“You have an interesting moral compass, Xavier. You openly cheat on my sister, while admitting fantasies about this wench’s little Mexican sister,” Everett mocked.
“Cattie? What are you talking about?!” Honor asked, stepping further away from the buggy.
“As said, you admit to your fantasies,” Everett continued, without paying any mind to her question. “Yet you have no problem killing that pipsqueak scientist who first told us about that fortune at Cedar Ledge and you didn’t have any trouble sawing that bridge up to send old Whip to the bottom of that ravine! Yet now you are balking at dispatching this one, now that she’s served her purpose?”
Honor stopped moving immediately. She turned to stare at both with raging emotions surging up her spine.
“You … you cretins hurt Daddy?”
“Please, please, there is no time to go into it with you, Miss Wilde. You have a date with your own suicide,” Everett dismissed her with a wave of the gun towards the towering falls of Splendor Point. “I think the family will conclude the stress you have been under is what caused you to throw yourself off Splendor Point to the base of the falls. Like I said, I chose this place for a reason. Appears to have been the correct course of action.”
Honor followed the direction of the gun with her eyes. The towering falls churned out water that rolled downwards with deafening splattering sounds.
“Listen now! Yeah, I didn’t have no problem killing that little fella. What’s he to me? As for Whip, he sent my brother to a twenty-year stretch in the prison over by McClatchy, so I didn’t care about what happened to the judge, but this little lady … she don’t deserve this!” Johnson stepped forward, staring distressingly at Everett and Honor.
“So, predictable … you’re thinking with your dick again, aren’t you?” Everett said, rolling his eyes, “Fine. You want to have a little fun with her before I put her over the edge, be my guest! But she’s dying.”
Just then, a loud rustling sound from a small tree nearby at the edge of the cliff, filled the air, distracting them. The air exploded with the sound of roots being yanked from the earth and the trio watched as the tree the wind had snatched from the ground toppled over the side disappearing from view.
“If you are going to do it, better be quick!” Everett warned. “We can’t stay out here much longer.”
“I … I …” Johnson slowly shuffled forward, looking down at Honor’s impressive bosom. His eyes lingered long on her lush lips and visible cleavage before he began to stutter. “She … she is beautiful, ain’t she? Never laid with no slave before.”
“And you would not be with me!” Honor hissed, irritated. “And you never will, no matter what. I would gladly jump off that ledge myself before I’d lay with the likes of you! Have you ever heard of something called a bath?!”
Johnson stepped towards her angrily, feeling insulted and looking like he could tear off her clothes and take her right there and then, but suddenly stopped when his eyes caught movements in the distance.
“You can forget about killing her. The jig is up,” he moaned, alerting Everett. “Looks like we’ve got two riders coming up fast from the direction of Cedar Ledge. It’s got to be the lady Pinkerton and one of the others!”
“There is always time to kill her! I’m going to put her over the edge now!” Everett scowled, pointing the gun at Honor and stepping towards her.
“You can’t do it, Hale! You just can’t go and kill her!” Johnson yelled, stepping towards Honor.
In silence, Everett’s eyes moved from Honor to Johnson and then back to Honor. She watched in shock as he suddenly pointed the revolver at Johnson and growled the words, “I can do more than that. I can start with you!” before blasting Johnson in the chest with a single shot. Johnson staggered back, great shock passing across his face before his body went over the edge and vanished.
“Saves me the trouble of doing that later,” Everett spat on the rocky ground. “No need having to worry about his cut now. Besides, my sister will probably be happy to be free of that cheating …”
Honor had gotten her attack window and she wasn’t about to lose it. Seeing that he was distracted by Johnson’s murder, she quickly lunged towards Everett with his pen she still held. Blood spurted in all directions as she buried it in the side of his neck. A howling Everett dropped the gun immediately wracked with pain. Honor quickly kicked the gun over the side of the cliff and turned to run, but Everett wasn’t letting go easily.
“No, you don’t, you bitch!” he bellowed, grabbing her by the arm and quickly flinging her over the edge.
Honor’s scream filled the air while gunshots erupted around Everett. Cursing, he scrambled about, avoiding shots as he dashed towards Johnson’s horse, quickly mounting it. Cassandra and Catalina rode up towards the cliff and leaped from their roans just as his took off. They let him go, crying out in pain after witnessing Honor going over the edge seconds ago. Catalina collapsed to her knees immediately, tears uncontrollably running down her smooth cheeks.
“No! Oh, my God, Cassie! I can’t believe we’re too late. That monster killed Honor!” she cried. “She’s gone! Honor’s gone!”
Cassandra stood stock still, completely at a loss for the first time in her life. She glanced at a distance where Everett’s horse was quickly becoming lost from view and wondered if everything would have turned out different if they had left Cedar Ledge earlier.
“I … I … I should have …” she stammered, reaching up to wipe a tear away from her eye.
“HELP! Will someone please kindly get me out of here!”
“Was that …?”
Cassandra exchanged a quick look with Catalina, certain that she had just heard Honor’s voice. Catalina jumped to her feet, looking stunned and hopeful at the same time. They rushed towards the edge immediately, peering over. Wedged between some jagged rocks not far below was the small tree that had blown over earlier and tangled in the branches was a barely conscious and bloody Johnson. Honor, on the other hand, was bear-hugging the trunk.
“Honor!” Catalina yelled excitedly.
“Were you all expecting someone else?” Honor yelled above the sound of the thundering falls.
Cassandra’s face had become one of relieved joy in response to Honor’s brashness, laughing she teased, “I was going to miss that attitude when I thought you were dead,” she smiled down at her sister.
“I might still be if you do not quicken your pace, thank you very much! This tree could go at any minute!” Honor screeched the pair.
“Cat!” Cassandra called out with undisguised urgency.
“I’m on it!” Catalina called out, already retrieving a coil of rope from her horse. She immediately tied it to Everett’s buggy and tied the other end around her waist.
“Stop moving, you foolish brute!” she heard Honor Elizabeth shouting.
Johnson was thrashing around in agony, causing the tree to gradually dislodge from the rocks. An aggravated Honor scowled at him, begging Cassandra with her eyes that they should rescue her faster.
Catalina handed Cassandra the rope just in time while Cassandra quickly began to lower her over the edge until she was even with Honor.
“Reach for me, Honor. Let go of the tree and reach for me!” Catalina ordered as soon as she was at arm’s reach.
“Alright!”
Any attitude Honor had was now gone. She obediently reached out for Catalina’s arm, but the tree suddenly began to give way, making it an almost impossible task. Johnson, in his last death throes, had begun to shake violently now, giving the tree a final shove until it dislodged and began to plummet downward.
“Cattie!”
In a last bid to save herself, Honor leaped for Catalina, wrapping herself around her. Catalina was totally prepared too, swinging purposefully towards her sister and catching her in a tight embrace. They swung back and forth, watching as the tree and the frail body of Johnson went down into the roaring maelstrom far below, before their human pendulum came to a sto
p.
“I have to say I wouldn’t mind women who weren’t my sister, throwin’ themselves my way like that,” Catalina joked sheepishly to hide her relief.
Honor threw back her head in laughter, completely grateful. “Honey, from what I understand, that is not a problem for a little cutie like you!” she said breezily. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! You saved my life! You too, Cassandra,” she cried out, ebulliently kissing Catalina’s cheeks.
“Uh … where is Cassandra?” Catalina asked, looking up.
As if on cue a delighted Cassandra suddenly appeared at the edge a second later, peering at them and pointing behind her.
“I just tied my rope to Cat’s horse,” she explained. “You take this, Honor, and I’ll have him pull you up!”
She threw another rope down to Honor who caught it without sweat and was quickly pulled up. Catalina, lighter now, began to climb up her rope, rolling over the top of the cliff in time to see Cassandra giving Honor a quick hug before she leaped on her horse.
“Where are you going?!” Catalina demanded.
“Where else? There is the small matter of one Mr. Hale Everett. He’s not going to get away with trying to murder two Wildes while I’ve got a breath in my body. He couldn’t have gone far in this wind!” she yelled, slapping her horse.
Happily, she nodded at Catalina. “I think you might have some good news for Honor Elizabeth,” she said before charging off into the road with her horse.
“Peppercorn?” Honor asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Why does everyone have to call me that?!” Catalina called out looking skyward.
“Catalina Mercedes Wilde, what do you have to tell me?!” Honor questioned, throwing in the flourish of stamping her foot.
Catalina’s face brightened then. She jumped at the opportunity excitedly, glad to be the one to tell Honor the good news. “Papa is awake!” her grin was from ear to ear. “Papa is awake, and it looks like he’s going to be all right!”
Honor’s excited squeal trumped the howl of the wind just before she drew Catalina into a tight hug.
*****
Cassandra came to a halt at the edge of the town, staring skeptically at the open lands of the Los Mochis Flats. The wind-whipped landscape had slate grays skies of angry looking clouds above it like creepy canopies, while most of everything in sight had already been blurred by wind whipped sands. Taking out a small pair of binoculars that she had grown accustomed to using on some of her jobs with Pinkertons, Cassandra scanned the entire panorama until she caught what she was sure was the almost-obscured image of Everett on a horse.
“Sure enough that tiny speck has got to be the coward out on the Los Mochis,” she thought to herself, unsure of what to do next. “No one else would be stupid enough to venture out there on a day like this, unless they were running for their life. The question now is what do you call the person who follows such a stupid person out into hell? Well, I guess on this day, you call them Cassandra Wilde.”
“HEYAHHH!” she yelped, slapping her horse and charging out onto the desert without a second thought.
Meanwhile, out on the flats, Everett’s horse had slowed down to a trot before finally coming to an abrupt stop. Everett kicked its heels and shouted, yet the horse stubbornly decided not to proceed onward. Furious and afraid, Everett jumped down and began to curse at the brute.
“Damn you!” he yelled. “You have got to get your fire back. I’ll let you rest a moment, but then you must try again! You’ve got to get us back to Carter Creek!”
The horse didn’t seem like it wanted to listen, puzzled by suddenly having a new master. It stood still, refusing to glance at Everett. Everett stared behind him anxiously, his entire body freezing as he noticed the small figure of Cassandra charging towards his direction.
Flee, Everett. Run!
There was, however, nowhere to run to. Looking around wildly, he realized the entire land was barren except for an old dead tree that was jutting out of the sand to the south. There was also a large boulder beside the tree, but that was all; there was nowhere to hide.
“Damn it! Damn it all!” Everett swore. “No place to hide. I couldn’t even stage an ambush if I wanted to, thanks to that black bitch kicking my weapon over the edge. Least she got hers! Think quick, Hale. What are you going to do?! I’ve got nothing … nothing … except … yes!”
Everett quickly thrust his hands up in the air in surrender as Cassandra rode up and dismounted from her horse.
“Hale Everett, I presume?” she asked, drawing both of her guns on him.
“Of Carter Creek. Yes, ma’am,” Everett answered bleakly.
“Same Hale Everett that’s a gambling hall owner turned con man and attempted murderer?”
“Some of that could be considered opinion,” Everett bit his lips.
“Spare me the horse shit, Everett,” Cassandra lunged towards him angrily, stopping a few feet from him. “I saw you try to kill Honor Elizabeth with my own eyes back there at the point. She’s alive and well by the way!”
“What?” A shocked Everett exclaimed, his eyes blinking rapidly trying to comprehend.
“Never mind!” Cassandra dismissing the question as she cocked her double action guns. “Please give a reason not to take you back to face justice and just end this thing here and now!”
“I have another option! You just let me go, and I will hand this over to you right now!” Everett bargained. He slowly removed the contract from his pocket and held the folded document up in the air. “A fair trade … I get my freedom. I leave Arizona for good and you never see me again and you get your land back. Now what do you say? My freedom for this contract?”
Before he could even blink his ears suddenly rang with the sound of a bullet breezing by his head followed instantaneously from the roar of a single shot. Everett stared vacantly for a long moment, his eyes unable to leave the smoking gun in Cassandra’s hand.
“What contract?!” Cassandra asked, grinning unashamedly.
Everett glanced at his hand now, noticing that the contract was gone. She had blasted a big hole into the paper with a single shot, jerking it out of his hand into the blowing wind.
“You bit---“
Everett was distracted by a thundering roaring noise before he could let out another curse. Cassandra also glanced sideways, following his gaze northward at an enormous sand storm that was quickly sweeping towards their direction.
“Well, that’s it, Wilde! Are you glad you followed me out here now? We are both done for now! There is no escaping that!”
Cassandra wasn’t listening. She whirled around immediately, looking for a way they could both survive the looming danger. She slapped her horse, instructing it to run towards its safety while she handled her own safety.
“It was worth the risk, since it meant not letting you get away!” she finally glanced over her shoulder simply telling Everett the truth. With that done she turned her attention to the terrain.
“Over there,” she shouted afterwards, pointing towards the boulder and the tree. “Come on, those are the only bits of shelter!”
Everett grabbed a coil of rope from Johnson’s horse and slapped the animal off, but the stupid horse still wouldn’t move. Hissing, he left it there and raced beside Cassandra towards what passed for shelter.
“The tree is mine!” Everett shrieked, quickly wrapping the rope around it and himself. “I’m not going to be blown out there to drown in sand!”
Cassandra shook her head at him, quickly kneeling on one side of the boulder and reaching in her pockets for her bandana. “You know I have my guns, Everett,” she taunted, “I could have taken that rope for myself from you if I wanted to! Just wanted you to know your fate has been completely in my hands since I set out after you.”
“I’ve got nothing to say!” Everett shouted with a malicious sneer. “That storm will be here in minutes. Maybe both of us makes it, maybe one of us … or maybe we both die out here!”
“Maybe. Since this gam
e is up, why don’t you spend the last minutes we’ve got and tell me what the hell this was all about? What’s so special about that land that it has led to this?” she asked.
Everett shook his head stubbornly, spitting towards her. “The hell with you! I’m telling you nothing!”
“Fine. I’ll end it for you right now!” she threatened, leaning out from her position and pointing both guns at him.
“Wait! Wait! I’ll tell you about that fortune you’ve got growing on the edge of the Rock River!” Everett yelled, putting up both hands in surrender again.
“Go on,” Cassandra yelled at him.
He opened his mouth then, telling her everything and shocking her with every word that left his lips. Cassandra got angrier at him the more he spoke, unable to believe how such greed could be the sole reason why he was willing to kill her father and sister. As soon as he was done, she closed her eyes for a few seconds, unable to fathom the right judgment for his boldness.
When she opened her eyes, she leaned forward again, redrawing the guns towards his direction.
“What are you doing?” Everett screamed wildly. “I told you! You can’t shoot me in cold blood! Nobody appointed you judge, jury, and executioner!”
“Perhaps not! I’ll leave those roles up to nature itself!” Cassandra retorted.
She aimed and shot several times at the ropes holding Everett to the tree until he fell forward, untethered. Everett screamed at her, but his words were lost in the cyclone roar of the sandstorm that instantly came upon them. From her position, Cassandra watched as Everett was knocked to the desert sands, his body tumbling away. He struggled to his feet at first, slowly fighting the wind to trudge back towards the tree, but he was no match for nature.
Cassandra’s eyes went wide as the storm aggressively pushed him backward. Suddenly, his frenzied horse, finally free of its stupor in the face of the fierce nature on display, began terrified whinnying. An extra strong gust hurled towards it, sending the large mount tumbling on its side towards Everett like a juggernaut, striking the gambling den owner hard with its sturdy body before crushing him underneath its weight. Both were instantly swept away in the maelstrom.
The Wildes of the West #1: The Daughters of Half Breed Haven: Old west fiction of action adventure, romance & western family drama (The Wildes of the West/Half Breed Haven) Page 21