Emilia Part Three
Chapter 1
Emilia refused to leave the ranch with the women and children who were being sent to the safety of Green River. "If I go I will only take trouble to the town, so it is best I stay".
Mamacita declared she too would stay and there was to be no arguing with her about that decision. Amongst all the preparations for the coming fight Murdoch worried where his daughter kept disappearing to. It was Mamacita who explained she was using old magic and for him to have faith in her.
It was during the early hours of the third day that Emilia awoke with a start from a dream. She fell out of bed and went straight to Johnny's room. "Juanito he is near, he has prisoners."
Johnny had taken to sleeping fully dressed with only his boots off, was awake immediately. "Prisoners, dios he has detoured, where is he coming from?"
The tower bell rang out to warn the ranch hands and vaqueros of the danger that was approaching, they scattered to their allotted places.
Johnny took Scott to one side. "Scott you're the best rifle shot on the ranch. You need to be up the tower and take Estovez out the first chance you get. I know I know" Johnny held his hand up to stop his brother speaking. "It ain't in you to take the first shot without some provocation. Estovez will kill in cold blood and better him dead than anyone else. And Scott keep your head down and have more than one rifle up there."
"Do it to them before they do it to us eh brother?" Scott shook hands with Johnny.
Estovez and his men approached slowly no guns firing, among the riders was a buggy. Murdoch's shouted out "Hold your fire they have hostages."
"Oh god they have Sam and Aggie." Murdoch voice broke with horror. He and Johnny stood together watching down the road to the Lancer arch.
Sam Jenkins was driving the buggy a gun trained on his head by Estovez who was sat behind him with Aggie Conway sat next to him her hands tied behind her the rope around her neck held by Estovez in his other hand. Her hair and clothes in disarray and marks on her face testament to a blow.
One of the bandits rode next to the buggy leading a horse with the dead body of Aggie's foreman slung over it.
"Murdoch he won't negotiate he wants you to watch as he kills those close to you." Johnny looked into his father's eyes willing him to understand. "There may be sacrifices to be made here."
Murdoch drew a breath "I know there will be hard choices. He thinks he has the upper hand, he will be over confident, we will prevail son. Do not martyr yourself for me do you understand?"
At that moment Johnny truly understood how deep Murdoch's love of his family ran, "Si Papi."
Sam stopped the buggy and sat still while Estovez dismounted pulling Aggie with him as a shield. Looking around he smiled a smile that did not reach his black eyes. "I shall be most comfortable in this fine place. I can spare the lives of your children Murdoch Lancer in return for them becoming my bonded peons. Of course they will need to be taught obedience."
Johnny actually laughed out loud, "Pendejo."
Aggie let out a small cry as a blow sent her to her knees. Estovez pulled her back to her feet and turned to the tower, "Senor Scott Lancer throw down your rifle and show yourself."
"Don't do it Scott." Johnny yelled not taking his eyes of Estovez.
The gunshot came from the bandit on the horse leading the dead body. Johnny went down the bullet having hit him in his thigh. Murdoch was immediately at his side. "It is me you have the problem with Estovez but I know your tactics."
The second gunshot hit Murdoch in his shoulder. Johnny cursed with all his strength as another bandit disarmed him and Murdoch and pulled them to their knees. Estovez shouted up, "Senor Scott Lancer you have your order."
A rifle was thrown down and a third shot rang out and Scott disappeared from view.
Estovez pushed Aggie to the ground and moved closer to the two kneeling men. "I questioned this man," he indicated the dead body. "I know of your plans your strengths." He grabbed Johnny's hair and pulled it back, "I have waited a long time for my revenge Juanito it will give me great pleasure to make you pay for the death of my brother." He turned to Murdoch. "You Murdoch Lancer I have tasted all your women and I have shaped your Mexican children, this one into a wanted criminal in Mexico and the girl an Indians whore." He laughed, "Where is she?"
"The Indian whore is here." Emilia had silently drifted from her hiding place to stand to one side. She was dressed as she had originally arrived at Lancer an overlarge shirt and a buckskin trousers a belt around her waist. She walked directly to Estovez without looking at the others her blue eyes dark no sign on fear on her face.
"Ai Murdoch Lancer I will enjoy teaching your girl how to be a women who can pleasure men."
The knife appeared in her hand and slashed across his ribs. Estovez looked down "This little cut will not kill me you foolish girl," He took a tight hold of her wrist and the knife fell to the ground.
Emilia moved into him and whispered in his ear. "No you will die slowly in agony soy una bruja y con un hechizo te he envenenado"
Estovez let Emilia loose and looked again at the long mark cutting through his shirt now oozing blood. "Liar it is just a scratch."
"Thanks to you Senor Estovez I have learnt the ways of a bruja you are cursed you are dying." She turned from him and waved her hand at his men a powder flew through the air and the horses reared all snorting. The sound of a rattlesnake underneath their feet had the riders struggling to control the panic.
Scott took the chance to reappear at the top of the tower and opened fire other hidden ranch hands did the same.
When the gun smoke cleared Estovez was on his knees his gun held by Aggie. Scott shouted down to the bandits still alive "Throw down your weapons now, keep your hands up."
Sam Jenkins had thrown himself off the buggy and now limped towards Murdoch and Johnny. "I need to treat these wounds."
"No Sam let me see what Emilia is up to." Murdoch struggled to his feet.
Johnny's leg hurt like the devil the bullet had gone through and his blood was soaking into the ground but he had retrieved his gun. He stayed down but kept it trained on Estovez while Sam Jenkins used his bandana to tie around the wound. Emilia and spoken to him and Scott about her using her knife, it had been a risk but they had agreed knowing Estovez it was the best chance to create a distraction so he could use his hide away gun. He hadn't realised though she would treat the knife blade with poison and somehow upset the horses, his sister he decided had better skills than a magician he had once seen at a fiesta.
Emilia stood over Estovez, she knew the amount of poison she had coated on the blade was strong enough to work immediately but not so strong to kill instantly. She had learnt her lessons well.
Sam and Aggie were in the process of bandaging Murdoch's shoulder when Scott appeared ordering the Lancer vaqueros to take into custody any bandits still alive.
"No that one should stay as witness." Emilia pointed to the one who had shot Murdoch and Johnny. "He will see how Estovez dies screaming in pain and begging for mercy. He will tell of how this cabron reaped what he sowed."
A spasm racked Estovez he moaned in pain sweat now beading on his face. "The doctor here will not allow me to die, there is an oath is there not, you will show mercy."
Emilia turned to Sam Jenkins. "Tell him Doctor there will be no mercy for him from the curse."
"I know nothing of curses but I do know I have no cure for snakebite poison." Sam looked at Estovez, "As a Doctor I have to do my best and that will be to treat the bullet wounds that have been suffered here today."
Estovez was now hunched over his body shaking as the poison ran through his veins attacking his organs. Through his pain he lifted his head and looked at Johnny. "You Juanito could show mercy and save me from this."
Johnny swallowed it would be easy to put a bullet in the monster who had been responsible for the death of his mother and the destruction of his and Emilia's childhood. If her plan hadn't worked he knew the Lancers would not have been shown any mercy. It was Madrid who answered "Could do that but need to think on it some."
Scott took the scene in, his little sister had inflicted a fatal injury and his brother coldly watching. "We are better than this, is there nothing to be done Sam."
Emilia stared down at the body now at her feet. "I need to see him dead so he can no longer haunt my dreams or haunt our future." Her voice broke and she turned her back on Estovez to look at Scott. He saw her for the young girl she was her deep blue eyes reflecting more pain than anyone should bear. He stepped forward and held out his arms for her as she allowed herself to fall into them he felt tremors running through her body.
There was a cry of pain from Estovez and he curled up on the ground. He took a shallow breath and looked at Johnny. " Dios mercy, do it boy use that gun of yours finish what your savage sister has started. I set you both on this road."
"No" Murdoch's voice rang out. "My children are not murders like you." He took his gun and walked to Johnny.
Johnny's shook his head. "Murdoch I should be the one to do it."
"No son it is for me to finish this." He emptied his gun of all but one bullet, kneeling besides Estovez he showed him the gun. His voice hard. "You have a choice die slowly in agony or take your own life while you still can." He put the gun in the bandits hand and locked eyes on him. "You will die here today and I have no regrets at the manner of you going to spend all of eternity in hell. Your body will be taken off Lancer land and disposed of. Your man will go back to Mexico telling of how you died in the dirt begging for the end."
Murdoch stepped back to be with his family. "We don't need to watch this, Cipriano will inform the sheriff and get rid of the body."
He helped his youngest son to his feet. The Lancer's and their two closest friends turned their backs on Estovez to make their way to the hacienda and the future.
A single bullet shot rang out.
End
Word count 1928