The three men quickly discussed a plan of action.

  Arthur would knock on the door first, since the owner had already seen his face and wouldn't be suspicious.

  Then, they would restrain the owner and force him to open the back door, allowing Stephen and Charles to rush in and take care of the fighting with their knives.

  As for Arthur, he would stand guard at the front door, also taking the time to empty the cash from the bar.

  After the plan was successful, the three would go their separate ways and lie low for a couple of days, meeting back at Horseshoe Overlook in three days to split the money.

  The plan was simple and brutal, but effective.

  Things like this were often that way – the more complicated the plan, the easier it was for things to go wrong. It was better to keep it simple.

  The three found a corner and waited until around 10 o'clock before standing up and getting ready to work.

  People in those days didn't have much in the way of entertainment. Aside from a few customers still drinking at the saloon, most normal folk were already sound asleep.

  They stretched their stiff bodies, grateful that the weather was warming up, or they'd have been frozen solid.

  According to their plan, the three of them made their way quietly to the clinic, which was already dark, as was the Sheriff's office next door.

  Arthur nodded at the other two, who were hiding by the door. He took a deep breath and put on an expression of anxiety and panic.

  "Doctor! Open up, Doctor! Help!"

  He sounded frantic, but kept his voice down so as not to attract too much attention.

  After a moment, a voice came from inside. "Who is it? I'm closed. If you need medicine, come back tomorrow."

  Arthur gave the others a slight nod to signal that the man inside was the doctor.

  Charles and Stephen drew their weapons, ready for action.

  Arthur continued calling to the doctor, "It's me! I came in this afternoon for medicine. My brother was bitten by a wolf. Do you remember?"

  There was silence behind the door for a while. Finally, the doctor said slowly, "Oh, I remember, I remember you. What's wrong? Is there something wrong with the medicine?"

  "I… I tried to stitch up my brother's wound, but… but he's bleeding a lot. I need more medicine. I need more to stop the bleeding." Arthur's voice was hoarse and desperate. Stephen realized then that this guy was a true actor.

  "Good heavens, you stupid farmers!" The doctor exclaimed in despair. He slowly opened the door. "I told you, it's best to go to the hospital if you've been bitten by a wolf! You'll kill your brother like this!"

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  The doctor's tone was that of a concerned citizen. He looked at the desperate Arthur and seemed ready to offer words of sympathy.

  Just then Stephen rushed out of the shadows and tackled him to the ground.

  "Mmph! Mmph!" The doctor struggled. Stephen whispered in his ear, "Don't move, don't move, or you're dead."

  Charles and Arthur followed suit and entered the clinic. Arthur quickly closed the door and drew his revolver, standing guard.

  "Dear doctor, you only have one choice now – help us open the back door. Otherwise…"

  Stephen's words sounded like a demon's whisper in the doctor's ear. The doctor was terrified and seemed to want to say something.

  "I'm letting you go, but don't make a sound, or else…"

  Stephen took out his long, bloody knife and waved it in front of the doctor's face. The doctor nodded frantically.

  "I… I'm innocent. They're all with the O'Driscoll gang. I'm being forced. It's nothing to do with me!" The doctor looked ready to cry, and appeared utterly pitiful.

  "Oh, we know who they are, which is why we need your help, right?" Stephen continued. "You have no choice. Cooperate, or die."

  The doctor looked at the menacing faces of the three men and nodded helplessly. "Okay, okay, I'll cooperate."

  Stephen forced the doctor to the back. Charles followed closely behind them, alert. There was an iron door here.

  "Knock, knock, knock."

  The doctor trembled as he knocked on the iron door. After a moment, a small window opened, and someone inside asked impatiently, "What is it?"

  "Tell them the Deputy Sheriff is here, and needs to see them," Stephen whispered.

  The doctor repeated Stephen's words, his voice shaking. The person inside responded with a few American expletives.

  With a loud "Clang!" the iron door swung open.

  Without hesitation, Stephen slit the doctor's throat with his long knife, sending him straight to heaven.

  Blood spurted out, immediately staining the pristine white wall crimson.

  The doctor stared at Stephen in disbelief, reaching out a trembling hand as if questioning why he didn't keep his word.

  Stephen coldly looked at the doctor, and kicked him to the ground.

  The doctor had seen Arthur's face, and couldn't be allowed to live.

  Besides, everyone involved with the O'Driscoll gang had to die.

  Charles had already charged inside. Stephen followed close behind.

  There were four people inside – three men and a woman.

  The three men were wearing the green bandanas of the O'Driscoll gang. The woman was dressed in a provocative outfit, clearly a prostitute they had hired.

  The four were dumbfounded by the sudden arrival of the two armed men. They hadn't even had time to react.

  Charles took the lead, stabbing the nearest man in the chest with his dagger.

  It was only then that the others realized the two men weren't there for friendly visit.

  They scrambled for their weapons on a nearby sofa, but it was too late.

  Stephen was already upon them.

  His long knife sliced through the air, reflecting a blinding light in the dim lamplight.

  In the blink of an eye, two men frantically trying to raise their guns were sent to hell by Stephen, one stroke each.

  That left the woman. Seeing the terrifying scene before her, she opened her mouth to scream.

  Charles, standing behind Stephen, reached behind to his waist, and pulled out a throwing knife from his holster, it flew from his hand in a shining blur.

  The knife hit the woman's neck, choking back her scream of terror.

  Charles would not hold back. Root and stem – a complete purge.

  "Done," Stephen said, looking at the five corpses on the floor, and giving a cheerful whistle.

  "Search this place, then let's get out of here," Charles said calmly, returning his weapon to its sheath.

  Stephen opened a box on the table, smiling. "I told you there'd be a lot of money here."

  Inside the box lay a brand-new Schofield Revolver and a hefty fifty or sixty dollars.

  Arthur, who had been standing guard outside, came in with a smile. "There's a good amount of cash outside, too – probably close to fifty dollars."

  Seeing the various bags that Arthur had managed to find it was clear that the robbery had found some decent valuables.

  "Arthur, there's a safe here. Can you crack it?"

  Charles had discovered a safe on the wall, and turned to Arthur to ask. "Of course – it's what I do best." Arthur chuckled, putting down the bags, and enthusiastically set to work on the safe.

  *This guy can do that too?* Stephen watched, amazed, as Arthur gently manipulated the combination lock.

  It was the first time that he noticed that this apparently boorish strong man was a capable jack-of-all-trades!