by Risner, Fay
They heard an angry, sleepy voice spewing grumbling sounds and shuffling feet dragged across the floor. A light came on. It shone through the window by the door and lit up a square in the front yard. The door swung open fast.
“What you want, Skinny Jake, and it better be good since you interrupted my night's beauty sleep,” barked a fuzzy haired, middle aged woman, in a ragged, bright pink housecoat and hairy pink slippers. She looked like she'd stuck her finger in a light socket. Every bit of her gray hair stood straight up.
“Aw, Sofie, I wouldn't bother you if it wasn't important. My friend is gun shot. We need to get her fixed up without a doc. You get me?” Jake asked.
Sofie stuck her head passed the open door to look up and down the seemingly empty street. She reached out and got Jake by the coat sleeve to jerk him inside. “All right, but it's against my better judgment. Helping you out could bring big trouble down on me if you did something crooked the cops want you for. Get in here quick before someone sees you.”
Once Jake and Annie were out of the way, Sofie slammed the door.
Jake cringed as he glared at Sofie over his shoulder. “Did you have to make enough noise to wake up the whole neighborhood and let them know we came visiting?”
“I always slam that door. Keeps the rats scared off. Nothing worse I hate than a gnawing rat in the house with me,” Sofie grumbled.
Jake eased Annie into a chair at the kitchen table with a green Formica top and rusted chrome legs. When he let go of her, Annie slumped forward until the table stopped her. “This is my friend, Cowboy Girl Annie,” Jake introduced.
Sofie's house shoes shushed as she slid her feet fast to get around the table to stare at Annie. She grabbed the electric cord attached to a bare bulb dangling over the table and aimed the bulb at Annie. “How about that? I've heard about this one, but never thought I'd lay eyes on her.” Sofie's eyes narrowed. “Say, who is after you?”
“You probably shouldn't ask,” Annie said between gritted teeth.
“Yeah, I sure should. I want to know who to dodge if the word leaks out I doctored you,” Sofie groused.
“The word wasn't going to leak out if only us three knew about it. That's unlikely now if all the other windows around the neighborhood has eyes since that you woke the neighbors up. Big Ed is after us so he put a bounty on our heads,” Jake whispered, backing up to look in the dark living room. “You here alone?”
Sofie grunted. “Now is a poor time to ask. Yip, I'm here alone. Lady, couldn't you have upset someone else besides that scalawag? No critter meaner than that brute, Big Ed.”
“At the time, I was feeling mean too, and he was the only one handy to pick on,” Annie said, trying to grin. She grimaced instead. Her eyes rolled up in her head. She passed out, and her head dropped to the table.
“Well, she went down for the count in a hurry, huh? Help me get her jacket and shirt off so we can get a good look at the wound,” Sofie ordered.
“She's lost an awful lot of blood,” Jake said, pulling Annie's good arm out of the denim jacket.
Sofie's left eyebrow went up. “Golly, Big Ed meant business, but looks like the bullet went clear through and came out the back. That's a good thing. I won't have to waste time probing for a bullet. Now if I can just get the bleeding to stop, get a bandage on her and if she don't get infection.”
Jake frowned. “That's an awful lot of big ifs.”
“ I know it ain't none of my business, but what did she do to Big Ed to cause him to shoot her?” Sofie asked.
“He didn't shoot her. He put a bounty out on our heads, and a drunken bum tried to collect. Annie saw the man aiming at my back and she stepped in the line of fire. Sofie, that bullet was meant for me. I owe Cowboy Girl Annie for my life,” Jake explained.
“All right then. The woman has grit. I'll give her that, but you still haven't answered my question. How did she make Big Ed mad?” Sofie persisted.
“Annie got him arrested so he's probably still in jail. It was some whiskey sop that tried to collect the bounty and nailed Annie,” Jake said as he tossed the bloody jacket in the closest chair.
“The whiskey sop get away?” Sofie asked casually as she gently removed Annie's blouse.
“Nope, he's molding in the dark a mile away, waiting to be discovered.” Jake frowned, wrinkling his forehead. “Problem is plenty more like him is looking for us.”
“I don't want to know any more about that there dead fellow. Less I know the better I like it. I'm here to tell you getting arrested must have got Big Ed plenty steamed,” Sofie warned. “I cain't do no more to this gal here.
Help me move her to the living room couch so she's flat while she's passed out. Easier for me to work on her, and she can stay there until she can stand up. No need moving her but this once that way. Like you said, she's lost a bunch of blood. Maybe too much to live no matter how good a doctor I am.”
Chapter 12
Annie jerked in her sleep. A serge of pain brought her to consciousness. She groaned as she opened her eyes. A strip of dirty white wallpaper on the ceiling hung down over her like sticky fly paper.
Annie moved her head to look around her and grimaced from the pain. The walls were covered with faded stripes of flowered wallpaper.
A spring in the dark brown couch was poking into her back just itching to pop out of the thin upholstery. An old recliner with the back turned to her was at the end of the couch. A secretary desk with a beveled glass cabinet attached was across the room by a wooden rocker. Not one thing about any of the furniture or the living room looked familiar.
Annie turned her head sideways. Jake, with his chin resting on his chest, was sitting by her in a kitchen chair. Annie patted his arm. He straightened up and rubbed sleep from his eyes. “Easy, girl. You got to lay still.”
Annie licked her dry lips and rasped weakly, “I'm surely and purely nervous. You're the only thing I recognize in this here place. Where am I?”
Jake gave her an anxious once over. “You said you wanted to go some place to get fixed up. Remember you were gunshot?”
“No! How could I forget that?” snapped Annie, holding her shoulder as she fought the pain.
“Well, you were, and I brought you to my friend, Sofie's house. She's a pretty good doctor when folks need her that cain't pay,” Jake bragged.
Annie asked, “How long have I been in this house?”
Jake said, “Two days.”
“Two days!” Annie tried to sit up. The quick motion was too much for her. Her head swirled, or the room did. She wasn't sure which way it was, so she laid back down. “Where are we anyway?”
“Sofie's house is on the north edge of town. You were right. The bullet went clean through so Sofie bandaged both wounds. Just lay still now so you don't start bleeding again. You lost too much blood already. You ain't in no shape to move fast,” Jake scolded.
“Use your head, hombre! Two days is too long to stay in one place with Big Ed looking for us. As soon as I can stand upright and stay on my feet, we got to get out of this house.
It ain't safe to stay here for long for you, me or Sofie now that she helped me. Big Ed won't take kindly to her interfering with his plans to kill us,” Annie worried.
“I been going out in the night to see what's going on. I stay out for two or three hours at a time,” Jake told her. “So far it's pretty quiet on the streets. No one seems to know nothing about Big Ed.
They do know the cops found the dead bum. What happened to the bum is a mystery to everyone? They're pretty quiet about what they know about anything to do with us. Afraid for themselves if Big Ed finds out they talked to me. Now it's all right that you rest some more.”
It was almost morning when Annie woke at the sound of door hinges squawking. It couldn't be Sofie coming or going. She'd have slammed the door to scare the rats.
Annie looked over at Jake's chair. He wasn't by her side. She'd have to fend for herself if need be. Wonder where my gun got to?
Preparing herself t
o do battle, Annie sat up on the couch, finding it hard to breathe through the pain as she waited to see who was slipping quietly around in the kitchen. Her heart thumped fast as she stared toward the doorway.
Sofie leaned around the back of her recliner to see in the kitchen. She saw Annie weaving around on the couch. “Relax, Gal, it's just Jake coming back.”
The room was so dark, and Annie's vision was hazy. She'd missed Sofie leaned back in that recliner. Annie slumped against the couch back and tried to slow down her breathing.
Her skinny friend ducked his head at the doorway to come into the living room. He paced the floor, running his fingers through his hair.
“Slow down before you wear a hole in my floor,” Sofie barked.
“I cain't, Sofie. Annie, we got to get out of here now. Someone ratted on us. Word on the street is Big Ed is coming here with three of his goons. They figure on killing you and me on sight.
Sofie, Big Ed knows you helped us. You got to get out of here and lay low a few days until Big Ed cools down.” Jake ran his fingers through his hair again and took a deep breath.
Sofie grunted. “I spect it will take more than a few days to get Big Ed off our backs. When you two upset that mean son of a gun you did a good job of it.
You don't have to tell me twice. You two try to stay safe. Annie, get some more rest if you can and be careful not to start that wound bleeding again. You ain't near healed. Now I'm out of here.” Sofie grabbed her wool coat and scarf off a peg on the wall and headed for the back door.
She opened the door and peeked out then slipped away into the night, leaving the door wide open. Big Ed was a bigger fear to her right now than the rats.
Chapter 13
Annie lifted her legs off the couch and wavered back and forth as she sat up. “Jake, where did my gun end up?”
“I put it in your jacket pocket, hanging on that peg.” He pointed to the wall behind Sofie's recliner. The denim jacket was beside the empty peg Sofie's coat had been on. “Where you think you're going to be able to hide in the condition you're in?”
“In that storm drain I told you about. That's where we was headed when I got shot. Come on,” Annie said, standing up. She wobbled and grabbed Jake's arm until her head quit spinning.
Slowly, Jake led Annie through the kitchen to the door. He peeked outside, and thanked Mother Nature for the moonless night. “Not a soul in sight as far as I can see. As dark as it is, if I cain't see them, they cain't see us. Let's go.”
Annie stepped outside and stopped to look around for herself. Jake grabbed the door knob to quietly ease the door shut. She put her hand over his on the knob. With humor in her voice, she asked, “Do you think we should slam the door for Sofie to keep the rats away until she comes back?”
Jake shook his head. “Nope, I don't. Unless you want to let the neighborhood know we just left so you can get shot again. Now come on.”
He tugged on her arm with a tight grip and then grabbed her around the waist to make sure Annie stayed on her wobbly feet. As much as they could they kept in the shadows of the buildings. Soon they came to an undeveloped lot full of scrubby trees.
When they reached the spot Annie wanted, she pushed bush branches out of the way. She sank to her knees and crawled into the dark metal hole. She heard scuffling sounds of a fairly large animal and hoped it was fleeing out the other end of the tube.
When the tube was suddenly quiet, Annie's voice sounded like a hollow echo as she called back out of the storm drain, “Come on in, Jake. Join me.”
She took a deep breath and let it out while Jake bellied in. “Whoee, that walk about done me in. I'm not going to be fit to move out of here for a day or two yet I reckon.”
Jake grunted. “I didn't figure you would be. I'm surprised you walked this far on your own power,” he said softly. He rubbed his arms. “It's dang chilly in here.”
“That it is. The metal radiates the cold I reckon,” Annie surmised, shivering.
“Annie, snuggle up close to me,” Jake said as he pulled her to him.
They curled up together to keep warm and dozed off, feeling they were as safe as they were ever going to get until something permanent happened to Big Ed.
When daylight lit the storm drain, Annie opened her eyes. She stretched and that woke Jake up. “Morning, Annie.”
“Morning, Jake,” she answered as she wiggled away from his arms.
“What do we do now?” Jake asked, raising up to rest his head on his elbow as he looked at her.
“I don't rightly know. If we leave here in the daylight, we're bound to be sighted by someone that will tell Big Ed.
If we're too far from this hiding place, he or someone he's paid is gonna try to kill us before we can get back here to hide,” Annie reasoned.
“Sure will,” Jake agreed.
“I don't even remember for sure where I left my shopping cart. Do you know where it is?” Annie asked.
“You left it back where that drunk guy shot you. I couldn't carry you and push it in the hurry I was in. I had to leave it there and my sack, too,” Jake said. “I went back for the cart and my knapsack on my first night out, but they had disappeared. Maybe we'll find your shopping cart sitting in an alley somewheres when it's safer to look for it.”
“Don't matter none now. Everybody and his brother has helped themselves to our good loot, including my jewelry box I reckon. Guess there's no hurry about looking just yet,” Annie said with regret for the loss of her stash in her voice. “I just hope that cart's stubborn wheel locks up but good or falls completely off for whoever stole my cart.”
Jake chuckled. “Maybe that rat trap hid in the stuff will break a few fingers for their thieving efforts.”
“Nah, reckon not,” Annie said as she looked away.
“How come?” Jake shot back.
“Cause there wasn't a rat trap in the cart,” Annie admitted.
“You lied to me about that. Why?” Jake looked hurt. “Aw, Annie, you sure don't act like you're all that fond of me,” he said sourly.
“I had good reason to lie to you since I didn't want anyone to know I had my gun. It was hidden in my jewelry box in the bottom of the cart. I didn't want you going through my stash and find the gun. At the time, you were too dad burn interested in that jewelry box. I wanted to scare you off,” Annie explained. “I'm sorry I wasn't truthful. It won't happen again.”
“In that case, you're forgiven,” Jake said as he leaned over and kissed her cheek.
By noon, their stomachs took turns growling. Annie wrapped her arms around her middle and held on tight. “I sure wish I had one of those good doughnuts. I'd even split it with you.”
“You are so thoughtful to share one,” Jake said snidely. “But first, we'd have to make it to the doughnut shop without getting caught by Big Ed. There's not much chance of us being able to do that in the daylight.”
“It might be worth it for half an iced doughnut,” Annie said wistfully. “I'm starving, and I know you are. I can hear your stomach growling from over here.” She got on all fours and crawled to the opening to look passed the bushes. No sign of anyone near by. She looked back. “I'll bring the doughnut back here to split it with you.”
Jake groaned as he grabbed her right cowboy boot. “Wait a minute. I can't let you go off alone wounded like you are. You might wear out before you get to the bakery and won't be able to make it back. You would be bound to fall flat on your face where Big Ed can find you. You know that, don't you?”
“Aw shucks, I'm feeling much better. Just weak from hunger. We got to get something to eat, Jake,” Annie declared.
“You're crazy for wanting to go out there.” Jake paused to think a moment. “I'm crazy for doing this, but what the heck. I'm coming with you to really watch your back this time. I have enough money to buy two iced doughnuts. I don't figure on splitting one. I'm so hungry I want my own.”
Annie grinned. That was just what she hoped Jake would say.
Chapter 14
&n
bsp; Jake and Annie slipped through the back alleys to the park. They stayed in the shade of the trees, edging from one tree to the next and angled toward the bakery.
They looked cautiously both ways before they crossed the street and rushed to the store. Annie went inside this time and watched out the store front window while Jake paid for the doughnuts. He nodded at Annie that they could go and handed her a sack.
Once they were outside, Annie asked, “We going back to the storm drain before we eat the doughnuts?”
“Nah, I'm so hungry I can't wait that long. We might as well go to our usual doughnut eating spot in the alley. We can go back to the storm drain later. After the sun goes down, it will be safer moving about without being spotted,” Jake decided.
They edged around the building to the alley and sit down with their backs against the store wall. Quickly, they opened their sacks and pulled out their doughnuts
Annie held her doughnut close to her nose savoring the moment, hoping the doughnut was as good as it looked. It was warm and iced. Couldn't beat that with a stick?
A delivery truck roared down the street and braked with a loud screech to a stop in front of the bakery.
Annie flinched as she looked at Jake. “I hate loud noises right now. Don't you?”
“You have a right to be jumpy. I am, too. I feel like Big Ed has eyes everywhere,” Jake whispered, talking through the last bite of his doughnut. He chewed as he peered both ways. So far so good. They had the alley to themselves.
“That's because he does have eyes everywhere, and the money to pay the hombres the eyes belong to when he wants someone plugged,” snapped Annie softly as she watched four rough looking men, with large guns, darkened the entrance to the alley.
Right off Annie spotted the one in the lead was Big Ed. Even in dim light he was easy to pick out. She swallowed the last of her doughnut as she grabbed Jake's arm and pointed at the world of hurt headed toward them. “Speak of the devil, and here he comes with his goons.”