Chapter 21

FF Fans: I'm going to be quite busy these next few weeks and don't want to leave you hanging. I'll try to get the last 4 chapters posted quickly.

The final showdown with Diego.

Gabe

I went straight to my room. As I entered my bedroom I continued on to the bathroom. Was this nausea from the pregnancy, nausea of being around Diego or left-overs from the drug? My vote was swinging to #1. I rested my head of the toilet. I was dehydrated and weak from lack of food, neither were good for the fetus. I wasn't sure the two bottles of water would get me through the night. I was pretty sure the water from the faucets were not safe to drink.

Only way to find out was to ask. I opened the bedroom door and the guard stood up. " ¿El agua es segura para beber?" Was the water safe to drink?

"No, no es seguro para los extranjeros." He shook his head. Yeah we tourists don't want to drink the local's water.

Tienes agua potable embotellada para beber." I was getting thirsty and didn't need amoebic dysentery. You idiots have potable water?

He spoke into a lapel microphone and shook his head yes.

Back to the shower, this time there was soap and shampoo in the shower and towels on the rack. A new toothbrush and comb sat beside the sink. I returned to the bedroom and found a case of bottled water. I opened one and sipped carefully. How long would it take for Rangeman to come? Would they even come? Twenty four hours? Could I continue this charade for another day?

I didn't sleep well; I was up and down, nibbling on the papaya brought back with me and drinking water. After sunrise I remained in my room, near the bathroom. When I heard the bedroom door opened I faked emesis as I kneeled over the toilet. They left me alone until 6 p.m.

A guard came to the door, "Te quieren en la oficina." I've been summoned to the office. Such a huge house and I've seen….2 rooms not counting the bathroom.

"Gabriela, you look terrible," Simon gasped.

"I haven't been able to keep food down for days." That was almost true. The papaya and bread had not returned. "Whatever was used on me to knock me just isn't leaving my system." I wasn't'mentioning the pregnancy.

"Maybe some broth or soup would help?" Simon said compassionately.

I hung my head in my hands and nodded. Something in a bowl arrived about 30 minutes later. Very hot broth with rice; I assumed it had been boiled long enough to kill off the nasties. I finished my soup. "Thank you Simon, I hope that helped. I'd like to walk around a bit. Do you have a library? I need something more intellectual than Diego's presence?"

"Yes, my dear, first floor. Help yourself." he said as his cell phone began to chirp.

I hurried down and instead of going to the library; I went outside to underneath Simon's balcony.

Simon answered, listened and then laughed. When he hung up he started talking to Diego. "Well, your crappy luck holds true Diego. That was Honduras. Your father's plane crashed just after takeoff. Oscar and Martin were killed. Not only have you lost your father's plane, you've also lost $50,000 of cocaine. You think Gabriela is enough to clear all your debts to me now?"

"More than ever I need her to marry you Simon. Fortunately I didn't sign off on inheritance the JY-bar ranches and mineral rights. So there's still money there."

"Yeah, but your brothers are reproducing like rabbits, Diego."

I snuck back in and was admiring the library when Diego stormed in. "Bitch you will marry Simon."

He came charging towards me and I dropped him with a blow to his throat. As he went down I grabbed his phone again. He lay gasping on the floor as I dialed Rangeman again.

"Don't ever touch me Diego." I spat as I stomped on his hand with the bad fingers. He screamed. It was like music to my ears and for a moment wondered what the guys at Rangeman thought with all this brotherly screaming. I smiled.

Bink was on the phones, "Ranger, she's calling again."

"Call the aircraft."

"Sir, the pilot reports they just left."

"That was just a little love tap so you understand at any moment I can kill you instantly, though I prefer to do it slowly and listen to you scream and cry like I did."

Simon came into the room clapping his hands, "Oh my dear I must keep you around for entertainment value."

I glanced over at Diego's hand and saw the finger and thumb were quite swollen, I'm sure they were extremely painful. Tough.

"Let me look at those for you, Diego," I uttered.

He staggered to his feet and backed away.

"Next time I tell you to splint and bind your fingers, do it." I said.

"They hurt."

"There's no way in hell I'm going to kiss them to make them feel better. I'm sure you have some pharmaceuticals around to relive pain," I said. "Perhaps you have already shipped your latest order to the US."

"What do you mean?" Simon asked as his facial expression became guarded.

"When I first set eyes on this abhorrent thing in my bedroom, he was sitting in the chair near the window. He had his .45 on the table along with a tiny bit of white powder under his nose. I don't think he had just eaten a churro."

Simon shot Diego a death look. "My dear, let's go back upstairs."

Ah ha! That little lie seems to have ruffled a few feathers. I had grabbed a book and went up to Simon's office and headed for one of the couches again.

"Gabriela, Diego and I have a cocktail with hors d'oeuvres at this hour, would you like something?"

"I appreciate the offer Simon, but the broth needs to settle. I'm not sure I'm up to solid food. Please go ahead." I pulled the cell phone out a bit to better pick up the conversations.

The guard/butler brought in a covered tray while Simon mixed the drinks. I glanced at the food; ceviche, raw fish, parasite special. No way was a pregnant woman eating that; side order of roundworm and food poisoning, please.

I reclined on the sofa and held my book up in a way that would capture the men's conversation for the cell phone. I pretended to read while they ate and drank. They talked of the guards' rotations, opening the guest houses across the channel, not much at all. I pretended to fall asleep letting the book fall onto the floor.

"I think she is warming up to me," Simon said.

"Yeah right," Diego answered as he swirled his drink.

"I believe with a soft hand and you not so visible she would be amenable to our union. Maybe she and I should go to France. The house and grounds are bigger, she might like that."

"Humph," Diego responded.

"I could set up a charity and she could tend all the destitute children, she's a doctor, she'd want to help them."

"And forget she is married to you?"

"With enough press touting all the good work she's doing, donations would pour in and we'd skim off the top."

"Hmmm," Diego answered. "Might work."

Simon paused and swirled the tequila in his glass, "When did you start using again?"

"She's lying. I haven't used for years. You know that Simon."

You remember what I told you if you started again."

"She's trying to get between us by coming up with tales."

"That better be true."

I didn't want to hear anymore and snorted and pretended to wake up. I rolled and picked up the book. The men were about finished with their drinks. The servant came in and removed the food and glasses.

I sat up, "Simon since you and the village idiot have finished, may I be excused to go back to my room to read or to explore the house?"

"No, Gabriela, it is time you make a decision about our future together. My patience is growing thin."

I looked at the clock on the wall, it was 1930. I was hoping to get another 6 or more hours so Rangeman could ride to the rescue. It was time to either kill Diego or have Simon do the honors. Hopefully I wouldn't end up dead too.

"Future Simon? My immediate future is to see him dead," nodding towards Diego. Turning to my brother, "Diego, do you know how lucky you are to still be alive? I'm not talking about since I got here. I've been too weak to give you the proper beat down you deserve. No, I'm talking about from your siblings? I had no idea your perversions began with Carlos and Manny. Fernando told me after Carlos and Manny went off to college."

I needed to draw this out. Please Rangeman be near.

"What the hell happened to you? Were you born that way, dropped on your head, or were you abused by some ranch workers? You weren't much older than Carl and Manny. How did you start, I assume you bullied them and then hurt them warning if they went to Papa you'd hurt them worse. You took advantage of Papa's condition; he was seriously depressed after Mama's death."

The pervert spoke, "I was his oldest. He didn't need more children. Each time a new baby came, they forgot about me. I wanted to hurt all of you, make you all go away."

"Wow, Diego, you just proved the waffle theory."

"What the hell is that?" he sneered.

"Since you've never done anything for yourself I doubt you understand cooking. When one first uses a waffle iron they are unsure about the temperature or the batter. The first waffle often comes out bad; under cooked, burned, misshapen, it sticks, and is discarded. The same applied with children, the first one should be discarded."

Simon chuckled.

"Bitch." Well, he was concise.

"You really are fucked up, Diego. How did you start your sexual deviation? Was it rubbing them up or perhaps finger penetration like you did on me the stormy night? Or did you go straight for pecker pulling?"

Simon chuckled, "Yes, I've wondered that myself. When did you start?"

Diego was getting upset. I ignored him. "Pity you didn't make a move on Carl and Manny after they armed themselves, Fernando and I might have been spared your perversions. I can't remember if it was Manny or Carl that called the knife in his boot the "Diego emasculator. That's a pretty big word for a young boy to know."

"Bull shit, we grew up on a ranch," Diego said before he realized he left me an opening.

"Yeah and we all knew how to operate the clamp from a young age. Oh how much fun we would have had tying you down, slicing you open and popping those balls. We would have left your scrotum open just like we do with the horses. How long would have you bled?"

Diego turned a unique color, I don't think the tequila he consumed was settling well in his stomach. Or maybe it was the fish. I got up and paced the room. "You know, I can't remember if you came home from the fair that year with a ribbon for Penny or a prescription for antibiotics."

"Who was Penny," Simon interrupted.

"Penny was Mr. Pervert's 4-H project; a nice soft Rambouillet ewe. Unfortunately he thought he was in animal husbandry the way he fucked that poor ewe."

"You knew?"

"I watched you give her your special treatment right after you felt me up. I was waiting for her to birth a lamb with your head."

Simon started laughing. "My dear you truly are very entertaining."

Entertaining? Great. I felt like a rat in the aquarium with the boa constrictor. Sooner or later the boa would become tired of his roommate and consume it. How soon after I kill Diego would Simon kill me? Or would I'd have to kill Simon? This was complicated especially since he "owns" the police down here. Then there are the guards…

"Yeah Simon, the same pecker you enjoyed was first used to service sheep and his siblings, but then you two grew up to service larger animals. For the life of me how did the two of you keep from getting massive infections?"

"Condoms my dear."

"For Diego those must have been extra small or did you cut the finger out of rubber gloves? I bet the grippy tips needed extra lube."

Simon laughed; Diego was turning red with anger.

"Initially when you, Simon, came to the ranch, Manny and Carlos were well armed and disappeared so you had your fun with Fernando and me. When did you realize Fernando and I were also armed and ready to blow you brains out if you came near us?"

I paused as if to think. "Ah, I remember, Fernando and I used to go target practicing when you two were around so you'd see the weapons. Actually we were hoping you two would follow us and we could use you for target practice. Instead we shot the feral hogs; naming each one we killed Diego. We about broke Papa in costs for ammunition. Together we used over 5,000 rounds a week. Is it any wonder the Army basic training officer was impressed with my shooting skills? Then there were the rifles, we actually wore them out. Of course we had to do some hunting to justify all the shooting. To this day I can't stand venison because it reminds me of you Diego."

I went over to a picture on the wall, giving me time to come up with more verbiage to dump on them. "Ever wonder why Fernando didn't go to college? He stayed home to keep you two and Oscar, your Ménage à trois partner away from me."

"You knew?" Diego gasped.

"I was eight, far too young to know about porn magazines but after watching you three in the water tank, I had no interest in porn after your show. Of course I didn't quite understand what you three were doing. I thought you were like stallions fighting for dominance. Fernando had to explain.

Imagine how disgusted I was when I came home a few days ago and found Oscar still on the ranch. Oscar was notorious for catching me, throwing me to the ground and fingering me. Until I pulled my .38 out and told him to back off….forever. Since you don't go to the ranch anymore, I wonder who Oscar is humping."

"Probably Martin," Diego said distractedly.

"I don't know him."

"Actually you do, he and Oscar brought you down here. Martin is the vet tech."

"…and has access to drugs. Now it makes sense." I unconsciously rubbed my arm. "Cattle prod?"

"Oh, no bitch, you got the Taser. I bet you jerked all over the bark and wet yourself." Diego laughed.

I sat down and put my hands beside my head. What damage has been done to the fetus from the electrical charge and drug? Heck, I'm fortunate the idiots didn't kill me, but what about the fetus?

Ranger groaned, he too thought of the child.

"You know Diego, at first I couldn't explain why Papa wouldn't let me go to college. It was you! You didn't want me to escape the ranch. I couldn't fathom why Papa kept agreeing with you."

"Finally I knew when I overheard you and Papa arguing over my marrying Simon here for the good of the ranch. It wasn't for the good of the Y-Bar, it was for the good of you and Simon. Your share of the inheritance, plus my share through Simon plus one more would give you control of the three ranches. Who were you going to swindle….or kill? Fernando, Carlos or Manuel? Fernando and I assumed he would be the victim.

But Fernando and I running away to the military upset your plans. Oh you tried to get me back by contacting every politician you thought might listen. I should give you a beat down just for making my basic training so miserable with all the Congressional letters my commanding officers had to answer. It all came back on me. Was that your plan, drive me back home? It didn't work. It made me hate you more. I would have shot both of you on sight and fed you to the hogs."

Diego shouted, "If you had not run then I wouldn't have had to contact those people."

"You must have panicked: Fernando and I protected by the military, Manny and Carlos gone working on the JY-bars. But you over played your hand. You demanded your inheritance early. By then Papa just wanted you out of his life, our lives. What happened to the money Diego? Have you invested wisely but still want more? More likely you blew it all or owed Simon for some scheme gone wrong. Is that why you had Oscar steal Papa's plane? Was the reason to kidnap me or carry drugs? Do you still need ways to pay back Simon for supporting you all these years? Where's the plane Diego? Oh, the look on your face Diego…..did something happened? Is the plane gone? Oh my, Diego, are you back in the hole with Simon? How many millions this time?" I was moving closer and closer to Diego, I was ready to kill him. Diego saw me moving closer and moved closer to Simon, drat.

"What makes you so smart," Simon asked.

"You are the brains Simon, Diego is nothing more than your old sexual toy and conduit to the ranches and the oil. Diego can't manage anything. Never could. Everything was for his pleasure. Remember the church collection tray, Diego? Week after week you stole money out of the tray. You never worked on the Y-bar, all you did was steal from it; money, cars, alcohol, even mamma's sliver and jewelry. Did you really think Papa wouldn't find out? Idiot."

Diego looked like he might have a stroke, "Stop it you damn Army lesbian! That scar on your shoulder…..did you get that from a scourging or did your lover knife you? The scar above your eyebrow, you get that in a dyke bar fight? Understand you ride a Harley. Does the bike turn on your lesbian lovers?"

"Not even close you pervert. Has your mind ever risen out of the gutter?" I calmly answered as I again began to stalk him.

"Aren't all women in the military either lesbians or whores? Is that why you have short hair? "

"You forgot transgender, celibate, married, sexually promiscuous, and heterosexual. If you are going to demean women in the military you might as well include them all. You think you know me because I have short hair? Simon, come look carefully at my scalp."

Simon walked over and parted my hair. He hissed, "Those are quite the scars Gabriela.

"The eye brow scar is recent, a bit of a scuffle, but not a bar fight. The head scars are from a tornado about over a year ago. They go with the scar on my shoulder. I was covering a hospital patient with my body to protect him from the storm. Unfortunately debris was flying around. I got…..shredded. You saw my shoulder, Simon, the rest of my back and buttocks have the same stripes. You think you could marry someone who looks like she backed into a blender? What was your comment about flawed skin?"

"Dyke, bitch," Diego growled.

"You do have a seriously limited vocabulary Diego. Is an STD eating your brain, what few cells you had. No wonder they threw you out of TCU, but then you never were much of a Texan and surely not a Christian but you were and are a complete U, an unguarded asshole."

Simon winced.

"Sorry Simon, didn't mean to be so gross, but isn't that how you got to know each other? Most people shake hands first."

Turning back to the abscess, "I'm not a dyke, but bitch I'll consent to it. I've been called that so often, I've come to think of it as love words. It means I'm pissing someone off. It gladdens my heart to think I've pissed you off. It's only the beginning of what I have planned for you. I've been day dreaming how many ways I can kill you. I'm leaning towards slow and painful, like what you did to us, your siblings. I'm sure Simon won't miss you as he'd have a smarter Ybarra for a companion." Once again Diego moved away.

I sighed for several reasons, one the retard kept moving and second I was running out of material. "Sadly though, for some warped reason Simon would feel honor bound to kill me afterwards. Pity though, I wouldn't mind sailing in that catamaran around the Caribbean."

"The offer is still open Gabriela."

"You'd marry Simon?" Diego gasped.

"And for a wedding present we can throw him overboard to the sharks?" I asked hopefully.

"Think of it as burning of his IOU's." Simon oozed.

Yeah and once I was Sra. Barilla, I'd join Diego overboard. "Simon, you have presented me with a very tempting offer. May I sleep on it?"

"No Gabriela, I need an answer now."

Crap, crap, crap. It's not even 2100 . Maybe Rangeman didn't get the messages. Maybe there's no cavalry coming to the rescue. I sure was not selling out my father and brother to Simon, that's a given. If I can kill both of them, or better yet get them to kill each other, I can escape over the balcony, into the lagoon and out the opening…

"Gabriela?"

"As tempting an offer it is, I have three big concerns. First I cannot sell out my family except for this piece of excrement." I stepped closer to Diego.

"Gabriela, you don't know them, you've been away from them for 15 years. Carlos and Manny never helped you. Your father ignored you. You owe them nothing."

"Manny and Carlos were trying to protect themselves, they couldn't also protect me and Fernando. As for Papa, he suffered from depression after Mama died plus he had the ranches to run. After you left, Diego, he actually relaxed and became a wonderful father, everything you missed. Maybe Papa was like the rest of us, he hated you, you waffle. As for selling out my family, it is a matter of honor, something I take very seriously. I doubt Diego even knows the definition."

"You and that damn military honor, God and country, right?" Simon sneered.

"There are atheists in the military, Simon dear."

"What are your other concerns, Gabriela? He sighed.

Oh Lord forgive me for the lies I'm about to tell, but if I end up killing Diego and maybe Simon, lies are the least of my problems.

"Marriage to you Simon would not be legal. I'm already married."

"YOU ARE MARRIED?" Diego screamed and jumped back. I kept my eye on Simon. Did he know what I was about to do?

"I don't see any ring on your finger, Gabriela," Simon spoke softly.

Damn, a ring on my finger might have prevented all this? They would have left me alone if I had a ring? "Oh Simon, rings and surgery don't work well and rings on a battlefield invite snipers."

"You married some dyke?" Diego shrieked.

I started to laugh, maybe the last time in my life I ever would. "Why are you so hung up on me being a lesbian?" I didn't know how much longer I could delay here. I imagined I was coming to an end, one way or another. Oh Lord, give me strength.

"Diego, I am 100% heterosexual. My husband is a mountain of a man. We make lovely babies, in fact here's another one forming up," I said patting my belly.

"You are pregnant?" Simon asked.

"I came home to tell Papa the good news. He so enjoyed playing with his grandchildren when he came back east to visit Pierre and me, I thought he'd like to know there's another in the oven."

Diego laughed, "Pierre, you married a Frog?" He walked away waving his arms. I can't seem to get within eight feet of the jerk. I was getting dizzy, I knew I didn't have the spring in my legs, maybe not even the muscle strength.

"Simon, you are a smart man, how many islands in the Caribbean speak French? Pierre is 6'6", Army Special Forces, sharpshooter, hand to hand combat expert and a damn good mercenary. As big as he is, he has a larger brother, Deac' who is an equally skilled special forces. You attempt to marry me and you'll get to meet Pierre and maybe Deac' personally."

"Hurry up guys, she doesn't have much time left." Ranger uttered.

"Gabriela, I have 12 guards here. They can handle one man."

"I said mercenary, not a rent a cop. Think assassins, Simon. I guarantee you one or both of them will come and probably some of their buddies. All trained killers. Your untrained clowns will die, perhaps without a shot being fired. Silent killing is their specialty; knives, silenced weapons or a good neck break."

I walked around a bit. What more could I say to these idiots?

"Which brings me to the third reason I can't marry you Simon: Papa, Pierre and I had a nice long talk last year about you, Diego. Papa told me about you taking your inheritance and sending the ranch into Chapter 13. Nice Diego, you always were stupid. All your plans to get the ranches will likely be for naught if Papa can't get them out of bankruptcy."

"Oh my dear you are pulling your brother's leg. Y-bar isn't in bankruptcy, it's still operating."

"Simon, how many bankruptcies have you had? If you have a cash flow problem you just jot down to Colombia and bring up more drugs and then jack the prices up to your distributors. Honest businessmen don't stop trying to make money. Of course the ranch is still operating hopefully to generate enough money to get out of debt….thanks that greedy bastard of a brother. Cattle and oil prices fluctuate and so do the ranches' fortunes. What is your overhead; the 12 rent-a-cops outside? Do you even pay taxes on this place? Sorry, you probably need to pay bribes to all the politicos down here and then take your cut of various businesses.

Diego, Papa knew what you were up. He washed his hands of you. You are cut off, you get zero, nada from Y-bar minerals nor anything from the JY-bars; no land, no livestock, no money, no mineral rights."

"HE WHAT?"

"I'm sure he could spare another ewe if you want a second Penny. This gives me so much pleasure to watch you. You dumb bottom dweller, you took your share. You are done. You can't play the Prodigal Son; Papa was on to you from the beginning. Did you actually read the contract you signed? Did you Simon? No, you will not be receiving forgiveness after putting such financial stress on the ranch. But before you see me being your salvation to the JY-Bars, when Papa told me what you did, I realized I was again in danger should we ever meet again. So I signed over all my rights to the three ranches and mineral rights. I'm no longer an inheritor nor are my heirs. You have no way to get anything through me, Diego. Papa was crushed but said he understood."

"YOU BITCH!"

"Yep, that's me! Diego, not only are you a child molester, an idiot when it comes to handling money or responsibility, but you are also blind. If you had gotten me to marry him," I said pointing to Simon, "what makes you think he'd share anything with you? More likely he'd kill you, not directly, but through a tragic accident thanks to his 12 guards. Then whatever money you have left over as his business partner and fuck buddy would also go to Simon. But knowing you, you are probably in debt up to your ears. Did you believe kidnapping me and stealing Papa's plane so you could make drug runs to Colombia would help put you right with Simon again? Oh, I WAS right earlier, that's exactly your plan! Oh, your expression Diego, did something happen to your plan? What, did the plane crash or did the authorities seize the plane? Now you are deeper in the hole with Simon. I'm curious Diego, if you did manage to get me to marry Simon, would you have killed Simon?"

"WHAT? I'd never kill Simon."

"Why not? I'm surprised you haven't thought of it earlier. No actually you are too stupid to think. Diego, you and Simon are business and fuck partners. With him gone, this is all yours. But now, I'm unable to legally marry Simon plus I'm no longer an inheritor, and you have no claim on the JY-bars and the minerals. Why does Simon need you any longer, Diego? I'm sure there are plenty of younger boys here in Cancun; maybe some young rich and stupid like you once were."

I watched Simon look at his desk drawer where he probably keeps a hand gun. I'm at the end of my rope. I'm not going to make it. Well, hell, I might as well go out jabbing them one last time.

"Dear Diego, I'm sure you will enjoy meeting Pierre and Deac' and their friends. You'll finally meet true men, but then they will squash you like the cockroach you are."

"How are they going to find you, bitch?"

"Oh yes, I really do love that name! You idiot, they have been listening to our conversation for two days beginning with me telling them I was in Cancun and describing the house and its location."

Both looked confused. "How have you been communicating with them Gabriela?" Simon asked.

"Where's your cell phone, Diego?"

I didn't wait around for him to reach into his pocket. I turned and ran for the double French doors knowing we were on the second story, not too far a drop and then into the lagoon and out into the channel. I figured Simon's first shot after he pulled the gun from the drawer would be Diego and the second would be me, hopefully I'd be off the balcony by then. I was wrong; I was too slow from lack of food and dehydration. Just as I cleared the balcony railing, the bullet caught me in the hip. So much for a controlled drop from the balcony; I was only able to grasp the baluster with my left hand. My grasp was short lived as my shoulder gave way and I fell to the stone terrace below. The pain was instant, but brief, lights out.

The guys at Rangeman heard the gunshot and the phone suddenly dead. "Damnit," Ranger hollered. He sat down at a console and put his elbows on the desk and dropped his head into his hands. The other men on the floor also muttered their dismay.