Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" T.V. series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide. Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of MGM, Gekko, Double Secret Productions.
Ezra could tell that Chris Larabee was tense.
It did not require his honed instincts as a professional gambler to make that determination about the leader of the seven since Chris' general demeanor had more or less been constant ever since they had left the town of Four Corners. All he had been managing in the way of conversation was a few non-committal grunts and the occasional growl. While having ridden with Mr Larabee long enough to interpret those pitch and tempo of those sounds to know that it was a language onto itself, Ezra knew as the rest of them did that this time they meant just exactly what it sounded like; leave me alone. It was fair to say that his usual cold, somber manner was wearing away all their impatience, even that of the unflappable Mr Tanner although everyone present understood that he had good reason to be so disagreeable.
Less than a day ago, Chris had received an unconfirmed report from the sheriff of Wallace County that a big Chinaman had been seen in tow with a dazzlingly beautiful woman. The description provided left no doubt in Chris' mind that the duo was indeed Laurel Chase and her lackey and bodyguard, Mr Zhang. No sooner than the news had reached him, Chris had rounded them up and they were riding out of Four Corners in order to reach Wallace County. Although none of them had voiced the purpose of going to Wallace County when it was more than likely the lady would be long gone before they even arrived there, they were all thinking it even the unflappable Mr Tanner.
However, Ezra could not deny to having a bad feeling about this entire situation. Anything with Laurel Chase tended to do that to him and the woman had the power to rob Chris Larabee of any reason and fill the gunslinger with such a fierce need for vengeance that he could barely think straight. Unfortunately, to survive an encounter with Laurel Chase, one had to be thinking no other way. Their last meeting with the lady had shown them just how grossly unprepared they were to deal with her and Ezra did not want a repeat of the same situation. They were barely able to get Vin out alive and the lady hated the tracker enough to ensure that she would be similarly disposed to ending his life should they fall into her sights again.
Nathan sidled his horse next to Ezra's and Buck's while Vin took position along side of Chris mostly because he was the only one who would not mind the silence. Chris was not in the talking mood and they all knew it. He had ever reason to be the way he was, no one would fault him that after what he had been through at Laurel's hands. It had only been no more than a month since she had almost killed Vin and even though the tracker was recovered as best as one could from a wound like the one he had received from her sniper attack. Ezra had a feeling even if he had been at death's door, Vin would have still crawled into the saddle to ride shotgun.
Besides, someone had to do the thinking for Chris.
Although Chris and Vin were in the lead, the others had dropped back a bit since they had no wish to become entangled in Hurricane Larabee when only Vin seemed capable of reining it in should it suddenly choose to emerge. The five were riding side by side, trying not to allow the tension in the air get to them as well. While they kept their eyes front, they tried not to look at Chris and Vin, not wanting to imagine what must be going through the minds of the two men who had suffered the worst of Laurel Chase's machinations.
"He ain't said a word about her since we started out from town." JD remarked, glancing furtively at Chris, as if the man had eyes in the back of his head and might see him, which of course Chris did
"What is there to say Mr Dunne?" Ezra looked at him. "Besides, we all know by now that Mr Larabee likes to keep his own counsel about his inner most thoughts."
"Well his inner most thoughts is itching for a rematch." Buck retorted quietly, completely unafraid to weather any storm that Chris could dispense, just not wishing to deal with it right now. "He's so mad he can't even think straight."
"I noticed that." Josiah agreed with the tiniest hint of a frown. "I got a bad feeling about this."
"Everything about that woman gives me a bad feeling." Nathan nodded in agreement. "She's a psychopath and what's worth a really smart one in some very fine packaging." Nathan was still unable to wrap his mind around the pharmaceutical marvel she had created in her Venom formulae only to turn around and utilize it for such a barbaric purpose, to say nothing about how she acquired the raw materials to concoct the substance.
Buck who was the only one who had not seen her face to face let out a sigh. "I really need to see what you're talking about."
"Ask Ezra," Nathan replied. "He's the one who got the best look at her, other than Chris that is." He added a little sheepishly.
"Well the lady is beautiful," Ezra had to admit to that much. "Possibly the most amazing creature I have ever seen. No doubt she turns a head wherever she goes but then a tiger can be considered to be a magnificent creature of beauty until it chooses to devour you."
"She play with people like clay," Josiah commented. "It ain't done for money or purpose, just because she can. Tell you the truth brothers, she scares the hell out of me. When we ran into those future people and them alien things that took Mary and Alex, at least we knew that they did what they did because that's what they were. Those Goa'uld things didn't know how to be anything else but with Miss Chase its different."
"Well," Ezra let out a sigh. "It just goes to show you that there are flaws in everything."
"He wants to kill her you know." Buck said softly gazing at Chris. He had only seen Chris this mad once and that was when they had learnt that the fire that killed Sarah and Adam was not an accident. Until then Chris has assumed what had happened had done so as act of god, a cruel act perhaps, but nonetheless an act of god. When he had learnt otherwise, it brought out of a streak of rage rarely seen in Chris Larabee and that Buck hoped they would never see again until now. "You can see it in his eyes. When he comes face to face with her, I don't know whether we can stop him."
"Yep," Josiah nodded agreeing with that statement completely. "Although I ain't sure we ought to stop him."
Four sets of eyes turned to the preacher in surprise. That was hardly the response one would expect from Josiah who always seemed to be the voice of reason when everyone else went to hell in a hand basket. Nothing ever seemed to phase the big man with the deep eyes and to hear him advocating such a drastic course of action was enough to leave even the most seasoned of them a little shaken. If Josiah noticed their astonishment, he certainly did not show it. All he did in response to their stunned expression as to reach into his dark coat and remove a cheroot which he proceeded to light, waiting for the more verbal countering he would soon receive.
Predictably when it came to anything verbal, it was Ezra who spoke first. "I never thought you were such a proponent of capital punishment when it came to a lady."
"Is she a lady?" Josiah parried. "Her actions so far might indicate not."
"But we can't just let him shoot a woman." Buck hissed, keeping his voice down because this was not a conversation he wanted Chris to be privy to. All his life he had taught himself to respect, delight and understand the opposite sex. It was this sensitivity that made Buck Wilmington the charmer he was with the ladies before his marriage. Nothing inflamed Buck's sensibilities more than a varmint who would raise his fist to a lady, a man like that did not deserve to live. He had met women who warranted a killing but until now never thought of simply allowing the act to be carried out, without interference from him when it was all possible to be prevented.
"If we don't, she's liable to keep killing until we do." Nathan pointed out. He was no advocate of cold blooded murder or even execution but he remembered reading the reports on the number of bodies that had been found around Calumet missing pituitary glands. Laurel had killed so many in her attempt to replenish her supply of Venom. Nathan had no reason to believe that the killing spree had ended. If anything, her victims would be harder to find but he had no doubt that they were there.
"If she were a man," Josiah spoke. "We wouldn't be having this conversation."
"Don't make it right." Buck muttered even though he knew that they were not unjustified in their desire to see the woman dead. After what she had done to Chris, it was only natural. Laurel Chase had proven herself nothing less than one of the most deadly adversaries to cross their path in recent times. Following her kidnapping of Chris Larabee, the woman had addicted Christ to a substance called Venom and had him fight like a performing animal in the fights she staged in the town of Calumet. God only knew how many men Chris had killed with his bare hands while under its influence and when they had managed to rescue him from her clutches, what they got in return was not the man who was the leader of the seven but a half deranged maniac eager to spill blood.
"Maybe it ain't," Josiah rumbled, his eyes resting on Chris' back for the firs time since the subject was brought. "I don't think its going to be up to us to make that choice."
"You okay pard?" Vin Tanner asked, the silence emanating from his friend finally straining even the tensile strength of his patience.
Ever since they had found out about Laurel Chase, Chris had descended into a dark mood from which he had yet to emerge. Without giving any though to the fact that he was the father of a new born and that he had an expanding family to consider, Chris had decided he was going after Laurel without any hesitation. While Mary had not complained because she understood the man she had married to know that an enemy was someone that got taken care of immediately, lest they came back years later and burn down the house around one's ears. Mary loved Chris too much to ever try to stop him from going after Laurel.
However it concerned Vin that Chris was so blind with the need for vengeance against the lady that he was taking the very same path he had when they had pursued her to Calumet only to find that Laurel had been expecting them all the time. She had not only escaped but she had damn near killed Vin in the process and while he bore no malice towards Chris for that event, Vin did feel that a great deal of thought was required where the lady was concerned. She had proved that she was far smarter than any enemy they had known in recent times was and her relationship with Chris was like a chess game. Unfortunately, she seemed to be the professional and Chris' anger was making him a rank amateur.
"Fine." Chris said abruptly, not wishing to talk. He knew that the others were afraid of what he was going to do when he got his hands on Laurel and to that effect he could not deny that they had a very good reason to be concerned. When he had swore he was going to kill her back in Calumet that had been no idle threat. He meant to do it. Chris was not about to let another female recede into the shadows, lying in wait until his guard was down and then take his family away from him as Ella had done to him when she had murdered Sarah and Adam. Chris was never going to ever be that negligent again and if utilizing a most final solution was the only way to ensure the safety of Mary, Billy and Michael then that was how it was going to be.
"Chris," Vin knew that it was time to broach the subject even though it was likely that he was going to get his head bitten off but he was not about to stand down either. After almost dying at her hands for the same encore performance that Chris was about to deliver in this rushed trip to Wallace County in search of Laurel Chase, Vin felt he had earned his right to speak his mind. "I think we ought to think about going after Laurel."
Chris looked his way sharply. "What do you mean?" There was thin line of tension in it that was more than a hint of menace being prodded into being.
"I mean that we ain't heard nothing about the woman since she disappeared out of Calumet." Vin retorted. "Not a word. She disappeared like smoke. I've been tracking for sometime now to know that anybody who can fade away like this, ain't dumb enough to be walking out in the open when everyone was looking for her."
"You think this is a trap." Chris stated. It was not a question.
"I think it's a trap." Vin nodded, without hesitation.
Chris nodded. "Well so do I."
Vin looked at him with surprise. "Then why are we going after her?" The tracker's expression showed his puzzlement.
"I know its a trap Vin," Chris met his gaze. "But I also know that it's the first lead that we've had since she went to ground. "You're right about her." Chris had put a lot of thought into coming after Laurel even though the decision might have seemed hasty to his friends. "If she shows herself then it's for a reason and I rather get to her before she puts her plan into action."
"The thing is, we may get to her all right but not in any way that's going to help anyone." Vin pointed out.
"Vin this ain't about me," Chris confessed. "This is about my wife and my two boys," the gunslinger did not want Vin to see the emotion that had crept into his eyes and turned his gaze to the road ahead of them. "Sooner or later she'll come after them. She'll come after them like Ella did Sarah and Adam. The only chance I have to stop her is to get to her first."
Vin could appreciate Chris' fears. He could not imagine what it was like to lose Alex and a child the way Chris had lost his family and could understand why he was willing to go to any lengths to keep that from happening. Unfortunately Vin was not entirely sure that this was the best way to do that. However, Chris was right about one thing; they had little choice. He was in as much in the line of fire as Chris and his family. When Laurel had singled him out specifically to be shot at Calumet by her snipers, he knew that she hated him personally because he had been the instrument of Chris' freedom from the Arena and from her. Sooner or later, Laurel would turn her attention to him and by extension Alex as well to hurt Chris and Vin did not wish to be the cause of more guilt for his best friend.
"I know." Vin nodded reluctantly, conceding that something had to be done but he was still concerned whether this was the right course at the moment. They knew nothing about Sheriff Denborough of Wallace Town other than the fact that he had sighted Laurel Chase and her bodyguard recently. For all they knew, Denborough could be Laurel's creature, not a far fetched idea when one considered how capable the woman was of capturing the attention of almost every man she met. "I just wish I knew what she was up to."
Chris met his gaze and answered with complete empathy. "That makes two of us, pard."
Laurel Chase watched the seven men riding in the distance towards the rocky pass up ahead. They had been followed from the moment they had left Four Corners so she was warned well in advance what path they would be taking in their efforts to reach in Wallace County. Upon discerning which route they would be taking towards the principality of her last known whereabouts, an ambush was all to easy to plan and she was somewhat surprised that Chris was walking into it so blithely. She had expected more from him and assumed that he would have at least considered the possibility of a trap, since she was not a woman who allowed herself to be seen unless she specifically desired it.
Underestimating her was going to cost Mr Larabee dearly.
Sometimes Laurel wondered what exactly she wanted from Chris Larabee. Did she want to possess him? Almost certainly. Kill him? Well that question was a little harder to answer. Eventually she would have to, there was almost no getting around that. One day, their little game would escalate into something uncontrollable and they would have to finish it and Laurel knew that she would win and winning meant that he would have to be dead because he was not a man who could walk away. Which was a pity because he had such amazing potential and yet he chose such a mundane existence for himself.
"Our men are in position." Mr Zhang came up to her on the edge of the cliff as she stared at the group of riders in the distance through the eyeglass she was spying through.
"Excellent," Laurel nodded watching Chris and his companions riding unknowingly towards the passage through the high walls of the canyon they had to traverse in order to reach Wallace County. "I trust you make it very clear to all our people that one dart per man?"
"Yes my Lady," Zhang nodded. "I stressed most particularly that if their negligence were to result in any of the seven dying over an overdose, they would be suffering the same fate."
"No Zhang," she looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Nothing that painless."
Zhang did not need to have her elaborate for him. His lady knew how to dispense retribution to those who failed her miserably with extreme discomfort. "I also conveyed your orders that Larabee and Tanner are to be neutralized first."
"Good," she gave him an appreciative smile. "The other men are quite formidable in their own right. I have a feeling that Chris does not suffer fools lightly so those who acquire his friendship would have talents to recommend themselves to him, unfortunately those talents do not include Chris' unique leadership abilities. Take him out and they fall into disarray." She lowered the eye glass and turned on her heels, her summer dress flouncing behind her as she strode purposefully towards the carriage that was waiting further along the hill she was standing on, safely hidden away as she was.
"And Mr Tanner?" Zhang asked out of interest since his lady seemed to have particular dislike for the tracker.
"Mr Tanner is the random element." Laurel responded her voice hardening to granite.
"He's dangerous and he's difficult to read which makes me cautious." Laurel replied. "Mr Larabee's attachment to him borders on almost scandalous if it was not for the fact that they were both married men. Mr Tanner is resolute, determined and insanely loyal and that makes him extremely dangerous. The threat of him must be neutralized if Chris and I are to play our game."
"I thought you found Larabee more dangerous." Zhang asked with puzzlement.
"Chris is a lion." Laurel met his gaze with a hint of adoration in her eyes as she spoke about Chris Larabee. "A beautiful animal, sleek, intelligent, cunning and one of the greatest hunters put forth on this planet. "On the other hand, Mr Tanner bears a striking resemblance to a wolverine. Equally cunning, ferocious and absolutely relentless, those are qualities that bear watching in itself. Whatever we do to Mr Larabee, you can be assured that Mr Tanner will be dogging our step. I want him gone or at the very least, broken in a million pieces."
Although Chris did not like taking the narrow passage through the line of rock before them, going around it would take too much time and he wanted to get to Wallace County sooner rather than later. While he was mindful that Laurel was leading him to some kind of a trap by her appearance in that locality, Chris was certain that if he got there quick enough, he would be able to plan some kind of a defense before the trap was sprung. He looked at the walls of the passageway and was uncertain whether or not the less than high walls were a blessing. They were too low for sniper attacks but not high for more direct means of attack. In any case, the minute he started seeing the walls enclose them, Chris felt a gnawing in his gut that perhaps going around might not have been such a bad idea.
Vin was similarly cautious and was staring at the edge of the rock walls running parallel with them as they moved through the meandering path of rocks and boulders past them. Unconsciously, his hand had dropped to the butt of the Winchester resting comfortably in his holster and his eyes placed everything against the backdrop of the blue sky under deep scrutiny. He could sense the feeling of something creeping up on them; it snaked up his spine, leaving tendrils of cold against his skin that made him shudder.
"What is it?" Josiah asked, having narrowed the space between himself and the two lead riders because it was never wise to be spread out in a place like this.
"I don't know," Chris answered; his intense gaze just as focussed on the top edge of the pass walls as Vin. "I got one of those feelings."
"That ain't good." Nathan stated automatically, knowing how accurate Chris usually was about 'one of those feelings' of his.
Like Vin, Ezra's hand was already poised over the handle of his gun because he could smell the danger in the air even if he could not tell in what shape or form it was coming. "Gentlemen, if I might be so bold as to make a suggestion, perhaps we ought to think about vacating this area."
All eyes turned to Chris, waiting for their leader's decision and for once Chris did not disappoint. "Yeah," he nodded. "I think that's a good idea."
They began retreating the way they came, forcing the horses to turn around, all the while keeping their eyes focussed above them in case of attack when suddenly, Chris felt a pin prick of pain on his neck that was just sharp enough for him to take notice. At least it was not a gunshot, Chris thought to himself as he slapped the horsefly on his neck and noticed that it was not a crushed insect he had extracted but rather what looked like a piece of thorn and blood where it had penetrated the skin.
"What the hell..." Chris started to say when he looked up to hear Vin make the same curse, although the tracker had been hit in the cheek.
"Ouch!" Vin snapped and slapped the place where thought a bug had bitten him.
However, Chris did not have any time to contemplate what this meant because he soon felt light headed and unable to focus. A feeling of intense vertigo swirled in around him and he felt his mouth go dry as his vision blurred. Too late did he realize what had happened to him as he saw Vin slump forward on his horse and turned to the others, hearing through the distant fog of his mind that they were under the same attack. As he tumbled from his horse, his last thought before he hit the dirt was the fact that the enemy was not attacking from above but from the ground, hiding themselves behind boulders and any place that would keep them a short but clear line of sight of their prey...
Who knew when it had become a ritual but it had.
Even though there were now children involved and Inez lived out of town, a way was usually found to accommodate the changes in their lives so the ritual could continue. At the moment, Elena Rose was sound as sleep in the same crib with baby Michael while Billy and Lilith were upstairs getting up to god only knew what mischief but nonetheless otherwise occupied. Tonight was the first time that Audrey King had been invited to join the ritual since she shared the same burden that they all did now that it was clear that there was more than friendship between herself and Josiah Sanchez. Inez for one was delighted to have Audrey join them, having never forgotten how the lady had come to her rescue when she had been vilified by the town shortly before Elena's birth.
"So you do this, every time the boys go out of town?" Audrey asked as the women were sprawled in various seats and divans in the room that served as the parlor in the Larabee household.
"Absolutely," Alex said refilling Mary's glass with the red wine that was Julia's contribution to the evening. "Its the only way to keep from going out of our minds worrying about what they're getting into this time."
"I have to admit," Audrey confessed, nursing her own glass as she lay on the wing chair with her feet up on the footstool. "It does seem worse that first day."
"It does," Mary agreed, knowing more than anyone else in the room how it felt to worry about a loved one who went to face danger on a daily basis. She had endured this the longest, having started worrying about the seven ever since they had come to town and become more than just drifters but friends. Despite her feelings for Chris, Mary knew it would have hit her just as hard if it was any one of the seven other than he who were hurt or injured. When they first arrived, Mary felt as if she was the only one who gave a damn about them despite all the good they were doing for Four Corners. "After awhile, you get used to the idea that these are the men that they are. They can't help being that way any more than we can help worrying about them."
"So," Julia decided. "We decided that the best way to handle it is to drink ourselves stupid and get through it together."
"Well some of us are already stupid, we don't need any help." Alex gave Julia a devious grin and succeeded in having a cushion flung at her.
Audrey let out a short laugh. "Oh my, whatever have I let myself in for?"
"Hell in a hand basket." Mary chuckled as she indulged herself with another little sip.
"So Alex," Rain who was stretched across the divan inquired. "What is this kitchen table that I keep hearing Chris driving Vin crazy about?"
Alex who was in mid swallow almost choked and lowered her glass to find five pairs of eye staring at her with the exception of Mary who was trying very hard not to snigger even though the amusement on her face was clear. Alex gulped down what was in her mouth, feeling her cheeks burn crimson and was glad that none of them except for maybe Rain, could see the blush of colour on her face.
"Excuse me?" Alex gulped.
"Yes I have to ask about that." Julia interjecting, noting the expression on Alex's face and while she could not see past the doctor's coloring, could tell when Alex was uncomfortable and right now, the doctor was positively squirming. "I've heard this mentioned between those two on occasion myself. So come on, lets here it."
"It's nothing really..." Alex protested, reminding herself that the next time she saw Chris Larabee, he had better be armed.
"I don't think its nothing," Rain gave Inez a conspiratory wink. "She's becoming red. Trust me, I can tell."
"Alex darling it can't be that embarrassing. Remember that time you went to the Indian reservation and took that drink from the medicine man? You tried to take your clothes off and do a rain dance. Now nothing could be more embarrassing after that."
"Especially when Vin had to bring you home tied up." Mary could not help but add.
"Hey, do we have to relive that?" Alex growled, remembering the incident not to mention the worst hangover she had ever experience in her life and having to live with Vin wearing that stupid smirk on his face for the next two months.
"Just until you tell us about the table." Inez chuckled.
"Okay," Alex conceded because in comparison with the rain dance incident, the kitchen table seemed rather mild. "It's the place where we did it the first time."
"It?" Julia exclaimed, her eyes widened.
"And how did Chris find out?" Casey asked for the first time. Although she was not drinking and was singularly pleased to be invited to these gatherings, she had not said much because she still felt a little out of her depth in the company of such seasoned women.
"He saw all the clothes on the floor when he turned up a little later." Alex explained sheepishly, feeling a little more embarrassed when it was Casey asking the question.
"Oh god! We have tea on that table!" Inez exclaimed, her nose wrinkling in distaste.
"Obviously crumpet too." Julia could not help remark.
Alex swatted her on the shoulder and replied. "You are the last one to talk! What about waiting half naked for Ezra in his room?"
"Hell!" Julia groaned visibly and buried her face in her hands. "I knew JD couldn't keep a secret!"
"Actually I found out about that from Vin." Alex said with a satisfied smirk on her face.
"Nathan told me." Rain volunteered with an equally devious smile.
Julia looked at Mary in time for the widow to say, "I heard it from Buck."
Which meant Inez knew as well. "Does everyone know about that?" Julia cried out with growing mortification on her face.
"There's the drunk behind Clancy's Bar that probably doesn't," Alex could not help remark and garnered a perfectly dark look from Julia. "But I'll tell him if you like."
"Well I don't," Audrey spoke up. "What on earth happened and do tell because it sounds perfectly delicious." The older woman grinned.
"It was our first anniversary together," Julia sighed, deciding that could be no harm in Audrey hearing this story since it would be related to the widow the moment she was out of the room anyway. Besides, it was still not as embarrassing as Alex's rain dance story. "I thought I'd surprise him in his room. So I go over there, bottle of wine and dinner waiting, appropriate lace underwear in tow, draped across his bed in my most seductive pose."
"And?" Audrey's asked, her voice full of anticipation.
"Ezra comes in alright," Julia frowned. "But so does JD and Nathan. I'm half hanging out of this outfit I'm wearing and the kid faints, Ezra standing there with his mouth open and Nathan suddenly found this spot on his shoe that he can't take his eyes off."
The entire room burst into a fit of giggles as Julia blushed in embarrassment before the absurdity of the story got to her too and she started laughing with her friends. It was a good minute before they were finally able to settle down and Mary started passing around the pieces of pie that had been forgotten even though the wine had been opened to wash it down in the first place.
"Oh my goodness and what about you Miss Mary? What embarrassing things have you got under that editor chief facade of yours, since we're on the subject of embarrassing situations." Julia looked her way.
"Nothing at all," Mary said with complete dignity.
Inez looked at her with obvious disagreement. "Excuse me, where you or weren't you the one who was commenting to me on whether or not a certain gunslinger whose too tight jeans should be considered an eight deadly sin while inside the church on Sunday morning, unaware that the town's biggest gossip was behind her?"
"Oh no!" Audrey gasped. "Not Mrs O'Leary!"
"Mrs O'Leary." Mary nodded with a loud groan. "It took weeks for the congregation to stop looking at me like I was some kind of sex starved wanton." Mary shook her head, taking a deeper sip of wine and let the taste warm her inside as fresh eruptions of laughter sounded around her and Mary found she did not mind so much because back then sex starved wanton was not that inaccurate.
"Let's face it," Alex said with a sigh once their giggles had died down. "We've all taken a moment or two to admire those jeans." She gave Mary a decidedly wicked look.
"I've heard that there's an underground betting pool in town on whether or not what's in those jeans is what it looks like. Fortunately for me," she gave the others a thoroughly evil smile. "I can tell you it is."
"You know I always thought so." Inez chuckled and then turned to Julia. "But then I've always wondered about Ezra too."
"What?" Julia giggled, perfectly prepared to engage in a little trade of information since they were bandying it about so freely. Besides, it was rare that they were so free in their conversations about the intimacies with the men in their lives. All it needed was enough alcohol in their systems and the sky was the limit.
"Just how far do those dimples go?" Inez leaned forward and asked with a salacious glint in her eyes.
"All the way down." Casey said automatically before Julia could and immediately all eyes were on her.
"Well it was during that poker game with the card player! " Casey declared, blushing herself at the questioning expressions on the faces of those around her who were wishing to know how she came by that delicious bit of information.
"The one where he lost everything." Rain nodded in understanding. "Nathan has told me this story. Ezra lost every cent he had as well as his clothes and had to walk down the street, wearing nothing except a table cloth."
"Which rotten killjoy gave him that?" Inez teased and cause more loud chuckles from the gallery.
"Well anyway, I was working at Mrs Potters store," Casey continued. "And well he hadn't quite worked out the knot well enough and it dropped."
"We miss all the good stuff." Alex looked at Julia.
"And well," a little smile crossed the young lady's face. "I got Inez's question answered and I have to say, not that I have much experience, that those dimples are almost as fine as the rest of him."
"I know." Julia grinned widely. If Ezra knew they were speaking of his corpus de lecti which such wickedness, the gambler would probably turn red as a beet and at the moment, Julia was contemplating on whether or not the expression on his face was worth the telling. She did so like to see Ezra when he was uncomfortable. For some reason, he was at his most endearing when he was trying not to show his discomfiture, no matter how obvious it was.
"You must think us perfectly awful," Mary said turning to Audrey who was knew to their sense of humor.
"No, no," Audrey shrugged, finding the camraderie and the talk quiet refreshing and welcomed, although she suspected that the second bottle of wine they were almost through was partially responsible for this ability of theirs to have such an earnest discussion. "I'm not such a prude. Besides, I am certain that this is no different from any discussions that the men might have in our absence."
"That's true," Julia nodded in agreement. "But I think we shouldn't talk about our embarrassing moments."
"You mean that you have more than just that one story?" Alex teased just before she bit into the warm pie on her plate.
"Very funny," Julia gave her a look, "I think we should do the next best thing if we're going to talk about embarrassing moments."
"That's right," Rain replied firmly. "We should talk about the men."
"The men?" Inez laughed. "Oh their whole lives are bunch of embarrassing moments!"
"Like the time Buck ran out of the bath house with only a towel on." Casey cried out excitedly. Although she was not drinking since Aunt Nettie would kill her for doing and also because it never seemed to agree with her. Besides, she had a feeling that it was sensible that at least one of them in this group remained sober.
"You see," Alex stared at Julia again. "We miss all the fun stuff!"
"Well let's face it," Inez shrugged not at all perturbed about finding out that her husband derriere was flashed to most of Four Corners. "Buck Wilmington's ass is not exactly the mystery we all like to think it is. Half the women in town has seen it at one time or another."
"And more." Mary could not help but comment. "Its amazing to picture that Buck is married." She sighed a moment later. "I mean there are some men you picture married, Vin yes, Nathan almost definitely but Buck? Its like the laws of nature suddenly turned topsy turvy."
"Hey!" Inez grumbled. "Its not that far fetched. Sure, he's still got a roving eye but he's been absolutely faithful unless of course, he saving it up until he leaves town..." her mind started drifting off at the possibility.
"Good call Mary," Alex gave the editor of the Clarion a sarcastic look as Inez started to think more on the possibility that Buck was hiding his infidelities.
"I am sure he is completely loyal." Rain added her own belief in Buck's innocence before Inez's musing gout of hand.
"He better be," Inez shook the thought out of her head knowing that she was being perfectly silly. She loved Buck and she trusted him. She also knew that he adored his family and would do nothing to jeopardize that, just as he knew that she would disembowel him if he was caught with another woman.
"Besides, they all act weird when they first get married." Mary quickly spoke, remembering that this was partially her fault. "Remember Chris and the socks?"
"Who could forget?" Audrey could not help snigger because this was one incident she remembered clearly as did everyone who past by the sill and saw those socks hanging from the front window of the Larabee home, the window facing the street where passers by walked daily. "I don't think anyone will ever forget."
"Tell me about it." Mary shook her head in disbelief and wondered how Sarah had managed to get the man house broken.
"Don't talk to me about washing." Alex groaned having her own war stories in that particular regard. "I tried to stick that coat of Vin's in the wash and you should have heard the almighty fit that man threw. He slept in his wagon that night because he was so mad at me for trying to wash the thing. I mean, it needs a wash! It smells of... of...
"Buffalo." Mary retorted wrinkling her nose.
"Dust." Julia added.
"Leather." Inez voiced as well.
"In other words," Rain retorted. "It smells like Vin."
Alex fell silent at than and let out a groan in realization. "Oh god, you're right. I fell in love that smell!" She drained the contents of her glass. "I am just going to have that coat the next time he gets shot."
"That's terrible." Audrey exclaimed even though they were all laughing.
"I had a dog like that once," Casey remarked. "You'd wash him, get his coat nice and shiny. Then the first thing he'd do when he got out was roll around in the dirt once again. Vin will do the same thing."
"Don't I know it." Alex said with a bittersweet smile even though she knew she would want him no other way.
"Well I am never going to be laundress for Ezra" Julia said haughtily as if menial domestic duties were too good for her.
"Wait a minute..." Inez stared at the red headed beauty. "Isn't that because Ezra gets the Chinese lady who does the laundry at his boarding house to do it for him?"
"I never argue with a man who is onto a good thing." Julia winked at the Mexican bartender. "And one who doesn't want me to pick up after him."
It was the small hours of the morning before Mary finally ushered her last guest out of the door and headed to bed herself. Audrey had picked up Lilith in her arms as she lifted her from the spare bedroom and Mary could not help thinking how all children looked like babes when they were asleep. Inez was staying with Julia for the evening and Casey was doing the same with Alex. It was the only way that Nettie would allow Casey to remain away from home after coming home and discovering her niece in bed with JD following her trip away from Four Corners. In truth, Mary had not drunk all that much. Two bottles of wine did not go far when it came to six women partaking from it. While she felt a little lightheaded, Mary's inebriation did not extend much further than that.
The subject had gone from the extremes of marriage life to what it was like to love one a man who was one of the magnificent seven. Mary had a feeling that the small gathering had been very good for Audrey in particular, who was not accustomed to waiting in the sidelines while the man in her life went off to face whatever dangers lay in wait for him. On that note, Mary tried not to think about Laurel Chase as she made her way up the stairs to check on her two children. When Audrey had collected Lilith to take her home, Mary had chance to see that Billy was fast asleep and baby Michael who was settling into something resembling sane sleeping patterns, was also lost in his own infant dreams.
The house was silent as she walked up the hallway with only her sound for company. It seemed a far cry from the daytime when everyone was up and about with Chris at home. Sunday mornings were her favorite now and though she still could not convince Chris to go to church with them, she did enjoy breakfasting together with her entire family on that particular day of the week. Mary knew that one day he would surprise her and join them but for now, Mary understood his reasons for not wishing to attend. It was hard for a man who had lost as much as he had to have any tolerance for God and she knew that he was not hypocritical enough to go when he had no faith in the words he would be expected to recite.
Mary pushed open the door of Billy's room quietly and saw her eldest son fast asleep in between the sheets, looking cherubic as the blue light of the night sky threw an iridescent cloak of indigo over everything in sight. For a moment, she could only watch at how beautiful he looked, her tow headed boy who was so much Stephen it brought tears to her eyes whenever Billy did or said something that would make her first love resurface. Chris had not tried to replace Stephen and Mary was grateful for that but she knew that Billy was starting to forget his father and time would only diminish more of the memories he possessed. Thus she was glad when she was able to see Stephen in Billy's face because one day, all he would have to remember his father were those traces of Stephen in his reflection.
Continuing to the nursery where Michael was just as lost in slumber, Mary found herself smiling when she remembered how precious a scene it had been when Inez had come to collect Elena Rose and found them sleeping side by side in a moment that needed to be framed forever. Michael did not seem as contented as he had been when the baby girl had been at his side and for a moment he looked so much like Chris, Mary felt a wave of longing for her husband. As she pulled away from the crib after ensuring that Michael was tucked in properly, Mary stepped out into the hall way once again and headed towards her bedroom.
Until now she had not thought about it and whilst the others had been here, she had not time to think too much about what Chris had to face. However, now that she was alone and there was nothing but time in front of her, Mary could not help feeling a little trepidation that he had ridden off to face Laurel Chase. Her husband was not thinking clearly and she knew Vin had been worried about Chris' state of mind as he went after Laurel. She did not understand entirely what he had endured at her hands while he had been at the Arena and the truth was a part of Mary did not want to know. All she did understand was that Chris hated Laurel Chase more than any person he had ever known save for perhaps Ella Gaines.
Mary was certain that there was much that the seven had not told her about what had happened to Chris in the Arena but she had been able to see it in the hollowness of his eyes each time Laurel's name was mentioned. She had not seen that look of fierce, burning hatred since he had first ridden into town almost three years ago. It was a killer look and that it was reserved for Laurel Chase made Mary certain that whatever she had done to him, must have been almost as terrible as losing his wife and child and Mary could not imagine what act could be equal to that agony.
She reached her bedroom and started to undress when she heard a sound downstairs, not so much a sound but a scuffling sound. Without thinking, she turned on her heels and returned down the corridor, thinking that it might have been one of the girls having forgotten something and come back to claim it.
"Someone there?" Mary called out as she descended the stairs.
Unfortunately, there was.
The two men appeared at the foot of the staircase and Mary froze in her tracks. She had barely a moment to register their presence before turning on her heels and running for dear life up the steps, her boots making loud noises against the wood as she ascended to the upper level of the house. Unfortunately, they were faster than her and fell into pursuit almost as quickly. Mary started to scream as she felt a hand grab the hem of her dress and yank back hard. The force behind that vicious pull and the alcohol in her system had made her sense of balance less than what it should be and she could not keep herself from falling into the intruder's arms.
"Let go of me!" Mary shouted as she felt his arm slide around her chest and a hand cupped her mouth, stifling the cry for help she was attempting to make and any further protest she might have had on the subject.
"Hold her steady!" The second man ordered and Mary felt the grip around her strengthened.
"She's fighting real hard!" The man holding her retorted and Mary struggled even harder just to add validity to his words.
"Not after this." His companion responded, reaching into his jacket and produced a leather case. What he extracted from it when he opened the case made Mary freeze in shock and her eyes widen with similar horror.
The point of the needle was leaking with fluid as the man holding it prepared it for use. She saw his gaze shift to her arm and knew instantly that whatever was inside its glass contents would make it impossible for her to continue struggling or for that matter escape. She could not go under! Not when she had no idea what these intruders had planned for her. Or the children.
Dear God, her children!
"No!!!" Mary screamed through the hand on her mouth and pulled away enough to bite down on the hand trying to keep her silent. A cry of pain escaped from the assailant behind her but his grip around her waist did not budge and despite her violent struggles, Mary could not compel him to release her.
"Bitch!" He swore and reacted by slamming his fist into the side of her head so hard that she barely felt the pain because it felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. Groaning in pain as the nausea overtook her, not to mention the flaring agony that moved through her skull like someone was taking a hammer to it, Mary was barely conscious of the needle that pricked her skin.
"There you go darling," the man grinned although she was too disorientated to take much notice. "You won't be giving us any more trouble now."
He was confident of this because that was what Miss Chase had said and if there was one thing his employer knew with complete confidence, it was the potions she brewed. He watched the captive's eyes starting to cloud as the concoction did it work, slowly spreading through her veins and paralyzing her body with its effects.
"Please," she begged as she struggled to remain coherent. "Don't hurt my babies."
He ignored her but faced his companion instead. "Let's move her out. We got a lot of distance to cover before we get to Forbes."
His partner who's named was Mansfield, started to nod when suddenly, the woman in his arms jerked violently in his grip. A small cry of pain escaped her as her body went into spasms and in his surprise he let her go, watching with horror as the blond woman tumbled to the floor and began shaking like a fish that had been dropped onto the deck of a boat.
"What the hell!" Mansfield exclaimed, unable to understand what was happening. Miss Chase did not say anything about a reaction like this!
"Help me!" She begged, her fingers clawing at her skin, leaving red trails of blood where nails had torn flesh. What sense she managed to make disappeared into loud, ragged gasps of pain that soon decayed until her last coherent words turned into a guttural scream of mindless agony. The woman named Mary Larabee was writhing on the floor, legs kicking in pain, hands tearing at her hair and her body, almost as if she were being burned alive without there being the faintest scent of fire.
"This wasn't supposed to happen!" The druggist said stepping away in fear. He had done what he was supposed to! He had followed Laurel's instructions to the letter and he was sure that none of those instructions and orders had anything to do with what he was seeing right now.
Then almost as suddenly as it had began, the struggling, the screams of pain, the flailing limbs stopped moving and she slumped to the floor lifeless and still. For a minute, both men did not know what was happening except that the lady was pale and that she was unconscious Seconds passed until finally Mansfield regain his senses enough to act. He put his fingers to that slender neck, now covered in scratches and searched for some evidence of life. After a moment, he pulled back his hand and looked at his companion, his face showing his disbelief.
"She's dead."