The Magnificent Seven
Working Girls

Opening Scene:

Scene opens with Buck and JD riding into Wick's Town - a town made up of tents. JD is trying to convince Buck that he is no virgin with women. Buck mentions that Wicks is a friend of the local ranchers who has brought in some sporting women. They go to the saloon tent. JD spots Chris seated some distance away with a girl (Lydia) holding onto his arm; he is staring at a 3/4 full bottle of whiskey set in front of him. When JD says they should go over, Buck stops him.

While Buck and JD are having a free drink, courtesy of Wicks, another man enters. Wicks calls over one of his girls (Nora) but she does not want to go with the man - who is violent.

Lydia mumbles something about 'not him again' and Chris looks around with disinterest before turning his attention back to the bottle of whiskey. Lydia moves off to offer herself to the man. She returns to Chris, strokes his hair and asks if he is nearly finished.

Chris: All right?
Lydia: I'm fine. She's not.

JD has drawn the attention of one of the girls (Emily) and she takes him to her tent. Buck is talking to the bartender about first times, starts to get worried and decides to follow JD just to make sure all is okay. Buck hears a woman scream and he sees Wicks beating up Nora. He attacks Wicks, hits him, but Wicks has paid help who grab Buck. Wicks punches Buck in the stomach. A shot is fired.

Chris is on his horse, rifle aimed at Wicks.

Chris: Buck, we're leaving. Take her with us. JD, get the gun, horses.

Buck hands the battered girl, Nora, up to Chris. He mounts up and, before they gallop off Wicks fumes at Chris.

Wicks: This ain't over.



Chris, with Vin following, heads up the stairs to Nathan's and he listens while Nora explains how Wicks paid for the girls train/stagecoach tickets to come out West with promises of a bright future and then forced them into prostitution to pay back the money they owe.

Nora: The more I work, the more I owe.
Vin: Sounds like a good deal... for him.

There is a knock at the door which answers. It is Mary Travis looking to speak with Chris.

Mary: Mr. Larabee? May I have a word with you please.

Chris looks like he knows exactly what Mary wants to talk to him about, he nods his head to Mary and leaves.

Small scene with JD, Buck and Josiah in the bathhouse with Buck trying to offer JD advice on women while Josiah listens in. JD is getting annoyed.



Mary: I'm not telling you what to do.
Chris: You're suggesting awful strong.
Mary: Look. She's your responsibility.
Chris: I brought her here cos she needs looking after.
Mary: And when she gets better? Hopefully you'll take her out of here.
Chris: Well that's... mighty christian of you, Mrs. Travis.
Mary: Mr. Larabee. Things are hard enough for this town without her kind here.
Chris: Her kind?
Mary: The working kind.
Chris: Just one girl, Mrs. Travis.

At that moment a wagon rolls into town carrying Lydia and several more working girls from Wick's Town.

Mary: Just one, Mr. Larabee?



Chris, Mary, Vin and Nathan approach the wagon full of girls and when Lydia explains that they have run away from Wicks, Chris turns to Vin instantly and asks him to take a look around.

When Lydia asks for protection Chris ignores her and walks away leaving Lydia to request help from Mary Travis. Buck has been listening in too. He seeks out Chris in the saloon and stands at the bar next to him.

Chris: It's a problem but you can handle it.

Buck tries to get Chris to take responsibility for the Girls' plight.

Chris: You started it. You finish it.



Vin is watching along the track from Wicks Town and spots a group of riders coming in fast. He heads back to town to warn the others.

Mary chooses that moment to enter the saloon and disagrees with Buck's solution that the Girls stay in town. The argument is cut short when Vin pushes through the batwing doors:

Vin: Got company.

The others depart leaving Vin alone at the bar nursing a cup of coffee. Wick's men enter the saloon and start looking around in a hostile manner.

Wicks' Man: We're looking for some girls."
Vin: Ain't we all?
Wicks' Man: You ought to stay outta the way while we look around.
Vin: Suit yerself but I'll tell you right now, the pickings are mighty slim.

The girls hide in various places. Two hide beneath the pulpit in the church and Josiah frightens off the men who come looking in the church with a fire and brimstone sermon. Ezra and Nathan hide Nora by pretending Ezra is a sick man suffering from consumption (TB), coughing up blood. JD hides Emily in the livery and several other girls hide behind some large boxes in the street with Buck. Lydia hides in the bathhouse.

Later, Vin watches as the men mount up ready to ride onto the next town.

Vin: No luck? Well, if you find one wandering around out there, tell her she's welcome here.

Chris goes searching for Lydia in the bath house, where she was hiding. She calls to him, he pulls back the curtain and looks annoyed when he realises she is naked in the bath tub. He offers to escort her and the others to catch the train from Ridge City but Lydia refuses, saying they'll stay.

Chris: If you stay, you're on your own.
Lydia: Always have been. Always will be.

Chris leaves Lydia and goes outside where Vin is leaning against the upright tunelessly playing his harmonica. Chris comes up behind him and places an arm around him, hand on his shoulder.

Chris: We need a new plan.

Vin merely smiles slightly as Chris walks off.



Mary is in her print store, watching Chris and Vin as they talk on the opposite side of the street. Chris is leaning against the upright, Vin standing in the street facing him. Lydia enters the store and asks if Mary needs an assistant. Mary says there is not enough work for two people. The conversation turns to Chris Larabee, with Lydia wanting to know if Mary has designs on Chris but Mary gets all flustered and says they are just friends.

Lydia: He's fair game?
Mary: Absolutely.
Lydia: Good.



Josiah is on church roof, on watch. He spots Wick's men returning and rings the bell in warning. Josiah, Nathan, Buck, JD, Ezra and Chris stand in a line across the main street, forming a reception committee. Wicks is with his men this time.

Chris: Anyone seen any girls?
Josiah: The ones on them horses.
Buck: All I see is a pig on a horse.

Just then Vin is heard urging a team of horses on. Wicks and his men chase the wagon. Vin steers it towards the edge of the mesa, he leaps on the team and releases them from the wagon. Horses and Vin go one way, the wagon carries on over the mesa to crash far below. There appears to be bodies wearing female attire spread around the debris. Wicks tries to force the blame for the death of the girls onto others. Buck is furious and has to be held back.

Chris: Mister. You better get before I do something I'll regret.
Wicks: Glad to put a bullet through you but I wouldn't waste decent metal on a bunch of whores.

Wicks and his men ride off, and Vin returns with the horses. A close-up reveals that the bodies are merely 'dummies' dressed up as women.

Vin: This job gets better every day.

Later that evening:

Vin enters the saloon and orders a gut-warmer. He looks in the mirror behind the bar and sees Lydia seated close by.

Lydia: Don't worry, I'm not working.
Vin: Don't matter to me.

Lydia thanks Vin for all his help.

Vin: Shouldn't you be laying low? Somebody could recognise you; tell Wicks.
Lydia: Your friend, Larabee, send you here to say that?
Vin: I look like a messenger boy?
Lydia: Sorry. Mr. Larabee ain't as friendly as he usually is.
Vin: Maybe he don't wanna get caught 'tween you and the town.
Lydia: Mean, between me and Mrs. Travis.

Vin does not respond. He turns back to his drink but turns to watch as Lydia leaves the saloon. She is spotted by one of Wicks men who goes back to tell Wicks.



Mary brings breakfast for Nathan but he asks her to give it to Nora. Then he asks if she would watch over Nora while he goes off. Mary finds herself helping Nora and listening as Nora explains how she became a working girl. Wicks bursts into the room and grabs Mary.

Chris, Vin and Lydia are making plans when Nora rushes up to Lydia.

Nora: Lydia. He took Mrs. Travis.
Chris: Who?
Nora: Wicks.

Chris gives Vin a look and they leave together without another word.

Chris meets up with Vin outside; Chris is wearing his poncho and is ready to ride. He and Vin walk along together, talking. They stop and Vin indicates up the stairs but Chris merely glances and discards what he sees, too preoccupied with the problem at hand.

Chris: You know, if we go in there all spit and vinegar there's a good chance she'll get hurt.
Vin: Yeah. What we need is some sort of... distraction.

Chris looks back up to see what has caught Vin's attention and sees Ezra walking down the stairs balancing a book on his head as he gives the Working Girls deportment lessons.

Vin: Walks awful graceful, don't he?

Chris grins having cottoned on to Vin's idea.



Ezra is dressed as a woman and trying to pass himself off as a singer in Wick's Town.

Barkeep: Well, a singer ain't gotta be no great beauty.

Ezra starts to sing, but has to fend off the drunken advances of some of the men present. Eventually he hits one man and a brawl ensues. The others use this as their distraction.

Vin presses his mare's leg into one sentry's back, takes the man's gun and forces him into one of the tents. Josiah comes face to face with one of the henchmen who came into the church when searching for the missing girls, and the man recognises Josiah as the preacher. Josiah punches him.

Josiah: Should have prayed when you had the chance.

Buck is sneaking along, not realising their is a man lying in wait for him until he sees the gun aimed at his head but Nathan saves Buck.

Chris knocks out a guard and sneaks into Wick's tent where he finds Mary Travis tied to the bed. He releases her.

Chris: Did he hurt you?
Mary: I'm all right... I'm fine.

They sneak out of the tent together but Wicks is lying in wait and aims a gun at Chris's head.

Wicks: Welcome back to Wick's Town. This is almost too easy.

He raises his gun, preparing to gun Chris down in cold blood but Lydia steps out, holding a gun. She shoots Wicks in the back twice and he falls to the ground. Chris steps forward slowly and takes the gun from a shocked Lydia. They turn and start to walk away but Wicks is not dead. He raises his gun and aims at Chris's defenceless back. A shot rings out but it is from Buck's gun, and this time Wicks is truly dead.

Epilogue:

The Girls have decided not to take up Ezra's offer of finding them husbands and have decided to move on together. As their carriage leaves town Lydia looks at Chris and he tips his hat to her in response.



End of Episode 03: Working Girls