The final days of the Pony Express are at hand as mysteries come to light and secrets are revealed as raiders from the south cause new friendships to be questioned and old ones to resurface.

by: B L Durnell

Disclaimer

The Young Riders is a creation of Ed Spielman and is an Ogiens/Kane Production in conjunction with MGM/UA for ABC Television.

No copyright infringement is intended.

The characters have merely been borrowed for the act of creating a fan based fictional story for the enjoyment of other fans.

This work is in no way an official story and as such can not be used as a basis for other stories without the authors permission.

"Permission Granted" <grin>

Chapter 6

Everyone was sitting around in the Marshal's office debating on whether to go back to the station for lunch or to just eat in town, when there came a bellowing from outside, on the street. "Hunter! I know you're in there! Get out here, or I'm comin' in after ya!"

Teaspoon and the boys looked at each other. With Cody ushering Rachel to the back of the office, the others unstrapped their guns for easy access and stepped out the front door. As they stepped out the door they each broke into a smile when they saw who had called Teaspoon out.

"Sam! Emma!" Teaspoon bellowed, with a grin on his face that was shared equally by each of the riders present. "We didn't expect you this early. Cody just brought us the news yesterday."

"Well, Teaspoon, the Territorial Governor is pretty worried about the gang that is in these parts. So we hightailed it this way as fast as we could." Looking around to see who all was present, Sam asked, "Where's Kid? Out on a ride?"

"And what about Louise, Mr. Spoon? I'd surely like to see the happy bride, myself." Emma smiled at Teaspoon.

"I'll go get them, Teaspoon," Buck volunteered. "That way you can get Sam and Emma caught up on what has happened around here."

Emma stopped Buck before he left, and pulled him into an embrace, "Buck, we were so sorry to hear about Ike. Are you OK?"

Buck returned her embrace and nodded. "It still hurts, but the hurt has gotten bearable."

"If you need me and want to talk, I'll be there."

"Thanks, Emma. I appreciate that." Breaking the embrace, Buck headed towards the doctor's office in silence, to get Kid and Lou.

"Sam, when we went looking for the men that back shot Kid, we found this a few miles outside of town. It's a flour-de-lice, although Kid said it was a fleur-de-lis."

Looking at the drawing that Teaspoon handed him, Sam massaged his temples in silence. Sitting back in his chair, Sam looked the older man square in the eye. "He's right Teaspoon, it's called a fleur-de-lis; that's also the name the gang goes by." Softly, so that the others wouldn't hear, he continued, "Damn it, Kid, why?"

Seeing the narrowed state of Jimmy's eyes as he fumed, Sam raised his voice, "Something wrong, Hickock?"

Looking at Sam with a slightly startled expression on his face, Jimmy responded. "No. Not really. Just thinking."

"Well, I ain't never seen you so angry when you were just thinking. If there's something we need to know, spit it out."

"Something's buggin' me about this whole thing Sam, that's all. Somethin' just ain't right."

"If you figure out what it is, you let me know you understand?"

"Yeah. No problem."

A few minutes later, Buck and Lou escorted Kid into the Marshal's office. "What was so important that we needed to be here, Teaspoon? Kid should still be in bed." Lou demanded, before she caught sight of Sam and Emma. "Emma!" She exclaimed as she ran to embrace the woman.

Sam looked at her and shook his head wondering how he could have ever mistaken her for a boy back when he first met the Pony Express Riders. "Understand you know about the fleur-de-lis, Kid?" He asked. "What do you know?"

Buck sat Kid down in a chair before he answered. Looking up at the Territorial Marshal, Kid knew something was wrong. "It's a design that I first saw a few years back. I asked what it was and was told a little about it. Why?"

Sam looked down at the floor and nodded, not answering Kid's question. Lifting his head back up and looking at each of the people present in the room, he announced with a heavy heart. "There was more to our coming out here than just to try and catch this gang. You see, there is a former member of the gang living here in Rock Creek, and I have a warrant for his arrest."

Teaspoon moved closer to Sam, "Here? In Rock Creek? What's the warrant for Sam?"

Emma was looking in shock at her husband. "A warrant Sam? Why didn't you tell me?"

Not looking at Emma, but staring Teaspoon straight in the face, Sam responded. "The warrant is for murder, Teaspoon."

"Who was killed?"

"A Texas Ranger, named Michael Gilbert. Your last partner, Teaspoon, from when you were a Ranger."

Teaspoon's eyes grew cold and distant as he remembered what had happened that fateful night four years before. "I want to be there Sam, I promised Mike at his funeral I would get the bastard that killed him."

Sam swallowed before answering him, "You will be Teaspoon. All of you will be."

Jimmy looked at him, "Is he that dangerous Sam?"

"He can be. You can believe that." Turning to look at Kid and Lou, he closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "I wish to God that this reunion could have been under better circumstances, you two."

Kid chuckled and Lou smiled as he looked at Sam, "Don't worry Sam, we'll let you make it up to us."

"I wish I could Kid." He paused and drew his gun from his holster, pointing it in Kid's direction, as everyone looked at him with a puzzled expression on their faces. "Kid, as Territorial Marshal I'm placing you under arrest for the murder of Texas Ranger Michael Gilbert.