Night fell again on the ranch. The ride had been good for all parties, as they caught up with Ezra while he rested Chaucer and looked out over the hills. Few words were spoken, but the simple presence of the others calmed him more than he would have imagined possible. And in return, their emotions settled was well as they watched Ezra begin to relax again.
Once home, Ezra checked again for messages, still getting no response.
"Maybe Alice has moved on from the convent." Josiah suggested. "If you'd like I can call the Mother Superior there and see if she knows anything."
"I have already made that call. She did confirm Sister Mary Agnes, or as is now once again appropriate – Alice, had not only left the convent, but apparently has abandoned her calling. It would seem earthly desires overtook her heavenly calling." Josiah arched an eyebrow in question. "She fell in love. Her last known destination was believed to be Arizona with a gentleman whose name was unknown to the convent Matriarch."
"We work for the ATF, surely we can trace one errant ex-nun."
"I would not ask you to compromise yourselves by using the system for personal interests."
"Let us worry about that Ezra. You waiting on any other calls?"
"Just one." He spoke quietly, and Josiah wasn't sure he heard the next part correctly. "My father has not called back."
"I'm sorry – did you say your father? Why is it I assumed you were not in contact with the man?"
"Probably because I'm not. I have only spoken to him twice since I was a toddler, but I do make sure to stay aware of his location and situation as much as is possible."
"Why's that?" Ezra jumped at the unexpected voice.
"Damn it Chris. If you don't cease skulking up behind people I swear I will put a bell around your neck."
"I'd pay money to watch him try that on you." Vin grinned. Chris continued to glare, but expanded the look to include the sharpshooter, who simply shrugged it off as always.
"You know the saying, keep your friends close…"
"…but your enemies closer. You telling us your father is some kind of threat to you. You didn't think maybe you might have mentioned that in the past?"
"Not a threat Chris, at least not in the mode you are presuming. It is just highly advisable to ensure that I know as much about his activities as is possible, without actually making any kind of connection to the man."
"So he's not dangerous?"
"That would rather depend on your definition. Oh please, pack away the glare. I am not being deliberately vague. It is not a simple question. Jacob Standish is a complex, deceitful and completely immoral man, no doubt about it. He would not harm me physically. It is not his style. He might well have contacts who would do it for him, but as he would find no pleasure in that, it is unlikely to occur."
"Then why is he dangerous?"
"Because my ongoing existence annoys him. So, anything he can do to interfere with said existence, short of termination, is perfectly acceptable." Chris couldn't help but notice that was the same phrase he'd used when he discussed his discipline as a child. There were definitely issues that need to be addressed in the future.
"So what kind of crap had he pulled in the past?"
"A myriad of incidents that I choose not to dwell on. Please Chris, nothing is to be gained by going over worn ground. I will say, and please keep in mind I have no proof of this, that I believe the rumors that brought about my downfall in the FBI were the product of his interference. He has friends, or at least blackmail targets, in high places."
"What did you ever do to him to warrant such hatred?"
"The unpardonable sin of being born."
Once again the 7 found themselves settled around the fire pit for the evening. Ezra slowly nursed his Kentucky bourbon, determined to not have more than one drink this evening, not willing to risk a re-occurrence of the previous night's meltdown. Assorted beverages in hand, with more within reach for anticipated fortification, the others waited for him to start what they hoped would be the end of the suffering for their friend.
"I suppose the simplest way to start this part of the Tales of Ezra Standish-"
"Don't do that." JD interrupted.
"Do what?"
"Minimize this. It's not some fairy tale Ezra. This is your life, and it's important to us."
"My apologies. I had not intended it to seem so callous. And my thanks for your correction – and concern." JD nodded. Buck fought with only minimal success to keep the proud look from his face, and Ezra risked tossing a wink in his direction.
"As I was saying, the simplest way to start is to ask a question which I am certain you have all thought to yourself at some point. What was Maude Standish thinking ever having a child?"
"Be lying if I said it never crossed my mind." Buck acknowledged, while Josiah and Nathan nodded concurrence.
"I'm sure it won't surprise you to hear it was not her intention to do so. I learned early in my life that I was an unanticipated consequence of one of her ventures. She was courting a man of means, power and prestige. Someone who would, beyond a doubt, ensure her future in the southern aristocracy, with connections to European nobility no less. Her campaign was carefully laid out and progressing according to schedule when she discovered the fly in the ointment – me. It is my understanding it took her only a matter of moments to make arrangements to resolve the problem with expediency."
He did his best to avoid looking at any of the others, not that he needed to in order to read the room. He began to fear for the state of Buck's vocal chords, given the amount of growling the man had done in the last few days. Chris was also at risk. The intake of breath from the others reflected similar displays of dismay, but he chose to pretend no one had reacted, and moved forward with the story. He had come to appreciate that nothing short of full disclosure would satisfy these men, and he also realized he owed this truth to them. He needed them to know he had absolute trust and faith in them all.
"As providence would dictate, the clinic she intended to utilize was closed for the weekend by the time she had arrived. Over the course of the next two days she altered her interpretation of the situation. What better way to trap a husband than to present him with his progeny? Heir to the throne, so to speak. And so, before even being born, I was party to my first scam. I daresay if Guinness kept such accounts I would be the youngest con artist on record.
Mother was, so she told, a bit disheartened by the initial reaction of Jacob, her soon-to- be betrothed, but he seemed to adjust to the tidings in due course. Time marched on and the wedding occurred, providing me with the legitimacy so many have wondered about since. A matter of weeks before I was born, mother's plan imploded. It would seem Jacob was not exactly all he had appeared to be. There was no blood connection to the family name she so craved. He was an even greater fraud than she. He had been courting her, believing her created family tree would bestow upon him the credentials he required to enable him to run his scams on the afore mentioned nobility. When he determined such an opportunity did not exist, he was out the door before the dust had settled. The irony still amuses me. It was the one time Maude Standish was completely and thoroughly taken in, and she was left not only with no funds, no connections and no husbands, but with the unruly burden of a child. And before you express yourself Josiah, I acknowledge a child is a gift, not a burden. But I am sure you can see where mother might dispute that. In fact, it was her resentment of the events that inspired her to encumber me with the unique designation I possess. Certainly you can understand that the name 'Ezra' was a lamentable choice, especially during my formative years. I grew to despise the variations and epithets that the name inspired."
He paused to take a few more sips of his amber tonic. He would dearly love to have gulped it down and moved on to the bottle, but control was a primary focus this night.
"Mother being mother, she was able to rebound from the affliction of maternity to quickly derive alternate strategies allowing her to take best advantage of her new status. I suppose you could consider them very early exposure to undercover work, as I was constantly taking on new identities as mother played 'find the daddy'. I had so many birth certificates of varying dates that to this day I am not entirely certain of my genuine date of birth."
As he paused for another sip, Nathan took advantage of the lull.
"How do you do it Ezra? How do you sound so cavalier about all of this? You talk about it like a game, or a job. It was – it is your life. She had no right."
"Calm yourself Nathan. All of you – please. Agitation attributable to something that transpired years – decades – ago, serves no purpose. As for my offhanded addressing of the incident. That my friend comes from years of practice." He looked to Josiah. "I suppose a profiler might be more inclined to call it years of sublimation?" He didn't wait for an answer.
"To return to the narrative – Jacob did eventually make an appearance. As you might surmise, he too had developed an operation which would greatly benefit from the pretence of domestic bliss. As he and mother were technically married at the time, the choice was obvious. We became quite the trio of swindlers for a period. However, as I got a bit older, and a little more – oh shall we call it precocious – I was less than reliable as a participant in the process. A few poorly timed disclosures had us run out of town in England on what would have been a significant haul, and I believe it was at that point Jacob determined my birth was his curse, and I have become an anathema to him ever since."
If outrage described Chris's feelings toward Maude, he was at a loss for a word to cover his loathing of Jacob. Having tragically lost his own son, Chris could not begin to grasp how anyone could treat any child in such a manner. Knowing this had happened to someone he considered a friend, a dear friend, made it that much more abhorrent. Maude might now be out of reach of the law, but Jacob was another matter. The poor SOB had no way of knowing he had just moved to the top of Larabee's Most Wanted list, but he would soon find out.
"What I don't get is why you feel you need to call him about this." Vin questioned. "If you haven't talked to him since he walked out then, why bother."
"I know he kept in contact with Mother – and I believe from time to time they even worked together. To my knowledge, they never divorced."
"But she kept getting married?"
"Yes JD – it's called bigamy. You think that is a law mother would favour over others?" The younger man looked down and Ezra immediately felt guilty about the taunt. "My apologies. I fear I am growing a bit weary, making me just a touch pricklier than I need be."
"You don't have to apologize to me Ezra. All this might make me a touch prickly too."
He really didn't deserve such consideration and kindness from these men, but knew saying so would only initiate another discussion he was not capable of handling tonight. "To finish answering your inquiry Vin; I have no desire to speak with the man, and I cannot imagine any other occurrence that would compel me to make the effort. I am trying to contact Jacob now simply because it is the proper thing to do."
"It's more than he'd do for you." Buck snarled.
"Precisely. And as I choose to believe I am – that I have become – a better man than he, the least I can to is demonstrate that."
"Course you're a better man Ezra. God Lord, you can't possibly doubt that?" Josiah was disturbed the young man would even consider such a notion.
"No Josiah – I no longer question that. I have had friends persuade me of the truth." He tossed back the rest of his drink. "If you gentlemen will excuse me, I do suspect I may be able to secure a decent slumber tonight, so I believe I shall retire." He brought two fingers to his forehead, saluting his companions as he headed in for the night. They watched him walk away, each lost in his own thoughts on what they'd heard that evening. Each independently making the vow to do whatever it took to make sure Ezra never doubted his worth to them again.
M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7
TBC