329

The instant you set foot in the store, two hands reach out of the darkness, grab you by the jacket lapels and pull you away from the doorway. Immediately, there is a long burst of fire and a hail of bullets scythes the air where you were standing only moments before.

‘These ain’t no ordinary punks,’ growls Long Jake, peering cautiously over the edge of the bullet-shattered window frame. ‘They’re scouts for a Yankee gang that’s headin’ this way, looking to take over. They’re a mite anxious to get their hands on her, too,’ he says, nodding towards the girl who is crouching behind the store counter, her eyes wide with fright.

‘What do they want with her?’ you ask, but before Long Jake can reply there is a flash and a deafening explosion. The store’s rear door is blown inwards and a searing wave of heat and flying debris knocks you off your feet. Stunned by the blast, you rise unsteadily and reach for a weapon. A grey shape fills the rear entrance, its outline fuzzy in the smoke and dust that hover there. Then the shape draws into focus and you see the silhouette of a tall man, lean and sinewy, his thin mouth set in a cruel sneer.

‘Look out!’ screams Long Jake, as the figure leaps through the doorway, a shotgun held before him ready to fire.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If your current Shooting, Stealth, and Perception points (when added together) total 9 or more, add 2 to the number you have picked.

If your total is now 0–3, turn to 191.

If it is 4–6, turn to 293.

If it is 7 or more, turn to 168.