Vin drew in a deep, trembling breath and shut his eyes. A lump the size of a fist formed in his throat. For a long time, he sat there unable to move or to think. Not willing to feel.

When Vin opened his eyes, he found them brimmed with unspilt tears. The tracker cursed. He had not shed a single tear since the death of his mother. “Damn you, Ezra,” he whispered, squeezing the lifeless fist in his. Placing Ezra’s hand on the ground, Vin rose to his feet and aggressively wiped his eyes. He felt so incredibly angry... at Ezra... at himself... at fate. It was such a waste! Ezra had been a good man - no, more than a good man. Ezra Standish had been a brother in arms. He had risked his life more than once for Vin. He’d been prepared to mortgage his soul in Purgatory to ensure Vin didn’t hang. That was something Vin hadn’t had a chance to repay.

The grief stricken regulator cursed again, turned away from the silent body of his dead friend, and began to pace around the campsite, oblivious to the powerful ache from his severely bruised foot. The ache from his heart drowned out completely anything other than the throbbing of his soul.

On his deathbed, Ezra had spoken of material things, Vin reflected bitterly. Hadn’t Ezra realized how unimportant those things had been to Vin... to all of his friends? If only Ezra had died yelling and screaming, not... not thinking of others. “Damn you, Ezra. If you’d been the selfish bastard you thought you were no one would have cared.” But Vin did care. He’d cared a great deal. As a matter of fact, he’d had no idea how much he had allowed the slick tongued, quick-witted gambler under his defences.

Vin stared down at his companion from across the campsite. “I ain’t gonna let no one forget you existed, Ezra. No one,” he pledged. Tanner limped around the fire, crouched and dragged the blanket up over his friend. In the morning, he would take Ezra home... home to Four Corners. Home to where people would make a fuss of his life; Vin would see to that.

Tanner reached out to move one of Ezra’s arms under the blanket. Again, Vin’s eyes closed as he consciously fought to take control of his emotions.

Shaking his head, Vin shifted the limb under the blanket and moved to stand. As he did so, his own arm brushed something sharp close to the campfire. The woodsman frowned. He picked up the culprit; a sturdy brown twig that had two long thorns sticking out of it at one end. The light from the fire illuminated a smudge of blood on the tip of each thorn. Tanner stared at the stick. His numbed mind reviewed the events that had taken place.

Vin glanced down at Ezra. Surely not. Ezra had been warm and numb and his speech had slurred, unless... Vin grabbed the silver flask, but found it was still half full. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted one of Ezra’s other flasks protruding from beneath the saddle. Vin searched under the saddle with his hand and dragged out two thermoses - two empty thermoses! Vin stared at the flasks, flicked his eyes to Ezra and then returned his attention to the flask. Abruptly, it all fell into place. Ezra had got warm and numb and his speech had slurred because he’d been drunk! Tanner stared down at the stick with ‘fangs’ protruding from it. There hadn’t been any snake! “Ezra!” Vin shoved the still form hard.

“Is this heaven?” a disembodied voice asked from under the blanket.

Vin’s eyes blazed. He shoved Ezra with all his might and sent forth a tirade of curses.

Ezra pulled the blanket down and peered at Vin with glazed eyes. “I am not dead?”

“NOT YET!” Vin bellowed.

Ezra pulled the blanket up over his face. “Wake me when I am.”

Vin shoved Ezra again, but Standish belched and then, to Vin’s astonishment, started snoring. Tanner stared at the drunk. He was so... so... so damned relieved! A wave of emotion swept over Vin and without warning he found himself smiling and then laughing out aloud. The emotional release was incredible. Vin shook his head. Why hadn’t he checked? He’d just assumed. “Ezra, when you wake up, I‘m gonna kill you!”

**********

Vin sat staring up at the stars. He'd been riding an adrenaline wave for the past two hours, but since it had crashed, he found himself drained. Tanner blinked and then shivered. He knew he needed to get some rest but Ezra was drunk and dead to the world. He didn’t blame his companion for that. Had he been in the same position, he would have drained the flasks, too.

Vin sighed and lay back against his saddle. He had to keep watch, but perhaps he could do so while lying down. Vin’s mind began to wander.

Vin could feel his fatigue tugging at him. He feared he would fall asleep if he continued to relax and so the exhausted man dragged himself up. His body felt stiff and sore, particularly his healing side. Thankfully, the stars were disappearing, which signalled the coming of morning. As soon as it was light, they could eat and set off for Four Corners. It was time he caught some breakfast.

**********

“Ezra?” The muffled voice broke through the fog of the gambler’s slumber. “Ezra, wake up. Breakfast.”

Standish rolled onto his back and groaned. It took several seconds for him to find conscious thought. “Ohhhhhhh.“ He forced his bloodshot eyes open, only to slam them shut immediately. Ezra reached for his throbbing head. “It must have been an enjoyable evening,” he mumbled.

“Not from where I was sittin‘,” Vin chuckled, nudging the inert bundle at his feet a second time.

“Stop prodding me and allow me to pass away in peace,” Ezra groaned, his voice scratchy.

“You did that already,” Vin murmured, limping around the fire. “Come on, breakfast.”

Ezra opened his eyes. His stomach lurched. “Ohhhhh, God.”

“Breakfast,” Vin repeated, impatiently.

Ezra hauled himself up and blinked several times before lifting his hand to shield his eyes from the soft light of the rising sun. “While I do believe whatever you have prepared smells appetising and my stomach is certainly empty, the thought of food is making my delicate constitution perform circus stunts.”

“You aren’t gettin’ any sympathy from me.”

Ezra eyed his friend and searched his memory. “I remember... the snake!”

“A stick with thorns,” Vin explained, handing Ezra a plate of food.

“But you said... I thought... oh.” Vin sat and began eating. Ezra studied his plate and then put it down several feet away. For some time he tried to interpret the muddle of images from the night before all the while watching Vin eat. “I don’t remember a lot.”

“Not a lot to remember,” his companion muttered. “You sat on the stick, we thought it was a snake, I bled it just in case and I found the stick.”

“I remember doing a great deal of talking.”

“Yeah, you burbled on a bit. Same as always.”

“I... I said nothing to embarrass myself?”

Vin shrugged. “Can’t say I was payin’ that much attention. Didn’t understand half of the words.”

The look of relief on Ezra’s face gladdened Vin’s guilty heart. They were small lies, but there was no need for Ezra to know he had bared his soul.

Ezra picked up his plate and studied apprehensively. “Your foot must have improved considerably.”

Vin shrugged. He’d leaned on a stick to help him move about when catching the creatures that had served as breakfast. “Can’t put my weight on it fully. Ain’t gonna be easy mounting Peso.”

“And Peso’s leg?”

“He seems okay.”

Ezra took a couple of mouthfuls of the meat and then returned the plate to the ground. His stomach could not handle food just yet. “Did I drain all three flasks?”

“Not quite,” Vin chuckled. “There’s part of one left.”

“Which explains my condition. Speaking of which, how are you feeling? And please don’t insult my intelligence by lying to me. Your skin in an unhealthy grey and there are dark rings under your eyes.”

“It’s gonna be a long trip,” Vin conceded.

“Should you consider taking part of it on a travois?” Ezra worded his question, carefully. Vin was as pig-headed as they came and he didn’t want his friend digging his heels in.

“I’ll start in the saddle... and I’ll ride into Four Corners in the saddle. We’ll see what happens in the middle.”

“A sensible plan that I am more than satisfied to support.”

**********

Sheriff Hodge watched the riders leave town, a deep frown on his face. They were the five who had caused trouble in the saloon with the regulators from Four Corners. From all reports, Travis’ deputies had handled the troublemakers easily, but the group had just headed out in the direction of the neighbouring town. No doubt Larabee would deal with them, but there was a chance the five may meet the two regulators on the trail.

Hodge crossed the street and banged on the door of the telegraph office. “Henry! Get up. I need to send a message!”

**********

In the clearing that served as Vin and Ezra’s campsite for the evening...

“No... just try....” Panting.

“Hang on!” Puffing.

“Push your leg over!” Cursing.

“How the hell am I... ow! What are you...!” Growls.

“I can’t...” Wheezing.

Vin was clinging to the side of his horse, Ezra under him. At some stage, the gambler ended up with one of the tracker’s legs over his shoulder, Vin’s arms flailing wildly as he tried to grab a hold of Peso. It had all started out perfectly calmly. Vin was unable to place his weight on his foot and so he had gripped his saddle and started to draw himself up with his arms. Ezra, with only the best of intentions, took it upon himself to give his friend a boost. However, his push had not coincided with Vin’s pulling and thus the two forces had countered one another. Vin had toppled and Ezra had half caught his friend while off balance himself. A great deal of pushing, arm waving and cursing followed as their human tower teetered from side to side.

“Just a minute...”

“Standish, just let go and...” Ezra’s head was under Vin’s backside by this stage and Vin was now facing away from his horse, his left arm curled around Ezra’s face. The pair staggered away from Peso, before crashing into the horse. Thankfully, the animal seemed unperturbed by the uncoordinated version of Swan Lake being performed by his human companions. Vin leaned back, his shoulders resting in his saddle.

“Grab the saddle!” Ezra yelled.

“Put me down!”

Ezra found himself holding both of Vin’s legs. “Twist around!“ Vin gripped the saddle. Ezra heaved and finally, Vin ended up in a vertical position on his horse. The two men glared at each other, both panting. Peso curled his head back to stare at them.

“Well, that wasn’t too challenging, now was it?” Ezra claimed, straightening his jacket. “Shall we set off?”

**********

Buck pulled his hat on and stepped out into the street. It was still early, the sun just peeping over the horizon. Obviously, it was going to be another beautiful day. There was a crispness about the morning that announced winter was on the way, but the days were still warm and clear.

Wilmington spotted J.D. waiting for him. The pair had decided to ride to Lester to enjoy the company of some of the new saloon girls. They wanted to get an early start because they needed to be home just before lunch. Chris was expecting trouble when the McKenzies arrived back by stage. The disagreement between the family and their neighbours was getting out of hand.

“Hey, Buck,” J.D. greeted with a wide smile.

Wilmington nodded with a yawn. “I hope you realize just how much...”

“Mr. Wilmington!” Buck and J.D. turned toward the man trotting toward them.

“Hey, Alex. Problem?” J.D. asked the telegraph operator.

“This just came in.”

Buck accepted the note and scanned it before handing it to J.D.

Trouble could be headed your way. STOP. Five had a dispute with your two yesterday. STOP. Five just rode out. STOP. May come across each other on trail. STOP. Sheriff Hodge.

Dunne frowned. “I guess this means we’re staying in town.”

Buck nodded and took the note back. What concerned him was the part about Vin and Ezra coming across the five troublemakers on the trail. “Vin and Ezra will be able to handle them. Vin’ll hear them coming.” Wilmington decided, musing aloud.

“Yeah. Sounds like they dealt with them earlier. Probably why Vin and Ezra decided to leave town and sleep on the trail.”

Buck nodded. “Better let the others know trouble could be arriving later today,” Buck sighed.

“I’ll take Nathan and Josiah,” J.D. offered, spotting his two friends on the steps of the church. The youth jogged over and informed the pair of the telegram. “Buck and I reckon Vin and Ezra should be okay. They’ll be ahead of them.”

Nathan nodded. “No way five men could sneak up on Vin. Chris will probably wait until they get here and then we can ride out and meet the troublemakers.” The trio watched Buck enter the boarding house. A split second later, Chris stormed out of the building and whistled - the signal to arms.

“Then again, maybe not,” Josiah murmured, exchanging a smile with Nathan. “Looks like we ride, now.”

**********

Ezra squinted out from under his hat. Each step his horse took reverberated through his brain. The rising sun was piercing his skull. Every few minutes he groaned and cursed passionately. “Man was not designed to ride on the back of beasts at this ungodly hour of the morning.”

Vin chuckled with amusement. “Hangover, Ezra?”

“I do not suffer from crapulence.”

“Crapwhat?”

“A more polite word for hangover.”

“You think crap is a more polite word than hangover?”

“I am not in the mood for this conversation,” Ezra claimed, pulling his hat further over his eyes.

Vin laughed. “Can’t wait to tell Buck that what Chris suffers from in the morning is crapulence.”

Ezra smiled. “Whisky has not affected me like this before.”

“Your stomach was pretty empty,” Vin offered. “Then again, I thought crapulence only came after a big meal.“ Vin laughed at his own joke. Ezra sighed with pronounced consternation.

The pair was riding at a leisurely pace, as there was little need to hurry. While Vin knew the McKenzies would be returning to Four Corners at lunch, he trusted his companions to deal with any problems that arose.

“Have you ever been to San Francisco?” Ezra asked out of the blue.

Tanner shook his head.

“An extraordinary place. I am hoping to return there one day. They have no less than six high-class gambling establishments. I have frequented every one.”

“You mean you’ve been thrown out of every one,” Vin chuckled.

Ezra smiled, rubbing his throbbing temples. “It occurs to me that I may have to kill you.”

“Yeah?”

“Your accurate assessment of my character and thus ability to predict the outcomes of situations involving my person has a very worrying aspect. Have you travelled further west than Tascosa?”

“Yeah, tracked a bounty to the other side of Texas, once.”

“I have not seen much of Texas, though I am told the population enjoys a good poker match.”

“They ain’t real happy about losing. You wouldn’t be popular.”

Ezra winked at his companion. “A recurring problem I have found. What made you take up bounty hunting? It is not the most pleasurable of occupations.”

Vin thought about the question before replying. “When the buffalo ran out, I found myself at a loose end. About the only thing I could do was track and shoot. Tracking jobs for settlers were far and few between. While I was in some town, don‘t remember which one, the bank was robbed. I helped to track the bandits. Sheriff suggested I could make a living as a bounty hunter.”

“I see. Did you do it for long before running into difficulty with the law yourself?”

Tanner shook his head. “About a year.” Vin shifted in his saddle, cupping his healing side in his hand.

Ezra drew his horse closer. “Are you uncomfortable?”

“Just a bit stiff. Gettin’ soft. Have got used to sleepin’ in a bed,” Vin murmured, making it sound like a mortal sin. Since being shot, Vin had spent every night on a mattress. “Either that, or I’m gettin’ old. So, I got a question. What were you doin’ in a place like Four Corners when we met?”

Ezra ignored the attempt to change the subject. “It will not take me long to engineer a stretcher. You could rest and be rejuvenated by the time you ride into our humble little town in the saddle.”

Vin considered the offer. “Not yet.”

“Is there some particular event or landmark you are waiting for before taking the sensible option of resting?”

Vin grunted.

Ezra shook his head. “Would it influence you in any way if I were to list all of the reasons espousing your need for respite?”

“No.” The rebute was firm.

“A shame, for I intend to regardless. While I am fully seized of your opposition to...”

“Ezra.” The soft growl rolled around in the back of Vin’s throat.

“Would you like to repay me for my part in your rescue from Purgatory?” Ezra demanded, his voice edged with bite. Vin glanced sideways. “Good. It behooves you to respect that which I assisted to liberate by ensuring it returns to Four Corners in the same condition in which it left. ‘It’ being you. To whit, allow me to build you a stretcher so that...”

Vin urged his horse to pick up the pace.

“I have met some of the most stubborn men in the territory, but you, Mr. Tanner, win hands down for mulish obstinance!”

***********

Dan Legion, Mike Gloden, and Peter Henry had been riding with the Carter brothers for almost a year. All three had learned not to cross either man. Tim Carter was the loud one who liked to throw his weight around, and he had enough weight to do it, too. He was a tall man who had massive shoulders and arms like tree stumps. His disposition was never good at the best of times. Tim was the older of the Carter brothers and liked to think he was in charge of their group. Guy Carter was smaller than his brother, but still a big man. He said very little, but then, he didn’t need to. There was something about him that made other men uneasy. Perhaps it was his perpetually heavy lidded eyes. It never looked as though they were fully open and yet the eyes under the lids were like hissing cobras waiting to strike.

“So where did you say we’re headed?” Legion asked.

“Moss River. They have a couple of ranches there that are hiring,” Tim stated.

“Where will we stay the night?” Gloden inquired.

“There’s a town called Four Corners near the river. We can stop there. You got a problem with that?” Tim was still irate over the confrontation he’d had in the saloon with the two strangers. “Cheatin’ bastard,” the huge man muttered.

Gloden and Henry exchanged a glance, each wondering how long it would be before Tim calmed down. Until that time, it would be a good idea to stay out of arm’s reach. Tim had a reputation for punching anyone and anything when his temper broke.

Out of the blue, Guy raised his hand. The group brought their horses to a stop, each searching for a reason for their pause. The younger Carter lifted his nose to the wind. Without a word, he guided his horse off the trail and into a grove of trees, dismounting and walking to the centre of a small clearing.

“What is it?” Tim asked.

“Someone made camp here last night. Embers are hot. Only left an hour or so ago.”

“So?” Legion asked.

“How many?” Tim asked, his mind already racing ahead.

Guy glanced up at his brother. “Two.”

A cruel smile spread across Tim’s face. “The fancy man and his friend left town last night. Must have camped here.”

“Tim, I reckon we should just let them be. The fella with the sawn off rifle looked like...”

“Shut up! Come on. I want my money back!” Tim growled, yanking the head of his horse around before spurring it back along the track.

**********

Ezra continued to provide reason after long-winded reason for the men to discontinue their journey and take a few moments to rest. Each one bounced off Vin without effect. Finally, the gambler changed tact. “Mr. Tanner, I’m afraid I do not share your obvious stamina and I must insist on a pause to regroup.”

Vin made no comment. He hadn’t spoken for almost an hour. That wasn’t completely out of the ordinary, but Ezra feared the reason may be more serious than Vin’s less than talkative personality.

“Mr. Tanner, did you hear me?”

“Yeah, all right. When we get to the bottom of the canyon.”

Ezra face displayed a smile of complete and total triumph. Tanner led the way down the side of the hill and stopped under some thinly leaved trees when he reached the side of the river. Ezra dismounted and walked across to his companion, raising his hand to assist Vin out of the saddle.

“I ain’t getting down. I ain’t going through getting up again.”

Ezra frowned. “I was hoping that you might consent to riding a few hours on a stretcher.”

“Not yet.”

Standish stepped back from Peso and studied Vin’s face. Now, there were lines of fatigue around his companion’s eyes. Ezra suspected Vin may fall into a pattern of behaviour that had served him well in the past. The worse he felt, the harder he would fight. Tanner would not give into to his need to rest, now. He had gone past the point of no return. Ezra cursed inwardly. He should have pushed the point earlier when Vin was more willing to listen. “Am I to wait until you fall out of the saddle?”

“I ain’t sick, Ezra. Just a bit... a bit weary.”

“Then you admit it!”

“Never denied it. When we’re over halfway, I might think about it.” Ezra mumbled something under his breath and remounted his horse. “I thought you wanted to rest for a bit?”

“It would appear my rest will have to wait until you unceremoniously tumble from your horse.”

“We can take a few minutes now,” Vin argued.

“Do you need to?” Ezra asked, backing up.

“No, but... hell. Come on.”

***********

From the East, five men on horseback rode hard. From the west, another five men riding hard; both sets in search of Vin Tanner and Ezra Standish.

“Chris?” J.D. shouted. “Is there a reason we’re in such a hurry?”

“I want them found.”

“They aren’t lost, brother,” Josiah pointed out. “They’re ahead of those five fellas. It’s unlikely they’ll catch up to them before they reach Four Corners.”

Buck said nothing. It was pointless. Chris had taken one look at the note and that had been it. Larabee’s decision was influenced by a great deal more than the fact he believed Vin was in no condition for a fight. Wilmington knew that Larabee still felt raw over the incident that had taken place two weeks earlier. No matter how many times he was told, Chris believed Vin’s kidnapping from his sickbed was his fault. None of the others could understand Larabee’s obsessive and oppressive logic, except, perhaps, Vin. Tanner had told the others to back off and then had spoken to Chris himself. Their raised voices had wafted from Larabee’s room for almost an hour, but following the conversation, Larabee seemed more at peace.

Buck, too, had spoken to his oldest friend on three separate occasions about the unrealistic blame Chris seemed to apply to himself, but it wasn’t until the final conversation that the concerned man finally understood the motivation for his Chris’ guilt. Larabee had looked Wilmington in the eye and ground out in a hushed voice, “I wasn’t there when Sarah and Adam needed me and I lost them. I wasn’t there when a friend needed me and he almost hung.“ Vin, Buck and all of the others meant something to Larabee... they meant a whole hell of a lot more than something. They could never replace the family he’d lost, but they shared the close bonds of kinship and the responsibility and heartache that went with family. In Chris’ face at that moment, Buck had seen the elements of a solemn promise the gunfighter had made to himself - it would never happen again.

“Ezra and Vin may stop to rest,” Chris shouted. Larabee knew the ride the day before would have taken a lot out of his best friend. Would have taken? He knew it had. How? There was a stirring inside his soul that was telling him Vin was struggling. It was an insistent knowing that Chris had never experienced before. He didn’t have time to contemplate or question the conscious awareness of Vin, but it was there.

Ezra would make them stop. Larabee knew that at some stage, Standish would take control. No doubt, he’d have to fight Vin to do it, but he would. “They’ll stop and those five bastards might catch up with them,” Chris shouted. “We need to be there when they do.”

**********

Tanner gradually slumped in the saddle, finally falling asleep. Ezra pulled his horse in close - a silent sentry. Quietly, he berated himself. Tanner’s condition had deteriorated significantly and rapidly in the past hour, meaning Standish had a decision to make. Either they pressed on or they found a place to camp. If they stopped, the gambler could find a comfortable spot for Vin to rest and then wait until his companion was well enough to travel, which may be some time if Vin’s pallor was anything to go by. The others would begin to worry by late afternoon and probably set out to look for them. After reviewing a number of other ideas, Ezra decided this was the most appropriate. Convincing Vin would not be easy, but Ezra wouldn't take ‘no’ for an answer this time.

“Vin?“ he called.

Tanner stirred and sat up. “Huh?“

“We need to stop so you can rest. Please do not argue. I have made the decision on your behalf. We are in no danger here and there is no reason in the world why we can’t make camp and return to Four Corners at a time...”

“Quiet!“ Vin raised his hand, listening intently. His eyes widened. “RIDE!” he shouted. Ezra followed his partner’s instruction without question, digging in his spurs and racing after Vin. A shot pierced the air.

Out of the corner of his eye, Vin saw Ezra’s horse go down. The tracker pulled Peso around and rode back to his fallen companion. Ezra leapt to his feet, unhurt. Tanner thrust his arm out, Ezra caught it and Vin yanked him up behind him.

“The trees!” Ezra shouted. Vin had already made that decision and turned Peso toward them. Unexpectedly, a rider appeared out of the scrub they were heading for, his rifle raised. Vin turned Peso to the right, but his path was blocked there, too. Vin and Ezra scanned the area, wildly. Five armed men... the five from Wentworth Falls. They were surrounded!

***********

Chris was flooded with that unnerving feeling something was wrong. Again, it was a feeling he couldn’t explain, but he couldn’t ignore it. “They’re in trouble,” he shouted to his companions.

Buck twisted to look at his friend. “Chris?”

“They’re in trouble,” Larabee repeated to himself. He didn’t know how he knew, but he did. Vin was definitely in trouble. Chris could... feel it.

**********

“Well, well, well. Small world, ain’t it?” Tim leered, riding up to Vin and Ezra. Tanner assessed the strength of the group as they closed in. These men would shoot first and ask questions later. Vin worked on gut reactions and his gut was telling him that the moment he threw down his weapon he and his partner were dead. Adrenaline flooded his system. It would sustain him for a while, but Tanner knew it would not last. He'd have to make his move sooner rather than later.

“Throw your weapons down,” Legion ordered. Neither of the regulators moved.

The Carters and their men aimed their rifles.

“Alright!” Ezra shouted, digging out his revolver and throwing it away from the horse. Unlike Vin, Ezra was prepared to play for time. “We’re throwing them down.”

Vin made no move to disarm. Tim studied the man in buckskins. “You’ll die before relinquishing your arms, won’t you sunshine?”

Tanner ice blue eyes zeroed in on the group’s leader. Tim held the gaze for as long as he could but he lost the battle of wills. “Throw your weapons down or I’ll shoot you out of the saddle!”

“Vin,” Ezra prompted, urgently. Still Tanner didn’t move. What was Vin doing? They needed to draw this out - wait for an opening. If Ezra could talk to these men he may be able to con a release. “Gentlemen, Gentlemen. You want the money don’t you? There is no need for further unpleasantness. I shall present it to you and we can part company. I‘m dismounting.” Ezra slid down from Peso’s back and held his arms out to his sides. “The money is in my saddlebags on my dead horse. I shall go and retrieve it.”

“You do that,” Tim agreed. “Gloden, keep an eye on him and get that little peashooter he has up his sleeve.“ Gloden approached Ezra. Vin’s and Ezra’s eyes brushed. It was now or never, Vin insisted in that single look. Ezra understood. To the pair’s right, there was a click. Standish glanced up at the rider who had cocked his weapon and had it aimed at Vin’s head. Guy Carter had been reading their body language and appeared to recognize that the regulators were about to attack.

Carter and Tanner glared at each other, each assessing the other.

Ezra drew in his breath. He prepared to activate his derringer. Gloden raised his weapon to Ezra’s head and pressed the revolver against his temple. “Move and you die.”

Guy fired.

“NO!” Ezra screamed. He shoved Gloden and raised his derringer but it was too late. Astonished, he watched as the bullet whistled over Vin’s head. The younger Carter smiled and tipped his hat to the tracker who had not flinched. “Balls of steel. I respect that,” he stated in a hushed voice, pulling a cheroot from his green check shirt and placing it between his teeth.

“Disarm him,” Tim shouted. Legion dismounted, walked up to Tanner and dragged him out of the saddle. Vin pushed the man back, withdrew his mare’s leg and tossed it to the side himself.

Ezra started breathing again. Gloden grabbed him, ripped the derringer from his arm and then shoved him in the direction of his fallen horse.

“Grab the rifle from his saddle and then search him for other weapons,” Guy ordered in a hushed voice.

Ezra glanced back over his shoulder and watched as Vin was forced away from Peso, searched and made to sit on the ground. They hadn’t found Vin’s knife. At least that was something. Ezra needed to end this quickly. While their enemy hadn’t noticed, Ezra could see his partner was ready to collapse.

After collecting his saddlebags, Ezra was returned to Vin and forced to sit beside him.

“How much?” Tim demanded, watching as Henry counted the money.

“It’s all here.”

“Good.” Tim turned to the two seated men who were being covered by Legion, Gloden and Guy’s rifles. “You fellas made a mistake.”

“It would appear so,” Ezra agreed. “However, the injustice has been corrected. Please do not allow us to keep you from whatever engagement is begging your attention.”

“What did he say?” Gloden whispered to Legion.

The other man shrugged.

“Come on,” Henry encouraged, turning toward his horse. Ezra released his held breath and chanced a look at Vin. They were going to leave.

Neither of the Carter brothers had moved. “I think we ought to teach these fellas a lesson first. I don‘t like men who make a fool of me.” He lashed out with his boot. Vin blocked the kick with his hand, grabbed Carter‘s boot and twisted the big man off his feet before leaping on top of him. The pair began to wrestle and to everyone’s surprise, Tanner seemed to have the upper hand.

Ezra sprang to his feet, but was covered by four rifles. Guy stepped forward.

“Vin, look out!” The younger Carter spun his gun around and slammed the butt against Vin‘s head. Tanner crumpled. Tim roared with rage and tossed the dazed man off him. He dragged himself to his feet and stalked across to the fallen regulator. Ezra dived between them, but was tackled by Legion and Gloden. The fight between Standish and the two gang members was fierce. All the while, Ezra could hear an equally ardent battle being waged by Vin. Abruptly, a shot caused everyone to freeze. Ezra searched for Vin. Spotting his companion on the ground several feet away, Ezra shoved Gloden and Legion of out his way in an effort to reach his friend.

“Vin?!” Tanner rolled onto his side and then, with Ezra’s help, sat up. His lip was split and his face battered, but he was in better condition than Tim who had dragged himself to his knees. The huge man had underestimated his opponent and paid the price. He had always been big and had never had any trouble dealing with people in brawls. However, the scruffy man in the buckskin coat fought like a wild animal, leaving Tim Carter battered and beaten.

Tim roared, jumped to his feet and lunged toward Vin. Ezra stepped in front of his seated companion. He knew he was no match for the enraged giant, but he would not allow Carter to tear Vin apart.

“Tim, don‘t,” Gloden begged.

“Leave them,” Henry added.

Tim, chest heaving with wrath, glared at Vin as the tracker stood up, favouring one of his legs. Ezra backed away from the eldest Carter brother and stopped beside his partner. “You have your money. Take whatever else you want from the saddlebags, but don‘t cross the line and make the mistake of thinking our deaths will go unnoticed.”

“Tim, he’s right,” Gloden agreed.

“Guy?” Tim growled.

“We can’t just leave them. He’ll follow us. Track us down,” the younger Carter stated quietly, his eyes on Tanner. Guy had allowed the men to fight for several seconds so he could assess the strengths and weaknesses of the pair. He had fired the shot in the air to stop the brawl once he had seen enough. These two were formidable opponents. They worked as a team.

“We have no interest in prolonging our acquaintance with you,” Ezra put in quickly. “He will not follow you.”

Tim scrutinized Tanner. “Yeah, I think you’re right, Guy. He won’t give up. We‘re gonna have to make sure he can‘t follow us.”

Ezra elbowed his companion. “Tell them,” he prompted.

“They won’t believe me,” the tracker stated quietly, wiping the blood from his split lip with the back of his hand.

“You got that right, Sunshine. Seen your type before. You’ll track us to the end of the earth, won’t you?”

“No.” Vin stated firmly. No, Chris and the others would do that for him.

Gloden and Henry collected together nervously. “We aren’t going to kill them, are we?” Henry asked. He had never murdered anyone, but knew the Carters and Legion had. Tim boasted of it proudly every time he was drunk.

“Gentlemen, let us not jump hastily to a decision we will all regret. You have your money. Do you really want the burden of murder riding with you?”

“Shut-up,” Tim snarled, turning to his brother. “What do you think?”

Guy’s and Tanner’s eyes were once again locked together. The man in the green check shirt pursed his lips thoughtfully. Murder was a risk, but then, leaving the man in the buckskin coat alive may be more of a risk. “I’m hungry. Let’s think on it while we eat. Tie them up.”