Chapter 1.5 - All

"Kovalsic, Helen Kovalsic and I can assure you they are most definitely not after me." She glances over at the passed out bandit, "How’s Buford? Sleeping as usual by the look of it."

"That fellow appears to be in a spot of trouble," Helen remarks pointing at the man in the wreckage firing the pistol. Hitching up her skirts she heads towards the sleeping bandit. "Buford," she hisses, "get up!"

A second shot rings out and the bandit awakens with a start.
It sounds as if the second man takes off as well.

Wriggling his way across the ground beneath the wreck Donovan manages to retrieve the valise. The case is well built and expensive, it’s also rather heavy. Jammed full of newspapers and documents.

A second shot rings out.
His second shot goes dreadfully wide, ricocheting off a heavy plate of cast iron near the soldier.

The man raises his pistol and takes a shot back at Harris.Napoleon creeps across the ledge and retrieves the rifle, it’s a nice solid looking Henry. The magazine is loaded but the chamber itself is empty so you have 8 rounds.

Another shot rings out below.
Moving cautiously across the scree slope Nathaniel grabs the butt of the shotgun and carefully pulls it out of the ground. Barrel appears clear and when he pulls the action down slightly he notices that there’s a round in the chamber. You have 6 rounds.

Moving further down he manages to get to his portfolio, the case is definitely looking rather rough but it appears intact.

A second shot rings out.

Nathaniel and Napoleon are slightly higher and can see two more soldiers approaching the man firing the pistol, both are clearly circling to take him from different directions. Napoleon, being somewhat higher also notices that there’s something of a scramble ensuing where the guards and prisoners are but he’s uncertain just what that’s all about. Two of those guards have headed towards the commotion while three others remain behind.

There is plenty of cover down here, between the twisted remains of the train and the boulder strewn nearly dry creek bed. If you moved slowly and quietly you might be able to find a place to hide you’re not sure about the French woman though. You do hear sounds of other people moving through the wreck.

"Do be careful m’lord," Ruby says quietly, "I believe more may be on their way."

Harris fires two shots at the soldier as he attempts to move to a better position. Harris’s first round hits the man in the chest as he moves causing him to twist mid stride, he collapses two steps later impacting a large boulder before falling into the creek beds loose gravel. His second shot goes wide.
It appears that Donovan is underneath the wreckage of the dining car, shattered tables, and plates as well as bent cutlery are strewn all about him. There are a few ways out, some appear tighter than others. Opposite the direction that the man ran off in is a largest of the openings, nearly 3’ tall.

***

Nathanial and Napoleon spend their turn aiming.

While Napoleon is aiming at the guards near the prisoners he watches them doing something next to two of their captives, there’s a hand motion and suddenly those two captives are yanked skyward towards the hovering airship. A loud scream echos through the canyon as the captives disappear into the sky. Definitely a man and a woman this time.

Nathaniel and Napoleon both notice two more soldiers from further down the canyon moving towards the bulk of the wreck, they’re carrying a lantern or something so they’re quite easy to spot.

George begins to sneak off as the large man awakes with a snort.

"What the hell..."

The blonde woman puts a hand over his mouth and shushes him.

"Crimeny sakes woman, what the hell happened?"

It’s about this time you hear the two shots followed quickly by the shout as some folks are jerked skyward.

"Where’s he skulkin’ of to?". The big man asks.

The woman says something George doesn’t quite catch.

"Give me the gun, lets see if we can’t sort these fellers out."