Disclaimer: Oh please, do you honestly think I own them?
Author's Notes: Takes place in the ATF A/U. I was inspired to write this due to some recent experiences of my own. Oh, and my geography is severely skewed, just to let you know. Angel's Window will be mentioned in a later chapter, but it's not located in Colorado. It's actually in Arizona, but right along the Colorado River, which is why I brought it up. I'll see if I can get a picture to show where it is. Ooo! And one last thing: if anyone reads this (which I doubt) needs a Beta-reader, I'd be more than happy to do it for you! Just e-mail me and I'll see what I can do.
"We are doing what?" Chris Larabee asked, his voice sounding incredulous. "Since when?"
"Since I made a reservation for seven, that's when," Buck Wilmington stated, waving a sheet of paper with the name "Adventure Bound" stamped on it at his friend.
"Give me that," JD Dunne demanded, grabbing the paper out of his roommate's hand and began to read it aloud. "Adventure Bound: Colorado's premier whitewater rafting organization allows you to fulfill your wildest dreams by having an experienced guide take you and your friends down the Colorado river for a seven day ride of adventure. See life the way Nature intended it to be like." JD dropped his hand holding the paper to his side. "Rafting?"
"Why not? Haven't you ever seen The River Wild? It's the best way to take a vacation!" Buck protested defensively, snatching the paper back.
"How much would this little 'expedition' cost us?" Ezra Standish asked, leaning comfortably against the desk behind him.
"For seven days, meals provided by the company along with wetsuits…a hundred and twenty five dollars per person," Vin Tanner answered, reading off the sheet he had snagged from Buck. The sharpshooter looked over the top of the sheet at Buck. "Sounds like fun."
"It is!" Buck insisted to the wary crowd.
"Why would we want to spend a vacation meant for relaxing careening down a raging river of death?" Ezra countered.
"Oh, don't be so melodramatic, Ez. No one's died on the Colorado River with one of the Adventure Bound crews," the mustached agent argued with the southerner. "Besides, every vacation we take, we end up getting shot at, blown up, put in jail or something else equally unappealing. This way, we can't be put in jail because of someone arguing with Ez busted up another bar since there won't be anyone to argue with, we can't get shot at cause the only person besides us in the raft will be the tour guide, and we can't get blown up because there will be nobody with dynamite in the raft!"
The other six seemed to consider these facts. Slowly, one by one, they all nodded in agreement.
"Ya got a point there," Chris admitted thoughtfully.
"It would be rather nice to actually have a vacation where we aren't carrying our armaments around with us," Ezra conceded. He actually surprised himself when he felt drawn to the idea of whitewater rafting. Usually, he hated most outdoor activities and steered away from them at all cost. However, for some inexplicable reason, he felt an urge to try rafting down the infamous Colorado rapids.
"How 'bout the rest of ya?" Buck asked, pleased to see that the two friends he was most concerned about recruiting seemed to like the idea.
Nathan Jackson and Josiah Sanchez looked at one another and shrugged. "Ya'll gonna need someone to look after ya and make sure you don't kill each other," Nathan answered.
"Best way to see God's beautiful country is first hand, right?" Josiah said in his deep baritone. "We're in."
Buck turned to Vin and JD. Vin caught the look and returned it with one of surprise. "What? You actually think you're gonna get an argument out of us?"
"Great! The tour starts Wednesday, and it's about a day worth of driving down. If we leave tomorrow, we should be able to catch it," Buck explained. "Josiah, can we use the Suburban? It's the only vehicle that fits all of us and our gear."
"Just got the ol' girl up and running. We should be fine," Josiah replied.
"And Ez?" The ladies man turned to gambler.
"What?" Ezra used his best innocent look.
"No guns. Not even your ankle holster your so fond of bringing with you everywhere. And I wouldn't suggest cards either, cause they're gonna get soaked."
"I wouldn't dream of bringing a firearm on this excursion into the wild blue yonder," Ezra replied in mock indignance (A/N That is a word, right?).
Buck rolled his eyes as if to say 'yeah, right'. "Tomorrow we should leave around ten in the morning, just in case we get lost with Chris as the navigator."
"I resent that," Chris grumbled, though he grinned slightly.
"This is going to be great!" JD said enthusiastically, pumping his fist in the air for emphasis.
"Knock on wood…" Chris muttered faintly, tapping the top of the desk with his knuckles.
Thirteen hours later, the 'Magnificent Seven' were piled into Josiah's old and dying (despite what he says) Suburban. Ezra and Vin were seated in the very back with Buck, JD and Nathan seated in the middle seat, though very cramped. Only two could fit in the back because of the spillage of baggage falling over onto the seat. Chris and Josiah, being the oldest, received the privilege of sitting in the front.
"Are we there yet?" Vin called for what seemed like the millionth time from the backseat.
Six voices chorused at once, "NO!"
"How much longer?" he asked, ignoring the rolling eyes of his teammates. They should be used to this by now.
"Too long," Ezra grumbled, turning to face out the window and watched as the trees whipped by.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Vin demanded.
"It means, Mr. Tanner, that you don't seem to be able to sit still for more than a few seconds," Ezra snapped back.
"Shut up you two," Nathan replied sleepily as he shifted his position from sleeping with his head against the side of the window.
"He started it," the two agents replied simultaneously, pointing at the other.
Chris hit his head against the passenger window. "Two more hours, two more hours…" he chanted.
"Two more hours?" Vin echoed. "Aw, hell. I can't wait that long!"
"Then jump from the vehicle and walk," Chris suggested.
"Really?" Vin's face brightened.
"No."
"Damn." Vin folded his arms across his chest and settled back against the seat, trying to get comfortable.
TWO HOURS LATER….
"Oh thank you Lord…" Ezra praised, practically falling face first into the dirt in his haste to get out of the Suburban.
The seven men exited the car, stretching their sore muscles after about eight hours in the car. It was originally supposed to be four hours in the car, but had turned to eight when they took the wrong road and ended up going completely in the wrong direction.
"It was worth it for this," Nathan voiced, looking around at the towering pines and the clear blue sky. The day was rapidly drawing to a close and the setting sun could be seen through the trees setting just beyond the river bend, casting a rosy glow across the land. In the distance, the ex-medic could make out the white caps of the first rapids.
"The tents are over there," JD pointed to the left, indicating the white canvas covered structures. It was a permanent tent site, so it was complete with wooden floors and frame.
As the seven ATF agents grabbed their packs out of the back of the Suburban, they trudged off to the tents and found four sets of bunks complete with mattresses and pillows.
Vin and JD immediately claimed top bunks by hurling their bags atop the mattress they claimed as theirs.
"What time do we leave for the river tomorrow?" JD asked, stretching out on the bunk.
"Says that we have to be up by six thirty for breakfast…"
"Which I'm forgoing if it means rising at the same time as the sun," Ezra drawled.
"No you're not," Chris and Nathan immediately said.
"If I may?" Buck asked, clearing his throat. "Anyway, six thirty breakfast then a briefing at seven thirty for safety measures and what's gonna be happening."
"Which means…" Nathan stepped in once more. "If ya'll go to sleep now, you'll be rested before we have to get up tomorrow. That means you too, Ez."
"Oh, please Mr. Jackson. It's only seven thirty. Why do I need eleven hours of sleep when eight or even six will suffice?" Ezra countered.
"Because there's very little to do in a tent with no lights or electricity once it gets dark except sleep. Besides, you're grouchy in the morning even if you've had a week's worth of sleep," Nathan shot back. "Bed."
Ezra opened his mouth to protest, but Chris sent a death glare in his direction, and he shut his mouth with a sigh. "This had better be worth it," he grumbled, flopping back on the bed.
And…I dunno why I'm posting this piece the way it is…rather leaves off at an odd place, but what the hell. I wanted to get it up today. Tonight. Whatever. Don't forget to review. Does anyone else think Ezra is OOC?