Cole and John rope them like cattle and drag the screaming bodies from the water. John and Frank hit them with the butt of their rifles knocking them out cold.
“Impressive. Take whatever you want, but I get one of them alive.” Aiden says grinning at Bill. He watches as Bill chooses his prize. The two surviving Indians are young warriors. One is already waking and struggling to escape. “Here Frank, I will take the other one!”
Frank whips his knife out and orders Cole and John to hold him down. His blade is sharp as he begins scalping the screaming Indian. Blood runs down his face, and Frank takes his time sliding the knife through the tough skin, enjoying the screams of agony.
“How do you like it, boy?” He sneers into the blood pooled ear.
Bill drags the unconscious Indian to the river and sticks his face in the water to waken him. He wants him alive for the rest of the night's fun. The men tie him to a tree with his arms behind him, and even his head is tied back so he will be forced to watch.
Aiden observes the gang work. You can learn a lot about someone by the way they kill. He lights a cigarette and kicks a dismembered and blackened leg away from him as he chooses a log to sit on.
John drags each warrior’s body over to the tied-up prisoner and scalps them, even the decapitated head of one. “This is difficult, the damn thing is slippery from all the blood.”
Cole laughs and begins carving a stick with a spiked tip to spear it on. “See, just like a cherry tomato!” He says forcing the head down onto the tip with a crunching sound.
The boys all laugh and watch as John continues with his fun. He stacks them up, scalp on top of scalp until he starts to count.
“Eight, one is missing!” Frank starts to search with the others for the missing Indian. One warrior that was shot in the river.
“Track him, Cole, and bring him back!” Bill yells.
The man tied to the tree puts all of his hatred into his stare, and he locks eyes with Bill.
Aiden observes the stone like expression on the face of the warrior. What does it take to break a savage? He wonders. They have lived through more than he can imagine and experienced death daily.
His eyes lock with Bills, and he is instantly aflame with lust for him. Red blood stains Bills hands and clothes and he has a smear across his forehead.
He continues to watch without interfering as they fuel up on whiskey. Bill orders the gang to ride ahead and set up camp. They leave, taking some of the war party’s horses. The rest are caught and tied down to be retrieved on the way back.
Aiden catches the stare of the Indian as the gang moves on and Bob is sure to take all the scalps with him.
“Hey, don’t forget my scalp!” Frank yells as he rides off arguing over who gets which scalp.
Cole follows the tracks and soon picks up the trail of the wounded Indian. He follows it and sees that the Indian was able to get back to a horse. His trail leads off into the night. “Damn. He escaped on horseback. Should I follow him?” Cole asks John.
“No, leave him. What harm can one wounded Indian do?” he answers as he continues riding away towards another campsite.
Silence falls over the camp and Aiden walks towards Bill, ignoring the prisoner. He runs his hand over his face, smearing the blood and smiles. “Bloody Bill, now I see why they call you that.” They laugh low and deep. Aiden looks at the prisoner and walks slowly towards him.
“Did you know that warriors are dealers of death and eaters of souls?” He whispers as he stalks towards him.
For the first time, fear enters his eyes as though he knows what's coming.
“Tonight, we will seal our pact and our promise to each other. When you eat the heart of this warrior, all the souls become yours. All the years they would have survived go to the ones who claims it.” He stands in front of the warrior tied to the tree and runs his hands over his chest, laughing when he begins to struggle and fight to escape.
The glint of the blade making its cut has Frank leaning forward. When they take the first bite and share a blood infused kiss, Frank turns away, gagging. He stayed behind to watch from the cover of the trees. Unable to watch anymore, he leaves. He returns to camp after washing in a small creek on the way. If only he could cleanse his mind. They usually take jobs that are fast, this job may be the end of all of them.
Chapter 35
Wounded from his gunshot shoulder, the Indian clings on to the horse and urges him to gallop faster. He's too far from his tribe to reach them, but he knows one way to get help. The rancher and his family! The Cheyenne and Shoshone are enemies by blood. The tribes war with each other and the white men, but this family is different. They have allowed the Shoshone to live and work off their land and for the first time in his life, he is praying that his enemy will find him.
He rides all night in the direction of the ranch. Just as the sun rises, he crosses into the Rancher’s territory. Leaning over the exhausted mares back and barely holding on he whispers, “Tsalagi, Tsalagi…” He does not hear the warning called out, nor does he feel his horse stop and he is forcibly pulled to
