Quartz: Part 11 – Flash Fiction Friday Post

See Part 1 Here.

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The
next day started early. The men seemed eager, for a change, to get started. It
was a hike up to the mine. Once there, he stopped and looked around. With any
luck at all, this would be the last time he would climb up here. The view was
of rolling hills, studded with alligator juniper and shrub oak. As the mining
men examined the entrance, Zeke watched a javalina and her juvenile offspring
trot, single file, across the prairie.

“You
mind if we go in?”

“Go ahead,” Zeke said. “See what you’re payin’ for.”

He
sat down and enjoyed the view as they went in. The sweat from the climb cooled
his back as he wiped his face with his bandana. It seemed strange to be showing
people his mine. He’d kept it secret for so long.

A
noise behind him made him turn. Were the men done already?

He
was face to face with a gun barrel. When he raised his eyes, it was the man
from the alley, the night of the dance.

“Ha!
The look on your face. Thought you were done with me, didn’t ya?”

Three
more men crept down the hillside on each side of the mine entrance. Zeke could
hardly form a coherent thought. Weren’t they supposed to be in jail in Globe?

The
man waved his gun. “Get over there, out of sight of the entrance.” Zeke slowly
got up and moved to the spot indicated. The other three men took position next
to the entrance, out of sight of the two who would come out. Zeke eyed his
rifle, lying on the ground where he’d been sitting. The man holding him at
gunpoint picked it up and tossed it down the slope. “Just take it easy, there,
son. No sense getting shot.”

Zeke
agreed with him there. What was this guy’s name? “Delbert. You don’t have to do
this.”

Delbert
laughed. “Shut up. On your knees.” He moved behind Zeke. “You just keep quiet
now. No callin’ out to your friends.”

Zeke
felt helpless. He wasn’t friends with the mining men but he didn’t want to see
them shot. “How’d you escape?”

“None
of your business. Shut up.”

They
waited, the sun beating down. Zeke could feel a trickle of sweat run down his
spine. Could he warn the mining men somehow?

Delbert
jabbed him with the gun barrel. “No ideas. I’ll shoot you first.”

Zeke
guessed his thoughts were obvious. All he could think about now was Mary. Would
she ever know what happened? Eventually. The coordinates were on the claim. Mr.
Markum would send people out if he didn’t return, wouldn’t he?

He
looked up. He could hear Woolsey and Brokaw talking as they came out. They were
feet outside the entrance when they noticed Zeke on his knees, Delbert behind
him.

“Howdy
boys.” Delbert pointed at them as they stopped.

His
partners moved behind the two mining men. Guns pointed at their backs.

“That’ll
be far enough.” Delbert jabbed Zeke. “Stand up and get over there with them.”

Once
Zeke was there Delbert said, “Now drop those gunbelts and kick them over here.”

Zeke
watched the mining men slowly unbuckle the belts. Didn’t they have any tricks?
He sighed as the belts hit the dirt and they kicked them over. Apparently not.

“Tie
‘em up.”

Zeke
could feel his hands pulled back and tied behind him. The rope was biting into
his wrists. “Let’s get them back to camp.”

The
walk back was difficult. It was hard to keep his balance with his hands behind
him. Once at camp, Delbert’s men tied the three of them to a tree and proceeded
to explore the camp. One went for wood and soon they had a fire going and had
Zeke’s food out and being cooked.

As
night fell, Zeke worked the rope on his wrists. He was hungry but worse, he was
thirsty. And angry. Not only was he tied up in his own camp, but they hadn’t
even cared for the horses. He could hear Butters whinnying in complaint.

“Shut
that horse up!”

“He’s
thirsty and hungry.” Zeke felt he had to call out. He didn’t want his horse
shot.

“Shut
up, boy.”

“Feed
the horses, Dan.”

“Why
do I have to do it?”

“You
want a ride out of here, don’t ya?”

There
was mumbling Zeke couldn’t hear but the man was getting up to do what he was
told.

“We
could use some water,” Zeke called out.

Delbert
laughed. “I’ll bet you could, boy.” The others with him laughed as well.

Zeke
sighed and settled back.

“Nice
try, son,” Woolsey said.

“You
two have any ideas?”

“Nope,”
Brokaw said. “Never been in this situation before.”

Great,
Zeke thought. He continued to work at the ropes. His hands were slick. Blood,
more’n likely, but he continued. Maybe they’d get slippery enough to get out of
the ropes.

Eventually,
Delbert’s men lay quiet around the dying fire. Zeke watched and worked. It
seemed the ropes were getting looser. Twice he’d jerked awake, having fallen
asleep as he worried the ropes.

The
night sky wheeled around, and Zeke finally broke a hand loose. The moon had
risen, and he could see blood dripping from his fingertips. He put a hand on
Woolsey’s shoulder. “Stay quiet.” He untied Woolsey, then did the same with
Brokaw. They wriggled out of the rope wrapping them around the tree. Zeke’s leg
was asleep, and he could hardly stand on it as the prickles made his leg feel
like ants were crawling all over it.

The
three crept up on the sleeping men. Zeke went for Delbert, a rock in hand.
Woolsey had a rock as well and Brokaw had a broken tree limb. Just as Zeke
reached Delbert, the man rolled over in his sleep, muttering something.
Terrified, Zeke smashed the man’s head. Woolsey and Brokaw did the same.

Zeke sank to his knees and did a sudden turn. The bile was a bitter as his anguish.

Words: 1004

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