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strangevisitor7Title: Ghost Town (3/8)
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
strangevisitor7
Beta:lyl_devil and pen37
Rated: PG-13
Fandom: Supernatural & The Magnificent 7 (TV series)
Characters: Sam and Dean Winchester; The Seven: Chris Larabee, Buck Wilmington, Vin Tanner, Ezra Standish, Nathan Jackson, Josiah Sanchez, JD Dunne; OMC – Mathew Tanner
Disclaimer: The characters you know and love all belong to their respective creators. Mathew Tanner is mine
Summary: Sam and Dean Winchester investigate the town of Four Corners and find that the ghosts of six men have been protecting/haunting the town for over a century.
Chapter Summary: Sam (Agent Campbell) and Dean (Agent Raimi) pose as government officials to interrogate Mathew Tanner about the events at Four Corners. (Because who doesn't love a good 'Evil Dead' reference)
Chapter List:
Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8
A/N2: For those of you unfamiliar with the characters of the Magnificent Seven, brief profiles can be found here which should tell you all you need to know or just asklyl_devil who will use her mad powers of persuasion to turn you into a Mag7 fan as she did me.
JD, Josiah, Vin, Chris, Buck, Nathan & Ezra
banner byscrollgirl
Chapter 3
Cornerstone, New Mexico - The Present
“What is it Annie?” Mathew Tanner looked up at the sound of his assistant knocking on the door frame.
“Sorry to interrupt but there are two government agents outside wanting to talk with you,” she said.
Mathew looked past the petite brunette to see two tall men in identical black suits waiting in the lobby of his law office. “This has to be about Four Corners,” he said. “Send them in.”
She turned to leave. “Wait, Annie,” he called her back. “What’s the status of the paperwork on the injunction against restarting the demolition?”
“Travis filed the motion about an hour ago. The judge has agreed to hear your petition tomorrow,” she said.
“That’s good news.”
She smiled. “Yes it is. Shall I show them in now?”
“Might as well,” he sighed. “And Annie, if they arrest me, make sure Travis takes the hearing. This might be our last chance to stop the destruction of the town.”
Local cops were one thing but if the government was involved then chances were they wanted to bring him in for questioning, or worse, flat out arrest him. Mathew’s group was the one leading the charge to save Four Corners and they’d benefited directly from the delay. He knew that made him suspect number one.
Nodding, she turned and stepped into the lobby, motioning for the agents to enter the office. “Mr. Tanner will see you now.”
Mathew stood to greet the men.
The taller one with slicked back hair introduced himself as Agent Campbell. “And this is Agent Raimi,” he said pointing to the shorter, stockier man sporting a military haircut. “We’re with Homeland Security.”
The two flashed badges at Mathew and he glanced briefly at them before indicating that they should have a seat. “What can I do for the government?” He asked smiling as he settled himself behind his desk once more.
“We are investigating the incident at Four Corners as a possible case of domestic terrorism,” Agent Campbell explained. “What can you tell us about what happened that day?”
Mathew was unsurprised by this turn of events. Bombs go off and immediately the word terrorism gets bandied about. The lawyer shrugged. “We were protesting the demolition when suddenly the bulldozer just exploded.”
“Can you account for everyone in your group’s whereabouts during the incident?”
“Agent Campbell, I have no way of knowing which of our supporters were around that day. We are a large group with a loose affiliation.”
“What about you?” Agent Raimi asked. “You do any late night touring of the site before the crew got to work.”
“Are you accusing me of setting the explosives?”
“Well, you have been very vocal about stopping the demolition,” Agent Raimi explained.
“I didn’t have to do anything to do with it,” Mathew laughed and decided he might as well toss out what really happened though he knew they would never believe him. “The ghosts took care of protecting the town; just like they always have.”
“You really believe the stories about the haunting? I find that surprising. You seem like an intelligent man,” Agent Campbell said.
“I realize that practical men such as yourselves would never give credence to the idea of the town being haunted but I assure you it is. You won’t find any connection to me or anyone in my group for the explosion.”
“You have to admit it sounds far fetched. Six ghosts? A little bit of overkill don’t you think?” Agent Raimi smirked. “Most hoaxes only need one.”
“It’s not a hoax,” Mathew snapped. He couldn’t explain why he felt compelled to convince these men of the supernatural nature of the situation. Maybe he just needed to prove to them that it wasn’t anyone in his organization. “Do you know why those men haunt Four Corners?”
The two agents shared a furtive glance. From the looks that passed between the two Mathew figured they’d decided he was crazy. “Why don’t you tell us the story?” Agent Campbell prompted. “It might help us understand the mindset of the people involved.”
Mathew stared at the two before him. Something was off but he couldn’t put his finger on it, but then he’d never dealt with Homeland Security before. Still, it did seem odd that they’d be this interested in a so-called campfire tale.
He stood and retrieved an old photograph from the bookshelf on his right. “This is a reproduction of the only photo I know of taken of the seven.” He handed the framed picture to Agent Campbell.
“Seven? But there were reports of only six ghosts,” Agent Campbell prompted.
Mathew got the distinct impression the tall agent already knew the story. He apparently wanted to hear it again but for what reason the lawyer wasn’t in a position to speculate. “This one,” he said pointing to a man with long hair wearing a buckskin coat, “was my ancestor Vin Tanner. He, along with those others, were the law in Four Corners for almost a decade. They protected that town, it was their whole world and then one day they were ambushed. Vin survived but the others didn’t.”
“You look like him,” Agent Campbell observed.
Mathew smiled. “So, I’ve been told.”
“Why do you think they still haunt the town?” Agent Campbell asked. The sincerity in his voice startled Mathew and confirmed his belief that they were far to interested in the local legend for typical Government Agents.
Matt decided he might as well share the prevailing theory in the Tanner family. “According to family lore, Chris Larabee - he was the leader - ,” Matt said pointing to the man dressed in black in the photo. “As he lay dying, he made Vin swear to always protect the town which he did until his dying day. I think bond of friendship between my ancestor and Chris reached beyond death and in promising to protect the town, Vin kept their souls from moving on.”
“It’s a touching story,” Agent Raimi said. “But really just a local legend.” The guy was trying to sound like a skeptic but Mathew wasn’t buying it.
“My family has believed it for five generations.” Mathew said quietly as he leaned back against his desk. “So, I guess you’ll just have to arrest me because my story won’t change. I’ll even give you permission to search my house for evidence. I don’t care. I know the truth.”
“That won’t be necessary,” said Agent Campbell as he rose to leave. “Do you think I could get a copy of this photograph?”
“Made a believer out of you, did I?” Mathew wondered why the agent would want the photo and why they didn’t want to search his house. He was sure he was a suspect. The local police had said as much.
The tall man’s face took on a serious expression. “Of course not. I want to compare it to the description the witness gave.”
Matt nodded at the logic of that, but he remained unconvinced about their real motivations. “Sure, just ask Annie on your way out.”
“You wouldn’t happen to know where the six are buried, would you?” Agent Raimi asked.
Agent Campbell glared at his partner. The staring contest between the two didn’t seem like normal behavior for government agents and he was beginning to feel like he was watching a very bad play.
The lawyer in him thought about calling them on it, asking to see their badges again but in the end he decided not to push his luck. Instead, he played along with this strange verbal dance the three were engaged in. “There’s a small cemetery just south of Four Corners at the crest of the hill. You can’t miss it. All seven are buried there.”
He was curious to find out why they wanted to know. Maybe he’d head over to Four Corners himself and see if these guys showed up.
Matt ushered them out of the office. He stood leaning against his door frame, watching as Annie made a copy of the photograph. Agent Raimi was flirting shamelessly with her. Matt was too far away to hear the conversation that had Annie giggling as she wrote something on a piece of paper and handed to the Agent. Matt snorted as he realized that she’d given him her number, though not surprising as his assistant had a thing for guys in law enforcement.
He didn’t miss the disapproval coming of Agent Campbell in waves at the flirtatious exchange. Matt definitely needed to find out who these guys really were.
*************************************
Dean loosened his tie as they exited the building. “Don’t think we need to interview any one else. Seems like a standard salt and burn if you ask me.”
Sam nodded as he opened the door to the Impala. “Maybe.” he said with some reluctance.
Dean looked over at his brother. “What’s wrong?”
“It seems too easy. These ghosts have been around a long time. How come no one else has been here to do the job?”
“Who knows but don’t we deserve an easy one? And speaking of easy ones, we should be done in time for me to give that hot little secretary a call,” he said as he waved Annie’s number at his brother before depositing it in his pocket.
Rolling his eyes, Sam folded himself into the passenger seat as Dean slid in from the other side. “Fine, we head to the cemetery tonight,” the younger Winchester grudgingly agreed.
“An evening of grave desecration; always a fun time." Dean smirked as he started up the engine, navigated the Chevy into traffic and headed back to the hotel.
Neither Winchester noticed Mathew Tanner watching them from his third floor office window.
Author:
strangevisitor7Beta:
lyl_devil and pen37Rated: PG-13
Fandom: Supernatural & The Magnificent 7 (TV series)
Characters: Sam and Dean Winchester; The Seven: Chris Larabee, Buck Wilmington, Vin Tanner, Ezra Standish, Nathan Jackson, Josiah Sanchez, JD Dunne; OMC – Mathew Tanner
Disclaimer: The characters you know and love all belong to their respective creators. Mathew Tanner is mine
Summary: Sam and Dean Winchester investigate the town of Four Corners and find that the ghosts of six men have been protecting/haunting the town for over a century.
Chapter Summary: Sam (Agent Campbell) and Dean (Agent Raimi) pose as government officials to interrogate Mathew Tanner about the events at Four Corners. (Because who doesn't love a good 'Evil Dead' reference)
Chapter List:
Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8
A/N2: For those of you unfamiliar with the characters of the Magnificent Seven, brief profiles can be found here which should tell you all you need to know or just ask
lyl_devil who will use her mad powers of persuasion to turn you into a Mag7 fan as she did me. banner by
scrollgirlCornerstone, New Mexico - The Present
“What is it Annie?” Mathew Tanner looked up at the sound of his assistant knocking on the door frame.
“Sorry to interrupt but there are two government agents outside wanting to talk with you,” she said.
Mathew looked past the petite brunette to see two tall men in identical black suits waiting in the lobby of his law office. “This has to be about Four Corners,” he said. “Send them in.”
She turned to leave. “Wait, Annie,” he called her back. “What’s the status of the paperwork on the injunction against restarting the demolition?”
“Travis filed the motion about an hour ago. The judge has agreed to hear your petition tomorrow,” she said.
“That’s good news.”
She smiled. “Yes it is. Shall I show them in now?”
“Might as well,” he sighed. “And Annie, if they arrest me, make sure Travis takes the hearing. This might be our last chance to stop the destruction of the town.”
Local cops were one thing but if the government was involved then chances were they wanted to bring him in for questioning, or worse, flat out arrest him. Mathew’s group was the one leading the charge to save Four Corners and they’d benefited directly from the delay. He knew that made him suspect number one.
Nodding, she turned and stepped into the lobby, motioning for the agents to enter the office. “Mr. Tanner will see you now.”
Mathew stood to greet the men.
The taller one with slicked back hair introduced himself as Agent Campbell. “And this is Agent Raimi,” he said pointing to the shorter, stockier man sporting a military haircut. “We’re with Homeland Security.”
The two flashed badges at Mathew and he glanced briefly at them before indicating that they should have a seat. “What can I do for the government?” He asked smiling as he settled himself behind his desk once more.
“We are investigating the incident at Four Corners as a possible case of domestic terrorism,” Agent Campbell explained. “What can you tell us about what happened that day?”
Mathew was unsurprised by this turn of events. Bombs go off and immediately the word terrorism gets bandied about. The lawyer shrugged. “We were protesting the demolition when suddenly the bulldozer just exploded.”
“Can you account for everyone in your group’s whereabouts during the incident?”
“Agent Campbell, I have no way of knowing which of our supporters were around that day. We are a large group with a loose affiliation.”
“What about you?” Agent Raimi asked. “You do any late night touring of the site before the crew got to work.”
“Are you accusing me of setting the explosives?”
“Well, you have been very vocal about stopping the demolition,” Agent Raimi explained.
“I didn’t have to do anything to do with it,” Mathew laughed and decided he might as well toss out what really happened though he knew they would never believe him. “The ghosts took care of protecting the town; just like they always have.”
“You really believe the stories about the haunting? I find that surprising. You seem like an intelligent man,” Agent Campbell said.
“I realize that practical men such as yourselves would never give credence to the idea of the town being haunted but I assure you it is. You won’t find any connection to me or anyone in my group for the explosion.”
“You have to admit it sounds far fetched. Six ghosts? A little bit of overkill don’t you think?” Agent Raimi smirked. “Most hoaxes only need one.”
“It’s not a hoax,” Mathew snapped. He couldn’t explain why he felt compelled to convince these men of the supernatural nature of the situation. Maybe he just needed to prove to them that it wasn’t anyone in his organization. “Do you know why those men haunt Four Corners?”
The two agents shared a furtive glance. From the looks that passed between the two Mathew figured they’d decided he was crazy. “Why don’t you tell us the story?” Agent Campbell prompted. “It might help us understand the mindset of the people involved.”
Mathew stared at the two before him. Something was off but he couldn’t put his finger on it, but then he’d never dealt with Homeland Security before. Still, it did seem odd that they’d be this interested in a so-called campfire tale.
He stood and retrieved an old photograph from the bookshelf on his right. “This is a reproduction of the only photo I know of taken of the seven.” He handed the framed picture to Agent Campbell.
“Seven? But there were reports of only six ghosts,” Agent Campbell prompted.
Mathew got the distinct impression the tall agent already knew the story. He apparently wanted to hear it again but for what reason the lawyer wasn’t in a position to speculate. “This one,” he said pointing to a man with long hair wearing a buckskin coat, “was my ancestor Vin Tanner. He, along with those others, were the law in Four Corners for almost a decade. They protected that town, it was their whole world and then one day they were ambushed. Vin survived but the others didn’t.”
“You look like him,” Agent Campbell observed.
Mathew smiled. “So, I’ve been told.”
“Why do you think they still haunt the town?” Agent Campbell asked. The sincerity in his voice startled Mathew and confirmed his belief that they were far to interested in the local legend for typical Government Agents.
Matt decided he might as well share the prevailing theory in the Tanner family. “According to family lore, Chris Larabee - he was the leader - ,” Matt said pointing to the man dressed in black in the photo. “As he lay dying, he made Vin swear to always protect the town which he did until his dying day. I think bond of friendship between my ancestor and Chris reached beyond death and in promising to protect the town, Vin kept their souls from moving on.”
“It’s a touching story,” Agent Raimi said. “But really just a local legend.” The guy was trying to sound like a skeptic but Mathew wasn’t buying it.
“My family has believed it for five generations.” Mathew said quietly as he leaned back against his desk. “So, I guess you’ll just have to arrest me because my story won’t change. I’ll even give you permission to search my house for evidence. I don’t care. I know the truth.”
“That won’t be necessary,” said Agent Campbell as he rose to leave. “Do you think I could get a copy of this photograph?”
“Made a believer out of you, did I?” Mathew wondered why the agent would want the photo and why they didn’t want to search his house. He was sure he was a suspect. The local police had said as much.
The tall man’s face took on a serious expression. “Of course not. I want to compare it to the description the witness gave.”
Matt nodded at the logic of that, but he remained unconvinced about their real motivations. “Sure, just ask Annie on your way out.”
“You wouldn’t happen to know where the six are buried, would you?” Agent Raimi asked.
Agent Campbell glared at his partner. The staring contest between the two didn’t seem like normal behavior for government agents and he was beginning to feel like he was watching a very bad play.
The lawyer in him thought about calling them on it, asking to see their badges again but in the end he decided not to push his luck. Instead, he played along with this strange verbal dance the three were engaged in. “There’s a small cemetery just south of Four Corners at the crest of the hill. You can’t miss it. All seven are buried there.”
He was curious to find out why they wanted to know. Maybe he’d head over to Four Corners himself and see if these guys showed up.
Matt ushered them out of the office. He stood leaning against his door frame, watching as Annie made a copy of the photograph. Agent Raimi was flirting shamelessly with her. Matt was too far away to hear the conversation that had Annie giggling as she wrote something on a piece of paper and handed to the Agent. Matt snorted as he realized that she’d given him her number, though not surprising as his assistant had a thing for guys in law enforcement.
He didn’t miss the disapproval coming of Agent Campbell in waves at the flirtatious exchange. Matt definitely needed to find out who these guys really were.
*************************************
Dean loosened his tie as they exited the building. “Don’t think we need to interview any one else. Seems like a standard salt and burn if you ask me.”
Sam nodded as he opened the door to the Impala. “Maybe.” he said with some reluctance.
Dean looked over at his brother. “What’s wrong?”
“It seems too easy. These ghosts have been around a long time. How come no one else has been here to do the job?”
“Who knows but don’t we deserve an easy one? And speaking of easy ones, we should be done in time for me to give that hot little secretary a call,” he said as he waved Annie’s number at his brother before depositing it in his pocket.
Rolling his eyes, Sam folded himself into the passenger seat as Dean slid in from the other side. “Fine, we head to the cemetery tonight,” the younger Winchester grudgingly agreed.
“An evening of grave desecration; always a fun time." Dean smirked as he started up the engine, navigated the Chevy into traffic and headed back to the hotel.
Neither Winchester noticed Mathew Tanner watching them from his third floor office window.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 12:58 pm (UTC)Great chapter! So much fun still. And I didn't cry this time, so bonus! *lol*
Loved the arguing. Loved the lawyer in Tanner being suspicious. I can't wait to see what happens next!
Salt and burn 6/7? That doesn't promise to end well, boys.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 01:08 pm (UTC)Now - off to read!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 01:09 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 01:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 01:24 pm (UTC)Good that Matthew also shares his ancestor's skepticism!
Looking forward to the next chapter!!!!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 01:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 02:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 04:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 04:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 05:07 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 06:42 pm (UTC)I am a huge Supernatural and Mag7 Fangirl so this is heaven for me! XD
Noticed that we are very similar in our fandoms (did some icon stalkerage) and added you as a friend. Add back?
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 06:58 pm (UTC)*giggles*
“You wouldn’t happen to know where the six are buried, would you?” Agent Raimi asked.
Sam: you up for a little salt-n-burn, Dean?
Dean: bonfire time!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 07:24 pm (UTC)Love where you're going with this! Can't wait for more!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 07:55 pm (UTC)I'm SO THRILLED WITH HOW QUICKLY YOU UPDATE DUDE IT'S AWESOME.
I love seeing the boys from other people's perspectives, it's always interesting and you did it really well.
AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO READ MORE. you've totally got me hooked, man, every day I look forward to getting a little further in the story. I CAN'T WAIT to see how it continues to unravel. ^_^
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 08:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 08:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 08:30 pm (UTC)I'm a terrible icon junkie - wish LJ would let me have hundreds because i would!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 08:33 pm (UTC)Dean's hoping to get done in time to hook up with Annie - but we always know Dean's plans go sideways frequently!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 08:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 08:37 pm (UTC)something tells me this isn't gonna be as simple a salt'n'burn as Dean thinks
LOL I hope not I have 5 more chapters to fill. it was fun to write from MAthew's POV - I think the boys make terrible agents and am always amazed that people would buy their act and their silly ID's [g]
I always try to post what I consider to be complete stories - never WIP. For ongoing series that a little different but I am frustrated by WIP and stories that never get finished from others so I try not to do that to my flist.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 08:41 pm (UTC)yeah.... they do, don't they? *sigh*
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 08:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 09:00 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 09:04 pm (UTC)"I abhor gambling and as such leave nothing to chance."[g]
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 09:05 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 09:11 pm (UTC)Didn't comment yesterday as I didn't think I could read the death scene again (gah - boys!!! noooooo!). -> good work on that, by the way :)
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 09:12 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 09:15 pm (UTC)With you on the death scene - I've read it too many times between edits and postings. I wrote it and it still wears me out *hugs Vin*
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 10:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-30 11:44 pm (UTC)As for the story, it's very engaging and really enjoying the M7 side of things. May have to check out the DVDs.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-31 12:21 am (UTC)are you really doing what i think you're doing?omgomgomgomg. if you're not, oh i so wish you were. LOL!!!
I LOVE this. want more! want more!!!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-31 01:44 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-31 02:47 am (UTC)So glad you're enjoying it!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-31 02:49 am (UTC)I hope you enjoy the Abby Richie stories - I look forward to hearing your thoughts
I friend you back.
Say what?
Date: 2008-05-31 02:58 am (UTC)Re: Say what?
Date: 2008-05-31 03:15 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-31 03:26 am (UTC)I'll have to let Lyl_Devil know we've hooked another *hee*
(no subject)
Date: 2008-06-16 04:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-06-16 11:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-06-17 01:33 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-12-28 03:10 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-12-28 03:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-29 05:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-30 12:33 am (UTC)