Crouched in the tree line on the hill above the farmstead, Chris scanned the land before him. The two story faded white house had no obvious sign of life in it. The open barn door and the empty corral also spoke of a place that had been abandoned to the elements. Frowning, he looked towards the men beside him. "Josiah, you and Nate head that way," Chris said, nodding towards the north. "Buck, you and JD take the other."

Nodding their agreement, the four men dispersed silently into the trees while the remaining men waited nervously. Mentally ticking off the time, Chris glanced sideways at Vin. "If Ella gets past me...," he said quietly, his words for Vin's ears only. "You do what you got to do to make sure it ends here." Chris nodded in response to the oath in Vin's eyes that he would do just that.

Pulling her horse to a halt at the fork in the road that lead to Miller's Creek, Mary paused, unsure of which way to go. Trying to control the prancing horse under her, Mary looked down and tried to decipher the tracks in the road. Giving up after a few minutes, she fought the sense of helplessness that again threatened to over take her.

Looking down each of the roads that stretched out in front of her, she flipped a mental coin. Hoping she was making the right decision, she heeled the mare and took off down the road leading south to Miller Creek.

Easing himself against the side of the house, Chris held his breath and chanced a quick look through the window. Not seeing anyone inside, he took a longer look. The parlor and hallway that were visible were both void of life. Moving to the front of the house, he glanced around the corner. Spying Ezra on the other side of the building, he signaled for the southerner to join him at the front door.

Taking a deep breath, Chris nodded to Ezra that he was ready. Reaching out, Larabee turned the knob on the door and let it swing wide open as he pressed himself against the house as a shield from any gunfire that might erupt from within. When nothing happened, he eased himself into the house, his gun ready in front of him. Behind him, he heard the comforting sounds of Ezra's footfalls as the southerner mimicked his movements.

Acknowledging Ezra's signal that he was heading upstairs, Chris began to go through the first floor, looking for some sign that this was the house where Ella had been staying. Any doubt that this was the correct place was quickly crushed when Chris spotted an enveloped addressed to him propped against a coffee cup on the table in the kitchen.

Sliding his gun into its holster, he picked up the letter and slid his finger under the flap. Pulling the single sheet of paper out of it, he moved to the window to read it.

"My Darling,

I am sorry I could no longer wait for you, but your so-called friends will never understand the love we share. That love has now taken on a new life as our son is now with me. One day soon, you too shall be able to join us and then our life together can begin again.

Forever yours,

Ella and Billy Larabee"

Folding up the sheet, Chris fought the nausea that had suddenly come upon him at the thought that Ella now believed that Billy was their son. It meant that she had become even more unstable since the last meeting.

And even more dangerous than before.

Cramming the envelope in his pocket, Chris spun to leave the room, yelling for Ezra when he reached the hallway.

I should of caught them by now,' Mary thought as she peered down the road in front of her. Sitting up in the saddle, she pulled back on the reins to stop the heated and blowing horse. Guilty, she realized that the mare was tired from the hard run. Forcefully, she stopped that train of thought. She had to find Billy.

Turning the bay around, she was about to dig in her heels again when the sound of running horses coming toward her caught her attention. Peering at the approaching cart, Mary realized there was at least one person in the small buggy. She couldn't decide if the bundle on the seat beside her was another person or simply cargo. 'Maybe they can tell me something,' she thought as the nudged the horse forward holding up her hand to indicate she wanted them to stop.

As the buggy got close enough to make out the people in it, Mary gasped. Pulling the gun from her pocket, she planted herself in the middle of the road.

Unconsciously gripping the pistol tighter, Mary yelled for Ella Gaines to stop. Having to quickly grab the reins, she fought the horse's natural instinct to move out of the way of the approaching wagon.

Just when Mary thought that she was going to have to let the horse have its head and move off the road, Ella pulled back hard on her horses. When the buggy came to a standstill, the noses of the horses drawing the small cart were only inches away from her leg. Mary could feel the air from their snorts on her leg as she warily watched the enemy before her.

Allowing her eyes to dart from Ella to the form of her son draped on the seat, Mary felt a strange calmness settle over her. The fear, anxiety and anger that had kept her going the past several days suddenly disappeared. In its place was the peace that came with the arrival of the inevitable. After days of waiting, she would finally learn whether or not her son was alive or dead. Fleetingly, she couldn't help but wonder if this was how Chris felt before a gunfight.

"Get out of the wagon. Keep your hands where I can see them," Mary ordered firmly, forcing all other thoughts from her mind and focusing her attention on Ella. If there was one thing she was sure of, this woman was dangerous and would think nothing of shooting her given half a chance.

Letting a cold smile cross her lips, Ella Gaines loosely draped the reins over the break and stood up. "You really should keep a closer eye on this one," she said lightly as she stepped down. "Little boys can be so... easily distracted," she said huskily, a tremor of amusement rumbling in her throat.

"Over there," Mary said, motioning Ella to move several feet away from the buggy and ignoring the obvious attempt to unsettle her. Waiting until the dark haired woman did as she was told, Mary pulled back on the reins of her horse backed the bay to the opposite side of the buggy so that she could check on Billy while keeping Ella in her sights.

"Now what?" Ella said mockingly, trying a different tack. "We wait for someone to come?" Laughing, she shifted her position. "You do realize that every minute we wait, you are letting his life slip away, don't you?" she said, inclining her head toward the small boy laying unmoving on the buggy.

"What did you do to him?" Mary snapped, leaning forward to lay one hand on her son. She could feel the coldness of his skin through his clothing. For a brief minute, a shard of fear stabbed through her when she didn't feel the rise or fall of his chest. Then she felt it, shallow and slow, but there. Forcing the fear back, Mary's eyes bored into Ella as she snapped the question again. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing that healer... what's his name... Nathan... couldn't fix... IF he gets to him in time," Ella drawled, glancing up coyly. Standing up straighter, she let a mirthless smile tug on her face as she could see the flicker of turmoil on Mary's face at the news. "Tell you what. You take the buggy and the boy, and I'll take your horse, and we go our separate ways. That way we both get what we want."

Mary's mind raced through the alternatives and possible consequences of each. If she let Ella go, neither she nor Billy would ever really be safe; yet, if she didn't, Billy might die. There was no way of knowing when or if Chris and the others would find them. And she wasn't sure how she could get Ella back to town - she didn't want her on a horse by herself, yet there was no way for all of them to fit in the buggy without giving Ella an opportunity to jump her. If she tied her to back of the buggy on foot, it would slow them down and it might take too long to get back to town. And as much as she hated this woman, she couldn't bring herself to gun her down in cold blood.

Torn, Mary chanced a quick glance down the road hoping for a miracle. Seeing none, she swallowed hard, knowing she really had no choice but to accept the inevitable.

Ella was going to get away again.

Swinging her foot over the stirrup, Mary paused long enough to reach back to reassure herself that there was no rifle in the scabbard before dropping off the horse into the buggy in silent agreement. Setting down, she unwrapped the reins. Before moving, however, she pinned Ella with a eyes of blue ice. "If you ever touch my son again, I'll kill you," she said coldly. Her tone left no doubt that she meant the threat she had just said. There would be no third chance.

Seeing the smile drain from the dark haired woman's face, Mary slapped the reins on the horses, lurching them forward. Putting the buggy in a wide turn, she kept a leering eye on Ella as she caught the loose horse and pulled herself up. Seeing Ella kick the mare and head south, Mary dropped the pistol into her lap and slapped the horses hard to speed them up, laying a steadying hand on her son. Now, she just needed to find Nathan and get back to town.

Pausing to brush some of the dirt from his boots, Chris raised a hand to knock on the door of the boarding house as the last rays of daylight were engulfed by the approaching darkness. Waiting for someone to respond, he wondered what he would find on the other side. When he and the other men had encountered Mary and Billy on the trail during their headlong flight into town, for the first time in a long time, he felt a particular type of fear.

The fear of losing something precious to you.

Billy was unmoving in the buggy and Mary had refused to look at him. Watching as Nathan examined the youngster, he had listened as Mary laid out the events that led to her finding her son in short breathless sentences. Equally abruptly, she had informed the group that she had let Ella go. Looking back on it now, Chris couldn't blame her. He would have done the same thing.

That hadn't stopped the flare of anger that had arisen in him at the knowledge that Ella Gaines was once again on the loose - unscathed. It had blinded him to anything but finding her. Demanding to know the direction the dark haired woman had ridden off in, Chris had spun his horse and raked his spurs across the black's sides to pursue her. Silently, five of the men followed to help.

Now, half a day later, they had returned to town depressed by their inability to find her. She had disappeared into the hills like smoke on the wind; gone without a trace.

"Ma'am," Chris said, removing his hat as the door before him opened and the boarding house owner greeted him. Stepping inside, he paused to allow her to proceed him down the hallway to the small parlor. Entering the room, he felt a sense of deja vu as Mary and the Judge were in virtually the same positions as before.

Nodding a greeting, Chris asked, "Any word?"

Shaking his head, Orrin rose to meet the younger man. "Nothing. I've sent wires to every town in a two hundred mile radius. I want her for setting up Billy as much as I want Ella Gaines for what she did."

"How is Billy?" Chris queried softly, sharing Travis' need to find the young woman.

"Better," Orrin said. "Nathan says the drug is slowly working its way out of his system. He's been able to get some water and broth down the boy."

"What'd she give him?" Chris queried, his hatred of Ella flaring again at the thought of her drugging a small child.

"Laudanum. From the looks of it, she kept him sedated the entire time," Orrin said, his voice indicating he too had no love for the woman who had endangered his grandson.

Shaking his head in disgust, Chris' eyes focused on the woman sitting placidly on the other side of the room. Catching the Judge's eye, he nodded slightly to query about her well being.

Pursing his lips, Orrin shook his head ever so slightly as if to say not well. Tipping his head, he indicated that Chris should talk to her before bending down to pick up his hat. "My dear, I'm going to step out to get a bit of fresh air. Can I bring you anything?"

Startled, Mary looked up. Reclaiming her lost composure, she forced a tight small smile on her face as she shook her head and tried to calm the panic settling into her chest.

She wasn't ready to be alone with Chris. How he must hate her now. How could he not? She had the person responsible for his pain and grief in her gun sight and then she let her go. How could he do anything less?

Nervously, she stood up and moved to the window as if to look into the darkened street that lay beyond it. In reality, she wanted to study Chris' face without him knowing it. In the glass reflection, she carefully perused his features and tried to decipher what she saw there.

Watching Mary's nervous movements with guarded eyes, Chris tried to find some way to tell her he was sorry for all the pain he had brought to her. If he had never stayed in Four Corners, then Ella Gaines would have never taken Billy as a way to get to him and Mary would not have had to suffer the absence of her child. Neither would he have hurt her by taking off with Ella.

The quiet that had settled in was finally broken by Mary. "I'm sorry," she said softly, turning her head slightly, but not daring to look at him directly.

Shaking his head, Chris raised his eyes from the hat in his hand. "Couldn't be helped," he replied firmly.

Surprised by his response, Mary turned to look at him. Meeting his eyes, she visibly relaxed. Stepping forward, she stuttered slightly as she asked, "What will you do now?" wondering how he would ever find Ella.

Pursing his lips, Chris let his eyes drop back to his hat. "Depends," he began, moving away from Mary. "Are you going back to Four Corners?" he asked turning back to look at her.

Pausing, Mary made up her mind. "Yes, as soon as Billy is well enough."

"Then I'll be moving on," Chris answered flatly, straightening up as if he had resigned himself to the inevitable.

"Moving on? I don't understand," Mary exclaimed.

Signing, Chris explained his thinking. "As long as you and Billy are around me, you're in danger. She won't stop."

"But Chris," Mary said, stepping closer to him, "we're still in danger away from you. The last couple days have shown that," she prodded gently. "If you are around, at least, there's a chance you'll be able to stop her before she can hurt Billy again."

"And if I can't?"

"I know you will do everything in your power to protect us," Mary said solemnly. Slipping her hand in the folds of the skirt, she pulled out a piece of paper. Fleetingly, she remembered a similar incident several weeks earlier in the streets of Four Corners. Squelching the memory, Mary stepped forward and held out her hand toward Chris. "I... I found this in Billy's clothes."

Accepting the folded note, Chris laid his hat down on the table to read it. Looking at the handwriting on the outside of the paper, he had no doubt as to the author of it.

"My Darling,

If you are reading this, then we have once again been torn apart. I do not know why the fates have decreed that we must delay our happiness. All I know is that you love me and that all other women are merely toys for your amusement. If any should make the mistake of trying to make you theirs, I will kill them for their treachery.

Know I am incomplete without you and will not stop finding some way for us to be together. Take care of our son until that day arrives.

Yours Always,

Ella Gaines Larabee."

Crumbling the note slowly in his hand, Chris took the top of the lamp off and held the paper in the open flame until it caught fire. Tossing it into the fireplace, he watched it quickly transform into ashes before he looked at the woman watching him.

"What did it say?" Mary queried, frightened by the look of hatred on Chris' face.

"That she'd be back," Chris said flatly, taking one more look at the dying sparks.

"And?"

Picking up his hat, Chris settled it on his head. "I'll be back in the morning to check on Billy," he said, not answering her question. As he neared the door, he was stopped by Mary calling to him.

Turning back to look at her, Chris saw uncertainty and a question in Mary's eyes: what about us? Retracing his steps, he stopped in front of her and brushed his fingers down her cheekbone as his eyes caressed her face. He had missed her. He couldn't deny it. He wanted her in his life. The painful loneliness of the past several weeks had illustrated that to him.

But he didn't want her in danger either.

"It'll be all right," Chris said softly. "I just need some time to sort all of this out." Seeing the fear leave her eyes, he dropped his hand from her face and sighed. "Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

Falls River Present....

Stepping onto the boardwalk out of the mid-day sun, Ella Gaines paused to pull her gloves from her hands and to brush the dust from her skirt. While doing so, she scanned the street and nodded to the four men strategically placed in case she needed them. Setting her shoulders and plastering a neutral look on her face, Ella strolled into the jail.

"Sheriff," Ella drawled sweetly. "My name is Mrs. Jack Avery. I wonder if I could speak to you," she said, moving further into the room and opening her handbag. Stuffing her gloves into it, she gripped the small gun and readied herself to pull it out. "I understand you have a young woman by the name of Catherine Gaines here...."

"Mary? You okay?"

Jumping at the sound of her name, Mary stared at the person standing on the other side of the desk. After a few seconds, her mind realized that the room was now in shadows and the outside sky had taken on its evening colors. Recovering enough from the scare to finally answer, she laughed nervously. "Chris, you startled me."

"You okay?" the dark clad man asked again, setting the lamp shade back onto the now lighted base. The distant painful look on her face when he came in told him that she had been remembering something very troublesome.

"I'm fine," Mary said, showering him with a grateful smile. Standing up, she began to move the unfinished articles from the table, she added, "Is it supper time already? I lost track of time."

"That's not why I'm here," Chris replied, stilling Mary's hands. When she looked up at him in surprised, he continued softly. "Sheriff from Fall Rivers was killed a little while ago when someone broke Catherine Gaines out."

"Ella?" Mary whispered, fear lurking in her eyes.

Pursing his lips, Chris shifted before answering. "Probably."

"So... she's still close," Mary said, moving part way across the room and stopping. Her mind was having trouble coming to grips with the developments she had just heard.

"Yeah," Chris breathed, looking out the window and staring unseeingly down the street. "She's close." Deep in thought, Chris did not see the rider that tore across his field of vision.

"NATHAN!" Rain screamed breathlessly, as she reigned in the hot and blowing horse underneath her near the livery. The sound of her desperate cry brought the healer from the infirmary, Josiah from the church, and, Buck and JD from the jail on the run.

"Rain! What is it?" Jackson demanded, catching the agitated woman in his arms. His pleasure and surprise at seeing her was overshadowed by the urgency of her arrival.

"Nathan, you must come! The children of the village. . . they've fallen ill. Some of the adults too." Rain's eyes reflected her fear and hope that Nathan would be able to help.

Nathan nodded at Rain. "Let me get my bag." Glancing at his friends, Nathan added, "Tell Chris where I'm going."

"Want us to come with you?" Buck threw at the retreating form.

Pausing at the bottom of the steps, Nathan paused long enough to say, "I'll send for ya, if I need help."

"I'll go get his horse ready," JD murmured before hurrying inside the livery.

Exchanging worried glances with the man left beside him, Josiah let out a long sigh. "I got a feelin? this is gonna be bad."

The end