Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" T.V. series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide.
There was a Calumet in Michigan, Vin discovered later.
It was a centre for copper mining he was told by Ezra who always kept abreast of any thing involving a great deal of money. It was not unusual for two different to have the same name. Across America, God only knew how many towns chose to call themselves Springfield. To Vin it mattered little what designation the collection of buildings and lights in the canyon called itself, he only knew that it was a place that might have the answers he needed to find Chris Larabee.
It was a long shot, he knew that but at the moment, there was no other clue that could tell him the whereabouts of Lauren Chase and Vin was absolute on his belief that she was at the heart of Chris' disappearance. It had taken two days to reach Calumet and no one they encountered on their way there liked speaking about the place. Even though most they had managed to wring the truth out of have confessed to knowing about the place, none would reveal anything more about it except that they had never been there and had no intention of doing so either. The lawman from Four Corners had to wonder what had inspired such fear about the almost mythical place and had no choice but to continue onwards with scant information.
Calumet was located deep in the Territory and as they made the final leg of their journey, they discovered that the entire community was located at the bottom of a canyon with only one discernible way into town. Surrounded by high walls, it was near impossible for anyone to penetrate the place without being seen but then Vin supposed that was the point of the entire exercise. However, there was always a way in as far as he was concerned and while it might not be openly obvious to them at this time, the tracker was confident that he would find it.
The trio did not immediately enter Calumet upon their arrival there. As they neared the edge of the canyon wall and were given an overall view of the town, they found it to be quite impressive. All around, there was little more than sparse vegetation in the almost desert like terrain. The land was as flat as could be with the occasional rock formations that littered this part of the Territory. It was hardly inviting with land that did not seem fit for anything but neglect and confirmed to Vin that whomever had built an oasis in the middle of this desert had done so for the purposes of secrecy.
The town itself was large. Its limits stretched from one end of the canyon floor to the other. As Vin studied the place, he could see buildings and homes, no doubt belonging to those individuals who serviced the entertainment here. There were gambling houses and bordellos, restaurants and hotels and the centre of town, surrounded by all the vices that man could imagine for himself was something that Vin had trouble recognizing at first. He could not see it very clearly from where they had stationed themselves to make their observation, but what he did see left in puzzled.
He had not been in a big city in his entire life. He stayed away because the thought of so many people crammed in one place was enough to make his skin crawl. Even when Alex told him about places like London and Paris which were sprawling cities filled with not thousands of people but rather millions, Vin found the thought quite disturbing. However, the disadvantage of not being acquainted with urban life was that he missed recognising things he ought to know like that strange construct in the middle of Calumet. It almost looked like an outdoor theatre with terraced seats for an audience surrounding what appeared to be the centre stage. He had seen a travelling circus once and decided that what he was looking at did not look too indifferent from what he had remembered seeing then. Although this seemed a lot fancier, he did not imagine that the main attraction was going to be jugglers or clowns. Studying the place gave Vin an involuntary shudder he could not explain and he decided that he did not at all like Calumet. Despite all its charms and attractions, there was something sinister about it that made him cautious and eager to be away.
"A veritable Sodom and Gomorrah," Ezra Standish commented as they viewed the town from their vantagepoint. Although they had arrived a few hours ago, the three men made the unanimous decision to hold position until dark in order to infiltrate the place with more ease. As the sun began to set, they noticed a sudden influx of carriages and riders into the locality and the lazy atmosphere of the day quickly withered away with the coming of night. When twilight arrived, Calumet livened up considerably with the faint sound of music playing in the background and happy voices chirping throughout the establishment.
"Seems like a pretty lively place." Buck commented, wishing in a little corner of himself that he was still in his wild and single days because the temptation of all those fine looking women moving about the streets in their expensive dresses and finery.
"Ezra you ever seen anything like that before?" Vin asked, ignoring Buck's observation because he knew exactly when the scoundrel's interest in Calumet lay and did not have the patience to tolerate it this time. He realised that he was running on a short fuse and would probably continue to do so until Chris was found but made no apologies for it. They were here at Calumet for a reason not to sightsee. The tracker gestured to the construct in the centre of the town that seemed to be garnering the most interest by the number of people heading towards it.
"Yes," Ezra nodded with a little bit of frown on his usually impassive facade. "I noticed that earlier. I have never seen one built in quite that way before and it does seem to employ the rather dated design of a Roman amphitheater."
"A what?" Buck looked at him, wishing Ezra could just speak English for once and not get so flowery with his speech.
"An arena." Ezra retorted with a roll of his eyes as he spoke. "Where the ancients used to have gladiatorial matches."
"You mean fighting right?" Buck replied, his eyes still fixed on the arena as Ezra called it and noticed that it seemed to be drawing most of the interest in the community. A large number of people were standing to fill the seats and Buck started to feel more than a passing curiosity to what match was being held.
"Well I am certain that what is transpiring down there is not to the level and brutality of the Roman Empire, I seriously doubt we will be seeing either Christians or lions taking centre stage." Ezra answered taking a long look at the distant proceedings.
Vin was hardly listening to the conversation between the two men having gone to his horse in order to retrieve his eyeglass from his saddle. Once he reached the edge where Ezra and Buck were continuing their conversation about what kind of fighting was taking place in the arena as Ezra called it. "Could be prize fighting." Vin offered. "I've heard of travelling fights."
"The clientele do not seem the type to amuse themselves with the pugilistic skills of the sideshow variety." Ezra pointed out dubiously. "Those are gentleman and ladies down there."
Vin was not so quick to agree and immediately peered through the eyepiece in order to get a better look for himself. There was something about the arena that bothered Vin and while he was unsure what its connection to Laurel Chase was, he was unwilling to let his guard down either. It took a moment for him to adjust to seeing the world through a magnified sphere but when he did he was privy to quite a bit.
When Ezra had said that there were ladies and gentlemen down there, he had not been exaggerating. He had been to Kansas City once and though he had not liked it much because of its rapid approach to complete urbanisation which was far too ordered for his liking, he had seen hotels of the kind he was now seeing in Calumet. There were opulent places catered for the rich and the idle, not at all for those who worked for a living. These were the kinds of places frequented by cattle barons, railroad tycoons, not cowboys or drovers. Whomever had created this oasis in the middle of the desert had one very specific type in mind neither he nor Buck fit the bill.
Vin continued to observe, letting the telescopic piece of glass fill in all the blanks that the distance had created. He could see hotels alright, expensive ones with just as fancy gambling houses where ladies in long gowns walked down the boardwalk on the arms of men wearing suits, not too indifferent than that worn by the gambler. Even when he came to the local bordellos, they were nothing like the kind that he had visited in the past. These were worn looking women, who didn't like touching you and made you do your business because you were one dollar out of many they had to deal with in a day. No, these were the kinds of women that made you want to spend your entire life locked in a room with them. The kind who made you want them over and over again.
Suddenly, he caught sight of something that made him forget all that.
The big oriental walked down the boardwalk, oblivious to the fact that Vin was watching him with widening eyes. Wearing the same black suit and somber expression as he continued on his way, Vin knew it was the same man that had accompanied Laurel Chase to Vesta City almost a week ago. Vin noticed something else as well as he watched the man make his way to the construct they were calling the arena. Everyone knew him. People who saw him greeted him even though Vin could not hear what was being said. Whomever this man was in Calumet, he was someone who immediately commanded respect. Hats were tipped in his directions, smiles were offered freely and from some nervous obedience and a desire to keep out of the way.
"She's here." Vin said simply and cut short any discussion being carried out by Ezra and Buck regarding gladiators, arenas or Christians alike.
"What?" Buck looked at him. "How do you know that?"
"The Chinaman's here." Vin lowered the eyeglass and handed it to Buck. "Look at the boardwalk in the main street. He's heading for this arena whatever you call it. You can't miss him."
Buck took the telescope and held it to his eye and quickly searched the area specified for the man in question. It did not take him long to spot the man that Vin had mentioned. "Damn, he's huge." Buck commented. "I wouldn't like to meet him in a fight."
"Let Ezra look Buck." Vin commanded and Buck handed the gambler the device after a few more seconds of observation, pointing out to the gambler exactly where the oriental was heading towards so that Ezra could find him.
"You are not joking Mr Tanner," Ezra swallowed visibly, estimating that with those hands, the Easterner would have no difficulty snapping a neck like one would split a wishbone at a Thanksgiving meal. "He is formidable to say the least."
"You sure about her being here?" Buck asked Vin, able to see the Oriental from this distance only as a vague blur.
"Where he is, she will be too." Vin replied, recalling what Laurel had said during dinner when she had insinuated herself upon himself and Chris. Laurel had claimed that Mr Zhang was her guardian and protector who would never stray too far from her side. Vin knew emphatically that if Mr Zhang was here then so was Laurel Chase.
"Alright," Buck said starting to make a move. "Let's go down there."
"Take it easy Buck," Vin spoke up to stop him. "We ain't going down there yet." He declared, taking a moment to think of the best way to attack this problem. If Laurel Chase was holding Chris in Calumet and this was starting to look like a very real possibility, they could not go simply barging in there expecting to rescue him. At least not until they knew what kind of odds they were going to be facing.
"Why the hell not?" Buck demanded, just as concerned about Chris as he was and not about to let his oldest friend linger in captivity any longer than necessary. If this woman had some clue as to his whereabouts, then they needed to get going so they could shake it out of her.
"Because we are unaware of what awaits us down there Mr Wilmington." Ezra replied coolly, his eyes still observing their target moving into the enormous estate around which the arena was situated. "Judging by the way people are reacting to Mr Zhang I do believe that he is not exactly a patron of Calumet and might have something to do with the establishment. This could change things significantly if we attempt to retrieve Mr Larabee without being certainly exactly what he is to this place."
A little more detailed than he would have put it but it was more or less what Vin was about to say, the tracker thought as Buck ruminated on the gambler's answer and saw the sense to his words. They were Chris' one shot at getting rescued. If they lost this opportunity, they may never another chance again. "Ezra, can you go in?" Vin asked after a moment.
Ezra had more or less expected the request once he had seen the kind of people that were expected in Calumet. Vin and Buck would stand out immediately and attention was the last thing they needed at the moment. He had no difficulty blending into an environment such as the one that awaited them below. "I do not see any difficulty in that request." He met Vin's gaze.
"Good," Vin nodded, perfectly aware of how easily Ezra was to infiltration. He never thought the skills of a former conman were so useful until he met Ezra Standish. Of course, it helped too that Ezra was extremely good at what he did and often landed on his feet, no matter what the situation. "You're gonna have to go in alone."
"I more or less expected that." Ezra said, unsurprised.
"Alone?" Buck turned to Vin with an accusatory eye. "Why alone?"
"We'd stick out." Vin replied and then added with a little smile. "Besides, I don't want to make you suffer with all that temptation down there."
"Oh shoot Vin," Buck scowled. "I'm a happily married man."
"And with all due respect to your wife, the lovely Mrs. Wilmington," Ezra met Vin's eyes with a straight face that belied the mischief the tracker saw there. "We aim to see that you remain that way."
After much sulking from Buck and having liberated Vin of the wad of cash he had managed to acquire courtesy of Alexandra Styles nee Tanner's considerable inheritance, Ezra found himself riding into Calumet. His approach was met without incident as he simply blended in with the host of carriages that were journeying to the plush hotels that were contained inside this palace of forbidden pleasures hidden deep with the desert sands of the Territory. Since he was more than dressed the part, he was taken as just another one of the wealthy visitors and allowed to pass without incident.
Despite fighting the urge to disappear into one of the luxuriously furbished gambling houses that flanked his path into the heart of town with the cash he had on his person, Ezra reminded himself he was here for a deeper purpose. Instead, he headed towards the arena where the oriental Mr Zhang had been headed towards when Vin had sighted him earlier. Ezra had to confess to a certain amount of curiosity to know what exactly were the nature of the games taking place inside the stadium. He could not imagine the rich being so enamoured as to travel out all this way to see a prize fight when any large town held the same offerings in much less remote surroundings.
Judging by the amount of people making their way towards the amphitheater it looked like the industry in Calumet had emerged around the arena. As Ezra followed the crowd, he was rather astonished to see what he would consider highborn blue bloods of the American aristocracy being among the guests filtering into the place. Maude would have a stroke just seeing the amount of possibility here, he thought with a smile and reminded himself to write his mother about this place. If it was still around after he and the seven were through with it, knowing their reputation for such things, he was sure she would be on the first stage headed for this direction.
The arena was just as impressive from a distance as it was up close. The games had yet to begin as he entered through the enormous doors that led to the insides of the circular shaped building. He decided to ignore the betting stands that preceded them, reminding himself that he was here for a purpose and could not afford to be swayed by his baser instincts. He did however, note that betting was almost as lucrative an enterprise as every other that was conducted in Calumet. Upon passing through the polished wooden doors, he found himself in an open air enclosure with seats surrounding the deepened ring that afforded everyone a perfect view of the entertainment about to begin. A young man in what appeared to be an usher's uniform fashioned in dark velvet and high collars, saw his arrival and greeted Ezra politely.
"First time in the Arena Sir?" He asked Ezra as others of his kind found seating for the people that were entering the place at the same time.
"Yes," Ezra returned politely with a smile. "I was told about this place by an acquaintance of mine."
"Well you're lucky Sir," the man replied. "The games are about to begin. Let me find you a seat." He offered and started leading Ezra to one of the vacant seats in mid row. Ezra saw no reason to refuse his offer since he would have to sit down to find out what was going on and this was an excellent opportunity to seek out the oriental man who was henchman to the woman they were certain was responsible for Chris' disappearance. Ezra allowed the usher to lead him to a seat in the middle part of the stands and while it was not ringside as the term was often used, it was close enough to give him a very good view of not only the ring but also the stands.
As soon as he was seated, Ezra began scouring the place to find the oriental, certain that he was here. With all the ceremony that was being concentrated here, the gambler was sure that the man could not be far away since it appeared that he was involved with the arena in some way, even if Ezra could not imagine how. He supposed that this was a prizefight of some sort. While such tournaments were interesting to the masses, Ezra could find no pleasure in watching two men who were obviously used to a pummeling, to be reduced to such an occupation, pit their skills against each other for a paying audience. How much fascination could there be in seeing two combatants who had danced the same dance on another night and how different could that outcome be?
More interested in locating the oriental that had sparked this infiltration, Ezra allowed his eyes to scour the faces present at the match. Most of them were as he suspected earlier, bored members of rich families who spent most of their time idling away their fortunes in every conceivable mode of indulgence. They were mostly his age and they varied in gender but definitely not in circumstances. It did not take long for him to realise his audience had very little to do with his quest here and turned his observations to locating the elusive Mr Zhang. Ezra scanned every seat and every section of Arena, hoping to find some evidence of the man.
Suddenly, the previously darkened centre stage came to life with the slow illumination of the ring. As the chattering voices of the audience began to still, Ezra saw movement emerging from what would be considered a private box. None of the patrons were allowed and as Ezra waited to see who would step through the curtain, he was also being swept away with the dramatic pageantry that preceded the evening's entertainment. If nothing else, he had to give the organisers of this little event credit for creating an almost charged atmosphere of anticipation among the audience.
It was at this point that Mr Zhang appeared in the private box and behind him was without doubt the infamous Laurel Chase. Without ever laying eyes on her himself, Ezra knew without doubt that this was the woman that Vin Tanner had described. She was wearing a low cut dress of red velvet and she did not move, she glided. She was in his opinion, the most enchanting female that he had ever seen and the sight of her forced the breath from his lungs as he watched her like a child whose face was pressed against the glass of a candy store shop front. She took her seat just as the master of ceremonies stepped into the ring and began prattling some nonsense about the combatants which he had been correct in assuming would be engaged in a pugilistic display.
Ushers served her chilled champagne and she presided over the private box and indeed the ring like a queen watching over her kingdom. Mr Zhang remained close by, always ensuring that she was protected, like the captain of the guard. Ezra had no doubt he would willing die for her and wondered what was the true nature of their relationship. Neither did he have any doubt that that Calumet was her creation and in particular this Arena. While discovering her should have provided answers, all it ended up doing was creating more questions for Ezra. What on Earth did she want with Chris Larabee. For the first time since Vin had claimed that she was responsible for the gunslingers kidnapping, Ezra had cause to wonder if perhaps the tracker was wrong, that it was not she who had stolen Chris from Vesta City.
All questions evaporated from his mind momentarily when the combatants took centre stage and Ezra Standish who thought himself incapable of ever being astonished was faced with a situation he had thought to be impossible.
There in front of him, as large as life was Chris Larabee.
His appearance sent the audience into a frenzy and they immediately rose to their feet and cheered with standing ovation at the arrival of the gunslinger. All Ezra could manage was a mute stare as he quickly forced himself to stand up in order not to appear conspicuous. Chris raised his arms, obviously enjoying the adulation as his eyes swept across the audience, smiling like a man in perfect control of his mind. Ezra watched mesmerized as Chris walked towards Laurel Chase and gave her a smile that seemed completely out of place on his normally brooding features. The woman blew him a kiss and Chris grinned, exciting the audience even more by the display. They began chanting his name and it was more than Ezra could take as the gambler fell down heavily in his seat, trying to come to grips with his extreme surprise at what was transpiring before him.
Chris Larabee willingly engaging a prize fight? Ezra could not believe it. In fact, he refused to believe it. He refused to believe it any more than the exchange made by the leader of the seven and the woman who had taken him captive. For the last week, they had been chasing down every lead to bring them to this point, sick with fear that perhaps it was too late, perhaps Chris was dead. Ezra could not allow his mind to wrap itself around the possibility that Chris was here playing prized animal to this woman when at home, his pregnant wife was waiting his return.
His opponent stepped into his ring and Ezra felt his stomach knotting because he knew Chris would not fight. Chris Larabee did not engage in such blood sports. Hell, the man did not even like playing poker with strangers! If there was one thing that Ezra could rely upon was that Chris was always in control. To believe for a moment that Chris would engage in this activity was ludicrous! Yet as he watched the audience staring at the gunslinger, chanting his name with abandon, he begin to wonder why they would have such confidence that he would perform unless they had seen him do it before.
To answer his question, Chris swung at the man he was facing in the ring.
Ezra had thought Chris was fast before but watching him in the ring as he traded blows with a rather large man with all too many scars and a face that might have met the business end of knuckle one time too many, Ezra saw no signs of strategy. Chris was focussed as he fought but there was no hidden intention behind his punches other than to render his enemy unconscious. Ezra felt his heart pounding inside his chest from the sheer shock of watching Chris Larabee attack without hesitation, the man who did not have a chance as far as the gambler was concerned.
The opponent was struggling to remain on his feet but Chris was attacking at a juggernaut pace. The blows he struck were not only focussed but extremely crippling. Blood was spurting from a shattered nose one minute, while the crunching sounds of teeth shattering rippled through the air when another blow connected. Chris was splattered with blood and yet the gunslinger did not seem to care. Ezra had remembered how Chris had looked the day that he had come face to face with Cletus Fowler, the man responsible for the death of Sarah and Adam Larabee. The rest of the seven were certain that he was going to kill Fowler with his bare hands. Chris had looked that crazed. However, what Ezra was seeing now made that pale in comparison.
Whatever was in Chris Larabee's eyes was like nothing that Ezra had ever seen in the man. No penetrating Larabee glare that was enough to stop a man dead in his tracks. His eyes were almost black and as his fists continued to fly until the flesh beneath them was reduced to pulp, gaining momentum with each hungered cry of his blood thirsty audience, it did not look like Chris was going to stop until his opponent cried surrender. The moment came sooner than Ezra would believe when the man collapsed on the ground, his face nothing more than a bloodied mess of flesh. The crowd seemed to go wild with the defeat and they cheered Chris on with even more ferocity than before. Its power was such that even Ezra could feel a little of the hypnotic strength they wielded over the person who adulation was the cause of it.
The man lay still and unmoving as Chris stood above him. Ezra held his breath as he saw that damned grin across Chris Larabee's face, the grin that made his skin grow cold and ensured that the moment would be frozen in the gambler's mind forever. At least the carnage was over, Ezra thought with a sigh of relief, unable to believe that things could get any worse or this situation could become any more confusing. He had no idea what to think and he could not imagine how he would relate this tale to the others.
Just when Ezra had thought he had seen all that he could today, Chris bent over his fallen opponent and grabbed the man's neck. There was a brief instant of time before he actually made contact with the man that Ezra thought he might be making a move to help his enemy up to his feet but that illusion was shattered by the squelching of a neck being snapped. Ezra's jaw dropped open in horror as he watched Chris coolly and efficiently killing a man who was incapable of offering any resistance. It was without any shadow of a doubt, murder.
The audience broke into a roar of applause and then continued to chant his name as Chris regarded them all, soaking in their cheers and reveling in the victory he had just achieved like a man who had the world in his palm. Ezra felt his throat go dry and continued to watching, not knowing what else to do. Chris' arms were raised as he strode towards Laurel's private box and leapt to the edge of the stone wall, pulling himself over the rock far enough for her to meet him part way. The crowd began to whistle and cheer with bawdy wolf whistles as Laurel pressed her mouth against Chris and they engaged in a rather public and passionate exchange.
Ezra could watch no more and he pushed himself up from his seat, deciding he had to get back to the others. His departure was hardly noticed by the crowd who was going wild for Chris after that display of brutal skill. Ezra was almost in a stupor as he fought his way to the aisle, shaken to the core and trying his best not to show it. He had to leave here with what he knew and now that he had seen what Chris had done in the ring, he was not certain of anything any more.
"Leaving so soon?" The usher who had brought him to his seat was standing by the door as Ezra made his way towards it.
"Yes I'm afraid I have a previous engagement with a young lady at one of your charming establishments." Ezra said with a smooth drawl, generating the best picture of southern calm that he could possibly manage.
"That's a shame." The young man said pleasantly. "At least you got to see Larabee fight."
"That is true," Ezra replied, forcing a smile across his face as he nodded in agreement. "Tell me, how long has he been fighting?"
"Well he's been in the ring three times now." The usher answered readily, hiding nothing but then Ezra supposed that there was little reason to when he considered the gambler to be just another guest who was inquiring out of curiosity. "He didn't make his first kill until two days ago though."
"He does seem to be very close with Miss Chase," Ezra commented, wishing to garner as much information about how that particular tryst has come about.
"Well he's a lucky man," the young man sighed with more than just a hint of envy. "She doesn't normally get involved with her fighters but then I suppose Larabee has been pretty impressive in the ring."
"Yes," Ezra nodded slowly, remembering that terrible sound of bone snapping. "He was that indeed."
Ezra left Calumet almost in a daze and all the while during his journey back to the top of the canyon walls where Vin and Buck were waiting for him, he tried to correlate everything he had seen into some discernible form in order to explain what he had seen. Despite his extensive vocabulary, Ezra was certain there was going to be no way he could truly explain what he had seen in Calumet without encountering some measure of disbelief from his comrades. And why should they not look at him as if he was insane after he told them this story? Even Ezra had trouble believing that he had watched Chris Larabee murdering a man with his bare hand shortly before he had engaged in an intimate display with Laurel Chase before an entire crowd of people.
The gambler's mind was still in disarray when he returned to the campfire around which Vin and Buck had spent the duration of his visit in Calumet, warming their hands over a hot cup of coffee. The moment Ezra step into gentle glow of the fire that radiated outwards in a sphere of amber, Vin could tell something was wrong. The man was hesitant and his eyes showed clearly that he was troubled which immediately put the tracker on guard because Ezra was not prone to exaggeration unless he was discussing one of his card playing exploits or a dalliance with a lady. The look in his eyes was so marked that Buck caught it as well and both men immediately tensed as Ezra took helped himself to a cup of coffee and sat down.
"We have a problem." He opened his report because that was the only way he could begin without plunging into a litany of disbelief that would make sense to no one.
"What do you mean?" Buck asked first while Vin was merely contented to listen. "Do you see him?"
"I saw him," Ezra nodded, not needing it to be clarified that by 'him' Buck meant Mr Zhang. "I also saw Miss Chase."
"She was there?" Buck asked.
"If my observations were correct and the conversation I had with a young man in the establishment, it appears that Miss Chase more or less built Calumet. She was the one who began the Arena. She was the one who created that charming town we see before us, acquired the initial patrons who were sure to pass the word of its delights to the right circles and it was she who brought the gambling houses and the bordellos here under very strict conditions." Ezra spoke very slowly.
"What is it Ezra?" Vin asked, feeling this tightening in his chest he could not explain because of the way Ezra looked.
"I saw Mr Larabee." The gambler announced.
"Chris?" Buck exploded. "You saw him? Where? Was he alright?"
For a man who had seen the object of their search, Vin noted that Ezra did not appear to eager to tell them more about it and that concerned him. He began to wonder what the hell that Ezra had seen down there that made him so damned afraid to tell them. Was Chris dead? Is that what Ezra could not bring himself to tell them?
"Mr Larabee is fine. In fact, he is so fine that he is one of the main attractions in the Arena." Ezra announced taking another deep sip of his coffee as he left his companions with that piece of news to reflect upon.
"What?" Buck exclaimed in nothing less than shock. "You're kidding right?" He looked at Ezra with a mixture of aghast horror and astonishment, more or less the same reaction that Ezra had worn on his face when he had seen Chris step into the Arena.
"No," he shook his head somberly and met Vin's eyes. The tracker was silent but listening. He was reserving judgement until he heard everything that Ezra had to say. "I wish I were making a jest but I am afraid that I am not. I just bore witness to Mr Larabee stepping into the Arena and do battle with an opponent in hand to hand combat where after he had reduced the man to pulp, snapped his neck like kindling."
"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Buck jumped to his feet in outrage, angered to the point that he was almost ready to draw his gun at the slanderous allegations that Ezra was making. "We're talking about Chris Larabee here! Chris ain't no murderer. He don't kill a man that's down. We all know that!" He gave Vin a quick glance, expecting the tracker to support him but Vin said nothing still.
"You do not have to tell me that Buck!" Ezra retorted angrily. "I sat there and watched him, using all those same arguments but apparently, that did little good since Chris did continue to pulverise the poor bastard they put in the ring with him. You did not see how he looked Buck when he was engaging in this activity. He was almost enjoying it!"
"You're crazy!" Buck grabbed Ezra by the collar and dragged him to his feet, preparing to take him to task over such a horrifying statement. The gambler prepared to react in kind and two men who had ridden together for the past three years, who had fought alongside one another and shared each other's defeats and triumphs were reduced to a state that they were going to take to each other with their fists. Such was the nature of what Chris Larabee meant to them that the news that their leader was committing such heinous acts of brutality was taking the sense from all of them.
"That's enough!" Vin Tanner barked at the two of them to snap them out of their enraged fervour. "We got enough trouble with Chris without you two going stupid on me! I need you both to figure out what the hell is going on and Buck, you know Ezra wouldn't lie about something like this! You know it!"
Buck dropped his gaze to the ground in a mixture of shame and acknowledgement that Vin was right about that. Ezra was always playing angles but that did not mean taking liberties with the feelings of his friends. He let go of the gambler's lapel and met Ezra's eyes to see the same reflection of remorse at their outburst. "I'm sorry Ez," Buck offered a genuine apology. "I kinda lost my head there."
"I understand," Ezra said with a faint smile, brushing his coat down when Buck let him go. "I had as much trouble witnessing it as you do believing it Mr Wilmington but I swear to you, I saw what I saw."
"We ain't doubting that Ezra," Vin added his voice into the mix. "It's just a lot to take in that's all. Now why don't we sit down and you tell what else you know."
Ezra nodded and they all nestled down in front of the fire again, a little calmer but a great deal more at odds with what they had been told in regards to what Ezra had seen in Calumet. Throughout the course of their search, things had been simple in the sense that they knew they had to find Chris and upon finding their leader, they would only have to rescue him for things to be as they were again. However, what Ezra just told them changed everything and suddenly simplicity was nowhere in sight and the situation had just taken a turn which none of them knew how to traverse.
"From the beginning, tell us what happened?" Vin asked once more.
Ezra nodded and let out a deep breath. "I went to the Arena because we saw Mr Zhang heading in that general direction." He began. "Upon taking a seat, I searched the stands of the Arena for the gentlemen in question and saw him appear shortly after with Miss Chase. I recognised her from your description immediately. I also must say that you were not exaggerating in your description of the lady, she was truly magnificent." Ezra commended, drawing a little smile from Vin but no one interrupted him.
"Then Mr Larabee appeared onto the ring and I was to learn later from an usher on premises that this is his third kill." Ezra responded and saw the reaction in the faces of his companions but chose to continue nonetheless. "He did not appear restrained nor under duress. In fact, the crowd were rather taken by him and were cheering his name most loudly. Mr Larabee seemed very comfortable with their applause and pandered to his audience in some respects. His opponent soon entered the ring and they began to fight with Mr Larabee moving to a quick victory. When the man was down, I assumed that the contest was over but apparently the reason why the Arena has the popularity it does is because it is a fight to the death."
"Damn." Buck whispered hoarsely.
"Mr Larabee completed the competition in the manner required most expediently and then seemed rather pleased by his efforts." Ezra spoke softly, his voice shaking a little because he knew what he was saying was the truth but he still had trouble believing it. "He also appears to be on rather intimate terms with Miss Chase. Following the conclusion of the fight, I saw him kiss her and it did not appear to be involuntary."
"Chris would never betray Mary!" Buck exclaimed, incensed by Ezra's words and more so because Ezra was not lying. "Hell, he was the most faithful man I knew when he was married to both Sarah and Mary. Chris don't believe in tomcatting around."
"Something has happened to him." Vin cut through Buck's ravings with that one sentence spoken in his usual too soft voice that was loud enough to be heard by everyone when it needed to be.
"Like what?" Ezra asked, wishing Vin had an answer because he needed to believe that they had not completely misjudged Mr Larabee after three years of riding together. "He did these things of his free will."
"Maybe he did," Vin turned back to Ezra, not disagreeing with him on that fact but he had seen a lot of strange things in his time, in fact they all had. "I think all of us here now that sometimes things ain't what they seem and the biggest trick of all is the belief that free will is absolute."
"Isis." Ezra spoke up without hesitation.
"Isis." Vin agreed.
"This ain't about alien creatures taking over Chris," Buck interrupted. "This is about one woman kidnapping him and changing him in that week from a person we know to a cold blooded killer!"
"That is true," Ezra agreed, more incline to accept Vin's explanation no matter how vague because he could think of no other reason Chris would make such a bout face. They all knew the man, some of them longer than others but they knew him. They knew him to be a man of honour who rode the edge of something dark and unseen, using the abyss to centre himself while still bathed in the light. Chris would not cross over without very good reason. "I am certain that however, this came about, Miss Chase is responsible for it."
"I think so too," Vin agreed with that statement most wholeheartedly. "However, what we have to do now is to get Chris out of there before we can work out what she did to him."
"That's easier said than done." Buck remarked glancing at the lights of Calumet below them. "If she runs that place, it's a sure bet that she's got men working for her that will make a pretty good show of stopping us."
"So we're going to need help," Vin remarked.
"I do agree," Ezra nodded. "However I do have a suggestion Mr Tanner which I do not think you will like but I feel is necessary."
Vin looked at Ezra, wondering what he was getting at. It was not as if there were enough things about this entire situation that he did not like already.
"We may need Alexandra here." The gambler offered gingerly.
"Forget it." Vin said abruptly, not even having to think that. "Not a chance in hell."
"Vin think about this," Ezra replied just as quickly. "You don't know that Chris will come with us willingly."
"Of course he will." Vin retorted and then considered what the gambler was really saying. If whatever Laurel Chase had done to alter Chris to such a state that he was incapable of telling right from wrong and would murder a man in cold blood, who was to say that he would be anymore lucid about leaving with them when they attempted to rescue him.
"He's right Vin," Buck found himself agreeing with Ezra on this point. Chris' actions in the Arena had proved they did not know anything any more and the risks on gambling that Chris would leave with them voluntarily was too extreme to leave to chance. "We may have to knock him out to get him out of there. We may have to do it all the way back to Four Corners and maybe if Alex is here, she can figure what the bitch did to him."
"Nathan can do that." Vin said automatically, not all happy at the idea of bringing Alex to this place of danger.
"No he can't," Buck countered. "We're gonna need all the extra hands we can get just breaking Chris out of that place. He can't be running around wearing two hats and I don't think Nathan has the know how to keep Chris sedated all the way back to Four Corners if its needed. I don't think even he would agree to it."
"Alright," Vin groaned out loud after a moment, conceding defeat on this point because they were right. They did need Alex here if things with Chris was as bad as it seemed. "We'll ride as soon as we can to the next town we find and wire the others here." He paused a moment and then added.
"I'll tell them to bring Alex too."
It took two days after Vin had sent a wire from the nearest town they could find with a telegraph service for the rest of the seven to arrive with Alexandra Styles. The doctor was none to happy to be recruited for this duty especially when Mary was in Four Corners, still recovering from the premature birth of her son. While both mother and child were doing fine, Alex preferred to remain close by but she also knew that if Vin requested her presence then there was a very good reason for it. She assumed that there was something wrong with Chris that required a medical opinion but could not understand why Nathan was not adequate to handle the problem. In the past, the seven never had any difficulty relying on Nathan's skill for their medical needs which made the doctor wonder why her presence was required.
After receiving the telegram from Vin, Nathan, JD, Josiah and Alex followed the tracker's instructions and rode towards the mythical city known as Calumet, which was familiar to none of them. Despite the arduous journey over desert terrain, Alex could not deny that it was worth the trouble just to see Vin again. They had been married now for little more than a few weeks and the honeymoon atmosphere had yet to fade away as she found nothing more deliriously satisfying than to wake up in the morning and find him there spooning up against her.
As instructed, they made their approach to the canyon where Calumet was hidden during the day, since most of Calumet's activities seemed to take place at night. In the day, the town was relatively quiet and it was mostly during the night that it came alive. Morning in Calumet was a time to rest and recover, in preparation of the revelry to be had when the sun came down again. The four riders, mindful of their lives depending on the secrecy of their approach, took every precaution not to be seen and soon found themselves joining the comrades who were lying in wait for them.
The reunion, when the moment came were happy ones with Vin and Alex, meeting each other with the same heated passion that was always present whenever they saw each other, even more so now that they were married. Still despite his happiness to see Alex, Vin wished it had been under better circumstances that he had summoned her here. Once all the greetings and salutations had been made, the group sat down to discuss the news at home and also the circumstance in which Ezra had found Chris two nights ago.
"I don't believe it." JD said it first because the boy more or less idolised Chris Larabee and there was no way they could hide the truth from him, especially if the seven intended to mount a rescue attempt. The young man looked horrified following Ezra's narration of events as opposed to his older companions who were more accustomed to hiding their feelings than he. "Chris wouldn't just kill a man!"
"I saw him Mr Dunne," Ezra said somberly, hating to shatter his image of Chris but he had to be told. "There can be no doubt of what he had done."
"Look," Vin spoke up for the benefit of all those present, JD especially. "The woman's had Chris kidnapped, we don't know what she could have done to him in the past week that could have made him like this."
"You said of his free will." Alex asked, needing clarification on this.
"Yeah," Vin nodded. "He was also mighty friendly with Miss Chase." The tracker replied, loathed to tell his wife that after she had revealed that it was only a few days ago that she had delivered Chris' child.
Alex considered what could cause such a radical change in the man's behavior if this was indeed done to him as the seven were determined to believe. She raised her eyes to Nathan, because like her, he would no doubt be thinking along the same lines as she.
"I seen opium make a man do some pretty disgusting things." Nathan offered remembering the instance he had been at the railway camp and saw an oriental addicted to opium be willing to sell his lovely young niece to anyone willing to pay for the privilege, just so that he could support his habit. "It could be that."
"I think you are right," Alex remarked. "I think it could be a narcotic of some kind if we are assuming that she altered him in some way, but not opium. Opium addiction to the degree that would produce the kind of behaviour that Chris is displaying takes time. You said that he was enjoying it when he was fighting this guy?" Alex looked at Ezra in question.
"Yes," Ezra's stomach hollowed remembering the look of relish in Chris' face when he was pumelling the man to death. "He was enjoying it a great deal."
"Well that is consistent with some either an opiate or a concentrate derivative of morphine which is from the same family," she replied, trying to dredge up what she remembered about narcotics and the effects of chemicals on the body. "The user gets a feeling of heightened awareness. If he's on this stuff then he's going to be twice as strong. He'll put his hand through brick wall and wouldn't know it even if he's broken every bone in his hand."
"Jesus." Buck whispered.
"But at this stage I can't be sure of anything until I get a look at him." Alex added. "I'm just throwing suggestions at you guys, I mean what Ezra is describing sounds like an addiction to some kind of narcotic but for Chris to go so far over the edge in just a week tell me that there's something else at work here. You said she drugged you Vin," she looked at her husband. "Did you remember what it smelled like?"
"Like your clinic." He pointed out.
"Chloroform." Both Alex and Nathan said in unison.
"She must be quite skilled to know just the right amount to use to keep you asleep all night Vin," Alex suddenly realised and a new thought struck her. "This woman tell you what she did for a living?"
"No," Vin shook his head, sensing that there was some importance attached to his wife's question. "Why?"
"Not many people know how to use chloroform Vin," Nathan explained for her, understanding why Alex had asked as well. "Usually you want to knock someone out, you just use ether. Chloroform is something used mostly by doctors and people with some medical background."
"So you think she's a doctor?" Josiah asked.
"Could be." Alex responded. "I don't think there are many schools in the States that offer women college level education and there are no medical schools at all. I am quite certain that women who wish to become doctors in this country have to go to Cambridge or Oxford, since they've allowed women to take exams since 1862."
"All men equal unto God," Josiah snorted with a hint of derision. "What if she is a doctor?"
"If she is a doctor and I'm praying she's not," Alex added. "She may have concocted something new, something no one has seen before and pumped it into his veins. If he did, then I don't know what we can do to help him."
"Well let's get him back first," Vin declared. "We'll figure the rest out later"
Entering Calumet unnoticed was no easy thing. Having waylaid a carriage full of irate dilettantes on their way to the place to sample its delights, the six lawmen and lady doctor bundled into its confines, leaving their prisoners discreetly hidden with assurances of their return at a later time. Since it was desert in almost all directions, Vin was fairly certain that they would not attempt to make the crossing on foot and honestly, it did not appear that any one of the visitors to Calumet had ever been accustomed to such strenuous activity to try anyway.
With Vin hidden carefully out of sight because Laurel would recognise him instantly if she laid eyes upon him, Josiah and Nathan took up the role of carriage drivers and luggage handlers. JD and Buck and cleaned up as best they could and kept mostly within the shadows of the carriage while Ezra and Alex would do all the talking in case they were stopped for any reason. As it was, nothing of the sort took place and the carriage rumbled through the centre of town without any questions being asked. Alex had thought it unusual when Vin had requested that she pack 'something pretty' as he put it and understood why now, since their penetration into the Arena would require a bit of play acting.
Alex and Ezra would stick close to Laurel and Mr Zhang, while the rest of the seven would spread out around town and make preparations for their eventual escape. One hour into the games, it would all come together. Vin would be responsible for removing Chris and hopefully Alex would have sparked Laurel's interest enough to allow the woman to let down her defenses. In the meantime, JD would have the carriage they had stolen waiting in a strategic place near the Arena for when the time came for their quick get away. Vin hated using Alex in this action, as much as he hated the fact that knew little about how many hired guns Laurel had in her stable. However, they did not have much choice in the matter.
"You ready?" Ezra asked as he and Alex walked into the Arena once more and immediately scanned the area for the presence of Laurel Chase. Alex was dressed in blue brocade dress, which clung tightly to her figure and pushed her ample bosom up so that any man who looked at her would have good reason not to be casting his eye upon her face. Alex claimed she rarely wore the gown and all Ezra could thing as she made that statement was that it had to be a crime in someone's book. Ezra would not help thinking Vin was a lucky man indeed as he remembered what it was like to make love to her just before he gave himself a stern reminder to keep his mind on the business on hand.
Laurel Chase had arrived a little earlier this time, with Mr Zhang in attendance at her side as usual. The competition for the evening had yet to begin and so Ezra decided this was a good a time as any to approach Miss Chase. As instructed, he would let Alex do the talking since it was the only way to curry favour with the woman enough for her to speak about what she had done to Chris if she thought Alex as a contemporary. Although Vin had intended to allow her to move about freely in Calumet, he had never intended Alex to have direct confrontation with Laurel. However, the doctor suspected that in order to cure Chris of whatever was done to him, the intelligence was necessary and thus had convinced the tracker to make this addendum to his plan.
"As I will ever be." Alex let out a deep breath as he offered her a gloved hand and she took it.
The two of them made a handsome couple and seemed to blend into the collection of rich visitors to the arena as they walked down the aisle that led to the private box where Laurel Chase and Mr Zhang were waiting for the commencement of the games. As they neared the low swing doors that led into its confines, Mr Zhang immediately caught sight of their approach and watched them cautiously as they paused before it. He leaned over and whispered in Laurel Chase's ear who instinctively cast her high powered gaze in their direction. She looked them over carefully before responding to Mr Zhang whispers. The enormous oriental was on the move again and he met the two of them at the face to face.
"You are seeking something?" He asked politely.
"I wish to speak to Miss Chase." Alex spoke up fearlessly, determined not to show this man any sign of weakness because she was certain he would spot it. She spoke loud enough for Laurel to hear.
"For what purpose?" He questioned once again.
"What I have to discuss with Miss Chase is for her only, I do not waste my time conveying matters too complex for lackeys to understand."
Ezra turned to Alex, staring at her in amazement as well as mild horror. Did she really want to provoke this creature into something unfortunate and wondered whether or not he should have done the talking. However, instead of engendering Mr Zhang's displeasure, Ezra saw Laurel breaking into a faint smile before she spoke up.
"Its alright Zhang," Laurel replied in a silky tone of voice. "Let them through."
Zhang gave Alex a filthy look but was not about to disobey his lady's orders and merely frowned as he pulled open the door for the near arrivals to enter the private box. Alex flashed Ezra a confident smile as the gambler gestured 'ladies first' and watched with amusement as the doctor swept past him, head held high as she prepared to do battle with a most unusual enemy.
"Now what is so important that it required you to insult my man?" Laurel regarded Alex as she saw the woman and the attractive companion next to her.
"Business." Alex said confidently. "That's always important, is it not?"
"Naturally." Laurel remarked and gestured for Alex and Ezra to sit. Alex lowered herself on the seat next to Laurel while the lady ordered Zhang to pour them both a drink from a bottle of wine that sat chilling in a silver bucket near them.
"And what kind of business proposition do you have in mind?"
"I believe I can be of help to you and your organisation." Alex announced and then introduced herself. "My name is Doctor Alexandra Styles." She extended a gloved hand towards Laurel who took it. "This is my...companion, Ezra Standish."
"Companion?" Laurel asked with a hint of suggestion.
"He serves in a capacity not unlike your man here," Alex glanced in Zhang's direction. "Although he does possess some added talents that one does not list on a resume."
Ezra cleared his throat, feeling a little annoyed that he was being discussed like a piece of meat but then supposed that the comment was necessary for the deception they were attempting to carry out. At least he hoped it was for that reason anyway. However, since Alex appeared to be capturing Laurel's interest, he remained silent and allowed her to continue.
"You said Doctor Styles," Laurel looked at Alex. "A doctor of what?"
"Medicine." Alex said coolly. "I am a graduate of Oxford University, not a saw bones as they like to call it in this part of the world but a bona fide practitioner of the medical arts."
"Oxford," Laurel nodded, aware that such accreditation for women was possible at that notable institution in Europe. "I am impressed. Lady doctors are rare."
"Yes they are and if it were not for my inheritance, I would find it almost impossible to practice. However, money allows one to travel in certain circles and I came to learn of your charming place here. I must admit I am impressed." Alex remarked, keeping her flattery realistic because while this woman may be the most breathtaking specimen of the gender that Alex had ever seen in her life, to underestimate her mind because of her face was a fatal mistake.
"Why thank you," Laurel answered, genuinely surprised to find an educated woman of almost her intellectual equal. "Now I am intrigued by your remark about a business proposal. What exactly did you have in mind?"
Alex held the glass of wine to her lips and took a sip of it before she responded. "I was at the fight last night and I had reason to observe most of your fighters. I must say they are extremely well coordinated and fast. In fact their response time and stamina is beyond exemplary, you must have them on a strict regimen of physical training." Alex met Laurel's gaze.
"Adequately strict." Laurel said carefully.
"Oh perhaps they had help." Alex stated.
"Help?" The lady replied without batting an eye. "What sort of help?"
"The chemical kind." Alex answered. "You see when I observe men whose eyes are dilated, who barely register pain when their hands are broken and bleeding and still manage to fight, I can only draw one conclusion."
Laurel tensed. "And that would be?"
"You're dabbling in chemical enhancements for your fighters which in my opinion is a rather novel approach," Alex answered, quickly disarming her from becoming too suspicious. "Most people would just train them to death but what you've done is genius."
"Thank you," Laurel replied. "Now get to the point of your little business proposal."
"Alright then," Alex said with a smile. "You need a doctor, one that won't ask questions, who has extensive experience in biochemistry and access to medical knowledge regarding chemical stimuli that is listed in no book anywhere in the medical community. My father traveled extensively across the world studying different medical practices. Judging from the sophistication of what you have done, I seriously doubt there is very little I can do to improve your operation but a doctor on staff is a valuable asset. Whether or not you have discovered that such chemical abuse can lead to long term health problems, the fact of the matter is, the more successful your fighters are and the longer they stay alive, it will become overt. I am sure I can help with you deal with that too."
In truth, Laurel did suspect there would be such problems arising from the use of Venom over a long term and whether or not Alexandra Styles was genuine in her desire to join her, Laurel had to confess she was intrigued.
"Mr Zhang," Laurel said after a moment. "Keep Mr Standish here company," she looked at the huge oriental. "Miss Styles and I are going to take a little tour of our facility."