Blind Man's Bluff
By: Winnie
Jake Peters dismounted and tied his horse to the hitching post just outside the livery. He looked down the single dusty street searching for the man he knew was one of the peacekeepers in Four Corners. He knew of Larabee propensity for wearing black and watched as three men exited the building a short distance away. One man leaned heavily against the other, while a third seemed to be pointing something out to them. Neither man matched the description of Chris Larabee.
Jake moved towards the saloon, his eyes constantly shifting as he searched the town. The street was all but deserted as the sun began the final part of its journey. The two men he'd seen on first entering the town walked towards what could only be a hotel, as the third one turned his gaze his way.
Josiah watched the newcomer as he moved towards him. There was something about the way the duster draped down the body, and covered the gun at his waste, that warned the ex-preacher he could be trouble. He leaned heavily against the post and waited for the man to come nearer and was surprised to see him stop in the middle of the street.
"I'm lookin for a man named Chris Larabee," the newcomer told him.
Josiah stared at the man even as his eyes caught sight of two riders coming into town. He was used to keeping track of things around him and wasn't surprised to see Baker Campbell come out of the hotel. He knew Campbell was a friend of Larabee's but there were things about him he didn't quite trust. His eyes shifted back to the newcomer even as Buck and JD dismounted outside the livery and strode towards them.
Chris heard a strange voice asking about him and knew the others heard as well. He stood and moved towards the door, his body tensing as instinct kicked in. Something about the tone told him this would end in gunplay. He felt his men watching and knew they'd follow him out the door and ensure no one interfered. Larabee pushed the doors open and joined Sanchez on the boardwalk. His eyes flashed up and down the street as he recognized the stance of the man standing alone. The man was a gunslinger and he was ready to test himself. Chris knew he was about to be called out once more.
Peters recognized the black clad man as he stepped through the batwing door. He smiled as he saw a similar spirit in Larabee as the gunman walked out into the dusty street. There was no fear in the man's eyes, but again he hadn't expected any. This was a test, one that would prove once and for all that he was the best.
"I'm Larabee, who the Hell are you?"
"The name's Jake Peters." He smiled as he heard gasps from the townspeople who hid behind open windows and doors. His reputation was well known, even the people of this little berg knew who he was.
"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" Larabee asked seriously and was rewarded when a hint of anger passed across his nemesis' face. He knew who Peters was, but it was always good to keep your foe guessing and never give away too much of yourself.
Peters watched as six men took up positions around the gunslinger. One in particular seemed to hover close by. This man's hair was long, his body clad in buckskin, but what caught his attention were the twin beacons of danger staring at him from below a tilted hat. His gaze returned to Larabee and he smiled thinly. "You gonna hide behind these men, Larabee?"
"I don't need to hide behind anyone," Larabee said as he walked out into the street. He caught sight of Mary Travis being pulled into Gloria Potter's store and sighed in relief that she was out of danger. He knew the others had made everyone get inside as soon as a hint of danger was known. A slight movement caught his attention and he knew Baker Campbell was watching the everything as well.
Campbell watched with growing interest as his long time friend faced down the man in the street. He saw Peters' right hand flick back his coat and his fingers began to flex in readiness. He knew beyond a doubt Larabee could best this man, but he wanted to see the reactions of the town and in particular Vin Tanner. He needed to know where this man stood and why Chris Larabee would befriend a wanted man with a price on his head. He leaned against the corner of the hotel and waited to see the outcome of the draw.
Peters knew as long as it was a fair fight he would not be charged with Larabee's killing. The benefits of having bested such a well known gunslinger was all that really mattered. He already had a pretty good reputation, but this would be his crowning achievement.
Four Corners was deathly quiet, the soft wind that had blown the dust in small swirls seemed to have been vanquished by the threat of gunfire. Nothing moved behind the dark silent windows, yet the townspeople stared out of the shadows.
Chris faced the man who'd called him out as Jake Peters glared back under a wide brimmed hat. Chris could see the man set himself. Chris' green eyes were unreadable as he brought forth what was needed for him to be the deadly, calculating gunslinger he needed to be. People, buildings, horses, birds, anything that surrounded him ceased to exist as he called on what he was, what he'd always be, a gunslinger. Yet, Chris Larabee was also a man, one who fought on the right side of the law. He would never break the law, but at times like this he was forced to do something that went against everything he believed in. His reputation as a gunslinger followed him everywhere, yet this town had grown to accept who he was, not what he was. He no longer considered himself 'The Bad Element' and neither did the people of Four Corners.
Larabee watched Peters, ignoring everything but the man before him. he watched as the fingers on the gunslinger's right hand flexed, yet stayed just where they were. His own hand hovered at his gun, but his fingers remained set, ready to move the instant Jake Peters showed any sign he was ready to draw.
"Are your men gonna draw down on me when I kill you, Larabee?"
"My men won't need to interfere, Peters," Chris assured him with a cocky grin. Chris watched as a droplet of sweat slowly ran down the man's bobbing Adam's Apple and knew the time was drawing near. His green gaze grew deadly, his body set in a rigid stance as he watched Peters hand go for his gun.
Larabee's right hand dropped with lightening speed, the Colt pulled from it's resting place, before he even thought about what he was doing.
Peters knew he'd made a fatal mistake the minute he drew on the man in black. His gun came up, just as fast as Larabee, but felt something slam into his chest, a millisecond after he fired. Looking down at his shirt as the his gun dropped from numbed fingers. His right hand was now useless, as a blossoming red stain grew from a hole in his chest. The gunman's heart pounded in his chest, yet he knew he was dying. Larabee's shot had been true, and Jake Peters slid the rest of the way to the ground.
Larabee knew he'd met his match in Jake Peters, at least speed wise, but Peters forgot about accuracy. Chris' own bullet struck exactly where he knew it would and he smiled in spite of the lancing pain in his head. The man in black heard the town come back to life, even as he lifted his hand to his head. He winced as his fingers found a groove along the left side of his head, above and to the left of his eye. His hands came away bloody, and he frowned as he realized something was wrong.
"Easy, Chris, I got ya," Tanner said as he rushed to his friend's side. The draw had been to close to call and for an instant he wasn't sure who won. Then he'd seen the blood on Peters' chest and watched as the gunman gave up his life in the middle of the street. He knew the man was dead before he hit the ground.
"Help me get him to the clinic, Vin" Jackson ordered as he saw the blood flowing down Larabee's left cheek.
Chris felt strong hands on his arms as he blinked to focus his eyes. "Dammit!" he swore as his vision blurred even further and his legs grew shaky. His stomach rebelled and he lost its contents in the center of the street. Again and again he blinked, ignoring the voices around him. Lights flashed, grey, almost twilight, his vision worsening with each step he took. Light, dark, light dark, he felt like someone was turning the sun on and off and he groaned as he felt someone grab his arms and pull them over their shoulders. The buildings seemed to shift and fade to grey with each blink. Twilight, dark, twilight, dark, he felt dizzy as he struggled to focus on the things around him. He knew something was wrong as his vision continued to worsen. He felt the steps in front of him and knew they were headed for Jackson's clinic. He blinked again and again, a low hiss of pain escaping as pain lanced through his skull. He knew he was in trouble as each blink of his eyes revealed complete and utter darkness. His body trembled and he knew the two men helping him were worried, but he couldn't find the energy to form the necessary words to quell their worry. He opened his eyes once more and one word crept into his mind, 'Blind!' he thought as he gave into the pain and shock.
Vin and Nathan felt the lean body go slack in their arms as they reached the landing of the clinic. They reached down and scooped Larabee's legs and carried him to the door. Nathan was about to release his hold when a distraught Buck Wilmington reached for the handle.
"Nathan, is he alright?" the ladies' man asked breathlessly. He'd left the others to take care of Peters and came up to see if he could help. Truth was he needed to see if his long time friend was okay. The sight of Larabee's head snapping back kept replaying in his mind and he wasn't sure whether the blond gunslinger was dead or alive.
"I don't know, Buck," Jackson said as they carried the unconscious man to the bed. They eased him down on the mattress and heard a commotion outside the clinic. No one was surprised to see Sanchez, Standish and Dunne entered. Mary Travis came in right behind them.
"Chris!" Mary's face paled as she saw the blood on the left side of Larabee's face. She hurried to his side and reached for his hand, ignoring proper decorum in loo of Chris Larabee's injury.
"Mary, I need to check his head," Jackson said as he watched her smooth the hair away from the grisly looking wound. "Mary," he called again to the distraught woman.
Mary lifted her tear stained face to the healer, her voice filled with the raw pain she felt. "I can help you, Nathan."
"Mary, I know you want to help, but not right now." Jackson could see how badly shaken she was and knew she was having flashbacks of Steven Travis' murder.
"But..."
"He'll need you more when he wakes up, Mary," Buck said as he took her arm and all but lifted her up to her feet.
Mary knew he was right, but wanted to stay. Her eyes kept filling with tears as she looked at the pale man on the bed. "He'll be all right won't he, Buck?" she asked.
Buck smiled in spite of his own doubts. "Ya know he will, Mary. Ain't a bullet been made that can take down Chris Larabee. Now, why don't you go make sure Billy doesn't hear this from anyone else?"
"Billy...I left him with Gloria. She'll make sure he stays there."
"I know she will, Mary, but he needs to hear this from you not from someone else."
"You'll come get me as soon as Nathan's finished with him?"
"Nothing will keep me away," Buck assured her. "Come on, I'll go with you." He looked back to see Jackson cleaning the gash on Larabee's head and helped the shaky woman out of the clinic.
"Josiah, get the carbolic and add it to the water!" Jackson ordered as he held a clean bandage to the still bleeding wound. "Vin, hold that for me!"
Tanner held the bandage to the wound and watched as Jackson moved around the clinic getting the things he'd need to take care of the gunslinger.
Baker Campbell leaned against the doorframe watching everything that happened in the small clinic. He was worried about Larabee, but his instincts kept him watching from a distance. His eyes fell on the two men at the back of the clinic. Vin Tanner held a cloth to Larabee's head, a dark red stain forming as he held it in place. Campbell still couldn't understand how this quiet man had a 500-dollar bounty on his head. Vin was an enigma to him. Most murderers steered clear of friends, knowing they could be used against them, yet Tanner seemed to have been accepted by the six men, including Chris Larabee. He knew Larabee didn't cotton to murderers, especially after what he'd heard about Larabee's family being murdered. That meant Tanner was either innocent or the best actor ever to grace the west. He still opted for the latter, at least it eased his conscience a little. He took a deep breath and entered the clinic.
"How is he?" Campbell asked.
"He's got a nasty head wound and it's gonna take some stitches to close it up," Jackson explained as he walked back to the bed and placed the instruments on the table. "Thanks, Josiah," he said as the ex-preacher placed a basin of warm, carbolic laced water on the table. "All right, Vin, ease it off for a minute."
Tanner eased the stained bandage away from the wound, relieved when he saw the heavy crimson flow had all but stopped. The wound was approximately two inches long and fairly deep. The raw edges were ragged and a deep multi colored bruise was already forming around the swollen area.
Nathan used a cloth soaked in the carbolic and water to clean the area. He winced as the wound continued to seep blood. He pressed it to the swollen area for a few seconds and was relieved to find the flow had finally stopped. He turned to the other men in the room and saw the worry etched on each face.
"I'm gonna need to put some stitches in. I'm not sure if he'll wake up or not, but I'm not gonna take any chances. Josiah, Baker, hold his legs still. Vin, it'll be up to you to keep him down if he wakes up. Ya all know how this feels and there ain't nothin' I can do if he starts to buck." He waited for the men to take their places, and picked up the needle Standish had sterilized in the boiling water and whiskey.
Campbell couldn't take his eyes off the steady hand of the healer as he put in a neat row of stitches. He remembered seeing doctors who were trained for this type of thing, and their work had been shoddy compared to this. The hands were careful and tender as they eased the broken skin together. Campbell shuddered as he remembered the reason he owed Chris Larabee so much.
"Are you okay, Baker?" Sanchez asked as he noticed a shudder race through the other man.
"I'm fine," Campbell closed his eyes and felt his stomach churn as flashes of memory surfaced. His gun, a bottle of whiskey, bullets, a letter, a young cadet coming towards him, his own hand reaching for the weapon and placing it at his skull...a glimpse of a blond head and blurry body as he was thrown from the chair...the sound of a gun firing and a young man lying on the ground... 'blood, so much blood,' he thought as he opened his eyes and was back in the present.
Jackson finished the last stitch and wasn't sure if he was relieved that Larabee hadn't made a sound. He sat back in his chair and rinsed his hands in the clean water Ezra brought him. "Thanks, Ez," he said as he reached for a clean bandage.
"You're most welcome, Mr. Jackson," the gambler said, and joined JD by the small stove to wait for the healer to tell them how serious the wound was.
Nathan placed the bandage on Larabee's head and reached for a thin strip lying on the table. "All right, Vin, lift him up a little so I can wrap this around his head." It didn't take long for the healer to finish his ministrations and he turned to the men in the clinic. "Ain't much more I can do except keep it clean. Won't know nothin' else until he's awake. Probably gonna have a hell of a headache though so let's try and keep it quiet in here."
"How long before he wakes up?" Dunne asked.
"Ain't no way to say for sure, JD. That depends on Chris. Right now I want you all out of here so he can rest peaceably."
"I'll stick around, Nate," the sharpshooter said.
Campbell was again amazed at how a man who was supposed to be a murderer could show so much concern for another. He stood and left with the others, vowing once more not to let Vin Tanner get under his skin. A bounty was a bounty and it was issued for a wanted man, and that's exactly what Vin Tanner was. His friendship with Chris Larabee was second to that.
"I'm gonna go tell Mary and Buck what's happening," Josiah said as he followed Campbell out the door.
JD and Ezra nodded to Vin and Nathan before leaving, knowing the two men would let everyone know as soon as the gunslinger woke up.
Nathan looked at the two men left in the clinic. He knew how unique their friendship was, had witnessed it time and again when the two used a silent signal to get their point across. A simple nod of the head or a shrug of the shoulders was all that was needed to let the other man know what was happening. Jackson had never seen that connection before and knew he'd never see it again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesse stood frozen in place as Frank reached for his arm. The two men had watched the gunfight and only added to Jesse' fear of the blond. Frank turned his head sideways and studied his friend for a few minutes before dragging him towards the hotel. He knew he should check Jesse' head, but was not sure why. He shrugged his shoulders and pulled Jesse away from the scene.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Josiah hurried towards Mary and Buck, glad to see Billy was not with them. Mary looked pale and shaken as she stood with the ladies man, and Josiah saw the steadying hand Buck had on her arm.
"How is he, Josiah?" Mary asked as soon as he was in earshot.
"Nathan's finished stitching up the wound..."
"Is Chris awake?"
"Not yet, Buck. Nathan's not sure how long it'll be before he wakes up, but he says when he does he'll more than likely have headaches. He wants us to make sure it's quiet in the clinic."
Buck didn't think Mary could be any paler and he felt the tremble in her arm. He knew she was thinking about Chris Larabee and how close they'd come to losing him today.
"How's Billy?" Josiah asked.
"I told him Chris was hurt," Mary shook herself and took a deep breath as she continued. "He's inside with Gloria. She said she'd look after him for me. I had to tell him Chris was going to be all right, but he keeps asking if he'll die like Steven did."
"Mary, Chris is strong..."
Mary's head came up until she met Wilmington's eyes. "So was Steven, but it didn't stop them from killing him!" she snapped before turning away and walking into Potter's store.
"She's taking this pretty hard," the ladies' man observed.
"I expect it brings back a lot of memories. She lost one man to a bullet and I expect she thought she'd lost Chris the same way. She'll be fine as soon as Chris wakes up."
"I'm gonna go see Chris."
"Alright, Buck," Josiah said as he headed towards the church at the end of the street.
~~~~~~~~~~
Chris slowly regained consciousness as he fought clear of the fog engulfing his mind. When it did, it slammed him back into another nightmare, one he couldn't quite grasp. Pain rocked his skull and he moaned softly as a hand reached out to touch his shoulder. He knew where he was, could smell the distinctive odor of the livery and knew he was in Jackson's clinic. He could hear voices, but didn't understand what they were saying. Chris knew he was hurt, yet couldn't remember how or why.
"He's coming round, Nathan," Mary said as she watched Larabee's eyelids flutter.
Jackson stepped forward and took the chair Mary vacated. He reached out and touched the pale forehead and felt the fever there. It didn't seem as bad as it had and he breathed a sigh of relief. Chris had been unconscious for nearly thirty-six hours and Jackson wondered if maybe there was more damage than what he could see.
"Chris, can you hear me?" the healer asked softly, knowing Larabee would probably be suffering from a headache.
Chris kept his eyes closed as pain exploded in his skull. He wanted to ease the mind of those talking to him, but couldn't find the energy to let them know he was all right. He swallowed against the mounting nausea in his stomach, but knew it was a losing cause as it continued to build. He kept his eyes closed as he was eased onto his side just as his stomach lost its contents.
Jackson had known immediately what was happening and he eased Larabee onto his side. He felt Mary standing beside him and was glad for the help she offered. He placed the gunslinger back on the pillows and accepted the cool cloth from the newspaperwoman. "Thanks," he said as he washed the cloth over the pale face.
Chris slowly fought the pain and nausea and let his eyes open. He sucked in a deep breath as all he encountered was complete and utter darkness. He could hear Jackson's voice as the healer tried to ask him questions, but the shock of finding out the nightmare had been real was too much.
"Chris?" Jackson tried again as the green eyes showed something he never associated with the gunslinger. Fear and uncertainty were mixed with the pain on Larabee's face as the man lost consciousness once more.
"Nathan?" Mary asked as she looked from the unconscious man to the healer.
"I don't know, Mary. The fact that he woke up is a good sign," Jackson tried to reassure her, but he'd seen something in the green stare that worried him. He changed the bandage on the head wound and was relieved to see there was no more bleeding.
"I'll go let the others know he was awake."
"Okay, thanks, Mary, but warn them to keep it quiet if they decide to come see for themselves."
"I will," she told him as she left the clinic.
Jackson lifted the lids of both eyes and checked his patient. Something about the way Larabee reacted when he'd opened his eyes worried the healer. Nathan wished, not for the first time, the town had a real doctor. He knew many things, and was still learning more as time went on, but head wounds were dangerous and not something to take lightly. The former slave looked up as Vin Tanner and Buck Wilmington entered the clinic.
"Nathan, Mary said he was awake."
"He woke for a couple of minutes, Buck," Jackson answered softly.
"That's good, right?" Wilmington asked hopefully.
"Yeah, it is."
Vin knew there was more to it, but didn't voice his concerns. He watched as the healer stood up and stretched. He knew Jackson hadn't been getting much sleep since the gunfight and hoped that was what he was sensing.
"How was he?" the sharpshooter asked.
"Sick, but that's to be expected. He'll probably do a whole lot of heaving because of the concussion. It'll be important to keep him drinking, so whoever is with him when he wakes up needs to make him drink."
"Nate, ya look tired. I'll stay with him if ya want ta get some rest," Tanner told him.
Jackson ran his hands over his head and knew the younger man was right. He wouldn't be any use to Chris if he didn't get some sleep. "All right, Vin," he said and turned to the ladies' man. "Buck, tell everyone what's going on and that I'll let them know as soon as Chris wakes up again."
"I'll keep them out of here, Nathan," Wilmington assured the healer as he left.
"What's wrong, Nathan?" the Texan asked as soon as the ladies' man was out the door.
"I'm not sure, Vin," Jackson answered as he stood up and stretched the kinks from his back.
"Nate?"
"I saw something in Chris' eyes when he woke up..."
"What?"
"Fear."
"Fear? In Chris?"
"I know that's not something we see in Chris, but it was there, Vin."
Tanner sat beside the bed as Jackson walked to the cot on the opposite side of the room. There was silence for a few minutes before Jackson eased down on the cot.
"Call me if he wakes up or needs anything, Vin."
"I will, Nathan," Tanner assured the medic as he eased his feet up on the mattress and leaned the chair back on two legs. He balanced his lean form and thought about what Jackson had told him. What could possibly make Jackson think he saw fear in the gunslinger's eyes?
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buck, JD, and Ezra sat in the saloon late in the evening. Jake Peters was buried the day before and Chris was still unconscious in Jackson's clinic. The townspeople were worried about the gunslinger and the men were constantly stopped and asked how Larabee was doing. It had been two days since the shooting and except for a couple of minutes, Chris hadn't been awake. With each passing hour, they grew more worried that Larabee would not wake up. Jackson was also worried about dehydration as the gunslinger was not drinking anything.
Buck looked towards the door as two men walked in. He recognized the pair and wondered what their intentions were in Four Corners. The two hadn't done anything to rouse his suspicions, yet he couldn't help but wonder what they were up to.
Frank led Jesse into the saloon and smiled as he noticed the blond gunslinger was not there. He knew Jesse was afraid of Larabee, but wasn't sure why. It made things easier for him that Larabee was still not around. He frowned as he remembered the shooting and that Larabee had been shot. He reached out and touched the side of Jesse' head, but removed his hand as Jesse winced.
"Sorry," he said as he leaned against the bar. "Hey, Senorita, two whiskeys," he smiled as Inez came towards him.
Inez placed a glass before each man and poured a shot into each one. She watched as Frank downed his glass and asked for a refill. She filled the glass a second time as he slid some coins across the bar. "Thank ya, Senorita. Anyone ever tell ya how purty ya are? How about givin' me a little kiss?"
Inez smiled as she saw Buck come out of his chair. She put up her hand to tell him she was alright and he sank back down, but she could see his instincts were to come to her rescue. The young woman turned back to the man standing in front of her and smiled. Before she could say anything a soft southern voice spoke up.
"Ah, Senor, perhaps you are better suited to kiss the mule in the livery. It is more fitting for your asinine behavior."
Wilmington spewed the whiskey he'd been drinking across the table at Standish' quietly spoken words. He looked at the two men at the bar and realised the pun was lost on them. The one they knew as Frank was still trying to flirt with Inez, while she was finding it hard not to laugh at the gambler's choice of words.
Jesse knew his friend was flirting with danger, but his head was hurting and all he wanted to do was go back to their room and lie down. He could hear Frank talking to Inez, but couldn't quite make out the words as he reached for the glass on the bar. His hand shook and some of the liquor spilled over his fingers as he lifted it to his mouth.
Inez watched the smaller man as he seemed to have trouble lifting his arm. He looked as if he'd already been on a drinking binge and realized it might have been a mistake to serve either of them more alcohol.
Frank smiled as Jesse swallowed the fiery liquid. He pounded the younger man on the back as he coughed and choked. He stood back as his friend looked like he was about to get sick.
"Ah, Mister, ya'd best get your friend out of here before he gets sick," JD suggested.
"Jesse ain't gonna be sick, are ya Jesse?" Frank frowned as his friend swayed. He grabbed his arm and hurried from the saloon, annoyed that his friend had ruined his fun. Then he remembered that his friend was 'broke' and he led him towards the hotel.
"There's something strange about those two," Dunne observed as Frank led Jesse outside.
"You can say that again," Wilmington agreed. "But they haven't broken any laws yet, so there ain't much we can do until they do."
"I think we're dealing with a couple of simpletons, Mr. Wilmington. Neither man seems to have all his faculties in order."
"That one fella does seem a mite skittish," Dunne said.
"Yeah, well, maybe we should keep an eye on the two simpletons," Wilmington told them as he stood up to leave. "I'm gonna see if there's any change with Chris."
