Dusk was beginning to fall on the ranch, as the four men sat, guns ready, in their hiding places. A buckboard was approaching and they were on edge as they prepared for what would happen next.

"It's Lou and Kat!" Cody exclaimed from his lookout at the top of the barn.

Buck tore out of the barn, and Kid ran from the bunkhouse toward the wagon. Kid had left word with every shopkeeper in town to keep Lou and Kat there. Obviously none of them had been capable of holding the two, or tying them down.

"Get outta here!" Kid ordered his wife.

"You need the help!" Lou screamed back defiantly.

"Lou go with Kid, Kat come with me." Buck took control. He was just as upset as Kid that the women were there, but they couldn't do anything about it now. The thieves had been hitting just after dark, and with dark approaching quickly there was no time for one of Kid and Lou's arguments. And if they sent the women back to town, the thieves would find out the ranch was ready for them.

Lou triumphantly followed Kid to the bunkhouse and Kat followed Buck to the barn. Teaspoon was in the main house, and the rest of the posse would ride in after the thieves arrived.

Kat readied her gun and studied Buck in the growing dark. A combination of adrenaline and nerves caused her to shake slightly. Pulling a gun on a card cheat was nothing like facing a gang of thieves. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a noise above them.

"It's only Cody." Buck assured her with his dark, soothing eyes as he placed an arm on her shoulder.

Kat's eyes locked on his, but she looked away quickly. She had so much she wanted to say to him, but figured it would be better to keep things just business for now.

They waited together in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Buck was about to leave the barn and assume the robbers weren't going to pay a visit to the Marshal, when they heard Cody pound the loft floor above them. Buck let out a quick birdcall to warn the others someone was approaching.

Kat leaned up and gave Buck a quick peck on the cheek.

"For luck." She said softly as she looked away from Buck's questioning glance. She looked out the door of the barn, gripping her gun so tightly her fingers were cold and white.

A group of five men rode into the yard. They seemed to know the layout of the ranch, because two headed for the main house, two walked toward Kid and Lou's, while the last man stayed with the horses.

"We have you surrounded!" Teaspoon yelled from the house. "Give up now!" Teaspoon's order was met with chaos as all of the men went running for cover. Gunfire quickly followed.

Buck noticed the two men that had headed for Kid and Lou's disappeared around the side of the barn. He didn't like knowing they were out of sight of someone in the group.

"Stay here." Buck ordered Kat as he headed for the back of the barn. Kat nodded quickly, still returning fire on the men outside.

Within minutes the posse rode in and only two robbers were left to surrender. Kat watched as Teaspoon, Lou and Kid came out of their hiding places.

"I'm coming down." Cody called from the loft.

Kat glanced outside again, but Buck hadn't appeared yet.

"I'm going to find Buck!" Kat called to Cody as she slipped out the door.

"Wait!" Cody yelled as he quickened his pace on the ladder. Cody had also seen the men slip around the side of the barn. As soon as Kat said she was going to find Buck, Cody knew Buck had gone after them. He hoped Buck was all right, but if he wasn't, Kat didn't need to be the one to find him.

Kat rounded the corner of the barn cautiously. She peered into the darkness and saw a man with a gun standing over a body toward the far end of the barn. She walked forward slowly, swallowing hard at the thought of who might be on the ground.

She had only made it a few steps when someone grabbed her from behind. She tried to scream, but there was a firm hand over her mouth. Her fears were confirmed then, Buck was the one on the ground.

"Looks like we've got a pretty ticket out of here." A gruff voice whispered in her ear. Kat cringed in horror and began to struggle against him. Her mind was racing. She needed a distraction and she could wrench herself away from this man. Then she could get to the man standing over Buck.

"Now be a good girl." The voice commanded gruffly. Kat winced as the man shoved his gun between her ribs. "And drop the gun."

Kat looked toward the man standing over Buck. She and her captor had now drawn his attention, and he no longer had his gun trained on Buck. Kat squinted into the darkness and almost swore she saw Buck's arm move toward his knife. She didn't know how badly he was hurt, or if he was even alive. She knew though that whether or not she went with these men, she was dead. It all depended on how much she wanted to give them before they killed her. Kat leveled her gun and fired at the man next to Buck. The gunshot from behind her followed immediately. She was relieved she didn't feel anything as she went hurtling toward the ground.