A Sudden Gift of Fate

"Yeah, I do! It was 'Geoffrey Welliver.' Somethin' else ya gotta know, Judge. Rachael ain't an old woman. She was only eighteen when she married that jackass, so she's only about forty-five now. I remember, 'cause I heard talk that DeeDee was conceived the night 'fore the wedding. They lived near Rachael's pa for a while, 'til the old man convinced her to move to St Louis, and that's where he ended up as a judge," Buck replied.

Orrin felt his skin crawl. Geoffrey Welliver's daughter. Only eighteen when she married. He was starting to get the picture. Buck continued, "I guess DeeDee was about five when they left town. Up until then, he would visit the house just about every month. Damn, Mama tol' me all 'bout this, and I never really paid attention, 'cause I was worried 'bout DeeDee. But now that you ask, I remember Serena and Mama tellin' me in their letters about Rachael leavin' the old man, and goin' back to her father."

Geoffrey Welliver. Yes, Orrin knew him well. He also knew Rachael Welliver. She had been several years younger, but a lovely child. Now that he realized he knew the young wife in question ... and she was still a young woman ... Orrin could see why Buck said that Mary and Rachael were a great deal alike. They were. Buck continued, "Nobody ever really thought about how DeeDee suddenly disappearin' like that had anything to do with the old man. Mama told me, after Rachael left the old man and returned to Ohio, her father was hell-bent on destroyin' him. And worse yet, the old man damn near broke her spirit."

There was another long silence while Orrin considered what he had learned. Yes, he knew Geoffrey Welliver, and as Buck had said, he was still alive. At least, the last time he heard, the man was still alive. And just as Buck had said, Rachael meant the world to Geoff. She was his whole life ... and yet, he never spoiled her. How he managed that, Orrin had no idea, but Rachael Welliver had been a smart and feisty young woman, just as Buck had said.

Buck continued, "I do remember I didn't like her in the last year before they left Ohio for Missouri. She was on a campaign to wipe out all cathouses. Drive them out of existence. Wasn't until years later that Serena told me why. Another reason for me to hate the old man. Rachael knew he had two by-blows by working girls. But he never gave her any children, and it like to broke her heart."

Orrin wasn't quite sure he understood what the other man was trying to tell him, until Buck continued, "And he was obsessed with both my ma and Katrien. Rachael told Serena years later that he would come home from the house, still smelling of the place ... and totally ignored her. I started to understand then. She was tryin' to wipe out cathouses, to protect other women from bein' wronged like she was. Tryin' to keep other wives from bein' hurt by their men."

It made sense, in a backward sense of way. The trouble was, men would always take their pleasure from working girls and sex slaves, because there were some men made that way. Buck continued thoughtfully, "After she left the old man, and returned to her pa, Rachael started working to make sure the working girls had other options open to them. Hell, Serena and my ma helped her! But she could do that, 'cause she had the backin' of her pa. Oh, some of the fine ladies in town wouldn't speak to her no more ... but Serena didn't think she cared."

"Where were the fine ladies in town when Rachael needed them," Orrin mused and Buck nodded. Orrin said softly, "Buck, I think you may have just provided us with some powerful, powerful allies. Now listen to me. The original plan was for Wilmington to come here tonight. But both we and Miranda threw a wrench in his plans. He needs time to regroup. We'll take advantage of that. You and Vin will leave in the morning, before the sun is even up."

Buck sat forward, eyeing the judge with interest, and Orrin continued, "You will leave, and you will ride hell-bent for leather. Wilmington won't show up until the sun rises. That gives me the time I need to complete a few things. I will bring Reed back with me, and we'll finish this in Four Corners. His trial, that is. What I need from you, aside from watching out for Vin? Don't ask me what I'm planning to do. It's best if you don't know."

"What about Chris?" Buck asked and Orrin just smiled. Buck should leave Chris to him. Orrin could take care of Chris, no problem. He had always been fond of the gunfighter, and while Chris was on the verge of turning forty, Orrin still considered him a young man. And for reasons which Orrin neither understood, nor questioned, Chris trusted him. Buck continued, nodding his head in agreement, "Okay. I won't ask what you're doing. What about the girl?" The girl? Oh! Miranda! Which reminded Orrin, once they returned to Four Corners, and both of his men were safely away from that monster Avery Wilmington, he wanted to contact Miranda Cole's father.

"Miranda is coming with me, and her cousin is remaining behind to accomplish whatever he can here. I'm sure young Miranda can help me keep Mr. Reed in line. After you and Vin came upstairs, the deputy and I went to the jail to finish our conversation and plans for tomorrow. I'm impressed, you and Vin managed to keep from shooting Mr. Reed," Orrin replied, and Buck grinned faintly. Orrin continued, "Especially after his escape attempt." Buck looked away, looked down at Vin, who had rolled to his side, curling up.

"I wanted to kill him, Judge," the ladies' man replied softly, "I wanted to kill him, when I heard Vin cry out." Orrin nodded. Yes, he was sure of that. While he was in the jail, talking about plans for the following morning, Micah Reed had spend most of that time heckling the two lawmen, jeering about the law in Four Corners, about how easy it was to get the best of them. He was finally silenced when Deputy McCall told him very coldly to shut his trap, or McCall would shut it for him ... permanently.

That silenced Reed for about a moment, then just as he was getting ready to protest, Orrin observed, "You know, there are laws against killing a man, but I'm not sure about laws for silencing them. Maybe a law about cutting someone's tongue out. That is what you meant, isn't it, Deputy?" Jared McCall lifted his head and gave him a grin that made his eyes disappear. That was how Orrin discovered that McCall would have fit right in with his Seven.

"Nah ... actually, I was thinking more along the lines of borrowing a needle and some thread from the local seamstress and actually sewing his lips together. He can survive a few days without food, after all. I would use my own needle and thread, but I'm out of thread, and my needle broke the last time I used it for that purpose. Just never found the time to buy another," McCall replied.

Orrin almost fell out of his chair, laughing. That sounded like something Chris might have said. It also had the effect of silencing the youngest Reed brother, who shrank against the wall of his cell, one hand clapped over his mouth. From that point on, the two lawmen had no more interruptions. If that was what Buck and Vin had to put up with, then he was even prouder of the two men for not shooting the young fool.

"Well, you won't have to deal with him on the return trip. Just trust me, Buck. This is one time when my abilities are needed ... you're needed to get yourself and Vin back to Four Corners. I'll join you as soon as I can. If you get home first, I want you to ask Mary to telegraph Geoffrey Welliver. I'll give you the message I want sent in the morning," Orrin replied and Buck nodded his understanding.

He looked exhausted, so Orrin added, "And in the meantime? Get some sleep, Buck. Tomorrow's gonna be a long day, and you'll need your rest." The man nodded and stood, his back crackling, a sound which made both men wince. Orrin rose from his own chair, putting his hand briefly on Vin Tanner's forearm. The young man mumbled something in his sleep, but never woke up. Orrin gave the thin shoulder a gentle pat, then went to his room next door. He took a quick look down both sides of the corridor. He was a judge now, but there was a time when he was a lawyer ... and another time when he was much like the two young men in the other room. But that was a long time ago.

No one had seen Jared McCall smuggle his young cousin upstairs and into the judge's room. That was how the pair planned it. Orrin gave Jared his room key, instructing him to bring Miranda upstairs. The only way it would cause trouble for the girl who was almost a woman, was if someone knew Miranda was remaining with the old man. Orrin shook his head, remembering where else he had heard that phrase in the last few minutes.

Old man. That was what Buck Wilmington kept calling Judge Avery Wilmington. The elder Wilmington was only a few years younger than Geoffrey Welliver, but Buck gave Geoffrey the dignity of being Rachael's father. Then again, unlike Geoffrey Welliver, Avery Wilmington didn't deserve the honor of being called someone's father. And he certainly didn't deserve the two children with whom the Almighty had gifted him.

As Orrin carefully opened the door, he found things exactly as they were supposed to be. He did a quick check behind the door, looking for any hidden assailants. But the only other person in the room was the young girl currently sleeping on the floor, her head pillowed on her bag. Then McCall did explain to the girl that she would be leaving Eagle Bend, most likely for good. It would be short notice for the ladies in Four Corners, but Miranda's life was in danger here. He couldn't leave her behind.

There was a note sitting beside his bed, in Jared McCall's hand. 'Judge ... been good working for you. Wish I could have been in Four Corners the day Lucas James went too far. Guess 'The Magnificent Eight' just doesn't have the same ring. Take care of my cousin.' Orrin crumbled the note and put it in his coat pocket, staring at the young girl on his floor. He had the sudden, sickening feeling that Jared McCall wouldn't come out of this alive. He hoped he was wrong. Too many had died already because of Avery Wilmington.

Part 17

The plan was a good one, but Jared McCall had the uneasy sense that something would go wrong. They would need a distraction, something that would attract the attention of the disgraced judge, as well as everyone else in the town. Jared stayed in the jail all through the night, making his own plans. He would not allow either of the Seven, or Judge Travis, to sacrifice themselves. No. Miranda was his responsibility ... if anyone would sacrifice themselves for her freedom, for her life, it would be Jared himself.

Once that was decided, Jared found himself free and clear. He always had a good imagination ... something which often got him into trouble when he was a kid. Well. He would make damn sure that his distraction was on par with some of the stunts he pulled when he was a kid. This time, four lives were in the balance, maybe more, if Avery Wilmington found out that his daughter was still alive.

Geezus. That man was ... sick. From what he was told, the disgraced judge had his daughter placed in an insane asylum, to get his hands on her inheritance. McCall shuddered. Once, not long after he became a deputy, he had ridden as an escort with Judge Travis to the asylum outside Pordios. He still had nightmares about that place. It was hell on earth, and he couldn't imagine what it must have done to Buck Wilmington's sister.

According to Judge Travis, the girl was as sane as Travis himself. Angry ... bitter ... but totally sane. Her father, on the other hand ... Jared shuddered again, remembering what his cousin had told him about her captivity. From what little made sense, the man regarded women as decorations ... ornaments. Handmaidens, to serve only him. That attitude wouldn't serve him well out here, where women worked alongside their men. Oh, there were a lot of men who felt that way ... but either they changed their mind, or they ended up losing their ladies.

According to his uncle, Rachael Wilmington had been granted a divorce from her husband. A woman leaving her husband and returning to her family was unusual enough. But a divorce? He had to wonder what the old bastard had done, for the divorce decree to be granted. Somehow, he got the feeling there was more to this than what anyone realized, but he didn't have the first clue where to start. He wasn't a private detective, he was a deputy.

That was where Judge Orrin W Travis came into the picture. Jared McCall trusted him far more than he would ever trust his own boss, and he would trust him with the life of his cousin. Jared would see to it that everyone got out of town safely. And he would trust the information he did have about this bastard to the judge and his two men. Buck Wilmington was a former lawman, and Vin Tanner was a tracker ... a detective without the title.

In his uncle's last letter to him, before all hell broke loose, Uncle Francis told him everything he knew about Judge Avery Wilmington. He knew about what Wilmington had done to the last young man who helped one of his floozies get away from him. Wilmington's words, not Jared's uncle. That was the beginning of the end, because the young man whom he had tortured and murdered so many years earlier was the son of a powerful man. The young woman who had fallen under his sway was the daughter of that same powerful man.

Nope, he didn't like people interfering when he had a woman under his control ... Wait a minute. Jared thought back to what he had been told the previous night ... that Tanner first met Adriana Wilmington when she was on the run from mercenaries, six years earlier. Jared knew his uncle had feared that girl's life was in danger ... so, what if the mercenaries were sent after her by her father?

Jesus. No wonder Travis was working double time to protect Tanner! If Jared's gut was right, and Wilmington had sent those mercs after his daughter, then Tanner would end up in even worse shape than the last guy who thwarted Wilmington's plans. And Buck Wilmington was already protective of the tracker, in part because his previous actions almost got Tanner killed, but there was also another factor. He obviously realized what would happen to Tanner if his father got his hands on the tracker. Vin was a strong man, strong and determined ... but he was only a man. There was something else Jared had realized.

Buck Wilmington hated his father with a fury which frightened Jared. Hating one's father seemed unnatural to the young deputy ... but knowing what he did of their current adversary, what other emotion was appropriate? For what he had done to Dulcie and Katrien, the working girls who had given him children; for what he had done to his own daughter, how could any self-respecting older brother and protector do anything but hate his progenitor?

Worse, Jared was sure that he didn't know everything. He knew about her years in Chihuahua as a sex slave. He pretended not to hear that part of the conversation, because he didn't know how to react. But he thought about how Uncle Francis would have reacted, if Judge Wilmington tried to sell Miranda to such people ... and he knew, beyond a doubt, that for such a thing, his uncle would have committed murder.

Legally, Avery Wilmington had that right, if he was the girl's father. But legally, no one could prove that he was. Katrien, Adriana's mother, had said that Wilmington wasn't the father of her child. She was a working girl, so her father could have been anyone in town who frequented the cathouse. But why did she use his name? Because he was her first customer, and she wanted her daughter to have an American last name.

Whatever might have come next was driven right out of his head, when he saw his boss leave the hotel. Hotel? What was he doing there? A frisson of anxiety zapped its way down Jared's spine as he watched his boss walk toward the center of town. He glanced past Staines, to see a man heading toward the crooked sheriff on horseback. This felt like trouble. The deputy slipped the gunbelt around his waist, carefully buckling it into place.

Then he slipped from the jail, watching the town as well as the two men, and edged toward the hotel, using the shadows to hide his own movement. The moon was high and bright, and for the first time, Jared could see the face of the newcomer. The man was older than Staines, about the same age as Judge Travis. But there the resemblance ended. Jared had never really taken the saying, 'he had a cruel face' seriously, until he became a lawman. The man on the horse had a cruel face.

Staines gestured toward the hotel, adding something which made the newcomer very, very angry. Still mounted, he struck the sheriff hard across the face with the back of his hand, a blow which sent Staines into the dirt. And for the first time, there were raised voices. In the silence of the very early morning, Jared heard, "You fool! And you didn't kill her! She can identify me, and I have other ways of dealing with my recalcitrant son."

Up until that moment, Jared wasn't entirely sure whom they were dealing with. Who this newcomer was, and how he fit into Staines' plans, for the sheriff had allies all over the place. And then, with those words, everything fell into place. Jared's half-realized fears coalesced into the truth in that moment. Avery Wilmington had just made his appearance. Earlier than they had anticipated, and Jared understood then his own anxiety. He had to warn the judge and his two lawmen. Slipping carefully around the side of the building, he found his way to the back entrance, looking around all the while. He might not see the sunset ... might not even see the sunrise, but he would go out like any self-respecting lawman. Not shot or stabbed in the back!

Within seconds, he was rapping fiercely on the room where he had left Miranda the night before ... and heard a pistol cocking at his temple. Jared froze, until he realized it was Buck Wilmington. Probably woke him up. Jared whispered only three words, "Your father's here." There was a brief, stunned silence, then Buck swore softly. He went back into the other room, and Jared heard him waking Tanner. At the same time, the door to the judge's room opened, and for the second time in as many minutes, Jared found himself with a pistol in his face.

"Judge Wilmington's here, sir," the young deputy whispered, "and he ain't real happy with Sheriff Staines. Think we need a new plan ... I need a diversion to get the horses out of the livery. Think your boys are up to it?" He got his answer when he found a fully awake and just as armed Vin Tanner appear in the hallway beside Buck Wilmington, a determined light in the bright eyes. Jared looked back at Orrin Travis, giving him an unholy grin, and said, "I'll take that as a yes."

"Just ... try to leave the town in one piece, boys?" Travis told the two young men, standing side by side. Vin just smiled, while Buck gave a mock groan. Orrin told the sleepy-looking Miranda, "And you, my dear, will help me. How would you feel about living with my daughter-in-law and grandson until your cousin comes for you?" Miranda looked both intrigued and worried by the idea of living with a woman, until Travis added, "When she was your age, she was quite the hoyden." That made Miranda smile, and with that image burned into his brain, Jared set out for the stables, secure in the knowledge that the two lawmen from Four Corners would create a fitting diversion.

Part 18

The last time they had been in Eagle Bend, to rescue Judge Travis and Obadiah Jackson, the diversion had been simple. Stampede the horses. They didn't have any horses this time, nor did they have cattle. They didn't even have Ezra, JD, and Vin to call upon, with their idea of a diversion. Well, Buck did have Vin with him this time, but the circumstances were slightly different. Last night, Orrin Travis had told Buck to let Vin do his job.

He understood the reason why when Vin asked softly, "Hey Bucklin? Whaddaya think yer pa would do if he saw ya?" Buck blinked and looked at the young man, who was staring at Judge Avery Wilmington intently. And for the first time in ten years, Buck saw his father. He was a big man, about as tall as Buck himself. An image flashed into his mind, from where, he wasn't sure. His father, looming over DeeDee, his hand pulled back to strike her.

That man had hurt his sister. And Buck had helped him to do it. Buck, who loved women, no matter what their age, who despised anyone who harmed a woman or a girl-child. Buck, who had sworn to protect his sister ... and failed miserably.

Buck allowed a cold rage to come over him, allowed it to guide him. But all the while, he forced himself to remember what he had been told, about the last man who had defied his father by aiding one of his women. He had two goals today ... protecting Vin and avenging his sister. There was nothing that said you couldn't do two things at the same time. Buck said softly, understanding that his own plan deviated somewhat from Vin's, "Well now ... I don't imagine he'd expect me to confront him in the middle of the street."

"Just 'long that's all ya intend on doin,' Buck. Don't tell him anythin' 'bout Drina," Vin warned and Buck nodded his agreement. No, there was no way he would let the old man harm DeeDee ever again. And Vin wasn't thinking he was stupid. Buck understood that. But he had never seen Buck in this cold rage ... didn't understand that right now, Buck Wilmington knew exactly what he was and was not doing.

Once he was satisfied that Buck's own alligator mouth wouldn't override his hummingbird rear-end, Vin continued softly, "Then I reckon I'll head into the jailhouse ... see what kinda trouble I kin stir up." Trouble? Vin wouldn't find any dynamite in the jailhouse ... not that Buck would use that stuff in this situation. Vin evidently understood what he was thinking, for he said with some exasperation, "Ain't plannin' on using no dynamite, Bucklin, I leave that to ya and Ezra. 'Sides. Damn near got me killed on the wagon train, 'member?"

Buck did indeed remember, and when he actually thought about it, the image of Vin literally falling from his horse in a dead faint was the one that haunted him. The tracker continued thoughtfully, "Naw, reckon I can find other ways to git Staines' attention. Whaddaya think?" It was so unbelievably simple, it was fucking brilliant. Vin didn't need dynamite. He only needed to get Staines' attention ... once the sheriff was inside the jail, that problem was removed.

"Alright, just be careful, pard," Buck replied. Vin nodded and crept away. It was early, and Vin hadn't suffered from any nightmares that Buck knew of. He was moving well, and Buck hoped that would stay the case. But for now, a confrontation that had been in the making for the last ten years was about to take place. Buck left his position and headed downstairs, leaving through the back entrance.

He circled around the front of the hotel, seeing Jared skulk about the town from the corner of his eye, moving from shadow to shadow to avoid detection. Then he bellowed at the top of his lungs, "Avery Wilmington, you miserable piece of shit!" Well, that definitely got the old man's attention. Staines wasn't interested in Buck, because he saw Vin heading for the jail. Damn, that boy could move! Buck just hoped the tracker wouldn't pay for it later ... but for now, he'd let Vin do what he did best.

Staines never paid attention to the old man's strident demands not to chase that damn half-breed, and sped toward the jail. With both participants occupied, Jared was free to make his way toward the livery to retrieve the horses. Buck called again, "You're a yella-bellied, lily-livered piece of shit! You ain't got the guts to git off that horse and face me, man to man! You can only beat up on helpless women and little girls!"

"I don't need any gumption to face you, boy. You're not man enough to take me!" the old man fired back, and Buck threw back his head and laughed. One thing he had learned from both Serena and his mother ... the old man hated being laughed at. He hated being humiliated, he hated being embarrassed. And the women in his life had done nothing but, even better than Buck ever could.

Reminding himself to protect his younger sister, Buck retorted, in a somewhat lower voice, "You? Take me? Never happen, old man. You hide behind little girls and the skirts of women. You did it to my mother, you did it to Katrien, you did it to Rachael. Hell, you even did it to DeeDee ... but you can't ever hurt her again. She's finally free of you!" That was true, in a way, and Buck was hoping the old man would assume DeeDee was dead.

But this was one time Buck wouldn't leave it to chance. Seeing the expression in his father's eyes, the ladies' man continued, "Yeah, that's right, you miserable sonofabitch! You ain't never gonna get your hands on her money now! Not that you deserve anything that ever belonged to her! You used me, old man! You used me to hurt one of the people I loved most in the world, and I plan on taking that out of your hide!"

There was a booming sound behind him, and Buck saw someone fall. A conversational voice from behind him said, "Don't b'lieve in playin' fair, do ya?" Vin. Buck grinned, both at the sound of his friend's voice and at the shock on his father's face when he looked behind him to see where one of his cronies now lay face down in the dirt. Right where he belonged. Vin continued, sounding almost bored, "Now, I done took care a' two a yer bullies ... how many more ya got?"

"You stay out of this, boy ... I have my own score to settle with you. You cost me good money when you helped that little cunt get away from my men ... I just haven't decided if I'll turn you over to the authorities in Tascosa dead or alive. Five hundred dollars is a drop in the bucket, compared to what you took from me, but it's a start," the old man retorted. He pulled a gun ... only to have it shot out of his hand, leaving a mangled mess. Buck found himself comparing that shot to Chris shooting the gun out of Reverend Moseley's hand. Not near as clean.

"You ain't gonna touch him, old man, or anybody else in this town," Jared McCall retorted, mounted with his still smoking pistol aimed at the old man, who cradled his bloody hand against his body. The deputy continued, "Buck, Vin ... it's all yours." Buck started toward the horses ... only to watch in horror as another shot rang out. This one came from behind the old man and tore away half of Jared McCall's head. The deputy slid from the saddle as the horse reared back, then hit the ground. He didn't move. There wasn't much chance that he was still alive, and Buck had to take care of the living.

From the second floor of the hotel, Buck heard a shrill scream ... a child's voice. Maybe a girl of fourteen, watching her cousin die? But there was no time for Buck to grieve for Miranda's loss, much as he wanted to. There was no time, and there were lives on the line. The ladies man grasped the reins of the two horses, drawing them toward him as Vin directed his own gunfire in the direction of the shot which had killed Jared McCall. He seemed to stumble, then regained his footing as he found meager cover.

One of his shots knocked the old man off his horse and on his ass. The old man roared something to the effect that he'd kill Vin. The tracker, who could be damn sassy when he wanted, retorted, "Ya already said that, old man! But reckon yer gonna have to catch me first, and I don't think ya got the balls!" Ouch. There was a booming from behind Vin, from the jail, and a shot kicked up the dirt around the old man.

Holy shit ... that was Staines! Staines was firing on his boss! There was a sound behind him and Buck whirled, only to find Judge Travis there with Miranda, the girl weeping softly. Judge Travis said softly, "I'm taking the girl, and her cousin. Can you and Vin ride double?" Buck understood immediately. The judge had no intention of leaving McCall in the dirt. He nodded, and Travis continued, "Good. We'll let Staines deal with your father for the moment."

Again, Buck nodded and Staines yelled, "Travis! Get your men and the girl out of town! I'll deal with that bastard ... he murdered both of my deputies! Take that little rat bastard with you!" The little rat bastard was probably Micah Reed. Vin dove inside the jailhouse. Within minutes, he returned with Reed and Staines, the crooked lawman pointing a gun at the old man. Buck didn't like leaving things this way. But the life of the child and the judge took precedence.

So, he leveled his own gun at his old man while Vin approached and as Travis and Miranda arranged the saddlebags. Once they were finished, the ladies man swung up onto the horse, then held out his hand to Vin. The tracker swung up behind him, and Buck prayed the combined weight wouldn't be too much for the horse. They could rest once they got out of town. Buck didn't expect Staines to hold the old man long ... but it was buying them time. Sometimes, that was all you had.

Staines took the old man's horse and forced Reed onto it, then led him over to the small group. Judge Travis eased Jared McCall's body over his own horse, then helped Miranda onto the horse which they would be sharing. Staines snarled, "This don't mean nothin.' I still owe y'all, and I intend to collect!" Oh, Buck knew that. So did Travis, who inclined his head as he swung up onto the horse behind Miranda. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

He didn't know how right he was ... or that this was only the beginning.

Part 19

It was only the beginning, because unbeknownst to him or his partner, the tracker had taken a bullet to the back of his thigh during the gunfight. Vin didn't even realize he had been shot until they had slowed to a stop a few hours later. Which was why he didn't even realize he had lost consciousness, until he found himself on the ground, lying on his bedroll with a very worried-looking Buck Wilmington glowering down at him.

Vin groaned, raising his hand to his head, "What happened?" He immediately regretted whatever movement he just made, as pain exploded in the back of his thigh. He started to curl onto his side, only to be stopped by Buck, who held him tightly. The sun was high, something which Vin hadn't noticed before passing out, and Buck gently lowered him to the ground once more. Vin repeated, "What happened?"

"You don't remember being shot? Well, guess I can't be too mad at you, then, even though you added about ten years to my age when you fell off the horse. Now I know how Chris and Billy felt when they almost trampled you," Buck replied. Vin winced at the memory, and Buck continued, "No real harm done ... I managed to grab ya before ya fell off the horse and busted your head open. Your gut hurtin' bad?"

Vin shook his head ... no, the pain in his thigh had driven all other pain away. Buck continued, "Okay ... okay, then I'll take care of your leg. We don't got nobody followin' us right now. Push your trousers down, then roll over onto your belly." Vin nodded and did as he was told, grateful for the bedroll which Buck put down for him. Buck said suddenly as he inspected the wound, "Remember the last time we were out on the trail? Guess it was about a month before that bastard Bryce came to town."

Vin remembered. He said quietly as Buck began to clean the wound, "Yeah, but near as I recollect, I got the crap beat out of me." He hissed in pain, but didn't allow himself to cry out. Buck rubbed the small of his back in apology, then continued to clean the wound as best he could. The tracker tried not to think about the last time he was shot ... when the nightmare began, and instead, focused on the incident Buck had mentioned.

Yeah, Vin remembered that. When Dora Farrell failed to appear in town, her friends Gloria Potter and Mary Travis both became worried, and Buck had volunteered to go check on the young wife and mother. Vin agreed to go along, since little Leah was sweet on him. Vin almost laughed, remembering how JD had teased Buck about that. There was a female who didn't fall for Buck's 'animal maggotism.'

Vin, however, couldn't laugh when he remembered that day. Remembered finding the Farrells dead on their homestead, and six year old Leah in shock. The little girl had witnessed the murder of her parents, and, they later learned, was herself on the verge of discovery when the two men arrived. When Vin called out, Leah had flung herself from her hiding place, straight for his horse. He also remembered Buck taking the little girl back to town, while Vin scouted around, trying to pick up the trail of the murderers. Those kind of scum usually stuck around to enjoy the show ... not unlike Daniel Neely ... and Vin was sure he could find them. Buck didn't argue too terribly much, because Leah didn't need to see no more.

He still wasn't sure if he found them or they found him, but the end result was the same. After he shot one of them, he was clubbed from behind, and the remaining men began beating the hell out of him ... until Buck returned, once Leah was safely delivered to Mary. Vin was actually unconscious when Buck returned, awakening when Buck put him on the bed. He had scared off the bastards, then carried Vin inside to the bedroom where he began to take care of him.

One of those damn summer storms had come as Vin fought his way back to consciousness. A quick check told Buck that Vin wasn't bleeding inside, but he had broken ribs and the muscles of his gut were bruised. Vin could have told Buck that, if he'd been awake. As it was, during the first day they were stranded at the farmhouse, Vin felt as if he was dying. He couldn't move without agony, and threw up more than once.

Buck remained at his side through it all, bracing one arm around Vin as he vomited, keeping his hair out of his face with his free hand. The spasms continued long after he didn't have anything left to bring up. Which only added to the pain from his bruised muscles and broken ribs. Nobody ever wanted to be seen in that state ... but you also didn't want to be alone. Not if you didn't have to. Vin never had any doubts that Chris would be there for him, no matter what the circumstances, and JD ... and Nathan. At the time.

But the tracker wasn't so sure about Buck ... or Josiah. Vin had always watched Buck with JD when the boy was hurt, and wondered if the big man would take care of all of them like that. He had his answer that day, as Buck gently rubbed his back through the spasms, easing him onto his back when he was finished. He had his answer about Josiah much more recently. He just wished he knew of a way he could forgive Nathan, when Vin still wanted to blow his head off.

In the present, Buck said softly, distracting Vin from his dark thoughts, "I ain't gonna try to git the bullet out, Vin, but I am gonna try to stop the bleeding." Vin nodded his understanding, and Buck continued, obviously still thinking about the events of only six months earlier, "Don't mind tellin' ya. When I got back to the Farrell place, once Leah would let go of me ... when I saw them poundin' on ya ... I was ... "

Vin couldn't see Buck, but he knew the big man was shaking his head. Buck continued, "Hell, Vin, you weren't even conscious. Just hangin' between them two bastards. You gotta know, I woulda stepped in, no matter who was gettin' beat, but when it's one a' yours, that sorta changes things. You know ... I guess it ain't no secret ... never has been ... that I was damn jealous of you in the beginnin.' I started rethinkin' a few things after the Moseley situation. Then came Nettie and Casey needin' help. Sounds damn stupid, but what happened at the Farrells. Everything changed after that.

"I guess I finally understood how Chris musta felt when he went into that jail and found you out cold. Because when I saw them beatin' on you, and you couldn't fight back ... it was different, when Ez and me were questionin' you. Because it was us. But them ... they was hurtin' you because they liked it. And I couldn't abide that. So you were lyin' there hurt, and you needed me." Buck continued to talk while he wrapped the bandage around Vin's leg. It was damn awkward, but Vin ignored the discomfort.

Buck helped Vin turn back over and said softly, "That's what changed. I imagine I finally figured out that you needed me, just like Chris and JD did. And I realized somethin' else. I thought all the time that you put barriers up, but it wasn't. It was me." Vin looked at the big man, confused. He had lost Vin, or maybe the pain was getting to him. Buck dropped his eyes, sighing, "That ain't right. I already knew that I put you in the middle, between me and Chris. But ... after the Farrells, there weren't no more boundaries. You were one of mine."

Buck fell silent, resting his hand on Vin's chest. The sharpshooter looked at the other man intently. Something was troubling Buck, and it wasn't just the close call they had in town. After a moment, the big man whispered, "You're one of mine, and I ... threw you away. Just like I threw my sister away. What the hell is wrong with me? I bitch sometimes about Chris, seemin' to throw me away ... but what right do I have? I did the exact same thing."

Bewildered dark blue eyes raised from the ground to look at Vin, and Buck asked, "How in the hell do I make this right with you? With both of you? I don't know what to do, Vin. I've let people down in the past ... I know that. But until now, I ain't never betrayed nobody. Much less somebody who meant anythin' to me. I don't know what to do no more." Vin didn't know what to say.

He and Buck had a variation of this conversation a few months earlier, while Vin was recovering at Aurora's ranch. But things were different in a variety of ways. For one thing, Vin hadn't made his decision about the Seven or Four Corners at the time. For another, Vin himself was different. And so was Buck. They had all changed during the last few months. The tracker said softly, "I ain't sure what to tell ya, Buck. Don't know what to tell ya 'bout Drina, neither. Not even sure how to git her to stop hatin' Sarah, 'cause all it's doin' is makin' Drina hate herself. All that hate is startin' to destroy her from the inside out."

Buck looked at him sharply, and Vin continued, "Don't look so surprised, Buck. First off, I knowed Drina a long time 'fore I met y'all. I know the way her mind works, and I know she didn't have no use for Sarah, after the asylum. Sure, she was jealous of her when I first met her, but she didn't hate her none. Think that's what killin' her now. Knowin' she don't have no call to hate Sarah, 'cause she's mad at you and Larabee."

"The hate is too much a part of her now," Buck whispered, "it kept her alive for too long a time. The only thing you can do with that is redirect it. She already hates the old man. I don't know what to do to help her, Vin. I can't even tell her that I know, because then I'd have to tell her how I know. It keeps echoin' in my head, Vin. Hearin' her say 'perfect, pretty, precious Sarah.' Like it was a ... a curse."

That was because it was a curse. Vin asked softly, putting his hand over Buck's, "And how did ya feel about someone who ever'body else thought was perfect? Ya hated 'em, didnja? Ya hated 'em for bein' perfect. It sounded like a curse, 'cause that's what it was. But yer wrong 'bout one thin.' Ya can do other thin's to help. Talk to her, Buck. Don't talk about how wonderful Sarah was, she don't wanna hear no more 'bout that. Talk to her, 'cause Chris is too damn unpredictable where his wife and boy are involved."

Buck lowered his head, then nodded slowly. He whispered, "It'll help her, won't it? She needs to get the hatred out. She talked about it to Mary, but it ain't the same thing. She needs to talk to me or Chris ... DeeDee is too protective of Mary, too worried about causin' harm to her. And like you said ... Chris ain't even in this picture. That leaves me. It has to be me, don't it?" Vin nodded and Buck sighed again.

"It's gotta be ya, Buck, 'cause like ya said ... sayin' the words ain't enough. Reckon she may wanna beat on ya some. She cain't do that with Mary. Like ya said, she's real protective of her. She don't even realize it yet. But she wants to protect Mary ... if only from Drina's rage. She don't have to protect ya. Understand?" Vin asked. Buck nodded once more. Vin looked at the other man and said with a faint smile, "There's one thin' ya can do for me, though." Buck just frowned and Vin looked down at his trousers, adding, "Ya can help me pull up m' trousers."

Buck blinked, then threw back his head, giving a great shout of laughter. He shook his head, saying, "Smart ass! Okay, boy, let's get them knickers up ... and just when are you gonna put on some weight? You're too damn skinny!" Vin just glared at the other man as he helped with the trousers, then Buck pulled him upright. The big man asked, "Can you ride?" Vin nodded and Buck helped him to the horse. It was time they were off again.

This time, Vin rode in front, with Buck supporting his weight as well as guiding the horse. Vin bit hard on his lower lip, to keep from crying out. His leg felt like it was on fire, a hot poker stabbing through the back of his thigh. But they had to get away from here and head back to town, 'fore Sheriff Staines remembered that he still had a score to settle with Chris. Vin still wasn't sure why Staines had turned against Wilmington.

Despite Buck's strong arm around his waist, Vin found himself slumping further and further over the horse's head as the pain intensified as the next few hours passed. He was startled when the horse was drawn to a stop and Vin realized what Buck was doing. He whispered hoarsely, "Put me over the saddle, behind ya. Won't hurt as much." Buck, however, had other ideas. Instead of putting Vin over the saddle, Buck carefully turned him around in the saddle, until Vin's head rested on the other man's chest.

Through the haze of pain, Vin realized they probably looked like a pair of funny cowboys, but this new position quieted the fire in his leg. They began riding again, and Vin found himself starting to doze off. Buck held the reins with one hand, securing Vin in the saddle with his free arm, rubbing his hand back and forth across the small of his back ever so often. Vin couldn't help relaxing. He knew he shouldn't. The memory of being put on that horse, bound for Tascosa, was still there. But his body had had enough.

He didn't know how long he slept. What he did know was that gunshots woke him. Gunshots and Buck's arms tightening protectively around his waist. Vin moved his head, just a little, and saw they were being pursued. Aw hell. He fumbled with Buck's pistol, fighting to clear his head, then focused on the riders. He fired and had the satisfaction of seeing one of the riders fall to the ground. Maybe this peculiar idea of Buck's wasn't such a bad idea after all. They would see at the end of the ride, if they were both still alive.

Part 20

And for the next mile or so, that's how they rode ... Vin firing Buck's pistol around the big man, while Buck rode hell bent for leather. Vin was tiring, and Buck's arm was tense around his back, but neither men could afford to give up. Giving up meant dying, and they weren't ready to die. And then ... the shooting stopped. Vin blinked and realized they were surrounded. But none of the riders surrounding them were aiming their guns at the two peacekeepers.

Instead, they were aiming their guns at their pursuers, sheltering the two peacekeepers in their circle. Vin sighed and slumped against Buck, closing his eyes as the other man removed the pistol from his grasp. A woman's voice called out, "You go on back to where you came from! These men are under our protection now! You go back and tell Avery Wilmington that he'll have to wait until another day to have a word with his son!" There was a long silence, then a loud report. Then the distinctive thud of a body hitting the ground.

"La senora says to go ... now go!" a voice growled. There was another long silence, then the sound of hoofs heading in the opposite direction. The same voice said, now much closer, "Come with us ... your friend is hurt." Vin tried to speak, but the voice continued, "We received a wire from someone in Eagle Bend, telling us the men of Avery Wilmington were heading this way, after two peacekeepers from Four Corners. We're friends ... we will allow no harm to come to you or Mr. Tanner."

"How ... all right. But I want answers," Buck said hoarsely. He paused, then continued, "Can we put Vin in your wagon? He was shot in the back of his thigh back in town, and he ain't doing so good. Bullet's still in there, and he don't need to be riding like this." Willing, gentle arms pulled Vin down from the horse and carried him, lifting him into the back of a wagon. There was once more the sound of hooves, then Buck said, "I'm right beside you, Vin."

The tracker began to relax. Right now, it was just him and Buck. And while Vin would have been more comfortable right now, if JD or Chris or Josiah or Ezra had accompanied him, Buck was the one here. And he was someone whom Vin did know, when they were surrounded by people whom he didn't know. Vin still couldn't bring himself to trust Buck, but he was a practical man. Right now, there was no other choice.

"You wanted to know why we came to your aid. That's a long story, Mr. Wilmington, and the full story can wait until we reach our home. But, for the moment, suffice it to say, your father is no friend of ours. Nor is Sheriff Staines, for that matter. On the other hand, Josiah Sanchez has helped us in the past. We knew that he was one of the protectors in Four Corners, just as you and Mr. Tanner protect the town ... so the choice was clear," came the woman's voice again. She paused, then added, "By the way, my name is Rachel Pope."

Vin finally managed to force his eyes open, to see a woman in her forties on the other side of the wagon, the woman who had initially warned off Judge Wilmington's men. From what he could tell, she was tall for a woman, with long red hair and green eyes. Not beautiful, but Vin thought the word for her was striking. Definitely a woman who drew attention, regardless of how she was dressed. The bright red hair alone would draw a man's attention, along with her height and ... other factors.

She looked at him, a tender expression appearing as she continued, "And you're Vin Tanner. You helped Wilmington's daughter to escape from the mercenaries hired to return her to the Mexican brothel. I know about you ... and the price on your head. No one will harm you here. I give you my word." Vin had been wrong in the past, often when his emotions clouded his reasoning. But his instincts told him that this woman was as good as her word.

Trusting in that, he closed his eyes as the wagon rattled along. For the first time since being shot that morning, Vin began to relax. The woman continued, now speaking to Buck, "When we get him back to our place, we'll remove the bullet. The men told me that he's running a fever. And then we'll talk about getting the two of you back home." Vin smiled at the thought of Four Corners, then finally drifted into a peaceful sleep. But as he did, he wondered how this woman knew so much about him ... and about Adriana.

Continued...

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