Roy pushed his prisoner through the darkened tunnels; firing shots behind him now and then to ward off any approaching enemies. He struggled mightily with the captive, who stumbled and fought weakly with every step he was forced to take. With Vin’s hands still tied, and Roy keeping a constant hold on the rope and his gun, they could not feel their way through the darkness, and both banged repeatedly into the stone walls. Roy had just about decided to make things easier and finish off the gunman, when they reached a fork in the tunnel. Jeb had made him memorize the way out, rightly assuming they’d be making the trip in the dark with men in pursuit. Roy scoffed at how his brother had nagged at him to practice the escape route so he wouldn’t get lost in the maze. Jeb never gave him credit for having any brains.

There was a reason that Jeb made all the decisions for his brother. There was a reason he’d warned him to practice the way out, too. As the two men came to the fork, Roy hastily shoved is prisoner to the left. Had Jeb been there, he’d have reminded is brother again how he never could get right and left straight, before turning him in the correct direction. But Jeb wasn’t there, and so the two men continued deeper into the mine, rather than towards the exit.

Vin felt the panic rising with every foot further that they traveled into the mineshafts. His numerous aches and pains were forgotten as he was forced into the blackness once again. He knew Chris would be close behind, but he also knew that patience was not a virtue that Roy possessed. Any moment now, the outlaw would tire of his uncooperative prisoner and do what he’d wanted to do all along. Vin was not afraid to die, but the thought of taking his last breath in this place was nearly unbearable.

Had Ezra taken his last breath? With almost surprising sorrow, he relived the vision of the gambler being blown down the hill by the blast from Jeb’s rifle. Standish had tried to help him, and now he might be dead. The way Roy was spraying bullets around, one of the others could end up dead, as well. Vin felt like he’d played this all wrong from the beginning.

They’d gone a hundred feet or so from the turn when Vin decided he’d gone far enough. He turned awkwardly and rammed his shoulder into his guard, hoping to knock the rifle out of his hands. Surely in the blackness he could hide from Roy long enough for Chris to find him.

The rifle did fall to the ground, but Roy still held his prisoner’s ropes securely in his hands. In the scuffle that ensued, both men struggled to stay on their feet, as Vin twisted wildly in his efforts to get away. His heart hammered in his chest, and he knew his strength would not hold out much longer - it was now or never.

The battle continued only moments before Vin felt his left foot slide over the edge of an apparent ledge. He panicked as he sought to regain his footing, only to realize there was nothing but space behind and beneath him. But before he could voice his startling revelation to his opponent, both men plummeted over the side and into the air.

Moments later, Vin felt the shocking impact of his body hitting stony ground. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, he heard Roy screaming as he continued to fall deeper and farther. He never heard the other man hit bottom though, for pain soon consumed him and sent him into a merciful oblivion.

+++++++

Buck scrambled down the hill, hollering for Chris to hold up as he made his way. Stealing a quick glance at Nathan, he felt a measure of relief when the healer gave him a slight nod. At least Ezra was alive, and Nathan would do all he could to keep him that way. In the meantime, he’d have to keep Chris from going off half-cocked - not exactly a new challenge for him.

The bullets had stopped coming from the mine entrance as the kidnapper had gone deeper inside. Chris paused only long enough to shout directions to Buck, "Signal Josiah and JD." As he passed the outlaw who lay face down in the dirt, he stopped to turn the man over and check if he were a further threat.

Buck fired four shots in the air, hoping that the sound carried to the other side of the mountain, and made his way over to where Chris observed the wounded man. "Do you know him?" he asked his oldest friend.

Chris studied the man for a moment before answering, "Don’t think so."

Buck’s bullet had been sure enough to finish the job, but Jeb still had some life left in him. He opened his eyes and noted with detachment the two men hovering over him. In a startling moment of awareness, he realized the man who studied him so intently had to be Larabee – the real Chris Larabee. They’d had the wrong man all along. He was dying, and no doubt his brother would suffer the same fate, for no reason. He had failed in the one cause that had driven his entire adult life. But even more disturbing and confusing to him was why a man would suffer in Larabee’s name? Who had he held prisoner these past two days? He looked into the eyes of the gunslinger, seeking the source of such loyalty.

Chris met the outlaw’s gaze, but revealed nothing to him except contempt. He wished the man would meet a slow death for all he had put Vin through, but knew it was not to be. He turned away to light a lantern and begin the search for his friend as the outlaw closed his eyes in death.

+++++++

JD’s pacing had become almost frantic when he heard the muffled sounds of gunfire in the distance. He looked questioningly to Josiah. Things must be going badly, with all the shots fired, and how would they know for sure when to move?

Josiah was concerned himself, though he tried not to let on. He was about to suggest they head on inside the mine when he heard the distinctive pattern of shots they’d pre-arranged. With a heavy sigh, he lit two lanterns, handing one to JD, and prepared to move in. Something had gone wrong and he breathed a silent prayer that all of his friends were unharmed.

"Stay behind me, JD. If anything happens, the map is inside my left pocket." Chris had insisted they make an extra copy of Chester’s drawing, and at this moment, the preacher was glad of it. He wasn’t keen on getting lost inside this place, particularly with JD in tow.

JD looked as though he was about to argue, but he nodded instead, and spoke determinedly, "Well let’s go, then."

Josiah led the way into the dark caverns, the oil lamp giving off barely enough light to guide them along the narrow stone passages. The heavy air and penetrating darkness settled like heavy weights on his soul. He could not imagine anyone working in these surroundings, could not imagine ever adjusting to the feelings of gloom and isolation.

He could hardly stand it in the dim light, with JD at his back. For Vin, alone and in the pitch black, it would be hell on earth. Suddenly, Josiah felt the hair rise on the back of his neck, and he knew as surely as if he’d been told by Vin himself, that the tracker was still here. Still trapped and still waiting, and so the big man hurried along -less cautious than he normally would have been, with JD close behind.

The preacher found himself referring to Chester’s map often, and even then, he worried that he may have taken a wrong turn somewhere. If he didn’t know better, he would think the old man’s drawing represented a tree limb, with branches shooting off the main limb, and more offshoots tunneling off the branches. He intended to stick to the main trail for now, but it occurred to him as he did that, that the bandits could be laying in wait just about anywhere, and slip out behind them as he and JD advanced further ahead.

That seemed unlikely, though, considering the gunfire they’d heard. The outlaws had no way of knowing that he and JD were at the back, and would likely head out for their planned escape. And so when he thought he heard footsteps echoing ahead, he stopped walking and put a finger to his lips to warn JD to keep quiet. He considered dousing the flame from their lamps, but decided against it. A shoot out in the dark would benefit no one.

A soft glow became apparent from several yards ahead of where Josiah and JD stood flattened against the rock wall. Whoever approached, did so cautiously, likely seeing the illumination from the men’s own lanterns.

JD was stunned to hear Josiah’s rich voice call out, "Who goes there?"

Sanchez had gone purely on instinct, feeling that it was more likely friend than foe that came in their direction. He was right.

"Josiah?"

"Yeah, Chris. It’s me and JD."

Chris came from the shadows with Buck close behind. The lantern the blond held cast an eerie glow on his fine features. The desperation and disappointment there were almost painful to behold, and Josiah found himself at a loss for words of encouragement or comfort.

They’d lost Vin.

"What happened?" Sanchez asked softly.

Buck stole a quick look at Chris, who rubbed a hand across his eyes as he once again pulled out the map, before explaining the events that took place earlier.

"Is Ezra all right?" JD asked anxiously.

Buck replied, "Don’t really know, but Nathan’s with him." Which was more than could be said for Vin at the moment.

"That leaves only four of us to search these tunnels," Josiah pointed out.

Chris couldn’t still the pounding in his head or his heart. He’d known that somewhere along the way, Vin and his captor had to have turned off the main passage. With their lanterns, he and Buck had surely traveled faster than the outlaw would have been able to manage in the dark. The further they went without catching up to the kidnapper, the more certain he was that they were on the wrong track.

Kneeling on the stony earth, Chris laid out the map and forced himself to focus on what needed to be done. "I don’t think they could have made it this far back, as fast as me and Buck were tailing them. So we’ll concentrate on searching the tunnels closest to the front," the blond said, pointing to several branches that forked off nearest to the entrance.

"One of us had better stay on back here, Chris. Just in case we miss them and they try to make their way back out," Josiah offered.

JD rolled his eyes, certain he’d be the one delegated to that task, but to his surprise, Josiah volunteered.

"I know it leaves one less of us to search, but we don’t need him sneaking out the back door with Vin. I’ll stay near the exit – make sure no one gets past us."

Chris locked gazes with Josiah. He knew the big man was right, but he hated it. It would take hours, hell, maybe days to search this place with only three men. "All right, Josiah. We’ll signal you when . . . this is over. You do the same if you see or hear anything."

Sanchez nodded and turned to pat JD squarely on the back. "Don’t get lost, Kid," he cautioned with a small smile as he handed the youth his map.

JD smiled back. He’d learned to accept the protectiveness of his friends towards him, and took the affectionate gesture for what it was.

"Chris, we got another problem," Buck put in reluctantly as Josiah headed off.

"What?" How could the situation be worse than it already was?

"We’ve only got two maps. I don’t think any of us should be running around in here blind. We’ll end up searching for two men. Two of us are gonna need to go together."

Chris turned weary eyes to his old friend, feeling like Vin’s chances were evaporating before him. But he knew Buck was right. "You and JD start here," he said as he traced his way along the crudely drawn tunnels, in much the same way Chester had. "I’ll take this side. We’ll meet back at the entrance in four hours. Understood?"

Buck understood. He understood that they were chasing a crazy man with an arsenal of bullets into dark tunnels. He understood that Vin would likely be dead by the time they found him. And he understood that losing Vin just might destroy his oldest friend for good.

Chris understood only one thing – he was not leaving this mountain without Vin.

+++++++

Nathan skillfully wrapped a bandage around Ezra’s shoulder, thankful that the injured man had remained unconscious throughout most of the ordeal. The bullet had gone clean through, but the gambler’s close proximity to the weapon had caused more damage than the healer liked. Standish would be out of commission for a while, and would probably drive him crazy before it was over. But he would live, provided no complications developed – which was more than he could say for Vin at the moment.

Nathan leaned back against the trunk of a tree. He’d pulled Ezra over to the nearby shaded area, in part to give the man some shelter, but also because the location afforded him a better view of the entrance to the mine. As time went on, he became more concerned for his friends and surer that Vin was in serious trouble. He’d only gotten a brief look at the tracker when he’d appeared at the entrance, but he knew from the way the man was hunched over that he’d been injured. Nathan thought he saw blood on his leg, too, and even in the gray light, he could tell that Vin was white as a sheet. He probably hadn’t had any water, either, and the air in that place couldn’t be good. The more he thought on it, the more certain he was that they needed to find Tanner now.

Somewhere in Ezra’s pain-clouded mind, he was having similar thoughts. He opened his eyes and squinted against the light that filtered through the leaves of the trees above him. He had only a vague recollection of what had happened, but remembered the urgency of the situation. Groaning thickly as he tried to sit up, he was surprised to see Nathan immediately in front of him. By the dark-skinned man’s serious expression, he assumed he had suffered more than just a tumble down a hill. That would explain why he felt so wretched.

"Easy, Ezra. Just lay back down now. You ain’t goin’ nowhere."

Nathan’s voice was soft, gentle, kind – the tone he used when one of them was hurt badly. Really badly. But he’d think on that later, after he found out what happened to Vin.

"Is Vin . . . out?" he questioned, surprised at how weak his voice sounded.

Nathan avoided his eyes, as he answered – another bad sign. "No. The other gunman took ‘im back inside the mine. Buck and Chris went after ‘im."

"Other. . . gunman?"

"Yeah. The one you were talking to is dead."

Ezra couldn’t say he was sorry about that. But he was sorry he had failed – dreadfully sorry. Vin was still being held captive, and in that terrible, dark place once again. He groaned once more, the agony of his wounds a distant second to the agony of his failure.

Nathan misread his patient’s misery, and offered comfort the only way he knew how. "Here, Ezra, take some water and let me give y’ somethin’ for the pain."

Ezra figured the only thing that would help him right now would be to see Vin alive and well . . . or at least a reasonable facsimile of being well . . . or with the hope that he would be well again, and soon. He realized he was rambling, and as he swallowed whatever concoction Nathan had poured down his throat, he noted that the good doctor was appearing a bit fuzzy around the edges. He couldn’t let go just yet, though - there was something important he needed to say. Something about the money . . .

Nathan watched as his patient’s eyes fluttered closed, and he was about to turn away, when Ezra suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm. The gambler’s eyes were unfocused, but he was obviously fighting hard to stay awake long enough to tell Nathan something.

"What is it, Ezra?"

Ezra wanted to tell him that he’d hid the money. That he intended to lead the outlaw to it. That he would never do anything to harm one of his friends. But all he managed was to croak, "Didn’t . . . hold . . .out."

Nathan had no idea what that was all about, but he was more than used to the delusional ramblings of a sick man. He patted the con man’s good shoulder, and soothed him. "Yeah, I know. It’s all right now. You go on and rest."

Ezra did the only thing he could right then – he closed his eyes. Maybe when he awoke, Vin would be back, and everything would be fine. He held that thought as he slipped into the darkness once again.

+++++++

Darkness was all he knew. Was all he had known, for a lifetime, it seemed. Darkness and pain and fear. Images began to swirl in his mind . . . a man with long hair and a rifle . . . a paper and pencil . . . Ezra . . . the glint of the sun on a weapon . . . Ezra . . . Chris’s face . . . Chris’s eyes.

Chris would find him.

Dead.

It would kill Larabee to find him that way. He saw how the blond had looked at him when Roy forced him back into this prison. Chris still hadn’t made his peace with losing his family – now he’d have new grief and guilt to add to the burden.

He could die right now. He was sure of it. All he had to do was let go, and it would all be over. For him. But he owed Larabee better than that – more than that. He had to at least try.

He’d start by moving something, anything. He figured batting his eyelashes didn’t count – much. A finger might be a good place to start. To his utter dismay, Vin found that he could move his finger, his entire left hand, in fact. In the struggle or the fall, his hands had finally been freed. But he soon realized that his right arm lay twisted and trapped awkwardly behind his back. He must be lying partially on his right side.

Gingerly, he attempted to roll over a little more onto his side. He held back the scream of pain that sliced through him with the effort – then wondered why he’d bothered. There was absolutely no one near to watch him be stoic. And a little screaming might be a very good thing. Unfortunately, making any sound at all required a whole lot more energy than he could afford at the moment.

Groaning softly as he flexed stiff fingers, he slowly and deliberately moved his left hand to the stony ground on which he lay. Maybe he could get enough leverage to at least free his trapped arm. When his hand hit the rough earth, a chunk of ground gave way. Vin listened as the rock tumbled for several seconds before the sound was swallowed into the hole below him. No wonder he’d not heard a sound from Roy. The cavern, or whatever lay beneath him, was a long way down. A hell of a long way down.

Running his hand carefully along the ledge, he remained strangely calm as he noted the narrow space on which his body rested. There was no room for him to turn onto his back or his stomach. There was no room for him to move period. And the ledge on which he lay could not exactly be considered stable. He was completely, absolutely, totally helpless.

And thirsty. God, he was just so thirsty.

The moments of clarity gave way to visions of ponds and waterfalls and rivers. He loved rivers. Loved the sound and the smell and the life that they represented. He felt himself in the cool water now – felt himself being pulled under into its murky depths. But he didn’t care. Chris would find him, one way or another. In time – or not. Either way, he’d leave this place.

Chris wouldn’t leave this mountain without him.

+++++++

Chris Larabee forged through the black caverns with single-minded purpose. He ignored the mounting pressure that pounded just behind his eyes. He ignored the gnawing pain in his stomach and the heaviness in his muscles that reminded him he hadn’t eaten or slept in too long. More than that, he ignored the insistent little voice that kept telling him something was very wrong – that he should have seen, heard, felt something by now.

As he entered one black tunnel after another, he marked it off on the map. He had only one more to search, before he’d need to head back and meet with Buck and JD. He could only pray they’d had more luck than he had. Maybe he’d find them all waiting at the entrance for him - Vin wearing that cocky grin that asked, "What took y’ so long, Cowboy?"

Yeah, and maybe Buck would give up women, and Ezra give up gambling and maybe all of this worry and stress had made him just plain delusional. How the hell did he let himself get so wrapped up in these men? The gnawing pain in his stomach didn’t just come from hunger. It came every time one of his friends was in danger or hurt; every time they faced down stupid men with deadly weapons; every time a stranger in town looked a little too closely at Vin.

Chris paused for a moment, letting the lantern drop to his side as he did so. Something looked different here - felt different here. The shadows no longer bounced off the rock walls beside or ahead of him. It was as if there was nothing but space before him, an empty blackness.

Stooping lower to the ground, he pushed the lantern a few feet ahead of him, and soon realized that there was nothing but space there. He was merely a few feet from a dangerous precipice. Chester hadn’t put that on the map, he was sure. The old man hadn’t mentioned it either. Had he forgotten? Or had the ground given way in recent years? For the first time, Chris doubted the validity of the map he followed. What if Chester had forgotten something else? He could have been killed, had he went ahead without caution.

Oh God, anyone could have been killed had they went ahead without realizing that a gaping hole lay before them.

Settling gently onto his knees, Chris leaned forward enough to hold the lantern over the chasm. The light spread only a few feet in each direction, not nearly enough for him to see where the space began or ended. He rose to his feet, and cautiously began to make his way around the edge, before coming to an abrupt halt when the trail ended with a quick drop-off. Once again, he shifted himself closer to the ground and lowered the lantern. Still, the light was insufficient to give him a true picture of the situation. He took a loose piece of shale and flung it over the edge, waiting to hear when it hit bottom. The answer escalated the gnawing in his stomach into a burning inferno. If Vin and the outlaw had went this way . . .

No, Vin hadn’t come this way. He wasn’t lying in broken heap at the bottom of an endless black hole. They just needed to keep looking.

Rising on unsteady legs, he turned and headed back towards the entrance. He’d meet up with Buck and JD, and check on Ezra. Then he’d start again.

+++++++

A pale, yellow light shone through the murky darkness where Vin lay. He thought at first that it was a star, or maybe the moon. Or it could be morning. He should get up then. But the light disappeared as quickly as it came, and he slipped back into the blackness, without remembering why it mattered.

+++++++

Nathan looked up from where he tended the still delirious gambler, to see Buck and JD straggle wearily from the mine. As relieved as he was to see them, he knew immediately by their despondent faces that the search had not gone well.

Buck crouched down next to the healer, his eyes on the form of his injured friend. "He gonna make it?" he asked solemnly.

"Looks like it," Nathan answered, with questions in his eyes. What happened? Where were the others?

JD felt the tightness in his chest ease up just a bit at Nathan’s reply. He stretched out on the ground under the shade trees, and closed his eyes. He was exhausted and he was scared. Vin had disappeared, and he was really wondering if they would ever find him. Hearing about the old mine from Chester had been a whole lot different than experiencing it. He just couldn’t stand the thought of Vin trapped inside that tomb.

Buck stole a look at JD, not even bothering to hide his concern. The kid had become more withdrawn as they made their way through the passages without finding a trace of Vin or the outlaw. He was worried about the youth. He was worried about them all. He turned his gaze to the con man, and without thinking, moved his hand to brush a lock of hair from Ezra’s forehead.

Nathan noted the action with some surprise. Buck’s generous heart was well known to all, nevertheless, he hadn’t expected the gentle reaction to the gambler’s current state.

"He really will be all right, Buck. Though I expect seein’ Vin when he comes to would help a whole lot. You gonna tell me what happened in there?"

Buck sighed and looked at the healer with sad eyes. "Ain’t much t’ tell. We’ve been searchin’ all this time, and come up with nothin’. Chris is supposed to meet us here about now. If he hasn’t had any more luck than we had . . ." Buck’s voice trailed off, leaving the obvious unspoken.

Chris stepped out of the entrance just then, quickly taking in his men at the bottom of the slope. He knew with just a glance that the news was not good, and though he thought he’d prepared himself for that, it still hit him like a solid punch in the gut. Walking on wooden legs towards the small gathering, he worked on shoving his emotions deep inside, on putting the mask in place once more.

It didn’t work, though none of the men would ever let Larabee know that. They could read him most times, and never clearer than now. Chris avoided their eyes, turning his gaze to the wounded man instead. Ezra lay pale and bloody, mumbling softly, and the blond was hit with a wave of guilt for ever doubting the man.

Chris swallowed before turning to Nathan, who just barely resisted the urge to look away. Larabee could be a hard man to look in the eye on a good day. When he carried a world of grief and guilt and pain there, it was damn near impossible – the weight pulling hard on those who cared about him. But Nathan had learned from the first day he’d met the gunslinger, that he was more than worth the effort it took to be his friend.

So Nathan met his eyes and offered a bit of relief, "I think he’ll be all right. Y’ just concentrate on findin’ Vin. Let me worry about Ezra."

Chris nodded, grateful to have a man like Jackson among them. He couldn’t really imagine what they would do without him, in fact. And if they found Vin, Nathan would set him right, too. No, not if they found Vin – when they found Vin. They would find him, and Nathan would take care of him, and they’d go on back to the way they were. He’d never again take for granted that weird, wonderful thing that the seven of them had become together. He may never stop grieving for the family he’d lost, but he’d never again let it get in the way of what he had here and now.

Buck watched as his friend almost literally pulled himself together and knew when the time had come to speak. "What do we do now, Chris?"

Chris looked at him peculiarly, as if he didn’t understand the question, but he answered firmly, "We keep looking."

"Yeah, of course we do. But maybe we need to consider that they got out somehow. Maybe one of us should be lookin’ for a trail. Maybe there’s another way out we don’t even know about."

Chris had considered that possibility himself, especially after finding the cavern that Chester apparently didn’t know about or remember. He lowered himself to sit near Buck, motioning for JD to move closer as he did so, and pulled out the map.

Choosing his words carefully, he stated, "I don’t think that’s what happened, Buck. I think Vin is still inside." He knew the others found the "connection" between him and their tracker strange, to say the least. He couldn’t say he was always entirely comfortable with it himself. But no one argued that it existed, and though the signals he was getting now were strained, he still felt that Vin lay somewhere in the mountain.

Once again using his finger to trace a path, he continued, "We’ll start searching near the back now. If you don’t find anything by nightfall, bring Josiah back with you. We’ll divide up again." He added, "And be careful. I came across a deep cavern that wasn’t on the map. Damn near killed myself."

Buck turned worried eyes to his old friend, "Chris, you don’t think . . ."

Before Buck could finish his sentence, the blond silenced him. "No, I don’t think Vin is there."

"But Chris, maybe we should check it out. It just don’t seem right that we ain’t heard or seen anything after this long, as trigger-happy as that long-haired idiot was," Buck countered softly.

The rogue watched as the blond fought to control his emotions. Chris turned to look at Buck then, and in a low voice he stated, "If Vin’s trapped somewhere with that madman, every second counts. If he’s in that hole . . ," Chris swallowed and looked away for a moment before continuing, "If he’s in that hole, time ain’t gonna matter."

Nathan broke the silence that pervaded as the men considered what that meant. "Ain’t none of y’ goin’ back in there without somethin’ t’ eat and drink first."

JD had to admit that sounded like the best idea yet, but Chris was already half way up the slope. Buck shook his head and grabbed JD by the arm. "Come on, Kid. You can chew on the way."

JD pulled his tired legs out from underneath him and watched the retreating back of their leader. "Is Chris gonna be okay, Buck?"

No way in hell, Buck thought. But he answered, "Sure he is, JD. We’re all gonna be just fine."

+++++++

It was well after nightfall when Chris returned. The other men, Josiah included, sat huddled around a small fire. Ezra had awakened several times, long enough for Nathan to pour more water and laudanum down him, and long enough to puzzle them all with his repeated ramblings about not "holding out on Vin."

As Chris strode over to the group, their quiet conversation ceased. The gunslinger paid no mind to their silence, merely reaching for an extra lantern and rope, before turning to make his way back up the hill.

Josiah stood and took a gentle hold of his arm while asking, "Where are you going, Chris?"

Chris kept his eyes on the entrance, knowing one look at the preacher’s compassionate features would disintegrate his carefully maintained control. "To the cavern."

"I expect if Vin’s there, you’ll be wanting to bring him out," Josiah spoke very softly.

Chris nodded, still averting his now tear-filled eyes.

"You’ll be needing some help then," Sanchez offered in a calm, gentle voice that hid the tremble in his heart.

Chris nodded again, before finally turning to face the big man. "Ain’t saying I’ve given up."

"Ain’t no one asking you to, Chris."

The tough gunslinger continued on his way then, mindless of the single tear that escaped, and of the men who followed with heavy hearts behind him.

+++++++

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