by Janet Leigh
“What was that?” I asked Brodie.
“Ace,” Brodie responded with a cynical tone.
And then I saw him. About five ten, slightly muscular, dressed in tight bright-blue spandex pants, a sparkly gold-sequined top, and a feather boa. He had on a pair of Via Spiga black leather over-the-knee boots. I was green with envy. I wanted those boots, but looking at the size of his feet, I knew there would not be any swapping. He was coming from the direction of a carnival photo booth—the kind you get in with a friend, and you pull the curtain closed, then it spits out a strip of four black-and-white photos. The gold shirt was open to the navel, revealing skinny but firm abs, and around his neck was a key in the shape of a lightning bolt.
He sauntered over to Brodie. “Heeey, Brodie baby, what’s up?” This was kind of like a crocodile meeting up with Tinkerbell.
“What took you so long, mate?” Brodie grimaced and shifted uncomfortably.
“I had curlers in, hon; I can’t travel with my hair a mess.” He gave his long brown waves a toss, and then he noticed me.
“Well, what do we have here, another conquest from the past?” He circled around me, looking me up and down.
“Excuse us, hon.” He pulled Bodie to the side and spoke in a low tone, but the concern in his voice escalated, and I could hear every word. “I mean, really, Brodie, it’s not like you have a magic wand that can erase a memory with the flash of a red light. You really are being careless with the locals. She saw my ride and everything.”
“No, she’s one of us,” Brodie said.
Ace moved closer to me. “Nice hair.”
“Nice boots,” I replied.
“You like? I got them on clearance at Neiman’s, fifty percent off, girl, can you believe it?”
“No way?” I asked in awe.
“Um,” Brodie interrupted. “This is Jennifer Cloud. She is our newest transporter, and we have a bad guy to transport.”
“Why doesn’t she do it?” Ace asked, pointing my way.
“The Mafusos have taken her key,” Brodie said.
“And my cousin, Gertie,” I added.
“Damn thieves. Show me where he is, and I’ll get him out of here.”
As we walked back to the barn, Ace in the lead, I whispered to Brodie, “How come he isn’t in western clothes like us?”
“We can’t figure that one out. The vessel can’t seem to overpower Ace’s clothing. He always comes dressed as is…and sometimes it’s a little scary.”
“I heard that!” exclaimed Ace’s voice from inside the barn.
We walked together toward the wagon. Ace peered over the edge and got a glimpse of Mitchell. “Oh, he’s just a little thief. Come on over here to Ace, darlin’.”
This sent Mitchell into a kicking fit. “Woo, and feisty too! I like ‘em with a little spunk.”
Brodie got up in the wagon and pushed Mitchell to the edge. Mitchell tried to squirm, but Ace had him in a death grip. Brodie gave him a thunk on the head with the butt of his gun, and Mitchell was out for the count. Ace picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. “We need to blindfold him. Can’t have him waking up and gettin’ a look at my ride now, can we?”
Brodie found a feed sack in the barn and secured it over Mitchell’s head.
“That will do. How is Miss Priss here gettin’ back?”
“We are waiting for Caiyan,” I said.
Ace paused, then looked me up and down. “Of course you are. Call me, Brodie, hon, if I need to return, but make it quick; I’ve got a date with a rock star.”
We walked outside, and Ace said something in a language I didn’t understand. His photo booth appeared in front of us with a windy gust. He loaded Mitchell inside.
He gave me a wink and said, “Say cheese, baby!” There was a flash of light, and they were gone.
Brodie and I sat in the barn on a bale of hay. He told me stories of Australia and his family’s farm. He worked there in between time travels, and I was glad to finally meet a partner who also had to earn his living by working the old-fashioned way instead of through trust funds and family money. I told him about my boss getting arrested and about my new job at the chiropractic office. In the middle of our stories, we would pause and listen for any noises outside the barn.
A little later Mrs. Hobbs brought us some stew and corn bread. She hadn’t heard of any trouble, yet. Brodie assured me Caiyan would summon him when he was ready for help. I kept wondering, What if he can’t? How long do we wait? But Brodie’s cool exterior had me curling up in a ball, covered with a handmade quilt, and falling into a restless sleep on the hay in a barn, once again.
I was jostled awake by Brodie the next morning. “OK, let’s go, mate.”
“Where to?” I asked.
“We are going after Caiyan.”
“Did he summon you?” I asked, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.
“No, and it’s been too long. I don’t want to risk Villa or his Villistas coming after the Hobbs family. They have had enough loss. Caiyan gave me orders to have Ace transport you back, but I may need your help if Caiyan was caught. I can’t have Ace walking around like that in this time.”
We led Gypsy out of the barn, leaving the wagon behind. She didn’t look too happy about departing the nice digs for another crazy ride. Brodie climbed on, avoiding the bite we both knew was coming. He motioned for me to climb up on a stack of hay. I did as he suggested, and he pulled Gypsy up next to me so I could get on easier. We rode down the dirt road past the longhorn, who I think was sleeping, but since he was still standing, it was hard to tell. We galloped back to the road, and Brodie got off and looked at the ground.
“He came through here all right but headed toward the town. He was being followed by about eight horses, maybe more.”
“Why doesn’t he just call his vessel?”
“It doesn’t look like he had the time. When you summon your vessel, you have to make absolutely sure you have about ten minutes of safe time. If you don’t, you may not make it back to where you came from.”
“Where do you go?”
“I dunno, maybe lost in time.”
I stored this information for future reference, because I didn’t want to be lost in time.
“Damn, this is Villa’s horse. He must have stopped the train to get his horse off.”
“Why would he come back when he got what he came for?” I asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Maybe one of his Villistas is riding his horse,” I suggested.
Brodie looked at me, doubtful. “Let’s ride toward the town.”
Chapter 16
We rode close to the tree line in case we needed to hide from the outlaws. As we approached, we saw smoke. Brodie pulled Gypsy into the trees, and we crept in for a closer look. The saloon was on fire. The Villistas were riding up and down the street shooting out windows and raising hell.
Pancho Villa stopped his horse in the center of town and yelled, “I know you are here, worthless gringo. If you do not show yourself, I will slaughter everyone in this town.” He paused. “Starting with the women and children.” People started to scamper inside the buildings, but I could see heads peering out windows. A person just couldn’t resist a good gunfight.
“This is bad,” Brodie said.
“What can we do?” I asked.
Pancho Villa turned his horse in a circle. His Villistas lined the dust-covered road. “My men have told me of the dark-haired stranger who helps the Australian gringo.” He scouted the tops of the buildings. A few of his men were there shaking their heads to indicate there was no sign of either gringo.
Caiyan appeared riding Dan at the end of the road opposite Brodie and me.
“Villa,” he shouted. Pancho turned his horse in Caiyan’s direction but waved his hand in a downward motion, indicating to his Villistas to hold their fire.
“Mortas double-crossed you,” Caiyan yelled, riding toward Pancho. “He works for President Carranza. The Carranzistas. They will be waiting t
o capture you when you return to Mexico.”
“I don’t believe you. You work for the Carranzistas,” Villa replied as he tightened his hold on his horse’s reins. “Why would Mortas sell me guns if he was not on my side?”
“He wanted the necklace. He knew the Carranzistas would be waiting when you return. I am after Mortas and his accomplices. The necklace belongs to me.”
“Why does everyone want the necklace?” Villa asked. “It is not gold, and the stone is not diamond.”
“It’s a family heirloom.”
“All of this for a family bauble?” Villa shook his head in disbelief. “There is more to the story. That is why I got off the train.” He shifted in his saddle. “You may think I am a fool, but you would be wrong, gringo.”
Caiyan no longer had to yell to be heard by Villa. He had ridden Dan right up, front and center to Villa. He was within arm’s length of the nearest Villista as they closed in around him.
“What’s he doing?” I asked Brodie. “He’s riding right into the middle of it.”
“Damn, he’s summoning me, he must have seen us ride into town.”
I looked in Caiyan’s direction, and sure enough he had his hand up to his key. “What? Why would he do that? You will be in danger too.”
“I think he’s going to do a magic trick,” Brodie said with a half smile.
“Magic? What are you talking about? What should we do?”
“I guess we make ourselves available.” And we slowly rode out from our hiding place in the bushes.
Villa’s men moved their horses behind their leader in a half circle. Some of the curious townsfolk had come out to see why the shooting had stopped, and a crowd was starting to form. As Caiyan stopped in front of Villa, Brodie and I were riding under cover of the trees from the opposite direction toward Caiyan. His face darkened with irritation as he saw me. All eyes were fixed on Caiyan. Brodie let me off at the edge of the road, forced his pistol in my hand, and told me to try to blend in with the townspeople. He turned Gypsy and rode her out of the tree shadows and toward the mayhem.
The sound of shotguns arming indicated the Villistas had finally seen Brodie. Villa told his men to hold their fire. Brodie joined Caiyan in the center of the road. Pancho Villa pointed his gun on Brodie.
“I see your worthless compadre has joined you for the execution. This man works for the Carranzistas. He was caught spying on us.”
“No, he works with me,” Caiyan said. “He was watching the Mafusos.”
“How do I know what you say is true?” Villa said.
“Mortas told me of your plans to invade Camp Furlong near Columbus, New Mexico,” Caiyan lied. The townspeople gasped and moved farther away from Villa and his men. Villa shook his head in disbelief.
“I have a deal to make with you, Villa,” Caiyan said.
“I make no deal with you, gringo.”
“Ahh, but this deal involves magic.” Well, that piqued Villa’s interest.
“What kind of magic?” Villa asked curiously.
“I can make a man disappear.”
The Villistas laughed, and a few townspeople let out stressful groans in disbelief.
“I bet you I can make this chap disappear,” Caiyan said, pointing to Brodie.
“And if I can’t, you may execute me however you like, but if I make him vanish, you leave the people of this town and never return here.”
“As you must know, I am a man of my word,” Villa replied, stroking his mustache and contemplating the wager in his mind. “I will make this bet with you, and if this is true, you will show me how.”
Caiyan and Brodie dismounted. I moved closer to a large man wearing an apron. I noticed it was the blacksmith we had met previously. I fell into his shadow, staying out of sight of the Villistas.
I heard Caiyan say to Brodie, “Why is she still here?”
Brodie shrugged in his outback way. “Dunno, mate, I thought she could help.”
“Cripes, has everyone gone mad?”
“OK, folks, everyone stand back,” Caiyan demanded. “I must first summon my disappearing machine.”
The crowd laughed skeptically, but moved back a few feet. Villa was still on his horse in front of Caiyan, his gun pointed to Caiyan’s chest. Brodie was standing facing Caiyan with his back to Villa and the Villistas.
“Summon your vessel,” Caiyan whispered to Brodie.
As Brodie touched his key and mumbled something, Caiyan stood with his hands spread out like Moses parting the Red Sea.
There was a crack of thunder, and Brodie’s bathtub appeared in front of Caiyan. The crowd cried out with astonishment. Villa raised a hand, and there was a sudden silence.
“Parlor tricks,” Villa claimed. “I have seen them at the traveling circus. You have managed to make a washtub appear in front of us.”
Some of the townspeople nodded their heads in agreement. Others stood staring in awe.
“Now I will have my partner get in the magic machine, and I will make him disappear right before your eyes.”
I suddenly had a vision of the David Copperfield show. Maybe that’s how he made the elephant disappear. Maybe David Copperfield was one of us.
Caiyan saw me standing next to the blacksmith. He cut his eyes to the right. I followed and saw Dan lingering next to the water trough. Slowly I made my way over to him and climbed on. Brodie stepped into the bathtub.
“Good luck, mate, see you back at the office.” Caiyan clapped Brodie on the shoulder, and they did the arm-hold thing that I equate to a guy hug. Caiyan moved back and raised his arms in the air.
There was a loud gurgle, and Brodie was gone. The crowd shrieked in amazement. Villa walked his horse to the spot Brodie had just occupied.
“I do not know how you do your tricks, gringo, but I am a man of my word. I will leave this town.”
A few people cheered. Villa raised his gun, and they cowered back.
“But I did not agree you would go free.”
My heart sank. He was going to kill Caiyan anyway.
Then I heard the sound of pounding hooves. I turned in time to see Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins, their son, Johnny, and all the cowboys who worked on the ranch driving the Hobbses’ herd of hopped-up mules toward us.
“That’s our queue, sunshine, we’re oota here.” Caiyan jumped up behind me on Dan. He gave Dan a kick, and we galloped off.
Villa and the Villistas were after us, shooting their guns. Luckily the mules had slowed down the pursuit.
“Why didn’t you go back with Ace?” Caiyan asked angrily.
“I was worried about you.”
“Damn,” was his only response.
I could still hear the gunfire behind me. We rode Dan through a break in the trees, and I heard a loud crack. In the center of the clearing, sparkling with the reflection of the morning light, stood a red phone booth. The kind you see in England with a crown above the door. I knew Caiyan was a defender, so he couldn’t take me with him. My heart leaped into my throat. Was he going to leave me for Villa? He pulled on Dan’s reins, and the horse came to a halt. Dan was breathing hard, but I felt like I was going to hyperventilate. Caiyan helped me off, then he slid down to the ground.
“Thanks, Dan.” Caiyan gave him a pat on the behind, and he wandered off into the trees.
Caiyan grabbed my hand.
“Where should I go?”
“You are going with me.”
He pulled me into the phone booth.
“But you’re a defender. You can’t transport two people. We could get lost in time.” I shuddered.
“Aye, then I hope this works.”
Villa cut through the trees. I heard gunfire, and a bullet pinged off the phone booth. Caiyan said something I couldn’t hear over the gunfire, then put his mouth to mine, and we disappeared.
Chapter 17
Caiyan’s kiss was mesmerizing. An intense heat poured through me and down into the inner sanctum of my body. The forces of the time travel swirled around me as if I were bundl
ed inside a cocoon. When the vessel stopped, our lips parted. It worked. I was still in one piece. My hands were resting on his muscular chest, and his arms were wrapped tightly around me. I pulled away from him, and his dark lashes fluttered open, revealing the deep smolder of his emerald-green eyes.
“It worked. I’m alive,” I said, my knees giving out beneath me. He gathered me in his arms and kissed me again. A ball of fire formed in my gut and seemed to explode out my fingertips. We broke, and I think he must have felt the same thing, because he stared at me in amazement.
Then I felt the other sets of eyes staring at me. I turned to face three men in suits standing with hands on hips, glaring at us through the glass door of the phone booth. Caiyan slid the door open.
“Welcome to Gitmo. Lassies first.” He gestured with a palms-up movement toward the men.
“Um, hello,” I said, stepping down from the platform.
From behind the men, footsteps echoed into the room. A voice of authority rang out. “Where the hell have you been?”
The wall of men parted, and Jake came front and center.
“Oh shit!” we both said simultaneously.
Caiyan stepped forward. “Meet our fearless leader,” he said with a hint of sarcasm.
“Jennifer, what the hell?” Jake tried again.
“You two have met, yeah?” Caiyan said, stepping aside. He backed up to lean against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. His western wear had changed into a worn pair of Levis, a tight-fitting black T-shirt, and black Doc Martens. I looked him up and down, and he raised an eyebrow at me. “Not exactly what I expected,” he said, the corners of his mouth turning up.
I looked down and realized I was in the dreadful smiley-face scrubs from the clinic. Damn.
“Um, these are my work clothes.”
“Nice boots,” Brodie added, joining the group.
I took in my surroundings. It was a big empty space that reminded me of an underground airplane hangar, no windows. There were twelve square platforms lined up in four rows. Each platform was about ten square yards, providing plenty of room to land a vessel. Brodie’s bathtub sat on the next platform.
“Mr. McCoy, should we take the girl to the debriefing room?” asked the suit on the right.