Refuse the Offer and Hold Your Ground

Texas grit her teeth. “Ya know ah can’t do that, Mayor,” Texas stated, putting emphasis on Vivian’s title. “Ah won’t fail this train and the people on it.”

Vivian shrugged. “Predictable to a fault, Sheriff.” The Lynx pulled the trigger and Texas hit the deck, the Sheriff dropping down so fast her hat was left hovering in the air, right above where the bullet flew. Vivian growled, steadying her aim with both hands but Texas had already rolled behind the chimney, and a second shot simply deflected off of it with a ricochet. “Gah! Fine! If you’re so keen to stay on this train, then by all means have it!” Vivian snarled as she dropped down below again. There was a whinny as a white horse pulled back away from the lead carriage, accompanied by two others loaded with the loot that Georgia had brought up to the engine.

Texas peered back around from the chimney with a glare to her eyes. “Ah ain’t lettin’ you get away with this one, Mayor!” Texas called after her. She stood back away from the chimney, her head turning forwards to look ahead at the wooden bridge over Coyote Canyon up ahead. Suddenly it went up in flames with a *BBOOOOOOOOOMM*. Texas’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “Aw, hell nah!” she yelped as she staggered back to her feet. She ran for the edge, then looked back at the KO’D Georgia and frowned. She rushed back over to her, grabbing her by her boots and dragging her to the edge. Texas was sweating as she lugged Georgia across the roof of the steam engine. “Ah’ve moved less heavy bags o’ bricks,” she grumbled as she pulled her to the edge. Then she kicked her clear of the train, Georgia landing on the last clear patch of ground with a roll.

Now it was Texas’s turn, she couldn’t leap off the side so she leaped down onto the back, jumping off the roof and on the back of the carriage. She felt the train start to tilt forwards as she ran to the edge, jumped and leapt clear of the locomotive. She slammed onto creaking wood, rolling neatly to her knees as behind her she heard the sound of the train plummeting down into the gorge below and then *CRASH*. She winced at the creaking and cracking of metal as she dusted herself off and strode back across the bridge.

*KA-BBBOOOOMMM* Another explosion blasted upwards behind her, a burst of flame spraying ash into the air as Texas walked away from it triumphantly, the sounds of screeching metal dying down as she stopped beside Georgia. “Dun worry, Georgia. Yer place is a cell an’ ah’ll be back to collect ya for one. But first… ah gotta finish the job…”

There was a number of horses gathered around the lead carriage of the train, along with a large wagon loaded up with mailbags. Texas spotted Vivian’s white horse amongst them as she crouched behind a rock. She’d had to walk on foot since she’d left her horse way back. Her rope was still wrapped around Georgia, and her gun had been knocked off the train by her own hand. Texas had nothing but her wits, and that would have to do. Scanning over the horses she was not pleasantly surprised. Looked like she’d come with her own muscle from town by the size of those stallions.

Sure enough as she watched a huge rhino jumped down from the back of the train. Normally she was dressed in something of a suit as Vivian’s bodyguard but today she was wearing a rough outlaw uniform complete with bandana over face and low brim hat to hide her features. Though it was impossible to hide her sheer size. She had the large safe from the train over her shoulder, which she dropped onto the back of one of the wagon and earned a whinny from the horses strapped to it.

Texas shifted and her boot caught a rock, knocking it aside. The rhino’s eyes snapped to her boulder for a moment, making the Sheriff’s blood freeze as she stopped stock still, even holding her breath. The rhino’s ear flicked and then she huffed and turned back, leaping back up into the train carriage. Just when Texas thought she had it, now she had another group of bandits to deal with. Though if this was all about the loot, then stealing the wagon would have them all after her, dragging them out of hiding. That or she could scare the horses away and watch them panic?