The Shield One-Shots Book 3

Kings Of The West P2/Ambrollins

 The rhythmic thumping of horse hooves echoed through the vast expanse of open land as the two groups of mounted riders tore across the landscape. The sun beat down relentlessly, casting harsh shadows on the wild grass and rocky terrain. Dean and his crew were relentlessly chasing a band of imposters who had been posing as them for weeks now. This wasn't about saving the idiot mayor's son; this was personal. As they closed in on their targets, the animals scattered out of their way, sensing the urgency and danger of the situation. It quickly became clear to Dean and his men, who knew these lands like the backs of their hands, that the imposters were outsiders who didn't know their way around. Dean's tracker instincts kicked in as he noticed his prey heading towards a narrow canyon that ended in a dead-end. With a quick hand signal, he and his men split up to surround their enemies from all sides. In a bold move, Dean and Roman charged straight at the bastards, determined to end this once and for all.

 The rocky canyon walls loomed overhead as Dean and Roman urged their horses forward. They could see the imposters up ahead, frantically scanning the steep terrain for a way out realizing they had made a huge mistake. The two men drew their guns and reined in their horses, cutting off the only exit from the canyon.

 "Not from around these parts, huh, assholes?" Dean said smirking. "So, you going to tell us why you six... my mistake, partners, why you four are trying to be us so damn bad?"

 "What's the matter, Ambrose? Can't stand a little competition?" One of the men taunted smirking.

 "That's cute, ain't it, Ro?" Dean said smiling.

 "Real cute." Roman agreed smiling too.

 "You see, assholes, we ain't got no problem with a little competition but what we do have a big problem with is assholes like you trying to be us." Dean said sighing.

 "What are you going to do about it, boys?" The man challenged still smirking.

 "Oh, we're going to kill you." Dean answered as he raised his rifle.

 Before Dean or Roman could do or say anything, the four men surprised them by charging toward them still on their horses. As they did, gunshots rang out as the men shot at the ground near Dean and Roman's horses. The horses reared and whinnied in fear as bullets struck the ground at their feet. Dean and Roman struggled to calm their mounts before giving chase. As they rode, they fired shots at each other, determined to catch Seth and his captors. The chase led back to town, with buildings and people flashing by in a blur. Finally, reaching town, Seth saw his chance and in a desperate move, Seth jumped off the horse and landed in a pile of hay, distracting the man who had been holding him.

 Seeing the distraction, Dean raised his gun, his finger tightened on the trigger as he took careful aim at the man in front of him, not wanting to kill the bastard right away, he wanted to have a little fun first. With a precise shot, Dean's bullet hit the man in the leg, causing him to stumble and curse. But before Dean could celebrate his victory, the man turned and fired back wildly. One stray bullet found its way into Dean's shoulder, causing intense pain to shoot through his body. His smirk turned into a grimace as he gritted his teeth against the searing agony.

 "DEAN!" Roman cried out as the four men took off again, Seth stood up from the hay and watched the scene along with the rest of the townsfolk as Dean's gang quickly rushed to check on their injured leader.

 Dean looked up from his shoulder and met Seth's eyes for a few seconds before they took off riding out of town too and headed back to their hideout. As soon as they reached their hideout, Roman quickly helped Dean off his horse, Dean groaned and cursed out loud from the movement. Going inside, Roman sat Dean in his chair as he helped him take off his jacket and shirt so he could properly examine his wound. He then gathered everything he'd need to fix Dean's shoulder while Dolph handed Dean the bottle of whiskey and he took a long drink from it.