A Different Approach
The Magnificent Seven
When two new bounty hunters decide to take a different approach to collect Vasquez, they will regret it.
Tags: kidnapped Faraday, everybody lives/nobody dies AU, taking Faraday to get to Vasquez, idiots in love
"So brother, how do you reckon we get the Mexican? Many others have failed when they tried, what makes your plan different?" Roy asked his brother Bishop who just grinned and nodded at the campsite that had seven men scattered about it, including their bounty.
"They went after the bounty directly, we gotta be clever and sneaky here. We don't pull the bounty directly, we make him come to us of his own free will." Bishop explained as the two watched their target hand a bottle of booze to the man lounging next to him by the fire.
"We pull him, the one with the bum leg. Easy pickings and the Mexican seems awfully fond of him if you get my drift brother dear." Bishop smirked as realization dawned on his brother's face and they both looked at their new target who was unaware of them as he rubbed at his leg.
"They are about a days ride out of the next town, we wait for them there and then… We wait for the most opportune moment and we strike." Bishop tugged his brother back towards where they had tied their horses up.
"With a little bit of persuasion here and there, we'll be gathering on that bounty by sundown tomorrow." Roy finished the thought with a giant grin on his face.
~~/~~
"You sure you're okay guero?" Vasquez asked, eyeing Faraday carefully as the other man pulled himself up to his feet.
"Just stiff you mother hen," Faraday snapped playfully, dodging the smack Vasquez aimed at him.
"Now, now fellas play nice," Goody said with amusement glinting in his eyes as Billy blew some smoke out of his curved up lips.
"Where are you going anyways, Faraday?" Goody asked curiously, they were all sitting in the town's tavern and that was where Faraday usually lived.
"Just going to check in on Jack is all, he was acting off during the ride here." Faraday shrugged as he downed the last of his whiskey before placing it back on the table.
"You want company?" Vasquez looked up from the card game he was playing with Red.
"Nah, you stay here and lose your money Vas." Faraday teased as he tipped his hat at his companions before limping out of the tavern laughing when Spanish swearing reached his ears as the doors swung shut behind him.
Faraday inhaled deeply a few times before lowering himself down the steps that led to the saloon and began to the trek to the stables. Jack had been awful twitchy coming into this town like he knew something was off with it and Faraday trusted his horse's instincts but they had been sleeping on the road for days and his leg needed a proper bed for one or two nights.
Faraday was lost in his thoughts and concerns about Jack and his aching leg that he was taken off guard when a burly arm wrapped around his windpipe from behind. A cloth being pressed against his mouth and nose cut off his startled cry. A sickly sweet scent entering Faraday's nose and the world spun around him before darkness took him.
"Are you sure about this?" Roy asked his brother as he looked down at the unconscious man in his arms.
"Stop asking stupid questions," Bishop rolled his eyes as he unhooked Faraday's gun belt from his hips and unrolled Vasquez's bounty poster and another note. Roy slung the unconsciousness cowboy over his shoulder with ease as he watched his brother pull out a dagger from his belt and stabbed the wanted poster and Faraday's gun belt to the wall of the building behind them.
"That should get their attention," Bishop dusted off his hands as he took in the sight of the note, poster, and belt hanging from the wall.
"Let's get out of here before someone notices." Roy insisted and Bishop rolled his eyes but the two headed off. Roy hefted the limp cowboy over the back of his own horse, noticing that a nearby horse was neighing and thrashing in its stall.
"That horse is gonna draw unwanted attention, we better hurry," Bishop stated from his place on his own horse, eyeing the snarling horse warily. Roy swung himself up onto his own horse and kicked his heels into the flanks of the creature.
"Isn't attention what we want?" Roy asked as the two galloped out of the small town, heading towards the run-down house a mile or two of the town where they were going to wait for their bounty to arrive.
"Not yet, little brother, we need to make sure our bargaining tool doesn't go anywhere first," Bishop said as he jerked his chin at the unconscious man behind Roy.
"We're gonna tie him up all pretty like to make our point real clear," Bishop said as the two dismounted and Roy slung the still limp man back over his shoulder. The two entered the house and Bishop picked up a length of rope and tested its strength for a moment.
"The bounty ain't for this one, so we're not gonna hurt him right?" Roy asked as he settled Faraday on the floor, checking that he was still breathing all right.
"The worst he'll get is some rope burn," Bishop rolled his eyes as he pulled Faraday up into a rickety old chair and quickly lashed him to wood with the rope. Bishop pulled out a bandana from his pocket and tied it firm around Faraday's eyes before he fingered a silver pendant that was hanging from his neck.
"Keep an eye on him, if he wakes up give him another hit," Bishop ordered and Roy nodded as he carefully took the drug-drenched cloth from his brother and kept his eyes trained on Faraday.
Time passed slowly for Roy, minus the one time Faraday groaned and began to move, Roy shoved the cloth against his face again and the man fell unconscious again.
"About damn time, looks like he actually came alone. This one must mean a lot to him." Bishop said sounding impressed from his place at the window with his gun resting on his thigh.
"He looks pissed," Roy commented as he stood behind Faraday while his brother cocked his gun and opened the door as Vasquez stepped onto the old porch.
"Where is he?" Vasquez snarled his accent thick as he glared at Bishop once the door was open.
"No harm has come to him as promised." Bishop shifted just enough for Vasquez to see Faraday tied and blindfolded to the chair behind him with Roy standing guard.
"He's unconscious is all," Roy added in, seeing that Vasquez was opening his mouth to call out to the blond in the chair.
"He better only be unconscious." Vasquez snarled, fingers twitching towards the guns on his hips, familiar guns actually.
"The deal is rather simple Mr. Vasquez," Bishop said, butchering Vasquez's name causing their bounty's eyes to twitch.
"You come with us to collect your bounty and we let your friend here go, no fuss and no muss." Bishop drawled as he gestured to Faraday behind him with his gun causing Vasquez to tense up.
"You shouldn't have taken him, it was a bad move," Vasquez said simply as he took two steps back, confusing both Roy and Bishop.
Roy let out a strangled noise when a bullet found its way in between his eyes, his body falling like a puppet with its strings cut off.
"Roy! You son of a bi-!" Bishop brought his gun up around to shoot Vasquez, the Mexican looking smug and righteous. A knife in his throat cut off Bishop's words, blood sprayed in the air as Bishop dropped his gun and collapsed to the floor.
"I told you cabrón, taking him was a bad move." Vasquez spat at the dying man whose eyes closed a moment after.
"Good shot," Vasquez called over his shoulder as he hurried over to Faraday, cutting his love free.
"Assholes deserved worse." Billy huffed as he and Goody stepped into the house. Sam, Red, and Jack were on the perimeter in case there were more than the two in the house.
"Joshua, guerito. Wake up for me." Vasquez said softly as he tore the ropes and blindfold off of the blond. Faraday's head lolled to the side, eyes stilled closed and a pit formed in Vasquez's stomach.
"Joshua! Faraday! Come on wake up guerito!" Vasquez felt panic beginning to swell up and choke him as he began to shake the limp blond harder.
"Let me try," Billy stepped forward as Goody pulled Vasquez back a few steps, hand curled firmly around the Mexican's wrist.
"Trust Billy on this. He has woke me up many times from unconsciousness when drugs have been used." Goody said soothingly and Vasquez felt a bit more relaxed, he trusted these men after all.
Billy knelt in front of Faraday as he pulled a small roll of paper from his back pocket, he uncurled the top of the paper and waved it underneath of Faraday's nose a few times.
"Come on Faraday," Billy muttered as he held the paper a bit closer and his shoulders lost their tension when Faraday groaned and coughed as he came back to consciousness.
"Guero!" Vasquez was at Faraday's side the moment his eye fluttered open.
"Heeeyyy Vasssss," Faraday slurred as he rolled his head over to rest on the other man's thigh.
"Thank you, Billy," Vasquez said and Billy just nodded silently as he went to stand next to Goodnight who looked just as relieved as Vasquez felt.
"I'm sorry about all this guerito, it's my fault you where taken," Vasquez said softly, grateful when Billy and Goody stepped out to tell the others that Faraday was all right.
"I'm fine Vasssss, you're worth it, besides… Your medallion kept me safe." Faraday said his words still slurred and eyes hazy with the drugs that had been used on him.
"Te Amo," Vasquez murmured as he dipped his head down to softly kiss the blond who hummed happily.
"Get me out of here?" Faraday lifted his trembling arms and Vasquez wished he had been the one to kill at least one of those bounty hunters. He pushed the thought aside and lifted his love into his arms, holding him close and something settled in his chest when Faraday rested his face in the crook of his neck.
"And I love you too ya Texican," Faraday muttered fondly and Vasquez just smiled as he stepped out of the house to re-join their group that was waiting for them.