****Part 2
The last of the light was failing as the sun sank below the far rocky hills. Long shadows crept up, like dark fingers reaching up to shroud the lonely cabin in darkness. Ezra could feel the chill of the night seeping into the cabin through the many cracks; his light jacket gave him little warmth. He watched as the man he most respected in his life checked both his guns and took one last look outside.
The horses had strayed off to one side within the cover of a copse of saplings. Chris thought he could easily make the distance. He slapped the chamber on his guns closed and went over to Vin. It had been almost an hour since any sound had been heard, and he suspected the McCormicks were waiting for complete darkness to move in closer.
Tanner struggled to sit up. "Chris, you can't do this. There's got to be another way. Don't do this on account a me," Vin grimaced, as the words rushed out, taking away what strength he had. "We can all make a break for it," Vin breathed.
Larabee could see the fever burning in the tracker's glassy blue eyes as he slowly shook his head. "No, there's no other way Vin. I'd do this for anyone of you, and so would you in my position. We're family. Don't worry, I'll probably beat you all back to town." Chris gave his friend an unconvincing smile.
Vin knew Chris was right. Any one of them would do the same thing, something that still amazed the intuitive tracker, except for Buck and Chris and Nathan and Josiah none of them really knew the others. Josiah called it destiny, whatever 'it' was, it protected them all. What would happen if one of them fell? Josiah sat off to the side silently contemplating, wishing some divine option would reveal itself to him. He believed in the once aimless gunslinger, who had found kindred souls in the others, and especially in one perceptive former bounty hunter. Chris Larabee would sacrifice himself for any one of them, even one rebellious gambler. Chris laid a hand on Vin's chest as he lost his fight with consciousness.
Larabee turned to meet Josiah's troubled gaze, neither one said a word there was no need. Chris smiled and nodded toward the semi-pious man and returned to the window where Ezra stood seemingly lost in thought, not even acknowledging Chris' presence. The inscrutable lawman seemed to be wrestling with some inner issue or demon. Standish had run out on them once before but returned. Chris was certain, the sometime self-seeking gambler would not abandon them again, well, fairly certain. Vin had showed him that Ezra did harbor a heart under all his guile. Still, he sometimes wondered why Ezra stuck around. Chris knew it wasn't profitable or healthy for a gambler to stay in one town too long. He hoped it was out of loyalty to the rest of the men, but sometimes Chris just wasn't sure what motivated Ezra Standish, he hoped in time to find out.
"It's awful quiet out there," Ezra softly stated, breaking from his reverie and casting a sidelong glance at the dark-clad gunslinger. The full moon glow shone on Ezra's pale face the shadows giving him an unyielding appearance.
Chris nodded solemnly, his fingers curled into fists of helplessness. "It's our move." His face was grim as he bit his lower lip and removed his pistol from its holster, ready for battle.
Ezra flashed Chris a wry smile and then stepped behind the self-sacrificing gunslinger. Palming his derringer, Ezra paused, turned and struck Chris across the back of the head. He grabbed the crumbling man and gently lowered his limp body to the floor, placing two fingers alongside the unconscious man's neck, feeling the strong pulse.
Josiah jumped up from his chair, stunned at what he had just witnessed and not sure how to respond. "What the hell are you doing?" He hissed out.
Ezra ignored the big man's outburst and proceeded to remove Chris' duster and hat, striking the hat against his leg to remove the dust.
Josiah's mouth dropped open as he realized what the slick conman was about to do. "Ezra, do you know what you're doing?" The words rode on a breath of disbelief.
"Well, it appears, either Mr. Larabee gives a very inspirational speech or I have lost whatever reserve of self-preservation I still held on to. And no Mr. Sanchez I don't know what I am doing and if I thought about it, I'd call myself a damn fool, so I refrain from thinking about it." Ezra donned the black duster and hat as he continued to prattle. "Can't say much for Mr. Larabee's fashion sense." Josiah stood silently, developing a whole new respect for the presumptuous gambler. "I seemed to have developed an indomitable spirit, something I'm sure I can attribute to the company I keep." Ezra's ramblings hid the apprehension he felt. "I shall attempt to lead these desperadoes away and you must quickly remove yourselves from the premises as I have no idea how far I'll get."
"What if you get caught?" Josiah asked still slightly dumbfounded by Ezra's action. He always thought there was more to the fancy dressing conman than what he portrayed. Why did he have to choose this particular time to prove him right?
"The thought had occurred to me. I believe I'm better qualified to talk my way out of the situation than Mr. Larabee would be. Hopefully, I won't get the chance to find out. Now, if you'd be so kind as to give me as much cover fire as possible allowing me to at least get to the horses."
Josiah paused a moment looking down at their unconscious leader then over to Vin, who tossed and turned, caught in the grip of a fevered driven nightmare. He drew his gun and picked up Chris' loaded revolver off the floor and sidled up to the window. Ezra seemed to say a quick prayer before he opened the door and quickly darted to the side. Bullets immediately began to fly and nip at Ezra's heels. Josiah returned fire with a vengeance causing the outlaws to pause and giving Ezra time to mount Chris' black and gallop away. Moments later the sound of several galloping horses raced past the cabin. Josiah waited, listening. He then cautiously and quickly went out and rounded up the horses bringing them to the front of the cabin. He looked in the direction that Ezra had taken and whispered a prayer of protection for the suddenly heroic gambler.
TBC