Jumping over the larger stones in his way, Jin rushed alongside the edge of the high cliff, trying to focus on his own steps instead of the series of unceasing gunshots, which could be heard from below. It would not help anyone if he broke his neck up here.
Hoping that he was already far enough, he approached the terrifying border of the rocky ground and air, stopping his feet only at the last second. With fear squeezing his throat and stomach, he looked down.
Almost directly under his position, both Jane and Kame crouched behind some natural pile of rocks, which got trapped between the roots and branches of a few dead bushes at the non-existing path. They managed to get higher than he had expected, but their pursuers did as well; the bullets of five guards kept showering the nearby surroundings of their poor hideout.
Jin pulled the rifle down from his shoulder, took only a short moment to steady his breath, and aimed. Concentrating only on his targets, he switched off the menacing blaze which roared not far to his left now, the alar calls from the direction of the mine, the growing cold reaching for his fingers and trying to make them numb… None of it was important. He saw only those dark figures, which climbed up the hill after the runaways.
The young gunslinger pulled the trigger. So quickly that his fingers were only the blurs during the movement, he loaded again and fired for the second time, and then the third time. One after another he hit three gunmen, not caring anymore about where the bullets ended up, before the rest of the guards hastily retreated several yards back down, with yells and swearing, which reached even above the top of the cliff.
The cornered pair of their rescue team turned their heads up, and their eyes spotted Jin´s figure high above them. He couldn´t see their expressions in the play of night shadows and orange fiery light, still they were quite far for that, but Jin didn´t even want to; it might have shaken his determination. He managed to think out only one way to get them out of the campsite and that required a rope and horse, so he had to leave them for a while…
With deadly accuracy, Jin sent three more bullets toward the pursuers, who dared to stick their heads out from behind some rocks. Then he checked that the brunette and his lover were still paying attention to him. Hastily, he pulled the scarf off his neck and wrapped two spare revolvers into it. Prying for a good toss and some luck, Jin threw the package down.
Kame was out of their hideout even sooner than Jin´s gift finished its flight. The younger one had to slip down the cliff a little to reach it, but fortunately, when he straightened up again, the package was safely in his hands. The older one observed the space on his level as closely as was only possible under the circumstances, and then he pointed in the direction of an unusually shaped rock overhang, which he supposed they could reach. The slim figure looking up at him nodded, and Jin believed Kame understood his instruction. The younger one scrambled over the shifting stones back to Jane and together they continued the harsh climb.
With a heavy heart, Jin set off into the dark night once again, rushing across the difficult terrain as fast as he dared to, and prayed for not breaking his legs.
*
Kame already reproached himself more than once that he had ever mentioned something about luck.
The blast worked out as they had intended. It hurt some guards so badly they couldn´t continue chasing them and it held the rest of them back for a while. The problem was that it triggered an awful avalanche of stones, which separated him and Jane from Ryo and Jack. While the Riders could hopefully run off to the forest, the way for the other two was closed.
Kame and Jane, now out of bullets, which they used up on the dynamite, found themselves trapped between the fire, the mountain of stones and a few of the guards, who gathered themselves and set off behind them with bigger resolution. The only escape Kame could figure out was a way up alongside the unstable rocky hill, hoping to find a path to the top of it.
The ascent didn´t go as bad as he had feared, even though it was difficult, but the closing guards and their shooting soon prevented them from getting safely further. They were out of breath, when they reached the small rocky hideout approximately in the middle of the hill. Kame desperately pondered grabbing at least some stones for defense, when the gunshots above their heads were heard.
Their pursuers retreated screaming and cursing and Kame popped his head up, as well as Jane. In the light of the furnace they had created; they noticed a tall figure with dark-hair standing dangerously close the very edge of the cliff. Jin…
Seeing the older one, Kame managed to gather his lost composure. He was sure Jin would get them out. He was able to soothe even Jane´s anxiety and grabbing one of the revolvers Jin threw them from above, he found new strength to climb in the direction, which Jin indicated. But within a couple of minutes, his faith faltered a little.
They found themselves at a spot which ended with a free fall to the valley, and a steep wall on their right hand – the only way out was back down in their own tracks. Kame looked down the cliff and to his fright, he noticed movements between the rocks not so far away from them; those guards were really persistent…
Jane leant over the wall breathless and closed her eyes, a desperate expression in her features. Kame raised his head again, to check the top of the cliff above them, but there was nothing at all.
Why did Jin want us to get specifically here?
"There is no way we could climb this," Jane whispered in defeat.
Kame looked at her and then down at their pursuers again. Hastily, he made the brunette crouch down, so that they would not be spotted so easily.
"We are armed now, so let´s not give up yet, Jane," he said in a forcefully calm tone.
The brunette eyed him surprised: "God, what gives you so much of positive thinking in this situation?"
"I believe in Jin," Kame replied.
*
"It´s your time to shine, buddy," Jin urged on the black stallion.
Kuro just shook his big head resentfully, as if he was upset that Jin dared to doubt his abilities, while his master already staggered across the stony plateau.
Jin´s guts and legs were tied up with fear for the safety of Kazuya and Jane. He was almost amazed that he made it back in time, when he found them both cowering at that overhang, which he had pointed out before. But they were surrounded by enemies once again. It was clear that they were trying to save the precious bullets and they couldn´t keep those annoying guards in respectful distance without using all of them.
Jin kneeled, squeezing one end of the long rope, which was tied to the saddle of his dear horse. His hand was shaking a little, when he let the rope go down, worrying for a second that it might not be long enough… and he breathed out in relief when it ended up hanging right in front of Kame´s nose.
Both runaways looked up in surprise and Jin urged them with his hand to move and get their asses out of there. Without hesitation, Kame pulled Jane up from the knee-bend and tied the rope around her waist in a few skillful movements.
Two awfully loud bullets whistled around them, making Jin flinch. Kame turned to face the approaching gunmen with now two revolvers in his hands, sending them some response. Then he glanced back, confused about the fact that Jane was still on the place.
Jin almost rolled his eyes.
"Both of you, damn it!" he yelled anxiously, worried that the guards might notice what they were about to do.
Kame didn´t seem to be persuaded about the idea, but still he grabbed Jane firmly, holding onto the rope finally. Jin looked back on the patiently waiting stallion and whistled sharply. Kuro neighed and plunged forward, slowing down only a little when the rope tightened under the weight tied to it.
All tense, Jin kept checking the moving rope so it would not to get stuck anywhere and watched two figures almost flying up in the air, just from time to time supporting their feet on the wall, as they swung a little.
Those bastards under them finally noticed that their prey somehow learnt how to fly. They rushed up the cliff yelling angrily and shooting blindly. Jane exclaimed in fear, when one of the bullets passed them only by inches, shattering the cliff next to the taut rope. But they were now also close enough the top of the cliff… Jin drew his last revolver, which he had taken from the sheath in Kuro´s saddle before, and pulled back the hammer.
"Do not dare… to shoot… at my… boyfriend," he hissed the words under his nose unconsciously, firing twice at each of the fastest gunmen. The two of them collapsed, screaming in pain, while the unharmed hid behind some rocks, screaming something in futile anger.
When the faces of Jane and Kame finally appeared above the edge of the cliff, they were dirty and darkened. Jin whistled again to stop Kuro and reached with both his hands to help them. Kame managed to climb over the edge quickly, so they both pulled Jane up then.
"Thank you, guys," the brunette breathed out, squeezing their arms, obviously still surprised about the outcome of their escape, but mostly relieved. "That was a heck of a height…"
Jane broke free from their firm grip and then retreated from the edge quickly, with the rope still around her waist. She came to meet Kuro, who was proudly returning to them.
Jin allowed himself to breathe out in relief only when he focused his eyes on disheveled Kame, who remained kneeling on the edge. The younger one tore his disbelieving stare off the pit they managed to get out from. The guards down there seemed to explode in anger every second, trying to shoot up at them without much effect, as the bullets didn´t even reach their level.
"What were you thinking down there?" Jin burst out, releasing all his worries at once. "That Kuro cannot handle both of you with that fly weight of yours?"
The younger one stared at him, a little shocked about the outburst: "I… I didn´t… think… that… you…"
"Ah, shut up," Jin interrupted him suddenly lovingly, reached his hand out, and helped Kame get up on his feet.
Not caring about anything else, Jin pulled Kazuya into his arms. Kame took a long shaky breath, finally allowing himself to let go of that anxiety, which was squeezing him since the moment they separated at the crossroads half a mile away from the mine. He huddled up into the older one´s hug, which felt so, so good…
"You always make me worry, damn it," Jin murmured into his ear.
Kame wanted to remind him that it was very similar other way around, but something blocked his throat so that he simply could not speak. Unwillingly, he pulled back from Jin, when he remembered they were not alone. But when they glanced in Jane´s direction, the brunette seemed to be busy with caressing the satisfied black stallion.
Jin squeezed the younger´s shoulder, before he let him go.
"What about Ryo and Jack?" Kame asked, fearing the answer a little. "Did you see them anywhere?"
"Yeah, I think they managed it to the woods," Jin replied, as they turned away from the mess down in the mine.
"Glad to hear that," they younger one breathed out. "Jack was in a pretty bad shape."
Kuro, with his head high, let Jane pamper him, when they reached them.
"What a noble animal," the brunette noted with a smile. Kuro pushed his head softly against her touch, making Jin frown a little. "You have my gratitude as well as your master," Jane patted the stallion.
"You´re very welcome," Jin reacted, winding the rope up around the saddle. "I had no choice anyway."
Jane looked at him surprised: "What do you mean…?"
"Leo would have killed me if anything happened to you," he grinned.
Jane couldn´t help but nod amused: "Where is he?"
"He´ll join us, I´m sure. He stayed above the mine for the moment."
"Let´s get to the meeting point," Kame suggested. "I hope that everyone will make it…"
"I´m sure they will," Jin announced firmly and took Kuro´s bridle to lead him away. "I´m quite surprised how friendly to strangers you´re all of the sudden," he hissed in the animal´s ear so that the other two could not catch it.
Kuro snorted, blowing warm air from his blowholes at Jin´s face softly.
"And don´t think you can reconcile with me so easily…"
Jane was amazed with Kuro, which seemed be a very wise animal, but no matter that the firm embrace above the valley didn´t escape her attention. She eyed both youngsters curiously, as they just stood there for a while, their figures black on the background of the dimming glow from below and they looked so… fitting like that.
Suddenly, she even felt that she disturbed something what was not her business and looked away quickly, right before they separated.
Jin and Kame are really close to each other, she pondered thoughtfully, as she followed them on the way down the hill on the other side of the mine. No wonder Leo already trusts Kame, since his older brother is so much into him.
***
It was close to midnight, when the rescue group finally gathered in full numbers, including two freed Riders. Leo was the last one to pop out from the darkness; his appearance finally releasing the tense atmosphere, in which the others waited within or outside the small cave. Ryo and Carl lowered the prepared colts, as soon as they recognized their leader in the light of the torch they made.
"Took you long enough, Bro," his older brother welcomed Leo, and sat down on the old stump again.
"Leo… Finally," Ryo breathed out in relief. "I almost went to look for you."
"Is everybody here?" was Leo´s first question, as he ran his eyes over one after another carefully, before he headed to Jane, who was cleaning the bloody wound on Jack´s head carefully.
"Yeah, we all made it," the black-haired Rider announced cheerfully. "But we had some devil luck, really…"
The brunette raised the shining eyes to her lover, when his strong hand squeezed her shoulder and smiled at him.
"How is he?" Leo asked.
Jack opened his so-far-closed eyes and gave him a quiet reply instead: "I´ll be fine, Chief, I have a quite thick head."
"Yeah, I´m sure you have," Leo reacted in a significant tone.
Jack fidgeted, suddenly seeming to be the misery itself: "I´m sorry, Leo, really I´m… It was my fault we ended up here… It was stupid…"
"It definitely was," Esler´s strict voice, though not as firm as usually, confirmed the young Rider´s statement.
"Cullen…" Leo turned to the older man, who sat on the opposite side of the cave, cowering under the thick blanket. "I´m really glad to see you alive."
"I´m quite pleased to find myself out of that hole, too," Cullen murmured. "Thanks for not giving up on us," he added then.
"You didn´t really think I would to that, right?" Leo reacted. "Anyway, you should thank to everyone… Mainly to Jin and Kame."
Cullen raised his eyebrows, and looked outside the cave at the two mentioned: "Really?"
The older Akanishi was sitting there smoking, while Kamenashi was crouching right next to him, preparing another torch for Jane to have a better look at the wounds of the rescued Riders. Both of them raised their heads upon hearing their names.
"Yes, those two figured out a plan how to get inside the mine with that fake beer delivery," Leo didn´t mention that Jin argued quite fiercely about taking Ryo´s place under the cart, and gave up only after Kame himself said he would be calmer if Jin took the position above as a sharpshooter.
"But the rest of it was your job, Brother, you don´t have to credit us so much," Jin noted grinning slightly.
"Well, anyway, thanks…" Cullen reacted seriously, not letting his eyes off the two.
Akanishi brothers´ faces acquired very similar satisfied expressions after those words.
"And I thank you so much too, of course," Jack straightened up, just to be forced back to lean over the wall by Jane. "Really, guys, you´re great. I thought we were going to die over there…"
"No wonder when you attacked the guards with a spoon," Patrick reminded him gleefully.
"It was my only chance!" Jack defended his foolish idea.
"Stay calm, or you can treat this awful hole in your scull yourself," Jane scolded him, while the other Riders chuckled amused, but Leo´s expression remained serious.
"One more thing… To blow up that dynamite – whose was that idea?" the Riders´ leader asked.
Kame gave the lit-up torch to Patrick to hold it above Jack first, and then he turned to Leo: "Mine."
"And do you have any idea what you actually did?" Leo asked in a strange voice, looking Kamenashi in the eyes.
Jin finished his cigarette and slowly stood up; waiting for what was coming next.
"What do you mean?" Kame asked confused, and the others looked at Leo curiously, too.
"The explosion disrupted the pillars in the mine. Shortly after that the whole entrance collapsed," Leo announced.
"Oh, damn… We heard some strange noise back then," Ryo breathed out.
"It seems that a whole night shift of workers got stuck in there," the leader continued. "And somehow I doubt they will bother to get them out."
Kame´s face turned awfully pale. He opened his mouth wordlessly and closed them again, not knowing what to say. Suddenly, Jane stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It was a good idea, Kame," she said firmly. "We couldn´t know what it would cause."
Jane was right, but Jin saw Kame´s face; he already knew that expression the younger one made. Kame started to blame himself for those lives, which were probably lost in the dark hole.
"I did it with him," Jane turned to Leo then, somewhat defending silent Kame. "We might have thought of better solution, but in that situation, we…"
"You don´t have to justify it, Jane," Leo cut in quickly. "We went into this knowing it will cost some lives. It´s just that… They were criminals but also people. I thought you should know about this."
Jane´s face darkened, while Kame still said nothing. The others glanced at each other, not knowing what to add either. The strange silence made Leo speak again.
"I don´t blame you… You all did great and I´m glad you´re all right," he stated, trying to soothe the edge of his previous statement. "That´s what matters… So, you two," he looked at Jack and Cullen. "Are you able to ride for a while? I´d like to be out of here already."
***
The spurs clung sharply at the clash of the high black boots with the ground. The broad-shouldered, yellow-haired man with evil eyes threw the bridle of his horse over the railing at the manager´s office and crossed the messy yard with a few long steps. He stopped at the corner of some ugly shed and lit up a cigarette, observing quite an unexpected view on the space in front of the mine´s entrance.
Both workers and their guards were carrying around tons of smaller or bigger stones thrown all around, probably trying to get some order in it. The entrance of the mine itself was half-collapsed, supported by some hastily-made pillars. The slaves, who were not chained, were pulling out some dirty bodies and also accompanied a lot of staggering figures, who looked half-dead as well, but at least they were able to move.
Math Grenet had already heard a lot of about this mine, but he didn´t expect it to be so fitting its name. Though it seemed that curse would influence him in a not very bad way… The guards at the driveway informed him about the night´s explosion and runaway slaves, so he brought along his ´workers´ just in time. But it was good he left them waiting guarded by his gunmen further away from the mine; if they saw something like this right at their arrival, they wouldn´t have been very eager to ´work´ there.
Grenet finished his cigarette first, before he headed back to the office, from which some angry voice could be heard.
"Not only that you´re lazy bastards, you´re also idiots!"
The smirking gunslinger entered the huge room on the ground floor, finding a line of shaking slaves kneeling in front of the sturdy man with dark-red face. His shining eyes focused on the newcomer.
"´Morning," Grenet touched his hat, shifting it a little bit back from his face. "I suppose that I arrived just in time, manager."
"Grenet," the angry man remembered, as they had already met each other once. "What do you want here? I´m sure you noticed I´m busy."
"Yeah, I can see that," Grenet grabbed the first free chair he found and threw his legs on the table. "Don´t worry, I´m here to solve at least some of your troubles."
"Ah, really? What the fuck you know about my troubles?!"
"I´d be more polite if I were you," Grenet´s eyes narrowed. "It seems you´re short on workers after the last night."
"Obviously!" the manager snapped.
"I´ve got more than dozen people, who will be definitely more than hard-working. I´m sure we can negotiate a good price, if you calm down a little."
The manager approached the visitor and lit up a cigarette for himself and for him as well: "Now you´ve got my interest. Who are they?"
"Some naughty Sioux. Muscular, I´m sure you´ll be satisfied."
"Where have you got them?"
"Not far, I can bring them within an hour."
"Great… It seems we can make a deal, Grenet."
"Sure."
Grenet stood up again and both men shook their hands.
"You have a great timing, that´s for sure," the manager said. "We had some night over here… Let the Devil take those Riders!"
Content, smoking Grenet eyed the man more curiously: "The Riders? It was them who made such a mess?"
"Yeah, we´re pretty sure about it. All those useless scumbags said the same so far – they were young, with black scarves over their faces. I don´t know what the fuck was their intention, but I lost ten men and more than thirty slaves fled," the manager continued complaining.
"That sucks," Grenet admitted. "They have quite a name, don´t they?"
"Somebody should clench their pip already," the still red-faced man grunted. "Anyway, it´s great you brought some substitute now."
"I´ll bring them right away," Grenet nodded and turned to leave.
The man in charge of the Cursed Mine stomped across the floor back to the shaking slaves.
"So, once again, you good-for-nothing scum! Is there anything else you remember about them?"
"I really don´t know, sir," one of the slaves replied almost tearfully. "They had their faces covered, what do you expect me to say?'"
"To hell with your excuses," the manager kicked the man between his ribs.
"Wait, wait, I remember something, sir! I know!" another one yelled, just when Grenet crossed the threshold.
"What is it?!"
"One of them was called ´Kame´."
The leaving gunslinger stopped in the middle of another step.
"Is it useful, sir?" the terrified slave pleaded. "I didn´t want to run away, really, they forced me. Can I get more food for that today?"
The hopeful expression on the man´s face was replaced with pure horror, when the gunslinger returned to the room and grabbed the remains of his shirt. Grenet dragged the slave up on his feet with insane glow in his eyes. The manager stared at the scene surprised, but didn´t try to stop Grenet.
"What did you just say?!"
"I… I... just asked… for… more… I didn´t want…" the slave almost cried now for real.
"No, you idiot! That name!" the gunslinger sprinkled the poor man´s face with saliva. "Repeat that name!"
"Kame… One of them called… the other Kame," the blabbering answer came from the terrified man.
The silence fell on the room, as the horrific gunslinger went numb, still staring at the slave, but not really seeing him.
"What is this about, Grenet? Do you know him or what?" the manager spoke first.
The slave fell on the ground, screaming in pain, as he twisted his ankle at the impact. Grenet ignored it as well as the manager´s curious question.
"Bloody hell…" he murmured in amazement. "So, he is with them after all…"
Even Cameron considered it highly unlikely – somebody like Kamenashi to involve himself with criminals on the run. They thought he let Tanaka go from the fucking goodness of his heart, not to mention they were not sure that the blonde one really belonged to the Riders, as that cheeky bastard was just full of stupid jokes. But now, it made much more sense. If Leo Akanishi was a younger brother of that greenhorn ass from Montana and Kamenashi was seen among them, the older Akanishi was definitely a part of it as well.
Grenet´s lips spread in a wide smile, as the individual pieces fell in together perfectly. They were so stupid they didn´t put it together right away. What other reason Kamenashi would have for a journey to south if not to help his dear friend Akanishi? It was only natural he ended up in the Riders´ company.
"Grenet?" the manager stared at the man´s expression almost frightened.
"No big deal, manager, I had just found out that I have a very, very good day. I´ll be right back with the Sioux and we can…"
"Boss!" one of the guards rushed inside the room interrupting them. "Sheriff is here with some gunmen and people from Leadville! Somebody leaked the info about the mine!"
"Hell… If Watson is here, I doubt anything will come from our business, Grenet," the manager cursed upset. "He wants to close this mine forever."
The gunslinger´s smile faded: "Well… Not to mention I´d better make my very inconspicuous departure now… I guess you´re right."
"Yeah, you better do that," the man nodded. "I´ll let you know if we need any work force from now on."
"Fine," Grenet agreed and rushed outside for his horse, before the men of the law could spot him in there, while the manager was already yelling again at the guards to haul those slaves back to the barracks.
Still, the ruined business could not spoil Grenet´s good mood. Even though he didn´t know the exact location, he was the closest to finding that pretty brat since the moment Danny spotted him in Fort Collins. And that was worth of even two more useless trips like this one…
He just needed to think about the next step carefully, as he didn´t want to startle those two in advance…
*
"We´re leaving back to Laporte! Now!!" the order woke the guarding gunmen from their lazy doing-nothing. "Get your asses to the saddles!"
"But why?"
"What happened, boss?"
The glade located two miles north of the Cursed Mine got lively with confused men.
"Stop asking useless questions and move it!"
"But, boss! What about those Indians?"
"Get rid of them, of course!" Math Grenet reacted immediately. "There will be no business in the mine, Sheriff arrived there. And I´m not going to drag them back!"
The group of sitting Indians listened to the exchange of yells in the temporary camp of Grenet´s gunmen, most of them understanding the words. And just like that, their hope of escape flew away with the approaching men, who drew their weapons. The only one of their brothers, who was finally able to release his hands from the strong ropes, while they were waiting, retreated to the shadows of the trees, before he could help the rest of them.
The wide eyes filled with sorrow and horror watched as the white men slaughtered the defenseless brothers of the Sioux-Lakota tribe. The young Indian held himself back for the whole time; he realized that if he tried to help them, he would have been killed as well. No, he couldn´t do anything, he had to escape, he had to return to his tribe and avenge the awful death of his fellow warriors.
His eyes flooded with rage at seeing the motionless bodies covered with blood. For the last time, the Sioux eyed the white gunmen and their leader, who murdered the people from his tribe, remembering each and every inch of their faces. Wordlessly praying to the Great Manitou, he swore revenge in his mind; before he sneaked off between the trees, quiet as a shadow.