Honor slightly bowed her head and as usual while Lijuan just crossed her arms.
“These are your sisters?” the man asked, looking confused.
“No time to explain that!” Cassandra winked. “Tell me who you are, what just went on here, and who is Wendell?”
“The name is Quillan Dodge and this here is my sister, Katie.” The man introduced himself and the woman beside him as Cassandra noted the resemble lance. “Spencer Wendell is the no account owner of a freight hauling business. He’s trying to stop us from reaching Carlyle Springs by sundown.”
“Why would he do that?” Lijuan asked.
Quillan rubbed his head one last time and glanced at Katie, who nodded as if to reassure him that he could trust them. “It’s like this. My daddy had the franchise for the stage line between here and Carlyle since well before the war. First, people didn’t take to the idea of a colored man having the franchise, but my father ran a first-rate stagecoach operation,” he explained.
“He kept the stages running on time and that eased the mind of a whole lot of people that previously were against that notion of him having the line.”
“Then the war came!” Katie chipped in. “Followed right quick by the Confederates seizing control of the territory.”
Their tale reminded Cassandra of a past that was not easily forgotten. She glanced at Honor and Lijuan’s faces, thinking of the time that their father had sent Honor back East, insisting that Lijuan should accompany her. Whip believed at the time that there was no way his daughters could live under the Confederacy, looking the way, they did. The Rebels ignored the numerous Mexicans, but a Mulatto and an Asian would have been too big of targets.
“My father did his duty and went back east to fight with the colored regiments,” Quillan kept on, “and while he was gone, the Rebels put Wendell in charge of running the stage, due to his ties with the Confederacy.”
“That rascal was born and bred in Mississippi!” Katie chipped in as usual.
“The war ended, the Rebs lost their power … and our father, God rest his soul, gave his life in battle.”
“Oh, dear. We are so sorry,” Honor whispered, putting her hand on his shoulder.
“Thank you, ma’am.” Quillan replied with a smile. “He died with honor, we’ve been told by his messmates. Anyway, Wendell thought he was going to keep the franchise, but when I said I was going to step back in as was my right under the contract, and take over for my pop, he was really angry, but we had a lot of goodwill, so we did start running the stages again.”
“Since then, though, that scoundrel done tried every dirty trick in the book to cost us the franchise,” Katie stewed. She held her brother’s arm compassionately, looking like she blamed herself for how he had almost lost his fingers.
Quillan gave her a look that informed her that it was nobody’s fault and cleared his throat. “She’s right. He’s done so many things to us; sabotaging our wheels, cutting down trees on the route to make us late by having to cut them clear, or re-routing. He’s tryin’ harder than ever now, since we landed a contract with Warner Mining to carry mine shipments on the stage. He wants that for his own haulin’ company.” he groaned.
“He’s made so much trouble by making us late or cancel runs,” Katie fussed, “that if we don’t get the stage through to Carlyle by sundown, our franchise is automatically cancelled.”
“As it is, we don’t have any passengers for the trip today, just the mine shipment. No one wants to take the stage after one of Wendell’s men showed up spreadin’ a story about that renegade Black Hawk being loose in the area.”
“It was one of Wendell’s men? That fits with the notion that Black Hawk was not likely to be this far north so soon,” Cassandra thought aloud.
“Wendell sounds dishonorable, but he’s smart to spread around the name Black Hawk to scare people. That devil has earned his reputation!” Lijuan reluctantly commended.
“Yes, and surely, most people would not know how far away he is at this moment,” Honor was impressed too.
“Did someone mention my name?”
Everyone turned to the voice immediately with raised eyebrows. At the middle of the doorway was a lanky man and a brutish looking woman that happened to be twice his size. The gangly man had the kind of eyes that strayed somewhere else while he stared straight ahead. He stepped forward with a childish grin and a puff of his surprisingly chubby cheeks.
Cassandra stepped forward too, unintimidated by the duo. “We were just hashing out the fact that one of your employees has been wagging his tongue about Indians on the war path that couldn’t possibly be here.” she said with sarcasm dripping in her voice.”
“Well, lookey here, Spencer. The last stage brought in an expert on Injun movements in the territory. She knows where every one of them savages is at all times,” the bulky woman mouthed behind Wendell, her eyes burning with fury. She made to step forward, but Wendell stopped her with the wave of a palm.
“Now, listen up, you ladies,” he grunted. “There’s one thing that isn’t welcome in Godspell, and that is meddlers … especially by the likes of what I see before me. Isn’t that right, Maggie?”
Maggie, the brutish looking woman nodded slowly as he tilted his head sideways to glance at her.
“So, what is it exactly that you see?” Lijuan asked.
“My husband don’t talk to no China woman!” Maggie surprisingly bellowed.
Lijuan bristled moving forward, ignoring the humorous looks on Cassandra’s and Honor’s faces at the idea that the repulsive duo was actually a couple. Cassandra quickly held out her arm to stop Lijuan, though, before she did something rash.
“Mr. Wendell, you will have to excuse us,” she requested calmly. “We need to find the sheriff. The Dodges were just attacked by two masked men.”
“You won’t be talking to any sheriff today. He took all his deputies and went out by the telegraph lines looking for signs of Black Hawk,” Wendell replied with a snort, spitting on the floor.
“Well, I declare! It is mighty convenient not to have any law men around when someone tried to gravely injure the hands of Mr. Dodge, is it not, Mr. Wendell?” Honor questioned, her sarcasm cutting through the air in the stable.
“If my husband don’t talk to no China woman, he sure as hell don’t talk to … by the looks of you, some high yellow wench.”
Maggie surely was looking for a beating. Honor and Lijuan charged towards her at the same time, but Cassandra was again there to put a stop to a fisticuff. She raised her arms to halt them from advancing on either side of her.
“Hold up, girls,” Cassandra said, her mouth becoming an angry thin line. “Mrs. Wendell, if your husband deigns to talk to me, he should know I am a representative of the Pinkertons. Once those lines are up, I’ll be making a report on the goings on here directly to my employer, Mr. Pinkerton himself. After that, I expect you’ll be getting a visit from my fellows … in masse.”
Wendell tilted his head to the side again, initially thinking that Cassandra was bluffing, then he stared into her eyes once more and realized the controlled anger in them, as well as a profound sincerity. With a flushed face, he turned to his wife and waved her away with a whirl of his hand.
“Let’s be on our way, Maggie. We’ve got more important business to attend to. No need to waste our time with this sorry lot!” he said derisively.
“Yes, are you through stopping by to see the results of your scheming?” Honor yelled behind him. “I imagine you were disappointed to find Mr. Dodge here unharmed.”
Taunting him seemed to annoy Maggie instead. The grunting woman stepped forward, spitting out the words, “We are leavin’, but I sure would like to meet any of you wenches when I got nothing better to do than enjoy it!” before disappearing behind her husband.
“Are you all plumb loco to be talkin’ to the Wendells that way? They ain’t people to be trifled with … we know that the hard way. Now, you got their attention on you!” Katie anxiously rocked back a
nd forth in fear as soon as they were gone.
“Do we look like we are shaking like a trio of aspen leaves?” Lijuan asked, exchanging a look with her sisters that told the Dodges that they were the ones that really shouldn’t be trifled with.
*****
“I don’t like this. Your men bungled maimin’ that boy. Now, he and his pickaninny sister have got friends. You saw their bags outside the office … they’re fixin’ to take the stage. Now, the Dodges even got payin’ passengers after we went through all the trouble of cutting them wires and spreadin’ our story about Black Hawk!”
Maggie shook her head as they walked down the street, a few yards away from the stable. The mulatto woman might have gotten under her skin in there, but she was more concerned about the overall result that wasn’t taking place yet. Her husband and his men had done so much and only achieved so little.
“I’ll deal with my men when I see them!” her husband bellowed. “Those curs are probably cowering from me, for letting that pack of harpies stop them from crippling that son of a bitch. But those women being on that stage is a good thing.”
“How you figure that, Spen?”
Wendell glanced sideways at her for a while, grinning so widely it was impossible for her not to notice his uneven grey teeth as she always did.
“You know that final solution that I came up with if all else failed?” he asked. “We’ve been prepping it for a while now, in case we had to. Well, today, we are going to play that ace, and since that band of bitches are going to be on the stage, too, they can provide more bodies for the ruse. Now come on, let’s get the men and get out to Briar Canyon.”
Maggie nodded, thinking it was quite a good plan.
“One thing, though. You think that blonde really is involved with the Pinkertons?” she asked, remembering one of the women boasting that she was with the detective agency.
“A woman? With the Pinkertons?” Wendell spat. “Never heard of such a thing, but it won’t matter, anyway, because she isn’t going to live to send any messages from the next working telegraph. Let’s go, Maggie!”
Maggie was convinced. She kept mute as they walked the rest of the street assured that the next step for them wouldn’t end up being for nothing.
*****
Quillan dusted his clothes again, glancing happily around the stable. He threw a glance at Cassandra and beamed at her and the rest of the girls.
“I sure want to thank you folks for the help you just gave us,” he said quietly.
“We’re not done helping!” Cassandra quickly piped in. Saying nothing she went back outside the stable and returned a moment later strapping on her twin holsters. “We need three tickets on your stage to Carlyle. You won’t be going alone. We’ll be around if there is trouble.”
At her request, Katie literally jumped forward, clasping her hands excitedly.
“Bless you all, Miss Cassie!” she gleefully cried out to the Wilde sisters.
Quillan began to make arrangements immediately. He glanced at his sister and motioned towards the horses with his hand. “Katie, you want to start getting the horses hitched up. I’ll secure the shipment in the back of the stage. We need to be on our way.”
“We will help too. It’s been too long since we’ve been away from horses. We grew up around them, after all.” Cassandra let it be known, moving towards the horses along with Katie and Lijuan.
Quillan turned to smile at Honor who had not moved a muscle since the Wendells left them alone.
“Not joining your uh … sisters?” he asked her.
“Truly I do not mind riding horse or hitching them up and all that,” Honor shrugged. “It is in my blood. I just thought maybe I would help you secure your cargo is all.”
“Oh, thank you. That’s kindness. You’re some remarkable ladies, I must say. What’s it like having a white sister AND a Chinese one too?”
Honor was unable to keep a smile from spreading, noticing the typical confused frown on his face as he glanced behind her to stare at Cassandra and Lijuan who were already untying the horses and caressing the mane of some of the roans.
“We are just half the family,” she decided to prepare him for another shock. “I have a white brother, an Indian brother, and a firebrand little Mexican sister.”
As expected, Quillan blinked twice, speechless for a second.
“You’re joshing me, right?”
“Give me a stack of Bibles and I will swear on them,” Honor laughed, “and to answer your question, it is wonderful. We need each other now more than ever. We have to get home. Our daddy is gravely ill.” she said growing serious.
Quillan was still glancing at Cassandra and Lijuan and then back to her, but at the mention of her ill father, the confusion over this improbable family of many races on his face melted a little, and he stepped forward hesitantly to hold her hands.
“My stage will get you to Carlyle. I swear it, Miss Honor,” he promised.
For a while, Honor Elizabeth allowed him to move closer, taking in the beautiful sight of his dark handsome face. She liked his wide lips and the soft edges of his face. His eyes were deep brown, somehow connecting with hers. It felt as if a charge went on between them as soon as their hands touched. He felt it too, for he fell silent shortly, staring intensely into her eyes.
“So, what all exactly is this mine shipment you’ve been talking about?” Honor finally asked, breaking the silence.
“Sometimes, it’s the payroll,” he reported, taking his time before taking his eyes off hers. “Used to have a man to ride shotgun with me to guard it, but the Wendells, of course, found some way to run him off. This shipment, however, is pure TNT.”
“Dynamite?!”
“Yes, Miss Honor, the mine is on a tight schedule when it comes to their blasting. That’s why they don’t use Wendell’s freight haulin’ service. He was too unreliable, but we could always get it to them on time and keep them to their schedule … least ways we did until the Wendells started doin’ us dirty.”
“Dynamite?!” Honor squealed again. She had not expected that bit of news.
Quillan raised an eyebrow, finally understanding why she might find the idea of explosives on the stage bothersome. “It’s okay,” he said. “It won’t go off without the caps or unless someone puts a light to it. It’s stable. We’ve hauled it dozens of times. Don’t you worry, you are in good hands with me!” he insisted with a reassuring smile.
Calmed, Honor Elizabeth stepped closer to him this time around, running her fingers seductively down his arms. “In your hands … sounds like an interesting place,” she pouted her lips. “Come on now. Let us see about your dynamite.”
Quillan held his breath for a while before he nodded, slowly heading out of the stable with her towards the storage room.
CHAPTER 6
* * *
The Present
State of Arizona
May 1913
Allie held on to the nearest rock, wondering how Cattie, despite her age, was able to walk up the rocky grade quite conveniently. The agile woman held her hands together at her back, impressively navigating the pebbly terrain while she slowly concluded another part of her family’s tale.
“… of course, it turned out that Honor and all of them had a LOT to be worried about, thanks to that Wendell character and his nasty wife,” she sighed, clamping her mouth shut afterwards.
“Yes, what happened?” Allie asked, panting. As stressful as Cattie’s walking suggestion turned out to be, she couldn’t not want to hear everything.
“Did the Dodge family make it to the town by sunset?” she asked again, unsteadily jogging behind Cattie.
“Hold up. We are almost there; where I want us to be,” Cattie said as if she hadn’t just heard her pose a question.
Allie bit her lip, wishing that she had found a way to discourage Cattie from taking her further towards the oil well. As soon as they sighted the men from afar, Cattie had suggested that they secretly draw close to the location to get a
closer look at the activities. Secretly turned out to be another route with rocks and uneven terrain that was taking every ounce of strength in her body to climb.
“I still don’t understand, Miss Catalina,” Allie finally admitted in exasperation. “Why are we sneaking up on them? Why didn’t we go directly down to the well to have a look?”
Cattie kept walking ahead of her, often glancing back at her. “I met this hombre Barthalomeau a few times when he was first nosin’ around what’s left of my family’s ranch and I got a real slimy feel off of that slicker,” she said.
“Just based on a couple of encounters?” Allie asked, skeptical.
At her tone, Cattie finally stopped moving and turned to her with a confident expression. “Honey, I could spot a miscreant long before you were just a twinkle in your papa’s eyes!” she laughed. “It came second nature after all of our adventures.”
“Now, hush, we’re here.”
Allie kept quiet, slowly following suit as the older woman skidded towards some boulders. The derrick lay before them with the area encircling its base covered with black liquid. Allie hid behind the large stone with Cattie, watching as now three men moved around, inspecting the entire area.
“Holeee Spit! Is that what I think it is?” Cattie’s lips parted at the shocking view in front of them.
“Sure enough looks like it, doesn’t it?” Allie stared at the liquid-covered soil again, quite sure of what it was. “I did a story on an oilman out in the Pennsylvania fields. He took me up close to one of his wells,” she told Cattie.
“So, there is least some oil under Cedar Ledge. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised about that,” Cattie sighed. “Our home was blessed with an overabundance of natural riches. Rachel used to tell my brothers that it was the work of the Great Spirit; that He had a plan and purpose for the bounty on our lands. ‘Course, if there is a God or a Great Spirit, He forsook us when everything turned to ash.”
“What happened to Cedar Ledge?” Allie whispered, glancing into the older woman’s eyes. As much as Catalina Wilde tried to hide it, there were upsetting memories in those eyes that she hadn’t said anything about.
The Wildes of the West 1_The Daughters of Half Breed Haven_Old west fiction of action adventure, romance & western family drama Page 12
