"Any idea where I might find Chris Larabee?" Stuart Williams announced as he entered the boardinghouse restaurant the next morning, and walked over to the table where Buck and Josiah sat, eating their breakfast."He went out of town for a few days." Buck answered. "Anything we can help you with?"
"Damn!" the Pinkerton man cursed. He studied Buck and Josiah for a moment, then sat down. "I just got a message from one of my men, one of the people I have in the area tailing Ella Gaines. She was spotted in Eagle Bend, day before yesterday.
"Is your man sure it's her?" Buck interrupted. "Vin and I searched high and low for that woman for over a week and couldn't find a trace of her. And Vin's the best tracker around these parts."
"Her brother's with her," Stuart cut back in. "He was a tracker for the Union Army, one of the best, from what I hear. Everybody thought he died in the war, but he showed up again, and they're traveling together. And there's one other thing." He hesitated slightly, and lowered his voice before continuing. "She was asking questions about Chris Larabee. My man said somebody in Eagle Bend told her about some property Chris has in the area."
Buck and Josiah stood up as one, faces pale. "The shack....she's gone to the shack!" Buck exclaimed. "Chris and Vin were headin' out to the shack yesterday. Vin went out ahead of him, and Chris rode out last night," he hurriedly explained.
"I'll get the others," he said, rushing for the door, the others on his heels. "Josiah, start saddling up the horses. I'll be over to help you soon as I can."
Fifteen minutes later, the group was ready to ride.
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"Rise and shine boys!" a sharp voice ordered, just a split second before a pitcher full of frigid water tumbled onto the sleeping men, huddled together, laying in the frozen mud.
Vin and Chris both shivered violently and awoke with a start, staring up at their captors, eyes blazing with fury.
"Good morning Chris," Ella greeted cheerily, ignoring the gunslinger's hate filled gaze. "Hope you slept well. Your bed certainly is comfortable, but it just wasn't the same without you," she pouted. "I'm ready to forgive you now, though." She drew out a knife and sliced through his bonds, then pulled off his gag. John stood just behind her, holding a gun on the two men.
Chris stretched his frozen body, trying to bring feeling back into his extremities. After a few minutes, he was finally able to move around and sat up, immediately turning back to Vin. "Vin, Vin!" he cried, stroking Vin's icy face frantically. "I'm here Vin, please, Vin, please wake up!" he begged.
"Leave him alone, Chris!" Ella ordered angrily. "He's no concern of yours." Chris turned to Ella, green eyes narrowed with rage. "He's everything to me, you vile bitch! He's everything you aren't and never could be. Get the fuck away from both of us!" he hissed, then spun back around, laying next to Vin, hugging him protectively.
"I'm very disappointed with you Chris," Ella's crazed voice rang out. "I thought you understood how things were going to be. I guess you still need to be taught a lesson."
Chris ignored her, speaking to Vin in quiet, soothing tones.
"Get up Chris!" Ella barked.
Chris kept his back to the deranged women, continuing his attentions to Vin.
At a look from Ella, John cocked his pistol and brought it to Vin's head. "My sister told you to do something. You better do it, or your friend here gets a bullet."
Chris reluctantly released Vin, then stood and whirled around to face Ella. "What do you want, Ella? A quick roll in the hay?" he taunted angrily. "Are you so desperate that you have to force yourself on men who don't want you?" He began to undo his trousers as he walked closer toward her. "Well come on Ella. You want me to fuck you, don't you? Let's do it right here in the dirt and the horse shit. Seems like a fitting place to fuck a whore like you."
"You bastard!" Ella shrieked, as the insanity coursing through her veins, overwhelming the last remaining shred of sanity left in her body. She slapped Chris hard across the face, then grabbed the gun out of John's hand and pointed in at the gunslinger.
"Stop right there, Chris," she hissed. "I want you to watch while I take care of your tracker." She locked gazes with her brother. "John, tie Vin to that tree over there, we're going to have a little target practice."
John smiled evilly as he realized what Ella had in mind. It was a game he had taught her at an early age, and he was touched she still remembered it. He sliced through the rope holding Vin to the corral and dragged the groggy tracker over to a large tree on the other side of the yard. He retied Vin to the tree then looked at his sister. "You want the gag off?"
"Most definitely brother, I want to hear him scream. It'll be music to my ears."
"I better tie the other one up, too, sister dear. I'm not sure he'll like the little game we're going to play."
"Go ahead John," Ella agreed. "I just love a captive audience."
John tied Chris to the corral posts once again, and faced him to he could see Vin, pinned helplessly to the tree. The sharpshooter was fully awake now, staring out at them through his one good eye.
"Chris," he called out weakly, groaning at the effort.
"It'll be okay Vin," Chris answered back, trying to keep his voice calm.
"Be right back fellas, don't go anywhere," Ella joked as she ran into the shack. She emerged a minute later with a leather carrying case.
"Aren't they beautiful Chris?" she asked, opening the case to reveal a set of throwing knives, glinting brightly in the early morning sun. "A present from my dear brother to me." She took one out of its sheath and held it out in front of Chris's horrified eyes.
"No! No! Ella, don't do it. I'm sorry, I'm was wrong....I didn't mean what I said!" Chris lied, begging desperately, fear clutching at his heart as he realized she was going to use the knives on Vin. The gunslinger twisted and pulled at his bonds helplessly as he pleaded.
"Too late Chris," Ella laughed insanely. "You had your chance. I warned you what would happen."
She walked over to John and handed him the case. "Ready, brother?"
"Ladies first, Ella," he demurred.
"NO!" Chris screamed in anguish. "Ella, please!"
"Well, if you insist," Ella said, then turned and threw the knife at Vin. The ailing sharpshooter flinched as the blade imbedded harmlessly in the tree, missing his right arm by mere inches.
"I'm a little rusty, I guess," Ella said with a shrug. "Your turn John."
The big man grinned and grabbed a knife. He looked at Chris, his face frozen in terror for his lover. The knife flew from John's hand, sinking into Vin's right bicep.
Vin screamed in pain, as Chris bucked furiously at the ropes holding him prisoner. "I'll kill you, you son of a bitch!" he yelled. "You're both dead!"
"Chris, Chris, don't get yourself so worked up," Ella clucked with mock concern. "I'm only doing this for you, remember? You had your chance to behave this morning, but you needed another lesson." She reached for another knife. "My turn again."
Ella aimed carefully and squealed with delight as the knife caught Vin high on his right shoulder. "I got him!" she crowed.
Vin's abused body had drifted into unconsciousness once again, but he still moaned and flinched at the knife's impact
Chris screamed, face reddening and contorting in his fury.
"Nice work, sister!" John praised. He reached for another knife when a voice called out.
"Drop the knife!"
Chris, John and Ella looked toward the voice. The gunslinger's knees sagging with relief at the sight of Buck, Josiah, Nathan and Stuart Williams standing behind them, guns drawn.
John threw the knife at the four men, then took off running. Ella followed suit.
Josiah and Buck easily side-steeped the poorly thrown knife and took off after the pair. Nathan and Stuart hurried forward, Stuart stopping to untie Chris, Nathan heading straight to Vin.
"What happened?" Stuart demanded.
"Later," Chris growled, pushing away the man's hands and hurrying over to Vin. "How is he Nate?"
"It's not good Chris," Nathan said in a hushed voice. "Help me cut him down, and I'm gonna pull the knife out of his shoulder, but I want the one in his bicep to stay in there 'til he's inside. It's in there pretty deep and he's gonna bleed hard when it comes out."
Chris bent down and retrieved the abandoned case of remaining knives, suppressing a shiver as he touched the cold steel. He carefully cut through the ropes, freeing Vin. The tracker sagged forward into Nathan's waiting hands, and Chris grabbed his legs.
"Let's get him inside, Chris," Nathan said
Chris helped Nathan gently carry Vin into the shack, and lowered him on the bed, covering him up with several heavy blankets.
Buck walked into the shack, carrying Nathan's medical bag. "We brought the horses in, thought you might need this," he said grimly.
"Thanks Buck, just set it down here," Nathan said absently, as he examined the tracker. "I'm gonna need someone to boil water for me."
Chris moved to stand up, but Buck laid a strong hand on his shoulder. "I'll get it pard, you just stay here with Vin. He needs you."
Chris nodded gratefully at his oldest friend. "Thanks Buck," he said softly.
"What can I do Nathan?" Chris asked quietly.
"Let me bandage up his arm and shoulder, then you can help me clean him up." He felt the younger man's forehead. "Damn Vin, you've already got one hell of a fever brewin'," he muttered. He glanced over at the gunslinger. "What happened out there Chris?" he asked as he worked on the tracker.
"Ella and her brother," Chris replied flatly. "And they're gonna pay."
Nathan saw the look in Chris's eyes and knew not to press the older man. He shook his head and went back to his work on Vin's torn, bleeding body.
Buck brought over the hot water. "What do you want me to do with this Nate?"
"Just set it down here, thanks Buck. Okay Chris, you're gonna have to hold him while I clean out these knife wounds. Just be warned, it's gonna hurt him, so hold him tight."
The tracker tossed fitfully on the bed, moaning piteously as Nathan dabbed at the shoulder wound. Chris stroked Vin's hair, trying to soothe the injured man. "It's okay Vin, everything's okay," he crooned softly. "She's gone and you're safe."
"No...no....Chris.....don't..." Vin cried out weakly, twisting away from Nathan. His eyes fluttered. one of them still swollen shut and refusing to open. He peered at Chris through the other, his vision distorted and blurred. "Leave me alone," he croaked, "don't....touch....me," he begged in his delirium.
"Sshh, Vin, it's me, Chris," the gunslinger said softly. "Just close your eyes and everything will be just fine."
"Okay, that one's done," Nathan said with a sigh of relief. "Now, we've got to get the other one. Get ready Chris," he warned.
He pulled the knife out of Vin's bicep quickly, and the sharpshooter arched his back off the bed at the pain.
"Stop.....please, stop......," Vin cried over and over again as Nathan worked to clean out the bloody wound. Chris's heart broke at the weak, desperate pleas, knowing he the cause for Vin's distress. If Ella hadn't wanted him so damned bad, Vin would never have been put in the middle of things and used as bait. He shook his head sharply to clear it. 'No time to think about that now, Larabee,' he chided himself. 'It's Vin you need to be thinking about right now.' He held his lover tightly, keeping him from pulling away from Nathan.
"Help me.....Chris....please," Vin began to sob as Nathan poured whiskey into the wound.
It was too much for Chris to bear as he felt Vin's hot tears dripping onto his hand, where he held him fast to the mattress, while Nathan worked.
"Can't you hurry Nathan!" he snapped. "This is killing him!"
"I'm almost finished Chris," Nathan said easily, remaining calm, despite Chris's outburst. He knew the gunslinger was just worried and he expressed it as anger.
"No....no....leave...." Vin whispered, fighting against Chris briefly until exhaustion overcame his beaten body and he closed his eyes, unconscious again.
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An hour later, the group from Four Corners rode back into Chris's yard. Buck and Chris rushed outside, guns drawn, to greet them.
"Easy brothers, we're the good guys," Josiah said good-naturedly.
"Sorry Josiah," Buck apologized, as he and Chris lowered their weapons.
"Where is she?" Chris demanded.
"Pinkerton's have her, rounded her up when she was running for their horses. That's how they surprised you and Vin. They hid their horses close by and walked in. But they've got her now, brother, and that's what's important. They're taking her to Yellow Fork to catch the train, then onto Yuma to stand trial for her husband's murder."
"What about what she did here?" he spat out bitterly.
"Stuart Williams said he'd be in touch, may need you in Yuma as a witness."
"I'll be there," Chris retorted sharply. "What about her brother?"
"Ezra shot him dead, right between the eyes," Josiah answered.
"Nice work Ezra, I'm obliged," Chris said.
The gambler tilted his hat with a two-fingered salute, acknowledging the praise. Chris nodded and walked back into the shack.
"How are things going in there Buck?" Josiah asked as the men on horseback began to dismount.
"It ain't good Josiah," the mustached gunman answered. "Vin's hurt bad, real bad. Haven't seen that much blood and bruises in a long time. And Chris is tore up about it." His stepped off the porch and stood next to Josiah, his eyes burning, his face white with rage. "That crazy bitch really did a number on Vin and Chris both. Wish you'd have killed her instead of let the Pinkerton's have her."
"Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord," Josiah quoted in response.
"Don't give me that crap, preacher man!" Buck shouted back. "Go in there and take a look at Vin! Then tell me all about vengeance!"
"We had to let them take her Buck. They're the law and so are we. We had to do what was right," JD protested.
Buck's fury faded as he looked into JD's young, still innocent face. 'Damn kid, still believes that everything's either right or wrong,' he thought to himself. He threw his arm around JD's shoulders. "I know ya had to kid, I'm just upset about Vin is all." He met Josiah's calm gaze, over JD's back.
"I'm sorry for what I said Josiah," he apologized.
"It's forgotten, brother Buck," Josiah answered kindly. "Why don't we all go in and check on the others?"