"How much longer do you figure we gotta wait 'til we can do this?" Patience had never been one of Cyrus's strong suits. Besides beating on people, few things were.
"Don't know." Harlan took a glance at his new pocket watch. "Annabella's note said Larabee and Wilmington were due around 2, so the stage should be here any time now." He pulled out the note he'd recovered that morning from their contact drop, just to be sure, even though he'd already looked at it countless times. Law at west end of Kinstone Pass at 2. Be ready by noon to take care of things at the east, just to be sure. Meet as planned tonight. He chortled softly. "She's gonna be waiting one hell of a long time for us to show up."
"Yeah. I can't believe she figured that on a score like this one we'd play it straight. Been waiting too long for this kind of money. You figure she'll come looking for us?"
Laughing, Harlan shook his head. "Probably be too busy trying to run from that boyfriend of hers when they figure all this out."
While Harlan focused his scope on the horizon, Cyrus shifted restlessly in his saddle. "Wish we'd had time to send for them fellas you hired from Purgatory. More hands would be better for this."
"Well there wasn't enough notice. We'll be fine. Taking down a spoiled rich dude and some old driver will be a piece of cake."
"Yeah, but there's a hired gun with them. Shouldn't we at least take him out first?"
"I told you Cyrus, we don't kill any of them until we're sure the money is there. If it turns out McHenry has wired it ahead or something instead of carrying it with him we're gonna need him alive to get it. It will be a hell of a lot harder to get him to go along if he figures we'll kill him anyway. This way, he might have some hope."
Cyrus wasn't convinced, but knew there was no point in arguing. He dismounted again and began pacing, wondering how much longer this would be. It was just a short wait before Harlan ordered him to mount up. The stage was coming and it was time for the two men to move into position.
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The stage slowed slightly, preparing to take the curve that would lead it into the rocky pass. If there was going to be trouble, this was the most likely spot. With that in mind, they were all on alert, doing their best not to be obvious about it. The driver was drooped down in his seat, showing only as much energy as it took to guide the team. Likewise, the escort rider seemed more asleep than awake, swaying slightly in the saddle. As for the passenger, he too looked to be asleep, hat tilted down over his face. Appearances to the contrary, not one of them was caught of guard when two masked riders appeared from behind the rocks.
"OK folks, everybody stay nice and calm any you all get to ride on out of here in just a few minutes."
"I don't want no trouble mister." The driver didn't look up as he spoke, his voice trembling faintly. "I ain't gonna be no hero."
"Smart man. You armed?"
"No, they don't let me carry a gun."
The bigger of the two men rode closer. "Can see why. You ain't nothing but a useless, sniveling coward, are you?"
"No sir, I ain't."
Scoffing, he raised his hand as if to hit him, and watched the driver pull back. A soft utterance he couldn't make out accompanied the ducking action.
The second rider circled the stage, gun aimed directly at the hired rider. "What about you? You gonna play hero?"
There was a firm shake of the head. "Not my money in there."
"Good." He waved at him to move back. Without lowering his gun he pulled a second weapon to aim it at the interior of the stage as he turned to face the passenger.
Instead of seeing a cowering occupant, he found himself staring down the barrel of a Colt 45. "I think, friend, you and your companion will want to be dropping your weapon." Judge Oren Travis grinned at him from behind the gun.
Out of the corner of his eye, Harlan saw the Josiah pull his own revolver from under his sarape. The outlaw had just begun to squeeze the trigger when a single shot hit him between the eyes. Reflexes had him fire his shot, which barely skimmed Josiah's arm.
Cyrus turned his head in time to see his companion fall, and instinctively fired his own weapon. Again, the best he managed was a grazing shot that caught Vin in the leg before falling to his death, felled by two shots to the chest.
All three men scanned the horizon for others, not lowering their weapons.
"Honestly, gentlemen, while I know I shouldn't take any pleasure in this, I have to concede it was a most rewarding feeling." Travis tilted his head back on his head as the climbed out of the stage once they were certain the risk was done.
"Thought you were going to give it away for a minute there, Vin. What took you by surprise?"
Vin had already wrapped a bandana around his leg to staunch the weak flow of blood. He didn't answer as he lowered himself from his perch and stepped toward the dead man. Toeing him to roll him over, he looked down with disgust, his eyes focused on the man's hand. He bent down and pulled at a ring that sat two thirds of the way onto the last finger. He tugged several times to try to get it off, but it was wedged tight. Just about to reach for his knife, he gave one more pull and felt it move. A few twists later and he'd succeeded. He held it up for Josiah to see.
The big man recognized it instantly. "Ezra's." He dismounted as he spoke. "Bastard." He knelt on one knee next to his victim and began checking pockets for ID.
All three men grabbed at their guns at the sound of approaching riders but relaxed as they came into view.
"Damn." Buck spoke as he approached. "We missed all the fun."
Chris slid off Pony and strode quickly to where Josiah was once again kneeling, removing his bandana as he did and wrapping it around his friend's arm. "You three alright?"
"Scratches. Nothing that will distract Nathan when we get back."
Nodding, Chris pointed at the body at his feet. "Find anything?"
Josiah had already found a note in the pocket and had just wrapped his hand around something hard. He knew what it was before he pulled it free. Silently, he held up Ezra's pocket watch.
"These were the guys? Why the hell would they attack Standish?" Buck moved closer, looking confused. He turned to face Vin. "I told you I didn't beat him –". He got no further before Vin lunged at him, forcing him back against the wheel of the stage, holding his forearm against Buck's neck.
"You might as well have. These two bastards were working with your lady friend. She set him up sure as we're standing here."
Buck shoved back, but didn't have the leverage from the position he was in. None of the others made a move to come to his aid. "You're loco."
"I followed her yesterday. Rode out to meet with them. She's part of this, just like he tried to warn you."
The two men stared each other down, Buck slowly losing his fighting stance. "You followed her? Why?" He turned to look a Chris. "What the hell is he talking about?"
Chris walked over next to them. "Wish he was wrong Buck, for your sake, but he isn't." He held up the note Josiah had found. "Recognize the writing?"
Staring at it Buck tried to ignore the growing sense of dread. Yes, he'd seen the writing. It was on the envelopes that Clarice had asked him to deliver to the stage that morning. There had to be an explanation. He went silent, barely breathing as images and words from the last few days crashed through his mind. He slumped as realization struck with full force. Chris tapped Vin's arm, signalling him to let go. After a few seconds of hesitation, and with a slight shove, Vin acquiesced.
"She played me?" Buck muttered softly. He still couldn't quite accept what his gut was telling him was true.
"She played all of us. Three weeks in town and not one of us had a hint of suspicion about her." Chris didn't think the words would be of any comfort to his friend as the reality continued to sink in.
Buck said nothing, leaning back against the wheel. How could he have been so blind? So unbelievably stupid. He'd played into her hand every step of the way like some lovesick pup. Hell, that's exactly what he'd been. JD showed more sense than he'd had. The things he'd said to the team, the way he'd fed her information. Fool didn't begin to come close to being an apt description. If he'd just thought for a minute to listen to Ezra…
He gasped, thunderstruck by the memory. He'd almost shot the man, based solely on her word. Just like she wanted him to do. He damn near killed him like a dog in the street.
No. He did kill him. Maybe not with his hands, but with his acts. Drove him out of town, into the hands of these bastards. He looked at the size of the man on the ground in front of him. There were bruises on his hands. The kind you get when you've beaten a man senseless. Proof that he had been the one to do that - with Buck's help. He felt sick to his stomach, thinking on the kind of hell Ezra must have gone through in his final moments.
He slumped to the ground. "You were right Vin. I killed him."
Chris went to speak, but Vin stopped him, pulling him aside and speaking in a low voice. "Won't do him harm to dwell on that for the ride home before we set him straight."
"Not so sure about that. There's been enough lying and conning going on, don't you think."
Vin thought on how badly Ezra'd been hurt. "No. I don't."
Buck shook his head, seeming to come to his senses suddenly and jumped up, making the move back to his horse. "We have to get back to town. Chris, you have to let me be the one to arrest her. I'll leave town after that. Hell, I'll turn myself in as an accomplice if that's what you want, but I have to do this first."
"On what charge?" Travis spoke for the first time since this started. He'd been filled in on all the details well in advance and was now telling Buck the same thing he'd told the others. "There isn't enough evidence to charge her. Meeting two men outside of town isn't a crime. Even if we can prove the note was hers, and she will swear it isn't, it doesn't prove anything. Lying to you – to everyone – isn't enough. I don't know a court that would convict her on this."
"So she just gets away?"
Not on my watch, Chris thought. "No. We keep the bodies hidden when we go back to town. You'll tell her the stage never showed up." Chris looked at Buck and the seething anger so close to the surface and rethought the plan. There was no way the man was going to keep himself under control if he had to face her. "One second thought, I'll tell her. Let her think you went after them while I came back for reinforcements."
"I can do it Chris."
Without dignifying that, he continued. "You can hide out at the church. Need to take these two to Nathan to get their wounds checked."
"Damnit Chris, I ain't gonna fall under that spell again. I can do this!"
"You can do what I damn well tell you to do. Isn't this bad enough without you losing your temper and likely killing her? We're gonna follow her out to where the meet is supposed to be. That should tie her into it, won't it Judge?"
"No. Without them there, there's no reason she can't go riding anywhere she wants. And from what I know, she isn't going to fall for any kind of con we try to pull. Best we can do at this point it to notify every lawman we can to be on the watch for her. Keep track of what she'd doing and watch for some kind of slip. Maybe we'll figure out more later, but for now, I don't see another option."
Slowly, Chris walked over to Buck, picking up the hat Vin had knocked off him in their skirmish. "Mount up. Let's just go home."
Swinging himself into the saddle, Buck didn't look up. "Don't see that I have one." He started back to Four Corners, ahead of the others. None of them rode to catch him.
Chris looked over his companions. "You two ok to ride?"
Vin offered a faint grin as he climbed back into the drivers seat. "Takes more than this to slow me down."
"Likewise." Josiah had already mounted up, and Travis had settled onto one of the outlaws horses.
"OK, once I get the bodies into the stage you guys take it to my cabin. Your horses are there for you. Left one for you too Judge, so you don't have ride that one into town, just in case she recognizes it."
Travis rode forward to Chris. "You should catch up to Buck. He's liable to get to town and say or do something that everyone will end up regretting. If he meets up with this Clarice-"
"Annabella" Vin corrected.
"Whoever – he's gonna end up letting her know what happened whether he means to or not. He's too riled. We need to keep her in the dark if there is even a chance she might slip up."
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing."
Chris slammed the door of the stage after dumping the smaller man inside on top of his cohort, brushing his hands off. He would have preferred to leave them out here for the scavengers, just as they had done to Ezra. It was all that they deserved.
"OK, you guys get back to town as soon as you can. But come in quietly. Less fuss about this until we know what she's doing next, the better. I'm gonna catch up to Buck."
He started to ride out until Vin's call stopped him. "Chris. Tell him about Ezra. He's hurting enough."
A single head nod answered, but Chris was smiling to himself as he rode off. Maybe, just maybe, they'd manage to get through this after all.
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tbc
