No Matter What Happens
Vin brought Peso to an easy stop and patted the horse soothingly as Chris came up beside him. "Looks like a good place to set up for the night," the tracker said, taking his hat off and running a hand through his sweat-matted curls.
The clearing looked small but was plenty large enough for six men, the surrounding trees providing just enough protection from the harsher elements but not hindering the gentle breeze that cut through the day’s lingering heat. Larabee grinned. "It works."
Vin nodded once and dismounted quickly, while Chris signaled for the others to make camp. He still couldn’t fathom that they were going to Tascosa. Tanner’s chest tightened with apprehension at the thought. He glanced at Alexander "Xander" Highfield as Josiah ‘helped’ the prisoner from his horse.
Highfield was a thief, a murderer and a reprobate, a sleazy unkept smelly man who smiled sourly and cursed at everything and everyone around him. Highfield was…a miracle. A former associate of Eli Joe, Xander Highfield was the one witness left who could clear the Tanner name.
Vin shook his head and refocused his attention on scouting the area for signs of game, the sound of running water signaling a stream nearby. Easily, he found the source and began to hunt, his eyes scanned the wooded area but his mind contemplated the men at camp.
Chris had found Highfield, brought him in and told the others of the plan. They would drag their prisoner to Tascosa and clear Vin. Vin, at first, had his own doubts about the plan. What if something went wrong? What if the law in Tascosa didn’t believe Highfield? But in the end, his desire to be free outweighed his fear. It was time to face his demons and bring honor back to his name.
+ + + + + + +
Ezra watched Vin disappear into the trees, while he tended to Chaucer. He could easily read the Tracker’s posture and knew that as thankful as his friend was to find a way to prove his innocence, there was a natural fear about what might await them in Tascosa.
Standish looked up as a shadow crossed his vision.
"Help JD gather firewood." Chris ordered evenly. Without a word, Ezra nodded. Larabee was not in the mood for his lighthearted complaints today.
It didn’t take long to help Dunne get a fire going and by the time they were ready, Vin emerged from the woods with a handful of small game already cleaned and ready to cook.
Highfield complained and whined about not being untied to eat with two free hands but a whispered threat from Josiah shut him up quickly.
Chris sat back and munched on his dinner, barely aware of its taste. He was thankful that they were starting the last leg of the journey. Already on the trail for days, weariness was setting in quickly. He was anxious to get the price off of Vin’s head and get back to town. He wished that Buck and Nathan could have come with them but someone had to watch the town and Buck had managed to twist an ankle in an escape attempt when an unexpected husband had returned home early one night. Nathan had hesitated to leave because two of the town’s young women were expecting their babies within the next two weeks…so it’d been decided that Wilmington and Jackson would stay behind.
Nathan had proceeded to load Josiah up with supplies and instructions, "just in case," and Buck had lectured JD to mind Chris until Dunne had angrily and forcefully reminded the ladies’man that he was not a kid and…he’d be fine.
Ezra had just accepted the trip as if it was commonplace to spend weeks at a time out on the trail, again surprising Larabee with his readiness. They’d ridden out with warnings to watch their backs and to send a wire as soon as possible so the others would know what was happening.
+ + + + + + +
Xander Highfield smiled to himself even as he shifted on the hard ground, seeking a more comfortable position. He’d heard the soft whistled code in the bush not more than an hour prior and knew that his escape was imminent. Everyone slept, save for the big man who fancied himself a preacher. Xander knew though that Sanchez was exhausted. Clem and the gang wouldn’t have much trouble sneaking up behind him.
It happened so fast, Josiah thought for a moment that he was dreaming. A change in the night’s breeze, a subtle foul odor and a strange shadow in the firelight, one after another gave him just enough warning to avoid the full brunt of the hit. Instead, as he moved, the rough branch club grazed the side of his head and caught his shoulder, driving him into the dirt. His thunderous roar of anger woke the others instantly.
JD and Ezra came up with guns blasting, men scuffled and smoke filled the tiny clearing as two forces struggled against each other. JD’s man was down, as was Ezra’s and Josiah’s, the three lawmen moving quickly to help the others. Vin pushed an attacker off of him with a sudden burst of energy that sent the man tumbling back into Josiah and JD. Ezra sidestepped Sanchez’s legs and narrowly avoided becoming part of the tangle.
Chris wrestled violently with Highfield, not sure when or how the man had gotten free. He could hear the action around him and suddenly he was rolling away from his attacker. He jumped from the roll to his feet and drew his weapon. They came up mere feet apart and even as he fired, he knew that he could not kill the only man left who could save his friend. His shot was aimed at Highfield’s leg but his focus was on the barrel directed squarely at his chest. At the same time, Xander smiled and pulled the trigger just as a blur of force barreled into him from the side and knocked him into the ground with a bone shattering impact.
Vin watched horrified as Highfield and Larabee faced off. He recognized Chris’ adjusted aim and knew as Highfield started to pull the trigger that his friend was going to die. Then Ezra was leaping gracefully over the low burning fire and landing squarely on Highfield. Somewhere in the chaos…Vin heard two gunshots.
The camp was still, save for the popping of the fire. Three dead men lay staring blindly at the stars. JD sat on another man, pressing one of his pistols into the back of his head to discourage anymore struggling. Sanchez was slowly rising to his feet. Chris stood, unable to make himself move as he stared at the two bodies laying in the dirt in front of him.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by a low moan as Ezra rolled over and pushed himself awkwardly into a sitting position. His green eyes blinked widely as he looked from man to man- each staring back at him blankly. He cleared his throat. "I seem to be in need of some assistance?" he asked evenly as he swayed precariously.
Josiah made it to Standish first, roughly shoving Highfield out of the way. The action jarred the prisoner’s broken arm and he let out a sharp scream, alerting everyone that he was indeed still alive. "You hit?" Josiah asked, ignoring the writhing man beside them.
Ezra nodded slowly. "I think…I am."
"Where?" Sanchez’s hands skimmed over the gambler’s upper body, tearing open his shirt as he searched.
"My…"
"Shut up about your clothes," Chris ordered, kneeling beside them. Vin helped JD secure Highfield and the one surviving member of the attacking gang, ignoring the men when they cried out in pain, then joined their friend’s around Ezra.
"Found it." Josiah grasped onto Ezra as the southerner hissed and tried to pull away, turning him so that his side was facing the firelight A rough shallow groove revealed the path the bullet had taken.
"God damn it, Ez." JD breathed out. "That was close."
"What about the other shot, there were two." Vin pointed out. Josiah continued his search but there were no other wounds.
"One of them missed." Sanchez sat back and ran a hand roughly over his face as he tried to process the close call.
"What the hell were you thinking, Ezra?" Chris asked harshly. Anger overshadowing his relief that the wound was obviously minor in comparison to what might have been.
Ezra looked up at him, his expression completely unreadable. "I really have no clue."
Vin shoved Larabee, causing the gunslinger to stumble to his feet to avoid landing in the dirt. "What the hell were you thinking?" he asked. "Highfield was gonna kill you and you aimed to wing him!" Tanner pushed Chris back another step unable to handle the overwhelming fear that he’d almost lost his friends. "Ezra saved your ass, that’s what he was thinking!"
"Vin." Chris started and rolled his eyes as Tanner shoved him again, his patience waning quickly. "Vin." He grabbed Vin’s arms before the tracker could walk away and forced him to stay. "I couldn’t destroy your chance," he explained. "Not again." He released Vin. " ‘sides, I was planning on ducking." He grinned trying to break the heaviness of the moment.
Vin just looked at Chris a moment before the tension drained out of him. He chuckled softly and covered his face with his hands until he had a good control on his emotions again. He looked from Chris to Ezra. Josiah bent over the gambler, tending to his wound with the supplies that JD handed him. He felt Chris pat him on the shoulder and watched as his friend joined the others, the four of them talking softly and laughing lightly at Ezra’s over dramatized antics near the glow of the fire.
How many times had they come so close to the end and yet survived? Vin couldn’t count all the instances but standing there in the darkness, dawn only a few short hours away…he knew now that no matter what happened in Tascosa, whether they cleared his name or rode out of town in a gun fight to escape hanging…they’d be alright. They were together, he wasn’t alone…and innocence reclaimed or not…he would be alright.
The End