Part Three

Blockade

If Vin Tanner said that they were in trouble then Chris Larabee was smart enough to take him at his word. However, not even he had guessed just how much trouble the tracker was referring to when Vin led them to the ravine's edge where he had located the encampment of the so-called bandits. Peering into the depths of the chasm where the enemy was located, Chris could only stare grimly below at the odds they were facing. He counted almost thirty of them in the ravine itself although the number was decreasing steadily as groups of five or six departed at regular intervals. While the majority of the men below were Mexican, there appeared to be a few Caucasians in their ranks although it was rather obvious to the lawmen they were not bandits. They did not at all look like border scavengers and appeared to be well armed.

The encampment was nothing more than a collection of tents but they had enough supplies and ammunition stored in the immediate vicinity to indicate that they were staying for a few days and could afford to extend that period of so decided. Chris scanned the length and breadth of the camp, trying to seek out who might be giving the orders or perhaps find some clue as to who was orchestrating this well coordinated attack against the town. It did not take him any length of time to make out that determination as they could see the enemy swirling around one particular person throughout their observations.

"Now, that is a very nice looking woman." Buck Wilmington commented as he saw the tall, mahogany haired siren walking through the encampment, barking orders at the men who were paying close attention to everything she was saying. While they seemed to regard her with salacious leers, they only displayed them after she had passed them by. Buck had the impression she would not take too kindly to being ogled and there was something about her manner that seemed menacing in a way he could not place. He had no doubt that she was formidable but there was more to it than just strength of character. Buck knew women and he had a feeling this one had a ruthless streak about her.

"Oh I can see you laying off the ladies for Inez." Vin drawled sarcastically but his attention, like of all of them, was fixated on the number of men present at the encampment.

"Very funny." Buck frowned. "I wouldn't touch that girl with a ten foot pole." He whispered quietly in his defense. "I have a feeling she'd be like a praying mantis."

Vin looked at Buck and winced at the idea. "You're lucky they ain't all like that, there wouldn't be a piece of you left."

"You're just jealous," Buck grumbled. "I'm still a free man."

"Sure you are," Vin allowed a smile to cross his face. "Dad."

"Fathering a child and being tied down are two different things. ." Buck started to protest.

"Will you two knock it off!" Chris hissed in disbelief, glaring at them with a look that made ice seem warm and temperate. When both men had returned to some semblance of maturity, Chris returned to the subject at hand. "That must be the woman Freeman saw." Chris commented, his gaze gesturing at the lady who was walking through the camp with an older man whose stride and manner told Chris a great deal with the kind of men they were dealing with.

"The man with her is career military." He mused.

"You sure?" Buck asked, studying the man more closely and being unable to see that determination.

"Yeah," Chris nodded absolute in that estimation. "You can tell an ex-officer a mile away."

"You would know," Buck remarked since Chris had spent much of the war wearing the Union blue as an officer.

"You think they might be all ex-military?" Vin asked, disliking the idea very much. It was one thing to face bandits who would scatter at the first sight of trouble but if they had learnt anything after their encounter with the Confederate renegades who were terrorizing Rain's village during the seven's first adventure, it was the power of loyalty. If the right man was leading the group, they would be willing to die for him and that did not bode well for either Four Corners or what they had to do. As it was, the net that was tightening around Four Corners' neck was as well planned as any military operation he had ever seen. The woman who took centre stage was moving through the camp like a commander of the field.

"That's a safe bet." Chris agreed, trying to decide how they were going to attack this problem. The last time an operation of this size had been mounted against Four Corners, Guy Royal and Stuart James had been responsible. It was not completely unreasonable that they would have the resources to hire this kind of help to solve the situation in Four Corners after their failure the last time.

"What do we do Chris?" Buck found himself asking because he hoped Chris had some kind of plan to combat these odds.

"Quiet." Vin said suddenly. Both men fell silent immediately and reached for their weapons. Vin rolled onto his back, his own fingers poised on the butt of his Winchester. He listened closely and heard the soft sounds the others had not detected but would soon enough.

"Damn." Chris swore quietly, realizing how vulnerable a position they were in by selecting this as a look out point. With nowhere to go but down, if the bandits were coming as Vin now suspected, they would have to fight their way out to get to the horses again.

"I think we're going to have company." Vin said and prompted the others to their feet.

No sooner than those words had been spoken, the rustle of leaves from the tree line could be heard as well as the soft flutter of movement as the enemy advanced upon them. Deciding that he was not waiting until they emerged, Chris started shooting first, aiming high to make sure the first shots were merely ones of warning to prompt the withdrawal of the others.

"Chris what are you doing?" Buck shouted as Chris ran forward, guns blazing to make a path for his friends to follow. He had not intention of letting anyone get captured and was confident that if he kept a hail of bullets between himself and the advancing enemy, they might just make it to the horses. It was crazy plan but save going down the ravine the hard way, it was the only way out of the tight spot they found themselves in.

Vin did not waste time asking questions, deciding instead to keep one step behind Chris to offer the gunslinger cover. No doubt the entire gang knew they were up here now and like Chris, Vin understood the reason for desperate measures. They could hear frantic voices yelling at each other to get under cover, in their attempts to avoid the wall of bullets Chris was sending in their direction. With the added firepower of Vin's Winchester and Buck covering their backs as well, it did not take long before they had gained sufficient momentum to reach their horses, which thankfully were still there.

"You are one insane son of a bitch." Buck gushed as they reached their mounts and quickly climbed onto the horses. For the moment, those who had attempted to ambush them were taken by surprise and in disarray but none of the lawmen was delusional enough to believe that they would not recover soon enough.

"Whatever works." Chris retorted and climbed into his saddle with the first eruption of returning fire. A bullet whizzed past his ear and impacted in the side of a tree trunk, sending splinters of bark in all directions.

"Let's go!" Vin shouted and started firing into the direction the bullet had almost taken Chris' ear off. The loud boom of the shotgun went some way to creating a pause in the firing that allowed the trio of lawmen to break away from the scene. They rode away from the place, hearing gunshots being sent in their direction with rapid succession. All three kept their heads down as they surged ahead, fleeing the range of the bullets flying towards their direction. Riding through the thick cover of trees, their progress out of the woods was slow with overhanging branches and obstacles of fallen tree trunks in their way. The gunfire ceased they further they drew away from the men who had been in pursuit.

Suddenly Chris became aware that Buck was no longer behind them.

"BUCK!" Chris shouted, trying to see where his old friend had disappeared behind him. "Vin, did you see where Buck went?" He called out to the tracker who was making similar attempts to detect Buck through the dense trees around them.

"No!" Vin replied, hoping that Buck had simply gotten lost in the woods and was not in the hands of the bandits. "I'll backtrack!" He shouted to Chris.

Chris was about to respond his agreement when suddenly gunfire exploded again, only this time the shots came from the front. The gunslinger reacted swiftly, pulling his reloaded gun and shooting with rapid fire as Vin searched for an alternate way out of the woods. Bullets tore through the air like the bloated flies whizzing through the thick growth.

"This way!" Vin called out to Chris as he found an almost indistinguishable trail through the tangle of vines and bushes. Digging his heels into Peso's side, the animal signaled its eagerness to escape the firefight by a short, approving neigh before launching itself into the path ahead. Vin looked over his shoulder and made sure that the gunslinger was behind him, determined not to lose Chris as they had lost Buck. For the moment, they had to concentrate on getting out of here before they could even think of finding Buck.

"I'm right behind you!" Vin heard Chris cry as they thundered forward, moving through the growth. Vin navigated as best he could but knew that their pursuers were now on horse back for they were still trying to out pace the sound of gunfire and bullets. Chris was relying on Vin to lead them to safety and allowed the tracker to concentrate by firing into the thickest concentration of the gunfire that was pursuing them almost as doggedly as their masters.

Suddenly Vin saw the plains peeked through the foliage and the tracker let out a sigh of relief at the realization that they would soon be in open space. They were nearing the line of trees when for some reason, Vin heard a gunshot that was louder than all the others. Instinctively, he looked over his shoulder to make sure Chris was still behind him that now that they were so close to escape. Chris was still there but the gunslinger was slumped forward.

"Shit!" Vin exclaimed realizing that Chris had been hit. He was still in the saddle because of the manner in which he was draped over his horse; it would take little more than another obstacle and he would be dislodged. The trees overhanging them suddenly disappeared as they broke through the trees and emerged into the plains just as Chris tumbled from the saddle.

"Chris!" Vin shouted and immediately doubled back to reach him. As he approached, he saw Chris Larabee struggling to get up, the pain of his fall had roused him enough to realize that he needed to get up.

Vin saw riders in the distance and knew that it was the bandits that were on fast approach towards them, however, there was no way in hell that Vin was going to abandon Chris for anything. Forcing Peso to make a swift turn, Vin galloped hard and fast toward the wounded gunslinger, hoping that he could reach Chris in time to spirit him away before the enemy reached them. Nearing the Chris, Vin realized how badly he was hurt as his hands were covered in blood and slick patch of wet against the dark fabric of his shirt was actually glistening in the sun. Chris was scrambling to stand, his face contorted in pain as he fought to get upright. It was a battle he did not win when Vin saw the pain overtake Chris Larabee and the man crumbled to the ground.

Vin more or less leapt off Peso when the horse reached Chris. The tracker skidded to his knees as he hurried to help his best friend whose blood was starting to pool on the dirt below him. The wound had entered through his back and had more or less blow out the left part of his chest. As Vin hauled him to his feet, Chris was grunting in pain and his breathing seemed ragged and shallow, as if it was an effort to do so.

"Come on pard," Vin said as he dragged Chris to Peso. "We gotta make tracks."

"Get out of here." Chris managed to say through the gritted teeth of his pain. "You'll never get out of here with me."

"Never happen pard," Vin more or less ignored the plea even though he was mindful of how close the approaching bandits were to them. "We're partners remember?" Vin spoke, just to keep Chris from slipping away to a place they would not be able to draw him back from. "I'm counting on you to make me responsible besides, I ain't ready to face your wife if I don't come back with you."

Peso waited patiently as Vin placed Chris on his saddle and climbed back up himself. The riders were only a few hundred yards away and Vin realized how close this was going to be. Not wasting any time, he dug his heels in and Peso took off almost empathic in its realization that the need to escape was paramount at the moment.

Out of nowhere, Buck Wilmington broke through the trees just as Vin and Chris started riding away. The lawmen exchanged fire with the approaching riders, keeping them back and widening their own margin of escape. Eventually the gap between hunter and prey widened enough for Buck to consider them to far away to continue pursuing. Nevertheless, whatever victory had been achieved in that narrow escape was a hollow one for Buck had seen Chris on the back of Peso. Buck did not need to be told how imperative it was for them to return to Four Corners, all he had to do was see Chris riding with Vin to know that only a grievous injury would ever induce his old friend to give up his own animal.

"How bad!" He asked as he finally caught up with Vin.

"Bad enough." Vin replied and hoped to God that Ezra and the others were having a better time than they were.

Actually if the truth were known, Ezra Standish and company were not having a good time.

Not at all.

When Chris had given them the instruction to get help, the trio that included himself, Josiah and J.D. had decided that the fastest route of town was not necessarily the best one as an opposing force wishing to blockade the town may have that route cordoned first and foremost. Thus, they had opted for what at the time had seemed the most logical choice. The track they were taking had been introduced to them by Vin Tanner, it was rocky and uneven, recommended to only skillful riders for horses had a tendency to react to the jagged surface by throwing off the master who forced them to endure this path.

"I wonder if Casey is alright?" J.D. mused as they traversed the unyielding terrain of rock on both side and the meandering path through stone that dipped in a sharp incline. Despite the importance of the task Chris Larabee had set them, J.D. could not help but keep his thoughts far away from Casey and by extension. When they had found the Bartells, J.D. had been horrified to think that Casey had narrowly escaped the brutal attack that Elizabeth had been subjected to.

"I reckon she is." Josiah said reassuringly, knowing that the boy's thoughts were not far from the girl he loved. "Alex and the others will keep a close eye on her."

"Miss Well is much braver and resilient than she looks," Ezra added his own voice to support J.D.'s need for assurance. He could understand the boy's feelings on this matter. If it had been Julia in that position, he would have felt similar feelings of concern and anger. Although, he had to admit, knowing his Julia, she would probably find some way to turn the situation to her advantage. For some reason, the love of his life had the luck of a feline with more than one life and seemed to always land on her feet the same way.

Eventually, he was going to have to tell Maude about Julia.

"I guess so." J.D. said taking some comfort in the fact that Casey had managed to escape those men on her own, without any help from him and make it all the way into town on foot. Deciding that a change of subject was in order to get the worry of her out of his mind, J.D. looked to his companions again. "Why do you think these bandits are after Four Corners?"

Ezra and Josiah exchanged glances as they considered the question, although they were both thinking the same thing. It was Ezra who answered. "I believe Mr. Stuart James and Guy Royal might have the answer to your inquiry Mr. Dunne."

"You think they'd be crazy enough to try and run off the town again?" J.D. exclaimed incredulously wondering just how much was enough before these men realized that the people of Four Corners did not scare easily. Especially, with the seven of them guarding the town and keeping it from harm. "We haven't heard a thing from them in ages. They've been quiet."

"Like a cobra preparing to strike." Ezra retorted, not believing for a second that those two individuals would allow themselves to relinquish the power they held over this territory. The star of the cattle barons, though fading rapidly, still had enough influence to cause a great deal of discourse should they intend upon setting their mind on such a thing.

"Old habits die hard," Josiah commented. "With the railroad coming, bringing more and more settlers, land is going to be mighty scarce. Four Corners is in the heart of their perceived base of power. Removing the town might delay the inevitable for some time."

"But the railroad will still be coming." J.D. pointed out. "Even if the town ain't there, the railroad ain't gonna change its mind about building."

"Yes," Ezra nodded slowly; admitting reluctantly that part of their conjecture was the riddle, which needed to be solved before everything else, fell into place. A glimmer on the edge of the rocks above him immediately froze any further response the gambler was about to make in his throat. Without missing a beat, he drew his gun, prompting Josiah and J.D. to do the same.

"I think we have company." Ezra said quietly, his eyes skimming the rocky terrain around them, trying to see that same glimmer again.

"Where?" Josiah asked in a soft whisper, trying to hear the sounds that might indicate life. They had taken this route because it was rarely used let alone known about by most, however, in utilizing the security of its anonymity, it was also a rather vulnerable place for an ambush and they were half their number. Less actually if one wanted to get specific about it.

"Two o'clock, I believe is the correct description." Ezra said, his sea-coloured eyes never moving from where he perceived his target to be.

Like Josiah, he was aware of how exposed they were in this position. If the enemy decided to rain bullets on them at this moment from above, there was little they could do except return fire in the few minutes it would take for them to die.

"We need to get out of here." Josiah commented and it was a statement with which Ezra was in complete agreement. "We're penned in like ship." The preacher remarked as he nudged his horse forward to pick up the pace. It was not wise to hurry a journey through this terrain but the possibility of being thrown off the certainty of being shot was doing wonders for his reservations.

"No argument from me," Ezra commented as he followed Josiah's lead and forced his own mount to hasten its advance out of the narrow space they had been travelling.

"You think they've been waiting for us?" J.D. asked apprehensively as they rode out of the passage, the horses neighing their dislike at having to cross this expanse at such a rapid pace. They had not progressed more than a few meters when the firing began. The effect of bullets against stone had a deadly effect of ricocheting from one wall of rock to the other, tearing through that might be in its path, including the lawmen trying to flee the scene.

"Damn!" Ezra swore as he felt hot lead graze past his shoulder in a flash of searing pain. Ezra managed to keep his hands on the reins and grit his teeth to force away the pain. It was not a serious injury but if he did not keep his mind on what he was doing, it would lead to another, which may not be as easy to tolerate.

They did not have to ride very far when they saw a group of riders already waiting for them at the end of the passageway. Ezra swore realizing that the bandits had been waiting for someone to make an attempt to reach Sweet Water or Bitter Creek by using this path and as Chris had suspected and hoped they might be able to breach before the net tightened around them fully.

As they poured out of the narrow crevasse of rock, Ezra and Josiah realized that it was time to stand down for the moment. There were at least ten men waiting for them with possibly more that had yet to return from their position over the rocks where they had forced the lawmen out into the waiting arms of their comrades. J.D. was itching to fight and Josiah gave the young man a stern look telling him to desist. This was not the time. Strangely enough, as they emerged to meet the enemy face to face, Ezra noticed that the leader of the group was a woman. Probably the same female that Robert Freeman had mentioned earlier that day.

The lady and her companions converged on the lawmen as soon as they were out of the crevasse, creating a circle of horses and steel that would prevent them from running should they decide to brave the guns poised over them if they tried to enter the canyon again. She was dressed in a burgundy suit that might be worn by Spanish gentlemen with the hat to complete the ensemble. Around her waist was a gun belt and judging by the stony expression she gave them all as she nudged her horse toward them, with her men keeping a vigilant eye on them, she knew how to handle the weapon.

"I take it you are the gambler." She said with an icy voice.

"I have been known to turn a card or two." Ezra retorted. "Unfortunately, you have me at a disadvantage. You are. ."

"Not interested in telling you my name." She replied and turned to Josiah and J.D. "The preacher and the child."

J.D. immediately set straight in his horse, not liking that description one damn bit. "I ain't no child." He blurted out before either Josiah or Ezra could stop him.

"Do not take offence," she said with a faint smile. "You will certainly die like a man."

"May I ask to what do we owe this intrusion?" Ezra inquired, tired of this bantering especially when his good jacket was being soiled with blood. "We were after all travelling peacefully out of town."

"Unfortunately," the woman replied with no sign of malice in her voice even though everything about her implied it. "We would prefer that you remain in Four Corners for the time being. Consider all travel permits out of this locality rescinded."

"I do not recognize your authority in this matter, Madam." Ezra returned, wondering why she was glaring at him with unmasked hatred. She was emanating hostility towards Josiah and J.D. but towards him, there seemed some thing personal in her emotions.

"Recognize that I will have you shot if you try to pass and trust me, you will suffer a little more than a grazed shoulder when that happens. My men were rather restrained with their target practice earlier, do not presume to think that I need you alive. Your continued existence is only because I require you to deliver a message to the rest of Four Corners, so do not attempts to make such foolish incursions again."

"What's the message?" Josiah demanded, tired of this posturing.

"No one leaves Four Corners. Any one who tries will be met with a more intense reception than you have received. Stay put until we are ready to negotiate."

"Negotiate what?" J.D. said angered at the way this woman was talking to them and had called him a child. Especially, calling him a child.

"Keep the boy silent," she retorted without even giving J.D. a further glance. "I need him alive less than I need you two."

"J.D.," Josiah threw the young man a warning to be silent. J.D. forced away the swell of humiliation at her remark and knew that Josiah would not be telling him to be quiet unless it was absolutely necessary.

"We have heard your message," Ezra said icily, disliking how she had degraded J.D. by her words and like the rest of the seven who felt protective towards the young man, wished he could give the woman her comeuppance. He had never hit a lady in his life but he was starting to wonder if it was not too late for him to learn. "If you give us our leave, we will go."

"I knew you could be reasonable, Mr. Standish." She remarked, riding closer to him until she was almost in arm's reach of him. Ezra noticed the men around her were watching him intently, all passing warnings in their glares of what would happen if he made a move to harm her.

"There is just one more thing," she said as she came up along side him.

"And that would be?"

Before he knew what had happened, the woman swung at him with a blow so swift, it caught Ezra on the jaw and toppled him off his horse. The gambler hit the dirt hard, uttering a small cry of pain when he landed on his wounded shoulder. Josiah and J.D. moved to help but were stopped when at least a dozen guns were unholstered and aimed firmly in their direction. The woman watched dispassionately as Ezra struggled to get on his feet, more confused than anything over this personal attack.

"Tell Miss Pemberton, we are far from even." She said icily. "Before this is over, I'll have her head."

Hearing Julia's name singled out drove Ezra to his feet and he found himself returning a warning of his own, even though he was in pain and covered with dirt. "You will never reach her to collect."

The woman glared at him completely unperturbed by his remark. "When the time comes for that, you will not be around to stop me. Now get on your horse." She hissed.

"Ezra, get on the horse." Josiah ordered when he saw the gambler preparing to retort. "Now."

Ezra swallowed his anger and climbed back on his mount, prepared to continue this even if the odds were not so badly out of his favour and if it would not in the process end up getting Josiah and J.D. killed with him. He was almost tempted to see if he could play against the house. Once he was nestled back into the saddle, the woman withdrew to the ranks of her men.

"You will return to Four Corners now but if you make one attempt to leave the area, my men will hunt you down and kill you. Do we understand each other?" Her eyes blazed with unfathomable callousness.

"Yes," Josiah answered, being the only one who had kept his head during this entire encounter. "We understand each other clearly."

As they started to ride back the way they came, her voice called out after them for a final jibe. "Oh, give my regards to Mr. Larabee, I hope he is soon feeling better."

Alexandra Styles wiped the sweat from her brow as she conducted the last step in the procedure to mend a broken arm. As she paused a moment to take a breath, the doctor let her gaze sweep across the floor of the new schoolhouse that had suddenly been transformed today into a makeshift hospital. Around her, the patients came with a variety of complaints, bullet wounds, broken limbs, a multitude of ill inflicted during their forced ejection from their homes by the mysterious bandits who had taken it upon themselves to inflict chaos in Four Corners.

Between Alex and Nathan, the duo had been working most of the dead, tending injuries, while trying not to worry about their loved ones who had departed earlier in the day and had yet to return. Alex tried not to think about what Vin was up to and told herself that she ought to be accustomed to this by now. Every time he went riding off to face whatever danger that seemed to cross their path at every turn, Alex found herself harboring the secret anxieties of what would happen if he did not come back. Riding with the seven was part of who he was, just like the danger that always found them at regular intervals. For most part she dealt with it as best she could although there would always be moments of secret fear, no matter how resolved she was to not think about it.

Alex completed the construction of the cast surrounding Jebediah Dorsey's arm where it had been broken in three places as he was dragged out of his home by the men who had been the cause of most injuries in this place. The elderly man smiled gratefully at her as he lay down in the makeshift bunk to rest, no longer having a home of his own since the bandits had razed it to the ground like so many others. She stepped away from him and took a brief pause to recoup her strength, fighting back the weariness that was nipping at her bones. Across the floor, she saw Casey Wells paying close vigil over her aunt who was out of her state of unconsciousness but still left weak from the head injury she had sustained in the futile defense of her home.

In the meantime, she had enlisted the aide of Rain and Julia to help with the others while Inez prepared hot meals. Since most of the patients had been driven out of house and home, this was as much refuge as some could expect to have for the next few days. Even now, she glimpsed both women moving through the room, offering assistance to those who needed it. Julia had made her Emporium open to any supplies they might need and had instigated many of the other members of the business community to do the same. The town despite its current troubles was pulling together in a show of solidarity that made Alex pleased to be apart of the community. She knew that Mary was at this moment, organizing the men of town to arm themselves as per Chris' instruction as they readied themselves to face whatever calamity was coming at them.

"I think that's the last of it." Nathan said coming along side her, like hers, his apron was soiled with blood and sweat and he looked just as exhausted as she did.

"For now," Alex sighed. "I'm going to have to go to my clinic and check on the women."

Nathan did not need her to elaborate on which women because he knew immediately she was referring to the unfortunates who had been violated by the bandits.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth Bartell had not been alone in her degradation and at least four other women in town had endured the same indignity. Personally, Alex knew that there was no cure she could administer that would erase the stain of that terrible experience and the least she could do was clean their bruises and cuts and offer them some measure of solitude in her clinic. However, she still wanted to see if they were all right.

"Alex! Nathan!" Vin's voice suddenly tore through the hush quiet of the room. "Get over here!"

Alex and Nathan swung around as Vin and Buck burst through the front door of the building, carrying Chris Larabee through the doorway. Chris was barely conscious as the two lawmen brought him to the nearest bed, his head hanging forward as the healers took in the sight of his injured torso and immediately came running towards him. Both Vin and Buck's clothes were stained with Chris' blood and Alex had not seen such a grievous injury on any of the seven since she was forced to operate on Vin some months ago.

"What happened?" Nathan demanded as they lay him down on the nearest empty bed and allowed Alex to examine the extent of his injuries.

Chris was not quite conscious when Alex pulled open his shirt, revealing the wound in all its bloody extremes. Very quickly, she was able to discern just where the bullet was lodged and what damaged it must have done upon entry.

Unfortunately that discovery offered little comfort considering what it had done when it had slammed into Chris' body. Alex soon formed a theory about the bullet used and realized that it explained why so much blood had been lost and why the exit wound had caused so much damage on its way out. Chris' chest as literally a tangle of flesh and he was in shock, not only from the gunshot but also from the arduous ride back to Four Corners.

"Nathan, we need to get him to the clinic. He needs to go into surgery right now. There are pieces of lead everywhere! I think they used a hollow point bullet on him!" Alex declared in one breath. "Vin, Nathan, help me. Buck, go get Mary. She needs to know!"

"I'm gone." Buck nodded trying to hide his worry and was glad that he was given something to do instead of watching helplessly as Chris lay there bleeding before him. The lawman hurried out of the door to summon Mary as Vin and Nathan converged on Chris in order to move him to the clinic while Alex lingered momentarily to leave some instructions regarding the other patients.

"Nathan, I'll need you to assist me." Alex announced as they lifted Chris from the blood soaked sheets of the soiled bed.

"With surgery?" Nathan paused in mid step and looked at her with uncertainty. While he had performed minor procedures before, what Alex was alluding now was nothing as simplistic as what he had done previously.

"With surgery," Alex said prompting them to keep moving as she followed them out of the room. "You know as well as I do what a hollow point would have done to him."

"I don't know, explain it to me!" Vin demanded as he looked at his friend's condition with rising anxiety. He had suspected the injury had been bad before this but seeing the level of panic in Alex's manner made him realize that he had underestimated Chris' injuries by a great deal. Chris had not come out his unconscious state since lapsing into it during the ride back to town and Vin and Buck had almost been certain at some points that they had lost him.

"When you crisscross the point of a bullet, it shatters on impact and spreads out like buckshot." Nathan did the honors in explanations as they emerged into the street, with people stopping short to stare at they saw the drama unfolding before them. "Tears through anything in its way."

"It's done to as much damage as possible." Alex added as they hurried through the street, forcing gasps and cries of shock as they moved past the residents of Four Corners. The act could not have been more demoralizing even it was meant for this purpose. Alex knew as well as the seven that it was Chris Larabee that held them together. The town had come to see the enigmatic man in black as their unofficial defender even though he still frightened them somewhat. Chris Larabee's arrival in Four Corners had changed everything for the town, from the end of its lawless atmosphere to the new spirit of progress and prosperity that sweeping through the community.

If he were to die, then what he had brought with him might die as well.

By the time Ezra, Josiah and J.D. returned to Four Corners, the news of Chris Larabee's state of health had the desired effect. With the sun setting rapidly in the distance, the mood in town appeared to be just as dark as the eminence of twilight as people whispered unhappily that if Chris were to die then all that had been achieved since the arrival of the seven would crumble away. While the trio had no idea at this point at what had befallen their leader, they did notice the somber way people were going about their business, preparing for the onslaught Chris had predicted earlier.

"What is happening here? The mood is positively grim." Ezra asked as he made his way to the new school house to have his arm looked at. While the gunshot itself did not appear to be serious, falling on it had exacerbated the injury and now his entire arm throbbed painfully. Considering it was the arm he used to shoot, Ezra wanted it looked at as soon as possible for it was the worst possible time for him to be incapacitated in this way.

Josiah could not answer but the woman's words as they had departed had weighed heavily on his mind and suddenly, he guessed that this dark mood in town might have something to do with what she had been alluding to. "I don't know," Josiah said with a deep frown. "I think we better find Chris though."

Ezra nodded, recalling that remark made by that vile woman as well. "I shall join you presently if you wish to go seek him out. I feel the need to seek some medical aide for myself."

"You do that," Josiah agreed with that decision. "I'll go find Chris and tell him what the situation is."

"I'll come with you Ezra," J.D. spoke up. "I want to see how Casey is."

Ezra and J.D. made their way to the school house and noticed that no one was making any effort to leave town. Ezra made a leap of judgement and guessed that those who had might have made the attempt would have encountered the bandits who were guarding every way in and out of Four Corners with ruthless efficiency and turned back. If the reception they received was anything like what Ezra had been forced to endure, then it would not be unreasonable to assume that no one would be making any further futile gestures of escape. While Ezra disliked thinking that they were cornered on all sides, it was becoming undeniably clear that this is exactly what they were facing.

"What do you think they want Ezra?" J.D. asked as they made their way up the stairs of school house to the main doors of the building.

"I do not know Mr. Dunne," Ezra answered honestly. "Mr. Larabee was correct in his assumption that they were attempting to herd us into one location. Now that they have completed that objective, we have little choice but to wait and see what else they have in store for us."

"You don't think they're doing this kill everybody do you?" J.D. asked quietly, almost as if the thought was too horrifying to contemplate in its entirely. "I mean the last time when they tried to burn down the town, they chased everyone away first. They didn't really mean to hurt the people."

Ezra had not considered the possibility but now that J.D. had voiced it, he found that he could not push it away either. The notion seemed too terrible to imagine and yet Ezra could not shake it because it did seem to make sense. Why else would they gather everyone in a single place if not to launch an all out strike that would obliterate the enemy all at once?

Ezra was kept from following that notion to its final end when he heard Julia's words call out when he and J.D. entered the floor of the school house. Desks and education implements had been vanquished in favour of cots for the injured who had been ejected from their homes with violence. Ezra could not help hide his shock at how many there were and realized the scope of their problem in that one glimpse of the room..

J.D. scoured the room quickly, leaving Ezra to make his reunion with Julia without the benefit of his presence. Ezra watched briefly as J.D. immediately went towards Casey who was sitting at the far end of the room, still keeping watch over Nettie before he turned his attention.

"Ezra!" Julia said embracing him as soon as she reached him and immediately withdrew when he winced in pain.

"You're hurt." She declared and saw the wound on his shoulder.

"It hurts worse than it is." He said with a faint smile and noted with some surprise that she was here playing nurse to all this people. "I leave for a few hours and you become Florence Nightingale while I am gone?" He teased.

"They need help." She frowned, hating anyone to point out her more charitable side. "If you're up to it, we'll go to Alex's clinic to get that looked at." It may have sounded like a question but Ezra knew her tone well enough to decipher that it was not a request.

"I rode all the way to town with this injury, a few more steps will not kill me." Ezra said amiably although he did wonder why neither Alex nor Nathan were not here. Considering the amount of injured people in the room, one would normally be hard pressed to remove either healer from the vicinity unless armed with a rather formidable crowbar or any kind of firearm. "Where is Alexandra and Mr. Jackson?" Ezra asked looking for them both.

"That's why we have to go to the clinic and get your arm looked at there," Julia replied as she started steering him towards the door. "Vin and Buck came back with Chris. Ezra, he's been hurt really badly."

Although the news was distressing, it was by no means received by the gambler with any measure of surprise. After what that dreaded woman had said to him as they left her and her thugs, Ezra had more or less suspected as he was certain Josiah did, that she was in possession of knowledge they did not have as of yet but did now. She must have been aware of Chris' condition even then. "I see." Ezra said with a line of tension in his voice. "Is he expected to survive."

"I don't know," Julia confessed, remembering only that Alex had asked her and Rain to keep an eye on things while she and Nathan tended to Chris. They've been in surgery for some time now but I haven't had the time to learn any more."

Ezra nodded, realizing that this news did go some way to explaining why the town's mood was so somber when he and Josiah had returned from their aborted attempted to reach Sweet Water. Obviously, the entire community of Four Corners was aware of Chris Larabee's state of health and it was a rather significant blow to morale if they thought that the leader of the seven was going to die.

They made their way through the darkening street with Ezra wincing every time he took a step because the injury he had sustained was starting to become acute. He did not believe that he was permanently damaged or seriously for that matter but if he could not be relieved of the pain, he was going to straight to the saloon for a more pleasant remedy.

"Incidentally," Ezra spoke up putting aside the issue of Chris' injuries for the moment. He had a more pressing question to ask in regards to the enemy surrounding Four Corners. "As you might have guessed, our attempt to leave town has not proved successful since we encountered some of the individuals who are the reason for this cloistered predicament we now find ourselves in. There was a woman with them."

"A woman?" Julia looked at him puzzled. "With a group of bandits?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes, a very beautiful and if I might add rather ruthless woman. She comported herself quite efficiently and had a personal grudge against you personally."

"Me?" Julia exclaimed with surprise until it came to her with a sudden flash of memory. There was only one woman she knew who could possibly fit the description that Ezra had just presented her with and the idea of it send chills down her spine as she remembered the incident. "Quint." She mused meeting his gaze with a growing expression of fear and shock.

"The same Quint referred to by Mr. Jeremy Seacourt as a ruthless mercenary?" Ezra looked at her in memory of the few days where, he and the rest of the seven had pursued their women throughout the country side as the ladies proved that gender was no barrier to the amount of trouble they could place themselves. "I thought he was dead." Ezra mused and then recalled they had not found a body.

"He?" Julia stared. "Why did you assume it was a he?"

"Well, what else would one assume when referring to a mercenary."

"Oh so a woman cannot be considered ruthless or a mercenary?" She eyed him critically. "You know that is really the height of sexism." She declared offended with her hands on her hips showing her displeasure.

Ezra rolled his eyes and retorted. "We will discuss my sexism later. So Quint was a woman?"

"Yes," Julia said sarcastically. "Quint was a very beautiful woman." She echoed back his words and caused him to frown at her. "Selena Quint to be precise."

"And pray tell, why does she dislike you so much?"

"Well," Julia cleared her throat, feeling a knot in her chest as she answered. She did not like to remember that she had been forced to use a gun and shoot someone. "Before you found us at that old fort, she and Alex were fighting and she had already shot me. Alex was no match for her, the woman was vicious and she was going to kill Alex so I picked up the gun and shot her."

"Where?" Ezra asked, beginning to understand now.

"In the back." Julia confessed, liking that part even less.

"Well, that explains it then." Ezra nodded slowly as he absorbed this latest intelligence. "She remembers you very fondly my dear." He met her gaze. "In fact, after she knocked me off my horse, she made remarks to how eager she was to make your acquaintance again."

Julia could only exclaim. "Oh boy."

"That's the last of it." Alex sighed under her surgical mask as she dropped the last piece of shrapnel into the tray that already contained a number of bloody bits of lead, the shattered remains of the bullet that had nearly killed Chris Larabee and might yet do.

"I've sutured all the other bleeders," Nathan said unable to deny that his heart was pounding in his chest because of his own apprehension. He had assisted Alex in surgery before but not like this. On those other occasions, he presence was not required beyond clamping an artery here and there or draining fluid so that she could do the real work. However, this instance had been vastly different because there had been so much damage to Chris. The gunslinger needed simultaneous repair of at least a dozen rips and shred in his chest cavity and both of them had worked at breakneck speed to remove the shrapnel while repairing the injuries they had created. "There isn't any more random bleeding."

Alex examined his work, aware that he was new at this and also mindful of the fact that Chris could not afford them to be mistaken about his treatment. She observed that everything appeared as it should before meeting his gaze. "Not bad, Doctor Jackson." She offered him a faint smile which he could not see behind her mask.

"Oh good," Nathan sighed. "Now I can get that drink." The healer said relieved. Looking down at Chris who seemed nothing like the tough gunslinger they knew but serene in his sedation, Nathan could not help but comment. "He's going to mighty sore when he wakes up."

"He's alive." Alex continued as she began her final stitches. "He ought to be grateful at that."

"Flip you for being attending physician." Nathan joked. "I don't want to have to be responsible for him when he does wake up. He'll be cussing and whining until we let him out of bed."

"Don't worry," she chuckled. "I'll take care of it. He's not going to be any position to move anyway. Not for the next few days, although knowing Chris, He'll try."

"Our patience too." Nathan added.

"Nathan," Alex said after a brief pause. Her voice this time was different with no trace of the humour they had shared earlier but had returned to the firm and confident voice of the doctor who had talked him through much of surgery. "I need to finish up here and I can do that myself. You need to go and tell Mary what's happening. She'd be a wreck until she knows how he is."

"I think everyone needs to know," the healer replied, remembering the worried faces that were lingering in the waiting room outside. Most vocal of these had been Mary of course but the others were just as concerned and Alex was right, they needed to know something, if just to ease their minds a little.

Nathan stepped out the surgery after removing his bloody apron and tossing it into a hamper Alex had set aside for the purpose. When he emerged from behind the partition, the first thing he saw was Mary leaning against Buck for support. She seemed pale and her eyes showed that she had shed some tears even if there were no evidence of it now. She was a strong woman and crying was not something she often succumbed to but they all knew what kind of passion existed between Chris and Mary to appreciate how his loss would affect her. Her eyes widened the minute she caught sight of Nathan and her voice were drowned out in the flurry of question that were soon asked of him.

"How is he?" Mary demanded. Billy was standing next to her, his small hand clutching his mother's tightly as if he were attempting to will his strength into her. Nathan was pleased to be able to deliver some good news.

"He's alive." Nathan said first and foremost. "He was hit bad and he won't be on his feet any time soon but he came through all right."

Visible signs of relief moved across the faces of those present and in Mary it looked as if she would faint from the sheer shock of learning that the man she loved would survive, despite her fears of the worst. Mary dropped heavily to a nearby chair and hunched over as she breathed deeply with Buck squeezing her shoulder in a show of support.

"Can I see him?" Mary asked hopefully.

"Not yet," Nathan replied automatically. "Alex is still fixing him up."

"I heard people doing that to their ammo," Buck remarked bitterly as he thought about the bullet that had caused so much injury. "I just never seen it used that way."

"What do they want?" Mary gushed, trying to keep her emotions in check but finding it difficult to do so. "They're pinning us up like spring lambs. I don't understand what is the point of all this!"

"Mary, it's going to be okay." Buck said gently, knowing that much of her distress had to do with Chris being injured than the present situation brewing in Four Corners.

"Yeah, he's made it through the hard part." Vin added his voice of support and could appreciate what the woman was feeling. It would have been too cruel for Fate to allow her to become a widow as second time especially so soon after marrying again.

The door to the clinic swung open and Julia arrived with Ezra who was clutching his arm in pain, trying to stem the light flow of blood oozing from his grazed shoulder.

"Ezra, you're hurt!" Nathan reacted immediately, striding towards the gambler as he and his lady made their appearance in the room.

"Ezra, what happened?" Vin asked. "You were supposed to make for Sweet Water."

"I was," Ezra remarked as Mary immediately vacated her chair and gestured for Ezra to sit. The gambler seemed reluctant to do so until Nathan pushed him into it with a stern look. "Unfortunately, myself, Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Dunne were expected to make such an attempt. They were waiting for us."

"Damn." Buck swore under his breath. After what they had seen earlier that day in the ravine, even Chris had been forced to concede that they could not take on those odds alone and still be expected to defend the town. Although they had faced odds like this once before. There was a great deal of difference between this situation and the one at the Seminole village. Despite its troubles, the Seminole village was in a defensible position with high rock walls that allowed for good fortifications, unlike Four Corners which was a flat piece of town on an even flatter piece of land. An invading force could come in at them from any direction and unlike the Confederate Colonel who had been leading the charge in that incident, the leader of these bandits did not appear to be addled with laudanum or any other deteriorating mental problem.

Alex slipped out from behind the partition and saw that Ezra had returned with an injury, however, she turned her attention to Mary instead, since it appeared as if Nathan had things well under control. "Mary, he's going to be okay." She flashed the editor of the Clarion News an encouraging smile. "There was a lot of damage but Nathan and I managed to get it under control."

"Thank God." Mary let out another sigh, feeling a renewed sense of hope. "Thank you, the both of you." She said gratefully to both Alex and Nathan.

"How's things at the hospital?" Alex asked Julia who would have just come from the hospital.

"Everyone seems to have settled down." Julia answered the doctor's query. "Rain is keeping an eye on things while I brought Ezra here."

"Ezra's going to be okay too," Nathan announced for Julia's benefit as well as the others, including Ezra. "It was just a scratch."

"I am so glad that you consider it such." Ezra grumbled wanting just a little sympathy but supposed under the circumstances, it was the best he was going to get. "It certainly does not feel like a scratch. This may have long term affects on my drawing skills."

"Just tell us what happened when you got ambushed." Vin cut him off impatiently as Alex slipped next to him.

Ezra threw him a look of mock hurt but continued nonetheless with his recollection. "As I had already imparted upon you earlier. They were waiting for us even though we took the most obscure route out of town that we could find."

"We had a look at their camp," Vin recounted. "And they're well organized. They look set up to staying for a few days and there were at least thirty of them, not to mention the ones that were moving out. I wouldn't be surprised if they studied the lay of the land and spread their men out that way to cover all ways out of town."

"Well I do have one more bit of interesting information regarding the so called leader of this group." Ezra remarked, throwing a glance at Julia as he spoke. "In regards to the mysterious woman that Mr. Freeman was speaking of earlier."

"We saw her." Buck confirmed. "She was really a piece of work. Beautiful as all hell. ."

Everyone in the room rolled their eyes in collective resignation.

"I see you are making excellent progress in your attempts to abstain." Ezra commented with unmasked sarcasm.

"Very funny." Buck grumbled.

"What about the woman?" Vin broke in again, wanting to know anything that could be of assistance to them at this time. As it was, the enemy was several steps ahead and if they did not start regaining some ground soon, this siege was going to end most unpleasantly.

"Does the mercenary Quint sound familiar."

"The same Quint that you girls ran into at Winston Falls?" Buck exclaimed.

"The mercenary is a woman?" Vin could not help blurting out in similar surprise.

Alex turned to him and declared haughtily. "Now why is it so hard to believe that a woman is capable of being mercenary? Not all female villains are deranged poisoners and black widows you know. That is really the height of sexism."

"Alex!" Vin shot a look to tell her that this was not the time and wondered why Ezra was staring at him with such empathy.

"So if the woman is a mercenary," Nathan spoke up while he was tending Ezra's grazed shoulder. The gambler had been forced to relinquish his soiled jacket and shirt with Nathan applying alcohol solution to clean the wound. "Someone must have hired her."

"She can't work cheap, not for the kind of operation she's mounting." Buck remarked, remembering how well armed those bandits were not to mention their supply of fresh horses and everything else that would be required for an extended siege of Four Corners.

"When she came after us before, she was hired by a millionaire. Who around here would have that kind of money?" Julia pointed out.

"Guy Royal and Stuart James." Mary said firmly without any doubt in her voice.

"Hey now, running people out of town is one thing." Vin quickly countered. "But this is different, they corralling us and they're keeping us in. It's a safe bet to assume, they're also keeping everyone out. They've gone to the trouble of cutting us from the rest of the world. We're talking about a world of trouble for this kind of effort. Its not something you can walk away from once its done and I don't think they mean to keep us in here forever. Eventually, they're going to close the trap."

"The trap is already sprung Mr. Tanner." Ezra pointed out. "The question is what do they intend to do now they have us?"

"Can we get to Royal and James?" Julia asked. "Maybe talk to them and negotiate something?"

"The lady did speak of negotiation," Ezra added, recalling that part of his unceremonious meeting with Selena Quint. "Unfortunately, I can tell you we are not going to like her terms."

"Why is that?" Nathan inquired as he started wrapping bandages around Ezra's wound. "What did she say?"

"About negotiation, nothing." The gambler said uncomfortably, wishing Billy was not here and looked at Mary. "Master Travis, I believe my dear Julia could use her shawl. I believe it is in the new school house, would you be so kind as to fetch it?"

Julia, realizing what Ezra intended, immediately flashed Billy one of her more enchanting smile. "Would you please?"

"Okay." The boy smiled happily and immediately hurried away to fulfil just that wish for her.

Mary made no mood to stop him, understanding that this conversation was becoming much too serious for his hearing and the boy had already been through enough with Chris being injured. As soon as he left, Mary looked up at Ezra. "What do you think to be so terrible that my son should be sent away?" Mary asked, seeing something in Ezra's eyes that put them all on guard.

"I apologize for the ruse but I did not think it would be wise for young William to hear my ruminations." Ezra remarked. "This lady may be a mercenary but she is not doing this for the money. There is something very personal about this for her and I do not believe that the premise of negotiation is at all what she has in mind."

"How can you be sure?" Vin asked, having reached the same conclusion but hoping Ezra would have some kind of evidence to support his idea that they were being corralled for a terrible end. He had seen this pattern once before and had heard of it from those who had undergone the experience and lived to tell their tale. This had all the earmarks of that terrible story he had been told and if Vin was right and this was what was going to happen to Four Corners, then they were for in more trouble then anyone could possibly imagine.

"The same way I can tell when you are bluffing or when Mr. Wilmington's evening with a lady did not reach the heights of passionate rapture that he would have us believe." Ezra paused long enough to hear an outraged cry from Buck before proceeding again. "I read people and I am telling you, the bid for negotiation was merely a stall for time. They are pacifying us with such claims so we will not panic and expect the worst."

"I had a feeling about that. " Vin swallowed deciding he better let them in on what he suspected and almost certainly what Chris had been unable to voice before he had been shot. "When I was living with the Indians," Vin started speaking. "One of them told me about how his old village had been told they were relocating to this new reserve. They packed up and moved there and found a whole bunch of other villages that had been moved in pretty much the same way. They were corralled in one place, almost 200 of them. For two days, they waited and watched for the soldiers to come tell them what was gonna happen next." Vin paused and found himself squeezing Alex's hand because talking about something so foul was hard enough. He could not imagine what that Indian must have endured to live through such a nightmare as well.

"What happened?" Buck spoke, his voice a soft whisper as they all went very quiet.

"The soldiers came on the third day and wiped em all out. Men, women, children, even the babies. Slaughtered them all in one day."

"Oh God!" Mary exclaimed, her hand flew to her mouth in horror.

"He got away cause he was knew when to lie down and play dead. When the Calvary was busy burning the bodies, he managed to crawl away."

"That was grim Mr. Tanner and I hope you are merely sharing that with us for the sake of some obscure tenet of the male bonding ritual to which I am unaware." Ezra retorted, trying to drive the image of murdered babies from his mind.

"I wish I was," Vin replied grimly. "But I ain't. I think they're corralling us and they're getting all the folks living outside of town to Four Corners so they don't miss anyone. They're going to keep us waiting for a few days and see to it no one gets in. When they're ready, they're going to come riding in here to finish us all."

"You mean they're doing all this for a .." The word died Buck's throat because it was too terrible to contemplate.

"A massacre." Vin said grimly. "They're getting us ready for a massacre."

TO BE CONTINUED