by Lisa Rae
The prison guard called up another guard from further inside the prison yard, told him the message, and told him to go deliver it to the governor right away.
While Angel sat her horse and waited, she thought about how she was going to tell the governor about his daughter, and what she needed him to do to ensure her safety and others.
The guard that was sent to deliver the message to the governor soon returned and said, “The governor will see you now. If you will follow me, I will take you to him.”
Angel nodded her head to the guard as she climbed down from her horse, and tied it to the hitching post outside of the prison wall. Then she went through the prison gate that the guard opened for her, and she followed the other guard inside the prison. Angel looked around as she was being led down a corridor … Nothing had changed since she was here a year ago.
As she stepped inside the room the guard took her too, governor William Whitaker greeted her, “Angel! It’s good to see you again. How have you been?”
“I’ve been doin’ good Bill,” Angel said with a big beautiful smile.
“Please come in and sit a spell with me, so we can do some catching up,” The governor said as he showed Angel to a comfortable leather chair.
“Bill, I come to see you for a couple of reasons. To start with your daughter Julianna is safe and unharmed. She is with Gabriel.”
“My Julie is safe! Oh thank God! I have been so worried about her, ever since I heard she had been kidnapped by the Phantom outlaw gang. How did Gabriel end up with her though?” The governor asked confused at that part.
“Gabriel was the Phantom outlaw that kidnapped Julianna.”
The governor sat there a moment looking dumbfounded. He couldn’t grasp what he was hearing. “Since when did Gabriel become part of the Phantom gang?”
“About a year ago, not long after you last saw him,” Angel answered him.
“I see …” As he started to understand the situation. “What can I do to help?” The governor asked.
Smiling with that beautiful face Angel said, “Well Bill, I’m glad you asked. Here’s what I need you to do….”
Chapter 7
On his way with the Phantom outlaw gang to Colorado City, Gabriel spent much of that time thinking about how badly upset Julianna felt, before he left the outlaw camp. If only she would have let him explain things this morning, then she’d know the truth and understand. She would understand … wouldn’t she? Living with outlaws every day was his life now. But could she accept that? Would she be willing to marry a man that did that for a meager living?
Julianna was the daughter of Governor Whitaker. Gabriel knew the governor would want her to marry a man of wealth, just like Dora’s father had wanted …
Dora … Being in love with her, had gotten her killed. Now he was in love with Julianna. Would his quest for vengeance, get himself or her killed too …?
*
The outlaw gang headed down along Bear Creek towards Colorado City. They always varied their routes, so that they did not go the same way out from the outlaw camp, as they went in. When they reached the outskirts of Colorado City, they headed for the Wolf’s Den Saloon in the red light district.
They rode past Boyd Witcomb’s blacksmith shop, and Patrick O’Brien the undertaker who went by the name of ‘Bones’. Both of which looked to be keeping busy, as Boyd was busy shaping a horseshoe for a horse that was tied up there, and you could hear Bones hammering away on a wooden coffin.
Next door to Boyd’s, was the livery stable owned by Rex Weaver. He was a short stocky man with sandy blonde hair and hazel eyes who walked with a prominent limp, from having mistreated a mule many years back.
Rex was cleaning out a stall in the livery stable, when the whole Phantom gang rode up and dismounted. Clayton, Ted, and Victor headed into the stable leading their horses, while the rest of the outlaw gang tied their horses up outside at the hitching posts.
“Rex, you old limping dog, where are you?” Clayton called out, as he looked around for Rex Weaver.
“Over here,” Rex hollered back to Clayton, as he stepped out of the stall he was cleaning, to where Clayton could see him.
“I want you to groom and feed all of our horses. Make sure to grain them good, and have them all ready to go at daybreak. The rest are tied up out front,” ordered Clayton to the short livery man, as he flipped a golden eagle into the air to him. He left his horse standing there as he turned and walked back out the way he came in. Ted and Victor looped their horse’s reins around a barn post, and turned and followed Clayton out the front, to where the rest of the gang had tied their horses.
Most of the Phantom gang had already headed to the Wolf’s Den Saloon for a beer and a shot of whiskey. Tate had led the string of pack horses into town. He was busy tying them off separately, so they would not get tangled up standing there impatiently, while waiting for Rex to care for them. Tate had just finished tying up the last one, when Clayton, Ted, and Victor came back out of the stable.
Ted handed Tate a list of camp supplies to pick up the next morning. “Here, why don’t you take this over to Owens Mercantile now, so that he can have the stuff ready to go first thing in the morning.”
“Sounds like a good idea, considering how long the list is,” Tate commented, as he looked the list over, and headed in the direction of the mercantile store down the street.
Clayton, Ted, and Victor headed on over to the Wolf’s Den. When they entered the saloon, they saw the rest of the Phantom gang already having a good time. As they walked up to the bar, Clayton and Ted nodded a greeting to BJ, the saloon owner.
“Hey BJ, give us all a beer and a shot of whiskey,” Victor ordered, as he greeted BJ with a friendly smile.
“Comin’ right up boys,” BJ replied, as he drew the beers from the tap for the outlaws.
“Have you heard anything new?” Clayton asked, as BJ set his mug of beer on the mahogany bar in front of him.
“None since the last message I sent you, but you may want to check with Brent over at the telegraph office, to make sure.”
“I’ll check with him later,” Victor said, right before he threw down a shot of whiskey.
*
Upon arriving in Colorado City, Gabriel knew he had to get his mind off of Julianna for now, and pay attention. He couldn’t let any of the Phantom gang members suspect he was up to something. So he ordered a beer, and sat down with Levi, Alex, and Tate, to play some poker.
He wasn’t near as good as his card shark of a sister, but Angel had taught him a few tricks. He used them now to keep in the game, by winning a hand, and then purposely losing a few hands, before he won again.
Already having downed a few shots of rye whiskey and a couple warm beers, Chet was feeling his oats. He took a liking to one of the pretty saloon girls, that was already spoken for by another patron of the saloon.
Chet didn’t care though, as he walked right up to the soiled dove, and grabbed a hold of her bare arm. “Why don’t you and me get to know each other better in private.”
Seeing this, Gabriel laid down his hand of a straight flush, and hurried over to interrupt what was just about to happen. As the saloon customer started to give Chet an earful, and was just about to give him a face full of a knuckle sandwich, Gabriel intervened. He grabbed a hold of Chet, pulling him away from the saloon customer and the saloon girl. “Excuse my friend here sir, he’s had a bit too much to drink.”
“What the hell do you think you are doin’?” Gabriel asked Chet, as he led him over to the other side of the bar. “Now is not the time to draw attention to ourselves!”
“Ah, you know the constable won’t do anything to us in this town. Clayton has him wrapped around his big finger,” Chet said drunkenly, as he ordered another warm beer from the saloon keeper.
“That’s not completely true Chet. Clayton saved constable Millard Stone’s life once a long time ago, and Stone figures he owes him one. The agreement between them, is that as long as the Phantom gang do
esn’t cause any problems in Colorado City, Stone will look the other way, and not arrest any of us.
“You go causing problems, not only will he put the cuffs on you, but his father is the judge here, and I know he will make sure you don’t get off easy. I’ve heard Judge Stone is a tough man. He goes strictly by the book.” Gabriel was hoping he was getting through to Chet in his drunken haze. “Now can’t you find another dove to take upstairs? One that is not already spoken for.”
“Ya ya, alright,” Chet said, as he turned to look around in the saloon.
“How about that one there?” Gabriel pointed to a older saloon girl over by the piano, who was a little plump and well endowed.
“She’s old!” Chet exclaimed.
“She’s not old. She’s just not as young. But she can make up for that in experience. She may even teach you a few things.” Gabriel laughed, as he patted young Chet on the back.
“Oh all right. I guess it don’t matter which whore, as long as she does what I pay her for,” Chet replied, as he headed towards the pudgy soiled dove standing by the piano.
Gabriel watched Chet until he had engaged the dove in a deal, and they went upstairs in the saloon to her room. Gabriel never had liked Chet, especially after he had attacked Julianna on their way to the Phantom hideout. But Gabriel didn’t want any more problems right now. The Phantom outlaw gang needed to pull off this bank robbery without problems, or bloodshed. He hoped Chet would pay that dove enough money to keep him up there all night out of trouble.
Heading back to the card table, Gabriel remembered he had a straight flush when he hurriedly walked away from the poker game. Damn. That was supposed to have been his winning hand!
Gathering up his money on the table where he had been sitting, Gabriel said, “I’m going to go over to O’Connor’s Hotel and grab a bite to eat in the cafe’.” Alex and the boys nodded at him as he turned, and headed out through the batwings of the Wolf’s Den saloon.
Walking out of the Saloon, Gabriel headed east on the boardwalk, out of the red light district, to Thomas O’Connor’s Cafe’ for a good meal. He loved Mrs. O’Conner’s cooking, and would go there to eat every chance he could.
As Gabriel walked through the front doors of the hotel, Mr. O’Connor greeted him from behind the front desk in the lobby, “Gabriel! So good to see you again.”
“Good to see you too, Tom. How have you been doin’?”
“Oh, fair to middling. I have enough clientele to keep me and the misses busy, but nothing special to write home about.”
“I hear ya, Tom. Well I’m going to go see your misses, and tell her how good her cookin’ is, and sweet talk her into a big plateful of her vittles.”
“You go on, she’ll fix you right up!” Tom encouraged Gabriel.
Smiling at the thought of Mrs. O’Connor’s good food, Gabriel headed into the cafe’ part of the hotel, and sat down at a table in the back by the wall, where he could see the rest of the customers in the cafe’.
Mrs. O’Connor spotted Gabriel as she was waiting on another table. When she finished with them, she walked over to Gabriel’s table. “Well hello Gabriel. What can I get for you today?”
“Hello Mrs. O’Connor. What is your special for today?”
“Our special today is corned beef, sweet potatoes, butter roll biscuits, and key-lime pie for desert.”
Gabriel’s mouth instantly started watering. “Mmm that sounds really good. I’ll take seconds of all of it!” Gabriel said laughingly.
Laughing herself, Mrs. O’Connor replied, “Let’s start with the first helping and go from there.”
After Gabriel finished his two helpings of everything, including the key-lime pie. He paid and thanked Mrs. O’Connor, and headed back to the Wolf’s Den. He wanted to keep an eye out, in case Chet wanted to start more trouble.
This time Gabriel sat with Victor, Clayton, and Ted playing poker. Three, soon to be dead men, playing poker on borrowed time, Gabriel thought to himself. As soon as this Wells Fargo Bank robbery is done in Colorado Springs, and everyone is back at the Phantom outlaw camp, the sooner he could take over the gang’s camp. Roark and Angel should be there ready when he and the Phantom gang return.
Chet must of either decided to stay with the soiled dove for the night, or he passed out, because he never came back down from the upstairs of the saloon. Either way, Gabriel was happy about it, as he went back to O’Connor’s Hotel to rent a room for the night.
*
Doing her best to stay busy all day so she did not have time to think about Gabriel, Julianna finally went home to their shack after helping Barry clean up after supper. She felt emotionally exhausted as she collapsed onto their small bed, and laid there for a while, before she sat up to untie her boots and get undressed for the night.
Climbing back into bed after she had undressed and washed up, Julianna laid there thinking about Gabriel. She was so angry with him this morning that she didn’t give him a chance to talk to her. He had said he had something important to tell her. As she fell asleep, she wondered what it was?
Julianna woke before daylight with an uneasy feeling again. The last time she had this feeling Gabriel had been literally running for his life. She told herself it had to just be nerves, because the Phantom gang wouldn’t be robbing the Wells Fargo Bank for a few more hours.
She walked barefoot to the stream that ran through the wide canyon, by the Phantom gang’s camp. Julianna thought about her father, and how much she missed him. Angel was suppose to be on her way to get a message to him, telling him she was alright. But was she really alright? She hadn’t really taken the time to think about it.
There was no doubt Gabriel loved her and she loved him, but she was still a prisoner in this outlaw camp, even if she was treated respectively. It doesn’t matter that Gabriel was a cowboy before, he now was an outlaw out for revenge. The realization hit Julianna then, that she could also be pregnant by now from their lovemaking. What a fool she had been to let herself fall in love with an outlaw. They were not married, and she was living in sin! What would her father think of her? Would he disown her? The scandal could even hurt his career.
By the time Julianna reached the cold running stream, she had herself all worked up from worrying. Taking a deep breath, Julianna hiked up her long skirt, tucking it into her waistline, as she walked into the cold running water. Bending over, she proceeded to wash her long brown hair in the stream, using a tin cup to pour the cold water over her head.
When she had finished washing and towel dried her hair, Julianna felt better. As if she had washed away many of her doubts and fears. Determined to not let it get her down, she headed back to the shack to get ready to go to the cook’s shack, and help Barry with the morning meal.
*
Waking before daybreak, Gabriel laid in bed in his quaint hotel room thinking about the coming days plans … In a few hours the Phantom outlaw gang would be riding into Colorado Springs to rob the Wells Fargo Bank, as soon as they opened their doors. Gabriel silently prayed no-one would get hurt. Clayton, who normally had a good business head on his shoulders, was still in a crazed state from when he found out the saddlebags were full of lead, instead of gold, in the last robbery.
After Gabriel dressed, he cleaned and checked his Colt Peacemaker to make sure it was ready to fire, and would easily slide out of the holster. He was praying he didn’t have to use it. Next he headed down to the cafe’ for some breakfast from Mrs. O’Connor, before he headed to the livery stable to saddle his horse.
Gabriel was headed to the stable, when he spotted Chet coming out of the Wolf’s Den Saloon, looking seriously hung over as he headed for the livery stable. Well at least he was upright, and headed in the right direction, Gabriel thought as he continued to the livery stable to saddle his big bay stallion.
Entering the stable, Gabriel found Levi, Ted, Alex, and Tate in the process of saddling their horses. Chet entered the stable soon after Gabriel did, and stumbled down the breezeway past him, to the
stall that held his own horse.
Victor and Clayton were just coming into the old livery stable, when Gabriel had finished saddling up his big bay, and was leading him outside. Victor called out to Tate, “Tate, saddle up those pack horses and head on over to Henry Owens’s Mercantile, to load up. I’ll be there shortly after I go visit Brent at the telegraph office.” Victor figured he better go see Brent, since he didn’t make it there last night.
“Sure thing Vic,” Tate replied, as he continued to finish with his own horse, before he got the pack horses ready.
With his horse saddled, Clayton lead his horse out of the stable saying, “Let’s ride boys!” The rest of the Phantom gang followed Clayton out the front doors of the livery to mount up outside by Gabriel, who was already mounted and waiting.
Once mounted on their horses, they all headed out of town towards Colorado Springs, which was the next town to the east of Colorado City.
*
Breakfast chores done, Julianna walked over to the Phantom camp’s store to visit with Ruby. When she walked in, Ruby was busy waiting on a couple outlaws she did not recognize. Not recognizing them was common these last few days, as more and more outlaws were seeking refuge in the Phantom camp from the Calvary unit that was hanging around the area.
While Julianna waited for the outlaws to leave, she walked over to look at the limited selection of women’s clothes, and eventually went to look at the bolts of cloth selection.
“Victor and Tate are suppose to be picking me up some new fabric today along with the other supplies. Mrs. Owens at the Mercantile, in Colorado City, is usually pretty good at picking out ones I will like, since I rarely ever get a chance to go there myself,” Ruby explained, as she walked up to Julianna.
“Good. Maybe I’ll make myself a dress, once you get the new material in. When do you suppose the men will get back?” Julianna asked.
“If all goes well, then they should be in late this evening.”
Julianna nodded her head as she thought … If all goes well. But her gut was telling her it wasn’t going well. She knew something was wrong. Not in the mood for more idle chat, Julianna says her goodbyes, and heads back towards her shack.