All finished in time for spoopy season ;)

It all comes to a head as Lupe and Kit try to escape the tunnels and rescue their younger brothers, Dan and Eddie, from becoming El Jefe and the flock's latest victims.

CW: Gun violence, impalement

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Eddie was too scared to open his eyes from feigning death as he was dragged outside the tunnels. The brightness hit his closed eyes like a spotlight after so long in the dark. He felt himself dropped into a help, a second weight landed on top of him. He swallowed and chanced cracking one eye close to the ground and saw they were outside on some sort of small canyon forged by wind blasted white rocks.
The yawning tunnel behind him was slowly expelling critters that silently took position on the bare rocks and stared beyond him. Eddie couldn’t see what they were looking at from where he was lying, but he knew it couldn’t be good.
He was grabbed again and hauled upright by the shoulder. He snapped his eyes shut once more. He felt the bonds on his wrists cut and he thought of making a run for it but his ankles were still tied and the paralysis, while fading, still had a numbing hold on him. His wrist was tied fast and then the other and he was left to drop, arms spread apart and hanging limply in place. The new bonds cut sharply into his wrists and his boots didn’t even touch the ground.
With his head lolled forward he squinted his eyes open again but saw he was still facing the tunnel, unable to see behind him. He could hear the other dead mice getting tied up beside him, and from somewhere in the crowd, a low drum beat like the thudding of a huge heart.
Unable to resist any longer, Eddie raised his head and strained to look behind him, all he saw was the shadowy shape of a yucca plant in the dark. To his right he heard a snort of disdain.

“Not dead yet?” A tall mouse curled his lip. “You will be soon enough.”

Eddie tried to curse him through his gag but the mouse sucker punched him in the stomach making him seize and curl where he was hanging.

“Enough of that.” another critter called the mouse away. “Now we wait. Aquilito has a way with live prey.”

Eddie coughed weakly through the gag and squinted through the crowd, trying to find Kit or Lupe. Red Touch had Dan… he was going to kill him. And Aguilito was about to kill him. For all he knew, Kit and Lupe were buried in the cave-in from before.
Eddie struggled weakly but the red cords around his wrists were cutting off his circulation making his hands feel twice as numb and useless as before. He raised his eyes to the tower of white rocks above the tunnel and spotted the grisly form of El Jefe being led to the edge of the summit by a pair of rodents. He was in flowing white robes that glittered in the moonlight. Eddie bristled and wondered what had become of Red Touch and his brother, he tried to struggle from the ropes then hung his head in exhaustion.

–

Dan was slowly gaining the feeling back in his legs but every step up the slope felt like he was stumbling around with his feet in the wrong boots. At the top of the rock mound, he finally got a look at El Jefe for the first time; a huge gopher riddled with masses that stared at him with a mix of pride and hunger.
Dan tore his gaze from the gopher to look below. It was a far drop straight down to the tunnel mouth below, he doubted he could land a fall from that height even if he wasn’t half-paralyzed. The either side of the drop was rough chunks of stone and brush. One slip and he would crash down the rest of the way, bludgeoned by the rocks and land at the feet of the assembled cult members, which was sure not to end well. He was trapped.

“You have come at the perfect time.” El Jefe’s wheezing voice rumbled as the old gopher stared up at the sky.
Dan followed his gaze, the full moon was taking on a reddish blush, the silvery light on the white rocks seemed to warm.

“Now is the time.” Red Touch said urgently. “Aguilandro, we must start!”

“Patience, Red Touch.” The gopher sighed. “Let Aguilito feast, when the flock is in praise you may start.”

Red Touch nodded and pulled a long stone knife from his belt. The wickedly sharp edge shone in the strange light.

Dan tore his gaze from the knife and looked down once more, his eyes fell upon a cluster of mice hanging by their wrists between stakes at the mouth of the canyon near a large yucca plant. As the light shifted he saw a glimpse of curly ginger fur and spotted Eddie hanging there limply, his front dark with blood. Cold sized his gut.

“Eddie…” he gasped then lunged towards to edge of the rock and hand to be restrained by the rat behind him.

“EDDIE!” He shouted. His voice echoing off the rocks all around them.

“Silence him!” El Jefe demanded.

–

Kit trailed close behind Lupe in the tunnels, following him by torch light. Lupe was grim-faced as he wordlessly followed the bend of the tunnel.

“I’m sorry about your friend.” Kit said as they reached a fork and Lupe examined the floor for signs of where to go.

“He wasn’t my friend.” Lupe said curtly. “I hardly knew him, I just met him this evening.”

“You seemed willing enough to die for each other, sounds like friends to me.” Kit arched a brow.

“What do you know.” Lupe snapped, backing out the right fork when it proved to be a dead end and started down the left.

“Nevermind, forgot you liked to tough things out alone.” Kit muttered. “No room in your life for anyone else.”

Lupe bristled but didn’t respond, pausing when he saw the exit of the tunnel in the distance. A silvery smudge of light screened by grass.

“The way out.” Kit gasped and rushed ahead. He stopped in the entrance and flattened his ears. “What are those?” he pointed to what looked like bars outside the entrance.

Lupe raised his torch and saw several long bones hanging by knots of red cords across the entrance swaying gently in the night breeze.

“Hanging bones, Andre said to avoid these.” Lupe looked back down the tunnel. “But the other tunnel is caved in.”

“Then we go this way.” Kit stepped into the entrance. “We have to get back to Eddie and Dan.” Kit pushed through the hanging bones and scanned the skies warily. “I hear something. Drums?”

Lupe stepped out and perked his ears. It was the same drums he remembered from before. He turned to Kit and started to run forward but paused and handed Kit his rifle. “You’ll need that.” he hurried through the grass. They passed under the criss-crossing shadows of large thorny plants growing in ragged arches overhead.

Kit followed Lupe through the grass until they found themselves at the foot of a large sharp-leafed yucca plant. The tall plant was adorned with ropes of red cords, hanging bones and bottles. Skewered and partially dismembered skeletons of lizards, rodents and even small birds.

“The hell is this place?” Kit hissed, pinning his ears as he stepped on something with a crunch and looked down to see the sand ground littered in bleach white bones.

“Shh.” Lupe pressed a finger to his lips and looked up at the tall flowered stalk. “There’s a bird up there, keep quiet.”

Kit tried to tear his gaze from the withered corpses of lizards and rodents hanging from the plants all around them and focused on trying to watch where he stepped. Lupe was pushing ahead until he heard Dan’s voice scream out ‘EDDIE!’ as they reached the opposite side of the plant.

“Dan!” Kit gasped and hurried forward but Lupe caught his shoulder before he could run out into the open. The drums started to pound louder and louder around them. Lupe scanned the gap in the white rocks ahead and spotted the five rodents staked out front, their arm’s stretched into a T-pose as they hung dead and limp. All except one.

At Dan’s call Eddie raised his head immediately to the top of the rocky summit and spotted Dan and Red Touch beside El Jefe. His eyes widened seeing his brother clad in the same white robes and remembered Red Touch’s talk of switching bodies through death. The Jumpers stone knife was glinting in the moonlight. Even unbound, he would never get there in time. The drums were pounding so loudly he could hardly think straight, then suddenly they stopped.

“Come forth, Aguilito!” El Jefe boomed from the summit. “Accept our offerings, and bless this ritual! I will live on anew!” El Jefe spread his arms, the long wing-like sleeves hung to the ground and billowed in the night breeze.

The cult members below stopped their chatter almost instantly, eyes locked on Eddie and the other hanging mice. Eddie twisted to look behind him as he heard a sharp bird call and the sound of wings alight on the rocky wall to his right. A stocky gray-and-white songbird landed on the rocks above him. Dark beady eyes locked onto Eddie beneath a dark feathered mask.

Eddie had never seen a shrike before, but his instincts immediately told him it was a threat. The bird chirped hoarsely once more then fluttered down beside Eddie and gripped the mouse to his right and started to wrench it side to side, snapping the cords that bound it to the stakes. It dropped its prize and started to rip at the mouse’s clothes when suddenly its head raised and stared at Eddie, sensing his movements. The bird hopped closer, its hooked beak right in Eddie’s face.

“ED!” Dan shouted before he was flattened and subdued by Red Touch and the second rat above up on the summit.

Eddie shouted through the gag as the shrike reached out and grabbed his arm and started to shake him side to side, there was a snap as the red cords severed and Eddie fell to the side, half hanging off the ground due to his numb legs. He stared up at the bird in terror as the hooked beak lunged towards his face when a gunshot from behind sent the shrike staggering and flitting back, squawking in pain and alarm.

“Stay down, Eddie!” Lupe ran out and fired a second shot, it went wide but the shrike hopped away up onto one of the rocky walls and squawked angrily at Lupe.

“Get him out of there!” Kit shouted as he raised his gun and fired, taking down a screaming cult member that had made a break from the crowd to attack Lupe.

Lupe drew his knife and slashed Eddie’s remaining bond, the half-paralyzed buck fell on his side and winced from the drop. Lupe tore the gag from his mouth.

“Can you run?”

“Run!? I can’t even stand!” Eddie blustered. “They stuck me with some sort of dart! They’ve got Dan up there! They’re gonna kill him!”

Lupe swore and looked up at the summit, in his distraction, the shrike flew from its perch and crashed into the black mouse, knocking him to the dust. The bird started ripping at his poncho and clothes with its strong hooked beak.

“Lupe!” Eddie struggled to sit up and crawl to his brother’s defense.

“Get off of me!” Lupe swung and knocked one of the shrike’s legs aside, he wiggled backwards as the shrike tore off his poncho and started shaking it, trying to unhook its beak from the weave.

“Eddie! Over here!” Kit called from beside the yucca plant.

“Come and get me!” Eddie yelled. “I can’t move!”

Kit got to his feet and sprinted towards Lupe and Eddie. He scooped Eddie up and slung the ginger buck over his shoulder. “Where’s Dan!” he demanded.

“Up there!” Eddie pointed at the summit.

–

Dan struggled to push Red Touch off as the chaos started below. The Jumper was holding him down with the aid of the other rat. Red Touch bristled seeing Lupe and Kit run out and attack the shrike.

“Blasphemy.” Red Touch whispered in rage. “I’ll have their pelts!” Red Touch got to his feet and balled his fists. “Kill them!” he snarled down to the assembled cult members below.

Dan twisted and sank his teeth into the rat’s forearm. As the rat drew back with a yelp he pulled the dart from beneath his robes and lunged up from the ground, stabbing the dart into Red Touch’s side. The Jumper screeched in pain and stumbled forward near the edge of the cliff.

“Red Touch!” El Jefe gasped and lumbered towards his priest. Red Touch’s knees buckled and he hit the edge of the cliff, tilting sideways, he stared wide-eyed at El Jefe before tipping over the edge and falling.

“No!” El Jefe lunged to grab him but he was too late. Red Touch fell with a screech that was cut short by his sudden impact below. There were shouts and screams from the crowd below as they parted then swarmed where their high priest had hit.

El Jefe turned to Dan, eyes maddened in the red moon’s light. “Look what you’ve done!” he rasped. “You have ruined everything!” He picked up Red Touch’s stone knife from the ground. “I’ll flay you in the name of Aguilandro!” he rushed towards Dan when there was a gunshot and the huge gopher gasped and staggered to his knees, clapping a hand to his massive side.

Dan looked over the edge near the stakes and his face lit up spotting Lupe and Kit. They had Eddie, and Kit had his long sighted rifle aimed up at the summit.

–

“We have to get out of here!” Kit looked around as the cult started to screech and point in their direction. Those without weapons were picking up rocks and sticks while the few that carried firearms were starting to shoot at them, forcing them to hide behind the white cliff.

“Dan’s still up there!” Eddie said. “He’s knocked down the Jumper but he’s still stuck up there!”

“If we all stick around we’ll all die!” Lupe said firmly. “Kit, get Eddie out of here, find the closest quail and ride as fast as you can back to Roach!”

“What about you?” Kit demanded. “You can’t rescue him by yourself! It’s suicide!”

“I’ll do what I can.” Lupe said grimly. “Now go, run!”

“We can’t leave them!” Eddie pounded Kit’s shoulder weakly.

“We’ve got no choice.” Kit said grimly and turned, running back towards the yucca plant. “We’ll put some distance between us and that mob, then get ready to provide cover for Dan and Lupe when they get out. You think you can shoot?”

“My hands still work don’t they!” Eddie snapped.

“Better than your legs I hope!” Kit gave him a pointed jostle as they smashed through the grass and down the hillside.

Lupe side stepped the angry shrike as it dove at him once more, his shredded poncho swinging where it was caught on its hooked beak. Lupe fired a shot at the bird with his rifle, hitting its body. The bird shrieked in pain and flapped haphazardly away.

Lupe stared at the advancing crowd as they started to swarm down the rocks towards him. He ran behind the cliff wall again and found a ragged incline with enough slope to climb. He had no idea how he was going to get past this mob up to Dan, but he had to try. Up on top of the rock he was terribly exposed. He could hear gunshots ringing as the flock shot pistols and threw rocks but Lupe sprinted ahead, praying his luck would hold until he reached the hill.

–

Dan scrambled back from El Jefe and watched Kit and Eddie run to safety. He couldn’t see where Lupe had gone. Despite his panic, he hoped his gang brothers were fleeing to safety. He felt the rat he had bitten grab him and try to force him back to the ground. Dan fought against his leaden limbs to stay upright but the other rat got an arm around his throat and was choking him. He was flattened to the ground, gagging for air as the wounded El Jefe stumbled to his feet and raised the stone knife, muttering a dark chant under his breath as he stomped closer to the rats. Dan felt the rat rip him upright, exposing his neck and he shut his eyes tight, waiting for the worst to happen.

A gunshot sounded and Dan felt his captor go slack as the rat holding him slid off his back, dead. Dan rolled on the stone and fell over the edge, smashing onto the crumbling ledge to the side of the summit. He heard El Jefe bellow in rage as he looked over the side.

Lupe was scrambling up the side of the summit and clawed his way up to the ledge with Dan, sizing him by the robes and pulling him into the brush.

“Can you run?” Lupe panted.

“Not well.” Dan winced, rubbing his throat. “Guns?”

“Only got one more shell.” Lupe quickly passed Dan one of his sawed-off shotguns.

“Where’s the other?” Dan asked in exasperation.

“Buried, no time, we need to move!”

“We’ll never outrun them… I can’t run.” Dan winced as he heard the heavily crunch as El Jefe started to climb down after them. “Go Lupe, you can run I can’t.”

Lupe stared at Dan, remembering Andre saying the same words to him not even an hour ago. The black-furred buck gritted his teeth and grabbed Dan’s arm, ripping him up to his feet.

“No! I’m not losing anyone else to this damned cult! Not now, not ever!” he shoved himself in front of Dan and raised the gun to the approaching sound of El Jefe. He raised his rifle as the branches parted and El Jefe’s eyes widened staring down the barrel of Lupe’s gun. Lupe bared his teeth and pulled the trigger, it clicked empty.

–

Kit was panting hard as he ran with Eddie over his good shoulder down the hill behind the yucca plant back towards the thorn patch. Once under cover he set the ginger buck down and helped him sit up.

“Are you hurt?” Kit demanded, seeing the blood all down Eddie’s front.
“Just paralyzed, that damned Jumper hit me was some sort of dart, he got Dan too but he seemed to be fightin’ it.” Eddie weakly flexed his arms. “It’s wearin’ off. I’m fine! Go back to the others and help them!”

“I can’t leave you here all helpless and alone.” Kit pointed out and perked his ears hearing the shouts and gunfire from up the hill.

“I’m not helpless!” Eddie snapped. “And if they die it’s… it’s all because of me!” Eddie’s voice cracked as he tried to force volume into his words. “And I won’t have it! So go!” He leaned over and shoved Kit weakly. “I’m safe here, go get them!”

Kit hesitated then nodded grimly. “Stay out of sight and don’t make a sound!” he ordered before turning and running back the way they had come.

Eddie watched him run and brushed a hand over his eyes, swearing softly under his breath. He was shaking so hard it hurt to breathe. He hoped that Kit would get there in time. He had to.

–

Lupe stared in horror at his rifle. Of all the moments to be out of ammunition. He took a few hasty steps back as El Jefe reached out and grabbed the barrel of his gun, ripping it from his hands and throwing it over the edge of the rocks into the yowling, shouting crowd below.

“You dare shoot the great Aguilandro!” The gopher wheezed and grabbed a fistful of Lupe’s shirt, ripping the mouse off his feet. “On the eve of my rebirth!” He looked past the kicking buck and saw Dan in the brush, struggling to stand on his numb legs. “You sully my new vessel, and kill my high preist! I’ll tear you apart, limb by limb! Like Aguilito!” El Jefe grabbed Lupe’s arm and wrenched it painfully, they was an audible crack as it broke and Lupe shouted in pain.

“Let him go!” Dan snarled, struggling to stay standing upright as he aimed his sawed-off shotgun at the huge gopher. To his dismay, the gopher turned and faced him, holding Lupe like a shield out in front of him.

“Go ahead, my boy, kill us both. Send me to the great After! And when my flock rips you apart there shall be none left to remember you! No paradise awaits you for this death!”

Dan looked at Lupe, he was struggling break the gopher’s grip on him with his good arm and kicking wildly trying to connect with his gut. There was no way to shoot the gopher without catching Lupe in the spray. He clenched his teeth grimly, and his gun hand shook.

“Run, Dan!” Lupe gasped. “Go!”

“Yes, run away.” El Jefe laughed darkly. He looked over the edge and smiled cruelly. “Let’s see how far he flies.” he leaned back to throw Lupe over the edge and Dan flipped his grip on the sawed-off and sprang, clubbing the gopher in the temple with the handle of the gun. The gopher reeled back and Dan let go of the gun, wrapping both arms around Lupe; he ripped him backwards and out of El Jefe’s grip. Both bucks fell back, sprawling and rolling down the tumble of rocks until they crashed, battered and bruised to the ledge just above the crowd.

–

Kit raced around the yucca plant and skidded to a halt in the sand, trying to see where Dan and Kit had gone. He strained his eyes and caught the glowing flash of white from Dan and El Jefe’s matching robes. They were rapidly descending the summit. The crowd was starting to climb the rocks in their attempt to reach them. He couldn’t see Lupe, but his dark fur made him particularly hard to find in the shadows. Kit saw El Jefe and raised his gun to shoot when he was bowled over from behind with a flapping of wings and an angry shriek.
Kit felt the sharp hooked beach of the shrike pierce his scruff and suddenly he was lifted off the ground, his feet kicking in space as the bird took to the air with him. He shouted and swung his gun wildly, knocking it into the bird’s side and wings. The bird landed on the spiny yucca with Kit dangling freely from its beak. Kit had seconds to spot the skewered bodies of similar critters and flailed the gun in one last attempt. The barrel connected with the bird’s eye and it let out a shriek, dropping him. Kit fell through the stiff, spiny leaves and caught himself before he hit the ground. He saw the shrike hopping down the spines, pecking and jabbing as it tried to retrieve him.
Kit wriggled and dropped to the ground and tried to find El Jefe and his brothers again when he heard a bird call, a soft shrieking noise from above. To his surprise he saw the shrike pause its hunt and give a short chirp of alarm before fluttering back up into the heart of the yucca plant and out of sight.
Kit looked up in time to see an immense winged form pass in front of the red moon. A great horned owl on the hunt.
Every fiber of his being told Kit to hide under the spiny plant, but the owl’s great tufted head swiveled in the direction of the summit. No one else could hear the silent flier approaching. Kit ran out from under the palmetto and stared after the owl. It would be there in seconds. Dan and El Jefe practically glowed in their robes. If they didn’t get under cover soon… Kit aimed his gun at the sky and fired off a round, then another, and another.

“LOOK OUT!” he shouted.

–

Dan groaned in a daze. He and Lupe sat up, covered in dust and bruises. El Jefe was above them and had picked up Dan’s sawed-off shotgun and had it aiming at both of them.

“Enough.” El Jefe hissed around his huge red teeth. Lupe tackled Dan flat once more as there was an explosion and both rodents were peppered from above with spidershot.

Lupe hissed, feeling the shot bite into his back and leg and felt Dan flinch as it flecked his side and arm. He hadn’t been able to cover all of him. He winced and opened his eyes to a crack. Above him, El Jefe tried to shoot again but roared in disgust when he realized it was out of shells. He jumped down, slipping and stumbling on the crumbling stone until he was on their ledge. The huge gopher stomped over and raised two meaty fists to strike them both down when Lupe heard a rapid series of gunfire that echoed in the small canyon and heard Kit’s shout. He looked over in Kit’s direction just in time to see the massive owl swooping out of the sky, its long hooked talons outstretched and plunging towards them. Kit grabbed two fistfuls of Dan’s robes and threw them both over the edge of the cliff into the crowd below as El Jefe screamed and was ripped off the ledge above them as the owl soared back up and into the inky night with its prey.

Dan and Lupe hit the ground hard and looked up in time to see the crowd staring in horror as the owl took off with their leader in its grasp.

A nearby doe rat collapsed to her knees, screeching out a sob. A lizard near the rocks covered his mouth with his hands.

“Control it! Tell it to bring you back!” A desperate mouse shouted after the owl.

“There never was any control.” A panicked ground squirrel muttered. “It was… it was a lie.”

“Blasphemy!” a rat shoved the ground squirrel. “This is part of the plan! It must be!”

“Dan, get up.” Lupe spoke low and urgent. “We have to get out of here, now.”

“They killed him!” A shrew pointed a withered looking finger at Lupe and Dan as they shakily got to their feet.

“The owl killed him, you idiot! Some ruler of birds!” A gecko hissed angrily.

“Did the ritual even work!” The sobbing doe rat asked, pointing at Dan.

“Of course not!” another voice yelled.

“Lies!”

“Blasphemy!”

“Kill them!”

“Aguilandro!”

“Capture them!”

The voices were getting louder and more riled. Lupe backed against the rock with Dan and looked towards where they had last seen Kit. He wasn’t there. Lupe tried to think hard of a plan to escape when he heard a high pitched yipping.

“Listen” Lupe shouted. “Listen! Coyotes!” he roared over the crowd. “Everyone inside, quickly!”

The crowd gasped and bristled, the sound of howling and the yipping came again and they started to panic and bolt.

“Everyone inside!” Dan shouted. “Go!” Dan looked around in fear. “Lupe, we’ve got to hide!” He blinked in confusion at the rare smile on Lupe’s face. The black-furred buck did not run with the others. Instead, as the masses bolted back into the caverns beneath the summit, he pulled Dan’s wrist in the direction of the yucca plant and around the narrow canyon wall.

“There’s your coyote.” Lupe sighed with relief, pointing at Kit yowling and yipping into the cleft between the two rock canyons.

“Kit!” Dan looked like he could have collapsed in relief.

“You’re safe.” Kit panted, giving up on his performance. He ran over and looked them both over. “You’re a mess, let's get out of here, we can picked up Eddie by the thorns and bolt.”

“Good idea.” Dan hung his head, trembling all over. “Let’s get out of here.”

Kit tried to help Dan walk on his unsteady legs while Lupe took the lead, it took them ages to get back to the thorns at their pace, but when they did, Lupe stopped in his tracks. Something was off.

“Eddie?” Lupe called nervously. “You sure this is where you left him.”

“Dead sure.” Kit hurried up beside him.

“Don’t say it like that.” Dan bristled.

Lupe fanned out his good arm to keep Dan and Kit back and stared into the tangled web of shadows. He turned and looked back at the others and pulled something from the thorns, a short length of red cord. He looked back into the thorns and pulled a knife from his belt.

“No closer.” came a ragged, furious voice.

Dan's eyes widened. "But... the dart." he murmured. "How?"

“Red Touch.” Lupe glared into the darkness as the Jumper limped out. He had Eddie in a tight hold, the ginger buck’s feet dangled off the ground and he was staring out at Lupe with wide, terrified eyes. “Let him go. It’s over.”

“It’s not over!” Red Touch seethed. “I will avenge him! I will call his spirit back! If it takes one critter or a thousand! I will bring Aguilandro back from the After! He will lead us home!” He stepped into the moonlight, a snapped thorn was held against Eddie’s throat, keeping him quiet. “But I will punish you! Punish you for the pain and suffering my dear Aguilandro has faced tonight! Aguilito will have your limbs! They ants will have your scraps!” the Jumper screeched.

Kit started to raise his gun but Red Touch pressed the thorn hard against Eddie’s neck until he whimpered and they saw a thin line of blood seeping into his pale neck fur.

“Drop it, all your weapons!” Red Touch commanded.

Lupe dropped his knife and Kit dropped his gun.

“He didn’t do anything wrong.” Lupe said, taking a tense step forward. “I’m your deserter. Take me, he’s nothing to you.”

“But he’s something to you, and that will make you suffer…” Red Touch pulled back with the thorn as it to stab Eddie and Lupe ran forward and shoved Red Touch backwards. Long thorns pierced the Jumper’s middle and chest, nearly sticking Lupe’s face as he grabbed Eddie and fell back from the gasping, dying rodent.

“I’m coming…A-Aguil–andro.” Red Touch gurgled as his head slowly slumped forward.

Eddie latched onto Lupe as tight as he could, trembling violently. Lupe struggled to sit up with his broken arm and patted Eddie’s back.

“He’s dead.” Lupe told him. “You’re safe, let's get out of here.”

Kit and Dan nodded grimly and helped them both to their feet.

The walk back to the O’Malley cabin took hours, the red blush left the moon’s surface by the time they saw the old shack. Their quail were waiting where they had left them.

Dan could finally walk again by the time they reached their birds. He had offered to carry Eddie twice but the ginger buck had been so scared he hadn’t let go of Lupe the entire walk back. Eddie couldn’t even bear to look at the cabin as they returned.

“Can you ride on your own?” Lupe asked as they started to mount up on their birds. Eddie nodded weakly, and begrudgingly let go of Lupe’s neck.

“I have one more thing to do before we head out.” Lupe said as they started riding their birds down the old road once more. “You can go on without me.”

“Can’t it wait?” Dan asked in exhaustion. He had shed the white robes along the walk back. His back was peppered in spider shot and his dusty fur was fluffed up against the chill.

“I’m afraid not.” Lupe said, turning Luna towards town. To his surprise he heard the patter of quail feet behind him and he saw Eddie riding by his side, then Dan and Kit to right.

“It’s been a long night, and we’re sticking together til it's through.” Kit said firmly.

Lupe nodded silently and snapped the reins, riding onward to Alabaster.

The lights of the town were all out when they arrived, the door to the generals store was open, hanging on a single hinge. There wasn’t a bird on any hitching post. Alabaster, by all accounts, appeared deserted.

Lupe walked into the building down the street and made his way up the dark staircase. He couldn’t hear any noise, but he had to check. He opened the door with the brass letter three on the outside and squinted in the light of the pale light coming through the window. The room was empty, but he could make out something on the pillow. He crossed the room and found a slip of paper with a pearl dipped pin fastening it to the pillow. He pulled the pin and went to the window to read in the pale light of pre dawn:

Dearest Lupe,

I waited as long as I could, but there was a terrible commotion in town. Word has spread like wildfire of a dangerous cult in the area preying on the weak. I’m not worried about you, you are my big strong bandit, I know you can handle yourself. However, fearing for my life, I must flee. I regret parting in such a way, but I believe that somehow, somewhere, we will meet again.
Until then, keep your eyes sharp.

Your partner in crime,

Carmen Valdez

The bottom of the paper had a kiss mark in dark red lipstick. Lupe frowned and crushed the letter in his hand, then stuffed it into his pocket and left the room.

It took all morning to catch up to Roach at the new camp. The four brothers set up their tents and collapsed for much of the afternoon. Before evening, they visited Roach and Oscar to get patched up. Lupe had his arm set and put in a sling. He and Dan had the spider shot pulled from their wounds and were wrapped in layers of stiff bandages.

Roach chewed them out as their wounds were tended.

“I thought I told you boys not to cause a ruckus back there in Alabaster! Look at you! Shot up, busted bones and hung over to boot!” he gestured at Eddie as he stumbled to walk across the camp with his canteen.

“Ach, I wish I was hung over.” Eddie muttered.

“What happened out there, other than all of you deliberately doing everything I told you not to do and leaving Alabaster empty handed!” Roach put his hands on his hips. Kit and Dan looked at Lupe uncertainly, unsure where to start. Eddie just stared at the ground and said nothing.

“Alabaster was looted by the time we got there, folks all cleared out.” Lupe spoke up for the first time in hours. “A new bad element was passing through town. Tried to have a go at us.” Lupe took a swig from his canteen. “We took care of it.”

Roach raised a bushy brow then looked at Kit. Kit gave a curt nod. Roach sighed raggedly. “Very well, rest up and try not to get yourselves shot up anymore the next few weeks, I need you all in fightin’ shape if we’re gonna rob the train in Karrow’s Point. So rest up, don’t do nothin’ else stupid.” The old buck crossed the camp and went back to his tent.

“Why didn’t you tell him?” Eddie asked quietly. “Why didn’t you tell him that I… that you had to…” he trailed and flattened his ears in embarrassment.

“Cause you’ve been through enough.” Lupe said shortly. “And you’re not gonna do anything like that again, are you?”

“Of course not! I don’t have a death wish.” Eddie cracked a weak grin.

Lupe made his way back to his tent that evening and stretched out on his back with a sigh. He stared up at the canvas, unable to fall asleep despite how tired he was. He kept seeing tunnels whenever he closed his eyes. Andre’s final brave smile. El Jefe being carried off by the giant owl. He flinched as his tent flap parted and he spotted Eddie hunched over holding his bedroll.

“What?” Lupe arched his brow.

“I just, er, you know, my tent’s a bit cold and I thought, y’know, two critters could be more comfortable. Don’t you think?” Eddie grinned.

“You’re not scared of being alone, are you?” Lupe propped himself up on his elbow.

“Of course not! I love isolation! And so do you, my lone-wolf brother, so obviously, we’d be great at lone-wolfing together!” Eddie didn’t wait for an invitation and unrolled his bedroll, flopping down. “I’m not scared!” He folded his arms pointedly across his chest and stared at the canvas.

“What’s going on here?” Dan and Kit poked their heads into the tent.

“Nothing.” Lupe glanced at Eddie. “I don’t suppose your tents are cold as well?” Lupe drawled.

“Well, now that you mention it.” Dan said awkwardly.

“It’s fine, we’ll leave you to it.” Kit took a step back from the tent and Lupe groaned and rested his head back. “You can all stay for the night. Just one night.” he added firmly.

Dan grinned and squeezed into the tent with his bedroll, followed by Kit.

“Of course! Just one night, what do you take us for?” Eddie curled up on his side.

“A bunch of hare-brained delinquents. Trouble makers, juveniles.” Lupe muttered.

“Yeah,” Eddie grinned as he eyes closed. “But you like us.”

Lupe glanced around as they all made themselves comfortable and sighed.

“You’re my brothers, I’m supposed to like you.” He closed his eyes and, surrounded by the sleeping forms of his family, finally went to sleep.