(Announcement)

SMARMSLUT ADEPT: Hello everyone, and welcome to the third part of our story. We hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to drop us a line here and let us know if you have any comments-we'd love to hear from you!

(pounding sound)

SMARMSLUT QUEEN: Let us out of this closet NOW!

SMARMSLUT MASTER: You can't keep us in here forever!

ADEPT: (cracks whip) Quiet in there! I've got the whip now and I'm the one giving the orders around here! (returns) So anyway, here's this week's installment! Happy reading!

(sound of lock being picked from inside the closet)

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Ashes of the Mind, pt 3
by the Smarm Sluts


The day after the hunting trip, Ezra was sitting outside the saloon drinkin his morning coffee. The afternoon stage was only a few minutes away and he was enjoying the quietness of the moment. Soon Buck and JD would pop out of the saloon jumping on any poor unsuspecting female to exit the stage. Grinning, Ezra just sat back and waited for the show. Hopefully some wealthy businessmen on their way to Denver would arrive and things could pick up.

Ezra turned his thoughts back to the hunt yesterday. JD seemed to make some progress out of the hurried, instinctual thought patterns of youth and actually be putting forth the effort to think and reason his way out of things. The boy was surprisingly intelligent and with time could improve himself.

"Afternoon Ezra!" JD hailed him as he and Buck, accompanied by Nathan, came out of the saloon.

"Or is it mornin' still for ya?" Nathan grinned, Ezra rarely was up before noon these days. At least, to Nathan's knowledge he was sleeping peacefully through the night again.

"Mr. Jackson," Ezra grinned up at the trio. "I'll have you know the merits of an early rising are highly exaggerated. I prefer the proclivities of the nocturnal nature."

Nathan and Buck looked at each other in puzzlement. JD just grinned at Ezra and looked towards the edge of town, dust from the stage could be seen.

"C'mon Buck." JD says gesturing. "The stage is comin' in!"

"Well lets go git us some girls , JD!" Buck whoops and Nathan follows them, smiling broadly.

Chris and Vin were seated on two chairs, watching the town in companionable silence. Vin grins at Buck and JD's good natured bantering as they wait to see who jumps out of the stage. Josiah was on the church roof, mending some shingles, idly watching the scene below.

But all were surprised at one of the four men who exited the stage. Judge Orin Travis looked about until he spotted Chris, and motioned for him to join him. Both Chris and Vin got up and met the Judge as he waved Buck, JD and Nathan over as well.

"Chris." Judge Travis nodded to the gunslinger. "I need to talk to you and all the boys, as soon as you can gather them together and meet me in the Jail."

Chris nodded and looked to JD. "Go get Ezra, I'll get Josiah and meet you all at the jail."

"Right Chris!" JD sped off, wondering what the heck was going on that was so important, but like Ezra had told him yesterday, patience was a virtue. One he planned on using from now on. After all it did get him the shot and the game yesterday.

"Ezra!" JD called to the reclining gambler. "Judge wants to see us all in the jail!"

Ezra turned in JD's direction, sighed, as he had just spied someone worth engaging in a card game, and stood.

"You know why the good Judge wants us?" Ezra stretched and followed JD down the street.

"Not a clue, but he didn't look happy.." JD 's voice trailed off in uncertainty.

"Oh joy." Ezra muttered under his breath, wondering what disaster awaited for them to solve this time. The two met up with the others just as Josiah sat down in a chair in the jail.

"Now that you all are here." Judge Travis started without preamble. "We have a problem, gentlemen."

"What kind of problem?" Buck narrows his eyes, sensing the seriousness of the older man's tone. Something very bad was coming....

"Somewhere outlaws on the run are getting help and disappearing right out from underneath us." Travis sighed, sitting on the edge of the desk. "We track them to a certain point and they just disappear, seemingly into thin air. We followed a couple discretely, and we think they are somewhere near the Branford Asylum."

"Branford Asylum?" Nathan looked puzzled.

"A facility where people who are not quite 'right in the head' are sent so they don't hurt themselves or others." Josiah explained, an odd look on his face. "Usually the conditions there are terrible and disease is prevalent."

"You mean crazy people?" JD asked, and got cuffed in the head by Buck. "What?"

"Exactly, son." The Judge grinned.

"So what do you want us to do?" Chris spoke up. Something abut this whole thing was sending little alarms off in Chris' head.

"I need two things." The Judge sighed. "I need one of you to go into the Asylum and look around, the rest of you can follow a lead I have on the cattle rustlers who got away from you last month. Sources say they are in the area and if they disappear..."

"We'll never catch them." Nathan finished. Casting a glance at Ezra's suddenly hard face. Maybe this was what Ezra needed to put the whole thing behind him.

"I don't like just one of us being alone like that." Chris spoke up. "Not a good situation if something goes wrong."

"There is a Governmental inspection team going to that facility. One of the men has fallen ill and I was intending to replace him with one of you." Judge Travis looked directly at Ezra.

"Me?" Ezra was astonished "Now why would I want to willingly go into such a den of depravity?"

"Think of it as a way to show off your skills Ezra...without ending up in a jail!" Buck teased.

"Mr. Wilmington." Ezra shot him a look of annoyance. "No one in their right mind walks into a place such as that without seriously risking his health. I have no wish to go anywhere near that....'facility'."

"All it would entail is a quick trip in to look around and them get out." Travis looked at the gambler, the man didn't look compliant.

"And you won't go in alone." Chris spoke up, then turned to Ezra. "Pick your backup."

"You are assuming I am going before I accede to the request." Ezra stared right back at Chris' frown, not backing down one inch. "Give me one good reason why I should."

The rest held their breath, waiting for Chris's reaction to Ezra's refusal. Chris just looked at him for a second. Deciding if he should force Ezra into something he really wasn't into, or let him decide for himself. Finally Chris looked him straight in the eyes.

"Because your the best one of us to pull this off without getting in trouble." Chris stated, a slight growl in his voice. "And I figured you'd want to get those guys back for what they did."

Ezra regarded Chris with a slight frown, it was the first time anyone had gone out and said anything about the men who got away to his face, and Ezra was trying to decide if Chris blamed him. But he could read no blame in the blue eyes. Only the steely determination usually present.

"Alright." Ezra nodded, ignoring his intuition. He would go a long ways to gain Chris's approval. "I'll do it."

"Way to go Ezra!" Buck slapped him on the shoulder, earning him an annoyed frown in retaliation.

"So who's going with him?" JD asked, excitement in his voice.

"I might be able to add an assistant to the roster going in, but it would have to be convincing." Judge Travis said, trying to figure a way for it to work without looking fishy.

"Well I could do that!" JD piped up, then looked around when no one readily agreed. "I could!"

"We know that JD, but..." Buck started, not liking the idea of JD going into a dangerous situation without him there to back him up.

"No." Ezra stopped him. "Young Mr. Dunne will fit the role better than anyone."

"What?" Buck gives Ezra a dark look. "Are you crazy?"

"Not at all Mr. Wilmington. Mr. Dunne has the right qualities for the job, an unidentifiable accent, youthful demeanor and a sharp mind. He will do perfectly for what I have in mind." Ezra shot a glance at the Judge, who was frowning thoughtfully.

"Everyone has a purpose, Brother Buck." Josiah tries to calm the agitated gunslinger.

"C'mon Buck!" JD said puzzled, he was positively glowing at Ezra's praise. "What's the big deal. I can handle this!"

"What do you have in mind Mr. Standish?" Judge Travis silenced the room with his question.

"A little..... subtlety." Ezra grins, provoking groans from Nathan, Buck, Vin and Josiah.