Dead Man's Hand

Chapter Six

Blood's Own Hand

"Well well, we meet again. What can I do for you today?" Sly Winkum asked as we sat down at a table inside the Desert Rose, Tumbleweed's local saloon.

From our seats, we could look out the window to see Timmy practice his shooting with Calamity Jane Canary and Wild Bill Peacock.

I smiled as I saw Wyatt Chirp's badge gleam on Timmy's chest in the bright sunlight, and then I resumed my neutral expression as I turned to face Sly Winkum. "What can you tell me about Blood's hand of cards in his game with Death?"

As Sly Winkum looked at me in confusion, I then recounted Death's tale to him, and when I finished, he nodded in understanding. "Now that is quite a story. If I hadn't seen Blood play that game, I'd call you crazy. But I remember it too well."

"Do you know where the cards are?" I asked, and Sly Winkum nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I know where they are. But even if you had them, there's no way you'll get Blood to play them. Unless..."

"Unless what?" I asked, and Sly Winkum answered. "By his own hand. Not played by him, but by his hand. You know, Captain Blood lost a hand. El Toro cut it off in a duel."

"I don't know where it happened, but El Toro might. Tell you what, if that hand is still out there, it'll let you finish that game once and for all."

Bonnie, who had been sitting at the table closest to us, spoke up. "Back to Santo Pollo we go. Don Rodrigo will be eager to hear about all this, know what I mean?"

I nodded as I stood up to leave for the Aquila, as did the rest of my trusted associates. "Then let's be about it. Set course for Santo Pollo!"

We boarded the Aquila to set sail to Santo Pollo through Haunted Skyway, and an hour later, we had dropped anchor at our destination.

Walking up to the doors of the De La Vega Manor, we were greeted warmly by Don Rodrigo, also known as the masked hero named El Toro. "Welcome back again, my good friends! It seems a hero's work is never done, eh? What can I do for you?"

A few minutes later, we were inside the dining room of the De La Vega Manor, our tea poured by Don Rodrigo's wife Carolina, also known as the pirate named Mustang Sally.

"Captain Blood? Oh yes, El- I mean, my mentor, Don Rafael told me the tale. El Toro and Captain Blood fought on a cliff, high over Gold Creek." Don Rodrigo said.

"El Toro cut off the pirate's hand, and it fell along with his sword into the lake high above the creek. Why do you ask?"

"Because Captain Blood isn't dead - he cheated Death in a game of cards." I answered, and Don Rodrigo gasped. "What? The greatest evil Santo Pollo has ever known... is back? You will not fight alone - El Toro shall join you! For justice!"

"Fear not, my love! I will defend the people of Santo Pollo while you accompany Matthew and his crew on their quest." Carolina said, drawing her sword like a viper to prove her point, and Don Rodrigo nodded.

In less than an hour, Don Rodrigo was prepared to join our crew as El Toro, and he shared a goodbye kiss with Carolina at the doors of the De La Vega Manor before we left for the Aquila.

We sailed through Cooper's Roost Skyway to Gold Creek in Big Sky Country, where my trusted associates, now including El Toro, and I walked up the trail to the lake.

"You must hold your breath while you search. Swim swiftly like the salmon, or you will drown." El Toro advised me as we stood atop the docks, and I answered dryly with, "Well thank you."

Stripping down to just my trousers, I thought I saw Rena blush a little before I dove into the lake, a spare chain shot used as makeshift weights to pull me down faster.

Armed with a harpoon given to me by one of the crewmen aboard the Aquila, I swam across the lake, the fish scattering as I came close to them.

I soon found Captain Blood's hand partially submerged in the lakebed, its exposed fingers the only clue to its location amongst the kelp.

Grabbing Captain Blood's hand by its fingers, I held it by the wrist as I resurfaced from my dive, my lungs gasping for air as I climbed back onto the dock and flopped onto my back, holding Captain Blood's hand up like trophy.

It was lunchtime, and during my little swim, Jack had managed to catch a large bass, and it supplemented the bread, dried peas, and salt pork we had brought along for our lunch.

I had dried off completely by the time we all finished our food, and I said, "Now that lunchtime is over, let's be about meeting back up with Sly Winkum in Tumbleweed."

We returned to the Aquila to set sail for Tumbleweed in the northeast, and Sly Winkum looked up from his drink as we entered the Desert Rose with Captain Blood's hand. "You found the hand? I am impressed. Now to find the captain's cards."

A/N: Sorry that it's been awhile since the last update. I took a ten-hour flight to the Philippines to spend the summer with my extended family, and then I couldn't get the password to the local network. Also, the only battle in this quest couldn't really be done realistically without Matt drowning, so I'm sorry for the lack of action in this chapter.