Flight of Fancy: Cora's Daughters (17 page)

Broc shook his head, tears rolling as he grabbed for her hand, trying to keep her out, cracking up, his voice almost shrill it was so high from being tickled, “Careful – careful now – you gone cut my parts pulling that card out like that, Asiza Wolf! You sure you aint played before cos I’m thinkin you got a mighty good hand.” He chuckled naughtily.

Next thing she knew, she was caught in his arms, laughing along with him. He rolled her over on her back, trying to catch his breath and hold her down at the same time, “I swear Asiza, you somethin' else – you know that?” He mumbled, mesmerized – looking into her eyes as they lay not far from the light of the fire.

“What you thank I'mo do, tryin' t'cheat me.” She scolded in good humor, gazing up at him.

“Just having fun Asiza, I wouldn't cheat you m'darlin'.” He murmured, leaning partially over her. He tested her hair, gently pinching the short twirls along her hairline. “I miss seeing your long hair.”

“It'ah grow back.”

“Wouldn't matter if it did – hair o'no, you ah'bonny lass – as pretty as they come.”

“You gone kiss me now?”

He placed a quick pucker kiss on the tip of her nose and leaned away from her.

“No... put that fish away.” He rolled away from her.

Asiza sat forward, sighing deeply she came to her feet. Placing it aside on the table, she covered it with a cloth, saving it to eat on the following day. Another check on the goose showed that it too would soon be done. Next, she saw to her personal needs with a last wash-up - Broc gave her the privacy she needed. He stood at the opening of the hovel, watching the non-ending rain. Packing his pipe, readying it for a smoke, he waited until she was bedded down for the night.

Joining her there, it was the first night they lay side by side. They were both comforted by the sound of the rain beating down around them. Asiza had turned on her side, her back to him, not sure of what to do – it appeared he faced the same dilemma. In truth, Broc struggled not to touch her again because she was menstruating and he was filled with need. He didn’t think touching her under the circumstances was a wise thing to do – so he kept himself from her.

Asiza could hear him moving about behind her, until finally she smelled burning tobacco - she rolled to her back to take a peak.  

He was propped up and back against his saddle, puffing on a pipe. Glancing down at her, he pulled it from between his teeth,

“Get some sleep.” He murmured, reaching over giving her arm a gentle squeeze before slowly pulling his hand away.

Pipe back in his mouth, he returned to the deep thinking that Asiza supposed he did at night. Rolling back on her side, she was soon, fast asleep.

Two days went by, they ate well. During that time, Broc saw to the horses. It was automatically his job in making sure they had grazing. Regardless of the storm, they had to eat which caused droppings for him to clean up.

Third day, he came in from gathering food stuff from the field so that Asiza could dry it. They would carry enough along to nibble on once they started riding again. However, it was on that third day that Broc came back, talking out loud as he always did. This was his way of letting her know he'd returned and was entering. Unfortunately, this time he stepped inside to find, Asiza gone. He stood for a moment looking around their neatly arranged rest stop. There were signs that she’d been busy as well, keeping the place clean.

He placed the roots, wild mushrooms and vegetables on the table, wondering where she could be.

Because he was always leery, he kept his weapons on him – having lived the way of a bounty hunter for so long.

He would not make a move without being armed. He also had a second pistol, thanks to the dead man, which he’d cleaned and loaded.

Now he stood, unsure of where she was or what was going on.

Her absence made him feel uneasy - he wished she wouldn’t just leave and not let him know where. Surely, she had to know that under the circumstances - he needed to escort her, guard her. Just then, Nik-Nik whinnied long and loud. Someone was coming, and it wasn’t Asiza because Nik-Nik knew Asiza. He felt a rushing in his chest – his heart beating out of sequence from the burst of adrenaline. The idea of some stranger wondering upon his camp had never bothered him before. This was different. Unlike in most cases in his past, he’d known no fear, just caution. Having one’s woman with one, changed that – it gave a man reason to fear.

Rifle in hand and a loaded pistol in his belt, he stepped outside the hidden cabin to see three riders coming his way - they saw him as well.

Broc stood ready – he realized they must know of the hideaway, may have known the dead man he’d found within.

They approached carefully, noticing that he was armed.

The rain poured down around them and he was outnumbered.

‘Where are you Asiza?!’
His mind stressed, afraid of her walking up. He trusted no one – especially three men traveling alone – because he knew the way of men, the sight of her would fill them with lust.

“Stop right there!” He called out with a powerful voice, filled with warning, “Who are you, what do you want here?”

“Who you?” One called back, “We seek the man Stan Wynn – last we met, he live here!”

“The man you seek is dead! Move on!”

“We soaked to the bone, we wish only to-…”

“MOVE - ON!” Broc blasted loud and clear despite the rain.

“Stan Wynn got somethin’ belongin’ to us, we aim to get it!” Another called out, there was now warning in
his
tone.

Broc prayed that he could kill at least two, before they killed him. That would leave only one for Asiza to deal with.

He had no doubt that she could easily handle one if left on her own. With his rifle trained, eyes moving from one to the other, he waited for them to make their move. All the time hoping that they would realize - he would shoot to kill. With his aim steady – it was only a matter of who went for it first.

They stared at him, all three wondering which of them, he would hit if they went for it. They had bags of gold hidden away in that cabin - they weren’t about to leave without it. There were three robbed banks worth of eagle gold – to collect. They’d had to separate to get away, with Stan driving the wagon that held their gold. Two others of the gang had been shot dead, with them running for their lives.  

It had taken all this time, almost two years to find Howard, and then break him out of jail following being caught. They needed him so that he could lead them to this place, as he was the only one who knew where Stan's hide-out was.

After all they’d gone through, with the call of bags of gold to split between them – only to arrive and find that Stan was dead. They could have lived with that, it meant more gold for them. But now, this man was standing between them and their gold. “We don’t want no trouble mister - just want what we come for.” The man Howard called to him - the rain was slowing.

“Nothing here - but my belongings!”

One of them started grinning - a sign of nerves – he was going to make a move, “Now mister, we come a long way-…”

“To die!” Broc interrupted, “Gone be you first?” He asked in a commanding voice.

“Don’t seem right – you threatening us…” One man mumbled to distract him and gambling - he threw his knife. Broc pulled the trigger, shooting him in the face. He fell from his horse, kicking and twisting in agony, as his blade cut along Broc’s shoulder. Pulling his second arm he fired at one of the others who did the same. Both men missed each other as they were moving as they shot. Broc pulled his hatchet about to launch it at the man he missed when an arrow picked him off, going into his throat. The third man tried to pull his horse about to run off, realizing there was another man besides the one they faced. Jerking on the reigns made his horse rear up, whinnying in protest. Broc’s hatchet went flying with speed, force and accuracy – cutting through the air - for the blade point to hit the third man, dead center of his back with a low thump - embedding it deep alongside his spine - he too fell - screaming in pain, writhing on the ground.

Chapter Eleven

The rains broke.

In the space of five minutes, the sun was suddenly out, shining bright.

Broc walked slowly from the door of the cabin, looking at the men and then up and around for his wife. She came out from behind a large tree that was up on the grass ridge behind the cabin – making her way down to him – bow and arrows in hand.

The one shot in the face, was no longer moving - he lay in a twisted, grotesque pose, dead. Broc didn’t bother looking at the one with the arrow sticking up out of his neck. Next, he went to the man who lay panting and begging for his life. His eyes rolling in agony, “Don’ kill’me – there’s gold, lots of it, bags of it… don’t kill’me – I’ah – I…” He panted staring up at Broc and recognizing him as a bounty hunter.

They stared at each other, both familiar with the other.

“Well I’ll be … you got some kind’ah bounty on your head, they want you, dead or alive.”

The man lie staring up knowing his fate, breathing deeply, he snarled up at Broc, “Can’t… can’t feel m’legs - no way… can’t feel m’legs – kill’me… might as well.”

“My plan exactly.” Broc answered - removing his knife to immediately dispatch him with one quick move. Standing straight his eyes turned to his wife. “Where were you?” He asked - that he was not pleased showed.

“At the stream, bathin’.”

“Next time, you wait ‘til I’m back to escort you.”

“I can take car’o’myself.” She sassed him.

“If these men had come across you, bathing – taking you by surprise-…”

“I’m always lookin’ out.”

“I snuck up on you… twice.” he reminded her.

“They ain’t – I snuck up on them.”

He grabbed her arm, his eyes sharp as flint, “Hear what I say Asiza? Mind my words, until we can be sure you safe - you go nowhere that I don’t know.”

Right then, she felt stubborn, hating those dead men even more.

She’d gone to bathe to be fresh and clean for him, wanting to please him. The three dead had come along ruining it. 

“You hear?” He squeezed and shook her arm.

“I ain’ lackin’ in my hearin’. Lemme go.”

He released her, turning back to the men.

“You cut.” She pointed out, his shoulder was bleeding.

He looked at it, “I’ll live, did more damage to my shirt than me.” Forgetting his arm, he turned back to the men, “We got more horses now, and if what he said is true, more gold. Start loading up, we heading out - soon as I find all I’m looking for. As for them, I’m taking him in for the bounty, that one too. There’s a price on his head as well.”

“We should leave it all and jus’ go.” She fretted.

He turned to Asiza, “I’m a bounty hunter – I’m takin’em in. I’m collecting the bounty and we’re headin’ north – I’m keeping the horses, the guns, everything. That’s the way I am, I don’t let nothin’ go to waste.” He was thinking of Clover Grove, “With us startin’ fresh, there’s a lot we need. I won’t leave valuables behind, I lay claim to everything I might use later.”

“Tha’s jus’ greedy.” She fumed.

He grabbed her to him once more, holding her close and tight,

“You listen here woman – long as I’m the man here, I say what goes. The more gold we have, the more possessions we have, the better I can set up. I’m turnin’ in those bounties.”

“You might wanna turn me in too – you turnin’ them in, may get us caught.” She didn’t care how tight or close he held her, how menacing he tried to look, she wasn’t afraid of him.

“Asiza, Lord don’t like a lippy woman!”

“Masta’ Broc, Lord don’t like no greedy man!” she fired right back.

He let her go to vent, “Goddamn you Asiza! Goddamn your stubborn hide! I’m takin’ them in!”

He insisted, bucking his eyes and raising his brows at her so she would take him serious, “… I’m findin’ that gold and you as my wife, gone do as you told!”

“You gon’ get us killed.”

“Well you bes’ watch our back, or we gone die together!” He returned, glaring at her to dare say more.

“That’s right, we in this together, for better or worse, ‘til death do us part!” he added, waiting on her to say something.

Asiza’s brows pinched in confusion, “What is you talkin’ ‘bout?”

“The promise you made to me when we married!”

“I ain’ made no such’ah promise - I was sleep. Tha’s somethin’ you say, don’ make it so.”

“I showed you our papers. That, makes it so. Now quit your gabber’squawkin’ and let’s go!”

Asiza’s bottom lip rolled out - turning from him - she entered the cabin. As he told her, she started collecting their things. She ignored him while he came in looking around the cave wondering where the rest of the gold was stashed. 

He tried all the stones of the fire place - they were all firm and in place. He checked along the flooring, nothing. He couldn’t figure it. “Where’d you find that sack?”