Aces Wild

by Taylor Lee

  “Look, Gabe, I know what you’re most worried about. First, I think she is alive. We would a found the body by now. There’s no way with my men and the dogs that we wouldn’t find her. The other thing you gotta be thinkin with a young woman and six despicable men, more like animals than men, is rape.”

  Gabe couldn’t control the massive tremor that shook him. He leaned into Gunnar’s hand resting on his shoulder and welcomed the pressure of Eagle’s knee.

  “At least at the site, there’s not enough blood to make me think it’s rape. Any chance you know if she’s virgin?”

  Gabe nodded. “Yeah, she is.”

  “Well, could be that the blood we saw was that, but I don‘t think so, Gabe. I don’t think they’d waste that much time. No if they was gonna do that, they’d wait until they got to where they were going.”

  They sat in silence for several minutes, then Gabe asked. “Something’s off, Stu. You said the horses’ tracks look like they headed in different directions. Just to throw us off?”

  “We know for sure they was tryin to that. And this is where I’m gonna crawl out the branch and hope to hell I don’t get sawed off. Here’s my thinking. By the time they got close to town, ten, fifteen men had joined the party. Then they all split up, two or three goin every which way, all four directions at the same time and every one in between. The big question is, why did they go to town to do that? What’s in town? And we sure as hell know it ain’t Ana. There isn’t a stick in that hell holes that hasn’t been turned over.”

  Gabe stared at him then jumped to his feet. For the first time since they got the news his eyes took on the look that had terrified men all his life. He was the panther; stealthy, sleek and deadly, the hunter had scented his prey.

  “The train. That’s why they went to town. They thought we’d follow the horses. They would have had us going ten different directions at once. They likely hired a pack of drifters to add to the confusion. Meanwhile they hopped on the train and took off. Hell, probably in luxury.”

  Stuart whistled in admiration. “Damn, Gabe. Why the hell do you need me? Except to confirm that I’ll bet my last nut, that’s exactly what happened.”

  “Where were the trains headed?”

  “We’re in luck. One was on the way Sacramento. Won’t arrive til late tonight. We have men at the station. The other will get to Los Angeles after midnight. We don’t think she’s on that one. We inspected the passenger list. Nope, Gabe, we can’t be sure but she’s likely in …

  Gabe held up his hand. ”San Francisco. Has to be. Too many connections to this area. Someone wants her close. Close enough for Chao, and me, to find her. To know every fuckin thing they did to her before they killed her.”

  ~~

  Chapter 32

  Gabe did his best to cover his fury, but Chao knew him too well.

  “I’m sorry, Gabe. It…it never occurred to me. I truly thought I was making up for the past. Healing wounds, not exacerbating them.”

  Gabe looked down at his hands, then lit his fourth cigarette in thirty minutes. He vowed that he would not make Chao feel any worse that he already did, but Goddamn it was hard not to. They’d placed a dozen men in and around Harcourt’s place but it was unlikely he would return. His manservant said his master had left several days ago, the day after Chao was attacked to be precise. Duncan didn’t expect him back for another week.

  “Gabe, when you asked me to list the men I’d hurt, humiliated financially, I never thought to include Peter. Hell, when I bought up that last chunk of land and paid off the rest of George’s debts, I thought I was saving him from ruin.”

  “How much did that leave him?”

  Chao shrugged, his face lined with despair.” Not much. The house and barns, a small pasture. I offered to buy out the rest, but he wouldn’t sell.”

  Gunnar walked in with a sheaf of papers and a grin on his face that gave Gabe hope for the first time since the news. The reason they’d decided to stay at the Villa until they knew Ana’s location was Chao’s state of the art business center. Housed in a building next to the main house, Chao kept three men there at all times. The main draw for Gunnar was the telegraph system. Rivaling any operation in San Francisco, Chicago or New York, Gunnar and four other men had spent most of the evening pouring over Peter Harcourt’s financial records. In his heyday banks all over the world had done business with Peter. At first glance he was the image he had created. As they dug deeper a different picture appeared.

  “How much did you offer Peter to buy his place, Chao?” Gunnar asked holding tight to the papers in his hands.

  Chao sighed. “Much more than it was worth. Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, but he turned me down flat.”

  Gunnar laid out the stacks of paper on the desk and pointed to the top sheet. “This is a compilation of what Peter owes to investors across the world. Most of whom you don’t want to be in debt to.” he added with a grin. “Nope, Chao, the reason he didn’t accept your offer was because it’s almost eight million dollars less than he needed.”

  Several hours later, Gabe convinced Chao to get back in his bed. The older man had spent most of the day hovering by Kai’s bedside. The healers had done everything they could to save the young man. Gabe could only pray that warrior he had seen in Kai’s eyes would fight harder than he had ever fought before. For his life.

  Gabe was on one side of Chao’s bed, Eagle on the other. Gunnar was still going over figures at the Chao’s desk. Gabe was touched and gratified that his partners refused to leave his side.

  Eagle summed it up. “When we find out where she is, we’ll all go after her together.”

  All four men were smoking cigars. Gabe, Gunnar and Eagle were drinking whisky; Chao was sipping his imported cognac.

  Gabe puffed on his cigar and looked Chao in the eye.

  “You want to talk about it, Chao? I‘ll ask Gunnar and Eagle to leave if that would make it easier. But you know there isn’t anything I don’t tell these two.”

  Chao gave him a sad smile. “No, my young friend. Your partners may stay. How much do you know, Gabe?”

  Gabe grimaced. “I don’t know the details, Chao. I can only guess at the story. Guess at what would drive a man to do what Peter has done and plans to do.”

  Chao nodded, “It comes down to what it usually does, Gabe. Money, pride and a woman.”

  “Your wife, Ana’s mother?”

  Chao sighed. “Julianne and George Harcourt, Peter’s father, were engaged to be married. It was an arranged marriage. Her family believed in making connections and Harcourt was one of the wealthiest financiers in the country at the time. Julianne was young, innocent and headstrong. Remind you of anyone, Gabe? We don’t have time for all the details. Suffice it to say that I must have done something right in my life because six weeks after I met Julianne at a party in Washington, we eloped. Her family never forgave her or me. Most repulsive to them all was that Julianne married a “Chink” That is how George referred to me until the day he died. The way that Penelope does to this day.

  “Harcourt fell apart. At first he fought it. Bought the spread next to mine. Every piece of property I bought, he bought more. Every business I was in, he entered. Unfortunately he was no better at economic affairs than he was at love. He turned to drink and gambling. When he died six years ago he left a mountain of debt for Peter. Peter was a strange lad. Even as a child he was pretentious. His mother dressed him like he dresses today. Such airs. When I heard through my connections that his place was under receivership, I was shocked. That was not the impression he gave. Then I heard through some of my less savory associates that he was entering circles he should have avoided. Men like me, Gabe, and you three. Way over his head. I felt I owed him something. I knew at some level he blamed me for his father’s dissolute behavior. Now I know that my offers and the money I paid for his properties just rubbed salt in some old and apparently very deep wounds.”

  When Chao finished speaking, Gabe was thoughtful. “Clem told me th
at Peter was sniffing after Ana. Was that your impression?”

  A pained smile crossed Chao face. “If that was his ploy, once again he was over his head. You know how dismissive Ana can be. She disliked him and never hid her feelings. In an interesting way, I don’t think he liked her either. She was too wild, too outspoken.”

  “Too much like her mother.” Gabe finished for him.

  A dawn of understanding lit Chao’s eyes. “Yes, that’s exactly right Gabe. She was too much like her mother. In fact I think Peter spent much more time with Penelope when he was here than with Ana. They seemed more compatible.”

  ~~~

  After Chao fell asleep, Eagle and Gabe joined Gunnar in Chao’s private office. Quitin had lit a fire in the fireplace and the three partners sat before it quietly smoking and sipping on whisky. The pall of the day hung heavy over them. They had worked through every piece of evidence Gunnar had found. All the records supported Peter’s extraordinarily precarious financial state as well as his hatred for Chao.

  When the three of them were alone, Gunnar expanded on his findings.

  “Didn’t want to upset Chao any more than he was. But it seems that our chameleon friend was a hell of a lot deeper in the mob then Chao knew. According to my snitches he even had a moniker. They called him the Ghost because no one ever saw him, just the results of his work. Seems he had a penchant for torture and,,,rape. One of his favorite ways to squeeze a man was to watch while his men raped the poor bastard’s wife, or daughters – or both.”

  When Gunnar stopped and looked over at him, Gabe frowned, irritated. “Christ, Gunnar. Don’t stop. Do you think I don’t already know what a crazy fuck he is?”

  Gunnar nodded and continued with a sigh. “My inside guys said they all knew as a loner. Couldn’t figure out his game. Tony said it was like he killed for sport. The big boys mostly ignored him. Assumed he was just one more sick fuck with too much money on his hands. Hell, they probably admired him. Then a couple of years ago, he did the unpardonable. He lost a fortune gambling and couldn’t dig himself out. The mobs have been tightening the screws. My other moles said he thought they’d put a price on his head.”

  ~~~

  They hadn’t spoken for some time, all three exhausted by the day’s events when Gabe spoke almost to himself.

  “I could of taken her. She wanted me too.”

  At Gunnar and Eagle’s startled looks, Gabe shook his head, not able to hide his despair.

  He dragged on his cigarette and ran his hand across his jaw. Leaning forward, he rested his hands resting on his knees and appealed to them. “Christ, man, all the women I’ve fucked and I chose not to take her?”

  He shook his head and took a large swallow of the liquor that he noted offhand no longer burned. He was too numb, but not from the whisky.

  “Do you know why I didn’t? Do You?” Neither Gunnar nor Eagle answered his tortured question.

  “Because I wanted her to have the best. Someone who could love her the way she deserved to be loved. Someone worthy of her. Not like me. You know me. You know who I am. What I am.”

  His voice was barely audible. “And now, now instead of someone taking her lovingly, carefully, treasuring every part of her beautiful, luscious body…they plan to rape her. To complete some sadistic animal’s idea of revenge. For nothing she did. For what happened before she was born. Do you know what they will do to her? How they will hurt her, shame her?”

  Gunnar held up his hand, “Gabe, don’t. Don’t do this. We’re going to find her. Stop them”

  Gabe nodded. “Yeah. We are. But what if we’re too late?”

  He mused more to himself than his two friends.

  “I could have. But I didn’t. I thought it was the best thing I could do for her. Christ, how fucked up can anyone get? And … and now instead of …” he stopped and rubbed his hand over his eyes. When he looked up at his companions he didn’t try to rub away the tears stinging his eyelids.

  His voice was husky, thick with unshed tears.

  “Damn, I could have made love to her in a way that no one else could.”

  Eagle smiled at him. “Like a man who desperately loves her?”

  Gabe gave him a rueful grin. “Yeah. Like that.”

  ~~~

  Gabe sat by Kai’s bed keeping watch when he saw the first signs of dawn. Morning was his favorite time of the day. It always amazed him how quickly the pink, then gold of the dawn chased away the dark. When he was a boy, he believed that the way the sun wiped aside the darkness of the night, each new day would end the nightmare of the day before. As he got older he marveled that he ever could have thought the nightmares would end.

  Staring at her brother fighting for his life, he allowed himself to focus on Ana. He thought with a grimace that he had prayed more in the last twenty four hours than he had since he was twelve years old. For Davy, the youngest of his Avengers, for Kai, who if he could win this battle would be a fine man and a great fighter. And finally for Ana. Gazing at the rising sun, he sent her a message. Ana, where ever you are, Princess, if you can see the sun, feel its warmth, know that I am coming for you. Soon, baby, soon.

  He knew he couldn’t last much longer without going crazy. An hour ago their men in Los Angeles confirmed that the passenger bill was what the station master had assured them. Ana was not on board. They’d cleared the Sacramento train at midnight which meant she had to have been aboard the San Francisco train. Unless, and he refused to consider the possibility, she wasn’t on a train at all. That Peter’s men were smarter than he was and they had her in some god forsaken place that he might never find. Until it was too late.

  Gabe looked up to see Eagle in the doorway, with one of their men. Patrick was a big Irishman with big appetites. Pat could out drink ten of them and women lined up long into the night to satisfy his seemingly insatiable carnal appetites. Gabe’s face must have showed his hope, because Eagle shook his head.

  “No word yet on Ana, Gabe. But Pat has some news that puts one more puzzle piece in place.”

  Pat’s ruddy face reflected the pain written on all their faces. Davy was the first of the Avengers to be killed in action. Even though he was the youngest or perhaps because of that, he was something of a mascot to the rest.

  The three of them went to Chao’s office for privacy. Gabe motioned to Pat to take one of the comfortable chairs. None of the men helped themselves to the hearty breakfast dishes the maids had put on the sideboard.

  Eagle caught Gabe’s eye. “Gabe, Pat has some interesting news about Penelope.”

  Gabe frowned. “Christ, I forgot all about her. Where the hell has she been? I haven’t seen her since the dance,” At a brief attempt at long forgotten humor, Gabe bowed to Eagle and said, “Mr. Eagle.”

  Eagle’s smile was as strained as his felt.

  “I’ll cut right to it, Gabe,” Pat said. “I been rompin’ with Brigit, that cheerful red-haired lass you might of seen around. She’s a lusty one. Almost too much for the likes of me.”

  Gabe’s eyes widened at the confession, thinking he never thought he’d hear those words out of Pat’s mouth.

  “She ain’t been able to come to me since the big party. Brigit’s the personal maid to that spiteful old woman who runs this place. Seems Brigit’s the only one who can keep the old biddy under control. The battleaxe ain’t’ been out of her quarters since the dance. According to Brigit the amount she been drinkin’ would put a pub full of Irishmen to shame.”

  Gabe frowned, “What does that…”

  Pat cut him off. “I know what you’re thinkin, Gabe. What’s that got to do with one damn thing we’re dealin’ with?”

  Gabe sighed. “Sorry, Pat, go on.”

  “Brigit said the reason the Madam has been drinking steadily since the party is becuz she and Peter Harcourt had a fallin’ out. According to Brigit, the old woman thought she and Peter was an item. I know, crazy as it seems. Brigit heard them arguing and even though Miss Penelope is an evil person, Brigit said she didn�
�t deserve the cruel things he said. That she was an ugly old bitch. How could she ever think he would go away with her? That if for some reason their plan didn’t work and Chao lived that he never wanted to see her wrinkled up face again in his life.”

  “Jesus.” Gabe whistled. “Penelope? Damn, Eagle. It…she was right under our nose the whole time. I thought she was a vicious woman, but, hell, in cahoots with a man half her age. Peter and Penelope? Holy Christ.”

  Eagle agreed. “I told Brigit to get her sobered up. Pat here is going to stay here and wring the truth out of her. I think we may have found our note-writer, Gabe.”

  Gabe choked back his rage. He turned to Pat. “Don’t hurt her, but don’t let her out of your sight. When you’ve wrung every bit of truth out of her, call the Sheriff. I want her locked up in the county jail, until we can get her arraigned in San Francisco.”

  ~~~

  “Speaking of which,” Gunnar said from the doorway his face contorted with too many emotions for Gabe to sort out. “I just got a telegram from Maude. She invited us to one of Dominic’s special events. Seems as though his premium members are in for a real treat. Says this one will top the ranch they auctioned off. There’s gonna be a special game tonight, an auction of sorts.”

  Gabe fought back the gorge welling up in his throat. It took every ounce of will to keep from vomiting. “And the prize?”

  Gunnar held his gaze, his expression was a mix of joy and horror.

  “A onetime only, honest to God virgin. Dominic swears to her authenticity.”

  ~~

  Chapter 33

  Ana squeezed her eyes shut shocked at the pain the sunlight drove through her skull. It took her several moments to digest her surroundings and remember that it wasn’t the sunlight, it was the drugs. Every time she regained consciousness, began to grasp where she was, they put that awful rag over her mouth. Vomiting hadn’t helped. Nothing did. After a while she came to welcome the chloroform. It blotted out the memories. The sight of Davy’s blood and even worse, Kai’s scream. The sickening sweet smell filled her senses. It messed up her ability to think, to feel. In one of her few coherent moments, the thought about the anguish her father must be feeling. He would never survive losing both Kai and her. She never knew what people meant when they said their heart ached. Now she did.