Part Five:
The Main Attraction
There
was a
It
was a centre for copper mining he was told by Ezra who always kept abreast of any thing involving a great deal of money. It was not unusual
for two different to have the same name. Across
It
was a long shot, he knew that but at the moment, there was no other clue that
could tell him the whereabouts of Lauren Chase and Vin was absolute on his
belief that she was at the heart of Chris' disappearance. It had taken two days
to reach
The
trio did not immediately enter
The
town itself was large. Its limits stretched from one end of the canyon floor to
the other. As Vin studied the place, he could see buildings and homes, no doubt
belonging to those individuals who serviced the entertainment here. There were
gambling houses and bordellos, restaurants and hotels and the centre of town,
surrounded by all the vices that man could imagine for himself was something
that Vin had trouble recognizing at first. He could not see it very clearly
from where they had stationed themselves to make their observation, but what he
did see left in puzzled.
He
had not been in a big city in his entire life. He stayed away because the
thought of so many people crammed in one place was enough to make his skin
crawl. Even when Alex told him about places like
"A
veritable
"Seems
like a pretty lively place." Buck commented, wishing in a little corner of
himself that he was still in his wild and single days because the temptation of
all those fine looking women moving about the streets in their expensive
dresses and finery.
"Ezra
you ever seen anything like that before?" Vin asked, ignoring Buck's
observation because he knew exactly when the scoundrel's interest in
"Yes,"
Ezra nodded with a little bit of frown on his usually impassive facade. "I
noticed that earlier. I have never seen one built in quite that way before and
it does seem to employ the rather dated design of a Roman amphitheater."
"A
what?" Buck looked at him, wishing Ezra could just speak English for once
and not get so flowery with his speech.
"An
arena." Ezra retorted with a roll of his eyes as he spoke. "Where the
ancients used to have gladiatorial matches."
"You
mean fighting right?" Buck replied, his eyes still fixed on the arena as
Ezra called it and noticed that it seemed to be drawing most of the interest in
the community. A large number of people were standing to fill the seats and
Buck started to feel more than a passing curiosity to what match was being
held.
"Well
I am certain that what is transpiring down there is not to the level and
brutality of the
Vin
was hardly listening to the conversation between the two men having gone to his
horse in order to retrieve his eyeglass from his saddle. Once he reached the
edge where Ezra and Buck were continuing their conversation about what kind of
fighting was taking place in the arena as Ezra called it. "Could be prize
fighting." Vin offered. "I've heard of travelling fights."
"The
clientele do not seem the type to amuse themselves with the pugilistic skills
of the sideshow variety." Ezra pointed out dubiously. "Those are
gentleman and ladies down there."
Vin
was not so quick to agree and immediately peered through the eyepiece in order
to get a better look for himself. There was something about the arena that bothered
Vin and while he was unsure what its connection to Laurel Chase was, he was
unwilling to let his guard down either. It took a moment for him to adjust to
seeing the world through a magnified sphere but when he did he was privy to
quite a bit.
When
Ezra had said that there were ladies and gentlemen down there, he had not been
exaggerating. He had been to
Vin
continued to observe, letting the telescopic piece of glass fill in all the
blanks that the distance had created. He could see hotels alright, expensive
ones with just as fancy gambling houses where ladies in long gowns walked down
the boardwalk on the arms of men wearing suits, not too indifferent than that
worn by the gambler. Even when he came to the local bordellos, they were
nothing like the kind that he had visited in the past. These were worn looking
women, who didn't like touching you and made you do your business because you
were one dollar out of many they had to deal with in a day. No, these were the
kinds of women that made you want to spend your entire life locked in a room
with them. The kind who made you want them over and over again.
Suddenly,
he caught sight of something that made him forget all that.
The
big oriental walked down the boardwalk, oblivious to the fact that Vin was
watching him with widening eyes. Wearing the same black suit and somber
expression as he continued on his way, Vin knew it was the same man that had
accompanied Laurel Chase to
"She's
here." Vin said simply and cut short any discussion being carried out by
Ezra and Buck regarding gladiators, arenas or Christians alike.
"What?"
Buck looked at him. "How do you know that?"
"The
Chinaman's here." Vin lowered the eyeglass and handed it to Buck.
"Look at the boardwalk in the main street. He's heading for this arena
whatever you call it. You can't miss him."
Buck
took the telescope and held it to his eye and quickly searched the area
specified for the man in question. It did not take him long to spot the man
that Vin had mentioned. "Damn, he's huge." Buck commented. "I
wouldn't like to meet him in a fight."
"Let
Ezra look Buck." Vin commanded and Buck handed the gambler the device
after a few more seconds of observation, pointing out to the gambler exactly
where the oriental was heading towards so that Ezra could find him.
"You
are not joking Mr Tanner," Ezra swallowed visibly, estimating that with
those hands, the Easterner would have no difficulty snapping a neck like one
would split a wishbone at a Thanksgiving meal. "He is formidable to say
the least."
"You
sure about her being here?" Buck asked Vin, able to see the Oriental from
this distance only as a vague blur.
"Where
he is, she will be too." Vin replied, recalling what Laurel had said
during dinner when she had insinuated herself upon himself and Chris. Laurel
had claimed that Mr Zhang was her guardian and protector who would never stray
too far from her side. Vin knew emphatically that if Mr Zhang was here then so
was Laurel Chase.
"Alright,"
Buck said starting to make a move. "Let's go down there."
"Take
it easy Buck," Vin spoke up to stop him. "We ain't going down there
yet." He declared, taking a moment to think of the best way to attack this
problem. If Laurel Chase was holding Chris in Calumet and this was starting to
look like a very real possibility, they could not go simply barging in there
expecting to rescue him. At least not until they knew what kind of odds they
were going to be facing.
"Why
the hell not?" Buck demanded, just as concerned about Chris as he was and
not about to let his oldest friend linger in captivity any longer than
necessary. If this woman had some clue as to his whereabouts, then they needed
to get going so they could shake it out of her.
"Because
we are unaware of what awaits us down there Mr Wilmington." Ezra replied
coolly, his eyes still observing their target moving into the enormous estate
around which the arena was situated. "Judging by the way people are
reacting to Mr Zhang I do believe that he is not exactly a patron of Calumet
and might have something to do with the establishment. This could change things
significantly if we attempt to retrieve Mr Larabee
without being certainly exactly what he is to this place."
A
little more detailed than he would have put it but it was more or less what Vin
was about to say, the tracker thought as Buck ruminated on the gambler's answer
and saw the sense to his words. They were Chris' one shot at getting rescued.
If they lost this opportunity, they may never another chance again. "Ezra,
can you go in?" Vin asked after a moment.
Ezra
had more or less expected the request once he had seen the kind of people that
were expected in Calumet. Vin and Buck would stand out immediately and
attention was the last thing they needed at the moment. He had no difficulty
blending into an environment such as the one that awaited them below. "I
do not see any difficulty in that request." He met Vin's gaze.
"Good,"
Vin nodded, perfectly aware of how easily Ezra was to infiltration. He never
thought the skills of a former conman were so useful until he met Ezra
Standish. Of course, it helped too that Ezra was extremely good at what he did
and often landed on his feet, no matter what the situation. "You're gonna
have to go in alone."
"I
more or less expected that." Ezra said, unsurprised.
"Alone?"
Buck turned to Vin with an accusatory eye. "Why alone?"
"We'd
stick out." Vin replied and then added with a little smile. "Besides,
I don't want to make you suffer with all that temptation down there."
"Oh
shoot Vin," Buck scowled. "I'm a happily married man."
"And
with all due respect to your wife, the lovely Mrs. Wilmington," Ezra met
Vin's eyes with a straight face that belied the mischief the tracker saw there.
"We aim to see that you remain that way."
***********
After
much sulking from Buck and having liberated Vin of the wad of cash he had
managed to acquire courtesy of Alexandra Styles nee Tanner's considerable
inheritance, Ezra found himself riding into Calumet. His approach was met
without incident as he simply blended in with the host of carriages that were
journeying to the plush hotels that were contained inside this palace of
forbidden pleasures hidden deep with the desert sands of the Territory. Since
he was more than dressed the part, he was taken as just another one of the
wealthy visitors and allowed to pass without incident.
Despite
fighting the urge to disappear into one of the luxuriously furbished gambling
houses that flanked his path into the heart of town with the cash he had on his
person, Ezra reminded himself he was here for a deeper purpose. Instead, he
headed towards the arena where the oriental Mr Zhang had been headed towards
when Vin had sighted him earlier. Ezra had to confess to a certain amount of
curiosity to know what exactly were the nature of the
games taking place inside the stadium. He could not imagine the rich being so enamoured as to travel out all this way to see a prize
fight when any large town held the same offerings in much less remote
surroundings.
Judging
by the amount of people making their way towards the amphitheater it looked
like the industry in Calumet had emerged around the arena. As Ezra followed the
crowd, he was rather astonished to see what he would consider highborn blue
bloods of the American aristocracy being among the guests filtering into the
place. Maude would have a stroke just seeing the amount of possibility here, he
thought with a smile and reminded himself to write his mother about this place.
If it was still around after he and the seven were through with it, knowing
their reputation for such things, he was sure she would be on the first stage
headed for this direction.
The
arena was just as impressive from a distance as it was up close. The games had
yet to begin as he entered through the enormous doors that led to the insides
of the circular shaped building. He decided to ignore the betting stands that
preceded them, reminding himself that he was here for a purpose and could not
afford to be swayed by his baser instincts. He did however, note that betting
was almost as lucrative an enterprise as every other that was conducted in
Calumet. Upon passing through the polished wooden doors, he found himself in an
open air enclosure with seats surrounding the deepened ring that afforded
everyone a perfect view of the entertainment about to begin. A young man in
what appeared to be an usher's uniform fashioned in dark velvet and high
collars, saw his arrival and greeted Ezra politely.
"First
time in the Arena Sir?" He asked Ezra as others of his kind found seating
for the people that were entering the place at the same time.
"Yes,"
Ezra returned politely with a smile. "I was told about this place by an
acquaintance of mine."
"Well you're lucky Sir," the man replied. "The games are about
to begin. Let me find you a seat." He offered and started leading Ezra to
one of the vacant seats in mid row. Ezra saw no reason to refuse his offer
since he would have to sit down to find out what was going on and this was an
excellent opportunity to seek out the oriental man who was henchman to the
woman they were certain was responsible for Chris' disappearance. Ezra allowed
the usher to lead him to a seat in the middle part of the stands and while it
was not ringside as the term was often used, it was close enough to give him a
very good view of not only the ring but also the stands.
As
soon as he was seated, Ezra began scouring the place to find the oriental,
certain that he was here. With all the ceremony that was being concentrated
here, the gambler was sure that the man could not be far away since it appeared
that he was involved with the arena in some way, even if Ezra could not imagine
how. He supposed that this was a prizefight of some sort. While such
tournaments were interesting to the masses, Ezra could find no pleasure in watching
two men who were obviously used to a pummeling, to be reduced to such an
occupation, pit their skills against each other for a paying audience. How much
fascination could there be in seeing two combatants who had danced the same
dance on another night and how different could that outcome be?
More
interested in locating the oriental that had sparked this infiltration, Ezra
allowed his eyes to scour the faces present at the match. Most of them were as
he suspected earlier, bored members of rich families who spent most of their
time idling away their fortunes in every conceivable mode of indulgence. They
were mostly his age and they varied in gender but definitely not in
circumstances. It did not take long for him to realise
his audience had very little to do with his quest here and turned his
observations to locating the elusive Mr Zhang. Ezra scanned every seat and
every section of Arena, hoping to find some evidence of the man.
Suddenly,
the previously darkened centre stage came to life with the slow illumination of
the ring. As the chattering voices of the audience began to still, Ezra saw
movement emerging from what would be considered a private box. None of the
patrons were allowed and as Ezra waited to see who would step through the
curtain, he was also being swept away with the dramatic pageantry that preceded
the evening's entertainment. If nothing else, he had to give the organisers of this little event credit for creating an
almost charged atmosphere of anticipation among the audience.
It
was at this point that Mr Zhang appeared in the private box and behind him was
without doubt the infamous Laurel Chase. Without ever laying eyes on her
himself, Ezra knew without doubt that this was the woman that Vin Tanner had
described. She was wearing a low cut dress of red velvet and she did not move,
she glided. She was in his opinion, the most enchanting female that he had ever
seen and the sight of her forced the breath from his lungs as he watched her
like a child whose face was pressed against the glass of a candy store shop
front. She took her seat just as the master of ceremonies stepped into the ring
and began prattling some nonsense about the combatants which he had been
correct in assuming would be engaged in a pugilistic display.
Ushers
served her chilled champagne and she presided over the private box and indeed
the ring like a queen watching over her kingdom. Mr Zhang remained close by,
always ensuring that she was protected, like the captain of the guard. Ezra had
no doubt he would willing die for her and wondered what was the true nature of
their relationship. Neither did he have any doubt that that Calumet was her
creation and in particular this Arena. While discovering her should have
provided answers, all it ended up doing was creating more questions for Ezra.
What on Earth did she want with Chris Larabee. For
the first time since Vin had claimed that she was responsible for the
gunslingers kidnapping, Ezra had cause to wonder if perhaps the tracker was
wrong, that it was not she who had stolen Chris from Vesta
City.
All
questions evaporated from his mind momentarily when the combatants took centre
stage and Ezra Standish who thought himself incapable of ever being astonished
was faced with a situation he had thought to be impossible.
There
in front of him, as large as life was Chris Larabee.
His
appearance sent the audience into a frenzy and they immediately rose to their
feet and cheered with standing ovation at the arrival of the gunslinger. All
Ezra could manage was a mute stare as he quickly forced himself to stand up in
order not to appear conspicuous. Chris raised his arms, obviously enjoying the
adulation as his eyes swept across the audience, smiling like a man in perfect
control of his mind. Ezra watched mesmerized as Chris walked towards Laurel
Chase and gave her a smile that seemed completely out of place on his normally
brooding features. The woman blew him a kiss and Chris grinned, exciting the
audience even more by the display. They began chanting his name and it was more
than Ezra could take as the gambler fell down heavily in his seat, trying to
come to grips with his extreme surprise at what was transpiring before him.
Chris
Larabee willingly engaging a prize fight? Ezra could
not believe it. In fact, he refused to believe it. He refused to believe it any
more than the exchange made by the leader of the seven and the woman who had
taken him captive. For the last week, they had been chasing down every lead to
bring them to this point, sick with fear that perhaps it was too late, perhaps
Chris was dead. Ezra could not allow his mind to wrap itself around the
possibility that Chris was here playing prized animal to this woman when at
home, his pregnant wife was waiting his return.
His
opponent stepped into his ring and Ezra felt his stomach knotting because he
knew Chris would not fight. Chris Larabee did not
engage in such blood sports. Hell, the man did not even like playing poker with
strangers! If there was one thing that Ezra could rely upon was that Chris was
always in control. To believe for a moment that Chris would engage in this
activity was ludicrous! Yet as he watched the audience staring at the
gunslinger, chanting his name with abandon, he begin to wonder why they would
have such confidence that he would perform unless they had seen him do it
before.
To
answer his question, Chris swung at the man he was facing in the ring.
Ezra
had thought Chris was fast before but watching him in the ring as he traded
blows with a rather large man with all too many scars and a face that might
have met the business end of knuckle one time too many, Ezra saw no signs of
strategy. Chris was focussed as he fought but there
was no hidden intention behind his punches other than to render his enemy
unconscious. Ezra felt his heart pounding inside his chest from the sheer shock
of watching Chris Larabee attack without hesitation,
the man who did not have a chance as far as the gambler was concerned.
The
opponent was struggling to remain on his feet but Chris was attacking at a
juggernaut pace. The blows he struck were not only focussed
but extremely crippling. Blood was spurting from a shattered nose one minute,
while the crunching sounds of teeth shattering rippled through the air when
another blow connected. Chris was splattered with blood and yet the gunslinger
did not seem to care. Ezra had remembered how Chris had looked the day that he
had come face to face with Cletus Fowler, the man responsible for the death of
Sarah and Adam Larabee. The rest of the seven were
certain that he was going to kill Fowler with his bare hands. Chris had looked that
crazed. However, what Ezra was seeing now made that pale in comparison.
Whatever
was in Chris Larabee's eyes was like nothing that
Ezra had ever seen in the man. No penetrating Larabee
glare that was enough to stop a man dead in his tracks. His eyes were almost
black and as his fists continued to fly until the flesh beneath them was
reduced to pulp, gaining momentum with each hungered cry of his blood thirsty
audience, it did not look like Chris was going to stop until his opponent cried
surrender. The moment came sooner than Ezra would believe when the man
collapsed on the ground, his face nothing more than a bloodied mess of flesh.
The crowd seemed to go wild with the defeat and they cheered Chris on with even
more ferocity than before. Its power was such that even Ezra could feel a
little of the hypnotic strength they wielded over the person who adulation was
the cause of it.
The
man lay still and unmoving as Chris stood above him. Ezra held his breath as he
saw that damned grin across Chris Larabee's face, the
grin that made his skin grow cold and ensured that the moment would be frozen
in the gambler's mind forever. At least the carnage was over, Ezra thought with
a sigh of relief, unable to believe that things could get any worse or this
situation could become any more confusing. He had no idea what to think and he
could not imagine how he would relate this tale to the others.
Just
when Ezra had thought he had seen all that he could today, Chris bent over his
fallen opponent and grabbed the man's neck. There was a brief instant of time
before he actually made contact with the man that Ezra thought he might be
making a move to help his enemy up to his feet but that illusion was shattered
by the squelching of a neck being snapped. Ezra's jaw dropped open in horror as
he watched Chris coolly and efficiently killing a man who was incapable of
offering any resistance. It was without any shadow of a doubt, murder.
The
audience broke into a roar of applause and then continued to chant his name as
Chris regarded them all, soaking in their cheers and reveling in the victory he
had just achieved like a man who had the world in his palm. Ezra felt his
throat go dry and continued to watching, not knowing what else to do. Chris'
arms were raised as he strode towards Laurel's private box and leapt to the
edge of the stone wall, pulling himself over the rock far enough for her to
meet him part way. The crowd began to whistle and cheer with bawdy wolf whistles
as Laurel pressed her mouth against Chris and they engaged in a rather public
and passionate exchange.
Ezra
could watch no more and he pushed himself up from his seat, deciding he had to
get back to the others. His departure was hardly noticed by the crowd who was
going wild for Chris after that display of brutal skill. Ezra was almost in a
stupor as he fought his way to the aisle, shaken to the core and trying his
best not to show it. He had to leave here with what he knew and now that he had
seen what Chris had done in the ring, he was not certain of anything any more.
"Leaving
so soon?" The usher who had brought him to his seat was standing by the
door as Ezra made his way towards it.
"Yes
I'm afraid I have a previous engagement with a young lady at one of your
charming establishments." Ezra said with a smooth drawl, generating the
best picture of southern calm that he could possibly manage.
"That's
a shame." The young man said pleasantly. "At least you got to see Larabee fight."
"That
is true," Ezra replied, forcing a smile across his face as he nodded in
agreement. "Tell me, how long has he been fighting?"
"Well
he's been in the ring three times now." The usher answered readily, hiding
nothing but then Ezra supposed that there was little reason to when he
considered the gambler to be just another guest who was inquiring out of
curiosity. "He didn't make his first kill until two days ago though."
"He
does seem to be very close with Miss Chase," Ezra commented, wishing to
garner as much information about how that particular tryst has come about.
"Well
he's a lucky man," the young man sighed with more than just a hint of
envy. "She doesn't normally get involved with her fighters but then I
suppose Larabee has been pretty impressive in the
ring."
"Yes,"
Ezra nodded slowly, remembering that terrible sound of bone snapping. "He
was that indeed."
*********
Ezra
left Calumet almost in a daze and all the while during his journey back to the
top of the canyon walls where Vin and Buck were waiting for him, he tried to
correlate everything he had seen into some discernible form in order to explain
what he had seen. Despite his extensive vocabulary, Ezra was certain there was
going to be no way he could truly explain what he had seen in Calumet without encountering
some measure of disbelief from his comrades. And why should they not look at
him as if he was insane after he told them this story? Even Ezra had trouble
believing that he had watched Chris Larabee murdering
a man with his bare hand shortly before he had engaged in an intimate display
with Laurel Chase before an entire crowd of people.
The
gambler's mind was still in disarray when he returned to the campfire around
which Vin and Buck had spent the duration of his visit in Calumet, warming
their hands over a hot cup of coffee. The moment Ezra step into gentle glow of
the fire that radiated outwards in a sphere of amber, Vin could tell something
was wrong. The man was hesitant and his eyes showed clearly that he was
troubled which immediately put the tracker on guard because Ezra was not prone
to exaggeration unless he was discussing one of his card playing exploits or a
dalliance with a lady. The look in his eyes was so marked that Buck caught it
as well and both men immediately tensed as Ezra took helped himself to a cup of
coffee and sat down.
"We
have a problem." He opened his report because that was the only way he
could begin without plunging into a litany of disbelief that would make sense
to no one.
"What
do you mean?" Buck asked first while Vin was merely contented to listen.
"Do you see him?"
"I
saw him," Ezra nodded, not needing it to be clarified that by 'him' Buck
meant Mr Zhang. "I also saw Miss Chase."
"She
was there?" Buck asked.
"If
my observations were correct and the conversation I had with a young man in the
establishment, it appears that Miss Chase more or less built Calumet. She was
the one who began the Arena. She was the one who created that charming town we
see before us, acquired the initial patrons who were sure to pass the word of
its delights to the right circles and it was she who brought the gambling
houses and the bordellos here under very strict conditions." Ezra spoke
very slowly.
"What
is it Ezra?" Vin asked, feeling this tightening in his chest he could not
explain because of the way Ezra looked.
"I
saw Mr Larabee." The gambler announced.
"Chris?"
Buck exploded. "You saw him? Where? Was he alright?"
For
a man who had seen the object of their search, Vin noted that Ezra did not
appear to eager to tell them more about it and that concerned him. He began to
wonder what the hell that Ezra had seen down there that made him so damned
afraid to tell them. Was Chris dead? Is that what Ezra could not bring himself
to tell them?
"Mr
Larabee is fine. In fact, he is so fine that he is
one of the main attractions in the Arena." Ezra announced taking another
deep sip of his coffee as he left his companions with that piece of news to
reflect upon.
"What?"
Buck exclaimed in nothing less than shock. "You're kidding right?" He
looked at Ezra with a mixture of aghast horror and astonishment, more or less
the same reaction that Ezra had worn on his face when he had seen Chris step
into the Arena.
"No,"
he shook his head somberly and met Vin's eyes. The tracker was silent but listening.
He was reserving judgement until he heard everything
that Ezra had to say. "I wish I were making a jest but I am afraid that I
am not. I just bore witness to Mr Larabee stepping
into the Arena and do battle with an opponent in hand to hand combat where
after he had reduced the man to pulp, snapped his neck like kindling."
"Are
you out of your fucking mind?" Buck jumped to his feet in outrage, angered
to the point that he was almost ready to draw his gun at the slanderous
allegations that Ezra was making. "We're talking about Chris Larabee here! Chris ain't no murderer. He don't kill a man
that's down. We all know that!" He gave Vin a quick glance, expecting the
tracker to support him but Vin said nothing still.
"You
do not have to tell me that Buck!" Ezra retorted angrily. "I sat
there and watched him, using all those same arguments but apparently, that did
little good since Chris did continue to pulverise the
poor bastard they put in the ring with him. You did not see how he looked Buck
when he was engaging in this activity. He was almost enjoying it!"
"You're
crazy!" Buck grabbed Ezra by the collar and dragged him to his feet,
preparing to take him to task over such a horrifying statement. The gambler
prepared to react in kind and two men who had ridden together for the past
three years, who had fought alongside one another and shared each other's
defeats and triumphs were reduced to a state that they were going to take to
each other with their fists. Such was the nature of what Chris Larabee meant to them that the news that their leader was
committing such heinous acts of brutality was taking the sense from all of
them.
"That's
enough!" Vin Tanner barked at the two of them to snap them out of their
enraged fervour. "We got enough trouble with Chris
without you two going stupid on me! I need you both to figure out what the hell
is going on and Buck, you know Ezra wouldn't lie about something like this! You
know it!"
Buck
dropped his gaze to the ground in a mixture of shame and acknowledgement that
Vin was right about that. Ezra was always playing angles but that did not mean
taking liberties with the feelings of his friends. He let go of the gambler's
lapel and met Ezra's eyes to see the same reflection of remorse at their
outburst. "I'm sorry Ez," Buck offered a
genuine apology. "I kinda lost my head
there."
"I
understand," Ezra said with a faint smile, brushing his coat down when
Buck let him go. "I had as much trouble witnessing it as you do believing
it Mr Wilmington but I swear to you, I saw what I saw."
"We
ain't doubting that Ezra," Vin added his voice into the mix. "It's
just a lot to take in that's all. Now why don't we sit down and you tell what
else you know."
Ezra
nodded and they all nestled down in front of the fire again, a little calmer
but a great deal more at odds with what they had been told in regards to what
Ezra had seen in Calumet. Throughout the course of their search, things had
been simple in the sense that they knew they had to find Chris and upon finding
their leader, they would only have to rescue him for things to be as they were
again. However, what Ezra just told them changed everything and suddenly
simplicity was nowhere in sight and the situation had just taken a turn which
none of them knew how to traverse.
"From
the beginning, tell us what happened?" Vin asked once more.
Ezra
nodded and let out a deep breath. "I went to the Arena because we saw Mr
Zhang heading in that general direction." He began. "Upon taking a
seat, I searched the stands of the Arena for the gentlemen in question and saw
him appear shortly after with Miss Chase. I recognised
her from your description immediately. I also must say that you were not
exaggerating in your description of the lady, she was truly magnificent."
Ezra commended, drawing a little smile from Vin but no one interrupted him.
"Then
Mr Larabee appeared onto the ring and I was to learn
later from an usher on premises that this is his third kill." Ezra
responded and saw the reaction in the faces of his companions but chose to continue
nonetheless. "He did not appear restrained nor under duress. In fact, the
crowd were rather taken by him and were cheering his name most loudly. Mr Larabee seemed very comfortable with their applause and
pandered to his audience in some respects. His opponent soon entered the ring
and they began to fight with Mr Larabee moving to a
quick victory. When the man was down, I assumed that the contest was over but
apparently the reason why the Arena has the popularity it does is because it is
a fight to the death."
"Damn."
Buck whispered hoarsely.
"Mr
Larabee completed the competition in the manner
required most expediently and then seemed rather pleased by his efforts."
Ezra spoke softly, his voice shaking a little because he knew what he was saying
was the truth but he still had trouble believing it. "He also appears to
be on rather intimate terms with Miss Chase. Following the conclusion of the
fight, I saw him kiss her and it did not appear to be involuntary."
"Chris
would never betray Mary!" Buck exclaimed, incensed by Ezra's words and
more so because Ezra was not lying. "Hell, he was the most faithful man I
knew when he was married to both Sarah and Mary. Chris don't believe in
tomcatting around."
"Something
has happened to him." Vin cut through Buck's ravings with that one
sentence spoken in his usual too soft voice that was loud enough to be heard by
everyone when it needed to be.
"Like
what?" Ezra asked, wishing Vin had an answer because he needed to believe
that they had not completely misjudged Mr Larabee
after three years of riding together. "He did these things of his free
will."
"Maybe
he did," Vin turned back to Ezra, not disagreeing with him on that fact
but he had seen a lot of strange things in his time, in fact they all
had. "I think all of us here now that sometimes things ain't what they
seem and the biggest trick of all is the belief that free will is
absolute."
"Isis."
Ezra spoke up without hesitation.
"Isis."
Vin agreed.
"This
ain't about alien creatures taking over Chris," Buck interrupted.
"This is about one woman kidnapping him and changing him in that week from
a person we know to a cold blooded killer!"
"That
is true," Ezra agreed, more incline to accept Vin's explanation no matter
how vague because he could think of no other reason Chris would make such a
bout face. They all knew the man, some of them longer than others but they knew
him. They knew him to be a man of honour who rode the
edge of something dark and unseen, using the abyss to centre himself while still
bathed in the light. Chris would not cross over without very good reason.
"I am certain that however, this came about, Miss Chase is responsible for
it."
"I
think so too," Vin agreed with that statement most wholeheartedly.
"However, what we have to do now is to get Chris out of there before we
can work out what she did to him."
"That's
easier said than done." Buck remarked glancing at the lights of Calumet
below them. "If she runs that place, it's a sure bet that she's got men
working for her that will make a pretty good show of stopping us."
"So
we're going to need help," Vin remarked.
"I
do agree," Ezra nodded. "However I do have a suggestion Mr Tanner
which I do not think you will like but I feel is necessary."
Vin
looked at Ezra, wondering what he was getting at. It was not as if there were
enough things about this entire situation that he did not like already.
"We
may need Alexandra here." The gambler offered gingerly.
"Forget
it." Vin said abruptly, not even having to think that. "Not a chance
in hell."
"Vin
think about this," Ezra replied just as quickly. "You don't know that
Chris will come with us willingly."
"Of
course he will." Vin retorted and then considered what the gambler was
really saying. If whatever Laurel Chase had done to alter Chris to such a state
that he was incapable of telling right from wrong and would murder a man in
cold blood, who was to say that he would be anymore lucid about leaving with
them when they attempted to rescue him.
"He's
right Vin," Buck found himself agreeing with Ezra on this point. Chris'
actions in the Arena had proved they did not know anything any
more and the risks on gambling that Chris would leave with them
voluntarily was too extreme to leave to chance. "We may have to knock him
out to get him out of there. We may have to do it all the way back to Four
Corners and maybe if Alex is here, she can figure what the bitch did to
him."
"Nathan
can do that." Vin said automatically, not all happy at the idea of
bringing Alex to this place of danger.
"No
he can't," Buck countered. "We're gonna need all the extra hands we
can get just breaking Chris out of that place. He can't be running around
wearing two hats and I don't think Nathan has the know how to keep Chris
sedated all the way back to Four Corners if its needed. I don't think even
he would agree to it."
"Alright,"
Vin groaned out loud after a moment, conceding defeat on this point because
they were right. They did need Alex here if things with Chris was as bad as it
seemed. "We'll ride as soon as we can to the next town we find and wire
the others here." He paused a moment and then added.
"I'll
tell them to bring Alex too."
*********
It took two days after Vin had sent a wire from the nearest town they could
find with a telegraph service for the rest of the seven to arrive with
Alexandra Styles. The doctor was none to happy to be
recruited for this duty especially when Mary was in Four Corners, still
recovering from the premature birth of her son. While both mother and child
were doing fine, Alex preferred to remain close by but she also knew that if
Vin requested her presence then there was a very good reason for it. She
assumed that there was something wrong with Chris that required a medical
opinion but could not understand why Nathan was not adequate to handle the
problem. In the past, the seven never had any difficulty relying on Nathan's
skill for their medical needs which made the doctor wonder why her presence was
required.
After
receiving the telegram from Vin, Nathan, JD, Josiah and Alex followed the
tracker's instructions and rode towards the mythical city known as Calumet,
which was familiar to none of them. Despite the arduous journey over desert
terrain, Alex could not deny that it was worth the trouble just to see Vin
again. They had been married now for little more than a few weeks and the
honeymoon atmosphere had yet to fade away as she found nothing more deliriously
satisfying than to wake up in the morning and find him there spooning up
against her.
As
instructed, they made their approach to the canyon where Calumet was hidden
during the day, since most of Calumet's activities seemed to take place at
night. In the day, the town was relatively quiet and it was mostly during the
night that it came alive. Morning in Calumet was a time to rest and recover, in
preparation of the revelry to be had when the sun came down again. The four
riders, mindful of their lives depending on the secrecy of their approach, took
every precaution not to be seen and soon found themselves joining the comrades
who were lying in wait for them.
The
reunion, when the moment came were happy ones with Vin and Alex, meeting each
other with the same heated passion that was always present whenever they saw
each other, even more so now that they were married. Still despite his
happiness to see Alex, Vin wished it had been under better circumstances that
he had summoned her here. Once all the greetings and salutations had been made,
the group sat down to discuss the news at home and also the circumstance in
which Ezra had found Chris two nights ago.
"I
don't believe it." JD said it first because the boy more or less idolised Chris Larabee and there
was no way they could hide the truth from him, especially if the seven intended
to mount a rescue attempt. The young man looked horrified following Ezra's
narration of events as opposed to his older companions who were more accustomed
to hiding their feelings than he. "Chris wouldn't just kill a man!"
"I
saw him Mr Dunne," Ezra said somberly, hating to shatter his image of
Chris but he had to be told. "There can be no doubt of what he had
done."
"Look,"
Vin spoke up for the benefit of all those present, JD especially. "The
woman's had Chris kidnapped, we don't know what she could have done to him in
the past week that could have made him like this."
"You
said of his free will." Alex asked, needing clarification on this.
"Yeah,"
Vin nodded. "He was also mighty friendly with Miss Chase." The
tracker replied, loathed to tell his wife that after she had revealed that it
was only a few days ago that she had delivered Chris' child.
Alex
considered what could cause such a radical change in the man's behavior if this
was indeed done to him as the seven were determined to believe. She raised her
eyes to Nathan, because like her, he would no doubt be thinking along the same
lines as she.
"I
seen opium make a man do some pretty disgusting things." Nathan offered
remembering the instance he had been at the railway camp and saw an oriental
addicted to opium be willing to sell his lovely young niece to anyone willing
to pay for the privilege, just so that he could support his habit. "It
could be that."
"I
think you are right," Alex remarked. "I think it could be a narcotic
of some kind if we are assuming that she altered him in some way, but not
opium. Opium addiction to the degree that would produce the kind of behaviour that Chris is displaying takes time. You said
that he was enjoying it when he was fighting this guy?" Alex looked at
Ezra in question.
"Yes,"
Ezra's stomach hollowed remembering the look of relish in Chris' face when he
was pumelling the man to death. "He was enjoying
it a great deal."
"Well
that is consistent with some either an opiate or a concentrate derivative of
morphine which is from the same family," she replied, trying to dredge up
what she remembered about narcotics and the effects of chemicals on the body.
"The user gets a feeling of heightened awareness. If he's on this stuff
then he's going to be twice as strong. He'll put his hand through brick wall
and wouldn't know it even if he's broken every bone in his hand."
"Jesus."
Buck whispered.
"But
at this stage I can't be sure of anything until I get a look at him." Alex
added. "I'm just throwing suggestions at you guys, I mean what Ezra is
describing sounds like an addiction to some kind of narcotic but for Chris to
go so far over the edge in just a week tell me that there's something else at
work here. You said she drugged you Vin," she looked at her husband.
"Did you remember what it smelled like?"
"Like
your clinic." He pointed out.
"Chloroform."
Both Alex and Nathan said in unison.
"She
must be quite skilled to know just the right amount to use to keep you asleep
all night Vin," Alex suddenly realised and a new
thought struck her. "This woman tell you what she did for a living?"
"No,"
Vin shook his head, sensing that there was some importance attached to his
wife's question. "Why?"
"Not
many people know how to use chloroform Vin," Nathan explained for her,
understanding why Alex had asked as well. "Usually you want to knock
someone out, you just use ether. Chloroform is something used mostly by doctors
and people with some medical background."
"So
you think she's a doctor?" Josiah asked.
"Could
be." Alex responded. "I don't think there are many schools in the
States that offer women college level education and there are no medical
schools at all. I am quite certain that women who wish to become doctors in
this country have to go to Cambridge or Oxford, since they've allowed women to
take exams since 1862."
"All
men equal unto God," Josiah snorted with a hint of derision. "What if
she is a doctor?"
"If
she is a doctor and I'm praying she's not," Alex added. "She may have
concocted something new, something no one has seen before and pumped it into
his veins. If he did, then I don't know what we can do to help him."
"Well
let's get him back first," Vin declared. "We'll figure the rest out
later"
********
Entering
Calumet unnoticed was no easy thing. Having waylaid a carriage full of irate
dilettantes on their way to the place to sample its delights, the six lawmen
and lady doctor bundled into its confines, leaving their prisoners discreetly
hidden with assurances of their return at a later time. Since it was desert in
almost all directions, Vin was fairly certain that they would not attempt to
make the crossing on foot and honestly, it did not appear that any one of the
visitors to Calumet had ever been accustomed to such strenuous activity to try anyway.
With
Vin hidden carefully out of sight because Laurel would recognise
him instantly if she laid eyes upon him, Josiah and Nathan took up the role of
carriage drivers and luggage handlers. JD and Buck and cleaned up as best they could
and kept mostly within the shadows of the carriage while Ezra and Alex would do
all the talking in case they were stopped for any reason. As it was, nothing of
the sort took place and the carriage rumbled through the centre of town without
any questions being asked. Alex had thought it unusual when Vin had requested
that she pack 'something pretty' as he put it and understood why now, since
their penetration into the Arena would require a bit of play acting.
Alex
and Ezra would stick close to Laurel and Mr Zhang, while the rest of the seven
would spread out around town and make preparations for their eventual escape.
One hour into the games, it would all come together. Vin would be responsible
for removing Chris and hopefully Alex would have sparked Laurel's interest
enough to allow the woman to let down her defenses. In the meantime, JD would
have the carriage they had stolen waiting in a strategic place near the Arena
for when the time came for their quick get away. Vin
hated using Alex in this action, as much as he hated the fact that knew little
about how many hired guns Laurel had in her stable. However, they did not have
much choice in the matter.
"You
ready?" Ezra asked as he and Alex walked into the Arena once more and
immediately scanned the area for the presence of Laurel Chase. Alex was dressed
in blue brocade dress, which clung tightly to her figure and pushed her ample
bosom up so that any man who looked at her would have good reason not to be
casting his eye upon her face. Alex claimed she rarely wore the gown and all
Ezra could thing as she made that statement was that it had to be a crime in
someone's book. Ezra would not help thinking Vin was a lucky man indeed as he
remembered what it was like to make love to her just before he gave himself a
stern reminder to keep his mind on the business on hand.
Laurel
Chase had arrived a little earlier this time, with Mr Zhang in attendance at
her side as usual. The competition for the evening had yet to begin and so Ezra
decided this was a good a time as any to approach Miss Chase. As instructed, he
would let Alex do the talking since it was the only way to curry favour with the woman enough for her to speak about what
she had done to Chris if she thought Alex as a contemporary. Although Vin had
intended to allow her to move about freely in Calumet, he had never intended
Alex to have direct confrontation with Laurel. However, the doctor suspected
that in order to cure Chris of whatever was done to him, the intelligence was
necessary and thus had convinced the tracker to make this addendum to his plan.
"As
I will ever be." Alex let out a deep breath as he offered her a gloved
hand and she took it.
The
two of them made a handsome couple and seemed to blend into the collection of
rich visitors to the arena as they walked down the aisle that led to the
private box where Laurel Chase and Mr Zhang were waiting for the commencement
of the games. As they neared the low swing doors that led into its confines, Mr
Zhang immediately caught sight of their approach and watched them cautiously as
they paused before it. He leaned over and whispered in Laurel Chase's ear who
instinctively cast her high powered gaze in their direction. She looked them
over carefully before responding to Mr Zhang whispers. The enormous oriental
was on the move again and he met the two of them at the face to face.
"You
are seeking something?" He asked politely.
"I
wish to speak to Miss Chase." Alex spoke up fearlessly, determined not to
show this man any sign of weakness because she was certain he would spot it.
She spoke loud enough for Laurel to hear.
"For
what purpose?" He questioned once again.
"What
I have to discuss with Miss Chase is for her only, I do not waste my time
conveying matters too complex for lackeys to understand."
Ezra
turned to Alex, staring at her in amazement as well as mild horror. Did she
really want to provoke this creature into something unfortunate and wondered
whether or not he should have done the talking. However, instead of engendering
Mr Zhang's displeasure, Ezra saw Laurel breaking into a faint smile before she
spoke up.
"Its alright Zhang," Laurel replied in a silky tone of
voice. "Let them through."
Zhang
gave Alex a filthy look but was not about to disobey his lady's orders and
merely frowned as he pulled open the door for the near arrivals to enter the
private box. Alex flashed Ezra a confident smile as the gambler gestured
'ladies first' and watched with amusement as the doctor swept past him, head
held high as she prepared to do battle with a most unusual enemy.
"Now
what is so important that it required you to insult my man?" Laurel
regarded Alex as she saw the woman and the attractive companion next to her.
"Business."
Alex said confidently. "That's always important, is it not?"
"Naturally."
Laurel remarked and gestured for Alex and Ezra to sit. Alex lowered herself on
the seat next to Laurel while the lady ordered Zhang to pour them both a drink
from a bottle of wine that sat chilling in a silver bucket near them.
"And
what kind of business proposition do you have in mind?"
"I
believe I can be of help to you and your organisation."
Alex announced and then introduced herself. "My name is Doctor Alexandra
Styles." She extended a gloved hand towards Laurel who took it. "This
is my...companion, Ezra Standish."
"Companion?"
Laurel asked with a hint of suggestion.
"He
serves in a capacity not unlike your man here," Alex glanced in Zhang's
direction. "Although he does possess some added talents that one does not
list on a resume."
Ezra
cleared his throat, feeling a little annoyed that he was being discussed like a
piece of meat but then supposed that the comment was necessary for the
deception they were attempting to carry out. At least he hoped it was for that
reason anyway. However, since Alex appeared to be capturing Laurel's interest,
he remained silent and allowed her to continue.
"You
said Doctor Styles," Laurel looked at Alex. "A doctor of what?"
"Medicine."
Alex said coolly. "I am a graduate of Oxford University, not a saw bones
as they like to call it in this part of the world but a bona fide practitioner
of the medical arts."
"Oxford,"
Laurel nodded, aware that such accreditation for women was possible at that
notable institution in Europe. "I am impressed. Lady doctors are
rare."
"Yes
they are and if it were not for my inheritance, I would find it almost
impossible to practice. However, money allows one to travel in certain circles
and I came to learn of your charming place here. I must admit I am
impressed." Alex remarked, keeping her flattery realistic because while
this woman may be the most breathtaking specimen of the gender that Alex had
ever seen in her life, to underestimate her mind because of her face was a
fatal mistake.
"Why
thank you," Laurel answered, genuinely surprised to find an educated woman
of almost her intellectual equal. "Now I am intrigued by your
remark about a business proposal. What exactly did you have in mind?"
Alex
held the glass of wine to her lips and took a sip of it before she responded.
"I was at the fight last night and I had reason to observe most of your
fighters. I must say they are extremely well coordinated and fast. In fact
their response time and stamina is beyond exemplary, you must have them on a
strict regimen of physical training." Alex met Laurel's gaze.
"Adequately
strict." Laurel said carefully.
"Oh
perhaps they had help." Alex stated.
"Help?"
The lady replied without batting an eye. "What sort of help?"
"The
chemical kind." Alex answered. "You see when I observe men whose eyes
are dilated, who barely register pain when their hands are broken and bleeding
and still manage to fight, I can only draw one conclusion."
Laurel
tensed. "And that would be?"
"You're
dabbling in chemical enhancements for your fighters which in my opinion is a
rather novel approach," Alex answered, quickly disarming her from becoming
too suspicious. "Most people would just train them to death but what
you've done is genius."
"Thank
you," Laurel replied. "Now get to the point of your little business
proposal."
"Alright
then," Alex said with a smile. "You need a doctor, one that won't ask
questions, who has extensive experience in biochemistry and access to medical
knowledge regarding chemical stimuli that is listed in no book anywhere in the
medical community. My father traveled extensively across the world studying
different medical practices. Judging from the sophistication of what you have
done, I seriously doubt there is very little I can do to improve your operation
but a doctor on staff is a valuable asset. Whether or not you have discovered
that such chemical abuse can lead to long term health problems, the fact of the
matter is, the more successful your fighters are and the longer they stay
alive, it will become overt. I am sure I can help with you deal with that
too."
In
truth, Laurel did suspect there would be such problems arising from the use of
Venom over a long term and whether or not Alexandra Styles was genuine in her
desire to join her, Laurel had to confess she was intrigued.
"Mr
Zhang," Laurel said after a moment. "Keep Mr Standish here
company," she looked at the huge oriental. "Miss Styles and I are
going to take a little tour of our facility."