Madness: The MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

SEVEN: PREPARATIONS

EVELYN AND EMILY GOT UP EARLY THAT MORNING AND MET TO PLAN AND STRATEGIZE A BATTLE PLAN. Delia, Evangeline, Kira, Emma, Ellie, Gold Sunset and Edeline joined them. The nine women decided to not tell the men what they were planning. The women nodded in discretion as they saw Goodnight, Billy, and Sam approached the saloon.

Delia threw their plans into her satchel and the women dispersed in a hurry. Emma and Delia ran out the back door while Emily and Evangeline walked calmly out the front. Kira and Ellie went out the side door and Edeline, Evelyn, and Gold Sunset remained seated at the table.

"Howdy, fellas!" Edeline called out to them. Sam bent down to kiss Evelyn before sitting down beside her. Goodnight and Billy sat beside Sam.

Meanwhile outside, Ellie, Emily, Delia, and Evangeline got on their horses with Kira and Emma riding close behind them. All of the men saw the women leave. Sam looked to the remaining women at the table.

"What did you do?" Goodnight asked them.

"What we had to." Evelyn pulled out her gun and aimed at Goodnight. "Trust us. Believe us and you'll understand." Edeline flipped the table over as a distraction. The remaining three sprinted to their horses and got on and rode towards Sacremento the town where Bogue's headquarters were located.

The nine women approached a small cottage in the woods on their way. Emily knocked on the door to find Fallon and Isla aiming their guns at their sister. "Emily, it's just you." Fallon let out a shaky breath and brought her sister into a hug, Isla soon embracing them.

"I assume you came here to get us to help you fight in some kind of war." Isla pointed out.

"Yes. Against Bogue." All fell silent as Isla looked over at Fallon and Emily in fear.

"You can't expect us to fight him. He's married to Helena. He has Genevieve under his thumb."

"Not anymore."

"What do you mean?" Fallon asked. Fallon shook her head. "No. You couldn't have. You killed your own sister. Our sister. How could you?"

"She was in to deep. She and Helena both. I had to. You wouldn't understand." She stood to leave. "Either you're with me or you're not involved."

Fallon nodded at Isla. "We will stand with you."

"Come on then. We have somewhere to be." Isla mounted her horse and grabbed Fallon's. Fallon mounted her horse and followed the group of nine gunfighters with Isla behind her.

The group eventually made it back to Rose Creek intact. They had almost gotten caught in Sacramento and it had taken six days altogether to get to Sacramento and back to Rose Creek. Emily dismounted her horse and walked calmly over to the shooting range where Goodnight was attempting to teach the men of Rose Creek to shoot.

Sam, Joshua, and Vasquez were leaning on a cart of hay. Emily, Evelyn, and Edeline walked together away from them. Gold Sunset, Isla, Delia, and Evangeline walked off to the hotel. Fallon, Emma, and Kira walked to the schoolhouse to watch the children paint dynamite windmills.

"Impressive." Kira said as she viewed the windmills. Eventually, the men discovered the women were back from their travels.

"Where have you been?" Joshua asked his wife.

"Finding my remaining loyal sisters and finding Bogue's headquarters." Emily smirked.

"What?! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you would do this. Yell at me." She remained calm.

"You still should've told me." Joshua said shaking his head.

"Well, I didn't. Joshua, I'm old enough to make my own decisions. I might be your wife, but I'm also a good sister and loyal teammate. At least to the girls."

"Right, because putting them in immediate danger is being a good sister." Joshua sassed.

"I told them what they signed up for and they agreed." Emily raised her voice. "I need to shoot something like right now, so bye." Joshua wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled her to him.

He pressed a kiss to her lips and she pulled away. "Please don't die tomorrow. Please." He whispered.

"Not making any promises." She paused. "Not breaking any either. I promise to please not die." She promised him. "I love you."