“No person’s life is worth a fancy coach, Blue River,” Miss Caine said to him as they made their way out of the river and back onto the road through the canyon.
"That was just an excuse, Miss Caine …"
“Christina!” she corrected him.
"Christina, then. My sister lingers behind to keep the banditos off our backs. There is no other reason. We, Wildes, protect our own." He looked over to her directly. "As well as those that walk with us. It is our way, but if she dies …" He trailed off, and they continued riding in silence. Their horses were close together, and their legs would brush, and Blue River found some comfort in that.
***
Up the stream, a look of dread swept across Lijuan's face as she watched the pair disappear around a bend. Then she steeled herself with resolve and launched into action. I have got to find a place to fort up before those banditos get here, she thought to herself with a nod. She reached into the coach and grabbed the saddle bag that had the money in it.
“I’m sorry, Father. I can’t protect your coach, but no matter what happens, they won’t get the family’s money too. Even if I have to burn it myself,” she said aloud but knowing she had to get moving before the bandits got over the boulders. She moved down the stream looking for a good spot. Then she saw it. That’s it, she thought. That shallow cave or overhang. They can’t get at me there except from in front. She was quite happy to have found the perfect redoubt so quickly.
That the bandits would be showing up any time now was for certain. It was wishful thinking to hope that the explosion had taken them all out. Scaling the side of a rock wall once more, she made it to the little cave she had spied in a matter of minutes. Upon entering she saw the grisly sight of bones, human bones scattered about where they had fallen untold years before. It seemed others had perhaps taken refuge here hoping for salvation at some unknown point of time in the past, she reasoned.
“This could be my last stand too if they come at me after dark and I can’t see them coming,” she said softly to herself. Knowing there was nothing she could do about that if it happened, she went about doing something she could do. Lijuan’s muscles strained, and a sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead as she began rolling some boulders towards the front to make a blockade as best she could.
***
“Their fancy coach is down there stuck in the stream, but the horses are gone. We’ve lost all three of them!” Ernesto groaned as the bedraggled gang stood on the edge of the river bank after having traversed the barrier of boulders that had crushed some among their number.
“Three? You said it was just an Injun and a Chinese servant,” Bolivar asked grumpily, angered at the loss of the men.
“Before they figured our ambush, I’m sure I saw someone through the window of the coach, hombre. They must have picked up a passenger,” Ernesto said.
“Must have been the passenger who came up with the idea to slow us down by blowing up the gorge. No Injun or Chinese woman is gonna be smart enough to think of that,” Bolivar commented nastily.
“It doesn’t matter how many they number and who did what now if we’ve lost them,” Lopez said.
“No, listen. The rocks are moving up there,” Javier said. They peered up in unison far down the chasm and caught the sight of movement high up on the cliff face. “There is at least one of them. Maybe hurt,” he finished as Lopez pointed to two of his men.
“You amigos pick up the trail of whoever is left. They may have the money. The rest of us will find whoever that is up there and send ‘em to hell,” Lopez said sketching out his plan.
***
Lijuan turned the rifle over in her hands. Upriver in the distance, she counted eight of the pond scum were still left, and two of them looked like they were heading down the river after Blue River. That left six of them against her. If it were anyone else but a Wilde, it would be time to make plans to make your peace and prepare to meet your Maker, she thought.
"Okay, Lijuan, time to fix these two sticks of dynamite I saved out," she said to herself under her breath. She took her hammer off her belt, and then she reached for the dynamite. She began working on getting it how she wanted it. She had to crimp it with her teeth like she had done earlier when setting the cap on the stick of dynamite she'd used to set off all the others. It was sobering knowing that if it went off, then it would take her jaw with it, but without crimping pliers, teeth would have to do the job. Well, one down. This next one I’ll have to make the fuse a lot shorter, she thought. She kept her eye out around her cover and saw heard the sounds of movement beyond the cave entrance.
“Damn, ones of those banditos are getting a little too close. As Cassandra would say, it is time to open the ball. Let’s dance,” she whispered.
She fired just as one of the bandits climbed over the lip of the cave and missed, but her second shot blew his head off. Suddenly, Ernesto dropped down from above the mouth of the cave where he had surreptitiously climbed his way around to just above. His foot lashed out and kicked the rifle out of her hands. With her now stripped of the long gun, he stood in front of her going for his gun to kill her.
Lijuan reacted instinctively, ignored her pistol strapped to her waist, and instead grabbed her hammer and threw it hard. It hit him dead center in the chest before bouncing back into the cave as he screamed out in agony over his shattered sternum as he fell back into the void. Lijuan snatched up the Winchester and positioned herself behind one of the boulders she’d rolled by the entrance. Peering over it she looked down and took aim at the men swarming below and fired. She missed the man on the left, but the shot ricocheted and grazed the horse of another man, throwing him off as the horse bucked and ran off.
“Ernesto! He fell from the cave!” Javier cried out as Bolivar plunged from his horse injured by the ricochet swearing as he hit the water.
“Goddamn it!” he spat as he staggered to his feet.
"Take cover and get them!" Lopez shouted in a fury. Javier dashed over to where Ernesto lay in a bloody heap below the cave. Fortunately for him, it was just outside of Lijuan's line of sight. He kneeled next to his friend. The man was dying and looked up at him.
“Get her … avenge me …” he gasped out.
“Her? The China woman?” Javier asked stunned.
“Kill her,” he said, his voice a death rattle as he gave up and died.
Out in the stream, Lopez momentarily stepped out of cover to get a look where their opponent was in the cave, and Lijuan spied him. Another rifle poking this way, she thought and fired. Lopez's abdomen blossomed into an explosion of red, and he screamed, dropping into Bolivar's arms as he dragged him behind the protection of a boulder. Javier rushed up to the pair of men, his face drawn.
“My brother!” Javier cried. “How bad is it, Bolivar?” his trembling voice questioned.
“As bad as it gets, he’s gut shot,” Bolivar said, his face a grim mask.
“That bitch!” Javier said.
“What?” Bolivar asked.
“The yellow whore is the one up in that cave firing on us!”
“Are you trying to tell me that some ignorant Chinese servant woman is responsible for the licking we’re taking?” Bolivar asked as he looked at Javier and the remaining bandits in disbelief.
“I have no explanation,” was all Javier could offer weakly.
“No matter. We’ll blast that bitch right back to China,” he exclaimed angrily as he reloaded. “Hit her with all we’ve got, amigos!”
Up in the cave, Lijuan ducked down behind her cover as a barrage of bullets blasted her way. She waited for a break, so she could fire back. After a few more rounds she realized she was going to have to set her dynamite because the night was getting close. She figured she would leave a goodbye present for them when she snuck out.
CHAPTER 25
Even as Lijuan made her plans, Blue River and Christina were charging across the open desert that lay between Juarez Canyon and one whose name they did not know. Suddenly, Blue River's
horse caught a hoof in a hole, and it toppled throwing Blue River to the ground. He rolled with it and came up on his knees uninjured but in disgust looking at the poor horse, Nessie, her neck snapped from her accidental fall. Christina screamed in surprise circled back to him and dismounted, rushing to his aid.
“Are you alright?” She asked kneeling next to him. He looked sadly at the horse.
"I am unharmed, and I wish the same could be said for Nessie. She's been pulling my father's coach for a lot of years," he said, his eyes looking haunted.
“What now?” she asked.
“Come, we must keep moving lest any sacrifices my sister is making will be in vain. I will not have that,” he told her getting to his feet. After quickly dusting himself off, they were now mounted on a single horse, the irony not escaping him that it was what he’d wanted to do all along, but the strong-willed Lijuan would not have it. He grimaced as they picked up speed in a canter.
"Ahead is where this plain ends in another canyon. We'll stop long enough for me to scale the rocks. When we were on our way here from Arizona, I remember noticing an old shack high up. It will give me a good view of what's behind us to see if we are pursued."
After a short time, they came to the new canyon. After dismounting Blue River prepared to climb the promontory when he heard a ripping sound and looked over to see Christina tearing half the length of her skirt away leaving its ragged edge ending just above her knees. Their eyes met, and she saw his quizzical look.
“For climbing! I’m coming with you!” she told him.
“I don’t think …” he began.
"Look, we are in this together, right? So, let's not argue about it. Let's climb," she told him. He shrugged, then nodded. His life with his sisters taught him never to underestimate what a woman could be capable of. Christina then tied the horse to a shrub, and they began climbing to where the shack was. A hot wind blew at them as they scaled the cliff, but at last, they pulled themselves up to the top.
“What is this place?” she asked looking around. Blue River spied a small tunnel leading into the rocks near the shack.
“Must have been a prospector’s shack long ago judging by its miserable shape,” he said glancing around. “That tunnel was where he was digging for whatever riches he thought lay up here.”
“Maybe he struck it rich and is off being a millionaire,” Christina said enthused.
“Lijuan would tell you the real money is in the cattle and timber business. She runs the family’s ranch, you know. She takes care of all the money, the deals. That is why we are in this accursed land after all,” Blue River told her.
He then moved over to the cliff’s edge and looked back at the open expanse they had just traversed. He was thankful to be looking southward and not have the setting sun shining into his face. He stared into the distance, looking for signs of anyone following. His eyes narrowed, and Christina saw him suddenly point, and she asked him if he saw something.
“Yes, Christina, it is not good news. Judging by the dust cloud, it’s a pair of riders coming after us. I say we’ve got a half hour at most before they get here,” he told her.
"Of course, we will be long gone by then," she said unconcernedly.
“No,” he answered.
“What do you mean, no?” His brow furrowed at the unexpected answer.
“If we try and flee for the border with two of us on horseback, they will eventually catch up. Miss Lijuan was right, the two of us on one horse will be too slow, and I’m not letting you go off by yourself. We will stay here and take them out,” he informed her. She stared at him in amazement for a moment.
"My word, you Wildes are all alike, aren't you? From that one time I met Dutch, I can see you've got that same strength and courage that flows out of him. I've heard of his adventures," she said in awe.
“A man of courage does not leave his sister behind to fend for herself against a band of desperados,” he said dejectedly in a voice barely above a whisper.
“You know you had no choice, and she wasn’t going to let you do otherwise. You know this,” she told him reassuringly. He nodded.
"You speak words of truth, Christina, but it does not make me feel any better. At this moment, I do not feel like the brave that I am or the brother I am supposed to be," he told her honestly. She touched his arm, looking up at him.
“Please stop, you are a most courageous man, a wonderful man. I can tell, even for having only just met you a short time ago,” she took his hand in hers. “I feel safe with you,” she told him and led him towards the shack.
“What is this?” he asked. She didn’t answer as she pulled him across the threshold. Christina looked around the old place and spied a bed. She let go of his hand and took the blanket off the bed, shaking it out. She flipped it to the “clean” side and spread it out on top.
"What are you doing, Miss Christina?" Blue River asked although he was pretty sure he knew. She brought a finger to her lips.
“Shhh,” she told him. Then she led him to the bed and sat him down.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked.
“Don’t you want me to?” she answered with a question.
“Of course, you are lovely like a ray of sunshine, but help me to understand,” he said.
“I didn’t tell you what I was doing in Mexico, did I?” she asked.
“No,” he admitted.
“I’ve been, I’ve been corresponding with a man whose ad for a mail order bride I answered,” she told him, and he was amazed and shocked.
“Why would you need to resort to that, Christina? You are a gorgeous woman and sweet,” he told her, and she smiled sadly.
“I just haven’t been lucky is all. Anyhow, I decided to surprise him before committing to anything. It proved a wise choice. I went down there, and he was a former American living in Mexico as he had said, but he was a horrible person. He was nothing like he presented himself in our correspondence. I just wanted to get away from there and from him,” she said, as her eyes drooped downward.
“Does the colonel even know you have been considering becoming a mail order bride?” he asked.
“Heavens no! It would kill him,” she said as she put a hand on his cheek.
“Forgive me for being so forward, I am not sure you would expect it coming from a lady,” she said softly, looking into his eyes. He smiled and returned her gaze.
“Women being forward is something I am quite used to. I have some of the most forthright sisters that ever lived,” he said proudly.
"Then allow me to say that I have only been with one man in my life. He was one of my father's friends! He was much older than I, but he flattered me, and when he made his solicitations, I could hardly refuse him — another horrible mistake. There was no pleasure, and I didn't enjoy his attentions after we got started. I'm afraid I disappointed him as well. He never spoke to me again," she explained about herself.
“I assume Colonel Caine knows nothing about this transgression from his friend or the man would be resting in his grave even as we speak,” he said with a smile. She returned it.
“He does not, but that brings us to where we are right here. Blue River, I want to be with someone that I am truly, really attracted to. A young, strong, vibrant man like yourself. We have a half hour, yes? Please don’t turn me away,” she said with lowered lashes.
"Never," he told her honestly. She sat with him and leaned in to kiss him. He returned it, and her heart soared. She leaned in against him, yearning for the feel of his hard-muscled chest against her large breasts. His arms went around her, and she wilted even further, giving herself to him as she had never done before. She was a little shocked it happened so quickly but being with a man she truly desired was a new experience that she did not want to end. He reached down to her waist and she to his as they continued kissing. The taste of him lighted her senses up spectacularly. It was an indescribable tingle on her tongue.
Her skirt was loosened, and she got his buckle undone. He lay back pul
ling her down with him. He took charge, and she was willing to let him. She had little experience and had no problem allowing him to steer their course for the ride. Their lips parted as he opened her blouse and began kissing his way down her neck. She reached behind herself and undid her bra so that her boobs were free, and he enjoyed the release as his lips found them and caused a shot of lightning to go down her spine as he licked and squeezed her large breasts.
It felt amazing to her, and she realized the older man she had been with before had not known what he was doing. That combined with her not even liking him would be why that experience had been so lacking. She gasped and cried out as her back arched on its own. His hands were around her now naked rear, holding her tightly against him as he continued to explore her body with his lips.
"Oh yes, Blue River, yes, yes!" She cried out, and he kissed her ear and murmured to her.
“Christina, so beautiful.” He said in a low and seductive voice.
She gasped as his hand went between her legs and then with a sudden move he rolled her to the side, and he was instantly on top of her. The weight of him brought her arousal to a peak, and she could suddenly feel his hard manhood against her thigh, and the idea excited her completely. She was gasping, unable to speak as his touches drove her lust for him higher and higher. When he lifted his hips above hers, she knew it was about to happen, and she rejoiced that such a good man was sharing this with her. She felt the tip of his desire tease her wet opening for a moment until she was almost unable to breathe with her built up desires.
Then he plunged into her with lust and determination as her body seemed to swell with a pleasure she had never felt before. It filled Christina over and over as he thrust himself into her. When at last he exploded into her, it touched her deepest center of being causing a wave of her feelings to roar through her until they were both laying together, trying to get their breath back. She was almost in a daze from the experience. She stroked his dark hair with a slight smile, enjoying the aftermath as much as the romance writings talked about. Finally she reluctantly forced herself to think about the predicament they were in and stretched.
The Boot Hill Express: Special Edition HBH Version (Half Breed Haven Book 12) Page 18
