So now I have to finish my stories before we move on to Jay's Adventures of Greg Dobson...
OK...
SO, Buddy is mourning, he won't leave the mine, even if he has to dig the whole place out again with his bare hands. Catori, his Beautiful Flower is GONE, dead and buried, and he won't let her rot in this god-forsaken mine...
"It's YOUR god-forsaken mine, Sergeant Reno..." it was Commander Jericho's voice that got thru to him as he clawed at the rocky cave-in.
"At ease soldier! and listen up!"
Buddy stopped, and glared at Jericho. He tried to twist it around in his brain to be able to blame all of this on his former Commanding Officer, but he couldn't...
"What are you talking about?"
"I found some things, on that lawyer guy, Gavin..." Jericho explained. "This diamond mine lies on the Willoughby-Rutherford ranch property, and was titled to one Sarah Willoughby... and, according to Miss Willoughby's wishes, upon her death, the mine and all proceeds and profits from therein, fall to YOU, Buddy Reno, not her husband...
The WR diamond mine is yours, Buddy!"
Oh, great! Buddy thought. And the one and only treasure he ever wanted left in this life WAS indeed buried in the mine, his mine. Maybe it truly was a fitting final resting place after all.. Buddy didn't have time to really think about it before Jericho dropped another bomb, that exploded like TNT in Buddy's brain.
"There's more... the money train was NOT buried and lost in the explosion!!" Jericho continued. "All of this was staged to do exactly what it did, to get the law out of town before the real deal went down... the Mastermind sent the decoy squad a telegram, and it was recovered by the little mercantile boy and his little dancer girl... We HAVE to get back to town NOW, and stop the real robbery from going down according to the real plan by the real masterminds behind it all..."
"Sonofabitch!!!!!" Buddy was spurred into action, sprinkled some of the roadside desert flowers over the huge massive mountain grave site, and made his way back to the horses, and back to town....
"I'll see you, Flower..." Buddy promised, though he didn't know exactly when. "I'm sorry I ever left you..."
~ok let's go back and try again to stop the great money train robbery, according to the twisted mastermind master plan, then get Catori back, and move on... or let the thread die off AGAIN!!~
~K, this isn't exactly linked to your story thing, Leo's still off looking for his brother.~
Twice he had chased after Wolfe, and twice he had lost him and everything he held dear to him. Leo stood atop a cliff overlooking the world ahead. He wouldn't give up his search, not now that he remembered why he had stopped becoming an outlaw...
Leo had been five years younger (assuming this is before that 15 years into the future thing still, if not then 20 years younger). He had was still young and was following in his brother's and father's footsteps. He was learning how to shoot, practicing on some cans lined up on a fence when he heard shouting. He crept back to the barn where his brother was "abusing" a young lady. He didn't really like it, but he had to follow in their footsteps, it was what was expected of him. His dad had entered the room and pulled Wolfe off of the lady.
"What are you doing!!??" he asked in a deep voice, "This woman comes under our protection, we are here to protect these people from those damned scorpians, we don't want you acting like one!"
"Well maybe we shouldn't! We are the Raine gang, we do as we please!"
"No we don't. There is still alot you don't know about being a bandit, you can gain fear and that way, but we want the people to know we are different to those scorpians! I will never become like that son of a ***** who runs them!"
A shot ran out and the woman fell to the floor, "Well our aims are different then." As their dad went for his gun Wolfe shot him aswell. "Me and Leo are going to become the most feared bandits in the whole of America."
Leo looked down and sighed turning he got on his horse and rode onwards to his duel with destiny.
The sun was high in the morning sky when the wagon of the dead returned to New Hope, Buddy and the others (whoever they may be) riding along side.
Little Benny Sisco somberly made his way back to the mercantile, while arrangements were made for the funeral and burial of his mother. He was in full rage fuming when he got back tot he store, and stomped up to his parents' bedroom, smashed the glass on the locked gun cabinet and strapped on his Pa's pistol belt. It was very very loose fitting around his slender 16-year old hips, but he did his best to wear it well.
He too would have his revenge on the remainder of the Scorpion bandits, who had killed his parents! Ben Sisco strolled down to the store, and outside again, locking the mercantile up, and posting his hand-written sign in the window: CLOSED FOR REVENJ
Buddy (and those others, whoever they may be) started the afternoon scouring the streets, saloons and hotel for any straggler Scorpions, arresting many, killing some, but no closer to unmasking the mastermind behind the whole money-train robbery scheme, as the day dragged on.
The train was due the next morning, and if the Scorpions got wind that their twisted double-cross had been exposed, they might try to hit the train early, so it was Buddy's intent to go meet the money train out on the trail and escort it in to town.
"Of course, you've got my support, Serg-- uhh, Sheriff Reno..." Jericho offered, no longer wearing his Army Commander stars and stripes. "Whatever you need from what's left of my Army..."
"Rally the rest of the soldiers from their camp, Commander..." Buddy ordered, even knowing that Jericho was actually no longer a part of that man's Army, he also knew the stakes were too high for the Army to overlook or ignore. "They will help, or they will be as dishonored and disgraced by their actions as you are..."
it was decided, and Jericho left to the Army camp, to make the plea...
As the cave crashed in behind the second wagon, Catori gave a scream. All hope of her and Buddy being together again left her. She held back sobs as the first wagon crashed into a wall ahead of them. There was a loud rushing sound.
Catori's eyes widened, the underground river. She didn't have to respond. The bandit pulled out another tnt but it was too late. The second wagon was sucked into the hole by the river. The tnt exploded just as they past from mine to river closing in the wall behind them.
Neither Catori nor the bandit had time to react as the wagon was crushed into pieces and they were sent into the river. Catori bobbed up and down in the rushing waters. She tried to keep her head above the surface so she could breathe. No such luck. She was drug under water by a current. She struggled and soon was tired as the river's treacherous waters and currents pushed her along.
Catori past out as she was slammed into a rock. Soon she was washed up on shore. Too tired to open her eyes, Catori slipped into a coma. Would anyone find her? Could anyone save her from her injuries after being blown up, feverish, raped, and lonely?
(((Sorry so short 😛 )))
Elsewhere...
Into a dark and dingy, out-of-the-way cabin north and east of New Hope...
A horse galloped up, and a figure dressed all in black dismounted, approaching the cabin cautiously, dual-pistols in his fists. The man slipped into the cabin and closed the door, turning to face one who waited in the shadows..
"It is done... the renegade law-men of New Hope, and the US Army have all been way-laid... the town and the train will be ours!"
"Excellent work, Bart!" the man in the shadows, the Mastermind congratulated. "What of this Sheriff, Buddy Reno?"
"If he wasn't killed in the crossfire in town, he was most likely caught in the blast at the mine... he will not be a problem..."
"Excellent..." the Mastermind laughed, and sent Black Bart on his way to ruin the day, rob the real money train and terrorize the town.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!
Greg smiled. He was all for some more blood shed. He still had some frustration to get rid of. He quickly fired a shot in the air and put the now heated gun barrel to the bleeding wound in his shoulder. The bullet had only grazed him, so the bullet wasn't still in him. He bit through the pain and then looked to Buddy. "Ready when you are friend. Lets get whoever these bastards are."
"You alright, friend?" Buddy wondered, seeing Greg take care of his wounds in a most barbaric manner. "We can make way to Bucksville to fetch the doc after we settle things with this money train..."
Buddy's grief and rage was over-flowing as well, and he let it show, initiating the first phase of his plan to take the money train back from the banditos BEFORE the Scorpions had even laid siege to the train for real. Buddy and Greg picked through the Scorpion prisoners they had rounded up at the jail, and pulled them outside to question them further about the location and meeting point.
3 broken jaws, 4 fractured arms, and multiple cracked ribs and other various cuts, scrapes and bruises and they found their man, the man who cracked and gave them the location of the cabin, the rallying point for the heist.
When Buddy, Jericho and Greg, along with those few Army soldiers who were still somewhat loyal to Jericho, in costume and disguised as the Scorpions, arrived at the cabin, and entered, they found....
nothing! The place was clear, and set for the ambush!
"Perfect!" Buddy smiled for the first time since the mine collapsed, the soldiers and Jericho settled in as Scorpion banditos, while Buddy and Greg moved out down the road, to meet the money train, as duly appointed law-men from New Hope...
Greg tried to tie a bandage on his calf as he road, but failed, and left it to bleed. "Yeah, a doctor might be ok after all of this. I may be ok now, but as soon as this adrenilin goes down, I'm gonna feel every bit of it." He looked back at the cabin and shook his head. "Do you really trust jericho with your life? I know I wouldn't, but maybe I've had one to many bad experiances."
Buddy shrugged and scowled. "If Jericho is in this any deeper, I got no problem taking him out of your misery, Greg..."
"I don't think he's that invested in this, but, then, he's got nothing more to lose... keep an eye on him..." They rode for miles away from the cabin, to the east and north, before finally spotting the approaching dust trail swirling up from the road, as the wagon train approached from Abilene trail..
"This is it, Deputy..." Buddy growled, shifting his weight off his bruised backside some, and gripping his rifle tensely, riding up and hailing the lead wagon.