Continued...
Vin trembled as his hands were tied over his head. They were all around him, he could feel them. He tried not to move so they wouldn't touch him. Experience had taught him that struggling only made it worse."How long, boy? How long till you're one of them?" the man asked with a laugh. "They want you," he teased as he poked one of the bodies causing it to swing lightly into Vin's side. Vin tensed and whimpered but tried not to move too much. If he did, he'd just make more of them move to touch him. The man moved to the other side of the cellar. "They want you bad, boy," he said as he pushed another body. This one hit Vin harder and he gasped at the contact.
The man grabbed one of the arms of one of the dead men and lifted it to Vin's neck. He pressed the cold, stiff hand against him and ran it down the length of his body. Vin squeezed his eyes shut behind the blindfold as feeble whimpers escaped his lips.
"They all want you," the man said louder as he circled the room hitting all the bodies hanging there and making them all swing into Vin. Vin couldn't get out of the way and began screaming for them to stop.
+ + + + + + +
The man had purposely left the cabin door and the door to the cellar open so the tormented man's cries would make it to his friends' ears. Both men tried to block out the sounds but no matter what they did, they could still hear him.
+ + + + + + +
The sun was nearly down when the man dragged Vin back inside and kicked closed the door. He yanked the rope loose from his wrists and Vin dropped bonelessly to the floor then began slowly dragging himself back to his corner. He pulled the cover over himself again as he curled his quaking body into the smallest ball he could.
"Vin?" Chris called softly. His friend's terrified cries had frightened him but he found he was more frightened when they stopped.
The man stopped and gave Chris a warning look then moved on the to fireplace. He dished out one plateful of the stew that was cooking and began eating. Chris and Buck weren't surprised that they weren't given any.
+ + + + + + +
In the middle of the night, light from the moon filtered in through tiny windows. Chris remained awake in their prison, leaning against the wall, looking out the small window in the door at the dark form of his friend huddled in the corner.
"Oh, Vin," he whispered to the darkness, shaking his head.
Buck was sitting nearby, his back against the wall, his legs stretched out straight in front of him. He looked up at Chris's softly spoken words. "Somethin' happen?" he asked as he slowly pushed himself up.
"No, just hard seeing that as Vin." Chris nodded his head towards the corner.
"Well, we know that guy's tortured him, kept him cold, hungry, thirsty. That wears on a man, even a man strong as Vin." Buck leaned next to Chris where he, too, could see out into the main room of the cabin.
"He ain't gonna last much longer, Buck," Chris said sadly as he turned his eyes to his old friend.
"We'll find a way out of this, Chris, and we'll get Vin out too." Buck sounded so sure of himself that Chris found himself nodding his agreement, though at the moment, escape seemed impossible.
+ + + + + + +
Morning broke to the same routine as the day before. Chris and Buck watched hatefully as the man moved about the cabin. He took Vin out, the same as the day before, though now Chris and Buck were more scared for him, worried about what the man was doing to their friend.
Vin didn't have to use the outhouse but took a few minutes in there just to be away from his captor. Once they were at the pump, Vin tried to hold his hands still to gather the water but between his still trembling body and shivering from the cold, he only managed to get a little. Funny thing was, he really didn't care anymore. He was almost ready to join the souls of his predecessors.
Returning inside, Vin fell back to his hands and knees and slowly made his way back to his spot. The man dished up leftover stew onto four plates, dropped a biscuit onto three of them and distributed them to his prisoners. Chris and Buck grew even more worried about Vin when he made no move to eat. They guessed he could smell it in front of him but he remained lying on his side.
The two men ate only because they knew they had to maintain their strength to fight the man who held them.
Finally, very slowly, Vin began to reach for his plate. Buck nudged Chris when he saw the movement and the two watched as Vin wrapped shaking fingers around the biscuit and drew it back to his mouth. He took tiny bites and chewed slowly. Chris wrinkled his brow at the sight and was actually glad for the blindfold covering Vin's eyes. From the way he moved his body, he knew there was a glazed, blank expression in them and Chris couldn't bear to see that.
Before the man had finished eating, a howling wind could be heard picking up outside. He stepped up to one of the two windows in the cabin and looked out.
"Storm brewing outside. Guess we'll have snow by noontime," he spoke, almost conversationally. He turned back to the room. "Looks like we're inside today." He stood for a moment, then stepped up beside Vin. Chris stiffened as he watched.
The man looked down at the still full plate sitting on the floor. "Gonna waste good food, boy?" he asked in a raised voice. When there was no response from Vin, he lifted a foot and poked the toe of his boot into Vin's side. Vin pulled away from the contact but made no sound.
Surprising both Chris and Buck, the man leaned over and picked up the plate, inflicting no more harm on their friend. He straightened up and walked over to the fireplace, dumped the contents of the plate back into the pot that still hung there and tossed the plate onto the table.
Chris continued to watch Vin as Buck watched the man move about the cabin. Buck wasn't sure what he was doing as he kept moving from one place to another but finally, the man took down his rifle and laid it on the table. He had gathered some rags and a bottle of oil and began cleaning the firearm.
Chris tried to will the strength to fight through the air from himself to Vin. He knew that he had enough anger built up inside for at least two men. Vin occasionally shifted slightly on the floor but was otherwise still and silent.
When the man had completed his task, he reloaded the rifle and replaced it over the mantle. Buck exchanged a look with Chris. If ever they got out of the room, they knew where a loaded weapon was.
The man rummaged through a chest and came up with a book. He took a place at the table and began to read. That was the way the morning was passed. He finally set the book aside around noon and he stood up, retrieved his coat, put it on and went outside. As the door was opened, the men could see out and noticed that it was indeed snowing, just as the man had said. He was gone about five minutes and returned with an armful of firewood which he dropped carelessly to the floor. He tossed one of the logs onto the fire and then went back to the chest where he pulled out a bottle of whiskey.
He sat silently staring at the flames as every few minutes he took a pull on the bottle. Before long, the bottle was nearly three-quarters empty and he staggered to his feet. He pulled off his coat and tossed it on the table then leaned down, picked up a log and threw it into the fireplace. Watching to make sure the log caught, he used his toe to push it into place.
He stretched his arms out over his head then brought them down to his chest where he rubbed his hands vigorously around. Slowly, he moved them lower, continuing to rub, until he reached his groin. He sucked in his breath and closed his eyes at his own touch. He massaged his hands around the area, leaning his head back and moaning softly. Eventually, he sat back down and undid the buttons of his pants, releasing his growing cock.
"Boy!" he called, his voice slurred from the liquor and the sensations.
Vin lifted his head up reflexively but he didn't move.
"Come here," he commanded.
Vin slowly pushed himself to his hands and knees and began the crawl to the table. With the man's back to the small room, Chris and Buck were unable to see exactly what the man was doing.
It took Vin nearly a full minute to reach the table where he stopped and waited. The man reached down and grabbed Vin's wrist, pulling him up to stand on his knees, and pulled his hand up to his crotch. He took Vin's hand and wrapped his fingers around his swollen member, then put his hand around Vin's wrist and started the pumping motion.
When Vin realized what was in his hand, he pulled away with a disgusted grunt.
Quickly, the man reached out and got his finger and thumb into Vin's mouth, putting them on either side of his lower teeth. He pushed his thumb down as far as he could between Vin's teeth and bottom lip and then drove his thumbnail hard into the tender skin there. Vin cried out and raised his hand to cover his mouth.
The man captured his hand again and put it back in place on his cock. He started the pumping action again.
"Do me, boy," he commanded in a low growl.
Vin pumped slowly, his shoulders drooping over as he felt his nightmare reaching a new low. He began silently sobbing as he felt the man's penis harden in his grip.
"Oh...my...god...," Buck groaned as he finally got a glimpse of what the man was making Vin do. He turned his head away and walked sadly to the other side of the room. Chris tightened his jaw and vowed that the man would die.
"Harder, boy," the man gasped as he felt his pleasure rise inside. Vin reluctantly complied. The man reached out and grabbed Vin's wrist again, pumping it faster.
Vin pressed his chin further down to his chest.
The man groaned loudly as his juices spurt out. The milky substance flowed down Vin's hand. The man released his grasp and Vin pulled away and sat back on his heels where he remained still, holding his arm out at its full length, silently crying.
The man slowly regained his breath then adjusted himself back into his pants and fastened the buttons. He stood up and stretched again then looked down at Vin.
"Hang up my coat, boy, then get back to your corner," he instructed before he moved off to his cot to lay down. It wasn't long before his snoring could be heard rumbling through the space.
Vin remained motionless, except for the gentle heaving of his shoulders, for a long time. Finally, he moved his hand towards the table and felt around until he located the man's coat. He weakly closed his fingers around the fabric and pulled it towards him. Slowly, he got to his knees and turned back to where the front door was. His movement was stiff and slow as he made his way to the door, standing up awkwardly when he got there. He fumbled with the garment a moment.
Chris and Buck watched him from their small window, afraid to call out to him, not trusting for sure the man was asleep and not wanting to cause Vin any more pain. Vin's back was to them and they couldn't tell what he was doing.
Vin stood unsteadily beside the door moving the coat around in his hands until he got it positioned right to hang on one of the hooks there. He kept an uneasy ear cocked towards the man in the corner, listening.
Finally, Vin hung up the coat and then lowered himself to the floor, turning so his back rested against the wall, his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms resting on his knees. His right hand he kept holding out as far away from his body as he could, the remnants of the man's indulgence drying to form a crust on it. He lowered his head to his knees.
"What's he doing?" Buck whispered softly to Chris. Chris replied by shrugging his shoulders.
Vin remained still for quite a while.
The man's snoring remained steady.
After what could have been an hour, Vin gradually moved to his hands and knees but instead of retreating to his corner, he started crawling towards the small room where Chris and Buck were held. They watched him with concern for both his defeated carriage and for what the man would do to him if he woke up and found him away from his appointed spot.
Vin crept silently, slowly, closing the gap between himself and his friends. He felt the wall with his hand and followed along until he felt the doorjamb where he stopped. He sat still for a long time.
"Vin," Chris whispered sharply. "Don't let him catch you here." Chris's voice was urgent. He couldn't bear to see his friend hurt anymore.
Vin cocked his head slightly to the room. His friends were there, at the door. He then turned his head towards the back corner of the cabin and could still hear the steady snoring of their captor. He scooted a little closer to the door.
"You have to leave," he said, his voice almost non-existent. He held out his left hand and they could see something clutched in it.
"We'll all get out of here, pard," Buck assured him. He reached out to take Vin's outstretched hand but at his words, Vin withdrew it and shook his head frantically.
"No, you have to leave."
"We aren't leaving without you, Vin," Chris told him.
A shifting of the man in the cot had Vin frozen in fear for a long while but the man remained asleep and finally Vin put out his hand again.
"You have to be quiet and go," he said, terror in his voice.
Buck reached out and this time grabbed Vin's hand. Vin opened his fingers and the item he had been holding fell into Buck's palm. Buck wrapped his fingers around it as Vin withdrew his hand.
"Please..." he begged as he started moving back to his corner silently.
Buck pulled his hand in and opened his fingers. A key lay in his palm. He took a moment to look at Chris then thrust his arm back between the bars of the window and reached down to the keyhole in the door. He twisted the key around in his hand and while trying to get it positioned in the right direction, his anxious fingers dropped it and it clanked heavily to the floor.
Vin visibly cringed from his spot in the corner as he listened for sounds from the man on the cot, sounds which unfortunately came as the man woke and pushed himself to a stand. He was half asleep but had lived long enough in the wilderness that any strange noise would wake him out of even the deepest sleep.
Buck had pulled his arm in from the window and lay down on the floor to poke his arm out under the door to retrieve the key. He reached it easily and pulled it back in with his hand.
"Boy! What're you doing??" the man hollered, still groggy, still drunk.
Chris grabbed the key away from Buck and quickly put his arm through the window. It might have been wise to have waited to see what the man would do but Chris didn't want Vin to suffer anymore so he took a chance that the man was still drunk enough that his reflexes wouldn't be fast enough to stop him from unlocking the door...and once he and Buck were free, it would be over. Chris would make sure of that.
The man was more alert than Chris suspected and he realized what was happening. He began to move towards the door.
Vin knew his friends needed help if they were going to get away. He already knew he was dead, that there wasn't anymore the man could do to him, so as he heard the man approaching the door, he gathered all his strength and launched himself towards where he heard the man's footsteps.
The man was caught somewhat off-guard. He had thought Vin incapable of going against him anymore. He pushed Vin back easily and as Vin came at him a second time, trying to buy time for his friends, the man raised his arm and backhanded him hard across the side of his head. Weakened, Vin flew from the blow to bounce off the near wall and land unmoving on the floor.
Satisfied that his boy would cause him no more trouble, he turned his attention back to the others. Vin had provided them enough of a diversion that just as the man turned in their direction, Buck threw a hardened fist, backed by the anger of two days of captivity, into the man's jaw. He stumbled backwards but did not fall. Chris took his turn as he lowered his head and charged full steam into the man's gut. The two tumbled as one to the floor and rolled around, vying for dominance.
Rage fueled Chris's fight and he forced himself on top. He closed his fingers tightly around the man's throat and squeezed, smiling as he watched him gasp for air. He was fully aware that he was enjoying the look on their captor's face as he struggled and he pressed his thumbs deeper into his throat. The man's face grew redder and his eyes began to water and Chris pressed harder and his smile grew wider.
Buck had retrieved the rifle from over the fireplace and stood by aiming and ready to shoot but remained still as he watched Chris take out three weeks worth of concern and two days worth of fury on the man on the floor. He wasn't inclined to make this quick.
Images of Vin huddled in the corner filled Chris's mind and he leaned his weight forward to press down harder. The face of the man grew darker with lack of air and Chris's grew darker with hate.
Chris's ears reverberated with the sounds of Vin's cries and he tightened his grip. The fingers clawing frantically at those around his throat got weaker and Chris's fingers clamped harder.
The eyes of the man finally rolled back in his head and Chris's narrowed with intensity.
The body beneath him had ceased its struggles but it wasn't enough. Chris continued to squeeze his hands around its throat, angry grunts coming from deep inside him as he tried to retaliate for the pain inflicted on his friends and himself.
"Chris," a soft voice sounded beside him, followed by a soft touch to his shoulder.
Chris was beyond hearing as his fingers continued to squeeze.
"Chris, it's over," Buck insisted more firmly. He shook Chris's shoulder and that seemed to bring Chris back as he looked up at Buck. "I'll see to him. You go check on Vin."
At the mention of his friend's name, Chris scrambled off the body without a second thought and made his way over to Vin's side. He gently rolled the man into his arms then fearfully reached up to his neck to feel for a pulse and was rewarded with a relatively steady one. He sighed heavily and Buck took that as a sign that Vin was still with them. Buck was performing the same check on the man on the floor and was relieved that he didn't feel one.
"Vin," Chris called as he gently tapped his cheek. Vin remained still. Chris reached up and removed the cloth that had been covering his eyes for who knew how long. The skin underneath was red and rubbed raw in places. "Buck, can you get a bucket of fresh water?"
"Yeah, sure," he replied. He laid the rifle down beside Chris, within easy reach, then grabbed the bucket and went outside, returning a minute later with the water. "How's he look?" he asked Chris as he knelt down beside the two.
"He feels awfully cold, Buck. We need to warm him up."
Buck immediately sprang into action and stoked the fire. He rummaged through the cabin and produced two blankets which they wrapped around Vin after moving him to a spot closer to the fireplace.
"I'm going to get him out of here," Buck said, unable to tolerate the body of the man in the room any longer. Chris nodded his agreement as he slid the bucket of water to his side. Buck picked up the feet of the body and dragged it to the door. He tried to move through the door quickly so too much of the cabin's heat wasn't lost.
Chris picked up two of the tin cups off the table top and filled them with fresh water. Then he searched around in the cabin and came up with several cloths he could use to clean Vin up with. It looked like he hadn't been able to bathe in all the time he had been held here. Chris knew that if Vin was going to get past his ordeal, he would have to start by feeling the filth of the situation was gone.
Chris gently swabbed down Vin's face, trying not to rub too hard. It took several passes with the wet cloth to get through the caked on dirt but finally Chris was down to bare skin. He could see there were bruises that the dirt had hidden. Vin needed a shave and his hair would have to be washed but he would need Buck's help with that.
Chris finished with Vin's face and neck and pulled back the blankets to start on his chest and arms. What was left of Vin's shirt was in shreds so Chris tore the remainder off, afterwards hoping they could find something else to dress the man in.
Chris found the rest of Vin's body was grime covered bruises too. Nothing looked too serious, mostly surface bruising, but enough of those could be just as bad as a few deeper ones.
It hadn't occurred to him to be concerned about what could be taking Buck so long until he had finished washing Vin down and re-wrapped him in the blankets. Just as he was about to rise and go look for him, he heard footsteps on the porch. He reached for the rifle but Buck identified himself before he opened the door and Chris relaxed.
"Chris, you aren't gonna believe what I found," Buck said as he closed the door behind him. Chris looked up and saw several sets of saddlebags slung over his shoulder and several gun belts looped over his arm. "Your horse, my horse, Vin's horse and two others in a corral around back. And I found all our gear." He held up his arms and displayed all the stuff he brought in. He had the three men's gun belts, though Vin's weapon was missing from his, and their saddlebags. "There are at least half a dozen other saddlebags stored back there along with all the tack."
Chris hadn't thought about having to go and try and find their mounts or, worse yet, some other way to get home. He was glad that wasn't an issue. He was also glad that having Vin's saddlebags, they'd have some clothes to put Vin in to get him home.
Buck sobered as he looked down at Vin. "How's he doing? Any change?" he asked.
Chris looked fondly down at the man he thought of as his closest friend and shook his head. "He's still out."
Buck nodded thoughtfully. "Well, he's been through a lot. Probably needs to rest up quite a bit before he's ready to face things again." Buck sat down at the table and pulled his own side arm and saddlebags up in front of him. He began checking the weapon and the contents of the bags.
Chris grabbed one of the cups of water that he had set aside earlier. He sat beside Vin and gently raised his head up. He placed the cup against Vin's lips and tipped it slightly, so the tiniest bit of water passed into his mouth.
Vin's mouth was slow to react to the moisture but finally his tongue began sliding it around. He opened his mouth a little bit and Chris took that as a sign he wanted more. He tilted the cup again and allowed a larger amount to pass over Vin's lips. There was actually enough that some water made it to the back of Vin's throat and he swallowed. Now he wanted more and he began reaching for the cup. Chris smiled and gave him more water. As long as he drank it slowly, Chris would give him all he wanted.
Vin drank almost the entire cup full before he seemed to have either had enough or ran out of energy to drink it. The introduction of the water into his system seemed to have started the revival process, however, for now Vin would respond with a feeble moan when Chris called his name. It wasn't much but both he and Buck felt it was a good sign.
The storm that had started earlier in the day fizzled out by late afternoon leaving only a thin coating of snow on the landscape. Buck braved the elements several times to get firewood, fresh water and to fetch the remaining saddlebags from the storeroom behind the cabin. He examined them all, trying to find some identification as to who they may have belonged to. Neither Buck nor Chris said it out loud but they both had a feeling that the unclaimed saddlebags belonged to the men who had had the misfortune to stumble on this mountaintop before they had.
The pot of stew was still simmering over the fire and now that their captivity was over, Chris and Buck felt their appetites returning. Chris scooped out two plates full and he and Buck dug in. There was meat in the stew but neither man could immediately identify the kind. Buck's mind went to the unknown owners of the saddlebags and he froze mid-bite but Chris finally stated that he thought it was horse meat. Buck decided that, true or not, he would believe that and resumed eating.
Once they had eaten, Chris got one of the cups and spooned in some of the gravy out of the stew. He added some water to it and made a thick broth. With Buck's help, he got Vin up and leaning against his chest and began coaxing the liquid into his friend's mouth. Vin needed to regain his strength and the sooner they got him healthy enough to travel, the sooner they could go home. Slowly, Vin took the broth and by the time the cup was empty, Chris's back was stiff from holding him up. Buck retrieved the pillow from the cot in the back corner of the cabin and when Chris was done feeding him, he placed it under Vin's head as they lowered him back to the floor.
Chris and Buck took turns watching their friend while the other one slept and it was shortly before sunrise when Vin began struggling with an unseen demon in his sleep. Chris leaned over from where he watched nearby and tried to calm his friend.
"You're okay now, Vin. It's over," he said in a soothing tone.
Vin tried to move away, somehow knowing he was not in his corner and knowing what the man would do to him for that transgression. "No," he whimpered.
"Vin. It's Chris. Open your eyes and look at me. You're okay."
"You'll hurt me..." Vin's weak voice complained as he continued to try to move away.
"Vin, listen to me. It's Chris. And Buck's here too. We're here to take you home." Chris wrapped gentle hands over Vin's shoulders.
Vin stopped his squirming but still kept his eyes shut. He couldn't tell the blindfold was no longer in place.
"Vin, it's Chris. You trust me, right?"
"Chris..." Vin's voice sounded distant, like his mind was lost in a memory.
"That's right. Chris and Buck. You're okay now. Open your eyes and you'll see."
Slowly, Vin cracked his eyes open. The faint light from the fireplace dimly lit the area around him. His eyes felt gritty from disuse and he had to blink several times before anything came into focus. Finally, things did and he gradually moved his eyes around till they fell on the man beside him. Chris smiled reassuringly.
"Chris," Vin sighed in relief as Chris reaffirmed his hands on Vin's shoulders and squeezed. Buck stepped up behind Chris and knelt down. Vin moved his eyes to the second man and a small smile grew on his face. "Buck," he added softly.
"It's all over, Vin. That guy is dead and he can't hurt you anymore," Buck told him, gently patting his leg.
Vin looked up urgently. "You're okay?" he asked, his eyes darting between the two. His voice was nearly as gritty as his eyes felt.
"We're fine, Vin. He didn't get the chance to do anything to us," Chris assured him.
Vin nodded thankfully and then his eyes got a faraway look in them. "Thought I'd end up with the others," he mumbled.
"Others? What others, Vin?"
Vin wrinkled his brow as the image played in his mind again. He never did actually see them. Maybe that made it all the worse. "They're dead. He keeps 'em. I thought I'd be there too."
"What are you talking about, Vin?"
Vin squeezed his eyes shut at the memory and rolled onto his side, pulling the blankets back up around his shoulder. "I just wanna get outta here," he muttered as he drifted back to sleep.
Chris watched Vin as he seemed to fall into a fitful sleep. He looked over at Buck and shrugged. "What do you suppose that was about?" he asked.
Buck had an idea but was hesitant to mention it. He glanced over at the pile of saddlebags from unknown owners. Rather than say it, he just shook his head. He'd look around a little come daylight and see what he could find.
+ + + + + + +
They remained at the cabin for two more days while Vin regained some of his strength. It took a couple of meals for him to start eating enough to suit Chris but he finally did. He stayed somewhat withdrawn, however. Never a big talker to begin with, he was even more quiet now.
Vin spent much of his waking time staring into the flames in the fireplace, their dance mesmerizing. He never strayed far from the hearth, needing the warmth. He still felt cold deep down inside.
Chris watched him sadly as Vin watched the flames, wanting to help but not knowing what to do. He hoped that just being nearby was enough.
A turning point was reached when Chris looked over and saw tears rolling down Vin's cheeks. He stepped up to Vin's side and slowly sat down beside him. "Vin?" he asked softly after a long moment.
Vin sat unmoving, watching the flames, ignoring his friend until he finally choked on a sob, wrapped his arms across his midsection and bent over them. Chris took his friend into his arms and let him cry his pain away. He spoke reassuring words in a soothing voice as he held on tight and when Vin straightened back up, Chris saw a hint of the man he was in his eyes.
Buck had found the place Vin referred to and was horrified by what he discovered. The bodies of seven men hung there. The bodies had been bled and there was surprisingly little decay, probably because the cellar was at a constant, cold temperature. Buck couldn't tell how long they had been there but decided these men probably deserved a proper burial. He made it his task to accomplish that before they left.
The morning came when Vin felt he could stay on his horse and it was time to head back to town. Chris and Buck handled the chore of saddling the three horses, not wanting Vin to expend any more energy than he had to. They put halters on the remaining two horses in the corral, planning to take them back to town with them. Once the animals were ready, and the men were ready, Vin stepped out onto the porch of his prison.
"Where is he?" he asked suddenly.
"What? Who?" Buck asked, then figured out who he meant. "Around back. Decided he didn't need to be buried. Let the rats have him."
Without a word, Vin started to walk around the cabin. Chris shook his head but said nothing as he and Buck followed. They stepped up beside their friend, taking places on either side, as he looked hatefully down at the corpse.
"Vin?" Chris said softly, after they had stood there a while.
Vin reached over and pulled Chris's gun from its holster. Calmly, he aimed it at the body and pulled the trigger slowly, repeatedly until the hammer clicked on empty chambers. Then he eased the weapon down as he spoke to the dead man.
"I got friends'll come for me," he said hoarsely.
Buck grinned slightly, sadly, as he reached down and pulled the gun from Vin's hand. He passed it back to Chris then rested his hand on Vin's shoulder and gently turned him away.
"Let's go home, Vin. Let's go home."
THE END
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