by Fred Holmes
Lida instinctively pulled up the clothes to cover her face. That move exposed more of her nakedness.
Crawford paid no attention to the fight. Lida’s sleek body captured his full attention.
“You a Chinee?”
“No, I’m Japanese.”
Traweek and Dee were rolling on the floor, and Dee was finding it difficult to handle the strong young man. Just when he thought he had him in a choke hold, Traweek would squirm free. Lida took this opportunity to wiggle into some of the women’s clothes; a little big but they covered her up.
“James, I need your help over here, now!” Traweek screamed.
Crawford picked up the pistol and leaning down placed the barrel against Dee’s head. “Now, mister, I don’t rightly know if this pistol will fire again or not but if you don’t stop and get up very slowly I will pull this trigger, and we’ll both find out”
Rummy barged in the door holding a tree limb the size of a baseball bat.
He looked at Dee. “You again? I told you I wasn’t going back—” He noticed Lida. “What the devil are you doing here?”
“See! I told you it was the Devils work,” Traweek interrupted. “Even Rummy says so.”
“Now, Wash, that’s just a saying. I didn’t mean it literally.”
“Dang it, Rummy; there you go again using those big words. Would you please stop?”
“Lida,” Rummy continued, “I asked you what you’re doing here.”
“I came to get you. I need you. You have to come back with me.”
“I’m not going back ‘til these boys are home safe. They saved my life.”
“You best go with them, Rummy,” Traweek said. “They must need you. They’ve come after you three times. Besides, we need to get going; those milking ladies will be home soon. They were headed for town when the gun went off. They’re probably on their way with their menfolk right now.”
He motioned Crawford to bring Dee closer. When he was close, Rummy grabbed Dee’s arm, held it up and reached in back of the bicep. Dee squirmed, but he held it like a vise. He finally found the capsule under the skin. “Tell them that if they send any more, we’ll kill them.”
He squeezed the capsule, the RNA mixed with the DNA, and twenty seconds later, Dee shimmered and disappeared.
“What happened?” said Crawford. “You gotta tell me what just happened!”
“James, you were right,” said Traweek. “They’re Devil workers.”
“Do we need to kill her?’
“No James, we just need to send her back to the devil.”
“No Rummy, please no,” Lida pleaded. “Don’t send me back. I love you; I do.”
He pulled her aside. “I promise, if you let me help these boys get home, I will come back.”
“How will you get back?”
“You’ll have to come and get me. The same way you figured this out.”
She thought for a minute. “Okay, I have an idea. The last places you will be are Jenkins Island and then Jenkins’ house. There’ll be too much activity at Jenkins House, but when you’re on Jenkins Island, you’ll be alone so we can meet you there and bring you home. Then the two boys can go on their way.”
Traweek interrupted. “We ain’t boys! We’ve been to Hades and back, though I never saw anything like these two. Rummy, it’ll be to everybody’s good if you take these devil worshipers away from here. You’ve served us well, but if what the Chinee says is true, it’s over. You all need to let us get back to killing Yankees, and you do what the Chinee wants.”
“I’m Japanese. Does that satisfy you, Rummy?”
“As much as I want to stay here, I’m of a different world. I’ll go back when we reach Jenkins Island. Wash and James will be on their own from there, and you can come and take me back to modern times.”
“And we’ll be rid of these Devil Worshipers,” said Traweek.
Lida said, “You have quite a ways to go before you reach Jenkins Island and a few harrowing adventures, so be careful.”
Rummy kissed her. She shimmered and disappeared.
“Dang she was pretty,” Crawford said.
“Rummy, James, let’s get moving. The Yankees’ll be after us.”
Chapter 20
CARLETON ENTERED Ralph’s real estate office, greeted Lorraine, and with a beckoning wave from Ralph, entered the room.
“Coffee?” Ralph asked.
“Sure, black, and you might as well pour one for Mike.”
“Beasley?”
“Yes, we’ll need his cooperation to solve this problem.” Carleton stood and retrieved a check from his gray jacket. “Here’s the thirty thousand.” He was not a tall man, but his 170 pounds fit his five-foot-ten-inch frame solidly. His hair was sandy and matched his blonde goatee. Add lustrous blue eyes, and the total package gave Carleton a distinct Robert Redford look. He was a handsome man. A fact not lost on Lorraine when she delivered the coffee. She liked men, especially handsome men.
“Here you are, Mr. Venable.”
“Thanks, Lorraine.”
She batted her eyes at him. “Gosh, call me Rainey. “
“Okay, Rainey.”
Mike Beasley arrived, and Lorraine steered him into Ralph’s office.
“Rainey, make sure his coffee is hot.”
“It’s fine, Rainey.” Mike looked up at her. He noticed the large “ℒ” embroidered on her sweater. “Would have thought you’d have an ‘R’ on your sweater.”
“Oh, no. Friends just call me Rainey. My name is Lorraine. The ‘L’ is my Mom’s idea. She was a big fan of Laverne and Shirley, the TV sitcom. It was way before my time, but Mom loved it.”
Mike looked at the letter. “Hmm.”
She started to the door, and then Ralph stopped her. “Close my door, Rainey, and no interruptions, please.”
Carleton started the conversation. “Mike, I don’t know how much you know about what’s going on around here or what you may know that we don’t. But we all need to be on the same page. I’ll start.” He explained his involvement with Dyna-Tyme and finished with the serious consequences, should Rummy return.
Ralph went next and filled them in on his friendship with Lida, leaving out their romantic connection. He covered SS&G as well as the pressure from Vinnie and Bruno, and also his father’s gambling problem.
Mike filled in the blanks and even suggested that by using his contacts in the FBI, he could bring some pressure to bear on Tony, Vinnie’s boss. “I hate to do that, though. Things are very complicated in that area of the country, and we might be reaching into a den of snakes.
“My biggest questions right now pertain to Lida, Nina Rains, and the involvement of SS&G. I think there’s a connection between the three, but I’m not sure of the relationships.”
Mike went on to relate the photo incident and Lida’s insistence that she’d had it under control.
“I checked with my contacts at the Bureau and received no information,” he continued. “But if an ongoing investigation is in effect, it will be difficult to get any intel. And unlike depictions in the TV shows, the Bureau is very tight lipped.”
“What do you think is going on?” Carleton asked.
“Well, I can’t be sure yet,” said Mike. “But I think somebody is either trying to snatch RTSL or use it. If it’s the latter, it would likely be Lida. I can see only one reason for her using it, and that’s to bring Rummy home. Why she would want him back here is beyond me.”
Ralph considered that. “He might not even be alive. That was a difficult time to live. What about SS&G? What do they stand to gain, Mike?”
“I did a cursory investigation of SS&G. Seems they’re hackers, and the only reason to hack something like RTSL is to sell it. Can you imagine time travel in the hands of the Russians or Chinese? How about the North Koreans? Disaster.”
Carleton stood up. “I have a meeting at the Queen. I think we need to start watching and keep each other in the loop.” Mike and Ralph agreed.
* * * * *
Rainey was looking for a relationship with a man. Preferably a big man. She recognized the power of information a long time ago. Over five years she, with Nina’s supervision, had bugged all of Bailey Insurance, Dyna-Tyme, her apartment, and Lida’s. With the new small, stick-on bugs, she could place a bug that recorded and transmitted using RFID technology. Anytime she passed the bug with her recorder turned on, the chip broadcast its data automatically. It was getting harder and harder to have any privacy. She knew the power of knowledge and used it wisely. She made her decision and headed for the Leesburg Airport.
Rainey Johnson was not a gorgeous young lady, but her short black dress clung to her shapely legs, and her jaunty walk gave her long, dark hair a saucy bounce. Once she had her teeth fixed and her eyelids tucked, she would have a face to go with her great body. She had potential. She arrived at the Leesburg Airport Inn right at seven. It was a nice five-star hotel. A small sign guided her to a dark bar in the rear of the lobby. Rich mahogany wood accented with low, leather sofas around circular tables in the same luxurious wood gave a cozy aura to the bar. Vinnie patted the leather seat next to himself, and she slipped around the cushions until just a few inches separated them. He snapped his fingers, and the bartender bustled over.
He looked at her. “What’ll ya have, Lorraine? Or do you like Rainey better?”
“I like Rainey. A margarita, please, on the rocks.”
“Tell me a little about yourself.”
“I’m twenty-three and single.” She continued from there, filling in the details of her schooling, family, and the few experiences available in Beernersville.
“So tell me, how long have you been working with Ralphie?”
“Five years, now. Since I graduated high school.” She finished her second drink.
“Do you like single malt scotch?”
“Never had any.”
“I’ve stashed a bottle in my room. Want to sample some?”
“Sure.” The sheen of sweat glistened on her upper lip.
He signed the check, and they boarded the elevator for room 413.
An hour later Rainey was putting the final touches on her makeup and Vinnie was sitting on the bed in his wife-beater undershirt, pouring himself another scotch. “You ever been to the Bahamas, Rainey?”
“No,”
“How about Paris? You know, in France?”
“Never been there, either.”
“How much do you make working for Ralphie?”
“Three-fifty a week.”
“Well, that’s not going to get you to France, now, is it? I gotta deal for you. It costs me a bundle, coming down here all the time just to obtain information that you could provide for me for a lot less. You know everybody, and I think I can trust you. With me so far?”
She nodded. He patted the bed, and she sat down. “I own a meat market, and I have several other investments. I have to admit that I’ve been pretty lucky, financially. So, I’d like you to work for me but keep your job with Ralphie. You would be my eyes and ears. I could add three-fifty more to your salary. I’d pay you in cash or money order so you wouldn’t have to worry your pretty head about the taxes.”
“So, what kind of information would you need?”
“Mostly about this Dyna-Tyme deal and what Ralphie and his cronies are cooking up. Think you could handle that?”
“Probably.”
“You’re quite a looker, and occasionally I have to go to the Bahamas or Florida, maybe even Cuba, if it opens up. So I might want you to meet me there for a weekend. Of course, I’ll handle all the expenses. I see you like nice clothes, and I have many friends in the clothing business.
“So you get paid a little extra, more if you do good, some nice clothes, and now and then, we get a little business/pleasure trip. How does that sound?”
“It sounds great, but I wouldn’t have to do anything illegal, would I? What do they call girls like that? Isn’t it ‘arm candy?’ Could I have a day to think about it?’
“Sure, I’ll be here for a while. You would be my exclusive gal. Keep in mind, there are two words I detest. One is ‘can’t’ and the other is ‘won’t.’ It’s about nine. What time do you have to leave?”
“I guess If I headed home at ten, I’d be okay. One other thing. I need some dental work and my eyelids lifted, and I just can’t afford it.”
“There ya go, using one of my bad words. You have the work done next week and send me the bill. The more beautiful you are, the better I like it. So, fix us another scotch and bring it over here. That scotch ain’t too bad, hey?”
“Not bad at all.”
She left at ten, and her walk was a little more jaunty as two weeks pay made her small black purse bulge. She liked big men, especially when they had big wallets.
Chapter 21
LIDA AND Dee shimmered and disappeared. The two confederates didn’t say a word, so Rummy remained quiet as well. Traweek picked the fine dress suit with a velvet cap and a pair of shoes. Rummy found additional cartridges for the pepperbox pistol, and Crawford picked up the other suit.
Traweek looked around. “I don’t see anything that’ll fit you, Rummy. You’re a big fellow. We’d best get going before the women come back with their menfolk.
The three headed back up into the mountains the same way they came. Traweek and Crawford changed their ragged uniforms for the clothes they had found in the house. They traveled five or six miles and decided to hold up for the night.
They had just settled down when they heard a knicker.
“What’s that?” Crawford asked.
Rummy thought it sounded like a horse. “I’ll take a look.”
“We’ll all go.” They followed Traweek and the sounds until they found a large horse and buggy. It was commonplace to leave your horse or horse and wagon when visiting neighbors. It was unlikely that your main mode of transportation would be stolen, particularly when horse thieves were often hung. Of course, the war changed crime and punishment. Marveling at their luck, Rummy, Traweek, and Crawford harnessed the horses and headed out onto the turnpike. They continued in the buggy until the horse faltered. Leaving the horse and buggy on the road, they once again climbed into the mountains and laid over for the rest of the day.
The next morning, they found another house, entered it, and found two overcoats. One fit Rummy, so he could stay warm, and Crawford got the other. They walked eight or nine miles and stopped at a barn where they found a pair of horses and a double buggy. Unfortunately, they could find only one bridle. Traweek was harnessing the horse when a bulldog attacked Crawford and tore the entire tail off his overcoat. Rummy and Traweek laughed so hard that Crawford got mad. They left the barn and traveled down the road on foot.
Next, they arrived at a lot with three horses. Traweek still had the bridle from the horse and buggy they’d borrowed, so they bridled the largest horse, and the three rode until the horse gave out. They left him standing in the road and walked about a mile on the turnpike road until they found another pair of horses and a new looking buggy. They took the horses and buggy and traveled about seventy-five miles before both horses stopped due to fatigue. They left them standing in the road as they had the other, then hiked back into the mountain and walked another mile.
They traveled some distance without finding anything else to ride. They were discouraged; they had a long way to go, and walking was not an attractive option. Tired and footsore, they were about to pack it in for the day when they came upon a hut and a horse tied to a tree.
“See anybody around?” Traweek asked.
Crawford looked around. “Nope. Let’s go.”
They mounted the horse and rode
two or three miles down the road when they met two old citizens. “What in the name of God are you boys doing with Old Blaze?”
“Blaze, hell, you get out of the way.” Traweek pointed the pepper box pistol at them.
The old men took to their heels. After Traweek, Crawford, and Rummy proceeded about a half mile, the old men called from the rear, and, at the same time, they were ordered by Federal guards to halt.
The three escapees jumped off the horse and ran as fast as they could, wading a small stream crossed by railroad tracks. As they ran, the Feds fired at them, missed, and killed Old Blaze. They made it into the mountains, where they lit a fire, dried their clothes, and remained hidden for the night.
The next morning, it snowed a little before daylight. They moved on for a mile or so, discovered a nice farm, and decided to stay in the barn out of the weather. They climbed into the wheat loft and slept until about nine the next morning, when they were aroused by voices below.
The father told his sons, “You boys better get to threshing the wheat this morning.” The boys climbed into the loft.
Traweek whispered to Rummy and Crawford, “Don’t say a word, even if they step on you.” The three lay quietly until one of the boys grazed Traweek with the pitchfork.
He jumped up and pointed his pepperbox pistol at them. “Watch where you’re sticking those pitchforks. You could hurt somebody with ‘em.”
The old man asked, “Are you going to murder us?”
“No sir! We’re Canadian citizens traveling from Canada to join Grant’s army.” Traweek made up a wild story. “We formerly lived in Berlin, Maryland, recently in Canada. Now we’re on our way back join Grant.”
He must have impressed the old guy with the story because the farmer gave them some dinner and a full supply of rations.
After that, he laid out a diagram in the yard of the position of both Lee and Grant’s army. He even directed them to his wife’s brother’s farm to restock on the way.
“You boys better hurry or Grant will capture Lee’s army, and you’ll miss all the fun.”
They all laughed heartily, and Crawford looked at Rummy. “We sure don’t want to miss out on any fun do we?”