by Taylor Lee
Wyatt said, “Get Theresa.”
Chief was already out the door and had gone in the children’s’ room.
Theresa came in, pale and shaking, her face splotched from crying.
Wyatt motioned her to sit in the chair across from him.
“Tell me everything you know about Millie.”
Theresa’s eyes grew wide. “Is she dead? Did you find her? What about…” With that she burst into tears and buried her face in her hands.
“No, Theresa. We think Millie was involved with whoever took Nicolas Deshi. Please tell me everything you know about her. How she came to our house.”
“Oh, my God! Millie? Millie took Deshi? I don’t understand… Oh, my God, I didn’t know—oh, my God.”
Lei stopped her with a firm voice.
“Theresa, this is not about you. I hired her. You did not. Tell me how you first met her.”
Theresa’s voice broke. Tears flooded her face as she struggled to look at Lei. In a voice choked with sobs, she said “Remember… right after Wyatt decided to run, we knew we were going to need more help with the children. I asked some of my friends at church if they knew anyone. The next day she showed up and, and… she seemed perfect. She was a little simple, she had no education. But she has young brothers and sisters and has taken care of children all her life… She… seemed like she loved…”
Lei, said, “Theresa is right. This is hard to believe. The children loved her, and she was good with them.”
Bai began to speak in rapid Chinese.
Wan said, “Tell them all in English.”
Bai nodded.
“I have seen Millie many times at the saloon. On weekends, she is often in the back room with Charlie Morales. I think she may have a room there.
Lei’s face went white. She sprang to her feet, her eyes wide with shock.
“Oh, my God. Dear God.”
Both Wyatt and Wan moved toward her.
She stared at Wyatt. Her lips were trembling. He reached out to hold her.
“What, Lei? Tell me.”
“Oh, God, Wyatt, I should have told you. I thought I could handle it. I didn’t want you…” She closed her eyes and tears spilled down her cheeks.
She sobbed, “I want my baby. I want him now!”
~~~
Minutes later after she told Wyatt what she had avoided telling him, he held her tightly as she cried, disconsolate sobs. He turned to Chief.
“Find Millie. Find her now.”
Wan stepped between them. Bai and Nianzu stood beside him.
“Wyatt, let me handle this. Chief and your men need to stay and protect you and Lei. Let us do this. It will throw them off if they think we are out looking for the kidnappers. They will think we bought the Chinese gang story—that we’re after the Rongue. You know I will die before I let anything happen to Deshi.”
Wyatt saw his pain and the controlled fury in Wan’s eyes. He nodded in agreement.
~~~
Charlie sat puffing on his cigar, his fat face contorted in what he might of thought was a grin.
“Eight fucking years. Eight long fucking years. That’s all it’s taken to get that fucking son of a bitch. By god, it’ll be worth every minute when we package up that little Chink-breed. What the hell do you call him; a mixed up piece of shit like that? Yep, God, what I would give to see their faces when they open the box. Wonder if Wyatt will recognize any of the clues? What he did to us? Do kids that size even have balls? Guess we’ll find out, won’t we?”
He chortled and almost choked on his cigar, he was laughing so hard.
Dirk threw him a cautious glance. “Are you sure you have him in a safe spot? You know those Chinks are smart, even if they are animals. Hell, probably because they are animals! But you know, Millie isn’t the brightest slut in town.”
Dirk sneered at the thought of Millie. Her willingness to do whatever any of them wanted. Anything to please.
Charlie’s voice was harsh. “Matt and Kirk are there with her. Goddamn it, Dirk. Millie knows I would cut her in pieces if she didn’t do what I told her too. Christ, she’s been spreading her legs for me since she was twelve years old. Course I had to force her a little at that point. God, I remember when both her pussy and her ass were tight. Remember that, boys?”
Paul chortled. “Guess that’s what six years of being double or triple fucked every other day will do to even a tight piece of ass. Christ, Matt told me she even lets those Chinks who ride with Wan have her. Goddamn, that’s what you call givin’ it away! Almost makes you want to hose her down before you fuck her. In case she has Chink in her cunt.”
Charlie’s face creased with anger. It was the anger he had harbored against Lei for over a year. It was stoked every time he took a piss or a shit. Just this morning, he saw blood. As if he needed any more of a reason.
“Speaking of Chink cunt. I swear to God, I won’t rest until I’ve have that haughty bitch beggin’ me for more—just to get away from the rest of you. I’m gonna make her apologize thirty times every time I fuck her. But only after I’ve kicked her cunt up her ass.”
~~~
Paul didn’t wait to get to the crapper. Given the four beers he had in the last hour, he wasn’t up for the niceties. As soon as he stepped out the back door, he moved a few feet away and groaned with pleasure as his stream hit the side of the saloon. It was fitting that the last thing Paul did was not finish his piss. He stopped mid-stream as the strong arm choked him hard. A clipped voice said, “Thank you for taking your pants down. You have saved us the effort.”
With his hand tight over the terrified man’s mouth, Bai nodded to the five men beside him. Nianzu had a butterfly blade in his hand.
“Start with his left nut,” Bai said. “If he hasn’t told us where she is by then, Wangi, you take the right one. In the unlikely event he is a courageous cocksucker and holds out, I will cut off his dick. At least that way he won’t have to worry about finishing his piss.”
Paul struggled with all his strength, to no avail. Tears streamed down his face as he tried mightily to hold his legs together. Nianzu nodded to Wangi. They each took hold of one of his legs spreading them wide apart. His prick shriveled up protectively against his crotch.
Bai said in his refined English, tinged with his unusual French accent, “Now you cowardly bastard, on the count of three I am going to remove my hand from your mouth. If you scream—well, you know what will happen. If on the other hand, you tell me where Millie is, we can negotiate your release.”
“One, two, three…”
“She… she is…” and with great blubbering sobs he told them what they wanted to know.
Bai glanced to the shadows in the direction of Wan’s glowing cigarette. He nodded in response and turned back to Paul.
“I regret to tell you, but our leader will not allow us to negotiate with cowards.”
He held him tightly, his hand hard against his mouth, and nodded. Nianzu expertly removed his left testicle. A quick nod from Bai to Wangi and the right testicle joined the left on the ground. Bai held out his hand and took the blade from Nianzu. With a quick slash, he cut off Paul’s penis. As his body slumped, his screams stuck in his throat. Bai retrieved a thin wire cord from his pocket. He wound it tightly around Paul’s neck and twisted hard.
~~~
Wyatt, Lei, and Chief were huddled next to one another. Tom was pouring four glasses of bourbon when Lei took Wyatt’s hand and said, “Wyatt, look at me.”
Her voice and her face were fierce. She saw the shattered look on his face. She remembered vividly when she had seen it last. It was several years ago. He had horrified her with stories of his life before Chief found him. When he was seven years old. Even with all the violence she had seen in her life, she had never known the evil men would do to children. She promised herself and made him promise that he would bury those images deep, smother them with her love. They both almost succeeded—until now.
She sat up straight and took his face in her hands.
She ignored the tears running down his cheeks and held his face tight.
“No, Wyatt, no. That is not happening to him. Do you hear me? That is not happening. He is safe. Do you understand? Do you? Answer me! You need to believe me!”
She held him tightly, fiercely, until with a great effort, he sighed and nodded. He took her hands from his face and held them. Then leaned over and kissed her.
He stood, his tears drying on his face. He said to Chief in a quiet voice, “Where’s Alono?”
“Why?”
“I need my brother.”
~~~
They tethered their horses five hundred feet away and moved soundlessly to surround the log cabin. Following hand signals from Bai, they closed in on the two men sitting on the step smoking and talking.
“How much longer till Charlie gets here?”
“Dunno. Hope he’s not too drunk. I can do with killin’ the kid. But Charlie’s got big plans. I heard him and Dirk. They’re gonna torture the shit out of that little kid before they kill him. Damn, it’s gonna be hard to watch. Christ, it’ll be bad enough watchin’ Dirk get his rocks off. I never did understand what he sees in kids. And Christ, this one’s only three years old. But, yeah, the shit’s gonna fly tonight.”
“You think Charlie is finally gonna take out the cunt, Millie?”
“Yeah, Matt, if you want a fuck for old time’s sake, you should take her now. She’s not gonna make it through the night. Charlie’s got some cockeyed idea that it’s gonna look like her and some of the Chinks did it.’
“Where’s he getting Chinks?”
“Perhaps we’ll do,” Bai said jerking Matt’s head back with a stranglehold as Nianzu struck Kirk across the back of the neck, driving him to the floor.
As Matt watched in terror, Nianzu pulled a short-handled hatchet from the back of his belt and drove it deep in Kirk’s skull. Matt didn’t have long to contemplate the horror. Bai reached behind his back. With a practiced overhead swing, he split Matt’s skull, leaving the signature hatchet buried deep in the bone.
Kicking the bodies to the side, Bai motioned again. The group moved forward in tight formation.
Bai knocked lightly on the door. Millie opened the door, an expectant smile on her face. Her eyes widened in surprise and then terror as the group of Chinese men rushed in. She would have screamed, but Nianzu had his hand over her mouth. With the other arm, he lifted her off the ground. He dragged her kicking and struggling toward a chair at the table. Wangi came from behind with a rope. In quick circular movements he bound her to the chair, from her neck to her feet. Nianzu removed his hand, pulled a bandana from his back pocket and gagged her tight.
The rest of the men quickly surveyed the rooms. Bai called out and motioned to the bed in the back of the room. The group separated to let Wan through. He stepped up to the bed and saw Deshi curled up asleep under the covers. He had his thumb in his mouth and made an occasional sucking sound. There were bruises on his face. His shirt was dirty, streaked with blood. Otherwise the child appeared to be unhurt.
Overcome by emotion, Wan turned his back to the group and stood close to the bed, staring out the window, his hand on Deshi’s shoulder. After a moment of silence, without turning around, he said, “Find out.”
Millie was crying in gurgling sounds behind the gag. Her eyes were filled with fear, her terror was obvious.
Bai sat down across from her. His voice was soft, conciliatory. “Nianzu, I do not believe we need this gag. Millie seems to be having trouble breathing. Please remove the gag.”
Nianzu untied the gag. Millie took big gulping sobs, gasping for breath. She choked on the blood in her mouth.
Bai reached into his pocket and took out a clean silk handkerchief. He carefully wiped the blood and mucous from her nose and mouth. Then he wiped the tears from her eyes. He stood up and tossed the handkerchief in the trash, turning away from her to mask his distaste.
He sat down in front of her and held her gaze. He spoke in a quiet reassuring voice, tinged with his pleasing accent. “Is that better now? Would you like me to loosen these ropes? Yes? Well, I will do that. First, I want to ask you some questions. Yes?”
She nodded, afraid to speak, her lips trembled. Her eyes were wide with fear.
“You know me, Millie. You and I have even romped a few times in the barn, haven’t we? Yes?”
When she nodded, he smiled at her, as though remembering something pleasant, but his eyes were narrow, hard.
“Let’s talk about what happened today. Did you take Deshi away from the rally? Yes? Okay. And where did you take him? The hotel? I see. Why did he go with you?”
“I… I told him his momma said he needed to change his shirt. He spilled milk on it. We went to the hotel. I pretended I was going to take him up to their room, but the men were waiting in the hall. They took him out the back door. They made me come, too.”
“I see. Did they hit him? Yes? Hard? Yes? Enough to knock him out? To make him be quiet? Mm hmm. I see. Did they hit you? No? Okay. You went with them because you knew them? Correct? Hmm, right. And then you came here? You have been here since you left the hotel? Yes?”
He lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair with a slight smile when he saw her begin to relax.
“I’m curious, Millie. How did you get your job at Wyatt’s ranch?”
“Charlie got it for me.”
“Charlie Morales, the guy who runs the Back Door Saloon?”
“Yes. I’m his special girl. He takes care of me.” She smiled a shy, proud smile, remembering Charlie.
“Did you tell Lei or Wyatt or Theresa – anybody at the ranch, that Charlie got the job for you?”
“Oh no! Charlie said he would do the bad things to me if they found out. No, all I had to do was take care of the children. I liked it. Lei and Theresa were nice to me. Theresa gave me some new clothes. I got to eat at the big table with the family. Lei told me I was good with the children. I am, you know. I wish I could have stayed there. It was nice.”
“What did you do on your days off? Did you go back to the saloon?”
She frowned. “Yes, that’s where I live. I told you. I am Charlie’s special girl.”
“Did Charlie have you do anything else at the ranch?”
“No, I was supposed to take care of the children and listen.”
“Listen?”
“Yes, so I could tell Charlie what they were going to do. You know, what Wyatt was doing, where Lei was, things like that. I listen good. Nobody knows I’m there and I listen so I can tell Charlie. Charlie doesn’t like Wyatt or Lei. He says bad things about them. I told him they were nice to me, but he said it was because I am stupid.”
Bai looked over at Wan who continued to stare out the window, but gave a slight hand motion.
“Millie, did anyone hurt Nicolas Deshi today? Other than when they hit him at the hotel to make him be quiet?”
“Umm, a little. When we got here, he wouldn’t stop crying. He wanted his momma and daddy. He kept saying he didn’t want to be here. He didn’t like it. But Kirk and the men laughed. They thought he was funny. But when he kept crying, they hit him, to make him stop.”
“They hit him more than once? Yes? Hard? Yes? Is that why he has blood on his shirt? Mm hmm.
“Did they touch him, Millie? You know, his private parts? Under his pants? No?”
“They… they said that only Dirk likes boys that little. He likes their dangle things, but Dirk wasn’t here. He’s coming soon, though, with Charlie.”
“Okay, Millie, a couple more questions. Did Charlie tell you what he was going to do with Nicolas Deshi?”
“He said he was going to wrap him up in a special box and give him back to Wyatt and Lei.”
“Hmm. Did Charlie give you anything? A present, anything nice for helping him bring Nicolas Deshi here?”
“Oh, yes. He gave me this locket I’m wearing. Can you see it on my neck? It’s not real. But it kinda looks like gold.”
“So that’s the
price of a ticket to hell these days,” Wan said as he turned staring at the young girl who was smiling up at Bai. Wan caught Bai’s gaze and nodded.
Bai stood up and moved toward Millie. With one hand he grabbed her by her hair and jerked her head back. With the other hand he pulled a wire from his pocket and whipped it around her neck. With a quick twist, he strangled her to death.
~~~
Wyatt and Chief entered the reservation, followed by a cadre of Caballeros. Wyatt turned to the men. “We’re safe here. Please wait for us here.”
He and Chief dismounted and went into the ramshackle shed that served as the reservation saloon. They saw Alono at one of the tables. He was with two other young men, talking quietly. When they saw Wyatt, both of the men stood up and moved aggressively toward him. Their faces darkened with anger.
Alono shook his head and waved them back. He stared down at his beer. The men stood where they were until Chief stepped up and motioned them to move to a nearby table.
Wyatt and Chief sat down at the table across from Alono. Alono didn’t look up. The ugly bruises on his face were visible. Wyatt’s heart lurched at the sight of the blotches that spoke to the damage beneath the skin. Joey and Chief had pushed the bone fragments back together as best as they could and bandaged them in place. The reservation healer had augmented their work. Someday he would be as handsome as he was before. For now, he looked battered and worn. A wave of remorse welled up in Wyatt. He smothered it. He would deal with that later.
Wyatt lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair.
“I need you, Alono. I need you to come back and help me.”
Alono didn’t look up.
“You are my brother. I need you with me.”