Black Rock Desert-2002
Chris opened his eyes and tried to lift his head, gasping as the headache spilled over to encompass his entire body. The muscles in his neck were stiff and his back strained with the effort it took to straighten up. He kept his eyes closed as a sensation of nausea swept through him. He swallowed painfully, his throat dry, his tongue thick and glued to the roof of his mouth. A soft moan issued from his lips as he finally got his legs under him and stood up. It took the weight from his shoulders, but sent needles and pins through his fingers as the circulation was restored. He waited for the painful sensations coursing through him to die down before testing the chains binding him to the beam over his head. He wasn’t surprised to find they held him fast, and along with the chains around his ankles, restricted his movements.
He gave up when he felt blood seeping from his wrists. He knew his struggles had torn the skin from under the manacles and yet he couldn’t stop trying to escape. He knew in his heart he was going to die, but he wouldn’t give in until this man suffered a horrible death. He was resigned to the fact that he probably would not be the one to kill him, but he had little doubt that one of his friends would do the job for him. He closed his eyes and smiled as faces swam before his eyes. He felt his mind drifting and was unaware he was no longer alone.
Maguire moved into the chamber and smiled as he realized his prisoner was sleeping again. He walked to the shelf and reached for the box he’d placed there during Larabee’s wild LSD induced trip. He returned to the table set up to the left of his victim and placed the sealed box there. He took Mark Winston’s knife from his pocket and cut through the tape sealing the container. He lifted the lid and smiled at the contents. Half a dozen stainless steel needles, each one six inches in length lay against a black satin background. The light reflected off of the deadly point as he lifted the first one from its resting place. He looked at his victim and smiled as he walked softly towards him. He stood behind him and took a deep, calming breath as excitement made him giddy. He knelt behind his victim and placed the tip of the gleaming needle at the back of the knee.
“The games are about to begin,” he said as he pressed the long instrument into the unwilling flesh.
Green eyes opened wide and a cry of pain escaped the slack lips before Chris could clamp down it. He fought to pull away as something invaded the area behind and above his right knee. Pain ran up and down the leg as a sharp object continued to tear into him. He bit his lip, gasping as the movement stopped, but the pain remained unchecked.
Maguire smiled as he walked to the table and reached for the second needle. He knew Larabee couldn’t see him as he moved slightly out of his line of vision. He carried the second one as if it was a precious medal and once more knelt behind the straining man. This time he placed the point just above the left knee smiling as he felt the bound body tense in anticipation of the pain to come. He felt the power course through him as Larabee bucked in the chains. He finished the second puncture and moved to stand in front of his victim. He waited for the green eyes to open and was rewarded as Larabee finally forced them open. He smiled at the pain he saw in them, but was shocked as that pain turned into a hate filled glare. Fear shone in his own eyes, but he quickly squashed it as he returned to the table. He picked up the third implement of torture and walked to the front of his victim.
Chris tracked the hated man to the table and watched as he returned. He got his first glimpse of what this man was using on him and almost laughed. The long thin needle reminded him of the game Sarah had bought for Adam. The game was called Pick-Up-Sticks and had given the three of them a lot of laughs, but he knew these items were not meant for fun. He knew what fear was, he felt it running through his body, but he would not allow himself to show any weakness to this man. He took a deep breath as the man walked towards him. Fire burned behind his knees, yet he would not acknowledge the pain there as his nemesis reached for his forearm. He tried to remain still as the thin needle was slowly pushed through his arm, inch by agonizing inch until it passed through the flesh and protruded through the other side. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth as the move was repeated on his other arm. He gasped and held his breath as twice more his body was pierced, this time through his sides, but not deep enough to damage anything vital. The pain became too much and his body sagged in the chains, tears glistening on his cheeks as Maguire stood and surveyed his handy work.
“I think that’s enough for now, Christopher. I will let you sleep for a while and when I return I will tell you about myself and my ancestor. Perhaps I will even read you a little bedtime story.” He stood for a few minutes and wondered at the murderous intent he’d seen in his victim’s eyes. This alone stirred a hint of admiration in him, but he would not let it stop him from making this man realize who was his natural Lord and Master. Before leaving the chamber he removed the implements of torture, cleaned them and replaced them in their case. Next he cleaned the seeping puncture wounds before leaving Larabee alone with his nightmares and pain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Albuquerque-2002
Josiah walked into the hospital’s chapel and walked to the front. He didn’t want to disturb the couple sitting at the back, yet he’d noticed the tears falling from both their eyes. He said a silent prayer that whatever was happening to them would not turn out badly. He sat down and closed his eyes as he thought about the years he’d spent as a preacher and how many people he’d tried to help. Sometimes God really did show a special miracle and he was praying for one now, not just for Chris, Vin and the others, but for himself too. He needed this ragtag family, more than he cared to admit.
‘Lord, I know I’ve probably disappointed you in more ways than one, but right now this is not about me. It’s about two men who’ve had their share of hell on earth all their lives. I know we’ve all suffered dark times, but Chris Larabee and Vin Tanner seemed to have shouldered more than their share. I know you have a reason for everything that happens and I’m sure this is no exception, but, Lord, we need to find Chris or we’re gonna lose both men. Help us find him before it’s too late.’ He stood up and looked once more at the couple at the back of the chapel, surprised to see them both look at him and smile.
“Your prayers will be answered, Mister, just have faith” the woman said.
“Ours were,” the man said.
“Thank you,” Josiah said as he left the little chapel. His attention was drawn to the soft ringing of a phone on the nurse’s desk and he remembered he hadn’t checked his answering service since arriving in Albuquerque. He wasn’t expecting any calls, but with his work in the shelters someone always seemed to need him. He knew he wasn’t allowed to use his cell phone in the hospital so he walked to the stairs and hurried outside.
He walked out into the bright sunshine and nodded to the two men seated on the park style bench shaded by a tall tree. Pulling his phone from his pocket he walked towards Nathan and Buck. The two men slid over and gave the big man room to sit.
“Thanks,” Sanchez said as he dialed the number to contact his service. He punched in his personal code and waited for the service to kick in. He could feel the two men beside him watching him, but didn’t stop what he was doing. Something seemed to be driving him to check his messages and his instincts told him it was imperative he do it now.
‘You have four new messages,’ the robotic voice informed him. He listened to the first massage as a young man he’d been helping thanked him for giving him a better chance at life. Josiah smiled as he thought of the 16 year old redhead and how he was now working as a busboy in a restaurant on weekends and going to school during the week. The second was from a woman who worked at a flower shop near his apartment. They’d dated a few times and she was calling to invite him to her church picnic. The third message chimed through and his eyes widened as he stood up.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Black Rock Desert-2002
Chris knew he was alone and shifted in his bonds as he attempted to relieve the pain and numbness in his hands. He knew the bastard would be back anytime and he knew that would herald another round of pain for him. This pain he could handle, but the pain of losing his ‘brother’ was far more than he could bare. He hadn’t hurt this much since him and Buck discovered the burning house he shared with his family. That loss had cut him to the core and this one was doing the same. He couldn’t let it take him down until he saw this madman dead at his feet.
Chris took a heavy breath and looked up. He saw the chain wrapped around the beam over his head, but kept his eyes diverted from his wrists, not wanting to see what his recent struggles had done to them. The beam was a heavy duty one, but Chris could see the chains were slowly making a groove in them. He started moving his arms back and forth hoping to keep the chains cutting through the beam. His head pounded and he finally sagged in exhaustion as his eyes closed.
Chris bolted upright, his eyes open, a violent scream erupting from his throat as he convulsed in the manacles holding him prisoner. The scream resounded around the chamber, mingling with the madman’s laughter as he activated the button once more.
~~~~~~~~~~
Vin tossed on the bed in the throes of a waking nightmare, yet the others knew he wasn’t quite awake. Ezra reached out and touched the sharpshooter’s left shoulder. He began talking to him in a soft, almost hypnotic voice as he tried to break through whatever was troubling his friend.
“Vin, it’s just a dream,” he assured the tracker as he rubbed the bare shoulder and watched the emotions racing across the injured man’s face. He was alone with Tanner and he tried to get through to him. His second attempt to break through the torment on the other man’s face brought the blue eyes open. “Easy, Vin, you’re fine,” he said as he saw the fear in them.
“Ez...ra.” the tracker coughed and accepted the water the gambler placed in front of his mouth. He drank a few sips before turning away. “Have to find Chris!” he said as he struggled up in the bed.
“You’re not going anywhere right now, Vin,” Standish told him; pressing the button that would summon the nurse.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
His hands trembled as he held the phone in a death like grip. He could feel Buck and Nathan watching him and knew they were waiting for him to speak. He listened to the voice, knowing in his heart it was a cry for help and that he was nearly helpless to give it. He looked up as JD hurried towards him, his laptop clutched in his hands. He pressed the button that would save the message, before turning watery eyes on the others.
“Josiah, what is it?” Wilmington asked, even as the excited youngest member of the team stopped beside them.
Sanchez swallowed as he looked at each man. “Chris...I...it’s...he called me.”
“What? When? Is he okay?” the ladies man asked worriedly.
“The call came in yesterday to my answering service. He slammed his fist against the back of the park bench as anger ran through him. “I should’ve checked it sooner.”
“There’s no point beating yourself up over this, Josiah,” Jackson put his hand out to stop the irate man from repeating the motion. “What did he have to say?”
Sanchez swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing with each forced breath, as he looked from one man to the other. “I know where he is.”
“Where?” Wilmington asked hopefully.
“He’s somewhere in the Black Rock Desert. North of Reno.” Sanchez turned away for a few seconds, hiding the slight tremble in his hand, caused by the cry he’d heard from Chris Larabee just before the call abruptly ended.
“What aren’t you telling us, Josiah?” Jackson asked of his long time friend.
Sanchez pressed the button on his phone that would allow him to hear the message again and he passed it to the ladies’ man.
Buck accepted the compact phone and held it to his ear. He listened to the all too familiar voice, his eyes growing wide at the desperation he heard. “Josiah, h...help... Wh...where is th...this? North of R...Reno, Black Rrr...ock...” the voice tapered off in a cry of pain and Buck’s face paled as he realized Chris Larabee had not given up easily. The cry he heard cut through his own pain, and he looked at the youngest member of the team, before passing the phone back to the ex-preacher. “What did you find out, JD?” he asked as he fought to control his warring emotions.
JD didn’t like the look he saw on the older man’s face, but knew there was little he could do about it. He opened his laptop and keyed in the information he’d found earlier. “There is a Robert Maguire, actually there were a couple of them, but only one of them seems to meet with what’s been happening around here. I figured the best way to do it would be to eliminate as many as...”
“Kid, just tell us about the one you think could have Chris,” Wilmington said impatiently.
“Oh, yeah, sorry,” the kid said as he finished keying in the words. He turned the laptop towards the other displaying the face of a man with red hair and dark eyes. He was dressed in a black business suit and cutting the ribbon of a new hotel/casino in Reno, Nevada.
“Reno!” Josiah said as he looked at the face.
“What does it say about this guy, JD?” Wilmington asked, but didn’t get an answer as Ezra Standish hurried towards them. “What’s wrong?” Buck asked worriedly.
“Mr. Tanner is awake and determined to leave the hospital,” Standish explained.
“Damn fool,” Jackson observed as the five men hurried back inside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris breathed deeply in an effort to quell the mounting nausea caused by the electric jolt coursing through his body. His nerves were alive and burning as he sucked air deep into his heated lungs. He couldn’t believe he was still alive, let alone conscious as his enemy strode towards him. He glared in defiant anger at the man smiling as he saw just a hint of fear enter the dark eyes. He watched as the man stepped closer, but stayed just beyond his reach. He almost laughed at the absurdity of this man being afraid of him just because he could still hold his head up and meet his gaze. ‘You’ll never make me back down, you bastard,’ he thought, a slight smile appearing on his pale face as he continued to meet the man’s eyes.
Maguire kept his eyes on the bound man and watched the firm resolve in the green beacons. He knew if Larabee were ever to get free he would die a slow agonizing death at the blond’s hands. He tried to stare down his captive, but the blond’s eyes never wavered, never changed from the look of raw hatred he saw in them. He felt the device in his hands and once more depressed the button. He watched as the body bucked violently in the throes of the electric current, before finally sagging against the bonds holding him fast to the ceiling.
Chris had no idea how long he was jolted by the nightmarish current, but when it ended his strength was non-existent and he draped from the manacles holding him to the beam. He felt the wetness on his legs that signaled his bladder had let go, but there was no shame in it, just pain as his body betrayed its weakness. His head lay forward against his chest and he knew if he left it there he’d be giving this man what he wanted. Calling on everything he had left he lifted his head, inch by miraculous inch, until he looked his captor in the eye. Through clenched teeth and dry throat he hissed.
“Is that all you got, you sick, twisted, son of a bitch!”
Maguire lashed out with his open hand, rocking the blond head back and spilling blood from a split lip. “It’s time you realized who I am,” he hissed as he moved away from the bound man.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Mr. Tanner, lie back and relax.”
“Look, Doctor Barnes, I ain’t stayin’ here any longer. I gotta help...”
“You won’t be able to help anyone if you try to leave here now! You’ve had surgery to remove a bullet from your shoulder and in case you haven’t noticed that headache is the result of a concussion. You get out of that bed and I can guarantee you’ll be flat on your back before you get out the front door!”
Five men came through the open door and smiled at the sight of the wide awake sharpshooter arguing with his doctor. It was a relief to see Vin Tanner acting as he always did when in the hospital.
“Vin, lie back and be still,” Jackson ordered.
“You’re not going anywhere right now, Son,” Sanchez assured him.
The injured man glared defiantly at each man as he lay back against the pillows. “Who’s gonna stop me?” he hissed weakly.
“I’d say your own body will do it for us,” Jackson said. “You can barely lift your head off the pillow, let alone try to get out of bed.”
Barnes watched as the five men moved into protective positions around the bed and smiled. He knew they’d keep his patient where he was far better than any of the sedatives he could have ordered. He moved away from the bed and watched as the six friends talked. He admired the tight friendship they seemed to have and wondered briefly about the missing man.
“He’s not going anywhere, Doc,” Wilmington assured the man.
“Buck?”
“Vin, just lie down and we’ll let you in on everything that’s happening,” Sanchez told him.
“Alright,” Tanner hissed as he placed his hand to his head. The headache was returning and with it came the nausea and pain of his injuries, but above all came the reminder of his missing ‘brother’. He waited for the pain to receded to a more bearable level before turning to his friends. “Have you found him?”
“Not yet, but we think we know where he is,” Wilmington told him.
“Then why aren’t you ...”
“Wait, Vin, Buck said we think we know where he is,” Jackson said. “We’ve got a few leads to go through before we leave tomorrow.”
“I’m coming with you!”
“Vin!”
“Look, Nathan, I’ll stay here tonight, but nothing’s keeping me from going after Chris.” His left hand dropped back on the bed and came in contact with something there. He picked it up and held it in front of his eyes, frowning as a vision of a dusty Ezra Standish swam before his open eyes.
“Mr. Tanner, I take it you recognize that item,” Standish asked.
“You,” he looked at the gambler questioningly. “You gave it to me, yet it wasn’t you.” He frowned and closed his eyes as he tried to recall the last few minutes alone in the town of Four Corners. A groan left his throat as he tried to focus on the six figures surrounding him.
“You were there. All of you and Chris. He was there too. Only it wasn’t you. It was...”
“Our ancestors,” Sanchez informed him. “Or should I say the spirits of our ancestors.”
“What are you talking about, Josiah?” the sharpshooter asked tiredly.
“We’ve all been experiencing strange things over the last week or so. Or more precisely since you and Chris left on this tour of Old West ghost towns. I think we’ve all been given bits and pieces of information that will eventually lead us to Chris. We’ll explain all of that to you later,” the ex-preacher told him.
“I saw an old newspaper clipping. It had Chris’ name and mine too.”
“We know,” Wilmington said. “We have copies of all the clippings. There’s one that talks about a man named...”
“Robert Maguire,” Tanner finished. “He’s the one who got Chris. I heard him. They told Chris I was dead and I couldn’t tell him otherwise. They took him away and I didn’t lift a fuckin’ finger to stop them,” he swore.
“You were hurt, Vin,” JD said as he watched the pale young man’s eyes fill with guilt.
“Mr. Dunne is right, Mr. Tanner. If you had moved those two miscreants would have thought nothing of putting another bullet in you.”
“Listen to Ezra, Son, you couldn’t have stopped them and if you tried you’d be dead now,” Sanchez told him.
The Texan knew they were right, but it didn’t make it any easier. He finally lifted his eyes and met those of the ladies’ man. “He’s alive, Buck.”
“I know he is, Vin and we’re gonna find him.”
“Where is he?” the sharpshooter asked.
“Nevada, somewhere north of Reno in the Black Rock Desert area.”
“How do you know?” the injured man asked.
“He called my cell number and left a message,” the ex-preacher said softly. His voice was filled with the knowledge that he could’ve known this 24 hours ago if he’d only checked with his service. He knew it was nonsense to dwell on it, but it stayed at the front of his mind. ‘I’m sorry, Son,’ he thought as he pictured the smiling face of the missing blond.
“When do we leave?”
“Vin, you need...” Jackson tried, but was interrupted by a steel, blue glare.
“I need to help finds him. If Josiah’s right about all the strange things that have been happening then it points to all of us needing to work together to find Chris.”
“Mr. Tanner may be right,” Standish said. “I know he’s hurt, but we’ve all seen him and Mr. Larabee move when they’ve been in worse shape than Mr. Tanner is right now. Hear me out, Mr. Jackson,” he ordered as the medic moved to interrupt him. “I’m not making light of the seriousness of Mr. Tanner’s injuries, but I do believe it’s imperative we all do this together.”
“I think Ez is right,” Dunne agreed. “If what I found out about this guy Maguire...”
“JD, hang on,” Jackson ordered as he watched the grimace of pain cover the sharpshooter’s face. “Vin, you need to rest.”
“Not ‘til we find Chris.”
“You won’t be much help to us if you don’t sleep, Vin. You’re suffering from a concussion and you’re still in pain. I’m gonna get the nurse to bring you something for that and then you’re gonna get some sleep.”
“Nathan, I...”
“Do you want to go with us tomorrow?” Jackson asked angrily as he looked into the pain filled blue eyes. The shaggy head bobbed once and the medic continued. “Then you sleep, eat and do whatever they tell you. Got it?”
“Yeah,” Tanner hissed in defeat. He let his eyes slide closed and listened as Jackson talked with his nurse. He heard the door open and felt the hand holding his IV gripped by soft fingers. He knew she was giving him a shot of morphine and knew it wouldn’t be long before the pain dropped to a more bearable level. He reached out for the quicksilver connection he often felt with Chris Larabee and found it, albeit a weak one, but he was glad to have anything right now. ‘Hang on, Chris, the cavalry’s on the way,’ he thought as he drifted into a drug-induced sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Black Rock Desert-2002
Chris watched through hooded eyes as his tormentor pulled an old chair in front of him. Next the man walked to a table and picked up a bottle of water. He watched as he twisted off the cap and strode purposely towards him.
“This is only water, Christopher. I know you must be craving it by now and in spite of your behavior I am going to let you have some.” He smiled as Larabee’s mouth clenched tightly and refused the offering. “I’m afraid you really have no choice here, Christopher. You see I can force this down your throat by using a funnel and tube if I wanted to, but it’s painful for you. This really is only water I assure you.”
Larabee refused to admit his need for the liquid, and closed his eyes in the hope his captor would leave him in piece. The puncture wounds on the back of his knees were painful as he forced his legs to hold his weight. He felt a hand in his hair and his head was viciously pulled back. He continued to fight as the hand moved swiftly to grasp his nose and close off his air supply. He lost track of time as bright twinkling lights flashed behind his lids before he had to open his mouth and suck in air. He took two heady breaths before he was forced to swallow the water being poured through his slack lips. He didn’t know how long he was force fed, but when the bottle was finally removed he was close to blacking out from lack of air.
“It would be so much easier on you if you would just cooperate instead of fighting me. I have the upper hand here and I can make your life a living hell.”
“Li...little pr...prick like y...you is f...full of s...shit. C...can’t do n...nothing unless you tie a man up. F...fuckin’ coward just like y...your friend.” Again his head was rocked back as Maguire lost his temper.
“You will not speak of Mark Winston. You murdered him and for that you will pay.”
Larabee glared at the man as blood seeped from a cut on the inside of his left cheek. He knew this man needed to feel in control and he wasn’t going to let that happen. He would take that control away and show him who really was the master in this game. A small chuckle sounded in the chamber, growing louder as the blond used his strength to downplay the pain in his body. His laughter was soon joined by the sound of flesh hitting flesh as his enemy lost control of his anger.
Maguire struck at his prisoner as laughter spilled from his captive’s throat and echoed around the chamber. He watched as the handsome face continued to show mirth before he strode back to the table. He picked up the small black box and adjusted the settings. He looked at the REACT stun belt he’d placed around Larabee’s waist and smiled as he walked in front of his prisoner. “See if you find anything funny about this, Christopher?” he said as he pressed on the button.
Chris arched against the electric current that seemed to race through his body, igniting the nerve endings as it assaulted his extremities and closed back in on itself. The jolt lasted less than eight seconds, yet gave a lifetime of pain and humiliation as his body couldn’t control its natural reaction to the charge flowing through it. He vomited the contents of his stomach and sagged against the manacles. He heard his enemy leave as he sank towards the waiting darkness. He felt a quicksilver touch on his mind and frowned as he thought of the only man who could ever do that. ‘Vin’s dead,’ he thought in spite of the touch. As tears flowed down his dirt encrusted face he gave himself over to the waiting arms of sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Albuquerque-2002
They waited until they were sure Vin Tanner was sleeping before turning their attention to the youngest member of the team. JD had already cleared the use of his laptop with the hospital and it was open and booting up as they watched. He keyed in his password and quickly brought up the information he’d dug up in his earlier search.
“Okay, Kid, tell us what you found out,” Wilmington ordered.
“Robert Maguire was born in July 1952 in Taos, New Mexico. Mother, Josie Maguire, died during childbirth and he lived with his father, Robert Maguire, until he was placed with relatives. Robert Maguire Sr. was sentenced to life imprisonment for the torture deaths of an elderly couple in a convenience store. He died at the age of fifty-eight during a prison riot. Robert Maguire Jr. lived with Gerald and Myra Maguire in Taos New Mexico before moving to Reno, Nevada in 1960. The couple died in a house fire under mysterious circumstances in 1970. Robert was eighteen at the time and was suspected of causing their deaths, but there was no proof and it didn’t go to trial. Within ten years of their deaths Robert Maguire worked odd jobs and took a business course at Harvard. There’s nothing that explains where he got enough money to put him through university, but again there were a lot of suspicions, including the death of a couple he stayed with during his time at Harvard. Again, he had a perfect alibi and the police couldn’t make anything stick.”
“This guy sounds like he’s left a bloody trail behind him,” Jackson said.
“There’s more,” Dunne told them. “Once he got his business degree from Harvard he went back to Reno where he went to work in a Casino. There was a problem involving missing funds and Maguire quickly pointed the finger at an associate of his. A young man named Brian Newcomb and...”
“Let me guess?” Wilmington hissed. “he died under mysterious circumstances.”
“And Robert Maguire had a perfect alibi,” Standish finished.
“Yep. It doesn’t stop there either. It seems like Maguire made his way up the rungs of the ladder by stepping over bodies. There’s at least seven mysterious deaths over a six year space that point to Maguire, yet each time he had an alibi. Nothing the police turned up would hold up in a court of law. The owner and operator of the casino he worked for also died, but not before leaving everything he owned to his ‘adopted’ son. Jerome Turner, owner of The Golden Parrot hotel and casino died in a plane crash, again under mysterious circumstances.”
“How can this guy have been around all these mysterious deaths, yet keep his hands clean?” Wilmington asked as he paced the hospital room.
“He’s smart,” Standish suggested. “If he is the man we are looking for then he’s smart like his ancestor.”
“Not so smart,” came a tired voice from the bed.
“You’re supposed to be sleeping, Vin,” Jackson admonished as he walked to the bed.
“Was sleeping, but I keep feeling Chris. He’s not doing too well, Nate. He’s out there alone, in pain and we need to find him fast.”
“We’ve got a pretty good idea of who has him. It’s just a matter of finding out exactly where he is,” Wilmington explained.
“We know he’s in the Black Rock Desert area, but that’s a big place and it’ll take a long time to search it,” Sanchez advised.
“Somehow, I think the past, our ancestors, and the present are going to help us in our search for Mr. Larabee.”
“You’re right, Ezra, everything is leading us to finding Chris and it’s just a matter of time...”
“Does Chris have that time, Josiah?” Dunne asked.
“If we believe in everything we’ve been shown so far and that the present is mirroring the past then yes we’ll find Chris in time,” the ex-preacher told them.
“Vin?”
“Yeah, Nate?”
“Try to sleep.”
“Can’t.”
“Try, Vin, otherwise there’s no way in hell you’ll be getting out of here tomorrow. If I have anything to say about it you’ll be staying here anyway.”
“You can’t do that, Nathan. We all need to be there...”
“Yes, we do,” Jackson agreed, “But we won’t be if you don’t rest because you’ll be too weak to move tomorrow, and we won’t be able to convince the doctor to let you go.”
“I can sign myself out.”
“Not if you’re unconscious. I don’t like the idea of you leaving here tomorrow anyway, but I know you’re part of this...this...whatever it is. But I’m not gonna let you come with us if you’re not able to move on your own. Understood?”
“Yeah,” Tanner’s voice was filled with relief at knowing they wouldn’t stop him from going along in spite of his wounds. They understood whatever was happening involved all of them and Chris’ survival, his life, hinged on their being together. He felt the exhaustion pulling at him, but not before a shadow moved in the corner. As his mind drifted towards sleep he sighed as the features became clear. Chris Larabee, but not the man he knew so well, stood silhouetted against the stark white walls.
The dark clad gunslinger watched as the young sharpshooter sank towards sleep. He moved back into the shadows and watched as the rest of his great, great grandson’s friends, so like his own, closed the circle around Vin Tanner. ‘Sleep, Vin, he’s going to need you,’ the shadow whispered.
Vin heard the softly whispered words as he gave into his body’s needs and slept.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Black Rock Desert-2002
While Vin Tanner was entering a healing sleep, Chris Larabee was waking to darkness. He fought to get his eyes open as a wave of pain washed through him. He knew he was alone, yet Maguire had been there and extinguished the lights that provided him some comfort in his horrid surroundings. At least when the lights were on it gave him a sense of belonging. With the lights he’d been able to watch as shadows performed strange dances on the chamber walls. All he had now was the utter, cloying, darkness that gave him too much time to think. His body trembled in the cold air and he knew it must be night time. The temperature outside had plummeted causing the interior of the old mine to mimic the outside world.
Chris shifted his feet and pushed up with his legs, moaning as pain once more came alive in his arms. He felt the manacles pull away from his mangled wrists and fresh blood tracked its way down both arms. He cried out as a tremor raced through his body and realized it was probably the result of the electric belt wrapped around his waist. He knew this shock wasn’t real, but his body reacting to the memory of the sharp, twisting current that flowed through him. He knew he’d lost control of his body’s reactions, evidenced by the sickly odor permeating the area, yet he felt no shame, just anger. Anger at the man who killed his best friend and held him prisoner in this hell.
He felt his mind drifting again and was unable to stop it. Shadows formed in spite of the darkness and he thought the drug his captor forced on him was sending him on another trip. The shadow formed into the image of a man in buckskin and he felt the grief flood him. “V...Vin...sorry...,” he mumbled tiredly, unable to take his eyes from the figure bathed in ethereal light.
‘Chris, you need to hold on. Don’t let this bastard kill you. Your great, great grandfather didn’t let him win and you can’t either.’
“C...cold, Vin, tired,” Larabee’s voice was the only sound in the dark chamber.
‘I know you are, Chris, but you can do this. You’ve got something no one else has. You’ve got six friends searching for you and they need you to stay alive for them.’
“I’m trying...bastard hu...rt me,” the voice was filled with pain, but also held a strength of soul few people ever had. “Shocked me...whipped me...some kind of drug....feel sick all the time.”
‘I’m afraid
that’s gonna continue, Chris, but you can hang on. You have to hang on, for
their sake as well as yours.’
“Don’t know if I c...can....feel l...like he took half of me when he k...killed you.”
‘Your Vin is not dead, Chris. He’s still with you as my Chris is with me. Just don’t give up.’ The buckskin-clad figure began to fade as a new, dangerous light entered the cave.
Chris watched until the buckskin clad form disappeared altogether before his eyes were caught and held by the bright flashlight beam coming towards him. He clenched his eyes tightly in an effort to douse the imagined fire he felt. He sucked in air as he realized the return of light meant his nemesis was back. He would not, could not allow this man to gain the upper hand. No matter how much his body betrayed him, his mind would hold firm in his resolve to beat the lowlife before him.
“Hello, Christopher, I hope you’ve enjoyed your sojourn into darkness,” Maguire talked softly as he lit the lamps and candles he’d spread throughout the chamber. “You see I do not hold a grudge and I am willing to forgive you for what you said. I know you didn’t mean it.”
“Me...ant...every...fuckin’ word,” Larabee hissed through clenched teeth. He smiled as his words drew the desired affect and his captor’s face showed his rage for a fleeting instant. He waited for the resultant rage to manifest itself as his enemies fists, but no blow landed, instead a finger raked across the caned X on his chest. He shuddered, but didn’t drop his gaze.
“Oh, Christopher, I wonder if my great, great, grandfather had such problems with his Chris Larabee.” He smiled as his victim frowned, yet the gaze never wavered. “You see I have The Book that tells of my ancestor’s endeavors to meet his destiny and take a man’s soul as his own. He believed he could harness a man’s power if he heard him scream at the right time.” He continued to rake his fingers along the injury until he dropped his hand to the belt encircling Larabee’s waist. “My name is Robert Maguire,” he watched as a hint of uncertainty surfaced in the glaring green eyes. “I see that name means something to you.”
“Fuck all!” the blond snarled as he forced a smile to his face.
Maguire wanted to wipe the defiance from the man’s face, but first he wanted him to know how they were destined to meet. “It doesn’t really matter if you admit it or not. You see I am just like my great, great grandfather. I was blessed with his name and his need to take what was rightfully his. Robert Maguire died at the hands of your friends when they saved Chris Larabee, but you will not be so lucky. Vin Tanner played a big part in finding and rescuing your ancestor, but he’s dead and can’t help you now.” He laughed as his words had the desired effect and Larabee’s stormy green eyes filled with pain and sorrow. “I see that got your attention. Perhaps I should have kept him alive and made him die a slow death before I take your life.”
“Sick....bas...tard,” Larabee hissed as fire once more raged through his eyes.
“Not sick, Christopher. I’m strong and more than willing to take what I want. What I want is for you to admit that I am your natural Lord and Master and to beg me to end your life...”
“N...ever happen!”
“You say that now, Christopher, but a man can only take so much. Just take this belt,” he whispered as he placed his hands between the black REACT belt and Larabee’s stomach. “This is a Remote Electronically Activated Technology stun belt, REACT for short. I see you’ve heard of them,” he said as Larabee’s eyes widened expectantly. “This one is my own special version of the REACT belt. You see it delivers a jolt as high as I wish for it to be. I could kill you with it if I turned it to its highest level, but you won’t die from this, Christopher. I will kill you with Mark’s knife when you’re ready for it,” He took the switchblade from his pocket and placed it at the exact meeting of the two welts he’d made on his victim’s chest. “You see this is where I’ll force the blade into your body, savoring the final breath as it leaves you.”
Chris hissed in pain as the blade sank into his chest. He kept his eyes on the madman standing before him, knowing once more his sanity hinged on being able to best this man with a glare. It was the only thing he had left to fight with. and he needed it to be as strong as it ever was. He’d once been told his glare could make a man drop dead of fear, and it was something he needed to hang on to, no matter how true or false it was. He focused on anything but the pain emanating from his chest, yet his eyes remained on Robert Maguire.
Maguire stood in awe of the bound man before him. He knew it would take a lot before Larabee gave up and pleaded for his own death, but it was something he would do. Maguire was sure of that as he withdrew the blade, realizing he’d nearly gone to far as he saw the blood quickly leaving Larabee’s body. He wiped off the blade and placed it on the table. He walked to the shelf and picked up a bottle of whiskey and a first aid kit. He walked back to his captive and slowly opened the kit as Larabee’s eyes continued to un-nerve him. He angrily dropped his gaze, aware that he was conceding that Larabee was stronger than he was. He pulled out a gauze pad and poured whiskey over it before placing the soaked bandage over the wound.
Chris held his breath as the whiskey soaked gauze was placed on the puncture wound. He struggled to keep from crying out as Maguire’s hands pressed on the bleeding hole. He tried to pull away as the madman’s sickening laughter bounced off the chamber walls.
Maguire ran the gauze over the red welts and watched in glee as his victim cringed away from the stinging pain. “So much more to do with you, Christopher, so much pain to inflict. My ancestor didn’t have the things we have today or you would never have been born because your ancestor would’ve died at his hands. Rest, Christopher, rest and stay strong for when I return I have much more to show you.”
Chris watched the madman walk away and was surprised when he stopped just before exiting the chamber.
“I don’t want you thinking that because you can’t see me I’m unable to cause you pain,” Maguire smiled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black object. “At any time I can turn this button and activate the REACT belt,” he watched the eyes widen, yet they held no fear. “I won’t do it right now, but I wanted you to know I have it and I can do it without warning.” He turned and walked away leaving Larabee alone once more. He stopped at the mine entrance and ran his finger over the little black box before activating it.
Chris breathed a sigh of relief as the madman left him alone. The lights around him flickered as he tried to ease some of the pain in his arms and legs. He screamed as the belt was activated and his body was once more jolted in the confines of the manacles holding him in place.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Albuquerque-2002
“NO!” five men moved to the bed as the anguished cry of rage emanated from the sleeping man. They knew Tanner was feeling whatever was being done to Chris Larabee and yet there was little they could do to help either of them. Anger and fear resided on each face as they watched the struggle on the handsome face. Those emotions were quickly overridden by the promise of death to Robert Maguire for what he’d done to Vin Tanner and continued to do to Chris Larabee.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Black Rock Desert-2002
Chris sagged in the manacles as his body slowly returned to normal, or what he was beginning to think of as normal. The jolt running through him made him feel as if he was having a heart attack and he knew he couldn’t withstand much more of this kind of punishment. His legs and arms trembled as he fought against the agonizing sensations brought on by the electric current. Pins and needles ran through his extremities as his chest throbbed and he found it difficult to draw a deep breath. His lungs were crying out for air and he forced himself to relax until the effects of the stun belt wore off.
His heart pounded in his chest until he thought it would explode from his ribcage. He knew he needed to bring his body under control, but it wasn’t going to be easy. He lost track of time as his tortured lungs fought to keep enough oxygen flowing through his body. He coughed and cringed as stiffening muscles protested the movement. A soft moan issued from his throat as his legs gave out and his shoulders felt like they were torn from their sockets. He was finally able to draw in enough air, but he gasped as pain awakened in the other parts of his body. He closed his eyes as he fought to keep his strength in spite of the situation he was in. There was still something he had to do and he would make sure he saw it completed even if he wasn’t able to complete it himself. Robert Maguire would die for robbing the world of Vin Tanner, it was just a matter of staying alive long enough to see the job done. In spite of the exhaustion and pain residing in his mind and body Chris Larabee forced himself to stand tall.
“I’ll find some way to make him pay, Vin, something slow and painful,” he vowed as visions of the bloodied form swam before him. The meager light glinted off the moisture in his eyes, but it had nothing to do with physical pain. The sea green orbs finally closed and Chris Larabee succumbed to the physical and mental trials he’d been put through.
Robert Maguire shivered as he heard the softly spoken promise from his victim. Never before had anyone even remotely showed the strength he saw in this man. He knew Larabee couldn’t possibly win, yet those words spoken in an empty chamber, sent a chill down his spine that wouldn’t let go. He shivered in spite of the sweat running down his body as he hurried from the mine. He needed to find something that would break his victim, yet there didn’t seem to be anything he could use.
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