Any Other Day

disclaimer: the characters from the Magnificent Seven belong to MGM, Trilogy and Mirisch, no copyright infringement is intended with their use.

This story was my attempt at writing a Halloween story with spooky and paranormal stuff thrown in. It ended up more paranormal than spooky I think and by the end you'll probably be able to guess what movie I've watched one too many times over the years! g

"You, Mr. Wilmington, are delusional if you think that I am going to proceed any further into..." Ezra waved his hand, gesturing toward the handmade sign and its flowing script while he searched for an adequate word, "this." He gave up, ignoring Buck's wide grin as he picked a stray piece of orange confetti from the sleeve of his tuxedo.

"Now Ez, you lost our bet, fair and square." Buck pointed out. "It's this or I'll make sure your name appears on the list for the pie throwing contest…as a target." The ladies' man was unfazed by the scowl Standish aimed at him.

The din of the crowded convention center seemed to grow around them while Buck waited and Ezra pretended to debate a decision. Music played loud and distorted preventing anyone from identifying it as tuxedo clad partiers made their way around the elaborately decorated booths. The Denver City Charity Halloween Spectacular was turning out to be everything its planners had anticipated even though they'd had to settle for having the celebration a night early thanks to a miscommunication and double booking of the building on Halloween itself.

Buck adjusted his pumpkin orange bow tie and grabbed a handful of candy corn from a passing server dressed as a ghoul. "Come on, Ezra, a deal's a deal."

Ezra sighed dramatically and read the sign again. 'Fortunes predicted and Pasts retold.' "Who would have thought our Mr. Dunne could break the city's annual apple bobbing record?" He muttered, motioning for Buck to lead the way through the heavy drapes and hanging beads. Wilmington grabbed his arm as he passed and pulled him into the darkened area with him, not taking a chance his friend might attempt an escape.

Both men stopped immediately inside as the curtains behind them fell closed, effectively shutting out both the light and noise from the party and leaving them in near total darkness. Three candles lit the interior, illuminating a round, cloth-covered table and the slim woman seated on the far side of it. A single candle in the center of the table cast odd shadows across her face.

"All that's missing is the crystal ball," Ezra mumbled, grunting noisily when Buck's elbow found his ribs. "That…was uncalled for," he growled softly.

"Welcome," the woman greeted them with a thickly accented voice. "I am Lady Aislinn."

"Evening Aislinn, it's a pleasure to meet you." Buck stepped closer to the table while Ezra rolled his eyes heavenward. It was not the first time he'd seen this kind of set up. Everything about "Lady Aislinn" was stereotypical, right down to the colorful layers of clothing, flashing jewels and henna tattooed skin.

"You wish to be read?" she asked.

Ezra distractedly tried to place which part of Europe she was trying to imitate with her accent, unaware until Buck shoved him forward.

"This is Ezra," Buck introduced and pushed his friend into the waiting chair.

Standish huffed at the indignant treatment and haughtily adjusted his tuxedo jacket.

"Welcome." Aislinn bowed her head slowly and when she looked up again the center candle flared, the flame jumping to six inches in length before immediately receding to its normal size again.

Buck and Ezra both flinched in surprise. Ezra wiped a hand over his face and whispered "Oh, lord." He heard Buck chuckle nervously behind him.

Aislinn smiled, her dark eyes reflecting the candle's light. "Would you like to hear of your future or visit your past?" she asked in a sultry voice.

"Well," Ezra cleared his throat, "I'm well acquainted with my own past and care not a whit about revisiting it."

"She means your past life, Ez," Buck interrupted. "Quit being a smart ass- I can still sign you up for that pie contest."

"Shut up, Mr. Wilmington," Ezra shot over his shoulder then returned his attention to the Lady across from him.

Aislinn smiled sweetly and brushed a strand of her jeweled blond hair behind her ear, her earrings tinkling lightly. "You are a cynic," she stated quietly.

"One might say that," Ezra admitted with a wry smile.

"Do you wish to see into the life you led before this one?"

"Sure he does," Buck interrupted again, this time stepping up next to the table. "And since I'm paying, I say take him to his past life. Maybe he'll learn something." He slapped his money down on the table and winked. "Might be interesting…maybe he was a mule."

Ezra threw a threatening glare at Buck but Aislinn nodded sagely, the money slipping quickly out of sight. "Please, have a seat over there, Mr. Wilmington." She motioned to a second chair, neither man had noticed before. "I'll ask only that you refrain from any further interruptions."

Ezra stifled a laugh as Buck's eyes widened and he followed the orders with out a word.

"Shall we begin, Ezra?" Her accent split his name, emphasizing the second syllable and drawing it out.

"I suppose we shall." He smiled genuinely. On any other day he'd have been tempted to test her with his sarcasm and uncooperative nature but for some reason, today he decided to take on the game.

Lady Aislinn slid her hand forward on the table and motioned for him to do the same. As she took his slender hands in hers, he noticed only the warmth of her fingers as they gently began to massage his pressure points. "Please close your eyes." Her voice fell to a low soft whisper.

Ezra complied, feeling slightly self-conscious knowing that Buck was watching.

"You are an honorable man."

Buck chuckled and Ezra tensed, but Aislinn continued to massage his fingers and palms, soothingly.

"That is debatable," he told her.

"You work in an honorable profession, you help people," she pointed out.

'Sure,' Ezra thought, 'every one here is involved with the government somehow, nice lead in.'

"You doubt yourself," she whispered. "You wear self created shields to keep away those who seek to come close."

Ezra swallowed. "And what does that have to do with my past life?" he asked, his eyes opening and meeting hers. Aislinn merely smiled and nodded for him to close his eyes again. He did.

"Now we will begin," she said. "Go back with me, in time…first ten years." She paused for a moment. "Are you there? Can you see yourself ten years ago?"

"Yes." Ezra kept tight control on his facial expressions wondering absently if when he opened his eyes again he'd be in the center of some bizarre and horrible practical joke that one only saw on inane shows like candid camera.

"Good, good, now go back twenty. Are you there?"

"Unfortunately, I am." He shoved the childhood memories aside and waited for her soothing voice to direct him again.

"Now thirty years," she instructed.

Ezra raised an eyebrow but continued to listen and respond to the seductive voice as she went on to count backwards in furthering increments of ten.

"EzRaa," she drew his name out. "Tell me what you see."

It took a quick moment for Ezra to realize that she wanted a response from him and yet another to calculate the total number of years she had counted back, somewhere around 130. He smiled to himself when the image came into his mind and rapidly created his persona. "I'm in some kind of building, with lots of people," he whispered quietly. "There is music playing, a piano."

"Do you know where you are?" Aislinn prodded slightly.

"Where I always am," Ezra answered.

"You feel at home there?"

"Always."

"What are you doing?"

Ezra frowned in concentration, imagining an old western saloon in an untamed frontier town. He could almost hear the music of a slightly out of tune piano as someone banged mercilessly on the ivory keys. He imagined the feel of a well-worn deck of cards and the sound of coins clinking together in the center of a wooden table. "I'm playing cards," he answered finally, allowing himself to slip into using a thicker accent.

They went on this way for several more minutes, Aislinn asking leading questions while Ezra filled in the details of the scene, describing himself as an 19th century gambler.

"It is time to come back," Aislinn instructed carefully and began to retrace the years by ten again. When she'd reached the present time she firmly squeezed his hands. "Open your eyes."

Ezra blinked rapidly and smiled at her, relieved to find he hadn't gained a larger audience in the meantime. "Most enlightening," he stated.

"I see." She looked up then, meeting his gaze solidly, the double meaning of her words sinking in with her expression. She knew full well that he had merely been playing along with her scam. He started to pull his hands away from hers when her grip tightened suddenly with an unexpected strength that made him tense. She roughly pulled him closer towards the center candle and leaned in herself.

"Be warned," she hissed, the flame dancing from the breath of her harsh words. "Lest your cynicism blind you to the truth when it's revealed."

"Unhand me," he whispered back forcefully, unnerved by the dark glow of her eyes.

"Be warned," she whispered again and released him.

Ezra sat up quickly and straightened the rumpled tablecloth before standing. "Thank you for a lovely time, Lady Aislinn." He nodded and left the tiny, stuffy area suddenly looking forward to the noise and the crowd of the convention room.

Buck was right on his heels. "That was interesting; what'd she say at the end there? I didn't hear," he commented as they made their way to the area that was set up as an open bar.

"Nothing of importance, I assure you," Ezra said, nonchalantly ignoring the unsettling feeling the experience had left him with.

Wilmington shrugged and waved to someone behind them. "She was hot."

Ezra looked at him incredulously but didn't comment. He turned to see the rest of Team 7 waving them over and groaned. He let Buck go ahead and stopped at the bar to order a scotch. He joined the group in time to hear part of Buck's gregarious version of what happened at Lady Aislinn's booth.

"A gambler? Why does that not surprise me?" Nathan laughed, shaking his head.

"She really said you were a gambler in a past life, Ezra?" JD asked, his black hair was still damp from the earlier contest but his tuxedo had replaced his ATF t-shirt. Ezra stared at the pumpkin print on the matching tie and cummerbund a moment before answering.

"She never said, Mr. Dunne. She just asked questions and I answered."

JD frowned. "But was it real?" he asked.

"Come on, kid." Vin draped an arm over Dunne's shoulders. "You really think Ezra would let someone hypnotize him like that? Man doesn't even trust his own mother."

"Would you trust my mother?" Ezra asked, taking a sip of his drink and making eye contact with Tanner over the rim of the glass.

"Hell no!" Vin answered emphatically, the others laughing in response to the obviousness of the answer.

A half an hour later Ezra was following the others out into the cold October night, there was after all work to return to the next day.

"You need a cab, Ezra?" Chris asked, coming up beside him as he handed the valet his ticket.

"No, just had one scotch."

Chris nodded, "Drive safe."

Ezra watched Chris and Vin climb into Larabee's truck and acknowledged Tanner's wave goodbye. He rubbed his hands together, trying to warm them as his Jag pulled up in front of him.

"Thank you, Sir." The driver smiled and tucked his tip away and held the door. Feeling like he was being watched, Ezra searched the milling crowd. He found her, not far outside the main entrance. Her costume still on, she puffed on a cigarette and met his gaze without wavering. He felt the shiver as it raced up his spine and finally managed to tear away from the trance she seemed to pull him into. He never saw her lips begin to move and was already pulling out of the drive when her whispered chant was lost in the wind.

"Warn him, Spirits." She finished as the car's taillights faded from her view. "Warn him."

TBC...