CLOCKWORK
By NotTasha

Thank you for all the delicious reviews!

PART 9:

JD had retrieved the horses as quickly as he was able, returning to find Ezra pressing what was left of his shirt against the wound. JD quietly thanked Nathan for insisting that they always stow emergency bandages in their saddlebags.

Ezra had insisted that they do not go in search of the local doctor – there were too many people who wanted him dead. Their best chance was to get out of town quickly.

He helped Ezra quickly tie up the bullet wound on his side. It didn't look too bad, but it bled a lot, and Ezra went white when he'd tightened the bindings over it.

He gave Ezra a hand getting onto his horse, and then lifted the chest and clock to Chaucer's saddle, securing them behind his friend.

Once Ezra was ready, JD lifted Sadie and settled her on his horse's saddle. The dog skittered nervously to catch her balance on the uneven leather surface, her toe nails making a racket. Toby twisted his neck in confusion and tried to back out from under the little dog. Sadie scrabbled all the more when the bay moved.

JD grabbed Toby's reins to quiet him so that he could climb into the saddle, a task made harder by the little dog that wouldn't settle down and wouldn't give him any room.

Toby didn't appreciate the situation. He danced, snorting and twisting his head to get a look at the nuisance. "Easy, boy," JD crooned. "Easy now. We can do this." And with a quick hop, JD climbed behind the dog.

Once JD was ready, wordlessly, Ezra turned his horse and they headed out of town, slipping in-between buildings and doing their best to leave without being noticed – it wasn't easy with the commotion from the dog still wiggling, and Toby's uneven march.

Once they were out of town, they kept a quick pace, hoping to stay ahead of anyone who might follow. JD rode with one arm on Sadie, who was still nervous in her perch. Ezra rode with one arm across his middle.

They continued onward. Sadie squirmed in the saddle, making Toby buck from time to time. Ezra commented on how he was glad that such a flea-ridden creature wasn't pressed between his saddle horn and his trousers. JD did what he could to keep their little group together.

Time passed and, as they moved onward, Ezra became quiet, too quiet for the usually garrulous gambler.

Worriedly, JD pulled closer to Ezra, getting a good look at him. He was uncommonly pale and trembling. He seemed half asleep and his hands didn't even lift to grip the slack reins. Chaucer continued forward, following Toby's lead.

"Ezra? You okay?" JD asked.

Ezra seemed to awaken a little. "No," he replied. "Hardly."

"We should stop for a little while, Ez."

"No, we should not," Ezra told him.

"They're not following us." JD twisted to look behind them. "There's no one there. And we've gone a fair distance already."

"They will be coming in time."

"Why should they follow? Bet those men just took off for the hills 'cause they got what they wanted, right?"

Ezra laughed a little, a chuckle that was bitten off as he sucked in his breath. "No," he finally said. "They didn't get anything."

"But, you gave them the letter," JD pointed out. "That letter, it was what they were looking for all along." JD seemed to think a minute. "You read it, didn't you? What did it say?"

"It was a confession," Ezra told him, "a confession concerning the evil work orchestrated by those three men. They killed a stagecoach full of people - killed a woman, too – just to steal the money and what valuables they carried. Mr. Dunkirk attempted to separate those wretches from what they'd taken. He took the money from their hide-away, and hid it elsewhere so that those three would not profit from killin'. Liam Dunkirk paid for his brave attempt with his life."

"But, you gave them the letter. They'll get their money and go." JD pulled in closer to Ezra as the conman nearly doubled over in his saddle.

"The letter will lead them to nothing."

"You changed the letter!"

"No, it is exactly as Mr. Dunkirk wrote it. I had neither pen nor ink to alter it. But, that hardly matters. The riches are no longer where Liam left them."

"Where are they?" JD asked, puzzling. "You find a new place to hide 'em?"

"Right under their noses." Ezra turned a little in his saddle, closing his eyes at the movement, and laid a hand on the chest and clock that were tied behind them. "They're filled to near bursting. I had to take out the clockworks to make it all fit. I couldn't leave that much wealth behind, now could I?" He smiled and, carefully, he faced forward, taking the time to meticulously straighten his jacket.

JD's gaze stayed on the two items. The chest and clock had seemed strangely heavy when he handled them earlier. "Oh," JD said. "They're going to be mad when they figure out you took it all."

"Very mad," Ezra echoed.

"Maybe the horse owner got them first?" JD said hopefully. "Maybe he caught 'em and those men will do us no harm."

"Mr. Reeves might change his mind at some point and believe what Mr. Fulshear and Darrow are spouting. I am not the most trustworthy of sorts. And Zeus' owner will, no doubt, be on my tail when he can manage it. I will be just as dead if he catches me." He smiled a little, his head dipping to his chest. "It was a mighty fine horse. The ride may've been worth it." He patted Chaucer. "But, of course, none is nobler than this fine steed." The horse made an appreciative little whinny.

Ezra was breathing deeply and his whole body shook. The act of leaning to pet Chaucer seemed almost too much for him.

Dunne wished he still had that blanket.

Wanting to keep Ezra talking, he said, "It would've been a good thing to have that confession in hand. You could've written up a fake letter to replace it if you had the right supplies."

Ezra sighed again. "I couldn't risk them knowing Dunkirk's handwriting. And I was running late as it was. The packing of the cash… well… I lingered over it a little longer than I should have."

JD edged closer to Ezra, their horses nearly touching. "Thank goodness that town's clock was fast otherwise they'd have cut my finger right off!" JD said, lifting his hand and pointing that finger. Sadie tried to bite it, so he dropped the hand to the dog's head. "Thank goodness for Sadie. She saved me." He smiled fondly on the little dog.

Sadie looked up at him and licked her nose noisily.

"The City Hall's clock was slow," Ezra reminded. "Not fast, if you recall." He paused as if trying to remember that it was only yesterday that all of this started. "Thankfully, it also runs fast on some days. The clock's lack of accuracy is what saved your skin. I had to set your watch even slower and hope it made up for my tardiness." His words came slowly, and almost slurred.

"But you made it," JD said. "We all got out safely. You timed it just right."

"Timing is everything." Ezra moved one hand, bringing it to his vest pocket. He fumbled a moment and drew out a watch. With great effort, he handed it to JD. His hand shook and his fingers were matted with blood. "This is yours," he said in a low voice.

JD snagged the timepiece from the wavering hand and looked at Ezra in concern.

"Sorry," Ezra muttered, noticing his stained hands. "It can't be helped. Time's wrong," he muttered, nodding sleepily toward the timepiece in JD's hand.

"Ezra, we'd better stop. Let me check that bandage," JD rattled off. "I don't think it's doing enough."

Ezra drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Sadly, the watch is all that's left of your purchases at the 'Take it or Leave it'. I'll make it up to you."

"Ezra?" JD called as the gambler swayed, looking pale as a sheet.

"Promise… somehow."

"Ezra, we got to stop now."

Chaucer kept moving, but his pace became confused as if he wasn't sure what his rider wanted from him.

Ezra rubbed one hand on his ruined jacket lapels in an attempt to clean off the blood. "You need to give this to Mr. Larabee," he said as he pulled an envelope from an inside pocket. "My word..." His voice was soft, fading, "my word alone won't be enough."

JD recognized it as one of the love letters from Claire. "Erza, we need to stop," JD said firmly, snagging the envelope that was held unsteadily toward him. He jammed it in his pocket.

"We have so far yet to go," Ezra replied, and he seemed to struggle to keep his eyes open. "And not enough time." Chaucer paused, dancing in his uncertainty.

"Ezra?"

Standish gazed at JD, but didn't seem to see him. He blinked slowly, lethargically. "Be certain… Mr. Larabee gets that letter - a good and honest man. Like you."

"Hey, Ezra?" JD tried again, reaching for Chaucer's reins to stop him.

"Don't let them win. Too many good people have…" And then like a puppet un-stringed, Ezra collapsed.

JD was ready. His arms shot out to grab Ezra as the gambler tipped toward him. Chaucer, surprised by the change in his rider's position, sidestepped to keep him upright, and slammed into Toby. The little bay tried to spin out of the chestnut's way, and Sadie, alarmed by the crashing of the giant animals, stood and barked, straddling Toby's neck.

JD held on to Ezra for dear life as he tried to get Toby under control with his knees, as he tried to keep his horse next to Chaucer to save Ezra from a spill. Chaucer kept turning, banging into Toby. The bay continued his counter-movements to keep from getting bashed. Ezra was slipping.

Sadie barked and snarled and growled, and Toby thrashed his head at the uncomfortable weight of the dog on his neck.

And Ezra did nothing. He slumped as if boneless, dragging JD downward.

Chaucer, still turning, snapped at Toby for being in his way, and then snapped at the barking dog that wouldn't shut up Sadie snapped back. Toby, fed up, reared, and suddenly JD was pitching toward the ground. He twisted and ended on his back, on the ground, with Ezra on top of him.

Two upset horses shuffled around them, their hooves coming down solidly, too close to their heads. The dog barked and barked.

JD curled around Ezra as he shouted an angry, "Knock it off!" to the animals. Toby twisted and finally made his way clear of Chaucer.

The chestnut snorted at Toby and seemed to want to give chase, but he suddenly realized who was at his feet. He instantly stilled, dropping his head to snuffle at his man's hair.

Sadie stopped trying to mount Toby's head and instead skipped back to his saddle and stood, panting and looking rather pleased with herself as she awaited JD's return.

The young man sighed as he checked out Ezra, easing him onto his back.

Pale and sick and not moving – but still breathing, still alive – thank God.

JD sat up slowly, wondering what else was going to happen to them.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

Night was falling. The world dimmed around them with dusk.

JD had managed to move Ezra from the trail and into the cover of the sparse trees. It wasn't much, but at least they weren't out in the open. Toby and Chaucer were tied a short distance from them, out of sight from the trail and far enough away that Sadie didn't growl at Chaucer constantly.

The little terrier was curled at Ezra's side, snuggled with Ezra under JD's jacket. She looked comfortable and happy. Every time JD drew near, she'd thump her tail and start to stand.

"Just stay quiet," JD told her. "Keep him warm, okay?"

She'd make little yowling, yawning noises in her throat, but stayed put.

JD had tried to cope with Ezra's wound, adding more bandages and tightening them in an attempt to stem the flow. Ezra had been dazed, able to sit up with JD's help, but not aware of what Dunne was doing. He blinked and groaned when JD fixed the new bandage in place, but since JD had settled him, he'd been silent and hopefully asleep.

The fall from the horses probably hadn't helped the situation much, and they were now out of fresh bandages. JD was hopeful that the bleeding had slowed.

Ezra must have lost an awful lot of blood during the ride. The original bindings were soaked through and his trousers were matted and dark with blood. JD wished they'd had their luggage with them – wished he had that blanket – wished they had something that could help keep Ezra warm, besides the clothing they were wearing, the saddle blankets and a little rat terrier. He wished they had some sort of a weapon to protect them if trouble came. They should have brought Harris' knife and gun, but things were happening so fast.

JD could see that Ezra's stomach was badly bruised, his clothing torn, and his arms and legs scraped and scratched. His face looked as if he'd been beaten. JD had no idea what had happened, but he was fairly sure that Fulshear and Darrow were responsible for part of it. There were stories to be told. What had Ezra done in order to gain his release?

And Ezra sure looked sick – sick and pale and weak – and JD was afraid.

JD remembered how Harris had looked when he died – how the life just seemed to drain out of him. He never wanted to see something like that again. So, he sat beside Ezra and shivered as the sky grew dimmer. He'd lay down next to Ezra once it was dark, but for now he had to remain on alert.

JD checked his watch and wondered how far off the time was. He figured it didn't really matter.

The only thing that cheered him was that Ezra had been wrong. No one had followed them – not the thieves, not the horse's owner. If they could make it through the cold of the night, if Ezra survived almost bleeding to death, if a fever didn't set in, if Ezra wasn't hurt in some other way that JD didn't yet comprehend… they might be okay.

If Ezra didn't die and leave him here all alone...

Yeah, JD thought. Ezra was wrong about being followed. They'd be fine.

And Sadie growled.

Nearby, Chaucer snorted and stomped one hoof in annoyance.

"Quiet!" JD hissed.

Sadie paused and then growled again. Chaucer shuffled menacingly.

"Quiet!"

A shorter growl ended in a little yip as JD put his hand on her.

And then JD heard the other sound – in the distance, but coming closer - the jangle of someone on horseback- moving along the trail. Someone was coming from the direction of Bernard.

TBC
I'm sure that's not going to be a problem