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azombiewritesTitle: Friendship
Tenth story in 'The Continuing Ezra Standish Saga'
Rating: PG
Warnings: Bad writing ahead!
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Summary: The seven hired gunmen are returning to Four Corners when they meet up with a group of men who are transporting a prisoner. A man who was once a friend of Ezra Standish.
Main Characters: Ezra, and the rest of the seven, and some OC's
Disclaimers: The guys are owned by CBS, MGM, Trilogy Entertainment Group, and The Mirisch Corp.
Beta: Not betaed – written in the early days when I didn’t know what the words grammar and edit meant. *is ashamed but no longer care*
Notes: Tenth story in the ‘Continuing Ezra Standish Saga’.
Spoilers: None.
Total Word Count: 20,141
Part Two
Jason put a smile on so he could cover his true feelings of confusion. "Yeah he did but he is not going to admit talking about them. He should be fine." He had no idea what Josiah was talking about as he had told him that Ezra wanted to talk to him but he did not say what about.
"He wouldn't talk to any of us." said Nathan.
"No he wouldn't. Ezra never did like talking about things and he obviously hasn't changed. Took me years before he would talk to me." he decided to tell them a bit more to gain their trust. But he did not realise that it would take more than that to gain these men's trust. "Last time I saw Ezra was five years ago and that was when he saved my life. One of those scenes after a game of poker. Man accused me of cheating and he pulled a gun but Ezra was there to stop him, took a bullet for me he did. I owe him my life." he looked around at them. "Have you met Maude yet." he saw them smile and knew that they had. "She showed up afterwards and convinced Ezra to do a con with her. Haven't seen him since, until now."
"Yeah Maude has tried to convince him to leave Four Corners but he hasn't gone yet. He's a changed man." said Josiah.
"Yeah I can see that." he turned around to look at Ezra and saw Jones still watching him. "If you gentlemen don't mind I think that I am going to get some sleep." he got up and moved to an area close to Ezra. The others thought that he was concerned and wanted to be close to his friend but it was because he wanted to be ready when Ezra came up with a plan to escape.
Everyone had decided to do the same and Nathan checked both Reid and Ezra before he got some sleep. After he saw to Reid, he went to check Ezra. He was sleeping soundly and Nathan hoped that he would get through the night without one of his nightmares. But he didn't. It was in the early hours of the morning when Ezra jerked awake, he was able to keep the scream in so he did not wake the people who were sleeping. He wiped the sweat away from his face using the sleeve of his jacket. He looked around the campsite and saw two of the deputies were awake and keeping guard on their prisoner. One of them saw that Ezra was awake and came over to him and bent down next to him.
"You okay?" he asked Ezra.
"Yeah fine." he saw that the other guard was not looking their way and before the man standing over him could do anything Ezra hit him. He caught him as he fell to the ground and quickly covered him up with his blanket. He stood up and felt slightly dizzy but it passed and he went to the other deputy. He took another look around to make sure that no one had woken up. When he was sure that everyone was still asleep, he stepped up behind the deputy.
"You don't do a very good job do you." Ezra said to him. The deputy turned around and Ezra hit him as well. He wasn't able to catch him and he fell to the ground. Ezra took another look around and then went to wake Jason. He covered his mouth so he wouldn't make a noise and together they went and saddled their horses. They lead the horses for a while and then got on. Jason headed off in a particular direction and Ezra followed him.
Four hours later Chris and Vin woke at the same time. They could see Ezra still sleeping under his blanket but they saw that Jason had gone and that one of the deputies that was on guard was sleeping after being knocked out. They went around and woke everyone up and then asked the deputy what had happened."
"That friend of yours hit me." he growled.
"Wentworth is not a friend of ours." Vin told him.
"I wasn't talking about him."
Chris and Vin looked at each other and then at the blanket that they thought Ezra was sleeping under. They went over to the blanket and pulled it away and saw that it was not Ezra under it.
"What the hell does he think he's doing." growled Chris.
***
"How are you going there Ezra." Jason was a bit worried about him.
"I'm fine. Where are we going anyway?" Ezra asked him. They had been riding for five hours now and talking about old times but he had no idea where Jason was taking him.
"There's some friends that I want you to meet." he smiled back at him.
"Can these friends prove your innocence?"
"No."
"Then why are we meeting them?" Ezra was curious as to who these people were.
"You ask too many questions Ezra, don't worry about it." He knew that if Ezra thought about it too long that he would get suspicious. "So how long have you been a lawman?"
"I'm not really a lawman, just hired with the others to protect a town that's all." Ezra explained to him.
"And what does Maude think about that?" he laughed as he saw Ezra grimace. "I thought as much. You ever think of going back to what you use to do?"
"No not really." Ezra knew that he could not go back to the life he had.
"You haven't changed that much have you?"
Ezra smiled. He had changed he knew that, he just wouldn't admit it to anyone. He thought that he had found friends in Four Corners but he started to wonder about that after what had happened to him a few weeks ago. Chris still did not trust him, he also didn't want him there, and he had told him that himself. Vin, Nathan and Josiah did not seem to care whether or not he stayed around. Buck and JD seemed to the only ones that defended him against the others but he even wondered how long that would last. He didn't seem to do anything right by them. He sometimes wondered why he stayed. Jason brought him out of his thoughts.
"You know you can join my friends and me. Do what we use to do plus a lot more."
"What do you mean a lot more?"
"I'll explain it when we meet my friends. Don't worry Ezra you'll like them." he smiled at Ezra.
Half an hour later, they came to a top of a hill and at the base of it was a camp. Ezra saw five horses tied to a rope that had been strung between two trees. He saw four men around the fire that was in the middle of the camp and he looked around for the five men and saw him as he came out from behind a tree to their right.
"Jason, I thought that was you. How did you get away?" the man asked him.
"Ezra here is an old friend, he helped me escape. Ezra this is Gary my right hand man you could say." Ezra nodded to him.
"Well thanks Ezra. So this means you ain't gonna hang anymore." Gary laughed. "I don't know how you do it Jason, you always seem to beat that noose don't you."
"What does he mean by that Jason." Ezra was looking at him.
"He means that this is not the first time that I have beaten the hangman's noose. Now Ezra are you going to join us or not, I mean you are probably a wanted criminal now. If you go back, you will hang also. You helped a murderer escape."
"You told me you didn't kill him." Ezra was shocked.
"I lied."
Ezra was at a loss for words. He believed him when he told him he was innocent and now he was saying that he did kill someone. It was obvious that his friend had changed even more than himself but he had changed for the worse.
"Are you going to join me or not Ezra?"
"No."
Ezra hoped that Jason was not going to kill him but he didn't know this man anymore. He was a good friend but he had changed and now his own life was in danger. He thought that this is exactly one of the reasons he never go close to people. They always ended up betraying him in one way or another. He remembered the nightmares that he had been having where his friends - men who he thought were friends but he was no longer sure about that - killed him and now he was going to be shot and left to die on his own just like in his dream. 'Just great.' he thought to himself.
"What am I going to do with you Ezra?" Jason asked him.
"Kill me I assume." Ezra's voice held a sarcastic tone. He looked over at the man called Gary and saw that he now had his gun pointed in his direction.
"Not yet Ezra we may need you if you’re friends or the Marshall follow us. Get off you horse please." Jason got off his own horse and went towards Ezra. "Gary come and get his guns and make sure that you get all three. I believe that you still carry that derringer in your sleeve Ezra." He covered him while his right hand man took Ezra's guns and then step back from him. "Now walk your horse down to the camp."
Ezra led the way down followed by Jason and Gary. Once he reached the edge of the camp, he stopped. "Daryl come and take care of the horses. We’re going to rest for a while and then head out." he explained to them.
Daryl came up to them and gave Ezra the once over. "And who's this?" he looked at Ezra in disgust.
"An old friend. Once you have dealt with the horses I want to speak to you and everyone else so hurry up." he moved to a rock and sat down. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable Ezra. You won't be going anywhere for a while."
Ezra went and sat on the same rock as his friend. "What happened, what made you into a murderer?" he asked him.
"I told you Ezra it's a long story."
"You just told me that I won't be going anywhere for a while so why don't you tell your story."
"It doesn't really matter why I've changed Ezra. The fact is that I have, there were many reasons. Some of them small some bigger but I am not going to explain myself to you or anyone else for that matter."
"If my associates come looking for me what are you going to do?" Ezra wasn't sure if they would.
Jason looked at him. "What do you mean if, don't you think that your friends will come after you?"
"My friends," Ezra emphasised the word, "would know that I helped you escaped and would think that I deserve whatever I get. If they came after me it would be so Chris Larabee could kill me himself."
"You really make yourself some nice friends don't you Ezra." he smiled at him.
"Yeah well I always thought that I was a good judge of character but I was obviously wrong." he growled at him.
Jason laughed as he knew that Ezra was talking about him. He turned to see Gary and Daryl coming back with the three other men in his gang. He stood up and walked up to them. "Gentlemen this is Ezra Standish, he is now our hostage, that is if we need one." he turned to back to Ezra. "Does that answer your question as to what I am going to do if your friends show up." Ezra did not answer him. "Now I am going to tell all of you this once and once only. If any of you harm him in any way I will kill you myself do you understand me." he watched as they all nodded. It was nice to have grown men fear you.
"If you have no intention of harming me then I will be on my way." said Ezra as he got up and started walking towards his horse but stopped as Jason stood in front of him.
"I didn't say that I couldn't hurt you Ezra." he smiled and Ezra felt sickened to his stomach that this man he once thought of as a good friend had turned into this. Jason brought up his gun and slammed it against the side of Ezra's head. Ezra collapsed into an unconscious heap at his feet. "Gary go back on look out." he turned to the others. "Were leaving in two hours so make sure that we'll be ready to go then." he looked back down at Ezra and nudged him with his foot. He smiled again.
***
"Chris you don't know what happened, maybe he forced Ezra into helping him." argued Buck.
"It was Ezra who hit the deputy and he would not allow anyone to force him into doing that, no Ezra went with him and he is going to pay for it." Chris was furious with Ezra. He was stamping around waiting for Vin to come back to let them know which direction they had gone in. Chris looked up as the Marshall came towards him. Nathan followed him as he tried to tell him to sit back down but he looked like he had something to say. Buck thought that he looked as mad as Chris and knew that Ezra was going to be in trouble when they found him.
"I just have one thing to ask you." he looked at Chris and Buck. "I know that he is a friend of yours and I have no idea why he hit me but would he usually help a murderer to escape?"
Neither Chris nor Buck said anything for a moment. They didn't expect that, they thought that he would want Ezra's blood. That he would want to see him hang for what he did to him. "The only reason that Ezra would help him was if he thought that he was innocent." Buck told him. He looked at Chris to make sure that he had heard what he said.
"Then one of two things happened. One, your friend has now become a criminal and has joined Wentworth's gang or two he somehow convinced your friend that he was innocent and if that is the case then this friend of yours is in a lot of trouble."
"What sort of trouble?" asked Buck as he suddenly felt more worried about Ezra.
"Wentworth is a murderer, there were witnesses to the last one he committed and it was not his first killing. The last person he killed was a sixteen year old boy in a bank robbery."
"Why would Ezra be friends with someone like that?" asked Nathan.
"That's what I would like to know." Chris was still angry. "I'm not sure why Ezra helped him but I intend to find out when we find him." He walked off to see if he could find Vin.
"I sure hope that he's okay Nathan." muttered Buck
"We all do Buck."
Chris returned ten minutes later with Vin. He had found a trail that they could follow. Nathan insisted that the Marshall return to Mount Hallow to get some rest and to let the Judge know what was happening but he refused. He wanted to get his hands on Wentworth and if a friend of his helped, him knowing that, his was a murderer then he would kill him to.
***
When Jason and his gang left two hours later Ezra had still not regained consciousness so he had his men tie his hands and throw him over his horse securing him so he did not fall off. This wasn't the way Jason wanted things to turn out. He had hoped that Ezra would join him but he did not realise how much Ezra had changed, he wasn't even sure if Ezra knew how much he changed. Five years ago, he was always able to depend on Ezra but when he had taken that bullet for him after the card game Jason began to change. He didn't like putting his friend's life in danger like that, afterwards he had tracked down the man who had shot Ezra and he killed him. It was the first time that he had actually killed someone and he enjoyed it. He then met the wrong people and things went from there. He hadn't seen Ezra again after that as Maude had come and taken him on a con as she often did. He never really like Maude, he didn't like the way she treated Ezra but he never seemed to complain but he never complained about anything. He was always stubborn and that part of him had never changed. He looked behind him at his still form and wished that he did not have to kill his friend but he knew that he was going to have to. Once he was sure that no one was coming after them, he would have to kill him.
***
Vin had found an easy trail to follow but then it became difficult as the ground became more rocky, he lost time and the others were worried that anything could happen to Ezra in that time. The only one of the six that did not worry was Chris as he still believed that Ezra had helped his friend out of his own self-interests. He decided that this was the last time and that he was going to tell Ezra to leave the group. But he was going to make sure that he paid for what he had done first. He was tired of the whole situation with Ezra, he always messed things up and then got himself into awkward situations that the rest of them had to risk their lives to get him out of. He had enough of it. Vin then picked up the trail again and they began to move faster as they knew that Ezra and his friend had at least a four-hour start on them
***
They had been riding for two hours so Jason stopped the group so that they could rest the horses. He knew that after the break that they had earlier that the others would only be two hours behind them but that was all the time he need as he would reach his destination by then. The town that they were headed for was only three hours away. He went over to Ezra to check to see if he had come round as yet. He grabbed a handful of hair and pulled his head up. He took note of the still bleeding wound on the side of his head. He let go and Ezra's head fell against the side of the saddle. He went and joined his men.
"What are you going to do with him Jason?" Gary asked him.
"That's none of your business."
"We can't drag him around with us, he's going to wake up soon and then he can become a problem." Gary continued.
Gary flinched back as his boss stood up and came towards him. "If he becomes a problem then he is my problem, I will deal with him. Is that clear." his voice was menacing. Gary knew better and just lowered his head and nodded.
After the horses had been rested, they continued on their journey. Jason constantly watched Ezra waiting for him to come round but he didn't. Three hours later, when they rode into Purgatory he was still unconscious. Jason had come here because he did not think that the men that were following them would come here. They were going to stay for a few days and once he was sure that he was safe, he would deal with Ezra and then leave.
People watched as they rode into town heading towards what passed as the hotel. They stopped outside and while Gary and Daryl dragged Ezra from his horse, Jason went in and arranged a room. This was where he intended to keep Ezra until he killed him. He knew that there would not be a problem dragging an unconscious man around this town as it was something that happened all the time. This was where outlaws went when they wanted to hide from the law as they knew that the law would not come looking for them here. He watched as his men carried Ezra up to the room he had been given and then as they threw him on the bed.
"I told you to be careful with him." he yelled at them. They nodded and left to go to the saloon to get a well-needed drink.
He went and sat on the bed and made Ezra more comfortable. He then checked his head wound, it had nearly stopped bleeding. He lifted the sheet and pressed it against the wound to stop the bleeding. Ezra moaned at the touch and rolled his head to the side. He opened his eyes and looked at the man that was once his friend. He then looked around the room squinting as the light shining through the window sent bolts of pain through his head.
"Where are we?" his voice was husky.
"You don't need to know that Ezra, now why don't you just go back to sleep." he hit Ezra across the side of the face sending him back into darkness and knowing that he would not have to worry about the bruise that was going to form on his jaw. Once he made sure that he was asleep, again he took his hands that were still tied and loosened them enough to tie them to the bedpost above his head. When he had done that, he went and joined his men for a drink. On the way pass, the front desk he paid the man some money to inform him if anyone came looking for him or the man that they had left upstairs.
***
Vin stopped at the top of the hill that overlooked the area where Jason's men had been camped. "It looks like they stopped down there for a while." he commented to no one in particular. He nudged his horse forward and made his way down the hill. He then got off and looked around for ten minutes while everyone stayed on their own horses so as not to disturb any sort of trail that might be around. He stopped in one spot and knelt down. "Nathan could you come and have a look at this."
Nathan knelt down beside him. "Do you think that could be Ezra's blood?" Vin asked him.
"Could be and by the amount that is here it could be a serious wound." they stood up and walked a short distance and then came back.
"We have some more problems." Vin said to Chris as the others listened.
"And what would they be?" he was not in the mood for Vin not being direct.
"There were five men waiting here and I assume that they are with Wentworth, they are now headed to Purgatory." he hesitated then not knowing how the others would react.
"And?" growled Chris.
"There's quite a bit of blood near that rock there." he turned and pointed so he would not have to look at their faces.
"If it's Ezra's blood then he could be hurt bad." Nathan finished for him.
Vin turned back to them. "And there is a trail of blood heading in the direction of Purgatory so whoever is hurt must still be alive but bleeding badly."
"You think that it's Ezra's?" Chris was thinking that if it wasn't then he would end up bleeding quite a bit when he got his hands on him.
"Could be unless he hurt one of them and if he did then that would mean he was with them." But Nathan did not think so. He didn't like or trust Ezra at times but he did not think that he would side with a murderer unless he still thought that his friend was innocent which would be unlikely by now. Especially now that they had joined up with the rest of the gang. Everyone else sat quietly taking in what they were being told.
"We better keep moving then just in case." Chris said as he moved his horse forward. Vin and Nathan got back on their horses and followed the group as they head towards Purgatory.
***
It was an hour later when Ezra woke up to find himself in an extreme amount of pain. The light was still coming through the window making his headache even worse and now his jaw also hurt. He didn't even bother trying to lift his head straight away as he knew that he would only blackout. He instead listened for any sort of noise that told him that someone else was still in the room with him. He remembered what happened but he had no idea where he was. When he was sure that he was, alone he tried to open his eyes but closed them again quickly. He waited a few more minutes and then tried again. He managed to keep them open this time and slowly moved his head to the side so he could look around the room. It was not familiar to him at all. He realised that his hands were above his head and he tried to bring them down by his side but they pulled against the rope that was tied around his wrists. He tried pulling harder to see how tight the rope was and found it to be slightly loose. He started to try to get his hands free.
***
Jason sat in the saloon with his men, he wouldn't call them friends as he didn't have those anymore that was why he wanted Ezra to join him. He sighed and got up. "I'm going to check on our hostage." he told the other men sitting at the table. "If you see anyone riding in come and let me know." he didn't think that they would show up but he had to make sure that they covered their backs anyway. He slowly walked back to the hotel in the small town and made his way up the stairs to the room that Ezra was in. He entered the room to find the bed empty and before he could react, a pair of hands grabbed him and turned him around and he saw Ezra just as his fist knock him to the ground.
Ezra had managed to get his hands loose and it then took him a few more minutes to stand without feeling to dizzy. He made his way to the door but heard someone on the other side of it so he stood to the side and waited while he tried to hold down the nausea that he was feeling. He saw Jason come through the door and before his friend could react, he grabbed him and hit him. Ezra watched him fall to the floor and for a moment thought that, he was going to join him as the dizziness came over him.
Jason saw Ezra hesitate for a moment and took his chance, he jumped up and pushed Ezra against the wall. Ezra saw him coming but he couldn't do anything as the dizziness he was feeling became overwhelming and he thought that he was going to pass out. He felt Jason push him and he grunted out in pain as his back was slammed against the wall. He then felt Jason's fist hit him in the stomach and all the air was forced out of his lungs. Jason allowed him to collapse to the floor and he then kicked Ezra in the side. Ezra could still feel Jason kicking him as he allowed the darkness to take him.
Jason stopped kicking Ezra in the side when he realised that he had lost conscious. He then picked him up by the shoulders and dragged him back to the bed and tied his hands again this time making sure that the ropes were tighter this time.
***
The men that were following Jason and his gang stopped on top of the hill that overlooked Purgatory. "What's the plan Chris?" Buck looked across at him.
"We just ride in and find out where they are." he smiled showing no humour not at all.
"You don't think that this plan might get Ezra killed?" Buck was surprised that he would do something that risked Ezra's life.
"If they wanted him dead we would have found his body by now." he turned to Buck. "We go in and look for him, simple as that." He didn't wait for any more protests and the rest of them had no choice but to follow him. Even the Marshall and his men continued as they wanted Wentworth and his friend if he was helping him.
"So where do we look first?" asked Vin as he caught up with Chris.
"The saloon where else." As they rode into town, they looked around and saw Ezra's horse in front of the hotel. Chris stopped and went inside. He saw the man at the desk and went up to him. Vin and Buck came in after him. The rest of them waited outside to keep an eye out. "Some men would have come in here in the last few hours, where are they?"
The man did not like the look on this guy but he had like the look on the other one even less so he lied to him. "They all went to the saloon." He stepped back as Chris leaned over the counter.
"Are you sure about that because if you’re lying to me I'll come back." he gave the man a cold stare.
"I ain't lyin'." He gave a big sigh of relief as he watched them walk out of the saloon. He then ran up the stairs to tell the other one that the men that he was asking about had arrived. He knocked on the door and stepped back again as the man opened it.
"What?" Jason asked him.
"Some men just came into the hotel looking for you. I told them that you were at the saloon but they will be back." he thanked Jason as he gave him some more money and then left. He was going to make sure that he wasn't around when those men came back.
Jason went back into the room and sat down on the bed. He did not expect this, he didn't think that these men would come into town after them. He looked down at Ezra grateful that he had not killed him yet. He was going to need him now. He untied Ezra's hands from the bed but kept the rope around his wrists. He picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. He was going to go out the back way while his friends went to the saloon to look for him. He noticed how warm Ezra was but he didn't really care as he was no longer a friend. He was just a liability to him now.
***
Chris came out of the saloon with Vin and Buck hot on his heels. "Josiah, JD and Vin I want you to go down to the saloon and see if they are there, if not then come back here."
"And what are you guys going to do?" asked JD.
"The man in there said that they were in the saloon but I don't believe him. We’re going to cover the back while the Marshall and his men here cover the front. Now get going." They nodded and left. Chris, Buck and Nathan made their way around the back. They made it around the back just in time to see the man they were after leaving through the back door. They could also see that he had Ezra slung across his shoulder.
"And where do you think you’re going?" Chris said to him in a voice cold enough to stop the man in his tracks.
Jason turned around to see the man in black and two more of Ezra's friends standing in front of him. He had underestimated these men. He had to think quickly.
Jason allowed a large sigh to escape him and he put a look of relief onto his features. "Thank god it's you. I thought that it was the Marshall." he saw that the expressions on their faces had not changed. "I thought he had come to kill me, I was trying to get Ezra out of here."
"What the hell are you talking about?" said Buck.
"The Marshall, he's trying to kill me. That's why I had Ezra help me escape." They were still watching him carefully.
"Look can we discuss this somewhere else, Ezra's hurt bad and he needs help."
Chris moved forward while Buck and Nathan covered him. He took the man's gun and then went around to his back to check on Ezra. He could see the dried blood on the side of his head. "Why are his hands tied?"
"The longer we stand here talking about this the worse he is going to get." he tried to sound like he was becoming frustrated and he must have succeeded as they finally gave in.
"Take him back inside." Chris nodded towards the door.
Jason did not really want to go back in there but it was better than being on the other end of a bullet. He would just have to try to get away later. He turned around and started to walk back inside and as he did so Nathan and Buck saw the wound on the side of Ezra's head. "Buck can you go and get my bag."
"Sure Nathan." Buck left them standing there and while he walked around to the front of the hotel, he remembered that the Marshall would be there but before he got there, he heard gunshots coming from the saloon. He waited a couple of minutes and then ran around to the front. "What's going on?" he asked pretending to be confused.
"Gunshots from the saloon." Jones said.
"Well don't you think that you should go and check it out." he only had to wait a moment before they ran down to the saloon. He quickly grabbed Nathan's bag and ran back into the hotel. He ran up the stairs to find Nathan waiting outside one of the rooms. "I'm going to find out what those gunshots were about." he left as Nathan went back into the room.
***
Vin, Josiah and JD had walked into the saloon knowing that Ezra was probably not there. They looked around and saw five men watching them. "Bit of a coincidence that there are five men there and that they are watching us as though they were expecting someone." commented Josiah.
Vin moved away from the bar and headed towards them. "You men wouldn't have seen someone come into town wearing a red jacket, looks like a gambler?" he asked them. He saw a look of recognition cross one of their faces.
"No we haven't." answered Gary. "So if you don't mind were trying to have a drink here."
"Perhaps I can give you one." the man looked confused but that did not last long as Vin then picked up the bottle of whiskey and hit the man over the head with it. The other four stood up and pulled their guns but Josiah and JD had already drawn theirs and took three of them down before they could fire their guns. Vin then hit the other one. The man tried to grab his gun before he hit the ground but Vin grabbed his gun hand. He then pulled his own gun and placed it against his head. "Where is our friend?"
"I don't know who you’re talking about." growled Daryl.
Vin cocked the gun to show the man that he would shoot him. "Tell me where he is."
Daryl didn't answer him though as he was more afraid of what his boss would do to him if he said anything. Vin knew that he was not going to answer so he hit him across the side of the head and let him slump to the floor. He looked up then as the Marshall and his men came running in.
Before he could say, anything Josiah answered the question he knew that the Marshall was going to ask. "There the five men that are part of Wentworth's gang."
"And where is Wentworth?" he looked around. "Damn he must be back at the hotel." he turned around and ran out with everyone following him. Just as he ran out, he saw Buck coming.
"What happened?" asked Buck. Josiah gave him the short version. "You think that he is at the hotel. But we just checked there, they must be somewhere else."
"Where's Larabee then?" Reid was getting impatient. How could they find these five and not the other two.
"He's back at the hotel. He wanted to wait to see if they came for the horses after the gunshots."
"Why don't we all wait there then." he started to walk to the hotel but Buck stopped him.
"Chris suggested that we started looking around the town just in case he is wrong about them getting their horses. Why don't you go down that end of town and we'll go up the other, if you see them fire your gun and we'll come running." Reid looked at him for what seemed like forever. Buck just wanted to get back and see how Ezra was and to make sure that Chris hadn't caused him any other sort of injury. He kept the relief in that he felt when Reid nodded and took his men in the opposite direction. Buck then looked at the others. "You know he's pretty dumb for a Marshall."
"What's going on Buck?" asked Vin.
"Ezra and his friend are at the hotel. Ezra's hurt and his friend claims that the Marshall wants him dead." he had turned around and started walking back to the hotel before he had even finished the sentence.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
Master Fan Fiction List
Tenth story in 'The Continuing Ezra Standish Saga'
Rating: PG
Warnings: Bad writing ahead!
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Summary: The seven hired gunmen are returning to Four Corners when they meet up with a group of men who are transporting a prisoner. A man who was once a friend of Ezra Standish.
Main Characters: Ezra, and the rest of the seven, and some OC's
Disclaimers: The guys are owned by CBS, MGM, Trilogy Entertainment Group, and The Mirisch Corp.
Beta: Not betaed – written in the early days when I didn’t know what the words grammar and edit meant. *is ashamed but no longer care*
Notes: Tenth story in the ‘Continuing Ezra Standish Saga’.
Spoilers: None.
Total Word Count: 20,141
Part Two
Jason put a smile on so he could cover his true feelings of confusion. "Yeah he did but he is not going to admit talking about them. He should be fine." He had no idea what Josiah was talking about as he had told him that Ezra wanted to talk to him but he did not say what about.
"He wouldn't talk to any of us." said Nathan.
"No he wouldn't. Ezra never did like talking about things and he obviously hasn't changed. Took me years before he would talk to me." he decided to tell them a bit more to gain their trust. But he did not realise that it would take more than that to gain these men's trust. "Last time I saw Ezra was five years ago and that was when he saved my life. One of those scenes after a game of poker. Man accused me of cheating and he pulled a gun but Ezra was there to stop him, took a bullet for me he did. I owe him my life." he looked around at them. "Have you met Maude yet." he saw them smile and knew that they had. "She showed up afterwards and convinced Ezra to do a con with her. Haven't seen him since, until now."
"Yeah Maude has tried to convince him to leave Four Corners but he hasn't gone yet. He's a changed man." said Josiah.
"Yeah I can see that." he turned around to look at Ezra and saw Jones still watching him. "If you gentlemen don't mind I think that I am going to get some sleep." he got up and moved to an area close to Ezra. The others thought that he was concerned and wanted to be close to his friend but it was because he wanted to be ready when Ezra came up with a plan to escape.
Everyone had decided to do the same and Nathan checked both Reid and Ezra before he got some sleep. After he saw to Reid, he went to check Ezra. He was sleeping soundly and Nathan hoped that he would get through the night without one of his nightmares. But he didn't. It was in the early hours of the morning when Ezra jerked awake, he was able to keep the scream in so he did not wake the people who were sleeping. He wiped the sweat away from his face using the sleeve of his jacket. He looked around the campsite and saw two of the deputies were awake and keeping guard on their prisoner. One of them saw that Ezra was awake and came over to him and bent down next to him.
"You okay?" he asked Ezra.
"Yeah fine." he saw that the other guard was not looking their way and before the man standing over him could do anything Ezra hit him. He caught him as he fell to the ground and quickly covered him up with his blanket. He stood up and felt slightly dizzy but it passed and he went to the other deputy. He took another look around to make sure that no one had woken up. When he was sure that everyone was still asleep, he stepped up behind the deputy.
"You don't do a very good job do you." Ezra said to him. The deputy turned around and Ezra hit him as well. He wasn't able to catch him and he fell to the ground. Ezra took another look around and then went to wake Jason. He covered his mouth so he wouldn't make a noise and together they went and saddled their horses. They lead the horses for a while and then got on. Jason headed off in a particular direction and Ezra followed him.
Four hours later Chris and Vin woke at the same time. They could see Ezra still sleeping under his blanket but they saw that Jason had gone and that one of the deputies that was on guard was sleeping after being knocked out. They went around and woke everyone up and then asked the deputy what had happened."
"That friend of yours hit me." he growled.
"Wentworth is not a friend of ours." Vin told him.
"I wasn't talking about him."
Chris and Vin looked at each other and then at the blanket that they thought Ezra was sleeping under. They went over to the blanket and pulled it away and saw that it was not Ezra under it.
"What the hell does he think he's doing." growled Chris.
***
"How are you going there Ezra." Jason was a bit worried about him.
"I'm fine. Where are we going anyway?" Ezra asked him. They had been riding for five hours now and talking about old times but he had no idea where Jason was taking him.
"There's some friends that I want you to meet." he smiled back at him.
"Can these friends prove your innocence?"
"No."
"Then why are we meeting them?" Ezra was curious as to who these people were.
"You ask too many questions Ezra, don't worry about it." He knew that if Ezra thought about it too long that he would get suspicious. "So how long have you been a lawman?"
"I'm not really a lawman, just hired with the others to protect a town that's all." Ezra explained to him.
"And what does Maude think about that?" he laughed as he saw Ezra grimace. "I thought as much. You ever think of going back to what you use to do?"
"No not really." Ezra knew that he could not go back to the life he had.
"You haven't changed that much have you?"
Ezra smiled. He had changed he knew that, he just wouldn't admit it to anyone. He thought that he had found friends in Four Corners but he started to wonder about that after what had happened to him a few weeks ago. Chris still did not trust him, he also didn't want him there, and he had told him that himself. Vin, Nathan and Josiah did not seem to care whether or not he stayed around. Buck and JD seemed to the only ones that defended him against the others but he even wondered how long that would last. He didn't seem to do anything right by them. He sometimes wondered why he stayed. Jason brought him out of his thoughts.
"You know you can join my friends and me. Do what we use to do plus a lot more."
"What do you mean a lot more?"
"I'll explain it when we meet my friends. Don't worry Ezra you'll like them." he smiled at Ezra.
Half an hour later, they came to a top of a hill and at the base of it was a camp. Ezra saw five horses tied to a rope that had been strung between two trees. He saw four men around the fire that was in the middle of the camp and he looked around for the five men and saw him as he came out from behind a tree to their right.
"Jason, I thought that was you. How did you get away?" the man asked him.
"Ezra here is an old friend, he helped me escape. Ezra this is Gary my right hand man you could say." Ezra nodded to him.
"Well thanks Ezra. So this means you ain't gonna hang anymore." Gary laughed. "I don't know how you do it Jason, you always seem to beat that noose don't you."
"What does he mean by that Jason." Ezra was looking at him.
"He means that this is not the first time that I have beaten the hangman's noose. Now Ezra are you going to join us or not, I mean you are probably a wanted criminal now. If you go back, you will hang also. You helped a murderer escape."
"You told me you didn't kill him." Ezra was shocked.
"I lied."
Ezra was at a loss for words. He believed him when he told him he was innocent and now he was saying that he did kill someone. It was obvious that his friend had changed even more than himself but he had changed for the worse.
"Are you going to join me or not Ezra?"
"No."
Ezra hoped that Jason was not going to kill him but he didn't know this man anymore. He was a good friend but he had changed and now his own life was in danger. He thought that this is exactly one of the reasons he never go close to people. They always ended up betraying him in one way or another. He remembered the nightmares that he had been having where his friends - men who he thought were friends but he was no longer sure about that - killed him and now he was going to be shot and left to die on his own just like in his dream. 'Just great.' he thought to himself.
"What am I going to do with you Ezra?" Jason asked him.
"Kill me I assume." Ezra's voice held a sarcastic tone. He looked over at the man called Gary and saw that he now had his gun pointed in his direction.
"Not yet Ezra we may need you if you’re friends or the Marshall follow us. Get off you horse please." Jason got off his own horse and went towards Ezra. "Gary come and get his guns and make sure that you get all three. I believe that you still carry that derringer in your sleeve Ezra." He covered him while his right hand man took Ezra's guns and then step back from him. "Now walk your horse down to the camp."
Ezra led the way down followed by Jason and Gary. Once he reached the edge of the camp, he stopped. "Daryl come and take care of the horses. We’re going to rest for a while and then head out." he explained to them.
Daryl came up to them and gave Ezra the once over. "And who's this?" he looked at Ezra in disgust.
"An old friend. Once you have dealt with the horses I want to speak to you and everyone else so hurry up." he moved to a rock and sat down. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable Ezra. You won't be going anywhere for a while."
Ezra went and sat on the same rock as his friend. "What happened, what made you into a murderer?" he asked him.
"I told you Ezra it's a long story."
"You just told me that I won't be going anywhere for a while so why don't you tell your story."
"It doesn't really matter why I've changed Ezra. The fact is that I have, there were many reasons. Some of them small some bigger but I am not going to explain myself to you or anyone else for that matter."
"If my associates come looking for me what are you going to do?" Ezra wasn't sure if they would.
Jason looked at him. "What do you mean if, don't you think that your friends will come after you?"
"My friends," Ezra emphasised the word, "would know that I helped you escaped and would think that I deserve whatever I get. If they came after me it would be so Chris Larabee could kill me himself."
"You really make yourself some nice friends don't you Ezra." he smiled at him.
"Yeah well I always thought that I was a good judge of character but I was obviously wrong." he growled at him.
Jason laughed as he knew that Ezra was talking about him. He turned to see Gary and Daryl coming back with the three other men in his gang. He stood up and walked up to them. "Gentlemen this is Ezra Standish, he is now our hostage, that is if we need one." he turned to back to Ezra. "Does that answer your question as to what I am going to do if your friends show up." Ezra did not answer him. "Now I am going to tell all of you this once and once only. If any of you harm him in any way I will kill you myself do you understand me." he watched as they all nodded. It was nice to have grown men fear you.
"If you have no intention of harming me then I will be on my way." said Ezra as he got up and started walking towards his horse but stopped as Jason stood in front of him.
"I didn't say that I couldn't hurt you Ezra." he smiled and Ezra felt sickened to his stomach that this man he once thought of as a good friend had turned into this. Jason brought up his gun and slammed it against the side of Ezra's head. Ezra collapsed into an unconscious heap at his feet. "Gary go back on look out." he turned to the others. "Were leaving in two hours so make sure that we'll be ready to go then." he looked back down at Ezra and nudged him with his foot. He smiled again.
***
"Chris you don't know what happened, maybe he forced Ezra into helping him." argued Buck.
"It was Ezra who hit the deputy and he would not allow anyone to force him into doing that, no Ezra went with him and he is going to pay for it." Chris was furious with Ezra. He was stamping around waiting for Vin to come back to let them know which direction they had gone in. Chris looked up as the Marshall came towards him. Nathan followed him as he tried to tell him to sit back down but he looked like he had something to say. Buck thought that he looked as mad as Chris and knew that Ezra was going to be in trouble when they found him.
"I just have one thing to ask you." he looked at Chris and Buck. "I know that he is a friend of yours and I have no idea why he hit me but would he usually help a murderer to escape?"
Neither Chris nor Buck said anything for a moment. They didn't expect that, they thought that he would want Ezra's blood. That he would want to see him hang for what he did to him. "The only reason that Ezra would help him was if he thought that he was innocent." Buck told him. He looked at Chris to make sure that he had heard what he said.
"Then one of two things happened. One, your friend has now become a criminal and has joined Wentworth's gang or two he somehow convinced your friend that he was innocent and if that is the case then this friend of yours is in a lot of trouble."
"What sort of trouble?" asked Buck as he suddenly felt more worried about Ezra.
"Wentworth is a murderer, there were witnesses to the last one he committed and it was not his first killing. The last person he killed was a sixteen year old boy in a bank robbery."
"Why would Ezra be friends with someone like that?" asked Nathan.
"That's what I would like to know." Chris was still angry. "I'm not sure why Ezra helped him but I intend to find out when we find him." He walked off to see if he could find Vin.
"I sure hope that he's okay Nathan." muttered Buck
"We all do Buck."
Chris returned ten minutes later with Vin. He had found a trail that they could follow. Nathan insisted that the Marshall return to Mount Hallow to get some rest and to let the Judge know what was happening but he refused. He wanted to get his hands on Wentworth and if a friend of his helped, him knowing that, his was a murderer then he would kill him to.
***
When Jason and his gang left two hours later Ezra had still not regained consciousness so he had his men tie his hands and throw him over his horse securing him so he did not fall off. This wasn't the way Jason wanted things to turn out. He had hoped that Ezra would join him but he did not realise how much Ezra had changed, he wasn't even sure if Ezra knew how much he changed. Five years ago, he was always able to depend on Ezra but when he had taken that bullet for him after the card game Jason began to change. He didn't like putting his friend's life in danger like that, afterwards he had tracked down the man who had shot Ezra and he killed him. It was the first time that he had actually killed someone and he enjoyed it. He then met the wrong people and things went from there. He hadn't seen Ezra again after that as Maude had come and taken him on a con as she often did. He never really like Maude, he didn't like the way she treated Ezra but he never seemed to complain but he never complained about anything. He was always stubborn and that part of him had never changed. He looked behind him at his still form and wished that he did not have to kill his friend but he knew that he was going to have to. Once he was sure that no one was coming after them, he would have to kill him.
***
Vin had found an easy trail to follow but then it became difficult as the ground became more rocky, he lost time and the others were worried that anything could happen to Ezra in that time. The only one of the six that did not worry was Chris as he still believed that Ezra had helped his friend out of his own self-interests. He decided that this was the last time and that he was going to tell Ezra to leave the group. But he was going to make sure that he paid for what he had done first. He was tired of the whole situation with Ezra, he always messed things up and then got himself into awkward situations that the rest of them had to risk their lives to get him out of. He had enough of it. Vin then picked up the trail again and they began to move faster as they knew that Ezra and his friend had at least a four-hour start on them
***
They had been riding for two hours so Jason stopped the group so that they could rest the horses. He knew that after the break that they had earlier that the others would only be two hours behind them but that was all the time he need as he would reach his destination by then. The town that they were headed for was only three hours away. He went over to Ezra to check to see if he had come round as yet. He grabbed a handful of hair and pulled his head up. He took note of the still bleeding wound on the side of his head. He let go and Ezra's head fell against the side of the saddle. He went and joined his men.
"What are you going to do with him Jason?" Gary asked him.
"That's none of your business."
"We can't drag him around with us, he's going to wake up soon and then he can become a problem." Gary continued.
Gary flinched back as his boss stood up and came towards him. "If he becomes a problem then he is my problem, I will deal with him. Is that clear." his voice was menacing. Gary knew better and just lowered his head and nodded.
After the horses had been rested, they continued on their journey. Jason constantly watched Ezra waiting for him to come round but he didn't. Three hours later, when they rode into Purgatory he was still unconscious. Jason had come here because he did not think that the men that were following them would come here. They were going to stay for a few days and once he was sure that he was safe, he would deal with Ezra and then leave.
People watched as they rode into town heading towards what passed as the hotel. They stopped outside and while Gary and Daryl dragged Ezra from his horse, Jason went in and arranged a room. This was where he intended to keep Ezra until he killed him. He knew that there would not be a problem dragging an unconscious man around this town as it was something that happened all the time. This was where outlaws went when they wanted to hide from the law as they knew that the law would not come looking for them here. He watched as his men carried Ezra up to the room he had been given and then as they threw him on the bed.
"I told you to be careful with him." he yelled at them. They nodded and left to go to the saloon to get a well-needed drink.
He went and sat on the bed and made Ezra more comfortable. He then checked his head wound, it had nearly stopped bleeding. He lifted the sheet and pressed it against the wound to stop the bleeding. Ezra moaned at the touch and rolled his head to the side. He opened his eyes and looked at the man that was once his friend. He then looked around the room squinting as the light shining through the window sent bolts of pain through his head.
"Where are we?" his voice was husky.
"You don't need to know that Ezra, now why don't you just go back to sleep." he hit Ezra across the side of the face sending him back into darkness and knowing that he would not have to worry about the bruise that was going to form on his jaw. Once he made sure that he was asleep, again he took his hands that were still tied and loosened them enough to tie them to the bedpost above his head. When he had done that, he went and joined his men for a drink. On the way pass, the front desk he paid the man some money to inform him if anyone came looking for him or the man that they had left upstairs.
***
Vin stopped at the top of the hill that overlooked the area where Jason's men had been camped. "It looks like they stopped down there for a while." he commented to no one in particular. He nudged his horse forward and made his way down the hill. He then got off and looked around for ten minutes while everyone stayed on their own horses so as not to disturb any sort of trail that might be around. He stopped in one spot and knelt down. "Nathan could you come and have a look at this."
Nathan knelt down beside him. "Do you think that could be Ezra's blood?" Vin asked him.
"Could be and by the amount that is here it could be a serious wound." they stood up and walked a short distance and then came back.
"We have some more problems." Vin said to Chris as the others listened.
"And what would they be?" he was not in the mood for Vin not being direct.
"There were five men waiting here and I assume that they are with Wentworth, they are now headed to Purgatory." he hesitated then not knowing how the others would react.
"And?" growled Chris.
"There's quite a bit of blood near that rock there." he turned and pointed so he would not have to look at their faces.
"If it's Ezra's blood then he could be hurt bad." Nathan finished for him.
Vin turned back to them. "And there is a trail of blood heading in the direction of Purgatory so whoever is hurt must still be alive but bleeding badly."
"You think that it's Ezra's?" Chris was thinking that if it wasn't then he would end up bleeding quite a bit when he got his hands on him.
"Could be unless he hurt one of them and if he did then that would mean he was with them." But Nathan did not think so. He didn't like or trust Ezra at times but he did not think that he would side with a murderer unless he still thought that his friend was innocent which would be unlikely by now. Especially now that they had joined up with the rest of the gang. Everyone else sat quietly taking in what they were being told.
"We better keep moving then just in case." Chris said as he moved his horse forward. Vin and Nathan got back on their horses and followed the group as they head towards Purgatory.
***
It was an hour later when Ezra woke up to find himself in an extreme amount of pain. The light was still coming through the window making his headache even worse and now his jaw also hurt. He didn't even bother trying to lift his head straight away as he knew that he would only blackout. He instead listened for any sort of noise that told him that someone else was still in the room with him. He remembered what happened but he had no idea where he was. When he was sure that he was, alone he tried to open his eyes but closed them again quickly. He waited a few more minutes and then tried again. He managed to keep them open this time and slowly moved his head to the side so he could look around the room. It was not familiar to him at all. He realised that his hands were above his head and he tried to bring them down by his side but they pulled against the rope that was tied around his wrists. He tried pulling harder to see how tight the rope was and found it to be slightly loose. He started to try to get his hands free.
***
Jason sat in the saloon with his men, he wouldn't call them friends as he didn't have those anymore that was why he wanted Ezra to join him. He sighed and got up. "I'm going to check on our hostage." he told the other men sitting at the table. "If you see anyone riding in come and let me know." he didn't think that they would show up but he had to make sure that they covered their backs anyway. He slowly walked back to the hotel in the small town and made his way up the stairs to the room that Ezra was in. He entered the room to find the bed empty and before he could react, a pair of hands grabbed him and turned him around and he saw Ezra just as his fist knock him to the ground.
Ezra had managed to get his hands loose and it then took him a few more minutes to stand without feeling to dizzy. He made his way to the door but heard someone on the other side of it so he stood to the side and waited while he tried to hold down the nausea that he was feeling. He saw Jason come through the door and before his friend could react, he grabbed him and hit him. Ezra watched him fall to the floor and for a moment thought that, he was going to join him as the dizziness came over him.
Jason saw Ezra hesitate for a moment and took his chance, he jumped up and pushed Ezra against the wall. Ezra saw him coming but he couldn't do anything as the dizziness he was feeling became overwhelming and he thought that he was going to pass out. He felt Jason push him and he grunted out in pain as his back was slammed against the wall. He then felt Jason's fist hit him in the stomach and all the air was forced out of his lungs. Jason allowed him to collapse to the floor and he then kicked Ezra in the side. Ezra could still feel Jason kicking him as he allowed the darkness to take him.
Jason stopped kicking Ezra in the side when he realised that he had lost conscious. He then picked him up by the shoulders and dragged him back to the bed and tied his hands again this time making sure that the ropes were tighter this time.
***
The men that were following Jason and his gang stopped on top of the hill that overlooked Purgatory. "What's the plan Chris?" Buck looked across at him.
"We just ride in and find out where they are." he smiled showing no humour not at all.
"You don't think that this plan might get Ezra killed?" Buck was surprised that he would do something that risked Ezra's life.
"If they wanted him dead we would have found his body by now." he turned to Buck. "We go in and look for him, simple as that." He didn't wait for any more protests and the rest of them had no choice but to follow him. Even the Marshall and his men continued as they wanted Wentworth and his friend if he was helping him.
"So where do we look first?" asked Vin as he caught up with Chris.
"The saloon where else." As they rode into town, they looked around and saw Ezra's horse in front of the hotel. Chris stopped and went inside. He saw the man at the desk and went up to him. Vin and Buck came in after him. The rest of them waited outside to keep an eye out. "Some men would have come in here in the last few hours, where are they?"
The man did not like the look on this guy but he had like the look on the other one even less so he lied to him. "They all went to the saloon." He stepped back as Chris leaned over the counter.
"Are you sure about that because if you’re lying to me I'll come back." he gave the man a cold stare.
"I ain't lyin'." He gave a big sigh of relief as he watched them walk out of the saloon. He then ran up the stairs to tell the other one that the men that he was asking about had arrived. He knocked on the door and stepped back again as the man opened it.
"What?" Jason asked him.
"Some men just came into the hotel looking for you. I told them that you were at the saloon but they will be back." he thanked Jason as he gave him some more money and then left. He was going to make sure that he wasn't around when those men came back.
Jason went back into the room and sat down on the bed. He did not expect this, he didn't think that these men would come into town after them. He looked down at Ezra grateful that he had not killed him yet. He was going to need him now. He untied Ezra's hands from the bed but kept the rope around his wrists. He picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. He was going to go out the back way while his friends went to the saloon to look for him. He noticed how warm Ezra was but he didn't really care as he was no longer a friend. He was just a liability to him now.
***
Chris came out of the saloon with Vin and Buck hot on his heels. "Josiah, JD and Vin I want you to go down to the saloon and see if they are there, if not then come back here."
"And what are you guys going to do?" asked JD.
"The man in there said that they were in the saloon but I don't believe him. We’re going to cover the back while the Marshall and his men here cover the front. Now get going." They nodded and left. Chris, Buck and Nathan made their way around the back. They made it around the back just in time to see the man they were after leaving through the back door. They could also see that he had Ezra slung across his shoulder.
"And where do you think you’re going?" Chris said to him in a voice cold enough to stop the man in his tracks.
Jason turned around to see the man in black and two more of Ezra's friends standing in front of him. He had underestimated these men. He had to think quickly.
Jason allowed a large sigh to escape him and he put a look of relief onto his features. "Thank god it's you. I thought that it was the Marshall." he saw that the expressions on their faces had not changed. "I thought he had come to kill me, I was trying to get Ezra out of here."
"What the hell are you talking about?" said Buck.
"The Marshall, he's trying to kill me. That's why I had Ezra help me escape." They were still watching him carefully.
"Look can we discuss this somewhere else, Ezra's hurt bad and he needs help."
Chris moved forward while Buck and Nathan covered him. He took the man's gun and then went around to his back to check on Ezra. He could see the dried blood on the side of his head. "Why are his hands tied?"
"The longer we stand here talking about this the worse he is going to get." he tried to sound like he was becoming frustrated and he must have succeeded as they finally gave in.
"Take him back inside." Chris nodded towards the door.
Jason did not really want to go back in there but it was better than being on the other end of a bullet. He would just have to try to get away later. He turned around and started to walk back inside and as he did so Nathan and Buck saw the wound on the side of Ezra's head. "Buck can you go and get my bag."
"Sure Nathan." Buck left them standing there and while he walked around to the front of the hotel, he remembered that the Marshall would be there but before he got there, he heard gunshots coming from the saloon. He waited a couple of minutes and then ran around to the front. "What's going on?" he asked pretending to be confused.
"Gunshots from the saloon." Jones said.
"Well don't you think that you should go and check it out." he only had to wait a moment before they ran down to the saloon. He quickly grabbed Nathan's bag and ran back into the hotel. He ran up the stairs to find Nathan waiting outside one of the rooms. "I'm going to find out what those gunshots were about." he left as Nathan went back into the room.
***
Vin, Josiah and JD had walked into the saloon knowing that Ezra was probably not there. They looked around and saw five men watching them. "Bit of a coincidence that there are five men there and that they are watching us as though they were expecting someone." commented Josiah.
Vin moved away from the bar and headed towards them. "You men wouldn't have seen someone come into town wearing a red jacket, looks like a gambler?" he asked them. He saw a look of recognition cross one of their faces.
"No we haven't." answered Gary. "So if you don't mind were trying to have a drink here."
"Perhaps I can give you one." the man looked confused but that did not last long as Vin then picked up the bottle of whiskey and hit the man over the head with it. The other four stood up and pulled their guns but Josiah and JD had already drawn theirs and took three of them down before they could fire their guns. Vin then hit the other one. The man tried to grab his gun before he hit the ground but Vin grabbed his gun hand. He then pulled his own gun and placed it against his head. "Where is our friend?"
"I don't know who you’re talking about." growled Daryl.
Vin cocked the gun to show the man that he would shoot him. "Tell me where he is."
Daryl didn't answer him though as he was more afraid of what his boss would do to him if he said anything. Vin knew that he was not going to answer so he hit him across the side of the head and let him slump to the floor. He looked up then as the Marshall and his men came running in.
Before he could say, anything Josiah answered the question he knew that the Marshall was going to ask. "There the five men that are part of Wentworth's gang."
"And where is Wentworth?" he looked around. "Damn he must be back at the hotel." he turned around and ran out with everyone following him. Just as he ran out, he saw Buck coming.
"What happened?" asked Buck. Josiah gave him the short version. "You think that he is at the hotel. But we just checked there, they must be somewhere else."
"Where's Larabee then?" Reid was getting impatient. How could they find these five and not the other two.
"He's back at the hotel. He wanted to wait to see if they came for the horses after the gunshots."
"Why don't we all wait there then." he started to walk to the hotel but Buck stopped him.
"Chris suggested that we started looking around the town just in case he is wrong about them getting their horses. Why don't you go down that end of town and we'll go up the other, if you see them fire your gun and we'll come running." Reid looked at him for what seemed like forever. Buck just wanted to get back and see how Ezra was and to make sure that Chris hadn't caused him any other sort of injury. He kept the relief in that he felt when Reid nodded and took his men in the opposite direction. Buck then looked at the others. "You know he's pretty dumb for a Marshall."
"What's going on Buck?" asked Vin.
"Ezra and his friend are at the hotel. Ezra's hurt and his friend claims that the Marshall wants him dead." he had turned around and started walking back to the hotel before he had even finished the sentence.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
Master Fan Fiction List