The city cavalry arrives at the valley village earlier than anticipated. All eyes study surroundings for trouble, a lull in gunfire and action the place appears peaceful.

As the older jeep nears the main intersection Mary-Lee asks Jamal, "isn't there usually someone on guard?"

"Yeah," Jamal looks about the village, "should be."

Miles hasn't been here since a boy, "perhaps they're still sleeping." He's becoming concerned Vladimir and Ella are not here.

Mary-Lee turns about to reply, "maybe, but someone should be at the intersection."

"Oh my," Jamal sees Hoss' guard laid out in the grassy median of the intersection and points it out, "that guy ain't sleeping. Well sort of I guess."

Mary-Lee and Miles look over at the dead man.

Jamal slows the Jeep inquiries, "what do you think? More importantly what do you think we should do?"

Mary-Lee looks up to Hoss' house and only sees a bit of the Hummer. "Miles I think this Ella you met may have steered us right. I don't see Hoss' black Escalade. Seeing that dead guard and the village so quiet maybe her friend has already taken every one out." She looks around some more. "Jamal stop here for a minute. Just in case its' a trap. I'll go back and have a word with Manuel, see what he thinks."

"Alright Dear," Jamal stops the Jeep forcing the truck and trailer following to stop.

"Be right back," Mary-Lee gets out of the Jeep, while Jamal and Miles uneasily look about.

At Hoss' place Bob hears the vehicles approaching and gets up to check, "hey Roy I don't know what to make of this. You better come over and have a look." Seeing them stop Bob brings up the binoculars to see who's getting out of the Jeep.

"What is it Bob?" Hoss takes a moment to get out of the porch chair.

Bob informs them, "it's Mary-Lee and Jamal in a Jeep. There's someone I don't recognize in the back. But behind them is a dualy pick-up towing a long horse trailer. Do you think they've come to trade for the cows? Or do you think they have something to do with our situation here?"

"What? Jamal and Mary-Lee? Here?" Hoss ambles across the side porch to the front section. "They don't come out here," Roy releases the safety on the rifle. "With all the people in their city, there has to be a few ex-military members. I've wondered what really happened to Zed's band. Perhaps they're behind that as well... Yeah, one less group to worry about in the area, then they found out we've got livestock to trade. Send a couple guys in here before dawn to take out as many as possible. Then they come in and clean up. That trailer can easily hold a dozen men or more."

Bob tries to see who Mary-Lee is talking with in the pick-up, "yup I could see that. And you know what? I think that's Manuel she's speaking with. What should we do?"

Undermanned Hoss isn't going down there to find out what's going on. Having a simpler plan in mind Roy calls over to Jerry and Wyatt, "Jerry swing your wagon over this way. We have visitors at the gate."

"Alright," Jerry starts the Hummer backing up.

Raising the rifle to the good shoulder Hoss takes aim speaking to Bob, "keep an eye on 'em. I'll lay a few rounds down there. If they throw up their arms or run we know they came to trade. If they came to fight we'll quickly find out."

Bob shrugs, "ready when you are Roy."

"Here goes something," Hoss fires several shots, BANG, BANG, BANG! The shots hit the ground close to Mary-Lee.

Tightening up to avoid being shot Mary-Lee turns to see Hoss and Bob up on the hill

She dashes back to the Jeep, getting in Jamal hits the gas getting them moving, before she can close the door.

Jamal circles the intersection and begins to drive west with the pick-up and trailer following.

About a half a mile away they suddenly drive right, deep into the shallow ditch coming to a stop.

The doors of the trailer open and their men begin to dart out scattering into the village for cover.

"Knew it!" Hoss begins shooting at the back of the opened trailer, BANG, BANG, BANG!

Joining Roy, before the Hummer stops, Wyatt opens up the machine gun on them spraying bullets, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM!

Hoss and Wyatt kill two before they can get out of the trailer. Manuel's crew returns fire BANG, BANG, BANG! Forcing Hoss and Bob to take cover behind the Hummer. Jerry leans out the driver's window shooting.

Jamal switches into four-wheel drive and steers the Jeep into a fenced-in backyard, sheltered by a lot of big trees.

As Bob gets into the action shooting away Hoss gets on the radio, "Sig I'm sure you can hear the shooting. It's Jamal and Mary-Lee, they brought a trailer full of men. We can keep them back from here. You keep after that son of a bitch. Floyd, get your ass back here! But watch the main road when you come in. They've got about a dozen men scattered out there."

Sig radios back first, "okay Roy, that son of a bitch is leaving us a decent bloody trail to follow he can't be much father from us. Let us know if you needs us."

"You bet," Hoss replies before replacing his gun's magazine, "tricky fucking assholes. Tear 'em a new one boys."

Floyd gets his truck turned about as Shane checks back, "we're coming Roy. Save a few for us."

The constant gunfire echoes for miles around. Astonished by the scary racket Filomena freezes up in speculation. Sounding as if running towards a battlefield she glances left and right. Turning about wonders if she can swim across the river.

Spotting her Spike gets Dave's attention trying not to speak too loud, "hey Dave I see our dark haired teen. I'm going down there."

"Really?" Dave nods speaking to Sig, "hey Spike's spotted our second shooter he's heading down to get them. What should we do?"

Sounding good Sig still wants to catch Vlad, "okay, move up to the tree-line and keep an eye on Spike. If he needs a hand help him. But I'm going to keep tracking down this guy."

"Okay," Dave waves slightly and moves up the hill.

Creeping up on Filomena, Spike's able to see she's not a teen boy but a small woman. Considering getting a private moment with her Spike looks back. Not seeing Dave yet he figures he can get a piece, alive or warmly dead. Spike proceeds in movements and intentions.

With sporadic gunfire still ringing out from the south Fil glances back over her shoulder. Feeling cowardly for fleeing and leaving Vlad and Ella to their possible demise she's perplexed. With no weapon in hand and little experience fighting doesn't know what help she'd really be. Returning focus back to the river she glimpses Spike approaching with rifle in hand. Oh no. Taking to the river seems logical but thinks she'll be shot.

Realizing he's been spotted Spike picks up the pace threatening her, "hold it right there. Or I'll fill you full of holes."

Hoping to possibly catch the guy off guard Fil shows her hands, "I'm not armed. Please don't shoot."

Slyly grinning Spike is close enough to like what he sees standing there, appearing to be helpless, "yeah so you say. Put your hands on top of your head. I have no problem shooting you, if you do anything other than what I tell you. Do you understand?"

Complying with a sigh Fil places the hands onto her head, "I do. I was only trying to avoid all that scary gunfire. What's going on?"

No way does he believe she's innocent to what's going on. Just a few feet from her Spike commands, "turn around so a check you for weapons."

Sighing she does but purposely switches her legs back and forth trying to sexually accentuate her bottom in the baggy slacks, "okay, but I promise you I don't have anything on me. I was merely following the river here when all that shooting started." She's able to sense his ill intent.

"Uh-huh," with one hand Spike begins patting her down from the left arm down to the left leg. He makes sure to get a full feel of her breast and butt cheek, "just out for a morning stroll eh?"

As he's bent over feeling her ankles Filomena collapses backwards, forcing Spike to the ground under her. Hitting the ground she uses her hands and arms to spring up and bolt east.

"What the?" Spike scrambles to get up, "get back here!"

Back on his feet she keeps running so he fires a couple shots at her. BANG, BANG! "Stop!"

Seeing she's not stopping he gives chase letting a couple more bullets fly, this time aiming for her, BANG, BANG! Both moving he misses.

Reaching the edge of the tree-line, Dave hears the shots. Looking down to the river sees Spike chasing the individual. He picks up the pace to follow.

Fil's a bit quicker with such motivation behind. Reaching the next bend in the river she becomes obscured to Spike by the overgrown brush. Dave can no longer see her but watches Spike as he continues the pursuit firing away.

Hearing the shots from the river Sig spots Dave hustling along. Sig walks more briskly figuring those two should be okay.

Rounding the bend Spike knows his gun clip is getting low. Frustrated and tired of running allover the place he stops to take a well aimed shot at Fil. That's enough of this shit.

While standing still, Spike aims tracking Fil's darting movements.

From his right Ella leaps out of the brush knocking Spike into the river.

With the wolf's full wait on top of Spikes' body Ella keeps his face under the water. Not completely sure what just happened or what's on him, Spike flails about. He fires the gun at the body on him only grazing the wolf's back side. The gun empty and still struggling Spike drops it to retrieve a buck knife.

Stabbing at the wolf's abdomen he manages to get in one deep thrust causing the wolf to yelp out. Able to get in two shorter stabs Spike sucks in water desperate for air, Spike and body twitch about until succumbing.

Hearing an animal's yelp of pain Fil slows up and turns about. She can see Ella's large wolf body above the river water's surface. Remaining on top the man for a minute Ella ensures the he is indeed dead.

Unable to see or hear Spike anymore Dave moves towards the river.

As the wolf stands releasing Spike's body Fil realizes Ella's drowned the man. Filomena's able to smell the blood that runs from the wolf's wet fur. Empathically Fil begins to reach out wanting to aid Ella.

The wolf bounds back into the brush.