He raised dark eyes, moving them over her scathingly, and Nina felt sick at the sight of him, for he reminded her of the men who had killed her parents. “You are Nina Juarez?”
“I am.” Do not cry in front of this man, she told herself. He wants you to beg and cry. You are proud, proud of who you are and proud of your people.
“Well, Señorita Juarez, or is it Señora?”
“I am not married,” she answered coolly.
His eyebrows arched. “Not married? Yet you rode with a gang of horse thieves. Were you a whore to just one of them, or all of them, Miss Juarez?”
Nina almost flinched, feeling as though someone had punched her in the stomach. This man was trying very hard to make her grovel, to shame her.
“I belonged to none of them,” she answered firmly. “My brother rode with them. I go where my brother goes. That is the only reason I was with them.”
The man sniffed, looking back at the papers. Nina felt eyes on her, the deputies, people sitting in just to listen, most of them Americans. She knew what they were all thinking, after the remark the judge had made.
“Say what you will, but a beautiful, young, hot-blooded Mexican woman riding with a bunch of men spells one thing to me,” the judge spoke up again, as though to verify the thoughts of the others. “You are a loose woman, Miss Juarez, and not only that, but you rode with men who you knew were horse thieves and murderers.”
“I did not know—”
“I don’t want to hear your arguments, Miss Juarez. I just hope we can catch your brother. I’m sorry the rest of the gang was killed. I would have preferred to hang them.”
Nina felt the panic rising. Again she reminded herself she must not cry, in spite of her miserable condition, in spite of her devastation at the thought that Clay might already have died, in spite of the fact that her brother had apparently deserted her and she had to face all of this alone. She began hoping she would be hanged. What was there left to live for?
“You’re my last case for the day, Miss Juarez, so I’ll get this over with quickly. Ordinarily I’d hang a person for what you’ve done, even a woman, but since you are Mexican, and considering your young age, I’m going to give you a jail sentence instead, for two reasons. One, passions are running high out there in the streets. A hanging just might cause more trouble than the sheriff and his men can handle. Two, I am hoping three years in jail will give you time to think about what you’ve done and maybe help you become a decent woman when you’re released.” The man banged his gavel. “Take her back to the jail and put her upstairs with the other sluts and thieves.”
A deputy took Nina’s arm. She stared at the judge a moment longer until the deputy squeezed her arm painfully. “Let’s go.” Nina turned and walked out with him, feeling the heat in her cheeks, struggling to keep back the tears. “Looks like I’ve got me a new piece,” the deputy told her. “You’re the prettiest prisoner we’ve ever had. Treat me right, and I’ll see you get some extra favors.”
Nina said nothing. She knew what the man was suggesting, and she felt the vomit rising in her throat. She walked stiff and straight, still wearing the shirt and vest and suede skirt she was wearing when she left Fort Fillmore. How long ago had that been? It seemed like a year, but it had only been a week. Was Clay still alive? If he was, did he think about her? Would he care what had happened to her? A few people in the street shouted words of support to her, others called her names. The deputy whisked her into the jail and walked to a door in the corner, opening it to reveal some wooden steps.
“Get on up there,” he told her. He put his hand on her bottom and gave her a shove up, and she wondered if she would faint. Apparently for the next three years she was going to be locked away in the cells up here, at the mercy of this man who thought that just because she was his prisoner, he owned her and could do what he wanted with her. Her mind reeled with thoughts of her mother’s attack, Clay, Emilio, what she would do about this man. Upstairs the air was much hotter and muggier. She could smell the deputy’s perspiration as he led her to one of the cells.
“Well, honey, what you got there?” came a woman’s voice.
The tears were trying harder to come now, and Nina looked around the small room in a daze. She saw two women, each in her own cell, both wearing gaudy dresses.
“Got a new friend for you,” the deputy answered, opening a barred door and shoving Nina into a third cell.
“You mean for yourself, don’t you, honey?” one of the women answered. “She’s young and pretty. She’ll get a lot of favors from you, you bastard.”
“Depends on how nice she is to me.” The man grasped Nina’s arms and made her face him. “We aren’t much equipped for women stayin’ a long time here. Mostly we just get sluts who have rolled some man for his pay, a few trouble-making Mexican women like yourself. We’ve never had a female horse thief before. Horse thieves always get hanged.” He grinned. “You’ve got a long, boring stay ahead of you, honey, and not very good accommodations. I can make it all easier on you if you’re nice to me.”
“Better listen to Stan, kid,” one of the other women said.
Nina boldly met the man’s eyes. So, his name was Stan. He was a big man, with a mustache and cool, gray eyes. She reasoned he could be decent-looking if he would shave and clean himself up. She also reasoned that the badge he wore meant nothing. He was no better than some of the criminals he brought in.
“We’ll come to an understanding,” he told her.
Nina’s cheeks felt on fire with fury and indignation. “There will be no understanding,” she sneered, jerking away from him. “You will get no favors from me, you stinking gringo! And I expect none from you! Starve me, if you want! Beat me! I would rather die a slow and painful death than to be touched by the likes of you!”
She thought then about the camel back in Indianola, and she reared back, then spit hard at the man, landing saliva on his cheek and neck. His eyes widened, and he raised his hand, but just then the sheriff called to him from the bottom of the stairway, ordering him to get downstairs right away. Stan grasped Nina around the throat, squeezing so hard that he cut off her air for a moment.
“We’ll see how long you can put up a fight, you little Mexican slut,” he growled. He spit back at her, showering her face with a mixture of saliva and chewing tobacco. He left then, slamming the cell door and going downstairs. Nina hurried to a pitcher of water that sat in a corner and quickly poured some over her face, choking and gagging. She grabbed a towel and wiped off her face and the front of her dress, then sat down on a cot that held only a thin straw mattress and two rough blankets.
“Welcome to your new home,” one of the other women told her. “You’ll get used to it, and you’ll soon learn not to fight Stan.”
Nina glared at her. “I will die first!” she said, her voice raspy from Stan’s attempt to choke her.
“You just might, honey. Take my advice and let him have what he wants. It makes things a lot easier. What’s the difference? He’s just one more man.”
Nina looked away, feeling the awful nausea returning.
Chapter Sixteen
“Lieutenant!” Major Keller rose, returning Clay’s salute. “It’s good to see you, although I must say you need to gain back a little more weight. Have a seat.”
“Thank you, sir.” Clay took a chair in the familiar office. He had returned to Camp Verde out of duty, although all he really wanted to do was go to Santa Fe and find out what had happened to Nina. But to do that without reporting in first could label him a deserter, and he knew if that happened and he was caught, it would erase all hope of helping her. He hoped Major Keller would understand and would go along with the plot he had devised to get Nina out of jail…if she wasn’t already dead by now.
“Takes a while to recover from a belly wound,” Clay continued aloud. “I hope to never feel that kind of pain again. I’d take a tomahawk across my chest again any day.”
The major grinned. “Yes, I suppose so. I wouldn
’t care to suffer either wound, and you don’t have to worry about getting hurt in the line of duty anymore yourself, Lieutenant.” The man leaned back in his chair, the sunlight coming into the room from a window making his balding crown look shinier. “When a messenger told me you were well enough to ride and were headed back here, I had some papers prepared. I already got permission to have you honorably discharged a little early. It’s been nearly eight weeks since you were wounded, and you only have three weeks left to serve in the Army.”
The man took some papers from a drawer, while Clay listened in surprise. This was more than he had hoped for. Now he would at least be free to go to Santa Fe. “Since it’s too late to rejoin the camel expedition, I decided there was no sense in having you stay here with just general duty,” the major continued. “I can’t see sending you out on any Indian patrols, seeing as how you probably still aren’t up to full strength.” He handed Clay some papers. “You are free to do as you please, Lieutenant. I know you’re anxious to get to California, and I wish you well in the new life you’ve chosen.”
Clay took the papers, scanning them, then looking back at the major. “Sir, I…this is very good of you. I appreciate the thought.”
“You’re a good man, Lieutenant, not like some of the rabble we get out here. I hate to think what kind of pasts some of those men carry with them. Some say the western Army is nothing but a haven for fugitives from the East, and I don’t doubt they’re right. It’s always refreshing when an honest, dedicated man comes along.”
Clay folded the papers. “Thank you, sir. Have you heard anything about the expedition?”
The major rested his elbows on his desk. “Rider came in two days ago to tell us that when he left Lieutenant Beale and the caravan, they were just entering Arizona. By now, of course, they should be in or near California. Apparently the camels proved themselves quite adaptable to our American deserts. I think this whole project is going to be very successful. The only thing I worry about is all the mumbling about the troubles between North and South. If things should develop into military action back East, I’m afraid Congress will forget all about the camel experiment and let it fall by the wayside. That would be a shame, after all our efforts.”
“Yes, sir, it would.”
The major noticed Clay looked nervous. He frowned, studying the lieutenant closely. “Is something wrong? If it’s those papers—I mean, if you’ve changed your mind about leaving the Army, I’ll gladly tear them up and fill out reenlistment forms. I just thought—”
“No, sir, it isn’t that. I appreciate the consideration.” Clay fidgeted with his hat, unsure just how the major would react to what he was about to ask. “Sir, you know already how I got wounded.”
“Yes. By ridding us of another gang of horse thieves. I’ve read the reports. That same young Mexican man and woman who were involved in that incident last year with Jess Humes and his bunch were in on this one.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, good riddance, I say. I know they were caught in New Mexico, but Mike Billings has been known to ride in Texas, too, so now we’re free of another gang of horse thieves. Next to your expertise with Indians, you seem to have a talent for catching such men, Lieutenant. If you were going to stay with us, I’d recommend you for a promotion to my own rank.”
The remark only made Clay feel more guilty over what he was about to ask. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Sir, I deeply appreciate the honor and respect such a comment means. Maybe in lieu of that promotion, you can do something else for me.”
“What is that, Lieutenant?”
Clay held his eyes. “The Mexican woman who survived the shooting and was sent to Santa Fe—I’m going up there to see what happened to her. I’m told she was jailed, and I can only hope it’s true and she hasn’t been hanged. If she’s still imprisoned, I’d like to get her out, and I thought maybe you could help me do it.”
Keller frowned. “Get her out? I don’t understand.”
“Nina Juarez is no threat on her own, Major.” Clay rose from his chair, facing the major squarely. “Sir, you called me an honest man, so I might as well be honest about this. I’m in love with Miss Juarez. I assure you, she’s not at all the terrible person she’s been made out to be. The only person she’s had to guide her has been her brother, Emilio, who is an outlaw, the one who escaped when we caught Billings and his gang. Nina was only with them because of her brother. It’s his fault she’s in this mess!”
Keller’s eyes widened in surprise. He leaned back in his chair again, pondering what Clay had just told him. “But you’re the one who caught her and turned her in.”
“I had no choice. The rancher who was after her and the men she was with were ruthless. I suspected Nina was part of the bunch when he told me a Mexican woman had been seen with them. I was afraid of what he and his men would do to her if they caught up with them first, so I agreed to help find them and have them arrested.”
“Then you had feelings for this woman before this last incident?”
Clay held his eyes boldly. “Yes, sir. It happened that first time, when we caught them with Jess Humes and I let them go with a promise they would return to Mexico. I tried to ignore my feelings at the time, but once I saw her again…” He turned away, sighing. “I know what you’re thinking, but she isn’t what you think. She is very innocent in many ways. She got caught up in situations she couldn’t really control, and now her brother is running free while Nina is either…dead…or sitting in jail someplace.” The thought stabbed at his middle, making him feel desperate.
“Well, this is a surprise to me, Lieutenant. You gave no indication after that first incident.”
“I never thought I’d see her again. There was no reason to say anything about it.” Clay faced him again. “You can think what you want, consider it a case of loneliness. Whatever. But I need to see her again, Major, to know for sure that what I feel is real. I feel responsible for her situation, and I want to try to get her out of it.”
Keller’s eyes moved over him questioningly, and Clay knew the man thought him as much a fool as had Captain Shelley and Corporal Mills. Their opinion mattered little to him, as long as he could help Nina. “And what is my role in this, Lieutenant? You said maybe I could help you, in lieu of that promotion I would have given you.”
Clay came back to his chair and sat down. “If I can get her out legally, Major, she won’t have to worry about being hunted.”
Keller’s gray eyes narrowed. “Legally? Don’t tell me you considered helping her escape illegally!”
Clay ran a hand through his sandy hair. “I had considered it.”
Keller let out a sigh of disgust. “For God’s sake, Youngblood, she’s an accused horse thief who rode with murderers! Knowing you, I can hardly believe my ears.”
Clay refused to be ashamed of loving Nina. “I told you she’s nothing like the label that has been put on her. I’ve done nothing to disgrace the Army or my office, sir. Now that I am discharged, I’m free to do what I please. You said so yourself. I just thought that after the years I’ve given the Army and the injuries I’ve suffered, they could do something for me in return. You were ready to give me a promotion. I’m asking for a favor instead.”
Their eyes held challengingly, and Keller could see that Clay was completely serious. He knew Clay Youngblood to be a man of decision and determination, a man who before now had always seemed level-headed. He had always trusted Clay’s abilities and common sense, which forced him now to reason that perhaps he should trust his judgment in this matter also. But this time a woman was involved, a very young, very beautiful woman, from what he had heard, and probably a woman experienced at conning men into doing whatever she wanted them to do.
“What kind of favor?” he asked.
Clay’s eyes brightened with hope. “I’d like to go to Santa Fe with extradition papers. If Nina is in jail, I’d like to present papers saying that she is to be sent to Texas to face other charges. I ha
ve a feeling that because she’s both a woman and Mexican, her situation has caused trouble among the people. Maybe the sheriff up that way would be glad to get her off his hands. If he thinks the Army wants her for something else, he’ll probably give her up gladly. I could take her out of there and just head for California—or maybe we’d be better off and safer in Mexico. Either way, she’d be with me, and I wouldn’t let her get into any more trouble. No one but you and I would know the papers were fake, and I doubt anyone in authority would bother to check. Those in charge up in Santa Fe would think she was in Texas, and that would be the end of it.”
Keller snickered, shaking his head. “I can see you’ve been thinking about this for a while.”
“I’ve had plenty of time to think. I intend to get her away, wherever she is, sir. I’m asking for your help in doing it legally.”
Major Keller sighed deeply, rising from his chair. “Well, well,” he muttered. He walked to the window, watching a sergeant scold a man for being late for guard duty. Clay waited anxiously while Keller seemed to be considering the idea he had just been presented. The man finally turned to meet Clay’s eyes.
“The day you and your regiment fought those Apache, Lieutenant, the day you took that wound from a tomahawk—holding off those Indians probably saved the lives of me and my own troop. We would have been bushwhacked by those Indians if not for you. For that alone I probably owe you a favor, but I feel an obligation to tell you I think you’re mad to be doing this at all. That young lady might have handed you a pack of lies. I hope you realize that.”
“I’ll worry about that after she’s free. If nothing else comes of it, I’ll feel better knowing I got her out of the mess I helped get her into.”
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