The Bounty

~~Part 1~~

Chris Larabee looked up at the sound of a horse and buggy coming up the quiet street. One corner of his mouth turned up as he saw who was driving the buggy. Vin Tanner sat on the seat, looking as spruced up and polished as Larabee had ever seen him. His hair shone in the early morning sunlight, neatly combed into loose waves to his shoulders. His usual stubble was missing, his hide coat replaced by the short, dark brown jacket Nettie had gifted him with for Christmas. He wore his dark blue shirt, and a new, pale yellow bandana. Both the hat that hung down his back and his light buckskin pants had been cleaned. Even his boots, Larabee noted of the one cocked on the buggy's footrest, had been polished.

The sharpshooter wasn't alone in the buggy, either. Sadie Wills sat beside him, one delicate hand on Tanner's arm. The young woman, who had taken over as seamstress when her cousin was murdered by Cyrus Poplar, was fairly beaming as she rode beside the peacekeeper. She was dressed in a delicate blue print dress with a bonnet to match, coppery colored curls peeking from around the edges and cascading down her back.

Vin looked over at his friend, blue eyes sparkling as he nodded toward the man in black. Clucking to the horse, he sent them on their way, the red and white checkered tablecloth covering their picnic basket fluttering in the late summer breeze.

Larabee couldn't help but smile. He had watched the shy courtship that had been taking place over the previous weeks between the two young people. Vin Tanner might be able to face down a crowd of angry townspeople, or watch their backs in any gunfight without batting an eye. He could even converse with most women he came in contact with But, let him come face to face with a pretty young woman he was taken with, and he all but fell apart.

Tanner had sought advice not only from him, but Josiah, Nathan and Ezra as well. He had even gone to the extreme of asking Buck Wilmington for advice on how to court a lady. Larabee was worried that his friend would be talking to JD Dunne if he didn't get his nerve up soon. He had been happy to see the sharpshooter approaching the dress shop the day before, dusted off and hat in hand. A few minutes later, his friend had emerged, sporting the broadest smile Chris had ever seen. Chuckling at the memory, Larabee settled back against the upright he'd been leaning against and took up his whittling once more.

+ + + + + + +

Vin Tanner was secretly amazed at how easy he found it to make small talk with the young lady beside him. She laughed at the jokes he told, even he ones he'd gotten from JD. She asked him questions about his life, and didn't look down her nose at him when he told her about it. She even listened intently when he managed to stutter through the poem he'd strung together for her when he finally got the courage to speak it. When he finished, she cried real tears and went on about how beautiful it was and how honored she was to be the subject of the piece. He'd felt like the whole world had been laid at his feet when she'd smiled up at him, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek as she thanked him for his gift.

They arrived at the pond where he and the others came to fish from time to time, and he reined in the horse. Setting the brake on the buggy, he leapt from the seat and hurried around to help Sadie down as well. He grabbed up the basket and the blanket he'd brought along with one hand and offered the other to his companion. They made their way to the biggest shade tree along the bank, and he shook out the blanket. Leaving her to put out the food they'd brought with them, Vin went to take care of the horse.

By the time he returned, she'd spread the tablecloth and laid out the food. They had all the makings of a breakfast picnic: boiled eggs, biscuits, stewed apples, and a jug of sweet tea. She looked up, giggling softly as his stomach growled just looking at the food. He wasn't about to tell her that he had been so nervous that he hadn't been able to eat a bite of dinner last night. Blushing, he said only, "looks real good, Miss Sadie."

"Well, go wash up and we'll see if it tastes as good as it looks," she replied, a soft Irish lilt in her words.

Going to the water's edge, Tanner pushed back his sleeves and did his best to tame some of the trail dust he'd picked up on the trip. Deciding he'd done the best he could, he returned to where Sadie waited. She already had a plate piled high, and handed it to him as soon as he settled cross-legged on the ground across from her. He nodded and thanked her, waiting for her to fill her own plate before starting to eat. Watching as she took only small portions, Vin fought not to say anything. What she took would barely keep a bird flying, let alone keep a full grown woman healthy.

Not that he had any problems with the way she looked. Her eating habits seemed to suit her just fine.

Finishing with breakfast, they cleaned up, Vin burying the scrapes so their day wasn't interrupted by uninvited guests of the four-legged variety. Then he offered his arm to her once more, and they took a stroll along the grassy bank. Keeping himself between Sadie and the water, Vin's attention strayed from time to time as the water rippled where fish broke the surface.

"Too bad you didn't bring a fishing pole," the young woman said, breaking into his thoughts. "Looks like the fish are biting pretty well."

Shrugging, Tanner said, "didn't reckon on fishin' t'day."

"I love to fish, it's such a peaceful pastime."

He looked down at her, with a slight frown. "You like t' fish?"

Smiling up at him, she replied, "why, don't I look like I could manage it?"

Blushing once more, he said, "ain't that, miss, s' jist... well... ah, hell, I don't know."

She giggled, squeezing his arm and leaning her head against his bicep. "I'm sorry, Vin, I didn't mean to embarrass you. I - "

"Well, ain't that sweet."

Vin moved like lightening, putting himself between Miss Wills and the strangers who slipped from the nearby trees. Cursing himself for letting his guard down, he growled, "who th' hell 'r you?"

The bigger of the two men tipped a battered hat, his smile belying the fact that he had a shotgun aimed at the Texan. "M' names Perly Watkins. This here's m' cousin, Sonny. We been lookin' fer y' fer a spell... Vin Tanner."

"Bounty hunters," Vin rasped under his breath. He pulled Sadie behind him, and felt her grip the back of his coat. "Y'all 'r makin' a mistake, fellas. M' friends ain't gonna take kindly to y' tryin' t' take me t' Texas."

"Ain't no tryin' to it, Tanner. Me 'n Sonny's gonna take y' in... collect that five hun'erd dollars. Now, loosen that gunbelt a yers 'n let 'er drop t' the ground." When Vin hesitated, he let loose a blast that kicked dirt up inches from the tracker's foot. He grinned coldly as the man complied with his orders.

"Now, shed th' rest a yer weapons. And don't try 'n act like y' don't know what I'm talkin' about. I study a man 'fore I set t' take 'm in. I know y' carry more 'n that sawed off."

His eyes shooting blue fire and his mind racing as he searched for a way out, Vin slowly retrieved the rest of his weapons, dropping them to the ground. When he finished, he raised his hands away from his body. It took everything he had to keep from jumping Sonny as the man stepped forward to gather up his weapons. Only one thing kept him from doing anything rash. He couldn't risk leaving Sadie alone with these two.

"All right. Shuck yer hat an' coat."

Vin considered arguing, but slowly stripped the jacket off and followed it with his slouch hat. Under the armed man's direction, he dropped both to the grass.

"Now, darlin', you stand away from 'm," Watkins instructed.

"Y' ain't gonna hurt her," Tanner growled low.

Taken aback, Perly said, "mister, I ain't never hurt a lady, an' I don't aim t' start now. She won't be hurt 's long 's you don't do nothin' foolish. Now, Miss, you git on over there."

"Vin?"

Looking down into the woman's pale green eyes, the sharpshooter said softly, "it'll be all right. Go on 'n do 's he says."

Sadie stumbled away a few steps, her hands clasped tight against her lips as if she were praying. Tears flowed freely as she watched the two strangers move forward toward Vin. They bound his hands tightly behind him, then slipped a rope around his chest, tying it tight enough to elicit a grunt from the lean man. The other end of the rope was tied to one of the horses.

"Now, Miss, this is the plan. You stay right where y' are whilst me 'n Sonny ride off with yer beau. I'm real sorry t' bust up yer nice day 'n all." Perly Watkins tipped his hat to the young woman as he turned his horse. He and his cousin rode away, pulling Vin behind them.

"Vin..." Sadie whispered, watching the handsome young man jogging along to keep up with the horses. Too shocked to act, she simply stood there and watched until the trio disappeared over the horizon. Only then did she gather her wits about her.

Hurrying to the horse Vin had picketed earlier, she managed to pull herself up onto it's back. Gathering up the long reins, she dug her heels into the broad sides, clinging to the animal's mane for dear life as they galloped away from the pond. She had to get help. She had to find the other peacekeepers. They had to save Vin.

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JD Dunne looked up from where he was sweeping the boardwalk in front of the jail, the sound of a horse galloping into town drawing his attention. His hand went to his Colt before he even looked up, then it dropped, along with his jaw, as he watched Sadie Wills tearing into town bareback, blue skirts flying behind her as she bent low over the horse's neck.

Bounding off the boardwalk he ran into the street, barely managing to avoid a collision with the lathered animal. He jerked on the harness, turning the animal's head even as it carried him several feet down the road. As he pulled the animal to a halt, he reached up to take hold of the young woman. "Miss Wills, what happened? Where's Vin?"

Sadie tried to straighten up, only to collapse toward the young sheriff. She felt him grab her, easing her to the ground. Leaning heavily against his shoulder, she stumbled beside him as Dunne helped her to a nearby chair. She collapsed onto the seat, still gripping the man's arm. "JD... help, please. You ne... need to get the o-others. Vin... Vin needs... help."

Kneeling in front of her, the town's youngest peacekeeper asked, "what happened? Where is Vin? Miss Wills... Sadie... I need you to tell me where he is. What happened?"

Suddenly a glass of water appeared in front of the trembling young woman. JD looked up to see Mary Travis staring down at her, face filled with concern. Nodding his thanks, Dunne took the glass and helped the seamstress slowly drink. When it seemed she'd had enough, he took the glass away, handing it back to the widow Travis. "Now, can you tell me what happened?"

Pressing a hand to her lips, Sadie fought back tears as she struggled to relate what happened. "Two men... they... they took him. Took Vin. They... they said they were going to... to take him... to Texas. They... th-they took his weapons... tied him up... rode away. They... they made him... made him run behind. Please JD, you have to get the others... save him!"

Sitting back on his heels, JD raked a hand through his dark hair. He felt Mary's hand on his shoulder and looked up first into her face, and then Sadie's. With a sigh he answered the questions he saw in both. "They're not here."

"But... I saw... this morning... Mr. Larabee," Miss Wills stammered.

Nodding as he deciphered the fractured speech, Dunne said, "about twenty minutes after you and Vin rode out, Jesse Carver rode in. Four or five cowboys rode onto his property, threatening to kill him and his family if they didn't leave the territory by tomorrow. Chris and the others rode out to straighten things out. I'm... I'm the only one in town."

"No!" Sadie cried out, her hands going to her face as she sobbed openly.

Dunne's head dropped, feeling her rejection stab him in the heart. She wouldn't have been upset at all had it been Chris or one of the others. But, since it was just 'the Kid', she feared the worst. Again he felt the newspaper woman's hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he found something he hadn't expected to see. A look of trust.

"It'll be all right, JD," Mary Travis said encouragingly.

Nodding, the young man tried to clear his head to think. At the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the boardwalk, he looked to see the town's livery man approaching. The man was heading for the wheezing, trembling animal still standing in the street. "Yosemite!"

Turning, the big man said, "what happened to Vin, JD?"

"There's been trouble. I need to ride out. Can you do me a favor? Chris and the others are out at the Carver place. Could you ride out and tell them that Vin's been taken by two men? Let them know he was out at the fishing pond, and they headed..." he turned to Sadie.

"West... S-south... Southwest," the redhead stuttered.

"They're headed Southwest. Tell Chris I'm riding ahead to see what I can find out."

Nodding, the older man said, "I'll git 'm."

The young sheriff turned back to the seamstress to find a pair of tear-filled green eyes looking at him with gratitude. Managing a smile, he patted the young woman's hand. "Now, Miss Wills, I'm gonna leave you here with Mrs. Travis. She'll take good care of you."

"Thank you JD," Sadie said softly.

As he stood, Mary gripped his shoulder, looking into his young face. "JD, do you think this is wise? Perhaps you should wait - "

Shaking his head, Dunne said, "no ma'am, there's no time. I've got to go. Vin can't wait."

Seeing the resolve in the dark hazel eyes, the blonde nodded. Giving him a quick hug, she said, "be careful, and be safe, JD."

With a quick smile, the young man stepped past her and went into the jail to gather up what he would need. Reappearing a few minutes later, he found the two women gone. Carrying heavy saddlebags and a shotgun, as well as his Colts strapped to his hip, the sheriff of Four Corners strode purposefully down the dusty street.

He reached the livery to find the stable boy saddling Milagro. The big blacksmith was just climbing into the saddle of his own horse. With a tip of his hat, Yosemite aimed his horse out the wide doors. As soon as he was in the street, he kicked the animal to a gallop, his apron flapping against his beefy thighs.

As soon as Milagro was ready, JD leapt into the saddle and rode out of town at a dead run. He barely registered the townsfolk scattering as he barreled down the road, his horse kicking up plumes of dust. He had only one thing on his mind... saving Vin Tanner's life.

~~Part 2~~</p>

Vin cursed under his breath as sweat trailed down his face, causing his long hair to be plastered against his forehead and hanging into his eyes. It ran down his neck and trailed along his chest and back, soaking into the heavier material of his waistband. It pooled in the hollow of the small of his back, slowly rolling down the crack of his ass. It drenched him, causing the layers of clothing to stick to him with increasing annoyance. He knew now why they had made him shuck his hat and coat. The sun beat down on him with unrelenting ferocity, sapping his strength as it drew every bit of fluid from him.

It was easier to handle a half-dead prisoner than one full of life, and the bounty hunters evidently wanted to make things as easy as possible. Growling as Sonny yanked at his tether again, Tanner fought to keep his feet under him. He was footsore and exhausted, wanting nothing more than to lie down and die. He was too cussed stubborn for that, though. The tracker vowed to keep walking as long as it took, and then some. He was hard-headed enough that he figured he'd be walking a day or two after he stopped breathing.

The men moved slowly through the heat of the day, not wanting to wear the horses out. They showed no such concern for the man walking behind them. From time to time Sonny would tug at the rope tied off on his saddle, rewarded by a grunt or harsh curse as he caught the weary man unawares. Then Perly would slide a glare his way and he'd stop for a while, until he became bored again.

Just before noon they pulled up at a small stand of trees. As Vin stumbled toward the shade, Perly raised a gun in his direction.

"You stay right there where y' are."

Tanner stared hard at the man, not believing that he was going to be made to stay in the sun while even the animals enjoyed the cooler air beneath the trees. Then he realized that he shouldn't be surprised at all. Huffing a tired sigh, he dropped wearily to his knees onto the carpet of warm grass. He simply slumped there, head down in an effort to at least shade his face from the relentless sun.

Perly and Sonny stretched out beneath the trees, each man drinking deeply from their canteens. Then Perly went to his horse, splashed some water in his hat and let the animal drink. Staring hard at the other man he waited until Sonny followed suit, seeing to his own mount. Neither man gave a second thought to the bound man forced to wait in the blazing summer sun.

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JD rode hard until he got to the pond, then stopped and dropped to the ground. Carefully he searched the area near where he found the abandoned buggy, moving along the bank as he deciphered where Vin and Sadie had gone walking. Coming on the spot where the bounty hunters got the drop on his friend, he found Vin's coat and hat. Searching the pockets, he found two of the man's most prized possessions; his harmonica and his spyglass. Tucking the instrument back inside the coat, he put the 'glass in his own pocket. It would come in handy when he caught up with the men and Vin. He wouldn't risk Tanner's life by riding too close, until he had a good idea of what was going on.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, Dunne looked for signs of two horses and one person on foot. Vin. When he found what he was looking for, he rode slowly from the pond, keeping the trail in sight. He wanted nothing more than to ride off hell bent for leather, but knew all that would do would be to get Vin killed, and probably himself to boot. So, he reined in his impatience just as he reined in his horse.

He kept the trail in view, using the skills Vin had taught him over the past few months. He also watched for signs that Tanner's captors were waiting for someone to come after the man. He knew he wouldn't be much of a challenge against the two men Sadie had told him about, but he was damned if that would keep him from trying. He couldn't just let Vin be taken away to hang.

Even if it meant dying himself.

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Chris Larabee looked up at the sound of a rider coming toward them at a gallop. He frowned as he recognized the big livery man. Stepping away from where he and the others had been talking to the Carver family, he met Yosemite at the edge of the yard. Something had to be wrong.

"What happened?" He asked without preamble.

"Vin's in trouble." The big man quickly filled the blond in on what he knew of the situation.

"Shit." He knew immediately what had happened. Bounty hunters. Then he remembered the pretty young redhead his friend had squired out of town. "Ms. Wills?"

"Shook up, but okay."

"Where's JD?" A sudden chill crept down his spine as Larabee realized that it should have been the young sheriff coming to tell him about Vin. "Yosemite?"

The big man shook his head, not quite meeting the steely-eyed glare. "Took off t' see if he could cut their trail."

"Damn it!" He should have known, the Kid was long on courage but short on brains. "How many men were there?"

"Ms. Wills said there's only two. What can I do t' help, Chris?"

Larabee pushed his hat off his head to hang by its latigo, running a hand through his short cropped hair. "Can you keep an eye on the town? Reckon we'll be dividing up, half of us here and half going after Vin... and JD."

Nodding, the big man tipped his hat, turned his horse, and headed back toward town. Chris turned to meet the curious and concerned gazes of the other five peacekeepers. Striding back to meet them, he said, "bounty hunters took Vin, JD's gone after them. Buck, Nathan, come with me. We'll stop by town for supplies then head out, start at the pond. Ezra, Josiah you handle this."

"We'll see to it," Josiah said with a nod. "You bring the lost sheep home."

Buck was already on his horse, cursing the impulsive young Easterner he had taken under his wing. Chris and Nathan mounted their own horses, hurrying to catch up. As they did, Chris called out to the bigger man.

"Buck! You get that temper under control, now. We ride after those men all piss and vinegar, someone's gonna get hurt."

"Someone's gonna get hurt any way y' look at it," Wilmington growled. "I'm gonna kick that boy's ass from here t' Missouri an' back again. You know damn good 'n well - "

Raising a hand in retreat, the blond said, "save it. When we get Vin free and find JD you can stomp him. I'll hold him down, in fact. But for now, we've got to concentrate on taking care of those bounty hunters. So rein it in."

Buck shot blue daggers at the other man, then took a deep breath and nodded. The other two men watched as he visibly forced himself to squelch that infamous Wilmington temper. There were times when it came in handy, but this wasn't one of them.

Chris watched the big man force the anger out of his face and ease the tense stance of his body, giving him a quick, compassionate smile. He knew what the Kid meant to him, and what it was costing him to quiet the storm of feelings.

They rode quickly back to town, splitting up long enough to gather supplies and retrieve fresh horses. Then, less than an hour later, they rode out once more, bent on finding their friends and bringing them home.

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They had rested for about an hour according to the sun. Then Sonny took a lot of pleasure in yanking on the rope to pull him to his feet. He stifled a curse and managed to hide just how much the burning sun was wearing him down. Struggling to his feet, he shot a glare at the two men, straightened his back and squared his shoulders. He might go down, but he wasn't going to give them any pleasure in watching him die.

He felt the burn and sting as sweat dripped with growing insistence across the torn flesh that the rope had rubbed raw. He pushed himself, trying to keep up with the two horsemen, to keep the rope from digging into him. As hard as he tried, it did no good and he cursed as he felt the warm ooze of blood mingle with the pouring sweat.

The tracker fought to ignore the pain and thirst, to ignore the burning sun that leeched his strength from him. He forced his mind to focus elsewhere. He tried to craft another poem for Sadie, so he could recite it to her when next he saw the pretty young woman. When his mind refused to string the words together, he simply thought about her. The softness of her skin as he took hold of her hand. How light shined in her soft green eyes when she looked up at him. How she smiled when he talked to her. He thought about how she cried when he recited his poem for her. At first he had been scared that she was crying for a different reason, that he had embarrassed or insulted her.

But she had liked it. She'd been proud that he'd written it for her. She liked it.

She liked him.

Taking a deep breath, ignoring how the air seemed to burn his throat and how the rope dug into his chest, he breathed deep and stood straighter. He was damned if he'd turn up his toes now. Not now. Not when there was someone waiting for him.

Was she safe? He was grateful that, at least, the men had left her alone. They might not give a damn as to what they put him through, but he could handle what came. If they had done any harm to Sadie, he'd probably be laying stretched out over the rump of one of the horses, dead. Because no matter what they did to him, he wouldn't have stood by and let them hurt her. He couldn't. But she was safe. He figured that she had probably managed to get back to town by now. That meant that Chris and the boys were hot on his trail. That meant he'd be rescued directly.

Maybe Sadie would come to visit him while he healed. That thought brought a smile to dry, cracked lips. He wouldn't mind having her dote on him a bit while he got over his ordeal. What man wouldn't accept the attentions of a pretty young lady when he was hurting? Maybe he'd even suffer a relapse...

Vin chuckled aloud, bringing looks from both men in front of him. He was starting to think like Bucklin. Thinking with what was below his belt, wasn't that what Chris had said to the big man a time or two? But hell, who wouldn't when there was a woman as pleasing to the eye as Sadie Wills to think about?

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Chris, Buck and Nathan reached the fishing pond shortly after noon. They found the signs of both Vin and JD, as well as the two men who had captured the bounty hunter. They were just mounting to ride after their friends when they heard the sound of a horse approaching, running hard. They saw one of the ranchers from a small spread on the other side of Four Corners racing toward them.

"Nathan!" Daniel Tate called as he approached. "Nathan!"

The healer knew immediately what was going on. "Is it time?"

Nodding, the out of breath man said, "she started havin' pains last night, but she's havin' trouble. Nathan, I'm scared it's gonna happen again."

Jackson nodded. Martha Tate had lost two babies during childbirth, nearly dying herself each time. When she had realized she was in a family way again, she had come to Nathan. He had assured her that he would be there for her when her time came, and would do everything in his power to make certain this child lived.

But now? Why did it have to be now? He looked helplessly at the other two men. "Chris, Buck, I've got... I promised... "

Nodding Larabee said, "go. Leave us the supplies. Buck and I will take care of this. You've got a promise to keep."

Relief vied with guilt and concern on the dark, handsome face. Quickly he took his saddlebags from behind his saddle and handed them over to the blond. With a final look at his friends, he said, "bring 'm home."

Larabee and Wilmington watched for a minute as Jackson rode off with the expectant father before resuming their journey.

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They moved through the day, the sun seeming to mock him by refusing to set when he thought it was surely time... hell, past time... for it to crawl off behind the mountains. Instead it stubbornly stayed in the sky. He was vaguely aware of the fact that he was walking in his own blood, his boots having long ago rubbed and then burst blisters all along his feet. He knew that they were raw, but the pain was swallowed up by the overall pain that coursed through his body. The sun had baked him dry, the ropes around his chest and wrists and dug into his flesh. His back, never strong to begin with, throbbed incessantly, mirrored by the drumbeat behind his eyes.

His vision had dimmed, the result of long hours in the sun without any relief. The world became light and dark, shape and shadow, but little else. He was a stubborn man, but began to wonder - when he could gather his thoughts - if it wouldn't be better to just curl up and die. But the stubbornness kept him moving, one stumbling step at a time.

Then, it happened. His legs gave out. Unable to stop his fall, his arms behind his back, Vin fell hard. He felt something pop, and realized he'd dislocated his shoulder. His captors didn't even slow or turn around. Unable to regain his feet, Vin could only grit his teeth as he was dragged slowly behind the horses.

Finally, several minutes later, Sonny did turn his attention to the man behind him. With a frustrated sigh, he turned to Perly. "I'm draggin' his sorry ass. Son of a bitch's pullin' on th' saddle."

Nodding, Perly looked up at the sky. "It'll be dark soon, anyway. Reckon we can call it a day. Let's ride over t' them trees and make camp."

He felt the direction change, and knew they had turned slightly. He struggled against the pull of the rope, fighting to regain his feet, even though he knew he couldn't. Several more minutes passed, even though to the pain-wracked man it seemed like hours, before the movement stopped. It took Vin some time to realize that he was no longer moving. He lay, face down, for several minutes longer. He tried to gather up the strength to move, but could do nothing more than to roll to his back. He took several deep breaths, no longer even noticing how it pressed the rope into his chest.

If the boys were going to save his sorry hide, now would be a good time.

+ + + + + + +

JD lay flat on the hilltop, sighting through the spyglass. He had been following the men from a distance for an hour or so. He had watched through the metal device to keep track of his quarry. He had seen Vin fall, only to be dragged behind the horses, and had barely been able to restrain himself from tearing across the plain to help his friend.

Damn it, he wished Buck or Chris were here. They would know how to go after Vin now, without risking the man's death. But there was only him, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out what to do. All he could do was follow behind, waiting for divine inspiration to give him a sign as to what to do. So far, nothing had come.

So, here he was, lying atop the hill, watching things unfold below him.

They had stopped, the two bounty hunters in the shade of a small stand of trees. Vin lay where he had fallen, face down beneath the setting but still fierce sun. As JD watched, the prone figure moved. Slowly Tanner rolled onto his back, his face turned to the sun now. Dunne cursed. At least the other way, Vin's face was protected from the heat.

Forcibly dragging his attention from the injured man, the sheriff played the spyglass around the area. He settled on the trees where the two men sat, studying them. He cursed as he realized he had talked to one of them just two days earlier. The man had pretended to be a cowboy looking for a job, and had struck up a conversation with him. He had considered riding in toward them, pretending to be just someone passing by. But, even if they didn't shoot him to keep him from seeing what they were doing to Vin, it would never work now. The man would recognize him and probably shoot them both.

There had to be a way.

"Think JD!" He hissed through clenched jaws.

Studying the terrain, he slowly traced a path that might allow him to get within a few yards of the sharpshooter. It was round about and he would have to go slow if he was to manage it, but it might work. He would need to wait until nightfall, however.

If only the sun would set.

He watched his friend, his heart aching more with each passing moment, frustration mounting with each passing second. He went over his plan over and over, honing it, memorizing it, changing it. It had to work. Unless Chris and the others came over the horizon before nightfall, it was the only thing he could do.

The only way Vin would survive.

~~Part 3~~

Sonny Watkins looked out from beneath the tree he was leaning against, watching the prone form stretched out in the sun. Turning to his kin, he said, "y' know, he ain't likely t' last another day in this heat."

Perly lay stretched out beneath one of the trees, his hat pulled over his eyes. Without moving he said, "reckon so."

"Well, I ain't gonna ride double with no corpse."

"You'll do what'cha need t' do, just like me."

"Then you ride with it."

"We'll take turns."

"Told y', I ain't ridin' with no corpse."

"We're bound t' pass a farm 'r somethin'. We'll git us another horse t' tote 'm on."

"Well, I ain't payin' fer a horse. Y' should a took th' one he's usin' back there."

"I ain't leavin' no lady on foot. We'll git another horse. Meantime quit yer complainin'. He ain't even dead yet."

"Yeah, but he ain't gonna last another day."

Perly sighed, pulled his hat further down, and tried hard to ignore the ranting man. Ezekiel Watkins, better known as Sonny, had been a thorn in his side since they were kids. They had been out hunting for dinner one day, and he had accidentally shot his cousin in the head. Sonny had almost died, was unconscious for more than a week, and had never been right since. The family had blamed Perly for it all, even though he was only eight and Sonny was twelve, and it had been an accident. From that day on it had been looked on as his responsibility to look after the man. And he resented every minute of it.

"Why don' cha rustle us up come dinner," Perly instructed a few minutes later, when the other man had quieted down.

"Why don't you? It ain't my turn t' cook. I cooked lunch. I had t' tote that feller all day, too. Why don't you do somethin'?"

"All y' did was make sure the rope didn't come loose off yer saddlehorn. And all we had fer lunch was day ol' biscuits 'n jerky. Now shut up an' go fix dinner."

Sonny threw a look at the other man and considered arguing, but knew wouldn't do any good. Perly would win. He always did. Grumbling under his breath, he went off in search of game for dinner.

Perly looked from beneath the brim of his hat, saw that his cousin was gone, and pushed the hat back. Raising up on his elbows, he looked out into the late evening sun, studying their bounty. He never thought of them in any other way, just bounties. Otherwise they became men, and it made the work harder.

Tanner had moved to his back, which wasn't the best position given the clear sky above them. His face would be burnt to a crisp this way. Not that he cared about his bounty's comfort, he didn't. He just wanted to make sure the sheriff down in Tascosa was able to identify him when they got down there.

He hated to admit it, but Sonny was right. Tanner wouldn't make it through another day without at least a little water. Not that he cared, the poster was dead or alive. But, like Sonny, he wasn't interested in sharing his horse with a dead body. A body that wasn't likely to smell real good by the time they got to where they were going. While he wanted to keep him quiet, Perly decided that it would be in their best interest to keep Tanner alive.

Pushing himself to his feet, he strode over to the end of the rope. Nudging the prone body with the toe of his boot, he received no response. Reaching down, he grabbed up the rope, and pulled the unconscious man toward the shade. Accomplishing that, he left him laying there, a boneless heap at the edge of the stand of trees. They only had what water was left in their canteens, but he decided he'd allow the man a drink before they set off in the morning. Just enough to keep him alive, but not enough to give him the strength to be a problem to them.

+ + + + + + +

The sun finally set, after seeming to hover on the horizon for hours. JD heaved a sigh of relief, happy that he could finally set his plan into motion. He had moved as close as he dared while there was still daylight, and had waited in the brush for night to come.

He had left his horse hidden in the hills, and carried only a canteen with him. He fought the urge to draw his Colts, but left them holstered. The countryside was deep in shadows, and he was fairly certain he could get in, rescue Vin, and get back out again. His plan had nearly been destroyed when he watched one of the men drag Vin toward the trees, but he was just dropped at the edge of the glade and left. He supposed whoever the bastards were, they weren't ready to let Tanner die just yet.

As stealthily as possible, the young man moved from hiding place to hiding place, having picked out each one while he waited. Scrub brush led to a scattering of boulders led to a shallow ravine led to a stand of trees. The trees led to more brush led to the final stretch of land that lay open between the brush and the stand of trees where Vin lay.

He reached that last landmark with grim satisfaction. It was a good ten yards before he reached his friend. It was full night now, only the faint light of the early stars and the flicker of the campfire just beyond where he knew Vin was. The darkness was a blessing, in that he would be able to move across the open range without the bounty hunters seeing him. At the same time, he could barely see his hand in front of his face, and was going by feel and grime determination alone.

He slipped off his boots, figuring he could move quieter without them. Taking a deep breath, he moved away from his final hiding place. Every sense went on alert for any hint of danger. It seemed to take a lifetime to get across those last feet, and JD was convinced he'd aged to match. Then he was there. Vin lay right in front of him.

Kneeling carefully, Dunne placed his hand on the other man's chest, searching for confirmation that Tanner was, indeed, still alive. The faint rise and fall as he breathed and the rapid flutter of his heartbeat gave the young man the information he needed. Leaning forward, he whispered into the other man's ear.

"Vin? Vin, can you hear me? It's JD. Vin?"

Tanner moaned softly, his head moving toward the sound in his ear. Without opening his eyes, he murmured, "JD?"

Pressing his fingers against the swollen lips, he slipped an arm beneath the sharpshooter's shoulders and carefully lifted him to rest against his shoulder. Uncapping his canteen, he touched it against his friend's lips. As Vin's foggy mind deciphered what it was, he opened his mouth and allowed the water to dribble down his aching throat.

Letting the abused man drink slowly, he pulled the container away after a few swallows. At the exasperated sound Tanner breathed, he leaned forward and whispered, "there's plenty more, but we need to go. Can you walk if I help you?"

Slowly the shaggy head nodded. JD retrieved his pocketknife, wishing he had something heavier. Still, he managed to cut through the rope, pulling it from the lean chest. He couldn't help but wince as, time and again, he had to tug it loose. He quickly realized that it was being held to the other man by dried blood. Finally dropping the hemp to the ground, he rose to his feet, slipping his arms beneath Vin's shoulders. Carefully he pulled Tanner up, feeling the man jerk and tremble slightly as he did.

Helping Vin to stand, he awkwardly slipped his arm around the narrow waist. Tanner's arms were still tied behind his back, but he could cut that rope loose later. Right now the most important thing was to get away. When they were away from the bounty hunters' camp, there would be time to free him then.

They moved back the way JD had come, Vin moving through the shadows without a sound, despite the fact that he could barely keep his feet beneath him. Dunne kept his arm around his friend, supporting him as best he could. He felt the tremors that coursed through the thin frame, felt the injured man's struggle to keep from falling when his knees buckled. When that happened, the smaller man would stand fast, holding onto the struggling man until he seemed steady once more.

They made the first landmark, and the young sheriff eased his companion to the ground. Uncapping his canteen, he allowed Tanner another drink, the man leaning heavily against him. Vin started to slump toward the ground, but JD held him up.

"Hang on. Let me cut the ropes on your wrists." With Tanner supported against his shoulder, he went to work, soon freeing the man's bleeding wrists.

Vin moaned softly and drew one arm before him, fingers flexing as he tried to restore circulation. He started to move the other as well, but a sharp burst of pain reminded him of the earlier fall. Hissing a breath, he let the injured arm hang as it was.

"Vin?"

"Popped 't... outta socket," he muttered.

"I can pop it back in, I've seen Nathan do it a couple of times."

Shaking his head, the tracker said, "leave 't fer now. Let's git outta here."

Nodding hesitantly, Dunne pulled his boots on and helped the other man once more to his feet. Vin slipped his good arm over the smaller man's shoulders, and the Easterner once more wrapped his around the trim waist. Slowly they made their way away from the bounty hunters.

The moon rose when they were nearly half way back to where JD had left Milagro, but the faded sliver of light did little to alleviate the blackness. He had led the two of them astray a couple of times, having to study the dark landscape carefully before they continued.

Finally he heard a faint wicker, and moved toward the sound. He all but ran into the patient horse, reaching out to touch the sleek, silky coat of the chestnut. Giving the animal a pat, he helped Vin into the saddle. Making certain the man could hold on with one hand, he led the horse back along the trail. He had gotten Vin away from his captors, but they weren't free yet.

+ + + + + + +

Chris leaned back against a tree trunk, watching his oldest friend. Buck hadn't set still for more than a minute since they'd made camp. Neither of them had wanted to stop for the night, but the moonless sky had hidden the trail from them, leaving them uncertain of where the other two peacekeepers were. They had made a quick camp, with only a small fire that was hidden from view by the surrounding trees and brush.

He had cooked some beans, but neither of them had much of an appetite. Half-heartedly shoving several mouthfuls of beans into his mouth, using a cold biscuit rather than a spoon, Buck jumped up, beginning to pace around the edge of the camp.

"Damn it Chris! We can't just sit here on our asses while Vin's out there in trouble, and for all we know, JD is too! We need to go!"

"Go where, Buck? We can't see the trail... hell, it's hard to see past the end of your nose out here tonight. We don't have a choice, but neither do they. They're holed up somewhere just like we are."

"Yeah? Well, that don't mean they ain't doin' God knows what to that scrawny-assed Texan."

"Do you think I haven't thought about that?"

Despite the fact that his voice was soft, it became clear to the bigger man that his old friend was worried. Hell, he was doing the Chris Larabee version of pacing, sitting perfectly still and staring into the darkness. Wilmington realized that the blond was just as worried as he was. Their friends were out there somewhere, probably in trouble, and they couldn't do a damn thing until the sun came up. Heaving a deep sigh, he dropped to the ground, sitting cross-legged near the other man. Picking up a mug, he poured some coffee, and tried to relax.

For several moments, neither man spoke. Finally, the mustached man broke the silence. "They'll be all right."

Smiling at his friend's change of mind, Larabee said, "reckon."

"It ain't like Tanner ain't faced hard situations before."

"You're right."

"And for all we know, the Kid's lost and half way back to town by now."

"Probably."

"If not, he's not fool enough to try and rescue Vin alone."

"Maybe."

Buck stopped, frowning at the gunman. "So you're sayin' you think he would do something stupid like that?"

"Didn't say that."

"Y' know, he's come a long way since he hooked up with us. He ain't that wet behind the ears city kid no more."

"Nope."

"But you don't think he's capable of taking care of himself out here on his own."

The corner of Larabee's mouth quirked up in a smirk. "Who are you arguing with, me or you?"

Wilmington's mouth opened, closed, then opened again. With an embarrassed grin, he said, "damned if I know. Hell, Chris, I just can't help it. The boy brings out somethin' in me..."

"Uncle Buck."

"What?"

"Uncle Buck. The same man who used to fuss over Adam worse than his mama did. Face it, pa, you're hearts as big as your mouth. Reckon you'll always find someone or other to take care of. Adam... JD... me..." Larabee drifted off. He leaned forward, pulled a piece of wood from the edge of the fire, and used it to light a cheroot.

The bigger man simply stared at his friend, then slowly began to smile. "Yeah, well, reckon some of us was just put on this earth to take care a them that can't do 't themselves."

Larabee chuckled. "Reckon so."

Silence filled the next several moments, this time broken by Chris. "You know, we couldn't have asked for a better guardian for Adam than you. Sarah and I knew that from the day he was born."

Choking back the pain that threatened to overwhelm him, the bigger man said in a soft voice, "sure wasn't a good guardian when it really counted."

With a sigh, Larabee said, "you know as well as I do that it wasn't your fault. If you'd known you'd have been pulling me out of that damned cantina in a heartbeat."

"Yeah. Instead, I was the one coaxin' you to stay back there. I wanted just one more drink. Just one more whore. Just one more night."

"Despite what you seem to think, pard, you never have been in charge of my life. The fact of the matter is... I wanted to stay." The widow's voice cracked with emotion. "Hank was right. I was the hell-raiser he always said I was. I wasn't good enough for Sarah, and I sure as hell proved it that night."

"That's bull and you know it. There wasn't... isn't... a better husband and father on the face of this earth, stud. Sarah knew it, Adam knew it... and I know it. You're the only one that doesn't see it."

Drawing a deep, if trembling, breath the gunman said, "I can't, Buck."

Once more silence blanketed the little clearing where they had camped, ending that conversation. Knowing that he'd lost the chance to help his friend find peace once again, Wilmington changed the subject. "So, what's the plan? How do we get Vin away from those bastards?"

Drawing on his cheroot and watching the end glow bright red, Chris studied the question. Finally he shook his head, "I don't have a clue. We've got to go in careful, otherwise we risk him getting killed. I hope Sadie was right, that there are only two of them. That could give us our break... God knows we've faced a lot stiffer odds."

"Ain't that the truth."

"The only thing we can do is find JD, catch up to those sons of bitches, and see what things look like then. If there are only two men, we might be able to surprise them without gunplay. That would be our best bet...

"Right now, the hardest part is waiting."

~~Part 4~~

Nathan Jackson looked up when he heard the bedroom door open. He watched as Dan Tate walked slowly into the room, his eyes fixed on the big bed where his wife and infant son lay. Jackson finished drying his hands, his eyes going to the bed as well. He had been in this room since late afternoon the day before, and the first rays of the sun were just beginning to frame the shaded window beside the bed.

Martha Tate looked pale and fragile, but the lines of pain had finally left her face. She had been in the depths of a difficult labor by the time he and Dan had ridden in, crying out each time a contraction hit. The baby was turned wrong, just as the others had been, and he had struggled through the night to help her bring the child into the world.

The commotion was over now, the room quiet. He had gotten both her and the baby cleaned up and put fresh linen on the bed. Now she lay, her dark hair spilling out across the pillow, with the tiny baby in her arms.

Nathan moved quietly to Tate's side, guiding him to a chair with a strong hand on the man's arm. Dan barely seemed to notice, his focus completely on his family. He dropped to the chair, and one hand reached out to touch his wife's. Running his thumb along the back of her porcelain-like hand, he whispered, "thank you, Nathan."

"Ain't... ain't no need... I didn't... I... I'm sorry, Daniel."

The seated man looked up at the dark healer, tears streaming down his face. "You did all you could. We both knew the risks... but... she wanted ch-children so bad."

As the grieving man broke off, his words drown out by a pain-filled sob, the former slave dropped his head and looked away. Then his tear- washed eyes gazed at the woman and child lying on the bed. Martha Tate had breathed her last in a panting, weeping groan just as her son was delivered by the healer's strong hands. The newborn baby had struggled, gasping a few weak breaths, and then had gone as still as his mother.

"Reckon she's happy now," Dan said softly. "She's with all three of our babies now... finally takin' care of... of our family."

"Yes, sir, I... I reckon," Nathan managed to get the words past the lump in his throat. Squeezing the man's shoulder, he said, "I'll take 'm into town, to the undertaker's if you'd like."

Shaking his head, Tate replied, "no. Our other two babies... our girls, she called 'm... are buried right here on our land. I'll... I'll see to it her and our son join 'm. I do thank you."

Jackson thought he'd lose his mind if the man thanked him one more time. How could Dan thank him, when his wife and son lay dead before them? He deserved no thanks. But all he could manage to say was, "I'll have 'm bring out the coffin, then, and help you with the burial."

Shaking his head, the other man said, "you've got another job to do, Nathan. I heard about what was going on... heard Vin was in trouble. You... you need to get on the trail, in case... in case he needs you. I'll take care of things here."

Pain still etched deep on his handsome face, Jackson nodded and walked from the room, shoulders stooped. As he made his way outside, he heard a single, gut-wrenching sob coming from the bedroom. The sound pierced his heart and the tears burst from his eyes to cascade down his face.

+ + + + + + +

The sun was just edging over the horizon as JD led the tired horse across an open stretch of land. He was grateful for the fact that he could at least see where he was leading them now, but worried at the fact that it would be much easier for the bounty hunters to find them. A soft moan drew his attention upward to where his injured friend sat hunched over in the saddle.

"JD... I need t' stop," Tanner admitted, his words accompanied by a strangled groan.

"All right, hang on Vin, there are some trees just over there." He pointed, but the tracker didn't look. Instead he simply sank lower in the saddle, nodding once to say he had heard. Frowning, JD tugged at the reins, leading Milagro to the small stand of trees he had only noticed as the sky began to lighten.

Reaching the trees a short time later, he guided the horse into the center of the grove, ground reining the exhausted creature before turning to his friend. "Come on, let's get you down."

Tanner barely responded, allowing himself to be guided from the horse's broad back. A hissed breath of pain was his only response as his abused feet touched the ground. Then his knees buckled and left him leaning heavily on the young sheriff.

"Take it easy. Come on, let's get you over here so you can rest."

"'Kay," Tanner muttered. He shuffled beside Dunne, his injured arm sending pain shooting through his upper body with each step. He knew he needed to get it put back in place, before he did more damage to it. He told JD as much once he was settled on the ground.

The young sheriff paled slightly, his earlier words coming back to haunt him. While he had seen Nathan maneuver a dislocated limb back into place, he had never done it himself. What would happen if he only caused more injury? Then he looked down at the sharpshooter, and knew he had to do something. Tanner's face, scorched red by the long hours of sun, was lined with pain and coated with a thin sheen of perspiration.

"Yeah... okay. I -"

"Kid, if y' don't wanna do 't, reckon I c'n wait." He stifled a groan as he tried to find a more comfortable position. He really didn't have much hope of finding one, though. Between the throbbing of his shoulder, the pounding of his head, the burning of the raw places on his chest and back, and the general pain that spread across his body from being dragged, there wasn't enough of him pain-free to get comfortable on.

"No, I'll do it, Vin. I just... I just don't want to hurt you."

"Hell, don't reckon y' c'n make me hurt more 'n I already do."

With a deep sigh, the dark haired young man grabbed the dislocated limb and pulled sharply as he had seen Jackson do. Somewhat shocked to feel a distinct pop, he said, "I hope not."

Tanner was too shocked to cry out, a startled grunt his only response to the other man's ministrations. He slumped back against the tree, only vaguely aware of Dunne slowly maneuvering his arm until it lay against his stomach.

JD sat back on his heels, watching his friend. This was the first really good look he had had of the man since rescuing him. What he saw both shocked and sickened him. Vin looked as if he had been abused for days rather than hours. His face and neck were red, blisters appearing where the skin had been burned the worst. His lips were cracked and bloody and his eyes were swollen almost closed. His shirt was ripped and filthy from his being dragged, blood dried in a rough line just below his shoulders where the rope had cut into his flesh.

Shaking his head, Dunne said, "Vin?"

"Yeah?"

"You look like hell."

With a tired laugh, the sharpshooter said, "reckon I do, Kid. Reckon I do."

+ + + + + + +

They had gotten back on the trail as soon as there was light enough to see by. The two old friends rode as fast as they could while keeping track of the path the others had made before them. Three sets of hoof prints and one of boots.

It was the set of boot tracks that made them angrier by the mile.

"I can't believe how long they made him walk," Buck said quietly. "Don't look like they stopped but once. That boy's had t' be walkin' in blood by the time they got this far."

"I know," Larabee's voice was deathly quiet.

It was a quiet that Wilmington recognized only too well. It usually meant that someone was going to get shot, if not killed outright. And he was only too glad that he was on the blond's side. He also knew that the gunman wasn't in the mood for talk, so he kept any further comments to himself and kept his focus on the trail ahead.

+ + + + + + +

The sun had bloomed fully atop the hilltops of the Eastern horizon before the Watkins cousins awoke. Perly was the first to discover their bounty had escaped during the night. He cursed as he held the cut rope in his hands, then dropped it to go storming back beneath the trees. There he cursed again, kicking Sonny as he did. The other man came up off his bedroll with a howl, coming after his cousin before he was even fully awake.

The two men began fighting, fists flailing, feet lashing out as they battered one another. Finally Perly pinned his cousin on his back, sitting on his chest as he delivered a sharp right onto the man's chin.

"He's gone!"

"What?" Sonny gasped the word through a split lip and a bloody nose.

"The sumbitch is gone. Either he had a knife hid, or one a them bastards he rides with snuck in an' cut 'm lose. Don't matter none, cos he's gone!"

"But... where'd 'e go?"

Looking down at his cousin with an expression of disbelief, Perly Watkins said in as even a tone as he could manage, "how th' hell 'm I s'posed t' know? He's gone. Lit out. Now, git th' cotton outta yer head, git yer horse, 'n let's go."

"But... yer sittin' on me," Sonny complained.

With an exasperated growl, the beleaguered bounty hunter shifted off his cousin's chest, and said, "git... up."

Scrambling to his feet, the simple man hurried to comply with his domineering cousin's orders. Within minutes, the two men set out. Perly managed to find signs of two men on foot, and knew then that someone had helped Tanner escape.

"Knew we should a kept watch last night. Should 'a known one a them damn do-gooders 'd come fer 'm. Now we gotta chase 'im down, prob'ly shoot 't out with whoever come fer 'm and start all over again gittin' 'm t' Texas."

"Well if'n there's only one of 'm come fer 'im we ain't gonna have no problem gittin' Tanner back," Sonny said. It seemed very simple to him.

Perly Watkins looked at his cousin and simply shook his head. "C'mon... let's go."

+ + + + + + +

"Vin?"

"Hm?"

JD looked at his injured friend sympathetically. Tanner had only seemed to be truly at rest less than half an hour ago. He wanted to spare the man any more pain, but knew they needed to go. The bounty hunters were sure to find their trail, and would be on them before long. When they saw for certain that it was only him standing between them and Vin, they might laugh themselves to death, but that was the only way he'd get the better of them.

"Kid.. y' jist wake me fer th' hell of 't, 'r what?" The sharpshooter's voice was soft and tired, but it brought JD back to matters at hand.

"No. I'm sorry Vin, but we really need to go. Those fella's will be on us pretty quick otherwise."

With a sigh, the older man said, "yeah, I know. Gimme a hand."

JD took the hand Tanner held out, slipped his arm around his shoulders, and helped him to his feet. Vin cursed under his breath at the pain that shot upward through his torn and bloodied feet, and downward from his injured shoulder. It took everything the pain-wracked man could do not to simply lay back down. He wouldn't, though. He couldn't.

With slow, awkward steps, Tanner hobbled along side the smaller man, allowing himself to be led toward the waiting horse. He barely managed to climb into the saddle with JD's help, groaning as he slumped on the horse's back. He let his feet dangle so there was less pressure on them, although he knew this wouldn't be much better for them. Taking a deep breath to steel himself, he nodded to his friend, managing to rasp, "let's go."

Nodding in return, JD led the rested horse forward, heading back toward town and, hopefully, help.

The day promised more heat and bright sunlight. He couldn't help but wish it would cloud up. The Kid had brought him his hat and coat, which would help, but he knew he would be hurting before the sun rose much farther. He could already feel the heat, as if it were focusing itself on his face and neck, even beneath the wide brim of his slouch hat. Add to that the pain from his other injuries, and Tanner wanted nothing more than to scream at the top of his lungs. He didn't, though. He simply gritted his teeth, took as deep a breath a he was able, and held on tight.

The thing that worried him the most was the fact that he still could barely see. The long hours in the sun had caused his eyelids to swell almost shut, just as he knew the rest of his face was swollen. Those long hours without any type of shade or cover had caused his vision to blur, the world that he did see through mere slits dim and fuzzy.

He wasn't about to mention it to Dunne, though. There wasn't anything the Kid could do for him, for one. He knew that, with rest, they'd be all right... at least he hoped they would. The only thing they could do was bandage them, and right now that wasn't an option. Even if all he saw was shape and shadow, it was something. With those bounty hunters on their trail, JD would need someone watching his back... and he was all there was right now.

They traveled for the first two or three hours of the morning, the sheriff wanting to put as much space between him and their pursuers as possible. He tried to watch in all directions, intent on keeping his injured friend safe. At the same time he watched for any sign that Chris and the others were heading their way. It seemed to him they should have met them by now.

"Kid... hold up," Tanner said softly.

Halting the little chestnut immediately, Dunne slipped a Colt from the holster as he turned to look up at the other man. "What is it?"

Shaking his head, the sharpshooter said, "thought I heard... damn it! Horses comin', JD. We need t' find somewhere t' hole up. Git on up here, so we c'n move faster."

Dunne looked around quickly, trying hard to find some sign of pursuit. Seeing none, he moved to swing up onto the back of his horse. Vin had moved back, making it clear that he was to ride in front. Quickly pulling himself up into the saddle, JD took the reins and kicked the horse to a run.

They rode as hard out as they could with both men in the saddle. JD headed them for a scattering of rocks from some long ago landslide, at the foot of the nearby hills.

They were half way there when the first bullet whipped by them. The younger man leaned forward, urging the tiring horse to move just a little faster. "Hang on, Vin!"

Tanner was trying. He had his good arm wrapped around Dunne's chest, doing his best to keep himself on the horse's back. He listened as more bullets whistled past.

Only a third of the way to go. JD could feel the horse struggling beneath him, all ready tired from the morning's walk in the heat. He coaxed it to move a little faster.

Vin felt a sharp pain, and fire spread from his side. He knew he'd been hit, but couldn't afford the breath to cry out. Instead, he tucked his injured arm close to his side and held onto the other man a little tighter.

Reaching the jumble of rocks, Dunne wheeled the horse around behind the largest, hoping it would be enough to hide them from the bounty hunters. He tapped at Vin's hand. "Come on, let's get you down."

Tanner tried to move, only to have the pain increase ten fold. His grip on the smaller man loosened and he slowly slipped from the saddle. Dropping to the ground, he crumpled to the ground in a boneless heap. All ready unconscious, he didn't hear the young sheriff's cry.

"Vin!"

~~Part 5~~

JD reached down, grabbing Vin under the arms. The semi-conscious man groaned as the movement shot pain through his injured shoulder, but he didn't completely regain consciousness. Dragging Tanner across the rocky ground, Dunne lowered him onto the cool earth shadowed by three large boulders. Checking quickly and seeing that the other man's latest injury didn't seem to be bleeding too badly, he left the sharpshooter where he was. Pulling his Colts, the young sheriff leaned around one of the boulders, searching the landscape for signs of their attackers. He didn't have to look far.

The bounty hunters were riding hard, right toward their hiding place, secure in the knowledge that they faced less than even odds. JD cursed under his breath, wishing for the thousandth time that it was one of the others here rather than him. They would be able to face down the two men easily, he knew that as certain as he knew his own name.

A bullet whipped past his ear, sending the young man ducking for cover. Before he could quite manage it, he felt a sharp sting of pain as a second bullet tore through his shirt sleeve and grazed the flesh of his arm beneath it. Shrugging off the pain, he moved to fire his own weapons, only to be surprised by the sound of gunfire off to his right. Flattening himself against the warm stone, he watched for signs of an attack from that direction. When he finally caught sight of the new threat, he relaxed and even managed a smile as he recognized the familiar forms of Chris Larabee and Buck Wilmington. With a relieved whoop, he watched the two men riding to intercept the bounty hunters.

To their credit, the Watkins' realized immediately that they were no match for these two riders, and wheeled their horses around. Riding hard, the bounty hunters quickly disappeared over a nearby rise, a hail of bullets quick on their heels.

Larabee was tempted to ride on, his anger toward the men goading him to take them down. Common sense, in the form of concern for his friends, caused him to slow, turning his mount toward the rocks, with Buck at his side. The two men quickly reached the rocks, dismounting before their horses stopped. Chris located Vin in the shadows and strode quickly toward the young Texan, Nathan's heavy saddlebags in tow. Buck tuned toward JD, long hours of worry and concern coming out in a loud tirade.

"Boy, what th' hell did you think you were doin', coming out here on your own like this? Do you see how close you came to gettin' you and Vin both killed? Damn it! You thick-headed, mule-stubborn... fool!" He sputtered, accentuating his words by slapping Dunne with his hat. On his part, the young man ducked and weaved, doing his best to sidestep as much of the attack as possible. He was doing well until Wilmington hit his injured arm. Yelping as pain burned through the deep gash, he grabbed his arm and dropped to his knees.

Immediately the big ladies man stopped, dark blue eyes growing wide at the sight of the young sheriff on the ground, holding his bleeding arm and obviously in pain. Dropping to his knees beside him, Buck asked softly, "ah hell, Kid, is it bad?"

Blinking back tears of pain, the smaller man shook his head and ground out, "just a scratch."

Wilmington looked ready to pick the young man up and carry him, but instead said, "come on, let's get you patched up."

Dunne allowed himself to be helped up and walked wearily beside Buck to where Chris was already looking Vin over. Dropping to the ground once more, he said, "watch his shoulder, he dislocated it yesterday. I think I got it back in place okay, but it's still hurting. He caught a bullet in the side, but I don't know how bad. They dragged him a half mile or so yesterday, and that was after they made him walk all day. The ropes dug into his chest and his wrists, and he's awfully sunburned. Guess that's easy to see. I got a little water down him, but he needs more. We haven't had time to eat anything, so he hasn't eaten since breakfast yesterday as far as I know. Can't think of anything else. Can't tell you how glad I am to see you guys."

The two older men exchanged looks as their youngest member quickly and quietly catalogued Tanner's injuries, then smiled as he finally greeted them. From where he knelt beside Vin, Chris said, "not as glad as we are to see you two. You did good, Kid. Damn good. Thanks."

Dunne's head snapped up and he locked eyes with the gunfighter. He saw the frank expression of gratitude in the usually cool, hazel eyes. Crimson stained his pale cheeks as he managed a smile before dropping his gaze. "I just... I didn't know for sure what to do. But I couldn't just stand by and let them take Vin away."

Buck cupped a big hand around the back of JD's neck and coaxed the young man's focus off the ground. When he managed to make eye contact, he said softly, "you did a damn fine job of gettin' Vin free of those bastards, son. No one could have done better. Be proud of that, okay?"

The young sheriff smiled as he saw the pride in his surrogate big brother's eyes. Then he flinched as he saw fire return to the deep blue depths and heard Wilmington's tone change.

"And if you ever do anything so foolhardy and dangerous again, I'll kick whatever's left of you clear across the country!"

+ + + + + + +

He felt something cool slowly chase away the painful burning that had taken up residence in his face and neck. Then something damp was placed over his swollen and aching eyes and blotted out the sunlight that filtered through his closed lids.

Hands gently moved along the ragged and throbbing flesh at his wrists, then wrapped something soft around them. The process was repeated around his chest and back. Next the fire in his side was doused, first with cool water and then soothing comfort. Finally, softness was tucked tight against the dulling pain.

He cried out, the sound weak even to his ears, as his boots and socks were carefully but firmly tugged off. Then the hands were there, too, cooling the tortured flesh of his feet. Next came the comforting sensation, and finally the torn flesh was encased in soft cocoons.

The hands lifted him slightly and something was pressed gently against his aching lips. Then a soft voice coaxed him farther from the fog. "Open up, pard, I've got some water for you here. Come on, Tanner, open up."

"Chr... Chris?"

Larabee smiled. "About time you woke your sorry ass up. Me and Buck ride all this way because we thought you needed help, and we find you curled up in the shade, sleeping."

He managed a hoarse chuckle, then concentrated only on drinking the cool water as long as it was offered. When it was taken away he moaned softly, one hand lifting weakly as he sought to find the denied pleasure. Crossly he insisted, "more."

"Take it easy, you don't want to drink too much at once, you'll make yourself sick," Larabee reasoned.

"More," Tanner repeated, his foggy mind refusing to accept the other man's advice.

Settling Vin back onto the ground, Chris said simply, "in a while."

"How is he?" Buck asked from where he was finishing tying off the bandage around JD's arm.

Looking down at his friend, the lean body a patchwork of burnt and bandaged flesh, Larabee shook his head, "he'll live, but I don't think he's gonna be to comfortable anytime soon."

Glancing up at the sun, marching mercilessly toward the top of the sky, Wilmington said, "we need to find somewhere more out of the sun, let him rest up some before we head for home."

Larabee nodded, "we'll put him in the saddle with me."

"C'n ride... on m' own," Tanner argued.

Leaning over the stubborn man, imagining he could see the proud flash of blue fire despite the bandages over his eyes Larabee said, "You could, but you don't have a horse, pard."

"Ah... hell."

The sharpshooter was lifted up between the two bigger men and carried to where the horses waited. They managed to get him into the saddle in front of the man in black. There he slumped tiredly, barely resisting when Larabee coaxed him back to rest against his broad chest.

Chris slipped one arm around the lean man, taking most of his weight as Vin slipped back into unconsciousness. Grabbing up the reins with the other hand, he coaxed his horse forward. He was quickly joined by the other two men, noting with a tight smile that Buck made certain JD stayed between them. They had sent the bounty hunters running, but they couldn't be certain the men wouldn't try to come after Tanner again.

They wouldn't be safe until they got back to town.

+ + + + + + +

Sonny Watkins cried out as his cousin roughly bandaged his arm. Perly glared at him, but didn't say anything as he tied off the rag he used to bind the wound the smaller man had received earlier. Finished, he stood and moved away. "Come on, let's go."

"Where?" Sonny struggled to get to his feet, stumbling after the other man.

"Where the hell y' think? We go git that sumbitch away from them other bastards an' finish what we set out t' do... take Vin Tanner back t' Texas,"

"What? Perly, y' cain't mean that. Ain't a way in hell we c'n take on them men. No, I ain't doin' it. Ain't gonna git m'self killed! There's other bounties we c'n go after, damn it!"

The other Watkins had climbed onto his horse, and now sat looking down at his cousin. "Suit yerself. I'm goin' t' git that raggedy bastard."

Sonny stood watching his cousin riding away, fear chasing the anger from his face as he realized that Perly wasn't coming back. With a frustrated growl, he managed to climb onto his own horse one-handed and chased after the other man.

Sonny didn't remember much about his childhood, just bits and pieces. He did remember a time when he had been the leader, and Perly his tag-along shadow who tried to do everything he did. Then after he started having headaches, things changed and he had to rely on the younger man more and more. Perly became the leader, and he was the tag-along shadow. His cousin never failed to make it clear that he didn't like having him around most of the time, either. No one in the family ever said much about it, and Perly would only say that having Sonny around was his penance. Sonny never could get more of an explanation and finally he stopped asking. It usually just gave him a headache, anyway.

The headaches had started when he was a kid, and grew worse as time passed. He suffered them from time to time, and after a while they led to what he called 'the dark time'. He never had any memory of what he did then, but when he came out on the other side of the spell, something bad had almost always happened. The first time, he found himself standing over the body of one of his female cousins. She had been raped and stabbed to death. He was holding his knife and still had his pants around his ankles. There was blood everywhere. The family had told Perly to take him and light out before the girl's daddy found out and came after him. They had grabbed what they could and rode out an hour later, never to return. He had been fifteen and Perly eleven, and they'd been on their own ever since.

Perly had never forgotten or forgiven any of it, and often threatened to take off and leave him all alone. Sonny knew that one day his cousin would make good on that threat, and it terrified him. He never knew when one of the headaches might take him into a dark time, and never knew what horrible thing he would do while he was trapped in that awful nothingness. Perly always found a way to get him safely away and to cover their tracks so that no one could blame him. Without his cousin to help him, he knew he'd be caught and hung, or shot and killed. So, despite the abuse he took from the hot-headed man, he knew he couldn't afford to be without him.

Just as he always did, Sonny rode after Perly.

+ + + + + + +

They found shade in the form of a stand of trees. In their midst was a pool of water. Not much, but it would serve the men and horses through a short stay. Buck quickly spread out his bedroll in the deepest shade, then helped Chris carry Vin from the horse and lay him in the cool shadows. The injured man had drifted in and out of consciousness during the ride, and was now sleeping as far as they could tell.

Chris checked the bandages for signs that the wounds beneath them were bleeding. Satisfied that the boiled cloth was still clean, he accepted a freshly filled canteen from Wilmington and slipped an arm beneath the sharpshooter's head. Lifting him slightly, he said, "come on Tanner, take a drink."

Too tired to answer, or even to pull himself farther from the comforting darkness, Vin opened his mouth and swallowed the cool liquid as long as it was offered. When the canteen was taken away, he sighed, letting his head rest heavily on the supporting arm.

The blond watched his friend for a minute, not certain of what to make of the fact that he didn't make a fuss this time when the canteen was taken away. Laying Tanner back down, he gently brushed an errant strand of chestnut hair from his forehead. The battered man felt hot, but Larabee couldn't tell if it was fever, or the heat of the sunburn.

"He'll be okay," Buck said, reading the man's thoughts. "That boy's too damn stubborn not to be."

Chris nodded shortly, but otherwise didn't answer. Pulling a jar of salve out of the healer's pack, he opened it and began spreading some of the soothing balm on the deep red flesh of Tanner's face and neck. The exhausted man muttered softly, his lips twitching slightly as Larabee carefully covered them with some of the salve. Finishing his ministrations, he left the younger man to sleep and moved to where Buck was fussing over JD. Smiling at the put upon look on the young sheriff's face, he squatted down beside the two man. Looking Dunne over, he said, "how's the arm?"

With an impatient roll of his eyes, the youngest peacekeeper said, "its nothing but a scratch, Chris. Think you could tell the 'mother hen' here that I'll be fine?"

Shaking his head know, Larabee said, "wouldn't do any good."

Without looking up at either man, the ladies man said, "you'll thank me for bein' a 'mother hen' when this arm don't get infected, y' ungrateful whelp."

"I'm more likely to lose the use of it because you cut off the circulation. Do you have to tie the bandage so tight?"

"Yeah, I do. And if y' don't stop your grousin', I'll tie another one around your mouth!"

+ + + + + + +

The cousins topped the rise, looking down onto the prairie below. The late summer had burned everything dry, and the landscape was an unbroken brown. They had doubled back, searching for a likely place to ambush their bounty and the other men. They would need every advantage they could find if they had any hope of pulling it off. The Watkins' had spent several days in the little New Mexico town. Perly had managed to gather a lot of information on the wanted man they were after without raising suspicion. They knew that Vin Tanner traveled with a strange combination of men. The two men had little concern for most of the men, but one name had almost sent them packing without even trying to claim the $500 reward. Chris Larabee.

It had been an act of providence that Tanner had ridden out of town with the young woman, and Perly moved to act upon their good luck quickly. It looked as if providence was still working in their favor. The Watkins cousins watched as a lone rider crossed the prairie not a quarter mile away.

"That's one of 'm," Sonny said, nodding toward the man.

"I know that," Perly growled in exasperation. "It's that darkie healer... Jackson. Reckon things 're goin' in our favor after all."

"Whattaya mean?"

Loosing a deep sigh, the bigger man said, "just shut up an' c'mon."

The two men rode down the hill, approaching the single rider at a leisurely pace. As they drew near, Perly tipped his hat and said in a congenial tone, "howdy."

"Afternoon," Nathan said, his dark eyes watching the strangers intently. "Can I help you fellas?"

Grinning, Perly drew his gun, pointing it at the big man's broad chest. "Reckon y' can, boy... reckon y' can."

~~Part 6~~

The sun was moving toward the Western horizon, and three of the four men sharing the little oasis were chomping at the bit to be on their way. They were all men who preferred being on the move as much as possible, and hours of inactivity were beginning to gnaw on their nerves. As for the fourth man, he had barely moved since their arrival, his injured body craving the rest afforded by their stay. As far as the others could tell, he had been unconscious since their arrival, but suddenly he began to move, mumbling as awareness began to pull at his traumatized mind.Larabee was beside him in a heartbeat, trying to cut through the confusion with a quiet voice. Touching the man was out of the question, years of living in the shadows as a hunted man left Tanner far too dangerous to startle. Instead, he relied on words. "Vin, it's okay. It's Chris, pard, you're safe. Come on, now, calm down."Despite the blond's efforts, the sharpshooter's movements became almost frantic, his voice piercing the air in a mixture of Kiowa, Comanche, Spanish and English. Then, despite his injuries, he surprised the others by pushing himself up, grabbing at the rough bandages around his eyes and trying to yank them off. Larabee threw caution to the wind, then, slipping behind his friend and pinning his arms to his sides. "Damn it Tanner! Calm down, you're gonna hurt yourself!"Slowly the slender man's movements quieted as he recognized his friend's voice, and the words began to cut through the panic-filled haze."That's it, come on now. You're safe... come on. That's it, lay still now. You're hurt, remember? You're gonna make it worse if you keep moving around. Calm down." Larabee stopped as the younger man slumped wearily against him, panting, trembling, but calm. "Cah... Chris?""Yeah, it's me. Calm down.""Cain't... cain't see," the lean body began to tense."Calm down, it's okay. You're eyes are bandaged, that's all. We're gonna leave them bandaged until we get back to town, so Nathan can look at them.""Ain't... ain't blind?" The soft voice quavered with fear, and one hand found its way to latch onto the blond's forearm."No, here," he took one of the man's hand's in his and raised it to touch the rough cloth. "See, bandaged. You were sunburned... your face is swollen, your eyes were swelled shut. We bandaged them so they could heal up. You'll be fine in a day or two."Tanner processed the words. "Be... fine?""Yeah, now you just rest and let us take care of you." "Us... JD?" The memory of the young sheriff freeing him hit him. Looking around, despite the fact he couldn't see, he whispered hoarsely, "he okay?""I'm fine, Vin," Dunne said from where he had come to sit nearby. The injured man managed a relieved smile. "Y' saa... saved me."The young brunet blushed, looking down at the ground. Wilmington had come to sit beside the sharpshooter and broke the silence, laughing heartily. "Damn if that ain't a miracle... JD Dunne's speechless.""Ah hell, shut up Buck," the boy managed to protest."Hey... Bucklin," Tanner said, recognizing the big ladies man's voice. "Hey Stud," the big man said fondly. "Chris, we... we goin' home... soon?""Later. We wanted to give you a chance to rest first," Chris explained."'M... okay," the Texan protested."Well, we're gonna stay here for a while," the blond said decisively. Turning to his old friend, he said, "Buck, can you get that mug from the fire?"Nodding, the bigger man retrieved the mug. Chris was still supporting the injured man, and continued to hold him while Wilmington slowly fed Vin the strong brew. The man's expression told them quite clearly how disgusting the herbal tea tasted. The other men could sympathize, having had their fill of Jackson's 'boiled skunk' at one time or another. After the mug was emptied, they watched at he began to relax, the brew sending him back toward sleep. Larabee started to settle the injured man back to the ground but Tanner's grip tightened on his arm. Shifting slightly, he tightened his hold on his friend, letting the younger man rest against his chest. Only after the injured sharpshooter was deeply asleep did he lower him back to the bedroll. Vin mumbled softly, but didn't wake. The blond watched him for a minute and then, satisfied that his friend was resting, he pushed himself to his feet and moved over to where Buck was fixing dinner.Looking up at his old friend with a grin, the ladies man asked, "y' get him all tucked in?"Flashing a glare that softened quickly, the blond said, "shut up and dish me up some beans, stud."With a hearty chuckle, the mustached man spooned out beans into a metal plate, adding two biscuits and some jerky before he handed it to the other man. The three men settled in and ate in a companionable silence. Then, while JD stretched out beside the fire, leaning against his saddle, the older two men stepped away from the fire. They moved slowly around the little glade in opposite directions, searching the countryside for signs of the bounty hunters. As they came back together, they shook their heads simultaneously. Neither one had seen any signs of pursuit."Think they gave up?"Larabee shook his head, "doubt it. I'm pretty sure I hit one of them, maybe they're holed up like we are."Nodding, Wilmington expelled a breath and said, "I'll sure 's hell be glad to get back to town.""I'm with you there," Chris agreed. He looked up at the darkening sky. "Wish we had a full moon tonight. It'd be easier on him... on those burns... if we moved him at night."Nodding once more, the bigger man followed his friend's gaze and said, "too damn bad we ain't gonna have anything but a sliver."

+ + + + + + +

Vin woke in the darkness, unaware that the world around him was almost as dark at the moment. He lifted a hand to his face, feeling the bandages. Then his hand was nudged carefully away, and a voice anchored him to the moment."Let the bandages alone, Vin. Lay still.""Chris?""Mm hm. You hungry?"He thought about it for a minute before answering honestly, "a bit.""Think you could handle some beans?""Reckon... JD ain't et 'm all?"Chuckling, Larabee glanced across the fire to where Dunne lay, snoring softly. "Think the last couple of days finally caught up with the Kid. He's sleeping."The blond retrieved and filled a plate and a mug as well, returning to where Tanner lay. He helped his injured friend sit up, propping him against a saddle, then tried to decide how to proceed. The injured man sensed his confusion and spoke softly."Reckon I ain't gonna be... able t' handle... 't m'self."Seeing the defeated set of the slender man's shoulders, Larabee settled cross-legged next to his friend. Holding the plate in one hand, he wrapped the bounty hunter's fingers around a spoon. Guiding the slightly trembling hand, he helped his friend eat.Managing to eat only half the food, Vin released the spoon into the plate and slumped back. "Cain't eat... 'nother bite.""All right. I've got more of Nathan's tea for you - ""Ah, hell."

Smiling, Larabee said, "you don't have to like it, you've just got to drink it."

"Y' ain't... slick 's y'... think. C'n he... hear y' smilin'."

Laughing, the blond said, "caught me. Come on, let's get this over with."

As he had with the food, Larabee let Tanner hold the mug, guiding him so he could drink. His smile broadened as he watched the man register the difference.

"M'lassas?"

"Found some candies in your jacket and melted one in the tea. Don't tell Peso... don't want him trying to take a bite out of me."

The sharpshooter smiled now. "Won't say a... word."

"Let's get you back on the blanket," Larabee started to shift his friend back to a prone position.

"'Fore I do, I... I kind 'a need... well, got a call a nature t'... answer," Tanner replied softly.

"Oh." The blond studied the situation. Grabbing the man under the arms was out of the question due to the deep rope burns around the well-honed chest. The wound in his side made lifting the sharpshooter around the waist impossible. The burns on his wrists, though not as deep as those on his chest, still made lifting him that way difficult. Not to mention that Vin's feet were nothing more than raw meat at the moment.

"Buck's keeping watch, guess I'd better wake JD to help - "

"No!"

Looking at his friend, he could tell by the set of his jaw that the sharpshooter didn't want so much fuss made over him. "Vin - "

"Chris, please... I don't wan'cha wakin' 'im up... I - "

Laying a hand gently on the tense shoulder, the older man said, "okay, we won't."

Finally he slipped behind his friend, wrapped his arms around him and held him by the forearms. Carefully he lifted Tanner up, trying to ignore the hissed breath and pain-filled moans.

They managed to get the tracker to his feet, only to have him nearly fall as agony shot through him. He felt as if his feet were on fire, the ripped flesh burning painfully. Vin slumped in his friend's arms, relying on Larabee to support him until he could do it himself. Then finally, with the blond taking much of his weight, he made his way a pain-racked few feet.

Chris guided him to a nearby boulder, helping the injured man lean against it. "Think you can take it from here?"

"Yeah... this I c'n do in th' dark," the younger man quipped.

With a chuckle, Larabee moved away a few feet to allow his friend some privacy. He waited until Tanner called him, then quickly moved to guide him back to the bedroll. Chris help Vin settle back on the blanket, spreading his own over the sharpshooter. He noted the slight tremor and said, "you cold?"

"A... bit. It night?"

"Yeah." His hand stole lightly to the man's reddened forehead, wondering once more if he was feeling the head of fever or sunburn. Tucking the blanket closely around the slender frame he said, "get some sleep."

Managing a faint smile, the tracker said, "yes... pa."

Chuffing in mock irritation, the blond said, "damn, no-count, smart-ass, long-haired Texan."

The smile remained on the younger man's face, even after he fell asleep.

Chris sat beside Vin, watching him for some time. He wanted this to be over, and for them to be back in Four Corners, where Nathan's expertise would heal the injured man.

Nathan.

Larabee slipped to his feet and padded quietly to where Buck had taken up a position as sentry.

The bigger man turned to watch him approach and said in a whisper, "he doin' okay?"

"About the same, I think. Got him to eat some, that should help. Can you see anything at all out there?"

Shaking his head, the ladies man said, "not much. Don't hear anything though."

Nodding, the blond said, "just thinking. We've been out here two days."

"You just figure that out?" Wilmington quipped.

Ignoring the other man, Chris continued, "unless something else came up, Nathan should have been back on the trail by now."

Frowning, Buck said, "yeah, you're probably right. You worried?"

Shrugging, Larabee stared out into the darkness. "I don't know. My gut tells me that maybe we should be."

+ + + + + + +

Nathan let his head drop back to lean against the tree the bounty hunters had tied him to. He was angry, but wasn't certain just who he was angriest at. The men who held him, certainly. They had said enough that he knew they intended to use him as a hostage against Vin, in an effort to take his friend back to Texas.

He was angry at himself, too, for allowing the men to get the drop on him. He had prided himself on being able to read men, but he'd missed a page or two when these two had ridden up. They didn't seem like men to be wary of, hard ridden and worn down by hard lives. The smaller of the two was scarred up, a large crease in the side of his head that spoke of serious injury at some time in the past. Other scars, across his face and neck, said that he was no stranger to the fight. The larger of the men looked as if he never smiled, his heavy brows drawn together over cold, colorless eyes. He wore scars as well, although each of his seemed more like a badge... a rite of passage. And he seemed to hold a grudge against the entire world.

They hadn't particularly mistreated him throughout the day. Instead they scarcely seemed to think of him at all. One of them had held him at gunpoint while the other tied him up. He had been forced to mount his horse without the use of his hands, but managed it, the man tying him to the saddle. They had ridden for a few hours, until the darkness called a halt to their search for Vin and the others. He said little to them, but learned enough to know that Tanner was in a bad way. Jackson trusted Larabee and Wilmington to know enough to care for their friend, but the tracker would need rest and care to recover from his injuries. Something the man wouldn't get out here, playing cat-and-mouse with the bounty hunters. The dark man pulled himself from his thoughts to watch as the smaller man tried to tend a wound in his arm. He struggled to remove the filthy rag that had been tied around it, yelping in pain as the cloth tugged at the bloody bullet hole. Despite the fact that these men had hurt a good friend, and were set on using him as a pawn in their scheme, he was still a healer.

"I can tend that if you let me loose."

The wounded man's head snapped up, a look of relief coming over him. "Y' can?"

Nodding, Jackson said, "yeah, I don't have a lot with me, but I carry enough to tend wounds like that."

The other man stood up, cuffing his companion on the shoulder, eliciting a cry of pain as he jostled the injured arm. "He's playin' you, y' fool."

"No, I wasn't," Nathan argued. But the men ignored him. With resignation, he watched the injured man return to tending his own wound.

~~Part 7~~

The sun was busily coloring the sky with pale rose and azure as the men readied to break camp. Chris had rousted the injured Tanner and once more helped him eat, guiding the spoon from plate to mouth and back again. Vin groused as he drank more of the medicinal tea, and was even more vocal at the thought of being held in the saddle for a second day. The others let him fuss, and just quietly went about the business of getting him into the saddle. Larabee climbed up behind him, took up the reins, and set off, Buck and JD beside him.

Wilmington glanced at his friend, seeing the hazel eyes scanning the landscape ahead of them. "Still worried about Nathan?"

Nodding, Chris said, "it's not like the trail out's hard to find. Unless something happened, he should have found us by now."

"Nathan?" Vin asked, "Nathan was comin' out here... alone?"

"He was with us when we started off, but Dan Tate came for him. His missues went into labor, and Nathan promised to be there for the birth," Buck explained.

"An' then y'all expected him t' ride out here, alone?" Vin's body grew tense.

"Take it easy, we never asked him to come back out here... told him we'd bring you home," Chris said softly. "You know Nathan, though. If he figures you, or any of the rest of us, needed him, he'd ride right into the gates of hell. Buck and I have just been worried that he would ride back out after us."

"Ah hell. We need t' git... 'm."

"Take it easy," Larabee repeated. "Chances are they wouldn't even know who he was if they did meet up with him."

"They know us, Chris," Dunne broke in. "They were in town for a couple of days at least. I even talked to one of them."

"Then they know us all," Buck said with a sigh.

"An' Nathan's in danger, if he's come out after us... me," Tanner rasped. "We need t' ride."

"Take it easy," the blond said firmly as he easily deflected the injured man's bids to take the reins himself. "You're not in any shape for us to ride hell-bent-for-leather, and we can't afford to kill the horses out here. We'll move as fast as we can and keep our eyes open for him, as well as any signs of danger."

"Chris, we cain't just stroll along, when Nathan could be in trouble!"

Huffing a sigh, the older man said, "we don't know that for certain, Vin. But we do know for certain that there's hardly an inch of you that hasn't been hurt. I'm not going to make it any worse. Now, you settle down and let me, Buck and JD take care of things."

"But - "

"But nothing, pard. That's the way of it."

Vin growled, but admitted, at least to himself that there was little he could do. He resisted his body's need to rest for as long as he could but, finally, he relaxed in the bigger man's hold, drifting into a restless sleep.

They rode until the sun was near the top of the cloudless sky. Chris did his best to keep Vin from getting the full brunt of the sun, but his friend still muttered and tried to hide himself from the burning rays from time to time. Finally the man in black called a halt to their trip, guiding his horse toward the shallow shadows cast at the foot of the hills. He and Wilmington once more carried the injured tracker from the horse into the deepest shadows they cold find. Stretching him out on his back, they did their best to make him comfortable.

Buck looked up to see JD slump wearily to the ground near by. "You okay, Kid?"

"Fine."

Frowning, the big ladies man said, "yeah? Y' might want to notify your face."

"Drop it, Buck."

His frown deepening, Wilmington continued, "is your arm bothering you?"

"It's fine," Dunne was growing more and more exasperated. "I'm fine. Just tired. Can I just sit here and relax without you hovering over me?"

"Okay, fine." The big man did little to disguise the hurt in his voice.

Chris half listened to the exchange, smiling as the banter served to break the tension he'd felt for so many hours. He carefully checked the multitude of bandages covering his friend's body, happy to see that they remained relatively clean. The one covering the bullet wound was stained with blood, but it was a small stain, and had already dried. Deciding to leave it until they stopped for the night, he moved to give Vin a drink, supporting the shaggy head and pressing the mouth of his canteen against the lax mouth. He watched as the younger man registered the container's presence against his lips, and began sucking at the opening as he carefully fed him the water. After a few sips, he took the canteen away, allowing himself a single drink before capping it. At this time of year, they might not find any more water until they reached town.

"What 're they... fussin' 'bout?" Tanner asked in a hoarse whisper as the argument continued. He turned his face toward where he sensed his friend sat.

"Hard telling," Chris answered. "You know those two."

Vin smiled. Yes, they all knew well the arguments the two friends could get into. Most of them had been forced to dodge flying food or other items thrown by one toward the other when Buck and JD got going. "Reckon y' c'n keep me outta th' line a fire if they start up flingin' things at each other?"

Chuckling, Larabee said, "I'll just shoot them, how's that?"

"'Preciate it. Any sign a Nathan?"

Shaking his head, then realizing the futility of the movement, he answered, "not yet."

"Sadie!" Tanner lifted his head, suddenly realizing that he hadn't asked after the young woman.

"What?" Larabee asked.

"Miss Wills... Sadie. She...she okay?"

From where he sat, JD nodded, and Chris translated, "yeah, she's fine."

Slumping back to the ground, Vin sighed, "thank God."

The gunman smiled as he remembered watching the man riding out of town, the young seamstress beside him. "Another day or two, and we'll be back home. Reckon she'll be makin' a fuss over you then."

Even through the sunburn, the gunman could see his friend blush.

+ + + + + + +

Nathan sat his horse, the big animal being led by one of his captors. He was angry, tired and frustrated. He watched the landscape around him, hoping to see some sign of the others. He had no qualms in calling out to warn them, even though it would more than likely mean his death. He only hoped he'd see them first.

His stomach growled, his throat felt as if it was coated with sand, but it didn't matter. It didn't matter that the men hadn't allowed him even a single drink from his own canteen, or allowed him a bite of hard tack. The only thing that mattered to the former slave was doing what he could to protect his friends.

The day was over half over, the sun still high in the sky, but moving westerly toward the far hills. He had kept watch since they had ridden out sometime after sunup, his dark eyes roaming with determination. They had stopped for a while, one of the men even allowing his tired mount a drink from their hat. He was grateful for that, even if he wasn't allowed the same consideration.

He knew that the chances of the others moving in their direction were good, even if Vin was near death. They'd want to get the injured man into town, where he could be tended to properly. That meant that the chances of them running into one another were even better, the trail they rode traversing relatively comfortable countryside.

As if his thoughts had conjured them, Jackson spotted a small knot of riders coming toward them. They were still too far away to tell who they were, but he knew it was them. He forced himself to swallow, working up enough moisture to call out to his friends. But then the bigger man holding him prisoner spoke, and destroyed his hopes.

"There they are, Sonny... comin' right towards us."

The one called Sonny strained to look in the direction his cousin indicated, finally catching sight of movement. "Y' cain't be sure it's them."

"It's them." Drawing his horse abreast of their captive, he tied his kerchief around the man's mouth. "Jist in' case y' thought about hollerin' out."

Brown eyes flashed with anger over the top of the gag. The message was clear in their dark depths. He would kill both men if he got a chance.

+ + + + + + +

"Buck, JD, hold up." Larabee called out. They had been on the move again for just over an hour.

The two men reined in their horses, staring expectantly at the gunslinger. Quietly, Buck asked, "what's wrong stud?

Canting his head forward, the blond said, "they're out there... about half a mile... coming this way."

"Think it's them?" Vin pulled himself upright, away from the support the broad chest offered.

JD retrieved the spyglass he'd been carrying, opened it and sighted toward the distant riders. Studying them for a few seconds, he lowered the 'glass. Nodding, the young sheriff said, "it's them...and Nathan's with them."

"Damn it!"

"Tanner, settle down. I told you, let me and the others take care of things!" Chris struggled to keep the injured man from ripping the bandages from his injured eyes. "Settle down!"

"You settle down! I ain't jist sittin' here while they hold Nathan! Lemme have a gun, I'll shoot th' sons a bitches!"

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Larabee's words were deceptively calm. "You're hurt Vin... hurt bad. Now, listen to me. We're gonna leave you and JD back here, while me and Buck - "

"I ain't sittin' back here twiddlin' my thumbs!"

"Chris, I want to help - "

Glaring at the youngest peacekeeper, the blond continued. "If me and Buck fail, it's all going to be up to the two of you. Now are you gonna waste more time arguing, or do we rescue Nathan?"

The two young men continued to communicate their displeasure, but said no more. They moved to a scattering or boulders, carefully depositing the injured Texan behind them. JD ground reined Milagro and stepped down to stand near the injured man. He watched as the gunmen rode off, going to face down the enemy while he was relegated to the role of nursemaid.

"They gone?"

Frowning, he glanced down to where Vin was slowly pushing himself to a sitting position. "Yeah."

"How far 'way... are they?"

"I don't know... about ten, fifteen yards. Why?"

Tanner leaned heavily against the cool stone at his back, fumbling to get the rough cloth from around his eyes. "Gimme a hand, Kid."

"Vin, you can't!"

"Yeah, I can, but it'd be a mite easier if y'd help me. Now, c'mon."

"Vin - "

Growling in frustration, the slender man said, "JD, they're gonna need someone t' watch their backs. That's me 'n you. Now, c'mon."

Still uncertain, Dunne realized that his friend was going to do it with or without him. Kneeling beside his friend, he pushed the floundering hands away and carefully eased the bandages off the burned face. Tanner growled in pain as the first light in days assailed his closed lids. JD noted that the flesh was still puffy and swollen, the lids caked closed with crusty residue.

"Vin - " he started.

"Help me, Kid. Wet me a cloth... okay?"

"Yeah." The young Easterner hesitantly wet a handkerchief and carefully began to dab at the sealed lids. It was evident that each touch was painful for the injured man. "Vin, this is dangerous. I don't know what could happen to your eyes."

"But, I've gotta try, JD. Cain't let 'm hurt Nathan - "

"Will you stop and listen to yourself? Chris and Buck are taking care of things. You know they'll do whatever it takes to rescue him. Are you saying you don't think they can do it?"

Tanner's movements stilled, his hands clinching and unclinching. "No... course not. If anyone can, Chris can. 'S jist... "

"Just what?"

Hanging his head, Tanner said, "'s jist... I cain't stand th' idea of any of 'm gittin' hurt 'cos a me."

Laying a hand on the slumped shoulder, the smaller man said, "they're not going to get hurt, Vin. They'll take care of what needs to be done. And you're wrong to think that you're not worth them taking the risk. Now, come on... let's get your eyes bandaged up again, before you hurt them even more. Nathan will skin us both alive if that happens."

+ + + + + + +

Larabee and Wilmington rode side by side, neither slowly or quickly. They moved unerringly toward the three horses coming their way. Buck carried his rifle across his lap, his Colt loosened in its holster. Chris held his Colt, hidden from the bounty hunters by the pommel of his saddle.

They reined in their horses a few yards from where the trio had already stopped. The two men could see that Nathan had been gagged, his hands bound to the saddle. They could also see the look of unleashed fury in the dark eyes.

"You liked to killed one of our friends, and now you've got one trussed up like a Thanksgivin' turkey," Buck said, his voice low and serious. "Let him go."

Perly Watkins snorted with laughter. "I don't reckon y'all got th' picture here. Y'all ain't th' ones callin' th' shots... me 'n Sonny is. Hand over Tanner, 'n y' c'n have th' darkie."

"Don't reckon we can do that," Larabee said. His voice was hardly louder than a whisper, but it carried in the stillness.

"Then, reckon y'all c'n watch this 'n die," Sonny piped up, nodding toward the big healer.

"Don't reckon we'll do that, either," Chris replied.

"Yer a cocky sumbitch, I'll give y' that," Perly growled. "But, reckon y' ain't got much of a hand t' play here. Me 'n Sonny's holdin' all th' aces."

The two men never saw the gun as it swung upward, neatly drilling a hole in each forehead. The cousins dropped from their horses, landing on the ground near one another. In his death throes, Perly's hand smashed hard against his cousin's head, just at the place he had shot the other man so many years ago. Death rattles announced the passing of each man only seconds apart.

None of it was noted by the two gunmen as they hurried to release their friend. Cutting through the thick ropes at his wrists, and loosening the gag, Buck and Chris quickly had Nathan freed.

The big man looked at his two rescuers, gratitude shining in his broad face. But all that he said, was, "where's Vin?"

~~Part 8~~

Vin didn't remember falling asleep, but decided that one of Nathan's teas was responsible. His last clear memory was of the big man kneeling beside him, checking over his injuries. As he had poked and prodded the burns and bullet wounds, the big man had apologized for not being there for him. And all he could do was apologize for being the cause of his being held captive by the Watkins' cousins. Finally Buck had put a stop to the mutual groveling.

"Good lord, you two act like you did something to make any of this your fault!"

"It was," they said in unison.

"Bullshit! There's only two men responsible for this whole mess, and they're dead. Now, why don't the two of you just be happy that we're all safe and... well, relatively sound... and we'll be headin' home t'morrow."

The two of them had eventually agreed that he was right, and let things drop. At least for the moment. He had taken the brew with a minimum of fussing and soon after he had fallen asleep.

Listening to the quietness, he realized it was night. He hated losing long hours to sleep, but also knew his body needed it so that he could heal. He hated not being able to see, but knew that the temporary darkness was far preferable to permanent. As if to verify that he was still wearing the hated bandages, his hand went to his face. To his surprise, a big hand gently took hold of him before he could make contact.

"Leave the bandages alone."

Running the tip of his tongue across dry lips, he rasped, "Nathan?"

"Yeah, it's me. Now, leave those bandages alone. JD told us you took them off earlier."

"It was jist fer a minute."

"A minute could be too long . You've got sun poisoning, Vin. I ain't for certain what all it can do to you, but I do know you're gonna have to take it easy for a while. We're gonna have to keep you out of the sun for a few days after we get home, too, so you can heal up."

"Ah... hell."

Ignoring the protest, the big healer said, "it's dark now, so I'm gonna take the bandages off your eyes. JD told me they were matted up pretty bad, so I'm gonna clean them. I don't want you tryin' to open them up unless I say so, all right?"

"Yeah", Vin said softly.

Jackson carefully removed the bandages, sighing when he saw the matter gluing the blue eyes closed. He had warmed a cup of water beside the fire, sprinkling some dried herbs in it that would help the healing process. Taking the container up, he dipped a piece of cloth into it, then began the painstaking process of bathing the injured tissue. It took nearly half an hour to finish the process. The tracker lay quietly throughout the ordeal, only the hard set of his jaw indicating how difficult it was.

Finally he sat back, making certain that he was positioned between Tanner and the low campfire. "Now, I want you to open your eyes, slow and careful. Don't panic if you can't open them far, they're still pretty swollen. And don't panic if you can't see anything, it's dark out. I just want to see if you can open them, and I've got some salve I want to put along the edge of your lids to keep them from getting matted up again."

"All right." Tanner did as he was told, slowly forcing the painful lids apart. He managed to open his eyes only half way, the ravaged flesh too damaged to move farther. He did his best not to panic, heeding the other man's words, but it was difficult.

Hearing the change in the younger man's breathing, Jackson said, "you're doing fine, Vin. Now, keep them like that as long as you can, and I'll get the salve on as quick as I can."

"'Kay," the sharpshooter whispered breathlessly.

With a gentle touch, the healer carefully coated the reddened lids with salve. "Okay, you can close them."

Doing just that, Vin let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "Nathan?"

"We'll know more when I can get you back to town and take care of 'm proper. I don't see no sign of infection, so that's good. Reckon Chris and the others took good care of you."

"Bunch a mother hens," Tanner groused good-naturedly.

With a deep chuckle, the former slave said, "just be glad they are."

Sighing, the injured man said, "oh I am, Nathan, believe me... I am."

+ + + + + + +

As if to give them a much needed break, the next dawn broke to a cloudy sky, heavy gray clouds muting the sun's light. Chris was up before the others, Nathan finally having given in to sleep as some point during the night. He stoked the fire, put on the coffee, and began breakfast. The others were soon stirring, the aromas calling them from their dreams.

Larabee moved to where Tanner lay, nudging him gently. "You awake?"

"Reckon so... kind 'a hard t' tell sometimes," the younger man admitted.

"Imagine so. Are you hungry?" When the injured man answered with a nod, he continued, "well, let's get you up so you can eat, then."

With the blond's help, Vin was soon sitting up, leaning against a tree trunk. As the man had before, Chris helped him, guiding the spoon and mug, trusting him to manage the biscuit alone. When he had eaten his fill, the blond helped him move far enough to take care of the rest of his morning business, then guided him back to the blanket.

There, Nathan took over, while Larabee went to the fire for his own breakfast. The healer carefully checked over his injuries, poking and prodding at the deeper wounds, in search of infection. Jackson spread a heavy salve over his face and neck, protecting his burned flesh from further damage. He was getting fidgety by the time the other man had finished, weary of being fussed over. As if sensing his frustration, the former slave patted his shoulder.

"I know you're tired of being taken care of, Vin, but it won't be too much longer. I figure we'll be able to take the bandages off your eyes in another couple of days at the most. The burns will heal up pretty quick when we can keep you out of the sun, and the cuts won't take much longer. The wound in your side should be fine in a few weeks, too."

"It ain't like I ain't grateful, Nathan," the young sharpshooter said softly. "'S jist... I ain't used t' havin' folks fussin' over me so much."

Jackson smiled, being only too used to what Tanner was like when he was healing up from one injury or another. None of them were especially easy to deal with when they were laid up. Aloud he said only, "I know, Vin. I know."

+ + + + + + +

The ride back was uneventful. Buck and JD rode on ahead, leading one of the Watkins' horses, the two dead bodies tied to it's back. That left them with a horse so Vin could ride on his own. That in itself gave the young sharpshooter a sense of peace, feeling that he had some control over his life. It didn't matter that Larabee held the reins, while he gripped the saddlehorn instead. It didn't matter that he nearly tumbled to the ground several times during the day, having to rely to the other two men to keep him in the saddle. It didn't matter that his head throbbed and his other injuries burned with pain. It didn't matter that he was so exhausted by the time they stopped for lunch that he could barely hold the spoon. None of it mattered. He was sitting the horse on his own, and wouldn't be seen riding into town huddled in Chris' arms.

The street fires had been lit by the time the three men made it back to town. They found the other peacekeepers waiting for them at the foot of the stairs leading to Jackson's clinic. Buck and Josiah quietly slipped up and pulled a drowsing Tanner from the saddle, the injured man mumbling softly as they settled him between them and carried him up the stairs. Chris, Nathan and Ezra followed behind, while JD led the weary horses around the corner to where Yosemite would take care of their needs.

Inside the clinic, the lanterns were already lit, water warmed on the stove, and the bed was turned back, ready to accept the wounded man. Vin barely registered his transfer to the soft mattress, the long day having taken its toll. Once he was settled, Josiah stayed to help the healer while Buck and Ezra coaxed Chris back out with promises of hot food and strong whiskey. At the bottom of the stairs they met Dunne, and the four peacekeepers ambled down the boardwalk toward the saloon.

A short time later, they were settled in at their favorite table, finishing dinner. Ezra had been filled in on most of the adventure by Buck, but JD had been uncharacteristically closemouthed about the entire thing. Larabee, his hazel eyes missing nothing, studied the young man.

"Your arm bothering you, son?"

Dunne looked up, locking eyes with the older man. "What? No, it's fine. Why?"

"Usually one of us would be threatening you to get you to shut up by now. Why so quiet?"

Shrugging, the young sheriff said, "just don't have anything to say, I guess."

One corner of his broad mouth quirking up slightly, the blond said, "now I know something's wrong."

A ghost of a smile crossed the fair-skinned teen's face, but he did nothing more than slump down in his chair, staring at the table. The other men grew quiet, each one concerned for the sudden change in behavior. Finally, realizing that he was being covertly studied by each of the men at the table around him, JD spoke.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what, son?" Standish asked.

"For not being able to find a way to rescue Vin earlier. I know it was stupid for me to ride out like I did, and if it had been one of you, you'd have found a way to rescue him a lot earlier. I couldn't do anything but watch when they kept making him walk out there in the hot sun with no water. I couldn't do anything but watch them drag him for what seemed like forever and didn't know how to stop them. If it had been one of you, Vin wouldn't be hurt as bad. Maybe he wouldn't be hurt at all."

"Kid, are you through beating yourself up?" Chris didn't raise his voice, but the soft tones filled the room nonetheless.

The youth frowned at the other man. "Well, it's the truth!"

"No. The truth is that you had no other choices, and you did your best with a hell of a situation. Maybe one of the other of us could have found a way to get Vin free before we did, but we weren't there. By the time Buck and I got there, you had already saved him. If he'd had to wait for us to rescue him... he'd be dead. You saved his life, JD."

"Chris is right, Kid," Buck took up the conversation. "If it hadn't been for you being willin' to go out there and risk your life, Vin would be dead right now, not layin' up there in the clinic sleepin'. He'll be up and around in a few days, most likely milkin' those cuts and scratches for all their worth when that little filly with the red hair comes around. Don't act like it's not true, boy, you know it is."

"I concur," Ezra interjected. "It is only by your quick wit and willingness to put your own life on the line that Vin Tanner is still among us. Be proud of that, John Dunne. You did a fine job."

The young sheriff could only look from one man to the other, blushing as he realized that they meant every word. Finally, he smiled.

+ + + + + + +

Chris peered into the dimly lit room, smiling when he saw his friend sitting up in the bed, looking back at him. Blue eyes shining in the still healing face, Vin smiled back at the gunslinger. Larabee stepped into the little clinic, closing the door before he crossed the room to sit beside the bed.

"Well, I've got to say, I like being able to see those big blue lady killers," he quipped.

"Yeah? Well, I'm jist glad t' be seein' anything," Tanner replied. They had been back in town for two days, Nathan finally willing to remove the bandages that morning. "Jist be glad when I c'n go outside."

Nodding, Chris said, "what did Nathan say?"

With a sigh, the younger man said "'nother day or two, dependin' on how well I c'n tolerate th' light. Thing I cain't figger is, how 'm I gonna know I c'n tolerate 't if I ain't allowed out in 't."

Larabee chuckled, "don't look to me to help you test that theory. Nathan knows best."

The tracker shot a frown toward his friend, but said only, "never figgered y' a coward, cowboy."

With a smirk, the gunslinger said, "if not risking my hide so you can go outside a few hours before you're allowed to is cowardly... then reckon I am."

+ + + + + + +

It was just before sunset the next day when Jackson released the injured man from his clinic. Chris was there, as always, ready to lend a hand. The gunman helped his friend slip into a shirt, and slide his still sore feet into soft moccasins. He reached out a hand, helping the younger man to his feet, steadying him until he was able to stand alone.

They moved slowly from the clinic, Vin's sore body stiff from long hours of inactivity. At the top of the stairs, Larabee slipped a hand beneath his elbow, waiting until he steadied himself against the rail before moving forward. It was painstaking minutes before they reached the bottom stair, Vin trying not to show just how much the trip had worn him out already. Without saying anything, Larabee simply stood there, waiting until he felt the trembling of the lean body diminish. Then they moved toward the boardwalk.

Townspeople greeted them as they moved carefully down the dusty walk, Chris nodding and speaking. Vin managed a nod or the wisp of a smile from time to time, but for the most part concentrated only on keeping his feet under him and carrying him along the creaking boards.

The two men made it as far as the jailhouse, Larabee guided Tanner to the ladderback chair near the door. Vin slumped against the chair's back, heaving a sigh of relief. Finally he looked up with a smile.

Chris had been expecting that look. Vin Tanner was never as content as when he could feel the sun and wind on his face. "Think you can manage to sit there long enough for me to go to the saloon and bring us back a couple of beers?"

"Y' figger I'm gonna fall on m' face without y'?"

"No, I figure you'll try hiking down to the livery to visit that mule of yours."

Placing a hand over his heart, the former bounty hunter said, "I promise I ain't gonna move from this chair 'til y' git back."

Studying his friend for a minute, the blond finally nodded. He turned and headed down the boardwalk toward the saloon. Inside, he greeted a couple of the patrons before heading for the bar. There he ordered beers from the pretty young bar manager.

Setting the mugs in front of him, Inez teased, "you are drinking with both hands today?"

Giving her one of his more dazzling smiles, the handsome man said, "not today. I'll be taking the mugs with me... I'll bring them back later, okay?"

"Does this mean senor Vin is up and about?"

Nodding, the man in black said, "yep. Figure it's a good thing... he'd have Nathan climbing the walls in another day or so."

Laughing, the young woman reached beneath the bar, bringing a small packet out and handing it to the man. "Could you give this to him? They are oatmeal and molasses cookies. I was going to send them up to the clinic later."

With a grin, the man in black took the cookies and beer, heading back out the door. He stopped as he looked down the street to where his friend sat. Vin was no longer alone. Larabee quickly recognized the young woman who had been with his friend that fateful day. The gunman smiled, his gaze softening as he watched his friend laugh and duck his head, once more acting like a schoolboy in front of the seamstress. Settling in the chair outside the saloon, Chris stretched his legs out in front of him, sipping at one of the beers as he watched the scene down the street unfold and waited until the young woman left. Their growing relationship had already been interrupted more than enough, he wasn't going to disturb the young couple for the world.

~~Epilog~~

The sun shone bright in a cloudless sky as the buggy drew to a stop at the edge of the fishing pond. The young man bounded from the seat and around the carriage to help the young woman who had accompanied him, to the ground. Taking up the picnic basket and blanket stored in the wagon boot, he led her to the shade beneath a nearby tree.

Vin Tanner smiled as he and Sadie Wills settled on the blanket, lunch laid out between them. It had been almost a month since their first picnic, and the tracker showed few signs of his ordeal. His vision had returned to its previous eagle-eye status, the burns had healed and, other than an occasional twinge when he moved wrong, his side was on the mend.

Sadie had come around to visit him several times during his convalescence, and he had gotten up the nerve to ask her out twice since. They had gone to dinner at the town's single restaurant, and later he had escorted her to a town social. Tanner had been amazed that she would even consent to accompany him anywhere after what had happened. She had surprised him, though, by readily accepting his invitations.

The real test came when he had gotten up the courage to ask her to join him back at the pond. He hadn't missed the flash of fear in her eyes, but she had quickly recovered, and accepted with a smile.

They finished a picnic of cold fried chicken, boiled potatoes, green beans, biscuits, and apple pie. Taking the basket to the buggy, the sharpshooter returned with a pair of fishing poles. With a broad grin, he escorted her to the water's edge, spreading out the blanket before they sat down on the bank. Casting both lines out into the water, he handed her one of the poles, leaning back on an elbow with a sigh of relaxation. They sat quietly for several minutes before Tanner spoke up.

"Sadie I... uh... I wanted t' tell y'... well, back when them two men grabbed me? I... well, I had a lotta time t' think. I spent a lotta that time... well, thinkin' 'bout you."

She smiled up at him. "You did?"

Unable to manage the dual feats of looking at her and speaking, he stared out across the pond. "Yes 'm, I did. And... well... I came up with another poem. I'm not sure... I don't know if it's any good, but... "

"Say it to me, Vin, please?" Her green eyes shone with excitement, and she was blushing.

With a wide grin, he nodded shyly and began softly...

When I was alone
Certain I was dyin'
I turned my mind's eye to a vision of you.
Your sweet smile gave me hope t' keep breathin'.
Your sweet voice called to me, givin' me th' strength t' keep movin'.
Your delicate hand reached out t' me, guidin' my falterin' steps.
An angel in blue gingham, with a halo of curls like th' mornin' sun.
One step at a time
You brought me back.

Finishing the poem, he took a deep breath and looked over at her. Once more he was shocked to find that his words had moved her to tears. Before the young tracker knew what was happening, the young seamstress moved to his side, leaning her head against his chest and clinging to him as she cried softly. Eventually recovering, he gently put his arm around her, holding her as she wept.

On a nearby hilltop, a single rider sat, watching the scene below. As the breeze tugged at his black duster, he inhaled, drawing in the smoke of his cheroot.

The whisper of a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth as he watched his friend below. Then, taking a final look around, he was satisfied that the young couple had no company that might interfere with their day. With a final glance at his friend the man in black turned his horse, heading back the way he had come.

The End