Mid-afternoon, April 11th, 1879. Blackthorn, Texas. Good Friday.

((Wildcat, Charging Bear))

Just outside the makeshift jail.

some mood music

The trio of law men (and women) converse, discussing their strategy.

Evans allows Charging Bear a few minutes to slip through the alleys to the back door.

Wildcat, too, slips away, to find that opened window the others mentioned.

Once the two are away, Evan steels himself, then walks over to the ruins of his old office, turns, and looks at the building. He waits for the signal that the others are in place.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:03, Tue 04 Oct 2011.

Wildcat usually wasn't much for stealth, preferring the direct assault, but in this situation prudence ruled over style.  She moved in with careful deliberate motion, her thumb on the hammer.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:44, Tue 04 Oct 2011.

OOC: How quietly can CB move?
08:02, Today: Charging Bear rolled 7,2 using 1d4,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (4+3)7,2. Stealth.
Decently it might appear

---

Charging Bear moves stealth-fully as he can manage, which is better than some, but not as good as other. Rum Tum wasn't the shooter in the store, and with his shooting Cantrell the way he did, I'm guessing he's more of a gun fighter. Just got to remember that doesn't mean he isn't waiting to blast someone with a rifle. The native son's eyes scanned the nearby buildings, for any sign of this mystery man but didn't stop to make himself an overly easy target.

Once he makes it across the street  from the rear door Charging Bear whistles like a whippoorwill - the agreed upon signal.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:46, Tue 04 Oct 2011.

Wildcat creeps along, hoping no one is actively looking for her. She reaches the window without getting shot at, so that's a good sign.

Pausing to get a feel for the situation, she hears movement from inside the room, as well as someone muttering.

"Goddammit, Bill, why you gotta be so heavy?" A grunt. "Come on...just a little more...come on...soon we'll be out o' here, away from these whackjobs..."

In reply to Charging Bear (msg #3):

Quiet like a cat, Charging Bear slips through the alley to the back door. If someone was up there waiting for him, he'd given them the slip.

((OOC: 08:38, Today: The Jellicle Gang rolled 1,1 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1. Notice. Critical failure. Go CB!))

After giving the signal, Charging Bear creeps up to the door and tests it. Unlocked. He pushes it open.

It meets a strange resistance half way, and as he pushes it further he sees wires leading to a trio of three sticks of...wait, is that dynamite?

Charging Bear has just enough time to wonder where the hell they got dynamite before instinct kicks in and the dynamite goes boom...

((OOC: Make an Agility roll at -2 or take 3d6+1 damage))

Charging Bear having seen dynamite go off before preferred not to be nearby.

OOC:
11:56, Today: Charging Bear rolled 4,2 using 1d8-2,1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 6,4. Agility.

I'm at something of an impasse here.  Wildcat knows that Bill McCoy joined Marshal Evans (via Wildcat as Evans was in his BSOD episode at the moment), defecting from the Dust Adders.

Wildcat however has never met Mighty Dave, but she learned a lot about how the Adders see themselves from Carl and Jesse.  It's not inconceivable she might make the connection this is their idea of a "rescue" attempt, perhaps even with the aid of the Jellicles, since they both have a common enemy in the Ranger!

Then again, she also knows the Dust Adders weren't very amused with the Jellicle's assault on her before.

Wildcat however is Loyal and Heroic and will be damned if she's going to let Deputy McCoy go without a fight.

My questions are then:

1.  Her first instinct is to run in there "Freeze Texas [BANG] Ranger!" and save the Deputy, however if she thinks this is another Dust Adder trying to 'save' him, she might not want to resort to shooting him as her first alternative.  There's a reason she carries 5 or 6 different weapons, yay dusters.  Does she realize this COULD BE another Dust Adder?

I am thinking maybe a Smarts roll, probably with a penalty due to her being more disposed to help McCoy immediately than anything else, to put all that together?  Just because I the player can justify it OOC doesn't mean IC Wildcat can think so quickly.  This is a high stress situation that acts counter to her instincts.

2.  Does she hear the dynamite blow right after the signal?  Because if that goes off it's guns blazing regardless!  She won't let them assault Deputy Bear like that.

((OOC: Go ahead and make a Smarts roll, with a +1 bonus, to realize it might be a Dust Adder. Your bit is slightly ahead of CB's bit, as it would have taken him longer to reach the back than you reaching the side, and the notice roll was just you checking your surrounding out before the signal.))

11:22, Today: Wildcat Hawkins rolled 10,3 using 1d6+1,1d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of (6+3)9,2. smarts.

Damned Dust Snakes... I got me a real problem wit' snakes here lately.  No doubt this was some ill conceived 'rescue' attempt on their part.  Odds were Deputy McCoy didn't want to head back, and they saw fit to take him for his own good.

It was simpler when you could just shoot them.  Could shoot him in the leg. Katrina suggested.  Don't be stupid girl, you were there when they taught us that can kill a man just as easy and it's a harder shot to boot.  If'n we kill us another one of them fellers, we ain't never gonna get ta Ward. Wildcat countered.  Katrina shut up, at times like this Wildcat was always in control.

Wildcat had to think of something right now, but the solution was right there.  While wearing a man's duster, even this small one, didn't flatter her figure much, it had the benefit of having lots of big pockets, and lots of fabric to hide things on your belt.  She hadn't replaced her lariat onto her saddle horn since she'd gotten here due to the terminal lack of handcuffs in this town.

Quickly holstering the Colt, she loosed the leather snap on her gunbelt and the rope fell loose into her hands, already coiled and ready.  Wildcat took in deep breath, prayed God would watch over her in her moment of dumbassery, and went straight for the breach.  She was going to round up a Dust Adder.

OOC:  I don't suppose I get a 'sneak attack'?

((OOC: He hasn't noticed you, so as long as you make the Agility check to get through the window in one go, you can get The Drop on him.))

Okay I'm going to adjudicate here and ask some questions too.  I have some suggestions for how this might resolve but they favor me and as always the Marshal's intepretation stands.  But I find if you want something good to happen because of a dice roll it's wise to say what you are hoping for.

11:40, Today: Wildcat Hawkins rolled 2,1 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,1. Agility straight up no chaser.

A 2 will not succeed.

11:41, Today: Wildcat Hawkins rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3. Damn.  Red.

So draw a Marshal chip.  I hate spending reds in these situations but what can you do.

11:44, Today: Wildcat Hawkins rolled 12,5 using 1d6+4,1d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of (6+2)8,1. rope a dope (lassos are fighting rolls?).

Lariats/Lassos I think combat are Fighting rolls unless used as part of an Agility Trick.  Wildcat isn't using a Trick she's straight up trying to rope him like a calf.  Even if it is Agility her Fighting and Agility are the same.  Either way I'd argue if she's got The Drop the +4 applies.

Wildcat leaps through the window, right into the path of a familiar-looking Dust Adder carrying someone over his shoulder. The man's eyes bug almost out of his head and he only has time to shout "HOLY SH-" before Wildcat's wild lasso falls around his legs and yanks him off his feet.

The big Dust Adder goes heels-to-Jesus, landing on his back with a gasp. The man he was carrying rolls out of his arms.

"...ow..." The Dust Adder manages.

Just then, there is a might {BOOM!} that rattles the walls...

((OOC: Using a Lariat is an Agility trick, but it uses your Fighting skill instead of Agility and knocks the person prone on a raise in addition to the -2 Parry and Shaken he'd get. Since you have The Drop, the drop bonus applies to your Fighting roll (and I'd have it apply to anything you did, from Test of Wills to Tricks to actual Attacks). So 12 is the number Dave has to beat to have no effect, and he has to beat 8 to avoid being sent Prone and Shaken. Since Dave is caught by surprise, he gets a -2 penalty on his Agility check to resist.

13:03, Today: Mighty Dave rolled 3,1 using d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 5,3. Surprise rope resistance! Dave goes tumbling.))