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)

by A. M. Van Dorn

  Cassandra shoved the bandana over her nose and mouth and quickly scrunched up in a small ball before the storm swept over her and the boulder. She considered her chances of survival, considering the cactus and boulders she saw tumbling past on either side of her, and realized that she only had an inch of protection on both sides that made for her chances for survival literally thin and she knew it.

  Expecting the worse, with her eyes slammed shut, her chest heaving she let the whirlwind take its toll.

  *****

  The once cloudy sky had cleared away into a completely blue one as the storm rolled on to the south. In it, a vulture swept about happily, momentarily distracted by the dark smudge to the south. Still enjoying its beautiful flight, the bird slowed, sighting other vultures in the same direction that had taken to the sky as well and were circling on high.

  Preparing to fly off to join its fellows, the bird’s attention was briefly caught by a smoke of sand far below to the west, where a line of riders was charging across the desert. Certainly not interested in the affairs of humans, the vulture flew off towards the south to join its kind.

  Beneath the excited layer, five horses galloped side-by-side, conveying Bright Feather, Dutch, Lijuan, Catalina, Honor, and Blue River. Dutch held up his hand as they approached the middle of virtually nowhere, wincing as he scanned the entire area with his binoculars.

  “Anything!?” Honor asked him, riding on the same horse with Catalina.

  Dutch glanced at everyone sadly, shaking his head.

  “The storm is just about out of sight,” Lijuan announced, looking southward. “But the fact that we can see it still means it must have been massive and she was caught out here. Damn her! Why does she have to think she can pull off everything?”

  “From what I have heard of your sister and from what I remember about her from years past, she is no stranger to being able to prevail,” Bright Feather said in encouragement.

  Her heartening words came at the right time. A ghost of a smile appeared on Lijuan’s face as she managed a sincere “Thank you, Bright Feather. I hope you’re right.”

  “This is the direction to Carter Creek. We must continue!” Blue River said, pointing forward.

  “Agreed! Let’s get movin’! We got a sister to rescue!” Catalina demanded, already slapping her horse into motion.

  The rest galloped after her, riding for a while before Lijuan suddenly hollered for them to stop.

  “Can you hear it?” she asked everyone.

  Dutch and the rest frowned at first, wondering what she was talking about, until though faintly at first, everyone could hear distant gunfire. Dutch snapped the binoculars to his face immediately, scanning around until he saw Cassandra standing on a half-buried boulder firing her two six guns into the air.

  “Cassandra!” an overjoyed Dutch shouted. “Off to the south! C’mon!

  Everyone turned southward immediately, galloping behind him and charging off towards her direction. A delighted Cassandra hopped off the boulder as soon as they dismounted their horses, allowing everyone to encircle her with a tight hug at the same time.

  “I’m glad you could hear my shots. It looked like you were going to ride on past me, so I knew I had to get your attention somehow,” Cassandra told them with unrestrained glee mixed with relief.

  “Worked like a charm, big sister,” Dutch said, shaking his head.

  Catalina was laughing as she walked up to her, pointing at her unruly hair, “Look at you. You are goin’ to be shakin’ sand outta that goldenrod hair of yours for a month.”

  Cassandra’s eyes took a funny swing up as if she could see the top of her own head. She gave it a shake and a seemingly ton of sand indeed rained down, rocking everyone with laughter.

  “I will admit I am looking forward to a hot bath and after that, an even hotter soak in the hot springs in the ledges behind the house,” Cassandra sighed.

  “Then I think it be best that we be getting you back there. You’re riding with me!” Lijuan said, hugging her sister once more.

  “Wait! Wait! Wait! I almost forgot. What happened to that dreadful Mr. Everett?” Honor asked, her eyes scanning the entire area around them. “I owe him for what he did to Daddy and my little foray over the edge of Splendor Point.

  Cassandra was about to say something but on second thought, she took out her binoculars, intending to scan the area with them. “No wait,” she said softly, putting hers away and reaching for Dutch’s more powerful ones. “May I borrow yours?” she asked.

  She looked southward with them, after he handed them to her, towards a small area that already had vultures excitedly descending from the sky.

  “Here you go, Honor Elizabeth,” she nodded, passing her the binoculars. “You, more than anyone, deserve first look. Focus in on where those vultures are landing.”

  Honor nodded vacuously and looked through the glasses wondering what it was that she was supposed to see. Her lips became a thin line as she noticed through the glasses far-off the flank of a horse exposed in the sand. A lone human hand also stuck up next to it and the vultures were already moving in on both dead meat. Honor lowered the glasses and glanced at Cassandra with a questioning look.

  “I guess of Mr. Hale Everett, I can only say … a Wilde always gets her man, one way or another,” Cassandra winked, squeezing Honor’s shoulder and saying nothing else.

  Cassandra gave them all a look they all knew was one of thanks and of her love for them before mounting up behind Lijuan, expecting a long ride back to Cedar Ledge.

  The others mounted their horses right after her, while a bemused Honor took one last look over her shoulder in the direction of Hale Everett before riding off with the family towards home.

  CHAPTER 10

  * * *

  The Present

  State of Arizona

  May 1913

  Cattie hurriedly pushed open the door to her bunkhouse. Allie towed behind her, looking overwhelmed as usual as various images of Wilde women and dicey missions filled her head. As if some part of the images were not disturbing enough, she still wanted to hear it all. There was no stopping her from getting every acute detail.

  “A Wilde always gets her man … one way or another,” Cattie remarked absently, stepping into the bunkhouse. “You know that was the first time any of us had ever said that … it became something of a thing with us. Whether we were dispatching a scoundrel like Everett or landin’ the, shall we say, attentions of the person we wanted them from.”

  Allie nodded, wanting her to never stop talking.

  “Now, enough of that for now,” Cattie said curtly, disappointing her. “We got your friend to save.”

  Allie’s heart became filled with guilt and worry immediately. She bit her lips as Cattie walked up to the mantle of the fireplace, sweeping her eyes from left to right. On the left, carefully hanging from the mantle were Cassandra’s six-guns, next was Lijuan’s hammer. Also, in the middle was Honor’s severe looking blade in its sheaf and at the right end was Catalina’s old and cracked bullwhip. Cattie snatched the hammer from the nails that were holding it and stared at the iron head lost in memories.

  “I was so focused on your family portrait earlier, I really didn’t notice those before,” Allie’s said to her. She didn’t have to look twice before she knew that all those weren’t just casual decorations. They were the sisters’ weaponry and surprisingly, they all looked exactly as she had imagined them.

  “You’re gonna notice them now!” Cattie said, turning to her. She snatched the holster with the twin six guns next, handing them to Allie. “Put this gun belt on. Careful now. Them guns is loaded!” she beamed. “Cass kept them loaded at all times and so do I in her honor.”

  “Aren’t you going to take one? Surely, you aren’t going to fight with that hammer, are you?” Allie asked.

  “No, I’m no Lijuan. This is for something else!” Cattie laughed.

  Allie wanted to ask her what she meant, but Cattie headed out of the house already. Hu
rrying after her and strapping the gun belt around her waist as she had been told, while marveling at just how heavy they were. Allie noticed that they were heading towards a building behind the bunkhouse. It looked like a small storage shed and appeared in slightly decent shape.

  Catalina brought Lijuan’s hammer down on the door lock as soon as they stepped towards the shed, destroying the padlock with a single wipe.

  “I have no idea where Dutch hid the key to this shed,” she called over her shoulder. “But it didn’t matter because I had no use for what he was keepin’ in here until now.”

  Allie didn’t bother to go into the small chamber with her. There was a brief tinkling sound before Cattie came right back out with a crate. She flipped the lid open and took out a stick of dynamite, smiling willfully at it.

  “Like I said before tellin’ that story about Quillan Dodge, haulin’ dynamite on his stage runs gave me an idea,” she said pleased with the development.

  “You know I’m from the east, so I have to ask—does every home in the west come with its own supply of dynamite?” Allie asked. Her eyes had become wide at the sight.

  Catalina shook her head, unable to stop laughing. “I like you, Allie Mastluehr! I see a lot of my wit in you!” she said. “No, Dutch got this a couple years ago. He was gonna blast some stumps over yonder to make way for a vegetable garden for Bright Feather, but …

  Suddenly, Cattie’s good humor faded and sadness washed over her beautiful bronze-skinned face. “But he got side tracked in his damn obsession that he was gonna restore Cedar Ledge to what it once was. Caused him to go off on that damn fool errand that cost him his life … and Rachel’s, too, it seems.”

  “What do you mean?” Allie asked.

  “He wasn’t on the Titanic comin’ back from some pleasure trip to Europe. He was pursuing a clue,” Cattie’s voice had taken on an angry edge to it.

  “I’d ask you to tell me more right now, but we have to do whatever your plan is to save my friend, Mr. Kincaid!” Allie felt as if she was going to grind her teeth to powder as she repeatedly clinched them.

  “Right, of course, young one. Hold up now … did you say your friends name was Mr. Kincaid?” Cattie asked, her face darkening slightly.

  “Yes, did I not mention before what his name was?”

  “No, come to think of it, you never did,” Catalina said very slowly.

  “He’s Connor Kincaid, a lawyer in Alamieda,” Allie blurted. “He’s said he’s never met you personally, but of course, he knew who you were. You’ve probably heard of him as well?”

  “Your friend is right. We certainly have never met, and you are right. I have heard of Connor Kincaid. Indeed, I have.

  “Is everything all right?” Allie asked, noticing that Cattie’s eyes had become distant.

  “Of course!” Cattie smiled, getting herself back together with a shrug. “Now, I’m going to tell you what we are going to do while we get back to Mr. Kincaid’s fancy automobile!”

  *****

  “Now, you are sure you can drive this infernal machine?”

  Allie rolled her eyes as soon as Cattie got into the seat behind her, asking for the second time if she could operate the car. Earlier, having found the automobile in front of the ruined Cedar Ledge ranch house, Allie had climbed behind the wheel and had instructed Cattie to turn the hand crank in front of the car before they ignited the engine to life. Obviously, that wasn’t enough to convince Cattie of her knowledge of cars.

  “I told you before my brother taught me how to drive,” Allie beamed.

  “That would be the same brother who went crash, bang, and was laid up for nearly a year?” Cattie asked.

  “Yes, Miss Catalina,” Allie said dryly under her breath.

  “Then I guess I better hope those kinda skills don’t run in the Mastluehrs!”

  “I am just glad he left the keys in the car,” Allie muttered, ignoring the older woman’s taunts and starting the car.

  Catalina put her hand on Allie’s shoulder to stop her before she could power the car forward. Allie watched as she frowned and turned to look at the derelict ranch house.

  “I try not to look at it too often. It’s one of those aches that once starts, is hard to make go away,” she whispered. “But right now, I can almost see my papa standin’ there in the doorway tellin’ me, ‘Go get ‘em, Peppercorn!’ and Allie, that’s just what we’re fixin’ to do here!”

  “Go!” she cheered, looking as excited as a circus monkey on the loose.

  For a moment, Allie could have sworn that the aged face melted into a younger image of a supple and fierce Catalina Wilde.

  *****

  “That’s good enough! You get on up out of there!” Barthalomeau barked.

  Connor finally stopped shoveling, taking his time to heave a long sigh before he turned around and stepped out of the grave.

  “So, what happens now? You are just going to shoot me and be done with it?” he asked, his voice gradually losing its pitch.

  “No, of course not, my lad.” Barthalomeau smirked.

  “You’re not?” Connor asked, hope glinting in his eyes.

  “Absolutely not. Someone’s got to bury this old coot first. Who better than you!”

  Barthalomeau laughed as soon as the hope disappeared from Connor’s eyes. He stepped towards him, making sure that he knew he had no choice in the matter because of the gun pointed at him.

  “Sorry to get your hopes up, lad. Sometimes, life deals you a bad hand. Now, jump to it!” Barthalomeau ordered.

  Before Connor could step towards the lifeless body on the ground, an automobile horn blared several repeated blasts, the sound of its engine growing louder with each passing second.

  “What’s happening?” Steeples asked, staring wildly about.

  “Damned if I know, Quincy. Sounds like someone is coming to the drill site. Word of our strike couldn’t possibly have gotten out already! Nobody knows about it but us! You men, watch him!” Barthalomeau barked, already heading out of the alcove.

  He raced out into the drill site with Steeples just as Allie drove the Oakland down the hill and to a stop in front of the derrick. She left the engine running, stood up and pulled out Cassandra’s six guns just as the men ran up towards her.

  “You gentlemen stop right there!” she yelled in her most formidable voice, pointing the twin guns at them.

  “Whoa now!” Steeples yelped, stopping in his tracks.

  “You with the top hat—Barthalomeau, is it? I know you have a gun on you! Slowly take it out from wherever you’ve got it and toss it away,” Allie yelled again, realizing how natural she actually was at this.

  “My dear lady, I have no idea what you are speaking off. What is this theater all about?” Bathalomeau’s agitated voice cut through the air.

  “I was just told a story where someone fired a warning shot … like this!” Allie roared, raising one of the guns into the air and firing a single shot that seemed to instantly get the men on their toes.

  Behind her, crouched down in the back seat, Cattie chuckled and in a muffled voice said, “You sure as sugar would have made one hell of a Wilde!”

  Allie’s face filled with pride and pleasure at the remark but pretended to ignore her, making sure that the men hadn’t been tipped off to her presence. She challenged the men once more with an unwavering stare, pointing the guns at their chests.

  “Throw down the gun like she asked!” Steeples insisted as he rubbed his hands together nervously.

  Having no other choice, Barthalomeau finally tossed his gun away and scowled at Allie.

  “Are you happy? Now what is this all about? If you think you are somehow going to jump our drilling claim …”

  “Tell your men to bring Mr. Kincaid out from behind the boulders right now!” Allie commanded, interrupting him.

  Both men exchanged glances, wondering how the hell she knew about that.

  “Now!” Allie yelled at them.

  “What insane asylum did you esca
pe from, young lady? I don’t know any Mr. Kincaid and we are certainly not holding him,” Barthalomeau boldly lied, refusing to yield.

  “Now, Miss Catalina! They are stone walling!”

  If the men were only teasing her that she was insane, they certainly believed it now. Their eyes went wide as Cattie suddenly sprung up from the back, the stick of dynamite in one hand and a lighter in the other.

  “Mother Mary, and Joseph! Who the devil is that?” Steeples said, moaning while taking a step back.

  “The crazy old woman who used to own this ranch!” Barthalomeau said bitterly

  “The only part you got right was me being old and once owning this ranch! I ain’t crazy, though. I will be of very clear mind when I light this stick of TNT and turn your oil strike into one of them—what do you call them—oh, a blowtorch. You won’t be pumpin’ anythin’ out of here with the fire burin’ up your precious oil!” Cattie spoke in taunting tone.

  “Oh no, stop!” Barthalomeau pleaded, raising both palms to calm the woman.

  “You want me to stop, then you do what the young lady asked and get Kincaid out here right now!” Cattie instructed. “And you make sure when he’s brought out the rifles, your men are left back there in one of those graves we saw you havin’ dug!”

  “They know everything! We’ve got to do what they say!” An already nervous Steeples cried out in surrender.

  “Then be quick about it!” Barthalomeau scowled.

  As if the devil was after him, Steeples ran into the boulder area and returned shortly with the oilmen and Connor. The lawyer looked around for a while, confused and delighted at the same time.

  “Miss Mastluehr! What are you doing here?” surprise mixed with pleasure ruled his face.

  “Thought you were a college educated lawyer?!” Cattie hissed. “Can’t you see she’s rescuin’ you?”

  Connor stared at Cattie for a second, his eyes trailing the edges of her hand until it rested on the dynamite.

  “Is-is tha-at dynamite?” he stammered.