Author's Notes:
"Maria Bennett" and all original material included in this story are the creations of Darcie Daniels.
Early September 1881
Maria sprinted as soon as she saw them. His horse was splattered with dry blood, and his body was hunched over. Her heart pounded, not knowing whether he was alive or dead. UnBob was the first to his side. When she reached them, she could hear the bounty hunter moan in pain as UnBob gently eased him off the Hell Bitch.
"He's hurt real bad," UnBob exclaimed in obvious worry. "We gotta go get Doc Cleese!"
Maria helped UnBob gently lower her blood brother to the ground. She could see that Mr. Call had been shot in the leg. Pus oozed out from the wound. The wound smelled ghastly. This was not only bad -- it was extremely bad.
Maria barely noticed when she saw UnBob run to go get the doctor.
"You're home now, Newton," she told her blood brother, gently kissing him on the forehead. His skin was clammy. This was terrible.
The blond man gave no indication that he heard her.
"Doctor Cleese is on his way," she added, her voice shaking. "Hold on." She reached to squeeze his hand. His revolver fell from his grip. He moaned incoherently.
By now, a crowd had developed around them.
"Go get my uncle and cousin!" she barked to no one in particular. She looked down at her poor blood brother. He uttered nothing now.
He was completely still. His blue eyes were closed.
She could only stare at him in horror. He wasn't dead. He couldn't be dead. He couldn't.
"Stand aside," she heard Dr. Cleese order. The crowd separated, and as if in a dream, Maria moved away from her blood brother to let the doctor examine him. The doctor looked down at him grimly.
"Help me get him to my office," he said to a few townsmen. "Hurry."
Absentmindedly, Maria held Mr. Call's revolver in her hand as she followed the men up the stairs to the doctor's office. She barely noticed how heavy it was.
She nearly fell when Doctor Cleese delivered the good news. The window frame steadied her.
"Newt'll be all right, then?" Josiah asked anxiously.
"Yes," the doctor answered, fatigue in his voice. "If he gets some rest and refrains from his normal activity. He'll have to keep that leg immobile, though, or he will lose it."
Maria sighed, her forehead resting against the windowpane. Hopefully, that would not be too hard. Mr. Call was stubborn as iron, but his stubbornness gave him the will to live. Maria was ever thankful for that.
Then a movement in the darkness caught her eye. It was her cousin Austin. He was trying not to look up to the office. In fact, in the last few hours, Maria had seen her cousin walk several times past the office. She frowned. He should have waited inside with her uncle and herself, but instead, he tortured himself with not knowing. She supposed she would have to go down and tell him that Mr. Call was all right, but not yet.
"Is he awake?" Maria asked, turning to face Dr. Cleese.
"No," Dr. Cleese answered after a moment's hesitation. "Earlier, Mr. Call was muttering something about an ambush, but now he is resting quietly. Goodness only knows how he made it on his horse as far as he did. I wonder how long he had to ride. The infection has been set in his leg for several days now." Dr. Cleese shook his head. "He's a lucky man. You can see him if you like, but do not disturb him."
With that, Dr. Cleese left the room. Maria nodded for her uncle to visit Mr. Call first. He stepped inside of his room.
Maria turned to leave the office. Someone had to tell Austin. In fatigue, she reached the bottom of the stairs. To her surprise, no one was there.
Upset at the stupidity of her cousin, Maria walked off to the telegraph office. She had to wire back Captain Woodrow F. Call that his son was all right. She hoped that he had not already left the Hat Creek Ranch. She was unsure if she could wire him at any of the stops he could possibly make in the several days ride to Curtis Wells. Frowning, she was unsure if he had even received her telegraph wire in the first place. The Captain never did return her wire.
Maria frowned more deeply when she realized that the telegraph office was closed. There was no answer when she knocked on the door. She wondered where Mr. Bryson could be.
"Well?" she heard her cousin inquire behind her.
Startled, Maria turned back to see Austin leaning nonchalantly against the building support. He was smoking a cigar.
"Well, what?" Maria asked, knowing full well that her cousin wanted to know about his brother-in-law's welfare. He should have been waiting in that office with the rest of them.
"Well, nothing," Austin shrugged. "Just that poor UnBob's beside himself. I could have told him Call would get himself killed one day."
Maria scrutinized him. She saw Austin's jaw twitch almost imperceptibly. He cared about the blond man, although he refused to admit it to anyone, let alone himself.
"Well, you tell UnBob that Newton will be fine," Maria nodded. She noted the inward breath of her cousin. "He needs to stay off that leg of his. Dr. Cleese says that he has lost a lot blood, and he needs plenty of rest. I would invite him to recuperate at the newspaper office, but Dr. Cleese says that he needs to remain immobile. You wouldn't mind if he stayed at the newspaper office, now would you, Austin? You wouldn't mind in the least."
Austin's mouth twisted in anger as Maria's dig hit its mark. "He can't move. You said so." He pushed himself off from the building support and began to stalk away.
"Do you know where Mr. Bryson is?" Maria called after him.
Austin looked back over his shoulder. She could see his smirk even in the dark twilight. "Try the whorehouse."
Maria stomped her foot as she watched her cousin walk away. She took his place, leaning against the building support. Most men who walked into Twyla's Sporting House did not stay for long. Her face burning, Maria hoped that Mr. Bryson was no exception.
But Mr. Mosby --" Maria protested.
"Miss Bennett," Mr. Mosby said with greatest of patience, "is it or is it not true that the man is in delirium? He has enemies all over the place. He's a bounty hunter, for God's sake. The man stalks people for a living it's natural for him to think they'd do the same thing to him. He drips paranoia down to the tips of his toes. In the state he's in, he'd think the Spanish Armada was after him if you'd put the idea in his head."
Maria stomped her foot on the boardwalk as Mr. Mosby breathed in his cigar. He was not listening. She looked to Mr. Shelby, but he said nothing.
She could not believe it. Her blood brother was in the middle of a raging fever. He mentioned in his ravings something about an ambush. He said that they would come to Curtis Wells. He said they would not care who got in their way. He foretold ill will, and Maria did not think they should take it so lightly. She trusted Newt Call whether he was conscious or semi-conscious. And here she was in the street, arguing protection for a man that had taken a turn for the worse. Though Newt Call may have had the stubbornness to fight a fever, she doubted he had the strength to fight someone coming to ambush him.
"He needs protection, Mr. Mosby," Maria argued again. "Can't you spare a deputy? One man, at least?"
"Call would need an entire army to protect him with the number of enemies he's amassed over the years. It's only his paranoia. There's nothing to indicate otherwise."
Maria's indigo eyes clashed with Mr. Mosby's butternut gaze. "And I suppose he shot himself, is that it?"
Mr. Mosby's eyes narrowed, a dangerous smile touching his lips. He shrugged nonchalantly. "You may be right. Perhaps he was ambushed out there. But why didn't they finish him off while they had the chance? Where are they now? Who are they? How many are they? When are they going to come? Can you answer that, Miss Bennett?"
Maria frowned, her face burning. She shook her head slightly.
"Hmm, I thought so."
"He's helpless," she protested.
"He's in delirium, Miss Bennett," Mr. Mosby reminded her, puffing on his cigar. "You'd do more good by being at his side than to fight off his imaginary assassins."
Maria resented that comment. "He's my family, and I'll decide best how to help him. If I knew how to shoot, I'd do it myself. I don't want Uncle Josiah to even touch a gun. And Austin " Maria trailed off, regretting bringing up her cousin Austin's name. Austin had disappeared to God only knows where since he found out that Mr. Call was out of immediate danger. Anyway, she doubted that he would sit on sick watch for Mr. Call, let alone protect him. "All I'm asking for is one man," she argued.
"I will not spare any of my men for the ravings of a feverish and paranoid man, Miss Bennett."
"Then for me, then," Maria said, her chin lifting proudly. "We pay taxes, just like every other citizen in town. I think I'm entitled to my bit of protection, even it is only one deputy."
Mr. Mosby's eyes froze into cold steel. "You may pay your taxes, Miss Bennett, but Call does not. He's no better than a butcher, and this town can't afford the likes of him. You'd be wise to remember that."
With that, Mr. Mosby tipped his hat and left. Mr. Shelby attempted to follow his friend, but Maria stopped him.
"Robert, please," she begged, grabbing onto his sleeve. "Can't you say something to Mr. Mosby? I truly believe there's someone after Newton. Please -- I'm afraid. All I'm asking for is one man."
Mr. Shelby looked down at her sympathetically but shook his head. "I'm sorry. Once Clay's makes up his mind, it's easier moving a mountain than it is to move him. There's nothing I can do."
Maria frowned, and then looked up at him hopefully. Perhaps he would help her for her sake. "Then would you sit with Newton?" she asked in a small voice. "Please?"
Again, his eyes looked down at her in pity. Then he looked to the direction of his friend. He shook his head sadly.
Maria gave him a hard look. "Do you always do what Mr. Mosby says?"
Mr. Shelby returned her look with an equally steely stare. "That man is my best friend, and he has saved my life God knows how many times. I owe him everything. But to answer your question, Maria, the answer is 'no.' I just happen to agree with him this time. I'll forgive your comments because you happen to be concerned about your blood brother. I'll have you know Clay is mine, and I take that about as seriously as you do."
Just like his friend, Mr. Shelby tipped his hat and stalked away from her.
She stomped her foot. That did not go well. She supposed that she would have to protect Newton herself.
Even in fever, her blood brother was strong. Maria nursed her throbbing cheek as Josiah and Dr. Cleese settled the thrashing man. When Mr. Call finally settled down, Dr. Cleese examined his leg wound. It was bleeding again.
"He will re-injure himself at this rate," said the doctor, pressing some clean bandages onto the area. "There. The bleeding has stopped. But Mr. Call must remain still."
Josiah and Maria looked at one another and then nodded to the doctor. It had already been an all night vigil. They were both tired, but they would both do the best they could.
Dr. Cleese nodded and left the room. Maria and Josiah positioned themselves on opposite sides of Mr. Call's bed. They stared at the blond man, hoping that he would remain silent for the remainder of the night.
Maria rested her cheek on her hand and then instantly shifted to her other side. Her cheek still smarted. Hopefully, she would not have a bruise the next morning. If she did, she would have to tell her blood brother that she walked into a door.
Maria could see how swollen her blood brother's leg was in the dim lamp light. Maria bit her lip. Perhaps it was best that he was unconscious. The gunshot wound had to be painful.
Then she squinted at something else on the same leg. She could barely see it in the dim light. It was another scar. She wondered why she had not noticed it before.
"That was from Tavish," Josiah explained quietly. His face suddenly seemed sunken and haggard.
Maria frowned. She did not know of any "Tavish," but she could tell by her uncle's haunted look that it had to be something about Hannah. He always looked that way when he thought about Hannah.
"Poor Newt," Josiah sighed, shaking his head. "Some wounds never heal."
Her blood brother moaned. Maria's body tensed. She hoped that he would not start thrashing again.
"See her," Mr. Call mumbled urgently. "Coming coming. See her. Shots. See her. " His head shook from side to side. "Ambush. Ambush."
"Sssh, Newton," Maria soothed. "It's all right."
"Ambush. They're coming. They're coming. Men. Coming. See her. See her."
The injured man moaned in pain.
"What's he saying?" Maria asked her uncle.
"Hannah," her uncle sighed. "See her -- he's talking about Hannah."
Maria wondered if that was truly the case. Her blood brother kept mentioning an ambush.
"My gun," Mr. Call thrashed about. He kept reaching for a gun, but his holster was on the table in the corner. Maria thought twice about staying his hand. The last time she did that his hand shot out and connected with her cheek.
"You hold his shoulders down," Maria ordered her uncle. "I'll hold his legs." If Newton kicked her, then she would be angry. Thank goodness his boots were off. She hoped that he would settle down soon.
Fortunately, her blood brother cooperated with her wishes. He fell asleep. Josiah dozed off after that, but Maria was not so lucky. She found herself wondering about the urgency of Mr. Call's ranting. She did not rest so easily.
"All right," Maria offered desperately, "a hundred dollars then." She had no idea how much bribe money it would take to save her blood brother's life.
Greed shone clearly in Deputy Ike's eyes, yet fear soon replaced that emotion. He leaned back uneasily in the desk chair of the jail. "If someone did get the drop on Call, that's surely someone I don't want to meet. Didn't get into this job for that."
Maria eyed Deputy Ike critically. No, Ike would rather fine a cowboy for using the wrong hitching post than to protect its citizens. Next time Maria talked with Mr. Mosby, she would make sure to tell him of her opinion on the quality of law enforcement in Curtis Wells.
"Two hundred, then," Maria argued, this time more impatiently. She knew that she should not be wasting her time there. After a day and a half, her blood brother was still in feverish delirium. He still ranted about an upcoming ambush, Josiah had begun to take a gun with him to sick watch, and even Dr. Cleese was a little concerned about Mr. Call's predictions. Austin was nowhere to be found. And still, she begged Mr. Mosby for his help, but he would not consent. Deputy Ike was the only one left. Surely, he could be bribed. Surely, he could.
Greed won out.
"All right, but only until he wakes up," Ike agreed. "And I'll only sit with him after I'm done here with my duties at the jail. And you'll pay for my meals and expenses while I sit with him."
Maria knew how worthless Deputy Ike was, but she felt that she had no choice. She nodded.
"I want payment in advance."
Maria frowned. She did not know whether Ike would take the money and run.
His hand was outstretched, waiting for the money.
Maria pulled the cash from inside her sleeve, carefully unfolding the bills. As she counted it, something caught her eye. It was on the desk. It was a name on a wanted poster. Seaver. Seaver something about that name Seaver See her Seaver See her it was the name whispered in the dark. It was the name Maria and Josiah could not make out. It was the name her poor blood brother moaned out in pain and misery.
Maria looked at the poster. There was a large reward for the Seaver gang. There were four of them. They were murderers and rapists, and they tore up every town they were in.
"And I'll be wanting a new gun," Ike said, oblivious to her interest in the poster. "There's a dandy of a Colt just arrived at the gun shop."
Ike's hand was still outstretched as Maria clasped the money to her chest. She wasted no time in snatching the wanted poster. With this evidence, Mr. Mosby would believe her. He would not want those people in town.
As she slammed the office door, Ike called out after her, "Maybe I don't need a Colt that bad. Maybe we can still work a deal!"
She did not hear him. She had to talk to Mr. Mosby.
"Mr. Mosby!"
Mr. Mosby turned away from his conversation with Mr. Shelby. When he recognized her, he looked at her in irritation.
"Miss Bennett. You are anything if not persistent."
Mr. Shelby appeared bemused. "Perhaps that's why they won the War, Clay."
Mr. Mosby shook his head at him and addressed her. "Miss Bennett. I don't care how many times I have to tell you 'no,' but that is the only answer you are going to hear from me. Understand?"
Maria ignored him. "You'll think differently when you see this." She handed the wanted poster to the town proprietor. She stood back in triumph as he read it. He looked confused.
"What exactly am I supposed to see here?"
Maria looked at him in exasperation. "The Seaver gang they're the ones Newton has been talking about all this time. They are the ones that ambushed him, and they are coming here. This cannot be ignored."
He was about to reply when something caught his attention. His eyes narrowed.
Impatiently, Maria turned to see what he was looking at. It was her cousin Austin. He was riding into town. Four horses trailed behind him, carrying four very bloated and very dead riders. Maria stared at her cousin in wonder.
Mr. Mosby cleared his throat. He handed her the wanted poster.
"Look closely at those pictures, Miss Bennett. I believe they are your cousin's dead friends over there, if I'm not mistaken." Then his face crinkled in disgust. "That is, if you can withstand the stench. Now I hope your mind will be at ease in this matter."
Maria frowned, not knowing what to think.
"Good day to you, Miss Bennett." He tipped his hat to her and returned back to his conversation with Mr. Shelby.
"Thank you, Mr. Mosby," she mumbled belatedly, still watching her cousin. Those men must have died more than several days ago from the looks of it. She did not know what her cousin was up to, but she intended to find out.
She intercepted him just before he reached the jail.
"Austin, where have you been?" Maria demanded. "Newton's had a fever for over a day and half, and you've been gallivanting around all over God's creation. Just what do you think you're doing?"
Austin slowly dismounted from his horse. He snatched the wanted poster from her hand. "That's mine. Got a reward to collect."
Maria stared at him in disbelief as he headed toward the jail to collect the bounty. "Newton's been in delirium. He's raved about the Seavers for a whole day now. They are the ones that he went after, and they are the ones that shot him. They are vicious murderers. Am I to believe that you went out there and killed them all?"
Austin shrugged. He tried to look disinterested. "Call's got a fever, huh?"
Maria frowned. "Yes. Uncle Josiah and I have been worried sick about him. Josiah is with him now. We have both wondered where you've been."
Austin turned towards his horse. "Maybe Call won't pull out of it."
Maria could not tell if she heard hopefulness or despair in his voice.
"It doesn't matter," Austin continued. "I've got the bounty now."
Maria watched him enter the jail. She turned towards the bloated corpses, putting a handkerchief to her mouth. Those men had to have been dead longer than a couple of days. Austin had been out of town for a shorter time than that.
She looked back to the jail, sickened by the thought. She knew that Austin had just collected what was rightfully her blood brother's bounty.
"Where's my gun?" Mr. Call asked gruffly, attempting to get up from the bed. He grimaced in pain when he moved his injured leg.
"Now, Newton," Maria soothed. "Do not trouble yourself so. There's no need to worry now. Just lie back down and relax. You need to focus on getting yourself better."
Mr. Call's eyes narrowed, and he looked away from her. He gestured to Josiah for his gun. It was still on the table in the corner.
Josiah ignored him. The older man's face beamed with delight. "We are glad you are better, Newt. We almost didn't think you'd pull out of that fever." Then Josiah's pale eyes turned morose. "Did you see her, Newt?" his voice lowered to a whisper. "Did you see Hannah?"
Mr. Call's interest in his gun suddenly waned. He leaned back onto his bed, looking ten years older than he was. He shook his head. "No, Josiah." Then his blue eyes looked out the window. Josiah sank into the chair, putting his head in hands. Mr. Call added, "Wish I had."
Maria frowned. She looked down to the basket at her side. She cleared her throat. "I brought you some donuts, Newton."
Maria suspected that her donuts would not likely get these two men off the memory of her late cousin Hannah.
Mr. Call looked back from the window, nodded at her, and said, "Get me my gun. They'll be coming."
Her blood brother could only be referring to the Seavers. Maria did not think that he should know that his former brother-in-law had brought them back -- already dead from Mr. Call's bullets.
"Um, who, Newton? Who will be coming?" Maria ventured to question as innocently as she could.
"The Seavers," he grunted, attempting to get up from the bed.
She walked quickly over to the table to fetch his gun.
"If that is so, Newton, then you don't need to worry. Someone already brought them in."
He settled back in the bed. His eyes narrowed suspiciously at her. "Who brought them in?"
"It was quite strange, Newton," she added. "The men looked like they had already been dead for quite some time."
"Then you saw who brought them in then, didn't you?"
"They must have been shot long before they were brought in." Her nose wrinkled at the memory. "Did you do that, Newton? Did you shoot them before they shot you?"
"Who brought them in?"
Maria ignored him. "When I think about you injured in that wilderness, I could just cry. I am so glad the Hell Bitch brought you back. I think she deserves a carrot or two, don't you, Newton?"
"Maria, tell me who brought them in. Now tell me."
Maria bit her lip. She did not think her blood brother would truly want to know about Austin. He probably would not be pleased.
Then her uncle, to her dismay, suddenly piped up, "Austin brought in some bodies. Don't know what he was doing out there. He wasn't here when we needed him.. He was gone when Hannah died, too."
Maria winced, not daring to look at her blood brother. She did not speak for a moment. "Now, Newton, I don't know why Austin went out there --"
"Well, I do," he scowled.
Maria did not want to defend Austin, but she felt the need to comfort her blood brother. "Maybe it isn't as bad as you think," Maria told him.
"Just go," he said. "Both of you leave now."
Maria looked over to her uncle. Josiah was still lost in the memory of Hannah. She looked back to Mr. Call. His expression was unreadable.
"Newton, don't do anything rash. Dr. Cleese said you are supposed to rest."
His look told her that she best leave immediately. She guided her uncle out of the room, looking back at the blond man in concern.
She deposited her uncle at their home and returned to the doctor's office. She waited on the steps. Maria knew that Mr. Call did not want to be around anyone, but she would be there just in case. She just hoped that he would do nothing foolish.
"Oh no," Maria denied him, blocking Austin's way up the stairs. "You're not going up there."
It had been hours since Maria had left her blood brother. She knew that he needed more time alone to brood. His former brother-in-law Austin was the last person that he needed to see.
Austin ignored her, pushed her out of the way, and began to climb the stairs. Maria ascended ahead of him, blocking his way once more.
"Get out of the way, Maria. I want to see how he is doing."
"I know you. You just came to gloat."
Austin's jaw twitched. "About what?"
"You know very well -- those bounties. That bounty money belongs to Newton. He was the one that killed them, not you. Now you've come to taunt him with the money. You'd be better off waving a red flag in front of a bull than to go up there. I don't know what game you're playing, Austin, but for both your sakes, it's better to leave him alone."
Austin looked at her defiantly. "How do you know I didn't go out there to get the bounty for him?"
Her eyes narrowed. Maria supposed it was possible, yet highly unlikely. She knew her cousin too well.
"How did you know where the Seavers were in the first place?" Maria questioned suspiciously.
"I know about a lot of things," Austin answered. Bitterness marred his features. "Used to be the sheriff, you know."
Maria shook her head, looking at him with pity. If only her cousin would let go of the past, then he would be much better off.
"Fine," Austin shrugged defiantly, turning back down the stairs. "I won't see him. It will break Father's heart. " His voice dripped with sarcasm. "He did so want me to visit my 'brother'."
"Give Newton his share of the money," she demanded. "It's the least you could do."
"Nope, won't do that now. Call wouldn't want anything from me, anyway."
"Newton would do the same for you."
Austin turned to face her angrily. "You go on thinking that, Maria. I once did. I know better now. I wouldn't take anything from him anyway."
"Did you really come to see him?" Maria questioned his motives. "Did you really?"
Austin's jaw twitched almost imperceptibly, and he turned away from her without saying a word.
Maria sat down at the foot of the stairs, watching him stalk away. Her cousin was certainly a mystery.
"Newton," Maria scolded, her hands on her hips. "You put that whiskey bottle away this instant!" She did not know how he got a hold of liquor, but she knew it was not good for him. He should have been nursing his leg, not a whiskey bottle.
"Mind your own business, and get out," Mr. Call snapped at her, shifting his weight on the bed. His complexion visibly blanched, but he was too liquored up to feel the pain.
"Shame on you, Newton. I wouldn't have left you alone if I knew you were going to do this."
"You never leave me alone, anyways. Can't expect you to let me drink in peace. You ain't nothing but a pest."
Maria wondered if the men in her life were worth all this sorrow.
"I'm going to ignore that last remark."
"You do that," Mr. Call muttered, taking a swig of the whiskey bottle.
"I'm only trying to help you, Newton."
"Go solve your own problems, and leave me to mine. I don't want you here."
"That's only the liquor talking."
"That's me talking. Now git."
Maria's chin inched up defiantly.
"What's a man gotta do to drink in peace?" he muttered to himself. He attempted to get out of bed.
Maria did not want him to re-injure himself, but she could not help but feel angry. "You just lie right back down, Newton. I'll leave. But you hear this. I'm your sister. I'm going to wait until you make up your stubborn mind to live. And I'm not talking just about breathing in and out. I mean to really live. I'm going to be there when you stop this bounty hunting nonsense. I'll also be there when you fall in love and get married and have children. And you are going to do the same for me. You only live half a life, Newton. You have to stop this before it's too late."
"Stop hitching your life to mine," he pointed at her decidedly, emotion touching his azure eyes. "You have your own life to live. You can't be living mine. You're best off without me."
Maria smiled at him indulgently. "Now that's just plain silly. You'll feel differently in the morning, and I'll be satisfied to know that you'll have a headache for all the pain you've caused me just now. Go on, Newton. Drink a little more. It will only make your headache worse tomorrow."
He looked away from her in irritation.
"I'm more stubborn than you," Maria told him, walking towards the door.
"You're a damn sight more crazy."
Before she shut the door, she looked at him in pity. She bit her lip. Perhaps he was right.
END
January 2003