Renegades and Stubborn Pride (sequal to Renegades and Pretty Women)

Chapter Twelve

Gill knew he was going to die if somebody didn’t come upon him soon. He, Fred and Critter had done everything they could to free themselves but it had been useless. That bastard, Jonah Winchester, had tied them up real good and proper.

                Poor Fred had screamed and sobbed like a newborn babe for the entire first day until his voice had finally left him. His broken arm was twisted up in his hogtied position and making the pain the man was in unbearable.

                Critter had taken the hardest lick to the head and the bloody welted lump stuck out a good four inches off his forehead. Gill’s head was pounding as well from that bastard’s gun being brought down on the back of it.

                It had been days the men had been tied up here in the heat. Days with no food, no water and Gus’s dead body beginning to stink worse and worse with every passing hour. Gill had turned his body away from Gill to avoid the sight of the crows and other scavengers feasting on his dead friend’s face.  Though there was nothing a man could do to block out the sound of his flesh being picked, plucked and torn from his bones.

                “We’re gonna die, Gill.” Critter mumbled, his voice raspy and weak from lack of water. Gill nodded limply.

                “Sure seems that way.”

                “How come that bitch didn’t tell us how tough a job that would be?” Critter added and Gill just laid there and didn’t answer. Fred was doing little more than moaning and rocking back and forth on the ground, his face a sickly shade of green and his eyes squeezed  shut tightly.

                More endless minutes passed by as the three men waited on death and then Gill thought he was hearing things when a horse whinnied in the distance and he heard a man’s voice mumbling.

                “Hello!?” Critter hollered out as loudly as his parched throat would allow, causing Gill to realize that he wasn’t just hearing things, or that if he was that Critter was hearing the same thing. “Who’s there?”

                Normally Gill would have cursed the man for crying out to someone while they were helpless and didn’t know if the approaching person was friend or foe but it seemed that desperation made a man’s good sense take flight because Gill found himself calling out to the stranger as well.

                A man rode into sight slowly. He cursed under his breath and quickly covered his face with his bandana.

                “You men need some help?” he asked and Gill fought the urge to yell at the man for asking such a stupid question.

                “Yes, sir.” Critter replied.

                Gill watched the man take in the sight of Gus by the fire and the man gagged as he slid from his horse. “Damn, what happened here?”

                “We was attacked.” Critter replied. “Untie us please.”