Mary was beside her self with anticipation. Billy was to arrive on the stage at any moment. Why is it that no matter how hard you try to move it along, time won't speed up when you want it to, she thought.
It had only been a little over a month since she had seen Billy but it felt much longer. That time, she was the one who had made a quick trip to see him after receiving word he had been bitten by a snake and near death. Mary shuddered just thinking about it. She had come far too close to losing him. She had stayed with him for a few days and only managed to drag herself away with the consolation that in a month, he would be on school break and be home for two weeks. Today was the first day of that two weeks. Oh, why is it taking so long? For the twentieth time, she stepped into the sunlight to look longingly down the street.
"Mrs. Travis sure is antsy isn't she?" JD observed from his perch outside the saloon. He, Buck, and Ezra were passing time enjoying the sunshine and crisp fall air while playing a friendly game of cards.
"Billy's coming in today," Buck explained. "You know how ma's are. It don't matter how old you are, they never quit worrying about you as long as your out of their sight - or in their sight for that matter."
"Mr . Sanchez called it the mother's curse," Ezra observed. "Besides, after the scare last month, don't you think she's entitled to be a little excited to see him?"
"Well, she don't have to wait any longer," JD observed as he motioned to the stagecoach at the edge of town. Watching the activity, he was distracted by a movement at the saloon door. Chris was standing just inside, watching the stage pull to a stop.
Chris couldn't stop himself from chuckling at the scene before him. Mary had barely made it to the side of the stagecoach when a body hurled itself into her arms. Staggering under the assault, she somehow managed to keep both of them upright.
It was a huge change from the last time he had come in on the stage. Then, he was quiet and reserved, weighted down by the unsolved death of his father. Now, he was boisterous and acting like a young boy should - not a care in the world other than seeing his mother. Guess that answers whether or not he suffered any lasting effects from last month, Chris thought.
Nearing the stagecoach, Chris watched a tall man in his mid-thirties emerge from the stage. Chris also noticed that before stepping down, he took a quick appraising glance around him. Something about the way he moved combined with the well-worn holster tied low to his leg told Chris that this man could be dangerous. He made a mental note to tell the others to keep an eye on him and to make a few discreet inquiries himself.
Drawing closer to his intended targets, Chris could hear Billy telling Mary about all the things he has seen on the trip and all the things he wanted to do while he was in town. "Hello Billy," Chris drawled as he came to a stop beside them. He was surprised at how good it felt to see the little boy again. Better watch yourself, Chris, he silently chided. You're just setting yourself up to be hurt again.
Squirming to be released from his mother's arms, Billy flew to Chris after his feet hit the ground. Wrapping his arms around his leg, Billy looked up him with unadultered hero worship in his eyes. "Chris! Did you finish it?"
Chris couldn't help himself. He dropped a hand on the boy's head to ruffle his hair. "Finish what?" he asked innocently.
"The horse you were carving for me!" Billy reminded him emphatically.
"Oh. You mean this one?" as Chris pulled a five inch tall, whittled horse, polished to a glistening black, from the inside of his duster. He had started it last month while Billy had been sick and had told him he would have it done for him by the time he got to Four Corners.
"Wow!" Billy exclaimed as he took it from Chris.
"Billy, what do you say to Mr. Larabee?" Mary chided him.
"Thanks Chris." Billy said off-handedly, eyes glued to the horse just given to him.
"Your welcome. Now, why don't I hoist you up there so you can get your bag?" Chris took the horse from Billy and handed it to Mary before lifting Billy to the top of the stage.
Grabbing his bag, Billy shoved it down to Chris and then waited for him to set it down before jumping into his arms.
The stranger was watching and listening to the scene with guarded interest. He made a mental note of the obvious connection between the tall man dressed in black, the beautiful woman, and the little boy. One could never tell when this type of information would be useful. Grabbing his bag, he decided to test how easy it was going to be to find out information in this town.
"Excuse me," he politely said to the group he had been observing. "Could you kindly tell me if you have a bank and where I might find a room to rent?"
Chris gave the man an appraising look. Mary was the one who actually answered him. "Why yes, Mister...?"
"Johnston. Miles Johnston."
"Johnston. There are rooms at both the hotel," nodding to the building down the street, "or at the boarding house directly behind you. The bank is just up the street there. It's closed right now, but it should be opening as soon as the banker finishes his lunch. Will you be in town long?"
"That depends ma'am. Thank you for the information" Johnston said evasively as he picked up his bag, attempted to look through Chris as if he wasn't there, and began to move away.
Watching him head towards the hotel, Chris eyes narrowed as he noticed the furtive glances the man kept giving the town and the people in it. Yep. Definitely need to keep an eye on that one. He reeked of trouble.
+ + + + + + +
For the rest of the day and next, Johnston scouted out the town and learned as much about the townsfolk as he could. Quickly, he identified the "seven" who were in charge of keeping peace, one of whom turned out to be the tall man dressed in black from the stagecoach. It would be a challenge to pull off his plan with those seven around. Except for the kid they had wearing the badge, the rest looked like they would not be easily fooled. He would have to be very careful.
+ + + + + + +
For the next couple days, little unexplained events began to happen in town and at the surrounding ranches - windows being broken, animals being set loose out of pens, street fights breaking out for no apparent reason - little things that were more of a nuisance than an actual threat to anyone.
But it made life difficult for the local peacekeepers. Townsfolk wanted to know who was doing these things and called for the lawmen to put a stop to them.
There were no obvious patterns to them nor was there any way to predict what would happen next. The only thing the seven could do was increase their visibility in town and patrols of the outlying areas and try to catch who ever was doing these things before someone got hurt.
Josiah had just finished making his fourth trip around town that evening when he stopped in the jail to check in. He had poured himself a cup of coffee and exchanged greetings with Nathan when the shouts started.
"FIRE! THE LIVERY IS ON FIRE!"
Running from the jail, Josiah and Nathan could see flames outside of the livery building. Grabbing buckets, they rushed with other people to try to contain the fire before it spread.
"Part of you form a line and start passing water! The rest of you grab shovels and throw dirt to try to smother it!" Josiah shouted as he neared the people. The fire was almost under control when a man slipped in the mud from the water that had slopped out of the buckets and fell, slicing open his arm in the process.
Running to him, even in the poor light Nathan could tell the arm would have to be stitched, but he didn't want the man to move too much without something to stop the bleeding. Looking around, he could not find anything. Spotting Mary, he shouted at her.
"Miz Travis! My bag's in the jail. Can you get it?"
Not bothering to answer she gathered her skirt and began running for the jail. Passing in front of the bank, she was distracted by the sight of someone moving inside of it. Pausing to confirm her suspicion, she quickly turned to run for help when the front door of the bank opened and Johnston stepped out with a bag in his hand.
"NATHAN! JOSIAH! HE'S ROBBING THE BANK!" Mary screamed as she ran back towards the livery.
Hearing her screams, the two lawmen tore up the street with their guns drawn. Seeing them coming , Johnston darted down the side street. By the time they caught him, Johnston no longer had the bag of money and they could hear horses riding away quickly. Grabbing him, they put him under arrest and were on the way to the jail when the other five lawmen, who had been out patrolling the surrounding area, came galloping into town. Nathan could see that the fire at the livery had been put out with minimal damage to the structure and the injured man had been moved inside.
"Saw the flames. Everything all right?" Chris asked as the riders stepped down from their horses and followed the men into the jail.
"Your hunch about this guy was right, Chris. Caught Mr. Johnston here robbing the bank. Distracted us by starting a fire at the livery. If Mrs. Travis hadn't seen him, he would have been gone along with the money." Josiah explained.
Something in the words Josiah used struck Vin as wrong. "Gone along with the money? Just what do you mean by that?"
"By the time we caught him, he didn't have it. Heard horses riding off but too dark to see anybody," Nathan replied.
"Don't suppose you'd like to tell us who was out there," Buck asked the prisoner.
"I have no idea. I was simply on my way back to the hotel after seeing I wasn't needed to help with the fire. I noticed the bank door was opened and was heading over to see why when your "Mrs. Travis" started screaming that I was robbing the bank."
"So why'd you run if you weren't doing anything wrong?" JD couldn't help but ask.
"You have those two," nodding to Josiah and Nathan "come running at you with guns drawn and see if you don't run."
"What did Mrs Travis say she saw?" Vin inquired.
"She came running down the street yelling the bank was being robbed. When we got there, we saw Johnston here running away. Haven't spoken with her since we caught him."
"Okay," Chris said. "Vin go see if those riders left any tracks to follow in the morning. JD, Buck, Ezra, one of you go make sure everything is under control at the livery and the other two take a look around town. I don't want any more surprises tonight. Josiah and Nathan can stay here and look after our "guest" while I go speak with Mary."
"If it's okay with Josiah, I need to go stitch up Marvin's arm," Nathan interjected.
Josiah nodded to Nathan and then explained quickly to the others that Marvin was hurt in the fire and that it was when Mary when going for Nathan's bag that she saw the bank robbery in progress. While the others headed out, Josiah shoved Johnston into the cell and turned the key.
"Look, this has been a big misunderstanding. You didn't see me start a fire or be in the bank, and you found no money."
"What about Mrs. Travis seeing you?"
"Obviously she's lying."
Josiah gave the man a hard stare. "Tell you what. We'll wire her father-in-law, JUDGE Orrin Travis, tomorrow and see what he says about this whole situation."
Johnston swallowed hard and was somewhat shaken by that. Now how did I ever miss that little detail? Johnston asked himself. This could complicate matters.
+ + + + + + +
"You're sure you saw him in the bank?" Chris asked Mary again. Mary had returned to the office after the fire had been extinguished to make sure Billy had not been awaken by all of the commotion.
"Yes. He was in the bank. He had just come around from behind the teller's window and was pulling the gate closed. He had a bag in his hand."
"And your sure it was Johnston?"
Nodding emphatically, Mary confirmed that it was Johnston. "Why all the questions, Chris?"
"Johnston claims that he had just found the bank door open when you started yelling. Says its all a big misunderstanding. I stopped at the bank on my way over here and talked to the teller. There is cash missing, but unless we can find out who has it and connect them with Johnston, it's your word against his. Tomorrow we'll see if we can pick up any tracks to follow. In the mean time, just keep an eye for anything unusual."
"Unusual? Why?"
"You are the only proof we have this guy robbed the bank. If something happens to you, there goes our case. I don't think I'm the only one who can figure that out."
Alarmed, Mary looked around and shivered slightly.
"Try to get some rest. I'll make sure someone checks on you regularly."
+ + + + + + +
The next morning Vin, Chris and Ezra were on the outskirts of town looking at what was left of a faint trail left by the riders the night before. Thunderstorms had passed through just before dawn and had washed most of the tracks away.
"Looks like at least five of them. They were careful though and with that rain last night, there could be a few more, Vin said kneeling on the ground. They were heading south.
"They'll be back," Ezra observed quietly.
Surprised, Chris turned to him expectedly.
"I've seen men like Mr. Johnston many times. Hell, if not for a few fortunate turn of events, I could be in his position right now." Ezra paused to brush imaginary dirt from his sleeve before continuing. Looking up with a small smile still lingering on his face, he continued. "A man in his position can leave nothing to chance. He probably has some hold over the men who ride with him to ensure they come back and extract him if any unfortunate event, such as being caught, did happen."
"Any idea how they might be planning on doing that?" Vin asked.
"Nothing for sure, but Mr. Johnston is a strategist who would leave nothing to chance. The trick to winning, my friends, is being prepared and being able to read your opponent accurately. You can bet he spent the last few days gathering intelligence and getting to know his opponents."
"Us," Chris said flatly, eyes narrowing.
"Us," Ezra confirmed.
"Okay. We keep up the increased patrols and wait for his next move."
They didn't have to wait long.
+ + + + + + +
Just before sunset, Chris came down the alley heading for the main street of town. So far it had been a quiet evening. As he neared the street, he could see eleven mounted riders. Five were evenly spaced, all facing the front of The Clarion. Five more were facing the opposite direction, strategically placed to cover the first five from who ever might try to interfere with their mission. The eleventh sat between the two groups, surrounded on both sides.
Not liking the scene before him, Chris had paused when he heard the leader yell, "Men, prepare arms!"
Chris bolted around the building trying to get to the door of The Clarion before the men opened fire. The first shots rang out just as Chris threw himself at the door and it gave way. Rolling to soften his landing, he scanned the room. Mary had managed to grab Billy, but had only made it to the doorway between the outer office and living quarters. Grabbing them, Chris shoved them behind the big front oak counter and covered them with his body.
The roar was deafening.
The bullets from the guns of the five men shattered the glass and surrounding woodwork of the front windows. They ripped through the papers on the counters and knocked pictures from the walls. They tore gouges in the woodwork of the desk, counters and other furniture in the building. They ricochet off of the cast iron printing press and careened widely around the room until they lodged into the wall, floor, or ceiling.
Glass and wood splinters showered the three huddled together. Chris was thankful that it had been cool enough for him to be wearing his duster. Anything less would have been penetrated by the flying debris.
Chris could hear the whistle of a bullet as it passed far too close for comfort. He could also hear a cry from Billy and Mary's soft murmur mingled with the sounds of the guns and the whine of the bullets. It seemed that the gunfire would never stop.
Shortly after it started, the sound of the gunfire changed as Vin, Buck, and the others began to draw the fire away from the battered storefront. Chris knew the riders had withdrew as he heard the sound of receding horse hooves and gunfire.
Cautiously raising his head, Chris peeked over the countertop to confirm what his ears had told him.
"MARY! BILLY! Are you okay?!" Buck shouted anxiously as he barged into the building. Once in there, he was surprised to see Chris with them.
Easing back, Chris looked down at the two he had tried to shield. Running is eyes over Billy, he saw a terrified, if otherwise unharmed little boy clinging to his mother for protection. Glancing towards Mary, he caught a flash of pain in her eyes as she shifted position.
"Mary?"
"I'm okay. It's just a scratch." It was then that Chris saw the blood on her neck and collar.
"Buck, get Nathan in here."
Billy, alarmed by the tone of Chris' voice, looked up at his mother. Seeing the blood, he began to scream. "Mommy, please don't die! Mommy! You can't leave me too!"
Tightening her grip, Mary tried to calm him down. "Sh, it's okay. I'm not going to die. It's only a scratch."
Nathan came running through the door followed quickly by Buck. As he approached the three still on the floor, Nathan motioned to Chris to move Billy out of the way so that he could see how bad Mary's wound was.
Rising and pulling Billy from her, Chris held him at arms length. He thought he had picked up a wildcat instead of a little boy. "Billy. Billy. Take it easy. Your ma's gonna be okay." It was useless. Billy continued to struggle and fight him.
After receiving a pretty good kick in the ribs, Chris had had enough. BILLY STOP IT!"
Billy froze. Softening his voice, Chris continued. "Your ma's gonna be all right. We just need to get out of the way so Nathan can patch her up."
Looking at him, Chris' heart ached. The last time he had seen this kind of terror in Billy's eyes was after he had ran away believing he was protecting his mother from the men who had killed his father and they had shot at him. Pulling Billy closer to him and rubbing his back, Chris tried to ease the fear he had just seen. "Hush little man. It's all over. Your safe."
Billy, still crying but no longer hysterical, wrapped his arms around Chris' neck and hung on with all his strength.
Looking down, Chris could see the tears in Mary's eyes. She too ached for the little boy.
Setting back, Nathan nodded encouragingly "It's not too bad Miz Travis. Let's get you up in a chair where I got some light and you'll be more comfortable." Helping her up, he continued to hold a bandage to her neck to control the bleeding. Moving towards the chair, Mary stopped long enough to place a kiss on Billy's back and murmur that he was safe now.
Vin and Josiah stepped in lightly over the debris strewn about. Glancing around, their eyes finally found Chris, comforting Billy. Nodding to them, Chris gave them a questioning look.
"They weren't careful about their tracks. Come first light we should be able to track 'em," Vin confirmed. "JD and Ezra are covering the jail. Josiah and I came to see if you needed any help cleaning up the place."
"It is a mess isn't it," Chris observed after finally taking a moment to look around. Taking a quick count, he estimated that at least sixty bullets had been fired into the little shop.
"There ya' are Miz Travis. I'll look at it tomorrow to make sure but it should heal up just fine," Nathan said as he began to put his medical supplies back in his bag.
"Thank you Nathan. I just wish I could say the same for this place." Rising and moving towards Chris, Mary peeked at Billy. "He's gone to sleep. I can take him and lay him down in the back."
"No, we'll just have to move him again then. I'll keep a hold of him while you go get together a few things to take to the hotel."
Turning his head, Chris saw Buck watching the scene before him with a bittersweet look in his eye. He had seen Chris do this before one night when he was staying with Chris and Sarah, only then it was with his son Adam after a nightmare. Chris had kept ahold of the boy that time too. Sending Buck and Sarah back to bed, Chris had set down in the rocking chair to soothe his son back to sleep. The next morning Buck had found them still there, both asleep. He had spent most of the day teasing Chris about reaching the age of trading in his big black horse for a rocker.
Back then, Buck had been a little jealous of Chris. Watching him now, he was grateful that Chris had enough soul left to be moved by a little boy's fear and enough heart to try to ease it.
Townsfolk moving in the street couldn't help but stop and stare at the strange sight before them. Five of their "lawmen" in a bullet ridden building that once used to be the newspaper office. One, the tracker, was setting furniture upright and picking up papers and other knickknacks; the womanizer was sweeping up wood chips and glass from the floor; the preacher and the healer were carefully removing the shards of glass hanging in what was left of the windows; and, the strangest of all to many, the tall gunslinger dressed in black, known for his drunken rages and deadly aim, tenderly holding a small sleeping boy in his arms. It was a scene that they would discuss among themselves for days afterward.
Once Mary had collected the things she and Billy would need, Chris escorted them to the hotel. He would stay with them until one of the others finished securing Mary's place and relieved him.
The hotel manager gave Mary a strange look when he saw her come in with a bandage on her neck and asking for a room. He gave Chris another as he realized that Chris was with Mary and that it was the Travis boy asleep on his shoulder. In return, he got Chris' best "just do your job and mind you own business" glare.
Chris had just laid Billy on the bed and started to remove his shoes when there was a soft knock on the door. Motioning Mary back, Chris moved to open the door. As he neared it, he could hear a voice on the other side saying, "Chris, it's Vin." Sliding his pistol back in his holster, Chris let him in.
"JD showed up just after you left. Ezra thinks that by the way the guy in the jail is acting, he knows something about what happened tonight. Thought you might like to go find out if he does."
Chris paused only long enough to glance again at Billy and Mary. "We're fine. Go ahead," Mary replied to Chris' silent question.
"Someone will be outside the room all night if you need anything," Chris threw over his shoulder as he headed out.
"Ma'am." Vin tipped his hat as he stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him. He spotted a chair a short ways down the hallway which he moved by Mary's door and sat down. No one would disturb the Travises anymore tonight unless they went through him first. And that wasn't likely to happen.
Chris headed straight to the jail. Nodding to JD on guard outside, he entered and saw Ezra watching the prisoner with a contemplative look. Johnston was sitting on the side of the bunk with his hat in his hand and his coat draped over his arm.
"Mr. Johnston here has been displaying far too much satisfaction over the events that have transpired this evening. One could surmise from his current stance that not only did he expect it, he now seems to be waiting for us to let him out." Ezra said in acknowledgement of Chris' entry.
Chris looked at the man behind bars. "Well, do you know who attacked Mrs. Travis tonight?"
"How could I know anything about that? I've been here for the past 24 hours with no one to talk to. It is, however, a tragedy. To think of that little boy not being able to grow up and for such a beautiful woman to be shot to death like that." Rising, he moved to stand beside the bars. "I understand you were quite close to the pair. My deepest condolences."
Ezra held his breath and watched Chris. During Johnston's little speech, he did not see Chris move except for a narrowing of his eyes and movement in his jaw as he clenched his teeth. You just made two very critical errors Mr. Johnston, Ezra thought. Let's just hope that will not be your epitaph.
Chris suddenly sprung at Johnston and had him by the front of the shirt pulled against the bars before Ezra could rise from his chair. Ezra almost pitied Johnston when Chris spoke. His tone was as cold as Ezra had ever heard from any human being.
"If I find out you have anything to do with killing those two mister, you won't need to worry about any robbery charges against you because you won't live long enough to see a courtroom."
+ + + + + + +
Standing by the window looking into the street, Mary watched as Chris moved steadily through the shadows toward the jail. She wasn't sure where he had come from or just how he made it into the building without getting shot, but she knew he had saved her and Billy's lives tonight.
Billy. Looking at him, her stomach knotted and tears welled in her eyes remembering the terror she had seen in him earlier. It seems that every time you come home, someone tries to kill you. Maybe it would be better if I just left you with your grandmother. Or maybe its just time for me to quit fooling myself and move back with you. After all, even Chris tried to warn me that this town wasn't "fit for a woman." But no, I have to be stubborn and try to keep your father's dream alive. But you, my sweet little boy, are the one paying the price for my stubbornness.
Rubbing her eyes and wincing at the pain the movement caused in her neck, Mary moved to sit down. Mary, you're tired, worried and in pain. Now is not the time to try to make this decision. Besides, there are other factors to consider, like what do you do with the newspaper business, she chided herself.
Changing directions, Mary went to the bed and gently laid down as to not disturb Billy. Breathing deeply, she closed her eyes and tried to relax, but she could hear the rapport of the guns from earlier in the evening still ringing in her ears. It was a pure stroke of luck that they had been forewarned. She had forgotten her shawl on the counter earlier that day and had walked out to pick it up when she saw the horsemen lining up in front of the building. Yelling for Billy, she was just able to reach him when the first shots were fired.
Mary could still feel the metallic taste of the fear in her mouth. She also remembered being torn between wishing Chris would come and save them and wanting him to stay away so he would not get hurt. And suddenly he was there. Seeing him come rolling in between the gunshots, Mary thought her heart would stop. Instinctively, she had raised to see if he was all right. It was during this move that the bullet grazed her neck. Then they were huddled together and Mary knew it would be okay.
Afterwards, it was Billy who needed Chris and he was once again there. Billy adored him. There was a strange, kindred connection between them - each filling a void in the other's life. How could she walk away from Four Corners knowing that by doing so, they may never see Chris again? Moaning in confusion, Mary slipped out of bed and began to pace around the room.
+ + + + + + +
Following Chris out of the jail, Ezra chuckled to himself. "I owe you an apology Mr. Larabee. It seems I have significantly underestimated your ability to bluff. I take it you have a plan?"
"Who said I was bluffing?" Chris said flatly. "Ezra, I want you to stay here and keep an eye on our Mr. Johnston. Talk to him. Make him believe that the Judge is coming in tomorrow to hang him for the shooting tonight. Right after dawn, you are going to get "careless" and allow him to escape. Hopefully, he"ll be stupid enough to lead us to the money and the rest of the men who shot up Mary's place tonight."
Turning to JD, Chris continued. "JD, go find Josiah, Nathan, and Buck. Tell them about the plan. Have Josiah come and watch Johnston so Ezra can get a couple hours sleep." Nodding to Ezra he clarified. "Be back here by three. JD, tell Buck to relieve Vin in a couple hours, but make sure he tells him of the plan. Let Nathan know that he better pack extra bandages and supplies. When we find that group, I doubt they'll surrender peacefully. Then you relieve Buck later. Tell everyone not on guard to meet me at the livery about 4:30. Until then, I'll keep an eye out around town."
Pausing, JD had just one question. "What's to keep Johnston from killing Ezra?"
Turning to Ezra, Chris caught his eye. "It is definitely a possibility."
Ezra's gold tooth flashed in the firelight from the street. "Men like Mr. Johnston detest getting their hands dirty. I'll lay my money that he will wish to exit the establishment as quickly and as quietly as possible."
"Okay, let's do it," Chris said before heading down the street.
+ + + + + + +
Vin was getting tired of sitting. He knew someone should be around to relieve him at anytime now. Rising, he moved to the window at the end of the hall to look down on the town. Scanning the street, he was just about to go back to the chair when a flare of a match across the street caught his eye. Pulling back, he relaxed as he watched the man raise the match to light a cheroot, and he could see the familiar outline of Chris' face. He was standing in the shadows, blending in. Not many would have spotted him there unless Chris wished them to. Vin suspected Chris had deliberately lit the match to let him know he was there. Raising a hand to wave to him that everything was okay, Vin spotted Buck leaving the roominghouse and begin to move down the street. Must be my relief.
+ + + + + + +
Taking a long draw from the cheroot, Chris saw both Vin's wave and Buck heading to relieve Vin. He was going to need Vin in the morning to track Johnston. They would have to give Johnston enough of a lead that he felt comfortable to go to his hideout. Otherwise, he could lead them on a long goose chase. He just hoped Ezra was right about Johnston not killing him. Despite their rough start, he had found himself considering the gambler a trusted friend. He didn't have many of them.
Chris couldn't help but remember the events of the last several days. Things had been quiet and Chris had hoped he would be able to spend time with Billy while he was in town. Then the trouble had started and he had barely seen Billy or Mary to say hello let alone take the boy fishing or hunting. Until tonight, when he rolled across the floor between bullets. Shaking his head, he still couldn't believe he had done that. Guess I should get these sewed up before Mary sees them, Chris thought as he idly fingered the two bullet holes in his duster.
Vin walked out of the hotel door and headed across the street to where he had seen Chris was standing. "Quiet so far," Vin said as he eased against the wall and looked down at Chris, now perched on a crate. "Don't think Mrs. Travis is getting much sleep. Heard her moving about a couple of times. Didn't hear Billy though, so guess at least someone's catchin' a good night's sleep."
Not getting a reply, Vin continued. "You really think this Johnston fellow will lead us to the money?"
"You heard Ezra. Johnston thinks he's a winner. Winners take the prize. He'll head for the money if we can make him think its safe to. We'll give him a ten minute head start and then I'm counting on you to follow his trail."
Standing upright, Vin wryly joked, "Well, if all else fails, we'll catch him, lock him up and make him listen to JD's dumb jokes until he confesses everything." Vin could hear Chris' chuckle as he walked away.
Still grinning, Chris stood and ground out the cigar with his boot. Guess I should take another look around. Heading down the street, his eyes expertly searched the alleys and walks for anything unusual. His mind, however, was only partly aware of the things he saw in his search. The rest continued to think about Mary and Billy.
Chris had made several more passes around town when he checked his watch. Four o'clock. Ezra should be back at the jail. Time to get things ready. Heading to the livery, he saddled a horse that would be conveniently left for Johnston to use. Leading it to a hitching post, Chris heard a shot from near the hotel.
Yanking his gun, Chris ran towards the hotel. As he neared it, he could see Buck in the window of Mary's room looking down the alley. Stopping at the corner, Chris couldn't see anyone around. Hearing running footsteps, he spun and saw Nathan, Josiah, and Vin coming up the street to join him. Motioning them to cover the alley, Chris slipped into the hotel and up the stairs. Still not seeing anyone, he moved to the door of Mary's room. Crouching beside it, he tapped lightly. "Buck." Hearing a muffled acknowledgement, Chris swung the door open and went through it. He could see Buck's silhouette against the window.
"Its okay. Heard a shot but ain't seen anyone but you," Buck said cautiously.
Closing the door, Chris moved to the window to take a look for himself. Seeing nothing but the other lawmen, he turned and finally saw Mary crouched in the corner, Billy asleep on the floor between her and the wall, a gun in her hand. Chris hated the look in her eyes - part fear, part determination to do whatever was necessary to protect her son. Moving to her, Chris took the gun while helping her stand. "You okay?"
Nodding, Mary could see him struggling with her apparent willingness to shoot someone, even if it was in self-defense. Raising her chin, she looked him in the eye. "I told you I would not become a victim. I'll do whatever I need to to keep myself and Billy safe."
Mary stood firm under his intense scrutiny. Chris found he was torn between his aversion at the thought of her having to go to such drastic measures and yet admiring her courage and determination to do what she had to. Still struggling with her decision, Chris nodded and laid the gun on the bureau before lifting Billy back to bed.
Watching out the window, Buck spoke sharply, "Chris, there's a lot of movement around the jail."
Glancing at Buck, Chris headed out the door. When he made it to street, Nathan was waiting for him.
"Vin and Josiah are on the other side," pointing to the two men in the shadows. Motioning at them, the four headed up the street as quietly as they could, keeping to the cover offered by the darkness.
Chris couldn't help swearing at himself. The shot had been a ruse to distract them. And we jumped at it, Chris thought. You certainly did your homework Mr. Johnston. You knew we would investigate. You just didn't know it would be enough to distract as many as it did because of its proximity to Mary and Billy,. Chris grimaced. He did not like being predictable. Predictable men where dead men.
Nearing the jail, the four paused to assess the situation. They could see Johnston and three men leaving the jail and join four more in the street. Chris suspected the other four known riders weren't far away. As the men mounted, Chris searched the shadows for any sign of JD. Seeing none, he softly spoke to the man beside him. "You see JD anywhere?"
"Nope. Don't see Ezra in the jail neither," the healer replied.
Pulling farther back against the wall as the riders moved past, Chris and the others waited for the outlaws to get out of sight before moving into the street. As Chris and Nathan entered the jail to check on Ezra, Josiah and Vin looked for JD. Not finding him immediately, they were about the expand the search when they saw a figure throw open the doors of the livery and begin to lead six saddled horses from it. Realizing it was JD, Vin and Josiah moved to help him bring the mounts back to the jail. The men in the jail walked out just as the horses reached the building.
"You okay Ezra?" JD asked as he handed him the reins to his horse.
"Perfectly well now that Mr. Larabee and Mr. Jackson have emancipated me from the jail."
Chris was impressed with JD's work. It wasn't long ago the young lawman would have tried to interfere with the jail break. Instead he had saddled the horses so they could give chase. Taking the reins handed to him, Chris moved to mount. Passing JD, he paused to drop a hand on his shoulder. "You kept your head and did what was important. You may yet stay alive long enough to grow up."
JD was embarrassed by the attention and yet proud that he had done the right thing in Chris' eyes.
"Why aren't you with Mary?" Chris harshly asked Buck when he realized Buck had joined them.
"She told me she and Billy were fine and for me to get down here and help you out. And as a wise man once told me, I ain't arguin' with her."
Chris wasn't happy, but they didn't have time to debate it now. "Lets ride," he finally said as the men were all mounted.
The night sky had just begun to show the beginning rays of dawn when the seven road out of town. The predawn darkness however continued to hamper Vin's ability to see the tracks clearly. It was frustrating to all of the riders. While part of Chris understood why they had to move slowly and cautiously, another part of him wanted to break away from the others and tear headlong down the trail. The lighter the night sky became, the harder it was for Chris to fight this urge.
Sensing Chris' increasing frustration and uneasiness, Buck tried to calm his friend. "Easy Chris. Another fifteen minutes and it'll be light."
"Another fifteen minutes and we'll be on top of them," Vin interrupted, rising from the ground and pointing to the faint light in the distance.
Instantly alert, all eyes followed Vin's line of sight. "Buck, Nathan, Ezra, circle around to the south. Vin, Josiah, JD to the north. Wait for my signal."
"But Chris that leaves you goin' in alone," JD observed, obviously alarmed.
'Going in the front door again, Chris?" Josiah quietly asked, thinking of the way he had been told of Chris' flight into The Clarion less than 24 hours ago.
Checking his gun, a ghost of a smile crossed Chris' face. "Gave up going through back doors a long time ago, Josiah. Besides, this situation has gone on long enough. Time to finish it." Chris slid his gun back into its holster.
"Just make sure your gonna come back out that door," Vin quietly said, voicing what the rest had been thinking. Mounting his horse, he gave Chris a long look, judging if his words had registered and had their intended result. Getting a nod, Vin turned his horse and galloped northwards with Josiah following. JD paused, unsure of what to do until Buck nodded at him to go.
Turning to the remaining three, Chris looked at them wondering why they hadn't started southward. "Well?"
"Just makin' sure you ain't plannin' to start anything with those boys without us," Nathan said.
"You know how I hate missin' out on all the fun," Buck added.
"Twelve to one are not fortuitous odds, Mr. Larabee. You were lucky the last time. I do hope you will take steps to ensure you have more than luck backing you this time."
Pursing his lips, Chris looked at the three men watching him. When did I get so many babysitters? Chris snorted to himself. Releasing a sigh, Chris dismounted and moved to sit on a nearby stump. Reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled out a slender cigar and lit it before saying anything.
"Tell you what. If you can get into position by the time I finish my smoke, you can join me in distributing a little justice. If not, then you can clean up the mess."
Looking at each other reassured, the three mounted men turned their horses and galloped southward.
Sitting on the tree stump, Chris remembered something Josiah had once said about how nature requires balance. For everything lost, there is something found. JD had said it was like swinging doors on the saloon. You push 'em one way and they come back the other. While Chris hadn't given it much thought at the time, he now contemplated this idea. He had lost Sarah and Adam, and while not exactly the same, he had found Mary and Billy. Six men had been brought into his life each representing a part of him that had died or been lost: energetic youth, the carefree hell raiser, a spiritual soul who believed in a power greater than any six gun, the gambler willing to risk it all for the thrill of it, the healer able to ease suffering with a soft voice and gentle hand, and the quiet, confident soul sure of his direction in life. Now the same six wanted to shield him from the flying bullets just has he had shielded Mary and Billy.
I'm not sure about your great balance theory Josiah, but it sure does seem strange that all of these are opposite of each other. Shaking his head, Chris snorted and rose. You are spending far too much time thinking lately. Mounting, Chris pushed all thoughts to the back of his mind except for the confrontation ahead.
Nearing the camp, Chris stopped and counted outlaws. Twelve in sight. Good. We can end this here and now. Johnston was in the middle of the outlaws, urging them to break camp as fast as they could. Carelessly, they had not posted anyone on watch.
Removing the thong from his gun, Chris walked quietly to the edge of the camp unnoticed and announced his presence with a click of trigger and a sarcastic comment. "You boys haven't found a bag of money stolen from the bank have you?"
Startled, the outlaws had begun to move for their guns when they were halted by the sound of more guns being cocked. Frantically looking around, the outlaws realized they were surrounded.
"Why don't you boys drop your guns and slowly move away from them," Buck strongly suggested.
Scrambling for some way out, Johnston tried again to divert attention away from himself while slowly moving towards the horses.
"Thank god you are here. I don't know why but these men forced me to go with them. Surely, you must see now that I possibly couldn't have been involved in the bank robbery or killing that woman and little boy."
Ezra, standing behind Johnston, sarcastically chimed in. "My, my. I thought you were a professional Mr. Johnston. I see I was in error. You are forgetting sir, that I was present during your so called kidnapping. I am sure between Mrs. Travis' testimony about your previous misdeeds and my glorious account of your jail break, you will not be a free man for a long, long time."
Dawning on him the full impact of Ezra's words, Johnston shoved a man at the closest lawman and darted for the horses. Two shots into the ground at his feet served as a warning of what was to come should he continue on his flight.
"Mister, I haven't slept in two days. I'm tired, hungry and pissed at you for terrorizing a woman and little boy. On top of all that, you're keeping me from going fishing. So, it's up to you. You can go back sittin' up or hanging over the saddle. It don't matter to me," Chris growled.
Realizing he was beaten, Johnston's shoulders dropped and his hands were raised into the air.
+ + + + + + +
Walking out of the hotel, Mary stopped to relish the feel of the sun on her face. It had been a long night. Billy had slept through it, but Mary hadn't. Between the comings and goings from their room and the struggle she had with herself debating whether to stay or pack up everything and leave Four Corners with Billy, she'd given up trying to get any rest. Just as the dawn had broken, she had made up her mind. Now she just wished Chris and the others would return so she could get on with her life.
Glancing up the street, her wish was granted. Holding her breath, she quickly counted men on horse back. Nineteen. Scanning their faces as they went by, she distinguished the lawmen from outlaws. All were back safe, thank God. Billy joined her on the porch to watch the procession pass by and to wave at his friends.
+ + + + + + +
Slowly opening his eyes, Chris listened to the voices in the hallway outside of his door. From the amount of sunshine pouring through the windows, it was late morning.
"There you are. You shouldn't have snuck off like that," JD exclaimed quietly.
"I just wanted to see if Chris was up," came a young boy's voice in reply.
"Your ma told you. Chris needs to catch up on some sleep and for you not to bother him."
"But when is he going to get up?" Billy plaintively asked. "He said we'd go fishing today."
"When he does, that's all," was JD's reply.
As the two moved away from his door, Chris could hear them continue their discussion. Rising, Chris began to pull on his clothes. The sleep had felt good. It had taken most of the previous day to get the outlaws back to town and taken care of. Because of the number of them, they were held in the basement of the church until a prison transport wagon came for them. It was late in the afternoon before the prisoners where secured and the wagon pulled out;. Then the paperwork had to be completed. Statements had to be taken from each of the lawmen involved as well as Mary and Billy. Billy had gotten restless and bored during this long process. To divert him, Chris had promised that if he could be patient, he would take him fishing today.
Seems I am holding up our outing again, Chris wryly thought. Putting on his hat, he went in search of the others.
When he found them, they were all at The Clarion. Buck and JD were helping Nathan put in new pieces of glass in the windows while Josiah and Vin were busy patching holes with an adobe mixture. Mary was trying to sort through supplies to see what could be salvaged while also trying to keep Billy occupied. Ezra, cards in hand, had designated himself as the supervisor of the efforts.
"And how do you propose to make these adobe patches unnoticeable?" Chris heard Ezra drawl as he entered the building.
"Once they are dry, we'll have to whitewash the entire place." Josiah patiently replied. Turning he saw Chris watching the work with an amused look on his face. "And here is our most likely candidate for the job seeing as he's missed all the work this morning."
Nodding at Mary and glancing at the others, Chrisص eyes fell on Billy. "Sorry, you'll have to get Ezra to do it. I promised someone we'd go fishin'." Laughing out loud at Billy's reaction to this announcement, Chris told him to get his hat and pole. Rushing to comply, Billy barely stopped to tell his mother goodbye before flying through the door, not caring what or who was on the other side.
"Seems Chris ain't the only one who does that," Buck observed. "Maybe it be best ma'am if I began spending time with the boy instead. Nothing good can come from bustin' through a door like that," he continued teasingly.
Looking at Chris, Mary smiled while remembering the two times Chris had "busted" through the very door he was now standing by. The first time he had saved her from some very shaky moral grounds - using his reputation for her own means. The second time, he had saved her and Billy's lives.
"Oh, I don't know Mr. Wilmington. Sometimes, good can come from it." Watching her Chris knew exactly what she meant. Not saying anything, he smiled and tipped his hat to her before moving through the door.
The others went back to work erasing the final signs of the barrage of bullets and once again restoring order in this part of their town.
The End
