Into the Rockies
Chapter 10
Jacob reloaded his rifle as Carlos covered him. They took turns firing into the night, desperately trying to make contact. Their enemies were doing the same.
“Dammit!” Joe McClay hissed as he reloaded. He knew he had to get closer. He ran up a short distance to another tree for cover, only to be caught in a snare. The trap snapped quickly and yanked him off his feet in a blinding instant. He managed to grab the tree before the snare pulled him upside down. Instead it pulled him off his feet as he hugged the tree.
“Why you sneaky little…” he groaned as he pulled a knife from his hip to cut the line, freeing himself. “I’m guessing there’s more where that came from.”
Just then a bullet whizzed by his head, missing him by a hair. He immediately took cover again, catching his breath as he surveyed the area.
On his left he could hear his brother’s wounded groans. On his right he could hear Sam and Mary’s cowardly shots behind cover. They all needed to press the offense or this fight was going nowhere.
“Move in you chicken shits!” Joe hollered as loud as he could. “We’ve got them surrounded!” He hoped his confidence would encourage bravery as he moved up again, narrowly missing another bear trap. He hugged tightly against a boulder as he aimed at the top of the cabin and popped off a few rounds.
Meanwhile Jacob reloaded and shrunk behind his log for cover. Carlos gripped his shoulder in agony as he did his best to wrap his fresh wound. Joe McClay had managed to wing him good with a lucky shot after moving closer.
“Shit.” Carlos growled. “I’m bleeding out. We need to end this!”
Jacob grunted as he fired again, getting closer to his target with each shot until finally…
“Argh!” Cain cried out as a bullet caught him in the ear as he desperately hid behind his tree. He fired blindly around his cover to make it seem like he was still in the fight, but in reality he was scared for his life and trying to formulate an escape plan.
Sam and Mary had similar ideas. They continued to hug the rock far away from the cabin’s left flank while firing shots toward the cabin. They had ignored Joe’s command to move up and instead aimed more carefully at the cabin.
Suddenly shots came from behind them. Mary turned around to see Sam drop his gun and slump down to the ground. Before she could fire her gun she caught a bullet between the eyes, killing her instantly.
Sheriff Brisco walked forward from the brush and took cover behind the rock the two criminals had been hugging. He was still too far to call out to his comrades, so instead he grabbed a long stick to prod the ground in front of him for traps.
“Dammit, what are those idiots doing?” Joe grumbled as he moved up yet again, getting close to the cabin. He was about to unleash a barrage of bullets at the roof until suddenly he saw a furry creature run by.
“What the hell?” He said, confused. Before he could complete his thoughts the creature had ran around the tree with a rope in its mouth, entangling his feet and causing him to trip. McClay fell backwards and felt a sharp stick stab him in the back.
“Jessie!” The injured man hollered at his pitbull. “Get em!”
Jessie looked around just in time to see a fluffy barreling towards cover. The dog took off like a bullet after the creature only to find its head stuck under the shed where the entrance hole was. She whined and growled desperately as she shook the old wooden structure to its core.
Jacob took notice and fired a warning shot at the dog, forcing it to panic. It ripped its head out of the hole, badly scratching its ear, before running back into the woods.
Joe sat up and yanked the stick out of his back; it had been sharpened and stick into the ground as a simple spike trap. It was then that he heard a noise behind him.
“Cain, you’re supposed to be flanking!” Joe snapped as he felt a gun get pressed against his head.
“Think again.” Said sheriff Brisco cooly.
“This is the police!” The sheriff hollered toward the cabin. “Stop shooting!”
Cain waddled into the light, relieved. “Oh thank god, just take me to a hospital.” He then laid down flat and groaned in pain until help arrived.
Jacob and Carlos came down from the cabin and took turns thanking the Sheriff for his timely assistance.
“Without you we’d be dead boss!” Carlos laughed.
“Thanks… brother.” Jacob said with a stoic nod.
Brisco nodded back and helped Carlos down the mountain where he boarded an ambulance with Cain. They pulled into the road and headed towards the hospital.
Meanwhile Jacob and his fluffy were greeted by Deputy Fuzz who showed them where to get some coffee and a warm blanket. He saluted with his hoof before letting the sheriff take over.
“Well the McClays are done for and won’t be bothering anyone any time soon.” David said as he slammed the brig gate shut on Joe McClay. He would sit in there until his transfer to the penitentiary. Jessie was tied up out back with food and water.
The state police showed up to handle the rest; removing the bodies and getting reports. Soon the town was quiet again. Jacob looked at the small town police station as he pet his new fluffy and nodded before heading back into the Rockies.
He heard his brother holler after him. “Y’all come back and visit some time, ya hear?”
And visit they did. The foals that Jacob had fought to protect were soon full grown and found happy homes. Their father stayed with Jacob for the rest of his life before finally passing away from old age.
Jacob came down every Christmas to have a cup of coffee with his brother, eat some holiday feast, and share stories from the year. Bernard cherished these visits all the way until his retirement, when he and his brother grew old together in the mountains.
He wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.