Authors: Mercedes Keyes
He rose to his knees shaking his head, stunned from the fall and looked up into the barrel of a loaded pistol. A nervous grin of surrender played across his face while raising his hands.
“
Eh amigo…I give up…see…no more weapon. I just kindly go with you…okay?” He implored with a shaky voice. One of the soldiers had dismounted and now stood over him, he too grinned. “Naaaw, don’t bother…‘amigo!" Juan swallowed the moisture in his mouth, the sound of his heart pounding loud in his ears, then a blast.
“
Come on – let’s get back.” The one still in his saddle said to the other. “Wait…would you look at this…ain’t never seen the inside of a head before…come look.”
“
Let’s go!!” The saddled soldier commanded and turned his horse, riding off. The other stood over the corpse, nudging the body with the pointed toe of his boot. Reaching for the blade in his saddle, he gripped it tightly in hand, and knelt to remove a portion of scalp and the remaining ear for a trophy. Smiling gleefully, he knew what a good conversation piece it would be, turning back to his horse; he placed his grizzly souvenir in his saddlebag and mounted up, heading back.
The gate was now open and the camp fully infiltrated. Men ran for cover, as the few remaining fought what they knew to be a lost battle. Yet, there was still intermittent swordplay. Tobias sat with his knees up and his back pressed to the outside stable wall, both hands gripping a pistol ready for firing. His breath caught with a gasp, slowly his arms grew heavier, until they lowered and all movement and breathing ceased. The soldier removed his sword from the opposite side of the wall, where a slat opening gave him the perfect access for killing.
Mike lay breathing heavily from exhaustion and pain. The long water trough served as a slight cover as he fought down the urge to vomit from the burning pain that riddled his body. He wasn’t sure what hurt most, the rapier wound to his side, the shot to his shoulder, or the stab to his thigh. All seemed to blend as one combined throb of pain. He held his pistol over his head, sweating profusely as he clenched his teeth trying with all his might not to breathe too loud. He knew they had to hear him, with the heavy panting he was doing, even over the death screams of his men ; they had to hear him; just as he could hear the wailing of the women and the crying of their terrified children.
Death and hell was all around him. He never knew it had a smell and now it filled his nostrils to the point of making him gag again. He stayed put, his senses picking up other areas of pain on his body. The blood and sweat on his skin was itching him. The blinding dust was irritating his eyes.
It was over…it was all over.
The fear began building in him as the horrible realization struck home. It was not just a fear of dying but also the fear of never seeing his family again. The knowledge of what they would go through knowing he was dead. Tears fell from his eyes as he thought of Maria and his children; as he thought of Hope and his mother. “Oh mama …I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m gonna die today, your son – is gonna die a common criminal, as an outlaw. God…God please, don’t let this reach my mama’s ears. Please don’t ever let her know…don’t bring her this shame.” He whimpered in prayer. “Maria…I’m – I’m so-…”
“
Aaaw, first you pray to God and mama, now…who is this Maria…hm?” The point of a rapier nudged him, to settle over his heart. “I were you…I’d drop that pistol, at this point…it can only get you killed. Now drop it!” The captain, sneered his command.
Mike’s hands fell to the side as he released his weapon. He blinked several times trying to open his eyes despite the grit; and glare from the sun.
“
Up on your feet – now!”
Standing…getting his feet beneath him was a natural motion he never had to think about before. Now that his body lay racked with pain, he could not muster the strength or the desire to stand.
“
Is there a problem? I said – get to your feet!”
Mike swallowed and attempted to sit up, white-hot pain shot through his body with every muscle daring to engage. Sweat popped out over his face as he closed his eyes, he collapsed back into a relaxed position on his back. “As much as I would like to comply –(he gritted his teeth in pain)- I’m afraid my body has turned against me.” He finished blowing off the pain. His shirt and pants were soaking up his blood, warm as his movement started a fresh flow.
“
Corp. Harold, Pvt. Bishop! Come haul this man to his feet…be quick about it!” Pryce ordered. He stood away from the stable trough watching as his men came to do as he had ordered.
Turning with his back to them, he walked to the center of the courtyard as the soldiers hurled women roughly to the ground in a group. More and more joined them after being found in their hiding places. Others, upon recognizing a fallen loved one, snatched themselves from the soldiers to run and fall to their knees sobbing over them.
Pryce barked out orders for his men to line up the remaining survivors who fought against them along the wall. While that was being done, he walked over to the huddle of women as more were thrown in the pile after being torn from their dead. He stood looking them over as if they were pigs.
Glancing back away from them, he looked to see that the remaining men were lined up. He smiled
, turning to his troops who were awaiting his orders.
“
Well! Be done with it!” He bellowed.
Bishop and Harold pulled Mike roughly to his feet. He cried out, biting down on his bottom lip as his eyes filled with tears. They showed no consideration for his injuries as they dragged him forward. Mike whimpered as pain took over his entire body. He fought the dizziness that made white lights flash before his eyes as they dragged him. He tried to keep his left leg up, lessening the weight on it, but that hurt as well, so he let it drag – shaking his head too and fro from the anguish of the throbbing.
Shots rang out, his head shot up as screams from the women pierced the air. “You - bastard!! You -…”He shouted in outrage and agony. They had killed the last of his men who lay wounded. He was brought forward to see them, lying dead along the wall. Mike closed his eyes fighting back tears of despair to see Eugene lying among them; all of those who had followed and trusted him, had lost their lives. Now he waited for his turn, praying it would come soon, he could not stand the pain much longer.
One of the soldiers whose duty it was to search the camp returned to Pryce with a disappointing report. “Captain Pryce sir, we’ve searched everywhere…there’s not a single weapon of ours to be found here sir.”
Pryce, who had been grinning as they had brought Mike forward, spun with his brows pinched in agitation. “What the hell do you mean private? Those weapons are here! Somewhere within this camp, now find them…find them now!”
“
But sir, we have searched everywhere. There is no place else to look. Also sir…there are a good number of our men injured who need seeing to, we have to get-…”
“
Are you telling me how to go about matters here soldier?” Pryce asked with low warning.
“
No sir.”
“
Find the guns.”
“
Yes sir.”
Pryce turned to look at Mike, thinking the weapons had to be there somewhere. Surely, he could not have been wrong. He had just killed over thirty some odd men for them, and the land deeds; many of his own men had died for them. He knew they had to be there somewhere. “Where, are those weapons damn you - where?” He demanded, looking into Mike’s face.
There was no way for him to answer, there was too much noise going on around him, making his pain more intense. His leg was burning and jerking from muscle spasms; his head was pounding and buzzing.
He was so dizzy everything before him seemed to be swimming as the heat of the sun bore down on him. His ears ringing did not help either as he felt his head snap back on his neck.
The captain flexed his sore knuckles from delivering a backhand blow to Mike’s jaw. He stood livid, as he received no response other than Mike mumbling. “Mama - ma – mama - ma – Maria.” A blanket of darkness closed around him and he was out.
Straining to help hold him up, Harold informed him. “He’s gone sir, out like a light.”
“
Wake him up! I want those weapons! Wake him!”
Both men stood trying to keep Mike from falling to the ground, with the question of
‘How?’
on their minds. The captain turned from them to look back at the women.
“
Where is she?!” He barked.
“
Who?” The men asked.
“
His sister! His goddamned sister! The one Santiago spoke of?”
Both men remained quiet, having not a clue as to her whereabouts. The captain turned his tirade on the women in the huddle. “Which one of you is his sister?!” He demanded; they cowered from him. “Which one - answer me!?! Answer meee!!!” He raved like a lunatic.
“
She is not here among us, she is gone.” Elsa answered fearfully crying.
“
You’re lying! Now which one is she?” He spat out menacingly.
“
She does not lie to you. She is not among us!” Juanita announced bravely; disgusted by the captain and his tactics, her eyes showing hatred. He turned his angry glare to her. “Then where is she? Who is this Maria he spoke of?”
“
She is his-…”
“
Shut up! You keep silent!” Juanita yelled at Elsa.
“
You whore!” He backhanded her and her mouth filled with blood. She spat it out at his feet. An evil grin transformed his features right before he pulled his pistol from his waist sash and shot her in the head.
Her children screamed and cried pulling at her limp body. “I’ll get the answers I seek…or I’ll kill you all trying!” He declared looking around him at the death and carnage he had caused. He stood with a dead woman at his feet, his men staring and afraid to say a word, Mike draped on the arms and shoulders of two of his soldiers. He did not know what to do.
‘
You lying bastard! You lying bastard Santiago! If I get my hands on you again!’
He thought. He looked back at his men holding Mike; he was the only one left who could tell him where they were.
“
Sir…we’ve…we’ve searched everywhere…but they’re not here sir. Maybe, just maybe we could have been mistaken, sir.” The same private approached him with the same results.
Pryce stared at him a moment, then turned to Harold and Bishop who were still holding Mike up.
“
Where’s the sawbones?”
“
He’s out tending our fallen men sir, getting them ready for the return to the fort.”
“
Get him here!”
“
But sir, he’s seeing to our men.”
“
I said – get him – here – now!”
“
What about him, sir?” Bishop asked, indicating Mike.
“
You two are responsible for him. If he dies, I’ll have your hides! I want him alive! Do you understand me? Alive and well! He’s going to tell me where those weapons are! When all is said and done, I want him alive to stand before the wall!” He announced directly, walking away from them, he yelled out to his other men. “Prepare to head back to the fort. Get our wounded ready, and the dead.”
“
Excuse me sir, what about the women and children?”
Pryce looked at Sgt. Hercog. “You, Dempsey, Shraider, Wilcox and Philmen, select three or four more men. Get those two wagons we saw in the stables ready, with all the necessary provisions, load those women and children in.”
“
You and those with you will be escorting them to Fort Jacques. I suggest you get started now; it’s going to be a long trip. The rest of us are heading out.”
“
Yes sir captain, right away sir.” He turned to follow his orders as something further came to mind, turning back he asked. “What of the dead sir, his men?”
Pryce had been walking away and stopped, looking back, his eyes scanned the dead against the wall and laying about the camp. He looked towards the sky to see buzzards already showing up in anticipation of a meal. More of them, bolder than the others, landed on the wall; perched there in wait of the imminent feast.
“
They seem plenty enough; hungry enough; let them take care of the mess.”
Hercog felt his chest tighten, even the lowest of men were deserving of a burial, yet with only five of them left to take care of matters…the number of bodies was too overwhelming for them to see to, the captain had spoken.
Pryce and his troops were mounted and ready to leave when he called Hercog to him at the gate. “And, sergeant, I think for the best of everyone concerned, when you arrive at Fort Jacques, I would prefer that you omit the circumstances surrounding the capture of Miguel until I have worked out the details and can give a full report, myself.” He handed him an envelope. “You are to give this to the commanding officer there; it will suffice until a further understanding of what has taken place comes to light; you have your orders.” The look Pryce gave him was clear, in other words…keep his mouth shut. Hercog hesitated; the entire event went against what he felt should be but he had his orders, resentfully, he took the sealed missive. “Yes sir, not a word sir.”
Pryce nodded and gave the departing command.
Hope had ridden Esteban’s horse so hard in her effort to reach her brother that she had run it to its eventual death. Its sides heaving for water and air, his mouth foaming with his tongue hanging as he lay on his side, spent and on the verge of death. A single shot put him out of his misery.
With more determination than fear, she continued on foot. To her advantage she was close by a smallholding, sneaking onto the land, she found a corral with three horses within; one of them docile and friendly, which became her next ride.
By the time she reached the mountain edge to cross over, the horse came to a trot, and then stopped. Obviously having enough sense not to be ridden to death, he chose the bayou to stop. Unable to get it moving again, she dismounted and left it. Hope trudged through the murky swamp, finally making it to cross the valley floor. It seemed to take longer than she thought it would. By dusk, she was at the rocky hill. Maneuvering carefully down from the top, she noticed a large gathering of vultures' overhead. A horrible smell permeated the air making her cringe and grab for her nose. She carried on, baffled by what she was seeing, the presence of the scavengers mesmerized her. With one hand braced upon a thick outcropping branch as she stepped carefully down into the valley flat land, a chill raced down her spine. Never in her life had she seen so many of the scavengers gathered.