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.
The 'thump' in the next room alerted them all to the consequences of the confrontation between Nathan and Vin. Josiah was there when Laura went outside to retrieve Nathan, dragging him into the house and toward Vin's room. Miss Adriana looked worried, until Laura told her with her hand motions that Vin wanted to see him. She still didn't look happy, but she didn't argue with the child.
By the time Nathan came out, a short while later, Ezra and Laertes had left for the asylum, to get more answers. Truly, Josiah didn't think it would lead anywhere, but ... What the hell? Josiah looked at Miss Adriana, whose head jerked up at the thud. She was on her feet a scant second after and racing for Vin's room. The door was flung open, and over the girl's shoulder, Josiah discovered Vin Tanner lying on his side in a fetal position. As if he was trying to protect himself during a beating ...
Josiah flew past the girl, kneeling beside his fallen friend ... no, no new bruises. Vin moaned very softly, and Josiah whispered soothing nonsense to him, but the tracker remained unconscious. The preacher lifted Vin into his arms and carried him the short distance to his bed. The blanket around his shoulders had fallen when he did, and Miss Adriana was at his side immediately, tucking it around him. Josiah glanced at her from the corner of his eye, noting the tenderness and protectiveness in each gesture. And he wondered. Not his business, but ...
Chris was the next in the room ... he was out on the porch during the confrontation between Nathan and Vin. Not where he wanted to be, but where he had to be. The pistol was out and in his hand, and he asked in a low, deadly voice, "What the hell happened?" Neither Adriana nor Josiah answered, and Vin gave a very low groan. Chris approached the bed, the pistol being replaced in the holster, and repeated, "What happened?"
"Overexerted himself. You know how he is when he gets on one of his missions. Hey. You back with us there, Tanner?" Miss Adriana asked as the blue eyes started to open. Vin looked confused, his eyes flickering from Josiah to Adriana, to Chris. Then groaned again and rolled away from them, pressing his arms to his midsection. Adriana frowned and reached out to gently rub his back, asking softly, "Vin? What's wrong? Are you sick?"
A memory flashed through Josiah's mind. The bruises on Vin's ribs, chest, and stomach. The way he was lying when Josiah and Adriana came into the room. The confusion now. And he knew. Josiah said softly, "Vin ... son. It's all right. You're safe now. Those men can't never hurt you again. You're safe. It's me, it's Josiah. No, don't stop. Keep up what you're doing." Adriana's hand had stopped its circular motion, but she began rubbing Vin's back again when Josiah spoke to her. And gradually, the bright eyes cleared.
"J'siah ... Drina? What the hell happened?" he asked hoarsely. Vin shivered violently, and Josiah glanced around. Before he found what he was looking for, Chris was handing him another blanket, his face a mask of worry. Josiah gently covered the cold body with the second blanket, and Vin whispered, "Last thin' I remember is tellin' Nathan to git the hell outta my room. He admitted it, J'siah. He admitted he lied."
"I know, son ... I know," Josiah comforted. Again Vin shivered, and Josiah took a chance. As Ezra told Chris earlier in the day, this had been a series of risks from the moment they left Four Corners nearly a week earlier. The big man lifted the tracker into his arms, cradling him against his body. And slowly, the tremors eased. Josiah said softly as Vin's breathing evened out, and he started to relax, "You remembered more, didn't you?"
"Reckon I did," came the sleepy answer, "they was beatin' me, J'siah. Not 'cause they wanted me to tell 'em somethin,' but just to hurt. Been awhile since I was used as a punchin' bag. Forgot how much it hurts. Bein' helpless. There was three of 'em. The one hittin' me was one a' the bounty hunters ... them mercenaries ya tol' me 'bout. Neely." Josiah looked up, to see twin expressions of black rage on both Chris Larabee and Adriana Wilmington's faces.
But he just said softly, "You're safe now, son. I'll be here as long as you need me." Vin sighed very softly, and fell asleep naturally. The thing he needed most. Still cradling the young man in his arms, Josiah looked up at Chris and Adriana, both of whom had remained silent through the entire thing. And if what he felt in his heart was any indication, then his expression must have been just as hellish.
But it was Chris Larabee who breathed, "Neely dies." That was all he said. All he needed to say. Adriana simply nodded, her hazel eyes glazing over with rage.
Josiah remembered what she said about Neely earlier, about how he tried to hurt Aurora because she frightened him. Why did she frighten him, and how did he try to hurt her? Did this Neely try to hurt her as well? Josiah had known a fair number of bullies, and it seemed to him that most of them operated out of fear. They picked on smaller or helpless targets to make them feel stronger, better, more superior.
Which begged the question ... how exactly would a little man like Neely react if he felt threatened? And threatened by a woman, no less? Josiah said slowly, "I wouldn't stand in your way, brother Chris ... in fact, I'll help you kill the son of a bitch. But I am curious. It seems to me that bullies, like this Neely person, save their worst attacks for people who frighten them. Why would he feel threatened by Vin?"
"You mean, aside from the obvious? The fact that Vin's a better man than he could ever hope to be?" Adriana inquired a bit caustically. Josiah nodded, ignoring her tone. Yes, that played into it, certainly. But there was something else. Something they didn't know yet. Adriana added, the bitterness gone from her voice, "But I see your point. Why attack a defenseless man, already weak from a fever which keeps getting worse?"
"You think this may be important, Josiah?" Chris asked and Josiah nodded slowly, thinking it through. Yes ... yes, he had a feeling this could be very important. Chris continued, "All right. You get your answers from him. And then he's mine. I pay my debts, Josiah, and this debt will be paid back. With interest." There was a coldness in the gunfighter's voice, but again, Josiah didn't judge the other man.
"You know, we could do both at the same time. We still need to know who Neely is working for. Why don't we hurt him and question him at the same time?" Adriana asked. Josiah turned to look at the young woman, a bit surprised by the matter of fact tone. Chris also looked at her, and Adriana exclaimed, "What? You're looking at me as if I grew another head! This guy hurt someone I give a damn about ... I'm gonna hurt him, end of story!"
"Get in line, little princess ... I think Vin should get a few punches in," Chris advised. Reassured that Vin was sleeping peacefully, Josiah eased the young tracker back down onto the bed. Chris said softly, "I want to see those bruises." Josiah didn't ask why ... simply held the blanket in his hand, as Chris Larabee fixed the location of each bruise into his mind. Neely would pay for every discoloration which now marked Vin's body.
"I can live with that ... hell, I'll hold the son of a bitch! But I want in, Christopher," Adriana answered in a low voice. Chris gazed his best friend's torso a moment longer, then nodded to Josiah. The big man gently covered Vin with the blanket, then squeezed the thin shoulder. Peaceful dreams, son, Josiah thought, no more nightmares. No more memories of beatings. No more being helpless. Just ... being safe.
"I wouldn't dream of leaving you out, little princess," Chris replied as he, Adriana, and Josiah left the room together. The preacher gently closed the door behind him, but not before Laura scampered back into the room, taking up her usual position at Vin's feet.
Josiah smiled faintly at the picture that presented, and winked at the little girl. Adriana said quietly, "So now what?" She was talking about more than just Neely and whoever helped him to beat up Vin, but Josiah wasn't entirely sure what that might be. She continued after a moment, "I mean ... where do we go from here? Vin said that Jackson admitted lying to him. What happens now?"
"That's up to Vin, little princess. He still has a lot of healing to do, and he still needs you. In the meantime, while he's healing, we have some conspirators to track down," Chris replied. Adriana nodded, looking thoughtful. Josiah smiled when Chris put his arm around the slender shoulders, and the girl didn't pull away. It looked like another bridge was built. With it, a tentative alliance was forged ... one that promised doom to those who harmed Vin Tanner.
Nathan was very quiet when he joined Buck at the corral for the horses. Buck didn't think anything of it, not right away. They had begun their own preparations for their journey to the asylum when Laura ran out, grabbed Nathan's hand, and began tugging him into the house. Since the little lady couldn't talk ... or wouldn't talk ... neither man knew what she wanted. Although, Buck could make a pretty good guess.
Nathan wasn't in the house long. Maybe fifteen minutes. Buck kept his distance from the house, since Chris was sitting on the porch, and he didn't feel like getting into it with him yet again. Buck was tired of arguing with people. Tired of being reminded that he fucked up royally. Tired of hearing over and over again, just how badly he failed both Vin and DeeDee. And yet, even when he stayed away from the others ... he just kept getting more reminders.
Like his brilliant idea to eavesdrop on the others, so he'd have some sort of idea what the hell was going on. Instead ... oh, he knew what was going on. He also found out that he was made a fool of. No. No, that wasn't true. He made a fool out of himself. He, of all people, should have known that bounty hunters would have never threatened to burn down the town. Christ almighty, he was a goddamn lawman at one time! He ... should ... have ... known!
And then whatever happened between Nathan and Vin left the healer badly shaken. He just mumbled to Buck, 'let's go.' They got on their horses and rode after Ezra and Laertes, Buck noticing in a passing glance that Chris was on his feet and running into the house. But he had work to do right now. So, they rode toward that place and Buck kept up a running dialogue until Nathan was ready to talk. It was as much for his own benefit as it was for Nathan's. Buck hated silence. Silence meant trouble. And if he had to talk out loud to himself, he would do it.
But after nearly an hour of silence from Nathan, and hearing himself talk, Buck finally had enough. He asked quietly, "How is he?" Nathan lifted his head, then sighed very quietly. Buck didn't like the look on his friend's face. He remembered seeing a similar expression after JD was shot by that crazy Maddie, and Nathan removed the bullet. JD. Lord, how he missed that boy. Missed his bad jokes, missed his enthusiasm, missed teasing him about Casey.
He missed Vin, too. And Josiah. And Chris. He missed Ezra. And he missed his little sister. Funny. Until he discovered that she was alive, Buck never really ... knew ... how much he missed DeeDee. And now, he found himself missing her even more, because while she was alive, she wouldn't talk to him ... hell, he counted himself lucky on a given day if she glared at him! Worse yet, there weren't no ladies out here who could take the hurt away.
"He's angry. No. Not angry ... angry is ... not enough. We hurt him, Buck. You know he told me that if we were so worried about him hurtin' folks, we shoulda abandoned him out in the woods, instead a' turnin' him over to them bastards?" Nathan asked, his voice cracking. Buck had heard that. He overheard Chris telling JD. Then, as now, it carved into his heart and soul. Vin was right. That's what they should have done.
Buck Wilmington's life had become a mess of could have, should have, and might have during the last few weeks. Nathan continued after a moment, "You shoulda seen the hatred in his eyes. I thought he was gonna fall, and reached out for him. People talk about the way Chris glares. That boy can out-glare Chris, when he wants. Told me that he didn't never want me to touch him again. God! What was wrong with me?"
"Weren't just you, Nate," Buck answered with a sigh, looking ahead of them for any sign of the previous riders. Laertes and Ezra had something of a head start on them. Not much of one, but it was there nonetheless. Buck continued, "I'm as to blame as you are here. I shoulda helped you more with Vin, so you wasn't so exhausted. Hell, I didn't want the ladies hearin' what he was ... dreamin,' any more 'n you did!"
"Dreams, nothin.' Those were memories, Buck, and you know it," Nathan retorted. Buck sighed. He didn't want to believe it, but he knew Nathan was right. How exactly did a man survive the things Vin did, the things he described in his dream, and manage to stay an upright man? Not a perfect man, no. Vin was a good man, a good friend ... but he wasn't perfect. He had done things in his short life that he wasn't proud of, sometimes ugly things.
But who didn't? For all his flaws, Vin Tanner had never abandoned a friend. The one time in his life when he did, it was to protect her. Buck knew, that if DeeDee had remained with Vin, after Eli Joe killed Jess Kincaid, she would have most likely been killed. And tried to ignore the voice which reminded him of his own betrayal of his sister. He learned over the last few days that DeeDee had done some things she wasn't proud of.
There were the years she spent as a sex slave in Mexico. The year after she escaped. Buck had the uneasy sense that his sister found it necessary to kill often. From what he heard, the two years she spent with Vin Tanner were the happiest of her life.
Then Jess Kincaid was murdered. What happened in the years between her separation from Vin and her arrival at the asylum? Why was she there in the first place? She wasn't crazy. Angry ... hurting ... haunted. Yes, all of those. But she wasn't crazy. Something occurred to him, something beyond terrible. Was it possible? Well, why not? The question was ... why? And, how did he prove it? One problem at a time. Buck still needed answers.
Nathan Jackson had come to the conclusion that he would never get out of hell. He was climbing his way out of it, before his confrontation with Vin. Now, he found himself right back where he started, when Chris and the others first arrived back in town. Except now, he didn't even have the false comfort of believing himself in the right. Now, he knew exactly how much Vin hated him. When Vin wouldn't even let him take care of him, make things right ...
Wait a minute. What the hell is wrong with you, Jackson, the healer thought, bringing himself up short. This ain't about you! Why the hell should Vin let you take care a' him, after the way you screwed him over? Why the hell should he make it any easier on you? Nathan was disgusted with himself. What was he thinking? Chris said at the beginning, this had to be on Vin's terms. Not his, not Nathan ... but Vin's, and Vin's only.
So why was he whining like this? He sounded like a goddamn two year old! And Nathan heard plenty of two year olds whining while he was healer in Four Corners. He screwed up. He had to pay the price. And damn if Ezra Standish hadn't been right this time. That was something Nathan was still having a hard time believing ... that he sold out Vin, while Ezra wouldn't back down and kept trying to force him and Buck to see the truth.
When the hell did that happen? When did Ezra become so terribly protective of Vin? When the bounty ... no ... when the outlaws first arrived in town? Was it when Vin first rode back into town, barely able to stay on his horse and lost in a nightmare world? Was it when he began to realize that Nathan and Buck might honestly turn over their friend ... a man who stood by them both without question?
Nathan learned, quite by accident, that Ezra's ma often left him with aunts and uncles while she was off running a con. Abandoning him until she had need of him again. Abandoning him. Yeah. That was where it began. Not with the arrival of the bounty hunters ... dammit, he had to stop thinking of them that way. Them were outlaws. Only outlaws threatened to burn down a town if they didn't get their way. Made 'em sound like children, but wasn't that what outlaws were? Overgrown children, who thought the world was supposed to revolve around them? Who thought the world owed them something?
Yes. Yes, now that he thought about it, he realized it began the first time Ezra overheard Nathan and Buck discussing their options. Options. Lord, how Nathan had come to hate that word in the last few weeks. Discussin' their options. Hell, they abandoned Vin, long before they turned him over to them outlaws. Looking back now, Nathan was sickened by his behavior. He had given up on Vin. He had other patients he could help, why should he keep fighting for someone beyond his help?
Because that man was his friend. Nathan only had to close his eyes to see an image burned into his mind. A slim young man with a rifle, standing side by side with another man. One he had never seen before. Nathan had seen the young man before, but he didn't know Vin Tanner, and Tanner sure as hell didn't know him. And Nathan knew it was a pretty good bet the final straw for the young man was Mary Travis being shoved.
But the thing was, Vin Tanner made a decision, then and there, not to let a man hang for something he didn't do. And sure, Nathan repaid on that debt by taking care of the tracker when Vin was sick or hurt, but Nathan didn't spend as much time patching up Vin as he did ... say, JD or Chris. And even if he did take care of him a few times ... like, when Vin collapsed after he and Nathan finally proved Chanu didn't kill Claire Moseley. Or after he collapsed, only hours after leaving the settlers of the wagon train. Or after Vin was knocked through a hitch rail, saving the life of a woman in town. It still didn't fully repay his debt to Vin. A man who risked his own life to save the life of a man he didn't know.
So now, Nathan was on his way to an asylum, a place which Nathan regarded as hell on earth. He had never been in one of those places, but he heard plenty. Nathan Jackson saw the hell of war, but this ... Nathan shook his head. He had to know about Wallace Powell. He had to know why ... what happened to his former mentor, that he would do the things he done. He and Buck spent a lot of time talking, these last few days.
Nathan had little to do with Adriana Wilmington, even before he found out that he looked like the man who turned her over to the white slavers. She wanted nothing to do with him. Fair enough. Buck told him a little about his younger sister, before she disappeared ten years earlier. And while Nathan could tell she was both angry and bitter, he also saw she was still a good person, a decent person ... a courageous, strong woman who braved the memories of her past to rescue a man who once aided her.
Being sold to those slavers when she was fifteen left a mark on her soul. How could it not? But when he realized that Powell was one of the men who harmed that young girl while she was in the asylum ... Adriana was no saint. She had the devil's own temper, and she would be the first to say she was no lady. But she also wasn't the sort of woman who fired repeatedly into a man for no reason. No. No, Wallace Powell hurt that girl.
Why? What happened to the caring doctor who would remain at a patient's bedside until they were asleep, talking to them to ease their pain? What happened to the man who refused to give up on a patient until he tried everything? What happened to him, because Nathan was terrified it was happening to him now.
He said quietly as they caught sight of Laertes and Ezra, just ahead, "Tell me more about your sister, Buck? Tell me what she was like, when she was a child." Buck glanced at him, and Nathan continued, "Don't ask me why I think this ... I ain't rightly sure. But I got a feelin' she's gonna be stickin' to Vin." Buck was silent for several moments, his eyes sliding to the backs of Ezra and Laertes before returning to Nathan.
"Sounds to me like you ain't given up on Vin forgivin' us. Wanna tell me why?" Buck asked. Nathan almost laughed aloud. Forgiving them? Hell, there wasn't no way that would ever happen! And even if it did, he would never trust either of them again. Nathan could foresee a time when Vin would drink with them. But his eyes would remain guarded ... he would remain guarded, all the time they were around.
"Never happen, Buck. He may not stay angry with us, but ain't no way he'll ever trust us again. The others are a different story. And we cain't never make things right if we just ride off into the sunset. We cain't make things right ... not with Vin, not with the other boys, not with the town. If Josiah and the others can convince Vin to stay, then your sister will be stayin' with him. If only to watch his back while we're around. Best to know someone in that sort of a situation," Nathan replied. Buck didn't answer immediately.
They were within sight of the asylum, and Nathan felt something go cold in his belly. The place looked like hell ... it looked like a plantation from some sort of a nightmare. Buck whispered, "There it is. That's where I left my baby sister to die." Nathan looked over at his friend with some concern. Buck was staring at the building intently, suddenly very pale. He whispered, "I'll warn ya now, Nate. I aim to get some answers. And I don't care how rough I gotta play." He looked at Nathan, who nodded.
He couldn't imagine how Buck was feeling. He realized over the last few days, that even though she wasn't speaking to him, the ladies man loved his sister deeply. When Nathan finally stopped and admitted what he had done to Vin, that hurt. However, Buck believed his sister was dead ... and because of that, she spent six months in a living hell. However much Nathan's betrayal of Vin hurt, Buck's inadvertent betrayal of his sister had to hurt far worse.
And yet ... Nathan didn't think it was over for the Wilmington siblings. There were times, at least before the confrontation, when he caught Adriana staring at her brother with an expression that Ezra probably would have described as 'wistful.' Nathan just called it sad. It seemed to him that there was a part of that girl which wanted to reach out to her brother, and be held to his heart once more ... but she was afraid. Desperately afraid.
How could Nathan blame her? He was a slave once upon a time. He feared allowing people to get close to him, because of his own memories. Losing his mother at such a young age. His estrangement with his father. True, he eventually learned the truth about his mother's death, but only when his father was dying. He would always be grateful for those final days he had with his father ... but that didn't stop him from being afraid to let Rain into his heart. 'Just 'cause you lost 'em,' Chris Larabee asked him a long time ago, 'are you sorry you ever had 'em?' The answer, of course, was no. But it wasn't always easy.
How, then, could he judge a girl for being afraid to trust her brother? Oh, Nathan knew that Buck would have never allowed his sister to remain where she was, if he knew she was alive. But did she know that? She only had his word, and after the last ten years, did she have any reason to trust him? That insight led into another, one that leveled Nathan. Vin had only Nathan's word that he would never hurt him like that again ... and Nathan lied to him. How, then, could he expect Vin to just trust him, as if nothing had happened?
He couldn't. And, Nathan was ashamed to realize, that was exactly what he was expecting. Vin was still reeling from Nathan's betrayal. He was a reasonable man, but he needed time to heal. As the plantation from hell rose up from the ground, Nathan resolved that it was time to stop thinking of himself and what he wanted. Of how these last few weeks affected him. Vin needed time to heal, just as his body needed time to heal, so did his soul and his heart. Nathan would give him that time. And then, he would start earning back Vin's trust ... one action at a time.
Everyone thought he was so fucking stupid. Browner. Burke. Those two bitches in town. He would show them. He would show all of them. Tanner escaped him this time, but he would show that skinny little bastard who was boss. Daniel Neely seethed. Ten years. Ten years, and he finally had a chance to pay back Tanner. Ten years of being laughed at. Ten years of being treated like the village idiot.
Ten years of his reputation following him ... a fifteen year old boy, more savage than white, kicking his ass. Didn't matter the little bastard fought like an Injun. No, it was funny to folks, 'cause Vin Tanner was fifteen years old, half Neely's size, and kicked his ass royally. Funnier still that the boy kicked his ass for backhanding a whore. Well, hell, the little bitch deserved it!
Neely stomped along the corridor of the abandoned building. Two months ago, Rupert Browner had come to him, offering him a job. They were helping an unknown benefactor take out the so-called Magnificent Seven in Four Corners. Would he be interested in taking part? And perhaps getting some revenge at the same time? Did Neely know that the second in command of the Magnificent Seven was none other than Vin Tanner?
He hadn't known that. That alone was enough to get him to sign on. He didn't like Burke. Something about that guy he didn't trust. But Browner told him that Burke was in charge. Things were fun at first. Tellin' the good folks of Four Corners they'd burn down their town if they didn't turn Tanner over to 'em. Having that little bastard in Neely's reach.
The only thing which would have made it better was if he coulda done the blonde widow lady. The one who walked right up to Burke's horse and demanded that Tanner reach Tascosa alive. He woulda liked doin' her. He woulda liked that alot. But the real fun didn't begin until they got to the prison camp, and he finally started paying Tanner back. The first week, he had been kept too damn busy to pay his longtime nemesis a visit.
And then the second week came. With it, came access to the keys. Until the second week, Doc Powell wouldn't let him nowhere near the kid. Wanted to see how well his little experiment worked, mixin' the peyote with whatever medicine he had. By the time Neely got access to Tanner, the little bastard was too weak to fight him. Much. Tanner still had plenty of spirit, though, and he fought back as much as his body would allow.
But Neely was still stronger and bigger than he was, and he got a hard-on when he was beating the smaller man. It felt real good. Hell, it was better than doin' a woman, better than beatin' a woman. And then the fire happened, and that little bitch got involved. Hell! Dan Neely knew he should have killed that little bitch when he had the chance. He told Browner that she couldn't do no damage, but Neely didn't want Browner to know how badly she scared him.
It didn't make no sense, he knew that. She was small, he coulda pounded her into dust. But she scared him. Because she wasn't afraid of him. He could see that when he looked into her eyes. He didn't scare her in the least, and that terrified him. Well, Neely would teach her to be afraid of him. He stuffed the last of his equipment into his saddlebags and looked around. Nope, the coast was clear.
Browner was still making plans, and hell if he knew where Burke was. However, Neely did know where Tanner was. Laertes Townsend was the Wilmington bitch's partner, in rescuing Tanner. And Neely knew where Townsend lived. Nothin' like a good ol' bonfire to get rid of trash. He smiled. He had plenty of time. Sun would set in another few hours. Plenty of time for him to get to the Townsend place.
'Sides, he could use that time to get set up. Neely liked fires. Almost as much as he liked beating on people. Fires made him warm inside ... they gave him a hard-on, too. Not as good a' one, but good enough. This fire would be big. Big as a house. Big as the sky. It didn't occur to him that Browner might be angry with him for denying him the pleasure of watching Vin Tanner die. It didn't occur to him that the remainder of the Seven were still around.
He only knew that his pride was hurt again, and that he would make those responsible pay. He rode out of the abandoned town, intent on causing someone trouble. Unfortunately, at least for Daniel Neely, the trouble he was about to start would lead right back to him ... and trouble's name was Chris Larabee.
By the time Buck and Nathan arrived at the asylum, Ezra and Laertes had already left. Huh. Didn't take them long. But Buck didn't intend to use the front door this time. He learned his lesson the hard way. Instead, he took himself and Nathan around back and snuck in that way. He ... they stood a better chance of getting answers going in the back way. And ... hello there. Didn't he know that person?
Yes, yes, he did ... he saw him the last time he was here. Eighteen months ago. When Buck left his little sister here, left what he thought was her dead body. With a growl of rage, the big man surged forward, ignoring Nathan's muttered alarm. He snagged the orderly by the arm and slammed him against the wall. The man started to cry out, then his eyes widened. He recognized Buck, too.
"You make a sound," the gunfighter promised in a low voice, "and I'll see to it those miserable excuses you got for balls are gonna wind up as some Injun's trophy necklace!" To Nathan, he said, "This here pathetic excuse for a man was here the last time I was here. And he's gonna tell us everything we wanna know about Doc Powell, and why the great doctors of this here hellhole lied to me about my baby sister!"
"Didn't know Doc Powell! Ya gotta ask the docs, they know him!" the orderly whimpered. Buck grabbed his collar and hauled him out of the building, looking over his shoulder as he did. Once they were clear, Buck slammed him against the wall. He was aware of Nathan shifting from side to side at his back, but that was about it. And in another few seconds, not even Nathan would be there, because rage was starting to consume Buck Wilmington.
In this sniveling, whining coward, he saw the reason his sister stared at him with such hatred in her eyes. This weasel wasn't the one who lied to him, but that didn't matter. He was there. He was just as responsible. Buck hissed, "Then you're gonna tell me about my sister. I think you remember her? Pretty girl? Dark hair? Name of Adriana? They told me she died ... and I left her here, because I believed their lies. You're gonna tell me why they lied to me. You're gonna tell me why they would do that, because now, my sister hates me."
"Don't know no girl. Only girl matching that description was that crazy little bitch who escaped a year ... damn near killed us all," the orderly whined. Buck saw red when the little bastard called his sister crazy, and slammed his fist into the man's belly. He ignored the pathetic little weasel's gagging and moans. He was too pissed off about what was said about his sister. DeeDee wasn't crazy! She was hurting and she was angry, but she wasn't crazy, and no two-bit pile of manure was gonna say she was crazy!
"Mister, I'd advise you to be real careful about what you say about Buck's sister. He's real protective of her," Nathan said through the buzzing in Buck's ears. The orderly was still gagging and choking, but he spat at Nathan. Bad idea. Buck followed up the first blow to the gut with a second, then a third. The faceless entity which stole his sister from him no longer was faceless. And this orderly would pay the price for that loss. He would pay dearly. And no one would stop him. Buck lost himself in his desire for revenge, his desire to hurt someone. He couldn't beat the coward who hurt Vin, but this coward would do just as well.
"I can tell you what you want to know, Mr. Wilmington. I don't blame you for beating up that piece of shit ... but he can't give you the information you want. I can." The voice cut through the blind rage. Buck knew that voice. He released the orderly, who slid down the wall, moaning in pain. Even as he did, Nathan uttered a primal sound of fury, and lunged for the newcomer. He recognized the voice as well. Burke.
"You bastard!" Nathan hissed, his fingers closing around Burke's neck, propelling the other man into the wall. Buck glanced down at his own victim, and knocked him unconscious, before heading over to keep Nathan from killing Burke and getting hung himself. Buck found his head clearing. Damn. This wouldn't do him no good. Wouldn't do good for any of them. He grabbed his friend by the waist, removing Nathan's fingers from Burke's throat with his free hand.
"Nathan ... Nathan! He ain't worth hanging for! You know it and I know it! Nathan! I want answers too. But if that pile of shit can't tell us something, maybe we should listen to Mr. Burke ... or maybe I should say, Mr. Poplar," Buck said, turning his attention back to the gasping man. Shock, and alarm, were visible in the eyes of the Pinkerton agent, and Buck added, "That's right, Mister, we know your real name."
"Which means it's only a matter of time before Browner figures it out as well. Damn!" Poplar muttered. Browner? Did he say, Browner? Nathan stopped struggling in Buck's arms, and the two men looked at each other, then looked back at Poplar. The detective sighed very quietly, still rubbing his throat, then said, "Come on. You're right about one thing, I have a lot of explaining to do. I'm afraid your two friends met with very little success, but I can tell you most of it. I was unsuccessful in my own venture."
"Alright ... we ride out of here. But I wanna know everything," Buck said. Poplar nodded, and the three men headed for their horses. With a start, Buck realized Poplar did the same thing they did. He said as they mounted, leaving the unconscious orderly where he fell, "You said you had information about my sister. Start with that. What do you know about that? About why they lied?"
"That's simple. Your sister originally arrived here, after being caught by mercenaries in the pay of the white slavers who originally held her. She was deposited here, and around the same time she sent her telegrams to you and Mr. Larabee, a telegraph was sent at the behest of the mercenaries. To your father. Judge Avery Wilmington. He sent a telegraph back, telling them to keep her here ... and that if you arrived, looking for her, they were to tell you she was dead," Poplar answered readily.
He paused as they continued riding, then went on, "I did some research in the files on her, while I was looking for information about Browner's boss in Powell's files. It turns out, your sister's mother was heiress to quite a fortune in her native Europe. Upon her death, that money passed to your sister, according to the specifics of your mother's will. Until her twenty-fifth birthday, it was to be frozen. Not even your father could touch it."
"Because he and Katrien never married, it wasn't his property. But DeeDee was."
"Precisely. Therefore, he had to make sure your sister never reached her twenty-fifth birthday. Or, if she did attain the age of twenty-five, he had to make sure she was incapable of claiming it ... thus, her incarceration in the insane asylum. Your father, however, underestimated your sister's strong will and determination ... to say nothing of the skills she acquired after she escaped from the white slavers," Poplar explained.
"My God," Buck whispered. He had to hold onto the pommel to actually stay in the saddle. Then none of this had been an accident. Their father 'losing' Adriana in that game, all those years ago. He meant to lose. That was what it was about. Their father trying to get control of DeeDee's inheritance ... an inheritance she probably didn't realize she had. Buck tightened his jaw, trying desperately to avoid being sick.
He barely heard Nathan asking, "But how is that possible? For Katrien to leave all her money to her daughter? Doesn't she have any other family? I mean, by law, don't her menfolk get her money automatically?" Poplar shook his head, and Nathan continued, "You said her ma was European. Does that have somethin' to do with this?" Again, Poplar shook his head, but this time, it was Buck who answered.
"Nope ... has to do with DeeDee bein' illegitimate. Back when she was born, Katrien had a legal document pulled up, sayin' she didn't know who DeeDee's pa was. Oh, everyone knew. But, if no one could prove who DeeDee's pa was, then the money was hers. The madame of the house, she agreed, 'cause she wanted to protect DeeDee. Judge Wilmington's got no claim on that money, no legal right to it, because legally, he ain't her father," the ladies' man answered.
"Exactly. Katrien was a very smart working girl. She knew that her bastard status ... my apologies, Mr. Wilmington ... was her best way to protect her daughter. Now, your sister has turned twenty-five. That gives her two months to contact her uncle Anton in the Netherlands. He cannot inherit Katrien's money, because he is illegitimate. And Adriana's grandfather did not acknowledge him as his son. Only as his barrister ... his lawyer," Poplar replied.
The detective paused, then continued, "Now. You know that I'm a Pinkerton detective, working undercover to see to it that Rupert Browner hangs. He's the front man for the attack on you and your friends. He escaped from Pordios a few months ago, killing Jessie Quince and her skeleton crew of a staff. We knew he escaped ... we just didn't know who engineered the escape, because he most assuredly had help."
"Someone rich enough to hire a small army," Buck mumbled, remembering the conversation he and Nathan overheard. Poplar nodded, and Buck explained, "My baby sister figured it out. She's had run ins with mercenaries in the past. She realized, after JD told her about y'all coming into town, that you weren't bounty hunters. Too many of ya workin' together, and not actin' like bounty hunters."
"Which you should have realized. I threatened to burn down your town, that should have clued you in that we weren't who we claimed to be! Though, I really don't think that made much of a difference. You were perfectly willing to give up a man who was supposedly your friend!" Poplar snapped in annoyance.
Buck glared at the detective, who ignored him. Poplar continued, his voice growing heated, "And for what? To protect a town full of cowards? A little seven year old boy had more guts than most of the people in that dustbowl! Mary Travis and her son, Ezra Standish ... a goddamn gambler! A store owner who lost her husband. Along with maybe six or seven others, were willing to fight for Vin Tanner, if you just gave the word. But you didn't think he was worth saving. That was your mistake. His was trusting a darkie."
He glared at Nathan as he spoke, his contempt for the healer obvious. Nathan's eyes burned with fury, and Buck said, cutting into the conversation before things could spin out of control, "We know all that. Mind not visiting old wounds? We know we done wrong. Trust us, we've had our faces rubbed in it for the last week. Now finish tellin' us, or I'll let Nathan kill ya, and lie that I done it!"
"Fine," Poplar growled, "I told Mrs. Travis that we would be spending the night at Pordios, because I had a gut feeling Larabee didn't know. I did research on her, too. I know the kind of woman she is. I knew she would tell Larabee, and he would come for Tanner. Then the schedule got moved up, and Tanner was rescued from the fire by your sister and Laertes Townsend, but not before Neely and a few pals beat him up."
"You knew, and didn't do nothin' about it?" Nathan questioned. Again, Poplar glared at him, and Buck realized in the detective's eyes, neither of them had the right to judge him. Maybe he was right. And, thinking about it, maybe there was nothing Poplar could do about it. Not if he was undercover, and was trying to take down Browner from the inside. Still, that didn't make it any easier to forgive Poplar.
"Jackson, you turned that boy over to us! I mighta made the suggestion to threaten to burn down the town, but if you had any sense whatsoever, you would have realized they were outlaws! You turned him over to us, and you turned him over to us with a high fever! I did what I could to protect him, but I had a job to do, and I had a little girl to protect! The fact that I was trying to protect Laura was making Browner suspicious enough!" Poplar fired back.
Aw shit, here they went. Buck reined in his horse, realizing the inevitable confrontation was coming. Poplar was staring at Nathan with loathing in his eyes, as he continued, "I told you. I researched your town thoroughly, long before I even started this job. I started after my brother Cyrus killed himself in Four Corners. I know he framed your friend the preacher for his own crimes. I knew all about you ... or so I thought."
Poplar spat on the ground, his eyes burning with fury, as he continued, "I never thought you would turn Tanner over to us! Never! Not even with Doc Powell giving you that peyote-laced medicine! Turns out you weren't nearly as smart as you make yourself out to be. You weren't there, those nights when I did manage to keep Neely away from Tanner. I fed him and gave him clean water, and tried to take care of him, but every time I came back to the infirmary, his blanket was gone. I tried to take care of him. I tried to protect him, which is more than I can say for you! The Magnificent Seven ... please! That should be the Magnificent Five, because you two sure as hell don't fit that description!"
By now, both Nathan and Buck were staring at the young detective in stunned silence. Poplar shook his head, disgusted with both of them, and said, "You're as bad as Doc Powell. Worse. Because he admitted what he was. Why do you think he was at an insane asylum, then a prison camp? He was nothing, and he knew he was nothing. And I didn't like the man, but God knows I respected him a helluva lot more than I respect you."
After a moment, Poplar said, "I really didn't expect much from Wilmington. Hell, everyone knew he was jealous of Tanner, 'cause of his relationship with Larabee! But you. How dare you? How dare you judge me, when I did more to protect that boy than you did?" Silence echoed through the woods as the three men stared at each other. The sun finished its dip into the West. It would be dark by the time they reached the house. Most of the adults would be asleep.
Buck said softly, "We should move on. I think Chris will want to talk to you. Though, I know he'll want a crack at Neely." Nathan nodded, obviously shaken by the fury demonstrated by the Pinkerton detective. After a moment, Poplar nodded as well, and the three men headed toward the house at a walk. None of them had the energy for more. But by the time the night was out, they would regret that decision.
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