Issa nodded but didn’t say a word. From my perspective, it seemed he didn’t agree with me but acknowledged he heard me. Issa’s face appeared calm, but his brow furrowed, and I wondered what to say next. We rode in silence watching as the village disappeared, and the desert took over again.

  Issa took off at a gallop without warning. The sudden sprint caught me off guard, and I spurred my horse behind him to keep pace. The wind rushed through my hair as the sand Issa kicked up lashed at my face. I squinted to keep the grit from my eyes, which made it hard for me to see. I opened my mouth to scream at Issa to slow down, but a mouthful of dirt and dust kept me silent.

  More than a minute passed before Issa pulled his horse up to a halt. Our horses almost collided due to the sudden stop.

  “What did I say wrong?” I yelled at him, spitting sand from my mouth.

  Issa stared at me as if horns had grown from my head. “Annie, something happened last night…” he trailed off as his gaze shifted behind me.

  Strangled shouts flitted across the wind along with a sound not unlike thunder. I turned around in my saddle to see a dust cloud roaring towards us.

  “Run!” Issa yelled, turning his horse and launching it into a desperate gallop, pushing his horse faster than before. I followed suit on his right to keep the dust from my face.

  It didn’t help. Our horses, already tired from our prior gallop, slowed quickly, and the cloud gained on us. Foam and spittle flew from my horse’s mouth, hitting me in the face as Issa’s horse fell behind mine. I looked around for anywhere to hide, but the land sprawled before us wide open and flat.

  I looked back to see Issa further behind. He pulled up and dismounted the horse and slid the cane from his bedroll, extended it fully, and placed his back to the horse.

  I pulled up and galloped back to him. Leaping from my horse, I landed on the ground softly, my back to my horse beside Issa. The cloud grew closer, allowing me to see men on horseback in its depths.

  “Get on your horse and get out of here, Annie!” Issa yelled, waving me on.

  “We’ll only survive if we stand together,” I remembered my dream from the night before.

  For the second time in less than a month, wished for a sword in my hand. Instead, I balled my hands into fists and kept my back to the horse.

  “But if we don’t survive. I want you to know something happened to me last night as well.” I said.

  “We’ll talk about it later.” Issa turned at me and winked.

  Fifteen men on horseback slowed as they approached. The dust cloud settled around us, choking Issa and myself and blotting out the sun. As they formed a semi-circle around us, I realized they were the Apache from Tse’s tribe.

  Cochise stared down at us from his horse. “What do you plan on doing once you see Tse?”

  “Putting him in jail for robbing me.” Issa said.

  Cochise mumbled something under his breath.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “Leave my son alone, Issa. This is your only warning.”

  “You shouldn’t have wasted your breath.” Issa said.

  Cochise waved his hand and four men dismounted their horses first and ran towards Issa and me.

  Issa attacked first, running out to meet our assailants head on. The front runner jumped forward, reaching for Issa’s throat. He caught the man and slammed him to the ground with one hand. He backhanded the man with the head of his cane as he lay in the dirt.

  The other men pulled tomahawks from their sides and approached Issa with caution. They spoke to each other, and one came towards me, leaving Issa alone with the other two. He twirled the staff around, then angled it at his side and motioned for the men to come at him.

  They attacked together, and Issa swatted both axes away. He stepped forward with his empty hand, grabbed one man’s head, pulled it down, and drove a knee into the man’s face crunching bone. He then brought the staff’s head down on the base of the man’s neck. I stopped watching Issa as the native coming towards me demanded my undivided attention.

  The native swung the ax on the horizontal, and I dodged then stepped in quickly behind the man’s arm. I grabbed the elbow and pulled it close to me, locking it to my side with my arm. The native exposed his throat as he moved to free himself and face me. I chopped him as hard as I could with my free hand, stealing his breath. I released and punched him hard and fast. My hands worked like pistons, and when he tried to protect his face, I went down his torso; chest, stomach, kidneys, working him over till he collapsed.

  I looked up from my fallen victim to see Issa standing triumphant over the three men attacking him. The air cleared, and Cochise looked down on us from his horse. He waved a hand, and eight more men came after us. Five to Issa and three to me.

  Issa and I charged, screaming as we ran towards them. Issa tried to force the attackers back with an arcing swing, but two men slammed their tomahawks on the staff, shoving it to the ground. Another grabbed it and tried to take it away from Issa. Issa struggled with the man for a moment then let go as the two natives with tomahawks approached.

  I refocused on the three men staring me down. I kicked straight out at one man from my side, leaning my body into it. The man flew backward. Before I could retract my leg, another native grabbed it and pulled. I lost my balance and fell to the ground. Two men approached me, and I kicked from the ground to give myself room to rise. A swing from another man connected the tomahawk’s butt with my leg behind the knee. I winced as it swelled.

  I kicked the man again with my other leg, and he fell. I stood and tried my injured leg, but it wouldn’t support my weight. I took a moment to look for Issa and found him just as a punch landed, and he fell backward. I worked my way to him as two natives approaching me slowly.

  I feinted left then lunged at one attacker now to my right he backed off as I knew he would. I twisted my hips and gritted my teeth and spun my injured leg around using my uninjured leg as a pivot. I caught the other attacker in the face as he lunged for me. I collapsed to the ground under the next apache man’s weight as he tackled me.

  I tried to push up but crashed to the ground when a tomahawk handle hit me. My head bounced on the ground, and I lay there, stunned. My arm lifted into the air as they dragged my body through the dirt.

  Someone lifted my head then slammed it into the ground again. A foot kicked me in my stomach. I turned over, and the foot stomped my stomach once more. I screamed and curled into a ball rolling towards my right side. When I opened my eyes, I saw Issa, on his knees, being kicked and punched repeatedly. Every time he collapsed and fell to the ground, the men picked him up and proceeded to beat him again.

  A hand reached down and grabbed my hair. I struggled and tried to fight back, but I had yet to recover from the blow to my head. They raised me to my knees and placed me beside Issa. I looked up and saw Cochise standing over us.

  “What is your purpose in your search for my son?” Cochise said.

  Issa looked Cochise in the eye then spat.

  “Why are you looking for my son?” Cochise screamed at Issa.

  “He tried to steal from me. Are you going to kill me now to make it easier?” Issa replied with hard eyes focused on Cochise.

  Cochise stepped back. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean what I said, he broke into my home and tried to steal. His master has him acting like a common thug and not chieftain’s son.”

  Cochise spoke to himself. “What are you doing?”

  “Is he not living up to his father’s standards?” Issa said.

  Cochise turned to Issa furious. “He was supposed to be our greatest medicine man, he could speak with the earth itself. He gave us hope for a better future.”

  “And you pushed him away when he did not live up to your expectations?” Issa shot back.

  “No!” Cochise turned away from Issa and paced before us. “When the Dallas woman died. She ruined him.”

  “What? Where were you in his time of need? You let her die.” Issa said vehemently.

  Cochise stopped pacing and turned back to Issa. “He should have left the woman alone like I told him. What will you do when you find my son?”

  “Turn him over to the law,” Issa said.

  Cochise backhanded Issa again. “My son will not be judged by your people. He is our responsibility. If you try to kill him or turn him over to your’ law,’ I will destroy your free in the village.” He screamed at Issa.

  “If you want to protect your son so much, you would find him and apologize. If you cared for him at all, you would have let him live his life and not put your expectations upon his shoulders. If you truly loved him, you would never have turned your back on him and let the woman die.” At that moment, Issa, kneeling on the ground, made Cochise, the chief, look small in comparison.

  “What do you know?” Cochise said.

  “I know plenty. Did you forget to be his father? Were you only his chief?”

  Cochise’s shoulders slumped. He walked away from us and mounted his horse. He waved his warriors back to their horses. The ones Issa and I felled needed help to top their mounts. I smiled to myself.

  “Leave my son alone Issa, you don’t know…” Cochise trailed off.

  The other Apache didn’t make eye contact with him as they left. The healthy men surrounded the injured, keeping them on horseback.

  Issa sat back and raised a knee, placing an arm on it. He rubbed his face with the other hand. I lay down with my head in the grass and dirt, holding my stomach.

  “What are we doing now, Issa?” I asked.

  He looked at me. “I think,” he paused and winced, touching the side of his face where he was hit, “we are still finding Tse. I need to know where he is and who he’s working for. Then I will figure out how to handle Cochise.”

  “We are fighting on two fronts now?” I asked.

  “Regrets?”

  I licked my lip and tasted my own blood. “I signed up to be your apprentice, whatever that entailed. But, I wonder.”

  “Wonder what?” Issa pressed.

  I turned my head to him, remembering the dream and the horde I’d cut through. “In truth, I am scared I enjoy it.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  THE RIDE FROM the horse depot just outside the native lands refused to let our bruised muscles get any rest. When we arrived home Issa left me in the kitchen to go to his room.

  I drew a bath, fell asleep, and Mrs. Miller woke me then led me to my room. A full day passed before I saw Issa again.

  “Annie…” Issa called to me as I entered the kitchen the second morning after our return.

  “Sir…” I smiled half heartedly .

  Dropping into a chair, I leaned forward and placed my head on my hands and groaned.

  The saucer and coffee mug clinked as Mrs. Miller placed them beside me. I peered through the spaces between my fingers and saw Mrs. Miller standing with a hot pot of coffee. The steam rose in gentle swirls. I inhaled the complex aroma, licorice sprinkled with chocolate hints, then lowered my hands giving Mrs. Miller my most gracious smile.

  “Ma’am, you are a godsend and Issa should pay you more.” She filled my cup and I reached for it along with cream.

  “He does right by me dear.” Mrs. Miller smiled at Issa as she spoke, filling their cups.

  “Thank you ma’am.” Issa smiled back, weariness disappearing from his eyes.

  I took a ginger sip from my coffee cup as Issa did the same sans cream or sugar.

  Mrs. Miller placed the pot onto the stove. She grabbed scones from the pantry and placed them on the table. I grabbed one as she added cream and sugar to her coffee and bit a chunk from the hard bread. The pastry crumbled around my lips and pieces fell to my shirt. I dusted crumbs from my face with my other hand snickering at myself.

  “I feel like I just came back from the land of the dead.” I bit the scone again.

  “Did you find out anything to help you track the thief?” Mrs. Miller asked.

  Issa lowered his cup. “Just a name and possible motivation. They give us somewhere to start.”

  “And it’s more than we had before.” Mrs. Miller drank deeply from her cup.

  “I don’t understand what good a name is. Dallas is massive, where would we find him?” I asked.

  Issa tapped the coffee cup while gazing between Mrs. Miller and myself. He stared into space as he sipped coffee from the cup. Sitting it down he sighed looking at Mrs. Miller. She shrugged and took another tiny bite of the scone.

  “Annie…” Issa began as he focused on me again, “we have to go to Tinker.”

  I shifted my eyes from one then the other. “Okay, I don’t see the issue.”

  Mrs. Miller made a sucking sound as she stood and walked to the sink while draining the coffee cup.

  “Place the dishes in the sink for me loves and I’ll wash up after you head out.” She walked back to the table, grabbed her scone, then left the kitchen headed towards the living room.

  I watched her go then turned back to Issa. He sighed again and my brow furrowed.

  “Tinker does more than sell exotic goods. He’s a black market dealer and information broker as well.”

  I stared at Issa slack jawed. “I’m sorry, come again.”

  Issa’s eyes rolled. “Tinker is a fair dealer, but when it comes to information, it’s a trickier topic than you would think.”

  I sat back in my chair raising an eyebrow. “What will he expect as compensation?”

  Issa’s steepled hands touched his forehead. “Well, if we had valuable information we could make a trade. But…” Issa trailed off.

  I raised my hands as I leaned in. “But what?”

  Issa shook his head. “We don’t have any information. So he is going to ask us for,” Issa paused a breath, “a favor.”

  “Well, I suddenly feel the need to stand in front of an open exhaust valve.”

  Issa smiled wryly. “That may not be a bad idea. The steam would get you nice and clean.”

  I rolled my eyes now. “Well, this is turning out to be more and more fun. Dances in the dessert. Deals with devils. You keep a lady entertained and wanted.”

  “Wanted and needed, Annie.” Issa said.

  I rubbed my temples and began to speak. The words faltered as I realized I held Issa’s full attention. Something in his gaze sent a shiver down my spine and I grew flustered. I hoped my cheeks didn’t give me away as I studied Issa’s words looking for insight into his feelings for me.

  A knock at the door shook me from my thoughts. “I’ll get it.” I stood abruptly and rushed to the door.

  I opened the door Josef’s smiling face.

  “Josef?” I said in surprise.

  “Aye, Annie. Mrs. Miller called for the carriage. Said we’d be heading to Tink’s.”

  Issa came up behind me. “That was quick.”

  “Aye, been waiting on the call. Things are getting interesting, lad. Can’t wait to see what you and the lass here get into next.” Josef’s eyes sparkled with mischievousness.

  Issa nodded, a wry grin crossing his lips. “My friend, you are correct. Let me grab my cane and we can be off.”

  “So a deal with the devil?” I asked.

  “In this case I believe so. If you come up with a better option I’m all ears.” Issa hurried away.

  Josef patted me on the shoulder. “Are you worried, lass?”

  “A little, yes. He just told me we may owe Tinker a favor.”

  “There are worse things.” Josef started towards the carriage.

  I fell in step behind him. “What could be worse?”

  Josef paused in step. “You could steal from Tinker. There’s no coming back from that.”

  I remembered what Tinker said about my father and shuddered.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  JOSEF DROPPED US off in front of Tinker’s shop then went to collect a fare. I stared at the sign over the door while shaking my head.

  “Last time I was here, my father sent a man to attack me.”

  Issa grinned. “After seeing you fight the Natives, I feel sorrier for that man.”

  I turned to him, and his grin disappeared.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Issa, what I desire most is to be an engineer. I put my swords down to let my father know he can’t dictate my life. Yet here I am, still fighting and wishing for a blade in my hand.”

  Issa put an arm around me and hugged me close as we walked towards the door. “Once we find Tse, we can put or weapons away for good and focus on us.”

  I stopped. “On us?”

  “As teacher and apprentice.” I thought I heard Issa stutter.

  We entered Tinker’s store, and Issa led me straight to the backroom filled with exotic items. From there, we walked to another nearby door. This time Issa paused to knock.

  “Whose it?” An accented voice came from behind the door running the two words together, so they sounded like one.

  “Issa Obasi and his apprentice.” He paused and shook his head. “We need some information.”

  “Yeah, yeah, Issa. Come on in.” The voice said.

  I listened as multiple bolts turned and slide then stared at Issa in amazement. “How many bolts does one need?”

  Issa winked at me as the door opened, and I followed him through.

  I marveled once more at how much room Tinker had in the small storefront. I made a mental note to ask Issa about it later on.

  We walked into a gambling den. Men sat at the many tables around the room, cards in hand, smoking cigars, and emptying tumblers of liquor. The cigarette and pipe smoke choked the air causing me to cough as my eyes began to water.

  A woman walking past, with a tray of glasses filled to the brim, passed me a cup of clear liquid. “Here, doll, this should help.”

  I drank deep from the glass and choked. My cough became more insistent as the liquor, not water, filling the glass burned its way down my throat.

  “Ooh, sorry, love. This’s the right one. No worries Issa, shots on the house.”

 

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