Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" TV series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide.
This was the only way to forget a bad day.
Mary Travis found herself thinking as she sank into the luxuriously warm water of her bath and felt the weariness ooze out of her bones the deeper she immersed herself. Resting her head against the edge of the porcelain tub, she wondered if Chris had arrived at Stone Creek yet and found herself flinching involuntarily despite the pleasurable sensation of relaxing in her well deserved respite. Mary tried to imagine what would run through Chris' mind when he arrived in that town and found out that they were probably wanted for horse theft. Knowing Chris, he would say nothing. At least to none of the seven any way, he'd just wear that impassive mask that he always wore, keeping a steely gaze on everything while he avoided disclosure.
Until he got his hands on her and then he would be very vocal.
They had ridden half the night, almost believing that they would never find another town in the darkness. Finally, a few hours before dawn, they sighted the distant lights of a town that sat further along or down the railway line, there was no way to tell until they had a look at a map. A great deal larger than Stone Creek, the town of Winston Falls looked every bit the thriving frontier community. Thanks to Alex's poker winnings, the ladies were able to check themselves into a somewhat respectable hotel and catch up on some well-needed sleep. Mary and Alex had shared a room since it was decided in light of what had transpired in the last 24 hours that it was not wise for any one of them to be alone.
Considering how Alex and Julia felt about each other, Mary decided the doctor should bunk with her or else they would end up killing each other if forced to share the same cage. Alex had taken her bath earlier and was presently ordering them some breakfast before the four of them got together and decide their next move. As far as Mary was concerned, there was only one thing to do and that was to sit still and wait for Chris to arrive. She supposed they could have taken the stage but somehow Mary's instincts told her that it would be safer for everyone concerned that they had the seven's protection
Somehow, their attackers on the train had given Mary the impression they would not relent in their pursuit and should they appear again, Mary did not think she could squirm out of their clutches a second time. As it was, Mary could hardly believe from which hidden well of courage she had found the strength to get Alex and the others out of the saloon without getting seriously hurt. After she had mounted the horse and left the town behind her, Mary had ridden alongside the others silently, even though she suffering an anxiety attack of almost biblical proportions. Her heart pounded in terror from the sheer realisation of what she had done, not to mention the light-headedness that almost made her faint from relief that she had not gotten herself or her friends killed or worse.
A sudden knock on the bathroom door, snapped Mary out of her thoughts. She looked up from the frothy water to which she had been staring aimlessly and looked to the door in response.
"Yes?" She asked.
"Can I come in?" Alex's voice sang out.
"Sure." Mary called out since the soapy water gave her some measure of modesty. A moment later the doorknob twisted and Alex Styles walked inside, still drying her hair with a towel and clad in a complimentary robe.
"Breakfast is here." Alex announced as she sat down in the chair where Mary had hung her clothes. Unfortunately, there had been little time to have them laundered because they could not stay in such plush surroundings for too long. The only reason they had selected this establishment was because it had a front desk that manned at the early hours of the morning when they arrived.
"Great," Mary said running the sponge over her arm, washing away the dirt and sweat that had accumulated since they had begun this journey that spiralling into nightmarish proportions. Mary had even considered writing an article titled 'holidays from hell' because this entire trip to Denver would certainly qualify as something of a page from Milton's Paradise Lost. "I'm really starving." The widow admitted.
"Well, I'm glad we got some sleep." Alex yawned even though they had slept most of the morning and early afternoon away. It was scandalous how late the time was for she was accustomed to walking up early even when Vin shared her bed.
"I had no idea you were such an accomplished gambler." Mary teased seeing Alex roll her eyes in embarrassment at the realisation that her secret was out.
"I had no idea you were so good in a crisis situation," Alex returned. "Chris would have been proud."
"That's not the word he'd use." Mary deadpanned and started working the sponge on her other arm.
"Julia's right you know." Alex said suddenly, feeling very melancholic thinking about the secrets that she kept hidden. While she was friends with Inez and Mary, the doctor revealed very little personal information about herself. She just never felt right with such disclosures.
"About what?" Mary said distractedly, scrubbing a particularly ingrained piece of grit from under her nails.
"About something happening between me and Vin at Agnes Doherty's cabin." She replied softly.
Mary looked up immediately, her blue grey eyes meeting Alex's with no hint of reproach but simple curiosity. She edged closer to the edge of the bath facing Alex and leaned over. "Really?"
"It was not anything like Julia thinks." Alex admitted quickly before Mary thought of it as anything more than it was. "It was a strange trip to begin with." She said with a faint smile. "I didn't want him to come with me and we argued almost all the way until we got to Agnes' cabin and had to stay the night."
Mary hid the smile that threatened to steal across her features, remembering how Alex's experiences with Vin touched a chord of familiarity with her own relationship with Chris. However, she said nothing, allowing Alex to continue with her sudden confession.
"I never felt as much with Ezra as I did with Vin that night and we didn't do anything more than kiss." Alex replied, omitting the almost heavy petting they had indulged in briefly. "I felt passion for the first time in my life and it was raw and hungry. It just took my breath away." Alex sighed. "I guess when we got back to town, I knew had problem but I could not bring myself to just discard Ezra. It was not right."
"Fortunately, he did that for you." Mary frowned. She wondered how Ezra would have taken it he knew that by taking the honourable course of simply telling Alex about his intentions towards Julia, he might have been surprised by how accommodating Alex might have been in light of her own feelings for Vin.
"Yes he did." Alex replied with a slight nod. "I guess I really should not be so mad at Julia should I?" The doctor hated admitting wrong about anything, in that she and Mary shared the same traits. However, Alex was a mystery of cool detachment at times and it had taken sheer perseverance on Vin Tanner's part to bring the woman beneath to the surface.
"Well you have good reason to." Mary said gently, knowing that this was difficult thing for Alex to overcome. Julia had been most cruel in the manner in which she imparted the news of her relationship with Ezra to Alex. She had been nothing less than brutal and the scene that followed if Chris description was anything to go by, was not something easily forgotten. "I take it this soul searching has come about because you're ready to move past your anger towards her?"
Julia was never going to likeable, either by Mary or Alex for two differing reasons. However, it was not lost upon them that Julia had attempted to fit into life at Four Corners as well as in the tight knit group that was the seven's circle. Neither was Mary blind to how she had been held at arm's length and Mary felt a sliver of guilt creep into her conscience knowing that the woman probably deserved the benefit of the doubt or the very least, a second chance.
"Not quite," Alex replied with honesty, "let's just say I'm looking into it." Considering what they had been through together the past 24 hours, Alex felt somewhat petty clinging to her old hatred and had spent much time pondering the question of her attitude towards Julia Pemberton. Unfortunately, it was not a subject that yielded any easy answers. Finally, Alex decided that she had better things to discuss at this point and moved for a change of subject. "So what's our next move? Do we go home?"
"No," Mary responded with a decidedly harder edge to her voice when the subject of their current situation arose. "I have a feeling those people may either be waiting for us there or they'll be on route. If I know Chris, that telegram would have sent him riding towards Stone Creek. Don't forget, we left all our luggage behind and our personal items, it would not be hard for them to track us back to Four Corners."
"So we stay here?" Alex asked. "That's risky if those men from the saloon come looking for us." She pointed out.
"I know," Mary responded as she started running the sponge down her leg, realising that she had spent enough time on her hands. "Not to mention anyone else. I think we should move to more discreet accommodations, a lodging house perhaps and stay out of sight."
"I wish I knew why there were after us." Alex grumbled standing up to leave so Mary could have the rest of her bath in peace.
"Inez seems to think Sanderson might have slipped something into my basket when he ran into me." Mary answered, having heard Inez's suspicions during their arduous ride to Winston Falls. When Mary considered that possibility, she realised that Inez must have been right because the duo had been in pursuit of Sanderson when Mary had encountered him. Had they seen the collision, it would have led them to the conclusion that caused them to seek out Mary on the train and the patterns of events that followed made perfect sense in that light.
"Like what?" She looked at Mary with surprise and curiosity.
"I have no idea." The newspaperwoman confessed. "In all the confusion, I have not had the chance to look at it. I think its time we did though, when we get together."
"Not to mention working out who Seacourt is." Alex reminded.
Mary kept all these things in mind, wondering who the elusive Mr Seacourt were and what part he played in this unravelling mystery. This was more than she bargained for during this supposedly leisurely trip to Denver. She paused upon ruminating that point and several other considerations before she met Alex's gaze. "You know something," she sighed. "I am not looking forward to Chris finding us."
Now it was Alex's turn to stifle a smile as she tried to picture the scene that would be when the fiery newspaperwoman and the gunslinger finally saw each other again. Alex used to think that she and Vin had some heated exchanges but they were nothing in comparison to the all out warfare practised by Chris Larabee and Mary Travis that had everyone running for cover. In some instance, it was almost entertaining watching the inferno that usually ensued.
"Don't laugh." Mary caught the glint of amusement in her eyes. "He is never going to let me live this down." Suddenly Mary narrowed her eyes and stared at Alex with a perfectly devilish look on her face. "Neither is Vin going to let you forget this either. If I am not mistaken, I was not the only one offered a warning."
"Yes." Alex stopped smiled and scowled. She said nothing for a moment and then spoke after a short time of reflection. "Maybe there's still time to jump a train to Mexico."
It was well after dark when Chris Larabee and company came riding into the fair municipality of Stone Creek.. Chris had no idea who was happier about reaching their destination, the horses or their human riders. Spurred on by concerns for their respectively female halves, the men had pushed the mounts hard to make the journey from Four Corners before the end of the day. By the time they had reached the small forgotten town that did not warrant a stop by the Denver train, the horses were near exhausted and Chris and the others were not far behind.
After leaving their horses at the local livery so that the spent animals could get some decent rest and feeding, the men headed towards the local saloon. According to Mary's telegram, the lack of money had forced them to seek lodging in the establishment and when Chris walked into the place, his stomach hollowed at Mary being forced by circumstances to stay in such a unsavoury conditions.
"I do not think I like the idea of any of the ladies being forced to seek refuge on these premises." Ezra stated the obvious as the five men walked into the saloon. However, his attention had already shifted to the felt table where a group of players were congregated for a game he knew all too well. For some reason, two of the men, cattle drivers by the looks of them, were wearing noticeable bandages around their heads.
"You and me both." Nathan agreed, looking around the collection of worn tables and similarly unhygienic clientele scattered around the room.
Chris said nothing, merely content to exchange a hard stare with Vin that conveyed the tracker was not happier about the accommodations the ladies were forced to endure the night before, not to mention the sight of this place only heighten his fears about their safety. They stepped up to the bar and Vin let Chris do the talking since Chris had a way of prying answers from people like no one else could. The same saloon owner, who had overcharged Mary Travis the day earlier for accommodations, greeted the lawmen with a smarmy smile that seemed to ooze distrust from the visitors.
"What can I get you boys?" He asked, a cigar protruding through a mouth full of bad teeth.
"Whiskey and some information." Chris said quietly, leaning up against the counter while staring at him intently. Buck was allowing his gaze move across the room as usual, never being one to sit still even for a moment while Ezra's found himself drawn to the game being played in the corner. Only Vin and Nathan were paying any attention to Chris' attempt to garner some information about the women.
"Whiskey will cost you," the man replied turning to retrieve a bottle from one of the dusty shelves behind him. He returned with a full bottle and five glasses before adding further, "so will the information."
"I'll see if it's worth paying for first." Chris said coolly.
"On the information?" The man asked still wearing that shit-eating grin that Chris wanted desperately to wipe awa with his boot. The gunslinger was already in a foul mood and fixing for a fight. This whole situation with Mary was playing havoc with his tightly wound emotional control. Until he knew that she was safe, he was in the mood to do some serious hurtin'. If this asshole behind the bar did not start giving him answers soon, Chris was liable to start on him.
"On both." Chris retorted gruffly. "I'm looking for four women. Said they were paid room and board here last night." He focussed on the man's eyes because Chris could tell in a second if he knew nothing or was hiding something.
The man's reaction seemed to imply the latter but fortunately, he had good sense enough not to keep it concealed for too long. He betrayed his knowledge by immediately straightening up, the grin fading from his face as realisation flooded into his eyes. "They your women?" He asked, his eyes narrowing as he studied the five strangers before him like they had just walked in this second and not a few minutes ago.
"Yeah, what of it?" Vin said getting off his elbows until he was staring at the man eye to eye, with an expression on his face that left no room for the saloon owner to doubt that any offence would be taken at great exception.
"They're horse thieves." The man retorted, with a hint of relish in his voice at being able to impart such salacious news to this tough band. The need to gain the upper hand in some small way overrode his baser instincts to keep his skin intact. His grin seemed to stretch wider across his craggy face as he spoke and infuriated Chris to no end that the gunslinger could almost predict what was going to happen, although amazingly enough the outburst would not come from him.
Vin Tanner was already running on a short fuse.
He had been forced to ride on a day when he was enduring the worst hangover since man first decided to put alcohol to his mouth and imbibed freely before discovering the terrible consequences the next day when he woke up in his own vomit. To say nothing of Vin's present state of mind, regarding the woman that he loved and the possible danger her life might be in to be in to allow him to tolerate this man and his sneering face with any ability whatsoever.
Almost with a flash, Vin grabbed the man's head and slammed it hard against the counter, toppling over the empty glasses he had placed there earlier, sending the small shot glasses skittering to the floor. Some smashed, most did not. The reaction in the saloon was tepid to owner's predicament. A waiter or two stepped forward to help their employer but Chris need only turn a steely gaze at their direction for them to freeze in their tracks and make a wise withdrawal. Around them, some of the customers were looking up in concern but not enough that would inspire them to offer the beleaguered saloon owner any assistance. Chris was almost disappointed when no one turned up because he wanted to hurt someone too.
"As you can see," Ezra spoke up try to be the voice of reason, having turned his attention back to his friends in light of the small commotion taking place before him, "my companions are somewhat lacking in enthusiasm for your particular brand of humour. I take it by your earlier reaction that you do know the ladies in question?" The gambler asked, offering a charming smile that paled the shit-eating grin the saloon owner had worn in comparison. No one could do smug better than Ezra Standish, Chris had decided.
"And what do you mean, they're horse thieves?" Buck demanded for that was a serious crime to be accused of in any shape or form. He could hardly imagine Mary Travis or Julia Pemberton getting up to such mischief. Of course, Inez had been accused of the crime once but that was because of Don Paulo and after Alex Styles had gone riding after Vin, to save him from bounty hunters, Buck was ready to believe she was capable of anything.
"They shot up the place last night." The man said hastily, taking particular note of the sawn off Winchester that was prominently displayed in Vin's holster from his awkward position, pressed up against the counter. In fact, all he could see was that weapon. "Hustled some of my customers and then took one of 'em hostage."
"Hustled?" Chris declared, thinking he had heard wrong. Mary, hustling? Mary could not even lie with a straight face. Julia Pemberton was another story entirely but he was not about to voice that at this moment at least in Ezra's presence. Alex maybe and Inez definitely but what would possess them to try something so stupid in a place like this? Did they have any idea what could happen to them? This place was not just rough. It was dangerous. There were men who frequented place like these who had no trouble harming a woman or worse for no other reason than her being there.
"Yeah, the real pretty Creole, she was playing cards with Albert and Lansing over there. Hustled them into letting her play and then took all their money." The saloon owner spoke not an easy thing to do with half his face pressed to the counter top by Vin Tanner who had yet to ease up on his interrogation technique.
"Creole?" Nathan mused trying to decide whom the man meant when he suddenly realised that for someone who was unaware of her parentage, they might choose to describe Alexandra Styles that way. "Miss Alex, playing cards?" Nathan said with disbelief.
"Alexandra does not play cards well enough to hustle." Ezra pointed out instantly, wondering why he had fabricated such a fantastic thought.
"See Mister, she don't play cards." Vin hissed with a hint of savagery in his voice and shoved the man's head harder against the counter until he grunted his pain quite audibly. Vin was aware that Alex had played cards with Ezra when they had been together but she had always given him the impression that she was not very good, which made the validity of the man's claim all the more suspect.
"I ain't lying!" He cried out desperately, the pain having snapped the back of his defiance. "I'm telling you, she sat there at that table as good as you please and all took all their money. Just ask them." He waved frantically in the direction of the felt table that Ezra had admired when he had first entered the room.
"Maybe you should be asking us." A new voice full of gravel and spit retorted behind them.
The five lawmen turned around and faced the speaker. Vin too, whose grip was still firmly on the saloon owner with no signs of releasing the man, faced the two men and the cadre of others who were inching closer to surround them. The leaders, Lansing and Albert had come to investigate upon hearing their names mentioned while at the same time realising that these men bore some connection to the women who had humiliated them so publicly the night before. Injury and lack of resolve had kept them from going after the women the night before but that still did not mean that their need for revenge was any less.
"Those bitches belong to you?" Lansing, formerly known as the cattleman that Mary Travis had taken hostage glared at Chris with obvious anger demanded angrily. "Look at what they did to us!" He gestured to the bandage on his head.
"Mister, I wouldn't go telling too many people that women did that to ya." Buck retorted, unable to resist the opportunity to have some fun at the man's expense. However, the ploy was just a tactic to detract anyone from seeing his fingers move gently towards his gun and undo the flap.
"They pulled a gun on us!" Lansing shouted indignantly, inflamed by the humiliation of incurring such injuries by a woman, particularly a polished and refined lady. "The little blond plum stuck a gun right in my guts, told me she'd shoot if I even breathed." He said venomously, his eyes showing just how much hatred he had inside him.
Chris could almost see the slow glances of his friends turning to look at him with that statement even if he were not focused on Lansing and counting how many of his men were preparing to enter the fight that was coming. The gunslinger reacted long enough to close his eyes, suddenly overcome by the slight throbbing in his temples that threatened to escalate into a full-blown headache the more he uncovered Mary's exploits. His mind whirled with only one thought as he heard Lansing recall the tale as to how Mary had held a room at bay by taking him hostage.
I knew those shooting lessons were a mistake.
"And the other one stole our money!" Albert, the man that Julia Pemberton had so ceremoniously brained with a bottle of cheap tequila added his voice into the lists of complaints. "Hustled her way into our poker game with her pretty smile and sweet talking voice and then stripped us blind."
"I'm telling ya, Miss Alex don't play poker." Nathan insisted while Vin tried to picture Alex at the table with these men, playing a game of high stakes poker. The idea almost sent him into sensory overload and made his head ache with a surge of pain caused by stress to add to that of the hangover.
"How much did she win?" Ezra asked, best qualified amongst all of them to know whether Alex could play poker or not. In truth, he knew she could never play the game well enough to outwit these men out of so much money. It had to be a mistake. Besides, he had beaten her so many times because she had shown no skill to play the game whatsoever.
"Almost $250 dollars!"
If Ezra had been drinking, he would have choked.
"How much?" Buck exclaimed, never one to hold back on an unspoken thought. "How did you know she was hustling?"
"No woman could play cards that well unless she was cheating." Albert retorted, his hand slowly shifting to his gun because he was spoiling to get his revenge upon the men to whom the women obviously belonged. Chris watched the subtle movement towards his gun; his own hand already nestled comfortably on his peacemaker. In fact, everyone seemed more than prepared for the onslaught to follow and Chris hated to admit it but damn if he wasn't ready for this!
"Alexandra cannot play cards." Ezra insisted, still unable to shake the possibility that Alex might have hidden her skills from him. "In fact, I've beaten her several times."
"Then maybe she's hustled you too." Lansing sneered, finally saying what none of the lawmen were too tactful not to point out to the gambler.
"Hustled me?" Ezra said filling up with indignant rage and was starting to share Chris Larabee's desire to shoot something. "I will have you know Sir that I do not get hustled. Alexandra Styles did not hustle me and I assure you she cannot play poker to any degree that it could be considered a hustle. If she did beat you, it must have been because you are an exceptionally poor specimen of gambling expertise."
"Hey!" Vin looked at Ezra with annoyance. "How do you know she can't play!" He said rising to the occasion for the love of his life. "You weren't here!"
"Mr Tanner, the only game that Alex ever played with any expertise was Go Fish!" Ezra retorted, for some reason feeling very threatened by this whole suggestion that Alex could play poker because if she could play poker this well and he had beaten her so many times, it led to two very unhappy conclusions. One that she had let him win or... actually there was no second unhappy conclusion, the whole let him win possibility was bad enough as far as Ezra was concerned.
"Maybe she didn't want put you to shame." Vin retorted.
"Ain't this precious?" Lansing sneered at the comic relief these two men were providing.
"Get over it you two!" Buck hissed in disbelief but not as much disbelief as Chris Larabee.
"This ain't the time for it." Chris said loudly and sharply enough for both men to fall silent, realising that their credibility as tough men of the law was suffering from this display of sentiment and wounded pride.
"Where did they go?" Chris turned his attention to Lansing, daring him not to answer while his fingers grazed the butt of his peacemaker, poised to draw the moment he saw a shift in the man's eyes.
"They stole horses and ran off into the night." Lansing declared. "Good thing too cause we would have showed them a thing or too, like maybe what its like to have some real men." He grinned salaciously.
Nathan Jackson saw the reaction crossing four faces simultaneously. Oh hell, the healer thought as the first blow was struck, predictably by Chris Larabee, straight across Lansing's face that almost lifted the man off the ground and send him crashing into a table, amidst the scream of the working girl and the customer who was still occupying it. With that, the entire room descended into the pandemonium of a good old fashioned bar room brawl. Chairs began flying across the room, punches were thrown and bottles were smashed as fists went in all directions. Surprisingly enough the hand to hand combat had been used in favour of gunplay, which was singularly safer in such close quarters.
The whole thing lasted about twenty minutes. When the dust had cleared and the other patrons of the establishment had gone running for cover behind the counter or out the front door or window, which ever came first and was closer at hand, the five lawmen of Four Corners surveyed the damage. Somewhere in the mess of broken bottles, shattered glasses and the debris of destroyed furniture; Chris Larabee spotted the bleeding face of Lansing underneath the remnants of a collapsed table. Chris had come out of it quite well actually, suffering no more than a bleeding lip from a shard of glass that had nicked him on the way past. He grabbed the man's leg and pulled him out from under the fragments of broken wood.
"Don't make so much noise." Vin complained, similarly searching for the saloon owner who had made good his escape during the fight. The tracker's head was still throbbing and wished more than ever Alex was here. She could give him one of those pills that were supposedly guaranteed to soothe headaches. "I can hear everything ten times louder." He spotted the man quivering behind the counter and reached for his Winchester.
"Hey there," Vin leaned over and produced the sawn off shotgun aimed clearly in his direction. "Now that we're through asking nice, where did the ladies go?"
"I don't know," the man shook his head frantically, in shock at the destruction on his premises and by the certainty that a wrong answer would get his head blown off. "They took horses and they left town! That's all I know."
"I do believe he's telling the truth." Buck replied pulling the chair someone had broken over him from around his body. The big man noted the acrid smell of loosened bowels that was filling the air.
"Oh now that is disgusting." Ezra retorted, straightening his tie and collar that had been pulled out of dapper perfection during the altercation. "Sir, you are never going to pass health and safety regulations for this establishment with such a slovenly constitution."
"That's a pretty nasty shiner you got there Ezra." Nathan pointed out, examining the swelling on the Southerner's face.
"What?" The gambler looked at his reflection through the sheet of broken glass behind the counter and winced at a huge purple bruise that was forming under his eye. "Damn, purple is not my colour."
"I wouldn't say purple," Buck leaned over with a grin. "Try black and blue."
"Your compassion is overwhelming." Ezra frowned. "Unfortunately this entire episode led us no closer to the ladies except in us learning that they are capable of embroiling themselves in more discourse than any of us could have possibly given them credit."
"I told you," Buck said trying to mask his deep concern for Inez with a humorous air. "I told you not to underestimate them."
"Where are they!" Chris barked at Lansing who was too incoherent to say a word. He merely looked at Chris with a dazed expression as the gunslinger shook him by the head while holding it off the floor by the hair.
"He's out of it Chris." Vin replied impatiently and threw a venomous gaze at the saloon owner who was still trembling in his own filth. "So's this one, or might as well be anyway."
"Excuse me?" A rather portly woman said meekly as she entered the saloon entrance. She looked at the five men with nothing less than fear and Chris could not blame her considering they were standing in the middle of a saloon that looked as if a cannon had been shot at it and unconscious bodies strewn everywhere.
"Can I help you ma'am?" Nathan asked, knowing how ridiculous courtesy must seem in the midst of this entire ruckus.
She tried to gain courage by Nathan's politeness by the healer could see it was Chris she wanted to speak to and it was Chris whom she was more afraid of than any other. That was not a hard feat of course, Chris Larabee had that effect on people.
"I'm Doris Stanley," she said trying not to quiver when she spoke. She stood by the doorway and seemed unwilling to come any further, as if stepping deeper into the room was like walking off a cliff. "I run the telegraph service."
Immediately Chris paid attention. Telegraph? "Is it Mary?"
Doris' fear evaporated once she heard Chris call Mary by name and realised that there was more to their association than the young widow had led on. "I got this telegram late today, addressed to a Mr Chris Larabee to be identified by his black clothing." Her eyes moved up and down the length of the gunslinger's apparel. "I guess that's you."
"What does it say?" Chris said abruptly and received a reproachful frown from Nathan who felt Doris should be treated with some courtesy because she looked so afraid of them.
"It says that should a Mr Larabee come to town, I was to inform him that Travis and party are currently in Winston Falls." She replied nervously.
"Winston Falls?" Ezra blurted out. "Where is that?"
"Thirty miles north of here." Vin said automatically. There was not an inch of space across the Territory that he was not familiar with. "It's a larger place than this."
"Hell Purgatory is larger than this." Buck retorted and looked at Chris. "Can we at least get something to eat before we get going again?"
"I don't think this place is serving Buck." Chris looked around and noticed the hasty departure of the Doris Stanley. He let her go seeing that she had delivered her message from Mary and it appeared they had another long ride ahead of them. Chris sighed and started out the door towards the livery once more.
"I swear," Ezra sighed as the realisation dawned upon all of them and the group resigned themselves to be on their way as they gravitated to the door, side stepping debris and unconscious brawlers. "I am starting to question whether it was entirely wise to let them out of the kitchen."
"The last thing Alex does in the kitchen is cook." Vin muttered and found himself grinning.
"There he goes again with that smile on his face." Buck exclaimed before the group left the saloon and began the tedious journey to Winston Falls. "What is the story with that?"
"Trust me Buck," Chris replied, feeling infinitely better now that he had beaten the crap out of someone. "If you ever want to have dinner at Alex's again, you don't want to know."
It was pure luck.
Selena did not know whether providence was smiling upon her and Mr Burke or the devil was telling her he was willing to pay to get her soul. Whatever deity she chose to thank, the evidence before her was clear enough, as was the opportunity. She and Burke had climbed off the train and began searching every little dirt town since the encounter with the woman on the way to Denver. They had arrived in Stone Creek only to hear stories of four women who had gone riding off into the night after helping themselves to some horses and money. Apparently, the local sherrif was still getting around to the warrants but did not seem eager to send a posse after a bunch of women. This served Selena well, as they required no interruptions in their own hunt for the women.
However, the search had been cut shot when they were called onto deliver a status report of their progress to retrieve the package to their employer who was waiting for a meeting in the town of Winston Falls. Selena and Burke had just left their mounts at the local livery on their way to the Preston Bank owned by their employer when lo and behold who should see walking across the street? The very three women whom they had been searching for so insistently gazing about furtively about as they made their way to a lodging house. The blond whom Sanderson had come into contact with and to whom Burke had a personal if not physical grudge was nowhere in sight but Selena was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Considering the debacle that this entire episode was quickly descending into, she was eager to take her breaks where she could get them.
They followed the women to the lodging house, ever careful to keep an eye for the last in their party. Selena did not doubt she would eventually surface and if she did not, the loss of three friends would certainly make her willing to negotiate for the retrieval of the package. In any case, Selena was tolerating no further mistakes because she was certain her employer would feel the same ambivalence and to Selena's distaste, would end their employment relationship fatally.
When Seacourt saw the arrival of Selena Quint and her faithful companion, the behemoth Mr Burke in the town of Stone Creek, the man had known with certainty that Sanderson was dead. He mourned the death of the man he had hardly known before this assignment as little more than a courier. In truth, Sanderson was never meant to become a field agent of this nature and Seacourt mourned his death by strengthening his resolve to bring his killers to justice. However, despite his innate need for vengeance, baser instincts to the oath he pledged his life took precedence first. He could not understand why Selena and Burke were here if Sanderson was dead for he could think of no other way they could have known about the rendezvous point. Not to mention that the package he had protected with his life would no doubt be in their hands already if Sanderson had died by their ministrations.
However, it soon became very apparent to Seacourt that Selena and her partner were conducting a search. He stayed out of sight, observing them at a distance and then questioning the people they had encountered for information. As adept as Selena Quint could be at this profession, she was still by Seacourt's estimation little more than a hired gun, albeit a rather charming one, but still a paid mercenary while Seacourt did this for a living to a cause higher than himself. It was to his utter surprise that Seacourt learnt that what Selena was after was not an elusive package but the very four women he had unsuccessfully and in retrospect, redundantly tried to assist the night before.
The women were a wild card almost as wild as card as one of them had played at the gaming tables in the saloon. Seacourt could not understand what Selena could possibly want with these four different women who did not seem at all comfortable playing fugitives, even if they did handle themselves very well. He was forced to remind themselves that seeking these four out was still job and had nothing to do with the fact that the Mexican in the group had the most enchanting smile he had ever seen in his life.
So Seacourt followed Selena and Burke at a distance, keeping far enough out of sight to be completely concealed, while still maintaining the pursuit. He followed them across thirty miles of harsh terrain to arrive at a relative rustic oasis in the territory by the name of Winston Falls.
"So its all about thing?" Julia stared at the piece of metal before them.
It was a square block of steel, with intricate engravings worked on by a master craftsman. When Inez had finally pulled it out of Mary's bag and unwrapped the plain brown covering to find the object wrap in silk, it was enough to make the newspaper woman go running for the telegraph office to send a wire to Chris immediately. Upon realising what it was the duo in the train had been so determined to possess, the women moved lodgings immediately and agreed there would be no safety until they were no longer in possession of the item.
"Its enough." Alex sighed looking at the object that was lying on the bed next to Mary's basket. "There are people who will kill for this thing." She frowned, wrapping it up in its silken covering once more.
"We've met them." Inez pointed out as she went to pour herself a glass of water from the pitcher located on one of the tables in the room. "I think we need to find a Marshall or something when the men get here."
"You know I never thought I'd say this," Alex sighed slipping the package back into Mary's bag and sliding the basket under the bed where it was out of sight. "But I'm going to be glad to have the guys rescue us from this mess for a change. I have the strangest feeling we were over our heads the minute we stepped onto the train."
"All that money... " Julia sighed. "Fifty dollar notes for as far as the eye could see. You could buy yourself a kingdom for that."
"Or an extremely devaluated country like this one would be if those plates are even used." Alex retorted. "I can't believe we are in possession of currency plates!"
"I can't imagine how they would even get their hands on something like that." Inez replied, sitting in a chair while Julia lay draped over the bed, where she had stared wistfully at the plate for some moments and Alex had paced around the place, repeating how much trouble they were in.
"I don't think the US government makes them very accessible," Alex replied. "However, a very skilled engraver may be able to make one."
"You mean this thing probably isn't even a legitimate plate?" Julia exclaimed, feeling her dismay at so much easy money in reach and not being able to touch any of it. Only Ezra could share her sorrow at this point.
"Not if they're chasing it the way they are." Inez retorted. "I wish we knew who Seacourt was." She sighed. "Sanderson said, if we needed help to find Jeremy Seacourt."
"Except for all we know, Seacourt could be his dentist." The petite redhead quipped.
"Must you always be so negative?" Alex looked at her with a hint of sarcasm but not real malice. After having that discussion with Mary earlier today, Alex had decided to try being a little less hostile towards Julia, even though it was a hard habit to break.
"Call me the voice of reason." Julia replied in deadpan. She was not really offended because she had noticed a slight thaw in Alex's behaviour towards her and decided that an improvement, no matter how slight was still an improvement.
Suddenly the door knocked and Alex immediately went to answer it, assuming it was Mary Travis since the widow was due back any time from the telegraph office following her latest message to Chris Larabee. Hopefully, he was already on route and Vin would be right along side of him. At this moment, Alex wanted nothing more to be in the tracker's arms again. The man had the uncanny ability to make things better...
Alex opened the door and found herself staring at Burke and Selena.
"Don't even think about screaming." Selena said before Alex could open her mouth to warn the others. The gun in Selena's hand was aimed right at her stomach. "Step away from the door." She ordered.
Alex swore under her breath but had not alternative but to comply to the woman's demands. Reluctantly, Alex stepped away as Burke and Selena pushed their way into the room. The reaction was swift; Inez leapt out of her chair while Julia sat up startled at the presence of the new arrivals.
"I'll give you the same warning." Selena said icily. "Anyone of you make one unnecessary sound that I do not ask for and it will be very unfortunate for all of you. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal." Alex said sarcastically.
Selena regarded her response and lashed out, striking Alex across the face with a fisted blow. Alex felt her cheek flare in pain as she staggered back. She recovered quickly enough, even if she was slightly dazed and was tempted to fight back when she heard the audible click of Selena's gun aimed at Inez, indicating what would happen if she made that attempt. "I was merely paying you back for the train." The woman replied with a smile. Burke sniggered behind her, enjoying the display very much.
"Where's the other one?" She demanded.
A furious exchange of glances across the rooms united the women in a show of solidarity that no information would come from them willingly. When Selena's question was met with silence, the mercenary seemed unsurprised. "That does not matter. She will walk into our little drama soon enough. Now where is the package?"
"I don't know what you mean." Inez said bravely, glaring at her in open defiance even if she was forced to display it in this limited fashion.
"Please don't play games with me." Selena walked straight up to her and pressed the gun barrel firmly in her throat.
"Wait!" Julia shouted before Alex could. "We don't have it!"
"Of course you don't," Selena glared at her with obvious disbelief.
"I'm telling you the truth." The Easterner said with enough panic in her voice to tell Selena her fear was genuine as well as the words coming from her lips. "We unpacked it and found out what it was." Julia explained, letting the lies come from her lips faster than she could think to stop herself. "Mary knew that it had to be used to make counterfeit notes, that's why she's not here! She's taken it to the sherrif to hand it in!"
"You're lying!" Selena hissed at this new development. She cocked the trigger against Inez's throat, as if to illustrate the point of what would happen.
"I'm not lying!" Julia implored. "I swear! Mary took it with her!"
"Shit!" Selena swore viciously and glared at Burke. "We better get back to Preston." She said visibly unhappy at reporting this snippet of news to her employer.
"He ain't going to be happy." Burke pointed out.
That was the understatement of the millennium. "Alright," Selena thought quickly. "All of you, on your feet now!"
Reluctantly, Julia climbed off the bed and joined Inez at her side, while Burke was still keeping a close eye on Alex.
"It appears ladies," Selena smiled as she gestured towards the door, "we are going to take a little trip."
Mary had just sent her next telegram to Chris, hoping her instructions to Doris Stanley was clear enough for interpretation. Having unveiled the mysterious package that Mr Sanderson had deposited into her basket, Mary now understood just how much trouble they had stumbled into. She did not know much about counterfeiting or engraving but the workmanship of the plates convinced her that if used to print notes, the counterfeit currency would have been almost certainly good enough to pass. Even Mary was aware of what could happen to the economy of a country if these notes were entered into circulation. She now understood the persistence of those who had attempted to retrieve it and knew that she was correct in waiting for Chris' arrival.
Having turned the corner of the street towards the lodging house, Mary had taken no more than a step when she saw something that sent her retracing her steps to avoid discovery. For a moment, her heart skipped a bit as her pulse began the racing at the sight of the two strangers that had attacked them on the train, leading Inez, Alex and Julia out the door of the building. Judging by the sombre expressions on the faces of her friends, Mary assumed that they did not wish to make the journey. Mary watched with wide eyed fear as the group descended down the stairs, with the woman standing very close to Inez, close enough to be holding a gun to her if Mary's guessed was right.
Mary took a deep breath trying to decide what to do. She watched them disappear down the street and only dared to emerge from her hiding place behind the corner of the board walk when they could no longer see her. When they had put enough distance between them and Mary was certain that the crowds in the street this afternoon would provide her with suitable cover, she stepped out and began following them. She walked slowly, knowing that surveillance was not a skill she had in any abundance. Fortunately, the group did not go far and Mary was surprised to see her friends being ushered through the front door of the local bank.
The widow was at a loss of what to do as she hastened her steps and paused in front of the hardware store next to the bank. Mary watched people filter in and out the front door, revealing that it was indeed a legitimate business but Mary could not understand why they would be taken to such a public place? Mary considered going to the sheriff and then decided that was a bad idea. She did not doubt that they were all wanted on charges of horse theft and entanglements with the law was the last thing she wanted to deal with at the moment. Mary could not understand why they were taken? The plates were in the room with them, if Inez and the others were captured there, surely their kidnappers would have found the object?
Unless they did not find it and Inez, Alex and Julia were being held until it was produced.
Mary thought furiously, realising that if there was any hope for her friends then she would have to do something now and she would have to do it alone. Of course, she had no idea how to storm a bank no less and rescue her them but those were minor details she would solve as she went along. Mary turned away from the hardware store and was about to return to the hotel in order to retrieve the package for that was her only bargaining point at the moment and she would need it to barter for the lives of her companions. Suddenly, she caught sight of something beneath the canvas sheet on the back of wagon holding stationary along the sidewalk. The wagon was unmanned and no doubt its owner was presently in the hardware store, purchasing goods.
Mary saw the box staring at her and slowly a plan started to form in her head. She had promised Chris Larabee that she would not get into any more trouble and since this whole situation more or less decided that promise had not one she was going to keep, Mary decided to take it one step further.
Without saying another word, she reached under the canvas and pulled out the box. It was heavy but she could manage it and did so without being seen. Hurrying away from the scene of her crime, she wondered how much of a criminal record she would have by the time this whole thing was over... .
Lawrence Preston had a dream.
He wanted to be rich. He was already rich but he wanted to be so rich that it positively boggled the mind and he wanted to be that way for no other reason, than the challenge of aspiring to see it done. He had indulged in legitimate forms of achieving his gold and soon found it inadequate to the herculean task he had set for himself. Thus, he began indulging in other avenues of reaching his goal and until this point had been making steady progress.
While most men might have baulked at the idea of hiring a female mercenary to handle his shadier dealings, some could not even fathom the existence of such a thing; Preston had found Selena Quint to be quite the professional. In fact, he had never found reason to complain until this instance and it particularly irked this time because the job to which he had assigned her to was the most important undertaking that he had ever set him to accomplishing. Now thanks to circumstances and he was starting to question was not pure bungling, months of hard work was in jeopardy thanks to the three women before him less one who was still at large, with his property in her possession.
He was not very impressed.
"So am I to understand that your companion had my plate?" He glared at the women from behind the desk, inside the manager's office of the bank. The manager had been dismissed for the day while Preston had commandeered the room to conduct his business. He owned a number of local banks scattered across the Territory, mostly because some investment adviser had convinced him the merits of having one's foot through the dor in the frontier.
"Answer him." Selena ordered sharply when none of the women chose to answer. They were seated on chairs facing the desk with Burke and Selena keeping a vigil on them while Lawrence Preston held them a captive audience.
"Yes." Inez said sarcastically and fell silent again. She sent an icy stare at Preston as she was forced to speak.
"And what would her name be?" Preston asked again, emerging from behind the heavy walnut desk to pace the floor before them. He was not a very impressive man, dressed in fine clothes but bearing what seemed like a permanent sneer on those otherwise ordinary features. In a crowd, he would be utterly unforgettable if not for the money at his disposal. He studied at them with watery coloured blue eyes like they were something that should be dissected to satisfy his curiosity.
"Who?" Alex quipped and promptly felt Selena shove her head forward roughly. The doctor winced but offered no more than that.
"Mary Travis." Julia answered and received furious stares from Alex and Inez respectively. "They have all our identification anyway," the Easterner spoke in her own defence. "They have the names, just not the faces."
"Very astute." Preston said offering her a smile because she was an exceedingly beautiful woman. He did not care much for the other two but he found all that red hair charming and perhaps worth a night's amusement. "So I take it Mrs Travis has my property?"
"Yes," Julia nodded, continuing the lie she had used earlier to keep the duo from searching their lodgings and finding the package. Julia knew that as long as they were not in possession of their prize, they would not kill her or her friends. "Mary took it to the sheriff."
"You will retrieve it." Preston said shifting his gaze from Julia's expression of fear to Selena's colder visage. There was no question that the instruction was not a request. He expected it done. "Kill the sheriff and anyone else who might have seen it but do so Selena."
"What about these?" Selena nodded in answer and gestured to their three hostages. "We can let them go with what they know."
"Agreed," Preston nodded. "Keep them here until nightfall." He said taking a step towards Julia. He reached for her chin and let a finger stroke Julia's cheek. When she pulled away in disgust, he balled his fist and met Selena's eyes after a flash of hatred surfaced in his own. "Then kill them, including the other one." He retorted and then sent a cold smile of satisfaction at Julia for her trespass.
"Yes Mr Preston." Selena replied coolly, not really expecting anything different. In this type of business, it was never wise to leave loose ends. Besides, this entire enterprise had been one fiasco after another and Selena had no wish to leave any remnant behind that could remind her of this miserable experience.
"I do not want the bodies found." Preston continued as if the three intended victims were not even in the room. "Once you have my plates, we will meet again in Fort Worth." He gave his instructions like a general about to go into battle, pacing the carpeted floor before them as if he were working out strategies inside his mind.
Alex, Inez and Julia exchanged glances, realising that their all their lives had suddenly been shortened to a scant few hours unless they thought of a way to escape their current situation. Unfortunately, with the two mercenaries behind them, whom they now knew as Burke and Selena, holding guns to their heads, the chances of that seemed unlikely and they doubted that the lawmen of Four Corners were going to come riding to their rescue in a blaze of glory.
Suddenly, without warning, a tremendous explosion shattered the silence of their thoughts and office. The shock wave sent shudders throughout the building, shaking the foundations until streams of plaster were shaken loose and drifted through the air. Everyone in the room collectively jumped at the sound and it was Preston who found his voice first.
"What the hell was that?" He shouted as he heard screams and panicked cries beyond the office doors.
The words had no sooner past his lips, when another explosion rocked the building... .
Of all the plans that Mary Travis had ever conconcocted in her head, it was quite possible that this was the worst. Actually worst was an incorrect word, a more accurate description was perhaps desperate. This was the most desperate plan she had ever had. After returning to the lodging house and searching the room thoroughly and then to her chagrin realising that her friends had hidden her bag in the most obvious place which was incidentally the last place she looked, Mary had returned to the bank.. At first she thought of the most effective way to implement her foolhardy rescue attempt, asking herself what Chris would do in this situation, then of course, she remembered that it was not a fair comparison
Since Chris would not have gotten into trouble in the first place!
Mary returned to the bank, armed with a dozen sticks of dynamite and a gun carefully hidden in her basket. She strolled into the premises looking like one of the customers as she stood at one of the tables, pretending to work through some deposit slips. In the mean time, Mary watched surreptitiously the people going in and out of the door, counting how many there were and taking note of the premises as if she was about to rob the place instead of simply bringing it down over their heads. She could not see Inez and the others in the immediate vicinity but had noticed the door to the manager's office. If her friends were anywhere, it was in that room.
As discreetly as she could, Mary produced a stick of dynamite; one of several actually tucked in the waistband of her skirt. Secretly, she hoped that the room was large enough and strong enough to endure the blast without toppling the entire roof and burying them all in a mountain of rubble and debris. No one paid much attention to her when she struck a match and even less when she tossed it to the corner of the room, looking up only at the sound it made when it hit the floor. The hiss of the fuse sparked some interest as a teller wrinkled his brow while shuffling some notes, trying to decipher what the strange sound could be and noticed Mary crossing the room but heading not towards him but to the farthest end of the room
Mary dropped to her knees and covered her ears as the fuse burned to its end. Only then did the tellers behind the counter and the iron bars protecting it, look at her strangely, wondering what she was doing until they followed her frightened gaze and rested upon the stick of dynamite that sizzling to its explosive finale.
The explosion was loud and destroyed everything in close proximity to the nucleus of the blast. Wood floorboards buckled under the force of the shock wave and burned lustily as the concrete walls shuddered and plaster crumbled to the floor from the cracks in the brick. Furniture in the immediate vicinity was completely obliterated, their smoking embers covering the floor as the room descended into panic. Mary did not allow the bank's staff to regain their composure. Being ready for the pandemonium had given her a head start at recovery and she stood up straight and silence them with the gun she had produced. Mary aimed it at them with the convincing portrayal of someone who was not afraid to fire.
"Get out." She said coldly, waving them towards to the door with the weapon.
"Are you crazy!" One of the tellers shouted angrily, still unable to believe a woman could have caused this chaos. "You could have killed us all!"
"I still can." Mary cocked the gun just to demonstrate her resolve. "Now get out!" She barked. Hesitation ebbed away as the bodies filed past her, eager to escape this madwoman who was armed with explosives and bullets. They had not even started to file out of the room when Mary produced another stick of dynamite, which only created more pandemonium amongst them, as they rushed to escape. Mary was hardly concerned about them; it was what was happening behind that door which worried her most.
The only reason they had not emerged yet was because they were too busy trying to understand what was happening. That state of affairs would not last for long. Mary lit another stick of dynamite and threw it at the door, hoping no one was anywhere near it. The building was solid concrete but it was not that strong that it could withstand any more bombardment by such explosive force. It could easily crumble the entire structure like a house of cards. Still, she could think of no other way to help Alex, Inez and Julia.
Once again, she took cover behind the counter as the fuse began to sizzle...
The doors were blow off their hinges. Strips of wood flew in all directions as the group inside the room ducked for cover. Smoke filled the air as more plaster started to rain down on them as well as the debris of the blast. However, for the three women whose lives were in the hands of those who intended taking it soon enough, the opportunity to escape was too good. Alex jumped to her feet first, pulling her chair from under her and swinging hard against Burke, who was gaping at the door and the partially blown away doorway. The walls were starting to heave as if the concussion it was enduring was too much for it. The big man turned around just in time to see the heavy chair smash into his body. He let out a slight groan of pain as he staggered against the wall.
Selena in the meantime swung the gun at Alex to shoot but Inez grabbed her arm and forced it aside. The gun fired but the bullet dug harmlessly into a wall. The mercenary who had better skills than she did was not about to let go and once again, it required Julia's intervention to even the odds. Digging all ten digits into the woman's hand, Julia pulled back handful of dark mahogany hair, dragging her head with it. Selena let out a slight scream of pain as she fought the two women off and felt her grip on the gun she was holding starting to slip. It dropped to the floor as Inez scrambled to pick it up.
"You stupid bitches!" Selena snarled furiously. "I'm going to cut your fucking hearts out by the time I'm done with you."
Alex in the meantime had noticed that Preston was moving towards her and between the recovering Mr Burke and him, was at a loss what to do. She picked up another chair because Burke was the greater of two evils. This time, because the man was on his knees, Alex was able to break the chair over his head. The resounding crash dropped him to his knees again before the strength drained form his body. His enormous bulk collapsed under the intense pain and he fell forward, his face meeting the floor first with a loud thud.
"Nice try but not good enough little girl." Preston slipped his arm around her throat and trapped Alex in a forceful arm lock. Alex struggled to free herself but his grip was strong and vise like around her neck, not to mention that he was fuelled by the outrage of what was happening.
"I wouldn't say that." Mary stepped out from the smoke and debris, gun aimed firmly at the man who had Alex so helplessly in his grip. "Let her go." Mary said in her strongest imitation of Chris when he was at his bad element worst.
"Ah our last player." Preston sneered. "You have my plate."
"You have my friend." Mary retorted. "Let her go or you won't have your head either."
"You don't have the guts to pull that trigger." He taunted her, glaring at her like she was some stupid female.
Mary was about to prove just how wrong he was.
"I had the guts to blow up your bank." Mary said with a smile of her own. "Now let her go!" The widow shouted.
Preston swore loudly and shoved Alex forward as he realised that he was in no position to bargain with a gun pointed at him. Alex was still coughing from the tension around her throat and massaged her neck as she staggered forward. She seemed shaken but as Mary had come to know about Alex, very little could phase the doctor for too long. She recouped her strength and hurried to Mary before hearing the widow quickly respond. "My basket is out there, get it and get out, we'll meet you outside. You too Julia!"
"No arguments from me!" Alex croaked through her sore throat and disappeared out the door.
"Come on," Mary gestured towards Inez and Julia to leave Selena alone since Inez had more or less taken her gun from the women. "We're getting out of here."
Julia let go of Selena's hair, letting the woman fall to her knees as Inez aimed her own gun at her. Frightened and feeling completely out depth by resorting to such physical displays of violence, Julia heeded Mary's advice and hurried out to join Alex. The mercenary glared at both women with black hatred as they ran past her, heading towards the door where Mary was waiting for them.
"We'll hunt you down!" Selena screamed with uncharacteristic fury. "We'll find you!"
"You have to catch us first!" Inez snorted as she joined Mary at the door.
Mary fumbled the stick of dynamite tucked in her clothes before handing it to Inez. "Light it!"
Inez's eyes widened in shock until she saw Mary was completely serious. The blond woman handed her a match and turned back to Selena and Preston, keeping the gun trained in their direction and leaving Inez to do what she asked. Inez's hand shook as she lit the length of fuse extending from the actual gelignite. Selena and Preston's eyes revealed genuine fear as they saw the fuse sputter to life and then began to burn strongly. The small flame started eating its way towards the reactive chemicals.
"Throw it and get the hell out of here!" Mary ordered her best friend.
It was one order she did not have to repeat twice as Inez flung the dangerous item into the room, letting it disappear within the shadows beneath the desk before she ran out of the place as per Mary's request. Preston and Selena's gaze followed the disappearing stick of dynamite, desperately fighting the urge to lunge after it because they were terribly aware of the gun pointed at them. It was precisely the reaction Mary was hoping for.
"You got don't have a lot of time," Mary said with a smile as she took a hasty step back, preparing to make her own departure. "Better start looking now."
With that, she turned on her heels and exited the building as Preston and Selena went scrambling to put out the fuse because they were not going to get out of there before the dynamite blew the room apart.