Fic: Easy Is As Easy Does, Mag7 Bingo Prompt "Splinter"
Title: Easy Is As Easy Does (5,290 words)
Author: Cathy Roberts
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Characters: Vin and J.D.
Rating: PG-13
Date: July 16, 2011
Summary: Written for the Mag7 Bingo prompt "Splinter", one from the top of column 'I'. Could be considered a crossover with "Falling Skies". You didn't think that this was the first trip here for the Skitters, did you? I don't own either show, nor do I make money from either show. I also don't make any apologies for blatantly stealing dialogue from both shows.
Vin's jaw was clenched with anger as he saddled the horse he was going to use. He'd have preferred his usual mount under him, but didn't want to risk the animal this time around. He chuffed as he thought that the horse probably weren't gonna be much safer here than out on the trail with him and J.D. Still, he might not have had Ezra's easy way of gauging odds, but it was a risk he wasn't going to take.
The talk that he and Chris had had last night still stung. How could Chris treat him that way? Giving him orders to ride out and see just how far those infernal bugs had spread, and to take J.D. with him. He knew Chris had guts; he'd always admired that about the man, but to give him orders like that? Vin shook his head. He had a good mind to just ride back toward town, pick up some more things from the Potter's store, just for spite. But, who was he really kidding? After all, he was saddling the horse, wasn't he? And J.D. was busy with his own horse, getting ready to ride out with him, to do what Chris 'God Almighty' Larabee had ordered them to do.
The worst part was that Chris was right. They needed to know just how far the enemy had gotten, and what kind of odds they were up against. And, if those bugs hadn't gotten too far, then to see about getting some help from the Army. Vin never figured he'd see the day when he went in search of that kind of help, not after what they'd done to the people he loved and admired, but he was. They needed the help, and only a fool would let pride get in the way of getting that help. And, if there was one thing Vin knew, it was that his Mama, and all his foster mothers, hadn't raised a fool.
And now the damn fool was walking over to them. Probably thinkin' about giving them some more orders. The Hell with him, Vin angrily thought as he tightened the cinch. The Hell with all of them.
"Riding out with coffee?" Chris asked, and that was when Vin noticed that the man was toting two cups of coffee.
"You're up early," Vin said, ignoring the cup that Chris held out toward him.
Chris shrugged, then stepped around Vin and walked over to J.D., extending the other cup out to him. "I wanted to see the both of you off."
"Make sure we actually left, you mean?" Vin asked, not even trying to hide the hurt and anger in his voice.
J.D. took the offered cup just seconds before Chris abruptly turned back to face Vin, anger now in his eyes.
"This isn't easy for me, Vin. I don't like splitting us up this way, but it has to be done. We need to know just how far those things have spread. You and J.D. aren't the only people with jobs to do. Ezra is heading to the Seminole village with Josiah and Coeehajo to bring back that cannon. And, he doesn't know it yet, but Buck is taking a small group to the east to do the same thing that you and J.D. are doing to the west, and I want Chanu to go with him. Yosemite is going to be sent north, on the same mission."
"So you're not sending Chanu out hunting?" Vin asked, some of his anger now fading after hearing what Chris had to say. Still, he wanted some assurance that Chris wasn't just getting Chanu out of the way. While Vin weren't in camp during the days, it hadn't escaped his notice that more than one person in camp wasn't none too happy about having Chanu and some of the other tribe members around.
"No. The patrol that you've been leading has some experience fighting these bugs, and I want people with that experience in each group that's riding out. We had some more people straggling in the other night; they live just this side of Eagle Bend, which is why I want both you and J.D. going. We know for sure that bugs are out that way, so the two of you have a better chance of taking care of them or staying out of their way, whichever is easiest, Vin."
"So, this has nothing to do with the bull Buck was tellin' me last night?" J.D. injected. "About how me and Vin are too caught up getting vengeance and we need a break from it?"
Chris looked directly into Vin's eyes, "No. This has to do with sending the best people on the mission. And if those bugs have reached Eagle Bend, then I think that you two can teach them what they need to know in order to fight back."
Vin didn't see any lies in those green eyes, and he wanted to believe Chris that Buck's words were just the opinion of one person, and that Chris didn't share that opinion. If it was any other time, he knew that Chris wouldn't lie to him. But this wasn't any other time. These were deadly times, and if it was one thing that Vin knew about Chris, it was that Chris would lie, steal, cheat, lie and kill to keep his loved ones and family safe; and that Chris considered him and J.D. to be family.
Chris took a step closer to Vin, holding out that cup of coffee again. "You stood by me when I came up with that plan to lure Fowler out of hiding, and you stood by me when I missed getting Ella for what she did to Sarah and Adam. You never once looked at me with pity either time, Vin. I understand the need to avenge the deaths of people you love. Do I worry that you might take it too far?" Chris nodded, "Yeah, I do. But, I think I know you well enough to know that you'd stop yourself before reaching that point."
Vin reached out and took the metal cup from Chris, giving his friend a nod. Chris had a point, and Vin was glad that Chris felt that way. And, damn, but he also was somewhat happy that the rest of his friends worried about him as much as they worried about J.D.
"Thanks for the coffee."
Chris shrugged. "Least I could do was bring it out to you, since your patrol brought back so much of it last night."
Vin and J.D. exchanged amused glances. The patrol had been a successful one, and in more ways than one. They'd killed off two more of those bugs, and brought back some needed goods from town. Some of which were urgently needed in order to survive, and some of which was needed to live. Vin knew that Ezra would be surprised to realize that Vin knew there was a difference, and he wished he could be there later when Ezra looked into the sack by his bedroll and found bottles of his favorite brandy, straight from the saloon. It had taken a bit of stealth of the parts of everyone in the patrol, but they'd gotten quite a few things that Vin knew people would cherish. A photo from one house, a hair ribbon from another. Whiskey and smokes, the coffee. Those were things that made life worth living. The rest of it, the flour, canned milk and other things, some medicine from Nathan's clinic, they were for survival.
"Do I even want to know?" Chris asked, and Vin realized that he'd been smiling.
Vin handed the now empty cup back to Chris, and thought about the small bundles that they'd left by the bedrolls of various people. "You'll find out soon enough. J.D.? You ready to ride?"
J.D. handed his cup over to Chris as well, then headed for the horse he was using. "Let's get out of here."
As Vin mounted the horse, Chris stacked the cups together, then stretched out his arm toward Vin. They grasped each other's lower arm, regarding one another for a few moments. "Be safe," Vin said.
"The same goes for the two of you."
They broke contact, but for some reason, Vin was reluctant to leave. "If the bugs haven't reached Eagle Bend, then J.D. and I will stay a day or so to show them how to kill the things. If they have…well, then we'll be back as soon as possible."
Vin thought of something, and he turned slightly to dig around in his saddlebag, not caring that Chris and J.D. were now both staring at him. When Vin turned back toward Chris, he had his spyglass in hand, and he held it out to his friend. "You all might be needin' this more than us. One thing odd yesterday, we didn't see any of the captured folk in town. They could be keepin' them in that big thing they came here on, but you ain't gonna get close enough to town to see for sure. This'll help you."
Chris nodded as he took the spyglass, holding it tightly. "We'll look for signs of where they're being kept. Go around town, all right? If those bugs haven't gotten to Eagle Bend yet, then there's no need for you to accidentally lead them there."
Vin nodded. Going around town wouldn't add much time to the ride ahead of them, and Chris was right that it wasn't worth leading the bugs to another town.
He touched his fingers to the brim of his hat and then urged the horse into a walk, leading J.D. away from the encampment. He wanted to look backward, get a picture set in his head of how peaceful Chris's place looked, even with all those extra people there. But he didn't. He already had plenty of last looks stored in his head, and since he was plannin' on coming back, there weren't no need to store up another one.
It didn't take Vin and J.D. long to reach the road that led to town. As much as Vin wanted to take that road, and hunt down a few more bugs, he knew that it was important for him and J.D. to safely reach Eagle Bend.
Breaking the silence that they'd been riding in, Vin gestured in one direction. "If we head that way, we can skirt around town, keep to the woods a bit more. But it won't be long after that and we'll have no choice but to ride in the open."
J.D. nodded. "I guess we'll do what we did yesterday? Stay low on the horses so they can't tell us from what we're riding?"
Vin nodded. "It seems to work. Guess those bugs can't see too good."
"It's good to know that they're weak in some way," J.D. noted. "You know, I wonder why the Army or someone hasn't been out this way by now. You'd think that when the stages don't arrive at their destinations, then someone would worry."
Vin couldn't argue with that logic, and he'd thought that himself. "That makes it that much more important that we get to Eagle Bend. With the telegraph lines here not workin', then chances are they ain't working there, either. Could be that the stage line is askin' questions, but they ain't getting' any answers. If we're lucky, we'll end up runnin' into an Army patrol, sent to find out why them answers ain't comin'."
"I just never imagined something like this could happen," J.D. said, a sad look on his face.
Vin knew that J.D. meant more than just Casey and Miss Nettie dying, but everything leading up to that. "The first tribe I lived with, they never imagined anything like what happened to them, either. I'd have never thought I'd see the day when soldiers would attack women and children, killin' them without mercy, but that happened."
J.D. looked slightly ashamed, and Vin felt bad for making the kid feel that way. His past wasn't J.D.'s past, and it weren't fair to make out as if it were so.
"I guess it's like Josiah said. Ain't nothin' new under the sun, J.D."
And with that, Vin prodded his horse forward, getting them on their way. And, to be truthful with himself, he wanted the silence again, because he was afraid that J.D. might ask questions about that tribe and how they died. And how he could tell the kid that the Army had been far more brutal than those bugs had? J.D. was no longer and innocent, but he still believed in right and wrong, black and white, with nothing in-between. J.D. could accept horrible things from those bugs, but he'd have a hard time acceptin' it from the Army. Once he did accept it though, then J.D.'s attitude toward the Army would be changed forever, and while Vin didn't have much use for the Army, he didn't want J.D. to ever feel that way.
Once the duo had made it past the town and were on the way toward Eagle Bend, Vin could see the obvious signs that the bugs and their flying wagons had been this way, as well. Scorch marks on the ground, too large to be from lightning, even if there had have been storms recently, which there hadn't. And dried blood here and there; on the ground, on rocks, even spatters on leafs. Then they came upon the first abandoned homestead in what would be considered the outskirts of Eagle Bend. Again, scorch marks, but this time there was more than simple spatters of blood. Two bodies lay in the dirt in front of the house, and Vin quickly turned his horse away, knowing J.D. would follow. And also knowing that J.D. would want to stay and bury those bodies. Vin urged his horse to go a bit faster, not wantin' to deal with J.D.'s questions as to why they couldn't bury them properly.
There wasn't any protest from J.D., and Vin began to suspect that he'd once more under-estimated the kid. J.D. could have already figured out that burying them people would just let the bugs know that more people were now in the area. The bodies weren't fresh, but there could still be bugs in the area, looking for people to capture.
Vin spied something odd not that far ahead, and he came to a stop, suddenly regretting that he'd loaned his spyglass to Chris. J.D. came up beside him.
"What's wrong?" J.D. quietly asked, having learned that sound could travel quite far, even in a wooded area.
"Not sure. There's somethin' wrong lookin' about those trees up ahead. Let's take it at a walk. If it ain't good, and we have to get out fast, then I want you to ride as hard as you can to Eagle Bend, without lookin' back." Vin looked directly into J.D.'s eyes as he spoke, never breaking that eye contact until J.D. nodded.
Vin nodded back and led his horse forward, going as slowly as the horse would allow. As he neared the trees in question, his stomach began to knot up. The wrongness of the trees was because several bugs were hanging upside down from the branches, like they were bats instead of the spiders they more closely resembled. Swallowing hard, Vin motioned for J.D. to pass him and keep on going. Vin weren't sure that the bugs wouldn't awaken as J.D. passed by, so he slowly drew his mare's leg from its holster and waited. If they woke, then he'd be ready.
Vin kept his attention entirely on the bugs as J.D. edged his horse past and headed on toward Eagle Bend. After a minute, Vin dared to glance in the direction that J.D. had gone, and he was relieved to see that J.D. was a decent distance ahead. If the bugs woke while Vin was passing them, then J.D. stood a good chance of getting' away. Vin gently prodded the horse and the mare started walking. Vin kept his mare's leg out, and his eyes on the bugs, trusting that the horse would want to be with the other one. For one brief moment, Vin longed for his own horse, but he pushed that thought aside. He'd ridden this horse before, and knew her to be a reliable mount.
As Vin passed the bugs, he slowly turned in the saddle, keeping them in sight. He didn't turn around again until his horse had caught up to J.D., who had waited for Vin. They nodded at one another, and kept the horses at a walk until they were well out of sight of the bugs.
"This don't bode well for the people of Eagle Bend," Vin said, keeping his voice low.
"Shame we couldn't have killed them," J.D. replied.
While Vin agreed somewhat with that idea, he was glad that they hadn't stopped to do just that. "No idea what else is in these woods."
J.D. nodded, and Vin hoped it was because the kid saw the necessity of holding back and not just because J.D. wanted to appease him. Vin kept the horse to a walk, but took the lead again. At the rate they were going, it'd be nightfall before they reached Eagle Bend. Vin was just hopin' that there'd be people there to meet once they did get there.
As Vin had inwardly predicted, it was past sunset when they arrived on the edge of town. It was quiet in town, too quiet from what Vin remembered of previous trips to Eagle Bend. As he and J.D. made their way toward the Sandpiper saloon, Vin noticed that if there were any lights on in the buildings, then they were hidden behind dark curtains or perhaps even more heavily covered from the inside. If these people thought that hammerin' boards across their windows would keep them safe, then they were sorely mistaken. But, there was light coming from the saloon, and that lightened Vin's heart a bit. The bugs might have been closin' in on Eagle Bend, but they'd not yet emptied the town.
As Vin and J.D. came to a stop in front of the saloon, the batwing doors slowly opened and the Sheriff stepped onto the boardwalk, a rifle cradle in his arms.
"You boys a long way from home," Stains said.
Vin nodded. "We got hit 'bout a week ago and been fightin' off bugs ever since. Finally had a chance to try to see just how many other towns have been attacked."
"They've not ventured into town yet, but they've been attacking some of the ranches and homesteads." Stains and Vin stared at each other for a few moments, and then the Sheriff motioned toward the saloon doors. "Come on in and get that road dust out of your mouths."
Vin and J.D. dismounted, then followed Stains into the building. The saloon wasn't crowded, but there was a sizable amount of people in there. Vin recognized the bartender, and the deputy. He thought he recognized a few other men from the trial of Nathan's daddy, but he held no ill will toward them. Just toward the ones that had tried to string the man up before he'd ever had a trial. And the Sheriff was on the top of that list. Still, Josiah had said more than once that war made for some strange bedfellows, and this certainly fit that.
Vin settled in at a corner table, his back to the wall, while J.D. went to get them each a beer. Stains grabbed a half-full beer glass from another table and came to sit opposite Vin, his deputy not far behind.
"Larabee still alive?" Stains asked.
Vin nodded, "There's a camp of sorts set up at his place on the other side of town. We even had a few of your strays come our way."
J.D. put Vin's beer down in front of him, then took the empty seat beside Vin. "The Sanderson family," he said.
Stains nodded. "They have the farm that's closest to you. Nobody else from here?"
Vin shook his head. "Not that I heard of. We came across one farm, looked like the husband and wife were killed."
Stains took a long drink of his beer. "It seemed strange when the stage didn't come, and when we tried to wire about it, the lines were down. Figured it was weather or some of the injuns out your way causing some trouble with the telegraph."
Vin bristled slightly at hearing that. Leave it to someone like Stains to blame a peaceful people for their misfortunes.
"But when the stage didn't come the next day, and the lines were still down, I got to worrying. Sent out a deputy, but he never came back. Went out after him myself and found his body. I still didn't know what the Hell was going on until I was on my way back and saw one of them spider things skittering across the ground. Spooked my horse something awful, but we made it back to town without seeing another one. What the Hell is going on?"
"Do you believe in Hell, Sheriff?" J.D. asked.
Stains frowned at J.D., "Yeah. What about it?"
"Well, this is Hell on Earth," J.D. evenly replied. "These bugs came out of the sky, using something like a flying ship, only there's no masts or sails on it. They also have smaller things, about the size of a large wagon, that also fly through the air. When they're not killing us, they're capturing us, but we don't know why."
Stains leaned back in his chair, and ran a hand across his jaw. "If I hadn't seen one of them things, and heard stories from some of the people who ran from their farms, then I'd think you were crazy. I sent some men out to see about getting the Army out this way."
Vin nodded. "Good. That's part of the reason we're out your way, was to see about getting' help. We also sent men out in the other directions, for the same reasons. See how far those bugs have gotten, and to get help. We're also here because J.D. and I have experience killing these things."
"Yeah, I noticed that a shot to their bodies don't do much good," Stains leaned forward. "I'll admit up front that I don't like you, Vin. Don't like any of you. But, fighting these things is more important than who I like and don't like."
"I agree." Vin was slightly relieved that he didn't have to do much to convince Stains to accept their help. He just hoped that the rest of the townspeople would be just as willing.
"Let me get some more people together," Stains said as he turned to his deputy. "Clark, go round up all the men and get them here. We might just now have a chance to keep those things out of town."
The deputy left and Vin finally took a drink of his beer. Even when he'd been liberating Ezra's brandy from the saloon, he'd not taken the time to have even a taste of beer. This one was going down nice and easy, and a different brand than the one Inez served.
"There's one thing. If those bugs come here with their flyin' wagons, then guns aren't gonna be much good. They shoot out some kind of fire I ain't ever seen, and it can burn a man where he stands. You can board up your town all you want, but if they come with those, then it ain't gonna matter one bit. The only good thing is that the bugs don't seem too intent on burning down buildings. It's the people they want."
"Well, I'm not feeling in a giving mood," Stains said with a grim smile. "So, if they want the people of my town, they're going to have to go through me first."
The batwing doors swung inward, and the first of many began to file into the saloon. Vin took another long drink of his beer, noting J.D. doing the same. "Looks like it's teachin' time."
Hours later, Vin and J.D. headed upstairs for their rooms. They'd told all they knew, demonstrated a few techniques they'd learned. But, despite all of that, Vin knew he wouldn't know if anyone had really listened until they actually had to fight those bugs. He and J.D. were headed back to Chris's place in the morning, and just had to trust that those people had listened.
"It feels wrong to get to enjoy sleeping in a real bed while the others are still sleeping on the ground," J.D. said as he paused in front of the door to the room the bartender had assigned him for the night.
Vin's brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what was so wrong about sleeping out on the ground, then he remembered that, like Ezra, J.D. was used to things being a little bit more civilized, as Ezra would call it.
Vin grinned, "Hell, J.D., don't you think that once the other groups reach a town, that they'll be sleeping indoors, too?"
J.D. grinned back, "Yeah. And they probably won't feel guilty about it, either, will they?"
"I doubt it. And if Buck happens to find a willin' woman to share that bed…" Vin waggled his eyebrows and this time, J.D. actually laughed out loud. It made Vin feel good to hear that sound once more coming from J.D. He hadn't realized until then that he'd missed it.
"Sleep well, Vin."
"You, too, kid." Vin went on into his room. As he sat down on the plump mattress, Vin did have to admit to himself that there were times when sleepin' indoors could be downright inviting.
Vin and J.D. were barely done with their breakfasts when Stains came into the café, looking grim. Vin noticed that the man was toting two axes with him. "I sent out a scout this morning, like you suggested, and there's a bunch of them bugs comin' our way. I've sent the women and children out of town, in the opposite direction. Thought you might want these."
Stains placed the axes on the table, and while Vin was slightly relieved to see the man had actually listened last night, he didn't feel happy at all about this turn of events. He had wanted to be headed back home, not stuck there defending a town that had wanted to murder the father of a good friend.
Vin could feel J.D.'s eyes on him as he finished his coffee. He could take J.D. outta there right then, and nobody'd say anything about it. They'd done what they were sent to do. They'd warned the town, then taught the town what they needed to know in order to kill the bugs.
Chris certainly wouldn't want them to stay, and if he were there, he'd probably be walkin' out the door before now, not even takin' the time to think about it. This had once been Chris's town, but Chris held no love for anyone here, not anymore.
Vin looked at J.D., knowing that whatever he decided, J.D. would go along with it. No, nobody'd say anything if he and J.D. left, but Vin would always have it on his soul that he'd walked out on the town. It was one thing to tell the men how to fight, and quite another to show them how to do it.
Vin got to his feet and picked up one of the axes, swinging it through the air to test the weight of it. "This'll do just fine, Sheriff."
Vin looked over at J.D. as the younger man got to his feet. "This ain't your fight, J.D. You don't have to stay here. I can map you out a way to get back home from here and avoid those bugs headin' our way."
"I'm staying," J.D. declared, his body tense. He did relax though, once Vin nodded to him. "We need to get our rifles from the horses."
"Let's go," Vin said, hoping like Hell that he wasn't walking out to his own death, or even worse, leading J.D. to his own. He'd held back on killin' those bugs in the tree the day before, and now he wished he'd have risked shooting them, and eliminating a few more of the enemy. He hoped that if it did go bad, that Chris and the others would forgive him for staying, and know that he wasn't doing so just because it gave him the chance to kill more bugs. In Vin's view, that was just icin' on the cake. There weren't any women and children to try to save, but if the bugs got through the town, then they just might catch up to those the Sheriff had sent away. If Vin could stop that or delay it, then dying while doing so was well worth the cost.
As Vin got outside, he could see where the Sheriff and others had already set up a barricade at the edge of town. If these bugs came without their flying wagons, then they had a chance of makin' it through this alive. Vin and J.D. got their rifles, and Vin made sure they both had plenty of bullets in their pockets.
It felt odd to be walkin' down the middle of the street with J.D. on one side and Stains on the other. Odd, but not completely unfamiliar. He wished like Hell that it was Chris on his other side, but wishes never really mattered, and were wasted at times like this.
The three took up positions along the barricade, and Vin looked up and down it, noting that the men were all armed with rifles or shotguns, and either axes or hammers. They'd definitely took his lessons to heart the night before.
A few minutes passed, and then they could hear that peculiar noise the bugs made as they moved. Like Stains had said last night, it sounded like a skittering noise, only this one was much louder than just a few could make. The bugs then came into view, and Vin heard a soft curse coming from J.D. There had to be at least thirty of the things, and they were comin' right for them. Well, they might not know it, but things were about to get a lot more interestin' for the bugs!
Vin raised the rifle to his shoulder, then grinned over at J.D., who was also now ready to fire. Chris might have been right with his fears about the way he and J.D. had been getting' this past week, but damn, with this many bugs wantin' to come into Eagle Bend, Vin was damn glad that they'd learned how to quickly kill the things. Vin didn't doubt that there was one or more of them flyin' wagons out there, beyond his sight. They'd need them in order to get this many bugs here this quickly. But, if they could kill most of them before one of those wagon's came, then there might just be a chance of all of them livin' through this.
J.D. looked to his other side and nodded at the Sheriff and Vin. "Remember, aim for the legs." The kid loudly said, and Vin hoped that everyone on the barricade had heard him.
"Once you shoot two or more of them off 'em, they're easier to take down. Only way to make sure you kill one, is to get in close and use your axe." Vin slowly grinned, "It's as easy as lickin' butter off a knife."
Author: Cathy Roberts
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Characters: Vin and J.D.
Rating: PG-13
Date: July 16, 2011
Summary: Written for the Mag7 Bingo prompt "Splinter", one from the top of column 'I'. Could be considered a crossover with "Falling Skies". You didn't think that this was the first trip here for the Skitters, did you? I don't own either show, nor do I make money from either show. I also don't make any apologies for blatantly stealing dialogue from both shows.
Vin's jaw was clenched with anger as he saddled the horse he was going to use. He'd have preferred his usual mount under him, but didn't want to risk the animal this time around. He chuffed as he thought that the horse probably weren't gonna be much safer here than out on the trail with him and J.D. Still, he might not have had Ezra's easy way of gauging odds, but it was a risk he wasn't going to take.
The talk that he and Chris had had last night still stung. How could Chris treat him that way? Giving him orders to ride out and see just how far those infernal bugs had spread, and to take J.D. with him. He knew Chris had guts; he'd always admired that about the man, but to give him orders like that? Vin shook his head. He had a good mind to just ride back toward town, pick up some more things from the Potter's store, just for spite. But, who was he really kidding? After all, he was saddling the horse, wasn't he? And J.D. was busy with his own horse, getting ready to ride out with him, to do what Chris 'God Almighty' Larabee had ordered them to do.
The worst part was that Chris was right. They needed to know just how far the enemy had gotten, and what kind of odds they were up against. And, if those bugs hadn't gotten too far, then to see about getting some help from the Army. Vin never figured he'd see the day when he went in search of that kind of help, not after what they'd done to the people he loved and admired, but he was. They needed the help, and only a fool would let pride get in the way of getting that help. And, if there was one thing Vin knew, it was that his Mama, and all his foster mothers, hadn't raised a fool.
And now the damn fool was walking over to them. Probably thinkin' about giving them some more orders. The Hell with him, Vin angrily thought as he tightened the cinch. The Hell with all of them.
"Riding out with coffee?" Chris asked, and that was when Vin noticed that the man was toting two cups of coffee.
"You're up early," Vin said, ignoring the cup that Chris held out toward him.
Chris shrugged, then stepped around Vin and walked over to J.D., extending the other cup out to him. "I wanted to see the both of you off."
"Make sure we actually left, you mean?" Vin asked, not even trying to hide the hurt and anger in his voice.
J.D. took the offered cup just seconds before Chris abruptly turned back to face Vin, anger now in his eyes.
"This isn't easy for me, Vin. I don't like splitting us up this way, but it has to be done. We need to know just how far those things have spread. You and J.D. aren't the only people with jobs to do. Ezra is heading to the Seminole village with Josiah and Coeehajo to bring back that cannon. And, he doesn't know it yet, but Buck is taking a small group to the east to do the same thing that you and J.D. are doing to the west, and I want Chanu to go with him. Yosemite is going to be sent north, on the same mission."
"So you're not sending Chanu out hunting?" Vin asked, some of his anger now fading after hearing what Chris had to say. Still, he wanted some assurance that Chris wasn't just getting Chanu out of the way. While Vin weren't in camp during the days, it hadn't escaped his notice that more than one person in camp wasn't none too happy about having Chanu and some of the other tribe members around.
"No. The patrol that you've been leading has some experience fighting these bugs, and I want people with that experience in each group that's riding out. We had some more people straggling in the other night; they live just this side of Eagle Bend, which is why I want both you and J.D. going. We know for sure that bugs are out that way, so the two of you have a better chance of taking care of them or staying out of their way, whichever is easiest, Vin."
"So, this has nothing to do with the bull Buck was tellin' me last night?" J.D. injected. "About how me and Vin are too caught up getting vengeance and we need a break from it?"
Chris looked directly into Vin's eyes, "No. This has to do with sending the best people on the mission. And if those bugs have reached Eagle Bend, then I think that you two can teach them what they need to know in order to fight back."
Vin didn't see any lies in those green eyes, and he wanted to believe Chris that Buck's words were just the opinion of one person, and that Chris didn't share that opinion. If it was any other time, he knew that Chris wouldn't lie to him. But this wasn't any other time. These were deadly times, and if it was one thing that Vin knew about Chris, it was that Chris would lie, steal, cheat, lie and kill to keep his loved ones and family safe; and that Chris considered him and J.D. to be family.
Chris took a step closer to Vin, holding out that cup of coffee again. "You stood by me when I came up with that plan to lure Fowler out of hiding, and you stood by me when I missed getting Ella for what she did to Sarah and Adam. You never once looked at me with pity either time, Vin. I understand the need to avenge the deaths of people you love. Do I worry that you might take it too far?" Chris nodded, "Yeah, I do. But, I think I know you well enough to know that you'd stop yourself before reaching that point."
Vin reached out and took the metal cup from Chris, giving his friend a nod. Chris had a point, and Vin was glad that Chris felt that way. And, damn, but he also was somewhat happy that the rest of his friends worried about him as much as they worried about J.D.
"Thanks for the coffee."
Chris shrugged. "Least I could do was bring it out to you, since your patrol brought back so much of it last night."
Vin and J.D. exchanged amused glances. The patrol had been a successful one, and in more ways than one. They'd killed off two more of those bugs, and brought back some needed goods from town. Some of which were urgently needed in order to survive, and some of which was needed to live. Vin knew that Ezra would be surprised to realize that Vin knew there was a difference, and he wished he could be there later when Ezra looked into the sack by his bedroll and found bottles of his favorite brandy, straight from the saloon. It had taken a bit of stealth of the parts of everyone in the patrol, but they'd gotten quite a few things that Vin knew people would cherish. A photo from one house, a hair ribbon from another. Whiskey and smokes, the coffee. Those were things that made life worth living. The rest of it, the flour, canned milk and other things, some medicine from Nathan's clinic, they were for survival.
"Do I even want to know?" Chris asked, and Vin realized that he'd been smiling.
Vin handed the now empty cup back to Chris, and thought about the small bundles that they'd left by the bedrolls of various people. "You'll find out soon enough. J.D.? You ready to ride?"
J.D. handed his cup over to Chris as well, then headed for the horse he was using. "Let's get out of here."
As Vin mounted the horse, Chris stacked the cups together, then stretched out his arm toward Vin. They grasped each other's lower arm, regarding one another for a few moments. "Be safe," Vin said.
"The same goes for the two of you."
They broke contact, but for some reason, Vin was reluctant to leave. "If the bugs haven't reached Eagle Bend, then J.D. and I will stay a day or so to show them how to kill the things. If they have…well, then we'll be back as soon as possible."
Vin thought of something, and he turned slightly to dig around in his saddlebag, not caring that Chris and J.D. were now both staring at him. When Vin turned back toward Chris, he had his spyglass in hand, and he held it out to his friend. "You all might be needin' this more than us. One thing odd yesterday, we didn't see any of the captured folk in town. They could be keepin' them in that big thing they came here on, but you ain't gonna get close enough to town to see for sure. This'll help you."
Chris nodded as he took the spyglass, holding it tightly. "We'll look for signs of where they're being kept. Go around town, all right? If those bugs haven't gotten to Eagle Bend yet, then there's no need for you to accidentally lead them there."
Vin nodded. Going around town wouldn't add much time to the ride ahead of them, and Chris was right that it wasn't worth leading the bugs to another town.
He touched his fingers to the brim of his hat and then urged the horse into a walk, leading J.D. away from the encampment. He wanted to look backward, get a picture set in his head of how peaceful Chris's place looked, even with all those extra people there. But he didn't. He already had plenty of last looks stored in his head, and since he was plannin' on coming back, there weren't no need to store up another one.
It didn't take Vin and J.D. long to reach the road that led to town. As much as Vin wanted to take that road, and hunt down a few more bugs, he knew that it was important for him and J.D. to safely reach Eagle Bend.
Breaking the silence that they'd been riding in, Vin gestured in one direction. "If we head that way, we can skirt around town, keep to the woods a bit more. But it won't be long after that and we'll have no choice but to ride in the open."
J.D. nodded. "I guess we'll do what we did yesterday? Stay low on the horses so they can't tell us from what we're riding?"
Vin nodded. "It seems to work. Guess those bugs can't see too good."
"It's good to know that they're weak in some way," J.D. noted. "You know, I wonder why the Army or someone hasn't been out this way by now. You'd think that when the stages don't arrive at their destinations, then someone would worry."
Vin couldn't argue with that logic, and he'd thought that himself. "That makes it that much more important that we get to Eagle Bend. With the telegraph lines here not workin', then chances are they ain't working there, either. Could be that the stage line is askin' questions, but they ain't getting' any answers. If we're lucky, we'll end up runnin' into an Army patrol, sent to find out why them answers ain't comin'."
"I just never imagined something like this could happen," J.D. said, a sad look on his face.
Vin knew that J.D. meant more than just Casey and Miss Nettie dying, but everything leading up to that. "The first tribe I lived with, they never imagined anything like what happened to them, either. I'd have never thought I'd see the day when soldiers would attack women and children, killin' them without mercy, but that happened."
J.D. looked slightly ashamed, and Vin felt bad for making the kid feel that way. His past wasn't J.D.'s past, and it weren't fair to make out as if it were so.
"I guess it's like Josiah said. Ain't nothin' new under the sun, J.D."
And with that, Vin prodded his horse forward, getting them on their way. And, to be truthful with himself, he wanted the silence again, because he was afraid that J.D. might ask questions about that tribe and how they died. And how he could tell the kid that the Army had been far more brutal than those bugs had? J.D. was no longer and innocent, but he still believed in right and wrong, black and white, with nothing in-between. J.D. could accept horrible things from those bugs, but he'd have a hard time acceptin' it from the Army. Once he did accept it though, then J.D.'s attitude toward the Army would be changed forever, and while Vin didn't have much use for the Army, he didn't want J.D. to ever feel that way.
Once the duo had made it past the town and were on the way toward Eagle Bend, Vin could see the obvious signs that the bugs and their flying wagons had been this way, as well. Scorch marks on the ground, too large to be from lightning, even if there had have been storms recently, which there hadn't. And dried blood here and there; on the ground, on rocks, even spatters on leafs. Then they came upon the first abandoned homestead in what would be considered the outskirts of Eagle Bend. Again, scorch marks, but this time there was more than simple spatters of blood. Two bodies lay in the dirt in front of the house, and Vin quickly turned his horse away, knowing J.D. would follow. And also knowing that J.D. would want to stay and bury those bodies. Vin urged his horse to go a bit faster, not wantin' to deal with J.D.'s questions as to why they couldn't bury them properly.
There wasn't any protest from J.D., and Vin began to suspect that he'd once more under-estimated the kid. J.D. could have already figured out that burying them people would just let the bugs know that more people were now in the area. The bodies weren't fresh, but there could still be bugs in the area, looking for people to capture.
Vin spied something odd not that far ahead, and he came to a stop, suddenly regretting that he'd loaned his spyglass to Chris. J.D. came up beside him.
"What's wrong?" J.D. quietly asked, having learned that sound could travel quite far, even in a wooded area.
"Not sure. There's somethin' wrong lookin' about those trees up ahead. Let's take it at a walk. If it ain't good, and we have to get out fast, then I want you to ride as hard as you can to Eagle Bend, without lookin' back." Vin looked directly into J.D.'s eyes as he spoke, never breaking that eye contact until J.D. nodded.
Vin nodded back and led his horse forward, going as slowly as the horse would allow. As he neared the trees in question, his stomach began to knot up. The wrongness of the trees was because several bugs were hanging upside down from the branches, like they were bats instead of the spiders they more closely resembled. Swallowing hard, Vin motioned for J.D. to pass him and keep on going. Vin weren't sure that the bugs wouldn't awaken as J.D. passed by, so he slowly drew his mare's leg from its holster and waited. If they woke, then he'd be ready.
Vin kept his attention entirely on the bugs as J.D. edged his horse past and headed on toward Eagle Bend. After a minute, Vin dared to glance in the direction that J.D. had gone, and he was relieved to see that J.D. was a decent distance ahead. If the bugs woke while Vin was passing them, then J.D. stood a good chance of getting' away. Vin gently prodded the horse and the mare started walking. Vin kept his mare's leg out, and his eyes on the bugs, trusting that the horse would want to be with the other one. For one brief moment, Vin longed for his own horse, but he pushed that thought aside. He'd ridden this horse before, and knew her to be a reliable mount.
As Vin passed the bugs, he slowly turned in the saddle, keeping them in sight. He didn't turn around again until his horse had caught up to J.D., who had waited for Vin. They nodded at one another, and kept the horses at a walk until they were well out of sight of the bugs.
"This don't bode well for the people of Eagle Bend," Vin said, keeping his voice low.
"Shame we couldn't have killed them," J.D. replied.
While Vin agreed somewhat with that idea, he was glad that they hadn't stopped to do just that. "No idea what else is in these woods."
J.D. nodded, and Vin hoped it was because the kid saw the necessity of holding back and not just because J.D. wanted to appease him. Vin kept the horse to a walk, but took the lead again. At the rate they were going, it'd be nightfall before they reached Eagle Bend. Vin was just hopin' that there'd be people there to meet once they did get there.
As Vin had inwardly predicted, it was past sunset when they arrived on the edge of town. It was quiet in town, too quiet from what Vin remembered of previous trips to Eagle Bend. As he and J.D. made their way toward the Sandpiper saloon, Vin noticed that if there were any lights on in the buildings, then they were hidden behind dark curtains or perhaps even more heavily covered from the inside. If these people thought that hammerin' boards across their windows would keep them safe, then they were sorely mistaken. But, there was light coming from the saloon, and that lightened Vin's heart a bit. The bugs might have been closin' in on Eagle Bend, but they'd not yet emptied the town.
As Vin and J.D. came to a stop in front of the saloon, the batwing doors slowly opened and the Sheriff stepped onto the boardwalk, a rifle cradle in his arms.
"You boys a long way from home," Stains said.
Vin nodded. "We got hit 'bout a week ago and been fightin' off bugs ever since. Finally had a chance to try to see just how many other towns have been attacked."
"They've not ventured into town yet, but they've been attacking some of the ranches and homesteads." Stains and Vin stared at each other for a few moments, and then the Sheriff motioned toward the saloon doors. "Come on in and get that road dust out of your mouths."
Vin and J.D. dismounted, then followed Stains into the building. The saloon wasn't crowded, but there was a sizable amount of people in there. Vin recognized the bartender, and the deputy. He thought he recognized a few other men from the trial of Nathan's daddy, but he held no ill will toward them. Just toward the ones that had tried to string the man up before he'd ever had a trial. And the Sheriff was on the top of that list. Still, Josiah had said more than once that war made for some strange bedfellows, and this certainly fit that.
Vin settled in at a corner table, his back to the wall, while J.D. went to get them each a beer. Stains grabbed a half-full beer glass from another table and came to sit opposite Vin, his deputy not far behind.
"Larabee still alive?" Stains asked.
Vin nodded, "There's a camp of sorts set up at his place on the other side of town. We even had a few of your strays come our way."
J.D. put Vin's beer down in front of him, then took the empty seat beside Vin. "The Sanderson family," he said.
Stains nodded. "They have the farm that's closest to you. Nobody else from here?"
Vin shook his head. "Not that I heard of. We came across one farm, looked like the husband and wife were killed."
Stains took a long drink of his beer. "It seemed strange when the stage didn't come, and when we tried to wire about it, the lines were down. Figured it was weather or some of the injuns out your way causing some trouble with the telegraph."
Vin bristled slightly at hearing that. Leave it to someone like Stains to blame a peaceful people for their misfortunes.
"But when the stage didn't come the next day, and the lines were still down, I got to worrying. Sent out a deputy, but he never came back. Went out after him myself and found his body. I still didn't know what the Hell was going on until I was on my way back and saw one of them spider things skittering across the ground. Spooked my horse something awful, but we made it back to town without seeing another one. What the Hell is going on?"
"Do you believe in Hell, Sheriff?" J.D. asked.
Stains frowned at J.D., "Yeah. What about it?"
"Well, this is Hell on Earth," J.D. evenly replied. "These bugs came out of the sky, using something like a flying ship, only there's no masts or sails on it. They also have smaller things, about the size of a large wagon, that also fly through the air. When they're not killing us, they're capturing us, but we don't know why."
Stains leaned back in his chair, and ran a hand across his jaw. "If I hadn't seen one of them things, and heard stories from some of the people who ran from their farms, then I'd think you were crazy. I sent some men out to see about getting the Army out this way."
Vin nodded. "Good. That's part of the reason we're out your way, was to see about getting' help. We also sent men out in the other directions, for the same reasons. See how far those bugs have gotten, and to get help. We're also here because J.D. and I have experience killing these things."
"Yeah, I noticed that a shot to their bodies don't do much good," Stains leaned forward. "I'll admit up front that I don't like you, Vin. Don't like any of you. But, fighting these things is more important than who I like and don't like."
"I agree." Vin was slightly relieved that he didn't have to do much to convince Stains to accept their help. He just hoped that the rest of the townspeople would be just as willing.
"Let me get some more people together," Stains said as he turned to his deputy. "Clark, go round up all the men and get them here. We might just now have a chance to keep those things out of town."
The deputy left and Vin finally took a drink of his beer. Even when he'd been liberating Ezra's brandy from the saloon, he'd not taken the time to have even a taste of beer. This one was going down nice and easy, and a different brand than the one Inez served.
"There's one thing. If those bugs come here with their flyin' wagons, then guns aren't gonna be much good. They shoot out some kind of fire I ain't ever seen, and it can burn a man where he stands. You can board up your town all you want, but if they come with those, then it ain't gonna matter one bit. The only good thing is that the bugs don't seem too intent on burning down buildings. It's the people they want."
"Well, I'm not feeling in a giving mood," Stains said with a grim smile. "So, if they want the people of my town, they're going to have to go through me first."
The batwing doors swung inward, and the first of many began to file into the saloon. Vin took another long drink of his beer, noting J.D. doing the same. "Looks like it's teachin' time."
Hours later, Vin and J.D. headed upstairs for their rooms. They'd told all they knew, demonstrated a few techniques they'd learned. But, despite all of that, Vin knew he wouldn't know if anyone had really listened until they actually had to fight those bugs. He and J.D. were headed back to Chris's place in the morning, and just had to trust that those people had listened.
"It feels wrong to get to enjoy sleeping in a real bed while the others are still sleeping on the ground," J.D. said as he paused in front of the door to the room the bartender had assigned him for the night.
Vin's brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what was so wrong about sleeping out on the ground, then he remembered that, like Ezra, J.D. was used to things being a little bit more civilized, as Ezra would call it.
Vin grinned, "Hell, J.D., don't you think that once the other groups reach a town, that they'll be sleeping indoors, too?"
J.D. grinned back, "Yeah. And they probably won't feel guilty about it, either, will they?"
"I doubt it. And if Buck happens to find a willin' woman to share that bed…" Vin waggled his eyebrows and this time, J.D. actually laughed out loud. It made Vin feel good to hear that sound once more coming from J.D. He hadn't realized until then that he'd missed it.
"Sleep well, Vin."
"You, too, kid." Vin went on into his room. As he sat down on the plump mattress, Vin did have to admit to himself that there were times when sleepin' indoors could be downright inviting.
Vin and J.D. were barely done with their breakfasts when Stains came into the café, looking grim. Vin noticed that the man was toting two axes with him. "I sent out a scout this morning, like you suggested, and there's a bunch of them bugs comin' our way. I've sent the women and children out of town, in the opposite direction. Thought you might want these."
Stains placed the axes on the table, and while Vin was slightly relieved to see the man had actually listened last night, he didn't feel happy at all about this turn of events. He had wanted to be headed back home, not stuck there defending a town that had wanted to murder the father of a good friend.
Vin could feel J.D.'s eyes on him as he finished his coffee. He could take J.D. outta there right then, and nobody'd say anything about it. They'd done what they were sent to do. They'd warned the town, then taught the town what they needed to know in order to kill the bugs.
Chris certainly wouldn't want them to stay, and if he were there, he'd probably be walkin' out the door before now, not even takin' the time to think about it. This had once been Chris's town, but Chris held no love for anyone here, not anymore.
Vin looked at J.D., knowing that whatever he decided, J.D. would go along with it. No, nobody'd say anything if he and J.D. left, but Vin would always have it on his soul that he'd walked out on the town. It was one thing to tell the men how to fight, and quite another to show them how to do it.
Vin got to his feet and picked up one of the axes, swinging it through the air to test the weight of it. "This'll do just fine, Sheriff."
Vin looked over at J.D. as the younger man got to his feet. "This ain't your fight, J.D. You don't have to stay here. I can map you out a way to get back home from here and avoid those bugs headin' our way."
"I'm staying," J.D. declared, his body tense. He did relax though, once Vin nodded to him. "We need to get our rifles from the horses."
"Let's go," Vin said, hoping like Hell that he wasn't walking out to his own death, or even worse, leading J.D. to his own. He'd held back on killin' those bugs in the tree the day before, and now he wished he'd have risked shooting them, and eliminating a few more of the enemy. He hoped that if it did go bad, that Chris and the others would forgive him for staying, and know that he wasn't doing so just because it gave him the chance to kill more bugs. In Vin's view, that was just icin' on the cake. There weren't any women and children to try to save, but if the bugs got through the town, then they just might catch up to those the Sheriff had sent away. If Vin could stop that or delay it, then dying while doing so was well worth the cost.
As Vin got outside, he could see where the Sheriff and others had already set up a barricade at the edge of town. If these bugs came without their flying wagons, then they had a chance of makin' it through this alive. Vin and J.D. got their rifles, and Vin made sure they both had plenty of bullets in their pockets.
It felt odd to be walkin' down the middle of the street with J.D. on one side and Stains on the other. Odd, but not completely unfamiliar. He wished like Hell that it was Chris on his other side, but wishes never really mattered, and were wasted at times like this.
The three took up positions along the barricade, and Vin looked up and down it, noting that the men were all armed with rifles or shotguns, and either axes or hammers. They'd definitely took his lessons to heart the night before.
A few minutes passed, and then they could hear that peculiar noise the bugs made as they moved. Like Stains had said last night, it sounded like a skittering noise, only this one was much louder than just a few could make. The bugs then came into view, and Vin heard a soft curse coming from J.D. There had to be at least thirty of the things, and they were comin' right for them. Well, they might not know it, but things were about to get a lot more interestin' for the bugs!
Vin raised the rifle to his shoulder, then grinned over at J.D., who was also now ready to fire. Chris might have been right with his fears about the way he and J.D. had been getting' this past week, but damn, with this many bugs wantin' to come into Eagle Bend, Vin was damn glad that they'd learned how to quickly kill the things. Vin didn't doubt that there was one or more of them flyin' wagons out there, beyond his sight. They'd need them in order to get this many bugs here this quickly. But, if they could kill most of them before one of those wagon's came, then there might just be a chance of all of them livin' through this.
J.D. looked to his other side and nodded at the Sheriff and Vin. "Remember, aim for the legs." The kid loudly said, and Vin hoped that everyone on the barricade had heard him.
"Once you shoot two or more of them off 'em, they're easier to take down. Only way to make sure you kill one, is to get in close and use your axe." Vin slowly grinned, "It's as easy as lickin' butter off a knife."