The Demise of Raul

!

Teresa O'Brien stood with hands clasp over her mouth, unable to move. The tragedy that had played itself out in front of her had the young woman terrified.

That her 'brother' Johnny Lancer had just done the unthinkable, she knew his past as a gunfighter had honed his skill with the gun, and he was very, very good with it.

Raul had only been five feet in front of her she was sure he had not meant to hurt her. Then the loud explosion as the gun of Johnny Lancer put an end to Raul's life.

Blood was everywhere as he had tried to run away and only made the blood loss faster.

!

She looked into Johnny's face as he slid the gun back into the well cared for but worn holster and he smiled. She dropped her hands to her hips and glared at the young man before her.

"Why," she stammered out, "He wasn't going to hurt me."

Johnny looked up from the body of Raul and into his 'sisters' brown eyes, now soft with tears.

"I told you me 'n him had a discussion, he was ta leave you alone or the wrath of Johnny Madrid Lancer would come down hard on 'em, guess he didn't listen."

?

They heard a bellow from the hacienda and both young people turned to look; boiling from the kitchen door was Murdoch Lancer, patron, el jefe, the big man.

"What's going on out here?" seeing his younger son, Johnny, in the middle of things he just frowned, "Why are you shooting your gun within the compound son?"

Looking to where his son and ward was looking he saw the body of Raul, "Oh Johnny, Raul was Maria's favorite, she doted on him. There will be hell to pay."

He stood beside his son and put an arm around his shoulder, giving him a modicum of comfort.

Hearing running footsteps, all three looked up as Scott Lancer ran pell mell from the barn gun drawn expecting trouble.

He pulled up to stand beside Teresa, following her eyes he saw Raul, "Oh my God, Johnny you didn't."

!

Johnny hung his head not sad he had gunned Raul, but he was sad that Maria would be sad, "What do ya think Maria will do ta me?"

He looked up into the eyes of his family, he saw mixed emotions and he began to panic. It was not from fear, he knew Maria would not shoot him, but she might call Val and have the sheriff lock him away forever.

He began to think of other punishments that Maria could suggest to make him suffer, and he was nervous.

Johnny Madrid scared; he had not been scared since he had shot his first man. The older gunfighter had taunted and goaded, he could not step away. The older man lost, but Johnny had lost his lunch after he rode away and found a tree, away from prying eyes, to be violently sick

This was Maria, his madrecita, his Corazon. He began to feel awful, but he had warned Raul what would happen if he threatened T'resa.

Pulling himself up Madrid masked his face. He would take what punishment Maria doled out he would do it again to protect his familia.

"Ay Dios Mio!" Maria burst out of the kitchen and ran to the gathered family in the yard. She came to stand between Teresa and Scott. Looking down she saw Raul, making the sign of the cross she looked up into the face of her Juanito.

Slowly walking over to her Niño, she lifted his head, one hand cupping his chin, the other gently placed on the side of his face.

Looking into the blue eyes drowning in despair, she smiled and patted his cheek,' You have done this thing 'Nito?"

Johnny nodded his head; he could not speak to this woman who had been like a mother to him, a friend a confidant.

His father came to his rescue, "Maria we need to find out why Johnny believed he had to end Raul's life."

"Si Patron, I will listen and then he will have my punishment," Maria folded her arms over her bosom, and stood looking at Johnny for his justification.

Johnny glanced once at Raul, then into the faces of each family member, drew in a deep breath and slowly released it, "It started two weeks ago, I come downstairs ta breakfast and no one was there.

I looked out tha door an seen T'resa comin' 'cross tha yard, her basket was full of eggs that she just collected from tha hen house. Then I seen Raul, she didn't see him and he jumped on her, she fell losing all tha eggs, he beat at her I run out and he took off, I helped T'resa up collected what eggs hadn't broke and helped her inside."

Looking at Teresa, "Show 'em, what Raul did that day."

Teresa looked down at the ground then slowly rolled up her sleeve; a gash now healed over was on her forearm.

Maria grabbed the arm and held it up to examine it, "Raul did this Chica?"

Teresa nodded, "I didn't want to get Raul in trouble, and I know how much you loved him."

Putting her hands on either side of Teresa's face Maria looked into the young woman's face, "Si Niña, I do, but not at this expense. You should have told me."

Maria kissed the girls cheeks.

Johnny cleared his throat, "Tha second time Raul came at T'resa he turned on me, tried ta use his spurs on me. Well that was when me n' him had a little discussion. I told him anymore and I'd plant 'em six foot down, I live up ta my promises. He come at T'resa ready ta attack an I shot 'em point blank. Lo siento Maria, but he had ta go."

All eyes turned to Raul, his once proud head now a bloody mess, Johnny's bullet had taken it dead center, death was instant, but the body hadn't caught up to the fact, as he lay flopping on the ground.

Maria looked at Murdoch, "Permiso patron, if I may be the one to decide on retribution for Raul's death at the hands of Juanito."

Murdoch nodded, "Of course Maria, I am sure you will be fair in your assessment."

Scott looked worried for his brother, Maria could be a hard taskmaster, and Raul had been her favorite. At least she had not sent anyone to town for the sheriff.

Teresa looked with pleading eyes to the housekeeper, "Johnny was just saving me from another wrong. He may have gone to excessive measures, but done is done."

Maria looked at the Nina, holding back tears, Senor Scott was pleading with his grey blue eyes and the patron just shrugged his shoulders.

Johnny stood, head down, arms around his middle waiting for his punishment, for the verdict of Maria.

Hands on hips Maria spoke, "Juanito take Raul to the girls and have them prepare him, and I will be in too help in a short while." She turned and walked to where her primo, Cipriano, stood waiting.

Johnny watched the two cousins; he knew Cipriano had brought Raul from Sonora when he went down on a selling trip.

Johnny sniffed, he did not know how old Raul was, but he was old enough to have known better.

Scott moved up beside his brother, Teresa and Murdoch had already gone into the hacienda, "Brother would you like me to help you?"

Looking down at Raul, "Nah I got 'em, he aint' so big I can't tote 'em myself."

Scott watched his brother pick up Raul, careful to keep the still dripping blood from staining his pants. He did not know what Maria had in mind, but he would stand with his brother.

#########

Johnny kept glancing at the kitchen, from where he sat in the great room, you could hear the laughter of the women and he was getting antsier about dinner.

Maria had spent a lot of time preparing Raul. He just hoped it did not hold up dinner he was extremely hungry. Maybe not as hungry as he been when he was a kid on the border, but hungry enough.

Scott sipped his before dinner drink and watched his little brother, "Johnny I know you've killed before, why is killing Raul so much more traumatic?"

Johnny stood and walked over to the liquor cart, poured a generous amount of tequila into his glass, took a sip and turned to his brother," It's not so much tha killin' as that Raul was special ta Maria. I never wanted ta hurt her, but Raul had ta go."

Murdoch spoke up from his chair behind the big desk, "Maria understands that Johnny, but she fell in love with Raul from the time Cipriano brought him home, he was just..."

Johnny interrupted his father with a look, "He was just no good from tha start, I wasn't here when he first come, but he made himself known ta me my first day here."

"Son has he done this before," Murdoch asked concerned that he had not seen a pattern before.

"Yeah, he tried ta spur me first time he seen me, guess it was a territorial thing. Ya know he was protecting his home ground, an I can understand that, but not when he attacked T'resa for no reason."

Scott tried to help his brother, "Well to be honest, Teresa had just collected the eggs; he may have thought she transgressed on his territory."

Johnny looked at his brother, "Nah, she's done that every day, he just went loco. 'Sides he was gettin' too old, all he was good at was making too much noise under my window every morning like clockwork since we had that first tangle. No he had ta go."

(*) (*) (*) (*) (*)

Teresa bound into the room, all smiles and a hint of mischief in her eye, "Dinner is ready and we will have a special guest, just for you Johnny." She grabbed his arm and pulled him to the table, "Now you just sit here and I'll help Maria, don't worry you're gonna love it."

Johnny, led to his seat by T'resa, was voiceless as he watched T'resa return to the kitchen, he glanced at his brother and father as they took their own seats.

Scott saw a look of panic on his brother's face," Relax brother, Maria loves you; she wouldn't poison the food or feed you something that would harm you."

"Oh that ain't it brother, I just hope I don't gotta see Raul make a comeback performance." Johnny sat waiting for Marias sentencing on the crime of killing Raul.

?

Maria hummed as she finished preparing Raul, he looked muy bueno, and she had to admit he looked much better dead than alive, he was getting too old. Juanito needed a reminded he could not just pull his pistola and shoot anything he desired.

Nodding at Teresa, oh how the girl had suffered under the spurs of Raul, if only she had her told about the first attack. Well can't be helped.

The two women took hold of Raul and carried him triumphantly into the dining room. He would take the place of honor right in front of Johnny.

Johnny bowed his head; he heard the women bringing dinner to the table, when he looked up his mouth fell open.

Dios it was Raul and Johnny knew what Maria had decided. He felt a blockage of his throat, he would have trembled, but he was Madrid, and Madrid did not tremble.

Taking a breath in, than releasing it he steeled himself to his fate.

Murdoch smiled, 'well, he thought to himself, it could have been much worse. However, he was not sure bringing Raul to the table was a good idea, since looking at his younger son.

Johnny looked like he was going to be sick, please son not at the table.'

Scott was about to jump up and find a bucket for his brother, Maria's sentence was fair, but harsh. Johnny had killed Raul and now he had to see him at the dinner table.

"Johnny are you alright? Can I help you, brother?" Scott stammered out, concern in his voice."

Swallowing Johnny shook his head, "No Scott I'm just fine. Guess me and ol' Raul ain't done yet." Looking up at Maria he smiled, "Gracias Madrecita, I recon I deserve this, gonna be hard goin' down though."

Maria put her hands on her ninos shoulders, "Raul was very old, and soon he would have died on his own. He has but one more lesson to teach such a temperamental, ex-pistolero."

Murdoch smiled, "Reminds me of an old saying, 'Always take a good look at what you are about to eat. It's not so important to know what it is, but it's sure crucial to know what it was.' I think that sums up Raul, don't you?"

He eyed his younger son with a smile and glanced at his elder son. Scott was grinning, "Yes sir sounds right to me."

Johnny's frown turned up into a bright, all forgiving smile, "Alright ya'll have had your fun, guess me an ol' Raul have finally seen eye ta eye. He always knew which string ta pull ta get my anger up. His best try was under my window every morning; this ol' rooster sure had a set o' pipes on 'em."

Johnny looked at Raul, nicely fried; the smell had his mouth watering. He grabbed the first drumstick and sank his teeth into the best-fried chicken he had had in a long time.

Each person at the table grabbed a piece, truth be told the old bantam rooster had made his feisty nature known to more than Johnny and Teresa.

The only one he truly liked was Maria, and she had doted on the old bird.

Maria sighed, well he was a good rooster, but he made a better dinner for her familia.

She looked into the eyes of her Juanito, his dark blue eyes danced with pleasure he had learned his lesson. He would think twice about shooting his pistola with in the compound.

Turning back to the kitchen Johnny stopped her, "Maria, mi madrecita, I will get you the finest rooster this side of the Rio Grande. When Johnny Madrid Lancer promises, he will deliver."

Maria smiled, "Bueno Niño, I will hold you to that promise."

The death of Raul at the hands of Johnny Madrid lancer was a sad affair, but things will always work out with the love of family.

Lancer was full of family, and love.

Adios Raul.

The End.