Read Desperado for Free Online

Rafe exhorted, and she decided to comply.
    They tossed their dog tags to the ground, along with Rafe’s wallet and loose change, her packet of Kleenex, ring of keys, a Bic pen, and both of their survival vests.
    Still holding one gun on them and lowering the other, Ignacio examined the loot and made grunting noises of disgust, the paper money and credit cards making absolutely no impression on him. The pen, keys, and Kleenex held no interest, either, but he handed the dog tags to his partners, who peered at them closely, tested the metal with their teeth, thenput them on their own necks. Ignacio picked up the loose change, then kicked aside the wallet, which Rafe quickly pocketed.
    Pablo examined Rafe’s Ray-Ban’s, made a disparaging remark about black spectacles, “mus’ be fer blind people,” and was about to throw them on the ground when Rafe cried out, “Hey, those shades cost me a hundred dollars.”
    â€œA hundred dollars?” Pablo exclaimed dubiously, but stuck them in his saddlebag, probably for some future profit.
    Ignacio went to work on their survival vests. The bandits kept only the signaling mirrors, waterproof matches, compasses, and pocketknives. They scrapped the plastic-sealed food packets, unable to understand what they were or how to open them. The trioxine fuel, water desalter, plastic spoons, insect headnets, fishing tackle, and snare wires were also kicked aside as useless. Ignacio’s two pals donned the vests under their ponchos. The first-aid kit held no interest to the bandits, but Helen grabbed it, figuring it might come in handy later.
    And finally, Pablo flipped the broken harness aside, but jammed Rafe’s intact harness, along with the parachutes from the ground and the two, still-folded reserve chutes into his saddlebags. What he would do with those items, Helen had no idea.
    â€œThees ees all?” Ignacio questioned Rafe, motioning with his gun barrel for him to raise his hands back up. “Where ees all the gold?”
    â€œI don’t have any gold.”
    â€œYou spent it all?” Before Rafe could answer, he turned to Helen. “Give me the ring.”
    She followed the direction of his stare, realizing he wanted her engagement ring. She started to balk, but Rafe signaled her with a brisk shake of his head not to rile the strange “bandit.”
    Ignacio turned the diamond over several times, studyingit. Then, apparently satisfied that the ring had some worth, he slid it halfway up his pinky finger and smiled broadly at them both. “It ees unfortunate that you carry no gold with you, but thees ees still our lucky day. You will bring us many gold coins when we collect the reward for your capture, Señor Ángel .”
    â€œWhat reward?” Rafe asked.
    Ignacio’s thick eyebrows rose in surprise. “You did not know? There ees a five-hundred-dollar reward for your capture—dead or alive.”
    â€œYou must have me mixed up with some other guy.”
    â€œNo, I would know the Angel anywhere. The most notorious desperado in all California.”
    â€œDes . . . desperado?” Rafe sputtered out, his arms still upraised.
    Helen’s arms began to ache from their awkward position. She just wished this stupid game, or dream, or whatever it was, would end. More than anything, she wanted to go home and soak in a hot bath and forgot she’d ever met Rafael Santiago.
    Rafe took a deep breath to compose himself. “Listen, I know some people think lawyers are crooks,” he said, scowling at Helen’s snort of agreement, “but I’m not a bandit.”
    â€œNo, no, no.” Ignacio said, wagging his gun in Rafe’s face. He smiled, displaying two chipped front teeth, probably from biting on bullets. “You cannot fool me. Everyone knows you been robbing banks and wealthy rancheros ever since gold was discovered at Sutter’s Fort two years ago.”
    â€œGold? Sutter’s