Ransom by SandySha

Word count 26,855

*The usual disclaimers.  I don’t own them, sure wish I did.
** A/R-My Johnny is 18, and Scott is 22.      *** Many thanks to Alice Marie and Susan for helping with the Beta  

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The cool, damp ground felt good against the side of his head.  He realized he was lying on his stomach and didn’t even remember how he got there.  One moment he was walking and the next he was on the ground.  There was nothing more he wanted at that moment than just to lay there and sleep.  He knew that wasn’t going to happen, though.  

A cough racked his chest, and his lungs were burning.  He figured, when the rain started, he’d be getting sick.  Seemed like lately every time he got wet and stayed wet for more than a few hours, he had a cold.   It didn’t use to be like that.  He could remember riding in the rain for days and never feeling anything but just wet.  Of course, riding in the rain in Mexico was a lot different than riding in the cool, sometimes cold rain that fell in the San Joaquin Valley.

It wasn’t just the rain, and he knew it.  His head was pounding.  He could feel the side of his head throbbing and the dried blood on his face.            

The toe of a boot tapped him in the ribs.

“Get up,” a voice said.  “Start moving.”

He pushed himself to his knees, coughing. He looked to his right to see Scott sitting next to him.  At least he looked like he wasn’t hurt, just tired.  

They had threatened Scott to keep Johnny in line, just as they had threatened Johnny to keep Scott from causing trouble.

“Come on, Brother,” Scott’s arm wrapped around his brother’s waist.

Johnny nodded and held onto the helping arm.  He struggled to his feet, leaning against his older brother.   Once on his feet, he looked around to see the others looking almost as bad as he felt.  There were eleven of them.  Eleven sons of the most prosperous ranchers in the area.  Eleven sons held for ransom.

Initially, there had been twelve of them, until Ira Jenkins had begged that his seven-year-old son, Jason, not be taken.  Ira’s wife had collapsed when her son was pulled from her arms.  The kidnappers had already knocked Johnny almost unconscious by then and thought twice about having a wounded man and a small child with them.   Jason had been pushed back into Ira’s waiting arms, much to the relief of everyone.

Johnny didn’t know how far they’d traveled since being taken hostage.  He was just thankful that the men had left Teresa and the other young women behind.

He could still see the helpless look on Murdoch’s face as he hugged Teresa close to him, daring anyone to take her from his arms.  Johnny saw his father pale when Scott and his hands were tied behind their backs and herded into a wagon. 

Scott moved closer to his side and helped him along.  Johnny knew right away; it was no use.  There was no way he was going to be able to go on.  He slipped slowly to the ground out of Scott’s grasp.

He found himself on the ground again.   Even with the prodding of a boot in his side and his brother pulling on his arm, he knew he wasn’t going to be able to get up.   He was too sick.   

The last thing he thought was that it wasn’t the name Madrid, this time, that had gotten him into this mess; it was the name Lancer.  He almost laughed as he slipped into the darkness.

*********

Two weeks earlier                                        

“Oh, Murdoch, it’s going to be wonderful,” Teresa gushed as she spun around in a circle.

“What’s going to be wonderful?” A soft drawl caused the girl to stop turning.

Murdoch and Teresa looked to the doorway to see Johnny and Scott with smiles on their faces.  It was obvious their new sister was happy about something.

She ran to them, reaching out and pulling them both into the great room.  “Scott.  Johnny.  There’s going to be a picnic and a dance and well… Jake Sullivan has already asked me to go with him and….”

“Teresa,” Scott interrupted her as he was being pulled into the great room, “slow down. What are you talking about?”

Scott looked at his brother, seeing the smile on his face as he too was being pulled along by the little whirlwind.

“The Cattle Growers Association Meeting, of course.  This year it’s followed by a picnic in the afternoon and there’s a dance that night,” Teresa answered with all the joy of a small child.  “You will dance with me, won’t you, Scott, and you, Johnny?”

Johnny took a step backward.  Scott could see the smile disappear from the younger man’s face.

“Johnny,” Teresa almost looked hurt, “you will dance with me, won’t you?”

“Scott may, but not me, Querida.  Teresa, you know how I feel about large crowds,” Johnny answered, moving further into the room and stepping away from his sister.                                                                             

Murdoch and Scott could see Johnny’s defense mechanism kicking in.  In the three months they’d known the young gunfighter, they’d all seen the now-familiar mask.  In no more than a few seconds, they watched the laughing young man disappear to be replaced by a seasoned gunfighter.  The transformation was complete as Johnny’s hand came to rest on the butt of his gun.

“But, Johnny,” she said, ignoring Johnny’s look, “you will be there?  All the ranchers in the valley are going to be there.”

“Not sure,” Johnny answered.

“He’ll be there, sweetheart,” Murdoch spoke up. “Johnny, you’re part-owner of this ranch.  You will be there.”

Murdoch was giving his son a stern look.  Johnny had learned that was his father’s ‘this is not open to discussion’ look.

“Murdoch,” Johnny was shaking his head.  “You know how most of those people feel about me.  I know you don’t want any trouble that day.  You know as well as I do that if I’m there, there’s gonna’ be trouble.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Murdoch said, looking at his youngest son, knowing what he said was probably true.  “This family… this ranch will be well represented at both the meeting and at the picnic and dance.”

“Where is it going to be held, Sir?” Scott asked, moving to the drink cart, taking the attention off his little brother.  He could see the look of appreciation on his brother’s face.

“The Conway Ranch.  It’s Aggie’s turn to host the meeting.  She has graciously agreed to the picnic and dance as well,” Murdoch answered, moving to pour himself a drink.

Johnny was still standing in the middle of the room with his head down.  He knew better than to argue with his father on the issue.  There was still two weeks before the meeting.

‘Maybe I can break a leg or something before then,’ he thought to himself.

It was almost as if Murdoch heard his thoughts.  “And John, don’t think you can get out of this meeting because you’re hurt.  You will attend.”

Johnny didn’t say anything.  He nodded and started towards his room.  He was halfway up the stairs when he heard Murdoch.

“John?”

He stopped and slowly turned around.

“I know you feel uncomfortable in crowds.  Scott and I will do everything we can to make sure nothing happens,” Murdoch said in a much softer tone.

“Thanks,” Johnny said and continued up the stairs.

Johnny got to his room and closed the door.  He threw himself on the bed and looked at the ceiling.  There had been many times in the last few weeks when he wished he’d moved on after recovering from Pardee’s bullet.  He couldn’t believe it had only been three months since he stepped onto a stage outside Morro Coyo and sat on an eastern dandy.  Less than an hour later, he’d stepped off the same stage only to find out that the dandy was his brother.

If he hadn’t been shot, he probably would have moved on right after the shooting stopped and Day was dead.    It was the bullet in his back that kept him confined to a bed for three weeks.  It was during those initial three weeks that he started to learn about his father and brother.

Still, it would have been easy just to take his listening money and move on after being allowed out of bed.  The problem was that by then, he’d started feeling differently about Murdoch and started to like Scott.  He couldn’t explain it right off, but he was beginning to feel something for the older brother he always wanted.

Johnny was aware of how most of the ranchers in the valley felt about him.  He didn’t want to cause more problems for Murdoch than he already had.  He knew Lancer had lost business because of him.  Shortly after Murdoch announced his youngest son was staying and would be a partner in the ranch, the ranchers had band against Murdoch and businesses in the area started refusing Lancer’s trade.  The ranchers had come around, but still, the ranch was suffering because of the bargain Murdoch struck with him.

Frankly, he wondered why the old man even wanted him there.  More times than he could count, he’d seen Murdoch look away from him, and he knew the reason.  He looked like his mother. 

The old insecurities came back.  Yes, now he knew Murdoch hadn’t thrown his mother and him out.   Still, the feeling of not being wanted was always just below the surface of their relationship.   To make matters worse, he knew his father hadn’t accepted Madrid and probably never would.  

Yes, truth be told, if it weren’t for Scott, he would have ridden on long ago. He’d just found his brother and didn’t want to lose him.  They were still learning about each other, but it hadn’t taken him long to trust the man.  To Johnny, that meant a lot.

Johnny sighed.  “Guess I’m gonna go to a picnic and a dance. Just hope the old man doesn’t expect me to leave my gun at home.”

*********

The next Sunday, Jake Sullivan and his older brother Bill rode into Lancer.  While Jake hurried off to talk to Teresa, Bill moved to the corral.  

Scott saw the older Sullivan boy coming and turned to greet him.   “Bill,” Scott nodded to the young man.  Bill Sullivan was 19, a year older than Johnny, while his brother Jake was 16, the same age as Teresa.

Scott was well aware that Teresa was excited about the picnic and the dance and, more importantly, about going with Jake.  He also knew that the boy’s father was not one of those who welcomed Johnny’s presence at Lancer. 

“Scott.  Johnny.”

Bill put one foot on the lower rail of the corral and looked at the horse inside the enclosure.

Both Scott and Johnny looked toward the house and watched as Jake and Teresa vanished into the garden.  The brothers smiled at each other.  They weren’t concerned with leaving the two youngsters alone.  They knew Maria was in the kitchen and would be watching them.

“Nice horse,” Bill said as Johnny moved into the corral.  “Johnny, you gonna break him?”

“That’s the plan,” Johnny replied with a slight smile. 

“Just remember what Murdoch said, little brother,” Scott laughed. “Don’t go getting hurt.”

Johnny grinned and went to the middle of the corral.  Nodding, Walt let the stallion loose.  The horse streaked around the arena, bucking and snorting.  Johnny stood in the center without moving. 

Soon, they could hear Johnny speaking to the horse softly in Spanish.  The stallion circled him several times and then started to charge him.  Johnny stood his ground.  The stallion veered away.

“What’s he doing?” Bill asked.

“Hush,” Scott said softly.  “It’s the way he breaks a horse.  Just watch.” 

Bill could see several men standing around the corral.  No one was making a sound.

It took almost an hour before the stallion walked up to Johnny and let him run his hands all over its body without pulling away.   Johnny called for a halter and saddle.  Walt slowly entered the corral, set them next to Johnny, and backed out.

Johnny put the halter on the stallion and then the saddle.   It took the animal a moment to realize there was something new on his back, and he started bucking.  He circled the corral and began rearing up, his hoofs coming dangerously close to Johnny’s head.

By this time, Murdoch, Teresa, and Jake had joined the spectators.

Murdoch held his breath as the stallion continued to react to the saddle.  Finally, the horse settled.  Johnny slowly walked up to him, still speaking softly in Spanish in a sing-song voice.

Johnny ran his hands over the quivering horse one more time before taking the reins in one hand and the saddle horn in the other.  He cautiously put a foot in the stirrup and started to mount.  The horse pulled away and reared.  Johnny pulled his foot out quickly, almost losing his balance.

Murdoch almost yelled out to his son, but quickly caught himself.  He didn’t want to distract Johnny or spook the horse further.

The stallion calmed again, and once again, Johnny started to mount.  This time, the horse accepted the weight of Johnny’s foot.  Slowly, he swung up into the saddle.  

The stallion didn’t move.  A heartbeat later, Johnny felt the muscles of the stallion start to bunch and then release in uncontrolled fury, bucking and spinning.   Johnny held his seat, and for a good ten minutes, the horse bucked while those watching cheered him on.  Finally, the bucking stopped, and the stallion started to run the edge of the corral.

Johnny nodded to Walt, who opened the corral gate.   Johnny spurred the horse, taking off out of the gate and across the open range.

“That was really something,” Bill said as he watched the stallion and rider go over the rise.  “Never seen anything like it.”

“I never get tired of watching him break a horse,” Scott smiled, noticing Murdoch for the first time. 

“Neither do I, son,” Murdoch agreed and watched as Johnny headed back towards the corral. 

“Does he do that with every horse?  Seems like it takes a lot of time,” Bill said.

“It does take some extra time, but Johnny doesn’t break them all.  However, we get almost twice as much for a horse that Johnny breaks than we do with the ones he doesn’t,” Scott answered with pride.

Just then, Johnny returned, pulled the stallion up, and jumped off.  He handed the reins to Walt and walked over to his father and Scott.

“You alright, little brother?” Scott asked, looking Johnny over.

“Yeah,” Johnny answered, wiping a drop of blood from his nose.

Murdoch handed him a handkerchief. 

“Thanks,” Johnny smiled, wiping his nose and both his ears.

“Gotta say, Johnny, that was something,” Bill said with a smile.  “You ever decide you want a job, we can always use someone good with a gun and horses at the Triple S.  You can come to work for us any time.”

Johnny looked at the man, and the smile slid off his face. “That’s real nice to know, Bill.  Thing is I have a job right here.”

Johnny handed the handkerchief back to Murdoch and walked toward the barn.

Scott turned to their visitor.  “Bill, you do know Johnny and I are part owners of Lancer, don’t you?”

Bill realized what he’d said and blushed.  “I didn’t mean nothing by it, Scott.  I ….”  The man looked around.  “Jake, are you about ready to go?  We need to get home by supper.”

Murdoch heard what Bill Sullivan said, and he knew Bill was aware Johnny was a partner in the ranch.  He also knew that Bill’s father was one of those who disapproved of having an ex-gunfighter living so close to him.  He actually wondered why Gus Sullivan allowed his son to ask Teresa to go to the picnic and dance.

Murdoch and Scott watched Bill and Jake ride away.   Scott looked at his father.  “I’m going to go talk to Johnny.  We’ll be in for dinner shortly.”

“Scott….,” Murdoch started and then stopped, not knowing what to say.

Scott nodded and walked away. He found Johnny in the barn brushing Barranca.  He knew Johnny was aware of his presence and waited a few minutes.  When his brother didn’t say anything, he moved closer. 

Leaning against the stall, he said, “You did a good job with the stallion.  Are you going to sell him to the army or keep him?” 

Johnny was quiet for a few minutes.  Scott knew better than to rush his brother.  Johnny did things in his own time.

“No.  I think we need to sell him.”  Johnny continued to brush. 

Scott continued to watch his brother.  “Dinner is going to be ready soon.”

Johnny nodded.  “Scott?” Johnny looked straight ahead, over the top of Barranca’s back.

“Yes,” Scott answered, almost knowing what his brother was going to say.

“You figure folks around here are ever gonna accept me as one of the owners of Lancer?” Johnny didn’t turn around.

Scott sighed.  “Yes, little brother, I do.  It will take time, but they’ll come around.  They have to.  You are, after all, a third owner of the ranch.  That’s not going to change.  Lancer is your birthright, just as it is mine.”

Johnny nodded and put the brush away.  Turning around, he looked at Scott. 

Scott walked up and cupped Johnny’s chin in his hand.   He took a bandana from his pocket and wet it using water from a nearby bucket.   Smiling, he wiped a smudge of dirt and dried blood from his brother’s face.

He almost laughed at the look on the young man’s face.  Who would have thought that Johnny Madrid would have allowed someone, anyone, to come in contact with him in such a way? 

“Aww, Scott.” Johnny rolled his eyes.  He allowed Scott to wet the bandana again and wipe the dried blood from his neck.

“Come on then. Scott smiled as he reached out and took his brother’s shoulder, “Dinner is almost ready.  Let’s get cleaned up.  I have it on good authority that Maria made tamales for you tonight.”

Johnny looked at his brother and smiled.   He sure liked having a big brother.

*********

Teresa did most of the talking at dinner that night.  She was still excited about the picnic and dance.  Finally, she fell silent long enough for Murdoch to speak.

“John, you did a good job with the stallion today,” Murdoch said with pride in his voice.

Johnny had his fork halfway to his mouth when Murdoch made the comment.   He blushed at the compliment.

He’s a good animal,” Johnny answered as he lowered his head.  He wasn’t used to getting compliments from his father, or anyone else for that matter.

“Do you plan to keep or sell him?” Murdoch asked, taking a sip of wine.

“Sell,” Johnny answered, picking up his glass of milk.   “He’s good, but there are better stallions on the range we can use for breeding stock.”    He waited for a response from his father.

Murdoch nodded.  “I agree.  I saw a herd up at Black Mesa a couple of weeks ago.  If you want, we can ride out and take a look together.”

Murdoch could see the light ignite in the boy’s eyes.  “That would be real nice,” Johnny said with a smile.  “You just let me know when you want to go.”

“I have a lot to do before the Cattle Growers Association meeting.  What do you say we go out on the Monday after the meeting?  We can take some supplies and spend the night out there if you want to.”

Murdoch was pleased with the response he saw in his son’s eyes and face.

“I’d like that,” Johnny answered and started eating again.

Scott looked at Murdoch and smiled.

*********

The morning of the meeting, Teresa laid out two sets of clothes for each of the sons.  One set to wear to the meeting and one for the picnic and dance afterward.

“Teresa, I ain’t wearing that suit,” Johnny yelled as he tore down the back stairs and into the kitchen.

“Johnny Lancer, you will wear a suit to the meeting.”  She turned from the stove and looked at the pouting face of her brother.   “You will also wear a tie all day and night.”

“Nope,” Johnny answered.  “Not gonna go if I have to get all dressed up.  It’s not me, Teresa.  You know it’s not me.  Why can’t I wear my dress shirt and calzoneras?  That’s what I would wear if I were in Mexico.”

“This is not Mexico.  You are a businessman now, Johnny, and you have to dress like it.  Ask Scott.  Now go get dressed.  I have to finish here and get dressed myself.” 

She turned back to the stove.

Johnny went back upstairs and stopped at his brother’s room. He pushed the door open to see his brother dressed in a suit and wearing a string tie. “Scott?”

“I take it you are having trouble getting dressed?” Scott smiled.  He had already heard the conversation Johnny had with Teresa.  No doubt the entire ranch heard.

“Not gonna wear that suit, Brother,” Johnny grumbled as he flopped down on Scott’s bed. 

Scott almost laughed, seeing the pout on his little brother’s face.   He sat down next to Johnny and put an arm around his shoulder.  

“Johnny, you know we need to make a good impression on these people.  You know that you have to make a good impression.  Murdoch is showing us off for the first time as both his sons and his partners.   You need to wear a suit for the meeting.  You can change for the picnic, but please, for me, can you wear the suit today?”  Scott hoped that he had appealed to his brother in a way that would result in Murdoch not becoming angry today.

Johnny nodded.  “Alright, I’ll get dressed, but Scott… I’m wearing my gun.  You know I’m not safe without it.”

Scott thought for a moment.   He could see the seriousness in his brother’s face, and knew what Johnny said was true.  In the three short months, they’d been at Lancer, Johnny had already been in two gunfights in town, neither of which was his choosing.

“Murdoch’s not going to like it.  No one is going to be armed today.  Let me talk to him.  You go get dressed.”

Johnny stood and walked out of the room.  Scott thought for a few minutes before getting up and walking down the hall to Murdoch’s room.  He knocked on the door and waited.

“Come in.”

“Sir,” Scott entered the room and closed the door. “I need to talk to you.”

“I assume it’s about your brother?  I heard him yelling a few minutes ago,” Murdoch said as he finished putting on his suit coat.

“Yes.” Scott moved across the room and sat on the edge of the bed.  “I’ve convinced him to wear his suit.  The problem is that he insists on wearing his gun.”

Scott could see Murdoch start to turn red.

“Sir, you know as well as I do, Johnny doesn’t feel safe without his gun.  I must admit that I understand his concerns.  Too many people know Johnny is Madrid.  I frankly don’t want him unarmed.”  

Scott watched for his father’s reaction.

“He can’t wear a gun belt today,” Murdoch sat next to his son. “I understand what you’re saying, but these are our friends and neighbors.  They own some of the biggest spreads in the valley.  How do we show we trust them if your brother’s armed?  You know how a lot of them feel about him.”

“I know, but they don’t know him.  That’s the point.  Johnny doesn’t know them either.  He doesn’t know who he can trust.”  Scott remembered that first morning in his room. “Murdoch, trust doesn’t come easily to Johnny.   He told me once that not trusting people saves a lot of disappointment.”

“What do you propose we do?” Murdoch was at a loss. 

“What if we tell him he can wear the gun belt for the meeting.  If he feels comfortable, he can take it off and leave it in the buggy during the picnic and dance,” Scott suggested.  “If he doesn’t feel comfortable, well, then I don’t think I would feel comfortable either.  I know he can read people better than anyone I’ve ever met.”

Murdoch nodded and, much to Scott’s relief, replied, “Alright.  I’ll talk to him.”

Murdoch walked down the hall and stood outside Johnny’s door.  Even before he knocked, he heard his son’s voice, “You can come on in, old man.”

Murdoch opened the door and stepped in, smiling.  “How did you know I was out there?”

“Heard you coming down the hall.  Heard you stop out there,” Johnny shrugged, still staring at the mirror.  He was wrestling with the tie.

“Thought you might need some help with your tie,” Murdoch lied. 

Johnny dropped his hands and looked at his father. 

“Don’t believe me?” Murdoch asked as he moved toward his son.  

“You sticking with that story?” Johnny smiled.

“I suppose not.” Murdoch concentrated on the tie.  “John, I wanted to let you know I appreciate you wearing the suit.  I want all of us to make a good impression today.  The valley owes you and Scott for what you did with Pardee.  I don’t think a lot of people are giving you the credit you deserve.”

“Didn’t do nothing for the valley, old man.  Did it for you and Lancer.” Johnny looked up at his father. “And a third of the place.”

“Of course,” Murdoch saw the gleam in his son’s eyes.  “There, how is that?”  Murdoch finished the tie and turned Johnny toward the mirror.

“Thanks,” Johnny said, reaching for the suit coat.  

“John, I wanted to talk to you about…,” Murdoch started.

“I’m not leaving my gun at home.  I can’t.”

When Johnny looked at him, Murdoch could see Madrid coming to the surface.

“I know,” Murdoch answered. “I agree you should wear your gun belt.”

Johnny looked surprised.

“Don’t look so surprised.  There is a condition.  You can wear your gun belt to the meeting; however, if you feel comfortable with my friends and neighbors at the meeting, I expect you to take it off during the picnic and dance.”

“And if I don’t feel comfortable with them?”

“If you don’t feel comfortable, then the family will come home.  I’m not going to expect you to go against your instincts.” 

“You mean that?” Johnny asked, sitting on the edge of his bed.

Murdoch sat down beside him.  “I mean it.  If you don’t feel comfortable with them, I’m not sure I can feel comfortable with them or justify them being near you.”

“Murdoch, thanks.” Johnny stood up. “That means a lot to me.”

“Come on, John.  We need to get going.” Murdoch stood and opened the door, letting his son go ahead of him.

Murdoch and Johnny came down the main stairs at the same time.  Teresa and Scott stood in the great room, waiting for them. 

Scott watched as Johnny went to the front door.  Taking his gun belt off the hook, he buckled it on.

Teresa started to say something, and Scott touched her arm.  She frowned and looked at Murdoch and then at Johnny again. 

“Johnny, you can’t wear your gun today,” Teresa said as she took a step forward.  “Murdoch, tell him he can’t wear his gun.  Not today.   It’ll ruin everything.”

Murdoch took Teresa by the arms.  “Sweetheart, I know you’re excited about seeing Jake Sullivan today.  I know you’re excited about the picnic and the dance, however, I’ve made Johnny a promise.”

“What promise?” Teresa asked, with her eyes narrowing and her mouth going into a thin line.

Johnny bowed his head and waited for the explosion he knew was coming.

“Johnny is going to wear his gun to the meeting.  If he feels comfortable with the people there, he’ll take it off for the picnic and the dance.”

“And if he doesn’t feel comfortable?” Teresa asked hesitantly.

“If Johnny doesn’t feel comfortable, then we’ll come home,” Murdoch replied.  “We’ll all come home.”

“NO!” Teresa almost stomped her foot.  “Murdoch, no.  I’ve been looking forward to this day for weeks.” “It isn’t fair.  I can’t believe you…”

“Teresa, stop it.”  Murdoch held her in a firm gaze. “Stop it now.”

Johnny continued to stand with his head down.  He took a deep breath and sighed.  He knew it wasn’t fair to Teresa or the rest of his family.

“Maybe I should stay at home,” Johnny spoke up.  “Teresa’s right…”

“No, Johnny,” Scott interrupted, “Teresa is not right.”    He turned to look at the young lady they were to consider a sister.   “Teresa, if Johnny doesn’t feel comfortable without his gun, then I don’t feel comfortable.  You know, as well as I do, that he’s an excellent judge of people. 

“Do you want him to risk his life so that you can enjoy a picnic and dance with Jake Sullivan?  How would you feel if he left his gun at home and someone decided today was the perfect day to call him out?   This day is going to be hard enough on him without you making him feel guilty.”

Teresa lowered her head and sniffled.  She looked up with tears in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Johnny.” she sniffled again.  “Truly, I am.  I guess I’ve gotten so wrapped up in everything that’s happening today that I haven’t taken you or anyone else into consideration.   I know how hard today is going to be for you.   Can you forgive me?”

She walked over and put her arms around Johnny’s waist.  He looked uncomfortable for a moment and then wrapped his arms around her.   

“It’s alright, Teresa,” Johnny said softly.  “I hope I can leave my rig in the buggy after the meeting.  It would be nice to have one day not to have to worry.   I haven’t had many of those kinds of days in my life.  In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever had a day since I strapped on this gun that I didn’t have to worry.”

“Oh, Johnny, I know everything is going to be alright today,” Teresa said as she pushed back from Johnny.   She smiled at him and looked up into his eyes. “You’ll see.  It’s going to be a perfect day.” 

Johnny nodded and looked at his father and brother.  He hoped it was would be a perfect day, but deep down inside, he felt uneasy.   Old habits were hard to break.

*********

The Lancers arrived an hour before the meeting.  Johnny and Scott had ridden behind the buggy Murdoch was driving.   The moment they came to a stop, Jake Sullivan ran up to the buggy and helped Teresa out.  

Cipriano and Maria had come ahead with some of the Lancer men and women to help set up tables and get the food ready for the picnic in the afternoon.

Johnny and Scott tied their horses near the corral in the shade, then loosened the cinches.  Johnny turned around to see Val walking toward them.

“Val, what are you doing here?” Johnny asked, reaching out to swat his friend’s arm.  

Scott saw his brother give Val one of his heart dropping smiles.  Like his father, he had often wondered about the relationship between his brother and Val Crawford. 

“Figured I’d come out and make sure everything stays quiet.  Knew you were gonna be here, Amigo,” Val answered with a grin. “Came with Sam.  Doc and I both know you can’t stay out of trouble.”

“I don’t plan on causing no trouble,” Johnny grinned back.  “Where’s Sam?”

“I know you don’t plan it, but trouble always seems to find you.  Figured I’d head it off if I need to,” Val smiled.  “Doc’s over talking to Miss Conway right now.”

“John.  Scott,” Murdoch called out.  “I need to introduce you to some people before the meeting.”

“See you later, Val.  Gotta’ go meet some folks.” Johnny rolled his eyes.  “You know I’m a big-time rancher now.”

“Yeah, you go do that, Amigo.  I see you’re wearing your gun.  Your Pa agree to that?”

“Yep, he agreed,” Johnny quickly answered.  “Said if I don’t feel comfortable with these folks, we’ll go back to the ranch.  If I do feel comfortable, I’ll stow my gun during the picnic and dance.”

Val nodded.  Figuring Murdoch would have told the young gunfighter to leave his gun at home, Val was here today to watch the boy’s back.  He knew Johnny couldn’t go unarmed and probably would never be able to.  There were too many men who wanted Johnny Madrid’s reputation.

Murdoch introduced Scott and Johnny to all the members of the association.  While everyone greeted Scott courteously, he could tell that many of them were suspicious of his youngest son. 

As the association members took their seats in the main house, Aggie Conway started the meeting by welcoming Scott and Johnny to her home.  She patted Johnny on the arm as she passed him.  The other members of the association didn’t miss the gesture.    Scott and Johnny sat in chairs to the side as Murdoch took his seat at the table.

By the time the meeting was over, Johnny was bored out of his mind.  Stepping outside, he took a deep breath.  He’d tried to listen, truly he did, but still had no idea what anyone said and could care less.

Scott stepped up beside his brother.   “Well, little brother, what do you think?”  

“Give me a gunfight any day,” Johnny moaned.  “Never been so bored in my life.  Surprised I didn’t fall asleep in there.”

Scott laughed and threw an arm around Johnny’s shoulders.

“Come on, we have about an hour before the picnic starts.  I’m going to find something cold to drink and sit under a shade tree,” Scott laughed.  

Johnny followed Scott out to the drink table.  He picked up a glass of punch and took a sip.  “Wonder if there is any beer here?” he asked with a frown on his face.

Murdoch joined his sons.  “John, how do you feel about leaving your gun in the buggy now?”

Johnny looked at his father and then looked around.  He saw Val standing near the corral.

With a smile, Val tipped his hat.

“I’m going to go change clothes.  I’ll leave my gun belt in the buggy.”

“You feel comfortable doing that?” Scott asked, a little surprised.

“Not completely, but don’t feel like there’s a threat either,” Johnny answered.  “Besides, Val’s here and he has his gun in case I need back up.”

Murdoch and Scott turned to see Val grinning at them. 

Johnny walked over to his friend.    “I’m gonna’ change my clothes and leave my gun in the buggy.  You mind staying around awhile just in case I need some help?”

“Thought you might,” Val answered.   “Why do you think I came all the way out here today?”

“Thanks, compadre,” Johnny replied as he walked toward the buggy to get his clothes.

Johnny went into the barn and changed into the more comfortable pair of pants that Teresa had set out for him.  He put the suit into the buggy and reluctantly took his gun belt off.  As he stowed it under the buggy seat along with his hat, he couldn’t help but feel that he was making a big mistake.

*********

As the picnic began, more men from other ranches came in to eat.  Soon there was an ever-growing crowd of people.  Johnny wasn’t feeling quite so comfortable anymore.   He started looking around and noticed there were a lot of men wearing guns.

Johnny looked for his brother.  Finally, finding him, he pulled him aside.  “Scott.”

Scott saw the look on his brother’s face. “What’s wrong?”

Johnny looked around.  “I got a bad feeling.  Too many men with guns around here.  I’m going back to the buggy and get my rig.”

Looking around, Scott realized how many men were wearing gun belts. 

Scott patted Johnny on the back. “Go ahead. I’ll find Murdoch.”

Searching the crowd, Scott saw Murdoch talking to Aggie.

“Miss Conway, excuse me, I need to speak to Murdoch a moment,” Scott said, turning to his father.

“What is it?” Murdoch asked, instinctively searching for Johnny.

Scott looked at his father and then at Aggie. 

“Sir, Johnny has gone to get his gun belt.  He told me he’s not feeling quite as comfortable as he was earlier.  Have you noticed the number of men wearing guns?”

Aggie and Murdoch both scanned the area. For the first time, they also noticed the men with guns.

“Murdoch, I don’t recognize any of these men,” Aggie said.  “Do you?”

“No, I don’t,” Murdoch answered.  “Aggie, I told Johnny if he didn’t feel comfortable without his gun. I’d take the family home.”

“But Murdoch, the picnic’s just begun.” Aggie looked perplexed.

 “Sir, you made him a promise,” Scott said, giving his father a stern look.

“Yes, I did,” Murdoch answered.  “Scott, go find Teresa.   We’re going home.” 

*********

Johnny had just gotten back to the buggy to get his rig when he heard a woman scream.  The crowd of people at the picnic grew suddenly quiet.  Johnny took his gun from his holster and started to run back toward the picnic area.   Looking to his left, he saw Val starting that way as well.

“No one move.  Everyone put your hands up,” someone was saying. 

Johnny stopped and turned, starting to go back around the other way when he came face to face with a man with a gun.

“Move on over there with the others.”  The man waved the gun toward the crowd.

Johnny shoved his gun into his belt, put his hands in the air, and walked back to the edge of the crowd.

“What do you want here?” Aggie asked as she pushed her way to the front of the crowd. 

“We’ll tell you what we want once we make sure no one has any guns on them,” the man who appeared to be the leader spoke up. 

Several men started going from one person to the next, searching for guns.  Finally, they got to Johnny, took his gun from him, and tossed it aside.  

Johnny saw Val on the other side of the crowd give his gun to one of the gunmen.

Johnny was searching for Murdoch when the leader started talking again.

“My men are going to bring some of you over here to me.  No one causes any problems, or we’ll start shooting.  I know none of you would want to have any of these women and kids to get hurt.”

The gunmen started pulling young men out of the crowd and shoving them forward.  The first to go was Bill Sullivan, then Harry Jenson, followed by Scott, George Hale, Lloyd Haynes, Jim Wainwright, Marty King, Frank Doyle, Al Ryder, and Jake Sullivan.

“Him too,” the leader said, pointing at Johnny.  Someone grabbed Johnny and started pushing him forward. 

Johnny balked, turned, and threw a punch at the man pushing him.  A second man came at him.  He knocked that one down and started to move away from the crowd.   He didn’t see one of the men stepping behind him with a raised hand.  A gun butt came down, glancing the side of his head.  Johnny fell to the ground and tried to roll back to his feet.   Two men reached down and dragged him to where the others were standing, dropping him on the ground in front of his brother.

Scott bent down to help Johnny but was pushed away by the leader of the men.

“Leave him be.  Guess we needed an example.  Now, we have one.” 

Finally, one of the men took hold of Jason Jenkins and pulled him from his mother’s arms.  

Nora Jenkins started screaming and begging for her seven-year-old son to be returned to her.  She collapsed on the ground with some of the other women trying to help her. 

“Now, we’re gonna’ take these young fellows for a few days,” the leader announced. When the crowd began to murmur, he called out, “Quiet down.” 

When no one quieted, he fired a shot into the air.  He got instant silence.

“That’s better.  Now listen up.  You want them back alive; you’ll do what we ask.  We’ll be sending letters to each of you telling you how much we want.  You give it to us and you get them back.  You don’t pay what we want, then we’ll be sending them back to you a piece at a time until we get our money.”

The man looked around at the 12 young men and boys his men had pulled away from their families. 

Ira Jenkins stepped forward.

“Please, mister, my boys only seven years old.  Don’t take him.  It’ll kill his mother if you take him.”

One of the gunmen stepped over to talk to the leader.  The leader nodded his head before pushing Jason back to his father.   Ira put a protective arm around his son and ushered him away. 

“We need to leave this one here,” one of the men said, staring down at Johnny.  “He’s hurt,”

“No,” the leader said.  “He’s one of the Lancers.  We take him.”

Sam Jenkins stepped forward.  “I’m a doctor. At least, let me at least check him.”

“Go ahead, but make it quick,” the leader ordered, waving Sam over.   “Get the rest of them tied up and in the wagon.”

The sound of a wagon drew everyone’s attention away from Johnny and Sam.  It appeared from around the house and stopped next to the eleven young men.

Sam leaned over Johnny, who looked back at him shaking his head.

“Didn’t think I was gonna need you today, Doc,” Johnny said while holding the side of his head.  “Don’t think it’s bad.  Just a graze.”

Sam looked at Johnny’s eyes and then at the cut on his forehead. “You’re right, but I need to clean and bandage it.   I think you have a slight concussion.”

Sam looked at the leader and told him what he’d told Johnny.

The leader didn’t hesitate.  “Nope,” he said, “leave it like it is.  His Pa will pay quicker, knowing he’s hurt.”    Then as an afterthought, “No, go ahead and put a bandage on him.   We have a ways to go and I don’t want him bleeding all over the place.”  

Sam glanced over his shoulder at Murdoch.  He had no choice.  Sam took a bandage from his bag and put it over the cut on Johnny’s forehead.  “I’m sorry, John,” Sam said as he got to his feet.

“Tie him up and get him in the wagon,” the leader instructed one of his men.

They tied Johnny’s hands behind his back before picking him up and throwing him into the wagon with the others.

The leader looked around with a smile on his face.  This was easier than he thought it would have been. 

“You’ll be hearing from me by tomorrow.  You got 24 hours after that to get the money.  Remember what I said.  You don’t do as we say and all your boys will look like that Lancer kid or worse, right before we put a bullet in them.”  

The distraught crowd looked on as the wagon pulled away with their sons. 

*********

Murdoch stood with his arms around Teresa, trying to console her.  Most of the women were crying, and all the men were cursing.  They all turned to Val almost as one.

“Sheriff, you have to do something,” Gus Sullivan said. 

“I can get a posse together, but you heard them.  They see me or a posse, and they’re going to start shooting those boys.  Is that what you want?” Val’s anger was evident.   He shook his head and took a deep breath. 

“We just can’t stand here.  Those two boys are all I have,” Sullivan was shaking his head.

“What about the rest of us, Gus?  Our sons are out there too.   My Frank is with them. What about Murdoch?   His son’s hurt,” Robert Doyle said. “I’m not taking a chance my Frank gets shot.”

“Murdoch’s boy!  Who the hell cares about Murdoch’s boy?   He’s a filthy half-breed gunfighter. A paid killer.  He’s not fit to be around decent folks.  Madrid deserves anything that happens to him.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t throw in with those men,” Sullivan ranted.  “My boys have never hurt anyone in their lives.  All of our sons are worth more than a hundred Madrids.”

Aggie gasped, turning to look at Murdoch.

Murdoch’s face turned red.  He couldn’t believe the venomous hate spewing from the mouth of one of his neighbors.

“I’m sorry you feel that way, Gus.  My son’s, especially Johnny, helped rid this valley of Pardee.  He probably saved your life and your ranch.  I know he saved mine and took a bullet for it.  I’ll remember what you said.”

“You know it’s the truth, Murdoch,” Sullivan said.  “We tried to tell you, but you wouldn’t listen. I’ll never know why you let that… that half-breed killer stay.   Why you even made him a partner of all things.”

“He’s my son, Sullivan,” Murdoch answered.   “Johnny has as much right to be here as Scott.   I don’t want to ever hear you talk about him that way again.”

Taking a deep breath, Murdoch turned to look around.

“Teresa, we’re going home.  Cipriano, gather up the men and escort our women back to Lancer.  Don’t forget Scott and Johnny’s horses.”

“Si, Patron,” Cipriano nodded as he glared at Sullivan.  The Lancer hands headed for their horses.  Maria and the other women of Lancer gathered their things and went to their wagons. 

Murdoch stormed away from his “friends” and neighbors without a backward glance. 

Sam looked around and shook his head.  “Val, I’m leaving.  Are you coming with me?”

“Sure, am Sam.  Guess I’m not worth any more than Johnny is to these folks.”  Val looked like he could shoot them all.  He found Johnny’s gun on the ground and picked it up as he stalked toward his horse.

Aggie looked around at the people standing in her yard.  “If anyone else feels the same way as Gus about Johnny Lancer, they need to get off my property.  Johnny’s a good boy.  If you really knew him, you would know that already.”

“What about our sons?” Barry Ryder asked with a lost look on his face.  

“Ask Gus,” Aggie said as she walked away.

More than half of the ranchers in the yard followed Aggie into the house.  The rest looked at Gus, not knowing what to do.

*********

The wagon with the boys traveled south away from the Conway ranch.  The bumpy ride seemed to last forever.  Finally, close to three hours after leaving the ranch, the wagon stopped, and everyone was pulled out.

“We walk from here,” the leader said as his men prodded the hostages forward.

They walked for what seemed like hours.  To make things worse, a fine mist of rain started falling.

Johnny’s head was pounding.  Not for the first time, he saw black spots before his eyes.  He looked to his right and noticed Scott watching him closely.

“We need to rest a minute,” Scott called out after Johnny stumbled and almost fell.

The leader looked at Johnny, “Ten minutes, no more.”

Johnny fell to his knees and Scott was by his side instantly. 

“He’s going to need help walking,” Scott spoke up.  “Untie me.  I promise not to try anything.”

The leader stood over them. “Either of you cause a problem and I’ll shoot the other one.  Don’t think I won’t do it.”  

He reached down and cut the ropes on both of their hands.

Johnny fell forward onto the ground and closed his eyes.  He could feel Scott wiping the side of his face with a bandana.  

All too soon, Johnny felt the boot tap his ribs.   Scott reached to put an arm around his brother’s waist and pulled him to his feet.  The movement brought on a fit of coughing and a throbbing in his head.

The black spots that danced before his eyes told him he wasn’t going to be able to keep walking.

The last thing Johnny remembered was slipping out of his brother’s grasp and falling to the ground.

*********

Johnny woke to the sound of rain on a metal roof.  Slowly, he opened his eyes.  He tried to remember what happened.  Finally, he remembered the association meeting and the picnic, and then… he reached up and touched his head.

“Stay still, Johnny,” Scott said, reaching for his brother’s hand.  “I’ve stopped the bleeding.”

“The last thing I remember is falling.  How did I get here?” Johnny asked, rubbing his eyes.

“I carried you,” Scott replied.  “You know you’ve gained some weight since the last time I hauled you anywhere.  I think we need to cut out some of the desserts.”

“You leave my chocolate cake alone,” Johnny answered in mock protest.    He looked around. “Scott, where are we?” Johnny rolled onto his side.

“I’m not sure.  We were in the wagon for several hours. Then they made us walk through the woods until we got to this cabin.  I’m sure it’s a line shack I just don’t know where,” Scott replied as he looked around at the other boys in the shack. 

It looked like the youngest of the boys was 14- year-old Jim Wainwright, and the oldest was Scott at 22.   Everyone was sitting around in wet clothes, shivering.

“Cold in here, Boston,” Johnny said as he tried to sit up and started coughing.

“I know and you’re sick on top of having a gash in your head,” Scott pointed out the obvious as he moved closer to his brother.  “Scoot in closer to me.  I’ll see if I can warm you up.”

Johnny moved closer to his brother. Scott quickly put an arm around him and pulled him in tight.

“Told you I didn’t want to go to that picnic,” Johnny tried to smile and laid his head on his brother’s shoulder. 

Johnny closed his eyes.  Just a few months ago, leaning against someone, anyone, like this, would have been something Johnny wouldn’t have even considered.  However, at this moment, it felt right.  Leaning against this man, his brother, seemed so very right.  He could almost feel his brother’s strength being transferred to him.

“Guess we should have listened to you.” Scott was grateful for the extra warmth his brother’s body was generating.   He knew Johnny had a fever; however, it was keeping them both warm.

For a long time, the only sound the boys heard was the rain on the roof and Johnny’s cough.  Then there was a soft sob.  It was coming from Jim Wainwright.  Scott looked at the boy and called his name.

“Jim, why don’t you come over here with Johnny and me.  I know he’d appreciate it if you helped keep him warm.  He’s got a fever and I’m worried about him,” Scott’s soft voice seemed to calm the young boy.

The 14-year-old moved closer to Johnny. 

Johnny had his head resting on Scott’s shoulder but looked at the boy and smiled.

“Gracias, Amigo.”   

The boy smiled back.

“I’m sorry you’re hurt, Johnny,” Jim said softly.  He hesitated before moving any closer.  “Johnny, are you really Johnny Madrid?”

Everyone in the small building looked at him.

Johnny lifted his head and looked at the boy. “Yeah, I’m really Johnny Madrid, but I only bite on Fridays, and I try never to shoot anyone under the age of 21.  So, I guess you’re safe.”

Jim laughed and scooted closer.

As night closed in on the cabin, the boys heard men talking outside.  It wasn’t long before the door opened and several men came in carrying blankets, food, and canteens of water.  They sat all of it in the middle of the room and left. 

Scott got up and looked at the offerings left behind.  He handed a blanket to each of the boys and then started dividing the food.

Bill Sullivan stood up and began helping.  Soon everyone was fed and had blankets wrapped around them.  

Bill and Jake Sullivan huddled together and were soon asleep. The other boys, except for Jim, were lying by themselves and seemed to be shaking.

“If any of you want to come over here with Johnny and Jim, you can.  I know Jim’s trying to help keep Johnny warm, but I think Jim may need some extra warmth.  The only way we’re going to survive is to keep each other warm,” Scott said as he pulled a blanket up over Johnny and laid down next to him. 

Soon all the boys were huddled together and fast asleep.

*********

Murdoch, Val, and Sam sat in the great room at Lancer, staring at the fire.

Murdoch was still reeling from the kidnapping of his sons and the words of his neighbor.  He knew that many of them didn’t want Johnny in the valley.  He just hadn’t realize they felt he deserved to be hurt or even killed.

“Mr. Lancer, I’ll start tracking them in the morning,” Val said.  “Didn’t want to today.  Figured they’d have men waiting to pick me off.”

“That sounds like a good idea, Val.  I want you to take Cipriano with you?   He’s our best tracker,” Murdoch answered with enthusiasm.

“I’m not too bad a tracker myself.    I only know one man better than me.    I’d wager he’s better than Cipriano, too,” Val replied.   Val looked at the tall rancher and shook his head.   Murdoch Lancer didn’t even know enough about his son to know how good a tracker he was. 

“Is this other man nearby?” Murdoch looked at Val.

Val just stared at the man.  “He is, but right now, he’s out there somewhere along with his brother and nine other boys.”

“Johnny?” Murdoch questioned, seeing the answer in the other man’s eyes.   

Sam could almost see the confrontation between the two men getting nasty.  Sam looked at Murdoch, changing the subject. “I wonder how much they’re going to ask in ransom?”

Murdoch looked away from Val and shook his head.

“I don’t know, Sam.  They’re only giving us 24 hours to get the money together.  I don’t have a lot of cash on hand here at the ranch.”

“You know, they get away with this and you’ll never know any peace,” Val said.  “I know these kind of men and so does Johnny.  You pay them, and they’ll just keep coming back.  The boys in this valley will never be safe again.  Next time they could go after the girls.”

Murdoch had already thought of that.

The three men stood up when they heard horses ride up out front.  Murdoch walked out of the French doors, followed by Val and Sam. They found Aggie and some of her men, as well as the fathers of all the other boys.    It looked like they were all there, except Gus Sullivan.

“Aggie, what brings you here?  Have you heard anything?”

Murdoch moved out to greet her.

“We’ve come to help Murdoch.  All of our ranches were affected today, whether they were our children or just the children of a dear friend.  We thought the sheriff might be here.”

“I’m here, Miss Conway.”  Val walked forward to stand next to Murdoch.

“Sheriff, every man on my ranch and on every ranch in this valley is at your disposal. I’m assuming you are going to go after the boys?”.

“I am,” Val answered.  “Don’t know that I need so many men, but I am going to track them.  They have all your boys, but they also have my best friend.  No one treats Johnny like that and gets away with it.”

“If we don’t stop them now, they’ll do it again, won’t they, Sheriff?” Barry Ryder spoke up.  “What’s to stop them from coming for Al again or Scott or Johnny or any of the boys.”

“We were just discussing that, Barry,” Murdoch said.  “There’s nothing to stop them.  If they do it once, they’ll do it again.”

“I’m not going to let my Jim live under that threat,” Bob Wainwright said.  “I get him home; I want to know he’ll be safe.”

There was a nod of agreement from all the ranchers.

“Do any of you feel the same way about Johnny that Gus Sullivan does?” Murdoch asked, looking at the faces of the men in front of him. 

“Murdoch, we just don’t know Johnny.”  Kevin McLean stepped forward.  “I don’t know what to believe.  Like everyone else, we’ve heard of Madrid.  We’ve heard of the things… all the things he’s done.”

“I’ve known Johnny a lot of years,” Val spoke up.  “You won’t find a better friend than him.  He’d give you the shirt off his back if you ask him for it.  He’d help anyone here if need be.  If you ask any of your vaqueros about Johnny Madrid, they’ll tell you about him.  The people down in Mexico know he’s a good man.  Just wish you folks would figure it out, too.

“You’re fools if you believe them damn dime novels about Johnny Madrid.  You think he would have had a hand in killing Day Pardee if he was no good?  If it weren’t for Johnny and Scott, Pardee would have wiped out this valley.”

“How many men has he killed, Sheriff?” Kevin Jenson asked.

Val’s eyes shot daggers at Jenson. “Don’t know the number and don’t care.  He never killed no one that wasn’t trying to kill him first,” Val answered firmly.

“Johnny is my son,” Murdoch spoke up.  “He’s has a one-third partnership in the ranch along with his brother.  He is here to stay, whether anyone in this valley likes it or not.  I’m going to get my sons back and I’m not going to reward someone for kidnapping and hurting my youngest.” 

“So, what are we going to do?” Bob Wainwright asked.

“We’re going to find them and get the boys back,” Val said.  “First thing in the morning, I’m going to start tracking them.”

“In the meantime, we wait for the ransom notes,” Murdoch said.  “I plan on having the money ready in case Val can’t get them back.”

There was a nod of approval from everyone.

*********

Johnny opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by bodies.  It seemed like every one of the boys except for the Sullivan boys had piled in around him.  He tried to stretch and found his right arm pinned down by Jim Wainwright sleeping on it.   15- year-old Lloyd Haynes and 16-year- old Al Ryder were using his legs as pillows.  He grinned when he saw his head had been lying on Scott’s arm.  Marty King and Frank Doyle, both 15 years old, were snuggled against Scott.

Johnny needed to get up.  Nature was calling, and he needed to go …. bad.  He looked at Scott and light blue eyes met dark blue.  They both smiled. 

“I have to go,” Johnny said, looking around him again. 

“Me, too,” Scott agreed.

Johnny shifted again, and Al and Lloyd woke up and looked at him.

“Sorry, Mr. Madrid,” Lloyd said shyly.

“It’s Johnny, Lloyd.  Johnny Lancer,” Johnny smiled at the boy.  “I don’t go by Madrid anymore.”

“Ok, Johnny,” Lloyd smiled back. 

“So, what do you say we get someone’s attention.  I don’t know about you fellows, but I really need to go the outhouse,” Johnny said as he shifted Jim off his arm.

Soon everyone was awake.  

Johnny pushed himself up slowly.

“How do you feel?” Scott asked as he stretched.

“Better,” Johnny said truthfully.  His head was better, and the dizziness he’d felt the day before was gone. 

“Think we can get someone to let us out of here long enough to do our business?”  Johnny said as he stood up.

He walked over to the door to the building and started pounding.   Soon a man appeared with a gun in his hand.

“What?” the man asked, apparently not sleeping any better than the boys in the shack had.

“We need to go,” Johnny said as he looked around at the boys behind him.  “You don’t want us doing our business in here, do you?”

“Hold on, let me get some help,” the man grumbled.

The leader from the day before came to the door.

 “Step back.”

Johnny took several steps back and waited.

“I’m letting you out of here one at a time.  You got two minutes each to get your business done.”

“So, what do we call you?” Johnny asked, sizing the man up.

“Names Boyce.  So, who wants to be first?”

Johnny looked around.  As much as he needed to go, he could see Jim crossing his legs.  He waved the boy over. “Go ahead, Jim.” 

Jim ran out the door and was herded away from the building by one of Boyce’s men.  Less than two minutes later, he was back.  One by one, they were led out and brought back in. 

Johnny noted they didn’t tie his hands when he went outside; however, there were at least three guns pointed at him at all times.  He also saw that there was a camp set up outside the shack.  It looked like there were nine bedrolls around the campfire.

When they were all back inside the shack, Johnny looked around and waved everyone closer to him.

“So, did any of you see anything out there that we can use to get out of this mess?”

“Why try to get away from them,” Bill Sullivan spoke up.  “We just have to wait for our Pa’s to pay the ransom and they’ll let us go.”

“Bill, I know what kind of men these are.  There is no guarantee that they will let us go even if the ransom is paid.  There is also no guarantee they won’t kill one of us just to prove they can.  What happens if they are asking too much for one of us, and your Pa can’t raise the money?”

Johnny looked at the young faces.  They were going to have to grow up quicker than they planned.

“Did you ever do something like this, Johnny?” Harry Jenson asked.

Johnny looked at the boy.  “No, Harry, I never kidnaped anyone and held them for ransom.  I know men who did, but I wasn’t one of them.  I don’t hold with taking an innocent person against their will.”

“You killed people for money,” Jake Sullivan stated.

“I’m not going to sit here and defend myself to a 16-year-old.”  Johnny’s anger was rising.  He looked at his brother, who only looked back at him.  He looked at the other boys listening.   “Yes, Jake, I was a hired gun.  Yes, I killed for money, but I never killed anyone who didn’t try to kill me first.”

Scott spoke up for the first time.

 “Johnny’s trying to help us.  All of us.  If you saw anything out there that can help, we need to know about it.   Now, I saw three men holding guns on me when I went outside.”

“I saw nine bedrolls around the campfire,” Johnny said, thankful that Scott had broken the tension in the room.

“I saw some horses off to the left out there,” Al said. “Don’t know how many.  I’ll count them when I go out again.”

Bill Sullivan looked at Johnny.

“Johnny, not sure I like you.  I do want my brother to get out of this alive, so I’m going to help.  Next time we go out, I’ll pay attention.”

“Don’t have to like me, Bill.  I want my brother out of here, too.  I say we work together, all eleven of us and we’ll make it,” Johnny said, thinking he should have used his best Madrid drawl, but didn’t want to scare the boys any more than they already were.

Johnny reached behind his back and felt the waistband of his pants.  He pulled his derringer out from the hidden pocket on his pants.  He smiled at Scott as he reached down and pulled a knife from his left boot.  

“You’re just now letting me know you planned to be armed the whole time you were at the picnic and dance?” Scott asked with a smile.

“I’m always armed, brother,” Johnny grinned.    Johnny slid the knife back into his boot and put the gun back into the waistband of his pants.

Thirty minutes passed before the door opened again.  Their captures silently brought in food and water.

After everyone had eaten, they sat back and waited.

*********

Val and Cipriano left Lancer before dawn and started tracking from the Conway Ranch.  They spent most of the day following the wagon tracks. The tracks were hard to read due to the light rain that had fallen the day before and disappeared altogether when they crossed a rock bed.

Cipriano looked around realizing they were close to the Lancer south boundary.

“Senor, there are two line shacks in the hills near here.  There is no way a wagon can get to them.  If the chico’s are at either, they would have to walk or ride to them,” Cipriano said as he took a drink from his canteen.

Val nodded and looked up at the hills.   His mind was never far from the thought of his friend.  He knew that where ever he was, Johnny was trying to find a way to get away.

Cipriano looked at Val and smiled.  “I am worried about Juanito and Senor Scott also.”

Val smiled. “Well, knowing Juanito the way I do, I figure he’s gonna figure out some way to get away from those fellows.  So, we’d better find them so we can help.”

“Si,” Cipriano agreed and spurred his horse on.

They moved forward over the level ground they thought a wagon would travel and then to the base of the wooded hills.  They could see where the wagon stopped and the boys were unloaded. They followed the tracks a short distance up into the wooded area and stopped.

They knew they were getting close.  They also knew that at this point, there would be someone watching for them.  The two men turned back, knowing where the boys were being held.

*********

Murdoch paced the floor in front of his desk, wondering how his sons were doing.  Teresa had gone to the Jenkins Ranch to help with Nora Jenkins.  The woman had collapsed at the picnic and not recovered even though her son was released.

Murdoch felt so very alone, lonelier now than he had in all the years he’d waited for his sons to return to him. 

He walked out front and stood on the veranda and looked toward the arch.  The events at the picnic seemed like a dream.  What fools they were.  No one was wearing a gun.  The one man that was wearing one, during the meeting, had taken it off to appease his father.  He wondered if Johnny had been wearing his gun; could he have stopped what happened.

Murdoch heard a rider coming in.  The man stopped in front of the house. 

“Lancer?” the rider called out.

Murdoch walked forward and got a good look at the man.  He recognized him as one of those who had been at the Conway Ranch.

“I’m Murdoch Lancer.”

Murdoch could see his ranch hands standing nearby, with hands on their guns.  

The man reached down and handed Murdoch a piece of paper.  “Lancer, you do what the note says and you’ll get your boys back alive.   Don’t do what it says and you’ll get them back dead. You got 24 hours.”

A worried father clutched the note in his hand.

“My sons, are they alright?”   

“They’re alive…,” the rider grinned, “for now, anyway.  Just do what the note says.”

The man rode out the way he’d come.

Murdoch opened the note:

Lancer
We want $2500 for each of your boys.  That’s $5000 for both.  We’ll let you know where to bring the money.

Murdoch folded the note over and crumpled it in his hand.  He walked back into the house and sat at his desk, trying to gather his thoughts.   It was mid-day and the bank would be open until 4:00.

He stood up and walked outside.  Looking toward the corral, he saw Walt and called to him.

“Walt, I need to go to town.  I want four men to go with me.  Make sure all of them are armed.”

“You going after the ransom money, Boss?” Walt asked. 

“Yes, and I want to make sure I don’t have any trouble getting back here with it,” he answered before turning and walking into the house to get his hat and gun. 

*********

Jim Wainwright moved over to sit next to Johnny. 

Johnny knew the boy was scared and didn’t know what he could do to make him feel better.  He put his arm around Jim and let him move closer.

“Johnny, I read about you in one of those dime novels,” Jim said quietly. 

Johnny knew the others were listening.

“You did, did you.” Johnny shook his head.  “Jim, you know them things aren’t worth the dime you spend on them.  There ain’t nothing true in them.”

“Nothing?” Jim asked, looking sideways at Johnny.

“Well, they may have got my name right, but not much else,” Johnny laughed.

“I want to be a gunfighter like you, Johnny,” Jim said, with a hint of hero-worship in his voice.

“I’m not a gunfighter anymore.  I’m a rancher now,” Johnny said.  He knew he needed to say something to head the boy off.

“Why did you stop being a gunfighter?”

“The cost of being a gunfighter got too high,” the sad note in his voice caught Scott off guard.

“But…,” the boy started to say something and Johnny cut him off.

“Jim, let me tell you something.  I’d rather be Johnny Lancer, working on a ranch with my father and brother, than be Johnny Madrid.” 

“Johnny, I heard you’re real fast.”

Johnny could see the excitement in the boy’s eyes.

“Yeah, I’m fast.  Don’t mean there isn’t someone out there faster.  Got too much to lose now to stay in the game.”  

His eyes met his brothers.   Scott understood what his brother was saying.

“Johnny, how old are you?”

Johnny hesitated.  He didn’t know how old he was; his mother had never told him for sure.  She’d changed his age depending on which man she was bedding.  His age depended on how much sympathy she was trying to get.    Val had established his age and birthdate years ago.  He figured he’d find out for himself one of these days.

Before Johnny could answer, Jim was asking another question.  “How old were you when you became a gunfighter, Johnny?”

“Makes no never mind how old I was.  I was too young, but I didn’t have a choice, at least I didn’t think I did.  You have a choice, Jim.  You have a Pa and a Ma who love and need you.  Instead of all this talk about being a gunfighter, you need to learn to be the best rancher you know how to be.  Make your folks proud of you.  Now I don’t want to hear any more talk about you wanting to be a gunhawk.  You understand?”

“Alright, Johnny,” Jim replied and laid his head down in Johnny’s lap.

Scott put his hand on his brother’s shoulder and squeezed it.

“You think they’ll let us go outside again?” Frank spoke up.  “I really got to go,”

“Only one way to find out.”  Scott got up and pounded on the door.

“Yeah,” someone yelled.

“We need to go out again,” Scott said.

The door opened, and as they had before, everyone was allowed to take care of his business.

Once everyone was back, they sat around and discussed what each of them had seen outside.  Johnny was trying to come up with a plan. 

The last two times they were allowed out of the shack, there had been only three guards.  None of the boys had seen anyone else. 

Johnny figured he could get two of the guards with his derringer.  That left only one guard to contend with.  His concern was that he had seen nine bedrolls, but only three guards and Boyce.

He looked around the small shack and realized there was no way he was going to be able to do anything that would put these boys at risk.  He knew Val would be out there looking for them.  He also knew that the time would come when he’d be able to try something and only he would be the one at risk.

*********

As the day started to pass, Johnny realized they still hadn’t had any food brought in.  He had no problem missing a few meals.  It wouldn’t be the first time in his life he’d been hungry.  However, these boys needed to be feed.

Getting up, he pounded on the door.   He waited and beat on it again.   He wondered if everyone had left.  Johnny pulled on the door, and it wouldn’t open.  Didn’t figure it would, but he had to try. 

“Wonder if they just went off and left us?” George Hale said.

“I doubt that,” Scott replied.  He was watching his brother.  Johnny was thinking and that could be dangerous.

Johnny pounded on the door again and shouted out.  There was still no reply.  He started to look around the shack when the door opened.

Johnny didn’t wait for Boyce to say anything. “You gonna’ feed these boys today?”

Boyce looked annoyed.  “You’ll get feed.  We’ve been busy getting letters out to your Pa’s,” he grinned at them.

Boyce looked over his shoulder and saw two of his men bringing food.   He stepped aside and let them enter the shack.  The men left the food and two canteens of water.

“Now eat and shut up,” Boyce growled as he slammed the door shut.

Scott moved forward and started handing plates of food to each of the boys.  They ate in silence.

Marty King broke the silence.  “I wonder how much they’re gonna’ ask?  We have a big spread, but there ain’t a lot of extra money.  What if Pa can’t come up with the money to get me back?”  He sat the half-eaten plate of food down, trying hard to hold back the tears.

“Don’t worry, Marty.” Johnny moved over to the boy.  “I’ll make sure you get back to your folks.”

Marty looked at Johnny and a smile spread across his face. “You will, Johnny?  You promise?”

“I promise, Marty,” he looked around the small room.  “I promise you’ll all get home.”   Johnny put an arm around the frightened boy.  “Now, eat up.  No telling when they’ll feed us again.”

Marty picked up his plate and started eating again.  

Johnny looked at Scott.  Knowing Johnny didn’t give his word lightly, Scott wondered how his brother could have made that promise.  

Scott moved to sit next to Johnny.  “How?”  he whispered.

“Don’t know yet, but I will,” Johnny whispered back, taking another bite off his own plate.

“I haven’t heard you coughing today,” Scott said, looking sideways at his brother. “Your cold better?”

“Guess all the bodies keeping me warm last night sweated the cold right out of me,” Johnny laughed.

Scott smiled.  He reached across and grabbed Johnny around the neck, pulling him closer to him. 

*********

As Murdoch and the four Lancer hands rode into Green River, he noticed they were attracting a lot of attention.   He figured everyone in town knew why he was there.

As they rode up to the bank, he had a sinking feeling.  There were a lot of people standing outside.  He recognized the other parents of the boys who’d been kidnapped.

Murdoch dismounted and walked to the door of the bank.  A closed sign showed in the window, the door was locked, and the shade pulled down.

“Murdoch, we’ve all come to get money, but Homer won’t let us in.  He says he doesn’t have enough money on hand for all of us,” Kevin McLean said, looking worried

Murdoch started pounding on the door.  “Homer, open this door,” he bellowed. “Open it right now.”

The blind on the door was pushed aside and, Homer Jefferson, the bank president, peaked out. He reluctantly opened the door and stepped back.

Murdoch stalked into the bank with the other parents right behind him.

“Murdoch, I know why everyone is here.  Jack King has already been here.  He told me how much the ransom was for his boy Marty.  I gave Jack his money, but I don’t have enough on hand for all of you.”  The man was biting his lower lip.   “It will take at least a day to get a shipment from Stockton.”

“Homer, we’ve been given 24 hours,” Murdoch explained.  He turned around and looked at the men standing behind him.  They were as worried as he was.  “Are all the ransom notes the same?”

“Jack King said he needed $1000,” Homer answered.

“They want $2000 from me,” Robert Doyle said.  “I don’t have $2000.  I’m going to have to borrow it.” 

After everyone told how much the ransom was for their boys, they all looked to Murdoch.

It appeared that the ransoms varied from $1000 to $2500.

“They want $5000 for Scott and Johnny,” Murdoch said.  “$2500 apiece.”

“You could just pay the ransom for the oldest,” Gus Sullivan quickly spoke up. “Wouldn’t be no loss on the other one.”

Murdoch started toward the man, ready to punch him in the mouth.

“How could you say a thing, Sullivan.  You have two boys out there.  How much are they asking for your two?”

“They want $2000 a piece for them and I plan on paying it. Like I said, my boys have never hurt anyone.  You’d be getting off easy just paying to get Scott back.”

“I want both my sons back, Sullivan.”

“Too bad,” Sullivan replied with a smirk.  He looked at the other parents, “We could have rid the valley of that gunhawk.”

“Sullivan, when this is over, I never want to see you again.  You will never attend another meeting of the association and you will never set foot on my land,” Murdoch fumed.

“Do you think there’s a chance they won’t give them back to us alive?” Barry Ryder asked.

“There’s always that chance, Barry.  The question is, do we risk the lives of our boys by not paying them what they want?” Murdoch said.

There was a murmur among the ranchers.

Murdoch turned his attention to the banker. “Homer, how much do you have on hand?” 

“Let me do some figuring, Murdoch.  Come back in an hour and I’ll see what I can do.”

Murdoch walked out of the bank and looked around before walking over to the Lancer hands, still waiting for him.   “Walt, there’s a problem.  It’s going to be a while before I know if I can get the money.  Why don’t you take the men across to the saloon and have a drink?” 

Digging through his wallet, he pulled out five dollars and handed it to Walt.

“Sure thing, Mr. Lancer and thanks.”  Walt waved the other three men to follow him.

Murdoch decided to go to the jail and talk to Val, only to find the office empty.    He then decided to see Sam.

Sam Jenkins had seen Murdoch coming into town and had already heard about the problems with the bank.   He met his old friend a short distance from Val’s office.

“Sam,” Murdoch shook his friend’s hand, “let me buy you a cup of coffee.  I think I have enough on me to do that.”

“That bad?” Sam asked, following Murdoch into the café.

“That bad,” Murdoch replied as he took a seat.  The waitress brought two cups of coffee to the table.  “Homer doesn’t think he has enough cash on hand for everyone.”

“How much are they asking for Scott and Johnny?” Sam asked while stirring his coffee. 

“$5000.  $2500 for each of them.”

Sam whistled.  “That’s a lot.  Is it the same ransom for everyone?” Sam leaned forward, keeping his voice down.

“No,” Murdoch shook his head.  “They asked the most from me because I have the biggest spread.”

“Is everyone planning on paying?” Sam asked, watching his friend staring at the untouched cup of coffee.

“I don’t know.  It looks like it.”

“Have you talked to Val?”

“Not since yesterday. “

When Murdoch went quiet, Sam asked, “What’s wrong… I mean, besides the kidnappings?”

“Sam, I’ve just about had all I can handle with Gus Sullivan.  He suggested I pay the ransom for Scott and not Johnny.”

“How could he even consider that you would do such a thing?” Sam was shocked.  “Murdoch, you haven’t considered that, have you?”

“Of course not,” Murdoch snapped.

“Good,” Sam said.  “I’m glad you haven’t started listening to the foul-mouthed ‘so-called’ friends and neighbors in the valley.”    

Sam looked at his friend closely. “You aren’t having second thoughts about having the boy here, are you, Murdoch?” 

“No, Sam,” Murdoch smiled, thinking of his youngest. “I’m not having second thoughts, and there is no way I’d pay to get just one of my boys back.” 

Sam smiled back. “Well, I’d better get back.  If you need anything, come get me.”           

Murdoch sat there for a while, thinking.  He’d waited a long time to have his boys home.  The thought of losing even one of them was tearing his heart to shreds.

*********

Scott sat with his back against the wall, leaning his head back.  Most of the boys were sleeping now.  He heard a small grunt and opened his eyes.

He saw Johnny leaning slightly forward with his head in his hands, rubbing his forehead. 

He reached up and put a hand on Johnny’s shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. “Head hurt?”  He leaned forward to see the expression on Johnny’s face.

“Some,” Johnny answered, leaning back against the wall.

Scott put an arm around Johnny’s shoulder and pulled him closer to him.  Slowly, he started rubbing the younger man’s neck. 

“Feels good.” Johnny took a deep breath and let it out.

With his arm still around Johnny’s shoulder, Scott scooted closer to his brother.  “Lay back,” Scott said as he positioned his brother’s head against his shoulder.  

“Thanks,” Johnny sighed, closing his eyes

“Think you can sleep?”

Johnny nodded and found himself dozing off.  

At first, he wasn’t sure he’d heard anything, then he knew he’d heard it.   The faint sound of a rattle broke the silence of the shack.

His head shot up off Scott’s shoulder, startling him.  “What?”

Johnny looked around.  He saw Bill Sullivan sitting as still as a statue and the color draining from his face.  Next to him, Frank Doyle sat wide-eyed.

Johnny pushed himself up slowly and, holding his breath, eased across the room.  He held a finger up to his lips, silencing anyone who would threaten to speak.   Near the center of a room lay a rattlesnake, coiled and ready to strike. 

Johnny had seen a small hole in the back wall of the shack that morning and thought nothing of it, other than he might be able to enlarge it to get out.  Evidently, the rattler had thought of it as a way to get in.

Grabbing a blanket, Johnny silently crossed the distance to the rattler.   Holding the blanket open, he held it between the two boys and the snake. Once he’d blocked the snake’s view, he motioned for the boys to move away.

Bill and Frank scampered to the other side of the shack.  The movement caused the snake to bare its fangs.  Sensing another’s presence, the snake coiled itself tighter and turned its head, striking out at Johnny just as the blanket covered him.

Carefully, Johnny reached down so that his hand would come up behind where he hoped the snake’s head was.  He grabbed hold of the snake and prayed he was close enough to the head that the snake couldn’t turn and bite.

Scott was instantly on his feet and pounding on the door.   The other boys started shouting for someone to open the door.  It seemed like it took forever before the door finally swung open.  The moment it did, Johnny tossed the blanket and snake straight at the man who stood in the doorway.

The man jumped back and fell to the ground—the blanket landing at his feet.

Johnny, relying on instinct, was propelling himself out the door when Boyce suddenly blocked it. 

“Stay where you are,” Boyce said, waving Johnny back.

Boyce reached down and picked up the blanket.  He jumped back when the rattler slithered out from under it and moved into the underbrush away from the shack.   

Boyce turned and looked at Johnny. “Where did that come from?”

“Not sure, but we sure as hell didn’t want it in here,” Johnny drawled.

Boyce waved everyone back as he walked into the shack.  He looked around before tossing the blanket back to Johnny, then turned and left the building.

Scott went over and put an arm around his brother and pulled him close.   Johnny threw an arm around Scott’s neck and smiled.

“Too close, little brother.  Too close,” Scott said as he started to sit down again.  He hesitated and stood, looking around.

“Maybe, we had better check to see if there are any more of his friends hiding in here.” 

The group spent the next few minutes going over every inch of the shack to make sure no other snakes had gotten in.   Johnny took a rag and stuffed it in the hole in the back wall. Finally, they all sat down.

Jim Wainwright was the first to speak.  “I don’t know about any of you, but that scared the piss out of me.  I really have to go now.”    

Johnny and Scott couldn’t help themselves.  They started a round of laughter that seemed to echo around the clearing outside.

*********

Val and Cipriano had been watching the kidnapper’s camp since they had found the site earlier in the afternoon.  They hadn’t seen the boys yet and hoped that they were inside the shack below them.

They heard yelling coming from the building and then watched as one of the kidnappers opened the door.  The next thing they saw was a blanket sailing through the air and landing on the ground.   One kidnapper fell backward, and another, Val, recognized as the leader, was suddenly standing in the doorway of the shack.

The door of the shack closed, and then they heard laughter.  Val and Cipriano looked at each other and simply shook their heads, wondering what was going on.

Less than 10 minutes later, they heard the unmistakable sound of Johnny’s voice filtering through the trees.  They watched as boys were led one at a time away from the shack and then returned.

“Reckon they needed to tend to their business,” Val commented.

It wasn’t long before he was rewarded with first the sight of Scott and then Johnny.  For the first time in two days, Val breathed a little easier. He tapped Cipriano’s arm.  “Let’s go. We need to let Mr. Lancer know what we found.”

Cipriano nodded his agreement.

The two men made their way slowly back to their horses and headed back to Lancer.

*********

Murdoch sat in the café for an hour before going back to the bank. 

Homer Jefferson opened the door to let him and the other parents in.

“Well?” Murdoch asked. “Homer, do you have enough money on hand today?”    

Homer shook his head.  “No, I don’t.  I can take care of part of you, but not all. We don’t keep that much money in our safe.   I can send to Stockton and have the money here by tomorrow afternoon.”

Murdoch nodded his head.  He looked at the men standing around him.  “Do what you have to do, Homer.”

Robert Doyle stepped forward.  “Homer, I need to borrow the money.  Will the bank loan it to me?  You know I’m good for it.”

Homer Jefferson had started to say the bank wouldn’t make the loan, but he didn’t have the heart. “We’ll work something out, Robert.”

Murdoch walked out of the bank.  He just hoped that Homer could get the money in time. Walt and the other Lancer men were waiting for him.  Taking the reins of his horse from Walt, he mounted up.   He and his men rode out of town toward Lancer.

*********

No one in town was paying attention to the man who stood in front of the saloon watching the bank.  He’d been there all day.  He’d heard that the ranchers weren’t going to be able to get the money by the deadline his boss set.  He also heard some of the ranchers talking about not paying at all. 

Walking to his horse, he mounted and rode out of town.  He needed to report to his boss.

Back at the line shack, Boyce listened as his man told him about the events in town.  He shook his head.  These ranchers needed to know he was serious.  He sat down and wrote out a new note for each of the parents of the boys he held.   He handed the notes to his men and sat back with a smile.

‘This will make them think twice about paying up.’                          

*********

Murdoch returned home, feeling like he’d accomplished absolutely nothing.   He handed the reins of his horse over to Walt and walked into the house.   Going straight to the drink cart, he poured himself a double whiskey before sitting at his desk.

He spun his chair around and looked out the large picture window behind him.   His empire lay before him—an empire built for his sons.  

He took a sip of his drink and closed his eyes.    He hadn’t slept the night before, and fatigue and worry were taking its toll on him.  

His thoughts went to his sons.  He’d just gotten them back and didn’t want to lose them again, couldn’t lose them again.   He couldn’t imagine not doing everything within his power to get both the boys back.

Gus Sullivan’s words kept coming back to him.  A fleeting thought went through his mind. 

‘If only I could keep Johnny Lancer and lose Madrid.  If only he could pay the ransom for Johnny Lancer and leave Johnny Madrid behind.’

A knock at the door brought him back to his senses.   Standing, he went to the door.  Opening it, he was relieved to find Val and Cipriano.

“We found where they’re holding the boys,” Val announced, going straight to the drink cart without being asked.  He turned and looked at Cipriano as he held up a glass.  Cipriano looked at Murdoch, who nodded.  Cipriano nodded to Val and smiled.

Val handed a glass of tequila to Cipriano and took one for himself.

“Where are they?” Murdoch asked, moving to pour himself another glass.

“A line shack up in the hills about three hours south of here,” Val answered.

“Did you see Scott and Johnny?” Murdoch held his glass tight in his hand.

“Si, Patron,” Cipriano answered.  “We saw them both.  They looked unharmed.”

“Johnny…he was hurt when they left the picnic yesterday,” Murdoch said.  “Did he look like he was alright?”

“He looked just fine,” Val grinned.  “We were off a piece from the shack, but he didn’t look like he was having any problems walking.”

“Thank heavens,” Murdoch said as he took a large gulp of his drink.  “At least one thing is going right.   I couldn’t get the ransom money today.”

Val almost sprayed his drink across the room.

“What do you mean, couldn’t get it?”

“Homer Jefferson doesn’t keep the kind of cash we need on hand.  He’s sending to Stockton for a shipment.  It won’t be here until late tomorrow.”

“How much are they asking?” Val asked.

“It’s different for each rancher.  The bigger the spread, the more they’re asking.  They want $2500 a piece for Scott and Johnny.”

“Dios mio,” Cipriano said, throwing back his tequila and taking it all in one gulp.

The three men were silent for a few minutes.  The sound of a horse in front of the house brought them all to their feet.

“Lancer,” a voice boomed.

Murdoch opened the French doors and stepped out.  He recognized the man who had delivered the ransom note earlier in the day.   The man handed him another note and then rode away.

Murdoch took the note and opened it.

Lancer
If you want to see your sons alive, you and the other ranchers will come to the clearing below the abandoned mine south of Morro Coyo tomorrow morning at 10:00.  Don’t be late.

.

“We won’t have the money by then.” Murdoch collapsed into a chair on the veranda.

Val rubbed his hand over his face and looked out over the ranch.  How was he going to tell this man what was happening?

“Mr. Lancer, I don’t like the sound of this.  They aren’t asking you to bring the money tomorrow morning.  Like I said, I know their type.  Tomorrow is what’s called ‘set an example day.’   They want you to see the boys alive, almost as proof of life.  They plan on killing one of the boys to set an example for the rest of the ranchers.”

“Scott? Johnny?” Murdoch blurted out.

“Don’t know.  It could be any of the boys.   I’m betting they know the bank don’t have the money for all the ranches.   Have any of the ranchers talked about not paying the ransom?” Val asked as he took a seat.

“There was talk today of not paying the ransom,” Murdoch stood and refilled his glass.  “There is worry that even if we pay, we won’t get our sons back.”

“There’s more, ain’t there,” Val said as he watched Murdoch. 

“Gus Sullivan is stirring up the ranchers.  He’s saying I should only pay the ransom to get Scott back,” Murdoch answered.  “I told him and every rancher in this valley that there is no way I’m abandoning one of my sons.”

Val didn’t say anything but wondered if the thought of paying to get only Scott back had ever crossed Lancer’s mind.

“Mr. Lancer, I’m going to set up men at that meeting place tonight. I want to take Cipriano and some of the Lancer men with me.  We’re going to get all those boys back tomorrow morning.”

Val firmly set his glass down.    He emphasized the word ‘all’ and hoped Murdoch Lancer understood he would not leave anyone behind, especially Johnny. 

“Take as many men as you need, Val.”

Watching Val and Cipriano walk toward the bunkhouse, Murdoch closed his eyes and prayed that he’d have his sons home tomorrow night—both of his sons.

*********

As the second night in the shack descended, everyone was getting ready to bed down.  Jim Wainwright moved over to sit next to Johnny and Scott.

“You mind if I bed down here again, Johnny?” Jim asked.  “You might need someone to keep you warm.”

Johnny looked at the boy and smiled.    “You know I might just need you, Jim.  My heads been hurtin’ some today.  You know, even if I don’t need someone to help keep me warm, I know Scott does.”

“I can help too,” Lloyd Haynes said, moving closer to Johnny.

“I tell you what,” Scott said as he spread a blanket out on the floor. “Why don’t we all keep each other warm.  What do you say, Bill? You and Jake want to help?”

“Suppose so,” Bill answered with a smile.  “Come on, Jake.”  He motioned for his brother to join the others.

Soon everyone had made pallets on the floor.  Johnny ended up in the middle of the group next to Scott.  Scott smiled as he put blankets over the boys and then scooted down next to his brother.

“Night, Boston,” Johnny said as he closed his eyes.

“Good night,” Scott replied, brushing the hair off of Johnny’s forehead, reassuring himself that his brother didn’t have a fever.

*********

The sun was shining through the boards of the shack when everyone started waking the next morning.

The door to the shack suddenly opened and Boyce walked in.  

“Come on, boys.  Let’s get you taken care of and then we’re going for a little ride.”

Boyce waved them out one at a time.  

After each boy finished taking care of his needs, his hands were tied behind his back.  The kidnappers then spent the next hour, walking their captives back to the wagon.

Johnny didn’t like it.  He knew it was too soon for the ransoms to be paid.  He had a good idea of what was happening and his mind was racing as to what to do.

*********

For the second night in a row, Murdoch hadn’t slept.  He was up early and had one of the hands saddle his horse.

“You want some of the fellows to come with you, Mr. Lancer?” Frank asked as he handed the reins over to his boss.

“No, Frank.  Val took some of the men with him last night. I need you and the rest to stay here and watch the ranch,” Murdoch answered as he mounted up.

“Don’t you worry none, Mr. Lancer.   I’ll make sure everything is alright here.   You just bring those boys home,” Frank replied.

As Murdoch rode toward Morro Coyo, he remembered what Val said about ‘set an example day.’  He prayed one of his boys wasn’t going to be the example.

As he got closer to Morro Coyo, he saw several of the other parents on the road.  Some were on horseback—some in buggies with their wives.

They all arrived at the clearing indicated in the note and waited.  Murdoch looked around at the trees and wondered where Val and the Lancer men were.

*********

Precisely at 10:00, the eleven young men’s parents watched the kidnappers push their sons, single file, into the clearing. 

Murdoch watched anxiously as first he saw Scott and then Johnny come into view.  Both looked unhurt.  He let out a sigh of relief.

Boyce’s men had the boys covered as he pushed them onto their knees.

Gus Sullivan called out to Bill and Jake.  The boys looked terrified.

Boyce walked along in front of his hostages and smiled.  He turned to face the parents.

“I’m disappointed in you people,” Boyce began.  “I’ve gotten word that you aren’t taking me serious.  Seems some or all of you aren’t willing to pay to get your boys back.”

The look on the ranchers faces told Boyce his information was correct.

“I know you don’t think we’re serious about killing your kids,” Boyce called out.  “Just to show you how serious we are, we’re going to give one of your brats back to you right now.”

Boyce looked around and pointed at Jim Wainwright. 

“Come here, kid,” Boyce grinned.

Jim tried to shrink down and leaned into Scott.   

“Get him over here,” Boyce growled.

Two of Boyce’s men took Jim by the arms and pulled him up and forward.   When they got next to Boyce, he waved his gun toward the frightened boy.

 “Get on your knees, boy.”

Jim looked back at Scott and fell to his knees.  Tears were streaming down his face as he looked across the clearing to find his father’s face.  Bob Wainwright started to move forward when Boyce yelled for him to stop. 

“Jim,” Wainwright called out.

“I told all of you that you would pay.” Boyce drawled, then laughed. “It looks like Wainwright gets out of paying for his son.  ‘Cause, in a minute, he ain’t gonna have a son to pay for.”

Silence had fallen over the clearing.  All eyes were on the 14- year-old boy on his knees in front of Boyce. 

“Pa,” Jim cried out, his voice tearing the heart out of not only his father but all the parents watching.

“Leave the kid alone,” a soft drawl could be heard from behind Boyce.

Boyce turned around to see Johnny standing up and moving forward.

“Get back over there,” Boyce snapped.

“I said leave the kid alone,” Johnny said, still moving forward.  Murdoch and Scott recognized the voice of Johnny Madrid.

“Maybe, I should leave the kid and shoot that blonde brother of yours,” Boyce said as he pulled Jim off the ground and pushed him back.

Jim looked at Johnny and ran to him.  He buried his head into Johnny’s side.

“Jim, go on back over there to Scott and Bill.  Stop crying now.  Go on.”

Jim looked up at Johnny and then looked at Scott.  He ran to Scott and stood next to him.  Bob Wainwright let out a sigh of relief that could be heard across the clearing.

“Bring the blond Lancer over here,” Boyce told his men. 

The two men who’d brought Jim forward went for Scott.

“Wouldn’t do that either,” Johnny drawled.   The two men going for Scott stopped and looked to Boyce for instructions.

Boyce held up a hand to stop his men.   “That so. Why’s that?”

“You want any money out of Murdoch Lancer, you best not be hurting his fair-haired boy there.”

Johnny had come to a stop a few feet in front of Boyce.

Scott looked at his brother.  There was no emotion on Johnny’s face.  Scott wasn’t sure what his brother planned; he only hoped he actually had a plan.

“I’ll ask again.  Why?”  Boyce pointed his gun at Johnny.

“Well, you see, my old man will pay you for Scott.  He ain’t gonna give you a red cent for me.”

Johnny looked across the clearing at Murdoch.

“He’ll pay to get you back,” Boyce smiled.  He also looked across at Murdoch.  “Since you’ll be all he’ll have left, he may even pay more.”

Johnny laughed loudly.  “Mister, you sure as hell don’t know Murdoch Lancer.  My old man will pay you to get Scott back.  Scott being educated and all.  He won’t give you anything for a gunhawk like me.”

Johnny never took his eyes off of Boyce.  He didn’t want to see his father’s face. 

Boyce looked at him questioningly.

Johnny moved closer to Boyce.  He’d seen a flash of light off to his right earlier and figured Val was keeping the clearing covered.   Johnny scanned the trees around the area and counted at least six rifles pointed at the kidnappers.

“Gunhawk?” Boyce looked closely at Johnny.

“Yeah,” Johnny gave the man a lopsided grin.  “Didn’t do your homework, did you?  I didn’t always go by the name Lancer.  Maybe you heard of me.  The name I used until a few months ago was Madrid.”

Johnny always liked to see the look on a man’s face when he threw his name out.  The look on Boyce’s face didn’t disappoint.  He didn’t miss the look on the faces of Boyce’s men either.

Boyce quickly recovered. “You’re Johnny Madrid?”

Johnny nodded.  “Surprised you didn’t know that.  So, you see, my old man ain’t exactly thrilled about having a gunhawk in the family.   His neighbors over there aren’t either.”

Johnny looked across the clearing now and scanned the faces of the men who were supposed to be his father’s friends.    He could see from their reactions he was right.

None of them wanted him in the valley.  His eyes finally fell on his father.  Johnny saw a fleeting glimpse of something cross Murdoch’s face.  He knew he was right on all counts now.

Boyce grabbed Johnny’s arm and pulled him forward.  “Get down on your knees.” 

Johnny looked over his shoulder at Scott.

“Been nice knowing you, brother.  Keep your head down, Boston, and stay out of trouble,” Johnny said as he lowered himself to his knees.

Scott understood Johnny was telling him to take cover.  He leaned into Bill Sullivan.  Bill was too mesmerized by what was taking place to realize a rescue attempt was about to take place.   Scott pushed into Bill, who finally looked at him.  

“Get ready to get down,” Scott whispered. 

Bill looked at him for a long moment before understanding what he was saying.  Then looked at Jim, who was beside Scott.  Jim heard Scott and nodded.  Bill turned to Jake and repeated what Scott said.  Scott could only hope that all of the boys now knew what was about to happen.

Boyce looked across the clearing.  “Lancer, I think you’ll be paying double to get your oldest back,” Boyce grinned as he pointed the gun at the back of Johnny’s head.

“NO, don’t,” Murdoch called out. 

“Someone has got to die, Lancer.  It’s the only way you people are going to believe we mean business.  Madrid’s convinced me that killing any of the others would cost me money.  Killing him ain’t costing me a thing.”  Boyce moved closer to Johnny.  “Wainwright, you should be thankful Madrid just saved your kid’s life.”

Johnny held his eyes straight ahead.  He thought about the firing squad he had faced just a few months earlier.

“Well, hell, I’ve come full circle.”

Johnny took a breath and let it out slowly. 

‘Val, you got a plan, now’s the time.’

Johnny heard the gun cock.  A smile came across his face.  It was too bad Boyce hadn’t realized sooner that Johnny Madrid had just joined the party.  Suddenly, Johnny kicked out with his right leg setting everything into motion.

The next few moments passed in a blur. 

Scott was watching Johnny make his move.  He dropped to the ground at the first sound of rifle fire and hoped the others had done the same.  He desperately wanted to see his brother, but the sound of bullets flying overhead kept him from looking up. 

Val watched Johnny kicked out with his right leg knocking Boyce off balance.  Val had been holding his breath, waiting for his friend to make a move.  His first shot was aimed at Boyce.

After Johnny kicked out, he rolled to his right.  He saw Boyce take a bullet in the chest, but the bullet Boyce fired didn’t register with him. 

Managing to get to his feet, Johnny kicked the gun from Boyce’s dying hand.  He watched as Boyce took his last breath and the light went out of his eyes.  

Johnny watched as the light went out of Boyce’s eyes and he took his last breath.

Val’s men were making short work of the rest of Boyce’s men as Johnny looked toward Scott.

As suddenly as it started, it was over.  A haze hung over the clearing and the smell of gunpowder filled the air.  

Slowly, the hostages started to stand up.   Frank Doyle was the first to call out to his father.  Soon the other boys were doing the same.  Parents were running to gather their sons in their arms.

Murdoch made his way across the clearing and found the faces of both of his sons.  A smile spread across his face as he watched them move toward him.  Val walked out of the woods surrounding the clearing.  Pulling a knife from his boot, he cut the ropes on Johnny and Scott’s wrists.

“Thanks, Val,” Johnny said, seeing the relief in his friend’s face.  “That was some good shooting.”

“Took you long enough to get the party started,” Val grumbled.

“How did you know I was going to get it started?” Johnny grinned as Val pulled him close and then let him go. 

Val grinned back at his friend.  “I was watching you.  Knew you’d come up with something when Madrid  finally showed up.”  

Johnny turned to see Murdoch put his arms around Scott and pull him close.  He quickly hid his feelings. 

Val watched his friend’s face and saw the emotions that were quickly hidden behind the mask Johnny wore.

Murdoch turned to him and moved forward. 

“Are you alright, Johnny?” Murdoch asked, squeezing the younger man’s arm.

“I’m fine, old man,” Johnny answered with a faint smile.  He waited for his father’s arm to go around his shoulders.  It never came.  “Why don’t you get Scott back to the ranch.  I’ll help Val here and be along shortly.”

Murdoch hesitated and then nodded his head.   He put an arm around Scott’s shoulders and pulled him away.

Scott hesitated, looking between Johnny and Murdoch. 

“Go on, Scott, I’ll be there in a while.”

Johnny turned back to face Val.

Val frowned.   “Where you hit?”

Johnny smiled. “Know me too well, don’t you?”     

“Yeah, I know you.  Why don’t you want them helping you?”

Val looked his friend over closely.

“Don’t need them, Val.  Can you get me to town?”  Johnny asked as he took a hesitant step forward.  The color was draining from his face as he grabbed his side.

“Come on.”   Val guided Johnny to a horse.

*********

Sam heard the door to his office open and then slammed shut.  From experience, that meant someone was hurt and bad enough not to knock first.

“Sam!”

Stepping into the main office, Sam recognized Val’s voice.

“Val, who…,” Sam started to ask when he saw the Sheriff half carrying Johnny into the room.

“Where?” Sam asked, looking at his favorite patient.

“Right side,” Val answered as he continued into an examination room without being told.

“John?”

“Hey, Sam,” Johnny smiled. “Sorry to barge in on you.”

“How did it happen?”

“Johnny caught a bullet while we were rescuing the boys.”  

Val spun Johnny around to sit on a table.  Johnny grunted as he pushed himself up onto the table and laid down.

“Let me take a look.” Sam unbuttoned Johnny’s shirt and pulled his shirttail out.  “Val, help me get his shirt off.”

Val lifted Johnny as Sam slipped the shirt off. 

“Are Murdoch and Scott on their way?” Sam asked, putting pressure on the wound.

“Murdoch took Scott back to the ranch,” Johnny answered, not wanting to comment further on the absence of his father.

“Was Scott hurt?” Sam looked up at Val.  He knew there was more than either man was telling him.

“Naw, Scott’s just shook up some,” Val said.  “Figured we were closer to town than Lancer, so Johnny wanted to come here.”

Sam knew not to ask more.  He shook his head as he began to examine the wound.   “Looks like it went straight through.  I’m going to clean it out and stitch it up on both sides.  You’ll need to stay in bed for at least a week.  You tear the stitches out and you could bleed to death.”

Johnny didn’t say anything. He just nodded.

“Val, are you going to take him out to the ranch, or is Murdoch coming for him?” Sam asked as he began cleaning the wound out.

“Expect I’ll be taking him out there,” Val answered, not looking at Sam.

“Tell me what happened.  What about the other boys?” Sam asked, concentrating on cleaning the wound.

Val told Sam what happened as he watched the doctor tend the wound.  He kept glancing at Johnny.   He could see the pain on the young man’s face and knew the wound wasn’t the only pain he felt. 

An hour later, Sam had finished wrapping a bandage tightly around Johnny’s waist.  He reached into a cabinet and brought out a bottle of laudanum and handed it to Val.

“I know it may be too much to ask, but see if you can get him to take some before you take him home.”

Val looked at Sam and then at Johnny.  Johnny looked like he was asleep. 

“Don’t need it,” Johnny’s voice was almost so soft they missed what he was saying.

“Sure, you don’t,” Val said as he put the bottle in his pocket.  “Well, you want to go now, or you want to rest awhile?”

“Let me rest,” Johnny answered as he drifted off to sleep.

Val sat down wearily.   He was tired.  He hadn’t had much rest since the night before the Cattlemen’s Association Meeting.   He hadn’t slept much more than a quick siesta in the saddle while he and Cipriano were on their way back to Lancer the day before.

Closing his eyes for a brief moment, Val caught himself dozing off.   Suddenly, he opened his eyes and sat up straighter.  Taking a deep breath, he rubbed his eyes and watched Johnny sleep.

He knew this boy too well, knew what was going to happen.  It broke his heart to know Johnny was going to be leaving and soon. 

Reaching out, he took Johnny’s hand.  More times than he could count over the years, he’d wished he was the boy’s father, his real father. 

Val shook his head, thinking of Murdoch Lancer. 

‘Damn, the man.’

If the man only knew how much Johnny needed a father.  How much he needed to be loved.   Yes, it broke his heart.

********

The sun had set by the time Johnny woke up.  He looked around to see Val sitting next to him.

“You wanta’ stay in town at my place or go back to the ranch?” Val asked as he stood and stretched. 

“Ranch.”  Johnny grimaced as he pushed himself into a sitting position. “Help me up.”

Val helped Johnny to stand and held him steady until he got his balance.

“Ready?” Val asked after helping him dress.

“Ready.”

Val arranged to get a buggy from the livery while Johnny was sleeping.  It was waiting outside when they walked out of Sam’s office.

The trip to Lancer was quiet as Val saw Johnny holding back the pain.    They were almost at the arch when Val spoke for the first time.

“What are you planning on doing?”

Johnny didn’t answer at first.  He’d been thinking about that very question for the past hour.

Val stopped the buggy.

“Don’t know, Val,” Johnny shook his head.  “Just don’t know.  I don’t want to leave, but the old man doesn’t want me here.  I knew it all along but fooled myself into believing he would someday.

“I saw his face today when I told Boyce the old man didn’t want a gunhawk in the family.  I was right.  I thought he’d get past Madrid.   Guess I was wrong,” Johnny’s voice had the soft sound of a lost boy.

“The only reason I stayed around after Pardee was because of Scott.” Johnny turned in the seat and looked at Val.  “You know, I really like having a big brother.  I always wanted one growing up.  When I was little, I pretended I had a big brother and he’d take care of me.   Well, now I got a real big brother.  I don’t want to lose him.”

Val smiled.  He remembered the five-year-old boy who used to play pretend.  

“Hijo, you got a good thing here.  I know you and your Pa don’t get along but don’t let that make you walk away from the best thing that ever happened to you.  You do and you’ll regret it.  I finally stopped worrying about you some, knowing you’re out here at the ranch and not alone on the trail or in a saloon somewhere waiting to catch a bullet.   I know it’s hard right now, but give it some more time.” Val reached over and put an arm around Johnny and pulled him close. 

Johnny leaned into Val and nodded.

“I don’t know, Val.  Do you know he’s never once called me son?  He calls Scott ‘son’ all the time but never me.   He calls me John most of the time, sometimes Johnny, but never once son.   Never once.  I know he can’t accept me, all of me.   There are times I don’t think he can accept any part of me.  I just don’t know what to do.”

“All I’m asking is give it some more time.  Don’t do nothing without thinking it through,” Val said as he moved his arm away from Johnny.   “I let you ride away without me once.  I’m not going to let it happen again.  You decide you’re leaving here; I’m going with you.  I just hope you decide not to go.”

Johnny smiled.   “Alright, let’s get there.  I’m going to see if I can get up to my room without running into the old man or Scott.  I need some sleep and time to think.”

When Val pulled into the yard, it was well after midnight.  He helped Johnny out of the buggy and started to take him in.

“It’s alright; I can make it. Going to go in through the kitchen and up the back stairs.”

Val took the bottle of laudanum out of his pocket and handed it to Johnny.  Johnny took it but shook his head.

“Just in case,” Val said as he watched Johnny walk around the side of the house.

Val noted that there was only one light on in the house and it was in the Great Room.  He shook his head.

Flicking the reins and starting back to town, he angrily thought, ‘They didn’t even wait up for him.’

Johnny made his way quietly up the back stairs and to his room.  He took off his boots and sat on the side of the bed.  Seeing his rig hanging on the bedpost, Johnny reached up, took his Colt and put it under his pillow before lying down and pulling a blanket over him.

*********

The next morning Scott crept out of his room and across the hall.  Quietly opening Johnny’s door, he looked in and smiled when he saw his brother sleeping.  Realizing Johnny hadn’t undressed, the smile quickly turned to a frown.  Closing the door, he went back to his room and finished dressing.  He looked in one more time before going down the back stairs to the kitchen.

Johnny heard the door open and then close again.  He sighed and buried his head in his pillow.  He was exhausted and his side was hurting.  What hurt more was his heart.  He wasn’t sure he could face either his father or brother today.  

Slowly, he sat on the side of the bed and looked at the bottle of laudanum on his nightstand.  He opened the bottle and took a sip.  He pushed himself up and walked over to the washstand.  Looking at himself in the mirror, he shook his head. 

It took almost 30 minutes, but he finally finished shaving and dressing.  He pulled himself together and went down the back stairs to the kitchen.   He could hear Murdoch and Scott’s voices.

“Good morning, John,” Murdoch said as Johnny entered the kitchen.

“Morning,” Johnny answered, taking a seat at the table.

“You got in late last night,” Scott said, taking a sip from his coffee.

“Yeah, it took longer to wrap things up than Val thought,” Johnny lied, as he took the cup of coffee Maria offered him.    “So, you doing alright, Boston?” 

“Better now that we’re home.  I’m sure there are a lot of people doing better today, thanks to you, little brother,” Scott smiled.

“Didn’t do nothing that didn’t need doing,” Johnny replied with a little blush.  “Say, Murdoch, I was wondering… well, we’ve been talking about checking out the line shacks to see what they need in the way of stocking up before winter.   The north line shack needs some work.  Thought I might take a wagon up there and get it done.  You mind if I take a few days and do that?”

Murdoch looked at his son and could see something was wrong.  He suspected Johnny needed some time to himself after the ordeal of the last few days. 

“That would be fine, John.  Do you want Scott to go with you?”

“I can handle it alone,” Johnny answered, pushing the food around on the plate that Maria sat in front of him.

Scott looked at his brother and felt a little hurt that he wasn’t wanted as company.  “I have some surveying that I need to finish.  What do you say I meet up with you day after tomorrow?”

“Sure, Scott.” 

Scott looked at Murdoch.

“That sounds like a good idea, son,” Murdoch said with a smile on his face.

Johnny saw the warm smile on his father’s face.  Once again, he had called Scott ‘son’ and had addressed him as only as John the entire morning.

Johnny didn’t want any company.  He was used to finding a place to hole up and heal after being wounded.  He needed the time to think.  He needed to wrap his mind around the fact that his father didn’t want him and how to handle it.

After a few more minutes, he took another sip of his coffee and pushed back from the table.  “Well, I’ll get my things and have Frank hitch up the wagon.”

Murdoch and Scott sat quietly for several minutes before Scott spoke.

“Did you talk to him at all last night?”

“No,” Murdoch let out a breath.  “I must have gone to bed by the time he came in.”

“Something’s wrong,” Scott pushed back from the table.  “Murdoch, was Johnny right yesterday?  Was what he said true, that you don’t want him here because of Madrid?  Would you have paid the ransom to get me back, but not him?”

“Scott, I was prepared to pay whatever was necessary to get both my sons back,” Murdoch answered. “I won’t lie.  I’m not happy with your brother’s past.  Madrid is part of that past.  I wish I could have Johnny and forget about Madrid, but I know that’s not possible.    Do you believe he thinks I don’t want him?”

“Sir, you need to go talk to him.  I think that is exactly what he believes.”

Murdoch had started to push back when the kitchen door opened and Cipriano stepped in.

“Patron, Walt has just come in and said the fence on the east pasture is down.  At least thirty head of cattle have gone through it.”

“Get the men together and get a work crew out there.   Round them up and get the fence fixed.” Murdoch was heading for the front door.

“Sir, what about Johnny?” Scott asked as he met his father at the front door.

Murdoch shook his head.  “I’ll deal with your brother this afternoon.  Right now, we need to get that fence fixed and the cattle back.”

Scott looked at his father and didn’t say a word.  He took his hat and gun and went to do the surveying job he was assigned to complete.

*********

It was early afternoon when Johnny finally reached the north line shack.  It was almost all he could do to get off the wagon.  He slowly took care of the horses before dragging himself into the line shack and falling into a bed.

He knew his side was bleeding and had been for some time, but he was too tired to do anything about it.  He closed his eyes and was asleep in only moments.

*********

Murdoch had just returned from the east pasture when he saw several riders coming under the arch. 

‘What now?’

He walked out to greet his visitors as Cipriano and several hands moved in behind him.   Murdoch recognized Gus Sullivan, as well as all the parents of the other boys.

“Murdoch,” Gus nodded.

“Gus, I thought I told you I didn’t want you on my property again,” Murdoch said, looking up at Sullivan.

Scott had just ridden in and saw the gathering in front of the house.  He walked over to stand by his father.

“Murdoch, please, let me say what I’ve come to say.” Sullivan stepped down from the saddle.  He looked around as the other men stepped down as well.

“Get it said, Sullivan,” Murdoch snapped.

“Murdoch, we’ve all come to thank your son for what he did for our boys this last week.”

Murdoch was caught off guard.  “Gus, I know Scott …,” he started to say and was cut off by Sullivan.

“Not Scott, Murdoch,” Sullivan said, “Johnny.  My boys have told me what Johnny did for them.  Scott, too, but mostly Johnny.  He saved Bill’s life.  Murdoch, if it weren’t for Johnny, none of our sons would be here.  I owe him and you an apology.”

“Murdoch, we were just plain lucky that your Johnny was with those boys,” Barry Ryder spoke up.  “My Al told me how Johnny protected him and the others.”

“Jim can’t stop talking about Johnny,” Bob Wainwright joined in. “Jim’s been reading all the dime novels about Johnny Madrid.  Got it in his head he wanted to be a gunfighter.  It seems Johnny laid down the law to him.  Told him he’d rather be Johnny Lancer, rancher, than Johnny Madrid, gunfighter, any day.  Now Jim says he wants to be a rancher just like your boy.”

“All any of our boys can talk about is Johnny,” Robert Doyle said.  “Frank told me that he was worried about Johnny yesterday.  He really believed what Johnny said about you paying to get Scott back and not wanting him.  I told Frank Johnny was just saying those things to save Scott’s life.”

“Well, of course, he was,” Murdoch said.  “Somehow, Johnny knew Val was there and was playing for time.”

“Well, anyway,” Sullivan spoke up again. “I’m sorry about the things I said about Johnny.  Murdoch, I hope you can forgive me.”

“Thank you, Gus,” Murdoch shook Sullivan’s outstretched hand.  “I’ll let Johnny know all of you came by.”

The men mounted their horses and rode away. 

Scott looked at his father and smiled.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about the neighbors anymore.  It seems my little brother has won them over.  Now, he just has to win over his father.”

“Scott, I’ll ride out to the line shack now.  I’ll stay the night there and help your brother until you get there.”  

Murdoch turned to go inside.   He looked up in time to see Sam’s buggy coming into the yard.

“Sam,” Murdoch stepped closer, “what brings you out here?”

“I was nearby and thought I’d stop in and see how Johnny’s doing,” Sam said as he stepped down and reached for his bag.  “I want to make sure he didn’t pull any of those stitches last night.”

“Stitches?” Murdoch looked at Scott.  “What did he need stitches for?

Sam looked at Murdoch and then at Scott.  “He didn’t tell you last night when he got home that I’d stitched him up?”

“No, I didn’t see him last night.”   

“Murdoch, Johnny was shot yesterday during the rescue of the boys.  Didn’t he tell you?”  Sam frowned.  “Of course, he didn’t tell you. Did you talk to him this morning?”

“We saw him this morning, Sam, but he didn’t mention anything about being wounded,” Scott said.  “How bad is it?”

“Bad enough. I told him he was going to have to stay in bed for at least a week.  Where is he?”

“He left this morning for the north line shack.”

“My God, man,” Sam almost screamed, “your boy has two holes in his side and you let him go off to a line shack.”

“We didn’t know he was wounded,” Murdoch defended himself.

“I knew something wasn’t right yesterday when Val carried him into my office,” Sam said as he turned back to the buggy.  He sat his bag down and turned around.  “If he tore those stitches loose, he could bleed to death.  You need to get him back here as soon as possible.”

Murdoch turned looked towards the corral. “Cipriano, saddle a fresh horse for me and get me some medical supplies.”

“Si, Patron.  Do you want me to send some men with you?”  Cipriano asked as he turned to go.

Murdoch turned and looked at Scott. 

“No, yes… I don’t know.  Scott?” Murdoch sputtered out.

“I’m going with you.  Cipriano, I need a fresh mount also.  Send two men with us, just in case,” Scott said as he turned toward the house.

Thirty minutes later, they were riding north.

*********

Johnny woke just as the sun was setting.   He looked down at his side and saw fresh blood soaking his shirt and knew he was in trouble.  He also knew he had a fever. 

Struggling out of bed, he looked out at the fading light. 

For a brief moment, he wondered what Murdoch and Scott were doing at home.  Then he remembered why he was alone in the shack in the first place.   He reminded himself he was Johnny Madrid and Madrid didn’t need anyone to take care of him.  He’d been hurt worse and come through.

Pushing himself up from the bed, Johnny walked across the room on shaky legs.  Checking the bucket near the sink, he found it empty.  He needed water and the only place he could get it was the nearby creek.  Slowly, he made his way out the door and turned toward the stream.  It took him several minutes, but he finally found himself falling to his knees next to the flowing water. 

Cupping his hand, he lifted the cool water to his lips before splashing some on his face.  Sitting down, he unbuttoned his shirt.  As he took it off, he found that it had stuck to the bloody bandage around his waist.

Slowly, he unwrapped the bandage only to see that he had pulled out all the stitches Sam put in the night before.  He waded his shirt up, soaked it in the stream, and pushed the wet cloth against his side.  A searing pain went through his body.  Looking down at the wound, he could see it was still bleeding.  Putting his hand behind his back, he could feel blood coming from the exit wound.

‘Fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into Madrid. Now, what are you going to do?’

He wondered if he had the strength to get back to the shack and decided he didn’t.  He wrapped his shirt around his waist and tied it as tight as he could.  Finally, he lay down next to the stream.  He decided he would rest for a few minutes before trying to go back inside.

Looking up at the canopy of trees overhead, he watched the leaves dance in the fading light. 

‘Just a few minutes.’

He felt a drop of rain on his face and thought, at first, he was crying.  Another drop and then another fell.  Too tired to wipe away the drops, he thought, ‘The angels are crying.’

Johnny closed his eyes and drifted off.

*********

An hour later, when Murdoch, Scott, Frank, and Walt rode into the clearing in front of the line shack, it had been raining for almost two hours.  They saw the wagon parked outside and the horses in the stable, but no light in the building. 

Murdoch dismounted and walked into the shack through the open door.  He struck a match and found the lantern.  As the room lit up, he looked around.  Scott stepped in next to him, followed by Walt and Frank.

Murdoch walked across the room and looked down at the blood-covered bed.

“Find him,” he shouted, charging out of the building. 

Scott stood for a moment staring at the bed.  There was a lot of blood, too much blood.  He turned and followed his father out.

“There’s no way to find him without lanterns,” Murdoch said as he turned back to the shack. He returned with four lanterns.  Handing one to each of the men, he ordered, “Spread out.”

“He would have gone for water,” Scott said, thinking like his brother.  “If he woke up and was bleeding, he would have gone for water.”

Murdoch nodded and the four men headed for the stream.

Once at the stream, they spread out along the bank.   It soon became evident that the water was rising due to the rain. 

Holding the lantern high, Scott tried to see ahead of him while continually wiping the rain from his eyes.

It was at one of those moments that he wiped his eyes that his foot hit something soft.  He lowered the lantern and saw he’d his brother’s hand.   Looking closer, he saw that Johnny was half in and half out of the steadily rising water.  

“I found him,” he called out.  “Over here.” 

Scott sat his lantern down.  He reached for Johnny’s arm as the others made their way to him.

The ground near the water’s edge was soft and slippery.  No matter how hard he tried, Scott couldn’t get a footing.   He tried to reposition himself.   He found himself playing tug of war with Johnny and the rushing water.

Just when he thought he had a good hold on his brother, a sudden surge of water caught Johnny’s legs and pulled him further into the stream and out of Scott’s grasp.

Scott watched in horror as his brother rolled onto his back and started to float away. 

“Grab him,” Scott yelled.  “The current has him.”  He once more reached for an arm and felt it slip out of his hands.

The steady rains upstream were causing the current to move faster.    Johnny started to roll over onto his face as the water pulled him further downstream.

“NO!” Murdoch screamed just before jumping into the cold water.  He threw himself at his son.  Missing, he lunged forward a second time.   He could feel the current pulling him downstream.  On the next lunge, he took hold of Johnny under his arms and turned his face out of the water.

He pulled his son close to him so that Johnny’s head was next to his.

“I’ve got you, John.  I’ve got you,” he said. “Please hold on.”

The current was now pulling them both along.  It seemed like an eternity he held onto Johnny’s bare chest.  Out of nowhere, Murdoch felt hands pulling them both toward the bank.  Walt and Frank reached for Murdoch and dragged him, along with Johnny, out of the water.   

Murdoch staggered ashore, his arms still around his son.  He laid the limp body down and rolled him over onto his stomach.  He reached around Johnny’s waist and lifted him, trying to dispel the water from the boy’s stomach and lungs.  

“Come on, John,” a scared father repeated over and over. 

The sound of coughing and retching was music to Murdoch’s ears.  He laid Johnny back down and rolled him over before falling next to his side.  He put an arm over his son’s chest and watched as it rose and fell.

Closing his eyes, Murdoch just wanted to rest for a few minutes.  When he opened his eyes, he saw his oldest son kneeling next to him.   

“We have to get him inside.”

Nodding, Murdoch pushed himself to his feet and watched as Walt and Frank picked up the unconscious man.

********

Murdoch entered the shack first and sat his lantern down.  His hands were shaking as he started building a fire in the stove.  He knew it wasn’t only the cold that was making him tremble.  The thought that he’d come so close to losing his youngest son again was causing uncontrolled shivers.

Once the stove caught, he could feel the heat instantly.  Even the little heat that the stove was giving off seemed to take the chill off the air. By the time Walt and Frank carried Johnny in the shack was warming up.

“On the bed,” Scott said, setting his lantern down.

“He’s freezing, Mr. Lancer,” Walt said, through chattering teeth. He stepped back to let Murdoch in.

Seeing a blue tint to Johnny’s skin and lips, Murdoch started rubbing Johnny’s hand. 

“Frank, see if there are any more blankets in here.” 

Scott slid off his rain slicker and took the blanket from Frank. 

“We need to get him out of those wet pants.  He used his shirt as a bandage,” Scott said as he looked around for anything to use as a bandage.

“In my saddlebags, Scott,” Murdoch said as he began to unbutton the sides of Johnny’s pants.

Walt pulled off Johnny’s boots and socks.  Between them, they got Johnny undressed and started drying him off. 

Murdoch unwrapped the shirt from around Johnny’s waist and looked at the open wound.

“He’s too cold for it to bleed.  When he warms up, it’s going to start bleeding again.  We need to bandage it now.  Frank, help me roll him over.  Sam said the bullet went straight through.”

They rolled the limp figure over and saw the fiery red around the exit wound.  

“Damn it, John,” Murdoch said, “what were you thinking?”  He said the words aloud before remembering Walt and Frank were in the room.

“Mr. Lancer, we’re gonna go take care of the horses.” Walt motioned for Frank to follow him out.

Scott moved over to the bed.  Taking a towel, he began drying Johnny’s hair as Murdoch wrapped a clean, dry bandage around the boy’s waist.

“Sir, if we’d been only a few minutes later, he would have been swept downstream.  We would never have found him,” Scott said as he laid his hand on the side of Johnny’s pale face.

“I know,” Murdoch whispered. 

It wasn’t long before Walt and Frank came back in. 

“You men get out of those wet clothes,” Murdoch ordered, not taking his eyes off of his son.  “You too, Scott.”

“No, sir,” Scott answered.  “I’m not as wet as you.  I’ll watch him and you dry off.  I can wait.”  Scott could see that his father visibly shaking.  

Murdoch nodded and didn’t argue.  The three men began shedding clothing and wrapping in blankets.  Walt and Frank took dry clothes from their saddlebags and put them on.   Murdoch hadn’t even thought about a change of clothing.

Once Murdoch was wrapped in a blanket, he went back to sit by the bed.  It was Scott’s turn to get out of his wet things.  It wasn’t long before he, too, was wrapped in a blanket. Scott didn’t have any dry clothes, either.

“Does Johnny have a change of clothes?” Scott asked, looking around for the saddlebags. 

Spotting the bags under the edge of the bed, Scott went through them.  He found a change of clothes for Johnny and a large number of bandages.  He pulled the bandages out and laid them on the table. 

“Sir,” Scott turned to Murdoch, “do you want to get dry long johns on him or just leave him for tonight?”

“Let’s leave him for tonight,” Murdoch replied as he took a chair and moved it to the bed.

Walt began making coffee, as Frank started to fix them something to eat.   Once the coffee was ready, he handed a cup to Murdoch and Scott.  They all collapsed, exhausted.

An hour later, they heard a slight moan.  Murdoch and Scott moved next to the bed and watched as Johnny slowly started opening his eyes.

“Hey,” Johnny said softly, looking up at the faces of his father and brother.

“Hey yourself, little brother,” Scott smiled.   “You gave us a scare.”

“Sorry,” came the weak reply as he rolled onto his uninjured side.   “Didn’t mean to…. just needed time…..  need to decide what to do.”  A fit of coughing drained him as pain tore through his side. 

“Easy,” Murdoch started rubbing his son’s upper back.  “John, what decision do you have to make?”

Murdoch kept rubbing Johnny’s back in a circular motion while waiting for an answer.   He could see the contentment flood over Johnny’s fevered face.  

Johnny’s eyes fluttered closed and then opened again.  He reached up and took hold of his father’s arm.

“Did you see them?”

“See them?  See who?” Murdoch reached down and took Johnny’s hand. 

“The angels…did you see them,” Johnny took a ragged breath. 

Frank and Walt moved closer to listen.

“Angels?” Murdoch looked at Scott.  They could see the fever building behind the bright, glassy eyes.

“They were crying,” he spoke softly.  “I could feel the tears.  The angels were crying.”

“The rain, Mr. Lancer,” Frank spoke up.  “My mama told me once when I was little, that raindrops were the tears of angels.  Mama said the angels were crying.”

“Frank, you saw them?” Johnny asked, trying to stay focused.

“Guess so, Johnny,” Frank answered.  “Saw them a long time ago, though.  The night my mama died, it started to rain.  Mama said the angels had come for her and I wasn’t to cry.  She said the angels would be crying for her.  I swear the moment she died; the rain started falling harder.”

“They’re sad, Pa,” Johnny sighed and closed his eyes. “Never seen so many tears.”

Murdoch buried his head in one of his hands.  Scott grasped his shoulder.  They could hear the rain against the metal roof of the line shack.  They all looked up as the rain started coming down harder.

“John, the angels may be crying tonight, but not for you.  You’re going home with Scott and me.  No one is taking you away from us.  Not tonight, not ever.  You hear me,” Murdoch started stroking the hand he held.  “We love you, John.”

Johnny looked at the light blue eyes of the man he wanted so much to want him.  He heard the last words and tried to absorb their meaning as his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out.

*********

The sound of horses brought all of them out of an uneasy sleep.   None of them had slept much during the night.  They’d all taken turns trying to get Johnny’s fever down.   In the end, Johnny spent the entire night battling both pain and fever. 

Scott stepped outside the line shack to see Val and Cipriano riding in. 

“Val?” Scott said as he moved off the porch of the shack.

“We have ridden most of the night, Senor Scott,” Cipriano said as he stepped down.  “Senor Val would not wait until morning.”

Val looked past Scott to the shack.  “How is he?” his voice was full of concern.

Scott didn’t answer at first.  “Not good,” Scott finally said.  Scott told him how they’d found Johnny the night before.

Val stepped around the tall blond and went into the shack.  His eyes immediately fell on his friend and could see the pain etched on Johnny’s flushed face.

Murdoch pushed himself stiffly out of the chair he’d spent the night in as Val and Scott came into the shack.

“I came out to the ranch last night. Cipriano told me where you’d gone.  I knew he was in trouble when I found the bottle of laudanum in Johnny’s room.”

Taking the brown bottle out of his shirt pocket, Val handed it to Scott before moving to the bed.  He went down on one knee next to it and put a hand on Johnny’s forehead, brushing away his hair.  

“Val,” Johnny whispered as he opened his eyes, “what are you doing here?”

“Knew you couldn’t stay out of trouble, Amigo,” Val answered, stroking Johnny’s hair.

“You know me too well,” Johnny tried to joke and ended up coughing instead.

“You need to take something for the pain,” Val said, more of a statement than a question.

Johnny started to say something and saw his father moving closer.

“Val’s right, John.  Let us give you something.” Murdoch knelt at the head of the bed.

Val leaned over and cradled Johnny’s head in his arm.  He put his lips close to Johnny’s ear and spoke to him softly.  So softly that only Johnny could hear.  

Johnny’s eyes fixed on his friend and shook his head.  Val leaned over him again said something else. The expression on Johnny’s face changed and he nodded.

“Scott, can you get me a cup of water and put some of that stuff in it.  He’s gonna take it now,” Val said, turning to look at Scott.

Scott gave Val the cup as Val lifted Johnny’s head.  His brother took a sip of the water and made a face. 

“Go on, hijo,” Val said softly.

Johnny drained the cup and laid back down.

Val smiled at him and stood up.  He looked at Murdoch and Scott.

“What did you say to get him to agree to take the medicine?” Murdoch felt a pang of jealousy toward the man his son seemed to trust more than his own father.

“I told him we wouldn’t let nothing happen to him.  Told him he needed to trust his Pa to take care of him,” Val answered.

Val left out the part where he’d said, ‘You know I love you, boy, but if you don’t take the damn laudanum, I’m gonna kick your sorry ass for worrying me half to death.’

Murdoch moved back to the bed to see his son’s face ease as the pain vanished.

“Walt, can you and Frank hitch up the wagon?” Murdoch asked.  “I want to get him home this morning.”

The two men nodded and went outside.  The rain had stopped during the early hours of the morning, leaving the air fresh and clean.

“I’m going back and make sure Sam is waiting for you when you get there.”  Val glared at Murdoch.  “I made him a promise you’d take care of him.  You make sure to keep that promise.”

The two men locked eyes.  Val wasn’t happy with Murdoch Lancer and made sure the older man knew it.  Then taking one last look at the now sleeping figure, he stepped out of the shack and headed for his horse.

Murdoch followed him.  Once outside, he watched Val mount his horse and then turned to his Segundo.  “Cipriano, go back with Val. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

“Si, Patron.”

Scott stepped out of the line shack in time to hear Val’s comment.

“Murdoch,” Scott said, “about Val.”

“I don’t want to discuss Val Crawford.” Murdoch snapped, then took a breath.  “How does he do that?”  Murdoch turned to Scott.  “How does he get that boy to do what I can’t?  Your brother listens to Crawford and does what he says when he won’t listen to me.”

“Murdoch, there is something more to their relationship than either of them is willing to tell. Someday…”

“Yes, Scott and someday, I’m going to find out what that relationship is, but today we need to get your brother back to the ranch.”

“Yes, we do, but first we need to get his pants on him. I don’t think he would thank us for dragging him all over the ranch in his birthday suit.”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t,” Scott smiled.   “I need to have a long talk with my little brother.  I would like to know what he was doing coming out here in this condition.”

“I don’t know that I’ll ever understand him.  I’m afraid you’re going to have to stand in line for that talk, son,” Murdoch said as he brushed his hand over Johnny’s warm face.

Walt stepped back into the shack.

“We’re ready, Mr. Lancer.”

“Just a few minutes, Walt,” Scott said.  “We’re going to get some clothes on him.”

A half-hour later, they were headed back to the ranch house.  Scott rode in the back of the wagon with his brother, cradling his head and shoulders, while Walt drove.   Frank and Murdoch rode alongside and Scott and Walt’s horses were tied to the tailgate.

Five hours after leaving the line shack, they entered the yard in front of the house.   The first person they saw was Sam.  The second person was Val.

Sam walked around to the rear of the wagon.  He took one look at his patient and shook his head.  “Get him upstairs.”

*********

Murdoch paced in front of his desk while Scott watched him from a chair.  They’d been home for two hours and Sam was still upstairs with Johnny.   They’d heard Maria going up and down the back stairs into the kitchen several times.

Scott got up and poured himself another drink.  Val sat quietly in a chair near the fireplace.  He hadn’t said more than two words to them since they’d gotten home.

Scott finally broke the silence. “Val, you knew he was hurt the other day in the clearing, didn’t you?”

Val nodded but didn’t say anything.

“Why didn’t you or Johnny say anything?” Scott bit back his anger.

Val looked at Scott and then at Murdoch.   “The boy didn’t want you to know because he didn’t figure you would care anyway.  He said he didn’t want your help.”

Val stood up and got himself a drink.

“We wouldn’t care?  Why would he think that?” Murdoch was advancing on Val.

Val had held his tongue long enough.   He was angry and was going to give them a piece of his mind.

“I don’t know… maybe because you don’t care about him.  What did you do the other day when the shooting stopped?  I tell you what you did.  You walked straight over to Scott and put your arms around him.  What did you do to Johnny?  You squeezed his arm.” Val was getting madder. “Do you know how bad you hurt that boy?”

“Val, I know how Johnny feels about public displays of affection,” Murdoch answered.

“You don’t know nothing about him,” Val shook his head.  “The only thing you know is what you’ve heard about Madrid.   Well, that boy is more than Madrid.   Madrid is a mask he uses to protect himself.  Underneath is a little boy who needs his Pa.  He needed your arms around him as much as Scott did.

“He hated you. You know that, don’t you?  He told me the first day he met you here in this room, he was ready to put a bullet in your head.  He couldn’t explain it himself, but he said one look at you and the hate started to seep out of him.

“It didn’t take him long to realize he didn’t hate you anymore.  When he got over the hate, he was scared.  I’ve never known Johnny to be scared of much, but he was afraid you wouldn’t want him like his mother didn’t want him, like his mother told him you didn’t want him.  He wants you to love him more than you know.

“My heart breaks when I see the way he looks at you and I know you don’t feel the same way about him.”

“I do love my son.  How dare you tell me how I feel about him.” Murdoch was towering over Val. 

“Son, is it?” Val ground the words out.  “When was the last time you called him ‘son’ to his face?”

“I call him that all the time,” Murdoch shot back.

“That right?  That’s not the way I heard it,” Val hissed.

Murdoch shook his head.  He’d just about had enough of this man—the man who had placed himself into the new family dynamics.  The man, his youngest son, trusted and listened to when he wouldn’t even listen to his father.

“I know you and John have a relationship I don’t understand…”

“That’s right and you never will unless he tells you.  It’s his story to tell if he ever wants to.” Val was walking back to the bar.  He took a deep breath.  He knew this was doing no good.  

Murdoch calmed down and took a breath. “If he doesn’t believe I want him, then why is he still here?”

Val turned and looked at him.  “I can answer that in one word… Scott.”

“Scott?” Murdoch looked at his oldest.

Scott took a step forward.

“Johnny always wanted an older brother.  Even when he was little, he would pretend his big brother would come to protect him and take care of him.  He finally has that brother and he don’t want to lose him.” Val looked down at his glass.  “That and he kept hoping you would change how you feel about him.  He …he loves you, Mr. Lancer.  It’s hard for the Johnny Lancer part of him to understand why you don’t love him back.  The Johnny Madrid part of him knows why.”

Murdoch sat down slowly on the edge of his desk. 

“Val, why did Johnny go up to the line shack by himself, knowing how badly he was hurt?” Scott asked.

“It’s his way.  Whenever he’s sick or hurt, he finds a safe place to hide out and heal up.  He’s always taken care of himself.  He didn’t want anyone to know he was hurt.  He knows if he shows any weakness, it could get him killed.  Too many people still want a piece of Madrid.”

Val sat back down.

“But we’re his family,” Scott said.  “Doesn’t he know he doesn’t have to take care of himself alone anymore?”

“Guess he wasn’t so sure all of his family was wanting him.” Val was looking at Murdoch.   

Sam was standing at the top of the stairs listening to the conversation in the Great Room.  He slowly walked down the stairs drawing everyone’s attention to him.

“Sam?” Murdoch stood up and walked toward the doctor.

“I don’t know, Murdoch,” Sam said as he poured himself a drink.  “He’s lost a lot of blood.  He’s not back to full strength after Pardee’s bullet.  I don’t know if he has the strength now to fight.  He’s sick.  He has a fever and it’s going to get worse.  There’s fluid in his lungs.  I expect he’ll develop pneumonia.   That combined with the infection from the wounds….” He stopped and shook his head.   

“Murdoch, he has to have something to fight for.” Sam sat down.  “I want you to answer a question.   Do you or do you not want that boy?   I don’t mean just the Lancer part of him.  I mean all of him, Lancer and Madrid.  If you don’t, I want him.  I’ll take him out of here as soon as he’s well enough to travel.”

“No, Doc,” Val spoke up.  “If Johnny is going with anyone, it’s gonna be me.  You get him well enough to travel and I’ll take him.  Me and him can head up north, maybe Montana.  They don’t know much about Madrid up there.  I can keep him safe until he’s back on his feet.”

“Now wait a minute,” Scott jumped up.  “I love my brother.  No one is taking him anywhere unless I’m with him.  Montana doesn’t sound so bad, Val.  I have my own money.  We can buy a spread up there.”

“That does sound good.” Val turned to Scott.  “Don’t know how Johnny feels about it, but as long as he’s safe.  He knows how I feel about him.  I love the boy, always have.  Scott, I know he loves you, too.”

“I suppose I could go with you,” Sam was now facing Val and Scott. “I can set up practice there as good as I have here.  He’ll need a doctor.  Lord knows the boy is a magnet for trouble.”

Murdoch sat watching the three men trying to divide his youngest son up.  He wondered how he’d gotten so far off track.  After spending years searching for the boy, now he had him and if he didn’t do something, he would lose him again.

Murdoch suddenly realized he couldn’t love just half of his son.  He had to love all of him and he did love him.  Lancer or Madrid, he loved his son.

He stood up and looked at Scott, Val, and Sam. 

“No one is taking my son anywhere.  He’s staying right here.  I love that boy and I want him.  I always have.  I’m not sure how I lost sight of that fact, even for a second.  I just need to make sure he knows it.  Lancer is his home as much as it is Scott’s.”

“And just when were you going to let him know that?” Sam asked.  “Before or after you bury him?”

Murdoch didn’t answer.  He turned and walked up the stairs to the second floor.  He quickly moved down the hall and pushed the door to Johnny’s room open.

His son lay in the bed, pale and fighting for every breath.  He looked so very young.  For a moment, he thought back to the baby who had stolen his heart the moment he was born. That boy was gone now.  He knew that.  It had been hard for him to come to that realization. 

His little boy wasn’t so little anymore.  He wondered how he was going to be able to convince him that he was loved and wanted. 

Murdoch walked over to the bed and sat on the side.  He reached over and pulled his son up by his shoulders and laid him against his chest.  He could feel Johnny’s ragged breath on his neck as he cradled his son’s head against him.  

Scott, Val and Sam stood in the doorway, watching the big man hold his youngest son.

Murdoch started rubbing Johnny’s back and rocking back and forth like he’d done when Johnny was a baby and was sick.  He whispered in his ear how much he loved him and how much he wanted him.  He only hoped that Johnny could hear him.

*********

Johnny had laid down next to the stream and fallen asleep.  He slowly felt his body being lifted by the current of the stream. When the cold water took hold of him, he hadn’t had the strength left in him to fight it, even if he wanted to.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt that it would be better this way.  He wasn’t afraid of dying.  He had made his peace with death years ago.  He regretted Murdoch would never know how much he loved and needed him.

The next thing he truly remembered was warm arms surrounding him and being rocked.  A soft voice was saying how much he’d been loved and wanted as a baby.  The same voice told him he was loved and wanted now.  Then he heard the word he’d hoped to hear for so long. The man called him son. For the first time, since coming home, his father called him son.

Johnny suddenly felt safe.  He felt warm and loved and didn’t want the arms to let him go and he didn’t want the rocking to stop.  He sighed and buried his head deeper into the chest of the man holding him.

He couldn’t form the words that were flooding his mind.    He said the words silently to himself at first, ‘Te amo, Papa.’

Finally, he snuggled closer to the man holding him and said the words aloud for the first time, “Te amo, Papa.”

He felt the arms pull him in tighter.  Finally, he heard his father’s voice saying the words he needed to hear.  “Te amo, mijo.” 

Murdoch looked over his shoulder to find Scott, Val and Sam standing behind him.   He turned his attention back to his youngest son.

What had Sam said, “He has to have something to fight for.”    He had to make Johnny realize he did have something to fight for.    

It wasn’t going to be easy, but nothing worth having ever was.

********

The three men standing in the doorway suddenly felt like intruders.

Val heard Murdoch tell Johnny that he loved him and called him ‘son.’

‘It’s about time,’ he thought.

Val nudged Scott and motioned for him to leave.   He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing everything was going to be alright.   Turning away, Val didn’t want the others to see the mist forming in his eyes.  He knew Johnny was finally being accepted by his father, his real father, and that’s the way it should be.   That’s the way it should have always been.

Scott and Sam followed Val back downstairs.

Scott went to the drink cart and poured them each a drink.   He handed a glass to Val and then one to Sam.   With a smile on his face, he raised his glass.  

“A toast, gentlemen,” Scott said, looking at Val and Sam.  “A toast to those two men upstairs.  A toast to my father and my little brother.”

“Hear, hear,” Sam replied.

Val raised his glass and nodded.  ‘Damn right.’

~end~
September 2018

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