Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" TV series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide.
Inez would have liked to stay at the dance but with the evening winding down and the couples departing the hall, she knew it was only a matter of time before the saloon's ranks started to fill again. Although she was a partner with Ezra Standish, she knew he was otherwise engaged and she had not the inconvenience of an escort to keep her from tending bar when those crowds arrived. Of course she could have had an escort if she had wished it. Buck had asked her to the dance several times, and several times, she had refused him. No doubt, he was somewhere in bed at this moment, coupling with one the ladies she had seen him trying to charm during the course of the evening.
As long as it was not her.
Inez had no intention of being just another notch in Buck Wilmington's very marked belt. As much as she cared for him, which was considerably more than most people knew, she was unwilling to play second fiddle to anyone. She wanted someone who would love her, without having to fear whose bed she would find him in each time the wind blew a different direction. The truth was, she knew she could fall very deeply for Buck, which was half the reason she kept her distance.
The sultry Mexican woman continued up the boardwalk, smiling faintly as she observed happy couples strolling through the streets, eyes only for each other after the evening past. Most of the children were gone by now and the extinguished sparklers lying in the dirt were all that remained of their exuberant presence from earlier in the day. Most of the men on the street were on their way to the saloon and Inez sighed, thinking about the hectic evening she would soon have to face.
As she rounded the corner, she noticed JD and Casey walking hand in hand in the moonlight. The scene brought a smile to her face the way nothing else could. Inez was pleased to see that the earlier trouble had faded away. Obviously, Casey had convinced JD by now that a picnic basket won by Bart Cook would have little bearing on their relationship. While she may have been forced to endure the usurper's attentions during the meal, she had more or less discarded him once the basket was empty. After her arrival at the dance, Casey and JD had been virtually inseparable, and poor Bart Cook was left to sulk in the corner with the rest of the wallflowers.
Inez had only wished that the evening had been similarly pleasant for Alex and Vin. She wondered where the two of them had disappeared to after the altercation at the dance. No doubt, Alex was probably hiding somewhere in mortification and Vin was probably brooding in his wagon, if he was not already getting drunk at the saloon. The awful Mr. Mason had not made his return after he was banished resoundingly by Chris Larabee. Inez felt a shudder of ice run down her spine when she saw how the man had reacted to Alex and Vin. There were too many parallels between Mason's behavior and Don Paulo for her liking.
Buck had secured her release, and almost gotten himself killed for the effort. Inez hoped it would not require Vin Tanner to make the same sacrifice. Thinking of how Buck had defended her honor, brought forward an involuntary feeling of warmth for him. If he was not so damn annoying and so forward, she might have given him a little more thought. She knew if she allowed him the chance, he might surprise her and that to frightened Inez more than she would like to have admitted. When she had been brutally assaulted some months ago, Buck had been at her side constantly, ensuring that she had a supportive shoulder at every instant of her recovery. Inez had been astonished by the intensity of his care, since he was normally irresponsible beyond human belief.
Even now the memory of that terrible day surfaced to taunt her in the dark moments when she weakened and allowed herself to think of it. During the first few weeks, she had often woke up in the dark, her clothes plastered to her skin with the sweat of nightmares she dared not recall. It had taken a long time not to jump at every shadow or view every man as a potential monster.
She saw the saloon ahead and noted a small crowd gathering outside waiting impatiently for her arrival, or for someone to open the doors anyway. Until then, there had been people walking back and forth on the street, but after turning down the corner to where the saloon was situated, she noticed that the crowds had dropped off considerably. She looked over her shoulder and noticed the fair-haired stranger who was companion to Randall Mason, walking up behind her.
"Miss Inez" he tipped his hat at her as she met his gaze.
"Senor Rihs?" Inez replied politely, seeing no reason to be rude since he was not responsible for Randall Mason's behavior.
"That is correct," he nodded, "you remembered."
"One does not forget a meeting like that" she pointed out.
In the moonlight, there seemed to be little expression on his face as she spoke of the day he and Mason had first walked into the saloon and made his inquiries about Alex. "That is true and it is unfortunate that circumstances have spiraled out of control so rapidly."
"If you are referring to the incident at the dance, I would agree Senor" she agreed, feeling for Alex because she had some personal idea of what the doctor was going through with the attentions of an unwanted suitor who was pursuing her relentlessly.
"Actually, I'm not." He smiled, pulling his lips across his white teeth with a sinister gleam. She looked down and found herself staring at his gun, discreetly hidden out of sight but with a clear line of fire into her belly if she gave him a reason to pull the trigger.
"What is this?" Inez demanded quietly, her eyes staring at the weapon for a moment before shifting to his face.
"This my dear is a small act in a larger play" he replied. "I would ask you to accompany me where I wish you go, quietly. It would be a shame to shoot you, but doubt it not that I will, if you refuse to cooperate." He said this all with perfect civility even though his eyes spoke volumes of what he was capable of doing should she resist.
"Maybe letting you kill me now is preferable to what you can do in the shadows" Inez said boldly as her eyes darted towards the direction of the saloon. Unfortunately, no one had noticed her presence before his arrival and they certainly did not now. If there was help to be had, it would not come from these men who were more interested in the opening of the tavern than anything else transpiring around them.
"Is that a gamble you are willing to take Senorita?" he asked, cocking the gun slowly, reinforcing the threat with the click of the chamber moving into position.
Unfortunately, the courage to call his bluff did not come and Inez saw no alternative but to agree begrudgingly to his demands. However, she would die before letting anyone touch her again.
She was not enduring another nightmare.
Shortly after Inez had made the same journey, Ezra, Julia, Chris and Josiah made their way to the saloon, only to find a crowd of unhappy people, awaiting the opening of the establishment with growing impatience and rowdy behavior. As Ezra fought his way through the bodies who were barking at him in colorful language to the say the least, demanding access to the bar, he wondered what had happened to Inez.
"Gentlemen please," Ezra spoke on top of his voice. "I shall open the doors soon enough, kindly let myself and my friends through."
He need not have bothered for as Chris stepped through the crowd, the more disgruntled of the group quickly stepped aside for the gunslinger. No one was foolish enough to try shoving and pushing anywhere in Chris Larabee's direction, for the man was known for his intolerance of the invasion of his personal space. Ezra sighed, envying what it must be to go through life with such awesome presence that it could instantly make men tremble at the sight of you.
Within minutes, Ezra unlocked the doors and the tavern was open for business once again. Without Inez, it was up to the gambler to take up the bartending duties and the deluge of drinkers in the first ten minutes of the its opening kept Ezra too busy to think very much about where his partner might have disappeared. With the opening of the saloon came the inevitable arrival of the saloon girls and someone who took a seat at the piano. Although nothing like the music at the dance, very soon the air was filled with a lively and melodic tune that kept the place hoping. Ezra saw Josiah, Chris and Julia take up position at their favorite table. The gambler had an idea of what they drank and took the liberty of fulfilling their requirements once the rush of drinkers had subsided.
"I thought Inez was supposed to open up" Julia pointed out when Ezra returned to the table.
"She was" the gambler said quizzically. "She left the dance early in anticipation of a full house by the time the event had concluded."
Chris remembered the lady leaving the dance hall because he was present at her farewells to Mary prior to her departure. The last time Inez had disappeared for a few hours, the results had the most horrific implications. Chris hoped this absence was nothing like that. He was tempted to find Mary who was at this moment conferring with other members of the anniversary committee to make some last minute arrangements about tomorrow's activities. Perhaps Mary was aware of some meeting that Inez had left undisclosed.
"Perhaps she is with Buck?" Julia suggested.
"Only in his dreams." Josiah remarked and produced a snigger from all those around the table despite the growing urgency in her disappearance.
"It is unlike her to leave her responsibilities in this manner" Ezra said clearly unhappy that he did not know his partner's whereabouts. The last time she had gone missing, he had left it too late and by the time she finally surfaced, Inez had suffered the worst attack imaginable to any woman. This time, he was unwilling to let it go with a simple shrug of his shoulders that she was somewhere about. While their relationship was purely platonic, Inez was his friend and confidant. It was her voice that gave his conscience a swift kick in the rear whenever it chose to lapse towards some inappropriate behavior. Rising to his feet, he turned to Julia. "My dear, I'm going to escort you home. Mr. Larabee, I do not wish to sound alarmist but I do not like the idea that Inez is not here. She is uncommonly punctual and not prone to such neglect. If she is not here, there is a reason for it."
"Are you sure?" Julia pouted, disappointed that an enjoyable evening was coming to an abrupt end. While she hoped nothing too awful had happened to the Mexican, Julia did not feel any real concern over the woman's welfare other than what she meant to Ezra. Normally, such a relationship would have bothered her but it was Inez' own behavior that convinced Julia that she had nothing to fear.
"Chris, it is late." Ezra implored the gunslinger with genuine trepidation. Ezra seldom called anyone by their first name and that he had done so now went a long way to convincing Chris how serious the gambler was about his fears for the lady bartender's welfare.
"You're right" he nodded standing up as well. "Josiah, stay here in case she comes back." Chris ordered although the chances of that seemed unlikely. If Inez could be here, she already would be. "There's probably a good reason for her not being here, but until we know what that is, its best not to take chances."
"And if you can see to it that my patrons do not rob me blind, I would appreciate it" Ezra added as he started to lead Julia out of the place.
"As long as your priorities are intact." Josiah said sarcastically as he went to take position behind the counter.
Julia locked the door behind her after Ezra had seen her to her front porch and let out a sigh of disappointment at the evening coming to an end so abruptly. While she loved him a great deal, she wished he did not have such that annoying noble streak in him. It made for the most inconvenient interruptions at times. Still, she understood his need to belong and the camaraderie he shared with the six men he rode with was a bond she had not the courage to attempt breaking. She wondered what it was like to have such deep friendship, but the substance of it escaped her. All her life she lived believing that other women were the enemy. There were few she could remain in company with and be comfortable with an equal status quo. It was in her nature to have the upper hand.
Loving Ezra Standish had made her vulnerable, and Julia had no idea how vulnerable until the moment Mary Travis had threatened her with exposure of her unsavory past. She knew that Ezra probably suspected most of what the venerable Mrs. Travis had dared to reveal, however it was a risk she was unwilling to take. Finding a man who knew what she was in all her manipulative and scheming glory, and who still loved her despite it, was something Julia had never believed possible. It challenged her that she could not pull the wool over his eyes and her attempts to try had led to some very exciting love making once the game was discovered. She would not risk losing him, however remote the possibility.
She started to remove the pins from her hair, allowing the locks of red to fall around her shoulders as she made her way to the bedroom. Assuming that Inez was not in any serious danger, she expected to see Ezra back later that night to share a drink and perhaps a little more than that, she smiled with secret expectation. Instead of residing above the Emporium as Victoria Kendall had done when she owned the premises, Julia had opted to buy the house adjoining the property. It was not the most lavish of homes, but fortunately she had the money to almost completely refurbish it so that it was quite luxurious according to the standards of most people in Four Corners
Julia made her way to the bedroom with every intention of divesting herself of her confining clothes and slipping into some a little less uncomfortable when she walked past the parlor and noticed the doors leading to the patch of garden behind the home were open. For a moment, she stood in the hallway, trying to recall whether or not she had left it unlocked.
A residual effect of life in the city had taught her to always keep the doors locked. Burglaries and homicides were almost as prolific in the urban centers of 19th century America as in the Wild West, except in the territory, you had some idea of who the enemy was. In a city, where faces were so abundant that it was easy to lose track of one person to the next, everyone was a potential threat. She stared at that opened door trying to decide what to do, knowing with growing certainty that she had not left it open.
The seconds seemed to slow before she reached the decision to close it and chalk the whole thing to her own absentmindedness. However, as she crossed the threshold of doorway into the parlor, her mind kept spinning the same question. When had she found reason to open the door to even forget locking it? She had crossed the rug in the parlor when the moonlight caught pieces of glass and beaming its bright reflecting in her eye. Julia froze at the realization that the she had not forgotten to lock anything.
Someone had broken in.
She started withdrawing in rising apprehension at the discovery, swinging around to hurry out the front door in the wild need to escape. The 'someone' who had entered her house was standing behind her when she made her bid to flee her house. She cringed away from the smell of liquor and the stench of the man who had obviously not bathed in quite sometime before attempting to scream, however his filthy hand cupped her mouth and kept the sound from escaping her throat.
"Don't make a fuss now, little lady." He said pulling her forward by the neck, his thick fingers squeezing her throat with enough force to drive home the point that he would hurt her if she made any trouble.
"What do you want?" She asked fearfully, staring at him with wide eyes. In the darkness, she could not see him very well but knew he dwarfed her easily and seemed to be one of those men that Ezra would normally call a denizen of 'Purgatory' or some similar hive of villainy. There were times, she wished he would just say outlaw.
"We're taking a ride," the man said with a smile, teeth gleaming in the night like that of a wolf. "If you're nice, maybe it won't hurt as much."
Somehow, Julia doubted it.
There were times when Mary really envied Chris Larabee.
She let out a sigh of weariness as she reached the back porch of her home, glad that the evening was over, although she was not really looking forward to the next day either. The anniversary celebrations were far from over, and as a member of the committee she was required to assist in supervision of all events so that it would go smoothly, without incident. The widow's eyes narrowed in annoyance when she remembered how fast Chris Larabee had vanished once he saw the flock of committee members coming in their direction. He could face up to killers, outlaws, bandits, armies of fanatic confederates and the occasional mechanical monster from the future. However, put him in a situation where he might be considered civilized and the man made off for the hills with a streak of yellow down his back the width of the Rio Grande.
Still it was a nice back, she smiled as she unlocked the door and stepped inside the kitchen. She was about to turn around and shut it when suddenly a heavy weight slammed against it and thew her half way across the room to the floor. Mary hit her head as she landed, feeling a wave of dizziness flare from the impact. She recovered enough to hear the footsteps running through the open door and the unfamiliar sounds that bespoke harm.
Mary viewed the shape approaching her in the dark and knew immediately that she was not about to let it reach her. Although dazed, she had enough presence of mind to kick outward forcefully, connecting with a nub of bone she was certain to be an ankle. The intruder let out a sharp cry of pain as his foot was swept from under him. Not allowing the man time to recover, Mary rolled on to her knees and scrambled to her feet as she heard him swearing at her. She looked over her shoulder, long enough to see him doing the same and coming after her.
"Come back here you bitch!" He screamed. "I'll cut you real bad for that!"
That was incentive enough for Mary to keep running. With adrenaline coursing through her lungs, she raced down the hallway, breathing hard as she heard his heavy footsteps fall into pursuit. She pushed a side table over as she passed it, hearing it and its contents making a tremendous crash as it impacted against the polished floor. It was just dark enough to be an obstruction to a man unaccustomed to the layout of an unfamiliar place. Predictably, she heard a loud thud followed by more cursing and knew that the ploy had worked.
It bought her enough time to reach the front entrance of the building and escaped through the doors of the Clarion office which took her out onto the main street and right into the surprised arms of Chris Larabee who was just about to enter the building.
"Mary, what's wrong!" he demanded as his arms wrapped around her.
"Oh thank God, Chris!" Mary said gasping in fright, never happier to see him. "There's somebody in the house!"
His eyes hardened in that particular way she had grown accustomed to, whenever trouble was about. "Go to the saloon and wait for me" he ordered in a tone that would not accept argument. His hands had dropped from her shoulders and she could see him reaching for the pearl handled Peacemaker that remained perennially nestled in the holster at his side.
"Be careful" she said kissing him hastily on the mouth as he left her and went to confront the intruder who had invaded her home for some unknown but sinister purpose.
Mary turned her back reluctantly and had not taken more than a few steps when gunfire erupted behind her. She swung around, eyes wide trying to decide whether to continue as per his orders or to investigate and confirm that her fears were unfounded, that those bullets had not met their mark. Her heart pounded as she remained rooted to the spot, unable to move until she knew for certain. The minutes that followed the shooting seemed to stretch into hours as Mary waited in the middle of street, reciting all those secret prayers that kept her sane whenever he rode off to face some new danger in the protection of this town.
Please let him be all right.
A moment later, she saw him step out of the open door way, the familiar black hat raising slightly as he discovered that she was almost exactly where he had left her. Mary ran forward and embraced him hard before he even had a chance to say a word of reproach, wrapping her arms around him before covering his face in a shower of grateful kisses.
"I was so afraid that you hurt" she said, relieved.
"You know me," he smiled, pleased at her reaction and always impressed that she did not need quite as much looking after as most women did. "Are you okay?" he asked, having not asked earlier.
"I'm fine" she sighed, her hand instinctively moving to her forehead that had bore the brunt of her fall. There would probably be bruising tomorrow but she did not care. He was safe and that was all that mattered. "Is he?" she asked reluctantly, even though she was almost certain that her intruder was dead.
"Yeah." he nodded without hesitation.
"I don't understand" Mary said in confusion as she swallowed thickly at the prospect of having a body removed from her house at this hour. Perhaps a hotel room might not be a bad idea tonight. She could not face the house tonight after such unpleasantness. "What did he want?" she asked confused.
"I don't know" Chris shook his head, "but I've got a feeling that he wasn't alone. I think his friends have got Inez and you were supposed to join her."
"Inez is missing?" Mary exclaimed with alarm. "When?"
"Since she left the dance" Chris replied as he led her away from the Clarion towards the saloon. Inappropriate at it was for her to be at the establishment, at least the place was full of people and Josiah could keep an eye on her until Chris could get to the bottom of what was happening tonight.
"What's up Chris?" JD Dunne asked as he saw Mary and the gunslinger on their way to the saloon. Nettie and Casey had departed a short time ago for home and JD had provided escort for aunt and niece most of the way there. Despite how determined Nettie was about such things, JD knew that Vin would have a veritable fit if he knew that the old lady had attempted to make such a journey at this time of night by herself. For that matter, JD was not very impressed by Casey making the trip either. She looked so pretty tonight, he did not want to risk anything happening to her. It was bad enough that Bart Cook had stolen most of her time today, JD did not intend for some varmint to stumble across her in the night.
"Someone just tried to kidnap Mary." Chris said sharply, silently fuming that anyone would dare to make an attempt on her life. Although the man had started firing at him first, Chris made sure his bullets hit home just to vindicate the intruder's audacity at trying to bring harm to the woman he loved.
"You alright Mrs. Travis?" JD looked at her in concern.
"I'm fine JD," she replied honestly. "I'm just a little shaken."
"Who was it?" he questioned automatically.
"I don't know," Chris retorted "but I think I've seen him before."
This was the first that Mary had heard of it since Chris had not volunteered the information earlier. "Where?"
"In Purgatory" he replied. "He's one of the hired guns that hang out at the saloons there" Chris ventured a guess, trying to place the dead body on the floor of Mary's hallway with the man named Digger Sweeney, a small time hired gun who mostly went in for rustling jobs and could always be counted to play gunmen in any petty theft operation.
"What would they want with me and Inez?" Mary asked becoming more bewildered by the moment.
"Inez is gone too!" JD exclaimed, feeling like he had walked into the middle of a play and was trying to follow the best he could.
"Mr. Larabee!" Ezra's voice reached him across the street. Chris turned to see Ezra striding towards them with a grim look in his eyes. For a moment, Chris entertained the worst, that they had not intended to kidnap Inez and Mary, that murder had been the true reason for the intrusions. The gambler's normally cool countenance was shattered and the fear in his eyes was something not even an expert poker face was capable of hiding today.
"What?" Chris demanded, not wanting Ezra to waste time with false platitudes.
"Its Julia," the gambler swallowed thickly "she's gone."
The pattern starting to emerge was obvious. "What do you mean gone?"
"Like Inez," Ezra quickly stated. "I was unsuccessful in my quest and I thought I would stop by and let her know that our search may have to be expanded so I shall see her tomorrow. I found the front door wide open and the parlor doors had been broken into. There is no sign of violence other than that, but no Julia either."
"Well they tried for Mary," Chris growled, realizing they had a full blow situation here.
Ezra's eyes immediately darted towards Mary's direction. "Madam, are you hurt?"
The concern for her welfare in the light of Julia's disappearance touched Mary to no end. "I'm fine Ezra" she smiled at him warmly. "And I'm sure Julia is too."
Ezra made no comment on that but he preferred to think she was right. The alternative would terrify him, and he was no good to Julia if he was less than fully in control of his faculties.
Chris thought quickly and decided they needed to get everyone together now. "Ezra," he looked up at the gambler. "Do you know where Buck is?"
Ezra gave Chris a look that said volumes. "Mr. Larabee, bed is the most obvious answer."
Somewhere behind him, Chris heard a stifled guffaw, it might have been JD. Chris gave the young man a stern look and then turned back to Ezra. "We need to find him."
"Chris," Mary sighed, trying to play devil's advocate here because she knew what Ezra was so delicately trying not to say in deference to her sensibilities as a lady. "Judging by how popular Buck was tonight, he could be anywhere."
Didn't Chris know that. Sometimes, he wondered whether a bell around Buck Wilmington's neck might not be a feasible way of keeping track of Four Corner's very own Casanova. "Ezra, try and find him. I'll go get Vin."
"Where is Mr. Tanner anyway?" Ezra inquired. "I haven't seen him since he left with Alexandra. Surely, he could not still be there?"
Chris and Mary exchanged knowing glances while it took Ezra a little longer to catch on. "Oh." He said quietly and felt a tinge of embarrassment at something so perfectly obvious.
"Well I can go get him Chris." JD offered, ever the innocent and completely oblivious to what his older companions were talking about.
"No!" Chris, Mary and Ezra cried in unison and froze the young sheriff in his tracks.
"I'll get him." Chris said with a perfectly straight face, betraying nothing to the bewildered Mr. Dunne. JD was staring at them as if they had gone perfectly mad or have been dipping into that loco weed that Barney Sheckley had growing behind his barn that made him run down the street with no pants.
"JD could you please take Mary to the saloon and see nothing happens to her." Chris gave her a look of warmth in his otherwise cool features.
"Sure Chris," JD said feeling his confusion at the earlier misunderstanding fading away in the light of this important task that Chris had assigned him. After all, Mary Travis was the most important thing in Chris Larabee's existence, that he charged JD to protect her swelled the young man's chest with pride.
"We'll meet up at the saloon." Chris called out as he started for Alexandra Styles' clinic.
Vin Tanner was exhausted but happy.
He tightened his hold around Alex's naked waist, watching her sleep with her dark hair splayed against the pillow and knew that he could do this for hours. Had it been four or five hours since they left the dance? The time had slipped by so fast after their heated coupling on her kitchen table. Of course the hours tended to go by faster considering they had rutted shamelessly like animals during the last three. Vin and Alex had brought each other to such heightened states of pleasure that he could no longer remember how many times they had made love tonight. Given the opportunity with someone she cared for, Alexandra Styles had literally taken his breath away.
Vin found himself drifting away on the wings of pure contentment, his body thoroughly spent, but knew all she had to do was open her eyes and give him that suggestive gleam before he would find himself miraculously renewed for another bout of passionate love making. He could not get enough of her and she of him. The scent of their union was heavy in the air and he was more than happy to fall asleep to that intoxicating aroma. He ran his fingers against her silken lips and felt a wave of warm affection pervading his soul with an accusing finger telling him that he was unconditionally lost to her. What he felt for Charlotte paled in comparison, and for the first time he understood with complete awareness why Chris Larabee would die if Mary Travis were ever taken away from him.
Alex stirred at his touch and opened her eyes to find Vin Tanner staring at her, wearing the slight smile on his face that hid so much of how he felt at times.
"Aren't you tired yet cowboy?" she asked almost purring from the satisfaction that was coursing through her veins. She felt sore and weary, but just looking at him was enough to make her ache with desire once more. "I thought you were done after the last time." She ran her finger against his chest, swirling her fingertip around his nipple with a coquettish. smile on her lips.
Vin shuddered at the rush of pleasure and leaned forward to kiss her. He rolled on top of Alex, enjoying the sensation of her soft body under him as their mouths melted against each other with intimate understanding of what it took to arouse one another. Lying skin to skin, feeling her breasts against his chest and the smooth skin of her thighs against his manhood went a long way to raising his desire once more. Vin felt her hands running up and down his back, her tongue probing the deepest recesses of his mouth and knew that he wanted her like this for as long as he could have her.
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
Alex broke away first. "God, who is that?" she said breathlessly, hating the sudden end to his kiss.
"I don't know" Vin confessed, wondering who would be knocking on her door at this time at night and decided it could only be a doctor's call. "I think it's for you though."
"I don't want to get up." she whined and let her head drop back onto the pillow. He felt so good against her, she wanted him there all night.
Vin tended to agree but as another knock was heard, he decided whomever was at the door was not going away and he met her gaze with a weary sigh. "You better go see who it is, after all, you're the only doctor around until Nathan gets back tomorrow."
"Slave driver" she mumbled as Vin rolled off her and allowed her to climb out of bed reluctantly. Vin watched her pull on a robe, appreciating every curve he could see in the dim light of her room and wondered if Ezra had any idea what he had thrown away when he had gone off with Julia Pemberton. Vin decided not to ponder that point in depth, since the gambler's foolishness had allowed him to win Alex's heart.
"I'll make it up to you when you get back," he said wolfishly. "You better," she laughed, tying the cord around the robe. "You don't want me to turn into a mean ol' spinster now would you?"
"Its too late" he teased. "You're already meaner than a rattlesnake."
"Oh," she laughed in mock hurt, "I'll make you pay for that cowboy" she replied before walking out of the room, the flutter of a silk robe trailing her as she padded down the hallway to the door.
Alex let out a deep longing sigh as she left Vin behind in the warm bed and went to answer the door. She did so hope it was only a minor house call but knew with a sinking feeling that no house call made at this hour of the night could possibly be trivial to rouse her from her bed. Actually, it was not really that late, she realized. They had left the dance early in the evening although as far as she was concerned, they had utilized the time alone most productively.
Whoever it was had better have a damn good reason for the intrusion, like being on the verge of death or something, she grumbled when she heard another loud knock.
"Chris!" she exclaimed with surprise after swinging the door open and finding herself standing before Chris Larabee. "Is something wrong?" Alex asked, recovering enough to try and sound completely casual as if she had nothing to hide.
Chris Larabee took one look at her and knew Vin Tanner was definitely here.
"We got a situation brewing," he said trying not to notice the undergarments piled at the foot of the kitchen table or Vin's shirt and buckskins in a messy heap on the floor. "Is Vin here?" he asked with such complete innocence, Mary would have been proud of him.
"What makes you think he's here?" Alex asked, feigning ignorance.
"Alex," Chris sighed not wishing to embarrass her but having little time for this, not when Inez and Julia were out there somewhere and he needed the best tracker in the Territory on their trail before worse happen to them than just a kidnapping. "For starters, you're naked under there, secondly, you've left your clothes on the floor and thirdly, Vin only takes that damn jacket when he bathes and he's done that at least once today."
Alex narrowed her eyes and scowled at him. "I really hate you, you know" she groaned before turning on her bare heels. "Come on in" she sighed.
"Sooner or later, everyone does" Chris remarked, allowing himself a little smile before following her into the kitchen and trying not to picture what went on here as he walked past the clothes on the floor and was guided into the parlor. He supposed it was no wilder than anything he and Mary had gotten up to alone. Besides, he was hardly in the position to make any kind of judgement, not when he was having himself a most improper relationship with the editor and chief of the town paper.
"I'll get him" she said with a bashful smile, knowing that Chris could be trusted to keep her reputation intact. They were friends despite the fact that she thought him to a scary son of a bitch and he believed that she had an even worse temper than Mary Travis' when it came to saving the lives of her patients.
Vin appeared a short time later, pulling his suspenders over his shoulders at he emerged into the room. "What's up?" he asked, making no attempt to explain himself and knowing that with Chris it was unnecessary.
"Inez and Julia are gone" Chris said automatically. It was none of his business what Vin had been doing, no matter how self-evident it was to him. Besides, the entire situation was awkward enough as it was without his exacerbating things by interrogating Vin on his whereabouts the last few hours.
"Gone?" he looked at Chris. "How?"
"Digger Sweeney tried to break into Mary's house and take her," Chris informed. "I figure the men who took Inez and Julia might have been taken by men from Purgatory as well."
"Ain't Sweeney a hired gun?" Vin asked.
"Usually," Chris agreed. "But Sweeney ain't smart and anyone can talk an idiot into any fool thing, if the money's good enough."
Vin could not disagree with that assessment. "I'll get finished up here and head out to Purgatory, try and pick up their trail if I can."
"Good idea," Chris nodded, "we'll meet you there" the gunslinger answered. "Make sure they know if they don't talk to you, they can talk to me and I haven't got your finesse."
"Sure thing" Vin smiled faintly, knowing that was a valid threat. Vin had seen Chris terrify a man to pieces just by an icy glare. When he wanted to be, Chris Larabee could be an intimidating bastard.
Chris turned to leave and found himself unable to resist adding. "Hey Pard?"
"Yeah?" Vin looked up.
"You two really ought to pick up in the kitchen" Chris Larabee smiled and continued walking out of the room.
Ten minutes after Chris had made his departure, Vin Tanner was dressed and ready to leave. He hated walking out the door but knew lives counted on his skills and he was not about to let the others down, no matter how much he wanted to stay with Alex. She understood though, appreciating that his tracking skill, like her ability to heal, was subject to the demands of those who needed it. She walked him to the door, still gripped by the intensity of the emotions that had swept them away since their mutual surrender. It was foolishness, this sadness to see him go when their time apart was only temporary. Still, she discovered feelings for him the likes of which she had never known and the time, however, brief seemed far too long in her opinion.
"I shouldn't be gone too long," he said as he stood by the door, Vin's arms still wrapped around her waist. "Lock the doors when I leave and don't let anyone in" he ordered, because he neither liked the idea that he was forced to leave her unguarded or the gnawing feeling that somehow, Randall Mason was connected to the disappearances of Inez and Julia.
"Okay" she nodded obediently, her mouth still kissing his neck as they spoke. Vin returned her kisses in kind. They were both alternating between hot, steamy kisses and speech. It was his turn to talk now.
"Nathan will be back tomorrow," he continued, letting his mouth travel over her cheek, while his hands ran up the curve of her back. "Stay close to him and tell him what's happened."
"Don't worry," she whispered as he dragged himself through the door. "I'll keep out of trouble, cowboy" Alex smiled finally, disengaging from him or else Vin was never going to get any further than this door.
"I'll be back as soon as I can" he said, still yearning for her even though he was now standing outside. The cool air needed to be a great deal colder before he would be able to concentrate on finding his horse, let alone Inez and Julia. "Keep the bed warm." Vin returned her gaze with a glimmer of hungry suggestion in his eyes.
"Vin." Alex called out as he started down the stairs.
He looked over his shoulder at her. "Yeah?"
"Take care of yourself cowboy," she replied bravely, wondering how Mary coped with it when Chris had to ride of into the unknown, facing God knows what dangers. Even with Ezra, she had not known this awful fear that each time he went through her door it could be the last. Then again, her feelings for Vin were of an entirely different intensity.
"Always" Vin grinned and then kept going.
Inez' head throbbed. She could hear the rumble of the track beneath the wagon, and lying on her side made her aware of every bump the wooden wheels traveled over. She did not remember much after Rihs had let her to a back alley and knocked her senseless, even though the following blackness delivered her from her terror of the moment. That period however, was all too fleeting as she now looked up and found a canopy of stars overhead. She was moving and the total darkness around her told Inez that she was no longer in town, for there were none of its light to offer illumination.
She heard a slight moan next to her and the sound allowed her the center to focus. Trying to sit up, she found her arms and legs had been bound and she could do little more than roll onto her stomach while trying to fight the jostling momentum of the wagon. She could hear at least a dozen riders from the hoof beats around the wagon, not to mention the unfamiliar voices of men making conversation.
Inez twisted herself around and saw another form trussed up in similar indignity on the buckboard beneath them. She saw the crown of red hair and knew immediately it was Julia Pemberton. How had they both come to be in the same predicament, Inez wondered.
"Julia" Inez whispered.
There was another moan as the small, petite redhead came to at the sound of her name. The amount of jostling they were being subjected to indicated that the wagon was travelling fast as it made its flight from Four Corners. Inez focused her attention on rousing Julia, hoping that the woman had not endured worse injuries than simply being knocked unconscious. Although Inez did not like Julia very much, she did know that Ezra loved her and it would devastate him if the little witch was hurt or violated.
"Julia, wake up."
"Why?" Julia asked weakly as she rolled onto her back and saw the vista of open sky above her.
"Because we are in trouble" Inez hissed in exasperation wondering how she could even ask such a question.
"And waking up will change this how?" Julia asked sarcastically. "Personally, I do not wish to know if we are going to be subjected to our captors villainous intentions."
"I don't think this is about us" Inez confessed, now that she had a little more time to think about their situation. It was Mr. Rihs who had kidnapped her and instinct told her that even Julia's abduction was similarly orchestrated for another purpose.
"How comforting" Julia complained, her cheek flaring from where her abductor had struck her. Why did it always have to be the face with this kind of men?
Inez was rapidly losing patience with the woman but managed to keep her anger under control for the moment. "I think this is about Alex."
Somehow Julia was not surprised. She had been privy to the violent exchange between Vin Tanner and Randall Mason at the dance. It was too easy for the situation to be settled that simply. Randall had left the hall with an ugly hatred she understood all too well, and subconsciously knew he was not done with either the doctor or the sharpshooter just yet. However, it confused her why Mason would go to all this trouble to kidnap them. Julia had never met the man and other than possibly seeing Inez in the saloon, she could not understand the connection either.
"Why kidnap us?" Julia asked, hoping that perhaps Inez had a better idea than she did. Her head was throbbing too much for her to think clearly.
"As a distraction maybe," Inez strained her neck and saw a man at the front of the wagon. It did not appear to be either Rihs or Mason. "Perhaps he thinks that if we are kidnapped or worse, Chris and the others would turn the Territory over trying to find us and leave Alex alone and unguarded." Inez had no idea how accurate she was in regards to that plan but at the moment, it was the only theory she could formulate.
"Terrific" Julia grumbled. "So we are to play decoy for the dear doctor."
"We've got to escape" Inez stated firmly, even though she had no idea at all how this minor miracle was to be accomplished.
Julia tested her bonds and then looked at her skeptically. "I'd like to see you try" she retorted. "I can't even get free of these things." She tried looking over her shoulder to gain a better picture of where they were but could see no further than the confines of their wagon.
Inez tried a similar action but the knot tied around her wrist and feet allow no quarter for movement or any room to loosen the ropes digging into her skin. All she succeeded in doing was make the fibers did into her skin. Her constant wriggling however, did bring the unwelcome attention of two of the riders, who edged alongside the wagon and peered at the two captives.
"They sure are pretty" one of them declared. He was a truly ugly specimen with rough skin and bad teeth. Inez could smell the liquor on him from where she was.
"I say we take 'em anyway" the younger of the two declared, eyeing Julia with unmistakable desire. Inez saw the Easterner shudder with revulsion as the youthful blond man with unremarkable features studied her with growing interest.
"Nah," the first one replied. "Rihs says we can't touch em. We're only supposed to take em out of town and hide em for a few days."
His words more or less confirmed Inez' suspicion about why they had been abducted, and she prayed that the seven had some idea of this as well. However, she knew even as the men withdrew from the wagon, that it was likely the seven were already making the search for their recovery. After all, Ezra would be beside himself with the loss of not only Julia but her as well, not to mention Buck Wilmington's reaction. Despite his womanizing ways, Inez knew that he cared for her deeply and supposed that if she ever granted him the affection, it was possible that he would the most devoted of lovers. However she was unprepared to take that gamble just yet.
In any case, she hoped that someone was guarding Alexandra Styles when they embarked upon this search or else Inez was not going to be happy knowing her freedom had come at the cost of her friend.
Vin was busy saddling Peso when he heard the doors to the livery building shut abruptly. For a moment, he thought it was one of the others coming to get their horse so they could make the ride out to Purgatory. However, following the closure of the doors, he heard the distinct movement and quiet footsteps common to a number of men attempting to make a stealthy approach. Vin looked around and saw no one but knew that he was not alone. His hand dropped to his gun as he emerged from Peso's stall, a keen eye kept on everything as he made his advance.
Vin was perfectly aware of the vulnerable situation he now found himself in, and knew that while he was closed in with all these walls around him, he would continue to be at a disadvantage. He listened closely, having learnt through the years to rely more on scent and sound than he did his eyes to track buffalo, and on more recent occasions, men. There were at least five of them and although he could not tell exactly where they were, he knew there were closing in on him. Vin stepped out into the main floor of the livery and noted that the door at the end of the straw covered corridor was locked. He supposed he could reach it, and in truth, he had very little choice but to try in order to make his escape.
Gingerly, he took a step forward and knew that there was every chance that he was going to be ambushed before he reached it. Vin took another slow step forward, his hand never more than an inch away from his gun when suddenly, he ran forward in an unexpected burst of speed. No sooner had he taken those few steps ahead than the enemy stepped out, lead by Randall Mason. It took all of them to bring Vin down and even then the ambush did not go smoothly. The tracker never had the chance to draw his weapon, but managed to deliver a few punches and swift kicks before he was finally brought down by a gun butt to the back of his neck. While he did not lose consciousness, Vin could feel the warmth of blood running down his neck as he felt arms holding him in place.
"Mr. Tanner," Randall smiled at him in triumph as two men held his arms, while one held a gun firmly pointed in his direction. "It looks like your evening is just beginning."
"Get it over with" Vin glared at him, perfectly aware that Randall was just itching to make Vin pay for his humiliation at the dance.
"Always glad to oblige" he sneered and threw a fist into Vin's face. He followed it with another and another, until blood stained his fist.
Vin had suffered worst in his time, and felt blood running down his split cheek, however he refused to allow Randall the satisfaction of seeing his pain. Rihs was keeping watch impassively, showing little interest in his employer's enjoyment, and Vin knew that he was probably far more dangerous than Randall himself. Such men often were.
Randall slammed another fist into his stomach but Vin was ready for him, tightening his stomach muscles so that the blow would do a minimum of harm, causing pain but not injury. Randall continued like this for a few minutes, taking out Alexandra's rejection on the man who did have her affection. By the time he was done, Vin was in serious pain but he was far from incapacitated.
"Alright," Randall stepped back, having vented his revenge on this nonentity who had somehow captured Alexandra's heart. Not for long, he smiled to himself as he looked to Mr. Rihs. "Take him. I'll go look in on my dear Alexandra," he gave Vin a wicked sneer as he said those words.
"You touch her and I'll kill you" Vin said in no uncertain terms.
His remark drew a string of laughter from the men around him, Randall included. Vin knew the men assisting Randall and his companion Rihs, he had seen them in Purgatory on occasion but never had any cause to learn more than that. He felt his chest tighten, knowing that as soon as Randall had dealt with him, whatever that entailed, he would go after Alex. With Chris and the others preparing to ride out after Inez and Julia, the woman he loved would be virtually unprotected.
"I'm afraid you'll be taking a long trip, Mr. Tanner," Randall said as Rihs produced a sheath of notes and handed it to one of the men keeping watch on Vin. They were being paid in hundred dollar bills and Vin saw their eyes widen as they took the cash from the fair-haired stranger.
"I'm sure you know the place well," Randall learning close to Vin as he spoke, wanting to enjoy every moment of his revenge in his rival's eyes. "I've been told you'll have a warm reception awaiting you when you arrive at Tascosa."
So that's it. Vin thought to himself. They were taking him to Tascosa. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Vin was nowhere near panicking because it was a long way across the Texas Panhandle, and he knew time would allow him the chance to escape. The only thing that terrified him was not getting back in time to save Alex from this bastard. "Is this what it takes to get a woman in England?" he asked, with not a trace of fear in his voice.
Randall punched him again with a blow struck out of anger rather than any intention to hurt. The rage Vin saw in his eyes was unmistakable as Vin heard some of the men sniggering behind him.
"I'll do whatever it takes to get Alexandra" Randall said icily, the pleasure of the moment having drained with that remark. "She will be mine still when you are dead."
"Maybe," Vin could not keep from adding with a little smile. "But she came to me willingly and she'll never go to you without wanting me."
Randall's eyes widened when he realized exactly what Vin meant by that remark. The thought that this primitive had shared his Alexandra's bed drove him to such fury that he pulled the gun out of Rihs' holster and pointed the barrel square at Vin's face, with every intention of killing the tracker on the spot.
"Mr. Mason, you do that and you'll bring his friends running" Rihs warned as he reached for Randall's hand and slowly lowered the gun. "He's just trying to provoke you into doing something stupid."
Randall swallowed thickly, staring at Vin with intense hatred, trying to drive the image of Alexandra and him away from his mind, and knowing that he would only be content with such a thing when he had replaced the image with something else. Like Vin's dead body and Alexandra's eventual capitulation to his desires in his bed before Tanner's body was even cold in the ground.
"He's yours" Randall said to the men holding onto Vin. "Make sure he gets to Tascosa and hangs."
"Don't worry." The leader, a short, stout man in dust covered clothes smiled at Randall with a gold tooth. "Five hundred dollars is a lot of money. We'll get him there."
"See to it that you do." Rihs retorted, staring hard at the man. "If I find out otherwise, I'll come looking for you."
For some reason, Vin's captors did not like that idea at all, and something in Rihs' eyes promised that would be a most unpleasant situation if it did happen. Vin's heart was pounding at the thought of Alex in this man's hands. Somehow, he had to think of a way to escape. However, that thought had no sooner crossed him mind than someone cold cocked him from behind and Vin fell unconscious soundlessly.
"That ought to make him a little easier for travel" the leader grinned as Vin collapsed in the unyielding grip of his captors. "It's a long way to Texas."
The sudden crash she heard awoke her immediately. Alex jumped in fright as she heard the sound of wood cracking and glass shattering at the same time. Instinctively, she knew it was her door being broken in. Alex climbed out of bed and grabbed her robe, knowing that her only hope of escape lay in the stairs that led to the clinic on the lower floor of the building. Wasting no time with shoes or any other apparel, Alex sneaked out of her bedroom and found herself staring at Randall Mason and Mr. Rihs at the other end of the corridor, having just broken into her house.
She let out a small cry of fright since silence was unnecessary as they had seen her and had probably expected her emergence from the bedroom, following their loud entry into her house. She turned to run, trying in desperation to reach the steps leading to her clinic below but Mr. Rihs sprung into action, crossing the floor in several long strides and tackling her in a full body tackle that dropped them both to the floor. He brought her down easily, her side slamming hard against the floor as she landed, particularly with his weight following her fall.
The violent end of her flight left her dazed as the pain ran through her body. She felt Rihs withdraw as footsteps approached her. She felt his hands pull her to her feet and Alex felt a little dazed as she was forced to stand and found herself facing Randall Mason a moment later. The hallway lamp was still burning and she could see him staring at her intently, with an expression that bordered on hate and insanity. However, it was the blood in his hands she found most disturbing.
"Randall what is this?" She tried playing it calm although it was fairly obvious what he intended, what he had almost always intended from the beginning, that she was his whether or not it was her choice.
"I said you would be my wife" he replied simply. "I am rather surprised you doubted me Alex," he reached for her hair.
Alex backed away instinctively, as if his touch would scald her if allowed contact with her skin. "Don't touch me" she warned.
That resulted in Mr. Rihs locking his arms around her throat and holding her place. Alex let out a scream that was quickly silenced by the man's hand around her mouth. Alex reacted just as swiftly, biting down on the soft flesh of his palm. Rihs uttered a short cry of pain but he did not let her go, instead, he grabbed her hair and shoved her headfirst into the wall. Alex felt another flare of pain as her forehead impacted with the hard surface.
"I told you she was fiery" Randall smiled as Rihs attempted to make Alex more manageable.
"Yes," Rihs responded, examining his hand while keeping Alex pinned against the wall with the other. "Are you sure you want to waste your time on this half breed? She will give you nothing but trouble."
"You are speaking of my future wife" Randall said, completely unconcerned at what Alex was going through or the fact that he was in the process of kidnapping her. With the door closed now, there was no outward sign that that doctor was in any trouble and he had caused enough mischief in Four Corners tonight to ensure that no one would be coming for Alexandra.
"It's your business of course" Rihs replied amiably, disliking the choice but feeling it was none of his business. As long as he was paid, he cared little. Although he would not mind teaching this firebrand a lesson in the light of the teeth marks in his hand.
"I'll never marry you!" Alex cried out.
Randall nodded at Rihs and he yanked her back to allow enough space between Alex and the wall before slamming her into it again. Alex felt warm blood seeping through her hair as she became more disorientated from the abuse. She knew she would have to stop giving him a reason to hurt her and try and reason with him, if such a thing was at all possible any longer.
"Randall please," Alex spoke through the pain. "I never meant to hurt you. I've always thought highly of you. We have been friends for a long time."
He came towards her and grabbed her dark hair, replacing Rihs' hand with his and yanked her head back so viciously, that she felt strands come loose as her neck was craned backwards to face him. "Is that why you played whore to that barbarian?"
She opened her mouth to deny it but Randall cut her off before she could even formulate the denial in her mind. "Don't bother to deny it" he glared at her angrily. "Mr. Rihs took note of how long he was here and his departure after the gunslinger came to find him. What did you call their good-bye Mr. Rihs?" he looked at the hired gun.
"Extremely affectionate" Rihs offered dutifully.
"Extremely affectionate," Randall pull back harder until she felt her neck strain so painfully, she could do nothing but groan in agony. "You will never have him again, do you hear me! It is over! You'll be my wife and I will share you with no one!"
"He'll never give up trying to find me!" she hissed in a surge of defiance. "Vin will never let you get away with this!"
"I think Mr. Tanner has problems of his own." Randall said triumphantly as he shoved her head back against the wall again, until Alex could see stars before her spinning vision. She refused to cry out, denying him the satisfaction of hearing her beg or ask for mercy. However, his words had an ominous tone that she was forced to address.
"What do you mean?" she asked, feeling dread creep into her bones even as the question passed her lips.
"Your tracker is on his way to hang. I've paid some very nice men to take him to Tascosa, where apparently he is wanted on the charge of murder." Randall smiled at her, pulling her head back so that she could see the pleasure in his face at being able to impart such news to her. "By the time the so called law in this town is aware that he is missing, he'll be half way to Tascosa and you and I will be returning to Europe."
Oh God. The cold fear that gripped her heart at the knowledge that Randall may have fed Vin to bounty hunters was beyond her ability to describe. She knew he was right. With Chris and the others going to search for Inez and Julia, no one would even be aware that Vin was gone until it was too late. She knew as well as the others that as soon as Vin Tanner showed his face in Tascosa, he was done for. They would hang him just as surely as if Randall had put a bullet in his head. She had to think of something, she had to reach Vin somehow because she could not live, knowing he was dead because of her.
Alexandra Styles could not live knowing she could never be with Vin again.
"Alright Randall," she said letting out a loud sigh of defeat, letting the sound move from her lips as if it were the death knell to whatever spirit was left in her soul. "I'll go with you. I'll marry you, whatever you want. I can't fight you any more, I don't have the strength for it without Vin."
He looked at her in mild surprise but his was the kind of ego that would allow even the most obvious things slip by if one pandered to it enough. He released his grip on her and stared at her critically. "Do not play me for a fool Alexandra," he warned. "I may wish you to be my wife but I can break you a dozen times over if I wish it. Are you expecting me to believe that you are now willing to accept my offer, belated as it is?"
"Yes" she looked him dead in the eye and nodded. "I have no choice in the matter do I? You will take me with you whether or not I wish to go. If I do manage to escape, you will simply find me again and destroy anyone I care about. I do not wish to be Orestes with you as my personal Fury for all time. If peace means being your wife, then what can I do but agree. Perhaps compliance might make this somewhat tolerable" she replied, unable to hide the distaste from her face.
"You were always sensible" he smiled, pleased that she had come to such a practical decision on her own. However, while Randall seemed convinced of her words, Rihs was another thing entirely. He stared at her critically, not believing anything he had heard and was more or less convinced that this was some kind of trick.
"You cannot seriously believe her..." Rihs looked at him in disbelief.
"I have no reason to lie" Alex declared, brushing the hair from her face. There was a sliver of blood escaping her matted hair but she had recovered from her ordeal enough to be in complete control of herself.
"Prove it" Rihs challenged.
"Alright," Alex nodded. "I take it you are pressed for time?" She looked at both men and could see their answer in their eyes. "If we ride out tonight," she continued when they did not answer. "We may be able to catch the stage at Bitter Creek. That will take us to Eagle Bend and anywhere else we need to go."
"Very astute" Randall responded. "I am impressed."
"Well," Alex pressed on. "I need to pack and get dressed. I gather I won't be allowed to take much but I would like a change of clothing for the journey."
"I see no reason why that cannot be permitted" Randall met Rihs' gaze but the gunmen did not seem eager to let Alex out of his sight since he was still convinced this was an elaborate ruse and that she was playing some game to which he had not guessed the rules.
"Thank you" Alex said meekly as she moved past the two men and slinked away to her bedroom, praying they would not change their minds before she reached the room. She took her steps gingerly, feeling their eyes burn into her back as she made her retreat into the room, holding her breath until she disappeared inside its confines.
Alex closed the door behind her soundlessly, hoping they were secure in her inability to escape because the room was above the ground. She knew that Randall would allow her the privacy to dress herself, mostly because he was insanely jealous and would allow no other man to view her in such a vulnerable state. Thinking that sent an instant sliver of ice down her back when she imagined what he might have done to Vin after Rihs had informed him of their intimacy.
She glanced at her bed and saw the unmade sheets. Alex felt an intense pang of longing when she realized that it was only a few short hours ago that she and Vin had engaged in the most searing love making experience she had ever known. Just being in the room, reminded her of his scent and that memory brought a heart stopping fear inside her at what he might be enduring at this moment. Alex bit her lip, trying not to worry about Vin because she needed her senses intact if she was going to be in any position to help him.
Taking a deep breath, Alex steadied herself and got to work. She did not have much time.
"She's been there for some time" Rihs said uneasily. It had almost been twenty minutes since the lady had withdrawn into the bedroom to supposedly prepare for the journey away from Four Corners. He was disturbed by the amount of time taken, and by the ease in which she had managed to manipulate Randall into allowing her the privacy. If it were up to him, Rihs would have not let the woman out of his sight. Randall Mason seemed to forget that beyond the visage of the beautiful woman that was Alexandra Styles, and Rihs had to admit that much, she was an extraordinarily looking female, there was also the intelligence and acumen that had weathered six years of medical school. She was a smart woman and Rihs feared that Randall might have underestimated her.
The two men were in her parlor waiting for Alex's arrival from the bedroom. Randall in particular was going through her things, shifting through the remnant of her life in Four Corners. None of it held any particular interest to him and Rihs could see that he viewed most of it with contempt. At Rihs' statement, Randall glanced at the door.
"Perhaps you should check on her."
About time. Rihs snorted to himself as he strode across the room and twisted the door knob open. It turned easily enough but when he pushed against it however, it opened enough to allow a crack of space between the door and the wall before coming to a stop. Rihs' gaze immediately snapped at Randall's direction as his employer realized how easily he had been duped. The gunmen slammed his full weight against the door and heard an audible crack of wood before it yielded completely.
There was no sign of Alexandra Styles within the room.
What there was left in the wake of her departure, was a series of knotted sheets that led from the bedpost, out the window. Rihs swore loudly as he ran to the window and peered out to see the length of white linen extending beyond the room into the street below. Randall joined him shortly after that discovery, both their eyes scanning the darkness beyond the house, seeking any sign of the lady.
"I can't believe it" Randall exclaimed, grinding his teeth in an attempt to conceal his bitter rage at her escape.
"I can" Rihs growled with similar irritation at the man's stupidity. "We better find her quickly. No doubt, she'll be attempting to reach her friends."
"It won't matter if she find them or not." Randall responded, glaring at the room with its opened bureau drawers and clothes. It appeared as if Alex had ransacked her own room before her abrupt flight. Even her doctor's bag was opened and was been emptied hastily on the bed. "She won't be in time to save Tanner."
By the time Randall Mason and Mr. Rihs had become aware of her escape, Alexandra Styles was already riding out of Four Corners, having stolen the first horse she came across in the desperate bid to find Vin Tanner. She had two choices and neither seemed very feasible. However, she dared not risk making the safer choice. If she went after Chris Larabee and the others who were at this moment on their way to Purgatory, she could forget about bringing them back in time to intercept Vin before he was beyond their reach. That left the only other alternative and it scared the hell out of her. Alex could go after Vin herself and help him escape before he could be delivered to Tascosa.
God, Alex hoped she did not get them both killed.