Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" T.V. series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide.
"So have you seen your mother at all?" Alex inquired as she gave Inez a quick examination.
"No," Inez said sadly as she sat on the edge of the mattress, submitting complacently to Alex's ministrations. After the last months of poking and prodding by the doctor, all for her benefit of course, Inez no longer found the examinations as intrusive as she had believed when she had first started consulting the doctor. In many ways, having Alex as attending physician was quite comforting and despite herself a little less intimidating than having Nathan examine her. While she considered Nathan a good friend, he was also male and no matter what the town thought about her moral fibre, Inez did not wish her doctor to be a man. "But I don't care."
Alex said nothing as she continued her exam but knew that was far from the truth. Inez very much wanted her mother to be a part of this but circumstances had made that impossible. Alex wished it was not so not only for the health of her patient but a child's entry into the world was a reason for rejoicing not nitpicking at the morality of it. It was not as if Inez was not going to married soon enough and Alex found Paloma's attitude to be selfish and self righteous. However as a doctor, she had to confess to being that way herself, particularly when her patients were concerned so she was somewhat biased herself in regards to this issue.
"So are you going to be inhabiting this place on your own with the baby or do I detect the possibility of a male presence in the near future?" Alex asked instead of bringing up the subject of Paloma Rosillos, especially after seeing the hurt expression in Inez's eyes even though she claimed she cared not what her mother thought of her pregnancy and her impending marriage.
"You mean Buck." Inez brightened when Alex had finished the last of her tests and was packing up her medical instruments in her worn doctor's bag.
"Unless there is some other man you have not told us about." Alex teased.
"Well we have not talked about the wedding yet but I suppose that when that does happen, he will be living here." Inez replied. "It would be nice." She found herself admitting and was more surprised than anyone else that she actually meant it.
"I sense a warming in your relations with Buck." Alex remarked as she snapped her doctor's bag close.
"Its very strange," Inez confessed. "When I agreed to marry him a few days ago, I was not sure about anything. I thought that I was marrying him for all the wrong reasons because I wanted the baby to have a name and a father. However, since my mother has come to town, she had been more instrumental in bringing us together and making me see Buck differently than anything that has happened these past months."
Alex took a seat on the mattress next to her Inez and remarked. "Inez, I know Buck for a shorter time than you and he's always going to be the same. Kind hearted, funny, not as dumb as he looks and possessing the mentality of a ten year old but I tell you," she paused and let an expression of fondness seep into her face. "He's made a supreme effort to be responsible and to show you that he can be everything you need in a husband, not simply as a provider or a father figure. He has stood by you when its mattered the most and only you can say for certain whether or not you think its out of obligation or love. From an outsiders point of view, I say the latter of two. I for one will be happy to see you both in this house."
Alex's words drew a wealth of emotion from Inez and the Mexican felt inordinately grateful to be blessed with the friendship of the doctor and those like her. "Gracias Alex," Inez said after she was able to compose herself. "I just want you to know that I would not have been able to do this without you, Mary, Julia or all the others. I know it has not been easy standing by me during this time but I am grateful.."
"Wait until you get my bill." Alex chuckled. "Will you be alright here on your own for awhile?" Alex inquired after the moment had passed. She hated leaving Inez by herself especially when she was close to her time but she had to get back to take care of paperwork and Alex being the consummate professional detested incomplete case files for her patient. "I think Rain was going to come up some time this evening."
The women had been taking turns spending as much time with Inez during the last few days because of all the pressures she had been subjected to, with the untimely arrival of her mother and the general disapproval of the town engendered by every insult aimed by her. At this critical stage in her pregnancy, Alex had not been alarmist when she demanded that no further distress be afforded to Inez and her closest friends were ensuring that it was not.
"You don't have to baby sit me you know." Inez remarked, perfectly aware what all these visits were about.
"No we don't," Alex conceded. "But we are. Doctor's orders."
"You're just being over protective." She pointed out.
"I'll remember that when its time to give you pain killers during labour." Alex replied with a smile of mischief. "Now, you have had a long day and at the risk of sounding over protective, I think you should get some rest. Mary left dinner on the stove, so you don't have to worry about feeding the men when they get back. I think it's some of that great stew she makes."
"Oh good," Inez replied, hating to admit it but Alex was right. She did felt drained and put her feet up when Alex stood up to leave. "Tell Mary thanks when you see her."
"I will." Alex nodded. "You'll probably see her tomorrow anyway."
Inez appeared to look forward to it as she rested her head on the pillow and Alex took the time to make a discreet departure. She knew from her experience with a dozen mothers and more since her arrival in Four Corners that it was important for Inez to get some rest and approved when she saw the woman settling onto her new bed to get some sleep. As Alex closed the door behind her, she could smell the faint aroma of Mary's cooking emanating from the kitchen and headed there first to move the pot of stew she had on the stove. Alex had heated it for Buck and JD when they arrived and move it off the stove to the kitchen table for their nourishment when they were done with their patrol of the homestead.
Giving the place a quick glance as she slipped on her coat, Alex felt some semblance of pride in seeing what she, Mary and Rain had managed to accomplish during the past two days in getting this home ready for Inez. She gathered the last of her things and did not bother to let Inez know she was leaving lest the woman was already asleep and Alex did not want to wake her up unnecessarily. Pulling the front door close behind her, Alex looked out into the night sky and saw no signs of life.
It was a beautiful place, she had to admit as her eyes surveyed the land before her. While the garden was a little sparse, requiring attention before it became green and flowery again, the surrounding fauna was just as breathtaking with a wealth of trees that offered enough shade without becoming dense. Alex could understand what Mary said about the property being idea for riding. Perhaps she might ask Inez permission for her and Vin to try the trails that supposedly ran through the trails when things had settled down a bit. After a moment of reflection on this, Alex mounted her horse Phoebe and started the ride back to Four Corners before it became too much later in the evening.
Her departure did not go unnoticed.
Buck Wilmington knew something was wrong.
While he could not say for certain what had led to this belief other than the stray sound he had heard earlier, Buck could not shake this feeling that there were not alone in the darkness as they made the ride back to the house. JD was naturally oblivious to the possibility as they rode back since the young man was chattering away about the things he usually did, unmindful to the presence of danger while very little of what he said had penetrated the fog of Buck's suspicions that all was far from right.
Perhaps it was just natural for him to be so suspicious because things were finally where he wanted it to be in his life. He stood on poise on the edge of having the family he always wanted and was understandably cautious about losing it again. With things between himself and Inez so improved that he actually believed she truly wanted him beyond the requirements of a name for the baby, Buck was determined to let nothing happen to either mother or child. Still despite all these concerns, Buck still felt uneasy as he returned to the homestead. With a surprise, he realised that if he and Inez married, chances are this place that once was home to Mary and Steven Travis, would become his home too. It was a sobering experience to recognise the full circle he had come when he had first drifted into Four Corners.
Buck had arrived here a few days before Chris Larabee had made his fateful entry into town and had as much intention of staying in town as the gunslinger. It was odd how things worked out for all of them, how Four Corners seemed to have some mystical quality that made it home to the seven men who had been outcast everywhere else. It went some way to explaining why none of the seven had made any attempts to move on. It felt as if they were just as bound to Four Corner as they were to the fellowship of the seven.
Suddenly, the quiet of the night and JD's chatter was eclipsed by the sounds of galloping horses in the distance. It was loud enough for both men to hear and they exchanged glances of realisation when they identified which direction the horses were going. They were heading towards the house and Buck realised with horror, Inez. Judging by the thunder of hoof beats, Buck estimated that they were a number of riders and felt his heart sink knowing that he had been right to be suspicious earlier because he had sensed someone watching them in the dark.
"Come on!" Buck called out as he dug his heels into the side of his horse and set the animal off on a hasty gallop.
No sooner than he had given that order, there was the explosion of gunfire around them. The darkness and the process of riding forward blinded them to the direction of the bullets but Buck was knocked off his horse when he felt a hot, stinging pain against his cheek. The heat of the bullet was enough to dislodge him from his saddle and he tumbled into the dirt, hearing JD scream after him in the chaos that followed.
"Buck!" The youth shouted as he pulled the reins of his horse and tried to circle back towards Buck, whom he could see shrinking behind him as his mount moved ahead and tried to obey the confusion of signals he was giving it.
Buck felt dirt in his mouth as he landed and his body ached from the fall but he had compensated for the landing before he hit the ground and did not serious injury to himself. Although his skin stung and he felt the warmth of blood on his cheek, he knew he was not seriously injured. Whoever had fired at him was intending to kill him and Buck knew he had to get to his feet before they reached him. He could feel the tremor of horses nearing him and knew that one of those was JD. Painfully, he pushed himself to his feet and saw the kid approaching him quickly, when suddenly riders appeared out of the trees and converged upon him.
As Buck got to his feet and tried to help JD, he heard the scuffling and the flying of fists. He reached for his gun when a bullet whizzed past his ear from a completely different direction. Swinging around, he saw another rider coming up on him fast, releasing a series of bullets he had little or no chance of avoiding unless he ran. As the gunfire drove him into the darkness, he felt a swell of anguish surfacing inside him at being unable to help JD who was being overwhelmed by a number of attackers. Unfortunately, his would be killer had no intention of allowing Buck a chance to escape and Buck found himself running for cover within the trees as the enemy bore down on him.
The darkness made it difficult to see and Buck was pushing branches and watching for the uneven protrusions on the ground as he tried to gain enough distance between himself and the rider to launch an attack of his own. His heart was pounding in fear, not for himself but for JD whom he had been unable to help and for Inez, whom these men would go after if he did not stop them here. He tried to look over his shoulder to see who it was that was bearing down on him, promising death if Buck allowed them to get close enough, but could see nothing through the darkness. All he could see was the man's horse, nostrils flaring with its heavy breath as it thundered after him.
Buck did not know how far he ran, aware only that after awhile, he could feel his lungs starting to give up as his attempts to escape faltered. He came to a screeching halt when he came to the edge of an embankment that led into the creek that ran through the property. Buck paused, knowing that if he went through the waterway, it was going to slow him down even further. He turned to change direction when he saw the rider break through the bushes. Buck raised his gun to fire and was about to pull the trigger when his pursuer spoke.
"Senor Wilmington," the voice spoke with a definitive Spanish accent that was of no surprise to Buck upon hearing it. "I have a message for you."
"Give it to me in hell." Buck retorted and pulled the trigger, taking a gamble on a desperate plan and hope he was alive to regret it if it failed.
The horse he was riding jerked back abruptly at the sound of Buck's gun and pulled back just far enough to save its master from the bullet that would have otherwise killed him. Buck was not surprised by the outcome and knew what was coming almost as if the enemy had seen the plan formulating inside his head. The man did not waste his breath attempting to give Buck his message and returned fire immediately.
At the sound of gunfire, Buck twisted and felt the bullet slam into his shoulder instead of his heart like it was meant to. He crumbled to his knees intentionally, allowing his body to spill over the edge of the embankment and tumble down the hill like a rolling stone. As he began his rough and turbulent descent, he could feel the white hot agony of his shoulder mask the tearing of grit and pebbles against his skin as he reached the bottom of the hill. He came to a hard stop against the ground; taking a face full of dirt and biting down on his teeth to control the pain that came with the sudden impact. Fortunately, the injury though painful was not intolerable and Buck hoped that he could play the part required to create the illusion of death. Even as he lay against the groan, trying to recoup his bearings without giving his true state of health away, Buck could hear the uneven clacking of hoof beats approaching.
Remaining absolutely still because his life depended on it, Buck made certain he landed on his back. He could feel the warmth of blood oozing out of the wound on his shoulder, soiling his clothes the most profusely he bled, until the crimson stain of blood spread over his chest although in the dark, it could only be seen as a glimmer of slickness on his clothes. He hoped it was enough to convince the enemy to withdraw or at least dismount his animal to make a closer investigation. With either case, it was Buck's only way of getting an upper hand. Playing possum was not the most dignified way to handle things; he recognised the irony of it but decided he had little choice.
Just because he had heard no gunshots did not mean JD Dunne was not dead. Buck had been a lawman in Four Corners and other places in the Territory to know that there were men who could kill just as effectively with their hands as their weapons. Chris Larabee was one of these. He held his breath and made no movement as he remained lying motionless in the crook between slope and land, feeling his heart pounding so loud Buck almost thought it might betray him to the man on the horse. He heard the horse approach the edge of the embankment because stray bits of earth slid down the slope as the weight of the animal loosened them. The horse made a slight whinny as its rider leaned over and spent a few seconds watching Buck's unmoving form, attempting to discern if there was any life left remaining in his body.
Suddenly the man spoke once more, breaking the quiet of the night with his gravelly voice. "I was meant to give you this message while you still alive Senor Wilmington," he said. "I suppose this is not mean to be."
Buck did not react, wondering what was so damned important that it had to be delivered even to a dead man.
"I think I prefer it this way," the man continued with his strange eulogy. "You are much less trouble this way." He paused a moment as if recounting accurately what needed to be said and then spoke once more. "I gave my word to Alejandro that I would make this declaration to you Senor Wilmington and a man of honour keeps his words."
Buck tried not to blanch at that statement or the fact that honour had very little to do with ambushing two men in the dark and terrorising a woman with child, however, he kept silent because everything depended on his assailant believing he was indeed dead. Besides, there was also a part of him that was curious as to the nature of this message that was so vital to his hearing before death but was now being related in his supposed demise.
"I am to tell you Senor that your woman will join in the afterlife soon enough and that you will have the pleasure of knowing that your child will be allowed to live in the house of Don Paulo and will come to call my patron father. You will be nothing to your child. It will know only that its mother has died and that its father is Alejandro Paulo. You will not exist for it."
Buck could not see the smile on the man's face as he made his final statement but the lawman could well imagine it. "The Don considers this ample payment for the death of his only son."
It took a supreme effort for Buck to remain silent, knowing that any reaction would serve no one even though the plan unveiled to him sounded monstrous in its intent. It could only have come from a mind twisted out of shape with so much anger that Buck could hardly imagine it. He had thought Ella Gaines was insanity personified after what she had done to Sarah and Adam but the idea of using a child as an instrument of revenge every day of its life was something Buck could not fathom. If anything strengthen his resolve to remain still so he could escape, it was knowing this. Buck would endure anything to circumvent this terrible destiny for his child.
After what felt an eternity to Buck, the rider finally pulled away from the edge, freeing more dirt which eventually made its way downhill before coming to a halt by the obstruction of his form. Buck heard the horse moving away, straining to listen as its hoof beats grew more distant as it departed, until the resonance no longer sounded in the earth. When Buck was certain the danger had passed for the moment at least, he got up shakily to his feet and peered to the top of the hill to make certain with his eyes what his ears had more or less confirmed with more accuracy. For the moment, it seemed he was alone but somehow, it did not mean the situation was any better.
He could not see very well in the darkness but knew that the bullet, which entered his shoulder so painfully, had passed straight through flesh and muscle. The pain was not excruciating but he was not about to be pig headed and claim that it did not hurt at all because it did. His left side felt heavy and ached terribly but Buck was grateful that it was not his shooting arm that had been injured because he was going to need it if he was to get to Inez. Nothing else mattered as Buck scrambled up the hill, biting down each time he felt waves of pain stabbing at him whenever he exerted any use of his arm. He knew he needed tending to immediately but could not bring himself to admit it as he clawed his way up the dirt, leaving a bloody trail in the earth as he struggled to reach the top of the embankment.
As he tried to gain a foothold in the sloping terrain, his nails tearing as he clawed dirt and hard rock, Buck fought the voice of reason whispering in his ears against the wail of impulse that was driving him to reach Inez before it was too late. Buck ignored it, carried away by his emotions even though he knew perfectly well that he was injured and only one man against at least half a dozen, if his estimation of how many riders was correct when he saw them converge on JD. If he had any sense at all he would be abandoning this idea of reaching Inez because the odds of being any help to her in his present condition were slim. Instead, he ought to be searching for his horse and riding into Four Corners, not only to get himself medical aid but also to rally Ezra, Nathan and Josiah to ride into the fray with him. It made sense and it was the safest course of action.
Except he could not.
It might be a fool's errand but he was not going to simply abandon Inez to those men for his own safety. He loved her too much and was not about to leave her to languish not even for a minute. Buck knew with utter certainty that he could not let the monstrous revenge planned by Don Paulo come to pass, even if it mean sacrificing his own life.
Inez heard a gunshot.
The sound woke her up immediately. She sat up in her bed, feeling her body protest at the sudden movement as she roused from her sleep completely aware of everything around her. She strained to listen again for the noise and began to doubt hearing it when the sound did not repeat itself. There was a brief moment when she considered that perhaps she had been dreaming and the noise, which had awoke her so abruptly, was nothing more than a residue of something in the dreamscape, dissolving into nothingness upon her return to the waking world. Yet the tension in her bones had not been dissipated and she could not shake the feeling there was something amiss
She wondered then, where Buck and JD were. It was well past dark outside her window and thought they should have been here by now. The property was not small but it was hardly large enough to warrant so much time in patrolling its boundaries. She followed the scent of stew that Alex had warmed up in the kitchen and saw the pot sitting on the table. It was still warm but considerably less than what it was because Inez had remembered when Alex had heated it up for the boys. Inez wished she were not in such an awkward state of health. Being heavily pregnant was not making movement any easier and it only increased her concern because if there were danger, she would be in no position to do anything about it.
Inez left the kitchen and found herself next to the sofa that had come to her compliments of Julia Pemberton. She sat on the soft cushion of the chair, feeling a wave of warmth for the Emporium owner who had presented her with this offering through Ezra as an apology for her absence during this time. With its polished wooden finish and soft fabric that seemed to make Inez's hand glide over it upon touch, it was a gift she would not have been able to afford for some time and made a note to thank Julia when she saw her next. Nestling comfortably into the chair, she watched the soft cackle of fire in the fireplace, noticing that she would have to add more wood or else it would burn out. She turned her attention to one of the boxes packed with her things that Buck had left on the seat next to her. Giving herself something to do so she would not worry, she rummaged through its contents with a mission to organising it.
She was no more into this endeavour for a few seconds when she heard horses coming to the house and realised after a moment that there were more than two riders. Inez rose to her feet slowly, unable to discern whether or not she ought to go outside. On one hand, it could be perfectly feasible that the others might have joined Buck and JD but that would mean Josiah, Nathan and Ezra had left her mother and sister unguarded, which seemed unlikely. She supposed it could be Chris and Vin joining them and then recanted because she better than anyone, knew just how long it took to reach Val Verde and they would not have returned from the trip yet, even if they rode back to Four Corners like the wind. In the flurry of seconds that passed as these thoughts ran through her head, Inez finally came to the conclusion that she ought to withdraw into the bedroom.
Returning to the darkness of the bedroom, Inez hid behind the door as she strained to listen for the sounds of horses coming to a halt outside her home. While the animals were vocal, its riders were not and more or less confirmed that there was danger. Inez felt her heart pounding as the fear snaked up her spine like white-hot tendrils. Never in her life had she felt so vulnerable and she had no idea what to do. Drawing away from the door, she looked at the window and knew that was her only way of escape as the noises outside evolved into footsteps at the door. She crossed the floor silently, mostly because she was so huge that speed was not possible. By the time she reached the window, she could hear them coming through the door.
Inez opened the window and was trying to climb through when she heard men entering her house and instructed by one voice, thick with an accent she knew all to well, to search the premises. Blind panic struck her as she pushed herself over the windowsill in a bid to flee when suddenly the voice spoke once again.
"Senorita Rosillos," the male voice echoed throughout the house and Inez froze. They had not reached the bedroom yet but assumed they would in a number of seconds. Inez continued to escape when the speaker resumed. "If you do not come out, I will kill the boy."
Inez froze. The boy? Did he mean JD? Where was Buck?
"I have him here Inez," the man continued. "I will put a bullet in the brain of this young sherrif if you do not show yourself."
Inez let out a soft cry of frustration knowing she could not leave, not if they had JD and somehow, it was too big a bluff for them to be lying. She debated what to do for the eternity of seconds following that announcement. Despite the danger to herself, Inez needed to know what had happened to Buck. He would not have let JD be taken for any reason and inched toward the unimaginable as she started to realise how something like that could happen.
"I promise you as a man of honour," he spoke further. "That if you show yourself that neither your or this boy will be harmed."
Inez felt the spirit drain from her as her hand dropped to her swollen belly and she made this decision not only for herself but the life inside of her. She hoped she was not condemning her little baby to death but she could not sit by and let these men kill JD Dunne. JD was her friend and she cared for him deeply, too much that she could ever forgive herself if he was killed because of her. Taking a deep breath, she climbed back into the bedroom and made herself cross the floor towards the door.
She emerged into the common room of the house to see at least six men in her house, two of which holding an unconscious JD Dunne in their arms. The boy's face was covered in a dark bruise above his eye and there was a rivulet of blood created a line of red from under his hair down his cheek. There was no sign of Buck and that tightened Inez's heart inside her chest with its implication. She found herself on the edge of some dark and terrible news to which she did not want to know but felt compelled to hear.
"I am here." Inez declared as she appeared in the open. "Let him go and I will go with you wherever you wish." She said softly, trying to hide just how frightened she was by a false front of bravado.
"I'm afraid that will be impossible," the man replied and whom she recognised to be Ramirez one of Don Alejandro Paulo's most devoted servants. "The boy comes with us as insurance, lest you decide to make any foolish attempts at escape during our return to Val Verde."
Inez swallowed and more or less expected it would not be that simple but there was one other question she simply had to ask. "Where is Buck?" She inquired, her voice trembling because she already knew and the knowledge was threatening to break her into a thousand pieces if she heard it out loud.
"He's dead." Ramirez said without emotion.
"No." Inez whispered, refusing to believe it even though everything that had transpired in the last few minutes would indicate so. "I don't believe you."
"I shot him myself," Ramirez retorted, motioning his men to surround Inez because it was time to leave. "I left his body lying in the dirt. If it makes you feel any better, he did not suffer."
Buck dead? Inez felt the air emptying out of the room and she was suffocating. Her mind could not accept it and her heart was breaking where she stood. She tried to picture him in her head and could only see a terrible image of his body in the dirt, broken and bloody, looking nothing like the man she had loved for so long. The sounds that came from the depth of her and escaped her lips in a wail of anguish seemed distant and Inez did not know that she had dropped to her knees, weeping out loud until hands wrapped themselves around her arms and pulled her to her feet.
She was crying harder now, almost incoherent in her grief but not at all hysterical. Ramirez watched the sorrow in his eyes and felt himself affected by it despite his attempts to harden his heart. It was finally relieve when the burden of her pain became too much for her and he saw her go limp in the arms of his men, having fainted from the sheer distress of the knowledge she now carried inside of her.
"It's just as well," he told the men holding the unconscious woman. "Tell Esteban to bring the wagon around and put them both in. We should get out of here as soon as possible."
Alexandra Styles told herself this was foolishness as she rode back to the Travis homestead. She had put some distance between herself and the property in her endeavour to reach town when she had heard the sound of what she was certain to be a gunshot. However, there was no sound of return fire and unknown to her, the same question that had plagued Inez Rosillos, did their worst upon her as she tried to discern whether or not what she had heard was worth returning to investigate. Finally, her curious nature got the better of her and she forced Phoebe around and started riding towards the property once again.
She had not gotten very far down the track when suddenly she heard the rumble of horses coming in her direction. Alex did not know what compelled her to her next action but it was borne out of a sixth sense she had used to save many lives, sometimes her own and decided not to argue with it. Driving Phoebe off the road, Alex and her horse took refuge within the thick leaves and foliage flanking the path and waited as the thunder of riders hurried towards them at juggernaut pace. She wondered if she was being paranoid but then Vin had told her a dozen times that the Territory was not a place for a woman especially alone and at night. It was probably prudent that she conceal herself until she was certain that there was no danger.
Alex held her breath as the riders came past her. She could see little of them in the cover of leaves and branches and was glad that the same held sway for them as well. There were at least six of them and she heard the familiar rumble of wagon moving past at full gallop as they roared past her. Dust and grit flew in all directions as they raced past and Alex was glad when they were finally far enough away for her to be able to breathe again. If she was certain their intentions had been ominous before, she was almost sure of it now and nudged her horse out of her hiding place once she was certain it was safe. The road bore the signs of their convoy but of the riders themselves, she saw no signs and guessed their speed had taken them far enough away to keep from being a threat to her.
Upon making this evaluation, Alex dug her heels into Phoebe's sides and sent the horse galloping forward towards the direction of Inez's new home. Uncertain what motivated her, Alex could feel a deep sense of urgency pressing against the walls of her heart as she rode back as fast as she could to the homestead. She was not the best rider and had to hang on tight to ensure she did not take a nasty spill during the journey but her worry for her patient had escalated into fear for her friend. Suddenly, Alex could no longer dismiss the gunshot she had heard as being anything but related to the group of riders or their hasty departure.
She reached the homestead a short time later and saw no signs of life as she dismounted Phoebe when the animal reached the house. The front door was wide open and strengthened Alex's fear as she hurried up the walk. Somehow she knew that whatever had taken place, violent or not had already concluded and that was no remaining danger to give her pause. She entered the house and went immediately to Inez's bedroom and was unsurprised to find the lady absent. Emerging from the bedroom after that initial discovery, she saw no signs of violence other than that open door but it was enough.
Suddenly she heard footsteps outside and wondered if it was those men coming back. Alex fought the compulsion to run and then told herself that it was not logical, she had seen them leave. At least she thought it was them who had caused this. Besides, the footsteps beyond the doorway did not seem numerous and she might still be able to get away if she was smart. Of course, if things did end badly then she had the solace of being dead and not hearing Vin being most upset at her for not hightailing it out of there when she should have.
Taking ginger steps towards the front door and to the source of the footsteps, Alex peered past the doorway cautiously, poised to slam the door in someone's face if he proved to be a danger to her. Finally the figure moving in the dark towards her shed its cloak of mystery when as the illumination from the lamps in the house cast its glow upon him.
"Buck!" Alex exclaimed and burst through the door once she saw the familiar sight of the tall man coming towards the house. He did not answer her and she was almost upon him when she saw the glimmer of wet on his shirt and realised from sheer experience what that moisture was. "You're hurt!"
"It's not bad," he groaned as she narrowed the space between them in a second, her physician senses taking over immediately. "Where's Inez?" He asked.
"Gone." Alex answered as she saw the wound in his shoulder and the state he was in. Covered in dirt, his face had scratches and cuts while his clothes were similarly dishevelled. However, it was the injury that held most of her attention as she tried to explain what had happened to prompt her return. "I heard a gunshot and I headed back." She explained as she tried to look under his shirt at the wound. "As I was coming down the track, I heard these horses and I guess it sounded suspicious to me for some reason because I got off the road."
"Good call," Buck grimaced as he felt her lift the soiled fabric of his shirt from wound in her examination. "They ambushed me and JD." Buck explained his side of things as they reached the house. "I think they took JD alive but the fella who came after me, was aiming to kill. I manage to trick him into believing he did just that and played possum until he had gone."
Alex nodded in understanding and decided that action had most likely saved the man's life. They entered the house and Alex led Buck to a chair and forced him to sit even though he was more determined to seek out Inez for himself, as if Alex's words were not enough confirmation at his future wife's absence. "I saw at least six riders," Alex informed him as she pulled his coat off his shoulders and started working on the buttons. "There was also a wagon. If those were the same men that took Inez than I'd say that's what they moved her in. Once they were past me, I got back here and found that Inez was gone. I haven't been here that long until you turned up."
"I've got to get going after her." Buck said rising to his feet when Alex pushed him down on the chair in protest.
"Buck, you're in no shape to do anything!" Alex retorted firmly. Although her preliminary examinations had indicated that the bullet had passed straight through his shoulder, it did not mean that he was out of danger. He had lost a lot of blood even though bleeding had now stopped, not to mention there was gapping hole in his skin that needed mending not aggravation at this immediate moment. "You go after Inez in this condition and you will be no help to her."
"You know what that son of bitch has planned!" Buck shouted. "He's going to kill her and take our child for his own!"
Alex felt her stomach hollow at the monstrosity of the plot but found no surprise in just how heinous some men could be when properly motivated. "Buck think this through," Alex replied as she stepped away from him. She could nothing more for him without her medical bag, which was securely fastened to Phoebe and needed to be retrieved, before she could do anything else. However, she did not want him running off while she went to get it. "There is six of them and one of you and as passionate as you are on the subject, you cannot take those men on your own. You know where they're going so an hour for me to fix you up and ride into town to get the others won't make that much difference, will it?" She looked at him critically, demanding him to say it out loud before she knew he would obey her on this.
"No," he said reluctantly. She was right. As much as he loathed to admit it, none of her arguments were new to him. These were all notions he had considered before and ignore because he was so determined to reach Inez. Finally, he conceded. "Do what you have to do," he glanced at his shoulder. "Patch me up because as soon as you're done, I'm going to get her back."
"Glad you could join us." Josiah said to Ezra as the three men sat around playing cards inside the church. Although it was somewhat sacrilegious to gamble in the house of the Lord, the preacher was inclined to believe that the Lord would not be too offended by the action, since they needed something to pass the time while protecting one of his flock. His comment was not at all laced with criticism since he understood that Ezra had very good reasons for his absence of late.
"Well an interlude had presented itself in the course of the personal undertaking that has been occupying my attention most recently." Ezra drawled easily as he threw his discards down on the table that they were all seated around.
"How is Miss Julia?" Nathan inquired, since they were all privy to Mr Clemens' purpose in town. While Ezra had not told the others about the money Julia had stolen from her father, he did reveal that Julia was running from the trappings of a past life and did not wish to be found. While they did not know the specifics, every member of the seven knew what it was like to have secrets in their past that they did not wished unearth and thus respected Ezra's desire not to go into detail.
"Edgy," Ezra replied honestly. "However, I have convinced her to remain in town for the moment. Mr Clemens leaves in three days time when the stage arrives and I am hoping that he will see his way to keeping her whereabouts a secret following his departure."
Somehow, Josiah did not believe the man would do that unless Ezra could impart to him a most compelling argument. However, if Josiah knew Ezra at all after all this time of their association, he knew the gambler could be extremely creative when the mood took him. He was certain Clemens would be convinced to forget all about Julia but he would be induced to do so under the sway of a very unorthodox method of persuasion.
"Can't see why she just don't tell her father that she's got a life here." Nathan remarked as he motioned to Ezra who was playing the dealer as always, to give him to more cards in replacement for the ones he had just thrown on the pile gathering in the centre of the table.
"Some fathers do not take no for an answer." Josiah replied, completely aware of what it was like to have a strong filled paternal figure that was disposed to see their child's life run a certain course and would not tolerate it going any other way.
"Just as some mothers do not forgive when it goes wrong." Ezra remarked, unconsciously glancing in the direction of the room currently occupied by Paloma and Calla.
The lady had stayed strangely out of their way during the last day or so, particularly after a visit from Audrey King. Josiah suspected that Audrey had given Paloma food for thought while at the same time creating a rift between herself and her daughter Calla. The young woman no longer blithely followed her mother's wishes, determined to see Inez when time permitted as she had declared most strenuously to Josiah when Paloma had been hiding inside the rooms he normally resided.
"Yeah, it's a damn shame, that's what it is." Nathan found himself in agreement, wishing the situation between Inez and her mother was better than what it was. Inez had enough to worry about without having the entire weight of her mother's moral fortitude bearing down on her for what happened. It was not as if the woman had not endured enough insults and hardships since news of her pregnancy spread around town. Having no remaining family himself, Nathan could not fathom the mentality that placed ideology above kin.
The three men continued with their game, paying little attention to the sound of a horse galloping hard through town and growing louder as it neared the building because the approach was nothing new. Numerous riders had occasion to pass by the building through the course of the day, on route to some other place that had little to do with the occupants of the church. None of the lawmen detracted from the card game until they realised the animal was not riding past the church but was instead coming towards it. They tensed inwardly, showing no signs of interest even though they were all listening carefully until they heard speech following the dismount by not one but two riders from the same animal and realised that and one of those belonged to Alex.
It was Josiah who reacted first, the bear like hulk of a man placing his cards face down before he stood up and seemed to tower over Ezra and Nathan with his shadow as he waited for the two to enter the room. While it was Alex's voice they heard first, it was Buck who burst into the room ahead of the lady doctor. He was still wearing the blood stained shirt that immediately captured the attention of the friends who forgot all about their game as they hurried to meet him half way across the room. Following closely behind Buck was Alex, who was carrying her medical bag.
"We've got to get going!" Buck exclaimed as he entered the building and saw the trio.
"Buck take it easy," Alex warned, not wishing him to aggravate his injury any more than it already was. The ride back to town had been hair raising enough as it was without Buck's anxiousness to rescue Inez driving him to further acts of recklessness. "You're wounded."
"What's happened?" Josiah asked even though it was self-evident.
"Six of those bastards ambushed me and JD while we were patrolling the place." Buck declared, feeling almost ashamed of what had happened and feeling especially guilty because he had to play possum to save his own skin. "They got the kid but I managed to get away even though one of them tried real hard to see to it that it didn't happen." He only had to glance at his shoulder for them to understand what he meant by that. "By the time I got to the house Inez was gone and so was JD."
"I was on my way back to town when I heard the gunshot," Alex piped in, filling in the blanks for the rest of the story. "I saw six men and a wagon heading away from the homestead in a hurry. I think its safe to say that was how they moved Inez. If they wanted her alive, it was the only way she could travel safely." She pointed out.
"They wanted her alive all right," Buck grumbled. "That bastard who shot me said that Paulo wanted the baby."
"Wanted the baby?" Nathan exclaimed, unable to fathom for what reason. "Why?" He stared at Buck in confusion.
"Revenge." Ezra caught on faster than the healer did because he knew men and the evil machinations that were at work in some minds. "He wants your child as retribution for the one he lost." Ezra was guessing but when he saw Buck's expression and the cold look in his eyes, he knew he was right.
"My god." Josiah found himself declaring in disgust. When it did not seem possible for men to slip further into the darkness, there always seemed to be one who would prove him wrong. He had heard of some awful things but this one shook him to the core and he knew with utter certainty that it had to be stopped.
"That's what he told me." Buck nodded. "I was meant to die only after I knew that Paulo intends to kill Inez as soon as our child was born so he could raise it with no idea who its parents really were."
"There's one other thing..." Alex had not dared to bring it up before but the thought had been gnawing at the back of her mind since learning about what the Don had planned for Inez. It was too horrible to even think of it and she had not wanted to entertain the possibility but since time was a factor here, she thought it best to bring up the idea no matter how obscene it was. At least Buck had people around him now that would keep him from doing anything foolish once she imparted her information to them. "Inez is very late in term. The child could be ready to be born at any minute. Whether now or two weeks really makes no difference."
"Oh Jesus Christ," Nathan exclaimed because as the only other healer here, he understood just as well as she did the implication she was alluding. He met Alex's gaze and the look of dread that existed in her eyes soon filtered into his own. "He couldn't." Nathan whispered.
"There is no reason for us to believe he wouldn't." Alex said quietly.
"What?" Buck looked at them both, requiring an answer and knowing from the hollow sound of their voices that whatever they suspected was terrible indeed.
There were furious glances exchanged between Alex and Nathan as they searched the words to answer while deciding which of them would speak. Finally, it was Alex who responded. "He may not wait for the baby to be born." She answered reluctantly, her voice nothing more than a low whisper. "The baby at this stage of pregnancy is fully developed." She swallowed.
"What are you saying!" Buck finally roared unable to see what Alex was trying so hard to say.
"She's saying that if the Don is crazy enough, he may just cut her open and take the baby." Nathan blurted out, sparing Alex from trying to explain further, the unthinkable.
Buck's face drained of colour. For a moment, he could not speak because the picture that formed in his mind at that possibility was so horrifying that he could not find the words to adequately describe it. Even Ezra who wore a perennial poker face had shed that facade of indifference and was similarly stunned while Josiah's expression darkened to the colour of night. No one spoke as the words hung in the air, like pregnant drop of blood awaiting impact as it stood poised to fall.
"He could not do that! Its madness!" Paloma Rosillos cried out, her voice filled with panic as she stood at the doorway between the back room and the main floor of the church. She had been attracted to the voices of the new arrivals and had emerged from her room long enough to hear the disturbing possibility of what Don Paulo had in store for her daughter.
Buck who had not met the woman prior to this turned to her, since it required no leap of logic to deduce her identity. "What do you care?" He asked as he glared at her. "She's dead to you remember?" His voice was an angry hiss and it surprised everyone present to see the rage that bubbled behind his eyes. They were all accustomed to seeing Buck as the eternal optimist who felt malice towards no one who did not richly deserve it but his reaction had now surpassed anything they had ever witnessed from him previously.
"Mrs Rosillos," Ezra said clearing this throat, thinking of nothing else to do on an occasion like this but make a belated introduction. "Buck Wilmington, your future son in law."
"You have no right to speak to me that way!" Paloma retorted, feeling somewhat taken back by Buck's angry response. "She is my daughter. I would not wish her any harm!"
"You've done enough harm!" Buck fairly screamed at her. "You and all those other sanctimonious, self righteous hypocrites that call yourselves god fearing folk! You make me sick to my stomach! You don't stand beside her when it counts the most and now that she's about to ripped open like a melon, now you feel something!"
"Buck..."Josiah tried to intercede, knowing he was being especially harsh on the woman who seemed almost as ashen as he did upon learning the possible fate Inez had waiting for her. "This ain't the time."
"Stay out of it, Josiah." Buck warned, turning a menacing glare at the preacher that made Josiah withdraw immediately. "She's got this coming." He retorted, his voice was cold and had the consistency of jagged glass as he turned his gaze back towards Paloma who could not speak because there was no denying her actions.
"What she did was wrong." Paloma recouped enough to respond after a moment.
"To who?" Buck demanded. "Was anyone hurt by the coming of a child?" He snapped. "The only one that suffered at all was your daughter because everyone felt a need to judge her. I expect that kind of thinking from strangers who don't know her but from you? You're her mother! You know as well as I do she's the bravest woman that ever lived! She came here on her own, running from that bastard who killed anyone who gave a damn about her. She survived him and she made a life for herself here, you call her a whore because for one night, one solitary night...." His voice started to waver as the emotions that crept up and choked the sound from his throat threatened to overwhelm him completely.
Buck cleared his throat and began again after composing himself. "For one night, she showed me that I could be loved by someone like her and every day since then has been an awakening I have waited all my life to feel. I won't lose her." He finally faltered. "I can't lose her. Not even for a baby."
"You won't Buck," Ezra said firmly, knowing precisely how Buck felt because his feelings corresponded in some way with what he was feeling for Julia and her own dilemma at present. The gambler squeezed Buck's uninjured shoulder in support to convey that none of them would allow such a horrible fate to fall upon Inez. Each one of them would die before letting that happen. "We know where these men are going," he announced to Nathan and Josiah, taking the initiative because Buck was too close to this to think straight. "If we ride out immediately, we may be able to catch up to them. If not, Mr Larabee and Mr Tanner should already be in Val Verde and they will stop whatever nefarious plan Don Paulo has in store for Inez by the time we arrive."
"Right," Nathan nodded in agreement because Buck really needed to believe this right now. "You okay to ride with that shoulder?" He looked at his wounded friend even though he knew that even if Buck was not up to it, there was no way he would be staying behind.
"I'm fine." He nodded. "Let's get going."
"Alex, can you let everyone know what's happening?" Josiah asked, not clarifying that by everyone he meant the women who were often left behind when they departed town. There was little time to waste and certainly none allocated for long goodbyes.
"Of course." Alex nodded and then remarked. "Do you think Mrs Rosillos and her daughter are still in danger?" She glanced at the woman who was lost in thought wearing that same look of desolation on her face after Buck's rather incendiary words of accusation. In truth, she did not feel sorry for the woman and had inwardly applauded Buck for telling Paloma what he had. In the doctor's opinion, Paloma Rosillos deserved every sharp barb that Buck had delivered upon her.
"They have what they want," Buck said abruptly, not looking at the her as he spoke. "They got Inez, they don't need anything else."
"I think Buck's right," Josiah agreed and turned back to the woman, feeling some measure of compassion towards her because it was in his nature as a preacher to do so. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you like ma'am but we have to go."
Paloma met his gaze and nodded. She did not look at Buck because she simply could not. His words had been brutal but unfortunately she could not refute anything he had said and it was obvious by the emotion in his voice how much he loved Inez. "Gracias." She said quietly.
In the meantime, Alex had taken Nathan aside long enough to offer the healer some instructions of her own. "Nathan I want you to take this." She handed the leather case to him.
"Miss Alex, I can take that. It's your medical bag!" He insisted.
"Yes but you don't have time to go get your stuff and you have to go straight away," she declared, accepting already that she could not accompany them on this venture as much as she wished she could. Although Alex was worried about Inez, she would be more a hindrance to the seven rather than an asset in their attempts to rescue Inez. If by definition, saving Inez's life meant for her to stand down then she was just as compelled to do as she would if her medical skills were required. "If she does go into labour and we both know that is entirely possible, then you're going to have to deliver the baby. Everything you need, including appropriate sedatives are in my bag. You'll need it during labour to take the edge of the contractions."
Nathan nodded, having been a veteran of several deliveries to understand that even in the most routine birth, there could be complications and if Inez went into labour prematurely as it was likely to happen in light of everything she was going through, then he had to be ready. He took the handle of Alex's bag and stated after a moment. "I know what this means to you." The healer said to her. The bag had been the same one carried by Alex's father for almost a lifetime of globe trotting from one end of the world to another and Nathan knew that it was the most precious memento she had left of him. Nathan also knew what it meant for her to trust it to him and he was not about to disappoint her. "I'll bring this back to you." He stated firmly and meant it.
"I know that," Alex offered him a smile of confidence because there was no one else she would entrust with this precious offering. "You take care of our patient." Alex reminded.
"I will." Nathan smiled faintly and looked at the others who were impatient to leave, particularly Buck.
As the lawmen started towards the door, Paloma Rosillos found her voice. "Senor Wilmington!" She called out and halted their progress as they were about to pass the threshold of the church entrance and make the crossing into the night sky beyond the walls of the building.
Buck paused even though he did not wish to. In fact, he was still angry with her even though much of his anger was a product of the terrible fate in store for Inez if he did not reach her in time. Slowly, he turned around to face the woman who had given Inez so much pain since her arrival in town. His eyes were still glaring at her as she approached although the haughty expression of self-righteous defiance had faded from her face completely.
"Good luck," she said coming to Buck and surprised him when she placed a hand on his cheek. Her eyes brimmed with tears and Buck felt guilty that he had been so cross with her, particularly as he looked into her face and saw the intense regret that permeated from her soul he was certain. "Bring my daughter to home," she whispered. "Bring her back for both of us."
JD felt like he had a hangover, only this was much worse.
Aside from the pain that beating against the wall of his skull, he felt the rumble of movement beneath him and opened his eyes to see the world swirling above his head in a canvas of glittering stars. He tried to recount with concentrated effort as he lay on his side on an unfamiliar surface, what was the last conscious memory in his keeping before the blackness had taken him. It crowded on him in flashes, in snippets of images that made little sense at first until the pain dwindled into a pulsing and the memory drained into his head from some unknown part of his mind where such things were kept.
He remembered hearing gunfire and saw Buck falling off his horse. JD had tried to reach his friend but the enemy had come out of nowhere, converging upon him like a murder of crows preparing to feed. They had not used weapons and it was very evident as their fists came flying at him that they were determined to take him alive. He felt incensed that he had not even managed to draw before they overwhelmed him and knocked him senseless. Everything after that had been a drop into a black pool where neither memory nor consciousness had been afforded to him.
Now as awareness returned to him with sharpening clarity, JD realised that he was moving, or rather the floor upon which he lay was in motion. Glancing at the sky above, he realised that he was in the back of an open wagon moving forward at high speed. He could hear the rumble of horses around him, as if they were providing him escort in his journey. JD tried to move his hands and found that they were bound. Somehow this did not surprise him. Understanding that he had been captured went a long way to curtailing his expectations of how much freedom he possessed. When he attempted to move his legs, he found himself similarly bound around his ankles and let out a groan of frustration at being trussed up like a fatted calf.
He experimented with trying to wriggle out of the ropes that kept his arms tied behind his back and found to his chagrin that whomever had tied the knots was very skilled at the practise because he could not even loosen the knots to make any headway towards freedom. JD wondered what happened to Buck and prayed that his friend had managed to escape and get help. Being helpless like this made JD remember just how young he was because more than ever he needed the experience to cope with his unfortunate situation instead of feeling the fear he now did.
The constant motion of the buckboard was hurting his head, which he knew to be the reason he had blacked out because the pain was not like a normal headache but thick and pulsing, unlike the usual throbbing of a morning sufferance after a night of vice. Shifting position, he swung his body so that he would be lying flat on his back when suddenly, he realised he was not alone. Startled at the sight of another person next to him, his eyes widened as he saw it was Inez. She was not unconscious because her eyes were open and she was staring into the sky, paying no attention to him.
"Inez." JD whispered.
She did not answer.
"Inez," JD tried again, wondering if they had done something awful to her that kept her from speaking.
She blinked and a tear rolled down the corners of her eyes and disappeared into her dark hair. She did not look at him even then.
"Inez, what's wrong?" JD demanded, more unnerved by her manner than he was by the whole idea of their captivity.
"Buck's dead." She whispered.
"What?" He exclaimed feeling as if he was being choked to death on her words. He could not imagine it, let alone believe such a thing but what he saw in her face told him that it had to be true. "He can't be." He responded out of sheer defiance.
"He's gone." She repeated in that toneless voice that frightened JD to no end because she sounded as if her mind had disappeared down a dark pit from which there was no return. "They killed him." She turned her head just enough to meet his gaze and more tears spilled down her face as she did.
"Inez, you don't know that." JD insisted because she was slipping further and further away from him and what he said now would decide whether or not she could be brought back. There was apart of him that felt with more fortitude than he could ever explain, that Buck was alive and because youth made death harder to accept and he was grateful for that. For once he did not care, he would cling to the hope and he would make her cling to it too because she needed to believe even more than he did. Already, he could see the cloud in her eyes as she started the rapid descent into her sorrow.
"They saw his body." She answered, closing her eyes as she fought the urge to cry once again. "They saw him die."
"You didn't see it did you?" JD countered, refusing to believe anything until he saw it with his own eyes because that was the only thing that kept his hope alive. JD needed that right now if he was going to get them out of this mess because there was one other thing that made it imperative for him to believe. If Buck was dead then no one knew they were here then he only had himself to rely upon to get them to safety. If Buck was truly dead then that was the least JD could do for his friend.
"No." She shook her head but her concession to that one point was half hearted. She may be saying the words but she did not believe it. "I didn't see his body."
"Inez," JD said firmly. "I know he's alive because nothing is going to make Buck Wilmington miss being around to seeing his baby born. You've got to believe that."
She did not answer until she faced forward again, that same listless tone to her voice when she spoke. "JD, you have to promise me something."
"Sure Inez," JD asked, feeling his heart strangle in his breast each time he heard her speak. There was something awful about her manner at this moment and he wished he had the words to make things right. He was starting to believe that if Buck were really dead, then nothing would ever reach her again.
"Whatever happens to me, you've got to make sure the baby is safe." She said with the first semblance of emotion entering her voice since JD had realised she was lying next to him.
"I'd do that anyway." JD retorted. "I wouldn't let anything happen to either of you."
"That's not what I asked." She shook her head in response. "You have to make sure that the baby is safe. I don't want you to think about me at all."
"Inez..." JD started to say when Inez interrupted.
"JD," she looked sideways and met his eyes. "He told me what the Don intends to do when we get to Val Verde. They're going to cut me open and take my baby. He's going to raise Buck's child and mine to replace the son we took from him." As the revulsion seeped into JD's face, Inez forced herself to continue. "I don't care if I live or die but you cannot let that happen."
JD nodded because he did not know what else to do. "I promise you Inez," he whispered, understanding why she was like this now. "I promise you that he will never get his hands on your baby."
Inez offered him something of a smile because that was enough. If JD made the promise then she would believe him because the youth was noble and honest enough to give his life to fulfil a vow like this. "Gracias." She replied and faced front again.
JD watched her and prayed to God for the first time in too long for help because they had to escape before he was required to make good on that promise.