JD craned his neck to peer over the bulky boulder beside him. In the fading daylight, the trail below him remained empty. JD sighed and settled back into his position, checking the rifle on his lap yet again. It was ready; he was ready; where the hell were they? He’d found what was to him the ideal spot – the trail wound below him with only a couple of patches of cover, and he had the high ground, sheltered in a clumping of rocks. Even his horse was out of any potential line of fire, hidden in a shallow dip in the hillside. All that was missing now was a target. Once more, JD carefully craned his neck to peer over the boulder. Still nothing.

He settled in again and leaned his head against the rock at his back. His eyes slid shut of their own accord, the grip on his rifle loosening. A minute later, JD abruptly bolted upright, eyes flying open and hands clutching the rifle tightly. He looked around frantically for a moment before realizing there was no threat, then shook his head angrily to clear it. Dammit, he’d actually dozed off there. The long ride had taken more out of him than he’d thought.

JD took a deep breath of the cooling evening air and checked the trail again. Empty. Taking advantage of the moment, he stood up and paced around the rocks, muttering under his breath. If he was this tired, maybe Vin’s group was, too. Maybe they’d be stopping for the night, or at least for a few hours’ rest. Maybe he should ride back along the trail and find them. Or should he stay here and wait for them to come to him? He was pretty sure this was the only trail they could take – he hadn’t seen any splits as he rode, and it was still headed in the right direction. But what if it wasn’t?

JD scowled at himself. It was a good plan, and a good spot, and he shouldn’t keep second-guessing himself. He wasn’t quite the naive kid he’d been when he’d first arrived out West, and he’d learned a lot from Buck and Chris and the rest, enough to know this was probably the best plan. He found himself thinking of the fight in the Indian village – his first real gunfight, and he’d nearly gotten himself killed by impulsively breaking cover in an attempt to prove himself to Chris. He’d gotten one of Buck’s chewing-outs on that occasion, he recalled, and vowed not to make the same mistake again. He’d be patient.

But what if he was wrong?

In its shelter, his horse snorted and shook its head. JD glared at it.

“Well, who asked you, anyway?”

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“We’re gonna have to pull up for a while, Chris,” Nathan’s voice floated up out of the growing darkness. “They’ve about had it.”

Chris nodded in agreement, reining in his horse as Buck pulled to a stop beside him. The heavy, full moon was just over the eastern horizon, and in its waxing light Chris could see the grey horse’s sides heaving as it breathed heavily. They’d been pushing the fine line between endurance and exhaustion, and Nathan was right – the horses had about had it.

“We’ll walk them out for a bit, then find somewhere to settle and rest them up,” Chris said, loud enough to be heard by those behind him. He nudged his mount forward, eyes straining to read the trail before them in the dim moonlight. The previous day’s rain may have been uncomfortable, but at least it made tracking easier. Previous tracks had been washed out, and the mud held the impressions of hooves long after they were made. Judging by the state of the trail, Chris and the rest figured they were following between six and ten riders, and the tracks now were looking somewhat fresher than before.

They walked their horses until they had cooled out enough for water, which they found just off trail in a shallow creek that would have been dry if not for the rain. Both horses and riders drank thirstily. Wiping moisture from his mustache, Buck surveyed the area around them – the moon wasn’t offering much in the way of light at the moment, but it promised to shine bright and clear as it rose. “What do you think, Chris?” he asked, nodding at the moon.

“Couple, three hours,” Chris responded as he capped his refilled canteen. “You want first watch?”

Buck shrugged, looping his grey’s reins over a scrubby brush and pulling the saddle from its back to set on the ground. “I doubt if I could rest much, anyway,” he tossed over his shoulder. Chris nodded and tended to his own horse as Buck freed his rifle from its scabbard and slung it over his shoulder, ambling up to watch the trail.

Ezra was brushing the worst of the dirt from his crimson jacket sleeve as Buck slid into the shadows, and he glanced at Nathan with an eyebrow raised. Nathan shrugged, “I don’t know as I’ll be able to rest much, either.” Ezra nodded his agreement and returned his attention to his coatsleeves.

Josiah, his horse already watered and resting, settled on a dry patch of ground and reclined against a scrawny tree stump. He was a little sore from the long hours in the saddle, and his old leg wound was quietly grumbling, and the short rest was welcome. He could catch glimpses of Buck in the darkness, pacing like a caged cougar with the rifle across his shoulders, trying by sheer force of will to speed up time. Josiah could almost feel the impatience rolling off of Buck in waves. He glanced over at Chris, no less impatient but a lot more controlled as he checked through his saddlebags. Nathan and Ezra were down by the creekside, rinsing and refilling canteens and doing other small chores to release some of the tense energy the stop had created.

Josiah channelled his own thoughts inward, into quiet contemplation. Patience, it was often said, was a virtue, and one of the few that he had managed to retain over the years.

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Vin slept in fits and starts, exhaustion overwhelming the discomfort of the uneven ground beneath him and the stiffness of his arms pinioned behind his back. The moon crawled slowly across the night sky, shining down on the ragtag collection of sleepers. The lone gunman on guard stifled a yawn, shaking his head and shifting to new position as he looked over the sleeping camp. His eyes rested briefly on their troublesome prisoner before returning to the abandoned trail. In the distance, a coyote yipped and howled forlornly to the gradually sinking moon.

The watchman was grateful for the rest. Joshua had been pushing the group harder after Vin’s near-escape, keeping a closer eye on Tanner. Knowing Joshua’s temper, the group didn’t protest the faster pace; to the lookout’s way of thinking, the sooner they were done with the job, the better. A few days’ ride and they’d be back in Tuscosa. He found himself wondering how soon after their return would they string Tanner up – probably a matter of hours, he figured. He wondered if Vin’s calm demeanor would break when they led him to the noose… that might be something worth sticking around for.

Checking again on the prisoner, he smiled in the moonlight and returned to his watch.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

JD was just about to toss his wonderful plan on the manure heap and backtrack along the trail when he heard the faint sound of hoofbeats. “About damn time,” he growled irritably, hefting his rifle and glancing at the sun. It was going on noon. JD hadn’t realized until that moment just how much ground he’d gained by cutting cross-country instead of sticking to the trail.

He smiled slightly, remembering how Chris had seemed very nearly surprised when JD had arrived at the Seminole village before them, in spite of their head start. He hunkered down in the the boulders with the same feeling of anticipation, sighting along his rifle to the trail below. Buck’s mocking voice echoed in his head: “If you want to stay hidden, you’d best remove your hat.” Irritated, JD swept his bowler from his head and dropped it, pushing black hair from his eyes. It fell back immediately in disarray. JD pushed at it futilely and chided himself for avoiding the barber for so long, finally laying his rifle on the ground in angry frustration and snatching his hat back up. What did Buck know, anyway? He brushed his hair back with a practiced sweep and defiantly tugged the bowler back on. Satisfied, he gathered up his rifle and sighted carefully along it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

An unexpected flash of sunlight had Joshua pulling his party to an abrupt halt. He scanned the territory. The reflection of what could be sun on metal had come from the rocky cliffs ahead, high and to the left. Damn near perfect spot for an ambush. Scowling, he motioned to one of his men to pull up along side him.

“See that stand of boulders up there?” he asked quietly, indicating the rocks with a look. His companion, the one who’d played the fake drunk back in Four Corners, nodded slightly. “Check it out, Harry.”

Vin watched the byplay with concern. They were muttering too quietly for him to hear, but something was obviously bothering Joshua. Vin hadn’t seen or heard anything that might make the bounty hunter nervous, but then he’d been preoccupied with the increasing pain in his shoulders and spine from his wrists being tied at the small of his back. Not only was it exquisitely uncomfortable, it also made staying balanced on his horse a full-time proposition. Vin cocked his head to try to catch Joshua’s words, but the two men had already ended their conversation and Harry was turning on the trail, back the way they had come. Joshua watched him disappear from sight up a scalable part of the hillside, then turned to Vin with a wolfish smile.

“Reckon we’ll just rest up here for a couple of minutes,” he said, checking Vin’s ropes. Vin’s eyes narrowed and he looked quickly at the slope where Harry had gone, following it up and to their left until he spotted the clumping of rocks over the trail ahead. Sudden knowledge had him glancing at Joshua again, mouth opening to say something.

A rifle shot interrupted him, followed by the high scream of a terrified horse. All eyes snapped to the stand of boulders on the cliff. A head popped up from the rocks, and Vin’s eyes widened in recognition. That couldn’t be… “JD!! Look out!!” he yelled. Joshua startled beside him, automatically drawing his gun and training it on Vin.

Vin wrenched uselessly at his bonds as more gunshots came from the cliff. Grey-white smoke billowed in a small cloud and Vin could only watch as JD ducked, rose, fired, ducked again. Hooves pounded down the trail behind them as JD’s horse skidded down the slope in panic and galloped up the trail towards home. His rider stayed pinned on the cliff top, emptying his revolvers at the man who’d come up unexpectedly behind him.

JD swore silently as first one then the other revolver clicked harmlessly on spent cartridges. He holstered them quickly and took up his rifle. The longer weapon made it harder to rise and fire, but there was no time to reload his pistols. He levered a round into the rifle, spun, aimed, fired, ducked. Rock chips flew from the spot his head had briefly occupied. JD chambered another round. This was definitely not part of the plan.

Moving fast, JD popped up and snapped off another round and heard his opponent cry out as he ducked back. Bullets chattered angrily at the rocks around him. “Wounded maybe, not killed.” The thought flashed through his mind as he levered the rifle again. A fleeting glance at the trail below assured him that enemies weren’t coming from that quarter and he braced for another shot.

Joshua wasn’t concerned about sending additional men up into the fray – Harry was more than able to deal with one gunman. No sense crowding him. He kept his Colt on Tanner, keeping half an eye on his prisoner. On the cliff, he could see JD spring up for another shot. The tip of the rifle barrel snagged on an outcropping of rock, and JD stumbled for an instant as he tried to regain his balance. Harry sensed the hesitation and fired twice.

Stabbing pain exploded in JD’s right shoulder, followed an instant later by Vin’s cry of “JD!” from below. He dropped back into the shelter of the rocks, trying to handle the rifle with his suddenly numb right hand, bracing it awkwardly and reaching for the trigger. No choice, he realized. With a deep breath he rose again with the rifle. Harry was closing confidently, pistol ready, and was quicker on the trigger than JD had any chance of being.

The rifle was lost as JD staggered back under the impact of the bullet, his feet falling out from beneath him as they slipped over the edge of the cliff. Vin watched in horror as JD’s form slid down the side of the cliff, coughing up dust and rocks that enveloped him, finally coming to a stop on a ledge above the trail. Harry peered down from atop the cliff for a moment before signaling Joshua with a jaunty wave. Joshua waved back.

Harry reappeared on the trail a minute later, one hand clamped over his left bicep, blood oozing from between his fingers. Through the heaviness that had settled on Vin’s heart, he felt a small, dark surge of satisfaction that at least the kid had clipped the bastard.

“Nice work,” Joshua praised as Harry wrapped a makeshift bandage around his arm. “You okay?” Harry nodded silently, tying off the bandage and kicking his horse foward. Joshua nodded in return, spurring his own mount, and Vin struggled for an instant to regain his balance as his horse was led on.

The group paused briefly below the ledge that had stopped JD’s fall, listening for any movement, but there was nothing but silence from above and after a moment the party rode on. The memory of JD’s slide replayed in Vin’s mind, anger and sorrow over the loss warring with sick guilt, and he turned precariously in the saddle to look back one last time before the cliff and ledge were lost behind a bend in the trail.

In the silence that was left, a thin ribbon of wet scarlet crawled to the edge of the ledge and hesitated for a moment before plunging to the trail below.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *