by Lee Taylor
“What the hell do you mean? Gone? Where?” Wyatt’s gut clenched with fear.
“How do you know? Are you sure?” Wan asked in a strangled voice.
“Mr. Wan we have looked everywhere. In her chambers… In the garden….” Angel burst in tears and said through her sobs, “Mr. Wyatt, Mr. Wan…Manzu, the stable boy, said her horse is gone. The white mare is not in the barn.”
Wyatt collapsed in his chair, his head in his hands. Wan held on to the edge of his desk, looking as though he might fall.
Only Nianzu was able to say what they were thinking.
“My God, do you think she went to find Bai? But she couldn’t have. Don’t you see? None of us knew where he was until now. Goddamn, where would she go?”
Wyatt’s voice was little more than a whisper.
“The only thing I can think of is that she tried to find a Rongue Ri member and insisted he take her to Feng.”
“No, Wyatt, no. Please, God, I pray you are wrong.” Wan’s face and voice confirmed Wyatt was likely correct. Both of them shuddered in disbelief.
Wyatt was silent for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was harsh with grief. “God, why didn’t I listen to her? I know what she is like. She will not be dismissed. Goddamn, if that isn’t exactly what I did. I should never have let her leave the room. I should have known she would do something like this when it was obvious we wouldn’t let her go to Bai…” He dropped his head in his hands, muttering under his breath.
The three men didn’t speak. The only sounds in the room were the sobs and sniffles of the women standing in the doorway and Wyatt’s disconsolate mutterings.
It was close to eight o’clock. Wyatt thought with a stab of pain that was the time Elena said they would meet. God, if only I listened to what she was really saying. She was putting me off. Pretending she didn’t feel well, making us think that she was going to faint. Playing on our sympathies, and. Christ, yes, knowing we would think, like all women, she was going to be sick….How could I, knowing Elena the way I do…
Breaking through his anguish, he thought he heard her voice. Wyatt, Wan, and Nianzu all leapt to their feet when they heard the tell tale click of her boots in the hallway. Angel and Francine fell back against the wall, as if they were seeing a ghost.
Elena stepped in the room, pasting a nonchalant look on her face. When she saw her father’s and grandfather’s anguished expressions, she threw Francine and Angel an annoyed glare. “I’m sorry, Father and Grandfather. I assumed you would not know I was gone. You must have been worried.”
Neither Wyatt nor Wan spoke; their frozen silence spoke loudly.
Elena shivered at the fierce looks on their faces, then took out her annoyance on Angel and Francine.
“Just once, couldn’t you have kept quiet? Do you always have to run and tattle…like little magpies…?
Wyatt broke in, his voice thundering with fury. “Elena! Be quiet!
“Francine and Angel, you may go. Thank you for caring about this disgraceful, ungrateful young woman. Please go. Rest. Like the rest of us, you have had a terrible shock.”
Francine and Angel both backed out of the room. With a stunned, disbelieving glance at Elena, they turned and ran down the hallway.
Wyatt’s jaw was rigid with anger. His voice was stern, dangerous.
“Elena. Close the door.
“Come here.
“Sit down.”
Elena took a deep breath and did as her father said.
“Where have you been?”
Elena had never before seen the look on her father’s face, or her grandfather’s. She snuck a quick glance at Nianzu, but his face was almost as grim and he was staring at her in disbelief.
She said to her father, “Will you let me explain?
He nodded, as if not trusting himself to speak.
“When I left, I knew you wouldn’t let me go to Bai. But I also know I am the best distraction and I had to convince you somehow. The ‘hole in the plan’ -- in any of the plans -- is our inability to protect Bai when the Sing Leon attacks. We need to put a barrier around Bai to protect him when you attack.”
None of the three men spoke. If anything, Wyatt’s face hardened more.
Elena took another deep breath. “I have the barrier.”
She waited. When her father continued to glare at her, she pointed to the door. “May I?”
Without waiting for an answer, she jumped up and went to the door. With a flourish she ushered in Senor Panches and three of his men. Armando and Manuel followed behind, sheepish looks on their faces.
Wyatt and Wan stood as if they had been struck dumb. They stared in disbelief at the four Mexicans dressed in their bandito garb, including guns slung low on their hips and bandoliers across their chests.
Senor Panches stepped forward. He bowed respectfully to both men.
“Good day, Senor McManus, Senor Chang.” He nodded to Nianzu.
He continued with a soft smile. “I am Senor Panches. I see, the senora – la mujer del frances, was truthful. She said her father and grandfather did not know she went to find a group of banditos in the middle of the night with two unarmed men. Now, apparently, my task is to tell you to disregard the extremely foolish dangerous thing she did and convince you that we can help free the Frenchman.”
Wyatt spoke because Wan seemed unable to find his voice. Not looking at Elena, Wyatt spoke. “Buen dia, Senor Panches. Please tell me the plan that my shameless daughter has convinced you will work and how she expects you to be involved.”
He motioned to Armando and Manuel. “Please bring chairs for our guests.”
The four banditos sunk into the chairs brought by Armando and Manuel, who quickly stepped back against the wall, looking as though they wished they were invisible.
Wyatt asked, “Senor Panches, may I offer you and your men a cigar and a very large glass of bourbon?”
Senor Panches. “Gracias de placer.”
After nearly an hour of discussion back and forth among the men, with Elena occasionally chiming in, the potential plan was fleshed out and on the table.
Wyatt said, “Senor Panches, because my daughter will need to be part of this rescue, Wan Chang and I must discuss this privately. We need to decide if we are willing to put her in such obvious danger. Will you excuse us? We will tell you our decision within the half hour.”
Senor Panches and his men moved to the door. Panches turned back and said in his soft Spanish tones. “I also am a father and a grandfather. Perhaps that is why I did not have this young woman killed. I can see from your faces that even you are surprised at her outrageously dangerous act. But, like me, you see her proposal has a certain brilliance.” He hesitated then a grin stole across his face. “Speaking of brilliance, she, la mujer del frances, promised us $250,000 in gold to be paid this evening whether or not we are successful in freeing the Frenchman. You will need to add that upfront cost to your decision making.”
He smiled at the surprised looks on Wyatt’s and Wan’s faces, then went to Elena and bowed low. He held her hands in his and kissed them. Nodding to Wan, Wyatt, and Nianzu, he turned and left the room.
Wan glared at Armando and Manuel. With a glare, he dismissed them. “Later. Go now.”
The two Sing Leon men bowed to their leader and nodded to Wyatt. With a quick nod to Elena and Nianzu, they left the room.
~~~
Wyatt and Wan discussed the pros and cons of the plan. Elena sat quietly in her chair, acknowledging that Senor Panches had presented the best possible case. Now it was up to her father and Grandfather to agree.
After some time, Wyatt said with a grimace, “You do know, Wan, that if we tell her that she can’t go, we will need to tie her to a post and blindfold her. Otherwise she will figure out a way to go without our consent. Bai told me that is the only way he could ensure her safety. Now I agree with him. Oh, and he said he would need to gag her to stop her stream of insults. Again, it seems Bai knows my daughter well.”
Ele
na looked down and tears sprang to her eyes. She remembered the conversation she and Bai had lying in each other’s arms before the fire, when he had teased her about tying her up and blindfolding and gagging her. God, she thought, her throat tightening, I will let him do anything he wants to me as long as he is safe.
Wyatt saw the look of raw pain cross her face and knew she was thinking about Bai.
He turned to Wan. “My vote is she goes in. Yours?
Without looking up, Wan nodded yes.
“Nianzu, please go tell Senor Panches that we will go forward. Wan and I need to rustle up a quarter of a million dollars in gold in the next several hours, among other things. Let him know that we will meet at two o’clock to agree on the final plan.”
When Nianzu turned to leave the room, Elena hopped up to follow him.
Wyatt’s voice cracked like a whip across the room.
“Elena. Comstock. McManus! Close that door and get your brazen ass back here. Sit down.”
Elena trembled. She looked at Nianzu for help, but he shook his head as if to say there was nothing he could do. After he left the room, Elena cautiously sat down in her chair.
Wyatt looked at her for the longest moment, unable to speak. His face was filled with fury, laced with the wrenching fear he had felt, was still feeling.
He cleared his throat and said in a fierce voice, “I want you to know that when his is over I am going to spank you within an inch of your life.
“Do you understand, Elena? I am so goddamned angry with you. I did not know it was possible to feel the kind of anger I do toward you. I promise you. I will give you the hardest Goddamn spanking you have ever had.”
Elena clutched the arms of the chair. Her eyes swam with unshed tears. Her lips trembled. “I…I’ve only had one.”
“Well, my dear, that spanking will seem like patty cake when I am through with you.”
Wan added in a cold voice, “When your hand is tired, Wyatt. I will take over and use mine.”
Elena stood up and gazed at them both. For the first time, her composure slipped. Tears streamed down her face. She choked back a heartbroken sob. “Why don’t we see if this works first. If it doesn’t, you both can beat me to death, for all I care.”
She turned and walked out of the room, her head held high.
~~
Chapter 40
Bai no longer felt the pain in his shoulder. Blessed numbness deadened most of the agony he endured over the last twenty four hours. The kicks and strikes had stopped, at least for now. He was tied to the post, his arms, legs, and back twisted in impossible positions. The numbness mercifully prevented blinding pain. But the slightest movement awakened the throbbing nerve ends. Only his carefully honed ability to appear unconscious had saved him from more severe beatings and unbearable pain. His two informants among the four men guarding him knew it was impossible to free him. Bai was grateful that they managed to convince their sadistic cohorts how much more rewarding it would be to beat him when he was conscious. They could enjoy his screams.
Like the informants, Bai had to wait to see the final plan that his father, Wyatt, and Nianzu implemented. He agonized over Wan’s pain. He knew Wan left him with the Rongue Ri only because Bai had made him swear a sacred oath if he was captured or killed, Wan would retake control of the Sing Leon and fight the war for Bai. Thank God, Wyatt was there. For the first time he was grateful that Wyatt knew he was Wan’s son. Knowing that would help him understand Wan’s profound grief.
Squeezing his eyes to narrow slits, he watched Feng plan for the attack. Bai was tied to the post in the middle of a clearing. Fifty feet away, forty Rongue Ri were hiding in the bushes. What Feng did not know was that at least a third of them were Sing Leon. As masterful as the Sing Leon plan was, the “hole” in their thinking was as apparent now as it had ever been. Even though Feng and his four personal guards were the only visible Rongue Ri, a minimum of fifty guns were trained on Bai from the bushes. At the slightest provocation, he would be dead. Even now Bai knew it was virtually impossible for his father and Wyatt to protect him when they attacked.
His thoughts turned to Elena, where they had been since he was captured. He was determined that his last hours on this earth would be filled with thoughts of her. He forced away his usual obsessed fears for her safety and his anger at her disobedience. Instead, he focused on her body, one glorious part after another. One by one, he replayed in exquisite detail each time they had made love. On more than one occasion, he smiled to himself, glad for the tortured position of his bound body, knowing what Feng would do if he saw Bai’s bulging erection.
He started with agony at the vividness of his imagination. He could almost see her, smell her, and hear her voice. Then, to his horror, he opened his eyes the tiniest slit to see her riding into the clearing. She trotted in on Zhenqui, her fiery hair flying behind her. A sultry smile toyed on her lips. She rode up to a surprised Feng Zhang and dismounted. Striding up to him, her hands saucily hugging her hips, she looked him in the eye.
“You are Mr. Feng Zhang, leader of the Rongue Ri, correct?”
Feng nodded, clearly stunned at her unexpected arrival and direct challenge.
“Yes, I am Feng Zhang.”
She smiled. “I am Elena McManus, granddaughter of Wan Chang, daughter of Wyatt McManus.
“I used to be his woman.” She jerked her chin disdainfully at Bai bound to the post. “As agreed between Wichi Fan and him in their death match at the saloon, I belong to the survivor. As he is about to die, Mr. Feng, I presume you are the survivor. If you are, then I am your cunt.”
Feng stood staring at her in disbelief, then recovered.
His face twisted in an ugly grin.
“Yes, I do know who you are. As I recall, you are the cunt who belongs to no one. But, Miss Elena, you went rather quickly with the Frenchman – for not belonging to anyone”
She tossed her head with a dismissive gesture.
“He killed Wichi. He survived. That was the agreement, correct? The survivor gets the cunt.
“We know who I am,” she said, sauntering over to him, her hands on her hips and gave him a naughty grin. “The question is, Mr. Feng, who are you? Are you the ultimate survivor? Or just one of my stops along the way? You can see why I say I belong to no one. You keep killing each other off.”
Feng’s lips twisted in an ugly grin. “You are a saucy little cunt, aren’t you? Quite a mouth on you.”
Elena lifted her chin in scorn anf huffed, “You men! That’s what he always said.” She pointed to Bai. “He said I was too feisty, hard to control, difficult to keep in line. Always threatening, but never doing anything. What do you think, Mr. Feng? Can you control me better than the Frenchman could?”
Feng threw his head back and roared. He turned to his men and said in a harsh voice, “How long do you think this little bitch will mouth off when I truss her up like a squalling pig and whip the sass off of her?”
Elena tossed her head, a fiery torrent of red, gold-tipped curls shone in the sunlight. “Promises, promises. That’s all I heard from the Frenchman. Look at me! Tell me, Mr. Feng, when have you seen breasts like these?”
She opened her blouse to reveal a lace camisole cut low to show off the lush mounds of soft white flesh. Feng and his men stared at her round eyed.
She added with a smirk. “That isn’t the half of it.”
Before they could answer, Elena pulled up her skirt and flashed her shapely legs. Further revealing her lacy drawers and sexy knee high lizard skin boots, she kicked her foot high in the air. Prancing in a circle around Feng, she grinned a salacious grin.
“Now tell me, Mr. Feng, if you had the opportunity to fuck someone like me, would you? Do you think you are up to me? The Frenchman said he was. Ha! Do you know what this man was doing last night before he rode off to play fighting games with you?” She stomped her foot and puffed up her mouth in a petulant pout. “He was fucking his whore -- his whore! Flaunting her! Can you imagine that?”
Her face hardened in mock seriousness. She strolled up to Feng and poked her finger in his chest. “Now you, Mr. Feng, you are not going to have whores. Oh, no. I will be more than enough woman for you. Maybe even too much woman, hmm, Mr. Feng? Will I be too much for you, Mr. Feng?”
Feng stared at her, angry lust gleaming in his eyes. He reached out for her, but she flounced away. With a mischievous grin, she tossed her hair in a flaming circle of gold around her shoulders.
“No, no, no. Mr. Feng. Mustn’t touch. Remember I belong to the survivor. At least for the moment, that is still him.” She pointed at Bai, wrinkling her nose in distaste. “But one thing needs to be clear. Mr. Feng. You may beat me on occasion, I will permit that. But as for whipping the sass off of me. Not likely, Mr. Feng!”
Feng’s face flushed a dark ugly crimson, seeing that his men grinning at the show she put on at his expense. A menacing growl broke from his lips. He moved ominously toward her, his fists clenched at his side.
Her delicious laugh rang out. With a quick whirl she pranced next to Bai, raising one finger behind her back, praying he understood they were just a minute from help arriving.
~~~
The physical pain Bai felt was nothing compared to his horror when he saw Elena ride alone into the clearing, dismount and boldly walk up to Feng. He immediately knew she had taken it upon herself to do the unthinkable. She came to save him. Wyatt and Wan would never permit this. They would never allow her to put herself in this danger. They must have told her no. Once again, she refused to listen, refused to do what she was told. As usual, she consciously, carelessly, flagrantly disobeyed orders.