"Sweetheart, I know that the Recillos women are strong, tough minded women. You have it inside you to get through this. I know you do."
The Mexican thought back to the talk her beloved brother-in-law had had with her. She thought of her mother and how she had to make things work for herself and two small daughters when her husband died. Her mami was always working, scrubbing, laundering, cooking, and yet she found time to spend with her daughters, teaching them reading and writing plus English. She wanted her daughters to be independent, capable of living without a husband. Although she pushed Inez to settle on one of the local boys, Angelina had overheard her mother talking to the neighbor woman one day, telling her that Inez was too good for any of the locals, that one day she would go to America and find herself a man truly deserving of her. And when they heard that Inez was getting married to a lawman, well, Angelina was there to overhear her mami proclaim to the townspeople, "My daughter is better than all of you." Alma Recillos worked hard her whole life, even more so after Carlos Recillos died, but she remained strong and proud until the day she died.
She thought of her sister and the night that Don Paulo had attacked her in the middle of the village square. How she had the courage to fight him off, steal a horse, and make a new life for herself in America. How she had the courage to face her tormentor once again in her new home and how she had raced to her savior’s rescue when the tide had turned against him. And finally, to how she had found the strength and resolve to fall in love with and marry a man whose very existence revolved around a gun.
With all that her mother and sister had gone through, they still remained strong, forceful women. Shouldn’t she try to find that inner strength? She needed to stand up to these men, to face her fears and overcome them. She needed to be a Recillos woman and save the baby she loved so much. She straightened her shoulders and drew a deep breath. She would do whatever it took to protect her nephew.
JD rode silently beside Vin. The black sky
had just started to turn pink at the edge as they approached the rendezvous
point. The old trapper had picked a spot where the land was flat and barren.
The only high points around were a half mile to the right and at least two
miles to the left. The was no creek running even in the spring so the vegetation
was extremely sparse. There simply was no place for a man to hide or so most
would think.
Vin pulled up his horse and dismounted. They were about three hundred yards
back of the crossroads. He stripped off his shirt and tied it to the saddle.
JD, not knowing what the tracker was doing, watched in silence.
"Strip," was the only thing Vin replied to JD’s unasked question. The
young man did and he too tied his shirt to his saddle. Next, Vin took his
canteen and, squatting down, he poured half the water onto the ground. With
his fingers, he mixed the dirt and water until it made a sticky mud which
he proceeded to smear on his face and body. JD followed Vin’s lead and
pasted himself with the mud.
"Your hair, too. You got to blend in with the land." Vin stood and wiped
his hands on his tan pants. He hung the canteen back on the saddle and pulled
his long rifle from its scabbard. When the young sheriff had retrieved his
rifle also, Vin asked, "You ready?"
The youth nodded. Buck had named his first son after him. It was not something
the lad took lightly. He would do just about anything to get the boy back
safe and sound. He had made a friend in Ibis and he was equally determined
that nothing happen to the woman Vin loved.
Vin slapped his horse on the rump after heading it back towards town. Both
animals took off to find grass and water. "You go left. Find yourself a cactus
or bush and dig yourself in. Rub some dirt on your barrel. Don’t want
any reflections. Then we wait for the signal from Standish. Stay as still
as you can, JD. They’ll be scourin’ the landscape for us. Any
questions?"
"Do you think he’s already hurt Johnny or Angelina, Vin?"
Vin shrugged his shoulders. "Hope not. From what Ezra said, the man ain’t
stupid. He thinks he can make this trade without our interference. He
doesn’t want us on his tail when it’s done. I’d say not. Just
do what I told ya, JD, and we should get all three out of this jam. Head
out. And good shootin’, JD." The tracker tried to sound confidant despite
the fear for Ibis and the others that gripped his heart.
The Easterner grimly nodded and trudged off to find a place to dig in.
Ezra sat astride the spare mount from the
livery. He had taken it without asking but he had no doubt that Yosemite
would graciously give him the ride, knowing the circumstances. He waited
for Ibis to mount her mare. He knew it wasn’t fair to make the woman
go back and meet with the man she had run from but there was no way around
it. He patted his pocket, feeling the one hundred dollars there. It was more
than Cyrus had lost to him but he was willing to pay anything to get Johnny
and his beautiful Angelina back.
Ibis walked purposefully out of Mary’s and straight to where Ezra sat
waiting. She had changed into her tanned leather dress and had pulled her
hair into braids. She quickly mounted and turned her eyes to the gambler,
waiting for him to show her the way.
Ezra took a deep breath and spoke softly. "I am truly remorseful that you
have to endure this, my dear. I can see no other way around our predicament."
"Don’t worry about it, Ezra, let’s just go. Rufus will not wait
for us for very long. He can wait for hours for a deer to step into just
the right spot but when he is in control, he is not a patient man. He will
kill the child. He killed our child without a second thought. And he will
use your woman in my place. There is nothing for you to be sorry for. Lead
the way, Ezra." The was no emotion in her voice, no sign of fear or distress
in her eyes. Her face was stone cold in it’s lack of regret that she
was leaving the first place she could truly call home.
The Southerner reached out and placed a warm hand on her arm. "Ibis, Vin
is without a doubt the finest shot I have ever come across. He will not let
that vile man who calls himself your husband take you away. Whether it is
today or tomorrow or the next day after that, Mr. Tanner will track the man
down and retrieve you. He loves you that much that he is willing to sacrifice
everything for you."
She let her mask slip slightly at the mention of the tracker’s name.
She glanced up at Ezra, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "Will you
tell him that I love him too?"
"Why don’t you pass that bit of romantic trivia on to him yourself.
Shall we go and retrieve Master Wilmington before Inez is forced to suffer
any further." He turned his horse to ride out of town and saw Buck standing
on the front porch of the Sanchez residence. "Give me a brief moment, Madame."
Ezra slowly approached the mustached man. He didn’t dismount for time
was at a premium now. He sat straight in his saddle and scrutinized the man
before him. Buck looked defeated for the first time since Ezra had met him
that day as they rode to the village of the Seminoles. His shoulders slumped.
His face looked weary, forlorn. His usually bright blue eyes were glassy,
perhaps seeing a future without his son.
"I swear to you that I will do all in my power to return your son to you,
Buck. What kind of godfather would I be if I didn’t protect him in his
time of need?"
The life of the team, the heart and soul of the Seven, turned tear laden
eyes to the conman. "Bring him home to Inez, Ezra. She’ll never forgive
either of us if …"
"I am doing this for you, my friend. I have let you down for the last time.
Do you hear me, Buck?"
"Yeah, I hear ya, Ez. You listen to me now. Ya bring that little lady that
has your heart back unharmed! I have faith in ya, Standish, you and Vin and
the kid. We’ll be waitin’."
Ezra nodded. The trust this man put in him was astounding to him. "We’ll
be back by noon." Out of the corner of his eye, Ezra saw Chris walk towards
his oldest friend. He turned slightly and tipped his hat to their leader.
He then spurred his horse and took off at a gallop, knowing that Ibis would
be right behind him.
Chris approached his ‘brother’. He stood shoulder to shoulder with
Buck and watched the two horses race towards the showdown with the kidnappers.
When the horses were out of sight, they reentered the clinic and sat silently,
keeping watch over the sleeping woman who had cried until there were no tears
left to cry and who had then fallen into an exhausted sleep.
The trappers arrived at the crossroads as
the sun crested the horizon. Rufus had the baby tied to his chest, ever leery
of the Seven. He sent his son riding the perimeter to make sure none of the
regulators were lying in wait for them. Cyrus rode cautiously three times
around the area but he saw no one. He was sweating even though the day was
starting out cool. He was scared! There was no other way to put it. His father
had set them on a course to fight the seven gunmen and he had been unable
to talk the old man out of trying to get Ibis back. And he was unwilling
to go against his father’s wishes for as scared as he was of the seven
regulators, he feared his father’s wrath even more. He had witnessed
his father kill his brother when he was just days old. The baby had done
nothing but cry and spook off a deer. And for this sin, it had been dealt
a mortal blow. Cyrus knew that if he failed his father today, the same fate
would await him. The young trapper pulled his horse up in front of his father
after the third trip.
"I didn’t see any of ‘em, Pa. I searched the ground like you said.
They’re not here. Maybe the gambler didn’t tell ‘em?" Cyrus
pulled the pretty woman off her horse and held her loosely in front of himself.
"Maybe. Don’t let yer guard down, boy. I heard tell that one in the
leather was part Injun. And Larabee has a heart a ice. We get the woman back,
we take off fer the mountains. We can get lost up there." Rufus dismounted
and positioned his horse in front of him as he searched the horizon for the
two riders.
Ezra pulled to a halt as he spotted the
kidnappers and Angelina. At first he didn’t see Jonny but Ibis did.
She pointed out to the gambler that the infant was tied to the old
trapper’s chest as protection against one of Ezra’s bullets. Ezra
cringed. How could anyone do that to a baby? He determined than and there
that this man must die.
As they got closer, Ezra tried to ascertain if Angelina had been abused or
mistreated in any way. She looked upset and afraid but she seemed to be holding
up rather well, considering that Cyrus had her pinned tight to his body.
The two people from Four Corners stopped about one hundred feet away from
the trappers.
Before Ezra could say anything, Ibis spoke out. "Send the woman and the child
over right now, Husband. You do not want to hurt them for the wrath of the
gunfighters will be upon you. You want me back, well here I am. Let them
go and I will ride out of here with you and never look back. These men, who
protect the town and those in it, have promised me that they will not follow
you if you return the woman and the infant unharmed."
Rufus laughed. "You think I’m gonna believe you. No way in hell, woman.
Git over here where ya belong and I’ll think about sending them back
to the man who stole my money. Ya did bring the money didn’t ya, Fancy
Pants?"
"Yes Sir, I have it right here. It is all yours as soon as my wife and child
are delivered safely into my care. I am alone. I did not tell anyone except
Miss Ibis here. She agreed to come along to save the baby. Shall we proceed?"
Ezra pulled the wad of twenty-dollar bills out of his pocket and waved them
at the two men holding his loved ones closely against themselves.
"Give the money to the woman and send her to me. As soon as she’s with
me I’ll release your woman. I gotta have some protection as I ride away
so I’m keeping the brat. When I feel comfortable, I’ll leave him
along the path. Ya can pick him up if the varmints don’t get him first."
"Not acceptable, Sir. The boy comes with Angelina or I swear you’ll
be dead before the day is over. I assume that you are aware of Mr. Tanner’s
exceptional talents at tracking. We will find you no matter how far you ride."
Cyrus nervously looked from the gambler to his father. "Send ‘em back
to him, Pa. He means it. I heard about the tracker. Please, Pa, they’ll
track us down. She ain’t worth dying over, Pa."
Angelina could feel the sweat on the hands of the young trapper as he held
her in front of him. She almost felt sorry for him but her desire to keep
Johnny safe overrode any other emotion. She saw her love not more than fifty
feet from her now as both he and the young woman from the Seminole village
moved closer. She desperately wanted to run to him but she had sworn to herself
that the infant came first.
Rufus wasn’t about to let any of them live to tell the tale but he
hadn’t told his son that. He wanted to punish Ibis for running away.
He wanted to punish the gambler for bilking all his son’s money out
of him. He had no use for the woman or baby when this was over. Slowly, he
pulled his gun from his holster and keeping it behind the horse in front
of him, he waited as the two approached slowly.
"Cyrus, let the woman go. Ibis, git yer ass over here." He saw his son hesitate.
"Let her go!"
Cyrus pushed the Mexican woman away from him but she turned, not running
or even walking toward freedom. She stood with an expression of determination
on her face. She held out her arms. Rufus turned slightly towards the woman
who took three steps towards him. He moved the gun so that it now pointed
directly at Angelina’s heart. Ibis’ sharp eyes caught the glint
of sunlight off the metal gun and she spurred her horse forward, hoping to
distract her husband.
Rufus saw the woman he had taken for a wife when she was just fourteen, race
her horse towards him. He laughed for an instant and then he brought up his
revolver and aimed at the woman he felt he owned.
Two shots rang out. Two men fell. A baby screamed and then was silent.
"NOOO!" A woman’s voice cried out.
Angelina reached Rufus’s headless body first. The gore didn’t faze
her as she yanked at the heavy body. She had to get to Johnny before he was
crushed beneath the weight. A few seconds later, she was joined by Ibis and
they rolled the body over. The baby was so still, his face covered with sand.
Ibis produced a knife from her belt and she quickly cut the ropes that held
the dark haired infant to the body of the trapper. Angelina gently picked
up the child and cradled him close to her body. Tears fell silently down
both women’s cheeks as Ezra joined them.
"He was about to shoot Ibis, Angel. Otherwise, Vin would never have taken
the shot." Ezra tried to explain the tragedy but he was angry with Vin for
placing the woman above the baby.
Angelina raised tear filled eyes to her man’s concerned face. A smile
broke out and she laughed. Ezra was taken aback. What had happened to her
while she was with the trappers? She had suddenly lost her mind. Angelina
held the tiny boy out away from her and the baby’s wail brought smiles
to Ibis and Ezra as well. Ezra pulled the Hispanic woman close, feeling the
life still in her body.
"Oh Angelina, I was so scared that they would hurt you! Are you all right,
Sweetheart?"
He felt her nod against his chest. He felt Johnny kick his ribs for he was
squishing the infant in his embrace of Angelina. He reluctantly let her go.
Vin and JD reached the small group at about the same time. Ibis looked up
at Vin and then flew into his arms, her lips meeting his. Their hearts soared
as the true meaning of the recent events struck them.
"Thank you, Vin. I was so afraid that he would shoot Angelina." Ibis had
broken the kiss but she still had a firm hold on the tracker.
Over the top of his Angel’s head, Standish nodded. The anger had faded
with the knowledge that Johnny would survive the ordeal. "There was not a
thing that I could do for her. I add my gratitude to you, Mr. Tanner. I could
not have made the shot, knowing that the babe could have been killed in several
different ways. It was very heroic of you, Vin."
Tanner looked quickly at the young man standing next to him. He looked like
a little boy who had just gotten done with a mud fight. JD was covered with
dried brown dirt and sand. His hair stood straight up, it too smeared with
mud and straw. Vin reached out and put an arm around the young sheriff’s
shoulders and smiled appreciatively at the youth beside him.
"Wasn’t my shot, Ez. That was mine." He pointed to the hole in Cyrus’s
chest.
Four heads turned towards Dunne. Awe and admiration were reflected in the
eyes that stared at the young man.
"Didn’t see a choice. Is Johnny really okay?" JD blew off the admiration
for an almost impossible shot. He had acted reflexively but had prayed an
instant later that the tiny boy who carried his name would not be hurt by
his action.
Angelina held the baby out, for all to see for themselves that he was still
in good health.
"We’ll have Amanda check him over when we get back but I’d say
that he’s fine. Ya took real good care of him, Angelina." Vin still
had an arm around Ibis. He didn’t plan on letting her go for a while.
"Are you all right?"
The young Mexican nodded, her arms still around the man she loved.
After loading the bodies on two of the horses, Vin helped Ibis up behind
him on Rufus’s horse. JD mounted Ezra’s confiscated livery mount
and reached down for the baby. Ezra lifted Angelina up onto Chaucer’s
saddle and then mounted behind her. With nods and smiles all around, the
small band made their way back home.
Inez sat locked in her husband’s arms
on Amanda’s settee. Chris, Mary, Josiah, and Amanda sat in chairs
surrounding the couple. Mary held her son, Quentin, in her arms. She looked
down at the tiny life she had delivered merely hours ago and thought that
if she ever lost him, as Inez had lost her son, she would simply die. One
more time, she sent prayers to the heavens above that all of them would return
safe and sound.
"They’re back!"
The words came as a shock to all six people. Even though they had been anxiously
awaiting the return of their companions, the fear of losing one or more of
them had them afraid of what the homecoming would bring.
Nathan shouted again as he entered the home of Josiah and Amanda Sanchez.
"They’re back. All six of ‘em. Can’t tell if any’re hurt
but they’re all ridin’ straight up."
Six anxious adults arose as one and made their way to the dusty street to
greet the returning members of their family. Inez clung to her husband for
support. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw her sister riding in
front of the gambler. Her eyes searched the others, looking for her son.
JD, giving the impression of having just rolled in a pigpen, was on the far
side of Chaucer. He noticed the petrified looks on Buck and Inez and he smiled
broadly. He nudged the horse forward so they could see the precious bundle
he held. Before he could say a word, another’s voice announced the good
news they all wanted to hear.
"He’s fine, Inez."
Inez’s attention was drawn away from her baby and locked fully on her
sister. "Angelina?"
Angelina sat up straight and proud in front of Ezra. She smiled glowingly
at her sister and then, she shifted her dazzling smile to her brother-in-law.
"I was a Recillos woman, Buck."
The tall regulator ran forward to lift his sister-in-law off the horse and
then he swung her around in pure joy. "I knew ya had it in ya, gal! Thank
you, Angel!"
Inez reached up and took her son from JD as he came to a stop in front of
her. Her deep shuddering sigh of relief was not lost on the young man.
"He’s hungry, Inez, but he’s not hurt, far as we can tell. Ya might
have Amanda check him out."
As she cradled her infant son to her breast, Inez raised thankful eyes to
the young man both she and her husband treated as a brother. "Gracious, mi
amigo."
"De Nada."