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azombiewritesTitle: False Identity
Fifth story in 'The Continuing Ezra Standish Saga'
Rating: PG
Warnings: Bad writing ahead!
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Summary: Ezra suffers from amnesia after an accident and he is found by a group of outlaws who are able to convince him that he is part of the gang.
Main Characters: Ezra, the rest of the seven, and some OC's
Disclaimers: The guys are owned by CBS, MGM, Trilogy Entertainment Group, and The Mirisch Corp.
Beta: Not betaed – written in the early days when I didn’t know what the words grammar and edit meant. *is ashamed*
Notes: Fifth story in the ‘Continuing Ezra Standish Saga’.
Spoilers: None.
Word Count: 13,767
Part One
"Hey Mister, you want to play poker?"
Ezra looked up to see an unruly man standing over him. He couldn’t help but show the disgust that he felt. "No thank you!"
"Aw come on, you look the type." The man sat down next to him allowing his foul breath to disgust Ezra even more.
"I don’t want to play poker with you." Ezra moved to get up so he could get away from the man before he threw up. The man also smelt as bad as his breath did.
"Ain't I good enough to play with?"
Ezra wasn’t in the mood for this. "No you’re not, maybe after a bath perhaps." He moved away to the bar to get another bottle of whisky, he had all intentions of going to his room and getting drunk again. He had been in Falls Hallow for three weeks now. He had gained back some weight and therefore some strength as well but he had gotten nowhere in finding out what he wanted to do. He didn’t know if he wanted to go back to his old ways or return to Four Corners, he wasn’t even sure if they would want him back. He had thought long and hard about the friends he had made and wether he was ready to accept them into his way of life. The other men had no trouble showing him friendship and concern but he wasn’t always able to accept it or return it. He had found it hard after the life that his mother had given him. He was taught to take care of himself and no one else. That he had to look after number one. The others were showing him a side of life that he had never known and he didn’t know if he liked it or not. Josiah had told him to accept the friendship but he found it very hard to do, it wasn’t as easy as Josiah thought it would be for him.
He looked around the saloon wondering why he even stayed in this town, it had many bad elements in it, and Chris would like it though he thought. Now there was a friendship very hard to accept, he knew Chris was very much like himself in a way. He found it hard to trust someone; he eventually did once they proved themselves worthy of his trust. He had accepted the others. He trusted them now. But Ezra thought that at times Chris still didn’t trust him completely. He said that he had trusted him but Ezra knew that he still doubted him.
The man that he had refused to play with came up to the bar next him. "I'm not good enough huh?"
Ezra turned to him. "No!"
The man stepped closer to Ezra who then felt a gun pressing against his side. "Nobody talks to me like that, you think that you’re better than the rest of us do you?" he turned to look around the room and that was his mistake. As he turned away, Ezra quickly pushed away the gun from his side and at the same time pulled his derringer from his right arm harness. The man turned back to look directly into the derringer, he had not even realised what had happened.
"Is there a particular reason that I have to keep repeating myself to you?" The man didn’t answer, he was still shocked that the man whom he thought would apologise to him had turned the tables on him and he was now facing a gun. "Are you deaf perhaps?" The man shook his head no. "Good then. Now go away and leave me alone, and if you come back I’ll kill you." Ezra knew the type, he was trying to show off in front of his friends, it was they who gave him the courage to confront him but with the threat of his life, he knew that the man would now leave him alone.
He left the bar and headed towards his room at the Hotel and as he left, he was watched by a group of men sitting in the corner of the saloon. "Do you think that maybe he would want to join us, he looks like he's good with a gun?" asked Sam.
"He looks like he's a gambler, what would he know about robbing a bank," stated Alex. He looked across at his brother seeing the same blond hair and blue eyes that he had. They had inherited a lot from their mother.
"He looks like he can use a gun and he read that guy pretty well, maybe we can use him. I think we should confront him next time we see him." Sam knew that they needed more men. They only had four now and if they wanted to rob the bank at Four Corners they were going to need more men. They had heard about the hired gunmen that protected the town but they were down to six now as one of them had left. The rumor had been getting around that this had happened and if they chose a time to rob the bank when some of the others were out of town then they would have no trouble taking care of the ones that were left.
"Okay if that's what you want but you’ll be responsible for him if he decides to join us."
Sam smiled. "Sure."
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Ezra was passing an alley when he felt rough hands grab him and pull him into the alley, he tried to get his derringer out but someone had grabbed his right arm and then he was slammed up against the wall. He grimaced at the pain he felt in his back. He couldn’t see their faces clearly, as it was dark but he could smell the same foul breath that he had in the saloon. It was from the man he had refused to play poker with, but he was standing to the side. Someone else was doing his dirty work for him.
"So my friend isn’t good enough to play poker with huh?" Someone asked him.
Ezra was his usual sarcastic self. "No he isn't, he has a foul stench upon his person."
"What did you just say?"
"I said he smells," explained Ezra.
The fist slammed into his stomach, he tried to double over with the pain but their hands kept him upright. He was able to work out from the voices that there were four of them. He had to think of something to get himself out of the situation before they caused any more damage to his person; he'd had enough of that lately. He kicked out in front of him and felt his boot connect with the person's knee and that person fell to the ground screaming in pain. Ezra then pulled forward as the grip slackened from the two that were holding him. They let go of his arms so they could stop themselves from falling. He then hit out with his fist breaking one of the men's noses. But before he could do any more damage, he felt the butt of a gun slam against the back of his skull and he fell to the ground in a heap. The men that had attacked him left him there as they had lost interest after what he had done to them. They thought with the four of them they would be able to handle him but they were wrong. They ran out of the alley leaving Ezra lying in the heap that he had collapsed. And it was there that he lay until he woke up the next morning.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Ezra woke with a groan at the pain that he felt. He opened his eyes and blinked against the light that seemed to make his head feel worse. He looked around; he didn’t know where he was or how he got there. He felt behind his head where he felt the most pain and when he brought it back, he saw blood on it. He got up and walked out into the street. He looked up and down looking for something that was familiar to him. He saw the saloon and all of a sudden felt that he needed a drink. He went inside and went straight for the bar.
The bar tender frowned at him, he could see the blood stain on the man's shirt. "Are you okay Mister?"
"It seems that I have had some sort of accident," answered Ezra.
"What happened?"
"I don't know. I don't seem to remember anything." Ezra took a swig of whisky and grimaced at the taste of it.
"You don't remember what happened?"
"No and nothing else either."
"What do you mean nothing else?" The bartender was beginning to get confused.
Ezra was quite confused himself. "I don't seem to remember who I am," he stated.
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Sam was listening to the conversation between Ezra and the bartender; he had an idea and put it to work. "Cal what the hell happened to you?" He moved up to the bar and stood next to Ezra feeling the back of his skull at the same time.
Ezra winced and moved his head away. "Excuse me?" He raised his eyebrows at the man that was standing before him. He had no idea who he was.
"I said what happened to you, did you get into a fight again or something?" Sam had all intentions of trying to convince Ezra that they knew each other, if he were able to do this then he would join the gang. He knew from the conversation that the man didn’t remember who he was and he had blood on the back of his head. He must have had an accident or some sort and had for some reason lost his memory. 'Well' thought Sam, 'Just makes it easier for me, now we have that extra man we wanted.'
"Do I know you?" Ezra was really confused. He didn’t remember what happened. He didn't even remember his own name and this man had come up to him and called him Cal.
"Course you do were friends, we ride together." Sam put an expression of concern on his face. "Don't you remember me, Cal?"
"No, I don't," answered Ezra.
"Well you should, we've known each other for fifteen years, since we were kids. What's wrong with you, are you playing one of your tricks on me or what?"
"I don't remember you, I don't seem to remember anything," muttered Ezra.
"Come on I'll take you to see Alex, he’ll have a look at you." Sam started to move Ezra towards the saloon doors.
"Who's Alex?" asked Ezra.
"You don't remember him either, jeez, Cal I think that this is serious." He started moving again but Ezra hesitated. "You don't have to worry Cal. Were your friends, we'll take care of you."
Ezra went with him because for some reason he needed the feeling of friendship. He followed Sam to the Hotel. He continued to look around looking for something or someone that he knew but he didn’t see anything that would jog his memory. For the moment, he would have to hope that this man did know him.
They went into the Hotel and up the stairs to a room on the first floor. Sam entered without knocking.
"You sit there Cal and I’ll go and find Alex." Sam kept using the name that he had given him hoping that he would get used to it thinking that it was his own name. He went to look for his brother and found him in his own room. "Alex, I've got that gambling man in my room."
"And what are you doing with him in your room?" He asked. His brother did some stupid things at times and he always had to get him out of difficult situations.
"Something happened to him and he doesn't remember who he is," smiled Sam. "So I told him he was one of us, that we have been friends for years."
"And what did you do that for?" He also had some stupid ideas.
"We can't convince him to join us if he does not know who he is now can we. So why don't you come and have a look at him like I said you would." Alex got up to follow his brother. "Oh and his name is Cal, short for Callum, that's what I told him anyway."
Ezra was sitting on the bed when they came into the room. Sam looked at his brother and watched the master at work. "Cal, Sam tells me that you have been hurt and that you don't remember us." He moved over to the bed and knelt down before Ezra.
"Yes and no." He said looking between the two men. He didn’t want to trust them straight off. They could be lying to him.
"Let me have a look at your head." he got up and felt the back of Ezra's skull feeling the lump and broken skin. "Someone hit you pretty hard. You don't remember how it happened?"
Ezra looked at him with distrust. "No."
"Look Cal, I don't blame you for not trusting us. You don't remember anything and we could be anybody." he took a deep breath and made up some history for Ezra's benefit. "Your name is Callum Laymon, you have been a friend of ours since we were kids, and Sam here is my brother. We’re all part of a gang that includes two others." He saw Ezra frown at this. "I know it's hard to find out that you are part of a gang but you are. We rob banks and you are very good at what you do. You’re lucky Sam found you first before you went to the Sheriff because he would have arrested you."
Ezra looked up at Sam. Maybe he thought. They did seem to know who he was. He decided to go along with them for the time being and see what happens.
"And you also gamble too much, that's what probably got you into this mess in the first place," laughed Alex.
Ezra couldn’t help but smile at that laugh it was somehow comforting as if he knew it. He looked down at his attire. He looked like a gambler.
"Why don't you get some rest, we were intending to leave town in a few hours." Alex gave him a reassuring smile and left the room. Sam followed him. "Go to the stable and see if you can find out which horse is his and also see if he has a room at this hotel. I'll go and explain this to Fred and Peter. I don't know why you do things like this." Sam just smiled and left to do what his brother had asked.
Ezra was left alone in the room. He wanted to believe that they were his friends; they seemed to know him, who he was. But a bank robber. That was something that he wasn’t sure about. As he sat there, he checked his pockets for anything that may tell him who he was. He didn’t find much but what he did find made him think that they were right. There was a pack of cards in his waistcoat pocket, he checked them and found that some of them were marked, he didn't even bother trying to figure out how he knew this but it did mean that he cheated when playing poker. He also found that he carried three guns. One in a shoulder holster, another slung around his hips and a small derringer in his right sleeve. He didn’t think that a law-abiding citizen carried that many guns. He got up, filled a bowl with some water, and began to clean the wound on the back of his head.
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Sam had come, gotten Ezra a couple of hours later, and introduced him to Peter and Fred. They smiled at him knowing the situation and they had agreed to go along with it. They had also agreed that he seemed to know how to handle himself. Sam had found that Ezra did have a room at the Hotel and he gathered his stuff together and then headed to the stable. The stable hand told him that the fancy dressed man rode the horse that was in the second stall.
"Hey Cal, seeing how you don't remember anything maybe we can have a game of poker tonight and win back all that money that you have won from us over the years." Laughed Peter while nudging Ezra in the side. They had gathered out the front of the hotel before heading to the horse stable.
"I wouldn't if I was you Peter," said Fred. "Once he does remember then you will be in a lot of trouble. And it won't be through a poker game when he gets his money back from you." They were all enjoying convincing this man that he was one of them. Ezra was actually beginning to enjoy it himself.
When they got to the livery, Sam pointed out Ezra's horse for him. "He's yours Cal and your bag with your things is in there to. I packed them up for you while you were resting." Ezra went to his horse, which acknowledged him with a nudge to his shoulder. This all convinced Ezra even more that these men were indeed his friends. Once they had saddled their horses, they left town and headed towards Four Corners with the idea of robbing the bank clear in their minds.
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During the three-day trip, that it took them to get to Four Corners Ezra had learnt a lot about himself not knowing that none of it was true. They told him about previous bank robberies, things that he had done people that he had killed, games that he had played and he had begun to believe all of it. He was beginning to like these men and that convinced him even more of who they said he was. They had also begun to like Ezra, his quick wit, his ability with the cards and his guns. They had him try them out just to make sure that he had remembered how to use them. It had come naturally to him as though it was something that was taught into him from the day he was born.
Because he had lost his memory, he no longer had a brick wall built around him, he found it easy to talk to these men about things, about the worry that the memory loss had caused him. But they had reassured him that he was okay, that they would look after him and eventually his memory would come back. And it would be that day that they would have to kill him, unless he agreed to continue to ride with them. Over the period, he had begun to feel close to them. He felt that he had known them for years and they treated him as such. They must have been good friends who took care of each other. And by the time, they reached Four Corners he was ready to trust them with his life and to risk his for them. He would even kill to protect them. He realised that they were like family and people protected their family. Ezra had even started to think and act like them.
They had made camp for the night, they would arrive in Four Corners tomorrow and they needed to make sure that Ezra would be able to handle himself when they got there.
"Cal?"
Ezra looked up. "What's up Sam?"
Sam sat down next to him. "I wanted to talk to you." He stopped for a moment and looked over at his brother who was watching them carefully.
"About what?"
"We know what you’re going through and we decided that if you want to sit this one out then it's fine with us."
"Sit what out?" It took him a second but then it dawned on him. "You don't want me in on the robbery?" Questioned Ezra.
"It's not that. You lost your memory remember and you still haven’t gotten it back, we don't know how you will react once the bullets start flying that's all." He looked at Ezra. "You could get yourself killed or one of us even."
"You don't have to worry about me Sam," smiled Ezra. He now believed that he was a bank robber and he acted like one. "I won't let you down and if you think that I would hesitate in killing someone I won't."
"Are you sure, Cal? We don't want to push you if you’re not."
"I'm sure, Sam. Now go and tell your brother to stop worrying." He nodded towards Alex knowing that he had sent Sam over to make sure that he was all right. 'Just like family.' he thought to himself.
The next morning they broke camp and rode into Four Corners.
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JD sat on the porch watching for anyone riding into town. He still hoped that Ezra would come back. And at the end of each day, he was disappointed that he hadn't. It had been more than three weeks since he left and he had not returned. Buck and Josiah were the only others of the group who hoped that he came back. Chris, Vin and Nathan had somehow gotten used to the idea that he might not come back. Chris was angry about the whole thing and would not talk about Ezra at all. Every time the subject came up he just gave the person who started the conversation a cold look and that person was usually JD.
He looked up to see five men riding into town and he fell off his chair when he recognised one of the riders. "Ezra!" He said aloud. He watched them ride by and noticed that Ezra didn’t even acknowledge him. They rode on to the saloon. He followed them down the street and saw them get off their horses and go in.
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When Ezra and his friends entered the saloon they gave it the once over and then headed to the table that was in the corner of the saloon. Fred went to the bar and ordered a bottle of whiskey and got some glasses then joined the others at the table. Chris, Vin and Buck had looked up at the men who had entered but they were to shocked to say anything but that only lasted a few minutes. They had seen Ezra walk in with some other men. Buck smiled, he knew that Ezra would come back but he was confused as to why he had not come to their table. He saw the anger grow on Chris's face.
"Easy now, Chris, don't go and do something that you're gonna regret," he watched as Chris got up and walked over to Ezra.
"I see you finally decided to show your face here again," growled Chris.
Ezra looked up at him but there was no recognition on his face. Chris was to angry to notice this though. "Excuse me." Ezra asked not knowing who the man was. Sam and Alex put their hands closer to their guns; they knew that he was one of the lawmen of the town and that maybe their new colleague had some trouble here at some time.
"Stand up." Chris stepped back.
"What on earth for?" Ezra smiled. He was beginning to dislike this man.
Chris was getting very angry, Ezra seemed to be acting dumb and he didn't like it one bit. "I said get up." He grabbed Ezra and dragged him up by his left arm only to find himself facing a derringer.
Chris had not expected Ezra to pull a gun on him. He wouldn't dare pull a gun on him but he had.
"And I said what for?" Ezra asked again.
"Now, Ezra, you put that gun down." Buck and Vin had joined them. They were also shocked to see him pull a gun on Chris.
Ezra gave them a look of confusion. "The name is not Ezra." He saw their mouths drop open.
Chris didn’t hear the remark though, he was seeing red. Ezra had not moved the gun when he looked at the others so he didn’t risk anything there and then.
"Cal, put the gun away; we don't want any trouble with these lawmen." Ezra looked to Sam. He put his gun down and placed it back in his sleeve.
Chris let fly then, he hit Ezra as hard as he could. Ezra fell to the floor and watched as the one who had called him Ezra grab the man in black. He got up, rubbed his jaw, and then stood face to face with Chris.
"You, Sir, are going to regret that you did that." Ezra gave him a cold look that actually made Buck and Vin both cringe and for some reason they believed that he would carry out the threat. He then turned and left the saloon with his friends following him. JD was entering the saloon when they left and Ezra knocked him off his feet on his way out the door. Sam and Alex were now wondering how they knew the man they had convinced to join them and would he now be a threat to their plans.
Chris went to go after Ezra but Buck held him back. "Chris, calm down will you, didn’t you hear what Ezra just said."
"All I heard was him smart mouthing me in front of his new friends," he was angry. Ezra had pulled a gun on him and then threatened him and he was going to make him pay for it. His anger had been building up over the last three weeks over the fact that Ezra had left town without a real explanation.
"He said his name wasn’t Ezra."
JD walked into the saloon after picking himself up off the boardwalk. "What was that all about and who are those guys with Ezra?"
Buck continued, ignoring JD. "Now why would he say that his name wasn’t Ezra Chris?"
Chris looked at him. "Maybe we should find out." He went to leave again and this time Vin held him back.
"We'll go and find out. You stay here. You’ll probably just hit him again." Vin and Buck left to go and find out what was going on with Ezra.
They left the saloon and looked down towards the Hotel seeing Ezra going in with the four men that he was with. Ezra was in the lobby of the hotel waiting for Alex to arrange their rooms when Buck and Vin walked in. They headed straight for him ignoring the look that Sam gave them. They sat down across from him.
"Ezra, would you like to tell us what's going on? Are you up to something with these guys? asked Vin.
"Do I know you gentlemen?" He asked them.
Buck and Vin looked at each other. "You don't know us?" Buck was shocked
"No I don't, should I?" Ezra was starting to get irritated by them and it started to show in his voice.
"You work with us, you protect this town." Ezra just continued to look at them. "We’re your friends."
"They’re my friends," he nodded towards Sam and the others who were watching them. They couldn’t hear the conversation though. So they didn’t realise that Ezra/Cal was the lawman who had left Four Corners leaving only six to protect it.
"You don't know us but you know them?" Vin asked
"Yes," he started to get up but Vin grabbed his arm. "Would you let go. I'm not going to continue this conversation, you’re not my friends and I don't understand why you’re saying that you are. And me, protect this town? That seems to be a bit unbelievable to me."
"Ezra, how can we convince you that we’re your friends?" Buck was at a loss for words. He didn't know what to say.
"Your friend at the saloon was convincing enough." Ezra saw the look of confusion that was on their faces. He started to walk away but when he reached Sam, he turned around. "If I was your friend he wouldn’t have treated me the way he did. Friends don't do that." He looked at Sam. "Do they Sam?"
"No they don't, Cal." Alex had gotten the keys to their rooms and they then left Buck and Vin standing in the lobby having absolutely no idea what just happened.
"Cal!" said Buck. "What’s going on here, Vin?"
"I have no idea, Buck. Come on let's go and tell Chris."
Part One | Part Two
Master Fan Fiction List
Fifth story in 'The Continuing Ezra Standish Saga'
Rating: PG
Warnings: Bad writing ahead!
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Summary: Ezra suffers from amnesia after an accident and he is found by a group of outlaws who are able to convince him that he is part of the gang.
Main Characters: Ezra, the rest of the seven, and some OC's
Disclaimers: The guys are owned by CBS, MGM, Trilogy Entertainment Group, and The Mirisch Corp.
Beta: Not betaed – written in the early days when I didn’t know what the words grammar and edit meant. *is ashamed*
Notes: Fifth story in the ‘Continuing Ezra Standish Saga’.
Spoilers: None.
Word Count: 13,767
Part One
"Hey Mister, you want to play poker?"
Ezra looked up to see an unruly man standing over him. He couldn’t help but show the disgust that he felt. "No thank you!"
"Aw come on, you look the type." The man sat down next to him allowing his foul breath to disgust Ezra even more.
"I don’t want to play poker with you." Ezra moved to get up so he could get away from the man before he threw up. The man also smelt as bad as his breath did.
"Ain't I good enough to play with?"
Ezra wasn’t in the mood for this. "No you’re not, maybe after a bath perhaps." He moved away to the bar to get another bottle of whisky, he had all intentions of going to his room and getting drunk again. He had been in Falls Hallow for three weeks now. He had gained back some weight and therefore some strength as well but he had gotten nowhere in finding out what he wanted to do. He didn’t know if he wanted to go back to his old ways or return to Four Corners, he wasn’t even sure if they would want him back. He had thought long and hard about the friends he had made and wether he was ready to accept them into his way of life. The other men had no trouble showing him friendship and concern but he wasn’t always able to accept it or return it. He had found it hard after the life that his mother had given him. He was taught to take care of himself and no one else. That he had to look after number one. The others were showing him a side of life that he had never known and he didn’t know if he liked it or not. Josiah had told him to accept the friendship but he found it very hard to do, it wasn’t as easy as Josiah thought it would be for him.
He looked around the saloon wondering why he even stayed in this town, it had many bad elements in it, and Chris would like it though he thought. Now there was a friendship very hard to accept, he knew Chris was very much like himself in a way. He found it hard to trust someone; he eventually did once they proved themselves worthy of his trust. He had accepted the others. He trusted them now. But Ezra thought that at times Chris still didn’t trust him completely. He said that he had trusted him but Ezra knew that he still doubted him.
The man that he had refused to play with came up to the bar next him. "I'm not good enough huh?"
Ezra turned to him. "No!"
The man stepped closer to Ezra who then felt a gun pressing against his side. "Nobody talks to me like that, you think that you’re better than the rest of us do you?" he turned to look around the room and that was his mistake. As he turned away, Ezra quickly pushed away the gun from his side and at the same time pulled his derringer from his right arm harness. The man turned back to look directly into the derringer, he had not even realised what had happened.
"Is there a particular reason that I have to keep repeating myself to you?" The man didn’t answer, he was still shocked that the man whom he thought would apologise to him had turned the tables on him and he was now facing a gun. "Are you deaf perhaps?" The man shook his head no. "Good then. Now go away and leave me alone, and if you come back I’ll kill you." Ezra knew the type, he was trying to show off in front of his friends, it was they who gave him the courage to confront him but with the threat of his life, he knew that the man would now leave him alone.
He left the bar and headed towards his room at the Hotel and as he left, he was watched by a group of men sitting in the corner of the saloon. "Do you think that maybe he would want to join us, he looks like he's good with a gun?" asked Sam.
"He looks like he's a gambler, what would he know about robbing a bank," stated Alex. He looked across at his brother seeing the same blond hair and blue eyes that he had. They had inherited a lot from their mother.
"He looks like he can use a gun and he read that guy pretty well, maybe we can use him. I think we should confront him next time we see him." Sam knew that they needed more men. They only had four now and if they wanted to rob the bank at Four Corners they were going to need more men. They had heard about the hired gunmen that protected the town but they were down to six now as one of them had left. The rumor had been getting around that this had happened and if they chose a time to rob the bank when some of the others were out of town then they would have no trouble taking care of the ones that were left.
"Okay if that's what you want but you’ll be responsible for him if he decides to join us."
Sam smiled. "Sure."
Ezra was passing an alley when he felt rough hands grab him and pull him into the alley, he tried to get his derringer out but someone had grabbed his right arm and then he was slammed up against the wall. He grimaced at the pain he felt in his back. He couldn’t see their faces clearly, as it was dark but he could smell the same foul breath that he had in the saloon. It was from the man he had refused to play poker with, but he was standing to the side. Someone else was doing his dirty work for him.
"So my friend isn’t good enough to play poker with huh?" Someone asked him.
Ezra was his usual sarcastic self. "No he isn't, he has a foul stench upon his person."
"What did you just say?"
"I said he smells," explained Ezra.
The fist slammed into his stomach, he tried to double over with the pain but their hands kept him upright. He was able to work out from the voices that there were four of them. He had to think of something to get himself out of the situation before they caused any more damage to his person; he'd had enough of that lately. He kicked out in front of him and felt his boot connect with the person's knee and that person fell to the ground screaming in pain. Ezra then pulled forward as the grip slackened from the two that were holding him. They let go of his arms so they could stop themselves from falling. He then hit out with his fist breaking one of the men's noses. But before he could do any more damage, he felt the butt of a gun slam against the back of his skull and he fell to the ground in a heap. The men that had attacked him left him there as they had lost interest after what he had done to them. They thought with the four of them they would be able to handle him but they were wrong. They ran out of the alley leaving Ezra lying in the heap that he had collapsed. And it was there that he lay until he woke up the next morning.
Ezra woke with a groan at the pain that he felt. He opened his eyes and blinked against the light that seemed to make his head feel worse. He looked around; he didn’t know where he was or how he got there. He felt behind his head where he felt the most pain and when he brought it back, he saw blood on it. He got up and walked out into the street. He looked up and down looking for something that was familiar to him. He saw the saloon and all of a sudden felt that he needed a drink. He went inside and went straight for the bar.
The bar tender frowned at him, he could see the blood stain on the man's shirt. "Are you okay Mister?"
"It seems that I have had some sort of accident," answered Ezra.
"What happened?"
"I don't know. I don't seem to remember anything." Ezra took a swig of whisky and grimaced at the taste of it.
"You don't remember what happened?"
"No and nothing else either."
"What do you mean nothing else?" The bartender was beginning to get confused.
Ezra was quite confused himself. "I don't seem to remember who I am," he stated.
Sam was listening to the conversation between Ezra and the bartender; he had an idea and put it to work. "Cal what the hell happened to you?" He moved up to the bar and stood next to Ezra feeling the back of his skull at the same time.
Ezra winced and moved his head away. "Excuse me?" He raised his eyebrows at the man that was standing before him. He had no idea who he was.
"I said what happened to you, did you get into a fight again or something?" Sam had all intentions of trying to convince Ezra that they knew each other, if he were able to do this then he would join the gang. He knew from the conversation that the man didn’t remember who he was and he had blood on the back of his head. He must have had an accident or some sort and had for some reason lost his memory. 'Well' thought Sam, 'Just makes it easier for me, now we have that extra man we wanted.'
"Do I know you?" Ezra was really confused. He didn’t remember what happened. He didn't even remember his own name and this man had come up to him and called him Cal.
"Course you do were friends, we ride together." Sam put an expression of concern on his face. "Don't you remember me, Cal?"
"No, I don't," answered Ezra.
"Well you should, we've known each other for fifteen years, since we were kids. What's wrong with you, are you playing one of your tricks on me or what?"
"I don't remember you, I don't seem to remember anything," muttered Ezra.
"Come on I'll take you to see Alex, he’ll have a look at you." Sam started to move Ezra towards the saloon doors.
"Who's Alex?" asked Ezra.
"You don't remember him either, jeez, Cal I think that this is serious." He started moving again but Ezra hesitated. "You don't have to worry Cal. Were your friends, we'll take care of you."
Ezra went with him because for some reason he needed the feeling of friendship. He followed Sam to the Hotel. He continued to look around looking for something or someone that he knew but he didn’t see anything that would jog his memory. For the moment, he would have to hope that this man did know him.
They went into the Hotel and up the stairs to a room on the first floor. Sam entered without knocking.
"You sit there Cal and I’ll go and find Alex." Sam kept using the name that he had given him hoping that he would get used to it thinking that it was his own name. He went to look for his brother and found him in his own room. "Alex, I've got that gambling man in my room."
"And what are you doing with him in your room?" He asked. His brother did some stupid things at times and he always had to get him out of difficult situations.
"Something happened to him and he doesn't remember who he is," smiled Sam. "So I told him he was one of us, that we have been friends for years."
"And what did you do that for?" He also had some stupid ideas.
"We can't convince him to join us if he does not know who he is now can we. So why don't you come and have a look at him like I said you would." Alex got up to follow his brother. "Oh and his name is Cal, short for Callum, that's what I told him anyway."
Ezra was sitting on the bed when they came into the room. Sam looked at his brother and watched the master at work. "Cal, Sam tells me that you have been hurt and that you don't remember us." He moved over to the bed and knelt down before Ezra.
"Yes and no." He said looking between the two men. He didn’t want to trust them straight off. They could be lying to him.
"Let me have a look at your head." he got up and felt the back of Ezra's skull feeling the lump and broken skin. "Someone hit you pretty hard. You don't remember how it happened?"
Ezra looked at him with distrust. "No."
"Look Cal, I don't blame you for not trusting us. You don't remember anything and we could be anybody." he took a deep breath and made up some history for Ezra's benefit. "Your name is Callum Laymon, you have been a friend of ours since we were kids, and Sam here is my brother. We’re all part of a gang that includes two others." He saw Ezra frown at this. "I know it's hard to find out that you are part of a gang but you are. We rob banks and you are very good at what you do. You’re lucky Sam found you first before you went to the Sheriff because he would have arrested you."
Ezra looked up at Sam. Maybe he thought. They did seem to know who he was. He decided to go along with them for the time being and see what happens.
"And you also gamble too much, that's what probably got you into this mess in the first place," laughed Alex.
Ezra couldn’t help but smile at that laugh it was somehow comforting as if he knew it. He looked down at his attire. He looked like a gambler.
"Why don't you get some rest, we were intending to leave town in a few hours." Alex gave him a reassuring smile and left the room. Sam followed him. "Go to the stable and see if you can find out which horse is his and also see if he has a room at this hotel. I'll go and explain this to Fred and Peter. I don't know why you do things like this." Sam just smiled and left to do what his brother had asked.
Ezra was left alone in the room. He wanted to believe that they were his friends; they seemed to know him, who he was. But a bank robber. That was something that he wasn’t sure about. As he sat there, he checked his pockets for anything that may tell him who he was. He didn’t find much but what he did find made him think that they were right. There was a pack of cards in his waistcoat pocket, he checked them and found that some of them were marked, he didn't even bother trying to figure out how he knew this but it did mean that he cheated when playing poker. He also found that he carried three guns. One in a shoulder holster, another slung around his hips and a small derringer in his right sleeve. He didn’t think that a law-abiding citizen carried that many guns. He got up, filled a bowl with some water, and began to clean the wound on the back of his head.
Sam had come, gotten Ezra a couple of hours later, and introduced him to Peter and Fred. They smiled at him knowing the situation and they had agreed to go along with it. They had also agreed that he seemed to know how to handle himself. Sam had found that Ezra did have a room at the Hotel and he gathered his stuff together and then headed to the stable. The stable hand told him that the fancy dressed man rode the horse that was in the second stall.
"Hey Cal, seeing how you don't remember anything maybe we can have a game of poker tonight and win back all that money that you have won from us over the years." Laughed Peter while nudging Ezra in the side. They had gathered out the front of the hotel before heading to the horse stable.
"I wouldn't if I was you Peter," said Fred. "Once he does remember then you will be in a lot of trouble. And it won't be through a poker game when he gets his money back from you." They were all enjoying convincing this man that he was one of them. Ezra was actually beginning to enjoy it himself.
When they got to the livery, Sam pointed out Ezra's horse for him. "He's yours Cal and your bag with your things is in there to. I packed them up for you while you were resting." Ezra went to his horse, which acknowledged him with a nudge to his shoulder. This all convinced Ezra even more that these men were indeed his friends. Once they had saddled their horses, they left town and headed towards Four Corners with the idea of robbing the bank clear in their minds.
During the three-day trip, that it took them to get to Four Corners Ezra had learnt a lot about himself not knowing that none of it was true. They told him about previous bank robberies, things that he had done people that he had killed, games that he had played and he had begun to believe all of it. He was beginning to like these men and that convinced him even more of who they said he was. They had also begun to like Ezra, his quick wit, his ability with the cards and his guns. They had him try them out just to make sure that he had remembered how to use them. It had come naturally to him as though it was something that was taught into him from the day he was born.
Because he had lost his memory, he no longer had a brick wall built around him, he found it easy to talk to these men about things, about the worry that the memory loss had caused him. But they had reassured him that he was okay, that they would look after him and eventually his memory would come back. And it would be that day that they would have to kill him, unless he agreed to continue to ride with them. Over the period, he had begun to feel close to them. He felt that he had known them for years and they treated him as such. They must have been good friends who took care of each other. And by the time, they reached Four Corners he was ready to trust them with his life and to risk his for them. He would even kill to protect them. He realised that they were like family and people protected their family. Ezra had even started to think and act like them.
They had made camp for the night, they would arrive in Four Corners tomorrow and they needed to make sure that Ezra would be able to handle himself when they got there.
"Cal?"
Ezra looked up. "What's up Sam?"
Sam sat down next to him. "I wanted to talk to you." He stopped for a moment and looked over at his brother who was watching them carefully.
"About what?"
"We know what you’re going through and we decided that if you want to sit this one out then it's fine with us."
"Sit what out?" It took him a second but then it dawned on him. "You don't want me in on the robbery?" Questioned Ezra.
"It's not that. You lost your memory remember and you still haven’t gotten it back, we don't know how you will react once the bullets start flying that's all." He looked at Ezra. "You could get yourself killed or one of us even."
"You don't have to worry about me Sam," smiled Ezra. He now believed that he was a bank robber and he acted like one. "I won't let you down and if you think that I would hesitate in killing someone I won't."
"Are you sure, Cal? We don't want to push you if you’re not."
"I'm sure, Sam. Now go and tell your brother to stop worrying." He nodded towards Alex knowing that he had sent Sam over to make sure that he was all right. 'Just like family.' he thought to himself.
The next morning they broke camp and rode into Four Corners.
JD sat on the porch watching for anyone riding into town. He still hoped that Ezra would come back. And at the end of each day, he was disappointed that he hadn't. It had been more than three weeks since he left and he had not returned. Buck and Josiah were the only others of the group who hoped that he came back. Chris, Vin and Nathan had somehow gotten used to the idea that he might not come back. Chris was angry about the whole thing and would not talk about Ezra at all. Every time the subject came up he just gave the person who started the conversation a cold look and that person was usually JD.
He looked up to see five men riding into town and he fell off his chair when he recognised one of the riders. "Ezra!" He said aloud. He watched them ride by and noticed that Ezra didn’t even acknowledge him. They rode on to the saloon. He followed them down the street and saw them get off their horses and go in.
When Ezra and his friends entered the saloon they gave it the once over and then headed to the table that was in the corner of the saloon. Fred went to the bar and ordered a bottle of whiskey and got some glasses then joined the others at the table. Chris, Vin and Buck had looked up at the men who had entered but they were to shocked to say anything but that only lasted a few minutes. They had seen Ezra walk in with some other men. Buck smiled, he knew that Ezra would come back but he was confused as to why he had not come to their table. He saw the anger grow on Chris's face.
"Easy now, Chris, don't go and do something that you're gonna regret," he watched as Chris got up and walked over to Ezra.
"I see you finally decided to show your face here again," growled Chris.
Ezra looked up at him but there was no recognition on his face. Chris was to angry to notice this though. "Excuse me." Ezra asked not knowing who the man was. Sam and Alex put their hands closer to their guns; they knew that he was one of the lawmen of the town and that maybe their new colleague had some trouble here at some time.
"Stand up." Chris stepped back.
"What on earth for?" Ezra smiled. He was beginning to dislike this man.
Chris was getting very angry, Ezra seemed to be acting dumb and he didn't like it one bit. "I said get up." He grabbed Ezra and dragged him up by his left arm only to find himself facing a derringer.
Chris had not expected Ezra to pull a gun on him. He wouldn't dare pull a gun on him but he had.
"And I said what for?" Ezra asked again.
"Now, Ezra, you put that gun down." Buck and Vin had joined them. They were also shocked to see him pull a gun on Chris.
Ezra gave them a look of confusion. "The name is not Ezra." He saw their mouths drop open.
Chris didn’t hear the remark though, he was seeing red. Ezra had not moved the gun when he looked at the others so he didn’t risk anything there and then.
"Cal, put the gun away; we don't want any trouble with these lawmen." Ezra looked to Sam. He put his gun down and placed it back in his sleeve.
Chris let fly then, he hit Ezra as hard as he could. Ezra fell to the floor and watched as the one who had called him Ezra grab the man in black. He got up, rubbed his jaw, and then stood face to face with Chris.
"You, Sir, are going to regret that you did that." Ezra gave him a cold look that actually made Buck and Vin both cringe and for some reason they believed that he would carry out the threat. He then turned and left the saloon with his friends following him. JD was entering the saloon when they left and Ezra knocked him off his feet on his way out the door. Sam and Alex were now wondering how they knew the man they had convinced to join them and would he now be a threat to their plans.
Chris went to go after Ezra but Buck held him back. "Chris, calm down will you, didn’t you hear what Ezra just said."
"All I heard was him smart mouthing me in front of his new friends," he was angry. Ezra had pulled a gun on him and then threatened him and he was going to make him pay for it. His anger had been building up over the last three weeks over the fact that Ezra had left town without a real explanation.
"He said his name wasn’t Ezra."
JD walked into the saloon after picking himself up off the boardwalk. "What was that all about and who are those guys with Ezra?"
Buck continued, ignoring JD. "Now why would he say that his name wasn’t Ezra Chris?"
Chris looked at him. "Maybe we should find out." He went to leave again and this time Vin held him back.
"We'll go and find out. You stay here. You’ll probably just hit him again." Vin and Buck left to go and find out what was going on with Ezra.
They left the saloon and looked down towards the Hotel seeing Ezra going in with the four men that he was with. Ezra was in the lobby of the hotel waiting for Alex to arrange their rooms when Buck and Vin walked in. They headed straight for him ignoring the look that Sam gave them. They sat down across from him.
"Ezra, would you like to tell us what's going on? Are you up to something with these guys? asked Vin.
"Do I know you gentlemen?" He asked them.
Buck and Vin looked at each other. "You don't know us?" Buck was shocked
"No I don't, should I?" Ezra was starting to get irritated by them and it started to show in his voice.
"You work with us, you protect this town." Ezra just continued to look at them. "We’re your friends."
"They’re my friends," he nodded towards Sam and the others who were watching them. They couldn’t hear the conversation though. So they didn’t realise that Ezra/Cal was the lawman who had left Four Corners leaving only six to protect it.
"You don't know us but you know them?" Vin asked
"Yes," he started to get up but Vin grabbed his arm. "Would you let go. I'm not going to continue this conversation, you’re not my friends and I don't understand why you’re saying that you are. And me, protect this town? That seems to be a bit unbelievable to me."
"Ezra, how can we convince you that we’re your friends?" Buck was at a loss for words. He didn't know what to say.
"Your friend at the saloon was convincing enough." Ezra saw the look of confusion that was on their faces. He started to walk away but when he reached Sam, he turned around. "If I was your friend he wouldn’t have treated me the way he did. Friends don't do that." He looked at Sam. "Do they Sam?"
"No they don't, Cal." Alex had gotten the keys to their rooms and they then left Buck and Vin standing in the lobby having absolutely no idea what just happened.
"Cal!" said Buck. "What’s going on here, Vin?"
"I have no idea, Buck. Come on let's go and tell Chris."
Part One | Part Two
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