~
We walked back toward the farm, and I saw the back of one of the wagons peeking out from behind the barn. The horses had been unhitched and were being fed and watered. One of the cowboys was lazily leaning against the wagon wheel. He was tall and lean, and his skin was weathered from work. He had on a pair of chaps over his jeans and a brown cowboy hat. He was slowly chewing on a long piece of grass and eyeing us as we approached.
“Would you like some sweet tea?” I asked, batting my lashes.
“Sure,” he responded with a sly smile, “I never turn down a pretty lady.”
Gertie poured him a glass. He took a sip but didn’t down it like Johnny had previously.
“Oohwee, that’s good,” he said. “Which one of you young ladies made this fine tea?”
“I did,” I lied.
I also noticed two of Pancho’s men were guarding the wagons. They had their rifles lying across their laps as they sat on the back of the wagon. Gertie walked around and held up the tea jug, indicating she would give them some. Since they didn’t speak English, they both nodded their heads, and she filled up a couple of mason jars for them. I looked around for Paco, and sure enough, there he was, standing in the shade next to the barn. At least the barn blocked his view of the wagon, so maybe if I created a diversion, Gertie could see what was in the wagons.
“Gosh, it sure is hot out here,” I said and began to fan myself. I took a hankie out of my pocket and began to dab my face a little. “I’d better set these glasses down; I feel kinda faint.”
I sat the jars down on the step of the wagon and proceeded to fan myself. The two Mexicans and Gertie had come around to see what all the commotion was about. Gertie took the hint and slowly stepped backward.
“I think my top is cutting off my circulation; I need to loosen these ties. Do you mind helping me?” I turned around so the cowboy could loosen the ties on my top. I grabbed the neck of my dress and pulled it down, revealing the mounds of flesh pushed up by the corset. My breasts were about to pop right out of the dress, and I definitely had their attention.
“Maybe you better sit down a spell,” the cowboy said, speaking directly to my bursting boobs.
“I should probably have something cool to drink.”
“Here, drink this,” he said giving me his tea.
I took the glass of tea and put it to my forehead. “Oh, that feels good…It’s cool.”
I slowly ran the glass down my throat and across my bosom.
Just as I was about to bring the glass to my lips for the most sensuous drink, I heard a loud crack from the tree line on the other side of the wagons. The Mexicans sprang to attention from where they were observing me and ran around to see what caused the noise. I followed the cowboy around and caught Gertie still up in the wagon out of the corner of my eye. A man had fallen out of the tree and landed face up in leaves.
Crap, it was Brodie. The Mexicans cocked their rifles and pointed them at Brodie. Paco came around and grabbed Brodie by the shirt, pulling him to his feet.
“Easy now there, pardner,” Brodie said. “I am just lookin’ for work.”
I saw Gertie sneak down from the wagon.
“This is the Hawkinses’ farm,” I said, pretending not to know Brodie.
Gertie stepped in behind Paco. “Yeah, you should ask Mr. Hawkins about a job.”
Paco said something in Spanish to the other two men, and one of them took off toward the house. After a few minutes, Pancho Villa returned with Mr. Hawkins, Mahlia, and Mitchell.
I saw Mahlia roll her eyes. Mitchell was looking on suspiciously. There was no sign of Mortas.
“What have we here?” Pancho Villa asked, “Another gringo?”
“Hey, mate, I’m just lookin’ for work,” Brodie replied, his accent kicked up a notch.
Pancho Villa took the butt end of his rifle and hit Brodie across the jaw, knocking him to his knees.
Gertie and I screamed in unison.
“Fucking A, kick his ass!” Mitchell taunted. Mahlia put her hand on his shoulder and gave him a definite “shut up” squeeze.
I knew I didn’t like that little prick. The men looked at Mitchell, who slunk back with a sneer.
“Now, Mr. Villa,” Slim said. “The man was just looking for work; there’s no need to be cruel.”
“He was up in the tree,” Villa responded. “A spy for the Mexican government.”
“No, I am from Australia; I sleep in the trees, mate,” came Brodie’s reply as blood trickled down his face.
“Tie him up in the barn. Tomorrow Hawkins can deal with you after we are gone,” Villa said, pushing Brodie to the ground.
Villa’s men took Brodie to the barn. I grabbed the mason jar glasses and tried not to run to the house. Gertie followed behind me.
When we were in the kitchen, Gertie told me about the guns she had seen in the wagon.
“What are we gonna do?” she whispered. “Where is Caiyan?”
“Shh,” I said as Mahlia entered the kitchen. She eyed me curiously.
“Your accent doesn’t sound like Vermont—maybe a little more Southern,” she said.
“Like I said, our parents were from Amarillo, Texas; that is why we came back,” I snipped.
“I thought you were from Vermont,” she said.
“We have only lived there a short time.”
“Mmm,” was all she said as she left the kitchen.
I grabbed a cloth and a basin of water and told Gertie I was going to see Brodie. Maybe they would let me clean his face.
Two of Villa’s men were stationed at the barn door. I walked toward them, looking around for Paco. For the first time, I didn’t see the slimeball. I motioned to one of the men that I wanted to clean the prisoner’s face. He looked at the other Mexican, and he shrugged. I guess they didn’t think one woman with a water basin was a big threat.
I opened the door and walked inside. The barn door swung closed behind me, and I heard the latch click. There were four empty horse stalls to my right. A straight ladder led up to a loft above the stalls. Hay bales were stacked to the left, and Brodie was tied to a chair in front of them.
His head was hung down as if he was unconscious. How had this happened? Villa only hit him once. I ran over to him, laying the basin at his feet, and lifted his head. Blood was oozing out of the cuts on his face. It looked like he had been tied to the chair and then whipped across the face. He opened one swollen eye.
“What happened?” I asked him.
I heard a sneer behind me. I turned to see Paco. He smiled at me and was slapping a leather strap across his palm.
“You?” I questioned. “You asshole!” I walked toward him. “What gives you the right to beat him like this?”
Paco reached up to hit me with his strap. My arms flew up to protect my face. I saw a flash of metal, and a shiny blade came across his throat. His good eye bugged out in horror as Caiyan dropped from the loft above and cut his throat. Blood ran down his neck, and he collapsed on the ground.
Caiyan grabbed me as I stifled a scream. “It’s OK; I’ve got you, lassie.” I let my weight lean into him as he led me away from Paco’s body. He sat me gently on the ground next to Brodie.
Caiyan placed his finger under my chin and lifted it until my eyes met his. A wave of warmth spread from his fingers across my cheek. His deep green eyes held concern instead of the sharp irritation or the smoldering lust I had become accustomed to.
“I’ve got to get rid of the body before his buddies come back. Can you help cut Brodie loose?” Caiyan asked, holding a pocketknife out for me.
I nodded my head yes. Then with shaking hands I began to work the knots binding Brodie to the chair.
“It’s not as bad as it looks, mate,” Brodie said as I cut away the rope. After he was free, I helped him wash his face with the water.
Caiyan pulled Paco’s body to the back of the barn and covered it with hay and several sacks of feed. He took my rag and washed the blood from his hands. Grabbing the pi
tchfork from the wall next to the horse stalls, he began spreading fresh hay over the bloody area on the barn floor. Villa’s men would assume any blood was Brodie’s, at least for a short time until they found the body.
We heard the latch on the barn pull up. Someone was coming, and there was nowhere to hide. Caiyan said, “Go back and pretend to be tied up. It is better to surprise them.” Brodie sat back down in the chair, and I pulled the rope around him. As I knelt down to pick up the washrag, the barn door swung open, and Mahlia sauntered in.
She stopped when she saw me with the washbasin.
“I should have known she would be one of your women, Brodie. Where did you get her on the ride over? They tried to tell me they were from Vermont, of all places.”
I started to respond, but Brodie grabbed my hand and held it. “Yep, Texas has such sweet young things, I couldn’t help myself.”
“Where is Caiyan? I can’t believe he would miss all this fun.”
“You’re right,” Caiyan said, swinging down from the loft.
“So, the other one must be yours, although she’s really not your type.” Mahlia flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder and eyed Caiyan. “Who is transporting for you?”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise,” Caiyan replied.
“Remember our deal, Caiyan. No member of my family is to be hurt or arrested.” Mahlia spoke as if her words were above my level of knowledge, with no regard for spilling any secrets, the same way Caiyan spilled blood.
“I remember, Mahlia. Now, you girls go start some trouble outside so we can get out of here.” I was dumbfounded. Not only was Caiyan sneaking away again, but now he was leaving behind a dead body.
Brodie bent down like he was giving me a kiss on the cheek. “We will be back tonight for you,” he whispered. His rough stubble scraped against my face. I shook my head slightly and stood, cutting my eyes at Caiyan as I exited. An amused expression crossed his face, and I felt a hot flush of anger cover mine.
Mahlia and I exited the barn. I turned to her and said, “I saw the cute Austrailian guy first, so you keep your hands off.” I reached out and gave her a good hard push. She stumbled sideways a little, giving me some much-needed satisfaction. But I didn’t expect her retaliation.
She came back at me with, “I will have him for myself.” Then she gave me a harder shove to the shoulder.
I lost my balance and fell to the ground. The water basin flew out of my hands. My bonnet fell off my head, exposing my Toni & Guy hair. She turned on her heel with a smirk and went into the house. The two Mexicans looked at each other and shook their heads. One went to pick up my water basin, and the other came over to help me up. I saw Brodie and Caiyan leave the barn behind them. I grabbed my backside and cried out in pain. Both of the men came closer to examine my rear end as the real pain in my ass snuck away into the trees.