Sorry to leave you – and Ezra – hanging. Planned to get this out yesterday, but had computer issues. Now, where were we? Oh yes...
Ezra felt himself tumbling out of control from the sheer force of momentum. There was nothing to grab, nothing to hold on to as he registered the fact he could not possibly stop in time. He hoped that screaming he heard wasn't really coming from him as he hurtled over the edge.
Chris stopped shooting, frozen in place as he watched the red blur plummeted out of sight. He swallowed the shout he started to make and turned back toward the gang of thieves. There were no thoughts in his head, no emotions on his face as he opened fire, aiming without consciously making the effort. He didn't register the absence of return fire until he heard Buck at his side.
"Reckon you must be out of bullets by now Chris. Might want to put down the gun." Buck's teasing tone stopped when he got a look at his friend's face. Eyes as black as his clothing shifted their gaze back to the coach. It had, in fact, slowed, but forward motion and bad terrain were a bad combination. He sprinted over to the wagon, now tipped sideways, arriving just an few seconds after Vin.
"Stop your fussing. I am perfectly fine. If one of you will just open this door I can climb out of this mess." Vin sagged with relief at the frustrated tone in Nettie's voice. Smiling widely, he hopped onto the side and pried open the door, reaching in to offer assistance. He had expected Ezra to be inside to give her a boost, and was puzzled by her lone status. Without speaking, he dropped in and lifted her up to Buck's waiting grasp.
"My goodness, that was quite a ride. Not entirely sure how our fancy friend managed to get things back under control, but sure glad he did." Her face fell when she saw the blank look on Vin's face, and she looked quickly to find Ezra. Her heart skipped when she saw Josiah on his knees at the edge of the ravine. "Oh dear God." She shook off Buck's hold and limped over to the spot.
Vin and Buck looked to Chris for answers, but the man remained silent. Buck grabbed his arm and turned him. "What the hell happened? Where're the horses? And where the hell is Ezra?"
"Coleman's dead. Horses bolted. Ezra – Ezra freed up the coach, but couldn't get free in time. Went-" he couldn't finish, instead pointed to the edge.
Buck reached Josiah in a few brief steps, putting his hand gently on the older man's shoulder, hoping to hear impossible news.
"Can't see him down there. Just slope, rocks and the drop. He couldn't stop rolling Buck. He was screaming, but he couldn't stop. I told him there were no crows today. Guess I missed some of them."
Vin had put his arm around Nettie, surprised to feel her trembling. "I never should have come along. He would have just jumped. Would have been able to get clear if he had been so danged chivalrous. Had to save the lady in distress. Why did I come?" she sobbed out softly.
"Don't you do that. He did what he did cause – well cause it's who he is, despite what he wants folks to think. He'd be kinda pleased to go as a hero."
"Saving a foolish old woman." She snorted.
"No, saving a friend. Honourable way to go."
Chris had walked away, heading up the hill to make sure the robbers were all dead. If he found any who weren't, he'd take care of that with his bare hands. He didn't get the satisfaction, as he was greeted by nothing but bodies – three of them sprawled out. There was dust in the distance, at least two riders heading to the west. They'd taken the dead men's horses with them. Closer, off in the field, the coach horses had come to a rest. He found he was glad he was out of bullets at the moment, as a part of him ached to shoot the animals on the spot. Foolish, his head knew that, but he couldn't entirely dismiss the urge.
He walked back toward the remaining members of his team. He didn't really want to face them, knowing it had been his plan that lead to this moment. He watched the ground sloping away from him, down to the final drop to the river. He wrenched his gaze away, and his eyes rested on the distant bundle which had to be Coleman's body. He walked to Vin, tapping him on the shoulder and pointing at the driver. Vin looked down the road and nodded, then went back to scanning the hill, finally spotting what he'd been looking for. Broken branches, skid marks in the dry terrain. That was the path Ezra had taken. He followed it with his eye until the trail was lost in the scruffy shrubs that lined the drop. He stared, trying to block out of his mind the terror Ezra must have felt as he careened over. His eye jumped ahead to the edge, and froze. The ground was pristine. The grass stood straight, and there was not a broken shrub anywhere. Without speaking, not trusting his voice, he began to scramble down the hill. Chris stared for a moment, then knowing there could be only one reason for the sudden action, he followed.
Josiah, Buck and Nettie watched from above. Following Vin's path, and calculating where it was headed, Josiah ran along the edge, stumbling in his haste only to be pulled back by Buck's grab. He began to turn to thank him when a flash of red caught his eye. He shouted, pointing, but Vin and Chris were already headed straight for the same clump of shrubs.
Vin skidded to a stop, sliding along the ground and catching himself on low branches. He dared not touch the still form in front of him. There was no way he wasn't badly broken up, and Vin had no intention of making things worse. He moved himself to be beside the Ezra's head, gently reaching for his neck. He didn't even try to hide the cry of relief when he felt a faint throbbing under his fingers. "Ezra, we're here. We got you Ezra. We're gonna get you outta here." One look was all it took to see the man was a mass of broken bones, cuts and other injuries. Vin had no idea how they'd get him back home, but he knew they would. They had to.
Chris shouted up the hill. "We gotta rig up some kind of stretcher. He's busted up, and bleeding. We can't move him too much without making things worse."
"We're on it." Buck looked at Josiah, who shrugged with a strange combination of relief, concern and confusion on his face. "How are we gonna do that?"
They looked around and both came to the same conclusion. The only conclusion. Moving quickly to the broken coach, they began to examine it to see what could be salvaged for the project.
"You'll need to use something flat for him to lie on – door should work – to keep his back flat. Seat cushions, such as they are, can support him on the sides, help him stay still." Nettie had been so quiet they'd all but forgotten she was there. Now, however, she was taking charge.
"Buck, you should get those horses back. And one of you will need to ride back to town. No wait - the Wilson's ranch is closer. They'll have a wagon. Josiah, help me get this thing apart." The big man reached out and placed a hand over Nettie's, feeling the trembling she was trying to hide.
"You let me do that. You need to tear up some bandages for him." She nodded crisply, taking the travelling bag he handed her. A moment later the sound of ripping fabric filled the air.
"Hold still Ezra, don't try to move." Vin knew he was wasting his breath. Ezra had shown no suggestion of movement, no hint of consciousness. It was only because he continued to hold his hand gently on the injured man's chest that he could even be sure he was still breathing. He looked up at Chris after a few minutes, not entirely sure what the next move should be. It was then he noticed the blood drying just below the dark sleeve cuff.
"Dammit Chris – you been shot?" He got nothing more than a grunt. Vin pulled the bandana from around his neck and leaned across Ezra, only to have Chris pull away. "You aren't gonna help him if you pass out Chris. Let me tie off the wound." He still didn't speak, but did hold his arm out, flinching slightly when Vin tightened the knot.
"It ain't your fault, any more than it's Nettie's. You know that, right?"
Still no response.
"Chris, you know that."
"Was my idea."
"And we all went along with it."
"He didn't." He nodded toward Ezra. "Said he didn't want to be a decoy. He was right."
"He was giving you a hard time cause it's what he does. If he hadn't thought it was a good idea he never would have set foot in that coach, and you know it. Hell, this is on me more than you. I was supposed to see anybody coming up. And I'm the idiot who told Nettie she could ride along. Damn fool had to do this 'cause of me."
"Because of the lawbreakers Mr. Tanner." The voice was rough and almost too quiet to be heard. "Their fault alone. No one else."
"Hush Ezra. You need to save your strength."
"For what Mr. Larabee – to climb the hill?"
"Well you can try that if you want, but we thought we'd rig up a ride for you. Won't be soft as your feather bed, but I'm figuring it's still better than walking."
"Crawling more likely." Ezra coughed, and gasped at the pain that ripped through him as a consequence. Vin took hold of the right hand, which he had concluded was just about the only area not badly damaged.
"Stay still Ezra. We're gonna do the work here. You get to just lay back."
"Think I shall rest then." He drifted off into blissful unconsciousness again.
"No Ezra, you gotta try to stay awake. Ezra, come on now – open your eyes. Ez?" He looked to Chris. "Nathan always says we should try to stay awake."
"Be easier on him to be out when we have to move him. It's gonna hurt like a son of a bitch. Maybe too much."
"We're not losing him. Not like this. Not now."
Chris let his head drop a little as he forced himself to his feet, starting back up the hill to help the others, feeling far to useless just sitting there.
He reached the top in time to see Buck leading the horses in. Buck read the look instantly. "They were just bein' horses Chris. Got no reason to be pissed at them."
"They're the only ones I can be mad at, so they'll have to do. How you doin' Nettie?"
"How's he doing?"
Chris shrugged. "He's stubborn."
"Got that right. Not gonna let a little slide down a hill take him out of the game. We won't let him. Now – what's the plan here boys?"
Buck was already back on his horse. "I'm heading back to town to get Nathan. Josiah can ride to the Wilson's for the wagon."
"No, he needs to keep putting that stretcher together, and you'll need his strength to pull Ezra up the hill. I can ride to the ranch."
"I have no doubt you are one of the best horsewomen I've ever seen, and I have no problem trusting you with my horse, but you are not taking that ride."
"Mr. Larabee – Chris – you need to stay with him. I can handle this."
"Like I said, no doubt. But Ezra is going to want to see you when he gets to the top here. He's gonna need to know you're safe, and if you ain't here, he's not going to believe me."
"Well," Nettie sighed deeply, "at least you're telling an honourable lie. Fine, I'll stay. But you be careful of that arm young man."
He smiled at her as he mounted up. "I'll be back before you know it." He rode over to where Josiah was feverishly putting finishing touches on the stretcher. "You're gonna have to take it real slow with him. He's busted up bad."
Josiah looked up with a hint of desperation in his eyes. "He awake?"
"Was for a bit. Seemed to know what was going on, but like I said, a lot of pain. Moving him isn't gonna be easy."
"So few things with Ezra are." Buck observed before spurring his horse into a solid cantor. He would have loved to gallop home, but exhausting the beast would accomplish nothing.
"No, things are rarely easy with Ezra. Yet somehow he manages to be worth the effort." Chris nodded at Josiah's words, and then rode off.
M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7
TBC
