Kates breathed softly in the darkness, wedged between the old wooden wall and the large winter coat hanging on the rack in front of her. She sat with her back pressed against the corner of the closet, hearing a voice echo down the hall. Her knees were pressed up against her chest and she tried to steady herself to keep the floor from squeaking. She heard the footsteps fall in the hallway outside the bedroom as the voice called out "Where arrrrrre youuuuuuu?" And she felt herself flash back to that day, years ago. The cold October air burst through the small gaps in the log cabin, cutting her as she stared out the window with her rifle laying across her legs. Another shot of whiskey deadened her to the cold, and she waited. And waited. She tried to prepare herself for the violence that was to come and found her slipping back in her old ways. The mantras of shooting she'd learned from PedroRourke the Elder and her father. Steadying her heartbeat. But this time was different. She'd been out of the game for the last nine months- she was changed. It wasn't just the extra weight or the stretch marks that clung to her once lithe body... it was a dullness, where once there'd been a razor's edge.

At least she wasn't alone. Doc and Danny Osborne were camped out on the ridge overlooking the cabin. Hopefully they had some whiskey as well, but she'd rather be in their situation. She, after all, was the bait. Maybe she wouldn't have to do anything... but deep down, she knew better.

She saw the group of men approach past the ridge and hoped that Doc and Danny were out of sight and awake. If not, she didn't stand much of a chance.

She only heard a single voice, that of an older man, shout "Where are you?!". Covertly inclining her head out past the window she quickly pulled it back as a pistol smashed through the glassand slugged into the wall behind her. Without looking, she leaned her gun around the broken window and fired where her mind told her the men would be. Their laughter made it sound like she had missed by a mile. Grimacing, with the memory of her prime stinging, the don took solace in the fact that their laughter would be short lived. As the echoes of her shooting drifted off into the trees, Doc and Danny rose from their hiding places on the ridge with Tommy guns blazing. Tomimoto's goons had been slowly advancing on the cabin in anticipation of their easy kill and were quickly cut down. By the time any of the men had fully processed the ambush their blood had already begun seeping into the cold late autumn ground. Kates emerged from the cabin with her pistol and nodded at Danny and Doc, who returned the solemn gesture and turned to begin the climb down. Kates was left alone with the bodies and approached the only one over the age of 40. The wet sound of his wheezing through punctured lungs was horrible and nearly caused her to quake, but she hardened her heart as she knelt down next to him and tossed his gun away.

"Tomimoto. I don't hate you for trying to kill me today- I don't even hate you for trying to kill my son before he was even born. I killed yours, after all. But we knew how this would end. With one of us standing over the other. The feud ends now- your bloodline is ended, while mine will prosper. Tomorrow will be a strange day, not having to think of fighting you. You were a worthy adversary... rest in peace." She stood as she heard the death rattle, with Doc and Danny pulling the car around. Climbing into it, the door slammed... And as the bedroom door slammed, she heard the footsteps and stilled her breathing to nothing. But they came immediately towards the closet. Damn he was smart... just like his grandfather. She sighed and, as her son triumphantly proclaimed "I found you!" she scooped him up in her arms and kissed his forward, carrying him down to the kitchen for his dinner.