Moving On Chapter 10 A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER Brad and Chris walked toward a Bordello at the end of Main Street. After a little while of watching over Ezra, Brad had decided that he needed to do something. So, he had declared that he would be going after the three men that had stolen Ezra's money and left him for dead. Chris had decided to go with him. It had only taken them a few minutes to find out who the men were and where they would be. It seemed that the three men thought people were afraid of them. And, some were. It also seemed that the three men loved to brag about their misdeeds. And, they had been bragging about the gambler that they thought they had killed. After reaching the Bordello, they walked in like they owned the place. The Madam walked up to them and asked, "Something I can do for you gentlemen? Looking for a couple of ladies?" Chris shook his head no, much to the Madam's surprise. "No. We are looking for three men. Watson, Milen, and Hallow. We were told that they are here." The Madam looked at the two men, seeing the coldness in their eyes. But she prided herself in keeping the clients' privacy. Keeping her voice firm, she replied, "I'm sorry. I can't help you." "Look, lady, the three men in question robbed a very good friend of ours. Left him for dead. We're going to find them one way or another. We can either do it with your help or without, your choice," hissed Brad. The Madam looked into Brad's eyes, seeing that he was serious. She had never liked the three men anyway. Decision made, she answered, "Up the stairs. The first three rooms on the left." Chris and Brad nodded at the woman, then walked up the stairs as they both drew their pistols. Trying the first door, they found it unlocked. Brad threw the door open, catching the man and woman by surprise. "So, which one are you?" demanded Brad. At the red-headed man's confusion, he clarified. "What's your name?" After a couple of minutes, the man answered, "Watson." "You can leave," Chris told the prostitute. The woman hurried past them and out of the room. "You're coming with us," Brad said. Grabbing the man's gun belt off the nightstand, Chris said, "Wouldn't want you getting any ideas." Within ten minutes, Brad and Chris had all three men gathered in Hallow's room. "So, what are you wanting?" demanded Milen. "The money you took from our friend would be nice," growled Chris. "What money? What friend?" asked Hallow. "The money you took from the gambler that you left for dead," replied Brad. "Oh... that," smirked Milen. Before anyone could react, Brad delivered a hard punch to Milen's face. When Watson and Hallow made to move, to go to their friend's aid, Chris shook his head. "I wouldn't do anything if I were you. One wrong move and I might get an itchy trigger finger." Hallow and Watson growled but stayed still. Brad was holding Milen by his forearms, in a tight grip. "Want to answer the question?" Milen stayed silent. Brad punched Milen in the stomach. "I can do this all day," hissed Brad. Milen looked into the man's cold angry eyes and knew that he would kill him, if he didn't get what he wanted. Sighing, he answered, "We spent a little bit of it. The rest of it is in my jacket pocket." Brad walked over to the wool jacket that was draped across a chair, and started looking in the pockets. A few minutes later, he stuffed the money into his pants pockets. As quick as a rattlesnake, he punched Watson and Hallow in the face, then turned to Chris. "We'd better take them to the sheriff and let him deal with them." Chris agreed. They gave the three men time to put on their pants, over their long johns. A few minutes later, the three men were in a jail cell, while Chris and Brad made their way back to Ezra. TWO DAYS LATER Ezra's fever had finally broken after two days. His brother-in-law and the other six peacekeepers had been by his side the whole time, even though he didn't know they were there. He spent most of his time caught up in his fevered dreams. The seven men were waiting in the hall when Doctor Welsh finished his examination of Ezra. Walking over to them, the doctor said, "You all may go in now. His fever is gone. He has no infection and he seems to be healing up nicely." "Thanks, Doc," said Buck. A few minutes later, the seven men walked into the room that Ezra was in. He was lying on the bed, and turned his head toward them when they walked in. "Hello, gentlemen." "Hey, Ezra," replied Brad. "Doctor Welsh says you should make a full recovery." "Yes, he told me." The room was silent for a few minutes, until Nathan cleared his throat. "Uh, listen... Ezra, I'm..." Ezra interrupted him, by holding up his hand. "I know what you plan to say, Mister Jackson. You wish to inform me of how truly sorry you are about your thoughtless comments in front of those ruffians." Nathan nodded. "Uh, yeah. How'd you know?" "Because it is your song and dance Mister Jackson." Ezra sighed, saddened, as he looked at Brad. "Those uncouth ruffians took all of my money. I'm afraid that the casino will take a while longer." Brad pulled the money out of his pocket. "Chris and I were able to get most of it back. They're in jail. Look, Ezra, just let me bankroll you until we start making a profit. Then, if you must, you can pay me back." After a moment, Ezra nodded. "Deal," he said as he held out his hand. With a smile, Brad shook it. "Ezra, we were hoping that you'd be coming back with us," said Josiah. Ezra shook his head, sadness in his green eyes. "As I've already told Mister Tanner, I will not be returning with you. This is my home, now." "Tanner?" Brad repeated. Putting two and two together, Brad looked at Vin. "You're Vin Tanner?" he demanded. Vin hesitantly nodded. Brad straightened his shoulders and said, "You're the one wanted in Tascosa, Texas. For murder." There was only silence for a couple of minutes, until Brad spoke. "I'll be taking you in." 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Moving On
Chapter 10
A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER
Brad and Chris walked toward a Bordello at the end of Main Street. After a little while of watching over Ezra, Brad had decided that he needed to do something. So, he had declared that he would be going after the three men that had stolen Ezra's money and left him for dead. Chris had decided to go with him.
It had only taken them a few minutes to find out who the men were and where they would be. It seemed that the three men thought people were afraid of them. And, some were. It also seemed that the three men loved to brag about their misdeeds. And, they had been bragging about the gambler that they thought they had killed.
After reaching the Bordello, they walked in like they owned the place. The Madam walked up to them and asked, "Something I can do for you gentlemen? Looking for a couple of ladies?"
Chris shook his head no, much to the Madam's surprise. "No. We are looking for three men. Watson, Milen, and Hallow. We were told that they are here."
The Madam looked at the two men, seeing the coldness in their eyes. But she prided herself in keeping the clients' privacy. Keeping her voice firm, she replied, "I'm sorry. I can't help you."
"Look, lady, the three men in question robbed a very good friend of ours. Left him for dead. We're going to find them one way or another. We can either do it with your help or without, your choice," hissed Brad.
The Madam looked into Brad's eyes, seeing that he was serious. She had never liked the three men anyway. Decision made, she answered, "Up the stairs. The first three rooms on the left."
Chris and Brad nodded at the woman, then walked up the stairs as they both drew their pistols. Trying the first door, they found it unlocked. Brad threw the door open, catching the man and woman by surprise.
"So, which one are you?" demanded Brad. At the red-headed man's confusion, he clarified. "What's your name?"
After a couple of minutes, the man answered, "Watson."
"You can leave," Chris told the prostitute. The woman hurried past them and out of the room.
"You're coming with us," Brad said.
Grabbing the man's gun belt off the nightstand, Chris said, "Wouldn't want you getting any ideas."
Within ten minutes, Brad and Chris had all three men gathered in Hallow's room. "So, what are you wanting?" demanded Milen.
"The money you took from our friend would be nice," growled Chris.
"What money? What friend?" asked Hallow.
"The money you took from the gambler that you left for dead," replied Brad.
"Oh... that," smirked Milen.
Before anyone could react, Brad delivered a hard punch to Milen's face. When Watson and Hallow made to move, to go to their friend's aid, Chris shook his head. "I wouldn't do anything if I were you. One wrong move and I might get an itchy trigger finger." Hallow and Watson growled but stayed still.
Brad was holding Milen by his forearms, in a tight grip. "Want to answer the question?"
Milen stayed silent. Brad punched Milen in the stomach. "I can do this all day," hissed Brad.
Milen looked into the man's cold angry eyes and knew that he would kill him, if he didn't get what he wanted. Sighing, he answered, "We spent a little bit of it. The rest of it is in my jacket pocket."
Brad walked over to the wool jacket that was draped across a chair, and started looking in the pockets. A few minutes later, he stuffed the money into his pants pockets. As quick as a rattlesnake, he punched Watson and Hallow in the face, then turned to Chris. "We'd better take them to the sheriff and let him deal with them." Chris agreed. They gave the three men time to put on their pants, over their long johns.
A few minutes later, the three men were in a jail cell, while Chris and Brad made their way back to Ezra.
TWO DAYS LATER
Ezra's fever had finally broken after two days. His brother-in-law and the other six peacekeepers had been by his side the whole time, even though he didn't know they were there. He spent most of his time caught up in his fevered dreams.
The seven men were waiting in the hall when Doctor Welsh finished his examination of Ezra. Walking over to them, the doctor said, "You all may go in now. His fever is gone. He has no infection and he seems to be healing up nicely."
"Thanks, Doc," said Buck.
A few minutes later, the seven men walked into the room that Ezra was in. He was lying on the bed, and turned his head toward them when they walked in. "Hello, gentlemen."
"Hey, Ezra," replied Brad. "Doctor Welsh says you should make a full recovery."
"Yes, he told me."
The room was silent for a few minutes, until Nathan cleared his throat. "Uh, listen... Ezra, I'm..."
Ezra interrupted him, by holding up his hand. "I know what you plan to say, Mister Jackson. You wish to inform me of how truly sorry you are about your thoughtless comments in front of those ruffians."
Nathan nodded. "Uh, yeah. How'd you know?"
"Because it is your song and dance Mister Jackson." Ezra sighed, saddened, as he looked at Brad. "Those uncouth ruffians took all of my money. I'm afraid that the casino will take a while longer."
Brad pulled the money out of his pocket. "Chris and I were able to get most of it back. They're in jail. Look, Ezra, just let me bankroll you until we start making a profit. Then, if you must, you can pay me back."
After a moment, Ezra nodded. "Deal," he said as he held out his hand. With a smile, Brad shook it.
"Ezra, we were hoping that you'd be coming back with us," said Josiah.
Ezra shook his head, sadness in his green eyes. "As I've already told Mister Tanner, I will not be returning with you. This is my home, now."
"Tanner?" Brad repeated. Putting two and two together, Brad looked at Vin. "You're Vin Tanner?" he demanded.
Vin hesitantly nodded. Brad straightened his shoulders and said, "You're the one wanted in Tascosa, Texas. For murder."
There was only silence for a couple of minutes, until Brad spoke. "I'll be taking you in."
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