DISCLAIMER: The Magnificent Seven characters are the property of MGM, Trilogy, and the Mirisch Company. I have just borrowed them, and then will give them back.
RATING: PG13 — (language — violence)
NOTE: This is my first story, and it's unbeta'd.
The gunslinger sat at a back table alone pondering on the town and the men he road with. "Puttin to much thought in to this place." He thought to himself.
The two nights since the incident beside the livery with Vin and the other fella they now knew to be called "Jesse", things had gone from bad to worse.
First, trail hands came in shooting up the place, no harm done, a night in jail and that was settled without anyone dead. Vin had re-opened his wounded left shoulder and was promptly dragged off by Nathan to tend the wound. The tracker had opened his mouth as in protest then one look from Nathan and he followed along like a lamb being lead to slaughter.
Didn't make any sense to him why the tracker put up such a fuss about being tended, had to hurt like a son of a bitch when the fella Vin was trying to take to jail turned and slammed right into that shoulder. The gunslinger smiled to remember the look on that other mans face as he went down right quick when the tracker dropped low and took his legs right out from under him. He figured the drop was more from the pain than any planned move on Vin's part, but effective none the less.
Then last night that "Jessie" fella again, seemed to Chris like he was trying to piss Vin off, but this time it was Buck who stepped up and took him down with a big smile and a mean right. One thing you never did around any of them was mistreating a woman, and especially in front of Buck.
It was all he could do to keep Buck from shootin that other fella for handling one of the girls too rough. But once again the older man with him stepped in to prevent further blood being spilled and by the look on Buck's face it would have been buckets.
"Clem Whitt" never heard of him, did not think he ever met him but sure was getting the feeling that this man knew him. Never said anything or did anything outright. It was in the look, his eyes whenever the gunslinger chanced to meet them.
Giving himself a mental shrug, he took his thoughts back to the tracker. His best friend? For some reason he felt funny labeling Vin that out loud, guessed it was due more to a respect he had for Buck and their history? Maybe that's why he could rest peaceful in the tracker presence, cause Buck was always in motion, energy flowed off him in waves and at his back you could always find JD.
Now there was a man with a mission. Never still long enough to let the dust settle around him. Question after Question. Only took the first time for that boy to learn to ask them of another man, learning that this man was not going to be his font of knowledge of all things West. But Buck had him in hand, god knows for how long. The kid did kinda grow on a feller. He once again shook his head at how much time he was spending thinking about these men and this town.
"Shit, I'll be singing and dancing too, this keeps up." Now that would be another miracle, just as it was that he had come to this place and these people and the other regulators. "Good men"
Wondered if Nathan was through torturing the tracker, didn't say too much durign the cleaning and sewing part. Held his peace well, but come time for Nathan to set down the "You will's and you wont's" on how to care for the wound! Well that was another story, that dammed tracker would take on like someone had taken his last drink of water while stranded in a desert.
He thought he had a sense of Vin from that first day, and didn't seem to be the kind of man that didn't care about others feelings, made him wondered why he gave Nathan or anyone one helping Nathan such a hard time.
He knew the tracker cared, "Hell" he cared too deeply about many things, as he had seen over the past months, but never about himself. Pissed Chris off to no end that his friend placed himself in trouble for other's. "Trouble" now that was a word that followed the tracker around, might as well be his middle name. He laughed a little to himself and thought "Seems if Vin was not stepping up to it, then he was stepping in it, and dammed if he wasn't right there beside him."
The thing that bothered him the most was, why? What kind of life had his friend had that would hurt so badly, judged by the scars he carried but left his soul intact enough to care what happened to other people? Where he himself went looking for the bullet with his name on it, "well' up until a several months ago.
"Well, no use to worin over it." He said out loud under his breath and was startled when a voice just to his left side responded with "whats worrin ya?"
The gunslinger turned and his gun came up so fast that the man now beside him stepped back and held up his hands in mock surrender.
"Shit, Vin. Sit the hell down and quit sneekin round. Why can't you just step up to a fella and say hello?" He kicked out a chair as he fussed at his friend.
It was a measure of how distracted he was in his thoughts that the tracker was able to come up that close without his notice. That could get a man dead, but he also knew that not many had the skills to get that close to him.
"Did ya get that shoulder taken care of?" He asked the tracker with a smirk.
Vin just tipped his head as he made a grab for the whisky bottle, barley getting it before the gunslinger could pull it back. Taking a swig and feeling the burn all the way to his gut, he handed the bottle back with a big smile.
They sat in companionable silence watching the activity in the saloon.
"What woman like that sees in a man like him is beyond me, but you were right Jessie." Clem glanced at the other man. "He has been there right as rain the last two nights."
Jessie had his back to the older man and was cleaning and sharpening his hunting knife in preparation for the hunt. He knew the other man was starting to waiver on brining the tracker into this. He'd said as much earlier today, but he would stick this knife in Whitt if he backed out now that Jessie was getting close to his prey.
He brought the knife straight out and twisted it in the air thinking how good it would fell to sink it in that fuckin' tracker instead of dead air.
Clem watched Jessie with concern and maybe a little fear. The last three days spent in this town had brought him close to the gunslinger that he blamed for the death of his only son. But in that time, he couldn't help but hear what that man had done for this town. Him and the men he road with including the tracker. It was a direct conflict of everything that he believed to be true of the man. It shook his foundation of hate.
The confusion that came with these thoughts was often cut off by Jesse's relentless badgering of getting to it. Told Clem several times that his son was turning in his grave that his father was so close to the killer and not acting. A part of him knew his son was not like that but hearing this would bring his hate back into focus again and now was the opportunity they had been waiting for.
Jesse was good at keeping the pot stirred, and was not sure what Whitt was doin at this point and did not care. He had one focus and one only. Vin Tanner. And if Whitt backed out or did somethin stupid, well there just might be more than one grave litterin out there by the time he was done.
Vin moved silently along the boardwalk not wanting to bring any attention to himself, he didn't want the others to know that he was taking readin and writin lessons from Mrs. Travis. "Was no ones business but his own" he thought. He'd been embarrassed when she found out but she was a kind woman and offered her help. As far as he knew she'd not told any of the other's and he was grateful for that.
They could all read & write best he could tell, and though he did not take the measure of a man by those skills, he knew that others often did. 'Sides, he wanted to be able to read about the goin on's since he was staying in this town for a while. Didn't matter much in the past with the way he moved around, only coming into town when he brought in a bounty or to get supplies.
His thoughts were interrupted as he found himself just outside the office. Knowing he was expected, he knocked on the door and called out as he entered. "Ma'am, Miss Mary?"
He was not prepared to find her being held with a gun to her head by a man with a bandana tied around the lower part of his face. Even with the coverin' he knew who it was, "Jessie" again. Dam sure was a nuisance to find this man in his face all the time and now Mrs. Travis in it too. So he held his hands up and out showing he would not do anything to get her hurt.
"Take off that gun an drop it real gentle like on the floor an move away" Jessie was getting excited now that he had the tracker. Would be able to "play" a bit fore he killed him. He threw a nasty smile at the man in buckskins and started moving his hands on the pretty lady he was a holdin'. Thinkin it was to bad he didn't have more time to play with her, but maybe he'd be back. For now he was goin' along with Whitt so's he could get his money an' then they'd see who was in charge.
Vin moved slowly and did as he was told, then looked back up at the man holding Mary and burned with anger at the way his hands were free on her. Bless her, she never made a sound and did not move in protest, that could get her hurt real fast. But he could see that she was scared and silent tears were tracking down her face. He sent what he hoped was a reassuring look, he'd give his life to get her out of what he considered his mess without getting her hurt.
"Now the jacket" Jessie said as he leaned in close to the woman and rubbed his check against hers. "If she can bed this tracker, then she'd be happy ta have me." He thought to himself. Looking to the other man, "Now yer boots an Hat"
Vin was wondering if he was going to be told to strip right here in front of Mrs. Travis and sure he would die of embarrassment before the other fella could kill him. But he was thinkin hard and tryin to figure a way around this without her getting hurt, but before he could put action to that thought another voice came in from the back. "get him tied up"
Mary felt the man holding her stiffen at that command and wondered what this was all about. They obviously thought her and Vin had something romantic going on and she almost let out an hysterical giggle at the thought. Her and Vin — he was a fine looking man and any woman would be so lucky, but her taste ran to the man in black, moody, hard — and she sure wished he was here right now.
Before she could respond, the man holding her spun her around to face the wall and put a hand in the middle of her back to hold her there. He came up to lean disgustingly close to her, so close she could feel the outline of his body, he was watching Vin as he was speaking to her. "You wait til we're gone, then go get that man in black. You listen to me." He ground his hips up against her and brought the gun level with Vin when he made a move forward in protest. "Don't even think it, boy." Jessie turned back to the woman in front of him. "You tell that Larabee he be hearin from someone in a couple of days bout his friend here an what he needs to be doin to get him back."
A tall man with a bandana covering the lower part of his face as well, came in and moved in front of the tracker, holding rope and said "Turn around"
Vin almost thought he saw sympathy in this mans eyes, but knew he must be mistaken. He turned around but keep his head turned toward Mary, hoping if he gave them no trouble they'd let her go. He met her eyes with silent apology knowin this was somehow his fault and startin to wish he'd never come to this town, got involved with these people. They'd get hurt one day cause of him.
"What the fuck's his problem?" The tracker thought, " Why don't c'ya jus' bring it on?' He knew better then to say anything but "Fuck" if this asshole wouldn't let up. They took his jacket, took his boots, his hat and all his weapons. Wasn't making him walk "yet", too close to town he figured. Knew Mary wouldn't get to Chris fer a while cause he'd seen them tie her up before that bastard hit him in the back of the head. Could have sworn the other man made some kind a protest, but he was seeing stars at the time, so he didn't know fer sure. Then to top it all off, the other fella grabbed him by the hair and pulled him out the back of the office.
He looked back over his shoulder where he was tied back tight against the wagon seat to the little bastard that just kept on pullin his hair, an not just anywhere but right where he got knocked in the head. Pissed him off more than it hurt, he had other parts that hurt worse.
Right fine time for his shoulder to start bleedin' and "OH! Yeah!" was that fun when that little bastard found that particular hurt. Pained 'em somin' fierce when that knife was scrapped across the healing wound an he could feel the cold hit the blood on the back of his head where it was still bleedin. He guess he should feel purty lucky they didn't know bout the hole in his back, the other side of that bullet. Bet they'd have bunches of fun with that little hurt top of everythin' else.
Jessie pulled up the wagon and turned to the man tied in the back. "Well, I think we're out a town far nough." Sent an evil grin the trackers way and hopped down off the wagon.
Vin was surprised when the man just went off and left him there in the back of the wagon under the tree line. He tried to turn his head enough to see what was goin' on but couldn't see nothin' with the rope tied round his neck, so he turned back an tried to tilt his head enough to get a look at how much his shoulder was bleein. That didn't work an now he was fellin a little dizzy and he could feel a rawness where the rope was a rubbin again his neck.
"Must a been the crack on the head" he thought makin him dizzy. He started to lay his head back an that hurt an was getting cold an that didn't feel so good. "bastards" takin a man's coat, an then chuckled to himself that he was fussin bout his coat an he should be trying to figure a way outta this.
He sure wished Chris an they boys would show up, cause he was not feelin' too good an figured by the look of things he weren't gonna get ta fellin' better anytime soon. Maybe he could piss the little dark one off enough to either put him out of his misery or let him loose to fight back.
He'd been in enough fights to know "Cock Sure" when he saw it an sure wouldn't mind taking him down. On top of that thought was "Or go down with him."
He was worried about Mary too and hoped she'd be alright, felt real bad about that. Maybe if he lived through this an that was a Big Maybe by the start of things, he'd look into the Bounty on his head some more, see if'n there was some way to work it out.
Right on that thought was a flash of what Jessie said to Mary earlier...
You wait til we're gone, then go get that man in black. You listen to me." He ground his hips up against her and brought the gun level with Vin when he made a move forward in protest. "Don't even think it, boy." Jessie turned back to the woman in front of him. "You tell that Larabee he be hearin from someone in a couple of days bout his friend here an what he needs to be doin to get him back."
Vin shook his head "That can't be right?" What would they want with Chris? If it was the Bounty then they'd most likely kill 'em and take him back to TX." But he also remembered the way the older man had looked at Chris a few nights ago an now he was more confused than ever. Him or Chris? What were they after? Better yet Who were they after. Well, nothin but to wait it out. He'd tried the ropes but they wound from his wrist up an around his arms, across his shoulders, neck an back down the other side, that would put some real hurt on him and didn't think he could work his wrist out without em findin out.
He probley looked like he was crucified with his arms stretched out on either side, cept he was sittin' on his ass. "Boy, I'm think'in plum stupid now." Maybe his head was hurt worse than he thought.
"Sure wish Chris an the boys would hurry" Was the trackers last thought before passing out.
Jessie walked over to the tracker, was all he could do to get rid of Whitt so's he could have a little fun an now the tracker was out by the looks of things. "no hurry now." He thought to himself and moved off to get the horses settled and start camp. Trying to decide what he would do first, "done went an 'tol Whitt, he'd be alive when the old man got back from sendin the wire."
He had to get nasty with Whitt to get him to go, "Now wasn't that a pisser?" He's the one that'd wanted both men dead, an now? What the Hell his problem was, seemed like he was loosing the stomach for it.
He was startled out of his thoughts to come back round the wagon an find the tracker was awake. "Well, well, well" he threw a smirk the trackers way. "You thirsty, boy?"
No response, just a hard blue stare all's he got.
"Here let me help ya, least I can do" so saying he moved around to climb up in the wagon seat and took a canteen and poured water down on the head of the tracker. "now don't that feel lots better, boy?" He laughed as he walked off.
Vin could smell wet leather, "Shit" when it dried, it would get tighter round his neck. He could feel a fever burinin' just behind his eyes. The water felt good over his head, but "what the hell was he doin' here?" Took a moment for him to remember an then he was not sure if he want'd to.
He closed his eyes and focused on his body, "need to know how bad he was hurt" Front of his left shoulder throbbed in tune with the ache in the back of his head, "Wasn't the kind of tune he liked, he could feel a fever by the pressure behind his eyes."
Wet leather tied round his throat was gonna be the worst problem, no jacket to keep the cool of the nite off, an no hat to keep the heat off in the day. Well, he guess'd he'd been in worse shape an come out right as rain. Now to get out the ropes, would have a better chance if they'd tied his hands behind him or in front.
Buck came down the stair's tuckin' his shirt back in, didn't sit right with him satyin' up there with his friend boozin it up down here an lookin like he needed this friend right now. A strange mood had settled over the man in black for several days now, this could mean trouble was brewin' or Chris was the one brewin' for trouble.
Seein one empty bottle in front of the gunslinger an another one on it's way down, he moseyed on over an took a chair, not wait'n on an invite.
Leaned back an settled in, casting a look to the gunslinger to gage his reaction to company, he met a green eyed stare.
Chris Larabee was a man not used to the heat or heart of company for several years now, use to Ole Buck just bein' there more times than he could count. Made him wonder why the lady's man put up with him. He turned to him with a raised eyebrow and the question on his lips, but Buck spoke first.
"Chris, I ain't goin nowhere, so don't go fussin at me, just want to sit here with a friend an have a drink, don't want nothin' more, nothin' less." He looked hard back at the gunslinger daring him to put up a fight or dispute his right to sit at his side.
The bottle came sliding over to him with a shove from the gunslinger, "Yep, I recon anybody's got the right, it's you, Buck." He didn't say anything more. Was just in a strange mood and hoped Buck could bring him peace tonight, like the tracker often did.
Speakin' of the tracker, where the hell was he? Past time for him to come in an get a drink before they closed for the night. He looked over at Buck and started to ask, but thought better of it, as he'd likely take offense, thinking his company was not welcome. So he settled back to have that drink with the lady's man.
Clem Whitt was just outside of Four Corners, at war with himself and what he'd sworn to do and now what he felt was right. He looked back toward where he came from and wondered again if maybe he should have stayed or tried to get the tracker loose.
Hoping that Jessie was greedy enough to wait for his money and not kill the other man outright.
Clem was not sure where things went wrong, but he went from a black rage to a calm that he could not fully explain. He was prepared to kill a man to hurt another man, and God Save His Sole, when did he become that way.
Well, he knew that watching Bud die bit by bit was a big part of it and the man he'd blamed for his cold-hearted act in that little town, was even more a part. The look in the gunslingers eyes that day or should he say that lack of emotion was a big part of the blame he laid at his door these last two years.
Knowing what he knew now, could he have been wrong? He just didn't know and somewhere along the way he lost control of Jessie. Understood that look in the other man's eyes and knew if he was not careful he would be his next victim. Didn't sit rite with him leavin the other man, but could not figure a way around it without getting them both killed. So he headed off the Eagle Bend but then as soon as he was out of site of the other man, he changed directions back toward Four Corners, and now not sure why.
So here he sat just outside of town, close enough to ride on in but far enough he could still change his mind and ride to Eagle Bend. But he knew that time was running out for him to decide, time was runnin out for the man they'd taken from this town.
And for the first time he wondered if he was considering giving up his own life here, as he knew that he would be put in jail at the very least, and if the tracker was dead? He could very well hang.
JD was making his last rounds before heading on over to the Saloon and the other men to have a drink before going to bed. Vin was to take the last patrol as usual, and he was late "Not like Vin to be late, usually early." He thought to himself. So he just went on checking the doors of the various businesses around town after casting a last look toward the saloon. Halfway expecting to see Vin coming out the batwing doors.
Disappointed, he turned and found himself almost at the newspaper office. Reaching for the knob, he was startled to find the door unlocked, and not expecting it, he automatically pulled one of his guns. He knew Mrs. Travis was often working late but no light shown in the window and he knew her to be very diligent about locking up. She lost her husband and often her son was in town with her, but JD knew for certain Billy was with Judge Travis this week.
Slowly he opened the door and no sooner stepped in then he heard a scrapping noise, bringing his gun to bear in the direction the noise was coming from, he was not prepared for the sight of the pretty widow tied to a chair with a dirty bandana tied over her mouth. She was scooting the chair and so focused on her task that she had not at first heard anyone come in, by the startled look on her face.
"Mrs. Travis, you ok?" JD asked rushing to her side removing the gag.
"Yes, I'm fine, but they took Vin!" She was franticly pulling at the rope on her wrist and JD was so surprised by what she said he stopped to look at her. "What? Vin, what'er ya saying Miss Mary?" JD was stunned and for a moment forgot that he had been helping her get loose.
"JD, please, they hurt him, took his boots, hat and coat, he's got to be freezin and with the bullet wound in his shoulder! I could see it was starting to bleed by the time they got him tied up. Hurry, JD!" She almost yelled at the young man still standing before her with his mouth open.
That got him moving real quick and he had her untied in a moment. "You alright?" he thought to ask as he was running out the door.
"Wait!" She yelled but he did not hear her and she still had to untie her feet. Doing so, she jumped up out of the chair and headed out the door toward the saloon, seeing JD just disappear in side.
JD came through the door and was not even aware that he had his gun still drawn, Buck was the first to look up at the commotion. He came to his feet instinctively knowin somethin was wrong by the panicked look on the boy's face.
JD was breathing heavy from his sprint across town, and stopped to catch his breath, both hands braced on his knees and that was when he realized he was still holding one of his guns.
"JD?" Buck stepped up in front of the heaving man and laid a hand on his back. He cast a quick look at the gunslinger who was also standing but his attention was on the door, as Mary Travis came running in out of breath as well and headed toward them.
Ezra stood abruptly from the card game he was engaged in on seeing JD come in "Gentlemen, I be your pardon but something rather urgent has suddenly come up and it requires my immediate attention." So saying he picked up his winnings and moved over toward JD, just as Mary Travis came through the doors out of breath as well.
The gambler got a funning feeling in his gut and without being prompted to do so, headed out the door to find the remainder of the peacekeepers.
Upon seeing JD face and then Mary's, Chris knew, he just knew it had to do with Vin and found himself praying that it wasn't as bad as his gut told him it was.
Buck cast a glance at the man in black and knew by the look on his face he'd better get JD talkin soon or all hell was gonna break loose.
Leaning down, the lady's man looked at the younger man and said "JD, what's wrong?"
The young sheriff got most of his breath back and looked up, not at Buck but directly at Chris Larabee, and said "Somebody took Vin!"
A hard cold look came over the gunslinger and he moved forward stepping up into the flushed face of the younger man, but before he could ask any questions "Chris?" he turned at hearing his name and was surprised that he forgot for a moment that Mary Travis had also come into the saloon. It registered then how late it was and that brought another knot to the twist that was his gut.
Mary moved in between JD and the gunslinger, knowing that JD could not give him any answers.
JD dropped back in the chair that Buck had moved up to him and looked up at Mary knowing that he had not given her time to tell him what actually happened to the tracker. He sure was glad she decided to follow him. He hated to think what Chris would have said or done when all JD could say was that Vin was gone. He knew there had to be more and for the first time wondered what Vin was doing with Mary Travis this time of night anyway.
Just as quickly the thought left his head and Chris took Mary's elbow and gently sat her down in a chair. He squatted down in front of her and caught her eye asking silently for whatever information she might have.
Mary looked back into the green eyes and allowed her self a distracted moment to note how very green they were, and also how was she going to explain Vin being at the news paper office without breaking his confidence. Well his life was worth more that than and besides she thought defiantly, it was no body's business what she did with her time so she owed them no explanations.
She opened her mouth to speak but was startled at the noise behind her, twisting her head around she saw Mr. Standish along with Joshia and Nathan come through he doors of the saloon in a hurry. They came over and took up positions behind their leader waiting for her or JD to enlighten them.
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