[Jennifer Cloud 01.0] The Shoes Come First

by Janet Leigh

  Bitch.

  “You stay here.” Villa pointed to Mahlia.

  “We’re not whores!” Gertie shouted, stalking toward Mahlia. I grabbed her arm, holding her back. “You Hells Angel slut thief!”

  This got Mahlia’s attention. She had that “I know what you are” look on her face, but it was directed at Gertie.

  Villa looked at me and huffed. He grabbed my arm and forced me up on a horse with one of his men. Then he did the same with Gertie. We made our way out through the back pasture, Mitchell riding close on our heels. Now I understood why the Hawkinses’ house made such a good rendezvous. The railroad ran at the back of their property. There was a steam engine train with two cargo cars for transporting the waiting animals. The mules were being loaded inside, and you could hear them stomping about. The other cargo had apparently been transferred from the wagons, which now sat empty at the side of the train.

  Villa and his henchman took Gertie and me to the side of the train car.

  “Up!” he demanded, pointing to the top.

  “Oh no, I’m not gettin’ up there. I have acrophobia.” Gertie shuffled backward, asking, “How do you say fear of heights in Spanish?” The henchman pushed her in the back with his gun.

  “Let’s go, Gert,” I said and began to climb up. My subconscious was also questioning the whereabouts of my knight in shining armor. If Caiyan let Villa take me to Mexico, I was really going to hate him. At the top of the train car, large sandbags were arranged around the perimeter. My guess was the sandbags were to keep us from falling out. One of Villa’s men pulled me over. Gertie tumbled in after me. There were six men and five women on top of the train car. Most were armed with rifles. All were smiling. They had enjoyed my brownies. I scrambled to the side so I could see what was going down. Some of Villa’s men were still on horseback. I guess they were planning to ride back to Mexico. I could see Villa and Mitchell standing next to the train beneath me. I strained to hear what they were saying.

  “We have done our part, Villa,” Mitchell said in his scrawny voice. Maybe he would hit puberty soon.

  “Very well, gringo.” And he pulled a small bag out of his pocket, then tossed it to Mitchell. Villa motioned for the train to go. Mitchell opened the bag and smiled. I saw the gleam of metal from my key. As I felt the train begin to lurch forward, adrenaline took over.

  “Gertie, we have to jump,” I whispered.

  The band of men on horses rode to the front of the train. This was our chance.

  “No way in hell am I jumping off the top of a train,” Gertie stammered, “Did you see how high it was? Nope, no way. Not today, no how. Never.”

  “It’s never. When I say go, grab for the big willow tree branches coming up on the side of the train.”

  The train started to pick up a little speed. The flowing branches of the tree hung over the train, petting each car gently as it chugged along.

  “Now!” I shouted as our train car went under the tree, and I dove for the nearest branch. I felt Gertie jump after me.

  “SHIIIIIIIIIIIT!” I heard her yell as we slid down the tree’s limbs and landed, splat, on the ground. I’m sure I heard the words “crazy bitches” shouted in Spanish as we leaped to freedom. Darkness had finally taken over, but the Mexicans were shooting anyway. I stood and ducked into the tree line with Gertie by my side. My last vision of the train was Pancho Villa hanging off the side of the car, gun in hand, taking a shot at me. He was shouting in Spanish to his men, but his orders were drowned out by the train engine.

  “I think I sprained my ankle,” Gertie said.

  “Can you walk?” I asked, helping her up. I had skinned my knee, and my left arm was hurting.

  We cut through dense brush and hobbled back toward the house. About halfway was a small stream. The water was knee deep, but we managed to make it across. We struggled up a small hill, then found our way through the back pasture. The glow from the lanterns still lighting the area behind the house welcomed us as we ran as fast as our injuries would allow. We came out of the trees just in time to see Caiyan take Mitchell down in the small yard. He was holding him face to the ground in a wrestler’s pose.

  “Get the key,” Caiyan commanded. I ran to where Caiyan had Mitchell pinned and grabbed the pouch from his hands.

  “Where the hell were you?” I stood over the two men, one hand on my hip, the other holding my precious key. “We were almost taken to Mexico.”

  “Now is not a good time, lassie.” Caiyan tightened his grip on Mitchell, who was struggling fiercely. With both hands securing the younger man, Caiyan could not reach his gun.

  “You were supposed to rescue us.” I kicked some dirt with my boot.

  “Yeah, we had to jump off the top of the train. I sprained my ankle.” Gertie held her boot-clad foot up for Caiyan.

  He looked up at the two of us and sighed. “What do ye think I am doing?”

  It looked to me like he had been saving the key before trying to rescue us, but considering the situation, I decided to keep it to myself.

  Caiyan managed to drag Mitchell to his feet. He was a skinny little thing but still continued to struggle.

  “Where’s Brodie?” I asked.

  “He is keeping Mortas company. I didnae want any surprises.”

  I heard a rifle cock. “Let him go, Caiyan.” Mahlia came into the light. I bet that was a surprise.

  “Criminy.” Caiyan sighed, then released Mitchell.

  “About time, sis,” Mitchell scoffed.

  He came over and jerked the pouch out of my hands.

  “Sorry, babe, but that’s ours.” His New York accent was revealed in its full intensity. He walked over and handed the pouch to Mahlia. She didn’t take her eyes or her gun off Caiyan. Mitchell pulled a small revolver out of his holster and waved it around in the air as he came and stood between me and Caiyan.

  “Mahlia—” Caiyan started to say.

  “Keep your hands up.” She moved her aim from Caiyan’s chest to right below the belt. I saw Caiyan’s eyes widen. “I know you are with her. I don’t know why, but they are from our time. This means she must be your new transporter.” Mahlia cut her eyes at Gertie, who was still recovering from the jump off the train.

  “Mahlia, do naugh be ridiculous. We just picked them up on the way here.”

  Never call a scorned woman ridiculous. I grimaced. Mahlia shot him in the leg. Caiyan went down but took Mitchell with him. I lunged at Mahlia. The gun went off in the air. Gertie stood frozen, and the Hawkinses came running out.

  “What’s going on?” asked Opal.

  About then all hell broke loose. The Villistas had come back to claim the white women. They were shooting haphazardly in all directions. If only I had a box of Twinkies; the brownie effect was at its peak, and they would have dropped their guns immediately. The Hawkinses ran back inside. I dove for cover under the porch. Caiyan had retrieved the gun from his boot and had it on Mitchell. I looked around for Mahlia, but I couldn’t see her. I also didn’t see Gertie. Mr. Hawkins and Johnny, armed with shotguns, came back out on the porch and started picking off the Mexicans. I guess Villa had gotten what he’d come for, because he didn’t return for us white women. I had a feeling he’d sent his Villistas but kept the train going full steam back to Mexico. They could catch up later with or without us.

  “Where is Gertie?” I asked, looking around from my safe haven under the porch.

  Two of Villa’s men came sneaking around the side of the barn. They were dripping wet and must have fallen in the stream while pursing us. One of the Villista’s had a six-shooter and sent a bullet toward Johnny.

  As Mr. Hawkins got off a shot, Brodie came around the side of the house driving a wagon being pulled by Gypsy.

  “Damn wetbacks,” Mr. Hawkins said. I thought maybe he had just coined a phrase. “You people all right?”

  “We need to be going now, mate. Cover me while we get our guest in the wagon,” Brodie said to Mr. Hawkins as he helped Johnny load Mitchell into the back
of the wagon.

  “Are you OK?” I asked, belly-crawling over to Caiyan. His jeans were covered in blood to his midthigh.

  “Just a flesh wound, lassie.”

  I tore a piece of my dress and wrapped it around his leg.

  “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

  His green eyes held mine for a moment. “Thanks, love, now stay down.” He stood and limped over to Brodie. I immediately disobeyed and scurried over behind the wagon too.

  Chapter 15

  Mr. Hawkins and Johnny provided protection while Brodie and Caiyan secured Mitchell in the back of the wagon. Brodie had Mitchell bound and gagged and ready to be transported, but I still didn’t have my key, and there was no sign of Gertie.

  Mrs. Opal came out onto the porch, sawed-off shotgun in hand. She blasted a round off at a Mexican who had moved toward the bathhouse. He dropped his gun and went down, clutching his arm. They were starting to flank out and surround us.

  “She took her,” Mrs. Opal said. “I was coverin’ the front in case one of ‘em rascals got through the trees. The gal with the long hair took Gertie off on her motorized horse.”

  “Oh my God, they took Gertie!” I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing down my face. This was all my fault. What if they killed Gertie because they thought she was the transporter? The air felt thin, and I couldn’t breathe. Caiyan pulled me to him and wiped away my tears.

  “They won’t kill her. They need something to use to negotiate the freedom of Mitchell. As long as we have him, they won’t hurt her.”

  “You swear?” I sniffed, wiping my nose on my sleeve.

  “Yes, now we have to get oot of here before Pancho Villa decides to come back and we spend eternity in 1915.”

  Caiyan began barking orders. “Brodie, summon Ace and have him meet you at the Hobbses’ farm. If Villa returns, he won’t think to look for you there. Jen, go with Brodie, and I will hold them off long enough for you to get back to the town.”

  “No, I can’t leave you here by yourself.”

  “C’mon, darlin’, we need to make a fair go of it,” Brodie begged, looking worried. Caiyan scooped me up and plopped me down in the wagon next to Mitchell. He didn’t look happy about sitting next to me, so he gave me a good kick in the leg. Considering his hands were bound behind him and his feet were tied together, this was a pretty good feat.

  Caiyan pointed his Colt .45 revolver straight at Mitchell’s head and cocked the hammer.

  “If you touch her again, I will let the Hawkinses kill you, and then I will drop your dead body on Daddy’s doorstep.”

  Mitchell’s eyes got wide with fear, and he scooted as far away as possible.

  Mrs. Opal came running down the porch steps and gave me a hug. “Godspeed to you, dear. We will hold them off. Don’t worry, our cowhands are coming up behind them. It won’t be long now.”

  “Get oota here,” Caiyan demanded, and Brodie gave the reins a swish. Gypsy came to life and barreled through the trees and down a dirt path toward town.

  I saw Caiyan take cover behind the shed, giving him a view of any Villistas who might have wanted to sneak in from behind. We passed Dan, securely tied to a tree, on the way out. The wagon took a turn behind a hill, and Caiyan was gone from sight. There was shooting in the distance, but we continued our frantic pace to the Hobbses’ farm. I looked over at Mitchell, but he had his back turned to me. I assumed since this was his first trip and he had gotten himself captured, he would not be high on the Mafusos’ list of promising young time thieves.

  My heart was in my throat. I was worried about Gertie and afraid for Caiyan’s life. My dress was torn at the bottom from the bandage I had made for Caiyan, and I had a big rip down the right side of the bodice, probably from the leap off the train. The bonnet that hid my highlighted hair was history. I couldn’t remember losing it, but it must have come off in the rush to return to the Hawkinses’ farm. I buried my face in my hands and tried really hard not to cry…again.

  The road was difficult to navigate in the darkness, and Brodie was not making any rest stops. We made the turn into the long dirt road that led to the Hobbses’ house. Brodie had slowed Gypsy down to a jog.

  “Aren’t we endangering the family by hiding out here?” I asked Brodie.

  “I’ll tell ya the details later, mate,” he answered, jerking his head toward Mitchell.

  We rambled alongside the pasture with the longhorn chewing his grass. He didn’t look surprised to see us back so soon. When we pulled up in front of the small farmhouse, Mrs. Hobbs came out, coffee can in the crook of her arm. Following her were her two sons, Clyde and Junior. The younger of the two was holding a kerosene lantern, which gave off a small amount of light that illuminated their faces horror-movie style.

  “We need a place to hide,” Brodie said and opened the collar of his shirt, exposing his key.

  Mrs. Hobbs’s eyes looked weary, but she said, “In the barn with you.”

  “Aw, Mom, I knew they was up to no good. Why are we lettin’ them hide here?” said Junior.

  “Shut yer mouth, Junior. You’re not old enough to understand yet.”

  Brodie steered the horse toward the barn. Mrs. Hobbs’s boys were there to let us in.

  As the wagon came to a stop, the older boy, Clyde, helped me down from the wagon. We both looked at Mitchell.

  “Leave him there for now, mate. His ride will be along in a moment.”

  Junior was unhooking Gypsy from the wagon, and when he was out of earshot, I heard Clyde ask Brodie, “What’s it like?”

  Brodie’s eyes met mine, and I understood. Clyde had the gift. He looked to be about fifteen. I noticed he did not have a key around his neck.

  “It’s an adventure, mate, but it’s also dangerous and sometimes scary, like today.”

  “Is he one of them?” Clyde questioned.

  “Yes, and we are taking him to jail.”

  “Why don’t you just slaughter the murdering sack of shit right now?” Clyde asked, clearly upset Brodie wasn’t taking more action.

  I didn’t understand why he was so angry. He didn’t know what the Mafusos had been up to.

  “He’s young, mate, and we don’t do that anymore. We have a way to control them now.”

  “Seems to me like y’all are a bunch of pussies in the future,” Clyde said in a disappointed voice.

  “Maybe, but it seems to work out for the better for everyone involved.”

  “Ma won’t let me have the key. She keeps it hidden, says I’m not old enough yet, but I know I am, and when I find it, I’m gonna get them bastards and they won’t live to see the next day.” He walked around the wagon and looked in. “Besides, I’m as old as he is,” Clyde said, pointing a thumb toward Mitchell.

  “And he got himself captured,” Brodie responded.

  “Boys!” Mrs. Hobbs shouted as she came through the barn door. “Git your butts out here, now!”

  She came around and looked in the wagon. Mitchell gave her a glare. “He’s a puny one. Are they gettin’ smaller?”

  “Nope, he’s only sixteen,” Brodie added.

  “Sixteen!” she exclaimed. “Next thing ya know, they’ll have the toddlers out stealing and killing. It’s pathetic.” She spit a wad of chew into her can.

  We walked Mrs. Hobbs outside.

  “Thanks for the use of your barn,” Brodie said. “We won’t be here long.”

  “If there’s trouble, I can’t promise I can help. My family’s gotta come first.”

  “We understand.” I spoke for the first time in the conversation.

  Mrs. Hobbs looked me up and down. “What are you?” she asked.

  “I’m a transporter,” I said proudly.

  “Where’s your key?” she asked, poking a chubby finger at my neck.

  “Pancho Villa took it from the one who gives it to me and sold it to the brigands.”

  Her eyes got wide at the mention of Villa’s name. I assumed she was mentally counting every available weapon she owned just in case
the Villistas came calling.

  “Yer better off without it.” She turned and headed out the door. “Boys, come.” And that was that. The boys followed behind her. Clyde looked like he had a million questions that had to be left unanswered for now.

  After the Hobbses left, I looked over at Brodie. He knew I was also full of questions.

  “I’m not sure how much I’m supposed to tell ya since you haven’t formally been inducted into the WTF.”

  “Spill it,” I demanded.

  “Mattie Hobbs’s husband was the best defender of his time. He saved over three hundred people in a battle that was created by the brigands.”

  “Where is he?” I asked.

  “He didn’t make it out alive.”

  “How sad for Mattie Hobbs to have to raise the children alone.”

  Brodie looked at me through green eyes flecked with gold. He put a hand on my shoulder in a comforting gesture.

  “Ya see, mate, it’s serious business, what we do, so if you decide to join, you have to be committed. I have to know you can back me up if I need you.”

  “Right,” I agreed, but my knees were knocking together.

  I felt like I had bonded with Brodie. He was no longer one of the Scooby-Doo gang. He had real feelings under the rough exterior. I knew he would be there to back me up, so I wasn’t going to let him or Caiyan down. I had a job to do, and I was going to be brave and do my best. Well, after I found my key so I could actually do my job.

  “What are we going to do now?” I asked.

  “We are waiting on Ace to transport Mitchell back to headquarters. Hopefully, he will be here soon.”

  “How is Ace a transporter? Isn’t he a guy?”

  “Well, sorta,” Brodie said, then went outside.

  Brodie stayed outside to keep a lookout for Ace, Caiyan, or any trouble that might present itself. I was inside keeping an eye on our captive. Every now and then, he would try to holler a curse word at me, but it was muffled by the gag. I would respond by poking him in the ass with the end of a hoe.

  Outside there was a noise that sounded like a whoosh of wind, accompanied by a flash of lightning. I didn’t remember a storm brewing, so I poked my head out the barn door.