that evening , with the sky overhead a sapphire blue, Kate ate a small serving of beans. When they’d made it back to the village, Salina invited them to share her home.
After Kate ate, Salina spread aloe Vera on her palms and wrapped them with strips of clean cloth.
Beating out the fire on A.J.’s back had left her palms red, and strewn with small angry blisters.
As Kate tried to flex her fingers, p ain sucked out her breath and the stinging agony spread across her hands. Her stiff, swollen fingers refused to move.
Gri tting her teeth and swallowing tears of pain, she forced her fingers to bend, to curl and uncurl at her command. Brody needed her fit and able to help with the defense of the village and to free A.J.
If Brody smelled one hint of weakness from her , it would boost his insistence she leave. Kate couldn’t let that happen. Not again.
As crazy as it sounded , Kate had to stay and fight to help get A.J. back. He would eventually die at Oscar’s hands if they weren’t able to rescue him, and Kate couldn’t live with the stain of another man’s blood on her conscience.
She glanced out the door at Brody talking to the pa dre. She wondered what they were planning. A teenage boy wandered up to them and joined the conversation. Soon the sound of a vehicle rousted the villagers. Kate stood, and darted outside.
A man stepped out of an old Oldsmobile and walked toward them. A group of men followed. Her bandaged hands, holding out the gun she’d taken from one of the guards, Kate braced her feet.
She couldn’t identify them as Oscar’s men, but she’d been away years. He could have hired new people.
Silently Kate inched closer, and stood slightly behind and between Brody and the padre. To her surprise, Brody put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against him. She looked into his smiling face and lowered the gun.
“ My name is Manuel, and this is Jorge, Lupe, José, Juan, Mario, and Paso. We have so little to offer, Señor Brody, but we want to help. This is my brother’s car. The only one in our village. Three of us have pistols, but very few bullets. We use them mostly for coyotes and snakes.”
“That’s okay. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”
Mario spoke. “Señior, we will do all in our power to rid this place of Chavez. He has ruined our lives.”
“The car will be useful. And I have a few guns in my bag, but not near ly enough. Hopefully we’ll get more.”
The man named Juan stepped closer. “What is the plan?”
“I ’m going to La Hacienda and demand Oscar Chavez release the man he’s holding.”
Manuel looked to Juan then back at Brody. “But what if he refuses?”
“Then we go to war.”
Jorge shrugged. “We have so little to fight with.”
The padre spoke. “Manny went to the nearby villages and asked for help.” Father Ayaaya ruffled Manny’s hair. “He told them a man needed their help to fight Señior Chavez.”
“M ore will come,” Manny said proudly. “They promised.”
“Yes.” Manuel looked around . “But how many will betray us and tell Chavez we are coming?”
“It’s best he knows anyway, ” Brody answered.
“But then he will set a trap,” the padre said.
Brody grinned. “That’s what I’m counting on.”
“Okay, we are all with you,” the newly formed band of comrades shouted.
Th e padre and other men dispersed, and Brody gazed at Kate. He pulled her into the shadows of Salina’s casita. “Listen, I’m sorry I got you into this. Stay here in the village. Jake won’t be late.”
She put the gun in her pocket and then folded her arms. “I’m not going home until Oscar is dead,” she said. “If I don’t go with you, then I go alone.”
Brody put his hands on his slender hips. “That’s foolish talk.”
“As foolish as you kidnapping me?”
“ Godammit. I never meant for you to get hurt.”
“But I did. Now I want my own revenge.”
He gently lifted her wrists and looked at her bandaged
After Kate ate, Salina spread aloe Vera on her palms and wrapped them with strips of clean cloth.
Beating out the fire on A.J.’s back had left her palms red, and strewn with small angry blisters.
As Kate tried to flex her fingers, p ain sucked out her breath and the stinging agony spread across her hands. Her stiff, swollen fingers refused to move.
Gri tting her teeth and swallowing tears of pain, she forced her fingers to bend, to curl and uncurl at her command. Brody needed her fit and able to help with the defense of the village and to free A.J.
If Brody smelled one hint of weakness from her , it would boost his insistence she leave. Kate couldn’t let that happen. Not again.
As crazy as it sounded , Kate had to stay and fight to help get A.J. back. He would eventually die at Oscar’s hands if they weren’t able to rescue him, and Kate couldn’t live with the stain of another man’s blood on her conscience.
She glanced out the door at Brody talking to the pa dre. She wondered what they were planning. A teenage boy wandered up to them and joined the conversation. Soon the sound of a vehicle rousted the villagers. Kate stood, and darted outside.
A man stepped out of an old Oldsmobile and walked toward them. A group of men followed. Her bandaged hands, holding out the gun she’d taken from one of the guards, Kate braced her feet.
She couldn’t identify them as Oscar’s men, but she’d been away years. He could have hired new people.
Silently Kate inched closer, and stood slightly behind and between Brody and the padre. To her surprise, Brody put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against him. She looked into his smiling face and lowered the gun.
“ My name is Manuel, and this is Jorge, Lupe, José, Juan, Mario, and Paso. We have so little to offer, Señor Brody, but we want to help. This is my brother’s car. The only one in our village. Three of us have pistols, but very few bullets. We use them mostly for coyotes and snakes.”
“That’s okay. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”
Mario spoke. “Señior, we will do all in our power to rid this place of Chavez. He has ruined our lives.”
“The car will be useful. And I have a few guns in my bag, but not near ly enough. Hopefully we’ll get more.”
The man named Juan stepped closer. “What is the plan?”
“I ’m going to La Hacienda and demand Oscar Chavez release the man he’s holding.”
Manuel looked to Juan then back at Brody. “But what if he refuses?”
“Then we go to war.”
Jorge shrugged. “We have so little to fight with.”
The padre spoke. “Manny went to the nearby villages and asked for help.” Father Ayaaya ruffled Manny’s hair. “He told them a man needed their help to fight Señior Chavez.”
“M ore will come,” Manny said proudly. “They promised.”
“Yes.” Manuel looked around . “But how many will betray us and tell Chavez we are coming?”
“It’s best he knows anyway, ” Brody answered.
“But then he will set a trap,” the padre said.
Brody grinned. “That’s what I’m counting on.”
“Okay, we are all with you,” the newly formed band of comrades shouted.
Th e padre and other men dispersed, and Brody gazed at Kate. He pulled her into the shadows of Salina’s casita. “Listen, I’m sorry I got you into this. Stay here in the village. Jake won’t be late.”
She put the gun in her pocket and then folded her arms. “I’m not going home until Oscar is dead,” she said. “If I don’t go with you, then I go alone.”
Brody put his hands on his slender hips. “That’s foolish talk.”
“As foolish as you kidnapping me?”
“ Godammit. I never meant for you to get hurt.”
“But I did. Now I want my own revenge.”
He gently lifted her wrists and looked at her bandaged
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