OJI – whiplash, or the perils of being a Team Seven agent under a seething Christopher Michael Larabee, Ezra mused, but did not voice out loud. Especially after Orin Travis had given Chris a dressing-down twenty minutes ago in the office. Now Ezra was stuck in a car with the other agents and a thoroughly pissed-off Chris.

Screeching tires, speeding and slamming of brakes and curves taken on two tires.

"Let us know how you really feel, Cowboy," Vin said simply, breaking the silence.

"Don't call me Cowboy," Larabee growled with a voice that read Danger Ahead. "And don't any one of you DARE call me that or "Christopher!" he mimicked in a perfect imitation of Evie Travis' voice. "And don't you open your mouth to say anything, Ezra! I don't even want to THINK I see a smirk on your face!"

Another curve and the men braced themselves.

"Might as well shoot us all – might be a bit kinder," Vin suggested.

"Don't tempt me," Chris growled again.

"Where are we going, Chris?" Josiah said. He exchanged glances with Ezra, Nathan and Vin. Each would risk anything to keep Chris' attention away from Buck, who slumped in the back seat, staring out the window.

"Ranch." And the turn and the trail of dust cloud he stirred up made Ezra glad he was not following in his Jag.

Chris slammed on the brakes and flung the door open, glaring at each man as he piled out.

"JD?" Nathan queried, wondering why they had not gone to Travis' house.

"Evie Travis doesn't want any one of us near 'that child'!" Chris snapped. "Taking orders from Evie Travis now!"

"Now, don't be a male chauvinist, Chris," Vin again spoke up, earning another feral look.

"I am not taking orders from her!"

The team knew Chris actually liked Mrs. Travis, so took Chris' anger as his frustration over the current circumstances.

"Kept away from my own agent like I'm a child abuser! I'm surprised she hasn't called DHS to report ALL of us! They have no right! Team Seven protects their own!" That last sentence made it clear to the others why Chris was so angry. His anger found a new target as his eyes met those of his profiler. "Sanchez! What do I pay you for if you can't come up with any answers about this situation?"

"I've been thinking on this, but . . ."

"Going to chew me out next for how I handled JD's backside?" Nathan made himself a target. "I did suggest we get butt paste."

Larabee's mouth opened and closed, but, as everyone knew, Nathan was rarely the target of his frustration and Chris fumed, but remained silent.

Ezra had an urge to laugh at Jackson's droll delivery of needing a child's diaper rash ointment, but gave a mild cough instead.

"Tanner!"

Vin didn't bat an eye. "You either shoot all of them or shoot me and put me out of my misery now!"

"Looks like I'da haff ta use only one bullet iffen I chose you," Vin observed, his Texas drawl getting thicker while annoying Chris even more.

Buck was standing by the van, leaning against it, not reacting, silent as a sphinx.

Tanner. Sanchez. Jackson. Next up for the wrath of Larabee. . .

"I've seen bulls that had less steam coming out of their ears than our illustrious leader." Ezra observed.

Danger averted. "Standish! I told you I didn't want to hear anything from you! If I belted you, Travis wouldn't care; he would even pin a medal on me."

"You'd have to catch me first," Ezra replied calmly, though Josiah and Nathan moved slightly in front of him to block Chris.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, please I have survived for over three years with Mr. Larabee threatening to kill me every day and he hasn't succeeded yet," Ezra protested being protected by Josiah and Nathan.

"Probably got a secret bet on the exact day he will kill you, Ezra," Nathan observed.

"Might be a bit hard to collect if I am truly deceased." Ezra remained as calm and collected as usual, brushing some dust off his green jacket.

"Wilmington." Buck did not respond as the inevitable happened and Chris' fists were clenched as he turned to his oldest friend. "What the hell do you mean spanking JD . . . spanking an agent in front of all of us and at Travis' house, for heaven's sake! Did you catch a brain disease from all those women you chase? Are you trying for the biggest jackass award in all the ATF?"

Buck looked at Chris but there was no fight in his eyes.

"It's been a long time since I belted you, Wilmington, but I ought to knock some sense into you!"

Buck stood and opened his jacket as if to make himself a punching bag and waited.

His placid acceptance made Chris angrier. His fists dropped and he stormed into the house and slammed the door. Four of the five let their breaths out while Buck walked over to the far right chair on the porch and sat silently, staring at the distant mountains.

"Damn, Ez, didn't know you ever went undercover as a matador," Vin quipped.

"I'd rather face one hundred bulls than Mr. Larabee," Ezra replied.

"If I didn't know better, I would say you enjoy your fencing matches with Chris," Nathan said seriously.

"Mr. Larabee is unaware of his role in sharpening my mental facilities and nerve in my undercover activities. After facing Mr. Larabee, I can assure you no miscreant or criminal can frighten me."

Vin shook his head admiringly. "You have some nerve, Ezra."

"Danse macabre," Josiah quoted.

"Pure wisdom. I do admire an educated man."

Josiah nodded to Ezra then walked over to sit by Buck, and patted Buck on the shoulder. "Don't take it so hard, Brother Buck. Our young brother is very forgiving."

"I love that boy, Josiah," Buck said simply. "I don't know what got into me. I know I tease JD, but I actually humiliated him in front of the team he adores. Spanked him. I . . . I wish Chris had belted me. Now – you know how proud JD is. Will he still want to work with us – me? Will Travis let him? You know how much flack he has taken about JD's youth."

Buck closed his eyes, as if shutting out the world.

An uneasy silence was the only answer the other three could give him.

TBC