Ro ties Blaine up to the same pole he himself was secured to just a few minutes ago. We wrap our scarves 'round our heads to protect us from the dust as much as possible, and then head out of the hole at the tent's back. I use Blaine's knife to slice through the back of the grey tent, cuz ain't no other place fer our guns to be stashed. Inside is all of their supplies. They got their own sled with a couple crates loaded on it, and there's a couple of bedrolls where Callen's men must've intended to ride out the storm.

Like hell Blaine didn't know where our guns were, cuz even in the odd blackness of the day, I cain feel my way along the perimeter of the tent and, not three feet from them bedrolls, there's a fold of canvas containin' all our guns.

"Frank," I clasp the shotgun to my chest. "Oh Frank, I never thought I'd see you again."

"Should I be jealous?" Ro grabs the traders' weapons.

"Havin' both of you back just about makes my life complete."

"Help!" a voice brakes over the desert's howl. "They got me, Sargent, help!"

"Seems Blaine woke up." I grin. "Right on schedule."

We stand on either side of the tent's openin', listenin' to Blaine whine. The stomp of boots rushin' by follows. "Now," I mouth to Ro 'fore lifting my kerchief over my nose and slippin' from the tent.

We step out, just as Callen and his man enter the one Blaine's tied up in. To our right, Tegan, Vern, and Gina rush over to us. Ro tosses them their guns.

"I cain't believe yer plan worked, Curlicue." Tegan, eyes obscured behind goggles, shakes her head. She hands a pair to both Ro and me. I'm unaccountably excited to put mine on.

"Well, it ain't worked yet." I motion to the tent, out of which three very angry lawfolk emerge.

Vern takes a shot without hesitatin'. It wings through the tent, near enough to Callen's head fer him to display a certain amount of alarm. Callen's got a gun, and so does his other man, but we've got four, includin' Frank, and they're all ready to fire.

"Frank here was just mentionin' to me how it's been too long since he killed a man," I shout through my scarf, through the dust and the whippin' wind. "He's practically beggin' fer me to let him do it again. And if you don't drop yer weapons right now, I'm gonna give him what he wants."

Callen ain't a man to back down. He keeps his gun up, but his men ain't so fearless. Blaine ducks back inside the tent, and the other man wavers. We gotta finish this up soon. The storm ain't gettin' better 'fore it gits a lot worse.

"All right Vern, this time, don't aim fer the tent."

Vern angles his gun all menacin'-like and Callen's man drops his weapon and raises his hands. So much fer all their fancy trainin'.

Callen sighs deep and then, finally, he lowers his gun. "This isn't over."

"No, it ain't," I agree with him. "I promised the desert it could pass its final judgment upon you. So believe me, when it's over, you'll know it."

Gina and Ro collect the officers' fallen guns.

"Let's git our stuff and go," I tell my friends.

"You are a crazy woman," Teagan says. "Let's tie 'em up and ride out the storm in our tent."

"We cain't do that, Tegan. The desert's takin' this camp fer itself. If we're here when it comes, it'll take us too."

Ro puts his hand on my shoulder. "What are you talking about, May?"

"We gotta go. Now. Or we die. I know it to be true." Ro nods. He trusts me, even if I ain't makin' very much sense at the moment. I turn to the traders. "Ain't got no time to take the tent with us, neither. If you don't wanna come with me, yer welcome to share the fate of these lawfolk."

I don't leave no more time fer discussion. Runnin' over to Nessie, I tie a kerchief 'round her nose and try to comfort her with a few pats. "You gotta do yer part now, Nessie."

Ro helps secure her to the sled. "You able to travel?" I ask him, though I doubt I'll git an honest answer.

"Of course I am." I don't argue, cuz he's got no choice anyways.

#

After securin' the three lawfolk inside one of their tents, the traders catch up to Ro and me. I'm pleased to say they was convinced to vacate Callen's camp by my gloom and doom rantin'. We drag our stuff south, back towards Gina's ghost town and the pass beyond it.

Every step we take is more labored than the previous. Dust pelts our skin, and ain't nothing visible more than a few feet ahead of us. But I paid attention as we came this direction the first time. I know where we're goin'.

We huddle together, as if our closeness will drive off the dust. Ro pulls Nessie along and we go fer what feels like a long stretch, though I know we ain't too far from where we started.

"We cain't just keep on like this, Curlicue." Tegan struggles with her gear.

"We won't. I promise." A few minute later, I move us off to the right a bit. The land starts to climb. Higher and higher, we go, till there's just the slightest lessonin' of the wind. The terrain is rough here. Ain't no path nor light to make our way easier. Ro's ankle gives out twice, but I keep him upright, and we carry on. Once we reach the top of the hill, I turn to the others.

"Here we are. I know it's dark, but we gotta feel our way over to the west side a bit. We cain lay low there. Wait out the worst of it."

And that's what we do. We find a slope, lower ourselves and our stuff down it, and take shelter. It cuts off enough of the storm's power that we cain hope more air than dust is workin' its way into our lungs.

Ro slumps against me breathin' hard. I rest my head on the top of his, our hands interlace. I don't need no light to know his face is all beat up. I'd be mad, 'cept I'm certain the desert's justice is already at work. Callen's payin' fer doin' this to Ro, and I ain't sad 'bout it.

"You risked your life to come for me." Ro turns his face to mine. "I knew you would."

"That's cuz you know I love you Rordan Bennett Farnes. Ain't enough lawfolk in the world to keep me from you."

Ro is quiet fer a moment—so quiet I start to think he's fallen asleep. 'Fore I nod off myself, he finally says, "I don't know what I did to deserve you, May."

"You put truth into the world. You took the world's worst enemy and woke it to the reality of our strife. You saved a starvin' desert girl from her own personal hell. What you deserve is more than I could ever possibly give you."

"You give me everything, May. Everything."

I hold him against me and he does the same. The rage of the storm cain't touch us no more.

"Are we gonna go back fer them when the storm passes?" Gina asks. "To untie them, I mean?"

"Maybe," Tegan says without commitment.

"Ain't you figured things out yet?" I ask 'em. "When the desert's done with them lawfolk, won't be nothin' fer us to go back to."

After that, they don't say no more and when, after hours of givin' us its worst, the storm finally does pass, no one even looks back towards where the camp used to be 'fore the desert swallowed it whole.

A/N: Well now, that was... dramatic.  Do you think the lawfolk are really dead and gone?

This chapter's votes will go towards supplying desert dwellers with dust storm survival kits. Believe it or not, there are still those living on the outskirts of the desert without the basic storm necessities, such as a good pair of goggles (May had never owned a pair before Tegan gave her the ones she'd lifted from the lawfolk). Thank you for voting and saving a fictitious life!

Today's dedication goes to my long-time Wattpad friend brucerelgin, Watty winner and Ambassador.  Bruce has two excellent paranormal/thriller stories for you to dive into on his profile, SCHISM and VOODOO TOWN.  There is no way you won't love them both!