The Horseless Horsemen: Rita

Rita and Steve had their guns up and ready.
Steve yelled for the man to stand down and drop his gun.
The large man rolled up smoothly, and in one swift motion pointed his gun and pulled the trigger.
The shot rang out loud.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rita’s head snap back. Steve fired off three shots.
All of them hit their mark.
The large man jerked backward and dropped like a rock.
The Marshal came out the back door, followed by three other deputies.
Steve turned and dropped to check Rita, his gun forgotten where it lay on the ground.
The bullet hole in her forehead was clean. It didn’t bleed much.
“RITA!!” He checked for a pulse. There was none. “SHIT!!! OFFICER DOWN!!” he yelled frantically. “I NEED HELP HERE, NOW!! RITA!”
Brandt ran over.
“COME ON, RITA!!” Steve started CPR, pushing firmly on Rita’s chest five times, and then switched over to beside her head. He pinched her nose shut, tilted her head back, and put his mouth over hers, exhaling into her throat. Her chest rose. He sat up a little and watched her chest fall as the air came out of her lungs. He continued to call to her every time he wasn’t exhaling into her, desperately trying to get her to open her eyes.
Blood slowly dripped down her forehead from the bullet hole.
Brandt knelt down at Rita’s side. “You stay there. I’ve got this side,” he told Steve.
Steve forced air into her lungs again and sat up, watching. He nodded at Brandt who pushed on Rita’s chest, counting “One Mississippi,” between shoves. After five pushes, Steve forced three more breaths into Rita.
Brandt and Landis took turns, switching positions after every five sets.
The Boss and Combes spelled them and took their turns for a few minutes with Rita, and then Brandt and Landis took over again. Landis sat numbly, waiting for Brandt to finish his set with her trying to get her heart going again. He hadn’t realized there were tears streaming down his face until they dripped onto hers as he was about to force her lungs to take air.
Sirens got closer, and wheels screeched in the road.
The ambulance went quickly into the driveway, and then slewed around to the back of the house.
The EMTs jumped out of the truck and coordinated with the Marshal so that they could use the defibrillator.
They fired the unit four times, calling “Clear!” before the unit shot electricity through her bared chest.
Steve didn’t even remember them opening her bullet proof vest.
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“I KILLED YOU!!” he shouted after he had hit the ground and got his wind back. “YOU’RE DEAD!!"
“I’m Rita,” she said without emotion. “And you’ve been served,” she informed him. "Don’t worry. I’m not the last thing you will see. Oh, no,” her eyes widened and her stare grew very intense, “…that will be far worse than me.” She nodded her head slowly. “…far worse.”