Continues on from The Worth Of A Man
The following is a work of fan fiction based
on the CBS television series, The Magnificent Seven. It is in no way intended to
infringe on the copyrights of CBS, MGM, The Trilogy Entertainment Group, The
Mirisch Corp., or anyone else who may have legal rights to the characters and
settings. This story is strictly for entertainment.
My thanks to Antoinette and MAC for your help and
support.
The hunter becomes
the hunted.
The gambler and the
renegade AU
Main Characters
Ezra, Vin and Chris
E/V
The story continued
on from “The worth of a man.”
Ezra Standish laid
in bed happy and contented. That night he had, for the first time, made love to
Vin Tanner, the bounty hunter, that he had helped rescue from jail in
Clarkesville where a sheriff was about to exact his own personal justice on him.
During the last few days he had nursed Vin through a severe concussion, once Vin
was able to move he had brought him to this town to give him a chance to recover
in some sort of comfort. His feelings for Vin had been strong, but he was unsure
of how Vin felt until tonight when they had made love, what had saddened Ezra
was Vin didn’t know the difference between fucking and making love, he didn’t
expect any foreplay just a quick, rough fuck. He had never made love in a bed
until that night, having most of his encounters
braced against the wall of a livery stable or in dark alleys, groans,
grunts, and thrusting all over in a matter of minutes, then quickly parting
before being discovered. Ezra had
vowed then and there to show his lover there was a difference, now Ezra lay
looking towards the window, the darkness was giving away to light, as dawn fast
approached. Looking down at Vin who was curled up against him one strong thigh
and an arm thrown over him, his hand splayed over his belly, Vin’s face pressed
against his chest his breath soft against his skin. Lightly Ezra stroked the
long tangled hair, easing his fingers through it, his hand moving down over
Vin’s shoulders, his lover was tanned all over, which made Ezra smile but at the
same time it brought pictures of a
naked sun kissed Vin out in the
mountains as wild and as free as the county he
travelled, and Ezra found himself having to move slightly as his
body began to react to the twin sensation of his imagination and the warm
naked body plastered against him. Ezra looked up to the heavens as his movement
had caused Vin’s hand to slide from his stomach down over his cock, and Ezra had
to bite his lip to avoid groaning at the touch and the memory of what those
talented hands had done to him.
But his touches had
brought Vin awake, not used to being this close, Vin reacted the only way he
knew and that was defensively, pushing Ezra away from him as he grabbed for the
mare’s leg that was by the side of the bed.
Ezra tumbling from
the bed, to land on the floor with a thud. “Mr. Tanner.” Ezra said indigently as
he lay sprawled on his back on the floor.
There was a pause
and Vin rolled over on the bed onto his stomach and looked down at him a grin on
his face, “Hell Ez, should know better than wake me up like that.”
“I will make a note
of that for the future Mr. Tanner,” Ezra drawled as he slowly got to his knees,
and smiled as he saw the appreciative look that Vin was giving him as those blue
eyes swept down his body and fixed on his hard cock. Ezra pushed up from his
kneeling position and caught Vin rolling him onto his back, and looming over
him. Vin’s hand caught him by the back of his neck and pulled his head down for
a long lingering kiss that ended in a gasp for Ezra as a hand fisted his cock,
and a calloused thumb rubbed over the sensitive head. It was all the diversion
that Vin needed to flip the gambler onto his back, and straddled his thighs,
pinning Ezra to the mattress. The look in Vin’s eyes made Ezra’s breath catch,
there was such need, such love……. Ezra chilled himself to remember that it was
too early for that, he might want it but did Vin or was he just a convenient
lover, also there was still the matter of the bounty on his head. Now in town
would Vin turn on him as Julian had done and they had shared at lot more than
one night together. Then Vin swooped down for another kiss and all his worries
were forgotten for the moment.
0-0-0-0-0-0
On the trail to
Tascosa
Ezra Standish was
riding in silence as he followed his lover, Vin Tanner, as he picked his way
through the countryside, forging a trail for them. It had been in Purgatory a
few days ago that he had first see the wanted poster, that Julian Parker a
former lover, had put out on him for sodomy, prostitution, he knew what would
happen to him if he was caught, and taken in for those “crimes.”
Ezra tried to suppress the shudder that ran through him, the reward on
the privately commission poster was for $350, and there was a lot of men out
there that would come after him for that money,and some just for the hell of it
because of the crimes. Julian was a possessive man, and had been unable
to accept that a gambler would just walk away from the money he offered, but
Ezra didn’t want money, he wanted a man that would stand by him and would love
him. He had got it so
wrong in his relationship with Julian, but with Vin
Tanner, a man so very different he had found it so right.
Together they had
turned their horses and headed into Texas, along the way Vin had gotten on the
trail of a cold blooded butcher called Eli Joe, it was then they had parted
company agreeing to meet in a few
days time in Tascosa.
0-0-0-0-0
Tascosa
Ezra Standish was
in the saloon, the men in front of him posed no threat and were easy marks he
would walk away later that night with most of their money, but Ezra would never
take all of it. Strip a man of all his money and he might come back after you,
but let him go with a few bucks in his pocket enough for a drink and he might
not try to blow your head off. A simple rule but one that had kept Ezra out of
stupid bloody disputes.
It was early
evening when all hell had suddenly broken loose, a man had come running in
yelling that some bounty hunter had brought in Jess Kincaid’s body trying to
pass it off as Eli Joe’s and claim a $200 bounty. The men rushed out, and Ezra
followed, he had parted company with his lover Vin Tanner just outside of
Tascosa, Vin had been on the tracks of Eli Joe a particular vicious killer and
was sure that he could bring the man in. Ezra cursed under his breath, something
had gone wrong and he needed to know what that was, he had carefully read the
poster to Vin, and he knew his lover wouldn’t have jumped the gun. For all his
reputation of bringing men back dead over the back of their horses, Ezra had
found that Vin matched lethal force to lethal force only when he had too.
Something was very wrong here. When Ezra pushed his way out of the saloon and
onto the boardwalk, Vin was down on the ground and the sheriff and a deputy was
dragging him into the jail, the way his lover hung between the men he was
unconscious, and blood coated the side of his face. As much as he wanted to run
to Vin, Ezra held himself back, he would do Vin no good if he got dragged into
the trouble, he needed to keep free and work the
angles so that he could get him out of jail.
The men returned to
the saloon, their talk all about the bounty hunter, how he must have shot down
the farmer, the atmosphere was ugly, the more the men drank the worse it became.
Muttered comments about a murdering renegade, fucking bounty killer, got worse,
and Ezra knew it was only a matter of time before then started to talk of
lynching. He threw his cards and
with a few parting words to the other players left the saloon. The street was
deathly silent considering it was a Saturday night; it was as if the town was
turning its back on what was going to happen next.
Using the back of the houses, Ezra crossed to the livery stable, Diablo
was in one of the stalls, the horse’s ears went back as he approached, then shot
forward again, as it recognized his scent as he said softly “now to get your
master out of jail, this is really a habit he must learn to break.” Reaching out
a hand he allowed the horse to nuzzle at his hand, before he patted it on the
neck and began to saddle it up, he knotted the reins, and then went to Knave; he
had his horse saddled and then led the two of them out.
The dark shadow
detached its self from near the livery stable, and followed Ezra, once the
gambler stopped and turned round his hand dropping down to rest on the
Remington, before with a shudder he continued working his way round to the rear
of the jail. Leaving the horses tethered he
made his way to the one barred window, carefully he pulled himself up so that he
could look in, Vin was on the bed, his hat pulled down over his eyes, the
door between the cells and the office was closed, “Vin”.
The bounty hunter
tipped his hat from his eyes, and looked up, he was on his feet in a second
standing on the bed, and Ezra only had time to pass the derringer to him before
he had to drop back down. Taking another
breath, Ezra hauled himself back up again quickly whispering his plan,
and then with one last look at this lover dropped back down to the ground again.
Suddenly he spun round his hand dropping to his gun, he froze like that his eye
trying to penetrate the darkness, but he could see nothing, with a huff of
breath Ezra forced himself to calm.
Unknown to Ezra his
black clad guardian angel lowered a limp body to the ground, the man had been
about to come up on the gambler, and that he couldn’t allow that, the guardian
had know that Vin and the gambler were traveling together. That the man was
risking his life to free Vin told of a connection between the two men. For that
reason and that reason only he was backing his play, once the Texan was free the
gambler would find out that he was not the only one who
claim the
companionship of the wild free spirited bounty hunter.
Ezra couldn’t shake
the feeling he was getting, it was like the time when he had been cornered in a
saloon, without a way out, and a Mexican bandit wanting to carve his heart out
of him. That feeling of being stalked was almost a physical presence; he looked
round once more and then made his way round the side of the jail. From out front
of the jail he could hear the mob getting loud, between the buildings he could
see men with torches, the sheriff’s voice yelling at them to go home, to allow
justice to be done.
It was then there
was another yell this one full of fear as the cry of FIRE was screamed out and
flames began to light up the sky of the livery stable, then there was the
pounding of horses hooves as the horses in a panic tore down the street.
The mob dropped their torches and began to run towards the fire, the
deputies followed, in this dry arid land; fire could soon engulf a town.
Thinking quickly on his feet Ezra diverted from his plan, and went with
the opportunity this gave him, moving fast, he was on Sheriff Lucas before the
lawman knew what was happening. Ezra’s clipped him on the side of the head with
his gun butt, caught and quickly dragged the unconscious man into the jail
before anyone knew what was happening. Grabbing the keys to the cells from the
hook he unlocked the door and Vin was
rushing out, time for words of thanks could wait until they were out of the
town. Vin grabbed his weapons within
minutes the two of them were running down the side of the jail and on their way
out of town. Chris Larabee stepped out of
the darkness, paused and lit one of his habitual black cheroots, dropping the
match onto the ground and then walked back to the saloon, ignoring the panicked
people rushing by him with buckets. It wasn’t his town it wasn’t his business,
Tascosa could burn for all he cared. Tomorrow the Sheriff and the outraged
citizens would get up a posse and he would join it, why bother to track Vin when
he could allow the posse to do his work for him. If they caught up with his
Texan then they would be dead men riding, but until then he would ride with
them.
0-0-0-0-0-0
Ezra rode in
silence, he looked in concern at Vin, he had been beaten, but seemed to be
showing none of the effects of concussion, for that he was grateful, remembering
how badly the Texan had been last time, and how scared he had been that Vin had
been seriously injured. Later he
would find out what had happened but until then they needed to get as far away
of Tascosa as they could. Tomorrow Ezra knew the law, would be hot on their
heels.
0-0-0-0-0
Chris Larabee sat
in the saloon, the half bottle of whiskey in front of him, the posse would leave
at first light the next morning, they had a broken down old buffalo hunter to
help them track. A small twitch of the lips touched Chris’s face, if they
thought he could track Tanner down then it was wishful thinking on their behalf,
but the old coot could get him close enough he could do the rest.
His attention was drawn to a group of four men that came in together,
their clothes were dusty, they started round the saloon, demanding answers about
Ezra Standish. The men in the saloon
had not reason to lie to them, they just didn’t want to be involved in any
trouble, so they kept quiet and it was plain to anyone with half a brain that
they were getting more and more pissed off, they paused in front of Chris’s
table, his left hand still rested on the table fingers circled round the shot
glass, his right hand rested on the butt of his gun.
“You seen him
cowboy.” The taller of the men asked.
Chris looked up,
“You just call me a cowboy?” there was a chill to his voice that made the people
near his table start to edge away.
The tall man
swallowed hard, “No insult meant Mister.”
He paused “you seen this man.”
Chris looked at the
wanted poster, it had been folded back to just show the sketch of the man they
were after, he easily recognized Ezra Standish.
“What’s he wanted
for?” Chris took a pull on his whiskey.
“Ain’t no he
mister, an ass fucking sodomite, unnatural bastard, lifted the wrong linen, the
boy’s pa wanted to string him up personal like.”
“Don’t look like
any law poster.” Chris pointed out, his eyes never leaving the men in front of
him.
“Boy’s pappy put it
out and the money; don’t aim on sharing mister, but….”
“I haven’t seen
him.” Chris put in levelly.
The bounty hunters
moved onto the next table finally they got confirmation that Standish was in
town and soon after that he had left town at the same time as Vin Tanner was
broken out of jail.
Chris wasn’t
surprised when the bounty hunters joined with them the next morning, if they
endangered Vin Tanner they would be bleached bones in the desert, as for
Standish the jury was out, he remembered all too clearly the deputy in the
saloon at Clarkesville calling him a butt
fucking gambler. Vin was one of
the most deadly men he had ever men, but skittish, not liking to be touched and
if Ezra…. Chris left that thought
hanging; he had been patient with Vin moving slowly until he didn’t shy away
from him when he laid a hand on his shoulder. Chris was all too aware that he
wanted more; his love for the Texan bounty hunter had knocked him back on his
heels. He was the only light in his dark world, and if that meant cutting a
blood swath through the Texas Panhandle he would do it.
The posse had
gotten on Tanner and Standish’s trail at first light, and the old coot actually
seemed good at what he was doing, they rode through most of the day and into the
evening until they had to halt or risk losing the tracks. Chris tugged a half
empty bottle from his saddle bag and went over to sit by the old man, and
offered him a drink. Old Zeke took a
pull on the harsh drink and smiled in appreciation, “that some fine sipping
whiskey mister.”Seeing a nod he took another drink.
“What you think
about the tracks.”
Old Zeke leaned
back against his saddle he was using as a back rest, “Tanner’s a tracker
himself, and lived with the Comanche, this is too easy mister, way too easy.”
“Meaning?” Chris
took a pull at the whiskey and handed it back.
“Meaning, the son
of a bitch is going to come after us, he crossed his trail twice, he wants to be
followed, and you mark my word.” Old Zeke took another pull of the bottle, and
then when Chris stood up offered him the bottle back. Chris shook his head, let
the old man have it, he had told him what he wanted to know, Vin wasn’t that far
away, and he wasn’t running, that
long haired Texan was out there waiting.
0-0-0-0-0
Ezra had been
puzzled why they weren’t running for the hills, finally asked, “Mr. Tanner, I
would have thought that the idea is to get as far away as possible from the good
people of Tascosa given their interest in hanging you.”
“Posse like that is
full of hate, they’re not going to let go easy, gonna have to give them a
reason.”
Vin pulled his
Winchester from the sheath, and leaving Ezra crawled out
through the long grass so that he could see the posse camped out below
him, carefully he sighted ,moving from one person to the next finding his
target. A smile twitched his lips as he saw Chris Larabee. He squeezed the
trigger and the rifle kicked against his shoulder, Larabee reacted to the gun
fire by flinging himself face down in the dirt his gun in his hand. One of the
deputies stood behind him pitched face down in the dirt hand clutched to his
shoulder screaming like a stuck pig; there was a ragged returns of fire none
coming close. Vin edged back, and walked past Ezra and returned his rifle to the
sheath.
“Why him Mister
Tanner?”
“Bastard beat on me
when I was in the prison cell, when they had me shackled
like some mangy cur, wanted me to admit to killing that farmer, didn’t do
it, couldn’t make me say I’s did.” Seeing
the look on Ezra’s face he added, “got to wing one of them else they won’t get
skittish when I start working on the rest of them, he seemed a good a target as
any.”
Vin pulled himself
onto his horse with a wince, and then touched his heels to its side, leaving
Ezra stood there. Concern colored
the gamblers face, as he mounted he needed to get a look at Vin, and check him
for injuries it would be difficult the man had a standard answer of “I’s fine”
whenever he asked about his health. But if that man had got his hands on Vin in
the cell, there was a lot of damage that could be done to him.
This was one time that his lover was going to do what he was told.
0-0-0-0-0
Chris pushed
himself up from the ground and then looked behind him, at the
deputy surrounded now by the other
members of the posse, poking and prodding him, Chris muttered under his breath.
Tanner was a lot closer than even he had thought.
0-0-0-0-0-0
One day later and
the posse was getting jumpy as Tanner set to work on them, with well placed
bullets that had their horses jumping and bucking as they snapped round their
hooves like hornets . Slowly members of the posse were falling back away from
the body of the posse and then making off towards town as fast as they could,
keen to get away from Tanner’s rifle, as they told each other in hushed
whispers, it was only a matter of time before he turned the ground red with
their blood.
Chris nightly spoke
to the old man, Old Zeke leaned into Chris and confided in him that he might be
good but Tanner was better then he
added “Tanner will be getting ready to
bolt soon, show us a clean pair of heels. Now that he’s got us cut down.”
The posse turned
guns at the ready as they heard the drum of horse’s hooves; it was a new band of
men, they were cowboys fresh off the trail and waving a wanted poster of Tanner,
emblazed across it was the $500 reward.
Vin swore under his
breath as he watched them through his telescope, “going to have to split up Ez,
they want me, so you get the hell out of here and I’ll meet up with you at Twin
Boulder.”
“Mr. Tanner.”
“No argument Ez,
winds changed we got to change with it.”
0-0-0-0-0-0
Chris studied the
newcomers, and his gaze settled on a young man, his city suit and hat marked him
out as a tenderfoot, green as grass, even if he did wear two guns. The kid would
think that he was fast, but they always did until they came up against someone,
and then they usually died. He saw the way the kid kept looking at him, Chris
deliberately turned on him, and saw the way that the kid backed off, and
dropping his eyes, the twitch of a smile that Chris gave him was ice cold as the
grave.
It was early
morning at the time when the guards were at their most vulnerable, and the men
sleeping their deepest. The night was split by a rebel yell that sent the men
reeling awake in terror. Chris rolled up onto his knees just managing to knock
into one of the others who were trying to draw a bead on Vin Tanner as he rode
through the camp at a gallop, firing
up in the air. Then the Texan was gone, the posse’s horses scattered, Old Zeke
hobbled over to Chris, “damn didn’t expect to ever hear that again,” the kid was
with him, his guns in his hand unfired.
“what was that,
never heard it before, it was well wow.”
Chris suppressed a
shudder, “hear it during the war, that one’s got the Comanche war cry
mixed in with it.”
Old Zeke nodded and
to the kid explained “could always tell who you faced by the rebel yell. Damn it
didn’t think I would ever feel that again, you feel it boy, a kinda corkscrewing
sensation that goes up your spine when you heard it. “The kid nodded, Old Zeke
added “if a man ever tells you that it didn’t scare them, means they never heard
it."
Zeke saw the way
that the kid was nervously looking round him, “don’t worry son, Tanner’s cutting
out now, won’t be able to get our horses until tomorrow, he’ll have a good head
start by them. Tell you this, I figure we should leave him be.”
“Give up.” The kid
said sounding indigent, “the others they said that.”
“Kid you follow
them and you’ll find an early grave won’t he Mr. Larabee.”
“Kid needs to
follow his own way.” Chris said.
“Chris Larabee, I
thought it was you I read.” The kid gushed, then added “name’s John Daniel Dunne
most people call me JD.” He stuck his hand out, but it just hung in the air, as
Chris looked from it to his face, and then ignored it and pulled out a cheroot
and lit it.
Blushing JD let his
hand drop down, Old Zeke clapped him on the back, and then steered him away from
the gunman, he didn’t know why Larabee was with the posse, the man was a loner,
and a fast gun killer, a posse wasn’t his
way, but if he was there it was because he had personal business with Tanner or
Standish and there was no way the old man was going to get in the way.
It was late morning
when they finally managed to get their horses, Chris like Old Zeke and a few of
the others had no problem their horses came when they called them, the others
well their horses were properly half
way back to Tascosa by then.
The tracks showed
that Tanner was on his own, he had split up with Standish, the bounty hunters
with JD in tow and a couple of others headed after the gambler, the cowboys
voted to go back to town without horses they faced a long and hard walk back to
Tascosa, cowboy boots were made for riding not for hiking over the countryside.
Chris joined the remaining members of the posse with Old Zeke, in going
after Tanner.
Chris
rode in silence, he could remember so
clearly the first time that he had seen Vin Tanner,
He had sat outside
of the saloon, his hat pulled over his eyes shielding them from the harsh glare
of the sun, he was hung over from the night before and at 10.00 am he already
had a half bottle of whiskey on the floor near his hand and he was half way
through a three day drunk. Periodically he would pick it up, tilt it and take a
deep pull and then place it back down again. His mood was dark, and people kept
out of his way or they died, since the death of his beloved wife and son, a part
of Chris Larabee had perished with them. He had always had a violate
temper, Sarah had tamed it, but now it was out of control, hung over he
was as dangerous as a pissed offed diamond back, and to cross him now would be
to get a bullet in the head, he would kill as easy as he would drain the whiskey
bottle.
It was then he saw
the way the people were stopping to stare, a rider was coming into town,
trailing behind him was two horses, bodies lay draped over them, the man leading
them was dressed in an old buckskin jacket, and slouched confederate hat.
Chris automatically noted his weapons, instead of a colt he wore a mare’s
leg strapped to his thigh, the butt of a Winchester rifle showed from just under
his knee, the hat was pulled down and he didn’t get to see his face until he was
nearly level with him. It was then
the man looked across at him, and Chris was pinned by a pair of blue eyes, the
bounty hunter was young, good looking even if he was wearing a week’s worth of
stubble, it was a strong face, and he knew that he was looking at a dangerous
man. In that instant they seemed to take the measure of each other, then the
bounty hunter turned towards the jail, the sheriff and one of the deputies where
already waiting for him. For that
split second when their eyes had met it was as if something had lifted inside of
him, and the darkness had receded. Chris turned his attention to the jail, the
bounty hunter came out a little later, the sheriff yelled after him from inside
the jail, the hunter turned and then just touched the brim of his hat to the
man, his smile was one guaranteed to piss the sheriff off. Which
brought out a torrent of abuse, when the sheriff barreled up to the door
of the jail, Chris found himself easing forwards his hand resting near his gun,
as he saw the sheriff’s hand drop to his gun. But the Sheriff turned on his
heels and slammed the door of the jail closed behind him, sending it rocking on
its hinges, the hunter was crossing
the street the man nodded to him and then went into the saloon.
Only then did Chris
settle back down in his chair, and take another pull at the whiskey bottle,
cradling the bottle in his hand, turning it round and round, finally his mind
made up he heaved himself out of the chair and went into the saloon, following
the younger man, the hunter was leant against the bar, but it seemed he wasn’t
the only one that was after the younger man’s company. Two cowboys fresh off the
trail and already well into their drink were either side of him, “lookie here
Jeb, real pretty ain’t he, you looking for a real man pretty,” the man laughed.
. One on the left half a head taller than the hunter brushed a hand against his
shoulder flicking his long hair, “real pretty,” as he pressed up against him.
The bounty hunter
elbowed
him hard in the gut, his breath came out in a harsh wheeze as he doubled
over, at the same time the hunter stamped down
on the other man’s foot, following it up with a hard right to the
stomach, turning he caught the first man by the shirt and slammed him head first
into the bar, his body sinking down onto the ground narrowly missing going head
first into the spittoon.
The hunter spun
round as he caught movement behind him in the mirror, Chris leaned against the
bar, his foot coming down hard on the hand of the winded man as he started
moving towards his gun as he laid on the floor. Chris
looked down at him, and shook his head, as he released his hand from where he
had ground it into the rough wooden floor. Chris’s right hand rested on his gun;
his left tapped the counter top, “whiskey” he looked towards the hunter,
ignoring the man that scurried away from his feet “Chris Larabee.” But he said
it loud enough for the bounty hunter’s attackers to know who he was and that he
was back the man’s play. The two men quickly tottered out of the saloon, as the
gun man and the hunter watched them go.
The bounty hunter
smiled and nodded his thanks, in that minute Chris’s world tipped on its axel,
Chris pushed a shot glass of whiskey over, the hunter took a sip of it, as the
gun man poured himself another drink.
“Vin Tanner.”
It was the first time that he had ever heard the soft rasping Texan
accent.
Chris nodded toward
a corner table and Vin shrugged but followed him over all the same. He barely
managed to get two words out of the bounty hunter, but it the silence between
them wasn’t forced it was as if he had known this long haired Texan all his
life.
Since his wife had
been murdered, Chris had lost his interest in women, for a year the only release
he had was
his own right hand, need drove him finally into the arms of whores where
he could take what he needed for a few dollars. He had never been interested in
men, he had fooled around a little during the war, who didn’t?
It had been a little comfort amidst the fear and death of a bloody civil
war.
But now as he sat
looking at this blue eyed hunter he could feel his body reacting to him, he
could imagine running his hands through the long brown hair, lying down with
that lean body pinned under him and….
Chris forced himself to break off,
who the hell was he kidding, if he made a
move on him Tanner would plant that bowie knife he was carrying deep in his gut.
It was then Tanner
reached across and with a smile that sent the blood singing though Chris’s
veins, took the whiskey bottle from
his hand just as he was about to pour
himself another two fingers of rot gut whiskey.
Chris raised an eyebrow, as Vin did something no other man in that room
would dare to do, it was then their hands
brushed, and Chris felt a jolt run through him, Tanner’s lips twitched
and his eyes were laughing, the little bastard knew what he was doing to
him. Chris sat up right in his chair, well two could play that game, and he
caught the bounty hunter’s wrist, and suddenly the bottle hit the top of the
table with a clatter as Vin had pulled back like a scolded cat, only Chris’s
lightening fast reflexes as he had released Vin’s wrist and grabbed at the
bottle had stopped it from spilling. The warmth in Tanner’s smile died and the
blue eyes flared with an anger that Chris was at a lost to explain.
Chris kept still, just like he would do
with a cornered wild animal, he wanted to give
Vin a way out and not bottle him down, he could see that Vin was near to
bolting, but when he made no move, he saw a puzzled look come into those blue
eyes, he still remained still. A flood of relief went through him as he saw Vin
eased back in his chair as far away from him as possible without leaving the
table.
Keeping eye
contact, but making his movement slow, Chris poured a good measure into Tanner’s
glass, and then into his own and just waited.
The bounty hunters
breathing slowed and Vin’s hand moved to curl round the shot glass and his eyes
never leaving Larabee’s, he picked the glass up and drained it. Putting it back
down onto the table he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Chris raised the
bottle up again, and indicated the glass with it, but this time Vin shook his
head, Chris shrugged and then put it back down, and drained his own glass. His
plans for the evening had changed, he was going to suggest going to the barn and
letting off a little steam. He still wanted the long haired, blue eyes bounty
hunter, but now he would have to take it slow, and he surprised himself in that
he didn’t mind, they would take it at Vin’s pace, because after all that Chris
was sure he hadn’t been wrong he had seen want in Vin’s eyes earlier, but his
reaction told a different story. Buck
Wilmington might argue the point but when it was something he wanted he had all
the patience in the world, after all it had taken him a year to convince Sarah
to take him as her husband, and he would give Vin as long as it took to convince
the young Texan that he really wanted him.
Vin got to his
feet, “for the whiskey I’s thank you,” Vin nodded and then left the saloon,
leaving Chris at the table alone. Now all Chris wanted was to follow the bounty
hunter out but he had to take his time, he couldn’t be seen following the
younger man, so he helped himself to another drink, taking his time to look
round the saloon. As soon as his eyes met any of the other men, they looked
away, so different than Tanner who had met his gaze levelly, and without fear.
Suddenly he was fed up with it, the stink of fear that seemed to permeate the
saloon, the gun man got up and pocketed the whiskey bottle and left, moving out
onto the boardwalk making sure not
to frame himself in the doorway. He looked down the street, and saw Vin
disappearing into the livery stable, so Chris took himself a seat outside, and a
slip from his bottle and waited. Tanner would be checking on his horse, then he
would head for one of the boarding houses, a god sent opportunity to bump into
the hunter again. Time ticked by slowly and Tanner still hasn’t returned,,
Chris took another couple of drinks,
still no Tanner, finally given that patience certainly wasn’t one of his virtues
Chris made his way down the street in time to see the big man from the saloon
earlier come staggering out of the livery and doubling over vomiting his heart
out as he clutched at himself and the second
came out his hand bleeding, nose bloody and the front of his pants undone.
Chris broke into a
run, and came crashing through the doors of the livery, Vin turned fast as he
entered, his hand fisting round the hilt of his Bowie knife, Chris somehow
managed to stay his hand from flashing down to his gun in answer to the threat.
“Easy Tanner, don’t mean you any harm.”
“Huh,” the hunter
said but didn’t relax, Chris could read the younger man’s body language he was
tensed and ready to fight, “don’t know what you think Larabee, but I ain’t no
whore. No matter what those other bastards thought, don’t lie down with anyone”
“Never thought you
were.” Chris paused “I don’t know what you think happened in the saloon between
us, but whatever it was I didn’t mean to spook you, if I made you think I was
after more than just a drink I am sorry.”
“The great Chris
Larabee is apologizing to me?” Vin said some of the tension seemed melt away
from the younger man.
Chris saw the
twitch of the younger man’s lips, “yeah and the sanctified dead are going to
rise tomorrow.” Looking round he saw the
bed roll in the stall.
“You sleeping with
your horse?” he raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t snore as bad
as some, I’s know.”
Chris didn’t like
the idea of Vin sleeping out in the livery, the man he had kneed and the one he
had cut would have a score to
settle because that would be the second time that Vin had humiliated them, out
here Vin would be, vulnerable alone, in
his mind’s eye all Chris could see was the young man being beaten and abused. A
wave of need to protect this young man swept through Chris, like nothing he had
felt since his family was lost. All he knew was that Vin had to be
safe and there was no safer place that he knew of.
“Got me a room in the MacDowell Boarding
House.” He saw the way that Vin tensed again and added “just thinking that if
you want you can throw your bed roll onto the floor there, be warmer there and
you won’t get any uninvited visitors.”
“Always a price
Larabee, so what’s yours cowboy.” Vin met Chris’s eyes levelly, the green ones
burning into his.
Chris took a deep
breath, “God you’re a hard man to convince Tanner, don’t flatter yourself you
ain’t got anything I want, your virtue’s
safe with me ,” Chris drawled. Turning
Chris walked out hoping and praying that Vin would follow. He stopped in his
tracks as he heard the audible “Sure,” from Vin, heavily laced with sarcasm, he
allowed himself his first genuine smile for a long time, as he heard the
footfalls. Chris didn’t turn round but when he glanced right he saw Vin Tanner
stood there his saddle bag thrown over his shoulder, his Winchester in his left
hand and without another word the two men fell into step as they headed for the
MacDowell Boarding House.
“LARABEE”, his name
brought the gun man back to the present with a jolt and he pulled his horse to a
halt and he looked round to see the old buffalo hunter riding towards him.
“Yeah Zeke.”
The old man nodded
towards what remained of the posse as they pulled ahead of them, “Posse’s down
to four of us now, you sure you want to keep going, gonna get bloody, Tanner’s
not going to go down easy.” Zeke suddenly swallowed hard, as in that split
second he had seen something in Chris Larabee’s eyes and it was as if someone
had walked over his grave. Quickly he turned his horse away and gave it a hard
kick to get as far away of Larabee as he could, even so he could feel those blue
eyes boring into his back, and he shivered, it reinforced his decision to slip
away in the dark that night.
0-0-0-0-0
Several miles away
further on, heading in the direction of Four Corners, Ezra Standish wasn’t
happy. That stubborn mule headed
Texan love of his life had insisted they split up now rather than continue to
flee together away from the posse.
Tanner insisted on acting as bait to lure then away from him, and give him a
chance to escape on the grounds that he was the one they wanted, and they would
leave Ezra alone once he was gone. It was
with a sense of unease that Ezra looked back and saw that some of the men where
now on his trail, all he could do was keep going,
and hope to out distance them. He was all too aware that his skill lay
in cards he was not a skilled backwoods man, in a situation like that all he
could do was keep ahead of them, and trust to the speed and stamina of his
horse, and the fact that Vin had said he would find him. If there was one thing
he knew about his lover was that he was a man of his word.
0-0-0-0-0-0
The posse
The other men in
the posse were giving Chris a wide berth; none of them keen to risk the infamous
gun man’s wrath, his reputation was known and feared. Under the tugged down brim
of his hat Chris watched them, the sheriff had been among the first one to turn
back, with his wounded deputy, using the man as an excuse to desert his posse.
Next had been the farmers and store holders, men with grass roots reasons for
going back but not wanting to lose face. This left the men more out for money
than justice, they had no real ties to the town, and it was the thrill of the
chase that had them still riding. With an expert eye Chris took in their
weapons, and classed them he knew who would break and run and who would stand
their ground. Soon Vin would turn
back again, for one final bid to get the posse off his back, and when he did
Chris would be there to back his play if he needed him.
Old Zeke was
chewing his lip, he hadn’t survived for as long has he had done, without getting
that certain feeling, which
sometimes was the only thing that kept him alive. He pulled his horse to a halt
and looked down at the small cairn with a bandana, and a hank of hair. It was an
Indian warning go further and you will die. This was Tanner’s final warning,
Zeke threw a hand up signaling the
men to stop, but one of the men, snarled at him and barged
past, there was a crack of gunfire and he
was sent flying from the saddle. The man hit the ground hard, and rolled onto
his side blood seeped through the fingers of the hand he clasped to his
shoulder. Horses skipped sideways
trying to unseat their riders as in response to the bullets the other posse
members fired back up into the rocks blindly until their guns dry clicked on
empty chambers
Chris drew his own
gun, and leveled it at the other men, who stared at him in shock, “you know boys
you threw a lot of lead there, and you ain’t had a chance to reload.” He made a
motion with his gun, “think it time you boys went home before Tanner buries you
all.”
“And if we don’t?”
one of the men said.
“Then I plant you
here,” Chris said his voice a savage whisper, when he smiled Old Zeke nudge his
horse out of the way of any flying lead, all through the chase Zeke had seen the
way the other men avoided Larabee. The man had a reputation as a cold blooded
killer, and since no one knew why he was there the whispers had been rife,
silencing only when those cold green eyes had fixed on them, and his fingers had
tapped the butt of his gun. The one
story that was circulated the most was that Tanner crossed the gun man and
Larabee wanted blood suddenly the money on the poster didn’t seem enough if it
meant getting between the gunman and his prey. So when Chris drawled. “Get your
friend and get the fuck out of here.” The other men didn’t hang around, they
wheeled their horses round and took off, leaving Old Zeke to pick the wounded
man up and push a rag against the wound and bundle him up on his horse, grabbing
the reins and leading him off as quickly as he could.
Chris watched them
go and only then did he holster his gun and walked over to the warning cairn,
pulled the bandana from the stones, he fingered the lock of Tanner’s brown hair
as he looked up at the rocks, somewhere out there was Vin and he would find him
he folded the hair into the bandana and pushed it into the pocket of his black
duster. Mounted his horse and kicked the animal forward, Chris mused
Vin Tanner could run but he couldn’t
hide, from him, the bounty hunter
might out distance him now, but he would catch up and when he did, Vin would be
under no illusion of the place he occupied in the heart of the gun man.
He didn’t expect
Vin to be waiting for him, that scrawny assed Texan would already be heading
that devil spawn mule of a horse towards Standish, but he would follow.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Ezra Standish, was
being run to ground by the men hunting him, he tried to pace his horse, by
alternating it from walking to trotting and back again, hoping to out distance
them. But in his heart he knew that he was being caught, all he could do was
hope and pray that Vin was on his way. He refused to believe that his lover was
lying dead across the back of a horse on his way back to Tascosa. What ever
happened he had to survive, for Vin.
The End
The story continues
in
Darkness and light