DISCLAIMER: No profit is made in any way shape or form from this fan fic. All of the Magnificent Seven characters are the property of Mirisch, Trilogy, and MGM. However I would like to state that I do not wish my characters borrowed without my knowledge or consent. If you are not certain a character is canon or mine, I will be happy to let you know. Just ask or look at my list of original characters.
Many thanks to my beta readers Judy and Winnie and to Adrian for her encouragement.
RATING: PG 13
It was eerily quiet. Chris assumed he was the only one awake at this time of the morning. Usually, he sat outside the saloon or jail in the early morning hours silently drinking coffee with Vin as one by one the town began to stir. Of the seven, Chris and Vin were usually up earlier than most, unless one of the others had spent the night on watch. This morning was different. Vin was nowhere to be seen. Chris wondered briefly if the tracker had decided to wander out of town as he was apt to do upon occasion. Normally he wandered out to Chris's cabin or further afield when he felt the walls of the town closing in, but he was in the habit of telling someone where and when he was going. A movement near the livery caught his eye. It almost made him spill his coffee as he dropped the chair in which he had been leaning back with a thud to the boardwalk.
"Something wrong?" asked Josiah as he approached Chris from the opposite side. He turned and looked at the oddity at which Chris was staring.
Ezra Standish, their gambler friend, was up at six o'clock in the morning. It was an astonishing fact. What was even more astonishing was that he was wearing a brown, rustic looking jacket not his usual snappy attire. If his two friends hadn't recognized the familiar ease with which Ezra rode his horse, they would have thought someone was stealing it. He rode out to the west with yet another rider. It was Vin Tanner.
"Now that's a sight you don't see every day," remarked Josiah as he took the seat next to Chris.
"Ezra in brown? Or Ezra with Vin?" Chris grinned at Josiah.
The preacher acknowledged the still growing friendship between the two very diverse men. "They do make an interesting pair. I wonder what they're up to?"
"I don't know, but it has got to be more interestin' than what we've done lately."
"I don't know, Chris. I've been enjoying the peace and quiet we've had lately. No one's been hurt; town's been quiet."
"Too quiet. Almost makes you think all hell's about to break loose."
"Who's hell y'all talkin' 'bout?" Nathan joined the two men. He stretched until it sounded like his bones were popping.
"Chris was remarkin' that he felt like this quiet we've been enjoyin' is the lull before the storm." Josiah answered Nathan.
"It has been kinda borin' what with the twins gone home and all."
The three men laughed as they shared their private joke. "They were somethin' else, but they were also the prettiest little mischief makers I have ever seen in my life."
"Them? They sure worked a number on us, didn't they?" Nathan was always one to go straight to the heart of the matter.
"They had all of us wrapped around their grubby little fingers, didn't they?" Chris smiled just thinking about the effect the Terrell twins had had on the seven men of Four Corners. "Vin and Ezra 'specially."
"JD, too. Remember Buck tellin' John that he should marry them off to all three of his girls?" Nathan's grin grew as Josiah and Chris started laughing.
"What about Vin's face when Ezra told the twins highest card got to keep him?" Josiah joined in on the fun.
Chris stopped laughing, and his face suddenly took on a serious look. "Maybe those two miss those little girls more than they want to admit. They sure have been talkin' about somethin' lately. Almost like they're plottin'."
"Vin and Ezra? Ain't nobody 'round here right now Ezra would waste a con on, and Vin don't con people." Nathan was puzzled by what Chris had just said.
"What do you mean, Chris?"
"Well, you notice that every once in a while you can catch 'em talkin', but when you walk up they stop and ask somethin' totally off the wall? They just look like they're up to something." Chris couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it was almost as if Vin was doing something both he and Ezra knew Chris wouldn't like. It was beginning to drive the former gunslinger crazy. He had this feeling that something was going on right under his nose, but he had absolutely no clue what it was.
It really irked him that for once he couldn't tell what Vin Tanner was thinking. Usually, it only took a look, maybe a word, or even a gesture, and Chris would know immediately. Lately, however, he saw something lurking behind those expressive blue eyes that indicated that Vin was doing something that he didn't want his friend to know about. What really got Chris was that Vin knew that no matter how curious he was, Chris wasn't the type to butt into someone else's business. Vin was using that to his advantage right now. Vin knew Chris wouldn't ask because that would open him up to questions from Vin. Fair was fair, and Vin Tanner would consider it his right to ask Chris about something Chris didn't necessarily want to discuss with anyone if Chris started questioning what Vin did. So he would just give Chris a blank look whenever Chris just happened upon any discussion Vin and Ezra were having.
Josiah looked pensively at Chris patiently waiting for the usually quiet man to get whatever it was bothering him out in the open. Chris Larabee wasn't much in the habit of talking to people about how he felt or what he thought, but Josiah knew him well enough to know that this was really bothering him. Chris trusted Vin like he would his own brother, and he was beginning to trust Ezra just as much. For Chris to voice his concern that the two were up to something must mean that there was something that Josiah had apparently missed. Josiah trusted Chris's instincts implicitly, and his own even more. He looked over at Nathan to see that even the healer had noticed something.
"What is it, brother?" Josiah encouraged Nathan's opinion.
"Well, I noticed them lookin' at a map the other day, but Vin just folded it up when I walked up. They kinda hemmed and hawed when I asked what they were lookin' at."
"Really?" Josiah was intrigued now.
So was Nathan for that matter. "You think Buck or JD might know?
"One of them might know where Vin and Ezra are goin' this mornin', but I doubt they know any more than we do. Let's keep quiet and see what happens. If they're up to somethin' I doubt if it's anythin' we can't handle, could be nothin' at all."
"Josiah's right, Chris. Let's wait and keep an eye on 'em. If you're worried that Vin's doin' too much, he's all healed from that gunshot to the liver. He's put back on most of that weight he lost, and so long as he don't go standin' in front of any more bullets, he should be fully recovered by now, and Ezra's already back to where he was 'fore he was shot."
Chris nodded at his two friends. He knew they were just as protective of the other members of their group as he was.
"Then, we'll just keep an eye out and see if we can figure out what those two are up to."
Josiah gave his leader a knowing look, "Makes you nervous, them two schemin' together?"
"Damn right!" Nathan and Josiah started laughing at Chris's succinct answer. He joined them as they walked over to the now opened hotel dining room for breakfast.
Vin and Ezra made good time as they rode to an area about five miles from town. The sun was just warming up after a cool spring evening. The area was singularly lacking in anything appealing. There was no water, no vegetation to speak of, and even less than a few insects. It was, in effect, deserted. Before time and weather had eroded it away, it had been part of a mighty outcropping of rock. Now it looked more like a solid overhang of rock that served as shelter from the harsh sun.
Few people had any reason to travel this way, so neither man was too worried about being discovered. They had told JD the night before that they would be gone most of the day. Then, they had both left the saloon heading in opposite directions to avoid answering any questions, answers that might get back to Chris. They weren't doing anything illegal, but they both had an idea that had been dancing around in their heads since an earlier and thoroughly unpleasant incident. Each man had been surprised that the other had had the same idea. However, as they had talked while Vin was recovering from the wound he had received months earlier protecting the Terrell twins, the idea had begun to take shape. They hadn't told anyone about it because Chris wasn't going to like it at all. Nathan and Josiah would probably side with Chris and voice their disapproval. Buck and JD, well they weren't sure about them, but they had decided to keep it between the two of them.
When all was ready and they were sure it would work, then Vin and Ezra would tell the others. Maybe. Then again, maybe they would wait until an opportunity arose and they could demonstrate their idea. It really was a very good idea, one that would prove quite handy when facing great odds. The seven men had faced terrific odds time and again, but Ezra had pointed out to Vin that one day the odds would not fall so favorably on their side. They needed something that could be used in just such a case, and Vin had agreed with Ezra. He had seen too many good men lose their lives when Lady Luck turned her back on them.
Vin had chosen this spot near the overhanging rock where there was one lone and very dead tree. It had petrified over the years, but it made a good hitching post for the two horses. The rocky overhang was to their right, almost behind them. It would serve to redirect part of the sound away from the town for what the two had planned.
"I trust, my friend, that we are far enough from civilization that we will not be discovered and bring the wrath of Mr. Larabee down upon our heads?" Ezra was half-kidding and half-serious.
Vin looked over at Ezra and grinned. It made his eyes twinkle in merriment as he answered, "They might hear somethin' but not enough to cause anyone to come lookin'. You able to get past Chris without him seeing you?"
"I assure you, I am quite adept at exiting any structure without detection, unlike some people with whom I am acquainted." Ezra sighed, and raised an eyebrow in mock sincerity as Vin scowled at him.
"One time I get caught, and y'all are never gonna let me live it down." Vin waited for Ezra to throw in that this would be the last time one of his friends would remind him how he'd fallen asleep on the bench outside the saloon after he'd snuck out of the hotel. He had thought that he had been so clever that night, but he'd been concentrating so hard just to get across the street, that he never noticed Nathan watching him. However, Ezra didn't look like he was going to let Vin off the hook so easily.
"Oh, you are referring to your unfortunate accident when the twins were here. I was referring to the time you decided to visit Mrs. Wells when you had that nasty abscess." Ezra's gold tooth flashed in the sunlight as he grinned at Vin.
Vin decided he could join his companion's good mood, or he could slow their growing friendship by getting angry. Once he thought about, it really was funny. Here he was the best tracker in these parts, and he couldn't manage to shake his own friends long enough to get some peace and quiet. He shook his head and laughed as he tossed the bag he was carrying to Ezra.
"Shut the hell up, and get the stuff out. I'll get my rifle."
The now laughing gambler caught the bag with exaggerated care. "It will be my pleasure, Mr. Tanner."
Vin waved Ezra off as he took his rifle from his saddle. "What'd ya want to start with?"
While Ezra and Vin were busy putting their scheme into action, JD was looking for Chris. He found him in the hotel finishing breakfast with the other members of their group. Buck had joined them shortly after they had entered the hotel. He was regaling the other men with tales of the exploits the day before out at the Darcy spread. Chris signaled the waitress to get JD's breakfast as he pushed out a chair for him as JD approached.
"Lord, you should have seen the way she carried on. That little mare was bound and determined that ole' Tom Darcy wasn't gonna ride her, much less put that saddle on her. He was ready to call it quits, when Ezra pipes up. He bets ole' Darcy that Vin and JD can have her broke and ready to ride in an hour."
"That the same horse Casey's been wantin'?" Nathan had been present the day Casey had described the beautiful blood bay mare.
"You win the bet, JD?" Chris was enjoying the story.
"Nah, that wasn't the bet. Ezra asked for Mr. Darcy to let me buy it for half what he wanted. He said he wasn't much of a gamblin' man. 'Cept he was so sure no one could break her if he couldn't, that he said if me or Vin could ride her within the hour, we could have her."
Since JD's breakfast had arrived, Buck took the tale up again. "Yeah, Darcy said that there wasn't a horse he couldn't break and told JD and Vin to have a go at her. Ezra started taking' bets from the cowhands."
Nathan snorted, "That man'll go to his grave gamblin'."
"Yeah, but is he good at it!" Josiah winked at Nathan. They all started laughing.
When the laughter had died down, Chris nodded to Buck to continue. "You shoulda seen 'em. Vin walked up to that mare talking real low and slow. She went right to him, and he motioned to JD to bring the blanket. Vin just kept talkin' to her, an' then he let JD start doin' the same, all the while lettin' her sniff them and the blanket. She stood real still when JD slipped it on her back."
"I knew Vin had a way with horses, but JD, when'd you start developin' this talent?" Chris looked over at the youngest member of their group.
"Think he's been holdin' out on us, brother?"
"Ah Josiah, I worked with horses back in Boston. Vin's the only one who ever asked if I could do anything with 'em but ride 'em."
"Well, well, we're gonna have to keep a closer eye on you JD. Got any more surprises we should know about?" Chris grinned to make sure JD knew he was being teased. He beamed at Larabee's next statement. "So how long before the two of you swindled Darcy out of his mare?"
Buck had to continue the tale. He was fairly bursting with pride over the exploits of his two young friends. "Vin got the saddle on her and then just mounted real easy like. That little mare walked around that corral like she'd been carrying people all her life. Then Tom says he'd expect someone who lived with Indians to be able to sweet talk that mare, but what about a city boy? Hell Chris, it'd taken all of 15 minutes 'fore Vin rode that mare. Vin just smiled and got down. He handed the reins to JD, and JD jumped up on that little mare quicker 'n lightnin'."
"I take it JD made Darcy eat crow?" asked Chris.
"Eat crow, hell, Darcy ate crow and Ezra collected almost thirty dollars from three of the ranch hands dumb enough to bet."
"Was Darcy mad?" Nathan was worried about any future retaliation.
"Mad? Nathan, he was so impressed, he asked Vin and JD to come back and help break the rest of the horses. When they offered to pay Darcy for that mare, he just said if they'd help break the other ten he had, he'd consider them even. Even Ezra promised the first round of drinks were on him the next time the hands come into town. Everyone was just as happy as could be."
"Not everyone was happy, Buck." JD spoke up then.
"Sure they were, kid."
"What do you mean, JD?" Chris was always alert to any potential danger.
"Yeah, everyone was havin' a good time. Who wasn't? Someone say somethin' to you?" Buck hadn't heard any negative comments.
"Well, this one guy who lost money to Ezra kinda gave Vin a dirty look and made some comment about him bein' an Indian lover."
"Which one?" Buck had totally missed this exchange. "I didn't hear that. What'd Vin say?"
"Ah, you know, Vin just stared at the guy until he shut up and walked off. TJ and Ezra saw it, and Ezra asked Mr. Darcy who he was."
"Who was he JD?" It was Josiah showing concern now. They knew most of the men who worked for Tom Darcy and knew the man was fair and didn't tolerate nonsense from anyone.
"Mr. Darcy said he was just a drifter who needed a job. Said he knew the man came from Dodge City, but didn't know much else. Said he kept to himself mostly."
"Get a name for him?" Chris wanted to know as much about this man as possible. You never knew when some bounty hunter would show up and in what disguise.
"Name of Jim Gregson. You know him?"
"Never heard of him. Vin say anything about him?"
This was news to Buck. "Vin didn't say anything, but he hardly ever does. Does he even know how to complain?"
That cracked everyone up. Vin could complain loudly, and colorfully, too. They all remembered trying to keep him down until Nathan said he was healed from that gunshot wound to the liver. Chris shook his head and issued a short order.
"Keep an eye out, JD. I want to see what this guy looks like, ok?" JD nodded, then remembered why he was looking for Chris.
"Oh, 'fore I forget agin, Vin and Ezra said they needed to go out and wouldn't be back till late."
"Saw 'em leave this morning. Know where they went?"
"Didn't really say Chris. I figured they told you, so I didn't push it when they didn't tell me when I asked. Should I have asked again?" JD looked worried. He hated to disappoint Larabee.
"No," Josiah answered for Chris. "Our fearless leader here is worried 'bout what those two are up to."
"Ezra and Vin up to somethin'?" Now JD was really confused. Buck wasn't.
"So, you been noticin' how those two have been lately? They surely look like they're up to somethin'."
"That's what he's afraid of." Nathan nodded in Chris's direction.
"Vin and Ezra wouldn't do nuthin' wrong!" JD was indignant.
"Didn't say they were gonna do anything wrong, said they were schemin' something." Buck threw a knowing look to the others.
"Why would them schemin'," JD threw a thoroughly disgruntled look at Buck, "upset you, Chris?"
"Don't upset him, kid. Just causes ya to wonder what they're up to." Nathan winked at Josiah.
"Huh? Vin wouldn't do nuthin' wrong, and Ezra wouldn't even ask him." JD still couldn't believe that Chris would doubt Vin, and Ezra had proven over and over that he could be trusted.
"JD, I said I thought they were schemin' somethin', not hatchin' some evil plot." Chris had JD's immediate attention. "But what makes you think Vin is such a good man that he couldn't do somethin' wrong?"
"But, Chris, he's your friend, so's Ezra!" JD was almost speechless.
"I ain't sayin' they're doin' any wrong. I just asked you why you thought Vin was so innocent. He's a man, JD. A man can do wrong and still be a good man."
"Yeah, but Chris, Vin's got the same code of honor as you." JD stopped as he remembered something.
"He's got a code of honor; but, JD, his code of honor is his own, like we all have our own way of lookin' at what's right. JD?" Chris realized that he had lost the kid's attention. "JD, where'd you go to?"
"Uh, well, uh," JD couldn't seem to answer.
"Well boy," Buck slapped JD on the back to help him out, "spit it out. What's got you flustered all of a sudden?"
"I ain't flustered, Buck. I just remembered somethin'."
"What is it?" Josiah intentionally lowered his voice to a soothing tone.
"Well, 'fore they left, Vin took some stuff outta that bag that had the powder man's stuff in it." He wasn't ready for the explosion from Chris.
Slapping his hand down on the table, Larabee hissed, "I knew it! I just knew they were up to no good!"
"Now Chris, it don't mean they're up to somethin'." Nathan was trying to calm Chris down. Even Josiah looked worried now, but it was Buck who first thought of what had made Chris so angry. For some reason Chris rated dynamite right up there on his list with people who called him cowboy. Buck knew why, but no one else did.
"You don't think, nah Chris, they wouldn't, would they?"
"What kinda plan would need dynamite?" JD answered his own question. "You don't think they're out to rob a bank, do you?" Poor JD didn't know whether to be excited or appalled. Why else would Vin and Ezra want explosives if not to blow something up? Something like a locked door or a bank vault.
"I don't think we should continue this conversation here, do you?" Josiah turned a pensive eye on their leader. The man in black, anger emanating from his very clothes, stood up abruptly and stalked out. He was headed for the jail. The curious people in the hotel and on the street took one look at his face and got out of Larabee's way. The rest of his men followed without a word, Buck being the only one who had a clue as to why Chris Larabee would be so angry with two of the men he trusted with his life. Josiah and Nathan were beginning to get a clue, but JD was still lost in all the possibilities.
JD was the last to go in the jail and watched in silent wonder as Chris emptied the contents of the late powder man's bag on the table of the desk.
"What all did they take, Chris?" Josiah asked hoping to deflect some of the pent up rage oozing from the gunslinger's very pores.
"Just the dynamite, right, Chris?" Buck knew exactly what they had taken.
Chris was just too angry to answer. He knew something was going on when Vin and Ezra had produced dynamite to stop the gang intent on kidnapping the Terrell twins, but he thought that his two powder men had lost interest in their new toys. He should have known better.
Ezra seemed to have an affinity for things that went boom, and Vin had always seemed just as fascinated, even appreciative of Ezra's talents in that sphere. What they were up to he could only guess, but he knew what he was going to do to them if what he thought proved to be true. He'd always known his two friends had more in common than anyone thought, but he'd always hoped their obvious differences would keep the deadly potential their similar minds possessed at bay. He looked at Buck, and the look on his face caused his oldest friend to burst into laughter. Vin and Ezra had managed to unleash the lethal explosive of Chris Larabee's tightly controlled temper. All hell was about to break loose, and Buck planned to be there to witness the fireworks. Vin and Ezra had never been scared of Larabee, but they had always respected the man enough to never push him too far. They'd done it this time, though. It was going to be a pleasure to see how the two, especially Vin, reacted to being on the other end of Larabee's anger. This was going to be good.
"Let's go get the horses saddled, Nathan."
Josiah, sensing that two of the seven would soon need the help of a higher power, offered to get the supplies. His departure with Nathan and Buck was stopped when Chris didn't respond. The three men turned at the door to see a wide-eyed and open-mouthed JD staring at the black clad gunman. JD didn't know whether to ask what was going on or to follow the others to certain safety. Chris's temper finally found release in words, and JD stood where he was fascinated by words he'd never heard used quite that way before. Larabee was threatening to do stuff to Vin and Ezra with dynamite that JD didn't think was possible, but he made a mental note to see just how many things Chris would be successful at. It would be educational, and Buck was always telling him to pay attention and learn. The other three started laughing at the colorful language pouring out of their leader.
"Who was it said Chris don't say more 'n two words a day?" Buck finally got the gunman's attention.
Josiah answered Buck's question with another question, "We goin' after 'em?"
"No, let's wait and see what story they have for us when they get back." Chris had a grin on his face like a cat that had just finished off a bowl of heavy cream. "That is if Nathan don't have to sew some fingers and toes back on."
"Sew 'em up? I ain't sewing nothin back on them two idiots blow off themselves!" Nathan was just as angry as Chris was. Why any sane person wanted to play with dynamite was beyond him. He had seen too many men disfigured and dismembered by explosives during the war. He would help Chris with Vin and Ezra when they got back. That con man had better be up to some real fancy talking if he was going to keep Vin and himself out of trouble.
"C'mon, let's go to the saloon." Josiah and Buck made way as Chris finally led the way out of the door. Larabee stalked toward the saloon heedless of anyone or anything in the street. Nathan and JD closely followed him. Buck and Josiah looked at one another and grinned.
I wouldn't want to be those two."
"Me neither, brother. Me neither." Josiah shook his head as Buck waved him through the door before him.
If only Vin and Ezra had known what kind of hornet's nest they'd stirred up, they might not have been so loath to quit while they were ahead. Blissfully unaware that a whirlwind named Larabee was waiting in town for them, they kept practicing their latest brainstorm.
It was noon when Ezra pulled the last stick of dynamite back as far as the slingshot would allow. He launched the stick of TNT into the air. As it completed its arc in the air above the rocky ground and started its descent, Vin followed it until it was at least eight feet from the ground. He gently squeezed the trigger and felt the recoil of the rifle. Both he and Ezra smiled in satisfaction as the bullet triggered the dynamite's explosion exactly six feet above the ground.
"Excellent shot."
The tracker smiled in pleasure. Both men were tired and covered in dirt and sweat, but they were both elated their plan had worked so well. It would be a definite advantage in reducing the odds against them should the need ever arise.
"It really is a good idea, ain't it?" Vin looked over at Ezra. "It just might save our lives one day." They walked toward their horses. Ezra untied the reins and let them drop to the ground. The horses had actually been rather calm throughout the entire time, so Ezra wasn't worried they would try to bolt now. Vin slid his rifle in place and followed Ezra as he walked back to pick up the bag in which they had carried the dynamite. The horses followed a few steps and stopped to gnaw on the few patches of dried grass sticking up from the ground.
"I agree, my friend. Surely big brother won't yell half as much when he sees how effective this is and just how excellent a marksman you are." Ezra had taken to occasionally referring to Chris as 'big brother' ever since the Terrell incident. He didn't use the appellation often and only in front of Vin when the two of them were doing something they knew would worry the older man. It was a private little joke that not only bonded them but also showed the respect and affection they both felt for Chris Larabee.
"Well, at least he might not shoot us." Vin turned to see if Ezra appreciated his joke. He was rewarded with a grin as big as his own was. Vin was really getting a feel for this strange family he'd stumbled upon ten months ago. He actually liked the idea of having brothers, even if they were brothers brought together initially through pure chance. He noticed Ezra's grin fade just a bit. The gambler was thinking about something.
"What?" Vin knew Ezra had had another idea just by the look in his eyes, but he never got to ask what it was when they heard a yell followed by a tremendous explosion to their right.
"Ezra, run!"
They both reacted as quickly as they could, but they couldn't outrun the wall of rocks and debris that came crashing down upon them from the overhang of rock. They got as far as behind several large boulders when they were knocked down and covered with rubble and rocks. The horses had managed to outrun the wall of rubble and ran for all they were worth back to the safety of the town.
Tom Darcy, Jr. was just fourteen years old. He was an only child, but unspoiled by parents who knew how to combine love with discipline. He was a decent kid as kids go; he reminded the seven of a very young JD. Full of exuberance and curiosity, he really was well liked by everyone. Right now, he looked at horror at the seen below him. He hadn't liked Gregson when he had first come by their spread asking for a job, but his father was a fair man who had given the drifter a chance. TJ, he had started using TJ after he had heard JD's use of his initials, had seen the man deliberately try to start trouble with Vin Tanner the day before. Vin and the other six men had helped his dad out when Lucas James had tried to take over the Darcy spread, so in TJ's eyes all seven men were heroes. Vin and JD did little to dispel that hero worship when they had tamed the mare not even his dad could.
Gregson had called Vin an Indian lover, but Vin was a good man. He never laughed at TJ or acted like he was too busy to answer the kid's questions whenever the kid had been near enough to his heroes and brave enough to talk to them. When TJ had seen Gregson take the blood bay mare his dad had given to JD and Vin, he had looked for someone to help, but no one was around. The kid had saddled his own horse and had ridden after the thief with only his righteous indignation and an old shotgun as backup.
It hadn't taken long for him to catch up and have his weapon taken away from him by the bigger man who was nothing more than a bully. Knowing he couldn't leave the kid as a witness, Gregson planned to take him a safe distance and then kill him. Besides, Gregson liked young boys, and TJ was handsome if somewhat small for his age. It was pure luck that took Gregson past the place where the men for whom he had formed an unfounded hatred were so involved with their task that they didn't notice they had company. The noisy explosions and the fact that Gregson and his captive had come up from the opposite side of the slope gave him the advantage.
Gregson had been unreasonably angered when Tanner had just returned Gregson's insult with a stare. In the time it took for Vin Tanner to size Gregson up with those penetrating blue eyes, Gregson's hatred for the Four Corners' peacekeeper had erupted. Then the fancy man who'd taken his money started questioning Darcy about him. Gregson didn't like too many questions asked. Someone might find out that the real Jim Gregson had been killed for his identity and his horse. Those two peacekeepers might discover that. Tanner might already know, his eyes having revealed to Gregson that he didn't like the man at all. Now was his chance to take care of those two once and for all. Too bad he couldn't spend some quality time those two pretty boys first. But, Gregson had the boy. He would make do with him.
Not thinking the frightened boy was any threat Gregson had just left him standing next to his horse, his hands tied in front of him. He'd seen what the two men were up to and had formed an immediate plan. A thief, Gregson had even stolen dynamite from the railroad before he had been discovered and fired. He pulled several sticks out of his saddlebags and proceeded to tie them together. He gleefully told TJ what he had planned. He would kill the two men in a rockslide and then, when he was through with the kid, Gregson would kill him and throw his body down into the rocky debris. Everyone would think that all three had been killed in the accident. No one would even think about Gregson until he was long gone and safe. It was a good plan and might have worked if TJ hadn't decided he would rather die than allow Gregson do what he'd threatened. While Gregson was busy planting the dynamite, TJ quietly took in the situation looking for anything to help him just like his pa and then Vin had told him if he ever found himself in a dangerous situation. TJ could see only one way to save himself and alert the men below him. When Gregson leaned over close to the edge to light the fuse, TJ had rushed him and shoved the man with all of his strength, yelling all the time. Gregson had slipped over the side as the dynamite exploded throwing TJ about four feet back in the air away from the falling rock. Gregson and the two men below appeared to be buried under all the rubble.
A very bruised and shaken boy now stood looking over the ledge. He just wanted his ma and pa. He certainly didn't want to remember that he had just killed a man, and that two good men might have been killed as well. He stumbled to his horse that hadn't bolted like the others and crawled into the saddle. Barely hanging on, he turned his horse towards his home and let it have its head. The horse high-tailed it for home, the boy barely staying in the saddle. He needed to get to his pa. TJ's pa would know exactly what to do. TJ never noticed the other two horses heading for town or the movement below him. He was too scared to even think someone might have survived the rockslide.
First a hand, then an arm emerged from under the debris. It flopped around aimlessly until it connected to a larger rock. The hand pushed at the rock but was unable to move it. The hand shoved feebly once more at the rock and then fell back to the rubble lifeless. There was no more movement until a few minutes later when a foot emerged from under the rock. It, too, moved shoving at some of the debris and rocks until more of the stuff shifted. The foot was buried again. Only the sound of a muffled cough interrupted the deadly silence. That stopped, and then there was no more sound or movement from the pile of rubble.
Just as TJ Darcy was riding hell bent for leather and yelling at the top of his lungs into the corral where he saw his father standing with a group of men, two horses were making their way back to the town livery. JD happened to be walking out of the jail when he saw the two riderless horses. They were soaked in sweat and covered with dirt and little pieces of rock. JD yelled for Buck and ran up to stop the spent and still frightened horses. Buck took one look at them and grabbed the reins of Vin's horse. Then, he took the reins of Ezra's horse.
"JD, Chris is over at the telegraph office. Go and get him now!" JD was off like a shot as Josiah and Nathan shoved their way through the gathering crowd. Everyone knew whose horses they were, and the people began to speculate in whispers, then louder until Buck turned around with a glare. He was about to yell at the crowd to shut up when Chris Larabee appeared. Without so much as a word and barely a glance from him, the crowd grew quiet and began to disperse. Only Mary Travis, Mrs. Potter, and Inez remained behind.
"Oh my God! What's happened to Vin and Ezra?" Mary knew that neither man would use his horse in such a fashion. She also knew that if they returned alone, two of her friends were somewhere else injured possibly dead. Mrs. Potter and Inez both moved closer to Mary as they waited to hear what anyone knew. Chris still hadn't said a word. He just stood there staring at the horses. Buck looked at his friend and saw the bleakness in the eyes he hadn't seen in almost a year. He was just as worried as the others, but he knew Chris needed him strong right now. The possibilities of what had happened were only too clear to the five men, but the women were at a loss to know what had befallen Vin and Ezra. Mary directed her gaze to Chris.
"Chris, do you have any idea, . . ." Buck cut her off before she could finish her sentence.
"They went out early this mornin'. They had some. . . ."
"We need to go find them!" Chris interrupted. He was fully in control as he started issuing orders. "JD, you and Buck take their horses to the livery. Saddle our horses and get a wagon hitched up. They may not be able to ride." He refused to think beyond injuries. The debris littered throughout the sweat on the horses and their fright reminded him of the horrors during the war when explosions from cannon fire left this same type of dirt and grime mingled with the smell of gunpowder, sweat, and fear. He shook his head to forget the memories of blood, missing heads, arms, and legs, and bodies ripped apart by the force of the explosions. "Nathan, get your supplies and some blankets. Inez, can you help Josiah look through Ezra's stuff for the map they were usin'? They might have marked where they were goin'. Mary?"
"I'll help you look through Vin's things. You think they might have run into some bounty hunters?"
Mrs. Potter looked distressed. Vin was always so nice to her and the children, especially since her husband's murder. "Oh dear, you don't think they've taken Mr. Tanner and Mr. Standish?" She was very worried. "I know a lot of the town folk would be willing to help out if that's so. They're all real fond of Mr. Tanner and Mr. Standish."
Chris smiled at her. He didn't know if the town folk were all that fond of his two friends or scared of them, but he did know that both men had a way of making people feel at ease when they wanted to. Vin's shy politeness and Ezra's southern charm went a long way to make most of the women in town adore the two men while their lack of pursuit of the married ladies and younger daughters left the men thinking they were much safer to have around than Buck. Regardless, Chris thought it would be much safer and friendlier if the town's residents didn't know that they had two men who were missing because they were out playing with dynamite. That didn't bode well for future harmony. Chris refused to think that his friends might be dead. He couldn't handle losing any more family, and that is exactly what they were.
Vin was the younger brother he'd always wanted, and Ezra? Hell, even Ezra was growing on Chris. The more he knew him, the more he realized that Ezra and Vin were really a lot alike. Vin covered his need to belong to a family with his shyness and loner attitude. Ezra covered his with his aristocratic demeanor. Both men, however, covered up the fear that they would eventually end up as lonely as they had always been by acting like they didn't need or want others around. Chris knew it was a defense mechanism much like he had developed to keep the pain away.
If you didn't let a person close to you, then the pain wouldn't be so bad when they left you. But Chris was learning that no matter how hard you tried to keep your heart free from the pain of losing someone, the heart didn't always pay attention to what the mind said. He had learned the hard way that he had to decide was his life better off with him not knowing these people, or were they worth taking the risk and caring about them. Mary and Billy, Vin, Ezra, and the other four men were worth the risk. So, Vin and Ezra had better be okay because Chris was planning to kill them both slowly for causing this pain that was threatening to engulf his heart. He jerked back to reality and looked at the concerned woman.
"Let's find them first, Miz Potter. If we need help, we'll certainly ask the town for it." Some brave people who had ventured closer heard these words and nodded to Chris. It made him feel a little better knowing that the town truly did appreciate the seven men and would be willing to help out if necessary. He acknowledged their concern with a touch of his forefinger to his hat. It reminded him of the two missing men. Just wait until he got hold of them. They'd better have every one of their fingers and toes still attached to their bodies, or else!
He took Mary by the arm, and they went in search of a map that might give them more information where the two men were instead of just the general direction in which they went. Chris knew Vin like the back of his hand, and he wouldn't put it past the wily tracker, or the clever gambler for that matter, to have changed directions once they got out of sight from the town. 'Big Brother', Chris had heard Ezra refer to him as that when Ezra and Vin had thought it was safe. Surprised that they were calling him that and not one of the others, Chris found he actually liked the reference. At least he had come to like it when he discovered that the two actually thought of him that way. After all, it was a big brother's responsibility to take care of the younger ones.
Well, big brother needed a starting place from which to track the two. He had to think where they would have gone to hide the sound of the explosions, yet stay close enough to the town in case there was trouble. If they were going to call him big brother, then they were just going to have to live the privileges a big brother naturally had over the younger ones. Big brothers had the right to make the younger brothers' lives miserable if they did something stupid. Chris liked the idea of torturing Vin and Ezra; he really thought this big brother stuff was a very good idea. As he and Mary started looking through Vin's possessions, he refused to feel guilty invading the quiet tracker's privacy. Privacy was another thing younger brothers who were prone to trouble forfeited.
Vin didn't have a lot, and after about ten minutes, Mary found the map. It was sitting under the book and tablet with which she had been teaching Vin to read and write. She tried to hide it, but Chris took one look at it and grinned a perfectly evil grin. Mary blushed a bit and lowered her eyes to the map she spread open on the bed. Chris knew immediately why he had been seeing Vin and Mary together almost every day now. Here was another piece of the enigmatic tracker's life to which Chris Larabee now had claim. How had Vin kept his inability to read and write from everyone? And why would he bother? Chris didn't think any less of him, but that was Vin's way. He was probably embarrassed by it, and Chris was determined to milk it for all it was worth when he found Vin and Ezra. Vin deserved to suffer and so did Ezra. Chris planned to send a telegram to Maude as soon as he found the pair. Between what he knew Maude would do to Ezra and the ammunition this bit of knowledge provided him with, neither man was ever going to live this dynamite episode down for a very long time. Just that thought alone made Chris feel better as he leaned over to look at the map. He still held the tablet in his hand. It was as if the large, carefully printed letters made him feel closer to the tracker. Chris felt no guilt at all. Maybe Vin had written something down that would let him know where Vin and Ezra had gone.
"It might help, if I knew what I was looking for, Chris." Mary was desperately trying to avoid any embarrassing questions about the reading and writing lessons. She knew Chris had noticed that she and Vin had been meeting every day for the last few months, but she felt it wasn't her business to tell Chris about Vin's 'Achilles' heel'. She peeked up at the man she was seriously considering as a father for her son Billy. He was worried and angry at the same time. That could only mean that either Vin was up to something he knew Chris wouldn't like, or that Chris felt guilty about what had happened. She was praying for the first choice. She didn't like the way Chris took so much blame onto his shoulders. It wasn't good for him or for the relationship they were building.
She put a hand on his and looked at him. "They will be all right. No matter what has happened, you will find them and they will be alive and safe." Chris looked at her. She made him feel there wasn't anything he couldn't do. Sarah used to have the same effect on him. Mary deserved to know what was going on. Vin and Ezra were her friends, too.
"We know they were headed out this morning to do something with the dynamite they took from the powder man's case."
"Dynamite? What on earth do they need dynamite for? Are you telling me those two have probably blown themselves up? I'll kill them. If they aren't already dead, I'll kill them for scaring the life out of us!" God, he really did care more than he wanted to admit about this woman. She thought just like he did.
"We don't know what happened, but from the looks of this map, I think I know where they are." Chris pointed to spot on the map. "This is the only place where they could blow something up without being heard or destroying the land too much."
"Do you think?" Mary just couldn't go on. The possibilities were just too many and too horrible to even consider.
"I am hoping that they spooked the horses and are walking back hot, tired, and thinkin' up some really good excuses to give us." Chris didn't want to think of all the other things that could have happened if they were doing what he thought they were. Only those two would think it was a good idea.
Chris had no idea that while he was in town trying to find a place from which to start the search that Tom Darcy was trying to get a coherent explanation out of his terrified and exhausted son. It would be another half-hour until both search parties would set out, one hoping against hope that they would find them alive. Chris didn't know that Darcy had dispatched a man to explain to him what had happened. He also had no clue that the two men in question were buried under a pile of rock and debris through no fault of their own.
There was movement once more by both the hand and the foot. It had been almost three hours since the blast that had brought down the overhanging rock. It was two o'clock in the afternoon, and the sun was at its hottest point. Sound accompanied the movements of both hand and foot. The rock that the hand had tried to move so feebly right after the blast was finally moved to the accompaniment of several grunts and groans. Without its encumbering load, another arm, then two shoulders, and a head appeared. Vin had been knocked face down into the debris. It was the only thing that kept him from suffocating on the dirt and rocks that could have clogged his air passages and suffocated him. As it was the debris consisted mostly of different sized rocks. The dirt was really minimal compared to that. That was another reason he hadn't suffocated by now.
The debris shifted, and Vin slowly pulled himself free of his burial mound. He remembered Ezra, and frantically started tearing at the rocks and the dirt with his scratched and filthy hands. He refused to allow the pain and dizziness to stop him.
"Ezra! Ezra!" The rubble around him shifted again and this time he saw the foot move again. It was on his right side, and from its position, Vin realized that Ezra had also been knocked face down. He estimated where he thought Ezra's head was, and he began to attack the dirt and rocks with his hands. He found the problem almost immediately. Ezra had fallen between Vin and the big boulders they had barely made it to before the rocks and debris of the blast had overtaken them. He looked like Vin felt; but like Vin, he was alive. Barely. Vin had fallen partially on top of Ezra, and until he moved, Ezra was just as trapped as Vin had been. The two men looked at one another after Vin finally extricated Ezra from their would be tomb. Both were covered with dirt that had dried to give them each a pale, grayish complexion. Vin's left eye was almost swollen shut. Ezra's right eye looked exactly like Vin's swollen eye. Their hands were badly scratched. If they looked under their clothing, they would both find that their knees had taken quiet a beating. In fact each would probably be one massive bruise in another couple of hours.
"Can you tell me what just happened to us?" Ezra seemed unable to recall the exact events that had occurred to leave both men in such dire straits.
"I think I saw that wrangler from the Darcy spread. He yelled right before that overhang came rumblin' down on us."
"That mendacious bastard tried to kill us, didn't he?"
Vin would have nodded, but his head hurt too much to do it. For once, talking was easier. "Almost did, too. At least we're here, an' he ain't nowheres 'round."
Ezra acknowledged the validity of Vin's statement with a satisfied grin that turned instantly into a grimace as the muscles on the right side of his face protested the movement.
"That had to hurt." Vin was sympathetic. He slowly turned his head to take in their surroundings with his right eye. Nothing, no one was around. The horses had bolted, and it would be dark in about three more hours. The rubble shifted again. Both men looked at one another.
"I believe we should extricate ourselves from this premature burial mound before it becomes permanent."
"Ezra, you ever say anything that don't sound like ya paid five dollars a word?"
"I said," Ezra was going to explain to his friend what he had meant when Vin cut him short.
"C'mon, let's get like you said." Vin managed a slight grin at Ezra's raised eyebrow, and the grimace that instantly followed it. He very carefully rose to his feet, testing to make certain everything was in working order. He hurt all over, but it still didn't stop his sense of humor. "I understood. I was just wonderin' if ya ever talked like normal folk?"
The gambler rose as carefully as Vin. "I shall never succumb to barbarism, my dear Mr. Tanner. Civilization is always present when one remembers one's language." Ezra paused. "If you are feeling in any way as battered as I, you have my sincerest sympathies."
Vin wrapped his arms around his middle as he started laughing. "Hell, Ezra, I feel like you look right now."
Ezra repeated Vin's movements and laughingly replied, "Then we must appear to be the two most miserable people in the world. Maybe that fact will deter big brother from killing us."
"I doubt it, but let's go on and get outta here."
They gingerly held on to one another, one supporting the other as they very carefully slipped and slid over the rubble and shifting rocks and debris. It took them almost twenty minutes, as they had to stop at brief intervals to adjust to the shifting rubble. They didn't need to fall and cause any more damage to their suffering bodies, but a fall or two was inevitable. They got up each time just as gingerly, trying to avoid the moans that would slip out occasionally. Both men tried to refrain from making sharp movements that might jerk them or force them to breathe too deeply. Breathing was a chore already in the hot, dusty air. There wasn't even a small breeze to cause the dirt they were inhaling to dissipate.
Finally, as they made it to ground that no longer moved under them, another big chunk of rock fell victim to gravity and caused yet another slide. Looking back, both men saw the area where they had been trapped. That area and the path they had just traversed had been covered yet again by the debris from the second slide. Vin and Ezra stumbled further away from the slide before they slowly sank to the ground to try and recover. At least Chris had gotten his wish. Their big brother wasn't aware of his small victory, but Vin and Ezra were thoroughly miserable wishing they had never begun this little adventure. They hurt all over, and they were exhausted, filthy, wet from sweat, and parched. It wasn't until they sat down upon the hard ground that they began to assess their injuries in earnest. Their hands looked as if someone had deliberately tried to scrape the skin off and appeared a raw, ugly red. Bruises were certain to follow. There was no blood, however, because no matter how badly scraped they were or how badly they hurt, the skin had not actually been broken.
The sun was rapidly going down, and Vin knew that they would not fare well if they waited until morning. They had to chance walking back to Four Corners in the dark. Neither man felt up to it. Vin was hindered as much as Ezra by the injuries they had sustained. None were bad, but there were so many minor injuries that even the mere act of breathing was uncomfortable. The fact that they hadn't broken any ribs didn't mean much as they both realized they had badly bruised them. If they stayed out in the night elements, they could end up battling the chills or worse, pneumonia. There was no wood from which to build a fire, and they only had their weapons they had been carrying when the rockslide had hit. Vin's rifle was in the scabbard on his saddle, but he had his mare's leg. Ezra had his gun and derringer nothing else. They'd lost their hats; their clothes, especially their coats were torn in different spots. Neither man had any idea that there were in fact two rescue parties already half way to their present location. As far as Vin and Ezra knew, the only man who knew exactly where they were was buried under the full load of rubble from two rockslides. They had not seen young TJ, and they had been too far away to recognize the kid's voice. Their would be murderer lay dead under the burial mound he had tried to create for the two peacekeepers.
Ezra was the first to break the silence. "Did you perchance let slip our destination to JD this morning?"
"I wish now I had, Ezra, but you heard what I told him. Even if they wanted to look for us, no one would know where to start."
The gambler sighed. "That was my supposition as well. You are saying then that we are going to have to walk back to Four Corners?"
"Walk or crawl, we ain't got no one that knows where we are. If we're gonna get back home, we're gonna walk. It's gonna be up to us to get outa here. All's I know is we can't stay here. To stay here is to die. You up to it?" Ezra's answer was a nod then a question.
"Can 'you' make it, Vin?"
"Question is can 'we' make it, Ezra?"
"Well, since I cannot under any circumstances return to face Chris without you, 'we' shall make it."
"Yeah, like he's not gonna have my hide if I get back without you. I guess we're in this one together." Vin put his hand out to shake Ezra's, but they each took one look at the other's hands and jerked both hands back. "Aw hell, we ain't gonna be doing much of anything for a while."
"That, my friend, is an understatement. Shall we follow this facsimile of a trail?"
"Well, if you're game, we can go 'bout a mile south 'fore we turn back east to town. There's a small stream where we can get some water and rest. Then it's bout 3 an' a half miles to town from there."
Ezra was game. "Anything that gives us less to walk and some water as well is all the incentive I need, Mr. Tanner. As my former colonel would say, 'Onward', my friend."
Vin matched Ezra's positive attitude with one of his own. "That mean the same as let's go?"
"My, my, your vocabulary has increased at an astonishing pace since our acquaintance, Vin. I feel just like a proud older brother."
Vin snorted and with a flourish that cost him a matching grimace in sympathy from Ezra, he waved his imaginary hat towards the south and the necessary water. Neither Vin nor Ezra had any idea that they would pass almost exactly a mile between their friends and Darcy's men. Both search parties would miss them. If it had been daylight, it would have been easy to spot two men on foot, but even in the moonlight, two men on foot would be invisible at a distance of a mile. No tracks would be spotted leading south until morning. The cold, anxious night would serve only to fuel the despair in the hearts of five men and one young boy.
Chris and the other four men from Four Corners reached their destination to find half of the rock structure piled upon the ground. Darcy and his men had reached the area shortly before the rest of the seven. Lisa Darcy sat on the wagon seat with her arms wrapped around the blanket that surrounded her exhausted son. There were lanterns placed at different spots around the rubble, and men used to herding cattle and breaking horses were holding numerous shovels and several pickaxes in their gloved hands. TJ started when he saw Chris Larabee leading the rest of his heroes. He took a deep breath and started to speak, but his father beat him to it.
"Larabee, you get my message?"
Chris shook his head and dismounted as he strode toward Tom Darcy who had motioned the gunman away from his son. Buck, JD, and Josiah joined them while a torn Nathan succumbed to his calling. He went over to check on the battered boy, trusting in Chris and the others to fill him in as soon as possible.
"TJ saw that son of a bitch Gregson steal that mare I gave your boys here and went after the thief. We were all out on the range. The man kidnapped TJ. Threatened to, well it just ain't decent or normal what that animal threatened to do before he killed him. Then he caught sight of Tanner and Standish down here. TJ said the man was so intent on killing the two that he ignored him. TJ waited till the bastard was leaning over to light the fuse on the dynamite he had," Darcy paused to take a breath, a little frightened of the scowl on Larabee's face. When he realized it was directed at Gregson and not TJ, Darcy continued, "TJ says he rushed Gregson from behind yelling at the top of his lungs to warn the boys below. Fuse must have been awfully short cause it went off just as Gregson went over the edge. TJ got knocked backwards, and when he finally got back to the edge, everything was covered in rock. He was scared, but he said he didn't see anyone movin' 'fore he lit out for home. Boy's scared bad and thinks he's in a world of trouble since he couldn't save Tanner and Standish. He insisted we come out here and look."
Chris suppressed the rage and despair he felt. "Find anyone yet?" When Darcy shook his head no, Chris looked over where TJ sat, letting Nathan fuss over his bruises and split lip. TJ appeared to be telling Nathan the same story, since the healer looked over at Chris, despair written all over his face. Chris swallowed the lump that was threatening to choke him, and he patted Darcy on the back. "Let's go set that boy's mind at rest." The others, having heard everything, pulled out their gloves and took two pickaxes and a shovel out of their wagon to join the other men.
Josiah looked at Chris, "You go on over. We'll join the rest to see if we can find. . . ." He couldn't even bring himself to say the word out loud. Even Buck couldn't find anything to say to try and comfort Chris. The despair he felt threatened to overwhelm the normally fun-loving man. And poor JD was just speechless with shock. He'd been scared for his friends before, but there was no way he could see how Vin and Ezra could still be alive under all this rubble. He just wanted to sit down and cry, but he took his shovel and started toward the rubble. He straightened his shoulders and looked back at Josiah and Buck.
"I'm gonna move every rock I can till I find 'em. They didn't deserve this, and I ain't leavin' 'em here with the bastard that killed 'em."
Chris heard and turned to look at the youngest of their group. He was so proud of JD that he almost choked, but he didn't. He looked the man in the eye and spoke to him in a voice that was huskier than usual.
"Thanks, JD. Vin and Ezra would appreciate that. I do."
JD didn't puff up with pride, but tears formed in his eyes. He didn't trust his voice anymore, so he nodded to Chris and started back toward the rubble. Josiah and Buck, proud of their youngest, followed him. They would find their friends and give them the respectful burial they deserved. It wouldn't ease the pain in their hearts, but they would feel better knowing they had done right by their friends.
The short walk over to the young boy was one of the longest Chris had ever made. He knew he had to comfort this young man and convince him none of this was his fault, but Chris didn't know if he could. The situation looked hopeless. There was no way Vin and Ezra could have survived this long under all that rock and debris. He knew they would find their bodies beneath all of the rubble, just as dead as his childhood friend had been when they had pulled his body from under the rubble that day. It was back during the war when carelessness had caused ten men to die. He remembered Jake as clearly now as he had the day he died.
Jake had been his best friend since they were both seven. He had blue eyes, blonde hair, and a grin that knew mischief personally. Jake and Vin had a lot in common, but were still different as night and day. But both men had instantly found a way through the aloofness that hid Chris's vulnerable nature. But only Sarah and Vin had always seemed to know what Chris was thinking behind those cool green eyes. Very much like Buck's devil may care exuberance Jake's friendship had always been fun and full of boyish pranks.
Jake had joined the Union Army the same day as Chris, but his engineer father had arranged for Jake to work with him blowing up enemy bridges, train tunnels, and any Southern ammunition or supply depots. One of the men had gotten cocky, and Chris had watched from the cavalry unit as the train tunnel had blown prematurely. Jake had been one of the ten men Chris had drug from the rubble. The other dead men were tattered, torn, and mutilated, but Jake hadn't had a mark on him. Chris remembered that more than anything else, and he had hated dynamite and any man who was careless with it ever since.
If he hadn't had Buck's loyal friendship, Chris didn't think he would have gotten over Jake's loss. Buck had been there for him when Sarah and Adam had been murdered, too. Now Buck was here again, but Chris knew that Buck needed him just as much now. Vin and Ezra had been Buck's friends, too. They had been friends, no a family to all of the five men left behind. It was a small comfort to know that the rest of his family was here to help him grieve for their fallen two. They had to be strong in their grief for each other. JD was right. They had to find the bodies and give them a proper burial. If they hadn't been so sure that Chris would hate what they had been up to, would he be here now looking for their bodies? Were their deaths his fault, too? He couldn't dwell on that right now. He had to deal with TJ. The boy didn't deserve the guilt he had taken upon his shoulders.
"You okay, son?" TJ nodded yes. Chris continued, "I want to thank you for tryin' to help Ezra and Vin."
TJ jerked his head up and looked in disbelief at his hero. He'd heard all the rumors drifting around through the town about his past, but Larabee had always been honest and even gentle with him, so when Larabee spoke, TJ tended to believe him just as much as he believed in his parents. How could Larabee thank him? He'd only succeeded in getting three men killed; one deserved it, but Ezra and Vin didn't. Larabee spoke again.
"TJ, you did the only thing you could, son. Vin and Ezra wouldn't have wanted anything to happen to you. You understand? They would have done exactly what you did if they'd been in your shoes. What we need to know is what was goin' on before the explosion and rockslide. Can you tell us?"
TJ hesitated at first; but, once he got started, the words just spilled out of him. He remembered more now than when he had tried to get his father and the others to come with him and see if anyone was still alive. "You should have seen 'em, Mr. Larabee. Mr. Standish would shoot the dynamite into the air with a slingshot, and Mr. Tanner never missed a one. They exploded right where he wanted 'em. It really made that Gregson mad." TJ had almost forgotten; he was so caught up in the expert marksmanship of his hero.
Chris smiled to encourage the boy. 'That's what they had been up to! They were trying to use the dynamite and slingshot in a way to help even the odds.' It was dangerous, but Chris instinctively knew that Vin and Ezra had not been playing around. They had diligently been trying to find a way that would help keep their friends alive. The plan was simple but brilliant in its execution. Chris knew how good Vin was with a rifle. He knew that his friends had treated the dynamite as a tool, not a toy, and for doubting them he felt guilty. But he wasn't to blame for their deaths. This time it was some twisted horse thief who had no regard for anyone or anything but himself.
Chris turned his attention back to TJ. He looked over and saw Nathan was thinking exactly what he was. They had doubted their friends' intelligence. They should have known better, but even if they had known what was going on and any of the others had accompanied Vin and Ezra, Gregson still would have tried to cover up his crime. Then, Chris would be mourning more than two of his brothers right now.
"I tried to stop 'm, but that Gregson hit me. I didn't even see it comin'. Then he tied me up and started pullin' out dynamite and tellin' me what he was gonna do. I, he, uh, . . ." TJ didn't want to repeat what Gregson had threatened to do to him, what the monster had wanted to do to Vin and Ezra. It made him sick. He'd only understood a little himself when he'd told his dad, but is dad's reaction had confirmed what TJ thought Gregson had wanted.
Mrs. Darcy sent a pleading look to Chris and Nathan, and both men assured TJ they understood how he felt. "You did the only thing you could do, TJ. None of us would have done anything different." Nathan finished replacing the bandage TJ's mom had put on the gash above the boy's eye. "He'll be fine with some rest, ma'am. You want to get someone to take y'all on home, now."
"No!" TJ wasn't going anywhere right now. "I can't. I got to see this through." The adults all looked at one another. It was a shame that another boy had to grow up fast, but that was this territory. Its harsh rules took innocence and destroyed it quickly, but there were too many people who cared about him to let TJ become another victim. He had his parents and five other men to see to that personally. They would make certain he got through this, just like they would make certain they would all get through this. Chris hadn't realized until now just how many people in this area considered the Seven as part of their community. Vin and Ezra would be missed, but somehow they would all get through it together. That didn't ease the pain much, but it made Chris even more determined that the rest of his family would remain there for one another. The only consolation Chris had was that they hadn't died alone. They had died together, both doing something they thought would save lives.
If someone had told Chris in the beginning that the quiet bounty hunter would have gotten so close to the flamboyant gambler, Chris would have laughed in sheer disbelief. But, over the 10 months, Chris had come to know Ezra as well as he knew Vin. It hadn't been easy, but Chris had come to see the similarities in all the men. The one thing that held them together was the simple fact that they needed one another. They needed to know that they had a family, and each man had chosen this diverse group as his family. Now they had lost two of them, and Chris meant to see that their family held together. They would get through this together. Vin and Ezra would expect that of them. He was startled by the shout from the pile of rubble. Someone had discovered something or someone. Chris and Nathan rushed over. They didn't have to take a second look. It was Vin's hat. The men began concentrating on that one area. Chris looked over at TJ, and the boy pointed to where the two large boulders had been.
"They were runnin' to get behind those big boulders. You know the ones that used to be right about there." TJ motioned again with his finger, pointing to the spot where the boulders should be lying under all of the debris.
Men began picking up rocks and shoveling debris in that area. They discovered Ezra's hat next, but still there were no bodies.
"Hats can travel far when they ain't got a body attached in all that movement from a rockslide." Darcy looked at Chris. He really didn't know what to say to Larabee to ease his pain. His boy was alive, but it was at a price that Darcy knew was causing great pain to more than just this man. Even Darcy felt the loss. He'd really liked those two boys a lot. Hell, he liked every one of the Seven.
These seven men would never truly know that the people of Four Corners considered them to be true heroes. They constantly faced trouble head on, never asking for hero status or even believing they deserved it. The Seven did what they did because they knew it to be right, and they never rubbed anyone's noses in it. Darcy liked that, and he knew Larabee had lost more than some folks could live with, but here he was telling TJ that he'd done the right thing. Darcy knew that Larabee probably wanted to rip someone or something apart with his bare hands. The other men probably wanted to do the same, but here they were trying to find the bodies of their friends. If nothing else, they would give them a decent burial and show TJ just what the word friendship meant. It only made the men helping them more frustrated that they would only find bodies. Suddenly, there was another shout.
"We've found one of 'em!" One of Darcy's men had found a body.
Buck wanted to fall on his knees, throw his head back, and literally howl at the moon. He kept praying over and over, 'Please God, don't let it be them.' He didn't know that he'd begun to say it aloud until he felt an arm go around his shoulders. It was Josiah. His face told Buck all he needed to know. They were both praying for a miracle that somehow they would find their friends alive. Neither one felt like he could look at whose body it was alone, but as they felt JD, Nathan, and Chris move closer to them, they knew they could look together. The men who were digging the debris and carefully moving it to an area they had already gone through finally uncovered the body. It was bloody and torn, mutilated almost beyond recognition as the dynamite and rockslide had both torn up the body. Five men held their breath collectively until their eyes had traveled over the corpse. Finally, Chris exhaled slowly, and the others followed suit. It was Gregson. They could tell by the boots he wore. Buck gave a sloppy half smile to JD, and picked up his shovel. Josiah and the others weren't fooled, though. They knew Buck was still praying for miracles, but that was okay. They were praying for miracles, too. Their thoughts and prayers were interrupted shortly by the sound horses and at least one wagon coming.
Chris walked toward the sound as a wagon emerged from the darkness followed by several riders on horseback. Nettie Wells and Mary Travis sat on the wagon flanked by Casey and half a dozen men from town and led by Hank Sutton. He was the ranch hand Darcy had sent to bring the news to Larabee. Chris shook his head in disbelief as everyone dismounted and started pulling shovels, pick axes, and torches from the wagon. Ed Bradley, the livery owner, tipped his hat to Larabee.
"Thought you could use some help." Bradley pulled his gloves on and walked over to the pile of rubble. "We got coffee and food in the wagon. Some of you boys wanna take a break while we spell ya?"
"You bring any water?" One of Darcy's men asked that question.
Nettie Wells answered, "We got water and coffee. We even have some medicinal whiskey to pour over anybody's cuts." Chris grinned at that. He wondered if Nettie would believe he had a small cut inside his mouth. Mary caught his eye as the activity increased. She didn't say anything as Chris helped her down from the wagon; she just held on a little longer than usual when she got to the ground.
"We found Gregson's body, but we haven't found anything but their hats." Chris didn't need to mention whose hats they were. Mary wouldn't let go of his hands.
"What were they doing with the dynamite?" Chris smiled at her. She needed to know what their friends had been doing, and not just because she ran the newspaper.
"I think they were tryin' to find a way to help us out if we got stuck in a situation where seven just ain't a good number." Mary frowned not understanding. "They were tryin' to see if usin' dynamite could help even the odds. From what TJ says, they had a really good idea."
"You mean they just weren't playing around with it? They found a way to use it to help?"
"C'mon, I'll explain what I think while I'm helpin'." They walked together hand in hand toward the pile of rubble. Chris was explaining as they went. Some people, especially four men and one older woman, noticed their closeness and would have been pleased had they all not been so upset about Vin and Ezra.
Continued in Part Two
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