“No, you can’t do this,” she pleaded in shock.
“What is wrong with you, Dante? What would Carmella think if she could see you now?” Manuel asked. Once more the smile faded from the don’s face, and for a moment he looked pained. Whatever guilt he was feeling was interrupted by a shout from the man called Gonzalez.
“Maravilloso, I do not believe it! The Yberras have given in to your demands!" he hollered. Everyone turned to the road that led up to the mine, and a few of the gang drew their guns. Katie’s mouth dropped open at the sight.
Honor Elizabeth was whipping the reins of the coach, charging it along the road to the mine until she brought it to a stop next to the don and his captives, effectively blocking them from the view of the bandits. The don took out his gun and crossed around to the other side, in clear view of his gang then.
“I am going to slowly reach for my gun and throw it down. I come in peace. Is that understood, Dante?” she asked. Katie was amazed at the calmness of her friend but, of course, she was a Wilde woman after all. The man nodded as Honor did what she said she would do and threw the pistol down. As she watched it hit the ground, one of the gang bolted forward and scooped it up, yet she didn’t appear to give it a second thought. Slowly she climbed down from the elaborate stage.
"We have done as you asked. Francisco sent me with this coach as repayment. He did not come himself because after what you have done he does not trust you completely and does not trust himself not to break his vow to your sister that you killed never to harm you,” she told the fat man. The bandit seemed to bristle at the mention of Carmella.
“My actions he brought on himself for not doing as I asked. Where is my son? Inside the coach? Get him out here, wench,” The don said. Katie almost smiled at the cheerfulness in her friend’s voice.
"Well, that is the thing now. Francisco said you get the coach for Miss Dodge. He is trusting you enough to release her. When you release Manuel, then you get your son back. Please arrange to have to horses ready for us to ride out of here. I will return with Amaury once Katie is safe back at the villa,” Honor said.
“My former brother-in-law is in no position to make demands. It is I, Don Diego, who shall command how this will go,” the don said as if he were royalty and not a disgusting bandit, Katie thought. Honor’s reply to the bandit leader clearly caught his interest.
“He thought you might be incensed about this, so he has sweetened the pot so to speak, with what I have in the coach,” she told him.
“Which is?” he asked suspiciously.
“Let me open the door and pull it out for you to see,” she answered. Katie wondered what it could be as well.
“No tricks or I may just shoot your friend and keep your coach as well!” he threatened, a sneer on his pudgy face.
“No tricks,” Honor said and slowly drew open the door. Then she pulled out a saddle bag. Katie recognized it as the one holding the money they had confiscated from the Melendez family. The don could see that it was stuffed full of money, some of which that bulged out the flap. “As a show of good faith your brother offers you this money to agree to his terms,” she said. Katie felt her heart sink when the fat bandit replied laughing.
“You stupid, stupid woman! Why would you let Francisco send you on such a foolish mission? I shall now take the money, keep Señorita Dodge, and toss you to my men who are hungry to sample their first negro wench. Francisco should have known better. Twice now he has failed to live up to my demands. Perhaps I shall simply kill Manuel if I can't get my Amaury back,” the evil man said making Katie flinch.
"You are a man of no honor, Don Diego. Fine, you want this money? Then it is yours!" Honor cried and threw the bag straight in the direction of most of his gang. Everyone's eyes followed the bag as it cartwheeled across the ground, stacks of money falling out as it went, the gang, as well as Katie and Manuel, were unaware Honor Elizabeth had just sent a signal.
As several men stepped towards the money, a series of liquor bottles with burning rags rained down from the top of the cliffs overlooking the mine. Chaos erupted as the bottles exploded on the ground amongst the men and into their tents. Several men caught fire, and when the Molotov cocktails stopped, bullets began to pepper the ground as well. They weren't hitting anything, but the panic they caused was effective. Katie watched dumbfounded as her friend went on the attack.
Honor lashed out with the palm of her hand with a move taught her by Lijuan and broke Don Diego's nose with a loud pop! He stumbled backward and fell on his ass to Katie's great delight. As he hit the ground, he lost his grip on his gun, and it tumbled beneath the carriage. Wasting no time, Honor produced her knife from where she had hidden it beneath her clothing and darted around the coach out of view of the chaos. She cut the pair free, and Katie was relieved as she moved towards the coach, but Honor grabbed her arm, halting her mid-step.
“No, To the river’s edge, both of you, please now!” Honor ordered. As they raced towards the water, Manuel gave a shout of joy as he spotted Rosa in a canoe, coming downstream in response to the explosions that had been her cue. She had been true to her word and expertly brought the canoe along the river bank long enough for the three to scramble into it.
Rosa quickly pulled away from the edge as Don Diego with his recovered pistol began shooting in their general direction. The rapids were swift and addled by his pain, the big bandit didn’t have a chance as they were swept beyond his reach. Katie heard him shout, “To the horses!” and then saw Honor look up to the top of the cliff face. There were two people up there, and then the faces disappeared. Katie realized they were the twins from the villa! Honor had grabbed everyone she could, it seemed yet where were the men?
CHAPTER 21
LOS LUNAS
Verde Abundante Valley, Mexico
At the livery in Los Lunas where the Wilde sisters had rented the now-recovered wagon a few days ago, Cassandra was shaking her head in frustration. She held many bills in her hand. The same two men from their previous visit were standing before her with their arms crossed shaking their heads. Catalina leaned against the wall to the barn with one foot raised and pressed against the wooden slats. She was trying to pay attention to the conversation, but her mind seemed to keep wandering back to the same thing. Buried treasure at Cedar Ledge sounded so preposterous, and yet Victor had used some of his last, precious breaths to make sure she knew about it. Then old Diaz at the winery seemingly confirming the tale but who was to say something that occurred centuries ago hadn't been embellished or fabricated completely? As the trio of voices grew louder, she shook her head and focused in on the argument.
"This is more than a fair price!" Cassandra told them, frustrated that they didn't have the extra money they had because of rewarding the drunken farmer back in Natchez the previous evening.
"No, there are many bullet holes in this wagon — much expense to fix it. What you are offering is not enough, señorita," the man on the left said.
“Si! Much work will have to be done to replace the boards,” the second man agreed.
“Fine. I will give you our address, and you can send the bill to the attention of Lijuan Wilde at Cedar Ledge Ranch,” Cass told the men who shook their head.
“No bill! Cash only,” they said together. The argument was interrupted when a handsome man rode up and reined his horse to a stop. He had nine other men with him who also brought their mounts to a standstill.
“Señor Yberra! What brings you to us in such a hurry?” the second man asked. Cat couldn’t tell the two men apart. She figured they were brothers and she likened them to Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum from that story she’d read once.
“I am mounting a vigilante party to lead on a rescue!” the man they called Yberra said.
“Then you’re looking in the wrong place. I’ve seen chickens with more courage than these two hombres. Hell, they were afraid to set foot into the next valley because they were terrified of El Segador,” Cassandra said, her frustration at a boiling point.
Catalina watched the interplay with a slight smile. Cass was always good at irritating people, and Cat enjoyed it as a form of amusement.
“A fearsome man, I have heard,” The one called Yberra said.
“Not anymore, he’s dead. I killed him and don’t wanna talk about it,” Catalina said with a growl. The first man, Tweedle Dee spoke up.
“A woman killing The Reaper? Ridiculous!” he said to Cattie’s annoyance.
"I am not here for these men. I am looking for the owner of the mercantile next door, but it is closed. Where is Señor Salinas? He is my friend, and he shall ride with us," The newcomer said. Tweedle Dum shook his head.
“He is gone. Closed up shop to go to pick up his daughter and son-in-law to bring them to the celebration today over in San Robeles,” he said.
"If you are looking for warm bodies, you can count us in if there is someone who needs rescuing," Cassie said, and Catalina smiled again. Count on Two-Gun Cassandra to find some action and jump right in.
“Americans, I can tell. What is it with women from up there. You sound like my new friend, Señorita Wilde. She was ready to go charging off to rescue her friend Katie and my brother, but I forbade it,” Yberra said bewildered.
Catalina launched herself off the wall and was over next to her sister in a heartbeat at the man’s words.
“A colored woman by the name of Honor Elizabeth?” she asked the man with a snarl. He was stunned but spoke quickly.
“Si, how do you know this?” he asked as Catalina and Cassandra were already mounting their horses.
"Señor, I don't know who you are, but we are joining you, and you are going to take us where you left Honor, and you will do it now!" Cassandra told the man with a ton of command in her tone.
"Dear Lady, my brother's life is at stake. I do not know how you know Señorita Wilde, but I have a vigilante party to assemble if I am going to save his life and that of my customer, Señorita Dodge," he said, apparently not hearing Cassandra's commands. That was a first, Catalina thought.
"No! You listen to me! If Honor came to Mexico with Katie Dodge to do business with you and Katie is in trouble, you forbidding her to help only resulted in the exact opposite. I would bet my life that the minute you rode off to get your vigilantes she was already planning her rescue. She is as capable as hell, but I don't want her going up alone against whoever has Katie. Now we are going to ride, and you are going to fill us in on everything on the way," she demanded in no uncertain terms leaving the man to look between the two of them. Not to be left out, Cattie drew her gun and let it hang at her side while catching the man's eyes as she stared at him with growing frustration over her sister's safety. He continued to look from one to the other.
"There, there is a fire in your eyes that nearly convinces me. Why should I believe you?" he asked stupidly, Catalina thought.
"Because Honor is our sister, and we are the Wildes. This is the sort of thing we do! You want your brother back; then you are going to take us where we need to go, now!" Cassandra said almost shouting at the clueless man. It was then Yberra noticed several of the men he had gathered nodding their head, agreeing with the sisters.
“Very well, we ride,” Yberra said finally, looking dubious as he turned his horse around, and the others followed him. Cassandra and Catalina went charging off after them, but not before Cassandra threw the money at the two men.
“Cedar Ledge is in Alamieda in Arizona. Bill us for the rest there!” she shouted at them as they left them in the dust.
CHAPTER 22
JUAREZ CANYON
Canebraro Valley, Mexico
Lijuan, Blue River, and their passenger Christina rolled through the heat of the valley which had started out broad and fertile. As they traveled farther, it became thinner until they plunged into Juarez Canyon. The walls of the gorge were getting closer on both sides, the vegetation thinned out more and more, and it was becoming shrubs and boulders. Lijuan was looking ahead next to her brother, analyzing the territory.
"We are getting close to the edge of the Canebraro Valley. Once we thread through the canyon country, we'll be back in the open desert again, the Badlands, but pretty close to beautiful Arizona," Lijuan told Blue River.
“You are telling me something I already know. I believe it is because you hope to distract me from speaking about Bright Feather,” he said, causing her to sigh.
"I was not!" she proclaimed, her chin jutting up in a show of defiance.
“If that is not the case, let us speak of her now, Miss Lijuan,” Blue River said. “You have done your best to dodge this conversation our entire trip.”
Lijuan threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. He had her in checkmate, and she knew it.
“Fine, what do you want to say?” she asked him.
“It is a hard position you have put me in,” he said firmly, looking over at her as he whipped the reins.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” she said evasively, not realizing she was leaning away from him a bit now.
“Yes, you do. I love you, Miss Lijuan. I love all my sisters. All of them, which includes Bright Feather. Think what position you put me in when you treat her as you do.” The passion in his voice something she couldn’t ignore.
“I don’t know what you are saying,” she responded automatically, but she recognized how feeble it sounded. Lijuan knew she shouldn’t have even bothered.
"Stop! Miss Honor and all the others are all aware of it, but they turn a blind eye to it. As much as they care and love Bright Feather, their loyalty is to their blood, and they will not call you on it," he began, his voice rising "I do not have that luxury because my blood is of Wilde and of Bright Feather. Do you know how it feels to have one sister that I love pitted against another? It is not fair that you put me in that position," he said with a sigh. For a long moment, her averted gaze looked down at the rocky ground sweeping by on her side of Whip's coach.
"Why do you just blame me, Blue River? She doesn't like me any more than I like her," she, at last, said in a voice that was curt and defensive.
"The difference is any ill feeling she may have towards you is a reaction to how you treat her. From the very first day she returned to Arizona, you have treated her so. You were not like this with her years ago, before she left on her travels. Nobody understands why you are like this now," he told her firmly, and she could see how much it frustrated the young man.
Lijuan’s mind raced, knowing that he was not one hundred percent correct in some of it. Cassie understood, but her older sister loved her enough that she would never reveal Lijuan’s secret and destroy the family. Defusing and getting out of this conversation was now what she longed for most in the world.
She forced a smile. "I'll say one thing. I admire your moxie for calling me out like you are and speaking your mind, Little Brother." Lijuan knew she should have stopped there, but she couldn't help herself and continued.
"The only thing is you've got it all wrong. I'm not the villain here. If I don't get along with your sister, it's because I know what danger she represents," she told him — summoning forth what was always her big excuse for her actions.
“I do not understand your words, Miss Lijuan,” Blue River responded with a frown.
"To David!" She put a hand on his shoulder. "Little Brother, you know Black Hawk's hatred runs deep for our father. It is for Father taking your mother, Red Wing, from him after he raised Bright Feather as his daughter. Now first he lost the love of his life to a Wilde, and now the daughter he lost is going to the son of that same man. If they continue down this path and marry, I fear that Black Hawk will stop at nothing to murder David," she said urgently. Blue River shook his head.
"You concern is admirable, but our brother is a grown man and a captain in the army. He survived the Civil War, a nightmarish time as a prisoner of war. Not to mention that horrible tragedy on the Mississippi as well. He is more than capable of defending himself against Black Hawk!" Blue River said with conviction.
“Sister, wait! Look, rising above the canyon! Smoke!” he exclaimed. She looked to where he pointed.
"A fire in this barren terrain. Now that doesn't add up. I think we need to find out what's going on right away!" she said grimly. Blue River whipped the reins, and the coach sped up to a good clip hurtling further into the canyon and headlong into danger.
Not long afterward as the coach neared the station something didn't seem right to Lijuan. The smoke wasn't as heavy, but she was getting a bad feeling the kind she had long ago learned to trust.
They rounded a bend and drove straight into a nightmare.
“Stop!!” Lijuan told her brother, and he agreed and brought the coach to a standstill amidst a dust cloud.
"Where are the station's agents?" Blue River said softly as he scanned the scene of the Juarez station reduced to a smoking ruin. He felt as if he already knew the answer to his question.
"There is no sign of life. No relief horses in the corral and the station is damned near burned to the ground!" Lijuan stated with a frown and a determined look.
"There is the stage from the town over there. The horses are gone from that too!" he pointed out.
"Pull up next to it," she said, and he moved the coach forward. As they drew parallel to it, she peered into it and recoiled in disgust and horror.
"Shit, bodies!" Lijuan immediately began to look around the area, and she fixated on something up the road by the stream that flowed through the canyon. "Quick, give me the reins and take out the rifle," she ordered, and he reached to where a Winchester was strapped behind their calves and under the cushion of the seat.
“What did you see?” he asked as he brought it up.
"Ahead, someone’s head ducked behind a rock. Where there's one head, there is bound to be more. No way one person could leave behind carnage like this. I don't have to be Cassandra to know this is an ambush," Lijuan stated. Surveying the terrain in front of them she had an idea and went with it. "Get this coach moving now," she told him handing him back the reins. "Cut off the trail and head down by the stream," she said.
The Boot Hill Express: Special Edition HBH Version (Half Breed Haven Book 12) Page 16
