“Louise do you really think that is you?”
“NO! I was talking about you.”
“I thought we were just going to get my dresses altered.”
“Well we dropped off the dresses and had you fitted and I need to shop for someone then just myself.”
“I will let you buy me one dress as long as I’m allowed to pay you back.”
“Fine with me.”
“May I also find you a pretty dress for Kid?”
“It depends on what you mean.”
“What do you mean?”
“If it’s one of the altered ones, no. I’m sorry but I won’t put on anything that once had to do with Wicks. If it’s one of the ones in any of these shops then perhaps.”
“I was thinking of that one.” Lynn pointed to a light blue dress. It was the color of the sky with little white pearls outlining the bodice. There were light blue boots with black horses on them.
“It’s beautiful!”
“Try it on.”
Lou did. It fit tight at the bodice and at the waist. It was perfect for her. A couple adjustments were all that were needed. The boots were the perfect size and there were even white gloves to go with the outfit. Lynn also found a white hat to go with the dress. Lou looked beautiful in the whole ensemble. By the time the two girls had gotten a couple more things Lou was almost out of money. She had just enough for food for the next couple of nights and any other necessities. Lynn ended up with twelve new dresses and it only cost Lou three dollars. The women at the dress shop had said the dresses were very beautiful all they needed was a little lace and pearls and to be lengthen. Lou had ended up with two new pairs of boots including the blue ones with the new dress she had bought for Kid, the other pair were just riding boots that were brown and that no one would notice were womens if she kept them tucked away under her bunk, she had also got a riding frock it was purple with tassels just like Cody’s normal outfit except they were also purple (she knew she didn’t need it and could never use it, but she couldn’t take her eyes off it), she had also gotten the new white hat and also a new cowboy hat for the boy in her, hers was too small and wasn’t in style anymore (or so Lynn told her), her new one was a lot like Kid’s (she liked it because it hid her face better than the old one and that helped since her hair was getting longer). As the girls finally decided to go back to the hotel to get something to eat, Lynn noticed a familiar coach sitting outside another hotel across the street from theirs. She racked her memory to try and remember where she knew it from, but she couldn’t. She followed Louise inside and forgot all about it.
Wicks looked out his window at the two pretty girls on the street. He didn’t even recognize Lou, even though he had seen her just a month ago, not even that. He turned back to Sanes who had been sitting on the bed making notes about what the bounty hunters had said so far. He was a diligent worker and he was glad that he had this boy to work for him. He would have to be taken care of once Wicks decided to make his presence known to the public once again. Until then, Sanes would have to be his representative to everything that went on with his business to finding Louise. He was thankful that Sanes had completed part of their plan to get Louise back. The sister and the brother had been taken from the orphanage in St. Joe and were being kept at his center of operation and he knew for a fact the Louise’s little boyfriend, the Kid, was coming in to town that very night. If the boy never made in into town that was no skin off his back. He smiled at the idea of Louise’s face when her little boyfriend didn’t show up tomorrow. She would panic and call the Sheriff to help her find him. Just like a women would, she would call a man to do the job, and he had already bought the sheriff of the town so he could “hunt” all day and never find the boy. He smiled and turned to Sanes.
“Are you sure that you can catch the boy coming into town?”
“All the men that I’ve hired since your “death” have come through so far. I believe they will this time. At least, I hope they will, sir.”
“Very good answer Mr. Sanes, never be too optimistic or then the plan will be a failure.” Sanes looked puzzled and just shrugged.
“Yes sir.”
“When will the boy be coming do you know?”
“He’s supposed to be in late, I know that much. I figured between eleven and twelve is when the men should go out. Two hours from now is when they should have them sir.”
“Better send them out in an hour, just in case. That’ll be ten right? I’m surprised; the day has gone so fast. I’m going to bed now. You better go to your room Sanes. Wake me in two hours when you have the boy. If you do not come to me, I will now that you have failed.”
“Yes sir. May I inquire sir, what happens if I fail?”
“We shall see. We both shall see.” He grinned and let the boy squirm, then watched as he left. He knew he could trust the boy, but he feared what would happen if he did fail. What would he do? He had to teach him that mistakes could be handled, but failures could not.
Kid stopped his horse short. The ride to Seneca had been a hard one. Just outside of town he had been ambushed, but he didn’t know by whom. He had heard them in the bushes just before he was able to see them. He had pulled Katy around and headed the long way to the other side of town. One of the men had noticed him turning around and they chased him all the way around the town and then had given up when he had reached the entrance. He figured they were bandits, but he couldn’t be certain. He figured he’d talk to the sheriff about any robberies lately, maybe that would answer his questions about who those men were. It just didn’t fit that so many men would attack one person. He shrugged it off and pulled up to the hotel. He had called ahead that afternoon, via Horace, and had saved a room. He figured that they would have been full if he had come in tonight and tried to get a room. He brushed some of the dirt off his pants and grabbed the bag he had brought with him; it had some nice clothes in it for Lou, so he could take her out to dinner when Lynn left. He was about to enter the hotel when he felt someone watching him. He turned quickly and saw the one of the curtains in the hotel across the street fall back into place. He sighed and went to the front desk.
Sanes cursed. He saw the blonde hair boy walk into the hotel. He had a hunch that it was Kid. He sighed and walked downstairs to his rendezvous point with his men. He was afraid of what Wick would do to him. He didn’t particularly like the man, but he was supplying him with an unlimited amount of power. He should say unlimited, he always had to answer to Wicks, he always had that thought of if he fails then he could die. That wasn’t power, that was fear. The only power he had was that over his men. They weren’t really his either; they were Wicks’ men. He had nothing if he really thought of it. He sat down in a cushioned chair and waited until dawn, he didn’t need to see any of his men. He already knew the outcome. They would wait for him at the rendezvous point, oh well. He had bigger problems to solve, like what Wicks was going to do to him.
Kid thanked the lady at the desk and went upstairs. He found his room and opened the door. Something seemed out of place, but he didn’t care. He was really tired and that detour around town hadn’t helped him or Katy. He didn’t even strip down to his long johns. He just lay down and got under the covers. He turned over on his side and closed his eyes. That’s when he figured out what was wrong. Someone else was in his room; in fact that person was in his bed! He quickly reached for his gun that he had hung on the bedpost.
“Get up slowly and quietly.” He whispered.
“What?”
“I said get up slowly and quietly.”
“Kid? Just go to sleep.”
“How do you know who I am?”
“It’s me now go to sleep.”
“Lou? What are you doing here?”
“We’re sharing a room. I told them that you were my fiancée.”
“You’re what!”
“Just go to sleep. I’ll tell you in the morning.”
“Where?”
“Either grab a pillow and blanket and sleep on the chair or floor or sleep on the bed on top of the covers. I don’t care, just go to sleep.”
He grabbed a pillow and went over to the chair.
“You better have a good explanation in the morning Lou.” She was back asleep.
“Good morning Louise. And this must be Kid.” Lynn greeted the two in the hallway that morning.
“Yes, Lynn Jacobs, this is Kid.” Lou introduced the two.
“Good morning ma’am.”
“How do you do?”
“Fine thank you. I couldn’t help but notice the little bit of an accent there. What part of the South are you from?”
“Actually, I lived in St. Joseph for eight years or so, but I was born and raised in Virginia. Well, Virginia and Georgia. My father traveled between the two.”
“I’m from Virginia also.”
“That explains the manners.”
“Yes ma’am. My Ma taught me well.”
“Should we go downstairs?” Kid stuck out both his elbows, for Lou and Lynn.
“I’m very lucky to have two arms, that way I can be company for two very lovely ladies.”
“Louise, you do have an eye for them. Louise?”
“Sorry. I thought I saw someone that looked familiar.”
“Who?”
“No one.” She grabbed Kid’s arm and Lynn did the same. As Kid looked straight ahead, Lou mouthed to Lynn that she would tell her later.
Breakfast was delicious. Kid escorted the two down Main Street and to the local playhouse. He bought them all tickets and then even suggested that they run back to the hotel and change before the play would start. Lou knew something was up, but didn’t say anything for Lynn’s sake. When they arrived Lou took her clothes over to Lynn’s room and changed there. She changed into the new outfit that Lynn had found yesterday. While they we’re getting changed Lynn reminded Lou that she would tell her who she had seen and why Wicks had held her to her contract after all those years.
“Well I thought I saw one of Wicks boys.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Remember JJ Pierce?”
“Do I. He was the one who had a crush on Charlotte and wanted to convince Wicks to let her out of her contract.”
“That’s him. Well I thought I saw him down the hall from us, just standing there staring at me. When I looked again he was gone.”
“Lou, JJ was killed by Wicks a month after you left.”
“You’re kidding. Then it couldn’t have been him.”
“I forgot that you didn’t know that. Yeah, Wicks had him killed because he tried to take Charlotte into Canada. She didn’t tell you when she was here? It was really a big thing. They almost got there, but Wicks has contacts all over the place and Canada is not excluded.”
“What happened?”
“They got right to the border and then the guards picked them up. He said that Charlotte was just being led on and that JJ should die, and he did.”
“Charlotte didn’t get anything?”
“Oh she did. She worked the twenty-four hour shift.”
“Twenty-four hour shift? Never heard of that one.”
“Well he made it up just for her.”
“Should’ve guessed.”
“Lou you never answered my other question. Why did he hold you to your contract after two years?”
“Some other time.”
Kid knocked on the door just in time to save Lou from an explanation.
“Are you girls ready? The show is going to start soon.”
“Be right there Kid.” Lou called out. “How do I look?”
“Stunning.” Lynn answered.
“Do you think he’ll like it?”
“Do you really have to ask me that question?” Lynn walked out first.
“What’s taking her so long?” Kid asked. He was dressed in his Sunday best; he had even slicked his hair back.
“She’ll be out in a minute, but I do have to say, Kid you look very handsome.”
“Do you think she’ll like it?”
“Boy, do you both have a one track mind.”
He didn’t have time to ask her what she meant. Lou walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. Lynn reached over and politely closed Kid’s mouth. Lou just stood there. She had put her hair into somewhat of a bun underneath her white hat.
“Kid?” She asked very uneasily.
“What happened to Louise Mary McCloud?” He whispered to Lynn.
“She’s standing right in front of you.” She whispered back and then in a louder voice. “I left my parasol in the room I’ll be right back, I’ll meet you downstairs and then we’ll all go to the play. I think we better hurry, we don’t wanna be late.”
She elegantly walked past Lou and winked at her, then entered the room. Kid stood there staring at Lou, seeping in everything he could about her. This wasn’t the girl, no wait women, he had left just ten minutes or so ago.
“Lou you look beautiful.”
“Thank you Kid. You don’t look to bad your self.”
“Thanks. Uh…”
“I think this is where you offer me your arm.”
“Yeah oh sorry. I’m just not used to you in a dress.”
“You’ve seen me in a dress before.”
“I know just not in that dress. Where’d you get it?”
“Me and Lynn did some shopping yesterday. I picked up a couple of things.” They began walking down the hall, at a very slow pace.
“I really like it.”
“Thanks, Lynn picked it out.”
“That’s nice.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t sure you would like it.”
“I like anything that’s on you.”
“Even the clothes I wear on a every day basis?”
“Except those.” He smiled hoping that she would get the joke and hoped that she wouldn’t yell at him.
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”
They had reached the stairs and Lou picked up her skirts and walked as elegantly as she cold down the stairs. It wasn’t easy. Lynn came behind the two right after they reached the bottom.
“So, are we ready?”
“I believe so.” Lou answered. Kid stuck out his arm for Lynn and they headed to the theatre.
When they exited the theatre Lou swore that she had seen JJ again. She tried to get Lynn to notice her, but she was to busy talking to a man she had met in the theatre. Lou sighed and turned her face back up to Kid. He was looking at a black coach that was parked in the hotel across the street from theirs.
“What is it Kid?”
“Nothing, it’s just that I got a creepy feeling all of a sudden."
“From looking at that coach?”
“Yeah, it sorta reminds me of death. Kinda spoiling the day aren’t I?”
“Well, now you have.” She joked. He grinned and led her down the street to the nearest restaurant.
“Are you hungry?”
“Not really, all of a sudden I’m tired.” She yawned as if to prove her last statement.
“Yeah, me too. Do you want me to try and get another room? I’m sure that I could get one across the street if I had to.”
“That’s up to you Kid. You’re the one who decided to sleep in the chair last night.” She chuckled about the sight she had seen when she had awoken. Kid had one leg over the side and another over the back of the chair. His head was just a few inches above the ground and he looked as if he were freezing. She had covered him up and then gotten a bath and into her clothes before he had even awoken.
“I think I will. I can’t take another night in that chair.” She decided not to make the offer for him to sleep in the bed that night. She liked it too much and she knew he wouldn’t share it with her. “I’ll escort you to your room and collect my things and then I’ll go across the street.”
“Fine with me.”
When he had dropped her off at her room and left, she ordered another hot bath from down stairs and soaked in it for almost two hours.
Sanes hadn’t seen Wicks all day. He hadn’t been called in to see him, so he avoided him every chance he got. He was getting very good at sneaking past his door to go downstairs and conduct business when the clerk handed him a letter.
“It’s from the guy in the room two doors down from you. Sent it down this morning with his breakfast. Weird one that guy, won’t come out to even go to the bathroom. He had me put him in a room with a bathroom in it. Good thing that we’re an up to date hotel huh?” Sanes just shook his head and looked at the impending doom that was the note. He found a comfortable chair and started to read.
Mr. Sanes,Sanes sighed, he wasn’t going to die after all, that is unless he could take this boy tonight.I believe you know what this letter is all about. I do know you failed to capture the boy. Of course there will be punishment especially since no action has been taken since yesterday to try again. I know for a fact that the boy was out with Louise and Lynn at the theatre this afternoon and could have been easily swayed away from the two and taken. I also know for a fact that the young man is now in this hotel. Tonight you will take the boy into your custody. If you fail again, I will not be as kind as I am now. You’re punishment for delaying the process in getting Louise is that you must capture the boy. Therefor if you are caught, you will go to jail.
Sincerely,
Your employer
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