floor as an explosion rocked the small cabin and a section of the wall in front of them was splintered inward.

“What was that?” Kaltag asked.

“They’ve got a freakin’ canon!” Balto yelled, as another explosion ripped through the house, taking most of the front with it.

A piece of wood whistled through the air and lodged in Tram’s chest.

He looked down, dumbfounded and then fell backwards.

“We’ve got to get out of here!” Balto yelled over the gun fire.

Kaltag nodded.

“Go around back and get the horses. Meet us around front.”

“What?” Kaltag asked. “That’s suicide!”

Balto smiled and laughed.

“Not with this it’s not.” He said, tapping the barrels Kaltag had taken shelter behind.

Kaltag looked at the top. On it were three letters.

…TNT.

“Okay,” Kaltag said. “I’ll meet you out front.”

Balto nodded and Kaltag stood, walking to the back window and, after making sure that it was clear, he jumped out.

Balto turned to Jenna, holstering his pistol.

“You afraid of heights?”

“No,” Jenna responded. “Why do you ask that?”

“Because we’re going out that way.” Balto said, gesturing toward the torn down front of the house.

He pulled a match from his pocket.

“…and we won’t have much time.”

Jenna nodded.

“Ready?” Balto asked.

“I guess.” Jenna said.

Balto took the top off one of the barrels, struck the match on the butt of his pistol, and threw it in the barrel.

“Run!” He yelled.

Balto and Jenna reached the end of the floor and jumped. As they did, the barrels exploded, throwing them through the air.

Balto landed hard on his side and slid to a stop.

He blinked a few times and looked around.

As he’d thought it would, the explosion had kicked up a lot of dust.

He saw a dog flit through the dust, and crouched, firing his pistol.

The dog fell.

Balto heard the shot before he felt it, as it grazed his shoulder.

The impact was still enough to throw him to the ground.

Jenna saw him fall.

“Balto!” She yelled.

She stood up and started running toward him.

“Jenna, no!” Balto yelled.

He saw the brown chow from the bar raise his rifle and fire; saw Jenna stumble as the bullet struck her lower back.

Balto then saw the Baron level his pistol at the falling girl and fire three times, each time drawing a splash of blood from her chest.

“No!” Balto screamed, standing and fireing three times, all three of them striking the brown chow in the chest.

Another shot was fired and Balto was picked up off his feet and thrown back to the ground, dropping his pistol as he fell.

There was now a very real pain in his stomach. He looked at it and saw that the round had punched completely through his right side.

He put his right hand on the wound and slowly stood, his other hand in the air.

“I’m unarmed.” Balto said.

To his surprise, no one fired.

He stumbled through the dust cloud as it dissapated to reveal Jenna, lying on the ground, a puddle of blood seeping into the dust beneath her.

Balto fell by her side and dragged her into his lap.

“Oh Jenna.” He said, tears coming to his eyes. “Oh God I’m sorry.”

Jenna coughed.

“Balto… did… did we get away?”

Balto nodded.

“Yeah, we’re safe now.”

He looked her wounds over and his heart sank at what he saw.

The rifle bullet had punched a large exit hole in her stomach, and there were three small holes in her brown shirt’s right pocket.

“Here…” Balto said, putting his hands on the wounds. “…let’s see if I can help you.”

Jenna raised her arms and with great effort took his hands.

Tears were starting to drip from Balto’s nose now.

“Damn you Jenna.” He said. “You promised.”

Jenna smiled, her cream muzzle spattered with her own crimson blood.

“I… I had… had my… fingers… crossed.”

Balto smiled through his tears and hugged her.

“Balto…” She said. “…thank you… thank you for… for showing me… how to… how to live… my own life.”

She swallowed hard and Balto could tell that she didn’t have much time left.

“These… these past… few… past few days… have been… the… the best I’ve… I’ve ever… had. I… I love you… Balto…”

Jenna’s head rolled to the side and her chest moved in and out for the last time as her body shut down.

Balto hugged her limp body close and cried into her soft fur, his hat falling to the ground.

He stopped as he heard a click behind him.

“You know you lied to the girl.” The Baron said. “You’re not going to escape.”

Balto suddenly felt a white hot rage enter him and he grabbed the Baron’s gun, throwing it over his head and turning, getting to his feet and catching the surprised German Shepard with a punch to the jaw.

The Baron stumbled back and Balto hit him again, throwing him to the ground.

He climbed up on top of the Baron and started punching the German Shepard in the face.

“Some father you are!” Balto screamed. “You killed your own freakin’ daughter!”

The Baron kicked Balto in the side and Balto almost passed out from the pain, falling to the side.

The Baron stood and pulled his other pistol, aiming it down at Balto.

“For the record she was adopted, now, time to die.” He said, cocking the hammer.

“Wait.” Balto said. “I know a little about you Baron. I know that you’ve never refused a challenge. So I challenge you.”

The Baron laughed.

“In your condition, you won’t win, but I’ll humor you.”

Balto stood up and limped over to his hat, picking it up and setting it on his head. Then he retrieved his pistol, sliding it into the left holster.

The Baron walked about fifty feet from Balto and turned to one of his men.

“Fire your rifle in the air.” He instructed. “That will be our signal to draw.”

The dog nodded and aimed his rifle up.

Balto’s hand went to the butt of his pistol, hovering just centimeters from the polished wooden grips.

The Baron stared at Balto and Balto stared at the Baron.

Then the dog fired.

Balto had never felt so fast in his life.

As he fired, the Baron was just getting his gun up.

The pistol clattered out of his hand and he screamed.

The Baron clutched his hand to his chest.

He opened his hand and looked at it.

His right index finger, his trigger finger, was gone.

He turned and started to run away.

“I got him.”

Balto turned to see Kaltag aim his rifle and fire.

The bullet caught the Baron in the back of his right knee, and he went down screaming.

Balto limped over to the Baron.

“See how much your own men care about you.” Balto said. “They aren’t even trying to stop me.”

He cocked his pistol and pointed it straight down at the Baron’s head.

“This is for Jenna you son of a bitch.”

Then he fired.

Balto stumbled away from the grisly scene and over to Jenna’s crumpled body.

He fell beside her and put his palm on her face, closing her eyes. Then he again drug her into his lap, hugging her close. Already she had lost her warmth, growing cold… dead.

“It’s over Jenna.” Balto said. “I killed him. I avenged you… I wish you were here but… well, I never really believed in God and heaven and all that stuff before, but now I kind of hope it’s true, that way you’re there. I loved you Jenna.”

He laid her back on the dirt, and noticed his pistol still jammed in her belt.

He removed it and stuck it into his holster.

“Balto.” Garret said from behind him.

Balto stood slowly.

“What? You gonna kill me Pat?”

Garret shook his head.

“Not today son. I agree with your defense of the young lady. It’s probably the only decent thing you’ve done in your life. I think you’ve earned a twenty-four hour head start.”

Garret turned.

“Come on men, let’s get out of here.”

They started to ride off, and Balto walked toward his horse.

Garret halted his horse and turned around.

“Hey Balto.”

Balto stopped walking and turned.

“This doesn’t make us friends son.” Garret said. “I’m hunting you again tomorrow, and I will kill you.”

Balto nodded and Garret spurred his horse, headed toward town.

“You ready to go Billy?” Kaltag asked.

Balto shook his head.

“Not yet…”

Balto stood over the six foot hole in the ground and carefully crawled in.

“Hand her down to me.” Balto said.

Kaltag gently lowered Jenna’s stiffening body to, who laid her at the bottom of the hole, crossed her arms on her chest and climbed out of the hole.

“I love you Jenna.” He said softly.

He pulled out the pistol he’d given her and looked it over. Then he tossed it in the hole.

“Ready?” Kaltag asked.

Balto picked up a shovel beside a fairly large