Take The Long Way: Walk All The Way To The Gold Mines Through The Hot Desert

Going to town was all well and good, but if April had any chance of saving Tex before the villainous duo did... whatever to her, then she needed to most fast, and that meant taking a shortcut across the desert. The fox took a deep breath, checking that she still had her water bottle on her belt, then set off through the back door of Roxxie's house and started walking, first over the hills it was nestled in, then through the flatter scrub-land, then finally, the dry, endless desert, sun shimmering off the golden sand. This wasn't going to be pleasant.

Almost an hour later, April stumbled out of the desert back onto the dusty trail near the gold mines. The fox was an absolute mess. Five minutes in a snake had stolen her water bottle, ten minutes after that she had lost a shoe, and 15 minutes after that she had been trampled by a herd of stampeding bison, leaving her dishevelled, her clothing torn, her fur covered in hoofprints, and to top it all off she was absolutely drenched in sweat, looking like she had just emerged form a swimming pool. As she staggered along, her vision blurry and her head cloudy, she nearly walked straight into Roxxie and Georgia, emerging from one of the many now-empty goldmines that littered the area.

"S-stop right there, evildoers!" Deputy Briggs stammered, drawing her gun, but it felt like it was made of lead. She could barely raise it, let alone aim, and her arm shook like mad. She wouldn't be able to hit the broad side of a barn. The two 'evildoers' looked up, then smirked and cracked their knuckles, advancing on her.

"I-I said stop! I-I'm warning you! I really am! I-" *click*

The fox pulled the trigger on the gun, and was rewarded only with a click. Apparently the snake had stolen her bullets too. April gulped and looked up, just in time to be pulled into a smothering bearhug, her face and most of her upper body being lost in Georgia's cleavage, completely smothering her. With no air, and the energy already drained from her body, it was all she could do to give a few weak kicks before passing out, completely at the villains' mercy.

When April slowly awoke, she was in a cool, dark place, and tied up tight. She groaned and opened her eyes, finding herself looking at the inside of a rocky cave, with the two villains busying themselves around the cave.

"April... that you? Are ya'll awake?" A familiar voice whispered behind her. The fox turned her head, and realised that she had finally found the sheriff, and was tied back-to-back with her, bound tightly to one another.

"Tex... I'm sorry, I screwed everything up... What are they gonna do to us?"

"Ya'll didn't screw anythin' up that wasn't already screwed, Deputy." Texas said soothingly. "As to what those varmints are up to... I ain't sure. But I guess I know one way to find out... Ah don't know what you're plannin, ya scum, but ya'll won't get away with it! Me an' mah deputy'll see t' that!" Texas yelled loudly at Georgia and Roxxie, causing both of the massive girls to turn and glare at her.