A chill ran down Roy's spine. "No," Roy sputtered under his breath.
Buddy's feet were now off the ground a few inches and he was kicking like a mad man, thrashing about. The sight sickened Roy as his mind flashed back to the hanging of two-gun Smitty. Roy only had seconds to decide what to do. Desperate, Buddy was attempting to scream and resist his captors.
Dix twisted in his saddle and bellowed out to the empty town. "The sheriff is gonna die unless you people start coming up with my money. After were done with him, we're gonna hang the whole town; men, women, children, and old people!"
Frank started laughing. "Let's burn it down too, Dix."
Roy watched in horror as Buddy's eyes bugged out and his face turned beet red. Lifting his rifle up Roy quickly aimed at the top of Frank's head and pulled the trigger. In a flash, Roy ratcheted the Winchester's handle and swung the rifle to Henry, pulling the trigger. In the span of four seconds, the two men were dead and laying on the ground. Without the two men pulling him up in the air, Buddy flopped onto the boardwalk, fighting to pull the rope free from his neck with shackled hands, and started coughing.
Dix jumped off his horse and had both six shooters out, and started blasting bullets like hail on Roy's position. Roy dropped flat on the roof and heard the bullets whiz all around poking holes in the parapet wall. The other four men of Dixon's gang came immediately to the aid of Dix. Dismounting, they clustered together with their weapons drawn.
"Where's he at Dix?" asked his kid brother Jake. The others saw Frank and Henry dead on the ground.
Dix took his gun and pointed to the roof of Dillard's. "Jake, up there. Flush him out. Sal, Billy, you and Pretty-Boy sweep around the buildings and make sure he doesn't escape." Dix sneered. "I want him alive. Alive, you hear me?" The four men disappeared.
Roy waited until the firing ended and he slowly peered over the edge, keeping a low profile. He saw Dix standing there, but Buddy was gone. The four riders came galloping into town and dismounted. Roy dropped out of sight and sat down. Think Roy, think. They're coming for you. Then Roy ran to the back of the roof, but when he arrived, he looked down and saw someone scaling the back wall. Roy backed up and moved over to the next building. Dropping down to one knee, Roy pointed the gun in the direction he saw the man coming up the back wall. When the head popped up over the edge, Roy fired the rifle with a clean shot between the eyes and the man fell backward.