The routine continued for Bart Maverick. Morning and night the tall Mexican brought him food, water and coffee, never saying anything. Bart asked the same questions, "Where am I? Why am I here?" and got no answers. On the second day of his capture, he was untied and left alone, locked in the same room. On the third day of his imprisonment, he was dozing in the corner of the room when he heard the door opening unexpectedly. He sat up hurriedly and found an elderly Mexican couple had entered the room. The man carried a gun, the Señorita was unarmed.
"Good afternoon, Señor Maverick. As you might have guessed by now, we are Donda and Estella Medina. Twenty years ago Doralice Medina was sentenced to be hanged by the Mexican justice system for the murder of our son, Sergio Medina. You prevented that by stealing her away from the Federales. We are very old and intend to see that sentence carried out. The only way we could ensure justice would eventually prevail was to kidnap you and hold you for ransom. That ransom, as you may have guessed, is Doralice Medina.
"Your companions, Señors Maverick and Buckley, were given four days to produce this murderer. Tomorrow is the fourth day. We are willing to wait until sundown tomorrow, but if the ransom has not been paid by that time, the sentence will be executed upon an alternative party. That party is you, Señor Maverick. It is very simple, if we do not have Doralice Medina to hang, we will hang you in her place."
Bart took this all in while retaining his poker face. He had no doubt that Donda Medina was dead serious and he also had no intention of turning his wife over to the Medina's. In a low and steady voice, he answered their threat. "There was no murder committed by Doralice Medina; she shot your son in self-defense. She has been cleared of any charges by the Texas Rangers, an arrangement agreed to by your own Presidente.
"As you know, she has been my wife for many years; she is the mother of our six children. I will not allow you to carry out your form of vigilante justice; there will be no exchange. Therefore you might as well extract your pound of flesh now and hang me in her place."
Donda whispered briefly to his wife, then nodded his head. "If this is your wish, Señor Maverick, this is what shall be done. However, we will not execute the sentence until sundown tomorrow, as originally set forth."
Señor Medina linked arms with his wife and escorted her from the room. He returned momentarily and addressed Bart once again, briefly. "I understand your feelings, Señor. However, we will allow you the time should you wish to change your mind. Buena Noches."
Estella turned to Donda once they'd left and locked the room they were holding Bart in. "Confirmaste que el asesino está en camino aquí?" (Did you confirm that the murderer was on the way here?)
"Si, ella estará aquí mañana." (Yes, she will be here tomorrow.)
Bart sat there, stunned, now that they were gone. He prayed to God that Bret and Dandy were working on a way to get him out of this mess. He had no desire to die, but if it came down to his life or the life of his beloved Doralice, his would end tomorrow at sundown.
XXXXXXXX
Bret had sent the telegram to Doralice and gotten this reply:
'On my way, Doralice.'
He handed the telegram to Dandy, who read it over as they were sitting down to supper. "Good, just in case, she'll be here."
"What did you learn from Aldonza and Esteban?" Bret had a plate of food in front of him, which he was pushing around and trying to eat. Dandy had insisted he have something besides coffee.
"Not much. There's been a reward out for Doralice or Bart for years but most people didn't take it seriously. At least those outside of Monterrey didn't. Esteban checked the register and there was a man named Virgil Harvey from Monterrey here the first night we checked in. He left the next morning; Esteban thinks he was the one that notified the Medina's Bart was here, and they set their ransom plan in motion. He assumes that Bart is being held at their hacienda in Monterrey."
"Let's ride down there tomorrow and see what we can find out about the house. Sunrise?"
"Um, these hours are killing me, old man."
"Take your pick, Dandy. Either the hours will kill you or I will."
"No need to get hostile, Maverick. I'll be ready at sunrise. Bart is my friend, too, and I've no intention of letting either him or that lovely lady he's married to hang."
"Just wanted to be sure you understood me, Buckley."
XXXXXXXX
Doralice Maverick sat in the stagecoach rubbing her hands together. She couldn't wait to get to Laredo, where Bret and Dandy were going to meet her. 'Poor Bart', was all she could think of. He was being held captive for her sins, and no matter what anybody said, she couldn't let that stand. She knew what he was thinking; the way his mind worked, he fully intended to hang in her place.
There had to be a way out of this, and she was depending on Bret and James to find it. After all they'd gone through, she couldn't lose him now. The children needed their father, and she needed her husband. More than that, he was her soul mate, the love of her life.
She could hear the horses clop-clop-clop-clopping, and all she could think was 'faster-faster-faster-faster. Dear Lord God, please let us get there in time.
