Part Seven

Initiation

J.D. had no idea how he had managed to keep Nathan calm enough to seek Chris Larabee out with the news about Alexandra Styles. When they had left the doctor's home, the healer was so enraged by her disappearance, it made J.D. wonder how Vin Tanner was going to react when he was told. Wisely, J.D. had enough presence of mind to know that it would be much better coming from Chris. Particularly since the gunslinger would be the only person who could keep Vin from going completely insane once the tracker learnt that the woman he loved was in the hands of the very men who had turned Four Corners into a war zone tonight.

When J.D. and Nathan arrived at the Jefferson place, they found the main house standing although the blacksmith shop was completely engulfed. The firefighters had managed to keep the flames spreading to the residence but there was little to be down for the business premises. As columns of black smoke streamed into the flame illuminated sky, J.D. could see that the structure was barely managing to remain erect and was not far from complete collapse.

Chris was at the head of the chain with Mary manning the pump to fill the buckets that reached her. Among the slew of faces between them, J.D. saw Josiah working alongside Will Jefferson and his family with Gloria Potter also lending in a hand as bucket after bucket was passed along to stamp out the fire. All of them were covered in sweat and soot, with determination on their faces to keep this inferno from becoming any more rampant then it already was.

Suddenly, the sound of heaving wood overcame the cackling of fire as the blacksmith shop finally burned away everything that kept it standing. Embers of heat floated in the air as the structure started to sway uncertainly on its decaying beams until one piece of wood snapped and tumbled to the ground.

"Everyone get back!" Chris shouted on top of his voice.

Buckets were immediately discarded as the group withdrew quickly, the tidy chain scattering like the ants on a hill that had been set upon by mischievous children. They retreated to a safe distance as the snapping wood beams and collapsing roof made the building shudder with eminent destruction. When it finally caved in, roar of crumbling wood and fiery embers filled the world until nothing else could be heard, not even the rumble of disappointment from those who had tried so hard to save the blacksmith store.

J.D. searched for Will Jefferson in the crowd of onlookers who watched the flames almost as if they were standing present at a funeral pyre. The tall black man was next to his wife Bernadette, staring stoically into the fire, trying to hide the sorrow in his face. J.D. felt his heart sink at the sadness on Will's proud features, knowing that the fire was destroying not only something that belonged to him but the enterprise which he put so much of himself.

"We've got to keep going!" Chris barked, mobilizing the firefighters to work once again. Although the structure had collapsed, the ruins were still burning and therefore still a danger to the house.

"Chris!" Nathan hurried forward, immediately drawing Josiah out of the group.

Chris looked up and saw his two comrades approaching with grim expressions on their face that had a great deal more to do with just a fire. Instinctively, he glanced in Josiah's direction. The preacher stepped out of his place in the chain and the townsfolk absorbed his absence as the buckets started moving once again.

Chris Larabee seemed exhausted, J.D. noted as they approached the gunslinger. The blond man was sweaty and covered with dirt. He had been at the head of the chain and J.D. could almost see the slight tinge of red where his skin had been baked by his close proximity to the fire. He stepped away from the head of the line and was mildly pleased to see his absence being taken up by the others in the chain.

"I hope the saloon is doing better than this." Chris grumbled as Josiah joined them.

"Chris, we've just been up to Alex's." Nathan said not wasting any time with coming to the point. "She's gone."

Chris' eyes hardened in an expression the seven knew all too well. His jaw tightened and immediately, that same predatory gleam crept into the powerful gaze. It was a visage that had the gunslinger poised for attack, the way a wolf smelled the blood of something dying in the distance. "Where's Vin?" He said simply.

"He's with Buck, trying to put the fire out at the saloon." J.D. said automatically. "We haven't told him yet."

"Shit." Josiah swore under his breath, knowing as well Chris did how the tracker was going to take this. "They must have taken her just after the alarm went out."

"Probably guessed no one would think them stupid enough to stay in town after what they did." Chris ventured a guess.

"Serfonteine would." Nathan retorted. "He was just waiting for the moment."

No one could refute that statement because he was right. Serfonteine had waited for the right instant to kidnap Alexandra Styles, knowing full well their attention would be fixed upon dealing with the chaos the Klan had created in Four Corners tonight. Even now, they had no actual proof that would hold up in any court that Serfonteine was responsible for Alex's abduction and if they should kill her before the seven were to reach her, that made his conviction even more difficult to effect. Suddenly, Chris felt it was not just imperative that they find Alex Styles before the Klan killed her or worse but she might be the key in finally ridding Four Corner of Nicholas Serfonteine once and for all.

The teenager hurried to Ezra who was passing a bucket to Vin in what was second nature to them now. The gambler could no longer remember how long he had been standing in line, fighting tooth and nail for his saloon that was at this moment languishing under a wall of flames. Financially, its loss would mean very little to him. Maude had insured the place to the hilt because in a town like Four Corners, where trouble seemed to lurk behind every corner, it had seemed the intelligent thing to do. Perfectly aware that her son and his companions attracted constant danger in their capacity as the town's lawmen, Maude Standish had taken precautions to protect her investment.

Still, Ezra did not want to see the saloon destroyed, even if he could just as easily build another one. He had sentimental attachments to the place that no amount of fresh paint or a new building could ever replace. Next to him, Vin handed another bucket which he passed along to the next link in the chain of firefighters that were battling the fire. Realistically, they knew the building was beyond saving now but dogged determination and blind stubbornness refused to let anyone give up on it just yet. Buck Wilmington stood at the head of the line, attempting valiantly to douse the flames while barking orders at the working girls who were stamping out the flames with blankets at parts of the building the water would not reach.

When the boy approached him, Ezra had been to busy to take noticed, focusing more on the saloon rather than the young man in his worn clothes and his plain features. He peered at Ezra under a tweed hat sported by most young boys his age.

"Mister, I've been told to deliver this message." He said distracted by the activity taking place around him. The orange glow of the fire captured his attention as he forgot momentarily why he had sought the gambler.

Ezra met Vin's gaze and the tracker nodded in understanding. "Go on Ezra." Vin replied and then called one of the onlookers to take his place. Ezra stepped out of the chain, still surprised by all the people who had answered the call in the saloon's hour of need. He recognized one of the faces as Mr. Rosken, the man who had unceremoniously ejected Nathan from his infirmary. Rosken wore a decidedly contrite look on his face, perhaps suspecting that his newfound tenant might be responsible for what was happening in town tonight.

"Well young man," Ezra stepped away from the line and led the young man away. "What is this message you have for me?"

The boy handed him a piece of paper and quickly hurried away no sooner than it had passed onto the gambler palm. Ezra looked at him disappearing into the crowd and suddenly felt a knot of concern forming in his chest as he quickly unfolded the note.

Ezra, I Need Help

Julia

There were only to lines to the whole message but it was enough to start him running. Ezra bolted forward and hurried through the people on the street, making a beeline to Julia's house behind the Emporium. Her state of mind had been precarious to say the least and there was an edge of desperation her note that struck him with cold fear. Although he had to admit that her asking for him was a good sign since it appeared that lately, she had trouble even looking at him. There was the unconscious fear that perhaps she blamed him for convincing her that the pregnancy was a child instead of the nuisance she originally perceived it to be. After all, as soon as she started thinking of it as her child, she had lost it.

Once he had escaped the immediate vicinity of the saloon, the crowds started to thin and Ezra guessed that the main body of Four Corners citizen were presently engaged in dealing with the fires that were raging across the town. He broke into a run over the boardwalk, hoping that the note in his hand was not as serious as it seemed to be. With everything happening in town at this moment, this was not a complication he needed.

He was about to step off the boardwalk when suddenly out of the shadows, Nicholas Serfonteine emerged with his companion Mr. Micawber, barring his path.

The two men were not dressed in robes of white but did appear to be garbed in travelling clothes suited for a more nocturnal past time. With winter fast approaching, the nights were getting steadily colder and it seemed Serfonteine was preparing for an evening in the great outdoors.

"Mr. Serfonteine." Ezra tried to sound casual even though he was disturbed by this sudden appearance. Like Chris and the rest of the seven, it was more or less a foregone conclusion that Serfonteine had been responsible for what had transpired in Four Corners this evening, proof or not. "I'm afraid I do not have time to talk. I am required somewhere else."

"I must apologize for engaging in some minor subterfuge," Nicholas replied, eyeing Ezra closely. "It was I who was responsible for that note."

Instinctively, Ezra's fist tightened around the piece of paper which he crushed it in his palm. "That was not exactly neighbourly Mr. Serfonteine, my Julia has been in a precarious state of health lately and that was a message that did give me cause for some trepidation."

"I am sorry," Nicholas responded once more, attempting to wear his most sincere expression of remorse as he made his apologies. "I did however, need to speak to you alone and could be assured that you would proceed without hindrance."

"Well you have managed to reach that end." Ezra sighed, pretending to dispel his annoyance with a faint smile. "What may I do for you on this most calamitous night."

"I am most horrified by the violence that is taking place in your fair town," Nicholas continued, satisfied that Ezra bore him no ill will by the false summons. "I certainly did not endorse the actions taken by my more exuberant acquaintances and I wish your help in bringing the situation under control. You alluded to wishing to assist the cause some days ago, am I to assume that is still how you feel on the subject?"

"Of course." Ezra answered without hesitation. "I for one would like to take account with the man who chose to burn down my saloon."

"An unfortunate occurrence," Micawber commented. "We will see the perpetrator who did this held responsible. You have our word on that."

Ezra nodded, refusing to believe him for a second but chose to display sincere belief since it served the gambler's purpose to do so for the moment. "How may I help?"

"It is time you joined the fold Mr. Standish," Nicholas smiled. "If you would accompany us, we require you to take part in the ritual that would ensure your loyalty to us and bring justice to this fair town once more." Nicholas gestured to the horses that were tethered in the distance with every intention of having Ezra accompany them on whatever journey they had planned for him.

Unfortunately, Ezra could hardly refuse, not if he wanted to bring an end to this man and the others with him. However, the fact was, none of the seven knew where he was going when he had left so abruptly and should he go with Serfonteine, he would be utterly alone and have no one to cover his back if he should get into any difficulty.

"I am hardly dressed for such a grand occasion." Ezra glanced at his clothes soiled in dirt and soot. "Perhaps if you would allow me a change of clothes. ."

"Nonsense," Serfonteine wrapped his had around Ezra's arm, indicating to the gambler in his narrowed eyes that he was not going anyway, despite his attempts at civility. "You are perfectly attired for what we have in mind."

"If you say so," Ezra answered quietly, unable to do much else. "I am at your disposal."

The streets were frantic with activity. People were banding together in an unprecedented show of unity to fires. The fires had been brought under some measure of control but nowhere close to being completely extinguished. Men and women formed lines to the water pumps while others attacked the flames with blankets to stamp out the flames where it was out of reach from the water. There was so much to do and in the centre of it all, was the burning effigy of the cross left by the arsonists, serving notice to the town's 'undesirables' that this was just the beginning.

When Vin saw Chris Larabee walking purposefully towards him with Josiah, Nathan and J.D. wearing grim expressions, he knew instinctively that something was wrong. Before the gunslinger had even approached him, Vin had stepped out of the chain and was crossing the gap to meet his comrades. As he made the journey, he cast a brief glance at the saloon which was more or less in gutted, even though the firefighters had staged a valiant effort to save it. Against all odds, the fire had been subdued to manageable levels and the chain was concentrating its efforts on the small fires that were still burning at certain parts of the building.

Buck Wilmington noticed Vin's departures and took note of where the younger man was headed. Deciding that someone else could take his place now since the fire was mostly under control, he hurried forward, perfectly aware that the stormy look in Chris' eyes indicated something had transpired that did not involve a fire. Buck could not possibly imagine what could be worse than the destruction that had been wrought in town tonight but Four Corners had a strange knack of exceeding normal standards for trouble at regular intervals.

"Vin," Chris started to say and hoped that the tracker would not fly too much off the handle. Of course, if it was Mary in the same position, Chris would be in even worse state than Vin. Tonight alone was enough to wear his normally cool demeanour. Fires were the one thing that could make Chris Larabee's blood run cold.

Vin paused and suddenly saw something else in the gunslinger's face that made the problem all the more serious. "What?" He asked almost quietly.

"Its Alex." Chris answered, having decided that there was no way to make the delivery of this news any easier. "She's gone. Nathan and J.D. went to the clinic. There were signs of a struggle and it looks like she gave them a good fight but they took her."

Vin remained calm. It was the only thing he could think to do even though his insides were fisting with fear. He closed his eyes and forced himself to stay centered and not lose his head as he was prone to do whenever such situations arose. Meeting Chris' steely gaze, Vin responded with a measured voice. "Do we know how much of a head start they got on us?" Vin inquired.

"No," Chris shook his head slowly. "Nathan and J.D. only discovered her missing a short time ago."

Vin forced himself to keep his mind on the issue at hand. There was a part of him that was like a bottle waiting to be uncorked but letting the full flow of his panic overtake him would serve no purpose. He cast his mind back to the last time he had seen her, working under the assumption that he was the last one to have seen her. The alarm had just be sounded that there was trouble and when it was made clearer that it was a fire, Alex had told him to go on. Being the doctor that she was, Alex had assured him that she would only be a few minutes behind him because she had to get her medical bag. The urgency of the situation had forced him to leave her against his better judgement. Vin pulled back from the memory before he started wallowing in the recriminations of that act.

"They must have taken her straight after I left her then." Vin answered, meeting Chris' steely gaze. Despite himself, he tried not to let his voice waver as he asked his next question. "Was there any blood?"

Chris' gaze darted to Nathan's immediately because the gunslinger did not know. Nathan shook his head automatically, since that was the first thing he had sought out when J.D. discovered Alex was missing. "No, not a drop. She fought pretty hard though," he remarked. "Lots of things broken but no blood. They took her out of the house unhurt."

Nathan's last remark was meant to pacify Vin but it did nothing of the kind. "I need to look at the house." The tracker said abruptly and prompted the group into movement when he started towards the house.

"Vin, you okay?" Buck asked, seeing through the brave mask Vin was wearing and discovering the pure terror being carefully hidden, despite his attempt to stay focused.

"I have to be," Vin said as they left the main street and took the familiar path towards Alexandra Styles' clinic. "I'm no good to her if I ain't."

With that Buck dropped a few paces and let Vin leave him behind. He had to admire Vin's ability to keep his cool. In that way, he was very much like the way Chris used to be before the fire that killed Sarah and Adam. Buck sincerely hoped nothing would happen to Vin that would change him in the same way.

"Buck," Nathan's hand rested on his shoulder as the healer came up behind him.

Nathan had been surprisingly quiet since Chris Larabee had delivered the news about Alex. Buck knew that Nathan also cared for Alex just as deeply for Vin even though his affection was of a completely different nature. If Vin felt terrible fear for Alex's safety then Nathan felt guilt with equal intensity. The only reason Alex had been targeted like she had the past few days is because of her close friendship with Nathan. Serfonteine was doing exactly what Nathan said he would and Buck was starting to wonder if there was any way to end this situation without getting bloody.

"What's up Nathan?" He asked, seeing the darkness in his friend's eyes.

"Before we get to Alex's, I need a little favour." Nathan replied, drawing him further away from the others without their noticing.

Buck looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and caution. "What sort of favour?"

Nathan explained quickly and Buck felt his chest tightened at what the man was asking him but Nathan made a good argument for his point of view and Buck could see no reason to refuse him. Perhaps from the instant that Nicholas Serfonteine had rode into town, Nathan Jackson had been tumbling towards this particular moment. Sometimes, there was no avoid destiny, whatever the good intentions.

"Are you sure about this?" Buck asked quietly, knowing from personal experience how bad this could be.

"It's the only way for it to be over." Nathan replied with honestly, deciding that Buck deserved that much at least.

"Okay," Buck finally conceded. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

The truth was, Nathan did not know anything at all, about himself or what he was set upon doing. All he could say for certain that he was tired and weary and to get on with his life from this point onwards, there needed to be an end to this.

Julia Pemberton knew about the fire but saw no reason to leave her home since there was little she could do about it. At the moment, she felt there was nothing she could contribute to the fire fighting efforts of the town folk and in truth, she could not bear being around so many people at this time. Instead, she was content to watch most of it from her bedroom window since she did not sleep well these days. Julia was somewhat aware of what had been going on in town with the arrival of Nicholas Serfonteine. Ezra had made some attempt to tell her about it and she now felt a little guilty remembering how uninterested she had been at the time.

Julia sat on her window sill and watched the bodies moving outside her window. They were hurrying from one place to another, trying to keep track of each concentrated glow of amber in the night sky. Clad in her nightdress, the woman stared past the glass with her chin resting on her knees as she watched the world moved past her, oblivious to the anguish hidden beneath the surface of her eyes. Over the years, Julia and guilt had very little to say to each other. She felt twinges of it sometimes, allowing it to infect her conscience with its whispers of reproach. However, for most part, Julia paid it very little heed.

Now all she seemed to feel was guilt and looking Ezra in the eyes and keeping the truth away from him was becoming harder by the moment. Alexandra Styles had sought to help her by feeding Ezra the lie about the baby. For that, the doctor had won Julia's undying friendship and loyalty, a thing she gave to almost no one other than Ezra Standish. Alex had no reason to help Julia and every reason to see her humiliated but Alex had not done that and had saved her. The shame that Julia felt for taking Ezra the way she had burned into her along with the rest of her numerous sins.

Alex had believed she was doing the right thing and at the time, Julia saw no reason to argue with her. However, Julia had made a promise to Ezra when they had consummated their love for the first time that there would no secrets and this one was a secret he needed to know because not telling him was killing her.

Julia caught sight of J.D. Dunne moving past the Emporium and realized the young man was on his way to her house. There was concern etched in his face and the degree of it immediately placed Julia on guard.

Quickly, she climbed off the window sill and hurried to her bed where her dressing gown was slung over the end bed post. Slipping the silken material over her skin, Julia padded across the room and made her way to the front door. She was hardly garbed appropriately for visitors but she neither had the energy or inclination to go rummaging through her wardrobe for what was mostly likely a five minute encounter with the young Mr. Dunne.

Julia had reached her front door and held it open by the time J.D. stepped onto the path leading to the front porch. "What can I do for you Mr. Dunne?" Julia asked as he approached her.

J.D. took his hat off in a gesture of politeness and responded. He tried not to notice that she was still in her nightclothes and was confused that Ezra had not come out to greet him, particularly after what Vin said about Ezra's hasty departure after receiving his message. "Good evening ma'am, I was just looking for Ezra."

Julia looked at him blankly. "I thought he was in town dealing with our little inferno."

"No ma'am," J.D. shook his head. "Vin said he got a message during the fire and he left pretty quickly. We thought it must have been from you."

"I did not send any message." Julia frowned.

"That's weird." J.D. replied, looking confused. The others were certain Ezra would be here since no one had seen him for some time. With all of Julia's health troubles lately, they had assumed the message he had received from her indicated some new problem but the woman before him seemed fine. More than fine actually, in her nightgown that accentuated every curve on her body. Suddenly, J.D. felt another deep longing to see Casey.

"Has anyone seen him?" Julia asked, feeling her own concern for her lover mount at this unexpected news.

"Not since he got that message and took off." He replied. It took a further instant for him to realize why she was so worried for if Ezra was not with them and he had not arrived here, then where was he? "Chris sent me to fetch him because of Miss Alex."

Her eyes met his sharply. "What about Alex?" She demanded.

"Someone's kidnapped Alex. Chris is pretty sure that its Nicholas Serfonteine."

Julia's blood chilled with the realization that Alex might be in the hands of the men who were willing to burn down a town for their cause. She remembered the stories of the south, not to mention the abolitionist literature about slave owners and of course the book by Harriet Beecher Stowe. If even half of what was true then Alex was in very grave danger indeed.

"Come in." Julia retorted firmly. "I'm going to get dressed."

J.D. was about to offer a note of protest but the look he received from the fiery redhead was enough to freeze the word into submission. As she disappeared behind the door, J.D. took an exploratory step inside the house and shut the door behind him.

Miss Pemberton was the one he least understood among all the women held the hearts of his friends. She was dazzlingly pretty and even now, when she was disheveled and not properly attired, she put Violet Serfonteine to shame with all that young lady's finery and lace. However, there was something wild and dangerous about Julia Pemberton that warned any man in her proximity to approach at their caution. She was always nice enough to him though, J.D. had to admit and even offered advice sometimes on what to buy Casey on the occasions he had entered the Emporium to buy his girl a gift. She never made fun of him like Buck and the others and J.D. wondered what it was about him that made women like Inez, Mary and even Alex to some degree feel the need to provide him with nurturing support.

J.D. had to admit that he liked the smell of Miss Pemberton's house. For some reason, it reminded him of his mother's bedroom. There was always a faint whiff of perfume in the air, telling him most definitely that despite all the hard work and scrubbed floors, there was still a woman beneath her weathered exterior. Miss Pemberton's home had the same comforting aroma.

She appeared a moment later, dressed in navy blue dress, her red hair piled onto of her head and held in place with pins and clips. Julia's jaw seemed set as she walked towards him. "Let's go."

"Begging your pardon ma'am but there ain't much you can do." J.D. pointed out.

"I'm not going to be biting my finger nails in this house, waiting for some news about whether Ezra or Alex is alive or dead." She declared in a tone of voice that indicated she was hearing no argument on this matter. She walked past him and headed for the door, leaving J.D. no choice but to follow her as she prepared to lock it.

"So do they have any idea at all where Alex might be?" Julia asked. At this stage, it was too soon to assume that Ezra was missing, not until a proper search of the town was made, even Julia knew that.

"Not a one." J.D. replied gravely. "We know Serfonteine has been making a lot of friends in town and I don't think he'd be fool enough to stay here if he's got Alex."

Julia tended to agree. "So we're just going to sit and wait?"

"Vin's at her house now, trying to find some tracks to give us some idea of which direction they might have gone."

That did not sound very optimistic to Julia. Although the tracker's skills were reputed to be impressive, it would take time to use that method to find Alex and time was a commodity they were sorely lacking. "Is there no other way?"

"Vin will find her." J.D. said with utter confidence in his comrade.

"I'm sure he will," Julia replied as they walked towards town.

"This wouldn't have happened if I could have just got Violet to talk." He grumbled under his breath. "It was such a good idea at the time, getting to know her. I thought I might be able to get her to tell us what we wanted to know."

"Who is Violet?" Julia asked confused. Ezra's reluctance to trouble her with anything that might cause her undue stress the past weeks had kept her unapprised of many things. Getting him to talk about Serfonteine was difficult enough and because Julia got the impression that Ezra found the whole subject distasteful, she had not pressed him to tell her.

J.D. proceeded to tell the Emporium owner all about Violet Serfonteine and how he had struck up a kind of friendship with her during her stay in Four Corners. He had intended Violet to provide him with a source of information regarding Serfonteine's activities but all it had served was his learning everything there was to know about Georgia high society.

Julia could tell by the manner in which J.D. spoke that he was most disappointed by his lack of success and the more he told her about Violet, the more Julia began to understand the young woman. She was a typical society debutante, trading on her looks to get by and using her charm to hide what lay underneath. The parallels gave Julia some cause for amusement. The more J.D. spoke about Violet Serfonteine, the more Julia Pemberton knew her and suddenly the means to get the information they needed to find out where Alex and possibly Ezra were, presented itself to her.

She glanced at J.D. wondering if the young man would be willing to help her do this thing. Although J.D.'s determination to help his friends could never be questioned, Julia knew that he had a strong streak of what was right or wrong and what she planned on doing most definitely fell into the category of really, really wrong. However, if either Ezra or Alex were in the hands of the Klan then their survival depended on how quickly the rest of the seven could reach them. If there was to be any rescue, it had to be done now, before any more time was allowed to pass.

"J.D., if Violet knows where her brother is, I can get it from her." She said quietly.

J.D. paused and looked at her, skeptical at first.

"Ma'am?" His disbelief showed in his face. "How?"

"Do you trust me?" Julia asked, staring into his uncertain eyes.

J.D. did not know what to say because he did not know her well enough to trust her and from what he knew of her from other sources, Julia had not exactly behaved accordingly after the triangle involving her, Alex and Ezra. However, if there was even a chance that she could get Violet to reveal Serfonteine's location, then it could not be wasted.

"I don't know you enough to trust you ma'am." J.D. replied honestly. "But if you can make her tell us what we need to know, I'm willing to try anything."

"Good," Julia smiled, deciding that while it was not the answer she hoped for, it would simply have to do. "Now take me to her. Miss Violet and I need to have a good talk."

Violet Serfonteine slept soundly even though outside her window chaos was ensuring. She slept the sleep of the blissfully ignorant and had no conscience to speak of that could ever be bothered by all the destruction being wrought by her absent brother. Hers was a world of cotillions and parties, of expensive ballroom gowns and Europeans designer labels. She had been waited upon hand and foot from the moment of her birth and had been bred to be nothing but beautiful and to have contempt for anything that was not as picture perfect as her or as white.

When she heard the door knocking in the small hours of the night, she had not even been aware that half the town was awake and desperately attempting to put out the fires that were raging in differing locations at the same time. Violet climbed out of bed, wondering who on earth would disturb her sleep at this hour and knew that it could not be Nicholas for he had his own keys to the suite of rooms they occupied and would know better than to wake her this way.

As she got dressed, she glanced out the window and saw the chaos in the street below. Violet allowed herself a smile knowing that Nicholas had created all that discourse and knew that he had struck a decidedly vital blow in the name of their cause. Violet completely supported the Klan movement and agreed wholeheartedly with Nicholas vision of the future. She wanted thing to be the way they once were in the South, the way her mother had spoken of it so fondly and niggers and other mongrel races knew their place in the world.

"I do declare, whomever you are had better have a good reason for this late intrusion." Violet grumbled as she swung open the door and found herself standing before Julia Pemberton and J.D. Dunne. It was J.D. she recognized first even though it was Julia who stood at the door first. J.D. nudged himself past Julia as he stepped forward to greet Violet for this late visit.

"I'm sorry Violet," J.D. said quickly. "We don't mean to bother you so late but we have need of your help?"

"Really?" Violet responded, making no attempt to let them into the room. It was plain improper to let J.D. inside and she did not know this woman who was watching her through narrowed eyes like a cat about to spring.

"May we speak inside." Julia made herself heard. "I am Julia Pemberton," the older woman introduced herself. "I own the Emporium in Four Corners."

"It is late. ." Violet started to protest when Julia cut her off.

"It is essential to your brother's life that we speak to you." Julia replied, leaving J.D. confused at the tactic the woman was taking to deceive her way into Violet's room.

The possibility that Nicholas might be in any form of danger did capture Violet's attention and for a few seconds, the young woman bit her lip trying to decide what to do. The expression in Julia's eyes and J.D.'s nervousness did indicate that they had something important to tell her and Violet could not endure having this conversation in the hallway much longer. Finally she relented and opened the door wider to permit the duo entry.

J.D. had been given very specific instructions by Julia before arriving at the hotel to allow her to do most of the talking. Julia knew exactly what it took to make Violet talk and she did not want to prolong the experience any more than she had to endure it.

"What is this about?" Violet asked, her impatience quickly dwindling. "What do you mean Nicholas is in danger?"

Julia drifted carefully to the doorway, barring it should the young woman try to make an escape when the game was afoot. "Nicholas is in danger if the law catches up to him. At this moment, he is responsible for arson, kidnapping and possibly murder of two people. Now you can make it easier on yourself by telling us where he has gone or you can be charged as an accomplice."

"What?" Violet almost laughed at the notion. "What is this J.D.?" She turned her gaze to the town sheriff. "You have no proof of anything Nicholas has done, even if I did know what you were talking about. I can't believe you would come here spreading such vicious lies!" Her blue eyes started to well with tears and J.D. looked decidedly uncomfortable.

"Oh please Violet!" Julia exclaimed. "I know that trick well and I'm better at it than you are to be fooled by any performance you might attempt. Now, I think your brother has captured a dear friend of mine not to mention the man I love because of the twisted belief he has that white means better. I don't give a damn about those ideas or anything else you and your racist bunch of moronic friends may have to spout but I do give a damn about Alexandra Styles and Ezra Standish so you better tell us what you know."

"I don't have to tell you anything!" She hissed, her eyes narrowing and suddenly J.D. realized she knew exactly where Nicholas was as well as everything her brother had done in the name of the Klan. His stomach hollowed, thinking how he could have been so blind by thinking her innocent of her brother's insane ideas. Julia walked towards Violet, her eyes shifting to the side table next to the door long enough to see the letter opener that sat on the edge of it. In a flash, she had snatched the object from its resting-place and was on Violet before J.D. could even blink. The young man watched with his jaw open as Julia slammed Violet against the nearest wall, with her forearm pressed into the southerner's throat and the edge of blade up against Violet's cheek.

J.D. took a step forward when Julia stopped him with a look. "Stay where you are." She ordered coldly.

"How dare you!" Violet squealed. "Are you insane?" The young woman looked to J.D. for assistance but the young sheriff was torn. He knew this should not be allowed to continue but as much as he disliked her methods, he was compelled to let Julia finish because they did need to know where Alex and Ezra were. Julia was just doing this to frighten Violet into telling they what they needed to know, wasn't she?

Julia turned her attention back to Violet, her emerald eyes blazing. "He's not going to help you and I may be insane or maybe perfectly reasonable but that's not your concern. All you need to understand is that I do not care about your cause or your brother. All I care about is Ezra and Alex and where they are. Nothing else matters to me, Violet."

"What will you do kill me?" Violet retorted even though she was very afraid but there was still enough defiance left inside her to resist.

"I won't kill you," Julia said coolly and immediately saw the relief flood the girl's eyes and J.D.'s as well. The boy was torn between doing what was right and loyalty to the friends who were in danger at this moment. Julia did not care what his conscience was doing as long as he did not interfere with what she needed to do.

"I won't kill you," Julia repeated. "But I will make sure that when I'm through with you, no one will ever forget your face."

Violet's eyes widened with stark terror, as she understood the threat that was being made. "You wouldn't." She said in a strangled whisper of fear.

Julia smiled. "Trust me, if we do not leave here with what we need to know, I will personally tear your face apart until the only way you can walk through the streets without twisting people with disgust, is with a veil!"

Violet felt the blade bite into her skin. .

Five minutes later, J.D. and Julia were on their way to Alex's clinic where the rest of the seven were congregated as they prepared to begin their search for Alex. At the moment, none of them were aware that Ezra was missing as well but J.D. was comforted by the fact that at least he would have something to present Chris Larabee when he delivered that news. A part of him was still astonished by how Julia had managed to get the information that would now lead them to where Alex and Ezra if he was indeed under the ministrations of Nicholas Serfonteine.

As they walked down the boardwalk, J.D. could not help but giving Julia a look that bordered on surprise and fascinated horror. "That's an approach I would never have thought would work." He confessed.

Julia smiled faintly and knew that she had shaken the young man considerably with her actions. However, the past week had brought out her mean streak and it was time people remembered what it was to interfere with Julia Pemberton and her own. "Of course not, you're a man."

J.D. tried not to be offended because she did succeed in what she had set out to do. "How did you know that would get to her?" He had to ask.

"Its easy," Julia met his gaze. "It would get to me."

Some miles from Four Corners, Mrs. Jacobson was staring at an orange sky that did not come in the direction of Four Corners, but from a familiar grove that was located on the Jacobson spread. She was tempted to leave her home and investigate the source of the fire but knew to do so was to invite the wrath of her husband who was at this moment entertaining company at that very location.

Margaret Jacobson did not like her husband Paul's new acquaintances but as a God fearing Christian woman who believed in the Bible without question or doubt, she had to admit that some of Nicholas Serfonteine's words had struck a chord. Perhaps she was not as certain as she wished she could be about Serfonteine's words regarding the Negroes and other races in town but her husband believed and thus she was duty bound to do so as well. Besides, the immorality of Alexandra Styles' behaviour could not be denied.

"What's going on mama?" Susie asked, the sounds of horses and loud voices in the distant having driven her from her bed.

"You just go back to bed!" Mrs. Jacobson barked. "There's nothing out there you need to know!"

Susie turned away, hurt shown in her stung face as she retreated back towards her bed room and Mrs. Jacobson returned to her observations through the window, not bothering to turn around to see if her daughter had gone because Susie knew better than to be insolent. Mrs. Jacobson saw the flames in the distant and repeated to herself even more quietly.

"Nothing out there anyone ought to know."

Ezra knew where he was, unfortunately being unable to tell anyone else made the information little more than useless to him. He recognized the Jacobson place from the numerous times he had ridden past on the way to Sweet Water and was gratified to some degree that at least, they were not too far away from town if anyone were to come looking. He had met Paul Jacobson on occasions in the saloon and sometimes saw him around town. There was nothing to indicate that Jacobson had that kind of hate buried inside of him waiting Nicholas to unleash it.

Still, the argument was academic as they rode onto the property and towards the clearing in the distance that seemed to be the place to be tonight if one was a Klansmen.

He wished he had been able to tell Chris and the others about this place but supposed he should be grateful that Nicholas was finally making an effort to involve Ezra in his affairs. Perhaps now, they would be able to put an end to this odious affair and be rid of the Klansmen once and for all. Ezra wanted that very much for Nathan Jackson and Alexandra Styles. It surprised him just how far he had come in his beliefs since meeting these two extraordinary individuals.

When Ezra had first met Nathan, he could barely offer a civil word to the healer, let alone consider him a friend and equal. If it was not for what Nathan had taught him, he would never have come to care for Alex the way he had. They entered the grove on horseback and saw at least a dozen men in the space surrounded by trees with a healthy bonfire burning in the centre of the clearing. All were garbed in white sheets, with their faces hidden beneath the masks that allowed to commit all kinds of acts without fear of discovery. Ezra could not help thinking that every one of them were cowards because they did not even have the courage to show their faces in light of their supposedly pure belief. The atmosphere was one of celebration, no doubt for the destruction they had caused in Four Corners tonight at having struck a blow for the white man. He saw bottles of liquor being passed about the group who taking greedy swigs as they pulled up their masks high enough to drink.

"The occasion seems quite festive." Ezra commented as he watched the revelries.

"We have much cause to celebrate." Micawber replied as they rode their horses to where the other member's animals were corralled. "While things may have progressed a little out of hand tonight. Essentially, we achieved much of what we set out to do."

"That is something I suppose, although it is hard for me to appreciate your victory when my saloon was one of your targets." Ezra retorted, unable to hide the resentment from his voice.

"Now, I understand your distress Mr. Standish," Nicholas assured him. "It was merely an unfortunate circumstance that allowed your business to attacked. However, you must understand that having a woman and a Mexican as your business partner is hardly appropriate."

Ezra showed no reaction to the obvious jibe to provoke him. Nicholas was attempting to discern his loyalties and to Ezra refused to bite. With a measured voice, he looked the man square in the eye and replied with his best poker face. "My mother hired the young woman in question," Ezra retorted. "I had no choice in the matter."

"My mother used to be similarly wilful," Nicholas admitted as they dismounted to join the party being held. "You have my sympathies."

"Thank you." Ezra said graciously as Nicholas led them past the robed ghouls who were drinking prodigiously and becoming more intoxicated by the moment. Some were having difficulty staying on their feet and Ezra swore inwardly that he had been unable to get word to Chris about this little gathering. It would be a simple matter of apprehending all of them in the state of inebriation they were presently in.

"So where is your friend Mr. Lamont?" Ezra asked as he followed Nicholas past the main body of celebration to a wood shed that lay just beyond the edge of the clearing and shrouded by tall elm trees. "I have not heard you mention him all evening."

Nicholas glanced over his shoulder and met Micawber's eyes with a smile that immediately put Ezra on guard for some reason. Something about the question was a source of great amusement to Nicholas Serfonteine and it made all the hairs on the back of Ezra's neck immediately stand on end. Suddenly, Ezra was visited with a strong premonition that something was about to hit him with the force of a locomotive and whatever it was, it would not at all be pleasant.

"Mr. Lamont had a special project to undertake tonight." Nicholas answered, still wearing that wide grin on his face as he continued walking out of the clearing and approached the woodshed. Ezra could see a light burning through the small window in the structure but could hear nothing of what might be transpiring inside.

"That sounds intriguing." Ezra said distractedly, more interested in what was happening inside the shed than anything the man might be saying.

"It should be," Nicholas grinned even wider now. "It was done in your honour."

Ezra froze, not liking the sound of that at all. "Whatever do you mean?" He said flawlessly hiding his surprise once more except this time, that ominous feeling had returned with a vengeance and was twisting his insides into knots from the sheer anticipation of what these men had waiting for him inside that shed. A terrible suspicion was starting to emerge inside him like the stench of foul water rising from some bayou bog.

They paused outside the shed and he could hear the laughter of two distinct voices. The crack of light beneath the door revealed the bodies that were moving inside with the shadows that fell across the illumination on occasion. Nicholas turned to him at that point and responded. "Its not that we don't trust you Mr. Standish, but I think I'd like to have your guns."

Ezra stiffened at the suggestion, disliking that idea with almost as much passion with what was inside that shack. "I'd like to keep them on me if you do not mind. In my line of work, its not wise to be unarmed."

Nicholas' expression hardened and while he still wore that amiable facade, his eyes told a different story. "You are in no danger here, Mr. Standish."

Ezra glanced behind him at Micawber and noticed the older man's hand to be poised over his own gun. He nodded at Ezra to fully express how serious they were about this request and Ezra could not hope to draw without Micawber blowing a decidedly large hole through his back. While most men considered this a most odious form of attack, Ezra knew the type who would burn down a building with women and children inside would have no trouble shooting a man in the back.

Reluctantly, he had no choice but to capitulate to their demands and hoped it would not cost him his life. Slowly, he unbuckled the clasps and let the gun belt slacken around his waist. Freeing himself of his weapons, he handed the entire arsenal to Nicholas Serfonteine's expectant hands. "I am wounded by this lack of trust but I suppose if that is what it takes."

"It will take a little bit more than disarmament." Nicholas answered and turned towards the shed. He twisted the knob and entered the doorway, confident that Ezra would follow him inside, not just to satisfy the lawmen's own curiosity but also because Micawber was not about to let him leave.

It was time to see exactly where Mr. Ezra Standish's loyalties lay.

Alex was crouched in a corner of the room, staring at the man called Francis Lamont in a mixture of terror and pure hatred. She felt blood running down her split cheek and tasted its salt in her mouth from the torn corner of her lip. Her jaw ached and she did not have to see the bruise to know that there was swelling. She could feel it under her jaw line, throbbing with a heated pulse that only she could hear or feel. Absurdly, she thought what a sight she must have appeared and wished he would at least take off his ring if he was going to hit her again.

He watched her closely as he walked across the room back and forth, pacing the floor as he kept her under close observation. His eyes never left her face and Alex could almost see the traces of the psychosis that made him a psychopath. If it was possible for him to start foaming at the mouth, Alex would almost have believed it. Whatever was holding him back was diminishing fast and Alex could tell just by the way his eyes glared at her that the moment was fast approaching when he would come after her unrestrained. Alex could tell from the look of him that he wanted to hurt her so badly he could almost taste it.

Unconsciously, she remembered what state she had found Inez in after the men who raped her were done. The terror that struck the doctor's heart knowing that this man intended to do that to her and worse was enough to drive the reason from her mind and tear the scream he wanted so badly to hear from her. Alex had so far denied it to him, no matter how much he had hit her, no matter how much he ran his hands over her body, probing places that almost made her wretch from the disgust of his touch. She had endured it the best she could, feeling revulsion in every second of torture she was forced to suffer because pride refuse to let her beg for it to end. Allowing him that indignity was even worse then all the threats he had made since they had dragged her kicking and screaming from her house.

"Soon," he said coming towards her. "Soon, we can really play."

Alex did not speak as she saw him approach because she was too busy steeling himself for the next series of abuses at this man's hands. Lamont came right up to Alex, kicking away the remnants of the dress that he had torn off her back. She was dressed in her underthings, knowing that he was itching to do worse to her but was held back by instructions given to him by Serfonteine. Alex could not fathom what was the reason for the delay but any extra time before he was allowed to satisfy his desires was welcome.

The second man in the room was hidden behind his white robes but Lamont did not seem to hold any fears that she might identify him later on. Because of this, Alex knew with certainty that he could only be so bold if there was never any intention of her being freed alive. Without doubt, she knew that when they were done with her, she would die. Despite her attempts not to show her fear, Alex knew she was starting to tremble with fright when Lamont dropped to his knees before her.

"You're not so uppity now are you?" He said with a smile. He was all swagger and arrogance, perfectly aware that if she were to fight, his friend behind him would be upon her in a moment, holding her down as he taught her the error of her ways. Grabbing hold of her hair, he pulled her off her feet and Alex had no choice but to stand up with him. She felt his breath on his skin as he held her face before his, determined that she was witness to everything that would happen to her. This bastard wanted her to endure and he also wanted her to see it.

"Where's your tracker now?" He hissed cruelly, content in his belief that Vin Tanner would never reach her in time to save her from what he had planned.

Alex did not answer because he was doing this to taunt her and a response was the least she could keep from him. When she did not speak, Lamont pressed his mouth against hers, in a kiss that was meant to be an act of humiliation for her rather than pleasure for him. Lamont would have pleasure when Serfonteine finally made his appearance.

Alex felt his tongue probing inside her mouth and felt her stomach heave in disgust. His breath smelled of the alcohol and tobacco and made her push away. Although her hands were tied up in front of her, she still had enough flexibility to shove him aside roughly while at the same time biting down on his lower lip. He cried out as he stumbled backwards and Alex allowed herself a slight measure of satisfaction to know that she had drawn blood. Lamont wiped his stinging mouth and saw blood where her teeth had broken skin. Lashing out, he swatted her aside with a backhanded blow across the face.

She fell down just as the door swung open and Serfonteine walked into the room. Lamont halted his approach towards Alex at the arrival of his leader. "Its about damn time!" He exclaimed, his speech slightly slurred because of the liquor he had consumed in the past hours.

Alex felt her heart started to pound because until this point, the only thing that had been holding back this rabid animal from doing his worst was the absence of Nicholas Serfonteine. She scrambled across the floor back into the wall, as if being in the corner would allow her to be forgotten by this men. However as Nicholas entered the confines of the small shack, Alex saw that he was not alone.

Ezra was with him.

Oh Jesus.

It was the first thought that crossed his mind when he walked into the shack with Serfonteine and Micawber. It was soon to be followed with a violent surge of anger as he saw Alex cowering in fear at the corner of the room, having clearly suffered the worst excesses of Francis Lamont's sadistic pleasures. Her dress was nothing more than tattered remains on the dirt covered floor and she was cringing in her undergarments, her face covered in blood and the bruises to her skin was apparent despite her dark colouring.

Ezra was speechless as he stood there staring at her and feeling his heart shudder by the sheer desperation in her eyes. A part of him was furious that Vin could have let his guard down long enough to let her be taken away to endure this savagery. His hands against his sides clenched into fists as he turned his glare on Lamont who was obviously enjoying every second of this experience. Ezra never wanted to kill anyone so badly in his life and took some comfort in the fact that that his own rage would pale in comparison to Vin's when the tracker learnt what had happened. If Lamont had his head attached to his body after that encounter, Ezra would be mildly surprised.

"Now Lamont," Nicholas responded as he took a closer step towards Alex to observe how she had been treated at the hand of his comrade. Her eyes were still focused on Ezra and Nicholas did not miss the look of hope in her face. "Do not be so impatient." He turned to Lamont who was itching to get a taste of the woman. In fact, having seen how she looked before this evening, Nicholas could admit to having a certain desire to sample the goods himself.

He knew it would certainly impressed Nathan Jackson to learn that he had.

"We had a deal." Lamont strode up to him, slightly unsteady on his feet. "She was supposed to be mine."

"Things change." Nicholas said glancing at Ezra who still looking at Alex and was trying to hide his shock. For once, Nicholas observed, he did not manage to hold his expression as neutrally as he would like. "She is an offering to our guest here."

Ezra blinked and met his gaze directly. "I beg your pardon?"

"This is your initiation ceremony," Nicholas said grandiosely. "Come now Mr. Standish, you did want to join the fold did you not?"

"I want to join the fold," Ezra found his voice. "But I do not rape women." He was trying very hard no to lose his temper because he had to get her out of here and Ezra needed the time to think of plan to do that. Whatever happened to him was inconsequential. Alex could not be allowed to remain here any longer. He could see precisely what these men had in mind for Alex and Ezra would not permit it. He would not permit it because Vin would never forgive himself and because Ezra could not live knowing he had stood by and let this atrocity take place.

"She is hardly untouched." Nicholas nodded a gesture at Lamont who immediately staggered forward and wrenched Alex from the corner she was taking up refuge. Dragging her to her feet, Ezra tried not to react as Lamont dragged her across the floor towards them. Alex did not struggle and Ezra was relieved that she was smart enough not to provoke them. As he met her eyes, he hoped she could read his expression to know that he was not going to let anything harm her.

"From what I understand," Nicholas replied, running a hand across her cheek while Lamont held her in place with his arm locked across her neck. "You and she have had a history together have you not?"

"That was a long time ago." Ezra said quickly, thinking hard over what he should do. There were four of them and only two bullets in the derringer that was secreted up the sleeve of his shirt. Outside there were a dozen more men who well armed and help was nowhere in sight. The odds were not good, not good at all. A gambling man knew that it was not wise to play against the house with those cards in hand.

"I will do whatever you require me to do to join your organization but I will not rape anyone, whether or not she is willing or untouched." Ezra replied firmly knowing that they were waiting to see what he would do. Of the four in the room, it was Micawber behind him and the fourth man in the robes that were armed. Serfonteine probably had a weapon on him but it was not where to be seen at the moment. Ezra estimated that it would take time for him to retrieve it from inside his coat. Lamont on the other hand was unarmed and was obviously drunk. Whatever Ezra intended to do to free Alex, Micawber and the other would have to be taken out first.

God, he hoped he was that fast.

"If you don't have the stomach for this," Lamont caressed his cheek with Alex's hair. "I'll do her and you can watch or is that too much for you as well?"

"You will watch Mr. Standish," Nicholas said firmly. "You will watch and you will be present for every scream and every whimper for then and only then will I know that you are with us completely because you will be an accomplice to whatever takes place tonight."

"I am willing to do that." Ezra pretended to agree and saw Alex's eyes flare in panic, fear was starting make her doubt him. Ezra tried not to be wounded by that assumption and knew that she had every reason to feel fear. That she was not a quivering wreck by this point was a testament to her resolve but he could see it starting to dwindle.

"Well," Nicholas turned to Lamont. "Francis, it does appear that you will get your wish after all. She is yours." A truly evil smile stole across Lamont's features as he was finally given permission to indulge in what he had desired for so long. With that sinister gleam in his eyes, Ezra knew that time had finally run out.

He had to act and he had to do it now.

With reflexes that were known to even best Chris Larabee at times, Ezra spun around and produced the derringer carefully hidden under the sleeve of his shirt. Without having to think twice, since he knew who his targets were and more importantly where they were positioned, he fired at Micawber first.

Micawber who was standing directly behind him took the tiny bullet in the centre of his forehead, killing him instantly. Before anyone could even react, Ezra moved to his next target and pulled the trigger just as swiftly.

By the time Micawber's lifeless legs had buckled underneath him, the Klansmen in the robes had met a similar end. Serfonteine was going for his gun when Ezra spun around and slammed the small gun in his face. There was sufficient steel in the tiny weapon to sent Serfonteine staggering back and Alex having pushed to the brink, sunk her teeth into Lamont's arm. The man screamed and released his hold of her.

"Get out of here!" Ezra ordered, knowing it would be less than seconds before the others descended upon the shack because the derringer though small, when fired its compact build masked nothing. The men outside would have undoubtedly heard the shots by now.

"But. ." Alex stammered, torn between her desire to escape and her concern for him.

"Alexandra go!" Ezra ordered sternly. "NOW!"

She needed no further encouragement than that before whirling around and doing as he asked. Ezra did not even look to see if she had cleared the door before he noticed that Lamont and Serfonteine had recovered enough. Ezra had never intended on escaping, despite his strong desire for self preservation. If he could keep them busy for awhile, Alex could put enough distance between herself and these bastards to reach safety.

"Stupid." Serfonteine snarled as he finally produced the gun that had been hidden inside the folds of his jacket and had not been fast enough to retrieve before Ezra had managed to kill Micawber and the other Klansmen. "I thought you would have been worthy of what we had to offer."

"I am happy to disappoint you," Ezra sighed, allowing the derringer with its empty chambers to drop from his hand.

"You coward!" Lamont rose to his feet and struck Ezra across the jaw.

Ezra wore the blow easily and merely shook it off because Lamont was drunk and there was not much strength to it. Its effect would mostly be felt on unarmed women. "This changes nothing! I am still going to have her!"

"Then you'd better get going Francis." Serfonteine said sharply without even looking at him. His eyes were too filled with hatred and disgust for Ezra to warrant giving his friend a second look.

"If you don't mind," Lamont sneered derisively at Ezra. "I won't bring her back straight away," he paused and took a step closer to the gambler so there could be no mistaking what he intended to do if he found Alexandra Styles. "She and I have some quality time to spend together."

With that, Lamont hurried out the door. His departure coincided with several other Klansmen making their entry into the room. Within moment, Ezra was completely surrounded as their arrival destroyed any possibility that he might have of overpowering Nicholas Serfonteine and making his escape.

"Now Mr. Standish," Serfonteine glared at him with cold rage. "We'll show you what we do to nigger lovers."

TO BE CONTINUED