TOO QUIET

Brandy and Colt rode into town. It was awful quiet. Like that moment right before a big fight goes down.

"The shutters are closed. The doors are sealed up tight."

Brandy looked at Colt and agreed, "Somethin' isn't right."

"Keep your ears and eyes open!" She made sure her weapons were prepped. She tied up her horse. Headed for the Saloon but Colton intercepts.

"You sure you wanna do this?"

"These men are counting on me. Whatever goes down today, I'm bringing them home to BG."

Brandy put on a smile. Swung open the doors. Donavan looked surprised to see her, over flowing his pour. The cowboy before him swore.

"Well, isn't this a surprise for my very eyes. What brings you here? I thought Shamus told you to stay clear!"

Brandy knew right then and there, trouble was brewin'. "Since when have I ever listened to him?"

"Never!" Donavan let a drink slide down the bar to her waiting hand, praying she truly did understand.

"Aren't you that Brandy Vine? That Bounty Hunter from Destiny who went rogue and set her bounty free."

Brandy looked at the man next to her. "You asking or telling me?"

His smirk spread across his lips "Actually I don't care." He pulled out his gun.

Her shot came out of nowhere. He fell off his chair.

Now the rest of the bar stood up. Brandy took a moment to drain her cup.

"Get down and get out if you can," she said to Donavan.

She saw three more draw in the mirror over the bar. With a rapid shot, she laid them out. Makes 4 down so far.

In her head, she kept a count as the number of bodies started to surmount.

One threw a knife. She blocked with a chair. Flipped up a table to hide behind and shot him without care.

The amount of bullets ringing had her pinned down. Then one brute grabbed her boot and dragged her across the ground.

She used her other foot to trip him. To the floor he did crash. He didn't get a second chance he was dead in a flash.

Another jumped on top of her. Tried to pin her to the floor. But received a bullet to the head by the gunman at the door.

"Nice timing as always." She tipped her hat to Colt who grabbed hold of a coward who desperately tried to bolt.

"He'll do nicely."

Colt clocked him out cold and asked rather bold, "You saying I'm useful?"

Brandy smirked. "Now and then."

In a move of desperation, Colt found a gun pressed in his back. "Drop your weapon, or I'll lay you out flat!"

Colt's eyes met Brandy's when his gun hit the floor.

"You! Drop your gun!" The frightened cowboy swore. "Or your friend here dies."

"Well, that's unwise. You see it's not a smart place to draw the line as he's no friend of mine."

To prove her point she shot Colt at point-blank range. The cowboy looked at her stunned, "You're...you're deranged!"

"That just might be." Colt slumped forward and she lowered him to the floor.

"But it doesn't look like you'll have to worry about me anymore."

He looked down and saw the blossom of red grace his chest, peeking out from behind his vest, he dropped dead like the rest.

"Anyone else wish to give me a go?" Several men shook their heads, no.

"Then I'll give you to the count of four. Whoever's left will never reach that door."

They all scrambled to get out as she sounded off the count.

1...

2...

3...

4...

There was a reason her name was folklore.

The saloon was emptied. Not a soul left around. She knelt next to Colt and turned him over on the ground.

"You planning on laying there all day?"

"You know a thank you wouldn't kill you to say."

"Thank you," she said with a grin. "Now I need to find Donavan."

"I don't think he's gotten far." Brandy looked up and saw him standing behind the bar.

"You know your bullets can't kill me but that doesn't mean they don't cause pain."

"Well, didn't you hear the man? Turns out I'm deranged."

She grabbed the whiskey and the rag that Donavan held out to her. To patch up Colton and quick, so to Donavan, she could defer.

"What the hell happened here?"

"An ambush, waiting for you. They expected, however, Brandy, you to come in with Bruce. Regan let his boys loose. Most of our men are dead. Some went into hiding."

Brandy's heart filled with dread. "Regan! That bastard! He's going down!"

"Whoa, whoa there feisty pants!" Colton groaned with a frown. "You're forgetting something..." he looked pointedly to the ground. To the cowboy, he knocked out in the first round. "Let's find out what we need to know. Then we go."

Now tied to a chair, Brandy woke the man up with waving some smelling salts in the air. He coughed and sputtered an oath he uttered.

"What is Regan's plan?"

"Isn't it obvious. Whatever it takes to make sure you disband. Lou took his territory away from him. But now that she's gone he's taken it back again."

"But to do that you need to kill Bruce," Brandy said with a grin.

"Please, by now Regan already has him."

"What? How can that be so?"

"After you killed his bounty hunters you'd have to know. This was all a play to lure you away. He knew you'd kill them. He didn't care. Regan pegged you good, planned the whole affair."

Brandy punched him out of anger. Knocking him out in the chair.

"Damn it! I gotta get back to BG!"

"Not without me!"

"Fine! I don't' have time to argue. I have to protect, Bruce!"

"What should I do with him?" She looked briefly at Donavan. "I don't care! Kill him or set him loose."

"I have to get out of here!" Brandy raced for her horse.

Colton let out a sigh and followed her, of course.