The Night of the Dubious Plot Device

Chapter 1

Artie

"Go get him will ya? I'll look after her."

Those were Artie's last words to Jim before he ran out into the street in pursuit of Doctor Loveless, leaving his partner to keep Belladonna from escaping. Now those words were ingrained in his brain. Why had he left his friend like that? He had known that he was suffering the effects of having thrown himself into the electrical circuits and yet he had taken him at his word that he could cope with the situation.

Jim had thoroughly searched the area of Junction City around the Communication Centre, before accepting that Loveless had escaped once again and had then returned to where he had left his partner. Only Artie hadn't been there! No problem, he'd thought, Artie must have taken Belladonna to the Sheriff's office. He would make his way there. The Sheriff looked up when Jim entered his office.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, noting the worried expression on his visitor's face as Jim realised that Artie wasn't there.

"Have you seen my partner, Artemus Gordon?" Jim asked. "He would have had a young lady with him named Belladonna."

"Can't say as I have," the sheriff replied. "He's your partner you say. And who might you be?"

"My name is James West, I'm with the Treasury Department," Jim said, showing the man his identification.

"Secret Service, eh? What's this all about?"

"I left my partner, Artemus Gordon, at the Communication Centre with a female prisoner."

"Belladonna."

"Yes. But they're obviously not here…" Jim started to say, turning to leave.

"Hold on a minute. What were you doing at the Communication Centre?"

"That's classified," Jim said impatiently. "Look I really need to go and find my partner."

"You think he ran off with this Belladonna woman?"

"Definitely not, but he was injured so I need to find him sooner rather than later."

"Well he might not have got injured if you came to me first before you went around arresting people."

"That's not the way we work."

The sheriff shrugged. "So, do you want my men to help you look for this Gordon fellah?

Jim thought about it for a second. "I could use your help to search the town," he said.

"Clay! Dean!" The sheriff shouted and two men appeared through a door into the jail at the back.

"These are my deputies," the Sheriff said. "They'll go with you."

"Thank you Sheriff," Jim said. It would certainly be quicker than if he tried to do it on his own.

"Brooker's the name," the sheriff told him, motioning to his men. "This here's James West, a Government secret agent. You go with him and do as he says."

Jim nodded to the men and led them out onto the main street of Junction City.

Jim directed the two men as to where he wanted them to go and the three of them scoured Junction City. But there was no sign of Artie or Belladonna. Now Jim was worried that, impossible though it seemed, Loveless was involved somehow. That thought made his legs turn to rubber, the fact that Artie might be the prisoner of a madman or worse still dead. He managed to thank the deputies and walked back to his horse with a numb feeling inside. Artie's animal was standing there calmly waiting for its owner to turn up. He took its reins and led it back with him to the Wanderer with a troubled mind.

ooooooooooo0ooooooooooo

Once he had stabled the horses Jim lost no time in opening up the telegraph and sending a message to The Treasury Department with news of Artie's disappearance. He poured himself a small measure of whiskey while he waited for the reply, to steady his nerves or to deaden his conscience; he wasn't quite sure which. As he had hoped, Colonel Richmond, having been apprised of the situation, decided that immediate action was needed and West was more or less told to get on with it and be quick about it. Leaving instructions with Cobb for the care of Artie's horse and other matters, Jim rode out past Junction City and into the countryside to see if he could pick up a trail.

He found hoof imprints from two horses and followed them. He hadn't gone far before the trail stopped in a clearing and he could tell that they had met up with a vehicle pulled by two horses and both riders and vehicle had left the vicinity quite recently. There were also signs of narrow wheel marks coming from another direction and leading up to the broken ground where the horses had been waiting and with a chill Jim realised that these had been made by a perambulator and that he had almost bumped into a nurse pushing one as he had left the Communication Centre. Loveless had been right under his nose and he had let him get away – and Artie, he had put Artie in danger by being so blind. He should have realised there was something odd about that pram.

Well, he decided, there was no time to lose now. They couldn't have more than a few hours' head start. He got back up on his horse and continued to follow the trail he had found.

ooooooooooo0ooooooooooo

"You should have known that I was only bluffing when I put that gun to your head," Dr Loveless said with a frown.

He and his companions had taken up residence in a small tavern, having bribed the owner to let Loveless have occupancy for as long as he liked. He and his men would continue to run the tavern as cover for their whereabouts.

Belladonna stared back at him, her chin jutting out. "How was I supposed to know? You have been so unpredictable lately. First saying that Mr West's death should be savoured and then deciding to shoot him dead on the spot. I didn't know what to think."

"I told you that you would be beside me when I came to power. Do you think I am a common liar? You insult me, Bella."

"I thought Pearline had seduced you away from me."

"Ah female jealousy," Loveless said, nodding his head, "that I can understand. In that case, I forgive you, my dear. But don't do it again!"

"I promise I won't, Miguelito."

"Good. Anyway I don't quite trust Pearline. She is a little bit too much like me. I have sent her to my secret hideout to wait for us there. Now, how is our patient?"

"He's still unconscious. Do you think he'll die?"

"I certainly hope not; I have use for him," Loveless said. He couldn't help grinning as he pondered the possibilities ahead. "Though it's a wonder he's alive at all after the way he was electrocuted. It was shocking, very shocking indeed," he added with a chuckle which turned into a full-blown laugh.

Belladonna joined in. It seemed best to stay on the Doctor's good side.

ooooooooooo0ooooooooooo

Meanwhile the "patient" had regained consciousness to a world of pain in his chest and limbs but mainly his head. He put a hand up to gently probe his thick, dark hair for the skull beneath and found that it was shaking so badly that he had to put it down again. He groaned. What on earth happened to him? Then his brow creased and he drew his eyebrows together. There was a more pressing question if he could only think what it was. Suddenly it came to him.

"Who the hell am I?" he said.

There was no answer.

ooooooooooo0ooooooooooo

Jim followed Loveless' trail as far as the river and there he lost it. He crossed the river but couldn't pick up the trail on the other side. How could it have just disappeared? He scratched his head and peered down the river to see if there was any sign of a vessel. There wasn't and he wasn't surprised. It was just wishful thinking and anxiety for Artie. With Loveless being a couple of hours ahead of him he would be long gone. However, it seemed certain now that the vessel they had boarded was large enough to take the wagon and the horses. It must be some sort of river barge and he was betting it had gone with the flow of the river rather than back toward Junction City, so he would as well. He patted Blackjack's shoulder and set off to follow the river wherever it would take him – hopefully to his partner and friend. When he found him he just hoped Artie would forgive him for abandoning him. He had to believe it was "when". Anything else was too difficult to admit to himself.

ooooooooooo0ooooooooooo

"So Mr Gordon has completely lost his memory," Loveless confirmed with Belladonna when she gave him the news.

"He has no idea who he is," she said.

Loveless couldn't stop the glee bubbling up inside him and put his hand over his mouth the curb his exuberance.

"This will make my plan so much easier," he eventually managed to say, grinning. "Oh yes, so much easier. You had better watch out, Mr West. You won't know what hit you."

ooooooooooo0ooooooooooo

'Mr West' was still trying to trace Loveless and his companions. Unfortunately it rained during the night. It was a typical summer storm that came out of nowhere, produced a heavy downpour of rain, and disappeared just as quickly. Thankfully he had been able to find shelter in an abandoned shack but when he emerged and looked around him he realised that any evidence there might have been of his prey leaving the river had been washed away along with his hopes of finding Artie.

He travelled on for a day, passing through small settlements but found no trace of Loveless. Eventually he booked a room at a saloon in the next town he came to. He had asked questions wherever he went and he did the same there but as usual no one had seen any strangers hanging around. As he had no idea where Loveless had left the river or in which direction he had gone Jim decided to throw in the towel and return to the Wanderer. To save time he sent a telegraph to Cobb asking him to bring the train to the nearest railroad station. As it was evening and the train wouldn't arrive until morning Jim decided to spend some time in the saloon bar. So it was that he drank just a little too much and ended up sleeping fully-dressed on the not-very-comfortable bed in his room at the saloon, thankfully too befuddled to have to dwell on what Artie might be going through, something that had occupied his mind ever since Junction City, if indeed his partner was still alive.

ooooooooooo0ooooooooooo

Artie was in fact very much alive but unaware that anyone was looking for him. At least that meant he had a clear mind when it came to worrying about his partner; he didn't know he had one. Other matters though were weighing heavily on him. A small man came to visit him as he lay on the bed in the room above the tavern. At first he thought he was hallucinating but it turned out that he really was that tall, or short would probably be a better description. The word 'tall' had nothing to do with the diminutive little man. Artie shook his head. He was still having trouble concentrating.

"Good evening," Loveless said, coming over to hoist himself onto the end of the bed.

"Hi," Artie said warily. Did he know this man?

"I understand you have a problem with your memory. I can help you."

"Help me? How? And just who are you?"

"My name is Doctor Loveless." He waited a moment to see if there was a reaction from the other man but Artie's expression remained only slightly puzzled. Loveless continued. "And I can help you find the man who betrayed you and left you for dead."

"Left me for dead? Who?"

"His name, Mr Gordon, is James West."

"James West," Artie repeated. No, that name didn't mean anything at all to him. Neither did the name Gordon.

"You say my name's Gordon. Just who am I and how did I get here?"

"Your name is Artemus Gordon. James West was once your partner in the Secret Service.

"Secret Service?" Artie said.

"Yes, you were both on an assignment when he betrayed you and left you for dead."

"But why?"

"Because he is ambitious and corrupt. One of my associates, Belladonna, found you and brought you to me. Mr West began looking for you once he realised you had escaped and I hid you and transported you to this tavern to recuperate. You needn't fear that he will find you here."

"What have you got to do with all this?"

"I'm the doctor who saved your life."

"Then I owe you my thanks. But now I have to get in contact with my superiors and tell them what happened."

"And what did happen?"

"What you just said."

Loveless allowed himself a small smile. "That won't do, Mr Gordon. Until you regain your memory Mr West can and will refute everything you say. You won't be believed. Worse than that, he will try to silence you because he can't allow you time to remember anything. You would be in great danger."

"Then what do you suggest I do? I can't shoot him without firm evidence."

"There's no need for that. You will take Mr West prisoner and either force him to confess or hold him until your memory comes back."

"How am I going to do that?"

"I have developed a drug which we could employ on Mr West. It would make him much easier to handle and more likely to tell the truth."

"I don't want him harmed."

"I can assure you it will do no physical harm at all," Loveless said, quite truthfully.

"In that case I agree to your plan, reluctantly though. How do we find this man West?"

"As it happens I know exactly where he will be tomorrow morning."

"Okay."

"I will leave you to get a good night's sleep."

Artie nodded and lay down. He was very tired.

Loveless put out the gas light and left the room. Once outside he took the gun from Belladonna who had been guarding the door just in case, placed it in his pocket, and danced down the hallway with her, brimming with glee.

ooooooooooo0ooooooooooo

To be continued