Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" T.V. series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide.
Ezra did not know how long he watched her in the darkness.
Hours hurtled by him with relative swiftness because anger was good company, a kaleidoscope of images reeling inside his mind as he waited, all with the power to keep his rage burning furiously. In the darkness, he watched in silence as she conferred with the Indians that she met on this lone plain, no doubt to dispense the orders for mayhem that was instigated by her master Hannibal Julius. Gentlemanly conduct was the farthest thing in his mind at the moment and he knew that when he got his hands on her, he would be brutal. Almost as brutal as his rape had been. He would not stoop to that act of violation but he would come close and she would know what it was she had done to him when she delivered him helplessly into Julius' grip.
Ezra would make her scream like he screamed.
He was aware that he was nearing the edge of some new aspect of himself. An aspect that Chris Larabee knew all too well. Every man had a breaking point inside of him, that last bastion of self that remained untouched even though fate and experience may batter every thing else senseless. Julius had reached through all those defenses and shattered him inside, splintering his personality into a thousand fragments until Ezra did not even know himself anymore. He thought about Julia and everything they had endured together and knew that no matter what the wreckage his heart had become, each those broken pieces still loved her completely. She was his soul mate. Ezra had often thought himself to be too jaded to think there was someone for everyone but he knew that she was the other half of his soul and he could not do without her.
He had to go back.
To take his life back from Julius' vengeance he would have to return to Four Corners. Nothing else would do. It frightened him to think about returning to Julia and to the fellowship of seven that had changed his life so dramatically since his induction into its ranks. He thought about how he would look into their faces and endure them knowing what they did about him. Could he bear it? He had to. Julius had tried to destroy him on so many levels, to the point where he had been willing to die rather than face the humiliation. Through all this despair, the light of understanding speared through the dark and revealed to him that it had been Julius' plan not simply to take his body but to take his life, using a most clever agent to act on his behalf; Ezra Standish.
As it was in the barn, Ezra had to make a choice. Like the other it was a simple question for an extremely complex issue but he realised that he had to make it. Did he want his life back? Did he want to spend the rest of his existence alone and shriveling into some hate filled creature impotent with rage because he had allowed the destroyer of his life to win? Did he really want to give Hannibal Julius the satisfaction? No, he concluded. He did not. He wanted to live. He wanted to be with Julia and marry her. He wanted to do the books for the Lucky 7 ranch because none of its three principals had any sense with money. He wanted to see Elena Rose and little Michael grow up. He wanted to be there when Nathan finally put up that sign reading 'Doctor Jackson'. He wanted all these things and knew that if he walked away, Hannibal Julius would have won.
Knowing that was almost as terrible as losing everything that meant anything to him.
Ezra took a deep breath and understood what he had to do. There were a few things he had to take care of first but after which he would reclaim his life and the woman he love. He would have to deal with Julius first and Ezra's only way of finding the self-titled demigod was the woman who was presently in the encampment below with her Indian cohorts. Ezra continued to watch Diana through the night, certain that she would leave before dawn's light. He was correct. Less than an hour before the sun made his appearance in the sky, he saw Diana concluding her business with the Indians and striding purposefully to her horse, with every intention of leaving. Ezra observed her until she mounted up and waved goodbye to her associates. As the indigo sky began to hue with amber, she climbed into the saddle and rode away.
Ezra studied the direction she went and set off immediately after her, ensuring that she was not followed by any of her Indian friends nor by extension was he seen in pursuit of her. It did not take him long to catch up. Ezra was a better rider than she and knew how to stay far enough behind her to remain unseen while still being close enough to track. His association with Vin Tanner for three years had allowed him to pick some things up. They entered a particularly rocky stretch of a land which Ezra immediately deduced that the Citadel's newest hiding place was somewhere in the same mountains where the Seminole village was located. Ezra hoped it was not nearly that far for it was at least a day's ride and he did not like the idea of Rain's people dealing with the thugs the Citadel seemed largely composed off.
He took his horse across a trickier path in the rocks than Diana was presently taking to ensure that he would emerge ahead of her. Chaucer did not like navigating the uneasy terrain but the horse obeyed his master nonetheless. Even though it was now dark and the sounds of night were prevalent, Ezra moved quietly, ensuring that nothing gave away his presence. He was not risking the chance of Diana escaping for any reason and steeled himself inwardly to gain possession of her by any means necessary. No matter how much it was beyond the realm of gentlemanly conduct. As far as he was concerned, she had foregone that consideration when she had delivered him to Julius to be raped.
Ezra positioned himself behind the cover of some rocks and waited until she rounded the corner to make himself known. He could hear the hoofbeats of her mount approaching, crushing gravel underfoot as it made its way up the uneasy terrain. Ezra drew his Remington, more than prepared to shoot her if necessary. He realised that he was running on anger and vengeance but forced his emotions under control as the scent of her perfume carried in the wind and reached him. He had cocked his gun when he was some distance away, not about to give her any clue that he was waiting and had it aimed and ready to fire when she rode into view.
"Do not move." He warned, his voice icy from more than just the chill air of the night.
Diana froze and averted her eyes sharply towards the direction of his voice. He dug his heels into his mount and allowed Chaucer to take a few steps forward, letting the moonlight illuminate his features so she knew with whom she was dealing with. He saw her eyes widen amidst the blue glow of the night and knew the fear that crossed her face in an instant of recognition was genuine. "Ezra?" She dared to say.
"Diana." He responded with a voice that told her immediately she was in dire trouble. "Kindly remove yourself from your horse."
"Ezra," she sucked in her breath. "What is this about?"
"Get off your horse! He fairly snarled, shattering the silence and making her jump in the saddle. Her horse reared its head at the sudden sound, almost as surprised.
"Alright!" She cried out, breathing hard because it was very possible that he might kill her where she stood if she did not obey him. After what had been done to him because of her, Diana knew he had more than enough cause to want revenge.
Ezra watched dispassionately as she climbed off the horse, hiding her obvious fear. Once she was on the ground, he ordered her away from the animal, negating any chance she had of escaping him on horseback. "Drop your gun." He ordered once more.
"I'm not armed." She lied.
"Of course you aren't." He retorted. "And perhaps I will give you a flesh wound to ensure you do not surprise me while I am searching you." Ezra punctuated that threat by tightening his finger around the trigger of his gun.
"You're not a killer." She tried impotently to distract him.
"I was not until you delivered me to Julius." Ezra returned coldly. "After my 'time' with your master, I have become a little more flexible regarding such things. So do not make the mistake of thinking it will not be my extreme pleasure to blow your fucking head off your shoulders."
His words shocked her and she gulped visibly. Muttering to herself a moment later, she reached under her long skirt and removed a revolver held tightly against her thigh in a neat leather holster.
"Butt first." He reminded and saw her frown as she handled the weapon as instructed, holding it out for him to see clearly. "Throw it away."
She hesitated, aware that once her weapon was discarded she would be helpless and his state of mind at the present made that a wholly unacceptable situation. Unfortunately, she had not much choice in the matter and complied. Watching her last hope of salvation disappearing into the shadowy cracks of the rocky terrain, Diana placed her life in the hands of fate and hoped it was enough. Once the clatter of the gun had been absorbed into the night, Ezra finally dismounted. His eyes never left her as he lowered himself to the ground; his Remington still aimed and poised to fire at the slightest provocation.
"Ezra, you must believe me, I had no idea he had planned to do that to you." She declared quickly as he neared her, gun first.
"Really?" He paused less than a foot away from her. Without giving her the slightest indication it was coming, mostly his voice did not alter one wit in pitch or tone, he dropped her in a backhanded blow across the face. She uttered a small cry as she fell to the ground but Ezra was far from done. She was the first person at whom he had been able to vent his fury at since this had all began, the first person who truly deserved it without question. Grabbing her by her long dark hair, he threw her against the boulder flanking the path and heard the unmistakable crack of bone against the rock. Another cry of pain was heard, followed by the shift into sobs.
"I swear to you!" She tried to reason with him as she held her bleeding face. "I didn't know!"
His reaction was a balled fist that sent her slamming into the bolder once more, her head hitting the stone hard. She collapsed to the ground in a sitting position and did not stand up again. Ezra lowered himself to his knee so that he could look her in the eyes as she continue to weep, in pain and bleeding from wounds he ensured would not be permanent. "Do you have any idea what I endured?" He asked, his voice a low whisper, sounding like the quiet snarl of a wolf about to pounce. "Do you have any idea what you did to me when you gave me to him?"
"I thought he wanted revenge!" She cried out through her tears. "I thought he meant to kill you! I didn't know until it was too late that he was going to..." she could not bring herself to say it.
"Fuck me up the ass?" He finished the sentence for her. "Is that what you intended to say?" He demanded. "I ought to kill you right now for what you have done to me. I would have gladly have preferred dying than being a night's diversion for that bastard. If you did not have your value to me alive, I would already killed you but rest assured, while he is alive and I need to find him, you existence on this earth can continue."
"I can't deliver him to you!" She responded. "He would kill me!"
"I will kill you if you don't!" Ezra returned sharply. "Don't make the mistake of thinking that you have a choice in this."
"If you kill me, you won't be able to save Julia!" She tried desperately to bargain for her life. She was afraid of him. God help her, she was terrified of what he would do to her if she refused. He was insane with vengeance and if she did not give him something, she had no doubt he would kill her without a second's thought on the matter. Unfortunately, giving him Julius was something even Diana was not foolish enough to do even as frightened as she was. Julius would hunt her down until he found her and the death that she avoided now, would be prolonged when the Citadel marked her for life.
"What do you mean?" Ezra demanded, not entirely certain that she was not bluffing to save her skin but if there was danger to Julia then he would indulge her briefly.
"Julius has incited the Indians in the Territory to riot." She said quickly, feeling her stomach lurched at the metallic taste of blood in her mouth when she spoke.
"You are hardly telling me anything that I am unaware." Ezra retorted. "Did you think that I would not put it together? Your master has been making the rounds of the Indian encampments, stirring support thought speeches of doom regarding statehood. We were more than aware that he was also providing them with weapons."
Her eyes widened in shock. "You know?" She asked with a strangled gasp, unable to imagine how such planning had become unraveled.
"If he was not so egotistical as to call himself the Eagle, we would not have guessed his identity but since your master believes he is an incarnation of Julius Caesar, it was rather easy to discover who was behind everything. We have alerted the army. Once they learnt that the Citadel was involved, they were most eager to act. Even as we are having this charming little conversation, troops are mobilizing throughout the Territory."
"You don't have time!" She hissed, feeling some measure of defiance return in the face of that unsettling news. "They won't be able to get to all the towns in time, especially Four Corners!"
"Why?" Ezra demanded. "And please do keep in mind how heavily your existence weighs upon the answer to that question." To make his point, he drove the gun straight into her forehead, pressing her skull back into the boulder.
Diana gulped at the killer anger in his eyes and knew she had to answer him. "Because the attack is tomorrow!" She answered as if the words were wrenched from her. "Hannibal has demanded that your town be attacked first. As a condition for his help, he wants Four Corners wiped off the map!"
"If this is a lie..."
"No!" She wept bitterly. "It's not a lie! You know he hates you and Larabee for what happened the last time you thwarted his plans. This is his vengeance not only on you but all the seven! The Apache will attack tomorrow night! That's what I'm doing out here! I was giving them their orders!"
Ezra had to think quickly.
Tomorrow night! There was hardly enough time to get to town and warn everyone to get out. He was a good hour away from Four Corners. Even if they managed to get the women and children out, what about Four Corners itself? The army would never help them defend the small town, not when facing the choice of saving larger communities like Sweet Water and Eagle Bend! He had to get back there and tell Chris. They needed to form some kind of strategy, some plan of defense. His thoughts were running faster than he could keep up and for the first time in days, something of more than his ordeal at Julius' hand become overridingly important.
"It appears," Ezra took a deep breath. "That your stay of execution has been belayed for the time being." He grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet. "We are leaving."
"Leaving?" She asked somewhat dazed.
Ezra towed her towards Chaucer. "If Four Corners is to be razed to the ground thanks to your efforts, it would be improper of me not to allow you the chance for a ringside view of the proceedings. In other words Diana, if everything I hold dear is to be destroyed tomorrow night, rest assured you will be counted among the dead."
Chris and Nathan returned to Four Corners very late that night, having little or no success in finding Ezra. The mood between the two men as they rode into town was melancholic and even less so because they would have to tell Julia that they failed to find the gambler. Chris tried not to think how much distance Ezra could have put between himself and Four Corners by now and had this terrible feeling if they did not find Ezra soon, they may never do so. Somehow Chris could not accept that. He could not imagine the erudite gambler being absent from his life. Ezra was a pain in the ass at times but as Chris often like to think to put things in perspective; Ezra was their pain in the ass.
"We'll try again tomorrow." Chris said to Nathan as they took their horses to Yosemite's livery.
"Yeah," Nathan replied glumly, not at all encouraged by that statement and feeling inordinately guilty that this was entirely his fault. He should never have said anything! No matter how much alleviating his burden on Chris eased his conscience and made him feel better, it was not worth the result they were now faced with. Ezra leaving possibly forever. He did not want to think forever but if the gambler took it in his mind to go to ground, Nathan could not see any other possibility.
"Nathan, we'll find him." Chris said firmly, refusing to let the healer feel any worse than he already did. He could see just by the look in Nathan's eyes that the man was blaming himself for this unfortunate state of events.
"We won't find him unless he wants to be found." Nathan retorted.
"We'll find him," the gunslinger returned confidently. "When we go out tomorrow, I'll get Vin to come with us."
"What will you tell him about why Ezra left?" Nathan turned to him immediately. "You can't tell him the truth!" It was more a demand than a question but Chris understood the intensity behind it.
"I didn't plan on doing that," Chris replied automatically. "I don't need to tell Vin why. Just that we need him to find Ezra is enough. Vin knows that men like to keep their privacy."
Nathan could believe that too. The relationship between Vin and Chris was like no other. They seemed to feed off each other and one seemed incomplete like the other. When the rest of the seven saw Chris Larabee, they saw their leader and when they saw Vin Tanner, they saw the tracker at his side, like he was always meant to be there. It was unexplainable the bond that existed between the duo, like it was an irrefutable fact of nature that their paths should always run parallel.
With Vin on the case, Nathan felt slightly better though not much. If there were a trail to pick up, the tracker would find it. Nathan had seen Vin pick up the scent of the prey across bare rock to guide the seven. The man's abilities bordered on the uncanny at times and the seven had learnt well not to question its power. "Are you going to tell Julia?"
"No," Chris shook his head. "I'll wait until morning."
Nathan could understand Chris' reluctance to face the woman. She had been plenty mad at them before they had ridden off after the gambler. No doubt their lack of success would not endear them to her any further. However, Nathan had little chance to debate the issue because they suddenly heard the pounding sound of hooves beating against the ground in heavy approach. Both men immediately halted their advance to the livery to see who was making such a hasty entry into town. It was in the small hours of the night and Four Corners did not see much activity so late. Even the numerous saloons in town would have closed their doors to the public already, with only the drunks who were too inebriated to ride, left to crawl out of the place.
Chris guided his horse to the general direction of the approaching rider in order to ascertain who was making their arrival into town at this late hour. Fortunately, the full moon offered some illumination but not much. The rider came in hard and appeared not to be alone. Someone else was with him in the saddle. The new arrivals made their way directly to the jail house, prompting Chris forward on his own steed with Nathan following closely behind, neither speaking to give themselves away. Upon arriving at the hitching post of the jailhouse, Chris saw a familiar shape dismounting the equally familiar steed.
"Ezra?" Chris called out, certain it was the gambler.
"Chris?" Ezra turned sharply towards the gunslinger. "What are you doing out at this unholy hour?"
"Searching for you, you damn fool!" Nathan burst out, never happier at hearing the man's voice. The healer was off his horse in seconds and gathering the gambler in a happy embrace. He knew that he probably should not have expressed his pleasure to see his friend so personally but Ezra did not push him away even though he stiffened a little at the contact.
"You were looking for me?" Ezra said a little surprised by then told himself he should have known better. They were his friends and if he had been thinking a little more clearly, he would have known that they would have done nothing else but look for him.
"We were worried about you." Chris found himself saying, filled with the same kind of joy that Nathan was experiencing but restrained enough not to show it so completely. "Are you okay?"
Ezra dropped his gaze to the dark ground, uncertain how to answer. He was far from it actually but for the first time since this all began, did not feel as tortured as he had about them knowing. "To tell the truth, not really but I am coping."
"It's a start." Chris said automatically, remembering what Julia had pointed out about his opinion meaning a great deal to Ezra. "Listen," he took a deep breath. "I can't say I understand what you're going through but we want to help, any way we can. If that's means taking a step back, we can do that too. "
"Why thank you Chris," Ezra answered, genuinely touched by the gunslinger's words. It was not easy for Chris Larabee to get so personal, especially with him and Ezra knew the man enough to know that was said had come from the heart. It had the desired effect of easing his frightened emotions that what happened to him might not be stomached with the men he called friends. Chris had promised that it would go no further then it already had and perhaps Ezra could live with that. "Unfortunately, at the moment, we seem to have a larger problem." He glanced in Diana's direction.
"What do you mean?" Chris asked as he followed Ezra's gaze.
"Julius has singled Four Corners out for special attention," Ezra announced bitterly. "The Apache contingent of Julius' army will be attacking us tomorrow night. The rest of the Territory will received their comeuppance the following morning."
"Lord!" Nathan exclaimed. "Tomorrow night?"
Chris' mind was whirling. That was almost little or no time to prepare! They had to get the women and children out but if the Indians were sweeping through the Territory, there was no real safe haven for them to go. The army had been notified but Chris had no idea whether or not they would consider Four Corners worth protecting when its population was so small. It was likely that Four Corners would be advised to send its citizens to one of the larger communities where the army would be supplying its forces. Chris let his gaze sweep across the darkened main street of Four Corners and tried to envision the destruction that would take place if they up and left. His stomach hollowed at the prospect. He did not know when this little community had come to mean so much to him but it did and he did not want it destroyed, by Julius of all people.
It was almost as bad as what he had done to Ezra.
"We have to wake everyone up now." Chris said tautly, finally coming to some decision about what they were going to do in the wake of hearing that startling news.
"How sure are you, she's telling the truth?" Nathan asked as Ezra went to help Diana dismount from the saddle.
The woman's hands were tied behind her back and that was the only reason why Ezra bothered to help her dismount. When she climbed down, both Nathan and Chris saw the dried blood on her face and knew she had been subjected to rough handling. "What happened to her face?" Chris asked gingerly.
"The lady fell." Ezra said shortly, not bothering to conceal his lie with any effort. "Miss Belladonna is an agent of Hannibal Julius. It was her task to bring me to him."
"I see," Chris nodded in understanding and decided that if she had knowingly delivered Ezra to Hannibal Julius for vengeance, then she was fortunate she was still breathing. In his place, Chris did not know whether he would not be so forgiving. "Let's get her into the jailhouse then." Chris replied, having no desire to say anything further about it.
Nathan was a little more resistant because the healer in him wanted to help but he saw the look in Ezra's eyes and decided against it. After what she did, Ezra could not be expected to behave any differently and he was not about to rebuke the man actions, Nathan might have done himself in the same position.
"I'll go get the others." He offered because the crisis they were facing required all their number in one place to deal with it and it keep him from feeling badly for Diana Belladonna because she sure as hell did not deserve his sympathy.
Less than an hour later, all the seven were congregated within the confines of the Standish Tavern with Diana locked away in the jailhouse because Chris did not want any of the seven seeing her or questioning her too closely regarding what had happened to her face. No matter what the justification, Chris would never be able to explain it to Buck without revealing the entire truth and he had no intention of betraying Ezra any further. Besides, he could not guarantee she would keep silent. Nathan had treated her for her injuries, which were mostly superficial lacerations with one slight concussion. He had ensured that she would remain sedated for at least a few hours until they could turn her over to the army to face crimes of conspiracy and whatever else they might see fit to charge her with. Chris did not care as long as she had as little contact with his men as possible.
"Are you sure about this?" Buck asked, not wishing to believe the hell they were in for the next time the sun went down. They were all gathered around one of the empty tables at the Standish Tavern, plying themselves with cups of coffee to wake up even though it felt like they were all in the midst of a nightmare.
"I saw the lady in discussion with a group of Indians tonight." Ezra responded. He was more prodigious about the coffee than anyone else. Considering how he had been drinking the last few days, it was high time he sobered up and he needed all the help he could get. "I convinced her that it would be expedient if she let us know what we needed. She was cooperative after a fashion I believe she was not lying."
"Okay, so they're coming." Josiah brushed aside that point for now. "What do we do about it?"
"We get the women and children out of town first." Buck stated his mind suddenly filled with worries about Inez and Elena Rose and what would happen if they were not evacuated.
"I don't know where we could send them." Chris responded honestly. "If the town's being watched and it's possible, we could be leading the Apaches right to the women and children. On the other hand if they make it to another town, they're not any safer. The army's going to have their hands full spreading themselves out to defend the number of towns as it is."
"Jesus Chris, this is a goddamn nightmare!" Buck exclaimed and started pacing the floor.
"Take it easy Buck," Vin drawled. "We'll figure something out."
"Like what?" He turned on the tracker.
"Like not biting each other's heads off!" Chris snapped. "Now we need to think. Vin, can we assume they'll be watching us?"
"Sorry Vin," Buck apologized as he lowered himself into his chair.
"Its okay Buck," Vin smiled faintly. "I ain't any happier about this either." He remarked and then returned to Chris' question. "They can try watching us but its flat as a tack around here. They need to be some place high to get a good look and there ain't nothing around here that will let them do that."
"Well that's something," Chris sighed, not about to berate any small favors that came their way. "At least they won't be able to see what we're doing."
"What if we don't take the women and children to any town?" JD suggested. "What if we sent them to the railroad camp?"
JD waited for someone to object and tell him that was a terrible idea but no one did. Chris seemed to stare at him and then nodded. "That's not bad JD." The gunslinger started to smile at JD and sent a sliver of pride through the young man. "That's not bad at all."
"If a couple of us escorted them out of town," Vin suggested. "We could keep an eye out and make sure no one was following."
"Doesn't really matter I don't think." Josiah added. "Since the last time the Citadel tried to take a shot at them, the railroad decided to get their own protection. And there are only so many Indians in the Territory for this plan of theirs to work. If Julius is making a run for the towns against the army, he's not gonna have the men he needs to deal with the railroad too."
"Let's just deal with one thing at a time," Chris moved the discussion along, not wanting to get bogged down into many details, especially when there was so much at stake. "We get the women and children out. We've got a couple of hours of night left so if we can get out of here before the sun comes up, we might be able to slip past them."
"That would work." Vin agreed. "The lay of the land around here is pretty flat, we head out under cover of the dark, we might get out before anyone knows anything better."
"Well that's the women and children," Nathan responded. "What about the town?"
"That's a might trickier." Chris sighed. "I guess the decision is do we stay and fight them off or do we get ourselves."
"They'll destroy everything if they don't find someone here." Vin stated. "Just out of spite."
"Or Julius' orders," Ezra added. "Which ever comes first."
For a few seconds, no one spoke. They were all thinking about the places in Four Corners they had come to love. For Ezra, it was the dream of his tavern, finally realised as it offered them comfort from the night on this very occasion. He thought of Julia's Emporium and the house she loved so much because they were the first things she had ever called her own to love. He did not want her to lose that. The loss of his saloon might be acceptable to him but not her beloved Emporium and home. Vin was similarly engaged in such thoughts centering not around the Emporium but Alex's clinic. It was at the clinic that she had been allowed to practice medicine like a real doctor, she had once said and it was also the home where they shared many happy memories. While Vin would not mind leaving the place when they moved to the ranch, he would mind very much seeing it destroyed.
The Clarion News was an important part of town and it was an important part of Mary Travis. Everything she had fought for in her solitary existence as a widow before Chris' arrival was waged in that paper and he could not see her lose it. For Josiah, he thought about the church he had lovingly restored, that had become part of his penance and ultimately his life in Four Corners. Nathan felt the same about his infirmary and held parallel fears with Vin Tanner about losing the place that had allowed him to heal so many. Buck Wilmington thought of the Standish Tavern too and how it had been the place where he had once looked across the floor and met the woman he knew he would love until the day he died. His life had really started at that moment because it was where he had met Inez and it was where Elena Rose was conceived. JD did not want Four Corners to disappear because it was here he had found a family again. Every part of it meant something to him, the Clarion News, the church, Nathan's infirmary and the Standish Tavern. They were all components of a greater whole and he just knew the town bound them together. To lose it would do irrevocable harm to the Magnificent Seven.
"We can't go." JD finally said it. "This is my home. I'm not going to let anyone take it from me and I ain't running. They destroy the town and then what? What do we do? Our lives are here, the people we loved are here. This town keeps us together. It disappears and we scatter to the winds. We all know that." He challenged them.
"Yeah we do." Chris nodded in agreement, glad that JD had said what none of them dared to. "I'll stand with you JD."
"Me too." Vin said automatically and very soon, his voice became many and they sat at the table, decisive as a whole, as seven and considered what they were going to do.
"Alright," Chris took a deep breath, now that the decision was made. "First off, we wake everyone up. Try and do it quietly, get the men into the grain exchange so we see what they want to do because us seven staying ain't gonna be enough to hold off an Apache war party no matter how bad we want to keep this town in one piece."
Begrudgingly, they had to concede their leader that point. However, the town had stood up with them once before when Guy Royal and Stuart James had paid a gang of Mexican bandits to lay Four Corners to a siege. They had fended off their attackers well then and it had been a moment of civic pride for everyone involved. Unfortunately, this time they were not facing a bunch of ruthless bandits who were out to find their fortunes in blood, they were fighting a race of people who felt that their very way of life was being forced into extinction. There was nothing fiercer than a man fighting for him home and no matter how they thought the Apaches were usurpers in this instance, the fact was the Indians who had joined Hannibal were fighting for their right to exist.
They were willing to die for that right and that frightened the seven most of all.
Through geometric expansion of information, very shortly after the seven had come to their decision, they were standing within the confines of the grain exchange which often doubled as the courthouse and acted as the impromptu venue for town meetings to discuss events like this one. It was mostly the men of Four Corners who were present with the exception being Mary Travis because she was a strong voice in the community although Chris had decided firmly that she was not remaining in town despite her protests to the fact. The mood throughout the faces before them was one of fear. An Indian war party could engender nothing else. Most of the folk living in Four Corners were not fighting men even though when asked to perform the duty, did so with heart and earnest determination.
"How sure are you about your information?" Virgil Watson asked. His face expressed the sentiment shared by most of Four Corner's residents, that the seven might be wrong.
"Very sure," Chris replied without glancing in Ezra's direction. "It came from Diana Belladonna." He announced and saw a ripple of disbelief move through the crowd at the thought that the woman who had insinuated herself into their community could be involved in this. "She's been working for a man who leads an organizations that wants to overthrow the government."
"You mean Rebs?" Yosemite called out.
"Not Rebs. They're called the Citadel and they were responsible for the attack on the railroad." Chris did not want to get bogged down in recalling everything the seven knew about Hannibal Julius and his group so Chris gave a quick explanation about what Julius had done to incite the Indians to the state of rebellion whose wrath they were about to face.
"So the question is," Chris looked at all of them. "Do we stay and fight or do we leave. Most of you men have families to think about, so do I." Chris replied giving Mary a little smile as he spoke. "No one will hold anything against you if want to leave. We're not asking anyone to fight who don't want to, we just need to know what we're going to do."
"I ain't letting no Indian wreck my place!" Virgil shouted. "I worked hard enough to keep it in one piece from every varmint that rode into town. I say we goddamn fight."
Couldn't argue with that of course, Chris thought to himself. But of course they were detractors to the idea, which appeared predictably in the form of Mr Conklin. It hardly surprised Chris or the seven when the man stood to his feet and called for his brand of reason.
"This town ain't worth dying for," Conklin shouted to those present. "None of us know anything about fighting Indians!" He made his impassioned plea to his neighbors but his supporters were few.
Many had been in Four Corners as long as Conklin and had ridden out numerous storms that should have driven lesser men away. They had prevailed far too long to be chased away now. Besides, there were very few placed they could go if the Indians planned a united attack across the Territory. Hiding with their women and children seemed like a temporary measure when it appeared the entire state was in similar strife.
"We have to fight." Mary Travis suddenly spoke out to confront Conklin's challenge as she had done on numerous occasions. "We don't have a choice. If we walk away from Four Corners, they'll destroy it, like they're going to destroy everything else. It won't be a question of rebuilding here; it will be a question of rebuilding anywhere. The Indians aren't stopping here; they're sweeping through the rest of the Territory as well. If the army doesn't stop them, Bitter Creek, Sweet Water, Eagle Bend is all going to suffer like we are. The army is choosing to defend those places because they think Four Corners is an acceptable loss. I'm sorry but my home and my newspaper is not a casualty of war! If I have to I'll stay here and defend it with my husband so be it but we can't do it alone. It's going to take all of us!"
She was something to watch his wife when she stood up for what she believed in, Chris Larabee thought as he saw her. There was no man in the room that did not feel the power of her words and Chris could not imagine how would it be if Mary had been born a man and led others. With a sudden start, he realised that she would almost command the loyalty that Hannibal Julius had amongst his followers. For the present however, her speech had done what it set out to do and Chris could see the agreement in the faces of the townsfolk that it was time to fight. Conklin and a few others like him would no doubt leave with the women but the general consensus was to stay and fight.
"That's one hell of a lady you got there," Buck whispered in his ear as he saw the crowd being won over.
Chris could not disagree. Once the town came to the decision of staying and defending Four Corners against the coming Indian raid things became a good deal trickier. Chris disbanded the meeting and ordered the men who were staying to tend to their families and ensure that they be read to leave within the hour. There was still three or four hours of twilight remaining and the best chance of getting the women and children out of town was to do so in the dark, in case anyone was watching the town to counter any attempts by its citizens to escape. Despite what Mary had stated about remaining behind to protect Four Corners, Chris had no intention of allowing her to stay. Their two boys needed at least one parent alive and well if anything happened to him.
Mary was in the process of tending to Billy when she walked past the baby's room and saw Chris holding Michael in his arms. For a moment, she froze watching her husband cradle his infant in his hands and watching as that hard gaze so indicative of Chris Larabee disappear into something soft and tender. His lips crooked upwards in a little smile as he held little Mikey in his arms, close to his body. The child was drawn to his father's heartbeat and listened closely for a few minutes without moving, as if content to remain where he was. Mary watched feeling tears glisten in her eyes.
"Chris." She said softly, her voice almost a strangled gasp.
"You ready?" He asked, raising his eyes gently to meet hers.
"I can't do this." She answered almost choking on her tears. "I can't leave you here."
"Mary," Chris sighed, understanding her hesitation but unable to yield on this point. "You have to take the boys away from here." He said gently. "You have to because I can't."
"I don't want to lose you," she cried out softly. "I love you so much."
Chris lowered Michael into his crib and then approached his wife, taking her face in his hands and planting a kiss on her enticing lips. "I love you more than anything Mary but I can't do what I have to here if I'm worrying about you. You know that."
"I know," she wiped her tears. "I just think of you're facing and I can't help..."
"Hey," he smiled, stopping her before she could say it. "We've been through worse."
"Worse seems to be a fact of life for us." She tried to keep her spirits up knowing that it harmed him to see her this way.
"I'll be fine." He said drowning in her blue grey eyes. "I promise you I'll come get you myself when it's safe."
"I'll hold you to that," she whispered as she buried her face in his shoulder, needing very much to be held, especially when it could be the last time. Unable to deny her in this as he was able to deny anything he felt about Mary, Chris did just that; he held her.
"Alex no!" Vin Tanner declared, wondering why things could never be easy with her.
"Vin!" Alex faced her husband, determined for him to hear her out no matter how adamant and seemingly unmovable he was on this issue. "You need me!"
They were both standing in their kitchen, having this argument which Vin really did not have time for. He had hoped that the seriousness of what they would be facing would put the fear of God into his wife and make her obey him without question but he ought to have known better, there was little Alex did not fear. Actually fear was the incorrect word. There was little she would not do when she believed she was needed to render medical aid. They stood facing each other, two indomitable wills determined to have their own way except Vin was just a little more determined that she.
"I ain't denying that," he retorted. "But you ain't staying."
"Vin, with Nathan needed to defend the town. You'll need a doctor!" Alex implored wishing he would see reason.
"And when we're done fighting we'll come and get you but not until then." He stated firmly.
"But Vin..." she started to protest.
"Alex no!" Vin almost roared at her, driving her a step backward from the sharpness of his voice. "Alex, I love you but for right now, shut and listen to me."
Alex gulped and came to the unconscious realization that perhaps she might have pushed him too far. It was not often that he exerted himself so strongly but when he did, Alex knew when it was time to be silent and listen.
"The Apache don't take prisoners and they're plenty mad. There's a pretty good chance that we won't be able to stop them. If we don't and they find you alive. The least they will is kill you, do you understand?"
Alex nodded reluctantly but she understood. "I don't want to leave you." She finally admitted what all the posturing and noble intentions displayed were meant to conceal. She was terrified of losing him to whatever waited for him tomorrow at sunset and worse yet, being far away if these were indeed his last hours. "If I stayed and anything happened to you at least I could help, somehow." Her resolved expression started to quake and with its fallibility came all her insecurities. "Please let me stay, I promise I'll hide and I won't be any trouble."
Her plea broke his heart but he could not give in to her, not this time.
"You can't stay Doc," he swallowed hard, feeling the emotion strangle him as well. "I wish you could but I can't let you do it. I need to know that you're safe, that you will go on if I don't."
"Don't say that!" She cried out. "I don't even think about that happening. I can't stand to be without you Vin!"
"I know," he said trying to be the strong one here as she started to crumble before him. He took her into her arms to calm her, letting her mould quickly into his embrace as she started to weep. "I'll be okay Alex," he whispered gently into the cool strands of her hair. "You know I can't stand to be away from you for too long."
"So you say," she pulled back from his embrace so that he could look into his eyes. "I'll go Vin." She said finally, regaining her composure. "For you I'll go."
"Thank you Doc," Vin smiled and lowered his lips to her forehead and planted a gentle kiss on her skin before responding with equal affection. "For you, I'll stay alive."
Across Four Corners, the men who were sending their families away to safety were making their farewells. Ezra was not one of them. It was almost reluctantly that he found himself walking to her home, aware that she would be in fast and furious preparation for her departure, wondering how he would face her. A part of him had no wish to do this. He had not seen her alone since striking her and was so ashamed of his behavior he could barely stomach it. No matter how terrible what Julius had done to him, Ezra could fathom any reason that would justify his brutalizing her in the way he had done. She had no knowledge of what had happened to him and Ezra was starting to have this sneaking suspicion that perhaps if he had told her, the world would not come to an end as he believed it would. It certainly had remained quite when Chris Larabee had learnt about his ordeal. However, it was too late for that now, she knew the full ugly truth and Ezra would have to deal with that.
Entering the back door of the house, he made his way through its corridors to hear the sounds of Julia packing a few things into a small bag for the duration of her time away. He stood by the doorway for a minute, not daring to enter the bedroom, which had been the venue for so many warm memories for them. Suddenly, on the verge of losing her forever inside the Wilmington barn, Ezra discovered that despite the agony of his physical violation, the emotional one was far, far worse. He had not only been prepared to throw his life away but also Julia and in the light of day, came to realize with certainty how foolish that would have been. He watched her silently for a moment, basking in the beauty of her and flinching at sight of the ugly bruise on her skin inflicted by him.
Julia paused what she was doing, sensing something on the edge of her consciousness and looked over her shoulder to see Ezra standing at her doorway of her bedroom silently. She had no idea how long he had been there but seeing him filled her with joy, even though she was hurt he had not come to see her before this.
"Ezra." She uttered softly.
"I'm sorry." He said before she could say anything else. Nothing else would come until he said that much. "I am so sorry."
"Oh Ezra," Julia melted and crossed the floor, pausing inches away from him. "Why didn't you tell me?" She asked.
Ezra blinked and dropped his gaze from hers, unable to look her in the eye until he had regained some measure of composure. He was so ashamed at harming her and now she was standing before him, her eyes telling him in no uncertain terms that she loved him still. "I didn't know how." He swallowed thickly. "I just could not endure you thinking that I might have deserve..."
"I could never think that!" She went to him, her hand touching his face and drawing some measure of comfort by his not flinching as he had done during her previous attempts to make contact. His eyes touched hers and she saw the glistening pools of the ocean reflected back at her. "Don't you know? I love you. I could never think that. I've been there Ezra, I know what it's like to be abused and humiliated. For a long time, I kept that hidden inside of me, I wouldn't trust anyone with it but you knew and you loved me still, no matter how unthinkable it was. Do you not think I would not do the same for you?"
"I was not thinking at all," he confessed. "I was reacting. I could not imagine telling you. I thought if I did you would never understand, that you leave me and I could not bear that."
"Oh Ezra," she sighed. "I would never leave you. I wished you had told me, I might have been able to help you."
"I still need help." He said quietly. "I still feel this need to run and hide each time I see you and my associates."
"Chris wants to help." Julia returned automatically. "He felt terrible about having to tell Josiah. I think he did it to keep Josiah from hurting you after he saw my face."
"Josiah had every right to be angry," Ezra declared. "Hitting you was contemptible." His fingers brushed her cheek and the bruise he had caused and felt another shudder of disgust running through him at what he had done. "I will never forgive myself for that."
"You had good cause," she returned, not wishing him to feel any worse than he already did. There were too many things he felt badly about already. She had no wish to make a bruise that would fade away in a day or two one of those things.
"That is never a good cause," Ezra retorted sharply. "What happened to me does not justify Julia."
"Perhaps not," she said gently, making her look into her eyes so that he understood that she forgave him. "But I won't hold it against you."
"You deserve better than me." He whispered, his emotions surfacing so strongly in the face of her astonishing and unflagging love for him that he had trouble controlling himself. "I do not know how I will be after all this Julia but if you wish to go, if you need to leave me. I will understand."
Julia lifted her lips to his and was pleasantly surprised when he did not pull away. Their kiss was tentative, it could be nothing more but she was encouraged by his reaction, which was a far cry from the rejection she had experienced previously. "Ezra, marry me."
"What?" He looked at her, wondering if she was mad.
"I want to marry you Ezra." Julia said firmly. "Now more than ever."
He was shocked. He never expected such an uncompromising show of love from her. He had thought she would be disgusted, that she would turn from him. He considered that perhaps she might attempt to stick by him but would not have been surprised if she had not. He loved her dearly but until now, did not even consider they would survive the next few days, let alone a lifetime. "I do not need pity."
"It's not pity!" She cried out, unable to believe that he would think that but supposed that in his state of mind, why would he not think such a thing. "Its an affirmation of how sure I am that we will get through this. I am willing to marry you right now because I know that I will never change how I feel about you and because what happened to you will never matter to me. I know that I want to be with you forever and I want you to know it as well."
"Madam you are insane." Ezra replied but he was touched and moved.
"And you are avoiding the issue." She teased. "Come on Mr Standish, make an honest woman out of me and I will love you every day for the rest of your life."
He stared at her and had no idea what to say. A few hours ago, he was not certain that he could ever pick up the pieces of his life in the face of Hannibal Julius' attack. Somehow he had come back to Four Corners and discovered he was not a creature reviled by Chris Larabee but a friend in need and now the only one who held Julia Pemberton's heart. It was a sobering experience to wake up and find that the nightmare of his life the past week was dissipating. He was far from recovered and his thirst for vengeance was fierce but for the first time since this had all began, he could see an end to it.
"When this is over." Ezra whispered softly. "We will talk about this."
"We will." She said firmly. "You just remember when you're fighting those Indians that I love you and I always will. Nothing will ever change that for me Ezra, not even what that bastard did to you. We're creatures alike you and I. We always have been. I understand what you're going through and what you will go through. I had to do it alone but you don't. You have friends who will walk through fire for you and deep inside you know that's true. You have a woman who will never break your heart. That's more than most people in your situation get, please don't forget it."
"I could never forget anything about you," Ezra replied as he took the hand that was on his chest and enclosed it in his palm, reveling in the silky texture of her skin and glad that her touch did not repulse him as much as it had. Perhaps she was right after all, that it would take time to heal and though he did not know whether he could tolerate any more than this for awhile, it was good to know that there was some progress made. "I carry you in my heart Julia, wherever I go."
"Come back to me," she pleaded softly. "Come back to me safe."
The women were packed up in numerous wagons and astride their horses. A rag tag collection about to begin their exodus out of town. Accompanying them to the railroad encampment was Vin Tanner astride Peso, Josiah Sanchez and JD Dunne. They would take the convoy as far as they could, ensuring they were safe before heading back to town. Chris would have liked the trio to accompany the fleeing citizens of Four Corners all the way to the camp but he needed them back too badly. There as so much to do and he needed all his men present if they were going to survive this attack. Daylight was coming upon them fast and the hours would fast when the day was needed so badly to prepare for the night.
He watched the convey move off into the darkness, knowing that among those souls disappearing into the distance was Mary and his two boys. His heart felt torn between staying and going with them to ensure they were safe. Unfortunately, he also needed to ensure that there was something for them to come back to. He felt some measure of relief knowing that Vin and the others journeying with his family for part of the way. If he could not be there himself. It was just as good to have the tracker present in his stead.
Chris saw Ezra watching Julia's carriage disappearing amongst the wagons that were presently departing the town and came alongside the gambler, wanting to see how the man was faring. After the ugly incident earlier the day before, Chris marveled at how much Ezra had pulled himself together in order to be counted among the seven during this crisis. Chris could not claim he would have recovered as well if he were in Ezra's place. Then again, no one could possibly claim that because no one could imagine being in the situation Ezra had been.
"You okay?" Chris asked as he stood next to the gambler, following his gaze into the night.
"I have decided to live." Ezra responded, his eyes still facing front and not making contact with Chris.
"That's always a good start." Chris nodded in approval.
"You speak from experience." He replied. It was not a question.
"Yeah," Chris nodded again, casting his mind back to the fateful day he had come to the same realization. "Day after we came back from Ella's, I decided to I was going to live. Quit waiting for that bullet that I'd been praying would take me for the last three years."
Ezra turned his head to face Chris. "That long?" The gambler exclaimed, making no attempt to hide the surprise in his voice. "It took you that long to decide?"
"Yeah," the gunslinger chuckled at seeing the surprise in Ezra's face. "Until then I'd been existing not really living at all. I had been ever since Sarah and Adam had died. Buck kept me form eating a bullet but he couldn't make me start living again. That took time and the swift kick in the pants that Ella provided. I suppose if there was one good thing that came from meeting up with her, it was that. The day I got her letter in my hands, telling me that we'd be together again, I had something to live for."
"Revenge?" Ezra asked.
"No," Chris replied. "It was the look in Mary's eyes."
Ezra remembered that Mary had been particularly quiet. The rest of the seven had expected her to be nursing Chris back to health with the care she usually afforded all of them but instead, she had remained strangely detached, almost as if she did not want anything to do with him. "I recall that she stayed away for a good deal of your convalescence. Is that why?"
"I think so. I think she stayed away because I hurt her." Chris confessed without hesitation. "I looked into her eyes and I knew she was wondering why it was so easy for me to walk away from Four Corners and take up with a woman I hadn't seen for years, who was bribing with a ranch."
"You were offered something better." Ezra pointed out. "You thought you were."
"I did." Chris agreed. "You made that decision a lot faster than I came to it Ezra and you need to almost lose your life to make it. I admire you for that."
Ezra thought about the game he played in the Wilmington barn. The game with one bullet in an empty chamber and knew he could not accept credit for that. It could have gone either way at that point. He could have taken the coward's way out and not have to face a single hardship because he would be gone. He would not have learnt that the friends who knew were trying to understand and the woman he loved did understand and cared little for whatever disgrace he thought he might visit upon her by their continued association. People could surprise you and never more then at this moment when Chris Larabee was lowering his defenses to speak of things he seldom discussed with anyone.
"There is nothing to admire," Ezra said softly, unable to lie when Chris was being so unusually open. "I came to my senses and I still want vengeance. Before this is done, I will kill him Chris."
Chris saw the look in his eyes when the gambler made that statement and knew that it was no idle threat and neither was the offer Chris was about to make.
"For what he did to you Ezra," Chris replied perfectly serious. " I'll help."