Mark tried not to panic. Focusing only on keeping Sean down low enough in the water. Sean held his nose shut, his eyes shut tight as he let himself sink to save air. Mark kept his hands on his shoulders, glancing up at the glossy surface. A light appeared over the water, moving this way and that. The voices he heard were loud but muffled heavily by the water. His throat burned as he pleaded internally for them to leave quickly. He had very little experience holding his breath under the water. He couldn't imagine that he could do it for very long. Above, the light stopped moving at much as seemed to be fading a little. Mark's throat started to burn, but when he looked to Sean, he saw him trying to resist thrashing around. He was in just as bad of shape. Glancing up at the light, one last time, Mark made a choice. Sinking to be at level with Sean, he took ahold of his nose for Sean and pressed his lips to his. Sean stilled, his hands grabbing Mark's shoulders with slight desperation. Sealing his lips to his, Mark exhaled the rest of his own breath into Sean's mouth. It wasn't much, but it was enough that Sean stopped shaking. Without his breath, Mark felt his chest constrict hard on him.

Every fiber of his being told him to breathe. Yet, he knew that he couldn't. Despite his will not too, his body jerked and thrashed. His mind went blank. All he could feel was the burning of his lungs. The water disoriented him until he couldn't tell what was up and down. Was the light gone? He couldn't focus. His body took a breath, flooding his mouth with water that he choice to swallow down, but it did nothing to help him. It made it worse. Clutching his throat, he couldn't tell if his vision was darkening or the water. His body started to relax, when hands grabbed his shirt and pulled him rapidly through the water. Breaking the surface, Mark felt hazy. His body didn't seem to be responding. Sean lightly smacked his face, panting out in a frantic whisper of a voice. "Mark? Mark! Oh, Mark... Please?" With one good slap to his neck, Mark felt his body jerk and vomited a rush of water. Sean breathed a sigh of relief, then ran his hands through Mark's hair as he pulled him close. Mark hugged him, then realized Sean was standing on something. Leaning back, he jerked in surprise.

There was a set of small stairs that lined the rounded wall to the door. Sean grabbed him to steady him, informing him quietly. "Easy. Catch your breath." Mark touched the stairs, coughing out. "Where'd this come from?" Sean blushed, admitting embarrassed. "It was always here. It's just dark. We didn't see it." Mark let that sink in, then chuckled as he laid back across the steps. Sean leaned on the steps next to him, taking deeper breaths as he told him. "What you did was crazy..." Mark smirked, turning to look at him as he said sweetly. "Ya... But I told you that I wouldn't let anything happen to you." Sean shook his head, blushing as he mumbled out. "Are you saying that you'd die for me, Cowboy?" Shifting to his side, Mark brushed Sean's wet bangs away from his eyes, smiling before he answered in a deep loving voice. "I'd love to deny it... but the evidence is against me." Sean smiled, leaning in to kiss him. Mark enjoyed the kiss but had to break the kiss early to pant out. "Sorry... My lungs are still burning." Sean grinned so beautifully that Mark blushed. Staggering to get up, Sean walked up the steps, telling Mark gruffly. "I'm gonna try the door."

Shifting to watch him, Mark couldn't believe how dark the water tower was. Then only light coming from the hole in the ceiling. Sitting up, Mark told Sean seriously. "We can't stay in here forever. We have to get out before it gets dark." Sean strained to open the door, before giving up to tell him. "No good. It's locked from the other side. What are we going do?" Sighing, Mark looked around and told him reluctantly. "Go out the way we came in... but it is going to be a bitch with us being soaked." Sean glanced up at the hole, adding flatly. "It's high, Mark. Only one of us would get out..." Easing up to his feet, Mark told him. "Yes, but that's all we need. I get you out and you open the door." Sean stiffened, his face turning pale, when he told him. "Mark, I can't... I'm scared of heights..." Mark gestured to himself, telling Sean sadly. "You can't lift me, Sean. But I can lift you." Sean backed up to the rail, mumbling out timidly. "Mark... I can't. Wait if-" Mark moved up to him, cutting him off to whisper to him as he cupped his face. "Sean, you can do this. Just take your time. There is a ledge around the water tower. You are long enough to reach it."

Sean shifted nervously, but Mark gave him a tender kiss and cooed out. "I believe in you. And if you do this... I'll reward you." Sean's eyes widened; his voice mousy but the hint of intrigue was there when he asked. "What kind of reward?" Mark licked his lip nervously but told him confidently. "I'll sleep with you." Sean's cheeks turned to pink that Mark couldn't stop himself from letting out a little chuckle. Biting his lip, Sean looked up and exhaled out. "Alright. Let's do it before I change my mind." Crouching, Mark took ahold of his legs and eased him up. Sean grabbed his shoulders to steady himself, then reached up to grab the side of the hole. Mark took a deep breath, then grabbed Sean's boots to raise him up as high as he could. Sean wiggled his way up and Mark kept his hands up to catch him if he slid back. Once Sean was out, Mark grabbed the rail feeling helpless. He could hear Sean slowly sliding along the roof and for a time Mark couldn't breathe. He didn't want anything to happen to him. The sound of a soft metallic bang made Mark jump. Had Sean fallen? Cursing, he thought about climbing up the rail, until the door creaked open. Whirling to face the door, he grinned at the sight of a shaky looking Sean.

Sean leaned against the open door, mumbling out. "You owe me, Cowboy." Stepping up to Sean, Mark purred to him sweetly. "That I do. But don't sow your oats just yet, Farm boy. It's time to run." Sean groaned but nodded. Heading to the ladder, Mark slid down first to save time, then kept a look out as Sean climbed down muttering about heights and ladders. When Sean touched ground, he exhaled heavily. "Thank god. Land." Mark backed up from peeking around a wall, telling Sean uneasily. "Our horses are gone. We got to run on foot." Sean cursed, turning on his heel before pointing to the stable and saying hopefully. "Or... we could steal one." Mark hesitated but shrugged out. "Fuck it. Let's do it." Running over to the stable, Mark shoved the stable door open, while Sean slipped in behind him. With the door open, Mark rushed to join Sean. Sean finished putting a bridal on a fidgety mare, when someone yelled out. "Did you leave the stable open?" Sean looked at Mark with a terrified look. They didn't have time to get another horse. Grabbing Sean's leg, Mark helped him up to sit on the mare's bareback. Then swung up behind him.

Kicking the horse into a bolt, Mark steered the mare out the closing stable door. Sean whined anxiously as the door almost prevented them from getting out. The door hit the mare's ass, causing her to buck a little as she dashed faster out of the stable. While someone yelled out. "HEY! STOP THEM! HORSE THIEVES!" Mark glanced back, noticing the Pinkertons rushing for their horses. He hoped they could outrun them, but the mare was unruly and with both of them, she was struggling to make up the hills. Hearing hooves, Mark looked back again to see the Pinkertons gaining. He thought about trying to take a different route, when a Sean screamed out. "MARK!" Mark only turned his head in time to see a snake strike out at the horse from the brush of the hill. The mare reared on the hill, its legs flailing with the snake attached to one, before their added weight caused the horse to fall backward. Mark grabbed Sean, he pulled him off the side of the mare, before her back slammed into the dirt. The mare squealed and bucked wildly as she slid down the hill. Mark huffed in pain as Sean landed on him, but it was better then getting crushed but a thousand pound horse.

Sean sat up the fastest, rolling over to grab Mark's hand to help him up. Mark took his hand, then froze as guns clicked around them. Sean tensed, dropping to his knees in front of Mark in defeat. One of the Pinkertons smirked down at them from his horse, chuckling out. "Nice try boys." Sean stared only at Mark and Mark mouthed how sorry he was. Men moved in to grab their arms, yanking them up to their feet. Sean kicked out, snapping out. "Get your fucking hands off me!" One of the Pinkertons punched Sean in the gut, causing Sean to gasp and buckle in their grip. Mark nearly yanked the men holding him off their feet as he lunged forward and snapped out. "Touch him again and I'll kill ya!" The man turned to face Mark, chuckling out. "Well now... Those are some vile fighting words from a Sheriff." Mark locked his jaw, glaring the man down, until the one on the horse stated out. "Ex Sheriff. He's a criminal. And he'll hang like one." Then other man holding Sean, yanked him off his feet, snapping out to the other men. "Hang him sure. But this one we can sell. He just needs to be broken like horse."

Mark stepped back quickly, slamming the two men holding him together. Then racing forward, he tackled the man holding Sean and started punching his face into the dirt. Men rushed in to grab Sean and pry Mark off the men. Sean tugged against the man holding him, telling Mark in a winded voice. "Mark, I'm ok." Mark kicked the man's face as two men pulled him away and forced him to his knees. The leader dismounted his horse, approaching him with his rifle as he asked curiously. "How wild you've become. Maybe a hanging is too good for you. Maybe I should put you down like a rabid dog." Mark lifted his head, locking fiery eyes with him as he aimed the rifle lazily at his head. The man cocked the hammer back and Sean yelled out desperately. "DON'T! Please!" The man froze, lowering the gun as he looked from Sean to Mark. Mark's face paled as he saw the pieces forming in the man's head. Huffing, the man stated aloud to the others. "Well... That's a surprise. We got a couple of sinners." One of the men holding Mark, grunted disgustedly before leaning down to sneer out. "What happened? No girl would have ya?"

Mark didn't respond. The leader pointed with his gun to a secluded spot up the hill, telling the other with a sadistic grin. "Let's take the lovers up here, boys." Sean started to breathe heavy, asking Mark nervously. "Mark...?" Mark looked to Sean, telling him with more confidence than he felt. "It's gonna be ok." Then men dragged them up the hill, laughing and joking at their expense. Once they were out of sight of the town, the leader pointed to Sean and told his men. "Beat the sin out of him, boys. Maybe it will toughen him up." Sean screamed as they closed in on him, spurring Mark to snap out. "Maybe someone should beat the shit out of YOU! You shit kicking cowards! Might increase your dick sizes!" All the men turned to look at Mark, the leader gestured to Mark, stating out darkly. "Change of plan. Kill him first." Sean thrashed, starting to yell out before a hand covered his mouth. "Mark, don't! They'll-!" Mark exhaled, then braced himself as they rushed him to beat him down into the dirt.

Mark got a few hits in, but they swarmed him from all sides. Sean's muffled screams was the only sound Mark heard. Everything else was a blur. Every kick made his ribs burn and ache. Every punch to his face, causing him to bleed or spew blood across the dirt. One of the men dropped to wrap a belt around his neck, tightening it as he snarled into his ear. "Choke on this, you dickless whore!" Another man kicked Mark between the legs, laughing loud and proud. Mark struggled to pull the belt away from his neck, but his body was weakening. Everything hurt and he just wanted it to stop. One of the men removed a knife and reached for Mark's pants as he chuckled out. "Since he doesn't like women. He doesn't need this!" Mark closed his legs, trying to struggle, but his vision began to darken. The men laughed as his pants were unbuckled, until a loud 'BANG' rang out. The sound sapping the last of Mark's will with it. Falling unconscious to the ground. While Sean stood in shock as the man holding the knife fell back with a bullet wound through his head. The other men released Mark, scrambling away as the sound of hooves thundered toward them.

The leader raised his gun, then got shot through his shoulder, knocking him clear off his feet. Sean flipped the terrified man holding him, then turned to look. Wade and Nathan were riding up with rifles drawn. Wade shot a few more, slowing down to let Sean up onto his horse. Sean clung to Wade, watching Wade cover Nathan. Nathan hopped off his horse, hefting Mark over his shoulder and onto his horse. The second they were ready, Nathan and Wade bolted off. Joining up with Bob who was covering them from a distance with a sniper rifle. As relieved as Sean was, the fact Mark wasn't moving had him in a panic. Calling out his name and trying to reach for him as they rode across the plains. To Be Continued...