in her brown pants and shirt, her hat perched on her head and Balto’s pistol tucked into her belt.

“Hey Billy,” Kaltag said. “Here comes you girlfriend.”

Balto turned.

“Come here Jenna.” He said.

Jenna walked over to him.

“Jenna I’d like you to meet my friends, Sam, Tram and Kaltag. Guys, this is Jenna Thatcher.”

“Nice to meet you.” Jenna said.

“Oh the pleasure is truly ours.” Kaltag said.

Balto saw the way that Kaltag was looking at her and playfully punched him in the shoulder.

“Hey Kaltag, you with us?”

Kaltag’s cheeks turned scarlet as he realized he’d been caught.

“Ah… yeah, I’m with you.”

Balto smiled and Kaltag walked to the window.

“Oh, there’ s something else you might be interested to know.” Sam said.

“What’s that?” Balto asked.

“We saw someone when we came into town.” Sam replied.

“Who?” Balto asked.

“Pat Garret.” Sam said.

“Pat Garret?” Balto asked. “How’d he find me?”

Sam shrugged.

“I don’t know, but he’s got about twenty other dogs with him, so you can bet he knows that you’re here.”

“Who’s Pat Garret?” Jenna asked.

“He’s a Sheriff that has been chasing me for a while.” Balto said. “He’s a very good shot too.”

“Well, I guess we should get out of here then.” Jenna said.

“No can do.” Kaltag said, walking back to them “They’re coming up the road now.”

“What?” Balto asked, walking to the window. Sure enough, about thirty dogs were surrounding the small cabin.

“Shit.” Balto repeated.

“Looks like we have to fight then, huh?” Jenna said softly.

Balto nodded.

“We do, but not you. You get out of here, you should be able to sneak away.”

Jenna shook her head.

“No Balto. I’m not going to leave you.”

“Thank you Jenna.” Balto said. “Really, but you have to go. This could be our last fight. Pat Garret is really good.”

“I don’t care.” Jenna said. “If staying with you means I’m going to die, then there’s no place I’d rather be than by your side.”

Balto sighed.

Outside the small cabin, Pat Garret dismounted his horse and turned to a skinny dog beside him.

“Are they in there?” He asked.

“We don’t know.” The dog responded.

“Well, let’s find out.” Garret said.

“I know you’re in there Billy!” Garret yelled. “Come on out and everything will be over quickly.”

Back in the cabin, Balto and Jenna still hadn’t resolved their argument.

“Alright Jenna.” Balto said. “You can stay with us, but you have to promise me that if it comes down to you or me, that you will let me die.”

“Balto…”

Balto grabbed her shoulders and shook her once.

“No Jenna!” He yelled. “Promise me! You’re still so young. You’ve got so much to live for. I’m an outlaw, I’ve been living on borrowed time for quite a while now, please Jenna, you have to promise me, it’s the only way you can stay.”

Jenna sighed.

“Okay…”

She looked up at him.

“I promise.”

“Hey guys.” Sam said. “There’s someone else coming.”

“What?” Balto asked.

Outside the house, a German Shepard and about ten dogs rode up alongside Pat Garret.

“How are you doing sir?” The German Shepard said.

“Pretty good.” Garret said, an irritated tone to his voice.

“Got somebody trapped in there?” The German Shepard asked.

“Yeah,” Garret said. “William H. Balto, also known as Billy the Kid; been chasin’ him for a little over a year now.”

“That’s what I thought.” The German Shepard said. “That little rascal has been chasin’ my daughter for the past week. I was actually plannin’ to relieve him of his life myself, but since you’re already here, mind if we join you?”

“Go ahead.” Garret said.

“Thanks.” The German Shepard said, sticking his hand out. “The name’s Baron von Earl.”

“Pat Garret.” Garret said, shaking the man’s hand.

“Look, Mr. Garret.” Von Earl said. “I have reason to think my daughter might be in there. You mind if I try to get her to come out before we start shooting?”

“…of course not.” Garret said.

“Damn.” Balto said under his breath.

He turned to Jenna.

“Hey Jenna, you’re father is here.”

At that moment, Von Earl called out his daughter’s name.

“Jenna! Jenna, I know you’re in there, come to the window.”

Jenna sighed and walked over to the window.

“Jenna.” Her father said. “Come out here and I’ll pardon you of your crimes. That place is about to get shot to hell, just come out here.”

Jenna stood there.

“Jenna!” Her father yelled, anger in his voice now. “Jenna, you get your tail out here right this instant!”

“No!” Jenna replied.

“What did you say to me?” Her father asked.

“I said no.” Jenna said. “I’m making my own decisions now father. I am staying here with the dog that I love.”

With that she drew her gun.

Balto ran forward and grabbed her shoulder, throwing her to the ground as a hail of bullets crashed into the front of the house, shattering windows, raining glass and slivers of wood all over the two of them.

Jenna looked at Balto and smiled.

“You… you saved my life.”

Balto sighed.

“Get your pistol and get beside one of the windows, make yourself as small a target as possible.”

Jenna nodded.

Balto turned to his friends, who had already taken positions alongside the wall.

“We need to get upstairs as soon as lets up.”

The dogs nodded and Balto turned back to the window. He drew his pistol and cocked the hammer back. Then at a break in the fire, popped up and shot one of the Baron’s men off his horse.

Jenna followed suit, and one of Garret’s men fell, clutching his throat.

Another of the Baron’s men fell, victim to Kaltag’s rifle.

Balto popped up and let off three shots, downing a dog with each of them.

Jenna stood and fired once, catching another of Garret’s men in the knee. He fell to the ground, screaming.

Balto popped up again and shot off his last two rounds. The bullets thudded into the chest of yet another of the Baron’s men and he fell, dead.

The men outside stopped fireing and the five outlaws ran up the stairs to the attic above.

When the firing resumed, the enemy was still aiming at the first floor, as they hadn’t seen Balto and his gang charge of the stairs.

Balto took this lull as an opportunity to reload, and did so.

“Ready for round two?” Balto asked, grinning from ear to ear. He laughed and twirled his pistol on his finger, catching it and cocking the hammer. Then he ran to the window.

“Hey Garret, up here!” Balto yelled, firing and dropping the dog standing next to the Sheriff.

Garret looked down at the young dog. Where his eye had been only moments ago there was now a hole, and blood, lots of blood.

“Bastard!” he yelled. Then he shifted his fire to the second story.

Bullets crashed through the walls and windows all around Balto and his gang. There wasn’t as much cover for them on the second story as there was downstairs, and Kaltag fell, clutching his arm.

“Kaltag!” Balto yelled. “Are you alright?”

Kaltag winced, dragging himself behind a stack of barrels.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just hit my shoulder.”

Balto crawled over to Kaltag and looked at the wound.

“…doesn’t look too bad.”

“I told you I was fine.” Kaltag said.

Just then Sam popped up to fire, and caught a rifle bullet that turned the left corner of his head into a grisly red mist.

He fell backwards, clearly dead.

“Sam!” Tram called.

“He’s dead.” Balto said.

Outside, the Baron stopped firing and tapped Garret on the shoulder.

“How bad do you want to get this guy Sheriff?”

Garret sighed.

“I told you I’d been tracking him for a little over a year now.”

“Do you care about the house?” The Baron asked.

“No.” Garret said. “Why would I?”

The Baron shrugged.

“Why do you want to know that anyway?” Garret asked.

“You want to use ole’ Betsey?” The Baron asked.

“You know how to use that thing?” Garret asked.

The Baron nodded.

“Go for it.” Garret said.

The firing stopped again, and Balto reloaded again.

“Oh my God.” Jenna said.

“What is it?” Balto asked.

Jenna was silent.

Balto got up and walked over to her, looking out the window, just as one of the Baron’s men touched a light to the…

“Jesus!” Balto yelled, grabbing Jenna’s shoulders and jumping back, throwing both of them to the floor as an explosion