Mothers by Silvia

Written for the Lancer Writer ‘55^th Anniversary Episode Tag Celebration’

I have to say thanks to Sandy. GRAZIE!!

Episode tag: Angel Day & Her Sunshine Girls
Crossover with (The) Big Valley

Word count: 14, 738

The train from Cross Creek clattered to a halt in a cloud of smoke at the Stockton station.

Johnny Lancer got off with a light jump carrying the saddlebags on his left shoulder and looked around warily. Finding the sidewalk clear and without a shadow of trouble, he brought his attention back to the carriage.

First, he recovered the carpetbag with green and gold designs, and after placing it on the ground, he turned again, extending his hand to help Miss Theresa off. She gave him a hesitant smile reciprocated with just a lift of part of Johnny’s mouth.

Holding his sister tightly by the arm, he led her quickly into the station waiting room.

“Stay here. I’ll go hire a buggy and come back,” Johnny said gently, a little sorry for having been abrupt in keeping Teresa away from indiscreet looks.

“Johnny, I don’t need a buggy. The hotel is not far from here. I can walk.” 

“No, you won’t stay in the hotel. I’ll take you to the Barkley’s ranch.” 

“Why? How could I meet her if I’m not in town?” 

Johnny rolled his eyes, cursing himself for getting involved in this crazy adventure. He had felt sorry for Theresa and understood her motives. He understood them very well. However, he was sure there would be hell for him to pay when Murdoch noticed their disappearance.

The message he left at the Cross Creek Telegraphic Office, to be mailed to the ranch, didn’t explain much. He only said that he was taking Theresa to do something and that they would be back as soon as possible.

“Theresa,” Johnny said, running his fingers along the bridge of his nose. “Listen! It will be difficult enough to explain why I brought you here without explaining why we slept together in a hotel. Murdoch Lancer’s pistolero son takes a room with his ward! I can already hear the chatter of the old biddies of Stockton. Not to mention, the old man will kill me.”

“But how will I talk to her if I’m not in town? You know. You’ve seen the brochure. They’re only staying for a few days.” 

Theresa was starting to regret having asked Johnny for help. She thought he was the one who, better than anyone else, would understand her feelings, her thirst for answers. But maybe it would have been better to ask Scott. He didn’t see problems everywhere.

“I’ll find a way to get you to talk to her. Of course, you won’t enter the saloon to risk the good name of the Lancers or go to her room so she can take you away again.” 

“But Johnny!” The girl exclaimed as she felt a lump form in her throat. 

“No, no, Theresa. There’s no way I’m changing my mind, that’s it, or I’ll send Murdoch a wire to come get us, and we’ll wait for him at the Barkleys’. However, we will talk about it with Mrs. Victoria to understand how to do things right.” Johnny asserted, reinforcing his words with a curt nod of the head.

---

“Ms Barkley, a buggy is coming!” Silas, the butler’s quiet voice, made Victoria and Audra leave their embroidery to greet the unexpected guest. 

“Do you know who they are?” Audra asked. 

“No, but it is a hired buggy. Wait, it seems to be Johnny Lancer and Theresa…” 

“What are they doing here?” Audra asked her mother, puzzled. “They are alone…” 

“Good afternoon, Mrs Barkley,” the younger Lancer greeted the lady with a big smile as he got out of the buggy and moved to the other side to help Theresa.  “I’m sorry we came unannounced, but we need some help.”

“Is it just you? Why?” Mrs. Barkley wanted to know immediately after saying good afternoon to the two visitors, while a terrible suspicion came to her mind.

It was strange that they were there with no one else in the family, and Johnny and Theresa looked quite uncomfortable.

“Let’s go inside, you look tired.” 

As they made themselves comfortable in the sitting room, Victoria asked the butler, “Please, Siles, get Jarod and ask him to join us.” 

“I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention to make our request sound like something serious,”Johnny said uneasily under the scrutiny of the beautiful lady. “I just wanted to ask if Theresa could stay here for a few days?” 

“Johnny, Theresa, I can’t endorse such a situation. I wouldn’t do it for anyone, but especially not with Murdoch involved. He is a longtime friend, and you are not of age yet. Jarod will help us find the right solution.” 

“What?” Johnny and Theresa looked at each other in amazement, failing to understand what Mrs. Barkley was saying. 

Enlightenment came to Johnny first. He looked at the two women sitting across from him, then Theresa. “What? NO….” He furiously shook his head and raised his voice to make the point.

At that point, Jarod and Nick were entering the room at the same time. 

“Mother, what’s happening here, and why are you raising your voice against my mother, Lancer?” Nick stepped forward, followed by his older brother. 

“Madre de Dios… No, no, no. You got it wrong. We didn’t run away together.” 

At that moment, Theresa also understood the mess they had gotten themselves into. She brought his hand up to her mouth, which was wide open like her eyes. 

“Ohhh, Mrs. Barkley, no, it is not what you think. Johnny came with me because he didn’t want to let me travel alone. I’m here to meet someone.” Theresa looked at Johnny in disbelief. “I’m so sorry, Johnny, I didn’t think… I just didn’t think.” The girl lowered her head, visibly mortified. 

For a few moments, the only sound in the room was Johnny’s brooding in Spanish. Mrs. Barkley was glad that no one could understand what the boy was saying between one Madre de Dios and the next. 

Nobody knew what to do until Johnny lifted up the face he had buried in his hands.

“Ma’am, sorry, Victoria. In your opinion, is it possible that Murdoch thinks the same thing too? That Teresa and I ran away together to… He’ll know I’d never do something like that, right?”

The pleading look Johnny gave her made a mother’s heart melt. Seated across from her was not the cold, hard gunslinger she had heard so much about but a young boy who acted like all boys his age.

Victoria was looking for something to say to ease the boy’s spirits when he continued, “Being the legal one, contrary to what you think, all the responsibility will be mine. Great, just when things between Murdoch and me seemed to start to work! I never get right.” 

Three voices, in unison, said, “No, you’re not!” 

Johnny looked in amazement between Mrs. Barkley, her son Jarod, and Theresa, not understanding the meaning of the common exclamation. 

“What?” he asked. 

“You are not legal yet,” Victoria answered hesitantly for everyone. Theresa and Jarod nodded. 

“I know how old I am, and unless I’m wrong, I came of age at twenty-one. I’ll be twenty-two in December.” 

Theresa, increasingly alarmed by this speech, was about to answer, but a slight nod from Mrs. Barkley made her desist.

“Johnny,” said Victoria with a sweet voice, “You were born the same year as Audra, only six months later. I’m sure because I couldn’t come to your baptism, only my husband and Jarod were there.”

Johnny frowned at her for a moment, not sure how the others could know better than him how old he was. Then he warily looked at Jarod, who, leaning against the fireplace with a glass of whiskey in his hand, had cleared his throat. 

“John, my mother is right. And if you like, I can give you the definitive confirmation.” He waited for a nod before continuing.

“Maybe with a glass of something strong, don’t you have a Tequila?” 

Jarod ran his hand through his thick black hair. They were talking about the fact that Johnny wasn’t legal, and the boy was asking for a tequila. After Jarod thought for a moment, he poured a dose of whiskey into a crystal glass. “Sorry, we don’t have tequila.” lo

“Go on. It can’t get worse than this!” declared the gunfighter with icy eyes. Once again, the calm and controlled alter ego had placed himself in command of the uncomfortable conversation.

“When you and your brother got home, there was a problem with signing the contract. As you were not yet of legal age, you could not have owned a third of the ranch, and your signature would have been worthless. But Murdoch was unhappy with this state of affairs and insisted on your signature. Mr. Randall, the Green River attorney, disagreed for various reasons and refused to draft a contract to attach to the first, in which Murdoch vouched for you and gave you the option to sign as if you were already legal. 

“Murdoch came to me, explained his reasons, and we drafted an addendum that gave you the same rights as the other two partners. 

“To do that, I needed your birth certificate, which your father produced without problem. That’s how I am sure you were born on December 23, 1850. It’s the same year Audra was born. Since it is now 1871, you will not be twenty-one until this coming December.”

Jarod was sorry to disclose these details, which were part of the secret with the client. As a friend of the Lancer family, he knew in his heart that this information would be of use to the somewhat bewildered boy who, at the moment, seemed to be having a hard time handling the situation.

Johnny was speechless, confused, and even a little ashamed. He didn’t even know how old he was and had to learn it from strangers. What would they think of him? Was he dumb or ignorant?

He ran a hand over his face, chewing on his lower lip. He didn’t have the courage to look up. Then he forced himself, “I have to go into town to find a place to sleep. So can Theresa stay here, please? I’ll come back in the morning, and we’ll decide how to go from here.” 

He said goodbye, getting up, then seeing that Jarod was starting to move, he added, “Don’t worry, I know the way.” 

Theresa followed Johnny up to the archway that led into the large room. In the center was a round table with a large display of fruit.

“Johnny, you have changed your mind, haven’t you?” 

“No, I haven’t, mi querida. I will try to speak with her this evening, and I will come back tomorrow. Good night. Theresa explain everything to Mrs. Barkley. She seems like she’ll understand.” 

Johnny went out, leaving a profound silence behind him. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, even though everyone was focused on the man who had just closed the house’s front door with a soft click.

The first to react was, as usual, the matriarch of the Barkley family. “Audra, take Teresa to the guest room. Silas has already taken her luggage upstairs. After she’s freshened up, we’ll have dinner, and then, miss, I’d like you to clarify the situation for me.” 

Theresa looked towards the archway where Johnny had placed her travel bag. She hadn’t noticed that the butler had come in and taken it away.

Maria was good at organizing life at the hacienda, but this house had another level of hospitality. 

---

Once in town, Johnny returned the rented buggy to the stable, then looked for a cantina to dine where he had already been a few times during his travels between jobs. He was sure to find a friend in the owner, a good meal, and a quiet place to put his thoughts in order.

After dinner, he went to the saloon. The “Red Carpet” saloon was luxurious, with a long bar of dark, polished wood. Of course, it was still early, but there were no signs of dirty glasses, and the floors and round tables were clean.  Red velvet curtains covered the windows, and red and gold fine-threaded curtains separated the saloon proper from the card game room.  

A large stage was displayed at the end of the long hall. Surmounted by a motif of the same polished wood as the counter, there was a bull’s head in the center. The usual thick red velvet curtains with gold fringes completed the picture.

This was certainly not the kind of place Johnny felt comfortable in. He’d frequented saloons like this a few times for his job but never liked it. 

The bartender was well dressed in a red waistcoat and neat black apron. A gold-colored handkerchief peeped from the breast pocket of his well-ironed shirt.

There were four very pretty and scantily clad girls in red, black, and gold, the saloon’s hallmark colors. Feathers, lace, and intriguing fishnet stockings made them a delight for the eyes of the patrons. 

Johnny chose the corner table, as was his habit, and sat with the back against the wall.  He had just sat down when a beautiful brunette girl wearing a provocative red satin dress, like the feathers braided in her hair, showed up to take the order.

After a few minutes, Brenda, that was her name, came back with a bottle of tequila, lime and salt. 

“If the owner’s around, I’d like to speak to him. Can you ask him to come, please?” asked Johnny politely.

Brenda looked long at the cowboy in front of her. After several years of working in saloons, she had gotten good at cataloging people, but this young boy puzzled her.

He looked more like a gunfighter than a cowboy. But he had a gentle, friendly manner that gunslingers usually don’t have. He looked physically young, but his eyes spoke of a life badly lived. He was certainly of mixed blood, but he didn’t have that hesitation that she usually found in those people who, in any case, usually didn’t enter that type of club. 

The girl thought about it for a moment, then turned to do what she was asked, curious to know what would happen.

Johnny watched her go with interest. The sensual movement of the girl’s well-defined hips, the rhythmic clicking of her heels on the floor, and the flutter of the feathers that danced at the bottom of the very short dress gave him some ideas about how he wanted to spend the evening.

Then, he told himself he had enough trouble without further distracting himself. He sighed and drank a glass of top-quality reposado tequila.

He saw the owner listening to Brenda, saw him look in his direction, and he clearly saw the moment the man recognized him. For a moment, Johnny thought he wasn’t coming. 

Mr. O’Malley didn’t seem happy to have none other than Johnny Madrid in his establishment, and for a moment, he did not want to go and hear what the outlaw wanted from him. Then he thought that the sooner this was over, the sooner the gunslinger would leave. At least so he hoped.

“Good evening, Mr. Madrid. What can I do for you?” Mr. O’Malley asked with a bow. 

Johnny looked at him with an icy gaze but thought he’d take advantage of the slimy guy’s fear. “I have to speak to Mrs. Angel Day before the show. Can you ask her to come down?”

“The lady and her girls don’t hang around with customers.” 

Johnny smiled and nodded. “I have to deliver a very important message to her personally. I don’t think she’ll be happy to hear I couldn’t deliver it because of you. And to tell the truth, I wouldn’t be happy either.” 

“I will ask if she has a moment for you,” said the owner of the Red Carpet, whitening his face and wiping his palms on his perfectly ironed trousers. 

Johnny nodded with a grim smile. 

“Miss Angel, someone wants to see you. Can you please come down a moment before the show,” pleaded Mr O’Malley, hoping she would not deny his request. 

“Henry, you know I don’t see clients. That’s not my job.” Angel was about to close the door, but Henry pressed nervously, “I can’t tell Johnny Madrid that you won’t join him. Please. He said he knew you and had a message to deliver.”

“Madrid, the gunfighter? Never knew him…” Now Angel Day was worried about who had sent a gunfighter for her. It couldn’t be Murdoch Lancer, could it? He hadn’t been nice to her the last time they’d met, but she didn’t know him as someone who would stoop to that much. 

“Let’s go backstage. I want to see him. I don’t want to cause you any problems.”

Hidden behind the curtains, they watched the hall come to life.

“Which one is he?” Angel didn’t know if she was more curious or scared.

“The young man in the corner with the red shirt,” answered Henry.

“You are making a fool of me? Why did you scare me so? That guy sure isn’t a gunfighter!”

“Angel, I know him.”

“I know him too. He is the son of a friend of mine, Murdoch Lancer. Have you heard of him?”

“Of course, he frequents the saloon when he’s here in Stockton. But Angel, I have seen Johnny Madrid a few times in my jobs in border town saloons. Last time in Sacramento, he shot and killed three men in the street. He was even dressed like now. You’re wrong!”

“Henry, I was a guest at the Lancer ranch a few months ago. I’m sure that boy is the youngest son of Murdoch.”

Henry O’Malley was looking at the beautiful woman with wide eyes.”This something. Johnny Madrid is the son of the great rancher Murdoch Lancer. That’s incredible!”

The exclamation earned him a glare from Angel, and then she approached the young Lancer’s table with a smile.

“Johnny! What brings you to Stockton? Did you come to see the show? Are you alone, or is your brother coming? The girls will be happy to see you both! “ 

“Angel.” Johnny smiled back. 

“Henry, the owner, is convinced you are the gunfighter Johnny Madrid. He is scared to death.” A beautiful smile lightened the lovely face. 

Johnny looked her straight in the eyes, and her smile disappeared. 

“He is right, I am, and it is not a secret. Do you have a problem with that?”

She looked into those deep blue eyes and was sure he wasn’t there to provoke trouble.  “Of course not! But can I ask why you are a gunfighter?” 

“Life,” Johnny said harshly. 

Obviously, the speech about that was over. She nodded and said nothing more. 

“I’m not alone. Theresa came with me. She wants to talk to you. She needs answers. She can’t rest until she gets some explanation from you, not from Murdoch or Maria. From you!” 

“I attempted to explain. Theresa didn’t want to listen.”

“And does it seem strange to you? Some strangers took her from her home, though one was her mother, whom she believed dead.

You left her in the hands of that rattlesnake. She saw Scott beaten, jailed, and forced to kill a man. Would you have listened?”

“No,” Angel said, acknowledging the truth.

Johnny nodded. He didn’t want to talk or be in that place anymore, but it was necessary, and he would go through with it. He drank a glass of liquid courage and continued. 

“Theresa is a good girl. But now she is tormented. She has the right to know the truth; you’re the only one who can tell her. If you don’t, she will never be at peace. You will ruin her life. Believe me.”

Angel peered into the gunslinger boy’s deep blue eyes and momentarily saw a world of sadness. Then, in the blink of an eye, those eyes became icy pools of blue again. 

“Is Theresa here now?”

“Nope, I left her with friends of Murdoch. I already screwed up getting her here. Let alone if I let her into a saloon.” Johnny shook his head and sighed.

She saw that sadness again and found she couldn’t say no.

“When will I be able to meet her?” 

“Not sure, I’ll let you know. I will send you a message.” 

Having said what was needed, he got up and went out into the night. The light breeze made him feel a little better. He decided to wire his father and brother first thing in the morning to let them know where they were. Really hoping they would come and take them back home.

---

The next morning, after having breakfast and being cuddled by the elderly owner of the small cafe he had chosen, Johnny went directly to send the telegram to his father. 

Johnny arrived in the middle of the morning at the Barkley’s ranch with a showy horse he had found at the stable. 

Victoria smiled as young Lancer arrived, dressed flamboyantly in a blue shirt with pale blue flowers and with the conchos on his black leather trousers that glittered by reflecting the sun’s rays. He was riding an equally flashy Mustang.

She thought that not many men could dress like this without causing gossip and hilarity. Certainly, no one would have dared to say anything to Johnny Madrid; therefore, he had made this particular way of dressing his hallmark. 

It was a pity that a boy who could have had so many opportunities led such a meaningless life.

Victoria shook her head slightly, thinking of her friend Murdoch.  She thought sadly of the difficulty an upright man like Murdoch would have had in accepting a reputation like Johnny’s. Even trying to come to terms with the boy’s mercurial character will not have been easy. 

She also thought of Maria, Johnny’s mother. What had prompted her to carry such a small child around Mexico without a specific destination or purpose?  What kind of life had she forced him to lead for him to turn to the gun for survival? 

This was something that, as a mother, she would never understand. Back to reality, Victoria greeted the handsome boy with a warm smile.

“Morning John, come inside. We are sitting on the patio. Siles will bring us a good cup of coffee and a piece of cake.” 

The beautiful smile immediately put Johnny at ease. “Thank you, Victoria.” He sat in a soft chair. “Where is Theresa?” 

“She was nervous and sorry for putting you in an awkward position. I sent her with Audra and Heath to take a ride.”

Johnny smiled but said nothing. 

“I’ve been through all this with Theresa last night,” said the lady sweetly. 

Johnny looked up at her and said nothing again, giving her the tacit agreement to continue.

“Don’t take offense at what I’m about to tell you. These are words dictated by the heart of a mother who knows the difficulties you are experiencing in your family because she experienced them when Heath joined our family. Do you know his story?” 

“Yes, but I don’t allow myself to judge without having all the facts.” 

Victoria smiled, recognizing in the sentence a way to tell her not to push too hard with him. The boy would soon discover that there was no way he could win with her. Victoria Barkley would say and do what was needed. Gunfighter or not. 

“I won’t tell you much about him. If you make friends, he’ll tell you himself. But I will tell you one thing. Heath was very angry with us, my husband, and the whole world when he arrived. It was difficult for a while. It takes time.” 

Johnny said nothing; his gaze was remote. 

“He didn’t know how old he was, so I tried to help him by putting his information and my husband’s life together. I needed to be sure about the stories Heath told us when he first came for the sake of my sons. So I went looking for answers in Strawberry, where Heath was born. I found the confirmation I was looking for.” 

Seeing that the boy was about to speak, she said aggressively, “Wait. Let me finish!”

Johnny frowned but didn’t dare interrupt. But he thought that this woman was worse than his father. Hard as steel.

“Up there, I understood how easy it is to forget the passing of time, the dates that are normal for those who live comfortably.” 

“Why do you still think about it? That’s not why I came here!” Johnny’s voice trembled slightly despite him trying to keep it cool and sound detached.

The beautiful and elegant lady gave him a beautiful smile, waited for the butler who had just arrived with the coffee to leave, and then said to him, “Murdoch is an old friend of my family. I owe him a lot, but I have never had the opportunity to repay my debt to him. If I can help you fix this situation and, at the same time, bring you a little closer to your father, it would make me feel a little better. Let me help, please.”

Johnny took the cup of coffee and noticed his hand shaking slightly. This woman had the power to embarrass him. He didn’t know how to get out of this sort of trap. He really wasn’t sure he wanted to. If Mrs. Barkley could help him with things he couldn’t fix himself, perhaps letting her try wouldn’t be a mistake. 

“I didn’t think it was difficult to keep track of my years since my mama told me my birthday was a few days before Christmas. Every Christmas, I added one. She told me I was ten, just before she died.”

He put his head down and lightly set the coffee cup on the table. 

The silence went on for a while, and it was Victoria who broke it. “Perhaps she also had lost count for the same reasons as Heath’s mother.”

“She lied to me about more important things. How do I know she didn’t about that?”

“I don’t think you will ever know. So why don’t you focus on the future, which can still be changed and built upon, rather than on a past from which you cannot get answers or help?”

Johnny frowned at her in astonishment, then a chuckle escaped his lips. “Maybe…If, I want to have a future with my father because that’s what you’re talking about, right? I’d have to find a solution to the mess I’ve made here first.” 

“I have a solution for that.”

“Who knows why I had no doubts that you would?” Johnny softened the sentence, otherwise not very kind, with one of those dazzling smiles that drove women of any age crazy.

Victoria smiled back, shaking her head and thinking about how many times that smile and those impossibly blue eyes had gotten him or got him out of trouble.

“Jarod and I have thought that the best place for Theresa to meet her mother is at an attorney’s office. It’s a safe place. Theresa can’t go in the saloon and said she won’t go to her mother’s room. I know that you have said all that to Theresa yesterday. What do you think about Jarod’s office?”

“I had the same idea. I was here to ask your permission. Thank you, ma’am,uhm, Victoria.”

“Well, now that is settled, I’ll tell Siles to send someone to the Red Carpet Saloon with a message for Miss Angel Day. If it’s okay with you, we’ll arrange to meet early tomorrow afternoon. The day after tomorrow, you could take the train home.”

“You organized everything quickly. Can’t wait to get rid of us?” said Johnny, half-laughing. He added quickly, realizing that the phrase might have offended the kind landlady, “Sorry, Mrs. Barkley, it was not my intention to offend you after all you have done for me.”

“Don’t worry, John, I know.” She smiled. 

“Your sons are lucky to have a mother like you. You are a very special person. Thank you so much for all your help.”

“I’m not sure they think like that, but thank you.” 

Victoria became serious again and added, “Johnny, I’ll tell you one last thing, then I’ll keep quiet. When a family is united, everything is simpler and less burdensome. Please promise me that you will make a serious attempt to talk to your father and to listen to him without prejudice.

Do you promise me?”

Johnny nodded gravely, then looked up to stare Victoria Barkley straight in the eye. “I swear.” 

The pain that was revealed for a moment in the boy’s eyes tore out the heart of the mother sitting in this comfortable home. Victoria swore that she would talk to Murdoch as soon as possible. She wanted to help this boy at all costs.

The momentum was broken by Silas. “The girls are coming, madam. Do you want me to prepare for lunch?” 

“Thank you, Siles. Mr. Lancer will be staying with us for lunch.” 

Her dazzling smile was a challenge to say no to, and she knew she had already won. 

Johnny smiled back, and he surrendered without a fight. 

At the table, talks were about the work on the ranch, the day’s problems, and Jarod sharing the town’s gossip. The atmosphere was relaxed and peaceful. Nick and Heath teased each other and then ganged up on their sister, who easily stood up to both of them. Victoria and Jarod controlled the situation without problems. 

Theresa watched the family dynamics with a bit of envy. She thought it would be nice if his men came to feel comfortable in each other’s company. A sigh escaped her and attracted Johnny’s attention, who gave her a sad smile.

Coffee was served in the elegant sitting room, and Mrs Barkley explained to Theresa what had been arranged for her to meet her mother.

---

“Mr Scott, a telegram has arrived for your father.1 I think it is important because Humbert sent me right away.” 

“Thank you, Jerry.” Scott gave a few cents to the boy and hurried home. 

“Murdoch, a wire from Stockton,” said Scott with a mixture of apprehension and relief as he came running, holding the paper towards his father.

Maria immediately arrived from the kitchen to hear if there was any news about the runaways. The first message Juanito sent said nothing, and she didn’t like the Patron’s suspicions. His niño was wild, but he would never run away with an innocent young girl like Theresa. 

Murdoch read the telegram and then crumpled it in his hand. “I’ll take the train from Cross Creek tomorrow and bring whoever wants to come back home with me!”

“Murdoch!” “Patron!” Scott and Maria exclaimed together. 

Before Scott could remonstrate, Maria leaped to the defense of the two she considered her children.

“Patron, I am sure you are wrong in what you think. Theresa was sad last week. She would not speak with me, but I saw she opened herself to Juanito. Maybe he was trying to help. You know that sometimes he has good intentions but doesn’t always have clear ideas about how to do the right things or how you want them to be done. He is not a bad guy. You have to know that he never had a mother who taught him the right thing to do. 

“You have to be patient. Juanito does not know how to belong to someone, but he does love you. He would never do anything to displease you.

It is not his fault. It was his Madre’s fault. Maria, you know, was never a good mother. I am sorry, Patron, maybe I should not have said anything, disculpe segnores!” 

Maria ran away crying like a fountain, leaving the two men to look at each other speechless.

The first to regain the voice was Scott. “I’m coming with you.”

“No, Scott, I have to do this myself. I swear I will not do anything to let Johnny go away. Trust me.” 

---

Theresa drove into town in the buggy accompanied by Jarod. Johnny was already sitting in front of the lawyer’s office. He nodded and smiled brightly at Theresa. Seeing her rather flustered, he stood up. Theresa nervously played with the handles of her purse, not returning the smile. 

“Angel is already inside, but you don’t have to go in if you don’t want to. We’ll leave,” Johnny said with his soft and sweet voice. 

The girl looked into her brother’s eyes and managed a slight smile.

“Thank you, Johnny, you are an Angel. I don’t know what I would have done without you.” 

 Jarod put a hand on Johnny’s shoulder and took Theresa’s arm.  He opened the door and ushered Theresa into an office decorated without opulence but still giving the impression of refined wealth. But the frightened girl didn’t care. 

On the other hand, Angel Day had noticed the refined furniture and fabrics. She was happy that such an important and undoubtedly wealthy family had taken her daughter’s problems to heart. 

A few minutes later, Jarod came out of the office. “Johnny, come with me. There’s a restaurant across the street where we can get some coffee.” 

Johnny looked at him but didn’t want to go anywhere. 

“Come on, they need time, and my secretary knows where I am.  If something happens, she’ll come for us. Don’t worry about it.”

The reluctant boy stood up, shaking his head. “You are as bossy as your mother, you know that? But I really appreciate your help. Thank you very much.” He smiled, entering the hotel’s restaurant in front of Jarod’s office. 

Sheriff Madden was there to get coffee and couldn’t believe his eyes seeing Jarod Barkley in the company of the gunfighter Johnny Madrid. 

“Howdy, Sheriff,” greeted the attorney, understanding the gaze, “Meet Johnny Lancer, the younger son of Murdoch Lancer. He accompanied Theresa, Murdoch’s ward, to visit Audra. Would you join us for a cup of coffee?” 

Johnny admired the quick reflexes of Mrs. Barkley’s eldest son. In a few minutes, he explained his presence and stopped the questions the sheriff could have voiced. 

The sheriff was perplexed, but if Jarod Barkley said the boy with him was a Lancer, he had to believe him. Looking into the attorney’s eyes, he had the impression that the man knew very well who the boy was, but he was vouching for him. 

---

“Hi Theresa, I’m so glad you decided to give me the opportunity to explain better what happened and why. Come sit here next to me.” When Theresa didn’t move. “Come on, Theresa, don’t stand there. Please.” Angel waved at the couch seat next to her. 

“I am truly sorry for my behavior the last time we saw each other.” Angel began emotionally. “I don’t know if you can forgive me for pushing myself on you like that. I should have known it was wrong. When I heard we were coming to perform at Spanish Wells, I started thinking about Paul and you.” 

 Theresa kept her eyes downcast, concentrating on the purse on her lap, which continued to be tortured by her nervous hands.

“Theresa, could you please look at me?” 

Theresa thought for a moment of her and Johnny’s hands, always moving, and she was doing exactly what he usually did with Murdoch.

Johnny was good at pushing for answers and never asking what he wanted to know.

The difference was that Murdoch was always glad to postpone the confrontation, while her mother seemed genuinely willing to tell her what she craved to know. What would Johnny have said? Then she knew the answer, “Let ’em buck!”

Her decision made, Theresa lifted her head and stared into her mother’s eyes.

“I remember what you told me that last time, but the explanation was vague, and I probably didn’t want to hear it. But now you have to explain everything to me. I want the truth and leave nothing out. I’m grown up now, and I’ve seen a lot. I don’t scare easily.” 

“I noticed.” Angel smiled. “You are a brave and strong girl. Your father did a good job.”

Theresa sketched a smile. 

“Do you know how I met your father?” 

Theresa frowned for a moment, then said, “No. Daddy never said.” 

“When I was sixteen, I ran away from home in Tennessee. Mine was a suffocating family. I was looking for freedom, and I wanted to travel. I made it to California and found work in a little saloon in San Francisco. One night, Paul came in. He was in town on ranch business.”

“We took long walks and spoke about everything, most of all about the Lancer ranch and his boss and friend Murdoch.  It wasn’t long before we fell in love, and he took me back to Lancer. We married a few weeks later in Morro Coyo.” 

Angel ventured to place a hand on Theresa’s, felt her stiffen, but didn’t pull back. Encouraged, she steeled herself and continued. 

“It wasn’t long before my desire to move and for freedom made itself felt again. I tried to help the other women on the ranch with the chores, but it wasn’t enough to make me feel comfortable. I was increasingly restless.”

Angel worked up the courage to touch Theresa’s hand, still scared of being rejected. Instead, the girl returned the gesture and smiled slightly at the excited woman beside her. 

“After you were born, I settled a little, and for a couple of years, everything seemed to go back to normal. Then, one day, one of the women in town told me about Maria Lancer and how she ran away with her baby from the man who loved his ranch more than his family. 

I knew a bit of that. Sometimes Murdoch left the ranch to check on reports from Mexico about a woman and a half-breed boy. In those days, Paul was very busy with work at the ranch, as the responsibility fell entirely on him. I began to understand and admire Maria.”

This sentence brought Theresa to life. “How can you admire a woman like that?!” She screamed furiously.

Angel’s eyes widened, and she almost jumped off the couch.

She’d seen the girl’s grit before, but this was unexpected. 

“Theresa…” she said softly. 

“No, no, don’t say Theresa to me!” Angel tried to say something, but the angry girl went on, “How dare you admire such a woman!” 

“Theresa, it is not fair to judge someone you never knew.” 

“Pfft, she ran away with another man and took Johnny with her. She exposed him to a life of hardship, beatings, and loneliness. She forced him to become what he is in order to survive!” 

Angel was struck by her daughter’s vehemence. She thought it was not due to actual knowledge of the facts but her feelings towards the handsome gunslinger. A beautiful smile and a dark past usually easily claimed victims in impressionable young girls.

“Theresa, there are things you can’t know. Maybe she had everything organized in her head, something went wrong, and she found herself in unexpected difficulties, or maybe she was left alone. Maybe she had no choice but to carry on as best she could.” 

“No choice? She had a lot of choices. Maybe she loved Johnny, I don’t know, but why didn’t she warn Murdoch when she saw that things were getting too difficult? He would go get him. And if she let Johnny know the truth, he could come home after her death. That’s not love at all. But before all that, why didn’t she leave Johnny safe at home? If she had truly loved him, she would have left him to Lancer….” Theresa stopped suddenly. Her face went all brawling, and she turned to her mother.

“Ohhh, you left me at home.”

Angel nodded, and as big tears rolled down her face, she said in a broken voice, “It was the hardest decision of my life. Your father and I spoke for a long time about that, sometimes we even argued, but, in the end, I realized that I couldn’t take you with me. I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to travel and sing. Putting on a touring show had always been my dream.”

“And your dream didn’t include me,” Theresa stated dejectedly.

“That’s not true. What kind of life could I give you? Without a fixed home, without the security of having to eat every day, without being able to send you to school, in short, without roots. I couldn’t do this to you; I loved and love you now. But your place is at Lancer. No doubt about it.”

Theresa sniffed, then took a white handkerchief from her bag that she had embroidered, but, after a slight hesitation, didn’t use it for herself but handed it to her mother.

The woman was weeping softly, and it was evident she had nothing on her.

Angel reached out his trembling hand and, after a nod from Theresa, took it to dry his eyes. Seeing her indecisiveness, the girl smiled, “Keep it. I made it.” 

“I have to thank you for leaving me behind. I’ve had a good life. There were tough moments, but I had everything I needed.”

Theresa spoke for a while about the ranch and the people that were there in the years Angel lived with her family. Then she told the story about the boy’s homecoming and the problem between Murdoch and his sons, most of all with Johnny. 

A shy smile formed on Angel’s lips. For a moment, she had the impression that they were actually talking like mother and daughter, which was immediately dampened by Theresa’s words.

“I will never understand why you left to live this kind of life. How did you, if you loved me, as you say, not stay with us. I’m not sure I can or want to forgive you, at least for the moment, but now, I can think of you without resentment, as I have done since you came to Lancer.”

Theresa stood up, straightened her shoulders, and for the first time since she had entered the law office, she gave a warm smile to the woman in front of her. 

“I’ll let Johnny know to come get me. I want to go home. I have to explain to Murdoch that it was all my idea and that Johnny agreed to come with me only because he understood I would go anyway, even alone.”

Angel was impressed by the maturity shown by her daughter, and she was very proud of it. Paul had done a good job as a father.

She was also well aware Theresa had always addressed her without ever using her name or even calling her mother. Maybe this was too much to ask for, too soon. The woman found herself harboring the hope that, by maintaining contact with her daughter, sooner or later, something would change. 

“Theresa, could I, perhaps… Could I write to you sometime? Would you answer me?” 

“Of course, I would be happy to maintain a friendship with you! And if you’re ever in the area again, near Lancer, you could let me know.

I’d like you to come and say hello.”

Angel was moved by the big heart of this young girl, and she wouldn’t let her go. She knew now was the right time to say goodbye.

With a heavy heart, she went to find the secretary to tell her they were finished. 

Before leaving the office, Angel turned to Theresa and gave her a big and emotional hug, which the girl reciprocated with much less vehemence.

“Good morning, Mr. Barkley, gentlemen… The ladies have finished the meeting. Mrs. Day has left, and Mr. Brogan has arrived. I made him sit in the lounge.”

As always, his secretary was efficient but delicate in handling situations.

“Thank you. Please, Sandy, bring Miss O’Brien here and tell Mr. Brogan I’m coming.” 

Standing up, Jarod signaled to the waitress to charge the drinks on the family’s account, then went out without listening to the young Lancer’s complaints and making a vague nod to the sheriff’s thanks.

The three men had just left the hotel when they were joined by Theresa, escorted by Sandy.

“Good afternoon, Theresa. I leave you in your brother’s hands,” he nodded to the sheriff, who was entering his office. ”He’ll take you to the ranch so my mother can convince him to have dinner with us.” Then he turned to Johnny with a sly smile, “I’ll bring you that nice horse you rented.” 

And with those last words, Jarod followed his secretary to the office. 

“I’d say it’s all decided,” Johnny announced with a smile. And he led the girl on the way to the livery stable on the other side of the town. 

They proceeded in silence, leaving behind the newer and more prosperous part of Stockton. On the main street, the shops were still beautiful and well stocked, even with more popular things.

Theresa stopped in front of a couple of shop windows selling clothes and fabrics, commenting on colors and workmanship. Johnny didn’t care much about it, but it was a clear sign that his sister had somehow processed the meeting with her mother and was now visibly more relaxed.

He was sure, then, that he had done the right thing for the girl, and his mind was relieved of some dark thoughts. The important thing now was that Theresa was okay, then he would settle things calmly with Murdoch. It would have made him understand, and maybe they would have even talked to each other a little.

This part of town was more like many of the towns in the West, with low buildings, a barber shop, a stable, the sheriff’s office, and a small bank. The Red Carpet saloon stood, new and opulent, between the last two buildings and seemed like it was in the middle of time, too.

The old good staff were there, alcoholic drinks, plays of cards, cowboys, gambling and pretty girls. All that was wrapped in new fabrics, shiny furniture, and elegant clothes.

Speaking of clothes and rustling feathers, the sensual Brenda came to mind. He told himself that this evening, after dinner at the Barkleys’, he would come back to the saloon to understand whether that part of the business had remained the same or not.

While Theresa had stopped again and seemed very interested in something, Johnny looked around the lively street. Sheriff Madden was ahead of them and calmly walked, stopping to talk to the shopkeepers and greeting passers-by cordially. Just like Val, though Johnny with a chuckle. 

Buggies came and went, loading and unloading people and goods. Old women went on and off in shops. A man was leaning against a support bench on the opposite side of the bank near five horses tied to the ground. 

He saw the sheriff stop. The lawman looked around, then his hand lowered towards the butt of the gun and unhooked the trigger safety cord. He remained motionless for a moment, then started walking towards the man with the horses. 

“Theresa..” 

The girl turned to look at him. Johnny’s voice was tense. She had learned, as long as she had known him, that that tone usually meant trouble.

As Johnny pushed Theresa into the barber shop, the nearest open door, hell broke loose in town. 

A scream coming from the bank rent the air. The sheriff changed direction, drawing his weapon, but the man near the horses took aim and shot in an instant. The unnerved horses had caused the criminal to miss his target and hit Sheriff Madden in the left leg.

“Stay there, and don’t move for no reason!” said Johnny firmly. Then he turned to the barber and shouted, “I hold you responsible for her safety!”

Looking along the road, he spotted an old, panicked woman standing in the middle of the street. Quickly, he took her for an arm and led her to the barbershop. He gave an icy, steady gaze to the barber who said it all without needing words. The poor man nodded vigorously and showed Johnny his rifle.

The last look was for Theresa, who nodded firmly one time.

---

Johnny was in the street firing against the outlaw in the blink of an eye. He ran zigzag and shot while going, but without trying to find shelter, he wanted to get to the sheriff before the bandit tried to finish him off. 

From a nearby corner, a man gave him cover fire. From the glow on his chest, Johnny realized it must be the deputy. Another outlaw fired a shot from the roof across from the bank, and the deputy quickly retreated.

No one was on the street, and all the doors and windows were closed. There had been no movement from the bank or other shouts or shots. 

Johnny thought it was a good sign. He turned his attention entirely on Madden, who was out in the open. 

The outlaw near the horses was hidden, and, at the moment, he didn’t seem to want to stick his head out to aim at anyone.

Johnny stopped behind some large boxes waiting to be loaded onto a wagon. He needed to get organized before reaching the sheriff and helping him get to safety. Taking stock, he tried to figure out where everyone was. There were five horses, so five bank robbers. One was with the horses. Some had to be in the bank, but where were the others?  

The gunfighter felt a jolt of excitement that made him smile. Looking around to determine the deputy’s location, he ran again toward the sheriff.

A sniper on the hotel’s roof raised his head to aim at Johnny when suddenly someone shot him from a second-floor window near the Red Carpet Saloon. The outlaw changed his aim, firing wildly at the new weapon, giving Johnny time to reach the man on the ground.

Johnny glanced up to see the curtains on the window move. He had no idea who was up there, but he was going to have to thank him.

Finally, he made it to the sheriff. Reaching under Madden’s armpits, he started lifting him up when he heard the loud report of a gun and shooting pain on the outside of his left shoulder. Johnny fell, almost hitting the sheriff, but even though he was shocked, he didn’t let go of his Colt.

The gunslinger did not lose heart. He strengthened his grip and tried again. This time, the sheriff was able to help a little. Staying low, they headed towards a water trough, under cover of the deputy and the man in the window. Having reached their destination, they dropped with a grunt. 

After a few minutes, Johnny raised his head to check the situation. Immediately, the outlaw on the roof fired and forced him to duck quickly.  This time, the deputy didn’t miss. 

One down. 

The man near the horses raised his head and started to fire, but Johnny didn’t miss either. 

Two down. 

The horses bolted, frightened by the sound of the shooting, and with no one left to hold them.

Fred Madden wasn’t a happy man. He stopped the blood loss with his belt, but it wasn’t so simple for the young man who had helped him. The wound was in a bad place. They had used their bandanas to staunch the blood but had only succeeded in slowing the loss. Despite the dark color of his skin, the boy was now pale, a veil of sweat was beading on his face, and his pursed lips were bloodless. 

Madrid’s reputation was definitely deserved. He was tough, and the sheriff was impressed by the strength of the boy beside him. But at this point, it was clear they both needed a doctor. 

Johnny felt like laughing. Damn it to hell and back, he thought, he would have to give up meeting the beautiful Brenda tonight. Plus, his papa would be pissed off about the whole situation. Fuck everything, he thought again, shaking his head.

He knew the blood loss was copious; his head was spinning a little, and his vision was sometimes blurry.

---

Dan Stiles was barricaded inside the Red Carpet, and the back door was closed, as Deputy Jason James had confirmed after a failed attempt to enter. Behind the thick curtains, he was safe from the men’s gazes outside. The barrel of the gun only appeared when it was time to shoot. 

Things weren’t going as planned. He had ridden into town and tied his horse off behind the saloon. His job was to cover everyone from the front of the saloon.  The others were supposed to ride into town, tie off their horses in front of the bank, and then take up their positions. Charlie was supposed to stay out front with the horses, Bobbie Joe, Jerry, and Elton would go inside the bank, and Hank’s job was to cover them from the hotel’s roof.

Things were going as planned until some dark-haired man jumped into the fracas.  Stiles didn’t know who the man was, but he’d messed up everything. He’d seen Charlie and Hank each take a bullet. Now, all he could do was try to keep everyone pinned down long enough for Bobbie Joe, Jerry, and Elton to make it to the horses with the money. 

---

Angel Day had gone straight to the saloon rather than join the girls at the boarding house. She wanted to be alone, and at that hour, she knew no one would be there.

To her great disappointment, she found the door locked, but Henry had secretly told her where to find the key. “Nobody knows,” he told her, “otherwise, I’d find half the city in the saloon at all hours. But I want them to respect my schedule.”

Angel silently took the stairs. When she got halfway, she heard a slight noise from below. She thought about saying hello for a moment, then decided she really wanted to be alone. The woman was really tired; so many emotions had drained her. She lay down on the dressing room sofa and fell asleep. 

The loud sound of a gunshot jolted her awake. For a moment, with her heart in her mouth, she waited to understand what was happening. A second and third close report assured her they were coming from the ground floor. She calmly stood up, removed his shoes, and took Carl’s rifle from the trunk.

Angel went to the window at the end of the hallway. She checked the street and found it strangely deserted. Looking carefully, Angel noticed someone behind the trough on the opposite side of the street. Just before she looked away, Johnny Lancer’s head popped up. 

Startled, she heard another shot ring out. This time, it came from downstairs in the saloon.  Angel slowly edged down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she could see a man who, remaining hidden behind the curtains, aiming at the men sheltered behind the trough. He had a bandana tied over his face. 

Advancing, walking like a cat, she thanked Carl for teaching her to care for herself and who had built the saloon. The floorboards didn’t creak, allowing her to go unnoticed behind the man. 

“Do not move!” The order was peremptory, and the barrel of a rifle stuck in the back of his head made the fact that it was a woman speaking take second place. “Throw the gun into the street.” 

The man’s hesitation caused the cold steel to penetrate deeper into his neck. With no other option, the bandit did as he was told. 

Johnny and the sheriff heard the thud of the revolver hitting the ground. The two crouching men popped their heads out, and, to their surprise, they saw Mr. Red, as Johnny had labeled him in his head, climbing out of the window with his hands in the air.

What astonished them even more was seeing Mrs. Angel Day with one bare foot resting on the edge of the window and a rifle in her hand, smiling smugly.

“Johnny, are you back there?”

“Angel?!” 

The deputy had come around the corner to see what had happened and, understanding the situation quickly arrived and handcuffed the man on the ground. After an affirmative nod from the sheriff, he took the captive to the jail. 

Three down. 

Johnny and Sheriff Madden breathed a sigh of relief. The robbers outside the bank were neutralized, but now the problem became how to get out those barricaded inside the bank. Until now, the robbers had behaved like cold professionals. But now, they had lost their backup and their horses. How would they react?

Time was not in their favor; Johnny was more than aware of this, and the sheriff knew it, too.

It wasn’t just their conditions that were getting worse; there was also the unknown of the citizens who had so far kept away from trouble and the bank, but how long would they stay apart? If anyone had intervened, the things inside could have become dangerous for the hostages. How many robbers were there, and how many hostages?

The sheriff wasn’t happy about having so many unanswered questions.

A look at the gunfighter next to him made him frown. The boy didn’t seem worried. In fact, he had a strange smile on his face.

Johnny felt the sheriff’s eyes on him, “We should let them go.”

Fred Madden was tired and didn’t expect such a silly statement from a man like that.

“Really? I thought we were going to rush them!”

The sarcasm was not lost on Johnny, and he chuckled a little.

“Let’s see if they convince us to let them go. It would be better to know exactly how many there are and how many hostages they have. I figure only two are left, but we’ll have to wait until they come out to be sure.”

“I imagine you have a plan for this. They won’t come out easily.” The sheriff thought hard for a moment. “I understand. If I give an ultimatum, then they will try to negotiate. Right?”

“ Hope so.” 

“ And then?”

“I will kill them.”

The sheriff frowned, faced with the coldness this boy showed. Madrid…Lancer, whoever he was, could hardly stand and speak, and he was talking about taking a shot like that with probable hostages in front of the outlaws.

 Almost reading the sheriff’s mind, Johnny explained, “All I need is a few seconds’ diversion, and there won’t be any problems.”.

The sheriff nodded, trusting Johnny Madrid. Yes, definitely Madrid.

The sheriff raised up and yelled, “You in the bank. Your accomplices are dead. Your horses are gone. Come out with your hands up and surrender!” Fred shrugged and took a look at Johnny, who nodded, smiling.

“Now we wait,” said the young man.

The wait wasn’t long. “ We are not giving up. We have hostages. We want three non-eye-catching horses with a canteen full of water, two rifles, and ammunition.”

“I think we need a little time for the horses,” said the sheriff, trying to take more time to think. 

“I have all the time, but I don’t know about you and your wounded friend…” 

Johnny looked at Madden. “Why three horses?”

“I don’t know, maybe they’re taking a hostage with them.”

“Or…”

“Or what?”

“Maybe there are three robbers in the bank.” 

Madden thought for a moment. “Jason,” the sheriff ordered his deputy, “go get the horses, do it as fast as you can.”

The deputy didn’t understand why the sheriff tried to take time. It wasn’t in his favor; with all the blood he and the gunfighter Madrid had lost. 

Jason was a smart boy, the son of a sheriff, and had experience. He thought for a while, and then he understood. They didn’t need time but a diversion. Now, the problem was how to give them what is needed. 

The lady! That was the solution! 

Quickly, he went to the Red Carpet’s back door and entered, only to find a rifle pointed at him. “Ohhh, easy, Miss,” he said, putting his hands up. ”I’m with the good guys.” 

“Sorry,” she smiled, spying a star on the man’s shirt. “I’m a little scared.” The deputy nodded in understanding. Then he explained the problem and asked if she could help somehow. 

Angel was ready to help Johnny with everything, knowing he allowed her to meet Theresa, even going secretly against Murdoch’s wishes.

She definitely owed him something.  “I have an idea!” The smile was big, and she hurried towards the pension where her girls were guests. 

After hearing the plan, the deputy went to the livery stable, smiling and shaking his head. 

Some frantic gestures by Angel and Jason, leaning out of the saloon window, unnoticed by the bank robbers, alerted Johnny and the sheriff that the deputy understood their difficulties and had probably managed to find some solution.

The sheriff was worried, but after taking a good look at his companion in misfortune, he immediately took heart. 

Johnny understood that the time for the fight was now approaching. His breathing had become slower and more controlled. His gaze became icy, and the adrenaline flowing through his veins made him forget his arm pain and miserable condition. 

“Sheriff, change places with me!” he ordered, and Fred did as asked without asking questions. It was now clear that the Real Madrid had taken the lead.

Johnny settled down just inside the shelter offered by the trough. He mentally prepared himself for the excruciating pain he knew would come when he turned prone to shoot. All his weight would be on his wounded arm at that moment, even if only briefly.

Now everything was ready. 

The deputy came down the street with the three bay horses. He stopped and looked at the sheriff.

The sheriff, leaning sideways on the edge of the trough, looked at the corner near the Red Carpet and saw Angel nodding. He nodded at Johnny and said out loud, “The horses are here!” 

After a moment, two outlaws came out. The first man pointed his gun at the sheriff, shielding himself with the young female bank teller, who was visibly scared but not panicking. Behind him, the second outlaw was keeping the deputy covered. 

A third robber was well hidden behind the other two and seemed to be the one carrying the bags with the loot.

The moment the hostage took the first step into the street, all hell broke loose. 

The deputy began to advance toward the bank again. Two red she-devils, screaming like maniacs, came out of an alley next to the saloon and, in a flurry of feathers, wind-blown hair, and bare skin, rushed into the street, chased by Angel with a broom in her hand. 

Although he was undoubtedly a professional, the robber was immediately distracted by the unexpected show.

The teller, held firmly by his outlaw’s arm, felt his grip relax and let herself fall dead weight, leaving Johnny an even better view for the shot that hit the man between the eyes. 

The two fell to the ground in a heap.

The second man tried to change the target from the deputy to Johnny and the sheriff, but three bullets ended his life. Johnny’s one hit him between the eyes. The other two shots hit him in the chest, one coming from the sheriff’s gun, the other from the man’s rifle at the window. 

The man remained calm and forgotten at his window, monitoring the situation. At the right time, he had done what needed to be done. He was a man satisfied with having given his duty as a citizen. 

The third robber quickly dropped the money bags and raised his hands as high as possible.

Jason arrived quickly, releasing the horses, and handcuffed the robber to the nearby hitching post. 

Fred Madden was an exhausted man. He noticed the palpable and absolute silence in that part of the city. Nothing, and no one had moved yet. Even the air seemed still.

He turned to the boy next to him. He was lying on his stomach, with his hand still firmly holding his gun. He was staring into space, breathing heavily, and no longer seemed to have the strength to move a muscle. 

When the deputy bound the outlaw, he took command of the situation and yelled to the citizens coming out of their hiding places, “Someone go get a stretcher and tell the doctor that two wounded are on their way!” Then he looked around and angrily said, “Go back into the house and leave the road clear!” 

Johnny was lost in a kaleidoscope of colors and voices, and now someone wanted to take his gun. He tried to resist, but everything around him became black and silent.

---

When he woke up, Johnny was in a room, which, from the smell of medicines, must have been the doctor’s office.

“Johnny?” a kind and concerned voice was calling him. 

He opened his eyes slightly to find a worried Theresa and Jarod Barkley looking at him. 

He smiled at the girl but didn’t have the strength to speak. 

After a few minutes, the door was opened, and a man, definitely the doctor, said, “Fred will be okay in a week or so. Someone will take him home to his wife.” 

Johhny felt like he was immersed in cotton. Everything was muffled and fuzzy and in its blood loss-induced state. 

Theresa was crying and telling him something about Murdoch, about the mess and about guilt, what exactly he didn’t understand. Immediately, he didn’t even notice Jarod’s hands resting on his right arm. Damn the blood loss, he thought it had really scrambled his brain.

The needle’s prick penetrating the vein brought him back to full consciousness, and he tried in vain to withdraw his arm.

Jarod, however, was ready; he had already experienced this state of affairs with his brother Heath, and he squeezed harder.

“No!” Johnny said, trying to get free, not realizing the futility of his actions. The morphine was already taking over the gunslinger’s iron will. 

“You don’t understand,” he said, turning to Jarod, “Murdoch will be here soon, and I need to explain what was happening. I need to talk to him.” His voice became faint. He shook his head and blinked rapidly, then continued: “All this mess… If he, if Murdoch threw me out… Could you please take me in for a job?” 

“Johnny!” Theresa was shocked. “Don’t even say that as a joke! No one will blame you. It was all my fault.” Two big tears rolled down her beautiful, tired face.

“There’s no need…” Jarod began to say. 

“No, I didn’t mean like a hired gun,” the wounded man quickly explained while the doctor, worried about the young Lancer’s control over his mind, took his pulse.

“I’m real good with horses, too. It’s not that right, T’resa?” Then he paused and took a heavy breath. “Sorry, shouldn’t have asked. Nobody wants a mestizo pistolero around. Certainly not a good family like yours.” 

He turn his head to Theresa, who now cried loud, “No llores dulce, hermanita, no te preocupes.” And finally, he fell asleep, leaving an astonished silence in the room. (Don’t cry sweet, little sister, don’t worry.)

The doctor was the first to recover while Jarod tended to the crying girl. The doctor quickly removed the bullet, disinfected, and sutured the wound. After bandaging and securing his strange patient’s arm to his chest, he prepared to take him to the Barkley’s ranch.

At first, he hadn’t considered that a good idea, but when faced with Mrs. Barkley’s firm request, he had, as always, capitulated. 

It was the only sensible thing to do.

At the ranch, he would have been in a healthy and protected environment, and perhaps Victoria, with her calm, intelligence, and predisposition to be listened to by everyone, would have been able to mediate between father and son.

The doctor knew the story told by the heartbroken girl should not have concerned him, but it had touched his heart.

The old doctor could understand the pain of a father in discovering that his son was a hired killer and the difficulty in trying to settle him into a normal life.

On the other hand, that boy seemed to be caught between two worlds: one dangerous and brutal but known and the other comfortable and safe but full of unknowns. 

He shook his head as Barkley’s buggy sped towards the ranch. 

The big wagon crossed the city led by Jarod while Theresa sat next to Johnny, comfortably placed on a soft mattress and covered in soft blankets. Behind them rode Nick and Heath, well armed, as escorts.

Heath had insisted that a man like Johnny Madrid had too many enemies willing to do anything to kill him.

Stopping on the side of the road in front of the Red Carpet was Mrs Angel Day, ready to leave Stockton. 

She was dressed in a moss green traveling outfit and wore a no-frills hat in a warm sand color that matched her blouse.

Theresa asked Jarod to stop for a moment and looked towards the waiting woman.

“I just wanted to know how he was doing,” Angel said hesitantly.

“He lost a lot of blood, perhaps too much, but the wound is not serious, so he will heal quickly. Thanks especially to your help. I will always be grateful to you for this.”

“It’s me who should be grateful to him for what he did for me. I know it wouldn’t have been possible to meet you without his help.”

Theresa smiled. “We both owe something to Johnny.” 

“Theresa, are you… Are you in love with him?” 

The girl frowned, and for a moment, the woman thought she had crossed the line. 

Then, a little smile embellished the face of the young woman

“Even if I were, and I’m not, Johnny sees me and treats me like a little sister to torment but, above all, to protect. Don’t worry about that.”

Theresa looked at Johnny. “Jarod, we have to go. His fever is rising!”

Then, as the wagon jolted, she smiled brightly at Angel. “Goodbye,… Mother.” 

Angel was taken so by surprise that she couldn’t answer. Only after a moment did she wake up from her trance and send a kiss with her fingertips to her daughter, who was moving away.

Theresa greeted her mother with one hand, and with the other, she squeezed her brother’s large, warm hand tightly for comfort.

Warm tears fell from the eyes of mother and daughter as the wagon pulled them further and further away. 

---

The night passed slowly for Johnny. He was aware of having a high fever and, with it, the chills. In the moments in which he managed to fall asleep, the nightmares and hallucinations due to the drug the doctor had given him brought him into a state of terrible agitation.

The Barkley brothers watched him all the time, refreshing his forehead and controlling that the movement didn’t let the wound blood again. 

Gradually, the effects of the drug vanished, and the boy began to sleep better. The fever lowered, and the brothers let their mother take over. Soon, Theresa came to join her. The two women spoke until breakfast, and the matriarch learned about life at the Lancer ranch after Murdoch’s two sons arrived. 

This information, in addition to the story told by Jarod about what happened at the doctor’s office, gave her a picture of the Lancer family, which she didn’t like at all. 

The time passed slowly. Being a working ranch, Nick and Heath went to work on the range, leaving the women taking care of the man upstairs and Jarod working in his studio.

Silas helped Johnny wash himself a little, and he managed to get him breakfast. After a few minutes, Johnny was asleep again. 

The atmosphere was more relaxed now that Johnny slept easily until Murdoch entered the courtyard in front of the big house with a hired buggy. 

Theresa ran into the entryway to meet Murdoch, wanting to speak to him first. As soon as Silas opened the door, the girl rushed into the arms of her guardian, crying and begging to be heard.

 Victoria immediately intervened, hugging Theresa and forcing her to pull away and calm down. After some insistence, the girl went to her room, followed by Audra. 

Murdoch had arrived in town by train and headed to the sheriff’s office to find out if his old friend, Fred Madden, had seen his young son or his ward. 

Instead, he had found the deputy, and from him, he had heard a more than enthusiastic story about how his son, despite the danger, had saved the sheriff regardless of the risk to himself and had helped defeat a gang of bank robbers despite being injured.

However, the doctor assured him his son’s life was not in danger. Theresa’s confused and agitated behavior made him think his original idea was right.

Strangely, his request to see his son received a resolute refusal from his old friend Victoria. 

“Johnny is sleeping after a restless night, Murdoch. While we let him rest, I would like to talk to you for a moment.” Then, turning to the butler, she said, “Silas, tell Jarod that Mr. Lancer has arrived and to join us in the sitting room. Then please bring us some coffee.”

After listening to the whole story, astonished, Murdoch sat for a long time. He didn’t realize Jarod had disappeared without being noticed.

Victoria stood and leaned against the fireplace mantle, looking tense and sad.

“Murdoch, we have been friends for a long time,” the beautiful lady seemed hesitant, but she regained courage after a moment’s pause.” I have seen and understood little of your youngest the few times I have seen him. He never spoke much and always kept to himself.”

Murdoch nodded, not knowing where this speech was going. 

“I’m speaking to you with my heart in my hand. That boy of yours is truly a surprise, so altruistic, so alone, so… Scared of you that he can’t think of the right things to do. Do you know that he doesn’t even know how old he is? Or you know nothing about him. Have you ever stopped to talk to him? Trying to understand him?”

Murdoch certainly did not look favorably on this intrusion into his private life, even if it was done by a woman he respected and considered a good friend. 

“Look!” the old rancher replied glumly, getting up from his chair, “Johnny isn’t afraid of anything, and he’s certainly not someone you can talk to about anything without him jumping on you!”

“Sit down, Murdoch!” The peremptory order shocked the man, who sat down with his mouth open. Never had Victoria addressed him so harshly in the years they had known each other.

“First thing, it is not about Johnny Madrid that we are talking about. Johnny Madrid isn’t afraid of anything. It’s true, probably not even death because he’s never had anything to live for. And you can’t ask him any questions. That’s as clear as day.”

 Victoria gave her friend a sweet and sad smile, sat in front of him again, and continued in a persuasive voice, “But I’m talking about Johnny Lancer.”

“There is only one of him, Victoria. You don’t have any idea… He is so hard, so cool.” 

“Yes, and no. Madrid is, how can I say, a cloak that Johnny wears to make himself impenetrable, precisely to defend himself from attacks, not only physical but also emotional.”

Murdoch frowned, but he didn’t know what to say. 

“Murdoch, in these few days, I have noticed something. If you surprise him by saying or doing something outside the box he doesn’t expect, those cold eyes let something shine through. It’s just a moment, a flash of emotion that you can only see if you are very careful.”

 Victoria stood up, poured a good measure of fine whiskey, handed it to Murdoch, then poured herself a coffee and sat down to continue.

“Johnny is afraid Murdoch. In reality, he is terrified, not of you, but of not living up to the name he would like to bear or being unable to satisfy you. He has the fear, simply put, that you don’t want him.

“The more he tries, the more he becomes confused. He doesn’t know how to behave, but it’s not his fault. You need to understand these things if you want it to work between you.

“If you don’t want to make an effort, and mind you, it’s going to be damn difficult. I know I’ve experienced it firsthand with Heath. Leave now.”

“What?” Murdoch jumped up, his face white as a rag. 

Victoria continued her thrust without mercy. She was aware that, having reached this point, she could not go back and that putting this stubborn Scotsman in front of the harsh reality was the only way to help the boy who had tugged at her heartstrings. 

“Murdoch, while your son was delirious, probably due to a side effect from the morphine, he was convinced that you would throw him out. He asked to work for us. I’ll tell you if you push him away in any way, I’ll take him, but not to work.

“Since he is not yet an adult, I will adopt him as my son.” She paused, “So, what do you want it to be?”

The big man slumped in the chair, holding his face in his hands, but his friend wasn’t done with him yet. 

“All this whole mess is because Theresa didn’t think she could talk to you freely about her desires and thought that even if she did, you would say no.

“Think hard about that, and then go to see your Johnny. You are a lucky man to have such a family. Believe me.”

With a rustle of skirts, she left the heartbroken man alone.

---

Johnny dozed in a peaceful half-sleep, knowing that the fever was gone, as were most morphine effects. Damn, doctor.

Murdoch was sitting near the bed, looking at his young boy and thinking about his talk with Victoria Barkley and Theresa. He felt guilty. After making so many mistakes regarding this boy, he wanted to do the right thing. 

Murdoch felt a strong impulse to hug his sleeping son, then seeing the impossibility of this movement, he set about giving him just a caress, moving a tuft of hair, damp with sweat, away from Johnny’s forehead.

While Murdoch was leaning towards him, Johnny opened his eyes, widened them for a moment, and closed them. 

Murdoch’s breath caught in his throat. He had seen it. He had seen that flash of something, just as his friend Victoria had explained to him. He couldn’t name the feeling that had passed and immediately disappeared from his boy’s eyes, but it could have been worry or perhaps even fear, now hidden behind those thick black eyelashes.

“Johnny? Son, are you sick? Shall I send for the doctor?” 

Johnny opened his eyes. “No, Murdoch, I’m alright. I don’t need anything.” Johnny felt the heart beating fast; the old man’s closeness took his breath away.

Murdoch took courage with both hands and finished the gesture he had begun previously. His large, calloused hand carefully removed the tuft from Johnny’s eyes, and then the motion, almost naturally, became a caress. Finally, he let it linger on his son’s red cheek. 

For a moment, Johnny leaned on that palm, roughened by the hard work of the ranch. And it felt good. The hand had now moved away, and he felt alone and shy. He couldn’t look up at his father.

To Murdoch, it seemed his boy was leaning slightly into his hand. Could it be the truth, or it was just his wish? 

He hoped Victoria might have been right. Maybe it was true that Johnny showed his emotions in moments of surprise or weakness. 

The silence hung heavy in the room as the two men couldn’t look each other in the eyes.

“Do you want some water, Johnny?” Murdoch asked to overcome the embarrassment.

The question made Johnny regain control of his emotions. “Yes, thank you, Murdoch.” 

Johnny drank greedily, but there was too much silence, and neither wanted to start the conversation. 

“Murdoch, I’m sorry,” Johnny spoke first, hurrying with his words.  “As always, I messed up. I didn’t stop to think. I disappointed you again. I just took action, and now you’re angry. Lo siento, no sé que más decir.” (I’m sorry, I don’t know what else to say.)

Murdoch thought this was one thing his son did when he was hurt or tired: switch from English to Spanish. 

“No, Johnny, you don’t have to say anything more. You don’t have to apologize. I am very proud of you for your courage.” 

Johnny looked at his father, perplexed. 

“I’m always worried knowing I have a bullet-collecting son. You can understand that, right? But what you did in town was very brave. Even Mr. Stevenson stopped me to compliment you. And, I assure you, it does not happen often.” 

Johnny shook his head. Murdoch was beating around the bush, but at the moment, he was curious about who Mr. Stevenson was. 

“Who is he?” 

“The man at the window with the rifle.” 

Johnny nodded firmly, “I have to thank him. Without his help, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” He said it as if it were a matter of fact, a normal statement.

Murdoch gulped but went on. “I knew him for a long time. He was a bounty hunter, and we crossed paths a few times when I was a deputy.”

Johnny frowned. 

Murdoch smiled, acknowledging his son’s feelings. “He wasn’t so bad. A hard man but without a shred of fear. Fairly honest, he tried as much as possible, in those times, to bring his prey alive to the law.” 

The bedridden gunfighter raised an eyebrow and smiled crookedly.

“A few years later, I found him in Stockton with a golden badge on his chest. He was the sheriff for many years, and I must say a damn good one. During a bank robbery, he was shot in the back and can no longer walk without a cane.” 

Johnny nodded. A satisfied smile graced his lips.

Murdoch thought that his boy was really handsome when he smiled.

He hadn’t finished thinking this when Johnny’s face returned to impassive and gloomy.

“Right, but do you know I don’t want to talk about that. Uhh?” 

Straight to the point as always, Murdoch hoped his diversion could address that situation at the ranch. But Johnny wasn’t one to wait. Damn him. 

Then, a realization hit him. Victoria had told him that Johnny was convinced that, after this mess, he would never want him back.

If that was the case, it was logical to think the boy needed reassurance. He wasn’t going home to be sent away.

“Johnny… Johnny, I’m not angry with you, at least not anymore. In all sincerity, I was a great deal. That is until Miss Theresa O’Brien explained the whole thing to me. You must understand that I had little information, and my imagination ran wild. I am sorry.” 

Johnny couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Murdoch was sorry. 

“Of course, you and your actions didn’t help. You left with Theresa without telling anyone and without your horses. Then you sent a decidedly cryptic telegram, and the second one, other than saying you were here, was not exhaustive. I have to tell you, that’s not the right way to do the right thing.”

 Johnny breathed a silent sigh of relief and, for the first time throughout his father’s speech, stopped torturing the quilt and looked his old man straight in the eyes. 

Now he could see it, and he could believe it. Even though his father was a little angry, he wouldn’t have kicked him out. Now, they could go home and make everything right.

“Old man?” Asked Johnny with a shining smile. 

“Yes, son?” 

“Scott said that maybe you have a book called Dictionary?” The word was spelled slowly as if it were not of normal use. 

Murdoch nodded in agreement, wondering what was going on in his son’s incomprehensible head. 

“I have one in my room. Why?” 

“Scott says that, in there, you can find all the words explained so that everyone understands what they mean. If you could lend it to me, maybe I could understand what was wrong with the telegrams, apart from the fact that they said little or nothing.”

Murdoch’s mouth was wide open.

“I mean, if I have to defend myself, I have to know what you are accusing me of. Right?” 

Murdoch was highly confused. Was Johnny still feeling the effects of the drugs, or was he making fun of him?

“What are you talking about?” 

“You said before that I sent you an exhausted telegram and that the first was cri,Cri…Something I didn’t understand at all. I would feel better if I could understand what you mean.” 

 Murdoch looked the boy in the eyes and knew he was serious.

He felt like laughing, but he knew it wasn’t fair to this strange son of his.

“Okay, I will put it on my desk so you can use it whenever you want. However, now I can tell you that cryptic means mysterious, and non-exhaustive means it doesn’t explain anything.” 

Johnny nodded shyly, “I know I did that. I didn’t want you to come too early so Theresa couldn’t talk to her mother, but I didn’t want to lie to you either. It wouldn’t have been fair to you. Excuse me.”

“Apology accepted, don’t worry. Get some rest now.” Murdoch said, shaking his hand and receiving a tired smile.

The tired father leaned back in his chair to relax for a moment.

“Murdoch?” 

“Mmmmm?” 

“Can we go home now?” 

“As soon as Doctor Marer gives his approval, son.” 

“Promise?” 

“Promise.”

“Thank you, old man.” 

And Johnny relaxed himself in the soft bed. His thoughts went to his mother for the first time in a long time. 

For love, she brought him far from a family and a safe place, condemning him to a life of suffering and violence and forcing a boy, left alone too soon, to become what he is now. A hired gun.

For the same reason, Angel abandoned her daughter with her husband, and she grew up having a good life. Theresa had become a good and courageous girl. 

Scott’s mother hadn’t had the chance to raise him because she died giving birth to him. She would certainly have been a good mother, just as Scott had turned out to be a good brother. 

And then there was Mrs. Victoria Barkley. The mother everyone would like to have. For better or for worse in her marriage, she had never wavered, remaining next to her children, courageous and unshakable. A rock on which honest, trustworthy kids had thrived.

As sleep claimed him, he lost himself in thoughts of home, of his brother and his faithful palomino Barranca. 

Murdoch smiled, confident that the nickname “old man” was used with affection and, from now on, would no longer get on his nerves.

Soon, they would be home, and he would work to make it a truly welcoming and safe home for all three of his children.

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~end~
October 2023

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