time. He read or wrote the occasional agreement, but for the most part, the town did not seem to need a lawyer. What they did need, however, was an honest judge and when Law Boss was offered the appointment, he humbly accepted. There was no better man to administer justice.

 

Whistler was an expert blacksmith. He missed his old job terribly, but fell right into the heat and grime of his new chosen one. A few more weeks of 18 hour workdays and he would be able to send for his family.

 

Teach had opened a small school, just a tent on the outskirts of town, but a school all the same. The Englishmen had given up on his dream of owning a big ranch, and decided to establish the first stockyard. Preacher was busy saving souls, and had recently started to raise the funds to build a church.

 

Sticks took over the lumberyard and was making a small fortune. He was well on his way to becoming a major player in the towns affairs. The Gambler kept to himself, applying his trade and getting out when the getting was good. He had managed to buy in to one of the saloons, and spent a lot of his time dealing blackjack. Boom Boom took to mining and had started a small claim. It had not paid out much yet, but he had high hopes.

 

Each, however, was always at the ready. Each was prepared to do what was needed to ensure the law...and at the drop of a hat would move to defend it.

 

What was on the horizon would test them all.

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

Episode Eleven

 

It wasn't that he enjoyed the loud noise and the smell of drunken men and over-perfumed women. He just enjoyed taking their money. And that meant time at the gambling table. Max moved slowly through the swinging doors of what was to be his new workplace. It was a job to him, a way to make a living and earn enough money to avoid getting dirty. The doors swung closed behind him as he moved through the crowd to a table placed in the corner of the room. The high roller table. These men meant business as well. The smoke hung thick in the air and swirled slightly as he moved to the only empty chair. No one at the table seemed to notice him as he slid the chair back and took his seat.

 

"Gonna cost you 100 just to get in this game," the dealer said flatly.

 

Max placed his money on the table in front of him and nodded.

 

Luck is a funny thing, fleeting at times, but solid at others. Max was solid that night. Pot after pot was pulled in by the new face. It was as if he couldn't lose. As the players came and went, so did word of his run of good luck...and with that the crowd started to grow.

 

It was just after midnight when Max looked around for the first time in hours. He was amazed at the number of onlookers. Several of them were pretty shady, in his opinion...and the amount of money in front of him had to look tempting to many others. Several of the girls had already done their best to get their share, but he had not taken the bait.

 

Max glanced at his pocket watch. He knew the lawman would be making his rounds and should be walking through the saloon doors at any minute. Max was no fool. He would insist that he be escorted out of the saloon and back to his room. He laid down his winning hand and drug yet another pot towards him while the crowd around the table applauded his good fortune.

 

The next morning Max Number Seven, as he was being called, became the largest depositor in the Edge City bank.

 

* * * * *

 

The first arrow pinned his leg to the side of his horse. Both screamed as they tumbled to the ground. Shots rang out all around him, and the war cries echoed through his eardrums. As the dust cleared, the second arrow pierced his heart.

 

"Kid! They're all around us!" one of the ranch hands shouted over the noise.

 

Korey leveled his gun and began snapping off rounds. "Get to the rocks!" he ordered as his men regrouped and began to move toward the small outcropping of stone close by.

 

Bullets skipped around him and screamed past his ears as he methodically fired round after round at the enemy. The men scrambled uphill to the safety of the boulders as the arrows bounced and struck the stone.

 

"Not very many of them!" Korey shouted as he reloaded his gun and leapt into the cover of the rocks. "Just keep your heads down and we'll be ok!"

 

He looked down the slope at the man pinned beneath the dying horse. It was bad enough dealing with CJ. Now this.

 

* * * *

 

"We could help, ya know," the young trapper whispered to his friend as they both peered over the top of the log at the battle.

 

"Why should we?" his friend answered.

 

"We could try talkin' to them..."

 

"No way. Buddy of mine tried it last week. Thought he could get safe passage through the gap. Thought because we used to have an understanding, so to speak, he could talk to 'em."

 

Shots continued to ring out as the veteran trapper relayed his story.

 

"We found him two days ago...scalped as clean as you ever saw. Funny thing was, we found a note pinned to him...said he wasn't going to be the last."

 

"I think we should do something ...don't you?" the young man insisted.

 

"Just sit tight. This is a small raiding party. They just want the ponies...look, they're already pulling out."

 

Just as the experienced trapper said, the Indians had begun to pull back and away from the hill.

 

* * * *

 

The wounded group made their way back to the KGB Ranch, informing everyone along the way that renegades had struck.

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

Episode Twelve

 

Things happen fast on the range. Fortunes are found and lost, reputations built and ruined, and storms arise within minutes.

 

CJ stood on the porch of her newly completed home looking westward. She thought of how things had escalated so rapidly and wondered if there was any way to change the course that she, and others, had taken. The dark clouds boiled and churned as if being dumped from a huge pot, the mass swirling and tumbling towards her. Lightning flashed as she emptied the coffee cup in her hand onto the ground and moved back into the house. It had been raining for days. The rivers were swollen and the ground muddy and soaked. The work on the barn had come to a halt, but some of the men were still out on the range struggling to keep the herds together and the projects moving along.

 

It was late in the morning when the door burst open and in stepped the foreman. Josh stood in the open doorway, his poncho drenched and his silhouette accented by the flashes of lightning.

 

"We got a problem, Boss."

 

"What's wrong now?"

 

"The river's rising fast and if we don't get them strays over to this side in a hurry, well...we could be looking at a big loss. I left some of the boys rounding up what they can, but if we're going to get this done we're going to need every man we can get."

 

"Let's get them going then..." CJ responded.

 

"Another thing, Boss."

"What?"

 

"With the weather being like it is...well...it's kinda gettin' hard to tell whose is whose, ya know? I mean...we could be getting a few of the KGB brand mixed in." Josh shrugged his shoulders.

 

"We're not going to worry about that now, we'll do what we can and worry about it later. For now, we take what we can."

 

* * * *

 

Whitey turned to Curly, "I think we should do it," he said.

 

"You know what'll happen, don't ya?" Curly asked. "We blow this dam and it'll take out half her ranch! Half of her land will be under water! That's what!" He shouted to his friend as the thunder clapped overhead.

 

"All we got to do is place a keg of powder at the base. All this rain...that dirt mound won't hold. And when it blows, it'll wash away every crossing she's got. Even when the water goes down, she ain't going to be able to cross that river!" Whitey shouted back.

 

"What about the others? The smaller homesteads in the way, Whitey?"

 

"Don't matter. It's gonna come down to only one of us anyways. Might as well wipe them all out at once."

 

"You talk to the Kid about this?" Curly hollered as a loud crack of thunder rolled forth.

 

"Kid's got other things on his mind. I'm taken this one myself."

 

* * * *

 

Josh checked his watch, the water rolling off the dial as he opened it up. Never seen it so dark this time of day, he thought to himself. All around him, visible only during the brief flashes of lightning, ranch hands worked through the torrential downpour.

 

Josh urged his mount forward and the waterlogged animal moved slowly in the deep mud. He kept one eye on his boss as she herded a small group of cows toward the makeshift pen. He watched as she worked, methodically waving the lasso and whistling short loud bursts at the animals to get them to move as she directed. It was more than respect he was feeling. More than admiration for her determination and drive. It was a growing feeling of true fondness for her. The lightning flashed once more, and he smiled to himself as he saw her moving closer. The thunder followed, a loud boom echoing all around them, and as another streak lit the sky, she was gone from his sight.

 

Instantly Josh spun his mount toward the last spot he had seen her and spurred towards it. He shouted her name as he galloped through the mud, seeking her out with each flash of light. As he neared the location, he spotted her lifting herself up from the water soaked ground and rubbing her backside.

 

He couldn't help grinning when he asked, "You ok?"

 

"I'm just fine. Help me find my horse!" she responded between curses.

 

Josh turned in the saddle and waited for the next bolt of lightning to get a look at what direction her mount might have taken. As he waited a peculiar thing happened, he heard a loud boom, but saw no flash...

 

* * * *

 

The rain soaked the two men as they scrambled and crawled along the top of the earthen mound. The small lake had grown three times its size in the last few days and the water was close to the top of the dam.

 

"Almost there!" Whitey shouted to his friend as they pulled themselves along the muddy path towards the center. "We need to bury this some...get it into the dam a few feet. That'll work for sure, Curly!"

 

"Whatever you say, Whitey."

 

The wind had kicked up and the rain pelted them as they moved along. At last they reached what Whitey believed to be the middle of the dam and Curly started to dig. As the work progressed, Whitey removed a long piece of fuse wrapped in wax paper from his pocket. "That's good!" He hollered.

 

Curly stepped back, the shovel over his shoulder.

 

"You head back now. I want you well out of the way in case something goes wrong!" Whitey shouted as he set the barrel of powder in the hole.

 

"You sure? I ain't scared, Whitey!"

 

"I know you ain't, Curly. It's just that once I light this, I don't want to have to worry about anyone but me gettin' off this dam. Understand!"

 

"Ok, if you say so. I'll go back and have the horses ready!"

 

Whitey opened his coat and huddled over the barrel as his friend made his way back to the bank of the river. He carefully opened the wax paper and removed the fuse. He placed it into the powder barrel still hovering over it to protect it from the rain. Reaching into another pocket he removed the matches and waited. After he felt Curly had had enough time to get clear, Whitey struck the match, lit the fuse, and watched as it flashed to life.

 

Then he ran. His feet sank deep into the mud as he tried to move faster. He scrambled along the top of the mound, slipping and sliding as he did his best to stay on his feet and get clear of the blast. It was dream like...for every step he took, he lost two, but he drove forward. A spectacular flash of lightning revealed he was close, but not out of danger yet. He could see Curly waving him on, shouting for him to hurry as he continued to struggle through the mud.

 

Then he felt the ground shake beneath his feet.

 

* * * *

 

In a moment's time, Josh realized what he had heard and what was about to happen.

 

"We've got to get!" He shouted as he reached down for her.

 

"What's happened?" She asked as he swung her up on the saddle behind him.

 

"They've blown the dam!" Josh shouted. "Hang on!"

 

The pair raced toward the other men shouting for them to get mounted and ride. Some stood puzzled, while others jumped into action.

 

"The dam! It's been blown! MOVE!" CJ screamed out her order.

 

The confused men snapped out of it once they understood the danger they were in. The water was racing toward them and only a fast horse would get each of them out of this one.

 

The group started off close, leather snapping as they encouraged their horses to move faster. Josh bent over the neck of his animal and watched as the single riders pulled ahead of them. He knew the two of them would be lucky to get out of this one. CJ's grip tightened as she realized it as well. There was no way the two of them could make it to the crossing.

 

The horse's hooves beat out a steady rhythm as they continued to fall behind the group.

 

"The burial mound....can we make the mound!" CJ shouted in his ear. The small hill that overlooked her land was much closer than the crossing. Josh turned his horse in the direction of the burial mound, confident the others would make it to the crossing. The flash of lightning outlined the hill in the distance as they raced towards it.

 

CJ turned and looked behind them. "Faster!" She shouted as the wall of water closed in.

 

Suddenly the ground pitched and Josh knew they were moving upward. The exhausted animal struggled as Josh spurred his horse to the top of the mound. Josh turned his head just in time to watch the wave surround the small hill.

 

* * * *

 

The force of the blast and the ground tearing out beneath him tossed Whitey into the mud. He clawed his way forward as the earth beneath him began to shake and sink.

 

"Come on Whitey! You can do it! Get up! Get up!" Curly was screaming as he stood watching his friend swim through the rapidly collapsing dirt and mud.

 

With his last bit of strength he lifted himself from the dirt and was running once more. With each step he took he half expected the ground to be gone, but it remained solid beneath him. Then he was safe. He fell to the ground at his friend's feet.

 

"Thought you was a gonner for sure, Whitey. For sure."

 

Whitey looked up at his friend. "I need a drink."

 

Episode Thirteen

 

The weather had brought most of the work on the range to a halt, and The Kid was in need of some relaxation.

 

The saloon was packed. Every drifter and ranch hand within a hundred miles seemed to have shown up at the same time. The Kid recognized some of his own men mingling with some of CJ's and for the most part, everyone was getting along just fine. Then he saw why. Sitting in the far corner of the room, on a slightly elevated platform with a commanding view of the entire area and a twelve-gauge shotgun in his hands, was the Sheriff. The Kid, like the rest of the town, was well aware that the law had certain interests in the gambling establishments. This one was owned outright by one of the Sheriff's deputies, Johnny Black.

 

Shaking off the water from his duster and hat as he went, the Kid made his way to one of the corner tables. He drew out a chair, a wad of money, and settled in… only to look across the table and see Mister Black himself staring him right in the eyes. The Kid had failed to notice him when he pulled up the chair, and now it was too late to get up. He was stuck.

 

The talkers soon faded, while the real players remained. The Kid played it safe, not betting too big and folding rather than bluffing. The entire time the Gambler across from him never said a word… but he was in control right from the start. As the night wore on, the players dropped out. Many, in that moment of frustration, eyed the Sheriff on the podium, before they mumbled and stormed out.

 

It was well into the evening and it was now down to three… The Kid, The Gambler, and MaxSeven. A small crowd had gathered around their table, the three betting a lot of money and everyone wanting to see who would clean out who… or who would quit and walk away. The smoke and tension hung thick in the air as all three men continued to risk what they truly could ill afford to lose. Conversation at the table consisted of very few words… “check” or “fold” or “show'em”.

 

It was almost midnight and the men had been at it for hours when the pot was suddenly growing. The onlookers all knew that this was going to be a breaker for one of the men. The Gambler sat confidently eyeing both Max and The Kid. He had already decided to make this a two-man game. Johnny knew the cards he held had them both beat, but instead he chose to let the two of them slug it out, so he folded. The Kid bet big, and in the end Max walked slowly out into the rain. Now it was just the two of them.

 

The crowd thinned and the two remained. The Gambler had slowly taken back most of what the Kid had just won, and was the clear winner at the table. Kid Blaze took stock and decided to stop where he was. He was about to inform the other player of his decision when a man, soaking wet and covered in mud, stumbled through the doors of the saloon.

 

“It's busted! The Dam had broken!”

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Episode Fourteen

 

The people in the flood devastated community spent the next three weeks pitching in and helping one another through what for many had been a loss of everything. No one in town suspected, nor even considered the notion, that the dam had been blown. The dam's failure was attributed to flash flooding. Many of the smaller homesteads had indeed been ruined and would never be able to recover. The two ranches that remained grew stronger with each broken dream. As land was abandoned, either the CJW Ranch or the KGB Spread immediately gobbled it up.

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

The old miner had been digging in these hills for years. He had fought off Indians, blizzards, landslides and every varmint on two and four legs that God had created...and now this flood. As he looked down into the water filled hole that had once been his claim, he realized there was no way for him to bounce back from this one. The water had rushed through and swept with it all of his equipment and his hopes. The only thing left was his mule.

 

"Well, Gertrude..." the old man moved slowly over to his only asset, kicking the dirt with his boot. "Not sure how we're gonna get out of this one old girl."

 

The mule raised its head and looked at its owner, ears twitching as if understanding every word, then brayed lightly.

 

"I know...I know..." the old miner mumbled to himself as he moved closer to the animal....then he stopped. At first he wasn't sure what he was looking at. Then he reached down and from the moist soil he picked up a small, crystal-like stone. The miner wiped it clean on his pants and held it at arm's length.

 

"Well I'll be....."

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

As is the case with anything of such importance, word traveled fast. It was soon the biggest news in the country...and the "Diamond Rush" was on. Miners moved in from all over the world and Edge City once again experienced a growth spurt, this time stretching its very skin to the breaking point. Money was flowing and the large ranches were prospering. What had started as a great disaster had turned into a greater benefit to the area. The flood-exposed parts of the land that had been buried for many, many years...uncovering its treasures.

 

The range war between the two ranches spread across the prairie and into the back woods but was, for the most part, being avoided in town. Fights still broke out, and men still died at the gambling tables, but such was life in the fast growing city. Gunplay and death go hand-in-hand. The Colonel and his men beefed up their patrol, doing their best to keep the citizens safe. But even as diligent as they had become, rats always sneak in.

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

Curly had been in the saddle for most of the morning when he decided to stop and rest beneath the shade of a large oak tree. The temperature had skyrocketed and the air was hot in his lungs. The Kid had sent him to check out several acres of timber in the northern-most region of the KGB Ranch. It was going to take a full day to get there, or so he was told, and most likely another day to check on the condition of the lumber. Timber was going out at a record price, and if there was money to be made...Korey wanted in on it. After resting for a short time, Curly remounted and continued on his way.

 

The forest was becoming thicker which slowed his progress. Curly maneuvered his mount around obstacles, zigzagging the animal between small saplings and large fallen trees. The soft thump of the horse's hooves blended with the sounds of the wilderness around him as he moved deeper into the shade. Suddenly all was silent. It was so sudden that Curly instinctively drew his weapon from its holster and began to look in all directions. The breathing of his horse was the only sound that penetrated the silence.

 

The first arrow sliced the air so close to his head that he was certain he had lost an ear. The next struck his leg just above the knee. Two more whizzed by him before three arrows, in rapid succession, struck the side of his mount. Curly yanked up on the reins, cranking the neck of the dying beast sideways and angling its belly towards their attackers before the horse and rider tumbled to the ground. The crashing sound as the pair struck the forest floor, combined with the death screams of the animal, was deafening. Curly pulled his leg from beneath the animal just in time to avoid getting pinned and in one swift movement was using the horse as a shield, firing over the top of the sprawled animal.

 

There was no way for him to know how many he was dealing with...but what he did know was that it would be days before anyone would even think to come looking for him.