SMARMSLUT ADEPT: Greetings once again, dear Dears! You will be happy to know that my nose is just about healed up after last week's, er-unfortunate accident.

SMARMSLUT QUEEN: If you didn't have such a big mouth you wouldn't have so many of these 'accidents'.

SMARMSLUT MASTER: Yeah, you almost told 'em who we were!

ADEPT: Well, rest assured that won't happen again, as I have been threatened with even more painful punishment of it does.

QUEEN: Yeah-like having to spend a day handcuffed to a CBS programming executive.

ADEPT: (shudders) All RIGHT! I said I'd behave!

QUEEN: Good for you, too. Our identities will remain secret for now, but we're all glad you're enjoying the story! There's lots of fun ahead!

MASTER: Except, of course, for Ezra.

QUEEN: So enjoy this week's installment! Feedback is always welcome!

ADEPT: Hey, anyone seen my nose sling?

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Ashes of the Mind, pt 7
by the Smarm Sluts

It was dark when Vin scouted over the last hill into the town of River Flats. The trip had been silent, the usual banter stifled in he wake of Chris's bad mood. besides without JD or Ezra, who tended to be the talkers of the group, nothing much happened.

Vin quickly made his way to Chris.

"It's just over the rise, looks quiet, everyone either in bed or about to be. Might be a good time to go in." Vin kept his voice soft, and looked at the others as he spoke.

"Alright." Chris said, eyes narrowing as he thought, "we go in, hit the saloon, and the boarding house. Get rooms and we wait for the judge, but don't let an opportunity to find out about this guy we're after pass. Word is he's on of the two Jed rode off with. I want 'im."

"Nathan and I will take the boarding house." Josiah spoke up, "we'll get three rooms and double some of us up."

"Better give Buck the single room." Vin grinned. "He might kick us out if he gets 'company' tonight otherwise!"

The others guffawed quietly and Chris just shook his head. It was probably closer to the truth than Buck liked to admit.

With purpose in their bearing, the five men went into the town.

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Ezra crouched against the cold stone wall and tried for the hundredth time to think. And for the hundredth time, nothing was coming.

Certainly the atmosphere didn't help any: the room they had tossed him into was small and damp, a gray-blue grimy cell lit only by a very small, high window on one wall. Now even that light was fading, as night came on; the small bit of sky he could see was deepening into a dusky purple. There was no furniture in the room, only a cursory scattering of filthy straw on the floor. They had relieved the gambler of his coat and vest, and he shivered in the clammy air as he pondered the situation, his mood growing as dark as the falling night.

Jed Maxwell. Incredible that he should run into him here, of all places. Ezra tried to fight back the terror that Jed's scarred, sadistic face awoke in him, but all he could see in front of his eyes were the consuming flames, all he could hear were the agonized shrieks as Ezra recalled the horrifying sight of one of Jed's men being burned alive. He had hoped he could forget that time when the cruel criminal had held Ezra hostage; but now he feared he would have all too great a reason to remember it.

His heart pounded, his dry mouth ached as fear crawled up his throat. Ezra huddled against the wall and called upon his years of training to dispel the panic. Think, Ezra, don't feel, his mother's voice advised him; feelings will only drive you to hasty actions of ill consequence. A smart man can use his mind to escape from any situation. And Ezra could certainly do that...if only he wasn't almost paralyzed with dread.

He needed help, but he had no hope of finding any. The guards were decidedly unsympathetic, and the inmates...Ezra knew he had no hope of communicating anything to them. His situation did seem bleak; all of his life he had been able to win by reading people's minds through their actions and controlling the situation by playing on their weaknesses. But here everyone was insane, their minds unreadable, and nothing he knew of could help him gain the confidence of a madman.

Ezra shook himself angrily; he needed a plan, damn it. If no one could help him, he'd help himself, he'd certainly gotten out of enough tight spots before. Surely a situation would present itself in which he could escape. There had to be a way out of here-

The door flew open suddenly, and someone was pushed into the gloomy cell, falling to the floor as the door slammed shut again. Ezra's eyes grew wide as the figure got to its hands and knees and looked around.

"JD?" My God, Ezra thought, he was still alive.

"Ezra!" The young man staggered to his feet, and even in the darkness Ezra could see JD's expression of concern as he approached his friend.

"You all right, son?" Ezra said, grabbing JD's arms. The other man nodded.

"Aw hell yeah, they knocked me around a bit but I'm OK. They said they were gonna take me out soon, but they don't scare me."

Ezra stared at his young friend for a moment, then sighed. "I must apologize for dragging you into this, JD."

"Now don't you worry, Ezra," JD replied, "it looks bad, but we'll find a way out of this. When they take me outside I'm gonna make a break for it."

He was fighting-that was good. Ezra nodded as he clasped JD's shoulder.

"Do what you must, JD, but don't wait for me. Get Chris and tell Judge Travis that their suspicions were right, and to come here with all possible speed."

JD nodded, and Ezra could see his eyes shining in the gathering dusk.

"We ain't gonna leave you here, Ezra. I-I sure wish I could help you. Maybe we could rush them when they come back-"

"That would only result in us getting shot, I'm afraid," Ezra said, dropping his arm and backing away a bit, looking away as the enormity of their situation struck him again. "I plan to look for my own situation to escape-"

The door was pulled open violently; both men shielded their eyes from the bright lamps which seared the gloom of the small cell. Through the painful glare Ezra saw a burly guard lunge in and grab JD.

"Ezra!" JD cried, extending his hand to shake Ezra's one last time; Ezra reached out to his young friend but was instantly clubbed to the ground by two other guards. By the time he was allowed to lift his head, JD was gone, and Jed was standing over him, his thin menacing frame silhouetted in the dancing light, his long black hair lit like a demon's halo.

"Touching display there, Standish," Jed chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll see your little pal again soon enough. It's just that your trip to Hell is gonna be a lot longer and more painful than his. Hope you can stand the wait."

Ezra started to stand before a sharp kick from Jed's boot sent him collapsing to the floor again. As the world wheeled around him, he saw the lamplight fade away, and heard the dooming echo as the door slammed closed again, leaving him in darkness and isolation once more. Once his head stopped spinning, Ezra found himself pinned to the floor in grief, his hands clutching at the muddy straw in remorse.

God, JD, he moaned to himself, wondering what fate that monster had in store for the poor kid. God, JD, I'm sorry. Get away if you can. You may be the only hope we have of stopping this.