Buck found himself staring dejected at the young blonde leaving with another man. Oh well, there is always a red head. The gunslinger smiled and looked around the saloon in search of another companion for the evening. As his eyes leveled on a redhead near the bar, a scream broke through his concentration.
He glanced around to see if anyone else had heard it, but nobody had moved. He just shrugged his shoulders and headed toward his prey. As he got half way there, he heard the scream again, this time recognizing it as a woman's.
His survey of the crowd got the same results again, but Wilmington knew it had to be real. He looked up toward the rooms above the bar and noticed one door was slightly ajar. Giving the redhead a suffering sigh, he left on his quest for the non-existent yell.
You get up here and interrupt some cowboy's play and he's not gonna be mighty happy with you my friend. The pep talk did not sway his actions as he headed to the open door.
As he was about to reach for the handle, he heard the voice again, but not screaming, pleading.
"Please, don't. I'll do anything you want, just don't hurt my boy."
Buck pushed the door open further and felt his heart leap into his throat. A lady of the night was half dressed standing in the corner, holding something behind her back. Her face was bruised and bloody, but what got Buck's attention was the small hand that reached out from behind her.
"Hey, what's going on here?" Wilmington's temper had reached the boiling point and he charged at the cowboy who was standing in front of the woman. But as he grabbed him, his hands only connected with air. His momentum took him through the body and he landed on the floor at the woman's feet.
"You ain't gonna hurt my momma no more." The little boy's voice was muffled due to the lady's back.
"Bucklin, you just stay quiet for momma, okay."
"I didn't pay to bed no whore while her youngin watched. I want my money back." The bearded man stepped forward, this time with a knife in his hand.
"I swear I didn't know he was there, please, I'll give you your money, just leave us alone."
"It's too late for that now, honey. I want more."
Buck felt his heart quicken as the realization of what he was seeing hit him. His worse nightmare was coming true.
"Stop. Leave her alone." Wilmington jumped up and tried to grapple with man again. This time he managed to grab his hand. As the man turned toward him, the face began changing until it was JD he was looking at.
"Buck, what..." The gunslinger let go of the hand as if it was about to bite him and then felt himself falling.
The resounding thud mixed with Dunne's yelp of surprise. "Buck, you okay?"
Wilmington opened his eyes and looked around quickly until he locked gazes with JD. "Kid?"
"Yeah, it's me." JD reached down and helped the man to his feet. "Are you okay? I heard you yelling as I was walking by the jail."
Buck run a hand down his face, hoping to remove th memory of his dream. "Yeah, kid. I'll be alright. Guess those onions I had for lunch are coming back to haunt me." Wilmington tried to smile and reassure the youth, but the frown on JD's face told him, he failed.
"Something's wrong, Buck. Every since Josiah's talk at breakfast I've been feeling strange. Like somebody's watching me. And now you're having bad dreams in the daytime." Dunne started pacing back and forth in front of the window. "I just came from seeing Nate and passed Ezra on the way up. He told me he had to wake up Nate when he got there and it had looked like he was having a bad dream." JD turned from his pacing and stared at his best friend. "Do you think I'm just spooked because of Josiah?"
Buck wanted to tell his friend he was overreacting, that they had all just been working too hard lately, and hadn't gotten much sleep. But the more he thought about what JD had said and then about Josiah, then about what day it was, he knew what the answer was, "No, kid. I think something is trying to spook us and it ain't Josiah." Wilmington grabbed his hat, that had fallen to the floor and quickly exited the jailhouse. After he had thought more about what was said and then his dream, he knew there was another type of danger headed their way.
"Hey Buck, where ya going?" JD held the door open and yelled after his friend.
"To find Chris."
*****************
The gambler was more infuriated then when he had sought out the healer's help. Not only did Nathan laugh at him uncontrollably, but he put the most unsightly bandage around Standish's finger. If his shuffling had been unencumbered before, it most definitely was now.
As Ezra started to deal his forth hand of solitaire, the batwing doors swooshed open, banging the walls behind them. Standish came to intruder a disproving scowl that quickly turned to concern.
"Mr. Wilmington, is there a problem?" The gambler immediately put his cards away and started to rise.
Buck gave the saloon a once over before acknowledging Standish. "Yeah, Ez. Have you seen Chris?"
Ezra stared at the gunslinger a moment before answering. "Yes. He muttered something about taking a ride and maybe meeting up with Vin." If the gambler's curiousity had been peaked before, it most assuredly was now. "I ask again, is there a problem?"
Wilmington didn't hide his concern when he answered. "Maybe. You been having any strange dreams or anything unusual been happening to you today?"
Ezra pondered the older man's and realized he indeed was having a problem of sorts. "Now that you mention it, I have been having trouble with the cards. I have yet to win a hand and my finger somehow developed a splinter." The gambler saw the flash of a grin on the other man's face. "Please, control yourself, Mr. Wilmington. I have already been debased by our town healer for my unfortunate accident." The last few words were said in a spat that only increased the smile on the gunslinger's face.
As Buck was about to comment on Ezra's unusual happenings, the batwing doors opened behind him. He turned to see the visitor and was overwhelmed with relief when he saw Larabee. "Chris, am I glad to see you." The gunslinger patted the leader on the back.
"Did you change your mind about your travel, Mr. Larabee?" Ezra was now standing along side the two men.
Chris gave the gambler an awkward glance. "What are you talking about, Ezra?" Larabee looked to Buck to see if he knew what the other man was referring too.
"We thought you were going to ride out and meet Vin." Wilmington felt the hairs on the back of his neck begin to rise.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I've been over at the church with Josiah since Vin left this morning." Chris saw the color drain from both men's faces. "What's wrong?"
"I think we should saddle our horses and ride out to meet Mr. Tanner poste haste." Standish pushed his way through the two as he exited the saloon.
"I'll get the kid and the others." Buck sidestepped the leader and headed in the opposite direction as Ezra.
Chris stood for a minute staring at the retreating backs. He had no idea what was going on, but if it involved Vin, he would get his questions answered later, right now, they needed to ride. He stepped off the porch and quickly followed the gambler's tracks.
**************
Sanchez stood staring at the podium in front of him. He had no idea what was bothering him, but he knew that it effected all of the seven. The preacher sighed and turned to look out the window. Why do you make it so hard for me, God? I'm only trying to keep our souls safe, but it's getting harder every day. I'm afraid Satan may be catching up.
Josiah knew his words from breakfast must have sounded as a dooms day premonition the moment he saw Chris step through the church house doors. Something about his stance told him Larabee needed to relieve himself from a burden. The preacher, in that instant, didn't know if he wanted that responsibility, but once the gunslinger had started talking, he realized there was no one else the man would have told.
As the story of the dream grew, so did Sanchez's belief that the day held nothing but evil for all of them. If Chris' demons had decided to take another direction in their haunting, Josiah figured so could the rest of theirs'. When the tale had finished, Josiah had no idea what to say to comfort the man. He was obviously in a great deal of pain over the dream, but the only words the preacher could offer as a comfort was, we won't let that happen, Chris, trust us.
Now, Josiah hoped they could keep the promise he made. As Sanchez turned to renew his carpentry efforts, the doors to the church opened once more. This time another face of suffering appeared, the worried face of Buck.
"Come on, Josiah. We gotta ride." Wilmington didn't pause long enough to let the other man ask why, he simply turned and vanished.
"Dear God, if this be the time for those souls to come back, I beg you to give us the strength to survive." When he had finished his prayer, he grabbed his gun, coat, and hat, and headed into the battle he was sure to follow.
****************
Vin had never been in such a hurry to reach one destination in his life. He had set his horse at a gallop the moment he got out of sight of the Samson place. Something about that dream had his nerves on fire. He had been living with the dread of someday getting shot in the back by a bounty hunter, but this was more violent. This nightmare had seemed more personal. As if the man in the dream killing him, knew him.
Tanner shook those thoughts aside. He didn't have time to think about that now. He was out here alone and the best time to catch a prey is when their guard was down. And that dream was having that affect.
The tracker wanted to hurry his mount more, but knew it would be too dangerous for the animal, so he settled for keeping his eyes straight ahead on his goal, Four Corners. As he topped the last ridge, the town buildings came into sight. He let out a huge sigh of relief and let his horse take it's head.
He was just passing a grove of trees, when he noticed a movement inside them. He pulled his horse to a stop, his instincts immediately kicking. Somehow he knew he was dealing with a two legged animal.
"Whoever you are, you best show yourself." Vin slowly pulled his mare's leg from his holster and loosely aimed it toward the trees.
"Easy, Vin, it's Chris." Larabee stepped from behind a tree and smiled slightly at his friend. "A little jumpy are we?"
The tracker rolled his eyes and reholstered his weapon. "You trying to get to an early grave, cowboy?" Vin slid from his saddle and came to stand beside his horse. "What are you doing out here anyway? Buck and JD drive you out?" Tanner grinned, knowing how the two men could drive a saint to cuss.
"Nope, just needed some fresh air. Remembered you'd be heading back this way and thought I'd ride back in with you." Chris stepped a little closer to the sharpshooter. "You mind?"
Vin studied his friend for minute, there was something not right about the man. "Nah, I don't mind. Could use the company. Where's your horse?" Tanner took a reflex step back.
Chris noticed the sudden movement and drew his pistol. "That's far enough, Vin." An evil gleam entered the gunslinger's eyes.
Tanner knew then he wasn't dealing with the real Chris Larabee. "Who are you and what have you done with Chris?" Vin's anger was slowly building.
"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Larabee is perfectly fine. I'm just borrowing his persona for the moment. It's you I really want." The Larabee impersonater cocked the hammer on the gun and aimed it dead center of Vin's heart.
The tracker swallowed hard, hoping an escape plan would pop into his head any minute. "I asked, who are you?" Distraction, yeah, that would help for a few seconds.
"An old friend. Someone who didn't deserve to die and now I'm back to reclaim my place among the living." The man snickered. "A wonderful thing, All Hallow's Eve, it gives us poor souls a chance to take back what is ours."
Before Vin could say anymore, a gunshot sounded, followed by another and then he felt a searing pain in his chest. He fell backwards and impacted with the ground. As the blackness danced around him, he heard voices. I guess the Devil finally got my timecard. Tanner couldn't help but smile at his own humor.
"What the hell you smiling at, ya damn fool? You were almost killed and you're laying there smiling." Nathan lifted the bloody shirt and sighed with relief. The gun must've kicked up when the imposter was shot and that saved Vin's life. The bullet enterd in the tracker's left shoulder, just above his collarbone and then exited out the back.
"Nate?" Tanner tried to lift his heavy eyelids to see if he had been dreaming again, but they wouldn't cooperate.
"Yeah, it's me, now lay still so I can patch up your sorry hide." Jackson smiled, knowing his words lack the anger.
"Chris?" Vin jerked himself up and immediately regretted it.
"Damn, fool, stubborn jackasses, every blasted one of ya." Nate finished his tirade with a glare to the black-clad man now kneeling beside the sharpshooter.
"I'm here, Vin." Larabee felt relief when his best friend's eyes opened to meet his. "You're late." Chris smiled at the glare the man shot towards him.
"Sorry, I had a run in with this ugly, son of a bitch." Vin snorted and laid his head back.
"Well, it's like I always said, not even the Devil could be worse then Chris Larabee." Buck couldn't stop the laughter from bubbling up, as he caught the deadly glare from Chris or the mischievous smirk on Vin's face. The man was in horrendous pain, but still couldn't stop his happiness of being alive and with his friends.
The rest of the seven soon joined in the laughter, knowing that once again they had beaten the odds and survived evil's plot for revenge.
**************
The End.