Nick’s young face formed a scowl as he watched Kevin stalk to the livery. Who’d he think he was? Since when do I listen to him? Better yet, to anyone? Nick’s sneering blue eyes glanced over the others still standing beside him, trying to fathom what they could possibly want with him. Why are they helping me? IF what they are doin’ is helpin’...
Nick carefully leaned back against the wall of the mercantile, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. He wanted to cross his arms, but he knew it would be a difficult task with his injury, so he settled for hooking his thumbs in his gun belt. He quietly listened as the others spoke.
“I want to know what the hell that just was,” scowled AJ, glaring at Kevin’s back just before he disappeared into the livery. “Since when do we bow to ‘is beck and call?”
Howie shrugged, “He seems to be assumin’ we’ll help. Personally, he’s right.”
AJ’s dark eyes widened slightly, “What?! You mean yer gonna go with ‘im?”
“Yep,” nodded Howie, as if it were obvious.
AJ ducked his head, then looked up at the ex-gunslinger, “Why?”
“He wants our help, why wouldn’t we give it?” asked Howie, his brown eyes hardening as he stared at AJ.
AJ broke the stare, glancing to the ground and then the livery, “Maybe ‘cause there’s a dang good chance we’ll end up dead.”
Howie scoffed, “We could be dead at any time or any place, AJ. Especially with the way we seem to attract trouble. Atleast this way we’re doin’ somethin’ good.”
AJ stayed silent for a few minutes, then he glanced at Nick from beneath the shadow of his hat, “All right, Howie. I’ll do it, but not for ‘im.” AJ nodded his head to the livery.
“Fine,” sighed Howie, then he turned to the unusually silent gambler, “What about you, Brian? Are you comin’?”
Brian shifted his feet, pressing his lips together briefly before answering, “As I said, it seems we’re to be in each other’s company for quite some time. I’ll follow Kevin, whether he wants me to or not. I am all the family he has left.”
Howie smiled, “It’s settled then, we’re all goin’.”
“Excuse me?” asked Nick, the others turning to him, “I never said I’d go. I never asked you guys to help me, I don’t need anyone. You had best jus’ go on and leave me alone. I’ve been gettin’ along fine on my own.”
AJ sighed, pushing his hat up, “Kid, yer dealin’ with some heavy hitters now. Those men, they’re yer classic no good outlaw. You can’t get rid of ‘em on yer own.”
“To hell I can’t,” growled Nick. If he calls me kid one more time...
Now AJ was getting riled, Why the hell won’t he accept any help? “Listen, you were damn near killed just a bit ago, but yer still alive. Why? Because we came and helped you. Why don’t you jus’ accept that yer stuck with us?”
“I didn’t ask for any of this!” yelled Nick, pushing away from the wall and wincing as his side protested the abrupt movement.
“We never said you did,” voiced Howie, trying to calm the blond down. “C’mon Nick, let us help you. Somethin’ is goin’ on here, somethin’ deeper than we know. You’re gonna have ta accept that you can’t do this alone, not this time.”
Nick set his jaw, his teeth grinding together in stubborn resolve.
“Nick,” drawled Brian, “I know you don’t trust us, but you must endeavor to try. I believe we will need each other’s trust in order to achieve anything in this situation.” Brian reached out a hand, “Trust me, Nick. I will not let you down.”
Nick stared openly from the outstretched hand to the gambler, surprised at the sincerity not only in Brian’s voice, but on his face. Nick frowned. Trust? Trust Brian? And the others? Nick looked from face to face, uncertainty clearly visible on his tanned face. The last time I did that... But that was different, wasn’t it? Nick blinked at the offered hand, then he hesitantly brought his own hand forward. His clear blue eyes flitted to each of their faces as he grasped Brian’s hand, the gambler smiling brightly and shaking it firmly.
“You will not regret this, Nick,” promised Brian, “You are doing the right thing.”
“I hope yer right, Brian,” said Nick softly, staring at their clasped hands before releasing the grip, “I hope yer right.”
AJ looked back and forth between the two then straightened, “Well!” AJ pulled his hat low over his face, turning toward the livery, “Enough chit chat, let’s get our butts goin’!”
Howie chuckled, “Yer the one that started this.”
AJ spun around and opened his mouth, then closed it. He smiled and shrugged, turning without a word and walking to the livery. Howie shook his head, then turned to Nick and Brian, “I’ll meet you guys in a bit, I have to go pick some things up from my place.”
Brian nodded and watched the healer go, then he turned to Nick, “Are you going to be capable to ride?”
“Yeah, I think so,” answered Nick, pressing a hand to his side gently, “It’s really just an ache now.”
“Good,” smiled Brian, turning to head to the livery, “Because I sure as hell was not going to procure your steed.”
Nick couldn’t help but smile, “Wha’cha mean? Journey is the perfect gentlemen.”
Brian stopped in his tracks, “G- gentlemen? I think not!”
“Sure he is,” stated Nick, “It only happens when I’m around, though. He doesn’t trust anybody or anything.”
“Hmm,” smirked Brian, glancing at Nick, “I wonder where he gets it from?”
“Hey!”
Branson sneered as he looked over what remained of his men, only five remained of nine. He couldn’t believe that they had gotten the drop on him; he thought they were just after one kid, not a kid and four gunslingers, one of which just happened to be Kevin Richardson. Damn, that complicates things.
“Hey, Branson,” called Mac, walking up to stand beside his boss, “What now?”
Branson’s eyes narrowed and stared at the town in the distance, a smile turning his lips as five figures on horseback formed in the diminishing light, walking away from the town. He turned to Mac, “We follow ‘em.”
Brian twisted slightly in his saddle to stretch his back, grimacing. He glanced above to the starry sky and shivered. It was getting cold and late, they should have stopped hours ago. They were now a good eighteen miles out of town and needed to stop for the night, for sleep and safety. With a deep breath, Brian nudged Joker into a trot and rode up to Kevin’s side in the lead of their line. Kevin didn’t look at Brian, keeping his eyes on the ground ahead.
Brian cleared his throat, “Kevin, do you not think it wise to cease our travels for the evening? One must obtain rest and the terrain is almost invisible to our eyes.”
Kevin frowned, blinked, then looked at the gambler as if seeing him for the first time, “Huh? ... Oh, yeah... Let’s stop fer the night.”
Kevin stopped and dismounted, Brian watched with a perplexed expression. He glanced back to the others and only caught the healer’s eyes as the other two also dismounted. Howie had a worried look on his face as he glanced at Kevin. Brian wasn’t sure if it was worry for the gunslinger or for their own safety if Kevin remained distant.
They soon built a fire and were gathered around it, silent save for the crackling wood. Howie discreetly kept his brown eyes on the dark gunslinger, watching as the firelight danced in the green eyes that were now filled with an anguished pain. The hardened features were set, jaw clenched. Howie decided it was wise to keep a wide berth from Kevin’s reach this night, as demons from the past have obviously taken hold of his mind.
Howie switched his gaze to Nick, who kept off to the side somewhat. Howie sighed, seeing the reproach and suspicion again in the narrowed blue eyes. It would be a chore to win the trust they needed from the rebel, although Brian seemed to be able to get the young man to let his guard down. Howie smiled, he thought it ironic that Nick would trust a gambler/con man and still hold such high wariness of himself and the others.
“So,” AJ spoke up, his eyes on Kevin, “Where’re we headed?”
Kevin pulled his gaze from the fire and to the sharpshooter, his voice devoid of emotion when he spoke, “Cripple Creek.”
Brian raised an eyebrow, “Why that particular municipality?”
Kevin scowled, “Seems a good place ta start, plenty of dealin’ and low down scum there. Never know, someone there might know of somethin’. We wouldn’a found anything out back at Penrose.”
Brian tilted his head, genuinely surprised, “So, that sorry excuse for a metropolis indeed has a title to identify its existence.”
“Kevin,” Howie broke in, gaining the man’s attention, “You still haven’t said what you learned from that outlaw.”
Kevin sighed, his hard eyes focussing on Nick’s form at the edge of the fire, “Seems someone’s got a contract out on Kaos, dead or alive. Get more money if’n ‘e’s alive.”
Nick’s head shot up and he stared at Kevin, his mouth open slightly and disbelief coloring his features. Nick didn’t know what took him for a loop more, the contract out on his hide or that Kevin had referred to him as Kaos.
Kevin pressed his lips into a firm line, then frowned at the young blond, “You are in a hell of a pinch, Kaos. Branson is on yer tail and he’s a high profile outlaw fer hire, I know ‘cause I’ve been tryin’ to track his sorry ass down fer nine years.”
“Son of a bitch!” hollered AJ, just registering Kevin’s words. He pinned Nick with wide eyes, “Who the hell has it in for ya, kid?!”
“Will you quit with the damned kid thing already?!” returned Nick, his shock dissipated and anger clouding his face, “I ain’t no snot-nosed kid!”
AJ’s face fell into a scowl, “I’ll call ya whatever I damn well like, Kaos.”
Nick fairly snarled and made to get to his feet, the threat clear on his young face. A firm hand on his shoulder stopped him and he turned his flashing eyes to see the healer, a patient expression on the Spaniard’s face.
“Let it go, Nick,” placated Howie, his eyes soft in the low light. “We don’t need to be fightin’ now, lest of all you. You pull dem stitches and you’ll answer to me, got it?”
Nick stared at Howie, then he shrugged the hand off and settled back down. He did not lessen his glare at the tracker, though.
Brian studied Nick with a practiced eye, “Who would place a contract out on you, Nick?”
Nick broke his eyes away from AJ, looking to the gambler. Nick shook his head in defeat, raising a hand to remove his black hat and rub his hair, then replaced the headgear with a sigh, “Hell, I haven’t the notion why I’d have a contract out on me. I ain’t important enough ta be of such a big hog-wash of attention.”
“Well,” sneered AJ, still stung, “someone sure as hell tends ta differ wit’ ya. Hell, they’ve damn near gotten a hold of ya twice already. Ya must ‘ave one big assed bag o’ money hanging over yer head to get so much dedication to the hit.”
“Well, I don’t know why!” returned Nick, continuing his next words before thinking them through, “I’m just a damned kid!”
Nick snapped his mouth shut and mentally cursed himself, closing his eyes at the expression he knew to be gracing AJ’s face.
AJ smiled so wide Brian thought the man’s face would split, “Just a damned kid, eh?” AJ laughed, grabbing his hat and slapping it to his chest, “Lordy be, if that just ain’t the corker right there.”
Nick glared at AJ, “Oh... Just shut up, AJ!”
AJ just laughed harder, causing a ghost of a smile to turn the corners of Nick’s lips before disappearing into the familiar sneer. Kevin noticed this and shook his head, wondering how long it would be before Nick saw them for what they were, friends and not enemies.
Kevin’s demanding voice brought them back to the problem at hand, “Kaos, you have no idea who would want you? You haven’t any enemies to take their revenge?”
Nick frowned, “No, none that would go this far or have the money to do it. I’ll admit I’ve left a few places quicker than I came into them, but I did nothin’ to warrant this contract on my head. Like I said, I ain’t important enough fer somethin’ like that.”
“Well, apparently, someone out dere thinks you are,” toned Howie softly, “What are we gonna do?”
Kevin shook his head, “We’ll ask around at Cripple Creek, there has ta be somethin’ we can turn up.”
“Perhaps we may procure some information from the locals over a friendly game of chance,” smirked Brian, deftly flipping a deck of cards from his navy coat, “I have been known to gather more than just the valuable greenback at my nightly pursuits.”
This managed to pull a smile from the gunslinger, “Perhaps.”
Nick sat back in disbelief, staring openly at the men before him who were discussing how to help him out of his current situation without the slightest request on his part. They were prepared to set out and do all it took to help Nick and it took the young rebel aback in wonder. Nick blinked and focussed back in on the four as they broke out laughing.
“I swear!” Hollered AJ through his own laughter, “On my sainted mother’s grave, it’s true!”
They laugh harder, but come abruptly silent at the stark voice of their young charge.
“Why are you doin’ this?”
AJ blinked at Nick, “Huh? Doin’ what?”
Nick swallowed, looking at each of them in turn, “Helpin’ me. Why are you helpin’ me? You don’t even know me... why?”
They glanced at each other, Howie shrugged, “Why not? You’re in trouble and we can help. Hell, we got nothin’ better to do. We got the resources to help ya and those guys after ya are in longtime need of some ‘justifiable repercussions’. Ain’t that right, Bri’?”
“Most assuredly, Howie,” nodded Brian, flashing one of his blinding smiles. “It would bring me great pleasure to bring those loathsome curmudgeons to justice.”
AJ leaned over and slapped Brian on the back, shaking his head, “Hell, I have a bone ta pick with that Branson fella anyway. He done rubbed me the wrong way, thinks he can get the better of ole AJ McLean... Huh, he’s got another thing comin’.”
Kevin’s face darkened, his eyes flashing in the fire’s glow, “Branson is mine.”
That lone statement spoke all that needed to be said. AJ leaned back slightly and nodded, acknowledging the information. AJ turned back to Nick and smiled, “Ya see, kid? Yer stuck with us.”
Nick frowned at the ‘kid’ moniker, but kept his mouth shut as he had asked for it earlier. Nick looked at each of them, slowly nodding his head in acceptance as a smile gradually took purchase of his lips. Stuck with them, eh?... Now, why does that make me feel... so... right? ...fulfilled? Nick took in a slow breath as his vibrant blue eyes took in their supportive and genuine faces, his own features relaxed in the fire’s light as he exhaled the cool air in a sigh of gratitude, “Thanks.” Nick was surprised at himself, he meant it.
“Aw,” guffawed AJ, smirking at Nick, “Nothin’ to be thankin’ us fer, we’re glad ta be of help.” AJ paused, looking around the group, “I just have one question...”
Nick looked up at him, a sandy eyebrow quirked, “What?”
The hawk-like eyes twinkled in mirth, “What the hell is a ‘curmudgeon’?!”
Even Nick couldn’t stop the laughter that burst forth, laughing along with the other four men, Brian shaking his head in defeat. Nick fairly wiped tears from the corners of his eyes, not having actually laughed in a long time. Even as he managed to catch his breath, he couldn’t help but repeat the question in his mind. What is a curmudgeon?
Nick awoke abruptly to a force striking his right leg and he instinctively drew his Colt, his heavy eyelids flew open and then quickly squinted shut at the sudden intrusion of light as a yell rang in his ears and the feeling of being restrained caused him to panic.
“Hey!... Hey!!” Yelled a somewhat familiar voice, “Take ‘er easy, kid! It’s jus’ me! AJ!”
Nick lessened his struggles, the hands holding him to the ground relaxing their grip. The sleepy blue eyes squinted and blinked up at the sharpshooter, who kneeled beside Nick huffing and puffing.
“Damn, kid,” panted AJ, “Ya ain’t a mornin’ person, are ya?”
Nick let out a groan and moved an arm to support his injured side as it burned with the abrupt movements forced upon it, the slight pain only felt after the adrenaline left the blond’s bloodstream. Eyes now somewhat adjusted to the light, Nick fixed AJ with a sarcastic glare, pushing himself into a half reclining position on one elbow, “AJ, how on this green earth did ya ever figure that out? You a damned gypsy or somethin’?”
AJ scowled, “Well, good mornin’ ta you, too.” AJ tilted his head at the young rebel, watching as he sat up fully and rubbed a hand tiredly through his short cropped blond hair, “Ya know, ya damn near shot me with that Colt o’ yers. You always this jumpy in the mornin’s?”
Nick gave AJ a tired look, pressing his hat onto his head, “When someone comes and kicks me in the leg? Yeah.”
“Ya gotta relax, kid,” advised AJ, pushing to his feet, “You’ll end up shootin’ ‘fore yer awake and kill yer horse or some innocent passerby.”
Nick rolled his eyes and forced himself up with a strained reply between clenched teeth, “Thank you, o’ wise one, fer those invaluable words of wisdom. How shall I ever be able to redeem myself to yer more superior self?”
“Christ,” replied AJ, surprise on his face, “Yer just all sunshine and everythin’ nice in da mornin’, aren’t ya?”
“Better get used to it,” smiled Nick as he holstered his Colt, a smile that made AJ’s gut turn over, “And as a side note, Journey knows better’n to bother me in the mornin’s. He’s got brains.”
Nick then turned away and walked to the horses, where the others were packing up and discreetly observing the two in hidden amusement. AJ just stared at Nick’s retreating back and muttered under his breath, throwing a hand out in conversation to no one.
Kevin shook his head and momentarily leaned on his black stallion, Blaze, who snorted with a toss of his fine head to the approaching Nick. Kevin sighed and nodded his head in agreement with his horse, “Yeah, Blaze, I’ve got one hell of a mess to clean up, but I’m in this to get Branson, Kaos jus’ happens ta be the thing I need to achieve that.”
Brian, just on the other side of his horse, Joker, who was along side the black, paused in his task of tightening the cinch of his saddle. The gambler gazed over the seat of his saddle to Kevin’s bent head on the other side of Blaze, the corners of his eyes crinkling in emotion. Brian looked a moment longer at his cousin before resuming his task, a sadness deepening the shade of his jeweled blue eyes.
Howie finished tacking up Mayhem and walked up to Nick, who was just finishing up with Journey. Howie watched as the bay stallion eyed him, the equine glare diminishing at the reassuring touch of his man.
“What do you want, Howie?” asked Nick, having calmed Journey from acting out against the healer.
“I jus’ wanna give ya a once over ‘fore we get movin’ again,” Howie replied, stepping closer to the blond to get a better look at his face. “How ya feelin’? Yer side hurtin’ any? Got any headache ‘r fever?”
Nick shook his head, “Nah, I’m fine. Hardly notice it at’all.”
Howie’s eyes narrowed skeptically, “You sure?”
Nick sighed in frustration, “Yeah, Howie, I’m right as rain.”
Howie pressed his lips together, giving the young man a curt nod. Nick thought the conversation finished and resumed fastening his saddlebags to the back of his saddle, but the healer wasn’t quite done.
“Soon as yer done there, you come over and I’ll set to re-wrapping that dressin’. Should give it a patch of cleanin’, too. Ya don’t wanna get it infected out on the trail.” Then Howie turned and walked back to his mare, a grin on his lips as Nick stood stock still, his arms frozen in their task of tying off the leather. Nick then let out a loud, frustrated sigh, abruptly leaning his weight into the side of Journey, burying his head in his arms.
Brian witnessed this and looked to Howie as he stopped along side Mayhem and Joker, “What did you say to him?”
Howie grinned as he caressed Mahem’s soft muzzle, “Jus’ that I’s got ta see to his wound ‘fore we get movin’.”
Brian grimaced in sympathy for the young blond, knowing the procedure Howie spoke of was not pleasant. Brian’s gaze traveled to Kevin as he dowsed out their camp and finished cleaning up, AJ nowhere in sight. The gambler’s features fell at the remembered overheard words from the dark gunslinger, his expression holding the question of ‘why?’ as he observed the only real family he had left. A glance to Nick as he reluctantly approached Howie caused his gut to clench and chest to tighten. Brian frowned, not understanding why he felt betrayed by Kevin, who was of blood relation, and heartened to Nick, who was of no consequence to him.
Brian kicked at the dirt in ire, cursing under his breath. Kevin was playing the kid out and that was the worst thing that could be done to Nick. Here Brian had promised a bond of trust between them and his very own blood was screwing the kid over. Where should his loyalty lie? With his only family or with his new found companion... or dare he say... friend.
Brian started at a muffled gasp of pain, his blue eyes flitting to Nick and Howie. Nick stood with his gray shirt open, leaning against Mayhem for support as the healer swathed his stitched wounds with alcohol. Nick’s face was pale and pinched, eyes clenched and bottom lip caught between his teeth.
Brian abruptly turned away and busied himself with Joker, who regarded his man with concern, accepting the attention and behaving for the time being. Brian didn’t like having this choice befall on his shoulders. He was a gambler, a con man, a cheat to the many losers... Why should he care? He forced himself to remember the rule of one, as in his one and only self. No one else mattered and then the complications of outside life eased. With a firm and well placed poker face, Brian faced the new day, turning away from Nick and Kevin as he mounted Joker and waited for departure.
AJ studied his surroundings as he sat astride his white horse, Ghost, pausing a moment to glance back at the camp in the far distance. He noticed they were about ready to move out and decided he had better make this quick. He kept Ghost to a walk and trained his dark eyes to the dusty ground, searching for anything suspicious.
“Hello,” toned AJ’s soft rasp, his hands pulling Ghost to a halt, “What do we ‘ave here?” His eyes narrowed as he studied the ground before him, soon swinging off his mare and squatting down to look closer. A tell tale crescent shaped dimple impression on the soft ground, the most prominent of the multiple, almost identical ones around it and leading off into the distance.
AJ tilted his head up, scanning the landscape. Scattered groupings of trees to his left, slight rock formations to his right. AJ frowned, then stood and pulled his rifle from his saddle. He hefted the sight of the high-powered scope to his eye and scanned the rocks, then the trees. He paused at the trees, scowling before dropping the rifle away and placing it back to its rightful place.
AJ glared to the trees and then made a point to glare to the rocks, lastly the camp behind him, making a show of still observing and none the wiser of what he knew for fact. With one final inspection of the tracks at his feet, AJ mounted and turned back to camp in an unhurried trot.
“Where the hell is McLean?!” yelled Kevin, grasping the reins of his prancing steed and glaring at the three men present and astride.
Howie shrugged, not the slightest effected by the icy glare, “Haven’t seen ‘im since he scared the bejeezus out of Nick.”
Nick narrowed his eyes, “He didn’t scare me, jus’ caught me off guard.”
Howie smiled and rolled his eyes, “Uh-huh.”
“I wasn’t scared!”
Brian interjected, his Southern drawl catching attention, “I believe I see him approaching from the south, gentlemen.”
Kevin turned his crackling gaze to the said direction, the buckskin clad man approaching in an unhurried trot. Kevin swung into the saddle, Blaze half rearing in the felt and transmitted agitation of his rider. Kevin’s gaze of hardened malice pinned the sharpshooter down as he came to a halt before them.
“Where the hell did you take off to?!” Kevin cut to the quick, and so did AJ.
“We got company, they been shadowin’ us.”
