The Rhino Breathing Down Her Neck (Good End?)

Texas fixed her eyes on the charging Rhinoceros. There was no way she was trying to ignore that! She ran towards Texas, head lowered. The weasel dodged to the side, avoiding the Rhino, while scooping up a mailbag. *BANG* As expected Vivian fired, but the bullet hit the burlap mailbag as Texas hoisted it in the way. A slung fist came behind her and Texas ducked low, swinging the mail bag so it struck the Rhino on the chin hard. *THWACK*

The Rhino stumbled backwards, eyes spinning and chin aching. She shook her head, then growled as she narrowed her eyes on… nothing? Texas had taken the opportunity to slide between her legs, once again using her as a shield from the Mayor. *BANG* The shot struck between the Rhino’s legs, coming short of the weasel. Texas gagged slightly as she came up right behind the Rhino’s generous, sweaty ass, but then she struck against the back of the Rhino’s ankle. Before the bandit could think of throwing herself back, her right leg crumpled and she dropped to a crouched position, yowling in pain.

“Crime don’t pay, even if the Mayor does,” Texas said with a smirk. Another *BANG* sounded as Vivian fired and it went right over her head as she ducked behind the rhino.

“I am not letting you ruin this, weasel!” Vivian snarled, the vitriol in her voice having never been stronger. “All this planning, all this organising, it won’t be for nothing! Give me the contents of that safe or DIE!” There were no pretences, no sugar coating. Texas had never seen Vivian get this involved in anything or lose her cool like this. The Lynx wasn’t pulling shots, and she still had three bullets with Texas’s name on it.

A shoulder slammed Texas in the face, the weasel being caught off guard for a moment. She turned her head to the side, deflecting it from crumpling her muzzle by taking it on the chin instead. “I never fail Miss Vivian,” the Rhino growled as she used her elbow to lead her into turning around with another thrown fist.

Texas ducked the punch and charged forwards, opening her arms as she crashed into the Rhino with all her strength. She managed to tip her over, the Rhino yelping as she fell backwards, slamming down into the back of the wagon with such **** wood splintered. Texas had a second to see Vivian’s weapon pointed at her before she dove off the side of the wagon herself, her hand grabbing the wooden ledge even as her body lobbed over the edge. *BANG* Another bullet whizzed right past Texas’s head as she twisted her body. Her firm grip caught, keeping hold even as her boots scuffed along the ground, being dragged by the movement of the cart.

“Sit still, weasel!” Vivian roared as she whipped her horse and twisted around to the side of the wagon that Texas was on. Her weapon was still raised as Texas gripped the edge and flung herself back up. She landed on the top on one knee, and then ducked as a Rhino foot flew right where her head just was. The weasel pushed into a forward roll to avoid a stomping foot, combined with another *BANG* before a bullet struck Texas’s hat, hat, blowing it off.

Texas caught her hat from where it was thrown, scooping it up and back onto her head as she spun around to face the Rhino again. She was right near the edge, and Vivian pulling up behind her. Now was the moment to strike. Texas had a risky plan, but there wasn’t time to think about it. She swept low, avoiding another punch and going into a spinning kick that struck one of the Rhino’s feet. As they staggered to the side, Texas saw Vivian’s smirk. *BANG* The bullet whizzed towards her and Texas gripped the Rhino and made her stumble back. The bullet struck the Rhino’s foot and there was a yell of pain. Then Texas committed it all to a hard shove with both arms.

The Rhino was already unsteady when the bullet struck her leg. She stumbled backwards and Texas’s shove saw her tip over. Her pants slid down, exposing the mass of her grey backside. Vivian’s furious eyes met with the overly large ass of her companion and her jaws dropped. The weapon fell from her grip and she screamed as the fat, sweaty ass fell backwards and landed on top of her with a definitive *KER-SSSPPPLLLAAATTT* The Rhino’s own head spun before she tumbled back, crashing to the ground, leaving Vivian’s hand scrabbling at the dirt from the underside of her **** companion’s backside.

Texas dusted her hands together, the weasel sweating as she wiped across her brow. That had been a hell of a fight. She stumbled back to the front of the wagon, hopping over and taking the reins. She was going to get this treasure to town, have this safe stored somewhere definitively safe, and then come back out with April. She allowed herself a smile as she panted, the afternoon sun high in the air behind her. “Not bad, Tex… for a day’s work…” she huffed. After all this time… she’d finally have Vivian behind bars.

Texas’s heart was in her mouth. “How… she was *right* there?!” Texas repeated for the fifth time. She was sat in the wagon beside her Deputy April.

“Don’t worry, Texas. We got everyone else. We have eyewitness reports of a Lynx bandit. We’re almost back in town now, we’ll go pay her a visit with a warrant,” April said reassuringly.

They were in the special wagon for prisoner transport and heaped inside of it were a number of Gold Spring’s worst. Jesse and Jane were bound to one another and grumbling about their capture. Ex-Deputy Georgia was nursing a still throbbing head. And with them were all the others. The rest of Georgia’s crew, the Skunk and Cat, were both still glaring at Georgia. The Mayor’s Crew were still mostly out of it. The Gecko, Armadillo, Dingo and Porcupine were all heaped up together and mostly recovered. There were only two glaring omissions. Both Mayor Vivian and her Rhino enforcer hadn’t been where Texas had left them, despite the clear ass print crushed into the ground there. In fact, her weapon and horse had been gone too, all of it scrubbed as if they had never been there.

The prison transport rolled into town and stopped outside the Mayor Office. Texas gripping her weapon as she rushed to the front door, April having to jog to keep up. They shoved their way in, ignoring the Mayor’s Personal Assistant and kicking down the door to the Mayor’s Office. “Mayor Vivian! You’re under arrest for your participation in the Train Heist!” Texas yelled, raising her weapon and pointing right at Vivian’s desk.

As she expected the Lynx was sat in her seat, looking absolutely no worse for wear. In fact, she was even recently bathed and wearing a freshly pressed suit. Her eyebrow rose slowly, and she tilted her head. “You… think I participated in the train heist?” she repeated.

“Sheriff Texas Stanton, what is the meaning of this?!” Another voice made Texas blink and she looked to the side to see none other than Warden Ramshackle, warden of the County Jail, seated opposite her. The hefty sheep gal had her arms crossed and a glare to her voice.

“Warden! Ah personally saw the Mayor attemptin’ to stop me from stopping that train heist!” Texas attested, even though she lowered her weapon.

Ramshackle blinked and then laughed, tipping her head back. “Did you now? And I suppose you saw the Mayor burning down the orphanage while she was at it? Sheriff Texas, when are you going to abandon this crusade against your own boss?” Ramshackle snapped, clearly disapprovingly.

The wind was rapidly deflating out of Texas’s sails when April pushed in. “Texas saw the Mayor! And I’m sure plenty of other people did too. We’ve got a wagon full of her ‘employees’ and she was on the train with the passengers!” April argued.

Ramshackle looked to April, and then back to Texas. “Did you now? You’d attest to it being the Mayor?” Ramshackle replied. “Because according to the report which we just received, the culprit was a 5 foot 8 Lynx wearing a black bandit outfit and riding a pure white horse. She was of a pleasantly plump build and accompanied by a very large rhinocerous… just like the pair that were seized mere minutes ago in Copper Gorge…”

Texas’s jaw couldn’t drop any lower. Ramshackle’s report was correct, in fact it completely described Mayor Vivian if the good mayor was wearing a different outfit. “S-seized in Copper Gorge… B-but Ma’am, that’s not possible! It was Mayor Vivian, ah know it was!” Texas cried out.

“Do you have any evidence?” Ramshackle asked and Texas paused. The weasel was stunned. Despite everything, she had nothing, no proof that Vivian had been involved. She knew those bandits would be paid too well to give Vivian up… all of the criminal accessories had been pinned on this other Lynx who was likely being paid to take the fall themselves. She had nothing, and as she looked down, Vivian knew it.

“Franky, Sheriff, I find this whole thing ridiculous. I’ve been visiting the Rhodes Ranch all day, just ask Mrs Rhodes, she would be happy to speak to my whereabouts, as would the entire family. And a white horse? Everyone knows I ride in stagecoaches. The whole thing is patently absurd, Sheriff. Honestly, I’m insulted, and if you hadn’t just saved the town by stopping that robbery I’d be inclined to remove you from Office…” Mayor Vivian paused, letting the threat hang as Texas’s weapon completely fell limp to point at the floor.

“Ah… ah…” Texas stammered, the weasel KNOWING she was right, but she had no proof… Nothing. April looked to her and Texas swallowed. “Ah apologise… Mayor. Ah saw a Lynx and ah… it’s been a long day,” Texas **** herself to say.

Vivian nodded her head. “I suppose it does happen to the best of us. Now, Warden Ramshackle and I were just discussing the crime problem in this town, and we have matters that don’t concern you. Please, return to your post, take the rest of the day off if you like. You’ve earned a reprieve after such stellar work,” the Lynx remarked, gesturing to the door.

Texas was dumbfounded, but she had nothing to say, she slipped her revolver away and stepped back outside, leaving the office, leaving the building. She mounted up to the wagon in silence. She took the prisoners to the Office in silence. She processed them in silence. Then she went outside, sat on a chair on the porch and stared up at the setting sun.

April set a hand on her shoulder as the fox came out and sat beside her. “I’m sorry, Texas… sometimes it just… seems like the whole system is corrupt,” she said softly.

Texas nodded her head. “It’s all her. It’s all Vivian…” she said trailing off before taking a breath. She lifted her eyes to the sky. “Vivian… one of these days ah’m going to take you down… if it’s the last thing ah do,” she said resolutely, gritting her fist.