FULL CIRCLE
Sitting on her horse on the hill overlooking the town that held the ones she hated the most, Ella Gaines glared at the men around her. "You don't have much time. The others will be back any time now and I want that woman and boy dead, do you hear me?" she hissed hatefully, pinning each of the outlaws in turn with her eyes.
Shifting uncomfortably under the fiery stare, Jeb Nelson nodded curtly. He hated taking orders from a woman but seeing as she had paid each of them fifty bucks with the promise of fifty more after the job was done, he didn't have much choice. He and his men might be cutthroats, scoundrels, murderers and thieves, but they had never backed out on a deal. Sides, from the sound of that woman we're suppose to get, she'd be right nice for the
takin'. "We hear ya," Jeb said finally, glancing at the five men with him to make sure they were listening.
"She'll be in the newspaper office on the south side of town."
"And there's only some old preacher and a snot nose sheriff in town?" Crick asked, grinning at the thought of how easy this money was going to be.
"That preacher and kid can kill all of you if you give them half a chance," Ella snapped.
"Well, that ain't gonna happen now, is it?" Jeb soothed, sharing a knowing grin with his men. Sitting up, the leader gathered the reins in his hands. "Let's go have us some fun."
"Well, that was boring." Buck yawned to emphasize his point.
"Not all wagon trains are gonna be like that first one," Nathan said, stretching in his saddle.
"I am just grateful that we will be home soon," Ezra sighed wearily. Less than a mile ahead of the riders, the town where they had taken up residence beckoned to them.
As Nathan stretched, his mind wandered. All he could see was the comfort of his bed and uninterrupted sleep. No gun shot wounds to patch up, no saddle sores and no knife wounds, just sleep. "Same here, I can't wait to-"
The sound of gunshots and screams riding on the wind cut off his words.
The five riders shot off.
Buck jerked in his saddle at the sound of gunshots. After glancing at his friends, he spurred on his mount. He had known leaving Four Corners was a bad idea!
He could feel the wind rushing by him. Off to his left, Nathan rode just a hard. Ezra, on his right, was damn near plastered against Dulcinea's neck. But it was Chris that held Buck's attention.
Chris was like a black shadow moving across the land, his black's long strides eating up the distance. Vin was right behind him.
God, he prayed, please let it just be some cowboys dustin' up!
JD glanced at Josiah. The big man's uneasiness was easy to discern. He had been that way all morning. "Josiah?"
"Been dreaming about crows again, JD."
JD was uncharacteristically silent, letting Josiah voice his thoughts. The air around them was tense, as if Mother Nature herself knew that something terrible was about to happen.
"They've been attacking the eagle and her baby."
JD stared at his friend before following the line of Josiah's eyes. Several small groups of men stood along the street. Many were trying to act inconspicuous, tying horse reins to hitching posts. Others were not so subtle. "They the crows?" A calm he didn't feel fell over him. Vin once said that the calm was just the body's way of getting ready for a fight. JD
sure as hell hoped he was ready. From the looks of it, they were seriously outnumbered. The sheriff quietly shifted, making it easier to get to his guns.
"Yup." Josiah pulled JD away. "We need to get to Mary."
They watched as the old man and the youngin' headed towards the Clarion.
Throwing down their cigarettes, they followed.
This was going to be easy.
JD glanced into the store front window, seeing the reflections of the men. "They're followin' us." It was only two men, they could take them. But he knew that the others weren't far behind. Lord, he wished the others were back!
Josiah nodded. "Get Billy."
The young sheriff nodded, acknowledging his role in the "plan".
"Miz Travis, where's Billy?" JD glanced about wildly for the boy. The house wasn't large, but he didn't want to waste time.
"In the kitchen studying, why?" Mary answered, worry marring her brow.
JD rushed off, one gun drawn.
Mary saw the gun, felt the urgency. "What's going on? Josiah?" She turned to the older man, but he wasn't paying attention.
Josiah was at the door, looking out at someone. Glancing back at her, he finally answered. "Trouble, ma'am."
He sighed with relief as he found the boy still at the makeshift desk. "C'mon, Billy." JD leaned over, hefting the boy into his arms.
"Where we goin', JD?" Billy's eyes widened when he saw the gun. "Where's Chris?"
JD sighed. "I wish I knew, Billy, I wish I knew." Buck, too, for that matter. And Vin, and Ezra and Nathan.
JD rushed back into the main office, Billy in his arms. "Let's get out of here, Josiah. There's too many of them."
Josiah nodded, then stared into JD's eyes. "We'll split up."
The younger man nodded. JD didn't particularly want to, but he knew that was the only way.
Mary didn't argue with the two men. Instead, she kissed Billy. "Do what Mr. Dunne tells you, all right, sweetheart?"
Billy nodded, his eyes wide. "Momma, where's Chris?"
"Chris isn't here, honey, but Mr. Dunne and Mr. Sanchez are going to take care of us." Mary turned to JD. "JD, no matter what happens . . . ."
JD nodded. His eyes were wide from the look in her eyes. The look of an angry mother bear protecting her child. Her expression told him everything her words didn't. She was entrusting the most important person in her life to him. "I promise, Miz Travis."
JD turned, running for the back door, just as a loud crash banged through the house.
He ran, as fast as he could with the wait of a seven year old child allowed. They needed to hide. But someplace he could get to ammunition and guns if need be. Potter's store! Miz Potter had guns and bullets for sale. And because of her merchandise, it had better locks and doors.
The attack when it came was sudden. There was a darkness at the window, and he started to pull up his gun when there was a flash and the sound of breaking glass. Then there was a blast of pain and his Winchester was on the ground. Josiah, realizing he'd been shot in his gun arm, lunged toward the attackers coming through the door. The first man, the shooter, swung his rifle like a club and took Josiah over the head. Behind him, two other men grabbed Mrs. Travis, who was fighting like a wildcat.
Staggering, with two guns in his face, Josiah clenched his teeth against the pain. One of the men had grabbed at Mary's bosom and Josiah knew they intended to have their bit of fun before killing both of them. Even though his head was whirling, the fear and rage in Mary Travis' eyes was worse than the pain. He lunged, regardless of the rifle in his face and was hit again. His knees hit the ground hard, yet he rose up again. Two of them held him back, while the rest leered over Mrs. Travis like wolves about to drag down a doe.
"You bastards! Let her go!" he bellowed as Mary kicked and bit her attackers, struggling against the two men holding her.
"Find the brat!" Jeb ordered his men.
"No!" Mary struggled harder. The thought of what these men might do to her son after they had finished with her fueled Mary's determination. There was no way these bastards were going to hurt her son.
Filled with a berserk rage, Josiah roared, kicking the two men holding him down. With his good arm, he slugged one of Mary's captors and heard a satisfying crack announcing he'd broken a rib. Mary hauled back and kicked the other in the groin. Josiah felt a feral joy, Mrs. Travis was a woman of steel and damn the fool who messed with her.
"That'll show you for mistreating a lady." Josiah snarled, as his captor's swarmed him, hitting him relentlessly with their guns until he stood, stunned and blinded by his own blood. Still game, he pushed them away and tried to wipe the run of crimson from his eyes. He could hear Mary Travis still struggling, so he knew that he must still fight.
Chris Larabee had entrusted this woman to him and Josiah would be damned if he'd let them have her. So he struggled and fought, not for a poor helpless female, but for the woman who had inspired each of them, teaching them and even learning from them. The only woman Josiah knew who didn't fear him in a wild rage.
The loud gunfire, screams and yelling of bandits could be heard all over town.
Billy whimpered when he heard his mother's cries. "Momma!"
JD held the whimpering child tighter. "Shhh, Billy. Quiet! We can't let them find you!"
"But, my ma . . . ."
"Your ma said to stay put and that's what we're gonna do."
Billy shook his head. "No, she didn't. She said, 'JD, no matter what happens.' She didn't say anythin' about stayin' put."
JD rolled his eyes, wondering if he was this bad at that age. "That's what she meant, Billy, now hush!" Even as he said the words, JD peaked over the shelves to the commotion outside. He made eye contact with the Potter family, where they hid under the stairs, before glancing out the window again.
People were running from the bandits, who seemed intent on causing as much havoc as possible. They were shooting at glass windows, bullets flying in the air. One joker had one of the townsmen dancing by dodging bullets aimed at his feet.
He wanted to go out there and help. He wanted to go out there and take those bastards down. But he had a promise to keep. And like the others had taught him, a man's word was everything.
So even as his hands tightened on his guns and his feet literally itched to move, he stayed where he was. JD raised his eyes heavenward, asking God to hurry the others the hell up.
Jeb watched with disgust as Crick grabbed himself from the pain. He lunged for the widow woman, careful not to make the same mistake as his men. Pulling her roughly against his body, he ran vicious hands over her. "We're gonna have a fine time tonight, missy!"
"Let go of me, you bastard!" Mary fought even as he leered down at her. Struggling, Mary swallowed hard to choke back the bile that rose in her throat at the smell of the men surrounding her. Instinctively, her eyes danced around the area looking for an escape. She was so close to the door and it was open. If she could only break the hold on her, she might be able to make it out there. Then someone might be there to help her save Josiah.
"Gettin' paid to have some fun with a pretty li'l filly like you. Now ain't that the sweetest hundred bucks I've ever made!" His leer turned to a frown when she suddenly stilled in his arms.
Mary had seen hatred before, but never like she was seeing at this moment on the face of the man tearing down the street towards the Clarion. Fury had turned his face into a rigid mask. His normally green eyes were black and hard. His horse's long, purposeful strides ate up the distance between them. Even knowing that he was coming to save her - not harm her - did not still the tremor of fear she felt with his approach.
The look on her face made Jeb turn.
Like the devil bursting out of hell, Larabee was behind them, gun in hand and death in his eyes. He wasn't getting paid enough to deal with this. Pushing the woman roughly away, Jeb met the new threat.
Mary fell to the floor, then scrambled for Josiah. Pausing only long enough to wait for him to finish with the two men he was battling, Mary winced with the thought of how much pain the preacher must be in. Not only had he been shot, he had taken numerous brutal blows. She needed to get him someplace safe where she could tend to him before she went to find Billy. It was the least she could do for this gentle warrior who had risked his own life
to protect her.
Josiah realized his chance and knocked the heads of his two tormenters together. They slumped to the ground unnoticed, as Josiah got the last of the blood out of his eyes and then reached out to Mrs. Travis and picked her up gently. His gnarled, blood-stained hands were steady, but in his heart, something was shaken. He could taste his own blood on his lips and part of him wanted the blood of the men who'd insulted this good woman, this lady.
But her safety was paramount. Larabee had come. He had to make sure she was safe, and then protect the rest of his brothers, and the town, his flock.
