"You said Morley wouldn't talk!" Drake yelled, jumping on a horse and following the other men as they raced out of town.

"He wasn't supposed to," Ryker answered. "I don't understand why he changed his mind; he was never one to put his own neck on the line."

"You said nothing could go wrong!"

"That was contingent on Morley being anything like he was ten years ago. Apparently he's not."

"When I get my hands on you-"

"Enough," Sullivan barked. "You got me out, that's all that matters."

"But now we have to lose a posse and get out of the territory and-"

"Nothing we haven't done before. Ryker, I'm assuming you have us a little insurance?"

"At the ranch where we've been staying. We'll stop there to get the others and pick up supplies, then we can split up and I'll get the kid to Hansen. How long?"

"…Better make it two weeks, we may need some extra time with the Marshals being involved."

"Do you want him killed or released?"

"We don't need any loose ends lying around."

Upon returning to the ranch, Ryker helped the other men pack up before sending them on their way. As he entered the bedroom, he found Mark struggling to get out of his restraints.

"You're gonna make your shoulder worse, working it like that."

"Where's my pa? What's going on?"

Ryker bent down and began untying the boy as he answered, "Your friend Morley decided to stop cooperating. I suggest you learn from his mistake."

"Where's my pa?!"

"If my men did their job, he's lying dead on the courthouse floor."

"No… NO!" Mark attempted to get up, Ryker suddenly gripping his bad shoulder and forcing the boy to his knees.

"And unless you want to meet the same fate, I suggest you cooperate."

As Ryker released his hold, Mark slowly looked up at the man, dozens of thoughts racing through his mind. His first instinct was to scream that he didn't care, that he didn't want to live; yet something deep inside of the boy stopped him. Knowing he could be merely trying to protect himself from the truth, Mark chose to hold onto the hope that his father was still alive.

Seeing a change in the boy's eyes, Ryker grabbed his good arm and pulled Mark to his feet. They walked out to the yard, Mark's urge to run being dissuaded by the sound of a gun being cocked.

"You settle down or things are going to get a lot less pleasant between us. Mount up on that horse there."

Mark did as he was told, Ryker tying the boy's hands to the pommel of the saddle before grabbing the reins and mounting up on his own horse.

"Where are we going?"

"To see a friend of mine."

"Why? If Mr. Morley gave his testimony, I won't do you any good!"

"Don't sell yourself short. You'll suit my needs just fine."

It was well after dark when Ryker stopped for the evening. He took his time in setting up camp, then untied the boy and told him to sit by the fire.

"Eat some of that jerky. And don't make me regret not tying you up."

As Ryker took care of the horses, he watched Mark, noticing the pain in the boy's face as he rubbed his shoulder. After laying out the bedrolls, Ryker gave Mark a few more minutes to eat before ordering him to lay down on his stomach.

"I hate to tie you up again, but I can't risk you running off."

"Why do you need me? I'm only slowing you down. If it wasn't for me, you'd be miles ahead."

"Because someone's bound to get caught, sooner or later. You're my way of making sure all of us get to Carizzo. Now lay down on that bedroll."

Mark did as he was told, involuntarily groaning as his arm was pulled behind his back. Ryker finally walked away, leaving the boy's thoughts to return to Lucas. Everything in Mark's being resisted the idea that his father was dead, but the possibility still brought on tears that he couldn't hold back.

A firm hand shook Mark awake early the next morning. As he sat up, he was surprised to find that his restraints had already been removed. A piece of jerky suddenly landed in the boy's lap, bringing his attention to Ryker.

"Eat that and then we'll get going."

Mark watched as the man saddled the horses, confused to see irritation on his face.

"…What's the matter?"

"Eat."

Ten minutes later, Ryker was again tying Mark's hands to the saddle horn, but didn't secure the rope as tightly as he had before. The man took the horses and reins and mounted up, urging the horses forward without saying a word.

Two hours later, Mark saw a town in the distance. Ryker brought the horses to a stop, then reached over to untie the boy's hands.

"I'd like to keep you alive, but I can make do without you, so I suggest you behave yourself. You go along with whatever I say, or you and a whole lot of other people are going to die, you understand?"

Mark slowly nodded, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Good."

Again, Ryker started forward, eventually guiding the horses down a number of back alleys. When they finally stopped, Mark looked up to see the man approaching a door bearing a sign that read, "DOCTOR."

A man no older than thirty answered Ryker's knock, greeting the travelers as he looked between them. "Can I help you?"

"My son and I were out camping; he fell the other day and hurt his shoulder… I tried doing what I could, but something doesn't seem right."

"Come on in."

Ryker helped the boy down from his horse and followed the doctor inside. Upon instruction, Mark sat down in a chair, wincing as the doctor began examining his shoulder.

"…Just how'd you manage this?"

Mark briefly looked at Ryker before answering, "I slipped and fell down a ravine."

"Looks like your father tried putting this back in place?"

"I didn't know what else to do," the man answered. "I've done it before, but something didn't go right this time."

"You can say that again." The doctor looked at Mark apologetically as he went on, "I'm going to have to displace this again before I can set it properly… it isn't going to feel too good."

"…Don't reckon so."

"Why don't you lay down on that table over there? And Mr…?"

"Smith, James Smith."

"Mr. Smith, I'm going to have to ask you to hold him down while I do this. First time isn't quite as important, but I need him as still as possible when I set it."

Mark hesitantly moved to the table and took the small piece of wood the doctor offered. He placed it between his teeth, closing his eyes as he felt two sets of hands taking hold of him.

The first movement came unexpectedly, the doctor pushing the shoulder out of place mid-sentence. As much as he tried, the boy couldn't keep himself from screaming as the shock of pain shot through his arm. The second time, Mark felt the shift in the doctor's hands before he acted, making it more difficult for him to set the injury. Mark struggled against fading vision as the pain in his shoulder encouraged him to fall unconscious. He heard the doctor telling him to stay awake before a splash of cold water suddenly hit his face.

"There we go, look here."

Mark turned towards the doctor, his eyes holding a mix of pain, confusion, and irritation.

"Good. We'll give it a few minutes before we try moving it any more."

"What for?"

"Putting your arm in a sling will help take the pressure off. Don't worry, it won't hurt as bad as setting it. Where are you folks from?"

"Santa Fe," Ryker answered. "I grew up near here and wanted to show the boy a few things… forgot to warn him about that gulch near Wilder's Crossing."

The doctor nodded. "They really need to fence it off… saw a girl a few weeks ago who nearly died out there."

"Anyone from around here?"

"Terjina Radford… her folks have been around for some time… you know 'em?"

"I worked with Mr. Radford as a boy. He still in the same business?"

"Sure is, though I hear he's thinking on selling off the rest of his stock soon and moving out to California."

"He was always talking about the ocean… doesn't surprise me one bit."

After a few more minutes of small talk, the doctor returned his attention to his patient. Though he still couldn't keep from groaning, Mark was relieved that putting his arm in the sling didn't hurt as bad as he had anticipated.

"Just don't try using it for a while and make sure to have your doctor look it over when you get home."

Ryker nodded, thanking the doctor before paying him for his time. As the door to the office closed behind them, Ryker helped Mark mount up.

"…You really grow up around here?"

"No," Ryker laughed. "Camped in that gulch last year after robbing a bank. Nice place to hide."

"What about all that talk about the Radfords?"

"He gave me all the information I needed to keep the conversation going." Ryker mounted up, leaving Mark to guide his own horse. "We have a lot of ground to cover today. I won't hesitate to tie you up again if you cause any trouble."

"Well, I say it's about time you woke up."

Lucas finished rubbing his head before looking up to see Doc Burrage hovering over him.

"Any closer and that bullet would have killed you."

The rancher's brow furrowed in confusion. "…What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"We were at the ranch and… Mark! Where's Mark?!"

"Easy Lucas…"

Lucas turned as a set of hands tried to push him back down. He grabbed Sam's shirt in a fist and yanked him forward, death in his eyes. "If they've done something to him, I swear-"

"I said what I did to protect him."

"What are you talking about?!"

"Let me go and I'll explain."

Still glaring at the man, the rancher slowly released his grip.

"Ryker would have let the boy go, but I overheard Morrison and a few others talking. Drake had told them to kill you and the boy as soon as the trial ended. I would have gone back to jail, but they didn't want to leave you and Mark alive to back up my story."

"And just how was your telling the truth supposed to-"

"Because Ryker always has an out, any time he pulls a job. I knew that if I testified like they wanted, they wouldn't hesitate to kill the two of you. But when I told the truth, it forced them to run, and Ryker wouldn't kill Mark when he could be used as leverage."

"…They took him?"

Sam nodded. "The cabin was empty when I checked it last night."

"Last… how long has it been?"

"A little more than twenty-four hours," Doc answered. "I tried telling Micah to rest, but he and a few other marshals that weren't quite so bad off left this morning to go after them."

"Sam, get my horse."

"Wait a minute, Luke. Neither one of you are in any condition to-"

"They have my son!"

"Lucas, please, listen to Doc!" The rancher looked up to see a tearful Milly standing in the doorway, holding a tray of food. She hurried across the room, setting the tray down and taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "There's a whole posse of lawmen out there, looking for them, looking for Mark! You're in no condition to travel! It's almost dark, there's no moon. If you try going out there tonight, you could get yourself killed!"

Lucas looked between the three sets of eyes staring down at him, noticing the bandage around Sam's arm for the first time. "…I'm leaving in the morning. And none of you are going to try to stop me."

"Stop you?" Morley asked. "I'm going with you. Just so long as you can stay in the saddle."

"Lucas…"

"Milly, they have Mark. I can't sit around and do nothing. The moment they feel safe…"

She nodded in understanding, a lone tear slipping down her cheek. "…Be careful. I want both of you home in one piece."

Late that night, a short, stout man stepped outside to see two riders entering the yard. He looked the boy over, then turned his attention to Ryker.

"What happened to him?"

"Long story. That shoulder's giving him plenty of trouble… he should cooperate just fine." Ryker dismounted, stepping to the other horse and offering a supporting hand as he told Mark to get down. "How much is two weeks gonna cost me?"

"Am I letting him go or not?"

Mark's head shot up, his eyes growing wide.

"Let him go, but I want a wire saying you killed him and took care of the body."

"Who wants him dead?"

"Doesn't matter, I'm the one paying you."

"How often do I have to check for a wire?"

"Just in the evenings."

The man thought for a long moment, crossing his arms as he let out a deep breath. "Two weeks… that's a number of rides into town… food for the boy…"

"You have a price already; what is it?"

"That'll run you three hundred."

"Three hundred?!"

"Two weeks gives the law a lot of time to track you back here. Course, if you'd rather keep an eye on him yourself…"

Ryker let out a heavy sigh as he shook his head. "…What if you let him go after one week, wired me after two?"

"There's still a risk of him pointing the law back here…"

"They won't be able to charge you with anything and you know it. It's his word against yours."

"One-fifty."

"One hundred."

"One-twenty-five, and if he gives me any trouble, you're getting charged another twenty percent next time."

"Alright." Ryker took hold of Mark's good arm, pulling him along as he followed the man inside.

"I heard Sullivan got caught… he have something to do with this?"

"Trial didn't go like we expected."

"He the one who wants the kid dead?"

"It doesn't matter who wants the kid dead, because they'll never find out. But if I find out you didn't let him go, I won't hesitate to come back here and even the score."

"I was just asking; no need to make any threats. You staying the night or moving on?"

"There's not enough light to keep going… I had a hard enough time keeping us on the trail on our way up here." As Ryker spoke, he pushed Mark into a chair beside the fireplace. "I'll ride out first thing tomorrow morning."

"There's an extra cot in the barn. Bring it in after you take care of the horses."

Ryker nodded and started back across the room, stopping at the door and pointing at Mark. "You stay put. He's overcharging me as it is."

As the door fell closed behind Ryker, Mark slowly looked up at the other man, trying to swallow the fear he felt.

"You hungry?"

"…What?"

"I asked if you were hungry." Seeing the confusion on the boy's face grow, he went on, "Ryker wants you alive, so you're going to have to eat at some point. There's stew on the stove. If you're hungry, I suggest you get some."

Mark slowly nodded before hesitantly making his way across the room. He filled a bowl with stew and sat down at the table, noticing the lack of windows as he looked around the cabin.

"Smart boy." The man took a seat across from Mark, his eyes filled with warning as he went on, "Takes most men a few hours to start looking for a way out. Kids mostly just act on impulse and run when they think I'm not looking. I've been doing this a long time and not one's ever gotten away from me. You ain't gonna be the first."

"…I've heard my pa talk about that trial… there were gonna be a lot of lawmen there… lawmen that will be trailing Ryker here. …If you let me go after he leaves, I can cover his trail and-"

Mark was interrupted as the man let out a booming laugh. "Well now, a negotiator!" He stood from the table, shaking his head. "Kid, if it were up to me, I'd let you go first thing tomorrow. But I have a reputation to uphold, and if I get a wire saying to send you somewhere, I better have you to send."

By the time Ryker returned to the cabin, Mark had finished eating. The other man showed the boy to a back room, motioning to the small cot before closing and locking the door behind him. Mark felt his way to the bunk and laid down, letting out a deep breath as he listened to the conversation in the other room.

"How'd that kid get caught up in all this?"

"His father was in charge of protecting a key witness. They lived on a ranch outside of town and kept him there… when our witness didn't testify the way we wanted, we had to ride out of town… figured the kid would make good leverage."

"You really need me to keep him a whole week?"

"I'm pushing my luck as it is… the whole territory knows about us by now. Just keep your head down and things will be fine."

"Anything in particular you want done when I let him go?"

"Just put him on that horse… ride around with him a while so he can't point anyone back here and then give him directions to Raton. I took him in so many circles on the way here, there's no way he could find his way home."

"Where's the kid from?"

"Small town called North Fork… about a day's ride south of here."

"…You better pray Lucas McCain's not on that posse… he'll track you down faster than a hound dog after a coon."

"He was killed after the trial. How do you know McCain?"

"Like you said, North Fork's only a day's ride… the man has a reputation, and not just for his rifle. I've heard stories about him tracking outlaws… it ain't pretty."

"Well he won't be tracking anyone now. Morley should have listened when I said we'd kill McCain and his kid."

"Kid? You mean that's… why didn't you tell me he was McCain's son?!"

"You would have raised your price."

"And for good reason! Do you have any idea how many lawmen are going to be out looking for him?! And once word gets out… Ryker, I can think of half a dozen outlaws within a hundred miles that would like nothing more than to get their hands on that kid!"

"Then it's a good thing you're only keeping him for a week, isn't it?" Ryker looked the man over, briefly hesitating before letting out a heavy sigh. "…Look, wire me at Carrizo in five days. If everyone's arrived and I don't see any trouble on the horizon, you can let him go early. But you know what would happen to both of us if we needed to use the kid and he wasn't here."