"What is it? Are you hurt?" Alex asked as she approached Mary upon hearing the widow's laboured breathing. Meanwhile, Inez kept a vigil at the mouth of the alley to ensure no one was in pursuit. Fortunately, the alley did not culminate in a dead-end as it ran between the large hotel and a large general store. Outside in the main street, they could hear frantic voices shouting with excitement as the commotion regarding the destruction at the bank spread through town like wildfire.
"No, I'm not hurt!" Mary exclaimed, with nothing less than pure panic in her blue-grey eyes as she looked up at Alex with wide-eyed fear. "I just blew up a bank!" At the time, she had felt no fear, no worries about what she was doing only the welfare of her friends had been paramount in her mind. However, now that the danger has passed for the moment at least, the enormity of what she suddenly overwhelmed her. Mary found herself leaning against the wall breathing hard, almost doubled over as she struggled to breathe while at the same time coming to grips with what she had done.
"You came to our rescue!" Julia reminded. "It was extremely brave! I am sure Mr Larabee would have been proud."
"Don't mention the C word!" Alex hissed at the petite redhead because she knew just how Mary would react to that comment.
"Oh my God!" Mary groaned in realization just as Alex had predicted. The doctor winced grimaced as Mary descended into darker depths of despair while throwing Julia a frowned look. "I forgot about Chris!"
"If it makes you feel any better, we're in the same boat." Alex implored. "People saw us all leave!" The doctor said trying to help Mary breathe normally before she had an attack of serious hyperventilation. "Vin is never going to let me live this down either."
"Not to mention, Ezra." Julia retorted. "When I think of the smug way he is going to stare at me, full of southern superiority, I just want to wipe that slimy grin off his face. ."
"Hey!" Alex said to Julia sharply. "Let's not lose it here." She turned to Mary once again. "Mary, you did what had to be done. If it was not for you, we'd still be trapped in there with that lunatic and his hired killers."
"Yes, I know but I blew up a bank!" Mary declared frantically. She could not even begin to imagine the world of trouble she had descended upon herself and her companions. The entire town would be mobilized and hunting for their heads.
"Chris is going to kill me!" Mary gushed, shaking her head in disbelief at her actions since leaving Four Corners She hardly recognized herself in the wake of the things she had been called on to do during this trip. "He is literally going to kill me."
"Of course, he's not." Alex rolled her eyes in exasperation wondering how someone as cool as Mary Travis could go to such pieces. Considering what she had just done to save them all, it seemed somewhat trivial to be worrying about what Chris Larabee would do. Although secretly, Alex would give her right arm to see the look on the gunslinger’s face when he came riding into town and found out that Mary blew up a building and was probably wanted for bank robbery or destruction of property, whichever came first. In fact, now that Alex thought about it, the look on Chris's face would almost be as priceless as the look on Vin's face when he learned of their adventures.
Suddenly, she could understand why Mary was hyperventilating.
"Well think of it this way," Alex sighed unable to see anything positive now that she had a chance to consider the situation in depth. "Chances are, you will be locked up with the rest of us long before Chris could ever get his hands on you."
"Alex!" Julia swatted her on the arm. "This is hardly the time for your twisted sense of humour." The eastern glared at her reproachfully.
"I'll have you know Vin loves my twisted sense of humour," Alex said in her most dignified voice and then turned back to Mary. On a more serious note, she leaned closer to the widow whose breathing was still frantic. In a completely different tone of voice, Alex decided to lay it on the line for her. "Mary, we need you to be strong for us or none of us will get out of this alive. So please, pull yourself together because we need to decide what to do now. It won't be long before Preston comes after us and you know he will because we still have what he wants."
"Come on Mary." Julia lent support to Alex's argument now that the doctor was making the effort to reach the widow sensibly instead of her half-witted attempts at levity. Julia found that Alexandra Styles often resorted to that habit whenever she felt threatened. Julia could not blame her or Mary for being so shaken at what was happening to them, not when she felt similar tendrils of fear sneaking up her spine as she recounted how easy Preston had found it to order Selena to have them all killed. She had no doubt whatsoever that if not for Mary's timely arrival, they would have been dead by nightfall.
"We better get moving!" Inez cried out as she came running down the aisle towards them. The lady bartender stopped short when she saw the group had frozen in place like flies trapped in amber. There was no time for such delays, not when it appeared she had seen Selena and Burke on the street combing the area for them. "What are you waiting for?" The Mexican looked at them in question. They had to get moving now.
"Mary's a little upset," Alex explained glancing at the newspaperwoman's direction.
"I'm not surprised! She just blew up a bank!" Inez retorted and then saw how quiet Mary was. It was too strange for her to deal with and in truth, they had not the time for it. "Don't worry, I've seen her like this before." The bartender reassured the other two women as she took a closer step towards Mary before giving the widow a gentle shove. "Snap out of it!" Inez barked without any tact whatsoever. "Those two are on the streets out there looking for us. We've got to leave now." Instinctively, Alex and Julia's gazes shifted involuntarily in the direction from which Inez had just come.
Inez's words seemed to reach Mary and the blond let out a deep breath, dispelling her fears and calming herself at the same time. After a moment, she looked up at them and allowed her gaze to sweep across their faces as she felt the same surge of adrenaline rushing through her veins that had allowed her to rescue them so fearlessly. "Let's get off the streets first," Mary said quietly. "We can decide what to do when we are not exposed so anyone can just find us."
"It's a plan." Inez threw her a comforting smile as Mary started walking in the opposite direction of the alley.
As they started walking, Alex noticed Julia Pemberton eying her with an accusatory gleam in her emerald coloured eyes. "What?" Alex asked, feeling self-conscious by the woman's gaze.
"Why didn't you think of that?" Julia asked with a smug smile.
"Oh, shut up." Alex retorted and walked on ahead with Julia wearing a satisfied smirk.
Mary strode down the alley, trying to decide what to do when she saw the rear entrance of the hotel. With the need to get off the streets imperative now, it seemed like no better place than any other to seek refuge while they came up with a new strategy. Obviously now it was impossible to remain in Winston Falls with the destruction of the bank not to mention the formidable presence of the mercenaries who did not doubt hunting them at this moment. Once the pandemonium caused by the bank had died down, questions would be asked and no doubt blame would require assignment. The staff inside the damage premises had seen her and would undoubtedly offer her as the only suspect.
"In here." She said to Inez as Mary gave the doorknob an experimental twist and found to her relief that it was not locked.
"Good," Inez let out a sigh of relief. "We really need to get out of town."
"We'll never make it out of here unless we can get past those two not to mention the law when they get around looking," Mary replied as they entered the building.
"You think they will?" Julia asked, her eyes darting around the kitchen area they had entered.
"I guarantee it." Alex retorted, returning the suspicious looks being flashed by the kitchen staff as the four women intruded on their domain. The Four Corners quartet attempted to look casual as they moved through the tables where kitchen hands were preparing food while chef stood over steamy pots and pans and performed their culinary expertise of the aromatic concoctions within.
Leaving the steamy heat of the kitchen, they proceeded down the corridor that would eventually take them to the front desk of the hotel when suddenly Inez caught sight of something that gave her an idea. "Mary," she hissed. "In here."
The woman quickly slipped into the room without hesitation and will a full expectation that her companions would follow. Mary wrinkled her brow in confusion as did Julia and Alex until they saw the sign on the door.
L A U N D R Y
The three women entered the room hastily and shut the door behind them once they were through. The room was filled with hampers that were filled with laundry awaiting the wash. The smell of detergent was heavy in the air as Inez went rummaging through the clothes. There hats awaiting brushing down perched on shelves, along with shoes that needed cleaning and linen and other garments. Several wash buckets and an internal pump stood on the left wall of the room, no doubt where the actual laundering would take place.
"Please tell me, you're joking," Julia said with distaste as she saw Inez fish out a pair of dark trouser from one pile and slung it over her shoulder. "Please tell me you're not expecting us to do what I think you are." The easterner wrinkled her nose in obvious dislike to the possibility of what was looming fast into reality.
"It's the only way," Inez replied without looking up at her as she continued her search.
"Inez is right," Mary agreed. "Everyone is looking for four women, at least they will be soon enough." The editor of the Clarion News took a tentative step forward, examining which hamper she would begin her search and decided very quickly that the one closest to her was as good as any. "We can't keep up this game of cat and mouse any longer. We've got to stay in town long enough for the men to find us. If we keep running from town to town, we're definitely going to get ourselves caught or killed."
"But they're all dirty," Julia whined as she saw Inez having selected herself some rather drab clothing the lady bartender wasted no time in starting to remove her clothes. "Hurry up!" Inez urged as she prepared to strip down her skirt. "We don't have a lot of time!"
"Come on Julia," Alex sighed as she took the woman's elbow and led her forward towards the motley collection of clothes. "It’s time to find you that special look."
***********
Seacourt was on a quest. He had seen the destruction of the bank and saw the four women making a hasty departure. In the pandemonium of crowds that filled the streets, attracted to the commotion, he had lost sight of them and was now forced to search the place until he located them again. For some reason, Selena and Burke were also in pursuit and their desire to find the women only served to convince Seacourt that he needed to find them first.
With the presence of Lawrence Preston, Seacourt did gain an advantage, because finally, he had a name to which he could place the mastermind of this operation. He knew Preston by reputation. The man was one of the richest people in the United States. Preston owned everything from banks to gold mines to factories in New York to vast tracks of fertile land in California and throughout Texas. It was impossible to adequately pinpoint the complete sum of his assets because Seacourt was certain that not even the government could keep track of his net worth.
Preston had always been a suspect but until now, no conclusive proof had ever linked him to any illegal dealings. However, even Seacourt had underestimated the grand scheme he had in mind with the package that Sanderson had discovered. At the moment, however, all Seacourt had was supposition. The hard evidence he required to finish Preston once and for all would only come he could find those four women and find out what they knew.
Somehow, they were the keys to the whole thing.
***********
"I am not leaving this room." Julia Pemberton said defiantly. "I will not be seen like this." She folded her arms in protest as she stared at her companions in a show of refusal.
Mary rolled her eyes in exasperation, a feeling she was certain was collective among the rest of them at this moment. It was bad enough that Julia was right, they did look silly and it was uncomfortable and the smell of some of these clothes was bad enough but at the moment, their options were limited. Julia stood in front of them wearing a badly fitting brown suit that hung off her small frame like a blanket but fortunately, the shapelessness of the man's suit was enough to hide her other more feminine features.
"Julia, we don't have time for this," Mary growled, feeling a slight itch under her neck where the flannel of the shirt she was wearing and was forced to adjust the collar once more to make it partially tolerable. "We need to get out of sight and trust me, we will attract attention if they find us in here!"
"Why can't we book ourselves into a room here and just hide!" Julia asked, not at all eager to emerge in any public place looking like this.
"Because they will find us!" Inez snapped just as annoyed. She adjusted the suspenders she was wearing when she felt the pants she was wearing starting to slip down her hips. How on earth did Vin Tanner wear these things! Inez was tempted to ask but decided she would not be improving the current mood in the room.
"All right, I'll handle this," Alex spoke up, trying to be the voice of reason in all this because she was not happy wearing this disgusting shirt with its smells, or tucking her dark hair under a dusty hat and the whole idea of wearing pants felt odd and uncomfortable. To say nothing of the chaffing. "Julia, you can come with us willingly or I can drag you out there kicking and screaming. The choice is up to you. Remember, I still have all these hostile feelings towards you just waiting for release." She narrowed her eyes as the woman to show her just how serious she was.
"You wouldn't." Julia retorted, taking a cautious step backward and glanced at Mary and Inez.
"She would." Mary nodded with a wicked smile.
"Oh, just come on!" Inez groaned and started out the door.
"Okay!" Julia released a loud cry of exasperation as she realized that she was outvoted on this point three to one. "I'm going! I'm going! But I swear if Ezra sees me like this, I am forgiving none of you."
"We'll try and live with the pain." Mary remarked as she followed Inez out.
They moved through the hotel quickly, making their way through the corridor with as much speed as possible in their hasty need to leave the premises immediately. Winston Falls was a large town, larger than Four Corners and hopefully big enough so that they could hide their faces for the few hours it would take for Chris and the men to arrive. Hopefully, the law in the town would be searching for four women and not four men in ill-fitting clothes. As they stepped out of the main entrance of the hotel, Mary could still see the attention still focused on the damage she had inflicted upon the bank. Groups of people were gathered around it and Mary recognized some of them as the bank tellers as well as tall imposing men wearing the Silver Star of the law who were questioning witnesses. While the explosions had not caused the structure to collapse, the building did not look very safe either.
"Where to now?" Inez whispered as they continued further away from the centre of town. They kept to the boardwalk that ran up the length of the town, never making eye contact with anyone while keeping their faces to the ground.
"I'm not sure," Mary said as she brushed past the people going in the opposite direction, taking care to keep her face hidden beneath the hat she was wearing. In fact, they were all forced to don a varying collection of head apparel because there was no other way to keep their hair hidden.
"These pants are killing me," Julia complained through gritted teeth when there was no one near them.
"You'll live." Alex hissed, just as irritated by this costume she was forced to wear. "We're all chaffing."
"Quiet!" Inez suddenly spoke up as she caught sight of Selena and Burke who appeared through the narrow crevice between a lodging house and some other building. The duo was about to cross the street and would head straight at them! Fortunately, neither had seen the women yet or if they did, certainly did not recognize their quarry immediately. In any case, it was not wise to allow them the chance to do so. Inez looked around and saw a door with a sign that said, 'welcome all' and decided it was as good a place as any to make a hasty retreat.
"Come on!" She said quickly and hurried up the steps into the inviting doors of the large house that sat almost at the far corner of town. There was little time to argue as Mary went after her into the building closely followed by Alex and Julia. Casting a glance over her shoulder as she disappeared through the door, Mary noticed that Burke and Selena were oblivious to their flight. The mercenaries were still on the other side of the street, still surveying the area as she disappeared indoors.
The first thing Mary noticed when the door closed behind them was the colour of the wallpaper. It was a deep burgundy shade that while being an interesting choice seemed somewhat garish against the polished wooden banisters and the smooth panelled floors. A huge chandelier hung in the front foyer as and a rather heavy woman in bright colours greeted them through the velvet curtains that led from an adjoining room.
"Well hello there." She smiled, her face was almost pink from the liberal application of rouge across her skin. Mary was sure the beauty spot on her cheek was hand-drawn. "What can I do for you boys?"
"Boys?" Mary said trying to do her best imitation of a male voice and then cursing silently to herself and wondering if this humiliation would ever end.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she replied coming towards Mary and slipping and gloved arm around her shoulder as she led Mary through the curtains. "I should have said young strapping men. Now you tell ol' Betsy what's your pleasure."
"My pleasure?" Mary asked finding it difficult to keep her voice so low and she was getting more confused when she passed through the red velvet curtains that led to the next room.
The room was dimly lit, with the same dark curtains covering every window that might allow natural light. The same brocade patterned burgundy paper covered the walls and with occupied wing chairs and divans stretched across the polished floors. There was the faint aroma of incense burning in the room for the scent reminded Mary of roses or something whose scent was just as sweet. The chairs were occupied by men who were, in turn, being 'entertained' by women clad in their underwear. It took Mary approximately two seconds to realize exactly where this place was that Inez had deemed to be appropriate.
"Where the hell are we?" Julia hissed when the realization struck her and she looked around like a deer trapped in a hunter's sights. She had heard about these places and knew that her experience in Wickestown was not the normal way such 'houses' operated. Although there was some fascination in her mind about the establishment, it struck her with a splash of cold water that ol' Betsy thought they were men or young strapping men who needed her girls' expertise. Julia's disguise allowed her to pass for a young man but it wasn't that good.
"I think we have a problem," Alex replied in the understatement of the year.
"Oh, you think?" Julia shot her a venomous look.
"Quiet!" Inez looked at them both sharply. "Do you want to give this thing away?"
"Give what away?" Julia whispered angrily. "I am not going upstairs with a working girl. I can tell you right now this disguise is not going to fool her for long if she expects me to have sex!"
"Inez is right," Alex gripped Julia's arm to remind her to lower her voice. "Just shut up until we figure this out and Inez," the doctor looked at the lady bartender. "Next time, do you think you could just take a quick look at where we're going before you say, 'this way'?"
Inez frowned and turned back to Mary who was staring at Betsy with wide-eyed terror as the woman apparently explained what was available and whom they could do it too, with or without the benefit of hot oils and minty gels.
"Don't worry sugar," Betsy said oozing tender concern. "My girls are clean and they know how to take care of first-timers like all of you." Betsy let her gaze move across the face of the 'young men' in front of her.
"But. ." Mary opened her mouth to speak when Betsy waved to some unoccupied young women at the far end of the room who immediately began sauntering towards her in a most seductive fashion. After being chased off a train by hired killers, being forced to face off with angry gamblers in a saloon and having to blow up a building to free her friends, Mary Travis felt the genuine terror that surpassed all that in the light this new horror.
"Charlotte," Betsy replied, ignoring Mary's protest which she put down to youthful inexperience. "Now I want you to take this handsome boy upstairs and show him what it takes to be a man."
Somehow, Mary just knew she was not going to rise to the occasion. Charlotte slithered up to Mary and reached for her hat before the widow could stop her. Mary made a wild grab to prevent her from reaching the dusty hat but it was too late. Golden hair spilled out from beneath it, falling around her ears as everyone in the room stared at her in shock.
"You're a girl!" Betsy exclaimed outraged. Charlotte took a step back and dropped the hat on the floor.
"This was a mistake. ."Mary tried to explain and wondered what story could even sound remotely plausible to this woman at this moment. It did not take Betsy to make the leap to realize that all four possible customers were women instead of men. Her eyes narrowed in anger as she glared at them before her crimson face paled enough for her to respond. The men in the room were scattering for the door as if the presence of women who weren't working girls had killed their romantic ardour. Only a few remained who were unperturbed by the extraordinary turns of events. Mary assumed these were not the customers who were married.
"Look, honey," Betsy said placing her hands on her hips and glaring at Mary critically. "I know they go in for that strange stuff in the big cities but my girls don't do that sort of thing."
Alex had to ask. "What sort of thing?"
"You know, women who like laying with other women. My girls are strictly for men only." Betsy replied in no uncertain terms.
The jaws of all four women dropped collectively in outrage.
"We are not here for anything like that!" Julia declared indignantly.
"Then what are you here for?" The Madam demanded.
"Nothing!" Inez said quickly putting a stop to this before it got even further out of hand. "Mary pick up your hat and let's just go!"
Mary could not fault that reasoning, wondering if she would ever live down the mortification of this sorry mess and prayed if there was a God anywhere in the universe, that Chris would never find out about this leg of her nice simple trip to Denver.
"Without doubt," Mary groaned as they left the establishment and stepped onto the boardwalk again. "That was the single most embarrassing moment of my life." Her pale skin was almost red from the shame at being ejected from the brothel so unceremoniously.
"I didn't know what the place was!" Inez spoke out in her defence. "I just thought we had to get off the streets!" As she made mention of that, she allowed her gaze to move across the street and to her relief saw no signs of either Burke or Selena for the moment. At least for the immediate present, they were safe.
"I can't get the idea out of my head." Alex mused, looking somewhat dazed herself.
"What idea?" Mary looked at her in question.
"The idea of that woman thinking we were into that strange stuff."
"Oh please!" Julia exclaimed with disgust. "Must we relive that whole sordid episode?" She cried. "It’s bad enough we're wanted for blowing up the bank but now, thanks to Inez, they'll think we're a bunch of sexual deviants as well."
"Suffice to say, the posse that comes after us will be very motivated." Alex could not resist adding.
Despite the urgency of the situation, they could not help but laugh at that prospect and after the absurdity of where they had been, it almost seemed perfectly natural to be laughing on the boardwalk like loons, even though there were mercenaries hunting them at that very moment. The women indulged in few seconds of jovial relief before Mary sobered up first and decided on their next plan of action.
"I think we should split up." She suggested.
"Good idea." Inez agreed. "As long as we are four, they can track us."
"Is that such a good idea Mary?" Alex inquired. "We've been doing okay so far because we're together. I don't want to think about what could happen if we're alone."
"We don't have a choice, we need to get indoors and hideout. I say we try the saloon." Mary suggested. "It's not the kind of place that would ask too many questions if we got lodgings. I say we split up and make our way there."
No one could deny the logic of her claim and reluctantly, Mary broke away first deciding to take the initiative. She continued down the boardwalk to the only saloon in Winston Falls that had lodgings. Meanwhile, the trio behind her lingered to talk for a while before scattering at regular intervals until they were all finally on the way. Mary hurried to the saloon unhampered and for the moment, unrecognized. Occasionally, she was forced to tuck her hair under the hat when a loose strand threatened to give her away.
For the time being, however, the law in Four Winston Falls was more preoccupied with taking down names to organize a posse to hunt down the women who had brought so much chaos into their normally quiet town. It gave Mary some comfort knowing that they believed she and her party had already departed the town. It never even occurred to them that their suspects were still in town. Mary saw no reason to change that perception because it eliminated one hindrance while allowing them time to try and think of some way to deal with the other.
Mary kept her eyes trained for either Burke or Selena as she journeyed to the saloon, hoping that their absence did not mean Inez, Alex or Julia had instead encountered them. She knew that Burke wanted to hurt her personally because she had incapacitated him in the train. Selena, however, frightened Mary even more because there was no personal agenda in her actions. The mercenary looked at her like a job that needed doing.
Suddenly without warning, a voice spoke in her ear. "Which one are you?" The decidedly male speaker asked with complete politeness.
Mary practically jumped out of her skin as she looked to her side and saw the handsome stranger who had come to their defence in the saloon at Stone Creek. However, she was not fool enough to trust him. "You're a long way from Stone Creek." Mary pointed out.
"So are you but I asked the question first." He reminded her with a charming smile. He was dressed impeccably, looking not all that different from Ezra Standish at that moment. He had dark mahogany-coloured hair and soft blue eyes that stared at her with the barest hint of amusement reflecting from its depths.
Mary had no intention of answering him, not when she had no clue as to who he was and how he had managed to see through her disguise to recognize her so easily. "I won't answer until you do."
"Spoken like a woman." He declared. "Although your clothes could use some work and a wash." He noted with a wrinkled nose.
"Sir, I am in no mood for levity," Mary said coldly, continuing to walk although she was uncertain whether she should continue to the saloon. If he was one of Preston's cadres, there was no way she was leading him to the others.
"Neither am I." He said firmly. "And you do need my help if Burke and Selena are after you."
Mary froze in her tracks as her eyes snapped to meet his. "Who are you?" She finally asked, realizing that her need to know outweighed the risks.
"My name is Seacourt." He introduced himself, tipping his hat slightly.
"Jeremy Seacourt?" Mary exclaimed.
"Yes," he nodded, taken back by her knowledge. "How do you know. ."
"Sanderson." The widow said excitedly, feeling a flood of relief that finally, someone had arrived that could extricate them from this mess. "I'm Mary Travis." She introduced herself deciding that she had little choice but to trust the man.
"Well Mary," Seacourt said with a smile, realizing that she was willing to trust him with the admission of her name. "I think we have a great deal to talk about."
***********
Inez was almost to the saloon when she ran straight into Selena and Burke.
At first, neither recognized her and Inez dropped her gaze to the ground and she attempted to move past them, too afraid to breathe. The mercenaries continued walking a few more steps in the opposite direction, moving towards the hotel again when suddenly Inez heard their footsteps pause. Although there were people all around her, Inez could still hear Selena and Burke. She kept walking, forcing her fear away while acutely aware that they had stopped and were regarding her with recognition.
Inez panicked and started running, which was the worst thing she could have done because it erased any remaining doubt in their mind as to who she was. Inez bolted forward, looking over her shoulder long enough to see Selena and Burke shoving everyone aside in their pursuit. Inez saw the saloon ahead and realized with anguish that she could not go there because to do so would mean exposing the others to them and she was not prepared to lead these killers to her friends. Ducking into an alley to evade them, Inez felt her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to lengthen the gap between them.
At least the pants made it easier to run, she decided as the walls of the alley narrowed beside her as she entered its confines. Inez could feel her energy start to give out as her legs started to weaken but she forced herself past the walls of woods and brick, assuming the alley would empty into a backstreet where she could then disappear.
Unfortunately, all she ran into was a wall.
The alley had been cordoned off by another building and Inez's eyes widened in fear at the trap she had run willingly into. She could hear their footsteps grow louder in intensity behind her as she ran to the door of one of the flanking buildings, shaking frantically at the lock so that it would open. The door refused to budge thanks to the padlock that was firmly secured. Inez let out a small cry of frustration before wondering if it was possible to get past them if she ran up the way she came.
They stopped running when they saw there was nowhere left for her to go. Despite the futility of the effort, Inez nevertheless tried to get past them. She surged forward, hoping to propel herself ahead with enough speed to slip past the narrow space between them and the wall. However, she had no sooner taken a few steps forward when Burke moved to intercept her. He caught Inez easily with one massive arm and slammed her hard into the brick.
She could see stars in her eyes when she felt her head swim from the impact against the wall. With Burke's considerable weight pressing her against the building, Inez could manage little more than a weak struggle. Her hat fell from her head, spilling dark hair over her shoulders, leaving them no doubt that she was indeed their prey. Still, it was not in Inez's nature to endure anything without putting up a considerable fight first and she writhed and pushed in her vain attempt to be free of his grip.
"I would not waste my time," Selena spoke as she came slowly up to Inez, her gun drawn. "I've seen Mr Burke break men bigger than you with his bare hands, you will not break free." She leaned close to Inez's ears and whispered softly. "You and your friends have caused myself, Mr Burke and our respective employer a great deal of trouble." She hissed. "How do you think, you should repay us for that inconvenience?"
Inez spat in her face.
Selena lashed out with a balled fist and connected with the side of Inez's cheek. The Mexican let out a soft cry of pain as the mercenary dug a gloved hand into her dark hair and yanked her hair with such vicious force that Inez could only twist her head painfully to curb some of the pain.
"You're a feisty one aren't you." Selena smiled, wiping the spittle from her face as she glared at Inez with dark eyes. "Well feisty one, I think I had just about enough of you and your stupid friends so here is the deal and listen carefully, because it's the only one you're going to get."
"I will not help you do anything!" Inez hissed, still determined not to show fear even though that was all she could feel. Burke tightened his grip around her as she felt a resurgence of courage and struggled to break free of him again. However, he was still too strong for her.
"Your help is not required," Selena said with a predatory gleam in her eyes. "Only your presence."
She nodded slightly at Burke who in turn snapped his head forward, slamming against Inez with so much power behind the impact that the women in his grasp could do nothing but slacken in his grip as she fell unconscious immediately.
"Shouldn't we have questioned her?" Burke asked once he had swept Inez into his arms.
"No," Selena shook her head. "We are through chasing through town like a bunch of bloodhounds looking for these bitches. We finally have something to bargain with," the mercenary said as she started walking out of the alley, with every expectation that Burke would follow her with their prize in hand. "Next time, they will come to us."
***********
Thanks to her fortuitous meeting with Seacourt, it was her new-found ally that procured her and the other lodgings at the saloon while they awaited the arrival of Chris Larabee and company. Mary had a dozen questions for Seacourt but waited until the others arrived. However, as time went on and Mary paced the floor of the dingy room above the main floor of the saloon, it was obvious that one of them was missing. Alex had been the last to arrive, having been directed to the room upstairs by the saloon owner who had been well paid by Seacourt to remain silent about their presence in the establishment.
Alex walked into the room and was immediately bombarded with questions from Mary and Julia, although the sight of Seacourt in the room also gave her some of her own to ask them in turn.
"Have you seen Inez?" Mary demanded as soon as Alex had shut the door behind her.
"No," Alex shook her head. "Not since we split up. Isn't she back yet?"
"We haven't seen her," Julia said freeing herself of her hat and running her fingers through her red hair, to loosen the knots accumulated during its confinement. "She never came back."
"I knew we should not have separated!" Alex swore and saw the expression on Mary's face before quickly responding. "I'm sorry Mary," she replied apologetically. "I know it was the only way to get here safely."
"Not all that safely." Mary frowned, worried because she knew as they all did that if Inez was not here it was because she had been prevented from reaching them.
"Three out of four isn't bad," Alex replied trying to make the woman feel better after her faux pas. She could see the lines of worry on Mary's face and knew that these were accusations Mary had already made to herself.
"The good news is I don't they'll harm her." Seacourt made himself heard, wanting to be of some comfort because it was obvious how close these women were.
Alex turned to him and then to Mary. "Who is this person?"
"That's what I want to know," Julia added, shifting her gaze from Mary and Alex to the handsome stranger who was suddenly in their midst and seemed to know an awful lot about what was going on. Mary had not bothered with the introductions when she had arrived because the widow was still on tenterhooks about Alex and Inez.
"Alexandra Styles, Julia Pemberton, meet Mr Jeremy Seacourt." Mary introduced as she continued pacing again. She could not relax, not while her best friend was out there somewhere in the clutches of people who would not hesitate to harm her for a piece of metal that could topple a nation into chaos.
"Ladies," Seacourt tipped his hat in their direction briefly. "I am pleased to finally make your acquaintance."
"Mr Seacourt," Alex responded in a slow measured voice, the clinical detachment of Doctor Styles oozing into her lovely features as she regarded him. "I hope you do not think it rude of me if I were to show some mild irritation and inquire WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" She demanded. "Do you have any idea what we have been through in the last two days? Could you please explain to us who these people are and how we can get them to stop wanting to kill us?"
Seacourt did not at all seem ruffled by Alex's outburst. In fact, he could understand their outrage and wished he could help, however, there were still a few gaps in his knowledge that required filling before he could adequately respond to her demanding questions. "I have no idea why they are after you. Do you?"
"I do." Mary sighed and produced the plate that was nestled in the inside pocket of her coat. "A Mr Sanderson slipped this into my possession."
"You've got it!" Seacourt practically snatched it out of her hand and quickly unwrapped the silken covering around it. In a moment, it lay exposed to the man who studied it carefully, almost with an expert eye. "I have been tracking this thing from San Antonio." He explained looking up at Mary as he spoke. "How did it get to you?"
"Sanderson ran into me," Mary answered and went on to relate how Burke and Selena had come after them on the train to Denver, forcing them to flee into the night after their unceremonious disembarkation from the locomotive. While he was aware of what happened to them at Stone Creek, she did explain how Inez, Alex and Julia had been captured by the villains and how she was forced to free them.
"I knew there was a good reason to blow up a bank." Seacourt smiled much to the chagrin of the blond in front of him who threw him a filthy look in turn.
"I am glad you find this so amusing Mr Seacourt," Mary said folding her arms and staring at him critically. "Now, what is your part in all this?"
"Well," he replied, still unable to wipe that amused smirk off his face. "I work for the government, the Secret Service to be precise."
"You mean like those men who protect the President!" Julia exclaimed with surprise and a hint of girlish excitement.
"That's not all we do," Seacourt answered good-naturedly, accustomed to that response from most people. Secret Service men tended to work in the shadows, their presence formidable by their absence. "Aside from bodyguard detail, we also protect the sanctity of the US government, its ability to function. In this case, the economy of the country. There are three men in the United States who can do the kind of work it took for this plate to be created. These are highly skilled craftsmen who are under surveillance at all times."
"I take it without their knowledge." Mary stared at him with clear disapproval. This was after all America, land of the free and her journalistic sense of liberalism found such surveillance offensive. Still, this was not the time to voice her politics.
"Mouse won't play if it doesn't think the cat's away." Seacourt remarked and then continued "As of three months ago, one of those men had a very generous amount of money placed in his bank account. Of course, he used an assumed name to hide the money trail but we nevertheless traced it to him. After which we kept a close eye on him, watched his movements very carefully over the next few months. It didn't take us long to discover what he was doing."
"So why didn't you just arrest him?" Alex asked.
"Someone commissioned him to make these plates and at the time we didn't know who that was. Selena Quint and Mr Burke, who I gather you know very well were the intermediaries at almost every point. We never actually saw where the money was coming from so we couldn't move until then. By the time the plates were ready, however, we decided not to wait any longer because we just could not allow them to produce counterfeit currency. It was decided to bring in the good Mr Lane and the plate and slap him with a ton of indictments before offering him his freedom in exchange for his cooperation."
"I am guessing this flawless plan did not go as anticipated?" Julia looked at him with sarcasm. She hated being embroiled in what was fast appearing to be a bureaucratic bungle of epic proportions.
"The agent involved in bringing him was neutralized and Lane was also killed in the process. Before he died, however, Agent Drake managed to dispatch the plate to one of our couriers. However, by then Selena and Burke were aware of the exchange."
"Sanderson," Mary replied nodding in understanding. "Sanderson was the courier."
"Yes," Seacourt nodded sombrely. "He was not much a field agent. All he ever did was deliver messages and documents. This was beyond him but he still managed to keep ahead of them." There was a hint of admiration in Seacourt's voice as he spoke about the late Sanderson.
"Is he dead?" Alex asked quietly, feeling some measure of remorse for this man whom they had met for only a matter of minutes. She felt the death of anyone to be a personal loss because Alex Styles was in the business of saving lives, even the ones who did not require a doctor's expertise.
"They found him when the train got to Denver." Seacourt met her eyes with genuine sorrow in his. "His neck was broken."
"Burke," Mary stated without hesitation. She had seen the size of those hands and knew they were capable of breaking bone with ease. With a shudder, she remembered the threat the mercenary had made and hoped he was not taking out his frustrations on Inez.
"Probably." He sighed.
"And now they have Inez." Julia pointed out. "So, are we going to do?"
"There's only one thing to do," Mary whispered as her blue-grey eyes swept across all their faces and they stared back at her in anticipation of some idea at what she was about to say. "We give them the plate. It’s what they'll be asking for anyway if Inez is still alive."
Seacourt agreed with her assessment. "I'd almost guarantee it."
"We have no assurance that even if do give them the plate they'll let us alone or give us back Inez," Alex pointed out suddenly. "You already said that they took precautions to hide Lawrence Preston's complicity in all until this point. He was prepared to kill all of us to hide his secret, any exchange they set up is going to be a trap. We're a loose end."
"You're just a fountain of optimism aren't you." Julia grimaced, not at all happy to hear those words but completely aware that Alex was probably correct in her assessment of the situation.
"She's right though," Seacourt responded. "Any exchange they set up will be a trap."
"Is it still a trap if we know what's coming?" Mary inquired. "They don't know about you, Mr Seacourt. They'll just be expecting us three."
He started to see what she was getting at. "No, they don't, do they?" A slow smile crossed his face as an idea formulated in his mind.
"I sense you have a plan Mr Seacourt, do we get to know what it is?" Alex asked, hoping that his scheme would not go as awry as the government's original plan to corner the counterfeit ring and its master. Inez's life hung in the balance of their success in how ingenious he could get. She was tired of this whole business and wanted it to put behind her. After all, she was meant to be giving a speech tomorrow in Denver not preparing to walk into a life-death situation with a megalomaniacal tycoon with delusions of grandeur.
"A little bit of plan." He flashed the young doctor a debonair grin and then presented it to Mary and Julia as well. "Are you ladies game for some excitement?"
The three women exchanged glances as if that was not already painfully obvious.
It was Mary who finally answered. "After blowing up a bank, anything else is a tough act to follow."
***********
When Chris and the others arrived in the town of Winston Falls, it was well into the night but for some reason, the streets were extremely crowded. The five lawmen from Four Corners rode through the busy main street of town and immediately headed in the direction of livery to stable their horses. This time, Chris knew that the horses needed a long period of rest after submitting to the exhaustive demands of their owners. It was not to say that they were not similarly fatigued as well. The five men had been riding almost all day now and we're no closer to finding the women, despite the trail of breadcrumbs left in the form of Mary's enigmatic telegrams.
By now, Chris Larabee was almost ready to foam at the mouth. Part of his fury had to do with the fact that he knew nothing of the peril that Mary Travis and her companions now found herself in and that lack of knowledge left him ill-equipped to help her. The others in the group were similarly distressed. Vin had descended into a foul mood that was unusual for the unflappable tracker and sharpshooter which no doubt had something to do with the hangover he was suffering. Buck in the meantime, seemed to find the whole thing rather very funny. Chris wondered how much of his humour was not some attempt to hide his own fears regarding the safety of Inez or the uncertain ground his relationship with the beautiful barmaid now found itself.
On the other hand, Chris was certain that he and the others with him were ready to shoot Ezra.
Ever since they had left Stone Creek armed with the knowledge that somehow Alexandra Styles had managed to beat seasoned poker players out of $250, Ezra Standish had been torturing himself with notions that Alex might have let him beat her at poker during all their games together. The gambler had spent most of the journey there debating the subject until the very idea of poker made them all meaner than spit and ready to kill somebody. In this case, being Ezra.
Nathan however, seemed most relaxed and the healer appeared to be enjoying some enormous joke that he was not letting anyone else participate. Chris was almost tempted to ask him what was so funny if his mind was not so wrapped around what Mary was doing at this moment and how much trouble she was getting into. After Stone Creek, his estimation of much trouble Mary could get into would require serious evaluation.
Before leaving the town, Chris had consulted the law in the and discovered that there was indeed a warrant for the arrest of the four women who had stolen horses the night before. The sheriff, a man who understood professional courtesy, was quite reasonable when the situation was explained to him along with the extenuating circumstances. Somehow, Chris had managed to convince the man to drop the charges with assurances that the animals would be returned to their rightful owners soon enough. As for the charges of assault brought on by Lansing, the sheriff had dismissed those claims because witnesses present had testified in favour of the women, stating much of their actions were in self-defence
The lawmen left the livery once the horses were properly stabled and made their way through the town which was strangely lively for that time of night. People were gathered in the main square as Chris prepared to search all the lodging houses, knowing that is where Mary and the others would choose to be if they were attempting to remain out of sight since their lives were under threat.
"We best split up," Chris told Vin as they moved deeper into town. "We gotta check all the lodging houses, boarding homes and hotels. They may be hiding from someone but Mary knows they still have to be somewhere we can find them."
"Right." Vin nodded in agreement as they arrived in front of the courthouse and saw the sheriff addressing the crowd.
"Wonder what's going on there?" Buck inquired as the five paused at the scene of the gathering. Horses were mounted and ready to be ridden with people carrying torches and rumbling with dissent. Men were loading their shotguns and various other armaments as if in preparation of one hell of a fight.
"Looks like they're fired up about something," Nathan commented.
"Yes," Ezra agreed if the dark faces in the crowd were anything to go by. There was no doubt in the gambler's mind that there was something unpleasant going on with this community at present. The feverish hunger in their eyes made his skin crawl. The group was quickly descending into mob mentality, a situation that did not bode well for whomever all this aggression was intended. "The mood does seem decidedly ugly."
"We think they went up towards the hills!" The sheriff who had taken centre stage before the mob announced loudly. "Mr Preston here tell us they got away with about $500,000 from the vault of the bank after blowing it up and the man who brings in these four dangerous women will get a reward amounting to the sum of $500 a head!"
Four women?
Chris Larabee's eyes immediately widened and shot a glance at the sheriff who was no doubt organizing a posse to pursue the bank robbers. Without skipping a beat, he strode to one of the men in the crowd gathered before the lawmen and yanked the first person he came across away from the main body to have some questions answered. Chris did not believe in wasting time after hearing a statement like that.
"Did he say that four women robbed the bank?" Chris asked.
"Yes Sir," the elderly man nodded as if this was the most exciting thing to happen to the town in ages. He certainly did not mind being pulled away from the group when he was able to relate what he knew on the subject to the four strangers. "Four women robbed the bank just this afternoon."
Chris exchanged a glance with Vin whose hand immediately flew up to the bridge of his nose as he attempted to dispel the sudden return of his hangover. Buck was staring open mouth and Ezra could hardly say anything because the idea that the four in question were Julia, Mary Alex and Inez was too much for him to comprehend or articulate into any coherent glib remark. Nathan simply wore an expression of disbelief as the man related the story of how four women had blown up the bank this morning using dynamite and then robbing the vault of half a million dollars.
"Any idea what these women looked like?" Chris had to ask, praying that this was all an unhappy coincidence and Mary was in a room somewhere, waiting patiently for his arrival. Perhaps it was a gang of four other women who happened to be in town at the same time with the same tenacity for trouble. Chris knew he was deluding himself but it was almost an unconscious need to rationalize what was happening.
"Don't know about the other three." The man drawled in response, aware that he had the undivided attention of all five men even though he was not certain why. "But Cam Davis who works in the bank said the leader of the gang was a pretty little thing. Long gold hair and eyes like a dove he said but then Cam can lay it on a bit thick. Anyway, she done walked into the bank and blew up the place with sticks of dynamite. Damn near brought down the ceiling before she and her gang ran out of the place and left town."
Long gold hair. Chris rolled his eyes and swore silently under his breath. Eyes like a dove. Of course, who else would it be?
While Chris thought this, the muscles in his jaw tightened involuntarily. Vin who was standing next to him had let out an exhausted sigh of frustration as the tracker shook his head, almost unsurprised by the story. Somehow, just when he thought that Alex could not get into any more strife, the woman had managed to outdo her previous accomplishment. The expression on his face was one which Chris could understand most profoundly.
"You talking about them girls who done rob the bank?" A strong female voice entered the fray. "I saw 'em too."
Chris looked up and saw the woman who had spoken and immediately concluded that only Mary Travis could blow up a bank and still manage to make it the least outrageous thing she had done that day. Chris decided that he was nowhere close to just how much worse this possibly could get when he saw the arrival of the woman into their conversation. There was no question in his mind what she did for a living since her clothes were quite a loud statement of her occupation. He was almost afraid to ask how she and Mary's path had crossed. Like the rest of the town, Betsy had emerged from her place of business to see what all the excitement was about only to discover how much of it had to do with her personally.
"Yeah Betsy?" The man asked with interest. "When did you see them?"
"They came into my place," Betsy announced to her neighbour and her new audience who was listening to her story with something akin to shock and astonishment. She questioned the strange looks on their faces as she spoke but found little reason to hold back as she related her tale. After all, it was so very rare that men were willing to listen to her simply talk instead of paying for the privilege of something else. "Four of them, dressed in men's clothes. They were trying to lay with some of my girls."
The mental picture of Mary in men's clothes attempting to have sex with another woman would normally be reason enough for quite an interesting midnight dream for Chris Larabee, however, on this occasion, the gunslinger almost turned ashen with disbelief.
"They did what?" He asked slowly.
"They came into my place," Betsy said impatiently wishing this dark clothed stranger would keep focused so she would not have to repeat herself since she wanted to move on to the more salacious excerpts of her story. "Looking for women. When I told 'em my girls don't go in for that sort of thing, they left."
"What sort of thing?" Vin ever the uninformed at times in such matters, found himself asking although the idea of Alex in men's clothes going into a 'house' was more than his mind could process. Suddenly the hangover that he had believed gone and banished, had returned to his head with a vengeance following this latest snippet of news regarding the exploits of Mary Travis and company.
"You know," Betsy looked at Vin like he was a naive kid. "Women laying with other women."
"That's disgusting!" Nathan exclaimed although he could not deny the image in his head was undeniably tantalizing.
"But strangely arousing," Buck replied and garnered a filthy look from both Vin and Chris. "Aw come on!" Buck looked at them in protest. "Are you telling me you never thought of two women at once?"
"Who hasn't!" Chris snapped. "Just not Mary!" And then thought guiltily to himself, liar.
"You mean two women together at once?" Vin mused, drifting into the possibility with all sort of exciting visual accompaniments flashing in his mind as he wrapped his mind around the idea. Alex on her own was an experience but with another woman...
"Yeah," Buck said with a smile, knowing exactly what was running through the younger man's mind. "I done it once when I was up north. You ain't lived until you've had twins."
Chris rolled his eyes and snapped. "Buck!"
"Sorry," Buck apologized clearing his throat and then whispered to Vin. "I'll tell you about it later."
"Mr Wilmington, you exceed yourself," Ezra said feigning similar distaste. He tried to see Julia in men's clothes and could not imagine anything more amusing. He was going to have a great deal of fun at her expense when he found her.
"Come on," Chris said as he strode away from the crowd because he did not want them townsfolk to have any idea they were in any way associated with the four fugitives. Once they had put enough distance between themselves and the mob, the group grappled with the new information they had just been provided with.
"Do you think they're still in town?" Buck inquired. "I would be riding hard and away if I knew a posse was coming after me." The big man offered.
Chris would tend to agree, except this was Mary. "I don't think so. They got rid of the dresses because people would be looking for four women, not four men, which means. ."
"They could still be in town." Vin caught on quickly. "Dressing up as men is their way of hiding out until we got here."
"Exactly." Chris nodded firmly. "Mary knows they can't keep running from whoever is after them and a posse on top of that. I think she'd wait us out so we can help them."
"So, it’s back to the lodging houses, hotels and boarding places." Nathan declared. "If they're in town, they're probably in a room somewhere laying low."
"That's about the size of it," Chris answered, praying silently that Mary had no further surprises up her sleeve. He did not know how much more he could take before he was forced to do something violent to cope with the frustration. "Vin and I will take this end of town," Chris ordered. "Nathan, you, Buck and Ezra go that end."
"Sure Chris." Nathan shook his head in consent as Ezra tipped his hat in the gunslinger's direction before the trio started working their assigned section of the town.
As they drew away, Chris heard Ezra's voice inquire of Buck. "Twins Buck?"
Chris narrowed his eyes and met Vin's before rubbing his face with his palm.
"God give me strength." He said through gritted teeth.
"Hey Pard," Vin said with a slight smile. "You really shouldn't have given Mary those shooting lessons."
Predictably, Chris swung and Vin ducked, chuckling.
The fort had seen better days.
During the Mexican War, it had been a bastion of Santa Ana's claim to the territory and like the Alamo had seen a great deal of blood spilt within its walls during that terrible conflict. Since that time, however, it had been abandoned with the withdrawal of the Mexicans and left to languish under the elements Most of its walls had collapsed and only some rooms remain intact to be neglected by future generations. Much of the structure lay exposed to the weather and the terrain surrounding it was flat, with sparse vegetation allowing little chance of enemies approaching the place unseen.
Having little choice but to deal with Lawrence Preston now that Inez was in his clutches, Mary heeded Seacourt's advice to make the exchange on her own terms.
She sent a note to the mogul at his plush accommodations at the hotel and informed him that if he wished to deal, he would have to bring Inez and meet them inside this old, abandoned relic of the past. Realistically, she expected Preston to attempt a double-cross. Alex was after all correct in bringing up the valid point that Preston could not afford loose ends and that she, Julia and Mary had all fallen into that unfortunate category as far as the man was concerned.
They rode to the fort in the darkness, aware that what they were riding into was so far above their heads that it practically reached stratospheric altitudes.
Still, they had little choice in the matter, especially with Inez's life hanging in the balance. They had set out so earlier so they would reach the fort before the appointed time. Seacourt had his own part to play during the exchange and he needed to do anonymously. At this point, Preston still had no idea that the Secret Service Agent was at all involved in this affair. If any of them were to get out of this thing alive, Seacourt had to be in place before Preston and his henchman made their appearance. Nevertheless, in the slim hope that Chris might arrive in town sooner than she had expected, Mary had left word at the saloon where she was going to be, having used a considerable portion of Alex's winnings to bribe the man.
The fort was quiet as a grave when the three women arrived. They rode their horses through the open gates since the wooden doors had been vanquished long ago, to be used either as firewood or having been destroyed away during the war when it had been its time of brief glory. As Mary directed her horse into the compound, she could not help feeling a cool chill running through her as she studied the place. The crumbling brick walls and the long dark shadows running across the premises looked eerie as they struggled for light under the illumination of the full moon. Mary could not help feeling that there was something sinister about the place and wondered what horrors had it seen in its time. She knew this mood was mostly attributed to her own fears regarding Inez's safety.
Seacourt dismounted first and helped Julia Pemberton off the animal. "Put the horses somewhere close by," he instructed as he searched through his saddle and produced a rifle. He stepped away from the horses and he moved deeper into the compound, surveying the structure as he sought his perfect vantage point.
"Do you think this will work?" Alex asked as she climbed off her own horse and started leading the animal that had carried Seacourt and Julia, along with her own to an unobtrusive corner of the compound, near the arch of the doorway, just in case they needed a speedy getaway.
"I don't see why not," Mary replied as she joined Alex with her horse. "After all, they're expecting just the three of us. The surprise will give us some kind of an advantage."
"You hope," Julia said dryly, not at all optimistic about their chances at all. "We're assuming a lot that they're coming alone. Preston has money, he might be bringing more men with him."
"That's true," Seacourt replied as he drew further away from them. "However, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." He answered as he hurried up some steps that led to a second floor of the building surrounding the compound. He studied the view it gave him of the space below him and knew that it was a good a place as any for him to take up position.
"Ladies!" He called out once they had tethered the horses and had returned to the centre of the compound. "Try and keep your back to this side of the building and look around for cover, if I start shooting, you're going to need to get out of the line of fire."
Mary nodded and quickly scanned the area, with Alex and Julia doing the same as they sought a suitable place of refuge once the bullets started flying. Mary hoped it would not come to that but they had to be realistic. Both she and Alex were armed and were reasonably good shots but Julia's only knowledge of weapons had to do with a two-shot derringer and her skill did not extend past shooting at point-blank range. If worst came to worse, Mary knew she and Alex could hold on their own in a gunfight but Julia needed a safe haven.
"God, I hope we don't get ourselves killed." The Easterner grumbled. "This is such a bad idea."
"Can you please stop saying that?" Alex groaned. "Try and have a little optimism, will you?"
"I have the optimism that they are going to kill us." She returned.
"Well I try to look at the positive side of things," Mary admitted. "If I die, then Chris can't spend the next six months gloating over me saying 'I told you so'. There are some things that even death cannot eclipse."
"Spoken masterfully, I admire your ability to prioritize." Alex chuckled and saw Julia rolled her eyes in distaste.
The Emporium owner did not want to die, neither did she crave adventure like her two companions. She wanted peace and quiet, with the occasional bout of fiery sex while living a life of quality through the means she had stolen from her father. Why did fate keep throwing her headfirst into danger? Ever since her arrival into Four Corners, Julia had been faced with more life and death situations than she had ever dreamed possible. She did not think she was that bad a person to warrant such bad luck. And then again...
"I give up." Julia frowned. "I sometimes wonder whether it’s worth leaving town at all after what we have been through the past two days."
"I can't say I disagree with you," Mary sighed, recounting the wild sleigh ride that had been the past two days since they boarded the train at Eagle Bend. "If I never get on a train, it will be too soon. Give me the boring mundane existence of the paper any day. I can even stand to endure Mrs Darcy coming into my office and giving me hell."
"Let's not lose all sense of reality here," Alex warned. "After all, it's not like you had that boring a life in Four Corners. With the men in our lives, dull is not what we were meant to have. Let's face it, we seem to attract as much trouble as they do."
"Only they're better at getting themselves out of it." Julia pointed out and the three women looked at each other and laughed shortly, enjoying the moment in the face of all the danger that was to come and despite their mutual anxieties over the fate of Inez Recillos in the hands of Lawrence Preston.
"They'll never let us live this down, you know." Alex sighed after a moment when their laughing had ceased.
"Tell me about it." Mary frowned. "I can't just hear Chris now." She sighed. "All he did was ask me to keep out of trouble. Since I've left Four Corners, I almost got caught in a barroom brawl, taken a hostage, stolen a horse, blown up a bank and not to mention almost got more than I bargained for when I went into a bordello. All this after I promised I would not get into trouble and intended nothing but a nice, simple trip."
"Well," Alex replied with the same forlorn expression on her face. "If it is any consolation, you won't be alone in your misery. Vin said the same thing to me. I have the impression those men think we are a handful."
"Gee," Julia remarked with a faint smile, her arms folded as she stared at them with the smug expression on her face. "I can't imagine why, after hearing of your exploits in the past. Burning down a house Mrs Travis?" She then shifted her gaze to Alex. "Were you the same person who took off over the hills in a storm to reach a patient?"
Both Mary and Alex looked resoundingly guilty.
Finally, it was Alex who finally spoke. "They couldn't just take her. It had to be Inez, they took."
Julia threw her a look. "Very funny." She glared at the doctor sarcastically.
"Who's joking?" Alex returned with a satisfied grin.
***********
In their determination to find the women in their lives, Chris Larabee and Vin Tanner scoured the town relentlessly, finding every possible establishment that might provide accommodation in Winston Falls. At the same time, they were treated to the tales of their exploits in the gossip floating around town about the four who had robbed the bank. The posse had taken off for the hills, intent on apprehending the criminals who had not only robbed the bank but also stole dynamite off the back of someone's wagon. The logic of the sheriff in charge of the expedition was questionable when he somehow concluded that despite all evidence to the contrary, the women had nonetheless left town and thus a posse was required to maintain the pursuit. His conclusion was since the women had left the bank on foot and no had seen them leave. Nevertheless, on this sterling evidence, the man had ridden out of town with 20 others in attendance.
Chris decided they were too stupid to know any better and allowed them to go, deciding that he would prefer their absence when he finally found Mary. Chris wanted to get Mary and the others as far away from this place as possible, once they caught up with their wayward lovers. With the sheriff out of town, it would eliminate the complication of dealing with their supposed criminal records until after they returned to Four Corners. When Winston Falls was far behind them, they could decide how to proceed with the charges of bank robbery and God only knew what else.
"I hope Buck and the others have better luck," Chris grumbled as Vin and he finally arrived at the crowded local saloon. So far, their search had yielded little results and both men were equally frustrated and suffering filthy moods.
A drink was in order and if they found no further news to the ladies' whereabouts, perhaps a fight as well.
"Somehow I doubt it." Vin retorted as they both navigated through the crowd of drinkers, drunks, working girls and other patrons of the establishment.
"I know, I know," Chris sighed as they reached the counter and found a bit of space to occupy. "It would be too easy for them to just stay put and let us find em."
"I had no idea having a woman could be so much trouble," Vin remarked as he waved the bartender in their direction. Like Chris, he needed a drink badly as well.
"You don't know half of it yet, pard." Chris retorted. "You and Alex have only been together for a couple of weeks, wait until it's longer."
Despite Chris's obvious annoyance, Vin knew that he did not feel as persecuted as he sounded. Every one of the seven had noticed the change in Chris Larabee since Mary had entered his life as more than just a friend. On the surface, he was still mean and sombre, dispassionate about most people and things, downright ornery at times and almost as sharp with his tongue as he was with his gun, but the despair that had been so much of his character was gone. It had disappeared in the thaw that followed the wake of Mary's warmth in his soul. For a long time, Vin had envied Chris's relationship with Mary even before Alex entered his world and turned it upside down. Despite his complaints, Vin knew Chris secretly worried about Mary's life as much as he was concerned that all four women were somewhere raising hell.
"Can I ask you something?" Vin asked suddenly.
"Sure," Chris nodded, noting the serious look in Vin's eyes. He was always serious about something but this time there was more to his question than mere curiosity.
"Can't say I'll answer though," Chris added after a moment.
"I reckon that's fair," Vin replied with a small smile. "How come you and Mary ain't married yet?"
Normally, Chris would take the question offensively as he took all inquiries into his personal life but he knew that Vin did not ask such things lightly and if he asked, he must have a good reason for doing so. "I'm getting around to it," Chris admitted. "It’s enough knowing that she's there right now without there being any need for a ring to come into it. I know how I feel and I know how she feels."
"But don't you think about the future?" The young man pressed.
"Sure, I do," Chris replied. "The future's a funny thing though, it throws stuff at you. I'll know it’s time when it doesn’t hurt so much thinking about Sarah and Adam. Mary understands that."
Vin nodded without an answer but Chris could see that there was something else on his mind. It was easy to forget how young Vin Tanner was. Despite their close bond, Chris had at least ten years on Vin, perhaps even a little more. Vin had lived his life without experiencing very much in life. Most of it had been spent alone or in places where it was not necessary to form bonds of friendship or love. It was not that Vin isolated himself on purpose but until Four Corners, it had never occurred to the young man how important it was to have people in one's life. Even someone as jaded as Chris Larabee understood that much.
"What's on your mind, pard?" Now it was Chris's turn to be intrusive.
"I never thought much about the future," Vin admitted. "When it comes, it comes. There didn't seem to be no need to plan for it cause it was just me."
But it was not just him anymore, Chris realized. Now there was Alex. "You worried about Alex?"
"She's smart and she's beautiful and she could earn a living even if she didn't have money that her pa left her. I don't know what I can offer her."
Chris had similar thoughts when he had first turned up at Sarah's doorstep and almost got a butt full of rock salt shot at him. He had pondered all those questions and somehow while she was alive they had made it work even though he had no idea at the time what he had to offer her. "That ain't your choice to make Vin," Chris said feeling his age at that moment. "Assuming we find her and Mary before they decide to hold up a train or go riding after the entire Mexican army, its Alex's choice, not yours. I've been where you are and I asked all the same questions but these things have a way of panning out."
"I know I can't stand to be without her," Vin showed a side to himself that was almost a privately hidden as Chris's own feelings for Mary. Vin would speak about this to no one else, that much Chris understood.
"Look," Chris sighed. "Lord knows I ain't the authority on women but you'll know what to do when the time is right. Just hang in there a while, time takes care of things all on its own."
Vin was about to respond when the bartender he had flagged earlier on had made his arrival. The tracker forgot what he was going to say when Vin noticed the man observing Chris with a strange expression on his face. He was a heavy, unshaven specimen with a dirty apron and weeks growth on his face. Chris raised his eyes to meet the man's, ice blue points of steel returned the stare with penetrating invasion. The man flinched as most people usually did under the glare of those eyes.
"Can I do something for you?" Chris asked.
"You wouldn't be Chris Larabee would you?" The bartender asked gingerly because the gunslinger before him looked very intimidating in his black-garbed outfit, not to mention the intensity of that aloof stare.
"Why?"
"Nothing." The bartender responded and then saw the darkening expression on Chris's face and decided better against it. "I got a message for you." He swallowed thickly and ducked beneath the counter.
Both Chris and Vin went for their guns, ensuring that the man did not emerge with any fatal surprises. The man stood up and saw the weapons drawn, his eyes widened in fear but he had not reappeared armed. Instead, his grubby fingers slid a piece of folded paper across the counter towards Chris.
"A boy left that for you." He answered quickly, his eyes still very much focused on the peacemaker within easy reach of Chris's hand.
"A boy?" Vin exclaimed and then realized that it could be Mary that the man was talking about. After all, in men's clothes, it was possible that she could pass for that.
Chris quickly unfolded the piece of paper, having guessed the exact thing. He wondered what Mary had in store for him now as he read the contents quickly.
"Inez has been kidnapped," Chris said informing Vin as he went along. "Apparently Mary has something that the kidnappers want and they're making the exchange at an abandoned Spanish fort a few miles out of town."
"Alone?"
"I guess," Chris said unhappily. He crushed the paper in his hand and looked up at the bartender. "Do you know where there's an old Spanish fort?"
"It’s about five miles out of town." The man said quickly, having no wish to alienate the stranger. "Northwest."
"Let's go," Chris said rising to his feet. "We'll find the others on the way out."
***********
They heard the horses coming in the distance and took cover inside the dilapidated building. Mary, Alex and Julia kept themselves hidden as they saw four riders enter the compound. The woman they had come to know as Selena Quint was in the lead, behind her was Lawrence Preston and Inez. The enormous Mr Burke was the last in the group. It appeared that Seacourt's suspicions were correct that Preston trusted no one and did not believe in using hired guns without whom he did not have a previous relationship. Hired guns that he found in any local saloon were liable to talk if someone paid them enough and Preston was just paranoid enough to refuse to expose himself to that kind of danger.
Inez did not seem any worse for her experience but Mary could see the mild swelling on her cheek even through the dim light of the moon above them. It was a clear night so visibility was good, a fortunate happenstance considering the situation they now found themselves in. None of the Four Corners women made themselves visible until after the riders had dismounted the horses. Seacourt had given Mary specific instructions and she knew well enough to adhere to his advice instead of doing anything foolish simply to salve her own ego that she was capable of taking care of herself.
"They must be here," Selena said to Preston as she looked around the compound for any signs of the quarry. "Their horses are here." The female mercenary pointed out.
"Well, they must be hiding." Preston retorted and he kept close to Inez. Should anything happen that they were not ready for, the young woman was his insurance policy to get out of any altercation alive.
"Not hiding." Mary Travis remarked stepping out of the shadows. "Just waiting for an opportune moment."
Burke's eyes narrowed as she appeared. The cold hatred in his eyes was obvious and Mary was glad that she held a gun in her hand. Relief flooded Inez's eyes at Mary's appearance while Preston and Selena looked merely contemptuous as well as aloof.
"Where's the other two?" Selena asked.
"Around," Mary said abruptly, refusing to allow her any more targets than she already had. Mary knew that they would not honour their agreement for a fair exchange. As soon as the plate was produced, they would undoubtedly attempt to kill Mary, Inez, Alex and Julia without any hesitation whatsoever. The four women of Four Corners were a loose end Preston could ill afford and Selena was his loyal employee, committed to seeing her master came to no harm.
"I am impressed, Mrs Travis," Preston said clapping his hand. "You have led my people around on quite a chase. I had no idea the west bred such hardy women."
"Save the compliments," Mary retorted. "I have what you want, let Inez go."
Before Preston could answer, Selena grabbed Inez by the hair and jammed the gun into the woman's throat with a flash of movement that was lightning in its speed. "Let's understand each other, Mrs Travis," Selena said coolly. "You will give us the plate right now or I will put a bullet through her head.
Mary gave Inez a pained look as she wrestled with what to do. The icy glare she received from Selena indicated that the woman would have no hesitation to pull the trigger if she was put to the test. Although Inez tried to hide the fear in her eyes, Mary could see it despite her attempt to be brave and defiant. Inez said nothing to sway Mary's decision, although she winced as Selena tugged on her hair to hold her in place.
"All right!" Mary called out, acquiescing because she had no other choice for the time being. "I'll give you the damn plate, just don't hurt her."
The smile of triumph that stole across Selena's face made Mary wish she could wipe it off with her fist. "You see Mr Preston," Selena glanced at her employer. "They can be reasonable, you just have to know how to phrase the question."
"I shall never doubt you again my dear," Preston said with equal slickness in his voice.
Mary reached into the coat and produced the engraved plate wrapped in silk that had been the cause of so much discourse to both the women of Four Corners and to the people it belonged to. She took a tentative step forward, crossing the space between herself and Lawrence Preston's company. Mary tried not to feel fear as she approached slowly, one hand wrapped so tightly around the gun in her grip that her knuckles were almost white, while the other clutched Preston's prize.
"This is far as I go," Mary said as she reached a few feet of Selena and Inez. Dropping to the ground, her eyes never left the woman as she placed the object on the gravel surface. Upon doing so, Mary rose to her feet again and took a step back away from the plate. "I've given you what you want, now please let Inez go."
Preston stepped forward to the space she had just occupied and picked up the plate. He slid it inside the fold of his jacket while Burke held his gun poised in Mary's direction, in case she attempted to harm his employer. Mary watched the plate disappear into his coat and then saw the man withdraw to his position beside Selena once again.
"Well you see, we do have a problem," Preston answered while meeting Selena's gaze. The mercenary was smiling in anticipation of the words he would soon deliver to this golden-haired widow. "I have become accustomed to certain anonymity and not to sound too cliched you simply know too much about me to be allowed to live."
Somehow Mary was not surprised. "We had a deal." She reminded the man even though she was perfectly aware that it was a futile gesture.
"You had a deal," he replied coolly. "I, on the other hand, do not negotiate."
Turning to Selena and Burke, he said simply. "I will take my leave of this unpleasantness now. Kill them all and make certain the bodies are not found. “Without even blinking an eye, Selena immediately turned the gun in Mary's direction however, the shot fired first did not come from her gun. The bullet impacted on the wall behind her and Inez pulled free in the chaos that followed. Another shot rang and others followed in quick succession as Mary ran for cover, hoping that Inez was behind her. Unfortunately, it took less than a split second for her to realize that her best friend was not.
Seacourt had sent Selena and Burke into disarray as they tried to ascertain where the gunfire was coming. However, Preston had baser concerns in mind. He grabbed Inez and shoved a gun into her side, forcing her to follow him away from the shooting, towards the horses who were stamping their hooves, trying to free themselves of the tether in a fit of furious neighing as the gunfire sent them into a wave of panic.
"Seacourt!" Mary shouted as she ran towards a stone column. "Help Inez!"
By now, Preston had already forced her onto a horse under the threat of the gun. The man quickly climbed up behind her, with his weapon ever pointed in her direction as he dug his heels into his mount, who was only too eager to leave the premises. The horse bolted forward, a streak of brown thundering through the compound, kicking up dust and gravel as they disappeared out the door. Mary watched them leave and shouted again. "Seacourt! Go after Inez."
The Secret Service agent emerged from his hiding place and looked over the edge of the wall, into the direction Preston was escaping not only with the plate in his possession but also an innocent woman he would no doubt kill when she could serve no more use to him. "Can you handle this?" He shouted as Mary started firing at Selena and Burke who were driven behind columns to avoid being shot.
"We're going to have to!" Mary barked back as she saw Alex emerged from the building to take up position further along the next column.
Seacourt did not waste any time getting to ground level. The man moved swiftly, dodging bullet as he leapt to the ground from halfway up the stairs. Mary watched briefly as he ran to their horses and quickly mounted the first animal he came to. Struggling to calm the terrified horse, Seacourt was soon riding out of the compound, taking the same route as Preston in the villain's flight from the scene.
"What happened?" Alex shouted as she fired at the direction of Selena and Burke after Seacourt has made his dramatic exit from the scene.
"Double-cross!" Mary cried out. "Just like we thought."
She sent another bullet at Selena's direction, seeing the woman approach them as she ran for cover along the columns that held up the second floor of the building. The woman moved with amazing speed and the darkness did not help the situation much either. Mary had not much experience with guns even though she made a displayed a convincing act that she could use it. She continued firing at Selena, trying to halt her progress in reaching them until they were no more bullets left in her gun and Alex had to take up the slack while she reloaded. How on earth did Chris manage to live like this? Mary asked herself, unable to believe how terrified she was even though she was forcing herself to retain a cool head. Suddenly, she realized something in her desperation to stop Selena.
Where was Burke?
The question was answered no sooner than the thought had crossed her mind. She looked up to see him rushing straight at her. Mary let out a short scream as he slammed into her bodily, throwing the gun out of her hands and scattering the bullets in all directions.
"Mary!" Alex screamed, turning the gun to fire when suddenly she heard bullets impact in the column behind her. Fragment of brick and plaster bit into her skin as she swung around and saw Selena making a fast approach. Torn between helping and allowing Selena to reach them, Alex hid behind the column struggling to decide what to do. Finally, she could only return the mercenaries fire as she saw Mary lying dazed on the ground with Burke standing over her only meters away from where Alex now stood. Alex fired, keeping careful count of how many bullets she was discharging. When she heard Selena pause to reload, Alex turned her attention to Burke.
"Stay away from her!" She shouted.
Mary scrambled to her feet, feeling pain in her side where she had hit the wall. There were scratches on her skin and a little blood oozing from a wound under her hair. "Run Mary!" Alex shouted because she knew she would only have the advantage of momentarily. Mary did not need to be told twice, she bolted past the man and hurried towards the horses. Alex kept the gun trained on him, even though she could see his body poised to run after Mary in pursuit.
The shattered silence of the night by gunfire signalled the end of Alex's momentary advantage over Mr Burke. The doctor's attention was quickly returned to Selena who had finished reloading and was now allowing her partner the window of opportunity to pursue his quarry. Alex was forced back into the safety of the column, hoping Mary had enough time to get away from the monster whose hatred seemed very personal. Alex prayed that Mary could stay ahead of him because she hated to think what the man had in store for the widow if he got his hands on her.
God, she wished Vin was here.
***********
Seacourt located them in the distance.
Thanks to the flat plains of the terrain and the full moon overhead, Seacourt could see the trail of dust glittering in the moonlight as Preston's horse galloped at full stead in his attempt to escape. The Secret Service man dug his heels deeper into the side of his mount, forcing the animal to pour more energy into closing the gap between its rider and the man he was pursuing. Seacourt was not about to let either the plate or the woman come to any harm and he hoped that Mrs Travis and company were faring well on their own.
As resourceful as the women had proven to be, Seacourt had difficulty leaving any damsel in distress, even if it was to save another. He also knew just how formidable Selena Quint and Mr Burke could be and it only heightened his concern for the woman's welfare. Suddenly, he saw one of the riders on the other horse fall to the ground rather abruptly. The figure landed hard but picked themselves up quickly and started running. Unconsciously, Seacourt knew it was the woman making her own desperate bid at escape from Lawrence Preston.
She started running through the night as Preston turned his horse around and started galloping after her, unwilling to allow her freedom. The woman was running fast, her dark hair trailing behind her as she continued forward, putting enough speed in her advance to seem like she was sprinting.
Unfortunately, the horse that was giving chase could make up the distance in no time at all and Seacourt watched in frustration as Preston bore down on her. The woman dropped to her feet abruptly, lying on the ground and almost bringing the horse to a screeching halt. Like all well-trained horses, the animal dug its heels in and almost threw Preston out of the saddle. It refused to step over the prone human, conditioned long ago to avoid such action.
The woman was clearly afraid but she remained where she was in the dirt, while the horse stood its ground, despite Preston's best efforts to make it trample her. The horse refused obliquely and in the gleam of moonlight, Seacourt saw him remove his gun and take aim. The Secret Service agent was faster, pulling out the gun in his holster and requiring half the time the tycoon did to lock his target into his sights. From this distance, it was difficult for him to make the shot but Seacourt knew at the very least, he could frighten the horse into throwing the man off.
Which was precisely what happened.
Inez heard the crack of gunfire above her head and looked up in time to see Preston's horse buck violently on its hind legs. She heard Preston utter a surprised cry as he fell off the animal. Scrambling to her feet, she saw his gun fly out of his reach and followed its descent until it disappeared into the darkness where it was of little use to any of them. Since their departure from the fort, Inez had scarcely given him to time to breathe let alone ride as she struggled to escape. Knowing that he would not shoot her just yet because he needed a hostage with the man on horseback closing in behind them, Inez had used that knowledge by being as difficult as possible. She bit, she kicked and fought until he had no choice but to release his grip of her. The moment that had happened, Inez had allowed herself to fall off the saddle.
Aware that he was powerless over her without his gun, Inez started running in the direction of the man who was closing in on them. Hopefully, he could take her back to Mary and the others. She looked over her shoulder and saw Preston lying dazed on the ground after the horse had thrown him. The threat he posed seemed to have passed and Inez turned her back on him when suddenly, she heard the click of a gun through the silence of the night.
"Stay where you are." He warned, pointing a small derringer in her direction.
Inez froze and turned slowly to see the weapon he had pointed at her. It was no different to the gun that she had seen Ezra wear under his sleeve and knew from experience that while the weapon appeared small, it still could still kill her. Inez was still debating whether she could make a run for it when she heard Preston continue speaking.
"Don't even try and make a run for it my dear," he said slowly rising to his feet. "You're still my hostage and I won't let you get that easily."
"I would rather die than let you use me." She said with a surge of contempt.
"It may come to that." He said coldly and then let his gaze shift to the rider that was fast approaching them. While he still had his hostage, there was a good chance of getting out of this alive.
Inez thought quickly, realizing that if Preston were to leave this place with her in his power, her life was as good as over anyway. He would not hesitate to discard her as soon as her usefulness to him was at an end. Thinking hard what to do as she walked toward him, Inez saw his eyes darting back and forth from her and from the man who had saved her life earlier by causing Preston to be thrown off his horse. A plan formed in her head, not so much of a plan really, more one desperate act of salvation that might get her killed but might also give her rescue valuable time to reach them.
She watched his eyes move back and forth, alternating from her face to the horse that was now only a few hundred yards away. Inez had no doubt that it could close the space between them in seconds and so she had to act now. The split second that Preston turned his eyes away from her, Inez rushed at him, her hands grabbing the gun and pushing the barrel upwards. In shock, his fingers tightened instinctively and the derringer expelled its first bullet with a loud boom. Inez used both hands as she struggled with Preston. He was stronger than her and ultimately would win in a contest of strength but Inez had not expected anything else.
"Let go, you bitch!" He swore as he yanked his hand away with one vicious pull. The recoil of his arm let the gun fly out of his grip and the loss of it, made Preston see nothing but crimson rage. "You whore!" He roared and struck her with one balled fist. She felt back to the ground like a lifeless doll, feeling the pain momentarily before adrenalin forced her to kick out her foot and connect with his knee. The impact against the joint brought Preston down like a ton of bricks. He howled in pain as he dropped to the dirt ground and Inez quickly scrambled to get away from him.
Preston crawled after her, inspired with enough brutal rage to know that he wanted her to feel some of the pain he was presently enduring. The anger at the unravelling of all his plans had stripped whatever civility he had left in his mind and replaced it with a savage brute requiring revenge. He grabbed her leg and yanked back forcefully, causing Inez to fall face-first into the dirt. His grip around her ankle was strong and despite her efforts to free herself, Inez let out a frustrated cry when she felt herself being dragged back to him.
"You're not getting away that easily!" He growled. "Not after all the trouble you and your friends convince me. If my plans are to end because of your interference, rest assured you will bear the mark of my displeasure!"
However, no sooner than those words had passed his lips, their attention was captured by the thunder of a horse galloping up to them. The rider practically leapt out of the saddle as the horse ran past them. He landed on top of Preston, causing the villain to cry out in pain as the stranger's weight crushed him on impact. Inez felt the grip around her ankle disappeared and she scampered away, across the ground when she saw the stranger throw a fist into Preston's face.
The tycoon fended off some of the blows and managed to deliver one or two himself but clearly his opponent had the advantage. A series of well-placed punches followed the sickly sound of bone impacting hard against flesh and the brief battle was over. In the darkness, Inez saw Preston struggle no more and went limp on the ground. The stranger picked himself up and then went through the motions of dusting the dirt from his clothes, all the while, his eyes were focused on Preston to ensure the tycoon was not attempting to deceive them at just how unconscious he was.
When he faced Inez for the first time, the bartender realized she recognized him.
"I know you." She stared breathlessly as he started walking towards her.
"Yes," he said warmly, offering his hand to help her off the ground. "I believe your friend took a great deal of my money at the poker table."
Inez remembered the handsome stranger who had been the only person in the saloon who had defended them. Despite the life and death situation that had threatened her only moments before, Inez could not help being lost into those intense coloured eyes that smiled at her with a pure magnetism. "Gracias Senior." She said smiling back at him. "I am in your debt."
"I like the sound of that." He said with a cocky smile. "Jeremy Seacourt at your service and you are Inez Recillos."
"So, you are the mysterious Mr Seacourt." Inez blushed as the way his eyes studied her with its powerful gaze.
"I am." He replied and then took a step closer to examine the bruise on her face. "Are you hurt?" His fingers brushed lightly against her cheek. Normally, Inez would not dream of allowing any man so close to her. In fact, there had been no man who had affected her this strongly since Buck and Inez were surprised by how familiar he felt despite having been only formally introduced a few minutes ago.
"Just my pride," Inez answered, allowing his hands to move across her face and was surprised by how much she enjoyed his touch against her skin.
"If you're up to it," he said standing only inches away from her. "We better get back to your friends. I don't like to think that they're up against Selena and Burke themselves."
"Yes," Inez suddenly remembered the others and scolded herself for behaving like a teenager. "What about him?" She gestured to the unconscious Lawrence Preston lying on the ground.
Seacourt looked over his shoulder and said with a wry grin. "He'll be out for hours. Glass jaw."
***********
Alexandra Styles did not like guns. She did not like guns or violence. As a doctor, such displays always seemed odious, even though by nature she was a physical person. Her hands were her trade and so Alex had learnt to utilize them to their fullest capacity. She was never a woman who believed that any job was too much for a genteel lady of proper upbringing. She supposed if she had believed anything like that, there was no way she could have endured cutting up cadavers in medical school However, guns were another thing entirely.
Her father had made her learn to be proficient in their usage because it was a necessary precaution when one travelled across the globe to places that bordered on savage. He was determined that she see all of it but he was also realistic enough to know a woman was doubly endangered in such remote places. Still, Alex did not like using them and she even liked it less than she was presently involved in a gun battle with a psychotic mercenary with homicidal tendencies.
She wanted to be done with Selena Quint because Alex had seen Mary running away from Mr Burke and knew that if someone did not help the widow, it was going to end badly.
It was going to end badly for Mary and it was going to end badly for Alex because she was out of bullets.
The final click of the empty chamber signalled the end of all her ammunition as the gun in her hands took on the usefulness of a paperweight. The silence that followed that click was ended by the footsteps of Selena crushing gravel underfoot when she emerged from her hiding place. Her look of triumph alone made Alex wish the woman would just shoot her. Alex had no idea what would be worse, death at her hands or the gloating that would lead up to it.
"Well, well, well," Selena smiled as she walked toward Alex fearlessly. "It does seem that our little gun battle is over."
Alex scowled and said nothing. There was little to say really and she had not thought of any clever last words that would make this moment any bearable.
"No glib remarks?" Selena taunted. "I am disappointed. It's been a while since I've enjoyed this so much but I think I shall savour it. Perhaps I will let you die after I show you what Mr Burke does to your friend Mrs Travis. Would you like to see his handiwork? He really is an artist with flesh."
"Could you just kill me and get it over with?" Alex retorted, unable to hold her tongue and spotting something in the corner of her eye that made speaking suddenly imperative. "A bullet would be merciful compared to your dramatics. Let me guess, failed career on the stage? Too many big words in Shakespeare?"
"Highly amusing." Selena prepared to strike her when Alex caught her hand before it could touch her face.
With a cool and measured voice, Alex glared at the woman as she held Selena's wrist firmly in her grip and responded. "You want to shoot me, pull the trigger and do it but if you try to lay one finger on my person, I will break every damn bone in your hand and trust me, I aware of which phalange breaks the easiest and which will not be repairable."
Selena's face clouded in rage, disliking anyone to have the advantage over her, psychically or mentally. She raised the gun to fire when suddenly, she saw something in the doctor's eyes that made her turn around sharply and fire.
"Julia!" Alex screamed as Julia Pemberton cried out in pain when the bullet entered her arm. The piece of wood that she intended to use as a weapon fell from her grip. The Easterner who had been hiding in the shadows all this time had been watching the exchange between the doctor and mercenary. When Alex had seen her emerge from her hiding place, the doctor had started talking to distract Selena from her advance. Julia staggered back, clutching her bleeding arm as Selena's attention was momentarily focused on her. Deciding that she had just about enough of this vicious woman, Alex kicked the gun out of her hand with a high kick that would normally be impossible in a long skirt. She watched the gun fly out of Selena's grip and wasted no time in rushing the woman. Now, her only concern was Julia Pemberton and the injury that was oozing blood all over her arm.
Both of them slammed into the wall but Selena recovered quicker because she was used to such physical displays of violence. Selena grabbed Alex's hair and pulled the doctor down as her knee connected with the woman's chest. Alex let out a grunt of pain as she dropped to her knees and Selena retaliated quickly, allowing her no time to recover as she kicked Alex with her boot and sent her sprawling. Alex felt her jaw starting to ache as Selena moved away in search of her gun. Knowing it would be bad for everyone involved if that happened, she scrambled to her feet and jumped on top of Selena before the woman could get very far. Her weight bringing down the woman as they both struggled for dominance in the dirt.
Julia saw Alex fighting valiantly and though her arm felt like hot knives were currently doing a dance against her skin, knew that the doctor was no match for the mercenary. Alex was bravery personified but she had her limitations and this situation was one of them. Julia groaned as she forced herself to her feet and stumbled forward to the spot where she was sure Selena's gun had landed. Her emerald eyes searched the ground where she had seen the weapon fall, hoping to retrieve it before it was too late. Finally, after what seemed an eternity especially with her arm throbbing with pain and the sickly smell of blood staring to make her swoon, Julia saw the glint of metal under the moonlight.
"I thought you were going to break every bone in my hand!" Selena sneered as she dug her nails into Alex's throat.
"Unlike you, I don't have a problem delivering a convincing performance." Alex groaned as she struggled to pry Selena's fingers from her neck. Alex was having difficulty breathing as the woman's tightening grip around her throat and blocked off her air passages.
"Still with the funny remarks, doctor?" Selena retorted and saw a piece of rock lying within arm's reach of them. Forcing her forearm across Alex's neck with such force that the doctor began to choke, Selena used Alex's disorientated state to reach for the rock. She was preparing to bring in it down on the good doctor's head when suddenly a shot rang out.
Alex's eyes widened as she felt the hands around her throat slacken. Selena looked down almost in wonder at the blood that was splattered across Alex's shirt and face as she realized it was her own. Alex saw the gaping wound in her chest as the blood started oozing from the gunshot wound in thick rivulets.
Selena's eyes registered another moment of clarity before it clouded over by pain and the dying to come. She opened her mouth to speak but the words never came. Alex shoved her off easily and Selena rolled onto her back, still trailing blood.
Alex sat up and saw Julia had dropped the gun. The barrel was still smoking when the Easterner dropped to her knees in pain. Her hand immediately returned to clutching her injured arm and seeing that wound was enough to snap Alex out of her shock and sent her running towards her injured companion.
"Bitch," Julia muttered as she examined the injury to her arm and decided the sight of all that blood and torn flesh was more than she could stand. As it was, she was starting to feel woozy.
"Let me look," Alex skidded next to her.
"Is she dead?" Julia asked as Alex began tearing away at the shirt sleeve to get a better look at the wound.
"I don't know," Alex replied, in no hurry to find out. Her compassion was limitless but the woman's attempt to kill her was still too fresh in Alex's memory to overcome the hurdle of her reluctance to help Selena who was certainly the more injured of the two. Examining the wound carefully, Alex let out a sigh of relief when she discovered that the injury was not as bad as it looks.
"It's just a flesh wound." She replied. "Bullet went clean through your arm."
"Just?" Julia complained. She was in pain and she did not care who her whining. "It hurts!"
"Of course, it hurts!" Alex rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You've been shot, you're just not going to die." The doctor offered a sarcastic smirk.
"I thought you doctors were supposed to be compassionate," Julia grumbled as Alex started cleaning the wound off with the piece of torn shirt.
"Okay," Alex retorted, more intent on stopping the bleeding than this banter with Julia "Your alabaster skin will not have too much of a scar."
"A scar?" Julia wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I am known for my flawless skin!"
Alex gave her a look and hoped she was joking. "You are joking, aren't you?"
"What?" Julia returned her stare. "You're the only who's allowed to make smart remarks?"
"Good point." Alex nodded with a smile and returned to work.
***********
Mary Travis was in trouble.
She had tried to make it to the horses when Alex had given her the opportunity to put some distance between herself and Mr Burke but unfortunately, the man moved with surprising speed despite his considerable bulk. He was almost on top of her before Mary could even climb onto a horse and the only thing the widow could do was scrambled beneath them as she ran towards the stairs leading to the upper levels of the fort.
Burke had caught up to her easily, throwing her to the floor as he slammed her small frame into the ground. She felt all the air forced out of her body as he landed on top of her, her bones feeling as if they would snap under his weight. For a moment, Mary lay on the ground, uncertain whether the stars before her were up in the sky or the result of a concussion. In any case, she was quite disorientated as she struggled helplessly against his bulk.
"Not so smart, now are you?" The main whispered in her ear. His breath against her skin making her stomach heave. His huge hand grabbed both her arms and pinned them over her head helplessly while the other snaked under her shirt.
"Get off me!" Mary screamed helplessly as she felt his callused palm move roughly up her rib cage with every intention of cupping her breast.
"Not until I have my taste." He grinned with a totally evil sneer. "I'm going to take it out your hide," he said burying his face in her neck. Mary felt a wave of revulsion as his wet tongue touched her skin which snapped something inside her irrevocably. Acting purely on an instinct of survival and half out of her mind with disgust, Mary lunged up and took his ear in her mouth. She bit down hard until the salt of his skin became the metallic taste of blood. She ground her teeth down until she could feel the skin breaking and tearing.
He screamed loudly as he tried to free his ear from her sharp teeth and even more vicious mouth. His withdrawal allowed her enough space to position her knees and push feet against his stomach. With every ounce of strength, she could muster, Mary forced her legs out and threw the man off her, almost tearing his ear off his head during his abrupt ejection. She heard him scream and did not wait to see if he was following her. Mary rolled onto her stomach and forced herself on her feet as she heard him groaning in pain behind her.
"I'm going to kill you!" He shouted and Mary had no doubt he would do just that.
Mary ran along the top of the fort, trying to decide which was to go. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Burke coming after her, blood pouring from the ear she had maimed. His face was crimson with rage and just the look of him made Mary shudder with fear. She hurried to the stone palisade that ran along the edge of the fortress wall and looked down. The drop would kill her if she attempted it but there was a narrow enough ledge to support her frame but not his. Out of sheer desperation, Mary scrambled across it. As she dangled and prepared herself to drop, Mary tried not to look down.
***********
The first thing Chris Larabee saw when he and his companions finally reached the Spanish fort was the sight of his fiancée throwing herself over the stone edging that sat on top of the fortress. Clumsily, she pulled herself over the ornate palisade and dropped to the ledge a few meters below her. She landed badly and almost skidded off the side in a fall that would have done her serious damage had she not regained her balance. Mary had not seen him yet because her attention was focused on the man who was swearing profanity at her as he tried to decide how he was going to reach her.
"Is that Miss Mary?" Nathan asked, straining to see even though there was no one else who had gold hair like that.
"That's Mary." Chris said digging his heels into his horse and sending the animal surging ahead "Vin!" He barked at the sharpshooter who immediately broke Peso into a gallop to keep up with the gunslinger.
"Can you take him?" Chris asked as they neared the base of the wall. Vin was Mary's only hope now. Chris was good with a gun but he was not certain he could make the shot required across that distance, especially at night.
Vin Tanner did not speak as Peso continued forward, accustomed to his master's habits. Vin removed the Winchester from his holster and took careful aim, his keen blue eyes locking on to the target that was attempting to climb over the wall to reach Mary. The widow was moving further along the ledge, attempting to widen the distance between her and the attacker who would soon join her there.
"I got him," Vin said coolly and pulled the trigger.
***********
Mary almost fell off the ledge when she heard the thundering sound of a shotgun being fired. She grabbed the wall and managed to stay upright as she saw Burke spasm in pain as the shotgun shell entered his body. He was halfway across the stone edge when the impact of the shotgun blast sent him clean over the edge.
Mary heard him utter a cry as he fell past her and landed into the ground below. His body made a sickening squelch as it landed as bones snapped and his head split open like a ripe melon. She turned away from the sight of blood and gore than splattered against the dirt, feeling ashamed at the relief she felt over his death.
When she saw where the blast had come from, Mary found herself thanking God and any other icon of the faith she could think to name. Chris Larabee edged his horse towards the base of the wall and looked up at Mary. Next to him was Vin Tanner and Mary could see the silhouette in the darkness of three other men approaching.
"Hi, Chris." She grinned innocently and waved.
Chris's expression remained impassive. There was no sign of anger or relief. In fact, he had one of those expressions on his face that were so completely enigmatic she had no idea what was going through his head.
"I'll bet you're wondering what I'm doing here," Mary said hastily. "It's a really good story. In fact, you'll laugh when I tell it to you. I know I laughed, just thinking about it, even now."
"Just...stay...where...you...are," Chris said slowly. "I'm coming up there to get you down."
"It wasn't my fault!" Mary exclaimed, protesting her innocent because she could see the accusation in them now. Chris made no response and nudged his horse forward towards the entrance into the fort.
"Are you all right Mrs Travis?" Vin called out lingering behind for a moment.
"I am for now." Mary sighed as she dropped to the ledge and sat down with her legs folded. "I don't know well I'm going to be when Chris gets up here though."
Vin managed a small smile and waited until Chris had disappeared into the fort before he answered her. "Don't mind him, ma'am. He's plenty glad to see you safe." Although he's liable to be a little ornery for a while."
Mary exhaled loudly. "So, what else is new?"
***********
"Look!" Julia exclaimed excitedly when she saw Chris Larabee ride into the compound. The gunslinger immediately dismounted at the sight of Alex and Julia, particularly with Julia appearing injured. Alex who had heard the gunshot and had no idea what had happened to Mary since she was reluctant to leave Julia who was still bleeding, left the Easterner long enough to hurry towards Chris as soon as he climbed up his horse.
"You got to get up there!" Alex said frantically. "That thug is up there trying to get his hands on Mary."
"It's alright," Chris reassured her. "Vin took care of him. He ain't doing nothing to Mary." The gunslinger replied confidently. "Mary's safe." He told the doctor and shifted his gaze in Julia's direction. "Julia's been hurt." It was not a question. With Chris Larabee, little ever was.
"Just a flesh wound," Alex replied dutifully. "I've stopped the bleeding."
Chris was about to respond when they heard Mary's voice calling out from above. "Is someone going to get me off this ledge?"
Alex bit down the urge to laugh when she saw the stormy expression on his face. However, considering that she was up to ears in as much as Mary was, especially when Vin made his appearance, Alex felt obligated to try and offer some defence. "Actually, it's a really funny story, how this happened. In fact, when you hear about..."
"I know," Chris stopped her with a look. "I'll laugh."
With that he strode past her, hurrying up the stairs. Alex was about to turn back to Julia when four other riders entered the compound and among them was Vin. The tracker met her gaze with almost as impassive a stare as Chris Larabee had given her a moment ago and Alex could only guess what was running through his head. Ezra Standish however, did not need to hide his emotions. He dismounted his horse the moment he saw Julia and broke into a run towards her. Buck Wilmington was searching the compound and Alex knew that he was looking for Inez.
Vin climbed off his horse, showing no signs of any concern on his face regarding her welfare. If anything, that unflappable expression was even more deep-set than ever. He walked up to her and stared for a moment with his arms folded in the familiar lean she found so very endearing, gazing at her intently with his deep blue eyes.
"Hello, cowboy." She smiled, trying to be just as nonchalant as he was even though she was bursting to wrap her arms around him after the last two days of being certain she would never see him again.
"This ain't Denver," Vin was enjoying the fact that she was squirming like a guilty child. He liked it when Alex did not have quite everything under control. She was never more attractive to him when she was out of her depth and all fired up for a fight.
"Oh really," Alex retorted, feeling her ire raised. "I would not have guessed."
"Looks like I'm going to have to keep a tighter rein on you." Vin sighed, enjoying her chagrin very much indeed. He could see that familiar fire burning in her eyes. "Can't have people thinking I'm a man who don't know how to keep my woman in line."
"I see." Alex frowned and then marched right up to him. Pulling him to her by the collar of his buckskin jacket, their mouths met in a fiery kiss of passion that despite Vin's supposed ambivalence, the tracker returned with searing intensity. His arms wrapped around her and held her close to him as he expressed in his own way just how pleased he was to have her back in his arms, safe and sound.
Alex and Vin started laughing softly when they parted from the kiss, staring into each other's eyes and delighting in the twinkle of affection they both saw there.
"Are you alright?" Vin asked softly, this time there was no hint of teasing or amusement in his voice.
"Yes," Alex nodded. "I don't ever want to go through what we just did the past two days."
"You mean the bank robbery part or the whore house?" He couldn't resist mentioning.
Alex groaned visibly and buried her face in the crook of his arm. "Don't remind me." She replied, her face blushing with embarrassment. "I don't know what's worse. The fact that that woman thought we were young men looking for...you know what or that we were women looking for other women."
Vin knew that she was seriously humiliated by that entire experience but he could not help laughing at the humour of it all. "I can't say really," he tried to stifle the smile but it escaped before he had a chance to stop it. "It’s kinda interesting picturing you with another woman."
Alex's jaw dropped her jaw open in outrage. "Vin Tanner, that is disgusting!"
"Hey," Vin said in his defence. "I ain't the one who went in there looking."
***********
"Now, let this be a lesson to you," Ezra said scooping Julia in his arms as he carried her to his horse. Although Alex had bandaged her arm well both the healer and the doctor were agreed that Julia needed to have proper medical care as soon as possible. "Never leave town without telling me." He said with that annoyingly superior tone of his.
"I'm injured, can't I be spared the lessons?" Julia complained as she rested her head gently against him and kept to herself how pleased she was to feel his arms around her. "I thought you'd be happy to see me again, beside yourself with worry and all sorts of things."
"Not after hearing you were soliciting company in a local bordello." Ezra could not help mentioning it and succeeded in having Julia smack him across the shoulder with her good hand.
"We will never speak of that again, Mr Standish."
"Of course not." Ezra chuckled. "How about your stunning sense of fashion?" He retorted instead and garnered a most savage glare from Julia's emerald eyes.
"Pay him no mind, Miss Julia," Nathan said examining the bandage Alex had placed around Julia's wound since the doctor was busy sharing a moment of intimacy with Vin. "He was like a lost puppy all the time you were gone."
"I was not." Ezra protested most vehemently and threw Nathan a filthy look for undermining his fun with Julia's adventures over the past few days.
"Did you really miss me?" Julia found herself smiling. "I left you a note." She pointed out, enjoying his discomfort at having his feelings exposed so blatantly by the healer, especially since he had just tortured her only a few seconds earlier.
"I have grown accustomed to your presence," Ezra said evasively. "The lack of it gave me a moment of pause. Only a moment though."
"Don't believe a word of it Miss Julia," Nathan added quickly, allowing Ezra no quarter for retreat. The woman was injured and Ezra was making her feel most inadequate, someone had to defend the lady. "That first night, he was sitting in the saloon looking like he had not a friend in the world."
"Mr Jackson," Ezra grumbled. "If I ever speak to you again, it will be too soon."
"So, you didn't miss me." Julia pouted and looked at the direction of Vin and Alex who were engaged in a passionate greeting. "I'll bet Vin missed Alex." She looked at Ezra critically.
"He sure did," Nathan announced. "Drank himself stupid until we had to carry him back to the wagon. Then he puked his guts out the next morning." The healer volunteered with a perfectly devilish expression on his face.
"Hey!" Vin's cried out indignantly. "You want to shut up Nathan?"
Nathan was enjoying this immensely as Vin gave him a dirty look as he helped Ezra with Julia. It was not often that Nathan had so much fun at the expense of his friends but for some reason, a rarely seen streak of mischief was running through him today. Perhaps, it had to do with everything he had seen the past two days in his friend's state of mind and the absurd adventures of their lovers.
"Mr Jackson," Ezra frowned. "You are simply endearing yourself to us all."
***********
The return of Inez with Jeremy Seacourt put to rest the fears held by the others, especially Buck Wilmington over Inez's safety. The bartender and the Secret Service man returned to the compound shortly after all the arrival of the Four Corners' lawmen and introductions were made all around. While Ezra, Vin and Nathan offered Seacourt gratitude for his assistance to the ladies, Buck seemed strangely distant, mostly because he recognized the look on Inez's face when she looked at the stranger.
"Hello, Buck." Inez had greeted once they had a moment alone.
Buck kept glancing at Seacourt who was engaged in conversation with Vin and Ezra. Nathan and Alex were more interested in how Julia was doing. It was anyone's guess what Mary and Chris were up to. Whatever it was, Buck had no doubt it would be anything but explosive. As he looked at Seacourt, he noticed the stranger meeting his gaze as if not comprehending Buck's interest in him. Well he should, Buck thought ruefully. After all, Inez was his girl.
"Are you okay?" He asked first, unable to dispel this knot in his stomach. All the way here, Buck tried to imagine trying to live with the knowledge that any harm had befallen her. He never realized there could be an even worse pain than that. The possibility that she might no longer love him and her heart may have gone to someone else.
"I'm fine." She said quietly. Inez had come to one conclusion when she had ridden back with Jeremy Seacourt. As attractive as he was, no matter how much she had been drawn to the man, caring for him in any way would only be using him as a substitute. It was Buck she still wanted even though he was too stupid to mend his ways. She was not ready to let him go yet and until faced with death and the possibility of loving another, Inez had not realized just how much he meant to her. "I'm a bit bruised but I will live."
"Seacourt seems like a nice fella," Buck said trying to hide the pain in his eyes as he said those words. He had no right to be jealous, no matter how much he might hate the idea of her being with anyone else. For once, he had some idea of what Inez had been enduring.
"He does." Inez nodded, understanding now what she was seeing in his eyes. "I like him a lot."
"You do?" His heart sank at those words.
"I do," she answered, unwilling to make this easy for him even if her heart did well and truly belong to him. "But I still love you."
Buck met her gaze with surprise. "You do?"
"Absolutely," Inez answered. "However, that might change one day." She pointed out.
"Not if I can help it." Buck grinned. "Miss Inez, I am going to sweep you off your feet."
"Sure, you will." Inez rolled her eyes in scepticism, not believing him for one moment and finding that it was not so hard to bear. She was attractive to other men and if she should like one of them as she had liked Seacourt, she was not about to waste her time pining for Buck Wilmington.
Whether Seacourt knew he was being discussed, the government man approached them. He stepped into the fray gingerly, knowing instinctively that something of importance was about to be discussed.
"I've got to get going," Seacourt said to Inez. "Preston's still in the middle of the desert and I've got to get the plate back to Washington so it can be destroyed."
"I'll be sorry to see you go Mr Seacourt," Inez said genuine regretful about his departure. He was an interesting man, not to mention attractive who had saved her life. As a matter of fact, he had saved all of them by his timely arrival into their affairs.
"Well," Seacourt smiled at her, wondering how a jewel of such beauty could languish in a place like Four Corners. He liked to call on her some time but was realistic about his ability to do so. Seacourt rarely stayed in one place long enough to make acquaintances. "It has been interesting." He replied and took a step forward before something crossed his mind and Seacourt decided that there was no reason he should not act upon the impulse.
Without giving her time to resist, he pulled Inez to him and met her mouth in a passionate kiss. Inez did not resist, enjoying the taste of his mouth against hers as he expressed his goodbye. The others looked away discreetly, although Buck narrowed his eyes when he saw Ezra stifling a smile while Nathan started chuckling. Buck glared at the couple in their passionate exchange and felt some outrage at the man taking such liberties with his Inez.
"That was nice." Inez smiled as they parted.
"Well, if you ever get sick of waiting for this idiot you love so much," Seacourt grinned drawing away. "Look me up."
"That's a really nice offer," Buck stepped forward and slid his arm around Inez's shoulder protectively. "Don't call us, we'll call you."
Seacourt laughed and tipped his hat at her. "I'll be waiting."
***********
"Get on the horse," Chris said to Mary abruptly when it was finally time to go.
"But, if you just let me explain..." Mary started to say when Chris silenced her with a look.
"You're not being very fair." She grumbled as he stared at her with a stern expression. "I mean it's not like any of this was my fault."
"Of course not. You didn't steal horses or blow up a bank." He said helping her climb into the saddle.
The rest of their company was smart enough to remain silent while the duo battled it out. They had become accustomed to Chris and Mary's arguments over the months and knew that it was never wise to get in the crosshairs of that mess. Neither of them took prisoners in such altercations and it was best to keep one's head down and out from the line of fire.
"I did do that but those were mitigating circumstances." Mary protested as she waited for him. "I had to rescue Inez, Alex, and Julia."
"Did it ever occur to you to just go to the sheriff?" He looked over her shoulder.
Mary had to say no. "Are you ever going to let me live this down?" She glared at him with fire in her blue-grey eyes.
Chris met her gaze and thought a moment. "No." There was almost a twinkle of amusement in his eyes but Mary was too annoyed to see it.
"Bastard." She swore under her breath.
"Bad element." He grunted back.
Thanks to Jeremy Seacourt, when the group returned to Four Corners, they could do so without the fear of a posse bearing down on them to arrest Mary, Alex, Julia or Inez for various crimes ranging from bank robbery to wanton destruction of property. Using his influence as a government agent, Seacourt had spoken to the local authorities and convinced them to drop the charges since their intervention had saved the United States government from a potential fiscal disaster.
The engraved plate, they were later told was soon in the hands of the Treasury Department where it was promptly melted down. After leaving them, Seacourt had gone to retrieve Lawrence Preston whom they were told was languishing in a federal prison awaiting trial before they even saddled their horses to return home. It appeared that the justice system moved with incredible speed when it came to men who would attempt to destabilize the economy of the nation.
There was only one thing that concerned Seacourt, as well as Mary Travis, was the fact when it was time to collect the bodies. Selena Quint had disappeared from where she had fallen. The blood that had seeped into the earth where she had been shot was abundant enough to believe that even if she had escaped, the woman could not have gotten very far. The bullet that Julia Pemberton had put through the mercenary was substantial enough to be fatal and yet Alex could not shake the uneasy feeling that she might have survived.
In any case, Selena Quint was just as wanted for a multitude of crimes as her former master.
***********
The journey back to Four Corners saw a slight detour to Stone Creek whereas promised to the local sheriff; Chris Larabee delivered the horses stolen by Mary and the women during the flight from the saloon, back to their rightful owners.
Mary was not happy to return to the town but did feel obligated to pay a call to Doris Stanley to thank her for her assistance in passing her message of help along to Chris. The woman was most curious as to the nature of Mary's relationship with the gunslinger and seemed somewhat disapproving after Chris and the others had torn up the local saloon during their brawl.
In the meantime, Ezra who simply had to know whether she had thrown all their poker games was badgering Alex to distraction. Although he remained close by Julia and was attentive in every way to her injuries, he still found enough time to sidle his horse alongside Alex's periodically during their ride home to convince her to play him again. After a while, the doctor was so irritated by the constant harassment not merely by the gambler but also by Vin who was determined as a point of honour that she proved Ezra wrong about her gambling skills. Alex was almost tempted to strangle them both.
While Alexandra Styles found herself caught in a tug of war between Vin Tanner and Ezra Standish, Inez and Buck's conversation during the trip home were strangely silent for two people whose encounters were normally so very fiery and spirited. Yet both were deep in thought about everything that had transpired during the sojourn from Four Corners. Until now, Buck had always assumed that she would be there for him, waiting for the day when he finally ready to settle down and raise a family.
Even when she had stated so clearly that she was done waiting for him and that she was moving on, there was a part of Buck that refused to believe she might make good on her threat. While he took her concerns to heart and was somewhat hurt when she had snubbed him before her departure from town, Buck had conceded that she did have a right to be upset. Still, he never imagined that someone else might come into the picture so soon.
Seeing how she had behaved towards Seacourt had frightened the hell of out Buck Wilmington and finally, he was forced to concede that he did not want to lose Inez under any circumstances but had no idea what he ought to do to keep her either. He knew he was not ready to make the commitment and he was not about to enter any relationship with Inez prematurely because he was afraid of losing her. That just did not seem fair to Buck. He cared too much about Inez to risk his resenting her in the years to come if he entered anything he was unprepared for.
Buck Wilmington could only come to one conclusion as they rode home to Four Corners; he had a great deal of thinking to do.
And then there was Chris and Mary.
The leader of the seven and the newswoman had bickered constantly. Actually, she bickered and he merely gave her one of those long cool stares that served only to raise her ire more. Despite the circumstances, Chris enjoyed watching her trying to explain herself. He remained silent, completely aware that his lack of speech would only drive her to distraction. As far as Chris was concerned, he was entitled to a little payback after the hell she had put him through the past few days.
Unfortunately, by the time they returned home to Four Corners, Mary had ceased to find his annoyance tolerable. None of what transpired over the past few days had been her fault really, even though she had to concede that she did take a man hostage, hold an entire room at gunpoint, stole horses, not to mention blowing up a bank and taking refuge within a bordello. Okay, so he had some reason to be mad.
"You know, it was not my fault." She said for the hundredth time as they entered her house in the dark of night. The others had scattered to their respective homes and lodging houses, undoubtedly exhausted from their ordeal these past four days. Ezra wanted to get Julia home as quickly as possible while Vin and Alex just wanted to get home.
"I know," Chris replied as he followed her into the hallway after Mary had closed the door shut behind her.
"No, you don't know," Mary glared at him with an accusatory glare. "You say you know but you don't know and you're thinking that I don't know what you don't know either." She declared before her brow knitted in confusion as she replayed that sentence and tried to see if she could understand it herself, let alone expect him to.
Her choice of words only forced a smirk across his lips despite himself. Chris cleared his throat and returned her gaze.
"Naturally." He answered with the same sombre expression once he managed to compose himself. Still, had she looked closely, Mary would have seen the twinkle in his eyes.
"Ooooh!" Mary huffed and turned on her heels. How could he stay so calm like that? Did nothing ever get under his skin! With a sudden start, Mary realized that she did know of something that might bring down the walls of superiority from which he was presently looking down at her. She paused in mid-stride and turned around to face him. She knew she was not being fair but obviously more persuasive methods were going to be required to snap Chris out of his dark mood. Besides, she had to do something to make him feel better or he was never going to let her leave town again. Her lips curled into a smile of pure evil as she took a step towards him.
Chris knew the look as well as the gleam in his eyes. Instinctively, he found himself thinking; things were about to get interesting.
"Chris," she said in a voice that oozed pure sex. "I guess I did misbehave a little."
Chris swallowed, suddenly aware she was going to play dirty. Real dirty.
***********
"I suppose you think this means I'm ready to let you out of my sight again." He teased as they lay entangled in each other's limbs against cool sheets.
Mary sighed with contentment and responded with the same breath. "I know it does."
Chris looked at her. "You're pretty confident there Mrs Travis. How do you know for sure?"
Mary met his gaze with a smile. "I know for sure because unless you want to be spending the next six months in your shack alone, that's the way it’s going to be."
"You'd miss me as much as I miss you." He declared confidently.
"I'd be willing to make the sacrifice." She said firmly.
"I had no idea you were so mercenary," he grinned, knowing that she was merely joking with him. Besides, confining Mary to his rules was like trying to lasso a twister and make it stay in one place, utterly pointless. She would get into trouble no matter where she was, that much Chris had come to learn about her long ago.
"I've learned a few things since I've become such an outlaw." She joked and saw him chuckle slightly at the name he had been teasing her with since their reunion in Winston Falls.
"I noticed." He grinned. "There's just one thing though," he met her eyes seriously.
"What?" Mary asked genuinely puzzled at what he was about to spring on her now. Frankly, she was no longer in the mood for surprises.
"I'd like to see what you'd look like in my shirt."
Mary did not whether to oblige or hit him. She ended up doing the former.
***********
"Will you two kindly get lost!" Alex growled as she stood in the middle of the boardwalk, glaring at the two men. Vin Tanner on one side of her and Ezra on the other. She felt like she was in a tug of war between these two men although the only ones liable to get torn limb from limb would be themselves if they did not leave her alone.
"Come on Darlin'," Vin said tenderly, using that husky voice of his that was so irresistible to her, except today. Alex was far too annoyed to let any of his cajoling or coaxing get to her. "It's only a game of poker."
"Exactly," Ezra added his voice to the argument in a renewed attack of solidarity between the two. "Just a friendly game of poker. One game, we do not even require a stake. I just want to satisfy my curiosity."
Alex let out a visible groan knowing that she was not going to get a moment's peace from either of them until she agreed to play Ezra and prove the legitimacy of her gambling skills. Although Vin had been good enough not to mention it during their first night together in days, giving her some respite after their journey from Winston Falls, he had been gently inferring that she ought to satisfy Ezra's burning desire to know if she could really play or not. Alex had no wish to meet Ezra at the gambling table mostly because if she beat him, he would hound her to death until he finally returned the favour by beating her.
Frankly, Alex had too much going on in her daily routine to be distracted by such competitive nonsense.
"Why is it so important that we play Ezra?" Alex replied as she continued walking towards Gloria Potter's store to stock up her pantry. After almost a week away, she was in severe need of groceries. "So, I won a few dollars." She shrugged her shoulders, trying to downplay the incident as much as possible. "I could have just been lucky."
"Darlin' you won $250 in one night." Vin reminded dutifully. "Not even a working girl flat on her back for a week straight could make that kind of money."
Alex whirled around and glared at her lover with irritation. "Do not mention working girls or bordellos in my presence, Mr Tanner." She said icily.
"But he is apparently correct." Ezra retorted. "Even on a good night, I can come away with a hundred dollars that is, of course, the losers do not get perturbed by my luck at the tables. Sometimes, these skills are so hard to live with."
Alex and Vin exchanged glances before rolling their eyes collectively in a mixture of disgust and sarcasm. "And you want me to play poker with that?" She eyed Vin critically.
"I know you can beat him," Vin said confidently.
"No, you don't know!" She gushed furiously. "You want me to play so that you can know and personally, I don't care if you don't know whether or not I can play because it's not that important!"
"It is to me," Ezra spoke up indignantly. "How can I live with myself knowing that a woman has thrown all her games of poker with me? How am I supposed to look in the mirror?"
"You better. or else you'll cut your throat shaving."
With that, she entered the store to do her shopping. Fortunately, neither of the men followed her and Vin found himself laughing at her departing remark to Ezra. The gambler fumed at not getting his answer and sent Vin a dark look when he heard the tracker's laughter. "I thought you were on my side?" Ezra complained.
"I ain't on no one side," Vin pointed out quickly so that Ezra would not misunderstand. He wanted Alex to play because he believed she could do it and because Ezra needed taking down a peg or two after claiming that all Alex could play was 'Go Fish' when it was obvious that she was quite skilled to take money from those men. "I just want Alex to beat you, that's all."
"It will be a stone-cold day in Perdition's Fire before a woman beats me at poker other than my dear mother," Ezra said full of pride. Only Maude had ever been able to beat Ezra at poker and that was mostly because she had taught him everything she knew…well almost everything, that's why she could still beat him. However, to think that a scholarly female could beat him at his own game was more than he could stand. He had gambled in some of the finest places in America and to know that Alex had thrown her games with him, incensed him down to his egocentric core.
"That may be," Vin grinned wickedly. "But I still say she's going to kick your ass."
Alex emerged a few seconds later to find them still waiting outside the store for her to emerge. Alex saw them both and let out a frustrated groan. "I hope you're both still here out some overwhelming need to help me with my bags. “When she was greeted with two guilty expressions, Alex shook her head and disgust and turned on her heels to leave them both behind. "Vin," Alex said before leaving, "if you wish to see me for any other reason, I will be cooking dinner tonight. You can join me if you wish but there will no more talk about gambling."
"Sure." He said hurrying up to her before she left him behind. Vin made her turn around and look at him and Alex was treated with an expression of apology and affection in his small smile. "I understand." He said stroking her cheek with his hand. "I'll see you tonight."
"Okay then," Alex replied, somewhat taken back by the sudden withdrawal on this subject but deciding that she was not going to complain. "I'll expect you this evening cowboy." She offered him an uncertain smile.
Vin turned back to Ezra who promptly hissed. "You traitor!"
"Now Ezra," Vin looked at him reproachfully as Alex started walking away, holding his hand to his lips to signal the gambler's silence. "If Alex doesn't think she's good enough to play you then I don't think it’s right to force her. I mean just because she's really smart and pretty and a doctor, doesn't mean a lady is any good at poker."
Vin said this loud enough to be heard and succeeded most spectacularly. Alex whirled around and glared at him with narrowed eyes, reminding him of those furious looks she used to give him when they were in the heat of one of their more intense verbal jousts. Even though her colouring was all-different, Vin could tell that her cheeks were flushed just by the way her teeth were biting down to control her anger. She dropped the bags on the floor and stormed up to him, practically smouldering from rage.
"You low down, dirty rat." She growled quietly. "You know I can play him under the table any day of the week and it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm a woman!"
"Then prove it, Madam." Ezra grinned, appreciating completely the deviousness of Vin's plan and could take the rest from here. Vin had given him a convincing platform to make his final argument.
"Alright," she nodded, deciding that she was going to make them both pay for this. They wanted her to play poker? Fine, she was going to play. "Set it up," Alex said with a glacial tone to her voice. "I'll meet you in the saloon in an hour and bring your money. We're playing for real."
"I shall accept your challenge." Ezra smiled triumphantly at Vin who was trying to wear a neutral expression on his face. In truth, the tracker was wondering just what he had sacrificed to gain this victory. After all, he had used the unfair advantage of exploiting her abhorrence to being considered anything less than equal because she was a woman.
"And you," Alex turned to Vin and grabbed him by the collar of his buckskin jacket savagely. "You had better be so prepared to make it up to me tonight!" With that, she picked up her groceries and stormed off.
Ezra and Vin watched her go before the gambler turned to the tracker. "Mr Tanner?"
"Yeah?" Vin said distracted, admiring her body moved when she was good and mad.
"You lucky bastard," Ezra remarked, following his gaze.
Vin was still staring after Alex when he said with a grin. "Ain't I though?"
***********
The game had been going on for an hour now.
Somehow, every one of the seven had managed to be in the saloon for the gambling standoff between Ezra Standish and Alexandra Styles. Even Chris and Mary were present, just to see what the conclusion to this test of wills would be. In fact, it seemed that the saloon was unusually busy today in the wake of the news that Alex and Ezra would be playing a hand of poker solely against each other. No one spoke as the cards were dealt by Josiah who was sitting in as dealer, since no one could find a person with a more impeccable qualification than the preacher.
The table occupied by the two players was an island in a sea of bodies who kept close watch but remained far enough away to catch every detail of the event. Even Inez, who was behind the bar, was paying close attention to the proceedings as she moved along the length of the counter, ensuring that all the patrons were rarely dry for more than a moment.
"Inez," Buck interrupted despite the tension in the room.
Inez whose eyes were darting from her customers to the gambling table in the centre of the room was in no mind to be distracted by Buck when there was so much going on around her that required her attention.
"What?" She asked quietly, feeling it inappropriate that he be speaking when it was already so quiet.
However, Buck had more important things on his mind rather than Ezra's need to prove himself better than a woman. Since Seacourt had proved how easy it was for him to lose Inez, Buck had been deep at thought trying to find a solution to his dilemma. However, nothing had presented itself and he realized that for once he was going to have to decide instead of running away and putting it off as he did with almost everything else in his life.
He was not willing to risk losing Inez under any circumstances.
"I need to ask you something." He said straightening up and speaking most formally.
The tone of his voice immediately made Inez meet his gaze because he did not normally look so serious. Buck was all about carefree fun and even though he was an utter scoundrel, Inez had to admit rather begrudgingly that it was one of his most endearing qualities. God help her.
"What is it?" She asked, wondering if something was wrong. She could not imagine what that might be since all their friends were present in the room, a captive audience to Ezra and Alex's display.
"I want permission to court you." He said taking his hat off his head as he asked the question.
Inez's eyes widened, from surprise or astonishment, she was unable to say for certain at the moment. For an instant, she thought he might be joking with her but when she saw that earnest expression on his face, she realized he was completely serious about it. "You're not kidding."
"Of course not." He said trying to hide his exasperation. "What was so funny about him wanting to do the right thing by her? "I would like to court you and I promise there won't be any other women in my life. I am going to do the right thing by you."
Inez was still too astonished by this sudden pledge of commitment. She knew what was at the heart of it of course. Jeremy Seacourt's interest in her had frightened him. On their way home, he had been so attentive to her, despite his attempts not to bring up Seacourt's name. Obviously, this idea to court her had come from some fear of losing her.
"Ain't ya gonna say something?" Buck asked, unable to fathom if her silence was a good thing or not.
"Is that what you want Buck?" Inez finally responded, meeting his blue eyes and loving him more than ever for willing to do this just to keep her. Just when she thought that he was a complete ass, he did something that was utterly charming and flattering.
"Of course, it is," he said firmly although she could tell by the look of him that he was not sure about this at all. It was some desperate bid to ensure that he did not lose her to someone else as he had almost lost her to Seacourt. "I don't want to lose you." He insisted, clearing away any doubt in her mind.
"Senor Wilmington," she sighed. "I have been thinking a great deal lately and I know that you were frightened by Mr Seacourt but my feelings for you have not changed. I still love you, idiot that you can be and I know your wish to court me is because of some fear that I will run off with someone else."
"That ain't true." Buck hastily countered but knew deep down inside that she was right.
"Buck," she reached for his hand and held it. "I may meet someone else someday and I may not. For right now, I can wait for a while." She smiled. "When you are ready to come to me with all your heart, I will be more than happy to let you court me."
Buck looked at her uncertainly, not knowing what to say. In a way, he was almost relieved but also wondered if she had ulterior motives for turning him down. However, no sooner than the thought crossed his mind, he knew that Inez would not lie to him. Their relationship may have been fiery, spirited and barely bordering on civil at times but lies and deception were in neither of their vocabularies.
"I am going to marry you someday you know," he said firmly with no doubt or hesitation in his mind. That much he was clear on anyway.
"Maybe you will." Inez smiled and then added with a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Or maybe if you wait too long, someone else will."
"Don't count on it." Buck grinned glad that things were somewhere back to normal between them. As normal as they could be anyway. "I'll fight em for you."
"Then let us pray for your sake, it is not a battle of wits." She laughed and went back to serving customers again.
"You better treat me right," he called after her. "You ain't getting any younger."
Inez threw him a tempestuous look and responded in kind. "And you're not getting any smarter."
***********
It had come down to this.
All their money was now in the middle of the felt-covered table. There was no doubt in anyone's mind by now that Alexandra Styles expertise did not merely include doctoring. She was indeed a formidable poker player. She had held her own against Ezra throughout most of their game and they were almost evenly matched with neither gaining the advantage. Skill had brought them to this point in the game and now it was left solely in the hand of Chance to decide who the winner would be.
While Ezra seemed nervous mostly because he allowed himself to be preyed by thoughts of losing to a woman, Alex, on the other hand, seemed cool as ever. For her, the gambling had been the least of her concerns. She had been forced into this match by duress and revenge was her only agenda. She was rich enough to be able to stand the loss of the money should it come down to such an outcome and they were less than a hand away from that final moment of truth.
Vin was standing next to Chris and Mary, pleased as punch because as far as he was concerned, he was vindicated in every way, no pun intended. Alex had proved she could play poker better than Ezra or any of them had given her credit. While he would love to see Ezra put in place by being defeated by her, it no longer mattered whether she won. She had proven Vin right and that was a victory that was terribly satisfying if the look on Ezra's face was anything to go by.
"How did you get her to play?" Chris asked as the three of them stood by the bar, watching the proceedings
"It took some convincing." Vin swallowed, not wanting to discuss how he had maneuvered her into agreeing to participate in this venture.
"How?" Mary pressed, "I thought Alex was adamant about not showing her gambling skills to anyone."
Vin cleared his throat and then told them.
Mary laughed at hearing how Alex's refusal had been circumvented. "You are a brave man Mr Tanner." She chuckled, picturing the calamity that was coming at the tracker at full steam when this was all over.
Chris merely met his eyes with a steely gaze and remarked. "I guess there's no kitchen table in your immediate future pard."
"Chris!" Mary exclaimed reproachfully and smacked him on the arm.
"That's all right ma'am," Vin answered good-naturedly. "Just don't take no trips to Sweetwater when the Davis gang is supposedly roaming the place."
"You weren't going bring that up again Vin." Chris turned to him with a hint of annoyance.
"And you were going to leave the kitchen table out of it.."
"Boys!" Mary interceded. It was hard to remember they were grown men when they were like this. "And I use the term very accurately here, you're causing a scene."
"Sorry, ma'am," Vin replied and turned back to the game before muttering softly with a faint smile. "Davis gang, my ass."
Chris sneaked a grin and retorted. "Like you've ever eaten food on that table. ."
***********
"Do you think Miss Alex will win Nathan?" J.D. asked as they continued watching the display like spectators at a gladiatorial match.
"She might." Nathan had to admit as he sat at the table with J.D. and Julia Pemberton. He did not like the idea of the young woman moving about after less than a week sustaining her injuries but Julia had been adamant about being present during this match. He could not blame her. After hearing about Alex's skills in that saloon with those tough men, seeing her beat Ezra was almost worth the effort of escorting Julia to such seedy surroundings.
"I didn't know she could even play," J.D. said confused. "I mean she always lost when she played Ezra before."
"It's the oldest trick in the book," Julia said to the younger man. "No faster way to catch a man than to let him win."
Nathan gave the woman a stare and then frowned as he remembered all those games of horseshoes he played with Rain on occasion when he visited with her at the Seminole village. In fact, she never ever seemed to win when they played and suddenly, Julia's words started to leave a very unpleasant taste in his mouth. What if Rain were doing the same thing that Alex had done? Suddenly, the idea of riding out to the village to challenge her to a game was starting to look very attractive.
"The oldest trick in the book?" He looked at the Emporium owner.
"There's only one other older." She mentioned with a smile, seeing the kernel of suspicion she had planted in his wrinkled brow.
"What's that?" J.D. had to know.
"Let me demonstrate," Julia replied taking a deep breath and then saying in her sweetest voice. "Why J.D., I can ride and shoot better than you can." Reverting to her own voice, Julia then added. "Then, of course, she lets him beat her at all those things."
"But that's what Casey said to me when we first..." His voice trailed off as the realization hit him and both Nathan and Julia started laughing as the young man understood how completely he had been snared by the most ancient of feminine arts.
Julia was in good spirits today because earlier that morning, Alex Styles had paid her a visit at her home. It was the first time the doctor had ever deign to call on her. They had shared tea, trying to move past the awkwardness that had still lingered even after their adventures in Stone Creek and Winston Falls.
***********
Necessity had brought them to a temporary truce but now it was over they were back to where things had been when they had originally left for Denver.
"I won't lie." Alex had replied. "We didn't get off on the best footing. Stealing another woman's man is never the perfect ice breaker to begin a friendship."
"I'm sorry it went that way," Julia apologized and was surprised when she meant it. "I won't lie and say that was a different me because that sort of behaviour has been the heart of who I am. I'm finding a new way to live and it's taking some getting used to."
Alex had nodded imperceptibly and then added. "But you were right. Things with Vin had started progressing beyond my control and perhaps it would have ended between myself and Ezra anyway. You were just the catalyst to make things move a little faster."
"I behaved badly," Julia admitted freely. "I cannot take away the pain I caused you so I am only going to apologize once."
It was enough for Alex because the doctor took a deep breath and remarked. "I don't know whether we'll be the best of friends, at this point I'm not even ready to admit that I like you. However, you saved my life and that counts enough to make us sort of even."
It was not the best response that Julia could have hoped for but it did prove that there was nothing Julia Pemberton could do if she set her mind to it.
***********
"Are you raising the stake Alex?" Josiah asked now that it appeared that the two parties were down to their last dollar.
Alex stared at the lonely dollar note on her corner of the table and felt that she had played well enough to prove that she was good enough to give Ezra Standish a run for his money. This was never about winning. She took a deep breath and looked at the preacher who had been dealing the cards all this time and had been wearing that bemused expression every time he saw a bead of sweat running down Ezra's forehead.
"No," she sighed and gave her cards one final look of disappointment. "It's not worth my time."
"Then you fold?" Ezra said almost exclaiming it for the entire crowd to hear.
The relief in his voice was unmistakable, however. Not only was she good, but she was also very good and he had not met such a formidable opponent since he had left the bright lights of New Orleans and Charleston. Half way during the game when it appeared she might win, Ezra was visited with horrible visions of being defeated so publicly; knowing everyone would take great delight in amusing themselves over his loss especially at the hands of a woman.
Alex nodded sombrely. "I guess I do." She threw Vin an apologetic look that showed her regret for not being able to win for him.
The tracker smiled warmly, telling her in his cool stare that he did not care for such things. He was proud of her anyway because she had made Ezra sweat and that was something almost no one did without the aid of firearms or a particularly large Bowie knife.
Satisfied that she had his support, Alex lay down her cards and turned to Josiah. "I fold."
The sound broke out around them was a mixture of cheering and disappointment as supporters of either opponent voiced their feelings on the outcome of the game. Ezra presented his cards and revealed a full house, a formidable hand to say the least. Easing back into his chair, he wore a smug grin on his face as he rested on the laurels of the sizeable pot before him.
"That was well-played Alex," Josiah commented as he collected the discarded cards and started returning them to the deck. "You could not have played any better than Ezra here. It was just luck."
"Yes," Alex said innocently. "Luck does seem to be the vital ingredient."
"Miss Styles, I must say I am impressed." Ezra, ever the gentleman, added politely. "You were a challenging opponent."
"Why thank you, Ezra." Alex smiled as she rose to her feet, tired of sitting on this hard chair. "I hope your curiosity is properly sated." She replied as she saw Vin coming to join her at the table.
Around them, the crowd had started to dissipate with the end of revelries, bets made were being settled and the tense atmosphere of the saloon soon disintegrated into something closer to the norm. In either case, Alex had no intention of remaining in such seedy surroundings but she did have one final thing to impart upon the gambler now that they were no longer the centre of attention.
"By the way Ezra," Alex said quietly, her eyes darting around so that no one would notice her words or what he would discover after she had revealed her parting gesture. "You know that situation between you and me with Julia?"
Ezra knew perfectly well what she meant by that as Josiah picked up the cards she had placed face down when she had folded. "Of course, and you know I still feel regret at how I behaved towards you."
"Whatever," Alex dismissed it with a shrug because she had dealt with that hurt long ago but had yet to find the opportunity to avenge herself until now. "I just thought I'd let you know, we're even."
Ezra did not understand and Alex swept out of the saloon without another word, bringing confusion to Vin who was about to join her at the table. Ezra started after her in confusion. "What does that mean?" He asked Vin and Josiah. Vin shook his head blankly, having no idea what Alex meant by that enigmatic statement.
"I think it means this," Josiah said barely stifling a guffaw as he revealed her hand to Ezra and Vin. The tracker started laughing and Josiah found himself unable to resist joining in that infection expression of amusement as Ezra stared open mouth at the cards Alex had held when she had chosen to fold and let him win.
A perfect Royal Flush.