Part Six
Event Horizon
He was insane.
When he returned to
With the thick poncho that Chris sometimes wore in favour over his black duster, the garment was oversized on
J.D. and seemed to hang off him. He had exchanged his hat (the one that looked
just like the one worn by Bat Masterson) for a sombrero that covered most of
his face. He carried guns because he was meant to be a mercenary and no decent
one would be seen without his weapons, J.D. guessed. Slowly, he moved through
the darkness of the canyon Buck had told him were the temporary headquarters of
the group of villains that was holding
Possessing more stealth in this one hour than he had
ever displayed in his life, J.D. saw the men scattered about the place,
enjoying the period of calm during the night. Some were seated around the
campfire, others were asleep on their bed rolls, while others shared a bottle
around a circle and shared stories. J.D. observed that the stories were told
were spoken in either Spanish or English and no one seemed to complain at the
shifting languages. The messenger Chris had sent back was most likely back in
the camp now and J.D. made a note to stay away from him if he sighed the man.
Although he appeared nothing like what he did when they had encountered each
other in
J.D. breached the perimeter of the encampment and
pretended to adjust his belt as if he had return from taking a private moment
to himself. His arrival garnered nothing more than a raised brow from the men
stationed at the periphery, seeing nothing unusual in his actions since others
had been doing the same thing during the course of the night. Tipping his hat
in their direction, they nodded in similar acknowledgment as he passed by and entered
the camp. J.D. felt his heart pounding furiously and was surprised they did not
hear it beating through his skin. He walked into the encampment, completely
aware that if he made one mistake, it would have fatal repercussions.
Fortunately, he had a plan. Okay, something of a plan.
He was going to find himself a nice shadowy corner to sit where he would be
able to go unnoticed while he observed everything that transpired. It was a few
hours before dawn and he intended to be well away from here before the sun came
up. The darkness allowed him some measure of anonymity but if the cold light of
day set upon him while he was still here, he might as well put a bullet to his
head now because there would be no shortage of volunteers if they learnt who he
was.
The mood in the camp was filthy dark and from the
snippets of conversation to which he was privy, J.D. was led to believe this
state of affairs had followed because
J.D. found himself the cover of a small tree, its
trunk twisted by the inhospitable conditions of the canyon not to mention the
lack of water and sat down quietly, listening to the words being bandied about.
He remained unnoticed mostly the effect of the alcohol had made most of them
sluggish and because they assumed he was one of the new faces hired to boost
their numbers for this particular venture. He remained hidden, letting his eyes
search the grounds for anything that might help his friends in
J.D. wondered about how a woman could so coldly
ruthless because one thing had become very evident to him throughout his secret
surveillance. Whatever strategy was being planned at the moment, it was Selena Quint who was directing all of it. Everything that had
taken place since the siege had begun was carried out as per her direct orders.
Judging by the way the men spoke of her with the hint of fear tightening their
voices, it appeared she did not take failure well. It was common place for men
to have such streaks of calculation but J.D. could not wrap his mind around the
concept that a woman might be the same way.
When he had seen Julia threaten Violet Serfonteine a few months ago in order to learn of Ezra and
Alex's location when they had been captured by the Klan, J.D. thought nothing
about the fairer sex could surprise him. He knew
Suddenly, the lady herself made her appearance from
inside the main tent. She was still dressed in men's clothes although she had
divested herself of her jacket and wore a plain white shirt and pants. Next to
him was a rather weighty looking Mexican whose clothing indicated that he might
have been this Diaz person that had made the messenger so infuriated when his
identity was disclosed.
"Bastard!" Selena swore loudly. Around her,
people flinched at the sound of her voice as she strode towards the fire.
J.D. shrunk deeper into the dark, glad he was a
suitable distance away from her but close enough to hear clearly what she was
saying.
"He is merely trying to bait you." Diaz
retorted with a slight smile and gestured to one of the men in the circle
around the fire to hand him the bottle from which they were drinking. "And
it appears to be working."
"That bullet should have killed him!" She
continued in her tirade, pacing the space in front of the fire. The glow of
amber reflecting the rage in her icy coloured eyes.
"Handle myself like a little girl! How dare he?" She flared in
outrage.
"You were right in deciding that he had to be
eliminated first." Diaz commented taking a swig of the bottle and letting
out a refresh sigh after swallowing a mouthful of its contents. "This Larabee is quite the tactician."
"Yes," Selena nodded begrudgingly. "He
is that."
"He recovers from a near fatal wound and still
manages to mount a formidable defense for my men." He declared, unhappy
that he had lost a number of his more seasoned guns to this small town. These
were men who had rode with him for as long as he could remember and there was
something undignified about being gunned down by a bunch of American peasants.
"Not to mention, he delivers a most scathing message for you, in order to
provoke you into doing something foolish."
"I do not do anything foolish," she returned
sharply. "He wants to push the point, he wants us to attack because he has
a reception waiting for us."
"How much of a defense can they possibly mount
against all of us?" Diaz inquired, his gaze sweeping across the canyon at
the men who were present before returning his gaze back to us.
"Enough for us to suffer serious losses even when
we take the town." She answered and paced. "Unless of course, he is
trying to stall for time." She mused as an idea formed in her mind and
would not let go once it was there.
"Stall for time by offering an insult that would
only provoke us?" Diaz looked at her in confusion, wondering what she had
discovered about Larabee's methods.
"He's not stupid our Mr. Larabee,"
Selena replied as she thought deeply as to what Chris Larabee's
intentions might really be. "It looks like he is trying to tip my hand
with a very obvious insult but what if he thinks I'm too smart to fall for
something like that and assumes that I'll see straight through the attempt?
Would that not make me hold back and continue as planned?"
"I assume so." He said skeptically,
disbelieving her train of thought because she was taking this all too
personally and that was not a good idea. Ever since this job had begun, Diaz
had noticed that there was something very personal in Selena's actions.
Although he had protested about shooting Larabee in
the back, particularly with a hollow point bullet, he was force to concede the
point under the notion that it was tactically sound. Larabee
was the leader and Diaz had fought enough battles to know how demoralizing it
could be to lose the man in charge.
However as this campaign progressed, it became
increasingly obvious to Diaz that she had an agenda that had nothing to do with
just the exorbitant fee she was being made and that concerned Diaz a great
deal. He was not in this for personal vengeance and he expected to be well paid
when it was all said and done. Despite his lengthy association with Selena,
Diaz would not hesitant to take control of things if he believed for one moment
that she was not acting in the best interest of his men.
"We should attack at dawn." She declared.
"No." He said firmly, anticipating this the
moment she had latched on this crazy line of reasoning. "They have
repelled an attack on a group of my best men that tells me they are capable of
waging a much larger defense than you have anticipated. We go as plan Selena.
We will wait and we will wear them down. Do not let words provoke you into
doing anything stupid." He warned.
"With Tanner still at large, we may not have a
lot of time." Selena countered, understanding what he was trying to say
and admittedly felt some personal hatred that tended to cloud her judgement on occasion. "Your men have yet to catch up
with him."
"Agreed," Diaz had to admit that as well.
"However, we will maintain the blockade and do nothing tomorrow. The day
after that, then we will attack. If Tanner has slipped past the net then it
will still take him time to get back inside it with reinforcements. In either
case, he will come back to nothing but ashes and we will be long gone."
It was a good plan to begin with and it was still a
good plan now. Selena was glad that Diaz had reminded her of it instead of
letting her hatred get the better of it. "Alright, then it is decided
then." She nodded. "The day after tomorrow, we raze Four Corner to
the ground."
J.D. slipped away almost as anonymously as he had
entered the camp, all the while praying that he made good his escape so that he
could bring the news back to the town. It would be tomorrow by the time he got
back to
When she had stated her intention to attack at dawn,
J.D. had almost felt his heart leap into his throat out of the sheer horror of
it. Fortunately, Diaz's untimely intervention had put Chris' plan back on track
and allowed J.D. access to valuable information as to when the final attack was
going to be. He made his way back to his horse, taking as much care as he had
when he had first penetrated the encampment. Looking over his shoulder, he saw
no signs of excitement in the camp and no stirrings that they might have any
idea that a spy had been amongst them.
He still could not believe he had managed to
infiltrate the camp and still keep himself in one piece. As he mounted his
horse and started riding away quietly, J.D. decided there was no reason to
hasten his pace and give himself away. Disappearing into the darkness, he rode
towards home and made a silent wish that Chris and Buck would not kill him when
he got there.
At least until after he told them what he had learnt.
"Were you out your fucking mind?" Buck
Wilmington swore so loudly that even Chris Larabee
jumped slightly on the examination table where Alexandra Styles had him in her
power. The gunslinger could not help but fee a little sorry for J.D. in the
face of Buck's wrath following the revelation of where the boy had been when he
had finally returned from his
"Mr. Wilmington." Ezra broke in gently,
flinching at the use of his strong language and feeling the need to make a
subtle reminder as to where they were at present. "Would you kindly
remember there are ladies present." He offer Alex a chivalrous glance knowing
that she would hate it and sniggered slightly when he saw her rolling her eyes
in sarcasm before she returned her attention to unwrapping Chris' soiled
bandages.
"It seemed like a good idea at the time."
J.D. exclaimed with a slight whine to his voice that made him sound every like
a child caught doing something he should not have been. At the time, his
actions had been tempered with the high minded ideal that he was doing it for
the greater good. However, as he attempted to explain himself to his friends,
he succeeded only in highlighted to himself most of all, how much trouble he
could have landed himself had anything gone wrong at that encampment.
"I just figured that if one of us went in quiet
like, we might get some idea as to when they were going to come after us."
J.D. had expected that his excursion to the encampment would not be viewed
favorably but he felt the need nonetheless, to explain why he had done it.
"A good idea?" Buck almost bellowed in
return. Buck was beyond mortified that J.D. had gone there by himself and most
of all, right under his nose. What kind of protector was he that he could not
even keep an eye on a boy J.D.'s age, let alone be a father to a child?
"You could have gotten yourself killed! What happened if they had discovered
who you were? They would have sent you back to us in little pieces!"
"Let's just take it easy," Chris spoke,
feeling the need to take control before this got into a shouting match because
Buck was suitably riled over J.D.'s behaviour. He
grimaced slightly as he tried to calm things down, grimacing when Alex replaced
the bandages around his chest with a fresh and crisp roll. He was in total
agreement with Buck and if he were not in so much pain (although he would only
make that admission under the threat of death while Alex was anywhere in the
vicinity), he would have throttled the kid himself. What J.D. had done was
almost akin to suicide which was probably why his infiltration had worked.
Particularly since neither side believed anyone would
be stupid enough to try something like this. However, J.D. had a tendency to go
where angels feared to thread in his attempts to prove himself as an able
member of the group, not just as the young greenhorn they had all taken under
their wing.
"J.D., we will talk about this later." He
gave the young man a stern look that indicated that by no means was this
subject concluded, it had merely been put on hold for the time being because
they had bigger problems to deal with. Turning back to Buck, he tried to appease
his old friend in much the same way "Buck, its done now and we might as
well take advantage of what J.D. found out."
"That's something I suppose." Buck threw
J.D. a dark look. Buck felt personally responsible for J.D. and felt a certain
paternal affection for the young man. Ever since J.D. had inflicted his company
upon them during the seven's initial meeting, J.D. had become an important
member of their family. In some ways, J.D.'s youthful enthusiasm reminded them
all of what it was like to see the world with eyes that were new and untainted
by life and experience. Over the next two years, Buck had tried to protect J.D.
while at the same time instructing him on ways to survive in the West. J.D. had
come straight from the East and knew almost nothing about life in the Territory
beyond what he had read in books. To know that J.D. had walked into danger,
without so much as the benefit of the others covering his back infuriated Buck
and made the man feel as if he had been remiss in his obligations to the boy.
"So it appears we have a day to get ready for
their final assault upon us." Ezra declared, agreeing with Chris to move
past this issue until later. In truth, Ezra was in possession of feelings not
too dissimilar from Buck's regarding J.D.'s conduct, however he knew how to be
restrained and was less vehement in his expression of it. Besides, they had
bigger problems to do it and no doubt, Chris would provide the adequate rap on
the knuckles that J.D. was earnestly deserved when this was all over.
"It doesn't particularly surprise me." Chris
drawled, feeling no apprehension at what J.D. had revealed, merely resignation
of what he was certain would take place eventually. "I knew they would be
coming sooner or later. Even if they are trying to play it safe, they still
can't afford to wait too long. They know that eventually someone other than the
passing traveller is going to start asking questions
on why they can't reach
"Your optimism is really instilling me with
confidence." Alex retorted, silent all this while as the men discussed
their situation. She was more focused on deal with Chris' wound and still
disliked the idea that he was up and about when he should be in bed resting.
However, despite her concern for his medical health, Alex took comfort in the
fact that Chris was taking charge of things.
The man did inspire confidence even though he could be
a grim bastard when he wanted to be.
Although she had added nothing to their conversation,
she wished they had some word on whether Vin had made it to Sweet Water or not.
She was trying hard not to worry about him but Alex could not help it. He had
been gone for more than a day now and Sweet Water was no more than a day's ride
from
"Have you cleared out the schoolhouse yet?"
Chris asked her, aware that her comment earlier was a thinly veiled attempt to
hide her worries about Vin. Considering how he felt about the tracker, Chris
could not blame her. He too, wanted to know where Vin was.
"More or less." Alex answered quietly as she
finished securing the bandages around him and drew away to the far corner of
the room. "There's a few more patients that need to be moved but it should
be taken care of by
"Good," Chris nodded, taking stock of
everything that needed to be done since their time table had suddenly been
curtailed thanks to J.D.'s new information. "Have we planted the dynamite
yet?" He asked Buck how in charge of the town's munitions after he and
J.D. had collected a small stockpile from all the hardware stores in town.
"Most of it." Buck answered automatically,
having spent most of yesterday prior to the evening attack, burying dynamite in
the defensive perimeter they had established around town. At the moment,
"Okay," Chris took a deep breath and felt
some measure of satisfaction, knowing things were running somewhat according to
schedule. He rose to his feet shakily and immediately noticed Alex frowning at
him for exerting his strength even though they both knew that there was nothing
that could be done about it. He was needed to coordinate things, no matter how
wounded he was. Since his return, the town's spirit had brightened up
considerably and Chris felt somewhat embarrassed that his recovery could inspire
so many people this way. He had always considered himself the bad element in
town, not the hope of everyone that he could deliver them from any calamity.
"Chris, are you sure you shouldn't be
resting?" Buck asked concerned, seeing the amount of effort that Chris
needed just to stand up. While he was glad to have Chris up and around, it
could not be denied that he was far from healthy.
"Don't get me started," Alex muttered as she
dried her hands with a towel.
"I'll be fine." Chris gave him a smouldering look of annoyance, wishing Buck had not brought
the subject up in front of the doctor. Alex was just waiting for an excuse to
put him in bed and he knew that she had enough sedatives at her disposal to do
that if she got in her mind that he was harming himself more than necessary.
"When this is all over, I'm going to stay in bed for a week. You hens
satisfied with that?" He grumbled, allowing his intense blue eyes to glare
at them in accusation.
"I take umbrage at that." Ezra spoke up
immediately, his voice dripping with usual charm even when he was supposedly
offended. "I have not made any inquiry about your state of health nor do I
consider myself anything like some feathered piece of poultry." A smug
smile stole across the gambler's face as he made the remark.
"You're all heart." Chris retorted.
"Now let's get started, we don't have a lot of time." Chris started
moving out of the room slowly, with Buck keeping a close eye on him in case he
needed the support.
Suddenly they heard the front door to the clinic swing
open and although they could not see who had entered, they recognized Josiah's
voice filled with urgency. "Need some help here!"
Chris could not move too quickly but Buck, J.D. and
Ezra were already hurrying out of the small examination room before the words
had fully escaped the preacher's lip. Alex left Chris alone in the room and
followed the lawmen out, guessing that any reason that would bring Josiah here
with such alarm would ultimately require her presence. After the last three days,
she was convinced that there was no other situation they could throw at her
that would shake her sensibilities. Emerging into the narrow hall way, Alex saw
Buck easing Chanu, whom she had met when she
occasionally visited the Indian village, out of the way as he took up the young
man's position helping Josiah with Kojay whom Alex
knew to be his father. Like the Chief, Chanu was also
injured and was holding his arm in pain.
"Bring him in here!" Alex directed them to
the examination room and almost backed into Chris who had appeared behind her
to investigate the commotion taking place. The gunslinger stepped out of her
way as she returned to the room once more while Buck and Josiah brought the old
chief inside its confines. Chris withdrew to a discreet distance at the corner
of the room as they nestling him down on the table. Upon doing that, Josiah and
Buck joined him, not wanting to be in Alex's way any more than Chris did.
"What happened?" Chris asked Chanu who had found himself a chair at Ezra's behest and
sat down heavily on it, not to far from the lawmen.
"Chanu came riding into
town a moment ago," Josiah answered for the young man, allowing him to
catch his breath after his ordeal in coming here from the village with his
wounded father and himself in no better condition. As it was, Chanu's face was covered in a litany of ugly bruises as
well as an arm that hung somewhat out of joint and indicated to Chris and Alex
as well, the presence of a dislocated joint. It appeared as if someone had
taken their fists to him in a big way and it required no clairvoyance for Chris
to assume that it was the same mercenaries who were terrorizing Four Corners.
"They burned the village." Chanu was able to speak for himself after a moment. Wiping
a smear of blood from his split lip, he flinched lightly at how much it stung
before continuing. "They came looking for Tanner and when we said we did
not know where he went, they set fire to our tents and shot my father."
Not unexpectedly, it was Alex and Chris who reacted most
to that information. Both gunslinger and doctor looked up at the same time
although it was Chris who verbalized their demand for knowledge. "Vin was
at the village, when?" Chris demanded not merely for himself but also for
Alex who was burning to know.
Although she had recovered from her momentary lapse of
attention and turned back to her patient, Chris was certain she was listening
closely and was relying upon him to ask the questions they needed to ascertain
Vin's present whereabouts.
"He sought refuge during the dust storm." Chanu answered before thanking Buck briefly for bringing
him some water. "The men who had brought trouble to your town had seen him
leaving to find help and they followed Tanner until he came to the village.
Tanner had hoped that he might lose them in the storm and rested for a short
time." Chanu kept a close eye on what Alex was
doing to his father while he maintained his narrative. Although the others in
the village had not wished him to put his faith in white man's medicine to heal
his father, Chanu trusted Nathan and Alex to know
that if it there were a way to help Kojay, they would
find it. Besides, he had learnt a long time ago injuries caused by white man's
weapons were usually best treated the same way.
Chanu swallowed another mouthful of water and continued
talking, understanding that Vin Tanner's friends were eager for any news about
him since it was obvious he had not come back here after fleeing from the
village. "The men came to our village looking for Tanner. He did not wish
to endanger us and tried to leave before they could search the village and find
out we were lying when we said we did not know where he was but they saw
him."
Well that explained what happened to Chanu and Kojay, Chris fumed
silently. No doubt, the mercenaries felt it justifiable to satisfy their
disappointment on letting Vin slip away yet again by taking vengeance on the
innocents who had sought to protect him. Chris regarded the news of Vin's
escape with little surprise since J.D.'s surveillance of the enemy camp had
disclosed that much already. Quint had stated that
they had yet to catch up with Vin and were operating under the assumption that
he might have actually penetrated the blockade. Chris prayed that was the truth
and that Vin had made it to Sweet Water. With an attack now eminent, outside
help would be a Godsend that could spare a great deal of bloodshed.
"Then he got away." Buck exclaimed with a
smile. "J.D. said that they still hadn't found him so he might have made
it to Sweet Water." Hope exuded from every word he uttered.
"There is something more," Chanu hated brining this news to their attention because he
had seen how hopeful they were at the possibility that Vin might have reached
Sweet Water. However, they had right to know the full truth, no matter how
displeasing he it was to hear. Chris saw Chanu's gaze
shifting reluctantly to Alex and knew that whatever he was about to reveal was
not new they were going to want to hear. Immediately, the gunslinger felt his
guard bracing his innards for some unpleasant news. "When one of those who
were chasing Tanner came back to join the men at the village, I heard them
talking. He said that Tanner was shot."
Alex did not react but her insides knotted upon
hearing the news. With a will she did not know she possessed, she continued to
work on Kojay's injuries, forcing herself to keep her
composure and not succumb to the hysterics of her gender.
"He said Mr. Tanner was shot but not killed, am I
correct in assuming?." Ezra said quickly, knowing that this had to be
clarified for Alex's benefit. Next to Chris, only Ezra knew how to read Alex's
moods and right now, he could tell she was fighting to stay focused.
The others had instinctively glanced at the doctor,
trying to gauge how she was handling this disturbing news. She did not show any
reaction following Chanu's statement although even
J.D. could see that she was upset by the news. Her hands were trembling
slightly as she tended to Kojay's ruined flesh, as if
the help Kojay needed from her was all that was
keeping her from maintaining her calm.
"No not killed," Chanu
replied just as quickly, realizing Ezra's intent immediately. Vin Tanner's
woman needed to have hope that he was alive and in truth, Chanu
had no knowledge of what state Tanner was in. He had merely heard that the
tracker had been shot, nothing further. "I am sure that Tanner is alive
and well. If he has not returned yet then he is getting help."
Unfortunately, he did not sound entirely convincing.
"Gentlemen," Alex spoke after a moment,
appreciating their efforts to lessen the blow that Vin might have come to harm
but she could not bear their attempts at comfort. When she looked up at them,
she revealed to them the face that would allow them to rest at ease, presenting
the facade of the perfectly composed doctor who had her emotions well in hand.
Whether or not they believed it was another thing entirely, Alex wanted to be
left alone to deal with her patients because that was the only way she could
get through this. "I need to be able to work on my patients alone."
She said quietly. "Could you please move outside to the waiting
room?"
"My father?" Chanu
asked standing up, unable to bear not knowing what state his father was in. He
had been watching carefully as she treated Kojay and
was at a loss to know whether or not his injuries were serious or not. "Is
he going to live?"
"Yes," Alex nodded glad that someone was
going to get some good news at least. "He took a bullet to the side but I
think it may have passed straight through without damaging any vital organs.
There is blood loss of course but I'm sure he will recover. At his age, it's
not uncommon for him to react badly to shock. Can someone find Nathan?"
She asked, glancing at everyone except Chris and Kojay.
Her voice was neutral but lacked the spark Chris had come to know. "It
will take me some time to work on Kojay and Chanu really needs looking at now."
"I am certain I can locate Mr. Jackson."
Ezra offered, eager to take some of the burden from her mind following the unfortunate
news she had just received. The gambler promptly walked out of the room with
J.D. and Buck in pursuit because despite the news about Vin, the mercenaries
were still coming after them tomorrow and they had to be ready for them.
"Alex," Chris said gently when she turned
back to Kojay. "I'm sure Vin's okay." The
gunslinger offered her a small smile because he did believe that Vin Tanner was
alive and well. Even if he was shot, Vin had proved one thing, time and time
again, he was a survivor and Chris refused to believe anything else..
"I really can't deal with that right now."
She said evasively although seeing Chris' determined belief that Vin was okay
gave Alex some measure of comfort. "If I start thinking about what's
happened to him and how he much he could be hurt, I'm not going to be of any
use to anyone." Alex swallowed hard, trying to force away this lump in her
throat that was threatening to collapse the wall of professional detachment she
was maintaining with almost frantic desperation. She could feel her heart
weakening with each second of this uncomfortable question of not knowing for
sure if he was alive or dead bearing down on her. The only thing Alex could do
at moments like this was to throw herself into the work or else she risked breaking
down completely.
"Alright," Chris nodded, understanding her
sentiments all too well. Squeezing her arm gently, Chris offered a further word
of support. "If you need us, we'll be at the saloon."
"Thanks Chris," she grasped the hand on her
arm and flashed him a warm smile. "Do me a favour,
please take it easy yourself? I understand that you have to be up and about but
you can't over do it. I fixed you up the best I could but those are still very
serious wounds under that bandage. Don't mistake the mistake of thinking you're
alive because of me, you're standing up on stubbornness alone and not even you
can keep up that up."
"Mary would disagree." Chris joked but
understood completely what she was trying to say. He placed a hand on her cheek
and replied gently. "I promise I won't over do it."
"I'll see to it Alex." Josiah lend his voice
in support of Chris' statement, impressed that even at a time like this she had
could still forget her own worries about Vin long enough to be concerned over
Chris' welfare.
The two lawmen left the clinic shortly after, leaving
Alex to deal with Kojay and possibly Chanu as well if Nathan did not arrive soon. "She's
mighty scared." Josiah remarked as they drew away from the clinic. Chris
did not wish any help making it to the Standish Saloon, which had become the
unofficial war room of
"She loves him." Chris shrugged. "And
she has reason to be."
"You think Vin is still alive?" Josiah
asked, hating to think that the tracker was no longer among them. When Silas
Poplar had come to town, Vin had been the only one who believed in Josiah's
innocence firmly enough to try and help him. Josiah had never forgotten the
tracker's attempts to save him for himself and had been inordinately pleased
when Vin had finally found love in the arms of Alex Styles. For it to end like
this for the young man was ore than Josiah could stand. He was certain that
Chris, whom was his constant companion and best friend, felt the same way.
"I think he'll surprise us." Chris replied
unwilling to say any more than that because his thoughts on whether Vin was
alive was no one's business but his own.
They were persistent.
Vin Tanner had to give his pursuers that much as he
and Peso made the final leg of the journey in their quest to bring help to
Taking the most inhospitable track the knew through
the mountains, Vin knew that Peso was accustomed to traversing the rough
terrain unlike his pursuers whose mounts, preferred the flat plains of Mexico
where the ground was even and sandy. The mountainous track through which Vin
led them through in their relentless pursuit of him was composed mostly of rock
and shale, requiring passage through dense growth on steep inclined slopes. In
truth, this was hardly even a roundabout way to Sweet Water but Vin had led
them on this path in order to force them into abandoning their chase.
Unfortunately, Vin had troubles of his own that negated a face to face
confrontation until he found a suitable vantage point from which to launch a
formidable attack. Not forgetting that with his shoulder injured, Vin could
hardly afford to make an extended detour still he could not allow these men to
stop him from reaching Sweet Water.
He had no idea what was going on at
When he had paused long enough to rest, Vin had to
fight the dreams that kept him from a fitful sleep, perfectly aware that if he
let the full weight of his slumber overtake him, he would only have nightmares
of returning to
Early this morning he had started travelling through
the river that would take him straight into Sweet Water. If they were as
persistent as he believed in stopping him, they would follow, believing that
this was what he intended all along. Fortunately, Vin knew a few short cuts
that required him crisscrossing the water and the land in order to get ahead of
them so that he would be prepared when they reached the place he needed them to
be. Although he disliked putting Peso through the torture of forcing the animal
to move through the water, he knew that it was his only choice. His pursuers
would follow the course of the river, believing he was doing the same, unaware
that he was leading them into a trap.
Despite the arduous journey that cut his travelling
time through the river in half, Vin knew it was worth it when he finally put
enough distance between himself and the mercenaries to reach the place he knew
to be a perfect location for an ambush. Finding a rather opportune ridge for
which to wait them out, Vin readied his rifle and kept a vigil for their
inevitable appearance. These men that had tracked him across the land were no
amateurs. He had to give them credit for their skills in keeping up with him
because Vin was usually able to disappear without anyone finding him if he so
chose. If it were not for the constraints of having to reach Sweet Water and
summoning help for
Unfortunately, his predestined path had made that
anonymity impossible. Vin looked at the wound under his buckskin coat and knew
that it would require attention soon even though it was not a serious injury.
He had suffered worse in his lifetime and knew how much time it took for a
minor wound to become a serious one. Despite himself, he did not want to see a
doctor in Sweet Water and told himself that Alex would not be impressed that he
refused medical treatment simply because it was not her that was doing the
healing. Thoughts of her kept him going even when he was so tired that sleep
beckoned like a second mistress. When exhaustion threatened to overtake him,
Vin occupied himself with thoughts of her scent in his lungs and how soft her
hair felt in his hand fingers.
Fragments of memories such at those reminded him what
he was pushing himself so hard to achieve and renewed his strength somewhat. He
could not allow himself to relent until he knew that she would be safe. Not
until, he could say for certain that everyone he cared about in
Normally, he would have taken care of these men and
then continued to Sweet Water unimpeded but he counted at least six of them on
his trail and knew those were odds he could not risk facing when so much
depended on him. Vin might have been able to handle those numbers even without
the aide of Chris and the others but he was not prepared to take the gamble
when it was absolutely necessary for him to reach Sweet Water and summon help.
He remained in his hidden position, awaiting to hear the sounds of voices that
would inevitably tell him that the prey was moving into sight.
The air was still cold and Vin found himself fighting
the urge to drift off to sleep knowing that it could have fatal repercussions
if he did. In order to maintain his anonymous position in the woods, he could
not light a fire and the chill of the morning bit into his skin, even through
the protection of his coat. He knew much of this had to do with his state of
health, being both injured and exhausted. Vin forced himself to stay alert,
listening for every sound no matter how inconsequential, waiting for the ones
that would herald an end to his days as their prey.
It was time to turn some tables and show them just who
was the hunter and who was the prey.
Vin took a deep breath of cold air and let it do the
work of invigorating him, bringing to bear the senses that were trying to coax
him into sleep. He had tethered Peso some distance away to further mask his
presence, aware that the sound of his faithful gelding would only take away his
advantage and he could not afford that at this point. Staring down from the
edge of the slope he was taking refuge behind, Vin observed the meandering path
along the river. The strong current had been difficult to cross but somehow
Peso had managed it and Vin made a mental note to give the animal a good few
days to rest once this was all over. Peso had performed for him splendidly even
though other horses would have just dug their heels in and refused to move
after being pushed so hard.
The trees in this area were mostly tall and thin,
allowing little shelter from the rain although their canopy of leaves did cast
a dull shadow over the area.
Suddenly, Vin heard voices. He strained to identify
them because he and the mercenaries were not the only people who used this
track. It took a few minutes before the sound s of human chatter became
something he could distinguish as friend or foe. As they made their steady
approach, he heard those voices sharpen with clarity until finally, he knew for
certain, that the new arrivals had decidedly Spanish accents.
They were coming at last.
Vin positioned his rifle on a rock, using it as leverage to make a more
accurate aim. Leaning forward, he let all other thoughts drained from him as
his mind tightened into one singular line of concentration as he waited with
almost serene calm for the first of the riders to appear. He had only one shot
at this and he did not intend to waste it. While the proper thing to do would
be to offer these men a warning as to what was about to come down upon them,
Vin had no choice but to discard such chivalry. These men were hired to do a
job that required the murder of innocent women and children. As far as he was
concerned, they had forfeited that right the moment the first one of them had
chosen to rape Elizabeth Bartell.
They were all Mexicans, he noticed. All wearing an
assortment of ponchos or worn Spanish suits that favoured
by the rich, now dusty and torn from their hard living. Their conversation was
incidental, involving how they would spend the money when it was done or
observations as to where their quarry might be at this point. Closer than they
thought, Vin decided with a slight curl of his lips as they moved into final
position.
They were all directly in front of him when Vin pulled
the trigger, knocking the man in the middle off his horse as the bullet took
out half his throat. He had barely toppled off his horse when Vin cocked his
gun again and aimed at another man. The horses under the riders had started to
panic, rearing on their hind quarters almost dismounting their masters. Vin did
not give them time to launch any kind of defense, pulling trigger no more than
a second after he had shot the first man. He too fell as easily as the first
and the four with him started to shout at which direction the gunfire was
coming from. Vin did not allow himself to be swayed by the pandemonium caused
in the wake of their panic, focusing only on the bodies that were still on
horseback.
One or two had tried to move out of the line of fire
but the barrel of Vin's shot gun followed them with unwavering precision and
before they could move into the trees, fired twice. Both tumbled onto the wet
ground, their shirts revealing an expanding web of crimson as they landed on
the damp soil and leaves unmoving. The remaining two had recovered long enough
to pull out their own weapons and began firing in his direction. Vin had picked
his hiding place well and although the bullets impacted near him, could not
penetrate the steep incline of the hill.
He paused long enough to reload the bullet he had laid
carefully next to his gun for the purpose, knowing that he would only have a
few seconds to do so. However, the sudden lapse in gun fire emboldened the men
below and he suddenly saw them riding hard towards the hill, intending to scale
it in order to reach him. Vin noted their eminent arrival and remained calm,
knowing that his ability to handle this new development relied upon how fast he
could reload his gun. He saw their horses struggle to climb the steep and
uneven surface but were aware how resilient animals could be and did not intend
to be caught surprised.
By the time Vin had loaded his gun and was ready to
fire, the leader of the two was almost to the top of the slope and Vin was near
enough in his sights for him to be certain of being able to hit the tracker
when he fired. Vin saw a gun being aimed in his direction and reacted swiftly,
moving faster than the mercenary could have possibly anticipated. He pulled the
trigger before the man had a chance to target him in his sights and the
resounding explosion from the barrel of the shot gun slammed into the man with
extreme force. The close range of the shot had torn the man off the back of his
horse and Vin ducked as the animal sailed over him and continued running from
fright. Its rider rolled down the hill unceremoniously, uprooting leaves and
dirt in its his descend.
Vin rolled onto his knees as the last man followed not
far behind, dispensing with any need for safety as he took another careful aim.
The man fired twice before Vin could fire. One bullet impacted in the soft dirt
of the hill because he had yet to scale the hill and level out his shot. The
other created sparks as it hit the rock behind which Vin had hit and ricochet
elsewhere. The tracker fired once but that all that was required.
Vin did not see the bullet kill the final mercenary
but he certainly saw the appearance of a red fissure in the man's forehead.
Blood so thick it was almost black, ran down the man's face, staining his face
in red. His horse, knowing the scent of death shook the dead man off its back
and continued on its way, putting as much distance between the corpse and
itself. Vin lowered his gun and emerged from behind his vantage point now that
he had succeeded in finally ridding himself of the mercenaries who had been
constant companions for the past two days.
The tracker examined each body to ensure that they
were dead and found that he had delivered his shots with extreme accuracy as he
had intended. Vin could not help feel a pang of remorse knowing that he had
been responsible for the death around him but they had given him little choice.
Someone had to break through the blockade and he was determined that it would
be him because there were too many people he cared about waiting for his help
in
Vin wasted no time in reaching Peso once he was done
with the mercenaries. The horse waited patiently where Vin had left it, taking
a sojourn during the period when his master dealt with their hunters to acquire
some well earned rest. By the time Vin was finally ready to make his final run
towards Sweet Water, Peso was more or less fresh and Vin knew he could make the
town by early afternoon if he rode hard enough. Inwardly, Vin breathed a sigh
of relief at finally being able to break through the blockade. The pain in his
shoulder hardly registered in the face of that realization and hoped the delay
these past two days had not cost
At the moment, only one thing occupied his mind as he
and Peso galloped down the path the mercenaries had used to track him. Once he
had told the powers that be what was transpiring at
Frankly, Mary Larabee was
amazed at how well the town had pulled together. In the years that she had
lived in
However, it helped having a common enemy and people
were so incensed by the calamity that they had been enduring the past few days
that it Royal and James name become the impetus upon which they were inspired
to band together and survive the coming onslaught. With Chris on his feet and
directing much of the preparations,
It was the sense of community that Mary had always
wished to see in
By the end of the day, the town was as prepared as it
was ever going to be to repel the attack from the mercenaries that would be
coming at dawn. Women and children had been allocated places of hiding as well
as any person that could not defend themselves. Mary had left Billy with Audrey
King, determined that she would not be one of those hiding. She knew how to
handle a gun and defied anyone to tell her that she would be a liability by
lending her assistance. As the sun set down against the amber sky there was
still no word on whether or not Vin had managed to reach help in Sweet Water
and she knew that Chris was unwilling to rely on aid that may never reached
them.
"Well that's it." Buck sighed as the tall
man sat down heavily on the kitchen chair inside the Larabee
kitchen. "We're as ready as we're ever going to be." He declared,
meeting the faces of his friends, hoping that he was not wrong.
"I still wish I knew whether or not Vin made
it," Josiah frowned, unhappy about that one mystery despite the progress
they had made in town today. Not knowing whether or not the tracker was alive
or dead had weighed heavily on all their minds.
"Well let's not count him out just yet,"
Chris said firmly, disliking that subject intensely. In his mind, Vin was
struggling to break the blockade if he had not already and that was how he was
going to keep viewing the subject of Vin Tanner until they had concrete
evidence that he was not dead. He was glad that Alex was still hovering over
her patients and not present to hear this conversation. The woman was extremely
resilient but not even Chris could guarantee how she would take the news if it
they did learn the worse. At this point, he needed her where she was,
coordinating the sick instead letting worries about Vin's welfare interfere
with her work.
"Yeah, Vin will turn up." J.D. said
hopefully. "He always does."
"Well the charges are set." Buck announced.
"At the first sign of those mercenaries, they're going to get a surprise
they ain't likely to forget." He grinned slightly, infecting those around
him with his jovial mood even if the situation seemed completely inappropriate
for it. "I have been refining my skills as a powder man."
"If I seem to recall," Ezra retorted as Mary
handed him a cup of coffee, one of many she was serving throughout the room.
"Your only excursion as an explosive expert was with one stick of dynamite
at the Royal place, which I might add failed to detonate."
"That's right," Nathan chuckled. "If
Josiah hadn't ridden in there drunk as a coot, we might have never got our
distraction."
"Must we speak of that?" The preacher
grumbled, recalling the incident with embarrassment.
"Its me," J.D. stood up from his chair
ceremoniously and beckoned some unseen paramour. "Its Josiah!"
Josiah threw the young man a dark looked and seethed
in annoyance. "Very funny."
"Leave Josiah alone," Mary said
reproachfully and flashed the preacher one of her more comforting smiles.
"Although I would like to hear that story."
"I shall take great pleasure in offering a
narrative Mrs. Larabee." Ezra said
magnanimously, his sea coloured eyes twinkling as he
looked at Josiah with an expression of little boy mischief.
Chris laughed slightly and allowed them this moment of
levity since they had been working hard all day and they needed to relax
somewhat or else none of them would be in any shape to face the battle that was
coming at them with the ferocity of a runaway locomotive. The kitchen wafted
with the smell of hot coffee and Chris reached for the cup that Mary had left
for him. "Look, we've done all we can." Chris said finally deciding
that after all the effort they had put in today, it was time for a rest. There
was nothing more to be done until tomorrow and they all needed to alert to deal
with the trials that would come with the new days. "Best thing we can do
now is get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow."
"Let us hope we are not resting for our own
funeral." Ezra dead panned as he drained his cup and rose out of his
chair.
"Way to be optimistic, Ez,"
Buck retorted sarcastically, having plans of his own for the evening. If he was
going to die tomorrow, there were things he needed to take care of first.
"And I thought Josiah was the one who looked at the gloomy side of
things."
"Why thank you Buck." Josiah declared.
"Always appreciate your endorsements."
Chris watched them leave through the window of the
kitchen until their voices faded into the night as they dispersed, wondering if
this was the last moment they would ever share a quiet cup of coffee together.
In truth, Chris was less optimistic than Ezra was about their chances. While
they were going to hurt the enemy tomorrow, Chris was uncertain of whether or
not they could really win. If by some miracle, they did prevail, the gunslinger
had a terrible feeling it was going to be at a great cost to the town.
"Mary," Chris said quietly, knowing she
would protest but determined that she hear him out. She was making them
something to eat in her kitchen, doing all those things that women did even
when times were at their very worst. It never ceased to amaze him, how the
fairer sex could always keep the more important things in life forever in
focus, no matter how much chaos was screaming its wrath around them.
"Yes Chris?" She answered, not looking up as
she stirred something that smelled
heavenly in a pot on the stove.
"Maybe you should think about you and Billy
getting out of here."
Mary stopped what she was doing immediately and turned
around to face him. "You mean run?" Her eyes showed her shock at his
suggestion, even though she could see the honest fear in his face.
"I mean get out alive." Chris repeated. More
than anything, he wanted his new family safe. He could endure losing them in
death but he could not live knowing that he had lost another family. It would
destroy what soul he had left in him. "I mean take as many women in town and
run."
"How can you ask this of me?" She demanded.
"Do you think I can just walk away and leave you behind?"
"Would you do it if I asked you?" Chris
asked, not wishing to use that as a ploy to have her concede to his demands but
interested in knowing her answer if he had.
She said nothing for a moment, uncertain of how to
answer. "I don't know." She said after a long while, trying to hide
the tears that wanted to spill down her cheeks. "I just know I can't abandon
you here and hope that things work out. I have earned the right to stand by
your side no matter what, through sickness and in health, remember?"
He did remember and he did not want her to go but
Chris had started to wonder if it was selfish of him to expect her to stay.
Chris did not want her harmed and he was not a gambler who dared risking her
life on the possibility that they might defeat their enemies. "I just
don't want you hurt."
She understand all too well the sentiment that
motivated him and came towards him, placing a hand against his cheek as Mary
looked down at him. "I know that Chris but I also know that I won't be any
better of running and hiding and I also know a lot of the other wives, mothers
and daughters feel the same way. We know the risks but we can't run."
Chris nodded in understanding and would bring the
subject up no more. "You're a lot braver than I am Mrs. Larabee," he said with a warm smile and pulled her
down to kiss her. As their lips met in a soft kiss, Chris hoped that she was
right, that it was worth the risk because he honestly did not know if there was
any price that he'd willing to gamble when it was her life at stake.
Buck Wilmington knew exactly where he was going when
he left the Larabee's and that was straight for the
saloon. The uncertainty of tomorrow had reminded him of how many unresolved
things he would leave behind if tomorrow were indeed his last day on this
earth. He had no fear of dying even though he would not go willingly into the
good night. However, Buck did not believe in keeping everything buried inside
himself as Chris did. He believed in taking care of things once and for all, to
put it behind him so he could continue with the future or tie it up neatly, in
case the end of the road came sooner than he believed. Unfortunately, his
present predicament did not allow for such a direct solution but then things
with Inez Rosillios never progressed as smoothly as
they ought.
He found her in the saloon dispensing drinks to paying
customers with the same confidence and brassy mannerisms that had captured his
heart from the first. To look at her, one could not guess that a gang of
marauding mercenaries could soon bring death to them all when the sun rose the
next morning. Inez continued with her daily routine, providing those present
with the comforting notion that some things would go on no matter what calamity
was expected.
They had not spoken much since Christmas, when she had
told him about the baby and the more she kept him away; the more determined
Buck was to be apart of her life. His own father had been a non-entity in his
childhood and Buck did not wish to be the same way for a child of his own. He
wanted to miss nothing in this process of life growing inside her and although
she might otherwise like to deny it, this baby was their creation not just
hers. He wanted to share in it and experience some of the things she did
because he did not want to be a figment of his child's dreams of what a father
was supposed to be.
"Hey Inez." Buck said sliding into the stool
across the counter from her.
"Hello Buck." She responded politely, albeit
with some distance in her manner. "What can I get you?"
"A moment of your time?" He raised his eyes
to meet her gaze with an expression that was filled with yearning and silent
pleading.
She let out a sigh, never being able to resist that
puppy dog look even though she would prefer to die before admitting this to
him. Inez was not blind to what was taking place around her, in particular the
attack that was coming their way tomorrow. While she had tried to maintain a
brave face, she was nevertheless afraid of what would happen, not only to
herself and her baby but to its father. As much as she wanted to keep Buck at
arm's length, she still loved him and while things may seem unworkable between
them now, should anything happen to him tomorrow, Inez did not want his last
memory of her to be unpleasant.
"Why not?" She flashed him a smile and
started towards the kitchen where they would be afforded some measure of
privacy.
It took a moment for Buck to realize that she had not
flat out refused him as she had been doing on so many previous occasions before
when he had requested a private audience. Instead, Inez stood at the doorway to
the kitchen, waiting in anticipation for him to follow. The lawman wasted no
time leaping off his stool and hurrying into the room after her. Inez was
sitting on top of the kitchen table when he finally entered.
"So what is so important?" She asked with no
sign of hostility in her voice.
"I just wanted to talk to you that's all."
He said with a faint smile, removing his hat as he approached her. "Lots
of things are happening tomorrow and I thought a few words needed to be said
just in case." He swallowed thickly, obviously having a great deal of
difficult voicing what those things were even if Inez suspected it somewhat.
"I'm listening." She answered, feeling her
heart constrict with realization.
"You will tell the baby about me won't you?"
He asked suddenly and sliced her insides apart with emotion with that one
simple question. "I mean if anything does happen."
"Of course I will." She exclaimed, sliding
off the table and walking up to him. Taking his hand in hers she looked into
his face with nothing less than love she had always felt for him and replied.
"The baby will always know its father, even if you are dead or alive.
Buck," Inez paused realizing that he believed she had no intention of
letting him be a part of her baby's life and that was never her intention.
"Things are crazy between us right now but this baby is yours as much as
it is mine."
"Really?" He said trying not to show how
happy he was at that statement. "I thought when you said you wouldn't
marry me..."
"Did not mean I would keep our child away from
you," she declared, mortified that he could even think such a thing and
then felt slightly guilty because she had given him every reason to believe
that.
"I really want be a part of its life Inez,"
Buck replied after a moment, speaking from the heart because she was the only
one who believed there was more to him beneath the veneer of his charm and tom catting ways. "I grew up never knowing my pa and my
mother had to fight every inch of the way to raise me right, I don't want that
for our baby or you. If you don't want to marry me, I can live with that but I
can't live knowing that I won't be apart of its life."
"Buck," Inez pulled his hand to her swelling
abdomen and held his palm against the taut flesh for a few seconds. He looked
at her for a moment, not understanding what it was she was doing until he felt
it. Its movement was so slight that he almost thought it was just a reflexive
action of muscle until it repeated and suddenly it occurred to him what had
just happened.
"Is that...?" His eyes filled with wonder.
"Yes," she nodded, smiling radiantly at him.
"That's our baby."
The delight in his face was unmistakable and Inez felt
a warm feeling at being able to share this wonderful sensation with him. Until
now, she had thought she could do it all on her own and to a certain extent,
she still could. However, this moment shared between them reminded her just how
much she loved him and how much she wanted him to feel some of the things she
was until now, enduring alone.
"That's wonderful." He responded, his voice
was almost a whisper. "I really felt it." He started to grin.
"It's getting stronger." Inez laughed,
unable to deny how much his joy was affecting her own pleasure. "I think
it might be a boy."
"Of course it’s gonna be a boy." Buck
laughed, keeping his hand in place, hoping that he might feel that slight
movement again. "Ain't ya?" He leaned over and declared loudly.
"It could still be a girl." Inez pointed
out.
Buck had only one response to that. "Just as long
as you never call her Theodora."