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.
In the loft, Julian Poplar was being closely questioned by Chris Larabee, while Adriana Wilmington saw to Laura and to Vin. The latter was already asleep, exhausted by the day's events, and by the night. Laura would soon join him. She was curled up beside him, giving him her own body's warmth. And Adriana just watched them both sleep, her own dark eyes shadowed with exhaustion. It was only a matter of time before she collapsed.
Since their arrival in the loft, Chris and Josiah learned that Julian Poplar had been undercover at the prison camp as a guard ... trying to get information on the man who gave the order to kidnap Vin Tanner. Rupert Browner. Josiah found himself biting back a growl of rage, thinking of the corrupt railroad boss. That was the man responsible for their road to hell. As they had learned from Vin, Poplar and Neely were Browner's two chief aides.
Daniel Neely set the fire at the prison camp, and it was Poplar's belief that he set the fire at the ranch house as well. It made sense to the preacher. Judging from what little Miss Laura had said, Neely would have taken it as a personal affront when Vin escaped, with the aid from Miss Adriana and Laertes. And speaking of which ... Josiah tuned back into the conversation when Poplar said, "As for Neely ... he's got a grudge against Tanner."
That, they had known, though not the details. Poplar continued, "This isn't the first time Tanner has been in Pordios. About ten years ago, he was just starting out as a buffalo hunter. He came into town one day, and caught Neely roughing up a working girl. Kid was all of fifteen years old, and he didn't like that one bit. He told Neely to get the hell out of town, Neely shoved him ... working girl got the hell out of his way ... and then Tanner kicked his ass."
Josiah heard Chris chortle a little, then the man said, "So, let me get this straight. A skinny fifteen year old kid takes on and beats this guy in a fair fight, and Neely's been looking for revenge for the last ten years?" Poplar nodded and Chris muttered, "Shit. Well, that fits with what Adriana told us ... it don't take much for him to feel threatened. And getting his ass kicked by a fifteen year old kid would be ... "
"Yeah. He's been a laughingstock ever since. Because of that, and because the working girl he had been roughing up took that boy upstairs as soon as the fight was over. Wanted to thank him in her own way. Sorry, ma'am," Poplar said, nodding to Adriana. Josiah, who was still trying to visualize a fifteen year old Vin Tanner taking on a big man in a fair fight and winning, smiled at the thought of the working girl thanking him in her own way.
"I'm the daughter of a working girl, Mr. Poplar. I'm no stranger to such things," Adriana replied, sounding very tired. She continued after a moment, "So, when Vin was in Neely's grasp, the coward took a few friends into the infirmary and beat the living shit out of him while his friends held him." Poplar nodded, and the image created by those words had Josiah wanting to get very Old Testament on Daniel Neely.
Adriana continued, "Okay. Laura told me while she was going to sleep that you protected her, and tried to protect Vin. She also said that you were the one who let her out on the night of the fire ... that you told her to come to me. The question I have is, why did you choose now to break your cover? I mean, I already knew who you were, thanks to a friend in town, but why didn't you return to Browner's camp?"
"Because my cover was already blown. I figured that if y'all knew who I was, it was only a matter of time before Browner figured it out. I knew the time was coming when I would have to leave, and I decided to do it on my terms, not on Browner's," Poplar answered. There was a long pause, then the Pinkerton agent continued, "Besides. I owed the Seven, for stopping my brother. I've long believed Cyrus killed our mother."
"So Cyrus Poplar was your brother," Chris stated and the man nodded, looking terribly, terribly sad. Chris continued, "We recognized the name. You don't look like you're related. He was your half-brother?" This time, the detective nodded and Chris went on, "We can talk more in the morning. Right now, we all need to get some sleep." Josiah chuckled and Chris looked at the big man with a questioning look.
"Brother Chris, it may have escaped your notice, but it is almost morning now," Josiah chuckled. Chris just rolled his eyes and slid down the wall until he was more comfortable. JD had the current watch. Right now, they all needed sleep for what was coming. Josiah wondered about Ezra and Laertes, deciding that someone needed to find the pair later and let them know what was going on. Yet another change in plans.
Sure seemed like there were a lot of those recently. The only time they were able to stick to the plan was when they first headed to the homestead, to find Vin.
Within just a few minutes, he heard the deep, even breathing that signified Larabee was asleep. Adriana had her head resting on his shoulder, but Josiah could tell she wasn't asleep. Her body was entirely too tense. Still, Josiah was glad. The fire had destroyed the house, nearly taken their lives, but it also served to strengthen the bond which began to grow back with Vin. Not that it would prevent Josiah from taking a pound of flesh from Daniel Neely and Rupert Browner when he got his hands on those two.
Oh, no. No, no, no, those two were dead when he got his hands on them. Assuming Chris didn't get there first, and if he did, that was fine too. Josiah looked back at Julian Poplar, noting that the man was still awake. He asked softly, "What didn't you tell us? You said you were at the asylum, looking for information on Wallace Powell, when you encountered our two recalcitrant members. You didn't find information on Powell ... but you did find something."
"I did. But I wasn't sure if Mr. Larabee was ready to hear it, considering how much he obviously cares for Miss Wilmington. I knew ahead of time that she was once an inmate at the asylum, and that she had ties to members of the Seven, so while I was in the asylum, I looked for information as well. I found what I was looking for ... I found out why the staff lied to her brother when he came for her," the detective revealed.
Josiah sat up straighter, suddenly forgetting his exhaustion, and beckoned to the young man to continue. Poplar did so, outlining the details of Judge Avery Wilmington's plans for the inheritance of his illegitimate daughter. Josiah felt cold inside, hearing that a man of the law had done such a thing to his own flesh and blood. Poplar concluded, "That was still in my mind when I came across Mr. Wilmington beating one of the orderlies. It seemed he made the mistake of insulting Miss Wilmington's sanity, and your former colleague didn't take kindly to it. Apparently, Miss Wilmington was not too choosy about how she escaped."
"If that's your way of saying I left a few people in a world of hurt when I left, then yeah. I only hurt one orderly, though. He though I was his own personal plaything, if you catch my meaning," the girl in question said, her head remaining on Larabee's shoulder. Josiah felt his breath catch in his throat. Plaything? As in ... The girl went on, "I had enough of that, when I was sent south. What did this guy look like?"
"Quite a lot like Neely, actually ... softer in the middle. Really, when I was watching your brother beat him, I got the sense that if someone didn't stop him, your brother would hurt him as badly as Neely hurt Tanner," Poplar replied. Josiah's blue-gray eyes cut toward Adriana, who was very tense. Even more than she had been, only a few minutes earlier. And it occurred to him. She knew the orderly mentioned by the Pinkerton man.
He was proved correct only a minute later when she hissed, "Duval. I should have killed him when I had the chance. I thought I did. Damn." She shook her head, then murmured, "Go back to sleep, Chris, it's nothing important." That, Josiah thought, is pure, unmitigated bullshit. Pure, total and complete bullshit, no questions asked. It was damn important. It was bad enough, that she was sold as a sex slave when she was fifteen ... the same age Vin Tanner was when he went to the aid of a working girl. But this happened recently.
Chris said as much, muttering, "I ain't asleep, little princess. And it's damn important to me. I couldn't protect you from your father, either time. But from here on out, anyone who hurts you or tries to use you, answers to me."
"And to me. I know, Miss Adriana. I know you ain't got much reason to trust a man of the cloth. Not after what your mama went through as a soiled dove. But you got my word. You risked your life ... hell, you risked your very soul ... to rescue my friend. I ain't gonna forget that," Josiah told the young woman. She lifted her head from Larabee's shoulder to study him. Then she nodded, a sharp, quick gesture which reminded him again of Vin.
"All right. Fair enough. I may call on you to fulfill that promise, Mr. Sanchez, when my father tries to collect what he sees as his. Assuming he hasn't already," Adriana replied. She was still suspicious, still wary, but Josiah wouldn't begrudge her that. She lay her head back down on Larabee's shoulder, settling against him more comfortably, as Julian Poplar laughed softly. Adriana mumbled, "And what is so funny?"
"You would never sign anything the asylum gave you. Not the paper which said Avery Wilmington was your legal guardian, not the paper which would have signed over your inheritance. Judge Wilmington was on his way to the asylum when you escaped and melted into the landscape. He had no legal basis to collect your inheritance. And he never will," Poplar added, chuckling. Josiah smiled faintly. In which case ... he was lookin' forward to meetin' a man who sold his own child into slavery. But it wasn't a meetin' Avery Wilmington would enjoy. That, he could promise.
For once, the stagecoach was early, getting into Pordios. Laertes was at Miss Aurora's store, helping her, while Ezra waited for the stage to arrive. The gambler leaned back against the saloon as the stage rolled to a stop. He smiled to himself, making a note to collect Laertes as soon as the three ladies and Billy disembarked. Both men had noticed the glares which Laertes received, standing side by side with a white man.
In the interest of avoiding any more undue interest, Laertes suggested he remove himself to Miss Aurora's store, at least until the stagecoach arrived. Ezra agreed. Over the last day, while they rode to first the asylum, then to town, the gambler had gotten to know the freed slave quite well. Laertes was a man of the world, despite his humble beginnings. He had gone west, when his owner died and his owner's wife, Miss Victoria, freed him.
He returned to the Southern plantation because he knew Miss Victoria needed him. His own mother died when he was very, very young, and he evidently regarded Miss Victoria as a surrogate mother. She taught him to read and write, gave him a proper education, despite the opinions of the rest of her family ... the rest of her people.
She died at the end of the war, defending her home, and she died in his arms. It was Laertes who buried her beside her son, who died in the war. Surprising to Ezra, as it had been when he first met Nathan Jackson, Laertes wasn't bitter. Most of the time. He had come to accept that there were good and bad people, no matter what their skin color. Chris Larabee, Vin Tanner ... those were good men. Gideon, the man who delivered young Miss Adriana to the white slavers, was as bad of a man as the overseer on his former plantation.
Ezra also learned that Laertes reserved special hatred for Gideon. He already knew that Laertes loved the young white woman whom he had rescued and protected, loved her like his own child. And he hated Gideon with an overwhelming passion. He hated Gideon as much as Ezra hated the men who had tortured and beaten a sick, helpless tracker. More. Because Adriana Wilmington was only fifteen years old when she was delivered into hell. And like Ezra himself, Laertes had no respect for someone who hurt a child.
Now, as the driver began unloading the baggage, and the man riding shotgun helped the ladies and Billy from the stage, Ezra pushed himself off the wall. Billy was the first down, easily swung from the stage to the steps. His blue eyes lit up when he saw Ezra, and he squealed happily, "Ezra! Is Chris here? Is Vin okay? When can we see him?" The questions tumbled out of his mouth and Ezra laughed, swinging the child into his arms.
But before he answered, he walked to the stage, helping the three ladies from the coach. Casey looked as anxious as Billy, but she was controlling herself. Mary and Nettie were the last two to emerge, Mary smiling at Ezra, though the gambler could see the concern in her green eyes. Nettie asked, "Chris Larabee sent you? Never imagined you as a messenger boy, fancy man." Ezra simply smirked, settling Billy on the ground once more.
"Well, Mrs. Welles, Mr. Larabee wanted a man whom he could trust in town," the Southerner replied. Nettie just looked at him in blatant disbelief, and Ezra continued, dropping his voice as he ushered the newcomers along the boardwalk toward Aurora's store, "Actually, I was asking questions at the establishment where Miss Wilmington was once incarcerated, along with her guardian during this past year. You'll meet him in a moment."
He paused, then continued, "Chris is with Vin, back at the homestead. Vin is recovering, though as you can imagine, their friendship has taken quite the beating. Miss Wilmington is a rather protective guardian, understandable, with their years of friendship. The young lady has survived some ... ugliness in her youth, and she remains somewhat bitter. However, she has not denied us access to him ... simply made it clear that any dealings we had with Vin were to be on his terms, not ours."
"In other words," Casey said, sounding exasperated, "the only way she would let y'all see Vin, is if he wanted to see you first." Ezra looked at the girl, himself exasperated ... wasn't that what he just said? Casey continued, frowning, "That don't sound unreasonable to me ... what about you, Aunt Nettie?" The old lady wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulders, drawing her in tight against her body.
"It sounds more than reasonable, child. More than reasonable to me. How did Mr. Larabee react to this?" Nettie asked. Ezra didn't answer at first, as they were getting ready to enter Aurora's store. Besides, he had noticed that Mary hadn't spoken as yet. That worried him. Mary Travis rarely hesitated to say what was on her mind. When she did, he worried.
Laertes was emerging from the store at the same time, carrying a bag of feed. Which he dropped when he saw Ezra with the newcomers. If it was possible, Ezra would have said he paled. As it was, he did look like he had been poleaxed. His eyes widened, but it was only when he breathed, "Miss Victoria," that it hit him. Ezra looked at Mary, and realized for the first time that she fit the description Laertes had given him of the woman who had been his surrogate mother. Pale blonde hair, green eyes ... beautiful.
Then Laertes was shaking his head, murmuring, "No ... no, not Miss Victoria. I do apologize, ma'am." Mary was watching him in concern. Laertes struggled for a moment to bring his emotions under control, then looked up, saying, "I'm Laertes Townsend, ma'am ... you would have to be Mary Travis. This is your son Billy ... Mrs. Nettie Welles, and her niece Casey. I've heard a powerful lot about all of you."
"There's no need to apologize ... was Miss Victoria important to you?" Mary Travis asked softly. Laertes nodded, and Ezra was horrified to see the big man blinking back tears, and the newspaper editor said, "Then I'm the one who should be sorry. I've heard how you helped to rescue Vin Tanner ... someone who is very important to both of our families. Thank you." She held out a small hand, which the big man took carefully.
"No need for you to apologize, ma'am. Come on inside ... Aurora will want to meet you. She's quite an admirer of yours," Laertes said. Something which Ezra didn't know, but made sense. Something which made Mary's lovely face light up. Ezra offered the blonde woman his arm, which she accepted, then they made their way into the store. Aurora's back was to them, talking to someone whom none of them saw.
Because, Ezra realized with a start as Aurora shifted to one side, it was a child. The boy was about twelve years old, towheaded. Aurora looked up grimly as they entered the store, and the boy said, "Miss Aurora tol' me I oughta tell ya this. Last night, early this mornin,' them friends a' yers came to town, Mr. Standish. With the lady who rescued my sister during the storm, the one who most a' the grownups think is a demon 'cause she don't act like no lady."
"Chris and the others are in town?" Mary questioned. Ezra stared at the boy, wondering how he knew. And how he knew what Ezra's name was. Mary continued, slipping away from Ezra to approach the boy. She asked, "When did they get into town, and how did you know, if it was late last night, early this morning? And why would the adults in town consider a young woman who makes it a practice to help those in need, a demon?"
"Because they're afraid of her, Mrs. Travis. She won't fit into any of their neat little categories ... especially after she escaped from the asylum. The common wisdom," and here, Aurora rolled her dark eyes with disgust, "is that she had to be a demon to escape from that place. If she just rescued working girls on the run, if she just rescued children in her trousers and boots, instead of a skirt, they could handle that. But it was her escape which frightened them."
"My pa ain't afraid a' her. Never has been. He says if people in town had been doin' their Christian duty by her, none a' it woulda never happened. They treat her like she ain't a person, and she rescues the town children when they're in trouble. My pa always tells me when Miss Adriana's in town, I oughta look out for her. Says she's a better Christian 'n any of the other hyp-o-crites," the boy said. The youngster rolled his eyes, reminding Ezra suddenly and unexpectedly of a very young Vin Tanner.
He paused, then continued, "That's how I knew they was in town. I was up early this mornin,' doin' my chores in the livery, when I saw them comin' int' town. That long-haired feller, the one which Miss Adriana rescued from that prison, he wasn't lookin' too good. He ain't that old ... 'bout the same age as my brother Kenny woulda been, if he hadn't died in the war. Anyhow, one of them others tol' me that y'all was here, and asked me to let y'all know where they was. They're in the livery, up in the loft. Said there was a fire, and they had to come here."
Aurora said, "Go." That was all she said. Laertes was gone in the next moment, Nettie and Casey right behind him. Mary was still staring at the boy, and Aurora said softly, "Go to them, Mrs. Travis. Mr. Standish, tell them to take everyone to my cabin, outside of town. It hasn't been used in years, so it may be dusty, but it'll keep everyone safe. I can take care of Joel. Just ... take care of Vin and Adriana."
Ezra nodded, and Mary followed him from the store, glancing over her shoulder at Aurora every few minutes. She was worried about the boy, but she was just as worried about Chris and the others. So, for that matter, was Ezra. What the hell happened? And why were they in the livery? Ezra had no answers, as yet. But one thing was steadily becoming clearer. When he got his hands on the men who had done this to his family ... they were all dead.
"Chris? Chris, you there?"
Chris was dreaming he was back in Four Corners. Asleep in his hotel room, with Billy Travis tugging on his hand to wake him up. They were supposed to go fishing today. The voice came again, insistent that he wake up, "Chris? I'm gonna climb up, Ma. Maybe Chris was hurt, and the boy forgot to tell us." Climb up? The stairs? Why would Billy be climbing up the stairs, and how could Chris hear him if he wasn't in the room?
"Chris ... we got company. Wake up," Josiah said softly and Chris reluctantly opened his eyes. He glanced to his right and found Adriana sleeping. Josiah followed his gaze and said, "She finally dropped off about an hour ago, not long after I woke up. We got other things to deal with at the moment. Seems the morning stage came a little earlier than anyone anticipated. Mary and Billy are here." Chris sat up straight, grimacing at the sound of his spine crackling. Damn. He was gettin' too old for this shit.
Best not to start thinking about that, though. That was a real good way to get himself, as well as those who meant the most to him, killed. Chris hadn't forgotten the vision of Sarah from the night before, as well as Vin's mother. Vin still needed him. He couldn't forget that.
The gunslinger eased himself to his feet, making sure first that Vin, Adriana, and Laura were all still asleep. Laura was actually awake, but remained still to keep from waking Vin. It was unnatural, seeing a little child being that still. Adam was only that still when he was sick. Billy was the same way. But there was something equally unnatural in the matter of fact way she spoke of Neely's brutality the previous night.
Chris eased himself down the ladder and immediately felt a pair of arms go around his legs. The man in black reached down and gently ruffled the blond head, his eyes meeting Mary's. Ezra said very quietly, "Mr. Larabee ... what happened?" Chris broke the eye contact with Mary and looked at the gambler, seeing the worry in his eyes, as well as Mary's. And Laertes looked like he was just about to come out of his skin.
"Neely happened. He set fire to the house, last night, while everyone was asleep. Josiah is up in the loft with Vin, Adriana, and Laura, along with Julian Poplar," Chris replied. Ezra's mouth firmed into a thin line, but he said nothing. Chris continued, directing his next statement to his former host, "I'm sorry, Laertes. Nothin' we could do to save the house, it was all we could do just to get ourselves out."
"Ya got no call to be apologizin.' I'm just grateful everyone's all right," Laertes replied, his voice tight with suppressed rage. Chris ruffled Billy's hair again, then lifted the child into his arms. After the ugliness of the day before, he needed to hold the little boy, and Billy returned the embrace with all the strength in his small body. Laertes continued, "Aurora wants us to head back out of town, to her old cabin. I know the way."
"I'll wake the others. Ezra ... " Chris began. He wasn't even sure what he wanted to say, but the wily gambler simply nodded, as if he could understand. How that was possible, Chris didn't know, since Chris himself couldn't figure that out. But he was grateful for the help, and Chris turned his attention to Billy, saying, "How about if you help your ma? Vin's still not feeling real good, so we're gonna need some help taking care of him."
He had said the magic words. Billy nodded determinedly and Chris hugged him one last time before settling him on the ground. Mary smiled at him, and Chris silently promised her that they would talk later, once everyone reached Aurora's place outside of town. Nettie Welles said quietly, "Casey and I will head out with Mr. Townsend, to get the place set up, while you and the others find a wagon for them."
"I can use the wagon from Aurora's store. Mr. Larabee, when I collect the wagon, I'll send Joel along. He and his pa both know where Aurora's old cabin is. You just take care of my girls," Laertes said. Chris nodded. That was certainly the plan. Laertes tipped his hat to Mary, looking shaken, then headed back across the main street to Aurora's store. Nettie and Casey followed him, though both sent longing looks up to the loft.
JD emerged from one of the stalls, where he slept the previous night, and Chris struggled against a smile. Straw was peeking up out of his black hair, and out from his clothes. Yawning, the boy asked, "Did I hear Miss Nettie's voice, or was I dreaming we was back in Four Corners? Mary! When did y'all get in, I didn't think the coach was due to arrive for another few hours. Miss Adriana said it wouldn't be in until at least eleven."
That was right, and Chris still didn't know how they ended up getting here so early. Not that Chris minded, of course, but he was curious when things started going their way for once.
"I suppose we just got lucky, JD. It's good to see you, but right now, Billy and I have work to do. Chris, I imagine we'll need supplies? I'll head back over to the store, to get what we'll need for Nettie and I to feed you boys," Mary observed. Chris nodded ... that was something he hadn't even thought of, but she was right. She took Billy's hand, smiled at Chris again, then headed back over to Miss Aurora's store.
"JD, I need you to get our horses together, then pick up two more for the wagon. Vin ain't gonna be up to riding ... he had a hard time just staying in the saddle last night, even with Josiah holdin' him. He'll be riding in the wagon, along with Adriana and Laura," Chris said, turning to the youngest member of his unit. JD nodded his understanding, but hesitated. Chris asked, "What's wrong, JD?"
"I ... ain't sure, Chris. When I figure it out, can I talk to you about it?" JD asked and Chris nodded. The boy smiled, then set to his own work. Chris climbed back into the loft, to find both Laura and Julian Poplar up and moving. Laura had managed to move without waking Vin. Chris looked at his best friend, who was paler now than when they finally talked the previous day. And he was plenty pale then, after his confrontation with Nathan.
But even so, he had more color in his face then. Chris quietly swore to make Browner and Neely pay for everything they had done. To Vin. To Adriana. To Laura. He would make them pay, no matter what it took. It wasn't right, seeing Vin Tanner so pale and so still. He was a quiet man, who could fade into the woodwork when he chose. But this wasn't right. It wasn't natural. It wasn't Vin.
He knelt at his best friend's side, whispering, "Vin ... time for you to wake up. We gotta move out, pard. Vin." He put his hand on Vin's wrist, then on his elbow. He was rewarded only a second later with a soft groan, and a pair of blue eyes trying to focus on him. Chris smiled down at him, saying softly, "I know you're tired and I know you're hurtin,' but we got us a safe place to go to. You can sleep once we're in the wagon."
As Vin became more alert, Larabee was aware of movement nearby ... but a quick glance told him that it was just Julian Poplar. The detective whispered, "I can take care of him, Mr. Larabee ... you get the girl up." Larabee hesitated, then saw a familiar expression on Vin's face. He was staring hard at Poplar, as if he was remembering something. Chris didn't move at first, not wanting to leave Vin right now.
Then the tracker said slowly, "I 'member ya. Was after Neely and them other two came and beat the hell out of me. Ya was there. I ... ya picked me up. It was so cold. Ya picked me up and put me back on the bed. Ya covered me up, and kept mutterin' 'bout Neely, and what ya was gonna do to him." Larabee looked at Poplar, to find a slow smile dawning. The detective nodded, confirming the memory.
"That's right ... that's right, I did. I wasn't sure if you were conscious ... I hoped you weren't, I knew you'd be in a lot of pain. But I did get you off the floor, and I did cover you with a blanket. They kept taking that from you ... and I'm so sorry for that. So sorry I didn't protect you better than I did," Poplar said softly. A hand came up from Vin's side and covered Poplar's wrist, immediately absolving him.
"Weren't ... yer fault. Had to protect ... the little lady," came the hoarse answer. Chris smiled and rocked on his heels, now knowing he could trust Poplar to take care of Vin.
He turned next to Adriana, who was still covered with his duster. In the morning light, Chris now saw what the darkness had covered ... the rather spectacular knot on her head, as well as the cut. Chris didn't know what hit her, but figured she should probably get checked out. It occurred to him that he didn't even know if there was a doctor in Pordios. There was a time he wouldn't have even bothered with that. That time was passed.
"Little princess ... time to wake up, Adriana," he whispered, lightly shaking her shoulder. She stirred, but her eyes remained closed. Chris remembered how hard she was to wake when she was younger, and he remembered that she had very good aim with her fists and elbows. With that in mind, he lifted her into his arms, cradling her against his chest, and whispered, "Wake up, little princess." This time, he felt the change in her breathing as she slowly woke up.
Then a pair of hazel eyes were blinking up at him. Adriana cocked her head to one side, and she asked hoarsely, "Chris? Why are you upside down?" Chris just laughed and eased himself so that she could see him better. Adriana smiled sleepily and said, "Oh. Silly me. What's going on?" Her eyes seemed to be clear, which was always a good sign when it came to knocks on the head. Her voice was raspy from a combination of sleep and smoke.
"The others have arrived ... we're heading to Aurora's place to regroup and update each other. You'll be riding in the wagon. No argument, little princess, you're not strong enough to ride a horse yet," Chris said. Adriana just shrugged and Chris continued, "Before we go, who is the doctor in town?" She rolled her eyes. Damn, he was afraid of that. He knew even if he still trusted Nathan, Adriana wouldn't let him anywhere near her.
"Don't worry about it, Chris. Aurora can help with that. She knows some healing. After we rescued Vin, she made sure he wasn't bleeding inside and wrapped his ribs," Adriana reassured him. Chris nodded ... that was good. It looked like he had even more reason to be grateful to Aurora Hutchins. He would thank her, by making sure no one hurt her. She was one of his, too, now.
He had been lucky. Amazingly lucky. And amazingly stupid. He should have known that someone ... namely Aurora Hutchins ... would remember him from the last time he was in town, before he went undercover as Thomas Burke. If he hadn't met up with Wilmington and Jackson at the asylum, Julian Poplar knew he could have been in deep shit. As it was, the Larabee gang only barely trusted him. Although, Tanner had eased some of that, when he remembered Julian looking out for him in the prison camp.
Julian considered all of this as he helped Tanner toward the ladder. He had learned the previous night that the Larabee gang didn't know everything about the prison camp. While Adriana Wilmington dozed, waking up every half hour or so, Julian told Sanchez the whole truth about the prison camp, about Browner, and about Dr. Powell. The only thing he didn't tell the other man was what he didn't know ... whoever was pulling Browner's strings.
On the other hand, he was sure that Neely set the fire at the Townsend ranch the previous night. He would take a swing past, once Tanner and the others were settled at the new sanctuary. Maybe if he got real lucky, Neely would be in a bragging mood ... wait a minute. Julian stopped, backed up, and thought about that again. The morning after the fire at the prison camp, Neely returned to the site. What if he did that a second time?
As he gently eased Tanner toward Sanchez, who was already down with Adriana Wilmington and Laura, Julian said, "Larabee ... I have an idea." The man in black looked up at him curiously, and motioned Sanchez to help Tanner to the wagon. Julian watched in concern as the tracker leaned heavily against the preacher ... he watched in envy the tenderness shown by the preacher toward the tracker. Once, Cyrus showed him that kind of tenderness.
Once Tanner was safely out of earshot, Julian eased himself down the ladder to stand beside Larabee. In a low voice, he explained, "The morning after the fire at the prison camp, Neely went back there. To ... I don't know. Brag? Take a look at what he destroyed. If he's the one who set the fire last night, he'll be returning there today. Can you spare a man to go with me?" Larabee eyed him for several moments, then swung his eyes to the stall as Wilmington emerged. The green eyes narrowed.
Then Larabee asked quietly, "You still want that chance to make things right?" Wilmington paused, his dark blue eyes shifting from Larabee to Julian, then back again. Then he nodded, and Larabee looked at Julian, asking, "That alright with you?" Julian nodded. Wilmington, he could deal with. It was Jackson who made him sick with rage. Larabee looked back at Wilmington again, then said, "I want you with Poplar. He thinks Neely's gonna show up at the scene of the crime. He does ... "
A feral smile appeared and Wilmington nodded his understanding. Larabee continued, "One other thing. From what Poplar says, you beat the hell out of one of the men who ... hurt ... Adriana while she was in the asylum. I don't mind if you rough up Neely a little bit ... but he answers to me. Got it?" Again, Wilmington nodded and Julian beckoned him off to the side. He was aware of Larabee's measuring gaze.
Julian said quietly, "Whether your compadres give you another chance or not doesn't concern me. What does concern me is making sure that sonuvabitch doesn't hurt any more people. I want him to pay for what he did to Laura, to Tanner, and a whole lot of others. Right now, I don't care if it's at the end of a rope, from a bullet, or whatever. But until Larabee is finished with him ... we keep him alive."
"What do you mean about him hurtin' that little lady?" Wilmington asked, storm clouds gathering in his eyes. Julian looked back at him, startled by this question. Maybe Laura hadn't told them. Hell, there was a lot of things she hadn't told Adriana Wilmington, and it was clear to Julian that the little girl considered the young woman to be a mother figure in her life. There were times when Julian would have sworn she was a lot older than six.
"I mean, a few times he threatened to turn her over to Doc Powell for his experiments. Powell wasn't right in the head anyhow, hadn't been since the end of the war. And he hated Laura. I don't know why, but he hated her, and he hurt her. Neely knew that, and he thought it was funny to threaten to give her to the good doctor. She felt safe with me ... hell, she felt safe with most of the inmates," Julian explained.
He led Wilmington from the livery, continuing, "You don't want to know what that child saw, in the years she lived there. The screwy thing is, until Jessie Quince showed up and started repopulating her prison camp with innocent men ... again ... no one had ever taken care of Laura. Some of the inmates, who were there from the beginning, said she was almost feral when he first got there. And she can still get feral."
"If she thinks she's protecting one of hers," Wilmington said quietly, and Julian nodded. That was exactly right. Wilmington continued after a moment, "So ... the inmates took care of Laura? Looked out for her, taught her a little about having a family. And that's why she wouldn't go with DeeDee at first ... not until the night they rescued Vin. And now, they're part of her family." Again, Julian nodded.
"That's right. Laura's made a lot of progress in the last few months. But I can tell you right now. She will kill for either of them. She saw a few killings while she was at the prison camp, and she knows. She knows how to kill. I didn't realize it until last night, didn't realize she saw Neely and this henchmen beating Tanner. That changes everything," the detective explained as he and Wilmington headed toward the burned-out ranch.
"How do you mean? What does that change?" Wilmington asked. It was a logical question, and it was a good question. He hadn't been here from the beginning. Julian tried to formulate a good explanation. How exactly did he explain Laura's enmity toward Daniel Neely, toward Wallace Powell ... toward Rupert Browner, whom she had only seen once? How did he explain the atrocities which she had seen in that place?
At last, he said quietly, "The only people who were allowed into the infirmary were me, Neely, and Powell. That was it. The puppet administrator was told that Tanner had a disease and we didn't know how contagious it was. That was what Laura heard at first, and in her own way, what she communicated to your sister and Laertes Townsend. Don't ask how she communicated it when she wasn't talking at the time, it's a long story. Laura still managed to sneak in, in ways I don't know about, and don't want to know about."
He paused, then continued, "Suffice it to say, that was why Tanner was underfed and so terribly sick. He didn't receive medical care ... the idea really was to drive the fever up. He was becoming weaker and weaker with each passing day, and the beatings took even more out of him. Browner wanted him to suffer. That was the whole point. And every day, Laura saw this. That's why she hates Neely ... not just because he beat Tanner, but because he enjoyed it. Because he enjoyed beating a helpless man, who couldn't fight back."
Julian drew his horse to a halt, looking directly into Wilmington's eyes, and said, "Trust me when I tell you this. That little girl has a memory like you wouldn't believe. She will tell Larabee everything she saw. And when she does that, Neely's life will be over. Larabee's a fair man. Hard, but fair. And what Neely did to that kid in the prison camp ... I wouldn't be surprised if he forced Larabee to kill him." Wilmington didn't react at all. And Julian understood then. Larabee would kill him ... and Wilmington would watch.
This was confirmed only a moment later, when the big man said quietly, "If he does, I ain't gonna stop him. Chris don't have much respect for someone who hurts women. Never has. Way I hear it, Neely likes to hurt women. So Laura can tell Chris all about what Neely done to Vin. And Chris may beat the livin' shit out of him for that, when we get a hold a' him. But unless he gotta ... Chris ain't gonna kill him. We still need that pig."
Julian frowned ... what did he mean by that? A cold smile appeared as Wilmington explained, "It's like this. We need Neely to send a message to Browner. We got his message, loud and clear. And maybe he's destroyed the Seven for good, with help from me and Nathan. But he ain't destroyed Chris Larabee, and he sure as hell ain't destroyed Vin Tanner. Naw. Naw, the only thing he's destroyed for sure is himself. Because we're comin' for him, Mr. Poplar. We're comin' for him, and by the time we finish with him, there ain't gonna be enough left of him to bury. And that ... is ... a promise!"
It had taken a while to come to a decision, but Laura decided she liked some of Adriana's new friends. She didn't like that big man, the one who Laura thought was Mr. Laertes' son at first. Mr. Jackson, he was called. She heard that he hurt Vin. And she liked Vin. She liked him a lot. She remembered when he was first brought to the prison camp ... cradled against Mr. Julian's chest, and Mr. Julian looked so mad. But not at Vin. He was mad at Neely.
Laura didn't like Neely. Thought he was ... Laura shuddered. Even before she saw him beating Vin with his nasty friends, Laura didn't like him. He was mean. Always saying he would let that bad doctor have her. And then he would laugh. But he didn't have a nice laugh, like Mr. Laertes or Mr. Josiah. It was mean. It made Laura cold. It made her feel like she felt before Mr. Julian and the others came for her.
She learned, as she listened, that Vin didn't remember much of his first days at the prison camp. Didn't remember her sneaking into the infirmary, when no one else was around. Didn't remember rasping out, "Hey little lady ... ya shouldn't be in here." With that smile, weak as it was. It was a nice smile. It made Laura feel warm. Like Adriana's smile and laughter made her feel. It made her feel safe.
And he had pretty eyes. Laura thought he was pretty anyhow. That was the only word the six year old knew for something that looked nice. Pretty. She was often told by the inmates, who consider her 'theirs' that she was pretty. The inmates were nice to her. Touched her hair, touched her face. Some of them cried, because they had a little girl, and they missed her so much. From the inmates, Laura learned about having a mama and a papa. But Laura learned since, sometimes having a mama and a papa wasn't a good thing. Adriana's mama and papa weren't very nice to her. Especially her papa.
The inmates taught her about love. They protected her, and she learned protection from them. When she was older, she would appreciate the irony ... learning love and brutality, side by side. Though 'appreciate' wasn't quite the proper term. More likely, 'understand.' Or even 'accept.' But for now, it was simply the way it was. The same inmates who treated her with such tenderness, could turn on each other with a terrible brutality.
Perhaps that was where she learned the difference between a fight and a beating. Between fighting for justice or revenge, and attacking someone because you enjoyed it. She was just a little girl, and she only understood that she could know what a person was like from their eyes. The tall man in black, Mr. Chris, could be meaner 'n a rattlesnake ... but he could be nice, too. He was nice to Vin and Adriana ... he was nice to Laura, too.
So, when he asked Laura if she would like to ride on his horse, she liked that idea. She didn't like riding in the wagon much. Most of the time, it wasn't that bad. But the ride hurt Vin, and he hurt so bad, he couldn't make any sound at all. That was bad enough, but Laura saw Adriana's face. She would stroke his hair with one hand, holding his hand with the other, and look very, very worried. Laura didn't like it when Adriana was scared. It made her scared.
Laura realized almost immediately that Mr. Chris wanted to talk to her. He didn't start talking right away, but Laura could feel something was wrong. He was very tense ... not relaxed, like he was after dinner. He even smiled and laughed. He had a nice smile. Laura thought Mr. Chris should laugh more often. A few times, Laura twisted around in his arms, to see him looking at Vin and Adriana worriedly.
JD told Laura during the ride into town that Vin was kinda like Mr. Chris' little brother. Laura wasn't sure that was such a good thing, because Adriana's big brother hurt her. That was why Laura didn't like him. Well, it was also because he hurt Vin, too. But Mr. Chris seemed different. She had heard Vin say Mr. Chris wouldn't do the same thing that Mr. Jackson and Adriana's brother did. Maybe little sisters were different than little brothers?
She was thinking that through when Mr. Chris said very softly, "Laura, I know you saw when those men beat up Vin. I was hoping you could answer some questions for me." Laura turned in the saddle to look at him again, then she nodded soberly. Mr. Chris smiled briefly ... he really needed to smile more ... then continued, "I need you to tell me about when Vin was beaten. Tell me as much as you remember."
Laura frowned. What did she remember? A lot more than Vin did, true, but she thought she told them everything. Even so, she closed her eyes and remembered. She liked to play in the infirmary, even before that ... that ... person came. Not Browner, but the one before him. She liked to play in the infirmary, and knew all the ways in and out. She knew where she could hide for hours without being seen. Where she could see everything.
She was hiding that day, when Vin was beaten the worst ... she was hiding in a little cave which one of the other inmates dug into the wall. It was high up, and she could pretend she was flying. Or that she had climbed a tree.
One of the inmates told her about climbing trees, something which Laura had never done. At least, not until Adriana and Laertes came the last time. From her perch, she could also see Vin on the bed. He was moaning something about Tascosa, and at the time, Laura wasn't sure if Tascosa was a person or a place. And he was sick. Before she climbed up to her favorite play spot, Laura checked his forehead and cheeks, the way she saw Mr. Julian do when he was in the infirmary. And he felt hot. Mr. Julian said that was a bad thing.
But when Neely and his other bad friends unfastened him from the chains, he knew who they were. Laura heard Vin whisper, "Neely. Shoulda known. Reckon yer one of them thin's that ain't never gonna change." The bully responded by backhanding Vin across his face, which sent Vin's head back. Laura had winced, then cringed when Neely hit him hard in the belly. Vin moaned, his legs starting to give way, but the two men held him tighter. And Neely kept hitting him and hitting him and hitting him. Vin didn't say anything ... just moaned sometimes.
Neely hit him in the ribs, then one of the men hit him in the back of his head with something big. Vin slumped to the ground, and this time, the men let him fall. But it was then that the three men started kicking him. As Laura told Mr. Chris, she could feel him getting more and more ... tight. When she put her hand on his wrist, it was tight. Once she reached the end, about Mr. Julian coming and finding Vin lying on the floor, unconscious and shivering, Mr. Chris was silent for several minutes.
Then he said, "Thank you, Laura. I know that wasn't easy, telling me about that. I know it wasn't easy to see it. But I had to know how badly those men hurt my friend. I needed to know how badly they hurt you." Laura frowned and twisted in the saddle to look at Mr. Chris. His jaw was tight, as tight as his wrist. And his green eyes looked angry. But he wasn't angry with her ... he was angry ... for her? He said about how they hurt her, too.
That was what gave her the courage to ask her question. She whispered, so Adriana and Vin wouldn't hear, "Mr. Chris? Are you gonna kill Neely? Laura thinks he's a bad man ... but not you." Mr. Chris looked at her, a smile softening the tightness in his jaw. He patted the hand which was on his wrist. Then his eyes strayed right back to Vin, who was now sleeping. Good. Adriana said he needed a lot of rest, so he could get better.
"I don't know, Laura. I want to kill him, for hurting Vin. But ... I can't kill him just for that. I will hurt him, though. I'll hurt him for hurting you, and for hurting Vin," Mr. Chris replied finally. Laura sorted through her memories, then remembered one of the inmates telling her that the difference between good men and bad was, good men killed because they believed they had to. Bad men killed because they liked it. That meant Mr. Chris was a good man. With that settled, she relaxed against him once again and enjoyed the ride.
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