When they reached the camp and stopped, Escalante had the two prisoners placed in the hut, with armed guards on either side of the entrance, and they had remained there ever since. The fading light that came through cracks in the rough walls told Gabriel that the day was drawing to a close. It would be night soon.
And who knew what dangers the darkness might hold?
“Can you tell me a bit more about what happened on your parents’ plantation?” Gabriel said. “I know it’s painful for you, but it’s important.” Cierra nodded. “You said you’d seen Escalante before.”
“He worked on the plantation at one time. He and my father always got along well. Escalante was even his assistant foreman for a while. But then his wife grew ill and died, and he became very bitter. Didn’t show up for work, wouldn’t come out of his room. Eventually he just walked off. Word came back that he was living as a bandit. It was difficult for my father—he’d considered Escalante a friend. But he rebuffed every effort my father made to contact him.
“At least he left the plantation alone, though—spared it from his raids. I imagine it was because my father had always treated him fairly. But he was not the only bandit in Chiapas, and my parents decided it was too dangerous for me to stay on the plantation. They sent me away to school…and while I was gone, a group of bandits attacked. They killed my parents and burned the house and all the crops—it was done with exceptional viciousness. The police later found out it was Escalante’s gang that did it. I could never understand why.”
“Maybe to prove to his men that he wasn’t soft,” Gabriel said. “Maybe he was taking heat for leaving your father alone for so long. Or maybe he just snapped, lashed out at anything that reminded him of his wife’s death.”
“Or maybe he is simply the monster people say he is.”
“Then why did you ask those other bandits if they knew him?”
“I was desperate—it was the only idea I had,” Cierra said. “They were going to kill us. And I thought, if they’re part of his band, he might show pity on me because of what he’d done to my parents so long ago. And if they were part of someone else’s band and thought we had a connection to him, maybe they’d be afraid to hurt us…”
“Well, no one’s hurt us so far. Though I don’t know how long he plans to let us live. Or how long until allies of the other band decide to come after him for revenge. That fellow made it sound like Escalante’s not a feared man in these parts anymore.”
Before they could continue the discussion, a step sounded outside the hut and the door swung open. Escalante’s figure loomed in the doorway with the fading light behind it.
“Come out, you two,” he ordered.
Gabriel and Cierra were sitting on the ground. Gabriel got up first, unkinking muscles that had grown stiff, then took Cierra’s hand and helped her to her feet. As they stepped out, Escalante moved back, staying well out of reach with the experience-honed wariness of a feral animal. Two men with rifles flanked him. Two more moved in from either side and prodded the prisoners toward a large cleared area in the center of the huts.
The twilight had a greenish tint to it from the trees and vine-covered brush that surrounded the camp. The scene might have been beautiful in a wild, untamed way if they hadn’t been waiting to find out if they were going to live or die, Gabriel thought.
“First of all,” Escalante said as he faced them in the clearing, “who are you?”
“We had a farm, but we lost it because of the taxes,” Gabriel said. “We were going to stay with my wife’s family in Guatemala—”
Escalante stopped him with a casual wave of the hand. “Don’t waste your breath and my time, amigo. You’re an American, and this woman is no farmer’s wife, no matter how she’s dressed.” His eyes narrowed as he stared at Cierra. “In fact, there is something familiar about her—”
“Look, if you let us go, I can make it worth your while,” Gabriel cut in.
The bandit leader looked amused. “Oh, you can, can you, amigo? Just how will you do that?”
“I can raise some ransom money. Not a lot, you understand, but enough that it ought to buy our freedom. All I need to do is get in touch with the American embassy in Mexico City—”
“A man who drives a pickup so old and rusty it’s about to fall apart?” Escalante shook his head. “No, I think not. I think you’re some sort of American gangster, come down here to take advantage of my people.”
“Then why did you save us from those bandits?”
Escalante leaned over and spat in the dirt. “Because I have no use for that pig Gomez and his men. They thought they were the most feared band in these mountains, but they learned to their regret that they were wrong. You and the señorita just happened to be there, señor. We weren’t saving you…we were killing them.”
“Well, either way, we appreciate it. And if you let us go, we’ll appreciate it even more.”
Cierra said, “Gabriel, I think I should—”
“Don’t,” he snapped, knowing what she was about to reveal.
“A wise man listens to his woman, my friend,” Escalante said with a smile. “But then if you were a wise man, you wouldn’t be here, now would you?”
“Just tell me what it will take to buy our freedom.”
“Buy?” Escalante shook his head. “One cannot buy freedom.” He held up a finger. “One can only fight for it.”
“Then let me fight for it,” Gabriel said and Escalante’s eyes narrowed. “You saw us fight Gomez—I killed him, not you. If there’s a fight you need help with…”
“I need no gringo’s help,” Escalante spat. “But if you are so eager to fight, we can oblige you.” He turned and used his outstretched finger to make a crooking motion. “Tomás.”
Gabriel had a bad feeling about this. He turned and saw the group of bandits that had surrounded them parting to allow a man through into the clearing.
The newcomer was several inches shorter than Gabriel but considerably wider as well. His long arms were almost as thick as the trunks of young trees, and his shoulders strained at the olive-drab fabric of the old fatigue shirt he wore. He was mostly bald, with only a fringe of gray hair around his ears. Not a young man by any means, but still tough and dangerous, Gabriel judged. Perhaps even more dangerous than if he had been young, because he’d have the skill and guile of a veteran.
“Let’s see how you fight, gringo. You shall be our evening’s entertainment,” Escalante said. “And if you can defeat Tomás, well…we’ll talk about your freedom.”
“Talk?” Gabriel said. “I want your word. If I win, you’ll set us free.”
Escalante laughed. “Where in life do you see guarantees, amigo? The only guarantees in this world are of pain and suffering, and death at the end. All else is a gamble.”
Gabriel’s mouth tightened. Even as Cierra’s hand clutched at his arm, he knew he couldn’t turn down the bandit leader’s offer, no matter how tenuous it was.
“All right,” he said. “I’ll take the gamble.”
“Gabriel…” Cierra began.
“It’s okay,” he told her as he turned to her and smiled. “He doesn’t look so tough.”
“Let me—”
He shook his head before she could go on.