Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" T.V. series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide.
Despite the pall of gloom that had befallen the village with the deteriorating health of the Don who was patron to most people in the community, Val Verde was generally prospering. The growing season had been good and the harvest kept everyone fed with much to spare. Unlike most border towns that seemed to run rife with bandits and others outlaws from across the US, Val Verde seemed experience a minimum of such incursions. The bad element, if such a thing could be found in the village, was mostly confined to a cantina on the outskirts of the town, away from the main population.
Upon their discreet arrival into Val Verde, Chris Larabee and Vin Tanner kept their movements to the cantina in question, aware from what Maria had told them about there being at least one resident of town who had spent enough time in Four Corners to know who they were. Their inquiries had been restricted mostly to what they could glean as unobtrusively as possible from conversations with the locals and their unnoticed eavesdropping of the gossips that always seemed to be a staple of such establishments. Chris, who understood Spanish better than he spoke it, relied upon Vin to do most of the conversing, since the tracker was quite adept at the language and several others, including numerous Indian dialects.
What they had managed to ascertain from this meagre source of information was enough to concern both men to continue their stay in Val Verde. Two gringos as the locals referred to them, were not unusual inhabitants of the dingy rooms above the cantina since many outlaws from the States tended to use these Mexican towns as a refuge until they were able to cross the border once again. Chris and Vin were naturally assumed to be one of those and therefore were left alone by most of the cantina's patrons.
From this obscure vantagepoint, they had learnt that Don Alejandro Paulo, father to Stefano who had made his fateful arrival in Four Corners nearly two years ago, was ailing. In his day, Paulo had been a fair man, forthright but tough as all men in positions of power tended to become over the years. People respected him, a large number held him in some reverence although most were saddened by the man's rapid decline since the death of his only son. The younger Don Paulo was not held in the same esteem as his father and what Chris and Vin had managed to learn about the man indicated that no one was particularly upset at the news of his death except his father.
There was also talk about how Paloma Rosillos, long time resident had fled and speculation ran rife about where she and her daughter Calla had disappeared. Chris and Vin listened without comment as drunken villagers whom owed the finance of their inebriation to the lawmen revealed in a quiet whisper to the strangers who could not possibly have any interest in talk that the Don was responsible for the hasty departure of the Rosillos women. Always cursed with beautiful women and bad luck, one of them was none to say, starting with the oldest girl Inez. However, it was how vocal the Don was about taking vengeance that captured Chris and Vin's attention the most.
Although everyone knew otherwise, the Don now believed that it was Inez who had shed first blood when she attacked Stefano for no good reason and fled the town, stealing a horse. With this illusion firmly in place, the villagers were aware that the Don's trusted men had been sent out of town almost a week ago which escalated the two lawmen's alarm to no end. It appeared that the man had a very clear strategy in place and may have sent his henchman to Four Corners. Still it disturbed Chris that if those men were in Four Corners for nearly a week, why had no action been taken against Inez. While Chris was glad that it had not, that piece of information nagged at him because it implied the evidence of a plan that he could not decipher or guard against.
Vin had taken permanent position around the Don's sprawling residence following the news that his men had left Val Verde for some days. The villa and its grounds were surrounded by high canyon walls and probably chosen for his defensible position. While the walls were too high to be of an effective range to a sharpshooter, they did provide an adequate lookout point as to what was transpiring inside the stone walls of the Don's estate. Vin saw at least five men with guns, while the rest of the residents seemed to be household staff and grounds keepers. He assumed the frail old man who emerged on occasion to throw orders around those under his employment to be Don Alejandro Paulo. He had been a tall man with good stature once but his dark hair had become completely grey and his face had withered to indicate that he had seen too much of hardship and been twisted out of shape from it. He did not look slight like his son, nor was he preened with as much ornate clothing. Seeing him made Vin realise just how much losing a child could change a person because he could well imagine the man before him to be the fair and honest patron the village still wished him to be.
Vin did not know how much longer they ought to remain here because Chris was torn between getting back to Four Corners and still trying to learn more about the Don's plans. With a number of Alejandro's men in Four Corners, laying in wait for the opportune moment to strike, the leader of the seven was naturally anxious, caught between the dilemma of trusting his friends to handle themselves and needing to take charge personally. Until Chris made that decision, Vin opted to remain in quiet surveillance. So far, no one had even detected his presence yet although for Vin that was nothing new.
Tracking animals and men had taught him how to fade into the background and he knew this need not to be noticed had permeated into his relationships with people as well. Vin had trouble with relating to men and women alike and tended to shy away from people. He liked being ignored and could only seem comfortable in a crowd of no one noticed him. Before Alex, the most horrifying word in his vocabulary was the word dance. Only the women he cared for deeply could incite him to emerge from his cocoon to take part in such an open exhibition of presence. He had danced once for Charlotte and taken Alex during that first night they spent together and Vin had been so in love with the doctor at that point he was willing to endure anything to win her. With a secret smile he knew she would understand all too well, that night he had done that and more.
Snapping his attention to the moment because thinking about Alex in a situation like this was the surest way to get himself killed, Vin continued his observations well into the late morning. He was about to withdraw and return to Chris to see if the gunslinger had come to a decision on what they would do, when he saw a group of riders and a wagon rumbling up the path that led to the gates of the Don's walled fence. Out of sheer curiosity for what lay beneath the canvas covering the wagon, Vin lingered to see if it would be removed. If not for the fact that the wagon was escorted by men who did not look like they farmed for a living, Vin would not have bothered. However the men appeared to have ridden some distance and the weapons they were carrying indicated they were definitely professional gunmen.
Instead of taking the wagon to the stable, the transport was sent directly to the main house and any household or ground staff presented at the time was banished elsewhere in the sprawling estate, adding to Vin's growing apprehension that something ominous was looming in the horizon. Following the exile of his staff from the immediate vicinity, the Don emerge to greet his men, barking orders that Vin could barely make out as instructions to remove the canvas that concealed the contents of the wagon. When they had carried out the request, Vin's breath caught because he hated it when his instincts proved right about trouble.
The familiar face he spied was that of JD Dunne, bound hand and foot as he was pulled to the edge of the wagon by his captors. His legs were freed prior to his disembarkation from the carriage and his appearance gave Vin a shudder of concern as the tracker spied a line of red running down the side of the young man's head as well as an ugly bruise under his eye. The kid was holding up pretty well considering he was surrounded on all sides and did seem apparent as if help was going to come any time soon. As he was forced towards the house, Vin noticed that JD kept glancing anxiously over his shoulder at the back tray of the wagon until he was shoved rather forcefully to keep his eyes ahead. Vin wondered what JD was so fixated upon until he saw the rest of the Don's men approaching the rear of the wagon to remove their second prisoner and understood completely what had worried JD so much.
Inez.
While she was not tied up, she was probably in more danger than JD if what Chris suspected about the Don's intentions was true. The idea had been so repellent to the gunslinger that he had made light of his conclusion to no one except Vin who had been present at time of his rumination. Chris had hoped he was wrong but the act of bringing back Inez all this way seemed to confirm his speculation. However, something else caught the tracker's notice and his puzzlement over this was not easily answered.
Even from this distance, there was something about Inez's manner as she was led into the house a few steps behind JD, that gave Vin concern. He knew her well enough to know that she was the most spirited creature that he had ever met, even more than Alex who only went volcanic on him after extreme provocation. On the other hand, Inez was so fiery and did not require much to stab her temper into full vent. However at this moment, she seemed very devoid of that usual spark as she was being escorted by the Don's men. If Vin did not know better, he would say she had given but knew that there was no way the Inez he knew, would do that willingly.
Whatever had her caused to become so defeated was a question that Vin would have to save for later because he had seen enough. With a dozen men guarding the prisoners, not to mention the ground keepers who could probably manage a gun if the situation called for it, the two lawmen were looking at a large opposition if they were even considering the idea of going after Inez and JD on their own. Vin had to assume that Buck and the others were on their way by now but who knew how long Inez and JD had before the Don carried out his revenge? Chris would be unwilling to wait for their arrival even though it was the prudent course of action. Deciding that he could do no more here at present, Vin had no choice but to head back to the cantina and hoped Chris had some kind of plan because Vin sure did not.
Buck Wilmington said nothing as he and the remaining members of the seven narrowed the gap between themselves and their quarry. While slightly hindered by the absence of Vin Tanner's tracking skill, there was no real delay in their progress across the border because it was a forgone conclusion where the men who had kidnapped Inez and JD were going. The village of Val Verde was less than an hours ride away since the lawmen having made good time because they were not held back by a wagon and had ridden hard throughout most of the night to keep pace with the kidnappers. As the sun continued its gradual ascent across the sky towards noon, Buck estimated that they would arrive shortly after or before that time of the day.
Ezra, Josiah and Nathan made no attempt to speak to the man because their earlier efforts had been rewarded with a monosyllabic response that deterred further conversation. Of course, they all understood the reason for the silence even if they were somewhat taken back by it. Buck could always be counted upon to make any trip lively, no matter how dire the situation. Seeing him so focussed and sullen gave rise to their concern for him over how his mind would take it if they were too late to save Inez.
During the journey when they had stopped to rest the horses, Ezra had approached Nathan and discussed the situation with Julia. Knowing that Nathan could be relied upon to keep the strictest confidence; Ezra took the opportunity to speak to the healer about the subject when they were alone. The animals had been driven hard during the ride to Val Verde and needed a short period of rest before they could be expected to continue the trip. Deciding that Buck needed some space to breathe, Ezra and Nathan had volunteered to feed the horses while Josiah kept a close watch on Buck by taking him into the eatery at the small way station at which they chosen to stop. A sound mind needed a sound body, Josiah had stated in his argument when he led Buck away.
"Mr Jackson, I have a highly delicate question to ask for you." Ezra finally brought himself to ask after deliberating upon whether or not he would bring up this subject with the healer.
"What sort of question?" Nathan looked at the gambler because there was very little in Ezra's nature that did not have to do with money and that was a subject he had more expertise than Nathan ever would.
"Consider it a medical query." Ezra cleared his throat as he placed the feedbag over Chaucer's neck and let the animal indulge himself.
"I'm a doctor in training," Nathan said with a smile. "As Miss Alex always says, everything in the strictest confidence. It's an oath." Besides, he could this tell that this was difficult for Ezra to broach with him and did not want to make the man any more uncomfortable.
"That is good to know because what I am about to bring forward, I do so only because I know nothing about the subject and I feel that I should make myself aware in light of certain revelations that were made to me recently. Fortunately, it has never happened to me so I do not how to proceed."
Now Nathan was not only burning with curiosity but actually quite concerned that Ezra was trying to deal with some terrible medical condition on behalf of someone who should be seeking help themselves. "Go on Ezra, let me help."
Ezra wondered whether Nathan knew how much those words went to convincing his patients that he was someone who could help them. It had even more weight than his proven skill. When spoken by Nathan, it did not seem obligatory or trite and Ezra suddenly felt a great deal of comfort knowing that he could turn to Nathan for help in this matter. "What do you know about child molestation?" He asked quietly, feeling dirty just referring to that term.
Nathan's expression darkened upon hearing that and he stared at Ezra for a moment, trying to decide whether or not the gambler was asking for himself. Finally, he responded unable to make the determination. "I've read some about it." He admitted. "There ain't much documented though. It's not something folks like bringing up and the few cases that are reported are usually done on the quiet where the law and the family could forget about it. Of course, we know that some whoremaster's trade in children but no peacekeeper would put up with such a practice in their town. Its one thing to have a cat house with consenting adults but with children?" The disgust in his face showed. "Back when we were slaves, it happened a lot but then nobody gave a damn."
Ezra nodded and then remarked. "But these nefarious acts not always perpetrated by a stranger. I assume that it is sometime committed by a family member?"
"Most of the time that is exactly how it happens." Nathan confirmed Ezra's worst suspicions. When Julia had alluded to it, he had not dared to come out and ask even though there was no doubt in his mind that the experience she could not bring herself to say was the one he was discussing with the healer right now. "It sounds sick but that how it begins," Nathan continued, snapping Ezra back to the present discussion.
"The molester is usually a father or an uncle, showing a facade of loving affection to the outside world while behind close doors in the dark, they prey on the child like a monster feeding."
Ezra felt sick. Hearing Nathan described it almost made him physically ill. How could any parent do that to a child? He remembered what Julia said that until she was a woman, she had not even believed it to be wrong assuming as all children did that it was just another one of those rules that made sense only to adults. The thought of what she must have suffered appalled him to no end and reinforced his determination to see to it that such terror never be visited upon her again.
"I am guessing that it ain't you we're talking about." Nathan ventured a guess.
"No," Ezra shook his head, putting to rest that question immediately. "Its Julia." He finally revealed, still holding the same belief that Nathan would keep their discussion discreet.
Nathan nodded, unsurprised by that revelation. "Is that why she's so stubborn about her pa not finding her?"
"She has not exactly been forthcoming with her experiences in regards to her father but I am assuming as much." Ezra said quietly, unable to shake the inner turmoil he felt over this entire issue. He wished he had not been forced to leave Four Corners so abruptly and understood now with even more depth why the need to flee was so ingrained inside of her. Hopefully she could manage her fear long enough for him to return to Four Corners and deal with Mr Clemens.
"You can't push her to talk about it Ezra," Nathan warned. "It has to come only if she's willing and she may not ever be able to face him."
Ezra laughed shortly but that was no humour in it, just a bitterness that seemed to sadden his sea coloured eyes even more. "Well you need not worry about me pressing Julia into making any startling confessions, we are both if anything, adept at keeping our secrets."
Of that, Nathan had no doubt.
After so long envisioning this day, Don Alejandro Paulo was uncertain what he expected when he finally had the person responsible for his son's demise before him. He expected to feel satisfaction and anger as he faced Inez Rosillos who was brought into his study with her youthful companion, he even imagined a tirade of rage that would see him kill her with his bare hands. In his more fanciful visions of grandeur and revenge, he had pictured her begging at his feet for her life, demanding no begging to be set free and crying apology after apology for the part she had taken in the slaying of his beautiful son, Stefano.
However, as Ramirez presented her before him, all swollen with the child that would be the instrument of his eventual vindication, he found himself visited with an entirely new emotion, one he never thought he would feel when the moment of his triumph was finally at hand. She was not the firebrand he had imagined at all, nor was she broken and spiritless. Instead, she did not look at him even though he had Ramirez force her to her knees so that when she did meet his eyes, she could not help but look up at him. Even the youth with her offered more sport than the lady herself, who seemed to be residing in a place with walls not even he; Don Alejandro Paulo could breach.
He felt disappointed.
Even worse than that, he felt cheated and robbed of the satisfaction that should have come from this achievement. However as he stared hard at her from across his desk, she offered nothing that would allow him to believe that he was a victor in all this. It felt like she had taken something else from him and the idea that she had bested him once again was enough to fuel his insanity to new heights of rage and mania.
"You will look at me!" He roared and engendered not even the slightest hint of reaction from her.
His men had jumped startled by the sharp edge of his voice, the boy who was imprisoned next to Inez even shuddered slightly by his outburst but Inez herself did not even blink.
"What is the matter with her?" Paulo demanded, turning an accusatory eye at Ramirez. "Why does she not speak?"
Ramirez opened his mouth to answer but Inez spoke instead.
"I do not speak because you have nothing to say to me that I care to hear."
Her tone was cold, like brittle glass and JD next to her, felt a chill run down his spine hearing the dull monotone of her voice when held against the memory of its soft melody when it crooned him to sleep whenever he was ill or injured. Her gaze was fixed on the view outside the window of Paulo's study, taking in the familiar sight of the hills that she had seen most of her life until Paulo's son had chased her out of her home and everything she had known.
"You murdered my son." Paulo roared, exultant by the notion that she had deigned to speak and his words would finally draw a response.
"I murdered no one and your son was a coward." Inez lifted her eyes for the first time and returned his hard stare with a look of venom that made his pale in comparison. "He challenged everyone who helped me to a duel and like a coward, he would not abide by the rules of conduct when he lost. He was prepared to gun down the man who defeated him fairly even after that man gave his leave to go. That is your son." She said quietly.
"You are lying!" Paulo rounded the table and felled her with a backhanded blow.
"Leave her alone you bastard!" JD cried out as he saw Inez drop to the stone floor of the room. His reaction was rewarded with the hard butt of a gun rifle hitting in the centre of his back and making collapse as easily as Inez had fallen. The young man uttered a cry of pain as he felt his skin flare in pain but he shook it off as best he could because he was more concerned about Inez.
Paulo stormed up to Inez and grabbed her hair and held her face before his as he knelt down next to her. "You and your lover murdered my son! I will have my justice."
"You have nothing." Inez replied her teeth red with blood as she glared at him. "You can take my baby from my body but you will only have possession temporarily. There are men coming as surely as Ramirez killed my baby's father. They are hardly men of honour or of good moral fibre but they know loyalty and they know what real justice is. You may have my child for a time but you will never be able to keep it. If I die never seeing my child grown, I will do so with the pleasure, Don Alejandro Paulo, of knowing that neither will you."
Paulo hissed at her and rose his hand to strike but could no more manage to beat her again because he could not stomach seeing that cold defiance or that look of resignation in her eyes that said doom for all of them was ordained before this day. Instead, he released her hair and let her fall onto her hands once again. Paulo walked away from her, angry that his victory felt sour in his mouth because she did not behave like a woman beaten even though her spirit was gone and what remained in its place was almost as formidable.
"Get Cuervo." He glared at Ramirez and his men who were standing around tyring not to be affected by the growing mania of their patron. "I want her child in my hands within the hour." He said viciously and threw her another look of black hatred.
"Si Don Paulo." Ramirez swallowed, disliking this part of the Don's revenge but aware that there was no avoiding it. The man desired his vengeance and he would have it.
"Get them out of my sight until then. I do not care where," he said turning away from all the players in his carefully constructed drama, both the willing and unwilling participants alike. "Inform me only when Cuervo arrives."
He did not turn around until Inez was gone from his sight.
"Inez, are you okay?" JD asked as they were led from the room.
"Yes," Inez nodded, seemingly oblivious to the stain of blood on her lips or the large bruise that had formed on her skin. "I am fine." She replied, looking at him sympathetically because she knew he had been hurt when trying to come to her defence.
"How can you do this?" JD turned on Ramirez who was leading them down the corridor to the rest of the house and the room they were to be held captive for the time being.
"Shut up." Ramirez warned and threw him a dark look of menace to be quiet. As it was, he could see the uncomfortable expressions on the men around him. Until the Don had revealed his plans for Inez, none of them had been aware of the lady's fate. It was a paradox that they could accept her being killed but felt anxiety about being party to her body being gutted so that her child could be stolen at the moment of its birth. There was something obscene in that which even Ramirez could not find conscionable and yet he knew that he could not betray his patron, after so many years of service.
JD would not be silent. "You guys talk about honour and nobility, are those just words or do they mean something to you?" He demanded, unwilling to let this go because he took could see the dissatisfaction in their eyes when he asked the question of Ramirez. "It was a fair fight!" JD cried out. "I was there when his son was killed. Buck gave him a chance to walk away. Paulo had cut him to ribbons but Buck didn't want to take a man's life in cold blood. He told Paulo to leave and the yellow coward grabbed a gun and tried to shoot him!"
"Be silent!" Ramirez whirled around and grabbed JD by the collar, gun drawn and completely prepared to shoot him if necessary to silence his conflicting words.
"JD." Inez said abruptly, the first trace of emotion entering her voice since he had awoke next to her hours before. "You cannot sway these men." She said sadly. "They were bound to their patron from before you were even born, some have followed their fathers into loyal service. It is not their fault that Don Paulo is insane. They are trying to be men of honour because duty requires them perform their service to their patron, no matter what the consequences to themselves."
Her words had more impact upon them than she knew, Ramirez cursed slightly because they were professional gunmen not hired killers even though the line blurred between the two distinctions at times. It was their honour that kept them one thing instead of the other and from the very onset of this expedition, their actions reeked of dishonour and immorality. Even though he projected a picture of unswerving faith in his Don, the others around him were not so certain and Ramirez finally understood why Raphael, one of his best and most loyal men had suddenly chosen to abandon his patron in the town of Four Corners.
They finally reached a room on the other side of the house well away from the Don's study and Ramirez found himself looking forward to when this was all over. The architecture of Spanish styled villas were very open plan with much space in the rooms as wells as large windows. As a jail it was inadequate and when Inez and her youthful companion were finally ushered inside the room, Ramirez posted a guard to keep watch on them. While he would like this whole matter to simply dissolve and never again trouble him, Ramirez had a duty to perform and he intended to do so whatever the consequences.
Inez had been right about that much at least.
"Getting in ain't going to be easy." Chris stated the obvious as he surveyed the lay of the Don's estate through the eyepiece of Vin's telescope. There were men stationed at every juncture indicating that Paulo expected trouble. Considering what he had just done, Chris could not fault the man for being cautious, however, it did not make things any easier for him.
"We can't wait much longer," Vin said grimly as he searched for a possible point of entry along the lengthy wall of the perimeter. "Lord only knows what he's has got planned for Inez and the kid."
"We can't just go in there guns blazing," Chris lowered the telescope and met Vin's gaze. "If the man's mind is gone, he may just turn around and kill them while we're fighting it out."
Despite Vin's eagerness to do something, he could not fault Chris for his reasoning. It was true; a full frontal assault was only going to get someone killed. What they needed was a distraction but with only the two of them presently in Val Verde with little hope of assistance from the locals who looked upon their Don with reverence, the sharpshooter had no idea how they were to achieve this minor miracle.
"What we need is a distraction." Chris remarked, mirroring his own thoughts.
"Can't see much chance of that happening." Vin replied until suddenly something caught his eye at the edge of his peripheral vision. Four riders were making their way down the path that meandered through the heart of Val Verde and eventually emptied at the gates of Don Paulo's estate. Although Chris had taken up his observation of the grounds once more, Vin's attention remained firmly fixated on the approaching riders, certain that the familiarity he was seeing was not mere coincidence.
"Hey pard," Vin mused as the riders reached the outskirts of town and started edging towards the villa. "I think you better have a look at this." He replied as the deep red of Ezra's jacket confirmed his suspicions on who was making a fast approach towards the villa.
"What?" Chris asked as he swung the telescope to where Vin was gesturing. The gunslinger said nothing for a moment, showing no signs of reaction other than a tightening in his jaw so slight that only Vin, other than Mary or perhaps Buck, could notice it.
"At least we're all here." Vin said with a wry smile although judging by the dark look forming on Chris' face the leader of the seven lawmen of Four Corners appeared hardly amused.
"Look at those idiots." Chris let out a sigh of resignation. "They're just going in there, no plan, nothing. They're going to get themselves killed."
"Or give us our distraction." Vin reminded, trying to alleviate Chris' annoyance although he knew it was borne out of concern for his comrades rather than anything else. "The others know how to keep themselves out of trouble, maybe even long enough for us to get inside and find Inez and JD."
"True." Chris agreed rather begrudgingly and knew that if Vin was right about them taking advantage of the chaos that would be created the minute Buck and the other reached the gates and the shooting started, they would have to get going now. He glanced over the edge of the canyon and tried to find a way down that did not require them taking the lengthy trail they had used to reach this point. Chris would prefer finding a way down the canyon that would offer just enough danger that the Don would never suspect its existence. After a few seconds he found a protrusion of rocks and footholds that provided enough space to be called a ledge even though he would not live to regret it if he made a false step and fell.
"That way." He gestured to their way down the canyon as he handed Vin back his telescope. He glanced at the progress Buck and the others were making in their advance towards the Don and would be soon reaching the point where they would be sighted by the enemy. There was no way that Chris and Vin could reach them in time to stop them from laying siege to the villa until a more decisive plan could be envisioned. The only thing the gunslinger could think to do in order to help them was to take advantage of the situation by getting inside the grounds and taking up position at the rear of the enemy after they had removed Inez from the immediate vicinity.
"That's going to be interesting," Vin replied studying the way down and knew that while tricky, the terrain was passable. Like the gunslinger, he tended to agree with the assertion that they should penetrate the perimeter of Paulo's estate as soon as possible.
As Chris made his way across the rocky peak of the canyon, he brushed aside his concern for Buck's state of mind at this time and reminded himself that the best way to help his friend at this time was to concentrate on the plan he and Vin had outlined. Buck's usual demeanour was that of the happy go lucky rogue who was seldom perturbed about anything. Among the seven, only Chris had known the man long enough to be aware of a dark side to Buck's personality that was rarely seen by anyone. It took quite a bit into provoke his rage into being and this situation could very well be one of those breaking points. At the moment, Buck was riding high on adrenalin and emotion, so blind with worry for Inez that he was a locomotive that none of the others could halt in his determination to reach her Chris was certain.
It was sure fire way to get himself killed.
They had just began their dangerous descent down the canyon wall when Chris and Vin were alerted by the sound of excited voices, chattering loudly from below. At the same time, the distant rumble of approaching horses that was now a thundering echo that signalled that their time had run out. The lawmen were not long into their steep climb when they froze momentarily as a new sound that ripped through the air, one both men recognised immediately.
Gunfire.
JD sat up the minute he heard the first gunshot.
Both he and his guard exchanged the same look as the sound dissipated to be followed by another eruption of gunfire. Instinctively, without even seeing it, JD knew it was Chris and the others. A tiny part of him that was still clinging to the hope that his friend was still alive and that Ramirez had lied to Inez, wondered if perhaps Buck Wilmington was there too. The guard barked at him in Spanish to sit down and while JD did not understand the language itself, he knew enough to put himself back in his chair for the moment. The man glanced at him with steely eyes while withdrawing to the door, his gun still aimed at JD as he pulled open the door.
"Inez." JD turned to the lady who was taking a moment to rest on the bed provided inside the room that served as their jail. She had said nothing since they had been deposited in this room and the momentary surge of fire she had displayed earlier in the Don's study appeared to be only for the man's benefit because she had been silent and listless ever since. JD's voice engendered little more than a glance from her but it was enough to let him know that she was listening, no matter how disinterested in her welfare her grief had made her.
"Inez, are you alright?" He asked, a little louder this time as the guard took his eyes off them long enough to be appraised of the situation from a comrade running down the corridor, apparently to meet the threat. JD did not pay much attention to their conversation, able to estimate that the guard would be kept in place to keep watch over them, while the others went of to face what ever peril that was creating such chaos outside. While JD had a fair idea that the pandemonium was a direct result of the rest of the seven's timely arrival, the youth intended to give them as much help in their rescue as he could muster.
"I'm fine, JD." She replied, still as dispassionately as before.
"You don't look fine." He repeated himself, determined that she comprehend what he was trying to do. "You sort look a little off colour, like that day when it looked like the baby was coming."
Inez's brow wrinkled in confusion as she turned to him and suddenly, it came over her what he was attempting to do. Their guard's command of English was rudimentary at best and at present, the man seemed more concerned with what was transpiring outside than his duties keeping watch over them. JD hoped he was able to convey to Inez what he was planning and nodded slightly at her before the sentry returned his attention to them once again.
"JD!" She cried out, hands moving to her stomach in pain as she pulled her legs against her swollen belly in a mock imitation of pain.
"Inez, what it is?" JD asked standing up from his chair once again and demanding anxiously with a performance as superb as any Inez had seen him deliver in the past.
"I don't know," she gasped, her face contorting with pain as her hands continued to clutch her stomach in an expression of increasing pain. The action had the desired effect for the guard immediately looked anxious at the unfolding events. "Oh!" She let out another strangled cry, adding more urgency to her voice as she continued her performance with devastating potency.
JD took a step forward but not kept a suitable distance between himself and Inez, nearing just enough to show his concern. Positioning and timing was critical here and JD was not about to misjudge the situation or the play when this appeared to be their one chance of getting out of here. "Inez, its not the baby is it?"
Inez's response was another cry and he turned sharply to their jailer and declared. "We need a doctor!" JD exclaimed, uncertain whether or not the Mexican understood him but hoped the fear in his voice would do all the translation necessary. "She's having the baby!"
"Bambino?" The man stammered with his eyes widened at the sight of Inez who was playing her part to near perfection with a series of well timed and well acted cries of pain.
"Si!" Inez switched to Spanish. She threw her head back following that declaration and screamed, not loudly but enough to make the man jump and drive him further along the edge of panic she had been guiding him so expertly towards.
JD held back and watched as the guard stepped towards Inez. The young sheriff's eyes were fixed on the gun, waiting for the moment when it lowered enough for him to act. Inez was groaning and straining in pain, emitting sounds that would have scared JD to all hell if he had not known it was an act. He could see the guard debating what to do with each agonised cry she was uttering and JD knew that the man was inching closer to the place that JD needed him to be. As it was, the man appeared on the verge of a full blown anxiety attach and was trying to restrain himself even though he flinched as if it lashed him with a physical sensation every time Inez begged for help.
Certainly, JD's suppositions were not at all dissimilar to what the guard was actually experiencing, while he wrestled at what to do. Even though this woman had earned his Don's severest displeasure, Paulo did want her alive and that made his conundrum all the more confusing. If he did not seek out help for her and she was harmed in any way then it would be his fault but on the other hand he could not leave the prisoners to seek aid while there was no one to replace him on sentry duty. With the commotion taking place outside, it was a foregone conclusion that his comrades had troubles of their own.
The gunfire had become more intense and JD could only imagine what was taking place beyond the walls of their room. The youth was painfully aware that if things did not go the way of Don Paulo's liking, the man might be vindictive enough to order them killed anyway. The son had been that vicious when defeated and JD saw no reason to believe that the father was any different. A man who conspired to take a woman's baby out of her body was capable of anything and JD felt he owed it to Buck, even if his friend was dead, to ensure that nothing happened to either mother or child.
"Please Senor," Inez stared at the guard with tear filled eyes, sobbing in supposed agony as she continued her charade, begging him to help her with such heart rendering effort that the man could not help become overwhelmed by it until he completely forgot about JD.
It was what the youth had been waiting for. No sooner than the gun barrel had lowered to the point of acceptability, JD rushed forward, putting all the weight behind his shoulder as he slammed hard into the guard. Caught completely by surprise, the Mexican dropped the weapon in his hands onto the stone floor a millisecond before JD smashed the man up against the opposing wall with all the strength he could muster. As the gun clattered to the floor, Inez immediately ceased her performance and jumped off the bed, retrieving it as she heard the loud whack of the man's skull against the wall.
He was not yet unconscious but JD did not give him time to recover. The blow to his head had knocked him senseless and he dropped onto all fours before JD attacked with his feet. JD did not know how many kicks he had delivered to the man before the guard stopped struggling but when it was all said and done JD found himself out of breath and looked down to see his victim covered in a litany of bruises. It was hardly the fairest way to get out of a tight situation, the young man thought with a hint of guilt as he saw the guard lying unconscious of the floor, but then neither was what they intended to do to Inez.
"Inez, you okay?" He asked quickly even though she was the one with the gun.
"Yes," she nodded breathlessly as she lumbered to him, still somewhat restricted by her bulk. "How about you?"
"I'm great," he grinned, feeling euphoric by the thought that freedom might be at hand. "Untie me would you?" Inez was already ahead of him, reaching immediately for the ropes that kept his wrist bound together and working quickly to untie the knots.
"That must be Chris." Inez replied, coming to the same conclusion as JD as to the rescue mission being mounted to retrieve them. Although freedom would be welcomed, she did not feel the same desire for it, knowing that Buck was dead. Until JD's plan, Inez had been prepared to die with him because the idea of going on without Buck was more than she could stand but the young man was right. She needed to live not only for the child inside her, but also for Buck and the friends that had been willing to risk all in order to save her life. "We need to get out of here." She said. "If Paulo has not remembered us yet, he soon will."
"You ain't kidding." JD wholeheartedly agreed as soon as his hands were freed. He rubbed his wrists, massaging the stiffness out of his joints before turning around and taking the gun from her. "You were great Inez, you almost had me believing the baby was coming."
"Well," Inez said with a small smile of affection. "You have me a good introduction." Leaning over, she kissed him gently on the cheek and found amusement in the wide eyed look on his face when she withdrew.
"What did you do that for?" He asked stuttering a little. Her breath against his cheek made his skin tingle and he felt himself sigh inwardly because it only reinforced the secret infatuation he always had for Inez. It was impossible not to be a little in love with her even though his affections for Inez were completely different from his feelings for Casey Wells.
"To thank you." She replied. "For not giving up on me."
He blushed slightly and reminded Inez how young he was even though he was capable of much wisdom when the need arose. "We better get out of here." He declared brushing past her and grabbing the chair he had been sitting on earlier. Leaning it on its back against the door handle, he jammed the door from the inside and ensured that no one would be barging in on them for awhile at least. He knew if anyone was especially determined to break into the room, the chair would offer little deterrent. In any case, JD intended taking advantage of the large windows in the room to break its confines.
"Do you think that you can make it out that window?" He asked as he went to the opening and peered out. As expected, nobody was paying much attention to this room with the gun battle that was taking place outside. While he could see none of his comrades from Four Corners, JD was certain that if he could just get Inez out of the high walls of the estate, they could reach Chris and the others.
"I will try." She nodded, filled with a new determination not to fail him when he was trying so hard to fulfil his promise to keep her and the baby safe.
JD climbed over the window sill and landed onto the soft grass outside the house. Taking Inez's hand, he reached through the window and helped her to do the same. Although awkward, Inez managed to make the emergence in good time and they soon found themselves in the gardens at the rear of the house. Judging by the sound of the gunfire, most of the shooting was taking place on the other side of the villa. JD took Inez's hand in his and led her away from the house, wanting to put as much distance between Inez and Don Paulo as possible. Although he did not bring it up with Inez, he had been listening when Don Paulo had ordered Ramirez to summon the man called Cuervo.
He did not why it was Curevo did for Don Paulo but JD had a feeling that for Inez's sake, they had better not find out.
Buck was starting to become impatient.
He checked his gun and saw that he would need to reload soon and while they were making some progress at storming the gates of Don Paulo's villa, it was not in his opinion fast enough. The Don's men though decreasing gradually in numbers the longer the firing continued, were still halting their progress through the gates of the estate. Buck took refuge behind a wagon and could see Ezra not trying to make it across the space between the outer homes in the village to the wall that marked the grounds of Don Paulo's villa.
The gambler was clearing himself attempting to pick off as many sentries returning fire along the top of the wall and to some extent was succeeding but it would take time and Buck could not afford to wait. In retrospect, he supposed that perhaps they had rushed in blindly and he wondered where Chris and Vin were. If they were in town, they would be here already and the lawman had the bad feeling that the gunslinger and the tracker might be already on their way back to Four Corners, with no idea that they were here, inching to a possible stalemate.
Buck had yet to see any signs of the Don himself although by all accounts, he was meant to be old and would probably leave the fighting to his men if he were as weak and ill as he was thought to be. He prayed that Inez was safe and that JD had been taken alive as a hostage and not some dark purpose they had yet to ascertain. The locals stayed huddled in doors, unwilling to become involved with so much shooting going on and he occasionally saw frightened faces peering through windows to make evaluation on the progress of the melee taking place. From the corner of his eye, he saw Josiah making his way laboriously from cover to cover, inching closer each time he ran forward under the cover of protection that Nathan provided with a hail of bullets towards the wall. Buck knew as well as those who were attempting to halt his crossing that if he made it, he would have created himself a blind spot from which they would be helpless to attack.
The preacher ducked under the cover of a water through as one of Paulo's men realised his intention and Buck watched him scramble behind the safety of the thick wooden structure as the bullets impacted the ground close behind him, sending small clouds of dust and dirt into the air. With a man of his bulk, Josiah moved with surprising speed and Buck aimed his own gun at the hired gun who was attempting to stop the preacher for reaching his goal. With the concentrated fire from both Nathan and Buck, the walls of bullets finally penetrated the man's efforts to avoid them and Buck watched dispassionately as he tumbled to the ground, a crimson stain marking the killing wound on his chest.
Josiah saw the cessation of fire from that quarter and immediately bolted forward even though the others soon saw he was wide in the open. The preacher ran as if the devil himself was nipping at his heels and Nathan continued laying the suppressing fire that allowed him to breach the gulf before reaching the cover of the wall. Once he reached the edifice, Josiah pressed himself against the concrete and skimmed along the edge, confident that Nathan would still be covering him as he followed the wall until he found an unguarded part of it that he could safely climb over. The high walls only seemed occupy the frontage of the village and Buck had no doubt that Josiah would find a way inside the grounds, once he had passed that formidable barrier.
He looked over and saw Ezra withdrawing behind the wall of the house he was using for cover to reload his weapon. The gambler's hands moved deftly as he slid the bullets into the chamber with as much fluidic skill that he displayed when he was shuffling cards. He tipped his hat in Buck's direction as he saw Buck stealing a glance at his way before turning back to the fighting. Buck returned his attention to take stock of Josiah's progress and felt a certain amount of concern when he could no longer see the preacher.
"Nathan!" Buck called to the healer who had been conducting most of his attach from inside the confines of an empty wagon, stationed not too far from him next to someone's home. "Where's Josiah?"
The healer did not answer for a few moments, taking careful aim with his rifle and firing at the men stationed on top of the wall frontage. While not as good as Vin Tanner with the weapon, Nathan was still quite a formidable shot and proved it when he downed two men with single shots. He aimed carefully and knew exactly where to shoot to cause the most damage. As Buck saw another blind spot open up with their demise, the healer took the time to reload.
"He's rounded the fence line!" Nathan replied as Buck took up his slack.
No sooner than he had spoken, Buck caught sight of the preacher. He was on the top of the wall and was firing at the men who were holding the gate hostage. Seeing his presence there, immediately shifted the strategy of their attack and Buck turned his guns on the men who might take that advantage from him. Nathan and Ezra followed suit, giving Josiah as more protection as they were able as he began his assault behind enemies lines so to speak. Bodies began falling off the wall, or slumped over its edge but in every case, the threat they posed was being quickly neutralised. When Buck saw them turn tail and run he knew he was never going to get a better chance of getting into the place.
Jumping out from behind his hiding place, he ran at breakneck speed towards the gate, mindful of any stragglers that might chose to stop him before he reached it. However, Buck was confident that Nathan and Ezra would keep that from happening and he could not leave Josiah up there alone. While the preacher was doing an admirable job of holding his own, Buck was not about to let him languished now that he had created an opening for them to proceed. Buck crossed the space with guns blazing, driving anyone back who might still be close enough to a threat. He saw one or two of Paulo's men withdrawing past the gate and running deeper into the estate seeking refuge.
Reaching the gate, he saw the enemy re-establishing a line of defence inside the grounds of the estate and knew that the others did not have a lot of time. Waving them forward, he needed not make any verbalisation as he saw Ezra and Nathan emerged from their hiding places now that it was relatively safe to make the crossing without being cut to ribbons. When Buck had reached the bottom of the wall, he had lost sight of Josiah but knew the preacher could take care of himself and would turn up eventually. Besides, they had to redeploy themselves before Don Paulo's line of defence barred them from the house where Buck was certain Inez was being held prisoner.
He saw the Don's men preparing to hold them off and bolted forward, making a dash for the stables that lay to the rear of the house. If he could reach that point, he would be effectively behind what ever line of defence they were attempting to mount and he could reach the house without too much trouble. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Ezra reaching the other side of gate and gestured to the gambler which way he was going. Ezra nodded, understanding that it was likely that the Don's men would attempt to stop him in his journey there and conveyed to Buck that he could proceed because Ezra would be covering his back. Buck ran out the same time that Ezra began shooting at the hired guns attempting to consolidate themselves into a firing line.
Ezra watched Buck running into the open and maintain a tight series of shots at anyone who might try to harm him. The Mexicans were taking up position behind strategic locations to hold them off from moving any deeper into the grounds of the estate now that the lawmen had stormed the gates so to speak. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that Josiah had positioned himself with the same intention, using the top of the high wall as his vantage point as he kept any shooters away from Buck.
Buck made good time and soon disappeared from the line of fire of everyone until Ezra could not longer see him. Turning his attention back to the rest of the fighting, Ezra hoped Buck was able to find Inez and JD soon. With the tide of the battle balanced so precariously at the moment, the Don might be spiteful enough to harm the lady and her baby to exact his revenge even in defeat.
As expected, no one had anticipated incursions onto the estate by the perilous face of the canyon walls that surrounded the rear of the estate. Although it was not an experience neither man would like to repeat in the near future, Chris and Vin made it down from the height in one piece and were relatively unnoticed when they entered the grounds of Don Paulo's villa. With the explosion of gunfire erupting in the not too far distance, they were able to move towards the house quickly, deciding that it was the best place to start their search for Inez and JD.
The entire place was in disarray with the main concentration of effort on repelling Buck and the others who had managed to break through the obstacle of high walls to penetrate the interior of the grounds. Even as they crossed the terrain towards the house, the evidence of the Don's defeat was apparent in the bodies that were scattered in front of the walls and in places where they had been attempting to hold off the lawmen. Chris sincerely hoped that the Don did not believe that the gun battle was lost because there was no telling what the man would do in vengeance. With Inez so vulnerable and JD trussed up and unarmed, the man could still deliver a significant blow to their victory, if he killed the object of their rescue mission. A man crazy enough with grief was liable to do that.
"How do you thing we're doing?" Vin asked as they approached the main house stealthily. Most of the Don's men were focussed on keeping Buck and the others from getting any farther into the grounds. Vin could see Josiah perched on the top of the walled fence, while Ezra and Nathan were flanking the gates.
"Okay I think," Chris replied, although he would feel better about the whole situation if he knew what was going on. Even though he had not voiced it, he was concerned why Buck was not among their number and entertained for a brief moment the notion that there might be a more sinister reason for his absence. "We'll get Inez and JD," Chris said dismissing the thought for the moment, "and head towards the stable. We'll need to get her in a wagon. No way is she fit to ride in her condition."
They entered the doors at the back of the house and found themselves in the kitchen. Some of the women were huddling in the pantry area for fear of the shooting and uttered frightened cries of distress upon seeing them. Chris saw no reason to make them think any different and told Vin to order them into silence if they wanted to survive the day. The tracker did so reluctantly and was pleased when the threat was more than enough to cloak their fear with a veil of enforced quiet. Further questioning revealed that they knew nothing about Inez or any prisoners but house keeper, who had replaced Paloma incidentally, did offer that they were ushered out of the house a short time ago.
The house was virtually unattended with most of the household personnel having left the sprawling home in favour of safer pastures until the gun battle was over. Those who were still in the house fled at the sign of them which further hastened their determination to find Inez and get out of the place before the commotion they caused attracted unwanted attention. Getting Inez away from here safely was going to be problematic at best without having to do so with every one who could carry a gun or a pitchfork for that matter, coming after them in pursuit, even if the others and hopefully Buck to was out there.
Finally, they had little choice but to follow the process of elimination and due moved through the house searching rooms for any signs of Inez and JD. They were left largely unaccosted since all of Don Paulo's men were required outside, defending the villa against the lawmen from across the border. Which suited Chris fine since Inez would be in no condition to move fast if they were discovered after finding her. After searching through most of the house, they finally arrived upon a door whose handle did not indicate it was locked but would not move when they attempted to open it.
"You think?" Vin looked at Chris in expectation, taking a gamble that perhaps this door somehow barricaded from the other side might be the present location of Inez Rosillos and JD Dunne.
"Only one way to find out," Chris replied as he kicked the door in and heard the audible snap of wood breaking. Splinters flew in directions from the shards of flying wood when the lock and its mechanism were nearly ripped off the framework of the door way. The legs of the chair that had been used to hold the door close had been snapped under the strength of Chris' forceful entry and the two men entered with guns drawn to find the room empty except for one gunmen who lying unconscious on the floor. Evidence of escape was all around the place, from the ropes on the floor to the open window and the Don's hired hand lying with a mess of bruises.
"Looks like we're running a little behind." Chris remarked, surveying the situation and wondering whether or not if it was entirely a good thing for Inez and JD to be wandering about on their own, when it was a free for all outside.
"We better go after them." Vin retorted. "With all that shooting out there, someone could get trigger happy and just decide to kill and be done with it." Vin responded with typical Tanner optimism.
"Well," Chris frowned unhappily at this latest turn of events. "You're the tracker, lead the way."
Vin threw him a look and edged towards the window. "I think they went this way."
Chris rolled his eyes and replied with a hint of sarcasm. "I would never have guessed."
They were making good progress even though she was moving so slowly that Inez was frankly surprised they had not been killed yet. Even though there was a well of grief inside of her threatening to burst free each time she even thought about Buck Wilmington, Inez managed to keep it under control for the moment. Although it would have been easier to give up on herself and let it overwhelm her, Inez had decided that she would not jeopardise JD's life by wallowing in her sorrow. It was one thing to condemn herself to her fate but JD was another matter entirely, to say nothing about the baby she carried inside her. JD had been tireless in his efforts to keep her safe and he had nursed her through every step of this escape, ensuring that anyone who would be a threat to them was silenced forever.
It was easy to forget that he was a boy when she saw him gun down any of Paulo's henchmen who happened upon them while they fled towards the stable. JD knew as well as she did that riding a horse out of here would be damn near impossible. She needed a wagon or a carriage, anything but a saddle. The youth's plan was simple. Head to the stable and steal a wagon before getting out of this place. Like him, Inez was fairly certain that Ezra and the rest of the seven were on the other side of the battle field and safety would be ensured once she and JD joined them.
Until now JD had been strong and hiding his fear even though she could see it in his eyes. His determination to maintain his calm for her sake overwhelmed Inez with a warm affection. She felt swept away with it as her own desire to protect Buck's child found renewal because of JD's desire to see her delivered from the threat of Don Paulo's vengeance. JD hid all signs of concern from his face, despite his fears of failing her and Inez was equally determined not to let him down by allowing herself to become a slave of her own self pity. She still lived and so did her child and for JD's efforts she was not going to be any more of a hindrance to him.
Of course in the midst of this revelation, Inez made a discovery that eclipsed all others considerations.
Inez paused in mid step. They had rounded the house and could see the stable in the distance, having avoided the gunfire and chaos wrought in the battle still raging between Don Paulo's men and the seven. She swallowed hard, feeling it come over her and found herself wondering how these things could be so damn inconvenient. The sensation warmed her skin, followed by the familiar stickiness then came with moisture drying rapidly. For a moment she did not dare to move, wanting to be absolutely certain that it was indeed happening and not some symptom engendered of stress as Alex had warned. After a moment, Inez came to the firm realisation that it was she who was in denial because the moment was happening.
And it was happening right now.
"Come on Inez," JD turned around and looked at her, wondering why she had stopped. "We're almost there." He tried to urge her to keep moving.
"JD," she said uncertain how to tell him. "We have a problem."
"No we don't," he said confidently. "It will be a rough ride back to Four Corners but we'll have you there in no time. All we gotta do is get to a wagon first and get out of here."
Oh dear, Inez frowned. She suddenly had this premonition that he was not going to take this well.
"It's not that JD," she swallowed. "My water just broke."
He looked at her blankly, not understanding and Inez groaned inwardly, wondering after a second why she would expect him to understand. He was, despite his amazing calm under pressure right now, a young man who was in all likelihood virginal and while not completely unknowing about the differences between man and woman, had to be afforded some measure of ignorance.
"What?" He asked in typical JD fashion.
"The baby is coming." She repeated herself. "My water just broke."
His eyes flared up in nothing less than astonishment and if she had thought he was displaying fear before, it was nothing in comparison to the expression that crossed his face at the revelation of that news.
"Now?" He exclaimed. "You mean right now? The baby is coming now! It can't!" He erupted in a verbose ejecta and was soon reduced to incomprehensible babbling to which the only thing coherent thing that she was capable of understanding from were the words 'can't', 'now' and finally 'faint'.
"JD calm down!" Inez cried out trying to allay his panic which was quickly getting out of hand.
"Calm down!" He looked at her almost wild. "I don't know what to do! I mean you have to lie down and rest and then there is the whole hot water thing!"
Inez rolled her eyes and finally felt her own calm starting to erode. "JD, you are not helping." Inez looked at him sternly. "My water just broke, there are people around this place that are ready to kill us and to top it all off, Alex is in Four Corners with my drugs! You going to pieces on me is not the way I want to have this baby!"
JD started to hyperventilate and Inez let out an exasperated groan as she saw the boy doubling over trying to keep his panic under control. "Madre mois!" Inez swore as she waddled up to him and made certain that he was all right. "Just breathe easily," she instructed as she attempted to calm him down. "You are having a panic attack."
"Of course I'm panicking!" JD stared at her, gesturing to her abdomen in frantic movements of his hands. "I don't nothing about birthing no babies!"
"Who said you had to?" A new voice suddenly entered the equation.
Both Inez and JD snapped their heads towards the speaker in unison and found themselves greeted by a familiar face. Buck Wilmington was standing before them, larger than life, hiding the intense relief at discovering them behind a cocky smile.
"Buck!" Inez gasped out loud almost fainted with joy as she saw him there.
He was alive! The words repeated itself in her head deliriously as she ran into his arms and amazed herself with how fast she was able to cross the space between. Buck caught her in his arms the moment she reached him and for a few seconds, nothing else existed in the world but each other. Not even the universe in fact, when their mouths met in a kiss of passion, joy and a rainbow of other emotions that stemmed from the intense gratitude of being together again. Inez held onto Buck so hard she did not dare let go and told herself that she would never do so again or be foolish enough to let him believe that she did not feel anything but utter delight at having him in her life.
Buck hid how much he felt as he held her, feeling similar emotions that were equally intense. When he had stumbled upon her and JD, he had almost felt the air escape his lungs out of the sheer gratitude of finding her alive and well. If anything destroyed the doubt that she was the only woman he could ever love in this life and any other, it was that moment when he saw her standing there, trying to do whatever she was doing to JD. He was fighting hard to contain the tears of relief that threatened to escape his eyes because it would not do for her to see it when this occasion, though perilous still, seemed to have lost its teeth now that they were together again.
"He said he killed you." She whispered when they pulled away enough for her to look up at him. Her eyes were filled with the same tears of gratitude that Buck had not shed but nonetheless understood completely. "I thought he killed you and it felt like he killed me too."
"He winged me," Buck said with a smile, wiping the tears of her cheek with his finger. "But he couldn't kill me." He replied. "Ain't nothing keeping me away from you or our baby." A smile stole across his face as he kissed her again and that kiss dissolved into another warm embrace.
JD watched Buck and Inez and found himself grinned ear to ear even though there was gunfire still exploding in the background and elsewhere, people were trying to kill each other. For the moment, at least in this tiny corner of it, all was right with the world as far as JD Dunne was concerned. He too was happy to see Buck and had to confess a part of him that refused to believe the man would do anything so terrible as to get himself killed before he had taught JD everything he knew.
"I just knew it Buck." JD said exuberantly as he hurried to his friend. "I knew you were too big and dumb to kill."
Buck turned to the young man and broke away from Inez to ruffle JD's hair in a gesture the kid normally hated but didn't seem to mind as he repeated the same brotherly embrace with JD and pulled away a second later. "You did good kid," Buck said genuinely meaning. "I owe you for this."
"I'm just glad you got here," JD said with a relieved expression as he glanced at Inez. "She's having the baby now1"
"Now?" Buck looked at her, believing their conversation earlier to be the result of JD panicking because he was stuck with a pregnant woman without a doctor and not because of any urgency in the matter. "You can't have the baby now!" Buck's voice raised an octave and almost became a squeak.
"If I wasn't so happy to see you, I'd slap you!" She exclaimed exasperated wondering if this reaction was going to be universal. "I can't exactly tell the baby to wait you know, my water's broke!"
"Aw hell!" Buck looked at her stricken with almost as much panic but to his credit, he held it together because she needed him to. "We got to get out of here!"
"I think not," Don Paulo stepped out, having taken advantage of their reunion to sneak up on them. With him was Ramirez and a gun aimed at all of them. "In fact, I think this will work out even better than what I planned before."