Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" T.V. series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide.
"What can I do for you?" The man named Samuel Betts smiled as the couple was shown into his office. They were a strange pair on first sight but no stranger than any of the other clients in his stable. The woman was extraordinarily pretty with her flaxen coloured hair and her eyes of polished steel. She appeared to be a lady in every sense of the word, refined and polished with just enough spark to appear intriguing and enigmatic. She swept into the room, like a breath of fresh air. Betts, who was not so old that he could not appreciate such loveliness, was very much taken by her as she was shown inside by Deets, his youthful clerk who would have been similarly disposed to the woman if it were not for her companion.
The man with her was of an entirely different calibre altogether. The eyes began studying the room closely almost as soon as he breached its wall. His piercing blue eyes moved over the confines of Betts' office with a watchmaker's precision, carefully noting everything, cataloguing it for future reference. Even though Eagle Bend was somewhat civilised, it was still apart of the Territory and Betts knew enough about the men who rode supreme within it to recognise that the stranger in his black clothes and hard expression was dangerous.
"Mr Betts," the woman smiled warmly, allowing the man to fade into the background as she took the initiative, a gloved hand extended in greeting as she approached. "I am so pleased to make your acquaintance."
"As I madam," he replied with the same heat, taking her hand in his before brushing it lightly against the gloved knuckle in the fashion so favoured by the continent. "Mr Deets tells me you have a matter of great urgency to discuss with me. How may I be of service?" He asked gallantly as he motioned her to sit and shifted his gaze long enough in the man's direction to make the same offer.
"My name is Mary Travis and this is my travelling companion, Mr Larabee." Mary introduced herself to the lawyer named Betts. Betts was in his late fifties, a man who once had a head of hair that was rapidly thinning into weak strands of grey. He met Mary's gaze with dark brown eyes through a pair of steel framed glasses through which he took in a less than appropriate view of her person.
"Please to meet you both." He repeated. "I take it you require some legal expertise?"
"Actually no," Mary returned. "I am in search of an old friend and I have reason to believe that you may have some idea as to where I may be able to find her."
"I see," Betts frowned despite himself, disliking any situation where information had to be disclosed. Lawyers were meant to keep secrets when it came to clients and though he knew he would have to refuse this charming young woman, he did not like having to do it since she was quiet fetching. "Who might this be?" He asked.
"I believe you know her as Ella Gaines." Mary revealed and watched the reaction on the man's change form warm to apprehensive in less than a second. Suddenly, his amiable manner shifted radically.
"I know of no such person." Betts said abruptly, stiffening in his chair at the mention of the name and confirming to both Chris and Mary that he knew more than his statement was meant to convince.
Chris watched Mary's demeanour shift also and she was so much better at it than Betts was. When she wanted to play tough, Chris could only marvel at how much tenacity she could display. He saw her straightening in her chair, her posture was erect so he knew that her dander was up and she was about to go on the offensive. Chris chose to remain in the background first, allowing her to soften the good lawyer and if she did not succeed, Chris would render his argument with a little more tenacity.
"Mr Betts," Mary said in a voice reserved for gunslingers and lawmen with strange ideas on how a woman should behave, "let us not do this dance. I know for a fact that you have acted on behalf of Miss Gaines during several business transactions over the last few years. Now I understand that you have to protect the confidentiality of your client but you must see that I mean her no harm."
"I know nothing of the kind madam," Betts retaliated, his gaze more focussed on Chris then it was on Mary at this moment. He was starting to become very conscious of the ivory handled peacemaker nestled in Chris' holster. "I do know that you have come here under false pretences. I do not believe for an instant that you are an acquaintance of this Miss Gaines, whoever she might be." He returned his attention to Mary once more.
"I have documented proof," Mary said reaching for the leather document pouch she had brought in with her. "If you wish to see them, I am more than willing to show them to you but I trust that won't be necessary. Mr Betts, at this point in time, I am assuming your complicity in this matter is just incidental. Do not force me to believe that your involvement in Miss Gaine's crimes is intentional."
This time Betts was taken unawares. Chris saw him blink and look up at Mary almost in surprise following her barrage of strong words. The man was not exactly stunned by Mary's allegation of criminal participation on his part but it did shake the rock hard foundation of his indifference. Betts' eyes met Chris again, this time the lawyer was scrutinising him in an entirely different manner than open veiled hostility. Betts was staring at him as if trying to decide if Chris' presence here was merely a tactic of intimidation or whether there was some yet undiscovered reason.
"I am unaware of being involved in any criminal activity." Betts replied, maintaining his facade of cool indifference.
"Mr Betts," Mary renewed her bombardment. "We know that you are the main broker of Miss Gaines business transactions. May I tell you why she is unable to conduct these affairs herself?" Mary glared at him, wondering if he had any idea what he was protecting behind his book of law and legal protocol.
"If you wish." He retorted, seemingly unconcerned but Mary could see it in his matter that he was reeling in shock that he might be aiding a known criminal.
"She has been linked to the murder of a young mother and her son." Mary said, hiding nothing and seeing Chris flinch slightly as that statement was made.
Betts reaction was more extreme. "Murder?" He stammered. When this woman had come forward with her talk of criminal activity, Betts had assumed some form of fraud or robbery on the part of his client. He had not expected murder.
"Yes, murder." She repeated. "She hired an assasin to burn down a house in the dead of night, while the child and mother were asleep in their beds. Now, she is responsible for the kidnapping of another child," Mary rose from her feet and leaned across the desk. "My child, Mr Betts. Now you will tell me all that you know."
Betts paused and Chris could see Mary's patience was at and end. He was about to intercede when Mary produced a gun from her purse. It was a small weapon, not much bigger than the derringer that Ezra carried at time but it had two bullets that would do the job as well as any six shooter. Chris was across the floor into lengthy strides as Mary aimed it in Betts' direction. The older man had fallen back in his chair, trying to scramble out of the way as his eyes widened at the sight of the weapon being brandished in his direction.
"Killing him ain't going to help Mrs Travis!" Chris grabbed her arm and shoved the hand holding the weapon in another direction, well away from Betts.
"If he doesn't help, Billy is dead anyway!" She protested, trying to wrench her arm free as she aimed again, this time the barrel was pointed at Betts' head, not his chest like before.
"She's insane!" Betts found himself against the wall. He had escaped his chair but found his back to a wall with nowhere to run.
"She ain't insane," Chris declared, struggling with Mary to keep her from pulling the trigger. "She just wants her son back! Gaines kidnapped him less than a week ago."
"She's going to kill him like she killed the others," Mary started descending into tears, her ruthless exterior giving way to despair as she struggled to be free of Chris' grip. "If this bastard won't tell us, he can die like Billy!"
"Mister, if you know something, I'd suggest you talk." Chris warned. "She's mighty protective of her kin. You should have seen what she done to the last man who tried to hurt her boy!"
"I don't know anything!" Betts said stubbornly, afraid but not yet prepared to give in to the belief that Mary might actually hurt him.
"Its no use!" Mary wailed, snatching her arm free from Chris and pulling the trigger on the weapon. The gun discharged with a loud burst of sound, sending papers scattering as it dug deep into the table inches from where Betts was seated. The man let out a short squeal of fright and ran to the corner of the room in a desperate bid to escape the line of fire.
"Oh my god!" He exclaimed, breathing hard as he saw the man in black's efforts to restrain the woman to be futile. She was fighting him and yet taking aim at Betts once more.
"Tell her something Mister!" Chris urged as he struggled to renew his grip on Mary's squirming person.
"I don't know anything!" He cried out. "She contacts me from a place called Willow End! Something called the Ranch! I've only met her face to face once. She used to be a whore and... and... I was her one of her clients. That's how she acquired my services! She's been blackmailing me to do her work because she threatened to tell my wife otherwise! I swear, that's al it is."
"He's lying!" Mary sneered, glaring at him angrily. "He's just trying to save his own skin by throwing us off!"
"No I swear, I'm not lying!" He emerged from his corner and hurried to one of his cabinets to pull open a draw. Rifling through its contents, he produced a folder, not like one Mary kept in her own office and spread it open across the desk to see. In it were several pieces of correspondence with the envelopes attached, indicating a return address. It was indeed from a place called the Ranch, in Willow End. "See?" He looked up at her, hoping it was enough to convince this deranged woman and her gun that he was speaking the truth. "There it is."
"I think that's enough." Chris winked at Mary with a faint smile.
"You think so?" She asked as she stopped struggling in his arm and appeared to be perfectly reasonable now.
"I think he's telling the truth." The gunslinger regarded Betts whose bewilderment was on the rise. "He's too scared of you Mrs Travis." Chris offered her a grin.
"Well the gun does make all the difference." She chuckled as she met his gaze and returned the weapon. "You certainly know how to get people to talk."
"I normally do this with Vin," Chris confessed, "he gets almost as good a result with his Bowie knife."
"I am in esteemed company."
Betts looked at them both in perfect astonishment, realising finally that he had been the victim of a ruse as the woman stopped her attempts to kill him and appeared as demure and refined as she had been when she first swept into his presence. "You tricked me." Betts managed to say; angry beyond description at being made a fool of.
"Yes we did," Chris nodded and then added with pure menace in his voice that made the earlier threat from the lady pale in comparison. "Do you want to make something of it?" He asked, focussing that high-powered gaze in Betts' direction.
In an instant, the lawyer knew that should the man before him take it in mind to kill him, it would be no ruse. The gunslinger did not have the appearance of someone who would take less than extreme measures and Betts had no wish to be on the receiving end of that predatory deliberation. "No." He swallowed visibly, understanding the danger he saw in Chris' eyes. "I just want you out of here."
"Mr Betts," Mary feeling a little guilty since it appear Betts was as much a victim as anyone else. "My son is indeed kidnapped and Ella Gaines has killed before. We did not wish to resort to these methods but it was absolutely crucial that we had your cooperation. Mr Larabee here favoured shooting all your less vital organs until you told us, I managed to convince him this was less painful or messy."
Chris smiled at Betts with a purely malicious grin as Mary said that and sent another chill running down the man's spine at the thought of letting this gunslinger do his worst.
"We should go." Mary suggested. "Unless you want to take a crack at him?" She asked feeling a little wicked as she toyed with the man's already nervous state.
"No," Chris shook his head, taking a moment to enjoy seeing the man squirm a little. "I think we're done here. Let's go."
When he had been informed by telegram that Mary Travis had left town suddenly by those he had stationed in Four Corners to keep watch on the widow, he knew that she could only be induced to leave by an extremely compelling reason. At the present time, there could be no more compelling reason to the woman than the recovery of her son. Although he had not known where she could have gone, he had taken a gamble on the resourcefulness of Mrs Travis and questioned his client on any possible link that could be traced to her location.
Ella could think of nothing at first but almost as an afterthought, remembered that she had a lawyer in Eagle Bend. Being a journalist meant that Travis had access to information and she might just have enough acumen to discover the identity of Ella's lawyer. Thus, instead of intercepting the widow and Larabee who was her travelling companion in this endeavour while they were on route, he had continued on to Eagle Bend where he kept watch on Ella's legal adviser and waited for their arrival.
He knew how to fade in the background after years of practice and was not noticed at all when Chris Larabee and Mary Travis finally made their appearance at Mr Betts' office. He had heard the discharge of a weapon and wondered in passing if the duo had killed the lawyer when they could not gain the knowledge of Ella's location. Eagle Bend was still rooted in its frontier past to know that not all gunshots ought to be investigated and it was best to leave such incidents to the lawmen residing in the community. In any case, Travis and Larabee emerged from the building a short time later and appeared to be in a hurry.
He did not know if Betts still lived or died nor was he aware whether or not the man had given the couple the information they required prior to this demise. Since he knew nothing, he remained in the shadows, waiting for the opportune moment to strike so that he could put the end of this filthy contract well behind him. He did not like anything about this job except that he was being well paid to do it. Most of his 'contracts' had some measure of grief coming to them but this woman with her gold hair and her blue eyes of steel had done nothing but fall for the wrong man. Although his personal beliefs seldom dictated his behaviour and did not do so in this instance either, he felt somewhat sombre for what would have to be done when the time came.
Ella Gaines was a rabid animal and he had decided shortly after coming into her employ that he would not wish to be in her service following the completion of his current contract. Somehow, it was impossible to not feel dirty after being in her company and he had enough to keep him awake at night already.
Mary and Chris left Betts' office filled with a sense of purpose. Even though it did not seem possible that they might have had a possible location of where Billy was presently held, Mary could not help but let herself be filled with hope that they were close to recovering her son. Even Chris seemed confident that Betts had told them the truth and when Chris felt such optimism, Mary knew what she felt could not be any false sense of hope.
"What do we do now?" She asked even though she knew what she wanted to do at this moment. At this instance, Mary wanted to get on her horse and ride to Willow End to find Billy. Of course, she knew Chris would never permit it and despite herself, she could understand his reasoning. Ella had proved to be extremely dangerous and Mary did not want to be one more thing that Chris had to worry about when he went to recover Billy.
"You're going to the Judge to stay put until this is all over." Chris said firmly with a tone in his voice that broke no argument from her as he met her eyes, showing her just how immovable he would be on the subject. "I'll come for you when it's safe and when we have Billy. I'm heading straight out to Willow End."
That did concern Mary because she did not like the idea of him riding out there alone to face Ella. The woman had proved she was not above hiring help and Chris was just determined enough to find Billy to believe he could retrieve her son without the help of the others. Whether or not Chris or any of the seven would admit it, there was a certain mythical protection about their being together that kept them from harm. She doubted if any of the men who rode together could explain it but the thread that linked them all was without doubt what kept them alive.
"I'll send a telegram to Four Corners and tell the others where you're headed." Mary suggested. "Promise me you won't do anything until they arrive. I know she won't hurt Billy until I'm there, so you can afford to wait a little."
Chris was not so sure about that but he did not voice that fear to Mary. "Yeah do that." He agreed because he would need help if Ella had hired men to protect her and it was a likely possibility since it was consistent with her previous pattern of behaviour. "I'm going to head out to this place and check it out. She may be there and she may be not. I just want you to be prepared in case Billy ain't there. We knew this was a long shot and it still is."
Mary nodded because it was true. There was no way of knowing if Ella was even at this place that Betts had described. They were gambling on a great deal and Chris was right, she had to be prepared if her son was not there. It did not mean that hope of recovering was lost but she should not let her expectations get out of hand.
"I know," she said finally, trying to hide how much the possibility had effected her. She really needed to believe they had a chance of finding Billy alive because even Mary had to be realistic that Ella's state of mind made her unpredictable. Her fixation on Chris was a symptom of a illness Mary did not even have the slightest concept of imagining.
"Hey," he said softly, leaning over and planting a soft kiss on her lips as he took her hands in his and held on tight. "Mary, I'll find him." He declared with every intention of making it true for her, even if he had to ride to heaven itself to retrieve the boy. "I'll bring him home to you. I promise."
The well of hidden strength she had drawn upon these last few hours to get herself this far had almost been drained completely. All that was left in its wake was this terrible emptiness that threatened to overwhelm her if she allowed it free rein on her psyche. She loved Billy and wanted him back more than anything but she also wanted Chris back. In two days, they were due to be married and it surprised her, especially now that she still wanted the wedding to take place. "I believe you Chris, just be careful okay?" She urged, letting herself soak in the confidence of his blue eyes and knowing that if he promised her that everything would work out, she knew she could believe him.
Chris did not answer but smiled a wan smile before tipping his hat slightly and drawing away from her. She watch him walk away down the dusty street, his black duster trailing after him as he made his way to the livery where their horses were stabled. Even in the busy street, he was a striking figure that stood out among the crowd. People tended to step aside for him, intimidated by the imposing figure he seemed to cut.
Just like the first time she saw him.
Mary swallowed, feeling inordinately sad as he disappeared into the crowd and she reminded herself what she needed to do to see to it he had help when he reached Willow End. She looked over her shoulder as she started walking, trying to catch a glimpse of him and felt a tinge of disappointment when she could not. It was the same every time he rode of somewhere to face God only knew what. Even before she knew she loved him, when had that been? She wondered. It had always felt like she loved him. From the very first moment he had stepped out of nowhere to help Nathan with Vin Tanner at his side, he had captured Mary's like nothing else had. Could she forget that slight flutter in her stomach as she watched him and Vin stride down the town, paralysing the entire town because everyone had known the moment Chris Larabee had chosen to intercede in that lynching, that Four Corners had reached a turning point.
And it had been a turning point because everything changed after that. With the coming of the seven, law and order has been fully established and the town began to enjoy the fruits of progress. Her own life had changed dramatically as well because she was not fighting the good fight alone. The seven six men who rode with Chris Larabee were more than just her friends, they were her family. And then there was Chris who changed her life with his enigmatic smile that always meant more than it seemed and whose ability to invoke passion within her when she had believed it to be an emotion dead inside Mary still left her breathless.
"Good day Mrs Travis."
Mary looked up and found herself staring into the dull eyes of the man whose voice she recognised immediately. Her ruminations down the street had been so engrossing that she had not seen him sneak right up to her. Her eyes widened just long enough for him to jam the barrel of his gun into her belly while still concealing her predicament to the rest of the public.
"Not a sound." He ordered as Mary released a strangled gasp. "I have no compunction about shooting right here Mrs Travis, no matter what my client may desire." His voice was soft and raspy, almost like he was speaking above the sound of grated glass.
"Where's my son?" Mary demanded, not caring about her own life but needing to know that one bit of information before she would allow him to handle her.
"He is safe." The man looked at her with black eyes. "However, whether he remains that way is entirely up to you."
Mary swallowed, hating it that she had to submit to his will but knowing that while her son was in danger, she was his creature. "I'll do whatever you want." She said through gritted teeth. "Just as long as my son is safe."
He smiled triumphantly and responded. "I never doubted you would do anything else."
Buck Wilmington recognised the face. He had seen the man several times in Purgatory and knew that Four Corners was not the stranger's usual hang out. Despite the fact that he was sitting unobtrusively in the corner of the saloon, nursing a drink without any companions at his table, Buck could not shake this feeling that there was something going on that did not smell right. He supposed that much of his paranoia had to do with what had been happening in town the last few days. With Billy yet to be found, Vin being shot and now Chris and Mary in Eagle Bend on their own, he could be forgiven for being just a little bit paranoid.
"Inez," Buck gestured to the bartender who was trying hard to ignore his presence at the counter. They had been walking around each other on egg shells the past few days and Inez was still reluctant to come anywhere near Buck after their altercation on the floor of this very room. When she remained distant, Buck turned to her again and hissed. "Inez, get over here!"
Inez scowled upon realising that she could not ignore him and approached him after a moment. "What is it Buck?" She demanded impatiently.
"Don't get your britches in a knot," he said with as much affection. "That guy at that table over there, how long has he been here?"
Inez pretended to wipe the table as she glanced slyly in the direction that Buck had indicated. "A few days," she responded after thinking about it. "The day Charlotte Richmond arrived. Why?" She asked, realising that he had become very serious and Buck did not get that way without extremely good cause.
"I'm pretty sure his name is Lester Croft." Buck mused, keeping his eyes away from the man now to keep any suspicion being arouse. "I've seen him a couple of times in Purgatory. He's a well known snitch."
"Snitch?" Inez looked at him in confusion.
"They spy on people and sell the information. They keep an eye on things for people who want to know." Buck explained and was clearly troubled by Lester's presence in Four Corners. "So what is he doing here?"
"Why do you think he's here?" Inez ventured to ask.
"I don't know," Buck retorted as he saw Josiah and Ezra walk into the saloon. "But I'm about to find out."
With that, Buck rose from his stool and strode towards the preacher and the gambler, meeting them halfway across the room. In quiet whispers, he explained to his companions what he suspected and very soon, all three were making their way towards the table occupied by Lester Croft. Only as the weedy looking man saw them coming straight for him, did he realise that his surveillance had been compromised. Jumping to his feet, he ran past the counter with every intention of escaping through the kitchen door when Inez smashed a bottle over his head as he passed by. She winced as she was sprayed in glass and liquor before looking up at them.
"Did that help?" She asked innocently.
The three men exchanged glances, feeling somewhat ineffectual and embarrassed at the same time before Buck responded. "Just a little but damn it woman, can't you just keep out of trouble?"
Willow End was not difficult to find.
As towns went, it was kind of small, the way Four Corners was small. Chris found it easily enough once he consulted a map. It was located a few hours ride from Eagle Bend and could be reached in a good time from Four Corners, if Mary had done what she had promised and sent a telegram to Buck and the others. His horse had recovered sufficiently from the hard ride from Four Corners to Eagle Bend to be able to make good time in the journey to Willow End. It was well past into night by the time he arrived in the town and made his way to the saloon upon entering the town. If he wanted to find the location of this place called the Ranch, then it was as good as any place to begin to make a few inquiries.
Judging from the sound of the place, the Ranch was most likely a house. He knew Ella had no qualms about making her money that way and guessed it to be the only vocation that could generate the source of income that had allowed her to keep such close tabs on him for so long and to be able to hire Fowler. Upon entering the saloon, he found no shortage of people who liked to talk and an expenditure of a drink or two for the right person had garnered him the information he needed. The location of the Ranch, Willow End's most infamous landmark was situated on top of the hill, in a grand old house that used to belong to someone important but no more.
Once Chris had the information he needed, he paused to consider his options over whether or not he ought to try and get Billy out now or should he wait until the others had arrived. After all, he had no idea of the odds awaiting him inside the building. It would be a tactical mistake to go charging in alone. Ella was crazy enough to want him dead if she could not possess him so he was not that confident regarding his ability to charm her. Still he did not like the idea of playing any kind of waiting game when Billy was in danger. Finally, Chris decided he would take no risks with Billy's life. As Mary had stated earlier, Billy was safe as long as Mary was absent. The most sensible thing Chris could do at this point was to ride out to the place and keep a close eye on it until the others arrived.
It was easy to find the house. Perched on top of a hill that overlooked the entire town, the Ranch appeared very much the cathouse that it was and in some ways, very different as well. Chris did not take the main path up the hill and ascended the incline through the line of tree that snaked up its northwestern face. Keeping under the cover of the trees and the darkness that had arrived shortly after sunset, Chris could hear none of the sounds associated with a place of business such at this one. It was strangely devoid of feminine voices and the loud bombastic noises made by men with many to spend and an itch to scratch.
Chris did not like the idea that this was the place Billy had been spending his abduction. He was not far up the incline when he heard noises of footsteps trudging through the undergrowth. Chris paused as he heard the sounds and immediately reached for his peacemaker. He could hear two distinct voices approaching him as he quickly dismounted and looked for a place to hide in the dark, unwilling to tip his hand until he knew whom these new arrivals were.
"I'm sick of this. He ain't gonna try for this place all by himself." One of them declared. "Not with the woman here."
Chris froze, instinctively knowing that they were talking about him. Woman? What woman? God, did they mean Mary?
"The boss seems to think he will," the other one declared. "Man will do crazy things when it come down to kin. It ain't just the woman, it's the boy too."
Oh Jesus! They did have Mary! As his mind tried to wrap itself around the possibility of how Mary could be in the clutches of these men, Chris crushed the panic in his heart ruthlessly and told himself it did not matter. She and Billy were here which meant all bets were off. There was nothing to keep Ella from exacting her brutal revenge or whatever she called this murderous need to rid him of what she perceived to be her rivals.
He had run out of time. Somehow, he had to move now before it was too late. Like he was too late for Sarah and Adam.
Mary Travis was shown into the parlour of the strange house she had been brought following her arrival in Willow End. She had no idea whether or not Chris was already in town but knew he could not be far behind or ahead of her, however it went. They had ridden to Willow End at break neck speed. Actually, her kidnapper had ridden at that speed; Mary had spent most of the journey slung over the back of his horse like some animal prepared for the slaughter. As they entered the perimeter of the large spread that was known as the Ranch, she could see well armed men scattered across the area and realised that they were more than ready for Chris' arrival. Her heart sank because he would be riding into an ambush with no knowledge that help would not be coming since she never had the chance to send that telegram to Four Corners.
Inside the room, Ella Gaines sat behind her desk, obviously expecting her arrival while her kidnapper stood in the background, keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings with an interest that almost bordered on curiosity. Ella stood up as Mary appeared before her. She was dressed in an evening dress and looked as if she was expecting company that amounted to more than just her kidnap victim. It suddenly occurred to Mary that Ella was dressed in her fine yellow silks and hair piled on top of her head with honey coloured curls rolling onto her neck not for this audience but the one to be when Chris arrived.
"He likes blue." Mary found herself saying as she felt a rush of anger at this and her twisted mentality that had led them to this point.
Ella's eyes narrowed. "He'll learn to like yellow." She said with a smile as she approached Mary like a cat about to spring on a mouse. "I'm sorry I had to interrupt your wedding plans but I wasn't letting my Chris make another mistake."
"You mean like the one he made with Sarah is that right?" Mary glared at her.
"Damn right," Ella retorted. "He could have just slept with that simple hick but no, he had to marry her. He had to do the right thing by her when he knew that our love was forever and I wasn't going to let him go, not even if he married some other woman."
The venom in her voice told Mary just how far over the edge Ella Gaines had come. The insanity that had driven her half her life to plague men so insistently had almost taken over all sense of reality. Mary doubted that there was any way to reach her or help her see reason. This woman was beyond hope and if Mary wanted any chance of escape for her son and Chris, she had to think of something.
"What was the child's crime in all this?" Mary demanded. "What did Adam do to deserve being incinerated alive in his own home?"
"He was her son!" Ella snarled. "She used him to keep Chris in line, to bind my Chris to her! How dare she! She's doing it as you're doing it with that little brat upstairs in the attic!"
Upstairs.
Mary almost sighed with relief but hid how much the information was thirsted. At least Billy was alive and now Mary had some idea of where he was. Ella was too wrapped in her tirade to notice what she had let slip but the man behind her did not. He took note of Mary's interest, despite the widow's best efforts to hide the effect the knowledge had upon her. Mary was certain he was watching her with sharp scrutiny, expecting her to make some desperate move to save her son.
"Ella, you have me." Mary said calmly, trying to keep her own fear subdued because in seeing Ella rave, she understood how close the woman was coming to giving the order to have them both killed. Somehow Mary had to stall for time while she decided how she was going to do to help Billy. "My son has done you no wrong. Let him go. Kill me if you wish but Billy's life won't make any difference to the plan you intend for Chris."
Ella calmed down considerably at that offer and took a step closer to Mary as if trying to gauge the sincerity of her suggestion by the truth in her eyes. "You would do that wouldn't you? You would let yourself be killed so that your son could be saved. You're not that much different from Sarah after all." Ella smiled. "Fowler told me Sarah begged too. She begged and pleaded until the smoke became so thick that she couldn't talk from coughing so loud. She kept begging for poor little Adam, even though the smoke had taken him first. Fowler told me she was pounding at the window, holding Adam in her arms as the house burned around her. She couldn't break it to get out cause she knew the minute she did, Fowler would shoot them both. So she stood there," Ella smiled even wider, the insanity in her eyes gleaming with each word she muttered. "Holding the little boy in her arms, even though it was plain to everyone that he was dead already. She didn't know, not even when she was begging Fowler, that he was already dead."
Thank God Chris was not here to hear this, Mary thought as she felt bile in her throat from the sheer disgust of what horror Ella Gaines had been responsible. "You're sick." Mary found herself muttering out loud, unable to keep that inside any longer. "You're not only sick, you're pathetic."
"Really?" Ella looked at her with menace. "You're the one about to die."
"I may die but when Chris mourns me it will be real. What is in his heart will be the truth not some twisted fantasy I've built in my mind. When he touches me, I know that he wants me and only me. If by some miracle you do get him back when I'm gone, do you ever think he will make love to you without ever wanting it to be anyone but me? Face it Ella, if you kill me to get him, I'll be in your bedroom until the day you die. You'll spend the rest of your life playing substitute for me because that's the only way Chris is going to stand having sex with you!"
"SHUT UP!" Ella lashed, striking Mary on the jaw. Mary did not fall. She held her ground and looked back at Ella with a look of total defiance.
"He loves me!" Ella shouted. "He's always loved me! He was willing to kill for me!" She wailed, trying to convince Mary she was wrong. "I'll make you see how much he loves me when he finally comes! Then we'll see who is delusional!"
Suddenly there was a knock on the door that snapped Ella's attention away from Mary and her tirade respectively as both she and Jack turned their attention to it. "What is it?" Ella barked.
The door swung open and to everyone's astonishment, Chris Larabee appeared to be standing at the doorway of the room. For a second no one spoke as the gunslinger was prodded inside the room by the hired guns Jack had acquired for this particular contract. Chris entered the room, his hands held behind his head as he stepped inside with his two captors keeping their gun's trained on him. Chris' gaze shifted to Mary just to ensure that she was safe before it scanned the room to take stock of the situation unfolding before him.
Ella turned to him and spoke when suddenly, Chris broke away from his captors and made his way directly towards the woman. The three men in the room raised their guns to fire but Ella quickly shouted at them to desist. "Stop!" She cried out as Chris reached her and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace.
"Ella, thank god I found you!" He exclaimed and parted long enough to plant a long searching kiss against her lips.
Mary stared at her fiancee and the deranged woman who had placed her life and her son's in so much jeopardy with her insane jealousy, engaged in a passionate kiss. Her mind told her that this had to be a trick but it still did not make her feel any better watching Chris with another woman. Absurdly, she thought to herself that this had better be a part of a plan to get them free or else he was in big trouble.
"Ella, I've had time to think," Chris recited the carefully thought of speech he had concocted when he made his desperate bid to stall for time as well as reaching Mary and Billy before Ella did anything he would regret bitterly. "I know I've been a fool but I love you. You know that better than I ever did. I made such a terrible mess of things running with women who couldn't possibly mean half of what you do to me. I want to make it up to you. I'm never going to hurt you again."
Ella stared at Chris with utter confusion in her eyes. The part of her that still retained most of her calculating reason was dubious about this offer but the other part of her who believed without doubt or hesitation that Chris Larabee was hers and had always been was rejoicing at his declaration. She stared into his eyes and saw the sincerity there and the burning passion for her that she had always believed was meant for her and no other. "Chris," she hugged him back, giving Mary Travis a look that was full of gloating triumph as she held him in her arms. "I always knew you would come back to me. It was just a matter of time."
Jack knew exactly what was going on even if Ella was too enraptured by Chris' words to see the truth. "Miss Gaines, you cannot possibly believe this display is genuine."
She threw him a venomous look as she broke away from Chris. "Chris wouldn't lie to me." She threw Chris a smile, which he returned before offering another to Jack, which only convinced the assassin that this was a ruse. "He has never lied to me." She turned to the two men in the room with her. "You may go." She gestured them to leave. "Although there is no reason to assume his friends will find us, its best to be safe than sorry."
Jack could not believe that this was happening. Could she be so insane that she did not know that she was being tricked. Chris Larabee was playing this charade for one reason and one reason only, to free his lady friend and the child upstairs. "Miss Gaines, I beg you to reconsider your actions. Mr Larabee is plainly trying to stall for time."
"Ella," Chris quickly spoke up before any of the assassin's words could penetrate her. "Let's get out of here. We can ride out now and never have to look behind us again. What do you say?"
Ella let out a breathless sigh as if he had touched her in just the right way. "Oh Chris, its what I always wanted to hear. I've waited so long for this." She embraced him again, letting her mouth meet his in a lingering kiss.
Mary swallowed, hoping to God Chris knew what kind of game he was playing because if Ella for one moment thought he was lying, Mary had no doubt in her mind that Ella would kill all of them. Mary was of the firm belief that if Ella could not have Chris, she would be spiteful enough to see that no one else had him either. Mary turned away from the kissing couple, unable to stand seeing Chris someone else. Instead, she cast her eyes outside and saw something moving in the darkness outside. She saw the figures in the distance, her brow frowning as she saw two shapes creeping stealthily through the night, keeping their presence secret from the hired guns patrolling the grounds.
At first, she did not know what she was seeing until she saw Buck emerge out of nowhere and slip an arm around one of the men's neck and drag him back into his hiding place. Her heart pounded with hope as Mary realised that Buck was probably not alone and neither were she and Chris. Had he known when he walked in here that the rest of the seven were here? Was this his plan to find her while at the same time stalling Ella while the others got into position? Mary kept watching with a held breath, almost oblivious to what was happening inside the room as Buck emerged from the shadows once more and continued his advance to the house.
"You see," Ella said proudly, tearing Mary's concentration from what was transpiring outside back to her again. "I told you he loved me." She gloated, her arms still around Chris. "Chris," she looked up at him. "We can go away and I saved the boy for you. You can always have the son you wanted, we will be a family. Jack," she turned to the assassin who was believing none of this but was powerless to do anything for the moment. "I think you can eliminate Mrs Travis now. We have no need of her."
Chris' eyes met Mary's instantly at that statement and knew this was the time to act.
Without missing a beat, the gunslinger pulled Ella back to him while at the same time retrieving a knife that was secreted in his boot. Ella let out a small scream as Chris yanked her backwards hard, his arm locking around her throat while his other hand held the blade close to her neck, poise to cut at the slightest incentive. Mary wasted no time and quickly ran to his side, placing herself between Ella and the assassin's gunfire.
"Don't move!" Chris ordered. "I don't know how fast you are mister but you ain't fast enough to keep me from slicing her throat open!"
"Chris!" Ella wailed in outrage, unable to believe she had been deceived. "You lying bastard!" She screeched like a harpy and then shouted at Jack. "Shoot them both!" She yelled. "He won't hurt me. He ain't the guts for it! Kill the bitch first!" She writhed and squirmed in Chris' grip like a hellion until it was impossible for Chris to maintain his grip on her. Mary could see that this was coming to a head very fast and whatever advantage Chris would have would soon be gone. Driven by panic, she grabbed a heavy paperweight on the desk and smashed it through the window.
"Buck! We're in here!"
No sooner than that cry had been made, gunfire broke out from outside. Chris shoved Ella forward roughly and she fell into the arms of her hired killer and they both tumbled to the floor unceremoniously. Chris saw the man lose his grip on the gun in his hands and watched the weapon slide across the smooth floor.
"Mary! Get out of here!" Chris shouted as he dove for the weapon. The air became chaotic with the sound of guns blazing outside. Angry voices were shouting back and forth as shots were being exchanged. Mary did not need to be told twice as she ran out of the room because she knew exactly where she was going.
She was going to get her son.
Mary raced up the stairs as women started emerging from the rooms above the main floor. They were so panicked that they hardly paid much attention to Mary as she fought her way through the bodies that were determined to escape the building around which gunfire was being exchanged so violently. Mary saw no customers and decided Ella must have suspended trading on this particular day in order to receive her. The girls were no more than thirty and some were partially clad as they filed down the stairs, creating more chaos to a situation that was rapidly descending into all out anarchy.
"Billy!" Mary cried out as she ran up the hallway and turned up another staircase. She remembered what Ella had said about locking her son in an attic and it froze her heart knowing how afraid he was of such darkness. She wondered what nightmares he must have endured, alone and trapped like an animal. She wanted to rip out Ella's heart for this injustice but chose to concentrate on finding her son first.
"Ma!" She heard his voice scream in answer as she reached the top of the stairs. Outside, the shooting had not stopped and Mary paused long enough to pray that Chris was all right as he dealt with both Ella and the assassin called Jack. She brushed such thoughts aside for the moment because it was more important to Chris that they got Billy to safety instead of her ruminating on how he was doing.
"Billy, I'm coming!" She repeated herself, offering him comfort in the sound of her voice. She reached the last floor of the house and let her eyes search for the door that would lead to the attic.
"Ma! I'm here!" She heard Billy respond by pounding on a door at the far end of the corridor. Letting out a groan of relief as she ran towards it, Mary could hear his tiny fists banging hard against the wood as she approached. He was alive! Mary almost wept from the gratitude of knowing that but instead continued her rapid advance to the door.
"Billy," she responded as she reached the door. Upon hearing his mother's footsteps, Billy had stopped smashing his fist against the door and paused as Mary examined the barrier that kept him confined since his arrival here. There was no lock on the door but several nasty bolts locks that would keep a full grown man from kicking down the door if he should become trapped within. She pulled the bolt back on the first lock when suddenly, she heard a sound behind her. Mary turned her head sharply to see Ella coming at her.
Both women slammed into the door hard. Mary felt her head slap against the wood and saw stars as Ella came out swinging her arms, almost frenzied in her rage. For a few seconds, the ferocity of her attack left Mary unable to fend off the blows that came at her in a flurry of movement. She felt nails and fists striking her body as Ella screamed in guttural rage as she vented her fury against Mary's weak attempts to defend herself.
"He's mine, you hear! Mine. Chris is mine and that child is mine!" Ella howled, sounding almost animalistic in her tirade.
"Ma!" Billy screamed behind the door and it was all the incentive Mary needed to react.
Kicking her foot out, she landed her boot into the side of Ella's ankle, sweeping her feet from under her as the woman fell down hard on the floor. Mary wiped a trace of blood running down her nose as she moved out of Ella's way and tore a picture frame from the wall. As Ella stood up to renew her attack, Mary smashed the small frame of glass and wood into the side of the woman's head, shattering it completely with the force of the blow. Ella tumbled into the wall, crying out in pain as she clutched her bleeding face. Mary decided no half measures were going to be enough in this instance. Suddenly, Mary was not just thinking about Billy who was locked behind that door. She was thinking about Sarah who had begged and pleaded for her son's life while Ella watched them burn. She thought about of the final agony that must have been Sarah's prelude to death when she realised that the child in her arms was gone and never really had a chance.
"You will never get your hands on my son! You murdering, psychotic bitch!" Mary almost roared and threw a punch into Ella's face while the woman was still reeling from her injuries. Ella slammed into the wall again, her blood leaving stains on the blue paint on the walls as Mary let loose the full vent of her own outrage. Ella was reeling in pain but Mary was far beyond offering any sort of compassion. She dragged Ella to her feet as the woman stared at her dazed and threw another fist into her face and sent her sprawling. Ella collapsed hard on the floor, her head making an audible whack on the hard surface as she landed. Mary watched for a few seconds and made sure she did not move before turning to the door again.
"Billy, I'm coming." Mary called out again, letting him know that she was alright as she started undoing all the bolts that kept the door sealed. She looked over her shoulder just to make sure that Ella was where Mary had left her before she opened the door finally.
Billy Travis tumbled out of the room and ran straight into his mother's arms. "Ma!" He started crying as she wrapped her arms around him and started showering kisses on his small face.
"God Billy," Mary tried not to cry herself. "I was so worried." She replied puling apart form him long enough to examine him for herself to see if Ella had hurt him. However, Billy seemed to be unhurt, just very afraid. Considering there was gunfire outside and fighting taking place within the room, it was no wonder Billy seemed pale with worry. Mary hugged him again, not caring that the danger was far from over because she was so terribly glad to have her son back.
Mary rose to her feet after a moment, trying to decide the best course of action when suddenly she noticed that Ella was gone. No sooner than that thought had crossed her head, she saw Ella stepping out from the corner of a doorway and swinging what appeared to be an fireplace poker. Mary felt it strike her across the chest, the pain forcing all air from her lungs as the widow fell back. Mary saw Ella raise the poker once more as Mary slumped against the wall from the impact, ready to bring it down on her once again... ..
Chris saw Ella run after Mary and knew that he had to stop her. After Sarah and Adam, Chris did not underestimate what Ella was capable of doing to Mary in order to get her own way. Unfortunately, he was in no position to intercede since at the moment, he and Ella's hired gun were lunging for the same weapon. Chris was just a few paces in front of him, scrambling forward on his knees towards the nickel platted gun that was just beyond reach beneath a nearby chair. The gunslinger was almost to it when he felt fingers enclosing around his foot and yanking him backwards.
His chin hit the floor hard as Chris went down, tasting blood where he had bitten his lip from the fall. He was a little dazed when he saw the shape trying to get past him and lashed out, grabbing Jack's leg hard and twisting the limb so viciously, the man had little recourse but to yield to the fierce tug or suffer serious injury. As he forced Jack away from the weapon and sent the man tumbling to the floor once again, Chris rolled onto his haunches and threw a powerful sidekick to the assassin's' face before he could get up. Jack fell backwards from the blow, obviously not fully recovered from his earlier fall to retaliate with any effectiveness. Not allowing him any time to recover because Chris need to put him down fast, he threw another kick into the man's side, flipping him on his back from the force of the blow.
As Chris jumped to his feet, somehow Jack managed to do so as well but he was still rather disorientated. Chris did not doubt that his opponent would quickly recover to give the gunslinger more grief if Chris did not do something fast. He needed to put this hired thug out of commission before it was too late to save Mary from Ella's deranged thirst for blood. He rammed his fist into the side of the man's head, taking advantage of the disorientation he had caused from his earlier attack. His punches could not be pulled and they had to be hard to keep the man from using the pause in between to recover. Chris ignored the rising pain in his limbs as he struck blow after blow. He felt his knuckles connect but the point soon arrived when the pain faded away. It disappeared to a distant place in his mind, just as forgotten as the desire to end this quickly.
This bastard had intended to kill Mary and Billy just as Fowler had taken his wife and son away. Like Fowler, he had to pay.
No longer holding back, Chris felt a rush of adrenaline surging through his veins as he threw a rapid succession of punches. He felt the blood rushing to his head as blow after blow was delivered. Chris could feel nothing except the insatiable need to stop this man so he could deal with Ella once and for all and never have to worry about Mary and Billy's life being imperilled by either of them again. His hands ached but Chris no longer cared. He had crossed the line inside himself that should never be breached. The demons trapped within that dark place had followed him all his life and only one things had been able to keep it in rein. Love.
Suddenly, Chris realised his opponent was no longer fighting. He blinked as the red veil lifted over his eyes and disappeared into the exhaustion that had finally come for him when he saw Jack before him, not Fowler, not Ella or any other instrument that had been responsible for the all the different pain in his life. When Jack finally went down, Chris knew he was done. The man was on its knees and was no longer making any move to counter his blows. Blood was running down his head in thick rivulets, from broken skin and split bruises. His dark eyes met Ted's in a gesture of defeat as it collapsed on the polished floor.
Chris was breathing hard, feeling his lungs hungry for air as his heart pounded in his chest. Without wasting any time, Chris left the man where he was, confident that Ella's hired gun would be going nowhere for at least awhile. Outside, Chris could still hear firing and he wondered momentarily how his friends were doing in their own battle outside. He hoped that no one was heard and wished he could be of some aid to them but right now, he had a more crucial agenda to meet. Finally, Chris retrieved the gun that had been the object of such fierce struggle earlier and tucked it into his belt before running out of the room to find Mary and Ella before it was too late.
Mary ducked just as the poker dug into the wall with a loud crash. The sharp edge smashed through the wall easily, buckling wood and crumbling plaster as it impacted. Mary barely missed being the surface upon which it smashed into by less than a fraction. She had never believed she could move so fast when she dropped to her knees and rolled across the floor as Ella struggled to free the poker from the wall where it was imbedded.
"Run Billy!" Mary shouted frantically and saw her son disappear into the attic once again. There was nowhere else he could go really since Ella was blocking the hallway.
"Come back here!" Ella shouted at him and froze the little boy in his tracks from the sheer rage in her voice. "You're mine! Do you understand me? Mine! You do as I say!" She ordered.
"Billy Travis you get going now!" Mary ordered in a voice she used on her son when he knew he was in deep trouble. Conditioning jarred the fear out of him and he started running once again, his obedience to her absolute.
"He is my son!" Mary snarled furiously as she ran towards Ella as the woman raised her hand to strike once more. She downed Ella in a full body tackle, landing on top of the woman as both her hands grabbed the wrist clutching the poker. Ella's grip on it was strong and as Mary tried to wrestle it from her, Ella's other hand sank nails into Mary's skin of her cheek and raked back. Mary uttered as soft cry of pain as she felt the warmth of blood oozing down her cheek. In retaliation to end the pain, Mary twisted her head slightly and returned the favour by biting down hard on the soft flesh of the offending hand. She bit down so hard that she tasted blood and the scream that escaped Ella from that action cut through the air like the wail of a dying animal.
Ella released the poker and Mary flung it over the wooden rail. She did not see where it landed but the sound of steel clattering against the wooden floor indicated that it had made it all the way down. "I'll leave you alone but I'll hunt your little boy until the day he dies. The last thing you know before you go to your grave is that I'm going to gut him clean before you are cold in the ground!" Ella screeched as she started pulling at Mary's hair. She managed to roll on top of Mary as they struggled across the floor, yanking lengthy strands of blond hair in full clumps.
Mary cried out in pain but was not about to let it keep her form protecting her son. Ignoring the fierce pull at her hair, Mary threw another fist into the woman's face and forced Ella off her body. Wasting no time, the widow was on her feet again, breathing hard as she searched for Ella and saw the woman was coming at her again. As Ella ran forward, eyes blazing with maniacal fervour showing just how insane she was and that every venomous threat she had just made ought to be taken as the gospel truth, Mary came to a decision. When a dog was rabid, the merciful thing to do was to put it down. Ella was a rabid dog and it was time, well past it in fact, that she had her merciful ending.
Positioning herself at just the right place, she held firm as Ella ran towards her, screaming like a harpy about to launch its final assault. With blood running down the sides of her face in crimson rivulets, her teeth bared and her eyes appearing almost yellow with malevolence, Ella looked every part the deranged psychotic and it was hard not to feel some fear as Mary saw her approaching fast. At the last moment before contact was made, Mary dropped to her knees. In a split second of movement, Ella had tripped over Mary and the widow had retaliated swiftly by flipping Ella over her shoulder and over the side of the railing. Ella's scream of rage became a scream of horror as she tumbled cleared the wooden banister and plunged downwards. Mary did not need to look as she heard that scream echo further away from her until it came to an abrupt end with a loud squelching sound that almost made Mary retch from the knowledge of what had caused it.
For a few seconds, Mary did not know what to do. She remained where she was oblivious to everything as the knowledge of what she had done caught up to her. Mary only reacted when she heard Chris' footsteps coming closer. Opening her eyes, she saw Chris' expression of relief flooding into his face when he realised that she was all right and that final scream had not come from her. There was enough blood running down her nose and down her cheeks to give him concern as he came towards her.
"Mary... ." Chris whispered.
She ran into his arms and held him tight while she trembled, not caring about anything as she felt the safety of him envelop her in his arms. She still did not look over the side of the banister because she could not bear to see what she had done even though it had been utterly necessary. Ella would have hunted them forever and the threat she had made to Billy was one she would have delivered upon, Mary was certain.
"Is she dead?" Mary asked quivering, knowing it was a stupid question.
Chris looked over the side of the banister, while still holding Mary in his arms as he saw the expanding pool of blood underneath Ella Gaine's body. Ella remained in the centre of that crimson pond completely still. Everything that she was lay splattered on the hard surface of the floor beneath her body. Chris felt glad that Mary accomplished what he should have done months before and yet he also felt guilty because he should have spared Mary this grisly task. He looked at Ella, her ruined body and face soaking in blood and felt some measure of remorse as he mourned the woman he loved in his youth, who had died long before this creature had tumbled to its death.
"Yeah," he said sadly. "She's dead."
"Ma!" Billy emerged from his hiding place, now that the danger was seemingly over. Even the gunfire outside had come to an end and Chris assumed that Buck and the others must have taken care of the last of Ella's hired thugs.
"Billy!" Mary embraced her son joyously for the second time. "Are you okay baby?"
Billy nodded and looked up at Chris. "Did you see how ma fought that bad woman?"
"I sure did," Chris said with a smile, ruffing the boy's hair which was all the indication he was going to show at how pleased he was to see Billy himself. "Are you okay partner?" Chris asked.
"I'm okay." Billy answered with a smile. "I knew you and ma would come for me." The child said moving to hug Chris as well.
"Chris!" The tender moment was broken by the booming sound of Buck Wilmington as the tall man broke through the front door with JD following close behind. Buck paused at the sight of Ella's body in the hall and looked up since it was obvious what had caused her death.
"We're up here Buck!" Chris leaned over the side of the railing to indicate to his friends that all was well.
Buck and JD scaled the stairs in a matter of minutes to join them at the top floor of the building. Mary and Billy were still holding each other, their ordeal still catching up with them as Chris went to meet his friends.
"Is everyone alright?" Buck asked as he saw Mary bleeding over Chris' shoulder.
Chris let out a deep breath, casting a glance at Mary and Billy before turning back to Buck once again and responding with a genuine smile. "Everything is just fine."