"To our brand of justice," Don Garcia said.
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North of the Arena De Muerte
Mid-Afternoon
Josiah glanced sideways at the man riding next to him. He'd never seen the man so quiet or withdrawn and knew Buck's mind was working overtime. There was no doubt in his mind that Wilmington would kill Don Garcia if given the chance. Hell, he'd be lying if he said he didn't think the man deserved to be flayed alive.
"We'll find them, Buck," Sanchez offered.
"I know, but will we be in time?" Wilmington asked. They'd slowed the horses when the terrain had become treacherous, but each step set his nerves on edge.
"We have to believe we'll get there, Buck…for JD…and for Chris and Vin," Sanchez vowed.
"I wish I had your faith, Josiah, but right now I don't."
"Then I guess I'll have to have enough faith for both of us," the ex-preacher said and looked toward the sun. The miracle of life was a wonderful thing to behold, but there were times when miracles seemed few and far between. He just hoped today would be blessed and God would give them the strength they needed to see this through and find their missing friends.
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Arena De Muerte
East of the De Rivera Hacienda
Mid-Afternoon
Chris and Vin remained in the wagon bed, chained in place as Don Paulo's champions were allowed to walk amongst the spectators. Chris shifted, wincing as he looked at the Texan seated next to him. Vin looked paler than he'd ever seen before and he hoped the tracker would find the strength he'd need to get through this day.
"Vin, do anything you can to take these guys down," Jackson said.
Tanner looked at the man standing on his own near the opening to the arena and wished he could wipe the guilt away. Nathan's face was dark with sorrow and pain and Vin knew if he and Chris did not survive this day, Jackson would carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. 'Have faith, Nathan,' he thought.
"I learned from the best," Tanner replied of the training he'd undertaken during his time with the Kiowas and Comanches.
"It is time, Bastardos," De Rivera spat as he motioned for Luis Martinez to release the two men.
"You can't do this!" Jackson snarled and quickly moved toward the two men as a lump formed in his throat. He felt helpless and an inner rage made his blood run cold. How could this be happening? How could he stand by and let Chris and Vin face death while he sat with the bastards who'd arranged this? How could he help them when he couldn't even help Dona Maria?
Chris glanced at Vin and knew he could see the same emotional turmoil in their friend's body language. The slumped shoulders spoke of defeat, the moisture-laden eyes spoke of deep sorrow, the constant movement of his Adam's apple screamed regret and shame, and the sheer panic on his face spoke of a helplessness they'd never seen before.
Without a word they moved as one until they stood in front of the man who'd proven he didn't need ink on a paper to prove he was a doctor. Chris lifted his right hand and soon found it covered with Vin's. They waited for Nathan's head to come up, reading the anguish in the soulful brown eyes.
Nathan saw the gesture and found the strength he needed to place his right hand on top of Vin's. Chris' left hand covered his right while Vin placed his left over Chris' and Nathan finished the offering with his left hand. He swallowed and allowed his face to show just how much their gesture meant to him. The fact that these two men were facing death did not stop them from showing him a strength of faith few people would ever know.
Don Garcia De Rivera's face screwed up in rage as he saw the shared faith of the trio and he knew he needed to break the hold they had on each other. He turned to the man standing nearby and spoke sharply. "Luis, see that Jackson has the seat next to mine so that he will be able to watch his friend's death."
"Si, Don Garcia," Martinez said and hoped Raphael and his men would arrive in time to stop the fight.
"Why are you doing this?" Jackson spat.
"It's okay, Nathan," Tanner said and took a deep breath as he forced a smile to his face at the anger emanating from De Rivera. "Me and Chris'll be okay…it's them bastards that'll need yer help."
Nathan felt someone grab his arms and drag him away from the wagon, but he fought against their hold to no avail. He glanced over his shoulder as Chris and Vin were led toward the opening to the arena. Once there, the gringos were stripped of their shirts, leaving them standing in only the pants that signaled what they were, slaves whose lot in life was to fight to the death for their owners. He closed his eyes and silently prayed the two men would not die today, not when it would be a senseless, meaningless death at the mercy of a heartless bastard. His captors forced him to sit on the cold stone between two cushioned chairs.
"Say a prayer for your friends, they will not survive this fight," Don Paulo said.
Jackson glared silently at the man and helplessly watched as Larabee and Tanner entered the arena.
Alejo stood beside Pino and watched as the chained men were led into the arena and smiled at the thought of beating the American swine to death. He watched both men, sizing up their bodies and studying their eyes as they stopped in front of him. Both men oozed danger, but he'd faced dangerous men before and came out victorious. He bared his teeth and stared at the man whose long hair was blowing in the soft breeze. The man had an air of coldness to him that would freeze a normal man in his tracks, but Alejo was not a normal man and he would take this man down no matter what it took.
"The breed is mine," he whispered to Pino as the chains were removed from Larabee and Tanner.
"Si, I will take the blond gringo," Pino said as Don Garcia's men left the arena.
Chris and Vin stood shoulder to shoulder as Don Garcia's men left them to face Don Paulo's men. They had no misgivings about this being a fair fight, it was a battle to the death and a dark shadow seemed to darken the sky above their heads.
"Hell…"
"And then some," Larabee finished as he studied their opponents. He could hear the people gathered shouting obscenities, but ignored their impatience as Vin nudged him and reached for his arm. They clasped each other's wrists before turning to meet the four mean looking bastards who looked like they could eat them alive.
Nathan watched as two of Don Paulo's men lunged at Larabee and Tanner. The sheer difference in their sizes would have been enough to send some men running, but Chris and Vin stood their ground and let the bastards come to them. The behemoth on the right reached for the Texan, but Vin used his smaller stature to duck under his arms and strike a blow to the man's groin.
Nathan's eyes were drawn to Larabee as another man reached out to grab him, but Chris managed to twist out of his grip and kick out with his left leg, catching his attacker in the right knee. "That's it, Chris…stay out of his reach!"
Vin sensed the man on his right poising to move, and drove backward with his left leg. He heard a muffled grunt, but his first attacker had his undivided attention as they circled each other. The Texan knew the man would kill him if he managed to get close, but Vin didn't plan to give him that chance. He back away, sidestepping as his opponent swung a beefy fist at his face, but didn't quite move fast enough as his head was rocked back with the force of the blow. He felt blood dripping down his cheek, and quickly wiped it away as his second attacker moved in.
Chris sensed the movement behind him and dove to the right as the bigger of his two foes kicked out at him. He came up quickly, driving his fist into an exposed gut even as a fist was driven into his lower back. He fought back the nauseating dizziness and turned to deliver a quick jab to the scarred face of the man standing in front of him.
Chico had no doubt that the 'breed' would kill him if given the chance and allowed Alejo to take the fight to their enemy. He'd seen people fight like the wiry gringo, watched them destroy their enemies without a backward glance and knew the man's hands were as lethal as any weapon he'd ever fought against. Alejo went down under a devastating kick to the groin area and Chico lashed out with his right fist, catching the blue-eyed gringo in the lower back. He smiled, showing a mouthful of broken teeth as his nemesis dropped to his knees holding his back, but the man recovered quickly and was back on his feet as if he'd been swatted by a child. Chico felt a small amount of respect for the man, but he squashed it before it blinded him to the reason this place was called the Arena De Muerte.
Iago watched as Pino kept lashing out, connecting with the blond gringo and spilling fresh blood from several cuts to his face, yet the bastardo stayed on his feet. Iago circled behind their opponent as Pino reached for him, driving his foot into the back of the blond's left knee. He heard the man cry out, but was surprised when he stayed on his feet. Iago moved to the left as Pino moved to the right, yet the blond seemed to be watching them both, his body poised and ready for action. They moved together, but not fast enough to take the man by surprise, but they managed to connect with his ribs and move back before he could retaliate.
Don Garcia could not help, but feel a certain degree of respect for the two American gringos. They were doing far better than he expected against the bigger and stronger challengers supplied by Don Paulo. He grudgingly admitted to himself that he would have liked to see the two men fight more often, but his need to see Chris Larabee dead won out as Pino and Iago moved in. They connected solidly with the lean body and he knew there would be bruises and broken bones once the fight was finished.
De Rivera watched the second gringo as he dodged several fast blows that would have crippled him had they connected solidly. Tanner was a smart fighter, but he was also using things Don Garcia had seen a few times when they'd captured several Indians from north of the Rio Grande. Something told him Vin Tanner would make one hell of a fighter given the proper training, but that was something that would never happen.
Don Garcia glanced sideways at the man seated beside him and smiled at the way his hands were fisted at his sides. The medico's skin glistened with sweat, his face filled with horror, and his eyes locked on the six men fighting for their lives. Time seemed to slow down as again and again the combatants struck with deadly fists or booted feet, marking each other's bodies with bruises, cuts, and broken bones.
"You have to stop this!" Nathan said as Tanner went down under three successive blows that struck his lower back.
"This is only the beginning," Don Garcia said as Iago and Pino slipped past Larabee's defenses and reined several blows down on his body before the blond gringo managed to move out of their reach. He had no idea how much time had passed since the six men were placed in the arena, but he couldn't remember ever enjoying a fight as much as this.
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De Rivera Hacienda
Mid-Afternoon
Evita looked at the freshly dug grave that was covered in fragrant wildflowers and felt the sorrow deep in her heart. Dona Maria had been like those flowers and had wilted before her time, but her beauty would live on through the heart of her child. The baby slept now, sated by the breast milk of the wet nurse and she had come here to pray for guidance.
"Lord, I know I seem to be asking a lot of you, but there are men…good men who need your help. Don Garcia is a cruel man who makes others suffer and he does not see past the hatred that has blackened his soul. Santos is a wonderful boy with his mother's heart and soul and I pray his father does not corrupt him the way he does everything else in his life. My son…my Luis is the one good thing to come from that man and Santos would do well to look up to his big brother."
Evita felt tears in her eyes as she picked up a blood red flower and held it to her heart as the whisper soft breeze ruffled the petals and brushed against her face. "Lord, Don Garcia has hurt many people in his need for vengeance and there are three good men facing death because Don Garcia believes himself to be a 'god'. Please do not let this happen…not again when so many have already suffered because of Don Garcia's hunger for power."
Evita made the sign of the cross and looked toward the sky as several large crows flew high overhead. Her father had once told her that crows were a harbinger of death and she prayed that was not the case this time as the sun was suddenly hidden by a dark cloud that sent a chill down her spine. She placed the flower back on the grave and hurried back to the Hacienda with tears sparkling in her eyes.
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Luis Martinez had never been a man who liked violence of this manner. If he was honest he'd have to admit to disliking violence of any kind and had often dreamed of owning his own place where he could raise a family and live off the land the way his mother's family had done before being forced to give up the life they were used to and work for men like Don Garcia De Rivera.
Luis watched his father with growing distaste as the fight continued in the Arena De Muerte. There was blood on each of the combatants, but Larabee and Tanner seemed to have found the strength needed to fight Don Paulo's fighters. Iago had gone down under a powerful fist driven into his face and hadn't moved since.
Martinez turned his attention to the trio who seemed to be locked in a primitive dance that would only end when there was only one man standing. The Texan's hair was matted to his head with sweat and blood, but the eyes seemed to be wild with blue fire as he drove an elbow into Chico's face and ducked beneath a fist from Alejo. Tanner was a fighter and he knew how to handle himself as he drove his foot into Chico's groin that dropped the man to his knees as he grabbed his balls and cried out. Alejo's attack was quick, but again the gringo managed to twist away before the boot caught him.
Vin knew he was weakening, but he could not afford to show just how hurt he was as his two opponents continued to attack him. Sweat dripped from his matted hair stinging his eyes and sliding down his cheeks as he tried to ignore the fatigue and pain ravaging his slick body. Chico still hadn't recovered from his kick, but Alejo pressed forward, backing him up until he tripped over the downed man. Vin had no illusions that he could win, but he was not going down without a fight. As soon as he hit the ground he struck out with his feet and caught Chico as he turned toward him. He heard the distinct sound of bones breaking, but didn't have time to check the man as Alejo was on him. The big man's hands reached for his throat, but Vin managed to get his own arms up and grunted as his foe tried to bring his knee up into his groin.
"No…not so to…tough, Breed…"
Vin didn't bother wasting his breath and simply smiled as he shifted slightly and used his left hand to keep the man's hands from his throat. At the same time he let the fingers of his right hand form a claw and snapped them forward. He knew he'd caught the man unaware when his eyes grew wide with fright and blood streamed from his ruined throat. He shoved the bigger man off and fought for air as Alejo brought his hands up to stop the steady pulsating blood from escaping his body at an alarming rate. Vin knew the man would be dead in a matter of seconds, but he didn't regret his actions as he turned to find Larabee.
Larabee had seen Tanner go down, but Pino was pressing and there was nothing he could do to help the Texan. As his attacker lashed out with a foot, Chris sidestepped and drove an elbow into the man's exposed back. Chris could feel his reflexes slowing down and relied on instinct to keep him on his feet as Pino turned and began to circle him. Sweat and blood dripped into his eyes, but he kept an image in his mind as he fought to stay alive long enough to kill the bastard who'd robbed the world of a young man who'd only just begun to live.
JD Dunne's face as he fell backward into the grave sent shivers of pain through his mind, but it also gave him the strength and resolve to keep fighting. Death was coming for him, riding a dark black horse, but he would not allow the specter to reach him, not until Don Garcia De Rivera paid for his sins. Chris lifted his left arm to block a blow to his face and quickly drove his right fist into the man's face, driving him backward, but Pino managed to stay on his feet.
Vin called on everything he had left to get to his feet as he spotted movement to Larabee's right. He knew Chris had not seen him and there was no way he could allow this man to take advantage of the blond while his attention was focused completely on his foe. The Texan managed to get to his feet, and thought he heard someone cheer, but he knew that was not possible, not when those present were friends or workers of the Mexican devil who thought he was god.
Iago managed to get to his feet and moved to rejoin the fight with Chris Larabee, but something attacked him from the right and drove him backward into the natural barrier that made up this side of the arena. He tried to untangle himself from his attacker, but felt several blows strike him before he could roll away from the other man. Iago turned to face the longhaired breed and grinned showing broken teeth and bleeding gums as he struck out and sent the other man sprawling in the dirt.
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North of the Arena De Muerte
Mid-Afternoon
The sun was high overhead as the riders continued their trek toward the Arena De Muerte. No one spoke of the men who fought there, but each one prayed that they'd get there in time to stop De Rivera from killing the missing men. There was a sense of urgency in the way they rode, the wind bristling through their hair as they rode along the hard trail.
Buck rode slightly ahead of Josiah and Ezra, but he could sense their determination to reach the Arena De Muerte. He glanced sideways at the man riding next to him and knew Raphael Cordova De Martinez was a man he could call amigo. The man had ridden into Four Corners with Don Paulo and would have taken Inez Recillos by force, but there'd been an innate goodness in him that made him back away. He'd fired one of the bullets into Don Paulo when the man tried to kill Buck, thus having a bounty on his head from Don Paulo's father.
"The arena is not far ahead. We need to be careful so we do not alert De Rivera to our presence," Cordova said.
"All right," Wilmington answered and slowed his horse so that the others could catch up to them. The plan was for him, Raphael and a couple of Cordova's men to ride in through the main passage, while Ezra and Josiah took four men and came in through the eastern entrance. It would take Sanchez and Standish longer to reach their destination and that meant Buck and his group would have to wait until they heard the call sign from Raphael's men.
"Buck, be careful," Sanchez said.
"You know that's my middle name, preacher," Wilmington said and found a grim smile as Sanchez, Standish, and four men split from the main group and bypassed the main trail to the Arena De Muerte.
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Arena De Muerte
Mid-Afternoon
Luis knew Don Garcia was angry, angrier than he'd ever seen the man before, and it felt good to see defeat in his 'father's' eyes as he watched the fight taking place in the arena. Larabee and Tanner now stood back to back and faced their remaining opponents with a ferocity he'd never witnessed before. Pino and Iago would not last much longer and one look at Don Paulo told him the man was angered by the loss of his most skilled fighters.
"Luis, kill them!" De Rivera ordered as Pino fell under a vicious kick to the knee. He watched as Larabee raised his hands above his head and brought them down on the man's shoulder with enough force to crack bones.
"No," Martinez said softly and turned to see the anger in his father's eyes.
"Luis, you will do as I say!"
"There has been enough killing and they have earned their freedom!" the younger man snapped as Tanner kicked Iago in the side before striking him in the face and sending bone fragments into his brain. Luis knew the man was dead even before his body hit the ground.
"No, they must die!" Don Paulo spat and grabbed a gun from the man next to him. He raised it and pointed it toward the two remaining combatants.
"Chris…No!" Tanner cried and shifted his body to protect his friend. He felt something rip through his side and felt Larabee ease him to the ground.
"Godammit, Tanner," the blond managed as he protected the injured man with his body.
TBC