Moon Boxing

by Tipper

Pure story, complete with a jewel heist, a boxing match, an Australian blackguard and a radiant moon.

2. Part Two -- the match

Moon Boxing

Part Two

______________________________

The next day dawned gray, heavy black clouds sitting on the horizon like a bad cold waiting to happen. Ezra crawled out of bed and frowned at the sight. Then he heard the hammering. With a sigh, he got dressed and wandered down and outside.

Over by the church, Josiah and several other men were involved in setting up a ring. Josiah looked up just as the gambler ambled over and smiled brightly. Ezra returned the look wryly, and came to stand next to his friend as Josiah hammered the rope ring into place on the post.

"I didn't know you were a fighter, son," the ex-preacher said, using the now familiar term. Ezra didn't even flinch anymore. "You know, I also used to partake in the pugilistic arts a little when I was a boy. My father thought boxing was a healthy means by which we could exorcise our demons."

"That would explain why I've never seen anyone best you in a fight," Ezra responded, his face slipping into a grin.

"Ah, but I've never fought you," Josiah replied, waggling his eyebrows as he hit the nail with one last resounding blow.

"Please, Josiah, you'd kill me," Ezra laughed, his tongue darting out to lick his lower lip. "Knock me out before I even got my feet under me. Hell, you could probably take us all on and not break a sweat."

Josiah pulled on the rope to ensure that it was taut, then looked up, "Ah, but from the way Buck tells it, this Jake fellow painted an impressive picture about your skills."

"Jake exaggerates. He always thought a little too highly of me," Ezra grinned, glancing over to the hotel. His face fell a little when he saw the Australian's large black mount still outside. The falter did not escape the preacher's notice. Josiah stopped his hammering, and handed the tool to another man. He stretched his sore muscles, and tapped the gambler on the shoulder.

"Let me buy you a drink, brother."

Ezra looked across at the preacher and shrugged. "I could use some coffee."

Together, they walked back to the saloon and inside. Josiah ordered two coffees from Inez, then joined Ezra at the gaming table. The gambler had already instinctively taken out his cards and begun to shuffle them.

"Jake was someone very important to you," the preacher said matter-of-factly. Ezra shook his head in amazement. Josiah was getting too damn good at reading him.

"He saved my life, Josiah. I'd never been to San Francisco before, and he was right to say I was still a kid. I thought I was good enough to handle it on my own, but I was wrong." He looked up from the cards rippling between his fingers, and smiled.

"Jake took me in, took good care of me, and then, when I made the mistake of developing a crush on an old rich Irish aristocrat's daughter, he got me out of town. I wanted to marry her, but her father was more inclined to shoot me first." He laughed, and Josiah nodded his head in understanding. "Well, when I couldn't convince Moira to run away with me, I knew I had to leave. Jake gave me money, smuggled me out on a wagon train heading east, and that was the last I saw of him. The war was full blown by the time I returned to the South, drawing in everyone within its vicinity with the undeniable intensity of a tornado." He looked back down at the cards in his hands as if seeing them for the first time. He placed them gently on the table.

"I…thought I'd never see him again," the gambler finished quietly.

Josiah watched the emotions wash over the younger man's face, "And now?"

Ezra didn't answer for a few minutes, during which time Inez brought them the coffees. He took a sip and grimaced a little at the bitterness. When he set it down again, he sighed. "I don't know what he is doing here, Josiah. He once swore that he'd never leave San Francisco. Something must have happened to get him all the way out here."

"You think he's wanted?"

Ezra laughed. "Oh, I know he is wanted, my friend. I just don't know for what, or for how much." He looked outside, in the general direction of the jail where he knew JD and Buck were probably hanging out. "I asked Jake to leave last night, Josiah. I don't want them to catch him here."

"Them?"

Ezra favored the preacher with a guileless stare, "Us."

Josiah nodded again, and looked in the same general direction of the jail. "Jake hasn't left, Ezra. I saw them eating breakfast at the hotel this morning."

The gambler didn't respond, himself already aware of that fact, and took another draw on the coffee. Josiah eyed him speculatively.

"And if Brother JD figures out who they are?"

Ezra shrugged, "I know what I am, now, Josiah. I will do my duty. But I will not be the one to give them away."

Josiah smiled slightly, and took a long swig form his own mug. "Well, I best be getting back to that ring. I don't trust those boys too set it up properly without me." He stood and placed the empty mug on the table. As he left, he placed a heavy hand on the gambler's shoulder. "I expect you to make me proud today, son. I have a goodly sum of money riding on you."

Ezra smiled as well, and nodded. "You won't be disappointed my friend."

Josiah nodded, a wolfish smile creasing his face, "I know."

____________________________

A substantial crowd was gathered about the ring as the clock above the mercantile store headed towards three o'clock. The voices of bookies could be heard above the general murmur, calling out odds and taking bets. Inside the ring, Ezra leaned against a post, dressed in a light cotton shirt and brown trousers, his suspenders hanging loose by his sides. He was talking with Buck and Josiah as Nathan wrapped cloth around his knuckles. The healer looked unhappily at the gambler, but was determined to hold his tongue. Let the man dig his own grave, he thought.

On the opposite side, Jake was whispering intently into Sean's ear, obviously giving him pointers. No one noticed that neither Charlie nor Eli seemed to be around.

Above it all, the gray clouds loomed ominously. Several townspeople looked up at the gloomy sky and shook their heads, hoping it wouldn't interfere with the sport at hand. Many had come out to see one of the Seven fall.

Vin and Mary stood off to one side, and Mary was scribbling in her little notebook. Vin looked over her shoulder, occasionally saying something. Mary would smile and nod, and then go back to her writing. Vin swelled with pride, far more interested in the fact that he could read her words than about what she was writing. He was suggesting phrases to her, and would grin as she added them.

Chris and JD still stood near the jail, the only ones not over by the fight. The gunslinger was trying to figure out what was bothering the boy, who'd seemed agitated all morning. He was rapidly losing patience with the young sheriff.

"Damn it, JD, I'm not going to ask again. You said you had something on your mind, and if you don't spit it out in the next ten seconds, I'm leaving you to go watch Ezra fight."

JD swallowed, his face pinched in indecision. He knew he recognized Ezra's friends from wanted posters, and he was pretty sure what they'd done too. He had yet to check the bills yet, though, afraid that he might be right and would have to arrest them. Hell, he knew he was right. He looked up at Chris and shook his head. He couldn't do it yet.

The gunslinger sighed in exasperation, and turned on his heel towards the church. JD dropped his eyes to the ground, and went back inside the jail. Slowly, he headed towards the desk and pulled out the stack of wanted posters. Maybe he was wrong. But if he wasn't…well, now he'd have no choice. Not if he knew for sure.

Chris paused by the side of the jail, shaking his head. He pulled out a cheroot from his pocket and placed it in his mouth. As he lit the match to light it, cupping his hands around the tiny flame, he felt the cold press of steel of a gun barrel against his skull. Aw hell, he thought. He let the smoking cheroot fall from his mouth to the ground.

____________________________

Charlie placed a firm grip on the gunslinger's arm, and led him away from the open air. Chris complied begrudgingly, knowing already what these boys wanted. As he noted who they were, he shook his head in disappointment. Damn it, Ezra.

Inside the jail still, JD pulled out Jake's poster. His hands shook as he read the long list of warrants, and his eyes lingered on the last for a while – "murder." With a groan, he stood and walked outside, looking for Chris's retreating figure. When he didn't see the black duster, he went from puzzled, to slightly alarmed. He started in the direction of the ring just as the first raindrop fell, stopping when he caught something out of the corner of his eye.

He came up abruptly, and looked down at his foot. A smoking cheroot. Chris's. He looked down the empty alley, then over at the crowd of people a hundred yards away. He couldn't see any of the others. Making a quick decision, he headed down the alley, after his leader.

_________________________

The boxing match began earnestly, with Sean charging Ezra like a steam train. The gambler easily sidestepped him, and danced back. Growling, Sean took a few steps towards his adversary and looked for an opening. He took a few practice swings, which Ezra easily blocked. Then Ezra struck, landing a solid blow to the blond man's belly. Sean gasped and staggered back. In the background, the crowd cheered and booed equally. Sean quickly got his breath back, however, and now took a more defensive posture. Ezra watched him warily. They danced around each other for a few minutes, until Sean charged again.

The blond man rained blows down on the gambler, getting him in the side and the back. Ezra kept his guard up, never letting the man get in more than glancing blows in the places where it counted. When he felt Sean beginning to tire in his onslaught, he threw the man's arms aside and started in on Sean's midsection. Taken by surprise where he'd thought he'd been winning, Sean didn't have time to come up with a good block. Instead, he fell backwards, trying to get space between him and the other man's fists. Just then, Buck rang the bell to signal the end of the first round.

Grinning, Ezra danced back and headed over to his post, looking nearly as fresh as when he first started. Sean coughed, eyed the gambler angrily, and went to stand near to Jake. Jake handed him a towel and shook his head. A small smile lit upon the Australian's face as he watched Ezra take a drink from the water bucket. The kid still had it.

The rain began to spit down lightly, and people put up their umbrellas. The bookies were now shouting new odds.

_________________________

JD lay flat against the side of the building at the end of the alley, and counted to three. On the last number, he glanced around the side, his gun raised, ready to fire.

No one.

Frowning, he looked around desperately for any sign of Chris's passing, and his eyes lit upon a still smoking match off to his right, in the direction of one of the hotel's ice houses. Smiling, JD jogged across the space and then slowed as he reached the side of the first ice house. He listened intently at the door, but heard nothing from inside. With great care, he moved over to the next, and again listened at the door. Still nothing.

Lying flat against the front of the ice house, he stuck his head briefly around the corner. Again, there was no one to be seen. He crept around the side and moved slowly down the side. At the back, he finally heard voices.

________________________

The second round seemed much like the first. It was clear from the first minute that Ezra was the superior fighter. He was quick, and expended very little energy until he absolutely needed it. He let Sean take the first shots, always blocking or letting him hit the few areas that could take the blows. Then, as Sean backed up, Ezra struck. This time, Ezra landed several blows to the man's head, until the blond man had a streak of blood leading from the edge of his mouth to his chin. One eye was also beginning to swell. As Ezra was winding up for the knockout blow, Buck rang the bell again. Sean staggered back to his corner, and Ezra bounced up and down in place before turning around. The adrenaline rush caused him to shake a little, but by the time he got back to his corner, he was his usual calm self. Nathan took his bloodied fists, and worked on rewrapping them.

The rain started to come down harder, and several people started to drift away towards overhangs and other shelters. Josiah looked upwards at the dark sky, letting the rain splash on his face. A flash of light lit off to one side, as lightening struck the ground in the distance. The preacher started counting seconds, waiting for the thunder.

_________________________

JD listened quietly for a few minutes, unable to discern exactly what was being said. He frowned when he realized he couldn't hear Chris's voice. With great care, he lowered himself down until he was squatting on his haunches, and looked around the corner. His eyes widened, and he drew back, taking several deep breaths. "Shit," he muttered.

Chris lay unconscious on the ground on his side. The large man named Charlie stood over him with a knife, while Eli pulled the jewels out from the inside Chris's shirt. The smaller man grinned as he opened the pouch, and nodded up at Charlie.

"Do it."

Charlie, knelt and pulled the body towards him, his knife going for the jugular.

"FREEZE!" JD screamed leaping out from behind the ice house. Both men jumped up and reached for their weapons. With a speed Chris would have been proud of, JD had his gun up and fired.

_______________________

Thunder rumbled loudly across the plains, causing a few of the more timid ladies to squeal. Ezra looked up, noticing the rain for the first time. He looked over at Buck, who shrugged, then over at Jake and Sean. The rain started to really come down then, making it difficult to see.

The Australian shrugged his shoulders, then smiled. "Declare it postponed!" he called over the noise of rushing water. Ezra nodded, and looked to Buck.

Buck jumped into the ring and raised his hands. "Ladies and Gentlemen, due to the weather, this match has been postponed." He had to yell to be heard over the din caused by the sudden downpour.

Several people muttered in irritation, but most shrugged and moved to get out of the rain. The outcome was already obvious, even without Sean going down. The bulk of the crowd headed towards the saloon, where Inez was already pouring drinks in anticipation.

Jake helped Sean out of the ring, the younger man leaning quite heavily on his boss. Jake tipped his hat at the "kid" then headed off towards the livery. Ezra watched him leave silently, knowing that the man was intending to leave. As expected, Ezra made no move to stop them, despite the knowledge that he would have undoubtedly won in the next round. He looked down at his bruised hands and closed his eyes. Josiah laid a comforting arm across the younger man's shoulders.

Lightening streaked the sky again, followed by another heavy clap of thunder.

__________________________

Inez had just finished pouring Buck's "pre-victory" drink for the gambler when JD burst into the room, gripping his arm. Water dripping off of him like a waterlogged rat.

"Nathan! Where's Nathan! Buck!" He staggered forward, and Buck rushed up to meet him. Nathan came up right behind him, taking the boy's arm in his adept hands.

"Kid! What the hell happened?" Buck asked.

"He's been shot in the arm, Buck," Nathan said worriedly.

"Its just a graze, Buck. But they knocked out Chris. He hasn't moved, Nate! You gotta help him. Behind the ice house behind the hotel. Hurry!"

Nathan nodded, agreeing with the kid that the wound was merely a graze, and took off, Vin and Josiah right behind him.

Buck got JD to sit down, then knelt down in front of him. JD looked terrified, and the ghoulish blood running down his fingers didn't help matters. Inez came forward with a clean cloth and handed it to Buck. He pressed it against the boy's arm and looked up into the young man's eyes. He frowned when he realized JD was no longer looking at him, but at Ezra who stood nearby.

"Who did this, JD?" Buck asked quietly, the anger clear in his voice. JD swallowed, not taking his eyes off of Ezra. The gambler turned away, already knowing the answer.

"Jake's boys. They were after the jewels," JD whispered.

Outside, the rain poured in full force, unrelenting.

___________________________________

"Man, what hit me?" Chris asked sleepily from where he lay in Nathan's clinic half and hour later.

"The butt of a gun, most likely. Or maybe the handle of a long knife," came the smart reply. Chris peeled an eye back to find two Vins standing over him, a sheepish grin on their faces.

Chris shut his eyes again, and then opened them up more fully. Vin still stood there, but this time there was only one of him. "What happened?" he asked.

Nathan came forward with some water in a tin cup. Allowing Chris to take a sip, he asked the gunslinger what he remembered. Chris frowned for a minute, then groaned. His hand went to his chest and immediately felt the absence of the pouch of jewels. He looked at Vin. "Why ain't I dead?" he wondered.

Vin grinned, and looked over at where JD sat self-consciously on the next cot. He had no shirt on, and had a bandage wrapped tightly around his upper left arm. The boy smiled weakly as he cradled the limb.

"JD there saved your life, cowboy. Scared the two bastards off. Not in time to save the jewels, though. But, he was pretty sure he winged one of them in the arm before he got hit himself," Vin explained. Chris flexed an eyebrow and smiled across at the young Sheriff.

"Thanks kid."

JD swelled with pride, and he looked about the room at the others. Everyone nodded their approval, and he grinned even more broadly, if that was possible. When his eyes caught the downcast expression of the gambler, though, the boy's face fell. Chris's eyes caught the look, and he shifted his gaze to the gambler. He took in the man's somber mien, and his eyes narrowed angrily.

"Did you know?" he demanded quietly. Ezra jerked slightly, startled, and his light green eyes lifted from the floor to stare wide-eyed at his leader. Josiah frowned where he stood next to Ezra. Abruptly, the gambler's expression darkened.

"Did I know what, Mr. Larabee?" the gambler replied, his tone caustic. Chris's jaw clenched.

"Did you know why they were here? Were you part of it?" he reiterated, speaking slowly to make the full impact of his question known.

Ezra frowned, his eyes flashing, and instantly turned to leave the room. Buck grabbed his arm, but one look at the younger man's stormy face convinced him to release him. Ezra disappeared out the door. Five irritated faces looked at Chris.

"Where the hell did that come from?" JD demanded, perturbed. "Why'd you have to ask that?"

"Yes brother, why did you ask that?" Josiah repeated, stepping forward. "I realize that you are perhaps a little out of sorts, but that was…." He shook his head. Chris didn't reply, and tried to sit up. He'd thought the reason was obvious. The man had nearly run off with $10,000. How could he resist $30,000 in jewels?

Vin helped him upright, but even he was surprised by his leader's lack of faith. Josiah, meanwhile, slipped out the door after the gambler.

Chris sighed and put a hand to his aching head. He looked questioningly at Nathan, who shrugged.

"You got awful lucky. The blow hit above your temple. It was enough to knock you out, but you don't have a concussion. You'll be right as rain in a couple hours. Well, except for a splitting headache," the man explained, though the healer's displeased countenance belied his light tone. Even Nathan was taking Ezra's side? Trying not betray his surprise, Chris frowned and looked at Vin.

"What's the story?"

"They lit out of town as soon as the match was called postponed by the rain. No one thought to go after them until it was too late, and, with the rain, I'm not sure I could track them. However, the rain also means they couldn't have gone far. As soon as it lets up, I'd suggest splitting up into two groups of three and looking for them. Ezra's guess is, they headed west, back to San Francisco."

"Two groups of three?" JD asked, still thinking about Ezra. Were they going to leave the gambler out?

"You've been shot kid," Vin replied. JD's mouth made a little "oh" and he looked down at his arm. It throbbed, but he felt okay. Maybe a little lightheaded…and dizzy....Aw nuts.

Chris looked at Vin, his eyes narrowed. He too had been thinking that Ezra would be the one left out. Buck came up and sat next to JD, letting the boy lean on him a little, his face calm.

"Ezra had nothing to do with it, Chris," the ladies man stated matter-of-factly. "You should have seen his face after JD told us what happened. That Jake character used him as effectively as a maid uses an old duster."

Vin nodded, adding his own assent to the ladies man. Chris shut his eyes, and silently berated himself for jumping to conclusions. When he opened them again, it was to look at Vin again. "Fine, you organize the search. As soon as the rain lets up a little, we're heading out. And somebody get that good for nothing gambler back up here."

Damn, he hated saying he was sorry.

_________________________

Josiah found Ezra in the livery, brushing down Chaucer. He moved a little slowly, not entirely recovered from the fight earlier. The large bay nickered softly in appreciation, not sure what he had done to deserve such nice treatment, but also not about to break the spell that brought his rider here. When Josiah cleared his throat, Chaucer lowered his head in disappointment.

"Josiah," Ezra answered, not turning around.

"Chris has a habit of jumping to conclusions, brother Ezra. He is just hurting from the blow."

Ezra shook his head, lowering the brush and resting his head against his beast's warm side. Chaucer craned his neck around to look at him, and nudged his arm. With a start, Ezra looked into the horse's huge eyes, smiled, and started brushing him down again. Josiah sat down on a nearby stool, patient to wait for the gambler to start speaking again on his own.

Finally, Ezra turned to face the preacher. "It isn't Chris, Josiah. Its me. Mr. Larabee is right. I let this happen."

Josiah frowned, "How do you figure…?"

"I knew Jake was a hustler, Josiah. I should have known why he was here. I should have turned him in the second he walked through the doors of the saloon…."

"Ezra," Josiah began, shaking his head.

"He nearly killed Chris, Josiah. And JD. He obviously had this planned from the minute he saw me. And I just let it happen. My God," he shut his eyes and rested his head against Chaucer's side again. "I am such a fool," he whispered.

"We can't choose our past, brother Ezra, only how we choose to deal with it when it comes back to haunt us. That is how we move on, and create who we become in the future."

Ezra snorted, not looking up, "And I chose wrong, Josiah."

Josiah stared at Ezra, and shook his head slowly. His words as he spoke them rang with the weight of truth. "No, son…you didn't. You chose loyalty, and honor. You chose friendship. You chose integrity. Those are all virtues, my son."

"But…"

"You couldn't know he wasn't the same man, Ezra. I saw how you reacted to the sight of his warrant list. I'm guessing the Jake you knew is not the same as the one who came into town yesterday morning. More to the point, the fact that you wanted to protect him, even though you guessed correctly that he had a price on his head, shows that you are indeed a changed man. A better man than he can ever hope to be."

Ezra took deep breath, taking Chaucer's heady scent into his nostrils to wake himself up. Then he straightened his shoulders, and placed the brush into the shelf behind him in Chaucer's stall. The horse whinnied in annoyance, and Ezra smiled, patting him on the side.

"I'll be back my friend," the gambler whispered, then looked to Josiah.

"Feeling better?" the preacher asked. Ezra was about to reply, when Buck burst into the room.

"C'mon Ez," Buck ordered quickly, "Chris wants to apologize for being such an ass. Then we got work to do." Without waiting for an answer, the ladies man popped back out the door and back upstairs to the clinic. Ezra looked at Josiah, a wry grin on his face.

"I'm about to feel a whole lot better, Josiah."

____________________________________

Two hours later, as the rain finally lessened to something less than a flood, six men headed out, while JD looked on. The young sheriff waved them good luck, then turned into the jail, holding the sling that held his arm tight to his small frame. Mary sat inside, near the desk. She glanced at JD, and he nodded back.

"I'll go make sure the clinic is ready," she sighed, getting up and throwing her long coat on. With a shake of his head, he watched her head out into the downpour, then sat behind his desk for the long wait.

___________________­­­­­­­­_________________

Chris, Vin and Nathan headed northwest, towards Eagle Bend and the mountains. There were caves in those hills that made good shelters. If Jake was intending to hide out, they'd be a good bet. They waved as they disappeared into the gray fog of rain.

Josiah, Buck and Ezra headed Southwest towards Beggar's Canyon, a saddle canyon in the general direction of Bristol City. Again, caves interspersed the clay cliffs, offering good places to hole up in this weather, and a thick forest graced the top if climbing up was the outlaw's inclination. The agreed to meet back at the point where they split up in three hours, when the sun would be going down.

Ezra pulled his coat tighter about his neck, hoping more than expecting that the rain wouldn't run down inside his jacket. By the time they'd gone five miles, he was already soaked to the skin and more than willing to exclaim his displeasure over it.

"Now Ezra," Buck replied patiently, "Vin says this weather will stop within a couple of hours, and, as this is partly your fault, I don't think you got the right to complain so much."

Ezra merely stuck his tongue out at the ladies man, who responded in kind.

"Now children," Josiah admonished, "play nice." Buck and Ezra looked at each other, then turned to stick their tongues out at the preacher, who pretended not to notice.

They rode in a companionable silence for the next few miles, interspersed occasionally by a few southern accented remarks about "Mr. Tanner's spurious weather predicting," until a straightening of Buck's shoulders in front indicated that they were nearing the canyon. All three men tensed, and more than one hand drifted towards the guns at their belts.

"Alright," Buck said quietly, "we do this slowly and methodically. If they've got a lookout, he'll be up there." The ladies man pointed to the top of the ridge, which was somewhat obscured by the still powerful rain. "So long as we skirt by those rocks over there," he pointed at some grayish boulders off to the side, out of sight of the potential lookout spot, "we should be golden."

"Umm, Mr. Wilmington…" Ezra began tentatively. Buck swung in his mount to look behind him at the sodden gambler. Josiah, in the rear, pulled up closer.

"Just a suggestion, but, if you were posting a lookout on the side of a clay ridge in the driving rain, would you put it up there?" Ezra asked. Buck just blinked at him, and looked back up at the suddenly precarious looking lookout. The rain would have made the clay even softer and more likely to landslide.

"Well, where do you think they might be?" the ladies man replied sarcastically.

"By the rocks, the ones you suggested we skirt behind," the gambler replied.

Buck looked at the rocks, and frowned. Damn. "Josiah?" he asked, looking for the deciding vote. The ex-preacher sighed.

"Please don't look at me, Buck. Strategy has never been my forte."

"Great," the ladies man mused. He looked up the side of the canyon at the lookout spot, then over at the rocks, then back up at the lookout. He had to admit, the lookout did look a mite bit hazardous, but then the rocks weren't as effective a place to keep watch. Finally he decided. "On your head, Ezra," he said, moving to ride under the lookout instead of the rocks. Ezra grinned smugly, and followed.

Ten minutes later, they were looking down the business end of four rifles.

"Nice, Ez, nice," Buck muttered angrily as Charlie bound his wrists to the saddlehorn. The gambler at least had the decency to look sheepish.

"Not my fault the fool has a death wish," Ezra replied looking at Sean's smirking face. The blond man had been sitting lookout exactly when Buck had thought he would be. Still grinning, the outlaw pulled on Chaucer's reigns, ponying the gambler's horse behind him as they ascended up the slick trail to the top of the canyon wall and the forest beyond.

________________________________

The rain did indeed let up within the hour, and the setting sun dissolved the remaining clouds. In the distance, a rainbow graced the sky, which the three captured lawmen might have admired if they weren't kneeling uncomfortably in the mud atop the canyon wall. The sky blazed a fierce red, as if angry at the turn of events below it. Above, bright and full, the moon was already high in the sky despite the fact that it was still technically day. One might even have suggested that her impatience in rising reflected the worry she felt for the men below.

Sean was back in the lookout position about fifty yards below their vantage point, keeping an eye out for the others, while Jake and the other two sat watching their captives. Eli nursed a bleeding shoulder, courtesy of JD's gun, and sneered at the men with complete contempt. Charlie just favored them with his gap-toothed leer, and sharpened his knife with a small whetstone he kept in a pouch at his belt. Jake paced back and forth in the small area, a square clearing ringed on three sides by trees and the fourth by the cliff edge. It was obvious the Australian wasn't happy.

He stopped, looked at Ezra, then started pacing again. Charlie turned to look at his leader questioningly. Why hadn't they killed them yet, the bald man wondered curiously, as if contemplating the weather.

Finally, Jake stopped and looked out over the view, his shoulders shaking in annoyance. It was obvious he wasn't admiring the landscape below, despite its beauty. The hills and valleys that seemed to stretch for miles before him, luxuriating warmly beneath the sunset's golden mantle, were as plain as a brick wall in his mind. Angrily kicking dirt off the side of the high cliff, he spun around to stare at his old pupil, his eyes flashing.

"Why the hell did you follow me, you fool!" he spat out, wringing his hands behind his back. When Ezra didn't answer, he started pacing again. "Damn it, Ezra, I don't want to kill you."

"Then don't," Ezra answered easily. He cocked his head to one side, and flashed his gold tooth. Jake shut his eyes at the glint of metal, knowing full well how it was Ezra lost that tooth. Jake had been the one to help pay for the replacement, out of the winnings he'd received from that fight. Ezra dropped the look to one of pure innocence. Jake shook his head.

"What do you want me to do, Ezra. You know I can't leave you lot here to come after me again. How in God's name did you become a lawman! You, of all people."

"We often ask that ourselves," Buck threw in. Josiah snickered, earning him a glare from the gambler.

Jake stopped in his pacing. He looked at the men before him, then at Ezra. "How long before the others come after you?" he asked. Ezra just stared at him. Jake nodded to Charlie, who lifted a large stick off the ground and headed towards Josiah. Ezra turned away as the outlaw lifted the weapon like a baseball bat, then smashed it into the preacher's back. Josiah cried out and fell forward. Nearby, Eli followed the blow with a kick to the ribs for good measure.

"Hey!" Buck yelled, moving to stand. Charlie brought the stick up again, and smiled wickedly at the ladies man.

"Buck!" Ezra ordered, "Don't!"

Buck whirled around to look at the gambler, ready to argue, but one look at the younger man's anguished face stopped him. Instead, he sat back down, his features betraying a barely controlled fury.

Ezra looked up at Jake, shaking his head. "I can't tell you what I don't know. The others set off in a different direction. However, I doubt that they would come looking for us until morning, what with the unpredictable weather and the falling night."

Jake watched Ezra for a minute, trying to discern whether the man was lying or not. Eventually he nodded, and told Charlie to lower the stick. Eli spat on Josiah's back. The preacher twisted his head to look evilly at the younger man. Jake started to pace again. Dirt from his frenzied movements skittered off the edge to the canyon floor five hundred feet below.

"Let's just kill them and go, Jake!" Eli urged impatiently, glaring at Josiah, his green eyes almost black in the falling light. Jake just shook his head and continued pacing.

"Look, its easy!" Eli asserted, drawing his gun. Before Jake could stop him, Eli shot Josiah in the back.

"NO!!" Both Ezra and Buck screamed, Buck was on his feet in an instant, charging Eli with his hands still bound behind his back. Ezra jumped over to Josiah, calling his name and hoping beyond hope for a response. The preacher lay on his side, his face contorted in agony. But he was still alive.

Charlie instantly manhandled Buck to the ground before he could touch the other outlaw, eventually stilling the ladies man with a blow to the head. Ezra stood up, looking at his two friends, visibly shaking. He turned on Jake, his anger so thick on his southern tongue it was palpable in the still wet air.

"If they die, Jake, so do you."

The Australian blinked at the gambler, soaking in the anger like a sponge. With a slightly dazed air, he looked down at the bleeding preacher, and over at the unconscious ladies man, then back to Ezra.

The gambler raised his head in defiance of the older man's gaze. Jake saw determination in those green eyes, knowing innately that this man would not hesitate to back up his words.

Slowly, Jake raised his gun and pointed it at Ezra's chest, his black eyes flashing with emotion. The gambler stood straighter, waiting for the bullet without blinking. At the last second, Jake switched the gun's aim to point at Eli, and fired. The outlaw fell like a stone.

Sean appeared atop the hill seconds later, his gun out, panting with the exertion of running up from the lookout point but ready for anything. With a tentative air, he lowered the weapon and grimaced at the sight of Eli dead, and at Jake's still smoking gun. He also saw the two lawmen on the ground, and the gambler standing in the middle of it all, still bound and watching Jake like a hawk. Charlie stood off to one side, also watching Jake, his hands away from his sides in a submissive manner.

"No one," Jake commanded quietly, "moves without my expressly ordering it. Is that understood?" He looked at Sean and Charlie, who both nodded after a short pause. "Good. Sean, saddle the horses. Charlie, break camp. We leave this God forsaken country in five minutes."

"What about…" Sean asked, looking at Ezra.

Jake looked one last time at the man he once called brother, then turned away. "Leave them for the scavengers."

__________________________________

Ezra watched as the three outlaws disappeared into the trees. Then he dropped to his knees near the preacher in order to reach the knife he knew Josiah kept hidden under his poncho. In minutes, he had his hands untied and was working on the bonds of his two friends.

As he waited for Buck to wake up, he pressed down hard on the seeping wound on Josiah's back, willing the blood to stop flowing. The bullet had entered the right side near the shoulder, and Ezra could only pray that it wasn't deep enough to have reached the lung. The gambler muttered a short prayer thanking whatever god made Eli stupid enough not to know where the heart was located, and Josiah clever enough to wear such thick clothes. In the background, a groan from Buck indicated that the ladies man was finally rejoining the living.

"Oh crap!" Buck muttered, holding his head with one hand and feebly searching the ground for his hat with the other. Once he smashed the soft tan Stetson back on his head, he risked looking around. Ezra was watching him worriedly from where he sat next to the supine Josiah, obviously trying to stop the preacher from bleeding to death. The younger man's face looked close to breaking. "Make that, oh hell," the ladies man amended as took in the scene.

With a few swaying steps, he managed to close the gap between himself and his friends, and knelt down to look into at Josiah's pained face. The preacher popped open an eye as Buck came closer, then shut it again.

"He's alive," Buck sighed in relief. Ezra nodded to indicate he knew and looked down at the red stained shirt he'd retrieved from Chaucer's saddlebags. Another sat nearby, torn into strips for a bandage. All three lawmen's horses were standing quietly nearby, seemingly unaware of the mess before them.

"Can you get him back to town?" the gambler asked quietly. The blood had nearly stopped, but without Nathan's help to remove the bullet, the wound would get infected quickly.

"Me?" Buck replied, "by myself?"

Ezra nodded again, still not looking up.

"You're not thinking of going after those bastards on your own, are you?" Buck guessed, his eyes narrowing.

Ezra didn't answer immediately, and when he did, his voice was so low as to almost be a whisper.

"I have to."

Buck watched as the gambler turned his attention towards where Jake had disappeared, before moving his haunted gaze to look at Buck. Ezra swallowed, and spoke to his friend in calm tones. "I don't believe the bullet is deep. I've almost stopped the bleeding. I'm going to bandage it in a minute. If you move slowly, Mr. Wilmington, I think you can get him to the rendezvous point and Nathan without too much hardship." If Buck didn't know better, he would've thought the gambler was merely reciting his laundry list.

"Easy for you to say," Josiah wheezed. "You don't have a bullet in you."

Ezra smiled slightly, and looked back at Buck.

"I can't let you go alone, Ez." Buck tried, putting a hand to his still aching head. God, he hoped he didn't have a concussion. It was getting awful hard to keep the damn southerner in focus. And was that blood on his neck? That was hell to get out of leather.

"You should encounter the others coming in this direction, as we have failed to be present at the designated time. They will have ascertained that we have met with some… calamitous exigency." Ezra looked up at the dark sky, and at the bright moon. She smiled on him, encouraging him, knowing full well the fear he was hiding.

Buck shut his eyes, and shook the fuzz from his head. Was it just him, or were the gambler's words getting longer? Did "exigency" mean that all hell had broke loose and they needed help? Ezra sighed, looking once more under Josiah's "bandage," happy to see that the blood was down to a trickle.

"Send Mr. Tanner and Mr. Larabee after me if you believe it necessary. I'll leave a trail they can follow."

He paused and looked directly into Buck's worried eyes. The ladies man frowned. Ezra smiled weakly.

"He won't kill me, Buck," he said simply.

Buck was about to argue again, then shut his mouth as he finally realized what the gambler was trying to say in his round about way. Demons, as Josiah would say, Ezra had to face his demons. He nodded curtly, then went to get their horses, his steps still a little unsteady. Ezra sighed, and leaned over to kiss Josiah on the side of the head when Buck wasn't looking.

"Now, don't you die on me while I'm gone, preacher," he whispered.

Josiah grinned despite the pain, and risked turning his head a little to see Ezra's face through slitted eyes. "Likewise, son."

_____________________________

Concluded in Part Three