"Only one of you is completely safe."
The burly man walked around the chairs in which seven men were tied, thumping the back of each chair rhythmically with a fist. He may have said, "It's going to rain today. The sky is blue," except though his tone was relaxed, the words themselves hinted at a hidden meaning.
The man could afford to be relaxed. Tied helplessly were the so-called Magnificent Seven. Magnificent indeed! It hadn't really been that hard to take them, they had fallen like dominoes, Maxwell Hollister thought maliciously.
It hadn't helped the men that most had been slightly or almost completely drunk, celebrating Buck's birthday after a hard week fighting many bad guys and situations. Heck, everyone was entitled to relaxing, right? But that made all the men easier to subdue.
Maxwell Hollister kept his easy pace around the seven men, boots clumping, jarring their nerves, though all tried not to show any emotion. All seven sat tied hand and feet to chairs around a round table in a dusty cabin filled with musty smells. Cobwebs attested to the cabin rarely being used and rays of sunlight filtered through the cracks in the walls, one illuminating Vin Tanner and the other JD Dunne.
For Chris Larabee, in his ever-present black, the only emotion showing in his face was the fury in his green eyes. Vin Tanner, still a little dazed from a blow to the head, sat silently next to him. Josiah Sanchez, big and powerful, tried to reassure Vin and JD with his eyes, still lamenting that "tying one on" made him careless. Nathan Jackson, sitting across from Vin, kept trying as best he could to assess Vin's condition. Vin, catching Nathan's concerned eyes, smiled tightly and gave a small shrug as if to say he was okay and Nathan's eyes then focused on JD. Ezra Standish, as dandy as ever, looked as cool and unconcerned as the gambler he was.
Buck Wilmington was the peacekeeper squirming the most in discomfort. Buck had been rudely interrupted in the midst of his birthday "celebration" with one Miss Tangy Dalton; was suffering from a world-class headache; and clad only in his red underclothes. The normally easygoing ladies' man looked mad enough to spit fire. Two things were keeping him from exploding – the warning glare in Chris' eyes and the quiet form of surrogate little brother, JD Dunne. JD, the only member of the seven not drunk, was trussed up as it was his capture was the hardest. The slight teenager had fought unexpectedly hard, and his milky white skin sported a bruise on the left side of his face while the long raven hair hung down in his eyes.
"No takers?" Hollister said languidly, still eyeing each man. "Any votes of which one of you should be safe?"
Except for JD, whose bangs hid most of his eyes, the others looked straight ahead. They would give this bastard nothing. Hollister grinned. He expected that, but enjoyed toying with them. Even Buck, though it was hard, did his best not to look at JD; though he wished the boy could be spared whatever was coming.
Hollister expected them to volunteer the boy to be safe. He could feel the protective aura coming from the men every time he paused by JD. He paused again, brushing the kid's bangs back along with his head. "Little young to be riding with Larabee's bunch, aren't you? You ain't nothing but a wet-behind-the-ears pup," he ended contemptuously.
JD jerked slightly, but, to his credit, did not respond. He followed the other's example of silence.
The other six peacekeepers were resolute; each one a man, ready to take a man's fate, though all six wished differently for the smaller teenager.
Hollister let it pass for a moment as he stood by each man. "Larabee. The leader. Head of the snake, the one with the fangs. Good one to take out right? Why would you be spared? Maybe so I can watch you see your men – oh and I forget – a boy suffer in front of you?"
Chris' eyes were full of fire and hate, but he did not speak.
"Tanner. Second in command, best tracker. Taking Tanner out would certainly benefit any of my fellow gangs. Keeping him? Maybe he can accept punishment to himself but what about watching the offers suffer?" Vin remained quiet and watchful.
"Jackson. Healer. Worthwhile profession. Of course the way he keeps looking at the injured ones, it would kill him to see injuries to his friends he could not help with. And taking the healer out would make sure they didn't survive."
Nathan had years of experience remaining quiet under duress. He didn't respond.
"Sanchez. Spiritual healer. Interesting to watch his faith as his friends fall. Would he stay steadfast? And taking him out – no one to offer comfort."
"Standish. Worthless gambler. No reason to let him live – maybe that's why he should?"
Ezra, not used to being silent, had a slight reaction at being considered worthless, but did not speak.
"Course he has a rich Mother – maybe she would pay to keep his worthless hide alive."
Ezra couldn't help it as he drawled, "Suh, your articulation is absolutely redundant; I abhor your lack of refined appearance and malodorous scent."
The other men smiled faintly and Hollister grinned. "Forgot your entertainment value, Standish. Let's see what words you could come up with as your friends suffer."
"Wilmington." The mockery grew in Hollister's voice. "Less competition for women. Larabee losing another close friend. Boy loses his protector. Of course I could take the boy in – show him what a real man can do." Hollister walked around to JD, keeping his eyes on Buck. He caressed JD's cheek softly as he tightened his grip on the boy's chin. "He is awfully cute. Naïve. Innocent." He made the words sound like a curse.
That got the reaction Hollister was wanting. JD's hazel eyes widened as he tried unsuccessfully to squirm out of the man's tight grip. Vin, Nathan and Josiah's faces tightened. Chris's green eyes stared murder and Ezra's nose twitched. Buck, unable to contain it any more, roared, "You keep your filthy hands off that boy or I'll gut you like a fish!"
"Is that how it is, Wilmington? Not like a little brother, you want him all to yourself. And I thought you liked women." He scoffed.
JD shut his eyes and Buck's eyes blazed even harder at the insinuation. Chris stared at Buck as if ordering Buck to keep his cool.
"That boy is the closest I've got to a little brother, and for to suggest anything as filthy as that . . . ." Buck's words couldn't express the proper disgust. JD opened his eyes to take comfort from his surrogate big brother. Buck tried to smile reassuringly at him. Communicating silently. You know I'll take care of you, Kid.
JD nodded slightly.
"Yes, I'll take care of you, pretty boy. Better care of you than the miserable curs you're riding with." Hollister mocked.
JD looked from Buck to Chris' tight face to Josiah's compassionate one. He knew the men would die to keep him from getting hurt. As much as he resented the overprotectiveness in the past, he was grateful for it now. Hollister kept a grip on JD's chin as he smirked at Buck. But he wanted more. He wanted the boy to squirm, break, whimper like the little dark puppy he was. To see the others as they watched their youngest suffer. JD was, he felt, the weak spot in the group. The others were men, willing to accept a man's fate, but JD was a kid, too young to belong with other six and not as hardened by life. It was too early and too easy to go after JD first, Hollister decided.
Hollister abruptly let go of JD's head, again resuming his pace around the seven. "One little peacekeeper, two little peacekeepers, three little peacekeepers," he sang and then abruptly stopped by Josiah's chair and knocked it over sideways. Josiah fell heavily, hitting the right side of his head hard, but uttering not a moan. "What Preacher Man? No cries to your God who has chosen to desert all of you?"
"Josiah," Nathan breathed out before he could stop himself.
"Healer, heal thyself," Hollister mocked and delivered a hard blow to Nathan's right cheek.
Vin opened his mouth, looked at Chris then closed it grimly. If looks could kill, Hollister would have been six feet under.
"Gambler," Hollister stood by Ezra. "Give me the odds for the others; tell me which one has the better chance of being safe."
"I never give odds until all the cards all revealed," Ezra drawled.
"I have a deck," Hollister replied, using the same calm voice as he pulled a deck of cards from his pocket. "Let's gamble. Anyone gets the death card – they die now. Let's start with you, Standish." Hollister shuffled the cards slightly, then laid the top card by Ezra. "Hmmm. Nine of spades. You're safe for now."
One by one, he laid a card by the others, deliberately finishing with JD to prolong the suspense. "Well, well. That wasn't fun. We need to try a new game," as he tore the seven cards up.
He nodded to the massive man standing by the door sporting disheveled brown hair and beard and cruel eyes. The grinning man stepped forward with a whip in his hand: a whip knotted and twisted and with brown stains on it. "Boss, how about we play who screams first? We'll start with ten lashes each and see how tough the Magnificent Six and a Half really are."
Hollister and his men laughed at the joke, pleased at the beads of sweat and the dilated eyes of the youngest member as he stared apprehensively at the whip and the cruel eyes of the man holding it.
"Which one first, Dex? Oldest to youngest? Youngest to oldest? Any volunteers?"
The seven retained their silence, not even looking at the two men, focused inwardly. Dex fumed at the lack of reaction. "Let me have the pup," he said, reaching out to jerk JD to his feet. "I'll have him whimpering after the first blow."
"No!" Buck yelled, thrashing in his chair.
"Buck!" Chris warned, and the other four were grim-faced.
Hollister smiled. "I'll make a deal in honor of our gamblin' man," he said languidly, gesturing for Dex to release JD who reseated the boy with a hard thump. "If one of you volunteers and can endure ten lashes without crying out, we won't whip the boy."
"I'll do it," immediately volunteered five of the six. Ezra kept a poker face. He wanted to think he could take the beating without yelling but was uncertain. And if he cried out, JD would be whipped as well . . .
Dex studied the five men who stared back with challenging eyes; Dex, understanding the men possessed a strong will.
"Pick on the big boys," Buck sneered, trying to get the man's attention off JD.
"I'll take the whipping iffen I get to try some tortures on you and see if you're man enough to take them," Vin ground out.
Chris said nothing, letting a taunting smirk speak for him.
"I volunteer," said a calm, steady voice to Buck's right.
"Nathan, no!" Josiah exclaimed. He knew Nathan's history and that he still bore the scars of whippings in the past and could not bear his friend to relive those. "Pick me," Josiah urged Hollister.
Hollister looked at Dex and shrugged. Dex signaled for Nathan to get up; untied his hands and feet and then retied the hands to two nails protruding from the south wall.
The rest of the men watched in silence but with hatred in their faces for the men hurting their friend and healer. Buck squirmed in fury; Ezra stared straight ahead; Josiah flinched at each blow; and Chris' grim expression promised Hollister he would pay; and JD's long hair hid his face as his head stayed bowed, unable to watch
Dex, smiling gleefully took his time between lashes to lengthen the dread Nathan would feel. Nathan's body jerked each time the whip cut into his back, but he bit his lip and held his cries back although tears formed in his eyes. After ten lashes, a disappointed Dex cut Nathan down and Nathan slumped to the floor, shirt torn and exposed back bleeding. The other peacekeepers were heartsick to see the proud man beaten and in pain. Nathan looked up at Hollister and his eyes were still full of defiance as if saying, you didn't break me. Nathan got up on shaky legs and moved to his chair, stopping by JD and brushing the boy's dark hair, saying softly, "JD, it's okay," and not letting up until JD raised his tear-stained face. Nathan gave him an encouraging pat and slumped forward in his chair, Dex not bothering to tie him back out as Nathan rested his head in his hands. The others murmured words of comfort and encouragement, as well as voicing their admiration for the courage Nathan showed.
"I wouldn't celebrate yet," Hollister reminded them coldly. "We're just getting started."
TBC