Missed

Forcing himself to move his sights from Dalton's downed figure, Con swings his rifle back to the front of the building just as the drug dealers scatter. Leg shots took them down quickly, and once all of them were on the ground, Con stands up, watching as Nate heads for Dalton. "Goin' blind, guys. I'm coming down." Slinging the rifle strap over his shoulder, he heads quickly for the fire escape ladder. 

Jason follows Nate out of the building, keeping an eye on their prey - who were all laying here and there on the ground, some forced there by wounds, and a couple spreading their arms in surrender, not daring to even try standing. Keeping a gun aimed at them anyway, Jason backs up quickly to where Nate had found Dalton. Seeing all the blood and receiving Nate's order, Jason doesn't hesitate to retrieve his cell phone and dial. First 911 then Reese. 

By now, Con was back on the ground and sprinting across the street to them. Joining Nate, he takes a knee next to Dalton, his heart racing as he saw the condition of their partner. "No.... Dalton... Dalton, can you hear me? Come on... don't do this." 

Movement catches his eye and he turns just in time to see one of the guys had managed to get to his feet and had started to run. Moving quicker than the eye, Con lifts his rifle to his shoulder, aims and fires. The man goes sprawling in the street from the shot in the back. 

At this point, Jason was off the phone, and seeing what had just happened, mixed with his upset emotions from Dalton's condition, he was furious. "Con!" he barks. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Con stands up to face him just as angrily. "He was getting away!"

"Since when do you shoot somebody in the back?!" Jason gives him a hefty shove. "Reese is gonna be all over you for that one!" 

"Yeah, well then have him come down here and watch Dalton get shot, then have him tell you he'd do differently!" 

Jason glares at him in the dim lighting, his emotions churning. "What happened out here? 

"I was watching the front just like I was supposed to!" 

Jason's eyes widen. "Dalton told you to watch his back!" 

"He did not!" 

"Yes he did!"

"No he didn't!" 

Both men's voices were raised to shouting as they argued, and Jason shakes his head. "He told you to watch his back! Nate and I both heard it plain as day!"

Con is about to rebuttal when he suddenly recoils instead. He'd missed something. He'd missed something Dalton had said. And now... His eyes drift back to where Dalton lay, and his stomach twists. 

Approaching sirens interrupt the scene, and Jason goes to gather up the five thugs that were alive so they could be taken care of then taken downtown to the police station. As for the dead one, Con was going to have to answer for that one. 


Eli smiles at his sister and nods. "Yeah. Yeah, everything's okay as far as I know. Got the ol' Scarlet's-out-of-town blues, but nothing new." 

Looking down at his hands for a moment, he rubs a stain on his finger that he'd been unable to wash out at work. "How 'bout you?" He finally looks back up at her again, studying her eyes and wondering about what he'd seen earlier... and what he'd seen so much lately. He wouldn't pressure her, but he was concerned. 


"I know." Mick sighs and leans back against the counter, shaking his head. "And I don't want Chad to leave anyway. I know he's a lot older than Rosalyn and he's got a past - but even that's nothing horrific." He shrugs lamely. "Maybe if I was her father, I'd feel differently. You know what I did with Dan. But... I don't know... I guess when I was giving Rosalyn all those letters, I saw something in her eye - a spark that I'd never seen before. And I guess I don't want to take that away  from her. Maybe I put myself in her position and saw that she's really been a real trooper, living and working here without a life outside the ranch. I mean, we all do it, but even Jade's got Dan, and Clint and Wendy have their own family. I guess I never saw it like this before, but maybe Rosalyn hasn't had enough chances in life and..." 

He shrugs again, feeling as though he was going in circles. "I dunno. I want her to have her own choice about this. Personally, I think Chad's okay - I don't think he's gonna pull any stunts with Rosalyn. At least that's what my gut says and I hope I'm right, since I sent them to town. But I also know Rosalyn's smart, and she wouldn't go with him if she thought anything was even remotely questionable." 

Tucking his hands in his jeans pockets, Mick looks back at Rosetta, just studying her eyes. He didn't know how Rosalyn and Chad really felt about each other... whether it was just a short-lived romance without anything more than a physical attraction, or if they really did have deeper feelings for each other. But he knew what love felt like, and if anybody had chastised him for wanting to be with Rosetta, he would have been very hurt and angry. He adored Rosalyn as his niece and just couldn't bring himself to make this harder on her. If she made a mistake, so be it - she'd been duly warned by her father. Mick didn't want to just sit back and watch her fall, but everything that needed to be said had been said - and now it was up to her. 

"I just can't tell Chad to leave," he concludes. "But I don't know what that will do to Jim."