The Reunion
Chapter One
It was hot for so early in the season and Johnny slipped his shirt off, letting the warm sun dry away the river of sweat that ran down his bare chest.
Sinewy muscles flexed beneath dark tanned skin as he grabbed the sledgehammer and began pounding fence posts into the hard packed ground. Muscles that had been trained only to be lithe and cat-like in his Johnny Madrid days, were now strong and well defined, capable of wielding a sledgehammer or drawing and firing in the wink of an eye.
This was the third day he had been working this stretch of fencing. A storm had formed over the Sierras, and instead of breaking up as most storms did as they moved down the foothills, this one had gained momentum and unleashed its fury on the San Joaquin Valley.
Every Lancer hand was out, working from sunup to sundown repairing the damage. Torn fences and downed trees littered the landscape. Ponds were turned into lakes, and brooks were turned into rushing streams. Dams ruptured, marooning cattle on small islands of land mere inches above the water.
Johnny looked up at the sky and wondered if Scott had caught the luckier job of overseeing the damaged footbridge over the swollen Aqua Azul steam. He chuckled to himself when he thought that Scott was probably thinking the same thing.
He gauged the sun and decided he had another three hours of good light left, then tomorrow he would finish the last of this section of fence. He didn't want to think of the remaining fences. But unfortunately, they would be waiting for him. Death, taxes and fences. You couldn't escape any of them.
As Johnny worked on the fence, he didn't notice the two riders hiding in the shadows of a huge oak tree on the ridge above him, watching his every move.
"Wooeee…ain't he a pretty one?"
Jezebel shushed the young girl sitting beside her. "Hush child. You keep them eyes where they belong. This here one is fer your sister. If'n she's a wanting 'im. Cain't see why not…he looks ta be a healthy fella. But yer sister has the right ta pick the man she's a showin' at the reunion. It's a cryin' shame that gal ain't got herself a man yet. It'd be plum embarressin' fer her…nigh on ta eighteen and still without a man ta bed her. Ain't natural. Ain't natural a tall."
"He's a looker, Mama." Halley leaned forward on the saddle, leaning her elbow on the pommel. "Prettiest thing I ever did see. If Pearl don't want 'im, then I'd take 'im, Mama."
Jezebel slapped her arm, hard. "You ain't old 'nough ta take a man. Ya got's ta be at least thirteen. Ya got time ta wait child. Now ya go find Pearl fast, ya hear? I want her ta meet her perspective, make sure he's a right fer her. Cain't see what she could find not ta like though."
Jezebel kept her mount steady as Halley quietly walked her horse out of Johnny's range of hearing, then kicked it into a full gallop.
Johnny was on his last post when he heard the two horses approach. He dropped the sledgehammer and instinctively slipped the safety loop off his gun.
With their backs to the sun it took Johnny a moment to realize two ladies were riding toward him. Ladies may have been a kind description, Johnny decided. They were both dressed in ragged clothes that looked like they would disintegrate if they touched a drop of soap and water. Their hair, beneath moth eaten hats, was long and straggly.
"Can I help you?" Johnny asked. He eyed them warily, women could be just as lethal with a gun as any man.
"Name's Jezebel Harkins and this here's my girl Pearl. We been watching ya from up yonder," the older of the two women said, nodding toward the oak tree. "Yer not afeard a hard work boy. That's good."
"I'm not afraid of a lot of things." Johnny squinted up at her, the sun bright behind their backs. "You ladies have business here? You're on private land."
"Don't believe in private land. It's all God's country. He ain't never put no fences up. My way a thinkin', that means he don't hold with hordin'"
"Well the law sees it differently. This is Lancer land, as far as the eye can see. So you best be moving along."
Johnny felt a shiver run down his spine as Jezebel Harkins looked him over as if he were a prize bull at auction.
"Ya look ta be a smart boy," Jezebel looked toward his gun hand, "so I'm betting ya ain't dim witted 'nough not ta know yer left hand from yer right, cause I see a marryin' ring on the wrong hand."
Johnny grinned, but there was no laughter in his eyes. "Like you said, I'm smart."
"Ya see." Jezebel slapped the younger woman on the arm. "I told ya he didn't look womanized."
The younger woman smiled, revealing a mouth filled with rotting teeth. "He be the one Ma."
Johnny took several steps backwards reaching for his shirt.
"Don't put that shirt on account a us," Jezebel grinned. "It's been a month a Sunday's an then some, since we seen good man flesh. Our kin men ain't nothin' ta brag 'bout."
Johnny hastily slipped his shirt on, but left it unbuttoned. He didn't want his hands occupied with the buttons. He had a bad feeling about Jezebel and her daughter.
"Ya got a name boy? We gave ya ours…ain't polite not ta reciprocate…"
"Johnny Lancer," Johnny answered, picking up the sledgehammer with his left hand. "If you don't mind, I've got this fence to finish before sundown. You head east and you'll be off Lancer property in two hours."
"Johnny…" Jezebel seemed to taste the name then turned to Pearl and nodded. "John…good strong name from the Lord's book."
Jezebel and Pearl shared a knowing glance then without another word turned their horses west. Johnny watched them disappear over the hill and he slowly slipped the safety loop back over his gun. He went back to work but couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that he was going to be seeing those two again.
By the time Johnny finished with the fence and the ride back to the hacienda, he was too tired to do more than soak in a hot tub for an hour then eat dinner. He meant to mention his encounter with the two women, but he fell asleep on the couch before he had the chance.
The next day found him again on the fence line. He spent the day surreptitiously searching the hills around him for his visitors from the day before. By the time the last strand of barbed wire was strung in place he was convinced that yesterday's encounter was nothing to worry about. He headed home with thoughts of Maria's dinner.
"I figure we're more than half way finished with the repairs," Murdoch said as he passed the biscuits around the supper table. "The men have done an excellent job, partly because they see you two working so hard."
"You know Murdoch," Johnny threw a wicked grin toward Scott, "I always thought that a boss did just that, bossed. Didn't get his hands dirty or his fingernails broken."
Murdoch looked at his youngest son with an exaggerated grin. "You mean you didn't read the small print on the deed you signed?"
"You mean the paragraph that says the youngest brother does all the grunt work?" Scott grinned as he popped a biscuit into his mouth.
Johnny grinned back, taking the bait. "Yea? Well I think you had better re-read that deed big brother, cause it says plainly that …
"Boss!" The front door flew open and Jelly was standing beside the table. "Sorry 'bout interrupting your dinner, but Johnny, ya got some lady callers outside."
Scott smiled toward Johnny. "Lady callers? What would a lady want with my little brother?"
Johnny looked apprehensively toward the door. "Tell them to go away, Jelly."
"I'm not sure I can do that, Johnny."
Murdoch laid his napkin down next to his plate. "Where are your manners Johnny? When a lady comes calling…"
"Oh boss, ya got ta see this. You ain't gonna believe your eyes." Jelly couldn't keep the mirth out of his voice.
Curious, Murdoch and Scott rushed to the door, with Johnny lagging behind.
Murdoch wasn't sure what to say. The two women who sat atop the two mangiest horses he had ever seen reeked from five yards away. The older woman had a burlap sack slung over her saddle that she untied and threw at Murdoch's feet.
"I figure ten skins got's ta be fair payment fer that boy a your'n. He bein' a good worker an all. I know ya be missin' his strong back."
"I beg your pardon?" Murdoch stared from the older woman to the younger one. A layer of dirt an inch thick covered her face. Her longing eyes looked past him to Johnny.
Johnny stood rigidly still at his side. Murdoch didn't miss the fact that Johnny had strapped on his gun belt before meeting the ladies.
"I be Jezebel Harkins and this pretty littl' thing be my girl. I told yer boy yesterday that my Pearl is in need of a man fer the reunion. Poor child, she never been bedded by a decent man, only her cousins…them ain't marryin' material. But yer boy is."
Johnny stepped forward, kicking the sack back towards the women. "I told you yesterday," he warned, his voice cold, "this is private land and you're trespassing."
"Hush boy," Jezebel snapped. "It be your daddy I be talkin' to. We gots us a deal, Mr. Lancer?"
Murdoch found it hard to keep a straight face. "I'm afraid my son isn't ready to marry anyone at the moment. But thank you for the kind offer."
Jezebel sat up straight in the saddle. "Ya tellin' me a Harkins ain't good 'nough fer yer boy?"
"No." Murdoch's smile faded. "I'm telling you that Johnny is not ready to get married to anyone."
"He's marryin' age ain't he? My way a thinkin' he'd be a fool ta turn down a pretty girl like Pearl here."
"And you're free to think the way you want. Now, Johnny politely told you you were trespassing. I may not be as polite if I don't see you heading off my land in the next two minutes."
Jezebel nodded to Pearl and the young woman slipped off her horse to retrieve the sack. She handed it back up to Jezebel and took a long moment to stare at Johnny, her eyes devouring him.
"This ain't over," Jezebel warned, and yanked her horse's reins hard to the right then kicked the nearly dead horse into a fast trot as she and Pearl passed beneath the Lancer arch.
"Oh Lordy…" Jelly clucked. "We got us a big problem brewing here."
Scott followed Murdoch and Johnny back into the house. "I'm not sure what's going on here," he said, following the two men into the great room.
Murdoch poured three generous glasses of bourbon and handed one to each of his boys. "Johnny?"
Johnny dropped into one of the overstuffed chairs and swirled the liquor in the glass. "I saw them yesterday while I was mending the fence. Told them they were trespassing. That's all."
"You mean you didn't lay on the Johnny Lancer charm?" Scott laughed. "I mean, that Pearl looks like a real…"
"That's enough Scott," Murdoch warned. "This is serious. They were hill people."
Scott looked to Johnny for help. "Hill People?"
Johnny shrugged, studying the amber liquid in his glass.
"No one knows for sure where they came from," Murdoch explained. "They settled in small groups and inbred among themselves. They're scattered throughout the hills, from California to Kentucky. Most of the time they only spell trouble. Johnny…" Murdoch raised his glass towards his youngest, "I don't want you working the fences tomorrow. "
"Murdoch, I'm not going to hide."
"I'm not asking you to hide, I just want to be cautious. In fact, I think it would be a good idea to send Jelly into town and tell Val about this."
Scott nodded. "I guess we can be thankful that Teresa is in Stockton."
Murdoch looked out the picture window behind his desk at the land he had worked so hard to make his. The land he rightfully shared with his sons. But he had a feeling that he would once again be fighting for what was his. And this time it had nothing to do with the green pastures that slowly faded in the dimming light of dusk.
Johnny refused to alter his plans and headed out to the stretch of downed fencing near the southern edge of Lancer property. He didn't travel alone though. Murdoch insisted on having two men with him at all times. It galled him that Murdoch wanted to protect him from two women, but he knew that those two women most likely had a lot of 'men folk' behind them. But he would not run and hide. He would not cower behind the four walls of the Lancer hacienda. That was not Johnny Madrid's way.
He caught himself, surprised that, at that moment, he so easily fell back into the mode of Johnny Madrid. He must have been more spooked than he thought. The thought of 'bedding' a woman like that…no he couldn't even call her that, more like an animal, turned his stomach.
"Johnny…" Jess' voice pulled him from his reverie as the tone in the ranch hand's voice made him slip the safety loop off his gun. "Looks like we got an audience."
Johnny followed Jess' line of sight and saw the two men staring down at them from the top of a knoll some thirty yards away.
"Want me to shoo 'em off, Johnny?" Phil asked, reaching for his rifle tucked beneath a blanket in the back of the buckboard.
"No…" Johnny pursed his lips and looked toward the two riders. "There's more than just those two out there." He dragged out two shovels and pickaxes from the wagon and handed a set to Jess. "Phil will take first guard. I'm betting they're just trying to make us nervous."
Jess snorted. "They're doing a pretty damn good job of it then."
Johnny chuckled. "Let's get this fencing done. I think I'll stay closer to the house tomorrow."
The rest of the day was uneventful. With Jess and Phil's help, Johnny finished the section of fence early enough to start working on the section west of them.
By the end of the day Johnny was temped to jump into the back of the buckboard and sleep his way home.
He washed up and sat down to dinner, relieved to be sitting at the table. At times during the day he wondered if he would ever make it back to the house. Jess was right, they did do a good job of making him nervous.
"How long do you think they'll keep this up?" Scott asked.
Murdoch sighed loudly. "Until they get what they want or get killed."
"Surely we can talk some sense into them. I mean, they have to understand that Johnny has no intentions of marrying one of those women."
Johnny smiled darkly. "They don't see things the same way we do, Scott. I'm afraid Murdoch's right. They're not going to back off until they have what they want."
Murdoch and Scott both turned their heads, not able to look Johnny in the eyes. It was Johnny they wanted. And before this war was over there would be blood spilled.
"Boss…" Jelly had his head stuck in the front door. "Riders coming. Lots of 'em."
Murdoch stepped out of the house, holding his rifle across his chest. Scott and Johnny flanked him on each side.
"You be Lancer?" The oldest of the rag-tailed group asked. Murdoch counted eleven men and three women. All of them reeked as badly as the two women.
Murdoch nodded. "I'm Murdoch Lancer." Murdoch noticed his ranch hands spilling out of the bunkhouse, guns drawn. "State your business then get off my land."
"You be the daddy to the dark one there?" the old man asked, pointing a filthy finger toward Johnny.
Murdoch felt Johnny's hand edge toward his gun. "Easy," he whispered.
"His name is Johnny, and yes, I'm his father," Murdoch replied brusquely.
"Name's Jeddah Harkins." The old man nodded toward the two women who sat on either side of him, their mounts looking as dirty as they did. "This here's my woman, Jezebel, and my girl Pearl."
"We've met."
Pearl smiled and Scott felt his stomach churn. Never had he seen a more disgusting set of teeth.
"Pearl here is nigh on ta eighteen, an she still don't have her a man. She needs one fer this month's reunion. She's taken a shinin' ta that dark haired boy o yours…"
"Johnny's not in the market for a wife. You best find another man for your reunion."
"Makes no matter," Harkins said, "he don't have ta like it. Nobody likes getting tied to a woman who cain't find herself her own man, but we are a proud family and we ain't gonna show up at the reunion without a man fer Pearl."
"Well you had better look elsewhere Mr. Harkins, because Johnny isn't interested."
Harkins turned to Johnny. "You got a mouth there boy? What you got ta say 'bout Pearl and you getting hitched? Ya could do a lot worse."
Johnny felt Pearl stare a hole through him. "I told your missus and your daughter yesterday, this is private land, and you're trespassing."
"You turning my girl down?" Harkins asked incredulously.
Johnny nodded toward Pearl and Jezebel. "Can't say it was a pleasure ladies." He turned smartly on his heel and disappeared into the hacienda, slamming the massive oak door.
"You heard Johnny," Murdoch said, his voice hard as steel. "He's not interested in marrying anyone. Now get off Lancer land."
Jeddah nodded. "We'll be seein' 'bout that. Pearl ain't goin' ta no reunion without a man at her side. What about you?" He turned to Scott. "You look fit 'nough. Ya ain't Pearl's first pick, but she ain't got the time ta be choosey."
Scott didn't know whether to laugh or run or hide. "I appreciate the offer. But I'm not in the market for a wife either."
Harkins huffed. "Suit yerselves…but remember, there ain't nothing I won't do ta make my Pearl happy." With that the fourteen riders turned as one and trotted out of the courtyard.
Murdoch and Scott didn't move until they saw the last horse disappear in the distance. He spotted Cipriano standing by the stable with rifle in hand, and motioned him over.
"Cipriano. Post guards around the perimeter of the house. The rest of you keep your eyes and ears alert. They'll most likely be back."
"What are we going to do?" Scott asked.
Murdoch looked behind him at the closed door. "Keep an eye on Johnny and pray that they change their minds."
Chapter Two
Two hours north of the Lancer hacienda in a small arroyo hidden from view behind a wall of boulders and tall brush, the Harkins clan made ready for the coming night. The cooking fire was stomped down to a small flame, allowed to burn hot enough to cook only at dusk when the air was hazy from the setting sun and the smoke couldn't be seen. Small islands of light dotted the camps where families settled in for the night.
The sounds of the night birds and insects, usually a welcome sound to Pearl Harkins after the heat of the day died away, only made her restless tonight. She had never felt the tingling sensation in her stomach before yesterday when she laid eyes on Johnny Lancer. Now she couldn't think of anything else. She had memorized every line of his face, every curve of his muscles as he stood sweating in the hot sun. The thought of him lying beside her, his tanned body stretched out naked beside her, and only her, made her loins ache for him. She had felt Clive and Riley take her, satisfy themselves, then crawl back to their women. But she knew that Johnny would be different. He would be gentle and kind. He would caress her with tender hands, speak softly in her ear, kiss her mouth with his soft lips, fulfill her most intimate dreams. He wouldn't need to hurt her just to feel like a man. Because he was more man than any Harkins could ever dream of being. And he would be hers soon.
She crawled inside the old Conestoga wagon that had long ago seen its better days, careful not to make any noise, and found a small knitted bag beneath a pile of cowhides. She pulled out the delicate wedding veil that her ma had pilfered from the trunk of a stagecoach passenger some twenty years ago. She didn't need any light to know what it looked like; she knew every inch of the lace and pearl veil. The years had turned it yellow and the moths had eaten holes in the fabric, but it was the veil she dreamed of wearing someday. And now she had a man to marry. She smiled, thinking of how jealous all the women would be at the reunion when they saw Johnny Lancer on her arm.
She buried her face in the veil, happier than she could ever remember. Pa promised she would have her man by sundown next day. That would be just enough time to teach him the ways of the Harkins before they made their way back up into the hills and headed for Oregon and the reunion.
"I'm not gonna be a prisoner in my own house!" Johnny shouted. He reached for his gun belt hung over a peg next to the front door, but Murdoch's strong hand grabbed his arm.
"I know how you feel son, but this is the only way. Hopefully they'll change their minds in a few days."
Johnny yanked his arm free. "And what if they don't? What if they hang around for a week or a month?" He buckled the holster low over his right hip and drew his gun, checking the shells and slipping it easily back into the holster. "I'll make sure I stay close to at least two hands. But I won't hide."
Murdoch watched Johnny once again slam the front door behind him. He had a gut feeling that this was not going to end peacefully.
Johnny headed for the stable to find Jelly. With all the destruction from the storm and now the appearance of the Harkins he hadn't been able to give Barranca his full attention. The palomino had come up lame just before the storm hit and for awhile Johnny feared that his beloved horse would never recover fully. But Jelly's careful nursing had brought Barranca back to him, now he only had to make sure the horse took it slow and easy as he regained his strength. Funny how alike they were. Neither could stand the restrictions of recovery.
He smiled at Barranca's welcome whinny. The palomino leaned his head over the stall and nuzzled Johnny's cheek.
"Feeling better ain't ya amigo." Johnny smiled, rubbing the soft muzzle. "We'll have you outta here in no time. Jose," Johnny turned to the young stable boy, "you seen Jelly this morning? We were going to let Barranca run for awhile today, see how that leg holds out."
"Si, senor. He takes the chuck wagon to see the men by the Aqua Azul. He brings them food for lunch. He says to tell you that you and him can run Barranca in the afternoon. And soon he will como el vioento, run like the wind." The boy's eyes sparkled with the thought.
"You hear that Barranca?" Johnny asked. "Como el vioento. Jose will take good care of you today and I'll be back this afternoon."
"Si Senor. And Senor…"
Johnny saw the worry in Jose's eyes and it both warmed him and angered him. There wasn't a person on the ranch who would not endanger his own life to protect him, and the feeling frightened him. Never had so many people cared.
"Yes I know, Jose, I'll watch my step. Besides, I already promised Barranca that you would have the second ride when he is back in shape."
"Me, Senor?"
"Si, you." Johnny squeezed his shoulder. "You earned the right. You've done a fine job of caring for Barranca."
"Thank you, Senor Juanito. Thank you."
It was well past noon and the hot sun was beating down on Johnny and Scott as they slowly walked the fence line looking for breaks. They could feel them watching, following them for hour after hour. The Harkins never showed themselves, they didn't have to, nature did that for them. From the startled birds in the trees to the snap of a branch Johnny knew their every move.
Texas Rob, named because he had a drawl so thick not everyone could understand him, brought up the rear, his rifle casually draped over his thigh, but his eyes raked the hills and valleys. He knew they were there too.
"How long do you think they're going to keep this up?" Scott asked, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck rise.
"They're trying to get under your skin."
"They're doing a pretty damn good job of it."
"Don't let them see it, Boston. They can smell fear like dogs." Johnny looked behind him at Texas Rob, "Let's take a look at that stretch of fence by Newberry Crossing, that should give them a little trouble, there's not much to hide in over there."
Texas Rob's face split into a grin that touched ear to ear. "I swear Johnny Lancer, you are just about the most wicked fella I know."
Johnny grinned back. "I try Texas, I try."
Murdoch heard the sound of the chuck wagon rumbling toward the stable and hurried outside. Jelly should not have returned until late in the day if he had reached the men and fed them. His gut told him something was wrong. He rushed toward the stable, his fear rising as he saw the team pulling the wagon in an erratic pattern, telling him that the driver had lost control of the reins.
He saw Jose rush out of the stable and catch the harness of the right hand horse, talking the skittish animal to a stop.
"Senor Lancer!" Jose cried, and scrambled up onto the seat. Murdoch reached him just in time to see the stable boy helping a dazed Jelly to sit up on the wagon seat.
"What happened?" Murdoch demanded, reaching up to help the old man down. Jelly crumpled when his feet touched the ground and Murdoch lifted him easily in his arms rushing him toward the house.
"Jelly, can you tell me what happened?" Murdoch asked, as he gently put a cool compress on the handyman's forehead. Jelly had a nasty bump above his left eye and what looked like rope burns on his wrists.
"They stopped me boss," Jelly sighed. "I'm sorry. I tried to outrun em."
"There's nothing to be sorry about, Jelly. Who stopped you?" Murdoch really didn't have to ask the question but he needed to hear it from Jelly.
"Them Harkins' bunch. They told me ta tell Johnny they wouldn't be so easy on the next poor soul they caught. Boss…" Jelly grabbed Murdoch's arm, "Ya can't let Johnny know bout this. I don't know what he'd do."
"I know," Murdoch said bitterly. "He'd run right into their trap."
"Ya can't tell him."
"What am I going to tell him Jelly? You can't hide a lump like that."
"Tell him I was feelin' the miseries and I fell getting out of the wagon."
Murdoch shook his head. "He won't buy that, Jelly."
"You got ta make him buy it. Or they'll have em just like they want. They're a mean bunch, Boss. One man don't stand a chance against em. Not even Johnny Madrid."
Murdoch sat back in the chair facing Jelly and closed his eyes. He felt like he was on a run-away horse with no way to stop it.
"Alright Jelly, we'll try. I'd better go talk to Jose before Johnny gets back".
The rest of the day went uneventfully. They lost their shadows around Newberry Crossing but picked them back up again on their way home. When they got within sight of the hacienda, Johnny saw the riders stop and wait.
They passed beneath the Lancer arch and Johnny nodded at the two men standing guard. He leaned closer to Scott and whispered. "Somethin' must of happened. Cip wouldn't put Carlos and Wade out here without good reason." He glanced back over his shoulder at the three black figures on horseback sitting atop a knoll overlooking the ranch. Things were going to get ugly very soon.
"Who did it Jelly?" The seething anger beneath Johnny's voice made Jelly take a step backwards, the back of his knees hitting the edge of the couch and he flopped onto the cushions, his hand reaching for the bandage wrapped around his forehead.
Johnny lashed his hand out, grabbing the sleeve of Jelly's shirt and staring at the red circles around the old man's wrists where the ropes had scraped his skin.
"And I guess the miseries caused these rope burns too?" Johnny growled.
"Please Johnny," Jelly pleaded. "It weren't nothing big. They just tried ta scare me is all. If ya go after them now ya just be playing right into their hands."
Johnny released Jelly's cuff and took a step back, feeling everyone's eyes on him. "Don't worry. I'm not going after them. Yet…"
"Well, get that dang fool notion out of yer head, boy. You ain't never goin' after them. That's exactly what they want."
"Jelly's right," Murdoch agreed, his hand laying gently on Johnny's shoulder. "You are part of this family, Johnny. This is a family fight. We'll post double guards around the house, and no one goes anywhere until we can figure this out."
"Murdoch, this is a working ranch. You can't just…"
"I can do anything I want or need to do to protect my son. Now, please do as I say. I sent Rodriguez into town to tell Val what was happening out here."
"How much can one man do?" Johnny spat.
"Not much," Scott agreed. "But if he brings a posse out with him then maybe the Harkins will back down. Strength in numbers, Brother."
Johnny nodded, resigned to the idea that his family was right on this one. And just the thought of being within ten feet of Pearl Harkins turned his stomach. "I'm going to check on Barranca. I guess his run will have to wait for a couple days."
Scott moved to follow Johnny but Murdoch's voice boomed out. "Let him be, Scott. He needs time to think."
"But he might take off."
"No. I don't think so. He knows what kind of people he's facing."
Scott watched the door slam shut and wondered when this nightmare would ever end.
Johnny headed for the stable, his anger rising with every step. He promised Scott and Murdoch that he would wait for a couple of days, and he would keep his word. But after that…He felt the anger in him harden and he felt just a little of Johnny Lancer disappear. Harkins had crossed the line. He had hurt Jelly, an innocent in all this.
His resolve to stay weakened as he thought about Jelly. The old man understood him like no one else. There was no pretense between them, no expectations, just a loyal friendship. He didn't deserve what the Harkins had done to him.
Johnny entered the stable and he was immediately on alert. He stood stone still. Something was wrong. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck shift, sending a shiver down his spine. He drew his gun, his every sense on heightened alert. He listened, putting a name to every sound. The mice in the hayloft, the warble of a bird in the rafters, the buzz of flies, the drone of mosquitoes. There was a foulness in the air that played at his memory. A foulness that made his stomach turn. He took another step inside. The heat from the day hung heavily in the empty stalls and open tack room, rising toward the rafters where particles of hay floated in the sunlight peeking in through the half closed hayloft doors. Empty stalls…
Barranca…His stall was empty. Jose would never have taken him. The palomino trusted only one other person, Jelly. He felt something slam into his back, between his shoulder blades and he heard his breath whoosh out of his lungs and then nothing more.
He didn't feel himself plowed into the hay covered floor beneath the weight of a hundred and fifty pound mastiff, or the dog's owner yank his arms behind his back and lash them together. If he had been conscious, he would have felt himself lifted and dragged through the stable between two of Harkins' boys and thrown stomach first over the back of a saddle. If he had been conscious he would have known that he was riding into the depths of hell as the horse was led away from the Lancer ranch without a single soul inside knowing he was missing.
Chapter Three
Pearl hurried to prepare for her man's arrival. She laid a second blanket down on the ground next to hers, smoothing it out carefully. The thought of him lying next to her made her blood run hot. She would have a man of her own at last. No more crude remarks by the men or taunting by the women for not having her own man.
She double-checked the stake Digger set in the ground and tested the chain. She knew Johnny wouldn't be happy with the wrist chain at first, but he'd get used to it in time. Darla Ann had still had to chain her man at night, and he'd been there for six months or more. It was too bad he up and died on her.
She started a small fire and cooked enough meat and beans for two people. It felt good to be cooking for two. She'd always sat with Ma and Pa and Halley. But now she had her own man to tend to. She found an old wooden bowl tossed in the dirt and wiped it out with her filthy skirt then dumped the meat and beans into it. Dusk was falling quickly and the cooking fire had to be broken down to a small flame, just bright enough to light the bedding.
They would be here soon. She could sense it. She thought about what she would do. He would probably be angry and a little scared his first night, so she wouldn't bed him tonight. She would give him a day to get used to his new home.
"He'll be here soon, child," Ma said, walking over from her campsite. "You ready?"
Pearl nodded. "I bin ready fer a long time."
Ma Hawkins sat down beside her daughter and handed her a little pouch. "Put this here herb in his water if'n he starts ta acting up. Ya know he ain't gonna be happy at first. All them uppity ways them people has. But he'll come round in time."
Pearl looked up at the sound of horses approaching.
"Here they be," Ma said, patting Pearl's knee. "He's yourn ta take care a now. Make him happy."
Pearl stood and brushed her skirt down, pushing her matted hair back under the floppy moth eaten hat, and waited.
Her heart leaped at the sight of him. Lying across the saddle, he was wearing the same pink shirt that she first saw him in. She waited for Zeke and Rufe to pull him off the saddle and he landed face first into the dirt, motionless.
Zeke cut the ropes binding Johnny's wrists and shoved him onto his back, noticing Pearl's worried look. "He hit his head when Dawg jumped im," he said. "He'll come round soon nuff."
"Take his shirt an belt," Pa ordered.
"An them boots is mine." Zeke pushed past Rufe before his cousin could claim the prize.
"Then them fancy pants is mine." Rufe shouldered into Zeke, grabbing at Johnny's legs, fingering the shiny Concho buttons.
"Nuff said!" Pa grabbed both men by the shoulders and shoved them to the ground. "Zeke gets them boots…he called it fair and square. Rufe…them pants would'na fit yer left leg…" Rufe looked down at his thick thighs, he weighed more than two Johnny Lancers put together. "Ya kin have his belt."
"Won't fit him no more'n the pants would," Digger complained.
"Silence!" Pa ordered. "Zeke and Rufe brought im here, so's they gets the boots and belt. I'm a taking them socks and shirt fer myself. Holster goes ta Digger."
Pearl watched her cousins pounce on Johnny like mad dogs, stripping him of everything but his pants. When Darla Ann dove in to snatch the ring off his finger Pearl grabbed her by the hair and flung her back. "That be my ring!" she shouted.
Darla Ann scrambled to her feet, her eyes wild with rage. "He be your'n only if ya tame him. He be mine if ya cain't."
Pa grabbed Darla Ann's arm and swung her away from Johnny. "You had yer man and ya kilt him." He looked at the Harkins clan, twenty strong, circled around them, eager to see a fight. "This here's Pearl's man," he announced, the authority in his voice unmistakable. "Why she'd want a half Mex like im I ain't ta knowing. But she's got the right ta pick. Now git about your own business."
Pa turned to Pearl. "He be yours now, girl," he said, watching Zeke and Rufe drag Johnny over to the blanket and lock the wrist cuff in place. "Cain't see what ya sees in him, but he be yourn. Treat im kind, but strong."
"I will Pa." She dropped to her knees and ran a dirty fingernail down her man's cheek. She traced the outline of his lips, and wondered how sweet and tender his kisses would be. She felt the roughness of a day's growth of beard and decided she would have Zeke or Digger shave him everyday. She was gonna keep him just the way he was. He was so pretty it took her breath away. She yearned for him to open his eyes and look longingly upon her- for him to want her as much as she wanted him. In time he would. In time they would be happy together. In time they would make fine babies together.
Murdoch draped a throw blanket over Jelly and watched the old man's eyes slide closed. Jelly was nearly as close to Johnny as Scott, something that irked him at times. He should have been the one that Johnny came to to talk out his problems, to share secrets that belonged between father and son. But he had put up a wall that first day they met and he was still trying to tear it down. It had cracked a little, at times looking as if it would tumble into fine dust, but it was too strong. Murdoch Lancer was good at building walls to protect himself. Too good.
"Ah, Jelly…" he whispered. "I envy you at times."
Suddenly the front door slammed open and Scott was standing in the center of the room, a gun hanging loosely at his side…Johnny's gun.
"They got him," Scott said in disbelief. "They got Johnny."
Murdoch stared at him then the gun…"How…?"
Scott began to pace. "The stable," he barked. His fear and anger growing by the second. "Jose is still out cold. They must have used Barranca to lure Johnny into a trap. He was hobbled in back of the stable."
"Were there signs of a struggle?"
Scott shook his head. "Cip said it looked like they took him by surprise. You can see where his boot heels were dragged along the floor and to a waiting horse. Cip is forming a search party right now. We ride in fifteen minutes."
"Good. The trail will still be fresh. Sam should be here anytime to look at Jelly, have him tend to Jose first."
There was an uncomfortable silence as father looked at son, their fear and guilt shared for a moment. They should never have taken their eyes off Johnny.
"If they hurt Johnny…" Scott's voice trailed away.
Murdoch took Johnny's gun from Scott's hand, wrapping his hand around the grip as if the cold metal could bring his son closer to him. He cleared his throat. "I'll put this away for Johnny. He'll want it when he gets home."
"We'll find him," Scott said softly, almost too low to hear.
"And I'm a comin' with ya." Jelly struggled to uncurl himself from the blanket.
"No Jelly," Murdoch said. "I want you here with Maria."
"But boss…"
"Jelly. I need you here. I need you to tell Val what's happening."
Jelly hung his head and nodded. "Sure Boss. But you'll let me know when ya find him."
"Of course we will. Now you get some sleep. Sam will be here soon. You can fill him in on everything's that's happened."
Jelly nodded and settled back on the couch.
"I'll get my gear," Scott said heading for the stairs.
It was morning before she saw his eyes open. He looked around confused and scared. She wanted to hug him, to take him in her arms and feel his arms wrapped around her.
"It'll be all right," she said gently. "You be safe here with me." She watched his eyes fall on hers and she saw little laugh lines form around his eyes as he smiled at her and she felt warm all over.
"I was hoping it was you," he whispered. "None of them other girls are as pretty as you." He reached up with his free hand and pulled her down to him, his sweet mouth kissing hers. She felt weak as he caressed her throat, his kisses still devouring her. He gently laid her down beside him. His face was so close to hers. She ran her hands through the ringlets of dark hair on his chest and was lost in the pleasure of his body.
"I love you Johnny Lancer," she whispered, her voice catching in her throat. "I love you."
"And I love you, Pearl Harkins. The prettiest girl this side of the moon."
She thought her heart was going to explode with happiness….
"Pearl!" Ma's voice startled her.
She snapped her head up. Her heart plummeted; it had only been a dream. Mere minutes had passed, not a whole night with her man finally by her side. She touched her lips, the sweet taste of Johnny's kiss seeming to still linger there.
"You ain't got no time to daydream there child," Ma scolded. "That man of yourn needs tendin'. He most likely addled his brains a mite when he hit the ground."
Pearl ran her fingers through Johnny's thick black hair and her fingers found a lump encrusted with dried blood on the right side of his head.
"Fix a poultice so he don't get no brain fever. He up and dies and this be all fer nothin'."
Pearl leaned forward and kissed her man gently on the cheek. "He ain't dieing, Ma. He's gonna be mine fer ever an ever."
A pounding in his head was the first thing that Johnny was aware of as he slowly regained consciousness. Wisps of memories played at his befuddled brain, there one moment then gone the next, leaving behind just a lingering hint of what he should have known, what he needed to know.
He heard a soft moan and knew it was his own. Damn, the more he tried to think the harder his head throbbed.
"Yer all right, Johnny…" Johnny jerked at the sound of the voice so close to his ear. He felt something cold sting the right side of his head and he tried to move away from the pain but strong hands clamped his head in place. "Ya got a bad gash here, Johnny. Ya don't want no brain fever do ya?" The voice was a woman's and the accent sent a chill down his spine.
Johnny suddenly remembered- remembered everything until he walked into the stable and saw Barranca's stall empty.
He fought back the panic that was welling up inside him. He couldn't let them know that he was awake. If he feigned sleep, then maybe, after dark, he could slip away. But where? The realization that he didn't have a clue where he was nudged at his panic.
He forced himself to think, to listen. Voices rumbled all around him, indistinct words, but the cadence was there. Hill People' Murdoch called them. The putrid smell of foul bodies reeked all around him. A dog lay nearby, panting. The smell of campfires and food filled the air.
"Ya got ta wake up now, Johnny. I bin waitin' on ya all day. Made ya vittles and got yer bed fixed for ya."
Johnny's stomach roiled at the thought of eating food with these people. He would sooner starve than take one mouthful. The table scraps he used to steal behind rat-infested restaurants in Nogales when he was a boy were more appetizing then the slop he would find here.
He heard the swish of a skirt stopping beside him then his left hip exploded in pain. "He bin playing possum with ya Pearl." He recognized that voice…Jezebel Harkins. "He bin awake since ya started tending ta him. Look…"
Johnny felt something crawl across his cheek, toward his mouth. It wiggled at the corner of his lips, trying to burrow its way into his mouth…
He couldn't stand it another second. His eyes flew open and he swatted it away with his right hand. A roar of laughter went up around the camp.
"It just be an ol' mealy worm…" Jezebel snorted.
Johnny tried to scramble to his feet but his left arm was jerked back and he saw the shackle around his wrist. He yanked at it again, desperate to get away.
Pearl sat back from him, a bloodstained cloth in her hand, and stared at him, anger and betrayal flashing in her eyes.
"Ya bin so cow eyed over im, ya thought he'd a just come siding up ta ya like a lost pup," Ma scolded. "Well he ain't. He be needin' trainin'"
She grabbed at Johnny's hair and yanked his head back. "Ya hear that boy? Ya needs ta learn our ways…Pearl here's your woman…Ya got ta make her happy."
Anger and fear exploded in Johnny and he lashed out, catching Jezebel behind the knees and she screamed in surprise as her legs were swept from beneath her and she fell backwards against Jeddah.
"No!" Pearl yelled, trying to catch Digger as he ran past her, hunting knife in hand. He landed on Johnny, driving him into the ground hard. "No!" Pearl was on top of them both." Don't hurt im," she screamed grabbing Digger's right hand. "He just be scart!"
Johnny tried to hold him off one-handed, realizing for one surreal moment that Digger was wearing his gunbelt. He felt the knife draw blood, just below his rib, and waited to feel the blade plunge deep into his side, but Ma was on her feet and men were hauling Digger off him.
"Git im cooled off," Ma ordered, grabbing the knife from Digger's hand. "There be no killin' here less'en me or Pa says so." Digger was dragged from the circle.
Pearl was on her knees next to him, her putrid breath in his face. "It be all right. Ya ain't hurt bad."
"Get away from me!" Johnny tried to heave her away with his right arm but someone grabbed it and he felt the bite of cold steel locked around his wrist and his arm was stretched backwards to meet his left arm.
"Ya got lots ta learn here," Ma said, lashing out with her foot to catch Johnny in the rib. "First thin' ya learn…treat your woman right. Pearl bin waitin' fer ya."
Johnny closed his eyes against the throbbing pain in his head and the sting of the cut on his side. How long would it take Murdoch and Scott to find him? Dios…help me.'
Chapter Four
The search party rode two abreast with Cipriano leading. At first the trail was easy to follow…three unshod horses and a dog. But after two hours the terrain changed and trampled grass gave way to rock and hard packed ground.
Cipriano dismounted for the third time in the past fifteen minutes to crouch down and study the ground. He saw the tell-tale sign of one hoof print and stood up slowly to look up toward the rocky hills above. "They hide up there, senor," Cipriano said.
"They could stay hidden up there for days, weeks if they had a mind to." Murdoch adjusted his weight in the saddle, his back protesting. The sun was already beyond the horizon and dark shadows began taking shape in the craggy hills.
"It would be wise to stop, senor. What is left of the trail could be destruido by our own horses."
Murdoch reluctantly agreed. "We'll make camp here tonight, and start out at first light. Cipriano, have a man ride back to the hacienda and tell Jelly where we are."
"Si. I will have him return with more supplies."
"Good idea."Murdoch eased himself out of the saddle and didn't protest when Scott unsaddled his horse for him and laid out his bedroll. There was no use in trying to hide his discomfort. But he would not leave the search party until they found Johnny. He looked up into the hills. Damn, why didn't he insist on Johnny staying in the house? He knew these people were capable of almost anything.
Camp was set up in silence, each man contemplating their role in Johnny's abduction. Each one felt a portion of the responsibility-deserved or not. Johnny Lancer was one of their own, and each and every one of them would fight to the death to bring him back home.
Soon the fire was built and the smell of hot coffee filled the air. Murdoch looked up into the black hills just a few miles beyond them. Johnny was up there somewhere. And the old ache in his chest returned…the pain of losing a son…the not knowing…He saw the halo of light behind the hills as the moon ascended in the sky. It would be a cold, crisp night. Was Johnny warm enough? Was he hurt? The same questions that had chafed at his mind, night after night, for how many years? Twenty? And it never got easier. Now the old haunts returned…but they were far worse because now Johnny was not just a dream, a memory of a small black-haired child with eyes as blue as the sky. Johnny was a living, breathing part of his life now. A man he was proud to call son. A man he was proud to stand beside.
"We'll find him, Sir." Scott's voice broke the silence. But there was no conviction in those words.
Murdoch looked across the campfire. Scott sat watching him, a hot cup of coffee sending tendrils of steam toward his face. He had questions, but he was afraid of the answers.
"It's not your fault," Scott said softly. "No one could have known they would get past the guards."
"I should have known. I should have insisted your brother stay in the house until they were gone. I know what they are capable of when they want something."
"And Johnny? You think you could have kept Johnny in the house?"
"I should have ordered him to."
Scott snorted. "And where would that have gotten you? In another fight of wills? Johnny would have taken off there and then."
Murdoch snapped. "Maybe it would have been better."
Scott smiled sadly. "You know that's not true. Could you have lived with never knowing? Never knowing if he just took off and disappeared for good this time or that he had been taken by these people. Murdoch, we have an idea where Johnny is. We have men here, and more to come when Val organizes a search party. We'll find him. We'll find him and bring him back home. Then we'll do something to make my little brother not so damned attractive to anything in skirts."
Murdoch stared at Scott for a long moment then a smile creased his face. "I don't think there's much you can do about that charm."
Scott nodded, and he fell silent with the rest of the men.
Johnny listened as the camp settled in for the night. Jeddah and Jezebel ruled their flock with an iron fist. With one word from Jeddah, they had scattered back to their small campfires, their voices muffled.
The stench of unwashed bodies, human refuse and rotting food hung heavy in the air, assaulting Johnny's nose and threatening his stomach.
Pearl sat by his side in silence. She had bound his side to stop the bleeding. It was a minor cut, but Johnny knew the danger came with infection from Digger's filthy blade. She had tried to get him to eat, but he refused. He also refused the water, but at some time he would have to drink. He could live without food, not so water.
Darkness fell upon the camp and it frightened him as the shadows deepened. The night had always been his friend, hiding him from enemy and friend alike. Protecting him from looks of hatred and pity. He hated both. But now the darkness only brought the unknown. He didn't know these people. They were more like animals…no, worse than animals.
He tried to lift his head far enough to see beyond Pearl and the campfire, but the effort sent spikes of pain through his constantly throbbing head and he laid back down with a soft moan.
He felt Pearl shift and lean closer to him, her hand reaching for the still oozing cut on his head. He flinched and tried to move away from her touch but his arms, chained behind his head, held him fast.
"Ya keep yer head still, ya hear?" she whispered. "Yer still a hurtin'."
Johnny yanked at the chains. "I'd feel better if you took these off," he hissed.
"Ya brought it on yerself, Johnny. When ya starts ta behave…"
"I'm not a dog!"
"A course ya ain't." She ran her hands through his hair and he struggled to move away from her filthy touch. "Yer my man. Ya just has ta get used ta the idea. In a few days we be headin' fer the reunion…ya be better by then."
Johnny looked away, trying to ignore the touch of her hands on his face.
"I kin see it now. You an me…I kin take care a ya, Johnny. I bin told what makes a man happy."
He felt her hands caress his face and move down to his bare chest, inch toward his waist. "I kin pleasure ya when you're well agin…I kin…"
"Get your filthy hands off me!" Johnny railed.
"Ya don't mean that." She leaned down to kiss him on the chest.
Johnny whipped at the chains, pulling his knees up to his chest and shoving her off. "Get away from me!"
"No!" Pearl fell back, stunned. "No. I bin waitin' fer ya fer so long…don't ya know? Ya bin the one…I know'd it when I seen ya out by the fence. Ya smiled at me. Yer my man."
Johnny tried to strike out again, panic turning to desperation. He could feel her filth all over him.
Strong hands grabbed his ankles and jerked his legs straight.
Someone lit a torch and Johnny looked up into Digger's face, his knife glinting in the flame.
"Ya got learnin' ta do boy…"
"No!" Pearl screamed, leaping onto Digger's back. "Don't kill 'im. Don't kill 'im."
"He needs ta learn…" Johnny saw the blade slice toward his throat.
"Enough!" Jeddah roared, grabbing Digger's wrist. The knife fell from his hand, nicking Johnny in the shoulder. "He be punished!" Jeddah yelled. "But not by your hand." He turned to Pearl. "Pearl...he be your man."
"No, Pa…he be scart."
"He needs learnin'." He handed her the leather strap. "If'n ya cain't do it…"
"She don't deserve 'im if'n she cain't train 'im," Darla Ann shouted from the crowd that circled them.
Pearl looked down at Johnny, his chest heaving from the exertion, his face glistening in the torch light. His eyes were on her. If she didn't do as she was told she'd lose him to Darla Ann.
She held out her hand and took the whip.
A roar went up as Johnny was rolled onto his stomach, the cuffs digging into his wrists as the chains criss-crossed.
"Ten lashes," Jeddah ordered. "An if'n any of 'em be weak, Digger takes over."
Johnny steeled himself for the pain to come. His head was ready to explode…he prayed for unconsciousness to take him away, but he felt the first lash and bit back a scream. They would not hear his pain.
Scott looked up at the star filled sky. Billions of twinkling lights dimmed by a full moon that grew smaller as it slowly made its ways across the heavens. Was there life on that round ball up there? Was someone looking down on them as he looked up? Could they know the torment he was in?
Jules Verne suggested it in his satire on reaching the moon. From the Earth to the Moon had been another enjoyable book his grandfather sent him upon publication. He remembered reading parts of it to Johnny and watching his brother's eyes widen at the exploits of the brave travelers. He had even asked with a straight face if Scott thought someday anyone would reach the moon. He had laughed at the child still inside Johnny Lancer. An enigma if there ever was one. A hardened gunfighter with a reputation that no one could match, and a young man full of life, enthralled by the sight of a brilliant sunset or the taste of a licorice stick. There was no one kinder or more gentle than Johnny Lancer, and no one harder or more dangerous than Johnny Madrid.
Could either survive in the foreign world of the Hill People? He had thought them a joke when he first saw them, offering Murdoch ten pelts for Johnny. It was like a terribly written dime novel complete with Pearl Harkins, possibly the most unattractive woman he had ever seen…but there was something pathetic about the way she looked at Johnny. She truly loved him…wanted him at her side. Scott hoped that love would keep Johnny safe until they could reach him.
A coyote howled in the distance, and Scott felt incredibly lonely. Life would not be the same without Johnny in it. He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep. Tomorrow they would find Johnny…tomorrow life would be return as it was, as it should be.
Nine…Pearl drew her arm back and put all her strength into the last lash. Ten…She collapsed to her knees in tears. Pa leaned down and gently pulled the whip from her hand.
"Ya done good Pearl. Ya both learn't yer lesson tanight. Ya got ta be strong if'n ya want 'im ta be yer man. Now he know ya be the one ta give hurt an comfort."
Pearl could hardly look at him. Johnny's back glistened with sweat and blood. She had whipped him hard, but not as hard as Digger would have done. He would have killed him if he could. She could still hear each stifled moan of pain, see his back arch up as the whip ripped his skin open. Would he ever understand that she hurt him to save him?
"He be yer responsibility ta train, child. Tomorrow ya put him ta work."
"No Pa…he be hurtin'."
Pearl felt Jezebel lean down beside her. "It ain't easy teach'n an outsider our ways. That be why we keep ta ourselves…but when ya need's a man…time child, time and patience…he be yourn someday soon. But ya got ta be strong." Jezebel looked at Johnny, his face buried beneath his arms. "He be a strong an proud man. Ya picked well."
Pearl heard a shuddering gasp from Johnny and she jumped to her feet.
Jezebel grabbed her arm. "Leave 'im fer the night. Let 'im think what he done wrong."
"But Ma, he be hurtin'. His back need's tendin'."
"He needs ta think on what he done wrong. Digger…turn him over."
Digger grinned and pried his foot beneath Johnny's stomach and pushed him over onto his back. Johnny couldn't contain the cry of pain when his back touched the hard ground beneath the thin blanket.
Jeddah pulled Digger clear of Johnny then turned to the crowd. "There be work in the mornin'…be off with ya."
"Pa…" Pearl looked down at Johnny. "He be hurtin'."
"Yer Ma be right. Ya lay next ta yer man tonight…but give no comfort. He must earn it."
The torch was extinguished and the darkness moved in closer as Pearl laid down on the blanket next to her man, listening to his pain filled breaths. She wanted him to love her so badly. But to go against what Ma and Pa said was to bring the wrath of the whole camp down on her. In the morning she would tend to him. In the morning he would see just how much she loved him.
Johnny lay perfectly still, just breathing in and out. His arms cramped, his head still pounded, even his side where Digger's knife had sliced him hurt. But these pains were nothing compared to the fiery agony that burned at his torn back.
Minutes seemed like hours and he prayed for the light of day so he could start planning his escape. Because he knew he could not survive here, not with these people.
He listened to them sleep. Even in sleep they sounded obscene…guttural snores filled the camp, peppered with the moans of a woman thrashing beneath her man. Johnny tried to close his ears to the sounds, but it just conjured up images of Pearl…and he felt his stomach lurch. The slight movement brought a firebrand of agony to his back and he gasped in spite of himself.
He heard Pearl stir next to him. She lay just inches away, her hand reaching back in sleep to see if he was still there. He would have crawled as far away from her as the chains allowed, but he couldn't stand the thought of the returning agony to his back. They had not even cleaned it. The thought of the infection spreading in those deep cuts from that filthy whip filled him with dread. If Digger didn't kill him, infection would.
He shivered, not just from the cold night on his bare chest. Memories of his stay at the jail in Nogales returned to haunt him. Three months…three months he had been in that hellhole. But at least there he was left to suffer alone in an empty cell. The thought that he was actually better off in the hands of the Federales brought an ironic smile to his lips. Maybe someday he would figure out what he did wrong to make life so hard. He thought he had paid his dues…more than once. But, looking up at the moon slowly making its way across the sky above the arroyo, he realized life was not done punishing him just yet.
From the Earth to the Moon - written by Jules Verne – 1865