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azombiewritesTitle: To Protect a Witness
Thirteenth story in 'The Continuing Ezra Standish Saga'
Rating: PG
Warnings: Bad writing ahead!
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Summary: After Ezra witnesses a murder, he is asked to give evidence at the trial but the accuser’s family has other ideas.
Main Characters: Ezra, and the rest of the seven + 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: Thirteenth story in the ‘Continuing Ezra Standish Saga’.
Spoilers: None.
Total Word Count: 23,531
Part Three
Alexander rode into town under the cover of the oncoming darkness. He noticed that the townsfolk were watching people more closely but like his father had said; they did not give him a second glance. As he rode up to the saloon he saw two of the town's lawmen in front of a room that had a sign over the door indicating that it was the place to go when you needed your injuries fixed and he wondered if that was where the gambler was there. He tied his horse and made his way into the saloon quickly looking around for the other lawmen but he did not see them. He walked up to the bar and ordered himself a whiskey and then waited as he listened for conversations that involved the gambler. By the end of an hour, passing Alex had learned that the gambler was indeed in the room that the two lawmen were guarding. It seemed as though he was under some sort of protective custody and this told Alex what he needed to know. He left the saloon making sure that he was not noticed and then quietly rode out of town to inform his father that the gambler was still going to testify. He had to be otherwise they would not have been watching him so carefully.
***
Buck made himself comfortable in a chair while JD went and sat with Casey and started a cover station. They were soon laughing even though the situation was serious. Ezra scowled at them hoping that he would be able to quiet them down with just a look. He gave up and looked at Buck who just shrugged back at him. Ezra sighed and sat back. He thought for a moment and then sat back up and eased his legs off the bed. He grimaced at the pain that tore through his side.
"Ezra get back into bed." Buck ordered him as he got out of his chair.
"No." Ezra continued to get up until he noticed he didn't have any trousers on.
"That stopped you." Buck smirked.
"Buck I do not intend on going anywhere, I just want to get out of this bed and stretch my legs." Ezra looked up at him but not before, he placed a look of frustration on his face. "You know I hate staying in a bed."
"Could have fooled me." JD commented from across the room. This won a laugh from Casey.
Ezra ignored them. "Could you please get me some clothes Buck so I could at least walk around this room if not outside."
"I think we should wait for Nathan to decide if you can get up." Buck told him, he wasn't going to take the blame for him being out of bed.
"Nathan does not have to know." Ezra expected this.
Buck took a moment to decide and then went to the drawers on the other side of the room that were next to JD. He pulled out one of Nathan's shirts and went back to the bed. He tossed the shirt to Ezra and then nodded to the floor.
"Your trousers are there on the floor and you can wear one of Nathan's shirts." Buck leaned over him. "Five minutes then you get back into bed."
Ezra nodded and then leaned over, his teeth clenched against the pain. He could see his trousers on the floor but he couldn't reach them, he looked up at Buck. "I'll get them." Buck leaned down and picked them up and handed them to him. "Nathan had them cleaned for you. There was plenty of blood on them." Buck nodded to Casey to turn around which she did.
Ezra managed to hide the dizziness that he felt when he pulled his trousers on but he couldn't hide the pain that he felt when he tried to put the shirt on and had to accept Buck's help. He then got up carefully and started to walk around the room. He hoped that the nausea he felt would pass because if Buck saw it he would never be able to get out of here. He saw his boots that had been placed against the wall near the door. He stopped at the foot of the bed and leaned back against it. He grimaced and made sure that Buck saw it.
"What's wrong Ezra?" The concerned sounded in his voice but Ezra mistook it as pity and the grimace became genuine.
"I need to go to the bathroom." was the simple reply.
Buck quickly looked around the room and saw the bucket that was beside the bed, Ezra followed his gaze. "I do not intend to use that when there is a lady present." He growled at Buck.
"That's okay, I'm sure Casey won't mind leaving the room for a few minutes." Buck couldn't stop the smile that grew on his face from what he thought was Ezra's embarrassment.
"You want to send Casey out there in the open. What if Morrow and his boys are around?" Ezra asked him as he hid his own smile.
"He's got a point there Buck." JD looked at Casey. "Besides Chris would kill us if he saw Casey out there."
"He'll kill us if he saw Ezra out there" Buck retorted.
'This is going to be harder than I thought.' Ezra told himself. "I will take full blame if he were to see me." Ezra assured him hoping that it would be enough. "I can easily get him to turn all his anger on me; he'll forget that you were even here."
"That wouldn't be hard as he is already angry at you." JD threw in. Buck glared at him and JD flinched back. Ezra ignored the comment for the moment.
"Straight there and back Ezra." Buck ordered him.
"Can we not partake in a little libation on the way?" Ezra asked.
"No you can't." Buck turned to JD. "If we’re not back in five minutes fire your gun."
"I think that it is going to take me five minutes just to walk there Buck." Ezra knew that he would get around him eventually. He knew that Buck trusted him with his life but he should have known better in when it came to something like this.
"Fifteen minutes JD and no more." Buck opened the door and looked out. Chris and Vin had not returned. He stepped out onto the porch and looked back at Ezra. "Are you coming or not?"
"Would you mind helping me with my boots first." Ezra smiled at him.
Buck walked back in and helped Ezra with his shoes and enjoyed every groan of pain that came out of the gambler when he was to rough with the boots. Once he had his shoes on Ezra walked out of the room with the intention of not coming back. He would sneak away when Buck wasn't looking and then make his way back to his room. He eased his way down the stairs and headed towards the bathhouse.
"You're going to owe me big time for this Ezra." Buck grumbled.
"Quit complaining Buck." Ezra was walking in front of him so Buck was not able to see the smile that was on Ezra's face. The smile was replaced by a frown though as he started to think that he was not going to be able to make it. He could feel his legs becoming heavier with each step that he took.
Ezra was beginning to feel weaker and it was because of this that he was not able to fight back when the arms grabbed him and dragged him into the alley. He was again slammed up against the wall and this time he nearly blacked out as the pain exploded in his side. He tried to warn Buck but felt the hand close over his mouth. He didn't bother to look at the person who had grabbed him but turned his head to the side to look for Buck. The hand allowed his head to move to the side and he saw Buck standing in front of Alexander. Buck was looking at Ezra though as he had seen him being dragged into the alley and the knife that was place against Ezra's throat so Buck did not pull his gun as he feared for Ezra's life if he did. Ezra saw the knife appear in Alex's hand but lost sight of it as he lunged forward. Ezra tried to scream out to Buck as he saw him double over and collapse to the dirt floor of the alley. That was all Ezra saw as he felt himself being pulled forward and then the darkness as his head was slammed against the wall, he then collapsed into his own heap.
Morrow looked down at Ezra's still form. "Get him out of here." He told his son.
***
Buck was walking behind Ezra and he noticed how his shoulders had slumped and his step had slowed. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let him out of Nathan's room. Ezra had lost a lot of blood and his fever hadn't improved. He was also beginning to worry about what Chris would say if he found out. Buck was seriously regretting his decision to allow Ezra to leave, even if it was only for a short period of time. He was about to quicken his step to catch up to Ezra when someone grabbed Ezra and dragged him into the alley. Buck ran in after them but was stopped by a man who was blocking the entrance. He instantly recognised him as one of the Morrow boys and he held a large hunting knife in his right hand.
"Make a move and he's a dead man." Alex warned Buck.
Buck looked over his shoulder to see Ezra being slammed against the wall and a knife placed against his throat. He could see the pain that was etched on Ezra's face turning his handsome features into a mask of pain. He felt his own stomach turn at thought of what they might do to Ezra, he wanted to pull his own gun but knew that the knife that was pressed against Ezra's throat would be quicker. He turned to the man in front of him as he saw him move towards him. Buck expected to feel the pain of the knife as it cut into his flesh but he only felt the air being forced from his lungs as the man's fist slammed into his stomach. Buck collapsed to the ground and watched as Ezra's skull hit the wall with a sickening force and as he then fell to the ground in a heap. Buck could see Ezra's face, which was now slack, and his body unmoving.
Buck watched helplessly as they dragged Ezra's unconscious form away and then looked up into the eyes of the man who stood over him with the large knife still in his hand. "If you hurt Ezra again you and the rest of your family are dead. Starting with the one in the jail." Buck growled up at him but he knew that the one watching over him had the upper hand.
"And if you harm my brother your friend will be delivered back to you in a worse condition than he is in now. We want to see Joseph tomorrow at ten o'clock, one hour west of town. Got it!" and with that Alex hit Buck again this time knocking him unconscious, he then left to follow his father.
Buck woke up a short time later to the sound of someone's voice calling him. He groaned as he realised it was Chris's voice. He then felt hands grab him and he shook them off in anger.
"Buck you okay?" Vin asked.
"What happened Buck, what are you doing out here." Chris wanted to know but quickly forgot about Buck when he heard the gunshot that came from Nathan's room. He made to get up and leave Buck where he was but he felt himself being pulled back down.
"Chris that's just JD doing what I asked him to do." Buck muttered as he waited for the anger to explode from Chris.
"What do you mean told him to do?" Chris held back until Buck confirmed what he was now afraid of.
"I told him if we weren't back in fifteen minutes to fire his gun."
"And when you say we you mean Ezra?" Vin asked. He couldn't believe Buck had been so stupid as to allow Ezra to leave Nathan's room.
"He wanted to go to the bathroom." Buck would not look at either of them. He would see the anger in their faces but they would not be anywhere near as angry as he was at himself for what he did.
"What the hell do you think you were doing?" Chris yelled at him.
Buck didn't answer him, the guilt was becoming overwhelming. He felt himself being dragged up and pushed towards Nathan's room. All Buck could think of was what they might be doing to Ezra right now. He had seen the pain on his face as he was thrown against the wall and wished to God that it was all he was going to feel. He would do anything at that moment to change places with him. He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard JD's voice.
"Where's Ezra? What happened? Buck are you okay?" JD knew that when the fifteen minutes were up and they hadn't returned something had happened. He had hoped that Ezra had only gotten away from Buck but he couldn't take the chance that it was something else that went wrong.
"Buck's fine but they got Ezra." Chris explained as they entered the clinic.
"They got Ezra. Then let's get after them." JD picked his hat up off the small table near the door and turned to the others when he realised they were not following him.
"Did they have anything to say Buck?" Chris asked him. The anger was still showing in both his voice and body language. He kept himself at a distance from Buck.
"They want an exchange. The one in the jail for Ezra. Ten o'clock tomorrow morning, west of town."
"And how did they manage to get him?" Chris wanted to stay angry, he didn't want the fear that he felt for Ezra to take control.
"He was walking in front of me, I went after them but one of them was blocking the alley. They already had a knife against Ezra's throat; there was nothing I could do." Chris could hear the guilt in Buck's voice.
"It could have happened to any of us Buck." Vin told him.
"It didn't, it happened to me and why?" Buck answered his own question before they could. "Because I trust him more than any of you would, that's why he was able to trick me into letting him out."
"That's not true Buck and you know it." Chris growled at him.
"Yes it is Chris. You would trust him with your life but that's all." Buck accused him. "None of you would trust him with anything else."
Before Chris could continue the argument, Josiah and Nathan ran into the room with their guns drawn. Nathan saw the empty bed while Josiah noticed the worry and anger on the faces of the others. "Where's Ezra?" Nathan wanted to know.
"Morrow's got him. They want an exchange." Vin informed him.
Nathan quickly looked JD, Buck and Casey over. "You guys okay? Were any of you hurt? Did they hurt Ezra when they took him?"
Casey listened as they asked their questions. She could tell that they were worried and concerned for Ezra. She just didn't realise that they felt this strongly about him.
"Buck allowed Ezra to leave the room. That's when they got him." Chris answered him.
"Did they hurt him at all Buck?" Nathan was not concerned about how they got him at this moment; he was more worried about Ezra. The two wounds that he had received the day before had not even begun to heal and his fever was still bad. Nathan knew that if he was hurt any further and they did not get to him in time then Ezra was going to be in serious trouble.
"They knocked him out by hitting his head against the wall." Buck muttered as he remembered the pain on Ezra's face.
The room was silent for a few minutes, each man with his own thoughts until it was broken by Chris. "There's nothing we can do until tomorrow." The others nodded as they knew that they would not be able find which way they headed in the dark.
"Why can't we look for him?" JD wanted to know. "If they want to meet us at the west side of town why don't we look there?"
"They may not have gone that way JD. We will just have to wait until morning and hope that Ezra is going to be okay." Chris didn't sound confident though. If Morrow and cut Ezra just for the fun of it then there was no guarantee, that he wouldn't do it again.
***
The first thing that Ezra felt was the stabbing pain in his side and in the back of his head but he immediately forgot about that though when he remembered what happened to Buck. All he could think of was what he was told when they threatened Casey. 'We will leave them somewhere where they won't be found straight away, that they way they would die a slow agonising death.' Ezra began to struggle against whatever it was that was holding him. He felt a fist slam into his kidney and he grunted in pain.
"Stay still or next time it won't be my fist." Someone warned him.
Ezra waited a moment for the new pain to ease. He opened his eyes but all he could see was the ground moving beneath him. He realised that he was on a horse. Ezra tried to use his voice but found that he couldn't even breathe through is mouth. They had put a gag in his mouth. He tried to move first his hands then his feet without the person who was riding in the saddle seeing him. The ropes were tight so he would not be able to get himself free before they stopped.
As Ezra became more alert, the pain became worse. He could feel it with each step that the horse took, the pain ripping through his side each time the horse moved. He knew that the stitches had been torn again as he could feel Nathan's shirt pulling against his side causing him even more pain. He was grateful at least that it was a warm night or he would be freezing by now. He felt a shiver go through him, which made him eat his words.
Ezra had lost track of time due to the pain and the memory of Buck clouding his mind. He finally felt the horse stop beneath him and then the hands as they untied him from the horse. He was then pulled off and he prepared himself for the pain as he knew they would not stop him from falling to the ground. His landed on his back, the air being forced from his lungs and he started to struggle for breath but it was limited due to the gag in his mouth. Hands quickly removed the gag and he lay there gasping for breath. But he wasn't given the chance to recover as hands pulled him to his feet; he felt the dizziness that threatened to take him. He was then half dragged to a tree where he was thrown down against it. His hands were then tied behind his back and before the person left him, alone they kicked him in the ribs and he fell to his side, his teeth clenched against the cry of pain that wanted to escape from his mouth. He heard the laughter as the man walked away.
After what seemed like an eternity, Ezra was able to find his voice. "What did you do to my friend?" He yelled at them. He needed to know if Buck was alive or dead. He didn't care if it caused him more pain as the physical pain would be nowhere near as bad as the emotional pain that he was feeling. He was terrified that Buck was dead.
Ezra couldn't make out the man in the darkness that surrounded the area they were in but he could hear the footsteps as they came towards. He saw the figure lean down before him and felt the man's hand as he grabbed him roughly by the jaw and turned his face towards him. Ezra tried to get away from the man's grip but he couldn't.
"You seem to have a fever." Morrow commented. "You’re hot and sweating." Morrow let go of Ezra's face and wiped his hand against Ezra's shirt making sure that he rubbed against the knife wound in his side. He felt Ezra tense up and heard the groan that he voiced. He knew that Ezra was trying hard not to show the pain that he felt.
"Your friend is dead." He said simply and waited for Ezra's reaction.
Ezra had heard the words but he refused to believe him but he there was no reason for the man to lie. He saw Morrow's son stab Buck, he had seen him go down but that was all. If they found him quickly then he might still be alive, he had to hope. That was what his mind was telling him but his heart made him think otherwise. His heart knew that Buck was dead. The knife was large, there was no way he could survive if that knife was plunge into his stomach and it had been. Ezra had seen it happen.
Ezra suddenly became angry and lashed out with his feet. He kicked Morrow squarely in the side, cracking one of his ribs. Morrow cried out in surprise but quickly recovered and slammed his fist against Ezra's jaw. After Ezra fell unconscious to the ground, Morrow kicked him in his injured side. He then brought the heel of his boot down with all his weight behind it and broke two of Ezra's ribs. Once the anger had left him, he walked away from Ezra. He wasn't going to underestimate the gambler again.
"Alex!" Morrow came back to the camp. "That gambler kicked me. Think he broke one of my ribs." Morrow felt his sons hands help him sit down and then felt the pain as he examined his side.
"He cracked one." Alex informed him. "How come he was able to do that to you?"
"I underestimated him. Don't worry I won't do it again." Morrow growled.
"You want me to go and take care of him?" Alex wanted to kill Ezra there and then.
"Already did." Morrow smiled at the enjoyment he had taken when he hurt the gambler. "We'll kill him tomorrow when we are getting Joseph back."
With the morning sunrise there came a lot of pain for Ezra. He tried to lift his arm over his eyes to protect them from the light that caused flashes of pain to tear through his skull but he quickly dropped his arm as the pain erupted in his side. He opened his eyes and quickly closed them again. After a few minutes he tried again, the pain easing as the sun shone down on him. He realised how cold he felt even in its warmth. He lifted his head and fought against the nausea that he felt. He looked around him and saw Morrow watching him. Ezra's eyes did not stay on him though as they continued to take in his surroundings. He saw the other three Morrow boys still sleeping. He recognised the area that he was in and knew that they were only an hour from town.
He saw Morrow rise and walk towards him. Ezra smiled at the grimace on Morrow's face as he bent down towards Ezra but the smile was taken from his face when Morrow slapped him with an open palm. The smile returned to Ezra's face. Morrow began to think that he was crazy. "That smile won't last long. Your friends will be here soon with my son. Well except for the one that Alex killed."
"They're not going to let you get away, you know that don't you." Ezra growled through clenched teeth.
"They are not going to have much of a chance as they will be too busy saving your life to worry about us." It was
Morrow's turn to smile at Ezra's confusion. "Were going to kill you so you can join your friend in the hereafter."
Ezra did not say anything as Morrow got up and went to wake up his sons. He was confused as to what the last statement meant. But it did tell him one thing though and that was that they were not going to kill anyone else. But Buck's death was enough. If he hadn't conned Buck into letting him leave he wouldn't have died. Ezra hoped that his death would come quick as he knew he wouldn't be able to live with another death on his conscious, especially Buck's. If he had to do something to make them kill him then that's what he would do.
***
The six hired lawmen did not need to wake up as none of them had slept as they were too concerned about Ezra. They each worried about if he was still alive or not. They had also noticed how quiet Nathan was and this seemed to confirm their fears. Buck was full of guilt and no one was able to convince him that he shouldn't be blaming himself for what happened. But he wasn't buying any of it. They were all now gathered within the saloon watching the time as if passed slowly. Inez had brought them breakfast and coffee but no one ate. They sat in silence as the minutes ticked past. They planned to leave town within the hour so they would be at the meeting place on time. JD and Josiah had made sure that the horses were saddled and waiting for them.
"Time to go." Chris announced as he rose from his chair.
"We'll go and get the prisoner." Vin said as he tugged Josiah's shirt. Chris nodded in acknowledgement.
They waited outside of the saloon for Vin and Josiah to bring the prisoner. Chris could see the smug smile on the man's as he crossed the main street with the two lawmen on either side of him. Chris wanted to wipe that smile off his face with his fist but he used words instead.
"I wouldn't be so happy about it if I was you as you will be coming back and so will your family. And if we have to bring them back slung over a horse we will." Chris smiled coldly at the look of fear on the man's face. "Every single one of them are dead if they have hurt our friend. Do you understand that?" The man nodded.
They got on their horses and rode out of town headed west. They were dreading seeing Ezra and the condition that he may be in. They hoped against hope that he was alright.
***
"Hey get up." Morrow nudged Ezra in the side and heard him groan. "I said get up!" He kicked him harder and Ezra's eyes flew open as his left arm wrapped itself around his waist. "Your friends are going to be here soon with my son and we have to be ready." He lifted Ezra up and had to call one of his son's to help him as he struggled to keep Ezra on his feet. They dragged him out into the open and allowed him to fall back to the ground. They then waited for the lawmen to arrive.
"Here they come." Alex informed his father.
Morrow looked into the distance and saw the lawmen that his son had already noticed. He nodded to Alex who then lifted Ezra and held him against his chest. He took the knife that his father gave him and pressed it against Ezra's throat and waited as the figures grew larger. They would be here within minutes.
Ezra could feel himself being held up, the arm wrapped around his chest. He could feel the pain as it grew in his side both from the knife wound and the broken ribs. He could also feel the knife as it was pressed into his throat and knew that if he struggled the knife would cut into him. He watched to as the riders drew closer and became confused as he saw seven horses. After a few minutes, he was able to make out the figures and saw that one of them was Buck. A wave of relief washed over him and he couldn't help but smile.
"Seems that your friend isn't dead after all." Commented Morrow. He turned to look at Ezra and saw the smile on his face. His fist hit Ezra's uninjured side and it caused Ezra's knees to buckle. He let out a small cry of pain as he felt the knife cut into his throat. Alex realised what happened and quickly withdrew the knife before it did anymore damage.
"Hold him up." His father told him.
Alex did as he was told and lifted Ezra again. He placed the knife back against his throat and heard his prisoner's quick intake of breath. Alex looked towards the riders and he could see that his brother Joseph was one of them. He could also see the looks on the faces of the others and knew that if his father's plan did not work then they were all dead men. Well if that was the case then the man he was holding would also die.
The seven horses came to a stop in front of them. Morrow stepped forward. "Drop your guns on the ground and then get off your horses." He told the lawmen.
No one moved for a moment. They saw the condition that Ezra was in and they knew that it was not good. Each one of them took in the pained expression on Ezra's face, the sweat soaked hair that clung to his scalp, the blood that now covered most of the left side of Nathan's shirt. They could see Alex struggling to hold Ezra up, which meant that he was not able to stand on his own.
"I said drop your guns." He waited as the lawmen still hesitated. He stepped back to stand next to Ezra and with a quick flick of his wrist, he cut deeply into Ezra's right upper arm. "Drop your guns!" He demanded again.
Ezra had felt the pain flash in his arm and struggled to stop the pain from showing. He didn't want his friends to do what this man demanded of them.
"Alright, just leave him alone." Chris yelled at him. Chris could see that Ezra was in pain but was trying not to show it.
They had no choice but to do what they were told. They would not sit here and watch as this man used his knife on Ezra. Each man dropped their guns onto the ground and then dismounted from their horses. Chris moved to Joseph and dragged him off the horse. He stepped forward with him.
"You may as well give yourselves up now as we will not let you go." Chris warned him.
"Yes you will, you see if you don't your friend here will bleed to death." Morrow smiled.
"If you harm Ezra again I will break your son's neck." Chris confirmed his intentions by forcing Joseph in front of him and he wrapped one arm around his throat and placed his other arm around his head.
"Are you willing to carry out your threat as I am willing to carry out mine?" Morrow stepped in front of Ezra and looked him in the eyes. "Are you ready to die gambler as it seems your friends are not going to do what we asked?" Morrow placed his knife against Ezra's chest and he turned to face Chris. "Well." But he didn't wait for an answer; he plunged the knife into Ezra's chest and then withdrew it quickly.
Ezra's knees buckled as the pain exploded in his chest. Alex had removed the knife from his throat so he was able to look down in disbelief and saw the blood as it flowed from the knife wound in his chest. He looked up at his friends believing that it would be the last time he would see them. They also had a look of disbelief on their faces. He heard
Chris call his name before the darkness took him.
Chris was not sure if he would carry out his threat, not while Ezra was still alive so he waited. He heard Morrow ask Ezra if he was ready to die and was about to say something to him but he froze when he saw the knife enter Ezra's chest.
"EZRA!" Chris screamed. He heard the others mutter curses and they began to go for their guns. None of these men were going to live now that Ezra was dead. He saw the blood flowing from Ezra's chest. He was about to carry out his own threat when Morrow's voice stopped him.
"He's not dead yet." He stepped forward and placed the bloodied knife in front of his eyes and then looked at Chris.
"You see with my experience I know where to use the knife so the victim is not killed instantly. I know where the vital organs are and I know how deep to go." He smiled at the hope that came over Chris and the other lawmen's faces. "I didn't hit anything vital but if the bleeding is not stopped he will bleed to death." He then took on a serious tone. "Now hand over my son."
"Chris do it please." Nathan told him. He could see the amount of blood that now covered his shirt that Ezra was wearing and knew that if they didn't help him quickly he would die in front of them.
Chris looked again at Ezra, he was still being held up but his head was hanging against his chest so he was not able to see his face but he could see the blood that had dried on the back of his head. He made a decision and hoped that he wasn't going to regret it. He pushed his prisoner towards the man that had stabbed Ezra.
Morrow took hold of his son and stepped backwards. "Now get on your horses and ride back the way you came for ten minutes and then you can come back for your friend."
"No." Chris told him.
"If you don't go then we will take him with us and then he will die." Morrow retorted.
Chris moved his hand around his back feeling the gun that was tucked into the back of his pants. The others took note of this and prepared themselves. Chris could see that the man was struggling to hold Ezra up. They all took a step towards the Morrows.
"Then leave because if you don't we will kill all of you." Chris smiled coldly. "And leave Ezra behind."
Chris waited for his opportunity as did the others. Morrow began to walk backwards and so did Alex but he struggled to take Ezra with him, which was exactly what Chris wanted. Alex had only taken three steps when Ezra fell from his grip and before he could react Chris's bullet hit him between the eyes. As he did this, the others bent down and pick up their guns. Morrow was about to throw his knife at Ezra when Buck's bullet hit him in the shoulder knocking him to the ground.
Joseph fell to his knees next to his father. He struggled to get his hands free so he could help him. He turned to his two remaining brothers but they had given up. "Don't just stand there, kill them." He yelled at them. Buck ran towards him and used the butt of his gun to shut him up. He watched as Josiah and Vin ran passed him to take care of the other two. Buck then took the knife from Morrow and joined the others at Ezra's still form.
As soon as Chris had fired his gun, Nathan pulled his bag from his horse and ran straight to Ezra's side. He used his knife to cut the rope from Ezra's hands and then rolled him onto his back and felt for a pulse. It was there but it was also weak. He tore the shirt open and saw the knife wound. Morrow had done what he said. Nathan knew that it was not a serious injury if he could stop the blood flow. He pulled the shirt off Ezra, rolled it up and pressed it against the wound in Ezra's chest. He put all his weight onto it, the pain causing Ezra to moan but he stayed unconscious.
"Chris, get some bandages out of my bag and do the same with his side. It's still bleeding. Buck you take care of the one on his arm." He watched as they both applied pressure to Ezra's wounds and they stayed that way hoping that the bleeding would stop.
Buck removed his bandage first and then wrapped another one tightly around the wound. He then placed his hand on Ezra's forehead feeling the heat that his fever continued to generate and he waited for Nathan and Chris. His heart had turned to ice when he realised that Morrow had stabbed Ezra in the chest, he couldn't believe. He had gone for his gun but then heard Morrow's words and hoped that he had spoken the truth. He now knew that he did but he was still worried that Ezra was still going to die. He looked down as Chris removed the pressure from Ezra's side. The blood flow hadn't stopped so he applied more pressure. Nathan lifted his shirt, the flow had slowed but it hadn't stopped either. He leant back down on the wound. It was another ten minutes before blood finally stopped flowing from his chest wound.
"Okay, let’s wrap these wounds up tightly and get him back to town." Nathan told them.
Once they had done that, it was decided that it would again be Josiah who would carry Ezra. Once they had placed, Ezra against Josiah Nathan told him to place his hand against Ezra's chest wound and apply as much pressure as he could on the way back to town so the wound would not start bleeding again.
Vin and JD tied the prisoners to their horses and headed back to town. Once the others made sure that Ezra was comfortable, they followed them. They rode as quickly as they could but it still took them more than an hour to get there. Once they arrived back, they quickly took Ezra up to Nathan's room. Nathan took care of the wound in Ezra's chest first and after he had cleaned and stitched it, he then turned to the one in his side. As he cleaned it, Ezra moaned and moved away from his touch. Nathan then felt the ribs move under his touch and informed the other members of the group who had stayed that two of his ribs were broken. Once he took care of the remaining knife wounds he wrapped his ribs and then looked at the head wound that he had received. The wound looked more serious than it was but he knew that Ezra would have a slight concussion. When he had finished he placed a blanket over Ezra and then felt his forehead. His fever was still high.
"He's lost a lot of blood, his fever is still high and he will have a slight concussion. He's going to need plenty of rest so I suggest that you all leave and come back later." Nathan knew that they would ignore that last command but he had to try anyway. "Well at least find yourself a spot and stay quiet."
Vin and JD joined them a short time later and also found themselves somewhere to wait. "We told the Judge what happened, he's going to stop by later and see how Ezra's doing." Vin informed Chris.
Ezra had a bad night. His fever raged through his body and it caused violent tremors to pull at his stitches but they managed to stay in place. Each member of the group took turns to sit close to him and wipe the sweat from his face and hold him down until the tremors subsided. He mumbled in his delirious state but they couldn't understand what he was saying but Chris was sure that he heard the word mother mentioned quite a few times. By the morning, they were all exhausted as they hadn't slept the night before either. Ezra had finally calmed down and Nathan checked his fever and informed then that it had broken but he still did not wake up. Ezra slept for another three days.
They continued to take turns staying with him, each showing their concern as he was not able to refuse it in the state that he was in. They worried as he hardly moved in his sleep but Nathan told them that it was a heavy sleep in which his body was healing and they would just have to wait until he woke up. The Judge had also visited to make sure that Ezra was okay and he was glad to hear that he was. He asked Nathan when he would be able to testify in court as he would wait until that time to hold the trial. He agreed to the two weeks.
Ezra woke on the fourth day and was very confused as to what happened. Nathan and Chris were sitting with him at the time and they explained what had happened over the last four days. They talked to him for a while and when Nathan used his hand to make sure that the fever had not returned his pushed his hand away from him.
"Ezra I just need to check you to make sure that your fever hasn't returned."
"You can't fool me Nathan. It's just another way for you to show your concern." The word concern held a lot of sarcasm.
"It's not pity Ezra." Nathan said angrily.
Ezra just nodded his head. He watched as Chris got up and came towards the bed. "Ezra we're not going to go through this again, not now anyway. When you are better and back on your feet then we will argue with you." Chris smiled at him so Ezra would not see what he was feeling inside. Things hadn't changed at all. Ezra still considered it to be pity that they were showing him. If only he knew what they had all been feeling over the last four days but as he just told Ezra, he wasn't going to go into it now. "I am going to go and ask Inez to make you something to eat." He tipped his hat to Ezra and left the room.
***
"What's the message that you want to send?" The man asked him.
"Ezra needs you urgently. Please hurry. Regards Chris Larabee." Chris told him.
"Is Mr Standish alright. I thought that he was going to be okay?" The man asked.
"Ezra is fine but he's mother is going to be in a lot of trouble when she gets here." Chris growled and then left the telegraph office.
The End
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
Master Fan Fiction List
Thirteenth story in 'The Continuing Ezra Standish Saga'
Rating: PG
Warnings: Bad writing ahead!
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Summary: After Ezra witnesses a murder, he is asked to give evidence at the trial but the accuser’s family has other ideas.
Main Characters: Ezra, and the rest of the seven + 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: Thirteenth story in the ‘Continuing Ezra Standish Saga’.
Spoilers: None.
Total Word Count: 23,531
Part Three
Alexander rode into town under the cover of the oncoming darkness. He noticed that the townsfolk were watching people more closely but like his father had said; they did not give him a second glance. As he rode up to the saloon he saw two of the town's lawmen in front of a room that had a sign over the door indicating that it was the place to go when you needed your injuries fixed and he wondered if that was where the gambler was there. He tied his horse and made his way into the saloon quickly looking around for the other lawmen but he did not see them. He walked up to the bar and ordered himself a whiskey and then waited as he listened for conversations that involved the gambler. By the end of an hour, passing Alex had learned that the gambler was indeed in the room that the two lawmen were guarding. It seemed as though he was under some sort of protective custody and this told Alex what he needed to know. He left the saloon making sure that he was not noticed and then quietly rode out of town to inform his father that the gambler was still going to testify. He had to be otherwise they would not have been watching him so carefully.
***
Buck made himself comfortable in a chair while JD went and sat with Casey and started a cover station. They were soon laughing even though the situation was serious. Ezra scowled at them hoping that he would be able to quiet them down with just a look. He gave up and looked at Buck who just shrugged back at him. Ezra sighed and sat back. He thought for a moment and then sat back up and eased his legs off the bed. He grimaced at the pain that tore through his side.
"Ezra get back into bed." Buck ordered him as he got out of his chair.
"No." Ezra continued to get up until he noticed he didn't have any trousers on.
"That stopped you." Buck smirked.
"Buck I do not intend on going anywhere, I just want to get out of this bed and stretch my legs." Ezra looked up at him but not before, he placed a look of frustration on his face. "You know I hate staying in a bed."
"Could have fooled me." JD commented from across the room. This won a laugh from Casey.
Ezra ignored them. "Could you please get me some clothes Buck so I could at least walk around this room if not outside."
"I think we should wait for Nathan to decide if you can get up." Buck told him, he wasn't going to take the blame for him being out of bed.
"Nathan does not have to know." Ezra expected this.
Buck took a moment to decide and then went to the drawers on the other side of the room that were next to JD. He pulled out one of Nathan's shirts and went back to the bed. He tossed the shirt to Ezra and then nodded to the floor.
"Your trousers are there on the floor and you can wear one of Nathan's shirts." Buck leaned over him. "Five minutes then you get back into bed."
Ezra nodded and then leaned over, his teeth clenched against the pain. He could see his trousers on the floor but he couldn't reach them, he looked up at Buck. "I'll get them." Buck leaned down and picked them up and handed them to him. "Nathan had them cleaned for you. There was plenty of blood on them." Buck nodded to Casey to turn around which she did.
Ezra managed to hide the dizziness that he felt when he pulled his trousers on but he couldn't hide the pain that he felt when he tried to put the shirt on and had to accept Buck's help. He then got up carefully and started to walk around the room. He hoped that the nausea he felt would pass because if Buck saw it he would never be able to get out of here. He saw his boots that had been placed against the wall near the door. He stopped at the foot of the bed and leaned back against it. He grimaced and made sure that Buck saw it.
"What's wrong Ezra?" The concerned sounded in his voice but Ezra mistook it as pity and the grimace became genuine.
"I need to go to the bathroom." was the simple reply.
Buck quickly looked around the room and saw the bucket that was beside the bed, Ezra followed his gaze. "I do not intend to use that when there is a lady present." He growled at Buck.
"That's okay, I'm sure Casey won't mind leaving the room for a few minutes." Buck couldn't stop the smile that grew on his face from what he thought was Ezra's embarrassment.
"You want to send Casey out there in the open. What if Morrow and his boys are around?" Ezra asked him as he hid his own smile.
"He's got a point there Buck." JD looked at Casey. "Besides Chris would kill us if he saw Casey out there."
"He'll kill us if he saw Ezra out there" Buck retorted.
'This is going to be harder than I thought.' Ezra told himself. "I will take full blame if he were to see me." Ezra assured him hoping that it would be enough. "I can easily get him to turn all his anger on me; he'll forget that you were even here."
"That wouldn't be hard as he is already angry at you." JD threw in. Buck glared at him and JD flinched back. Ezra ignored the comment for the moment.
"Straight there and back Ezra." Buck ordered him.
"Can we not partake in a little libation on the way?" Ezra asked.
"No you can't." Buck turned to JD. "If we’re not back in five minutes fire your gun."
"I think that it is going to take me five minutes just to walk there Buck." Ezra knew that he would get around him eventually. He knew that Buck trusted him with his life but he should have known better in when it came to something like this.
"Fifteen minutes JD and no more." Buck opened the door and looked out. Chris and Vin had not returned. He stepped out onto the porch and looked back at Ezra. "Are you coming or not?"
"Would you mind helping me with my boots first." Ezra smiled at him.
Buck walked back in and helped Ezra with his shoes and enjoyed every groan of pain that came out of the gambler when he was to rough with the boots. Once he had his shoes on Ezra walked out of the room with the intention of not coming back. He would sneak away when Buck wasn't looking and then make his way back to his room. He eased his way down the stairs and headed towards the bathhouse.
"You're going to owe me big time for this Ezra." Buck grumbled.
"Quit complaining Buck." Ezra was walking in front of him so Buck was not able to see the smile that was on Ezra's face. The smile was replaced by a frown though as he started to think that he was not going to be able to make it. He could feel his legs becoming heavier with each step that he took.
Ezra was beginning to feel weaker and it was because of this that he was not able to fight back when the arms grabbed him and dragged him into the alley. He was again slammed up against the wall and this time he nearly blacked out as the pain exploded in his side. He tried to warn Buck but felt the hand close over his mouth. He didn't bother to look at the person who had grabbed him but turned his head to the side to look for Buck. The hand allowed his head to move to the side and he saw Buck standing in front of Alexander. Buck was looking at Ezra though as he had seen him being dragged into the alley and the knife that was place against Ezra's throat so Buck did not pull his gun as he feared for Ezra's life if he did. Ezra saw the knife appear in Alex's hand but lost sight of it as he lunged forward. Ezra tried to scream out to Buck as he saw him double over and collapse to the dirt floor of the alley. That was all Ezra saw as he felt himself being pulled forward and then the darkness as his head was slammed against the wall, he then collapsed into his own heap.
Morrow looked down at Ezra's still form. "Get him out of here." He told his son.
***
Buck was walking behind Ezra and he noticed how his shoulders had slumped and his step had slowed. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let him out of Nathan's room. Ezra had lost a lot of blood and his fever hadn't improved. He was also beginning to worry about what Chris would say if he found out. Buck was seriously regretting his decision to allow Ezra to leave, even if it was only for a short period of time. He was about to quicken his step to catch up to Ezra when someone grabbed Ezra and dragged him into the alley. Buck ran in after them but was stopped by a man who was blocking the entrance. He instantly recognised him as one of the Morrow boys and he held a large hunting knife in his right hand.
"Make a move and he's a dead man." Alex warned Buck.
Buck looked over his shoulder to see Ezra being slammed against the wall and a knife placed against his throat. He could see the pain that was etched on Ezra's face turning his handsome features into a mask of pain. He felt his own stomach turn at thought of what they might do to Ezra, he wanted to pull his own gun but knew that the knife that was pressed against Ezra's throat would be quicker. He turned to the man in front of him as he saw him move towards him. Buck expected to feel the pain of the knife as it cut into his flesh but he only felt the air being forced from his lungs as the man's fist slammed into his stomach. Buck collapsed to the ground and watched as Ezra's skull hit the wall with a sickening force and as he then fell to the ground in a heap. Buck could see Ezra's face, which was now slack, and his body unmoving.
Buck watched helplessly as they dragged Ezra's unconscious form away and then looked up into the eyes of the man who stood over him with the large knife still in his hand. "If you hurt Ezra again you and the rest of your family are dead. Starting with the one in the jail." Buck growled up at him but he knew that the one watching over him had the upper hand.
"And if you harm my brother your friend will be delivered back to you in a worse condition than he is in now. We want to see Joseph tomorrow at ten o'clock, one hour west of town. Got it!" and with that Alex hit Buck again this time knocking him unconscious, he then left to follow his father.
Buck woke up a short time later to the sound of someone's voice calling him. He groaned as he realised it was Chris's voice. He then felt hands grab him and he shook them off in anger.
"Buck you okay?" Vin asked.
"What happened Buck, what are you doing out here." Chris wanted to know but quickly forgot about Buck when he heard the gunshot that came from Nathan's room. He made to get up and leave Buck where he was but he felt himself being pulled back down.
"Chris that's just JD doing what I asked him to do." Buck muttered as he waited for the anger to explode from Chris.
"What do you mean told him to do?" Chris held back until Buck confirmed what he was now afraid of.
"I told him if we weren't back in fifteen minutes to fire his gun."
"And when you say we you mean Ezra?" Vin asked. He couldn't believe Buck had been so stupid as to allow Ezra to leave Nathan's room.
"He wanted to go to the bathroom." Buck would not look at either of them. He would see the anger in their faces but they would not be anywhere near as angry as he was at himself for what he did.
"What the hell do you think you were doing?" Chris yelled at him.
Buck didn't answer him, the guilt was becoming overwhelming. He felt himself being dragged up and pushed towards Nathan's room. All Buck could think of was what they might be doing to Ezra right now. He had seen the pain on his face as he was thrown against the wall and wished to God that it was all he was going to feel. He would do anything at that moment to change places with him. He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard JD's voice.
"Where's Ezra? What happened? Buck are you okay?" JD knew that when the fifteen minutes were up and they hadn't returned something had happened. He had hoped that Ezra had only gotten away from Buck but he couldn't take the chance that it was something else that went wrong.
"Buck's fine but they got Ezra." Chris explained as they entered the clinic.
"They got Ezra. Then let's get after them." JD picked his hat up off the small table near the door and turned to the others when he realised they were not following him.
"Did they have anything to say Buck?" Chris asked him. The anger was still showing in both his voice and body language. He kept himself at a distance from Buck.
"They want an exchange. The one in the jail for Ezra. Ten o'clock tomorrow morning, west of town."
"And how did they manage to get him?" Chris wanted to stay angry, he didn't want the fear that he felt for Ezra to take control.
"He was walking in front of me, I went after them but one of them was blocking the alley. They already had a knife against Ezra's throat; there was nothing I could do." Chris could hear the guilt in Buck's voice.
"It could have happened to any of us Buck." Vin told him.
"It didn't, it happened to me and why?" Buck answered his own question before they could. "Because I trust him more than any of you would, that's why he was able to trick me into letting him out."
"That's not true Buck and you know it." Chris growled at him.
"Yes it is Chris. You would trust him with your life but that's all." Buck accused him. "None of you would trust him with anything else."
Before Chris could continue the argument, Josiah and Nathan ran into the room with their guns drawn. Nathan saw the empty bed while Josiah noticed the worry and anger on the faces of the others. "Where's Ezra?" Nathan wanted to know.
"Morrow's got him. They want an exchange." Vin informed him.
Nathan quickly looked JD, Buck and Casey over. "You guys okay? Were any of you hurt? Did they hurt Ezra when they took him?"
Casey listened as they asked their questions. She could tell that they were worried and concerned for Ezra. She just didn't realise that they felt this strongly about him.
"Buck allowed Ezra to leave the room. That's when they got him." Chris answered him.
"Did they hurt him at all Buck?" Nathan was not concerned about how they got him at this moment; he was more worried about Ezra. The two wounds that he had received the day before had not even begun to heal and his fever was still bad. Nathan knew that if he was hurt any further and they did not get to him in time then Ezra was going to be in serious trouble.
"They knocked him out by hitting his head against the wall." Buck muttered as he remembered the pain on Ezra's face.
The room was silent for a few minutes, each man with his own thoughts until it was broken by Chris. "There's nothing we can do until tomorrow." The others nodded as they knew that they would not be able find which way they headed in the dark.
"Why can't we look for him?" JD wanted to know. "If they want to meet us at the west side of town why don't we look there?"
"They may not have gone that way JD. We will just have to wait until morning and hope that Ezra is going to be okay." Chris didn't sound confident though. If Morrow and cut Ezra just for the fun of it then there was no guarantee, that he wouldn't do it again.
***
The first thing that Ezra felt was the stabbing pain in his side and in the back of his head but he immediately forgot about that though when he remembered what happened to Buck. All he could think of was what he was told when they threatened Casey. 'We will leave them somewhere where they won't be found straight away, that they way they would die a slow agonising death.' Ezra began to struggle against whatever it was that was holding him. He felt a fist slam into his kidney and he grunted in pain.
"Stay still or next time it won't be my fist." Someone warned him.
Ezra waited a moment for the new pain to ease. He opened his eyes but all he could see was the ground moving beneath him. He realised that he was on a horse. Ezra tried to use his voice but found that he couldn't even breathe through is mouth. They had put a gag in his mouth. He tried to move first his hands then his feet without the person who was riding in the saddle seeing him. The ropes were tight so he would not be able to get himself free before they stopped.
As Ezra became more alert, the pain became worse. He could feel it with each step that the horse took, the pain ripping through his side each time the horse moved. He knew that the stitches had been torn again as he could feel Nathan's shirt pulling against his side causing him even more pain. He was grateful at least that it was a warm night or he would be freezing by now. He felt a shiver go through him, which made him eat his words.
Ezra had lost track of time due to the pain and the memory of Buck clouding his mind. He finally felt the horse stop beneath him and then the hands as they untied him from the horse. He was then pulled off and he prepared himself for the pain as he knew they would not stop him from falling to the ground. His landed on his back, the air being forced from his lungs and he started to struggle for breath but it was limited due to the gag in his mouth. Hands quickly removed the gag and he lay there gasping for breath. But he wasn't given the chance to recover as hands pulled him to his feet; he felt the dizziness that threatened to take him. He was then half dragged to a tree where he was thrown down against it. His hands were then tied behind his back and before the person left him, alone they kicked him in the ribs and he fell to his side, his teeth clenched against the cry of pain that wanted to escape from his mouth. He heard the laughter as the man walked away.
After what seemed like an eternity, Ezra was able to find his voice. "What did you do to my friend?" He yelled at them. He needed to know if Buck was alive or dead. He didn't care if it caused him more pain as the physical pain would be nowhere near as bad as the emotional pain that he was feeling. He was terrified that Buck was dead.
Ezra couldn't make out the man in the darkness that surrounded the area they were in but he could hear the footsteps as they came towards. He saw the figure lean down before him and felt the man's hand as he grabbed him roughly by the jaw and turned his face towards him. Ezra tried to get away from the man's grip but he couldn't.
"You seem to have a fever." Morrow commented. "You’re hot and sweating." Morrow let go of Ezra's face and wiped his hand against Ezra's shirt making sure that he rubbed against the knife wound in his side. He felt Ezra tense up and heard the groan that he voiced. He knew that Ezra was trying hard not to show the pain that he felt.
"Your friend is dead." He said simply and waited for Ezra's reaction.
Ezra had heard the words but he refused to believe him but he there was no reason for the man to lie. He saw Morrow's son stab Buck, he had seen him go down but that was all. If they found him quickly then he might still be alive, he had to hope. That was what his mind was telling him but his heart made him think otherwise. His heart knew that Buck was dead. The knife was large, there was no way he could survive if that knife was plunge into his stomach and it had been. Ezra had seen it happen.
Ezra suddenly became angry and lashed out with his feet. He kicked Morrow squarely in the side, cracking one of his ribs. Morrow cried out in surprise but quickly recovered and slammed his fist against Ezra's jaw. After Ezra fell unconscious to the ground, Morrow kicked him in his injured side. He then brought the heel of his boot down with all his weight behind it and broke two of Ezra's ribs. Once the anger had left him, he walked away from Ezra. He wasn't going to underestimate the gambler again.
"Alex!" Morrow came back to the camp. "That gambler kicked me. Think he broke one of my ribs." Morrow felt his sons hands help him sit down and then felt the pain as he examined his side.
"He cracked one." Alex informed him. "How come he was able to do that to you?"
"I underestimated him. Don't worry I won't do it again." Morrow growled.
"You want me to go and take care of him?" Alex wanted to kill Ezra there and then.
"Already did." Morrow smiled at the enjoyment he had taken when he hurt the gambler. "We'll kill him tomorrow when we are getting Joseph back."
With the morning sunrise there came a lot of pain for Ezra. He tried to lift his arm over his eyes to protect them from the light that caused flashes of pain to tear through his skull but he quickly dropped his arm as the pain erupted in his side. He opened his eyes and quickly closed them again. After a few minutes he tried again, the pain easing as the sun shone down on him. He realised how cold he felt even in its warmth. He lifted his head and fought against the nausea that he felt. He looked around him and saw Morrow watching him. Ezra's eyes did not stay on him though as they continued to take in his surroundings. He saw the other three Morrow boys still sleeping. He recognised the area that he was in and knew that they were only an hour from town.
He saw Morrow rise and walk towards him. Ezra smiled at the grimace on Morrow's face as he bent down towards Ezra but the smile was taken from his face when Morrow slapped him with an open palm. The smile returned to Ezra's face. Morrow began to think that he was crazy. "That smile won't last long. Your friends will be here soon with my son. Well except for the one that Alex killed."
"They're not going to let you get away, you know that don't you." Ezra growled through clenched teeth.
"They are not going to have much of a chance as they will be too busy saving your life to worry about us." It was
Morrow's turn to smile at Ezra's confusion. "Were going to kill you so you can join your friend in the hereafter."
Ezra did not say anything as Morrow got up and went to wake up his sons. He was confused as to what the last statement meant. But it did tell him one thing though and that was that they were not going to kill anyone else. But Buck's death was enough. If he hadn't conned Buck into letting him leave he wouldn't have died. Ezra hoped that his death would come quick as he knew he wouldn't be able to live with another death on his conscious, especially Buck's. If he had to do something to make them kill him then that's what he would do.
***
The six hired lawmen did not need to wake up as none of them had slept as they were too concerned about Ezra. They each worried about if he was still alive or not. They had also noticed how quiet Nathan was and this seemed to confirm their fears. Buck was full of guilt and no one was able to convince him that he shouldn't be blaming himself for what happened. But he wasn't buying any of it. They were all now gathered within the saloon watching the time as if passed slowly. Inez had brought them breakfast and coffee but no one ate. They sat in silence as the minutes ticked past. They planned to leave town within the hour so they would be at the meeting place on time. JD and Josiah had made sure that the horses were saddled and waiting for them.
"Time to go." Chris announced as he rose from his chair.
"We'll go and get the prisoner." Vin said as he tugged Josiah's shirt. Chris nodded in acknowledgement.
They waited outside of the saloon for Vin and Josiah to bring the prisoner. Chris could see the smug smile on the man's as he crossed the main street with the two lawmen on either side of him. Chris wanted to wipe that smile off his face with his fist but he used words instead.
"I wouldn't be so happy about it if I was you as you will be coming back and so will your family. And if we have to bring them back slung over a horse we will." Chris smiled coldly at the look of fear on the man's face. "Every single one of them are dead if they have hurt our friend. Do you understand that?" The man nodded.
They got on their horses and rode out of town headed west. They were dreading seeing Ezra and the condition that he may be in. They hoped against hope that he was alright.
***
"Hey get up." Morrow nudged Ezra in the side and heard him groan. "I said get up!" He kicked him harder and Ezra's eyes flew open as his left arm wrapped itself around his waist. "Your friends are going to be here soon with my son and we have to be ready." He lifted Ezra up and had to call one of his son's to help him as he struggled to keep Ezra on his feet. They dragged him out into the open and allowed him to fall back to the ground. They then waited for the lawmen to arrive.
"Here they come." Alex informed his father.
Morrow looked into the distance and saw the lawmen that his son had already noticed. He nodded to Alex who then lifted Ezra and held him against his chest. He took the knife that his father gave him and pressed it against Ezra's throat and waited as the figures grew larger. They would be here within minutes.
Ezra could feel himself being held up, the arm wrapped around his chest. He could feel the pain as it grew in his side both from the knife wound and the broken ribs. He could also feel the knife as it was pressed into his throat and knew that if he struggled the knife would cut into him. He watched to as the riders drew closer and became confused as he saw seven horses. After a few minutes, he was able to make out the figures and saw that one of them was Buck. A wave of relief washed over him and he couldn't help but smile.
"Seems that your friend isn't dead after all." Commented Morrow. He turned to look at Ezra and saw the smile on his face. His fist hit Ezra's uninjured side and it caused Ezra's knees to buckle. He let out a small cry of pain as he felt the knife cut into his throat. Alex realised what happened and quickly withdrew the knife before it did anymore damage.
"Hold him up." His father told him.
Alex did as he was told and lifted Ezra again. He placed the knife back against his throat and heard his prisoner's quick intake of breath. Alex looked towards the riders and he could see that his brother Joseph was one of them. He could also see the looks on the faces of the others and knew that if his father's plan did not work then they were all dead men. Well if that was the case then the man he was holding would also die.
The seven horses came to a stop in front of them. Morrow stepped forward. "Drop your guns on the ground and then get off your horses." He told the lawmen.
No one moved for a moment. They saw the condition that Ezra was in and they knew that it was not good. Each one of them took in the pained expression on Ezra's face, the sweat soaked hair that clung to his scalp, the blood that now covered most of the left side of Nathan's shirt. They could see Alex struggling to hold Ezra up, which meant that he was not able to stand on his own.
"I said drop your guns." He waited as the lawmen still hesitated. He stepped back to stand next to Ezra and with a quick flick of his wrist, he cut deeply into Ezra's right upper arm. "Drop your guns!" He demanded again.
Ezra had felt the pain flash in his arm and struggled to stop the pain from showing. He didn't want his friends to do what this man demanded of them.
"Alright, just leave him alone." Chris yelled at him. Chris could see that Ezra was in pain but was trying not to show it.
They had no choice but to do what they were told. They would not sit here and watch as this man used his knife on Ezra. Each man dropped their guns onto the ground and then dismounted from their horses. Chris moved to Joseph and dragged him off the horse. He stepped forward with him.
"You may as well give yourselves up now as we will not let you go." Chris warned him.
"Yes you will, you see if you don't your friend here will bleed to death." Morrow smiled.
"If you harm Ezra again I will break your son's neck." Chris confirmed his intentions by forcing Joseph in front of him and he wrapped one arm around his throat and placed his other arm around his head.
"Are you willing to carry out your threat as I am willing to carry out mine?" Morrow stepped in front of Ezra and looked him in the eyes. "Are you ready to die gambler as it seems your friends are not going to do what we asked?" Morrow placed his knife against Ezra's chest and he turned to face Chris. "Well." But he didn't wait for an answer; he plunged the knife into Ezra's chest and then withdrew it quickly.
Ezra's knees buckled as the pain exploded in his chest. Alex had removed the knife from his throat so he was able to look down in disbelief and saw the blood as it flowed from the knife wound in his chest. He looked up at his friends believing that it would be the last time he would see them. They also had a look of disbelief on their faces. He heard
Chris call his name before the darkness took him.
Chris was not sure if he would carry out his threat, not while Ezra was still alive so he waited. He heard Morrow ask Ezra if he was ready to die and was about to say something to him but he froze when he saw the knife enter Ezra's chest.
"EZRA!" Chris screamed. He heard the others mutter curses and they began to go for their guns. None of these men were going to live now that Ezra was dead. He saw the blood flowing from Ezra's chest. He was about to carry out his own threat when Morrow's voice stopped him.
"He's not dead yet." He stepped forward and placed the bloodied knife in front of his eyes and then looked at Chris.
"You see with my experience I know where to use the knife so the victim is not killed instantly. I know where the vital organs are and I know how deep to go." He smiled at the hope that came over Chris and the other lawmen's faces. "I didn't hit anything vital but if the bleeding is not stopped he will bleed to death." He then took on a serious tone. "Now hand over my son."
"Chris do it please." Nathan told him. He could see the amount of blood that now covered his shirt that Ezra was wearing and knew that if they didn't help him quickly he would die in front of them.
Chris looked again at Ezra, he was still being held up but his head was hanging against his chest so he was not able to see his face but he could see the blood that had dried on the back of his head. He made a decision and hoped that he wasn't going to regret it. He pushed his prisoner towards the man that had stabbed Ezra.
Morrow took hold of his son and stepped backwards. "Now get on your horses and ride back the way you came for ten minutes and then you can come back for your friend."
"No." Chris told him.
"If you don't go then we will take him with us and then he will die." Morrow retorted.
Chris moved his hand around his back feeling the gun that was tucked into the back of his pants. The others took note of this and prepared themselves. Chris could see that the man was struggling to hold Ezra up. They all took a step towards the Morrows.
"Then leave because if you don't we will kill all of you." Chris smiled coldly. "And leave Ezra behind."
Chris waited for his opportunity as did the others. Morrow began to walk backwards and so did Alex but he struggled to take Ezra with him, which was exactly what Chris wanted. Alex had only taken three steps when Ezra fell from his grip and before he could react Chris's bullet hit him between the eyes. As he did this, the others bent down and pick up their guns. Morrow was about to throw his knife at Ezra when Buck's bullet hit him in the shoulder knocking him to the ground.
Joseph fell to his knees next to his father. He struggled to get his hands free so he could help him. He turned to his two remaining brothers but they had given up. "Don't just stand there, kill them." He yelled at them. Buck ran towards him and used the butt of his gun to shut him up. He watched as Josiah and Vin ran passed him to take care of the other two. Buck then took the knife from Morrow and joined the others at Ezra's still form.
As soon as Chris had fired his gun, Nathan pulled his bag from his horse and ran straight to Ezra's side. He used his knife to cut the rope from Ezra's hands and then rolled him onto his back and felt for a pulse. It was there but it was also weak. He tore the shirt open and saw the knife wound. Morrow had done what he said. Nathan knew that it was not a serious injury if he could stop the blood flow. He pulled the shirt off Ezra, rolled it up and pressed it against the wound in Ezra's chest. He put all his weight onto it, the pain causing Ezra to moan but he stayed unconscious.
"Chris, get some bandages out of my bag and do the same with his side. It's still bleeding. Buck you take care of the one on his arm." He watched as they both applied pressure to Ezra's wounds and they stayed that way hoping that the bleeding would stop.
Buck removed his bandage first and then wrapped another one tightly around the wound. He then placed his hand on Ezra's forehead feeling the heat that his fever continued to generate and he waited for Nathan and Chris. His heart had turned to ice when he realised that Morrow had stabbed Ezra in the chest, he couldn't believe. He had gone for his gun but then heard Morrow's words and hoped that he had spoken the truth. He now knew that he did but he was still worried that Ezra was still going to die. He looked down as Chris removed the pressure from Ezra's side. The blood flow hadn't stopped so he applied more pressure. Nathan lifted his shirt, the flow had slowed but it hadn't stopped either. He leant back down on the wound. It was another ten minutes before blood finally stopped flowing from his chest wound.
"Okay, let’s wrap these wounds up tightly and get him back to town." Nathan told them.
Once they had done that, it was decided that it would again be Josiah who would carry Ezra. Once they had placed, Ezra against Josiah Nathan told him to place his hand against Ezra's chest wound and apply as much pressure as he could on the way back to town so the wound would not start bleeding again.
Vin and JD tied the prisoners to their horses and headed back to town. Once the others made sure that Ezra was comfortable, they followed them. They rode as quickly as they could but it still took them more than an hour to get there. Once they arrived back, they quickly took Ezra up to Nathan's room. Nathan took care of the wound in Ezra's chest first and after he had cleaned and stitched it, he then turned to the one in his side. As he cleaned it, Ezra moaned and moved away from his touch. Nathan then felt the ribs move under his touch and informed the other members of the group who had stayed that two of his ribs were broken. Once he took care of the remaining knife wounds he wrapped his ribs and then looked at the head wound that he had received. The wound looked more serious than it was but he knew that Ezra would have a slight concussion. When he had finished he placed a blanket over Ezra and then felt his forehead. His fever was still high.
"He's lost a lot of blood, his fever is still high and he will have a slight concussion. He's going to need plenty of rest so I suggest that you all leave and come back later." Nathan knew that they would ignore that last command but he had to try anyway. "Well at least find yourself a spot and stay quiet."
Vin and JD joined them a short time later and also found themselves somewhere to wait. "We told the Judge what happened, he's going to stop by later and see how Ezra's doing." Vin informed Chris.
Ezra had a bad night. His fever raged through his body and it caused violent tremors to pull at his stitches but they managed to stay in place. Each member of the group took turns to sit close to him and wipe the sweat from his face and hold him down until the tremors subsided. He mumbled in his delirious state but they couldn't understand what he was saying but Chris was sure that he heard the word mother mentioned quite a few times. By the morning, they were all exhausted as they hadn't slept the night before either. Ezra had finally calmed down and Nathan checked his fever and informed then that it had broken but he still did not wake up. Ezra slept for another three days.
They continued to take turns staying with him, each showing their concern as he was not able to refuse it in the state that he was in. They worried as he hardly moved in his sleep but Nathan told them that it was a heavy sleep in which his body was healing and they would just have to wait until he woke up. The Judge had also visited to make sure that Ezra was okay and he was glad to hear that he was. He asked Nathan when he would be able to testify in court as he would wait until that time to hold the trial. He agreed to the two weeks.
Ezra woke on the fourth day and was very confused as to what happened. Nathan and Chris were sitting with him at the time and they explained what had happened over the last four days. They talked to him for a while and when Nathan used his hand to make sure that the fever had not returned his pushed his hand away from him.
"Ezra I just need to check you to make sure that your fever hasn't returned."
"You can't fool me Nathan. It's just another way for you to show your concern." The word concern held a lot of sarcasm.
"It's not pity Ezra." Nathan said angrily.
Ezra just nodded his head. He watched as Chris got up and came towards the bed. "Ezra we're not going to go through this again, not now anyway. When you are better and back on your feet then we will argue with you." Chris smiled at him so Ezra would not see what he was feeling inside. Things hadn't changed at all. Ezra still considered it to be pity that they were showing him. If only he knew what they had all been feeling over the last four days but as he just told Ezra, he wasn't going to go into it now. "I am going to go and ask Inez to make you something to eat." He tipped his hat to Ezra and left the room.
***
"What's the message that you want to send?" The man asked him.
"Ezra needs you urgently. Please hurry. Regards Chris Larabee." Chris told him.
"Is Mr Standish alright. I thought that he was going to be okay?" The man asked.
"Ezra is fine but he's mother is going to be in a lot of trouble when she gets here." Chris growled and then left the telegraph office.
The End
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
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