DISCLAIMER: The Young Riders is the creation of Ed Spielman, and the property of Ogiens/Kane productions in association with MGM/UA television. This Story is created for entertainment purposes only, no infringement intended. Not to be copied without permission from the author.
Watching as each of them threw their gun belts on the growing heap on the floor in front of him, he further antagonised them by removing Lou's gun belt himself his hands roaming over her body familiarly.
'Get against that wall.' he ordered them harshly.
When they had moved far enough for his satisfaction, he moved forward and kicked the gun belts into the corner of the room out of everyone's reach, then indicating Cody he spoke again.
'Go out to my horse and bring in the rope on the saddle horn. If you don't come back, she dies' he ordered. He moved back against the wall, away from the door. Cody looked at each of his friends then turned his saddened eyes on Lou, before walking to the door and leaving the room. Several minutes later he returned with a coil of rope in his hands.
'Tie all their hands' he ordered Cody and watched as he did as he was ordered. When they were all secure except Cody he released Lou's hair and pushed her towards him.
"Tie his hands, and do it properly.' he waited while she tied the knots and then drew called her back to him, this time drawing her into his embrace. Lou's skin crawled as he caressed the side of her face
'Leave her alone O'Day,' Teaspoon spoke his anger rising
"You're a disgrace to the Badge you wear O'Day' Sam maligned him
'A disgrace am I' He spoke his face twisting in anger. 'I'm sorry Cain but not all of us can be as righteous and upstanding as you fine gentlemen. Do you think it wasn't hard to come here after the two of you have made such a fine name of Marshalling in these territories.' he pulled Lou towards a cabinet against the wall and lifted a bottle of whisky from it, taking a generous swig he continued. 'For God's sake all I heard for the first year I was here was Teaspoon wouldn't have done it that way. How do you think that made me feel?" he looked directly at Teaspoon
'So, this is all my fault now' Teaspoon asked quietly
Indicating with his pistol, he motioned for them all to leave the room via the front door of the doctor's office.
'When you get outside walk directly around to the back of the building. Any funny business and she will be dead.' he sneered, still amazed at his apparent power over these strong volatile men by just threatening the tiny woman he held by the hair. He followed behind them and waited until they were standing in a line behind their horses. He yanked Lou by the hair until they both stood on the lowest step that led from the surgery's rear door.
'Mount up.' he sneered at them watching as each of the men obeyed his commands.
'You won't get away with this O'Day' Sam spoke as he swung onto the horse.
'No-one will know that I had anything to do with your deaths.' he paused his filthy hands caressing Lou possessively 'We're going back to her ranch, that indian that you are all so fond of is going to go crazy and kill his entire family and his neighbours and their guests, before turning on himself.' he paused watching all their faces sink in dismay
'No-one will ever believe that, the entire town knows that Buck is good and kind and would never hurt another soul.' Lou cried, trying to pull away from his mauling hands.
'It won't take much to turn the town against him. Especially if he has injured their Marshall.' he filled in the story for himself
'O'Day, you know this town hates you, they won't believe a word you say.' Lou raged
The Marshall harshly hit the side of Lou's head with the butt of his pistol, clasping where against him as she fell unconscious towards the ground. Throwing her over his saddle horn, he was unprepared for noise from behind him.
'Leave her alone O'Day.' Kid fumed, his skin gray with pain, swaying slightly with the effort it took for him to stay upright, a pistol trained on the shifty lawman.
'If it ain't the loser husband.' O'Day sneered at him turning his back on Kid, not thinking him to be a huge threat.
'I wouldn't do that O'Day' Jimmy spoke watching Kid warily
'Nobody hurts Lou.' Kid spoke from between clenched teeth, his body trembling but the gun not wavering.
'Or you'll what, shoot me, That would be a joke, you can't even see straight at the moment, I think I'm fairly safe.'
The events that followed happened too quickly to say for sure what happened, but O'Day spun on Kid, drawing his gun as he spun, Kid fired twice in quick succession, a shot also fired from O'Day's pistol. Kid's shots both hit O'day, one in the chest and once in the centre of his forehead. As O'Day crumpled to the ground beside his horse, Kid also fell in a crumpled heap to the floor of the doctor's surgery. The doctor emerged from the room behind Kid for long enough to unfasten the ropes binding Cody who untied the others. Kid and Lou were both carried into the surgery and placed on bed's beside each other as the doctor quickly looked them over.
'He's something else ain't he.' Jimmy spoke as he watched the doctor remove Kid's shirt and start to mend the damage he had done to his shoulder.
'What do you mean Jimmy?' Teaspoon spoke also watching
'He's almost dead himself, but his love for her outweighed his pain.' he murmured
'It's the same for me Jimmy' Lou spoke softly turning her head towards her friends. None of them had realised that she had woken. 'I would die for him' she spoke with such soft earnestness that they all knew it was true.
'Will he be alright Doc?' she turned back to look at her bruised and bloodied husband
'He's done a lot of damage to his shoulder. I don't know if he will ever have the same use of his arm again, but I don't think he will lose it. Only time will tell.' he explained as he watched Lou's weary eyes close.
The others all moved quietly from the room and let the doctor work on his two patients.
Sam, Cody, Jimmy and Teaspoon returned to the Homestead to relay the news of what had happened to their families. Buck met them on the porch a loaded shotgun in his hands.
'Where's Lou?' he asked after realising that she was the missing rider.
'With Kid at Doc Barnes'' Jimmy answered for him
'Teaspoon, you might like to go and say hello to your new son.' Buck smiled at the man who was almost a father to him. Teaspoon almost vaulted from his horse, his agility belying his years as he took the steps two at a time to go and see his wife and new child. The others smiled and laughed as they watched him while they themselves dismounted and looped their reins around the hitching rail. Emma and Jenny walked onto the porch, Jenny fitting herself comfortably into her husbands side, Emma embracing her husband tightly.
'Is everything alright?' Emma asked quietly
'O'Day is dead, Kid is in pretty bad shape, but Doc seems to think he'll be okay. I think everything will be fine.' sam answered for her.
'Where's Theresia?' Jimmy asked softly missing Lou's spunky little sister
'She's in the barn with the older kids Jimmy. She's fairly upset by what she had to do' Jenny answered him watching his preoccupation with the young girl grow. Jimmy began to walk away from the others heading towards the barn. '
Jimmy, be careful with her.' Buck warned him, watching over the young girl like a protective uncle.
Jimmy kept walking towards the barn almost not hearing Buck's warning. He stepped through the partially open barn door and found Theresia almost immediately sitting on a bale of hay, listlessly watching the kids play.
'Hey' he spoke as he walked in and sat down next to her.
'Is everyone alright?' she asked her brown eyes luminous
'Everyone's fine. How are you?' he asked softly
'I'll be fine. I killed a man Jimmy. I didn't even hesitate. I killed him. Does that make me a bad person.'
'No sweetheart. You were protecting your kin. You will get over it, but you will never forget it. If the some problem arises again you will do exactly the same. I'm proud of you.' he hugged her closely.
'Thanks Jimmy' she smiled, then as she wiped the tears from her face, she stood, placing a gentle kiss on his lips she ran from the barn.
Jimmy watched her go, his lips twisted into a wry smile. The two McCloud women had come to mean more to him then any other women he had known. He wondered to himself if things could have been different. Shaking his head at the fact he was second guessing his life, he stood and walked from the barn into the sunlight towards the closest friends, no the only family he would ever have.
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