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“Then let me save you gents a lot of trouble,” the man in the black cowboy hat interrupted. “Why don’t we settle this like men, like the banker said? Let this gentleman here….” He nodded toward Dallas. “...face off with me in a true western gunfight. If he wins….” He shrugged. “Then my family here will leave peacefully.”
“Morgan, I’ve got this,” Frank yelled.
Morgan rolled his eyes.
“Whatever you want. Just let her go!” Dallas started to step down off the wooden porch, but the sheriff put his hand out, stopping him.
“Morgan Yates,” Sheriff Clark shouted, taking a step forward. “You’re under arrest for robbery and for the murder of Virgil Williams, the bank guard you killed, and for kidnapping. In fact, you’re all under arrest! Drop your weapons now and let her go! This is your last chance to surrender!”
Frank cocked his gun, pressed to Megan’s head. “Hold it right there, mister, or she’s dead.”
“Stop!” Dallas yelled, stepping between them. “Let her go and I’ll fight you. Just you and me, Morgan. Or I can fight you, Frank. Whom I kill makes no difference to me.” He took a step forward. “One man can die just like another.”
Morgan pushed Megan to the ground. “Why, you—” She rose to her feet and started toward him with her fists doubled but, to Dallas’s relief, Mr. Carson pulled her back, holding a finger to his lips.
Morgan laughed. “You have yourself a real hellcat there, mister.” He looked in Megan’s direction and licked his lips. “I was really looking forward to having fun with her until you showed up.” He shrugged. “But I’ll have my way with her later… after I kill you.”
“I’ll face off with you!” Dallas yelled. “Just leave her out of this!” There was no way that he was going to leave Megan to the fate of these men. He vowed to do anything to save her… including giving his own life. His life meant nothing without her.
Sheriff Clark looked over at Dallas. “Is this what you want?”
Dallas nodded once. “Protect her if anything happens to me.”
Sheriff Clark nodded and yelled, “No one interferes… unless you want to die!”
Frank glanced over at Morgan for his approval. Morgan nodded, and then they all stepped back, out of the way.
A sinister laugh exploded from Morgan as he backed down the street, putting some distance between them. “I’ve always wanted to have a good ol’ western gunfight! Legalized murder, right?”
“Not quite, but I’ll take my chances,” Dallas replied as he stepped back, unsnapping the leather straps across his guns, preparing to fight.
“Dallas, don’t do it!” Megan yelled as Mr. Carson held her back.
Rage filled Dallas as he looked down the street toward Morgan.
“Everyone, clear the street, and you men stay out of it!” Sheriff Clark pointed to the rest of the Yates Gang. “There’s no reason for all of you to have to die.”
Many onlookers ran inside, taking cover.
Dallas stood with his hands over his guns, ready.
“Draw!” Morgan yelled, his hand twitching over the guns strapped to his sides.
Excitement and rage filled Dallas as he pulled his guns and fired, unloading several bullets into Morgan. Morgan pulled his weapon and fired, too, but wasn’t quick enough. Blood pouredfrom his chest and the gun dropped from his hand as his lifeless body fell onto the street.
“You just killed my cousin!” Frank yelled, and opened fire, along with the rest of the Yates Gang.
Then, everything happened at once. Dallas jumped behind the watering trough and opened fire, taking down Frank. Quicker than Dallas would have thought possible, Sheriff Clark and Colton opened fire, taking down more. Dirk ran up and killed two as he dove behind a wooden barrel. Then Charles rode up, jumped from his horse, and fired, standing in full view. Milo, Bill, and Butch shot down more.
Then Harrison came out of the hotel with a rifle and shot down another. “And that’s for scaring my customers away!”
One of the Yates men fired at Mr. Carson and shot him in the leg. His wife helped him out of the street and into the General Store, along with Megan. Colton dove for the ground, firing repeatedly, and took down several more.
To Dallas’s horror, Megan came out of the General Store with a rifle, shooting wildly, but managed to take down two men. Where she got the rifle from, Dallas had no idea. “How dare ye kidnap me! Ye leave me husband alone!”
Knowing he had to end this quickly, Dallas came out from behind the watering trough and took down the rest, with the help of the sheriff, Colton, Charles, Harrison, Milo, Butch, Bill… and Megan.
When the smoke cleared, the Yates Gang was lying dead in the street.
