Part 6:
Ambush
Casa Madrugada seemed eerily quiet that evening; aside from the gusts of wind brought on by a thunderstorm that loomed across Nuevo Paraiso, all was silent. Maddie leaned on the balcony railing with her elbows and her right boot propped up on the bottom as she peered out across Mexico's vast landscape. While scanning the multitudinous mesas that riddled the part of the country, she spotted a small band of wild horses loping nearby Mesa de Luna. The sage brush and the desert grasses swayed in the breeze brought on by the oncoming storm; the gusts of wind struck her clothes, face, and hair powerfully. It almost seemed too surreal, especially since she, her husband, and twenty-five Mexican soldiers had ended the lives of the criminals not but five hours ago and drug their bodies out in the desert for the wolves and coyotes to feast on. The brothel was just as ragged and in disarray when Jack, Maddie, and half of Gonzalez's men arrived. Together in a storm of bullets and manpower, they had cleansed the area of La Phantasma's men without serious casualties. Shockingly, only ten or so of her followers had stationed themselves to secure their dominion over the place, and the gunfight ended so quickly that it almost didn't seem satisfying. Still, it was a victory—Mexico's army had reclaimed a piece of its land back from the hands of outlaws, saving it from further molestation. Maddie sighed through her nose, troubled and in doubt over the short battle that had sealed their victory earlier that day.
As another gust of wind swirled around her, she lifted her face to it, letting it pick up her hair and toss it about powerfully. The smell of rain reached her nostrils as the gust engulfed her, and the cool air made her shiver. She squinted as she looked further off in the distance, and sure enough, she saw grey sheets of rain drenching the mesas. Very soon, she and Jack would have to retreat to their room they had claimed an hour ago.
Behind her, a door opened, and a strong arm wrapped itself around her waist. Maddie didn't have to look over to know it was Jack. Husband and wife glanced affectionately at each other before staring out across the mesas and the grass-spotted desert.
"Looks like it's gonna storm pretty soon," Jack noted softly as he pulled her closer to him.
Maddie nodded. She looked back at him with a serious countenance. "Jack, don't you think it was a bit too easy for us to retake Casa Madrugada today? Didn't it feel like…like it was staged?"
Jack shrugged. "Yeah, I was thinkin' the same thing. There certainly weren't near enough people here to keep this place guarded. I mean, we rode down here ready for one hell of a shoot-out, and all we got was a lousy duel, really. But hey, we took this place back from La Phantasma."
Maddie frowned as she looked back out across the desert. "It feels like we were handed this place."
Jack frowned as well as he silently dwelled on her words. It was true: the gunfight wasn't much of anything, even after a day of planning, preparing, and riding out to Casa Madrugada. Still, it was a victory nonetheless. "Hey," he said as he pulled her closer, "just think of it as a success. For once, we've got the upper hand here, and I say that's reason enough to be grateful that things have worked out." He kissed her cheek. "You were right, anyways."
She blinked and looked back to him.
"I said we didn't have a damn chance, or at least it was startin' to look like it, but you said we can still fight. We can still win this thing, and look at what's happened. So you were right: we are on the up, Maddie."
"I'm glad to see that there's hope in all this, even though I don't think we should be this confident yet in our victory."
He cupped the side of her face and held it there, staring into her eyes. "Don't say that. Every little chance that we can succeed in winning is one step closer to bringin' in this crazy bitch. It might not be the greatest win just yet, but it's a start."
A warm smile spread across Maddie's lips as she brought up her arms and wrapped them around her husband's neck. "And just think: when this is all over, you and I can go back home and live in peace once again."
Jack cocked an eyebrow expectedly at her. "And no more bounty hunts, right?"
She shook her head. "No more bounty hunts."
He blinked. "I'm amazed you're agreein' to this."
Maddie shrugged sadly and sighed. "What else am I to do when there's no more bounties to go after, when there isn't as much crime as there used to be and all the land's become "civilized" as they all say?"
"What about Archer's offer? Would you take up on it and be Blackwater's first woman law officer?"
She glanced to the side and shook her head indecisively. "Hell if I know. It doesn't seem too appealing of a job for me, you know?" She looked back up at him and furrowed her brow. "Why are you saying this? Do you want me to join Archer's law enforcement or something? I thought you were against that."
It was his turn to be skeptical as he shrugged again and explained, "Well, this whole…ordeal has made me more open to things, I suppose." He studied her carefully with a pained expression as he continued, "Maddie, I hate seein' you miserable. You know that. I just don't want you to think you have to give up what you've been doin' practically your whole life. I realize now that you just can't tame the wild filly, no matter how many times you try to throw the saddle on. There's always that spark, that spirit that never goes away, and Maddie, I know you've got that in you, and I don't want to see that disappear: that's one of the things that I love about you." He leaned his head down and rested his forehead against hers so that they were looking into each other's eyes. "I don't want that spark inside you to go away, not when it's what makes you who you are."
She smiled graciously up at him as she leaned in to kiss him.
An earth-quaking thunderclap nearby startled them out of their moment; they flinched and looked directly above them. The sky above was a swirling dark-grey abyss of storm clouds. Not two seconds had they looked up that fat droplets of rain quickly began to be shed upon them and the rest of Casa Madrugada. Lightning flashed off to the side, startling them further, and without spoken consent, they retreated into their room hand in hand.
The moment Jack closed the door behind him, the clouds released a torrential downpour. Chuckling, he took off his hat and duster and hung them on the coat rack beside the door. "We got inside just in time."
Maddie removed her coat and hat and hung them on the rack as well. A shiver wracked her body, and she wrapped her arms around herself as she sat on the bed. She looked at the door, noticing the lightning show that flashed through the corners of the threshold. The ceiling and floor rattled from the force of the booming thunderclaps as they sounded off like cannons. "If there's one thing I don't miss about Mexico, it's the damn storms. They can get rather nasty down here."
Jack blinked as he sat down beside her. He fumbled with his boots as he tried to pull them off. "Really? Shouldn't a desert not have storms?"
"Well, yes, but when they do happen, they're horrible. You definitely don't want to be caught out in the open when it rains like this. I've heard of many pendejos who've gotten struck by lightning out in the desert." She smirked as she watched him struggle with his boots. "You need a little help there, gringo?"
He flicked an annoyed glance back up at her as he pulled off his boots. "You're just never empty of sass, ain't you?"
She shrugged, shivering all the while. "I do what I can, Jack. You should know this by now. How many years have we been married?"
"Too damn many," he joked as he sat back up and scooted closer to her with his arms open. He beckoned her towards him. Despite his satirical retort, she smirked and leaned into his embrace. He kissed her forehead as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders in an attempt to warm her up.
"Besides, wasn't it you who said to not change just now?" she sneered as she cuddled closer to his chest.
He sighed with excessive disappointment and rolled his eyes. "Yeah….Damn it."
For a long moment, they were silent in each other's arms listening to the heavy rainfall upon the roof. The wind knocked upon their door, beckoning to be let in. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed. Nearby, the fireplace glowed with the small flames Jack had created not but ten minutes ago, illuminating the small room with a romantic orange light and casting shadows upon the floor and walls. Across from them, on the opposite side of the room, a desk sat up against the wall. Beside the desk, a trunk sat on the floor holding their accoutrements within. Their temporary living quarters was nowhere near what they would consider home, but for now, it would have to do.
Quite suddenly, amidst the crackling thunderclaps and the sheets of rain, Maddie voiced, "So what is there to do, now that we are here to wait for the next step?"
Jack smirked sensually at her and flashed his eyebrows.
Maddie chuckled and pushed him away. "You are just unbelievable!"
He laughed and allowed himself to be thrown back onto the bed with his legs dangling over the side. "Well, what else are we gonna do besides sit around and wait like we're supposed to?"
His wife shook her head as she leaned over him, her hair falling past her shoulders and blanketing his chest. Taking on a more serious demeanor, she looked him in the eyes and said, "Well, it's obvious: we're gonna hold our ground here while we wait. But what happens if Reyes and his men don't show up soon, or the train for that matter?"
Jack momentarily put his lascivious thoughts on hold as he pondered on her inquiries. The plan that he and his wife, alongside Captain Gonzalez and several of his generals, was risky. They'd convened several days ago and had concluded that a telegraph was the best way to reach Reyes and explain to him their situation. The telegraph had also stated that they were in urgent need of supplies, as well as armed men if they were to withstand La Phantasma's threats should she try to decimate El Presidio. Within that same day the telegraph was sent, they received word directly from President Reyes that he would send reinforcements, as well as a train full of supplies and the citizens of Escalera. Apparently, Reyes didn't wish to abandon Escalera and its people; therefore, his best course of action was to have the commoners escorted on the train with a handful of soldiers should something go amiss. They would convene at Casa Madrugada, where Reyes and the rest of the Mexican army would be waiting, as well as where the train would stop. From there, wagons would be needed, provided by El Presidio of course, in order to haul the citizens and supplies to the fortress. If all went according to plan, the Mexican army would be able to withstand an attack should one be launched. More importantly, President Reyes had become personally invested in the matter.
As he thought about all this, Jack shook his head and stared up at the ceiling. "I don't know how this is all gonna work. What if La Phantasma finds out?"
"How could she know of our plans? The telegraph went straight to Reyes, and we were standing in the presence of Mexican soldiers while it was being sent. What's there to worry about?"
He looked her in the eyes and said gravely, "You remember Jesús? Remember what happened to him? We told him he was safe to speak, and he got his throat slit alongside his family and got hung up like hogs in a slaughter house."
Maddie clamped her mouth shut and looked off to the side, unable to hold his penetrative gaze as she recalled the horrible memories that were irrevocably burnt into her brain.
"What if somethin' like that happens now? You remember what Jesús said: La Phantasma has spies and assassins everywhere."
Maddie looked back at him with a cynical expression and a cocked eyebrow. "Jack, this is the Mexican army we're talking about here."
"That's just it. Do you honestly trust them? 'Cause I sure as hell don't."
"To be fair, Jack, you don't trust anyone, especially the law."
"True."
"So, what, are you suggesting there could be a mole in El Presidio?"
He shrugged. "I'm just sayin' we all need to be extra careful, that's all."
"I agree. God only knows what'll happen within the next few days, if not the next few weeks." She blinked when Jack grabbed her arms and eased her down onto his chest.
"Let's try not to think about all that," Jack cooed as he wrapped his arms around her.
Maddie gave him a knowing smirk. "You're not giving up on this, huh?"
"Well," he explained coolly as he wove his fingers through her hair at the base of her neck, "I figured we won't be doin' much of anything, not while this storm keeps blowin'." He pulled her closer to him and kissed her slowly, passionately. He briefly pulled away and added, "And I reckon both of us are wantin' a reprieve from all this bloodshed." He looked her sincerely in the eyes. "Maddie, when's the last time you and I have been alone like this?"
"Not since we were home," she answered with a sad sigh.
"Exactly. So let's make do with the time we've been given. We've got all night to spend together, and we've got all day tomorrow to sleep it off."
She laughed softly. Their noses brushed as she locked eyes with him. "You drive a hard bargain, mister."
He smiled coyly as he rolled over on top of her. "Oh, you ain't seen nothin' yet."
Outside, the thunder crackled and boomed. Lightning lit up the room in a flash of brilliant white, illuminating two figures that, after a few minutes, moved and molded into one harmonious being.
The spiraling strands of smoke from the cigarette danced above them and floated up towards the ceiling in a white cloud. The rain hadn't let up once in the hours since its conception; a more perfect orchestral accompaniment couldn't have been asked for as the young married couple laid in bed naked and in each other's arms. Jack held the cigarette far enough away from him and Maddie, letting his arm fall off the edge of the bed and brush against the dirty floor. However, he brought it back up to his lips and, in between pants, took a quick drag.
"That was long over-due, Maddie," he said as he released the cloud of smoke.
"Indeed, it was," she sighed, her head on his bare chest and her right hand on his stomach. Her eyelids fluttered in ecstasy. The absolute calm she felt after every time engulfed her, making her numb to all other emotions except for pure joy and a closeness towards her husband the likes of which she couldn't describe with mere words. Her head felt heavy as she sat up to kiss his chest; her lips traveled up his neck and to his lips, where they remained for a long moment, before she returned her head to where it had previously laid. Lazily, she brought up her right leg and draped it across his thighs.
Jack hung his arm over her bare shoulders and back and kissed her forehead. Being careful not to flick any ashes from the cigarette he held, he took another drag and watched as the swirling smoke clouds dissipated around the ceiling and into nothingness. The fireplace still threw an orange aura upon the room, though the blaze had begun to wane. He glanced over at the hearth and saw the small pile of firewood that he knew he'd have to toss in quite soon. However, every fiber of his being adamantly refused to move—the ecstasy he'd felt moments ago still intoxicated him, and he wanted nothing more than to continue holding his wife in his arms.
"I wish we could stay like this for a week," Maddie whispered to him.
"I know," he agreed and held her closer. "We can stay like this as long as you like. We can do whatever you wish."
"What about tomorrow?"
He shrugged. "Don't know. We'll face it when it comes. 'Til then, let's enjoy this night while it lasts."
She nodded and cuddled her face deeper into his chest. "I can do that." With a sensual grin, she leaned up, propping herself up on her left elbow as she kissed his chest and made her way down his stomach. She smirked when she heard him sigh. Her hands explored him as her lips moved back up to his chest, his neck, and finally to his lips. Jack dropped the cigarette onto the dirt floor, letting it die out without regret as his attention was drawn to more important things.
Within days, all traces of the storm that had rattled the brothel and the landscape around it had all but disappeared. The heat returned with a vengeance, making it unbearable to be out under the scalding sun to keep watch for La Phantasma's men should she feel the need to reclaim Casa Madrugada. However, all was still in the days after the storm, too quiet perhaps. A hush fell over the men and the bounty hunters as they kept a harsh vigilance over their small reclaimed fortress; all were too hell-bent on watching and waiting for the train and Reyes' cavalry to arrive. As hours turned to days, worry began to creep into the bodies of all who kept an eye out for the rest of Mexico's army and the supplies and surviving civilians from Escalera to arrive.
It didn't take long for Maddie and Jack to grow impatient, even though they spent the morning after their night of pleasure in bed without a care in the world. Nevertheless, what started out as a rather welcomed mini-vacation and privacy turned into weary expectation. A watch was carried out in two to three hour shifts; Maddie and Jack did their fair share alongside the soldiers, but when it was quite apparent that something was amiss, their anxiety began to eat away at them like an insatiable parasite.
Finally, on the morning of the fourth day, the Marstons had had quite enough. Calling everyone together in the courtyard beside the decaying fountain, plans were made and soon set into motion. Supplies were gathered, horses were saddled, and before mid-morning, Jack and Maddie, alongside four soldiers, rode out of Casa Madrugada in search for the train and the cavalry that they were promised to meet days ago. Though there were only six men from the army stationed at the brothel, they had no other choice but to split their numbers in order to search for the train. They kept their horses at a steady lope alongside the train tracks; all eyes were fixed before them for any sort of sign that the train was off in the distance.
By mid-day, they'd ridden past Ajave Viejo and Las Hermanas, even pausing to stop at what was left of the monastery. The structure of the protective wall still stood, although large chunks of it had cracked and fallen down to the ground in a sad display of decay. Inside, however, the church itself was burnt to the ground, all cherished things within destroyed alongside the building that fateful day Las Hermanas was attacked. Wanting nothing more to do with the awful reminders of their failures, Maddie and Jack spurred their horses into a lope down the railroad tracks towards Chuparosa.
As they rode their sweating mounts up towards the steady incline to Chuparosa, from out of nowhere, a great black looming mass sat atop the train tracks huffing and puffing out smoke, its long body stretched out exhaustedly and taking up a substantial amount of track. The train sat prone on the tracks that led out of Chuparosa and down the hill. It was several hundred yards away from the hill, far from the crags and hilly landscape that hugged the town sitting atop the large chunk of land.
"¡Mira, el tren!" one of the soldiers cried out from behind them. Abreast of him, the other soldiers gave shouts of victory and urged their horses faster.
Though Jack and Maddie were just as elated, they shared skeptical looks and pulled their horses to a stop four hundred yards away from the hissing, smoke-producing beast. The soldiers pulled up their horses abruptly, not expecting their leaders to stop when they were so close to reaching their goal. As the horses panted and blew, the group sat staring straight ahead at the train out in the open desert of Perdido.
Jack grunted with surprise as he looked through his binoculars. "The tracks are fine, but the damn thing's just sittin' there. What the hell?"
Maddie frowned as she glanced over at her husband and gestured for the binoculars. "I don't like this," he growled as he handed them to her.
"Do you see La Phantasma anywhere?" one of the soldiers asked.
The group swiveled their heads about in search for the supposed culprit. Nothing but barren desert land could be seen; all that was disrupting the peace was the grumbling train and the six riders staring back at it from afar.
"This is strange," Maddie noted and handed the binoculars back to her husband.
"We need to get that train to Casa Madrugada," a soldier barked.
"We know," another one growled back in annoyance, "but we don't need to rush in there and get ourselves killed."
"Well spoken," Jack said. He looked to his wife and asked grimly, "What if it's a trap?"
Maddie pursed her lips and exhaled through her nose. She stared at the train in the distance and shook her head, knowing there was no other way around their situation. She transferred her horse's reins to her left hand as she drew her right pistol. "It is undoubtedly a trap, but what other choice do we have? Like Pedro said, we must get that train to Casa Madrugada." Without another word, she squeezed her heels against Gypsy's sides, and the exhausted horse walked forward.
With guns at the ready, the group approached the train with bated breath. Sensing their riders' unease, the horses began taking timid steps and tossing their heads despite their enervation. The ride up to the train was painfully tense and slow, making the group even more nervous.
As the group finally reached the train, nothing happened. Everything remained still, save for the engine and the smoke it spat up in great plumes; it rattled and rumbled in complaint as it impatiently waited to be set free down the tracks. The soldiers and the bounty hunters rounded the train, trotting and loping their horses around the length of it and back around in search for the supplies and the citizens that Reyes claimed to be sending them. In the cars, specifically up front where the people would've been, there wasn't a single soul within. No trace of the civilians were present as they rode up and down the sides of the train. Cautiously, Maddie and Jack opened several cargo cars, their guns at the ready of course, and found the supplies had been untouched. All the boxes of ammunition, food, clothing, and other accoutrements were still intact, still sealed away in their shipping crates and boxes.
As Jack closed the cargo door, Maddie sat atop her horse looking about in worry, her gun still in her hand. "This isn't right, Jack," she stated shakily. "Where are the civilians?"
Jack shook his head as he mounted Sundance. "I don't have a clue. Maybe we should keep searchin' the cars? They might be in there."
"Why would they be in cargo cars? That doesn't make any sense."
"The train must've been attacked. Where else would they be hidin'?" He reined his horse around hers and urged the stallion further down the train.
With each cargo car searched, their worry had steadily increased. As they searched the back of the train, the soldiers searched the front, and when they did, their deepest fears were realized.
"¡Señor y señora!" one of the soldiers cried out. "¡Ven aqui! ¡Rapido!"
Jack and Maddie galloped their horses back to the front of the train and quickly dismounted. They clambered up into the first passenger car and were met with a horrific scene: every woman, man, and child had been slaughtered. The soldiers who had been ordered to protect them lay alongside the fallen commoners; death didn't bother to acknowledge the high class from the low. Bullet holes riddled the bodies; blood was splattered about the car and had pooled in one large puddle that covered the floor, giving the enclosed atmosphere a horrific stench. The dead littered the walkway, looking as if they'd been dumped down carelessly in great heaps upon the floor to keep them out of immediate sight from outside the windows. A moment of horror and bloodshed had been frozen in time, presented to the bounty hunters and the soldiers in the most grisly, stomach-churning way possible.
"¡Hijo de puta!" Maddie swore viciously. Her hands clenched into fists as she looked around at the carnage. "That unholy demon of a woman will pay for this! These people didn't need to die, not like this." Hot tears of rage enveloped her eyesight, blinding her momentarily, and she blinked them away as best she could.
The dead, petrified eyes of a small child bore into Jack's gaze as he looked out at the dead. The girl had to have been no more than five or six, with the most beautiful long black hair and daintiest of bodies in a flowing blue dress that was now speckled with blood and carnage the likes of which the child should've never seen nor suffered. With a shiver of horror and disgust, Jack turned away and escorted his wife back outside. The soldier who had come upon the massacre followed closely behind.
The other three soldiers stood waiting for them beside their horses. All six hung their heads in despair for the terrible price the civilians and soldiers had paid. The failure at not arriving on time weighed heavily upon their hearts.
"So what now?" Maddie sniffed. She swallowed hard and lifted her teary gaze up to the five men.
"We get the train to its destination," Pedro said and handed his horse's reins to the nearest fellow soldier. "Take my horse and lead him behind yours. I will get the train going again."
The soldier took only two steps before he was shot down; the bullet tore through his head, killing him instantly. His body dropped to the ground just as another shot rang out from out of nowhere. Before anyone else had their wits about them and their guns ready, two other soldiers were brutally gunned down in similar fashion. Maddie, Jack, and the last remaining soldier hastily mounted up and aimed their sights in the direction of the bullets.
Seemingly materializing from out of nowhere, off in the distance, a cavalry of twenty men charged toward them. Leading the charge was none other than La Phantasma on her pale steed Muerte. The albino stallion's eyes were wide as he barreled towards them; his rider stared at them with murderous intent past her black and white skull makeup and hooded black robe. The long barrel of a rifle glinted evilly in the afternoon sun as she pointed it directly at Jack.
Jack and Maddie had reined their horses around and kicked them into a gallop alongside the train just in time to avoid La Phantasma's bullet; however, the last remaining soldier and his horse were overtaken by the storm of bullets that erupted. The chestnut gelding tumbled beneath his rider only to roll over on top of him and end his split second of agony just seconds after being shot through the stomach.
Sundance and Gypsy sprinted alongside the train tracks with renewed strength as fear and adrenaline pumped through their bodies; the whites of their eyes shown plainly as they galloped wildly across the flat terrain back towards Las Hermanas.
"¡MATARLOS!" La Phantasma roared. "KILL THE BOUNTY HUNTERS!"
"Shit!" Maddie shrieked and kicked her horse hard. Gypsy responded with a burst of speed. Maddie glanced over at her husband, who rode beside her, and was met with the same look of horror as Jack met her gaze.
She glanced back at their pursuers, and she gave a wail of dismay as La Phantasma and her men were closing the gap between them. They had fanned out into a long line and were forming into a half-circle. They opened fire, and Maddie and Jack reined their horses from side to side to evade the bullets. The Marstons were able to gun down three men, but it was for naught as La Phantasma and her remaining men rushed up to meet them.
All seemed lost, now that death ran at their heels—the desert was vast and would undoubtedly provide no escape for Maddie and Jack. They knew their horses wouldn't be able to run for much longer, and as their mounts began to foam and pant, husband and wife exchange terrified glances, knowing all too well that the end was near.
Unexpectedly, another chorus of gunfire joined in the cacophony that echoed across Perdido just then; the thunder of horses charging deafened the ears of the bounty hunters and their attackers. Screams of excruciation sounded as, one by one, La Phantasma's men fell dead out of their saddles; several horses fell in the wave of bullets. Arriving just in time was Reyes and his cavalry of two hundred men. He and his men formed a massive, impenetrable wall as they surged forward from out behind the crags of Chuparosa.
Pandemonium ensued as Jack and Maddie, alongside their attacker, reined their spooked horses back under control as they swiveled their heads about to pinpoint where the bullets rained down from. As her men fell dead all around her, the anarquista howled with shock and rage. Somehow, in the midst of all the chaos, the enraged woman met gazes with her prey—she gave them a vindictive snarl before she reined Muerte around back towards Torquemada. With an angry wail of defeat, she spurred her white wonder forward. The speed of her stallion was unmatched and astounding, and in no time at all, she had disappeared like a ghost.
In the next moment, Jack and Maddie were surrounded by Reyes and his men. Half of the cavalry had swarmed around them; the other half gathered around the train.
"¡Baje tus pistolas! ¡Manos arriba!" a commanding officer shouted as he and the all the soldiers around them pointed their guns at their chests.
Still pumping with adrenaline and fear, Jack and Maddie blinked and looked about them, utterly confused but relieved in a strange way. When they didn't do as they were commanded, the officer repeated himself, this time more aggressively. Immediately, Maddie holstered her pistols and brought her hands up. Seeing this, Jack did the same, not knowing what had been shouted at him twice.
"Who are you?" the officer finally demanded in English from atop his panting black and white pinto. His pristine uniform and medals shone brilliantly in the desert sunlight; the reflection off his rifle's barrel blinded Jack and made him squint.
"Jack Marston," he said loud and clear.
A hush fell over the soldiers; many eyes stared at him in a strange sense of reverence.
The officer nodded to Maddie and asked sharply, "And who is she?"
Before he could answer, a loud voice boomed, "¡Basta! ¡Bajar tus pistolas, idiotas! This hombre is a friend to Mexíco!"
All firearms were lowered and placed back into their holsters; the circle of soldiers stood back at attention. To Jack's right, the soldiers parted respectfully as hoof beats thudded. His eyes snagged on the dapple-grey Andalusian stallion and his brilliant black saddle and bridle—the tack was adorned with the finest gold plating and what appeared to be diamonds along the headstall, saddle horn, breast collar, skirt, and stirrups. The man astride the horse was no exception of gaudy wealth and status. He wore a regal military uniform, with white pants, black boots, a red and black jacket adorned with as many medals as it could possibly hold, and a navy-blue sash around his waist. A brilliant sword and two pistols hung at his hips. As the regal man pulled back on the reins, his mighty steed tossed his head, his long black mane floating in the air. Horse and rider were pompous mirrors of each other.
The man looked at Jack as he rested his hands atop the golden saddle horn. Jack returned the gaze, briefly glancing over the man's features: he was handsome and trim, muscular and stout, the makings of a leader that he undoubtedly was; his goatee was neatly trimmed, and his semi-long hair slicked back; his heavy brow and deep-set, dark eyes gave him an imposing appearance.
"I'm sorry that I didn't come in time to save your men," the man said somberly. "Are you hurt?"
Jack shook his head, taken aback by the presence of royalty. Still, he stubbornly refused to admire the man before him, even with all his riches and power. "You must be Abraham Reyes."
He nodded and rose his chin proudly. "Sí, yo soy el Presidente."
"Thanks for savin' our hides. We would've been killed if you didn't show up like you did."
Reyes bowed his head. "The pleasure's all mine," he looked out past his soldiers' heads where La Phantasma disappeared, "though I would've been even more pleased to have finally killed that puta myself and end my country's suffering."
"You and me both," Jack answered. Breaking away from the conversation, he looked over at Maddie, who met his gaze with a sigh of great relief. She smiled at him as she leaned forward in the saddle, looking grateful to be alive. Jack mirrored her, feeling just the same, and he reached out and took her hand in his, giving it a loving squeeze.
"We owe you our lives," Maddie said, addressing Reyes for the first time. She inclined her head and added, "Muchos gracias, Presidente."
Reyes now looked upon her with a countenance of mixed emotions. He looked surprised to have been spoken to by her, but there was a hint of recognition in his eyes. He took a long moment to study her carefully, not exactly placing her.
"You look…familiar, señorita," he said, narrowing his eyes. "¿Quién eres tú?"
"Soy Maddie Marston. Yo vivía en Chuparosa. Mi maestro fue Landon Ricketts."
Reyes' eyes widened. "¡Sí! ¡Yo sé que ustedes! I should've known it was you, señorita!" He looked from her to Jack and back; his smile brightened and he shook his head in amazement. "And you married the son of a legend?! ¡Fantástico!"
"Is that what they say about me—us in Mexico these days?" Maddie joked, blushing as she glanced at her husband out of the corner of her eye. He shared the same flattered expression.
"De hecho," the President answered. After another long disbelieving moment and gawking at the legends sitting atop their exhausted horses, Reyes reined his horse around and proclaimed, "Now, then! Let us tend to the train and get it to El Presidio! We have a nation to save!"
The army reined their horses after their noble leader. Jack and Maddie urged their enervated mounts after the flamboyantly-dressed President as well. Much was still to be done before they were once again safe, but in that moment, they couldn't have been safer than when they were before.