Epilogue

Aftermath

"Chris!" Vin Tanner called out as he and Ezra Standish entered the Pemberton Emporium, following their encounter with the two mercenaries that had been sent to shoot Chris down from the roof. Although the lawmen had made short work of them, Vin was nevertheless concerned when they discovered that Chris was no longer there and could not imagine any reason why the gunslinger would leave unless something was terribly wrong.

"They were in the basement." Ezra informed automatically, limping through the main floor of the deserted store. He was accustomed to seeing this place filled with people shopping, women gaggling like geese as they caught up on gossip inside the ice creamery/ caf that were on premises, not to mention a whole host of activity that made the quiet seemed terribly disconcerting now.

"You ought to take it easy on that leg," Vin remarked as he saw Ezra wince in pain with every step. A blood soaked handkerchief was tied firmly around it for the moment but Vin knew the injury needed tending to soon and did not envy how much work Alex had in front of her now that most of the fighting was done.

"I assure you Mr. Tanner," Ezra replied as they descended the stairs that took them into the lower levels of the building. "I am motivated purely out of self interest to reach the basement, since that is the present place of residence for the only doctor of note at this time."

Vin did not argue with him but was certain that his reasons had more to do with the fact that Julia was down there and considering how she had acquired the Quint woman's enmity, Ezra would not rest until he knew she was safe.

"Chris!" Vin called out again as they descended and heard a response a moment later.

"Down here!" The familiar voice of Chris Larabee answered as they stepped onto the storeroom and found the gunslinger being examined by Alex while Julia stood close by. In the other corner of the room, lying amongst a collection of up ended boxes was Selena Quint appearing very much in the past tense. The scene was enough to give both men concern as they approached.

"Ezra!" Julia let out a sigh of relief as she saw him appear and wasted no time leaving the others and running into his embrace. She hugged him tight and notice the slight grimace on his features when she made contact.

"Don't tell me you're hurt again." She eyed him with a hint of teasing.

"Thank you my dear," he grumbled. "You're compassion is overwhelming." However, the expression of how they felt was obvious to anyone who truly knew them as they exchanged a private smile meant only for each other.

Alex looked over her shoulder long enough to flash Vin a faint smile even though inside, she was bursting with happiness at seeing he was alive and well.

However, at the present moment she was too focused on examining the extent of the damage done to Chris when he had gone hand to hand with Selena Quint. "Hey cowboy," she met his eyes long enough to tell him that she was very glad to see him and Vin understood all too well why she was not stopping to give him a more expressive reception.

"How you doing pard?" Vin dropped to his knees next to Alex as she worked on Chris.

Chris seemed in genuine pain and it seeped through his normally indifferent features, which liked to hide discomfort as part of his tough image. That Vin could see it now was a testament to how bad the pain must be and decided he was unsurprised to find Chris out of bed where he should have been resting following his injuries.

"I've been better." Chris answered after a moment.

"No kidding." Alex retorted, interrupting them both when she had removed the bandages and examined the gunslinger's chest. As expected, he had burst stitches and blood was exuding from his discolored flesh. "You are so going to stay in bed for the next month even if I have to...what's that thing you men do with rope?"

"Lasso?" Vin suggested helpfully.

"Lasso you, Mr. Larabee." Alex continued.

"Is she always like this?" Chris met his gaze with a frown.

"Don't get me started." Vin shook his head in response. "The sheriff at Sweet Water was rounding up a posse at dawn. They should be here soon."

"Good," Chris nodded grimly, the momentary levity having dissolved to the more serious matters of their present predicament. "How is it out there?"

"Amazingly enough," Ezra replied before Vin could. "We have managed to hold the brigands off quite well. We naturally acquired some losses yet but it was nowhere as bad as we imagined it was going to be."

"Everyone pulled together," Julia pointed out. "It was quite amazing."

"Oh by the way Vin," Chris said suddenly, his lips curling into the faintest tinge of a smile as he gestured the tracker closer. "About you leaving town?"

"I did what I had to do." Vin said firmly, having heard from Ezra and the others that Chris had not been happy to hear that he had left town on his own even if it was for the worthy cause of summoning help. He was not ashamed of what he had done and would follow the very same course of action again, if the situation demanded.

"I know," Chris replied, showing on some level he understood what Vin had done and the sentiments that had motivated his behaviour. "That's why I'm just going to do this instead of shooting you like I originally wanted." Without saying another word, he lashed out so quickly that Vin did not see the blow until the tracker had fallen over.

"Thanks pard," Vin replied picking himself off the floor and rubbing his jaw. "You're all heart."

By the time the posse finally arrived in Four Corners, most of the mercenaries had fled following the death of both Diaz and Selena Quint. What stragglers remained were taken care of easily by the lawmen and Four Corners found itself having passed through the eye of the needle with a cost in lives and property that was difficult to stomach. While casualties had been low, there were still a few dead and while the town itself had survived the fires, Four Corners took on the appearance of a community that had just survived a war. In essence, it had been something of a war but there was some pride to be had when it was all said and done. The community had held together and had emerged all the better for it.

The days that followed the siege were busy ones for everybody, in particular Alex. With Nathan off his feet, she was required to tend to all the medical needs in the town and she managed quite well with Rain at her side. As Alex had noticed earlier, the young woman made quite an effective nurse and seemed to be the only one who could manage Nathan with any ease since the healer was always trying to get out of his bed to see if anyone needed help. Mary was more than delighted to be able to take Chris home and take charge of his care, which was just as well because any more time under Alex's ministrations was going to cause blood to be spilled by either the doctor or patient.

"Miss Alex," Nathan protested when she came to check on him. "I'm all better. I can get around on a cane." It was just driving the healer insane to be hanging around the temporary hospital taking up residence in the schoolhouse, watching all those around him that needed help while he was trapped in this bed.

"Nathan, you must rest." Rain said giving Alex a weary sigh as if this was an argument she had heard one time too many today. "Your leg is far from better." She looked at him reproachfully and nestled herself onto the side of his bed, as if a constant vigil was the only way to ensure his cooperation.

"Is he still giving you trouble?" Buck Wilmington announced as he and the other lawmen made their way towards the healers bed for a visit. Understandably, Chris was the only one absent among the group since he was sentenced to strict confinement in the tender care of his wife for the next week or so.

"You have no idea," Alex replied, flashing a smile of welcome to Vin who gave her a light kiss on the lips when she joined him at his side, taking a moment to herself from her already too long day. Vin slid his arms around her waist and savoured having her close because they had been able to spend little time together since his return from Sweet Water. With the amount of injured people in Four Corners at the moment, this was as much intimacy as they would be sharing for a few days at least.

"It appears that your convalescence is progressing slowly." Ezra commented hobbling towards the chair at the side of Nathan's bed and pulling it close to the healer's side. The gambler's own injury had yet to erase the limp from his walk and he sympathized with Nathan, whose injury to his knee was far worse since he knew how frustrating this immobile state could be.

"Too long for my liking." Nathan groaned, easing back into his bed with an unhappy look on his face. "I've been stuck here like a pig in the mud."

"I have just the thing to occupy your time." Ezra said with usual smugness and produced a deck of cards. A collective groan from those present soon followed in the wake of this predictable gesture. It seemed like there was no occasion that could be spared the sacrilege of the gambler's favourite pastime.

"Why am I not surprised?" Josiah retorted, deciding that Ezra had no shame whatsoever.

"The man does deserve some respite," Ezra said defending himself as he started to deal the cards on the crisp white sheets and rewarded the others for their critique with a triumphant smile when Nathan picked up the cards to play. "We have been through some heady time these past few days." Ezra added, just to make conclude his argument.

"That's for sure." J.D. remarked when Buck followed quickly with a retort.

"How would you know?" The big man grinned. "You were making out with Casey when I ran into you."

"Buck!" J.D. hit him across the shoulder, crimson seeping into his face in embarrassment. Buck had taken a great deal of delight in telling the rest of the seven in what state he had found Casey and J.D. when they had come to the duo's rescue. While the others had been good enough to spare J.D. further humiliation by not referring to the subject any more, J.D. should have know that Buck was incapable of such restraint.

"Leave the poor kid alone." Vin said coming to J.D.'s defense, feeling that he should since Chris was absent. Besides, the whole thing had embarrassed J.D. enough without Buck adding further humiliation to his suffering. "You plan on staying Rain, after all this?" Vin asked, making a tactful chance of subject. It was a valid question after all, Rain had been accustomed to the simplicity of a small village and what had taken place in Four Corners over the last few days would allow anyone to be forgiven if they chose to abandoned the place.

"Yes," the young woman nodded. "Although I shall not be spending all my time at the saloon."

"You won't?" Nathan met her gaze and tried to hide his relief but it was apparent in his voice. "Why not?" He asked a moment later, with a little less enthusiasm in his voice.

"Mostly because of me." Alex declared. "The last few days, I've learn that there is one things that Four Corners needs more than two healers."

"A gambling casino?" Ezra suggested and Vin swatted him across the back of the head playfully.

"Actually," Alex gave the gambler a dark look and continued. "I meant a nurse. You and I need one Nathan and Rain is just a natural."

"That's a great idea." Nathan beamed and could agree with Alex's conclusions because he too had seen her with patients and knew that she was more than up to the task. Her manner with patients had made things a great deal smoother during the siege and he kind of liked the idea that some day, when he was a real doctor, she could work alongside him.

"I'm going to be training with Alex," Rain announced proudly, throwing the doctor a smile as she related her news. "But I'm still going to help Inez until the baby comes." She added just so that Nathan knew she had not conceded her plans because of any consideration to the prejudices he had about her working in that establishment.

"I am grateful for that my dear lady," Ezra tipped his hat graciously at her direction. "I am sure paying customers are going to have difficulty being served liquor by a lady in the family way. No offence intended of course." He glanced at Buck with a smug smile since it was his fault that she was in that position.

"None taken." Buck retorted but could not deny that he was glad that Rain would still be helping out Inez at the bar. Perfectly aware of how stubborn the love of his life could be, particularly about doing for herself, he did not want her to be lost of what help she did have. "I'll have you know Miss Rain that I am to contributing to Inez's situation myself."

"I kind of thought you did that already." Josiah could not help adding and elicited a burst of laughter from the group.

"Very funny." Buck muttered and made a face at the preacher that oozed displeasure.

"By the way," Nathan asked as he continued to play cards with Ezra. "How is Chris doing?"

"Well," Vin spoke up since he was last to see the gunslinger a short time ago. "He's mighty ornery. It seems Mary is keeping a closer eye on him than hawk on field mouse. He ain't going nowhere unless he wants to go through her."

"Good," Alex replied with some measure of satisfaction. "There's only so many ways I can sneak up on him and jab him in the butt with morphine." She grumbled.

"I won't ask you to explain that to me." Vin returned before addressing the others with some further news that Chris had told him during his visit to the Larabee home. "Mary wasn't able to find out anything about who might have hired Quint and the couple of survivors I talk to, didn't know either. I don't even think Diaz knew."

"It has to be James and Royal." Buck stated firmly and not one person in the room disagreed with that assessment.

"So they get away with it?" J.D. exclaimed, unable to believe that the two men who were really responsible for all this carnage would escape justice yet again.

"Without proof, we ain't got no way of knowing they were responsible for this." Josiah declared and no one could disagree with him on that point either. Like before, it seemed like the two cattle barons were going to escaped unscathed after creating so much damage in corners to their victims. The very thought of such a thing left a bad taste in all their mouths, particularly since it meant that James and Royal may have the audacity to visit upon them some further calamity in the future.

"Well Chris didn't say what he had in mind," Vin continued, remembering the enigmatic look on their leader when the subject had been discussed. "But I think he has something planned for those two."

"Whatever it is," Ezra declared as he presented a straight to Nathan and won their game. "I hope it is a punishment befitting their crimes."

"Knowing Chris," Buck remarked perfectly aware of what deviousness Chris Larabee could get up to when the mood inspired him. "It's likely to be interesting."

Guy Royal needed another drink.

After the situation in Four Corners had blown up properly in their faces, yet again, the rancher was starting to wonder if a live and let live philosophy might be the best way to deal with the new wave of settlers. While he was certain that Quint had not revealed their identities to the seven, Royal knew the men would immediately think himself and Stuart James responsible for the mercenaries and the siege. He told himself repeatedly that while they might have their suspicions, they could do little else with their knowledge. Fortunately, as upholders of law and order in the area, it was beyond their power to do anything without evidence that indicated that Guy Royal and Stuart James were guilty.

However, as Royal entered the darkened halls of his study, he could not shake the feeling that they might not have escaped the shackles of accountability unscathed. For the past few nights, a feeling on unease had crept into his bones, no matter how hard he might try to shake the sensation despite all of James' reassurances that they were safe. As he lit the lamp in the study and the warm glow of its light illuminated the room, Royal slipped into his chair and reached for the heavy sifter at the edge of his oak desk. Pouring himself a glass of the amber fluid inside it ornate confines, Royal took a deep breath of its aroma and felt the tension slip out of his bones, for the moment at least.

Outside, it was dark and the wind was whipping up the tree in front of the French doors with awesome fury. Fascinated, he watched the branches striking the glass and reminded himself to tell the gardener to prune that tree before it broke the windows. It was hard to see the sky through the branches but it appeared as if a storm was on its way. Royal frowned at that, preferring warm, dry days to wet, miserable ones. It seemed to match his mood. As he eased back into his leather chair staring out the obstructed view through the window, he was about to take a sip of his cognac when suddenly a voice interrupted his lonely sojourn.

"Good evening Mr. Royal." The man who stood at the door greeted the cattleman politely as if he were an invited guest and not a intruder.

"Who the hell are you?" Royal demanded as he placed his glass down and stared at the man. His hand slid under the table, searching for the gun that he kept hidden secretly for instances just like this one. "And what are you doing in my house?"

"I apologize for intruding at this late hour but I have just come back from my interview with your associate Mr. James and I felt that I could expedite both matters in one evening and be on my way." He smiled with perfect teeth in his perfect dark suit that took real money to purchase and certainly not to be bought from anywhere other than a big city.

"Who are you?" Royal demanded nervously, wondering if this was the revenge he had been fearing.

"I am nobody." The man answered entering the room like a coiled serpent. He did not walk in, he glided. Within seconds, he was seated in the wing chair before Royal's desk unperturbed by his unwilling host's hostility. "Just consider me an employee of the railroad."

"The railroad?" Now Royal was starting to become confused. What did the railroad want with him?

"Yes, the railroad." He said as if there was no reason for Royal to amazed by that statement and it was the most natural thing in the world for a transport giant to associate itself with a cattle baron. "My employers received an interesting telegram from a Mr. Chris Larabee. Do you know him?"

Royal swallowed hard and betrayed his answer in his face.

"I see you do," the man smiled, always with that stock standard expression of calm that was more unnerving than anything else he was saying. "Mr. Larabee had brought some interesting information to our attention regarding why we have been having so much difficulty securing the vicinity in which we wish to lay track in this area. We were aware of the lawlessness in the West but assumed that the particular difficulties we were having with Four Corners and its immediate locality was based on that unfortunate fact of life."

"I don't see what all this has to do with me." Royal replied.

"You know," the man sat up in his chair and turned that high powered gaze upon Royal without mercy even though his face still remained pleasant. "Mr. James said the same thing. Mr. Larabee has made some interesting allegations and while neither he nor the railroad can act legally on their suspicions, my employers are men of vision. By the time the railroad is done with the west, a man can travel from one end of the country to the other in a matter of days. They believe they are the wave of the future and in the name of the history they intend to carve for themselves they are willing to take extraordinary measures to protect what is their due. Now you sold your land to the railroad and you have enjoyed the fruits of their favour but it seems you and Mr. James have agendas of your own."

"Larabee is a liar." Royal declared, suddenly having a very bad feeling that they might have prodded a dragon into waking and the creature was now bearing its teeth, while poised over his neck.

"Maybe he is and maybe he isn't." The man continued. "However, should anything happen to the town of Four Corners that affects the laying track or anything that might hamper the progress of the railroad in this vicinity, my employers will assume that you and Mr. James are held responsible. Trust me, they have more money than you two cow farmers will ever dream of having. If they wish it, they can make you and Mr. James disappear without a trace with a snap of their fingers because you are not the only ones who know how to find talent in the underground."

"You wouldn't..." Royal whispered but knew they would and could. This man had sneaked into his house without anyone knowing it, least of all him. If he wanted to, he could very well kill Royal now and walk out of here without anyone being the wiser to it all.

"It’s been done before," he replied with a smile that seemed cold and humorless in the wake of his threat. "With men who were a considerable more bother than you I might add. You see Mr. Royal, what you need to understand is that while you are big fish in this pond, there is a sea out there with even bigger game waiting in the depths. Never make the mistake of thinking that you can compete in those waters. We will eat you alive."

As Guy Royal looked into the icy blackness of his eyes, he knew it was true.

"Do you think it worked?" Mary asked as she slipped into bed with Chris earlier that night.

"I don't know," he had to confess, shifting slightly to let her warmth envelop him on the soft mattress. "It was worth the try." The gunslinger said wincing slightly at the pain that nipped at him with every little movement. He had this awful feeling that his recovery was going to be slow and Chris wondered how he was going to stand being out of commission like this.

"Maybe the railroad won't do anything about it." Mary pointed out as she fluffed her pillow and released her long gold hair from its confining bun. "I mean what can they do?" Normally she wore nothing to bed but with his being sick, she had taken to wearing a nightgown. Chris had come to loathe the sight of that thin sheet of cotton covering her skin.

"Maybe nothing at all." Chris replied, watching the emanations of light bouncing off the cascade of her gold hair falling across her cream coloured shoulders as she lay down beside him and slid her arm over his waist, careful not to touch the wounded part of his body. "I have a feeling they will be interested in what I have to say though."

What Chris did not tell Mary was that while Royal and James may think they were ruthless an all powerful, Chris knew for a fact what kind of tenacity the railroad companies pursued their goals and if cattle ranchers were aggressive than railroad men were even more fearsome. When Chris had sent them his telegram earlier that day, it was so with the intention of letting them know the liability they had in the machinations of the two cattlemen. While it was beyond the seven's ability to prove that Royal and James were responsible for the siege that had left Four Corners in its present state, he did believe that once made aware, the railroad would not take kindly to its interests being endangered for the lack of evidence.

They had ways of protecting their own and if that meant taking the law into their own hands in their dealings with Messrs. Guy Royal and Stuart James, then Chris Larabee had only one thought on that whole subject. It could not happen to a more deserving two men.

"Well in any case, there isn't much we can do about it now." She remarked and planted a kiss on his lips as she prepared to go to sleep. "Hopefully, we'll just have to wait until next time."

"Until next time?" Chris stared at her. "I sure hope not. I'm just recovering from this one." He glanced at the bandages wrapped around his chest.

"Think of it this way," she smiled seductively. "Be a good boy and in a few days I might be able to join you in bed for more than just rest."

"Mrs. Larabee," Chris rolled over away from her and pretended to sleep. "I've got a headache." Chris teased before Mary hit him over the head with her pillow, injured or not.

The End

BACK TO MAIN PAGE