DISCLAIMER: The Young Riders is the creation of Ed Spielman, and the property of Ogiens/Kane productions in association with MGM/UA television. The characters from the television program The Magnificent Seven are the property of Trilogy and The Mirisch Co. I am making no money from their use.
This Story is created for entertainment purposes only, no infringement intended. Not to be copied without permission from the author.
RATINGS: PG - violence, mild language
WARNING: This Story contains an alternative Universe theme, if this type of story is not to your liking or will somehow offend you please delete this mail immediately and do not read any further. In addition it is a The Young Riders/The Magnificent Seven Crossover, so if crossovers are not your cup of tea, please go no further. Furthermore this story contain semi graphic images of a terrorism nature, if you feel this may disturb you please find a different story that you will enjoy.
NOTES: : This is the sequel to the recently completed The Change. The song that inspired the Title is by Garth Brooks on his NO fences album. Eternal thanks to Mog for letting me play in her ATF AU sandpit. Thanks heaps to Enid (known affectionately here as my font of all knowledge) for all the brainpicking I have done. Thanks to my net sisters Lyn and Dayna for all the collaboration and characterisation help, couldn’t have done it without you.
CHAPTER 3
You were standin’ way to close
To see it all fall apart
And there were things you couldn’t hear
Cause you were listenin with your heart
But you can’t say I didn’t warn you
Now there’s no one else to blame
There’s no one quite as blind
As a victim of the game
The two teams sat there absorbing the quiet fury in the tall blonde man’s voice for several minutes before any of them spoke again.
“So which one of you guys has aggravated someone enough to do this?” Josiah asked quietly of the other team.
“We all have angry perps in our past” Jimmy spoke for the team, “we’ve already been through our past cases, none of them fit” he supplied
“There has to be someone” Teaspoon stated “All of you scour your past cases, there has to be something we are missing” he watched as the team members slowly dispersed from the small room.
Ezra watched the others leave the room, something about the new video was worrying him, But, he couldn’t put his finger on it. There was something that didn’t add up in his mind. He stood and moved slowly to the video, ignoring the pain that still lanced through his leg whenever he put his full weight on it. Pulling a chair up to the television he rewound the tape and watched it closely, over and over again. The members of Team 7 all left him alone knowing that something had sparked a thought in his enigmatic mind. They had seen him like this before. He was like a dog with a bone and would not give up until he had appeased his mind. Every now and again one man or another would come to the door of the conference and watch him. He never even noticed their presence so engrossed was he in the video.
Four hours passed before Buck came to check on him. He found him sitting in front of the TV, one hand on the remote control, one hand rubbing at his bad leg, his eyes riveted to the TV screen.
“What’s up Pard?” he spoke levering himself slowly into a chair beside his friend.
“This is all wrong” Ezra spoke quietly “This picture is all wrong”
“Of course it’s wrong Ez” Buck spoke confused by Ezra’s gentle murmuring “He’s a sadistic bastard drugging and murdering young women”
Buck watched as Ezra’s eyebrows drew together in a frown as he turned back to the screen and rewound the tape. He watched the younger man’s face as he watched the video, watching the slow smile that spread across his face.
“Mr Wilmington, if you were a shade more attractive to me I could kiss you” Ezra spoke as he limped over to phone on the desk.
Buck watched as he spoke into the phone and then returned to the screen. Several minutes later Lou and Kid walked into the room, confused expressions on their faces.
“He doesn’t want to hurt her” Ezra spoke as he took Lou’s hand in his.
“What do you mean he doesn’t want to hurt her?” Kid asked a little annoyed at Lou’s close bond with these two men.
“I mean he doesn’t want to hurt her” Ezra looked into Kid’s bright blue eyes, noting the aggression and suppressed anger there
“What have we seen in the other tapes” he explained quietly “He makes a point of showing us the women drugged and beaten.” He rewound the tape and let it play through again.
“Look at Theresa” he squeezed Lou’s hand knowing that watching this again was hard on her
“There’s no track marks, her skin is flawless” he stopped and watched the three pairs of eyes watching the screen “Watch her breathing” he urged them
As the tape went blank, they turned to him confused, he rewound the tape and played it again.
“I’m 95% positive that she is not drugged” he explained his smile getting wider as he spoke “In fact I’d stake my instincts and reputation on the fact that she knows and trusts the bastard”
“How the hell does that help us?” Kid spat glaring at the undercover agent
“What is your problem?” Buck spoke quietly standing to face the younger smaller man. “This has gotta be a better lead then you have had so far” he poked a long finger into Kid’s chest “We’re all on the same team here” he spoke angry at Lou’s lover and team leader
“No problem” he replied and walked out of the room, angry at these men for taking over his role of comforter in Lou’s life, angry at himself for letting it bother him and even angrier at her for allowing it to happen.
Lou followed his retreat with angry brown eyes. When was that infuriating man going to learn that he didn’t own her and couldn’t dictate her friends or relationships. She knew, however, that if she didn’t go after him now things would be worse in the long run.
“Don’t pay any attention to him guys” she spoke as she stood “He just needs an attitude adjustment” and walked out of the room as quickly as her cane and hobbling gait would allow her.
“And somehow I think she’s just the girl to give it to him” Buck chuckled as he watched her departure.
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