The Promise

17. Not without the paper!

Chorizo yawned tiredly. "What is it now?" he asked. "Does anybody have an idea?"
"What about you?" Kinski asked annoyed.
They still sat in the prison cave cell and puzzled their heads over to find a way out.
Kinski looked over to Rango, who still sat in the corner of the cave.
"Hey, what about you?"
Rango shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno."
"Nice!" Kinski said sarcastically. "Always he has an idea, but whenever you need something fast, his brain cancels himself."
Bill snorted with disgust. "Stupid pet."
He sat up. His arm still hurt, but the bleeding had stopped. "Damn! Kinski, you know how to open a door, don't you?"
"Of course I do," Kinski replied. "But how shall I do this? They had checked up our clothes and had taken out all what I had in my pocket. I have no tools to unlock that damn door."
Stump raised his hand. "Eh... Oh, not everything."
He took off this hat and took out his stuffed rabbit.
Bill, Kinski and Chorizo stared at him with open mouths.
"Are you kidding me?" Bill asked sarcastically.
Stump snorted. „Al contrario. Plushies aren't only good to sleep well."
He put it on the ground and opened a part of the stuff.
Chorizo tapped his forehead.
Seconds later a metallic long thing appeared out of the plushy rabbit. Stump kept it up and showed it around. Finally, he held it before Kinski.
"I think that will be enough for you to open a door, won't it?"
Kinski took the metallic wire with open mouth. "Uh... yes. I think."
Bill growled.
Stump looked at him askingly. "Uh... anything wrong?"
Bill grabbed his collar. "Why didn't you say that in the first place?!" Bill asked annoyed.
"Yes," Chorizo said. "I break my brain and you sit calmly there."
"Sorry, mate," Stump replied deeply offended. "It's late. I forgot. I don't hide my plushy every day under my hat."
"Stop talking!" Kinski hissed. "Remember, the watchers are still standing behind the door. They could hear us."
They fell silent.
"How shall we do it?" Chorizo asked quietly. "They could hear it if you try to open the door."
Kinski scratched his head. "I think I know what we can do."

"Ouch! Are you blind?!"
The two guards in front of the door lifted their heads in surprise, when they heard the loud voices inside the prison cell.
"But, I didn't... you...," sounded Rango's voice.
"Don't come the innocent with me!" Bill yelled.
Something crashed against the door.
The two coyotes looked at each other. "I think they have an argument. Shall we put a stop to that?"
His companion shook the head. "Let them. Don't spoil their enjoyment of it before they die."
A new loud sounded.
The two closed their ears.
"Let's stand off."
With these words, they go for distance.

"Don't over exaggerate, please," Stump hissed.
"Don't tell me what I have to do!" Bill yelled at him, while he held Rango in a stranglehold.
"Continue screaming," Kinski whispered while he tried to open the door with the metal wire.
"With pleasure," Bill replied and gave Rango a new hard push.
"Bill! Stop that!" Rango yelled. "Why me? Why not..."
Bill gave him a slap in the face. "I do it before I burst with rage! Everything would be okay! Until you came into my life and cursed it!"
Rango rubbed his cheek. "That was only your fault."
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Bill screamed louder than before. "Are you kidding me? I shall hit you to the moon..."
"That's enough, mate," Kinski said and pushed him aside before he could hit Rango again. "I made it."
Bill became calmer suddenly. But he still breathed heavily. Also Rango, who hid his face with his hands.
"For now you have luck," Bill hissed. "But when we come out here, run away as fast as you can before I will break your neck."
He released him.
"Is the door unlocked now?" Bill whispered as quietly as he could do.
Kinski nodded. "When they don't pay attention to us anymore, we can open the door. We have to wait."

The moon shined in the sky peacefully. The night was clear in the desert. No sound interrupted the silence. Except for a slithering rustling and a pattering of roadrunner's feet.
Jake crawled through the night of the landscape as if he would know the way in his sleep.
Beans rode behind him on her roadrunner. Jake allowed her to journey this way, on condition that she wouldn't try to run away. But Jake was sure she wouldn't do that. Otherwise, he would kill Rango. Beans would never risk that.
"Where are we going to go?" she asked.
"To Roscoe's hiding place," Jake answered without turning around. "He will be there."
"Sure?" she asked.
"I hope alive."
Beans lowered her glance.
They kept silent for a moment.
"Jake?"
The rattlesnake stopped and looked at her.
"Just in case, when we should find him... hmm... what are you going to do after that?"
Jake looked at her a few seconds. Then he smiled. "Death is patient."
Beans opened her eyes wide. "But you promised..."
"Just if you and he doesn't break your promises! You know what you have to say to him, don't you?"
Beans nodded silently.
"Good, because I'm a little bit annoyed about your little friend. He wanted to make me problems. That wasn't very clever of him."
Beans avoided saying something. It was her fault, but Jake wouldn't listen to her.
"And something more." Jake turned around. His eyes were serious.
"Think about what you're going to say. He ignored my rules. Don't make the same mistake."
They looked at each other for a while. Beans nodded.
Jake continued his way. Beans sighed deeply and had the feeling the night would suffer with her.

It passed one hour or a little more. Nobody knew. The watchers became bored. It was still in the middle of the night and nothing happened. At the end, one of the watchers began to sleep, while the other one gazed into space.
From time to time Kinski went to the door and peeked through the door lock.
In the prison cell, everyone kept quiet. No one said a word.
Wounded Bird looked to Rango. The cave was in darkness, but some light from outside from an oil lamp gave a little light crack of the door.
"Sheriff?" he whispered quietly.
Rango lifted his head. "Hmm."
"Everything okay?"
Rango kept silence. He shook his head.
"Quiet!" Bill hissed. "The coyotes should think that we are sleeping. We shouldn't risk this chance.
Kinski left the door and walked over to Bill. He nodded. "I think we can do now. One is sleeping, the other one takes no note of the door."
Bill nodded and stood up. He moaned quietly when he moved his injured arm.
He gave the others a sign. Stump, Chorizo stood up.
Rango watched at them. Bill paid no attention to him or Wounded Bird. Maybe he didn't care about them. Rango felt still bad, but he couldn't stay here. He had to escape. He had to go back to town.
Bill peeked through the hole in the door. They could get out while the getting is good.
"Alright," he whispered as quietly as he could do after he was sure, nobody else was near. "As soon as I open the door, you grab them and shut their mouth. I will knock them out."
"With your arm?" Stump asked.
"Idiot. I have two arms," Bill hissed. "Go on."
He pushed Stump ahead. Bill put his hand on the door handle and peeked through the door crack.
He lifted his other hand. "On the count of three: one- ..."
His men were ready.
"Two..."
He opened the door very slowly.
Bill still held his hand in the air, he took one step forward. The coyotes didn't notice anything.
Kinski, Stump and Chorizo slunk forwards.
Bill gave the sign for three, and they dashed against the two surprise coyotes.
There had been just a very little cry, then several loud strokes and they fell to the ground.
"That was easy," Stump said.
Bill rubbed his arm. "Take their revolvers."
Lucky for them that the two watchmen wore four guns, so that everyone could take one, except Rango and Wounded Bird. Bill found also knifes in their pockets and he took one of them.
"Alright. Let's escape."
On tiptoes, they went along the stone corridor of the cave.
"What next, Bill?" Kinski asked quietly.
"First escaping," Bill whispered. "If you see Roscoe, shoot him down. We have to take that paper."
"Are you crazy?" Stump asked. "He will cut through our throats."
Bill growled. "However else? How do you want to do it else? Kiss on the cheek or what? By the way, I'm still a little annoyed because of this."
He lifted his arm.
"Be careful!" They screamed hoarsely.
Bill stood like frozen. One meter away Bobby lay in front of the entry cave of the corridor and snored loudly.
They swallowed.
"That was very close," Chorizo whispered.
They went aback a few steps.
"What now, Bill?" Stump asked.
"Uh... well, somebody has to entice him away."
"Not me again," Stump protested.
Bill scratched his chin.
"Maybe not you. But... we still have a joker."
They looked behind. Rango looked at them back.
"Eh... what are you looking for?"

"No, no!"
"Yes, yes, little pet. You will do, or..."
"Or what?" Rango asked. "Do you wanna kill me?"
Bill pointed the revolver on Wounded Bird.
"Or I could kill him."
Rango jumped a step forward. "No, okay, I do it."
"Splendid! You will entice him out of the cave."
Rango swallowed hardly. "What if he catches me?"
"Your problem."
He put a knife in Rango's hands and gave him a push in the back. Rango stumbled forward, while the others hid themselves behind a corner.
Rango bit his under lip when he went along the gigantic rabbit. He held the knife in front of himself. How should he begin? He looked back at Bill, who peeked around the corner at him.
He nodded and waved his hand. Rango took a very deep breath and tipped with the knife Bobby's body. Bobby snorted with a loud breath and opened the eyes.
He lifted his head and saw Rango who waved shyly his hand.
Bobby snorted.
"H-hello, Bobby. Do you wanna play with me?"
Bobby stood up. "Play, play", Bobby said. "Play..."
"Alright, be a nice rabbit," Rango said with shaking voice. "Very nice."
"Playing!" Bobby lifted his hands in the air and hurled his fists on the ground. Rango cried loudly and jumped forward through the cave. Bobby behind him.
Some coyotes, who watched the cave looked around and blocked the way.
"Don't move!" Someone screamed.
Rango stopped immediately and ran in another direction of the cave. Bobby couldn't stop so fast and fell against the watchmen. The coyotes jumped aside. Bobby stood up immediately again and continued his "game".
"What's all the noise?" Roscoe asked who came into the cave at this moment.
His question got an answer when he saw Rango who tried to escape Bobby's stroking hands.
"How... what the... Catch the..."
Suddenly Rango ran like a greased lightning in his direction. Bobby closed behind him. Rango slithered aside and Bobby, who had held out his fist missed him and threw Roscoe's face.
The leader fell away a few meters against the stony wall.
Rango took the chance and ran down the cave where the exit was.
Bobby growled loudly and followed him.
For a moment, Roscoe was irritated. But then he waved his hands. "After them!" he ordered.
His men nodded and ran to the exit.
Roscoe shook his head, stood up, and looked at a barrel of a gun.
"Surprise," Bill said with a wide grin. "Give me the paper."
Roscoe didn't lift his hands, but he didn't dare to grab his own gun.
"You hadn't planned on that, had you?" Bill asked mockingly. He enjoyed the moment of victory.
"Indeed, I didn't," Roscoe replied.
"Hurry up! Give it to me!"
Roscoe growled and put out the paper. Bill grabbed it and controlled whether it was the right note. He put it in his pocket.
"Very sad," the Gila monster said. "How unfortunate for you, but I have no much time. So, I have to shoot you now, instead of a little longer revenge."
Suddenly a horrible scream echoed through the cave. Rango ran in their direction, followed from a very, very annoyed big rabbit.
"Damn! Why did he come back?" Bill asked. They had no other choice than to flee.
Bobby growled loudly and lifted his hands in the air.
"Damn! Why you didn't run out?" Bill screamed at Rango.
"The cave is blocked!" Rango screamed back while they ran back through the cave.
Suddenly Stump lost his hat and with it his plushy.
Stump stopped immediately. "No! My rabbit!"
He turned around and looked at the stuffed rabbit. Bobby stopped and looked at the toy on the ground.
"Playing." He reached his hand, picked up the stuffed rabbit from the ground, and looked at it interested.
"No, that's mine!"
Stump jumped forward and grabbed it. "Give it back! Give it back!"
Kinski turned around. "Stump!"
He ran back and pulled at his shirt. "Let it be! Forget it!"
"Not without my plushy!" Stump yelled back.
"Chorizo! Help me!" Kinski screamed.
"You destroy it!" Stump cried.
Suddenly there was a rasping noise.
Shortly afterwards Bobby held one arm of the doll in his fist, Stump the toy's residual.
Stump was like frozen. Kinski took one arm stuffed rabbit and held it in the air.
"You wanna have that doll, catch it!"
With the stuffed toy in his hands, he ran away, Bobby after him.
"BILL!" Kinski screamed. "We have to run outside!"
Bill snorted sarcastically. "What do you think I want to do the whole time?"
"This way!"
Kinski grabbed his shirt and dragged him forward. Bill, Rango, Chorizo ran after him. Suddenly Rango looked back at Wounded Bird, who had hidden until now.
"Come on! Come on! Hurry up!"
But as fast as Wounded Bird wanted to go, it was impossible to walk fast with his invalid leg.
"Don't care. Flee!"
"But... I can't..."
"Run and save the others!"
The others. The town.
Rango gave himself a kick and ran forward. Bobby was still a little irritated and looked at the doll arm in his hand.
Suddenly Kinski ran pat with the half stuffed rabbit in his hand. "Catch it, catch it!"
"Don't destroy it more!" Stump cried.
Bobby looked first at the arm in his hand than at the fleeing group.
"Catching, catching..."

"What are you going to do now?" Chorizo asked out of breath while they came closer to the exit.
"Don't ask, run!" Kinski screamed.
The end of the cave became visible. But before they could leave it, a group of coyotes blocked it.
The group stopped.
"What now?" Bill asked annoyed.
"Wait a second."
"Catching!" it echoed out of the cave.
"One second more."
"Kinski! I don't wanna die!" Stump cried and held his arm.
"We will not die!"
Suddenly heavily loudly footsteps. "Catching!"
Kinski waggled the stuffed rabbit. "You want it, catch it!"
He threw it out of the cave, over the heads of the other coyotes. Bobby jumped forward.
The coyotes ran in all directions, before the giant landed with a loud crash on the floor.
For a moment, the exit of the cave was free.
Bill and the others ran past Bobby outside. Bobby lifted his head and looked around. He found the stuffed rabbit a few meters on the floor. He stood up and grabbed the doll.
Meanwhile Bill had discovered roadrunners.
"Take the runners!"
He jumped on one of them.
Stump looked around. "Not without my plushy!"
"Hell! Stump, let it!" Kinski screamed when he saw how Stump ran in Bobby's direction.
Bill recognized Roscoe in the distance. For a moment, their eyes met each other.
Bill drew his revolver and shot several times. Bobby lifted his body and screamed loudly. He hit his fists in all directions and didn't care what he destroyed.
Stump took the chance and grabbed his rabbit.
"I've got it!"
Suddenly there were several shots in the air.
"Enough already! Cut the noise off!" Roscoe yelled. He shot so often that Bobby ran into the cave.
After the dust had disappeared, there was silence.
Roscoe looked around. Stump, Kinski and Chorizo had been surrounded of many coyotes.
Also Wounded Bird, who was dragged out by other coyotes.
Roscoe looked around. Bill was gone. Also that damn green lizard. And two roadrunners.
"That was a mistake to annoy me," he growled. "You underestimate me."

Bill rode with his roadrunner like a mad man. He rode as long until the sun began to appear.
He slowed down the speed. He needed a rest. He hid himself with the roadrunner behind a rock and jumped down. He wasn't very proud about himself when he left his men, but he was sure they will come clear. He wiped about his head.
"Wow, I'm the winner."
"I see that differently."
He turned around and saw Rango in distance with a revolver in his hands.
Bill ran away around a corner. Rango shot a bullet, which missed the target.
"Bill! Freeze!"
He turned the corner, but suddenly he got a hard slap in the face. He fell to the ground and rubbed his face.
"Damn!" he cursed.
"What do you want?" Bill asked threateningly. "Didn't I told you, you should disappear? Do you want that I break your neck?"
"You said so," Rango replied. "But the paper belongs to me."
Bill went a few steps forward. "Now it's mine."
Rango stood up. "Hell! Bill, give me the paper! It belongs to me! Mister Owlden gave it to me!"
"Why do you want a useless paper?" Bill asked and crossed his arms. "Are there no more important things which you have to do?"
Rango snorted. "Why I have the impression that you know more about it than I think."
"There are a lot of things which you don't know, little pet."
"So, what is it?"
"Like hell I will tell you! Crawl back to your town and disappear."
"Not without the paper!"
"I said you shall disappear! Are you deaf?!"
"Bill! Don't be stupid! Give it to me or...!"
"Or what? What do you want to do, Sheriff? There is nothing you can do."
"Then explain me, what is it about, at least?"
"None of your business."
"Bill! Don't press your luck!"
Bill chuckled. "You are such a stupid lizard. Look at yourself. What happen to you? You are nothing anymore, or where are your friends now?"
Rango breathed air sharply.
He looked at Bill's belt. The Gila monster had two revolvers. He only one.
Bill stepped few steps backwards. Then they stood in distance face to face. With narrowed eyes, convulsive hands, only ready to grab the gun.
Bill growled. "Do you really wanna kill me? Would you really?"
Rango narrowed his eyes tighter.
But then... Rango opened his eyes wide. The chameleon winced and stepped a few steps back.
Bill grinned. "Did you understand it now, little pet?"
Rango didn't reply. He seemed to be unsure what he should do now.
He walked backwards again. Then he turned around. "RUN AWAY!"
Bill crossed his arms. "Nice try! You can't make a fool of me!"
Suddenly the sky became dark for a moment.