“One minute.” He pulled up the straps of his suspenders, and went to the door.
“Yes?”
“Our you the Kid?”
“That’s me.”
“A message from Miss Louise.” He handed him a piece of paper. “She also said dress informally, whatever that means.”
“Thanks.” He flipped the boy, well not really, the man a coin and closed the door. He smiled as he opened the letter and sat down in the chair closest to him.
Sanes smiled, that had been way to easy. Sure he had to ask Mr. Wicks to fake Louise’s handwriting, for some reason he knew exactly how to do it, but it had been worth it. He had told the Kid to meet Louise, or Lou as he called her, out by the pond outside of town. No one would be there and he could tell him that Lou was in danger and that either he came with him or she died. It was too perfect. First the little brats Theresa and Jeremiah were coming the next day. They’d become too much of a hassle at the House, so he asked for his most trusted girl to bring them here and stay. He laughed as he walked outside. Too easy, way too easy. Good thing he had a couple of back up plans. He decided to take a walk through the streets of the town before having to go down to the pond later that night.
Kid finished reading the letter; pretty much it said that she wanted to meet him by the pond on the outskirts of town. She didn’t say why, she just did. Dress informally, why would she say something like that? An evil thought came to his mind; he smiled, but banished it away. No that wasn’t it. Maybe Lynn had said something or that maybe something was wrong. He got changed into his usual outfit. A blue shirt and tan pants. He was just about to leave when someone else knocked at his door.
“Kid? It’s Lynn.”
“Come in it’s unlocked.”
“There’s something wrong with Lou, you have to come quick.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked as he ushered out the door. Lou obviously wasn’t going to meet him tonight.
“I went in to say good night to her and she was sweating with a fever and tossing and turning and talking incoherently.”
“What do you think it is?”
“I’m not sure, but it looks like scarlet fever. They way she’s sweating and mumbling, oh Kid it’s scary.”
“You go get the doctor, I’ll go up to her.” They had reached the lobby.
“I did before I came and got you. He’s probably up there right now.” He raced up the stairs, Lynn right behind him. He didn’t even knock, but ran right into her room. He walked in on the doctor checking her over.
“Oh you must be her fiancée.”
“Huh?”
“Lou told the manager that she was your fiancée so she could take the room with you.” Lynn whispered.
“Oh, yeah that’s me.” He had to stop himself from smiling. “What’s wrong with her doc?”
“Is it scarlet fever?” Lynn asked.
“No, no my dear girl. She just has a terrible bug, it has really affected her for some reason. Has she been sick a lot lately?”
“No, she’s never sick, strong as a horse. She was feeling really tired earlier.” Kid answered the doctor with as much sincerity as possible. Fiancée? He would have to ask Lou about that one when she woke up. For now he would have to keep a good watch on her.
“Well then that’s why this has affected her so bad. If you never get sick then when you do, you’re knocked out for days. I think, though, that she’ll be fine day after tomorrow.” Lynn and Kid sighed simultaneously.
“So she’s going to be fine?” Kid had to reassure himself.
“Yes. She won’t be as strong as she usually is because it’s hit her so hard. She just needs to rest and drink plenty of fluids. I need to talk to you for a moment Mr…?”
“Just call me kid. That’s what everyone else calls me.”
“Yes, uh, Kid. I need to talk to you outside for a moment. Ms. Jacobs thanks you for coming to get me so quickly. Here, try sponging her off for a little while.” He handed her a wet sponge and Lynn began wiping the sweat off of Lou’s brow.
“What is it?” Kid asked suspiciously.
“Nothing really, but have you asked her how she has been feeling lately?”
“Didn’t think that it was necessary to ask her how she was every day?” Kid felt confused; he had no idea where this conversation was going.
“Well, has she been acting differently lately?” Kid laughed. Should he tell this doctor what Lou really was? He thought about it. She had been acting more ladylike lately. Been looking at all the girls in town like she wanted to be one of them a lot more. Not that she usually didn’t feel that way, but after Jimmy told him about that little display in front of the mirror. He smiled.
“Well doc you see, well it’s kinda hard to explain. You can’t tell anyone this you understand?”
“Of course. Doctor confidentiality is my motto. Now, you can tell me anything and I won’t say a word to anyone.”
“Louise works for the Pony Express as Lou.” Kid waited. He was thinking the doctor might be shocked, he was shocked when the doctor said: “Continue.” Nothing, he didn’t say anything like Kid expected he thought he would be utterly inconsolable with insults.
“You don’t think that this is odd?” he pointed towards the door as if he could still see Lou.
“Well of course I do, but everyone should have their own chance to make their way in life. I can’t say anything about anyone else now can I?”
“No, well you see Lou always acts like a boy, but lately she’s had this wanting to be a girl more and more.”
“And you two are engaged?”
“Well, not yet.” Kid blushed. This wasn’t a subject he wanted to get into with a doctor he didn’t even know. “Why?” Kid’s stomach rose in his throat. “Is she pregnant?”
“No, just wondering. The lady at the desk really seemed convinced that you two were engaged.”
“Well, I want to marry her, but for some reason she keeps turning me down.” He didn’t look the doctor in the eye after that.
“Keep trying son. For the looks of her she’s a fighter. Haven’t quite figured out why this is affecting her so hard.”
“You said that it was the flu that was plaguing her.”
“Well son that’s why I pulled you out here. I didn’t want to say it in front of that gal, Lynn, she seemed kinda high strung when she came to my office, but Lou isn’t suffering from anything medical. It’s like she just decided to have a fever and to start shaking. I can’t find anything that’s causing all of this. There’s no sign of flu or anything big.”
“Could it be stress?”
“That was what I was thinking. Has she been under a lot of stress lately?”
“Not that I know of, there again she doesn’t really tell me anything.”
“Well I’ll treat it like a flu or plain cold. If it is stress than it’s all in her mind, and I won’t be able to treat it, she will have to.”
“Thanks doc. How can I repay you? What’s the charge?”
“How about a drink?”
“Let me make sure Lou’s okay and see if Lynn needs me to get her anything.”
“Sure son.”
Kid went back into the room. He doubled checked on Lou, she was fast asleep. She had stopped mumbling and thrashing about on the bed. That eased his mind a little. He asked Lynn if she was okay for an hour or so. She said yes, and he went to go repay the doctor with a drink. As he stepped back out into the hall, he felt more tired than he had before coming here. Maybe he would ask the doctor for a check up too. He laughed and led the doctor down to the bar.
“Why don’t we go over to a friend of mine’s place. He’s visiting and has invited me over for a drink several times. He’s staying in the hotel across the street. Follow me.” The doctor led Kid all the way up to hotel room twelve. This room was two doors down from Sanes. The doctor knocked on the door. Even though there was no answer he entered. He made sure that Kid was in the room and then closed the door behind him.
“Here you go Mr. Wicks. I brought him to you, safe and sound.” The doctor called into the room.
“Thank you Mr. Elden. I will make sure and complete our transaction later.”
“No way. I did what you said, now I want my money.” Kid just stood there in shock. Wicks was dead, he’d seen him buried. He was trying to get a feeling of where he was. Wicks had not yet shown himself. Perhaps Kid still had a chance of drawing his gun and shooting him when he came out. He went for the gun.
“I wouldn’t do that Kid.” Wicks’ voice ordered. “Put your hands up where can see them. Now Mr. Elden I told you that you would get your money when everything was completed.”
“I thought you meant my part of the deal. I lost four patients just to go see that stupid girl. She wasn’t even sick, she seemed to be faking it.” Kid stared at the doctor. This wasn’t the same guy he had just been talking to five minutes before. This guy was a greedy, power hungry man that had mislead him and now he and Lou were in danger.
“Mr. Eden, I hope I’ve made myself quite clear. You are not getting your money until my whole project is done. I may need you again to get the girl, Lynn.”
“What about your man Sanes? He seemed like a good kid, why hasn’t he helped you get her?”
“That’s exactly the problem. He’s too good; he doesn’t know how to be sinister or hungry for power. You on the other hand, have connections to everyone in town, and you know how to keep the connections.” Kid heard Wicks laugh. Eden also did too. “Mr. Eden you may leave. I will be in contact with you shortly. Thank you very much for delivering my package.”
Eden left Kid alone with Wicks. Kid scanned the room, he had heard someone lock the door from the outside, did Wicks have other people working for him other than Eden and this man Sanes? He had to find a way out of here and to tell Lou that she was in danger.
“Now, Kid, you can hear my plan.”
“I don’t care about your stupid plan!”
“Now, now I think you do especially since it includes you and your little whore of a girlfriend."
“Don’t call Lou that, she isn’t a whore, you’re the one who raped her.”
“Oh, then you haven’t heard the whole story.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Lou worked for me.”
“Yeah, I know. She was your laundry girl when she was only fourteen and you one night came in to her room and you……well you know what you did. Then the next day Charlotte bought her a ticket to St. Louis and she left you and came to the express after a few years of wandering around.”
“How old was she when you met her?”
“Probably seventeen maybe eighteen. Why? Does it matter.”
“You never asked her what she did in those two years?”
“Why am I having this conversation with you? You’re the one that ruined her whole life.”
“Yes, I know. I hear that everyday. You ruined her life, I hate you. It’s starting to become pathetic. No one ever thinks that the girls come to me out of their free will.”
“What are you talking about! They have to become what they are because of what you do to them.”
“I guess you could say that.” Even though he hadn’t come out from his hiding place yet in the next room, kid knew that he was smiling.
“Why haven’t you come out yet? Are you a coward?"
“Oh, I completely forgot. But, I still don’t trust that you’re loyal to me.”
“What the hell does that mean! I’ll never be loyal to you. You destroyed the one person I’ve every really cared about. You’re the one that extinguished part of her fire in her eyes. You’re the one that made her afraid of men for three years, until she learned, from me and the boys, that all men aren’t like you and her father.”
“I told you that you should have listened to my plan.”
“Well tell me know, it’s not like I’m going to suddenly care about what you say.” Wicks completely ignored him and started.
“Well you see, Lou owes me. She owes me for a year of service. Please do not interrupt. I decided, when I had finished my business with Charlotte that I would finish it with Louise. Of course things don’t always go to plan, and I had to fake my own death. When I got back to my establishments, I found my partner Sanes working there. We struck up a deal and since then I have been telling him how to run everything. It was time to track Louise. I found her very easily by the aide of bounty hunters. I took in my possession something that is very dear to her, actually three things, and now I am going to take what is mine.”
“What three things?”
“You are one of them. Her brother Jeremiah is another, and her sister Theresa is the last.”
“You have Jeremiah and Theresa?”
“Yes, and if you don not cooperate, something tragic might happen to them. I plan on telling Jeremiah that I am his father. The boy is so confused after that Boggs thing and is looking for a father figure. Well, here I am.” He snickered.
“How did you know about Boggs?”
“Oh, Sanes has looked into everything about your past and your friends. Theresa may turn out like her sister if you do not cooperate, also. I that since Jeremiah will tell her who I am, actually there father, that she’ll come running to me with open arms, you know she isn’t that much younger than Louise was when she first came to me.” He laughed again.
“You wouldn’t.” Kid was horrified. He didn’t have a choice. He knew that Lou would kill him if he left Theresa and Jeremiah with him.
“Oh, I couldn’t do that to my own daughter, but one of my boys could. Will you be loyal to me?”
“What exactly does that require.” Kid tried to think as hard as he could how to get out of this.
“You must look after Theresa and Jeremiah. They are in your charge along with one or two of my boys just so that you don’t try anything foolish.”
“Do I have a choice?”
“It’s either that or death. Then you will never be able to help any of them at all.”
“Will you ever let them go?”
“After Louise comes back to me.”
“Where do I go first?” Kid sighed, he didn’t have any choice. He could pull his gun on Wicks, but he was almost certain that they weren’t alone. Wicks finally came out from the room he had been in. Kid’s suspicions were right. They’re were four or five big thugs with him. If he had even tried to hurt Wicks, they’re was no way he would have gotten out of there alive. He had no choice; all now he could do was pray that Lou didn’t get into any big trouble while he looked after her brother and sister.
“Martin will take you to St. Joe and you will begin your duties.” The biggest man stepped forward and took Kid’s arm; he also took Kid’s gun out of the holster and threw it to another man. Kid let himself be led down to his horse and he began the long journey away from Lou and into hell.
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