Dakota Run

by David Robbins

  “A spy?”

  “Affirmative.”

  “What exactly did you have in mind?” Hickok prodded him.

  Plato thoughtfully stroked his beard as they moved toward the Blocks.

  “I’m considering sending one of the Warriors to infiltrate the Civilized Zone. It wouldn’t be an easy task, granted, and would be fraught with risk, but if it’s successful, if the Warrior manages to return to the Home, we could learn invaluable information concerning their strengths and, of critical significance, their exploitable weaknesses.”

  “Just anywhere in the Civilized Zone?” Hickok inquired. “Or do you have a definite destination in mind?”

  Plato grinned. “Very astute, Nathan. Yes, I am thinking of sending the Warrior to infiltrate the Citadel at Cheyenne, Wyoming, using one of the vehicles confiscated from the Watcher patrol. Which is another reason I had them ambushed.”

  Hickok whistled. “That’s quite a challenge, Plato. I volunteer.”

  “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.”

  “Why?”

  “Because this mission is so dangerous, because the odds against its successful completion are so overwhelming, I’ve decided to have the Warriors draw lots. Short straw wins. Or loses, depending on how you look at it.” Plato grimaced, bothered by a painful twinge in his left thigh.

  “Sounds fair to me,” Hickok commented. “When does this spy mission get off the ground?”

  “If we used one of the jeeps we’ve confiscated from the Watchers, we could send our spy out at the same time Alpha Triad leaves for the Twin Cities,” Plato proposed.

  “That would leave the Home mighty short of Warriors,” the gunman pointed out.

  “Not if we select the new Triad and the new Warrior for Gamma,” Plato noted.

  “As usual, old-timer,” Hickok complimented him, “you have this thought out to the smallest detail.”

  “When you are responsible for the lives of so many people,” Plato stated, “you realize how crucial every detail is.”

  “So when will we hold the swearing in for the new Warriors?” Hickok questioned him.

  “The induction ceremonies will be held as soon as Blade makes his final recommendations,” Plato replied. “The Elders will review Blade’s suggestions and scrutinize the candidates. If Blade makes his selections within the next couple of days, as expected, we’ll hold the induction ceremonies within the week.”

  “Fine by me,” Hickok commented, wondering if Sherry would be one of the final candidates.

  They were in the center of the cleared space between the Blocks, and they finished their trip to C Block in quite reflection.

  Many Family members were gathered in front of the infirmary, engaged in animated conversation, discussing the fight and its implications. A chorus of voices was raised as Plato and Hickok approached.

  “What’s going on, Plato?”

  “What happened to Blade?”

  “What was all the shooting about?”

  “What’s that thing Hickok’s carrying?”

  Plato stopped and raised his arms aloft.

  The crowd grew quiet.

  “Brothers and sisters! We have been subjected to another attack from the Civilized Zone. None of the Family has been killed, although several have been injured. In one hour, after I have conversed with those involved and consulted with the Healers concerning the extent of their injuries, we will hold a Family conclave on the commons. Kindly save your questions until then.” Plato smiled at them and led Hickok into the infirmary.

  Of the four Healers, only three were on duty. Jenny was absent, and there was no sign of Blade. Gremlin was lying on one of the dozen cots in the room, unconscious. Two of the Healers were tending to his wounds. In a far corner of the spacious chamber, on two cots in the corner, were the two captured Watchers guarded by Spartacus and Seiko.

  “Here’s a present for you, Nightingale,” Hickok said to a young woman.

  Nightingale glanced up from her treatment of Gremlin and mopped at her sweaty brow with the back of her left hand. Her brown hair was disheveled and her clothes in disarray. “Thanks. Just what we needed! Leave it to you!”

  “Any time,” Hickok quipped. “Say, did anyone ever tell you you’re a mess first thing in the morning?”

  If eyes could freeze objects at a glance, Hickok would have been frozen solid. “You can deposit whatever you’re carrying on that cot,” Nightingale said icily, pointing at the specified cot.

  “Touchy, touchy, touchy!” Hickok playfully commented as he deposited the furball on the designated cot.

  “Where is Blade?” Plato asked Nightingale.

  She indicated the rear door to the Block. “He wasn’t badly hurt. Jenny dragged him outside. Said she had to talk to him.”

  “Where’s Sherry?” Hickok inquired.

  “She sustained a bruised temple, was all,” Nightingale replied. “She took off out of here on the run. Something about getting back to her man. Didn’t you see her on the way here?”

  “Nope.” Hickok shook his head.

  “She may have passed us in the trees,” Plato reasoned. “I’m sure she’ll be here shortly.”

  Nightingale was carefully probing Gremlin’s legs.

  “How extensive are his injuries?” Plato queried her.

  “He’s taken quite a beating,” she answered, “but nothing serious except for his legs.”

  “His legs?”

  “I think the right leg is broken,” Nightingale said. “I’m still not sure about the left.”

  “Continue your examination,” Plato directed. “I’ll be outside. Inform me when your prognosis is complete.” He departed.

  “Did you say Blade was out back?” Hickok absently asked.

  “Last I knew,” Nightingale confirmed, then devoted her full attention to her ministrations.

  Hickok ambled toward the rear door.

  “What was that thing you just brought in?”

  Spartacus wanted to know as the gunman passed them.

  “The tooth fairy,” Hickok cracked. “Keep your eyes on it in case it comes around. It’s one of the Doktor’s G.R.D.’s. If it gives you any grief, pard, blow it in two.”

  Spartacus drew his broadsword, grinning. “Is it okay if I slice it in half instead?”

  “Just make sure it doesn’t escape or harm the Healers,” Hickok ordered.

  “If it gives us any trouble,” Spartacus promised, “I’ll carve it into a nice pair of fur slippers for my girlfriend.”

  The two soldiers glared at the gunfighter as he strode by.

  Hickok ignored them and exited the Block, looking for Blade. He heard voices coming from his right, from behind a large tree. He was about to interrupt, to call Blade’s name, when the words being spoken sunk in.

  “…won’t put it off any longer!” Jenny was saying. “You gave me your word and I intend to hold you to it!”

  “But now’s not the right time to get married,” Blade protested.

  “What are you waiting for?” Jenny bitterly rejoined. “Peace on earth and good will among men? Be realistic! You gave me your word we would marry after you returned from the Twin Cities. Then the run to Kalispell came up. Odds are Plato will be sending you somewhere else before too long. I’m tired of waiting, honey!”

  “Wouldn’t it be best to wait until we could settle down without…” Blade began.

  “And when will that be?” Jenny demanded, cutting him off. “We both know Plato will be sending Alpha Triad on more trips.” She paused, and Hickok heard her sigh. “Even if you did settle down, there’s no guarantee we’d be left alone to enjoy ourselves in peace and quiet. Look at how many times the Home has been attacked in the past several months! We’re not even safe here!”

  Jenny’s voice broke, and she began crying.

  Hickok started to back away, unwilling to intrude on their private discussion. He was almost to the door when her next sentence stopped him in his tracks.

  “Didn’t you learn
anything from Joan’s death?” Jenny inquired, sniffling. “Can’t you appreciate how important every moment we spend together is? We must love and share while the Spirit provides the opportunity. Who knows when it will come to an end? Look at this morning! You could have been killed! And what about poor Nathan?”

  “What about him?” Blade asked, his surging emotion making his tone husky, as if his throat was constricted.

  “Joan and Nathan went together for a long time before she was killed,” Jenny said. “Don’t you think Nathan wonders how much more they could have shared if only they’d married? Don’t you think he kicks himself for being so aloof at times, for not taking advantage of her affection while she was still alive and with us? Do you want that to happen to me? To you? To us?”

  It seemed like Blade took forever to answer. “No, I don’t want that to happen to us. You’ve made your point.” He hesitated. “Will you bind with me in, say, four days? That would give us enough time for the preparations. I want to do this right.”

  Jenny’s shriek of delight was probably heard for miles.

  Hickok backed through the doorway, his thoughts troubled.

  One of the Watchers, the youngest, the one Yama had smashed on the head with his Wilkinson, saw the gunman enter and snickered, taunting this Warrior as he had the others. Ridiculing his captors was his favorite diversion.

  “Hey! What’s the matter with you?” the Watcher baited the blond gunfighter. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost! Can’t you…”

  The soldier’s statement abruptly terminated, his mouth gaping open and his eyes wide in fright, as the barrel of a Colt Python flashed to within an inch of his nose.

  The other Watcher, Lieutenant Putnam, his nose heavily bandaged, recoiled, terrified, trying to sink into the cot he was lying on. He knew the identity of this buckskin-clad Warrior with the pearl-handled Colts, and he’d heard stories of how very deadly the gunfighter could be.

  Hickok slowly cocked the hammer on his Colt.

  Spartacus and Seiko, both surprised by Hickok’s reaction, glanced at one another. They were startled by the livid expression on Hickok’s face.

  “I… I… I… didn’t mean anything…” the young Watcher managed to babble.

  “Hickok!” Spartacus spoke up. “What’s the matter? He isn’t worth it.

  Besides, Plato wants them alive for interrogation.”

  “You’re absolutely right, pard,” Hickok said softly. “This vulture isn’t worth it, isn’t worth the grass she walked on. But she’s gone, isn’t she?

  Why? Because mangy vermin like this won’t leave us alone to live in peace.” He paused, his blue eyes dancing with rage. “If Plato needs this one, I reckon I’ll let him live, for now.”

  The gunman holstered the Python and stormed from C Block.

  Breathing a sigh of relief, the young Watcher looked at Putnam. “Did you see that? What was eating him? These so-called Warriors sure can’t…”

  His sentence was suddenly cut short, again, by the point of a broadsword appearing where the Python barrel had been just moments before.

  Spartacus leaned over and glared at the soldier. “You know, friend, you have a big mouth. Around here we don’t like big mouths. In fact, if someone’s mouth is too big, if they don’t know when to keep it shut, we solve the problem by nipping it in the bud, so to speak. We slice their tongue off. Keeping that in mind, is there anything else you’d like to say today?”

  The Watcher vigorously shook his head.

  “Didn’t think so,” Spartacus said, replacing his broadsword. He glanced at Seiko. “What did get into him?” he asked.

  Seiko, his Oriental features furrowed in contemplation, shrugged.

  “Now don’t you get inscrutable on me,” Spartacus stated. “You were closer to the doorway. Did you hear anything? What got him so upset?”

  Seiko stared at the front door, the corners of his mouth turning downward. “Joan,” he answered simply.

  Spartacus nodded, understanding completely. “Poor guy. He needs something to take his mind off of her,” he commented.

  Outside, Hickok was twenty yards from C Block, stalking across the compound, oblivious to the questioning stares of other Family members.

  His mind whirled, recalling the softness of Joan’s lips on his, remembering that horrible instant when she was killed by the Trolls, and reeling from the inadvertent rebuke of Jenny’s words to Blade.

  Dear Spirit!

  How true!

  How very true!

  He had been aloof, telling Joan he was reluctant to “rush” into anything either of them would regret. And now look at him! His only regret was that Joan was gone.

  “Hickok!”

  He heard her call his name and turned.

  Sherry rushed into his arms and hugged him with all of her strength.

  Her warm breath was intoxicating as she smothered him with kisses.

  “Thank God you’re alive!” she finally exclaimed. “I was so worried! I was afraid they’d kill you!”

  Hickok, his face flushed, held her in his arms. “I felt the same way when I saw you lying on the ground. I thought I’d lost you too.”

  Her lips lightly touched his own. “Don’t worry, lover. I’m sticking around for the duration.”

  “I hope so,” he confided, “because we’re getting married in four days and I’d look pretty stupid taking the vows by myself.”

  Sherry, utterly flabbergasted, stepped back. “We’re getting what?”

  “Married,” Hickok reiterated. “Some of us refer to it as a binding, to bind together in an eternal union. If we…”

  She gripped him so hard her nails bit into his arms. “You’re really serious?”

  “Never been more serious about anything in my entire life,” he solemnly affirmed.

  “But this is so sudden, so unexpected,” Sherry noted. “Are you sure?”

  “How many times do I have to tell you?” Hickok asked. “Yes, I’m sure.”

  “I just don’t want you to do something you’ll regret later,” she remarked.

  “And why would I do that?”

  “Because I might be getting you on the rebound,” Sherry observed.

  Hickok smiled. “The only thing I’m on the rebound from is stupidity. I don’t intend to make the same major mistake twice in one lifetime.”

  “I don’t understand,” she admitted.

  He kissed her on the right cheek. “The only thing you need to understand is that I care for you. We’ve been together… what?… three, four weeks now. If you think you need more time to settle how you feel in your own mind…”

  “No! I know how I feel,” she assured him. “You already know I love you.”

  “Well, then,” Hickok said impatiently, “will you marry me or not?”

  Sherry threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, I will! I will! You big dummy! Do you think I’d pass up a chance like this? Of course,” she added, “I will feel somewhat guilty.”

  “Guilty? Why?”

  “For taking advantage of you while you’re obviously suffering from temporary insanity!” She laughed heartily and kissed him passionately.

  “This could get to be a habit,” he declared when they came up for air.

  “The best habit I’ve ever found!” Sherry said, giggling. “Hey! Do you realize you’ve just kissed me in public? In public! I thought you were the one who never makes a display of his affections?”

  “Every rule has exceptions,” he retorted gruffly, “and this is a special case.”

  “I’m glad,” she sighed.

  “But I want you to know,” Hickok stated gravely, “that I’m not making any promises. I’m not going to say we’ll have a life of ease, because we probably won’t. And I won’t give up being a Warrior, no matter what. And just because we’re get tin’ hitched doesn’t mean you have a license to nag.

  Another thing. If I say I don’t like a particular food, then I don’t want to see it on my dinner table. And if…”<
br />
  Sherry quickly kissed him, aborting the diatribe.

  “Perfect timing,” someone else remarked, “or he’d have gone on like that until nightfall.” The speaker, a woman, chuckled.

  Hickok and Sherry turned and found Blade and Jenny only a yard behind them.

  “Did we catch the gist of that?” Jenny inquired. “Did he just propose to you?”

  “Yes!” Sherry exclaimed. “Do you believe it?”

  Jenny looked fondly up at Blade. “Oh, I believe it, all right. Marriage proposals seem to be contagious today.”

  Blade twisted, thoughtfully staring at C Block for a moment. Then he faced Hickok and nodded. “These women must have drugged our food yesterday. For all we know, the Family could have a marriage epidemic on its hands.”

  “So when are you two tying the knot?” Sherry questioned Jenny.

  “In four days,” Jenny replied.

  “What?” Sherry gasped, surprised. “Hickok said we’re getting married in four days too!”

  “Small world, isn’t it?” Blade wryly mentioned.

  “I know!” Jenny proposed. “Let’s have a double ceremony!

  “Oh! I’d love that!” Sherry said enthusiastically.

  Blade moved closer to Hickok and lowered his voice as Jenny and Sherry began discussing the wedding preparations. “Congratulations,” he said softly.

  “Thanks, pard,” Hickok responded in a quiet tone.

  “Say, Nathan,” Blade commented, curious, “you weren’t behind C Block just a bit ago, were you?”

  Hickok nodded, then hastily addressed the women. “Say, ladies. I’ve been thinking.”

  “About what?” Sherry asked.

  “About our getting hitched. It wouldn’t seem right without Geronimo here to be our best man.” Hickok paused. “Do you reckon we could postpone the ceremony until he gets back?”

  Sherry and Jenny glanced at one another, then at Hickok, smiling sweetly.

  “No!” was their unanimous answer, delivered in forceful unison.

  “Just thought I’d ask,” Hickok said sheepishly.

  “Look at this,” Blade interjected. “We haven’t even said ‘I do’ yet, and already they’re bossing us around.”

  Hickok stretched and winked at Blade. “You know, this tends to remind me of something my grandfather used to say a lot.”