Yesterday's Vengeance Chapter Eleven Val POV

 Johnny is found but Vince Harper is out there.

Yesterday's Vengeance  Chapter Eleven

Val POV

 

 

“Hold up, Murdoch. It’s too dark to push the horses. We need to make camp.”  I knew it was not what he wanted to do; heck, it ain’t what I wanted to do either.

 

I looked over at Murdoch. Even in the dark I could see the frown. He had sent men off in different directions to check on line shacks and bordering ranches. It was just him, me and Frank. He had well and truly and very loudly ordered Scott to stay behind.  Old Harlan wasn’t going to be much use on the trail so he was back at the Hacienda under instructions to keep a close eye on Scott.

 

My horse nickered and that old tracking instinct kicked in. I sat and let my senses talk to me.  “Smoke.”

 

Murdoch lifted his head.  “Where?”

 

There was too much cloud cover for moonlight, but there was a breeze and the smell of smoke was coming from the east.  “Eastwards.”

 

“The Semple’s old place.” Murdoch had no sooner got the words out than he turned his horse and headed that way. “Come on, Val. There’s a trail over the next rise. It follows the creek that runs from the Semples to Lancer.”

 

I tell you, I can see where Johnny gets his stubborn refusal to give up from. 

 

“Take it easy, Murdoch, we don’t know for certain what we will find.”

 

As we got nearer the flames from a burning barn lit up the night sky.  I had a sneaky suspicion who had set a barn alight. Didn’t stop me from worrying about who else might be about.  

 

As much as we wanted to gallop we took it slow. Without being told Murdoch and Frank had their guns drawn.  We damn near missed the boy. He was hunkered down in the shadows just off the track, his gun in his hand.  Murdoch was like a man half his years the speed he was off his horse at his son’s side.

 

“Johnny, are you with us, son?”  He was gently checking him over. Even in the dark as I stood watching I could see his shirt was soaked in blood. I shook my head at the distance the boy had dragged himself from the house and barn to this spot.

 

Murdoch looked up at me. “Val, he’s alive but unconscious. I think the bullet is still in there.”

 

I dismounted and hitched my pants up. “Reckon we’re here without any company, but I’ll go ahead up to the house and check it out.  If the coast is clear I'll fire one shot and you and Frank can fetch him in.”

 

The house was deserted. After I fired that one shot I watched as Murdoch rode up holding onto the slumped body of Johnny.  Frank had galloped up knowing we needed to get some hot water and light ready for what we needed to do. Between us we carried Johnny up to a bedroom, I didn’t like to point out the blood stain on the bed and floor, and I reckon Murdoch was too concerned with his son to notice but Frank sure had; we exchanged a look.

 

We were lucky Johnny stayed unconscious. There have been times in the past when he fought to stay awake even when having a bullet dug out of him.  Murdoch had taken a deep breath and his hand stayed steady as he cut into his son’s shoulder and took out a small bullet.

 

I sniffed. “It’s from a derringer. I reckon under normal circumstances he would have stayed upright, but from the looks of the wound it was close range. That and being shook up from being caught in an explosion has knocked him off his feet.”

 

It was a long night. Like always a fever took hold and I gotta say Murdoch was real good at taking care of Johnny, cooling him with damp cloths, coxing him to sip water, talking quietly, reassuring himself as much as his son that he would be fine.  Sure enough, daybreak had hardly poked itself over the horizon when the fever broke.

 

“Hey Murdoch.” Johnny’s voice was no more than a whisper, but I stood to one side and could see him blinking to clear his eyes.

 

“Hey, my son. Here take some water, slowly.” Murdoch held a cup to his lips.

 

Johnny took no more than a small sip before he reached up to grab at Murdoch’s shirt. “Harper, Vince Harper— he’s the one seeking vengeance against you.”

 

“We know. Now take it easy.  I’ll send Frank back to the ranch to let everyone know you are okay and send a wagon back for you.  Val here can ride into Green River and get Sam Jenkins to come out to check you over.”

 

I saw Johnny nod but his eyes came to me and I nodded back at him. “Murdoch, before I set off, why don’t I sit a spell with Johnny while you take a break. Stretch your back, maybe make a pot of coffee?”

 

As soon as he was out of the room Johnny had hold of my hand. “Did I talk, Val, when I was out of it?”

 

See, that’s why he always tried to take himself off to mend. The fever loosens his tongue, and he talks, reliving some bad times. “Yes, some garbled stuff from when you were a kid.”

 

“Oh dios, did Murdoch understand any of it?” 

 

He was getting all agitated and I held him down. “Not that I noticed. What is it, Johnny?”

 

He closed his eyes and chewed his bottom lip. “I remembered him, Val. He was the one Mama left Lancer with, but only ‘cos he had me. He treated me worse than a dog, kept me tied to a post and hungry…he used to hurt me to get Mama to do what he wanted. I was only a little kid. I didn’t understand what was going on…learned that crying did no good.   Then one day when he was pawing at her, she used a knife against his throat. Not enough to kill him…there was a struggle and she hit him with a lamp. It gave us time to get away. We kept moving. I don’t know what he’ll tell Murdoch if he gets the chance.”

 

I’ve heard some of his nightmares and I know there is more to it than what he said. Hell, if I get the chance I’ll put a bullet in Vince Harper myself.

 

“Take it easy, Johnny. I’ve got your back.” I patted him and stood away as Murdoch came back into the room. 

 

I didn’t go to Green River. I found a good spot to watch for anyone approaching the house.  Murdoch was the target. Johnny was in no state to protect him, and I didn’t know where Harper was.

 

It was a couple of hours before Jelly showed up driving a wagon, three vaqueros riding shotgun.  I rode down to meet up with them. “Everything alright back at the ranch, Jelly?”

 

The old mule skinner kept the wagon moving. “Been real quiet ‘cept for Scott and that stuffed shirt from Boston going at it. Soon as Frank showed up telling us Johnny was shot bad, Scott was all set to ride out here. Cip had to hold him back, reminding him to remember and trust what the Patron wanted. Frank told us your plan so we’ve sent a man to Green River for the doctor.”  Jelly paused and snapped the reins to keep the wagon moving at a good pace. “How is he really, Val?”

 

The worry was there in his question. “I’ve seen him worse, Jelly.”

 

I kept my worry about where Vince Harper was and his history with Johnny and his ma to myself.

 

We took it slow on the way back to the Hacienda, Murdoch sat in the back with Johnny who naturally had refused any laudanum. At my suggestion, he had gulped down some tequila. Not sure if he slept but he closed his eyes and clamped his mouth shut.

 

Scott was waiting. He’d gotten rid of the white bandage from around his head and looked a bit pale, but at least one of Murdoch’s sons was back on his feet.  Before the wagon was fully stopped, he was there looking at his brother and Murdoch was reassuring him Johnny would be fine so long as he allowed time to heal.

 

I found Cipriano.  “We need to track this Harper down.  Since he managed to kill the Degan boys I’m sure he is operating by himself. He must be out there waiting for his chance to get to Murdoch.”

 

The Segundo is a quiet man. He stroked his moustache and nodded. “I have set guards on the roofs. All our men have returned without reporting any sightings of this gringo.”

 

I sniffed and studied my boots. “He thinks he has killed Johnny, so keep the men here. I don’t want Harper to hear anything different.”

 

Cipriano watched as Murdoch carried a now unconscious Johnny into the house. “Perhaps this man will disappear into the shadows as he has in the past?”

 

“Maybe, but he’s out of the shadows now, I have a name and I’ll damn well find him.”

 

tbc

_._,_._,_