Young Guns: Fire and Steel

Chapter 22: Some Much Needed Down Time

The next morning dawned bright and cool. Once again the warm reds and oranges of the sun's rays mixed with the cool blues of the dawning day. The mornings were chilly, but as the sun drew higher in the sky, it gradually became warmer. It still left a chill in the air, even at the hottest point of the day and it was reaching the end of spring. Soon, the summer months would come and the desert plains would be a sweltering sauna.

The night had been somewhat chilly but peaceful to the Regulators that had managed to get a full evening of sleep. Only a couple hours after Billy had finally fallen asleep, two of the other Regulators started to stir. Charlie and Chavez were the first up. Both boys had slept rather well and woke quite hungry and so decided to start preparing for breakfast. Chavez caught some sage hens, plucked and prepped them to cook on the fire.

Charlie moved around quietly gathering supplies to throw in a pot for another stew, which, for now, was easiest with their meager provisions. The boy also managed to get a kettle brewing coffee on some hot rocks near the fire. The strong nutty aroma waking both the Mexican-Indian and the curly haired Charlie even more.

As Charlie stirred the pot of stew, he glanced over at the still sleeping Kristal and then over to Chavez. He wasn't sure if he should even broach what was on his mind with Chavez. He had noticed his friends complicated emotions towards their blonde amiga. Still, these thoughts were eating at him. Finally he couldn't hold it in any longer, blurting out, "hey, Chavez... did ya notice Kris, Billy and Doc disappeared last night."

Chavez frowned, his dark gaze flashing up to the curly haired boy before turning to the sleeping trio, confused skepticism in his eyes. "What do you mean? They are right there, Charlie."

The curly haired boy shook his head, a frown on his anxious ridden face. "Got up to... Uh... relieve myself and I saw the three of them riding out of camp."

Dark brows furrowed trying to figure out what they possibly could have been doing. "They left? To where?" Turning his attention back on Charlie, there was questioning in his eyes. "When did they come back?"

Charlie shook his head and let out a sigh. This information had been weighing on him. It felt good to get it off his chest. "Don't know. But..." he drawled out thoughtfully, "they came back a few hours later, I think. It was still dark. Billy was loud as hell. He and Kris were injured, I noticed. But I guess none too bad. Doc seemed fine. He went straight to bed." Here he shrugged, trying to understand what they could have been doing. "Billy and Kris stayed up late... well, till early mornin' when the sky started to brighten, to clean their wounds. That's why they're still sleepin', I expect."

Chavez glanced over at the sleeping figure of Kristal and then over to Billy and Doc. He didn't like knowing that Kristal had been harmed in any way. Where had Billy and Doc been? Why hadn't they protected her? What the hell had happened? And more importantly, "Where the hell could they have gone?" Chavez questioned aloud.

"Like I said, I dunno." Charlie shrugged again not realizing Chavez had been voicing his private thoughts aloud and didn't really expect an answer from him. The nervous boy then pointed in the direction he had seen them ride off in. "Somewhere that a'way. Thought it kinda strange... that they left without telling us. Think we should be worried 'bout it?"

Chewing on the inside of his lip, mulling over what he had been told, he shook his head. "I'll talk to Doc about it when he wakes up. But I don't think so. Something bothered Chiquita yesterday. Maybe..." He drew the word out recalling how quiet Kristal had been prior to them stopping for the evening, "whatever they did, they took care of it..."

At least that was his hope. His gaze lingered on the sleeping form of the blonde woman, "though, I am deeply concerned about what injuries they might have gotten. And how they got them in the first place." As well as why they weren't asked to come and help too, but Chavez didn't say all his thoughts aloud.