14 hours

1. Target in the night

It was still before midnight. The town Dirt lay dark and silent in the desert. Just in few houses lighted lights on the streets. The saloon was the only place where it was loud. Rango smirked at himself, when he walked along the sidewalk and watched how Gordy tottered out of the saloon and fell into the water trough.
Every night the same, the chameleon thought and continued his walk, without to give that more attention. With a lot of self-confidence, he went with brisk steps along the street.
"A sheriff has to be on call all the time," he muttered to himself. "Always ready for a felony."
He smiled and thought about what had happened today in the morning.
A few houses away from the sheriff's position, four dark figures cut their way to an abandoned house, which was empty for a long time. The house owner had died a few days ago. The best position for their plan.
Suddenly the first person stopped. His companion bounced against him.
"Ouch!" a man's voice cried and rubbed his nose.
"Sshhh!" an angry voice hissed back. "Keep quiet! He shall not see us."
"I'm sor..."
The first person held the mouth of the speaking person closed with his hand.
After a few minutes of listening he gave them a sign and together they went through the door of the abandoned house. They entered dark corridors and climbed up the stairs to the top of the house. Shortly after a window was opened and the familiar face of a Gila monster peeked out and looked down at the street.
"Bill?"
"Shhh!"
But the desert rabbit Stump couldn't avoid his question. "Do you really think we should do this?"
"Don't make me mess!" Bill growled silently. "He doesn't deserve anything else."
He looked out again. "He is near the Cantina. It won't be long until he reachs this house."
Chorizo sighed and lifted his head. "Poor guy. So young and so..."
Bill gave him a fleeting slap in his face.
"Did you forget what happened today?"
Chorizo put his hat back on his head. "No, I didn't."
Kinski leaned against the house wall and crossed his arms, and looked at their leader with disgust.
"Don't you think a short hard beating would be enough?"
The Gila monster narrowed his eyes into slits. "Not for me."

Many hours ago...

In disbelief, the Gila monster stared with wide eyes at the broken bridge.
He pressed his hands together and let out a loud scream. With hate filled eyes, he looked over to the other side of the ravine, where he could see a familiar figure.
"Let it be a lesson for you," the voice of Rango sounded over the canyon.
Bill growled loudly. "How did you find it out?"
"I have an aptitude of combination, what you will never have, William."
"Don't call me a fool, Sheriff!"
"Calm down, Bill," Kinski tried and got a head slap by their leader.
"No chance, Bill," Rango replied. "The stagecoach for the gold transport is already far enough that you can't reach them anymore. Until you crossed the canyon, they will arrive in the next big city."
Bill and his henchmen stood there like drowned rats. But Bill looked like he was ready to explode.
Rango smiled. He put two fingers together, tapped with them on his hat and waved it in Bill's direction. The Gila monster seethed with rage.
His narrowing eyes trembled.
Rango had brought his roadrunner and climbed on it.
Silently they looked after the riding away sheriff.
"Tonight," Bill said darkly. "This night..."

Like right on cue, Rango came closer.
Bill positioned himself with his gun and targeted him. He aimed his gun at his head, on the forehead, between the sheriff's eyes.
"Stay still. Just stand still."
To Bill's surprise, the sheriff stood still now, but he looked aside, so that Bill had the sheriff's head sideways in the line of fire. The chameleon seemed to head a strange sound, because he made a few steps to the old shed and peeked inside briefly.
After more than 10 seconds, the chameleon shrugged his shoulders and closed the door again.
Then he turned around and continued his walk.
Bill grinned.
"That's good, just a few steps more..."
He squeezed the trigger more.
Suddenly a dark figure jumped out from the shed. It was a little bit bigger than Rango and grabbed the sheriff from behind and pressed his hand on his mouth.
Rango muffled loudly and tried to get away the hands on his face, which wrapped him.
Bill meantime, who watched all from his hiding place, was so confused, that he swung his weapon in his hands aside. Stump startled, when he looked into the barrel directly.
"Are you crazy?!"
"What's going on there?"
The chameleon struggled like crazy. With his last chance, he tried to grab his gun. But suddenly two other hands grabbed his ankles and pressed them on his back. The two attackers dragged him into the shed. The sheriff had to realize he couldn't win and tried to scream. The persons ignored his efforts for help and closed the door.
"Who were they?" Chorizo asked.
"I don't know," Stump said.
"Maybe they are here to do the same, what we had planned," Kinski guessed.
"Damnhell," Bill cursed. "That's my job!"
He jumped up and together they left the house.
It wasn't long before they reached the shed.
"Bill, be careful," Kinski warned, who was afraid that the unknown persons could be more dangerous than them.
"Don't call me a fool!" Bill hissed.
"Shhhh!" Chorizo hissed. "Listen."
A rumbling sound was hearable.
"That's enough!" Bill said. "I will show them who the boss is..."
"Duck down!"
Stump pushed them behind wooden boxes. Not a moment too soon. At the next moment, the back door of the shed was opened. Bill and the others peeked over. This time it was three dark figures. One of them carried a sack over his shoulders.
Bill guessed the sheriff inside. Maybe they knocked him out. The sheriff didn't move anymore. Or was he dead? He was ready to draw his gun, but when four more dark figures appeared, he threw away this idea again.
Maybe Kinski was right. It was too dangerous to fight against so many men.
The dark figures exchanged some words, then they walked to their roadrunners, which stood meters away. They climbed up and rode away.
After a while the bandits came out of their hiding place and looked into the dark desert.
"What was that?" Stump asked.
Kinski shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. But I think the sheriff is in more troubles than before."
They looked at their leader. "What now, Bill?"
Bill stood there with crossed arms. Then he snorted. "Oh, as good as I know him, he will come back soon. And then we will continue our business."
"Eh? Do you think he will come back?" Chorizo asked unsurely.
Bill waved his hand. "Of course. Like every time. He is like a burdock. And with his great "aptitude of combination"," Bill's voice was filled with mocking. "He will come out of his troubles again."
With that he turned around. "Alright. Sheriff is out of town. Let's take the chance to hang around."