by Taylor Lee
For the next five minutes, the two young men listened to Elena’s plan. Their reactions ranged from shock in the beginning to disbelief to a firm rejection. Finally, after mounting every conceivable counter argument and it was clear she was going with or without them, they reluctantly agreed.
Under the cover of darkness, they saddled their horses and moved quickly and quietly through the courtyard. They waited until they were far enough away not to be heard before they broke into a hard gallop and headed toward the canyons. It was still dark when they reached the canyons, but there was enough moonlight to guide them along the narrow, winding path. They picked their way up the side of the canyon for approximately a mile when they saw the shadows.
A soft voice said, “Quien va amigo o emenigo”
Armando responded, “Amigo.”
The man continued, “Tire sus armas ahora.”
Armando and Manuel looked at Elena and shook their heads no, but she spoke clearly.
“Armando and you too, Manuel, give them your weapons — all of them. It is our only chance.”
Ignoring the horrified looks of the Sing Leon guards, Elena jumped off Zhenqui and walked up to the men standing three deep, guarding the path. As she approached, they all leveled their guns directly at her.
She spoke in fluent Spanish. “I am the Frenchman’s woman. I must speak to Senor Panches. Please take me to him now. I will go with you by myself if I must.”
Armando and Manuel shouted in unison. “No!”
Armando continued in Spanish. “Elena, you must not go alone. That was not our agreement.” He turned to the banditos. “Here are all of our weapons. Please take the three of us to Senor Panches, immediately. We need his help.”
The banditos conferred among themselves and exchanged several lewd nods to Elena. She glared back at them and didn’t try to hide her pain or fierce determination. The one in charge glowered at her, then nodded to the three of them to step forward. He forced them to turn around and tied their hands behind their backs. Armando and Manuel glared at Elena reproachfully. But she shrugged and held out her hands to be tied. When the three of them were securely bound, the banditos whipped out bandannas, blindfolded them and then helped them back on their horses.
Senor Panches stood looking appraisingly at the young woman. He was struck by her beauty, her youth, but more than anything, by her determination. The light from the fire lit her beautiful hair. She looked like a vision. Only her pale face and wide eyes revealed her fear and her pain. He listened to her outrageous plea and when she was finished, he lit a Spanish cigarillo and smoked it thoughtfully.
“Don’t misunderstand me, la mujer del frances. I know who you are. In addition to making the Frenchman a most fortunate man, you are Wan Chang’s granddaughter and Wyatt McManus’s daughter. Your father and his Caballeros have supported the Mexican cause over the years. If I am correct, your grandmother was a Mexican woman.”
“That is correct, Senor. I am named after mi abuela Mexicana.”
“I see. Those are the reasons I agreed to see you. Why I did not let my men kill you or, frankly, rape you. But even given those reasons for friendship, why would we, a group of banditos, help you, Senora?”
“Because the Frenchman will be killed if you don’t.”
“I understand why that concerns you, Senora. As you have said, you are his woman. But why would I, a Mexican bandito, care if he is killed?”
Elena’s lip trembled and tears welled in her eyes. Her voice shook, but she held Panches’s gaze. “For several reasons. You know he is a good man and he respects your cause. He and my grandfather have given you quiet aid over the years. They allowed you safe passage through their lands. If Bai is killed, there is a good chance the Rongue Ri will take over the Sing Leon. The Rongue Ri have declared Mexicans their enemy. They will do everything they can to destroy you. Instead of a respectful friend, you will have another sworn foe.”
“You are convincing, la mujer del frances. But surely you know what you are asking is extremely dangerous. Why should my men be willing to die for such a mission? It is not our cause and will not help our cause.”
“Money will always help your cause, Senor. Especially the amount of money we are willing to pay.”
“Hmm, and what is that amount of money, la mujer del frances?”
“Ten thousand dollars for every man you send in with us. We need a minimum of twenty five men.”
Senor Panches whistled in surprise and appreciation.
Elena continued. “Between my father and grandfather, you will have the money in gold by this evening. Whether or not we are able to free Bai, the money is yours. But you must decide now. And you must come back with me to help me convince my father and grandfather that this is the right plan, the only plan that will save Bai.”
Senor Panches stepped back in surprise. His face darkened with anger.
“Your father and grandfather do not know that you are here, Senora? They do not know of your outrageous proposal to me? You came to me with two unarmed men? No one else in the Sing Leon knows you are here? Why? Why did you do this foolish, dangerous thing, Senora? Foolish and dangerous, not only for you, but for me?”
Elena appeared to stifle a sob. “Because, Senor Panches, you are my only hope. If you don’t help me, the Frenchman will die and I will no longer have a reason to live.”
Senor Panches shook his head and frowned darkly at the young woman. He turned away motioning to several of his men. They walked to the shadows out of earshot and carried on a heated conversation.
After several minutes, Senor Panches walked back to Elena. His face and eyes were serious, but not unfriendly.
“We will help you, Senora. It is against my better judgment and that of my men. But you are offering more money than we can steal in five years. When we receive the gold from your unsuspecting father and grandfather, we will help you save your Frenchman.”
Elena squeezed back her tears. “Thank you, Senor Panches.” She hesitated, a quick grin tugged at her mouth.
“Now all you have to do is come help me convince my father and grandfather.”
Panches allowed a slight smile to cross his face, “It would surprise me if anyone says no to you, Senora.”
Elena smiled in return. “They haven’t yet, Senor.”
Chapter 39
Wyatt was relieved to see Wan shake off his grief and join with him and Nianzu to consider their various options. When they received the location of the meeting from the informants, confirming that the men had held firm against the brutality of Feng, they began planning in detail. They all dismissed Elena’s insistence that she be the distraction and began to flesh out Nianzu’s role.
Wyatt said with a rueful grin, “I’ll handle her, it won’t be easy. You both know what Elena is like when she makes up her mind. Somehow, I will convince her that it won’t work.” He added with an appreciative shrug, “You have to admit, it was a hell of an idea. I gotta say, if I wasn’t her father and our only concern was saving Bai, I would recommend we go with her.”
Wan agreed, “You are correct, Wyatt. Now let’s get serious and decide how we will protect both Bai and Nianzu.”
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. When Wan called out in response, a frightened Angel opened the door and stood in the doorway. Francine stood beside her. Both women were shaking and had tears in their eyes.
Wyatt jolted to his feet. “Is something wrong with Elena? Quickly, tell me!”
When Francine started to cry, Angel gathered up her courage and said, “Mr. Wyatt, I am sorry, but Miss Elena is gone.”
“What the hell do you mean? Gone? Where?” Wyatt’s gut clenched with fear.
“How do you know? Are you sure?” Wan asked in a strangled voice.
“Mr. Wan we have looked everywhere. In her chambers… In the garden…” Angel burst in tears and said through her sobs, “Mr. Wyatt, Mr. Wan… Manzu, the stable boy, said her horse is gone. The white mare is not in the barn.”
&nbs
p; Wyatt collapsed in his chair, his head in his hands. Wan held on to the edge of his desk, looking as though he might fall.
Only Nianzu was able to say what they were thinking.
“My God, do you think she went to find Bai? But she couldn’t have. Don’t you see? None of us knew where he was until now. Goddamn, where would she go?”
Wyatt’s voice was little more than a whisper.
“The only thing I can think of is that she tried to find a Rongue Ri member and insisted he take her to Feng.”
“No, Wyatt, no. Please, God, I pray you are wrong.” Wan’s face and voice confirmed Wyatt was likely correct. Both of them shuddered in disbelief.
Wyatt was silent for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was harsh with grief. “God, why didn’t I listen to her? I know what she is like. She will not be dismissed. Goddamn, if that isn’t exactly what I did. I should never have let her leave the room. I should have known she would do something like this when it was obvious we wouldn’t let her go to Bai…” He dropped his head in his hands, muttering under his breath.
The three men didn’t speak. The only sounds in the room were the sobs and sniffles of the women standing in the doorway and Wyatt’s disconsolate mutterings.
It was close to eight o’clock. Wyatt thought with a stab of pain that was the time Elena said they would meet. God, if only I listened to what she was really saying. She was putting me off. Pretending she didn’t feel well, making us think that she was going to faint. Playing on our sympathies, and. Christ, yes, knowing we would think, like all women, she was going to be sick… How could I, knowing Elena the way I do…
Breaking through his anguish, he thought he heard her voice. Wyatt, Wan, and Nianzu all leapt to their feet when they heard the tell tale click of her boots in the hallway. Angel and Francine fell back against the wall, as if they were seeing a ghost.
Elena stepped in the room, pasting a nonchalant look on her face. When she saw her father’s and grandfather’s anguished expressions, she threw Francine and Angel an annoyed glare. “I’m sorry, Father and Grandfather. I assumed you would not know I was gone. You must have been worried.”
Neither Wyatt nor Wan spoke; their frozen silence spoke loudly.
Elena shivered at the fierce looks on their faces, then took out her annoyance on Angel and Francine.
“Just once, couldn’t you have kept quiet? Do you always have to run and tattle… like little magpies…?
Wyatt broke in, his voice thundering with fury. “Elena! Be quiet!
“Francine and Angel, you may go. Thank you for caring about this disgraceful, ungrateful young woman. Please go. Rest. Like the rest of us, you have had a terrible shock.”
Francine and Angel both backed out of the room. With a stunned, disbelieving glance at Elena, they turned and ran down the hallway.
Wyatt’s jaw was rigid with anger. His voice was stern, dangerous.
“Elena. Close the door.
“Come here.
“Sit down.”
Elena took a deep breath and did as her father said.
“Where have you been?”
Elena had never before seen the look on her father’s face, or her grandfather’s. She snuck a quick glance at Nianzu, but his face was almost as grim and he was staring at her in disbelief.
She said to her father, “Will you let me explain?
He nodded, as if not trusting himself to speak.
“When I left, I knew you wouldn’t let me go to Bai. But I also know I am the best distraction and I had to convince you somehow. The ‘hole in the plan’ — in any of the plans — is our inability to protect Bai when the Sing Leon attacks. We need to put a barrier around Bai to protect him when you attack.”
None of the three men spoke. If anything, Wyatt’s face hardened more.
Elena took another deep breath. “I have the barrier.”
She waited. When her father continued to glare at her, she pointed to the door. “May I?”
Without waiting for an answer, she jumped up and went to the door. With a flourish she ushered in Senor Panches and three of his men. Armando and Manuel followed behind, sheepish looks on their faces.
Wyatt and Wan stood as if they had been struck dumb. They stared in disbelief at the four Mexicans dressed in their bandito garb, including guns slung low on their hips and bandoliers across their chests.
Senor Panches stepped forward. He bowed respectfully to both men.
“Good day, Senor McManus, Senor Chang.” He nodded to Nianzu.
He continued with a soft smile. “I am Senor Panches. I see, the senora – la mujer del frances, was truthful. She said her father and grandfather did not know she went to find a group of banditos in the middle of the night with two unarmed men. Now, apparently, my task is to tell you to disregard the extremely foolish dangerous thing she did and convince you that we can help free the Frenchman.”
Wyatt spoke because Wan seemed unable to find his voice. Not looking at Elena, Wyatt spoke. “Buen dia, Senor Panches. Please tell me the plan that my shameless daughter has convinced you will work and how she expects you to be involved.”
He motioned to Armando and Manuel. “Please bring chairs for our guests.”
The four banditos sunk into the chairs brought by Armando and Manuel, who quickly stepped back against the wall, looking as though they wished they were invisible.
Wyatt asked, “Senor Panches, may I offer you and your men a cigar and a very large glass of bourbon?”
Senor Panches. “Gracias de placer.”
After nearly an hour of discussion back and forth among the men, with Elena occasionally chiming in, the potential plan was fleshed out and on the table.
Wyatt said, “Senor Panches, because my daughter will need to be part of this rescue, Wan Chang and I must discuss this privately. We need to decide if we are willing to put her in such obvious danger. Will you excuse us? We will tell you our decision within the half hour.”
Senor Panches and his men moved to the door. Panches turned back and said in his soft Spanish tones. “I also am a father and a grandfather. Perhaps that is why I did not have this young woman killed. I can see from your faces that even you are surprised at her outrageously dangerous act. But, like me, you see her proposal has a certain brilliance.” He hesitated then a grin stole across his face. “Speaking of brilliance, she, la mujer del frances, promised us $250,000 in gold to be paid this evening whether or not we are successful in freeing the Frenchman. You will need to add that upfront cost to your decision making.”
He smiled at the surprised looks on Wyatt’s and Wan’s faces, then went to Elena and bowed low. He held her hands in his and kissed them. Nodding to Wan, Wyatt, and Nianzu, he turned and left the room.
Wan glared at Armando and Manuel. With a glare, he dismissed them. “Later. Go now.”
The two Sing Leon men bowed to their leader and nodded to Wyatt. With a quick nod to Elena and Nianzu, they left the room.
~~~
Wyatt and Wan discussed the pros and cons of the plan. Elena sat quietly in her chair, acknowledging that Senor Panches had presented the best possible case. Now it was up to her father and Grandfather to agree.
After some time, Wyatt said with a grimace, “You do know, Wan, that if we tell her that she can’t go, we will need to tie her to a post and blindfold her. Otherwise she will figure out a way to go without our consent. Bai told me that is the only way he could ensure her safety. Now I agree with him. Oh, and he said he would need to gag her to stop her stream of insults. Again, it seems Bai knows my daughter well.”
Elena looked down and tears sprang to her eyes. She remembered the conversation she and Bai had lying in each other’s arms before the fire, when he had teased her about tying her up and blindfolding and gagging her. God, she thought, her throat tightening, I will let him do anything he wants to me as long as he is safe.
Wyatt saw the look of raw pain cross her face and knew she was thinking about Bai.
He turned to
Wan. “My vote is she goes in. Yours?
Without looking up, Wan nodded yes.
“Nianzu, please go tell Senor Panches that we will go forward. Wan and I need to rustle up a quarter of a million dollars in gold in the next several hours, among other things. Let him know that we will meet at two o’clock to agree on the final plan.”
When Nianzu turned to leave the room, Elena hopped up to follow him.
Wyatt’s voice cracked like a whip across the room.
“Elena. Comstock. McManus! Close that door and get your brazen ass back here. Sit down.”
Elena trembled. She looked at Nianzu for help, but he shook his head as if to say there was nothing he could do. After he left the room, Elena cautiously sat down in her chair.
Wyatt looked at her for the longest moment, unable to speak. His face was filled with fury, laced with the wrenching fear he had felt, was still feeling.
He cleared his throat and said in a fierce voice, “I want you to know that when his is over I am going to spank you within an inch of your life.
“Do you understand, Elena? I am so goddamned angry with you. I did not know it was possible to feel the kind of anger I do toward you. I promise you. I will give you the hardest Goddamn spanking you have ever had.”
Elena clutched the arms of the chair. Her eyes swam with unshed tears. Her lips trembled. “I… I’ve only had one.”
“Well, my dear, that spanking will seem like patty cake when I am through with you.”
Wan added in a cold voice, “When your hand is tired, Wyatt. I will take over and use mine.”
Elena stood up and gazed at them both. For the first time, her composure slipped. Tears streamed down her face. She choked back a heartbroken sob. “Why don’t we see if this works first. If it doesn’t, you both can beat me to death, for all I care.”
She turned and walked out of the room, her head held high.
