Same Old Song

Lou paused outside the two story newspaper office and brushed the dust from her vest. She removed her hat and drew her fingers through her hair nervously before clapping it back on her head. With a deep breath, she marched into the office with a bravado she didn't feel.

A surprised looking man looked up from his desk, "Can I help you sir?"

Lou nodded, "You can. You can show me where Nathan Goodwin's office is please."

"Well, he's very busy, but perhaps you could make an appointment…" the little man unconsciously glanced to the left, down a hallway.

"Thank you," Lou said pleasantly, and walked in the direction of his nervous stare, ignoring his stuttering protests.

She didn't bother to knock outside the door with his nameplate on it. Instead she calmly stepped into his office and closed the door behind her.

He was young for a reporter, but looked just like she'd expect a reporter to look. Very tall and thin, his clothes expensive, but hanging awkwardly off his gawky frame. Still, he was a handsome young man, with dark brown hair and eyes the same color. His wire rimmed glasses, much like the ones she wore, gave him a scholarly appearance.

"Excuse…oh. Mr. McCloud, hello," Nathan said when recognition dawned on his face, "Have you come for your interview?"

"Well…no. Not exactly," Lou said nervously, and sat down quickly in the chair he offered her. She could see he was dancing to get back to his story, and she glanced at it briefly. There, across the top of the paper she could see it Wild Bill Hickok Disappears After Explosion in bold lettering across the top.

She leaned forward and motioned to the paper, "I've come to keep you from printing that."

He laughed slightly then stopped as he saw she wasn't joking, "Mr. McCloud, I'm afraid that's impossible. This story is exactly what the people want."

"If you print that story, three people will die," Lou said through clenched teeth.

Nathan sat back in his chair, "What?"

Lou sighed with impatience, "I can't tell you exactly how or what I know, Mr. Goodwin. I can only tell you that I do know this and you can't print that."

"This is ridiculous! I'm not withholding a story like this unless you give me good reason!"

"So you can print that too?" Lou snapped.

"That's for me to decide. Never mind. Good day to you, sir. You found your way in, I'm assuming you can find your way out."

He bent his head and started scratching furiously at the paper. Lou's finger tips grazed her gun. How do I stop this? she wondered. One of the hardest things in the world had to be convincing a journalist to let go of a top story that he alone had the scoop on. Nothing in the world could make him do it.

Lou took in her breath suddenly. There was something. Give him a bigger story. Even if that bigger story could destroy everything she'd been building.

"I'll make a deal with you," Lou said finally.

Nathan glanced up surprised, and obviously annoyed, to find her still there, "What did you say?"

Lou cleared her throat, "I said I'll make a deal with you. What if I gave you a bigger story than this? What if you agreed to wait a week to print this story and for your patience gained two exclusive stories?"

Nathan looked back down and snorted, "Right. As if you've got any news that exciting."

With trembling hands Lou bent her head and pulled off her glasses. She then removed her hat and ran her fingers through her hair, bringing it from behind her ears.

"Look at me, Mr. Goodwin," she said softly, in her natural voice, a bit higher than the one she'd been using with him.

He did glance up with a scowl, and started to go back to his story, but then realized that she'd dropped her disguise. He shook his head as if wondering how the soft eyed, petite young woman now sat in the place were a boy had been moments before.

Lou smiled nervously when his jaw dropped, "Yes, I'm a girl, Mr. Goodwin. And a Pony Express rider. I've hidden my sex from all but a few people for over a year. And I've stopped bank robbers, and corrupt marshals and soldiers too. And I'll tell you everything if you will wait one week to print that story right there. I'll even give you details on that story too. I just need a week."

Nathan's eyes softened and he twirled the pen absently between his fingers, sizing her up, "They'll fire you if they know you're a girl."

"I know," Lou said calmly, "Obviously they would, or I wouldn't be in disguise."

"Why are you doing it, riding for the express I mean?"

Lou shook her head, "Uh-uh. That's my secret until a week from today. If you keep your word, I will tell you anything you need to know."

"I could just print both stories tomorrow," Nathan warned her, raising an eyebrow, "How do you know I won't?"

Lou shook her head, "But you won't. Even if not out of sheer decency, then because you need the details. You need my participation to shock the country. And you'll have it. Do I have your word, Mr. Goodwin?"

Nathan sighed, "What are you going to do in a week that will help your friends?"

Lou looked him in the eye, "Something."

Nathan gathered that she either didn't know or wasn't telling, but the look in her eyes suggested she meant it. She was going to do something to help them, wherever they were.

Nathan nodded, "All right," he shook himself slightly, and stuck out his hand, "You have a deal."

Lou clasped his, "Thank you."

She turned to go but Nathan's voice stopped her, "Wait! What's your real name?"

Lou glanced suspiciously at him, "Why, so you can print it?"

"No, so I can know it," he said with a smile, "And maybe even wish you luck."

Lou smiled back, "It's Louise."

"Well, good luck to you, Louise."

With that, she was gone, with one weight lifted off her chest but another in its place. In saving her friend's lives, she'd just given away hers. It was well worth the cost, though.

Alana froze once she saw the huge house on the hillside. The elaborate gardens overlooked the evergreen woods and forest. The structure itself was one of the largest and most intimidating things that she had ever seen.

With shaky legs she passed through the rod iron gates that served as the only boundary between she and what she supposed could be her certain doom.

Using an unsteady fist, she pounded on the door as hard as she could, hoping that it would rouse the occupants…or more specifically, Layla's father. His reaction to her visit was not one in which she was anxious to experience.

A young woman not far into her early twenties answered the door with a serious countenance and professional disposition. However, her white apron and tightly drawn back hair did nothing to shield her warm smile. She recognized the young girl immediately…it was Alana, one of the governor's daughter's best friends.

"Hi sweetheart," she greeted, realizing that Alana would be exceptionally nervous seeing her in such a location. They had only met and been together before and after a show. Those rigid circumstances couldn't be counted either.

Alana was barely able to force a smile. "Hi," she heard the sound of her own voice grow timid and nervous. "Tabitha, I must see Layla's father, it's very important."

Quite taken back by the forceful tone and seriousness of her demand, she stepped back. "I'm pretty sure he's busy with Governor Brady, but why don't you come in and I'll check."

Tabitha opened the door and stepped back. Alana took a nervous step forward into the enormous lobby of the residence. The walls were a creamy white marble, and the elaborate carpets on the floor made her wonder if she was even worthy of walking upon them.

"Have a seat," Tabitha motioned to a small chair in one of the small studies. Alana smiled and took it gratefully, wondering to herself how on earth anyone could possibly remember where all of the rooms where in such a place.

She swallowed, trying to moisten her dry throat. Alana wondered how Louise was faring, and what exactly their plan was of freeing the hostages. The thought occurred to her that she had traveled this way to see the governor…but she had given no thought to what exactly she would say when the time came. As if the situation wasn't horrible enough, Governor Jones was only in Colorado for a week to spend some time with his lifelong friend…who happened to also be a governor.

Suddenly, and quite without warning, Tabitha returned to the room and gestured for Alana to follow her. "The Governor says that he has a few moments. Just follow me."

Swallowing down her fear, she reluctantly followed along behind, resisting the urge to leap for the front door as they passed by. Instead, she focused on the woman in front of her and convinced herself that it was all going to work out smoothly…maybe.

The numbness of terror that shot through Alana's body was ten times worse than she had ever expected it would be once Tabitha opened the office door and introduced her to the governors.

Swallowing over the lump in her throat, Alana stepped into the room and felt more vulnerable than she ever had in her life. Glancing over her shoulder, she noted with some frustration that Tabitha had left the room and shut it quietly behind her. Now, she stood there alone with two sets of very powerful eyes glaring upon her.

They both sat reclined on a sofa with their feet casually propped upon the elegant oak coffee table. A tray of sumptuous hors d'oeuvre rested before them, and Alana resisted the urge to lick her lips at the sight of the largest cookies she had ever seen. She was, after all, here on business…not to appease her stomach.

"Something we can help you with young lady?" The eldest of the two gentlemen smiled warmly. He was very much accustomed to dazed children and teenagers coming to visit him at his enormous home. He always assumed they wished to play on his grounds or some other such activity.

"I…uh. Well, you see I…well, I, I mean we, no, she…yes, she's…she's been taken," Alana found the courage and uttered it all in one swift breath, "Yes, she's been taken hostage. Actually, all three of them have. Please, you must help me. I told her not to do it, I really did, but you know how stubborn she is! Please sir, don't be angry with me."

The two governors looked at each other with bewildered glares and did their very best not to ridicule her for being completely foolish. "Why don't you sit down and tell us what is bothering you," Layla's father motioned for one of the chairs opposite him.

Little did the New York Governor realize that by making such an offer, he would be hearing the most horrifying news he had ever listened to in his life…

"Now, would you like to tell us about your troubles?"

Alana stared back at him, relieved that so far he hadn't attempted to strangle her with his high social standing. "Actually, sir, it's not my problem, it's your's."

"What's this about a hostage?"

Alana felt the last bit of blood drain from her face. If he hadn't tried to strangle her, then it was obviously because he still didn't understand what she was saying. She remembered suddenly what Lou had told her to tell the Governor, and took a deep breath, hoping to be able to fit it all into one sentence.

"You can't do anything about it y-yet" she stuttered, doing her best to say what Lou had told her to, "or they'll kill her…they won't hurt her as long as the other two are alive…oh yes, there's three of them…"

The Governors of Colorado and New York exchanged annoyed glances at the girl's incoherent babbling.

Suddenly, there was a swishing of silk, and without invitation, the door swung open.

Alana stopped her rambling to glance at the visitor, and felt her mouth open in shock. It was Lou…or at least she thought it might be. The petite woman who swished gracefully into the room, clad in a fine gown of turquoise silk, her dark auburn hair pinned high, could have been a different person altogether from the boyish looking person she'd nearly flattened in the street earlier.

Tabitha came rushing in right behind her, and looked at Governor Brady. In exasperation she said, "I tried to stop this young lady, but she just brushed right past me! I couldn't stop her!"

Governor Brady turned to Lou in interest, "And is there any reason why you're breaking into my house?"

Lou nodded, "Yes sir, your daughter has been kidnapped."

Brady wrinkled his brow in confusion. He didn't have a daughter. Jones, however, bolted to a standing position and came to stand in front of Lou, seizing her arms hard within his grasp, "What? Layla has been taken?" He turned to Alana, "Is that true?"

Alana nodded and began her rambling again, "Yes-I was wi-with her last n-night wh-when--" her voice shook worse with every syllable.

Lou suffered from no such fear of the man. Looking him calmly in the eye she interrupted, "If you'll let me, I believe I can explain things a bit faster than this young lady. It's true, your daughter has been kidnapped, along with two of my friends."

Jones face went a dangerous shade of gray.

"But, if you'll listen carefully, I think I may know how to get them out," Lou said, her conviction diminished by a slight tremor in her voice.

To be continued...Chapter Seven