Chapter 12

CAUTION:  This chapter contains some mild violence, adult language, and some mild sexual language.



 Dressed once again in her younger brother's britches and shirt, she sat on a tree stump near the water's edge to lace up her ankle boots.  She was folding the ill fitting dress that had been her mother's when she heard the rustle of foot steps in the thicket of trees behind her.

"Did you get impatient and have to come looking for me?"

No sooner had the words left her mouth than the sickening odor of her family's murderer, wafted on the breeze to burn her nostrils.  She recognized it immediately.  If she lived to be a hundred she would never be able to erase the memory of that odious stench.   Her body stiffened and goose bumps formed over her entire body. She turned slowly to face the monster who had altered her life forever.  It was the creepy circus man.  "I was gettin' a might impatient at that, missy.  But now I've found you again, ain't nobody takin' you from me this time."

The sound of his voice brought back the memories of that horrible day crashing into her mind as if they had just happened.  They threatend to send her into a full blown panic.  But this time was different. She was different.  She wouldn't let fear get the better of her this time.  She wasn't going to be a helpless victim.   She wasn't going to let him hurt her or the people she loved.  Joshua.  He came into her mind and she knew that she would die before she would let this maniacal beast hurt him.  Oh, how she loved him.  She knew that now.  Joshua's deep resonating voice filled her head now, Got the rifle with you?   OH, LORD!  Where was the rifle?  She'd propped it against a tree while she'd changed. Her eyes went to it.

"You lookin' for this?"   He grabbed the rifle and tossed into the creek just as she made a move towards it.  She froze in her tracks.  There was another voice suddenly in her head, Run, scream, yell!  She heeded that voice and made a run for it.

She sprinted towards the tree thicket that lead to their campsite.  "JOSHUA!"  she yelled at the top of her lungs.  She expected to run into him coming to her aid.  But instead something grabbed her around the ankels and brought her down face first onto the hard rocky ground.  The impact knocked the breath from her lungs.  She was jerked backwards by her feet.  The shirt she wore slid upwards under her breasts exposing her tender belly to the scraping rocks and twigs underneath her.  Oh, God, please help me.  Not again, Lord, please.  She pleaded silently with her maker as the evil villian pulled her backwards toward him.   The good Lord heard her pleas, because she heard a voice again clearly in her head saying,  Fight, Evie, fight. She flipped over onto her back and began kicking him.  The heel of her boot met solidly with the underside of his chin, stunning him momentarily and knocking him backwards onto the ground.   She seized the opportunity  to  scramble to her feet and run.  "JOSHUA!"  Where was he?  Why wasn't he coming to her rescue?  She broke through the trees and into the clearing where their camp was.  He caught up to her and grabbed her from behind, just like he had that first day.  His arm clamped hard around her midriff and a knife was held to her throat.   Where was Joshua? Her eyes scanned the campsite.  He wasn’t there.  She had left him standing by his horse.  Rusty still stood there, but Joshua was gone.   Oh, God, please don't let him be dead, she prayed.  He was probably hiding.  Waiting for the chance to shoot this son of a bitch in the head.  Please, be careful, Joshua.

"Now, you and me is gonna have ourselves a little party."  She gagged as the rotten smell of his breath passed her nose.  He still wore the same ridiculous clothes from  a week ago.  They were now slick and shiny with filth.  He reeked of soured flesh and b.o. He dug the tip of his menacing knife blade into the soft skin of her throat. She felt the burning sting as the sharp blade made a slight scratch on her throat.   "You keep fightin' me like that and I'll make sure you have a  nice fat scar on that pretty face of yours that will be there 'til your dyin' day.  You understand, me girlie?  When I say I need you unblemished,  I'm talkin' about your woman parts not your face.  I'll still get a good price from you even if your face is cut up.  Long as your cherry ain't been popped."

Her face went crimson at his vulgar euphamism.  Virgins obviously brought a good price.  But what if he thought she wasn't a virgin.  Would he let her go?  No, he'd probably just kill her.  Or rape her first and then kill her.  Dear, Lord where was Joshua?

He drug his uncooperative captive to a nearby tree.  If he meant her harm, she was going to make it as hard for him as she could.  She drug her feet as he walked making it difficult for him not to stumble over her.  He was practiacally holding her up with one arm as she went limp like a rag doll.  This forced him to lower the knife from her throat to support her body with both hands.  It was what she was hoping for and she stomped his foot with the heel of her boot as hard as she could.  He loosened his grip on her long enough for her to break his hold and make a run for Joshua's horse.  She had her foot almost in the stirrup when she felt her whole scalp being ripped from her skull.  The lecherous villian had grabbed her pony tail and had yanked her backward so hard she fully expected to feel blood dripping from her scalp.  The pain made her see stars for a moment.   She was thrown to the ground on her back this time.  He was on top of her straddling her, pinning her elbows with his knees.

 "Well, now, if you ain't a little spit fire.  I like that in a woman.  But I ain't got no problem carving my name in your face."  He pressed  the tip of the sinister blade into the flesh under her eye.  She closed her eyes, expecting to feel the  pain of the tip piercing her flesh.  When it didn't come, she opened her eyes to see him  fumbling inside his coat pocket to produce a length of rawhide.  He used it to bind her wrists.  Then he used the long tails of the leather straps to drag her  across the hard ground back towards the tree.    There,  he tied the tails around the  tree trunk.  "Now we's gonna have some fun."  An evil gleam came into his squinty eyes and he left her for a moment.  He came back dragging something backwards with both hands.  Her heart sank and her hopes died as she realized it was Joshua's limp unconscious body.  Blood had run from the back of his head to stain his shirt collar red.  "Oh,  God, Joshua!  What did you do to him!  You murderer!  Don't you dare hurt him!"  He just laughed at her.  Did she really think her idle threats meant anything to this heartless devil.  She chose then to beg.  "Please, don't hurt him, anymore.    I'll do whatever you want.  Just don't hurt him, please.  I'm begging you, please don't hurt him!"

"Oh, you're gonna do what I want alright.  And what I want is for you to watch while I carve your lover boy  into buzzard food."

She watched horrified as he bound Joshua's wrists with the  long rope they had used to lead Jenny.  He threw the rope over a sturdy branch of the large tree she was tied to and hoisted him up by his wrists until he was hanging with his arms extended over his head, the tips of his boots barely scraping the ground.   Joshua's head slumped forward, his chin on his chest.   She had to do something.    "If you hurt him, you're going to be sorry.  His cousin is one of the deadliest gunmen in the west.  He'll hunt you down and blow your head off!"

An eerie high pitched laugh burst from his too thin lips.  "I been trailin' you two for days.  I come up on your trail the day it rained.  I know that feller rode in here day a'fore yesterdee an' he done high tailed it outta here this mornin'."    He placed a hand under Joshua's chin and lifted his lifeless head.  "And I know this mangy son of a pole cat  is the one who killed  cousin, Royce and then stole what belonged to me."  He put the edge of the knife's blade against Joshua's cheek and pressed it into his flesh.  Blood appeared and trickled down his face.  "Now he's gonna pay."

"Stop it!  He's coming back.  He only rode out to scout the trail.  He'll be back any minute.  And when he gets here, he’s going to kill you, you heartless murderer.”  She hoped he believed her lies.  But if he didn’t believe them, then Joshua was going to die.   “If you want to take me then take me.  That's all that matters anyway, right?  That you get away from here with me.  Well, you better be riding out of here quick then, because he'll be back any minute."

  He grabbed the open  collar of Joshua's shirt in both hands and yanked it open sending the buttons flying.  Oh, God, what was he going to do to him?  The panic threatened to envelope her again.  "Stop it!  Please, leave him alone!"  She was on the verge of bursting into tears.  But she wouldn't.  She wouldn't show any weakness to this creep.

"Well, ain't this touchin'.”  He walked over to her and grabbed a hunk  of her hair and twisted it around his fist, pulling the roots of her already tender scalp.  She winced from the pain.  “Did you let him in your bloomers, girl?  Huh?  Did he sweet talk hisself right between your legs?”  She didn't answer him.  She would let him think what he wanted.    “ You whores are all alike.   You let a pretty boy like that talk you onto your back quicker that a fly dives on horse shit.  But a good ole boy like me offers you something,”  he grabbed his crotch as he spoke, “ you snarl your nose like I’m the one who’s shit.”  He sauntered back towards Joshua, who was hanging there not an arms length away from her.  She wanted so badly to reach out and touch him.  She struggled with her bonds, but to no avail.  The leather cut into her tender skin, burning her.   “Well, miss high and mighty,  let’s see how you like your new beau when I get through with him.”

He took his knife,which had to be a foot long from hilt to tip, and he waved it in front of him like a magician waving his wand.  There was a distant coldness in his eyes, as if the glint of sunlight on the shiny blade had him hypnotized.  “You know why I don’t carry a gun?”  He paused for a moment as if he expected her to answer him.  She didn’t.  “Cause killin’ with a gun is so impersonal, don’t you think.  You just stand from afar off and point and pull a trigger.  But with a blade, you gotta be up close.  You can feel every ounce of pain you inflict as you push  the blade into their flesh. There’s a sound that it makes when you stab somebody.  It’s a nice little poppin’ sound.  I like that sound.  It sounds especially good when you stab somebody with tight skin. Stabbin’ somebody with alot of fat on ‘em ain’t near as fun.   Your lover boy here looks like he might have a nice tight belly, just perfect for that.  Let’s take a look see, shall we.”   He slid the knife into the opening of Joshua's Henley undershirt and sliced it open clear to the hem, revealing his bare chest and belly beneath.   The gruesome torturer giggled like a girl,  “HEE HEE HEE,  now that’s what I like to see.”  He slapped his grimey hand hard across Joshua’s flat muscular abdomen.  “And looky here.”  He did a drum role with his palms across Joshua’s well developed chest muscles.  “Them will be real fun to cut up too.  And you know what’s even better than that little 'pop', it's the steam that will rise up out of the wound on a chilly day like this.”

Dear, God  he must be insane. Help me think of something I can do.  Please don’t let this happen.  Please help me.  She closed her eyes as she prayed, waiting for God to send her the answer.  It came to her again in the form of a voice that sounded slightly familiar.    "Flatter him, Evie, stroke his ego."   “It is a chilly day, Mr...... what’s your name again.  I seem to have forgotten it."

The bandit turned to her and frowned.  “I didn’t give you my name.”

“Don’t you think we should get to know each other better if we’re going to be traveling together soon.  My  name’s.... Ellie.  What’s yours?”   She wasn't about to give this mad man the privilege of knowing her real name.   She was trying to sound as calm and seductive as she could under the circumstances.
He eyed her suspiciously, then walked slowly in her direction.  Good, it was working.  Whatever it took to make him leave Joshua alone.  “If you must know it’s Mathis.  Harlan Mordecai Mathis, and don’t you forget it.  One day I’ll be the most wanted, most feared outlaw in the west.  I’ll be worth more than all the other wanted men combined.  You’re gonna see my name on posters beside the likes of Curry and Heyes.  They’re the two most wanted men in the west right now. But that’s a fixin’ to change.  They’re worth just ten thousand a piece.  I aim to be worth twenty by myself.”

He was insane.  She had no doubt about that now.  She had to do whatever it took to keep this madman away from Joshua.  If that meant riding off with him, never to be seen again then so be it.  At least the man she loved would be alive.  “I like a man with determination, Harlan.  Nothing is more attractive than a man on a mission.  And striving to be better than Curry and Heyes at outlawing, now that’s a real mission.  You were right you know.  He did sweet talk his way into my bloomers.  Several times as a matter of fact.  But it wasn’t anything to write home to mother about.  But a man like you.....I'll bet you could show a girl how it’s really done.”

“You’re damn right you little slut!"  He brought his face so close hers, she could almost taste his stench.  It had to be the strength of God that kept her from puking. "I knew you’d let him have a poke at you.  Since he’s done spoiled you,  I may as well have me a turn.”  He held the knife to her throat with one  hand and rubbed the back of his rank fingers across her cheek.    “If you try to get away from me I’ll slit your throat from ear to ear, you hear me?”   He went around the tree and untied her tethers but left her wrists bound.  He yanked her along by the straps and shoved her forcefully down onto the grass a few feet from where the campfire still smoldered.  Her knee took the brunt of the fall.  Another scrap to go with the ones that were burning and stinging her belly.  He flipped  her onto her back, still holding the straps that bound her hands.  She looked up at his foul smelling figure with repulsion.  If he touched her she would vomit.  But she could take it.  If he raped her over and over again, she would take it.  As long as she kept him away from Joshua.  She needed a plan.  Some way to disable him long enough for her to get away with Joshua.  She would have to knock him out some how.  He’d obviously taken Joshua’s revolver.  His gun belt was still around his hips but the holster was empty.  It was probably at the bottom of the river with the rifle.   So shooting him was out.  How could she grab a rock to hit him when he had control of her hands.  Oh, God, please help me again.  I don’t know what to do.   He placed the leather straps on the ground under his foot to keep her from running, then he began to loosen his belt.  Dear, God if he’s going to rape me, please give me the strength to endure it.  Evie closed her eyes tight when he began to loosen his belt buckle.   He was just about to drop his trousers when a shot rang out and a bullet whizzed so close to Harlan that it knocked the silly looking top hat off his head.  Both their heads flew up in unison to see Thaddeus riding fast, some five hundred yards away, toward them.  Hope sprang anew inside her chest as she saw rescue on the horizon.  She began to laugh in spite of the terror.  But her laughter ceased when she was jerked hard to her knees and then dragged across the ground toward Joshua’s horse.  Her arms felt like they were being torn from the sockets.  He grabbed the waist band of her britches at the back and hauled her to her feet.  He mounted Joshua’s horse, then tied her straps around the saddlehorn.  Was he going to drag her behind the horse?  She began to struggle with her bonds, in a futile attempt to free herself.  Another shot.  This one grazed the top of Harlan’s shoulder, slicing the material of his overcoat, but barely causing a scrape to his skin.  He reached down and grabbing her by  arms yanked her up and over the saddle.  She yelled out from the pain as the saddlehorn was thrust  into her mid section.  He kicked the horse into a full gallop.  She looked behind to see Thaddeus pull rein in the middle of their campsite.  He took aim and pulled the trigger.  But just as he fired, Harlan turned the mount and went into the trees.  The bullet missed, ripping through some nearby tree branches only inches from her face.   Her hopes of immediate rescue were crushed.  But at least she knew Joshua would survive now.  She knew Thaddeus would not leave Joshua in pursuit of her.  But that didn’t matter.  Joshua was all that mattered.   Thaddeus would take care of him.  And if she could keep herself alive long enough, she knew Joshua would find her.  She clung to that bit of hope as Harlan spirited her away on the back of Joshua’s majestic horse.

                                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That was it.  That was the last time they ever split up.  Nothing good ever came out of their splitting up.  Kid Curry held his damp bandana to the back of Hannibal Heyes’ head.  It was busted open about two inches to the side of his right ear, but not too badly.  The bleeding had almost stopped.  But he sure was going to have a doozy of a head ache.

 He’d cut his partner down from the tree where he’d  found him dangling by his wrists.  He’d been out cold, his head crusted with dried blood, his shirt ripped open, his undershirt in two and angry red welts were raised on his bare chest and belly.   He’d dragged his limp body over to the fire and ministered to him the best he could.

  Fortunately, the supplies Mac had furnished for this trip included a bottle of iodine, which he’d dabbed onto Heyes’ head wound.  Now he paced and waited for him to regain consciousness.

“Kid?”  a weak raspy voice jerked him from his pacing. 

 He knelt beside his cousin, “How you feelin’?”

“What happened, Kid?  Where are we?”

“You don’t remember?”

“We were going somewhere.  I’m supposed to go somewhere.  Why does it hurt everywhere?”  He slowly raised himself into a sitting position.  His arms felt like they were made of rags.  And the sun made his head hurt.  He closed his eyes against the wave of dizziness that threatened to overtake him.

“Somebody hit you over the head.  I found you dangling from a tree over there.  Do you remember what happened?    When I left you this morning you were saddling your horse, remember?"

"My horse?"  Like a bag of hammers falling from a rooftop, the events of the past week fell heavily into his brain.  He remembered everything up to the moment he'd been struck on the back of the head.  His flew open.  Eyes that were full of dread as he asked his partner one question.  "Where is she?"  

  

“He took her.”

The look of fear was replaced with a look of calculating anger.  “Who took her?”  He asked the question, but he already knew the answer.

  

“Same fella that tried to take her before.  The fella with the circus clothes.   I got off three good shots but I was too far away and I missed.  They rode off that way through the woods towards the river.”  He pointed in a southeasterly direction.

"And you didn't go after them?"

   

"What? And leave you here hanging like a deer carcus?  Besides you said yourself he wanted her alive and unspoiled.  We got time to catch up to 'em."  Blue eyes looked questioningly at the dark head of his partner,  "She is still unspoiled ain't she Heyes?"

Brown eyes returned a wilting look to his blue eyed partner,  "Will you shut up?"

"Just askin', Heyes."

"Was he alone?"

"Yeah."

“How long's it been?"

“’Bout  an hour.”

“ An hour?  That’s too long, Kid.  We’ve got to get going.  Where is my horse?”  He began a slow rise to his feet,   ignoring the pain and dizziness.

"He took that too."  

Heyes groaned.  That horse was fast and he had endurance.  They'd never catch up to them if they didn't leave now.  "He must have been on a horse.  Did he leave it behind?"

“Yeah,  she wandered off through the trees there.  You sure you're able to ride?”  He reached to help steady his partner as he stumbled slightly once he was on his feet. 

“This is me you’re talking to, ‘member.   I’m always able to ride.”  Especially when Evie’s out there alone with a homicical madman.

 They found Harlan's horse drinking from the creek.  The poor animal was in a deplorable condition.  She appeared to be practically starved and thristed to death.  The black mare had been ridden so hard, she’d thrown two shoes.  She had mud, sand and rocks impacted in her hooves, and a couple of pretty bad saddle sores.  The exhausted animal wouldn't have made it another mile.  Heyes was left with only one choice.  He removed the saddle from the exhausted horse and put it on Jenny. They packed only what they had to have, and left the horse and anything unnecessary behind. 

 The trail couldn't have been easier to find if they had ridden off  on the back of a stampeding buffalo, and it headed south east through the dense forest that grew along the Pecos river.  Heyes knew he wasn’t going to be any good to the Kid.  He was injured and he didn’t have his gun.  And Jenny wasn't exactly a thoroughbred.  But to his credit the Kid had not insisted that he stay behind.  Because he knew it wouldn’t have done any good.  He would swim rivers, climb mountains,  cross deserts.  Whatever it took to find her.  And he knew the Kid knew that .  And Kid wasn't taking any more chances on them splitting up.  He wanted Heyes right where he could keep an eye on him.  They would stick together this time no matter what. 

   

“Kid?”  Heyes asked his partner as  they followed the trail into the dense forest that grew along the banks of the Pecos,  “I just got one question.  How’d you know to come back?”

“Oh, that’s real simple, Heyes.”

“Yeah, I guess after looking out for each other all these years we kinda get instincts about each other, huh?”

“Well, that sounds real nice and philosophical and all Heyes, but actually.... I just came back because I forgot my lunch.”

Heyes could only smile and roll his brown eyes.  He didn't really care what had brought his partner back, he was just glad he'd come back.  If he hadn't there would be almost no hope of finding Evie.  But with his partner by his side he knew they'd find her.  Heyes and Jenny  fell in line behind Kid and the gelding as they trudged through the thick undergrowth on the forest floor.  The pursuit was on.