Revenge of the Strong

Finally he came within site of the canyon. Turning he started around toward the back of it. There was always a second way in though not ever easy. He was all the way around to the opposite of the canyon when he noticed what appeared to be a steep path up. Smiling he thought this makes things easier. Climbing up he was in the canyon in less than an hour.

Heading down he was almost to the shacks as night was falling. He had to crouch down as one of the guards came by. Itching to kill the man the blonde man knew to wait 'til it was the right time. He was about to make a move when he heard a female scream. Why did that voice sound familiar? Taking his rifle out he took aim bringing down two of the guards on horseback. Aiming he took out the third when he heard shouting from the first shack.

Pulling both his colts he hoped he had enough ammo to take them all out. Looking out from the new position he was in he waited as three men came out mostly in their underwear each holding a revolver.

Aiming the blonde man took out two of them the third diving back inside, as four more men opened fire. Quickly moving the blonde man took out another two on the run, that's half he thought. Confused the last three men started to fire where the blonde man had been. Smiling the man took out an eighth then the ninth again on the run.

That meant there were two left here, plus the last of those that he was going to kill as slowly as he could. Taking a risk the man made his way to the side of the building. Looking around he saw one man was inside the other crouching behind a barrel. Neither it appeared to have a clue as to where he was.

Smiling the blonde man crept up on the man at the barrel strangling the man with hardly any sound. Looking from the barrel the man cocked his gun waiting for any sign of movement. A voice broke the night, "What the hell is going on out here?"

"We're under at.." The last man in the shack said as the blonde man's pistol roared. Slammed into the wall the man gasped then hit the floor.

The man who'd spoke dived around the side of the building. "I don't know who you are, though I can tell you there is no way you can beat all of us." He shouted out. Then as the moon came out he saw several bodies laying around. "I'll make you a deal!" The man shouted. "Everyone has a code of honor, as I am sure you do. Let me go, you can have the women. Hell got a slightly used whore you can break in. What you say?"

The blonde man had reloaded the last ten bullets he had, leaning out he shot next to the leader's head. The leader jerked back then fired at the barrel where the man had been. Looking out the leader smiled wickedly seeing no return fire. Stepping out he took one step then froze when he heard the click of a colt hammer being drawn back.

"You took everything from me. Now I'm taking all that you have," came a whispered voice from the darkness. Then the man was falling as the butt of a pistol met his head. Tying the man up the blonde man crept to the second shack. Looking in he saw several women tied to several beds, including a woman who looked very familiar. Looking further he saw two other women with what appeared to be Remington hammer 12 gauge shotguns.

Shaking his head he had to get in there without killing them. Thinking a moment the man shrugged then knocked on the door. A woman appeared at the door with the shot gun in front of her. The blonde man grabbed it from her grasp pointing it at the other woman. Motioning her to drop it the woman shook her head no, the blonde man pulled the trigger aiming way over the woman's head.

Several of the women screamed as the one with the gun put it down immediately. "Untie them," the man whispered. Looking at the unconscious woman on the bed the man's ire rose as he saw the bruises all over her face, on her chest, arms and legs. Plus there was a small trickle of blood near her vagina. Holding his temper with supreme effort he growled at all the women. "Help her, stop the bleeding NOW!"

Several of the women nodded as if in a trance as they moved to the woman tied to the bed. In the distance the man could hear the approach of several horses. Looking over the shot guns he nodded then moved out of the shack telling the women to stay quiet 'til he came back.

Looking out the front of the first shack he saw that three of the last four men at the front were approaching. Stopping near the first shack they called out several names before slowly advancing. The blonde man leaned out the window opening up with both shot guns as all three went down screaming. Blown back by the force of both guns the man was up pulling a pistol shooting the three men in the head.

Moving back into the second shack he had the women go through several trunks that were there. Sitting out on the front porch he sighed it was going to be a while before they would be ok if ever.

An hour later one of the two women that had held the shotguns came out meekly, and asked the man if he wanted something to eat. Shaking his head he told the woman to make sure they ate, it was going to be a long few days after they left.

"Leave? They won't let us leave, they..." here the woman gasped as she saw the leader tied up on the porch at the man's feet. "They are all gone?"

"All but this one, I have something special in mind for him." The man whispered. The woman nodded her eyes wide as she went inside to relate the news. Several of the women came out to thank the man, to which he only nodded telling all of them they were leaving soon.

They all nodded as a few hours later the same woman that had come to him first told him that the woman on the bed was awake. Nodding the man told her he was gathering the horses for them that they needed to be ready. Going out to the corral he saw that there were twelve horses, damn it! There were fourteen women.

Reaching down he pulled the leader to his feet dragging him to the horse corral. Putting the leader in a hole after he'd cut the man's sex organs loose, the blonde man filled in the hole. Leaning down he whispered into the whimpering man's ear. "Never again you sick son of a bitch!" With that the blonde man stuffed the leader's genitals in the leader's mouth. Then the man grabbed a pitch fork piling up horse droppings around the man's head.

Tying the bandana around most of his face he led the women out to the horses. There he explained that they had to go slow as there weren't enough horses. One woman walked up to him then turned leading a horse as did the man.

Near the opening of the canyon the man saw that the last man was long gone, probably scared off by the shooting. Halting the women the man wrote a note that his horse was on the other side. All got down to wait. the man loaded the shot guns handing them to the women 'til he got back. Less than two hours later the man rode back.

Sliding off his horse he helped all the women pack all they could. Writing a note he had one of the women read it. He explained that with as many hurt as they were it would take almost a week to reach the town outside the badlands.

The rest of the day they walked not making a lot distance. Though the further they got from the canyon the better they all felt. Calling a halt the man had all of the women sleeping as he took the watch. They might be free of the canyon but they weren't safe yet. They were barely past the town now. One errant cowboy could alert the whole town to be after them in no time.

They next day the man was dead on his feet but could see the women were in better spirits. Grabbing the lead of his horse he lead them onward trying to go faster they still had a good distance to go just to be out of the badlands.

Finally stopping the women, the man breathed a little easier, they had reached the boundary crossing over. Finally he thought he could sleep as he looked for any of the women to stand guard. Finally the woman who'd been tied to the bed stepped forward.

"You need to sleep, we're dead if we get attacked with you falling out. I'll watch with a few others," she told him as he handed her both colts. Taking the guns she stared at the man a moment then shook her head.

The first real sleep the man had in almost three weeks wasn't that restful. Replaying the horror that had happened that day then a voice woke him what seemed like only minutes later. Lashing out, the man stopped realizing who had awoken him. Nodding to the woman he thanked her as they again headed out to the nearest town outside the badlands.

Finally almost a week later they arrived to the shouts of a great many people. Heading to the sheriff's office the man stopped heading in the opposite direction. He pulled up short when the same woman stopped him standing there in the street. Pulling his colt she'd kept she handed it to him, with a nod he started to move past her when her words stopped him cold.

"I know it's you John," she said as she turned to stare at him. "I... I saw them hang you. I screamed 'til they knocked me out. I knew that I could never give up, you taught me that John." Tears were starting to fall from the man's eyes as she continued. "I was lost at first then I remembered all that you'd taught me. I KNEW I would survive because of you not because I lost you."

John's head was hanging low unable to look at the bravest person he'd ever known in his life. When she reached to touch him he recoiled afraid she'd hate him for what had happened.

Throwing herself at him she tackled him to the ground. "Oh you stubborn ass! I thought it was you when you refused to sleep that first day." When he refused to look at her she shouted at him, "Look at me John, damn it!" When he finally lifted his head he was shocked as he saw no hatred or shame only love and pride. "Now then, get on your horse and follow me."

Moving almost on automatic John did as she asked. Just outside of town they both dismounted as the horses were content to graze while the woman laid the blanket out for the picnic. Patting the blanket she smiled up at John as he sunk to his knees still in shock. Kissing him as she removed the bandana she looked into his eyes with nothing but love.