Disclaimer: Alias Smith and Jones does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.
References to people, places, businesses, etc. are entirely fictitious.
A/N – story presumes the details on the wanted posters are not entirely accurate. Story exists in the same No Amnesty - Smith and Jones story verse as previous stories.
Chapter 2: Watching
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"This is taking too long," muttered Heyes. "Everything is taking too long!"
Heyes looked down at his pocket watch in concern. By the time they'd dressed, packed essentials they could carry in their carpet bags, and started out from their room, it was nearly six. They'd met Heyes' old friend Diego on the landing. The aging concierge was checking room by room for hotel guests. "Hotel management is urging all our guests to evacuate the building, but you will have to take the stairs. Our elevators are not operating." Heyes realized not much else was working when they finally made it down six flights of stairs to reach the street. There was no electricity, the quake broke gas and water mains throughout the city. From snatches of conversation between the desk clerk and another hotel guest standing on the sidewalk outside the hotel, Heyes learned telephones and telegraph service were out too. And, as he had feared, there were no automobiles and carriages available for hire. They were walking.
"It's already after seven!"
"Just be patient," soothed Clem.
The ruffled cuff of her white shirt peeked out from beneath the sleeve of her dark blue travelling suit. Clem reached up to brush a stray strand of hair back from his face. Heyes inhaled a faint scent of her vanilla perfume.
"Patient? It took over twenty minutes just to make it to the fountain," grumbled Heyes. The calculating man tucked the pocket watch back into his vest pocket. "And now we're just standing around waiting."
"The children need water and so do we," reminded Clem. "Besides, it wasn't a straight walk. The policemen detoured everyone."
The sporadic fires Heyes glimpsed from the Palace window had united in a great wall of flame. Fire engines roared past the evacuees, alarm bells clanging. Smoke filled the air. Mounted policemen patrolled the streets, urging everyone to head away from the harbor. Anyone without a place to stay was being directed to refugee camps set up at the Golden Gate Park or the Presidio. Those in need of emergency medical aid were being transported away from the danger zone. Some lucky folk rode in carriages or automobiles. Most walked. A few determined souls joined the policemen, firemen and Army troops headed into the maelstrom. Heyes heard snatches of worried talk. "The Post Office collapsed." "I heard armed soldiers shot a looter!" "I heard the ferry terminal fell into the harbor!" "The American Hotel is flattened!"
"We need to get out of here," insisted Heyes.
"Can you see the children?" Clem changed the subject. "Are they close?"
Heyes stood on tiptoe. He pushed the brim of his brown bowler hat back on his head. Dark brown eyes squinted.
"This useless hat doesn't have enough of a brim to shade my eyes," grumbled Heyes.
"It goes well with your dress suit," smiled Clem. "And I think the feather in the band is dashing."
"Dashing?" Heyes couldn't help but smirk. With a teasing tone, he asked, "Not flighty?"
"Dashing and stylish," insisted Clem firmly. "Besides, you couldn't wear your old black hat and riding clothes to the conference…"
Clem rambled on. Through the throng of people Heyes could make out the fountain on Market and Geary Street. Unlike crumbled brick walls, or the flattened Cadillac they'd passed with its tires splayed out on either side, the cast iron fountain appeared untouched. He could just barely see his son. Dressed in blue jeans, a dark button down shirt and an even darker jacket, Arthur would have been unrecognizable in the crowd except for the sword jutting up over the slim, dark haired boy's shoulder. Heyes' old friend Han Li presented the blade to Arthur after dinner Monday. The ceremonial weapon rested between Arthur's shoulder blades, sheathed in an ornately tooled scabbard with a bright red tassel dangling from the end.
"Good thing Arthur insisted on bringing the Dao with him," murmured Heyes as he sank back down on his heels. "Otherwise I don't know if I would have been able to pick him out in this crowd. He's almost to the front of the fountain."
"What about Jennifer?" demanded Clem. "Where is she?"
"Can't miss her, she's right beside Arthur," soothed Heyes.
Jennifer stood nearly as tall as Arthur. In the early morning light, the girl's gold blond curls shone like a beacon, her white dress smudged with gray soot on one sleeve. Both children carried tin cups embossed with Souvenir of San Francisco. The cups weren't a canteen, but they would have to do until they reached Silky's home.
"Can you tell if the fountain is flowing?" Clem fretted. "I don't want them drinking water from the reservoir basin."
"Better than no water," growled Heyes.
His dark eyes glanced down to the luggage stacked by his feet. Heyes scowled. Jennifer's calfskin slippers were visible along with her rag doll and a phonograph record peeking out of the topmost carpetbag. The other bags were similarly crammed with clothing and what few items they deemed worth carrying. A moment's regret for the broken telescope and the three crates of books abandoned in the Palace flitted through his mind and vanished. Things weren't important, and neither was money now. The thick wad of money in his wallet couldn't purchase what they needed, food, water, a couple of good horses and tack.
"The children ate their chocolate. Now you eat yours," urged Clem.
The petite woman handed Heyes a broken piece of a Ghirardelli's bar. Clem purchased the treat yesterday, intending to take it back to Thunder Ridge. While walking from the Palace to the fountain, she'd handed out pieces of candy to Arthur and Jennifer.
"I can't believe you gave the children chocolate for breakfast." Heyes shook his head disparagingly.
"Better than no breakfast," retorted Clem.
Her lips curled up in a smirk as she used almost his same words about water. Heyes nodded in agreement, remembering days on the run with no water and no breakfast.
"I suppose you would rather have hardtack?" teased Clem.
Heyes bit into the sweet candy and chewed as his wife kept talking. Watchful eyes scanned the crowd as he swallowed the last of his chocolate. For the most part, frightened, dazed people clung to each other for support. But on one side of the crowd, a broad shouldered man with a hat pulled low over his brow slouched against a crumbled stone wall. The man turned his head as Heyes' wary gaze reached him. Had the big man been watching them? Or just watching the crowd in general? Heyes didn't know why, but the sight of that man brought a cold sick feeling to his stomach. The gambler learned long ago to trust his instincts, and his partner's. Slender fingers patted one side of his brown herringbone suit coat. Kid insisted the librarian take the concealed derringer with him on the trip as a security precaution. Today he was glad he'd accepted Kid's suggestion. Heyes only hoped he wouldn't need the weapon.
"Joshua?"
"Huh?" the worried man shook his head, startled. Heyes looked down at Clem. "What did you say?"
"Joshua," repeated Clem with a huff. "Didn't you hear a word I said? I asked you, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" In an outburst born of frustration, Heyes thrust out his hand in a sweeping gesture, bringing his arm around in a wide circle. "Everything is wrong. We just had an earthquake! People are dead! The whole city is broken, buildings, roads, water mains, gas mains, everything!"
Clem leaned in closer. She placed her hands upon his chest and looked up at him. Heyes could almost hear Kid's voice, "She's battin' her eyelashes again! You know that means trouble!"
"Not everything," objected Clem. Small hands tugged his vest straight and held on. Her hazel eyes shone with a fierce glow of determination. "We're not broken. Arthur, Jennifer, you and me, we're right here, right now."
Clem smiled, bringing a dimpled response to his own face. Heyes lowered his head, searching for affirmation. Their lips met. Warmth, a tangle of tongues, the taste of life and love, sweeter than chocolate.
"Pa!"
Heyes' head jerked up. Behind Clem, the children stood holding cups of water. Arthur gawked at his parents. Jennifer handed a cup of water to Clem and discreetly looked away. Some of the other people milling about on the sidewalk were openly gaping. Heyes flushed at the unexpected intrusion, but Clem's kiss reminded him, right here, right now, all was not lost.
"Right, it's time to go now," nodded Heyes taking charge.
It had been a long time since he'd had to lead an escape, but the canny man hadn't forgotten any survival skills. The only difference, this time Kid wasn't there to watch his back. He gulped down the water his son offered. Heyes gestured in the general direction of Silky's Nob Hill home. Now to check on their old friend, then get outta this town.
"Let's get moving."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Are you nervous?" prodded Kid.
Shortly after eight, the watchful man and his daughter walked up the sandstone steps together. The imposing university building was bigger than any building in Thunder Ridge or Porterville. Kid twisted the brass knob and pushed the door open. Eliza's long pale blue skirt, ankle length now as befitted a young lady, brushed against him as she entered Old Main.
"A little," hedged Eliza. She stopped, looked over at her father and shrugged. "A lot actually. My stomach is fluttering."
"Pushing your food around your plate like Joshua when he's distracted ain't a good way to start the day," insisted Kid.
"I couldn't eat," gulped Eliza. "Professor Baggins didn't say why she wanted to see me in person."
Kid removed his gray Homberg and followed her inside. A swift glance to the left and then to the right showed wide corridors with gleaming polished wood floors. No one was there at this early hour. His jaw tightened. The muscular man felt out of place. If anyone saw them, Kid felt they would surely order him out. His fancy gray suit couldn't disguise the fact that he didn't belong here. Kid and Eliza approached the teacher's small office. Golden light spilled out through the open door onto the floorboards. Eliza stopped and looked up at her father. Her bottom lip trembled with a shaky half smile. Kid flashed a warm, confident smile at his daughter. He might not belong here, but she did.
"Go on. Knock on the door and say hello," encouraged Kid. He leaned back against the wall to wait, and crossed one foot casually crossed over the other. "You'll be fine. I'll be watching for you right here."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-