THE NIGHT OF THE LOST PIRATE SHIP

By Andamogirl

Author's note: season 2. This story takes place after TNOT Golden Cobra.

References to the following episodes: TNOT Murderous Spring; TNOT Golden Cobra

References to my story TNOT Comanche Moon.

Warning: nightmare with major characters death & suicide. Graphic violence.

Singh: Oh, come come come, Mr. West. Surely you must be aware that your reputation has preceded you.
Jim: Has it? What is my reputation?
Singh: Oh, an admirable one. You have a talent-I might almost say a genius-for survival.
Jim: Oh, you flatter me, Mr. Singh. But survival embraces so many areas. And many so dull.
Singh: Quite true, quite true. Begging for mercy, hiding, running away. None of which my boys are interested in. Which effectively narrows it down to the one area in which they are interested. The gentle art of killing.

Jim: Whatever you do, don't go in there. There's a tiger in there.
Artie: Awww… (opens door) There's a tiger in there!
Jim: Nooo…

TNOT Golden Cobra

Many thanks to my beta reader Tripidydoodah.

WWW

TEASER

Artemus's nightmare:

ROARRRRR.

Hearing that, Artemus Gordon landed the young leopard to the carpeted floor, his hair sticking to the nape of his neck. The mini-feline jumped on the sofa. It immediately attacked one of the pillows, attacking and tearing the golden fabric, sending goose feathers flying everywhere.

"Jim! JIIIMMM!"

Leaving the galley, holding a saucer of milk, James West asked, "What?"

Pointing with a trembling finger at the adult leopard looking at them, Artie said, "The mama was in the box too," he said. His pulse was racing.

The mama leopard bared its teeth, let out another rough rumbling roar and Artie added, "There's a box filled with knock-out gas mini-bombs on my desk, in my lab, bring one or two here – before mama leopard here decide to maul me and eat my entrails."

The leopard roared again, louder, spotted fur on end and light blue eyes flashing menacingly. It raised a clawed paw, ready to lash out.

Moving to the sideboard in a flash, Jim grabbed the revolver hidden under the revolving table-top and aimed at the snarling mama leopard.

Doing his best to stay calm, Artie said, "No! No! Don't kill it – don't kill her. I want to give the leopards to the Washington zoo. Bring the bombs here … and hurry!" He grabbed a chair, the legs facing the animal to keep it at bay – and Jim rushed into the narrow walkway, heading toward the lab.

The leopard pounced at the human standing in front of him. He pawed the chair easily, sending it flying in the air to the side and then, it lunged on a terrified Artemus, bringing its claws out, and bit into the man's shoulders with his long, sharp, fangs, hard and deep.

Blood splashed.

In the walkway Jim heard Artie scream in pain and accelerated.

He came back shortly after, finding the leopard lying on top of Artemus sprawled on his back, unconscious. "Dear God!" He breathed, filled with fear.

He was ready to throw the knock-out gas mini bombs to the floor, so they would explode on impact and release a cloud of red smoke… when he noticed that the feline was inert. He slid the mini-spheres into pants pocket and grabbed the gun he had left on the table. He poked the leopard with his feet. It didn't react. He did it again. Still no reaction.

It looked dead.

Still pointing the Colt at the unmoving leopard, Jim pushed it away from Artie's prone body. The leopard rolled limply on the floor. It really was dead.

Kneeling beside Artemus, Jim took his partner's pulse. It was a bit rapid, but strong. Artie's emerald green smoking jacket had been slashed, no; shredded, and was ancient history, he won't like that, he thought. He opened it to reveal a blood stained white shirt, slashed too, like the skin beneath. "Stay here buddy, everything's going to be okay."

He placed his gun on the sofa. Then, first things first, he put the young leopard - sniffing at Arties blood-soaked-jacket, growling - back in in the big wooden box and locked the wired door.

Then he opened the lower part of the side board and pulled out the first aid kit. Kneeling again beside his injured and unconscious partner, he pulled out scissors from the box and began to cut Artie's ruined jacket and shirt, exposing his bloodied upper body.

He poured disinfectant over the angry red deep cuts the leopard had left on Artie's shoulders and chest… and gasped in total surprise, as they…suddenly vanished! He blinked twice. "What?" he let out, stunned, watching the injuries on his right arm vanish in their turn.

He touched Artie's skin to be sure… only the drying blood remained – all the deep cuts had vanished as if by magic.

Magic and India come together.

Following his instinct, he took the letter from Veda Singh and read it up to the end and read the last sentence twice, then aloud, "Don't let the female leopard bite someone, she will die and the curse will continue. I will tell you more about that when I return in the United States, next month." He looked down at Artemus, unconscious and intact, again. "The curse will continue…" Looking down at the dead leopard, he had a start when a sudden flash of bright golden light enveloped the dead leopard… and he gasped in total surprise… when a naked woman materialized on the carpeted floor, where the leopard had been.

Eyes wide open, she was dead.

Jim jumped when he heard a thundering ROARRRRR – and slowly turned around.

More than astounded, he froze and then he took a couple of steps back, swallowing. A big black panther, its fur sleek and shiny, its fangs bared, wrapped in fading sparks of golden light was padding toward him. "Artie?" he croaked.

The panther snarled threateningly, with its ears laid back on his skull, and tail waving behind it, stalking toward him. Closer and closer.

Jim took a step back, swallowing nervously. "Good kitty-Artie…"

WWW

The reality:

The bell of the Wanderer announcing the arrival in a railway station woke Artemus with a start and he looked around him, lost, confused and disoriented, images of his very bad dream still present in his mind… and he grimaced in pain.

He looked down at his bandaged right arm and everything came back to his mind: the young leopard wasn't alone in the box.

His mama was there too.

She had jumped on him before he could do anything and she had slashed his right arm with her claws… that was before Jim had the good idea to put the young leopard back in the box and she had followed to take care of her offspring.

Then he had passed out.

Artemus rubbed his temples tiredly. "What an awful dream!"

He sat up in his bunk, feeling the train slowing down, and ran a trembling hand through his messy hair. They had reached New Orleans, he realized.

He stood, feeling the train stop, and put his robe on, gingerly, wincing. Feeling dizzy, he sat on his bunk and waited for the room to stop spinning.

There was a knock at the door and it opened shortly after. "Artie, are you awake buddy?" Jim asked, entering the room.

Marmalade jumped on the bunk and padded toward her master, purring, and began to lick his hand. Artemus pulled the cat against his bare chest and the cat nuzzled his neck. "Yes, I am. Hello Marmie."

Smiling, Jim sat on the edge of the bunk, beside his partner, and Marmie just lolled on her back so Artie could rub her belly. He complied immediately.

Petting the cat's soft fur between its pointy ears, Jim said, "Fortunately, Marmie's not going to maul you. How are you?"

Artie smiled too. "I'm fine…," he lied. He was still dizzy, but he didn't want Jim to be worried. "What happened with the leopard triggered an awful dream… the leopard bit me and thanks to a curse, I became a black leopard, a black panther… By the way, where are they?"

Sitting on the edge of the bunk, Jim replied, "I placed the box with the leopards in the baggage car. It's just next to the stable and the horses are nervous."

Artemus rubbed his nose playfully against the cat's tiny one and Marmalade meowed. "That's a good cat… and far less dangerous than a leopard."

Jim nodded. "Fortunately, yes. I'm sorry to disturb you, buddy, but we have a visitor. There's no time to lose, come with me."

Holding a purring Marmie in his arms, Artie followed Jim down the narrow walkway and they entered the parlor car shortly after.

Mrs. Julia Rutherford was standing in the middle of the parlor car, two bodyguards framing her. She was holding a letter in her hand, and looked worried, agitated.

Blushing in embarrassment, Artemus glared at his partner. "You could have told me who our visitor, was, Jim!" he whispered. "It's a woman! And it's the Governor's wife."

Jim smiled innocently. "I didn't? I completely forgot, I'm sorry, Artemus." Then he chuckled inwardly. He loved to tease his partner. Of course Artie would retaliate, but it was the game, and it was so much fun to embarrass Artie, that it was worth it, he thought.

His brow furrowed, Artemus narrowed his eyes. He wasn't fooled. 'No coffee for you for a week', he mouthed to Jim. He dropped Marmalade on the closest sofa, the cat curling up on a pillow there, tail curled around itself. He ran a hand through his wild black curls before closing his robe with the belt. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Rutherford," he said, blushing, embarrassed. "Give me five minutes, and I promise you to come back dressed decently to receive you."

Mrs. Rutherford smiled soothingly, "Don't worry about that, Mr. Gordon. I don't mind. Mr. West told me what happened to you, and I'm the one who is sorry to disturb you, when you should rest to recover your strength. But I wanted to talk to you as soon as possible. It's very important – and private." She looked up at the two men framing her, each in turn, and added, "Wait for me outside, I'm safe here."

The two mountain-build men nodded, said, "Yes Mrs. Rutherford," in a chorus and left the room, to halt then on the rear platform of the Wanderer.

Smiling, Jim gestured toward the sofa. "Please," he said watching the petite brunette woman take her place in the golden upholstered sofa. "Do you want a cup of coffee, Mrs. Rutherford? Tea perhaps? And cakes, Artie made delicious blueberry muffins…"

Julia smiled. "No, nothing, thank you, Mr. West. I'm so nervous my stomach is knotted, I can't eat or drink anything since I received that letter."

Sitting on a chair in front of the Governor's wife, Jim asked her, "Tell us what brought you here Mrs. Rutherford…and about that letter."

Julia Rutherford blushed a little. "Franklin, my husband knows I'm here, of course, but he doesn't know why. I told him I wanted to invite you personally to the reception I am organizing at our house for Christmas… but it's an excuse. Oh, but you are invited, of course. It's the first time I'm hiding something to Franklin. I feel… ill at ease, guilty. If I came here to see you… A courier brought me that letter yesterday…" and she handed it over to Jim. "It's a ransom demand. Eli… I mean Elizabeth Deerly, my best friend, living here in New Orleans has been kidnapped, and the people who did that want 10,000 dollars tomorrow evening in exchange. The person who wrote the letter specified that nobody but me and the man or the men who will bring the money to the rendezvous must know about the kidnapping – my husband included -; otherwise Eli will be killed immediately. When my husband told me that you would be here today, and would stay for a week to be at the President's side, I decided to come and ask you for help. There is a plan with the place of the rendezvous on the back of the letter."

Jim read the letter rapidly then gave it to Artie standing beside him. "Artemus and I will help you with great pleasure, Mrs. Rutherford. We have 24 hours before President Grant arrives."

Mrs. Rutherford continued, "I have the money…" she pointed at a black bag sitting next to the door. "Do you want to bring it to them, Mr. West?"

Jim nodded. "Of course, and I will bring Mrs. Deerly here, safe and sound after that, Mrs. Rutherford" He saw Julia Grant smile, reassured.

Mrs. Grant stood, "I'm counting on you, Mr. West and you Mr. Gordon and please, don't tell anything about this to my husband." She headed toward the door. "When everything is settled, send a courier with a letter telling me that you are "delighted to be invited to the White House reception for Christmas ", and I will know immediately that everything went well." She smiled. "Thank you, gentlemen."

Once Mrs. Rutherford was gone, Artemus took the bag and placed it on the writing table. He opened it, pulling out a bundle of banknotes. "Do you have a plan?"

Jim shook his head. "Not yet… you?" He looked at his partner and caught Artemus's 'I've got a brilliant idea' glint in his partner's eyes. "But you have."

Artemus rubbed his stubbled chin pensively. "It's just an idea… but I'm sure it will work. But it's going to be tricky to set up."

Jim smiled. "I have every confidence in you, Artie."

Artie bowed his head. "Thanks." He scowled and added, "You will drink your own coffee for a week, Jim." Then he padded toward the galley.

Tbc.