They couldn’t bear to think that inside, the dogs they cared about were being put on trial for crimes they believed they were innocent of.

After half an hour of heated debate and argument, the doors to the courtroom finally opened and Balto, Kale, and Kaltag were led out, still handcuffed with the force of Silent Spring pushing them along. The two girls exchanged nervous glances and looked up at the trio with worry. Balto gave Jenna a blank look, Kale simply stared at the ground in disgust, and Kaltag was stone-silent. Jenna and Kira stood up, walking over to Frederic Thesher.

“Dad, what’s going on?” Kira asked in a scared tone, “What did the court decide on?” Frederic heaved a sigh and stared at Kira.

“Kira, sweetheart,” he began slowly, “I know you liked that boy, Kale, but-”

“What did they decide on?” she nearly shouted, becoming more and more worried by the second. Frederic merely shook his head with regret.

“I’m sorry dear… But all three were convicted of double murder and conspiracy…” he answered, “They were sentenced to death by hanging tomorrow at dawn…”

Kira gasped sharply and nearly fell backward. She took a few uneasy steps back and covered her mouth in terror. Jenna looked like she was about to burst into tears as she clutched her shirt. Both couldn’t believe what they were hearing. After another moment, the two looked utterly distraught and left without another word, walking through the streets of Silent Spring until they got to their homes.

Kira immediately ran up the stairs of her house and into her bedroom. She leapt onto her bed and covered her face into her pillow, sobbing softly to herself. A few minutes later, the door opened and a familiar voice sounded.

“Kira?” It was her father. “Oh, dear, I’m sorry… I know you must be so hurt… But it’ll be alright…” Frederic sat down on the edge of Kira’s bed and gently placed a hand on her back. She glanced up at him, bright orange eyes shimmering with crystalline tears.

“How can you say that Dad? Three innocent dogs are going to be hanged!” Kira exclaimed, falling back into her pillow. Frederic sighed and pulled out a piece of paper, placing it beside Kira. Kira snatched it up and looked at it, then looked up at her father in utter disbelief.

“Maybe they weren’t as innocent as you though…” he replied softly, shaking his head slowly. Kira still couldn’t believe what was in her hands. The paper read:

Wanted: Balto McLane, Kaltag Lorden, and Kale McGovern

Dead or Alive

$500 per dog

These dogs have committed crimes across the states of Texas and New Mexico, robbing various towns in a group. All three dogs are considered armed and dangerous.

Below it were sketches of the dogs that had come into town a few days ago. Kira only began weeping once more. Frederic knew he could do nothing more in an attempt to console his daughter. Sighing dejectedly, he rose to his feet and walked out of her room, closing the door behind him. Kira looked up one more time, tracing a finger across the image of a smirking Kale.

I can’t just give up… she thought to herself, I can’t just let them die… I don’t care if he’s an outlaw or not, I love him and I won’t let Steele hang him unjustly… Kira rose from her bed and walked over to her dresser. She pulled open one of the drawers and rifled through the clothes inside. She pulled out a set of black cloth clothes and laid them out on her bed. She then pulled open another drawer and pulled out the revolver Kale had given her.

“Don’t worry fellas… Jenna and I’ll get you out…” Kira whispered to no one. She sighed softly, closing her eyes as she clutched the gun to her chest. She could almost feel Kale’s presence with her, standing beside her. Her resolve strong, she tossed the pistol to her bed and ran out of her house, determined to formulate her plan with Jenna.

            Jenna had been doing the exact same thing Kira had a few minutes ago. She lay sprawled out on her bed, crying into her pillows. She couldn’t believe that Balto, the dog she was falling in love with, was going to be hanged unjustly. Why? Why did this have to happen? She thought mournfully, not looking up from her tear-stained pillow.

A sudden knock at the front door made Jenna jump, a little startled. She took a deep breath to regain her composure and wiped her amber eyes clear of any tears before walking downstairs. She pulled the front door open to see a breathless Kira before her.

“Kira! What is it?” Jenna asked, looking outside, “Did you just run all the way here from your house?”

“No time…” Kira replied, catching her breath and handing Jenna the wanted poster, “Look at this… Quickly…” Jenna took the piece of paper from her friend and looked it over, gasping sharply and stumbling backward as if she’d just been hit.

“No… It can’t be…” Jenna whispered to herself, staring at the sketch of Balto, “He’s… He’s an outlaw?” Kira only nodded slowly.

“Yeah, all three of them are…” she replied, “But I don’t care! I like Kale… I think I may even love him… I can’t let them hang him, even if he did break the law many times.”

“But what can we do?” Jenna asked, “If we try to rescue them, we could be caught and hanged as well… And if we did succeed, what would we do?” Kira’s arms dropped to her sides and she shook her head, orange eyes filled with confusion.

“I… I don’t know, Jen…” Kira muttered softly, a fire in her eyes, “But I don’t care. I can’t let them kill them!” The two were silent for a moment before Kira spoke again.

“I have a plan, but we’d have to do it tonight if he hope to save Balto, Kale, and Kaltag…” Kira explained, staring at Jenna, “Jenna, we’ve been friends since we were kids and we’ve always helped each other out… Will you help me now?” Jenna slowly smiled and grinned at Kira.

“What do you have in mind?” Jenna asked seriously.

            The local jail was adjacent to the Sheriff’s Office. It remained dead silent, even as night fell across the small town. Inside, the eight deputies, including Nikki and Star, sat around a table playing a game of Poker. Three of the four jail cells were occupied, each one holding one of the trio of outlaws. Kaltag was lying back on the bed in his cell, staring up at the ceiling. Balto and Kale sat back-to-back against the wall separating their cells, staring at the walls.

“Did you ever imagine it would end like this?” Balto asked his friends.

“Naw…” Kaltag answered calmly, “I always thought we’d get shot for something silly, like getting spotted as we walked out of a bar…”

“Nope…” Kale responded, “I always thought we’d go down guns blazing… Or so I hoped…” Balto chuckled weakly and looked at the wall against his back, able to see Kale in his mind’s eye.

“I think I’d prefer to die fighting that to walk up to a platform and let a rope break my neck…” Balto stated, tipping the brim of his hat over his eyes. Kale sighed softly and closed his eyes.

“What’s your biggest regret…” he asked softly, “Besides dying?”

“Besides dying?” Kaltag asked, “Probably that our greatest adventure is over and it just barely began…”

“That I won’t be able to see Jenna again…” Balto said softly, “That I won’t be able to talk to her, to hold her, to be with her anymore… That I won’t be able to say…”

“That I’m about to lose Kira… I hardly knew her and I’m going to be gone…” Kale replied, “I never had a chance to tell her what I wanted to tell her…”

“I love you…” Balto and Kale said at the same time, finishing their sentences. Kaltag rolled his eyes and shifted slightly.

“Oh please…” he whispered softly, “God, if I’m gonna die tomorrow, just strike me down now and spare me their lovey-dovey rambling…”

“Hey, quiet down over there!” Nikki shouted over to the convicts.

“You wanna come in here and make me?” Balto snapped back, lifting his hat up and giving Nikki a deadly glare. Nikki immediately shut up and went back to his game. Balto scoffed tauntingly and lowered his hat again. Kale then began to sing softly.

It’s all the same, only the names will change
Everyday it seems were wasting away
Another place where the faces are so cold
I’d ride all night just to get back home

I’m a cowboy,
I’m wanted dead or alive
Wanted dead or alive

Balto then joined in with Kale.

Sometimes I sleep, sometimes it’s not for days
And the people I meet always go their separate ways
Sometimes you tell the day
By the bottle that you drink
And times when you’re all alone all you do is think

I’m a cowboy,
I’m wanted dead or alive
Wanted dead or alive

The final two verses, all three outlaws and friends joined in, singing proudly.

I walk these streets, a loaded six string on my back
I play for keeps, cause I might not make it back
I been everywhere, still I’m standing tall
I’ve seen a million faces an I’ve rocked them all

I’m a cowboy,
I’m wanted dead or alive
I’m a cowboy, I got the night on my side
I’m wanted dead or alive
Wanted dead or alive

“Fellas, if tonight be our last night, I just want to say, it’s been a great honor and pleasure to fight beside you two…” Kale said, lowering his hat’s brim over his blue eyes, “I can’t imagine what life would’ve been like without you two…”

“Same to you, Kale… I love you guys like brothers… You were like family to me and if I have to die, then I’d gladly die beside you two…” Kaltag said, closing his eyes slowly.

“Amen… I know I was often looked up to as the leader of us, but I wanted to say that you were all equal to me, even if you didn’t feel like you were…” Balto said softly, “Goodnight boys… We had fun…