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.
Jolt
Chapter 4: A Board and Aboard
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"I had a job to do in West Bend," Briggs' face twisted in a snarl. "A job you and your partner interfered with."
"Huh? We didn't," spluttered Heyes in astonishment. "And what's that got to do with you trying to steal Jennifer's carpet bag?"
"The kid is carrying something for you…," hissed Briggs. "I trailed you and your partner from West Bend…"
"Arthur!"
Clem's panicked cry distracted Heyes. He took his eyes off Briggs and looked across the street. Their son lay motionless on the road. Jennifer knelt beside Arthur, patting his face, calling his name. In that instant, Briggs shoved past Heyes. The mastermind let his old nemesis go. There were more important things to do than worry about a bully trying to steal luggage. Heyes wondered if Clem had even heard his exchange with Briggs. His wife's tiny hand grasped at his sleeve.
"The crack is too big for me to jump. Go see what's wrong," urged Clem.
Briggs had taken a running leap to jump the crevasse. Looking down, the fissure appeared over twelve feet deep in places. Shifting sand and gravel from the recent tremor still trickled downwards into the darkness. Clem's smaller legs, hampered by long skirts, couldn't jump the width. Climbing down and then back up might be possible, but Heyes didn't like that idea. The planner glanced to the left. The gouge in the earth widened as it spread across the road to the house on the corner and down the sloping hill. A glance to the right showed the fissure narrowed as it reached the opposite house. The shattered structure didn't seem stable. As he watched, chimney bricks toppled down and bounced across the yard, some falling into the crevasse others bounding across the gap. Broken boards littered the yard on both sides of the chasm. The quick thinking tactician realized immediately what he had to do to get them both to their son and Jennifer. Heyes grabbed Clem's hand.
"We'll both go across." At Clem's surprised look, Heyes added. "Come on, we'll make a bridge."
A few quick steps brought them to a large board. Heyes released his grip on Clem and picked up the plank. The strategist angled it across the gaping stone maw so it would lie almost level. Heyes stepped forward, gingerly pressing one foot on the shaking board. The lithe man placed his second foot on the board and extended his hands for balance. The board bounded with each step. For a moment he was reminded of a time when he and Kyle placed dynamite on a decrepit trestle bridge.
"Are you out of your mind?" protested Clem. "That board will break!"
"Nothing to it," grinned Heyes. He took another step.
"You'll fall! The earth will close up on you…"
The graceful man pranced lightly across the board to the other side. Heyes turned and grinned at his wife. Clem's frantic objections trailed off and stopped.
"This little old gully isn't going to close up on us," assured Heyes with a confident tone.
The slender man extended his hand outwards and beckoned. Clem looked down at the huge hole between them, and then glanced towards the children. Further down the street, the blonde girl tugged Arthur upwards. The boy swayed awkwardly to one side. Clem brought her hazel eyes back to Heyes. She gulped.
"Did I ever tell you I'm afraid of heights?"
"No," Heyes soft voice whispered. "You're the bravest woman I know. I can't imagine you being scared of anything."
"Heights," quavered Clem. The tiny woman looked down and lifted her skirts. Carefully she placed one dainty foot on the board. "Snakes…"
"Don't look down," urged Heyes.
Clem raised her face to look at him again. Dropping her skirts she brushed back a loose tendril of hair from her eyes. She took another tentative step and reached her arm out towards him.
"Earthquakes," added Clem. Her chin jutted out determinedly and she took another step towards him, keeping her eyes focused on his face. "I'm definitely adding earthquakes to the list."
"Keep looking at me," coaxed the silver tongue. "I'm right here… Arthur… and Jennifer…"
Two tiny steps and Clem's fingertips brushed against his. Half a step more and Heyes' slender fingers grasped her wrist. The board creaked. Clem wobbled and then she was in his arms and Heyes found himself able to breathe again.
"And most of all, strange men that know you and Thaddeus from your outlaw days!" whispered Clem in his ear. "Joshua, who was that man?"
Heyes hadn't recognized Briggs until they were face to face. It had been more than twenty years since he and Kid waited for MacCreedy's bust to show up in a well. The bully's weathered face hadn't changed much, the cross expression, frown lines and a sneer now appeared to be permanently etched into his visage. The broad shouldered man must have seen him at the fountain, but why follow him? Had Briggs really said he trailed Smith and Jones from West Bend to San Francisco?
"Joe Briggs, but we didn't meet him until we were trying for amnesty. He only knows me as Joshua Smith," reassured Heyes. "Don't worry, he's gone now."
Clem pulled back from his embrace. Her hazel eyes narrowed and her lips pressed together in a tight frown. The curl she had pushed back earlier was now dangling loose again from her upswept hair. Heyes could tell his wife had more questions. And quite frankly, Heyes wanted to know why Briggs followed them and tried to steal Jennifer's carpetbag. But now wasn't the time. He carefully brushed back his wife's loose curl with gentle fingers, tucking the errant strand behind her ear.
"Maybe we should check on the children," suggested Heyes.
Clem eyes widened. The tiny woman pushed away from Heyes and looked towards Arthur and Jennifer. The boy was sitting upright, rubbing his head.
"Arthur!"
The diminutive brunette spun around and raced off. Petticoats flashed. Heyes hurried to catch up.
"Unnh," groaned Arthur.
"Are you all right?" fretted Clem.
The worried mother crouched on her knees and took Arthur's face in both hands. Clem inspected her son for signs of harm, tapping on his head, peering into his dark brown eyes. Jennifer stood to one side. The girl's once white dress was streaked with dirt.
"'m fine," protested Arthur. "Just winded when that man pushed us down."
"You're not fine, you're bleeding." Clem took a handkerchief from a side pocket and began dabbing at Arthur's forehead despite his protests. "And you've got a huge goose egg on the back of your head!"
"Ma… mmph," protested Arthur.
"The hilt of that sword…," grumbled Clem.
Another sound of outrage erupted from the twelve year old. Heyes swallowed a smirk and looked at Jennifer.
"Jennifer, are you alright?"
The child didn't seem to hear him. She stepped over to where her carpetbag lay on the road. Jennifer knelt down and quickly searched through the contents, pulling clothing left and right. A petticoat, pantaloons, a pale blue shirtwaist and brown riding pants flew out of the bag, landing beside Arthur's carpet bag on the ground behind her. The frantic search stopped when she reached the record.
"It's not broken!"
An amazed smile lit up Jennifer's face. She clutched the gift for her mother to her chest with a sigh of relief.
"Jennifer," Heyes called once more. This time he was rewarded with a blue eyed gaze turned to look at him. "Are you alright?"
The girl nodded. Heyes started to ask Jennifer if Briggs had said anything, but the child turned back to her bag and hurriedly began to stuff the clothing back around her treasure. The slow moving, white haired man approaching from the house at the end of Pleasant Street became recognizable. Heyes grinned and pointed. Now maybe they'd get outta this town.
"Silky," called Heyes.
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"But Papa! I wanna help!" pleaded Eliza.
Kid hadn't bothered to change out of his city suit. For a trip to San Francisco, he couldn't wear his regular clothes or carry his colt. The muscular man had retrieved his gear earlier. The neatly tied package tucked under his left arm held his jeans, a blue shirt, his sheepskin jacket, gun belt and revolver with the brown floppy hat placed carefully on top. The Homberg dangled from his fingertips.
"I know, but you still ain't going to San Francisco," stated Kid firmly.
Kid raked his right hand through his curls in exasperation as they climbed the stairs to the loading platform. His headstrong daughter thought her experience tending the ill during last year's epidemic at Thunder Ridge might be of use in San Francisco. Kid hated to see the hurt look in her eyes when he told her she wasn't coming with him.
"But Jennifer, and Josh'a, and Clem and Arthur…"
Kid pressed his lips tight together, willing his face to remain emotionless as his daughter called out the names of each of their endangered loved ones. He wouldn't risk adding any more names to that list. The boarding call for Gabble Junction, Porterville and all points north sounded again.
"Wheat, make sure Eliza gets home safely," ordered Kid. He took a stepped back away from them. "Martha…"
"Come on Eliza," coaxed Wheat's wife. "Your father has to go catch his train."
The maroon clad matron stepped close to the slim girl. Martha's plump fingers patted Eliza's arm. Wheat tugged on his ear and tilted his head to one side. His long brown duster flapped behind his legs in the stiff breeze.
"The paper did say the city needed folks to help with looting…," began Wheat.
"And experienced dynamiters to fight fires," chimed in Kyle with an eager nod.
The small man tugged the heavy gun belt at his waistline upwards, settling his pants against his bony hips. Wheat turned to face Kid with a tentative expression on his face.
"We was thinking about goin' with you," added Wheat. "To help."
Kid shot a blue eyed glare at Wheat and Kyle. Although he appreciated his friend's gesture of support, the fifty-one year old figured he'd travel faster on his own. And if Kid had to search through a disaster area, he didn't want to be looking for Wheat and Kyle as well. Martha's jaw dropped in surprise.
"Johannes! Not you! The paper said the mayor has already called in army regiments to control looting," Martha protested.
"I was in the army once…"
"No," objected Kid. "Someone has to escort Eliza and Martha home."
Wheat and Kyle exchanged a glance. Kyle glanced at Martha and seemed to shrink a bit at her stony expression. The smaller man looked back at his partner. Wheat lowered his shoulders and began a whispered argument with Kyle. Eliza jerked free of Martha's grasp and strode towards Kid, while Martha moved towards her husband.
"I don't need an escort!" hissed Eliza in a low voice that only he could hear.
"You don't," agreed Kid. His strong, athletic daughter was quite capable of taking care of herself. Kid thought quickly. "But Wheat is ten years older than Joshua. Do you really want a sixty-six year old man with angina travelling all the way to California to fight off looters?"
Eliza's mouth dropped open for a moment. Kid pressed his advantage.
"There are lots of ways to help folks," coaxed Kid.
For a moment Eliza didn't say anything, then she took a deep breath.
"You're right Papa," agreed Eliza. The girl reached for the package he carried. "But what am I gonna tell Mama?"
"Tell your mother I'm gonna bring Jennifer back to her," whispered Kid softly. "I'm gonna bring them all back."
Eliza's chin trembled, but she nodded in agreement. The tall blonde girl turned back to the feuding threesome. Eliza clutched the package to her chest and fluttered her empty hand against her bosom. Suddenly Eliza looked like a nervous young woman alone in a big city, not the confident young woman Kid knew as his daughter.
"Wheat, I know your help will be sorely missed, but I would appreciate it if a married couple escorted me," suggested Eliza.
"Huh?"
Kid couldn't tell who sounded more puzzled, Wheat or Kyle. Martha looked relieved.
"People might get the wrong idea if I was travelling with an unmarried man," added Eliza.
The blonde lowered her gaze as if embarrassed. Kyle scratched his head.
"What kinda idea?"
Wheat rolled his eyes.
"Ain't nobody gonna get any ideas, 'specially not you," snapped the burly former outlaw. He turned to Eliza and Martha and held out his hands. "Ladies, I'd be honored to escort you both back to Thunder Ridge."
The last call for boarding sounded. Martha stepped close to her husband, linking her arm through the crook of his elbow. Eliza placed one hand on Wheat's arm. As they turned to enter the train compartment, she looked back over her shoulder with a crafty smile that reminded Kid of his partner.
"Kyle, be sure and take good care of Papa for me," called Eliza. "I'm counting on you."
Kyle's lips curled upwards and his narrow chest puffed out. The explosives expert beamed proudly. A flabbergasted Kid stared at his daughter in surprise. It wasn't until he heard Kyle's response that he thought to object.
"Yes Miss Eliza."
"I don't need..."
Train doors slammed shut. Wheels started clacking as the cars started pulling out of the station. Kid turned to his friend.
"Kyle, hurry!" Kid gestured to the passing train. "You can still jump on. Go home to Thunder Ridge!"
"I's comin' with you!"
"It will be dangerous," warned Kid. "You don't have to come with me..."
"Iffen it's safe enough for you to go, then it's safe enough for me," interrupted Kyle.
Kid swallowed, but as the last train car passed heading north, the smaller man grinned.
"It's almost like old times, right?"
"Huh?" Kid looked at his friend with a puzzled expression.
"Me and Wheat, Lobo and Preacher went to Californy once to rescue you and Heyes," reminded Kyle with a bright grin. "This time, it's jes you and me and we's gonna rescue Heyes."
"Joshua doesn't need rescuing," responded Kid, stressing his partner's alias.
The little man hastily glanced around as he realized his mistake. No one was close enough to hear. Kyle turned back to face Kid.
"Then why's we going all the way to Californy?"
Kid didn't answer. He kept telling himself that Jennifer, Joshua, Clem, and Arthur had to be fine, but hoping wasn't knowing for sure. The brave man's stomach churned with fear for his loved ones. From the other platform a boarding call sounded. There wasn't time to convince Kyle to take the next train north. Kid jammed the Homberg over his curls.
"If you're coming with me, run," ordered Kid.
"What about tickets?" called Kyle as he chased after Kid.
"We'll exchange them on the train," shouted Kid.
They reached the boarding platform as the train started pulling away. Kid gestured towards the railed platform on the last car. Kyle jumped on, followed by Kid. Breathing deep, the tall Kansan pushed open the door. Kyle stepped into the doorway and then stopped. The powder man turned and looked over his shoulder at Kid.
"You still ain't tol' me why's we going all the way to Californy."
"We're going to California to bring them all back home."
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