Sadie Outlaw Ep. 007: IN CAHOOTS

"BRUTUS! THE SHOOTER!" Sadie hopped off of Tarnation and ran bowlegged toward the jail. Sighing Brutus plucked up that bag of dynamite and grabbed a single stick and lit its ever so short leftover fuse. With Jubal riding toward them shooting the big fella tossed the stick into the street just ahead of Jubal. Caught off guard, the blast made his horse hurl Jubal to the ground, the horse veering away and continuing on without giving a shit about his owner. Free at blast! Jubal blinded by road dust lay groaning on the street until Brutus stood over him and kicked him in the head. Out like a light!

At the jail door Sadie stood in front of the window and grinned at Bacon and Remis then blew them a kiss. The Dillsby Gang inside the jail were on their feet sweating over the gunfire begged those two boys to shoot the Devils daughter.

"Shoot her!" Shep Dillsby gripped the bars with a look of terror on his face.

"Don't let her purdy smile fool ya." His brother Spur joined in; Ned Potter next to him on his knees in prayer that they took that shot. Ned was a God flaring idiot.

Remis looked at Bacon, "What do we do?"

"I can't shoot no woman." Bacon shrugged.

"Let us do it." Sam Dillsby the leader of his imprisoned band coaxed Remis. "Gimme yer rifle." Dull at the moment Remis walked over and passed it to Sam. Stupid fucker! Sam shot Remis in the arm dropping him to the floor backwards. "Lower yer rifle before I bury ya." Bacon cursed and tried for mercy.

"What are you doin'? We're here to rescue you boys."

"I don't know ya!" Sam winced, "Don't trust ya!"

"Sam?" His brother Sonny looked at the situation just as Sadie opened the door. Entering she looked at Remis bleeding out then at Bacon. Bacon just gave up and handed her the rifle. Taking it she expended his bullets on the floor with the lever until empty.

"You gonna shoot me Sammy?" Sadie then swung the rifle at Bacon's head and sent him flying back over the only desk in the jail.

"Nope!" Sam lowered his rifle and tilted the butt out through the bars for her to retrieve it. "Stayin' right here, whoever you really are. Mae West? L'Amour?"

"Just Sadie, Sam! Thank ya for the assist. It's about to get crowded in there so back it up." Finding the key on a hook by the desk she reached down and grabbed Bacon hauling him to the cell door. Unlocking it she found Sam willing to drag the man inside. Leaving the door wide open where they could easily escape Sadie moved to retrieve Remis. "Quit yer boohooin' Remis." Tilly information shared their ID's. "Let's bring you home the bacon. Or is that bringing the Bacon home to you?" Tossing even him in the cell she locked the door back up. "Bandage his arm with a shirt sleeve. I gotta go check on Tom and Ira."

"We'll be here." Sam grumbled. His brothers were not really happy with Sam. That could have been their free pass out of jail. Now they were more cramped than ever. "Jus' relax!" Sam whispered. "A good side works to our advantage."

"You mean this side Sammy?" Sadie spanked her backside. "I heard that. You may jus' be right." With a wink she left the jail, door wide open for fresh air.

Out in the street she found a dozen towns people kneeling around the Sheriff. A woman bawling her eyes out. Brutus Kinkaid dragging Jubal toward the jail found a pair of cuffs and dropped him on the floor for later. He wasn't going to risk opening that cell door with no backup. Picking up guns he just stood guard at the door.

"How bad is it?" Sadie entered the cluster and nudged a few gents aside. Tom was awake but woozy, the citizens had at least tried to prevent as much blood loss as possible. "Hang in there, Tom. Anyone go get the doctor?"

"Hollister's gone fishin'!" Trevor Innes spoke up, he the town banker. "It looks bad Miss L'Amour. Ira will make it but Tom here... "

"Let me think. Anyone know where the Doc goes fishin'?" She removes the cloth over Tom's wound and grits her teeth. "Tilly? How close is that bullet likely to Tom's heart?" Knowing Tilly saw through Sadie's eyes was a benefit as much as a curse.

"Enquiring! I'm a genius but no surgeon Sadie. At the angle of his wound... can you tear his shirt open further please?" Sadie complied as the townsfolk looked worried over her actions. Some saying, "Shouldn't we cover the wound?"

"I know where Hollister goes fishing. I'll ride out and bring him back." Kinkaid having gave up guard duty made himself known as Sadie nods at him with respect. "Stay with us Tom. I might accept that tin star and be yer deputy if'n you do." Running off for one of the Butler Gang's horses Brutus headed East out of town. His own horse was at his nearby farm and that would take too long to saddle him up.

"Where were we Tilly?" Sadie studied the wound so that Tilly could calculate.

"I believe it missed any main arteries, but that bullet will need to come out sooner rather than later. You had some EVAC training in the military."

"Band-aids and thermometers Tilly. I'm no surgeon neither. I wanna save Tom but I don't need to make things worse by bein' sloppy."

"You might not have a choice. This is not how Tom Barrett died in history so please succeed here. Touch his forehead please." Cooperative Sadie palms his brow. "His temperature is dropping; he's going into shock." She tells her host as Ira limps up.

"Don't you die Barrett! I'm not Sheriff material." Ira wept.

"Someone should ride on out and bring in that Father Rodrigo. Last rites the worst-case scenario." They all thought scenario was French.

"His son Willy." Ira hissed, "Miss Jenkins. They will wanna be here."

"Allow me!" Edward Pike showed up concerned. "I'll ride out on Sheriff Barrett's horse."

"You even a rider Eddie?"

"I will manage."

"Hurry back Yankee Clipper."

"Of course! Clipper yes, Yankee, no!" Edward climbed awkwardly on to Ezra, "To church my good man." Ezra reluctantly trotted away; Edward easily uncomfortable in his saddle. Even more once he encouraged Ezra to hurry. Now Ed... he would have a rash by the time he got back.

"Can you hear me, Tom?"

"You an angel?"

"Halo might make for a good ankle bracelet. Course, I do have wings on my back. Never know I reckon."

"Should we carry him in where he might be more comfortable?" Ira suggested.

"Moving him could make matters worse." Sadie told him, relaying Tilly's advice. "Go bring up some bed rolls and find us some umbrellas or somethin' for shade." More of the inner circle jumped up to seek out what they could find. The mercantile a good target for any possible umbrellas but the bedding came from the saddle of Remis. Ira had a better idea. Followed by an arriving Shaunesy Finn in his service they went into the jail and had the Dillsby's hand over their bunk mattress. Passing it through the bottom of the bars Shaunesy carried it outside and they carefully eased Tom upward long enough to place it under him for comfort. A bed roll came through to cover him up to prevent the shock from getting to him as heavily. Water from a bucket was brought in and handkerchiefs used to dab his skin.

"I'm going to have to dig this bullet out. We can't wait much longer." Sadie told Tilly first, then repeated herself out loud. "Grennon? You got a knife?"

"Just a pocketknife."

"Find me some fire to heat the knife up. Millie's has a kitchen start there. Bring a bucket of coal or somethin' that's flamin' I'll need to to cauterize the wound."

"You a doc now?" Tom mumbled.

"Jus' a cute nurse. You just fight Tom. I'm goin' to do the best I can. If'n I don't... "She refuses to be negative, "...let's not leave Willy an orphan out there. I know yer tough Sheriff."

"That I am." He hissed, "Dig it out."

"Soon as we're ready." Unbrellas showed up and folks hovered over them with shade. Five minutes of stress a bucket of hot coals and kindling was brought up, Alfred DuPont actually arriving to help. "Good timin' Alfie. I'll need you to hold Tom down once I cut him open."

"Here Miss L'Amour." Mortimer Cromwell, the town tailor passed her a pair of scissors, "You can use these to try and capture the bullet."

"Thanks Mort! Lil' easier than tryin' to drag it out with a pocketknife. We'll be talkin' after Tom's on his feet about a new set of duds."

"At your service Madame." He broke into a sweat over her tight ass as she bent over the flames in the bucket. Her amplified healing kept her fingers from burning too badly in the heating of the knife. It was the best and only scalpel she had to work with.

"Steady hand Sadie." Tilly warned her.

"You know I do. Here, Tom... clench down on the scissors 'til I need 'em." Everyone gnashed their teeth right along with him. "Live up to yer name and bare it, Barrett. We're in cahoots together from here on out."

Grennen! Barrett! She just had to smirk.