The Devils Backbone

An Unclever Ruse

"You boys?" Cap's face was like stone though he arched a brow. "alla way out here huh?" He asked.

A gun hammer clicked, sounding far too close for comfort. Cap's breath hitched as he scrambled out of the Driver's bench, throwing himself to the ground as Buyckweet's pistol fired.

Chyna's skin prickled as the smell of gunpowder filled the wagon. Her fingers tore open the wagon door, and she nearly fell out of it, scrambling. Cap groaned on the dirt of the path, his fingers gingerly touching the cut the bullet left along the side of his hip.

Chyna took up Cap's riffle, and with her heart thundering as she looked down the barrel that was pointed at them in Buckweet's hands, she jabbed the butt of the rifle forward.

It cracked against the bone between Buckweet's eyes and nose, his head flew back with a yowl and the blast of his gun, which wavered past Chyna. The bullet gusting past her ear.

"Chyna!" Cap called, reaching for his side arm.

Clint fired shots from within the wagon, Dawn and Clyde screaming as they clung to Chastain. Cotton fumbled with his rifle, but managed to rest it out the wagon window and shot blindly out towards the trees.

"Chyna come 'ere!" Cap called, wide-eyed as he watched her rush Buckweet with a snarl, brandishing the rifle as a club. she continued to swing while the man tried to shield himself.

The thuds of the rifle hitting his limbs echoed the popping cracks of gunfire behind Chyna's angered screaming. Her mind was a whirl of red at the thought of the man her sister had trusted to get them to their destination and back having been against them.

"Ol' dirty no good traitorin' -" Chyna shouted, eyes shut tight as she swung.

Cap managing to get off the ground, hopped onto the wagon bench where he aimed over Chyna's shoulder, and fired a shot into one of the masked riders, sending him toppling off his horse.

"Chyna stop!" Cap shouted.

Buckweet lifted his shotgun yet again and aimed, however a swift motion from Cap and a trigger draw landed a bullet into the shoulder of his gun arm.

"Ain't happen'n you son'a bitch." Cap hissed.

As Buckweet shouted curses, Chyna jammed the butt of the rifle into his forehead, splitting the skin of his crown.

Cap used his body weight to lower Chyna to the Driver's bench, taking his Rifle from her he continued to fire.

"You and the kids get ton down on the floor!" Clint called out. Chastain wasted little time in doing so, using herself as a shield over Dawn and Clyde.

"Why are they wearin' those ugly masks Clint?" Cotton asked as the two continued their gunfire.

"Cowards, Cot." Clint murmured back.

"Cap? You alright out there!" Clint asked.

Cap exhaled the breath he'd been holding in, "They grazed me, I'm good!" He called back.

"Chyna!" Chastain called out.

Chyna glared at the unconscious Buckweet, "am fine!" she spat with venom. She cast a sharp eye on Cap, "shoulda let me crush his skull in." she uttered softly, an edge in her words that stung like paper cutting into Cap's skin.

He glanced down at her, meeting her gaze which was filled with a hot unseen shade of scarlet. Cap felt a shiver down his spine for a moment, before a smirk ticked at the corners of his mouth. The smirk broke into a strangled chuckle, "I'll be damn' if that ain't the look." he laughed.

The gunfire died down with the bounding of hooves heading in opposite directions.

"They's skinnin' out, Cap!" Cotton cheered.