Coldiron – The Thieves is number 5 of the Coldiron series. The series has received high praise from national reviewers such as Booklist and Bookmarks. The time is 1846 and President Polk orders General Zachary Taylor to march his American Army of 5,000 men to the Rio Grande and start a war with Mexico to decide the future ownership of the American Southwest; Arizona, New Mexico and California. Sixteen year old Charlie Bell lies about his age and joins the Army. The Army marches to the Rio Grande, the disputed boundary between the two nations. The Mexicans attack and Taylor invades Mexico. The Americans fight four fierce battles and defeat the Mexicans. To survive the fighting, Charlie kills with musket and bayonet.While fighting a young Mexican soldier, a cannon ball lands and explodes. Both men are wounded. While healing from their wounds in the army hospital, the two men become friends. Healed of their wounds, they strike out for New Mexico to make their fortune.They fight their way through the outlaws of the deserts and mountains of Mexico. They kill bandits to save a mother and her daughter from being raped. They arrive in New Mexico, a land of conquered Mexican people. Charlie and Ernesto can no acquire enough money to build the horse ranch they desire by working for wages. They steal colts from Luke Coldiron, who has the best horses in New Mexico. They hurry into the mountains to find land for their rancho. Max Cleland a ruthless Texan has come into New Mexico with a band of killers to rob the Mexicans. He kills a friend of Luke’s and steals his rancho. Luke swears to find and kill Cleland. As Luke leaves to search for Cleland, he discovers the theft of his colts. He hurries into the mountains to find and hang the horse thieves, and to kill Cleland.Thus begins a searing saga of search and vengeance as Luke turns hunter and killer.From Coldiron – The ThievesAs Elena moved toward the stove, a loud knocking sounded on the door. A man called out in a rough voice, Widow Sandoval, open the door. We’re wet and cold and need a fire. And some other favors you can give us.Elena began to tremble. She rushed to her mother and clasped her tightly around the waist. It’s them! It’s them! Mother, don’t let them in. Oh, please don’t let them in. They hurt me awfully when they were here before. She broke into violent sobs, her shoulders jerking with their violence. Rosa hugged Elena to her and stared with desperation at the door. I won’t let them in, baby. I won’t let them hurt you again. Let us in, woman, or I’ll kick the door down, the man shouted angrily. A foot struck the door and the wooden bar jumped in its metal brackets, but held fast.Elena shrieked with terror, her cry rising to a peak that seemed not human. Charlie watched in astonishment as mother and daughter held each other in their fear. They seemed to have forgotten Ernesto’s and his presence in the house. The cruelty of the men demanding to be let in to do what they wanted with the woman and the girl washed over him in a wave of anger that seemed to burn him. Get your gun, he said to Ernesto. He moved to the crack between the door and the doorjamb and peered out into the night. In the moonlight, he saw two men standing on the porch. Two of them, he whispered to Ernesto. You kill the man on the left. I’ll take the one on the right.A foot rammed the door. Charlie flung the bar out of its slots and jerked the door open. He pointed his pistol at the center of the chest of a man standing two steps away. He pressed the trigger. The gun roared. Ernesto fired into the second man. The red flames of exploding gunpowder from the pistols lanced out and touched the chests of the two men. The lead balls knocked the men off the porch and onto their backs in the yard.Charlie looked at the dead men, their unseeing eyes staring up at the moonlit sky. For the first time in all the killing he had done, he felt no regrets at killing a man.
