RANGO // OӘͶAЯ - Another Outlaw Story [Engl.]

21. Siloed

In secret the mayor watched how the rattlesnake left the bank together with the rabbit, the mouse and the Gila monster. He sat in his wheelchair under the roof of a house and put his hands together thoughtfully. But shortly after they were gone, Miss Daisy appeared next to him.
"Mayor John!"
The Mayor winced and shook his head. "Yes, madam?"
"There is a letter for you. It came this morning."
The mayor took the letter with thanks and the rodent woman left him again.
For a few seconds, John stared at the letter in his hands. Finally, he opened it and took out a paper. He read the lines and no long time and he let fall the letter on the ground.

"You still have the chance to turn back," Kinski said.
They had walked for almost an hour. Kinski, Chorizo and Bill sat on their roadrunners, while the snake was crawling by their side.
"You don't have to come with me," Jake replied. "You shall only show me the way. After that you can leave again."
Kinski rolled his eyes. "That's not what I wanted to say. I'm only worried about your health. Joel is a really stubborn person. Measuring the strength with him is suicide."
He looked back where Chorizo was riding. "You know him more than me, am I right or not?"
Chorizo cleaned his throat. "Well, he had always a rough nature. He worked in the mines and he was a hard worker."
"Don't they say, that he has a lot of dynamite, because of this?" Bill asked with worried face.
"What do you want to say with that?" Chorizo asked back.
"Stubbornness and dynamite are bad friends, John uses to say."
Jake gave him a skeptical look. Did he really think that that Joel could use that dynamite on his land?
Suddenly Kinski raised his hand. "Stop! We're at the edges of his land."
In the free landscape there stood an old, big wooden sign with big letters: "Keep out! Risk of death! Be warned!"
They looked behind the sign where the landscape started to be hillier.
Jake shrugged his upper body. "Well, in this case until later."
With that the rattlesnake continued his way and passed the sign.
"Uhm... Mr. Jake?" Chorizo said. "Considering that you tried to save our home, I think it's my obligation giving you a company. Maybe I could calm Joel down through diplomatic channels."
"In this case, I come with you, too," Kinski said. "I don't think my brother will be happy that he could lose his administrator."
Jake was a little relieved, but he didn't want to say it.
Kinski and Chorizo left the sign behind while Bill was still staring at it.
"Uhm, maybe I could wait here."
Now Jake moved his mouth. "I thought you wanted to help me. Well, do you want to find the water or not?"
Bill lowered his glance and sighed. "Well, alright."
With that he moved his roadrunner and followed them.
"Do you really think Joel has something to do with the disappearance of the water?" Chorizo asked curiously.
"I can't say yet, until I know more," Jake answered.
They walked through the area. Hills appeared around them, but a small way guided them through it.
Kinski slowed his roadrunner. "The ranch isn't far away anymore. But we have to be careful. Amos said that Joel set up a lot of traps."
They passed a big rock and stopped. In front of them extended a little valley area. It was like a hollow in the hills. In the middle stood an old wooden house, with a big shed nearby. The flat area was fenced-lined. With slow movement, they walked down into the valley and came to a hold at the fence. Next to the fence stood another sign, written with red letters: "Dead end! Last warning!"
Bill swallowed heavily.
"What an inviting person," Kinski muttered.
All eyes wandered at the rattlesnake who watched the area carefully. There was no person, no animal, no sound. Just the blowing wind and the whirling sand which crossed the area.
After a while they decided to climb down from their roadrunners and went the last way by foot. Together they walked along the two fences on the left an on the right side. Everything seemed to be peaceful. Or was that an illusion?
With every step they made, their bad feeling covered them more around like a noose.
"STOP!"
Jake's cry let the others froze.
"What is it? What is it?" Bill asked and looked around wildly.
Jake crawled forward a little. "Don't move more."
He bent down and licked with his tongue about the floor. Then he blew over the sand and a cord became visible.
"A pitfall?" Chorizo asked.
"Probably."
"What a luck to be a snake," Kinski said and chuckled. He knew how good snakes can perceive smells.
"Phew," Bill wiped over his forehead and leaned his hand against the fence. "That was very clo..."
Suddenly his hand felt a rope.
The cord vibrated and a loud bell ringed near the house.
All eyes looked at him reproachfully.
Bill raised his hands. "Sorry."
"Nice chime," Kinski said. "A nice kind of alarm system."
"An alarm system?"
"Shhh!" Jake hissed and listened. But there was no sound. No voice. Suddenly Jake realized a movement in one of the windows of the house.
"Don't worry," Kinski said and reached into his pocket. "For such things, I have a secret weapon."
He held out a white flag.
Chorizo scratched his head. "This is your secret weapon?"
"A flag of truce can be stronger than every sharp sword."
With that, he bound it on his long gun and swayed the white flag.
For a while nothing happened.
The others looked around watchfully.
Bill rubbed his forehead. "It seems to..."
[BANG!] [BANG!] [BANG!]
With wide eyes, Kinski stared at the flag - perforated.
"Get down!"
The rabbit threw himself on the floor behind the fence. The others followed his example.
No second too late. Shortly after, more bullets followed and flew over their heads.
Jake had the most trouble to press himself on the ground to protect himself.
"We are coming at peace!" Kinski shouted in hope that the rain of bullets would stop.
Suddenly it stopped.
The group lifted their heads, but new bullets fired and they had to lower their heads again.
"That's not a good place for a nap," Chorizo said.
His companions agreed.
"Indeed," Jake said and looked for a safe place.
An old cart stood not far away.
"Behind the cart!"
In fast speed they managed to reach it before a new load of bullets followed their way.
Jake made himself small as well as he could. Somewhen the fire was interrupted.
"Well, I think that is a good chance to talk some words."
Kinski looked at Chorizo who rubbed his hat nervously.
"Oh, okay. I'll do that."
Carefully, he peeked over the cart. The area was still like empty, but in the house at a window he could see a movement.
"Hey, Joel!" he screamed. "Old friend. How are you? It's me. Chorizo. Do you remember? It's been a long time since we have seen. Could you be a good neighbor and speak with us a little?"
"Very diplomatic," Kinski muttered sarcastically.
[BANG!]
"Scram!" an old man's voice yelled. "Get out of my land!"
"But Joel," Chorizo tried again. "It's just for a minute."
"I don't give a dirt about it!"
Kinski sighed. "At least he knows in which town he is still living."
Chorizo snorted. "Listen, Joel. We are here with our new sheriff. Amos got an accident..."
"Take your shit with you and leave!"
"We have some questions to you."
There was silence for a brief moment.
"I count until 11," Joel screamed from his house. "Then you are gone!"
"Just a few minutes."
"One!"
Now it was Jake who dared to take a look over the cart. "Listen, my name is Jake, and we have reason to believe that you know something about the water problem of Dirt."
"Two!"
Chorizo rubbed his head nervously. "Joel, please, listen to reason."
"Three... and 11!"
Suddenly bullets came from behind and hit the ground and missed them just millimeters.
"An ambush!" Kinski screamed. "Let's scram!"
As fast as they could the group left his previously safe place. Suddenly Chorizo fell to the ground and held his leg. Jake was the first one who lifted him up again, until the mouse fell into Kinski's arms. Blood colored his pant leg.
"It's not bad," he said and was pulled away.
At the same moment another sound of fire filled the air.
The two mammals looked up and saw how Jake was firing with his gun in all directions. Then he stopped and they fled.
Bill was the first one who ran to the exit, but suddenly a shadow ran between the hills. For a brief moment he caught a view of the person before she disappeared again. The Gila monster stopped suddenly while running. Kinski and Chorizo ran into his back and they fell down.
Jake stopped at the last second, but then he heard a fizzling sound through the air.
"DOWN!"
He pressed himself ahead and pushed them aside. A loud bang exploded in their ears. For a moment Kinski thought he had lost his hearing and heard nothing for a brief moment anymore. Immediately the rattlesnake sat up and looked around, but nobody was hurt with the dynamite. He looked back. The ranch was meters away. At least they were out of the danger area.
There was silence. Dead silence. Just the dust was still wafting over the landscape.
Meanwhile, the others had recovered and stood up.
"Why didn't you run away?" Kinski scolded and gave Bill a hard push.
Chorizo moaned and held his left leg. "Long time since I made a run."
Kinski eyed the bleeding leg. "Maybe just a graze shoot. We shall go back to town. I've got enough for today." Kinski wiped away the dust from his fur.
"Me too," Chorizo agreed.
"What about you, Bill?"
But Bill was still like far away with his brain.
"Hey! Spaceship calls to you! Are you still here?"
"Wh-what?" Bill shook his head. "N-no, no, everything is alright, I'm fine."
"Fine."
The rattlesnake took a last glance to the ranch. His eyes wandered down and eyed the floor thoughtfully. "Hmm." He wiped over the sandy ground and laid his head on the floor.
"Are you coming now?" He heard the voice of the others.
"I'm coming."
With that Jake turned around and they left the battlefield.