“You wouldn’t believe it. I’m not sure I believe it,” Collier began. “You need to calm yourself. Rose Griffen is alive.”
Mei Lee had to stifle a scream. “You saw her?” she whispered, trying to remain calm.
“Yes, and I also saw Murdock,” Collier responded. Mei Lee didn’t respond, but she did stiffen in shock.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” she asked quietly after recovering a little.
“He was nice. They both were,” Collier responded excitedly whispering. “He even shook my hand. Seems like forever since someone shook my hand.”
“You crossed the stream,” she whispered. “And if Whittier knew you had seen them and not told him, he’d have you killed.”
“I didn’t just cross the stream. He met me in the middle of it and invited me,” Collier whispered back. “I got a job to do tomorrow.”
“What kind of a job?” Mei Lee asked.
“Helping to get a deer, is all I know,” Collier explained. “It means meat for us to eat.”
Mei Lee said nothing for a long time. “Can you trust him?” she asked finally.
“More than I can trust Whittier and that bunch.”
“Are you coming back when you’re finished?” Mei Lee asked softly. She knew her whisper sounded sad. When Collier remained silent for a while, “If you don’t want to come back, I’ll understand,” she continued as she rolled away from Collier.
Collier held her close and rose up on one arm so he could whisper in her ear. “I’ve got to get permission to stay, but you are going with me, if you want.”
Mei Lee rolled over quickly. “To get the deer?” she asked excitedly in his ear.
“Yes, tomorrow when I cross the stream to meet up with Murdock, you’re going with me,” Collier said. “I’m done with Whittier and that bunch. If Murdock will have us, then we can learn from him and Rose. If they want us to move on, we’ll find our own place.”
Mei Lee squirmed excitedly as she cuddled close to Collier. She went to sleep excited about the new day coming.
#
The next morning, both Murdock and Rose woke early and broke camp shortly after sun-up.
“Where did you tell Collier you’d meet him?” Rose asked as she made final preparations.
“I wasn’t very specific,” Murdock told her as he, too, finished preparations. “I just said on this side of the stream where you used to get water.”
Rose shivered. “I don’t like getting that close to the others! Specifically, Whittier, Burns, and Metzger,” she said with venom.
“I don’t like you getting that close either,” Murdock said, “but Collier would only know major landmarks. He said he hasn’t been over since I scared him out.”
When they were ready, Murdock led the way. He had decided to make camp close to their first camp on the first hunting trip. He thought they could get there in time to get camp set up and then rendezvous with Collier.
After some time of walking, Murdock heard Rose request a stop.
“Why did you stop?” Rose asked.
“Because you asked me too.” Murdock looked at her strangely. “You did, didn’t you?”
Rose looked puzzled. “You heard me ask to stop?” she asked.
Murdock shrugged. “Yes, I heard you plainly. You didn’t scream it, but I heard you. Why?”
Rose took a deep breath. “I whispered as softly as I could. I could barely hear it myself. You were a good thirty or forty feet away.” She stood looking at him.
“What do you want me to say?” Murdock asked. “I told you I had good hearing!” He handed her the water skin.
Rose took it, drank deeply, and then looked at him skeptically. Murdock took back the water skin and drank deeply as well.
“I didn’t ask for water out loud,” Rose stated. Murdock went pale.
“When we can, we need to sit down and try to figure this out,” Murdock said. “There’s more going on than we’re aware of.”
“I agree. Do you think Beron can help?” Rose asked.
“Maybe, but I’d rather we try to figure it out first,” Murdock suggested. “If he can help, or will help, he can fill in the gaps.”
“How much farther are we going?” Rose asked.
“Another couple of hours, and we should be close,” Murdock responded.
They headed off again, staying as quiet as possible while Murdock dealt with his thoughts.
#
Collier and Mei Lee awoke at daybreak. They had nothing to pack or carry, so they headed off toward the stream crossing. Collier led the way, with Mei Lee watching for signals that she should hide. She still wore his shirt. As Collier approached the stream crossing, he saw a few colonists getting water, so he gave the signal. Both lay down and were very still. Collier could hear talking, but though he tried to see, he could not hear what was said. When he saw the last person leave, he motioned for Mei Lee to come up to him.
They both lay hidden in the tall grass.
“I want you to run as fast as you can across the stream and down the big main path you’ll see after you cross,” Collier whispered to her.
“What about you?” Mei Lee whispered back.
“I’ll be right behind you,” Collier responded. “Just don’t stop for anything until you’re a fair distance away from the crossing.”
Mei Lee took off, running as fast as she could toward the crossing. Collier continued to watch for others heading their way while he ran after Mei Lee. Mei Lee hit the water with one foot and was across. Right behind her, Collier also hit the water with a single step in the middle and was across. They both continued on.
Because they were so close to each other and running as fast as they could, they both failed to see Burns standing on the trail. As Mei Lee hit Burns, Burns grabbed her with both arms and spun off to the side. Collier didn’t hit Burns or Mei Lee and quickly stopped on his own, turning on Burns. Before he could say anything, something poked him sharply in his bare back.
“I’d stand real still if I were you, Collier!” Metzger said from behind him.
#
It took Murdock and Rose longer to reach the proposed campsite than Murdock had originally thought. When they did get to the general area, Murdock motioned for Rose to stop and stay put. He checked the campsite and surrounding area for the presence of others. After drinking and resting a bit, Rose began getting the camp ready for cooking and sleeping, while Murdock started cutting what he needed to make another travois.
After everything was cut, Rose helped to build the travois. When it was finished, Rose stood up quickly, looking at nothing at all. Then Murdock looked at her and saw her face blanch.
“Something is very wrong,” she said, excited.
Quickly, Murdock determined that there was nothing wrong in their immediate area. He immediately started to worry that Collier may have gotten himself into something he needed help to get out of.
As they prepared to leave, Murdock checked the sun’s position and realized dusk was approaching. They started off, Murdock in the lead, looking for Collier.
Just after dusk, Murdock suddenly dropped behind a tree. Rose immediately did the same and watched him for signals. Then she heard men laughing and yelling. Murdock signaled her to be quiet and stay put. Rose nodded her understanding, and Murdock crept ahead. He hadn’t gone very far when he came upon the sickening scene.
Three men were gathered in a small clearing ahead, one — who was screaming — sitting on the ground with his back against a log. The man’s arms were draped over the log behind him. Another man stood behind the log doing something to the seated man’s hands, Murdock guessed. The third man was hitting and kicking something not far away from the seated man.
Something touched Murdock’s arm slightly, and he turned sharply. Rose stood right behind him, and he scowled at her. With her eyes, she indicated the scene, and as two of the men stood, Murdock recognized them, Burns and Metzger.
Murdock indicated that Rose needed to stay put,
and he crept in a little closer, moving to the side to get a better look at the seated man. From his vantage point, he could see that the seated man was Collier. Murdock pulled the knot to release the bundle of spears and stood up.
The spears clattered slightly when they hit the ground, and the two standing men turned sharply toward him.
“Don’t you two have anything better to do?” Murdock asked them. He leaned a little on the spear, which was point-up. He looked very relaxed. “You should know by now that the woods are dangerous at night!”
“This is none of your concern, Murdock,” Burns yelled, pointing at him with a twelve-inch machete. “So just you crawl back into the hole you came out of!”
“Hey, Burns,” Metzger yelled, chuckling. He was looking at Murdock with a sadistic grin. “Is this one going to be as much fun as the last one?” he said over his shoulder to Burns.
“Please, don’t hurt her anymore,” Collier pleaded breathlessly from his seated position, head lolling forward.
Murdock saw that Collier, who had blood running down his face, had been beaten; he seemed unable to get to his feet.
“I’m going to take a lot of pleasure from this slope bitch before we’re done!” Metzger said sadistically as he walked closer to the center of the clearing.
Both men warily watched Murdock as they slowly moved toward each other.
“Yeah, with any luck, she’ll last longer than the last one!” Burns said loudly, never taking his eyes off Murdock. “They aren’t as much fun until they’re out cold!”
“I wonder sometimes whatever happened to that stupid bitch,” Metzger said, watching Murdock intently.
“You picked her,” Burns chided Metzger with a snicker.
“I know, but the dumb bitch needed me to lie to her before she’d give it up,” Metzger responded. “She should’ve known that men only tell women what they want to hear to get into their pants!”
Murdock heard the slight twang of the bowstring from behind him and ran forward after the arrow passed him. The arrow hit Metzger in the shoulder. Metzger spun and dropped. Murdock jumped forward and with two quick strikes with the butt end of the spear hit Burns in the groin and then on the top of his head. The other man dropped to one knee, head down, and Murdock straightened him up with a swift kick to the face. Burns passed out on his back, still holding the machete.
When Metzger rolled over, he saw Murdock, grinning and holding the spearhead threateningly close to his face. Rose emerged from the woods ready to shoot again, if necessary.
“You stupid bitch, you shot me,” Metzger yelled when she was close enough to be seen. He seethed with anger.
Murdock promptly smacked him on the side of his head with the butt end of the spear, hard enough to snap his head sharply to the side.
“I’ll thank you to keep a civil tongue in your head,” Murdock said sternly down to Metzger, “before someone cuts it out!”
“You’re going to get yours, Murdock,” Metzger snickered, turning his head slowly back to look at him.
Murdock struck him again with the butt of the spear, once again, hard enough to snap his head to the side. Metzger grinned as he turned his head back toward him and spit a mouthful of blood on the ground.
“Your kind never learns to keep your trap shut, do they, Metzger?” Murdock asked. “Cover him, Rose, and if he so much as blinks, put another shaft into him, and I don’t care where!”
Rose stood ready, out of reach of Metzger. Metzger could see the anger on her face and just grinned.
“Oh, come on, babe! You know I was only joking! I was just trying to get Murdock’s goat,” Metzger said to Rose as Murdock stood on Burns’ wrist and took the machete.
Burns, who was starting to come around, groaned a little. Murdock dropped the spear, tied a quick knot around Burns’ wrist with a leather thong, rolled Burns over, and then tied the other wrist before Burns knew what was going on.
“What about all we meant to each other?” Metzger asked the motionless Rose, who was ready to shoot again.
“Help her . . . please,” Collier pleaded weakly.
Murdock went over to the body that Burns had been kicking and hitting and rolled it over gently. She was a rail-thin Asian female of slight build in her early twenties. He recognized her through the blood and terrible bruises on her face, but he couldn’t recall her name. She had been stripped and had much the same kind of bruises he’d seen on Rose. He clearly saw a recent but healed scar in the shape of a W on her left upper breast.
“Is she okay?” Collier asked weakly.
Murdock checked her pulse and breathing and left her lying down. He hurried over to Metzger, pulling out another leather thong as he went. Then he wrenched Metzger’s hands behind him, intentionally hurting the shoulder with the arrow still in it. When Metzger’s hands were secured behind him, Murdock tossed a short length of Rose’s homemade rope over a low-hanging limb. He tied one end around Metzger’s neck and tied the other to Metzger’s ankles after pushing him forward onto his knees and face, pulling his legs out behind him. To Murdock’s satisfaction, when the arrow-nock touched the ground, Metzger screamed in pain as it cut deeper into his shoulder. Metzger had to arch his back to bend his upper body backward to raise the arrow-nock off the ground to get relief from the pain.
“Think of it as a good aerobic exercise,” Murdock whispered into Metzger’s ear. He then checked on Collier, who hadn’t moved much since the excitement started. When he jumped over the log against which Collier leaned, Murdock saw that Collier’s upper arms were tied. The rope passed under the log and then went around his waist. Blood covered Collier’s left hand; upon closer inspection, Murdock saw that the other man’s left thumb had been cut off at the first joint and still bled profusely. Collier, too, was naked.
“Rose, give me one of your leather napkins,” Murdock pressed her.
Rose, who had stopped guarding Metzger now that he was secured and had dropped most of what she carried, was tending the female. She quickly complied with her husband’s request then returned to the injured female.
Murdock cut Collier’s bonds and then, using the wolf hide, wrapped the stub of the man’s left thumb as tightly as he could. Then he left Collier in the same position. Collier’s head lolled backward, and Murdock saw a “T” carved into the man’s forehead, which also bled.
Just as night fell, Murdock quickly found an adequate spot to start a fire. After the fire was going and Murdock had checked on Metzger’s and Burns’ bonds, he trotted over to Rose, who still tended the unconscious female.
“Is she okay?” he asked.
“Of course she’s okay! The party was just getting started when you two crashed it,” Metzger chimed in, grinning at the two newcomers.
Rose looked up at Murdock with a grave expression.
“What is it with you and distressed damsels?” she chided quietly.
“I don’t know. Must be my winning personality,” he quipped back. “Who would’ve thought?”
“I don’t know yet if she is all right. Her eyes are swollen shut, and my guess is she’ll be sore and out of it for a while, but she should be physically okay, eventually,” Rose reported. Then, with venom, she added, “No thanks to them.” She glared at Metzger and Burns.
“That was an excellent shot you made, by the way,” Murdock praised her.
Rose grinned up at him sheepishly.
“I’m sorry, I should’ve let you handle it, but they were infuriating me,” she told him. “I shot when I couldn’t take any more!”
“You did perfect,” Murdock told her. “Did you see the carving on her chest?”
“Yeah, I did,” she said with vehemence. “Bastards!”
“You know her?” he asked.
“Mei Lee Soong. She was always nice and on the quiet side. From ‘Frisco, I think,” Rose told him as she continued cleaning up the injured girl. “What’s up with Collier?” she asked after a few seconds.
“He has a carving on his forehead, and they cut o
ff his left thumb,” he told her. “If he doesn’t bleed to death, he’ll be okay.”
“Except for playing the piano,” Rose quipped.
Murdock chuckled as he went to tend the fire and check the prisoners.
“Get this arrow out of my shoulder,” Metzger demanded loudly.
“Sure,” Murdock responded, “Just as soon as you give us a thousand reasons why I should.”
“This is cruel and inhumane treatment!” Metzger objected.
“Well, then, it’s perfect. You two qualify as both cruel and inhuman,” Murdock replied without humor. “I got a news flash for you, shit-head! I’m the law out here!”
“Personally, it would be okay with me if the son-of-a-bitch bled to death,” Rose injected with nonchalance, still turned away. “I might even pay to watch.”
“Want to cover him while I retie him?” Murdock asked Rose.
“Sure,” Rose said with too much pleasure, retrieving the bow and an arrow. Metzger and Murdock could see the evil in her grin as she took up her position.
“‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,’“ Murdock whispered into Metzger’s ear while he untied the rope from his ankles. As he helped Metzger to his feet, Murdock kept tension on the rope around his neck. Once Metzger stood tall, Murdock secured the rope to the tree. “I wouldn’t slouch too much if I were you, fat boy,” Murdock said, patting the man’s small but developing paunch.
Rose relaxed after Metzger was secured once more and walked over to the fire with her back to Metzger.
“This just makes me livid,” she said to Murdock, who now joined her next to the fire, his back to Metzger as well. “I was really looking forward to hunting with my hubby. Instead, I have to contend with these two assholes!”
“Now, now, dear,” Murdock chided. “Didn’t your mama teach you to be kind to dumb animals?”
“Yeah, but Dad taught me rabid dogs are to be killed on sight,” she responded with venom.
“So, what do we do with them?” Murdock asked Rose, loud enough for the prisoners to hear, winking at her in conspiracy.
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