Series/Universe: Family Business
Disclaimers: M7 characters belong to Trilogy, et al. Original characters are all mine ... don't mind if you borrow them, just ask first, give them back intact and give credit where credit is due.
Warnings:Language, references to violence and other unpleasantness. Original characters abound (if you've read SG-7 series, the character of Dawn Jackson has been translated into Aurora Hutchins). Also, Buck and Nathan are very, very bad boys. You have been warned. Special thanks to Cin, and she knows why.
These stories are set after Serpents, so you'll probably find references to all of the episodes, at one time or another.
Continues: Road to Hell : Reunion.
Author's Note: This is the final story in the trilogy, but not the end of the storyline. It picks up in the first story of the Family Business series, tentatively titled 'Paying the Piper.' At some point, you'll meet the puppet master behind all this (nope, he's not anyone we met in the series ... someone I've totally made up), as well as witness Gideon's reckoning. Keep hands and feet inside the wagon at all times, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
Thanks to everyone who emailed me while I was writing this, to let me know you were enjoying it. I couldn't have done it without you. Thanks as ever to Elizabeth, for her archiving and coding, to Cin, for her support and encouragement.
Though neither Josiah nor JD was in town when Vin was taken, Ezra joined them in the kitchen shortly, followed by Chris. Ezra noticed that Adriana kept her distance from Josiah, then remembered that she was the daughter of a working girl, herself raised in a brothel. She probably knew that Josiah was a man of God, so to speak, and more than likely, she learned the hard way to be wary of such men.
Adriana's wariness didn't go unnoticed by the man in question, who quietly left her alone. Chris did the same, perhaps understanding that she was being far more accommodating than she really had to be. When Chris entered the house a few minutes earlier, Ezra caught his eye and inclined his head toward the kitchen. It was daylight, and Vin didn't have nightmares during the day. And after the dressing down he received from Laertes earlier, it was highly unlikely that Mr. Jackson would attempt to bully his way into see Vin again.
Ezra wondered, as everyone sat in silence, where Laertes was. He heard talk that the man would go into town to retrieve Miss Aurora. Apparently, she helped him nurse Miss Adriana through her illness after she escaped from that hellhole. Perhaps, that plan was put on hold, until they had a better idea of what was happening with Vin's fever. For now, the four men, plus Adriana, had things to discuss.
Chris said, finally breaking the silence, "We need to compare notes on what we know so far. All of us. Because I'm gettin' a real bad feeling that this ain't over yet. I've been so busy with what's happened, I ain't been payin' attention to what's gonna happen. That changes now. Before we get started, who is with Vin?"
"Miss Laura," Ezra replied. Chris raised a brow, and Ezra explained, "She came in behind you, and made straight for his room." So, they were taking the fight to their opponent, and becoming proactive, rather than reactive, then? Good. That was very good.
Chris addressed his next comment to Josiah, saying, "You believe the men who took Vin were mercenaries, rather than bounty hunters, and Adriana agrees." Josiah inclined his head in agreement, and Chris continued, "So do I. I think it's fair to say that the man who behind this is filthy rich. Now, little princess, I don't expect you to trust me, but I do need you to answer my questions, if only to protect Vin. First...when was the prison camp at Pordios set up?"
"About ... oh, a year ago, I'd say. I started calling it Bedlam Two after our first raid, because it was set up similar to one. I've never been able to break myself of the habit. Uhm. I do remember that the raids became much more difficult about two months ago, because I had more guards to avoid. Up until the night we rescued Vin, we'd never found it necessary to use force during a rescue," Adriana replied.
She paused, then continued, "That was the first time we actually went into the barracks. I knew where it was, of course ... but usually, when we freed a prisoner, it was someone in an isolation pit. So, I didn't know my way around the barracks. That was where Laura helped. She'd lived in that place for three years. I know, I said the prison camp was there for a year, and it was. For two previous years, it was ... just a place where a little girl shouldn't be."
Her voice broke on the last sentence and Ezra said quietly, "There was another prison camp on that site for ten years. I checked the local newspaper office. There wasn't a direct statement, but there was a reference to an establishment outside of town, in the correct location. An illness spread through the camp like wildfire, killing all of the inmates and the staff. It seems likely that Miss Laura was the only survivor."
"And she was there all that time???" JD blurted out. Ezra nodded. He wished she had been found by a friendly Indian tribe, perhaps Chanu's people. Anything would have been better than the horrors she must have seen in the years she lived there. JD continued, "Why wouldn't she come with you before then? I mean, you said you had done other raids ... why didn't she come with you on those others?"
"I don't know, JD. Hand motions can only say so much. In any event, like I said, we usually freed someone from the isolation pit. There was a lot of that. I heard about the prison camp at Jericho, and how it was used as a work camp ... a mining operation. The thing is, I don't know if anything was being mined at the Pordios camp. I didn't know, and really, I didn't care. I wish now I'd paid more attention to other things," Adriana admitted.
"Can't change the past, little princess, and besides, you had other things on your mind at the time. This still gives us a good start. Ezra, you said you have the descriptions of the men who took Vin ... what did they look like? Did they have any defining features, anything that would make them stand out in a crowd? And little princess, you let us know if you've seen any of these men in the area," Chris said.
Ezra nodded, replying, "There was one man who seemed to be in charge of them all. He was in his middle thirties. A tall man, broad-shouldered. Very short dark blond hair Bright blue eyes, according to Mrs. Travis ... she went right up to his horse, warning him to keep Vin alive. I heard that one called Burke. There was another man. Around the same age. Also a big man. Darker hair. He was called 'Neely.' Do these men sound familiar, Miss Adriana?"
"Yeah, they do," came the grim response, "Neely's an ass. He's tried to hurt Aurora a few times, because she scares him. And the other one? I've seen Burke around town, but his name isn't really Burke. He first arrived in town about two months ago, asking a lot of questions about the prison camp. It wasn't long after that, the security got worse at the prison camp. Aurora found out that his real name is Julian Poplar, a Pinkerton agent."
"What?" four voices blurted out at once. Adriana edged backward, her eyes taking on the look of someone who was about to take flight. Chris recovered first, saying, "I'm sorry, little princess, I didn't mean to frighten you. Poplar is a name known to us. Another Pinkerton agent came to Four Corners a few months ago, and tried to frame Josiah for murders he committed. He doesn't sound like any relation, based on what Ezra told us, but it still startled us."
"He was asking a lot of questions about the prison camp, and then the security got tighter. I wonder, brother Chris, if this Pinkerton agent was undercover when he came to Four Corners? Ezra, what do you think?" Josiah asked. Ezra didn't answer immediately ... he was too busy reconstructing what happened that awful day. He shut out everything else from his mind, just concentrated on the man whom the others called 'Burke.'
Burke's eyes changed as they swept over the town ... regarding Vin with pity; Mary, Billy, and Ezra with sorrow; and Buck and Nathan, as well as the rest of the town, with contempt. Good Lord. How had he missed it? The man was running a con all the while, and Ezra never even noticed! Mother would be appalled! He said slowly, "It was a con. We were supposed to see through his subterfuge. My God. I was a fool!"
"It ain't your fault, Ezra, you done the best you could. All right. This is what we're gonna do. Way I remember it, little princess, you always did write prettier than me ... I need you to write down everything that we know. JD, once Adriana finishes, you'll take that into town, to give to Mary," Chris said. Ezra started to say something, but a scream of terror and anguish ripped through the house. Chris muttered, his hand going to his pistol, "What the hell?"
"Oh God ... that was Vin," Adriana answered hoarsely. She ran from the kitchen, making straight for Vin's room. The other four followed her ... but not before Ezra caught a glimpse of someone watching through the window. He recognized the face, but he didn't have time for this. He had to make sure Vin was all right. Without another backward glance, Ezra continued into Vin's room, wondering what had happened this time.
They found Vin screaming and thrashing about on the bed. Laura, smart child she was, had pressed herself into the corner, her eyes filled with terror as she watched the terrified man. Adriana immediately ran to the bed, ducking as Vin swung his fist at an attacker only he could see, her expression neither fearful or sad, but grimly determined. As if this had played out many times in the last two weeks.
She pushed him back to the bed, trying to soothe him and comfort him, but he was in a place where not even she could reach him. Josiah Sanchez watched the determined young woman holding on for dear life as yet another nightmare ravaged his brother. Vin screamed again, and this time, the words were recognizable as English, though just barely. He pushed Adriana away, and she landed in a heap on the floor. She was on her feet immediately, as Vin cried out, "Chris!"
Josiah couldn't have said why he did what he did next. Instinct ... a desire to protect the small young woman from getting hurt ... a desire to protect Vin, to keep him from hurting someone who meant so much to him. Or maybe just knowing, as Vin cried out and struggled against unseen hands, against unseen fists, that Vin was somewhere not even Adriana could reach him. He wasn't the only one who came to that conclusion.
As Josiah reached out for Adriana, pulling her away from Vin, Chris moved toward the bed. Vin cried out again, "Chris! Don't let them take me! Bucklin? Nathan? Why, Chris? Why'd ya do it? Thought I could trust ya! Thought we was goin' ta Tascosa together, why?!" Chris grasped the flying wrists before Vin could strike him and wrapped his arms around the sweat-soaked body, despite Vin's continuing struggles.
"No one's takin' you nowhere, Vin, I ain't gonna let them. You hear me? No one's takin' you nowhere. I gave you my word, remember? I told you that I wasn't gonna let nothin' happen to you. Not when that bastard Eli Joe came to town, and not now. Easy ... easy. No one's ever taking you from us again," Chris whispered, tightening his arms around Vin's slender, shaking body. The small body within Josiah's grasp was stone-still ... but, no one else was moving, either.
"Nathan tol' me ya said it was okay. Said they couldn't let all them people die. Said they had to protect the town. He said ya knew it was for the best," Vin choked out. Josiah blinked back tears, and quietly swore to beat the living shit out of Nathan Jackson when this was all over. What the hell was wrong with Nathan? Whatever possessed him to do this? After all the times Vin had been there for Nathan ... it was time for the excuses to stop. And it was time he had a talk with the former healer for the Seven.
"Nathan lied to you, Vin. He lied. I didn't even know about those goddamn bounty hunters. None of us did, not 'til we got back into town. Not 'til Mary tol' me. I thought she was gonna make sure I could never have any more children, Vin, when she thought I'd abandoned you! She was somethin' else, pard, you shoulda seen her. If I'da known, I woulda come. Eagle Bend is only a few hours away ... I woulda come, and we woulda driven them bounty hunters across the Rio Grande. None of this shoulda ever happened, and I'll spend the rest of my life, makin' things right with you. I swear that to you, on the graves of my wife and child. We ... woulda ... come," Chris answered. He held Vin tightly and slowly, the sobs eased.
The danger was past, and Josiah released Adriana. She stood very still. ..however, Laura did not. She walked over to the bed, and Chris released Vin long enough to take the child's hand and lift her onto the bed. Laura comforted Vin as only she could, and after a few minutes, Vin said sleepily, "I wanna trust ya, Chris." I wanna trust you, but it hurts too much. I wanna trust you, but don't ever ask me to trust Nathan or Buck again. I wanna trust you, but I'm too damn tired. All of this was said in those five simple words.
"That's all I ask, Vin. Because until you're ready to let me watch your back, Miss Adriana and Laertes will do that. They've done a better job than me. But that can wait, pard. Right now, you gotta get better. Just sleep. We've got your back," Chris answered softly. Vin's body slumped against Chris, and Josiah wondered if anyone else realized a bridge had been partially rebuilt. Chris gently lay him back, Laura helping to tuck the covers around him.
"Stay with him, Miss Laura," JD said softly. The child nodded her agreement, and then the adults quietly left the room.
As they did, Josiah heard Adriana ask softly, "You said no one would ever take him away from you again, Christopher. Was that a threat?" What the hell ... oh. Now Josiah understood. The question was, did Chris?
He did. The man in black turned to face the girl, so small and so determined. He put his finger under her chin and replied, "That was a promise, little princess. No one takes someone away from me. Takes one of mine. It was a promise to him, and to you. Because you're one of mine, too." The girl swallowed hard, then bobbed her head once, sharply. It was a mannerism which reminded Josiah strongly of Vin.
The adults made their way back to the kitchen, all silent once more. JD asked finally, "What ... he's never had a nightmare during the day ... why did he today?" Adriana sighed, sitting down in the chair she vacated earlier, rubbing her hand over her eyes. She looked exhausted. When was the last time she got some sleep?
"That's probably because of us ... he's had a lot to deal with today, JD. Alright. Everyone okay?" Chris asked. Adriana nodded, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist. Chris said softly, kneeling in front of her, "You've done this for two weeks?" Again, Adriana nodded and Chris continued, "You did a helluva job, little princess. But you're not alone no more, and no one's taking Vin nowhere. You need to get some sleep."
"I can't," Adriana answered, "I can't do that. I can't sleep." Josiah understood. Vin wasn't the only one whose memories were being stirred up. She took a deep breath, then added, "And I haven't been alone, Laertes has helped me. You said you wanted me to start writing down everything we know. There's one other thing. When we were getting Vin out of the barracks, I recognized one of the men. Dr. Wallace Powell. He was at ... the other place."
"The asylum. Sounds familiar, does it not, Chris?" Ezra asked. Chris nodded, frowning at this reminder of Jericho. Ezra continued, "You mentioned this man Powell ... the doctor who attempted to harm Miss Laura. I take it he was not a healer of the benevolent kind?" Adriana shook her head, and Josiah could see her retreating behind her protective shell once more. She wasn't ready to deal with that. Not yet.
"No. No, not even the people who ran the asylum trusted him. He ... hurt people," came the reply. In that statement was found another truth, one that Josiah glimpsed when she spoke of killing him. This Dr. Powell had hurt Adriana Wilmington. She hadn't fired bullet after bullet into him for simply attempting to backhand Laura. No. No, she had slain one of her own demons that night, but the memories still haunted her.
"So, the only question is, was he cut loose before or after he was recruited? What else can you tell us, little princess?" Chris asked softly.
Adriana drew in a deep breath, and Josiah saw her force the memories back. After a moment, she replied in a somewhat steady voice, "Based on what I heard, when Laertes first suggested that we emancipate the prisoners at the camp, I'd say that they cast their net around disreputable doctors, like Powell. Or people who were kicked out of medical school. You know the sort I mean. The trouble is, that covers a lot of ground."
"That it does, dear girl, that it does. However, you still provided us with a valuable clue. It is possible that his former employers can shed some light on the identity of the employers of the late and unlamented Dr. Powell," Ezra suggested. Chris nodded. It was almost guaranteed that Ezra would be one of the people who would be asking the questions. What Josiah didn't know was, who would go with him?
"Right. Ezra, I want you to leave as soon as we're done here. Another change in plans, JD. Ezra will be taking the information we have to Mary. Ezra, once you leave the asylum, head directly to town. Mary will be arriving on the morning stagecoach with Billy, Nettie, and Casey. She has information about the prison camp. Compare notes. Spend the night in town, then bring everyone back here the following morning," Chris said.
"One thing you need to know ... the morning stage doesn't arrive until about eleven thirty," Adriana said quietly. She paused, then added reluctantly, "You might want to think about asking Laertes if he'd be willing to go with you, Ezra. To watch your back." Josiah blinked in surprise and he could tell Chris was stunned as well. Adriana said crossly, "Look, even with the divisions, there's still four of you and two of us. You could have overpowered us. You haven't."
"I will do that, my dear girl. I will do that," Ezra replied. Josiah did a quick count. That left him, Chris, JD, and the two traitors ... one of whom Josiah had every intention of beating half to death for lying to Vin. Enough to protect them, if it became necessary. Adriana bent her head and began writing down what had been said. Ezra added after a moment, almost reluctantly, "There was one other thing about which you inquired, Mr. Larabee."
Chris turned toward him, while Adriana looked up. Ezra continued, "I ... overheard a conversation between the two miscreants after the bounty hunters. I was sitting with Vin. It is my belief that Vin was between two states ... awareness and unconsciousness. And he heard part of that conversation, which led him to believe that he was an embarrassment to us. And that, in turn ... " His voice trailed off. Josiah understood. As did Chris. There would be time enough to deal with that later. For now ... they had work to do.
It was actually Buck's idea to listen under the kitchen window, when they saw Chris go into the house, followed by Laura. They hoped to find out a little more about what was going on. Their presence was tolerated by the others, but they weren't updated or told about what was happening. Nathan was forced from the house earlier, after overhearing that Vin's fever was going up ... and then got reamed by Laertes.
Nathan was still smarting from that encounter, as well as trying to come to terms with the knowledge that anyone who was a slave could inflict that horror on another human being. Much less an innocent girl of fifteen. Why should it, a snide voice in the back of Nathan's mind asked, that's what ya done to Vin, ain't it? Turned him over to them goddamn mercenaries, and they fucking put shackles on him in front a' ya!
Nathan ignored that voice in his head, listening instead to what was being said inside the kitchen. The pair got a helluva lot more than what they bargained for. Including hearing how badly they were set up ... the goddamn bounty hunters were mercenaries! Not only that, but they were supposed to have figured out that bounty hunters would have never even threatened to burn down the town. Yet another sign which Nathan missed.
He missed the signs of peyote. He missed the obvious clues that something wasn't right with that group of bounty hunters. After riding with Vin for more than a year, he should have known. Bounty hunters usually didn't have partners, much less work as a team. Moreover, they didn't have to turn Vin over to those bastards. Ezra suggested that he ride out of town with Vin, to a safe place. Nathan and Buck vetoed that idea. If Nathan couldn't take care of Vin, Ezra sure as hell couldn't. Yet another bad judgment on Nathan's part.
Oh yes, he and Buck got far more than they bargained for, when they sat under the window to Adriana's kitchen. They heard everything. Including the revelations about the mercenaries and about the Pinkerton detective ... including Vin's scream. Oh Lord. Here they went again. Nathan's hands curled into fists at his sides. For the past few nights, being awakened by Vin's screams had become part of his reality, part of his existence. And Vin's nightmares were far worse than they were in town before the men came.
It always followed the same pattern. The screams came first ... followed by the light inside the room being lit ... then Adriana quietly soothing him until he calmed down and awakened. It was hell for Nathan to hear. And each morning, Nathan saw how it affected Ezra and JD. Which left the former healer to wonder ... just how did that girl do it? He was sure she couldn't, at least at first. She was a little bit of a thing, after all. And the few times he saw her through the window, she looked exhausted. She couldn't keep this up.
And yet, she had. After two weeks, she was still plodding forward, still grimly determined. Still ready to fight the very devil, if need be. Now Nathan was starting to understand why. This wasn't just about taking care of Vin ... it was about putting her own demons to rest. That grim determination had kept her alive through the six months she was in the asylum. It kept her alive, and it kept her sane. Just as Nathan's determination saw him through years of slavery, years of bigotry, years of war, and years of loss. To falter only when a friend needed him.
As the others raced from the kitchen to Vin's room, Buck eased himself to his feet, muttering, "Ezra saw me, I think. Jesus, Nathan ... what have we done?" He shook his head and Nathan also rose to his feet, keeping a look out for Laertes. He didn't want a second confrontation with that man. Buck continued, "Just when I think this can't possibly get no worse, somethin' else comes along!"
"Day ain't over yet, Buck. How in the hell are we gonna make this right? I don't even know where to start, even if Chris and the others give us a second chance. That ain't lookin' real likely now," Nathan answered with a sigh. How could one bad decision end up being so wrong? He and Buck hadn't seen any other way out ... they told Chris they had everything under control. While not overprotective of Vin, it was a secret to no one that the tracker was important to Chris.
The two men heard the others coming back, and they quickly slid down beside the window once more. And it was during the second conversation that the knife was driven into his soul even deeper. Once upon a time, he knew Dr. Wallace Powell. He served with the Union Army, taught Nathan what he could. He had trusted Wallace Powell ... and Powell used that trust to destroy everything Nathan had built in the last two years. If Adriana Wilmington hadn't killed him, for whatever he done to her, then Nathan would have killed him for that betrayal.
There was also the matter of the conversation which Vin evidently overheard. As he recalled that conversation, Nathan found himself slipping further and further down the wall. Vin wasn't the one who was the embarrassment ... neither Nathan nor Buck ever said so. But they did say being caught with their pants down, so to speak, was embarrassing. Vin, feverish and barely conscious, wouldn't know that ... wouldn't understand that.
Buck muttered, "Like ya said, Nathan. Day ain't over yet." Nathan bobbed his head numbly. Buck continued, "You didn't have no way of knowin' that Powell became what he did, Nathan. No way in hell of knowin' that he meant any of us harm." That was no consolation to the former healer. He could have forgiven himself for trusting Powell. People made mistakes, they could be wrong. Just like he told Vin once.
But he compounded his error, first by refusing Mary's aid and wearing himself out. Then ... the mercenaries came. And instead of standin' up for what was right, instead of bein' the same kinda man who was willing to risk his life for a man he didn't even know ... Nathan Jackson sold out one of the finest men he ever had the honor to know. There was no way to remove that stain from his soul. His father didn't teach him to give up on his friends, as he gave up on Vin.
And after his conversation with Aurora Hutchins, he came to another conclusion. Even those in town who never gave a lick for Vin ... people like Conklin ... they wouldn't have no use for him, neither. Didn't make no never mind to Conklin that he wanted Buck and Nathan to turn Vin over to the mercenaries, to keep the peace. Nathan was a colored man who betrayed a white friend. That was all they would see. Just like Aurora told him. Nathan sold out his friend for an entire town of people who didn't give a damn about him. There was no more running. No more hiding.
For the last several weeks, Nathan had tried to pretend to himself that he and Buck did what had to be done, for the good of the town. He tried to pretend to himself that they made the only choice they could, under the circumstances. He tried to pretend to himself that Vin would never want to be the cause of so much death and destruction. And, he knew Vin wouldn't have wanted that or to be stabbed in the back by a friend. Much less for a town which never truly accepted either of them.
And just when Nathan didn't think he could ever find a way to make things right ... fate dropped an opportunity into his lap. In the form of Ezra Standish heading to the asylum where Wallace Powell's career ended so ignobly. Buck and Nathan looked at each other, and Buck said softly, "Well now ... whaddaya say we ride a bit behind Ez and Laertes? Reckon there's a few questions I wanna ask them people. Like why they lied to me about my baby sister."
"Reckon that sounds like a fine idea, Buck. C'mon. We best git off this porch, 'fore Ez or one a' the others decides to tear a strip outta our hide again. Don't imagine Chris is gonna have much patience with us right now," Nathan murmured. Buck nodded and Nathan said as he slipped off the porch and around the side of the house without incident, "We done wrong, Buck. And I don't know if we can ever make things right."
"Don't know, neither, Nate," Buck admitted, "but I ain't about to let this go. We been played for fools ... and I been played for a fool twice. I don't cotton to that." The pair nodded to each other. For the first time in weeks, Nathan felt as if he was finally regaining control of his life. He might never be able to make things right with Vin, or with the others. But by God. He would help bring about justice for his betrayed friend. Or die trying.
He heard voices outside his room as he slowly woke up. One ... two ... three ... four. And five. Five voices. Five voices he recognized. Chris. Ezra. Josiah. JD. Drina. Vin opened his eyes, to find Laura regarding him with wide brown eyes. She sat on the edge of his bed, her small hand gently caressing his foot through the blanket. That was what woke him up. That, and the cold. He shivered, and Laura got down, heading for the chair where Ezra often slept.
The little girl pulled the blanket from the chair ... hell, it had to be at least as big as she was! But she carefully arranged it over him, and Vin accepted with a smile. She patted his cheek, then got back up onto the bed. The door opened, ever so slightly, and a sixth voice could be heard, "Way I figure it, Adriana, Mr. Larabee's right. It's time we started taking the fight to them. 'Cause sooner or later, they'll figure out we're the ones who rescued Vin. We take the fight to them, we can choose our own terms." Laertes. But what was he talking about? Vin closed his eyes, sifting through his memories. Josiah ... yes, Josiah was here earlier.
Josiah told him about the mercenaries. How it was looking more and more like this was a plan to destroy the Seven. It wasn't like the last time ... when Marshal Bryce was in town. When the combined forces of Royal and James hit the town, to finally make it theirs. No. No, this was personal. Much more personal. You didn't get much more personal than someone pretending to claim the bounty on someone's head, and using medicine laced with peyote to turn someone against a pard.
Drina ended up being the wild card. There was no doubt in Vin's mind he was meant to die in that prison camp. It was only somewhat preferable to being hung. Drina said softly, as if she heard him thinking of her, "I know that, Laertes. That's why I suggested it. Christopher and his colleagues could have overpowered us any time during the last four days, and taken Vin. He doesn't have the strength to fight them. And earlier ... "
Earlier? Vin thought back ... he remembered having a dream that he was back in that place, and Chris came to him. Drina was there at first, 'til she faded away, 'cause she didn't belong in a hellhole like that. Then Chris appeared. Told him that Nathan lied to him, gave his word that he wouldn't allow anyone to have him. Drina continued, "I couldn't get through to him, Laertes. He was stuck in that place, with no way of getting out, and I couldn't get through to him. But Christopher did. Christopher did ... he got Vin calmed down, he ... "
Drina's voice broke, and Laertes said softly, "You listen to me, girl. Even if the wall around that boy's heart is coming down for Mr. Larabee and the others, you remember this. There was never a wall shutting you out. Understand me? So don't you even think that he doesn't still need you. Because he does, and he always will. Trusting Larabee and the others, that's gonna take time ... and until he does, he'll need you."
With those words, Vin's memory clicked. He had a nightmare ... about that place. Even now, when he was free, he still couldn't bring himself to think of it by name. Could only call it, 'that place.' He was only half awake, when he felt the hands on his arms, his shoulders, holding him down, and at first, Vin fought. Until he heard a voice he recognized ... a voice which he trusted, once upon a time.
No one's takin' you nowhere, Vin, I ain't gonna let them. You hear me? No one's takin' you nowhere. I gave you my word, remember? I told you that I wasn't gonna let nothin' happen to you. Not when that bastard Eli Joe came to town, and not now. Easy ... easy. The hands left his shoulders, slipping around to enfold Vin in a tight embrace. And in that place which wasn't dreams, which wasn't awake, Vin found himself relaxing. In that place, Chris couldn't hurt him, not even if he wanted to.
Nathan tol' me ya said it was okay. Said they couldn't let all them people die. Said they had to protect the town. He said ya knew it was for the best Vin told his best friend, who was there with him in that in-between land. Chris just shook his head, his green eyes filled with sorrow and guilt. In that in-between world, Vin didn't care that Chris saw how weak he was, didn't care that tears rolled down his cheeks, as Vin was just a child. Didn't care that each tear seemed to cause greater guilt in Larabee.
Nathan lied to you, Vin. He lied. I didn't even know about those goddamn bounty hunters. None of us did, not 'til we got back into town. Not 'til Mary tol' me. I thought she was gonna make sure I could never have any more children, Vin, when she thought I'd abandoned you! She was somethin' else, pard, you shoulda seen her. Yeah, Vin could believe that ... he now had a vague memory of being on his horse, and Mary striding up to the leader ... to Burke. Demanding that Vin reach Tascosa alive.
The memory continued, though it was still hazy. And Vin wasn't sure if it was really a memory, or just wishful thinking. True, he heard Laertes and Adriana talking about it, but maybe he heard what he wanted to hear. If I'da known, I woulda come. Eagle Bend is only a few hours away ... I woulda come, and we woulda driven them bounty hunters across the Rio Grande. None of this shoulda ever happened, and I'll spend the rest of my life, makin' things right with you. I swear that to you, on the graves of my wife and child. We ... woulda ... come
He didn't know what to believe. He couldn't trust his own judgment, because his gut was telling him one thing, his heart another, and his mind something else entirely. There was only one way to settle this. He wasn't sure if he was ready to do it ... but it had to be done. Not yet, though. He needed a few more minutes. He knew Drina and Laertes would do what he asked. He just ... needed a few more minutes to prepare himself.
So Vin calmed himself. He tried to think about this as calmly as he could. Detach himself from the horror of that place, from the waking nightmare of finding himself totally helpless when men came in to beat him. Not because they wanted information, but because they enjoyed hurting people. And they enjoyed hurting him. They enjoyed that a lot. Vin's memories were slowly coming back, and now he could remember more of the two weeks he spent in that place.
But he couldn't let himself think too much about it. After several moments, he finally calmed enough to call for Adriana. He would ask her to leave him alone. She would do it, because she knew him. He would only do this if he was ready, and if he felt like he was up to it. Then before he could call for his friend, he heard Ezra say, "Mr. Larabee, I was loathe to mention this earlier ... Mr. Jackson and Mr. Wilmington were listening to our conversation."
Chris snarled, "What? When did you notice this, why didn't you say something sooner?" Shuddup, cowboy, and let the man talk, Vin thought crossly, goddamn impatient jackass. He made no sound, however, because he could tell from Laura's breathing that she was asleep. Besides, he didn't want either man to know he was awake. Not yet, at least. No. This was something on his terms, and no one else's. Chris added heavily, "I'm sorry, Ez ... I shouldn't have gone off on you. When did you notice them?"
"No need to apologize, Mr. Larabee ... I'm as concerned for Vin as you are. I noticed them from the corner of my eye, when Vin had his nightmare earlier. Those two are up to something ... I, of all people, should know that," Ezra replied. Vin smiled, remembering some of the cons Vin overheard the gambler plotting out to save him from the mercenaries. Ezra continued, "They have remained outside. If I could bring myself to speak to either of them, I would attempt to find out what they're planning."
"Long as they stay away from Vin, that's all I care about. Neither one of 'em go near him 'til he's ready. Ezra ... has he been talking to you?" Chris asked. There was another long silence, and Chris went on, "With us taking the fight to whoever started this ... he's still gaining his strength back. And every time he has a confrontation with one of us, that sets him back again. I want him to heal ... I want my best friend back, Ezra."
"Mr. Larabee ... I don't believe I've ever heard you sound ... like this. I cannot speak for Vin. But I can tell you ... if he wants to trust you, eventually you will get your brother back. It will take time, but we decided at the beginning of this venture that he was worth the time, the energy, and worth whatever sacrifices needed to be made. You made a similar decision, regarding Miss Adriana, and I for one believe it will only be a matter of time before you get your little sister back. Don't lose faith, Chris ... don't lose faith in either one of them," Ezra replied.
The gambler's passionate speech took Vin off guard. Yes, Ezra had taken care of him in town, but he never expected this ferocity. Ezra continued, "And what will you do, Mr. Larabee, if Vin decides to forgive our two recalcitrant members? I don't believe I can, but Vin is far more forgiving, far more compassionate than I. I recollect how quickly he forgave Mr. Wilmington and myself for our lack of trust in him, during the Chanu-Moseley situation."
"I imagine ... hell, Ezra, I don't know! Only reason I allowed them two to come along was so Vin could decide what to do about 'em! Thing is, the judge wants the team intact, or as intact as we're gonna get. An' ya know somethin,' Ez, it ain't fair to put that kind of a burden on Vin. Hell, he's got enough crap to deal with right now, he don't need no more! And I ain't 'bout to cause him no more harm," Chris added.
"Then may I suggest, Chris, that we leave that until we get back to town? Wait, and see what that brings us? Because even if Vin forgives most of us, there's still the issue of trust, and at the moment, he doesn't even fully trust me. There is only three people whom he trusts, and those are the three people who are planning to accompany him to Tascosa. Plans which may well go ahead, no matter what happens," Ezra replied.
The gambler paused, then went on, "You're also making the supposition that anyone within the town limits of Four Corners will want us to return as the protectors of the town. I happen to know that young Master Billy refuses to even speak to Nathan or Buck. He is deathly afraid that if he falls ill, or is hurt, Nathan will give him away, just like he gave Vin to the bounty hunters. True, it sounds foolish ... but the fears of that child are very, very real. The reason why we were all waitin' for you in the jail is because not even the saloon girls wanted anything to do with Buck, and Nathan had no patients."
"In other words," Chris said with a sigh, "I'm gittin' ahead of myself." Reckon that sounds about right to me, cowboy, Vin thought. He didn't know what he was doing about Tascosa. Didn't know if he would return to Four Corners, except to say g'bye to Mrs. Potter and her kids. Maybe a few others. Didn't know what he was doing about anything. He just knew this wasn't over yet, and wouldn't be over until he had a lot more answers. That included the truth about the mercenaries, and that included the truth from Nathan.
He took a deep breath, intending to call for Ezra, but the rise of his chest awakened Laura. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, then smiled at him. He whispered, "Can ya do me a real big favor, Miss Laura?" The little girl bobbed her head, obviously pleased to be helping. Maybe he should tell her at some point that she always helped. For now, he continued, "Ya know who Nathan is?" This time, the nod was accompanied by a frown, and Vin said with a faint smile, "Reckon I cain't say he's one 'a m' favorite people neither. But I gotta talk to him. Can ya git him fer me?"
Laura looked like she might refuse. She stared hard at him, then slowly nodded. Vin continued, "Make sure ya tell Miss Drina that I asked ya to do this fer me. Don't want ya gittin' into trouble on account a' me, okay?" Again, Laura nodded, though this time, he was blessed with a smile. She patted his cheeks, then slid down from the bed, and scampered to the door. It was eased open.
As the door closed, Vin pushed back the blanket and swung his legs onto the cold wood floor. If he was gonna have this out with Nathan, he would do it on his own two feet. He knew he should probably wait another few days. Let himself get more of his strength back, but Vin had waited a long time already to get the answers he needed. He couldn't wait any longer. Once he was relatively sure he wouldn't fall on his face, Vin pushed himself to his feet.
He shivered a little, and pulled the blanket from the bed, wrapping it around his shoulders. Better. Much better. After just a few seconds, the door opened once more, admitting Laura and Nathan. Vin winked at the little girl and motioned for her to leave. Which she did ... very reluctantly. But Vin had neither the desire nor the energy to pull his punches today, and he didn't want Laura to hear the impending confrontation.
Because it was Vin's way, he cut right to the chase, saying bluntly, "Ya ain't here, 'cause I forgive ya. Don't know if I'll ever forgive ya. So don't be tryin' to tell me what to do, just answer the questions I ask ya. That's all I want from ya. Answers. Understood?" Nathan nodded, his brown eyes never leaving Vin. The young tracker said, "First off ... didn't ya learn nothin' while we's ridin' together? Thought ya knew better 'bout bounty hunters!"
Nathan looked down, unable to meet Vin's eyes, and that was answer enough. The Texan continued, forcing himself to focus on what was important, "Second ... did ya lie to me 'bout Chris knowin' 'bout the bounty hunters? Did ya lie to me back in town? An' ya damn well better tell me the truth this time. I still ain't at full strength, but reckon I could still leave ya in a world 'a hurt if I wanted to."
"Yes," was the quiet answer. Yes. He lied. He lied to Vin. Chris was telling the truth, he didn't know nothin' about them bounty hunters or mercenaries, or whatever the hell they was. The tracker felt dizzy, but forced himself to focus when Nathan rocked forward, as if he planned to reach out to Vin. The still-recovering man responded with a deadly Look, and Nathan stopped in his tracks.
"Ya don't never touch me again. Ya understand me, Nathan? Never," the sharpshooter hissed. Nathan swallowed very hard, but nodded his understanding, and Vin growled, "Why?"
"If I knew one answer to that, Vin ... we was wrong. I was wrong, for not lettin' Miss Mary or Miss Nettie help me. I 'magine I was so intent on dealin' with ya bein' sick ... I couldn't see nothin' else. I wore m'self right out, Vin. Rain was in town, and I didn't get to spend no time with her. Then yer fever went up again, and nothin' I was doin' was making no difference. Ya weren't makin' no sense, and I knew I was losin' ya," Nathan replied.
Vin didn't answer, just stared coldly at the other man. The former slave continued after a moment, "I couldn't think clearly no more. Neither me or Buck could. Ya was startin' to scare me, with what ya was sayin.' And ... I was afraid ya was becomin' dangerous. I'd seen it 'fore, ya see. Man seemed weak from bein' so ill ... but it didn't stop him from killin' his wife and babies. And then the bounty hunters came. Threatened to burn down the town, if we didn't give ya over. Hell, if I wasn't so damn tired, I woulda realized they weren't no bounty hunters!"
Still, Vin said nothing, and Nathan went on, "Reckon I knew even then it was wrong. That given ya up was the wrong thing to do, all 'round. But like I said, I couldn't think clear. All I could see was, I couldn't sacrifice all them people for one man. Even if he was my friend. Even if he was ... I ain't askin' ya to forgive me, Vin. I know better than that. I done wrong by ya," Nathan replied.
"Yeah. Yeah, ya did. If ya was so damn afraid I was gonna hurt someone, why the hell didn't ya just take me outta town and dump me somewheres? Maybe in the woods, where I coulda at least died with some dignity and peace? Huh? Ya think turnin' me over to them scum was kinder? Goddamn ya, Nate!" Vin hissed. He found himself shaking with rage, and maybe something else. But he ignored the demands of his body, and pushed on. He had to finish this, he had to see this through.
Ignoring the stricken expression of his former friend, Vin growled, "I got one more question fer ya, Nate. Why? Why'd ya lie to me? Why'd ya say Chris agreed when he didn't?" That was at the heart of his rage. Why did he lie to Vin? Why did he let him believe that the man who was his best friend ... hell, his older brother ... didn't think he was worth fighting for? Nathan closed his eyes and lowered his head.
Vin waited patiently, once more ignoring the trembling in his legs, and the growing unease in his stomach. He ignored the roaring in his ears that seemed to grow louder. Instead, he only concentrated on Nathan. On whatever answer he would get. Nathan finally said hoarsely, "Reckon it's 'cause I figgered it in my head, that Chris would have agreed. That we couldn't sacrifice an entire town for one man. Trouble is, I never gave him that chance. If he, JD, and Josiah had been in town, we coulda taken them bastards."
Almost there. Almost there. Just hang on a little longer. Vin used the fury to hold on, rasping out, "Aright. Ya answered my questions. Now git the hell outta m' room. I gotta think." His gut lurched, and Vin's face must have paled, for Nathan once more reached for him. Vin stopped him dead with a glare, hissing, "I tol' ya ... don't ever touch me again. Now git." Nathan stared at him for a long moment, his mouth working as he tried to find something to say. But there was nothing to say.
And instead, he just nodded, defeated, and quietly left the room. The door was closed behind him. It was over, then. It was over. Now black spots were dancing across his vision. He reached out his hand for the bedpost, trying desperately to stay upright. But the confrontation cost him dearly, as more memories broke free. Vin's breathing sounded harsh to his own ears, and as the blackness started to threaten, a memory burst open with devastating clarity.
Held between two men, facing another. Vin's breathing was harsh, and then he couldn't breath as the third man drove his fist into Vin's midsection. The tracker doubled over with a moan of pain. This wasn't the first time he was beaten ... but as he drew his head up to look at his attacker, for the first time, he recognized the man who had been hitting him. The one who kicked him when they got to the prison camp. The one called 'Neely.'
The big man's fist impacted with Vin's ribs once more, and this time, some broke. Then something slammed into the back of his head, and Vin felt himself falling. But even as the memory faded, the falling did not. Overwhelmed and exhausted, Vin's legs refused to hold him any longer. He was unconscious before he hit the ground in a crumpled heap.
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