Justice Ch. 03: Lawyers, Guns & Money

"Grandpa, I don't understand something," I said as we rode.

"What's that, son?" he asked.

"Weren't you and General Stuart enemies during the war?" I asked. He nodded his head.

"It's true, we fought on opposite sides during the war," he said. "I still admired him, though. You know, he had quite a record as an Army officer before the war began. Besides, we quit being enemies a long time ago. Remember, the war ended for us both before it was officially over."

I took in what he said and mulled it over for a while. In the meantime, we rode past the group of cannons and headed straight toward Castillo's camp. After a few minutes, we were stopped by a man with an automatic rifle.

"Alto," the man ordered. "¿Qué quieres?"

"We're here to see your leader, Enrique Castillo," Grandpa said. "He's expecting us." Keeping his rifle pointed in our general direction, he yelled to someone behind him.

"What's he saying, Grandpa?" I asked.

"He asked for someone to bring Castillo," Grandpa said. The man turned back to us and nervously kept his weapon aimed at us until another man in a gaudy uniform jacket with large round fringed epaulets and medals on his chest came up to us.

"Are you Castillo?" Grandpa asked.

"Si, I am Enrique Castillo, Generalissimo of the Army of New Chihuahua and future Emperor of Latin America," the man said in English. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"My name is Justice O. Peace," Grandpa said. "This here's mah deputy, Amos Jones. We're here to get the woman and child you had kidnapped earlier today. Then we're takin' you in." Enrique laughed.

"We thought you would arrive by helicopter," he said with a smirk. "Yet here you are on horseback. How did you get here so fast? And where is the man you were supposed to bring?"

"Our horses were faster," I said.

"The man you seek is safe from you, but you'll see him soon," Grandpa said.

"And what if I decide not to hand over the woman and her child?" Enrique asked.

"Then I'll jes' have to introduce you to some of my friends," Grandpa said. Enrique's eyes widened when he saw the mass of dark blue uniforms on horseback that suddenly appeared behind us. The men with him also appeared shocked. I looked back and saw some of the horses snorting fire and the men had drawn their sabers.

"Who are these men? What kind of sorcery is this?" Enrique asked.

"Like I said, some of my friends," Grandpa said, his eyes blazing with fire. "Meet the 8^th Regiment of Indiana Cavalry. Augmented by Jeb Stuart's Cavalry. Veterans of countless battles. You wanted a war, right? I'll be happy to give you one the likes of which you won't believe." By now, the woman I knew as Cheryl, Lionel's wife, appeared. Her face turned white when she saw the ghostly cavalrymen behind us. She turned to face us.

"Where's my husband?" she demanded.

"Someplace safe," Grandpa said. "Now bring out the woman and her child." Enrique looked at Cheryl.

"Do it," he said.

"But Enrique," she began.

"Just do it!" he snapped. She turned and gave orders to two men behind her. A minute later, Danni was escorted out. One of the men with her carried William and handed him to her when they got in front of us.

"Are you alright?" I asked her. She nodded her head.

"We're okay," she said. "They didn't hurt us. We just got here a little while ago." Grandpa whipped out his lasso and tossed it over Danni. As he did, I mouthed, "I love you" to her. She returned the endearment before she vanished. Enrique looked at me before speaking.

"Oh, so you are the woman's husband, are you not?" he asked.

"I am," I said.

"Well, then, it is perhaps a good thing you showed up before my men decided she would make a good party toy, eh?" he said, laughing. Cheryl laughed with him. Grandpa gathered his lasso and tossed it one more time, encircling Enrique and Cheryl. They were frozen in place, but I could see that Enrique had pissed his pants. I couldn't help but laugh. Some general... Grandpa pulled on the rope and they also disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Grandpa put two fingers to his lips and let loose with an ear-piercing whistle, louder than any I had ever heard before. Before anyone could react, the ground shook as the cannons opened fire, sending shells flying over our heads, exploding just south of the camp. One of the shells hit the helicopter and it exploded in flame.

I could hear a bugle sounding "charge" off to my right and to my left I heard what I could only assume was a series of rebel yells as the two cavalry columns struck the camp's flanks. The men behind us advanced, their sabers drawn. Grandpa sat on his horse, taking shots at men as they got close. I jumped off Ringo and pulled my rifle.

Crouching down and placing the butt against my leg, I began furiously working the action, firing at any enemy soldier I could see. I heard screams all around me as men were brutally cut in two by the cavalrymen. I saw flashes, or sparks, as bullets came close to my body, but, surprisingly enough, nothing hit me. And, fortunately, nothing hit Ringo either. I was also surprised at how calm the animal was during all this.

After a few minutes, I saw a number of Castillo's men drop their weapons and run south as fast as they could to escape the melee. Soon, there was no more enemy fire and a thick cloud of acrid smoke hung over the destroyed camp like a fog. I could hear moans from the men who lay on the ground, wounded.

The horse soldiers rode silently out of the camp, leaving the mess they had created behind them. Col. Jones looked at me as he rode out. I waved and gave him a thumbs-up. He smiled, returned the gesture and saluted before he rode away and disappeared.

Looking to my left, I saw Jeb Stuart on his horse. He gave an open-handed salute and Grandpa returned the gesture. I waved at him and he waved back. Seconds later, he and his men were gone and there was no trace of them anywhere except in my memory and in the devastated camp before me.

Stunned, I put my rifle back into its scabbard. I couldn't believe what I had just experienced. It was impossible to describe my emotions at that moment. I stood there for a moment, leaning against Ringo while gathering my thoughts when I felt a strong hand on my shoulder. I looked and saw my grandfather gazing at me intently.

"You okay, son?" he asked. I nodded my head.

"Yeah, I think so," I said.

"You did good, son," he said. "I'm proud of ya. Now, why don't we get outta here before the whole Mexican Army shows up?"

"Sounds good," I said. We mounted our horses and headed back the way we came. A familiar "hole" opened up and the next thing I knew, we were on a dusty road heading into the now-familiar frontier town. We stopped at the hotel and tied our horses to the hitching post out front.

Danni leaped in my arms when I entered the hotel, smothering me with kisses. I held onto her as hard as I could, returning her kisses.

"Are you okay?" I asked. She nodded her head. I saw Jake bouncing little William on his knee and could tell from his giggles that he was alright.

"I am now," she said.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Not long after you and Grandpa left, a helicopter landed by the house and a bunch of men with guns came barging in," she said. "They wanted Lionel. I tried to tell them I didn't know anyone by that name but they didn't believe me. They took us both and that woman wrote a note for you. We only landed at that camp about a half hour before you showed up."

"Did they hurt you?" I asked. She shook her head.

"They really didn't have time to do anything," she said. "But that Castillo person said if you didn't show up by the deadline he was going to hand me over to his men." I didn't need to wonder what they would have done to her and William. I saw Lionel sitting in a chair by the wall.

"How is he doing?" I asked Danni.

"He seems to be doing better," she said. "At least he can walk a bit."

"Good," Grandpa said. "He can come with us to the jail."

"You're putting him in jail?" Danni asked. Grandpa shook his head.

"No," he said. "That's where Castillo and Cheryl are at the moment." He looked at Lionel. "Are you ready to face your wife now?" he asked. Lionel nodded his head and patted the pistol in the holster on his hip.

"I am," he said.

"Let's go, then," Grandpa said. Lionel got out of his chair and we turned to walk out the door.

"Wait," Danni said. "If you're going to face the two of them, then I'm coming with you. I have a score to settle as well."

"I think you should stay here with William," Grandpa said. Danni shook her head.

"No," she said. "They took my child and put him in danger. I can't let them get away with that." Grandpa knew better than to argue with Danni when her mind was made up. He nodded his head and looked at Jake, who seemed engrossed with little William.

"You mind looking after my grandson fer a bit?" he asked. Jake smiled as he looked up.

"Be happy to, Eli," he said. "Been a long time since I held a young'un. Sure looks an awful lot like Jed, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he does," Grandpa said. "Alright, let's go," he added as he turned. On the way, I stopped and grabbed my rifle out of its scabbard. We walked to the jail and saw Enrique and Cheryl sitting in a cell. Grandpa looked at the sheriff and motioned for him to open the cell.

"You sure about this, Eli?" the sheriff asked.

"I'm sure," Grandpa said as the sheriff opened the cell door.

"You need me to stick around?" the sheriff asked.

"I'll take it from here, sheriff," Grandpa said. "My deputy has me covered. Why don't you go grab something to eat for a bit?" The sheriff nodded his head.

"Don't mind if I do," he said as he walked out.

"Alright, you two," Grandpa said. "Out," he added, gesturing with one hand. The two looked at each other for a second before slowly getting up. I waited until they were in the main part of the office, then slammed Castillo in the nuts with the butt of my rifle.

"That's for kidnapping my wife," I said as he doubled over in pain. I swung the rifle and caught him on the side of the face. "And that's for kidnapping my son," I told him as he fell down. Cheryl moved to his side, but Danni intercepted her and punched her as hard as she could in the face.

"And that's for putting my son in danger, you bitch," she yelled. Cheryl looked at her with anger in her eyes and started moving toward her, but I put the muzzle of my rifle in her face and shook my head.

"Don't even think of it," I said. "Sit!" I commanded. She sat down in a wooden chair and watched us. Grandpa laughed as he watched us.

"You should know it's dangerous to get between a mother and her child," he told her. He turned to Castillo. "Well, Generalissimo," he said sarcastically. "You should know that your glorious little war is over." He turned to Lionel. "You have something to discuss with your wife?" he asked. Lionel pulled up a chair and looked at his wife.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now, bitch?" he asked. She looked at him in shock.

"Because I love you," she said quietly. He laughed out loud as Castillo looked at her, surprised by her answer.

"Right," Lionel said. "That's why you left me in the desert to die and pissed on me, right? That's why you tried to set me up and took up with this wannabe dictator, isn't it? I'm glad you love me, though. I'd hate to think of what you'd do to me if you didn't."

"You lying bitch," Castillo grunted through his pain. "You told me you didn't love him anymore and you wanted to be my queen. You swore allegiance to me. I told you what I would do if you betrayed me."

He lunged for her, his hands reaching for her throat. We were all surprised when we heard a shot ring out. He fell back on the floor, dead, a gaping hole in his forehead. A reddish glow emanated from his body and he disappeared. We looked and saw Lionel holding his pistol.

"Where did he go?" Cheryl asked.

"To his eternal destination," Grandpa said. Cheryl looked at Lionel, who still held his pistol.

"You murdered him," she gasped.

"Maybe you would have preferred that I let him strangle you," Lionel said. "So tell me, bitch. Why did you do it? Why did you cheat on me with him? Why did you plot to have me murdered?"

"Because," she said. "He was rich and powerful. He was ambitious."

"He was a liar with delusions of grandeur, just like you," Lionel said.

"So, what are you going to do?" she asked. "Murder me as well?"

"It's tempting," Lionel said. "But I had an idea while Jake was showing me how to use this thing." He looked at Grandpa. "Tell me, is it possible for someone to escape from this place?" Grandpa shook his head.

"Not normally," he said. "Why?"

"Are you familiar with the story of Prometheus?" Lionel asked.

"I remember that old story from Greek mythology," Grandpa said. Cheryl looked at Lionel, confused.

"Let me explain," he began. "Prometheus gave fire to the human race along with the skill of metalworking. For that, Zeus chained him to a rock and made sure an eagle ate his liver every single day. Every night, his liver would grow back, only to be eaten again the next day. This went on for many years until Hercules killed the eagle with one of his arrows."

"What does that have to do with me?" Cheryl asked.

"You left me to die in the desert with nothing," Lionel said. "You even pissed on me before you left and told me to do humanity a favor and die." Her eyes grew wide as Lionel turned to Grandpa. "You think something like that can be arranged for her?" Grandpa's eyes narrowed as he thought for a while.

"You can't do that to me," Cheryl said. "Please, Lionel. Divorce me if you must but don't desert me."

"Shut up, bitch," Lionel said. "You know as well as I do that the courts would favor you in any divorce. That's why I'm not going to divorce you. I'll wait however long it takes to have you declared dead." She recoiled at that.

"I'll get away from here," she said. "I'll find you. You know I will. And I'll make you pay for this."

"No, you won't," Grandpa said. He looked at Lionel. "I see where you're going with this. It's unusual, but not totally out of the question. Are you absolutely sure about this?" Lionel looked at him before speaking.

"I'm absolutely certain," he said. "I want her to feel the hurt and the pain she made me feel." Grandpa nodded his head.

"Okay," he said. The next thing I knew, we were standing next to a large rock in the middle of nowhere. Everywhere we looked was sand and scrub brush. Cheryl was chained, naked, to the rock, her arms and legs spread wide. She looked around, shocked and afraid.

"You're actually going to leave me here?" she cried. "I'll die out here!"

"That's what you were going to do to me," Lionel said. "And all I ever did was love you, without question."

"Actually," Grandpa told her. "You won't die out here. You'll remain here, alive, chained to this rock, until you are declared dead, however long that takes. Then you'll move on to your eternal destination. You'll be visited from time to time by vultures and wild beasts. They'll have their way with you and move on. You'll recover enough for the next beast. You'll receive sustenance each morning, enough to keep you alive. Other than that, you'll remain alone. You're familiar with the saying, an eye for an eye?"

"Please, you can't do this to me," she begged as the realization of what he said hit her. "Give me another chance, Lionel. I'm begging you."

"If your husband sees that you've had a change of heart and he's willing to extend mercy, he can ask that you be released and given a reprieve," Grandpa said. She looked at Lionel, tears streaming down her face. Lionel walked up to her and unzipped his pants.

"Remember you said you always wanted to do this to me?" he asked. He began urinating on her face. She closed her eyes and tried to avoid it but was unsuccessful. When he finished, he zipped his trousers back up and leaned into her face. "I'm sorry it has to end like this, dear," he said, repeating her own words back to her. "You knew it wouldn't last forever. I'm sure I'll find someone who's a much better fuck than you anyway."

She sobbed uncontrollably as we turned and walked away from the rock. The next thing I knew, we were back in the hotel. Lionel appeared somewhat shaken by what had just happened. Danni and I looked at each other, shocked.

"Do you think she'll ever have a real change of heart?" Lionel asked Grandpa.

"It's possible, assuming she doesn't go mad first," Grandpa said. He pulled a ring with a red stone out of his pocket and handed it to Lionel. "Watch that stone. When you see it flash blue, you'll know that she's truly repentant. If you wish to have her released at that time, press the stone." Lionel looked at the ring for a bit before putting it on his finger.

"I'll watch it every day," he said. "Did I do the right thing?" he asked, looking at Grandpa.

"Sometimes, people have to get to the end of themselves before they make a change," Grandpa said. "You ever hear the story of Jonah?"

"Yeah," Lionel said. "Wasn't he swallowed by a whale or something?"

"Something," Grandpa said. "He refused to do what God wanted him to do and even ran in the opposite direction, so God sent a great fish to swallow him. He sat in the belly of that fish for three days and nights, praying before he repented. The fish spit him onto the land and Jonah finally did what he was supposed to do. You know he had to look and smell awful by then. Maybe your wife needs a similar lesson. The real question is, can you ever let go of your hatred and forgive her?" Lionel shook his head.

"I don't know," he said quietly. "She tried to kill me, after all."

"Yes, she did," Grandpa said. "C'mon," he said after a few moments. "Let's go home." We gathered our stuff and made our way back to the ranch. I gave Lionel my address and cell phone number in case he ever wanted to talk with me, then Grandpa took him home. Danni fed William and laid him down for the night. Exhausted, I grabbed a beer and headed out back for a smoke. Danni joined me a bit later.

"It feels so good to finally be home with you," she said, burying her head in my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her and held her to me as tight as possible.

"Yes, it does," I said. "I'm just grateful you and William are okay. I don't think I could've handled it if I lost either one of you."

"Believe it or not, I was scared, but never worried," she said, taking a drag off my cigarette. "I knew you and Grandpa would save us. And you did." I ground out the cigarette and held her beautiful face in my hands. I kissed her like I had never kissed her before.

"I love you so much," I told her.

"I love you more, my husband," she said, unbuttoning my shirt. "And I'm about to show you just how much." She started kissing my chest, working her way down, when we heard a man cough from the back door. We sat up, startled and looked.

"Sorry to interrupt you kids," he said, smiling. "I jes' wanted to let y'all know I got Lionel home safe."

"No problem," Danni said. "How is he, by the way?"

"I think in time he'll be alright," Grandpa said. "He's been through a lot. We had a nice talk about things. We'll see."

"Do you think he'll ever forgive his wife?" I asked.

"No idea," Grandpa said. "Right now he's very angry, and he has every right to be. I told him to stay in touch with you and he said he would. Listen, I know you kids need to reconnect, so I'll head on out." Danni got up and ran to him before he could leave, throwing her arms around him. "What's this fer?" he asked.

"I just wanted to thank you and tell you I love you," she said, kissing him on the cheek. He smiled as he looked at her.