J.D. eyed the girl. What was it about her that attracted him so? “A hangin' ain't no place to take a girl.”

Casey’s eyes went flinty. “Where do you take a girl?”

J.D. grinned. “I don't know, uh... a haystack maybe.” Vin smirked. That sounded perfectly reasonable to him.

“I'd rather go to a hangin'.” Casey insisted as she stormed off.

The doors of the saloon burst open and Chris forced Garber ahead of him. Travis stepped out onto the veranda. “Garber, there's still time. You don't have to hang if you tell us where Del Spivak's gang is.”

“Ol' Del's sure got you hot and bothered, don't he, Judge?” the murderer claimed, a sarcastic smile plastered across his face.

Judge Orrin Travis felt his temper begin to boil. “Look, you piece of dirt, my friend was killed in that stagecoach robbery, and somebody's gonna pay for it.”

Without warning, Vin’s senses began to prickle. A split second later, the ground under his feet started to tremble, and then the sound of pounding hooves filled the air. A mob of riders appeared at the top of the street, thundering into Four Corners with guns drawn.

Garber smiled. “Take an IOU?”

Spivak’s gang of twenty filled the street, their bullets blazing and causing instant panic.

“Get down!” Chris screamed, dragging the Judge to safety.

Vin spun around.

Garber elbowed J.D. in the face, sending the young man crashing to the ground.

Tanner’s eyes honed in on a woman crossing the street. The mob of horses and their riders were heading straight for her. Tanner leaped from the veranda and sprinted across the street screaming, “Get outta the way!”

Chris crouched behind a barrel and fired at the mob.

Vin shoved the woman out of the path of the stampede, but he had no time to throw himself clear. A horse loomed up beside him.

“VIN?!“ Chris shouted, horrified. The horse slammed into the tracker, catapulting him backwards. Tanner crashed through a hitching rail, landed on his side and then remained deathly still. Around him, the hooves of horses crashed against the ground and bullets sliced through the air.

“NO!” Larabee screamed. Tanner would be trampled! Chris had to act. “J.D.!” the Seven’s leader bellowed. Dunne collected himself, wiping away the stream of blood coming from his nose. “J.D., the Judge!” Travis had to be protected, but Chris’ mind and soul were lying on the ground out in the middle of the battle. J.D. raced to Chris’ side. “COVER ME!” Larabee shouted and without waiting, he bolted into the mêlée, dodging agitated horses and bullets as he desperately tried to reach his fallen friend.

Rifles barked in a staccato. Buck, Nathan, Ezra and Josiah burst out of various buildings and instantly took up the fight.

Larabee sidestepped a horse only to be jostled by another, but he continued toward the buckskin bundle lying so still. A rider appeared on the gunfighter’s right. Chris dragged his eyes from Vin and turned toward the danger, but the thug catapulted out of his saddle after catching a well-aimed shot from Ezra’s rifle. Chris searched for Vin again amongst the chaos and spotting his fallen comrade, raced to his side, grabbed him by the front of his coat and hauled him out of the street. A cry of pain exploded from Vin as his consciousness was wrenched back. Larabee deposited Vin on the ground and then placed himself between his injured friend and the mob, firing at the attackers with deadly accuracy.

Vin tried to focus his mind, blinking to clear his blurry vision. There was a dreadful rushing in his ears. Horses?

Tanner’s eyes blinked open, but he could only make out swirling colours. When things finally began to fade in and out of focus, he realized he was on the ground... a set of black boots... Chris? Chris standing over him like a sentry. Vin’s mind was still foggy but he knew there was a battle going on. He drew his mare’s leg. Pain roared through his chest and his head began to spin again.

Spivak's men realized the tide had turned. Garber leapt onto a horse.

“Let's ride, Garber! Here's your gun. Take it!” Garber spun in his saddle, his rifle aimed at Larabee. The black clad gunfighter had been responsible for his capture. Now, it was payback time.

“J.D., on your left!” Chris screamed, firing at a thug who had the drop on Dunne. This left Larabee wide open. Garber smiled and clutched the trigger of his weapon. Vin Tanner saw the threat, whipped his rifle up and fired. Garber slid from his saddle, his face flushed with surprise.

The rest of Spivak's mob turned tail and ran.

Larabee lowered his revolver, watching as the cowards raced out of town in a cloud of dust. The battle was over. Abruptly, there was a shot from the alley beside Potter‘s Store. One of Spivak's men spilled from his saddle. Chris spun to the right and watched two riders ride in and dismount. He frowned. They were women... at least, he thought they were women. They certainly weren’t dressed like woman.

Tanner groaned. Instantly, Larabee stepped back and dropped beside Vin, his hand coming to rest on his friend’s arm. “Nathan!” Chris shouted. “Just lay still,” he encouraged Tanner. Vin swallowed, nodded and grimaced.

Jackson raced down the street and crouched beside the two men. “Vin?”

Tanner looked up at the healer. “I'm busted up good, Nathan,” he hissed. Vin tried to sit up, but pain forced him back with a startled cry.

“Probably a couple of cracked ribs. And that’s a decent lump you’ve got on your head,” the healer remarked after a brief examination.

“I reckon,” the injured man agreed. Tanner glanced over at Chris and his brow furrowed. He remembered racing across to save the woman; he remembered seeing the horse coming at him... he remember waking up and seeing Larabee’s boots beside him. What had happened in the middle wasn’t hard to work out. Thanks.

Vin’s head bobbed once.

Chris squeezed Vin’s arm and rose to his feet, his concerned green eyes still on his friend. Behind him he heard...

“We got this one, Katie.”

Larabee stared over his shoulder and studied the two women dressed in men’s clothes. Judge Travis and J.D. rushed over to join him.

“Yeah, we got him in the side,” the second woman agreed.

“Who the hell are they?” Chris murmured.

“I don't know,” Travis admitted. “Whoever they are, they can shoot. We better find out their interest in all of this.”

“Ezra, help me get Vin up,” the healer ordered as Ezra arrived.

Together Standish and Jackson eased their injured companion to his feet. Vin swayed.

“Ok, easy, easy,” Nathan encouraged, steadying his friend.

“Chris?” Travis prompted as he started toward the women.

“You all right, Vin?” J.D. asked, wide eyed. Like the others, he had seen Tanner disappear among the hooves.

“Never better,” Vin ground out. His jaw was tightly clenched as he tired to control the pain.

“Chris?“ Travis asked, pausing to look back at the stationary leader of the Seven.

Tanner lifted his eyes to Larabee. Go on. I’m okay.

Chris lingered for a moment longer and then turned and strode across to the two women who were crouched over the man they had shot out of the saddle.

J.D. continued to bounce from one foot to the other, the adrenaline in his body demanding to be used. He wiped away the blood that once again was running from his nose and then turned Ezra, Nathan and Vin. “The mob’s getting away! I'm going after 'em.” With that, the boy raced off for the livery.

Nathan frowned and glanced at Ezra. “Make sure he don't fall off his horse.”

“Will you be capable of getting Mr. Tanner up those stairs?” Standish asked with concern. Ezra could tell that Vin was only upright because of the firm grip his two friends had of him.

“Yeah. We’ll take it slow.” Ezra handed Vin his rifle, released his arm and waited to see if Nathan was going to be able to support the injured man enough for him to remain on his feet.

“I’m okay,” Tanner assured him.

“They say looks can be somewhat deceiving,” Ezra drawled, before dashing off to the livery to pursue J.D.

**********

“Look at that. Clean through his flank, just like you said,” the smaller of the two women stated. She and her sister glanced up at the Judge and Chris as they approached.

“Name's Kate Stokes. My sister Mattie.” The woman’s voice was firm, but underneath the grit there was a femineity that years of hard life hadn’t been able to destroy.

“Name's Judge Travis.”

“We're bounty hunters. That's our bullet in him. The bounty's ours, too. Worth a hundred alive.”

Larabee’s eyes flicked to Vin. Nathan was assisting him across the street. Tanner would need to keep a low profile if these two really were bounty hunters.

Buck discreetly changed the subject, well aware of what was concerning his oldest friend. “Looks deader than a beaver hat to me.”

“If I wanted him dead, he'd be dead,” Mattie growled. The tone was aggressive.

Chris’ attention was still on Vin. Nathan paused at the bottom of the steps and the two men exchanged a few words. Then, Nathan assisted Vin to sit on the bottom step before jogging across to join the small group crowded around the fallen thug.

“Thought I better check him,” the healer muttered, leaning over the unconscious cowboy. “He'll live,” Nathan diagnosed.

“Told ya,” Mattie spat. She saw it as a victory over these men.

Nathan raised an eyebrow as he rose to his feet. “He’ll have to wait. I want to attend to Vin first. Can you fellas carry him up to my clinic in a few moments?”

Buck nodded. Jackson jogged back to Tanner and eased him to his feet. Chris frowned. The pair started up the stairs.

“Who is he?” the judge asked, gesturing to the unconscious man littering the street.

“Del Spivak's scout. Name's Kirkland.”

Nathan and Vin paused on the stairs. Larabee’s green eyes narrowed. Without a word, he turned, jogged up to join Nathan and assisted to guide Vin up to the small room above the livery.

Buck watched with concern until Vin was ushered into the clinic. “If you don't mind me asking, bounty hunting... It seems like dangerous work for such two such lovely young ladies as yourself,” he asked, returning his attention to the two ladies.

The blond woman eyed him carefully. “We thought about being wives and mothers, but half of them get beat, and the other half die in childbirth. Figured bounty huntin' was safer.” Judge Travis smirked. He liked her spunk.

“Y'all got a saloon in this here cow town?” Mattie demanded. Wilmington’s grinned and pointed. Mattie nodded and spun around, but her sister grabbed her arm.

“You stay out of trouble, you hear?”

“Don't I always?” Mattie responded before striding off in the direction indicated. Kate’s face flashed with concern, but it disappeared quickly when she spotted the man in black returning.

“So I wanna question Kirkland,” she insisted.

“We'll take care of this. Maybe he'll help us find Spivak,” the Judge suggested.

“Kirkland's mine. So is Spivak.”

“We said we'll take care of it. You'll get your money,” Chris growled. Kate tried to hold his ice green gaze, but failed.

“You know it might not be a bad idea to let her have a go at it. I mean, I know I'd like to talk to a lady more than I would you any day, so no offence.”

“Maybe you got a point, Buck. We'll come and find you as soon as he's conscious,” the judge offered.

“You do that.” With that defiant remark, she took the reins of her and her sister’s horse and headed for the livery.

“A lady? I wonder,” Chris murmured.

“I'll let you know,” Buck chuckled. “So, Vin alright?”

Larabee nodded. “According to him.”

“And according to Nathan?” Judge Travis asked.

“The jury’s still out on that,” Chris grumbled, his eyes lifting to the clinic.

**********

Vin stepped out onto the landing, Nathan gripping his arm to help support him. The healer had strapped Vin’s ribs and placed his arm in a sling to restrict his movement.

“Now, Vin, you're gonna have to take it real easy for a while.”

“Got no plans to do any bronco bustin',” Tanner muttered.

“You sure you’re head’s okay? That’s a hell of an egg.”

“Head’s as hard as rock, doc.” Vin paused and grinned. “Thanks.”

“No problem. Look, it would probably be best if...

“Kirkland awake?” Kate asked, appearing at the top of the stairs and walking toward the two men.

"You got a one-track mind, don't you?” Nathan snapped.

“Judge said I could question him,” Kate persisted.

“Fine. I just gotta take Vin downstairs,”

“Oh, I can handle Kirkland myself,” Kate murmured, heading for the door.

“If you wait, I'll be back in a minute, Ma'am,” Nathan maintained. The woman paused, rolled her eyes and nodded.

Nathan and Vin exchanged a glance. “The girl's as gritty as eggs rolled in sand,” he whispered. The pair stopped at the top of the stairs.

“This is going to hurt,” Nathan warned.

“Yep,” Vin agreed.

With Nathan’s help, Vin made it to the bottom. He was panting a little from the strain.

“Now, you’re sure about your head? You aren’t dizzy or...” From the clinic above, there was a shouted cry of pain.

“I’m fine. You better go and check on your patient. No tellin’ what that crazy woman’s done.”

Nathan paused a moment, running his eyes over Vin’s pale face and then turned and raced up the stairs.

Vin watched, shook his head and then headed for his wagon. Each step jolted his broken ribs. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Chris walking toward him. “Hey,” he greeted.

“They’re bounty hunters,” Chris informed him.

“Yeah, I figured as much. They may have some information on Spivak that may help us find him.”

Larabee nodded, falling into step beside his friend.

“I’ve heard of women bounty hunters but...”

Vin grinned. “Buck better watch himself. Might end up getting bits of himself shot off he tries anything with them.”

Chris smiled. When they arrived at the wagon Vin sighed. “I better keep my face out of the street as much as I can.”

“Yeah.”

Larabee glanced at the wagon. “Why don’t you use a room today? Save you having to climb up into that thing.”

“Can’t hear someone coming in a room. Help me up.”

“No, you need a proper bed. Come on, you can get a room.”

“Chris...” Vin stared at his friend. Chris had one of those immovable expressions on his face and Vin didn‘t have the energy to argue. His ribs were throbbing and his head aching. Finally, he nodded. “Probably be softer on these ribs.”

“Probably,” Chris agreed as they set off for the boarding house.

**********

Chris walked out of the saloon and stopped beside Vin.

“I don’t get the feeling you’re going to be welcome,” Tanner chuckled.

Chris winked at his friend. “Take it easy,” he stated, clapping Vin’s good shoulder briefly before taking the reins of his horse from J.D. Larabee pulled himself up into the saddle just as Kate and Mattie appeared out of the livery and rode towards them.

“Where are you goin'?” Kate growled.

“A little huntin' party with you, darlin',” Buck chirped, happily.

“I told you, Kirkland didn't say nothing about Del Spivak.”

“Suit yourself. We'll just follow you,” Chris informed the woman.

“Just stay out of our way,” Kate cried as she and her sister spurred their horses out of town.

Larabee shook his head and glanced down at Vin and Ezra. “Spivak came for Garber. He could come for Kirkland.”

“We're ready for him,” Ezra assured the others.

“Watch your back,” Vin called. Larabee nodded and then led the rest of the boys after the disappearing women.

Standish glanced at Tanner. Chris had had a quiet word with him about ensuring Vin didn’t crawl back into his wagon. Nathan had had a similar word. Ezra grinned, reached out and lightly tapped his companions’ sling before rushing off toward the saloon. “Come on, Vin.”

Tanner jumped startled and then swung his good arm at Standish. “I’m buying,” Ezra called.

“Then I’m drinking.”

**********

Vin shook his head as he watched as Kate saddled her horse. She was a woman who had chosen a difficult path. One Vin knew only too well.

Tanner was leaning against a post outside the saloon. The injured regulator shifted his left shoulder to ease the discomfort from his ribs. He had long discarded the sling which hadn't been providing any relief from the ache.

Chris strode up to him and leaned against the other side of the post.

“So, she’s leavin’?” Vin asked.

“Yeah.” For several moments, the pair watched the woman.

“She ain’t much of a bounty hunter.”

Larabee glanced at his friend. “What makes you say that?”

“My face’s on posters from here to the Rio Grande and she didn’t recognize me.” Chris smiled and returned his attention to the female bounty hunter.

Vin sighed. “I reckon it’s only a matter of time.” He knew it was inevitable that one day a bounty hunter would ride into town and identify him.

Larabee pursed his lips. “I suppose so.” He turned to his friend and waited until Vin made eye contract with him. “Of course, they’ll have to go through me first.”

The pair stared at each other and then Vin smirked. “I suppose so.”

As Chris turned back to study Kate, his attention was drawn by Nathan who was standing on the other side of the street waving insistently. Chris snorted.

“Huh?” Vin asked.

“I’ve been sent on a mission.”

Vin frowned.

Chris withdrew a white piece of material from his pocket and held it out. Vin stared down at the sling, reached out, took it and shoved it into his own pocket before searching and finding Nathan lurking in the shadows across the street. The injured sharpshooter tipped his hat. Jackson shook his head, turned and disappeared into the General store.

“So, how are your ribs?” Chris asked.

“I could lie and tell you fine,” Vin grumbled.

“You could,” Chris chuckled. Larabee took one last look at Kate and then started along the veranda. “Could them ribs of yours handle a whiskey?”

Vin smiled, straightened up and followed his best friend. “Now you’re talking, Cowboy.”

**********