The Promise 2

Rango scratched over his head nervously. It wasn't a bomb with dynamite sticks and fuses. No, it was fully electronic. He scrutinized the technical devil's handiwork.
There was no button or similar. But a slender keyhole. Maybe if he could...
"Are you looking for this?" a dark voice asked.
Rango turned around with horror.
Hung, the big red bear stood not far away and held a rope with a key in the air.
"If you wanna deactivate the marvel, you have to plug this. Cut through ropes and you dying."
Rango jumped up. "Give me the key!"
Hung grinned. With wide opened eyes, Rango watched how the bear opened his mouth and wanted to swallow down the key.
Suddenly Jake made a quick movement with his tail and the key flew through the air.
Jingling the metallic object fell to the ground.
Rango jumped forwards and grabbed the key.
Hung growled annoyed. He raised his fists and slammed them down. Rango managed to duck. The hits met the emptiness. Rango didn't hesitate and ran away. Hung growled and ran behind him.
Rango opened a door, jumped through it and slammed it again. Panting and with beating heart he leaned against the door.
"Why does it happen to me every time?"
Suddenly hard hits beat against the door inside. Rango got a shock and climbed up the next wagon. On the roof he looked around. The train drove through desert and mountains. He winced and narrowed his eyes. Was there a...
He screamed when something grabbed his neck and sent him flying on the train roof.
Hung pressed him more down, so that Rango had effort to breath. With last force he felt for his gun.
"Stop it or I..."
Hung grabbed the gun and threw it away.
Rango swallowed hard. Hung laughed when Rango was kicking against his belly. The bear lifted him up and threw him again on the roof. Rango moaned with pain in his back. With that Hung lifted a foot and put it on his chest.
"Any last words?"
Rango smiled nervously. "Yes, good journey."
The bear didn't understand. But when Rango pressed himself closer to the roof platform, he guessed something. He turned around. But too late...
With loud scream he crashed against the archway of the train tunnel.
Around Rango, everything became dark and very loud, while the train drove with loud clattering and whistling.
When the tunnel was over, Rango dared to sit up again. He looked back, but Hung wasn't visible anymore.

Jake lifted his glance when he heard how Rango came back. In his hands he held the key.
"Sorry for the delay."
He walked to the bomb. "Don't worry, no long and you will be free again."
He plugged the key into the keyhole. Suddenly Jake began to scream again.
Rango didn't understand. "What's wrong with you, I only have to turn this key and..."
Shortly after Rango had turned around the key, a countdown blinked on the display.
1.00 Minutes and the countdown counted backwards.
0.55 seconds.
Rango shook the machine, but it was useless. The countdown didn't stop.
"Damn!" Rango cursed.
0.45 seconds.
Jake meanwhile shouted and screamed through his gagged mouth. Rango lost no more time and loosed the gag.
"CUT THROUGH THE ROPES!" Jake screamed at him.
Rango was so shocked that he worked like a machine, without asking some questions. Quickly he managed to loosen a few ropes. For their luck, the bomb didn't explode anymore before the countdown would end.
0.15 seconds.
Suddenly Jake tensed his muscles so hard like Rango never seen before. Suddenly a loud sound let break the anchorages from the chains. With hard slam the rattlesnake rammed the door and both reptiles fell into the sunflouded air. They pitchpoled several times, until they came to a hold on the dusty, sandy ground.
In the same second, a deafening explosion shook the air. The wagon exploded in fire. Like paralyzed they watched it. Jake was the first one who found back his voice.
"You stupid idiot!" Jake shouted. "I wanted to say that the bomb also needed a number code to stop the countdown."
Rango was still staring ahead and pointed forward. "Uh... this was very close."
Jake rolled his eyes. "Let's bounce."

The loud explosion induced the engineman to stop the train. He left the locomotive and ran into the passenger compartment. But he never got the chance to inform the owner of the train. All what the man found were three corpses. All three men had bullets in their bodies.

Beans pressed her lips together when she washed her injured arms and legs in a bowl of water.
She and the others were still in the hiding place. Cassy had transported her husband here. He had nothing against it. He understood her.
"They aren't bad," Cassy said when she saw Beans's wounds. "You've got lucky."
Beans forced a smile. "It doesn't matter. The main point is that Rango is okay." She lowered her glance. "I hope he is okay."
"Beans?"
The desert iguana turned around and Bill stood next to her.
She narrowed her eyes. He narrowed back. There was nothing to say. At least nothing good. For this reason, Bill said nothing more than: "I think you are missing that."
He threw something through the air. Beans caught it and held the medallion in her hands.
"The medallion from my mother."
"I don't need it anymore."
Bill turned around and said nothing. Just nothing. No looking back, no gesture of sorry.
Beans pressed the medallion closer in her hands and said nothing. Just a very, very little feeling of forgiveness and bitterness.

Meanwhile, Jake and Rango came closer to the hiding place.
Jake noticed that Rango was very silent, who was riding on the roadrunner next to him.
"You wanted to say something, didn't you?" Jake asked.
Rango lifted his head. "Uh... no... I mean... basically I wanted... it wasn't important."
Jake stopped the roadrunner with his gun. "Say or..." He rattled with his tail.
Rango sighed deeply. "I wanted to ask you, if I had released you, that you would have released Beans."
"Is that all?" Jake asked mockingly.
"Yeah," Rango answered weakly. "That's what I wanted to say."
Jake looked at him a while until he moved his lips again. "You have really no sense for business."
Rango swallowed and looked down. But Jake wasn't ready yet.
"I said, if I would save your life, you would do everything what I want, didn't I?"
Rango nodded sadly.
"Well," Jake continued. "After all, you saved me now, like I did..."
He stopped. They were very close at the hiding place and Beans had appeared in the distance.
Jake sighed a little, but he kept his inflection. "Our deal is over with that."
Rango lifted his head.
"That means we are even."
Rango still didn't understand and climbed down from the roadrunner. Then he took his hat.
"What does it mean?"
Jake rolled his eyes. "That means I give you back all rights in compensation."
Rango still couldn't believe. "Does it mean that I can...?"
"You can go back to your town. It's yours again."
"And... and what about...?"
He looked to the side and saw how Beans watched them.
"Including her."
"Are you serious?!"
"Would I waste my time and breath for nothing?" Jake said annoyed.
The rattlesnake made big eyes when Rango was wrapping his arms around the snake's body.
"Get off. No maudlin! It was only business," Jake cried and pushed the lizard away.
Rango wiped down a tear. "Okay."
"Disappear," Jake ordered.
Rango didn't wait longer and ran to Beans. When he had arrived her, he clasped her in his arms. Beans was still surprised. They bandied some words. No many, just a few words. And no longer and both threw each other into the arms.
"You let her go?" Bill asked Jake. "For no reason?"
Jake hissed. "Is that a problem for you?" Jake said and looked at him grimly.
Bill became nervous. "What do you mean?"
"I know that you casted an eye on her long time ago."
Bill swallowed. "That's private."
"Nice."
Bill had no more time to scream before Jake wrapped his body around him like lightning. Jake laughed.
"Listen, I have also private things. But because of your damn stupid activities in this case, I will let you go this time. I advise you to disappear before I change my opinion again."
He released him again. When Bill got his freedom again, he ran to his henchmen.
"Let's clear off!"
With that Bill grabbed Stump's ear and they left the place.
Meanwhile, Rango and Beans had recovered from their wave of luck. Rango loosened his grasp around Beans and walked to Cassy.
"And, thank you very much Mrs. Cassy for your help."
"No problem," she said.
"If I can do something for you..."
"I think I've got lucky enough," she answered and looked at her husband, who lay with the corn snake Chili not far away.
Rango thought. "Mmm. But I think, there is one thing that you deserve."

No long time and Rango found what he had searched. With a money bag he came back.
"I think you need it more pressing."
With that he gave her the money, what Mister Goldman had given Castigo for Rattlesnake Jake.
Cassy didn't know to say. But Rango was faster. "With the money, you could repair your land and you can use it for medical things."
"But Mister Rango, I can't take it..."
Rango waved his hand. "Look it on as a donation by an unknown sponsor."
Cassy was speechless. But there was no reason to say something more. Rango smiled and the silver vixen pressed the money closer to her.