"Señorita," the voice called again from outside her cell door. "Señorita Reina. We need to speak with you."

Tessa got off the cot and went to the curtained front of the cell. Pulling the cloth aside, she was amazed to be looking into a pair of smiling blue eyes. "Señora Hidalgo!" the Queen remarked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Vera was accompanied by two other women, both don's wives whom Tessa knew but not well. Señora Lorca, at Vera's right, fidgeted with her handbag and kept looking around as if afraid something might leap on her. Beside her, Señora Martinez goggled at Tessa as if she were some exotic animal in a zoo; her mouth hung open as she stared unabashedly.

"As soon as we heard you had been captured, we talked together, my friends and I," Vera said, gesturing with her lace-gloved hand at her companions. "We decided that this jail is unfit for a lady and came to see that you were being well taken care of ...while you are here." Vera put her hand to her mouth suddenly and coloured prettily. "What I mean is ...for as long as you are here." Her colour deepened. "I meant to say, for the duration of your trial." She looked frightened and her eyes widened. "What I really want to say is I hope you are not found guilty and hanged." She suddenly stamped her foot. "I am sorry, señorita. This is not what I came to say at all."

Tessa had to smile at her friend's discomfiture. She was also puzzled by why Vera was there. What did she want? Certainly, it was not to satisfy some curiosity or to report to Grisham.

Vera moved closer and glanced over her shoulder at the guards who were watching from across the corridor. "When our husbands were in this jail, kidnapped by the villain Krane, you helped us. We are grateful and have come to bring you comfort in your time of need, señorita." She reached into the bars and grasped Tessa's hand. "This is where the lawless life you have led has brought you. I hope you will use your time wisely, and learn from your mistakes." Vera squeezed Tessa's hand and she felt something hard being pressed into her palm. "We pray that you will repent and that your soul will go free."

Tessa withdrew her hand, carefully closing it over the thing that Vera had passed her. Without looking at it, she knew it was a key. Gaspar must have given it to Vera to give to her. He must want her to escape and avoid the trial. Tessa's heart leaped and she smiled at the women. "Señoras, your visit has been a true comfort to me. I will meditate on your advice. It would give me great peace of mind if you would go to the church and light a candle for me."

Señora Lorca moved forward with a covered basket. "We brought you something to eat as we know that the food in this place is not fit for pigs." As she was about to uncover the food, one of the guards stepped quickly across the space.

"Let me see that before you hand anything in to the prisoner. It could be a knife or a file or a gun."

Señora Lorca harrumphed loudly as she pulled back the cloth. "Just some cold empanadas, cheese, bread and a bottle of wine," she said haughtily. "As if we would give this outlaw a weapon!"

The guard took the basket and returned to his place next to the other soldier. "We will take charge of this and examine it carefully," he said with a wink at his friend.

Vera rounded on the two soldiers. "How dare you? My husband is the alcalde. I will report your insolence and disrespectful treatment to him immediately."

The soldier gave a mocking bow to the women. "Please give my respects to your husband, señora Hidalgo. His term as alcalde will be a short one when Montoya returns. And this woman, this bandita," he said, pointing at the Queen, "will face her execution as she deserves."

"Come, ladies," Vera said hotly. "We will go to the church and pray for their souls too." With that, she shooed the women out of the cell corridor like a mother hen herding her chicks.

The white curtain dropped again over the bars, and Tessa turned away with the key firmly gripped in her hand. Quickly, she pocketed it, then returned to the cell door. "Aren't you going to give me the food?" She noted as she pulled the sheet aside that the soldiers were already eating her cold meal. "Maybe it's poisoned," she said, then laughed as one of the soldiers spat out what he was chewing.

"Here," the soldier said. He passed her a hunk of bread and some cheese, then cut up the empanada with his dagger and gave her a piece. The two soldiers watched her closely as she ate the food.

The empanada was delicious and Tessa was ravenously hungry. She had not been able to force down the meal that had been brought to her earlier from the garrison kitchen. It smelled like something rotten and made her gorge rise. She had ordered it to be taken away.

"What about a glass of that wine?" she asked. "You can't drink it on duty and it could also be poisoned. In fact, I heard of a case once in Madrid where a woman killed her husband by injecting the poison with a syringe through the cork. One sip and he was dead before he hit the floor. Diabolical, no?" Trying not to smile, she watched the two men attempting to make up their minds if she was joking or serious. A few seconds later, one of them passed her a tin-cupful of wine. She downed it quickly then held out the cup for more. "I guess it's not poisoned, though there are slow-acting poisons. You had better give me another taste to be sure." She drank the refilled cup more slowly, enjoying the warmth that the wine radiated through her.

With a full stomach and two cups of wine, she felt a pleasant lassitude spread though her and returned to the cot to lie down. It seemed only seconds elapsed before a hissing sound awoke her. Sighing deeply, she got up and stepped across to the cell door, then pulled aside the curtain.

One of the soldiers stood by the bars and Tessa thought disgustedly, Here we go again.

He leaned close, keeping his voice low so his sleeping companion would not hear. "Señorita," he whispered, "I want you to know that if you try to escape, I will not stop you. When my brother was in danger of losing his small farm, you gave him the tax money. I do not forget this favour."

Tessa was nonplussed. This was the last thing she expected to hear from a soldier. But she didn't want him to take any chances. If he was thought to be derelict in his duty, he could be shot. She whispered back, "Corporal, I thank you but you must not appear to be helping me. It is too dangerous. Tomorrow, I will go on trial and in the meantime, I am a captive. But, don't worry about me. I will be all right."

The soldier took off his helmet and bowed respectfully. "Bless you, Reina. You have given hope to many who had lost all hope." He replaced the shako, then turned away to stand guard across the corridor. Tessa let the sheet drop and wandered slowly over to her bunk, her thoughts in a whirl. Twice tonight, she had been offered help to escape. Reflectively, she sat down and stared at the floor. Outside, all was silent except for a chorus of crickets and the occasional lonely howl of a coyote.

It seems, she thought, that I was wrong about the people. They are willing to try to help me. I am touched by their courage, and their caring. For a long time, she sat thinking, then she took out the key and looked at it. I could use this now and escape. But then, I would involve that soldier and might have to hurt him. I don't think I could do that, not after what he said. She put the key away and lay down again, watching the strange shadows on the ceiling and trying to read the indistinct marks left by other prisoners in this cell.

She must have drifted off to sleep because she was started awake by scuffling sounds outside the cell window. A second later, a pair of hands grasped the window bars and a voice rasped to her. "Señorita, señorita!"

Tessa stood on her cot and looked out the window. A man's face appeared there and she jumped back. His voice was muffled by the scarf covering the lower part of his face but his dark eyes seemed friendly.

"Do not worry, Reina. We have come to save you," he whispered hoarsely. Before she could answer, he began to tie a rope around the window bars. "Stand back, señorita. We are going to pull the bars out so you can escape." He dropped to the ground and Tessa stared out onto the moonlit plain behind the prison. Outside, there were four men and two donkeys. The rope appeared to be tied to the donkeys and the men began to drive the animals away from the jail. The rope tightened, twanged and frayed then snapped. She heard one of the men yelp and the donkeys bray.

The man reappeared at her window, an abashed look in his eyes. "I should have made the rope double, then it would not have broken. We will try again."

Tessa reached through the window and grabbed his hands just as he was trying to thread the rope around the bars. "You and your friends are very brave to do this, but I beg you to go home. You are ruining my escape plan. Thank you for trying to help. I will never forget it," she added with feeling.

"We are not the brave ones, Reina. You have been our saviour, our inspiration. Without you, we had nothing to hope for. Now, the dons have taken power and Montoya is gone. It is because of you. Your example shamed the men and made them show some courage. It shamed us too. We had to show you that your bravery has not been wasted."

Her throat tightened and the prickle of tears pressed behind her eyes. She squeezed his hand and smiled. "Gracias, to you all, but go home now. And know this. Your courage has given me strength."

The men doffed their straw hats and bowed, then picked up the donkeys' leads and moved off around the building. Soon, they were out of sight.

She lay down again, feeling the key in her pocket as a comforting presence. Somehow, during all this, she had made a decision about the trial. The key would be her backup plan if all else failed. Outside her cell, she could hear the guards snoring and thought it was lucky for them that the colonel was not around. Montoya would have them flogged if they were caught sleeping on duty. Despite the racket, she fell back into a deep sleep.

Something rattled against the wall and Tessa stirred. A pebble fell onto her and she woke wondering where it had come from. Another followed and dropped onto the floor. She stood on her cot and looked out the barred window. In the wan moonlight, she saw Marta standing on a wagon near the cell wall. Next to the wagon, the huge bulk of Roman, Marta's husband, loomed.

This place is busier than the cantina on pay night, Tessa thought with a wry smile.

"Marta, what are you doing? You shouldn't be out here like this in your condition." She looked with affection at the other woman, the soft rounding of her belly just barely noticeable. I hope I will be around to be the child's godmother as Marta asked, Tessa thought, her spirits plummeting as she felt the full impact of her situation. She recalled Marta's joyful face as she told Tessa the news a month before. Tessa had been unable to stop the tears that sprang up spontaneously as she had clasped Marta in a warm embrace. "At last," she had said, "there will be new life here soon." I just hope I will be here to see it, she added now to herself.

Marta whispered urgently, "We have brought some gunpowder to blow out the window so you can escape."

Tessa glanced at the kegs in the back of the wagon. "You've got enough powder there to blow up the entire town, Marta. Go back home. I don't want you taking chances like this. What was Roman thinking to let you do it?"

Hearing his name, Roman stepped closer to the window. "I didn't just let her do it, Tessa. I could not stop her. When you are in danger, she is like a mother tiger. It's best to just stay out of her way or to help."

Tessa pulled the key out of her pocket and showed it to the couple. Marta's face tightened.

"You have a key and you are still in here? Are you crazy, Tessa? They are going to hang you, and you know it. Even now, Montoya has probably heard and is on his way here."

"Marta, this trial is probably the only chance I will ever have to say why I'm doing this, what my fight is about."

"You will tell them about your father?" Marta said, shaking her head.

"No, I'll just say that I've been working against Montoya's tyranny and that now that the dons have some power, I will probably not be needed any longer. It's my chance to quit this life and have a normal life with a husband and children. Like you have."

Marta scowled. "You call my life 'normal'? As long as I have been with you, it has not been normal. Now, you want to risk your life in order to say your piece. No! You will come with me tonight. We will all leave and go to Mexico. We have enough gold to start over there."

"I'm not leaving, even if you blow up the jail, Marta. So, you might as well go home." Tessa turned her attention to the man standing protectively near his wife. "Roman, take her home. She is endangering the child. I will be all right. I promise you."

Roman picked Marta up and set her on the wagon bench, then took the reins and turned the team. With a slap of the traces, the wagon lurched forward. Marta looked back, a bleak expression on her face.

Tessa stepped down off the cot, sagging against the wall. Marta's face seemed to haunt her, that last look of desperate fear tore at Tessa's heart. I have given her so much trouble in her life. Gracias a dios, she will finally have a child of her own that will be a joy to her. Even if I lose my life and my identity is discovered, she will be protected. Roman will see that they escape. Tessa remained motionless for a long while, many impressions crowding through her mind. Finally, with a sigh, she lay on the cot once more. Sleep eluded her for a long time as she fought down the urge to use the key and escape.

Epilogue

The crunch of boots outside in the corridor awoke her. She shivered from the chill of her dank cell. No one had thought to give her a blanket. The sky showing through the barred window was still dark but there was a chorus of roosters crowing, heralding the dawn. Stretching languidly, she yawned, still tired from her restless night. A voice barked orders outside her cell and she froze. Montoya! How did he get back so quickly?

From outside her curtained cell, she heard him snap at her guards, "Get up, you disgraceful cretins! You are both on report." A sound like a sharp smack followed then, "Open the cell, Mancera." Abruptly, the sheet was hauled down and Corporal Mancera stepped forward with the key. Tessa thought he looked like he had not slept for days; his eyes were red-rimmed and his cheeks unshaven. He reeked worse than usual. The other six soldiers hardly looked better; all were sloppily uniformed and haggard.

Montoya also looked weary and his uniform was dusty. Grisham lounged beside the colonel; his face was hard and caked with dirt. They must have ridden all night to get here, Tessa thought, fear gripping her vitals. Her heart lurched as the door was unlocked and Montoya roughly brushed the corporal aside and stepped in. His look was cold, those bright eyes brittle with hate. The little smile he gave her held no mirth, only malice.

"Well, señorita, it seems you have come to the end of your long and lucky run. It ends like this for those who think they can live outside the law. Justice will be done at last."

"I can only hope so, Colonel," Tessa said with false bravado. Her heart was beating rapidly, and she was shivering, afraid suddenly. "The trial will reveal many things."

Montoya laughed shortly. "The trial? There will be no trial. You are guilty and I will now see to it that you get your just punishment." He turned on his heel to the soldiers around the cell door. "Put the manacles on her and take her out." The colonel marched past the men and waited in the corridor as one of the soldiers snapped a pair of heavy manacles on her wrists.

"Don Gaspar and the junta will hear of this outrage, Colonel. You will lose your commission and perhaps even be court-martialled." Though her words sounded brave, Tessa knew the futility of them. By the time anyone heard about this summary execution, it would be too late for her. She would never know what had happened to Montoya, or if justice had ever been done.

As she was led from the cell, she glanced into the grim faces of the soldiers. There was no help for her from them; they were Montoya's men, the ones he had taken with him to Monterrey. Grisham had a curiously sad expression on his face; he glanced down at his boots when her eyes encountered his. At least, she thought, he takes no pleasure in this, not like Montoya.

She was hustled roughly down the corridor to the rear exit then outside. In the lightening sky, she could see streaks of silver in the dark clouds. Storm clouds, she thought with small satisfaction. We've been needing rain for weeks. This year's grape harvest promises to be a good one. She checked those irrelevant thoughts, realizing with cold clarity that she would not be there to see it. Though she tried to form an escape plan, her mind seemed frozen and she couldn't think. All she could see in the dim, cool light was the post they were marching her toward. Her legs seemed heavy, almost as if they resisted carrying her weight to that final place. She wondered oddly if the soldiers on either side of her could hear the thundering of her heart. The dawning was hushed, silent, as if nature were holding her breath, waiting for the drama to unfold on that small patch of earth. Not even a bird chirped.

One of the soldiers pushed her against the post, then threaded a rope around her arms and chest, pulling up hard, the rope so tight she could hardly breathe, and making her bruised rib spike with pain. Soon, she thought, it wouldn't matter. All hurt would cease. A few sharp pains ...then nothing. A sense of unreality possessed her as she watched like a spectator while Grisham lined the men up about ten yards from her. They wavered as if drunk, staggering from fatigue. One of the men groaned, then pitched forward into the dust. The others ignored him as they struggled into a straight line with their muskets.

Tessa looked up at the sky, wondering if Heaven was really up there or somewhere else. She would soon know. A prayer filtered through her mind, something Marta had taught her, a child's fervent prayer before the little death of sleep. It seemed appropriate now.

As the soldiers shouldered their guns, she despaired. Until this very second, she had hoped for a miracle, but none was coming. Cold poured through her and she began to shudder uncontrollably. Pulling herself as erect as possible, she shook her head when Grisham offered her the blindfold. "No," she said, her voice strangely firm. "I want to see my executioners."

The men seemed anxious for this to be over; they would not meet her eyes as she looked from one to the other. Only Montoya seemed to be savoring the moment. His eyes glittered in the half-light as a tight smile played over his lips.

"Any last words, Señorita Reina? Any final request before you die?" Montoya asked, his voice silky and solicitous.

"I want to see Padre Quintera ...to make my last confession." She watched the colonel's eyes narrow, then that malicious smile crossed his lips.

"No," he said. "You don't deserve the comfort of the Church's pardon for your sins." He leaned into her face and snapped, "Just die, damn you!"

Tessa sagged against the post for support. Her legs had lost their strength and she too wished it was over. Summoning up a bit of bravado from somewhere, she spat, "I'll be watching you, Montoya, from Heaven. And I will intercede with the saints that you get what's coming to you."

"I will see you in Hell where you belong, you she-devil," Montoya snarled. With that, he nodded at Grisham and stepped back.

The captain moved beside his men and raised his cavalry sword. He gave Tessa a last grim, apologetic look then turned to the soldiers. "Ready, aim...."

Watch for the next exciting adventure, The Trial, part two - Episode #319, starting on May 4, 2003.