Last Updated: 4/5/99

Jack couldn't move anymore. He'd been ignoring the pain before, but crawling through the grass holding a baby was a little more than his ribs could take. Each breath burned as it expanded his ribcage. Rolling over to his back he stared up at the sky and tried to slow his breathing.

"We're going to be okay, Kitty," he panted to the baby beside him. She'd been drifting off to sleep and only snuggled deeper in her blanket in response. They'd gone in a large arc around the house and were now working their way closer to the trees. The trees were probably only a few hundred yards away now, but the thought of moving towards them made Jack ache more. He hadn't seen anyone come from the house yet, but they must have figured out someone else had been there by now.

"Think we should risk running for it?" Jack asked looking at the baby. She was asleep. He sighed. "I could use a nap, too."

Slowly sitting up he hugged his ribs for a minute then stood. Grabbing the sleeping baby, he started running low to the ground for the trees.

Jen was angry! No she was beyond angry. Josiah wouldn't believe her and he was bussy helping Leia. She knew that he and his friends as well as everyone in this town was in trouble. 'Why doesn't he remember me. He knew my father when I was a little girl, Why can't he remember me?' Jen thought to herself. She had known Josiah for a long time, just hadn't seen him in about 10 years. He helped her when her parents had been brutly murdered and she thought of him as a big brother. Jen went to the saloon and to the counter.

"Tequila!" That's all she said. Josiah was sitting at the table and saw her.

"What are you doing in her Miss. Pennington?" He asked.

"Just to get a drink, is that a problem?"

"Umm, women aren't allowed in saloons." Jen rolled her eyes grabbed the bottle and walked towards the door.

"You happy now?" She walked off before he could say anything.

Vin and Nathan entered the ranch house cautiously, wincing at the smell of death that permeated the air. They'd finally gotten their horses tethered outside, though the animals were none too happy about it. Come to think of it, the men weren't particularly happy with the situation, either.

The two of them looked around the spare interior of the house. The Taylors were dead - that much was obvious. There was still no sign of the baby - that much was also obvious. It wasn't until Vin took a closer look became obvious.

"Someone else has been here," Vin said quietly, crouching beside a smeared footprint on the floor. "And recently."

Nathan drew his Remington by reflex as Vin stood up and scanned about the small space. He looked out the back window and caught sight of some sort of fabric caught on the back fence, blowing in the freshening breeze. "Nathan," he murmured, nodding out the window at the fence. Vin drew his sawed-off rifle from its holster and stepped quietly towards the back door, Nathan beside him.

The two men exited the house cautiously, alert for any sign of life. Seeing none, they headed for the back fence. Vin's attention was on the fabric that hung there, but Nathan was scanning the terrain warily, and he caught a glimpse of movement as something skirted around the house and headed into the front yard.

"Vin!" Nathan hissed, ducking and moving quickly to the side of the house for a better view. They crouched in the lee of the building and could make out the unmistakable form of a man running for the trees, hunched awkwardly.

"Hold it right there!" Vin bellowed, cocking his Winchester and sending a warning shot into the sky above the scurrying figure.

"Miss, just stay put. We'll go for Nathan."

"Nathan just left with Vin. They were headed out to the-"

"JD!"

"Sorry, Chris."

Lena was struggling to sort the voices to the faces that suddenly hovered before her.

Josiah reached down to help her off the floor. "Are you okay?"

"I'm...I'm fine. Just a bit light headed."

"Can you tell us what happened?" The question came from the door where Chris Larabee was hanging back from the group.

"There was a.....a...." What was she going to tell them? That she had danced with evil? That she had looked into the face of madness? "There was a man. He-"

"Was it that man from the stable?" JD broke in, saving her from finishing her explanation. When she nodded, he continued. "See Chris, I told you he was gonna be trouble."

Josiah brought her a dipper of water. "Did you know him? Did he hurt you?"

"No, he...he just frightened me." Lena was uncomfortably aware of the confining walls and the scrutany of the gathered group. "I'm sorry, I don't know anymore. Please I need to go." She made her way to her feet and unsteadily pushed past JD and Chris to the door.

She managed to control the tremmors untill she was outside. Then the urge to run, to get away, was overwhelming.

Kit stood, tense, looking around her anxiously. "Taylor ranch... Taylor ranch," she muttered to herself, wishing she could remember exactly which way the ranch was. There was no sign of Clair or Charlie, and Kit toyed with the idea of running back to the livery and borrowing Dreamer, Charlie's horse, in order to catch up. She realized that Dreamer would likely react to her the same way that Buck's gelding had... Kit's pony Tim was about the only horse she knew who wasn't nervous around her. So riding was out. That left... running? Kit considered the idea for a moment, found that she liked it, and decided she'd need her carrysack that was back at her room. As she turned to dash back to her lodging, she saw Lena's familiar form heading in her general direction.

Charlie stopped Kit's pony, Tim, he was slowing down. Something was obviously wrong, he kept tossing his head from one side to another. She guessed he wasn't comfortable with a new rider.

She glanced over at Clair. "Should we go back and try to find her?" she asked anxiously. "What if Buck decided to make her wait while he got his horse ready? I knew we should have waited."

"Settle down. I'm sure she talked him into staying." Clair said calmly. "We'll wait here and see if she finds us. It's best, so we don't end up passing her without knowing it." Charlie sighed.

"Okay..." She said finally. She decided that meanwhile she'd give poor Tim a break and climbed off of him. She walked up to his head and petted it softly. "What happened back there?" Clair was asking about the little scene outside the livery. Charlie looked up at her.

"I don't know." She answered simply. And it was true. She had no idea. She kept petting the pony unconsciously while staring blankly at the ground. 'What if something happens while we're gone?' Her brain kept asking.

Clair stepped out of the stirrups of her own horse. She knew she shouldn`t try and enter Charlie`s mind, but the other girl looked so worried. As she closed her eyes she saw Buck, Clair pulled back that was all she needed. She moved closer to Charlie and laid her hand on the younger woman`s shoulder. "Charlie Buck will be fine for now, But we`ve got to get going".

Charlie turned a skeptical gaze on Clair. "What do you mean for now".

Clair shook her head unwilling to say more about Buck`s fate."Come on Charlie let`s ride,Kit will catch up" she tugged at Charlie`s shirt sleeve.

Jack couldn't hear what was yelled at him over the pounding of blood through his ears, but the gun shot was unmistakable. He made a headlong jump behind a boulder then looked back to see who was shooting, not that there was much doubt.

"Scruffy man and Knife guy, who would've guessed?" he mumbled. They were running toward him now so he didn't have much time to figure out the best way to deal with them. "Guess I'll just have to buy some more time."

Taking the gun from his shoulder holster he sent a shot between the two men. Both hit the ground. "That should give me a few minutes."

*They outnumber me and have more fire power,* Jack reasoned. *But I've got better cover and they don't know how many bullets I have. I'd say we have a Mexican standoff until one of us makes a mistake.*

Buck stalked towards the saloon, his mind was preoccupied with the odd happenings in the livery. That horse ain`t never been the skittish type, Buck shook his head wondering what had gotten into the gelding. His thoughts jumped to his niece and the other two girls. He knew they were up to more than just shooting, and he had been determined to find out what their little scheme was. Damn and a chance to spend a little time around Clair, Buck cursed his misfortune. He`d spent the last week keeping is eye on Clair. Her Auburn hair and clear blue eyes would be a powerful temptation for any man, Buck mused."Hell,I must be crazy that girl won`t spare me two words," he mumbled to himself. He drew even with the saloon and stopped in his tracts, he wasn`t about to let this drop. Charlie was his responsibility and as long as she was he intended on making sure she was safe, and then there was Clair. He turned and retraced his steps to the livery.

When the dark man had touched her, he had shifted her thoughts...changed things. The town was pressing in on her. She could feel them. Her defenses were gone. Could feel anger, love, fear, and under it all the slick feeling of decay.

It started in the church. Josiah had touched her. He was troubled. Then the questions... JD was excited. This was another adventure. Then Chris. Oh God! Chris made her nervous at the best of times, his emotions were so close. Suddenly the church was too small.

ESCAPE........

Outside it was worse. So many people.

ESCAPE........

The need was insistant. She wanted to call Zosa to her. To get on the grey and ride until the pain behind her eyes was gone. 'till the town was gone. She couldn't. Everytime she opened up to call Zosa, the world crashed in and she lost what control she had gained. So instead she ran.....

ESCAPESCAPESCAPESCAPESCAPESCAPESCAPE

In her flight, Lena didn't see the figure in her path. As arms reached out to catch and steady her, Lena paniced. Fought to break free, before getting a good look at their face.

"Lena? Lena! Lena, what's wrong?" Kit grasped Lena's arms tightly as the other girl struggled to break loose. She could smell the scent of fear that hung around her like a second pelt - not just fear, but terror, and the overwhelming urge to run, to hide, to escape... And beneath it all, a malevolent undercurrent, was *his* smell - the figure on the ridge.

Lena stopped struggling, and looked at Kit with wild blue eyes. It seemed to take her a moment to realize where she was, who she was, who Kit was, and Kit slowly released her grip on Lena's arms. "Are you okay?" Kit asked, concerned.

"Kit? I, uh... thought you were someone else." Lena hear the tremble in her own voice. She was still aware of the urge to run, but choked it back.

Kit raised an eybrow at that. "Someone else? Who, the devil?"

Lena visably paled at that comment, "I don't know, maybe. I need to leave. I can't keep everyone out." She pressed her hands to her face and closed her eyes tightly.

Her eyes flew open, bright with unshed tears. "You...what...?"

Kit took a step back from Lena, startled at the look in the other's eyes. Lena's demeanour had changed - it was like something had distracted her from her fear. Kit hadn't noticed anything, no sound or scent that might have marked someone's approach. The way Lena was staring at her, Kit started to get a very uneasy feeling.

"'You... what...' what?" Kit asked.

Bewilderment crossed Lena's features. "I don't know. I haven't felt this before." Suddenly aware of street again, Lena shuddered. "Is there somewhere we can go? Away from all of the people I mean."

Lena could feel her control returning, but the press of the people going about their business threatened to overwhelm her again. She touched Zosa, trusting the grey to find her own way to the street. The link which moments before had seemed impossible, was suddenly as natural as breathing. She needed to speak with Kit, but the need to get out while she was still in control was stronger.

Kit reached out to touch Lena's elbow, as if making sure that the girl was able to stand on her own, and thought briefly. "There's a place a little ways away from town that I sometimes go to when I need to get away," she offered hesitantly. It was her own private retreat and she was reluctant to share it, but Lena's strained expression worried Kit. If she needed to get away from people in order to shake off that horrible, paralyzing fear, well...

"Is it far?" asked Lena.

"Not very. This way."

Before Lena could follow Kit, a very aggitated Zosa placed herself between them. She was hovering defensivly, eyes flashing and feet dancing. Unease came off of her in waves. Lena could understand the feeling of nervousness, the incidents from earlier had unnerved her as well. But the source of Zosa's fear, seemed to be...Kit?

"It's okay. It's okay. Calmse," she soothed the big horse. Then to Kit, "I'm sorry, she tends to be over protective." Zosa slowly calmed down. "It'll be okay now. Do you mind riding double? It'll be faster than walking, and I get the feeling that we NEED all the time we have."

Kit eyed the large animal uncertainly. "If she'll have me," she said. "I don't seem to get on too well with most horses, 'cept Tim, but Charlie's got him. They're probably out at the Taylor place by now." She knew darn well why Zosa was acting up at her, and she consciously willed herself back towards normal even though it meant losing the sharpness of her senses. Zosa no doubt could smell the reason behind Kit's shifting, the same way Buck's gelding had in the livery. Kit hoped she had come back far enough that the scent wasn't so strong, so near to the surface, so obvious to the animal. Even when she was in full shift, she was very little danger to something as big as a horse, but equine instincts died hard, it seemed...

"She'll let you ride if I ask her." She could feel something change in Kit. Things were suddenly more complex and less open. What control she had gained, started to crumble. "Please, don't... Whatever you just did... Zosa will let you ride. Let's just go."

With as weak as she felt, Lena wasn't sure she could make a vault mount without a saddle or block. On the other hand, she didn't relish the extra time it would cost to go to the livery. Gritting her teeth, she made a rather graceless leap. The success of the effort was due more to Zosa's efforts than her own, but the end result was what mattered.

She turned and offered her hand to Kit. For someone who didn't get on well with horses, Kit made the leap look gracefull and effortless.

Charlie and Clair had heard the shots as they entered the woods that surrounded the Taylor's farm house. Charlie climbed off of Tim and ran over to a large tree where she ducked down so she could see clearly. She watched Nathan and Vin where they lay on the ground, they were talking to each other, but she had no idea what was being said.

Her eyes followed that of the direction in which Nathan and Vin kept looking. She saw a man behind a large boulder, a gun in one hand and something else clutched in his left arm. She spun around when she heard Clair run up behind her.

"That's him!" She whispered loudly to Clair. She went back to watching the men.

"That's who?" Clair asked confused.

"The man with baby. He's got her. Remember....? In the visions?" Charlie reminded her still watching the men from her hiding place.

"Are you sure?" Clair asked. Charlie nodded a little.

"Do you think we should go down there?" Charlie asked worriedly. "If they start shooting again she could get hurt."

"No, I think we should wait. Just until things settle down." Clair answered.

"That could take forever!" She was really getting worried about the baby. The middle of a gunfight is no place for a child.

"Just wait." Clair repeated quietly.

"Look, you wait here for Kit. I'm gonna go around and see if I can get to the baby." Charlie's voice was full of concern.

"Charlie," Clair started.

"Clair, if one of us doesn't go down there and stop this, things will happen, people will die, and it will known that something could have been done about it!" Charlie snapped.

"What d'you think?" Nathan muttered to Vin from their positions on the ground.

"If one of us can make it to that tree over there," Vin nodded at an ancient, gnarled oak that stood alone about five yards from the front of the house, "we might have a chance of takin' him."

"I'll cover you," Nathan said simply, readying his pistol. Vin nodded and got his feet underneath him for the sprint across the yard, clutching his rifle tightly. "Ready?"

"Go," the tracker replied. Nathan reared up from cover, firing two shots rapidly at the large boulder. One bullet spanged off the rock as it ricocheted, and Nathan dropped back to the ground as Vin dove behind the bulky trunk of the oak tree, panting.

Kitty woke up with a startled look on her face when the bullet hit the rock. Jack could see she was trying to decide whether or not she wanted to cry about it.

"It's okay, Kitty, it's okay," he almost begged. Unfortunately Kitty didn't agree. A long wail rose from her. "At least you sound stronger," Jack commented as he tried to quiet her.

The cry didn't go unnoticed by the Vin and Nathan.

"Whoever that is, he must have the baby," Nathan said.

"Can't have that," Vin murmured as he slowly moved forward from his position behind the oak.

Giving up on quieting the child and realizing that his pursuers must know he had her, he gently placed her on the ground and turned to look for them. One was still in the grass but the other was gone. Quickly scanning the area he found him too close for comfort by an old tree. The scruffy one was trying to get closer.

"Stay where you are!" he called leveling his gun at the man.

Vin froze but Nathan decided to take the chance to move.

"You too!" Jack turned the gun on him. "Both on you drop the guns!"

They complied, fearing for the baby's safety.

"Okay," Nathan yelled back. "Just don't hurt the baby."

"You're one to talk," Jack laughed. "Don't move, either of you," he commanded standing up and moving his gun between the two men. "I'm going to pick up those weapons, then I'm going to leave and both of you aren't going to do anything more than breath unless I say so."

It was the first good look Nathan and Vin had of the man. He looked to be about JD's age, tall with short brown hair that was matted down with blood. His clothes were wet and dirty. The torn shirt he wore was covered in blood but the unusual black pants were just dusty. As he stepped around the boulders they saw his shoes weren't like any they'd seen. *That explains the strange footprint I found,* Vin thought. The man started coming toward them. Vin and Nathan tensed, ready to attack when the man came close enough. Jack saw it coming and backed away.

"You," he indicated Nathan. "Pick up the guns and throw them over here. Don't even think about trying something."

The man was bending down to retrieve the weapons and Jack spared a moment to check on Kitty. She was still crying but he couldn't do anything for her until he had the two killers under control. He didn't really care if they ever paid for their crimes but he wasn't going to let them have the baby, too.

Nathan saw that he was distracted and drew and threw a knife with lightening speed at the hand holding the gun. Jack heard it a moment before it hit. He moved his hand slightly and the blade sliced past.

With a strangled cry he dropped the gun from his right hand and caught it with his left then fired. The shot was wide on purpose but it was enough to stop the man from trying anything else.

"I can't believe you did that!" he gasped. *I can't believe I let you do that,* he added to himself. *He's Knife man for a reason!*

"Take the knives off, nice and slow."

Nathan did and dropped them on the ground.

"Both of you stand up, hands in the air."

"Should've aimed for the heart, Nathan" Vin said.

"I heard that," Jack smiled. "You join "Nathan" over there then both of you can back up. Come on, hurry up, I don't have all day here."

The two men backed away slowly.

"I can't have people killing babies while I'm around," Jack said in a conversational tone. "And since it's obvious you two aren't going to just go away, you'll have to be dealt with."

Vin didn't like the way being 'dealt with' sounded, but Nathan was distracted by the inference that they were trying to kill the baby.

"Hold on a minute, we aren't trying to hurt the baby."

"Nathan, right?" A small nod answered. "I'll admit I'm having one of the worse days of my life and I'm not thinking too clearly and probably have a concussion, but I'm not going to buy that crap." Nathan looked ready to protest but Jack just plowed ahead. "Look, I'm not going to kill you so you don't need to try feeding me a line. I don't care what you did to Kitty's parents, I don't care why you're riding around in the middle of no where looking like something out of a Western, and I don't care if you continue your killing rampage once I'm gone, but for right now just keep backing up and SHUT UP because I'm getting a killer headache."

"Hold on, there," Nathan called, "what do you mean, what *we* did to Kitty's parents?"

Jack looked at him with unveiled dislike. "Oh, yeah, as if you had to ask. Next thing you know, you're gonna be telling me you're not the ones that made julienne fries out of the folks in there," he said sarcastically, nodding at the ranch house.

"Julienne what?" Nathan asked.

"We ain't," Vin replied simultaneously, beginning to understand. "We figured you were."

That stumped Jack for a second. Could he be telling the truth? "It wasn't me - they were long dead by the time I got here," he offered warily. It was possible, he thought. But if they hadn't killed Kitty's folks, and *he* sure hadn't done it, then that left the question of who had wide open.

And it still didn't explain what they were doing wearing those corny Western get-ups.

Charlie and Clair heard the gunshots, then the baby's cries, and tried to see what had happened.

"He probably just scared her, Charlie." Clair said. "Now, get down or they'll see you." She warned.

"Clair! Someone is going to get killed! I'm gonna get the baby, you just wait here if you want!" She whispered loudly, then started walking in a different direction then the men were in.

"Where are you going??" Clair asked.

"Around. There's gotta be a way to get down there." Charlie said as she kept walking.

When she figured out how to get down there she found herself angry. How could someone bring a baby in the middle of a gunfight? She realized the man had saved the child, but he was also gonna be the one to get her killed if she didn't figure out a way to get her out of there.

Charlie stopped behind another tree. She almost had a second thought, then decided she'd gotten this far she might as well try.

She was only about 20 feet from the baby, who was still wailing at the top of her very powerful little lungs. Charlie began to walk slowly and quietly toward the squirming, screaming baby. She noticed Vin had seen her. She just hoped the stranger didn't notice.

By the time Jon reached the outskirts of Four Corners, he was in a good mood. The lively little town held a warm place in his heart. As much as Jon loved the mountains, Four Corners always felt like home. *God it's good to be back!* Jon thought with excitement. *I always forget just how much I miss this place.*

Jon was very carefull to dampen his senses before entering the city. Just because he loved the place, didn't mean that it wasn't overwhelming. He was mildly suprised at just how high he had everything set. After months of solitude, it was natural to be a little above normal, but not this much. Something was definitely in the air. *Though around here,* he thought fondly, *when isn't something?*

Jack's head was really starting to pound. Vertigo overtook him for a moment and he stumbled back a few steps.

Vin motioned slightly to Nathan. Charlie was coming up behind the man with the gun. They needed to keep him distracted.

"You're not looking too good," Nathan commented.

"Well that goes well with me not feeling too good," Jack replied backing up closer to the boulder.

"What's your name?" Vin asked.

"After you," Jack said wryly.

"Vin Tanner."

"Jack Malone, a pleasure to meet you." Jack bowed then felt nauseous. *Ohhh, what is wrong with me?* Another step back and he made contact with the boulder, and almost managed to fall over it backwards.

"Why don't you just put that gun down and we can talk," Nathan coaxed.

Jack shot him a look that said "how stupid do you think I am?" but took the gun off them as he grabbed his head. *Oh, man, can this day get any worse?*

"Jack, if you didn't kill the Taylors, and we didn't, do you have any idea who did?" Nathan asked, trying to keep his attention on them and off the girl that was creeping closer to the crying baby.

"Just be quiet," Jack moaned turning to check on Kitty. Her crying was slowing and she seemed to be going back to sleep. Jack had to smile as her eyelids drooped while she tried to scream her protest to such bad treatment. "It'll be okay, kiddo," he whispered toeing her gently. A movement behind him caught his attention. Swinging around he trained his gun on a teenage girl. She had shoulder-length brown hair and was dressed similarly to the two men. "Where are you people coming from?! Did I land on a movie set?"

Charlie was caught by surprise. She stopped moving, almost stopped breathing. She didn't know what to do now. She felt both stupid and scared.

"Who are you?" Jack asked irritated.

"Charlie Holloway," She answered.

"Get over there." He told her motioning to Nathan and Vin. Charlie didn't move. Then she started walking toward the boulder, slowly.

"We didn't kill them," She said as she got closer. "I know you didn't either." Jack was looking at her funny.

"Ah, ah, ah! Stop." He warned, holding the gun up higher. Charlie did so. "Do I look stupid or something? Is there a big sign on my forehead that says 'idiot'?" He spun around and looked at the other two men. Charlie took this moment to move as she jumped forward and grabbed the baby. The man turned back around quickly. He rolled his eyes and looked up at the sky.

"Obviously I do." He answered his own question. "Give me the baby, kid." He told her. Charlie shook head.

"No. You're bound to get her killed." The baby had quieted down, now she was just trying to catch her breath from all the screaming.

"I'm not gonna let anything happen to her." Jack said.

"Then could you please put the gun away?" Charlie asked.

Clair watched the scene below unfold. She knew she had to do something and quick, a distraction. If she could distract the young man for a few seconds she knew Nathan and Vin would make good use of the man`s inattention. She searched her mind for a effective ploy,something the man couldn`t ignore. A smile lit Clair`s face as her mind stuck upon a tried and true talent. She crawled closer to the tall cottonwood beside her, and lay on her side curled in to a tight ball. Her eyes slipped shut and with a conscious effort she slowed her breathing. Seconds passed and she slipped into a deep slumber. In her dream state Clair`s spirit slipped free from the confines of her physical body. Her dreamwalk had began, she willed herself to the spot where Charlie stood holding the baby. She knew that the others wouldn`t be able to see her, but Charlie turned her head in Clair`s direction. For the space of a heartbeat she was sure Charlie had seen her. Drifting closer to the other woman she whispered "wait and watch Charlie". Clair saw the tiny infant cradled in Charlie`s arms, it`s pink lips stretched wide to accommodate it`s wailing. Clair smoothed an ethereal touch over the baby`s cheek, she quitted instantly and drifted back to a restless sleep. She noticed Jack still held the gun turned towards Charlie. The man`s emotions were so close to the surface that Clair expended very little energy reading him. She could feel his concern for the baby that he called Kitty, and the exhaustion that flooded his senses. She knew he would succumb to the pain that racked his body eventually, but time was against her. She felt a tremendous sense of guilt for what she was about to do to this man. She moved behind the him and steeled herself as she yanked hard at his hair, his head bobed forward seemingly to free his hair from the invisible assault. Raking her nails down the side of his neck produced a grunt of pain. She took her torture a little farther, she leaned close to his ear "he`s coming,you`d better except help from these men or you`ll end up just like the people in the house"she whispered. She couldn`t resisted adding light giggles,and she watched as the man started to unravel.

"What the heck was that?!" Jack yelled as the giggles still echoed in his ears. He swung around wildly looking for the unseen assailant. Vin and Nathan looked at him like he was crazy but Charlie seemed to be supressing a smile. The pounding in his head had at least doubled before the attack and it still lingered up there on the threshold of exploding.

"Oh man, oh man, oh man," he repeated to himself trying to squeeze the pain and voice out of his head. He felt rather than saw that there was movement from the two men.

"Stay back!" he screamed. The two men froze. Jack needed to do something. They'd shot at him, cut him, taken his Kitty, and who knew if they were telling the truth about not killing those people. He couldn't take anymore. He'd been hunted down for the last three days, he hadn't slept, it hurt to breathe, he'd ruined his shirt, and now he was hearing voices. Every instinct in him told him he should run away, but he couldn't just leave Kitty. He needed to release some of the growing tension in him and, ignoring his rational side, started firing randomly.

Charlie fell to the ground, trying to protect the baby. *I knew he'd get her killed!* Vin and Nathan dropped as well. Jack was firing above their heads for now, but there was nothing keeping him from changing his mind and firing at them.

The loud retorts of the shots weren't doing anything for his head. In a fit of exhausted rage he made a normally fatal mistake, he hurled the gun away from himself. As it slipped through his fingers he realized what a bad idea it was and turned to look at Vin and Nathan. They both saw their opportunity and threw themselves at him.

Jack tried to jump away but the boulder was behind him. Instead of getting out of the way he fell over it with the two men on top of him. "Get off of me!" he grunted as he tried to struggle away from them. He was sure that at least one of his ribs had broken under the assault. The men paid no heed to his cries as they tried to subdue him. He tried to push them off but he felt like he could hardly lift his own arms let alone someone else's body. He wondered momentarily if he was about to die.

Vin fell back with a wheeze as a foot made contact with his chest and knocked the air out of his lungs. He jumped back on the squirming pile of limbs, aiming for the legs to avoid future air loss.

Nathan had taken one good hit in the face, splitting his lip, but had managed to grab the arm that had done it and had most of Jack's upper body under control.

Jack was down to half an arm and what little writhing he could do with two men on top of him. Slowly all the energy he had left drained away. After one final heave he lay still, breathing heavily. He couldn't seem to get enough air into his lungs and unconsciousness beckoned him. The sleep he'd been wishing for for the last two days welcomed him but before he fell into the waiting darkness the renewed crying of Kitty reached his ears.

"Kitty?" he gasped.

Kit guided Lena with murmured directions as they rode out beyond the town. Zosa seemed to be tolerating her added burden at Lena's request, for which Kit was grateful. But Lena's words still bothered her... she had sensed the shift too. No one - well, no human, anyway - had done that before in Kit's experience, and it intrigued her. And worried her, she had to admit. Her nature was kind of hard to understand for most people, and that had caused her no end of trouble back in Kansas Territory, once they had found what she really was.

It had been her fault back in Kansas, that she knew. She had thought she was alone one evening out on the plain, and had shifted to her latrani form in order to run down some dinner. but Jake Parker, that damned, nosy, ill-mannered gossipmonger had spotted her and had ridden back to Lewiston as fast as his horse could go, crying "Werewolf! Werewolf!" to any fool who would listen.

Kit could almost laugh about it now. Almost. Explaining the difference between the Garou - the Children of Wolf - and her kind, the Nuwisha - Coyote's Children - had been an exercise in futility. She still didn't know how the blacksmith had managed to cast those silver bullets by the time she returned to town, but she thanked Coyote fervently that his Children weren't affected by silver as the Garou were. Being smaller and weaker than the Garou was a small price to pay for that consideration alone - she'd seen firsthand how silver burned werewolves, regardless of their form, and the smell it gave off was unforgettable. Werecoyotes like herself didn't have to worry. At least not about that. The fire they had set to the abandoned building where she had gone to hide, well, that was another story altogether...

The memory still hadn't offered an answer as to how Lena had sensed her shift away from her coyote nature, the shift she had maintained without changing physical, external form in order to sharpen her senses. Kit knew Zosa could smell the wildness beneath her surface - most animals could. And many didn't like it. But humans were generally much less perceptive, as a rule. Except Lena, evidently...

"Over there," Kit said, pointing off to their right. A scrubby stand of brush and a couple of bedraggled trees stood about fifty yards distant, at the foot of a sloping hill that was trying to be a mountain. "There's an opening in the hillside behind the brush. It's too small to be called a cave, exactly, but it's big enough to slip into, and the plants provide plenty of cover."

Other than the occasion direction from Kit, the ride had been silent. Lena, for one, was thankful for the chance to think.

The terror that had been so overwhelming back in town was subsiding. She wasn't exactly sure what had happened in that church, only that He had changed something. The defenses that usually kept the noise of other people out were gone. She had felt EVERYTHING. Couldn't block anything out. At least not until she had quite literally run into Kit.

Kit was an entirely different mystery. Kit was unlike anyone else Lena had come in contact with before. Lena didn't want to pry into someone else's business, but whatever it was about Kit, she had cut throught the terror. For that Lena was grateful.

Lena reluctently pulled away from her musings as Kit pointed out their destination.

Casey walked from the church intent on heading for the hotel,w hen she saw Buck nearing the church. As she watched he abruptly turned and made his way back in the direction he came from. "Wait a minute Buck!" Casey yelled. She hurried from the church steps and sprinted down the street to Buck`s side.

"What`s is it kid?" Buck asked.

Casey grimaced at being called a kid,"Mary wants the seven of you over at the hotel for dinner," she replied.

Buck gave an exasperated sigh. "And just why are we haven a fancy dinner at the hotel?"

Casey smiled,she knew how much Buck hated getting gussied up for fancy occassions."Mary wants that new family to meet the towns protectors," she explained.

"What new family?" Buck frowned, he couldn`t recall any newcomers to the town.

"You know that Mayfair family,their from back east,they came into town yesterday in that fancy carriage," Casey supplied.

Her brief description seemed to jar Buck`s memory,he nodded his head. "Yeah, I recall them now."

"Want me to tell Mary you`ll be there?"Casey presisted.

"Yeah, I should be back before dinner," came Buck`s distracted reply.

"Fine, I`ll tell her"casey smiled. She turned to hurry off in search of the rest of the seven.

"Charlie will be there too!" Buck yelled to Casey`s retreating back. She waved her acknowledgment, as she continued down the street.

"Shhh!" Charlie told the baby who had begun to scream again. "It's okay!" She whispered. She watched as Vin and Nathan apprehended the stranger. After the struggle she started feeling bad for him. He was afraid for the child. He was worried about her.

Charlie walked over to where he lay on the ground, held there by Vin and Nathan.

"You're hurting him," She nodded her head at the two peacekeepers. "At least let him get up." The baby screamed louder now. Charlie started patting the baby's bottom. Maybe that would help her to go to sleep.

Clair stood watching the struggling of the subdued stranger, when she felt the familiar thickening of the air. Her head whipped around searching for the evil one she knew to be lurking near, terror strong and pure washed over her. She couldn`t see the man in black, but feeling his prescience was enough. Her concentration was broken, and she was roughly jerked back into her body.

Back in her body she woke with panic pushing in on her. She was propelled to her feet by instinct and began running down the incline towards the others. Clair`s small foot caught on a rock sticking from the hillside, she tripped hitting the ground hard on her knees. She could feel the sticky oozing of blood flowing from her scraped knees. The injury barely registered to her terrified mind, the only thoughts forming there were telling her to get to the others. She scrambled back to her feet, and continued running towards the outcropping of trees. She broke threw the underbrush at the base of the hill. Vin and Nathan were just moving away from the unconscious figure on the ground. Clair tried to speak but only a squeak formed on her lips, She couldn`t seem to get enough air. She gasp trying to fill her straining lungs with air, and it was even thicker than before. He was nearer, she felt the oily slickness of his prescience moving even closer.

Charlie spun around when she heard Clair run up. "Clair?? What's wrong? What happened?" The other girl looked panicked, worried. "Is he here?" She asked. Clair nodded.

"Who's here?" Vin asked. Charlie looked up at him unable to find words. Charlie handed him the baby gently.

"Wait here. Don't move, don't anyone go anywhere." She said, then grabbed the still out of breath Clair and dragged her out of ear shot of the men. "What do we do?" She asked simply.

Clair`s panic crested as she noticed the the ominous black clouds gathering and closing in on the small valley. Charlie`s grip on her arm turned punishing as the last of the question died in her throat, she was seeing the same omen as Clair. Both women stared in mute horror, afraid to look to the distant hilltops for fear of seeing the evil one. In the far reaches of Clair`s mind a voice began screaming, hurry...hurry...hurry! A frigid wind began whipping threw the valley,blowing debris in it`s path. She turned to Charlie. "The horses,get the horses and hurry Charlie he`s close".

Charlie seemed rooted to the very space she ocuppied, Clair grasp her arms and gave her a brutal shake. "Did you hear me?!" Clair yelled above the rising wind. The other girl nodded her head and turned to run back up the hill. Clair watched Charlie`s retreating figure until she crested the hill. Now to convince the men of what they must do Clair thought to herself. She walked the short distance to Vin`s side, he was gazing at the sleeping infant in his arms. She tugged on his shirt sleeve.

"You have to burn the Taylor`s homestead," she paused letting her words sink in. "Then we have to leave this place now." she finished.

"What`n the hell are you talken about Clair, those people deserve a decent burial!" he questioned.

"I agree but it has to be done,please trust me on this Vin!" she pleaded. Vin stared at her as if she had lost her mind ,he started to tell her as much when the loud report of thunder echoed around them. Lighting struck a dried cottonwood yards away,"Do it now Vin,or I will!" she screamed above the chaos that was steadily increasing around them.

Normally flat eyes were bright with anticipation. With more than a little suprise, he realized that this game was one he wanted to play. He hadn't been called, sent, or comanded here. He had found this merriment on his own. If the form he currently held had lips, he would have licked them.

The power that had gathered in this backwater place amused him. So many called together, it was almost like in the old days when his kind had banded together to fight legion after legion of would-be heroes. *Of course,* he thought reflectively, *those alliances never lasted beyond the point it bacame possible to demolish both hero and alli. Ah, the good ol' days.*

Things had definitly changed. A lot of the lore had been lost. Take this young girl, for instance. There was strength to her, but she still made the tell tale mistakes of a novice. She had the nerve to order one of his sites destroyed, without setting so much as a ward. And this one was particularly nice, almost like home. It never failed to amaze him, the inventiveness with which his chosen children tried to make him comfortable in their world.

Thinking of children, he cast around for the infant. One of the so-call 'los magnificos' held the child tenderly. That suited his plans well enough for the moment. The child really wasn't strong enough for his needs yet. Let them think they had won a battle by keeping the babe from him. The seeds had been planted, now all they need was his touch to grow.

Dark wings unfurled, as he plunged from his vantage point. Screaming with excitement, he plunged toward the group.

After walking out the Saloon, Jen went to her hotel room. Again she asked herself 'Why doesn't he remember me!' Jen slumped down on her bed and fell to sleep. She had dreams about Josiah and her father.

"Josiah, I wanna thank you for all you done here, Jen thinks you are her brother!" Frank Pennington laughed. Josiah nodded.

"Yep, that's why she hangs around me so much." Suddenly Jen started having dreams about him. The man who had killed her parents. "No! Mommy, daddy! No leave them alone!" Jen then had dreams about the reservation. She had been surrounded by spirits and ghosts. The cherokees taught her to never trust them. Jen woke up with a start as she heard something in her hotel room. Suddenly she felt a hand cover he mouth.

"Hello my sweet! Long time no see!" A man who she quickly recgonized as her parents killer said.

"I finally got you! No one will save you now! Not even those 7 men." Jen last heard before everything went black. The man took her unconsious body and put it on his horse and rode out of town.

Charlie got to the horses and stopped. He's coming. Terror rose in her throat. She was started to get nauseous again. "No!" She whispered to herself. She jumped up on Clair's horse and tried to get it turned in the right direction. But the horse was so jumpy she couldn't get a handle on it. And that combined with Tim's pulling, and jumping, and neighing, was causing Charlie to have to use all her strength to hang on to the two animals. "Come on guys!!" She yelled. The horses continued their fighting. Clair's horse even had the nerve to turn and run in the other direction. Charlie dropped the pony's reigns and tried to get the horse under control. "Whoa!!" She tugged on the reigns. The horse stopped and danced around, uncomfortable with the sudden drop in temperature and pressure. She finally got the horse calmed and turned him toward the ridge. She started him off in a gallop, but he only got as far as back to the spot where they had just come from. Charlie groaned. "You have got to be the most stubborn animal I have ever encountered!" She jumped off the horse only to stop when something caught her eye. She spun around and came face to face with the man in the dream. He had been standing over Buck. She recalled. He was still surrounded by darkness. Suddenly the horse and the pony began rearing up, they turned and ran off. "No!!!" Charlie screamed, running after them. She stopped and turned back around, the man was gone. She took a quick survey of the trees around her. Nothing. It was growing darker, colder. "I know you're there!!" She yelled. Then a sharp pain came over her stomach and head.

Next RPG Page Back to the Stories Index