DISCLAIMER: The characters of the MAGNIFICENT SEVEN belong to MGM, Trilogy, CBS, and TNN. No profit is made from this fan fic in any way, shape, or form except fun. However, I do not want my original characters borrowed or used without my knowledge or consent. If you are unsure if a character is canon or an original, please click here on original characters for an extensive list of my characters and when they were first introduced in my fan fiction.
It was not the most auspicious day as Ezra had predicted, but it was certain he would recall it as one of the most humorous ones he had had the good fortune to have survived.
In an effort to allow Nell to continue sleeping since they had kept her up all night questioning her, the gentlemen endeavored to keep the two children busy. For some unknown reason, perfectly well behaved little girls tended to turn into adventurous hellions in the presence of JD Dunne. Ezra was certain his heart had stopped beating for a full second when he espied Sally Ann trying to climb up on the railing outside the rail car door to get a better look at the scene Ezra felt for certain she had a hand in creating. He found her companion JD plastered up against the door of the adjoining car being threatened by three rather nefarious looking characters. Signaling to Vin and tossing a curious Sally Ann to Buck who handed her to Jacob, Ezra turned to extricate his young friend from his precarious predicament.
"Gentlemen, may I ask why you are endeavoring to make Mr. Dunne one with the majestic, yet quickly passing scenery?"
The three men looked at Ezra trying to decide whether to answer him or have him join his friend when they threw him over the railing. The derringer that appeared from nowhere and the cocking of a gun got their undivided attention. A growl from Tanner along with a terse order, "Get off him!" did much to make the men see Ezra's point that they had at first misunderstood. Buck's stern presence merely added to the notion that tossing the boy off the train to teach his smart mouthed little girl a lesson might not be such a good idea after all. Letting go of JD, the younger man dropped to the floor with a thud. Clutching his neck where the one called Horse had held him up, JD struggled to get his breath back. Buck reached around Tanner and pulled JD past Ezra and back into the car. Quickly satisfying himself that JD was fine, Buck turned to see justice done. He wasn't disappointed.
Vin Tanner had all three men on their knees with their hands on the railing in front of them facing the landscape as it whizzed by. Ezra was leaning against the wall facing the small corridor that ran from the front to the back of the car allowing passage past the two private cars without disturbing the occupants within. His arms were folded across his chest, and he looked bored by the proceedings.
"Mr. Tanner, do you require assistance in tossing these cretins from our train?"
"Ain't decided whether I want to shoot them in the ass 'fore we toss 'em or not. You got a preference?" He winked at Ezra as the gambler touched his forefinger to his hat applauding Vin's use of vocabulary.
"Now hold on, Vin. I know you an' Ezra like to shoot 'em right before they hit the ground, but that might wake up the baby. I say we just toss 'em under the train. Noise of the engine should drown out their screams."
"I believe that is a capital idea. Which one do you want to throw first, Buck?" Ezra was smiling now as the men started looking about frantically for help.
"Me, I like to hear the thud when they hit the ground. Let's go with that big one there." Buck was grinning ear to ear pointing to the one called Horse.
"Now, y'all just stop. If they got friends that start askin' about 'em, we might have to kill more than these three. Chris ain't gonna like that at all." Vin glared at Horse when the scared man would have gotten up and tried to fight. That crazed look in Vin's eyes was scarier than facing an Apache. "You know we gave Chris our word not to leave any bodies between here an' Four Corners. You think I want to piss off Larabee; you're plumb loco."
Horse gulped and sobered up almost immediately upon the mention of Chris Larabee. So did his friends. They all knew about Chris Larabee and his six gun-slinging friends. If these four were here, that had to mean Larabee was close by. Why travel to Apache country and piss off Larabee at the same time? That was like swallowing a stick of dynamite and lighting the fuse yourself. Sure fire way to die. Rough, ready, and rowdy they might be, but these former buffalo hunters turned gold and silver miners were not stupid. Silence would be the smart move right now, that or jumping from the train even if it was moving thirty miles an hour.
Ezra sighed, "He does have a point." The gambler managed to look suitably pensive. He appeared more disappointed than anything. JD was leaning against the inside door with his hand over a giggling Sally Ann's face. They both knew that the other three had no intentions of throwing anyone anywhere, but JD loved it when Ezra, Vin, and Buck conned the bad guys into being willing to run naked through fire just to escape this trio of crazed men. No one did crazy as good as them, except Chris and Josiah, and sometimes JD wasn't sure if those two were pulling a con or meant it. JD had found his voice and wanted vengeance. It was time for him to join them.
"Yeah, an' if these goons try anything else, Vin can pick 'em off whenever he wants to. How far was that fella that stole his horse when Vin brought him down?" Ezra's lips turned up in a predatory grin that made all three of these hardened men wonder if there was some form of life after death.
"I believe the perpetrator was a good mile away when our sharpshooter brought him down with just one shot. I won a considerable sum on that unbelievably, accurate shot. I am most certain the distance was one mile. That is correct, is it not, Mr. Wilmington?"
"Yep, Ezra, had to have been a mile."
"It was just an inch short of a mile, Bucklin. You know I don't like to brag." Vin looked sincere, but that crazy glint was still in those piercing blue eyes.
Horse, born Henry Little, had never seen eyes that icy blue before, and then he remembered the tales of that blue-eyed Comanche that used to hunt buffalo with Bull and Bigfoot. Vin Tanner. Hell, he didn't need that crack shot after his ass any more than he needed Larabee after him. The cry of a baby signaled the end of their fun to the boys, and a ray of hope to the three men who were scared enough to jump from the moving car themselves. Way he heard the story was that there wasn't anything that boy couldn't track or shoot from any distance. Tanner'd moved on before Horse had had a chance to meet him, but he had heard many a fellow buffalo hunter talk about the Comanche raised sharp shooter. He made a note if he got out of this alive, that he would check with Noah, the old mountain man who had begun their quest for gold. That old man had been thick with Bigfoot and Bull, so he would know if this was the same man. Hell, maybe they could talk Tanner and his friends into going to hunt gold in Apache territory with them.
According to old man Noah there was plenty of gold for everyone and then some. Horse had never been a greedy man like some; therefore, he was more willing to share than others in their group of twenty men. In fact, the only one of the group who could prove to be trouble was that fancy pants Worth fella. Horse did not like him, but he could shoot both rifle and hand gun with deadly accuracy, and where they were going meant they had to have men who could shoot. Horse called on every higher power he had ever known and heard about to let these men be trying to scare the hell out of them and not kill them. He'd even promise the next time some little girl sassed and then bit one of his friends that he would let it slide. Of course he had to admit that Sam was dumb enough to try and grab the little girl, something the brother of five sisters had learned you should never do. Girls didn't fight fair at all. Horse knew that. The baby cried again interrupting Horse's thoughts.
"Well, JD? Do we kill 'em?"
JD looked at the nervous men and then grinned. "If they stay away from us, I reckon you can let 'em live. I'd hate to be the cause of you breakin' your word to Chris."
"You boys go on an' git. I see you anywheres near me or the passengers again an' I'll gut ya."
The three men scrambled back to their car. The four returned to the car laughing as quietly as they could without disturbing Nell. Sally Ann looked up.
"Baby Evan needs to be changed."
Vin and Ezra were already backing out of the door. Before Buck could corral them, they were gone. He caught JD by the collar and dragged him back into the rail car. "Get back over here and help me." JD started to protest, but Sally was watching him with scornful eyes. He straightened up and approached the crying baby.
He stopped dead in his tracks when the smell hit him. Buck had opened the diaper and nearly gagged. How the hell did women do this without throwing up? "Holy crap!" He saw Sally Ann and immediately bit his tongue to prevent the string of curses that were threatening to spill forth. "JD, get me somethin' to pick this up with."
JD shook his head. He wasn't getting any closer.
"JD? Kid? You get over here and help me, or I swear I'm gonna fill you full of lead. Then, I'm tellin' Casey all about you an' Emily."
The 'fill you full of lead' hadn't phased JD in the least, but when Buck said he'd tell Casey about Emily, JD moved quicker than lightning to find Buck something he could use to help him. He knew how Buck tended to embellish his stories with lies the size of Texas. Sally Ann, grinning ear to ear, pointed to a bag in the corner. JD opened it to find pristine white cloths, a box of powder, neatly embroidered bibs, some tiny shirts, and a couple of stuffed toys. Sally Ann pointed to the cloths as she climbed up and poured water from the pitcher in the bowl. She indicated JD should carry it over to Buck who was holding his head at an odd angle trying to find air that had none of the stench in it to breathe as he gently wiped Evan's bottom clean. He gratefully took the wet cloth from JD and dropped the offending diaper and its foul mess into JD's open hands. Nearly gagging in disgust, JD threw the dirty diaper out of the window. Neither Sally Ann nor Buck paid any attention, but Vin and Ezra were sitting outside the door laughing their heads off as they saw the diaper sail out the window.
"I told ya." Vin gasped out as he succumbed to a new fit of laughter.
"I know." Ezra was laughing just as hard. The look on JD's face alone was worth any price. "Quick, let's see what other mishap befalls them." He helped Vin up as they stopped laughing long enough to see what happened next. "What do you want to bet that Evan is not quite through torturing those two?"
"I told ya I wasn't bettin', Ezra. You know as good as me that neither one of those two can handle babies. The twins and Belle eat 'em alive every time they're with 'em."
"Our Mr. Wilmington looks as if he might have had some experience in this field of manual labor, but I daresay our Mr. Dunne can boast of little expertise here." Ezra uncharacteristically waggled his eyebrows at his cohort in a moment of shared glee. Vin grinned evilly back at him. Then they turned as one to watch the scene unfold.
Buck had indeed been present and had even changed Adam's diapers, but he had never had to handle the really bad messes like this. It was just one more thing that made Buck appreciate women. They were saints. Mothers especially were the most important human beings in the world as far as Buck Wilmington was concerned. A man could have a few moments of pleasure becoming a father, but a woman not only carried the baby for nine months of misery, but she nurtured, cared for, dealt with crap like this on a daily basis, and most of all loved her child all of her life. Men would be nothing without women, and that was the secret of Buck's success with women. He knew this fact, and they knew he knew it. The respect he had for women was as natural as breathing to him, and women were drawn to his honest pleasure in the mysteries of them.
"JD, give me a clean diaper from that bag." Vin elbowed Ezra out of the way an inch or so in order to see better. JD was still staring at his hands trying to see if any of that unholy mess had gotten on his hands. He could still smell it, so he just knew there was some of that stuff on them. It didn't matter, though, as Buck was trying to keep the wriggling baby still and get a diaper at the same time. He looked around and saw JD making no move to help him. He also saw two heads duck right beneath the window of the door. Buck started to yell at them, but he couldn't and still remain quiet enough to allow Nell her much needed sleep. The dark circles under her eyes told him that the young widow had had little sleep since her husband's death. He grabbed one of JD's hands and put it on Evan's stomach. "Just hold him still for a minute. Don't push, just lean over and talk to him while I get the stuff."
JD was ready to bolt, but then Evan smiled up at him and cooed. He was so enchanted with the little fellow that he leaned over and began to talk to him. That's when Buck had to admit that if he had been Vin and Ezra he would have been watching from a safe distance, too. A stream of liquid and an indignant shout from JD had Buck clutching his stomach and falling onto the floor laughing so hard he thought he would die. Vin and Ezra were laughing so hard that anyone, even Sally Ann, could have shoved them off of the moving train with just one finger. No one noticed the curtain pull back just a tiny bit. Nell had heard the noise earlier but Evan and Sally Ann had sounded nothing but happy, so she had stayed where she was feeling very little guilt. Her children were in the best of hands; she knew that. Poor JD, she almost felt guilty as she hid her own silent laughter behind her hands. Pulling the pillow close, she buried her face in it hiding the grin. She fell back asleep feeling genuinely happy and free for the first time in a long time.
JD was incensed. He grabbed the cloth that was wavering back and forth as Buck continued to roll on the floor laughing, the cloth shaking up and down with his laughter. Wiping his face, he scowled at Buck and then kick him as he rolled closer. "You did that on purpose! Shut up an' help me before I shoot you, Buck! You hear me?" JD was practically hissing, but he never once turned any of his anger on Evan. Poor little guy was still gurgling and cooing, and his little hands were waving back and forth at him. This was all Buck's fault. As soon as this baby had a diaper on him JD was going to use all the soap and all of the water to wash his face and hands. Then, after he shot Buck, he was going after Vin and Ezra. He just knew they had a hand in this and were somewhere close laughing at him. Chris would forgive him eventually, and he was sure Judge Travis would declare it self-defense. He saw Sally Ann grinning at him. It was the most predatory grin he had ever witnessed, except for the grin the twins used on him right before they did something that almost got him killed. Well, this one was not going to get the chance to cause JD any more grief than she already had.
"You need to go and find Vin and Ezra. Tell 'em that Buck's about to be shot and thrown from the train. Tell 'em this here car is on fire. Tell 'em we're getting' chased by Indians or somethin', but you tell 'em to get back here quick as lightning. You hear me???"
With a saucy toss of her head Sally Ann ran towards the door. Before she could open it, however, she stopped and ran back. Grabbing a cloth, she threw it over Evan and looked at JD and grinned. "You'd best cover him up before he gets ya agin. He got me twice 'fore I learned to keep him covered." With that sage advice she was at the door. Standing to the side, she slid the door open. Two laughing bodies fell into the car. Two guilty but laughing sets of eyes, one green the other blue, looked up at him. Then, they collapsed again into laughter at JD's disgusted look. That clinched it. JD was returning home to Four Corners alone. He'd just tell Chris that they had left him behind for some fool scheme of Buck's. The others would believe that. Yep, those three former friends of his were going to regret making JD Dunne the butt of their jokes.
He saw Sally Ann sitting on the chair behind Buck grinning ear to ear. On second thought, he would just turn her loose on them. In one hour she had almost gotten him thrown from the train and watched while her baby brother relieved himself all over JD's face and shirt. He'd never be able to wear it again. It smelled worse than cat pee. He managed to get the diaper on Evan and held the baby boy up. The little one looked at him and smiled again. What was it about babies that made people act like fools? He turned in triumph and held Evan up for all three of his traitorous friends to see that he had successfully diapered the baby. He scowled horribly at them when the diaper fell off onto the floor. This time Sally Ann had the sense to cover her face with a pillow instead of dissolving into giggles like the three men on the floor. With as much dignity as he could salvage, JD dropped Evan right on top of Buck. There was a washroom further up in the main passenger car. Getting a clean shirt from his bag, JD stepped on Vin and Ezra as he stalked through the door. Their grunts of pain were music to his ears. He was going to get cleaned up and toss this shirt off of the train. Then, he would come back and get his revenge on his laughing friends.
"Mr. Larabee! Mr. Larabee!" Bill waved the telegrams above his head to get the attention of the man dismounting in front of the saloon. Larabee had just completed patrolling the perimeter of the town. Rumors of Geronimo crossing the border and attacking trains and stagecoaches had Larabee wishing his four wayward friends would return soon. The town had been peaceful with the deputies Johnson had sent from Brecken, but Chris missed his friends. He missed JD's continuous questions, Buck's bantering, Ezra's sarcastic wit, and Vin's companionable silence. Missed them like he missed having a bullet dug out of his ass with a dull knife.
Larabee grinned at that expression. That was the one Vin had used to tell his aunt how much he had enjoyed the reception she had thrown the evening after their arrival in San Francisco. That was the only time she had insisted that Tanner had to wear that suit that she had to have had tailored especially for him. Alexandra had known the effect that the sight of the seven men all dressed in evening suits would have on most of the women, so she had somehow gotten them all dressed up without so much as a whimper of protest. Right before they entered the dining room, Alexandra had whispered something in Vin's ear that had elicited a growl of subdued laughter that had banished any hint of nervousness from her nephew.
Vin had forgotten he was supposed to be nervous and did not even fidget once in the fancy duds that Ezra wore like a second skin. He was far too busy as he maneuvered away from the perfumed and well-bred man hunters arrayed in a rainbow of satins and silks. Chris knew Vin had used his well-honed tracking and hunting skills to stay one step ahead of the bounty hunters who had wanted to collect the five hundred dollars that used to be posted on him. Chris was thankful the Terrells had used their money and influence to win Tanner a pardon that his stubborn friend had only accepted after much discussion and under just enough emotional duress to make him see the light. However, he never imagined his younger friend would be so damned good at disappearing in the middle of a crowded room as the husband hunters searched high and low for fresh blood and assumed wealth. Tanner, using Ezra and especially Buck as decoys, had managed to leave the women vying for his attention looking in every direction except the one he had taken. Chris had watched in amused silence with Mary, Alexandra, and John Terrell as Tanner had made his way over to stand behind the two couples. He had joined in the laughter that typical Tanner response to all the pomp and circumstance had elicited, but Alexandra had merely grinned at her nephew and nodded to a door right behind her. It had led to the library and a full container of Ezra's favorite libation as well as several of John's favorites.
Five of the seven had ended up in that room within the hour to enjoy the quiet. Mary had nearly shoved Chris into the room after his glare had unsettled the fifth young woman who made the error of asking within Larabee's personal space if anyone had seen just to where that handsome young nephew of Mrs. Terrell had disappeared. Vin already had a shot glass of fine malt liquor waiting for Chris. Nathan and Neil Connors filtered in later with two older men who were also retired doctors. They helped themselves. Josiah appeared right after that and walked straight to the bookshelves where he pounced on a book of Oriental philosophy. Henderson had appeared with a heavily laden tray of refreshments only to settle in on the expansive couch next to Josiah. It was discovered that he had brought the food in order to continue an argument that had been started on a chance comment by a guest neither man knew nor bothered to know once they were into their discussion. Ezra and Buck had been the last to seek shelter in the now crowded but comfortable den of masculinity.
Ezra appeared with several gentlemen who wanted to know more of the New Mexico and Arizona Territories. It was more of a pretense to extricate themselves from the crush of people in order to enjoy a lucrative game of chance. Lucrative was the operative word that Ezra had used to describe his winnings much later with his six friends. John Terrell had arrived with an unrepentant Wilmington nearly two hours later. It seemed that one matron, stricter than the rest, had brought strenuous objections to the ears of Alexandra Terrell. That bulldog of a mother, Buck's description, happened to be enjoying a break from the social event behind a convenient potted palm. By chance she managed to overhear 'that man' tell her daughter that she was 'the prettiest little filly in the whole room, and he was just dying to see if she tasted as good as she looked.' Even the young woman's insistence that she was in no way insulted by Mr. Wilmington's flowery praise nor the fact that she was an experienced flirt did little to avert the glare bestowed on Buck by his hostess. A forced frown from an amused Mary Travis had made John leap to the task of removing Buck from scene. Vin's only comment was that Alexandra and John should have known better than to confine the rooster in the coop with all those chickens. John and the rest of the men present drank to that fine bit of wisdom as Buck laughed in pure enjoyment. He loved women, and there were many he had seen that night who looked as if they needed a hefty dose of a real man who appreciated them. Buck Wilmington was just what the doctor had ordered for the needy society women of San Francisco.
Chris pulled his thoughts back to the present. Things had been so quiet and peaceful that Chris had to agree with Nathan and Josiah. The little backwater town they had originally been hired to protect had burgeoned into a booming little metropolis waiting only for the railroad to make it one of the biggest cities in the territory. Despite its growth, however, it had been quiet and peaceable ever since the seven had squelched the ranchers' attempt to turn the town into rubble. Their town wasn't getting any more civilized according to Josiah, though. It was his theory they had just left the four troublemakers to wreak their havoc in some other poor, unsuspecting town.
"Lord it's boring, ain't it?" Nathan was leaning back in his chair frowning.
"Brothers, this town is deader than a fly squashed under a boot." Josiah sighed loudly and watched Bill's cautious approach.
"Boring ain't the half of it, Nathan." Chris stepped up onto the boardwalk, his concentration on the chair next to Josiah. "No angry husbands to fight off, no bounty hunters come calling with bullets flyin'," Chris offered.
"No one trying to shoot Ezra's head off cause they were fool enough to try an' draw to an inside straight. No bank robbers shootin' up the town," Nathan added his two cents.
"None of JD's sorry jokes, no Buck 'n JD sparring from morning to night. Hell, hadn't seen an orange horse or a hat on top of the church steeple in so long, I almost think I saw those things in a dream." Josiah finished.
The three men didn't know whether to sigh in boredom or laugh at their memories. They were all missing their friends. None of them would admit it in front of the missing ones, but those four were the lively ones. They all had a wicked sense of humor, but putting Vin and Ezra with their cunning minds in a room with JD's youthful exuberance and Buck's voracious appetite for a good time was like tossing a lighted match into a room soaked in kerosene. Buck couldn't stand boredom and considered it his duty to make certain everyone was feeling as content with life as he was. Therefore, if it took torturing JD, harassing Ezra, or encouraging the mischievous side of the quiet Vin Tanner, he would do so with a grin on his face and a lively tune in his heart.
Chris had come to the conclusion that Buck was by far the cleverest of the seven when it came to getting his friends into mischief and mayhem. A lazy conversation over a bottle of whiskey with Nathan and Josiah earlier this week had led to a startling revelation for Chris. It was Buck who had planted the seeds that had matured into a full blown headache for Larabee by mentioning innocently in admiration one time to Vin that it was a shame that no one had figured out a way to use Ezra's knowledge of explosives to their advantage. Chris had been thunderstruck, but then he began to think about it. The more he pondered, the more he came to the conclusion that Buck was just as big and bad a kid as the other three if not worse. He'd shoot the sly womanizer if he weren't so damned amused by the very thought of Buck manipulating the other three like a damned Pied Piper leading the village children away from town. That is exactly what had happened that had stranded the boys in San Francisco for one week longer than they had originally intended. Buck was as open and honest as the day was long, but he sure played those boys like a master fiddler. That was Chris's last thought before Bill shattered the peace and quiet of the last few days with five harmless looking telegrams.
"Mr. Larabee, sir?" Bill approached the man sitting between Josiah and Nathan. These have been comin' for you all day long." Bill had five telegrams for Chris Larabee, one from Ezra Standish, one from John Terrell, and three from lawmen from across the country. Privy to the contents, Bill was nearly bursting at the seams wishing he didn't have to protect the privacy of the telegrams. He was so curious to know if Buck Wilmington had really gotten married at last that it would almost be worth wetting his pants from the glare Larabee would give him if he asked. Glancing at the solemn face staring down at him, Bill thought better of it. "Telegrams for you, sir." He held out the telegrams to Larabee while trying to back away at the same time.
Chris raised an eyebrow at the skittish operator and took the pieces of paper with his left hand while tossing Bill several coins. The man always seemed like he was on the verge of turning tale and running every time he got within spitting distance. Chris just shook his head and leaned back against the wall in his chair. The first cryptic missive had his eyebrow go up. The second one caused him to frown. The third one got an exasperated snort. The fourth one got a disgusted shake of the head. The fifth one finally caused the vein to start throbbing in the middle of his forehead. Josiah and Nathan took the wires and read them in the same order as Chris had. They were shaking their heads along with Chris and frowning when Mary Travis walked up, took one look at them, turned on her heel, and walked off. The other four were in trouble. As concerned as she was, she knew by the look on Chris's face that they were all still in one piece. However, by the way the vein was throbbing in the middle of his forehead, she was not sure how long they would continue to enjoy good health. She would hear of their transgressions soon enough. First she was going to go home and enjoy a shot of medicinal whiskey to fortify her spirits. She had a feeling she was going to need it.
"I don't know what to say. I woulda thought Buck and them had more sense than to get involved with all a that." Nathan was shaking his head at the news in the telegrams trying to decipher in which order they should be read as were Chris and Josiah.
Chris had them arranged on the saloon table in front of them. He had walked into the saloon, grabbed a bottle from Inez, poured himself a healthy shot, and drained it in one gulp. Then he took the bottle and three glasses over to his habitual table and spread the telegrams in front of him while Josiah and Nathan each took flanking positions. After ten minutes of silent pondering he still had his second drink sitting in front of him, but he had yet to touch it. He had yet to do anything but sit and stare at the missives. Nathan and Josiah carried on with their speculations, but he said nothing as he sat there staring at the telegrams.
"Sheriff Johnson said the train was delayed and then rerouted south to Brecken. From what John T. said, Justice Worth has probably already joined their train, but Ezra doesn't mention him. At least I guess it means that John's telegram was sent before Frank Johnson's. Brecken's where one of John's engineers will take over. Goin' south to Brecken is the fastest way to get the train to the nearest junction that will get them back on track to the East with a minimum of delay." Nathan nodded in agreement with Josiah while Chris continued to look at all the information contained in the telegrams. "It will take the train couple of days to reach Brecken if this telegram Ezra sent was sent last. That means the Worth boy will have been on that train since yesterday. Ain't no way our boys can avoid Justice Worth even if they wanted to."
"You're right, Josiah. Don't know if they would want to, but with the reverend already mad at the boys, no tellin' what might happen if that preacher meets up with Worth."
"Don't you mean when, Nathan? On a train that size for that many days, no way their paths won't cross."
"You're right about that, but I'd think all of 'em would have enough sense to steer clear of trouble." There was a snort from the man in black that Nathan couldn't decide whether it was a strangled laugh or a derisive sound signaling what Larabee thought of the idea that Buck and the others would have the sense to stay out of trouble. Larabee finally joined the conversation. As quickly as he would have drawn his gun, Chris suddenly leaned forward and switched the telegrams around on the table. He had that knowing smirk on his face that had Josiah grinning at his two friends.
"You figure out which order they should be read in, or you get that shit eatin' grin on your face because you know wherever those four go together trouble is bound to follow."
Chris snorted one more time. "Both." That succinct answer was all that was needed for Josiah to throw back his head and fill the saloon with his booming laughter. Nathan grinned. Johnson's news that Geronimo had swept down out of the mountains raiding ranches, trains, and stagecoaches on both sides of the border seemed forgotten at the moment. The momentum of the raids appeared to take the renegade Apaches in a different direction from the route the train was taking. Chris must have been thinking the same thing because he pointed to John Terrell's telegram first.
"Terrell said Worth told him where his son had disappeared to as soon as he found out. You both read Justice joined up with a bunch of down and out buffalo hunters and miners lookin' for gold near Tombstone. He would have been on the same train with Vin an' them regardless, but them being in a private car would keep them from running into anyone unless Vin is getting' antsy and wanderin' around. No liquor and no gamblin' might keep both groups separate from each other, though. No reason to mingle." Chris was frowning in concentration as he came up with every worse case scenario he could. With his four friends confined in the middle of a temperance rally, tempers would be short. "This telegram from California has a widowed heiress on the train. Seems she is travelin' with a good sum of money. Worth is lookin' for money. With that reverend havin' all that money the Temperance Movement has collected and three unmarried daughters, Worth just might make a move to steal it or try something worse instead of minin' for it." Chris paused to look at the other two men who were listening intently.
"You might have a point. Worth's a handsome fellow, and he knows how to charm women. Didn't Alexandra say that Justice Worth could be quite a charmer when he wanted to impress someone?"
"That she did. He looked about as willin' to break his back minin' gold as Ezra is willin' to donate all his cash to the poor." Nathan stopped short and looked at Chris intently. "You don't think he might grab one of those women an' try an' get them to pay a ransom or anything, do you?"
Chris did not have to answer for Nathan and Josiah to realize that Chris expected the worse. "You really think this is a possibility, or you just tryin' to figure out the worst that can happen?"
"I think we had better not underestimate Justice Worth. His father never said the man was stupid. Said he was a greedy son of bitch, but he never said his son was stupid. Why go into back-breaking work mining for something you might never find enough of when you can take it easy and get someone else to do the work? Sheriff said this woman Buck helped had about five thousand dollars on her. John told me in a telegram after he put the boys on the train that the Temperance Rally had collected close to fifty thousand, an' they were carrying it in a strong box on the train."
"Shit! I think I would rather face Apaches than try and protect that much money from the thieves in this territory. It's a wonder that train hasn't been robbed, yet!"
"And if someone tries to hurt anyone for money, especially women, Buck and the boys will jump in to help." Nathan shook his head knowing his four friends. They would not stand by and see those good people on the train lose all they had worked for. Neither would they let Justice Worth try anything that would endanger the women. That was when it hit Nathan.
"They've already had a run in with someone!" Chris and Josiah both looked at Nathan. "Look again at what Ezra said in his telegram."
Josiah read it aloud carefully trying to see what Nathan had noticed. "Brothers STOP All are well STOP Robin Hood and Little John have saved Maid Marion STOP Young sheriff is on the job STOP Arrive in Brecken two days time STOP Pied Piper will lead them"
"Buck and Vin are helpin' out that widow. JD's in protection mode, but whether he's protectin' money or some woman in distress is anyone's guess." Nathan was explaining based on the fact that he had heard Ezra refer to Vin as Robin Hood when he helped Miz Nettie keep her place out of Guy Royale's hands. "Who was Robin Hood's loyal friend? Who backed him up?"
"Little John was one of his trusted friends. But what makes you think Vin is Robin Hood this time? Maybe this time Buck's Robin Hood an' Vin's watchin' his back like he did with Inez?" Chris waited as Nathan and Josiah digested that concept.
"Damn, one or the other. If there's a woman in trouble, Vin a' Buck are there. An' Ezra an' JD'll follow where those two lead if for no other reason than to piss off Worth." Josiah agreed with Chris.
"Then Ezra must be tryin' to convince us they've got control of the situation an' that we should wait for them here." Nathan was certain that this was exactly what had happened.
"Might as well give a thief an unlocked door and the combination to the safe." Josiah shook his head.
"We ride now or in the mornin'?"
"We can make it to Brecken by midnight if we leave within the hour. Johnson's son and three other deputies are still here." Chris stood up looking at Josiah and Nathan.
Both men stood. "Let's go get 'em. Won't get any sleep wondering what trouble they're gonna get into. I'll go saddle the horses." With that Josiah was gone. Nathan started to go but stopped and looked at Chris.
"Why don't you tell the deputies and Mary, an' I'll go pack up some medical gear." At Chris's raised eyebrow, Nathan grinned. "Go on now. Mary don't bite."
Snorting at Nathan's attempt to ease that throbbing vein in his forehead, Chris walked out with him. Before they split to run their errands, Chris tapped Nathan on the shoulder.
"Bring plenty of carbolic and bandages, Nathan. I got a feelin' they're gonna need 'em."
It was Nathan's turn to snort in amusement. Life had certainly never been dull since that day Chris and Vin had saved him from a lynch mob. Josiah was right. No matter what the trouble was, it was best if the seven were together to face it.
Old man Noah walked with a springy step right up to the door of the private car. Only fifty years of age, his step was wiry, and he was as full of vinegar as he had been forty years ago when he had seen his first Indian. They called him old man because his face was like the cracked, dry desert land they were traveling over, aged by weather and experience, and his hair was as white as fresh snowfall on Pike's Peak. The youngest of ten, he had crossed over from Louisiana to the wilds of Texas. His family had been one of the first white settlers brought by Stephen F. Austin into Texas. He had seen the remains of the Alamo having lost his pa and older brother there. He had seen Sam Houston right after the battle of San Jacinto and the birth of the new republic. He had fought Mexicans, Comanches, Kiowa, Kiowa Apaches, bandits, and more in his fifty years. He'd been one of the buffalo hunters at the battle of Adobe Walls when he and nearly twenty other men held off over two hundred Comanche warriors. Noah Devlin had earned the respect of men far better than Justice Worth could ever claim to be.
Noah had seen family die in wars, from disease, from childbirth, from violence, but he was a pragmatic man who still held the ideal that a man was as good as his word. He had always returned home to Texas after every buffalo hunt and quest for gold. Noah was a man who needed to be on the move always. He was a man who had treated all folks like he wanted to be treated - with respect - and he refused to look down on any man because of the color of his skin. It was for this reason that he had survived so long in the wilderness after he had left his home in Texas and went to seek his fortune. His wanderlust had led him from Texas to California and then north to Canada. When he spoke, others listened to him whether they were white or red. He had been one of the few white men who had traded on a regular basis with none other than Cochise. The death of his friend still brought a pang of grief to the mountain man.
Noah was called the old man not for his age and his looks, but for his hard earned wisdom. The respect he demanded he gave in turn to those he thought deserved it. The men he had asked to join him to retrieve the gold he had found were men he had known or knew of their reputations. He was not fooled at all by Justice Worth, but the young man was the son of an old friend who had stayed in one spot long enough to make his fortune. They were going after gold in Apache country, and they would need all the brave men who could fight that they could find. If Justice was half the man his father had been, then he would be a man to ride the river with. The Apaches were a formidable foe, so much so that many a brave man would opt to slit his own throat rather than be taken prisoner by them. Worth could and would fight, but after Horse had rushed in and told them that Vin Tanner was on board with at least three more of the Larabee crew, Justice had grown livid. His pleasant cockiness had turned to sullen anger when the others had readily agreed that any men who rode with Chris Larabee were men who could fight the devil himself and win.
The fact that they would so readily agree to any suggestion posed by Noah and so easily dismiss him caused Justice to realize that he could not bend nor force these men to his will. They were too much like that old man who just stood there listening to his vindictive report of Tanner and company and how they had wronged him with a blank expression on his face. He vehemently objected to the idea that Tanner or his friends should be offered any share of their venture citing the fact that it would be lesser shares for them. Noah had given his old friend's son a chance to have his say knowing the others would soon see that Justice was actually jealous of Tanner and his friends for some unknown reason. The more Justice ranted, the more Noah had realized that this young man was a loose canon fixated on his own selfish desires. Noah knew Vin Tanner and had kept up with the young man throughout his various travels. Meeting up with Bigfoot months ago had reassured Noah that the young teenager he had known had indeed grown up into a fine man. If Noah had to choose between Tanner and Worth, Tanner would win hands down. Holding up a hand, Noah silenced Worth with just a look.
"Don't rightly care what you think, boy. I know Tanner, and I don't know you. This here is my gold. I'm the only one who knows where it's at. I'm the one who gets to say who's in an' who ain't. Now, y'all are getting' equal shares with me 'cause it's the only way we can get in and get the gold out without some Apache scalpin' us. We can use all the good men we kin git. You don't like the way I run this outfit, you kin git. But I done heard enough of yer venom. Now, shut up."
With that Noah had turned his back on Justice and walked out the door. He hated being cooped up inside a train. He needed fresh air. Pausing at the door Noah looked at Horse and two others he trusted implicitly. With a nod of his head he signaled them to keep an eye on the young hothead. Then, he had slowly walked through the rail car door leaving Justice behind stewing in his own hate. Justice was still seething from the humiliating dismissal by the old man. The fact that the others were openly laughing at him forced him to action. Vowing he would get back at both Noah and Tanner, who had caused all this misery, he stalked out the same door. He would get them both for their transgressions against him. He never even noticed Horse shadowing him.
By the time Justice had reached the front of the private car, Noah was receiving a hearty welcome. From the open door he could see Noah shaking hands and pounding on Tanner's back. There was a woman holding a baby, a little girl, the other three men who had wronged Justice, and an old man who appeared to be a porter. His hand went to his gun and twitched a bit as he made his decision. He had no sooner wrapped his hand around his gun when he heard the click of a gun and felt the cold metal against his temple. Another hand closed over the hand he had gripping his gun. The pressure threatened to break several of his fingers.
"I wouldn't want to have to kill ya, son, but you even think of partin' that old man's hair an' I'll put a piece a lead in ya that will splatter your brains from here to kingdom come. I aim to get to that there gold of his and get my share. Killin' him won't git me no gold, so why don't you go on inside that there train an' try and convince them good folk you ain't some piece a dirt that would back shoot a good man."
Justice gulped. He seriously thought he would relieve himself right then and there when that gun came to rest against his temple. Realizing that he would do anything to keep his sorry skin in tact, Justice dropped his gun and hightailed it as fast as he could into the dining car where there were civilized people with whom he belonged. That was what was wrong. After his mother had sold one of her necklaces to bail him out of jail, Justice had taken all the money she could give him and had gone to the train station. He had decided to go where no one knew him, and he could make his own fortune just as his father had done. It was there he had heard that Noah Devlin was looking for partners who were unafraid and could shoot. Gold was mentioned and Justice had signed on figuring that he could always take advantage of these uncouth ruffians to take their shares off of them. He was very skilled at poker. No one in San Francisco had ever been able to spot him cheating.
Now he had played the wrong hand and it was time to cut his losses. He would get Noah and Tanner when no one else was around, but for now he had to find another means of support. His money would not last forever, and he would rather be dead than live like those uncouth barbarians who had treated him so shabbily. It was in this frame of mind that he came across Hope Cecil as she struggled with a large case. She was a lovely creature and at the last stop he had discovered that her father was the leader on this train. Hope was the oldest, but she was also the ripest piece of fruit Justice had ever had dangled in front of him. With her looks and money she would make him a tolerable wife. If he couldn't make his own fortune, he could just as easily marry one. It would take far less effort and be much more pleasurable bedding a ripe young thing such as her instead of digging away in the dirt and rocks for only God knew how long trying to find gold. Justice forgot about Vin Tanner and Noah and straightened his clothing. Appearances and first impressions were the keys to success.
Clearing his throat in order to get her attention without frightening her, Justice moved in on his prey.
"My dear young woman. May I help you with that heavy burden? Why a woman such as yourself should not be forced to do menial labor. Where is the porter?" Using that as his introduction, Justice played the gallant knight to Hope Cecil's treasured fantasy. This young man was certainly a gentleman and a well-dressed one at that. Wherever had he come from? Hope walked blindly into a waking nightmare. Only Horse perceived the danger she was in having watched the ruthless young man try to murder two men without so much as a bat of an eye. He didn't know what to do except return to report to Noah what had happened. Temperance man or not, that reverend fellow did not deserve to have Justice Worth sniffing around his daughters. As he turned to go, Horse ran right into Charity Cecil. She smiled widely up at him thinking he was the strongest and most fascinating man she had ever seen in her life. Horse was as captivated by the young woman as she was by him. She was exquisite from the top of her luxuriously hair to the tip of what Horse decided must be her perfect feet. Yes, love had just blossomed on this Temperance train turned Garden of Eden. Horse had fallen hard and fast for two large eyes and small bow-shaped lips. Neither Horse nor Charity, who were gazing longingly at one another, realized that their very lives would soon be in dire peril due to the machinations of the man now charming Charity's sister Hope.
Continued in Part Four
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