A bullet slammed into the front of the mercantile building, just around the corner from where Vin Tanner climbed the ladder to the roof. He advanced more slowly than usual; his left leg still healing from a bullet wound received eight days earlier.
The bank was being robbed, but the town's peacekeepers, often referred to as the Magnificent Seven, were ready.
After receiving a telegram from Circuit Judge Orrin Travis saying there had been bank hold-ups in surrounding towns, they had taken up extra patrols and placed a man in the bank and one across the street at all times during business hours. The patrols and guards alternated between all of the men except Ezra Standish, whose broken left forearm prevented him from fighting or riding a horse.
Today it was Tanner who had been on street watch, and as soon as he heard shots fired in the bank, Vin yelled to the other men in the saloon and headed for his perch high above the town.
The bank guard at the time was Buck Wilmington, and he had stepped out of the shadows by the bank vault and put a bullet into the robber who was holding the teller at gunpoint. This frightened the two accomplices enough that they immediately turned and ran out the door into the street. Their retreat stopped suddenly when they heard Chris Larabee's voice say, "hold it right there."
The two men looked back and forth at each other, as if debating what to do, but in the end did as the man-in-black asked. Josiah Sanchez proceeded to arrest the thieves and escort them to the jail. The first robber, who was shot by Wilmington, was bandaged up by healer Nathan Jackson and taken to the jail soon afterwards.
"Nice job, Buck," Chris said as he patted his long-time friend on the shoulder.
"All in a day's work," smiled the tall ladies' man.
Chris headed over to the telegraph office to wire Judge Travis about the capture of the bank robbers. He knew the judge would be pleased, as would the surrounding towns that had not yet been held-up. Once Larabee had scribed his own message, the operator asked Chris to deliver a telegram that had arrived a few minutes ago for Mr. Standish.
Chris hoped that the telegram was from Ezra's mother, Maude. Larabee and the others finally talked Ezra into sending a wire to San Francisco to inquire about her whereabouts. It had been over six months since the southerner had heard from her, and while not unusual for Maude, the peacekeepers knew that it worried their friend.
Chris winced as the batwing doors flew into him. The seven's youngest member, JD Dunne, was apparently late in relieving Josiah over at the jail, and Chris' sore side and shoulder did not appreciate the jolt. The group's leader had cracked a couple of ribs when he had been caught in an avalanche; the same one responsible for Ezra's broken arm. Larabee had also been shot in the shoulder by the fellow who put a hole in Vin's leg.
Chris allowed his eyes to adjust to the dark interior of the saloon, and then proceeded to the bar where Ezra stood. "Got a wire for ya," he handed Standish the folded piece of paper.
"Thank you, sir," replied the gambler, who was well-dressed in a white shirt and vest despite the sling on his left arm.
Chris wanted to watch Ezra's reaction to the telegram but headed over to Vin and Buck's table instead.
Ezra tried his best to look casual, almost disinterested, but his heart pounded as he opened the note.
Still in San Francisco. STOP. Things are going well. STOP. The climate and scenery are spectacular. STOP. You should come visit. STOP. Maude. STOP.
Ezra released the breath he had been holding, and Chris, Vin, and Buck turned in his direction.
"You'll be happy to know that the telegram was from Mother," Ezra began. "She still resides in San Francisco and is thriving."
"That's good, Ez," said Vin.
"Yeah, glad to hear it," Chris followed up.
"You know, I was thinking…..since I am currently unable to perform my duties here in town, maybe I should take a leave of absence," Ezra looked at the three men to gauge their response.
"A leave of absence?" questioned Buck.
"Yes, a few weeks of rest and recovery time," replied Ezra. "I am thinking of going to visit Mother in San Francisco."
"That's not a bad idea, Ezra," answered Chris.
"Yeah, sounds like a fine idea to me," Vin concurred.
"Well, gentlemen," the conman smiled. "I believe I will dispatch a wire to Mother to say I will indeed accept her offer for a visitation."
Nathan passed Ezra on the way into the saloon and sat down at the table with Chris, Vin, and Buck.
"What's got Ezra in such a hurry?" Nathan asked.
"He found out Maude's in San Francisco, and he's planning on goin' out to visit her," Buck responded.
"Well, I can't disagree that Ezra could use a break," said Nathan. "His arm still needs at least another month to fully heal." The healer paused, but the others could tell he clearly had more to say on the matter. "Vin, Chris, why don't you two go with him….see the sights of San Francisco?"
Chris' green eyes grew huge, and he looked at Nathan as if to convey, "have you lost your mind?"
"Come on Chris, you can't deny that you and Vin still ain't a hundred percent. I saw Vin tryin' to get up that ladder this mornin,' and I don't even want to think about what would have happened if one of those bank robbers would have decided to fight you or pull his gun," Nathan stared right back at the blond gunslinger.
"You think Ezra'll get in trouble if he goes by himself?" countered Larabee.
"He does only have one arm to defend himself, and you damn-well know that he'll find a way to anger someone between here and San Francisco," Nathan begrudgingly admitted. He and the gambler didn't always see eye-to-eye, but the healer found himself liking, and worrying about, the southerner despite his best efforts to the contrary.
Vin understood what Jackson was saying but firmly insisted, "Nathan, I got no int'rest in ridin' a train all the way to San Francisco."
"Ezra didn't exactly invite any of us along anyway," Chris pointed out.
"He's supposed to stop by the clinic later on for me to check his arm, so maybe I'll bring it up then," Nathan then proceeded to order lunch from Inez.
"That sounds good; I think I'll have a plate of enchiladas too," Buck blinked his dark blue eyes flirtingly at Inez. "How about you boys?" Buck questioned to Vin and Chris, "you eat yet?"
"Nope, so please make that three orders, Inez," Vin yelled out as the dark-haired, Mexican beauty was heading back towards the kitchen. She walked back a little closer and questioned, "Señor Chris?"
"Nah, thanks Inez; gonna go check on things over at the jail," Chris rose from the table and made his way out into the street.
M7M7M7M7M7M7M7
Chris entered the jail to find the three prisoners complaining about their own meal.
"If ya don't wanna eat it, that's just fine," smiled JD, "but that's all your gettin'. Geesh, what a bunch of babies," he said to Josiah then noticed Larabee standing just inside the door. "Oh, hi Chris."
"How's it goin,' JD?" Chris asked.
"Fine. These boys are just a little nervous about their up-comin' trial I think," JD laughed.
"Josiah, what did you think of San Francisco?" Chris asked. The question took the preacher by surprise.
"You're not thinkin' about leavin' us now, are you Chris?" Josiah smiled.
"Nah, Ezra's goin' out there to visit his mother."
"Maude's in San Francisco, huh? Maybe I should accompany Ezra and try my hand at her heart again?" Josiah said and JD rolled his eyes.
"Josiah, don't ya know by now that woman is only interested in rich men," JD shook his head.
"Maybe you should, Josiah. Nathan's wantin' somebody to accompany Ezra…to make sure he don't get into any trouble," Chris explained.
"I somehow don't think Brother Ezra would agree to me as a chaperone," Josiah grinned and continued. "I only lived in San Francisco for about a year, and most of that time I was so smitten with Emma Dubonnet that I didn't pay much attention to anything else. After I finished my studies, I never went back. Plenty of capable preachers in that town; they didn't need me. You thinkin' about goin' with Ezra?"
"Not really…..just never been," Chris answered. "Think Nate was hopin' Vin and I would go."
"Oh, I see, Brother Nathan didn't like what he witnessed this mornin'," smiled Josiah.
"Why, I thought this mornin' went great," JD interjected. "These idiots surrendered first thing."
"True, but we didn't know that things were going to be that easy, and Nathan didn't like our injured brothers steppin' in like they did," Josiah presumed.
"OK, so why don't you and Vin go with Ezra, Chris?" JD turned his hazel gaze towards Larabee and asked. "It sounds like fun to me."
"You wanna go, JD?" Chris raised a blond eyebrow.
"There's no way Buck would let me go to a big city like San Francisco without him," smiled JD. "He'd be too jealous of all the women I'd see out there."
Larabee smiled, shook his head and said, "JD, why don't you and Josiah go get somethin' to eat? I'll watch these boys for a while."
M7M7M7M7M7M7M7
A few hours later, Nathan looked up from his desk in the clinic to see Ezra standing in the doorway.
"Is this a good time, Mr. Jackson?" asked the gambler.
"Sure, Ezra, come on in and have a seat," answered Nathan. "Heard you was plannin' a trip to San Francisco?" Nathan continued the conversation while he examined Ezra's healing left forearm. The swelling had gone down, and the injury wasn't quite as tender. It was still going to be another five or six weeks before the splint could be removed though.
"That I am," replied Ezra. "Mother has invited me to come visit her there."
"You thinkin' about takin' anybody with ya?" questioned the healer as casually as he could.
"That had not crossed my mind, no," answered Standish honestly.
"Was just thinkin' that none of us 'sides Josiah has ever been to the west coast," remarked Nathan.
"That is true," the green-eyed man replied somewhat questionably. He wasn't sure where Nathan was going with this.
"Alright, Ezra," subtlety was not one of Nathan's strong points. "I was hopin' you could talk Chris and Vin into goin' with you. If those two stay around here, they're just gonna get themselves hurt again or at the very least not let themselves heal properly. You saw 'em this mornin'."
"I see. You wish for me to invite them on my trip to San Francisco as a means of forced rest and relaxation?" Nathan shook his head, "yes," as Ezra continued. "No offense to Misters Larabee and Tanner, but those two would be the worst possible companions. Mr. Tanner would go crazy in the confined spaces of the stagecoach and train, and I can't imagine our resident tracker on the busy streets of San Francisco. Has he ever even been to a large city? And Mr. Larabee….well, he would undoubtedly stir up trouble for all of us, and then blame it on yours truly."
Nathan laughed; it really was a crazy idea. "I can't argue with any of that, Ezra. I just want to find a way to make sure Chris and Vin miss our next assignment or two. They're never gonna let us leave 'em out if they're in town."
"What makes you think that any predicaments will befall our little hamlet over the next few weeks?" Standish questioned the dark-skinned man.
"I don't know that there will be, but the business of trouble always seems to pick up this time of year." Nathan replaced Ezra's sling and told him, "you're good to go. I'd say one more week with the sling then you can take it off. The splint should be enough to let it finish healin' over the last few weeks."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Jackson. How much do I owe you for today's visit?"
"You don't owe me nothin', Ezra. Just think about what I said."
Ezra nodded his head and walked out the door.
M7M7M7M7M7M7M7
Vin exited the saloon and let his blue eyes adjust to the bright sunlight. He noticed Ezra coming down the steps from Nathan's clinic and waited for him on the boardwalk.
"How's the arm doing, Ezra?" Vin inquired.
"According to Mr. Jackson, my arm is healing quite nicely," replied Ezra. "Thank you, Mr. Tanner. How is your leg these days?"
"Still a might sore if I walk long distances, but it's doin' better," Vin answered. "So when are ya headin' to San Francisco?"
"Day after tomorrow. I'll catch the stage here in town, and then board a train at the first station…a few hours west of here," Ezra explained.
"Well, I hope you have a nice time," said the lean Texan, and he turned to head back to his wagon.
"Would you be interested in accompanying me on this journey?" Ezra couldn't believe what he was saying. "Mother says San Francisco is a beautiful place."
Vin turned back around and asked, "did Nathan tell you to ask me that?"
"Why no, Mr. Tanner. I just thought you might like to broaden your horizons a bit," fibbed Ezra. "Although, I'm guessing an extra week or two to recover from your bullet wound couldn't hurt either."
"Ya really WANT me to go along, Ezra?" the younger man looked the gambler right in the eye.
"Of course; why else would I ask?" Ezra said then thought to himself, "oh, what have I done?" He could tell from the look in the tracker's eyes that Tanner was actually considering this.
Vin thought back on this morning when he was struggling to climb up on the roof. Ezra and Nathan were right; he wasn't fully recovered yet. If those robbers had turned and fired on Chris, he wouldn't have been at his post on the roof in time to help.
Chris was relieved at the jail by Buck and walked out into the street just in time to hear Vin say, "alright Ezra, I'll go with ya to San Francisco."
"What the hell?" thought Chris to himself, but he played dumb and said, "what are you boys talkin' about?"
"Apparently, Mr. Tanner and I will be traveling companions to San Francisco day after tomorrow," Ezra tried to gauge Larabee's reaction when he said it.
Chris was dumbfounded by the news and immediately felt torn. He didn't want to leave town for that long, but Larabee knew he couldn't let his two injured friends go off by themselves either. Nathan grouped him into the same "unfit for duty" category, but Larabee was confident he could shoot, fight, run, or whatever a situation required him to do. The bullet wound was in his left shoulder, so it didn't affect his shooting arm. His cracked ribs were painful at times, hell any time he was breathing, but it wasn't so bad that he couldn't defend himself, the town, or one of his men.
As Larabee was deep in thought about what to say next, Vin said, "you should come with us, Chris. You could scare away some ocean life with that glare of yours."
Chris rolled his eyes at Vin and turned to Ezra, "what about you Ezra? Haven't you had enough of traveling with me lately?"
"The more the merrier, Mr. Larabee….as long as you promise to pack some extra clothes for Mr. Tanner from your wardrobe. He can't go dressed like a savage to dinner in Frisco. At least I know you own a few nice shirts, vests, and darkly-colored trousers," Ezra turned his gaze back to Vin.
"Hey now, nobody said nothin' about havin' to dress up or squeeze my boys into a pair of Chris' tight pants," teased the long-haired Texan.
"Fair enough, Mr. Tanner. Maybe we can purchase you a new outfit once we arrive in San Francisco. So, can we expect your company on our journey, Mr. Larabee?" Ezra questioned.
"I'll think on it tonight and let you know in the morning," Chris responded and headed back to the saloon to do some drinking and some pondering.
