American Outlaws Page #2

EXT. FORTIFICATIONS

Frank and the others hit the dirt as the Gatling shreds the

fenceposts, fells trees, churns the ground, stitching a path

of destruction across the bulwarks and into the woods where

EXT. WOODS

The Gatling rounds are everywhere. Rangers jerk as the

Gatling tears them apart. Jesse grabs Web to his chest and

swings around, shielding the boy with his own body. When the

fire pauses for a moment. Jesse looks down -- he's covered

in blood. He lets Web fall away. Blood bubbles up from where

the boy's chest used to be.

JESSE:

Hell no...

Jesse's trying to stop the blood with his bare hands.

WEB:

Aw, Jesse.

(crying)

I never even got to be with a girl.

Web dies.

Jesse sighs. He's seen too much death to cry anymore. He

stands up, pivots, and strides for the fencepost barrier.

Rifle fire is zipping through the air all around him, but he

keeps walking.

EXT. FORTIFICATIONS

Frank, the Younger brothers, Comanche Tom and the Captain

are all still there. Captain Malcolm peers through the wall.

CAPTAIN MALCOLM:

They're getting closer.

Jesse arrives, slaps Cole's shoulder. Cole grins grimly.

COLE:

'Bout time you got here, buddy.

JESSE:

What's going on?

FRANK:

Every time I put my head up to hit

that Gatling, they try to shoot it

off.

JESSE:

So we got a plan?

BOB:

My plan of lying here pissing

myself seems to be working mighty

fine, thank you.

FRANK:

I can hit those boys from here. We

just need a distraction.

JESSE:

(smiling)

A distraction? Well, why the hell

didn't you just say so?

Jesse sprints back into the woods. Cole, Bob, and Frank

exchange looks.

BOB:

He's smiling.

COLE:

Never a good thing.

FRANK:

This ought to be interesting.

ANOTHER ROAR from the Gatling pushes their heads down, but

as that sound fades, another blends in, growing louder and

louder, the SOUND OF HOOFBEATS

ANGLE ON:

The men at the fortification, turning to face the woods,

their faces stunned as JESSE JAMES ON HORSEBACK AT FULL

GALLOP EXPLODES from the woods, heading straight at his own

men and at the last second LEAPS OVER THE BARRIER, and as he

does Jesse leans back in the saddle to let the wind strip

off his longrider coat, revealing for the first time his

GUNS -- two Colts at the hip, a crossed bandolier on his

chest with two cross-holstered Colts at the shoulders, and

two Colts in the small of his back.

And for that one second as Jesse and the horse are in

mid-air and the longrider coat trails behind him like

leather wings and his guns gleam blue in the sunlight, Jesse

James is the Angel of Death.

EXT. HILLSIDE

The horse hits the ground running. The Union troops are in

shock as Jesse draws both his hip Colts and starts firing.

JESSE:

Come on, ya Yankee bastards!

His GUNS BLAZING, Jesse rides straight at the Bluecoats.

Five, six are down before they can even react. They start

firing back, but they can't draw a bead. Two more are down.

Jesse's making every bullet count.

ANGLE ON:

The Gatling gun as the crew swings it around and FIRES,

hundred of rounds tearing straight at Jesse

ANGLE ON:

Jesse who incredibly cuts the horse hard left using just

his knees, still shooting as the Gatling volley goes wide,

actually killing two of the Union soldiers behind Jesse.

But then the arc of fire takes Jesse's horse in the rump.

The horse falls, but Jesse dives off, still firing, killing

another two soldiers. Then he hits the ground, rolls, and is

up and running, dropping the spent Colts and drawing the two

shoulder guns in one smooth motion, never interrupting his

shooting.

EXT. FORTIFICATIONS

Frank sees the Gatling swing away from him. He stands and --

EXT. HILLSIDE

-- BANG as the Gatling triggerman drops, BANG as the

ammo-feeder goes down, and BANG as the third man falls

before the echo of the first shot clears.

EXT. FORTIFICATIONS

Cole is the first one on his feet.

COLE:

WAAAHHHHOOOO!! We're coming Jesse!

CAPTAIN MALCOLM:

Charge!

With a ragged cheer the RANGERS ERUPT FROM THE FOREST, some

actually on horseback, firing at the exposed Union troops.

EXT. HILLSIDE

Soldiers are swarming Jesse, but he's moving, turning, an

untouchable blur in the chaos. As he drops two more empty

Colts and reaches for the last two at his back, a SOLDIER

just an arm's length away BRINGS UP A RIFLE.

JESSE:

Oh, you do not!

Jesse grabs the rifle barrel and drives the butt straight

back into the soldier's nose. The Union boy falls, releasing

the gun. Jesse swings the rifle in a smooth arc, bashing

another soldier in the jaw, and then spins it effortlessly

into his opposite hand and FIRES it point blank into another

Union soldier.

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