Vin carefully walked along the edge of the trail. 'Damn, Chris, wish you were here to see this,' he thought as he watched three mountain goats scale a steep, rocky cliff across the gorge. The smile on his face disappeared as he heard a voice behind him.

"You'd better not stay there!"

Tanner turned and glanced around him, searching for the source of the seemingly disembodied voice. "Who's there?" he asked finally.

"Someone who knows what Moore really. Just get out of here while you can."

"What's that supposed to mean?" the sharpshooter asked angrily.

"Moore can't be trusted," the voice told him.

Vin's eyes caught movement in the trees to his right and he raced towards it. He flew through the heavy foliage, catching a glimpse of a tall man dressed in army fatigues, 'Who the hell are you?' he thought as he continued his pursuit of the mystery man. He had no idea how long he ran, but he knew he was gaining on the other man. He jumped over a fallen tree and caught sight of his quarry as he disappeared into a cave.

'Got ya,' the tracker thought as he approached the small opening. Gasping for breath, he lowered his head and entered the cave. The inside was well lit by army issue lanterns and he was shocked by the immense size of the limestone cavern. He spotted the other man across the room, an old rifle held tightly in his hands.

"Stop where you are," the man rasped.

"Hey, man, there's no need to point that thing at me," Tanner said, holding his empty hands in front of his body.

"I've lived this long by being careful. Ain't gonna stop that now. Move over there and sit in the chair," he ordered, the rifle never leaving Tanner's body.

Vin walked to the chair and sat down. His eyes instantly falling on the set of handcuffs on the small wooden, makeshift table.

"Pick em up and put one on your right wrist, the other one can be attached to the arm of your chair. Do it now or I'll put a bullet in your leg," the man ordered.

Knowing he had little choice at the moment, Vin took the cuffs and did as he was told. Something about the scrawny man across the room put him at ease. He trusted his instincts and knew this man wouldn't do anything to hurt him, unless he felt threatened.

"Very good," the man said as he set the rifle back on the floor. "You shouldn't stay here."

"You said that before. Are you gonna tell me why?"

"Moore's not what he appears to be."

Vin watched as the man poured a glass of water from a battered canteen, thanking his host when he passed the cold liquid to him.

"You're welcome. How many of you are there?"

"Seven," Tanner answered honestly.

"I only counted six. Where's the other one?"

"He needed surgery when we got here. Dr. Moore..."

"Don't tell me you let that bastard operate on him?" the man shouted, shaking his head and pacing back and forth on the floor.

"We didn't have a choice. Chris was close to a ruptured appendix. The Doctor had to remove it or he'd have died," Tanner explained.

"You'd have been better off letting him die."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"It means just what it sounds like. Look, Moore has his hands on your friend now and he's probably got one of his mind games going with him. That means there's not much hope for him but the rest of you can still get outta here."

"I'm not leaving Chris," Tanner grated out angrily.

"Then take him and get outta here now. Go back and make your friends listen. Heed my warning, Kid, if you people don't get out of here you six'll be dead and your friend, Chris you said his name was?" Tanner nodded. "Your friend will be a mindless puppet under Moore's control."

Tanner struggled against the cuff on his right wrist, "Who are you and how do you know all this?"

"My name is Carl Osborne and I know from personal experience what Moore can do. What's your name?"

"Vin," Tanner said and asked "Can you tell me what he's doing to Chris?"

Osborne looked at the younger man, shaking his head as he poured himself a glass of water. "I was in Nam."

Tanner remembered hearing stories from Josiah about the hardships some men were put through in the Vietnam War. "War's hard," he said softly.

"The war I handled just fine. Killed my share of the enemy and I'm not sorry for it. We had little choice when it came down to us or them. The war had its share of horrors, but Moore's experiments were worse than some of those."

Tanner sat upright in the chair and locked eyes with the other man. "Experiments?"

"Mostly mind control. He used drugs to keep us in hand."

"Us?"

"Yes, Us!" Osborne shouted angrily. "There were five of us originally. He kept us in cages like animals. Injected us with something he called C. M. 1. It killed two of the others within a couple of days," he said as his mind wandered back to his final days in Nam.

"What's C. M. 1?"

"Some kinda drug he used to open the mind to his suggestions."

"You said two died within a couple of days. What happened to the other two?"

"Moore had them kill each other. He wanted to see if his drug was strong enough to make friends turn against friends. They fought barehanded for several hours. Neither man realized he was killing his friend. I can still hear Moore talking softly to them. Telling them to Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"Did they kill each other?"

"No. That's why Moore considered us a failed experiment. He gave orders to have us killed."

"How did you escape?"

"Killed the men Moore sent to kill me. Went back to rid the world of the sick sonofabitch, but he'd cleaned out his lab and disappeared. I've been searching for him ever since I came back from Nam. Found him six months ago and I've been waiting for the chance for a little vengeance."

"What makes you think he's still doing those experiments?"

"I know Moore very well, Vin. The man was angry when he lost his precious Subjects as he called us. He lost all his government projects and went home in disgrace."

"Why'd it take you so long to find him?"

"He changed his name and his looks. But I found him and I'm gonna make sure he dies a slow death," Osborn said.

"Will you help us get Chris away from him?"

"I'll do what I can, but you'd better hope Moore doesn't get a chance to start phase two of his experiment. If he's using drugs to control your friend then it'll take a week for the first phase."

"What's the second phase?"

"The second phase is an even stronger mind altering drug. It robs you of everything. Turns you into a monster," Osborn explained.

"How do you know about that if you haven't seen Moore since Nam?"

"I found a couple of his latest test subjects. They live in the town back the road a piece. I shouldn't say they live it's more like they exist. They fought the drugs Moore gave them and ended up mindless vegetables. That'll happen to your friend as well if he fights it. Is he a strong man?"

"Very strong and he'll fight it," Tanner's voice was laced with pride as he talked about his friend.

"Then you'd best get him out of there fast," Osborn said as he took out a rusted key and released the younger man.

Vin rubbed his wrist in order to get the blood circulating again. "Will you help us?" he asked.

"I can't promise anything, but I'll try. Follow the creek north and it'll take you back to the trail."

Tanner stared at the man's back before hurrying out the door. He had to get to the others, and warn them of the impending danger to Chris Larabee. He started along the creek hoping to reach the house before anymore damage could be done.

 

"You're Mr. Dunne, right?"

"Yes, Sir," Dunne said as he moved away from his mentor's bed.

"Where are your friends?" Moore asked, preparing another injection of C. M. 5.

"Nathan, Buck, and Ezra, went to get some rest. Josiah's checking the  van to see if he can fix it."

"What's wrong with the  van?" Moore asked as he shoved the injection into Larabee's shoulder.

"Josiah doesn't know yet. It was working perfectly when we got here, but it's not holding a charge," Dunne explained as he used a cloth to wipe Larabee's pale forehead.

"Hmm, I'd offer him the use of one of my cars, but they've been broken for months. Most of my supplies get delivered so I don't have much use for a car. When I do need..." he stopped before he gave away the fact that he had a two way radio.

"Pardon me?" Dunne asked at the doctor's abrupt silence.

"JD, could you bring me a coffee. I'd like to examine my patient and see if I can figure out what's causing his fever."

Dunne looked from the man on the bed to the doctor. Nathan's orders were not to leave Chris alone. "I'm supposed to stay here until one of the others relieves me," he said.

"I'll stay with him until you get back," Moore assured the younger man as he lifted the sheet and began checking the bandages.

"Guess that'll be ok," Dunne said as he left the room.

"Chris, wake up."

Larabee's eyes shot open at the sound of the voice of his nightmares. "W...who are y...you?" he asked.

"I'm the only friend you have left, Chris," Moore said in a soft, sing song voice.

"No, Vin and the o..." he stopped as a hand clamped down on his wounded side again.

"I'm your only friend, Chris. Vin, Buck, JD, Nathan, Ezra, and Josiah are all dead. Don't you remember?"

"N...no," Larabee grated through clenched teeth.

"Yes. The men you see here are not your friends. They're the ones responsible for their deaths."

"Can't be dead," the blond's weak voice was barely audible.

"They are and these men here have decided you're next. They can't let you live because you know about them. Do you understand?" Moore asked as he continued to apply light pressure on the bandaged area.

"Y...yes," Larabee groaned.

"That's good, Chris. Now there's one man who keeps saying he's Vin Tanner and he's the leader of this group. It's gonna be up to you to get rid of him before he gets a chance to kill you."

"Vin won't kill me."

"Your Vin won't but this is not your Vin. You must kill him when you get the chance. As soon as you hear his voice you'll take this scalpel from under your pillow and stab him with it," Moore applied steady pressure until the blond gasped in pain.

"Stab him," Larabee hissed.

"That's right. Stab him. Someone's coming so close your eyes and sleep," Moore ordered.

"Thank you, Mr. Dunne," the physician said as the dark haired youth came back in the room.

"How is he?" Dunne asked.

"He's doing ok, but I'm going to have to change his bandage. If you'll put the coffee over there I'll get it in a minute," Moore told him as he removed the bloody bandage from the red tinged wound. He replaced the bandage quickly, taping it firmly in place, so the younger man wouldn't see how inflamed the incision actually was. "There, that should make him feel better. I guess I'll take my coffee and leave you to watch over your friend. Thanks again, young man," he said as he picked up the cup and left the room, a satisfied smile on his face.

 

 

'Stab him. Your Vin won't, but this is not your Vin! Stab him! Stab him!" the words repeated over and over in his mind as the C. M. 5 compound quickly established its control over Larabee's thoughts. 'No!' he cried silently, but felt an immediate increase in the pain emanating from the incision in his side. 'I'm your only friend, Chris! Vin, Buck, JD, Nathan, Ezra, and Josiah are all dead.'

'Only friend,' Larabee thought as two faces warred for the title. Vin Tanner's handsome face interchanged with the features of Clayton Moore. Soon the faces were almost indistinguishable as Larabee fought a losing battle with the strong drugs.

 

 

"Control Subject is even more susceptible than I first hoped. His weakened condition, followed by the surgery to remove the appendix is probably the explanation. Subject Tanner has not yet returned and may not be of much consequence if he's trapped in the wilderness overnight. Maybe I'll get lucky and the animals will find him before he finds his way back here. I have instructed Control Subject to stab Subject Tanner as soon as he hears his voice. I shall have to wait and see if Subject Tanner returns before I know if my instructions were clear and his mind open for the suggestion. The other five subjects are also becoming suspicious and I've instructed Daisy to make her special coffee for their breakfast. The cage as I have called it from the beginning is ready for them. Control Subject has been injected with half the required M. C. 5 compound, but to make sure he reaches his full potential I must ensure that he receives the last of phase one and then all of phase two. If Control Subject continues to be as susceptible as he has been so far, I will be vindicated," Moore spoke softly, but clearly, into the microphone as Dunne was replaced by Sanchez on the monitor.

 

 

"Hey, Brother, something strange is going on around here and I think it's time for us to get out of here," Sanchez said as he began wiping the fevered brow. He shook his head as he felt the heat emanating from the blond. "There's a problem with the  van and according to Daisy, Moore's cars don't work and he has everything delivered. I checked the cars and she was right. I've tried everything to get them going so I'm going to walk back to Lost Valley in the morning and call for help."

 

 

'Not Josiah. He's d...dead. Pretending to be Josiah. Wants to kill me. Kill me. No, can't kill me. He's a friend. Josiah. No Josiah's dead. He murdered him. No Moore's doing this. Can't believe him,' as soon as the thought entered his mind, pain radiated out from his side. 'God!' he groaned as he felt hands pressing down on the wound. 'Somebody help me! Josiah, please, help me!' He pleaded with the voice he heard but received no answer. The only thing he received in return for his pleading was more pain as he felt a hand clamp down on his wounded side. Tears came unbidden to his eyes as he realized Clayton Moore had told him the truth. This man was not Josiah Sanchez, because if he was he wouldn't have let anyone hurt him like this. 'Alone. They've left me here alone. Don't want to be alone. Have to get out of here,' he thought as the pain finally receded.

 

 

Vin hurried along the trail. He had to get to Chris before Moore did further damage to him. Now he understood why Chris hadn't regained consciousness. Why he couldn't feel the intangible link the two men shared from day one. In his haste to get back he tripped on a half buried root and fell heavily to the ground.

His head impacted with a rock and he felt a trickle of blood slide down his forehead. He struggled to get to his feet, but as darkness descended on the night sky another deeper, darkness descended on his mind and all conscious thought left him.

 

 

"Nathan, has Vin come back yet?"

"No, Buck, and I'm worried. He should've been back long ago."

"Maybe I should see if I can find him," Wilmington suggested.

"Not much point in that. It's too dark to track him and we have no idea which way he went. If you go out there we'll just end up with two missing men. I'm going to go sit with Chris. Josiah mentioned he was leaving early in the morning to walk back to Lost Valley."

"Nathan, am I the only one that thinks Moore is more than he appears to be?"

"No, Buck, You're not. That's why I've decided to look after Chris myself from now on. I'm not going to let Moore anywhere near him."

"Thank God. You go relieve Josiah and I'll see if Daisy has any fresh coffee made."

"I could use one, Buck. Thanks. Where's JD?"

"Last time I saw him he was talking to Daisy. He thinks he's caught some of my animal Magnetism," Wilmington said with a grin.

 

 

Moore angrily slammed his fist into the wall. 'You're not taking him out of here. He's my last hope! My last chance at redemption! I will not let you leave with him!' he thought as he hurried into the kitchen. He'd heard the two men and decided to listen in on their conversation. "Daisy," he called as he entered the spacious kitchen. He glanced around and was glad to see they were alone for the moment.

"Yes, Doctor," the pretty brunette answered.

"We can't wait until morning. I need them all out of commission tonight. You know what to do."

"Yes, Doctor," she said.

"Make sure you use enough to keep them out long enough for us to lock them in the cage."

"Yes, Sir," she said, smiling innocently as the handsome moustached man entered the room. "Hello, Buck, can I get you something?"

Wilmington nodded to the doctor before answering the young woman, "Is it possible to get some coffee?"

"Sure. I'll just make a fresh pot. Will the others be wanting coffee as well?"

"I know Nathan does and probably Josiah. I don't know about JD and Ezra."

"JD said he was going to go check on Mr. Larabee and then turn in for the night. Why don't you ask him if he wants coffee while I make it and fix you gentlemen up some sandwiches to go along with it."

"Thanks, Daisy," Wilmington gave her a winning smile as he left the room.

"Remember, Daisy, make sure you put enough in the coffee to keep them out."

Daisy nodded as she prepared the coffee and slipped the drug into it.

 

 

Dawn was breaking when Tanner opened his eyes once more. He groaned as he turned onto his back, lifting his hand he gingerly touched the small knot on his head. 'Damn,' he thought as he realized he'd been unconscious for hours. He stood on shaky legs that barely held him upright. He closed his eyes in an effort to keep the world from spinning out of control. He held his stomach as he retched and waited for the nausea to stop. It felt like forever before he was able to stand upright and move in the direction of Moore's house. 'Hang on, Cowboy,' he thought as he hurried along the trail, gasping for breath as his head pounded unmercifully.

 

 

"Buck?" Moore smiled when there was no answer from the sleeping man. The others were already nestled away in the underground cage. He grinned as he thought of their shocked faces when they woke up and found themselves guests in the cavern he'd found near his home. A tunnel ran under his house, along the edge of the grounds and ended in a limestone cave. Years of hard work had paid off and the cavern was successfully converted into a lab for his experiments.

"It's time he joined his friends," Moore said as Daisy helped him lift the unconscious man onto the lightweight stretcher.

"Yes, Doctor," Daisy agreed as she bent to pick up her end.

"Just a minute," Moore ordered as he moved to the bed. He filled a syringe with the compound and once more inserted it into Larabee's bruised shoulder. "Chris, look at me."

The blond heard the voice calling him. It was the voice that intruded on every waking moment. A voice that would not be denied. He opened his eyes and looked at the older man. "Where's V...Vin?" he asked and immediately felt the all too familiar pressure on his side.

"I told you Vin and the others are dead. These men are not your friends. They are here to kill you. But they want to make you suffer first. They are the ones doing this to you. Do you remember what you have to do?" Moore asked, clamping down even harder on the wound.

"H...have to k...kill V...Vin... No! Can't!" Larabee cried as he tried to pull away.

"I told you he is not the real Vin and you must kill him before he kills you."

Larabee's glazed eyes opened once more, "Not Vin. Kill him. Stab him."

"That's right," Moore said as he removed his hand. "You must stab him if you want the pain to stop."

"Stab him," Larabee repeated as he reached under his pillow and grasped the scalpel hidden there.

"Very good. Chris. If you hear his voice you stab him or there'll be more pain. Pain like you've never felt before," Moore warned as he ground his fist into the area surrounding the wound. He smiled as the injured man gasped in pain. "Understand?"

"Yes," Larabee whispered.

"Very good. Now sleep until I get back, but if you hear his voice stab him."

"Stab him," Larabee repeated as his eyes drifted shut.

~~~~~~~~

Tanner made it to the house and stumbled through the door, "Nathan," he called, his head pounding at the sound of his own voice. "Nathan, Buck, anybody," he called as he sank into the couch. He grew worried when there was still no answer.

"Nathan?" he called as he hurried into the room where Larabee had been housed. He watched the slight rise and fall of the chest and noticed that, except for him the room was empty. Alarms went off in his head as he realized something must have happened to the others or Chris would not be alone. They'd agreed Moore couldn't be trusted and Vin grew anxious as he looked at his friend.

Tanner stumbled to the bed, gasping as he noticed the fresh blood soaking through the stark white bed sheet. "Dammit, Chris, what the hell is he doing to you?"

'The voice,' Larabee thought, his hand still resting on the scalpel. "Stab him!" he cried as he drove the scalpel towards the sharpshooter's chest.

Tanner's mind registered the scalpel and the crazed look on Larabee's face an instant before the small blade bit into his chest. He gasped as he stumbled back, the tiny implement still protruding from the right side, just to the left of the shoulder. "Chris," he cried as he fell heavily to the floor.

"Kill him! Stab him," Larabee repeated as he sat up. He saw the man lying on the floor and climbed out of bed. "You killed them but you're not going to kill me!" he screamed as he tried to cross the room. He reached out to grab the scalpel once more but a voice stopped him.

"Chris, i...it's me C...Cowboy."

The glazed, green eyes cleared for a moment, "V...Vin." As soon as the word left his lips he cried out as pain ripped through his side. "Not Vin. Vin's dead!" Larabee repeated. "You killed them all," he said, reaching for the scalpel once more. Pain exploded in his head and he slumped to the floor next to the bleeding sharpshooter.

"Chris! Jesus, Osborne, you k...killed him!" Tanner gasped as he tried to reach for his friend.

"He's not dead," Osborne said as he pulled Tanner to his feet. "We have to get out of here before Moore gets back."

"I'm not leaving without him," Tanner snarled angrily.

"We don't have a choice. You're bleeding badly right now and we have to get it stopped," Osborne told him. "Look I'll come back for him later."

"Later may be too late," Tanner gasped as he slowly sank to his knees, and finally to the floor beside his friend.

Osborne pulled the scalpel from the wound and quickly taped gauze pads over it. He lifted the younger man into his arms and then glanced once more at the body on the floor He shook his head at the blood pooling slowly around him. "He's already working his evil on you," he said as he hurried from the house.

 

 

Sanchez opened his eyes, knowing instinctively something was wrong. He was not in a warm bed anymore. He shivered as the cold from the floor seeped into his body. He climbed slowly to his feet as footsteps reverberated around the large cavern. Anger flared in his eyes as he watched Moore and Daisy carrying a still unconscious Buck Wilmington towards him.

"What's going on, Moore?" his angry voice woke the others and he heard them trying to stand up.

"I cannot let you interfere with my plans. Now step away from the bars or I will kill Mr. Wilmington right here and now!" Moore ordered and placed the stretcher on the ground. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun. "Do as I say!" he snapped as he placed the gun to Wilmington's head.

The four men in the cage moved back as Daisy helped a now semi conscious Wilmington to his feet.

"Open the door, Daisy," Moore told her.

She released her grip on Wilmington and let him slide back to the ground. She forced the key into the reinforced steel gate and pushed it open.

"Step inside, Buck," Moore ordered.

Buck climbed slowly to his feet, glaring angrily at the doctor.

"Don't do anything stupid, Buck. I would just as soon kill you now as later. Get inside or I'll put a bullet into that young man you're so fond of."

"Not now, Buck," Sanchez warned as he watched the determined set of Wilmington's shoulders.

Buck turned away from the man holding the gun and stumbled into the cage, cringing as he heard the lock being engaged.

"Enjoy your stay, Gentlemen. Just like lab animals you'll be fed and watered," Moore laughed as he took the key from Daisy and left the cavern.

"Son of a bitch! I knew it!" Wilmington shouted as he paced the cage, ignoring the building headache.

"I think we all did," Jackson said.

"What are we gonna do?"

"What do you think we're gonna do, JD? We're gonna get out of here and help Chris. Jesus what's he been doing to Chris?" Wilmington asked Jackson.

"I don't know, Buck. I just don't know. Chris should've woke up by now and that's why I didn't want him left alone. Moore must be using drugs of some kind."

"Mr. Larabee is in dire need of our intervention," Standish told them.

"If you mean Chris needs our help, you're right," Wilmington told him.

"Gentlemen, I think we should endeavour to find an escape route from this incarceration." Standish said as he stepped up to the locked cage.

 

 

"Help me put him back on the bed," Moore ordered. They lifted the still unconscious Larabee off the floor and placed him back in the bed. "Clean up that mess," he said, indicating the pool of blood where Larabee had lain.

Daisy left the room, as Moore turned his attention to his patient. "Chris."

The voice. The voice that controlled his thoughts and his actions.

"Chris, open your eyes now!"

The voice that demanded to be obeyed. The voice of his pain.

"Now, Chris," Moore once more grasped the wound.

Larabee's eyes popped open and fear shone in his eyes. "Help me, V...Vin," he gasped.

Moore fought against the anger threatening to overtake his emotions. He needed to keep the subject alive, but he also needed to maintain control. One of the things he'd learned over the years was that pain was something he could use to control his subjects. He pulled a new vial from his cabinet and filled a syringe. This was a second drug he'd experimented with in Nam. A little cocktail that could heighten awareness of pain. "Chris. You are going to do what I say aren't you?"

"V...Vin, B...Buck please help me," he gasped as the needle slid into the vein in his neck. He closed his eyes and tried to pull away. But the hand once more clamped down on his side.

"You are mine, Larabee. Soon you will know nothing but what I tell you. You will do only what I want you to. You will eat and drink only what I give you. You will learn a new way of life where you are nothing. Nothing but a shell of the man you were. You will be a perfect killing machine and will get me what I want. What I deserve!"

"No!" the blond gasped as pain flared from every nerve in his body. "No!"

"Yes! Soon you will not even remember your own name. All you will know is what I tell you. All you will remember is that to disobey me will mean more pain."

Chris gasped as the unknown drug made it hard to breathe. He cried out and struggled against the hand holding him down. He tried to get his breathing under control but nothing helped. Finally air rushed into his lungs and he coughed harshly.

"Do you understand now, Chris. Do you know how much I control you. It's up to you how much or how little pain you receive," Moore said as he re-bandaged the wound. "Sleep now. I will be back," Moore told him.

'No! I have to get out of here. Have to find Vin,' he thought. 'Vin's dead. You killed him,' a quiet voice whispered to his subconscious. 'Kill him! Stab him,' he thought gleefully.