El Paso Way (20 page)

Guns fired all around him and Valdar's body was riddled with bullets. His body jerked and rolled as bullet after bullet annihilated his entire body. Fragments of his skull, flesh, and bone littered the river bank and the water.

It happened so fast that Enrique had no time to react. Sereno? Of course, it all made sense now. Father Gaeta said he had found him with his family slaughtered and his throat cut. It was Valdar who had done it, and Sereno was more afraid of him than anything else. He must have known of Enrique's pursuit and been bound to go along with him. He had, and like the rest of them, he had found his justice.

It all made Enrique realize just how little control he had over anything, including, sometimes, himself. He had killed Beshkah, with his own arrow. Pang had killed Baliador with his own hands. Sereno, along with many men, better than a hundred nameless soldiers, men that represented all the people, had done their duty in claiming revenge for the many lives ever affected by Valdar.

A soldier released Sai Min, and she ran down the bank and into the water. She cried and wrapped her arms around Pang, then helped him out of the river. He limped along the shore then fell to one knee, and two soldiers climbed down to his aid.

Six other riders rode down into the river; only these weren't soldiers. One Enrique recognized immediately, not only by his smiling eyes but also by the white sling that held his arm. Riding alongside Dutton were five men in big hats and with badges on their chests. Then he recognized the lawman from El Paso. The others he assumed were deputies.

He turned and took hold of Amelia's body and dragged her to the shore. He sat down and laid her head in his lap, then bent over her, kissed her forehead, and wept.

* * *

Dutton slowly stepped down from his horse, grimacing from the pain in his side. He kneeled beside Enrique and put a hand on his shoulder.

“I'm so sorry,
amigo
.”

Enrique rubbed his hand over Amelia's forehead, then leaned over and kissed her again. “She was so close to freedom. So close.”

“Oh, she's free,” Dutton said. “A freedom that we all will know someday. A freedom from this earth and all the hell that goes with it.”

Enrique looked up at him. “I had so much I wanted to share with her.”

“You gave her everything. And she knew that. Be grateful that you were able to have this time together. It's more than a lot of other families got.”

Enrique gave Amelia one last kiss, and two soldiers came and carried off her body.

All the badged lawmen had dismounted and gathered around Enrique. They walked to Valdar's body, blood-soaked and almost unidentifiable. Sereno sat down next to Enrique. A single tear ran down his cheek as he stared at the Demon Warrior's body.

Enrique shook his head. “I am amazed at how I feel. I'm happy to finally see Valdar dead, to see justice served for so many, yet I feel deep sorrow for my sister.”

Dutton nodded. “I reckon the Good Lord doesn't want us to take much glory in the killin' of others, regardless of how bad they are—He wants us to realize killin' for what it is and how much it costs.”

Enrique looked at him.

Dutton looked down at Valdar's body and bit his bottom lip. “Yeah, it never ceases to amaze me how death, no matter who it comes to, is never pretty.”

“The doctor said you were to stay in bed,” Enrique said.

“Yeah, well, I knew what you were doing and I had to alert the law.”

“I should be mad at you, but for some reason I am not.”

Dutton nodded. “Well, I'm glad of that. Hopefully someday you'll understand my thinking. To you, tracking and killing Valdar was personal. To me, it was professional. The way I look at it, together we got the job done. Now maybe people in this region of the earth can sleep a little easier at night.”

A buckboard drove up and stopped, and Enrique watched the soldiers lift Amelia's body into the bed of the wagon and cover it with a blanket. “
Sí
,” he said with a sigh. “Father Gaeta will be pleased.”

* * *

The three men, along with Sai Min, gathered by Amelia's grave at the cemetery near Fort Bliss. A priest came out to read over the body and then left them alone. The grave digger waited for them to walk away, then commenced to doing his job of filling the grave.

Pang limped from the bullet wound in his thigh, and Sai Min held his elbow to help him along. As they continued on, three riders came toward them. They wore large hats and long dusters. On the lapel of each duster was a shiny badge.

“Who are these men?” Enrique said.

“I reckon we're about to find out,” Dutton said.

The riders came to a halt and dismounted. All removed their hats and offered condolences. The one in the center spoke first. He was the tallest and oldest of the three. His mustache was gray and his face swarthy and aged. His hair around his ears was gray as well, but the crown was still dark. When he returned his hat to his head, it seemed to cover and protect what youth he had left.

“Name's Tom Crawford. We're all Texas Rangers.”

“What can we do for you boys?” Dutton said.

“Well, it's more like what we can do for you. We've been over at the fort, listening to the whole story about what happened with Valdar.” The ranger half-smiled at Enrique and Pang. “My compliments on a job well done. You've brought down enemy number one, and the good people of Texas aim to pay you well for it. We've deposited fifteen hundred dollars in reward money at the Bank of El Paso. There was a a thousand dollars on Valdar's head and five hundred dollars each on Baliador and Beshkah.”

Dutton wrinkled his brow. “My figuring brings that to two thousand dollars.”

The Ranger nodded. “I believe the story that you killed Beshkah, but the law requires a body, dead or alive, in order to collect a reward.”

“That's okay,” Enrique said. “I don't want it anyway. And I doubt Sereno would want it.”

The Ranger pinched his lips and raised his eyebrows. “Well, your choice, I reckon. And how you divide it is up to you. There's fifteen hundred dollars there with each of your names on it. You can draw it out at any time. We appreciate your good work. Now we best be riding on.” The Ranger tipped his hat and nodded at them, then turned to leave.

They watched the Rangers ride away, and Enrique tried not to feel angry. Though he knew $1500 was a decent sum of money, he saw no value in it relative to the lives of his family. After so many years, enduring all that he had, witnessing all the horrors and suffering all the pain, to be given $1500 from the government for doing a good deed was like a slur on his
mamá
,
papá
, and Amelia, as if the government had spat on their graves. He couldn't help but think of what Dutton had told him, about working a trade and using cash money to purchase items for living. It might be the way of the times, but it certainly wasn't Enrique's way.

Destiny's Trail

They recovered all their horses at the livery, as well as the two mules and the pack donkey. They would be able to give Benjamin back his horses, which pleased Enrique.

Since the livery had fallen under new ownership, with a manager appointed by a judge, they kept all their animals there until Dutton and Pang were both in better shape to travel. Pang's wound, luckily, was just a graze on the thigh, but deep enough that the soreness made walking difficult. As with Dutton, the doctor insisted on patience, rest, and healing time to avoid bleeding and infection.

They went to the bank together, and Enrique was surprised that Dutton refused to take part in the reward. With $1,500 lying on the counter, the sheriff just held up his hands. “No, boys, I was on duty. I was already paid to do this, and it would be unethical for me to accept anything. Besides, you three lost family and endured years of pain over this. All I did was take a risk, and that's part of my job.”

Enrique looked down at the three stacks of paper notes. They were intimidating and foreign to him. He looked back at the sheriff. “Will you at least carry the money for us and protect it until we decide what to do with it?”

Dutton offered a slight grin and nodded. “It would be my pleasure.”

The sheriff took the money and put it in a saddlebag, and they all left the bank and walked Sai Min down to the stage office. Pang accepted some of the money and purchased Sai Min a stagecoach ticket back to Tucson. He wired her father to let him know she was coming. Three days later, he said his good-bye, and that he would see her again soon, when he returned with Mun Lo. Though he worried about sending Sai Min alone, after all this time apart, he was convinced a stagecoach ride was much safer than a ride through the wilderness.

What surprised Enrique and Dutton most, however, was the conversation that took place before she boarded the stage.

“Are you sure you'll be okay?” Pang said.

She looked at him tenderly. “It is the right decision. You have a new life now. The money you gave me will go a long way in China. You will be a hero to them.”

Pang kissed her hand and helped her onto the stage. Apparently they had talked, and she wasn't the only one to notice a difference in Pang. Some saw it as a hardness, but Enrique understood it more than anyone. It was the light of destiny in his eyes, a new sense of freedom and an understanding that his purpose was other than what he'd planned. He knew he would never be content being married and running a business in Tucson. It was better for Sai Min to go back to the Mother Country and find a better husband. He was sure that he could sell the business to one of his Chinese elders, but then what would he do? Just as in the pursuit of Valdar, he would let the moments of time and the circumstances of the days help him decide.

* * *

While Pang and Dutton rested, Enrique would stroll through town. He visited Fort Bliss and shared his story with the soldiers there, and one night they had a dinner in his honor. One of the officers took note of Enrique mentioning his grandfather. The officer pulled him aside later that evening and told him he remembered his grandfather and his grandfather's brother. He said that his brother was very ill and owed a large amount of money to an
oficial
in Hermosillo. The last the officer had heard, the brother had passed away and Enrique's grandfather had agreed to absorb the debt with his servitude.

This was the first time since burying his sister that he had had any indication of what he might do next. He knew he would have to go back to Tucson with Pang and Dutton, if anything to help ensure that Mun Lo made it back safely. And he would check back with Father Gaeta. After that, he wasn't sure, yet, like Pang, he knew that day-by-day living would lead him down his next path.

Hermosillo, he thought. Servitude? He wondered how much the debt was. With this in mind, he talked himself into it and told Dutton he would need his $500 after all.

On his way down a busy street, he noticed several men unloading freight from a buckboard. He couldn't help but notice what was in one of the large crates, and he stopped to ask about it.

“Excuse me,
señor
,” he said to a stocky man supervising the workers. “Where is that going?”

“Not sure now,” he said. “It was ordered by a congregation, but someone skipped town with their entire collection. I'll likely have to take a loss on it just to get rid of it.”

“How much for it, right now?”

The man narrowed his eyes and scratched his chin. “Young man, if you'd be so willin', I'd take twenty dollars cash money right now. I'll even have these fine young men load it for you.”

Enrique unfolded his money and the man watched him eagerly. He paid the man twenty dollars, and the man shook his hand happily. “You saved me a lot of heartache, young man. Now, where can we load you up?”

“That would be my next question,
señor
. Where might I purchase a buckboard and harness?”

The man pointed. “Down yonder a ways, you'll see a corral and a blacksmith. Right next to it is a feller that can fix you right up.”

Enrique smiled and shook the man's hand. “
Gracias, señor.
I will return shortly to be loaded.”

Within two hours Enrique had purchased a buckboard and harness and had retrieved his mules from the livery, hitched them up, and had the freighter load his new purchase.

Within a week Dutton and Pang were ready to travel, and both seemed delighted that they had a wagon to carry the supplies. They were all surprised that Sereno joined them and rode in the back.

Dutton made mention that because of the wagon they'd have to take a slightly different trail, and he also wondered about the contents of the crate in the wagon.

“It's a gift,” Enrique said.

Dutton nodded and didn't pursue it any further. It didn't matter about the wagon. They weren't in a time fix anymore. They could take their time and enjoy the scenery and the glory of staking their own claim on justice. Now it was definitely a time of peace, and a time to look toward a different horizon.

* * *

After seven days of traveling the stage trail of the lowlands, they arrived back at Benjamin's
rancho
. They were greeted by children and
vaqueros
, and before long the commotion drew Benjamin, his old lady servant, and Mun Lo from the
casa rancho
. What surprised them most was to see Mun Lo in a Mexican dress, her long black hair flowing and exposed, with only her eyes and skin tone to give away her true ethnicity.

She smiled and ran to Pang and hugged him.

He looked at her, up and down, and apologized. “When we get back to Tucson, we will get you proper attire.”

She looked down embarrassedly and then glanced at Benjamin. Benjamin grinned and came to Pang offering a vigorous handshake. The Chinaman could tell something was up, but he didn't quite understand what it was.

The
vaqueros
took their horses and unhitched the mules, and they all went inside, where a large spread of food was prepared to soothe their hollow stomachs. They feasted on beef, peppers, tortillas, and wine, and each shared his own version of how the evil era of the Demon Warrior had been brought to an end. Benjamin raised his glass in a toast to the soul of his late fiancée. Then he looked at Mun Lo, who sat diagonally from him at the end of the table. He smiled at her and held her hand then sought out Pang.

“I think this is the best time as any to make an announcement,” Benjamin said.

Pang and Enrique exchanged glances, acknowledging each other's confusion.

Benjamin stood, and looking toward Pang, he placed a hand over his heart.

“Pang, Mun Lo and I have come to an agreement. One that delights me, and I hope will delight you as well. With your blessing, I would like to make her my wife.”

The room was abnormally quiet. All eyes looked at Pang, but he looked only at his sister, who sat quietly in her new apparel, with her head slightly bowed.

Benjamin continued. “I know this probably comes as a bit of a surprise—”

Pang rose quickly from his chair and stomped out of the room. He walked through the front door and out into the courtyard that was experiencing the dimness of the setting sun and the sounds of locusts in the trees.

Mun Lo had followed him. He stood in the middle of the courtyard looking up at the tops of the trees and into the dusky sky. She walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. He turned around abruptly. A tear ran down his cheek.

“I'm sorry,” she said, “if we've upset you.”

He studied her for a moment. “This is what you want?”

“He is very good to me. The people here—they see me as their own. There are all races of people and all are considered family. They would risk their own lives to protect another. I am at peace here, and I want to stay.”

Pang grabbed both of her hands and held them firmly. “It is our custom for an arranged marriage. You know that. And since our father is gone, it is my duty.”

“We are in a different land now. Customs here are different. If you love me, Pang, then you will want me to be happy.”

A lump grew in his throat as he studied the sincerity in his sister's eyes. Oh, how he did love her. She was all that he had left. After all that had happened, he had thought long and hard about their destiny. Would it really come to
this
?

“It is my duty now to see that you are properly cared for,” he said. “But I do not want to stay here with you.”

She smiled. “You don't have to. You can trust that they will care for me.”

“Do you think you can learn to love a white man, Mun Lo?”

“I already love him. We take long walks together, and ride on horses. He shares his dreams with me, and he is interested in my own. He is a kind and gentle man, who cares about all who live on his
rancho
. I've never been more at peace. I want to be his wife, and give him children.”

By the contentedness in her smile, Pang could tell her feelings were genuine. After all that they had lost, how could he take this away from her?

“I can't help but think that Father would disagree with this,” he said.

“But he is gone and you are in his place. I told Dick that I would not agree to his proposal without your blessing. He agreed, too, out of respect, that he would ask you first.”

Pang looked at his feet, and then gazed around at the many buildings of the
rancho
. It was indeed a prosperous place, with many caring people. He thought of how well they had cared for the four of them after they'd nearly died in the desert. And he thought about life in Tucson. Truthfully, he knew of no other way he could provide such things for his sister. Times
were
changing, as were customs, and he would have to adapt like the rest. With this in mind, he looked at his sister and took a deep breath.

“I will agree on one condition,” he said.

“What is that?”

“That before I go, I will see you married. That way I'll know it's done.”

She smiled and jumped and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. “He will be so pleased!”

He pulled her down and looked deeply into her eyes. “I can see that this is your destiny.”

“I believe you are right.”

He hugged her, and over her shoulder he looked off into the night. It seemed now that everyone knew what he or she needed to do, except him. It was almost exciting not to have an answer yet, but to know that something grand and fulfilling awaited him. It was more than enough, he supposed, to help him live with this decision and move on.

* * *

It was not a simple wedding. The women of the
rancho
decorated the adobe walls of the courtyard with blooms from the wild. There were yellow and white wildflowers, and a few violet and lavender. They placed the flowers in garlands of ivy and draped them along the walls. Mun's dress was white and made of silk, one that Benjamin's own mother had been married in. He'd kept it in a trunk for just this occasion. The women clipped a red rose from a bush that Benjamin had imported from the Midwest and planted in the courtyard. They tied the rose in her hair, which hung freely and without a headdress or a veil to cover her face. She came out of the
casa rancho
through the main door, and toward her brother, dressed in a borrowed suit from one of the younger
vaqueros
. He led her into the courtyard, over flower petals scattered by young girls, and to her groom, who was flanked by his foreman, the best man. A priest from a border mission had been brought in just for the occasion. He stood facing and centered to them all, dressed in a brown robe and holding a Bible.

The guests and witnesses, mostly family of the
vaqueros
, along with Enrique and Dutton, stood facing the bride as she entered. Pang offered Benjamin his sister's hand with a sincere nod, and after a reading of several verses by the priest, and an exchange of vows, the priest made his proclamation that they were man and wife. An announcement that was met with cheerful applause.