SAMOK (EveningSky & G23)

"Yeah. Good thing I never told any of the others about when we were kids. They would be trying to plan our wedding."

He grunted at the thought as he gently pushed her to her left as a car passed and splashed the sidewalk. He was between her and the road as they went through town first, the other routes closed even to foot traffic due to downed power lines.

He sighed. "I always wondered. Why were so bossy when we were little? My cousins still hate you because of that. And they still get made because i said yes to that wedding promise. As if there was a chance. Your dad would have shot me if I ever even seemed to be interested in you."

He brooded over the thought. Her father actually had shot at his when they were young. It was after Thomas and Marcia broke up and Thomas had started dating Fauna, but it had still happened. The men had their own tales, with Thomas convinced that Sean had tried to kill him.

Fauna was certain that it was a horrible accident when the boys had been showing off by racing and one of the guns in Sean's gun rack had gone off. The truth was mystery to all but Sean, and perhaps Thomas. Either way it had only made the bad blood between the families even more toxic.

Ezra shook himself and nudged her aside again as a cruiser rolled onto the sidewalk to bypass a large wreck they were having to cut and slowly pry out of the side of a building. He glared back at the officer but said nothing.

Once past he removed his hand from her right arm and spoke. "I've also always wondered something. Why did you want to play with us?" The unspoken harshly toned 'Indians' hung in the air, reminding her clearly of her own careful absence of the word.

Samantha Beckett highly doubted anyone would plan their wedding. Now that she was older the idea seemed absurd "We're only going to marry each other if we were like the last, and I mean last....people on earth" A car going fairly fast approached them, Samantha saw the puddle and shut her brown eyes tightly. Waiting to be splashed, only to feel Ezra's hand, moving her to his left. Samantha brows creased, glancing at Ezra skeptically. Not accustomed to having someone protect like that, someone that was not a Beckett. Although if the blonde had been paying attention as a child, Ezra Willowfoot protected her even then.


Samantha cleared her throat, a small blush appearing on her face, peeking through the make up. "I wasn't bossy.." Samantha pursed her lips, lying to the very person who witnessed his bossy nature first hand as a children. "Honestly..." She shrugged "A little white girl with blonde hair, who comes from a wealthy family" It had been simple math " I was raised as a princess of the Beckett estate. Princesses were bosses..." She grinned.


The entire notion silly now, but back then she was the it girl. Then her training began, Marcia Beckett instilling the qualities of a woman in her daughter. Helping Samantha into everything she could ever hope to be. As a mother should. Yet still that bossy little girl was in her somewhere.


"You don't look like the type to be interested in a bitch though..." She dodged a piece of metal laying on the sidewalk "So your cousins need to get a life....As for my dad...." She bit her lip gently " As I said, we'll never happen. So nobody is going to get shot"


A police cruiser almost passed, almost knocking them both off the sidewalk. Ezra's quick reflex, basically saved both their lives, but yet again he went on like nothing had been wrong. Proceeding to ask Samantha another childhood question. A question she had no answer for. "Thanks..." She whispered, appreciating the fact that he saved her life for the second time. Samantha pursed her lips, trying to take her mind back to when she was a child. "I don't know...that's the truth" Her feet moved faster, feeling rather uncomfortable with the situation. Why is he being so darn nice? she wodnered

The answer would likely have not truly surprised her. Despite his male family's rather bloodthirsty and wild endeavors, they always strove to be absolutely polite, and his mother had instilled a deep respect for people, especially women, in him. She had also taught him to always speak politely, especially when you were angry or frustrated, to give yourself to consider your words.

He grunted. "Hey I'm not asking. The last thing I need is your dad trying to shoot me. Coach is pissed about all this mess. We're guna still do two a day practices starting in three days. Likely more if the others slack off as usual. And the bastard you date has to be replaced for the next two games."

He smirked at that. He despised Colin and would be thrilled to see him and his arrogance gone for good, especially from the team. He was a cocky showboat and had cost them leads, and even a few games with his foolishness.

He realized something. "But...you aren't a bitch. You shouldn't call yourself stuff like that. It's disrespectful to yourself and your mom. And Marcia is a wonderful lady. And I think you can be too. When you aren't scared."

Samantha listened quietly as Ezra went on about getting shot by her father. The girl wondered if he somehow secretly wanted to get shot. When he mentioned Colin her lips pursed. If you didn't beat him to a pulp you wouldn't need a replacement, she thought.


Samantha ignored Ezra's comment, he had never seen that side of Samantha, she hoped he never had too.

It took them an hour and a half to reach the Beckett estate. A smile broke onto Samantha's face. "Wait!" Samantha spun around, palms up facing Ezra. Before he took another step, she needed to know. " About yesterday..." Samantha stared at him nervously "What I said....I'm sorry. I didn't want you to tell anyone" She glanced back at the long driveway, the house in the distance. "Do you forgive me?" Samantha whispered[/size]

His eyes followed her gaze then he smiled and nodded. "Sure. But if he continues to beat you don't expect me to protect you. And I'll tell you this right now. if you ever let him really hurt you I WILL tell your parents who did it."

He held up a hand before she could argue. "I am not the only one who has seen him attack you. After he got hurt a number of others were heard talking about how he treats you. They were convinced that your dad, one of his cops, or one of your cousins handled the fool."

He studied her closely. "The team, the school, and you would all be better off without him. Why do you stay with him Samantha?" He didn't dare head toward her house without her, and he was carefully staying out of her personal space with his hands visible.

Ezra did not answer her, following her toward her house. As he moved he got quieter, and quieter until she couldn't even hear his breathing, and at Brandon's question he nearly whispered. "That's up to your parents. Not me."

He followed Samantha inside, his footsteps silent as his eyes took in everything.

He did gently, and quickly, hug Marcia back. "My pleasure ma'am. Good to see you again. You look lovely as ever."

He followed Samantha up to the bedroom and nodded. "Thanks. I can operate a shower and bathtub on my own."

He waited for her to step out, then shut the door and stripped. The shirt he could wear, but the pants were too short, and wouldn't fit his waist anyway. He shrugged and went to the bathroom for a nice but quick hot shower, then changed into his basketball shorts and his extra pair of jeans and the shirt Marcia had picked out. He also pulled on a pair of deerskin moccasins as his own shoes were soaked, though he had them over the air vent.

He then went downstairs to the kitchen where he stood in the door waiting for orders, his back to the door jamb, his eyes on the doors and windows, his hands clasped and resting over his crotch, clearly nonthreatening.

He had also heard about Henry and was just waiting for him to show up. He didn't like Sean Beckett but at least he didn't break the law, and he wasn't stupid enough to attack Ezra. Henry on the other hand.,,, he shook himself. He had heard a lot of stories about Henry and none of them filled him with eagerness to meet the man.

Ezra started eating before Samantha came down, his need to be polite and respectful overridden by his hunger, especially by so much good home cooked food.

He ignored the mac'n cheese, but did take two slices of chicken breast, cover them with a layer of Parmesan cheese, then dump a mixture of spaghetti, sauce, and more Parmesan on top of them, while forking up meatballs, thus making his own impromptu chicken Parmesan. He immediately dug into it after a short prayer of thanks, eating very neatly and quietly, but simply devouring the food.

He didn't even look as Samantha entered the room, entirely unconcerned by her appearance, nor did he speak when she and her mother discussed Henry.

He did know one reason Henry hated Willowfoots was because they had succeeded. But he still marveled that the eldest Beckett had so much hate for them, considering that several Willowfoots and their relations had joined the Texas Calvary under General Hood, and in various places throughout the South, including Ezra's own many times great grandfather and great uncle serving together in the Army of Virginia under Robert E. Lee, and served under Jackson and Longstreet, even surviving the disastrous Pickett's Charge. They fought bravely and lived through the war under many titles, serving their second adopted nation just as proudly as they had and later again served the first.

Of course he also had relations that had fought on the other side, but that mattered little. The Willowfoots proudly took part in the march of the Blue and Grey, the Wilmington tribute to the Civil War, and flew both flags, the flag of the United States, and the Confederate battle flag, proudly to honor their fallen, of course with the former on top.

Ezra shook himself recalling the story about the little Indian girl. And his father's addition to that tale. Fauna had tried to prevent him hearing it, but Thomas had been adamant that his son know both the truth and what had needed to be done. The girl in question had been found hanged, and raped. Thomas could not prove it had been Henry, though it really didn't matter. Nor that her parents had turned up dead in a ditch some time later.

What mattered was that the same night the girl was found, five Beckett men were taken. They were taken to a small cave where warpainted men with no shirts had chopped up four of them, and had castrated the fifth, but left him alive. All five had a long list offenses against the Natives, and now was the time to send the message. They had then sent the heads to David Beckett, alerting him to what would happen if his son was not handled, while their male parts were sent to the Wilmington Police who had claimed they didn't have evidence to prove the raped. The fifth had shown up three days later, out of his mind with fear and infection, dying two days after he was found cursing Henry Beckett's name.

Thomas carefully made sure to tell his son that he was busy planting the entire week this went on, and was seen doing so by several dozen WHITE citizens of high standing at all times. He had had nothing to do with any of it, and the Becketts knew it. One citizen who was with David when he received the heads had two questions, both of which he asked repeatedly even to this day, though mostly to himself. "What would have happened if Red had been around?" & "When is Henry going to go too far?"

Many wondered just what the Indians would do if he ever pushed them to the point that war to the Becketts would be worth it. Now Henry was returning. And Red was here. As was SAMOK. And yes there was Willowfoot in his family's house, but even he would have to take care. Ezra was an invited guest, popular in the town, a sports hero, and far more importantly, he was Thomas' son and Red's grandson. The second Crown Prince.

Ezra sipped his water, but smiled at the coke. "thanks."

The moment Samantha left the room Ezra rose, went to a specific drawer and removing three items, and took two others from the counter and went back to the table, sitting facing the door.

He had finished another whole plate, and the pitcher of water and was still sipping his soda while he worked on a smaller third plate when Henry came in.

he didn't bother saying anything, just watching the man with his cold blue eyes, while his left hand spun his fork, spooling up his spaghetti, his right hidden under the table.

When Henry made his little demand Ezra spoke very softly. "it's excellent food. Mrs. Beckett is a great cook. And HER lovely home is just wonderful for welcoming guests."

When Samantha joined him she could see an odd block shape under his shirt over his chest, and his right hand was still under the table. Ezra took a bite and as he chewed he gently scooted Samantha's chair away from him in case things got wild. He then resumed spooling up his food, but kept his eyes on Henry, waiting for him to move.

Ezra finished eating then joined her at the sink and set the cutting board and four knives down . "Your Uncle Henry has a reputation for violence against my people."

Ezra noted Henry go into the laundry and stole close, listening to the conversation. Once Henry was outside he returned to the kitchen to help Samantha. he took special care not to touch her, but also watched everyone in the windows when he couldn't watch them normally.

He let her have her space once the dishes were washed and put away, but he also stayed close. he had returned the knives as he couldn't hide them in his jeans or the shirt.

He did draw her aside when they were alone and spoke softly. "you should really call your dad and get him back here. Your uncle is already losing control."

Before she could ask why. "Please just call."

He didn't say anything not sure what to tell her.

He rolled his eyes at her snap, and followed her upstairs. He sat on the balcony ledge. "Serious question. Are you always so rude when some one is trying to help you? Because that's seriously the only time I've seen you act like that."

He watched her closely, his eyes cold as ever.

"Everytime I reach out to help you snarl and throw insults at me. If this you how you plan on treating people then I will have to tell your mother what i saw before you turn into one of those little girls who is so desperate for love she starts selling herself." His tone was cold, and his voice made it clear he was tired of the games. She needed to listen not snarl at him.

"I'm serious. you need to call your dad. Henry already threatened your mother."

Ezra stared at the door, but he recalled that he had, for some reason promised.

He flicked his thumb over his cheek. "Your daughter has secrets. Nearly as bad that her own uncle tried to kill her when she was an infant." He met Marcia's eyes before she could deny it.

"She won't listen to me. Maybe you will. Call your husband home before Henry does something insane. I can smell his crazy even now. Then you should talk to your daughter ma'am. And forgive me but I am going to tell you this. Something is very wrong with her. That's the fourth time she has gone out of her way to make it clear she hates me. i don't know why I deserve it. But I'm done."

He stepped off the ledge, then turned her and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for a fine dinner ma'am. I am going to sit at the top of the stairs until Mr. Sean arrives. Then i am going home. I don't feel welcome here anymore."

He stepped around her then went to the top of the stairs and sat there, a cheerleading baton secreted from Samantha's stuff.

Ezra turned to her and studied her for a long time. "Mrs. Beckett our families have history that I doubt even you know. I know for a fact things happened before the 50's no one will ever have proof of. But you have always been good to me and my family. And your husband may be a bit of jerk but he's a good cop. And he loves his family. My dad still hates him for all that drama when they were younger, but he respects him for loving his family"

He gestured down the stairs. "But all of us hate that man."

He knew his odd answer would confuse her. "I tell you that to explain this. I have no love for your family. Samantha does treat me like crap. But she has reasons. One of which I know. And no I won't tell you because I promised her I wouldn't... yet. But it's hurting her Mrs. Beckett. Hurting her bad. I'm sincerely concerned for her survival. Until tonight I thought it was just the one thing, though I've heard rumors. Now I think that they might be true too."

He bit his lip. He hadn't talked this much in months. "The point is that I am protecting Samantha because she needs it. I know you love your kids, and I know your husband does too. But everyone knows that Henry makes Sean worse. Makes him ignore evidence and truth for the sake of the NAME of the family rather than for the good of the family. And the first causalities of that will be Samantha, Brandon, and Chase. And you. I heard everything he said to you. He wants you dead Mrs. Beckett. And that clearly includes Samantha. Likely the boys too. Before that I will admit I was ready to tell you what I know. But not with Henry here. He'll just make it worse. Likely get her killed in the process."

He gently took her right hand in both of his. "I'm protecting Samantha because she is troubled and she is too afraid to go to you and her father. She's falling apart. And now she won't let me help. Now please. Get your husband here. And tell him what Henry did. I don't care if it makes him angry. Tell him. And if he won't do something then take your children and leave. Get away from Henry. He's insane."

His voice was pitched very low and soft and he kept checking to be sure no one was near the stairs or beside them so they wouldn't be overheard even as quietly as he spoke. He released her hand, revealing the small sheathed neck knife her had put in her palm.

He spoke even more quietly now. "He means you and yours harm Mrs. Beckett. Once Henry is handled then maybe we can talk more about Samantha. She doesn't need or want me. She needs you and her father."

He turned away, surprised by how much he had said, but he had meant every word. Henry didn't scare him personally, but he knew Henry was a killer, a killer of women, and he was certain the madman was more than ready to hurt his own sister-in-law and niece again.

Marcia closed her eyes slowly, taking a deep breath as she calmed herself. Her blonde hair tied neatly into a bun at the back of her neck, black dress, speckled with white polka dots. Making Marcia Beckett the spitting image of a stepford wife, but most of all a woman that would do anything to protect her family. Ezra Willowfoot had been spot on when it came to Henry, the matriarch of the Beckett estate hated the man. However Marcia married Sean, knowing fully well the danger his eldest brother was capable of.

There was one thing Marcia believed above all, Henry would not ever may his hands on her children or herself. No matter how much he hated her because of the past she shared with Thomas Willowfoot. Marcia belonged to Sean now, she was a Beckett. Henry depended on Sean for the financial well being of his family. Henry Beckett was not stupid enough to harm them, it would mean risking burning the bridge with his brother.


Marcia smiled softly, placing the knife back in the teenager's hands. "Thank you for telling me about Samantha..." She whispered. "My husband is busy with the town, I really thank you for your concern about us...despite how you truly feel." Marcia smiled sadly " The Willowfoot's look after their own, and the Beckett's do the same. I trust that you won't ever speak of what you heard today....to anyone...not even my husband." Samantha's resolve to stand on her own was learnt from non other than her mother. Marcia Beckett would stand on her own despite the struggles she faced. Her concern was for Sean and her children, she needed to protect the Beckett family from the outside enemies. The Beckett's were a prominent family in Wilmington, they were not the type of people to wash their dirty laundry in public.

"Your mother called a few minutes ago, she said your grandfather is on his way" Marcia looked at the shirt she laid out that fit the young boy perfectly " Keep the shirt..." She smiled patting his back gently.

Ezra shook his head and stood. "Red would never willingly put so much as a vehicle tire on Beckett land. If you truly think you can handle Henry. Fine. But I can smell the trouble coming. Thank you for the shirt and the meal Mrs. Beckett. But you are a fool. Henry doesn't care about you or your new name. He wants power."

He gave her the knife again, then went to the room she had offered, gathered his things, and walked down the stairs past her, out the door, and into the night before anyone could stop him.

Red wasn't at home. He was standing across the room from Sean Beckett, looking massive and somehow regal despite his sleeveless shirt, and thickly tattooed arms. His cut did nothing to mask his fit frame, and his graying hair fell like a crown onto his neck and shoulders. Thomas was not there, but his Sarge and two other brothers were. They were outside the office while Red studied Sean. Red had utterly despised David Beckett, and was no big fan of Sean's either, but he had forged the peace and he would hold to it.

"Let me make this clear officer. If good ol Henry lays so much as a finger on any of my people, and certainly on my grandson, I don't who and what he is or claims to be. He will come up missing."

Red smirked as he saw Sean growing angry at the threat, "You wanna arrest me? Go ahead. Then i'll make sure that old hanging comes back to the light. You remember what happened to Henry's five buddies back then? I wasn't here then. I'm certain i can come up with something MUCH more interesting. Good evening to you sir." He left with his boys.

When he returned home he found a soaked and mud stained Ezra sitting on the stoop of the chapel. Red waved the others away and sat beside his grandson, waiting for the word.

Ezra didn't speak for a long moment. Then sighed. "Grandpa i know I can't join until I'm 18. And you've said that I can consider myself on probation already with all I do."

Red nodded.

"I want the patch as my 18th birthday present. For that i am willing to do more. But i have a price."

"What's that son?"

"I want to know just what hold Colin has on Samantha Beckett."

"Why?"

"The Becketts owe me now. A couple actually. I saved her life twice. I figure getting rid of him will mean even more owed."

"Why? What's wrong with this Colin?"

"I can't tell you Grandpa. But I can tell you that without him around the Beckett family would be much safer and at peace."

Red nodded again. "I see. And this is because he buys peyote from the rez and shares it with the girl?"

Ezra blinked staring at his grandfather. Red nodded once more. "We have records, pictures, and witnesses of him buying it, even getting violent with the dealers, and others who have seen him give it to her. We don't know for sure if she is using but...."

"How can you know that?"

Red grinned. "Information and knowledge are power son. Doesn't matter if the source is the tribal police, the powerful around town, or a bunch of your peers at the high school who are looking for juice to up their game. Everyone wants to be like Mike."

Ezra slowly nodded. "You know this and you've never used it against Sean Beckett?"

Red shrugged. "Why should we? Samantha means nothing to us. Right?"

Ezra sniffed. "Personally I hope she OD's and learns how stupid she is being."

Red smiled. "So we sit on the information and wait. And watch. The club is still building son. So again. Why Colin?"

Ezra sighed. "He's useless, an idiot, and dangerous as hell. he and his buddies are already beating up Indians every day."

"Not today according to what I hear...."

Ezra shrugged. "He had it coming." He looked right at Red, waiting.

Red considered the boy, the young man, for a long, long while. Then he nodded. "Alright. The patch when you are eighteen. You start prospecting when you are 17. No cut but you can wear the flash. And we will help you eliminate Colin. But you have do a lot for the club. And for the rez. Colin and his buddies are big customers."

"you want me selling? I thought SAMOK didn't sell."

"No. And we don't. But we do protect the rez sellers. In trade for our ammo. You just find the prospective clients and pass the names off to the right people. You already know the actual dealers at your school." He rattled off a long list of names. Ezra went over each name in his mind, then nodded. "Alright."

"That's to make up for the loss in profit. For the club's involvement however you owe us all big."

Ezra nodded, waiting.

"You've shown interest in this MMA thing."

"Yes sir."

"I want you to focus on it even more. Get as good as you can. Then you are going to start entering fight contests. Backyard, bare knuckle, cage fights. All of that. legit and otherwise. You will get a cut I deem suitable, but the rest goes to the club." He held out his right hand. "Agreed?"

Ezra looked at the hand, then considered for a long moment. "Will i have club backup in the crowd?"

"I guarantee it."

Ezra smiled and gripped his grandfather's hand shaking it. "Fine by me. I will need a hundred bucks per week for training, call it another fifty a week for incidentals, and I will need to borrow five grand from you right now to set up a training area here on the farm."

Red studied him for a long while again, still holding his hand, then shook as well. "Agreed. And another hundred a week to you for personal spending. So you better win a lot of fights."

Ezra grinned. "Sure thing Grandpa." They hugged, then Red went inside as Ezra went to the house, watching the club file into the chapel. It would have to be voted on, but the club stood only to gain, and the money would come from Red himself, not the club. Ezra kissed his mother and newest sister, bid the other two good night, had another shower, then went to bed, not once thinking about the ungrateful cow Samantha Beckett or her family. He was asleep within seconds once his head was on the pillow.

Samantha was welcomed and under heavy guard anytime she was on the rez, but she never even came within three miles of those who sold her needed drug. The word had gone out from SAMOK, and from Red himself and no one dared to cross the club, or their leader.

The club was the true law on the rez. The Tribal Police had more than half it's members in cuts, and Red was on the Council of Chiefs as his family constituted the single largest independent grouping of Natives off the rez in the state. He also fought just as hard for the rez and the citizens as anyone else, and gladly worked to ensure profit for all.

Thus when Samantha and her group arrived they met only the orphans, the widows, a few of the old drunks, and some of the strung out junkies like herself, but none that knew where she could get her drug of choice as they had only returned to the rez after serious threats to their lives in the cities they had been living in, only to find no one able or willing to sell to them either.

As far as peyote went it dried up. No one would sell, give, or even hint about it to the Beckett girl, or more importantly to Colin. Everyone knew he was on medical watch, including multiple daily blood tests. Even his buddies didn't dare try to smuggle him any, though they also were cut off. The rez lost numerous clients from the high school in that regard.

But Red had agreed to other businesses. Steroids and other performance enhancing substances were offered at a much lower price, so much so that many of Wilmington's rivals also purchased. And they had stunning increases in ability. But they had to buy constantly. The natural substances were less potent and nearly impossible to detect, and thus cheaper, but they also didn't have the great effect. The actual steroids, stolen from clinics and hospitals out of state, were immensely more effective but required constant injection. When the money dried up, so did the shots, and the purchasers quickly learned that off the roids they lost abilities they had once prided themselves on.

For a wonder only Colin's buddies seemed able to buy from Wilmington. Everyone from the school was told that only the natural substances were available. Wilmington players were forced to train and practice harder, lead as always by Ezra, and despite the storm cleanup were already fielding the best teams they had ever had in basketball, football, baseball, softball, track, tennis, swimming, golf, and cheer. It seemed they were all obsessed with being the best.

Of course boxing had been canceled after the destruction of the ring, and the infant MMA program stalled once again, but Wilmington still found a new thriving industry and interest in the fight game.

Ezra had used his grandfather's loan wisely, purchasing his own ring and training facilities, then borrowing his cousins/uncles to train on/with.

Without Samantha as even the vaguest distraction and with Colin still in and out of the hospital, Ezra became a machine. He trained every free moment he had, studying by his sister's quizzing him as he worked, or listening to audiobooks, and working the farm with a furious fever. He also submitted himself to weekly blood tests, and careful doses of medically safe and recommended vitamins, minerals, proteins, and other body builders. He had already swole impressively in bulk, yet maintained his lithe form, and he was quicker and leaner than ever.

He could now run a mile in 4 minutes 15 seconds(twenty seconds quicker than his previous record), could dunk with either hand easily (he had raised his vertical a full eight inches), and already held five separate weightlifting school records. He had also hired two MMA coaches for private time and even in this short time was showing real promise. He was lean and agile enough to dodge and move with the strikers, flexible enough to roll with the grapplers, and he was strong and fast enough to strike, block, deflect, evade, grapple and submit as well. He learned technique remarkably fast and practiced each one without stop until he was certain he could do it without fail every time.

His first fight was scheduled for the end of the month, falling nicely between football and the beginning of the basketball program.

People around town had noticed the changes. Ezra was growing more and more impressive, and thus more and more visible, while the once shining star Samantha was fading into obscurity. They were concerned and the gossip flowed heavily, though no one dared mention it to Sean or Marcia and no one had anything to say to Henry.

And Ezra never once let himself be within fifty yards of Samantha. He transferred out of their shared classes, ensured his fellow Natives formed a wall to keep her away on the rare occasions he was free, and easily convinced the coaches to bar her and all distractions from practice and training sessions.

His sisters and mother now collected Chase and Brandon and took them to the park Saturdays, while Fauna and Marcia sat under the picnic area laying out lunch and playing with the happy baby Nicole.

Janice, Lailia, and Ruthie did miss Samantha but they didn't pester the boys about her enjoying their games far too much. Maki had been precluded from the games as she had joined the rez outreach program with Samantha to keep an eye on her, and remind everyone there that the girl was under guard and watch by the Willowfoots.

If Samantha had only know how much that actually meant, especially on the rez, she might not have been able to maintain her rage at Ezra. Many Natives had suffered at the hands of her uncles, her father, her grandfather, and in some cases her other ancestors, and they had not forgotten or forgiven the wounds. The guards had had to quickly and silently fell a would be attacker and drag them off before the people inside the makeshift clinic/care center could notice. Anytime this happened Maki would find some distraction for the Beckett girl and keep her well away from the doors and windows dealing with a person in need of help.

Every one that came to the clinic/care center were also thoroughly searched for weapons, and some were turned away just in case they had been paid to harm the girl. It was being stamped out, but hurt nearly always surpassed fear, even of the club.

By the end of the second week, things were settling down on the rez, and only growing more exciting at the school and in the fight scene. Officially no one knew that Ezra was entering the world of combat, but in reality everyone in town was betting on the young man, and it was rumored that the club had laid a full 100 thousand dollars that he would win his first tournament. This was untrue. It was a quarter million.

Maki and the other girls noticed Luke's attention to the lovely Beckett girl, and dutifully reported his actions and intent to her elders.

Luke was free to meet with Samantha Beckett, but the word was out in the cities, and a car followed the young man to the park to meet the girl, with four members of the club watching everything. "The boy needs a lesson. He thinks he's above the law."

Ezra was unaware of all of this. He had spent the day at the market, helping sort and sell, packing people's things and garnering support for Wilmington, handing out tickets to the night's game.

That night, while Samantha waited for Luke, the game started. Ezra wasn't the star on football, but he was the heart and anchor of the defense, and his new skills and strength soon had the offense reeling, as even three linemen could not hold him back. The people around the Becketts were cheering just as loud as the young man ripped through the line and sacked the QB a full seven times in a single half, so flustering the All-State starter he threw the ball away ten times, and threw four interceptions, two of which were run back for touchdowns, one by Ezra himself. By the half Wilmington lead 42 to 0 and the opponents had already been forced to dig deep into their third string as the fit, fast, and strong Wilmington Wildcats were running roughshod over them and tiring out even their best.

By the end of the game, at 10, the score was an ungodly 94 - 0, Ezra had broken three district records, another four school records, and several others on the team had smashed numerous records, including completed passes, yards run, touchdowns scored in a quarter, passing yards, tackles, and fumbles recovered. The team was covered in glory and the whole town was cheering as Ezra lead his defense off the field to shower and meet at the Wildcat WildHouse, the local teen hangout where a massive food party was waiting with several hundred pizzas, six foot subs, and piles of sandwiches, fries, chips and the like, and gallons of ice cream and soda.

Ezra took his sisters through the line making sure they got plenty of ice cream as tonight they were allowed to stay up at his request, and even little Nicole got some melted down vanilla her brother very carefully fed her. She was quite taken with the flavor and cooed happily.

Ezra also snuck Chase and Brandon Beckett large ice creams and got his mother to distract Marcia while Thomas and Sean, for once, were having a good natured argument about their past when they too had worn the Wildcat jersey.

The party went on at full blast until 11, then everyone scurried home, Ezra carrying all four of his sleeping sisters to the car, then tucked them in at home, had a shower, then went down to his ring for an hour of training.

Red, Thomas, and the other officers went down to watch him, softly marveling at his energy and his intensity, as well as his explosiveness, stamina and endurance. Soon the hour turned into two, then a third, which filled with his cousins and uncles trying to drag him down first one on one, then as a group. He broke, slithered, wriggled, and fought his way free every time.

Red sent them on their way when Ezra lay a grapple dummy on his shoulders and squatted, just holding it as he held two thirty pound weights straight ahead for another hour. He then entered the ring studying his grandson.

"I see you mean to ensure a win. And pay me back?"

"Well the winner's purse is ten k. That's 9750 to you when I win."

Ezra had already startled his grandfather by having his coaches take turns striking him again and again, and the boy had taken blows Red didn't think he could stomach, and he just continued to push and push himself. Red nodded. "Actually we're guna give you 3k. Pay off your coaches even more. I want them out here more and with better gear. And you should consider saving what you have left over."

Ezra grinned. "Already do Red. I eat mom and dad's food and wear the clothes they buy me. I already have a cd player and my books. I don't pay at the Wildhouse, though I keep track of what I get for later. So everything I don't spend on training goes in the bank."

"Good man. How much and account number?"

"Noneya and not telling old man."

He grinned at his grandfather who laughed, and began pressing down on the boy's shoulders and arms. Ezra pushed back. "Nice. Resistance training while doing isometrics. good strength building."

Thomas laughed studying his son as Red teased him. He marveled at his son but he suspected that his spurt of achievement was not because of the two weeks of training but because of a mixture of the boy's chores, work at the farm and the cleanup, and the already impressive training regiment Ezra had followed before the storm. The recent two weeks had just served as a trigger.

Red finished messing with the boy, checked the area, then stepped back. "I want you to understand something Ezra. Your success is important to me and the club. But secondary to your health and safety. Don't hurt yourself especially in fights."

Ezra nodded. "I gotcha gramps. I can only hold this an hour because last week I could hold it for fifty minutes. I used to use haybales or logs. I would go up about two minutes a night. Sometimes I couldn't make it. Sometimes I could. Just kept trying."

Red nodded sitting on a turnbuckle. "Just promise me you won't get yourself hurt."

Ezra nodded. "I promise Grandpa."

"Good man. Now that I've finished imitating your grandmother I have some updates for you."

"Sir?"

"You are one in forty. Single elimination obviously. I'm paying for your 250 dollar entry fee, which makes up the purse. You are the youngest by five years, but also one of the smallest, both in height and weight. You need to watch yourself. Especially for one Oliver Samuel."

"Samuel?"

"Very distant cousin to your friend Colin. He's seven feet three inches, weighs about four hundred pounds and has won this specific tournament four times, and five others four times as well. He's the Oklahoma king of UFC, unofficially of course. Five black belts and very mean. He's the man to beat son."

Ezra nodded. "The dummy on my neck is two fifty gramps. If I'm careful I can double that by the time I fight him. The game tonight actually helps. We have a bye that weekend anyway."

Red nodded. "And two games between. You build slow and careful son. End the first ones fast. You're already topseeded though so you have more fights. Burn through them and finish this Oliver as quick as you can."

"Yes sir."

"Good man."

They all fell silent, watching Ezra as he began to slowly and very carefully lower then raise his squat, keeping the strain of the isometric exercise, but stretching and strengthening the muscles used to hold the pose. He also began to row with his arms, making the muscles throughout his arms, shoulders and back bunch and knot powerfully. When the hour was finished he dropped, did a hundred rapid push-ups, then jumped on and off a free turnbuckle as many times before joining his family and heading inside for a small meal, a shower, then bed.

Back with Samantha the four had already contacted associates in every city around, warning them not to supply either Samantha or Luke with anything intoxicating, including beer. They had also contacted some friends in the State Highway Patrol and had them guarding the borders in case Luke was dumb enough to take her across state lines, thus legally committing kidnapping.