“Maybe they aren’t coming. Maybe we really did fool them,” Kate stated.

Vin glanced at the girl and shook his head. Anyone with any brains would see through the trick once they took the time to consider what had happened.

“What are you doing up here, Ma’am?”

“Mary sent me. She said I should relieve you. You’ve been sitting up here all day.”

“You tell Mrs. Travis that I need to stay here. What time is it?”

“About two o’clock. Mr. Tanner, it won’t be dark for at least another five hours. Why don’t you go and get some rest. You can come back up here then.”

Vin peered out at the open area around the town. “If it were me, I’d attack about half and hour before sunset,” he muttered. By then, the sun would be getting low in the sky and be casting long shadows making it difficult to see approaching riders. Most importantly, the boys would still be too ill to get to their feet. “They might do it after dark, but that gives me the advantage so if they’ve got any sense, they’ll do it before dark. By tomorrow, the boys should be getting close to regaining some of their strength. It’ll be too late then.”

“You really think they’ll try again, even though we fooled them?”

“Yes, I do. You go on now. I’m fine.”

Vin watched the girl leave and then returned his attention to the trail leading into Four Corners. His eyes were stinging badly now. It had been three nights and three days since all of this had started... since he had been able to relax or sleep. The fever he had developed after sitting all night in the rain had continued to rise and fall all day leaving him feeling weak. All of his limbs were aching and his head had been pounding consistently since he had smashed it into the ground under the stagecoach three days earlier.

The only thing keeping Vin going was knowing the boys’ lives depended on him. If he could hang on until dark, he knew he should be almost home.

Another hour passed and Vin’s ‘condition’ worsened. His body and mind were on the point of total collapse. Only stubborn determination was standing between him and unconsciousness.

At a quarter to six, Vin’s suspicions were confirmed. Lowering his spyglass, he raced across the roof and down the side of the church. He knew everything was as ready as it could possibly be.

Tanner jogged into the saloon. The women froze and looked at him with fear in their eyes.

He nodded. “They’re comin‘. Just remember everything I’ve told you. Remember to keep your head down and wait for my signal. And after you’ve made your shot, get down and stay down. Don’t get up until I tell you to. And if they get me, you tell them the boys rode out of here.”

The group of five ladies nodded. “Alright. Let’s go.”

Tanner stood in the middle of the street watching as each of the women took their places. Then he raced around the town checking the barrels before disappearing down the alley beside Potter’s and reappearing beside the sign on the roof.

“We’ve got about two minutes. Stay down until I give you the signal. No matter what, keep your heads down. Once you‘ve made your shot, get down. Don‘t break cover for any reason. Not until I call all clear.” Vin took a deep breath. “Mary, if anything happens to me, you remind Chris that I got money that’s his. You remind him.”

Mary couldn’t answer. She knew what Vin was talking about. She had once overheard the two men discussing it, though she had never let on she knew about the bounty Vin had on his head.

“Okay. Here they come. Heads down.”

Vin pulled back closer to the sign. Quickly he counted the men. Twenty - one more than yesterday. Tanner pushed all conscious thoughts from his mind. Time to live by instinct. Vin raised his rifle. He sighted his first target and fired. He shot repeatedly without pause. Six men fell before they actually reached the town.

“Up there!” a voice shouted.

Vin pulled back as a barrage of shots peppered the sign. He waited. He could hear the horses entering the town. NOW! Vin whipped out from behind the sign and fired at a barrel near the sheriff’s office. An explosion ripped through the air. On that signal, rifles were raise and five shots echoed. Explosions filled the air with debris and smoke.

Horses reared. Men shouted. Riders fell.

There was chaos on the street as men and animals tried to see through the smoke. Vin cracked off another shot, his bullet finding its mark. He fired again and another man fell.

“Let’s get out of here!” As one the group turned their horses and sent them charging out of town. The men on the street struggled to their feet and began chasing down their horses.

“They’re going! They’re going!” Kate shouted, springing to her feet.

Vin spotted her break cover. He reacted instinctively. “GET DOWN!”

Tanner grabbed the rope he had secured to the roof for a quick decent, swung down to the ground, raced toward the girl and lunged at her. The street was still full of men with guns, though most were too concerned with retreating to notice Kate or Tanner. Most... but not all. One man had been waiting for opportunity to knock. With satisfaction, Davis noted that he had been correct. It had taken an incident that was out of Tanner’s control to expose the tracker - a silly girl placing herself in danger.

As Vin was forced out into the open, Henry Davis drew. He lined the tracker up as the regulator dived at the cheering woman. Davis had time for one shot only, but then, one was all he ever needed. He fired. Tanner and the girl catapulted backwards into the draper’s shop.

The cold-hearted gunfighter smiled with satisfaction and then spurred his horse after the rest of the retreating mob. He’d done what he had come to do. Tanner was down. Once Davis got the mob regrouped, they would be able to return and claim the town... and he would earn his five hundred dollars when he fired six more bullets at men who were obviously so sick they couldn’t get out of bed.

“Too easy.”

**********

Mary, Jenny, Allison and Jane raced from their positions as the last of the riders disappeared. Two men were laying in the middle of the street not moving, six others littering the trail into Four Corners. Vin Tanner was one hell of a shot.

“Oh, God,” Allison cried. She had seen Kate leap up and Vin fly - literally fly from the roof to the ground and knock the girl to safety. The woman had heard the single shot and now she felt numb not knowing what she would find hidden in the shadows of her store.

Mary reached the draper’s shop first. Vin and Kate were both on the ground just inside the doorway. “Are you alright?” she cried.

Kate nodded, her face colourless with shock. Vin lay still.

“Vin?” Mary knelt beside him. She lowered her eyes and saw bright red blood covering his left side. “He’s been shot!” Mary stabbed her hand at the wound in an effort to stop the blood flow. “We need to get him to the saloon. Help me lift him!”

Tanner grunted. He was still conscious. “Easy, Vin.”

The wounded sharpshooter’s eyes opened revealing two blue pools of pain. For several seconds he lay waiting for the agony to subside, even if only a little.

“Help me up,” Tanner growled through clenched teeth.

“No, you need to...”

“HELP ME UP!” It was a roar. All five women were startled. “Get me on my feet!”

“But you’ve been shot.”

“They’ll be coming back. Get me up!”

Allison and Jenny moved up beside Mary and between the three of them they dragged Vin to his feet. Tanner stifled a cry, reaching for his side. He was swaying between the three woman. Automatically all three held onto to him to stop him from crashing back to the floor.

“Vin...”

“Give me a minute for my head to stop spinning,” he grated out.

“We can carry you!“

Without warning, Vin pulled away from the support, reached for the doorframe to steady himself and then stepped out onto the porch. He stared after the dust cloud and began to curse. He had seen Davis out of the corner of his eye as he was diving for Kate. Davis was the extra man. Vin knew the gunfighter had come along for the specific purpose of taking him down. Now that he was hurt, the mob would regroup and attack again, probably in next few minutes.

“All of you back to the saloon!”

“But...”

“DON’T ARGUE, JUST DO IT!” Vin peered down at the wound in his side. The bullet had gone straight through which was why it was bleeding so heavily. “Go on. Lock yourselves in and don’t open the door for as long as possible. Tell them the boys left town.”

“What about you?” Kate asked hysterically.

Vin eyes flashed with determination. “I’ll take down as many as possible as they ride in. They’re already down to twelve.”

“Maybe they won’t come back.”

Vin shut his eyes as the pain rose up forcing black patches in front of his eyes. Mary grabbed his arm in helpless desperation. “They got what the wanted,” Tanner muttered. Davis had made his one shot count. “Go on all of you. Back to the saloon. Lock up. When they arrive and demand that you open it, open it. They’ll be looking for the boys. When they don’t find them, they should leave. I’ll hold them off for as long as I can.” The women stood staring at him feeling at a loss.

“Why don‘t we just surrender?” Jane asked.

“Because they‘ll kill Vin,” Mary whispered.

Tanner nodded. “I ain‘t goin‘ down without a fight. Go on,” Vin whispered.

He watched the group flock toward the saloon and then he reached for his rifle. Again black spots rose up in front of his eyes. “You’re the first one to fall, Davis.”

Vin moved along the veranda slowly. Each step was like climbing a mountain. His vision was blurred and the ground was moving under his feet. He had to get to Potter’s roof. From there he would have the clearest shots.

The wounded man made it to the alley and started stumbling and weaving down it. He crashed into the wall and paused, holding his breath and willing the pain away. Taking several deep breaths, Vin started again, forcing one foot in front of the other. The black spots in front of his eyes were joining together. Vin stopped again and shook his head. He couldn’t pass out. He had to protect the boys!

Tanner reached for the wall and leaning against it, urged himself forward. When he reached the section that he usually climbed he stopped, stared at it and cursed. There was no way he would make it up there. Pain exploded in his side. Vin crashed against the building, panting hard.

His eyes closed. The rifle in his hand felt so heavy he could feel it slipping from his fingers. Realizing what was happening, Tanner reaffirmed his grip of the weapon. He would not go down!

Just need to rest a bit. With his back against Potter’s Store and his eyes closed, Vin waged war on the unconsciousness calling him.

Vin felt pressure on his shoulder. His body relaxed without his consent. The injured tracker struggled to open his eyes. Nausea filled his stomach. With great effort, he forced his heavy lids apart. “Larabee?” Vin searched for his friend but the area in front of him was hopelessly empty. The wounded men felt his world begin to crash around him. Goin’ out of my mind. Gotta pull it together. With that thought in mind, Vin began to muster his strength. He forced his legs under him and drew himself off the wall.

“Vin.” Larabee squeezed his best friend’s shoulder again. Tanner turned his head thirty degrees to the right and found himself staring at Chris. The gunfighter’s face was filled with both pride and concern. You did it. You held them off.

Tanner slammed his eyes shut. “I’m dreamin’,” he whispered. He had to be. The boys were ill - locked down in the basement. “Gotta be dreamin’.”

“No, you’re not,” Chris assured his friend gently.

“Larabee?” Tanner raised his hand and felt it strike something solid. “Chris.” This time it was a gasp of relief. It really was Chris standing there. “They’ll be back any minute,” Vin claimed warning his friend.

“You let us worry about that,” Buck stated, patting Vin’s arm.

“Now, it’s our turn,” Josiah growled.

Vin pulled his eyes from Chris and allowed them to sweep the alley. The boys had collected in a semi-circle around him. The men had held back on Larabee’s signal. After all, Vin was armed and primed to shoot first and ask questions later.

Tanner returned his attention to Chris. “You’re all up?” he asked with confusion. He couldn’t make sense of it all.

“We heard the shots. Thought you could use a hand.”

“I need to get a look at him,” Nathan stated firmly. “He’s been shot.”

“Small bullet,” Vin muttered, gazing at his friends. They looked pale but their faces were hard and their eyes determined.

Buck slipped the rifle from Vin’s fingers. “Let Nathan look at you.”

Tanner leaned back against the wall and allowed his eyes to close slowly. A loan moan of both relief and pain escaped his pale lips. The boys were okay. He could pass the mantle to them. They would protect Four Corners.

Pain jabbed at his side as Nathan pulled his coat back to examine the wound.

“We’ll take over now, Pard,” Buck stated gently.

“Well, if it isn’t about time,” Tanner mumbled. As the words were uttered, be began to slide down the wall, but he felt no fear. He knew with absolute certainty that they wouldn’t let him fall and he knew that Four Corners was in safe hands.

“We’ve got you.” Chris whispered, supporting his friend and lowering him to the ground.

“Enough talking, Vin,“ Nathan ordered, dropping beside the injured man. The healer‘s face shadowed with distress. “I have to stop this bleeding!” Despite the fever, Vin’s skin was cold and clammy and his lips were blue. Nathan recognized the prelude to shock. The healer was aware how quickly it could set in and he understood just how deadly the silent killer could be. “Buck, pass me your bandana!”

“Damn! He’s going into shock!” Those were the last words Vin heard as darkness closed around him.

“Look at him!” J.D. cried, watching as Nathan worked frantically to stem the blood flow.

“He’s grey,” Josiah agreed with concern.

“He’s burning up,” Chris growled.

“How can that be? There hasn’t time for a fever to set in. He‘s only just been shot,” Ezra pointed out.

“Alright, that’s the best I can do out here. We’ve got to get him to the saloon! Now.”

Chris drew Vin’s limp body close to him and supported his weight as Josiah moved in.

“I may not be able to carry him on my own, brother. I’m still feeling a little weak from the illness.”

“I’ll help you,” Larabee stated quietly.

“What about Royal‘s men and this gunfighter Mr. Tanner spoke of?” Ezra asked.

“J.D., get up on top of the church. The moment you see them coming back, call us,” Larabee ordered.

“Yes, Sir.“

“Ezra, find us some firearms.“

“It shall be done, Mr. Larabee.”

“Buck, put your hand here and whatever you do, don’t let go. He’s lost too much blood already.” Nathan growled. He could treat the bullet wound but he couldn’t combat shock. If Tanner’s body started shutting down, there wouldn’t be a damn thing he could do to help. “I’ll go and start getting things ready.” The healer dashed off toward the saloon.

“Ready?“ Josiah asked. The other men nodded. Between them, Chris, Buck and Josiah lifted the unconscious tracker and made their way to the temporary hospital.

Mary and the other women were all waiting and desperate to help in any way the could. Nathan put them to work with snapped orders. “Ladies, I need hot water, bandages and my stitching kit from the clinic.”

As Vin was carried into the room, Mary assisted the nearest patient out of his bed so it would be clear for the wounded regulator to be put on. Nathan nodded his appreciation.

Chris and Josiah lowered Vin onto the newly vacated cot. “Nathan?!”

“I’m right here, Chris. Help me get him out of these clothes. Buck, don‘t let go of his side.” Jackson paused as he evaluated the heat radiating from his unconscious friend. “Why’s he got such a high fever?” the healer demanded.

“He sat outside in the rain all last night,” Jenny whispered.

“Stubborn fool,” Larabee muttered as he lifted Vin so that Nathan and Buck could ease him out of the Buckskin coat and shirt. The task was performed quickly but with remarkable care.

“Alright, lay him back. Buck?”

“I’m still holding it, Nathan.” Jackson reached for the sponges and carbolic that Kate and Jenny were holding.

“You need me to hold him?” Chris asked, knowing how important it was that Vin stay still during the surgery.

Nathan paused, glanced down at Vin and shook his head. “He isn’t going to feel anything, Chris.” A deep frown settled on the healer’s face. Shock had already set in which meant there was little he could do, outside of making Vin comfortable.

“Nathan?” Buck asked quietly. He didn’t like the look in Nathan’s eyes. In that instant, the atmosphere in the room changed. Mild concern became distress.

Chris stared from Nathan to Vin and then back at Nathan. “He’s going to be okay, isn’t he?” Larabee asked, crouching beside the low cot. It was inconceivable that Vin wouldn’t be all right. It was just fever and a clean bullet wound. Nathan was here. The healer would do what was needed. Besides, not two minutes earlier, Vin had been talking to them and making smart-ass comments. “Nathan? He’s going to be alright?” Chris repeated.

“Can’t be sure yet. Shock is unpredictable. Let’s get him stitched up,“ Nathan dismissed quickly. The healer moved in, cleaned the wound and then closed it. Unfortunately, Tanner’s condition was deteriorating by the second. Nathan began muttering, trying to do everything he could to stop his friend from moving to the point of no return. The healer’s movements had become frantic.

“Nathan?”

“Give me a minute!”

“Why’s he shaking?” Buck asked. “Nathan?” Jackson ignored the question. “Nathan,,, is he okay? You’ve got to help him!“

“What’s going on, Brother? He seemed okay a minute ago.”

“It’s shock,” the healer growled. Couldn’t they understand he needed time to think?! Hell, he was a healer, not God!

Ezra appeared with his arms full of rifles. The gambler deposited them on the floor and approached the bed. “How is he?”

Buck shrugged. “Nathan’s not sayin’ much.”

Jackson shot Wilmington a look of rage. “Look for yourself! He’s sleep deprived, suffering from blood loss, fever, exposure, dehydration, a double concussion, a knife wound and he’s been shot!” Nathan snapped. “How the hell do you think he is? His body is going into shock!” Jackson heard the volume and acid in his voice. He glanced at his friends. “Sorry.“ Guilt, concern and desperation had caused the outburst.

“What exactly does that mean?”

Nathan went back to bandaging Vin‘s side. “Put simply, his body isn’t functioning.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve never seen a man that colour,” Standish muttered. At least, he never had seen anyone alive that colour. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Before Nathan could answer, a shouted warning from J.D. filled the street. “They’re coming!”

Buck, Ezra and Josiah grabbed rifles and dashed outside. Nathan reached for a sponge and began to wipe Vin’s head and chest. “Fever’s bad,” he muttered. “We’ve got to get it down.”

Chris Larabee hadn’t moved a muscle. He had tuned out everything happening around him after Nathan had said those four soul-numbing words, ’I can’t be sure.’ Larabee’s mind was filled with thoughts, emotions, memories and terrified disbelief. This couldn’t be happening. It just couldn’t!

Nathan glanced at the gunfighter. Chris, sensing he was the topic of inspection, stared into Nathan’s face expectantly.

He‘s waiting for me to tell him Vin‘s okay, Nathan realized. “Chris, he ain’t good.”

Larabee looked almost confused. He couldn’t... wouldn’t comprehend what Nathan was saying.

”If he makes it through the night, he’ll be okay.”

“Through the night?” Chris repeated.

“Chris, his body is in shock. Normally a man draws on his reserve strength to pull him through something like this. Vin doesn’t have anything left to fight with.” Nathan stared down at the man on the bed. Tanner’s breathing was shallow, his skin grey and his chances of survival less than an even bet. “He gave it everything he had just to stay on his feet. He’s got nothing left to give.”

“But...?” Chris started. “He seemed okay.”

Nathan sighed. “That’s the nature of shock. It can come on quickly and without warning.“ Nathan had seen the silent killer take even the strongest men’s lives. Considering all that had happened, what chance had Vin really had? The amalgamation of blood loss, fever and physical exhaustion has left him vulnerable to the insidious condition. Tanner had held the effects at bay because he had had to fight for Four Corners. The moment he had handed the responsibility of protecting the town to his fellow regulators, his need to keep fighting had ceased. “God knows how he stayed on his feet. Best I can figure is it was just his stubborn determination.”

Chris dragged his eyes back to Vin. He was at a loss. His mind was swirling in a vacuum... and then his thoughts crystallised. “He could die?” The question was so soft that Nathan almost missed it.

“I... Yeah. Yeah he could,” Nathan admitted quietly. The healer was flooded with guilt. They all depended on him at times like this but, not even a real doctor could do any more. “Look, Chris. I can help him fight the fever. I can help him by cleaning his wound and stitching him up, but... I’m sorry.” Nathan’s voice dropped further. “If he can find the strength to get though tonight then he‘s got a fighting chance.”

“Chris!” Buck shouted, his head appearing in the doorway. “They’re here!”

Abruptly Chris rose to his feet, his face taking on a dangerous expression. Larabee lingered several more seconds and then turned and strode from the room. “Nathan, stay with him!”

“I will. I’ll do everything I...” But Larabee was gone - gone not to defend Four Corners but to be seek the vengeance his heart craved.

The twelve riders rode into town with an accompanying explosion of sound. Davis’ news that Tanner was down had fired them up. Now they couldn’t wait to make the tracker and his six friends pay.

Chris stood waiting for the group on the top step of the saloon. The gunfighter’s face was down, not for any other reason than he was trying to compose himself. The rage he felt was making him feel light-headed and if he were to ensure that his companions survived this encounter, he had to calm himself down... but that was easier said than done. All of the rage, guilt and hate he had felt after the death of his family had resurfaced and he was drowning in it. Somehow he had to find the strength to climb from the abyss.

The mob pulled their horses up in the middle of the street. Hallow spotted the figure in black and burst out laughing. “We ain’t fallin’ for that again. We know Larabee’s too sick to get out of his bed. So are all of the others. All that’s left is that inteferin’ tracker and he’s been wounded! Now, he dies!”

Vin. Very slowly, Chris lifted his face. The riders gasped. Perhaps it was because they recognized him and realized this was no impostor... or it could have been because they had never seen such pure unadulterated hate and rage in their lives.

Buck, who was stationed just inside draper’s shop, took one look at Larabee’s face and he knew that his best friend’s soul had tumbled down into the pits of hell. Chris Larabee had once again became the revenge-filled nemesis he had turned into after the murder of his wife and child.

For tense seconds there was silence. The mob was mesmerized by the severity of man standing alone on the veranda. The regulators were waiting for a signal from their leader.

Realizing that Chris was beyond conscious thought, Buck called, “We’ve told you boys to stay out of town!”

“I pray to God your souls are prepared,” Josiah growled.

One man turned his horse. Chris Larabee drew and fired. He bullet struck the ground in front of the retreating horse. The animal reared, throwing the rider to the ground. “No one said anyone could leave.” The raw hostility in the gunfighter’s hushed voice surprised even his team mates. For the first time, J.D. understood why those who knew Chris feared him.

“So, you’ve dragged yourselves from your sick beds?” Davis asked carefully. He flicked his eyes around the town counting only five of the regulators. “You’re still outnumbered more than two to one,” he pointed out.

“I dare say that puts the odds in our favour,” Ezra called. He wasn’t sure what Chris was thinking. Then again, he realized that Larabee wasn’t thinking. If he were, the seven’s leader would have capitalized on the advantage of allowing Royal’s men to just ride out. While the regulators had their enemy’s measure, there was no sense taking chances. Standish and his companions were weak and tired, not to mentioned preoccupied with thoughts of Vin. “Should we give them permission to leave?” Standish called to Larabee, praying that the man in black would somehow see sense.

“We need to finish this,” Davis whispered to Chris. Both gunfighters had known from the moment they laid eyes on each other that a gun battle was inevitable.

Buck heard the challenge. Chris stepped down into the street. Davis dismounted. The rest of Royal’s men spun their horses around and rocketed out of town like the hounds of hell were after them.

Wilmington jogged out to his enraged friend. “Chris. Chris, don’t do this. You aren’t in any condition to be...”

“Well, Larabee? I’m waiting. Just like I waited for your friend before I shot him.” Davis smiled. He wanted to work Larabee up to the point that he wasn’t thinking straight.

Chris shouldered passed Buck and moved toward the centre of the street.

“Chris!” Buck cried in desperation.

Both Ezra and Josiah realized that if they didn’t do something, Chris would lose this fight. The gambler and preacher exchanged a look of determination. Josiah inclined his head to J.D. Together the three men left their places of concealment and met in the middle of the street. They walked passed Davis without giving him a sideways glance and strode up to their leader. Ezra stopped at Larabee’s shoulder, his back to Davis. “Listen to me. Clear your mind. Focus on nothing but him. If you don’t, we will be

Larabee’s eyes remained centred in the middle of Davis’ face.

forced to stand over your grave today.”

“Brother, you may not value your own life, but we do. That man in the saloon tore his guts out trying to protect you,” Josiah whispered, stopping beside Ezra.

“Don’t demean his sacrifice by throwing your life away, Mr. Larabee.”

“Please, Chris,“ J.D. begged.

Chris Larabee swallowed. Ezra could see they had their leader’s attention. “Clear your head, my friend. Focus on the job at hand. He isn’t in your league. You can take him... if you push everything else from your mind. Don‘t let his taunts get to you. You know what he‘s trying to do. Don‘t let him succeed.”

Larabee raised his left hand and brushed Ezra’s arm as he moved forward. Never at any stage did his eyes leave Davis. Ezra, Josiah and J.D. collected next to Buck on the steps of the saloon. Their leader was on his own. They’d done what they could.

Chris Larabee stopped into the centre of the street and set his legs a shoulder’s distance apart. He had indeed listened to his three companions. Since the death of his family, Chris had stood toe to toe with a lot of men - more than he cared to remember. During that time he hadn’t cared. Not about himself and very little about anyone else. Today he had a reason to care. His family had just pointed that out to him.

“Tanner put up a good fight. Got shot because he stopped thinking and started reacting. Broke cover to protect some silly girl. That makes him a fool,” Davis laughed.

“That makes him twice the man you could ever be,” Larabee stated in a low, harsh, but incredibly calm voice.

“Good Samaritans die.”

“Not this time.”

“He’s still alive? Well, after I deal with you, I’ll go and take care of him... slowly and painfully.”

Buck could feel his anger boiling. “The bastard’s trying to rile Chris up.”

“He is failing,” Standish stated softly.

“Draw,” Chris growled.

Davis appeared surprised. Larabee had not taken the bait. Royal’s hired gunfighter decided to try one more time. “After I kill you, I’m going to drag him from his bed and hang him. Leave him swinging in the wind.”

“No. You won’t.” Chris stated clearly. “Now draw.”

Both men became completely still. An eerie, tense silence blanketed Four Corners. The street was empty except for the two gunfighters standing less than twenty feet apart. The time had come for conversation to cease and revolvers to make statements.

Davis stared into Larabee’s eyes. The rage he had seen earlier was gone. There was only confidence and determination there now. Both gunfighters stopped breathing. The seconds ticked. Davis drew. J.D. gasped. There was a single shot. Mary rushed out onto the veranda. Henry Davis catapulted backwards and landed on his back. Chris re-holstered his gun.

“Thank, God,” Buck muttered.

“He did it,“ Ezra claimed with pride. The bullet from Larabee’s gun had struck the other man before Davis could get his gun clear of his holster.

“I wasn’t worried,” J.D. claimed. Dunne believed Chris to be the best.

Larabee marched up to the hired killer who was drawing himself up. Davis dived for his fallen gun, but Chris kicked it out of the other man’s reach. The Seven’s leader reached down, grabbed Davis by the front of his shirt and dragged him to his feet. For a split second, Henry Davis thought the nemesis in black had every intention of killing him.

“Tell Royal that if Tanner dies, so does he.” It was a lethal whisper. Davis nodded. Chris shoved the man back toward his horse. “Get out of our town.” Larabee turned and strode toward the saloon. Normally he would never turn his back on an opponent even if the other man was defeated. Today, he had no need to watch his back. Standing on the step of the saloon were four men who already had that covered.

“Go on!” Buck shouted. “Get out of town before we change our minds and string you up and leave you swinging!”

Chris nodded to his companions - a silent thank you for helping him to see sense - for helping him to see a lot of things.

Go to part 10 of 10

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