Ro ties Blaine up to the same pole he himself was secured to just a few minutes ago. We wrap our scarves 'round our heads to protect us from the dust as much as possible, and then head out of the hole at the tent's back. I use Blaine's knife to slice through the back of the grey tent, cuz ain't no other place fer our guns to be stashed. Inside is all of their supplies. They got their own sled with a couple crates loaded on it, and there's a couple of bedrolls where Callen's men must've intended to ride out the storm.
Like hell Blaine didn't know where our guns were, cuz even in the odd blackness of the day, I cain feel my way along the perimeter of the tent and, not three feet from them bedrolls, there's a fold of canvas containin' all our guns.
"Frank," I clasp the shotgun to my chest. "Oh Frank, I never thought I'd see you again."
"Should I be jealous?" Ro grabs the traders' weapons.
"Havin' both of you back just about makes my life complete."
"Help!" a voice brakes over the desert's howl. "They got me, Sargent, help!"
"Seems Blaine woke up." I grin. "Right on schedule."
We stand on either side of the tent's openin', listenin' to Blaine whine. The stomp of boots rushin' by follows. "Now," I mouth to Ro 'fore lifting my kerchief over my nose and slippin' from the tent.
We step out, just as Callen and his man enter the one Blaine's tied up in. To our right, Tegan, Vern, and Gina rush over to us. Ro tosses them their guns.
"I cain't believe yer plan worked, Curlicue." Tegan, eyes obscured behind goggles, shakes her head. She hands a pair to both Ro and me. I'm unaccountably excited to put mine on.
"Well, it ain't worked yet." I motion to the tent, out of which three very angry lawfolk emerge.
Vern takes a shot without hesitatin'. It wings through the tent, near enough to Callen's head fer him to display a certain amount of alarm. Callen's got a gun, and so does his other man, but we've got four, includin' Frank, and they're all ready to fire.
"Frank here was just mentionin' to me how it's been too long since he killed a man," I shout through my scarf, through the dust and the whippin' wind. "He's practically beggin' fer me to let him do it again. And if you don't drop yer weapons right now, I'm gonna give him what he wants."
Callen ain't a man to back down. He keeps his gun up, but his men ain't so fearless. Blaine ducks back inside the tent, and the other man wavers. We gotta finish this up soon. The storm ain't gettin' better 'fore it gits a lot worse.
"All right Vern, this time, don't aim fer the tent."
Vern angles his gun all menacin'-like and Callen's man drops his weapon and raises his hands. So much fer all their fancy trainin'.
Callen sighs deep and then, finally, he lowers his gun. "This isn't over."
"No, it ain't," I agree with him. "I promised the desert it could pass its final judgment upon you. So believe me, when it's over, you'll know it."
Gina and Ro collect the officers' fallen guns.
"Let's git our stuff and go," I tell my friends.
"You are a crazy woman," Teagan says. "Let's tie 'em up and ride out the storm in our tent."
"We cain't do that, Tegan. The desert's takin' this camp fer itself. If we're here when it comes, it'll take us too."
YOU ARE READING
Desert Wake ✔
Adventure***The Corner Booth Contest Runner-Up*** WARNING: contains one blue-eyed stranger, one fast-talking heroine, and a couple of scenes steamier than a mirage at noon. Throw in gigantic dust storms, lawmen out for blood, plus a wasteland to be traversed...
