The Blackbird

by Kristy McCaffrey

  “I didn’t mean it that way. It’s dangerous. What if something happens to you?”

  At least she was concerned. It was something.

  “Back in the day,” Cale replied, “I was quite good at what I did.”

  “What if Saul or Haverly comes here?”

  “We’ll get ’em before they even think of heading this way. You can’t move Lenna yet. I’ll leave Bipin here.”

  Cale waited, for her to touch him, to change her mind and profess her love, for...something.

  “Be careful,” she whispered, then turned and left him.

  He watched her go, feeling as though his heart had just been ripped from his chest.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Within the hour, Cale and Hank departed Blight’s cabin. They rode into the Dragoons, carrying additional weapons from Hank’s cache—two Winchesters, a Sharps carbine, and four Colt revolvers—along with ammunition and two Bowie knives.

  A hollow resolution filled Cale, not an altogether unfamiliar sentiment. Riding with Hank had, at times, felt fatalistic. But this was something more. The dreams he’d just begun to entertain were crumbling around him.

  He’d planned to take Tess to Texas, to reconcile with his pa and ask for a stake in the Walker ranch. With that land, he could build a home, a legacy for Tess and their children. He hadn’t wanted her to get pregnant too soon, before she’d had a chance to become accustomed to him, but now he wondered if he should’ve let nature take its course.

  She might already be with child, from the first night he loved her. Anticipation filled him. She’d have to marry me. Just as quickly, the elation fled. He didn’t want to win her that way. He wouldn’t be one more source of unhappiness for her.

  He and Hank had ridden hard but slowed as they neared the spot of Lenna’s burning and the remains of the rancheria.

  Hank brought his lathered dun in step with Bo. “What are your intentions toward my Tessie?”

  Cale squinted, despite the brim of his Stetson casting a shadow. “I’d hoped to make an honest woman of her.”

  “So what’s stoppin’ ya?”

  Cale felt as though the wind had been knocked from him. “Tess.”

  “She can be a bit stubborn when she wants.”

  “I noticed.”

  “It’s not a bad trait to have. There’s a lot that can break a female in this life. Take me mammy. I came to America in 1845 with me folks and me brother Gilly. We were poor farmers from South Ulster and starving to death, quite literally. I was sixteen years old, and Gilly nineteen.”

  Despite the weight of Tess’s rejection hanging over Cale, Hank’s sudden openness regarding his family caught Cale’s attention. Hank had never spoken of his past, except in the broadest of strokes.

  “Mammy lost me a brother, Nels, long before, and a sister named Glenna more recently. When we left Ireland, she was but a shadow. I loved her well, but it was hard to reach her. We boarded a boat and sailed to New York City, but Mammy died on the way. Near broke us all. But I think, in some small way, I was glad for her. She was finally free. Her grief was a weight she carried with her every day. She just couldn't take it anymore.”

  “I'm sorry Hank, I didn't know,” Cale said. “My mama died when I was a boy, too.”

  “I always knew we was connected in more ways than one. We're kin, in a way, boy. I've always felt it.” He looked ahead. “So Pappy, Gilly and I tried to survive in New York City, but it wasn't easy. Did you know we changed our name? 'Twas Carroll back then. Pappy wanted a fresh start, so Carlisles we became. But Pappy died within a few months. The conditions were terrible, we practically lived in sewers in the basements of buildings. We weren't considered much better than dogs. So Gilly and I left and came west. It was 1850, and I was twenty-one. Didn't know a damn thing, except how to survive. I'd been doing it awhile by then.”

  “What happened to Gilly?” Cale hadn't known that Hank had a brother.

  “He's dead. Bought it in a skirmish in Mexico. Maybe it was my fault. I've always wondered about that. That's when I met Isabelle. I was deep in my liquor then. She pulled me out, for a time. Tessie was born in '59. I moved them up to Tucson, along with Isabelle's madre, Dolores. That way I could keep an eye on them, check in more often. I didn't have many skills, but I could shoot and hunt, and I could relentlessly chase a man beyond his ability to cope. My reputation helped me get jobs, helped me take care of Isabelle and me little girl.”

  “Hank, you're not the first man to cross the line to survive.”

  “There's something inside of me, Cale, a thing that claws like a trapped animal. I’ve never been able to quiet it, and I’m not sure I ever will. Livin’ in these hills has taught me that. Tess has a piece of me, whether she wants it or not. I realized it when I looked into her face last night, her eyes filled with so much angry determination to find me. It was like lookin’ at meself.”

  Cale’s jaw ached as the muscles in his cheeks clenched. Maybe Tess was more like Hank than he wanted to acknowledge.

  “You’ll have your hands full with her,” Hank added.

  Yeah, I already do.

  * * * *

  Tess spent the day scrubbing pots and washing the blanket she and Cale had used. It crossed her mind that they might never have use of it again.

  With Cale gone, she relaxed her guard and fully acknowledged her sorrow at pushing him away. She did love him. How could she not? Everything about him called to her—his blue eyes when he watched her as she told a story; his grin when he teased her; his gentle handling of her injury; his solid, physical presence that tugged at wild places deep within herself; his compassion and his courage.

  If she could get a handle on her own demonios, would she be able to share Cale’s life? She wanted to believe it was possible, but still the panic blindsided her.

  With little enthusiasm, she gathered vegetables for a stew, which she set to simmer. Nitis and Smita tended to the animals in the barn and corral. There was also an injured coyote recovering, tied to a post so he wouldn’t run off. Smita assured her with hand movements that the animal would be set free once the wound on his forepaw healed.

  For a moment, Tess felt a wistful longing for her blackbird, Amado, and wondered if she’d taken residence in a nearby tree. For much of the afternoon, Tess scanned the surroundings, but never saw the bird.

  As nightfall came, Blight approached on horseback. Tess wiped her hands on her apron and went outside, the ache in her leg very dull now, and her posture better for having Blight set it weeks ago.

  She waved. He nodded and appeared unsurprised by her presence. He looked like he hadn't bathed in weeks. Behind him Cocheta sat atop Moses. Tess was glad to see that Cale’s mule was well.

  “Señor Blight, I’m very happy to see you.”

  Weariness crossed his features.

  Tess nodded toward Cocheta. “How did she get here?”

  “Found her wandering around. There's been trouble in the mountains. Are you alright?”

  “Yes. There's a young Apache girl here. I hope you don't mind. She was hurt and we had nowhere else to go.”

  “How is she now?”

  “Better.”

  Vern came off his small gelding with a grunt. “Where's your man?”

  “He's gone into the mountains.”

  Tess offered Cocheta an arm so the old woman could dismount.

  “I have a stew for dinner, and fresh biscuits. You should both come inside and eat.”

  “I'll be there shortly,” Blight answered. “Lemme get my horse and your mule settled first.”

  Cocheta and Lenna shared a tearful reunion with much hugging. Tess set a table for the two, and it didn’t take much coaxing to get them to eat. Thankfully, Lenna was able to move about.

  “Lenna,” Tess said, “can you ask Cocheta how she came to be separated from the tribe?”

  The girl and Cocheta conversed for a time.

  “She left camp early in the morning, three sunrises ago. She say she is old, but no
t that old. She followed the blackbird, and the voice of a mountain lion. There is power afoot, and she wanted to help.”

  “She could have gotten herself killed.”

  “She is not afraid to die.”

  Tess wished she could say the same of herself. “Is the tribe safe?”

  “Cocheta says they are well hidden. When she left, she cloaked them with colors to disguise them.”

  Tess wasn’t sure what that meant, but she hoped the Apache would be free from danger.

  Cocheta paused to eat spoonfuls of stew, then smiled and placed a shaky hand upon Lenna’s. An unmistakable current of love passed from the older woman to the girl, and Tess’s heart squeezed. Watching the two made her miss her abuela something fierce. She swallowed back a sudden rush of tears.

  O blackbird! sing me something well.

  Tennyson’s poem echoed in her mind.

  Yet, tho’ I spared thee all the spring,

  Thy sole delight is, sitting still.

  As she watched Cocheta— her face wrinkled, her hair a mass of gray— Tess sensed the story the woman carried within her frail body. She understood the pain and the sorrow of life on this earth, but the twinkle in her eyes remained. Life was still joyful for her.

  Tess hoped that she could be a woman like Cocheta one day.

  * * * *

  The two Apache women moved outside to talk while Tess prepared a plate of food for Blight.

  She handed Blight his plate. “Where have you been all this time?”

  “Well, I go here and there.” He shoveled food into his mouth. “This is delicious. I think you might be an angel. If you'd like to stay, we could get married. I wouldn't bother you none, but you'd have a home in exchange for it.”

  Surprised by yet another offer of marriage, Tess wondered at the irony of it. She wasn’t wife material, and yet God kept offering up opportunities.

  He swallowed another spoonful of potatoes. “Oh, never mind. I think that Mister Walker would have somethin' to say about it. How's your leg?”

  “It's much better, thanks to you.”

  “You're welcome.”

  “Vern, can I ask you something?” Tess sat down at the table with him. “Do you know a man named Saul Miller?”

  “Why do you ask that?”

  She waited.

  “I'm gonna trust you on this, Miss Tess.” He gave her a serious look. “Many years ago, I got myself into some trouble. Wandered around, got caught up with the wrong kind of men. I'm not proud of it. There was a bounty on my head. Saul came after me. Not sure what stroke of luck I earned, but in the end, he didn't turn me in. He lemme go. I've tried to live a right life ever since.”

  “So, you and Saul are friends now?”

  “Nah, not quite like that. He comes around now and again. Usually lookin' for favors.”

  That made sense. Saul let Vern go free, but would forever call in that favor for his own personal gains.

  “Saul was here a few days back,” Tess said. “He was looking for you.”

  Alarm crossed Vern's face. “You spoke with him?”

  “No.” Tess felt embarrassed by her behavior, cowering in the house, praying Saul wouldn't find her.

  Vern watched her. “You was right to hide.”

  Tess let out the breath she'd been holding. “He's the one who damaged my leg in the first place,” she whispered.

  “I understand, Miss Tess.” He patted her hand.

  A commotion outside drew their attention. Blight opened the door, and they peered into the darkness. Just beyond the porch, Cocheta and Lenna crouched over a huddled figure.

  Bipin materialized from the opposite direction. “It is the boy who was taken.”

  A youngster with flaxen hair and filthy clothing gazed up at them.

  “What’s your name?” Tess asked.

  “Douglas Haverly.”

  Cocheta and Lenna helped him stand.

  “Is this who Sid Haverly is looking for?”

  “Yes,” Bipin replied.

  “How did he get here?”

  “Jackrabbit left him, and then he fled.”

  “You must be hungry,” Tess said to Douglas. “Lenna, take him inside and feed him what’s left of the stew.”

  Tess looked at Bipin and Vern after Cocheta, Lenna and Douglas had gone into the cabin. “Someone needs to find Sid and tell him the boy is safe, before anyone else dies over this.”

  “I will go,” Bipin replied. “Now.”

  “Do you want to wait until morning?” Tess asked.

  Vern shook his head. “Shouldn’t wait. Time is critical.”

  Bipin nodded, and Tess followed him into the barn. She went to Hank’s secret stash of weapons and retrieved a revolver and cartridges, then handed them to the Indian. “Be careful.”

  Bipin walked out of the barn and melted into the night.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  The following morning brought a new visitor. One Ear appeared on Vern’s property, apparently friendly with Nitis.

  Throughout the day, as Tess tended to chores and tried to reconcile her emotions surrounding Cale, as well as a gnawing anxiety over Hank and the pursuit of Saul, she felt the Apache man’s eyes on her. By nightfall, Vern confirmed her discomfort.

  In the outer room of his cabin—Cocheta, Lenna and a healthy-looking Douglas also crowded in, listening—Vern spoke with Tess. “That Apache out there,” Vern said, keeping his voice low, “I don’t know him but he seems mighty interested in you, Tess.”

  “Is that why he came here?” she asked.

  “Apparently he was in a scuffle with some Haverly fella, and some man he owed a debt to named Lange, but he considers that paid off since Lange saved the man’s life during the attack. He remembers you from then.”

  “Sí, I was there. But doesn’t he have a wife?”

  “It don’t matter. Apache take more than one.”

  Tess looked at Lenna. “Do you or Cocheta know who he is?”

  Lenna conversed with the older woman, then shook her head. “No. But there is a rumor of an Apache with only one ear. They say he lost it because he has a bad temper.”

  “Look,” Vern continued, “I can only distract him for so long. I gotta strong feelin’ he’s gonna take you whether you wanna go or not. You need to skedaddle, and best if you do it tonight.”

  “Where will I go?”

  “We’ll go with you,” Lenna said. “We can slip into the mountains. We can hide until One Ear forgets.”

  “But your injury,” Tess replied.

  “I am no longer weak. We know the land and can help you. I am marked. Cocheta has said so.”

  “Marked?”

  Lenna pushed her hair aside to reveal the bloody scab on her forehead from the bullet with which Haverly had tried to kill her. “I have been to death and back. This is important to the Apache.”

  Tess could appreciate the sentiment, but it didn't give Lenna any extra abilities that she didn't have before.

  Cocheta began to speak.

  “She says that we have all been marked by death,” Lenna translated. “She knows what happened to you. It makes you stronger. She was struck by lightning many moons ago and crossed to the Great Land. Do not fear death, for it does not fear you. We are not weak because we are women. Instead, we are strong.”

  Cocheta took Tess's hands in hers and continued to speak.

  “Do not let men decide our fate,” Lenna concluded.

  Tess looked into the old woman's eyes and saw río abajo río, the river beneath the river.

  They gathered food and weapons, and to Tess’s surprise, Cocheta possessed knowledge of firearms and took ownership of her Remington. Tess began to realize the grit and stamina of what it meant to be Apache, whether man or woman, young or old. Lenna also embraced the idea of carrying a weapon and eagerly listened as Tess showed her what to do with the Colt that Cale had left her.

  A pang of hunger jolted through her, but not for food.

  If she closed her eyes, she co
uld inhale the scent of Cale’s skin, feel the texture of his muscles beneath her hands, experience the desire that flowed so effortlessly between them. But that longing, while tenacious and overpowering, couldn’t quiet the fear buried deep in her mind, and even deeper in her body.

  Vern gave her an additional Colt pistol. “I’ll divert One Ear and give you time. But I recommend that once you find Walker, you get out of these hills.”

  Tess nodded and hugged the man who had been the only one with the skill to heal her leg. “Gracias, Señor Vern. Your hospitality is a treasure I will never forget.”

  “The blackbird recovered, and so have you.”

  Cocheta and Lenna embraced him as well.

  Tess gave a squeeze to Douglas’s shoulder as the lad sat quietly. “You’ll be safe here,” she said.

  Carrying canvas bags, they crept behind the cabin to a place far beyond, where Vern had left Gideon and another horse. Tess helped Cocheta and Lenna mount the horse they would share, then with her injured leg, she took the stirrup and swung the other leg across Gideon’s saddle.

  She was stronger, so much stronger than before. It filled her with determination. Come what may, she knew she could face it. She’d found her pa, but her life was no longer with him. And as much as it pained her heart, her life didn’t belong to Cale either. She was in charge of her own destiny. And that was just as it should be.

  Tennyson filled her thoughts.

  To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

  * * * *

  Cocheta led the way, and they had traveled through several valleys by morning. Cocheta pointed to tracks they followed, but Tess had no idea if they indicated one person or many, or whether they were Apache or possibly Hank and Cale.

  A camp came into sight, and they slowed. Tess brought Gideon ahead and watched intently. It was Henry and Mariah Worthington. She unsheathed the Colt hanging from the leather holster at her hips—Vern’s parting gift to her—and guided Gideon forward.

  Mariah glanced up and grabbed a shotgun, but held it crosswise. Tess kept the Colt hanging downward at her side as Gideon moseyed to a stop.

  “We don’t want no trouble,” Mariah said.