She looked around the room and then back at him and continued on. "You must be getting tired of this boring little room. Must want to get out in the open air huh? Well, don’t worry. You’ll be happy to know we’ll be moving out real soon. Get some rest sugar, Tuscosa is a long way away and we’ll want to get you there in one peace." She smiled again and lightly patted his cheek.

She stood and looked at Morgan. "I’ll send Selene up with breakfast. Make sure he eats if you plan on staying."

Morgan nodded silently and Tessa left.

"Can...can I ask you something?" Vin asked, finally finding his voice.

Morgan looked at him and he asked, "How...did she get so cold, so twisted?"

Morgan hesitated, then said, "She never used to be like this. Her mother...her mother was a trained assassin, as was her Father. They trained her in the art but you have to understand, they never brought her up to be like this. They raised her good. It was certain events that turned her into...that."

She paused then, knowing the question he was about to ask, said, "I was very...close to Tess and her family, that’s how I know all this. Anyway, when she was six years old, she lost her father to murder. That, I believe, is when she first started to change. She got cold and calculating, more than she had been before. She even helped her mother track down her father’s killer and...deal with him. After that...." she trailed off, pain entering her eyes as she remembered the past.

"When she was ten, something happened that changed her even more drastically. Her mother and baby brother were killed, also by murder. It sent her over the edge. She went after the killers, found them and made them suffer quite a long time before they finally died. She declined coming to stay with me and my folks and set out on her own. She’d come back from time to time to visit, and each time, she was just a little more like she is now."

She stopped talking as the door opened and Selene entered the room, a tray of food in hand. The young African eyed Vin with contempt as she silently handed Morgan the tray. She then moved to a corner of the room and sat, watching them as she had been told. Morgan managed to get most of the food into Vin before he passed out, and then sat, watching him praying to God that he would make it out of this alive.

"Buck?"

"Ya kid?"

"How do you know if you’re in love?"

Buck turned his gaze from the street and looked at J.D. in surprise.

"Well, I guess you just know. Why?"

"Well.." J.D. hesitated a moment, then said, "I think I’m in love with Lynne."

"Can’t say I’m surprised at that," Buck replied with a small smile. "She’s one hell of a girl."

"So...what do I do?"

"Can’t rightly say, J.D. Love is something you gotta handle on your own. I will tell you this though, make your decisions wisely. Love can be a great thing, but it can also be real painful."

He looked up at the sound of footsteps and saw Chris approaching.

"Hey Chris, what’s up?"

"Going to the Livery to get my horse. Going to go out and look for Vin, make sure everything’s all right."

"Want company?"

Chris was about to decline when a voice said, "Mr. Larabee?"

The trio looked behind them and found Meg walking up the steps to join them.

"I was hoping I’d run into you. I just came in from a ride. I ran into your tracker friend. He said to tell you he’d be staying out there a few more days. Something’s got his attention pretty good."

Chris looked at her for a moment, then nodded. Meg nodded back then left the trio, heading for the saloon. Chris stared after her thoughtfully.

"Morning Mr. Howard!" J.D. suddenly called out, interrupting Chris’s thoughts.

He looked up to see Bill Howard, the man who ran the telegraph office, passing by.

The man stopped and offered up a smile. "Morning Gentlemen. How are you this fine day?"

"Just fine, thanks," J.D. replied.

"Say, did Mr. Tanner get his problem looked after? I haven’t seen him in a few days."

"Problem?" Chris asked.

Bill nodded. "Yeah, few days ago he got something in an envelop. Upset him real good. Took off pretty quick."

"Do you know what it was?" Buck asked.

"Wanted posters I think. Didn’t see who it was for though."

Chris stared into space for a moment, then said, "How long ago was this?"

Bill thought for a moment. "Well, let’s see. I believe it was the same day sheriff Dunne here got that nasty illness. Well gentlemen, I really must be going. Got business to take care of and all."

J.D. and Buck both said goodbye, then turned their attention on Chris.

"Something’s not right," Chris said. He looked at them. "I’m gonna go out and check on him, just to be safe."

Without another word, he turned and continued on toward the livery, while an eavesdropper slipped from it’s hiding place and hurried off in the direction of the hotel.

***

"Tess, we could have a big problem."

Tessa looked up as Meg entered her room and gave her a curious look.

"Larabee is suspicious. He’s just about to ride out and look for the tracker."

"Well, we can’t have that now can we?" Tessa replied standing.

"I ran into Crystal on the way here and she’s going to stall him."

Tessa nodded in approval as she got one of her potions out as well as a tiny dart.

"Good. Go find Kayla and tell her to saddle up. She and I are going for a ride. And send Selene in here. She should still be in her room."

Meg nodded and left.

"What are you going to do, Tess?" Morgan, who had not left since the previous night, asked.

"I’m going to distract him. Don’t worry, I’m not giving him anything that’ll kill him," she added before Morgan could voice the thought. She held up the bottle she had picked and said, "This stuff’ll just force him to stay put for a while. Course, I can’t tell what the side effects will be like, but hey, that’s life."

She looked up as the door opened and Selene entered. Tessa dart into the potion and carefully handed it to her.

"Remember that sheriff in Tucson?"

Selene nodded and Tessa smiled. "Do your thing."

Selene nodded again and left. Tessa looked back at Morgan, then over at Vin, who lay unconscious in the bed.

"I trust you’ll watch him?"

Morgan nodded, and Tessa followed Selene out.

***

Chris was finally on his way back to the Livery to get his horse and go look for Vin. He had been diverted by Crystal earlier to take care of a problem and had finally managed to clear it up. He had just about reached the door of the Livery when a young girl coming toward him tripped and fell.

He quickly reached out and caught her before she fell, feeling an odd prick as he steadied her. He dismissed it and, looking down, he found it was one of ‘Lynne’s girls, Selene, that he was holding.

"You all right, Miss?" he asked, releasing her.

She nodded. "Thank you," she said softly.

He tipped his hat and then moved into the Livery. He got his horse saddled up and quickly rode out of town.

He had gone about a mile when he spotted two forms coming toward him from his left. He watched them for a minute before recognizing ‘Lynne’ and Kayla and reined in as they approached him.

"Morning Chris. Out for a ride?" ‘Lynne’ greeted with a smile.

Chris tipped his hat in greeting and replied, "Just going to check on Vin. Make sure everything’s all right."

"Mind if we tag along?"

Chris shrugged. "If you want."

The trio spurred their horses into light trots and headed off in the direction Chris figured Vin would be. Thirty minutes had passed when Chris began to feel strange. His vision went in and out of focus and he began to feel a little dizzy.

"You all right Chris?" ‘Lynne’ finally asked after observing him for a while.

Chris shook his head to clear some of the fuzziness and said, "Yeah, I’m fine. Must be coming down with something."

"Perhaps we should turn back. Whatever it is you’re coming down with, you don’t want it getting worse."

"I’ll be fine," Chris replied, though he wasn’t completely sure of that.

‘Lynne’ shrugged and the trio rode on in silence. Another twenty minutes went by, with Chris looking worse by the minute. ‘Lynne’ looked at Kayla and held up her hand, slowly counting down. When she reached one, Chris moaned softly and slid from his saddle.

"Chris!" ‘Lynne’ exclaimed, casting Kayla an amused look.

She slipped off her saddle and hurried over to his side.

"Chris. Chris can you hear me?"

No response. She looked up at Kayla and gestured for her to come get him. The young Indian girl dismounted, came over, picked Chris up and slumped him over his horse. She then took the reins, got back on her own horse and the pair started the journey back in silence.

***

Buck’s heart leapt to his throat at the sight coming into town. ‘Lynne’ and Kayla had just arrived, and were leading a horse with a body sprawled across the saddle. Chris’s horse. Chris’s body.

"Don’t worry," ‘Lynne’ said as he rushed up to them, "He ain’t dead, just unconscious."

"What happened?" Buck asked as he gently lifted Chris off the animal.

Before she could explain, Nathan ran up, the same question escaping his lips as he examined Chris. ‘Lynne’ quickly told them what had happened.

"Man, I hope he ain’t got what J.D. had," Nathan said as he stood and motioned for Buck to bring Chris.

He nodded to the girls and then he and Buck hurried for his rooms.

‘Lynne’ looked at Meg as she joined them and said, "Problem solved."

***

J.D. was starting to get worried. Ever since he had parted from Buck’s company earlier that morning, just after Chris had left, he had been feeling strangely lightheaded and a little ill. He told himself it was all in his head, that Bill Howard’s mention of the mysterious illness he had fallen under had stirred up the fear that it was going to happen again. But, deep down, he knew something was wrong. That this was, perhaps, just the eye of what was going to be a very big, very nasty storm.

‘Maybe I should go see Nathan,’ he thought, remembering the healer’s warning to come see him the second he started to feel ill.

Deciding that seeing Nathan would be the best course of action, J.D. got up from his chair, took a few steps, and fell to the floor as a stunning wave of dizziness overtook him. He groaned as he fought back a wave of nausea and tried to ride out the dizziness. Finally, they subsided enough that he was able to stand and walk unsteadily out into the street. His vision blurred and he shook his head to clear it.

‘Gotta get to Nathan’s,’ he thought, ‘Now, if I could just remember where it is...’

He chose a direction and started walking, dazed and blurry eyed.

"Are you all right J.D.?" a voice from far away asked.

J.D. stopped and looked up at the figure towering above him. The man looked familiar, but for some reason, he couldn’t put a name to the face. The man said something, but J.D. couldn’t understand the words. He mumbled something, then turned and started walking again. He couldn’t even remember where he was going anymore. A hand fell on his shoulder, stopping him from walking. He turned around and darkness claimed him.

***

Nathan had just decided that Chris was going to be fine when there was a short knock on the door. He and Buck looked up as the door opened and Josiah entered, an unconscious J.D. in his arms.

"Oh lord! What happened?" Nathan exclaimed, hurrying over and taking in J.D.’s frighteningly pale face.

Josiah quickly explained what had happened as he carefully laid his young friend on the other bed. "Damn it, I knew he’d recovered too fast," Nathan muttered as he started examining the boy. He shook his head. "He’s entering fever again." He looked up and added, "I can already tell this is going to be worse then last time."

Buck muttered an oath and ran a hand through his short hair. His attention was drawn to Chris as his oldest friend muttered something and his eyes slowly opened.

"Chris? How are you feeling pard?"

Chris just stared at him, an uncertain look in his eyes. Nathan, unable to do much for J.D. at the moment, focused his attention on Chris.

"Chris? Do you know who you are and who we are?"

Chris turned his eyes on Nathan and seemed to think about the question for a moment. Finally, he nodded and said softly, "Nathan."

His gaze traveled to Buck and Josiah and he added, "Buck, Josiah."

He looked back at Nathan, his eyes asking if he was right. Nathan nodded. "Do you remember what happened?"

Chris thought for a moment, then shook his head. Nathan quickly explained what had happened.

"Vin?" Chris asked, trying to match a face to the name.

"I don’t know what happened to you pard, but I think rest is an order. Lots of it."

Nathan glanced back at J.D. as the kid began moving restlessly. He looked back at Chris and added, "It might be better if you got it in your own room though. Gotta feeling it’s gonna be a long night."

Buck stepped forward and helped Chris sit up. "Come on pard, I’ll help you back to your room."

He looked at Nathan and said, "I’ll be back in a bit."

He then turned and helped Chris stand, carefully leading him from the room. Nathan watched Chris worriedly. He sincerely hoped that Chris would be all right and that rest was really all he needed.

Buck watched worriedly as Chris slowly drifted off to sleep. All the way to his room, Chris had muttered incoherent nonsense and when he was coherent, he was confused and upset.

"I really hope you’re gonna be all right, pard," he said softly. "Last thing we need is you falling under some unknown illness too."

He watched Chris for another moment, then turned and silently left. As he was making his way back to Nathan’s rooms, he encountered Ezra.

The gambler had a small look of concern in his eyes as he said, "I have just heard of the way Mr. Larabee returned from his outing. How is he?"

"Confused, but Nathan thinks he’s gonna be all right."

"From your expression, it would appear you think otherwise."

Buck sighed. "Don’t know what I think right now. J.D.’s just had another relapse. A bad one."

"I am deeply sorry to hear that. The boy doesn’t deserve this."

He nodded to Buck, then continued on his way. Buck watched him leave, then hurried the rest of the way to Nathan’s.

His heart nearly stopped when he entered the room and saw Josiah sitting next to J.D., head bowed as he softly said the last rights.

"Oh no, please no," Buck whispered, his eyes on Nathan as the black man slowly came over, a deep sadness in his eyes.

"I’m sorry Buck, he’s gone."

Buck stared at Nathan in shock, his face turning pale.

"No," he whispered, pushing past Nathan and hurrying to the side of the bed.

J.D. lay still, not one sign of life in his young body. His face, which before had been pain filled and tortured, was now peaceful if not frighteningly white. Tears ran down his cheeks unchecked as he reached out and gently touched the kid’s young face...

With a startled cry, Buck jerked awake and looked wildly around the dimly lit room.

"Buck, you all right?" Nathan asked, quickly coming over.

Buck looked at him, then at J.D., relieved to see the shallow rise and fall of his chest.

"Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bad dream is all. What...what time is it?"

"Little after nine. You’ve been asleep ‘bout two hours now."

"How’s the kid doing?"

"No change. Fever’s still god awful, but at least it hasn’t gotten worse. Lynne was here earlier. Girl was right upset to see him like this."

"Imagine what she’d be like if the kid got a chance to tell her how he feels," Buck said softly, looking down at J.D.

Nathan looked at him curiously and Buck quickly told his friend about the conversation the pair had that morning.

Nathan put a reassuring hand on Buck’s shoulder and said, "He’ll make it out of this to tell her. I’m gonna go get something to eat. You want anything?"

Buck shook his head and Nathan quietly left.

Buck stared at J.D. for a long moment. When his young friend began to move restlessly, Buck grabbed the wet cloth from out of the basin and gently dabbed his face.

"Hang in there kid," he said softly. "Hang in there."

***

Nathan was nearing the restaurant when a someone shouting his name caused him to stop and turn.

"Nathan!" ‘Lynne’ exclaimed as she rushed up to him, "I think you’d better come fast. Something’s happening with Chris."

"Chris?" Nathan asked in surprise.

"Yeah, come on, he’s in the saloon."

"What the hell is he doing there?" Nathan asked as he followed ‘Lynne.’

"Drinking, what else?"

Nathan sighed and fell silent. However, the silence was quickly replace by an oath as he entered the Saloon to find it in shambles and Chris Larabee being restrained by Josiah in one of his famous bear hugs.

"Lord all mighty! What the hell happened?" he exclaimed.

"Careful brother," Josiah warned as Chris lashed out and struggled fiercely, "He isn’t in his right frame of mind right now."

Nathan looked into Chris’s raged filled eyes and suppressed a shudder. He then looked at the rest of the other man and saw the blood seeping through in several places where his shirt and pants had been torn.

"He’s hurt. What happened?"

Josiah motioned with his head to a small group of men who lay on the floor, being checked by Ezra and Meg to make sure they weren’t dead.

"Those fellas decided to pick a fight and were unlucky enough to have chosen Chris. That fella Ezra is looking at right now managed to get in quite a few hits with a nasty knife."

Nathan looked back at Chris, who was slowly starting to settle down thanks to Josiah’s iron grip.

"How long has he been here?"

"Since supper time," ‘Lynne’ answered, a small smile on her lips as she looked at the men on the floor.

"Three hours? Damn it Chris you were supposed to be getting rest, not drinking an’ fighting!"

Chris just stared at him, sending a shiver up and down Nathan’s spine.

He shook himself and said, "Josiah’s gonna let you go now so I can fix you up, then you’re going right back to your room to get some proper rest. And if I have to, I’ll have Josiah stand outside your room to make sure you stay there."

He nodded and Josiah released Chris, catching him when he swayed and leading him over to a chair. Nathan bent to examine the wounds and drew in a breath when he saw how severe some of them were.

"You sure know how to pick ‘em," he muttered. He stood and added, "I gotta go get my bag. I’ll be right back."

He returned quickly and set to work. Tessa, standing nearby with a bottle of whiskey, was disappointed that there didn’t seem to be any side effects and was quickly growing bored.

Nathan glanced back at her and asked, "Could I borrow that a second?"

She shrugged and handed the bottle over. Nathan looked at Josiah, who positioned himself behind Chris and then Nathan poured some of the liquid onto a wound in Chris’s leg. Chris jumped and hissed and Josiah quickly prevented him from leaving his seat.

Tessa was just deciding to go find something better to do when she noticed the strange, glazed look in Chris’s eyes. It was a look she recognized, and she knew right then that things were about to get very interesting.

"All right Chris," Nathan said as he put his things back in his bag, " I’ll help you to your room now."

"No, not now," Chris mumbled, resisting Nathan’s attempt to help him up. "Gotta go back to the ranch."

Nathan exchanged a glance with Josiah and Ezra. "Ranch?"

Chris nodded. "Gotta get back to Sarah and Adam. Shouldn’t have been gone this long." He started to stand, but fell back again, wincing as pain shot through him.

"Chris, you ain’t where you think you are," Nathan said, "You’re in Four Corners."

Chris, however, didn’t seem to hear Nathan. He kept trying to stand and insisted on going back to the ranch.

"I think someone should go get Buck," Nathan said as Chris once more tried to stand and Josiah gently pushed him back down.

Tessa looked at Meg, who nodded and quickly left. Tessa saw it before anyone else could. Just after Meg left, an almost possessed look entered Chris’s eyes.

‘Here we go,’ she thought, taking a step back as Chris suddenly flew out of his chair.

"I said I’m leaving!" he shouted, drawing his gun.

Startled, all three men jumped back, their hands flying to their own guns instinctively.

Nathan, the first to recover, put his hands up and said, "Whoa, whoa Chris. Calm down now."

"Why are you trying to keep me from getting back to my wife and son?" Chris growled, his gun moving to cover all three of them.

"We aren’t trying to keep you from getting back to them Chris," Josiah said calmly, "Why don’t you put the gun down and we’ll talk about this."

Nathan swore softly as his eyes picked up blood slowly oozing from Chris’s side.

"Don’t have time to talk!" Chris snapped. "Now get out of the way, I’m leaving!"

"Chris, you tore the stitches in your side. I gotta redo it."

Chris shook his head and started to move slowly for the door.

"Chris."

Chris looked up and found Buck standing there.

"Chris, what are doing?"

"They’re trying to stop me from going back, Buck."

"Going back where, pard?"

"The Ranch. I gotta go back, Buck. I’ve left Sarah and Adam alone too long."

Pain flashed through Buck’s eyes.

"Chris," he said softly, walking closer to his friend, his hands raised in a peaceful gesture. "Sarah and Adam...they’re gone Chris, remember?"

Chris shook his head. "No, no they’re waiting for me. I gotta get back to them. Shouldn’t have left them alone this long."

Buck nodded. "All right, Chris. We’ll leave, but we gotta wait till morning, okay? You’ve been hurt. You can’t ride like that."

He moved around Buck and out the door without answering. Buck looked at the others and then quickly followed. Outside, Chris was standing in the street, staring out at the night, his gun on the ground beside him. What could be seen of his eyes were haunted and anguished. From where Tessa stood, she could clearly see he had moved further into the past.

"Not again," Buck whispered.

"You been through this before?" Josiah asked.

Buck nodded. "Yeah, several times. But this is the first time in a long while it’s happened. I thought it had stopped."

He took a deep breath and then moved to his friend’s side.

"My boy Buck. Where...where’s my boy?"

"Chris," Buck said softly, putting his hand on the other man’s shoulder. "Chris, Adam’s gone. Along with Sarah. You gotta remember that and come back to the present. Come out of the past, Chris."

Chris shook his head. "No. Help me find him Buck. Please....help me find him."

Buck’s heart ached at Chris’s words and he struggled with his own emotions before saying, "Please Chris, come back from the past. They’re gone, come back."

Chris finally looked at Buck, his eyes even more anguished than before. Buck looked back at him, trying to bring his oldest friend back to the present as he had so many other times before. They stared at each other for a long time, until Chris’s knees suddenly buckled and Buck caught him and gently lowered him to the ground.

Nathan hurried over as Chris once again mumbled pleas for help in finding his son.

"This wound is bleeding faster than I thought," Nathan said as he looked at it. "He’s lost a lot of blood in just a few minutes. We’d better get him upstairs fast so I can re-close it."

Buck nodded and gripped one of Chris’s arms while Nathan got the other.

"Come on, Pard," he said softly to a now barely conscious Chris, "Let’s get you fixed up and put to bed. This will all have been just a bad dream in the morning."

They started to walk, but Chris’s legs quickly gave out as consciousness deserted him. The two men stumbled under the sudden dead weight. Josiah came over and scooped Chris’s limp form up in his arms and continued on to Nathan’s rooms, Nathan and Buck following.

Tessa watched for a minute, bursting with pleasure on the inside at having witnessed such an interesting event.

‘How I do love those side effects,’ she thought with a smile.

Turning, she found Ezra’s gaze on her and nodded to him. He nodded back and she turned in the direction of the hotel, feeling his eyes on her every step of the way.

Tessa laughed the moment she was in the door, startling Kayla and Selene, who were both keeping watch over Vin.

"I’ve just witnessed one of the best side effects from that little knockout potion I’ve ever seen," she explained, a smile lighting her face. "Nothing could possibly top it."

She quickly explained to the girls the events that had taken place. "The last thing I expected was for it to trigger something like that."

There was a knock on the door and Meg and Crystal entered. Tessa looked at Meg.

"How’s J.D. doing? Haven’t seen him since this afternoon."

Meg smiled slightly. "Fever’s pretty bad. Worse than the last one. He was muttering stuff, but I couldn’t understand him. Although he did mention you’re alter ego once or twice."

Tessa saw Meg watch her carefully as she said this, and quickly hid the reaction that brought.

She was relieved when Crystal spoke up impatiently, "Tess, we’ve been here nearly a month! When are we gonna take the bank, kill a few people and get the hell out of here? I’m starting to feel claustrophobic!"

Tessa smiled. "Don’t worry, you’ll get your fun. What we’re doing takes careful planning and a bit of time though. However, I do know how you feel. So, I’ll tell you what. You’re all very good at night riding. If the rest of you are feeling like you’re going to burst any second now, you can leave this very moment and go to the next town to have some fun. The only rule is, don’t get caught and don’t let them see your faces."

The girls exchanged glances and then nodded. They turned to leave, Crystal glancing back and asking, "You coming Kayla?"

Kayla shook her head. "No, I wish to stay."

Tessa raised her brows as Crystal shot Kayla a surprised look. She then shrugged and followed Meg and Selene out.

"Are you not feeling well?" Tessa asked, laying down on her bed. "You’ve never turned down a chance to raid, plunder and kill before."

Kayla shrugged. "Lately, I have felt many things. Unwell has been among them."

Tessa regarded her for a long moment then said, "This town must be affecting you. We’d better wrap things up and get out of here before you actually develop a conscience."

‘Or before I do,’ she added silently to herself.

***

Buck awoke the early the next morning to rambling chatter. Looking down, he found J.D. staring up at the ceiling and talking to it.

"J.D.?"

J.D. stopped talking and froze, as though afraid of getting caught where he shouldn’t be.

"J.D.?"

This time, J.D. turned his head and looked at Buck. The older man was startled by the fevered light in his yong friend’s eyes and had a feeling things were going to get far worse than they thought.

"Buck?" J.D. asked uncertainly.

Buck nodded. "Yeah kid, it’s me."

"How...how did I get here? Where are those men?"

‘Uh oh,’ Buck thought, ‘Please God, don’t let it be this again.’

Out loud, he replied, "Don’t worry about them J.D., you’re safe."

J.D. shook his head and grabbed Buck’s arm, his grip tight as he said, "No Buck, they ain’t gonna give up till they get me."

He let go and looked around, his eyes narrowed as he muttered, "Don’t know why they want me so bad. I’ve never seen any of them before."

He looked back at Buck and added, "They tried to convince me they were my friends. That they were you guys." He laughed. "Must have thought I was pretty stupid, that I would believe them."

His eyes traveled the room, finally coming to rest on the bed next to him and he started in surprise.

"What’s Chris doing here? Did they get him too?"

"No, no. Don’t worry, Chris just had a little incident last night. He’ll be fine," Buck quickly reassured him.

J.D. stared at Chris for a long moment before saying, "Their leader tried to tell me he was Chris. They were tryin’ to mess with my mind. Tellin’ me I wasn’t well and all."

"Well don’t worry about it now, son," Buck said softly, "You’re safe now."

"You sure?" J.D. asked, his gaze returning to Buck, "They went to all that trouble to keep me there, messing with my mind and everything. How do you know they won’t try again?"

Buck didn’t answer, his gaze moving to the door as it opened and Josiah and Nathan entered. The sharp intake of breath quickly brought his gaze back to J.D., who was staring at the two men with fright in his eyes.

"It’s two of em!" he exclaimed, trying to scramble out of bed.

Buck quickly restrained him, saying, "J.D. calm down! It’s just Nathan and Josiah!"

"Don’t let them get me!" J.D. said fearfully, not hearing Buck’s words.

"J.D.! J.D.!" Buck shook his friend, trying to bring the boy’s senses back to him.

Finally, Buck slapped him, stopping the boy’s fierce struggles. J.D. looked up at him, shock in his fevered eyes. He then looked at Josiah and Nathan and recognition flooded them.

"Please don’t let them get me," he whispered.

"Don’t worry son, we’re not going to let anyone get you," Nathan said, exchanging glances with Buck and Josiah.

He looked over at Chris as the man mumbled, "Can’t a man get any sleep around here?"

"How do you feel, Chris?" he asked, going over and standing next to him.

"Terrible. What happened?" He tried to sit up and winced when pain shot through him.

"Easy now," Nathan said, helping him to sit up, "You decided to go against my advice on gettin’ rest and got into a nasty fight in the saloon last night. Got yourself cut up pretty bad. Now I suggest you take it easy for the next few days and get some proper rest. I got enough problems with J.D. without having to worry about keeping you sewn up."

Chris looked over at J.D., who had slipped into a restless sleep and asked, "How is he?"

"Not good. He’s hallucinating again."

Chris closed his eyes and rested his head on the headboard. "Damn it," he muttered.

Buck stepped over and said, "Come on, Pard. I’ll help you to your room so you can follow Nathan’s advice."

Chris allowed Buck to help him up and carefully lead him from the room. Nathan looked down and J.D. and, seeing the sweat that now covered his face, quickly got the wet cloth out of the basin and wiped it away.

***

Kayla watched Vin as he slowly started to come around. She wasn’t surprised by the small, fevered light in his eyes as he looked at her, but she was surprised at how alert he still seemed to be.

<You are very strong, hunter,> she said, <or are you just stubborn?>

<How...how long have I been...out?>

<Little over a day. Your friend, Larabee, he’s been wondering about your whereabouts. Tessa has...distracted him.>

<Did...did she hurt him?>

<No. She just gave him something to take his mind off making sure you were all right.>

Vin closed his eyes as pain and fever ran through him. Kayla watched him carefully.

‘He’s not going to survive this,’ she thought, feeling strangely saddened by the thought.

<Then help him,> a voice whispered through her mind.

Kayla looked up and around, startled. Her eyes widened just a bit when she saw the source of the voice. <Mother?>

The shimmering form of Grey Wolf smiled. <Hello, Black Rose.>

<How is it you are here?>

The ghostly vision of her mother crossed the room and stood, looking at Kayla. She smiled as she reached out and touched Kayla’s cheek.

A sadness crossed her eyes. <I never wanted that for you. But, unfortunately, that was not my decision. I couldn’t stop what you were to become, but I can help you change what you are. To become something better.>

<How?> Kayla whispered, <I’ve already done so much. How can I change now?>

Grey Wolf smiled. <You have already started, my Black Rose.>

She gestured to Vin. <You are starting to care about what happens to him, therefore, you are starting to change. If you truly wish to change, as I know you do, then helping him will start you on the right path to peace. I had not realized that when I was your age. I had plenty of opportunities to get off the path I was on and take the right one. If I had done so, then perhaps I would have found peace a much different way.>

Grey Wolf took a step back, her form slowly beginning to vanish. <Think about that, my daughter. Don’t make the same mistakes I made. Get off this path and on the right one. And remember, I love you.>

With that, the ghostly vision of her mother vanished. Kayla stood, staring at the spot her long dead mother had been, tears slowly making their way down her cheeks as the woman’s words echoed in her mind.

"J.D. J.D. wake up honey."

A soft, startlingly familiar voice penetrated J.D.’s mind, bringing him out of his unconscious state. Blinking his eyes open, he looked to the foot of the bed and drew in a breath. Standing at the foot of the bed, watching him with a soft smile, was a beautiful, middle-aged woman with shoulder length, jet black hair and kind eyes.

"Mamma?" he whispered.

"Yes J.D., it’s me."

"But how? You’re...you’re dead."

"Yes. But that doesn’t mean I can’t still visit you."

She came around and sat down on the edge, reaching out and brushing aside some of the hair that had fallen into his eyes.

"I’ve missed you son."

She looked at him for a long moment before continuing. "J.D., I want you to know that I’m not angry at you for coming out here. In fact, I’m very, very proud of the man you’ve become, of the things you’ve learned out here. Those friends of yours have taught you well. They care for you very much, especially that one who’s so fond of the ladies."

J.D. smiled. "Buck."

She nodded. "Yes, Buck. He’s really something else. They all are and I’m very glad you found them."

J.D. stared at her for a long moment before saying, "Mamma? You aren’t going to leave me again, are you?"

"No, son. Truth is, I’ve never left you. I’ve always been here, you just haven’t seen me until now."

"Is it...is it because I’m sick? Am I gonna die mamma?"

"Oh honey, don’t you worry about that. You’ll be just fine so long as you let your friends care for you."

They both looked toward the door as it opened and Nathan came in.

"Hey Nathan," J.D. greeted with a ghostly smile. He gestured to his mother and said, "Nathan, meet my mamma. Mamma, this is Nathan."

Nathan looked at him worriedly as he came over and put a hand to J.D.’s forehead, quickly removing it at the intense heat he felt.

"You shouldn’t be sitting up J.D. Come on, lay back down. You’ve been out cold for two days now and you don’t want to strain yourself."

"But I want you to meet my mamma, Nathan," J.D. insisted as Nathan helped him to lay back down.

His mother smiled. "Only you can see and hear me, son."

Nathan looked at him intently. "J.D., are you really seeing your mamma?"

J.D. nodded, which caused Nathan’s worry to grow and a little fear to enter his eyes.

"What...what’s she saying J.D.?"

J.D. shrugged. "She just said that she came to visit me. She wanted to tell me that she wasn’t angry that I came out here and was proud of all that I’ve learned."

"Is she still here?"

J.D. nodded, smiling at a spot near Nathan. Nathan looked over and froze as a strange feeling overtook him. He felt something. Almost like another presence, and it unnerved him deeply.

"J.D.," his mother said, "I have to leave for just a little bit. But don’t worry, I’ll be back. You get some rest and then we’ll have a nice long talk, okay?"

J.D. nodded and she vanished.

"Mamma had to leave for a bit," he told Nathan, "But she’ll be back in a bit."

Nathan nodded silently and gently dabbed J.D.’s face with the wet cloth. "Chris is up and around again," he said, trying to get rid of the shivers that were making his way up and down his spine.

"That’s good. Has he been watching for those men?"

Nathan nodded. "Yeah J.D., we all have. They haven’t shown up yet."

"That’s cause they’re waitin’ for you all to let your guard down," J.D. replied, his eyes searching the room suspiciously.

"Don’t worry J.D. We ain’t gonna let our guard down. You hungry?"

J.D.’s eyes stopped roaming the room and settled back on Nathan. He thought for a moment, then nodded.

Nathan stood and said, "All right. I’ll be right back."

Nathan left the room and went over to the restaurant. He ordered a plate, then went over to the saloon. The others were all at a table together, sharing silence and drinks.

"How’s the kid doing?" Buck asked as Nathan sat down heavily. Nathan sighed and took a long drink from the bottle Josiah offered him before replying.

"He’s awake, and hungry. But that’s the only good thing. He’s still paranoid as hell and..." he trailed off, staring down at the table.

"What Nathan?" Buck asked. "What else is going on?"

Nathan looked back up at them, his eyes haunted as he said, "The boy’s seein’ and talkin’ to his mamma. I left for a minute and when I came back in, he was sittin’ up in bed, talkin’ with her. Even introduced me."

"Could it be the boy is experiencing yet another hallucination?" Ezra asked.

Nathan hesitated, then replied, "I don’t think so. He pointed out the spot he said she was standing in at the time and I...I actually felt a presence. I couldn’t see anyone, but I could sure as hell feel someone."

He fell silent for a moment, then looked at Josiah.

"Josiah, is this what I think it might be?"

Josiah nodded. "It’s a very strong possibility."

"You boys want to let us in on what you’re talking about?" Buck asked. "What’s a strong possibility?"

Nathan and Josiah exchanged glances and then Josiah said gravely, "Sometimes, when folks are dying, or close to it, they’ll receive...visitations, from loved ones who have gone on before them. Usually, these loved ones are there to calm the one who is dying or to help them cross over when the time comes."

Shocked silence descended over the table. Buck suddenly slammed his fist down and said with severe venom, "No way! I’ve worked my ass off teaching that kid how not to get shot! I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let that son of a bitch get him through some goddam unfair illness!"

He slammed his fist on the table again, got up and stormed out. A moment later, they heard the sound of hoofs thundering away.

Nathan sighed. "I was afraid he’d take it like that."

He took another drink, then stood. "I’d better get’s J.D.’s food and get back to him. Don’t want to leave him alone too long." He nodded to the men, then left.

***

Buck rode until the town was just a little dot. He slowed to a walk, eventually dismounting and ground tying his horse near a cluster of rocks and trees. He jumped up on one of the rocks and then proceeded to climb the tree right next to it, settling in one of the branches and staring off at the horizon.

His fists clenched and unclenched as Josiah’s words haunted his mind.

"You ain’t gonna get him you son of a bitch," he muttered and then shouted, "You ain’t gonna get him! He’s too young for you ya hear? He’s too young!"

He laid his head back and closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he tried to calm down. An unknown amount of time later, he opened his eyes and spotted three riders heading toward Four Corners. He peered closely at them and quickly identified them as three of ‘Lynne’s’ girls.

‘Wonder where those three are coming back from,’ he thought as he watched them.

One of the girls spotted his horse and straightened up a bit. She motioned to the others and they began to slow up. They reached his horse and reined in, looking around.

"Afternoon, ladies," Buck called, never being able to resist the lure of the opposite sex no matter what his mood was.

The trio looked up and Meg called, "Why Buck, whatever are doing up there?"

"Nothin’ special," Buck replied as he jumped down. "Where’re you girls coming back from?"

"Just an early morning ride," Meg replied, looking at Buck carefully. "Are you all right? You seem...down"

"Nah, I’m fine," Buck replied with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Meg noticed this and said, "You say you’re fine, but you’re eyes tell a different story." She thought for a moment, then added, "Is it J.D. by any chance?"

Buck’s resolve melted and he sat down on the rock with a short nod.

"Damn kid’s dyin’ and there ain’t a thing I can do about it."

Meg exchanged glances with Selene and Crystal, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. She got down off her horse and went over to him. She took his hands and said, "You know, I’ve been through this more times than a girl my age should. And you know what I always do?"

Buck looked from her to the other two and back again. "What?"

Meg smiled and pulled him to his feet. "You’ll see."

Josiah entered the saloon and his eyes sought out Chris. He found him quickly and made his way over to the black clad man.

"Just got a wire from the next town over. Three young females arrived late last night and terrorized the place till this morning. The sheriff, one of his two deputies, the clerk at the bank, and a few bar patrons...all dead."

"Descriptions?"

Josiah shook his head. "No, but the deputy who survived thinks they may be from Tessa William’s gang. You know, the one we were supposed to watch out for last month? They must have been laying low and those three decided to get some...recreation."

"Does this mean we are on alert again?" Ezra asked as he sat down, having heard the conversation.

Chris nodded. "Any sign of Buck yet?"

Josiah shook his head. "Don’t think he’s come back from wherever it was he took off earlier."

"Perhaps he’s with my girls."

The two men looked up to find ‘Lynne’ standing next to them, looking just a little more than drunk, but still incredibly lucid. "Three of my girls went out for a ride this morning and aren’t back yet. Maybe they met up with each other. If that’s so, then my girls are probably trying to take his mind off J.D. They probably won’t be back for a while."

Her eyes traveled toward the street and a strange light entered them. "Excuse me, gentlemen. I myself need a bit of a distraction. And I think I know just where to get it."

She flashed them a smile, then left the saloon.

"Poor child is taking this just as bad as Buck," Josiah said as he watched her disappear into the night.

"I wouldn’t be so certain of that," Ezra muttered.

"What was that Ezra?" Josiah asked, raising his brows at the other man’s comment.

"I have been watching Lynne and her female compatriots quite closely as of late and have found some rather questioning characteristics," Ezra replied.

"Such as?" Josiah asked.

"Such as the perverse pleasure she seems to get-that they all seem to get- from senseless violence for instance. Something I would find strange for a group of unfortunate girls trying to settle down and lead normal, safe lives. I’ve also been thinking of the observations Mr. Tanner made when they first arrived. That being there is five of them and Miss. Lynne has some rather astonishing red hair. Has it not struck you gentlemen as odd that as soon as these ladies appeared, the Williams gang, which was supposedly headed for our fine little town, dropped out of sight until today? Which brings me to another observation. Only three of Tessa Williams’ gang did that little number on our unfortunate neighbor and three of Lynne’s friends have been out of town and are now with Buck."

Ezra was silent for a moment, then added, "Mr. Tanner was conduction an investigation of sorts into Miss Lynne and her friends was he not?"

Chris nodded.

"Isn’t it awfully convenient that he decided to just up and leave town?"

"Not necessarily," Josiah said.

"Needed to do some thinking," Chris added.

"And did Mr. Tanner inform you of this decision?"

Chris shook his head. "No, Lynne told me. Said she ran into him day J.D. collapsed and he told her to tell me he was leaving for a few days."

Ezra raised his brows. "Ah, the plot thickens. Doesn’t it strike you as odd that he’d give a message to someone he didn’t trust?"

Chris and Josiah were silent for a moment, taking in Ezra’s words.

"Man’s got some good points," Josiah said.

"When Buck gets back, tell him I wanna see him," Chris said. "Ezra, since you seem to be so good at detecting, keep a close eye on Lynne and her girls. You find anything solid, tell the rest of us right away. I’m gonna go search for Vin in the morning."

He stood, a little stiffly the other two men noticed, and walked out of the saloon, blending into the night the moment he was out the door.

***

Tessa entered her room, closed the door and leaned against it, staring at Vin, who lay deathly still in the bed. She turned her gaze to Kayla, who was watching her carefully.

"He dead?"

She shook her head. "No, but he’s got a bad fever."

Tessa crossed over and sat on the edge of the bed. She put her hand to Vin’s forehead and quickly pulled away at the heat.

"Almost as bad as J.D."

She looked at Kayla and nodded toward the door. "Go get some sleep. I’m pretty much here for the night now."

Kayla nodded, stood and left. But not without one last look at Vin, Tessa noticed.

Once she was gone, Tessa turned her gaze back to Vin.

"Tracker. Tracker, I know you’re in there. Open your eyes."

She lightly ran her finger down his cheek, prompting him to stir at the touch. She smiled, called to him again, and then slapped him hard.

Vin cried out and his eyes opened at the sudden, sharp blow. She smiled.

"Welcome back. We’re you dreaming?"

He looked at her without responding.

"Not in the mood for chit chat tonight?" she asked as she once again ran her finger lightly down the side of his cheek.

She smiled in amusement as he jerked away. "Shy are we? You don’t seem like the type of man to turn down female companionship."

"I prefer females who won’t eat their mates when they’re finished with em," Vin snarled in a whisper.

Tessa raised her brows. "My, such hostility. And after I was so kind to allow a bed to be brought in for you."

"Much obliged," Vin replied sarcastically.

Tessa chuckled softly, a knife suddenly appearing in her hand. She traced his cheek with it, moving down his throat and around his bandaged chest. She moved it down to his side and suddenly plunged it in, covering his mouth tightly to muffle his scream.

She pulled it out, leaned in close and whispered, "I can see you’re one of those men who need to be taught how to talk respectfully to a lady."

Through labored breathing, Vin whispered, "You ain’t no lady. You’re a demon."

Tessa smiled chillingly. "You have no idea what I am, tracker. And you don’t want to find out."

She watched as the loss of blood and the fever finally claimed him and took him from consciousness. She watched the blood seep out and onto the sheet for a bit, starting when there was a soft knock on the door.

"Who is it?" she called.

"Meg," came the muffled reply.

"It’s open."

She looked at Meg as the girl came in and spotted Morgan right behind her.

"You’re just in time Morgan. The Tracker here got himself another knife in him."

Morgan rushed over and took in the wound.

"Damn it Tess!" she exclaimed as she hurried to get the medical supplies from the closet, "You keep this up and he’s gonna be dead before you get a mile outside of town!"

Tessa just smiled as she moved out of the way and turned her attention to Meg.

"Where’ve you been? You should have been back this afternoon."

Meg smiled and replied, "We ran into Buck. He was pretty down so the girls and I took him to Purgatory and got him drunk and shot at."

Tessa raised her brows. "Anyone hurt?"

"Crystal got grazed but nothing serious. Can’t say the same for some the inhabitants of that so called town. I’m surprised Buck is still among the living. I gotta give him credit for his ability to handle a gun utterly drunk. I thought about shooting him myself, but a man like that...well, there’s just no fun in it."

She paused, looking around as she added, "So what happened around here? Besides the obvious I mean."

Tessa smiled slightly. "I"ve determined that it may be a good idea to keep an eye on Kayla."

"Why’s that?"

"I think our native friend is getting sweet on our tracker here."

Meg raised her brows. "Well now, that could be a problem couldn’t it?"

Tessa nodded. "Which is why we’re going to be getting out of here very shortly. Last thing I want is for one of my girls to fall back under the control of the enemy."

"There," Morgan said as she finished sewing up the wound. She looked at them and added, "He’s lost so much blood, I’m amazed he still regains consciousness at all. And this fever..."

"He’s a strong one," Tessa said, coming over and looking down at him. "Those are my favorites, they’re always fun to kill."

"I thought you were going to let Tuscosa deal with him," Morgan said quietly.

"Oh I am. He’ll make it to Tuscosa alive, I’ll see to that, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have half of him. Or a little more."

Morgan could not meet Tessa’s eyes, for she was afraid of what she would see there. Instead, she stared down at Vin and began to do what she had been doing a lot of lately. She began to pray silently.

Buck had sobered up considerably since arriving back in town and meeting with Chris. He was disturbed by what his friend had told him about Ezra’s suspicions and sincerely hoped the gambler was wrong.

‘It would kill J.D. if Lynne turned out to be Tessa Williams,’ Buck thought. He chuckled without humor at the irony that thought brought. ‘Course, he might not be around long enough to find out.’

A noise behind him reached his ears and he spun around, gun drawn.

"Who’s there?" he demanded, his eyes searching the darkness.

A form moved out of the shadows, and Buck lowered his gun as a woman moved into the light.

"I’m sorry if I startled you Mr. Wilmington," she said softly.

"Think nothing of it ma’am," Buck said with a smile as he holstered his gun. "You shouldn’t be out wandering the streets this late at night, ma’am. Ain’t exactly safe."

He looked at her closely and found her to be middle aged and very attractive, with shoulder length, black hair. He didn’t recognize her, yet there was something oddly familiar about her.

"Uh, excuse me ma’am, but do I know you?"

She shook her head. "No, Mr. Wilmington, you don’t. But I know you. J.D. has told me a lot about you."

"J.D.?"

The woman nodded. "You’re a very good friend to J.D. Mr. Wilmington. I can see that you care for him a lot. J.D. never had many friends when he was younger. Warms my heart to see the ones he’s made here."

"Uh, are you a relative ma’am? I didn’t know J.D. had any left."

The woman ignored the question and said, "J.D.’s illness isn’t natural, Mr. Wilmington. Look for a friend among the enemy."

Buck looked at her, startled. Noise in the street behind him caught his attention and he glanced behind him. Finding nothing, he turned his attention back to the woman, only to find her gone.

"What the hell is going on around here?" he muttered as he searched the darkness in vain for the mysterious woman.

"Something wrong, Buck?"

Buck turned and found Josiah standing behind him.

"Yeah, I’m losing my mind," Buck replied.

He took one last look in the shadows then, shaking his head, added, "I’m going to get some sleep. Who’s watching the kid?"

"Ezra. I’m on my way to relieve him now."

Buck nodded. "All right. I’ll come spell you in a few hours."

He nodded to the big man, then turned and continued on to the boarding house and his room.

***

J.D. waited anxiously in his hiding place for his captor to return. The early morning sun filtered in through the window, giving a friendly look to the room he was being held captive in. He wiped his sweat slicked brow with the back of his sleeve and forced down the dizziness that kept trying to claim him. He didn’t know what had been done to him, but he had to get back to Four Corners or the nearest town, and get help.

How had they managed to get past the others and get him out of there? That was the question that had plagued him since waking up and it had also frightened him. What if something had happened to the others? What if they had been hurt, or worse? He shook himself and resolved that if something bad had happened to the others, that he would come back and avenge them once he was well.

He froze as footsteps reached his ears. He listened and when it became apparent that they were headed for him, got ready. He clutched his gun, still unable to believe they had actually kept them with him. The door opened and a black man entered. J.D. watched as he walked toward the bed, stopped, then quickly turned the covers back to find the pillows J.D. had stuffed under there in his place. The man cursed softly and J.D. made his move. As the man turned to leave, J.D. stepped from his hiding place and cocked his gun.

"Don’t move," he warned as the man froze at the sound.

"J.D., don’t do something you’re gonna regret later," the man said as he raised his hands.

"If you don’t shut up, it’ll be you who’ll be regretting what I do," J.D. snapped, moving forward and removing Nathan’s guns.

"Now, tell me where I am and where the next town is so I can wire my friends."

"J.D. you’re in Four Corners. I am your friend son."

"Why do you all keep thinking messing with my mind is going to work? I ain’t stupid! Now where am I?"

"J.D. please, you ain’t well. Let me help you."

"Mister, you must have wax in your ears. Answer my question!"

The man remained silent, however, and J.D., fearing someone may walk in at any moment and spoil his chance for escape, snarled, "Fine! I’ll find my own way then. I best take care of you first though."

He prepared to shoot the man, but stopped as he remembered what Chris and Buck and the others had all taught him. ‘You don’t shoot a man in the back.’ ‘It ain’t honorable to shoot an unarmed man.’

Those words running through his mind, he un-cocked the gun, gripped the barrel, and hit the man hard in the side of head. He went down with a dull thud and remained still.

J.D. hurried to the door, peeked outside, saw it was clear and hurried out. He managed to make it to the livery, saddle his horse and get to the outskirts of town unchallenged. Once he hit the outskirts, he spurred his horse from a calm trot to an all out canter, making a break for freedom.

***

Tessa smiled as she watched J.D. rush out of town. She glanced at Meg as her friend joined her and said, "Tell the girls to prepare themselves. Things are about to start heating up again and we may be leaving within the next twenty four hours."

Meg nodded and left to carry out the instructions. Tessa watched the dust from J.D.’s departure settle, then turned and headed for the saloon.

***

Buck made his way up the stairs to Nathan’s, hoping J.D. would be a little better this morning, even though he knew the kid wouldn’t. All through Buck’s watch the previous night, J.D. had been restless and troubled, settling down only when he claimed his mamma was there. Buck shivered as he recalled the few times J.D. had said his mamma was there and Buck had actually felt a presence as Nathan had. It had been severely unnerving, but at least the kid had settled down after those incidents.

Buck’s thoughts deserted him when he reached the top of the stairs and Nathan’s door came into view. It was slightly ajar, which was strange considering Nathan never left the door open when he had a patient inside.

Drawing his gun, Buck moved forward cautiously, calling out, "Nathan?" as he did so.

When he received no answer, he called out again, carefully pushing the door open and peering inside. He cursed and rushed inside when he saw Nathan laying unmoving on the floor.

"Nathan! Nathan can you hear me?" Buck called as he knelt next to his friend.

He quickly glanced up to check on J.D. and found the kid gone. He cursed again, then hurried outside, scanning the streets.

He spotted Josiah and shouted, "Josiah! Get up here fast!"

The big man veered off his path and hurried over to the stairs, taking them two at the time and hurried into Nathan’s room.

"What happened?" he asked as he knelt next to the now stirring man.

"Kid cold-cocked me an’ took off," Nathan mumbled as he opened his eyes.

"Easy brother," Josiah said as Nathan tried unsuccessfully to sit up, "Just lay still a moment."

"I’m gonna go get Chris and Ezra," Buck said, standing and rushing out again.

He found both men in the saloon, Chris drinking coffee before heading out to look for Vin and Ezra quietly playing with his card deck.

"We gotta big problem," Buck said as he came up to their table. "J.D. knocked Nathan cold and took off."

"Aw hell," Chris muttered, as he and Ezra both stood and followed Buck back to Nathan’s.

Nathan was now sitting in a chair, holding a wet cloth to his head.

"You all right, Nathan?" Chris asked.

Nathan nodded. "I will be. You guys have gotta find J.D. Kid ain’t in no condition to be wandering around out there."

"Will you be all right here alone?" Chris asked as he nodded.

"I’ll make sure he’s all right," A voice from the door said.

They turned around and found Morgan Williams standing there.

"I saw you all running up here and thought something was wrong. I know quite a bit about nursing, I can take care of him."

Chris thought for a moment, then nodded. "All right, let get saddled up and start searching then."

"Be careful," Nathan warned before they left. "That boy is right back to thinking we’re not his friends. He’s confused and scared and if he sees you following him, he’ll probably get hostile."

Chris nodded and the men hurried to fetch their horses.

Chris was getting irritated. They had been searching for the kid all morning and were now entering early afternoon. Tracking him wasn’t very hard, though every so often they would loose him, only to pick him up again a short time later.

Buck was out of his skin with worry and the bit of blood staining a rock where J.D. had apparently rested a moment didn’t help matters any.

It had been nearly half an hour since finding the blood on the rocks and they had just managed to pick up their young friend’s trail again when Ezra suddenly let out a laugh.

"What’s so funny?" Buck asked, his voice showing even more evidence of just how worried he was.

"I have come to a realization. Our young comrade didn’t have that much of a head start. We should have found him hours ago and yet, here we are, wandering around the desert in the hot sun, following him as he leads us to where he wants us."

"What are you talking about?" Buck asked impatiently.

Ezra sighed. "Don’t you see it gentlemen? The boy is using everything we’ve ever taught him about how to stay alive out here. At the moment, while we are tracking him, he is using what Mr. Tanner has taught him and is tracking us while luring us to a spot where he could, shall I say, take us out?" He paused, then added as he gestured ahead, "Most likely he’s planning to carry out his plan up ahead in that pass. There are many boulders and thus, many places to hide and not get himself killed."

Buck looked where Ezra had indicated, slightly startled. "Well, glad to know the kid’s been paying attention," he muttered.

"So, what do we do?" Josiah asked.

Chris thought for a moment, then said, "We’ll have to outsmart him."

"How are we gonna do that?" Buck asked. "If he’s there, he can probably see us."

"There’s another way into that pass," Josiah said, "We could head east from here, make it look like we’re gonna go look for him elsewhere and then circle around and turn into the other entrance. He sees us going away, he’ll most likely stay where he is and rest. Bet he’s in pretty bad shape right now being out in the sun all day."

Chris was silent, then nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Risky, but it’s the only thing we’ve got right now. All right, let’s go."

He turned his horse east and urged him into a trot, the others following.

***

J.D. watched through hazy vision as the men who had been tracking him stopped their progress and talked for a moment. One of them gestured to the pass he was hiding in while another gestured east. After a moment, the leader nodded and the men turned their horses and started off eastward.

Amazement and relief flooded him as he watched them disappear and he sank down to the ground, his back resting against a large boulder.

‘I should keep going,’ he thought, ‘They’re going in the opposite direction. I should take advantage and get the hell out of here. But I feel so tired.’ His eyes began to close. ‘Maybe I can rest for just a bit and then go on. Just a bit...’

***

Buck silently crept among the boulders, carefully searching for J.D. They had found his horse, so they knew he was still there. Chris had them split up so they would have a better chance of finding him, but so far, nobody had signaled that they’d had any luck.

He sighed, hoping the kid, in his fevered state, hadn’t wandered off without his horse.

‘If that’s the case, the fever might not be the one to get ‘em,’ he thought, carefully rounding a corner.

He stopped, his breath catching as he nearly tripped over a body, leaning slumped against the big boulder he was going around. Fearfully, but silently, he bent down to check and see if the kid was still breathing. He sighed inwardly in relieve when he found he was. Now to signal the others and get out of here.

He jumped up onto a larger boulder a few feet away and quickly spotted movement.

‘Good thing the kid wasn’t watching for us up here,’ he thought, ‘He actually picked a good spot.’

He put his finger between his lips and whistled shrilly, waving his hat as the movement below stopped. Once certain they knew where to find him, he turned to go back to J.D., and found himself staring down the barrels of J.D.’s colts.

"I knew I should have kept going," J.D. said, his voice shaky and weak.

Buck slowly raised his hands and then his eyes and drew in a sharp breath. J.D. looked ten times worse than he had before. His face, where it should have been at least tanned from being out in the sun all day, was deathly white and sweat slicked. Even his lips were a strange white. But what scared Buck the most were his eyes. They were wild and burned bright with a now raging, out of control fever.

"You’re buddies are probably around here somewhere too huh? Probably on their way here?"

A strange, frightening smile crossed J.D.’s lips. "Let’s wait for ‘em then. You can see each other one last time before I..." J.D. trailed off and he took step back, shaking his head as if to clear his vision. He lowered his guns a bit, and Buck took a small step toward him.

J.D. saw the movement, however, and quickly raised the guns back on him. "Oh no you don’t. Don’t even think of moving. Now, take your guns out nice and slow and toss them this way."

Buck did as he was told, keeping a careful eye on J.D. all the time.

"Buck?" came Chris’ voice from just below and behind Buck.

J.D. made a gesture and Buck called, "Up here."

Josiah was the first to appear. He straightened up slowly when he saw the guns pointed at him and raised his hands as J.D. gestured for him to move aside. Chris came next and then Ezra. The gambler froze in surprise when he appeared, then relaxed and sighed as he raised his hands.

"Wonderful," he muttered.

Once their guns had been removed, J.D. said, "All right, now tell me what you did with my

friends. If you’ve hurt any of them so help me¼"

Buck exchanged glances with the others, then said, "Son, we are¼"

"B¼Buck?"

Fear suddenly entered J.D.’s eyes and he took a quick step back, raising the guns he had been lowering. "Stay back!" he warned. "You¼you ain’t Buck."

"You¼you were real mad at me for using the butt of my gun," J.D. replied with a small, ghostly smile.

J.D. smiled more at the memory and Buck took another step forward. Just about there¼

J.D. shook his head. "No, no they’re trying to get me. They aren’t my friends. They did something to my head. They¼they killed the others."

Meg looked at Tessa and replied, "How¼do I look?"

"I¼I just wanted to know how Mr. Standish was doing," Morgan said

"Was¼was Josiah¼?"

Morgan closed her eyes, silently cursing Tessa for what she had done and also herself for staying silent when she could help. She opened her eyes and looked at J.D. She could see how close he was to being sucked into oblivion by Tessa’s poison. How could she help him¼help both of

‘You can’t,’ she thought, ‘You either help them and reveal yourself, or you stay silent and let two good men die. Well, wouldn’t be the first time¼’

"Morgan?"

She looked at J.D., then Ezra and nodded quickly. "Yeah, I’m fine. I¼I have to go."

<Please¼.don’t let¼this go on. Kill me.>