A/N: Thanks for all the reads everyone! I can't say how encouraging they all are let alone any reviews! =D I'll keep writing as much as I can to finish this soon!
The Absent Cowboy Ch3
Larry had just finished consoling the Roman General and was just about to turn to leave when the Roman man's face turned ashen white and his eyes deadlocked with something, or someone behind the Guard.
Confused he turned in an attempt to guess Octavius' line of sight when his gaze also locked onto the small enclosed 'Room' that the unruly and less than civilized Mayans lived in.
Larry could easily see from where he was next to the bench that a few of the high priest were wearing their ritual robes and head-dresses. Never a good sign, whenever he'd had issues with them, the high priest were always to blame.
Larry was at his wits end with the group honestly. He'd tried to talk a solution out but they always betrayed their end of the deal, or ended up inuring one of the other miniatures while they were free.
Even tonight after they'd been locked in for about a month following an incident, he'd left their door cracked for fresh air as a peace offering. Yet, as he'd made him first rounds he'd found a small group of then them actually chipping away at the granite floor in an attempt to get more stone tools for their temple project. Larry had picked them up gently while chiding them for escaping and breaking their deal, yet again. He'd then placed them back into their 'Room' with their supplies and left after closing the door. He seen Oct dealing successfully with the bull but hadn't seen Jed at the time and assumed he'd been around somewhere else.
Now as he saw the High Priest with the knife raised high, standing over Jed while other men held down his limp form, Larry was furious. He was already charging forward the few feet as Octavius screamed his name out for help.
With his coat out to block any warriors flinging arrows and weapons at him, Larry saw the granite knife and realized it was actually made from of the granite chips they'd acquired earlier. The priest held the blade high, edge shining in the light and the Guard felt himself fill with rage.
As he nears the 'Room' he whistles between his fingers causing all the miniatures in the Hall to drop and cover their ears. The priest doesn't drop his knife, but he certainly steps away from the alter and stumbles. As he reaches the ledge of the diorama Larry pounds his fist in anger on the edges of the Mayans space and causes diorama to shake like an earthquake. The stone knife dropped as the man tried to stay on his feet and skid down the hundred steps of the pyramid.
"Let him go, NOW!" Larry's voice echoes throughout the room, filled with barely contained white hot anger. 'How DARE they go out of their way to not only capture someone, but also premeditate a plan to harm them?' The image of the priests finally cowering in front of Larry while kneeling shook him back to reality a little bit and he checked his anger.
Larry took a deep calming breath at that moment and counted to 5 before reaching in to scope the Mayans surrounding the cowboy up as the rest fled. They struggle but his habit of adopting leather gloves while on shift pays off as their weapons are useless. He doesn't say a word as he pulls a thick, Kevlar lined bag from his pocket with his free hand. He jerks the bag back and forth to open it before very gently depositing the Mayan's he'd captured into the bag. It was small enough to comfortably hold about 15 of them and had small pin holes to ensure the ability of air to flow through it.
As he turns back to the temple Larry can see Jed fully for the first time and he's both shocked as well as outraged.
He leans in as much as he can over the ledge and into the small space, he's not sure what to do and decides on simply calling for Jed, who doesn't respond. He can see he's been tied down to the large stone slab using finely woven vine ropes across his arms, chest, waist and neck. His shoulder is deeply bruised and Larry can also see another wound on his thigh that was roughly wrapped at some point, but is now starting to seep blood through the bandages. He cant tell if he's breathing but he thinks so.
Larry feels helpless as he knows his too large hands might injure Jed if he were to attempt to free him. He realizes he needs another person Jed's size to untie him, the knots are too small to see and the ropes too intricately woven around him, and turns to find Oct.
To his right he Octavius has finally made his way to the ledge of the Mayan 'Room' and his face is set in a grim mask of determination Larry notes as he picks the man up.
"Oct, please listen to me." Larry was unnervingly calm as he spoke quietly to Octavius. "Go get Jed free and out of there. Be careful but cut him free as fast as you can and pull him off that thing before he wakes up. Make sure he's breathing.
I'm going to take these…Mayans into the Security Office and deal with them. On my way I'll tell Teddy and Sacagawea what happened and they'll be here in a moment to help you. Do you understand?"
Octavius felt his army instincts kick in and he nodded sharply before saluting. Larry nodded before setting the Roman down.
Larry could see the man's steps falter as he stepped towards the cowboy.
"Oct, just get him free, keep him breathing and keep him calm if he wakes up. I'll be right back! He'll be ok."
The Roman nodded again and mumbled a horse "Yes my liege." Larry sighed and quickly saluted the Roman back before turning and leaving the Hall. "He'll be ok Oct!" Larry called from down the hall.
Octavius had tried to enter the mindset of a warrior, one that both gains and loses great friends in battle when Larry had walked away and he'd turned towards Jedediah.
He swallowed hard and tried to block out any unnecessary thoughts of fondness, or brotherly connection he may have towards the wryly Cowboy that may cloud his mind and actions. His heart and stomach however weren't listening as they clenched, and neither were his eyes as he reached the Cowboy and his vision of the man blurred.
Jedediah was utterly still where he lay on his back, arms and legs hanging over the edge of the slab as twisted vine ropes lashed across his arms, chest and neck tightly holding him there. Octavius could see marks beginning to blossom where the Mayan men's hands had held the Cowboy down unnecessarily in addition to the ropes. He could also see the un-natural rust colored stain on the top and sides of the slab and the sight made his stomach churn painfully.
"Oh Jedediah…" He said brokenly as he reached for the man and put a shaking tanned hand to Jed's jawline. It takes a few seconds but he felt a pulse flittering like a butterfly in a storm, strong but wild and fast. Jedediah's skin was flushed red and felt too warm where Octavius was touching him to check his pulse.
Using his other hand he cupped the base of the blond's neck and gently turned Jed's face, holding it there as he tried to wake the man.
"Jed! Jedediah! " Octavius said while running a thumb over the man's temple and patting his chest in an almost tender attempt to wake him. Nothing, Jedediah remained unconscious and deathly still. His swallow gasps for breath the only moment Octavius had seen. The Roman General was a battle hardened soldier who'd seen many men with far greater injuries than Jed's present state. But he really hadn't…and this was Jed... The 'invincible' Western Leader who he'd spent 54 years fighting night, after night and never seen him so…vulnerable and so utterly still. It wasn't natural, or right.
Steeling himself, Octavius turned to look over the man's injuries and assess the best way to free him.
The wound on his thigh didn't look too terrible but it would need to be cleaned and bandaged again as soon as possible. What puzzled the Roman was the fact that the injury couldn't be causing an infection or the fever, not enough time had passed and the wound was not severe enough. Either way he needed to get him out of this damn placed and back to the Roman city to be treated by his men. Stepping back Octavius quickly pulled his sword out and began cutting and gently removing the vine ropes that were rubbing roughly against his friend's fevered skin and pinning him down.
As each rope was cut, Jedediah remained unresponsive. His limbs hung limply off the edges of the slab until Octavius feared he would fall.
Finally, as the last rope slipped free and fell to the ground in a coil, so did Octavius' sword.
The Roman caught the Cowboy as he started to slip from the slab and he held the man close to his chest as he lowered them both to the ground, trying to be gentle with the wounded man. Without the ropes constricting his breathing Jedediah's breaths were coming easier and without as much pain. Octavius however could feel the warmth that the Cowboy was emitting even through his armor where he held him and it concerned him greatly.
A large shadow engulfed them as Larry was suddenly standing over the duo along with Teddy and Sacagawea. Octavius had never felt so relieved in his life.