Abandoned
(Old West)

by Jean Williams

Sadly Jean is no longer with us, but we're sure her daughter, Jenn, would love to hear from you if you enjoy this story

Disclaimer:Ah, if only they were mine, but, alas, they're not. Unfortunately, the privilege of ownership of "The Magnificent Seven" characters belongs to the Mirisch Corp., Trilogy, and MGM, and no infringement on the copyrights held by them is intended. I merely wish to dust the boys off occasionally and bring them out to play for the entertainment of those of us who still miss them dearly.
Warning:Parts of this story are rather violent with some intense physical and psychological torture and a great deal of h/c and smarm.
Completed:September 6, 1999

PART ONE

It was getting late and the saloon was emptying out. The only ones left were the Seven, who were seated at the corner table quietly sipping their whiskey and talking amongst themselves. Chris and Vin had just returned from escorting a prisoner to Ridge City to stand trial for murder and were relieved to finally be back home after having been gone over a week.

"So how was your trip? Must have gone okay since you made it back earlier than you thought ya would," Buck commented as he finished off the whiskey in his glass and reached for the bottle to pour himself another.

"Quiet. Never even met anyone else on the trail," Chris answered, leaning back in his chair wearily. "I think everyone's staying near shelter because of the weather. It's been way too calm for this time of year and everybody's expectin' a big storm to hit any time."

"So how were things here? Anything we should know about?" Vin asked, glancing around the table at the others.

Buck leaned back in his chair and looked thoughtful. "Well, let's see... Nathan set Mr. Anderson's broken arm after his wife threw a fryin' pan at him... she caught him drinkin' behind the barn again." Everyone shared a quiet laugh over that one. Poor Mr. Anderson could hardly breathe without his wife getting madder than a wet hen over it.

"Couple of little brawls here and there, but nothin' too serious. That's about it." Buck shrugged and glanced at the others to see if they had anything to add.

JD glanced over at Ezra who was quietly sipping his whiskey. "Well... Ezra did have a little trouble with a card sharp."

Chris and Vin looked at Ezra expectantly, waiting for him to elaborate.

Ezra frowned at JD and shook his head slightly. "It was nothin' I assure you, gentlemen. The miscreant was cheating, I politely pointed that fact out to him and he returned my money and left."

JD scowled at him and then spoke to Chris. "Yeah, he left all right. After threatening to 'get' Ezra for accusing him of cheating. And he sure looked like he meant it, too."

"I gotta admit Ezra, I agree with JD. That man was definitely a mite upset with you," Buck added, glancing at the gambler. "And he was big, Chris. Taller'n me n' three times as heavy. I wouldn't want to mess with him. Good thing Ezra keeps that derringer up his sleeve or things could've gotten nasty."

"He was all bluff, I assure you." Ezra drained the last of the whiskey from his glass and stood up. "Well, since none of you gentlemen are in the mood for a game, I think I will retire to my room early for a change."

"Early?" Nathan looked at the gambler in surprise. "Heck, Ezra, it's almost two o'clock."

"I know, Mr. Jackson. Much earlier than my usual bedtime." Ezra smiled slightly at Nathan, retrieved his coat and hat from the back of the chair and headed for the stairs.

Chris watched Ezra climb the stairs to his room over the saloon and then spoke to the others quietly. "You sure this incident with Ezra and that card sharp is over or should we be expectin' trouble?"

Buck and JD shared a thoughtful look and then Buck said, "I don't rightly know, Chris. He sure was mad, and if he did come back for him and caught him off guard, he'd probably wipe the floor with him. Hell, he made about four of Ezra. One of the biggest men I've ever seen. And mean lookin', too. There was just somethin' about his eyes... gave me the shivers."

JD nodded in agreement. "He sure looked serious when he said he was gonna get Ezra, too. I think maybe we should all kinda watch his back, at least for a little while."

"You might be right, JD. We'll have to make sure one of us sticks close to him for the next week or so, just to be on the safe side," Chris said as he headed for the door. "He'll be all right for tonight but whoever's here first in the morning, make sure you keep an eye on him when he comes down. We'll work out some kind of schedule tomorrow, but for God's sake, don't tell Ezra. You know how he'd react to being babysat."

"Brother Ezra would definitely not take kindly to the notion that he needed looked after," Josiah agreed as they all headed home to get some sleep.

*******

Ezra walked slowly down the hall to his room. He noticed that two of the lamps had not been lit that evening, leaving the hall shrouded in darkness. He shook his head as he fumbled in the dark for the doorknob. I'll have to speak to someone about that in the morning, he thought to himself. He turned the knob and just as he started to push the door open, he sensed someone moving toward him out of the shadows. He glanced up, but before he could react he was shoved hard from behind, propelling him through the door and into his room. Ezra had left a lamp burning on the night table beside his bed and caught a glimpse of the huge man he had caught cheating at poker a few days before... just before the man's fist connected with a devastating blow to the gambler's jaw. Ezra was thrown back into the arms of the man who had shoved him and was lowered, unconscious, to the floor.

"Not quite so high and mighty now, are you Mr. Standish," said the rough looking man who had pushed Ezra into the room. He swiftly removed all of the gambler's weapons and personal belongings, including the money he found stuffed in his left boot. This was his payment for helping the card sharp. 'Not bad for just a half-hour's work' he thought as he slipped Ezra's ruby ring and the roll of bills into his pocket. Not bad at all.

The large man bent down and easily picked Ezra's limp body up, slinging him over his shoulder. Then they hurried down the back stairs of the saloon to the alley where two horses were saddled and ready to go. Ezra was lifted into the saddle of one of the horses and tied securely in place.

The huge man struggled onto his horse and then looked down at his accomplice who handed him the reins to Ezra's mount.

"Do you need me for anything else, Mr. Parker?" The smaller man looked around nervously, wanting to leave before they were spotted.

"No, you can go, Randall. Just make sure you show up at the cabin in two days like we planned, or I will come looking for you." The other man nodded and ran off down the alley. Then Parker looked back at Ezra's still unconscious form and smiled. This young man was definitely going to regret crossing Robert T. Parker. He laughed quietly and led the horses behind the buildings to the edge of town, urging them into a gallop as they reached the open road heading west.

*******

It had begun to rain sometime during the night and was still coming down fairly heavy when Buck made his way to the saloon shortly after seven the next morning.

"Whooee, it's nasty out there," he announced as he entered the saloon. Shaking the water off his hat, he walked toward the table where Nathan and Josiah already sat enjoying their breakfast.

"I know. It's turnin' colder, too." Nathan commented as he looked up at Buck. "Bet this is gonna turn to snow any time now."

"Wouldn't be surprised," Buck took a seat at the table and poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot sitting there.

"Well, it had to turn sooner or later, it is February after all," Josiah slid his now empty cup over for Buck to refill.

Buck turned back from giving the barmaid his order and nodded at Josiah, "I reckon that's so, but it sure wouldn't have hurt my feelings none if it had just stayed warm all winter."

The three men spent the remainder of the morning in the saloon playing cards and talking. There wasn't much else to do on such a miserable day. Hell, even the usual assortment of drunks weren't venturing out in this weather.

Chris and Vin wandered in around noon, having finished their patrol. Removing their rain gear, they headed over to the table where Nathan, Josiah and Buck were still whiling away their time playing poker.

"Pretty quiet in here today," Chris commented as he sat down, poured himself a glass of whiskey and passed the bottle to Vin.

"Been like that all mornin'," Buck responded. "Not many folks wanna come out in this rain."

Vin glanced around the bar and frowned. "Ezra been down yet?"

"Naw, but he should be comin' down soon. This is about the time he usually drags his butt out of bed." Buck threw his cards down in disgust and glared at Josiah. "Playin' you is gettin' to be almost as bad as playin' Ezra."

"Why thank you, Buck. I'll take that as a compliment." The preacher shot his friends a satisfied grin as he added the pot to his growing pile of winnings.

"Maybe you oughta go check on Ezra, Buck," Chris suggested, glancing up the stairs.

"Oh, no... not me! Disturbin' Ezra before he's ready to get up can be a downright dangerous thing to do," Buck answered, shaking his head. "He's meaner than a grizzly if he's . . . "

Buck stopped as JD came running through the doors and hurried over to the others. He was dripping water on everyone, but was too agitated to notice.

"I think we got trouble. Look at this," he announced as he handed Chris a wanted poster. "I was over at the telegraph talkin' to Jimmy, and this just came in."

Chris glanced at the poster. "Yeah, so who's this?"

Buck leaned over and took the poster from Chris then swore softly, "Damn... "

Chris and Vin looked at him, waiting for an explanation. "Well, who is he?"

"It's that card sharp Ezra had trouble with. Says here his name is Robert Parker and he's wanted for the kidnapping and murder of ten people in four different states." Buck read further and his face paled. "It says he beat and tortured them for weeks before he finally killed 'em."

The six men looked at each other nervously. Chris rose and headed up the stairs to Ezra's room, the others right behind him. They all froze when they reached his room and saw the door hanging open.

"Damn it!" Chris exclaimed bitterly when they entered the room and noticed Ezra's bed, which obviously hadn't been slept in... and his coat and hat lying in a heap on the floor. Vin took one look and pushed past the others to race down the back stairs. He was standing in the rain, staring intently at the ground and scowling when the others emerged from the saloon.

"Nothin'. Damn rain's washed any tracks that were here away." Vin walked back and forth in the alley trying to find some clue, anything which would tell them what direction to start looking.

The others looked at Chris and shivered involuntarily at the look in his eyes. "I should've set up a watch over him last night," the man in black said angrily.

"Well, heck Chris, even Ezra didn't take this guy seriously," Buck said, trying to ease the guilt he saw growing in Chris' eyes... the same guilt that he knew each one of them was feeling.

"Ezra wouldn't've told us even if he was worried," Nathan said, glancing at Vin as he walked up shaking his head.

"No sign of 'im at all. Now what are we gonna do?" he asked, looking worriedly at Chris.

"We start searching. We'll fan out and cover the area around Four Corners first. Stop at every farm or ranch you come to and ask everyone you meet if they've seen him. If we don't get any sign of him that way, we'll have to start checking the other towns," Chris ordered as he looked at each of his men. "And if you do hear anything, get the rest of us before you take off after 'im. One person going in alone would probably just get himself and Ezra killed. We'll meet back here before dark."

Everyone headed to the livery to saddle their horses. Chris put a hand out and stopped JD as he turned to go. "JD, I want you to stay here in town."

"Stay here?! Why do I... " JD started to protest but Chris stopped him.

"Now listen. We need someone here in case Ezra is able to make it back. And besides, you can hit all the houses and stores in town. Ask everyone if they've seen him and have them keep a look out for him or that Parker fella."

Chris noticed JD's dejected but resigned look. "And if this doesn't work and we have to start hitting the other towns, I'll have someone else stay here and you can go."

JD looked at Chris for a minute then nodded. "All right. I guess someone needs to be here, but I sure wish it wasn't me." He started toward Mrs. Potter's store then stopped and looked back at the gunslinger. "I sure hope you find him, Chris... before that guy has a chance to do anything to 'im."

Chris just nodded and headed for the livery. He knew the same thing was running through all their minds... the words from the wanted poster. Beaten and tortured for weeks. How long did they have before it would be too late for Ezra?

*******

Ezra regained his senses gradually. He felt the first drops of rain hit his face and stirred slightly. Then the movement of his horse and the sensation of being cold entered his subconscious. Slowly he raised himself into a sitting position and blearily looked around. He saw the huge form of Parker on the horse in front of him; he had the reins and was ponying Ezra's horse. The gambler started to speak but the pain that shot through his jaw when he opened his mouth caused him to close it again quickly. He tried to raise his hands to his face, but found they were bound to the saddle horn. Ezra tugged, testing the bindings but was unable to move them at all. In fact, they were so tight he was beginning to lose the feeling in his hands all together. The weather had worsened considerably in just the short time Ezra had been conscious. The rain was coming down much harder, plastering his hair to his head and thoroughly soaking his clothes. On top of that, the wind was really starting to pick up. The gambler began to shiver uncontrollably as the cold seeped into his bones.

Parker glanced back and saw Ezra was awake. The big man slowed his horse and drew Ezra's up beside him. He could see the gambler shivering and smiled at the pain and anger he saw in the green eyes that glared back at him. "Enjoying this fine weather, Mr. Standish?" Ezra merely stared at him, the pain in his jaw keeping him from responding with the biting retort that was on the tip of his tongue. "What's the matter, jaw a little sore?"

Suddenly the larger man's hand shot out and grabbed Ezra's face in a powerful grip, forcing an involuntary groan of pain from the smaller man. Ezra gripped the saddle horn with numb fingers and tried to ignore the waves of agony washing over him. Parker released him with a vicious shove, causing the conman's head to whip back and wrenching another small moan from his lips. Ezra fought to stay awake but the pain and the cold combined to pull him back into the blackness and he slumped once more over his horse.

Parker stared at the unconscious man and laughed, enjoying his misery. "That's right, rest while you can Mr. Standish. You're going to need all your strength soon. This is only a small taste of what I have planned for you."

After checking to make sure Ezra was still tied securely to the saddle, he urged the horses into a gallop. He was anxious to get to the cabin he'd prepared and get the game he had planned for his prisoner underway.

*******

JD had gone to every store and house in town with no luck. No one had seen either Ezra or the man in the wanted poster. He headed slowly back to the saloon, trying desperately to think of somewhere else he could look, anything else he could do to help find him. He was really worried about the gambler and hated not knowing if he was all right or not. There was only about another hour of daylight left... maybe one of the others would return with some good news. Or better yet, with Ezra himself.

*******

Vin was about a mile from Four Corners when he heard someone riding up hard behind him. He pulled his horse to a stop and waited for Chris to catch up, hoping the gunslinger had some news about Ezra's whereabouts. Vin himself had found absolutely nothing... no tracks, no clues, nothing. It was as if Ezra and Parker had vanished into thin air. And he could see by Chris' face that he hadn't fared any better. Chris looked expectantly at Vin as he rode up, but the bounty hunter merely shook his head.

"Damn... " The gunslinger swore softly, looking away. The guilt was eating at him, and he knew he was going to have a hard time dealing with it if they didn't find Ezra in time.

Vin knew what his friend was feeling because the same guilt was gnawing at him. If it was any one of them but Ezra they probably would have posted a guard on them last night. But the conman was so damned independent you tended to forget he could be vulnerable, too. And now he was probably in some serious trouble with no one to back him up.

"We'll find 'im, Chris. Somebody has to have seen or heard somethin'. Maybe the others had better luck," Vin said, trying to reassure the gunslinger... and himself.

Chris looked at the tracker, started to say something but then only nodded and spurred his horse toward town. Vin followed behind, eager to get to the saloon and see what the others had found out.

*******

Buck, Josiah and Nathan had all made it back to town within a few minutes of each other. JD was waiting for them in the saloon and each time one of them entered he looked up hopefully, only to be disappointed once more. They were all sitting around their usual table when Chris and Vin came in. No one had to ask... the looks on their faces said it all. They grabbed a couple of glasses and another bottle of whiskey from the bar and joined the other men. Everyone stared morosely at Ezra's conspicuously empty chair.

"What are we gonna do now?" JD sounded near tears. He had become really fond of Ezra over the last few months. The gambler had shown him a lot of patience... more than any of the others, even Buck. He was always willing to listen and usually took the time to help try and solve his problems. He couldn't believe there was nothing they could do to help him when he needed it. "Who knows what that guy is doing to him! We can't just sit here!"

"JD, there isn't much we can do right now. We're just gonna have to hope Ezra makes it through the night okay, and we'll get back out there lookin' tomorrow. We're not givin' up on 'im." Buck assured the younger man.

"That's right," Chris said, his voice hard as steel. "We won't quit until we find him and bring him home." The gunslinger didn't say it, but everyone was thinking the same thing. They were all praying they would be bringing him home alive.

*******

Ezra was still unconscious when Parker led the horses out of the trees and into a clearing where a small dilapidated cabin stood. He dismounted, tethered the horses to the porch rail and approached Ezra's still form with a large knife in his hand. He reached out and quickly severed the ropes holding the gambler in the saddle, then gave him a shove that sent the smaller man tumbling to the ground. The impact brought Ezra around with a jolt. Before he could figure out what was going on, Parker had grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and jerked him to his feet. Ezra staggered, trying to stay upright, but the long cold ride coupled with the tight ropes had left his legs almost completely numb and he started to sink once more to the ground.

"Fine my friend, we'll do this the hard way." The huge man tightened his grip on Ezra's collar and dragged him painfully up the steps and into the cabin. Realizing for the first time that his hands were now free, Ezra reached up and tried to break the big man's hold on his shirt. Parker, who was still holding the knife he'd used to cut Ezra's bonds, reached up and plunged the knife into the smaller man's arm just above the elbow. Ezra gasped and would have fallen if Parker hadn't still had a grip on his shirt. The card sharp wrenched the blade out and releasing his hold on Ezra's collar, grabbed his injured arm instead. The gambler was forced to his knees by the pain and by the pressure Parker was exerting on his arm.

"Hold still while I bandage this," Parker ordered. "Can't have you bleeding to death on me... not yet anyway." He cut away part of Ezra's sleeve and wrapped it tightly around the wound, eliciting a satisfying moan from the southerner and causing his vision to dim.

"Why... are you doin' this...?" Ezra mumbled, wincing at the pain in his jaw. "You cheated me... remember?"

Parker released Ezra and let him slump to the floor. "That's right, I did. And if you were smart, you would have kept your mouth shut about it and cut your losses. I can't have people standing up to me like that, it'll ruin my reputation."

Ezra looked up at the huge man in defiance. "The only reputation you seem to have... is as a cheater... and a bad one at that."

Parker roared in anger and wrapped his hands around Ezra's throat. He smiled grimly at the look of fear in the gambler's eyes and squeezed tighter. Ezra's vision dimmed and his last conscious thought was that he was going to have to learn when to keep his mouth shut.

The card sharp felt the smaller man go limp and immediately released his hold on him. He checked to make sure he was still breathing, tied Ezra's hands behind him and tossed him onto a cot in the corner of the room. Then he left the cabin to take care of the horses, mumbling to himself as he went. "I'm going to have to control my temper, or this little game will be over much sooner than I'd hoped."

*******

The six men met back in the saloon at dawn to make their plans and grab some breakfast. It was obvious by their weary faces that none of them had slept. Between worrying about Ezra and the noise from the escalating storm, sleep was pretty much impossible.

"So what's the plan for today?" Buck asked as he stared at his plate. He managed a few bites and then dropped his fork on the table. "Guess I'm just not hungry this mornin'."

The others did the same and looked at Chris expectantly, waiting for his orders. He stared back at them, not really sure what they should do. "Well, what do you all think? Should we spend time hitting all the other towns, or should we keep concentrating on the area around Four Corners?"

Nathan looked at the others and said, "I can't rightly see him takin' Ezra into one of the towns where someone might recognize 'im."

Vin hesitated to say what he was thinking, but it needed to be brought up. "Besides... if Parker is intendin' to torture 'im... he'd want to get him somewhere secluded, some place where no one could hear what was goin' on."

JD paled and was visibly shaken by the idea of Ezra being tortured by that mountain of a man. Buck, who didn't look much better, put a hand on the boy's shoulder to calm him. "How much searchin' are we gonna be able to get done in this storm? You can't hardly see across the street."

Josiah drained the last of the coffee from his cup. "May not be able to find anything, but we've got to at least give it a try. Ezra's out there somewhere, probably hurting... and as much as he hates this kind of weather himself, you know if it was one of us missing he'd be out there looking too."

They all nodded in agreement. Josiah's words might not have been true in the beginning, but Ezra had definitely changed since joining the group, more than any of the rest of them. He still had a hard time expressing his feelings toward the others, but they all knew how he really felt. He made it quite clear by his actions. After his one mistake at the Seminole village, he had never given them another reason to doubt his loyalty. It hadn't been easy, but he had slowly regained their trust and earned their friendship by always being there when they needed him no matter what. And now Ezra needed them. And there was no way they were going to let him down.

"Okay, we'll keep searching the woods and hills around here for any signs of a trail. Keep an eye out for any old cabins, caves... anyplace Parker might have holed up with Ezra. We'll meet back here before dark. And keep an eye on the weather, if this storm gets much worse I want you all to hightail it back here. Nathan, I want you to stay here and get your supplies ready. When we do find him, he's probably going to be needing some doctoring and I want you here to take care of 'im." Chris looked at each of them, hating to send them out in the storm, but knowing he had no choice. They needed to find Ezra soon... he had a bad feeling time was running out for the gambler.

*******

The rain had changed to snow by morning and it was really starting to pile up. Parker looked out at the swirling flakes and smiled knowing the storm would probably keep Standish's friends from looking for him. Ezra had only woken once briefly during the night. He'd struggled against the ropes that held him and hoarsely uttered a few choice curses at his captor demanding to be released until Parker had angrily rushed at the southerner and backhanded him, slamming his head against the wall and knocking him out.

Parker left the window and went to check on Standish. Seeing he was still unconscious, he decided that now was a good time to get everything ready for the cocky gambler's next lesson in humility. He picked up the satchel he'd brought to the cabin the day before and walked over to the cot. Parker stared at the large dark bruise that ran the length of the man's jaw and the bruises that now ringed his throat and smiled. He raised the smaller man up, untied his hands and removed his vest, suspenders and shirt. The gambler moaned slightly but didn't waken. Then he checked under the bandage on Ezra's arm and saw the wound was red and swollen, but had finally stopped bleeding. After retying the bandage, he opened the satchel. The first thing he removed from the bag was a leather belt that buckled in the back and had two leather handcuffs attached by short bands to its sides. He strapped it around Ezra's waist, placing his wrists in the cuffs and fastening them securely. He could only move his hands a few inches up or down now and would not be able to reach the next piece of specially made equipment Parker pulled from the satchel. It was a wide leather strap with thick padding that he intended to use to blindfold Ezra. When it was fastened in place, it would fit tightly over his eyes blocking out all light. But first he wanted him awake. He wanted to see the look in his eyes just before he put the blindfold on him.

Parker lightly slapped Ezra's face. "Standish! Come on, I need you awake for this."

Ezra stirred slightly and his eyelids fluttered open. He stared up at the man towering over him, trying to remember where he was and what was happening. Parker jerked him into a sitting position and held him there until the gambler seemed to regain his senses. Then he released him and stepped back, watching with a satisfied smirk as Ezra discovered the handcuffs. He jerked on the leather binding his wrists and winced at the pain that shot through his wounded arm. Struggling to rise off the cot, he stopped suddenly when he looked up and saw the card sharp dangling the leather strap in front of him. Swallowing painfully, he whispered, "What, if I may inquire, is that?"

"I just thought you would like to help me conduct a little scientific experiment. I've read that being blind heightens your other senses, so I decided we would put it to the test. This should be fun, don't you think?" Parker stood there for a moment, savoring the glimmer of fear he saw in Ezra's eyes... then he raised the blindfold and moved toward him.

*******

Vin was combing the woods near the foothills west of town. He knew the search was pointless now because the blowing snow was making it pretty much impossible to see, but he just hated to give up. He was the tracker of the group... he should have been able to find some sign of Ezra by now. But he'd found nothing. Vin wasn't used to feeling this helpless and he hated it. Ezra had been right there for him when he had gone after Eli Joe, and he felt like he was letting his friend down now. Vin gazed off into the woods and shook his head wearily. "Damn it Ezra, where the hell are you?" Then he turned and headed reluctantly back to town. If it hadn't been for the snow that had fallen all morning, he would have seen the trail Parker and Ezra had taken through the woods... not more than twenty feet away.

*******

Chris had given up searching and was headed back to town as well. He pulled his coat tighter around himself and thought about Ezra who hated the cold with a passion, out there somewhere without even his jacket. He knew Parker wouldn't care if the gambler froze or not. At the thought of Ezra helpless in the sadistic card sharp's clutches, a fresh wave of guilt washed over Chris. Why the hell hadn't he checked on Ezra sooner or started someone on watch over him the night before? He knew the answer, but just didn't want to admit it to himself... they all tended to leave Ezra alone because it was easier than trying to get close to him. The gambler made it clear that as far as he was concerned, this was just a working relationship... nothing more. But deep down inside, Chris knew Ezra was just afraid to let anyone behind the walls he kept up. He'd spent his whole childhood being shuffled from one unwilling relative to the next while Maude was off running some con. Never having experienced any close friendships as a child had left him totally at a loss as to how to handle them now. Ezra needed to be convinced he was a member of this family that the group was slowly evolving into, and none of them had taken the time or patience to do that. And now maybe it was too late.

*******

Nathan was standing in the window of the saloon watching for some sign of the others. He'd made sure there was coffee and some hot food ready for their return, knowing that after a day riding in this cold they were all going to need it. Lord he hated this waiting! Several of the townspeople had stopped in to see if there was any news about Ezra and to express their concern for his welfare. Even though it would probably surprise Ezra to know it, he had earned the trust and respect of most of the people in Four Corners. They knew he had worked just as hard as the rest of the group to bring about the peace that the town was finally experiencing. Mary Travis had even stopped in offering to have telegrams sent to the neighboring towns asking for any information on the whereabouts of the gambler. Nathan told her they hadn't thought about doing that and that it seemed like a good idea, so she hurried back out and headed down to the telegraph office, wishing there was more she could do but happy to at least be doing something.

Nathan returned to his vigil at the window, straining to see through the heavily falling snow. Shortly after noon, he saw three riders coming down the street. As they rode by headed for the livery, he recognized Buck, Josiah and JD and could tell by the way they were slumped in their saddles that the news wasn't good. 'Well, there's still Chris and Vin out there, maybe they had better luck' he thought as he turned to pour coffee for the three men he knew would soon be headed for the saloon. As he turned, his eyes fell on the table where Ezra should have been seated by now; laughing and beating them all at round after round of poker. He and the gambler had gotten off to a rough start, but after all these months of working together, a mutual respect had developed between them and their feelings of friendship were now slowly growing. Nathan could see how hard Ezra was working to change and appreciated him for the effort he was making. It was too bad that he'd never told the other man just how much.

*******

Ezra watched with dread as Parker approached with the blindfold held out in front of him. His mind was racing, trying to figure a way out of this mess. He tensed his legs as Parker drew closer, knowing he had to try something now because if his captor got that blindfold on him, there would be no chance of escape. When Parker was directly in front of him, Ezra pushed off with his legs and drove his head and shoulder into the larger man, knocking him off balance. Then Ezra whirled and dove through the window onto the porch outside, gasping as shards of glass penetrated his bare skin. He managed to get his feet under him and raced down the steps out into the snow-covered yard. Adrenalin and his desperate will to live were the only things keeping him going as he stumbled toward the cover of the trees. He could hear Parker thundering down the porch steps, shouting for him to stop. Ezra's back tensed as he ran, waiting for the bullet he knew was coming.

*******

PART TWO

Chris and Vin were the last to return to the saloon. Chris headed straight for the bar, grabbing a bottle of whiskey and taking it to the table, not speaking to anyone as he sat down. Vin glanced at him and sighed, shaking his head slightly at a look from the others. Nothing was said for a long time, they all just sat there drinking their coffee or whiskey and trying to avoid thoughts of Ezra and what he must be going through. Every once in a while JD would look at the gunslinger out of the corner of his eye, but he knew better than to say anything to him. As for Chris, he sat and stared at Ezra's chair as he drank from the bottle he clutched in his hand.

*******

Parker was stunned by Ezra's attack and it took several minutes for him to regain his feet and get to the door. He didn't think Standish had that much strength left in him and was amazed to see him already at the edge of the woods. Parker yelled for Ezra to stop, pulled his gun and aimed at the gambler's retreating back... then hesitated. If he killed him, his little game was over. He'd just have to follow the smaller man until his strength finally gave out... it was only a matter of time given his weakened state and the cold he was now experiencing. So the huge man followed quickly after Ezra, keeping him in sight but not attempting to catch up to him. He would wait until the conman was too weak to put up much of a fight, then close in.

Ezra ran through the snow, trying desperately to keep his balance but his arms fastened to his sides made it nearly impossible. He wondered why Parker hadn't shot him, but he wasn't about to stop and find out. After a few hundred yards he tripped over a rock hidden by the snow, stumbled and fell, landing on his injured arm. He emitted a hoarse cry of pain and struggled to his knees only to find Parker towering over him. Ezra closed his eyes and sank slowly back to the ground, realizing his one chance at freedom was gone.

*******

Chris finished the bottle and his head started to nod. Vin sighed, went around the table and took the empty bottle out of the gunslinger's hand. He nodded at Buck who was standing on Chris' other side and the two men helped him to his feet.

"I don't need any help," Chris mumbled as he staggered toward the door with Buck and Vin right behind him, waiting to grab him if he fell.

"So that's it? We're just going to give up looking?" JD looked at Josiah and Nathan in astonishment. He couldn't believe they weren't doing more to find Ezra... that Chris could just sit here and get drunk all day when they should have been out looking.

"JD, none of us are giving up. We've got to wait for this storm to die down," Nathan tried to explain.

"But it's been two days already! Ezra's got to be convinced that we're not coming by now, that we aren't even looking!" JD exclaimed as a tear trickled down his cheek. "He needs us and we're just sitting here!"

Josiah put an arm around the boy, trying to quiet him. "If we tried searching in this storm, all we would do is wear ourselves out for nothing. We need to get some rest so we can make a fresh start in the morning. The best thing you can do right now is pray that God will watch out for Ezra until we can get to him."

JD nodded slowly, "I guess you're right, but it just feels like we're abandoning him when we sit here doing nothing." He stood and headed for the door.

"I don't think Chris and JD are going to make it through this if we don't find Ezra soon," Nathan said, as he watched the boy cross the street and enter the jail.

"I'm not sure any of us will, Nathan," Josiah said as he walked toward the door. "I think I'll head to the church and do a little begging on Ezra's behalf. I'm afraid he probably needs all the help he can get right about now."

Nathan rose and followed after the preacher. "I think I'll go with you. Can't hurt to add another voice to that prayer."

"Amen, Brother Nathan. Amen." Josiah solemnly answered as they walked out into the storm.

*******

Parker stared down at Ezra seeing the defeated look on his face and realized the fight had gone out of the younger man. He was shivering violently from the cold and his arms, chest and back were covered with blood and bits of glass.

"Standish." He spoke quietly and waited. Ezra finally looked up at the savage card sharp and was rewarded with a back handed slap that whipped his head around and caused a new ache to form in his already throbbing jaw. "That's for trying to get away."

Parker reached down, grabbed Ezra by the hair and hauled him to his feet. He shoved the smaller man who began to stagger back toward the cabin. He saw Standish look back into the woods, as if he expected to see someone coming to his rescue. "You don't actually think they're looking for you, do you? Hell, they're probably glad you're gone." He saw a flash of doubt cross Ezra's face and realized he had struck a nerve. With that seed of doubt planted, he knew Randall's visit in the morning would be all he needed to tip the younger man over the edge into total despair.

Several times Ezra stumbled into trees as he tried to stay on his feet, reopening the wound in his arm. By the time they made it back to the cabin, the bandage on his arm was soaked with fresh blood and it had begun to slowly trickle down his side.

Parker had to practically carry Ezra up the steps and into the cabin where he dumped him back on the cot. The conman was on the verge of passing out from the intense cold and the large amount of blood he had lost. He moved his head weakly as Parker came at him with the blindfold, but could offer no real resistance. His captor grasped Ezra's face, jerked it roughly around to the side and fastened the blindfold in place.

"We'll just let you get used to the darkness for awhile, and then we'll start our little experiment in the morning. And to make sure you don't try any more escapes, we'll put you on a leash." The huge man pulled a length of rope from the satchel and tied one end tightly to the belt around Ezra's waist and the other to a metal loop he'd fastened in the wall. Then he left Ezra lying on the cot trembling, whether from the cold or fear he wasn't sure... but he hoped it was the latter. He laughed quietly as he left the cabin to get some firewood and find something to cover the broken window. He couldn't have the gambler freezing to death just when the game was finally getting underway.

*******

JD was the first one in the saloon the next morning and he was disappointed to see no one else was up and ready to go. It was still snowing, but nowhere near as hard as it had been yesterday. He yawned as he grabbed a cup of coffee and ordered an egg and some biscuits. He wasn't actually hungry, but he knew he had to eat something. He sure needed that coffee though, seeing as how he only slept maybe an hour all night. The young sheriff couldn't stop thinking about Ezra and what that Parker fella was doing to him. It actually made him sick to his stomach when he thought about it... his imagination was coming up with some pretty awful things Ezra could be suffering through. Chris and Vin came in just as JD was finishing up his breakfast. They both grabbed coffees and came and sat across from him, noting the boy's tired expression. Obviously he hadn't slept any better than they had. JD started to ask Chris what the plan was for today, but one look at the gunslinger's face told him it would be better to wait until after he had a few cups of coffee in him. Chris' head was probably a mite sore this morning after all the whiskey he had drunk the night before. Besides, JD thought, they might as well wait for the others before they made any decisions. But they didn't have long to wait because the others had all filed in within the next half hour, all looking like they hadn't slept and all anxious to get back to the search. The only problem was they were running out of places to look, and that thought was starting to scare them. Nobody wanted to bring it up... to bring the thought out in the open... but each one knew that the odds of finding Ezra alive were getting smaller with each day that passed. And it was killing each and every one of them to realize that if he died, he would probably die thinking that none of them had cared enough to try and find him. They all knew that Ezra still felt like he didn't fit in, felt that he hadn't proven himself to the group even though he had done so time and time again. He just couldn't see how much he'd changed, how important he had become to each and every one of them. Chris looked around the table at the others and knew these same thoughts were running through all their minds and knew they were all as determined as he was to change all this if Ezra .... no, when... Ezra came home.

After much discussion, it was decided that they would split up into three groups of two men each and head out to the three nearest towns. It was the only place left to look. They knew Mary had sent telegrams asking for information about Ezra, but they still wanted to search each town and question everyone they could. It was decided that Nathan would go on the search too, because the likelihood of Ezra getting back on his own after this much time had passed was slim to none. They hated to leave the town totally unguarded, but things had been fairly quiet since the storm and they decided the townsfolk would be able to handle anything that came up. They agreed to try and meet back here by this time tomorrow if the weather didn't worsen, and each one left knowing that this could be their last chance of finding Ezra alive.

*******

Jacob Randall had stood at the bar keeping one eye on the six men at the table while nursing his drink. He knew Mr. Parker would appreciate knowing what they were doing to find their friend and he was hoping it might bring a little bonus his way. He overheard them say they were going to check the surrounding towns and smiled. Good, that would keep them busy for a day or two; Parker would be glad to hear that. He'd waited until they'd left before getting his horse and heading for the cabin. He hated having to go while it was still snowing and so damn cold, but he knew better than to cross the card sharp. Besides, he couldn't wait to see what kind of games he'd been playing with Standish. He'd had a few run-ins with the lawmen and he loved seeing one of them get what was coming to him. As he rode to the cabin, Randall went over in his mind what Parker had told him to say when he got there. He knew he better get it exactly right or he might be the next victim of the madman's games... and that thought sent a shiver of fear up his spine.

*******

Parker sat quietly watching Ezra. He could tell by the way he had his head tilted that the gambler was trying to listen for any sound that would tell him if he was alone in the room or not. After many years of playing this particular game with his victims, the big man had gotten quite good at being able to move around without making a sound. He was just waiting for Standish to feel safe enough to move off the cot before he started toying with him.

Ezra had been awake for a while now. He'd heard Parker moving about at first, but hadn't heard a sound for quite some time. He thought maybe his captor had gone out, but he just couldn't be sure because without his sight it seemed like his own breathing and heart beat were a hundred times louder than usual. God, he hated this blindfold! The constant darkness was giving him the worst case of claustrophobia he'd ever experienced. He held his breath and turned his head from side to side straining to hear any sounds at all, but there was nothing.

Ezra decided he had to take a chance and began rubbing his face on the wall, trying to loosen the blindfold enough to move it up over his eyes. It took several minutes of scraping and rubbing and considerable pain to his already sore face before he thought he could finally feel it move a little, but not enough to see anything yet. He jerked his hands against the leather cuffs in frustration, but there was absolutely no give to them at all. Ezra stopped suddenly. Was that a noise? He listened for several minutes, but it was still quiet. Determined to rid himself of the loathsome device, he continued working at the blindfold. Wait... did it seem lighter? Or was it just wishful thinking. No, he definitely could see a glimmer of light near his right eye.

Ezra turned around to try again and was stunned when he felt a large hand suddenly grasp a handful of his hair. He was jerked backwards off the cot and thrown to the floor, where he lay gasping for breath. He hadn't even heard the man coming, and he didn't hear the kick he received next coming either. Ezra cried out as Parker's huge boot caught him square in the thigh; he hated giving him the satisfaction of seeing him react, but the pain was just too great to be ignored. He could already feel the bruise forming and the muscle started to cramp so severely that Ezra thought he was going to be physically sick from the pain of it. He lay perfectly still, breathing deeply to try and control the waves of nausea, and soon he felt the cramp ease a little and the sick feeling begin to leave him. He flinched as Parker reached down and jerked the blindfold back into place and tightened the band on it. Ezra's head felt as if it were caught in a vise as the leather dug into his skin.

"Now that wasn't too wise of you, Mr. Standish," the card sharp whispered inches from Ezra's ear. He smiled as he watched the gambler jump at the sound of his voice. "Try that again and I'll just have to blind you permanently instead of using the blindfold. That's not very nice of you to try and ruin my little experiment."

Ezra managed to keep his fear of the man hidden... he didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much his words actually terrified him. He lay on the floor, listening... trying to sense where the next attack was coming from.

Parker was disappointed at the lack of a reaction on the gambler's part. He thought sure the threat of actual blindness would have him cowering in fear. That's all right, this little game was just beginning. By the time I'm through with him, the huge man thought, he'll wish I'd just gone ahead and killed him. He reached down, grabbed the rope still attached to the conman and jerked him to his feet. Ezra gasped and fell against the cot as his leg started to cramp again. Parker jerked him back up on his feet and this time held him upright until he could balance most of the weight on his other leg. "You better stay up this time, or you won't be able to get off that floor when I get through with you," he growled menacingly in the gambler's ear.

Ezra felt him untie the rope from the back of the belt and wondered wearily what the hell he was going to do next. He wished he knew how long he'd been here, but he'd lost all sense of time since he'd been blindfolded. He knew the others were probably looking for him and wished they would hurry up and effect his rescue before the madman could think up any other sadistic games for him. At least... he hoped they were looking for him. Parker's words kept coming back to him... 'Hell, they're probably glad you're gone.' What if he was right? What if they weren't coming after him? Ezra shook his head slightly and willed himself to stop thinking like that. He couldn't let the man get to him... he knew it was just part of his game. But the insecure little boy in him who had been shuffled from one relative to another, never being wanted by any of them, just couldn't shake the doubt. Nobody'd ever wanted him around before, why should this time be any different?

Parker stared at the streaks of blood and tiny shards of glass dotting the gambler's skin where he'd gone through the window. He reached out and ran his gloved hand lightly across Standish's back and grinned as he heard the man's sharp intake of breath and felt him try to pull away from the pain. He stared at him thoughtfully for a moment and dragged him over to a chair he had placed in the middle of the room and forced him to sit. Ezra sank onto the chair in relief, his leg was still cramping painfully and he didn't know how much longer it would have supported him. He heard Parker pouring water and he unconsciously wet his lips as he suddenly realized how thirsty he was. He hadn't had anything to eat or drink since this whole ordeal had begun and he could feel himself getting weaker.

The sadistic card sharp saw Ezra lick his lips in anticipation of a drink and his mouth formed a cruel smile as he shook a large amount of salt into the pan of water he'd just poured. He knew he'd get a reaction out of the stubborn young man this time.

"Well, Mr. Standish.... I do believe it's time to start on our little experiment," Parker said as he walked over and placed the pan on the table near Ezra. He watched the gambler frown slightly and continued talking as he proceeded to soak a towel in the salt water. "We're going to see if you have a heightened awareness of pain since your sight was taken away from you. Now if you'll just let me know how this feels... I'm going to wash the glass and blood off all these little cuts you received when you broke my window. And I'm warning you, if you move one inch out of this chair before I tell you to, I'll follow through on my threat and you will not need the blindfold anymore to help me with my experiment."

Ezra tensed when the towel first touched his back, but felt the water and realized the man indeed was washing out the cuts. He had just started to relax when the salt began to penetrate each one of the dozens of sores and an incredible burning sensation spread to every inch of his back. Ezra's back arched as he tried to escape the agony of the salt soaking into the open wounds and a ragged scream forced it's way out of his throat as wave after wave of excruciating pain washed over him. It took every bit of willpower the smaller man had left to remain in the chair, but Parker's threat to his sight helped him hold on. One scream after another was ripped from his throat as the sadistic bully continued to roughly scrub the towel across every inch of the southerner's skin until most of the bits of glass were washed away. Ezra felt as if his body were on fire as the salt ate its way into every scratch and cut. For Parker, the screams were music to his ears. He'd finally gotten the reaction he'd wanted out of his victim.

*******

Randall rode into the clearing just as the last of Ezra's agonized screams ripped through the air. The blood drained from his face at the sound and he seriously considered turning around and leaving. But his fear of Parker was far too great to let him do it, so he slowly dismounted, walked up on the porch and opened the door. His eyes immediately went to the center of the room and the man seated on the chair. He gulped as he took in Ezra's bruised and battered appearance. He'd wanted to see him get knocked down a peg or two, but this.... my God. The man was soaked with sweat... the part of his face the blindfold didn't cover was a mass of bruises and the skin of his chest, back and arms was flushed a bright red. His arms were fastened to some kind of belt around his waist and he was gripping the chair seat tightly with his fingers as his body looked like it was on the verge of collapse. Randall stood frozen by the door, wishing he'd never gotten into this mess in the first place. He looked up at Parker who was standing in front of the gambler holding a cup of water.

"Come on, son... you've got to drink this, you're getting dehydrated and if you die on me, how will I ever finish my experiment?" Parker asked as he tried to get the smaller man to drink the water.

Ezra wanted that water more than anything he could think of right then, but he just didn't trust the crazed card sharp. God only knew what was in that cup. He jerked his head back as he felt the cup touch his lips, but the huge man grabbed a handful of Ezra's hair and held his head still while he poured the liquid down his throat. Once he knew it was actually water, Ezra gulped every drop down and prayed for more.

"Still thirsty?" Parker asked, his voice deceptively friendly. When Ezra nodded gratefully, he turned and poured another cupful.

Randall watched as the other man turned back around and frowned when he saw he had a salt container in his hand and was pouring a huge amount of it in the water. He swished it around to dissolve the salt and then moved the cup to Ezra's lips.

"Here you go. Have some more, you need to keep your strength up." Ezra leaned forward eagerly, his incredible thirst driving any reasonable thought from his mind. If he hadn't been so in need of that water, he probably would have been able to smell the salt. But Parker had the glass to his lips and was pouring it forcefully down his throat before he realized what it was.

Ezra began to gag as soon as the salt water entered his mouth, but the larger man just held his head in place and continued to pour. He stepped back as soon as the water was gone, knowing what would be coming next. The gambler promptly threw up, ridding his body of the water and anything else that was left in his stomach. He slumped weakly in the chair, gasping and choking as his stomach slowly stopped rolling. Ezra had never felt this bad in his life and he wanted nothing more at that moment than to roll up in a ball and cry like a baby. His body was in constant pain and his mind just kept going back to one thing... why hadn't the others come for him yet? Surely they knew he'd been kidnapped, and he didn't think they had traveled all that far from Four Corners to get to this cabin. Vin should have been able to track him by now. Were they even looking for him? Ezra shook himself mentally, trying to get that thought out of his head. 'Stop it, Standish. Quit feelin' sorry for yourself... you know they're coming and it's only a matter of time before you're rescued'... he kept telling himself this, but he just couldn't shake that niggling little doubt that Parker had planted.

"Well, son... it doesn't seem like your sense of smell has been heightened any or you would have smelled the salt in that water before I even got it to your mouth," Parker said as he cleaned up the mess his little experiment had just caused. "We'll just have to wait a little longer and test it again. Maybe you just need more time in the dark, and you're definitely going to have plenty of that since it doesn't seem like your friends are in any hurry to rescue you. Sure seems like they'd have found you by now, don't you think?"

Ezra couldn't help the tremor that rippled through his body at that last statement. He opened his mouth to speak, wanting desperately to assure Parker that he thought no such thing, but his exhausted mind just wouldn't come up with the words he needed. He let his chin drop to his chest and tried to focus instead on controlling the urge to vomit that was rapidly building again. The lingering taste of the salt water and the rising fear of not being rescued were keeping his stomach churning and all he really wanted at that point was to lay down and rest.

Parker saw the tremor and an evil smile slowly appeared on his face... it was time to inject more doubt into Mr. Standish's flagging spirit. He nodded at Randall who reluctantly turned and shut the door loudly... then looked at Ezra slumped weakly in the chair. 'God, I wish I didn't have to do this now'. He'd never expected to feel sorry for the gambler, but to his surprise he did.

Ezra jumped at the sound of the door slamming, his whole body tensed... was it them?... had they finally found him?... his heart pounded as he waited to hear a familiar voice. But his hopes were crushed when he heard Parker greet whoever had come through the door and he collapsed weakly back in the chair, a single tear escaping from behind the blindfold and slowly trickling down his cheek.

"It's about damn time you got here... what took you so long?!" The huge man spoke to Randall but kept his gaze on the gambler, nodding with satisfaction as he saw the dejected slump of his body and that tear glistening on his bruised face. He shot a glare at the other man and motioned for him to continue with his story, then quickly turned back to watch Standish. He didn't want to miss it when he heard what was coming next.

Randall kept his eyes averted from the beaten man clinging to the chair and began the speech Parker had made him memorize. "Well, I was in the saloon having one last drink and just as I got ready to leave the other six lawmen came in and started talking about Standish. So I figured I'd stay at the bar and see what information I could get for you."

Ezra turned his head slightly, waiting anxiously to hear what the others were planning in the way of a rescue.

"So what'd you find out? Are they searching for him?" Ezra's torturer moved silently closer to the blindfolded gambler, eager to see his every reaction to Randall's next words... he knew just how badly they were going to psychologically wound his victim.

"Searching for him? Hell, they were celebrating the fact that he was gone. The one dressed all in black... I think they called him Larabee... said he always knew the little coward would run out on them. Then they all started talking about how useless he'd been to them... always gettin' in one scrape or another with his gambling and con jobs... nothin' but trouble. The kid even stood up and made a damn toast... said at least now everyone'd have a chance at winning when they played cards... instead of all their money goin' to that lyin' cheater. You haven't got to worry about that bunch showing up here... they wouldn't walk across the street to save that worthless piece of trash."

'coward'... 'useless'... 'cheater'... 'worthless'... the words echoed loudly in Ezra's tortured mind as he tried desperately to control his spiraling emotions. It couldn't be... he was sure he was finally being accepted as one of the group... as one of the family they'd formed. How could he have been so wrong? But then again... he'd known all along that he was all of those things... it's what his mother had drilled into his head from the time he was a child... no one would ever like him... no one would ever want him and absolutely no one would ever love him. Ezra clutched frantically at the chair as his breathing quickened and his heart raced... he was totally alone... no one was coming to help him... no one cared that he was in the hands of a sadistic madman. His stomach rolled violently and he knew he was going to be sick if he couldn't get control of his fear. He tried taking deep breaths in an effort to stop the rising flood of bile but just as he thought he was going to win the battle, Parker leaned in close to him and spoke softly. "You're all mine, Standish... no one's coming for you... no one cares what the hell I do to you."

And that was all it took to push Ezra over the edge. The smaller man retched and spewed a hot flood of vomit over the towering form of Parker... soaking his pants and boots before he had time to react.

His torturer was stunned at first and then with a low growl reached down and grabbed Standish by the arms, dragging him out of the chair and throwing him violently to the floor. Ezra groaned as pain tore through his wounded arm and he tried desperately to move out of Parker's reach as the blows from his meaty fists rained down on him. Finally, he just curled up in a ball and prayed for it to end... oblivion... death... it didn't really matter any more to the physically and emotionally battered man. He just wanted the pain to go away.

Randall couldn't take it anymore... he finally screamed at Parker to stop. The enraged man ignored him until he heard him say that the game would be over if he killed Standish. The huge man delivered one last kick to the prone figure on the floor before him and stormed out of the cabin, growling at his accomplice to take care of the bastard as he strode past him. Randall stared in horror at the gambler as he lay in a crumpled heap... unmoving. He was sure Parker had finally killed him until he heard a soft whimper and saw Ezra move his head slightly. He moved quickly to kneel beside the smaller man and rolled him gently over onto his back, gasping at the damage that had been done to him. Blood trickled from Ezra's nose and mouth and a cut on his left temple, just above the blindfold, oozed a steady stream down the side of his face. There was hardly a spot on Standish's body that wasn't either cut or bruised and Randall was amazed that he was still alive.

"Let's get you back on the cot and I'll clean some of this blood off you." Randall got Ezra under the arms and lifted him to his feet... he winced at the smaller man's cry of pain as he put weight on his left leg.

One of Parker's powerful kicks had connected directly with his ankle and Ezra was certain it was broken, he could already feel it beginning to swell. The pain was excruciating as he was half-dragged, half-carried back to the corner and he was barely clinging to consciousness when he was lowered onto the cot.

Randall walked to the table and poured some water in a bowl, grabbed a fresh cloth and moved back over to Standish's side. The conman was moaning softly as he shifted on the cot, trying to find a position that didn't hurt.

"Easy now... don't move around or you'll do more damage to yourself." The man wet the cloth and gently cleaned Ezra's face, pressing down on the cut at his temple in an attempt to stop the flow of blood. Ezra rolled his head weakly, trying to move away from the pain. He tried to speak but only a hoarse croak came out of his parched throat. "Hang on a minute... I'll get you some water." Randall took the cup that Parker had used earlier, rinsed all the salt out and poured fresh water into it. He gently lifted Ezra's head just enough to allow him to drink without choking.

"No... please..." Ezra moved his head fretfully, trying to get away from the cup, remembering the taste of the salt water all too clearly.

"Shhh... it's all right... it's just water. Come on now... you need this." Randall held the smaller man's head until he got a taste of the water and then held it to his lips while he gulped the soothing liquid down. "That's enough for now... don't want to upset your stomach again."

He eased Standish's head back down on the cot and finished cleaning as much of the blood off his body as he could. He ripped up part of the sheet the battered man was lying on and used it to re-bandage his arm, frowning as he noticed how swollen and inflamed the wound had become. Randall could tell infection was setting in by the heat radiating off the gambler's body and he knew if he didn't get real medical attention soon... he wouldn't be leaving this cabin alive. Not that Parker would ever let Standish live after this. Damn... he hadn't known the card sharp was going to carry things this far... if he had, he never would have agreed to help.

He felt Ezra shiver and pulled the overhanging part of the sheet over him as best he could, wishing he had something warmer to cover him with. He rinsed out the cloth and gently wiped the beads of sweat off the smaller man's face.

"Please... who are you? Can't you remove this blindfold? I can't stand the darkness anymore... please...." Ezra pleaded, his voice so weak that Randall had to strain to hear him.

He stared down at the broken man and realized that he just couldn't be a part of this anymore. He was going to have to help him anyway he could... and the first way was to tell him that he had lied about his friends. He needed to know that they 'were' searching for him and that help was on it's way.

"Mr. Standish... I have to tell you something... can you hear me?" Randall gently touched the gambler's face, but he didn't think he was alert enough to understand. "Mr. Standish... please... you've got to listen to me... I lied when I said..."

Randall leaped to his feet when the door crashed open and Parker walked back into the cabin carrying an armload of firewood. He threw the wood down by the fireplace, brushed the snow off himself and then walked over to stare down at Ezra.

"He still alive?"

Randall nodded. "Barely. His arm's infected and he's running a fever. And I think his ankle might be broken."

"I don't give a damn about that as long as he stays alive awhile longer... I haven't finished with him yet." He stared at Randall suspiciously. "He say anything to you?"

"Nope... just some feverish ramblings... didn't make much sense." Randall eased away from the other man and moved slowly toward the door. "Well, I guess I better get back to town... if I don't show up for work in the morning, Mr. Hastings is liable to get suspicious about my whereabouts."

Parker searched his face, his steely gaze taking in his accomplice's nervousness. "You better remember to keep your mouth shut... or what's happened to Standish here will be nothing compared to what I do to you. And you make sure you come back in a couple of days with those supplies or I'll be coming after you."

Randall gulped and nodded as he backed out the door. He hurried through the snow to his horse and mounted quickly, positive that Parker was going to come through that door at any minute to stop him. Finally when he was out of sight of the cabin, he breathed a sigh of relief... and said a silent prayer for Mr. Standish to hang on... he was going to bring back help somehow. No one deserved to have those things done to them and he was going to do everything in his power to stop it.

*******

Parker watched Ezra as he mumbled incoherently, his head moving restlessly back and forth on the cot. He decided to let him be for the moment while he had something to eat and got a few minutes rest, but then he was going to step up the torture... Standish was almost there but almost wasn't good enough. He wanted the cocky gambler completely broken... his will to live gone... his only wish not for rescue but to die. Then and only then would he know his game was over... and then he would end it by granting the man his wish.

*******

PART THREE

By the time Randall had gotten back to Four Corners, the storm had worsened considerably. He knew Standish's friends wouldn't be back before tomorrow... maybe later if the weather didn't improve. Knowing there was nothing he could do for the gambler until the other lawmen returned, he decided to stop at the saloon for a drink or two and then get some sleep. Several of the townsfolk were in the saloon playing cards, drinking and talking. As far as Randall could tell, the two main topics of conversation were the storm... and Standish's disappearance. Most of the talk about the conman seemed to be centered around what they would all like to do to whoever was responsible for his kidnapping. Their vivid descriptions of their desired method of punishment was enough to make Randall have second thoughts about revealing his part in the whole mess to the lawmen when they returned. He finally decided it might be better to just write a note telling what had happened and describe where Standish was being held and by whom... of course, leaving his name completely out of it. He wanted to help the man, but not at the cost of his own life... and the way these people in the saloon were talking... that was a very real possibility.

Randall decided to have one more beer before he went to deliver the note. When Inez placed the glass of beer in front of him, he pulled the money out of his pocket to pay for it and watched in horror as the ruby ring he'd taken off of the gambler's finger when they'd kidnapped him dropped out and rolled across the floor, coming to rest by one of the townsmen's feet. The man bent and picked it up and stared first at the ring and then at Randall, an angry glare replacing the look of surprise that had been on his face a moment before.

"Inez... isn't this Mr. Standish's ring?" the man asked as he walked over and laid it on the bar in front of her.

Inez's hand shook as she picked up the ring. She looked closely at it and then stared intensely at Randall. "Where did you get this?!"

Randall's face paled as he saw everyone in the saloon closing in on him and he started to make up a lie about finding the ring in the alley... but suddenly the image of the gambler's pale, battered face appeared in his mind and he just couldn't ignore it. His shoulder's slumped as he told the crowd what had happened... how Parker had hired him to help kidnap Standish and that he'd had no idea how evil the man truly was. He finished by telling them that he had planned on leaving a note at the jail describing how to find Standish and that he was truly sorry for his part in what had happened.

The longer he talked, the angrier the crowd got and they were ready to lynch him by the time he got to the end of his explanation. Randall started backing across the room as the crowd closed in on him, his eyes searching frantically for a means of escape.

"Wait!" Inez yelled and hurried to move in front of Randall to try and keep the crowd back. "Yes, it was awful what he did... but at least he came here to try and help Senor Standish. And Mr. Larabee and the others will need this man to take them to him!"

There was a lot of grumbling but they finally agreed that she was right and took him over and locked him in one of the jail cells. Inez went to tell Mary about Randall and she immediately hurried to the telegraph office to send messages to Chris and the others. Now all they could do was wait until the men returned and pray they would be in time to help Ezra.

*******

Ezra was drifting in and out of consciousness when Parker decided it was time to continue the game.

"Standish... wake up!" He grabbed the smaller man by the arm and shook him roughly.

Ezra could hear someone calling his name but chose to ignore it... leaving the void he was in would mean a resurgence of the pain and fear he'd been experiencing. He much preferred the darkness and quiet he floated in now, but suddenly the peaceful void was shattered by the return of the painful words he'd heard earlier. Only this time it was his friends' voices he heard repeating them... 'you little coward'... 'he's useless'... 'lying cheater'... 'worthless piece of trash'. Every one of them cutting through his heart like a knife. Suddenly the pain and fear of the real world seemed preferable to this tearing apart of his soul and he finally allowed the voice calling his name to pull him back.

Parker had his hand raised to slap Standish when he felt him try to pull out of his grip and realized he was finally awake. "It's about damn time you came to. Now come on... we've got some more experiments to run." He jerked the smaller man up off the cot and smiled in satisfaction at the cry of pain that was wrenched from the gambler's mouth as he was forced to stand on his injured ankle. "Well, it seems being blind has increased your sensitivity to pain... or have you always been weak when it came to that? No wonder the others were glad to see you go... probably got tired of hearing you whine about every little ache and pain. You must have been quite a liability to them in a fight... having to protect you and make sure the little mama's boy didn't get hurt. Mama's boy... hell, your own mother probably didn't even want a poor excuse like you for a son."

Ezra clamped his mouth shut as he felt the bones in his ankle grind together, refusing to give his torturer the pleasure of hearing him cry out again. But he couldn't stop the tremor that rippled through his body at the man's cruel words. Well, there was no arguing with that one, Ezra thought wearily... his mother definitely hadn't wanted him. In fact she'd shoved him off on any relative she could find... anything to keep him away from her.

Parker felt him tremble and laughed as he realized he'd stumbled upon another weapon to use against him. "What's the matter, little man... mommy didn't love you enough? Is that your excuse for the way you turned out? Hell, it's a wonder your so-called friends let you hang around as long as they did... must have been something you could do that they needed. Let's see, was it your ability to lie and cheat? Or did they need you to run some con for them. No... that can't be it... they're honest, upstanding lawmen. Well, hell... that only leaves one thing that I can think of. They must have kept you around for the laughs."

Ezra stiffened and tried to pull away from Parker as his words continued to hit home, but the larger man just held on and continued to drag him across the floor to the same chair in the middle of the room that he had occupied earlier. Ezra tried but couldn't smother the cry of pain that escaped his lips as he was thrown back in the chair, striking his ankle against the chair leg. He would have fallen to the floor if Parker hadn't hung on to him. The pain was so intense it made his head swim and he was sure he was going to pass out again, but he fought it with every ounce of strength he had left, knowing another beating would surely follow if he left that chair.

"That's it, isn't it? They laughed at you... thought you were just a joke. Laughed at your fancy clothes... laughed at your condescending way of talking... laughed at the fact that you thought they were your friends. Did you know they were laughing behind your back? Or was it worse than that... did they do it to your face." Parker leaned close to the gambler who clutched desperately at the chair, his whole body trembling with the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm him. Parker circled Ezra, whispering first in one ear and then the other... leaning in until he was practically touching him... constantly re-enforcing the gambler's feelings of betrayal and loneliness. "Do they know about your mother, Standish? How much she loathes you? Did they laugh at that, too?"

Parker saw Ezra flinch at the mention of his mother and knew he had him. He pressed harder... wanting to make him lose that control he was trying so hard to maintain.

"You hate her for that, don't you, little man... hate her for abandoning you the same way your friends have abandoned you now... hate her for not being a mother to you." He saw the gambler's chest heave as he struggled against the rising tide of hate that his words had started. Parker thought he was prepared for when the gambler broke... but nothing could have prepared him for the explosion of emotion that drove Ezra up out of the chair and straight into him.

The force of Ezra's body hitting him threw him off balance and they both landed in a heap on the floor. Even with his hands strapped down and all his injuries, the gambler was still a force to be reckoned with. He was driven by all his pent up feelings over what his mother had done to him all these years... the way the other six had treated him... never including him in the group as an equal... always making him feel that one wrong move on his part would have him tossed out on his ear. Discarded like he was nobody. Ezra was so enraged he had no idea what he was doing... didn't feel the pain of his ankle banging against Parker's legs... didn't think about what was going to happen when the other man finally got a hold of him... and didn't realize he was sobbing uncontrollably the whole time he was trying to hurt the bastard lying beneath him.

By the time Parker realized what had happened and managed to get his arms wrapped around Ezra, he'd already received several bites and finger gouges from him. Furious with himself for not anticipating the attack and underestimating the gambler, he turned his wrath on his victim. Clutching Standish tightly against his chest, he drew back his foot and placed a vicious kick to the conman's broken ankle. The scream of pain that exploded from Ezra's mouth stunned Parker momentarily, but he soon recovered and managed to drag the now half-conscious man off of him. He took several minutes to catch his breath and then stood, hauling Ezra's limp body up with him and slamming him violently back into the chair.

"That's it, Standish... do you hear me?!" Parker pinned the smaller man in the chair with one hand and back-handed him with the other. "I said do you hear me, damn it?!"

Ezra nodded his head weakly... an occasional sob still shaking his body and his face still wet with tears.

"Stay in that damn chair... I'll be right back. Move one inch and everything you've gone through so far will seem like nothing compared to what I'll do to you. You got it?" Parker gave the smaller man another slap for good measure and moved away.

Ezra tried to rein in his rampaging emotions... he hated letting that miserable sonofabitch get the better of him, but he just couldn't seem to stop crying. He had never felt so scared and alone in his whole life... and nothing he'd ever been through had prepared him for this lost and desolate feeling that threatened to destroy him. Everything he'd thought he'd gained by trying to turn his life around had been ripped away from him... had all been a huge joke. Ezra shook his head to try and clear it of the self-pitying thoughts he kept having and tried to concentrate on something else. But the fever burning within him kept his mind clouded and he found it impossible to focus on anything but the pain in his body and the even bigger pain in his heart.

Parker kept one eye on the gambler as he worked on his next phase of the game. Time to test his victim's sense of sound. He opened the chamber of his gun and removed all but one of the bullets, snapping it back into place with a loud click. He watched Standish's head swivel in his direction at the sound and moved slowly and quietly back to his side.

Ezra jumped when Parker clamped a hand down on his shoulder and spoke. He'd never even heard him coming.

"Okay, Mr. Standish... it's time to test your hearing... let's see if it's been heightened any by your lack of sight. Now... can you identify this sound?" Parker watched the color drain from the other man's face as he held the gun lightly against his temple and pulled back the hammer. "I see you recognize it. Now we're going to play a little game that has nothing to do with my experiment. I just thought you might enjoy it. Have you ever heard of Russian roulette, Mr. Standish?"

*******

Chris and Vin climbed wearily up the hotel stairs to their rooms. They'd questioned almost everyone in the town of Eagle Bend with no luck... no one had seen Ezra or Parker.

"Well, what do you think? Do we head back in the morning or do we keep lookin' here?" Chris glanced at Vin as he spoke and noticed the dark circles under the tracker's eyes. None of them had slept much since Ezra disappeared and it was starting to take its toll on their minds and bodies.

"Hell, I don't know Chris... I'm runnin' out of ideas. I can't think of anyplace we haven't already looked. He has t' have taken Ezra somewhere around here and holed up but damn if I can figure out where it could be." Vin took his hat off and raked his hand through his mop of hair in frustration. "I just know I feel damn useless not being able to find even a trace of 'em."

"Well, let's get some sleep and we'll start back after breakfast." Chris turned to enter his room but was stopped by Vin's quiet voice.

"Do you think he's still alive, Chris?"

Vin didn't think he was going to answer him but finally Chris spoke... his voice cold enough to send a shiver up the tracker's spine. "He'd better be."

Vin watched Chris as he went in his room and closed the door. Shaking his head, one thought ran though his mind... 'Parker better pray Chris Larabee never catches up to him if we don't find Ezra alive.'

*******

Ezra froze when he felt the cold metal touch his skin and his heart almost stopped when he heard the soft click of the hammer.

"I asked you a question, Mr. Standish... I would strongly suggest you answer it." Parker increased the pressure of the gun.

Ezra felt the barrel of the gun grind against his temple and after swallowing painfully several times managed to answer his tormentor. "As a matter of fact I have, Mr. Parker... interesting game." His voice was hoarse but steady... he was determined to not let the bastard see any fear.

CLICK...

Ezra's heart leaped into his throat. He thought he'd prepared himself for it, but even though he managed to hold his body still, he couldn't control the white hot fear that rushed through him.

"Very good, Mr. Standish... an admirable job of hiding your emotions. Of course, being a gambler you would be practiced at it, wouldn't you? Being a gambler myself, I know about building those walls... hiding behind them so no one knows what you're up to. But you let yours down, didn't you? That's how your so-called friends managed to get to you, wasn't it? You made the ultimate mistake of letting them see how you felt... letting them know how much you needed to be accepted by them. They're probably still laughing at what a fool you were..." He saw the gambler tremble... good...

CLICK....

This time Ezra couldn't hold back the shudder that tore through him at the sound of the hammer striking. He tried to drag his mind away from thoughts of his friends and to concentrate on... no...wait... not his friends... they'd abandoned him... left him here to suffer at the hands of this madman... but ... they wouldn't do that to him... would they? Ezra groaned softly as he tried to focus his thoughts but his fever was worsening and he just couldn't seem to think straight. He swayed slightly as the darkness threatened to take him again.

Parker saw him weaving in the chair and knew he was on the verge of passing out. Grabbing a handful of Standish's hair, he jerked his head up and gave it a hard shake... the gun scraping across Ezra's skin leaving a thin line of blood in it's wake.

Parker leaned in to hiss in the gambler's ear. "You better stay with me, little man... or I'll have to tie you in this chair. I'm sure the ropes biting into that wound on your arm and squeezing those bruised ribs will keep you awake. Can't you just imagine the pain from it scraping across all those nasty cuts on your back and chest?" The card sharp ran his hand roughly across Ezra's chest, reawakening the burning sensation in his skin.

Ezra gasped as the pain seemed to envelop every fiber of his being. His fingers clutched frantically at the sides of the chair as he forced his rapidly weakening body to remain upright. His head swam as an incredible wave of dizziness swept over him, his thoughts tumbling uncontrolled through his mind. 'Where were they?... my friends... why don't they come for me?'... taunting laughter... their faces blending together in his feverish mind... Parker's voice calling him 'little man'... his mother walking away... laughing at him... ridiculing him.

CLICK...

A hoarse cry tore it's way out of his throat as his body jerked upright in the chair. His heart thundered in his chest as he gasped for breath... the fear threatening to consume him. The combination of the incredible tension and the fever were rekindling the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach and he wanted nothing more than to sink back into the void. To not feel anymore... not feel the pain... the fear... and especially to not feel the despair that clutched at his heart. Oh God... why wasn't someone there to help him. He'd always been so sure no matter how strained their relationship, that Chris Larabee would be there if any of them really needed him. He was their leader... their protector. And he needed him now... why wasn't he here? Then Ezra's thoughts shifted and he heard Chris's voice echoing in his head... 'little coward'... 'run out on us'... no... wait... it was another voice that had said that, wasn't it?... not Chris... not his friend... someone else... and that voice had said something else. He tried to remember what it was... then he heard the voice say... 'I lied'. Lied?... about what?... but his mind was just too tired to think anymore.

"Chris... help me... please..." Ezra's voice shook as he whispered plaintively.

Parker pressed the barrel of the gun tighter against the gambler's head as he leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Beg all you want, Standish... no one's coming to help you. No one cares what I do to you. You're going to die here all alone... and no one will even notice you're gone."

CLICK...

Ezra stiffened and then slumped in the chair with his head resting wearily on his knees. His body shook as the incredible tension drained all the strength out of him. "No more... please... no more."

Parker stared down at the gambler and shook his head in disgust... he'd thought sure the man had enough backbone to make it to the end of the game before breaking. He nudged him roughly with his boot. "Sit up, Standish... this isn't over yet." But Ezra was just too emotionally drained to respond to the demands made on him to rise.

"Your 'friends' were right then, weren't they? You are a sniveling little coward." Ezra's tormentor smiled as he saw the other man slowly stop shaking and heard the mumbling grind to an abrupt halt. "I'll bet they'd love to see you now... to watch you whining and begging like the worthless little piece of trash you are."

Ezra was aware enough to hear the hateful words the sadistic man was hurling at him. He knew he should be getting angry and trying to fight back but he was just too sick and tired of it all to even try. It wouldn't stop anything... no one was coming to help him... to stop his tormentor from playing his little game. Ezra knew it would only bring him more pain if he fought back... more torture... he just wanted it all to end. He was just so tired.

Parker saw that he had nearly broken the man and wasn't going to get a rise out of him with words so he reached down, grabbed the smaller man by the neck and roughly sat him back up in the chair.

He leaned in close to the gambler's face and tried once more to penetrate the apathy that had settled over his victim. "Are you ready to die now, little man?" He saw Ezra tremble and continued. "You're a gambler, Standish... you know what your odds are now... fifty-fifty."

Ezra tensed as he felt the gun being pressed once more to his head. He moaned softly as the cold metal settled once more on the bruised and tender skin. The click of the hammer being drawn back made his blood run cold and he held his breath as he waited for the...

CLICK...

Ezra's whole body shook violently as his nerves finally snapped. Ignoring the agonizing pain in his ankle, Ezra stood and began screaming at Parker to end it.

"Shoot me, you sonofabitch... just shoot me and get it over with!! I don't care anymore.... do you hear me?! I want to die... shoot me, damn it!!"

Parker looked down at the smaller man in amazement. He didn't think he'd had the strength left to stand much less expend this much emotion. He had to admit... he was impressed with the gambler's toughness, but now he had to decide whether to use the bullet left in the gun to end the game or to subdue him and continue it later. If Standish had this much left in him then he obviously wasn't completely broken yet. Maybe some more physical torture was called for... so he chose to continue the game and see just how low he could drive the man.

Stepping up to the still screaming man, Parker raised the gun and slashed it viciously across his face... the force of the blow sending him crashing into the wall. Ezra felt himself falling back into the void and welcomed it. Finally... a respite from the pain. As he lost consciousness his body slid slowly down the wall and sprawled limply on the floor.

*******

Vin and Chris were up early the next morning, eager to get back to Four Corners to see if there was any news about Ezra. They were in the hotel dining room having a bite of breakfast when the Sheriff came in and walked over to their table.

"I was hoping you were still here. This telegram came in last night, but I didn't get it until this morning. I hurried over here as soon as I read it... it's about your friend." The Sheriff handed Chris the piece of paper and watched him as his eyes scanned quickly over the words.

"Return to Four Corner's immediately... have Parker's accomplice in jail... wants to help Ezra... Mary Travis." The gunslinger read the telegram out loud for Vin's benefit before tossing it back at the startled Sheriff.

"Damn it! Why the hell didn't they get this to you sooner?! We've wasted the whole night!" Chris exclaimed as he stood, grabbed his gear and headed for the door, knocking his chair over in his haste to leave.

Vin followed him out, tipping his hat to the Sheriff as a silent apology for Chris' outburst. He had to run to catch up as Chris made his way hurriedly through the snow to the livery.

"Chris!... Chris... wait up." Vin struggled through the huge drifts of snow trying to keep up with the long-legged gunslinger. He glanced at the sky and saw the threatening gray clouds rolling in. Just what they needed... more snow.

Chris stopped and waited for Vin to catch up and shot him an apologetic look. "Sorry, Vin. I just can't believe that damn telegram's been sitting there all night... we could've been back home and on our way to get Ezra by now."

"I know... and if this storm hits before we get back to town it's gonna be even longer before we'll be able to go after him." Vin pointed at the clouds as they hurried into the livery.

"Like hell! I don't care if it's a damn blizzard... we're grabbing that sorry sonofabitch that helped take Ezra and we're going after him. God only knows what Parker's doing to him!" Chris saddled his horse and loaded on his gear then turned to wait for Vin to finish with his.

"Or what's goin' through his mind at this point... he's got to be thinkin' we're not comin' after 'im by now," Vin said as he shot a worried glance at Chris. He could see that Ezra's possible feelings of abandonment had occurred to him, too. They led their horses out into the street, glanced one last time at the threatening sky and headed at a gallop for home.

*******

Ezra came to slowly, unsure of where he was or what had happened to him. All he was certain of was that he hurt everywhere and he was hot. He lay on the floor sweating, trying to gather his thoughts before slowly opening his eyes. Panic set in as he realized he couldn't see and it was a few seconds before his memories of the last few days came crashing back and he remembered the blindfold. He was suddenly overwhelmed by an acute feeling of claustrophobia and started frantically scrubbing his face along the floor trying to release himself from the smothering darkness. He could feel the blood oozing from the wound on his cheek where Parker had hit him with his gun... the pain from it bringing tears to his eyes. But he couldn't stop himself... he had to get it off. Suddenly he felt it slip... the sweat dripping down his face had finally given him the edge he needed in his fight to be rid of it.

And then Ezra remembered the last time he'd almost been free of the hateful device. The memory of Parker's threat to blind him for real and of the beating he'd received made him pause in his efforts to remove the blindfold. He held his breath and listened... silence... and then he heard a noise from outside. He recognized the sound and realized his tormentor was out chopping more wood for the fire. His mind raced as he tried to decide whether to risk removing the blindfold or to just lay there and do nothing. How long had Parker been out there... if he got caught the beating would surely be worse than the last one... but it could be his only chance to escape... maybe if he waited the others would come. But then he remembered they weren't coming, they were glad he was gone. The fever made focusing on any one thought for long nearly impossible. Finally, Ezra could stand the inky blackness no longer and returned to the task of removing the blindfold. Ignoring the searing pain in his cheek, he scraped his face harder and harder across the floor until the blindfold finally slid the rest of the way off. He gasped and squeezed his eyes shut as even the muted light in the cabin shot bolts of pain through his eyes after the constant darkness. He waited a few minutes and when the throbbing started to ease he opened his eyes gradually, letting only a little bit of light in at a time. The pain was still there although not as intense, but his vision was blurry because he couldn't get his eyes to stop watering. Even so, it was still a huge relief to have that confining contraption off and to be out of the darkness at last.

Ezra blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision while he listened for signs of Parker's return. He could still here the thump of the axe so he knew he was safe for a little while longer, but he also knew what would happen when the man returned and saw him without the blindfold. Ezra tried to turn his whirling mind away from the fear that thought brought with it and concentrate on finding some way of removing himself from the madman's game.

*******

Chris and Vin rode into Four Corners shortly before noon. They'd hoped to make better time, but the snow had started falling heavily again shortly after they'd left Eagle Bend slowing them down considerably. They headed directly for the jail, anxious to talk to the man who claimed to know where Ezra was.

The two men hurried into the jail and upon entering were relieved to find Buck and JD waiting for them. Buck took one look at the cold gleam in the gunslinger's eyes, tossed him the jail keys and pointed to one of the cells. They watched as he caught the keys and stalked over to the cell holding their prisoner all in one fluid motion. His eyes locked onto those of the man sitting nervously on the bunk and never left them as he unlocked the door and entered the cell.

"Where is he?!" Chris growled as he grabbed the man by the coat, jerked him up off the bunk and slammed him into the wall. Randall was so shaken by the gunslinger's hate-filled eyes staring into his that all he could do was whimper in response to his question. "I said... where... the hell... is he?!"

Randall stifled a groan as he was pulled away from the wall, dragged around and slammed up against the bars of the cell. "Wait... please... I just..."

Vin rushed in to grab his friend's arm just in time to prevent him from driving his fist into the face of the helpless man he had pinned against the bars.

"Chris, don't... we need him to lead us to Ezra." The tracker spoke softly as he held on to his friend's arm, trying to diffuse some of his anger. "Let him go, pard."

Chris resisted for several minutes but finally allowed Vin to pull him off of the prisoner.

Vin kept his hold on the gunslinger's arm as he glanced at Randall. "You better answer 'im ... I can't keep 'im off a' ya' forever."

Randall swallowed a few times and never taking his eyes off of Chris, opened his mouth to speak. But just as he started to tell him the directions to the cabin, the door to the jail slammed open and Josiah and Nathan rushed in accompanied by a cold blast of wind-driven snow. Forcing the door closed behind them, they turned and stared at the others expectantly.

Buck waved his hand at the terrified man still pressed against the bars and told the newest arrivals, "this piece of low life scum was just about to tell us where Ezra is. And I figure he better hurry before Chris rips his heart out."

Randall, after sneaking a quick look at the other lawmen in the room, looked back at the man still hovering over him and began to speak. He haltingly told them of his part in their friend's kidnaping and where they'd taken him, explaining quickly how he'd felt sorry for the gambler after what Parker had done to him and how he'd promised Mr. Standish he'd get help for him. "I didn't know what kind of a man Parker was... I swear. I thought he was just going to rough the guy up a little. I didn't know he was going to... well... torture him."

"What all'd this Parker do to Ezra?" Nathan demanded, wanting to know just what kind of injuries he was going to be dealing with.

The others paled as Randall started listing off the various beatings, the blindfold, the salt water... right down to describing the screams he'd heard when he'd first arrived at the cabin. And then he repeated what Parker had had him say to add to the gambler's psychological beating.

With every word the prisoner spoke, Vin could sense Chris' anger growing until finally... after hearing how Ezra's faith in his friends had been totally destroyed... he'd lunged at the man, desperately trying to get his hands around his throat. Buck rushed into the cell to help Vin pull the crazed gunslinger off of Randall, talking constantly to him as they moved him away from the terrified man.

"Chris... stop... think about this..." Buck could see he was listening so he continued. "We can find Ezra a whole lot quicker if we take this bastard with us. Ezra needs us... and he needs us fast... let's quit wastin' time here and get movin'."

Chris took a deep breath and got control of himself. "All right... we're gonna need fresh horses. Josiah, you and JD go to the livery and tell Sam what you need and why... saddle them up and get back here as fast as you can. Buck... you run over to the General store and get some supplies. Food... extra blankets... anything you can think of we might need." After the three men had left, he turned to the healer. " Nathan... think we should take a wagon?"

Nathan looked at Randall and asked, "How bad is he hurt?"

The frightened man glanced nervously at Chris and then spoke. "Pretty bad. He's got a knife wound in his upper arm that's badly infected, cuts and bruises all over his body, possibly a concussion... he was pretty out of it, but that could have been because of the fever. And I'm pretty sure his left ankle is broken, he seemed to be in a lot of pain when he stood on it. I tried to explain to him that I lied about what you all had said... but I'm pretty sure he couldn't understand what I was saying... and besides, Parker came back in before I could finish."

Vin put his hand on Chris's arm as he saw his face tighten in anger again with each new injury that Randall listed. The gunslinger glanced at Vin and then turned back to Nathan, waiting to hear what he thought they should do.

"Well, it sure would be a lot easier on him travelin' in a wagon, but I doubt we'd be able to make very good time tryin' to get it through all this snow. And if this wind and snow keep blowin', we're probably gonna have to jist stay there with 'im until it eases up. He's not gonna be up to no hard ridin'." Nathan looked at Vin who nodded his head in agreement and then after another quick glance at Chris, hurried out to gather together what he thought he'd need to care for the injured gambler.

"He's right, Chris. Ezra's not gonna be able to take this cold if he's in as bad a shape as 'he' claims," Vin said, nodding at Randall. "Best thing for Ezra would be to stay there with 'im and keep him warm and dry til the weather breaks."

Chris dreaded the idea of forcing Ezra to stay any longer than he had to in that hell hole after what he'd been through there, but he understood the necessity for it. He just hoped and prayed Ezra would.

*******

Ezra tried to sit up, but the waves of pain that crashed over him forced him back to the floor. He tried to ignore it but it seemed to be coming at him from everywhere... every single part of his body hurt. Tears trickled down his face as his tired mind urged him to just give up... just let Parker find him and finish him off... then the pain and torment would finally stop. But with that thought came the voices again... 'sniveling coward'... 'worthless'... the mocking laughter of his so-called friends tore through his mind. And then it faded as his mother's voice added to his pain ... 'nobody wants you... nobody loves you'. Which was quickly followed by Parker telling him he was going to die alone. Of course he would die alone... he'd been alone his whole life. 'Are you ready to die now, little man?' Ezra gasped as those words tore through his mind and he was hit with the realization that he didn't want to die yet. He didn't want to give all those hated voices tumbling through his head the satisfaction of seeing him give up.

With a new determination to live driving him, he ignored the screams of pain from his body and pressing himself against the wall, managed to force himself into a sitting position. He let his gaze travel around the room as he sat trying to get control of the pain again before attempting to stand. His vision was still a little blurry and the sweat still dripped down his face burning his eyes, but he could see well enough to make out the details of the cabin's layout. Ezra sighed in relief when he spotted the door leading outside and found it to be only a few yards away... it wouldn't be easy but he had to try for it. Steeling himself against the excruciating pain he knew was coming, he tucked his good leg under him and leaning heavily against the wall, slowly pushed himself up... careful to keep as much weight as possible off his injured ankle. The room spun as his battered body protested every move he made and he had to close his eyes to keep from passing out again. The fever still burning through his body and the fact that he'd eaten almost nothing in four days was making it hard for him to focus his mind, but the thought of more torture and pain if Parker found him still here and without the blindfold was enough to help him concentrate.

As the spinning stopped, Ezra opened his eyes slowly and found himself staring at the simple wooden chair sitting in the middle of the room. His breathing quickened as he realized that that chair was where he'd endured most of his torture... where Parker's depraved game of Russian roulette had taken place. The sound of those five terrifying clicks echoed through his mind, paralyzing him for a moment until finally he was able to wrench his gaze away. His eyes settled on the table beside it and his heart almost stopped as he saw the gun lying there. The gambler stared at it... remembering again the five clicks... thinking of the bullet that must still be in there. He looked down at the leather cuffs pinning his arms to his waist and flexed his wrists... testing to see how far he could move his hands. He groaned as the movement reawakened the pain in his arm and he knew he'd have to use his left hand... his right would never support the weight of the gun now. He'd never be able to get any kind of accurate shot off at this angle, but he might at least wound the bastard and slow him down. Ezra raised his head and had to close his eyes as the darkness threatened to close in around him again. After a few deep breaths the feeling faded and after listening to make sure Parker was still wielding the axe, he made his slow painful way over to the table.

Ezra's hand shook as he carefully maneuvered the gun around on the table so he could pick it up. He had to get it just right because once it was in his hand he wouldn't be able to adjust his grip on it. Blinking rapidly, he tried to clear the sweat from his eyes wishing for the hundredth time that his hands were loose so he could rub them. They still ached from being covered for so long and it was hard to focus on one object for any length of time without them getting blurry. He finally got the gun the way he wanted it and lifted it off the table, carefully slipping his finger over the trigger. Ezra looked down at the gun in his hand and realized that it gave him a small feeling of control back, that is until a horrifying thought occurred to him... what if there was no bullet in the gun? What if Parker had just faked the whole Russian roulette scenario and the gun had actually been empty the whole time? Ezra's hand began to shake uncontrollably as he stared at the weapon... the fear trying to invade his mind once more. He closed his eyes and ordered himself to stop thinking that way... after all, it didn't really matter... it was the only chance he had and he had to take it.

Opening his eyes again and taking a deep breath he moved away from the table and began limping painfully toward the door. The pains shooting through his ankle were beginning to make him sick to his stomach, but he fought the feeling and kept moving. Ezra finally reached the door and leaned against it weakly... resting his good leg for a minute which was shaking from the strain of supporting most of his weight. He stared down at the doorknob... he wanted to get out of the cabin more than anything in this world but his fear of Parker and what he was going to do to him if he caught him made it almost impossible to reach his hand out and open the door. 'Come on, Standish... it's your only chance... no one's going to help you. You're on your own again... same as always'. Ezra took a few quick breaths to steady himself and slowly opened the door a crack and listened. He could tell from the sounds of the chopping that Parker was on the opposite side of the cabin, so he swung the door open wider and cautiously moved out onto the porch.

*******

The storm had worsened considerably and Chris and the others were having a hard time seeing where they were going.

Vin leaned in close to Chris so he could be heard over the wind. "We can't keep goin' in this! We better hole up in those woods over there until this wind dies down!"

"No way! Ezra's waited long enough for us to come after him... I'll be damned if we'll stop now when we're so close!" Chris tried to keep riding but Vin grabbed his arm and forced him to stop.

"We ain't gonna do Ezra no good if we lose our way in this storm and have t' backtrack to find 'im! I can't see the trail anymore and Randall ain't got a clue where we are now!" Vin wouldn't let go of Chris and was urging him toward the trees.

"Come on, Chris... Vin's right... we're not gonna be able to help Ezra if we can't find him! Let's wait a little while and see if this storm eases up... and if it don't... then we'll try and go on!" Buck was relieved to see Chris angrily turn his horse and head into the shelter of the trees. He knew how much the gunfighter hated this delay... hell, they all did... but they didn't have any choice. He just hoped that Ezra could outlast the storm and hold on til they got there.

*******

PART FOUR

Ezra gasped as a frigid blast of wind-whipped snow struck him and he quickly moved back into the shelter of the doorway to try and gain control of his now violently shivering body. The cold air striking his fevered skin was quickly draining what little strength he had left and he was finding it increasingly hard to retain his grip on the gun. To make matters worse, his eyes were tearing and aching so badly from the unrelenting glare of the snow that he could barely stand to keep them open. And the longer he stood in the relative safety of that doorway, the harder it was to leave it. He glanced back in the cabin and knew he was going to eventually die if he stayed there... but he also knew his chances of survival were no better out in that storm. It was just a matter of how he wanted to die... as a helpless victim... or fighting. He didn't know how much fight he had left in him... but he decided he had to at least try, so he tightened his grip on the gun and forced himself to move away from the door.

*******

Parker angrily wielded the axe, taking his anger at Standish out on the pile of logs instead. He knew if he didn't, his temper would get the best of him and he'd end up killing the gambler before he was ready to give up on the game. He'd worked too hard setting this whole thing up to let it end so soon. Besides, the southerner had turned out to be a better adversary than he'd thought he would be and he was enjoying himself too much to give it up now. With his anger passing, Parker finally began to feel the cold and decided to go back in and resume toying with his prey. He drove the axe back in the chopping block and began gathering up the wood.

*******

Ezra stumbled across the yard, careful to keep the cabin between himself and Parker. He could see the outline of a small barn out back of the cabin and assumed that was where he'd sheltered the horses... but he knew with his arms tethered and his ankle in the shape it was, that he'd never be able to mount one of them anyway so he kept heading in the direction of the woods. Glancing back, he was thankful to see that the wind and snow were filling in his footprints. Hopefully, once he reached the cover of the woods he'd be able to find some kind of shelter to hide in while he recovered some of his strength. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he didn't stand a chance in hell of surviving out here in this storm, but he refused to give up and kept moving toward the trees.

He was half way across the yard when he heard it... or rather stopped hearing it. The chopping sound of the axe. Ezra froze in his tracks and stared back toward the cabin, desperately trying to get his eyes to focus. All he could see were shapes in the blinding whiteness of the whirling snow... and every one of them looked like Parker closing in on him. His finger tightened on the trigger and he had to force himself to calm down before he wasted the only bullet he had. Ezra turned and tried to move faster toward the shelter of the woods, but his whole body was numb from the constant cold and he knew he was dangerously close to passing out. He staggered and almost fell several times as his injured ankle nearly gave out on him, but each time he managed to stay upright and move forward again as he concentrated every ounce of his being on getting away.

*******

Parker came around the end of the cabin with his armload of firewood, looked up at the porch and stared in anger at the door hanging open. Throwing the wood down, he whipped around to look for any sign of the southerner... he couldn't possibly have gotten far in the condition he was in.

"Standish! You're going to die when I catch you!"

Ezra's steps faltered when he heard Parker's voice and his heart raced as the fear threatened to overwhelm him again. He glanced up to see how close he was to the cover of the trees and was startled to see that the snow had stopped and the force of the wind had lessened. He'd been so focused on putting one foot in front of the other and maintaining his grip on the gun that he hadn't noticed the storm diminishing. Ezra wanted to look back to see where Parker was, but he knew if he saw him he'd never be able to get himself moving again, so he pushed on for the trees which were thankfully only a few yards away.

Parker glanced down at the ground, but any tracks the conman had left were covered over now. He contemplated the shed with the horses in it, but dismissed it almost immediately knowing Standish wouldn't be able to pull himself up on a horse with his hands bound to his waist. That meant he had to be headed for the shelter of the trees. His anger mounting with every minute that passed, Parker gazed around the large clearing trying to catch a glimpse of the gambler. Suddenly he caught a movement near the tree-line out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head quickly, he finally spotted Standish just before he disappeared into the woods. An evil sadistic grin slowly spread across his face as he began moving toward the trees.

*******

Ezra huddled against a tree trying to shake off the numbness that was spreading through his body. He had to keep looking down at his hand to make sure he was still holding the gun... his fingers were so cold he couldn't feel a thing and he could only pray that he'd be able to squeeze the trigger if he needed to. The exhausted gambler closed his eyes and fought back tears of frustration as he tried to focus his feverish mind on what he should do next. His captor had only given him just enough food and water to keep him alive and it was now making it almost impossible for him to concentrate on anything. What little strength he'd had left was almost gone and he needed to find somewhere to rest soon. With a weary sigh, he opened his eyes... and let out a startled scream as he found himself staring at the hulking form of Parker standing only a few yards away.

"Where'd you think you were going, little man?" Parker smiled at the fear he saw shimmering in the gambler's eyes. "You didn't actually think you'd be able to get away from me, did you?"

Ezra's whole body began to tremble at the realization that his nightmare was never going to end. His mind was on the verge of shutting down completely when suddenly he remembered the gun in his hand. It was shielded from Parker's sight by his body leaning against the tree and he had to remind himself not to look down... not to draw the man's attention to it. He tightened his grip on the gun as he saw the huge man start to move closer... forcing himself to wait until the last possible moment to use it... knowing it was his only hope.

Parker saw something other than fear flash across his victim's eyes and paused for a second... defiance? Did the man actually still have that much left in him? Laughing softly in anticipation of destroying completely the man standing before him, he moved slowly forward.

Ezra felt his body break out in a cold sweat as he watched the huge man move closer and closer. Shifting all his weight to his good leg, he tilted his body backwards slightly to give him the best shot at Parker he could manage. Ezra waited until the towering figure was within arm's reach of him before twisting his body to the right and firing.

Parker stared at Standish in amazement as he fired the gun and realized he had underestimated him again when he felt the bullet tear through his side. The force of the impact caused him to stagger back several feet but failed to knock him down and the pain from the bullet only fueled his anger to a blinding white-hot rage.

Ezra stared in horror as Parker touched his side, looked at the blood on his fingers and then brought his eyes back up to lock onto his. The hate radiating out at him filled him with a paralyzing fear that drove all thoughts of escape from his mind. Letting the gun slip from his trembling fingers into the snow, Ezra pressed himself back against the tree and watched numbly as Parker rushed towards him... only having time to utter one soft "please" before the man was on him.

The huge man grabbed Ezra's arms, lifted him off his feet and slammed him viciously against the tree twice before finally tossing him on the ground at his feet. Ezra lay there moaning softly as he fought to hold out against the blackness that threatened to take him, wanting to move away from his tormentor but not having the strength left to do so. He gasped as Parker flipped him over onto his stomach and struggled weakly as he felt him fumbling with the buckle of the belt his arms were fastened to. He wanted to ask his captor what he was going to do but couldn't quite get his whirling mind to formulate his thoughts into words.

Parker finally managed to get the snow-packed buckle undone and grabbing the conman around the waist, lifted him off the ground and started walking. "I think we need to fix it so you can't try to run out on our little game again, Mr. Standish." Ezra tried to squirm out of the larger man's arms, but he merely tightened his hold and warned him to be still or it would go worse for him. The southerner wearily wondered how it could possibly get any worse than it was, but stopped his futile attempts to escape, not wanting to waste what little strength he had left.

Parker finally found a tree that would suit his needs. He held the smaller man under a low hanging branch and forcing his arms in the air, looped the belt they were handcuffed to over the branch and buckled it in place. Ezra tried to fight him, but the sudden upward movement of his arms which had been in the same position by his sides since the ordeal had begun, sent pains shooting through his shoulders sharp enough to take his breath away. Hanging there gasping for air, he looked down and saw that his feet barely touched the ground and realized there was nothing he could do to defend himself in this position. He looked back up at Parker and saw that his shirt was soaked with blood from the bullet wound and wondered how the man could still be on his feet, much less able to manhandle him the way he had.

Ezra began to shiver uncontrollably as the adrenalin rush he'd been functioning on suddenly left him. Every inch of his exposed skin was numb and even the fever burning through his body couldn't keep the cold from settling in and sapping his meager supply of strength. He stared at the huge man standing in front of him and straining to keep his voice from shaking asked, "What game are we playing now?"

Parker gazed silently back at the gambler for a few minutes before answering him. "No game this time, little man... we're just going to make sure that you can't try to run anymore." With an evil smile spreading across his face, he removed the belt from around his waist and began slowly swinging it back and forth. Ezra stared in horror at the huge buckle on the end of the belt as he realized what the man intended to do.

Ezra's whole body tensed as he tried to brace himself for the beating he was about to receive, but nothing could have prepared him for the pain that exploded in his leg as the buckle sliced through the material of his pants and buried itself in the flesh beneath. Ezra's jaw clenched as he struggled to hold back the scream of pain that tried to force it's way out of his throat, knowing that it was exactly what Parker was waiting to hear. Ezra jerked and kicked as his tormentor concentrated the blows on his legs, sometimes using the buckle, sometimes just the leather belt to inflict the damage. The groggy conman felt something wet hit his shoulders and looking up saw blood dripping from under the cuffs where his skin was rubbed raw by the twisting and turning of his body. His fingers tightened around the leather strap that he was fastened to as he tried to take some of the weight off his torn and bleeding wrists. His body jerked as the next lash of the belt wrapped itself around his left leg and the scream he'd been holding back finally erupted as the buckle connected just above his injured ankle. The leather of his boot kept the metal from breaking the skin, but did nothing to soften the jarring impact to his broken bones. The searing pain that tore up his leg and enveloped his body pushed Ezra to the edge of the void. His mind felt it coming... recognized it as the dark peaceful place he'd been to before... the place where there was no pain... no fear. As his eyes drifted shut, Ezra saw the belt whipping toward him one more time... knew the pain was coming for him... and with one final anguished cry that echoed only in his mind... 'Chris...for God's sake help me!!'... Ezra let himself slip over the edge into the welcoming darkness.

*******

Chris peered out from the shelter of the trees, saw that the wind had died down some and decided they couldn't afford to wait any longer. After some arguing on Buck and Vin's part he told them in no uncertain terms he was going whether they went with him or not. He led his horse out of the trees, mounted and turned to wait impatiently for the others.

After looking around and confirming with Randall that they were indeed still on the right trail to the cabin, Vin mounted and moved up to talk to Chris.

"How long's he think it'll be til we reach the cabin?" Chris asked as he glanced over at the tracker.

"Hour... maybe two. Depends on how bad the trail's snowed in." Vin knew it wasn't what the gunslinger wanted to hear, but it was the best guess Randall could give them under the circumstances. "You know, he can't... Chris? Somethin' wrong?" Vin had seen his friend shiver and get a tense, almost frightened look on his face.

Chris stared at him as he debated on whether he should tell him what he thought he'd just heard. Finally he shook his head. "No, nothin'... Let's just hurry, we've wasted enough time." How could he tell Vin that he'd swear he just heard Ezra's voice... 'Chris, for God's sake help me!!'

*******

Parker watched his victim's body go limp as he slipped into unconsciousness, smiling in satisfaction at the sight of the blood dripping from his tor