The Reaper 0f The Rio Sangre: Special Edition HBH Version (Half Breed Haven Book 10)

by A. M. Van Dorn

  Honor Elizabeth screamed underwater, but she was finding new strength, fueled by her pain and horror of the situation. She reached for her gun but found it had slipped out, into the depths of the watering hole. So, she unclipped the strap on her knife, drew it, and slashed Valencia's arm. Her enemy screamed as well, and both women rose to the surface gasping for air. Honor had twisted around behind her adversary, and in a fluid motion, she put the knife to Valencia's throat, as Marquita stood gaping at the sight at the water's edge where she held Katie.

  "Put away your knife, Señorita Wilde, and let my sister go. Do that and I won't blow Katie's head off!" Marquita shouted at her. Treading water behind Valencia, Honor had gotten some of her breath back.

  “Let go of my friend, and I shall refrain from slicing your sister’s throat,” she called back.

  “Do as I say!” Marquita said.

  “Well, we are in Mexico, so I guess it was time for a Mexican standoff. You do as I say!” Honor shouted, moving the knife against the woman’s throat, and she groaned in fear. Katie started hyperventilating in Marquita’s grasp.

  “Please, Miss Honor, do as she say! Do as she say,” Katie gasped out. It was confusing to Honor to see her like that. She sounded like the easily scared eighteen-year-old that Honor had first met, and not the strong, forceful woman she had become over the last few years and shown herself to be on this trip. Honor could only chock it up to extreme fear.

  “Katie?” she began.

  "Oh, please, Miss Honor, please!" she gasped out and brought her hands to her breast in supplication. Then Honor saw her hand go inside her vest and bring out a derringer she thrust up in an attempt to shoot Marquita in the head. Marquita jerked to one side as the gun went off right next to her ear. Marquita shrieked in pain and let go of Katie. Without thinking and reeling from the pain she dropped her gun to cover her ears with both hands, dropping to her knees, rocking back and forth.

  Honor swiftly took her knife and struck Valencia with the butt hard enough to daze her and dragged her to the edge of the water. By the time she climbed out, Katie had scooped up Marquita's gun and was holding it on the woman who was still kneeling and trying to shake off the blast. Honor hurried over to Katie, and the woman handed her the gun as Honor grinned at her.

  “Since when did you start carrying a gun?” she asked.

  “Since I met a passel of sisters called Wilde,” she said returning the smile.

  “Well done, Katie, well done. Now go get Alvarez’s gun from Marquita’s saddle bag and keep it on Valencia,” she instructed, and Katie nodded, hustling off. Honor cocked her gun and kept it on the kneeling woman.

  “On your feet!” she told Marquita.

  “You colored bitches might have struck me deaf,” she snarled.

  "The sum of your own actions, my dear," Honor said politely, knowing it would just anger the woman more if she were polite. Katie returned with the gun and prodded Valencia to her feet forcing her to move over to stand next to her sister.

  “A pair of merchants, aye? What is your real game, ladies?” Honor asked.

  “I told you we should have killed them hours ago!” Valencia snapped.

  “That would have been foolish. Killing them and taking their money would have left half the money we could have made from them on the table,” Marquita said.

  “I knew that one was dangerous,” Valencia nodded at Honor. “She had that look about her that was clear,” she finished.

  “Señorita Wilde here, with tits like hers, along with that ass, is going to fetch a high price. Her pretty face is just icing on the cake. This other one isn’t as fetching but is still cute enough and should bring a decent price especially since she is young,” Marquita explained as if Honor and Katie weren’t there. Katie put the gun to her head.

  “What the fuck is you talking about?” she snarled at the two sisters. Honor glanced at Katie surprised. She herself made it a habit rarely use salty language, but then; she had to admit the pair in front of them had earned it as well as the viciousness she could hear in Katie’s voice. Honor was sure it was the anger at having been duped. She turned her attention back to the Mexicans because she too wanted to make sense out of what was said.

  “As my friend said, what are you two talking about?” she asked reasonably.

  “When my brother gets here he is going to take all the money you have and then he is going to take you both to the southeast coast of Mexico. He has friends there who engage in a particular trade of business. This time next week you both will be on your backs, on dirty mattresses in South America turning tricks for whoever buys you,” Honor and Katie looked at each other in astonishment, and then Honor looked to the horizon. She could see a dust cloud far off.

  “They come!” Valencia said triumphantly.

  “Alvarez?” Honor asked, and Marquita nodded.

  “Si. The whole thing earlier was staged so he could get ahead of us and let our brother, Fernando, know we had new prizes. Valencia was supposed to have discovered him stealing from you to make us more trustworthy, but you caught on with that bell trick.

  “You have done this before, many times I wager,” Honor said.

  “Usually we try and fall in with homesteaders heading south. Many Americans are lured to the lusciousness of Verde Abundante Valley. Of course, we never let them make it there. Our brother and the gang kill the men and take all they have of value. The women are sold into the trade,” Marquita answered.

  “Homesteaders? Children, too?” Katie asked sounding sickened. Honor didn’t blame her.

  “Our brother is not a sentimental man,” Valencia said smiling, leaving Honor to make a sudden decision.

  “Mount up, everybody. We do not have time for this,” She said in a tone that left little doubt that she expected to be obeyed.

  “They are ten, you are two. You cannot escape, Honor Wilde,” Marquita said.

  “You know me not! Get moving, bitches,” she snapped, feeling they warranted the profanity after what she had just heard.

  “Where are we going, Honor?” Katie asked.

  "That bluff we passed about a mile back. It will afford us higher ground. Now I said move!" she shouted at the two sisters pointing her gun at them. They mounted up, and the pair made the two sisters ride in front of them. As they rode Honor tried to figure out what to do. Play for time and use whatever came their way, was the only thing that came to mind. Also, she reminded herself, be ready for any eventuality.

  Arriving at the bluff, she slipped off her horse, looked up, and studied it for a moment before she unhooked a coiled rope from the saddle and looped it on her belt, thinking she may need it later. With that done she again turned her attention to studying the geography. Honor could see that only one side had any possibility of climbing up. There appeared to be a crude trail leading up. Whether it had been a bandit, Indians, or someone else who had made it she didn't know or care. She was just thankful it was there as the other three sides were sheer and not climbable. Honor ordered the others to dismount, and the group wrapped the reins of the horses around some short shrubs at the foot of the bluff.

  "Okay, ladies, up the trail. Do it and keep in mind, based on what you have said, we have nothing left to lose, and that means your value is becoming less and less to me. Move!" she snarled at them.

  They grumbled but started up the steep trail. Honor looked at Katie and winked at her. Her friend actually managed a slight smile, and that made Honor feel good. A smile could keep fear at bay, she had learned. They made their way up towards the top of the bluff. Along the way, the pair had to nudge and mildly threaten the ladies to keep them going, but once there, Honor looked around and handed Katie the rope.

  "Could you tie their wrists, Katie?" she asked passing her the knife as well. Katie nodded tersely and went to work cutting a few short pieces of the rope. Honor kept her gun trained on them, so they didn't try anything. They were both still cocky about their brother saving them. Honor glanced around, studying everything on top of t
he bluff. There were few things that might be of help. It was the size of one of Catalina's smaller cattle corrals on their ranch.

  Scattered about were the usual boulders that were so prevalent in the area. The biggest one, about the size of a wheelbarrow, was perched near the edge where they had come up. There was a lone dead tree in the center and several dead limbs lying on the ground under it. As she walked around, she saw she had been right. Three sides were a sheer drop. At least they knew where the enemy would be coming from. The same place they had. Katie and Honor crouched near the rim looking down as the ten men came riding up. The men began shouting and shooting up at them. They ducked down and would pop up to take a few shots to keep them back.

  “Get them! They have my sisters!” One of them shouted.

  “You cannot stay up here forever. Sooner or later you will run out of ammunition and our brother, and his men will come up for you. I almost feel sorry for how you shall be passed from man to man until every one of them has had their fill of you,” Marquita told them maliciously.

  “We have seen it many times before,” Valencia added. Honor grimaced. She could not understand how two women could be so cavalier about the brutal rape of other women!

  "I'm starting to wonder if we should have just up and killed these monsters back at the waterhole," Katie said looking at the two captives with loathing. Honor could absolutely understand the sentiment but didn't want to do it. It was probably exactly what would have happened if Lijuan had been there in her place. One of Honor's great worries in life was the streak of darkness she knew lay in her sister's heart. If only she could discover the cause and help her in some way. She loved her sisters so much she hated to think of one of them in distress.

  “If worse comes to worse, we might need them for bargaining chips. That is why they are still alive,” she said with a glare at them to shut them up.

  "Honor …" Katie began but paused as more gunfire came up from below. "I meant what I said before about starting to carry the derringer. It makes me feel safer when I drive the stage. Quillan, you know, he has been letting me do the route from Godspell over to Table Rock. He calls it a milk run because it's only five miles, ten round trip, but it's still my own run," she said proudly, looking to see Honor's reaction. Honor smiled big for her with a rush of good feelings for her old friend.

  “That is most wonderful, Katie. I am so proud of you,” she told her sincerely.

  “Anyway, I carry the little gun because that’s what you all used to help get us out of that scrape with the Wendells the day we first met. Ever since then, I’ve wanted to be like you Wildes, especially like Miss Cassie, and especially like you. Leastways until you done broke my brother's heart," she finished, and Honor felt herself blush slightly, understanding her feelings a little.

  "Katie …" she began but was interrupted by more shots ringing out. They both lay along the edge and peeked over, returning fire. Time went by, and the sun grew closer to the distant cliffs. It was hot, and the two prisoners had been quiet for some time.

  “They cannot come up, and we cannot go down,” Honor said conversationally, but she was deeply frustrated. Katie let out a deep breath.

  “Honor, let me try to divert them while you make a break for it,” Katie said. Honor was shocked at the idea of leaving her friend behind.

  “There is no way in hell that I would ever do that to you!” she said in her surprise.

  "I be the one who got us into this mess. It be me that agreed to join up with a group of people we didn't even know when all you was doing was telling me not to. I was just so pig-headed that I wanted to spite you. Now there be no sense in the two of us getting killed," she said forcefully. Honor looked at her friend and put her hand on her shoulder.

  “What you offered is something a Wilde would do, so maybe you are more like us than you realize, but it is still not going to happen. You are Quillan’s sister, and I am going to get you out of this alive!” Honor told her with a fierce grin and a nod.

  “Marquita, no!” Valencia shouted from behind her. Honor spun around as Marquita was kicking out at Katie and it sent her tumbling towards the edge.

  "Over with them!" Marquita shouted. Honor could see that Katie had not gone down the hill but was clinging to the edge struggling to get back up. Honor swung as Marquita got to her feet and rushed her and Honor hit her knocking her back.

  “Quick, Katie, you can get back up!” she shouted as she sidestepped Marquita’s rush, kicking her to take her back down next to her sister. Katie pulled herself up over the edge just then and rolled over onto her side.

  "Look out!" Katie shouted, and Honor saw a man come up after Katie explaining why no one from below had attempted to take a shot at Katie while she hung on the edge, lest they hit one of their own men. Grudgingly Honor gave they credit for their plan to sneak up as silently as they had while taking advantage of the struggle. Honor freed her knife and threw it piercing into the figure's heart that had just scrambled onto the top of the bluff with his gun drawn. Honor Elizabeth saw it was Alvarez!

  He stumbled for a moment, his face aghast before he toppled over backward and Honor ran forward. Peering over the edge, she saw Alvarez's body hit a second man that was climbing up behind him and both men toppled downward, bones breaking in both the living and the dead man. Instantly, Honor ducked back down as the shots began coming up again. Looking across the way she noticed the sun was about to disappear behind a distant mountain.

  “We have got to get out of here before they overrun us. It is just a matter of time. Think, Honor, think!” she said aloud to herself. She turned and gazed at the two angry captives. They were arguing.

  “That was foolish, Marquita! You were the one saying they were worth more to us alive than dead when I said we should have killed them!” Valencia bellowed

  “I don’t care anymore about their value. Besides, Katie was never going to fetch the same price our brother will get for the mulatto. I wanted her dead because my hearing in one ear has not returned. She may have deafened me for life. So, don’t tell me I was being foolish. Would you like to trade places with me?” Marquita snarled.

  “I would not want to trade places with you if you killed her and took money out of Fernando’s pocket. I suffered one of his beatings before. No, I absolutely would not want to trade with you,” Valencia answered her sister. As Honor listened to them an idea occurred, and she smiled, filling her with hope at their chances. Katie noticed Honor’s smile.

  “You got something in mind, don'tcha, Honor?” Katie asked hopefully.

  “As Cattie would say, I sure as sugar do!” Honor answered. She glanced up at the sky. “We just need to wait until dusk,” she said.

  RIO SANGRE VALLEY

  Mexico

  Catalina and Cassie raced down the valley until they came to a beautiful villa. The magnificent structure was of stucco walls and delicate archways with a slated roof. It said two things … this was a Mexican home, and someone with great wealth owned it.

  "There it is, Cass. The Hacienda Suarez! The lights are on, so I expect he's a-waitin' for us," Catalina said jumping down from her horse and starting forward.

  Cassandra jumped off Lily and both sisters tied their steeds to a railing.

  “Hold up, little sister. Something is off. It doesn’t feel right. The door is open, but there is no movement inside, no one coming to greet us. Let’s go in but quietly,” Cassandra said drawing one of her guns.

  As they moved forward, she noticed how quiet it was. No animal sounds, no music, just dead quiet. Every sense went on alert as they crept up the steps and across the porch. They entered the foyer and down a hall to the living room. As they crossed the threshold Catalina gasped at the horrific sight that met their eyes.

  Just inside the entryway, there was a man who appeared to be a servant who had been shot dead, in the back. A large puddle of blood pooled around him. Across the room was an even grislier scene. An elegant woman had been shot in the chest multiple times, and like the se
rvant, this woman was dead, draped across a baby grand piano. Suarez's wife? Cassandra wondered. Just beyond her were two more bodies. A young man and woman, about Catalina's age. Well dressed. Señor Suarez’s kids, no doubt, she thought grimly. The man had been gunned down like his mother; the woman's throat was cut all the way back.

  "Damn it!" Catalina cursed softly. Cassandra could see the fear in her eyes and knew they had to keep moving. They couldn't afford to freeze up.

  “Quick, we must keep searching!” she said and led Catalina down the next hall and into a library.

  “We’re too late, Cass,” Catalina moaned as they looked down on Señor Suarez. He had been shot out of his desk chair. “Look on the desk, a note,” she said and picked it up, reading it out loud, translating the Spanish for Cassandra.

  “This is your reward for journeyin’ to Arizona and bringin’ the Wilde family down to the Rio Sangre Valley. You have sealed the fate of the house of Suarez. The others will follow you to your doom.”

  "This is bad, Cat. It appears to be as I feared earlier about their request to bring us down prodding El Segador into moving faster. We've got to ride fast to Señor Canizarra! Now," Cassandra said with intense urgency.

  “The map he drew shows it’s not far away. Just a few miles upriver!” Catalina shouted, and they quickly left the villa. It was now a house of the dead.

  “We have to get there before more innocent blood is spilled!” Cassandra said as they ran to their horses, quickly untying and mounting them.

  “This El Segador is a monster!” Catalina spat as they urged their horses on.

  “That he is but his days are numbered all right, if I have anything to say about!” Cassandra said through gritted teeth.

  ***

  “Señoritas. you have Señor Suarez with you yes?” Juan Canizarra asked as he swept the pair of sisters into his living room. “Does he remain outside to see to your mounts? I have a stable boy for that after all.”