Alternate Universe "Yellowstone"
Disclaimer: The Magnificent Seven do not belong to me.
Pairing: Chris/Vin
Notes: A great big Thank you to Farad for all her help.
Buck plays a big part and all Seven are included.
Although Electric Peak is in the Yellowstone National Park, Spiral Rock is a fictional place. I have attempted to be as accurate as possible in respect to the park. I mean no disrespect to the Park Services or the Men and Women who work so hard to keep our National Parks a safe and fun place.
Feedback: Yes, please
Treasury Supervisor Donna Crews, using her cardkey, locked the two money-cases and set the tracking device. As the locks snapped shut, the tracking device was activated. Twin red lights started blinking, which also activated a silent beep. The two cases held a relatively small amount of money, $1,500,000.00 apiece. Three million in all. The money was being transferred from the Federal Reserve Bank in Seattle to the Denver Mint to be destroyed.The jet plane took off from Sea-Tac Airport heading for Denver. Aboard was the Pilot, Jim Cannon; Co-Pilot, Ken Hargrove; Special-Agent-in-Charge, Edmond Johnson; his Second-in-Command, Joe Cummings; and Special Agent, Gary Hopkins. Also aboard was SAC Larry Williams of the FBI, who was hitching a ride back to Denver, his home base.
As the plane leveled off, Ed made coffee in the small galley, fixed himself a cup, sat down, relaxed and mulled over what was about to happen. He was approaching 62 years of age and wanting to retire. He had given 25 years of his life to the Treasury Department, but due to his indiscretions that had become public knowledge, he had reached the top of the ladder as far as advancement was concerned. This really angered him as his pension wouldn't even begin to cover his lifestyle. When he learned he was to escort this money to Denver, he started thinking of ways to steal it. He formulated a plan in his head, talked to the others in a "what if scenario" sort of way and found those who were disgruntled also. The plan was; once they were in the air a few hours, the pilot would change course, fly the plane to a remote airstrip in Canada, divide the money and each man would disappear. Granted, $750,000.00 apiece wasn't a large amount of money in the grand scheme of things, but it would be a start.
Ken had laughed, said it couldn't be done and even if it could, he still wouldn't be a party to it. Ed hadn't figured on someone hitching a ride, either. Both men would have to be eliminated. Ken was a friend, but he had become a liability. Relaxing, he dozed until the action would start.
A few hours later, in the cockpit, Jim asked Ken to take over while he got them coffee. They had been airborne for two hours and Jim had already made some course corrections. The jet was making a long turn to the north. Ken had frowned at him, but had said nothing.
Jim came through the cockpit door, entered the cabin and nodded at Ed. The four partners rose and started donning flight suits and oxygen masks. Larry stood up and asked, "What the hell is going on here?" The other four men ignored him and Larry then pulled his gun and aimed it at Ed.
Before Larry could say another word, Joe hit him from behind, but was hampered by the cumbersome suit being only half-way on. Larry swung around, shot at Joe, missed and hit a window, shattering it. The effect was immediate. Everything that wasn't tied down was sucked through the broken window. The men had to scramble to grab hold of something to hold on to.
In the cockpit, Ken was surprised when the jet reacted to the loss of pressure, saying to himself, "What the hell?" At that moment, Jim struggled to get back into the cockpit and sit in his seat. Ken looked at him and shouted, "What happened?" Jim pulled his gun out of his shoulder rig and killed his friend. Blood splattered against the side window as Ken jerked back into the seat. As the pressure stabilized, Jim strove to bring the aircraft back under control. Using his skill, he brought the jet down to a lower and safer altitude before turning off the GPS unit. However, despite his expertise the plane continued to flounder. With the GPS unit off they could no longer be tracked. Jim wondered briefly if that was a good idea, after all.
Back in the cabin, Larry had escaped to the back of the plane using seatbacks for cover. Knowing he was no match for the other three men and already badly wounded, he was determined they wouldn't get the money. He clawed at the opening to the tail cone, firing back to keep the others at bay; he shifted the levers, pulled them up, thus allowing the the portal to the tail cone to open. The money, along with Agent Williams was sucked out the back. The twenty foot of chain holding the heavy cases put a drag on the already crippled airplane. The chain began to unravel, then started to come apart. The weight of the suitcases finally caused the chain to break and the money dropped somewhere in the remote area of the mountains.
Inside the cabin, Ed was screaming and cursing, yelling for Jim to "Go back! Go back!" He didn't realize in his panic that the plane was loosing altitude. He ran into the cockpit, flung Ken out of the way and sat down. "You have to go back!" He shouted at Jim who was already fighting the jet, trying to keep it level.
"We're going down," Jim said needlessly.
"Where are we?" Ed whispered, finally realizing the gravity of the situation. He was unaware he was holding his breath.
"I'm not sure, somewhere over Yellowstone, I think. Just hold tight!"
The plane hit the ground at a high speed, careened through the pine trees, hitting rock and debris. The left wing sheered off. The plane traveled through deep snow, scrub and brush. The right wing sheered off as well, and windows were shattered. The jet scraped the left edge of a rock outcropping, slicing the door off, but slowing the aircraft. Finally it came to a rest on the edge of a deep ravine. It was snowing hard and the wind made an eerie noise as it whistled around the aircraft.
As the jet seemed to settle on its belly, dying, both men sat there for a few minutes, not sure if either was still alive.
Looking at each other, sharing a collective sigh, jumped up and headed to the cabin. Inside the cabin they found the side door gone, lots of broken windows and a gaping hole in the rear. Their partners were just starting to come around and sported a lot of cuts and bruises with which blood flowed freely. Ed started for the back of the plane.
"Everyone all right?" Jim inquired. He tended Gary, then Joe, checking for broken bones. There didn't seem to be any. All of them had been exteremly lucky.
"This your idea of a foolproof plan, you fucker?" Joe glared at Ed's back.
"Shut the fuck up and let me think," Ed yelled back.
Returning back to the front of the plane. "The money's gone," and looking at Jim with narrowed eyes, said, "You bring that tracking device?"
"Yeah," Jim answered and returned to the cockpit, unlocking a compartment and retrieving the instrument.
Returning to the cabin, he handed the device to Ed and said, "We're in real trouble here, but if we're where I think we are, well, there are manned Ranger Stations. But it will take awhile for a search and rescue team to get here with this storm."
"I'm freezing," Gary shivered
"First, we have to secure what's left of this plane. Set up some form of shelter. There are parkas and canvas blankets in some of these compartments. Let's get that body outside, too." Ed ordered them, heading to what was left of the rear area. Opening doors, he found some tarps and handed them and the coats to the others, explaining how to make a shelter inside the plane. After securing, as best they could, all the open portals and door, the four men hunkered down to wait out the storm. Checking the galley, the coffee pot was broken, but they found snacks and water, as well as soft drinks, so they were set for awhile. As they waited, they came up with an idea to get their money back. They had already killed two government men, what were a few more? After a few hours, the snow started to let up, but the wind continued to howl.
As the storm lessened, Jim rose and headed back to the cockpit to retrieve his radio. He ignored the GPS unit so they still couldn't be tracked, and instead started sending out SOS messages with his radio. It was late in the afternoon, but if he remembered correctly, the Ranger Stations, if he was right and they were in the Yellowstone Park, were manned for twenty-four hours a day. He wasn't quite sure where the jet had gone down, but if they were close to a road, it wouldn't take long for them to be found. Looking out the cockpit windows, it looked like they were in a pretty remote area, but since it was the beginning of May he was hoping that most roads would be open. The storm was letting up, so he went back to the cabin and stepped out of the side door of the jet to see if he could find a reference point.
~~~~~~~ YS ~~~~~~~
Chris Larabee walked into the building that housed their offices. He wore a scowl as his outward persona, but inside he was smiling. In fact, he felt like doing a little soft-shoe dance down the corridor. He wondered how that would look and the image actually caused him to smile. He was a happy man! He and Vin had spent a wonderful, no scratch that, a perfect weekend together. They had gone riding on Saturday, getting home just before the storm hit. Before they left, he had set up a crockpot, a gift from Mary, with beef, potatos, carrotts, onions and broth. While the storm raged, they had feasted on beef stew, crusty french bread and beer. The two of them had cuddled in front of the fireplace, wrapped in a quilt, just watching the flames. They had made love, twice, talked a little, but mostly just enjoyed the peace, solitude and love they shared. Sunday had been much of the same. Yeah, a perfect weekend! And even though the storm clouds were still over them and still raging in the higher elevations, Monday always meant going back to work.
He entered their offices, paused at the desk, "Any messages?"
"No, it's been pretty quiet so far, sir." The young intern answered.
"Where is everyone?" Larabee wanted to know as he looked around.
"Well JD called, said he would be in a little later. I think he's stuck in a snowbank at Miz Nettie's place. Nathan is over at the clinic, Josiah and Buck are having breakfast and I haven't heard from Vin, yet."
"I saw Vin at his camper, he'll be here in a few minutes," Chris told the young man, grinning, he said, "So JD's stuck in a snowbank, huh?"
"That's what he said when he called. Vin didn't try to stay in his camper, did he? I mean is that thing even insulated?" The intern asked, aghast.
Chris, who was still grinning said, "No, he didn't try to stay there, and I'm sure he found suitable quarters. Oh, here he comes."
They smiled and nodded at each other as Chris headed into his office and Vin to his desk. Buck and Josiah returned from breakfast and JD showed up about twenty minutes later after having dropped Casey off at work. Ms. Nettie had ridden in with Josiah.
It was an uneventful day. Nothing exciting happened to give a hint of the bedlam to come. Each ranger worked on his paperwork, did his usual rounds, and checked which local schools had tours planned for the week. The snow had stopped by the time the men met for lunch.
After lunch was more of the same. It was early in the season and not many tourists visited before Memorial Day. Only the more hardy and adventurous hikers managed to brave the rugged terrain in the winter.
Chris stepped out of his office, calling to Vin and JD. "Can I see you in my office in a few minutes?" and headed to the breakroom for coffee.
Josiah took over the desk.
Vin and JD both took a chair near Chris's desk and Larabee began, "An aircraft from the Treasury Department has gone missing from radar. There were several agents on board. The NPS called Travis to give us a heads-up and be on the lookout. They think it might have gone down somewhere in the park. They tried tracking it by GPS, but couldn't get a good fix on it. Vin, you know the back country better than anyone, I'll give you the coordinates where they lost contact. Check the map and see what you can come up with. JD, I know, you know your business, but if we get any mayday calls, let me know, pronto. That's all for now, but if I hear any more I'll let you know."
"Be glad to," Vin agreed and took the numbers from his boss. JD nodded on his way out the door.
Around 4:00 p.m. JD received the first SOS call. "Somebody out there? Help, we need help, anyone hear us?"
"This is the Ranger Station at Mammoth Hot Springs, what is the nature of your emergency, over."
"This is a Treasury Flight from Seattle, Washington. Call letters TR3598, we have crash landed somewhere in the mountains. We were headed to Denver when our plane developed electrical problems, over."
"How many are in your party? Over." JD hit the intercom button for Chris's office.
"There are two of us alive. My Co-Pilot is dead. We aren't dressed for this weather. Can you help us? Over"
Chris walked into the office area. Vin and Buck were already standing next to JD listening to the call.
"What's going on? Is this the missing agents?" Larabee inquired.
Buck answered, "Yeah, it's the mayday call from that missing plane. JD, ask him to step outside and see what's around him."
"Can you step outside, check for landmarks? Over."
"I did, there is a cylinder shaped rock formation to our left. In front of us is a deep chasm. A few more feet and we'd gone over. Over."
"That's up at Electric Peak, but he must be purty high ta be able ta see Spiral Rock." Vin mused. "And no where near the numbers you gave me, Boss. That's way north of where they should be. Tell 'em someone will be there in 'bout four ta five hours."
"Our search and rescue will be there in four or five hours. Stay in the plane as much as possible without endangering yourselves. Any questions?"
"No, we'll see ya when ya get here. Please bring food and something warm, we're freezing. Out."
"Mammoth Hot Springs, out."
"The S&R Team is up at the Reservation." Vin said, "Some fool tried to drive over the mountain in this weather. He ended up in a ravine. It'll be dark before they get back. Why don't I take 'em some supplies to get through tonight and S&R can come get us in the morning?"
"I'll go with you, Vin" Buck volunteered.
"Think two of you will be enough? That's pretty rough country up there." Chris asked. "And this storm may still be blowing up there."
"I think me 'n Vin'll be able to handle it, Chris. We'll take some cold weather jackets, snowshoes, some warm soup, set up for the night and bring 'em back in the morning. Piece of cake."
"Don't forget the body." JD reminded them.
Vin grimaced, "Reckon we best take a body bag with us. Search and rescue will be able to help us in the morning."
"You sure the two of you can handle all that?" Chris frowned. "That's a lot of gear."
"Yeah, I think we'll be all right. If you want ta go cowboy, just say so." Vin grinned.
"I wish I could, but I have that budget meeting with Travis. Come into my office before you leave, will you?" Larabee turned to leave followed by Tanner.
Inside his office, Chris pulled Vin into a far corner where they couldn't be seen and kissed him lightly. "Be careful out there," he breathed, kissing the man again.
"I'm always careful, cowboy. This is really a simple rescue. Just gotta show these greenhorns how to get back to civilization, is all. We'll be back tomorrow sometime, Chris. Remember, I love you," he murmured, returning the kiss.
Vin met up with Buck outside of Chris's office. "Well, we best get started."
Buck led Vin to the equipment area, where they found the goods needed for the trek. "Wish we could ride up there, but with the storm last night, I'm sure it would be to dangerous for the horses," Buck stated. "Maybe Josiah will be able to drive us part way."
"I'll be more than happy to take you guys as far as I can," Josiah answered, startling both men.
"Didn't know you were there, Josiah. I think we should make you wear bells or something!" Buck joked.
After carefully checking their gear and rechecking that they had the right amount of food for the trip and fresh batteries for their radios, Buck and Vin set off on their rescue mission. Josiah drove the men as far as he could safely take them. Ever the cautious one, Josiah told Buck and Vin, "I know these are Government Agents you're going to rescue, but something ain't right. I can feel it in these old bones. In case you run into trouble, radio in and say it's warm and sunny. I'll know you'll need help. Radio me at base tomorrow when you're close to the drop off point and I'll meet you fellows. Give you a ride back to headquarters."
"Like ya say, Josiah, it's agents, what could go wrong?" Vin grinned.
~~~~~~~ YS ~~~~~~~
Putting the radio down and smiling wickedly, Jim looked around at the others, "Help is on the way, fellows. Most of those Forest Rangers know every bit of this park, so once they're here, we'll activate that tracking device. One of 'em will know where the co-ordinates lead. We'll make him take us to the money, then get rid of 'em. That hole in front of us will hide their bodies until next spring."
Ed nodded, liking the plan more and more. Instead of going to Canada, they could divide the money here. Idaho and Montana had some very remote places to hide out for awhile, lots of small towns to get lost in. Actually Gary and Joe had become liabilities, always whining and complaining. After the rangers led them to the cash, well, that hole could hold more bodies. Jim had already killed his best friend in cold blood, what was to stop him from killing a few more? The wicked, evil grin on Ed's face said it all.
Part 2
Buck and Vin walked in single file, their snowshoes making the trek easier. Vin led the pair because he was more familiar with the snow covered trail. The storm, over the weekend, had dumped several feet of snow on the ground and the wind had blown it around in swirls. The going was rough, but the trail was passable. With Josiah giving them a ride as far as he could, the men arrived at the wreck in just under four hours.~~~~~~~ YS ~~~~~~~
Chris called the Federal Reserve Bank in Seattle and spoke to an Agent Crews about the situation and was surprised by what she had to say. "There were six agents aboard that plane, Mr. Larabee. You're a Ranger in Yellowstone National Park? That jet was headed for Denver! How could it be so far north, I don't understand. What are the survivor's names?"
Larabee replied, "The agent that sent the mayday didn't give us any names, but he said the co-pilot was dead and just the two of them were alive."
"I'm glad that two of them survived, of course, but I'm wondering what happened to the other three. Would you have one of the agents call me once they are safely back at your headquarters and, if you don't mind, fax me a copy of the rescue report?"
"Yes, I'll have them call you and I'll send the report as soon as I can."
"Thank you Mr. Larabee. Oh, and thank you for calling me," she added as an afterthought.
Senior Agent Crews hung up the phone, turned her chair and looked out the window at the snow capped mountains. Biting her lip, she hoped this was a tragic accident and not a pathetic attempt to steal the three million dollars.
Larabee hung up the phone wondering, 'what isn't she telling me?' Feeling more was going on than met the eye, he mentally shrugged and headed on out to Orin Travis's office for their meeting. He'd talk to the superintendent about it.
~~~~~~~ YS ~~~~~~~
Ed watched as the rangers made their way up the steep slope. Because of the total darkness, their flashlights cast an eerie glow around the snow covered terrain. Stepping forward, he said quietly, "Here they come, everyone just stay cool." He put on a happy face, held his hand out and said to the rangers, "Are we ever glad to see you guys. There's only two of you?"
Vin swung his backpack off, grinned and shook Ed's hand. "Howdy," he said. Dark as it was, their flashlight's shed enough light to see the two stranded men easily.
Buck shook the man's hand. "How you fella's doin'? Are either of you hurt? No, well okay then, that's good. Yeah, there's just the two of us. We'll set up camp and get you fellows fed, we got warm clothes for you too. I'm Buck, this here's Vin." Buck advised the men in his jovial manner. "It's too dangerous to start back tonight, especially if you don't know the trail real good. Now Vin here is a tracker, he could find his way back in a snowstorm with a blindfold on."
Buck laughed at his joke and started digging a hole for the fire and lining it with rocks.
Vin opened his pack, untied the parkas they'd brought, but looking up noticed two more men. The four of them were wearing parkas already and didn't appear to be freezing at all. Standing up and looking around at the four men, "Buck," he said, "We got comp'ny."
Buck looked around, "Well hi...," he said, surprised. "We only brought enough for the two, but I guess we can share."
"Reckon you fella's won't need the jackets we brought." Vin could tell the men wore good quality coats, because he wore a similiar one. "I thought you said there was just the two of you..."
Part 3
Someone grabbed Vin from behind in a chokehold. A gun was shoved roughly into his cheek. "What's going on?" He drawled grabbing his captors arm to keep from being choked.Buck stood up and held out his hands in surrender saying, "Whoa now, just hold on. Me 'n Vin don't mind sharing, do we Vin." The ladies man tried to make light of the situation, hoping it wasn't as bad as it looked. "We don't want any trouble, we're here to help you out and get you back home safely. That's all." The big man noticed all four men had their guns pointed at them. "What do you want with us?"
"Shut up!" Jim said savagely. "Get their guns and don't do anything stupid. Remember, we need at least one of them."
Vin's captor shoved him toward Buck as their service revolvers and radios were taken away. Vin sighed a quiet sigh of relief when the agents didn't pat them down more thoroughly.
After the agents took their radios, Buck decided to try a bluff. "If we don't check-in every hour someone will come looking for us. Now if you fellows will just tell us what you want, I can have it brought up with the search party." Vin scowled and nodded in agreement.
"Check in now and tell 'em you're turning in for the night. Go ahead and no tricks or all they'll hear is me blowing your damn head off." Jim ordered, handing a radio back to Buck.
Buck took the radio, looked at Vin and said, "Base MR90, this is 702, come in base."
JD answered immediately, "702, you get there? Is everyone okay? Buck, everyone's go..."
"JD, this is our check-in call." Buck interrupted, "We arrived a little bit ago, everyone's okay and we are starting to set up camp now. We'll start back in the morning. Tell Josiah it's suppose to be sunny and warm tomorrow. Don't forget, sunny and warm. We'll see you when we get there...702 out" He shut the radio off and handed it back to their captor.
JD started to say, "I don't...," but Buck had already signed off. Hmm, he thought, that was strange and wrote sunny and warm on his notepad. His relief, Jerry Noonan had come through the door, waved at JD and went to get coffee. They talked a few minutes, then JD went to meet Casey forgetting about the message.
"What the hell do you want with us," Tanner demanded.
Ed produced a tracking device and turned it on. The icon showed a visual of a satellite image of the mountains. A light blinked incessently against the blue background. Co-ordinates displayed where the light was located.
"Do either of you know where this is?" Ed growled.
The two rangers looked at each other and Vin shrugged and gave a small shake of his head. The gun was once again viscously jammed into his cheek bone, "We only need one of you and your friend has already said you're the tracker, so his life is in your hands. Now, I'll ask you again, do you know where this place is?"
Glancing over at his friend, he saw Buck was on his knees a gun at his head. "Yeah, I do." He muttered riled.
"Okay, now we're getting somewhere. Where is it and how do we get there?" The gun was still pressed into his face.
"You remember the rock tower you described to us as a landmark? It's over that way. Probably on a ledge behind Spiral Rock."
"How do we get there?"
Vin rubbed the side of his face knowing he'd have a bruise in the morning. "It's maybe a half days hike from here. Let Buck go and I'll take you there." He growled.
"You're gonna take us there, anyway! Both of you are going with us." Jim added, "And if you try anything, there'll only be one of you left for us to worry about," shoving Vin away from him.
Ed looked at the other two men. "Joe, why don't you and Gary start getting the cabin set up for us to sleep in tonight." Looking at Buck, "Finish whatever you were fixing for dinner. And you," nodding at Vin, "Unload those backpacks and let's see what you brought with you."
Gary roared at Ed, "Who the hell put you in charge here?"
"My rank puts me in charge! I'm the senior agent."
Gary stood up, "You're the senior agent of what? It may have escaped your notice, but we are now considered rogue agents. We've missed the boat, Ed. We're way overdue in Denver and I'm sure they've called Seattle by now. APB's are probably out on us already. Don't forget their people," nodding at the two rangers, "They'll come looking for these two tomorrow. And anyway, where the hell are we?" Gary looked around, "Out in the middle of fucking nowhere, that's where! Do you see any lights? Even one? I've never seen dark like this before. It's like the goddamned walls are closing in." He shouted.
Ed shot a murderous glare at Gary.
Joe just wanted to go home and pretend none of this was happening. Why didn't he say no and stay at home. Look at Ken, murdered by his supposed best friend. They were all fucked now. No one was suppose to be hurt, much less killed. Ken had a wife and two kids. He wondered about the FBI Agent. Did he have a family? Now these two rangers would have to be taken out. Did they have families that depended on them? Well, too bad because they couldn't afford to leave witnesses. And his wife, they were supposed to meet up in Vancouver, but now he'd have to completely disappear. They'd most likely be watching her for the rest of her life. He really loved her, too. Yep, his life was fucked now, but someone had to say something before Ed shot them all. "Look guys, let's not start fighting among ourselves. Let's just get through the night, get the money, split it up and let these gentlemen," looking at Buck and Vin, "Take us back to civilization so we can be on our way."
Everyone nodded their agreement and started on their assigned tasks. Vin handed Gary the body bag and with Joe's help, secured Ken's body.
Vin and Buck glanced at each other and knew they'd be killed once this was over. Buck prayed JD gave Josiah the message.
"Are there any bears around here?" Gary asked, trying to see into the darkness.
Buck couldn't help himself, "Yeah, there are bears around here. There's probably three or four headed this way right now."
Vin smirked and added, "They can smell fear a mile off."
Part 4
The night passed uneventful. Vin and Buck sat next to each other, handcuffed to their seats. Each agent sat back in a seat and from the stresses of the day were soon out cold."Buck," Vin whispered, listening to the others snore.
"Yeah Vin?"
"Promise me you'll get away if you have the chance."
"I ain't leaving you Junior, so forget it."
"You have to Buck! You're our only chance. They think I'm the only one can lead them to a road and I want them to keep on thinking that. That'll give you a chance to get away and get help. It's our only chance."
"Vin, don't make me do this, if anything happened to you, Chris would...,"
"How do you think he'll feel if we could of got help, but didn't? Is that gonna make him feel any better if both of us get killed?"
"No, of course not, I...,"
"Promise me pard! I think I can create some sorta diversion."
"Okay, but only if you promise me not to do something stupid and get us both killed in the process." Smiling, "and you try and get away too."
Vin grinned, "Yeah, I promise." Sighing, "If by some chance I don't make it, will you tell Lar'bee..., well, tell him..., just tell 'em..., well hell, just tell 'em my last thought was.., you know, well..., about him."
"No! I won't tell him that, so you just better make it so you can tell 'em yourself, understand!"
"Shit Buck, You'd think I was asking for the moon."
"You are, Vin." The ladies man felt sick. If anything happened to Vin, he'd lose his friend, too. Chris was just now coming to grips with the death of his family. "You'd best close your eyes and get some sleep. We'll need to be at our best tomorrow. I'll take first watch."
"Okay." Leaning back, he closed his eyes and wondered what Chris was doing and if he'd ever see him again.
Part 5
When Chris awoke Tuesday morning, he just knew it was going to be a bad day. Groaning, wishing he could stay in bed, he rose, showered, shaved, dressed and headed out to work. The day was overcast and it looked like it might snow again. At the Grille, he met Josiah and Nathan for breakfast. Afterwards, they all headed to work.Stopping at the desk, Larabee asked if there were any messages. Jerry, who was trying to catch up on his homework, searched through his stack of papers and knocked some of them to the floor.
"No, sir, no messages," he finally said.
Josiah bent to pick up the papers for Jerry, but noticed the words, 'sunny and warm' written on a notepad.
"Who wrote this?" Josiah ask, butterflies taking flight in his stomach.
"Wrote what?" Jerry looked up at him.
"This, these words, sunny and warm on this notepad?"
"JD I guess. Why?"
"Get JD on the phone, now!" Josiah ordered.
"Now? It's only 7:00 a.m., he doesn't come in until noon today." Jerry answered.
Chris looked at Josiah, a questioning look on his face.
"This was the code words I gave them to use in case they ran into trouble. I don't know why, I just had a gut feeling something wasn't right with that call yesterday."
"Isn't JD answering his phone, try his cell." Chris said to Jerry.
"N..no, I haven't called him."
"Didn't you hear the man, he said to call JD, do it now!" Larabee felt a knot forming in his gut. They waited for JD to answer.
Finally a sleepy voice said, "Hello?"
Josiah bellowed, "JD, what is this message sunny and warm?"
JD sat up in bed saying, "Huh, what message?"
"The message on your notepad, it says sunny and warm. Who gave you the message?"
He sat up a little straighter, "That was from Buck. He called in last night after everyone was gone and said they would start back today. Something about it being sunny or something. I tried to tell him it was going to be overcast, but he signed off before I could say anything. I didn't think it was anything important. I thought it was Buck, just being Buck. Is something wrong?"
"JD, I think you should come on in," looking up at Larabee and getting a nod, "We're going to need all the help we can get." Josiah said quietly, although alarm bells were still going off in his belly.
"Okay, I'll be there." JD now wide awake, assured him.
After hanging up, Josiah said, "Let's go in your office Chris, we need to talk."
Larabee nodded and led the way. Once both men were seated comfortably, "Talk to me, Josiah." He said.
Taking a deep breath, "Have you ever known an electrical problem to bring down a plane? According to the people in Seattle, there were six agents aboard that aircraft, so why are there only two survivors? I'm afraid Vin and Buck got up there and found trouble. Otherwise, why would he call in the code? Was that plane carrying anything besides agents?"
"Well," Chris pursed his lips, "It was being used by the Federal Reserve Bank there in Seattle and it was headed to Denver. So it probably had money on board" Chris frowned.
Josiah went on, "We might have some rogue agents. Something went wrong, maybe a falling out among thieves. What brings an aircraft down?"
"Gun play..., Damn!" Larabee brought his chair straight up. "Vin's out there with Buck. Okay, let's not panic, we'll try and get them on the radio. You do that and I'll talk to Orin." Josiah left the office and Chris reached for the telephone dialing his Orin's cellphone.
Orin Travis answered on the second ring. "I'm having breakfast so this had better be important."
Although butterflies were tearing up his stomach, Chris grinned at the answer. "It is, sir!" He replied, Looking up as Josiah returned to his office shaking his head. "I couldn't raise them. Got nothing but static."
"Orin, I believe we've uncovered a bank robbery," he told Travis. He paused, listening, "Yes, we'll be right over. Thanks."
And with that, Larabee and Sanchez were on their way over to the Travis home, leaving orders that JD was to stay where he could be reached once he arrived.
Part 6
The bright orange rescue helicopter circled the Electric Peak area. Arriving at the location where Vin had figured the aircraft may have gone down. The pilot spotted the trailings of the downed jet. Debris was scattered all over the ground, wings flung off into the forests. Trees and bushes were uprooted revealing the path the doomed plane had taken.Searching for a place to land the big bird, the pilot, John Cross, found a space at a lower elevation and about a hundred yards from the jet. Larabee, Jackson, Sanchez and Cross hiked back up to the plane and began inspecting it. Debris was scattered around the campsite. Vin and Buck's backpacks still rested against a tree, remanants of a fire still evident and the cookstove was laying on its side. Equipment and supplies lay on the ground in disarray. Snowshoes lay beyond the camp, one was hanging from a tree. The men shook their heads at the mess confronting them. Larabee bent over and picked up one of the smashed radios. Sighing heavily, he tossed it aside.
"I wish you could have flown those two up here yesterday. Although I wouldn't have wanted to put you in any danger." Larabee frowned, talking to John.
"I wish I could have brought them up, too. Maybe the bad guys would have thought twice about jumping three guys."
Larabee clapped the pilot's shoulder, "Don't blame yourself. I know the wind was too strong to fly this bird and we just weren't sure about that storm. But you know Vin, if someone needs help..."
"I know Mr. Larabee. Let's just see if we can't find them now."
Josiah wandered away from the camp looking for a sign of where they may have headed, when he came across the bodybag.
"Hey, fellows," he called.
The three men followed, "What'd you find?" Larabee asked.
Pointing to the black sack, "Who do you think is in there?"
Chris and Nathan looked at each other, then knelt beside the bag. "Don't know, but we have to find out." They unzipped the bag and checked the face of the dead man. All four men, unknowingly, holding their breath.
"This must be the co-pilot. He took a bullet between the eyes. I'd guess he never saw it comin'." Nathan surmised.
Walking back to the aircraft, they discussed the missing tail part and after checking again inside the plane they discussed what they were going to do next.
The pilot suggested "Do you think they may be on their way down the mountain?"
"No, I think we would have spotted them. Vin or Buck would have found a way to signal us." Josiah guessed.
Larabee bit his bottom lip, "Is there a back trail out of here? It stands to reason, if they've stolen money, these agents would want to avoid populated areas and stick to, say a deserted trail, into one of these small towns around here."
"They would certainly need a guide for that, but what's going to happen once they reach a town? They sure wouldn't need guides after that..." Nathan said quietly.
Josiah answered, "Buck and Vin are too smart to just take these yahoo's to safety. They'd know the score. And there are tracks a blind man could follow leading off that way." Pointing towards the rock tower, he continued, "I think it's a bit more complicated than just needing a way out of here."
As Josiah pointed at Spiral Rock, the men all turned, as if looking for a sign of where the lost men were located. Suddenly there was the faint sound of an explosian and the rangers stared in horrified shock as the side of the distant mountain broke loose, watching as the avalanche began its cascade down the mountainside. A faint eerie scream of someone caught in the maelstorm echoed its way back at them.
"What the fuck?" Larabee muttered.
"I think we may have found our missing brothers," Josiah declared quietly.
John was already heading towards the chopper, "Come on, we'll do a fly by." He exclaimed.
Chris took another look in the distance, 'I'm coming cowboy, just hang on, I'm coming to get you. I won't let you down, I promise.' He then turned and headed for the chopper with the others.
Part 7
When Buck awoke he was momentarily confused. He knew he wasn't in his bed, and while that was nothing new, he seemed to have slept sitting up. Glancing to the side, Vin grinned at him. "Never thought you'd wake up next ta me, did you?"Buck shivered as he grinned back, "No, not in this lifetime anyway. You all right?"
He nodded his head and stared at Ed, who was still trying to figure out where he was and why. The temperature had dropped during the night and ice had formed inside the cabin.
Ed rubbed his face and knuckled his eyes, hating this feeling of confusion. He was so cold his limbs had stiffened up and he was having trouble moving.
"Do you mind unlocking these handcuffs? I gotta take a piss." Vin expressed to his captor. "It's Ed, ain't it?" Receiving a nod, Vin went on, "Unlock us and Buck here'll get coffee on and fix breakfast. Coffee'll help warm us up some."
~~~~~~~ YS ~~~~~~~
While Buck fixed breakfast, Vin started to repack the backpacks. The night before, he and the ladies man had put the co-pilot's body in the body bag and carried it away from the camp. They hadn't carried it far but by putting it in the bag, would keep the predators away from the body and them.
As he was packing up, Ed approached him, kicked at his hands, "What the fuck ya think you're doing?"
Jerking his hands back, he said "Gettin' things stowed. We gotta long hike in front of us, we'll need these supplies." Luckily, Vin had already managed to stow the small GPS Unit in the inside pocket of his parka.
"We ain't taking anything. It'll just slow us down and I want to be clear of this mountain today!" Turning to his cohorts, "Fill your pockets with these bags of trail mix and jerky they brought and we'll eat as we go."
Buck started dishing out the food he'd prepared. "Any of you fellows ever hiked in the mountains before?"
Receiving only negative responses, Buck warned, "Hiking in these parts is purty tough work and Spiral Rock is about eight or ten miles away. We're at a high elevation here. Your lungs and your body has to work harder, so I'd suggest you let Vin pack up the supplies we'll need."
Joe and Gary looked at Ed with questioning eyes. "Maybe we ought to listen..."
"Fuck it! You want to stay on this damn mountain all day, go ahead. Eat up and let's get the hell outa here. What're you doing now?" Looking at Buck.
"I'm packing the cookstove..." Buck answered as Ed's foot kicked the stove over. "I said, we ain't taking nothing!" Ed growled as he started throwing equipment and supplies away. He then began sticking the trail mix inside his pockets.
~~~~~~~ YS ~~~~~~~
About four hours later, the six hikers reached the lower shelf of the tower they called Spiral Rock. The front of the tower jutted straight up out of the top of the mountain. Behind the tower was a sort of path that led upward to various levels and shelves.
Ed had kept the tracking device on and it was easy to see they were getting close to one of the money cases. The four agents were breathing hard. This hike was taking its toll on them. The only thing that kept Jim and Ed moving was the sure promise of the money. The two men had decided they'd split this case. If Joe or Gary wanted any of the money, they'd have to track down the second case by themselves. Jim smirked to himself, if they were still alive, that is. Jim knew he'd have to kill everyone once the money was retrieved. He just wasn't sure if Ed had the stomach for it.
"Well, where is it?" Jim growled looking around.
Vin pointed to an upper ledge, "Somewhere up there," he said. "I'll go get it."
"No!" Ed said, stepping in front of the tracker. Looking at the trail up to the higher shelf, he started to climb. He kept slipping on the ice covered path and Ed knew he'd never make it up to the higher level. Sighing, knowing that his shoes weren't made for climbing, he looked at Tanner, "You stay with us. You..," Ed nodded at Buck. "You get it and bring it back. And don't try anything funny."
Buck and Vin looked at each other a silent agreement reached. 'Don't come back, go for help' and Buck started the trek, winding his way upwards, towards the place where the co-ordinates said the first case could be located. It wasn't an easy journey, it was about thirty feet up an icy, snowy, slippery slope. The ladies man reached the ledge, checked the area and under a few inches of snow spied the red blinking light. Curious as to what was in it, he found a rock and tried to smash the locks. The locks wouldn't budge. Buck sat there a moment, his anger rising, thinking about what he needed to do. He hated to leave Vin, but he was their only hope of getting help.
Below, where the others waited, Ed told Jim, "Kill him when he comes back."
Jim nodded in agreement. Glancing back at Gary and Joe, Ed winked at Jim, 'them too.'
Vin watched the silent exchange, stepped forward and shouted upward, "Buck, Bucklin, they're gonna kill you. Stay back!"
Ed backhanded Tanner, knocking him down and kicking him in the ribs. "Shut the fuck up asshole!"
Buck's anger rose to a boiling point and picking up the case, flung it out as far from the ledge as he could. "This what you want? Here take it!" The case sailed through the air, bounced on the edge of the shelf the five men were on, broke open and fell over the side. The case dropped like a rock, but the money floated out into the air, gently adrift, wafting slowly past, just out of reach of the four agents. The wind would catch a bill in an updraft, teasingly, swirl it upwards then settle quietly on its trip back to earth. And continued to do so, seemingly, with each bill it encountered.
Jim went beserk! "I'll kill you, you sonofabitch, I kill you!" Took out his gun and started firing wildly up at the mountain. Still screaming and firing, he didn't realize what was going to happen.
Buck had already found a shelter under an rock overhang, fitting his large frame in a rock crevice. The explosion came as no surprise to him as tons of ice and snow broke loose and began to slide down the mountain.
Vin had rolled over and was back on his feet heading back towards a rock bridge for cover. He was followed closely by the three others. Ed had shouted for Jim to stop firing, but Jim's frustration had hit its limit.
A small chunk of ice hit Jim in the chest knocking him backwards. He staggered, stepped backwards and lost his footing. Jim kept scrambling for something to grab, to hold on to, but there was nothing but air and within a few seconds went over the side. The grim reality of what was happening hit him and he screamed out his terror and defeat, which echoed around the canyon walls. Soon, the quiet was deafening.
Once the snow stopped its deadly slide, Ed gave Vin a murderous glare. Of course, after receiving one of Larabee's glares, this one hardly registered. They huddled under the bridge rock formation as the debris had slid past.
"What the fuck we gonna do now," Gary glowered at Ed. He was slowly reaching his limit, but knew he had to go on.
"We're going to find that second case and get the hell outa here." Ed looked around, "Your friend just had the most expensive funeral ever!" Ed gritted his teeth at Vin.
"So did your friend, was it worth it?" Tanner quierd, wiping blood from his mouth.
~~~~~~~ YS ~~~~~~~
Buck slid out of the rock crevice. He'd heard the scream and wondered who went over. He was pretty sure it wasn't Vin, Tanner was raised in these parts and would know to get out of the way of an avalanche. He headed for a hikers shelter he knew was close. There he'd find warmth and a radio.
Part 8
When Buck reached the hiker's shelter, all he wanted to do was eat, get warm and sleep. He knew he couldn't start a fire. Vin would be in real trouble if the guy's holding him spotted any smoke. And he certainly couldn't take time to rest. As for getting warm, well the inside of the cabin was warmer than being outside. Even though it was still overcast and looking like it might snow again, the temperature outside had risen above freezing and that had helped.The radios in these cabins were set to the emergency frequency, so he was hoping to raise the base radio.
"Base MR90, come in, please come in." He waited a few minutes and tried again, "Base MR90, this is 702, come in, over."
"Buck! Buck is that you? Oh..., this is Base MR90, 702, are you okay?"
"JD? Son am I ever glad to hear you, did you give Josiah my message, over?"
"Yes, Buck, I did. Chris and the others are up at the wreckage right now. Where are you? Over."
"Get Chris on the line, JD, I need to talk to him."
"I'll patch him in. Just a minute." The line went dead for a few minutes while JD tried to contact his boss.
"Base MR90 to 701, come in, 701."
"This is 701. What do you need JD? Over."
"701, go to the emergency frequency, please. I'll meet you there, out" and with that JD was gone.
Chris switched frequencies, a little annoyed. JD knew they were searching for Buck and Vin, what else could be more important.
"Okay base, this is 701, what's the emergency?"
"Chris?" Buck said, without using radio etiquette.
"Buck? Damn, where are you? Are you two all right?"
"I don't want to talk on an open line, Chris..."
"Where are you?"
"I'm at hikers shelter two. Where can we meet?"
"We're in the chopper headed that way now. We saw the avalanche and decided to investigate. We'll meet you at the trail west of there."
"I'll be there, it'll probably take me a few minutes."
"We'll wait, don't worry. Buck is Vin there with you? Are the both of you all right?" Chris had to know.
"I'll talk to you when you get here, Chris, out."
Chris's chest began to hurt. He thought he was going to be sick if he didn't find out something soon. Buck sounded so ominous, he just knew the news wasn't good.
~~~~~~~ YS ~~~~~~~
Vin heard the chopper before he saw it. He turned and looked up as the orange bird flew bye. Closing his eyes, he thought of his lover and knew Chris was close.
Ed gave him a hard shove, "Get going," he demanded.
Joe stopped and looked up also, "Hey, why can't we hitch a ride from that chopper? It's from search and rescue, let's let them rescue us! I'm so goddamned cold, I'll never get warm again."
"Because stupid, it's probably a bunch of cops just itching to put us in jail and split the money among themselves."
Vin could see Ed was getting edgy. The altitude and stress was beginning to wear on Ed's nerves. An escape plan started formulating in his head. He was pretty sure Buck was all right, but he knew if the chance arose, he'd have to save himself. Vin figured Larabee would be mighty pissed if he got himself killed. He felt a little grin play at his mouth. The picture of Chris forcing his way into hell just to shoot him again, made him smile.
"What money! We ain't got any money and probably never will. So far your 'can't fail' plan is working so fucking great! And you really think he's going to lead us to it?" Pointing at Vin. "He's leading us into a fucking trap, you just wait and see if he don't!" Joe shouted at Ed. "And what in the hell is so funny?" Joe bellowed at Vin's smirk.
Vin watched as the two men tried to out stare each other. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not if they turned on each other. He'd likely as not get caught in the crossfire, so he had to be ready to move. But as the chopper disappeared behind the trees, he did feel better knowing Larabee was near.
~~~~~~~ YS ~~~~~~~
John Cross found an open clearing and set the big bird down lightly. Buck ran out of the trees and with the help of Nathan and Josiah clambered inside the warm opening. Taking off his gloves, he blew on cold fingers. "Damn, am I glad to see you boys!" he exclaimed.
Chris turned from his front seat position to face Buck in the back. "Where's Vin?" he wanted to know.
"He's still with those agents..." Buck started to say.
"You left him!" Larabee exploded, grabbing Buck with one hand by the front of his parka, "You left him with them!"
"Hang on there, brother. Let's let Buck tell us what happened. Here Buck, eat this." Josiah handed him some trail mix as Chris let go of his friend.
"Sorry...," he apologized.
"They ain't gonna hurt Vin. They know he's the only way off this mountain. They jumped us when we got to the wreck. They'd already killed the co-pilot before we got there, We figured he didn't want any part of the scheme. Seems there was a couple cases of money in the back of the plane and when they lost the tail part, they lost the money too. That's why they needed us, to guide them to it. They had a tracking device. Their Treasury Agents, Chris. They'd plan to steal the money, but something went wrong. We never did find out what. They mentioned someone else named Larry, but we didn't see him. We figured he was dead along with the co-pilot." Nathan handed him a cup of coffee with a self-heating element. Buck took the mug and cupped his hands around the hot container.
"The first case dropped just above Spiral Rock. They sent me up to get it, but once I's up there, I heard Vin yell for me not to come back, they were planning to kill me. That's when I tossed that case over the ledge and then one of 'em started shooting up at me. Course, all them bullets hittin' that ice, just naturally broke it apart. You saw the slide?" Buck stopped to take a breath and drink some coffee.
"I didn't want to leave Vin, but he'd made me promise if I got the chance to, well..." Buck started to choke up with emotion. "Well, if we got the chance, one of us had to go for help. That was our only chance."
Chris answered contritly, "I know you wouldn't intentionly leave him alone. How many of them are there?"
"Well, we took four of 'em up to the tower, but I think one musta went over. The hike is taking its toll on 'em though. They're city boys Chris, desk jockeys not used to this climate. That's not ta say they ain't in good shape. Their agents, so they do work out, but they're not used to this altitude or cold." Buck had run out of words. Nathan offered him a bottle of water. "Thanks Nat."
Part 9
As Vin walked along the trail he watched diligently for other hikers. The season hadn't really started, but he'd kept these yahoos to a path unused by other campers. It was a hard and diffucult route and only the hardiest of tourists used it. And even though they were headed downhill, his captors were having a hard time keeping up. He was still watchful, however, since he didn't want to involve any innocent bystanders in his current troubles.He thought about his captors. He knew they were desperate and ruthless. In essence, these men had nothing to lose. Their theft had probably been discovered by now, an APB for their arrest issued. If Larabee was in that chopper, then they were already searching for them and that meant Buck had reached the hikers cabin and a radio.
Actually, he was glad that Jim was no longer with them, although he hated to see the man go over the side and shivered in rememberance. Vin figured Ed was a bully and a coward, a loud mouth that shouted orders, but Jim was the cold-blooded one. The one that would pull the trigger and never bat an eye.
And the look on their faces when that case had popped open and all that money come flying out. Shaking his head, still amazed at the way the money had floated in the air. He tried to imagine how he'd spend that kind of money, but after careful thought, he couldn't think of a thing. His life was simple and he wanted to keep it that way. He thought of Larabee and their life. He still wasn't too sure of that situation. Vin knew he was in love with the man and Chris said he loved him too, but if the right lady came along..., well, Vin just wasn't sure.
"Hey, you!" Ed called, winded. "Slow... down, ...let's rest again."
Tanner stopped walking and squated on his heels near a ledge that overlooked a distant waterfall. It was a beautiful overlook, the scene calm and serene. He could hear the snow melting and water running nearby. Looking up at the sky, Vin could tell they were going to get a little more snow, probably tonight, right now the temperature seemed to be warming up a little.
Ed sat down and wiped his forehead with his handkerchief. Joe came next and made himself comfortable. Gary was lagging farther and farther behind and it was taking him longer to catch up to them. Vin watched these men and knew they wouldn't last much longer. That's when he'd try and arrest them. The gun he kept tucked in his boot, gave him a feeling of reassurance. These men were agents, he still couldn't believe they didn't pat him and Buck down.
He stuck his hand inside his parka, switched on the GPS Unit and helped himself to a piece of jerky he had tucked in there.
"How much further?" Ed asked, startling Vin out of his thoughts.
"It's 'bout three miles. We'll have to watch out for bears or wolves," he informed him and grinned as Ed turned and warily looked around. Gary finally caught up with them and sat down breathing heavily.
"We... gonna.. be off... this mountain.. tonight?" He asked trying to catch his breath.
Ed answered more jovialy than he felt. "You bet we are! We'll get a room and have a steak dinner, all on me, fellows, then split the money."
Joe snorted. He'd believe that when he saw the lights of a town. Besides, he just didn't trust Ed. If they found any money, Ed would probably kill them all and hightail it out. His only hope was that he could kill Ed first.
Checking his watch and eyeing Vin surreptitiously, he was disgusted that after walking all day, this ranger hadn't even broken a sweat. He just sat there chewing on something, looking as if he didn't have a care in the world. Yes, he was going to enjoy killing this man.
Growling, he said, "We gonna sit all day or get on with it?"
~~~~~~~ YS ~~~~~~~
A few hours later they rounded a curve in the trail and before them was an icy tarn. There was a wooden footbridge about three foot wide and twelve or fifteen foot across the small pond. Rope was stretched across the bridge about chest high to use as handholds. Laying on top of the icy pond lay the metal money case.
Part 10
As they rounded the curve in the trail and spied the case, Ed shoved Vin aside and ran to the edge of the lake. He stood there staring at it for several minutes. Joe came up beside him and clapped Ed on the back. "We did it, Buddy, we did it!"The scene was idyllic with the footbridge over the pond. A bench sat next to the ice covered lake, a perfect place for a picnic after a strenous hike. In the summer the water would be flowing down the side of the hill and over the treacherous rapids. But right now the ice was sculpted into odd and beautiful shapes.
Vin was brought back to reality as he watched the two men stare mesmerized at the crate. Joe was saying, "You get the case, I'll wait on shore and help you back up the slope."
Vin walked closer to the edge, "That ice ain't gonna hold you fellas." He said.
"Shut the fuck up and get the hell away from me!" Ed snarled, looking down at the hazardous edge of the lake, continued, "I think that side will be easier to get down and back up." Pointing to the other side.
"You think so?" Joe murmured. "That bridge don't look too steady." He studied the span and shook his head.
"Sure, a piece of cake." Ed smiled. For once everything was going as it should.
Gary came trudging into the area. He staggered to the bench and lay down, one foot on the bench and the other on the ground, and covered his eyes with his left arm. Vin wondered if he'd ever get back up.
Ed started slowly across the bridge and Tanner warned them again. "That ice ain't gonna hold you fellers. Goddammit, don't do this."
Neither man paid him any attention. Once Ed reached the other side, Joe followed suit, then Johnson made his way down the bank to the ice. On hands and knees he crawled cautiously out to the case of money. He got ahold of the handle and pushed the crate back towards the shore where Cummings could get ahold of it. Halfway back, Ed heard the crackle of ice breaking and saw the split spiraling outwards.
"Help me!" Ed shouted as the icy water started soaking his clothing. Quickly, he started scrambling back to the edge. He put his arm out for Joe to take it, to help pull him out of the icy water, but when he looked up, Cummings had ahold of the money and had his gun pointed at him.
"Sorry, Ed," he said, smiling at the shocked look on his partner's face, Joe fired, killing Ed instantly. He fell backwards from the force of the slug hitting him, bobbed a few times in the cold lake and slowly sank beneath the ice.
Vin, who had started across the bridge, hoping to get the upper hand as they manhandled the suitcase, yelled "Nooo!" Joe looked up and leveled the gun at him. Tanner backed off the bridge just as Joe fired. The tracker fell back from the impact of the bullet, spinning his body around landing him face down in the snow. Dazed, he lay there a few minutes as a fog descended upon him.
After several minutes and knowing he had to move or die where he lay, Tanner forced himself to roll over onto his back. The pain radiated up his left arm into his shoulder. The movement caused him to almost pass out. Panting to keep the pain at bay, he reached for the Sig he'd kept hidden in his boot. Wrapping his fingers around it, he released the safety. He glanced at Gary; it appeared the man hadn't moved, and searched with his eyes for Joe. Vin watched with narrowed eyes as he dropped the case onto the path and headed back t
take care of him.
With all the strength he had, Tanner raised himself to a sitting position. His right-hand holding the gun tightly, Vin watched as Cummings made his way back across the wooden span, a big smile on his face.
"Well Ranger, it's been anything but fun so I'll just leave you and Hopkins here and be on my way. I'm guessing this track leads somewhere, so I'll follow it to town." Joe laughed at his joke, "Get it? Follow it to town..." Laughing, he pointed the gun.
Vin brought his gun up to fire, but before either man could shoot, a third shot rang out and Joe jerked and fell face down in the snow covered path, shot in the back by his other partner. His body landed about fifteen feet in front of the tracker.
Shocked, Vin looked over at Gary, who nodded and lay back down on the bench, his revolver at his side.
Part 11
Laying his gun in the snow next to him, but still watching the other man, Vin inspected his parka. It appeared the bullet had gone through the sleeve. He figured it had traveled on through him as well. Whatever, the coat was still ruined and he'd have to replace it. Blood was beginning to seep through the material, run down his arm and drip from his fingers. He gripped his arm trying to stem the flow.He heard the chopper and glanced up at the sky. The pilot hovered as the side door flew open and someone announced, "This is the FBI! Put your guns down. Raise your arms. If you don't surrender, you will be fired upon!"
Vin chuckled looking around. There was no one left to surrender. Gary still lay unmoving on the small bench, although his gun lay next to him, Vin didn't think he was a danger. The tracker had been holding his injured left arm, he let go of it, raised his right hand a bit and waved a signal. Hopkins still hadn't moved.
Vin knew it was getting late in the afternoon, he could feel the cold seeping into his bones and feeling a little tired and nauseous. He shivered.
The chopper landed on a level piece of ground, followed closely by another. Several men jumped off of it and Vin was reminded of a Volkswagen commercial he'd seen. He chuckled and thinking to himself, he must be getting delirious, chortled again. Then he saw Larabee and felt tears sting his eyes.
Josiah, Buck, Nathan and Chris trotted over to where Vin sat in the snow. One leg straight out and the other bent at the knee for support. Chris reached him first and knelt down next to him, his hand on his lover's back. Vin looked at each man thankfully and said in a raspy voice. "Took ya long enough. You decide ta go on a date Bucklin?" A little half grin on his face.
Squatting down next to him, Buck grinned. "Well now Vin, you know everyone has priorities." He answered. "How you doing, Junior?".
Nathan and Josiah checked Gary out. Nathan signaled for a stokes stretcher and went to check on Joe.
Chris and Buck positioned themselves to help the tracker up as he answered, "That they do, Bucklin, that they do." he drawled, and casually laid his head on his lover's shoulder. An uncharacteristic move. Larabee dropped his chin on the top of Vin's head and slowly rubbed his back. That was as much affection he dared give with so many strangers around.
"I ruined my parka, cowboy."
"It doesn't matter, we'll get you another one. Can you walk pard? We can get a stretcher for you if it's needed." Chris quietly asked him.
"Nah, I reckon I can walk, don't want to be carried outta here. Watch my arm there, Buck." Vin said raising his head off Larabee's shoulder.
"Sorry Vin." The ladies man and Larabee lifted him to his feet. Vin's knees buckled, but they caught him and kept a tight hold as they walked slowly to the chopper. An agent from the FBI picked up Vin's SIG and put it in an evidence envelope. "Has this been fired?" He asked. "No," he said quietly.
Nathan had turned Joe's body over and checked for a pulse. Finding none, shook his head. Nathan started to check on Vin, but saw they had the tracker on his feet, followed them to the chopper and with a little maneuvering got Tanner into the chopper. He lay back on the gurney, closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, he was in good hands, could relax and let his friends take care of him. Vin was vaguely aware of a second gurney set next to his before the big bird took off.
~~~~~~~ YS ~~~~~~~
Chris stared out the window as the early morning sun kissed the mountains. He had been at the hospital for several hours and was beginning to feel the effects of very little sleep and lots of worry. Tanner's injuries weren't life-threathing as he had received medical care quickly after being shot. He still worried though. God! He thought, this could have turned out so much worse. But Vin was fine and he had to hang onto that.
As the Supervisor of Mammoth Hot Springs Ranger Station, Chris had to stay and help the FBI determine what had happened, retrieve Ed's body from under the ice and pack up all the evidence. Pictures were taken of the scene and the money collected. The body bags were placed in the back of the FBI's chopper and everyone headed back to Mammoth Station.
Nathan, Josiah and Buck had gone to the hospital with Vin and Gary.
When Chris had arrived at the Station, he was met by Park Superintendent, Orin Travis. Travis informed him that a Medivac Chopper had met the rescue crew halfway, transferred the patients and transported them on to Deaconess Hospital in Bozeman.
Travis told him, "I'm headed up there now, get what you need and you can ride with me."
Chris went into his office, packed his laptop and hurried back to the car. Bozeman was a good two hour drive in good weather, so if the pending snow would just hold off, they'd be there by around 8:00 pm.
When they arrived at the hospital they found a myriad of activity from the FBI, reporters and TV personnel, all wanting to know about the failed heist, the ranger that had been shot and who was going to be held responsible.
Part 12
Vin slowly opened his eyes. Chris was slumped in the chair, his feet up on the rail underneath the bed, dozing, his arms folded across his lap. Vin grinned at the sight, amazed at how relaxed his partner looked. The clock on the wall said eleven and the sun shining through the window let him know it was daytime.Looking around the room, he was glad he wasn't hooked up to any wires or tubes. His upper left arm was swathed in a thick bandage and lay in a sling. Vin tried to move his arm out of the sling for a better look, but pain raced up his bicep and into his shoulder. He gasped, grabbed his arm holding it tight and groaned not expecting such intense agony.
Chris was on his feet instantly, "Hey buddy," he said softly, cradling his lover's head against his body, "Come on Vin, ride it out. You can do it. That's it, just breathe now, that's it. It'll get easier. It's okay. Shhh shhh, that's it, relax now."
The pain eased up some and Vin relaxed against Chris, thankful for the support he offered.
"Damn Lar'bee," he muttered. "Wasn't expecting that." Pulling away, he tried to sit up.
"Just a minute, we can raise this bed up." Chris advised and using the control raised the bed to a comfortable position.
"Damn Chris, I ain't never been shot before and I can tell you right now, I don't aim to ever do it again. It hurts!"
Larabee chuckled, "Well pard, as one who has been shot before, I wouldn't recommend it."
Vin's face grew serious, "That fella, Gary..., I think his name was, probably saved my ass. How is he?"
"I'm sorry Vin, he didn't make it. He woke briefly last night and talked to the Feds about this mess. He died early this morning. The Feds want to talk to you too. I told them I'd let them know when you were up to it."
"When Joe came back across that bridge, I had my SIG out and was ready to use it if need be, but Gary shot him first. One of 'em killed the co-pilot and some other guy that was with 'em. Never saw his body, though." He shook his head at the stupidity of the situation.
"There was a Special Agent hitching a ride home to Denver. He tried to stop them, but was sucked out of the tail section with the money. The co-pilot was an innocent bystander, killed just because he was there." Chris frowned.
Vin sighed, "All that killing for a few bucks. I just don't understand it." Changing the subject, Tanner asked, "So when can I go home? The doc say anything?"
Larabee laughed, "Hell Vin, you just woke up."
"It's just a scratch, cowboy." He said still holding his arm.
"The bullet to that arm was a through and through, pard. You're going to need some physical therapy because of the damage to the muscle. The doc will be in this afternoon to check you over. You can ask him then about going home. You'll have to wear that sling for a few weeks, though."
Sighing, he said "Aw hell...."
Part 13
Dr. Talbott walked into Vin's hospital room later that afternoon. Buck, Chris and the others were sitting in various places around the room visiting with the man. Vin was sitting in a chair, smiling at the antics of his visitors. The nurse had gave him a gown to act as a bathrobe and placed hospital booties on his feet. A fresh change of clothes, brought to the hospital by Buck, lay on the bed."Ranger Larabee," the doctor said, "There are some gentlemen in the hall that wish to speak to you."
Standing, he said, "Be right back." and left the room. The other men stood back while the doctor made his examination.
"Well, Ranger Tanner, you seemed to have come through this ordeal all right. You were unconscious when they brought you in, so I ordered some tests along with x-rays, just to be on the safe side, and the results have come back fine. How's the arm feeling?"
"Hurts a bit, but nothing I can't handle. When do you think I can get outta here?"
"There's really no reason to keep you any longer." Smiling, he went on, "You will have to keep that arm in the sling for a week or two, depending on how it feels, so I'll recommend desk duty for that time. And I'll give you a prescription for a mild pain medication. You might want to take the next two days off and return to work on Monday."
Larabee walked back into the room. "Just because he said might, doesn't mean it's a request Tanner. You're off on sick leave until Monday morning." Looking at the guys, said, "Jack Banas and the Feds are here to interview Vin, You boys mind waiting in the hall?"
Jack was the Chief Special Agent of Law Inforcement for the Park Services. He was a good man and a friend to all of the Rangers. Ezra, who led the way out of the room greeted him with a handshake and a smile. Jack Banas also clapped Ezra on the shoulder and amicably nodded at the others.
Jack grinned as he approached Vin. "How are you doing, son? I can see they're treating you good. It looks like they've assigned all the pretty nurses to you."
Vin grinned back and shook the man's hand. "Howdy Jack, good to see you."
"Vin, this is FBI Agent Cord Walters," turning to face the men as he introduced them, "And Agent Brad Evers. They want to question you about the events, if you feel up to it."
Vin nodded at the men and agreed. "The quicker we can get this over with the quicker I can go home. What do you fella's need to know?"
FBI Agent Walters stepped up, "Just the facts as you see them from the time of their SOS call until the shooting."
Tanner's face became serious as he related the story to the investigators and his boss.
~~~~~~~ YS ~~~~~~~
As Tanner signed his discharge papers, he asked Chris, "This is Wednesday, ain't it?"
Nodding Larabee said, "Yes, why?"
"Why aren't you at work? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're here, but don't you have a job that needs doing?"
"Travis told me to bring you home. That's my job today. We figured you could probably walk back to the park, but we decided to give you a ride instead."
"Nobody likes a smartass, cowboy." He grinned. "Where we gonna eat, I'm hungry."
"You're always hungry." Grinning, he continued, "I thought we'd stop at the Kountry Kitchen." Pausing, "Hmm, I was sorta hoping you'd come home with me while you're off work. I took the rest of the week off."
"Sounds good to me." Climbing into the SUV, he quietly said, "I love being home with you Chris, I was hoping you'd ask me to stay."
"Hey Vin," Larabee said, taking Vin's hand and brushing it across his lips, "That's your home too, pard. Any time you want to stay, just say so. I want you with me."
"Well, I don't like to intrude on your privacy."
"Believe me pard, you're never an intruder there." Larabee started the car, pulled out of the driveway and headed home.
Part 14
It was Saturday again. The rest of the week had passed uneventfully. On Friday, Chris had taken Vin into Jack Banas office to read and sign his statement. From there, they joined their friends for lunch and Nettie had sent a bag of cookies home with them.The weather had been exceeding nice, but on Saturday it had turned stormy again. The rain poured as lightning and thunder flashed in the distance. Chris had a pot of chili simmering on the stove and had helped Vin build a fire in the fireplace.
Vin sat slouched on the couch, his bare feet on the coffee table, a hand carding lightly through his partner's hair, reading a book. Chris lay with his head nestled in his lover's lap and one arm circled the tracker's body as he slowly woke up from his nap.
Vin felt sharp teeth bite through his t-shirt at his navel. Looking down at his partner, smiling, "You hungry 'r something?"
"Or something," he answered and started pulling the offending shirt out of the way. Vin pulled the shirt off and Chris raised up and kissed his lover. Vin opened his mouth and licked at the tongue as it slid into the warm cavern. The duel of tongues began as passion between them grew.
After a few moments he pushed Vin slightly away. Laying his forehead against Tanner's and taking a deep breath, said, "Let's not start something we can't finish pard."
"Why can't we finish cowboy? You ain't really touched me since we got home from the hospital."
"You've been shot, Vin! I'd think sex would be the last thing on your mind." Pulling his partner closer as he gummed the enticing earlobe.
"I was shot in my arm, cowboy, not in my ass. And anyway, I'm feeling real good right now," leaning into the tongue that had found the shell of his ear. He put his book down and wrapped his arms around his lover and started pulling at Larabee's shirt until he had it off.
Scooting around, they lay side by side, the man in black now working on the shoulders he loved with his teeth and tongue. He finally latched onto the brown oval nipple and sucked on it. Moving on down, his hands carded the ladder of Vin's ribs as he dipped his tongue into the navel he had tasted a few minutes before, and biting around the edges as the tracker's body writhed under his minstrations.
"God, cowboy, that feels so good," he whispered.
Larabee raised up, unzipped his lover's jeans, pulling them down with his underwear and kissed the hard member as it sprang free. Vin whimpered, his hands encouraging Chris to continue.
Larabee took the beautiful cock into his mouth and using his tongue, he teased the large vein that ran down to the root. Tanner's body squirmed under the intense stimulation. His hands kneaded the broad shoulders as they continued to tease him.
Removing the cock from his mouth, he began to lick and tongue Vin's ball sac, fingering first the space behind them, then the little opening he had been deprived of for the last few days. Tanner raised his hips and Chris put a pillow under his lover's body. Rising from the sofa, he removed his and Vin's jeans, tossing them aside, went back to the task at hand.
"Now, where was I?" he blithly asked and lifted Vin's legs. His lover's penis was leaking precum and Larabee licked at it and once again took his lover into his mouth.
"I'm gonna cum, Chris," Vin muttered and Larabee pulled back. He wasn't ready for this to end so quickly. Vin whimpered, seeking his lover, who was now holding him tightly at his root.
"You can't cum yet, Vin." he whispered.
Chris once again started sucking lightly on Tanner's ball sac. Larabee's teeth nipped at his lover's balls and finally that hot tongue dipped into the little oval hole. Flicking it inside, then lightly touching as it traveled up the ball sac and back to the oval of Tanner's body. He was whimpering and begging as his body jerked, screaming for relief.
Taking the cock back into his mouth and opening his throat, he swallowed Vin's penis. Cum hit the back of his throat and he drank the nectar down. Once his lover's body quit thrusting in ecstasy, Vin lay his head on Chris's chest. Larabee held his lover, whispering 'I love you' and gently massaged Vin's back. Chris was surprised that he, too, had come at the same time. He cradled the man until their breathing was back to normal. then ask, "Are you okay, pard?"
"I'm better 'n okay," Vin whispered. "Damn, that was...."
"Yeah, it was," he answered.
They dozed, neither man wanting to move.
~~~~~~~ YS ~~~~~~~
A few hours later, they were in the shower. As the water poured off their bodies, Vin sank to his knees and thumbed Larabee's cock. It sprang to life.
"Will ya look at that, cowboy! I think someone needs ta take care of that."
Larabee laughed and said, "Well you're down there, maybe you could take a look at it."
"Well, I ain't Nathan, but I think I could take care of this for ya." And after swiping the slit with his tongue, took Larabee into his mouth. Opening his throat, he sucked on the cock and cupped the ball sac. He then wrapped his hands around Chris's body, he kneaded the ass cheeks. Chris handed him the liquid soap and Vin squeezed some into his palm. Seeking the oval in his partner's ass, slid his digit into his lover's body as far as he could. He run his finger across the little nub of Larabee's prostate, causing the man's body to thrust. He moaned in total bliss and come in an explosion that had him grabbing Tanner's hair and the side of the shower, almost falling. He slide to the floor of the shower and leaned into his lover, once again trying to get his breath. Tanner actually was also having trouble breathing.
Tanner's wound had gotten wet, so they patted it dry and changed the bandage before heading off to bed. The thunder sounded and the lightening continued to flash as they curled around each other and slept.
Chris sent a silent prayer heavenward to God and the Spirits that had saved Vin's life and brought him home safe.
The End