Moving On Chapter 12 Chris and Ezra bypassed the three men holding their friends at gunpoint and headed straight for the jail. Behind them, they could hear the others following. When they reached the jail, they saw Vin shoved into a jail cell. "What the hell is the meaning of this?" demanded Chris. The three men behind Chris and Ezra joined their two colleagues, facing off with the six peacekeepers. A tall man with a black mustache answered, "I'm Marshal Dopper and these are my deputies." After he finished speaking, he pulled one side of his brown vest back, showing a silver federal marshal's badge. "Well, Marshal Dopper, I'm Chris Larabee." Everyone could see the name register with the marshal and his deputies. "And, I'm a peacekeeper in Four Corners, as is Vin. So, what do you think you're doing?" "My job, Mister Larabee. Vin Tanner is wanted for murder in the state of Texas. We were informed that he was here and I'm taking him back to stand trial." "By who?" questioned Buck. "Why? So you can make sure he 'disappears'?" asked the marshal. "Of course not," growled out Chris. After a minute the marshal replied, "Ian Welsh. Don't do anything stupid, men. Tanner's going back to Tascosa and that's that." "He'll hang!" blurted out JD. "Then so be it," replied Dopper. "He's innocent!" JD continued to protest. "If he is, then he'll go free, won't he, boy?" sneered one of the deputies. JD's face flushed in embarrassment and anger. "I'm not a boy." The deputy just smirked. "Look, gentlemen, there's been some kind of a mistake," said Ezra. "Look, his innocence is for a jury to decide. Not me and sure as hell not any of you." With that the marshal left the jail, two of his deputies following. The other two deputies stayed in the jail, to keep an eye on Vin. Knowing they had been dismissed, and knowing they wouldn't be allowed to talk to Vin, they each walked out of the jail. Before Chris walked out, he caught Vin's eyes, silently communicating that they would figure something out. Once they were all six outside, they walked a few feet away from the jail before stepping into a side alley so they could talk. "Now what?" sighed Nathan. "I don't know, but we're going to do something. We can't let them take Vin to Tascosa, especially after what happened last time. He'll never get a fair trial with no proof to back up his word," answered Chris. "I have an idea," said Ezra. "The only thing is, we'll be breaking the law. So, the question is, how far are you gentlemen willing to go to set Vin free?" "All the way," Chris automatically answered. "Aw, hell, this won't be the first time I was on the wrong side of the law," chimed in Buck. "I'm in," said Josiah. After a slight hesitation, Nathan nodded. "Me, too." "Son, you're the sheriff of Four Corners. If you don't want to join us, we'll understand," Josiah said to JD. "No, I'm in," said a determined JD as he took off his badge and pocketed it. The other five men looked at him with pride in their eyes. "Alright, I'm going to go and talk to Brad. We will need his help. Meet us in my hotel room in an hour." Without waiting for the others to agree, Ezra walked off. "Are we just going to trust him?" demanded Nathan. "Yes, we are, Nathan," Chris said in a voice that was not to be argued with or questioned. Ezra walked to where Brad was staying. When he reached his brother-in-law's room, he knocked. Even though his sister was dead, he would always consider Brad his brother-in-law and good friend. A minute later, the door was cracked open. "Come on in," Brad said as he opened the door wider. Ezra walked in and said, "Brad, I need your help." The next few minutes were spent with Ezra explaining all that had happened to Brad that morning. "So, what can I do?" asked Brad. "How do you feel about pulling a con? Haven't lost your touch, have you?" "Me? Lose my touch? Never!" answered Brad. "I'm always ready for a good con," added a smiling Brad. Ezra smirked. "Good. Here's what you need to do..." Return to Moving On
Moving On
Chapter 12
Chris and Ezra bypassed the three men holding their friends at gunpoint and headed straight for the jail. Behind them, they could hear the others following. When they reached the jail, they saw Vin shoved into a jail cell.
"What the hell is the meaning of this?" demanded Chris.
The three men behind Chris and Ezra joined their two colleagues, facing off with the six peacekeepers. A tall man with a black mustache answered, "I'm Marshal Dopper and these are my deputies." After he finished speaking, he pulled one side of his brown vest back, showing a silver federal marshal's badge.
"Well, Marshal Dopper, I'm Chris Larabee." Everyone could see the name register with the marshal and his deputies. "And, I'm a peacekeeper in Four Corners, as is Vin. So, what do you think you're doing?"
"My job, Mister Larabee. Vin Tanner is wanted for murder in the state of Texas. We were informed that he was here and I'm taking him back to stand trial."
"By who?" questioned Buck.
"Why? So you can make sure he 'disappears'?" asked the marshal.
"Of course not," growled out Chris.
After a minute the marshal replied, "Ian Welsh. Don't do anything stupid, men. Tanner's going back to Tascosa and that's that."
"He'll hang!" blurted out JD.
"Then so be it," replied Dopper.
"He's innocent!" JD continued to protest.
"If he is, then he'll go free, won't he, boy?" sneered one of the deputies.
JD's face flushed in embarrassment and anger. "I'm not a boy." The deputy just smirked.
"Look, gentlemen, there's been some kind of a mistake," said Ezra.
"Look, his innocence is for a jury to decide. Not me and sure as hell not any of you." With that the marshal left the jail, two of his deputies following. The other two deputies stayed in the jail, to keep an eye on Vin. Knowing they had been dismissed, and knowing they wouldn't be allowed to talk to Vin, they each walked out of the jail. Before Chris walked out, he caught Vin's eyes, silently communicating that they would figure something out.
Once they were all six outside, they walked a few feet away from the jail before stepping into a side alley so they could talk. "Now what?" sighed Nathan.
"I don't know, but we're going to do something. We can't let them take Vin to Tascosa, especially after what happened last time. He'll never get a fair trial with no proof to back up his word," answered Chris.
"I have an idea," said Ezra. "The only thing is, we'll be breaking the law. So, the question is, how far are you gentlemen willing to go to set Vin free?"
"All the way," Chris automatically answered.
"Aw, hell, this won't be the first time I was on the wrong side of the law," chimed in Buck.
"I'm in," said Josiah.
After a slight hesitation, Nathan nodded. "Me, too."
"Son, you're the sheriff of Four Corners. If you don't want to join us, we'll understand," Josiah said to JD.
"No, I'm in," said a determined JD as he took off his badge and pocketed it. The other five men looked at him with pride in their eyes.
"Alright, I'm going to go and talk to Brad. We will need his help. Meet us in my hotel room in an hour." Without waiting for the others to agree, Ezra walked off.
"Are we just going to trust him?" demanded Nathan.
"Yes, we are, Nathan," Chris said in a voice that was not to be argued with or questioned.
Ezra walked to where Brad was staying. When he reached his brother-in-law's room, he knocked. Even though his sister was dead, he would always consider Brad his brother-in-law and good friend.
A minute later, the door was cracked open. "Come on in," Brad said as he opened the door wider.
Ezra walked in and said, "Brad, I need your help." The next few minutes were spent with Ezra explaining all that had happened to Brad that morning.
"So, what can I do?" asked Brad.
"How do you feel about pulling a con? Haven't lost your touch, have you?"
"Me? Lose my touch? Never!" answered Brad. "I'm always ready for a good con," added a smiling Brad.
Ezra smirked. "Good. Here's what you need to do..."
Return to Moving On