Zek overheard the cries for people inside,  and spotted Wild Bill.

"Maddox, see if you can't get Wild Bill to help the people inside rather than standing around like a damn dumb dead peckerwood. Fire can't even hurt him! If he won't,  say because he's a selfish bastard, tell him I know where to get more medicine for him, and not to run off."

Zek burrows back into the earth like some sort of bizarre worm, leaving no hole or other sign of passage.

(Ooc - going back in to try and get people out.)
This message was last edited by the player at 18:47, Mon 16 Jan 2017.

Wild Bill leaps after Matt, and clamps a hand on the Marshals's shoulder. He yanked hard, bringing the Marshal's leap to a screeching halt. "Wait a moment, son!" he says, his voice ringed with steely authority. "Not that way. You'll get lit up like a roman candle goin' in there." He points towards the front of the saloon. "Durin' the fight, someone blew out a window in the front. Anyone tryin' to get out'll go that way."

He looks at Belle. "You reckon you can do any fancy inventin' to put out the flames? If not, I suggest you start haulin' water from horse troughs right quick."

In reply to Logan West (msg # 237):

((OOC: All the survivors look to be back in the main room of the saloon...it doesn't sound like anyone's trapped near the back.))

For a split second Matt rankled at Bill's grasp, then quickly regained his composure. He put his hat back on his head and grinned disarmingly.

"You're right. Heroics, part of the job, right? I'll go round front and see if I can help," he said, and began moving for the front of the saloon. A few steps away he stopped and turned, fixing Wild Bill with a lawman's gaze.

"You don't run off when this is done, sir. I need to talk to you." and with that, he turned again and turned the corner to the front of the Bella Union.

He took in the streetside, searching for the window on the front of the saloon the deader mentioned.

The window is quite easy to spot, as there is a small band of assorted thugs making their way out of it with any valuables they can carry.

In reply to Matthew Broaddale (msg # 241):

Bill sighs. "Yeah. Reckon you do."

The front of the saloon is more difficult to get to than one might wish, as there's a wooden barricade that's been erected across the street with a sign saying "WARNING: DO NOT CROSS" in big, angry letters.

Not that anyone seems to be paying much mind, as a band of hardcases loaded down with valuables are hoisting themselves across the wooden fence.

Beyond it, a pair of women and a familiar-looking man in a fancy uniform are ushering coughing miners out of the building. One of them is shouting back inside, apparently calling for a friend.

"I don't know about the saloon not being hurtful..." Maddox begins, watching the sparks drift over nearby buildings with concern. "Wait, Wild-?"

Zek is, however, gone by the time he looks over, leaving the bounty hunter to scratch his head and jog back a couple of steps, casting about for anyone who might be an escaping criminal or comandeered into a bucket chain.

James grunts as he got up and glances around what's left of the saloon. "Hell..." he mutters quietly.

Belle reviewed her options.  "I need a chemistry set to make a true anti-flammable agent... however I can offer another, risky option.  I have an explosive demolition charge, but it's not been activated.

"Before the quake of '68 created the Maze, there was a conflagration in San Francisco in 1849* which was stopped by a handful of miners armed with dynamite.  Although it seems counter-intuitive, an explosion on the site of an unwanted combustion momentarily creates an instantaneous vacuum, stopping the oxidation.  It is risky however.  And we would have to do it now or very soon lest this spread and my one charge not be sufficient."
*
At least I assume so.  I always figured the Reckoners saw the excesses of what the gold rush wrought and used that the template for the discovery of so much ghost rock in one place.

Matt looked disbelievingly between the burning building and the brazen bandits. It was  He cleared his throat loudly at the men and put his hand on his hip.

"Gentlemen. U.S. Marshal Broaddale. I hope you're all okay, and no one's been hurt. Problem is, I'm not sure all..."he gestured at their filthy lucre, "that belongs to you. Can you all do me a favor? Climb down off that wall, hand over the loot, and I won't immediately assume you're arsonists as well as thieves."</i>

In reply to James Wilder (msg # 245):

((OOC: @James -- Make me a Notice check at -6, please.))

In reply to Belle Ivers (msg # 246):

Wild Bill rubs his forehead. "Fightin' fire with fire. Lord have mercy." He shakes his head. "Reckon we can't do much more damage than what's already been done. Fine. Give it a try."

OOC:
16:30, Today: James Wilder rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3.  Blue chip +d6.
16:29, Today: James Wilder rolled -4,-2 using d6-6,d6-6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4.  Notice.

Meh!

"Well let us verify all have been removed before we try this.  It will be quite lethal for anyone still within if we do it this instant."  Belle pointed out.  "It will keep that long.  In the meantime... my kingdom for a shovel."

In reply to James Wilder (msg # 250):

((OOC: So no, he does not see Carter's gun.))

Zek bursts from the ground, looking about with his shot glass monocle. The floor boards being so damaged did not stand up to his efforts to get through them. Upon seeing James, he gestures to the man. "Come on, damnit! This is the last place you wanna die in!"

"Back pay," the apparent leader of the thugs tells him, the voice and a second glance showing she's a well-muscled woman with a touch of colour under the soot. The huge Viking-type guy carrying what looks like the contents of the till nods to him in passing and reaches back to help the part-Oriental fella hauling a body over the barricade.

None of them look like they're stopping, at least until the last one, a tiny rat-faced woman, vaults down and offers him a bottle, pockets full of silverware. She favours him with a brazenly lewd grin full of backcountry teeth. "Hey mister, you up for some?"

Matthew smirked conspiratorially at the dentally-challenged woman and tipped his hat up on his head with his thumb and forefinger.

"Now that is very kind of you, Miss, and I would be glad to take you up on it, but there is the matter the stolen items you have. If you would please put down the money, empty your pockets of the silverwear, and help to get this fire under control, I would be happy to mention to both the local law and the circuit judge how heroically you aided the town of Deadwood." Matt stepped forward and took the bottle out of the leader's hand with his offhand.

"I am on vacation after all, and I do loathe violence." he finished with a sincere and steely gaze.

[OOC: Intimidation Test of Wills on the lewdly smiling lady, trying to get her to back down. I forgot to include my bonus from Elan to these rolls, bringing my reroll's total to 22. Finally the dice roller likes me.
00:39, Today: Matthew Broaddale rolled 20,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+8+4)20,2.  Intimidation White Chip Reroll.
00:38, Today: Matthew Broaddale rolled 3,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3.  intimidation test of wills.]

"Hewitt," the friendly thug adds to the 'Miss'. "Daisy Hewitt, heheh." She bites her lower lip and flushes at Marsh Broaddale's steely, masterful gaze, offering him both wrists at once. "Handcuff me."

[[08:47, Today: Townsfolk rolled 7 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 7.  Daisy resist. Kinda academic, but hey, she likes being intimidated.]]

The leader frowns at him and smirks at Daisy, but doesn't seem too put out, standing between the marshal and her companions as the latter head off across the street. "Like I said, this is back pay an' Tolliver is dead. I would suggest you quit tryin' to baulk us valued employees of our fair share an' let us get on to go find them firefightin' types at the stockade."

"Aw, shove off, Minty: Ah'm the one he's gon' search," Daisy says, enraptured. "I got sharps all kinds a places," she tells the Marshal. From the amount of visible armoury she has on her, Matt gets the impression this statement is entirely true.

James looks at Zek then scans the room again as best he can. "I heard him drop that cursed thing..."

OOC: Going to burn my red chip and reroll all the dice...
08:16, Today: James Wilder rolled -1,-1,5 using d6-6,d6-6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,5,5.  Red Reroll.
-1 + 5 == 4 ... so success?

"Does it matter!? You are gonna die in here!" Zek said, heading over to the man and planning to drag him to the patch of earth if need be.

(OOC-Spending an action moving over to James. Maybe I can shield him from falling wood or fire this round. However, next round I am gonna grapple him and head for the earth, so he's got this round to look for the gun.)

Matt's attention bounced back and forth between the arguing women, before settling on Daisy.

"Miss Hewitt, I don't have time to search you now, but if you turn over that silverware and turn yourself in, I'll search you later. In private," Matt offered, before turning to 'Minty'.

"You can't just steal back pay. Turn it over, tell your men to stop, and we can talk to Bullock about reimbursing you. Otherwise I will bring you all in forcibly," he said with a resigned sigh, placing his free hand on McCall's knife in his belt.

OOC: Let's see if Minty responds to threats.
08:29, Today: Matthew Broaddale rolled 3,10 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+2)8. intimidation white chip reroll. 08:29, Today: Matthew Broaddale rolled 1,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1. intimidation test of will Minty.

In reply to James Wilder (msg # 257):

James sees the cloud of light clearing up, and Carter's fancy gun laying near the rear hall. Carter himself is nowhere to be seen.

((OOC: The pistol is within James' movement, if he wants to make for it. But remember msg #146 -- every time Carter even touched Wilder with his pistol, it burst into flame. If you're going to go after it, you'll need to figure out some way of carrying that won't set you ablaze.))

Jackie Wells leans into the hole and starts shouting. "Hey! You dumb or somethin'? Get running! I think you two idiots are the only ones left!"

((OOC: If they look in, Katy and Von Steinhof can also see Wilder looking around for something, while Zeke is moving up to him with a plan to grab him.))
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:40, Tue 17 Jan 2017.

"James, I understand the value of a grand entrance. Or is it exit, perhaps? But is this really the right time?"

There is barely hidden concern in the Major's voice, even though he tries to make it sound like a joke.

"There ya go," Daisy says, handing Matt what's at least most of Tolliver's personal silverware. "Ah'm in your custody, for sure. Too bad they done blowed up the jail, I guess...you're gonna have to shut me up in your lodgings." She seems very enthusiastic about this arrangement.

Minty scowls and leans closer. "So we're supposed to let that all burn? We earned this shit with our own hides. Sullivan's dead," she nods over at the body the smaller of her standing men is carting. "Custer - who's currently the only law in this town, if you ain't noticed - ain't gonna give us the fees to bury him, and sure as hell won't get a share of dough to the girls. You don't think they earned it, neither?"

[[19:54, Today: Townsfolk rolled 2 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 2.  Minty resist!
19:59, Today: Townsfolk rolled 5 using 1d6.  impulse blue, 'cause they have loads -> 7. Doesn't cut it, but she's not Shaken and/or prompted to escalate, either.]]

She throws the bundles of change she's carrying down at Broaddale's feet, and spits after them. "Go on keep that."

She turns and walks away, making no move to call back her men, who've vanished around the corner.

"Ain't no-one gonna see if you go on n' police brutality me, either," Daisy says happily.