DISCLAIMER: No profit is made in any way shape or form from this fan fic. All of the Magnificent Seven characters are the property of Mirisch, Trilogy, and MGM. However I would like to state that I do not wish my characters borrowed without my knowledge or consent. If you are not certain a character is canon or mine, I will be happy to let you know. Just ask or look at my list of original characters.
The train was set to pull into Brecken slightly ahead of schedule since they had not made the six hour stop at Crosby. The seven were amused when John had to ask them to remove everything from the desk in order for him to get some work done. How he expected to read or write anything with one eye swollen shut was mentioned. That had started Nathan off. The ensuing verbal battle with Nathan alone provided entertainment that made even Ezra and Buck forget about their shared misery. They watched and offered comments to aid both sides in the discussion. All in all their efforts to help went ignored until Buck chose to sneeze on Vin.
Despite all efforts by Buck and Ezra, and Nathan's dire warnings, neither Vin nor Chris appeared to be in the slightest way infected with the head cold JD had passed to every other man in the private car, poor Bristow and Jenkins included. So disgusted with Buck following him around and purposely sneezing on him, Vin had finally drawn his mare's leg and threatened to shoot Buck's ear off. The big man had laughed until Chris offered to shoot his nose off; then he decided to sack out on the couch and trade complaints of how badly he felt with Ezra. Their complaints ignored, Ezra and Buck finally succumbed to sleep providing their friends an opportunity to rethink their mutual decision to kill the two men.
Ezra and Buck were somewhat bemused several hours later when they woke up to an argument that had started when John began writing money drafts for each man who had stayed behind with him. The other seven were not unhappy with that information until John handed the men bank drafts in each of their names for five hundred dollars apiece. Ezra, despite his imminent death due to the horrendous head cold, was ecstatic and made immediate plans to have his money handed to him in five crisp one hundred-dollar bills as soon as he could get to the bank in Brecken. Doing good required money, and Ezra knew the sum would be safer in his own boot than at the disposal of a bank manager who might have the same views on money that he and his mother possessed.
Chris and the others refused outright until John told them if they didn't accept the money he would just have three thousand in gold dumped on the desk in the sheriff's office in Four Corners. Then it would be their problem. Ezra offered to take care of his friends' largesse but that was met with visible scowls leaving Ezra in a huff since his friends apparently still did not trust him with money. However, he decided that thirty-five hundred dollars was a large enough sum to turn any saintly man to evil thoughts much less a known man of chance such as himself. Ezra had learned rather painfully that although any of his friends would take a bullet for him, they would in no way allow him free access to their money or any one else's for that matter. He really thought it was safer that way for many a friendship had been lost over the investment of money.
Ezra liked his friends and had no desire to lose any of them over such a paltry sum as thirty-five hundred dollars that would buy a really fine establishment where the profits from libations and gaming alone could make him a veritable man of wealth. Why he might even become another John Terrell? Ezra sighed. It was just a pipe dream after all. For Ezra knew his friends would either find themselves in need of help or would coerce Ezra into helping yet another lost soul and something would happen to destroy his dream establishment. This cold was really turning him into a very morose individual. It was all Mr. Dunne's fault. Ezra toyed with the idea of suing JD for the sum of five hundred dollars for the pain and anguish his shared infection had caused. At least his mother would have one thousand then, after Ezra succumbed to this heinous lung and brain infection. When he voiced his intention, however, JD was not at all amused.
"Shut up, Ezra." The gambler silently mimicked the young man as JD stalked over and flopped next to Ezra because Buck had stretched out full length on the couch. Vin ducked his head, but Ezra and JD had both seen him grinning. They both turned on him.
"I think it is dreadfully unfair that here I am suffering most foully and you are walking around here without a care in the world."
JD couldn't think of a very good insult, so he went with whatever Ezra had said. It sounded good enough to be really insulting.
"Yeah, what Ezra said."
"I reckon then that you feel too bad to talk any about investin' this money."
Ezra sat forward tossing the pillow on which he had been resting in JD's face.
"I take back every insulting comment I have ever made about you, Mr. Tanner. You are truly a very discerning gentleman of taste and refinement."
"He just call me a gentleman?" Vin looked at Chris for confirmation.
"Yep, 'fraid so, pard." Chris had walked over and appropriated the other end of the couch by knocking Buck's feet on the floor. Buck moaned. Chris shot him a look that caused the man next to him to moan again louder this time. Rolling his eyes Chris looked over at Ezra.
"You gonna insult Vin or answer his question?" Larabee was grinning at him.
Ezra shot him a suspicious look. "Why do you ask. Because you think I might abscond with Mr. Tanner's money or that I might lose it?"
"Because I might be interested in what you think." Vin and JD actually laughed at the look that appeared and then quickly was gone again on Ezra's face. Chris Larabee had just rendered Ezra Standish speechless.
"Well, uh, I must give this matter due consideration."
"When ya do, let me an' Josiah know what ya think, Ezra." Nathan handed the astonished man a cup of willow bark tea. Ezra drank it without a comment.
John Terrell just sat back and took it all in with one and a half eyes, since the swelling had gone down enough to just barely open his black puffy eye. It was turning different shades of dark blue and purple. He was just getting ready to offer a suggestion when the train whistle went off signaling their approach to Brecken. He relaxed as the train began slowing down and shifted to get more comfortable. His ribs were still wrapped tightly, but Nathan had decided they were badly bruised and not broken. It didn't matter.
John knew he was getting too old for this when his ribs protested his movement. He couldn't wait to sleep in a comfortable bed and have Alexandra fuss over him. She would be happy that Bo Destry and his men had been stopped, but she was still going to give him hell for almost getting himself killed. Next time he would listen to her and let Patrick go and check out the locals. Everything was going to be fine. He would telegraph her to join him in Four Corners and they would take a holiday together with their friends. Since Vin would be there he would hear no argument from his wife or children, especially the twins. Maybe he could even give Ezra a few suggestions on the investment of that money? He had no idea that the news waiting in Brecken was going to send him on another harrowing adventure with the men who had somehow become very important players in his family's lives.
"John, Sheriff Johnson's waitin' on us. Guess he's gonna arrest us for killin' ya." Vin was grinning at Terrell.
"I suppose this corpse had better get off the train first before you boys get shot. I'd hate to have to explain your body besides my black eye and ribs to my wife." John sighed in resignation as he stood. Vin was laughing at him this time.
"Just so you tell her I wasn't anywhere near when you got the crap beat outa ya." Vin privately thought John deserved whatever Alexandra dished out for putting himself at risk like he'd done. Hell, John not only had a wife and children, he had hundreds of people depending on him for their livelihoods. Neither the twins nor Jamie and the baby could afford to lose him.
Chris started laughing behind the two men standing at the compartment door as the train braked and stopped. He knew exactly what Vin was thinking and he shared his views. However, he also knew that not only had Vin grown to love and respect his aunt, he also appreciated the way his aunt would take on anyone who had displeased her with the same ruthlessness that Vin had used upon occasion. Vin didn't want to be in her sights when Alexandra focused her aim on her husband, but he certainly was going to hang around as long as possible for the entertainment. So was Larabee.
Frank Johnson was never so glad to see anyone as he was to see these men. He had just received a telegram that morning from Army Colonel Rickman who had been sent out to investigate Sheriff Destry and the alleged murder of John Terrell. Rickman, his men, and their mounts had arrived in Crosby late yesterday morning by train only to find chaos. One of the wounded men from the explosion at the train construction sight had made his way back to Crosby in the early hours of the morning with a tale that caused wide spread panic and looting. Some people had taken what they could and left for greener pastures, while others tried to organize a rescue party for the men who lay wounded back at the sight. The colonel, once he had restored order and posted guards, had gone immediately to the undertaker only to find out that no one had asked him to retrieve the body of John Terrell.
Certainly the townspeople had heard Terrell was dead but there was no body. After questioning the survivor, he discovered that Terrell was not only very much alive, but he had escaped from Destry and was with the seven men from Four Corners on the train. The plan was to cut them off at Deer Creek Crossing and to kill Terrell and his men and steal the gold. Acting quickly on this information, Rickman had taken the majority of his troops by train to the sight. Many of the wounded were now corpses rotting in the sun. Rickman left a burial detail and ordered the remaining wounded returned by train to Crosby. Then he had the troops mount their horses and they headed out for Deer Creek Crossing after questioning several of the wounded who could still talk. They had arrived that evening by taking the same route that Destry and his remaining men had taken. However, it was not necessary for them to ride all the way to the bridge at Deer Creek Crossing. Two of Destry's remaining men had left him after they had stopped to take whatever supplies and fresh mounts they needed from the rancher who would never need them again. They had not ridden with Destry long enough to get used to the caviler way in which Destry used men and then killed them when they were no longer of any use to him.
Woody and Joss were tired of the killing, the threats, the way Destry left friend and kin alike behind without a second thought. He had his brother and five other men with him. Woody and Joss had been ordered to hire more guns in Purgatorio and meet them outside of Four Corners within five days. Instead both men had lit out with as much speed and as few possessions as possible. They had no intention of riding into that hellhole in Mexico for any amount of money. Their route out of the hills had crossed the Army's path, and Woody and Joss wanted Destry captured or dead, because both men knew that Destry would hunt them to the ends of the earth when he figured out they had run out on him. Hearing their destination, Rickman sent a rider back to telegraph the news to the governor and the law in the surrounding areas, Brecken especially since that would be the train's next stop. He then ordered his troops to follow him to Four Corners. It was this news that had been telegraphed to Brecken.
Frank Johnson waited impatiently for the train to come to a stop. He already knew that John Terrell wasn't dead, but it was still a relief to see the man laughing with Chris and Vin even if he did look like he took the bad end of a beating. Larabee nodded to Frank as the train pulled to a stop about four feet from him. Tanner smiled that lazy smile Johnson knew covered up the tracker's ability to size up the situation instantly. All three men recognized the worried look on the sheriff's face. Their welcoming smiles died quickly as they approached one another.
"Good to see you alive, John, but you've got trouble."
"What's wrong besides a posse chasing us trying to kill us?"
"Destry's ridin' hell bent for leather to Four Corners."
"We're gonna need the horses and gear we left here." Vin turned to alert the others as Chris told Johnson they were ready to ride now. He did not get very far when he heard something that made his stomach drop to his knees in a headlong flight that left his usually unflappable nature replaced by a growing fear.
"Alexandra and the children are waiting for news there with Mary."
"My wife and children are waiting for me in Four Corners!"
Vin didn't have to explain much to the others as John Terrell launched into a tirade that left no doubts in their minds just what he thought of whomever, Alexandra included, put his children in the path of danger. It wouldn't have done any good to point out that John had initially put them all in harm's way when he foolishly went to check out Bo Destry in person. Vin decided he'd wait and see how his aunt handled John when she saw him. It was going to be a fight to remember if he was a good judge of people and their reactions. He wouldn't let John hurt Alexandra, though. No one would hurt her or her children. Vin saw Chris grinning at him. He acknowledged their mutual communication with a nod as JD took off with him to get the horses and their gear they had left with Sheriff Johnson when they started this trip several weeks ago. If anyone had told him then that he was going on a wild train ride, he would have laughed at the person. He had to admit, though, he would never claim train rides were totally boring ever again.
With the help of the livery owner and Josiah, they were ready within half an hour. Vin frowned when he saw John Terrell join them. His once fine suit had been exchanged for clothes better suited for a twelve-hour ride. Like Ezra, he managed to present a well-tailored appearance.
"Where do you think you're goin' with bruised ribs? Hell you can't even see out of one eye yet, it's still shut tighter than a virgin's knees." Chris had been waiting for Vin to ask John how he thought he could keep up with them on a twelve hour ride. As it was, they would only have two, three days at the most in which to prepare for Destry. He was not prepared for that comparison, however, and his glare was replaced by a choking noise as Chris tried unsuccessfully to hide the burst of laughter. Damn, Vin. The man could coax a laugh out of a dead man without breaking a sweat. Buck was grinning ear to ear despite his pitiful state as was Ezra. It was amazing what a rush of excitement could do for a head cold, though. Both men felt better the instant they had something on which to focus their minds.
"If you think you are leaving without me while you rush off to defend my family, you had better think again. Who do you think took care of me before you boys showed up?"
"Yeah, ya took real good care of yourself." Vin poked John in the ribs to emphasize his point. Two blazing blue eyes bored into his own as John Terrell glared at his wife's kin.
"I won't have some wet behind the ears boy tell me how to run my life."
"Just cause you're pissed don't give you no call to insult JD." Vin leaned against the railing and gave John a lazy grin signifying just how much influence the tycoon had on him. "An' don't go throwin' any of them Larabee glares at me. He don't scare me an' neither do you."
Chris waited for the fight to erupt, but John Terrell was made of sterner stuff. He was also married to the female version of the irritating young man in front of him. Terrell stepped back and announced his intentions.
"If you don't want me to ride with you, I'll just follow with my own men." He nodded in the direction of the men who had walked their horses up behind him. One was Harold Bristow and several of the other men Chris recognized as the men Bristow said had been with John since he had first started building his rail empire. "Then if anything happens to me, you can explain it to my wife."
John knew he had hit the mark when Vin stopped leaning and stood straight up "Well, hell, you're just about as stubborn as Chris and Ezra combined. C'mon then, but you fall off your horse, I ain't pickin' ya up." He walked off mumbling to himself about hardheaded people who hadn't the sense of a split watermelon. Chris started to join Vin and mount his horse when he turned a look on Terrell.
"You know, he's not gonna forget this."
"Rest assured, Mr. Terrell, our Mr. Tanner has a way of destroying one's calm and orderly existence." Ezra sounded less stopped up than he had on the train. He was enjoying watching a man like John Terrell lose his legendary calm and trade barbs with his friend.
Terrell sighed, "He's just like Alexandra. Stubborn as a mule and twice as ornery when he thinks he's right."
"Plus, he doesn't want to see those pretty little girls cryin' for their daddy cause he went and did something stupid." Buck got his shot in as well.
"And don't forget young Jamie. He's already lost one pa." Nathan had a point.
"Plus, I think Vin is very fond of his aunt and doesn't want to see her grieving." Josiah had to add that.
"Yeah, and I ain't wet behind the ears, neither." JD wanted to get his two bits in on the confrontation.
"I wasn't insulting you, JD." John was getting exasperated by now. He looked over at Chris. "If you think I can't make it, I won't slow you down. But, I am going to Four Corners today."
Chris looked him square in the eye as Vin rode up holding the reins to John's horse along with Chris's. He looked silently at Vin letting him know he had no doubts about John's ability to keep up with them. Finally nodding his agreement with Chris's assessment, Vin handed the reins to John.
"Let's ride, old man."
Mounting stiffly John still managed to cuff Vin on the back of his head. "Watch it. I may be older than Chris, but I can still take you son."
"Yeah, right. That's what Chris says. You two wouldn't know what hit ya." With a laugh, Vin turned and kicked his horse into a run. Buck and the others followed suit and Chris and John brought up the rear. Bristow followed with the other men. They could still hear Vin's laughter drifting back carried by the wind.
"Why haven't you shot him, yet?" John was serious.
Chris started grinning. "He's the only person I know who isn't scared shitless of me when I get pissed."
"You're kidding?"
Chris snorted, the laughter finally giving way. "Hell no, John. I reckon Vin's seen things that would scare the shit outa most folks who got a brain. He's been through some tough times."
"But he's still got that damnable ability to make you laugh at the oddest times, doesn't he?"
"Know anyone like that, do ya?" Chris waited knowing exactly who John would mention.
"Three of them actually. The twins especially. They're worse than some of the best con men I've known, Ezra included."
"Yeah, an' it's up to us to keep Œem straight." Chris was enjoying this conversation. He saw John wince as his horse hit a rough patch of ground. "I'll bet Vin chose this route especially for you."
"I was afraid of that," John sighed. He and Alexandra both have a mean streak in them." Josiah, who had ridden alongside caught that last exchange. He looked at both men and grinned.
"You old men have my sympathy. Too bad you don't hold your years as well as I do." With a salute he left the two men to ponder their replies to his insult.
"You know, I've thought of shooting Josiah at least once."
"Really, I don't understand why," was the only sarcastic reply John could think of. He really did enjoy the company of these men, so he ignored the pain in his side and concentrated on the punishment he would give the man who dared to try and destroy him through his family. Bo Destry would not make it out of Four Corners alive if John knew the men with him as well as he knew he did. There was no way Destry could defeat him with the seven men backing him up. He began to think of ways he could explain his injuries to Alexandra and avoid a fight. If her nephew was any indication of the mood she would be in when he saw her next, he might want to keep riding to Purgatorio.
The seven men from Four Corners left Brecken as dusk was falling. With them were Terrell and five of his men. As they rode out Vin stopped in front of the telegraph office. He shot a pointed look at John who replied to the unspoken question.
"I've already wired her that we were coming and to be very careful." Vin tipped his hat and took the lead once more.
They stopped several times to rest the horses and eventually arrived in the early morning. Silence prevailed, and the men were tired and hungry. Few people were out, but there was a man sitting on the bench in front of the hotel who caught their attention. He watched them come into view and then disappeared into the hotel. First Chris, then Vin and the others noticed the way John Terrell sat up straighter and looked all of a sudden like he could take on the world. He knew the man, and they could guess why he had suddenly turned into the hotel. Sure enough, as they slowed their horses to a sedate walk, Alexandra Terrell appeared with the man beside her. She had a frown on her face that became more pronounced as she surveyed her husband from the tip of his hat to the toes of his boots. She shot a quiet look at her nephew who held up his hands palms up and grinned. John was on his own here. Vin Tanner had no intention of stepping between a woman and her husband. He'd done that once and had gotten a broken heart for it.
"You went in to face Destry alone, didn't you?" Alexandra sounded angry. It didn't help when Vin snorted and tried to cover it up with a cough. Chris was grinning as were the men surrounding him. There would be no help from any of them, so John dismounted and stepped up to stand in front of his wife. His eyes took in every feature of her face as he stared at her. Her blue eyes were fairly shooting sparks she was so angry with him, but she never once raised her voice. God, she was beautiful when she was angry. Not even seventeen years of marriage and three children had the power to dim the fire that had drawn him to her the first time he had ever laid eyes upon her.
"If we are going to discuss the merits of my facing Destry alone and your arrival in Four Corners instead of staying in Yuma where you were safe, then I rather think we should take this discussion inside." She raised an elegant eyebrow as he spoke to the man next to her. His eyes never once left hers. "I will discuss bringing my family here with you later, Patrick."
O'Malley ducked his head to hide the grin that had forced its way onto his face. He took his time surveying the seven men arranged in front of him. He knew Vin Tanner immediately for he recognized the twinkle in the blue eyes. Alexandra and the twins all had that same look. Then he decided to try and place the names of each of the men by the descriptions he had from the twins who talked of little else but their seven protectors. The man in black with the cool assessing green-eyed gaze must be Chris Larabee. He wore his authority as easily as the man next to him wore fine linen shirts. He was dressed a cut above the other men, his clothes tailored with care. He, too, had green eyes that appreciated the finer things in life, but it was not until Patrick noticed the gold tooth flashing in the sunlight that he decided the man was Ezra Standish. JD Dunne was the easiest to spot for he was by far the youngest member of the seven. So, too, was Nathan as he was the only man of color present in this remarkable group, but Patrick felt he would know him just by the compassion he saw lurking beneath the surface of the man's interested gaze. Buck had to be the one with the mustache and the easy grin, and Josiah was the one whose whole appearance garnered trust and respect.
Patrick knew the Terrells had once again unerringly chosen seven truly unique and trust-worthy friends. He started to introduce himself when he heard Alexandra suddenly laugh out loud. John was grinning at her in pure delight as was everyone else around them. He wondered what he had missed until he heard them talking nonstop.
"Daddy, why is your eye shut?"
"An' why is it all black an' blue?"
"Were you in a fight?"
"Ooooooo, you're gonna get it now."
"Jamie, look, Daddy got hitted in the eyeball."
"Mommy's gonna get Daddy now."
"Can we pounce on ya Œfore Mommy yells?"
"Are you gonna pounce on us?"
"Can we pounce on Ours if you and Mommy are gonna fight?"
"Mommy and Daddy are gonna fight, Jamie."
"Hey, Our Chris. Aunt Mary said you'd better not have any bullets in you when you got home."
"You got any bullets in you?"
Both twins stopped to breathe standing between their mother and father with their arms folded across their chests and speculative looks in their eyes. They clearly demanded their father's undivided attention. They got his and everyone else's. Even Mrs. Jason came to stand on the steps a little to the side next to Patrick. John looked at his beloved hellions and gave in to the inevitable. He grabbed Jamie and answered the twins all at the same time.
"My eye is swollen shut because a very mean man hit me. I was not in a fight. His brothers held me down. I am not going to fight with your mother nor am I in trouble. At least not as much as I would have been if I hadn't gotten away alive." He glanced at his wife to make certain she would hold off her pouncing and lectures until they were alone behind closed doors. Then he continued as he scooped up both girls and hugged and kissed them. He didn't care how much it hurt to do it; he would not miss out on any affection his twins wanted to give him. "You can pounce Ours whenever you are ready and Our Chris has no bullets presently residing anywhere in his body that I am aware of." He put the twins down and turned them loose on their cousin who had gotten down off of his horse and was standing on the ground in front of the steps.
"Ours, we missed you!" Lisha threw open her arms and launched herself at Vin Tanner from the top step. He caught her and twirled her around in the air while she squealed in delight. He tossed her to another man who did the same as he turned and caught the next body launching herself at him. The twins went from man to man as John stood by his wife and laughed. Larabee leaned over and spoke to Jamie. The boy looked up and grinned. Then after Chris spoke to his parents and nodded to him, he ran off down the street to get Billy and his mother.
Alexandra exchanged a look with Vin before he submitted just a little self consciously to a hug from her. She turned a much happier countenance toward Chris and won a round of knowing grins from his friends that forced a glare onto his face with her next words.
"Why don't you wait here and escort Mary inside for some breakfast. Mrs. B has been cooking all night long since she heard you were coming home this morning." She was as unimpressed by the Larabee glare as was Vin. She had after all lived with the Terrell glare for seventeen years.
His best friend fell right into sync with his aunt as if he had been planning this with her for years. "Yeah, Chris, I bet Mary would like for someone else to cook her breakfast. You wait here, an' I'll be sure to save you a coupla biscuits." The Texas drawl was even more pronounced. It was followed immediately by an annoying addition as Buck sauntered past him.
"Yeah, pard, you be nice an' Vin might just save you some peach preserves for your biscuits."
"Let's not succumb to generosity, Mr. Wilmington." Ezra turned to Chris and spoke to him. "I am certain we can spare two biscuits, but as to the fate of the preserves, I find I can not commit myself to that promise." He followed the others inside carrying Lison as Vin carried Lisha.
Nathan shook his head grinning at Chris as Josiah spoke. "I wouldn't count on more than one biscuit with a dab of butter if Vin and Buck are around anywhere."
"I got to agree with Josiah, Chris. You best go hurry Mary up." Nathan followed the big man in right after he patted Chris on the back in sympathy. Chris looked at his gun with a speculative look in his eyes. JD was left outside with him standing on the boardwalk as the rest of the men walked around them into the hotel heading straight to the dining room in the hotel from which Mrs. B now cooked her exquisite meals. The fire in the old boarding house had made the hotel offer an obscene amount of money to the widow to move her culinary skills to the hotel.
"What?" was Chris's exasperated reply. How come he was catching all the flack and John and Vin were getting off free and easy? He would have his revenge as soon as he could think of it.
JD just shook his head sadly and then with a mischievous smile that rivaled Tanner's he made his parting shot. "I wouldn't even count on a whole biscuit. I could eat a dozen myself." His laughter hung in the air as Chris heard someone call his name. Mary Travis watched as her son was picked up and hugged by Chris. She was smiling at him in a way that made his knees go weak, but it just saved all of his friends from a fate worse than death. He put Billy down and motioned the two boys into the hotel. Then he grinned at Mary and offered his arm.
"Could I have the pleasure of your company, Mrs. Travis?"
"Why certainly, Mr. Larabee." She hooked her arm into his and felt the familiar tingle his touch always garnered from her. "I understand that you have no bullet holes presently riddling your body."
Chris laughed as he walked with her out of the morning sun into the hotel. He was tired but not too tired to enjoy the way she looked. "No ma'am. I let someone else catch the bullets this time." Her smile turned dazzling as they walked in to greet their friends. Tomorrow might bring hell itself down upon them, but they were going to enjoy today while they could.
Bo Destry was furious. The others thought his sanity had died the same moment the metal had ripped out Ethan's throat. He had been the only brother Bo had truly respected, and when Bo had turned his back on his youngest brother as punishment for causing Ethan's death, Roger had committed suicide. Bo kept telling himself it was all Roger's fault, and he refused to discuss it with anyone. He hadn't slept in nearly a week, but it was not guilt that kept him awake. It was a malicious cold fury that kept his brain turning over idea after idea trying to come up with the most satisfying form of revenge. His carefully maintained appearance as a gentleman was no longer of concern to him. Mud, dust, sweat, and blood all mingled to cover his haggard face and beard. The hatred and need for revenge burned in his bloodshot eyes. He smelled like the bottle of rotgut he had been steadily consuming for the last hour, but he had not lost his sanity, only his humanity. What few shreds there were left had blown sky high with Ethan.
Two men had already deserted and two others were ready to follow them after Destry had killed a man just outside of Eagle Bend because he wanted to stop for at least a day and rest. There was no reasoning with the ruined sheriff, and even Mike was afraid of him. However, Bo Destry's life had finally been reduced to one goal, and one goal only. He was going to kill as many of the men who had ruined his life and killed his brothers as he could before someone put him out of his misery, and he was miserable because he hadn't yet fed his revenge. He knew that even Mike, who had once followed orders without question, was now watching his older brother as if he was waiting for the one sign that would prove Bo had gone over the edge. It mattered little to Bo if the others followed him out of fear or out of loyalty as long as they followed him. He would put a bullet in Mike if the man tried to run out on him, too. He looked over at one of the men whose frigid attitude toward human life often matched his own.
"Tell me again all you know about those seven men from Four Corners and their relationship to Terrell."
The man looked up none to pleased that Bo had woken him. No one had had much sleep in the last few days, and he could have used another fifteen minutes.
"I've done told ya three times already. How many more times you got to hear it for you understand?" His sarcastic tone caused Destry to put his hand on the butt of his gun. The other man returned a stare so full of hatred Destry thought for a moment that he was looking in a mirror.
"As many times as it takes till I'm sure you ain't lying."
"I told ya. I rode with Top Hat Bob Œfore Larabee took him down. Guy Royale ain't the only rancher who's gone up against the seven and lost. Clay Ainsley went up against Œem an' he's dead too. Larabee and Judge Travis's daughter-in-law got a thing for one another. She runs her dead husband's newspaper. Hear tell Larabee's real fond of her little boy." The man paused long enough to take a swig out of Destry's bottle. "The gambler fella has a fancy ma what comes through town sometimes, but I heard she was in San Francisco last tell. Him and Larabee teamed up with Tanner and Wilmington to save Terrell's twin daughter. Turns out Tanner's Terrell's nephew by marriage. Heard Terrell's wife and girls are so gone on Tanner that Terrell got him a pardon. Seems Terrell will do anything to make his wife happy. Everyone says he loves her more than anything else an' that she's mighty fond of her nephew."
Bo looked extremely satisfied with this knowledge. "So you're sayin' that if we kill Terrell's wife or kids, it'll destroy him?" The other man returned Destry's look with a cold glare of his own.
"I may be a hired gun, an' I done kilt some men who didn't deserve it, but I ain't never kilt no woman or kids. You wanna kill Terrell, I'm with ya. You wanna kill his kids, you do it yourself." Destry dropped the bottle but the other man had his gun out before he did. Mike spoke quickly. They couldn't afford to kill any more of their own.
"Stop it." Both men were inclined to listen when they saw Mike with a rifle pointed at them. "Cash is right, Bo. Kill Terrell and we might get to Mexico 'fore they catch us. Kill his wife or kids an' everyone in the territory'll be after us. Won't be no one who'll be willing to help us."
"Kill Tanner an' you'll have the wife an' brats givin' Terrell hell. Destroy his family that way." Cash was also trying to head Bo from his suicide course. Besides, he had a bone to pick with Tanner any way.
Bo looked at his men and grinned. The look made the hair on the back on Mike's neck stand on end. "We snatch Tanner and ask for gold delivered by Terrell. When he refuses, we kill Tanner and the wife blames Terrell for getting' her nephew killed. Then when he knows his wife hates him, we kill him." Bo took a long drink and looked around at the men who were left. "I guess we'd better take a day to plan this, boys. What say we get some rest."
The plan had been made, so now Bo could rest. The others, exhausted, were only too happy to comply. Mike took first watch and kept one eye on his brother. Everyone else was sleeping, but Bo still sat there drinking. Mike started to say something to his brother, but he thought better of it. Right now he was in Bo's favor for coming up with the idea of killing Tanner to get to Terrell, but he felt that favor could change the more his brother drank. Maybe the whiskey would put him out for a while. Then maybe getting some rest would show Bo what a suicide mission this was. The Army was on their trail now. He'd heard that news when he went in to Eagle Bend for supplies. He also knew that Tanner had eluded bounty hunters and killers for years so taking him would not be easy, but it was better him than Terrell's wife or kids. Mike had never killed a woman or a child yet, and he didn't aim to just to feed his brother's need for revenge. If he had more guts he'd rid the world of his mad brother and high tail it out of this territory forever, but Bo would turn his back on Mike and kill him just as sure as he pulled the trigger on Roger. Mike felt someone watching him. He turned to look right into the hate filled eyes of his brother.
"You ever point a rifle at me again, boy, you'd best be willin' to pull the trigger, cause I'll kill ya the next time."
Mike just nodded and turned back to keep watch. Now he was certain just how little Bo cared for those who would die feeding his vengeance. Mike now knew just who was responsible for the deaths of his brothers and the loss of everything he had lied, cheated, stolen, and killed for. Everything he had always done had been at Bo's orders for whatever reasons Bo wanted. Never once had Bo consulted or asked for his opinion. That he had an idea that pleased his brother meant less than the fact that his brother considered him a threat now. He didn't have much time and probably no help to find a way out of this nightmare, but he swore he would survive. His brother Bo's greed had led them all to this point in time. His greed and need to control everything around him had caused him to try and kill John Terrell.
Bo's pursuit of Terrell and rejection of Roger had caused Mike to lose his family and his home. He decided then and there that he was not going to lose his life or his freedom because of his brother. He waited and watched as Bo finished one bottle and started another. The whiskey finally got to Bo and he nodded off. When Cash spelled him several hours later, Mike moved off into the darkness and made his way to the horses.
"Goin' somewhere?" Mike whirled to face him, but noticed that Cash's hand was nowhere near his gun. Three men were standing behind him. "We hear Mexico's real nice this time of year." Cash grinned at Mike. The men took their gear and walked their horses as quietly as possible away from Bo. By the time Bo woke up with a pounding headache, a mouth full of cotton, and a disposition of a grizzly, Mike and the others were hours away. His string of curses did nothing but fuel his anger. They had all run out on him the yellow bellied cowards. That was fine. He didn't need them for anything. He was going to go in and kill Terrell's kids right in front of him. He'd take the wife in front of Terrell and kill her. Then he'd kill Terrell. He didn't need those cowards for anything. Terrell was going to pay for everything he had done to Bo Destry.
They had been waiting since they had returned to Four Corners, but not one sign of Destry or his men had been seen by the seven men who were patrolling regularly in shifts, never fewer than 3 men at a time. The Army had ridden in just that morning with reports that strangers had been spotted in Eagle Bend gathering supplies, but no one fitting Destry's description had been seen. The Army tracker had found signs right outside of Eagle Bend where six men had camped. The tracks of five men led off toward Mexico, but he had lost the sixth man. Terrell's men and Colonel Rickman were hopeful that Destry had given up knowing the Army had been sent after him, but none of the seven peacekeepers would have bet their lives on that much less anyone else's.
So, they kept vigilant to the point that even the twins were having serious disagreements with their beloved Ours because he would not let them have the run of the town as they had always had before. They were all getting restless especially the children in the town because they being kept under close watch. Trouble was coming and the adults preferred to take precautions even though the people of Four Corners were willing to let their seven protectors handle the trouble. No one came into town who one of the seven did not immediately check out either overtly or covertly. For the most part the citizens kept a cautious eye out as well for they were hesitant to ask John Terrell to leave. His departure could well spell the end to their thriving town if he left and took his plans to make Four Corners his headquarters for his railroad with him.
John Terrell knew the danger Bo Destry presented, and he knew of nowhere safer than in the midst of the seven. No matter what happened to him, he knew his family would be safer with these men than in a locked fortress. He just had to convince Alexandra and the children that staying under guard for a few more days was just a precaution. Not that he believed Destry would try anything with the Army present, but it was smarter to play it safe.
"Daddy, can't we please go find Ours?"
"We promise to stay right next to him no matter what."
"Yeah, he promised to take us fishin' when it got warmer." Lisha turned big blue eyes on her daddy.
"You can come fishin' with us." Lison batted her eyelashes unconsciously. It was hell being a father to twin girls.
"We can't go fishing for a few more days. Your cousin is very busy right now."
"No he ain't. He's sittin' on the bench outside the door." Lisha was losing patience with these adults. They couldn't go outside. They couldn't go fishing. They couldn't do this or that. It didn't matter what they wanted to do, they couldn't do it. She and her sister had been very good for five whole days. They had played inside all day long and they wanted to go fishin' with Ours. He let them get all wet and play in the water and Mommy didn't fuss at all.
Lison was ready to help her sister start a war when the baby let out a squeal that quickly turned into a screech. Normally a happy little thing, Annabelle Maude was very unhappy. She didn't understand the tension that had permeated her happy little world. All she knew was that the once happy voices around her were not the soothing sounds she was used to. Plus, her favorite toy had fallen on the floor and no one was bothering to hand it back to her. She started crying and wanted her mommy, but Mommy was not here. Someone picked her up finally, but they hadn't picked up her toy. She knew this man. It was her daddy, but he handed her to someone who smelled sweet and warm. It was Nanny, but she wasn't Mommy. Looking around, she didn't see her mommy anywhere and Nanny was turning her where she couldn't see any thing at all.
Belle hated that. Throwing her head back Belle started crying in earnest when suddenly someone took her and swung her around where she could see. It was the man who smelled like outside. He handed her her toy and told her he would take her to Mommy. Belle liked his growly voice too, so she stopped crying. She was swaying back and forth as he held her with one arm. It was like a walking swing and it made her giggle. She saw her sisters skipping alongside and they were laughing again. Belle liked it when her sisters were laughing. She started blowing bubbles and talking to everyone she met.
"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii." It wasn't much, but she liked the sound of her voice going up and down. The man carrying her laughed, and Belle relaxed liking the rumble she felt and the sound that accompanied it. The twins were talking again. Belle liked that so she settled back to wait for Mommy. It wouldn't be long now. She looked at a man walking up to them with black stuff on his face. She remembered it. It always tickled when he kissed her. She liked the way he smelled, too. She threw her arms around the arm carrying her and hugged it. The arm drew her closer to the man and she relaxed.
"Vin, what the heeeee, heck you doin' to Belle?" Buck leaned over and swung Lisha into the air and settled her on his shoulders.
"Yes, Mr. Tanner, why are you carrying that lovely baby in such a fashion?" Ezra picked up Lison and settled her on his left shoulder. Both girls were giggling at the heights to which they had instantly risen. They could see the chips out of the wood on the overhang in front of the Clarion. They were going to see Mommy and Aunt Mary.
Vin swung Belle up to eye level. She patted his face. "What's wrong with the way I'm carryin' her? She likes it. Don't' ya, Belle?" Belle giggled and spoke to Buck who had moved closer to her and kissed her on the cheek balancing Lisha precariously while she held on for dear life. Our Buck knew how to show a girl a good time.
"What's wrong? Any body knows ya don't carry a little lady like she's a sack of taters. Don't they, baby girl?" Belle patted him on the cheek and spoke to him.
"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii."
Buck dissolved into a huge grin and turned to Ezra. "Would you look at that? This little lady likes me."
Vin rolled his eyes as Belle turned towards Ezra and greeted him. "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii." Another man fell at her feet. All she had to do was say hi and all these adults just turned to putty. Belle tried it again louder. "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii." She heard the men start to laugh even the one holding her.
"While a mere baby can be forgiven a lack of judgement, she has most definitely shown her good taste in preferring me, Mr. Wilmington." Ezra looked at the gurgling baby his smile euphoric. "You are a most intelligent young lady, are you not?" Belle grinned as Vin swung her back to his side.
"Y'all are plain loco."
"Plain, no. Loco, probably." Josiah's booming voice made Belle turn her head to look up at the giant.
"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii." Josiah fell like a tree in the forest, hard and fast.
"It's Our Buck's aminal magnet-tism." Lisha shook her head sagely.
"Our Ezra's got it, too." Lison knew these things. She was after all a woman herself.
"I think it's gas." Chris Larabee was standing inside the Clarion doors with Alexandra and Mary on either side.
"Mmmmmooommmmmoooommmmma," Belle paused long enough to look at Chris. "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii." His answering grin was all she needed as her man swung her to her mother's waiting arms. Her mother kissed her and held her close. Belle was a happy baby when she heard her daddy behind her.
"I see my women are attracting the wrong kind of men already."
"I know it, John. You ought to watch these girls more careful like. Lettin' Œem hang around a gambler, a scoundrel, and a cowboy." Vin Tanner was leaning against the post smirking at his friends. One little 'Hi,' and they were mush. He winked at Lisha and Lison, then he winked at Alexandra. She was laughing as Billy and Jamie came running outside the door to see why everyone was laughing. No one saw the man standing to the side of the livery, no one except old Yosemite. He noticed the man had a scar down the side of his face and that he wore a badge covered by the same brownish color that streaked his coat. It dawned on him the man they were looking for had been a sheriff gone bad. He turned to check if there were any others before he told Larabee, when he noticed the man was gone. Knowing something bad was going to happen, the man left the livery to cross over to tell the people in front of the Clarion what he had just witnessed. He didn't have to know what Destry looked like to know one man stood a better chance of slipping in and out of a trap better than a half dozen men. It had to be him. Yosemite hurried faster.
"Mr. Larabee, I seen someone watchin' you from behind the livery." Colonel Rickman, who had been walking with Nathan and JD to join the group on the boardwalk rushed over to join them. Rickman waved several troopers over and gave quick orders. Soon, four men were headed out in the direction Yosemite had last seen the man. Vin Tanner went with them. The women and children were all taken to the hotel where guards were posted. John joined Chris on the steps.
"You stay here. Buck an' me will catch up with Vin. The rest of you stay here. He could come after Alexandra or the children." John didn't like it, but he knew Chris was right. Destry knew his weakness now, and he just might seek his revenge against the people he loved most. John could not leave them to someone else's care.
"Get him, Chris."
"We'll do it. You stay here just in case." Vin came running up.
"One man ridin' south. Let's ride." With that, Buck joined Chris and Vin in the run to the stables. The Army tracker a six troopers were already mounted. Yosemite had the three horses ready for the men.
"Had the boys help me saddle 'em while you were lookin'."
Chris slapped him on the back and looked back at Ezra who was standing in the doorway. "Watch your back." In other words, he did not want anyone playing the hero.
"Take care of our girls," Vin added. Josiah, Nathan, and JD joined Ezra on the boardwalk before taking positions with several soldiers at different spots.
"You watch your backs," was the answer Ezra gave them as they rode out.
"My tracker is very good, Mrs. Terrell. They'll find him." Colonel Rickman was trying to ease Alexandra's mind.
"Ours could track an ant on a pile a dirt with a buncha other ants an' still find 'im." Lison had no doubts.
"In the rain, too. Can't he, Our Ezra?" Lisha knew Ours could track him better than the Army guy. He taught them how to track, and they were real good at it.
"Why of course ladies. Why don't we continue this fascinating conversation about your beloved Ours inside this nice room. Do you each have your lovely dolls Ours gave you?" When both girls shook their heads yes and grabbed their well-worn dolls from the couch where they had carefully placed them, Ezra led them into the safest room in the hotel. Mrs. B appeared out of thin air with a tray of cookies and milk.
"I believe someone asked for cookies?" The children rushed to follow her into the room. Alexandra smiled her thanks as she turned to look at her husband.
"We'll get him one way or the other. I promise." John had never broken a promise to her, yet. And he'd damned well better not start now! Feeling for the pistol she was carrying in her pocket, Alexandra gave herself a shake. She wasn't a woman who stood idly by and expected others to take care of her. Destry was not getting near anyone she loved even if she had to shoot him herself. Vin had better watch his back as well. She didn't search seventeen years to find him just to bury him. She looked up and saw Mary smiling at her. They knew instantly what the other was thinking. Men, what would they do without their women to take care of them?
Destry was no fool. He had taken what was left of his money and had paid a drunken cowboy to wear his coat with the sheriff's badge on it and stand there until he told him to ride off on his horse that he had hidden fifty feet from the livery. For one hundred dollars the man was supposed to ride to Purgatorio where he could drink his fill. It was so easy to slip behind the livery and then into the alley near the hotel. He could have shot Terrell from where he was hiding so easy it had been to slip past the Army patrols, but it would have been too easy. He wanted Terrell to know he had lost everything because Destry was the better man. First he would kill the brats, the wife next, and then the broken Terrell. Destry wanted to see the anguish on Terrell's face and know who was causing his pain and his death. Bo checked his guns. Fully loaded he slid each into place. He was fast enough to get by the man with the sawed-off and equally fast to take on a man like Larabee, but they had followed his surrogate out of town. That only left the other five, and they appeared to be inside the hotel with the Terrells. He wasn't afraid at all. He might get killed doing this, but he would die knowing that he had destroyed John Terrell.
A soldier walked near his hiding place among the boxes and leaned his rifle against the crate and proceeded to relieve himself. Destry smiled in anticipation. He had been worried about being detected before nightfall, and here was his chance to move around in relative safety. Moving swiftly, he stepped behind the trooper and clubbed him on the back of his head with the butt of his gun. The man dropped like a rock. Destry drug him deeper into the alley and swiftly stripped the man of his uniform. Bo looked at the Union blue in disgust. He had sworn never to wear this color but to kill anyone wearing it. He shook his head at the irony that the color he hated most would be the color to give him what he wanted most.
The death of Terrell and his family would be the ultimate revenge against all those powerful people who had destroyed his family. Once he finished here, he would track Mike down and slit his throat for deserting him. There was a noise from the street, so Destry made quick work of pulling the uniform in place. He secreted one of his guns inside the jacket and the knife in his boot. The uniform was a little snug at the shoulders, but not noticeably. Grabbing the rifle he walked onto the boardwalk. The woman walking past him wrinkled her nose. Too bad he didn't have time to teach her the proper respect a man like him deserved. He stood holding his rifle in similar fashion to the man two doors down who was guarding the front of the hotel. There appeared to be more men stationed at the back, so Destry began to look for the best point of entry without too much fuss. Then he saw it. It was so simple he could not believe his luck. Leaning against the second floor window was a ladder. A man was painting the side of the hotel. Destry looked around to see if it was a trap. No, the man was painting the hotel. He noticed that the front had already been painted as had the third floor. He walked purposely toward the side of the hotel.
Just as he was formulating a way to get the man down off the ladder so he could take his place, Vin and the others were tracking down their prey. Neither Chris nor Vin was happy about this situation. Destry had risked it all without firing one shot at any of them. The trail was just too easy to follow. This man had eluded the entire Army a feat in itself for the Army tracker was as wily a hunter as Tanner.
"I'd say he's on his way to Purgatorio. We can't follow him Œcross the river."
Larabee nodded frowning, but it was Vin who said what he was thinking.
"This is too easy. He coulda shot John and several of us from where he was standin'." Chris's head snapped around as he looked into icy blue eyes. Destry had unleashed the hunter in Vin Tanner, and he was on a deadly quest to stop the man before he could wreck the family that had eluded him all these years.
Chris nodded his silent agreement. "I think he's already there waiting for a chance to do as much damage as possible." Vin's eyes narrowed to slits understanding exactly what Chris had meant.
The Army tracker cleared his throat to get their attention. He'd heard that Larabee and Tanner had some weird connection that let them communicate without talking, but he had discounted it until he saw it for himself. That Wilmington fella was correct. It was downright spooky the way one of them could say one thing and the other either finish the thought or know exactly what was not being said. The sergeant began to see what they were not saying, however. He did not want to think that the man had doubled back or had sent them on a fool's errand.
"This is the horse I tracked from the explosion site. Look at the groove on this shoe. Horse is tired, but the rider appears to have little control over it."
"I see it, but just Œcause it's the same horse, don't mean it's got the same rider. Should catch up to him in about a half hour, maybe less." Vin Tanner looked like the hunter this man had heard tales about, and he was suddenly glad they were all on the same side. Tanner looked briefly at Larabee. That was all it took. No words, no movement, just a glance.
Larabee grinned a feral grin that had shot many a man's nerves straight to hell before Larabee sent the rest of the body to follow. "What say we leave these boys to finish the chase an' we ride back to town. If Destry's there, he'll try for the Terrells in the hotel where they all are."
Tanner turned his horse around and was off like a shot. Larabee paused just long enough to bark a few orders not one soldier was about to ignore. "Try and take him alive. If it's Destry, he'll stand trial for all he's done. If it's someone else like Vin thinks it is, then we want to know what he knows."
The five troopers nearly saluted as Larabee rode off after Tanner like a bat out of hell. The sergeant remounted and led the troopers along the trail. Maybe if they moved fast enough, they could catch up with Destry and bring him back to prove to Larabee and Tanner that the Army knew what it was doing. Somehow, he knew that was just a foolish dream. These seven men in Four Corners had an uncanny knack of finding trouble where no one else dreamed it would be. If those two thought Destry was already in town, then the sergeant knew the man they were following had more a chance of being the queen of England than he had a chance of marrying the colonel's daughter.
It was not difficult to get the man painting the hotel to climb down the ladder. Silas Jackson did odd jobs around town, but painting the hotel had been a huge project for him. He was determined to do it correctly, so he would not only get paid but to show everyone how really good at painting he was. His uncle had promised to make him a partner in his carpentry business in Eagle Bend if Silas proved he could complete this job on time. Then Silas could decide to open his own business here or move to Eagle Bend. He only had this back half of the hotel to paint before he completed it. So, when the soldier had asked him to climb down the ladder in order for him to use it, Silas had hesitated for only a second. It was not until the soldier tapped the ladder with his rifle threatening him with arrest that Silas grudgingly climbed down. It would not do to let his temper get the best of him before he had finished this job. He was not expecting the blow to his head. He saw the rifle butt coming down, heard a sickening thud as a horrendous pain exploded into his brain, and then there was nothing more.
Once more Destry hid the body in the alley and stripped the man of his overalls. Discarding his gun belt for the moment he pulled the overalls quickly over his uniform. Then he put both six guns in the roomy pockets of the overalls. It did not matter if his hair was black and Silas was a blond. The hat would cover his hair until he could get into the hotel from the window, and the overalls would hide most of the uniform. It was going to be difficult climbing the ladder and hiding the rifle at the same time, so he hid it with Silas's body. Once he was inside he could pull the overalls from his body to uncover the uniform and tell anyone who asked that he had been ordered not to carry a rifle among the guests. He might be able to pick the rifle up later upon his escape. Bo looked around carefully for anyone looking in his direction. The soldiers should be used to the painter climbing up and down the ladder by now, and he was only minutes away from his goal. Picking up the paint bucket and brush he walked briskly to the ladder. Several troopers passed by, and just like Bo had surmised, they paid little heed to the painter. He smiled in evil satisfaction. John Terrell would regret with his dying breath ever having crossed Bo Destry. Then fate handed him a bonus.
The two soldiers met with several others. They were being relieved. "The colonel said to stand guard out here on the boardwalk. He wants us close to the entrance cause them Terrells are all in the main dining room waiting for them two peacekeepers to come back." That was the only part of the conversation Destry was interested in. The Terrells were in the main dining room. He would have to make his way there from the second floor, but their being together made it all the more easier for Bo to kill them. If only he had some dynamite to blow the hell out of all of them like they had blown his brothers to kingdom come.
It had been two hours since Bo had made his stealthy entrance into Four Corners. Being a man who deliberately planned everything Destry had been living the last week on the edge, and he had made a horrible botch of things when he had underestimated Terrell and the men working for him. Bo had been making his decisions based on their actions. He felt as if he was the puppet dancing to their tune, so when Mike and the others had abandoned him, Bo took a long hard look at himself. This time he would have his revenge when he felt the time was right, when he was ready. True to form, he had waited until the perfect opportunity had arisen, and he took it with eager hands. He took one more glance around spotting the available escape routes.
If he went out the back, he could circle around and steal one of the horses. Or he could just shout that he had seen the murderer and was giving chase right out the front to the available horses left standing in front of the saloon. He would make his decision based on the circumstances after he had killed Terrell. Now he had to get inside the hotel and put his plan into action. He could taste the sweet victory as he imagined the look of surprised horror on his victims' faces. He had just put is foot inside the hotel from the windowsill when Vin and Chris had arrived back in town.
Both men were looking in all directions trying to spot the one thing that was different, that was not where it should be or even anything that just didn't seem right. The saloon looked peaceful. The soldiers stationed throughout the town had begun to look like they belonged there protecting the citizens. The shop keepers were closing up for the day either sweeping the walkway in front of their stores or pulling their displayed wares back into the shops where they could be locked up. The livery looked the same. The church looked the same. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary until Vin suddenly tapped Chris lightly on the arm.
"The hotel," Vin pointed to the hotel.
"What about the hotel?" Chris felt that prickly sensation, the one where his nerves danced at any and everything trying to decipher if all was safe or not. There was definitely danger in the air. He looked at the hotel and tried to decide what had focused Vin on the hotel. There was a ladder leaning against the side wall near the back alley. It was right under an open window, but what of it? Young Silas Jackson had been painting the hotel for the last six days, and then it hit Chris. Living for three years of your life with a bounty on your head always looking over your shoulder made you notice things other people would not normally pay any attention to. Vin had spotted it almost immediately, but it had taken Chris a few seconds longer. Damn he must be getting old or complacent, two things that could get a man who lived by the gun dead quicker than lightning. Silas was nowhere around, and he had been very meticulous in removing every piece of equipment back to the livery when he had stopped painting around five every afternoon.
Both men scanned the area they could see, but Silas was nowhere to be seen. Chris looked at Vin.
"You want to split up and meet back at the hotel in about fifteen minutes or go there right now?"
Vin was just about to answer that he wanted to go directly to the hotel when they heard a gunshot. Both men raced to the hotel without any regard for anyone stupid enough to be in the streets when shots were being fired. Chris thought Vin might have clipped a trooper on the side as he rode past, and Chris knew he had knocked down one soldier in their mad dash to the hotel. They had their guns drawn as their feet hit the ground running. They left their horses where they were. They were too well trained to move until given the command. Racing up the steps and bursting through the doors they ran headlong into a standoff.
Bo Destry had been able to make his way down the back stairs into the kitchen when he ran into Glory Bridger and her father. He'd come to get a fine cooked meal before he walked his youngest daughter home. He missed his wife desperately and having her twin sister in town only made him feel the loss of Mrs. Bridger more. It was good his wife's twin was here because like his wife, Mrs. B mothered everyone she came across, so his children were able to get on with their lives without their beloved mother. Their aunt was just different enough to make the Bridger sons and daughters realize she was not their mother but close enough to alleviate their grief just enough to allow them to accept and move on. He had a feeling his beloved had known she wasn't long for the world when she had asked her sister to come to Four Corners. It didn't help his grief any, and he had taken to walking his youngest girl home just for the companionship. Mrs. B knew why he showed up every day, but she encouraged the closeness of father and daughter who felt the loss more than any of the others simply because they were the ones who had been living with her when she had passed on.
There was something about Destry that had sent alarm bells off in Bridger's head the minute he spotted him. It didn't help that Glory was standing in the doorway when Destry tried to enter the kitchen from the back stairs. The man had shoved the girl roughly aside, and she had fallen into the corner of the big wooden table. Maybe it was the deadly cold eyes or the way he carried himself, but he was nothing like the other hard-working soldiers he had met around town. All of the troopers had been very polite in their dealings with the womenfolk in town, but this man had shoved young Glory aside like she was nothing. Hearing her gasp of pain when she hit the corner of the table had made Bridger exclaim in anger and grab the offensive soldier by the arm to demand an apology for Glory. Instead the last thing Bridger saw was the look in Destry's eyes as he felt a bullet rip through his gut. The excruciating pain caused his knees to buckle under him and he heard his daughter scream for him as he hit the floor. Terrified for her safety despite his mortal wound, Bridger found enough strength to pull his gun and fire a shot at Destry. It went wild and ricocheted off a pot hanging on the wall.
"Glory, honey," he gasped as he struggled for air, "run! Git on outa here!"
Glory was backing away as fast as she could as she heard familiar voices yelling over others, but she didn't move fast enough to get away from Destry.
"Damn old fool! What the hell he'd do that for?" Destry grabbed Glory around the neck and pulled her close up against his body to shield him from the guns of the people running into the kitchen area. Pressing the mouth of his gun right under Glory's ear, he started yelling orders.
"Back off, or I'll pull the trigger!" He drug Glory with him until he was near the back door. His only hope was to use her to get Terrell to show himself. Then he could kill him. What happened after that did not matter any more to Destry. Only his revenge mattered.
Glory was in shock and so scared that she took in everything with wide, terrified eyes. She saw her aunt and Nathan Jackson kneeling by her father's side pressing white cloths against the wound that bled so freely the cloths were soaked as soon as they were placed on the gaping wound. Ezra Standish and Josiah Sanchez were standing beyond the kitchen in front of a closed door. Two soldiers with rifles aimed were standing next to them. JD had moved into the kitchen slightly ahead of Buck and right behind Nathan. Buck, but seeing Chris and Vin at the door had motioned them off to the side out of Destry's sight. They wanted one thing now and one thing only. Destry was a dead man; they were going to take him down before they would let him hurt one more person. The Bridgers had already lost too much in the past month to lose Glory, too. Buck motioned JD to the right of him as they both flanked Destry.
"I'll kill her you step one foot closer!"
Vin's yes narrowed. This bastard had planned to kill his family; he knew that as sure as he knew his own name. Now he had killed young Glory's pa right in front of her and was threatening her life as well. He turned and looked into green eyes that mirrored the deadly ice in his own. He started forward, but Chris placed a restraining hand on his arm. His friend's eyes said calm down; no, they ordered him to get control of himself. The blind rage he felt at the injustice of it all was threatening to consume him, and he was no good to anyone like that. It was too close to home for Glory could have been one of the twins or the baby or Alexandra or Billy or Jamie or Mary.
Now he knew why he always stayed so aloof from people for when you cared more about them than you cared for yourself you could do some pretty stupid things. Vin took one deep breath and let it out slowly. That was when he noticed the barely controlled fury in Chris's eyes. That reminded him he needed to point out to his friend that Chris really needed to practice what he preached. Larabee saw that Vin had regained control and that in turn made controlling his own fury easier. He didn't know what it was about the tracker, but he had a knack of calming Chris even when he most wanted to start shooting first and ask questions later.
Then he saw that damned Tanner sense of humor raise its inappropriate head. He turned and looked and almost smiled in spite of the situation. John Terrell was hanging on to Alexandra who was mad enough to spit fire. Destry had come into the hotel with the intent of hurting her family and she wasn't about to let the man go free.
Patrick O'Malley had a twin in each arm, Melanie had both Billy and Jamie by the hands, and Mary was carrying the baby as the soldiers formed an impenetrable wall as they escorted them across the street to Mrs. Potter's until things were safe. Mary's eyes caught Chris's once. She was afraid, but he saw the barely controlled fury in her eyes. She too had deduced that Destry had been ready to kill the children, and she had no sympathy for the man. She had known Mr. Bridger for as long as she had lived in this territory, and she was going to be distraught at the news of his murder. No way in hell was Destry going to hurt anyone else in his town. Chris turned as he heard John finally get Alexandra's attention.
"You will go with the children or I will drag you over there and tie you up myself."
She reminded Chris of Vin when he got stubborn mad on them. "You wouldn't dare! That,.." her words were cut off as Destry broke in.
"Get Terrell in here! Get him now, or I'll kill her!"
They heard Josiah's booming voice. "You kill her, we kill you. You'll never get near Terrell much less get your revenge." Ezra came up to Chris and Vin.
"Josiah's going to try and talk the man into coming out the front door. He's in a killing rage, but Josiah said he would keep him talking until Vin could get into position." Chris nodded and turned to Vin.
"Take Alexandra over there," he pointed to Potter's store, "and get on the roof. I want you where you can blow that bastard away before he hurts Glory any more."
Vin grinned and nodded at Alexandra who had followed John over to join them. "Can I lock her up, she don't go quiet like?"
She raised an eyebrow at him and started to say something, but she thought better of it. With all the dignity she could muster, "I will go without being dragged anywhere." Then her disdain gave way to her worry. "Don't let him hurt anyone else." She spoke to the men surrounding her and they all nodded promising that Destry would not hurt anyone else. Then she turned to John. "You do exactly what they tell you. Don't you dare get yourself killed."
"I wouldn't dare since you'll take up with a younger man and spend all my money on him." The men snorted, the dark humor fortifying them with the strength to do what they had to in order to save Glory. With that Alexandra turned and accompanied Vin to the Potter's. Before he swung up on the overhang to climb up on the roof, he felt a punch in his ribs.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"For showing disrespect to your beloved aunt." Alexandra put her hand out to hold his rifle.
"My beloved aunt?"
"Your beloved aunt." She handed him the rifle as he swung up onto the overhang.
Vin sighed, "Yes, ma'am." With that he was climbing onto the roof his rifle in hand. By the time Alexandra was at the window watching with Mary, Vin had chosen his spot. He could see everywhere but the back of the hotel. He only hoped Josiah managed to get Destry to walk through the front doors of the hotel with Glory. All he needed was one shot, just one shot. That silver tongued devil had better do his magic and talk Destry out into the open.
Buck and JD felt the pressure, but neither man moved because they feared getting Glory killed. Destry had his arm wrapped around Glory right under her breasts holding her tightly against him. She was so light that he had lifted her practically off of the ground. Only standing on her tiptoes kept her feet from dangling off of the ground. Buck didn't know if she was so terrified that she feared any struggle would cause the angry man to shoot her or if she was frozen out of sheer terror. There was no way either man could shoot him without hitting her. Josiah was standing in the hallway between the kitchen and the dining room. The Army had cut off any escape route out the back door of the kitchen by placing seven men commanded by no less a personage than the Colonel. They were his best marksmen.
Since there were no horses out back, Destry knew he didn't want to get trapped there. He would go out back to be slaughtered by those blue bellies like a mad dog. If he went out the front, he might be able to get a horse by using the girl. They were so obviously scared he was going to kill the young woman if they tried anything and she was held so tightly against him that they would not even try to shoot him for fear of getting her killed as well. This would work. He would use the girl as his shield on his way out of town. No one would be able to get him if he kept the girl close. The sharpshooter and Larabee were off on a wild goose chase. He smiled at his superior intellect. He would be able to shoot Terrell, get away with little or no trouble, and have a hostage he could use to keep them from following him. Then once in Mexico he could discard the young woman and make a profit off her to boot. He had to kill Terrell first else none of this would be worth the effort, but the big man in front of him said if he killed the girl he'd never get out of this damned kitchen alive.
Destry looked around for another exit. If he went into any other hallway, he stood a chance of exposing himself to the men flanking him. No, the front door was easier. He would make everyone go out in front of him, so he could see everyone that way. "I want everyone out the front now! Move or I kill her here!" The men started to follow his orders as the big man waved them all out in front of him to exit through the front doors. Starting to follow, Destry had another moment of pure genius. These men were so stupid. They did not stand a chance against him for he knew what they were planning. He pulled Glory tighter against him and buried the gun deeper under her chin nearly cutting off her air supply and causing her to gasp for breath.
"Shut up!" Glory tried to not cause any more noise. Her side hurt terribly as did her chin where the muzzle of the gun was jammed deep into her skin, and she could not stop the tears spilling from her eyes. They did little but obscure her vision, so she did not see her father finally give up the fight and pass quietly into oblivion to join her mother. Destry motioned for Nathan and Mrs. B to get out as well. Nathan helped the woman to her feet and kept himself between her and Destry as he walked her out to the front.
"I hear any noise behind me, an' I'll kill her for sure!" That should take care of the soldiers he knew would be waiting out back ready to move in and cut him down. Destry forced Glory to stumble forward. Then he just lifted her up like she was nothing. It was easier to carry the little bitch. That way she couldn't try and kick him or anything.
Buck's rage was at a breaking point. The only thing forcing him to remain calm was the certain knowledge that Vin was waiting to take the bastard down. Josiah just had to keep the man moving forward out the front door where Buck knew Chris had Vin stationed at just the right place. It appeared to be working as Destry started moving forward. Vin was right when he had said Josiah was a silver-tongued devil, and Buck knew that Josiah, when he wanted to, could run a con the likes of which could bring tears of rapture to even Maude Standish's jaded eyes. The former preacher had little patience with stupidity and bigotry; however, so he rarely used his impressive skills in that area. Glory needed Josiah to work his magic now before he lost the battle and went Old Testament on Destry.
Going Old Testament on Destry would have been a pleasure to Josiah Sanchez right at this moment. There was nothing he would have liked better than to tear Destry limb from limb, but that was not going to free Glory. He saw the silent tears dripping from her eyes, welling up and dropping onto that bastard Destry's arm. The murderer had plainly sneaked into the hotel for the sole purpose of killing Terrell and his family. Now how he had killed Mr. Bridger. Josiah willed his voice to remain calm, soothing, as he pointed out the only hope Destry had was to keep Glory alive and exit through the front door. Just ten more feet and he would be on the boardwalk in front of the hotel. Then he heard voices behind him on the street. Damn, what was going wrong? Men were shouting, and Josiah recognized two voices, John's and Chris's. He saw Buck and JD run outside and the noise stopped, but so, too, had Destry. Nathan was at his side again, and Josiah was astounded at the calm voice the healer was using. Nathan always seemed to know just what voice was needed to soothe the sick and the distraught. He was using that voice to help Josiah cam Destry down and keep him moving outside where Josiah knew that Vin and Chris waited silently to take the killer down.
"It's the Bridger boys. They're mighty upset Œbout their pa an' Glory. Mr. Terrell an' his wife are calming them down now."
Destry's eyes nailed Nathan to the spot when he heard that Terrell's wife was out front. He had no way of knowing that Alexandra was safely across the street inside Potter's store. It had been Chris Larabee's promise that Glory would be saved and justice meted out to their pa's murderer that had kept the two young men and their brother-in-law from storming the hotel to save their sister. They joined the Terrell family at Potter's to await the time when the seven would deliver on their promise. The only man who would not go and hide as he put it was John Terrell. Any blame the Bridger family and the rest of the town would have laid at Terrell's door for bringing Destry to town was discarded as the man insisted on standing with the rest of the men who had promised retribution. His stubborn refusal to hide when they all knew Destry would commit suicide just to kill him showed them all the type of man that John Terrell was. No one was surprised when several of Terrell's men led by Patrick O'Malley showed up armed with rifles and stood behind their boss.
Ezra tipped his hat to the men and took his position outside the hotel door. If there were any way he could pull Glory to safety, Ezra would find it. He'd been in some pretty tight spots and knew how to spot a loophole or out the instant it presented itself, and Glory Bridger would not join her mother or father any time soon if Ezra had his say about it. Ezra never considered himself a hero, but he wasn't really thinking about himself right now. If his mother only knew her son was contemplating shielding some young woman from harm in any physical way he could because she always knew just how to sugar his coffee, she would spit nails. It was a good thing his mind was not on his mother right now. Ezra knew Vin could be counted on for a sure shot at this distance. He looked up at the man on the roof and got a salute from him. Vin was letting him know that if Ezra found a way to get Glory away safely, Vin would watch his back.
Vin looked down at the door. He could see Josiah's broad back and the outline of a man who must be Destry. He focused on the door and his trained eye looked for the best shot. 'Just bring him into the doorway, Josiah, an' I'll take the bastard down.' He saw Ezra look up at him for just a moment and he gave him a two-fingered salute to indicate he would take Destry down if Ezra found a way to save Glory. If anyone could it would be Ezra. Destry was a dead man any way you looked at it. He had come to kill his aunt and his cousins and destroy the family that was rapidly becoming as important to Vin as the family he had found in Four Corners. For a man who had spent most of his life alone, he sure had acquired a lot of family from six brothers to a surrogate mother and even a sister to his real aunt and her family. Then he saw a movement from the corner of his eye. It was JD, his youngest brother. That thought made Vin relax just a bit. That was good for tension could ruin a shot easier than licking butter off a knife. Vin needed to be dead-on accurate to save Glory. He promised her ma and pa he'd get her out of this alive.
JD had taken position outside the door to the right with both guns drawn and ready. Vin allowed himself a grim smile. That kid was all heart wrapped up in a blanket of pure good just waiting to be a hero. He listened to the good advice and followed it. He tried to curb his tendency to act without thinking. JD was going to make one hell of a man one day; he already was one hell of a kid.
The young hero was having trouble breathing. There was just too much that could go wrong. Glory and Casey were friends, and JD did not want anything to happen to Glory. She was his friend, too, and he would do anything, anything at all to keep her safe. It was his duty that he uphold the law and protect the citizens of Four Corners. JD Dunne had a purpose and it had never shone more clearly than now. Seeing the silent exchange between Vin and Ezra, JD holstered one of his guns and looked at Ezra. He would follow his cue. Vin trusted Ezra to pull Glory to safety if he could, and if he could offer a distraction, all the better. JD got ready to act knowing that he would know when the time came. Vin and Ezra were counting on him. He knew it because of the smile Ezra flashed him. It offered comfort and encouragement. Together they could not fail.
JD looked over at Chris and noticed the man looked as calm as a man sitting at his own dinner table, but he knew Chris was anything but calm. He knew that inside that apparent calm was a righteous fury just waiting to be released. Chris looked over and smiled that feral smile. Destry was a dead man. He had come after a man Chris respected, a man who was kin to his best friend. Vin was as much a brother to Chris as the other men were, and Chris would not allow his friend to suffer the pain of losing a family he had just found. Destry was no better than Fowler to even contemplate killing a woman and her children. For that alone would Chris happily put a bullet in Destry.
The worst of it was possession pure and simple. Not only had Destry come to his town to kill women and children just for revenge, but he had come into Chris's town and killed a man who had never done anything but good for people. Now he was threatening to kill an innocent young girl because she was convenient and he was coward who hid his dirty work behind a young girl's tears. Destry was about to learn what it meant to come into Chris Larabee's town and hurt one of his people.
However, Destry knew none of this. All he knew was Terrell's wife was stupid enough to refuse to leave her husband's side. Good, then Bo could kill them both. Killing them both meant he would have to throw the girl aside and pull out his second gun to get the two before they got him, but Destry knew he was fast enough. It was suicide, but as long as he could kill the wife first and Terrell next, Destry would die a happy man. He'd die knowing that he had ruined Terrell and deprived those Terrell brats of their happy home. Most especially, John Terrell would die knowing that Bo Destry had bested him.
Destry started forward again eager to meet his fate. His second gun was tucked in his belt, easily gotten to if he shoved the girl to the right into the men who had moved to back out of the door onto the boardwalk. Then he would have time to take his best shot. The wife had to die first, but where was she? Destry could see John Terrell standing next to the big man with the mustache. Someone was behind him, but he didn't have time to find out who it was. It must be Terrell's woman. Why'd that fool decide to stand in front of her? Did the big man really think his shielding Terrell's wife would keep her safe from Destry? One shot and he would be down exposing the person hiding. He had to get his left side clear so he could get to his gun and start shooting before they got him. This was it. This was the moment he would prove to everyone that Bo Destry was a better man than the railroad baron and his hired guns. His triumph would make him a legend, and he would live on known as the man who had brought down an empire. The name Destry would never be forgotten.
"Everyone on the boardwalk move to the right!" He dug the gun into Glory's chin tearing the skin and forcing a cry of anguish out of the young girl. Destry laughed as they all scrambled to do his bidding. He noted that Terrell and his group of men now gathered behind him were still standing there waiting on him. "Glad you could make it, Terrell!" Destry carried Glory through the doors onto the boardwalk.
Three things happened at once, and the witnesses watched in fascinated horror, but none more so than Bo Destry. Just as Destry exited the door he threw Glory into the men who had all gathered on the boardwalk. They tumbled like logs cut loose and dumped into the river at a mill. The young girl was flung into them with such force that she literally knocked them all off of their feet, and they fell in a tumble of limbs flailing to regain their balance. Destry pulled his second gun and turned slightly to meet Terrell head on when the mustached man moved aside to reveal none other than Chris Larabee who was drawing his six gun as Destry was aiming his other gun. Destry's mouth fell open in disbelief as Larabee's gun left the holster and fired simultaneously as a rifle boomed. Two bullets entered Destry's body as the other men signaled everyone else to put down their weapons. Pain exploded into Destry as his body was flung backwards into the hotel lobby by the force of the bullets. Vin Tanner stood on the roof of Potter's store his rifle aimed at the body lying on the floor as Destry's life's blood pooled onto the carpeted floor.
Ezra had extricated himself from Josiah and JD and was picking Glory up off the ground. She collapsed sobbing into his arms as Josiah enveloped them all in one huge bear hug shielding Glory from the bloody heap on the floor. Chris Larabee and John Terrell walked up to the prone man who tried desperately to lift his gun to get just one shot off to take Terrell with him to hell, but Larabee swiftly disarmed him. A dark man knelt next to him, felt the pulse on Bo's neck, and then looked up and shook his head at the men around him.
"It should have been you," were Destry's bewildered last words as Vin Tanner moved to stand beside his uncle and his best friend.
John Terrell leaned over and closed Destry's unseeing eyes. "No, it shouldn't have been any of us, but you were too greedy to wait for the money honestly." He shook his head and his eyes met Larabee's. Both men regretted the violence here today, but there had been no other way to end it. Vin put his hand on his arm and nodded toward Potter's store.
"She's waitin' for ya. Go on, we'll take care of this." It was over. Bo Destry was dead, and John Terrell went out the door only to be engulfed by his wife. He held her close as she looked over his shoulder to bestow an incredibly huge smile to her nephew and his friends. Vin Tanner was his mother's son, but he was also his father's. The Texas Ranger who had fathered him would have been proud of the man who was his son. Alexandra knew she was. Seven men saluted her as she turned her attention back to her husband and their children. She would thank them all later. Better yet, she'd let the twins thank them. She saw Mary move to stand beside Chris as he bent over and lifted Billy to carry him away from the body. The others did the same as they each gathered a curious child to move them away from the carnage.
The undertaker threw a sheet over Destry. The outlaw could wait. Bridger had been a friend of his. He walked into the kitchen with the sons as Glory's older sister and Mrs. B engulfed her. Nathan went along to help make certain the young girl was safely ensconced in a room where she could recover from her ordeal. JD had already run off to get his bag and the laudanum. He stifled a grin as he heard the twins.
"We told ya Glory'd be okay." Lison was telling her brother who had been swung up on Buck's shoulder. Our Ezra had her perched precariously on his shoulder. Jamie rolled his eyes.
"Billy an' me never said Vin couldn't shoot the bad guy. We said it was good it was him cause he could pick the nose of a mountain lion with a bullet and not even put a scratch on his nose."
"Is that good?" Lisha had one eyebrow raised and was looking at Chris over Vin's shoulder.
"I'd say that was a purty accurate description of Vin's shootin'."
"Pick a mountain lion's nose??? Master Jamie Terrell, we really need to have a chat about the scoundrels with whom you associate and your vocabulary." Ezra was appalled. So were the governess, the parents, and the nanny. The others however all burst out laughing. Glory was safe, their friends and family were safe, and Destry would never hurt anyone else ever again. It was time for some peace and quiet in Four Corners.
"Can we go fishin' now?" Vin Tanner looked at his twins and grinned.
"Hey, cowboy, wanta go fishin' tomorrow?"
"You gonna drag those two hellions with ya?"
"Wouldn't go without 'em."
"Don't mind if I do. Buck, Ezra, you comin'"
"Oh yeah. I bet Ezra's never had a treat like that before."
"What kind of treat?" JD was back.
"The twins are takin' Ezra fishin' tomorrow." Josiah was grinning in relief. Fishing with the twins sounded like heaven right now. He could just picture Ezra putting worms on the twins fishing hooks. "You gonna come with us?"
"Count me in. I'll tell Nathan." With that, JD was off like a shot.
"I will wager you gentlemen that I do indeed know more about fishing than any of you know about investing money."
"Well heck, Ezra. The twins know more 'bout investin' money than me. I thought investin' money was just playing poker with you."
"Yeah, Vin. You an' me have invested enough in the Ezra Standish fund to keep him in fine linens for a year."
"Now I take umbrage at that remark."
The townspeople slowly made their way back to their homes some openly laughing at the banter. Their peacekeepers deserved a day of rest every now and again, and what better way than to go fishing with twin hellions and schoolboys?
FINI
Followed by the sequel Fishin'
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