With a heavy sigh, you fold. It didn't look like that hand was working out in your favor. It's better to play it safe in a situation like this. With you and Vetica out, Dagerman folds and the winnings go to Kepper. Your captain makes uneasy eye contact with you.. She leans back with a huff and reaches into her coat for a cigar.
"Laus," she calls to your crewmate standing guard along the wall. "Be a doll and get me a glass of brandy, would you?"
"Sure thing cap'n," he answers dutifully, and goes towards the door.
"Do not," Dagerman suddenly commands.
All eyes turn to him. The room stills with a standoffish tension, waiting on a hare-trigger to explode.
"Why not?" Vetica inquires, glaring him down warily.
"Why, I thought we had agreed no one goes in or out until our business is done," he claims. "To ensure no foul play."
Their eyes remain locked like the horns of bulls, unfaltering.
"I recall no such agreement."
"With all due respect then, Lord Holiday, I believe it is in order that we do."
She lights her cigar, takes a long drag, and exhales a stream of smoke as she stands.
"If you insist. Laus, put my chair under the doorknob."
"That's hardly necessary," Dagerman objects.
"No, I think it is, just to ensure no foul play."
Laus grabs the back of the chair and swings it over to the door. Before he can wedge it under the handle, Dagerman yells fire. Within an instant, the door slams open, two unknown men on the other side. Laus is shot point blank where he stands. The tavern erupts into chaos. In the span of a second, you draw your revolver and shoot one of the intruders square in the chest. As you go to take another shot, a bullet cuts across your left triceps. You drop to your knees and use the table for cover as you recoil from the pain. With the sound of more gunshots and a thundering thud, you glance over you shoulder to see Dagerman collapsed on his back with splatters of crimson. You turn back to see Ivan wrestling with one of Dagerman's men over a gun. Carefully, you ready, aim, and fire a shot into the enemy's skull. As he goes limp, Ivan grabs him and uses his body for cover against the remaining man in the doorway.
You get no more chance to help him, however, as another man kicks you hard in the ribs. You tumble over onto the ground, still clutching your revolver. Before you can even lift your hand from the ground, however, the foot of your attacker stomps it down, crushing your fingers. With your other hand, you unsheathe the knife from your waist and sink it in the man's calf, cutting clean through behind the bone. His heavy weight slams down onto you, but you shake him off without too much trouble. He punches you sharp in the mouth, but coursing adrenaline carries you through the pain. You take the opening and swing, slitting his throat open with your blade. A river of blood gushes forth.
As he collapses, you scan the rest of the room. Dagerman and all his men are on the ground, unmoving. So is Laus. Ivan nor Vetica look severely wounded as they both run to the door. Vetica shoves the dead bodies out of the door so she can shut it while Ivan checks for Laus' vitals. At last you look behind you to see Kepper curled up on the floor, shaking with sobs. You lunge over to see the blood seeping through her clothes around her collarbone. Her eyes widen and she shrieks, but not at the sight of you. You turn to follow her gaze.
BANG.
A bullet rips through your chest. All air escapes your lungs as that warm red spills all over your torso. For only a moment you see Dagerman, bloodied and barely lifting his head off the ground, his gun smoking - then the crimson mist of a gunshot straight through his skull. Yet that gunshot sounded so far away. Everything sounds so... muffled.
You fall to your back. Everything fades to grey. The room swirls into an endless abyss of pain and dread. You think you hear Vetica's voice calling your name, like shaking you from a dream.
But you're so tired.
It can't be time to wake up yet.
Your eyelids are too heavy. You just want to rest.
Why is there such an aching in your heart? What were you so afraid of again?
You can't remember. It doesn't matter right now anyway. Every fiber of your being is exhausted.
You fall asleep.