Ella & Vlad at the end

#38 - chaos ensues

The city cavalry arrives at the valley village earlier than anticipated. All eyes study surroundings for trouble, a lull in gunfire and action the place appears peaceful.

As the older jeep nears the main intersection Mary-Lee asks Jamal, "isn't there usually someone on guard?"

"Yeah," Jamal looks about the village, "should be."

Miles hasn't been here since a boy, "perhaps they're still sleeping." He's becoming concerned Vladimir and Ella are not here.

Mary-Lee turns about to reply, "maybe, but someone should be at the intersection."

"Oh my," Jamal sees Hoss' guard laid out in the grassy median of the intersection and points it out, "that guy ain't sleeping. Well sort of I guess."

Mary-Lee and Miles look over at the dead man.

Jamal slows the Jeep inquiries, "what do you think? More importantly what do you think we should do?"

Mary-Lee looks up to Hoss' house and only sees a bit of the Hummer. "Miles I think this Ella you met may have steered us right. I don't see Hoss' black Escalade. Seeing that dead guard and the village so quiet maybe her friend has already taken every one out." She looks around some more. "Jamal stop here for a minute. Just in case its' a trap. I'll go back and have a word with Manuel, see what he thinks."

"Alright Dear," Jamal stops the Jeep forcing the truck and trailer following to stop.

"Be right back," Mary-Lee gets out of the Jeep, while Jamal and Miles uneasily look about.

At Hoss' place Bob hears the vehicles approaching and gets up to check, "hey Roy I don't know what to make of this. You better come over and have a look." Seeing them stop Bob brings up the binoculars to see who's getting out of the Jeep.

"What is it Bob?" Hoss takes a moment to get out of the porch chair.

Bob informs them, "it's Mary-Lee and Jamal in a Jeep. There's someone I don't recognize in the back. But behind them is a dualy pick-up towing a long horse trailer. Do you think they've come to trade for the cows? Or do you think they have something to do with our situation here?"

"What? Jamal and Mary-Lee? Here?" Hoss ambles across the side porch to the front section. "They don't come out here," Roy releases the safety on the rifle. "With all the people in their city, there has to be a few ex-military members. I've wondered what really happened to Zed's band. Perhaps they're behind that as well... Yeah, one less group to worry about in the area, then they found out we've got livestock to trade. Send a couple guys in here before dawn to take out as many as possible. Then they come in and clean up. That trailer can easily hold a dozen men or more."

Bob tries to see who Mary-Lee is talking with in the pick-up, "yup I could see that. And you know what? I think that's Manuel she's speaking with. What should we do?"

Undermanned Hoss isn't going down there to find out what's going on. Having a simpler plan in mind Roy calls over to Jerry and Wyatt, "Jerry swing your wagon over this way. We have visitors at the gate."

"Alright," Jerry starts the Hummer backing up.

Raising the rifle to the good shoulder Hoss takes aim speaking to Bob, "keep an eye on 'em. I'll lay a few rounds down there. If they throw up their arms or run we know they came to trade. If they came to fight we'll quickly find out."

Bob shrugs, "ready when you are Roy."

"Here goes something," Hoss fires several shots, BANG, BANG, BANG! The shots hit the ground close to Mary-Lee.