Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" T.V. series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide.
Things had been terribly clear for JD Dunne ever since his mother had died. With her being gone, his life lay before him like an open road with infinite possibility but only one that held any sway over the course he would take. He knew that he was heading out West. He was realistic enough to know that what he would find there would not be as romanticized as the dime store novels that had inspired his imagination with so many dreams but JD held out hopes that some of it might be. When he finally did leave the world he knew behind to take that bold and lonely step, he had found the path littered with its little triumphs and defeats but at least, he had no doubt as to what there was for him. It was a comforting thing to know with certainty that this was all one was meant to be and expend all energy to being it.
Following Neil Blackwood's revelation that JD was his son, the youth was robbed of that certainty and he had no idea what to do even though he had acquiesced to the attempt to build some sort of relationship between them. For the next few days while he convalesced from his injuries, Blackwood was never far away, either at the clinic or the lodging house where he lived, always there to aid in some way even though it was obvious the care of another human being was new to him. A part of JD felt impressed that he cared enough to try and yet another part of him felt anxious for something on the horizon, something that was telling him not too get too comfortable with Mr Blackwood. Because even though JD now knew the secret Blackwood had been hiding from him, that uneasiness still remained and JD realised it was not the secret that worried him so much but rather the man.
He tried to talk to Buck about it but Buck seemed distant after their talk. While it was nothing that JD could put a finger to exactly, he could not deny that something had changed in their relationship. Buck seemed more restrained he supposed, which felt odd because Buck never seemed to have any difficulty revealing his opinions before now. However, JD could sense that he wanted to say more than he did sometimes but was held back. Now more than ever, JD needed Buck's wisdom and without it, he felt even more lost than ever.
More than a week after the shooting, JD found himself with Casey at Nettie's place. It was the first town the injury to his leg had allowed him to leave town and JD was happy for the escape even though he wished he had not to be driven on a wagon and would have preferred to ride himself. Unfortunately, neither Alex nor Nathan would hear of it and JD found himself outnumbered in that decision. Still, he was glad to be away from everything and Casey who had amazingly understood had not asked about Blackwood and his thoughts on the subject even though she knew the situation.
She had prepared a picnic lunch and they both sat by the pond that ran past Nettie's watching the sunlight bounce of the horizon and sent shimmering tendrils of light on the wet rock embankment. It was mid summer and the occasional insect could be seen flying over the water's surface. JD ate the sandwiches made in silence, lost in thought unaware that Casey was watching him closely. Of the seven, it was JD who had maintained his relationship with the opposite sex the longest. Casey predated all the women in the seven's lives, in some ways even Mary. JD guessed that part of the reason that he and Casey had got along so well was because they were kindred spirits who were not exactly outcasts but did not exactly fit the mold either.
He looked up after a moment and noticed she was looking at him. "Sorry Casey," he apologized, realizing he had been terribly quiet and had been somewhat ignoring her.
"Its okay," Casey answered, feeling more secured in their relationship since she had become his fiancée'. "I know you got a lot on your mind."
"Thanks," he shrugged even though he did not fully think she did understand what he was going through. "I can seemed to think about anything else." He confessed.
"Its natural that you wouldn't," she remarked, lowering herself onto her side as she rested on the picnic blanket that covered the grass beneath them. "It's a big shock."
"It is," he nodded. "But it ain't just that." Words failed him as he tried to think of how to articulate what he was trying to say to her. After a moment, he decided the best way was to just come out an say it. "He scares me a little."
Casey's brow furrowed in confusion. JD seldom admitted such things and especially not to her. She wondered what was it that JD sensed that worried him so much. If she were to found out that her father was alive after all, she would be thrilled. However, Casey realised she was being unfair. She knew her father and she knew that in regards to his demise, there were no unanswered questions that left for a possibility that JD now faced.
"Why?" She asked genuinely puzzled. "I'm sure he means what he says, that he just wants to get to know you."
"That ain't all," JD shook her head, realizing that he had not explained it well enough. "Vin always says to trust your gut instinct, that it's just a way for your head to tell you something it can't put into words. I got a gut instinct that he ain't what he claims to be."
"Or maybe you're afraid to take him at face value." Casey pointed out. "JD, I know you're scared. If it were me, I would be scared too but don't throw it away. You miss this chance of knowing him and I think you'll regret it."
JD did not respond, thinking deeply about what she said and although all the advice he received seemed to say the same thing, even from Buck. Unfortunately, despite the logic of adhering to the sensibilities of those who knew better, JD could not bring himself to do take the advice because his instincts told him that there was reason to beware. Sometimes one had to trust one own feeling on the subject, no matter where it might lead him.
Deciding that he was not going to dwell on Blackwood during their entire day together, JD gave Casey a little smile. "Thanks Casey," he replied warmly, glad that she was with him but more aware than ever before that this was a decision he would have to make on his own.
"You still ain't sure are you?" She looked at him, guessing what was running through his head even though he did not say it. It would surprise JD if he were aware of how easy it was for Casey to tell what was taking place inside him but she supposed it was partly because she loved him so much.
"No," JD replied without hesitation, believing that she deserved an honest answer even if he was still at a loss over what to do. So many people were telling him the right thing to do even though it was his choice to make and the more he thought about it, the more the conundrum seemed to grow until there was nothing but this loud noise that did little to aid his growing confusion. He could not imagine his mother with Blackwood and he could not imagine Blackwood being his father and yet both these things were true. However on a level he could not define, in the part of him JD was certain was his mother, he felt an inability to trust the man. He should have been overjoyed that the father he had always wanted had finally appeared but Blackwood's appearance opened up an aspect of his mother he had never before suspected. Everything JD knew about her denied her involvement with Blackwood who seemed dangerous somehow. He knew that his logic was peppered with inconsistencies but something inside h
im would not let it go and he also felt with a deeply intense awareness that the situation with Blackwood would not get better only worse.
For once, JD wished desperately to be proven wrong.
"Neil, how long are we staying here?" Zimmer inquired politely of his employer as they were dining inside the restaurant inside the local hotel they had been residing during their stay at Four Corners.
Blackwood looked up at his employee and business associate as he was downing the glass of wine in his hand. He did not answer until he had swallowed and replaced the glass on the table and eased back into his chair. Such questions did not come so pointedly from Zimmer and Blackwood knew that the man was easing into a delicate issue. "Until I'm done, why?"
"Neil we've been away for awhile," Zimmer who had been at Blackwood's side, long enough to have earned the right to speak his mind, responded. "You have business to tend to back in Chicago, businesses that run solely on your presence there. If people forget who is in charge, they may forget other things as well. The gangs stay in line because of you; they collect for us because they know how you will deal with them if they don't. The people, who pay us for protection, they know you can keep them safe where the cops can't. We've been away too long searching for your boy, now we've found him. Its time to go."
As much as Blackwood felt his ire at being told by Zimmer what he ought to be doing, the man could not bring himself to do so since nothing Zimmer had told him was entirely wrong. His business did rely on his fearsome reputation and it was vital that those he held sway over remember that all ways. Zimmer was one of the few people who gave him a straight answer when he asked for it and Blackwood supposed that the disadvantages of hearing the unbiased truth was the fact that sometimes what you were told was not what you wanted to hear.
"I can't go yet." Blackwood said honestly. "I want him to come with Zim."
Zimmer shrugged. "He's got a life here Neil. I don't think that's possible."
"He is my son," Blackwood said with more than a hint of determination in his voice. "I want him at my side, not out here playing sherrif, with every chance he'll get his head blown off by the time he's thirty."
Zimmer was unsurprised by the amount of paternal pride his old friend was displaying. JD Dunne was a good kid, a fast draw and quick thinker, everything that Blackwood would find appealing in his son but the boy also a streak of idealism and a propensity towards the law which made his integration into Blackwood's world in Chicago problematic at best. "That may be but he's got close ties to the six men he rides with not to mention the girl, he supposed to marry. It may be too late to make him apart of the world we know Neil."
"I don't care." Blackwood replied, having thought this out already. "He's my son and I will have him with me where he belongs. I can give him everything he's ever wanted, opportunities that he's never had. Can you imagine that potential going to waste in this place? Once the organization becomes legit, I can put him at the head of what could be real power."
"You could," Zimmer agreed, "but you'll never do that. He won't leave the people here for you Neil. He doesn't know you and I think we both can see that he's just a little afraid of you."
"That will change if he doesn't have anything to hold him back." Blackwood said quietly, his voice lowering as he met Zimmer's gaze. "You're right, he'll never leave while he has people here so maybe the simple solution would be to remove them."
Zimmer caught on immediately to the dark intentions he saw in Blackwood's eyes and though he was unsurprised by the course of action embarked upon his employer; he was dubious to its success in giving Blackwood what he wanted. "It can be done. This is the Territory, people can be erased if enough money is available but he finds out....."
"He won't find out," Blackwood said confidently, having giving the matter great thought before hand. Just the amount of trouble he had received at the hands of Chris Larabee and the men who surrounded his son convinced him that he ought to act in this way. Even if he could convince JD to leave with him, he had no doubt the boy would remain in this dust trap of a town, out of simple obligation to the men he rode with. Such loyalty was good but not for Blackwood's purposes. No, it was unfortunate but the others simply had to go. "Have you been paying attention to what's been going on in town since we've been here?"
"Yeah," Zimmer nodded. "There's another player in the game but they don't know it."
"Exactly," Blackwood retorted. "Those men who escaped from jail about the same time as the robbery at the bank was going on? That was just too convenient. Now, the word I hear is he was hired by the man JD shot and that goes the same for those stage coach robberies before the break was made. One man bringing the others together, not telling them why but making sure that they don't know anything."
"And they're willing to die to keep it quiet too." Zimmer remarked. "You don't see that kind of loyalty a great deal."
"No," Blackwood shook his head in agreement. "But I've been hearing rumors of this underground outfit through some of the senators that rely on me for campaign contributions and there's something starting up out here, something big. I've been hearing talk about troop movements being sent out this way. Now since when did anyone give a rat's ass about the Territory?"
"Well there was the gold rush and the railroad....."
"Yeah but not like this." He pointed out quickly. "The railroad takes care of their own and they do it well but this is something else. I've heard they recruit everything from Chinamen, colored, white men, hell even Indians."
"Indians too?" Zimmer's eyes widened, knowing the racial prejudices that existed among all the listed recruits Blackwood had mentioned.
"They don't trust anyone but they're willing to join up something that puts them on the same side as a white man?"
"Maybe something we ought to look into?" Zimmer suggested, never want to waste an opportunity.
"Not a chance in hell," Blackwood said abruptly, his voice becoming flint. "When the army is interested enough to base troop movements on something, it's a disaster waiting to happen on all sides. Besides, someone wants to turn the Territory into a war zone that's fine by me. There's nothing here I want except my son."
"Getting back to that," Zimmer replied, pleased to be returning to the subject at hand after their little sojourn. "You said he didn't have to know, how?"
"Look you've got escaped prisoners and one who sounds like a fanatic. Trust me, we put the money in the right hands and make the killings look like acts of reprisals, he'll never know the difference, especially if we get him away fast enough."
Zimmer considered the plan and knew that the pieces were in place for such a course of action to actually work and once again had to give credit to Blackwood for already considering things before he had even brought it up. "There's a place called Purgatorio a few hours ride from here," Zimmer answered after a few seconds. "They have the kind of people we need."
"Pay them generously," Blackwood answered picking up the half empty bottle of wine and topping up his glass once again. "Pay them generously and tell that if they talk, we're going to pay the man who skins them alive just as well."
Zimmer nodded, knowing that Blackwood was not joking about the threat, having executed numerous such unpleasantness for the man over the course of their long association. The reason he was held with so much reverence by the Chicago underworld was his ability to punish those who tried to get the better of him. In Chicago, Neil Blackwood had connections to judges, policemen, businessmen, community leaders and even a number of senators in Washington. His reach was long and his need for vengeance even longer. Zimmer doubted that JD could fit into the world that Blackwood had built for himself but did not even bother to try talking his friend out of this folly. When he was this determined, Zimmer had learnt from experience merely to sit back and allow things to unfold, as they should.
"How do you want to play this?" Zimmer asked for further instructions, knowing Blackwood would have already considered all this before making the request.
"Do Wilmington and Larabee first." Blackwood's voice lowered to a hiss even though around him, the drone of diners enjoying their meals made it virtually impossible to be overheard by any casual listener. Still, Blackwood was not one to take chances even if they were discussing the subject in a venue that was less that private.
Chris Larabee, Zimmer could understand after all the gunslinger had proven himself to be the man in charge and the others who rode with him followed his guidance without question. Removing Larabee would throw the seven into disarray but Zimmer could not fathom why his next choice would be Buck Wilmington. "Why Wilmington?" Zimmer inquired. "I would have thought that the tracker would be the better target."
Something hardened in Blackwood's eyes even more than normal and Zimmer did not miss the ripple of hatred that echoed through the man as he thought about Wilmington and gave credence to Zimmer's question. "He and JD are very close. Apparently, Wilmington has taken it upon himself to keep an eye on my son so you can be certain he won't let JD just walk away."
However, what Blackwood did not reveal was more telling about his feelings towards Buck Wilmington than what he had been remarked earlier. Zimmer knew immediately that the reason for Blackwood's dislike of the man had largely to do with the fact that Buck Wilmington occupied the place in JD's life that Blackwood desired to have. Buck was not just an obstacle to Blackwood's wish to have JD come back to Chicago with them but also his chief rival for his son's place in his life. More than anyone else in the seven, it was Buck who held most sway over JD's life. If he was gone and the others were to follow, JD would quit Four Corners without a second thought.
Deciding that he needed no more clarification since Blackwood's requirements of him were clear enough. Instead, he turned his attention to the one other factor that had so far remained unspoken.
"What about the girl?" Zimmer asked, as Blackwood had not provided any instructions in regards to how to deal with her. Considering the nature of JD's relationship with the young lady in question.
"My son is not going to tie himself down to some hick in a place like this," Blackwood sipped his wine and set down his glass. "I'll deal with the girl myself."
Zimmer stared at him. "How?"
He did not answer but offered Zimmer a cold smile instead.
Unaware of the chaos his father was about to wreak in his life, JD still continued to be receptive to the advances Neil Blackwood made towards him with the purpose of forging some sort of relationship with him. Despite his fears and secret concerns, JD could not bring himself to turn Blackwood away when his attempts to get to know JD were so earnest. In truth, JD was starting to feel a little kernel of truth in everyone's belief that it would be to his benefit to get to his father before turning him away. Thus when Blackwood invited him out for a drink at the saloon, JD saw no reason to refuse. Besides, there was little else for him to do with his leg injured. Although the others dropped by and saw him occasionally at his lodging house, they were too busy with their own lives and protecting the town to nurse maid him. Not that he really needed it but after being in their company for so long, JD was unaccustomed to being alone again.
Still, he could not deny that Buck Wilmington usually found time for even if it had not been the case of late. The big man was always there to keep him company whenever he was injured but JD could not expect Buck to be the same now that he had Inez and the baby to worry about, not to mention ranching and playing peace keeper to Four Corners as well. However, JD could not deny that Buck was acting differently even though he could not for the life of him imagine why. It seemed like the one person who could be counted on to answer all his questions and clear up his confusions about everything was suddenly the most distant one in his life and JD could not imagine what he had done to drive Buck so far away.
"Tell me kid, you ever think of being anything more than just sherrif of this place?" Blackwood asked after their drinks had been served and Rain had withdrawn to give them some privacy. JD had chosen these familiar surroundings to spend this time with his father because he was still uncomfortable about the whole situation.
The question took JD by surprise because it was not once he spent time thinking about a great deal. His life as it stood, though not extravagant by any means was precisely how he wished it to be. He had friends who would ride through fire for him and a girl he loved dearly. The town respected him and he knew with some inner faith that could not be defined that someday, he would wear the tin star as sherrif for real.
"Not really," JD shook his head. "All I ever wanted to do was come out West and live the life out here, didn't think of anything else."
This did not surprise Blackwood because he was perfectly aware of JD's life before he arrived in Four Corners and assumed that like all lonely young boys, he had fostered fanciful dreams that took him out of his dreary world into a place of adventure and excitement. "Would you have liked to have gone to college, see something of the world?" Blackwood inquired instead.
"The world?" JD looked at him. "I'm seeing things here that I would have never seen in the city. I've been place and done things that the world can't compete with and college?" JD snorted. "College ain't for me."
"You're still young enough," Blackwood pointed out. "You could go to college, do anything you want. Be a doctor or a lawyer, hell even president if you get it in your mind."
JD laughed harder. "A doctor me?" He shook his head, dismissing the thought because it was so absurd. "There had been a time I wanted to go," JD said after he had stopped laughing. "When I about sixteen and still living with my ma at that fancy school, I knew that once I was done learning there, I couldn't go anywhere else. For a while I felt bad that I didn't have the chance to do what they were doing but that was a long time ago, I know there's more to life than book learning. Vin taught me that. He ain't got no book learning at all and he's one the smartest men I know."
"Times are changing," Blackwood countered, not about to be deterred in his efforts to show the boy that there was more available to him then what Four Corners had to offer. "The railroad is going to change everything. You're gonna find that the West that you read about in your dime store novels going the way of the dodo. Very soon, men like the ones you ride with will become obsolete. They're too old to do anything else but you have a chance at something more."
JD had heard talk like this before and was not about to be swayed. "I'll stay with my friends until the days for us are gone and done. They were there for me when I had nothing. If it comes to it, I'll be there for them if the same happens."
"That's admirable," Blackwood answered, amazed at his ability to play the part of the understanding father because inwardly, his patience at his son's attachment to the law men of Four Corners was damn near infuriating. "But they're moving on already. How long will you think it will take for Larabee to still play lawman to this town once that ranching business of his takes off and it will you know? He has a wife and a family, he's not going to put himself in the firing line willingly when he's got children to think about."
"You'd be surprised." JD remarked but Blackwood's words did give him something to think about. JD could see the changes that had taken place in the lives of the seven ever since they rode away from the Seminole village as one. Chris, Vin and Buck were married. They had wives and Chris and Buck had become fathers. Someday soon, Nathan would become a real doctor and Josiah's ties with Audrey King was strengthening everyday. Ezra would never really change seeing that he was always looking for the fast buck but there was no denying that he and Julia were in the grips of something permanent.
"Even you friend Wilmington," his father continued. "He's got a wife and child now. Folks around town tell me he used to be a real ladies man. It must be a hell of a woman that can make a man change so dramatically."
"Inez didn't change Buck," JD said defiantly. "Buck changed Buck."
Blackwood did not respond but offered the youth a knowing smile because his point had been proven that JD could not expect his life though seemingly perfect at the moment to stand still indefinitely. "I'm not saying you should leave everything that's here," he resumed speaking after a moment, once JD had a little time to reflect upon his words. "I'm saying that perhaps you ought to consider that there is more. If you wanted to go to college, I could make that happen. If you wanted to see something of the world, I can make it happen to. I'm just trying to be a father to you by showing you that this," he cast his gaze over the saloon. "Is not all there is to life."
JD found that he could not refute Blackwood's statement and now that the thought had been planted in his head, could not dismiss it out of hand either. He always was something of a dreamer and had always wanted to go everywhere. "I suppose." He admitted reluctantly, not wishing to show Blackwood that his words had effected him somewhat. "I can't just go, I've got Casey here."
Now the boy was just making excuses, Blackwood thought perceptively. "Women are patient, she'll wait for you."
"I don't want to wait." JD retorted. "I love her and I'm gonna marry her. If I go anywhere, she has to come with me."
"She your first?" Blackwood ventured a guess.
JD shrugged uncomfortably, not wanting the man to see that his guess was accurate, that Casey was the first woman he had ever loved, physically and emotionally. Fortunately, his response was more of an answer than anything he could have said to Blackwood and the older man nodded in understanding.
"Love at first sight huh?" Blackwood remarked, with no trace of derision in his voice.
"Something like that," JD mumbled, wishing they could change the subject. Casey was a topic to close to the heart and JD was not about to get that personal with Blackwood just yet, even if he was his father.
"So take her with you." Blackwood suggested. "I've never met a woman yet who'd turn down the chance to travel and see the world with her beau."
The idea of travelling across the world, of seeing things that neither had ever laid their eyes upon, so far away from here suddenly tantalised JD with the images that flashed in his brain. He pictured Casey draped in finery and knew that the idea of providing her with such a life was not exactly unwelcomed. The idea of seeing the world with him would excite Casey just as much as it was doing him right now and for a moment, images of far away places teased him with their potency. Then it hit him like a splash of cold water that his life was here; in Four Corners.
JD looked up at Blackwood, mortified that he could have been swayed by such ideas, that the equilibrium of his existence had been shaken by a few well-placed words. How could he have been so weak? After all, he had everything he had ever wanted for himself in Four Corners, how could he be so tempted, so quickly by such errant notions.
"No," he stood up just a little too abruptly, shaking his head, trying hard to convince himself more than anyone else at the table. "That's crazy. I've got a life here." He retorted but his voice did not sound as resolved as it had before.
"You can have a life anywhere JD," Blackwood moved in for the kill, seeing the discomfiture simmering in the boy's eyes. "I never had the chance to be apart of your life before or to be a father to you," he said as earnestly as he could muster. "But I can do this for you if you let me. Come with me JD, you can come to Chicago for a visit, see a little of the world before you decide that this all you're ever going to be. Hell if Chicago isn't for you, there a lot more space than just the Territory. The advantages of being rich is being able to give the best to your son."
"I can't leave." JD managed to say, his voice softer than it had been and sounded almost strained. "I have friends and a life here."
"If they were any kind of friends, they wouldn't hold you back." Blackwood answered, smelling the blood in the water and knowing that he was starting to breach JD's defenses.
It was a victory JD was not about to give him just yet. "I gotta go," JD said evasively.
Suddenly he was feeling the need to retreat. A small bubble of shame arose within him at his cowardice but Blackwood's words had exposed a nerve and JD was not about to give him any more of an advantage than he already had. He did not know why but sometimes it felt like to accept Blackwood's gifts would be like making a deal with the devil.
"Think about what I said," Blackwood called out as JD pulled away from the table and began hobbling towards the door. He watched JD leave, saying nothing else but feeling a deepening sense of pride because he knew he had made some measure of progress with JD. The young man was definitely open to the idea of leaving Four Corners with him. Of course, Blackwood had no intention of the girl being with them but he would take care of that eventually.
Just as he would be taking care of Chris Larabee and Buck Wilmington soon enough.
Buck Wilmington tried to sleep.
He tried to tell himself that his inability to do so had to do with the fact that the night was so balmy that the sheets were plastered to his skin when he had been roused out of his restless sleep and kept from returning to it. Despite his attempts to deny it to himself, Buck knew the reasons for his lack of sleep was mostly due to the situation with JD. Adhering to Josiah's advice that perhaps JD ought to be allowed the freedom to choose his own way, Buck had stayed away from the young man because he did not trust himself to offer JD any kind of unbiased opinions. He hated Blackwood's intrusion into JD's life, almost as much as he hated the sense of unease around the man. Everything about Neil Blackwood said caution and yet if he brought such fears to JD's attention, it would look like he was behaving with jealousy and such conflict was not at all what JD needed.
He sat up in his bed and glanced at Inez who was lying on her side. Her dark hair was piled on top of the pillow in a curtain of jet and if he breathed in deep enough he could smell the enchanting fragrance of the soap she used to watch it. She wore a think nightgown in her sleep with bare shoulders showing the fine glimmer of sweat against her dusky skin. For a while, Buck contented himself with staring at his wife, reveling in the sight of her beauty and counting himself grateful for having her and Elena Rose in his life. He had never thought having a family could be so wonderful, how it filled up the empty spaces that he thought would only be restrained by being married with a wife and child. However, it had been a misconception of his bachelorhood and suddenly Buck started to wonder if it was wrong to deny JD the right to be apart of his own family despite Buck's reservations about the boy's father.
Buck shook his head in disappointment when he found he could not answer the question adequately and decided that perhaps he ought to let JD make the choice himself. He did feel a little guilty about avoiding the boy though and was certain JD was a little hurt by his actions. Still Buck could see no other way to behave around the young man without compromising his desires for JD to get to know his father.
Finally deciding that staying up awake half the night would not help, Buck started to ease back into his pillow determined to catch some sleep tonight. He had no more than rested his head on the pillow when suddenly, he detected the low rumble of what appeared to be horses approaching. The distinct sound was pounding against the earth as they approached closer. As they neared, Buck could feel the sound become a low shuddering force and even Inez, started to stir. Climbing out of bed because midnight riders should always be viewed with caution, Buck padded across the floorboards of his bedroom floor and hurried to the main parlor.
Peering through the window, he could not see them but he certainly heard their voices and their horses. It took no more than a second for Buck to realise that none of those voices belonged to any member of the magnificent seven. Whomever was riding hard towards the homestead was no one he knew and that was immediately cause for worry. He wasted no time going to the mantle place and finding the long barreled rifle that was poised over the fireplace. Loading it as soon as it reached his hand, Buck retreated into the safety of the bedroom once again, his eyes still fixed on the windows as he tried to catch a glimpse of his midnight visitors. The fact that he could not, did little to abate his fear.
When Chris had lost Sarah and Adam, the tragedy had struck just as close to Buck as it had for Chris himself and the lesson had burned into the former mind. He knew that as one of the guardians of Four Corners, danger was always going to be a constant and when there was family involved, guarding those he loved had a greater sense of urgency. Elena Rose was still young enough to be sharing her parent's bed room although Buck's insistence her crib remain close to their bed had as much to do with her safety as their need to keep her close.
He moved silently to the bed, senses alert and expecting trouble. Resting gently on the side of the mattress occupied by his wife, Buck gently shook Inez out of her slumber. Her eyes fluttered a moment as she tore herself out of her dream state but eventually, the insistent shaking won out and her eyes flew open and saw him leaning over her.
"Buck...."
"Shh......" Buck responded, gesturing her to be silent with a proverbial finger on his lips.
Inez felt silent immediately and became conscious of the sound of approaching riders. Her eyes widened in understanding as she took in breaths of air in her lungs, realizing that danger was coming with the rumble of hoofbeats. Quietly, she whispered at him her questions. "Who is it?" She asked softly.
"I don't know," he answered just as sedately. "Get the baby now."
Inez nodded as Buck moved away from the bed, allowing her to climb off the mattress. In most things, she often bombarded him with questions because theirs was a fiery relationship with passionate verbal exchanges. However, on this occasion, Inez obeyed without question because Buck was not moved to this action unless there was very good reason. As she picked up her shawl hanging on the bed post, she noted that he had gone through the door once again and felt her pulse quicken at the thought that he would be facing whatever was out there alone.
Elena Rose was still asleep and did not stir when Inez scooped the infant up in her mother's arms. She remained silent, uttering a small whimper of discomfort at having been displaced from her comfortable crib. Inez offered a silent prayer to her god, hoping that her daughter would remain so. Nothing gave away one's position to the enemy more than the plaintive wail of a child. Buck was standing guard at the door, his hands holding onto the rifle with a stern expression in his eyes that bode ill for anyone who attempted to harm either Inez or his little Rose.
"Buck." Inez came to him once she had Elena Rose. "What do you want us to do?" She asked softly.
The riders were very close now and Buck knew that if he allowed them entry into the house, it was likely they discover Inez and the baby and considering he had no idea why they were here in the first place, that was a gamble he rather not take. "I want you go through the kitchen out the back and hide in the trees." He instructed.
"What about you?" She asked, her voice laced with alarm and disapproval of this plan.
"I'm gonna see what our guests want." Buck retorted. "We ain't gotta lot of time Inez, you need to go now."
"Buck I can't leave you alone." She protested.
"Inez," Buck said in the tone that indicated he would not broke any argument on this matter. "Now."
Inez swallowed away the lump in her throat and felt her eyes welling up with tears but she could not refuse him because he was right. No matter how much she feared for him, she had to take care of Elena Rose because that was how it had to be. "Please be careful." She pleaded.
Buck nodded and leaned over to kiss her. Whether or not this situation was as dangerous as he thought, he was not going out of this life without tasting her one last time. It was soft, lingering kiss that translated what needed to be said between them without the need for words. When he pulled away, he planted a gentle kiss on his sleeping daughter's forehead before raising his eyes to Inez's once more.
"Hey, it's probably nothing." Buck replied, cracking a little smile as he made that statement. "Probably some folks who are lost or something."
Inez nodded slowly, even though she could tell that he was lying just by the look in her eyes. He glanced at the kitchen and Inez took that as her cue to leave. She looked at him again and whispered. "I love you Buck." She said trying to keep the fear out of her voice.
"I love you too." Buck answered before she disappeared into the kitchen without looking back. In seconds, he could hear the sound of her feet as she moved trudged over the dry grass that led the path to the woods that would offer he protection. Knowing that she was gone, gave Buck some measure of comfort and he made his way towards the front door of the house, keeping out of sight in the windows as he made his approach.
The uneven silhouettes of the riders coming towards his house soon appeared in the distance and Buck counted at least five men closing the gap between themselves and the homestead. There was something in the way they rode, in the manner of their body language that told Buck, whatever reason they were coming towards him home, he was certain that it was not a social call.
He crouched below the windowsill and watched as they thundered up the path that led to his home. As soon as they reached a stone's throw distance from the house, they seemed to spread out and Buck knew immediately that he was in a great deal of trouble and was glad for the intuition that had caused him to send Inez and Elena Rose far from here. He wondered if he would be able to take care of them all and then reminded himself that the purpose here was to keep them busy while Inez and his child had a chance to escape. Their safety superseded all other considerations, even his life.
Buck remained hidden until he heard the horses coming to a halt in front of the house, followed by the familiar sounds of dismount. Buck felt his palm moistening around the butt of the rifle and wished the others were here. Normally the odds would not bother him but when his wife and child were concerned, strength in numbers was a very comforting thought. He could be sure that each one of the seven would keep Inez and Elena Rose's safety foremost in their minds. He watched the men approach the house slowly, speaking in soft voices as they gave each other instructions on how to proceed. Fortunately, the woods in which Inez and the baby had fled would keep them hidden and his wife was more than adept at staying one step ahead from those who would harm them.
The leader stepped out into the faint light exuded by the moon and though Buck could not make out his features clearly, the big man was certain that this was a stranger to him. The others took his flank, their guns drawn, their intention clear. Buck remained poised and silent, ready to attack. He saw the others surrounding the house, ensuring he could not escape even if he tried to make a run for it, which he would not. As long as he stayed where he was, they would do the same and Inez could get away clean.
"They must have heard us coming." One of them whispered to man in charge. His voice tearing through the night air like the shrill cry of an owl about to take a field mouse scurrying in the darkness.
The leader did not answer, awaiting for the return of one of the men in his fellowship to make his emergence from the barn where the horses were stabled. The dark figure crossed the ground between his companions and the stables in good time, calling out his answer before he reached the others. "The horses are still in the barn." The man reported. "Wagon too."
"Then they're still here." The leader spoke his voice gravelly and distinct.
Buck swore under his breath, hoping against hope for a moment that they might believe otherwise and leave, however, these men did not look foolish and a search of the house seemed inevitable. Buck wondered whether he ought to speak and let them know he was here but then decided against it. The more they remained undecided about what to do, the more time Inez had to widen the distance between her and this place. Buck knew his best chance of surviving this was to stay hidden as long as he could. Unfortunately, his instincts told him his time was almost run out.
"Alright," the leader said finally. "Search the house."
The others with him nodded and Buck knew that it would be harder to defend himself if his intruders entered the house. He had no choice; he had to act now. Taking a deep breath, he held the gun against the glass, taking aim at the closest of the attackers before turning away from the inevitable spray of glass. He watched them converge upon the house slowly, about to violate the sanctity of the home he shared with his wife and felt a bubble of anger arise from the gut at the insult. There was little or no hesitation when he pulled the trigger.
The explosion masked the sound of breaking glass as gunfire erupted. He immediately saw the group scatter in pandemonium as the bullets tore through the air. It would not take them long to recover and he was correct in his assertion when he heard the thunderclap of return fire. Bullets slammed through the room, breaking windows, splintering wood and embedding themselves in any surface that was in front of it. Buck winced each time he heard one of the patterned dinner plates he had bought Inez a few months ago shattered, cursing inwardly because the only reason he had bought them was because she had admired them so in the window of that store in Sweetwater.
Buck returned fired just as ferociously, downing one of two men when his bullet met his mark but more often than not, the refuge they had taken was more than equal to the task of keeping them quite safe. It was not entirely a stalemate however because Buck was fast running out of ammunition and the time was fast approaching when soon, he would run out of shells and there would be nothing to stop them from coming in here.
There was a pause in the shooting and suddenly, he heard the leader shout out. "We just want you Wilmington! You come out quietly and your wife and child can go."
Buck's response was another gunshot before he shouted defiantly. "Go to hell!"
He did not know what the leader's answer was because the shooting resumed again but there was a lot less of it than he thought and suddenly, the fluttering movements of something bright dancing in the black caught his eye. He blinked once or twice and immediately recognised it for what it was. Buck had enough time to place the intent behind the lit strip of cloth emerging from the mouth of the full bottle of whiskey before it was flung into the air. It shattered spectacularly on the roof, glass spraying in all directions over the cladding but the whoosh that filled the air following the impact was what held Buck's attention the most.
He could see the roof above the window flare with amber light and the shards of glass still remaining on the still reflected the glow of the alcohol induced inferno. He looked anxiously through the window and saw the men preparing to throw another bottle. Buck suddenly found himself torn over what to do. Buck took aim once more; hoping to shoot the man before the bottle could be flung to burn the Wilmington home around his ears. Unfortunately, he did not realised that in his haste to prevent this from happening, someone else who had been watching the direction of the enemy fire had spotted him and was taking aim of his own.
When the bullet tore through him, Buck had not even seen it. There was belief that one could always here the bullets that found their mark but Buck had not a clue of it. He could only feel its power tearing through his rib cage, ripping through flesh and bone as it passed through both lungs and continued outwards through more ribs and more flesh. The pain was so intense that Buck immediately dropped his gun and uttered little more than a groan before the next breath he took became a labor of agony. He felt blood in his mouth and tumbled to the floor, feeling the heat of the fire overhead toasting his skin.
He fell flat on his back and could only stare helplessly as the blood oozed out of him while the roof of his house continued to burn.
"There, there Mikey, mama's here." Mary cooed as she held her baby son in her arms and rocked back and forth in the rocking chair Chris had built for the purpose, hoping the swaying motion at her breast would lull the child back to sleep again. The child had been suffering a bout of colic lately and was not all sleeping well despite Mary's best efforts to remedy the situation. Even as she tried unsuccessfully to lull her son back to sleep, she could not feel any real irritation when staring into that small, unhappy, pink face.
Michael Larabee was only a few months old but his features were starting to come into their own, once the pink, rose bud expressions that all children seemed to be born with thinned out into the faces that would be theirs forever. When he sulked, he looked like his father with the full lips and the intense colored eyes that only seemed to be at their best when he frowned. As Mary brushed one of the fine strands of gold from his forehead, she wondered if his father had looked like this in his infancy.
The infant in her arms mumbled uncomfortably a little more before allowing himself to be tempted by the soothing back and forth motion he seemed to be in the grips of. He nuzzled closer to his mother, his developing senses conscious of the rhythmic beating of her heart against his ears more than any other external stimuli being provided at the moment. Mary watched the ease drain into his face and knew that sleep was not far away and continued her ministrations, gently humming a lullaby she used to sing to Billy on such occasions.
Suddenly, she heard a sound.
She raised her head immediately as she heard the creak.
For an instance, she wondered if she had imagined it or was it simply one of those noises that seemed to originate from any empty house only in the darkness of night when all was still and quiet. She held her breath, straining to listen while the lullaby died in her throat, the song fading into nothingness as she waited in anticipation for a repeat of what she had just heard. She almost wished it was nothing but felt gratified that Chris was home. Seconds passed and she heard nothing but her guard was up and the tension in her bones made her back ache.
Another creak. This time, she identified it clearly as a footstep.
Mary looked up and was about to act when another voice spoke through the darkness.
"Mary." Chris who was standing by the door with his peacemaker in his hand motioned her to remain silent.
Mary nodded and watched as her husband pulled the door to the nursery closed. Her eyes conveyed in silence her desire for him to be careful and he answered her with little more than a nod. She should have known that he was far more aware of such noises in his house than she, even if Mary had lived there longer. Chris had internal senses that seemed to detect slight changes in the world around him. It was more than enough to give him adequate preparation to deal with the threats that seemed to be a fact of life for them.
Chris Larabee pulled the door shut and padded quietly to Billy's room where his oldest son was presently sleeping, oblivious to the intruder that was making his way through the Larabee home. Chris did not take kindly to those who would dare invade his home in this manner and intended to express his displeasure most succinctly when the time came, however, for the moment he needed to see to his family's safety. Peering through the crack of the door, he saw Billy in between the sheets of his bed, dozing quiet blissfully. Chris wasted no time locking the door just as he had done for the nursery. Fortunately, living in town meant that the moment a gunshot was heard, the rest of the seven who resided in Four Corners would be quick to investigate the source of it.
Once he was certain of Billy's safety, he made his way to the staircase and peered down the steps to see if anyone was making their ascent. He could hear the footsteps below and assumed that the intruder was ensuring that the lower floor of the home was unoccupied, to prevent any unexpected ambush when he made his way upstairs. Chris knew the margin of time was narrow and so he quickly hurried down the wooden staircase. Barefooted, Chris made no sound as he descended the steps one after the other. As he reached the lower floor, the evidence of invasion became clearer. As of yet, his intruder had no idea of his approach.
Chris kept his back against the wall, his gun cocked before he had even come down the stairs because it was all too easy to give one's self away by doing so when it was time to strike. He could hear the intruder approaching, the intruder whom had believed the element of surprise would be adequate to enter his house and kill him and his family in their beds. After losing Sarah and Adam the way he had, Chris was never able to let down his guard, not even at home. He slept with his gun loaded and close by under the mattress of their bed, aware that as a lawman it was not beyond the realms of probability to be gunned down in one's own home.
He saw the shadow moved into the hall way before the shadow saw him and without thinking twice aimed and fired. The explosion of sound that echoed through the house immediately caused baby Mike to scream in fright and the child's cry was almost as piercing as the sound of gunfire. The bullet had missed the intruder by a fraction and given him enough time to fire a bullet of his own. Chris leapt forward, avoiding it easily and bounded down the steps with enough control to roll onto his knees to fire again when he touched the floor. This time, he was only meters away from the enemy and there was no missing. The intruder had seen him coming and had been unable to shoot because of the darkness and flurrying motion of his movements.
He never got the chance.
Chris fired once and that was all that was needed from a shootist who knew what he was doing. The bullet blew the back of the intruder's skull. Grey matter and blood splattered on the wall of Mary's patterned wallpaper. He uttered no scream for his mind had been destroyed long before the brain could send the order to his mouth. He tumbled backwards, his back crushing the wall behind him with heavy impact before he slid downwards, trailing a thick line of blood down to the floor where he finally stopped, quite dead.
Chris was not about to be complacent and quickly got to his feet. The lawman moved swiftly through the rooms of his house, ensuring that the dead man outside had no companions still in the house. It was a few minutes later that he heard someone knocking at the door and knew that there was only one person who could make such a stealthy approach until he was about to announce himself.
"Vin." Chris declared as he pulled open the door.
"I heard shots." The tracker said hastily, clad only in his leather pants and boots, clutching his Winchester in his hand, poised to shoot at a moment's notice.
"Its alright." Chris replied a slight nod, indicating that the danger was over. "Someone broke into the house but he ain't gonna be doing harm to no one anymore."
Vin nodded just as they heard Mary's voice cry out as she ran down the steps. "Chris!"
"I'm okay." He called out immediately but that reassurance did not stop her from throwing her arms around him and embracing him tight when she finally reached him.
Vin gave them a moment alone and strode to the hallway where the grisly remains of their would be assassin lay. He lit one of the lamps in the room and as light flooded into the space, examined the dead man at his feet.
"Oh god." Mary exclaimed as she saw the blood and flesh on the wall.
"Mary, go and see to the boys." Chris instructed. "Keep Billy up there. Vin and I will take care of this." He did not want Billy to see this horrible scene.
Mary nodded, more than happy to oblige him that request. As it was, she was trying hard to keep her eyes averted from the corpse. "Who was he Chris?"
Chris glanced at the man covered in blood and shook his head. "I don't know. I ain't never seen him before."
"I have." Vin remarked, taking a moment to place the face after initially seeing the man. "His name is Luther. He's a hired gun, outlaw, you name it. Will do just about anything for a price. I heard he took up in Purgatorio a few weeks ago but he's stayed clear of Four Corners so I ain't worried much about it."
"Well someone hired him." Chris retorted angrily. "I intend to find out who."