Silent Memories
by Violette
Part 3
"He comin' out?" Buck asked when Vin returned to the living room alone.
"Yep," Vin replied, making a beeline for the open pizza box on the coffee table. "Just wanted to 'freshen up' before he came out here."
"He must be feeling better if he's starting to fuss over his appearance," Josiah said with a chuckle.
Vin shrugged and dropped into a chair, taking a large bite of pizza.
"I'll go get a plate ready for him," Nathan said, heading for the kitchen.
Ezra ambled into the room and smiled at the assembled men. "Gentlemen," he greeted them.
"Hey Ez," JD called, waving at the undercover agent.
"How ya feeling, pard?" Buck asked.
Ezra panicked for a moment as his sluggish brain struggled to decipher what had been said. "I'm feeling much better," he said, hoping he had understood correctly.
"Sit down," Chris said, gesturing to one of the overstuffed chairs in the living room.
Ezra studied the suggested seat and nodded, noting that he would be able to see everyone's faces from that location. Sinking carefully into the soft cushions, he looked at his teammates, relieved that they weren't paying him undue attention. His gaze settled on the pizza boxes on the coffee table and he frowned. Pizza didn't appeal to his stomach and it was certainly going to be difficult to manage with his bandages. He saw Josiah's mouth moving and looked up quickly.
"... has something for you in the kitchen," Josiah said. "It should be ready shortly."
Ezra smiled and nodded, forgoing any commentary as he settled in to watch the conversations around him. Vin and JD were arguing good-naturedly about the merits of various video games, while Buck, Josiah, and Chris exchanged some office gossip. They sent occasional comments and inquiries in Ezra's direction, but seemed content to allow him to relax in his chair.
Nathan came out of the kitchen after a few minutes carrying two steaming plates. He deposited one on the folding tray that Buck had set up in front of Ezra and placed the other on the coffee table in front of his own seat.
Ezra looked at the heaping plate and frowned. "Mr. Jackson, I do not believe I will be able to consume such a large quantity of food."
"You need to eat," Nathan said brusquely, pointing his fork sternly at the plate.
Ezra opened his mouth to protest again, but changed his mind at the glare Chris was bestowing upon him. With a long-suffering sigh, he picked up his fork – after several false starts – and started to eat the chicken, rice, and vegetables that Nathan had prepared. The dark-skinned medic was a good cook, and Ezra enjoyed the dish, but was only able to eat half of the portion on his plate before he found himself too full to continue.
It had taken him a long time to eat, since his hands were clumsy, and he had needed to keep his attention focused on the others, so as not to miss any conversation directed at him. The others had all finished their respective meals by the time he was done, leaving him the center of their attention. Shifting uncomfortably, he attempted to redirect their focus. "Is there any news as to the origin of the explosion?" The grim expressions that greeted his question made him regret having opened his mouth.
Chris ran a hand through his hair. "It was a bomb. Remotely triggered."
Ezra's eyes widened in shock. "A bomb? Are there any suspects?"
"We don't know who the targets were yet, so it's still wide open," Josiah explained.
"Remotely triggered," Ezra murmured. "That means they were targeting someone inside."
"Yep," Buck said with a nod.
"It is possible that someone wanted to eliminate some of the competition in the arms trade," Ezra postulated.
"Or they could'a been after us," Vin said seriously.
"Maybe you, in particular," Chris said pointedly.
Ezra swallowed reflexively at the thought, then smiled brightly at his associates. "Now really, Mr. Larabee. Who would want to do me harm?"
Ezra's comment was met with groans and eye rolls. Larabee merely pinned his agent with another glare, shaking his head slowly.
After spending two hours discussing the situation, the conversation turned to more pleasant topics. Ezra's head was beginning to pound and he found himself becoming more and more uncomfortable as the painkillers he had taken earlier wore off. He was about to excuse himself, when Vin, ever-observant, noticed his discomfort.
"Hey, pard," Vin said. "Ain't it about time for your pills?"
"I suppose it is," Ezra sighed, attempting to appear reluctant. In truth, he was grateful for the intervention.
"You look tired," Nathan added. "Why don't you call it a night?"
"I'm fine," Ezra said automatically.
"Yeah, right," Buck snorted.
"You need your rest, Ezra," Nathan said, placing hands on his hips in a gesture that Ezra recognized as his 'I'm not going to take any more excuses' pose.
Hiding a smile, Ezra complied, grumbling that he was "fine" for good effect. He didn't want to admit how weary he really was, since that would make escaping from the ranch even more difficult.
"You should be getting some sleep too, Vin," Nathan said, after Ezra had retired to the guest room. "Concussions are nothing to mess with."
"M'fine, Nate," Vin retorted.
"You'd say that even if you were laying there with fifteen bullets in ya," Buck said with a smirk.
Vin stuck his tongue out at Buck.
"You'll have to spend that much longer away from field work if you don't get enough rest," Nathan reminded the reluctant sharpshooter. "I know how much you just love riding a desk and writing reports."
"Fine," Vin growled, getting to his feet. "Damn nags, all of ya."
The rest of the group watched him shuffle down the hall to the second guest room, grumbling all the way.
"So who gets stuck with the dynamic duo tomorrow?" Josiah asked.
"It's Buck's turn," JD said, earning him a glare from his roommate. JD would have offered to do it himself, but he knew the others would never allow it, thinking him too gullible to deal with Vin and Ezra. He didn't think of himself as gullible; he simply saw things from the same point of view as his teammates.
As the three youngest agents on the team, he, Ezra, and Vin were usually subjected to the most attention when they were hurt or sick. He didn't mind the attention so much himself; it was the others treating him like a little kid that drove him crazy. Vin and Ezra weren't as bad as the others, though, treating him more as an equal than as an errant little brother. They didn't, however, take well to 'fussing', as Vin called it, since they were both used to being on their own and chafed under the constant attention dispensed by the older members of the team. JD figured it was because they didn't like anyone else being around when their defenses were down. The young agent chuckled inwardly. It was easier to let the 'big brothers' think he was naive and gullible than to admit to agreeing with the other two agents.
Chris nodded at JD's suggestion. "He's right, Buck. Josiah and Nate have done their duty. You stay with them tomorrow morning. I'll come by at noon to take over."
"Don't need no babysitters!" came a muffled yell from the direction of the guest rooms.
"Get your ass to bed, Tanner," Chris yelled amidst the snickers of the others.
"Cranky, ain't he?" Nathan said, grinning broadly, glad that he wouldn't have to deal with the two stubborn men tomorrow.
Buck groaned. "All right, all right. Guess I'll just crash on your couch tonight. No sense going home if I'm just gonna come back out here in the morning."
"You going to keep them both here all weekend?" Josiah inquired, remembering that the next day was Friday.
Chris grimaced at the thought of dealing with both of the cantankerous agents for the entire weekend. "Don't know yet. Depends on how Ezra's doing tomorrow."
"He really shouldn't be left alone," Nathan said. "Vin should be okay, but I'd feel better if someone was watchin' out for both of 'em."
"Yeah," Chris agreed. "We'll figure it out tomorrow."
Vin grimaced as he listened, ear pressed up against the door, to the conversation down the hall. He was gonna have to get himself and Ezra out from under the thumbs of their well-meaning, but annoying teammates. The older men were as protective as a bunch of big brothers, but at times like this, Vin simply wanted to go back to being an only child. He knew Ezra felt the same way and began thinking of ways to get them out of this predicament.
Ezra greeted the day to the sight of Vin's smiling face. He glanced at the clock and groaned. It was only 7:00 AM. "Mr. Tanner, what on earth could make you so cheerful at this ungodly hour of the morning?"
"Well, if you're up for it, what do you say we blow this joint?" Vin said conspiratorially.
Ezra smiled and nodded. He was more than ready to go back to his own apartment. "Whenever you're ready."
Vin held a finger to his lips, urging him to speak more softly. "Buck's on duty today," he said in what Ezra deduced was a whisper. "I figured you and me could go out and check on the horses, and then 'borrow' Buck's truck when he's not looking."
"That seems like a sound plan," Ezra said in what he hoped was a low voice, nodding slowly as he considered the plan. "Do you have his keys or shall we hotwire the beast?"
Vin dangled Buck's keys in response. "Snagged 'em while he was still sleepin'."
"I believe my bad habits are rubbing off on you, Mr. Tanner," Ezra said with a chuckle as he eased himself to a sitting position.
"Need some help?"
"I could use some assistance wrapping my hands before I shower," Ezra admitted after a moment of thought. He was dying to take a shower, but had been strongly warned against getting his burns wet. He could manage to keep his face mostly dry, but his hands would be more difficult.
"You sure that's a good idea?" Vin eyed him doubtfully.
Ezra shrugged. "No, but I am weary of the odor of smoke that permeates my person."
"I could give you a hand, if you want?" Vin offered carefully, unsure of how the private man would react to an offer of assistance with such a personal task.
Ezra pondered this for a moment before replying tentatively, "You could aid me in adjusting the shower."
"Okay," Vin said with a smile as he turned toward the bathroom.
Ezra followed, and soon was in the shower, feeling rather foolish as he washed his hair with hands covered in the plastic sleeves in which Larabee's newspapers were wrapped for delivery. Vin had taken a seat in the bedroom and had insisted that he leave the bathroom door open in case he required more help. It was an unexpected, yet comforting gesture.
Ezra smiled at the friendship he shared with the quiet sharpshooter. In the year he had been with Team Seven, he had found that he had more in common with Vin than with any of the others on the team, despite their outward differences. They both were very private, rarely discussing their personal lives, and they shared similar loner tendencies. The long-haired agent had also been the most persistent in cajoling him into participating in activities with the rest of the team. It was a strange sensation for Ezra to actually have a friend with whom he could relax and let down his guard somewhat.
It surprised Ezra how quickly he had begun to trust the other man. Trust was not something that came easily to him, but something about the former bounty hunter inspired confidence that he would not betray him like so many others before. It was going to take some time for him to gain that level of comfort with the other members of the team, but for the first time in years, Ezra actually believed it might happen.
After some futile fumbling, he gave up on turning off the shower and stepped out of the stall, clumsily grabbing a towel off of the rack.
Vin, hearing the commotion, poked his head through the door. "Everything okay?"
Ezra grinned at him sheepishly. "I was unable to turn off the faucet."
Vin chuckled and reached in to shut off the water, then turned to help Ezra remove the plastic bags from his hands. "I'll go rustle up some breakfast for us."
"I will be there shortly," Ezra replied. "Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Tanner."
Vin waved dismissively as he left the bathroom.
Ezra rubbed his hair dry and tried to comb it into some sense of order, but managed only to make it slightly less unruly. He didn't even bother to shave. Given the burns scattered across his face, he didn't think it wise to attempt the delicate process with his current lack of dexterity. He eyed the bottle of painkillers, but decided to wait until after breakfast to take any. If he and Vin were going to be successful in their escape, he needed to have his wits about him.
Ezra entered the kitchen to find Vin flipping a pancake in the air and catching it on the griddle.
Buck, seated at the table, applauded and whistled. "Nice catch!"
"Impressive," Ezra said with a smile. "I hope the taste of this culinary delight is as exceptional as its flight characteristics."
"Damn, Ez, it's too early in the morning for the ten-dollar vocabulary," Buck said, shaking his head.
Vin merely rolled his eyes and continued making his pancakes.
Ezra joined Buck at the table, accepting the cup of coffee Buck poured with a grateful nod. "Thank you, Mr. Wilmington."
"Awful early for you, ain't it?" Buck commented, scrutinizing the southerner closely.
"I did retire rather early last evening," Ezra pointed out. "One can only sleep so much."
"Never thought I'd hear you say something like that," Buck said with a chuckle.
Ezra was about to respond when Vin slid a plate of pancakes in front of him. He was pleased to note that the sharpshooter had not over-filled his plate, as some of his teammates were wont to do. He never ate as much in the morning as the other men. "Thank you, Mr. Tanner." He watched with amusement as Vin dropped a plate in front of Buck and then slid into a seat with his own heaping plate, dousing it heavily with syrup before starting to eat.
"Hey, save some of that for me!" Buck said, snatching the syrup off of the table. Turning to Ezra, he asked, "You want some?"
"Just a bit," Ezra replied.
Buck tipped some syrup onto Ezra's plate until he held up his hand to signal that it was enough, then poured a generous dollop onto his own stack of pancakes.
"These are quite good, Mr. Tanner," Ezra remarked.
"Thanks," Vin said, pleased that his cooking was up to the undercover agent's high standards.
Buck finished eating first, letting loose a loud belch as he leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach.
"Guess Buck liked 'em, too," Vin commented with a grin.
Ezra hadn't heard it, but recognized the expression on Vin's face. Knowing Buck, he could hazard a pretty good guess as to what the man had done. "Really, Mr. Wilmington. Some of us are still eating."
Buck laughed and poured himself some more coffee. "Just expressing my appreciation for Junior's cooking." He slapped Vin on the back as he left the kitchen.
Ezra and Vin finished their breakfast in comfortable silence. Vin removed the plates when they were done, stacking them in the dishwasher. Turning around, he grinned at Ezra and nodded his head toward the outside.
Returning the smile, Ezra stood and followed him out of the kitchen. As he stepped through the doorway, his hand brushed the door frame and he winced at the jolt of pain that raced up his arm.
Buck noticed his expression and said, "Guess those happy pills haven't kicked in yet?"
Ezra didn't make out all of the words, but had a general idea of what Buck had said. "I haven't taken them yet."
"Want me to get 'em?" Vin asked.
Ezra nodded, grateful that he wouldn't have to wrestle the child-proof lid off of the bottle again.
Vin returned a few minutes later with the bottle, shaking out one pill.
"Thank you, Mr. Tanner." Ezra started toward the kitchen for some water, but Vin waved him away. "I'll get it. No sense you fightin' with the faucets again."
Ezra sighed and nodded reluctantly, hating that such simple things were causing him such difficulty.
After he had taken the pill, Vin discreetly tucked the bottle into his pocket. "Hey, Buck. We're gonna go check on Peso and Chaucer."
Buck waved at them, not looking up from the women's volleyball game he was watching on one of the forty-seven sports channels that Chris's satellite system received.
Grinning, Vin and Ezra headed out the front door.
"I do want to see Chaucer," Ezra said, angling toward the barn. "And this way, they can't accuse us of being untruthful." He smiled broadly at Vin, his gold tooth catching the early morning sunlight.
"I like the way you think," Vin said, clapping his friend gently on the shoulder.
After spending a few minutes with their horses, Vin strolled back to the house and peeked through the window, while Ezra made his way toward Buck's truck. Finding Buck still engrossed in the volleyball game, Vin waved at Ezra, who climbed behind the wheel and put the vehicle into neutral. They had decided to push the truck down the driveway before starting it, to give themselves some additional time before Buck noticed their absence.
It took a few minutes of struggling, but the truck finally began to roll, picking up speed on the slight slope of the driveway. Once they were far enough away, Ezra moved aside while Vin jumped into the driver's seat and started the truck.
Ezra entered his apartment and smiled, relieved to be back in his own home. He sank into his soft couch and gave Vin a tired smile. "Free at last."
"You know this is the first place they're gonna look for you," Vin reminded him.
"Yes, I know. I suppose I ought to make other arrangements." Ezra sighed, trying to gather the energy to pack a bag.
Vin studied his friend, noting his increasing fatigue. He knew Ezra wanted to take care of himself, but he wasn't comfortable leaving him on his own just yet. He thought about it for a minute than made his decision.
"I'm gonna go grab some stuff at my place and drop Buck's truck off at the office," Vin said. "If you want, I know a place we can hide out for a few days." He looked at Ezra hopefully.
Ezra knew what Vin was trying to do and stifled a smile. The Texan was as protective of his friends as any of the others, but his laid-back demeanor was much easier to take than their smothering approach. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of assistance – and company – for another couple of days. "That sounds like an excellent idea, Mr. Tanner."
Vin nodded and left quickly, knowing that it wouldn't be long before Buck became aware of their disappearing act.
Ezra slowly stood and headed for the bedroom to pack his things.
Vin drove to his apartment and packed quickly, then drove to the federal building, which was closer to both his and Ezra's apartments than the loft Buck shared with JD. It didn't take long to get a taxi, and a short time later, he was back at Ezra's place. Dropping his duffel bag on the sofa, he called out, "Ez? You ready to go?" There was no response, so he made his way down the hall toward the bedroom, figuring that the undercover agent had fallen asleep.
"Ez?" He stood in the doorway, a puzzled frown on his face. The southerner was putting some items into a small suitcase, his back to the door. "Ez!" he shouted. But the other man didn't turn around, and made no indication that he was aware of the Vin's presence. Stealthily, Vin stepped up behind Ezra and sharply clapped his hands together several times. Nothing. With a sigh, Vin tapped his friend on the shoulder.
Ezra was arranging his clothing neatly in the suitcase when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Whirling around, he dropped into a defensive stance, then winced at the pain in his ribs. He dropped his head and smiled when he saw Vin standing behind him. "Mr. Tanner. You startled me."
"I noticed," Vin said, still frowning.
Noting the intense stare with which he was being favored, Ezra cocked his head to the side and inquired, "Is something amiss?"
"You tell me," Vin challenged. "I've been standing here for five minutes trying to get your attention."
"I..." Ezra trailed off, seeing the knowing look in the sharpshooter's eyes. He wasn't going to be able to con his way out of this one. He shrugged and smiled weakly. "I was preoccupied?"
"Try again."
Ezra sighed. "Very well, Mr. Tanner. If you must know, I did not hear you. In fact, I cannot hear anything."
"Nothing?" Vin said, eyes widening in surprise. He had guessed that Ezra's hearing was in worse shape than he had admitted, but didn't expect to hear that it was completely gone.
Ezra nodded, shifting uncomfortably under the sudden scrutiny.
"But you can understand me?"
"I can read lips," Ezra explained quietly.
"Is it from the explosion?"
Ezra nodded again. "Dr. Landry informed me that there was some inflammation in my ears that should disappear within a few days."
"Does she think that's the reason for it?" Ezra flushed slightly and Vin groaned aloud. "You didn't tell her, did you?"
Ezra shook his head. "I assumed it would clear up on its own."
"Are you nuts!" Vin shouted. "This is serious, Ez. You can't go hiding something like that!"
"I know that," Ezra said stiffly, "but as you can see, I am managing quite well."
"Quite well my ass!" Vin raged. "Serious problems like this don't just go away!"
Ezra flinched and turned away, knowing that Vin was correct. It was just difficult for him to contemplate the alternatives. "It did last time," Ezra said softly, fear and defeat in his voice. He regretted the words the moment they left his mouth.
Vin grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. "What do you mean, 'last time?'"
Ezra shook his head and tried to turn away, but Vin held firm.
"Talk to me, Ez," he said, worry etched on his face.
Running a careful hand over his hair, Ezra sighed. "Not here. Let us depart before the rest of our merry band arrives to take us back to captivity."
Vin stared at him for a moment, then nodded shortly. "All right, but we are going to talk about this."
Ezra nodded, feeling an odd sense of relief. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that Vin knew about his infirmity. At least he wouldn't have to pretend anymore when he was around him.
"Need some help packing?"
"This is the last of it," Ezra said, dropping a sweatshirt into his bag before closing it.
Vin grabbed the bag out of his hand and headed for the door. Ezra shook his head and locked the door behind him as he left the apartment.
Outside, Vin tossed Ezra's bag into the jeep next to his own duffel and opened the passenger door – which sometimes got stuck – for Ezra, who climbed in quietly and leaned his head against the back of the seat. The drugs had begun to take effect, and he felt his eyelids growing heavier. Minutes after they left, he was fast asleep.
A sudden jolt roused Ezra from his slumber and he blinked sleepily, peering out the window at the terrain. Trees flew by at a rapid pace and dust rose from the dirt road upon which they were currently traveling. There were no buildings in sight. He turned to Vin, who was concentrating solely on the road, and asked curiously, "Mr. Tanner? What is our destination?"
"Hey, Ez," Vin said, turning to face him. "How you feeling?"
Ignoring the question, Ezra asked, "Where are we?"
"We're about two hours outside of Denver," Vin answered.
Ezra looked at the scenery again, then frowned. "You aren't dragging me out into some godforsaken wilderness, are you?"
"Not exactly," Vin said with a laugh. "You'll like this place. Trust me."
"I do," Ezra said softly.
Vin shot him a surprised look, wondering if Ezra had meant for him to hear the comment, but the undercover agent's expression was unreadable. Shaking his head in exasperation, he waited until Ezra looked in his direction, then said simply, "We're almost there."
Ezra nodded, then closed his eyes again.
TBC