For Honor’s Sake (6 page)

Julie came out of her reverie to find that she was nearly home. She and Wong Li were just passing an extremely dark alley whose shadowy depths always made Julie nervous when disaster struck. Not even Wong Li’s considerable knowledge of martial arts was able to prevent what happened, for the little man was struck from behind by an unseen assailant wielding a thick club. Without a sound he fell heavily to the ground. Julie opened her mouth to scream, but all except a muted squeak was stifled when a gag was rudely thrust between her open lips. Then she was dragged into the deserted alley and thrown into the bed of a horse-drawn wagon waiting nearby. Before she knew what was happening her hands and feet were tightly bound and a smelly canvas thrown over her body. The suffocating gag drastically cut off her air supply and the stifling canvas added the final insult. Great waves of dizziness surged around her and she sank into a deep void as blackness engulfed her. But not before she recognized the ugly face and leering grin of Brute Kelly!”

4

Don Rodrigo Delgado felt nothing but disgust with himself as he reined his horse before Mae Parker’s boarding house. There was absolutely no reason for him to be back in San Francisco now that his mission was completed to his satisfaction. He had spent two grueling weeks in Monterey presenting documents and paying bribes until the courts were finally convinced of the legality of the Delgado claim. He had thought everything was settled before but when he reached Monterey he was told there was still some question concerning a section of land containing water rights.

Of course it was all a ruse to enable the courts to gain control of a valuable section of land so it could be deeded to a high ranking Anglo. But fortunately, Don Ricardo Delgado, the first Delgado who had been deeded the land by Spain two-hundred years ago, managed to hang onto the original papers defining borders and bounderies, which was more than many
rancheros
along El Camino Real were able to do.

It was a well known fact that many proud Castilian land owners died of starvation when they were forced from their lands.
Hidalgos
sometimes were forced to hire out as
vaqueros,
sometimes on the very land stolen from them. Rod’s father, Don Diego, was one of the lucky ones inasmuch as his original grant was intact.

Elena’s father was not so lucky. Gilberto Rodriguez y Montoya was in Spain right now trying to obtain proof
of his ancient land grant. Don Diego had offered his home and his protection to Elena in Don Gilberto’s absence and Elena had come to live at
Rancho
Delgado these past six months.

But now, as Rod stood before Mae’s house, Elena was the furthest thing from his mind. His wayward thoughts were possessed by a honey-haired vixen with eyes as blue as the sky over California and a lithe, supple body with skin like pale satin. Rod had worried incessantly about Julie during his absence; he knew Julie was stubborn enough to remain in San Francisco in spite of his dire warning. He felt obligated to return to San Francisco and try to talk some sense into her one last time. If necessary, Rod was prepared to put her bodily aboard the first ship sailing east. Duty was the only reason he returned, he told himself, ignoring the tug at his heart whenever he allowed himself the luxury of dwelling on those few glorious minutes when Julie was on the verge of surrendering to him.

Shaking his head to clear it of such dangerous thoughts Rod entered the house, calling out loudly for Mae Parker. “Land sakes, Don Rodrigo,” Mae chided, wiping her hands on her apron, “must you bellow so?” If she was surprised to see Rod she gave no hint of it.

“Where’s my wife, Mae?” Rod asked, his eyes darting impatiently toward the stairs.

Mae raised a shapely eyebrow, missing none of Rod’s proprietory tone regarding Julie or his impatience in finding her. “She’s not here yet, Rod. I’m expecting her any minute.”

“Not here!” stormed Rod. “Don’t tell me she’s out roaming the streets at this time of night. How could you allow such a thing when you know it’s not safe?”

“Simmer down, son. Julie is in no danger.”

“How do you know that?”

“Julie is working for Marty Sloan,” Mae informed Rod. “Marty’s man, Wong Li, escorts her home each
night. And if you know Marty you know she won’t let anything happen to that girl. Sit down,” she invited, “Julie shouldn’t be long.”

Disdaining Mae’s invitation, Rod said, “I had hoped Julie would be on her way east by now but I can see she chose to ignore my advice. How long has she been working for Marty? Has she gone through the money I left her already?”

“Since you left. And she hasn’t touched a cent of that money.”

Rod cursed. “
Por Dios
! Is she still bent on finding her missing father?”

“Yes, but so far not one clue has turned up.” Mae paused, gazing at Rod thoughtfully. “Why are you here, Rod? You aren’t doing Julie any good by complicating her life. What about the annulment?”

“Mae, I don’t mean Julie any harm. I’m only thinking of her welfare. I … I couldn’t return home until I know she is safely on her way back east where she belongs.”

“Are you certain that is your only reason returning?” Mae probed relentlessly.

“What other—” Rod was never to finish his sentence.

At that precise moment Wong Li staggered through the door, dazed and bleeding profusely from a gash on his head.

“
Madre de Dios
!” exclaimed Rod. “Who is this man?”

“Wong Li, Marty’s hired man,” Mae said, rushing forward to help the wounded man. “What happened, Wong Li? Where is Julie?”

“Missy gone!” wailed Wong Li in a sing-song voice. “Missy gone.”

“Gone?” sputtered Rod, fear and anguish a hard knot inside his chest. “Gone where?”

“Don’t know,” moaned the Chinaman. “Don’t
know where missy go.”

Rod wanted to grab the little man and shake him until he made sense. Only Mae’s restraining hand prevented him from doing so. “That won’t help, Rod,” she cautioned softly. “Let me try.” Dully, Rod nodded.

“Wong Li,” Mae began gently, “start from the beginning. Tell us what happened.”

“Missy gone,” Wong Li repeated until Rod wanted to scream with frustration. “Wong Li walk missy home like always, only this time not the same. Man hit Wong Li from behind, wake up, find missy gone. Boss lady much angry with Wong Li when she find out.
Aiiee, aiiee
!” he wailed, shaking his head from side to side.

“You did your best Wong Li,” Mae consoled. “Do you have any idea who hit you?”

“No see. Wong Li see no one. Wong Li hit from behind.”

“Have you any idea who could have done this?” cut in Rod, unable to hold his tongue a moment longer.

“Everyone love Missy Julie,” said Wong Li. “Who wish to do her harm?”

“I don’t know,” Rod said, gritting his teeth. “But I certainly intend to find out.” Mae watched him storm out, suddenly very sorry for the person or persons responsible for the abduction of Julie Darcy Delgado.

The first person Rod questioned was Marty Sloan who was just leaving her messhall. When informed of what had transpired she nearly went wild with rage. “Who would want to harm that sweet little gal?” Marty fumed. “I’ll tear the bastard limb from limb when I find him.”

“You’ll have to beat me to it, Marty,” Rod grimly informed her, “for I intend to be there first. Think, Marty, please. Can’t you think of anyone who would abduct Julie or wish her harm?”

“Hell’s fire, Rod, there’s no one who—” Suddenly Marty went still, her eyes hard as marbles as an incident
that took place days ago flashed before her eyes. “Why that ugly bastard!” she spat, eyes blazing, startling Rod.

“Who, Marty?” Rod demanded to know. “Tell me his name!”

“Brute Kelly, that’s who,” she bristled. “I chased him out of here a couple of weeks ago when I caught him pestering Julie. I thought I’d seen the last of that son-of-a-bitch.”

“Brute Kelly,
Madre de Dios,
” said Rod softly. Fear, stark and vivid, glittered in his eyes. Abruptly he wheeled, heading for the door.

“Rodrigo, wait for me!” Marty called out to his departing back.

“I can’t wait, Marty. I have to find Julie before it’s too late. Go over to Mae’s and tell her I won’t return until I find my wife.” Cursing loudly Marty had no choice but to do as she was told.

Following Julie’s route home proved futile. Those Rod questioned either had seen nothing or for reasons of their own preferred to keep what they knew to themselves. He was at his wit’s end. He had no idea where Kelly could have taken Julie or what he intended to do with her, although Rod had an inkling of the fate that awaited her at the hands of Brute Kelly. No doubt Kelly meant to rape Julie. That was something, though unpleasant, she could live with. What Rod feared most was that the brute would kill her when he finished with her.

Rod had no idea what caused him to glance into the alley. But he thanked God that he did. On the ground, nearly obscured in the dark, was a small, black slipper that Rod recognized immediately as belonging to Julie. Using the skills he learned as a youth he found fresh tracks made by a horse pulling a four-wheeled vehicle. Rod was elated. Mounting his horse, sharp eyes glued to the ground, he tracked the wagon as it headed south
along El Camino Real, offering a prayer of thanks for the brilliant moonlight.

Julie swam through layers of blackness to surface into a nightmare more terrifying than any dream. Brute Kelly, his ugly countenance set with salacious intent, was methodically tearing off her clothes and Julie shivered as the cold air touched her bare flesh. Her eyes flew open, finding it difficult to focus on her assailant.

Kelly sensed her awareness, smiling cruelly at her helplessness. “So you finally decided to join the living,” he gibed crudely. “I would have waited, though. I like my women with a little life in them.”

Julie began struggling, the gag preventing her from crying out. “Slut!” Kelly said, slapping her sharply across the face. “Hold still or I’ll really hurt you. All I want to do is love you a little.” Julie moaned as her last piece of clothing was rent in two and cast aside. Sheer, black fright shot through her.

Kelly began massaging Julie’s breasts, laughing in triumph when her nipples, reacting to fear as well as to the icy air, drew up into tight buds. Kelly’s mouth fastened onto one pink crest, his teeth clamping down cruelly. The scream of pain muffled by her bound mouth never left her throat as Kelly struggled to remove his own restricting clothing, cursing the limited space. Only then did Julie become aware of her surroundings, realizing that she lay on the hard boards of a wagon bed amid boxes and sacks of supplies.

Finally Kelly had his pants off and moved to position himself above Julie’s slight form. He cut the ropes binding her legs together with his knife and spread her limbs wide apart. “I’m a lot better than that ‘greaser’ you married,” he bragged. “Once you’ve had a real man between your legs you’ll be begging me for more.”

Finding her legs suddenly free, Julie began thrashing about, kicking with all her strength. While attempting
to subdue her wild gyrations, Kelly caught the back of his hand on a sharp splinter protruding from a split board on the wagon’s rough side. The splinter cut deeply, tearing the skin until a stream of bright blood spurted forth.

“Shit!” exploded Kelly, startled at the sudden pain. “You damn bitch!” He was so incensed by her continued struggles that he dealt her a stunning blow with his uninjured hand, sending her spinning into oblivion.

All resistance gone, Kelly returned to complete the act that was so rudely interrupted only moments before. Once again his hands dipped between Julie’s now limp legs and in the process inadvertently smearing fresh blood from his injury along the smooth velvety skin of her inner thighs. His manhood, thick and purple, throbbing eagerly, sought entry at the virgin portals where no man had ventured before.

Brute Kelly never knew what hit him, so engrossed was he in his own pleasure. Without warning he was picked up bodily and thrown from the wagon by a spitting, snarling whirlwind of unleashed violence. When he finally recognized his enraged assailant all he could do was groan out his name, “Delgado, damn you!”

Rod, an expert in tracking his prey, even in the dark, abruptly came upon the wagon parked just off the trail in the chaparral. At first he saw no sign of life, but then the struggles being waged in the wagon bed caught hs attention and he slithered along the ground stealthily until, with a tremendous roar of outrage, he flung himself upon the man laboring above the inert form of the woman beneath him. Intense rage added to Rod’s already considerable strength as he lifted Kelly’s huge frame and tossed him effortlessly from the wagon, falling upon him with a vengeance. The only thing that saved Kelly’s life was a muffled groan coming from the wagon bed. Fearing that Julie might be badly injured, Rod left Kelly lying on the ground more dead than alive
and rushed to the aid of his wife.

Julie lay unmoving amidst the tattered remnants of her torn clothing, her bruised body pale in the filtered moonlight. Acting swiftly, Rod retrieved the blanket roll from the back of his saddle and tenderly wrapped it about her chilled flesh, murmuring soothing words meant to console her. When he spied the smeared blood between Julie’s outstretched thighs his gentle words turned to loud curses, all evidence pointing to her brutal ravishment by Brute Kelly. A growl of outrage tore through his throat as he turned from his wife, fully intending to finish off the despicable raper of innocent virgins.

But when Rod turned back to where he left Kelly lying on the ground, he was startled to find that the man had roused himself sufficiently to crawl off into the shadows and disappear while Rod had been busy tending Julie. Another moan coming from the wagon bed dissuaded him from giving chase and he hurried back to his wife’s side to find her coming out of her swoon, wide-eyed with fright.

Kneeling by her side, he tenderly gathered her shaking form in his arms. “You’re safe,
querida
,” he crooned softly, rocking her back and forth like a hurt child. “No one will harm you again. I’ll take care of you.”

Julie’s fuzzy brain registered the fact that a man she had never thought to see again was holding her in his arms, whispering words of comfort and love. If she was dreaming she wished never to awaken. “Rod?” she managed to croak. “Is it really you? How …? I don’t understand how—”

“I’ll answer all your questions later,” he quickly assured her. “After I get you back to the boarding house. Will you be all right in the back of the wagon?” Julie nodded, too stunned and bruised to speak.

Rod wasted no time in tying the reins of his own horse to the back of the wagon, pulling himself onto the seat
and driving as fast as the darkness and Julie’s comfort allowed. It was nearly dawn when finally he carried a sleeping Julie into the house.

Three people immediately rushed up to greet him. “Thank God, you’ve found her,” Mae breathed, heaving a great sigh of relief. “Is … is she … all right?”

“Did that bastard hurt her?” asked Marty, her lip curled into a snarl. Wong Li stood beside Marty, silent concern etching his worn features.