He walked up to her. "I always thought you liked your sex rough. Is that the way you want to play it?" She glared at him.
"Is that the only way you can get it up, Jim?" He reached down and slapped her.
"Don't ever say that to me." *** Kerney crawled as silently as possible, unable to avoid dislodging pebbles and loose earth as he moved up the hill. Each sound made him flinch in fear of discovery. He inched along and stopped behind a melted adobe wall. The terrain made it impossible for him to approach from any other direction. The ridge behind the hacienda, a steep embankment, would have been too difficult to climb down. He skirted the ridge on foot and started crawling when he reached the ruins of the settlement along the riverbank. With the moon up it was the only way to stay undetected.
Fifty yards above him was the hacienda. Adjacent to it, hard against the ridge, were the remains of a small village chapel, and a granary tower that looked like a fortress turret. The site, an excellent defensive position, commanded a clear field of fire down the hillside. The rock corral and the thick walls of the hacienda hid any sign of movement. Sara's Cherokee was in front of the hacienda. Kerney pulled himself away from the protection of a low wall and crawled on. He heard no sounds from above. He closed the distance cautiously, fighting the urge to get to his feet and run. *** Scrambling to her feet, Sara watched Meehan unzip his trousers and show her his erection. He moved between her and the stairs to keep her from bolting. Behind him she saw moonlight and stars in the night sky. He aimed the pistol at her belly.
"Turn around, Sara," he ordered. Her face was puny, her lips and her eyes were red. Meehan liked what he saw.
"No," Sara said. He waved the barrel of the gun.
"Turn around or I'll pistol whip you." She turned and tightened her fingers around the nail, hoping that he wouldn't see it. He was breathing rapidly as he came near. He kicked her legs apart and pulled her blouse out of her jeans.
"Loosen the cuffs," Sara pleaded, as Meehan undid the button of her jeans and opened the zipper with his free hand. The muzzle of the gun dug into her side. He laughed in reply, slipped his hand under her panties, and pulled her jeans and panties down to her knees. She waited until he put the gun away, grabbed her hips with both hands, and rubbed himself against her fanny. Twisting suddenly, she drove the nail into his groin and felt it penetrate. Meehan yelled and pulled away. She spun, kicked, and caught him on the thigh. It threw him off balance, but he didn't fall. Sara smashed her forehead into his face. He went down, reaching for his pistol.
"Bitch!" Meehan snarled. He held his crotch where the nail had gashed him.
"Fuck you, Meehan," she said. Her foot was next to the lantern. She kicked it, and liquid flames spread across the floor, lapping at his feet. Pulling her jeans up as much as she could, she stumbled toward the steps. Meehan would have to shoot her in the back to stop her now.
"Stop!" Meehan shouted. She kept going, waiting for the impact of the bullets. She wanted to see the night sky one more time. Halfway up the steps, a figure appeared and a hand knocked her down.
"Roll!" Kerney commanded as he dropped into a prone position. She heard the sound of Kerney's weapon the instant she recognized his voice. He wasn't dead! Meehan was on his feet, his pistol aimed at her chest. She pitched down the steps as Meehan staggered and returned fire. Two rounds ricocheted above her head. Kerney fired again and again, and Sara watched Meehan fall. The tarps were burning, and flames lit up the room.
Sara stared into the fire without moving until Kerney's hand brushed her cheek.
"Don't touch me," she said, pressing her face to the floor.
"Okay. Okay," he said gently, taking his hand away. Her face was cold to the touch, and her body was racked with shivering spasms.
"Don't look at me," she demanded.
"I won't. Relax. It'll be all right." Meehan moaned, and Kerney went to check him out. He picked up Meehan's handgun and looked at his wounds; he had taken two rounds in the belly and another in the hip.
Sara rolled herself into a ball, knees pulled up to her chest, and stared at Meehan. She wanted him to burn in the fire that closed in on his body. She felt Kerney unlock the handcuffs.
Painfully, she brought her arms from behind her back.
"Did you kill him?" she asked.
"He's still alive," Kerney answered. "Stay put." He returned to Meehan and dragged him by the feet up the stone steps. He got a blanket from the Cherokee, covered Sara, walked her outside, and gave her Meehan's pistol.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she answered flatly. The weapon felt good in her hand.
"Did he…?"
"No. Almost."
"Can you use the pistol?" Her laugh was lifeless.
"You bet I can."
"I'll get my truck and take you to the hospital." She shook her head violently.
"I don't want anyone to see me this way."
"Whatever you say."
Meehan didn't move while Kerney went for his truck. Sara gripped the pistol with both hands, hoping he would, so she could shoot him. The flames had spread to the lumber in the cellar, and waves of heat rose up from the underground room. The warmth felt wonderful.
Meehan was dead when Kerney returned. He took Sara to the truck, where the heater was going full blast. She sat directly in front of the vent, her teeth chattering, thinking that she never wanted to be cold again. She said nothing until she noticed something strange on the floorboard.
"What's that?" she asked.
Kerney turned on the interior light. Sara's face was pale and drawn.
Still clutching Meehan's weapon, she looked at him intensely. There were bruises under her eye, on her cheek, and next to her mouth.
"What?" Kerney asked back. She pointed the pistol at the floorboard. Carlos's upper plate was on the mat.
"That."
"False teeth. They belong to a guy called Carlos. He told me how to find you."
"So that's how you did it."
"Yes, ma'am."
"My name is Sara, not ma'am."
"Can I ask you a favor, Sara?"
"What is it?"
"Could you point the pistol somewhere else?" Sara looked at the gun in her hand, nodded, and put it on the seat between them. She bit her lip, and Kerney could see tears in the corners other eyes. She turned her face away and said nothing more. She didn't protest when he turned her over to the doctors at a hospital in El Paso. He watched the ER team wheel her into an examining room before he called Major Curry. Finished with Curry, he hung up and turned to find a place to sit down. The leg gave out and he fell to his knees in the corridor.
When Kerney awoke, he was in a hospital bed. Andy Baca stood over him, a worried look on his face.
"How's Eddie?" Kerney asked.
"Out of surgery and doing well," Andy answered. "The doctors said he should have full use of his fingers."
"Good. And Sara?"
"They're discharging her today. She's been asking about you."
"She's okay?" Kerney demanded.
"Fine. She's a pistol," Andy responded.
"I know it." He rolled over and went back to sleep.
Chapter 13
Two weeks passed before the Army sent Sammy's body home. Terry called Kerney as soon as the casket arrived. The family had gathered by the time Kerney got to Maria's home. Rows of shoes lined the front step and the path to the door. Kerney pulled off his boots and went inside. The living-room furniture had been removed, and a casket in the center of the room was surrounded by two circles of mourners sitting on the floor.
Kerney squeezed in next to an old man, who gave him a somber nod and returned to his silent prayers. Terry caught his eye and smiled. A trio of women entered from the kitchen and placed trays of food at the foot of the casket. An elder, dressed in soft deerskin and velvet, rose and began offering food to the guests. After serving everyone, he put the remaining food in a woven basket.