Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" T.V. series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide.
"What makes you think they're staying here?" Chris asked Ezra when the six lawmen had ridden into Eagle Bend late that evening.
"I know for a fact that this hotel is a favourite of gamblers in the Territory and if there is any kind of meet taking place, this would be the location. If not the ladies, my mother at least will definitely be here." Ezra replied as a matter of factly, accustomed to his mother's habits and indeed that of the community that would host such a function.
Chris looked over the building before him and had to admit that its opulence would undoubtedly attract Mary to the promise of room service and internal plumbing. While he did not berate her for wishing to indulge herself in this way, as her husband, he had to wonder where the financing for this getaway was coming from and why she had never suggested that they spend a weekend at a place like this. Although in truth, he had to confess Mary could not be blamed for thinking that he would not be caught dead luxuriating in the suite of a hotel, especially when his idea of luxury was a clean glass at a saloon.
"Well Mary does have this thing for room service," he grumbled, not meeting anyone's gaze as he made the remark because if anyone made any comment about it, he was likely to shoot them. "She's probably here too."
However, Ezra did not answer. In fact, none of the men riding with him were making response because they could hear above the slight breeze blowing in the night and the sounds of people moving through the streets, either on foot or on horse and carriage, something desperate was harkening them from above. Chris followed the gaze of his friends as well as a growing number of people on the street that were also staring into the air.
It very quickly translated that the sound they had heard was in actual fact a scream and upon closer observation of what they were all staring at for the past few seconds, it was a scream belonging to someone they knew. As Chris caught a glimmer of red hair swaying in the wind, the woman who dangled precariously above the ground was, kept from certain death only by drainpipe and her tenuous grip of it.
"Is that who I think it is?" Buck gasped, as he was the first to voice the realization among them.
"Unfortunately it is." Ezra said recognising that red hair with even more speed than Chris. Climbing off his horse quickly, he did not bother to hitch the animal to the nearby post before he started running towards the main entrance.
"Buck, go with him!" Chris ordered. "We'll get the horses and meet you inside."
Buck who was already dismounting his horse as were the rest of them, offered Chris a quick nod in compliance before grabbing a length of rope from his saddle bag and hurrying after the gambler who had disappeared through the main doors of the establishment. Meanwhile the crowd observing the drama above had become considerably thicker with people pointing up in the air at the sight of Julia holding on perilously to the drain pipe she could not possibly cling to indefinitely.
"You think Pierce is up there?" Vin asked, wondering where Alex was in all this. As it was, none of them had been disappointed in their belief that their women were capable of landing themselves in more trouble than humanly possible when left to their own devices.
"I don't know," Chris replied. "But we'd better get up there before one of them kills Ezra." The gunslinger said unable to let a faint hint of a smile cross his lips.
"One of them?" JD asked blankly, not understanding. "I thought it was only Pierce who was after the girls." The youth looked at Chris and Vin in question.
"He means what Julia will do to him when he finally gets to her." Josiah grinned.
"What was that?" Inez looked at Alex as they continued pushing the trolley down the hall and were somewhat disturbed by this point that they had not encountered Mary or Casey. They had been moving progressively through the floors and should have run into their companions by now. It bothered both women greatly that they had not yet encounter the rest of their search party and upon reaching the floor where Mary and Casey were meant to be, immediately found evidence of an upturned trolley.
However, it was not the scenes of violence that gave the duo the most concern but the one room in the corridor whose door was wide open. As Alex and Inez entered its confines to investigate, fairly confident by now that the room was unoccupied, they stumbled upon the scene of the crime where Julia Pemberton had been held against her will. Evidence that Julia had been trapped here was apparent by the ropes that hung loosely off a chair in the middle of the room but that was nothing else to indicate where Julia or her kidnapper might be now.
After a few minutes examining the room closely and finding nothing significant that could help them further in their search, Inez started to worry that they might have been wrong. That Julia's kidnapping may have been for reasons other than revenge at Maude for her humiliating defeat of Jethro Lewisham. They were about to leave the room in order to find Mary and perhaps rethink their strategy when suddenly a high pitch scream sailed through the air that halted them both in mid step.
"I think that was Julia!" Alex exclaimed, answering Inez's surprised question a few seconds before.
"Where was it coming from?" Inez asked once again because there was something about the scream that sounded odd and distant and yet extremely close at the same time. She did not have long to ponder the question when a repeat performance was given and it was very obvious from which direction that terrified shriek was emanating. Alex and Inez gave each other both looks of horror before scrambling for the nearby window and peering outside to see Julia Pemberton hanging in mid air, further along the building.
"Oh my god!" Alex gasped as she saw Julia trying to keep a hold and knowing that her own weight; slight as it was, was working against her, nor did the drainpipe she was clinging to look particularly strong enough to withstand the drag that was pulling it downwards. "Julia!" The doctor cried out, wishing to let the woman know that help was on the way.
Julia shifted her head slightly and caught sight of her friends, relief flooding into her face immediately upon seeing them. "Thank God! Get me down from here!" She screamed, her hair was billowing in the wind and Alex could see her skin almost white from sheer terror.
"Don't worry!" Inez cried out, lending her support. "We're getting help. Just hang on!"
"Are you kidding! Where the hell do you think I'm going!" Julia more or less roared. "This is hardly the time to be funny!"
"Sorry!" Inez winced at her choice of words and immediately turned to Alex. "You got to get help. You can move faster than me, I'll get to the room with the nearest window to her."
"Okay!" Alex nodded wildly, deciding that was sound advice and Inez was right, in her present condition the lady bartender was not going to be able to move as fast as Alex could on foot. "Here, take these!" She tossed the skeleton key towards Inez who caught it with an outstretched hand in one sharp movement.
Both women hurried out of the room at the same time but split on their divergent courses upon reaching the door. Inez moved further along the corridor, trying to make a rough guess as to which room would bear the window closest to Julia's present position. She saw Alex disappearing around the corner and guessed that the doctor was forgoing the wait for an elevator, opting instead to take the stairs. When Inez reached the room she thought might lead her to Julia, the pregnant barmaid rapped loudly on the door and hoped its occupant did not think her insane for barging in like this.
However, instead of a prompt report, she was greeted with silence and thus incited her to use the keys that Alex had been so specific about giving her before the doctor had gone for help. Opening the door quickly, she burst into the room and found it as empty as her unanswered knock had indicated. Inez hurried to the window and found Julia still struggling to maintain her grip of the narrow length of piping. Fortunately, her estimate had been correct and she found herself only a few feet away from the frightened Emporium owner.
Inez looked around for something that she could use in substitution for rope and finally settled her choice on sheets, since nothing else would suffice. Yanking the crisp white sheets from the near by bed, she twisted it around until it looked remotely capable of holding Julia's weight before pushing open the window and leaning out of it as far as possible. Her swollen belly made movement awkward but Inez was determined not to let Julia down. Literally. Swinging the sheet out as far as it would go, the length of fabric swept past Julia as Inez shouted.
"Julia!" Inez shouted. "Grab hold of the sheet!"
Julia stared wide-eyed at the flimsy length of fabric was about to do nothing of the sort. "Are you out of your mind!" Julia shouted back, telling herself for the hundred time not to look down. As it was she was trying not to hear the shouts of horrified spectators below her who could do nothing but gape up her dress and offer little else in the way of salvation. "That piece of scrap is not going to hold me!"
Inez groaned and had to admit that it was not much of a choice but at the precise moment, she could think of nothing else until Alex got here with help. "It's the only thing that will hold Julia! Trust me!"
Julia swallowed hard, trying to control her trembling which only serve to make her body generate sweat and moisture on her palms was something she really did not need at this point. What on earth had made her think that this had been a good idea? She gazed at the sheet flapping in the wind and knew with reluctance that Inez was correct, this was the only way. "God, I hope you are right about this Inez, because if I die I am never going to forgive you!"
"I'll keep that in mind," Inez rolled her eyes as she hung to the other end of the sheet tightly as she saw Julia loosen her fingers of one hand around the metal drainpipe and slowly reach for the sheet.
"One more thing," Julia looked at her with frightened eyes. "I need you to make me a promise in case I don't make it."
"Of course you're going to make it!" Inez declared but decided to allow Julia her idiosyncrasies at this point since she would have agreed to anything to make the woman reach for the lifeline before her. "What is it?"
"I want you to promise me," Julia swallowed, closing her eyes to control her growing dread at what she was about to do. "That if I die, you will still kill Ezra for me."
Inez was about to respond when suddenly she heard decidedly familiar voices behind her. "Wait Julia!" Inez shouted as she looked over her shoulder and saw the miracle of Ezra Standish and Buck Wilmington running into the room. The two lawmen had guessed the approximate floor that Julia was hanging from and had been drawn here by the sounds of Inez's voice shouting instructions at Julia when they emerged from the stairway. Inez had never been more grateful to see either men or the rope that Buck was carrying in his hands.
"What are you doing here!" She had to ask.
"We will explain that later." Ezra said hastily as he forced himself past Inez and leaned out the window. "Buck, give me the rope." He demanded and was immediately handed the length of hessian as Inez withdrew and allowed the space to work.
"Julia, catch the rope!" Ezra called out as he prepared to swing its end towards her.
Julia turned sharply at the sound of his voice and stared at Ezra for a few seconds with an expression that was completely undecipherable to him. For a minute, he thought that the sheer terror of what she was experiencing had robbed her of her senses.
Unfortunately, it was not terror that Julia was presently gripped with. Her emerald coloured eyes flared in outrage before she started shouting back at him. "You lying, no good scum! If you think I'm going to let you save me, you are wrong! I would rather hang here all night then let you rescue me, you... you... liar! Why am I not good enough to tell your mother about?"
"Julia!" Ezra exclaimed flabbergasted, unable to believe that she would bring this up at the time like this. Did women have no sense of urgency at all? "This is hardly the time for us to discuss this particular upset!"
"Oh really?" She glared at him defiantly, still clinging on tight and not willing to make one move toward the rope on a matter of principle. "I am not letting you rescue me, you lousy, lying snake! And what's this about a ring?"
"For God sake, Julia!" Ezra groaned, unable to believe she was taking him to task about this now. "You do not have time to be choosy about this so just grab the damn rope!"
"Over my dead body!" She retaliated furiously, oblivious to how perfectly accurate that statement would be if she did not obey his instructions.
"Oh for crying out loud, get in here Ezra!" Buck said finally, his patience having worn thin at last with the both of them. Buck stepped forward and yanked Ezra away from the window before taking his place at the window. Julia still appeared very afraid even though she was clinging onto her anger at Ezra almost as steadfastly while she was holding onto the drainpipe that was the only thing keeping her from a premature demise.
"Come on honey," Buck said. "Grab the rope now. You ain't got a lot choice and we both know it." Buck's voice was firm but commanding and Julia knew she was behaving foolishly but the danger she was in did not lessen her outrage at Ezra's actions. She was still angry and now looked forward to getting to safety so that she could proceed to make him pay.
Taking a deep breath, she stretched out slowly while her other arm was still wrapped around the length of metal that had been keeping her alive for the last ten minutes or so. It was a strain to reach the rope dangling before her and her muscles ached as she forced them to cooperate since they were unaccustomed to any difficult labour. However, with Inez, Buck and even Ezra's gentle coaxing, her fingers finally touched the hessian fibres of the rope. When her fingers made contact, Julia immediately brought it into her palm and she gripped it tightly.
As soon as Julia had the rope in her hand, Buck and Ezra quickly took up the slack and hoped she would be able to hang on when she finally relinquished her hold the drainpipe completely. Julia looked up at them and knew that she had to let go while at the same time, hold on tight so that they could pull her to the window. Closing her eyes, she took another deep breath and steadied herself once more. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest, Julia was surprised no one could hear it.
"I can do this." She told herself and tightened her grip around the rope, coiling it around her arm as she prepared to let go of the length of metal that had been her salvation until now. Slowly, her fingers inched away from the smooth finish of metal until the rope was supporting her entire body. With a loud gasp, she switched her grip to the rope and found herself swinging forward with a loud squeal.
"Julia!" Ezra reacted immediately, his own heart gripped with terror because for a moment he thought she had lost her hold and was plunging to the ground. Fortunately, the shift in weight on the rope had propelled her against the wall but caused no more mischief than that. She was still hanging on valiantly, her knuckles turning white as she clung to the rope for dear life. "Hang on Darling," Ezra called out to her, trying to reassure his love that everything was going to be all right, no matter how bleak it may now seem.
"Will everyone stop saying that! Of course I'm going to hang on!" She shouted angrily.
"Well, at least, she's in good spirit," Inez said with a smile before she noticed both Buck and Ezra giving her a look which indicate quite clearly that they did not share her evaluation of the present situation.
Both men immediately set to work pulling the rope upward, paying careful attention to the effect of the fibres as it rubbed against the concrete edge that lead to the window. Julia was a petite woman so it was not difficult to hoist her to safety once she had a firm grip on the rope and now that they were putting their backs into it. Inez grabbed her hands as soon as the bartender was able to reach them and immediately helped to pull her over the narrow ledge before the both of them tumbled to the floor. For a moment, they were a tangle of skirts and hair which provided for a rather amusing scene had any of the men present had dared to laugh.
"Are you alright?" Ezra extended his hand forward as he want to help Julia to her feet following her ordeal. The emporium owner was breathing hard, trying to shake away the intense fear she had been gripped with until only a few seconds ago. She took Ezra's hand and stood up shakily, taking a moment of silence to regain her equilibrium.
"Let's not do that again soon." Inez said with relief, glad that everything had ended well.
Julia nodded and met Buck's gaze. "Thank you Buck." She said with faint smile. It was all the gratitude she could handle showing at present. Her knees still felt weak and she thought she might collapse at any moment until she remembered something else...
"You lying scum!" She grabbed Ezra's hat and smacked him with it and continued doing so without any signs of pausing or any recollection that Inez and Buck were watching this display with a mixture of confusion and amusement.
"Julia!" Ezra started to stutter in explanation as he fended off her blows.
"You bastard... we have been together for almost a year! I almost had your baby and I'm still not good enough to tell your mother about!" She shouted as she flung his hat back at him.
"It never came up in conversation!" Ezra protested meekly as Julia vented the full torrent of her rage, pent up after days of suppression. "I just never found the right time!" He tried to answer but she was so angry he doubted she was actually listening to him. "I was going to write to her and tell her everything about you but I never found the opportunity! You must believe me!"
"Never found the opportunity?" Julia glared at him. "What? You could work me in by starting a new sentence?" With that she threw a fist into his jaw and knocked him off his feet.
The punch hardly registered but she heading towards the door before Ezra had time to recover and could only call after her in desperation as he scrambled to his feet in pursuit. "Come on Darling..."
"Don't you call me Darling!" She whirled around and snapped. "You never get to call me honey or darling or Julia! In fact, just don't call me!" Without saying another word, she swept out of the room with Ezra chasing after her helplessly, crying out apologies as they progressed down the corridor.
When they were finally gone, Inez turned to Buck. The argument between Julia and Ezra had driven away the need for conversation at the time but now that it was momentarily quiet, Inez turned to Buck in order to find out what they were doing here in Eagle Bend. Buck who had no qualms about Inez spending some time away from Four Corners, perfectly aware of how much difficulty she had been enduring because of her unwed state, had been pleased to know that she had taken some time to herself. However, he was not at all surprised that they had attracted trouble along the way.
"So what are you doing here?" She asked as the two of them walked out of the room. Inez hoped the owner of the room would not be too distressed at their brief intrusion.
"Well Chris got it in his head that Maude was going get all of you into trouble." Buck replied honestly. Lately, their relationship had become a great deal more amicable then it used to be with the bouts of fiery confrontation dwindling to a minimum. "Besides, I think Ezra was hoping to get here before Maude let the beans spill about him not telling her about Julia."
"Oh did he call that one wrong." Inez chuckled. "We did have a bit of an adventure in Coventry." She confessed, liking the way they could talk to each other now and finding some measure of surprise in the fact that being with Buck was not as difficult as she originally envisioned.
"Yeah," Buck nodded. "We heard about your run in with Sheriff Pierce and that's why we thought we'd better keep riding to find you. Seems he's after you girls."
"What?" Inez exclaimed, genuinely alarmed and then realised something else. "Buck, when you came up here, did you take the stairs or that elevator?" She asked quickly, feeling trepidation rising with each second that her mind continued on its present path.
"The stairs why?" Buck did not miss the look of fear in her eyes.
"You didn't see Alex?" Inez asked again, starting to feel the edge of panic sneaking up on her now that she had been told that Pierce was in Eagle Bend, having pursued them all the way from Coventry. Inez should have guessed their escape was not as easy as it might have seen.
"No, we didn't." Buck said quickly. "Inez, what is it honey?"
"Alex hasn't come back." Inez replied, meeting his gaze. "She went down for help and she's not back. Where is she Buck? Why isn't she here yet?"
Ten minutes earlier, Alexandra Styles had raced down the stairs, full of anxious desire to summon the help that Julia Pemberton so desperately required. She rushed down the flight of stairs, often descending two steps at a time, moving a top speed because she knew as well as Inez, Julia could not hang on indefinitely to the narrow drainpipe that was the only thing that kept her from falling to her death. Pausing a moment as she reached the end of the flight, Alex took a moment to catch her breath before resuming her journey.
As it was evening, most of the hotel patrons were out and about, having ventured out of their rooms for dinner or to sample the entertainments offered by the establishment. The hotel lobby was thus quite crowded and Alex found that once she had emerged from the stairwell into the main floor of the building, she was literally lost in bodies moving back and forth, going about their business. She headed towards the front desk, assuming that would be the best place to summon help. Fortunately, the hotel manager whom Mary had threatened earlier was manning the counter and Alex knew she would not have the tedium of explaining the whole situation to him from scratch.
She was almost to the counter when suddenly, she felt a hand grab her arm roughly. Alex reacted swiftly, turning sharply to face the person who was handling her so roughly when she found herself staring into a face she would rather have not seen again.
"Hello there 'Doctor'." He looked at her garb and took note of what she was wearing. "It looks like you and your friends have a thing about dressing up. What game are you playing now?" Sheriff Dylan Pierce glared at her, with no intention of letting her go.
"Let me go!" She hissed, trying to pull herself free of him but his grip on her was strong. "What the hell do you want?"
"What do you think?" He met her gaze. "You're an escaped prisoner, Alex and I'm bringing you in." He started leading her in the direction of the main entrance to the hotel when she caught sight of another familiar face. Buck and Ezra were moving through the crowd and at top speed. It was likely that they might have seen Julia outside because they paid little mind to anything else as they hurried to the staircase she had just taken to reach the ground floor.
Her heart began to swell with hope at the sight of the two men because if Ezra and Buck were here, was it possible that Vin was too? She made no reaction that she recognised the two lawmen who brushed past herself and Dylan, knowing that it was vitally important that they get upstairs and help Julia who was in even more urgent need then she was. Besides, it looked as if Dylan intended to take her to Coventry and it was a long ride there. She was certain that some form of help would come to her by then.
"I may have escaped from your jail but you had no cause to hold me in the first place!" Alex said angrily as they continued towards the entrance of the building. In the crowd that surrounded them, no one could see the gun he had pressed firmly in her ribs and each time she hesitated in her steps forward, he reminded her of its presence by a firm jab.
"Sure I do." He replied. "You were impersonating a doctor, a habit which by the looks of you is a well established pattern so who knows what else you might have been up to. As an officer of the law, its my duty to hold you until I can establish whether or not you might have committed any other crimes as well."
"You're out of your mind." Alex retorted as they stepped out into the night air. She looked around the street, in the hopes of finding some way to escape this man when she caught sight of Vin and the rest of the seven at the hitching post nearby. She had no idea what her fiancee was doing in Eagle Bend and at this moment she did not care but she had never been so happy to see him. However, the tracker had not seen her yet and at the pace they were moving, might not be do so until it was too late. Alex was not about to leave Eagle Bend with this maniac and knew she had do something to alert Vin to her situation.
"I said let me go!" Alex fairly shouted as she attempted to break free once again, this time with more vehemence than she previously displayed inside the hotel. "Take your goddamn hands off me!" She barked at him fearlessly, aware that he was more eager to get her in his jail rather than being forced to shoot her. If he did so in the middle of a public street then he would be required to explain why he was doing this to the real law in Eagle Bend.
"You settle down or so help me I will put a bullet in you!" Dylan returned just as loudly and wondered what had suddenly sparked this burst of defiance.
The commotion had just the desired effect for Vin and Chris immediately shifted their gaze in their direction. The tracker's eyes widened as he saw Alex staring at him with what was clearly fear and he did not say anything for a moment, taking note of the man who had a firm hold of her and deciding very quickly that this must have been the infamous Dylan Pierce.
"Chris," Vin started to say and shifted his gaze to not arouse the suspicion of the Sheriff who had not yet realised what Alex had done to draw his attention.
"I know." Chris replied just as coolly, playing along just as Vin had done so. "I see it. Don't let on. Let's see where he's taking her." Chris turned to JD and Josiah who had also seen the exchange and were poised to act. "You two find Mary and the others, Vin and I'll will take care of this."
"You sure?" Josiah asked cautiously.
"Yeah." Vin nodded. "We can handle this."
Alex did not make any further resistance once she realised that Vin had seen her and understood the situation she was embroiled. She only hoped that he was not far behind because her display had served to put a decidedly sharper edge to his manner and Alex guessed he was suspicious about what he had done if not what exactly. He moved her in the direction of Vin and the others and Alex guessed that was where his horse must have been hitched.
"You better have brought another horse because I am surely not riding with you Sir." She declared hotly, as he steered her towards Vin and Chris who pretended to tend to their horses, carefully keeping an eye on her without being obvious, waiting for the moment when they could wrestle her away from the man.
As they walked past the two lawmen, Chris suddenly shoved Vin roughly. "You trying to double cross me pardner?" The tracker staggered backwards, reeling from the blow.
"I'm only taking what's mine!" Vin growled just as menacingly.
"Well I think you got enough already!" Chris barked and went for his gun and Vin did the same, removing his Winchester from his holster and preparing to fire as the crowd around them gasped in fear and began vacating the area hastily, having no wish to become caught in a gun battle. Chris kicked the gun out of Vin's hand, sending the Winchester flying and promptly throwing a fist in the younger man's face. Vin stumbled backwards and collided with Dylan Pierce.
"Get off me!" The sheriff growled menacingly.
"Didn't mean anything by it," Vin pulled away, "just having a little to do with my friend over here."
"Well keep it to yourself." Dylan retorted as he started moving again when suddenly, Vin dragged him backwards before the man had a chance to react, separating him quite effectively from Alex who took the opportunity to break free. She ran towards Chris, deciding that next to Vin, any position near the gunslinger was a safe place to be.
In the meantime, Dylan tried to swing his gun around to shoot when Vin slammed his head into the sheriff's, delivering a rather brutal head butt that more or less drove any coherent thought from his mind at the moment. Taking advantage of his disorientation, Vin snatched the gun from his hand and threw another punch in the man's face, bringing him down without further resistance. Dylan fell down heavily as Vin turned his own gun on him.
"You alright?" Vin asked Alex as she approached with Chris.
"Yes," she nodded with a wide smile, delighting in seeing him here even though she was somewhat confused as to what had precipitated his sudden appearance in Eagle Bend but knew those questions could wait until later. "You've got to help Julia!" She said excitedly and looked up at the building where she had last seen the woman dangling in the air. However, Julia was no longer there and Alex let out a sigh of relief, assuming that Buck and Ezra must have already participated in bringing her to safety.
"I think Buck and Ezra have already taken care of that," Chris assured her and took note of Vin motioning Dylan to his feet. The sheriff glared murderously at all three of them, realization in his face at who had come to Alex's rescue and was now puling his own gun on him.
"You people are interfering with the law!" Dylan said impotently. "That woman is an escaped prisoner."
"Shut up." Chris retorted sharply. "We know exactly what kind of law you practise down in Coventry and you had no reason to arrest her in the first place."
"Thank you." Alex replied giving the man a smug smile before remembering something else. "Chris, you need to find Mary. I think she and Casey are in trouble."
"Trouble?" The gunslinger looked at her. "What do you mean?"
"Well it's a long story but I think they're still in the hotel and there might be someone after them." Alex answered, remembering the scene that she and Inez had stumbled upon when the found the room where Julia had been held captive.
"Go on Chris," Vin said automatically, his eyes still fixed on Dylan. "You go find Mary, I'll drop our friend here at the sheriff's office here in Eagle Bend until we can work out what to do with him permanent."
Chris nodded slightly in his direction and hurried off, confident that Vin could handle things here while he went to extricate Mary from whatever calamity she had landed herself in now. He had thought that once they had caught up with Pierce and the women, it would signal an end to the quest they had embarked upon since leaving Four Corners. Unfortunately, as Chris was now realising, it was never that simple when it came to his wife.
Once Chris had disappeared into the hotel, Alex found herself next to Vin after retrieving his Winchester, which had been lying on the ground unclaimed by its owner. She handed it to the tracker who had not taken his eyes of Dylan all this time. Without looking at her, Vin remarked with a faint smile. "What are you wearing?"
"It's another long story." She sighed. "What are you going to do with him?" Alex glanced at Dylan still feeling some measure of fear from the man who had almost spirited her away to jail a few minutes ago. However, she had to admit, having Vin here with her now went a long way to dispelling her anxieties to something of a tolerable state.
Dylan who took some exception to being spoken about as if he was not in their presence bellowed angrily at them. "I'm a goddamn sheriff! You ain't got no right to do anything with me! You got a price on your head Tanner, that makes you an outlaw!"
"That's right," Vin drawled seeming unconcerned by any of the valid point brought up in the man's tirade. "But that still don't mean I can run you into the real law in Eagle Bend for preying on all those people in Coventry and falsely arresting Doctor Styles."
"She ain't no doctor!" Dylan growled in angry retaliation and feeling more impotent in the face of his captivity.
"That's enough outta you." The tracker shot him a look that held more menace than any bluster he was attempting to convey. "Sheriff I would be more than happy to put a bullet in you, so don't give me an excuse."
"You wouldn't dare." Dylan replied defiantly. "You ain't got the stomach for it."
Without saying another word, Vin raised the Winchester that Alex had returned and cocked the gun directly in the man's face with an unwavering hand that held no misconception as to what his course would be if Dylan did not shut up. He pulled the trigger loud enough for it to sound clearly in Dylan's ears and Alex gazed at her lover anxiously, wondering for a moment whether Vin would actually shoot the man. As much as he might deserve it, she could not tell what Vin was planning to do and prayed that Dylan would do as he was told. It was the look of fear on Alex's face that did more to convince Dylan that the tracker was serious and he swallowed hard, deciding that for now he would obey.
There would be another time for revenge and Dylan Pierce knew how to be very patient.
"Fine." He muttered and turned his back on Vin, who promptly jabbed the barrel of the weapon into his back and urged him forward.
Alex let out a sigh of relief and fell into stride with Vin, sliding her hand in his free one as they started walking to the sheriff's office further up the road. People were giving them a wide berth because they had seen the guns that were being wielded and had no wish to become caught in yet another fight.
"So you want to tell me why you're wearing that?" Vin asked again.
"Not particularly," Alex replied with a wry smile almost bordering on embarrassment. "But suffice to say, I don't think I'll be taking any trips out of town by myself for awhile."
"Good," Vin retorted, still very much focussing his attention on Dylan, perfectly aware that his prisoner was a dangerous man and not prepared to give him any advantage or allow himself to be distracted by Alex, no matter how much he wanted to take her into his arms rights now. "Cause I don't think I can keep up with you woman."
"You just say that because you love me." She teased and Vin broke into a genuine smile of agreement.
"Oh Jesus," Dylan groaned. "Just shoot me now."
Mary and Casey were in trouble.
They were in trouble because a man the size of a house was maintaining close pursuit as he chased them halfway across the hotel for the past ten minutes. Despite their best efforts to elude the kidnapper, Coltrane kept them in sight and proved that he was an expert at ferreting out damsels fleeing from his attentions with startling accuracy. Although, most of the hotel patrons had seen the man tumbling after them, it appeared none was willing to intercede on their behalf. Considering that Coltrane was a behemoth of a man, it was extremely understandable why none of them would wish to face him.
Running through the restaurant of the hotel, they had collided with two waiters and a desert trolley laden with food. Although Mary had tried to apologise to that family that was covered in pastry, Casey's cry of fear as they caught sight of Coltrane following them into the room made that a moot point. Mary had no idea of where they were going or how long they could keep ahead of the man. She had not idea whether Coltrane worked alone or did he at this moment have an accomplice that was closing in on them with every intention of trapping them in a net. Whatever the strategy, Mary decided the best thing she and Casey could do was keep ahead of him and try and deal with whatever came next.
Following their hasty departure from the restaurant and discovering that Coltrane was still behind them, Mary tried frantically to decide what to do next. The most logical course of action was to get out of the hotel or find its custodians but to do that required time they did not have, especially with their pursuer following so closely.
"What are we going to Mary?" Casey asked desperately as they paused briefly at a door which led to the stage entrance of the theatre. Already the theatre guests were filling up the floor and waiting in expectation for the show to begin. Mary looked over her shoulder and saw no signs of the kidnapper following them and wondered if he might have relented and returned upstairs. Mary could only hope that Julia had taken the time to escape while they had been leading her jailer about on this merry chase around the hotel.
Suddenly, he emerged from the restaurant and caught sight of them. His momentary pause broken as he started running towards them, pushing everyone unfortunate enough to be in his path out of the way.
"In here!" Mary cried out, gesturing Casey to enter the stage door. Conceding that it was their only course of action, Casey went through first, running through the darkened passageway that led backstage. Their footsteps were loud against the hard wooden floor and even eclipsed the voices they could hear on the other end. Mary hoped that the man had not seen them take this route but knew that he probably had and whatever concealment this path offered was only fleeting. They reached the end of the narrow stretch of corridor to emerge behind the scene of the stage, where props and theatre people were readying themselves for the coming performance.
Despite the dusty atmosphere of grey and unpainted floorboards, there was enough colour in the costumes, props and background scenery to offset the balance into a healthy mix of liveliness. Women in colourful costumes were walking back and forth, some in garishly full length dresses and others in more scandalous outfits, tolerated only because it was part of the life. Seeing them gave Mary an idea.
"We need to get out of these clothes." Mary declared because they stood out like sore thumbs in their maid's uniform.
"Into what?" Casey asked breathing hard and feeling vulnerable because she was no longer armed.
It was a sentiment that Mary could well understand and wished more than ever that she had never considered this foolish idea of taking a weekend on her own. It never worked out well and invariably required Chris to pull her fat out of the fire. Unfortunately, on this occasion her husband was no where in sight (which was just typical) and she would have to fend for herself. Mary thought quickly and looked around their new surroundings when she saw more doors at the rear with stars painted in faded gold on its surface.
"Into that dressing room." Mary said hurrying to the door first. "There's sure to be something in there we can slip into that will let us blend in."
"Are you sure?" Casey looked at her uncertainly, feeling unease creep into her bones for some inexplicable reason. However, any reservations she might have had were quickly shunted aside by the sound of heavy footsteps emanating from the stage entrance they had just emerged. Without any question of it being fact or not, Casey just knew it was the kidnapper and realised they had little choice but to follow through with Mary's suggestion.
Running into the first dressing room, they were confronted by a rack of dresses that were identical to the costume being worn by most of the lady performers loitering around backstage, taking their cues and waiting for the eminent commencement of the performance. It was perfect, Mary decided. Donning on of this colourful dresses would ensure that they would be lost in the crowd and allow them the avenue of escape they so needed.
"Put this on." Mary ordered, grabbing one of the dresses of the rack and handing it to Casey as she hurried to the door and shut it behind them, giving them a moment of privacy as they changed. Once it was secured, she took one of the costumes for herself when she noticed Casey regarding the outfit with some distaste. "What is it?" She asked, wondering why the girl was having trouble with such a simple request, particularly at a time like this.
"Have you seen this thing?" Casey retorted, not ashamed to admit she was embarrassed to put on this costume which was not only exposed most of her bosom but displayed way too much of everything for her liking. It was the kind of thing only a working girl would wear in its crimson and black lace glory.
"We don't have time to be selective." Mary replied and hastened to remove the uniform she was wearing, deciding she would have to take the lead if Casey was to be coaxed into wearing the outfit. She could not blame the girl she supposed Casey had been raised very conservatively with Nettie taking a close account of how she conducted herself. Casey hesitated for a few more seconds but seeing that Mary was willing to put on this outlandish costume went a long way to convincing her that she should followed suit.
In a few minutes, both Mary and Casey were clad in their new disguises and looked a far cry from how they had appeared a few seconds ago. The dresses were a tight fit and Mary kept pulling at it, trying to coax the material into covering more of her bosom since the cut was emphasising more of it than she found to be acceptable or tolerable. Casey, in the meantime, seemed to fit her costume well but she looked just as uncomfortable as Mary did.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Girls, you're on in five minutes!"
Mary stared at Casey blankly before answering. "We'll be right there." She answered sweetly, having no intention of making that curtain call.
Whoever was on the other end of that door was satisfied with that response and withdrew promptly, leaving Mary to ponder their next move. Only after they were greeted with more silence for a few seconds, did the two women emerge from their hiding place. Outside, they could see their pursuer walking around the place, trying to find them in the flurry of colourful costumes and performers moving past him. Mary observed through the crack of the door until finally he disappeared from the backstage altogether. She let out a sigh of relief and pushed the door further open to emerge.
"I think he's gone." Mary said with a smile. "Now all we have to do is get out of here and get Julia help."
"I'm glad." Casey replied, anxious to get out of this dress because the combination of satin and lace was making her itchy and hot. They stepped out onto the main floor of the backstage when suddenly, a weedy looking man appeared out of nowhere and started ushering them towards the stage
"You too are going to be late." He barked. "You should be taking your places now."
"But... but..." Mary stammered in protest as the man prompted towards the stages, still concealed behind the large velvet curtains.
"Miss Cynthia does not like to be late on her opening night," he continued to say, even though to Mary it might as well have been gibberish. "You two girls mess her debut performance and she'll have you out on your ear." With that, he pushed them both out onto the stage with the rest of the assembled performers.
One of the women, wearing the same costume hissed in their direction. "Take your places! The curtains is about to go up!"
Mary and Casey froze simultaneously like deer caught in a hunter's sights.
Chris had asked around and soon discovered that two women were seen being chased by a man through the restaurant where they had caused a great deal of commotion. Judging by the description provided, it appeared Mary and Casey were on the run from the mysterious assailant Alex had not the time to explain to him earlier. As he looked around the theatre, he saw seats filling with spectators for the performance about to begin and the house lights were starting to dim, indicating that the curtain was supposed to go up.
He let his eye scour the room before it became dark and he could see nothing of Mary or Casey which only added to his apprehension of what might be happening to them at this moment. Finally, the room had finally reached its desired state of darkness and the master of ceremonies emerged from the wings, dressed in his fine clothes and addressed the audience. Chris who remained close to the entrance to the place did not sit because he was not staying, preparing instead to resume his search for Mary and Casey.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Desert Sands Hotel is proud to present to you that eastern beauty, that songbird that is known throughout the entertainment world as the one definitive voice of heaven, I present to you Miss Cynthia Watson!"
The curtains started to part and Chris lingered more of momentary curiosity to see the woman who had earned such a grandiose introduction. While the lady herself had not appeared on stage as of yet, she apparently had a large supporting cast that was already present in order to give her arrival a hint of dramatic glamour.
It took him less than a second to spot Mary.
"Oh... Christ." Was the only thing Chris could manage to say.
For a minute Chris thought he was mistaken and had to blink twice before he realised that it was indeed his wife on stage, attempting very unsuccessfully to mimic the movements of those around her. Next to her, Casey Wells was even more awkward than she and Chris started to feel a pounding headache emerging from the centre of his brain.
Why am I not surprised?
Chris watched in a mixture of astonishment and downright amusement at his wife attempted to keep up with the rest of the performers on stage whilst wearing a look of utter terror more potent than any he had ever seen during a dozen countless adventures. Despite himself, he could not help but feeling a smile cross his face as he saw her wishing to be anywhere else but where she was and Chris wondered if there was any way he could rescue her from her current predicament.
As always however, the decision was taken out of his hands when a rather large man ran out onto the stage, shoving the performers aside as he ploughed his way towards Mary and Casey. Chris was already moving through the aisle between the seats, hurrying to deliver Mary from this latest development in her show business career.
"Mary!" He shouted as the stage started to descend into pandemonium while the rumble of confusion at whether or not this was a part of the show or something else began to run through the audience as Chris drew both guns.
"Chris!" Mary exclaimed as she and Casey were preparing to leave the stage in an effort to escape. Chris was almost to the stage and Mary let out a sigh of relief even though the kidnapper was only a few feet away from her.
"Get down!" He shouted and without question Mary dropped to her feet, dragging Casey down with her as she saw Chris preparing to shoot. Chaos filled the room as screams were heard at the sight of guns being drawn but Chris paid attention to none of these, working his way through the musicians at the foot of the stage and finding the small steps leading to the main floor. The big man had paused long enough to see the gunslinger coming towards him and realised at that moment that though he was armed, the man had the drop on him. For a moment, he deliberated whether or not he was willing to confront the stranger in black who felt imposing even to him.
He had not even drawn his own guns yet; there had not been time with the performers scurrying off the stage to avoid being caught in gunplay. Even the audience was at this moment, unable to decide what was happening and wisely, some were starting to depart the theatre hall. The first rule of being a hired gun was to walk away alive and if he were to draw right now, the man in black would kill him with ease. Coltrane considered his position and guessed that he was in trouble not just here but with the law already. They might not be willing to let him become just one of dozen outlaws that roamed the territory what he had already done but if he were to make this a shooting match, then the law would hunt him down and kill him.
Chris saw the big man stop his advance and holster his gun, giving him a look that conveyed much in a long stare. For a moment, words were not needed as they spoke their silent language when finally, the kidnapper tipped his hat in Chris' direction and started to withdraw into the wings of the stage until he disappeared altogether. Chris returned the gesture before he vanished and when he was certain that this was no double cross, Chris turned to Mary.
I'll bet you're wondering what I'm doing here." Mary said hastily seeing the knowing look in his eyes that nothing about this was surprising him. "It's a really good story. In fact, you'll laugh when I tell it to you. I know I laughed, just thinking about it, even now."
"Yeah," Casey agreed, "it's so funny."
Chris stopped them both with a look and said. "Never... tell... me."
Maude hated to lose.
However, she had never despised as much as she did than at this moment. Here she was, sitting at a table playing what should have been the best game of the season, before all the best gambling talent in the west. Instead, she was now in a position where she had to do something selfless for the sake of her son and hating every minute of the fact that she loved Ezra enough to do it thankfully. She supposed it would not seem so intolerable if Jethro Lewisham were not sitting across her at the moment, leering with triumphant satisfaction that she was willing losing because he was holding her possible daughter in law hostage as blackmail to ensure her cooperation.
They had played several hands now and even though Maude could have trounced him severely on numerous occasions, she was forced to remember that Julia Pemberton was in his clutches. Maude was unwilling to risk her life for anything, no matter how much she wanted to beat this smug bastard in front of her. She stared at the hand before her and felt her heart sink at the collection of queens and aces in her hand, knowing that she had more than a fair chance of defeating him if only she could have been allowed to play fairly.
Maude looked at the eyes around her, filling bile rise in her throat as they waited in anticipation for her next move, knowing that he had raised the stake again and it was up to her to meet that challenge or fold her cards in defeat. Her eyes moved across the gambling hall and took note at the gathering around her table seemed particularly thin while most of the spectators had opted to watch a real game where two players of equal skill were pitting their wits against each other. She could not blame them for ignoring the disgusting display of her defeat at Lewisham's hands.
"Are you going to raise me Maude?" Lewisham's voice broke through her thoughts and brought her back to the reality of her situation. He was daring her to do so, trying to see if she would chose her own pride over her son's happiness.
"I have not done deliberating." She replied, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity in the face of her humiliation. Maude had no idea it could be so hard.
"This is a game of chance madam," he sneered. "Not a shopping excursion. Make your choice now."
Maude swallowed hard, feeling a lump in her throat because she could not delay her surrender any longer. He knew it as well as she loathed admitting the same. She understood why Ezra had not told her about Julia Pemberton and that realization made her course all the more clear. Her son had not wanted her to meddle with the relationship and bring it to ruin which mean this was more than just a dalliance for him. He loved the girl and quite deeply. Judging by how angered she had been by Ezra's omission, Maude sensed Julia loved her son with just as much passion.
She could not bring them unhappiness just because of a card game.
There would be a chance to save face later, Maude told herself as she reached the final decision. The Indians believed that people had spirits guides. If Maude had such a creature keeping watch over her, then she would assume that it was a feline of some variety because she had always manage to land on her feet. She would survive this and she would get her revenge tomorrow. For the moment, only one thing mattered to Maude Standish. Ezra's happiness. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin with typical defiance and met his gaze directly. "It is always wise to retreat so one can fight another day..." Maude started to say as she began to lower her cards.
"And then again," a new voice entered the fray. "Its also wise to seize the day."
Maude looked up and found herself staring at Julia Pemberton, who appeared very much her own person without the imprisonment that had kept them trapped as Lewisham's creatures. Standing next to her, almost like a miracle was Ezra and they both approached the table and drew with them an number of interested onlookers who were wondering what this latest drama was that was unfolding at this previously uninteresting corner of the tournament.
Lewisham's face displayed his outrage and he opened his mouth to speak when Ezra cut him off. "Sir, I do believe my dear mother had something to impart upon you?" The gambler remarked with a twinkle in his eyes as he regarded Maude. When Julia had calmed down enough to tell him what was happening, the both of them had made their way here, hoping to keep Maude from surrendering her dignity as well as her reputation as one of the best card players in her attempts to save Julia from harm.
"She was about to fold." Lewisham said through gritted teeth, aware now that his hopes of defeating Maude were slipping further and further out of reach.
"I was about to do no such thing," Maude, ever the consummate professional returned smoothly, trying to hide the smile that threatened to sneak across her face as this latest development. "Mr Lewisham, as my son said, it is always wise to seize the day."
Jethro Lewisham's face turned a shade redder as he prepared for the inevitable defeat that she was about to deliver upon him. "Do your worst Madam," he warned. "When you are done, I think you find that the accounts between us are far from in order."
"I'm afraid that they are." Julia replied coldly. "Or I will tell anyone who will listen, in particular anyone with a badge that you organized this kidnapping and if they don't believe me, I am certain the gamblers in this establishment will be interested to know how you intended to cheat them all by your actions. They are not so particular about evidence and have a strange code of honor if I'm not mistaken. If you make it out of Eagle Bend alive, I will be surprised."
Lewisham could say nothing and turned away from the redhead, choosing to vent his angry glare at Maude who declared loudly. "I call, Mr Lewisham." She pushed the matching stake into the middle of the table and backed him into the proverbial corner. "Let's see what you've got?"
He lowered his cards to the table almost slowly, his hand trembling as he swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down nervously. Finally, he swore loudly and tossed his cards the rest of the way, revealing an incomplete straight that was worth nothing.
"Oh that was most unfortunate." Maude replied automatically and did not hesitate when she presented her cards. "Full house."
Lewisham rose to his feet abruptly, pushing his chair out so forcefully that it fell noisily to the floor behind him. He could not even look at Maude as he tore away from the table, swearing loudly as he broke into the crowd, pushing his way through the spectators before disappearing all together.
"Ezra darling," Maude eased back into her chair as both Julia and Ezra joined her at the table. "You timing as always was impeccable."
"Why thank you mother." Ezra removed his hat and placed it next to her considerable winnings. "It was not lost upon me that you were willing to sacrifice your reputation for Julia." He reached for her hand and lowered his lips to the gloved knuckle.
"Yes thank you Maude," Julia said warmly.
"How on earth did you escape?" Maude asked.
"Its too long a story," Julia sighed. "Suffice to say, I'm glad that you did not have to lose to that pig."
"Although Julia dear," Ezra replied after a waiter had taken their order for drinks. "There is really no such thing as a code of honor among con men and gamblers. We are a deceptive lot." He pointed out.
"Don't I know it," she scowled at him. "And don't Julia me. You're nowhere out of trouble yet. However, I did take a little bit of poetic license with my little speech." Julia admitted.
"Well you delivered your lines masterfully," Maude complimented. "I was impressed."
"Thank you," Julia said with a smile. "You and Ezra are not the only ones who know how to run a con. I've been there a few times myself."
"Oh Ezra," Maude looked at her son with a warm smile. "I like her."