Voices From Within (Book 2)

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Three

The Showdown

Oxford waited for the men to take their place before he answered the door. Senator Randolph stood in the doorway, and he looked disheveled and pale.

"I demand to see my daughter. I know she is here," said Senator Randolph.

He stepped into the foyer with his flintlock pistol drawn.

"Put that gun away, father," said Charlotte as she stepped forward.

For the first time in a week, he saw his daughter. They arranged her hair to the side, and her face was pale with faded dark circles under her eyes. He felt a moment of sympathy for her and realized that he needed her in his life.

"Charlotte, you are coming with me. We are going to go back to Harrisburg and restore my good name. You are going to drop the kidnapping charges against Mr. Albright and tell them in was a lover's spat. After all, I promised you to the young man."

"You may have promised him, but I rejected his marriage proposal," said Charlotte as her anger grew toward her father.

Reggie could hear Kaiser growling as Charlotte stepped closer.

"For your information, I am not going anywhere with you. I am staying here with my fiancée."

"Fiancée? I never gave you permission to marry."

"No, but I did," said Maxwell.

"You," said the senator with an ominous tone in his voice.

The pistol moved to point at Maxwell.

"I was told you died in battle."

"You are mistaken, sir. You hired an American mercenary to kill me, but he killed my brother Raul instead. They sent me to prison. I also have the signed confession of the American naming you as the man who hired the killing. The papers are in federal hands."

"No. You are a liar. You have nothing. I'm innocent," shouted the Senator as he became more erratic; he felt trapped.

Reggie nodded at Rupert as the large man stealthy moved a step at a time behind the senator.

"Marvin. Stop it," said Constance as she stood up from her chair. "Face it. You are guilty. Now, I ask you to leave this house peacefully."

Hatred grew in the senator's eyes as he stared at his wife. He saw Maxwell by her side and was disgusted by the sight.

"You Jezebel," snarled the senator. "You have turned my daughter against me and now you flaunt yourself as this Mexican peasant's mistress. How long have you been carrying on behind my back? You are nothing but a Spanish whore."

Rupert grabbed the Senator's hand from behind him and lift his arm and the man straight into the air. The gun fired into the two-story ceiling of the foyer. Then Rupert reached and removed the weapon from his hand. The Senator turned to see this man standing a foot taller than himself, and he screamed in fright. The sheriff had stood in the doorway with his gun drawn on the senator.

"Senator Randolph, you are under arrest for the murder of Ivan Polansky, extortion of Mr. and Mrs. Berman, and cattle rustling," said Sheriff Davis.

Rupert handed the senator over to the sheriff. Senor Melachora stood up from his chair and removed his white leather gloves from his sash and handed them to Maxwell. The Mexican gentleman walked forward towards the senator and slapped him across the face.

"Sir, you have dishonored my family and the mother of my daughter. I challenge you to a duel. May the best man win," said Maxwell as he stared into his face.