The Gunslinger's Gift

by April Zyon

  She looked to the guard who was watching over her and grinned. “Did James tell you to not stray more than two feet from me?” The poor man seemed uncomfortable in his full military combat gear and heavy-looking weapon. “Because I don’t think he meant that you had to literally walk in my shadow.” She didn’t mind the company, but heavens, to have someone right on her heels was a little frustrating.

  Sophia missed James. He’d been locked up with Mercury, Gaius, Jason, and some of the other Guardians, including a very large Viking that had all but adopted her and Vivian as his kin, something that bugged James to no end and made Sophia smile.

  She needed to connect with nature, and while the Mountain was a very secure and remarkable place, there was no grass she could tread on, no trees she could touch, nothing to reconnect her to the surroundings. Therefore, she had demanded that she be allowed out of the Mountain for a nice stroll, or she was going to hurt someone. It didn’t help that she had been ill for the last week, either.

  “My orders were to be no more than five feet from you at all times and to keep out of your way,” the Marine said. “As you seem determined to wander in no particular pattern, the safest place to avoid being trampled is in your shadow. Ma’am.”

  “I’m sorry.” Sophia reached out and touched a leaf that was wilting on a flower and closed her eyes, feeling the energy of the plant she touched. When she opened her eyes again, she let out a breath, happy that the plant was no longer drooping. “I’m rather random. I always have been. It’s one of those things that’s just inherently me,” she admitted honestly.

  “What’s your name? I’m Sophia, but you likely know that already. What did you do to pull this punishment?” She saw the confusion on his face and laughed. “The punishment of following the random me around.”

  “This is not a punishment, ma’am. It’s an honored post. The Guardians explained everything to us before we were brought in. It’s more than a little wild and crazy, but it also makes a very strange amount of sense. To be on a VV’s protection detail means that the Guardian of the VV trusts the one on the detail, ma’am.” He shrugged at her look. “Most people just call me Hasher, ma’am.”

  “Hasher, it’s very nice to meet you.” Sophia bowed her head. “Please, call me Sophia or Fia. From what I understand, you and your team are here for a very long while.” She wanted to make friends, and if this man was supposed to be on her personal protection detail, then she wanted to have him as one. “And if I know James, he’ll be here fairly soon.” That had her sporting a silly smile. She was so in love that it wasn’t even funny. “He can’t stay from me, but that’s okay, because I can’t seem to stay from him, either.”

  “I’m sure he will be, ma’am,” Hasher said. At her look, he crooked a corner of his mouth. “Sophia,” he amended. When she nodded and continued on her way, she felt him fall into step behind her.

  For a time they walked, right up until what had to be a wasp went whizzing past her head. Only the thud of something heavy hitting the ground behind her had her turning. Hasher was on the ground, gasping for air, and the retort of the gunshot finally reached her, echoing off the mountain and bouncing around. “Run,” he gasped out.

  Sophia just stared. Then, she dropped to her knees and pulled her sweater from her shoulders. Wadding it up, she pressed it to his chest. “Not happening, Hasher.” She should run, she knew that she should run, but she couldn’t let him die. It would break something inside of her.

  She ducked again, reached down and grabbed the handgun that was strapped to the man’s thigh, and shot it off twice behind her. She wasn’t aiming, just trying to make sound, so that the people inside of the Mountain knew there was trouble. “Crap. I don’t have my phone.” Sophia always forgot her freaking phone. She would put the stupid thing on a string and wrap it around her neck from here on out.

  “Hasher, keep your eyes open.” She was crying, she realized, as the first, hot tear hit the back of her bloody hand. “Hasher!” she screamed when he closed his eyes and didn’t move, almost deadly still.

  * * * *

  “James!” Janet yelled as she ran down the hall. “Crap you are seriously a hard man to reach, you know that?” She stopped before James and Jason and grinned. “So, how you doing?” She was trying to school her features as she looked up at the two big men. When she saw Mercury approaching them as well, she smiled all the bigger. “How’s Sophia?”

  “Fine,” he said, with a frown. “She’s out having a walk about the base of the mountain right now. Where I was heading, actually, so if you don’t mind…?”

  “Mercury!” someone bellowed at the top of his lungs.

  All four of them turned to look up the corridor where Alexander came racing their way. He looked pale, sickly almost, as he skidded to a stop. “Sophia’s been taken,” he rasped out. “Hasher’s been shot, and she was taken. Best I could tell from the video feed was that one of the Evil Ones snatched her up, tied her wrists, put a bag over her head, and hauled ass to the north-east.”

  “How long ago?” Mercury demanded.

  “Just saw the tail end. Helen hit rewind so we could see what was going on, and then I came right here.”

  James looked much worse than Alexander. He was weaving on his feet, and his was mouth moving, but no sound was coming out. Jason grabbed his arm then slapped him hard across the face.

  “What the hell was that for?” James growled.

  “To get your ass in gear. Your woman fucking needs you, so no fainting until after we get here back. Merc, we need those choppers in the air. Now,” Jason said.

  “On it. Alex, you stay close to him and make sure he doesn’t get himself killed before we get her back. Jason, you head up to the helicopter pad. I’ll relay everything straight to. Move!” Mercury ordered before taking off at a dead run up the hall.

  “Wait!” Janet shouted at the men, running after them. “I need to get to Hasher, but you need to know something too.” She looked at James then Mercury, and then back to James. “Sophia is pregnant. Her blood-work just got back, and she’s freaking pregnant.” She was pissed because they had to send the blood out instead of Mercury getting her the machines she needed to ensure that she was able to do blood panels in house. “I just got the results. You have to get her back.” If the Dark ones were able to get a child of a Guardian and VV… Oh, that would be very, very bad.

  James just about fell right over at her words. All the men appeared stunned as they stared at her. “You’re absolutely sure?” Mercury asked.

  At her nod, Jason burst out with a laugh and smacked James on the shoulder. “Good going, old man,” he said. “How far along is she? When’s this blood test from, anyway?”

  “She’s six weeks along. I would have known faster, if I had the machines here to do the blood panels myself.” Janet shot Mercury a heated glare. “I just really hope that the shot didn’t hurt the baby. I’ll feel better being able to examine her to be sure. So get her back.” She gave each man a look. “Now, get. Where’s Hasher?”

  “He’s coming in now. Gaius has him. Eric is already tracking the one that took Sophia,” Alexander told her, quietly. “We’ll get her back, James. Come, we need to go now. I have comms with me, Mercury. Call as soon as you have anything from the air.”

  “Go,” Mercury agreed. He put a hand on James’s shoulder. “We’ll get her back. She’ll be fine,” he said. “One way or another, whoever dared to do this will suffer immeasurable agony before death comes to them.”

  Janet watched them go and crossed herself. She sent up a silent prayer then turned on her heels so that she could run to medical. In her mind, she was already going over everything that she needed to save Hasher’s cute behind. Too bad that the man already had someone in his life, because if not…well, that’s neither here nor there. Janet needed to focus on saving the Marine’s butt instead of spanking it.

  * * * *

  His head was a serious mess. All he could think of was Sophia. James had to get her back. She wa
s everything to him. She was also pregnant, something that easily explained the sickness she had each and every morning. So obvious in hindsight. And worrisome, as well.

  If she was mistreated at all, she could lose their child. Closing his eyes for a moment, he sent a prayer up to whatever God, or gods, might be listening. If a life must be taken, take mine. Sophia is pure. She is good. She is the best of us both and will survive my passing. But the world cannot lose a light such as hers. Opening his eyes, he let out a shuddering breath. Thankfully, Alexander was driving. James wasn’t in any condition, and he knew it. Hell, everyone knows it.

  “We’ll find her,” Alex said, quietly.

  “In time?” James whispered, with pain seeping into his voice.

  “They could have killed her, right there, right then. They didn’t, though. They shot her protector and took her. There is obviously a plan in motion. What that plan is, I cannot say, James. But there is clearly something more going on. They’ve taken her, likely to a location where they will all gather, and whoever put the order out will also be there.”

  “We both know who it had to be.”

  Since Henry Percy, a former knight who had fought with King Richard II, had been caught and was currently at the mercy of Gaius. Well, that only left one outstanding traitor out in the world working with the Evil Ones.

  “I know. I’m sorry, James,” Alexander said.

  James nodded when he felt the other Guardian send him a look. The gods protect Sophia from William H. Bonney, or Billy the Kid, as he’d always been best known as. He could only hope that Sophia would play along with William and not piss him off. Everyone thought Gaius had the quickest temper among the Guardians. In reality, even before his death, William had always had a right fearsome one.

  He was quick to anger, quick to draw, and quick to forget anything ever happened. Including bloodshed. As long as it wasn’t his blood being spilled, the man truly didn’t give a damn.

  Flipping a revolver in his hand, James rolled his head around on his neck. He needed to calm down, to relax, and to find that sweet spot deep inside that had always made him the fastest draw in the West. He had to find it, or he and Sophia were dead.

  William had always been faster, but his temper could and would throw off his aim. If James could get the other man mad enough to draw before he was centered, he had a hope and a prayer. He’d have to watch out for the head shot, though. William was infamous for drilling his opponent right between the eyes, but if he was angry, off his game, then it would likely be a torso shot.

  That was something that James could survive. Unfortunately, William knew his own weakness. Whether he’d cared to work on it at all, James truly didn’t know. He’d lectured the other man on always taking a breath when he felt his temper rising. It hadn’t ever seemed to do any good while William had been with the Guardians.

  James could only pray that it hadn’t changed since his defection to the other side of the war. Changing hands, he flipped the revolver around faster and faster. It wasn’t loaded, but he could feel Alexander’s worry pouring off him from the driver’s seat. No, don’t think about that. Focus on finding the sweet spot of control. Push everything out of your head. There is nothing but the target and knowing where to strike.

  He knew exactly where to hit William to ensure the other man never rose again. Unfortunately, James knew he’d only have one shot. One shot to save his woman, his child, and his own life.

  No pressure or anything.

  Rolling his shoulders, he blew out a slow breath, focused solely on the feel of the gun as he moved it around his finger, across his palm, and flipped it from hand to hand. I can do this. One shot. One shot. One shot.

  “Copy that,” Alexander’s voice broke in.

  James was calmer now. His focus was icy sharp. He was in that place he needed to be. “What is it?” he asked, his voice sounding dead to his own ears. Couldn’t be helped, not until William was gone.

  “Eric’s got tracks leading to a farmhouse. The vehicle that was carrying Sophia is there, as well as several others. Jason says that from what little they can tell with thermal imaging, there are twelve in the building. One really small, cooler body.”

  “Sophia,” James interjected.

  Alexander nodded. “We’re getting her back.”

  “Damn right we are,” James agreed in that same, dead tone. And William H. Bonney would never, ever rise again. I’m coming for you, Sophia. Hold on. He sent the thought out and could only hope that she heard him.

  * * * *

  Sophia woke up in a massive bed. She frowned. The bed was wrong. It smelled wrong and felt wrong too. She moved her hand to rub her aching temples and jerked at the bonds holding her. “What in the heck?” She studied her wrists for several minutes. She felt all sorts of out of it, her thoughts were a little foggy, and she couldn’t understand what was going on.

  She was like that for all of two minutes before the full impact of what was happening hit her, hard. “Holy crap.” She tugged at her wrists once more. The bonds grew tighter. She needed to get free. She twisted and looked down her body at the ties that held her ankles trapped as well. “Oh, for the love of Pete!” She moved as best she could, trying to get her mouth and teeth to the silk that bound her wrists.

  She sobbed when she wasn’t able to reach. She twisted and screamed, “Let me go!” Then, she bit back tears. She was not going to give whoever had her the pleasure of seeing her cry. “You freaking monsters!” She reached for nature, but failed. She was inside a place that had absolutely no nature inside of it, not even a potted plant. How odd is that?

  “Show yourself, you freaking coward!”

  The clicking of a tongue was the only warning she had that she wasn’t alone any longer. “Such language from such a pretty face.” She couldn’t figure out where the voice was coming from. Everything seemed a little muffled to her. “Does James like the fact you’re as foul mouthed as some of the Guardians that reside there? I bet he does. He probably likes to share you with them and really get that foulness stirred right up. I know how deviant and disgusting they are, the things they all seem to like. Sharing women would definitely be the least of their sins.”

  “Who are you?” she asked, with a frown, and then snorted. “Seriously? Are you kidding me right now? Have you fallen and hit your head to make yourself stupid? You really don’t know James at all, do you?” She sighed and rolled her eyes.

  Leaning back, she looked up at the ceiling. That’s when it hit her. She knew that voice. Crap. I’m in so much trouble. “Billy?” she whispered and lifted her head again to look at him. “For someone that was a friend of James’s, you really don’t know him very well, do you?”

  “Ah, so he has spoken of me. I’m so glad. I truly hate having to introduce myself.” As he stepped from the shadows, she saw the maniacal smirk on his face, the deadened eyes, and the fact that his hands were resting on the butts of his guns. “So, tell me, Sophia Duffy.” His grin got bigger and a lot meaner. “Whatever did dear, old Wild Bill have to say about little, old me?”

  “He isn’t the one that told me about you.” She felt sick. She had always felt the camaraderie that James had for Billy, so now to see how monstrous this man was… It would kill her poor Guardian. “How could you do this? How could you possibly turn away from your family, friends, and the life that could have been for you? Why?”

  “Why not?” he asked in return. “Do you truly think that Mercury gives a damn about any of the Guardians? We were nothing more than his tools, honed through the fires of hell and reborn to throw at the Monsters. If one of us perished, another would rise. But Mercury’s finally running out of medallions and true heroes. I saw the winning team—all it takes is a moment to truly see what will come—and knew that I wasn’t on the right side of this battle. So, I chose the victors, and for my loyalty, I will be rewarded. Do you want to know how, sweet little Sophia?”

  “They’ll kill you quickly?” She felt ill. It must be morning, because she
was ready to toss her cookies, again. “I need to go to the bathroom.” He was a madman. “I’m feeling sick and need to potty.

  “I don’t want to know how you think that you’ll be rewarded, because the truth is that you won’t be. You’re going to die, and that’s really too bad, Billy. You could have had such a wonderful life. You could have found love and someone that accepted all that you were. Instead, you gave it all up because you’re a coward.”

  “They won’t kill me,” he countered, with a smile. “No one can kill me. They can’t get close enough, never could and never will. My reward, sweet Sophia.” Billy moved closer to her and ran a finger over her cheek. “Is you. I know how to shatter the bond you have with James. When I do, you will become mine, you and the child you carry. Won’t that be fun? Both of us working for the dark. Your child, a child of the dark. It will be perfectly wonderful.” His grin grew wider and more crazed.

  “Child? You’re really nuts if you think I’m pregnant.” She jerked from his touch and tried to move farther away from him. “You’re crazy.” She was shocked, her eyes wide, tension flooding her body. “And I would never be yours. James is my soul mate, and I’m his. No matter what you do, I will never, ever be yours. I would sooner kill you than look at you if I was given to you.”

  “Ah, but there’s the beauty of it all, sweet Sophia. Once you’ve bonded to me, you won’t care about James anymore. You’ll want him dead, just as I do. We’ll be of one mind, one purpose. The ruination of this planet for our dark lord to set up shop through us. It will be bloody fantastic. And I’m a much better lover than he ever could be. You won’t be left wanting by my hand. Of course, we’ll have to train you, so that you do things the right way. But what’s a little blood and pain among lovers, right?” He gripped her jaw hard and squeezed.

  A knock at the door had his head whipping around. “What?” he bellowed.