"I'm out, if you keep winnin' like this, Ezra they'll have to give you a medal."  Vin said rubbing his eyes from drowsiness. The salon had a strange calm to it this evening, not like other evening which the saloon holds more than 60 people at the most. Ezra slowly downed the whiskey in his shotglass while Vin sat waiting for him to finish the shotglass so he could return the bottle.

"Done now?" Vin asked. Ezra's face was blank, he looked at the whiskey then at Vin. Maybe he should just take his leave. But Ezra gave a smurk and snatched the whiskey bottle and chugged the rest. Vin shook his head wishing he too could understand more about Ezra. "Well you enjoy that, I'm going to my room."

Ezra quickly swallowed and spoke. "Bright and early I asume?"

Vin kicked his chair in. "Why,so you can beat me at poker again?" Ezra gave him a devilish grin and tipped his hat.

"Night Ezra."

" Night Mr.Tanner."  

Vin walked leasurly to the hotel making a jingel with his spers. He noticed to his left a beutiful sun setting behind a couple of mountains. Once done with short sight seeing he reached the hotel, when he passed five women all dressed in black gowns and bonnets. He tipped his hat and went inside. The five women giggled and started up a neighborly chat. Once the streets were clear and no one was around they all got up and headed to the salon.

There, Ezra was just starting to put his cards away, when five women entered. He cocked his head over his shoulder at curiosity. He didn't feel like having a feminine chat with any of them about the store's latest things. He grabbed his hat and put it on, but when he turned around he bumped in to them, like they planned it.

"Oh my stars, please I must apologize, dear I need glasses." The leader said to Ezra. He could only smile in return.  When he backed away a few inches he quickly studied her. She looked like she could be quite the gambling type. Her face was a beautiful peach color. She had baby blue eyes, hair that was sure to make Buck go after, and her skin was as soft as a baby's. Ezra's calm green eyes went wild at such a wonderful sight, as he contently looked her up and down.

"Sorry to bother you-"

"Uh? Oh, Standish, Ezra Standish ma'am,and its a pleasure to meet you."  

The 4 young girls giggled, amused by his charm. "Sorry to bother you Mr.Standish but we just arrived from Cleveland and we were just wondering if you would escort us to a hotel?" She flashed him her best smile.

"I saw you were need of asistance and was just about to aproach you in that manner."  But something wasn't right, Ezra, for a minute, thought he actually knew her. But quickly shook it away with a shiver.

"Mr. Standish its also a pleasure to meet you too, my name is Mary Loftman."

Loftman that sounded familiar, but then he shook it off. "Here meet Linda, Katie, Becky, and Cidney." They all nodded in response. Ezra, warmly tipped his hat,and smiled. "Oh but first our luggage."

  Luggage? Isn't the....awww stop worrying! Ezra scolded himself. His instincts never acted up this way before. " Mr. Standish follow me please."  Mary pleasantly said and waited for Ezra's arm. Ezra gladly took Mary's arm around his, and she led the way.

By now it was pitch black except the small fires the towns' people had lit. " Here." Mary said and pointed to the stage. It didn't even look like a stage at all, more like a prison? But he didn't ask questions. Then the four girls hopped upon and in to the stage.  "Here Mr.Standish they'll help you with the large amount of luggage we have, alright?" Ezra lifted an eye brow and turned to the black stage. He grabbed a hold of one the bars and lifted himseft on it.

"This will just be a moment." He asured her and stepped into the pitch black.   

Ezra looked around to find the inside empty? Then a girl came right behind Ezra and slammed her fist into his back hitting his kidney. He collapsed to his knees grabbing the horrible pain. With his other hand he reached for his holster, but found both of his holsters empty. He hit a button with a muscule in his right arm releasing his derringer. When he thrust it at one girl she whacked a thick piece of wood across Ezra's face, as another snatched the derringer right out of Ezra's hand. He fell on his side dazed, with white flashing through his eyes. But it wasn't enough another girl came in font and kicked him hard in the stomach three times.

" How do I get in such messes." Ezra thought as he waited for unconsciousness to take over. Mary, then aproached him. He slightly turned his head to look up at her, as he did he saw her hand ball up into a fist, his green eyes glared into her's before she threw the last punch. Then the black swallowed him up.

"Well he'll be out for awhile, c'mon let's get moving." Mary's plan was working like a charm, and off they went, out of Four Corners, with no witness to warn the other six men their seventh partner was beaten, and stolen, right in the middle of the street!

The stage rumbled over rocks, and dead branches, making it unsteady. Cracks,tinks,and creeks filled the midnight air from the moving stage.

Mary's yawns kept her awake but not for much longer, she noticed the two horses pulling were losing each walking stride. Slowing down. So she stopped. Dropped the reins and rose up to see her four comrades snoring away.

"Hey,you girls hard of hearing?!" She hollered, "I told you before and I'll tell you again, no sleeping till I say so!"

Finally Mary's yelling penetrated their sleeping minds. They all lifted their heads and began rubbing their eyes from sleep. Cidney said, "Mary,did we get there already?"

Mary shook her head. "Are we anywhere near the cabin?" Cidney asked impatiently.

Mary's face was turning red by the second. "NO WE ARE NOWHERE NEAR THE DAMN CABIN...so please shutup and go check on the prisoner."

The four girls knew Mary was trying to keep the rest of her anger tucked away,trying to keep everything cool and collected. They all hopped off the front and went around back. Becky unhooked four rifles from the rear of the stage and handed one to each woman.

"Okay let's check on his condition, Linda unlock the doors." Mary gestured with her revolver.

Linda was given a bronze skeleton key from Katie. She put it in the key hole of the massive lock dangling from the door handles. CLICK.

Linda removed removed the lock and swung open the wooden doors, and there in the far left corner of the stage was Ezra still laying on his side.

"Here,give me a push." Mary struggled to get up. Becky, Linda, Katie, and Cidney gave her a footing on their knees and hands.

Mary lifted her self up and walked over to where Ezra was. She seated herself by Ezra's head. She quickly noticed his cardinal red jacket,and stroked his sleeve. Good quality. Then noticed how warm he felt, like a radiator.

"Well, let's see how your looking." And then slowly rolled him onto is back. A couple of red scratches were across his right cheek from the piece of jagged wood one of the girls used. Of coarse the rest of him appeared fine.

"Mr.Standish. Sweetie wake up." Mary continued saying those words softly. "Come on wake up." Then began to stroke the left side of his cheek.

Slowly, Ezra opened his eyes, then finally focused. He lifted his head up to see Mary smiling.

"Hello Handsome." Mary said plainly.

With that Ezra reacted,he got half way upand was quickly halted by a derringer, his derringer! Ezra slowly leaned back and rested on his elbows.

"Now, Mr. Standish, darling, try to think back. Try to remember my face."

Ezra looked at the ceiling then Mary's face.

"Look,Moron-"

"IT'S MARY!"

"Ya, I seem to have the misfortune of not remembering people's faces or names,unless I know them through years of friendship." Hmmmm friendship, he thought, haven't used that word in years. Mary came even closer.

"We get impatient easily." Mary said. Then Becky shoved her rifle into Ezra's neck. He took a deep breath.

"I have no idea who you are,sorry." He muttered. He never felt so helpless in his whole life. Hell, in Fort Laramie he at least had a plan to escape but this was pathetic.

"Okay Ezra, okay....we'll do it the long way." Mary sat indian style next to him. "Before Fort Laramie, maybe even more years before that, I knew you along time ago. You came into town with your mother, I heard something that you two were on official business."

Ezra kept listening but the "official business" was all bull, the only reason she came was to drop him off at an aunt's and clean out money from a local saloon. Ezra kept playing it back in his mind.

"I thought you were the cutest thing, but a day later you left, and a month later you returned. Soon you got older, and so did I. I went out with you plenty of times, but you weren't that daring until a bunch of my brothers called you a coward, and other names. They dared you to steal money from the bank and-" Mary was cut off.

"What on earth are you trying to prove?" Ezra asked in a laugh.

"To make a long story short you chickened out, like my brothers said and left me in there when the sheriff was doing night shifts. You ran out of the back,and never returned. I was only 22, and stuck in prison for months. But they let me out sometimes....ON A LEASH!!!"

Ezra swallowed loudly. He was actually afraid a little. He noticed that she must of gone a bit nuts in prison with those other men. She the only woman in that prison.He couldn't imagine what they did to her.

"Ezra there aren't no way damn way you getting out of here, ain't no way you can weasel your way out of this one, understand? GOOD!"

Cidney came inside with rope and a handkerchief.