The Encounter (19 page)

              She caught her breath. "Yes, why?" Her voice was strained.

              He noticed and looked at her. "You feel okay?"

              She watched the ceiling. "I'm fine..." She was anything but fine.

              He watched for another second. "Are you sure? "Your immune system might not work as well here. You might've caught something."

              "I've had my shots, if that's what you're getting at."

              Well, something was bothering her, but if she didn't want to talk about it, that was okay. He'd change the subject. "Tomorrow I'll see if there's a bank or assay office or somewhere we can exchange 'em for currency."

              "I've already thought about that." She paused.  "We'll need to purchase the horses and supplies."

              "And a dress."

              She rose up on one elbow and looked down at him, "A dress. For who?"

              "Who do you think? I can't have my wife running around in pants. It ain't decent."

              "You're crazy." She lay back down. "Get the light."

              He smiled, but inside he still felt there was something going on she wouldn't talk about. He leaned over and blew out the lamp. The curtain was drawn across the only window, leaving the room in total darkness.

He felt her roll over on her stomach. He jumped when she put her hand on his stomach. He put his hand on her hand and closed his eyes. Quite frankly, he'd never seriously considered having sex with her until tonight. For her, the hand was more than just a show of affection. It was the only way she was ever going to be able to get to sleep.

                                                        ***

              Ben Kramer was not a patient man. On the other hand, Ben Kramer's youngest son Josh had a lot of patience where it came to the McKenlys; Sarah McKenly that is. They had taken notice of one another more than a year ago. When they were in town, and away from their families, they enjoyed walking and talking with each other. Neither Ben, nor Martin, would've tolerated their friendship for a moment. They tried to figure out a way to attend one of the monthly town socials together, but Martin wanted nothing to do with most of the town's people. In the end they were afraid to try for fear of losing what they had.

              Ben, Josh, and Ben's older son, Frank, sat with Henry Morton at Henry's table in the hotel bar. The McKenlys were the topic of conversation.

              Frank downed the contents of his glass. "I don't see what the problem is." His speech was slurred. "I'll get some of the boys and we'll go up there one night and have a little talk with McKenly."

              Josh broke in. "If he doesn't wanta sell why don't you just pay him to cross his land?"

              "I've already tried that,” Henry said, "to put it in his words, that many cattle will graze my range to nothing."             

              "I'm not paying that son-of-a-bitch anything,” Ben said, irritated at the thought of compromising.”I think Frank has the right idea. What he needs is a good
talkin'
to."

              Josh was afraid for Sarah. Frank had a natural mean streak and he knew what his father meant. "There's got to be another way. You can't just kill a whole family."

              Ben was looking over his glass. "Kill... Who's talkin' about killin' anybody? There are all kinds of things that can happen up on that mountain." He looked from face to face, settling on Frank's, "All kinds of things."

              Frank grinned a half grin and poured himself another drink. Henry drew on a freshly lit cigar. Josh knew no one was going to listen to him. He had to warn Sarah, somehow.

CHAPTER TWELVE

It was time for Margaret’s people to make a decision. Her distress message had told them where she went and who was after her. The one anchor point belonged to the Vergon. Her ship was either damaged or she'd severed her tie to the present to slow down the pursuit. The odds were, she was lost in this world's past with no way back.

              The Star Ship would remain in close contact with the planet while an Assault Ship made a sweep back into Earth's past. They knew she would probably shut down everything but the cloaking device thus eliminating most of the energy signature. Doing that would sever her tie to the present. Once the link was lost you couldn’t get it back. That would leave her with nothing but the hope of being rescued.

The Assault Ship had a possible advantage. They could follow the energy link to the pursuing vessel and remain cloaked and undetectable by the ship they were shadowing. If they were anything, the Vergon were relentless and sooner or later they would locate her.

                                                        ***

The bounty hunters would first have to locate their target in time. Scanning for the alloys making up her ship would only work if the ship were uncloaked. Cloaking the vessel would require power but they would have to be right on top of her to detect it. It would be like looking for a needle in the very large haystack of time.

They also knew her ship’s engines were damaged from the particle stream it left behind. It was decided they would drift back through time until they stopped detecting it. They would then have to step back and begin sweeping the surface for her bio-signature.

                                                        *** 

              If for some reason the rescue attempt failed, the Star Ship would run an intercept and attempt to destroy them. Once they engaged their Star Drive propulsion system and entered the vortex, recovering her would be next to impossible.

              The Chancellor knew the fate that would befall his daughter if the bounty hunters escaped and delivered her. The hardest thing he ever had to do was issue the order to prevent her capture at all cost. Even if it meant the destruction of the ship she was on.

                                                       ***

              Joseph was up at sunrise. Erma was in the kitchen. She tried to get him to eat something. He wasn't hungry. She made him take a biscuit anyway.

              He looked in on his father. Nothing had changed. The head wound was dressed and the bleeding had stopped. He stood at the foot of the bed and watched him. His father's eyes were dark and receded his breathing shallow. In the back of his mind he knew what the doctor hadn't gotten around to telling him. Last night, in his dreams, he'd relived the event over and over again. That horse had taken two people from him. His hate for the animal solidified itself. After spending a few minutes with his father he left the building through the back door.

              The horses had remained hitched to the wagon behind the doctor's office all night. They needed to be fed and watered but first he had to see to the wheel. He walked around the team, pulling at the harness and rubbing the animals. He climbed up onto the seat. The back door opened. John stepped out and closed the door behind him.

              John and Erma had discussed Martin's condition last night and decided Joseph needed to know how things were. This was as good a time as any.

              "Good morning", John said, although he really couldn't think of anything good about it. Joseph nodded. He walked over and put his hand on the make-swift axel nut. "Pretty clever", he said. "You think of this?"

              "No", Joseph answered, “Mister Casey”

              “Clever.” John walked up front and put his hand on the wagon box. "I need to talk to you..."

              Joseph knew what was coming. "He ain't gonna make it." The words choked in his throat. "Is he?"

              "No, I don't think so", John answered. "He's hurt pretty bad." John could see the boy in Joseph trying to hold back the tears. "Your father's a strong man. That's the only reason he made it here alive. Now, you've gotta be the same for your sister. She's gonna be dependin' on you."

              Joseph set his chin. He picked up the reins and released the brake. "I gotta see to the wagon." He slapped the horses. The wagon jerked ahead.

              John understood. The man in Joseph needed to deal with this alone.

                                                        ***

              There was a light knocking at the door. Margaret opened her eyes. Her nose told her it was Erma probably wanting them for breakfast. She'd been listening to movement in the house for over an hour. She didn't move. She was warm and comfortable pressed close to Lawrence under the comforter. The knock came again, harder. He stirred. She moved her hand up his chest. She wasn’t accustomed to all the hair. She pulled it. He flinched and his eyes blinked open. She took her hand away and rolled on her back.

              Erma's voice came through the door, "Mr. and Miz Casey, you folks up?"

              Lawrence was fully awake now. "Ah... Yes... Give us a moment."

              "Don't be too long." Erma's voice came back. "Breakfast is gettin' cold."

              He pushed himself up on his elbows. "Thank you", he called back. "We'll be right there."

              He flopped back down on the pillow and looked over at Margaret. She watched him. "What", he asked.

              "Nothing..." She moved back up against him and snuggled down. "It's just that humans are so... well... warm blooded. I slept pretty well last night, How about you?"

              He wasn't sure how long it had taken him to finally ignore the fact she was there. "I'm fine", he answered, sat up, pushed back his side of the covers and became aware of the fact he needed to go to the bathroom. She saw and he blushed. He swung his feet off the side of the bed and sat trying to loose the urge long enough to get dressed.

              She lay there watching his back. She could smell him. She wanted to touch him. She reached under the covers and rubbed herself. Things were going to have run their course and soon.

              Erma had cleared the table. She and John had finished their meal. John looked in on his patient, and then went to his office out front.

              Margaret and Lawrence entered the dining room. Lawrence was used to going in the woods, but an outhouse was a new experience for him. He preferred the woods.

              Erma looked at them and smiled. "You folks have a seat. I'll have some eggs and bacon out here in a jiffy."

              "No bacon for me, please", Margaret said.

              Lawrence yawned. "The coffee smells good."

              Erma looked at Margaret, "How about you, Miz Casey?"

              "Just water and would you please call me Maggie. How's Mr. McKenly?"

              "He's still with us, Sarah’s sittin' with him. Poor girl, she's gonna have a hard time acceptin' this."

              Erma continued into the kitchen. Lawrence and Margaret just sat, each wondering what the other was thinking. Erma reentered the dining room. The plates were piled high with eggs and a biscuit each with a fork on the side. She placed the one with bacon in front of Lawrence the other in front of Margaret.

              "Let me get your coffee and water", Erma said and started back toward the kitchen.

              "Looks good", Lawrence called after her. He began picking at his eggs with his fork. He looked at Margaret who was looking at her plate. "You have eggs on your world?"

              She picked up a fork full. "Not yellow ones." She took a bite, made a little face, but kept eating.

              Anyone who could eat that stuff in her bag, he thought, or drink the crap that came out of that little box, could certainly handle eggs.

              She reached into her shirt pocket, brought out two gold disks and placed them in front of him. "Blue, if they have it."

              He picked up the coins and looked at her. She went back to her eggs.

                                                        ***

              After breakfast Margaret offered to help Erma in the kitchen, but she wouldn't hear of it. So, she decided to look in on Sarah while Lawrence handled the currency exchange.

              Lawrence stepped onto the wooden sidewalk in front of the doctor's office. It was a bright, cool, cloudless morning. A freight wagon made its way down the rocky, dirt street. He looked at his watch and calculated it was about nine am. His watch; there weren't too many battery operated, LCD wristwatches around here. His sleeve covered it, but just to be safe he took it off and put it in his pants pocket.