FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

She was stubborn. Resilient. Headstrong. She'd only let him fuck her once, and that was strictly for payment with seeing her brother, who of course was attending the school's sister facility on the other side of the country, which their parents had split them up into. Their parents, of course, worked for the same company that he did. The same company that owned the schools. The same company that discovered Maria was a perfect DNA match. The headmaster clapped his hands together, grinning eagerly when the door opened to his office and in stepped the girl in question, still wearing her... delicious school uniform. He stood up and moved around the desk to stand in front of it, facing her. "Ah, Maria! Glad you could come!"

Maria stood rather stiffly a little uncertain of why he'd call her to his office. Wasn't a common thing, at least not for her anyway. There were a few girls that were more than willing to participate in this particular system. She subconsciously smoothed out the uniform's short skirt. "What did you want to see me for?"

She grinned and stepped forward, taking her hands whether she wanted him too or not. As he always did. He gave her hands a gentle squeeze and hummed thoughtfully. "Well, my superiors finally sent me back your lab results and it turns out, you're just what we've been looking for! If you'd be willing, I'd like to enroll you in a special project. You'll get extra credit in all of your classes, of course!"

He was such an unruly man wasn't he? Her brow furrowed and she shifted her weight. This didn't sound good...."What's the project?"

He smirked at that and shook his head. "Cant tell you 'til you agree. It's a secret. Shhhh!" he pressed a finger to his lips and winked at her. "None of the other students know about it, but they will. If you do a good job, I mean."

She made a face, eyeing him suspiciously. "Then no, I don't agree." Maria attempted to pull her hands from his. "I'm not going to agree to something without knowing the terms first."

He hummed at that, tapping his chin if only for her benefit. "Then what about this. Agree and I'll never ask you to bend over my desk again. No more fingers on your pussy, no more hands on your tits... It'll be hard, but I think I can restrain myself."

She tensed more at that. If he was willing to offer that, how much worse was what he wanted her to do? Her arms crossed over her chest and she eyed him. For the umpteenth time she pondered hitch-hiking to where her brother was. "Just tell me what it is. No sneaky games, no stupid deals."

He sighed heavily then shook his head and turned toward the door. "Fine. Come on then." He opened the door and stepped out into the old new England school's halls, not stopping to see if she was following him.

Her brow furrowed at that and she shifted. Wait, fine what? Fine as in he was going to show her or fine as in he was just going to do what he wanted? She pursed her lips before hesitantly moving to follow.

He led her along without seeming to care that she was there. He led her through a maintenance door and down into the basement where the plumbing and electrical was. He walked without a glance in her direction through twisting winding turns, getting her so mixed up until they stopped in front of a clean steel door with a very familiar symbol of three lines that formed an odd spiral-like triangle. Abstergo, the company that was responsible from products from anywhere between the leading shampoo to the best TVs. Finally, he glanced back at her and quirked a brow. He reached up, pressing his hand against a small screen that protruded from the wall beside the door. A moment later, it beeped and the door slid open, revealing a clean, white-washed hallway beyond.

Uncertainly she followed him. Even more tense when he started down the steps towards the basement. A whole mess of negative outcomes filled her head. When they got to the door, her eyes narrowed and her arms recrossed again. "What the hell's this?"

He glanced back at her and smiled. "This school is a subsidiary of Abstergo Industries. They're who I answer to. You're going to be doing the company a world of good down here. Come on, I'll show you," he said, stepping into the underground facility as if it were the most normal thing on the planet.

She did not follow him though, instead standing her ground and dropping her arms to her sides with a building tension. "And What am I supposed to be doing?"

He watched her as he led her into the facility. The deeper they went, the more people they saw. Some were in black suits, others in white lab coats, and a few in black fatigues with security patches on them. They all ignored the two of them as her headmaster led her along. "I'm sure you've seen the animus-gaming engine that Abstergo Entertainment uses to render their video games, right? Well, we've got an even bigger one down here that's specially made."

Stiffly she followed, not at all wanting to and against her sound, better judgement. Her brow furrowed and she eyed the people they passed. The hell kind of school was this? "Why? Made for what?"

He hummed thoughtfully. "It's easier to show you than explain it." He led her to a door with another pad and pressed his palm to the plate. The door hissed open and he led her in. A man with a gray beard looked up from his desk where he was working on the other side of what looked like a table. Or a bed. It was very sciency-looking, though the top was cushioned and seemed to contour with one's back, though a row of little unlit nodes down the middle looked somewhat uncomfortable. The doctor grinned and stood, walking towards the pair. "Ah, is this the girl?" The headmaster smiled and nodded, setting a hand against her back. "This is Maria." The man in the lab coat grinned and extended his hand to her. "Maria, pleasure to meet you. I am Doctor Skavak."

Maria frowned up at him, open to comment again before she fell into silence as they entered the room. She eyed the table then the gray-bearded man, going to take a step back away from both but that damn man was touching her. So instead she stood rather stiffly, looking from the supposed doctor's hand back to his face without offering her own. "What's that thing and what do you want from me?"

The doctor cast a confused look at the Headmaster who smiled and jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. "I'll leave you to it, then." And then he was gone. Dr. Skavek quirked a brow and lowered his hand to his side. "That is an Animus. It's a machine specially designed to read the molecules of your DNA and find what we call genetic-memory."

She was both relieved and incredibly anxious about the Headmaster leaving. He was the only familiar element in all of this, so his presence, even though uncomfortable, was at least a little relieving. But he was gone. Her hands came around to nervously grip one another against the front of her skirt. Her brow furrowed intently. "Genetic-memory?"

He nodded and motioned her forward. He walked around the animus so it was between them and set his palms against the squishy red cushioning. "You lay here and go to sleep. Sort of. It's very much like lucid dreaming. Everything is very realistic, it's almost like you're really seeing what your ancestor saw and felt." He smiled and pat the bed gently. "Want to give it a try? It's quite painless, I assure you."

"Ancestor?" She watched him suspiciously. Lucid dreaming? Genetic memory? The hell was this company up to? Her fingers tightened against one another. "I don't understand..."

He smiled calmly at that and motioned to the bed. "Hop in! Everything will become clear almost immediately. It's much easier to show you than to tell you what exactly this machine does," he said, moving around to sit behind the desk again, watching her all the while. "It's alright, nothing is going to hurt you in here. You are far to valuable to the company."

Finally she crossed her arms over her chest. Just what they'd been looking for, too valuable to the company...What did any of that mean? And genetic memory? Seriously? Her lips pursed for several moments, "What exactly are you looking for?"

He watched her for a moment, seemingly pondering something in those beady little eyes of his. "Abstergo is looking for something called the Staff of Ra. It is one of what are known as the Pieces of Eden." He smiled. "It's a priceless artifact that has been lost to history for hundreds of years. The last time it was seen was just after the Civil War in what the country knows as the indian wars. Way out west. New Mexico, to be precise. Apache country."

Her arms squeezed tighter against her chest as he explained. Staff of Ra? The Civil war? This guy was drunk as shit wasn't he? "So... what does that have to do with me?"

"Well," he said, folding his hands on the desk top, "your DNA is a match to one of the last individuals to have seen the staff. So, using this machine, we are going to peer into a day in the life of that individual who died over a hundred years ago, and see if we can find out where the staff is located."

She frowned, eyeing him. Really was off his rocker wasn't he? They all were...then again, lot of money sitting here...She shifted for a moment. "I'll do this under two conditions." She held up her fingers, eyeing him. "One, the Headmaster doesn't touch me. Two, I get to see my brother without special favors or payments."

Dr. Skavak smiled and nodded. "Done. I received word earlier that your brother, your twin is he? He has been taken to our sister instillation beneath his own school... also owned and operated by Abstergo Industries. I imagine what he is experiencing right now is not too different from what you are."

Her brow furrowed at that and she shifted uncomfortably. Suppose he was probably already on the table, impulsive as he was. Her arms squeezed a little tighter. Could she trust this man? What harm was it if she did? She drew in a breath then slowly moved towards the table. She turned and sat her rump on the bed then turned and laid herself out, blinking up at the ceiling with a frown.

The doctor smiled and started tapping on his keyboard. "There, now just relax, alright? Make yourself comfortable, it's going to take a few minutes to synchronize you to the animus." A clear plastic plate arched over her and lines of code and data began scrolling over its surface. It was all going so fast, but words like Altair, Apple of Eden, Ezio Auditore, Edward Kenway, Crystal Skull, and Sword of Apollo were all recognizable for a fraction of a second. "Take a deep breath, Maria," Dr. Skavak called. "This might be a little disorienting for you..."

The world went black. A campfire around which a dozen men in various smocks and hoods stood. And her. She was there, staring at a man in the darkest black hood. "Nothing is true," the congregation echoed. "Everything is permitted." The man in black reached into the fire, pulling out a pair of glowing orange tongs. "To say that nothing is true, is to realize that the foundations of society are fragile, and that we must be the shepherds of our own civilization. To say that everything is permitted, is to understand that we are the architects of our actions, and that we must live with their consequences, whether glorious or tragic."

He watched her and she obediently stuck out her left hand. "We work in the dark to serve the light." He closed the tongs over her left ring finger. Searing pain enveloped her hand for a moment as he pulled the tongs away.

"We are Assassins..."

The images faded, flashing in a cacophony of color and sound. Then it was daylight. She was sitting atop a horse on the top of a cliff overlooking a valley below. Somewhere in the distance, a train whistle blew. "Here it comes. You ready?" someone beside her asked. It was her twin, she knew. But not Mark.

It was indeed disorienting and relentlessly strange. It was like someone was trying to overtake who she was! Or maybe the other way around? Maybe a bit of both...She shifted in the saddle, flashing a crooked grin to her twin. "Are you?" She heard herself question. But it startled her. Though she knew the voice was correct, it sounded definitely like a, well, a man. She was a man. She knew that. But she wasn't...It was incredibly confusing for several moments for her mind to try to settle into the identity.

It was indeed disorienting and relentlessly strange. It was like someone was trying to overtake who she was! Or maybe the other way around? Maybe a bit of both...She shifted in the saddle, flashing a crooked grin to her twin. "Are you?" She heard herself question. But it startled her. Though she knew the voice was correct, it didn't sound like her own. It sounded with a thick almost Cajun accent and a far silkier tone. It was hers though.

Her twin brother, dressed in a black duster complete with hood, spurred his horse and sped after her, intent on catching the train. More than that, he was intent on catching her! He grit his teeth, glaring at the back of her rump and her horse's too. He was gonna get there first this time, damn it!!!! They sped down to the tracks just as the train was approaching. They came alongside the train easily enough and sadly, she was first! DAMN IT! He didn't stop to question her or chide or anything. They had a job to do. He watched the caboose for a moment then leapt from his saddle onto the side of the car. He glanced to make sure his sister was joining him then scampered up onto the roof.

It felt so real, the sights, sounds, even the smells. Her own duster flapped in the wind as she spurred her horse down towards the whistling train. She didn't spare her brother a glance until she pulled alongside the speeding locomotive. She flashed another grin when he leapt up onto the side of the car. She shifted and lifted in her saddle, getting ready then was off! She gripped hold of the side of the train, following her brother up onto the roof.

Once she was up on the roof, her brother Jeremy pointed forward. Two cars from the back, the cargo car where all of the luggage was being kept. He jogged along the roof and leapt over to the second, then the third. Once in the middle of the car, he crouched down low against the roof and turned to face his twin, quirking a brow at her as he did. He pointed downward, then curled his hand forward and down, finally pointing at her, then his eyes.

Jeremy held his sister's ankles, planting his feet in the roof of the car to keep her from sliding off. When she gave him a signal, he would pull her back up, but not before she espied what was going on in that car. How many guards there were, and what have.

Steadying herself, Joe took quick yet thorough stock of the situation in the luggage car. Appeared to be at least three well-armed men. Another she was certain was sitting outside her view. Perhaps another, she signaled to be pulled up and held up three fingers, motioning to her eyes before indicating two separate fingers.

He hauled her up then took stock of her report. He nodded slowly and glanced about. Useless to try to yell over the wind and the metal and the engine up yonder. He licked his lips then pointed at her, then motioned forward. He jabbed his thumb into his own chest, then pointed back. Without waiting for her, he moved to the back of the car and prepared to climb down between the cars. He watched and waited for her to assume a similar position on the other side, his heart hammering in his chest.

Considering his directions, she nodded and turned to carefully move back across the car's roof to the opposing side. She crouched in a poised position ready to move. She gave a look back towards Jeremy. Was he ready?

When she looked back, he gave an exaggerated nod then grabbed the edge of the roof. He swung his weight down, shoving his feet through the window of the car. His body followed quickly behind. As quickly as he had seen the target beside the door, his instincts kicked in. He swung his right hand wide, his hidden blade shooting outward. He cut the man's neck and ducked behind a wall separating the small compartment front he rest of the car. A Templar unloaded a six-shooter into the wall, but as soon as he counted six, Jere was moving. He charged the man who had been shooting. He tackled the man, both his hidden blades imbedded in his chest.

Not a heartbeat after him his twin followed suit. Her hands gripped the roof's edge so she too could swing herself through the opposing window. As she suspected, the out-of-sight man leapt from where he had been lounging and fumbled for his pistol. Joe quickly stepped into his reach, driving her own hidden blade up into the man's throat before spinning both herself and his flailing corpse to block several shots from another guard.

With one man two men left and his sister in a tough spot, Jere swung his hands down. Whether by design or pure luck, his duster whooshed back and he drew both of his pistols quickly. Six shots later, three from each, the two remaining guards were dead. Jere spun his pistols back into their holsters then started forward. "Start searching the bags. I'll disconnect the cars before we get company."

Six shots and two thuds, then Jeremy was talking. She pushed the dead guard away, her blade retracting as she watched him crumple. With a nod, Joelene moved to start rummaging through the bags.

It was of course a map they were looking for. Map they had to follow to find the staff before the Templars did. Jere moved to the front of the car and knelt down to try and pull the pin connecting the car... but already the door was opening across the gap. Men shouted, trying to draw their guns. Jere drew both of his own, but instead of filling the opposing door with bodies, he fired at the pin. Several hits later, the pin fell through the coupler and the train began to speed away from them. Before he could take fire, he ducked back into the cargo car and whooped. "Done and done!"

The ruckus startled Joe, her heart leaping into her throat for a moment and she moved quickly towards the door, drawing one of her own holstered pistols. As Jere fired at the pin, she took several shots at the door across the way. Then Jere was moving back inside, she holstered her pistol and moved back towards the bags, patting his hooded head along the way. "See? Not so useless after all." She teased

"I've got your useless," he said, wrapping an arm around her middle and drawing her in for a deep, impassioned kiss. Seems these twins were not so unalike. As he released her, he winked and started to move into the compartment, searching through bags and trunks until finally "AHA!" He drew a rolled-up bit of parchment from within one sealed with the red wax and cruciform seal of the Templar order. "Bingo!"

The kiss quite surprised Maria for several seconds, setting her out of sync. The images blurred for those seconds then became firm and clear again as Jere exclaimed his 'Bingo!' Joe let the lid of the trunk she had been searching such and moved towards her brother, eyeing the map. "Let's make sure."

Even as she spoke, outside the window many different things began to appear as they came to a stop. Then, as the car stilled, outside was a bustling city street with skyscrapers, and the car itself was a white-washed room... Then it all vanished. Maria was staring up thought he plexiglass arch of the animus. It whirred as the motor rotated it away and sucked it back into the bed. Then Doctor Skavak's face was smiling down at her. He smiled and reached out to help her sit up. "Well? What do you think?"

Maria's brow knitted in confusion. What on earth? The old west...sure, but what had the skyscrapers been? How many ancestor memories was she supposed to see? She accepted the help up, feeling a little woozy and more than a little disoriented. Finally, she trusted herself enough to speak. "I don't get how some VR simulator's gonna help you."

] He shook his head. "No, no. That is not Virtual Reality, Maria." He smiled, helping her to swing her feet over the edge. He folded his arms over his chest and smiled down at the teenager. "You are reliving the memories of your ancestors. We are merely bringing that genetic memory to the surface through the technology of the Animus." He grinned, beaming with pride at the Abstergo equipment. "Fascinating, isn't it, that your ancestors were able to so expertly rob a train like that. Like out of a movie! And for what, a bit of paper?"

It really wasn't something she could wrap her head around. Genetic Memory made as much sense to her as the String Theory. She smoothed out her annoyingly short skirt. "If they're memories, how do you see them?"

He turned, pointing at the computer whose back was turned to them. "Everything your brain receives through the Animus, all of that brain signal and waves and all of that nonsense, it's interpreted by the Animus itself then shunted to my screen there. I see what you see. Granted, I don't feel or smell or any of that wonderful experience, but it's a decent enough facsimile." He smiled at her and leaned against the edge of his desk. "So... what do you think?"

Her brow knit further more. Sounded like a bunch of bullshit. She eyed him uneasily. Boy she hoped certain other memories would never come up. "Why do you keep asking me that?"

"Because you haven't answered it yet. You've asked questions, made comments about it, but you still haven't told me what you think." He smiled at her, very much the image of a man proud and excited about a shiny new toy.

It clicked, considering the look on his face. He wanted praise. Or recognition of how wonderful a device he had. She pursed her lips for a moment before shifting. "It's different...and feels very real." She offered a faint smile. Whatever, if it made it to where she got to see Matthew and didn't have to sell herself doing so who was she to argue?

As expected, he clapped his hands and stood up, laughing happily. He set his hands at her shoulders then drew her into a short hug. "Isn’t it!?" he asked, then grinned and straightened up. "You are embarking on a journey so many people in this world would kill for!"

The hug was short enough she hardly had enough time to tense. Then she offered a little smile before her brow knit again. Kill for? "I'm not gonna be on someone's hit list for doing this am I?"

He laughed again and waved his hand. "No, of course not. Besides, even if by some miniscule chance you were, the company would protect you. You have nothing to fear, of course!" He grinned then turned and pat the top of the Animus. "Again?"

Good gracious she certainly hoped not! Her brow quirked at him then the bed then him again. "I guess." She shifted and moved to lay back down but paused. "When do I get to see Matthew?"

"Soon!" he said, grinning as he pressed a button on the side of the machine. The clear arch whirred into place over her and his feet carried him back toward the desk and his computer. "Soon. This should only take a few sessions for you to find the Staff."

When the thing whirred up she laid flat back with a deeper frown. So he wasn't going to let her see her brother until the stupid...Everyone seemed to want to use someone else for their own gaon.

The world materialized as light materialized, sliding into place all around... They were standing in a lounge somewhere. Above a saloon, if the sounds filtering up to them were any indication. Jere was leaning over the table in the middle of the room, contemplating the map with a scowl. "None of these marks make sense. None of these landmarks are where they are supposed to be."

Joe moved up alongside Jere, resting a hand at the small of his back as she leaned over the table some as well to study the map. He was right of course, the placements of the markings were all incorrect and disorderly! "What a mess..." She commented absently.

He slammed his fist down on the table and sighed. He stood straight, pacing slowly and glaring accusingly at the map. "I don't get it. I don't get it at all. Lincoln is where it ought to be, but...." He waved his hands. "Rio Ruidoso isn't west... Fort Stanton isn't on the other side of the Ruidoso...." He shook his head and sighed heavily. "Who the hell... And this!" he pressed his finger down on the X in the middle of nowhere. "What the actual hell!?"

His anger made her jump a little and she stepped back, watching him pace. Her fingers lifted up to run slowly through her brown hair. Her eyes lingered on him before drifting back to the map. "X marks the spot right?" She let her hands set on the table this time and leaned forward slightly to more closely scrutinize the map.

"Clearly, but... where is that? How do you follow a map to nowhere? How do you follow a map that doesn't have any... and...." His brow creased and he leaned forward. He peered at the map for a moment then pointed. "There. This ranch just south-east of Lincoln..." He turned, looking at her. "That's Tunstall Ranch. That's the only thing on this map that is relative to Lincoln. I mean, where it should be relative to Lincoln."

"I wonder how many times you can say Lincoln in the same sentence." She smirked in amusement more at herself than anything as she considered his finger and the relative position of the ranch and Lincoln itself. Her own brow furrowed and she gave a little hum while reaching to glide a finger between the ranch and the x thoughtfully. "Can't be so simple, can it?"

"I doubt it," he said, pointing to the X. "There's a river right here. If the Staff of Ra was there, it's been uncovered or swept away by now..." He thumped the map again on the ranch and straightened up. "Why don't we pay Mister Tunstall a visit?"

"Unless they created its own antechamber." She straightened up and lifted her gaze to quirk a brow at him. "Sounds good a plan as any." She reached to roll up the map.

He nodded, smirking as he turned to make his way toward the door of their den. He turned, watching her with a growing excitement and stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the saloon.

Rolling the map she tucked it safely into her satchel that she then ensured was firmly in place beneath her duster. Finally she moved to join her brother, giving him an amused smirk. "You look just like that time you shot your first squirrel. Member how its head just kind of exploded?"

"I remember," he said, smirking as he led her along the balcony toward the stairs. "Happiest moment of my life," he said with a playful wink back in her direction.

She laughed, tugging her head up. "Was it? I recall you confessing other things to that redhead, what was her name? Charlette?" Joe followed him down the steps with a smirk.

"Of course you do," he said as they stepped out into Lincoln's hot, dusty street. "You would amplify it way out of context when the jealousy hits you, wouldn't it?"

Her lips suddenly pursed and she felt rather irate about the matter, stepping out after him into the sun. "Jealous? Don't be ridiculous Jere." She waved a dismissive hand, "She's alive isn't she?"

He snorted and shook his head, rolling his eyes at her as he approached his horse. "Whatever you say, Jo." He smirked and winked at her, swinging up into his saddle. "We all know the truth." He nudged his horse, swinging it around to head east along the road there.

"Tsh!" She responded, reaching to swat his thigh as he urged his horse forward. She turned to swing herself up into her own saddle to follow him. "Least I didn't scare her off. You did it on your own." She poked her tongue at him as her horse came to stride beside his. "Not like Raven, can't believed you chased him off like that!" Raven being Runs with Raven, a native she'd taken a liking to.

He shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say? I'm a greedy bastard and I don't like the idea of anybody between your legs but me," he said nonchalantly as they leisurely trotted out of town. "Besides, I haven't heard you complaining except when it suits you."

Jo stuck her tongue out again. "See? You're the jealous one. Not me." Her finger raised to waggle at him then returned her hand to her side. Suddenly she grinned. "If I complain enough you'll buy me something shiny."

"Doubtful," he said, shaking his head again. He grinned at her and flashed a mischievous wink. "You have your own money, Jo. Stop spending all of mine!"

She harumphed at that, shifting her weight and her horse so her leg would brush his. A sweet smile curled her lips. "But Jere, if you don't spend it on me, what Would you spend it on?"

"Me," he said, smirking at her again, though his shining blue eyes held nothing but love and adoration as he watched her. He let one hand fall away from his saddle horn to rest on her thigh gently. Which I mean, I sort of am, right? You do wear that feathery, tarty dancer's outfit for me from time to time." His smirk turned into a toothy grin and he stuck his tongue out at her. "You're going to have to wear that on one of our outings at some point!"

She laughed, about to comment before listening to the rest of his words. She laughed again. "Oh like hell will I wear that thing in public!" She reached to playfully pinch his leg. "Now stay focused."

"I am focused..." He let his eyes wander her form and shrugged. "I'm focused very intently."

She grinned at his comment, shaking her head. "Shoulda thought of that before we left." She smirked at him playfully.

He shrugged at that then replaced his hand at his saddle horn. It took them a better part of the day to get to their destination, but when they did, Jere stopped them a short ways away and loosely tied his horse to a tree. "Come on, let's have us a look-see before we go riding up, yeah?"

Jo considered the far-off ranch back-dropped against the setting sun. She slid from her own horse and tied it alongside his with a nod. "Sounds like a plan."

He smiled at her then started through the junipers and thorny bushes toward the ranch. When they came to the top of a hill overlooking the ranch, Jere reached back and pulled Jo down before either of them could step too far out of cover. Down the hill just outside the ranch owner's house, a dozen men sat atop their horses while one man, a portly fellow dressed in black with a goatee was talking with a thin, graying man. Listening, they could just make out the words.

"I don't have it. I've never seen it. And you're wasting your time trying to intimidate me, Sherriff Brady. I am a free man living on independent land. I have done nothing wrong to warrant your harassment and I-..." "John," the gruff sheriff said, shaking his head. "John, What sort of fools do you take us for? We aren't trying to harass you. We're just trying to get your permission to search your home. It's just one piece of paper. One small, piece of paper... You've worked the land. Your cattle have tilled the earth enough. Surely you must have seen it." The rancher shook his head. "I have not and I-..."

Moving along with him, Jo blinked as he pulled her down. She flattened out, eyes examining the lot of men. Slowly and silently she crawled a little closer. Her heart thundered in her chest as the scenarios filled her head. Silently she drew one of her revolvers and brought it carefully to bare, ready to fire should negotiations turn...ugly.

"Search the house," Brady said simply. Three of the men dismounted and rushed into the home, kicking down the door before they disappeared inside.

John shook his head, looking over his shoulder. He didn't seem sure whether he should stay with Brady or go inside to make sure the three men didn't find whatever they looked for. "You have no right, Sherriff Brady! You have no warrant for search and seizure! I will report you to the marshal!" A moment later, the men emerged, one of them carrying a small box that looked rather out of place for the run-down architecture of the home.

"Found it, Sherriff!" Brady took the box, smirking at John who stood tall and defiant. "So you do have it..." Brady opened the box and his smirk turned to a scowl. He stared down at the box for several moments then gently closed the lid and lifted his eyes to John. "Mister Tunstall.... this box is empty."

The English rancher was silent.

"Did you hear me, John? I said this box is empty." Finally, the rancher spoke. "It was when I found it. You have what you came for. Now kindly remove yourselves from my land." Brady nodded slowly then tossed the box at Tunstall's feet. He turned away as John bent down to pick up the small box.

As the rancher straightened up, box in hand, Brady turned and fired his pistol. All of his men fired their own various weapons, filling the poor Englishman with bullets.

Before she could pull her own trigger, Jere reached out and set his hand down on top of Jo's pistol. "You want all of those bullets flying our way!?" he hissed. Somewhere near the livestock pens, a half dozen men cried out in shock and surprise and all of the sheriff’s men started firing at them.

Together, the six men wheeled their horses, unseen until that moment, and sprinted away. "After them!" Brady yelled and all of the men on horseback spurred their horses into motion. Brady climbed up onto his own horse and started back down the road in the opposite direction.

"Shit!" she hissed. It took a good amount of will to not pull her trigger, even with her brother's hand in the way there was a moment where she would rather shoot the sheriff. Maria herself wanted to kill the man, trying to urge the movement. But she was merely observing. The six men riding off surprised Jo, her brow furrowed. "Who could that be then?" She whispered to Jeremy

"I don't know," he whispered, watching the men speeding away from their pursuers. "Ranch hands, probably. Hired help. Didn't sound too happy to see Mister Tunstall get killed, in any case." When all of the men were out of sight, Jere removed his hand from his sister's pistol and scrambled to his feet. "Come on, hurry! We gotta find that map!"

Joelene frowned and shook her head. When he let go, she holstered her pistol and got to her feet. She stepped forward and darted down the small hill towards the ranch and the dead man.

Jeremy didn't stop at Tunstall's body. He rushed into the ransacked house, but stopped in the middle of the main living area. He scowled and waved his hands. "If they didn't find it, how the fuck are we supposed to?"

His sister however did stop at the rancher's body. She carefully rolled him to his back if he was not already on it and laid his hands on his chest. "Rest in Peace." She said softly. Assuming he did not respond she would shut his eyes then rummage through his pockets. Something so precious She would keep on her person...

Whatever was in his pockets was destroyed by bullets or blood. Whatever the case, there was no parchment present. In the house, Jere started tearing at cupboards, drawers, and loose boards in the walls of floors. It had to be there somewhere, and they had best well find it before any of the men got back!

A little disappointed, Jo then investigated the box for a false top or bottom. If no map was present she plucked it up and moved to enter the house, investigating pictures, the mantle and fireplace.

Indeed, the inside of the box's lid had the tell-tale assassin A symbol on it and with a little prodding with her hidden blade, it popped free to reveal the tightly folded parchment the sheriff had been looking for!

Jo actually grinned at that. Good thing the Sheriff was one to not think. She retrieved the parchment from inside, moving with it and the box into the house. "Found it."

Jere, knee deep in refuse, turned to stare at her. "Thank God!" he said then scrambled back toward her. "Come on, let's get the fuck out of here before the sheriff's goons get back..."

She shook her head. "Lookit the mess you made." She handed him the parchment. Then she blinked and moved to take a loose page, folding it up and tucking it where the map once was. She then replaced the false top and shut the box. "Alright let's go."

He nodded and turned, walking swiftly back up the hill to meander quickly back through the New Mexico foliage to their horses. He replaced the reins where they needed to be then swung up into his saddle. "Come on," he said softly and nudged his horse into a leisurely trot. It would do them no good to sprint back toward home and run into Sheriff Brady.

Taking one more quick glance around she followed him up the hill towards where the horses were tied. She hoped the opportunity to shoot the sheriff would present itself

They would make it back to the saloon without incident. Back up in their hideout, Jere closed the door behind them then waved his hands. "Alright, come on, come on, let's have a looksee!"

She motioned at him as she set the box aside, opening the lid and closing it. She had, after all, handed him the actual parchment back at the house.

Jere unfolded the parchment and laid it out on the table beside the other. This one was just as jumbled with things not where they ought to be. This one, however, had a border along one edge. But just the one edge... Jere scowled and grumbled under his breath... then he noticed something. He slid the pieces next to one another the rotated the first about slowly. After the second rotation, one of the rivers on each map connected perfectly, as if that was the design all along...