azombiewrites (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
azombiewrites) wrote2010-07-01 02:47 pm
azombiewrites) wrote2010-07-01 02:47 pm
The Magnificent Seven Fic - 'The Betrayal' - 9/11
Title: The Betrayal
Rating: PG
Warnings: Strong Language, violence and drug use.
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
AU: ATF
Main Characters: Ezra, and the rest.
Summary: Team Seven believe that Ezra Standish has betrayed them.
Disclaimers: The guys are owned by CBS, MGM, Trilogy Entertainment Group, and The Mirisch Corp.
Notes: Lenny Hoskins is my creation. I don't have any medical knowledge- forgive any mistakes.
Spoilers: None
Status: Complete
Total Word Count: 96,713
Ezra spent the first day in the spare bedroom, only seeing Lenny, JD and Nathan when they sat with him or brought him food, he spent the more peaceful hours going over what Nathan and JD had told him. Nathan's admittance of not trusting him and not being surprised by what he had done had shocked him at first. It was something that he hadn't understood. But the more he thought about it the more he came to realise that he had never given the man a reason to trust him, he had run out on his first mission, being disillusioned with the job and the people he worked with. He was given a second chance after he came back, no, he was no longer surprised that Nathan and Chris didn't trust him, they had a reason not to and he had given them that reason on a platter. He knew he had proven himself on more than one occasion since then but it must have been hard for them to forget that first operation. Maybe now they would. And maybe in some way he wanted to be accepted back into the group and was finding excuses to make it easier for himself to accept what they were going to tell him. He let out a deep breath and continued with his travelling thoughts.
He smiled at the thought of JD looking up to him, no one had ever done that before, Lenny always thought of him as an equal and treated him as such. JD had thought of him as being someone he could learn from and took everything that the agent told him at face value, the young man had hung onto his every word and trusted him with his life, he had given him an unconditional friendship which Ezra had unknowingly accepted. He finally realised that a friendship had existed between the two of them, he knew it would never grow into the type of friendship he had with Lenny, and Buck would be that person in JD's life. JD had told him that he had believed what happened but had wanted to help him, it was only when he saw the physical evidence that he reacted, he had caused him to become disillusioned just as others had done to himself. He couldn't blame JD either.
'Aw hell, I'm going to give in to those two aren't I.' He thought to himself.
His thoughts then moved to the conversation that he'd had with the others, what Buck had told him gave him the impression that he wasn't willing to try and explain to him why he had physically assaulted him in the holding cell. The older agent was still angry at him for some reason but he didn't know why. He pushed Buck aside and went over what Josiah and Vin had said in the kitchen, they had wanted him to take partial blame for what happened, he wasn't willing to do that, he had done nothing wrong, only his job, and until they accepted the blame for their own reactions there would be nothing they could say that would allow him to accept their apologies.
And then there was Chris, he hadn't said anything yet but he knew that he wanted to, he was just biding his time waiting for the right moment, he was the one that had to put in the most effort in gaining his forgiveness and he was the one that was going to be hardest to forgive. Since when had he decided to forgive him, Ezra blamed it on his weakened state but knew it wasn't true. Every time he looked into those blue eyes he could see the guilt and remorse that the man felt, he didn't hide it from him and those emotions were as strong as the hatred and anger he had seen during the days he spent in the interview room. Chris had done what he could when it came to hurting him emotionally and physically and succeed on both accounts. Yes it was going to be very hard to forgive him for what he had done.
Ezra finally drifted off to sleep; the thoughts still rambling in his mind, Lenny looked on from his position in his chair. He knew that his friend was thinking about what was to come and didn't disturb his thoughts. They were always able to have a comfortable silence between them. He was able to tell by the peaceful expression that stayed on his face that he was willing to listen. If his face grimaced or frowned then it would have been a different matter.
________________________________________
Ezra spent the next two days moving around the cabin, he now had enough strength to actually lift his feet; he no longer dragged them along the ground, relying on his socks to ease the burden of his weak body's efforts to walk. He was aware of the scrutinising gazes that followed him around the cabin, some of them he accepted, others he glared back at, even causing them to flinch back from his angry stare. But the person who watched him the most wasn't Lenny, it was Chris Larabee, he followed Ezra's every move and he didn't like the attention at all, he would have approached him on the subject but knew the man would use it as an opportunity to talk to him and he wasn't ready to listen, he still needed some more time. But he wasn't going to get it.
Ezra was sitting on one of the couches, his head resting on the back, his eyes closed, he didn't move when he felt someone sit down next to him, he could tell by the new heaviness in the air that it was Chris. He waited for the explanation to begin but instead he was asked a question which surprised him.
"Ezra do you hate me for what I did?" Chris asked him after he sat down on the couch. Ezra hadn't acknowledged his arrival but he knew the southerner was awake.
"Why would I hate you?" Ezra lifted his head and opened his eyes, he didn't look at the man who sat next to him, and he wasn't willing to look at the emotions that he knew Chris wouldn't be hiding. "All you did was beat me, treat me like a piece of shit that wasn't worth standing on and believed I was capable of selling information."
"You’re cover was good Ezra, you thought of everything."
"You think I should also be taking the blame like Vin and Josiah do?" He looked into the fire place, the burnt embers reminding him of the ruined friendship that Chris was trying to repair. You couldn't relight something that was already destroyed. You had to start with something fresh.
"No, none of it was your fault." Chris followed his gaze. "Your cover was good, it always is."
There was a short silence before Chris continued, he thought that Ezra would have left the room by now, what he had said so far was his own test, the fact that Ezra hadn't left proved to him that he was willing to listen to what he had to say, whether he would accept what he was about to tell him was something else.
"Do you remember the day you ran out on us during our first operation?" He watched as Ezra nodded but he still didn't leave. "Then you remember how I gave you a second chance?"
"Yes I do." Ezra replied.
"I thought you threw that chance back in my face, I even thought you spat on it first and then the way you were acting during those days in the ATF rooms it felt as though you were rubbing it in my face." Chris continued to watch Ezra, he couldn't see any emotions crossing his face, and he was keeping his poker face firmly in place.
"But I realised that it wasn't the real reason why I reacted, it was just what I told myself so I could accept what I did." He finally looked into the green eyes that turned towards him. "I didn't want to listen to the real reason, didn't think that I actually cared about what happened to you."
Ezra turned away again, the emotions in Chris's eyes were too much for him to handle.
"I lost Sarah and Adam in a way that I couldn't prevent from happening, I didn't see it coming and I've always blamed myself for their deaths." Chris changed his position and sat sideways on the couch, much like JD had done a few days before. "When I found out what was happening to you . . .”
"It was a cover, it wasn't happening to me." Ezra tried to get angry so he could keep himself from being hurt anymore.
"We didn't know that Ezra." He waited for a response but Ezra stayed silent. "When I found out what was happening it was like going through what happened to Sarah and Adam . . .”
"You've got to be joking!" Ezra turned back towards him. "I'm not family remember, what was happening to me," he lifted his hands and curled both forefingers, "isn't the same, you wouldn't have felt the same way. My death would be a relief to you. Theirs was and still is torture. It's nothing like what happened to them so don't even compare me to people you loved."
"Ezra would you at least give me a chance to explain, you can say what you want when I'm finished." When Ezra didn't answer he began to play with the shoe lace on his boot. "I'm not talking about their deaths, I'm talking about not being able to prevent what was happening to you, you brought those feelings of guilt back and I didn't want to blame myself for something like that happening again, it felt like I was losing another family member." He ignored Ezra's laugh, he knew it was hard for him to listen. "I cared about what happened to you Ezra. I just wouldn't admit it to myself. I know it's not the same way I feel about Buck, there's no denying that but I do care in my own way like I'm sure you do. Ezra I was angry at what you were doing to yourself not what you were doing to us. I thought you were slowly killing yourself and there was nothing I could do to prevent it just like I couldn't prevent my first family from being killed."
"You could have offered some sort of help, I wasn't dead!" Ezra retorted.
"I don't know why I didn't, I know you needed it. When I saw you in your apartment on the day we found out you quit, my first thought was that you were seriously ill but then that smart mouth of yours started and my anger took over like it always did and it grew from there."
"You were angry before you even forced your way into my home." Ezra reminded him.
"I thought you had run out on me again but in a different way." Chris admitted.
"Now you have three reasons." Ezra allowed the sarcasm to sound in his voice.
"Only one, the first and third are more or less the same and they don't count." Chris leaned forward trying to look at Ezra's face. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say Ezra?"
"Yes I do! You first thought I was throwing my second chance back in your face, then you thought I ran out on you again, then you realised that none of that was really true." Ezra turned to him causing Chris to lean back. "But then you had a revelation that you may actually care about what happens to me and you couldn't prevent what was happening like you couldn't prevent your wife and son's deaths. You’re angry at me because I was making you feel guilty again." Ezra stood up and glared down at the man before him. "Well I'm sorry Chris, it wasn't my intention to make you feel guilty, and I was trying to catch a man who wanted to kill you!"
Chris sighed heavily, this wasn't going well at all, he looked over his shoulder and looked at Lenny, they had come to a compromise, Lenny would be present but Ezra wouldn't know he was there. He didn't like the smug look on the agent's face, it was a look that said, 'I told you so.'
"Ezra . . .” Chris began but it was too late, Ezra was angry, he wasn't going to get anywhere with him in this state.
"None of what you just said explains why you beat me while my hands were bound, why you threw me against a wall, why you refused to allow me to eat, or kept the pain killers from me, or the way you grabbed my side to stop me talking! You even threatened to kill me!" Ezra was practically yelling at him now. "I don't care what you felt, whether it was guilt, anger or even hatred, what you did to me wasn't right, I didn't deserve it! You would never have treated a murderer the way you treated me! How could you ever expect me to understand or forgive your reaction?"
"Ezra!" Chris stood up followed Ezra into the middle of the room.
"What!?" Ezra turned to face him. "You found another reason to add to the growing list!"
Ezra turned away from him but Chris grabbed his arm, pulling him back to face him.
"Larabee! Don't!" Lenny warned him and quickly moved towards the two men.
Chris didn't have a chance to find out what he didn't want him to do, he had spun Ezra around and was shocked by the look in his eyes, it was pure anger and hatred and he instantly knew what Ezra was talking about when he spoke of seeing their hatred. He stepped back from him.
Ezra seeing his chance also took a step back, giving himself more room, he turned onto his right foot then brought his left leg up, his body leaning sideways to keep his balance, the heel of his boot slammed against Chris's jaw, he spun again, this time his boot knocked the leader to the ground, he was unconscious before his body hit the floor.
"EZRA!" Lenny pushed him away from Chris, he knew he wouldn't continue to hit the fallen man but he did need to gain control of himself. "Calm down!"
"I'm calm!" Ezra growled at him, he was watching the others as they surrounded Chris.
Lenny pushed him towards the spare room, leaving the others to take care of Larabee. He slammed the door behind him then pushed his friend onto the bed.
"What the hell was that about?"
"You know exactly what it was about. You were listening all the time." Ezra growled up at him. "I'm not stupid Lenny so stop treating me like I am."
"I'm sorry Ezra." He sat down on the bed next to him. "I didn't think that you would listen if I was there."
"I need you to be there Lenny. I can't do this on my own!"
"I won't do it again Ezra." He put his arm around Ezra's shoulders and pulled him closer, giving him a brotherly hug.
"Don't leave me alone with any of them Lenny." Ezra rested his head against his friend's shoulder.
"I won't Ezra, you have my word."
________________________________________
"Help me get him onto the couch." Nathan nodded to Josiah.
Together they lifted Chris and carried him to couch and carefully laid him down, his knees were drawn up so he could fit. Nathan prodded his jaw then checked his pupils for a concussion. He knew that Ezra had hit him pretty hard, hit, he actually kicked him, he had never seen Ezra do that before, he had never known that the southerner knew martial arts; it wasn't even in his personal folder. They had all checked it after he first arrived and joined the group.
"There's no dislocation, fracture or concussion, Ezra just knocked him out." Nathan smiled, he didn't think anyone could knock Chris to the ground in a matter of seconds.
"Did you guys see that?" JD held back his excitement until he knew Chris was going to be okay. "Ezra kicked him, did you see it? He was just like Jackie Chan. I never knew Ezra did martial arts. What did you think it was Buck? Judo? Karate? Kung Fu?"
"He was pretty angry wasn't he?" Buck ignored JD's excessive banter.
"Yeah he was and he has every right to be." Nathan agreed.
"How are we supposed to ask for his forgiveness when he's that angry?" Josiah asked the group.
"I have no idea." Chris muttered.
"Chris?" Nathan pushed him back down.
"What hit me?" Chris opened his eyes and looked up at Nathan's concerned face.
"Not hit, kicked and it was Ezra." Vin told him.
"I got him that mad?" Chris grimaced at the pain his speech was causing to his jaw. "Usually it's the other way around."
"You should be glad he didn't do more damage." Lenny told him as he left the spare room, closing the door behind him. He walked towards the couch that Chris was not sitting on. "You okay?"
"I'm fine." Chris answered.
"I told you he was capable of beating the shit out of you or any of the others. Maybe next time you'll be more careful."
"Yeah I will." Chris leaned back. "What did he do?"
"Tae Kwon-Do. He's got a black belt, took lessons when he was a kid to help defend himself against the numerous relatives and students that constantly tried to beat him." Lenny gave them a piece of Ezra's past.
"What's he doing now?" Chris asked him.
"Believe it or not he's sleeping." Lenny smiled and sat down on one of the other couches. "Chris, I just promised Ezra that I wouldn't leave him alone with any of you again. I'd appreciate it if you could help me keep that promise."
"Sure, everyone will help you keep it and that's an order." Chris looked around at the group of men.
He was about to say something else but the sound of a car engine stopped him, all eyes turned towards the bay window.
________________________________________
It had taken Collins nearly a week to find the right kind of men who were willing to risk their lives to take down one ATF agent and anyone else who tried to protect him. He offered them a lot of money but he knew that not all of them would survive the attempt to kill a Federal Agent. He had only managed to find four men but he couldn't wait any longer, he had almost been caught the day before. He needed to take care of Standish, once he had done that he would find a way to get out of Denver.
The four wheel drive had driven past the outskirts of town where Collins had given up the chase when he had followed Larabee out of town nearly a week ago. He had known where they were going, he was aware of Larabee's cabin and its location, a lot of agents were. And now they were nearly there, he could taste the revenge he was after. The car pulled up to a stop and two of the men got out.
"Head up around the back of the cabin, the car engine will distract them and will probably bring at least three of them outside. Remember Standish is the priority, I want him dead!" Collins ordered them.
The two men, one larger than the other by two inches nodded then separated as each one ran into the woods. Collin's slapped the driver's shoulder, indicating for him to drive on. He got down on the floor in front of the back seat so he wouldn't be seen.
________________________________________
JD rushed back into the main room with two bullet proof jackets and flannel shirts to cover them. Vin took one and Chris was about to take the other but Hoskins snatched it from his hands.
"You're not going anywhere, you just regained consciousness, and you’ll just get yourself killed." Lenny growled at him while Nathan helped him put the jacket and shirt on. He pulled the gun from his waist band and checked it then he clipped off the safety switch.
"Be careful." Chris succumbed to the knowledge that Lenny was right.
"You ready Tanner!" Lenny didn't wait for an answer. He headed straight for the door. He turned to see Vin right behind him. He saw the nod that said he was ready.
"It's clear." Josiah informed them from the bay window.
Lenny opened the door and stepped out, he held his gun out at the ready and when a shot wasn't aimed in his direction he lowered the gun. There was nothing to indicate the car on its way up to the house was hostile but they couldn't take the chance. He walked down the steps with Tanner following him. He turned his head to the side and stood still.
"The car's stopped." He waited a few seconds. "Now it's going again."
"To let someone out you think?" Vin asked him.
Lenny knew it wasn't a question, he was testing him. "Yeah I agree." He moved towards Nathan's car and nodded in the direction of Chris's.
Vin silently agreed and stepped closer to the dodge, they might need cover to protect themselves from the bullets that would try and kill them. They only had to wait a few seconds before a black four wheel drive rounded the bend and head towards them. Vin could make out two men in the front, one of them looked to be about fifty years old and the driver was at least twenty years his junior. The car came to a halt and both men stepped out of the car.
________________________________________
"Nathan, go and wake Ezra, I don't want him asleep if something goes down." Chris told him while he watched Hoskins and Vin walk out the front door.
Nathan rushed into the spare room to find Ezra sleeping on his stomach, half of his peaceful countenance hidden in the pillow. He pulled the covers back and placed both hands on the inert form's shoulders. He shook them hard; he needed to wake him quickly.
"Ezra!" He leant down and yelled into his ear.
Ezra jerked awake at the sound, he blinked the momentary confusion out of his eyes and twisted his head to look behind him at the person who dared wake him.
"Someone's coming. Get up!" Nathan pulled him from his bed and began to drag Ezra out of the room.
Ezra saw four armed men at the two bay windows. "Where's Lenny!" He demanded.
"He's out there with Vin." Chris nodded to the outside world.
Ezra was kneeling down next to Chris in a matter of seconds, he watched as Lenny and Vin made their way down the steps and then separate and take up positions on either side of the cars.
________________________________________
Lenny first looked at the hands that were hidden behind the backs of the two men who exited the car, he pulled his gun up level with his shoulder but before he could turn sideways to make himself a smaller target four bullets slammed into his chest, the bullet proof jacket being the only thing that protected him against death, he was thrown back against the wooden posts that lined the stairs, the back of his head slammed against one of the posts and he crumpled to the ground in an unconscious heap.
Vin realised there must have been a third person in the car because the two men who stood beside the car didn't fire a gun. He ducked behind the dodge and waited. He didn't have to wait long. Both men showed their hidden hands, both carried automatic weapons. Vin fired and swore when the bullets didn't take them down. They too were wearing bullet proof jackets. He took a deep breath and then showed himself, he didn't hesitate, his gun fired and he shot the man on the right, his bullet finding the target in the centre of the eyes. He ducked again as a spray of bullets shattered the dodge's windscreen.
He heard more weapons firing and knew they were coming from inside the house. He could also hear Ezra's voice. Vin knelt down and looked under the car; he saw two bodies lying on the ground and another running from the car. He ran after the fleeing assassin.
________________________________________
Ezra saw the two men get out of the four wheel drive, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, he looked at Lenny, saw him raise his gun then heard the gun shots that were fired from the car and watched in horror as his long time friend was gunned down before his very eyes and there was nothing he was able to do to stop it.
"LENNY!" Ezra screamed and scrambled for the door on hands and knees. "LENNY!"
Josiah managed to tackle him before he got to the door that would take him out into danger. "Ezra!"
"LET GO OF ME!" Ezra struggled in his grip.
"Ezra! He was wearing a jacket!" But he couldn't get through to him.
"Oh God, Lenny!" Ezra tried to free himself from Josiah's arms while the tears fell from his eyes.
"LENNY!"
Ezra began to kick out with his feet but someone jumped on them to stop his struggles. Other hands forced him onto his back and someone took his face in their large caring hands.
"He's not dead Ezra!" Nathan looked into terrified green eyes. "Lenny's wearing a bullet proof jacket."
"What?" Ezra gasped. He had heard the words but his tortured mind didn't believe them.
"He's wearing a jacket, the bullets hit his chest. The worst thing that could be wrong with him is a broken rib." Nathan explained to him, he saw the understanding in Ezra's eyes but the fear was still there. He had thought his friend was dead.
"But he didn't get up!" Ezra again tried to get to his friend.
"Stay here Ezra!" Nathan ordered him. "Josiah and I will go and get him."
Josiah began to stand up and saw the metal steel that began to protrude from around the corner of the kitchen's opening. "Kitchen!" He yelled then fell back onto Ezra's still struggling form to protect him from a bullet.
Chris, Buck and JD both turned at the sound of Josiah's voice and threw themselves in front of the couches. The bullets they expected to rain down on them didn't happen. Chris lifted his head to look over the couch and one single bullet fired, striking the couch inches from his face. He ducked back down again.
"Shit." He looked at the others, they were boxed in, and if they headed for the door they would be gunned down. They were trapped. "Where the hell is Vin!?"
________________________________________
Lenny's first coherent thought was that he was dead, but then he felt the pain and realised he wasn't. God he hurt. He lay where he was for a moment and listened to the quiet. He was about to get up when a single gunshot fired from within the house.
"Ezra!" He struggled to get to his knees, he looked around, his unfocused eyes managed to make out the two forms that lay on the ground in front of the jeep. He looked under the cars to see if Vin was lying on the other side but he didn't see him. He stood up and swayed for a moment; he shook his head and regretted it, the small movement almost made him collapse again. Lenny lifted his head and saw that the front door was still intact and one panel in each of the bay windows were broken. 'The back door.' he thought as he picked up the gun that had fallen to the ground beside him. It was another movement he regretted.
He moved to the side of the cabin and made his way to the corner. He slowly peaked around and expected the sound of another gunshot, the one that would end his life but his eyes saw an empty porch. He kept his back close to the wall and made his way quietly up the stairs. He reached the door without being heard. He could hear a voice coming from inside and he waited to determine which side of the kitchen it was coming from. He was unaware that there were two men inside.
________________________________________
"Send out Standish and the rest of you might live." The larger gunman yelled out.
"We keep Standish and you might live." Chris retorted. He would rather die than hand Ezra over to these men.
"Chris." Ezra didn't want them to die protecting him.
"No Ezra." Chris turned back towards the kitchen. "Well?"
"We have the upper hand here. If you don't give him to us then you'll all die. Are you ready for that?" The man argued.
"Yes we are." Chris answered without hesitation. "Are you ready to die trying to get him?"
"The money is worth the risk."
________________________________________
That was enough for Lenny, he made himself known by standing in the doorway and placed a bullet in each leg of the man who was standing at the opening that led into the living room, Lenny wasn't the type to shoot a man in the back. The larger man fell to the kitchen floor withering in pain. Lenny saw the movement from the other side of the kitchen and heard a gunshot but it didn't come from the man in front of him, it came from the man behind him. A fifth bullet slammed into the Federal Agent's back, it caused him to fly head first into the kitchen, the momentum saving his life. The second man fired a split second later, the bullet entering the space that Lenny's skull had just vacated.
"Aw hell." Lenny groaned in pain, his voice joining that of the other man.
He felt someone grab the back of his shirt and drag him to his feet, it was a struggle for the smaller man but he managed to get Lenny in front on him and push him into the living room.
"Turn Standish over or this man is dead. Did you hear that? Are you willing to risk his life?" The smaller man yelled to anyone who would listen.
"Alright!" Chris looked over the couch, he had expected to see Vin but instead saw Hoskins, the man was barely keeping himself upright, and his handsome face was contorted in pain. He hoped to god that Nathan and Josiah kept Ezra behind the couch; if he saw Lenny they wouldn't be able to stop him from giving himself up. There was no way in hell that he would allow Lenny to die for him.
________________________________________
Vin caught a glimpse of the man he was chasing, he knew who it was immediately, and it was Collins. He saw the change of direction he was taking. He was heading back towards the cabin. Vin turned sooner hoping to catch him before he got there but he was seconds too late. He looked up ahead when he heard two gunshots, he saw Lenny standing in the doorway. Vin felt the relief hit him, he was glad the man was alright. He heard another gunshot and saw the agent fall once more. Vin looked for the man who fired the shot.
"ATF put the gun down." He yelled at the man in front of him, he didn't want to kill him. He wanted the man to stand trial for the attempted murder of Ezra Standish. But it wasn't to be.
________________________________________
Collins thought the two men he had hired were keeping Tanner occupied, he had taken care of Hoskins himself. He listened to the gunshots and hoped some of them had taken Tanner down as well but when the silence echoed through the still air he had known they hadn't. Why did he have to keep hiring such incompetents? He turned and headed back towards the cabin to make sure that at least the other two were doing their jobs. He stopped when he saw an agent standing in the doorway of the back door. He didn't take notice of who it was. If he had he would have aimed higher. He heard the man's gun fire twice then fired his own gun and smiled when he saw the man go down. But the smile dropped from his face when he heard Tanner's voice behind him. He wasn't going to go to jail. He spun on his heel thinking he was quicker than the man he was going to face but he wasn't. Tanner's bullet entered his forehead and ended his life.
Vin moved forward, he took the gun from the dead man's hand and stealthy moved towards the back of the cabin. He didn't know how many men there were so he had to be careful. If they had all been taken care of then one of the others would have come out by now. He tiptoed up the stairs and stopped outside the back door; he quickly poked his head around the corner then withdrew it again. He only had a second's view of the situation but saw all he needed to. There was only one man left standing, another was lying on the floor bleeding from two gunshot wounds to his legs.
The quiet ex-bounty hunter stepped into the kitchen, his sneakers not making a noise on the tiled floor. He managed to get close enough to the man in front of him.
"Let him go or I'll kill you!" Vin's voice was calm but cold, the threat heavy in his tone.
The man was shocked, he was told that this would be an easy job but it hadn't been and now he was on verge of death. He had to decide if he wanted to live in jail or die. He lifted his hands in surrender, his gun swinging on a bent thumb.
"Turn around and move away from him." Vin had his gun aimed at a point between the man's eyes. "Now put in down carefully then step to the right."
Once Vin knew it was safe he called out to Chris. "I've got him, the area is secure!" He waited and was presented with Buck and JD's faces, neither of them were hurt. He helped them take care of the two men while the others took care of Lenny.
________________________________________
Josiah and Nathan kept a firm hold on Ezra stopping him from going anywhere. The voice of the man in the kitchen told them that he had a hostage and it would either be Vin or Lenny. It was only a matter of seconds after the man spoke that they heard another gunshot from outside the cabin. It was a distraction for all of them. Ezra managed to get his head high enough to see his friend standing in the doorway with a gun pressed against his temple. He was about to yell out to him but a hand was clamped over his mouth and he was pulled back into Josiah's grip. He struggled in the larger man's embrace but couldn't escape his arms.
Chris looked across at Ezra, his could see the terror in his eyes and there wasn't anything he could do to ease his fear. He berated himself for putting Ezra in such a vulnerable position both physically and emotionally, he had promised him he would never hurt him again and here he was doing it. Chris was about to stand up when he heard Vin's voice echo out from the kitchen. He could have kissed him he was so relieved to hear him and then when he called out the area was secure, he almost collapsed with relief. Ezra didn't have to be hurt again. He nodded to Buck and JD to go in.
"Hold on to him for a few more minutes Josiah, just to make sure." He followed the others into the kitchen. When he saw that it was alright, he called back over his shoulder to let Ezra go. The words hadn't even finished being spoken when Ezra ran past him to Lenny who was holding himself up against the wall.
"Lenny!" Ezra called out to him when he reached him. "Damn it Lenny, will you answer me!"
"I'm fine Ezra." Lenny muttered through the pain in his chest and head. He couldn't focus on his friend. He felt his body begin to sag and collapsed into Ezra's arms and his weight took the younger man to the floor with him.
"NATHAN!" Ezra yelled out, he was still terrified. He saw the pain in Lenny's unfocused eyes. He could feel his unmoving weight on his own body.
"I'm here Ezra." Nathan and Josiah gently lifted Lenny off Ezra. "Take Lenny into the spare room Josiah, I'll be there in minute."
"Now Nathan!" Ezra growled at him.
"I need to get the first aid kit Ezra." Nathan told him, his tone calm because he knew what Ezra was going through.
Ezra nodded, his face apologetic then he turned and followed Josiah to the spare room.
Josiah laid Lenny down on the bed and began to remove the shirt that covered the bullet prove jacket, but smaller hands tried to push him away.
"I'll do it!" Ezra squeezed himself between the bed and Josiah. He took over after the taller man finally moved away. Ezra sat on the bed and tried to lift the heavy body, but because his own still lacked its full strength his body shook with the effort.
"Let me help you Ezra." Josiah lifted Lenny into a sitting position when Ezra didn't protest against his offer of help.
Ezra removed the shirt and bullet proof jacket off with Josiah's help then pulled the loose t-shirt over Lenny's head. Ezra swore at the large red areas that covered his friend's chest.
"Ezra." Nathan's voice caused Ezra pull his eyes away from the sight before him. He stood up and let Nathan do his job.
Nathan pressed against the ribs in Lenny's chest while Ezra paced a small area of the room behind him. The ex-medic was relieved to find that none of his ribs had been damaged. He expertly checked the rest of his limbs then used his fingers to check his skull; he found a large lump on the back of his skull. The unbroken skin told him that there would be a possible concussion. He felt his pulse to find it strong and steady, and then lifted the eyelids to look for uneven pupils but found them to be fine also. His breathing was also fine.
"He's alright Ezra. He's ribs aren't damaged in anyway but there will be a few very painful bruises. There's a lump on the back of his head but I don't see any complications coming from that." Nathan explained to him. He pulled Lenny's shoes off then covered him with the bed covers. "He'll just need some rest."
Ezra couldn't say anything, his teeth were rattling, he couldn't stop shaking, and the fear hadn't left him. He felt his legs buckle and he began dropped to the floor but Josiah's strong arms caught him.
"Ezra." Josiah's concerned voice called to him, Ezra registered who the voice belong to and tried to push him away. He felt another person's hands and heard Nathan's soft voice. He moved towards him away from Josiah.
"What's wrong Ezra?" Nathan allowed Ezra to move close to him, he turned his head in his hands and looked into the green eyes that stared back at him.
"I'm fine . . . just give me a minute." Ezra's voice shook.
"Josiah!" Nathan nodded towards the door and waited for him to leave.
"Ezra?" Nathan asked him again.
"I was scared Nathan, I've never been so scared before in my life." Ezra whispered.
"I'm sorry Ezra. I wish none of this ever happened." He was surprised when Ezra allowed him to put his arm around him but it only lasted a few seconds then he pushed him away.
"I'm sorry, I'm okay now." Ezra forced himself to stand up, his legs only managing to hold him in an upright position. He quickly moved towards the chair and sat down before he fell down.
"Are you sure Ezra?" Nathan stepped closer to the chair and put his hand on his shoulder.
"No. Oh God! I thought he was dead Nathan!"
"But he isn't Ezra, he's fine." Nathan turned when he heard the door open, he looked back down and saw Ezra's poker face. 'Damn.' He thought to himself.
Chris stepped into the room and knew by the angry look on Nathan's face that he had disturbed them. Ezra must have been talking to him and his entrance put a stop to it.
"How is he?" Chris looked down at Lenny then at Ezra. He wasn't sure who was paler.
"Lenny's going to be fine. A bump on the head and some bruises." Nathan explained.
"Who hit me?" Lenny asked, his voice was full of pain.
Ezra was on the bed in an instant. "Lenny?" Ezra didn't give him a chance to answer. "Lenny?"
"I heard you the first time Ezra." He growled. "I hurt all over."
Ezra turned to Nathan. "He never could handle pain."
"Chris, can you get some water and a packet of Tylenol please." When Chris left the room he pulled
Ezra from the bed and sat him in the chair. He took his place then leant over the patient. He just hoped he wasn't as bad as Ezra in that respect. "How many fingers do you see?" He lifted two.
Lenny squeezed his eyes until they were nearly closed then proudly announce two.
"You got a bad bump on the head Lenny and you’re going to have some bad bruising on your chest but apart from that your fine. You’re going to have to stay in bed for a while and get some rest."
"I'm not going anywhere, not in this pain." He turned his head and looked at Ezra's pale features.
"And Ezra?"
"You scared the life out of him Lenny." Nathan informed him.
"I'm sorry Ezra." His face was full of concern.
"It's okay Lenny. I did the same to you a month ago." Ezra smiled, he was alright.
"Come here." Lenny put his hand out and took Ezra's hand when he sat back down, he could see the fear that was still in Ezra's eyes now that he was closer. "I don't hurt that much, just want some sympathy; you've been getting it all lately." He gripped Ezra's hand with a firmer hold. "I'm fine Ezra. Really."
Ezra nodded and tried to smile at him to show him that he was also fine but he couldn't manage it, he wasn't able to get rid of the emotions he was feeling, the fear of seeing Lenny gunned down still tore through his soul.
"Is everyone okay?" Lenny asked Nathan.
"Everyone’s fine." Chris answered as he walked back into the room. "Josiah's talking to Judge Travis now. He's going to send some men up to take what's left of those guys back." He handed the Tylenol to Nathan who removed four from the packet.
Nathan sat Lenny up and gave him the pills then the water he took from Chris. He held him up for a few minutes to make sure the pills were swallowed and that nothing was going to come back up. He laid him down and returned the covers to their previous position.
"Get some sleep Lenny." Nathan ordered him.
Lenny nodded and closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep with his hand still firmly gripping Ezra's.
"Ezra, you can stay with him for a while but I want you to try and get some rest later. Okay?" Nathan informed him. H he saw the slight nod and knew Ezra wasn't going to do what he asked. He sighed and gestured to Chris to leave and he followed him out.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Part Ten
Master Fan Fiction List
Rating: PG
Warnings: Strong Language, violence and drug use.
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
AU: ATF
Main Characters: Ezra, and the rest.
Summary: Team Seven believe that Ezra Standish has betrayed them.
Disclaimers: The guys are owned by CBS, MGM, Trilogy Entertainment Group, and The Mirisch Corp.
Notes: Lenny Hoskins is my creation. I don't have any medical knowledge- forgive any mistakes.
Spoilers: None
Status: Complete
Total Word Count: 96,713
Ezra spent the first day in the spare bedroom, only seeing Lenny, JD and Nathan when they sat with him or brought him food, he spent the more peaceful hours going over what Nathan and JD had told him. Nathan's admittance of not trusting him and not being surprised by what he had done had shocked him at first. It was something that he hadn't understood. But the more he thought about it the more he came to realise that he had never given the man a reason to trust him, he had run out on his first mission, being disillusioned with the job and the people he worked with. He was given a second chance after he came back, no, he was no longer surprised that Nathan and Chris didn't trust him, they had a reason not to and he had given them that reason on a platter. He knew he had proven himself on more than one occasion since then but it must have been hard for them to forget that first operation. Maybe now they would. And maybe in some way he wanted to be accepted back into the group and was finding excuses to make it easier for himself to accept what they were going to tell him. He let out a deep breath and continued with his travelling thoughts.
He smiled at the thought of JD looking up to him, no one had ever done that before, Lenny always thought of him as an equal and treated him as such. JD had thought of him as being someone he could learn from and took everything that the agent told him at face value, the young man had hung onto his every word and trusted him with his life, he had given him an unconditional friendship which Ezra had unknowingly accepted. He finally realised that a friendship had existed between the two of them, he knew it would never grow into the type of friendship he had with Lenny, and Buck would be that person in JD's life. JD had told him that he had believed what happened but had wanted to help him, it was only when he saw the physical evidence that he reacted, he had caused him to become disillusioned just as others had done to himself. He couldn't blame JD either.
'Aw hell, I'm going to give in to those two aren't I.' He thought to himself.
His thoughts then moved to the conversation that he'd had with the others, what Buck had told him gave him the impression that he wasn't willing to try and explain to him why he had physically assaulted him in the holding cell. The older agent was still angry at him for some reason but he didn't know why. He pushed Buck aside and went over what Josiah and Vin had said in the kitchen, they had wanted him to take partial blame for what happened, he wasn't willing to do that, he had done nothing wrong, only his job, and until they accepted the blame for their own reactions there would be nothing they could say that would allow him to accept their apologies.
And then there was Chris, he hadn't said anything yet but he knew that he wanted to, he was just biding his time waiting for the right moment, he was the one that had to put in the most effort in gaining his forgiveness and he was the one that was going to be hardest to forgive. Since when had he decided to forgive him, Ezra blamed it on his weakened state but knew it wasn't true. Every time he looked into those blue eyes he could see the guilt and remorse that the man felt, he didn't hide it from him and those emotions were as strong as the hatred and anger he had seen during the days he spent in the interview room. Chris had done what he could when it came to hurting him emotionally and physically and succeed on both accounts. Yes it was going to be very hard to forgive him for what he had done.
Ezra finally drifted off to sleep; the thoughts still rambling in his mind, Lenny looked on from his position in his chair. He knew that his friend was thinking about what was to come and didn't disturb his thoughts. They were always able to have a comfortable silence between them. He was able to tell by the peaceful expression that stayed on his face that he was willing to listen. If his face grimaced or frowned then it would have been a different matter.
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Ezra spent the next two days moving around the cabin, he now had enough strength to actually lift his feet; he no longer dragged them along the ground, relying on his socks to ease the burden of his weak body's efforts to walk. He was aware of the scrutinising gazes that followed him around the cabin, some of them he accepted, others he glared back at, even causing them to flinch back from his angry stare. But the person who watched him the most wasn't Lenny, it was Chris Larabee, he followed Ezra's every move and he didn't like the attention at all, he would have approached him on the subject but knew the man would use it as an opportunity to talk to him and he wasn't ready to listen, he still needed some more time. But he wasn't going to get it.
Ezra was sitting on one of the couches, his head resting on the back, his eyes closed, he didn't move when he felt someone sit down next to him, he could tell by the new heaviness in the air that it was Chris. He waited for the explanation to begin but instead he was asked a question which surprised him.
"Ezra do you hate me for what I did?" Chris asked him after he sat down on the couch. Ezra hadn't acknowledged his arrival but he knew the southerner was awake.
"Why would I hate you?" Ezra lifted his head and opened his eyes, he didn't look at the man who sat next to him, and he wasn't willing to look at the emotions that he knew Chris wouldn't be hiding. "All you did was beat me, treat me like a piece of shit that wasn't worth standing on and believed I was capable of selling information."
"You’re cover was good Ezra, you thought of everything."
"You think I should also be taking the blame like Vin and Josiah do?" He looked into the fire place, the burnt embers reminding him of the ruined friendship that Chris was trying to repair. You couldn't relight something that was already destroyed. You had to start with something fresh.
"No, none of it was your fault." Chris followed his gaze. "Your cover was good, it always is."
There was a short silence before Chris continued, he thought that Ezra would have left the room by now, what he had said so far was his own test, the fact that Ezra hadn't left proved to him that he was willing to listen to what he had to say, whether he would accept what he was about to tell him was something else.
"Do you remember the day you ran out on us during our first operation?" He watched as Ezra nodded but he still didn't leave. "Then you remember how I gave you a second chance?"
"Yes I do." Ezra replied.
"I thought you threw that chance back in my face, I even thought you spat on it first and then the way you were acting during those days in the ATF rooms it felt as though you were rubbing it in my face." Chris continued to watch Ezra, he couldn't see any emotions crossing his face, and he was keeping his poker face firmly in place.
"But I realised that it wasn't the real reason why I reacted, it was just what I told myself so I could accept what I did." He finally looked into the green eyes that turned towards him. "I didn't want to listen to the real reason, didn't think that I actually cared about what happened to you."
Ezra turned away again, the emotions in Chris's eyes were too much for him to handle.
"I lost Sarah and Adam in a way that I couldn't prevent from happening, I didn't see it coming and I've always blamed myself for their deaths." Chris changed his position and sat sideways on the couch, much like JD had done a few days before. "When I found out what was happening to you . . .”
"It was a cover, it wasn't happening to me." Ezra tried to get angry so he could keep himself from being hurt anymore.
"We didn't know that Ezra." He waited for a response but Ezra stayed silent. "When I found out what was happening it was like going through what happened to Sarah and Adam . . .”
"You've got to be joking!" Ezra turned back towards him. "I'm not family remember, what was happening to me," he lifted his hands and curled both forefingers, "isn't the same, you wouldn't have felt the same way. My death would be a relief to you. Theirs was and still is torture. It's nothing like what happened to them so don't even compare me to people you loved."
"Ezra would you at least give me a chance to explain, you can say what you want when I'm finished." When Ezra didn't answer he began to play with the shoe lace on his boot. "I'm not talking about their deaths, I'm talking about not being able to prevent what was happening to you, you brought those feelings of guilt back and I didn't want to blame myself for something like that happening again, it felt like I was losing another family member." He ignored Ezra's laugh, he knew it was hard for him to listen. "I cared about what happened to you Ezra. I just wouldn't admit it to myself. I know it's not the same way I feel about Buck, there's no denying that but I do care in my own way like I'm sure you do. Ezra I was angry at what you were doing to yourself not what you were doing to us. I thought you were slowly killing yourself and there was nothing I could do to prevent it just like I couldn't prevent my first family from being killed."
"You could have offered some sort of help, I wasn't dead!" Ezra retorted.
"I don't know why I didn't, I know you needed it. When I saw you in your apartment on the day we found out you quit, my first thought was that you were seriously ill but then that smart mouth of yours started and my anger took over like it always did and it grew from there."
"You were angry before you even forced your way into my home." Ezra reminded him.
"I thought you had run out on me again but in a different way." Chris admitted.
"Now you have three reasons." Ezra allowed the sarcasm to sound in his voice.
"Only one, the first and third are more or less the same and they don't count." Chris leaned forward trying to look at Ezra's face. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say Ezra?"
"Yes I do! You first thought I was throwing my second chance back in your face, then you thought I ran out on you again, then you realised that none of that was really true." Ezra turned to him causing Chris to lean back. "But then you had a revelation that you may actually care about what happens to me and you couldn't prevent what was happening like you couldn't prevent your wife and son's deaths. You’re angry at me because I was making you feel guilty again." Ezra stood up and glared down at the man before him. "Well I'm sorry Chris, it wasn't my intention to make you feel guilty, and I was trying to catch a man who wanted to kill you!"
Chris sighed heavily, this wasn't going well at all, he looked over his shoulder and looked at Lenny, they had come to a compromise, Lenny would be present but Ezra wouldn't know he was there. He didn't like the smug look on the agent's face, it was a look that said, 'I told you so.'
"Ezra . . .” Chris began but it was too late, Ezra was angry, he wasn't going to get anywhere with him in this state.
"None of what you just said explains why you beat me while my hands were bound, why you threw me against a wall, why you refused to allow me to eat, or kept the pain killers from me, or the way you grabbed my side to stop me talking! You even threatened to kill me!" Ezra was practically yelling at him now. "I don't care what you felt, whether it was guilt, anger or even hatred, what you did to me wasn't right, I didn't deserve it! You would never have treated a murderer the way you treated me! How could you ever expect me to understand or forgive your reaction?"
"Ezra!" Chris stood up followed Ezra into the middle of the room.
"What!?" Ezra turned to face him. "You found another reason to add to the growing list!"
Ezra turned away from him but Chris grabbed his arm, pulling him back to face him.
"Larabee! Don't!" Lenny warned him and quickly moved towards the two men.
Chris didn't have a chance to find out what he didn't want him to do, he had spun Ezra around and was shocked by the look in his eyes, it was pure anger and hatred and he instantly knew what Ezra was talking about when he spoke of seeing their hatred. He stepped back from him.
Ezra seeing his chance also took a step back, giving himself more room, he turned onto his right foot then brought his left leg up, his body leaning sideways to keep his balance, the heel of his boot slammed against Chris's jaw, he spun again, this time his boot knocked the leader to the ground, he was unconscious before his body hit the floor.
"EZRA!" Lenny pushed him away from Chris, he knew he wouldn't continue to hit the fallen man but he did need to gain control of himself. "Calm down!"
"I'm calm!" Ezra growled at him, he was watching the others as they surrounded Chris.
Lenny pushed him towards the spare room, leaving the others to take care of Larabee. He slammed the door behind him then pushed his friend onto the bed.
"What the hell was that about?"
"You know exactly what it was about. You were listening all the time." Ezra growled up at him. "I'm not stupid Lenny so stop treating me like I am."
"I'm sorry Ezra." He sat down on the bed next to him. "I didn't think that you would listen if I was there."
"I need you to be there Lenny. I can't do this on my own!"
"I won't do it again Ezra." He put his arm around Ezra's shoulders and pulled him closer, giving him a brotherly hug.
"Don't leave me alone with any of them Lenny." Ezra rested his head against his friend's shoulder.
"I won't Ezra, you have my word."
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"Help me get him onto the couch." Nathan nodded to Josiah.
Together they lifted Chris and carried him to couch and carefully laid him down, his knees were drawn up so he could fit. Nathan prodded his jaw then checked his pupils for a concussion. He knew that Ezra had hit him pretty hard, hit, he actually kicked him, he had never seen Ezra do that before, he had never known that the southerner knew martial arts; it wasn't even in his personal folder. They had all checked it after he first arrived and joined the group.
"There's no dislocation, fracture or concussion, Ezra just knocked him out." Nathan smiled, he didn't think anyone could knock Chris to the ground in a matter of seconds.
"Did you guys see that?" JD held back his excitement until he knew Chris was going to be okay. "Ezra kicked him, did you see it? He was just like Jackie Chan. I never knew Ezra did martial arts. What did you think it was Buck? Judo? Karate? Kung Fu?"
"He was pretty angry wasn't he?" Buck ignored JD's excessive banter.
"Yeah he was and he has every right to be." Nathan agreed.
"How are we supposed to ask for his forgiveness when he's that angry?" Josiah asked the group.
"I have no idea." Chris muttered.
"Chris?" Nathan pushed him back down.
"What hit me?" Chris opened his eyes and looked up at Nathan's concerned face.
"Not hit, kicked and it was Ezra." Vin told him.
"I got him that mad?" Chris grimaced at the pain his speech was causing to his jaw. "Usually it's the other way around."
"You should be glad he didn't do more damage." Lenny told him as he left the spare room, closing the door behind him. He walked towards the couch that Chris was not sitting on. "You okay?"
"I'm fine." Chris answered.
"I told you he was capable of beating the shit out of you or any of the others. Maybe next time you'll be more careful."
"Yeah I will." Chris leaned back. "What did he do?"
"Tae Kwon-Do. He's got a black belt, took lessons when he was a kid to help defend himself against the numerous relatives and students that constantly tried to beat him." Lenny gave them a piece of Ezra's past.
"What's he doing now?" Chris asked him.
"Believe it or not he's sleeping." Lenny smiled and sat down on one of the other couches. "Chris, I just promised Ezra that I wouldn't leave him alone with any of you again. I'd appreciate it if you could help me keep that promise."
"Sure, everyone will help you keep it and that's an order." Chris looked around at the group of men.
He was about to say something else but the sound of a car engine stopped him, all eyes turned towards the bay window.
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It had taken Collins nearly a week to find the right kind of men who were willing to risk their lives to take down one ATF agent and anyone else who tried to protect him. He offered them a lot of money but he knew that not all of them would survive the attempt to kill a Federal Agent. He had only managed to find four men but he couldn't wait any longer, he had almost been caught the day before. He needed to take care of Standish, once he had done that he would find a way to get out of Denver.
The four wheel drive had driven past the outskirts of town where Collins had given up the chase when he had followed Larabee out of town nearly a week ago. He had known where they were going, he was aware of Larabee's cabin and its location, a lot of agents were. And now they were nearly there, he could taste the revenge he was after. The car pulled up to a stop and two of the men got out.
"Head up around the back of the cabin, the car engine will distract them and will probably bring at least three of them outside. Remember Standish is the priority, I want him dead!" Collins ordered them.
The two men, one larger than the other by two inches nodded then separated as each one ran into the woods. Collin's slapped the driver's shoulder, indicating for him to drive on. He got down on the floor in front of the back seat so he wouldn't be seen.
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JD rushed back into the main room with two bullet proof jackets and flannel shirts to cover them. Vin took one and Chris was about to take the other but Hoskins snatched it from his hands.
"You're not going anywhere, you just regained consciousness, and you’ll just get yourself killed." Lenny growled at him while Nathan helped him put the jacket and shirt on. He pulled the gun from his waist band and checked it then he clipped off the safety switch.
"Be careful." Chris succumbed to the knowledge that Lenny was right.
"You ready Tanner!" Lenny didn't wait for an answer. He headed straight for the door. He turned to see Vin right behind him. He saw the nod that said he was ready.
"It's clear." Josiah informed them from the bay window.
Lenny opened the door and stepped out, he held his gun out at the ready and when a shot wasn't aimed in his direction he lowered the gun. There was nothing to indicate the car on its way up to the house was hostile but they couldn't take the chance. He walked down the steps with Tanner following him. He turned his head to the side and stood still.
"The car's stopped." He waited a few seconds. "Now it's going again."
"To let someone out you think?" Vin asked him.
Lenny knew it wasn't a question, he was testing him. "Yeah I agree." He moved towards Nathan's car and nodded in the direction of Chris's.
Vin silently agreed and stepped closer to the dodge, they might need cover to protect themselves from the bullets that would try and kill them. They only had to wait a few seconds before a black four wheel drive rounded the bend and head towards them. Vin could make out two men in the front, one of them looked to be about fifty years old and the driver was at least twenty years his junior. The car came to a halt and both men stepped out of the car.
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"Nathan, go and wake Ezra, I don't want him asleep if something goes down." Chris told him while he watched Hoskins and Vin walk out the front door.
Nathan rushed into the spare room to find Ezra sleeping on his stomach, half of his peaceful countenance hidden in the pillow. He pulled the covers back and placed both hands on the inert form's shoulders. He shook them hard; he needed to wake him quickly.
"Ezra!" He leant down and yelled into his ear.
Ezra jerked awake at the sound, he blinked the momentary confusion out of his eyes and twisted his head to look behind him at the person who dared wake him.
"Someone's coming. Get up!" Nathan pulled him from his bed and began to drag Ezra out of the room.
Ezra saw four armed men at the two bay windows. "Where's Lenny!" He demanded.
"He's out there with Vin." Chris nodded to the outside world.
Ezra was kneeling down next to Chris in a matter of seconds, he watched as Lenny and Vin made their way down the steps and then separate and take up positions on either side of the cars.
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Lenny first looked at the hands that were hidden behind the backs of the two men who exited the car, he pulled his gun up level with his shoulder but before he could turn sideways to make himself a smaller target four bullets slammed into his chest, the bullet proof jacket being the only thing that protected him against death, he was thrown back against the wooden posts that lined the stairs, the back of his head slammed against one of the posts and he crumpled to the ground in an unconscious heap.
Vin realised there must have been a third person in the car because the two men who stood beside the car didn't fire a gun. He ducked behind the dodge and waited. He didn't have to wait long. Both men showed their hidden hands, both carried automatic weapons. Vin fired and swore when the bullets didn't take them down. They too were wearing bullet proof jackets. He took a deep breath and then showed himself, he didn't hesitate, his gun fired and he shot the man on the right, his bullet finding the target in the centre of the eyes. He ducked again as a spray of bullets shattered the dodge's windscreen.
He heard more weapons firing and knew they were coming from inside the house. He could also hear Ezra's voice. Vin knelt down and looked under the car; he saw two bodies lying on the ground and another running from the car. He ran after the fleeing assassin.
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Ezra saw the two men get out of the four wheel drive, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, he looked at Lenny, saw him raise his gun then heard the gun shots that were fired from the car and watched in horror as his long time friend was gunned down before his very eyes and there was nothing he was able to do to stop it.
"LENNY!" Ezra screamed and scrambled for the door on hands and knees. "LENNY!"
Josiah managed to tackle him before he got to the door that would take him out into danger. "Ezra!"
"LET GO OF ME!" Ezra struggled in his grip.
"Ezra! He was wearing a jacket!" But he couldn't get through to him.
"Oh God, Lenny!" Ezra tried to free himself from Josiah's arms while the tears fell from his eyes.
"LENNY!"
Ezra began to kick out with his feet but someone jumped on them to stop his struggles. Other hands forced him onto his back and someone took his face in their large caring hands.
"He's not dead Ezra!" Nathan looked into terrified green eyes. "Lenny's wearing a bullet proof jacket."
"What?" Ezra gasped. He had heard the words but his tortured mind didn't believe them.
"He's wearing a jacket, the bullets hit his chest. The worst thing that could be wrong with him is a broken rib." Nathan explained to him, he saw the understanding in Ezra's eyes but the fear was still there. He had thought his friend was dead.
"But he didn't get up!" Ezra again tried to get to his friend.
"Stay here Ezra!" Nathan ordered him. "Josiah and I will go and get him."
Josiah began to stand up and saw the metal steel that began to protrude from around the corner of the kitchen's opening. "Kitchen!" He yelled then fell back onto Ezra's still struggling form to protect him from a bullet.
Chris, Buck and JD both turned at the sound of Josiah's voice and threw themselves in front of the couches. The bullets they expected to rain down on them didn't happen. Chris lifted his head to look over the couch and one single bullet fired, striking the couch inches from his face. He ducked back down again.
"Shit." He looked at the others, they were boxed in, and if they headed for the door they would be gunned down. They were trapped. "Where the hell is Vin!?"
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Lenny's first coherent thought was that he was dead, but then he felt the pain and realised he wasn't. God he hurt. He lay where he was for a moment and listened to the quiet. He was about to get up when a single gunshot fired from within the house.
"Ezra!" He struggled to get to his knees, he looked around, his unfocused eyes managed to make out the two forms that lay on the ground in front of the jeep. He looked under the cars to see if Vin was lying on the other side but he didn't see him. He stood up and swayed for a moment; he shook his head and regretted it, the small movement almost made him collapse again. Lenny lifted his head and saw that the front door was still intact and one panel in each of the bay windows were broken. 'The back door.' he thought as he picked up the gun that had fallen to the ground beside him. It was another movement he regretted.
He moved to the side of the cabin and made his way to the corner. He slowly peaked around and expected the sound of another gunshot, the one that would end his life but his eyes saw an empty porch. He kept his back close to the wall and made his way quietly up the stairs. He reached the door without being heard. He could hear a voice coming from inside and he waited to determine which side of the kitchen it was coming from. He was unaware that there were two men inside.
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"Send out Standish and the rest of you might live." The larger gunman yelled out.
"We keep Standish and you might live." Chris retorted. He would rather die than hand Ezra over to these men.
"Chris." Ezra didn't want them to die protecting him.
"No Ezra." Chris turned back towards the kitchen. "Well?"
"We have the upper hand here. If you don't give him to us then you'll all die. Are you ready for that?" The man argued.
"Yes we are." Chris answered without hesitation. "Are you ready to die trying to get him?"
"The money is worth the risk."
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That was enough for Lenny, he made himself known by standing in the doorway and placed a bullet in each leg of the man who was standing at the opening that led into the living room, Lenny wasn't the type to shoot a man in the back. The larger man fell to the kitchen floor withering in pain. Lenny saw the movement from the other side of the kitchen and heard a gunshot but it didn't come from the man in front of him, it came from the man behind him. A fifth bullet slammed into the Federal Agent's back, it caused him to fly head first into the kitchen, the momentum saving his life. The second man fired a split second later, the bullet entering the space that Lenny's skull had just vacated.
"Aw hell." Lenny groaned in pain, his voice joining that of the other man.
He felt someone grab the back of his shirt and drag him to his feet, it was a struggle for the smaller man but he managed to get Lenny in front on him and push him into the living room.
"Turn Standish over or this man is dead. Did you hear that? Are you willing to risk his life?" The smaller man yelled to anyone who would listen.
"Alright!" Chris looked over the couch, he had expected to see Vin but instead saw Hoskins, the man was barely keeping himself upright, and his handsome face was contorted in pain. He hoped to god that Nathan and Josiah kept Ezra behind the couch; if he saw Lenny they wouldn't be able to stop him from giving himself up. There was no way in hell that he would allow Lenny to die for him.
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Vin caught a glimpse of the man he was chasing, he knew who it was immediately, and it was Collins. He saw the change of direction he was taking. He was heading back towards the cabin. Vin turned sooner hoping to catch him before he got there but he was seconds too late. He looked up ahead when he heard two gunshots, he saw Lenny standing in the doorway. Vin felt the relief hit him, he was glad the man was alright. He heard another gunshot and saw the agent fall once more. Vin looked for the man who fired the shot.
"ATF put the gun down." He yelled at the man in front of him, he didn't want to kill him. He wanted the man to stand trial for the attempted murder of Ezra Standish. But it wasn't to be.
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Collins thought the two men he had hired were keeping Tanner occupied, he had taken care of Hoskins himself. He listened to the gunshots and hoped some of them had taken Tanner down as well but when the silence echoed through the still air he had known they hadn't. Why did he have to keep hiring such incompetents? He turned and headed back towards the cabin to make sure that at least the other two were doing their jobs. He stopped when he saw an agent standing in the doorway of the back door. He didn't take notice of who it was. If he had he would have aimed higher. He heard the man's gun fire twice then fired his own gun and smiled when he saw the man go down. But the smile dropped from his face when he heard Tanner's voice behind him. He wasn't going to go to jail. He spun on his heel thinking he was quicker than the man he was going to face but he wasn't. Tanner's bullet entered his forehead and ended his life.
Vin moved forward, he took the gun from the dead man's hand and stealthy moved towards the back of the cabin. He didn't know how many men there were so he had to be careful. If they had all been taken care of then one of the others would have come out by now. He tiptoed up the stairs and stopped outside the back door; he quickly poked his head around the corner then withdrew it again. He only had a second's view of the situation but saw all he needed to. There was only one man left standing, another was lying on the floor bleeding from two gunshot wounds to his legs.
The quiet ex-bounty hunter stepped into the kitchen, his sneakers not making a noise on the tiled floor. He managed to get close enough to the man in front of him.
"Let him go or I'll kill you!" Vin's voice was calm but cold, the threat heavy in his tone.
The man was shocked, he was told that this would be an easy job but it hadn't been and now he was on verge of death. He had to decide if he wanted to live in jail or die. He lifted his hands in surrender, his gun swinging on a bent thumb.
"Turn around and move away from him." Vin had his gun aimed at a point between the man's eyes. "Now put in down carefully then step to the right."
Once Vin knew it was safe he called out to Chris. "I've got him, the area is secure!" He waited and was presented with Buck and JD's faces, neither of them were hurt. He helped them take care of the two men while the others took care of Lenny.
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Josiah and Nathan kept a firm hold on Ezra stopping him from going anywhere. The voice of the man in the kitchen told them that he had a hostage and it would either be Vin or Lenny. It was only a matter of seconds after the man spoke that they heard another gunshot from outside the cabin. It was a distraction for all of them. Ezra managed to get his head high enough to see his friend standing in the doorway with a gun pressed against his temple. He was about to yell out to him but a hand was clamped over his mouth and he was pulled back into Josiah's grip. He struggled in the larger man's embrace but couldn't escape his arms.
Chris looked across at Ezra, his could see the terror in his eyes and there wasn't anything he could do to ease his fear. He berated himself for putting Ezra in such a vulnerable position both physically and emotionally, he had promised him he would never hurt him again and here he was doing it. Chris was about to stand up when he heard Vin's voice echo out from the kitchen. He could have kissed him he was so relieved to hear him and then when he called out the area was secure, he almost collapsed with relief. Ezra didn't have to be hurt again. He nodded to Buck and JD to go in.
"Hold on to him for a few more minutes Josiah, just to make sure." He followed the others into the kitchen. When he saw that it was alright, he called back over his shoulder to let Ezra go. The words hadn't even finished being spoken when Ezra ran past him to Lenny who was holding himself up against the wall.
"Lenny!" Ezra called out to him when he reached him. "Damn it Lenny, will you answer me!"
"I'm fine Ezra." Lenny muttered through the pain in his chest and head. He couldn't focus on his friend. He felt his body begin to sag and collapsed into Ezra's arms and his weight took the younger man to the floor with him.
"NATHAN!" Ezra yelled out, he was still terrified. He saw the pain in Lenny's unfocused eyes. He could feel his unmoving weight on his own body.
"I'm here Ezra." Nathan and Josiah gently lifted Lenny off Ezra. "Take Lenny into the spare room Josiah, I'll be there in minute."
"Now Nathan!" Ezra growled at him.
"I need to get the first aid kit Ezra." Nathan told him, his tone calm because he knew what Ezra was going through.
Ezra nodded, his face apologetic then he turned and followed Josiah to the spare room.
Josiah laid Lenny down on the bed and began to remove the shirt that covered the bullet prove jacket, but smaller hands tried to push him away.
"I'll do it!" Ezra squeezed himself between the bed and Josiah. He took over after the taller man finally moved away. Ezra sat on the bed and tried to lift the heavy body, but because his own still lacked its full strength his body shook with the effort.
"Let me help you Ezra." Josiah lifted Lenny into a sitting position when Ezra didn't protest against his offer of help.
Ezra removed the shirt and bullet proof jacket off with Josiah's help then pulled the loose t-shirt over Lenny's head. Ezra swore at the large red areas that covered his friend's chest.
"Ezra." Nathan's voice caused Ezra pull his eyes away from the sight before him. He stood up and let Nathan do his job.
Nathan pressed against the ribs in Lenny's chest while Ezra paced a small area of the room behind him. The ex-medic was relieved to find that none of his ribs had been damaged. He expertly checked the rest of his limbs then used his fingers to check his skull; he found a large lump on the back of his skull. The unbroken skin told him that there would be a possible concussion. He felt his pulse to find it strong and steady, and then lifted the eyelids to look for uneven pupils but found them to be fine also. His breathing was also fine.
"He's alright Ezra. He's ribs aren't damaged in anyway but there will be a few very painful bruises. There's a lump on the back of his head but I don't see any complications coming from that." Nathan explained to him. He pulled Lenny's shoes off then covered him with the bed covers. "He'll just need some rest."
Ezra couldn't say anything, his teeth were rattling, he couldn't stop shaking, and the fear hadn't left him. He felt his legs buckle and he began dropped to the floor but Josiah's strong arms caught him.
"Ezra." Josiah's concerned voice called to him, Ezra registered who the voice belong to and tried to push him away. He felt another person's hands and heard Nathan's soft voice. He moved towards him away from Josiah.
"What's wrong Ezra?" Nathan allowed Ezra to move close to him, he turned his head in his hands and looked into the green eyes that stared back at him.
"I'm fine . . . just give me a minute." Ezra's voice shook.
"Josiah!" Nathan nodded towards the door and waited for him to leave.
"Ezra?" Nathan asked him again.
"I was scared Nathan, I've never been so scared before in my life." Ezra whispered.
"I'm sorry Ezra. I wish none of this ever happened." He was surprised when Ezra allowed him to put his arm around him but it only lasted a few seconds then he pushed him away.
"I'm sorry, I'm okay now." Ezra forced himself to stand up, his legs only managing to hold him in an upright position. He quickly moved towards the chair and sat down before he fell down.
"Are you sure Ezra?" Nathan stepped closer to the chair and put his hand on his shoulder.
"No. Oh God! I thought he was dead Nathan!"
"But he isn't Ezra, he's fine." Nathan turned when he heard the door open, he looked back down and saw Ezra's poker face. 'Damn.' He thought to himself.
Chris stepped into the room and knew by the angry look on Nathan's face that he had disturbed them. Ezra must have been talking to him and his entrance put a stop to it.
"How is he?" Chris looked down at Lenny then at Ezra. He wasn't sure who was paler.
"Lenny's going to be fine. A bump on the head and some bruises." Nathan explained.
"Who hit me?" Lenny asked, his voice was full of pain.
Ezra was on the bed in an instant. "Lenny?" Ezra didn't give him a chance to answer. "Lenny?"
"I heard you the first time Ezra." He growled. "I hurt all over."
Ezra turned to Nathan. "He never could handle pain."
"Chris, can you get some water and a packet of Tylenol please." When Chris left the room he pulled
Ezra from the bed and sat him in the chair. He took his place then leant over the patient. He just hoped he wasn't as bad as Ezra in that respect. "How many fingers do you see?" He lifted two.
Lenny squeezed his eyes until they were nearly closed then proudly announce two.
"You got a bad bump on the head Lenny and you’re going to have some bad bruising on your chest but apart from that your fine. You’re going to have to stay in bed for a while and get some rest."
"I'm not going anywhere, not in this pain." He turned his head and looked at Ezra's pale features.
"And Ezra?"
"You scared the life out of him Lenny." Nathan informed him.
"I'm sorry Ezra." His face was full of concern.
"It's okay Lenny. I did the same to you a month ago." Ezra smiled, he was alright.
"Come here." Lenny put his hand out and took Ezra's hand when he sat back down, he could see the fear that was still in Ezra's eyes now that he was closer. "I don't hurt that much, just want some sympathy; you've been getting it all lately." He gripped Ezra's hand with a firmer hold. "I'm fine Ezra. Really."
Ezra nodded and tried to smile at him to show him that he was also fine but he couldn't manage it, he wasn't able to get rid of the emotions he was feeling, the fear of seeing Lenny gunned down still tore through his soul.
"Is everyone okay?" Lenny asked Nathan.
"Everyone’s fine." Chris answered as he walked back into the room. "Josiah's talking to Judge Travis now. He's going to send some men up to take what's left of those guys back." He handed the Tylenol to Nathan who removed four from the packet.
Nathan sat Lenny up and gave him the pills then the water he took from Chris. He held him up for a few minutes to make sure the pills were swallowed and that nothing was going to come back up. He laid him down and returned the covers to their previous position.
"Get some sleep Lenny." Nathan ordered him.
Lenny nodded and closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep with his hand still firmly gripping Ezra's.
"Ezra, you can stay with him for a while but I want you to try and get some rest later. Okay?" Nathan informed him. H he saw the slight nod and knew Ezra wasn't going to do what he asked. He sighed and gestured to Chris to leave and he followed him out.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Part Ten
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