The Reinvention Of Rudd Carter. A Western Action Adventure Novel

by R. L. Davis

  “Because I do enjoy it. We’ve been sent out here to rid the world of these evil bastards.”

  Günter was still holding the knife in his right hand as the man on the ground choked, wriggled, and sputtered blood in the last seconds of his life. He plunged the knife deep into the heart of the dying man. “Do you think for one second if this son of a bitch had you in this same position he would have gone easy on you? He would have cut your balls off, stuffed them in your mouth, beheaded you, and left you with your head on your chest for your friends to find. These are the most murderous, vicious sons-of-bitches in the world, and because of that, yes, I enjoy being judge, jury and executioner. Someday, the same opportunity to dish out retribution to some degenerate, depraved person the earth would be better off without will fall to you. I hope you remember this event when it does.”

  Rudd knew that Günter was right. There was no mercy to be given or taken with these pirates.

  Back on the ship that afternoon, the scouts gave their report. None had seen any preparation for defense at the camp. Based on the reports that there were at least two hundred and fifty men at the camp, the colonel decided that a full-out armed assault, with machine guns, mortars, grenades, the whole works, was called for.

  That night they surrounded the three sides of the camp not fronted by water and dug in, zeroing in on the wharf from each side with machine guns and setting up a semi-circle of mortars, riflemen, and machine guns on the landside. They covered every possible angle of escape.

  When the activity in the camp came to a halt and the lamps were out, in the moonlight Rudd saw a man climb an empty lookout tower. Reaching the top, he rolled and lit a cigarette and was immediately struck in the throat by an arrow. Colonel Jeffers gave the signal for the mortars to commence firing their rounds in two-second intervals into the pirate huts.

  Pandemonium broke out as the pirates poured out of their huts and began to run, only to be cut down by traversing machine gunfire. Two of the mortars shot flares overhead, illuminating the entire camp so that the riflemen as well as those firing machine guns had good visual access. This allowed the mortars to zero-in on the boats at the wharf, destroying them before they could be untied. Pirates who weren’t hit running for the wharf jumped into the water and attempted to swim to safety. A dozen or so escaped, but with no arms or supplies to sustain them.

  When the firing stopped, Colonel Jeffers gave the command, “Put everyone to death except two, who I’ll need for interrogation.”

  Executing anyone still breathing, the raiders moved through the camp quickly with pistols or knives and encountered no resistance. Rudd and Günter brought two prisoners to Colonel Jeffers for questioning, bound and gagged, their feet manacled, led by ropes tied around their necks.

  “I think these two are what you’re looking for, Colonel,” Rudd said. “They both appear to be in fairly good shape. Would you like me to interpret for you, sir?”

  “If you will, Carter.”

  “I’m going to remove your gag,” Rudd told his prisoner. “If you cooperate, you will not be harmed. My colonel wants to ask you some questions. Just be truthful, and in a while, we will let you go.” He removed the gag from the prisoner’s mouth and turned to Colonel Jeffers. “He’s all yours, sir.”

  “Thank you, Carter. Ask him, how far he lives from here.”

  Rudd relayed the question to the prisoner and waited as the man responded.

  “About twenty-eight kilometers,” Rudd said.

  “Ask him if the other prisoner is his friend, and if so, do they live in the same village?”

  The answer came back, “Yes, they both live in the same village.”

  “Splendid. Now, tell him we’re going to release the two of them tomorrow with enough provisions to reach their village.”

  The next morning the two prisoners were taken aboard the ship. They sailed to each pirate camp that had been destroyed that week, and the prisoners were forced to witness the burning of the bodies of their fallen comrades. Returning to the fourth camp, they were given enough provisions for one day. Rudd took them ashore and left them with a message. “Remember well what you have seen here today. Go back to your village and tell everyone what you have witnessed.”

  Three days later, he was back in Hong Kong snuggling comfortably in his love nest with Ming Li, and once again toiling at the bank.

  Chapter Ten

  1897, Hong Kong

  After living in Hong Kong for five years and not hearing a word about Elizabeth, one morning a letter arrived from his mother.

  Dearest Rudd,

  I know you have languished for years over what became of Elizabeth and the child you sired with her. I want you to know I was never in favor of the way your father handled the situation. I wanted to send you to Canada to marry Elizabeth, but then there was your Uncle William to deal with, who is more fearful of a scandal than your father, if you can imagine. I know what I’m about to tell you will not make you happy, but perhaps it will help ease your mind to know what has happened to her.

  Elizabeth’s family sent her to Alberta to have the baby. Relatives took care of her and the baby until she finished school. At the age of eighteen, she married Robert McDonald, a high-ranking executive of the Carter Bank in Vancouver. They have three beautiful children, including your five-year-old son, James.

  We hear good things about you from Cousin Roger. You are sorely missed and are in my thoughts daily.

  All my love,

  Mother

  Although it hurt to think of Elizabeth with another man, he felt greatly relieved to learn of her whereabouts and to know that she was well. He tried to put the fact that she was with someone else out of his mind. It bothered him, but after all, he had been living with someone for the last five years.

  Rudd was offered a business trip to Vancouver by the bank, soon after he received the news about Elizabeth, and he accepted immediately. If he could see Elizabeth again, he felt he would be assured of her well-being. Also lingering in the back of his mind was the chance that there could still be something between them.

  After a long and exhausting voyage, he arrived in Vancouver. On his first morning at the bank, he looked up Robert MacDonald. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but I am your wife Elizabeth’s first cousin, Rudd Carter. I am going to be in Vancouver on bank business for the next two weeks, and I thought there might be the possibility of visiting her while I’m here.”

  “Oh, yes,” replied MacDonald, giving Rudd a proper handshake. “I remember, she mentioned you a few years back.”

  “We knew one another quite well, years ago in England.”

  “Of course. I’m sure she would enjoy seeing you, Mr. Carter,” MacDonald said, studying him for a moment. “Are you free for lunch this coming Saturday? It would be a pleasure to have you visit our home.”

  “Why, yes,” Rudd said, “that would be lovely. How kind of you. I look forward to it.”

  “Splendid. Drop by tomorrow, and my secretary will have directions for you.”

  Rudd wasn’t quite sure whether MacDonald was being friendly and receptive or simply courteous. At any rate, he would see Elizabeth on Saturday, five long days later. By the way MacDonald acted, he felt confident that MacDonald knew nothing of the true nature of his relationship with Elizabeth.

  Spending the rest of the week attending business meetings, he waited impatiently for Saturday to arrive, when he would at last see Elizabeth.

  Since the MacDonald home was within ten blocks of the downtown area, Rudd decided to walk to his luncheon engagement. Elizabeth and her husband lived in an upper middle class neighborhood, which reflected Robert’s position at the bank. Rudd, quite impressed with the homes he walked past, felt good about the surroundings Elizabeth lived in.

  Being a few minutes early when he reached the house, and a bit nervous when he knocked on the door, he was not prepared for the sight of Elizabeth. Suddenly, the door opened and she was standing on the open threshold, even more beautiful and
radiant than when he last saw her.

  “Rudd, it’s so good to see you,” she cried out. “Come in.”

  As he entered, she closed the door, kissed him on the cheek, and led him into the living room. She showed him to a sofa and sat down next to him.

  “May I get you some tea?” she asked.

  “No, thank you.” He turned his head and listened for a moment. “I don’t hear anyone in the house. Where are your husband and children? Are we alone? I thought we were having lunch together.”

  Reaching over, she took his hand in hers. Her eyes welled. “My husband… thought it would be good, since we’ve not seen each other for so long, that we have a couple of hours alone together.” She hesitated again. “I feel so strange sitting here with you, feeling the way I do about you, talking about Robert this way. He is a very loving, understanding husband and father.”

  Rudd could see how difficult it was for her to tell him these things, and he was overwhelmed with his feelings for her. He fought to control himself and hear her out.

  She looked deeply into his eyes. “He has been very good to me, and I care for him very much. Before we were married, I told him about you and our son, James. I told him that I was still in love with you.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “And that I would always carry my feelings for you, but I didn’t know where you were or even if you were alive. I told him that I cared for him and thought he and I were good together. I said I would marry him if he could understand how I felt about you. He has known about you from the beginning. I think he thought you would fade away over the years, and I suppose I thought so, too.” She stopped to wipe her tears away. “But you haven’t faded a bit, and now that you’re here, I realize how strong my feelings still are for you.” She began to weep.

  “So when I told Robert I was your cousin from England, he knew that we were once lovers?”

  She nodded.

  “Amazing, he didn’t bat an eye.”

  She fought to stifle her tears. “When he told me you were coming today, I think he sensed my excitement and offered to take the children out for a while. Before he left with the children, he told me that he did not want to lose me, and he would fight to keep me. He said he knew in the end that we would do the right thing.”

  Rudd waited a few beats before asking, “Does James know anything about me?”

  Shaking her head slowly, she answered, “No. He thinks Robert is his father, and Robert treats him as if he were his own flesh and blood.”

  Holding her hand tightly, Rudd inched closer. “You have a good man there. Everything you tell me about him shows me how much he cares for you.” With tears in his own eyes, he pulled her to him and kissed her. “My God, you‘re so beautiful. I didn’t realize how much I missed you and what you still mean to me until this moment. I wake up with you and go to sleep with you. You never leave my thoughts. You’re always with me.” He hugged her and held her close for a moment. “I had no news and didn’t know what had happened to you until my mother wrote me a short while ago.” He sat back and drank in the vision of her. “I had to see you again and know that you were safe… and tell you that I have never stopped loving you.”

  He stood and pulled her to her feet, held her in his arms, and the two of them rocked back and forth, weeping together. Caressing her hair with his lips, he said, “I can tell by the way you are with me that what was once between us is still there and will always be a part of both of us. It makes me ache to think of life without you by my side.”

  “All you have to do is ask, and I will leave with you this afternoon,” Elizabeth cried out, tears dampening her face again.

  “I want to take you away with me for the rest of our lives, but the future of your family depends on what we do here this afternoon,” he said softly. “Could the two of us really just take off and abandon your children at such tender ages? How long could our love hold up against the guilt of such an act? Right now, what exists between us is pure and honorable and can remain so as long as we feel it and want it. There is always the future, but now is not to be our time together, and we both know it.” He drew her close and kissed her once more. He could feel her passion and knew she wanted him. He stepped back. “My darling, my angel, if I don’t walk out that door right now, I won’t be able to leave without you. Just know that I will always love you.”

  He turned and exited through the door and strode onto the street, feeling as if he had left his heart and soul behind. But at least he felt released from the anxiety of not knowing what had happened to her. The two of them could now get on with their lives with the knowledge that they still loved each other and would continue to do so for the rest of their days.

  He had thought that if he could see her once more, he would know she was all right, and that knowledge would somehow lessen the pain of losing her. Although with each step he took, the pain increased to the point of devastation. As he walked, he thought to himself, Aside from knowing she is well, it would have been better if I had never come here. Walking faster, he thought about setting sail for Hong Kong and returning to Ming Li. He knew now that he needed to be far from the sight, touch, and scent of Elizabeth. Over the years, the two of them would stay in touch, but it would never be the same. Never again would they relive the way it had been in their forest paradise long ago.

  Chapter Eleven

  June, 1900, Hong Kong

  Within three years of joining Colonel Jeffers’ paramilitary group, Rudd had participated in a dozen operations and distinguished himself as a soldier as well as a superior squad leader. He was promoted to the rank of Captain and commanded the respect of every man in the group.

  By now, he knew he had found his true path in life. Eventually, when the time was right, it would become his life’s work. Being part of a covert military organization where every operation differed from the previous appealed to him, contrary to working at the bank where every day was the same as the day before and every tomorrow would be the same as today, in an endless cycle.

  For the next two years, Rudd contented himself in working and advancing upward in the executive ranks of the bank. He found the days at the bank more and more tedious and boring, causing him to jump at any invitation he received to join a military expedition. He stayed at the bank because of the comfortable living it provided, but he looked forward to the day when the income from his military excursions and tournament fights would allow him to pursue these two lines of work exclusively.

  In the second week of June, 1900, Rudd received a note at his office from Colonel Jeffers, inviting him to his home for a meeting that evening. Arriving at the colonel’s home at eight o’clock, he was met at the door by a butler who led him to the drawing room to await Jeffers’ appearance.

  The colonel came right to the point. “You’ve no doubt heard of the Boxer rebellion?”

  “Yes. I’ve heard about it—but I don’t actually know much about it,” Rudd answered.

  “The Boxers are a group who originally practiced ritual boxing—not as a martial art—but as an activity associated with healing that has grown into a ritual to protect against the power of the Christians. They have become openly hostile, and clashes between the Boxers and Christian converts have broken out in the northern provinces. The Boxers now want all the foreigners driven out of China. The uprising has gotten out of hand in Northern China. Over forty missionaries and their families have been murdered in the provinces, and things are looking very bad in Peking. Admiral Seymour has made an attempt to reach Peking with two thousand troops, but the Boxers cut the rail line between Tianjin and Peking, forcing the admiral to withdraw. There are very few foreign troops in the area to fight the Chinese army if the Empress Dowager throws in with the Boxers.”

  Showing concern, Rudd began to pace. “Colonel, there must be a way to bring in relief forces to calm things down a bit.”

  “All of the foreign legations have called for help from their respective countries, but no one can get there for at least thirty days or more. This is why
I’ve called you to this meeting.”

  “How can I be of help, sir?”

  “The British government is asking me to send a covert military group to Peking to destabilize the Boxers as much as possible until reinforcements can get there. Rudd, to show you how much I want you to lead this mission, I am promoting you to the rank of Major with a healthy raise in pay. Pick your fifty best men. You will leave this coming Saturday morning.”

  Arriving at home that evening Rudd announced to Ming Li, “I have great news. I‘ve been asked to lead a mission to Peking. We’re leaving this coming weekend.”

  She embraced him. “As always, I will miss you while you are away. It pleases me to see you so excited about your coming adventure.”

  He didn’t tell her about being promoted to Major and the accompanying raise. He wanted time to ponder what this could mean for their future. The next morning, he went into work early, needing time to think things through. Sui Yen came into his office and found him looking anxious.

  “Is there something you want to talk to me about?”

  Rudd regarded Sui Yen for a moment. “Yes, there is. I need you to listen to me for a while. Today is a pivotal day for me. What I do by the end of the day will affect the rest of my life.”

  Sui Yen pulled up a chair and sat down. “I’m all ears; tell me about it.”

  “Yesterday, I was given a mission to take a paramilitary group to Peking to help with the Boxer situation. Colonel Jeffers promoted me to Major and gave me a generous raise.”

  “Well, this is good, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it is,” he said excitedly. “It’s what I’ve been waiting for. With this raise and the money I earn in fighting tournaments, Ming Li and I can live comfortably without the need for me to continue working at the bank.”

  “What is it you want from me?”

  “Your support. Unless you can talk me out of it within a few minutes, I’m going in and resigning.”