Disclaimer:
Tragically, these archetypal characters are not mine. Equally tragic,
I do not make any kind profit off of this. The characters
belong to Trilogy, Mirisch, and MGM.
Rating:
PG-13
Comments:
This is a sequel to my story Prisoner
of Desire,
which was a sequel to the Obsession
episode. It helps to have read Prisoner
of Desire
first, but even if you haven't, you should be able to follow this
story anyway. Any medical "accuracies" herein are purely
coincidental and should not be held against the author.
by Kathy B.
It was sunny and warm as Nathan rode out to Chris's shack, but he didn't notice the fine day. His troubled thoughts centered on Chris.
Over two months had passed since they had rescued Chris from Ella Gaines. During his brief captivity, he had been drugged, half-starved, beaten, and finally left to burn to death by the woman he once thought he'd loved and her henchman. The guys had managed to rescue him in time but, even though Chris was alive, it seemed to Nathan as if they were still too late.
Nathan had been the first to notice the changes in Chris. As he rode through the hills now, he thought back to the first time he brought Chris's food to him. Chris had wolfed it all down, as if he was afraid someone might take it away.
Chris was once willing to give up everything - including them - for her, and his treatment at her hands had affected him deeply. He had become sullen and distant, and kept to himself. He was unusually alert to the slightest sound or movement. While he was recovering at Nathan's, each of them had come by to check on him, but always left shortly afterward. Mary had come only once. She left hurt and confused when Chris refused to see her.
Now Nathan had even more reason to be concerned about his patient. The splint and bandages had been removed and Chris had returned to his shack in the hills, but he still wasn't walking, favoring his leg more than Nathan thought he should. Chris insisted his leg still hurt, but Nathan couldn't find anything wrong. At least not physically.
When he arrived at Chris's place, he wasn't surprised to see Chris dressed and sitting on the bed, his legs stretched out in front of him, a book in his hand.
"How is it today?" The same question Nathan had asked every day.
"Hurts."
"Less than before?"
Chris shook his head. "'Bout the same."
"Let's try anyway."
Chris reluctantly swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Nathan sat beside him, put Chris's arm across his shoulder, and wrapped an arm around Chris's waist to steady him. "Ready?" Chris nodded and Nathan stood up, taking Chris with him. "Just across the room now," Nathan urged.
Chris took a step and nearly fell.
"I gotcha," said Nathan quickly.
"I can't--" Chris gasped.
Nathan helped him sit on the bed again. He waited as Chris took a few deep breaths until it appeared the pain had subsided. "Chris, you gotta start to work that leg some."
Chris nodded, but said nothing. Nathan sighed. He knew to just leave it alone. Again. He hoped Chris would come around in his own good time. But he also hoped that would be soon.
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That night Josiah was trying to enjoy a comfortable, whiskey-induced slumber, but something was pulling him from his dreams. He groaned and reluctantly tried to wave the pest away, but something kept shaking him insistently.
"Josiah, come on! We gotta get out of here!"
"JD? What're you doin' here? Can't a man rest in peace?"
"The church is on fire! Josiah! You don't come now, you'll be restin' in peace, all right!"
Josiah shook the cotton wool out of his brain and got to his feet. He could hear shouts outside of people trying to put out the fire. JD disappeared into the sanctuary. Josiah moved to follow him when he heard a loud creak of wood followed by a crash. Through the dense smoke, Josiah could see JD pinned against a pew by a fallen beam.
Summoning all his strength, Josiah lifted the thick beam and shoved it aside. Without pausing, he threw the young man over his shoulder and charged through the flames into the night air.
Buck was beside him in a minute, followed closely by Ezra. "You two all right?"
"Take JD!" Josiah gasped. His back was in agony and he didn't want to drop the kid.
"I'm all right," said JD from where he now sat on the ground. A fit of coughing seized him and he doubled over, trying to clear his seared lungs. He cried out and put a hand to his ribs.
"We can tell," said Ezra. "What happened?"
"Leave any candles burnin'?" asked Buck.
"No more'n usual."
The townspeople appeared to have the fire under control. Josiah squinted back up at the still-smoldering church. This was no dream.
--------------------------
In the morning light, the church didn't look all that badly damaged. The walls were blackened in places and all the windows were broken, but most of it was repairable.
Chris limped up to join Buck, Nathan, and Ezra as they loitered in front of the jail. He hadn't come into town much and, when he did, he didn't stay long. "Heard about the church. Everybody all right?"
"JD's got some busted ribs and still havin' a bit o' trouble breathin'," said Nathan. "Josiah's back is out again. He ain't goin' anywhere for a while, looks like. They're both restin' right now. I'm goin' back to check on 'em soon."
"How's the leg?" said Buck.
Chris ignored the question.
"Someone started that fire," said Vin, as he approached them. "Smell o' kerosene out back."
"The church? But why?" asked Ezra in disbelief. He looked at Chris. "Mr. Larabee? Any thoughts on the matter?"
Chris looked down and said nothing. Finally he shook his head by way of reply and slowly limped away.
Buck watched him go. "Nathan, shouldn't he be walkin' by now?"
"I done told him that 'bout a dozen times already. You wanna try?"
--------------------------
By nightfall, things had settled down. The whole town knew about the fire, but there were still no clues as to who might have started it or why.
Ezra was helping Inez close the saloon for the night. Despite the lateness of the hour, he was still very wide awake after that last successful hand. He re-arranged the tables and chairs, returning them to their proper positions as Inez counted the day's receipts. She'd turned down his generous offer to do it for her.
"You are not sleepy, Senor Ezra? Perhaps I can offer you a drink to help you." She reached for his brand of whiskey, and noticed the bottle was nearly empty. "I will be right back with another one. Your brand is expensive. I keep it hidden away."
A few moments later, Ezra heard her call him. He found her in a small closet, straining to reach one of the upper shelves.
"Can you help me?"
"My pleasure." Ezra bent to give her a boost. Suddenly he was knocked off-balance from behind and the door slammed behind him. Inez cried out as they both tumbled to the floor.
"Inez? Are you all right?"
"I think so."
"Good." Ezra tried the door. It held fast. "We appear to be trapped."
He peered through the keyhole to see if something was blocking the door. Instantly, his blood ran cold. He could see an orange glow dancing and flickering just beyond the door.
"Get back," he ordered. Inez pressed herself against the back corner of the small closet. Ezra took a few steps back and threw himself against the door. It didn't give. He tried again, then winced in pain as he felt his shoulder dislocate.
He turned to Inez, trying to appear calmer than he felt. "If you have any ideas how we might extricate ourselves, now would be the appropriate time to share them."
Inez caught his sleeve, causing him to wince again, and pointed at the door. Smoke was curling up from under it, silhouetted in the firelight.
--------------------------
Buck walked slowly down the street. He'd be in a nice, warm bed now if it weren't for those Bartholomew twins. He would really have to learn to tell them apart before he got himself shot. It was hard enough to romance more than one woman at a time. It was worse to call 'em by the wrong name in the heat of the moment.
As he neared the saloon, he looked at it curiously. There appeared to be a light inside. That seemed strange, given the hour. He smiled at the idea that Inez might still be there. Maybe he would share a little nightcap with some female companionship after all.
He stopped to stare hard at the building. There was a light, all right, but–
OH NO! Not again!
Buck fired his pistol into the air, screaming "FIRE!"
People seemed to pour into the street, rushing to form bucket brigades in a repeat of the night before.
It seemed like seconds before Vin and Nathan joined Buck.
Buck looked around anxiously. "Where's Inez?"
Vin looked at him a moment, than darted into the burning building, followed closely by Buck. Debris was raining down as they searched for Inez in the intense heat and thick smoke.
--------------------------
By now, Ezra had given up on finding any tools in the closet to aid their escape. He took a few steps back, then kicked out as hard as he could, his boot heel slamming against the wooden planks of the door. The closet was too narrow for him to be able to fully extend his leg but, with no options left, he desperately kept at it anyway.
--------------------------
Vin and Buck heard the pounding over the roar of the flames. Vin found a chair had been wedged tightly against the doorknob of a rear closet. He shoved the chair aside with his foot and yanked open the door. Ezra and Inez tumbled out, coughing, their eyes watering from the smoke.
Vin grabbed Inez and Buck supported Ezra as they skirted the flames and escaped into the street.
By now the town had mobilized. For this town, saving a church was an important matter. But saving a saloon was far more serious. They were able to save most of the building before it was too late.
Ezra and Inez sat on the ground, still trying to clear their lungs. Buck stood looking at the building, his hands on his hips.
"So, Ezra, how'd you manage a thing like that?"
Vin spoke up. "It wasn't Ezra."
"Thank you, Mr. Tanner."
"There was a chair up against closet door."
Ezra coughed again and stared up at him, his eyes widening. "You mean some scoundrel tried to kill me--us? Then somebody deliberately shoved me from behind!"
"Looks like it."
"That's two," Buck said grimly, looking at the charred building.
"But I got a feelin' that it ain't the last," muttered Vin.
--------------------------
The sun was up over the horizon. Chris sat on his bed and ran his fingers through his hair. He still wasn't quite himself and he knew it.
Almost nightly since his rescue from Ella Gaines, he would awaken in the middle of the night. He'd move his ankle just to reassure himself that there was no chain there, and try unsuccessfully to get back to sleep. He'd hoped to avoid sleeping at all, but the bad dreams came whether he was asleep or awake.
He'd seen how Nathan looked at him when he was eating. He'd glanced up to find Nathan staring at him with a mixture of surprise, anger, and sorrow. Chris became instantly self-conscious and forced himself to slow down, but it was too late.
Chris hadn't talked about his captivity and didn't want to. He just wanted to be left alone. The memories came to him suddenly in incomplete, disjointed pieces. And when they came, they brought them sharp twinges of pain in his leg. Nathan thought it had healed but he was wrong.
His back straightened with a start when he heard a lone rider approaching. He limped slowly to the door and looked out.
"Been another fire," Vin announced curtly as he walked in. "The saloon."
"Anyone hurt?"
"Nothin' permanent."
"Good."
Vin took a breath. "There's more. I thought you ought to know first, before I tell the others. I found this outside the saloon after the fire."
Chris took the slip of paper from him and looked at both sides of it before the room tilted precariously. He clutched at his thigh as a shard of pain suddenly knocked the breath out of him.
Vin looked alarmed. He grabbed for Chris and sat him gently on the bed. "Easy there, cowboy."
Chris held a partially-singed copy of the photograph of him and Ella. On the back were written yesterday's date and the message "See you soon." He remembered when that photo was taken - at a party of hers not long ago. When it seemed like they would be together forever…before...before...
He shut his eyes tightly, trying to avoid remembering. God, she really was still alive. And she'd always made it clear she'd be back for him.
Vin was studying him carefully. "You haven't heard anything from her directly?"
Chris shook his head. "But you know I will. Now."
Vin nodded, taking the photo from Chris's trembling hand. "I'm gonna go tell the others now." He paused, his back to Chris. He took another deep breath and, without turning, continued. "Someone oughta be here with you."
"It won't stop her," Chris replied quietly. "You know that."
Vin turned to look at him. "All the same, I'll feel better if someone's here."
Chris said nothing. Ella had proven herself capable of anything. Once he had been keen to hunt her down and kill her. But after his last encounter with her, he just wanted to erase her from his memory.
Vin started to leave again. "I gotta go tell the others. I just thought you should know first. One thing's sure... She can't be far."
Chris could feel a cold shudder run through his whole body at that thought.
--------------------------
The clinic was crowded that morning. Josiah was still on the bed, rendered immobile by back pain. Ezra was sitting on a cot. His arm was bandaged snugly to his body and he was trying to put on his shirt. JD came over to help.
"Thank you," said Ezra, as he struggled to put his good arm into a sleeve.
JD picked up Ezra's jacket gingerly. It was blackened in spots but appeared to be salvageable. He started to help him into it, but Ezra waved him off.
"I fear I shall never get the odor of incinerated alehouse out of it."
"Hey, Buck, I'm just gettin' ready to go," smiled JD as Buck entered the room.
"Might as well stay a little longer," said Buck, settling into a chair. "Vin said to meet him here."
"What for?" said Nathan curiously, handing Buck a cup of coffee.
"We may know who's starting the fires," Vin announced from the doorway.
"We do?" Josiah said, puzzled.
Vin pulled the singed photo from his pocket and handed it around. "For now, I don't think we should say anything about this to anyone. Not yet."
The room went deadly quiet as the photo passed from hand to hand. Ezra finally broke the silence.
"Has Mr. Larabee been made aware of this discovery?"
Vin nodded.
"What was his reaction to this ominous news?"
Vin paused before answering. "What do you think?"
Ezra nodded in understanding. He'd had his own dangerous encounter with that insane woman. And like Chris, he had lost someone special because of her. So had Buck, but this seemed more personal somehow.
"I think...," Ezra said slowly, "that we shouldn't count on Chris this time." He ignored Buck's glare and continued. "We're all aware that Mr. Larabee is having difficulty dealing with the effects of the recent past right now. We can't afford to take a chance."
There was a pause, as each man relived the memory of his own first sight of Chris when they'd found him. Vin remembered assisting Nathan, and the feel of the slick, warm flesh as Vin's fingers probed for the metal lodged within his friend's leg. Nathan had reassured him he'd done fine, but it bothered him that Chris was still limping.
"If she's after him again, someone oughta be watchin' him," said Buck.
"Gentlemen, if Chris Larabee is who she's after, this would seem to be a rather roundabout way to get to him, wouldn't you say?"
"She must be after bigger game," said Josiah thoughtfully. "She knows that for Chris, it's more than just protecting the town. He cares about this place. We all do. And she's trying to destroy it, a building at a time."
"And us," JD pointed out.
Vin agreed. "We need to be careful."
"And we need to stop her," added Buck.
Ezra looked at them. "Easier said than done."
--------------------------
JD, Buck, Vin, and Ezra spent the better part of the day trying unsuccessfully to get any clues to Ella Gaines's whereabouts. It was late afternoon and they were now seated outside the saloon, trying to figure out what to do next, when Mary Travis walked up to them.
"Good day, Mrs. Travis," said Ezra.
"I've been looking for you gentlemen," she smiled. "I'm writing about the fires for the paper. I heard they were set deliberately. Do you have any information about them?"
"We've been working on it, Mary," said Vin.
Ezra was first to his feet. "If you'll pardon me, a card game awaits me inside that I would be loath to miss. Another time perhaps."
She turned to JD, expectantly.
He put his arm across his midsection and edged past her toward the clinic. "I was just on my way to see Nathan."
Vin touched his hat in Mary's direction and started inside the saloon. "I was just on my way inside for a drink. Powerful hot day. Good seein' ya, Mary."
"Buck," she smiled sweetly. "You've always been helpful to in the past. A true gentleman."
Buck smiled at the flattery. "Well, I'm always pleased to help. I–"
"Buck!" Vin looked at him pointedly from the batwing doors. "Ain't you thirsty?"
"Am I?" Buck caught the steely look." I believe I am. 'Scuze me, Mary." He hastily retreated into the saloon, leaving Mary alone on the sidewalk.
--------------------------
The night had passed uneventfully for the town. It was now mid-morning when Ezra, who had just returned to town from Chris's place to get some much-needed sleep, awakened an over-sleeping Buck.
Buck dressed quickly. He knew that Ezra had encountered Ella Gaines himself not long ago. Ezra must have really been worried about Chris to ride out there and keep watch all night when he could have stayed in bed, recuperating. Instead, he had insisted his shoulder injury was little more than an inconvenience.
Buck saddled up and rode to Chris's shack. He didn't like the idea of Chris being on his own for too long now that Ella Gaines had returned, so he hurried himself along more than usual.
Buck wasn't surprised to find Chris was inside. Ever since Chris had come home, he'd refused to sit outside like he used to, even for a moment. Buck had tried once, but within minutes Chris grew increasingly edgy and nervous. Buck had stopped trying after that.
But it had been too damned long, he decided. The town was in trouble–all of them were, not just Chris–and Chris was needed.
"Nathan's worried about you." Buck didn't expect a response and he didn't get one. He continued in a soft voice. "Says you oughta stop favorin' that leg, or you might not be able to use it again."
"Nathan should mind his own damn business. I'll be fine. I just need...time."
"How long? The town needs you."
No response.
"Chris..." Buck spoke softly and carefully as he selected his words. "I haven't forgotten what I saw when we first rescued you from that woman...Seein' how you'd suffered–"
"Buck–"
"Vin said we shoulda found you sooner and he's right. It was like the night I kept you from your family." He shook his head sadly. "It's like I'm always too late to keep people I care about from hurtin'."
"Buck, you didn't–"
"You gotta start usin' that leg. And I need to see you're healin'. I can't go through this kind of thing again. And Vin needs to see it, too; he's the one got that shot outta your leg."
There was a long silence as Buck waited for a reply.
Chris sighed wearily. "I'm...trying."
Buck nodded. "I'll accept that. For now."
--------------------------
This had been one hell of a day, Vin thought ruefully, as he rode back to town. He had stayed with Chris that afternoon, after Buck's watch, while the others were still trying to find Ella. That woman was damned slippery. In all his time bounty hunting, Vin had never seen someone appear, disappear, and reappear so easily.
The whole town was now on edge. Everyone knew a serial arsonist was on the loose, and no one could guess if or where the next strike would happen. And Chris was the edgiest of all.
Damn that Chris Larabee, he thought angrily. Deep down he knew that Chris couldn't help it in his present state, but did he have to be so ornery? The angry words they'd exchanged still echoed in his mind.
Vin was at the shack, watching Chris struggle with the knowledge that Ella Gaines was out there somewhere, on the loose, when he noticed Chris's lips had gone white with pain. He urged him to lay on the bed, but it did nothing to abate the agony. He knew Chris wouldn't be like this now, if only they could have found him a few days earlier than they had. To Vin, he'd failed his friend, and he had avoided dealing with the guilt of that failure.
He looked at Chris sadly, echoing Buck's words. "We should've found you sooner," he'd mumbled.
Chris looked up at him, through a mist of pain, considering the words. Then, in a hurt tone, he said quietly, "Yeah. You should've."
The words hit Vin like a slap. He knew Chris said them only because he needed to lash out at somebody, but they still cut him deeply.
He wanted to tell Chris how they'd searched everywhere, how desperately they'd tried to find him, and how outraged and devastated they all were to find him in such agony. He wanted to say how they were still waiting for him to recover and how Chris's continued anguish was painful to all of them to witness.
But he didn't say any of those things.
"Do you think we didn't try? Is that what you think?" Vin demanded.
"All I know is you weren't there," Chris said in a strained voice. His hurt immediately turned to frustration. "And you let her get away. Twice!"
"You were the one who took up with that crazy woman in the first place!" He looked at Chris in anger and disgust, then turned and abruptly left.
It was late and Vin was bone-weary as he led his horse to the livery to get it boarded for the night. He walked slowly to a stall near the back, his mind still on Chris and Ella Gaines. Chris would be all right. He'd send Ezra or maybe JD back to watch him. He reached down to unbuckle the saddle. A crushing pain exploded in the back of his skull and then everything went black.
Part 2 of 3