The Reaper 0f The Rio Sangre: Special Edition HBH Version (Half Breed Haven Book 10) Read online

  HALF BREED HAVEN #10 SPECIAL EDITION

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  EPILOGUE

  HALF BREED HAVEN #10

  VERSION OF

  THE REAPER OF

  THE RIO SANGRE

  (THE DANGER DOWN MEXICO WAY TRILOGY PART 1 OF 3)

  A HALF BREED HAVEN ADULT WESTERN

  By

  A.M. VAN DORN

  Copyright © 2018

  Cedar Ledge Publishing

  All Rights Reserved

  SPECIAL NOTE TO THE READERS

  HALF BREED HAVEN IS THE COMPANION SERIES TO THE WILDES OF THE WEST SERIES. THE DIFFERENCE BEING THE WOTW SERIES IS TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A YOUNG WRITER ALLIE WHO BEFRIENDS AN AGED CATALINA WILDE IN 1913 AS SHE LEARNS ABOUT THE WILDES MANY ADVENTURES FROM OLD CATTIE.

  FOR THOSE READERS WHO PREFER THE WILDE SISTERS ESCAPADES EXCLUSIVELY WITHOUT THE 1913 INTERLUDES THIS SPECIAL EDITION IS EDITED TO FOCUS SOLELY ON THE 1870’S ADVENTURES OF THE SISTERS. FANS OF ALLIE, HER NEW LOVE LAWYER CONNOR KINCAID AND OLD CATTIE CAN STILL ENJOY FOLLOWING THEIR STORY IN THE FULL UNEDITED VERSION OF THIS STORY IN THE WILDES OF THE WEST#2.

  OTHER BOOKS AVAILABLE IN THE WILDES OF THE WEST SERIES

  THE WILDES OF THE WEST #1: THE DAUGHTERS OF HALF BREED HAVEN

  THE WILDES OF THE WEST #2: REAPER OF THE RIO SANGRE

  (THE DANGER DOWN MEXICO WAY TRILOGY PART 2)

  HALF BREED HAVEN #1: WILDE-FIRE

  HALF BREED HAVEN #2: IN DANGER’S SHADOW

  HALF BREED HAVEN #3: DARK RIVALS

  HALF BREED HAVEN #4: SILVER, GOLD, & DECEPTION

  HALF BREED HAVEN #5: THE FORBIDDEN RANCH

  HALF BREED HAVEN #6: SING THE DEATH SONG

  HALF BREED HAVEN #7: DISASTER AT DEVIL’S CANYON

  HALF BREED HAVEN #8: RENEGADES AND REVENGE

  HALF BREED HAVEN #9: INTO THE LAIR OF LOS REY LOBO

  HALF BREED HAVEN #10: HALF BREED HAVEN VERSION SPECIAL EDITION OF THE DANGER DOWN MEXICO WAY TRILOGY PART 1: THE REAPER OF THE RIO SANGRE

  COMING SOON

  THE WILDES OF THE WEST #3: THE TOWN OF NO RETURN

  (THE DANGER DOWN MEXICO WAY TRILOGY PART 2)

  OR

  HALF BREED HAVEN #11: HALF BREED HAVEN VERSION SPECIAL EDITION OF THE DANGER DOWN MEXICO WAY TRILOGY PART 2: THE TOWN OF NO RETURN

  AND

  THE WILDES OF THE WEST #4: THE BOOT HILL EXPRESS

  (THE DANGER DOWN MEXICO WAY TRILOGY PART 3)

  OR

  HALF BREED HAVEN #12: HALF BREED HAVEN VERSION SPECIAL EDITION OF THE DANGER DOWN MEXICO WAY TRILOGY PART 3: THE BOOT HILL EXPRESS

  ALL CAN BE FOUND AT THIS LINK

  https://www.amazon.com/A.M.-Van-Dorn/e/B077GNX3GP/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

  If you enjoy the Wilde family and their spicy adventures, join the Cedar Reader’s Mailing list and be alerted to new releases as well as receiving a free gift of a Wilde Family Adventure for further reading.

  Become a member at

  www.thewildesofthewest.com

  Thank you for joining the Wilde family on one of their adventures. Just a quick note regarding what you are about to read.

  Please be advised the Wilde siblings are all grownups, and therefore they engage in very adult escapades and situations that include their romantic encounters as well as the sudden violence that can occur in their continued fight against assorted bad guys of the Old West.

  So, in short, these stories are recommended for mature readers of 18+ years of age.

  With that said it’s time to saddle up and dive into the world of Half Breed Haven!

  A.M. VAN DORN

  Contact Information can be found at [email protected]

  or

  www.thewildesofthewest.com

  VERDE GRANDE MOUNTAIN

  Arizona Territory

  Early spring 1873

  When the attack came, it would come from all sides. Cassandra Wilde was so sure of it that she had hastily ordered her three siblings into a tight knot with their backs to each other. The quartet of women dropped their packs to allow for more maneuverability, and they quickly raised their rifles pointing them in the four compass positions as they found themselves bathed in sweat.

  The gradual rise in temperature over the past day was doing nothing to alleviate the tension among the four sisters as they struggled their way through the almost knee-deep snow on the north slope of Verde Grande Mountain just below where the timberline ended. If anything, it was actually raising the stress that they were under, as the rays of the sun would be fueling the avalanche threat they were keenly aware of should the chase continue above the timberline. It was looking more and more likely now, but as they stood in the small clearing, they faced a more immediate threat.

  An ominous feeling had hung over their little posse for the last two hours ever since the chilling discovery they had made further down the mountain by the old Van De Leer cut off. The Wildes were four very tough women, but even they needed a break from the relentless pursuit and paused to take a rest not far from a frozen stream that snaked through a nearby gully.

  Lijuan had volunteered to put her ever-present blacksmith's hammer she wore on her belt to productive use by punching through the ice on the stream and replenishing their canteens. Not long after the petite Asian had disappeared down the gully they heard a shout that had sent them scrambling out of concern for her safety.

  Arriving down into the gully, they were met by Lijuan whose beautiful, narrow face, framed by her blackish/brown tresses, wore a grim expression. Without saying a word, her brown eyes shifted to the left as she had pointed towards the wreckage of a strange-looking wagon tipped on its side near the stream.

  The four sisters had converged around the wreck puzzled at what appeared to have been cages attached to it that had been smashed in the wagon’s apparent tumble down into the gully. Things became clearer when along the edge of the wagon, in painted letters faded by the sun they read Anderson’s Exotic Animals.

  “How long you think this thing has been here?” Catalina had asked with a tilt of her head that made her wavy hair sway. Her voice carried a Mexican accent, achieved from all the summers she had spent through her late teens visiting with her deceased mother’s family at their Mexican vineyard. Cassandra had turned to the copper-skinned beauty that was her youngest sister. “No way to be sure, unless we can find something. We should have a look around.”

  With that the four had fanned out in a circle around the derelict, searching for anything.

  Honor Elizabeth, the lovely mulatto with her silky mocha skin and entrancing hazel eyes, paused in her search and tucked one of her curly ringlets of jet black hair behind her ear.

  “Cassandra, what do you think happened?”

  "Pretty clear to me this wagon was attemptin
g to use the old Van De Leer wagon trail and shave time by cutting over the shoulder of Verde Grande. Saves a passel of miles if you're heading west or east, but it's treacherous as hell. Who knows what happened here; maybe the horses got spooked, and it went off the trail. Could have been anything."

  “I see no signs of the bones of the horses or the driver,” Honor mused.

  Lijuan shook her head. “Doesn’t mean they aren’t buried under the snow here.

  “Hold up now!” Cassandra had suddenly shouted, and her trio of sisters had turned in her direction where she stood with her back to them near the front of the wagon, the overhead sun glittering off her lush goldenrod hair that flowed down from underneath her hat. She had spun around, and excitement had shone in her deep green eyes.

  “I see something!” A moment later she had dug out from the snow a travel case whose handle had been the only thing sticking above the frozen crust. Gathering around her, they had quickly gone through it. Not much had been gleaned from the few papers found amidst the clothing, but anything with a date had 1871 on it. They hit the jackpot when they found a letter from the owner of a carnival in Houston, Texas, welcoming an Edward Anderson and his “Canadian critter collection.” The owner had enthusiastically written that he was sure the new attraction would be a hit amongst the denizens of south Texas.

  It was unnecessary to say so, but all had bowed their heads anyway when Honor Elizabeth had quietly said, “It seems he never made it.”

  Pocketing the letter, Cassandra had vowed she would contact the carnival owner and see if he might know where Anderson had hailed from, as there was every chance in the world there were kin out there wondering what had happened to their loved one. But at that moment, however, they needed to get back to their pursuit of the murdering bank robber they had been tasked to run down … dead or alive.

  Lijuan had quickly shattered the ice on the stream with the foot-long tool and went about filling their canteens with Catalina’s assistance. In a low voice, Cattie had turned to Lijuan and asked, “Just what supposin’ were these exotic animals anyway?” For that Lijuan had no answer, and the quartet returned to their trudge up the mountain.

  An hour ago, they had become aware of two things. The first was that they had not seen any of the animals they had encountered along the way, no more jackrabbits, foxes, or other small game. The woods had become extremely quiet without any animal noises.

  The second thing was that though there were no game animals around, they were not alone. Some type of animals were on the move, and by on the move, that meant alongside them. They had become aware of them when Cattie with her keen eyes had first got a glimpse of something moving parallel to them. Now aware to be on the lookout, they all had caught fleeting glimpses of the indistinct shapes off in the forest shadowing them to their left. A worried discussion among them had concluded, whatever was out there was on the hunt as well; only this time they were the prey.

  Lijuan had not cared one bit for the notion that they, the hunters, were about to become the hunted and tried to make a case to Cassandra to go on the offensive against whatever it was that had been stalking them by flushing them out and killing them before they could attack. Catalina seemed somewhat in agreement with her on a pre-emptive strike, but Honor wasn’t sure what they should do.

  As was her nature, Cassandra calmly and analytically looked at the situation and had decided that the more important thing was to continue after their fugitive because the gap was closing, and she felt confident the fugitive would soon be theirs. She also felt optimistic if the chase took them beyond the tree line they would be safe because whatever was after them would likely be unwilling to give up the protection the trees were affording them by following them out onto the open slope. So, the sisters had continued up the mountain with the peak of Verde Grande looming ever larger over them.

  Now it seemed they had little choice but at last to fight, and as they anticipated and feared their mostly unseen enemy in the previous fifteen minutes had now been spotted of both of their flanks. Whether driven by intelligence or instinct, the predators were likely aware that they could not let the women move beyond the tree line before taking them down.

  Cassandra called out to them to be on watch, as she felt confident the creatures were not only just on their sides but ahead and behind them as well, surrounding them. She had taken the point in the front and suddenly became aware of something that sounded like distant thunder. Her heart quickened as it brought her back to one of her earliest memories from long before she had moved to the West. She had been maybe three or four then as she lay on her little bed at night listening to the rumble of thunder rolling up the Hudson River valley.

  Swallowing hard she looked up at the slopes of the mountain above the trees and saw near the summit a plume of what looked like smoke, but she knew was snow rising into the air before beginning a downward trajectory. The others saw it too and there was panic on all their faces, and no one breathed. Suddenly, as quickly as the wave of snow had started, it ground to a halt, the plume dissipating. Cassandra watched Honor Elizabeth cover her mouth with her hand, Lijuan forming a slow smile, and Catalina pressing the palms of her gloved hands against her eyes before yanking them away, their relief palpable.

  She, however, knew she was about to throw chilly water all over their happiness.

  “Lower your Winchesters now, girls!”

  Lijuan cocked an eyebrow at her, “Say again, golden girl?”

  Dismissing Lijuan’s use of the pet name she liked to needle her with, she repeated her order. Catalina and Honor Elizabeth looked unenthused, but slowly they brought their guns down. Cassandra tilted her head at Lijuan. She knew her sister would do as was told, but she didn’t expect it to be without further commentary.

  “Whatever those things are, they are still out there.”

  "We start blasting away, and we're likely to bring that mountain down on us for sure. We just got lucky. Let's not push it."

  Lijuan had just brought down her repeater rifle as their hunters at long last made their move on the four women. Bursting from the thick forest around the clearing they moved to encircle the ladies from Cedar Ledge.

  Cassandra watched as the stalkers emerged in a quick rush and then slowed, trapping the sisters. Her mouth fell open at the sight of them. They looked almost like little bears with short snouts and powerful looking jaws. Vicious-looking rows of teeth and sharpened claws made her think they would not be pushovers. In size they were around four feet long and quite stocky, moving comfortably over the snow. They were not bogged down by it at all.

  “What … the … hell … are … those?” Lijuan managed to ask as the blood drained away from her face.

  “They are wolverines! They are wolverines!” Honor said, her voice rising.

  “Wolver whats?”

  Honor Elizabeth flashed a quick glance at Catalina, “They are wolverines. I saw an illustration of them in a book back at my finishing school. They should not be here! Not in Arizona!”

  “Whatever they are, I see four, five, no six! I see six of them!” Lijuan called out.

  “They are magnificent! Oh, my God, they are magnificent … and yet we must kill them?” her voice was almost pleading for them not to.

  Lijuan didn't mince any words. "You're looking at them thinking magnificent, and they're looking at you thinking dinner! If it's them or us… it's them! Right, Cassie?!"

  Cassandra didn’t bother to respond because there could only be one answer. Gazing at the bizarre looking animals, Cassandra pieced it together. “Looks like we know what Anderson’s Exotic Animals were and what’s hunted this place dry of all game.” Warily she watched as the hunting party drew closer.

  Honor nervously swung her Bowie knife in front of her after yanking it free from its sheath. She really wished they didn’t have to do this, but if they had to, she longed to use their guns. It would be over in moments, yet Cassie had been right. This close to the end of the tree line one shot could bury them al
l. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Lijuan apprehensively twirling at her side the blacksmith’s hammer that had been the weapon of her choice ever since that day in Godspell, the same day Honor Elizabeth had met Quillan Dodge. All these years later she had almost forgotten the hammer had originally belonged to him.

  Reaching under her heavy coat, Catalina unsnapped her ever-present bullwhip where it hung on her belt and unfurled it slowly. With a sharp movement, it swung forward in a loud crack, causing the creatures to halt, and then growl low and dangerously. They did not remain deterred for long. In the span of a single heartbeat, one lunged towards Honor eliciting a shout of defiance from her as her knife swung in an arcing motion, scoring a cut along the creature's shoulder. Unaccustomed to prey that fought back, the wolverine backed away a few feet, growling and glaring at her. After a second it regained its courage launching forward, then halting and lunging, trying to get past her blade. Honor kept her focus on the ugly thing in front of her as she heard the others shout as the animals attacked all around their circle.

  Catalina cracked her whip and satisfaction flooded over her as she heard a screech as she connected. She yanked it back, but another creature was coming in from the side. Avoiding its quick claw, she whirled and snapped her weapon at that one too, slashing it across its eyes causing it to lurch in the direction of her first attacker. Temporarily blinded from the pain, it collided with its companion. The angry beasts momentarily forgot about Catalina and began snapping and swiping at each other. Watching the fracas, she found herself breathing deeply and trying to remain calm. The brief scrap between the two found the uninjured one peeling off and making for Cassandra.

  Facing a frontal attack from the wolverine, Cassandra used her rifle as a shield, pushing it back. The thing's claw raked her right forearm before it flew backward from the force of her shove. Regrouping, it charged again, and she brought the butt of her rifle down on the animal's head, using as much force as she could muster. A loud thunk accompanied the butt stroke as the stock struck home at the center of its forehead. Stunned, it backed away growling, shaking its head.