Brian, Justin, Emmett, Ted, Michael, and Ben were exhausted. They had been riding for twenty-four hours with only a couple of short stops. But, they all knew that they had to use their headstart to their advantage and get away from the men that they knew were pursuing them.
They were four hours away from safety. Four hours from Tombstone, Arizona, so they decided to take a little break. Finding a nice stream, with fresh green grass all around, they got off of their horses. After letting the horses drink from the stream, they ground-tied them so they could graze.
Sitting down, behind a rock overhang, they each took some beef jerkey and bread out of their saddlebags. They also made sure to grab their canteens. All six men were silent for a few minutes, just eating and drinking their water. It was Justin who broke the silence. After swallowing a mouthful of food, Justin looked at Brian. "Do you think they're close?" he asked.
They all knew that he was talking about the peacekeepes from Four Corners. Brian nodded. "I do. I know that we had a headstart, but... I don't know. I have this feeling that they're closing in. But, I also know that they're not taking me to jail or to hang. No matter what."
Thirty minutes later, after re-filling their canteens, the six outlaws were back on their way toward Tombstone.
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"Are we gettin' any closer, Vin?" asked Buck.
Vin nodded. "They're going this way. They are only a couple of hours ahead of us. They're gonna hit Arizona Territory if they keep headin' in a straight line."
"Well, we'd better keep after them," said Chris.
"What are we going to do if we find them?" asked JD.
"It's not if, it's when," Chris answered. "And, we'll take them back to Four Corners."
"And, if they refuse to accompany us?" inquired Ezra.
"They'll be goin' back to Four Corners with us. It's their choice whether it's alive or dead," Chris coldly replied.
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"Finally," sighed Emmett when the six men pulled their horses to a stop in front of a nice looking two-story Bordello.
As they got off of their horses, tying them to the wooden rail, Justin commented, "Ive never been in one of these places before."
Brain smirked. "There's a first time for everything." After reaching the front porch, Brian pounded on the door. A few minutes later, the door was opened by a woman with bright red hair.
"Hey, Kiddo!" she exclaimed as she grabbed him in a tight hug.
"Hey, Deb," he replied.
A few minutes later, Michael was recieving the same treatment. "Need to breath... Ma," Michael squeaked out.
After gently hugging Ben, and cooing over his injury, she hugged Ted and Emmett. Looking at Justin, she asked, "And, who's this yummy morsel?"
"Justin, this is Debbie. Debbie this is Justin."
"Ma'am," Justin said with a bright smile.
"Cute and has manners. The men would love him here," said Debbie.
"Deb," Brian said in a warning tone. "He'll not be doing that."
Debbie gave Brian a knowing look. "Doing what?" questioned Justin.
"Debbie has some working girls but she also has a few woking men. It's all kept hush hush in public, but if you know the right code word, then you can rent a man. You know, man on man loving," answered Brian.
Justin blushed when he realized what Brian was talking about. "Well," said Debbie, "c'mon in. Vic's been dying to see you all. And, Ben should be laying down and resting." As the six men walked into the Bordello, Brian couldn't shake the bad feeling that had gripped him. He knew that it had something to do with Chris and the other peacekeepers. He knew that they were probably closing in on them at that very moment. He didn't want to have to kill is cousin, or the other lawmen for that matter, but he wasn't going to pison and he damned sure wasn't going to hang. And, he wasn't about to let either thing happen to Justin or his men.