Chapter 18: Boone’s Counterattack
The scorching sun had begun its slow descent, casting long shadows over the rugged landscape. The air was thick with the scent of dust and sweat, mingling with the faint smell of smoke from the burning factory they’d left behind. Buck and Abilene rode in silence, their horses’ hooves kicking up dirt as they made their way toward their hidden camp. The victory at the factory had been sweet, but both knew it was far from over.
They didn’t see the ambush coming.
“Something’s not right,” Abilene muttered, her eyes scanning the horizon as they approached the edge of the canyon that led to their camp. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, an uneasy feeling settling in her gut.
Buck nodded, his eyes narrowing as he too felt the weight of impending danger.
“Boone won’t take that hit lying down,” he said, his voice low and tense.
“He’ll be coming for us.”
They reached the top of a ridge overlooking their camp when suddenly, the unmistakable sound of gunfire erupted from below. Buck’s heart sank as he saw the chaos unfolding Sand Vipers and River Tribe warriors scattered, fighting for their lives against a swarm of outlaws and mercenaries. 
“We’re under attack!” Buck yelled, spurring his horse forward. Abilene was right behind him, her face set in grim determination.
As they descended into the fray, it became clear that Boone had called in reinforcements dozens of ruthless outlaws and notorious gangs from across the West. The air was thick with gunpowder and the cries of the wounded. The Sand Vipers fought valiantly, but they were outnumbered and overwhelmed, their leader Serpent desperately trying to rally his men amidst the chaos.
Abilene dismounted her horse, firing her revolver at the oncoming attackers with deadly precision. She moved with a fluid grace, taking down enemy after enemy as she made her way toward Serpent, who was pinned down behind a boulder.
“Serpent! We need to fall back and regroup!” Abilene shouted over the din of battle.
Serpent, bleeding from a wound in his side, gritted his teeth.
“We’re getting slaughtered out here! They came out of nowhere!”
Buck slid off his horse, joining them behind the boulder, his face dark with anger.
“Boone set us up,” he growled, reloading his revolver.
“We need to get our people out of here before we’re all wiped out.”
Before they could make a move, a deafening explosion rocked the ground beneath them. Buck and Abilene were thrown to the dirt as a section of the canyon wall was blasted apart, sending rocks and debris raining down on their camp. Through the dust and chaos, Buck saw Boone’s men advancing, cutting through their ranks with brutal efficiency.
“Fall back!” Buck yelled, his voice hoarse as he fired into the advancing outlaws. “Everyone, fall back!”
Serpent nodded, his face pale from blood loss.
“Go, I’ll cover you!”
Abilene grabbed Serpent’s arm, pulling him to his feet. “We’re not leaving you behind!” she shouted, dragging him toward the retreating Sand Vipers.
As they ran, bullets whizzed past them, narrowly missing their heads. The sound of gunfire and screams filled the air, but they pushed forward, fighting tooth and nail to reach the relative safety of the canyon’s exit.
But Boone’s men were relentless. They pressed the attack, driving the Sand Vipers and River Tribe into a deadly trap. The canyon walls funneled them into a narrow pass, where they were met with a hail of bullets from hidden snipers above.
Buck saw it too late.
“It’s a trap!” he yelled, but his voice was drowned out by the gunfire.
One by one, their allies fell, cut down by Boone’s mercenaries. Serpent took a bullet to the leg, collapsing with a cry of pain. Abilene knelt beside him, her hands shaking as she tried to stop the bleeding.
“We’re not going to make it,” Serpent gasped, his face contorted in pain.
“Yes, we are!” Abilene snapped, her voice thick with desperation. She looked up at Buck, her eyes pleading.
“We have to get him out of here!”
Buck nodded, his mind racing. They were outgunned and outnumbered, and their only chance was to retreat but Boone’s men had them surrounded. There was no way out.
Unless…
“Abilene, take Serpent and go!” Buck ordered, his voice leaving no room for argument.
“I’ll cover you!”
“No, Buck—” Abilene began, but Buck cut her off.
“There’s no time! Get him out of here!” he shouted, his eyes blazing with determination.
Abilene’s heart clenched as she looked at Buck, knowing what he was about to do. But there was no other choice. She nodded, her throat tight.
“Don’t you dare die on me, Buck,” she whispered fiercely.
Buck gave her a grim smile. “I’ll see you on the other side.”
With that, Abilene and Serpent began their retreat, half-dragging, half-carrying the wounded leader toward the narrow pass. Buck stood his ground, his revolvers blazing as he provided cover for their escape. He moved with deadly precision, each shot finding its mark, but he knew he was running out of time.
Just as Abilene and Serpent disappeared around the bend, Boone’s men closed in on Buck. He fought with everything he had, his guns emptying one after another as he took down as many of them as he could. But the odds were stacked against him.
A sharp pain exploded in Buck’s side as a bullet tore through his flesh. He stumbled, his vision blurring, but he refused to go down. With a roar of defiance, he fired his last shot, the bullet striking down the man who had shot him.
But it was too late. Boone’s men were on him, swarming him like vultures. They knocked the revolver from his hand, dragging him to the ground. Buck struggled, his fists swinging, but the pain and blood loss were too much. Darkness began to close in around him.
“Take him alive,” one of the outlaws growled, grabbing Buck by the collar and hauling him to his feet.
“Boone wants him to suffer.”
Buck’s vision swam as he was roughly bound, his hands tied behind his back. He could barely make out the faces of his captors, but he could hear their cruel laughter as they dragged him away.
The last thing Buck saw before he lost consciousness was the distant figure of Abilene, disappearing into the shadows with Serpent at her side.
***
Abilene’s heart pounded in her chest as she and Serpent finally emerged from the canyon, the sounds of battle fading behind them. They had made it out, but at what cost? 
As they stumbled into the open desert, the full weight of what had happened crashed down on Abilene. Buck was gone—captured by Boone’s men, and she had no idea if he was alive or dead. The thought tore at her, filling her with a cold, hollow despair.
Serpent groaned in pain, pulling her from her thoughts. She looked down at him, her hands trembling as she tried to focus on his injury. “We need to stop the bleeding,” she muttered, tearing a strip of fabric from her shirt to make a makeshift bandage.
As she worked, her mind raced. She couldn’t lose Buck. Not now, not after everything they’d been through. She had to get him back, no matter the cost. But how? Boone had the upper hand, and their forces were decimated. 
“I’ll come back for you, Buck,” she whispered under her breath, her voice thick with emotion. “I swear, I’ll get you out of there.”
The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows over the barren landscape as Abilene and Serpent limped toward safety. But in her heart, Abilene knew that the real battle had just begun.
Boone had made his move, and now, it was her turn.