Ella emerged cautiously from her hiding place. Call was already struggling, trying to reach his rifle and pull himself out of bed. She dashed forward, her heart fluttering in panic that he was here and what he would do… and he was hurt. She glanced around her, the minutes ticking by as Call grunted with effort and she lost her wits.
Ella finally turned to Call, her mind frantic. "What should I do?"
"Find Maria and the children!" Call said through gritted teeth. "He's come to do harm."
Ella nodded and without hesitation she bolted out the door, her steps faltered and she turned quickly back, she bent, her hands enclosing around the pistol Joey had discarded. She clutched the heavy object in her hand and, picking up her skirts, she ran in the direction she knew Maria had taken. Her steps were desperate but she got to her destination within good time. She could see Maria holding a newly born baby and smiling at Jorge with kindness, her hands and skirts were splattered with blood. Ella found that her panting breath choked the words she wished to call out.
"He is a good boy, Jorge. I like the way he wiggles. He will give you much trouble when he learns to walk" Maria said, cooing over the babe before her attention was caught by Ella running towards them.
She pushed the child into his father's arms. "But how do I hold him?" he asked, his face falling with fear as the baby wriggled within his arms.
"Take him to the old sisters" Maria replied, her full attention upon Ella.
"Maria" Ella gasped, her throat hurting from her dash.
"What has happened?" Maria's eyes already fully told that she knew what the answer would be.
"Joey, he's here" Ella said, taking in gulps of air.
Maria's eyes flew to the side of the house; she rushed up to it, her hands running across a cowbell that hung from a branch of shrub.
"Where are Teresa and Rafael?" Ella asked, her gaze searching.
"I left them out here with a cowbell…" She paused, her voice strange and distant. She turned back to Jorge who still stood nearby holding the baby. "Did you see Joey?" Maria cried.
"No" he said simply.
Maria again turned on her heel and ran out into the street. Ella followed, her pace slower than her friend's, her energy half spent already.
Maria had caught sight of Gordo, butchering in his shed nearby and she quickly hurried over to him.
"Gordo, did you see Joey?" she asked, her voice pleading.
"Maria" he laughed, showing no interest in Maria's distress. "You are bloodier than me, and I've just butchered a pig."
"I know!" she said impatiently. "But did you see Joey?!"
"No, Joey has not been here" he said, a little disappointed that Maria did not want to stay and talk to him.
"He was here, and he's taken my children! He wants to kill them! He has taken my children!" Her shouts were frantic as she again set off at a run, her destination upon her home. Ella followed close behind. "Joey!" Maria's desperate voice echoed through the village.
They reached the house and saw Captain Call lying upon the ground outside the doorway, a chair he had tried to use as a crutch was nearby. His weak body had not allowed him to get far and he was bleeding anew.
"What has happened?" Maria asked, grabbing a knife from inside. "Did he come?"
Call was breathing hard, his look remorseful. "He came. I'm... I couldn't do anything" he said sadly. "I couldn't do anything" he repeated.
"What did he say, Senor? Did he say anything?"
Ella had now fully caught up to her friend and stood beside her, feeling useless.
"No, nothin' of use. He came in, looked at me, and left. He was badly wounded" Call said, knowing his words were of no help.
"Not wounded enough" Maria lamented.
Ella's mind whirled, where could he be? "The cantina!" she blurted and she and Maria again began to run.
They burst into the small saloon, inside sat three vaqueros busying themselves with getting drunk. They glanced up, their eyes taking in Ella with a lustful air before they focused their gaze upon Maria and snarled in disgust at the after effects of childbirth left upon her.
"Have you seen my son, Joey?"
"No, go wash yourself!" One of them gruffly barked causing the others to laugh coarsely.
Ella felt her blood boil at these men and their disrespectful words, didn't they understand this was a serious situation, lives counted on them and all they could do was sneer at her friend. Ella was in no mood to deal with drunken vaqueros. She leveled the gun she was holding at them, her presence suddenly becoming threatening. The men's laughter and drunken revels became silent, their sneers and smugness disappearing. Maria grabbed hold of Ella's arm and pulled.
"We don't have time for this" she said desperately.
Ella gave a stern nod and without glancing back at the three startled men she followed her friend out into the sunlight. Maria stopped in the middle of the street, her thoughts on the brink of bottomless despair, where were her children? Where had he taken them and what would he do?
Ella's ears pricked at the sound of water splashing, a gargled scream and sounds of distress. "Maria" she said in a whisper, her hand coming out to clutch at her friends shoulder. "Listen!"
Both their eyes were drawn towards the river, and there in the distance were Joey and Teresa… he was pushing her forcefully under the water. They rushed forward and as they neared the bank they saw Joey now had Rafael and was trying to beat the young boy down, Rafael already bore a large cut to his head and he bleated like a frightened sheep.
"Stop it!" Maria cried. "Stop!"
But Joey did not pay her any mind; it was as though he was oblivious to everything but his current murderous task.
"Joey!" Maria screeched as Joey gave up on his brother and once again turned his attention back to his younger sister. Teresa fought back valiantly, her hands flying and hitting their mark, but Joey didn't even seem to notice the blows and he pushed her again under the water, holding her there as she struggled and tried to gain a breath of air. Rafael began pulling at his brother's jacket, trying to help his sister. Joey lashed out harshly, knocking the boy back with a hard blow but the disruption was enough for Teresa to push herself out of the water and take in a lungful of air.
Ella pointed the gun upwards and fired into the air, hoping the loud noise would distract him for a moment. The gunshot was enough to make most flinch but it was as if Joey hadn't even heard the sound and he once again pushed Teresa's head under water.
"Let her go! Who are you, to be killing your own sister?!" Maria screamed, beginning to wade into the cold water.
Joey turned to her, giving his mother a cold and callous look, he now had Teresa positioned between his legs, easily able to keep her under water for as long as he wished. Maria finally reached him and pulled hard, making him release his grip upon his sister and once again she could gasp much needed air.
Ella's heart was within her throat, her mind couldn't decide on the best course of action and she dithered as Maria began to pull her son away from his siblings. Ella's mind finally clicked into place, deciding upon how she could be useful and she ran up the river to a place that she could easily cross and then ran back down to where Maria and her children were. She reached out her hand for Rafael who was slowly making his way towards the bank. His eyes bore a dazed look and Ella hoped the blow to his head had not been serious. Rafael grasped her outstretched palm and she pulled him onto dry ground, he lay there panting as Ella turned her attention to Teresa who was now frantically wading aimlessly through the water, unsure which way the bank was.
"This way Tessie!" she called out, her tone high and panicked. The young girl quickly changed her course towards the voice she knew so well.
Maria now had a good grip on Joey and spun him roughly around to face her. "Joey!" she shrieked, demanding his attention, shaking him violently before almost cradling his head in her hands as one would a babe. "Stop this! Joey you are hurt! Listen to me, come with me, come home" she pleaded. "You're hurt! I'll clean your wounds. I'll hide you until you are well and safe."
Mother and son stared at each other. Joey's expression was almost childlike as his mother spoke, his eyes staring at her with an unreadable meaning behind their gaze. He allowed her to lead him a few steps towards the bank. Then a change came over his features, twisting them into something pained and tormented, a snarl formed upon his lips as if he was truly disgusted. He grabbed hold of her arm, "Go wash yourself, you whore!" he cried. All pretence of coolness was gone from his tone, what erupted from him was pure raw emotion, wretched suffering in its bleakest, barest form. He wrenched her hands from him, pushing her violently away as he turned once again, his thoughts upon Teresa who was still trying to reach the bank and Ella's outstretched hand. He grabbed his sister about her waist as she again began to struggle against him.
"No!" Ella screamed.
Maria was upon him in a second as Ella called out in distress from the bank, she'd been so sure for a moment that Maria's words had calmed him and now the situation seemed to be unsalvageable, Joey's expression was pure, brutal hatred, he was lost.
Maria pulled at her son, her hands still wrapped tightly about the butcher's knife and in a fit of desperation she drove the blade into his shoulder. It was no more than a shallow stroke, the action only meant to deter him, to make him stop.
The new agony burned through Joey and he let out a small sound of pain, the sensation setting all the other wounds upon his back on fire and for a small moment the strength he had achieved when he had kidnapped Rafael and Teresa wavered, but through sheer anger-fueled will he managed to keep on his feet. He again reached out, trying to grasp at Teresa who was slowly escaping from his reach. Again Maria lashed out; slicing into his forearm and Joey gave a hiss of pain. As his hands closed about his sister's waist, another blow came to his shoulder, slicing through already damaged flesh and an icy blue fire of anger shot up his body, all his resent was forced upwards, making him feel as if he would vomit. He turned upon his mother. With lightning speed he had pulled out his dagger. Ella saw the movement and quickly rushed into the water, the pistol she held now aimed directly at Joey, she hesitated, her resolve wavering… he couldn't… he just wouldn't… she couldn't…
He drove the blade into his mother's shoulder with a sickening sound that reminded Ella all too vividly of a fresh side of beef on the butcher's block. Joey pulled back, his face set in remorseless wrath as he prepared another assault. Ella cursed herself for not reacting sooner and, closing her eyes, she squeezed the trigger. The gun gave a harsh kick back as the bullet left the chamber and slammed into its destination, Ella recoiled from the sensation before allowing her gaze to focus once again. Joey reeled from the impact, his actions halted. Maria fell backwards into the water as Joey stumbled a few steps before searching for his attacker with a dazed expression. His cool blue eyes fell upon Ella and studied her for a long moment, his gaze flickering with surprise as she allowed the heavy, still smoking, weapon to come to a rest by her side. Ella's attention was no longer upon him; she rushed down into the water towards Maria. Her hands clutched at her friend's arms and she began to pull her back towards the bank, Ella heaved with all her might until Maria could gain a good grip and keep herself from falling back into the water.
"You hurt?" Ella's voice and movements were tinged with panic as she tried to check Maria's wound. "Let me see if it's bad."
Maria placed a hand over Ella's, halting her friend's clumsy, well-intended actions. "I am fine, it is not bad." Maria breathed, clenching her teeth at the pain.
Finally, Ella couldn't ignore the unnerving feeling of being watched and she glanced over to where Joey still stood in the water. He continued to stare at her with blank eyes, he had lowered his knife and it hung limply in his hand, his look defeated, the anger washed away as his gaze moved to his wounded mother.
"Joey!" Maria whispered urgently, clutching at Ella's arm frantically. "Joey, make him leave… everyone will come and they will kill him." She pleaded desperately, "I do not want them to kill my son!"
Ella stared down at her friend. "Maria… I…" Her thoughts swam, how could it be that Maria still thought of Joey as someone to be aided? "I… I…" Ella stuttered, unsure how to begin the words she wanted to speak.
"Please Ella, he is my son" Maria pleaded.
Ella again looked at Joey and feeling she had no choice and that the situation had cooled some now that both his siblings were out of reach she reluctantly left her friend and the two children on the bank and waded into the icy river. Her skirts floated around her as she walked toward him, the gun still hanging loosely in her hand, her mind ready and willing to use it against him. As she drew closer she could see that the wound she had inflicted had not been mortal, it had torn a good chunk of flesh out of his upper arm and it bleed freely but she had not killed him, the knowledge strangely comforted her. His eyes never left her form as she came level to him. Ella had the presence of mind to leave enough space between them in case she needed to get away quickly, she wouldn't take any chances in this moment.
They stared at each other for what felt to Ella like an eon. Finally, knowing he was not going to speak, she found her own voice.
"Joey." It came out as no more than a whisper. His eyes leadenly met hers. "You have to go" she said slowly, hoping that her words were getting through, the man before her look dazed as if he had lost his very wits. "You can't stay." As he continued to stare at her, his expression lost and uncertain, she found her heart ached a little for him despite her own feelings of what he had just done and what he had done in the past to her. He had finally fully proven to her there was nothing good in him, he was a used up husk, devoured by his own anger until only the remnants of a person were left, sometimes it was easy to mistake those flashes for a real human being, for warmth… even for love… but Joey had been right all along… there was nothing.
She took a step towards him, her heart pitying the strange creature before her. "Go to Mexico City" she said in a tender voice, she waited patiently for any acknowledgement but he continued to stare at her with those blank blue eyes. "Do you hear me?" she asked finally.
His eyes finally grew a small dim light of understanding and once again they met her own. "You got out of my cave" he said simply, his voice soft, almost admiring. He seemed to be unaware or unconcerned that the wound on his shoulder still bled profusely, covering his arm and hand in sticky blood.
Ella nodded. "You have to go" she continued gently and again he stared at her as if he couldn't quite grasp her words. "It's time to leave Joey." She offered him a weak smile.
"Throw up your hands!" The voice suddenly caught everyone off guard and Ella's eyes jerked to the place it had come from.
"Doc!" Ella cried in surprise.
"I had a strange feelin' where my toes used to be so I headed on back" he joked sternly, his rifle aimed squarely at Joey. "Guess it's a good thing I did."