Red Dead Reborn

xxiv) Rhodes Raiders

Danny wasn't much of a hat man, but when his father put his favourite blue hat on his son's head, Danny instantly found a liking to it. It wasn't much of a disguise for him, but it worked out once they arrived at the Rhodes Saloon to deliver the boxes of liquor Danny was instructed to bring inside.

The establishment was packed with its regulars. The pianist played a calm and steady melody to entertain the patrons drinking bottles of whiskey or beer. A slender, young woman with reddish-brown hair walked out with a young gentleman in her company right when Danny went behind the bar while his father put himself in charge of stealing everyone's attention.

"Gentlemen! GENTLEMEN!" Hosea shouted at the top of his lungs, causing strain in his voice box before introducing himself first, and then his son. "My name is Melvin. That's my son, Craig. He's a bit shy, but boy can he pour drinks fast. For the next hour, the drinks in this here bar, in this here town, are entirely... FREE!!"

The men inside the saloon cheered.

Those who had finished their drinks immediately got up for moonshine while others who were almost done gulped down the rest of their bottle while Danny was put to work.

"At least it ain't me getting smashed this time." Danny thought to himself while thinking about the last time he got drunk.

"Ahh, that's some strong stuff," said one patron.

"Just keep 'em comin'," said another.

"My wife's gonna kill me. I only went out for milk!" A third commented.

The chatter inside the bar escalated as the men who received their drinks poured the shots down their gullets. The alcohol worked quickly, causing even the heavyweights to fall drunk within their second or third shot. Slowly, Danny began to pick up the pace with serving shots of moonshine.

Even with how busily Danny served shots, time didn't go as quickly as he'd hoped. No matter how quickly he tried serving, the sun took a long time to set outside.

Once it was dark out, that was when Danny realised that they were out of liquor.

While the patrons were causing such a wild commotion, dancing and cheering and smashing bottles and glasses, Danny whistled for his father's attention to warn him that they were out of liquor. They planned to make a silent getaway while the patrons were distracted, but the moment they turned their backs to the audience, the front doors to the saloon were kicked open.

Armed men entered the saloon. As soon as the crowd recognised them, there was dread.

"It's the Lemoyne Raiders..."

"Good evening, gentlemen. Quiet libation?" Hosea greeted the unwelcome guests.

"You."

"Me?"

"You're the bastard who stole our liquor!"

Slowly, Danny reached for his revolver and pulled back on the hammer while his father distracted the Lemoyne Raiders.

The patrons managed to sober up quickly enough to evacuate the saloon seconds before bullets started hailing indoors. By then, three bodies had hit the floor with bullet holes in their foreheads. While this happened, Hosea fled upstairs to cover the upper floor while Danny took care of the ones on the bottom.

Together, they were able to make quick work of the Lemoyne Raiders before Danny rejoined his father upstairs. More Raiders flooded into the ground floor before opening fire at Danny while his father ran outside onto the balcony. A Raider sprinted up the steps and tackled Hosea off the said balcony.