THE NIGHT OF THE GRAND OLD LADY

By Andamogirl

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Much later, at night

The two special agents of the Secret Service were approaching the Wanderer, walking side by side on the empty platform lit by the full moon, remembering how they had met at the end of the war, when Grover and Berkley suddenly came out from behind a pile of firewood.

Drawing their guns Loveless's henchmen aimed at Jim and Artemus and pulled the trigger before the two other men could do anything.

Even Jim who could shoot faster than his shadow had no time to draw his gun.

Hit first in his right shoulder Artie yelped and was propelled backward against one of the pillars supporting the porch. He collapsed to a kneeling position and then his chest exploded in a wave of agonizing pain as a second bullet caught him between his hip and ribcage.

He crumpled to the ground with a ragged cry as a white-hot wave of pain swept through his body. Then he curled into himself his face twisted into a grimace, placing his shaking hands on his stomach to keep pressure on the bullet wound he was bleeding out from.

Jim received a bullet in his stomach and then one in his throat. He let out a choking gasp in a spray of blood as the breath was knocked out of him and he fell forward, collapsing on top of his partner.

Michelito Loveless left his carriage as the sound of the gunshots was echoing in the deserted railway station, and grinning like the madman he was, he rapidly joined his two men who were ready to finish their victims, both mortally wounded, half-dead.

Cackling in glee, using his foot, the short man rolled both Jim and Artemus onto their backs taking great delight seeing their faces twisted in agony.

He beamed. "It's such a wonderful sight!" He said. "I should have done that a long time ago. It would have saved me a lot of effort, frustration and anger – and money."

He crouched beside Jim who had clamped his hands on his throat in an effort to stop the bleeding, blood leaking from between his shaking fingers and dripping to the platform. "Goodbye, Mr. West, I won't miss you. My father up there is probably enjoying the view, delighted to see the great James West is drowning in his own blood." He moved toward Artemus finding the other man gasping for breath, convulsing on the ground, coughing blood and said, "Goodbye Mr. Gordon, it looks like your extraordinary luck has changed. See? You're dying and no one will save you this time. I'm not going to miss you either."

In a last effort Artie, forehead beaded with sweat, looked at Jim and said, "Jim… I…remember everything now. It's me… Arte-Artemus." He grasped Jim's wrist loosely with blood-soaked fingers. "I'm back… whole," Then he closed his eyes and croaked, "Kind of…hard to breathe." He coughed and blood flooded his mouth. He spat on Loveless - eliciting a gasp of disgust from the short man and half-smiled. But it faded a couple of seconds later as he could feel his body shutting down. His vision went gray and then black. He went slack and lost consciousness breathing shakily.

His pale face contorted into a mask of pain, Jim was unable to talk so he just smiled weakly and blood frothing at the corner of his mouth, he mouthed, "See you in the afterlife". His eyes became unfocused and glassy and his body went limp.

Loveless Jr. stood up and watched the two men in their agony for a moment, bleeding out and inside as well, absolutely thrilled.

Then he looked up at his goons and nodded giving them the signal. "With a bullet going through their heads, I'd be sure that they're dead", he said. He took a couple of steps back – to avoid being sprinkled with blood and brains, and to have a better view of the execution. "Kill them!"

They two henchmen pointed their guns at the dying men, aiming at their heads and fired.

Suddenly something extraordinary happened, an invisible force stopped the bullets mid-flight and they stayed there, immobile, frozen in space at a few inches from their targets, floating in the air.

The two gunslingers exchanged an incredulous look, then scared by what they were witnessing, something supernatural, they ran away, whimpering in terror, without turning around.

Michelito Loveless gasped and moved back, blanching. "That's impossible", he said, more stunned than frightened by what had just happened.

President Grant suddenly 'uncloaked' himself and pointed his cigar at the ground. The bullets immediately dropped down on top of Jim and Artemus's barely mobile chests.

The blond man's eyes grew huge and he took a couple of steps back, looking at the 'apparition' in terror. "Pre-president Grant? But-but you're dead! You've been dead for 10 years!" he said, his voice trembling in time with his body.

Ulysses S. Grant smiled. "Really? That explains why I'm a ghost then." Then he glared at Loveless. "And I'm a very angry ghost!" Using his cigar he made an intricate gesture and Loveless Jr. found himself paralyzed and mute. "The effects of the paralysis should vanish within a few hours and by then you'll be in the rolling cell of the Wanderer heading to Washington" he said.

He then knelt beside Artemus. The other man was barely alive, he was deathly pale and his eyes almost lifeless were looking straight at him. "It's going to be alright son," he reassured the other man.

He placed his hand on Artie's bloodied chest and then using his cigar again he made another gesture and his wounds vanished.

He repeated the action with Jim right after.

He grinned, "A very powerful ghost." He stood up and smiled before smoking his cigar. "What are you waiting for? Stand up, gentlemen!"

Both Jim and Artie complied and surveyed their own bodies. They were both covered in blood but no wound could be seen.

Both awestruck, the two men then saw that Loveless was paralyzed and were even more amazed.

Blinking, still wonderstruck, Jim then looked at the dead POTUS. "Thank you, Sir. But I thought you had limited powers… were immaterial and couldn't touch people."

Grant nodded. "Let's say that when I saw what Loveless had planned for you, I asked for temporary unlimited powers and I was 'granted' them – easily, as my intervention was written. Your hour hadn't come, and with the help of God, I had to save you, it was written." Then he puffed on his cigar, very pleased.

It was Artie's turn to look at Grant. "Thank you very much Mr. President, you saved our lives. But… something puzzles me, why are you still here, in this world, Sir?"

The ghost chuckled and said, "And not in heaven already? Well, when I was still alive, I was too busy to do all the things I dreamt to do, so when I died, I decided to stay here. I wanted to visit the whole world before I go up there… and I wanted to visit old 'living' friends too, and meet the most interesting men and women in the world, politicians, military officers, artists, writers, etc, so I lingered here since my death, making myself visible or not.. You were the last persons on my list to visit before I go. I helped you to find each other and I saved your lives. I can go happy, now. You're together again and both safe and sound. Now it's time for me to leave that in-between existence."

His face wet with tears, Artemus reached out. "Bon voyage, Sir," he said. "And thank you very much, for everything."

The two men shook hands. "We'll see each other again, Artemus, as late as possible, but in the meantime, take care of you and of Jim, promise me."

Artie was crying softly now. "I promise." Then he lunged forward and wrapped the 'solid' ghost up in a tight hug, and after a couple of sobs, he parted from Grant.

Ulysses S. Grant and Jim shook hands in their turn. "Goodbye, Jim, take care of yourself – and take care of Artemus too, he's a trouble magnet – and he's one of a kind." He paused and added, "And promise me to stay together."

The two agents nodded and both said, "We promise."

Jim asked, it was you in my sleeping compartment right? It wasn't a dream, right? That's why I could smell your cigar…"

President Grant nodded, "Yes it was me. I enjoyed our conversation."

Upset Artie said, "I'd have loved to talk to you too Sir, but you left when I woke up… But I could feel your 'presence' at my side…"

Grant nodded. "I'm sorry Artemus. But I had to leave and 'visit' Julia. She had 'called' me." He took a step back and said, "Goodbye, gentlemen. To the next time." Then he became insubstantial, translucent and then, finally transparent.

He was gone – definitively.

Pale, shaking, Artie swayed on his legs, on the verge of collapsing to the ground, both exhausted physically and emotionally – he had lost his surrogate father twice.

Knowing in what emotional turmoil his best friend was, Jim carefully wrapped the other man in his arms, hugging him, holding him upright at the same time. "I'm right here, Artie," he said and held Artie tight, patting his back, comforting him. "He's now in a better world." He paused as Artemus let out a strangled sob. "We're together and we'll stay together watching over each other like we promised the President. Now let's go home, Artie." He glanced at Loveless as immobile as a statue. "But first we need to find a way to bring our prisoner to the Wanderer. Do you have an idea?"

Pointing at Loveless's carriage, Artie said, "I have."

WWW

Five days later, on the Wanderer

Washington D.C.

Smiling, Artemus opened the wooden case containing his Stradivarius. "I hope I still remember how to play," he said, with a chuckle.

Sitting on the couch reading the Washington Gazette, Jim said, "Even if you don't, you can learn to play any instrument in a matter of days – no, correction, hours."

Reaching out, Artie pulled the violin out of its case and touched the instrument reverently. He pinched the strings and let out a long contented sigh. "So beautiful! So fantastic! He said, rapt in wonder. Then he added, "It's so old that I'm afraid of damaging it as soon as I touch it."

Looking at his partner, Jim replied, "You shouldn't, this violin dates from 1710 and survived until now, you won't break it, buddy – and I'm sure that you'll take a great care of it."

Placing the Stradivarius on top of his shoulder and against the side of his head, Artie said, "It's such a wonderful gift, Jim, thank you very much. I do not know how to thank you."

Smiling Jim replied, "It was a pleasure and you can thank me playing it, Artie. The one you had before was broken when those two men moved your belongings into the train when we got settled into the Wanderer again. If I hadn't stopped you from doing it, you would have strangled them one after the other!"

Still very upset at the loss of his beloved violin, Artie groaned, "And they would have deserved to die!"

Jim smiled soothingly. "You're exaggerating." He paused and then added, "We couldn't stay without a violin, you love to play and I love to hear you play. You were so sad and so angry to have lost your violin that I decided to offer you a new one. When I heard from a friend of mine, who plays piano at the Washington Philharmonic Orchestra that a Stradivarius had been pawned at a pawnbroker here in Washington, and that nobody had taken it back after a year, I bought it to offer it to you. And voilà! You have it."

Grinning, overjoyed, Artie said, "Yes, and thank you again." Then he plucked at the strings, tightening them until they sounded right. He frowned realizing something, "You have a friend playing the piano at the WPO? Why is this the first time I heard about the man?"

Jim shook his head. "It's not a man, it's a woman."

Sending Jim a black look, Artie said, "Ah… that explains everything. It's not the first time you've 'hidden' women from me, to keep them for yourself… and let me refresh your memory, Jim. You're the one married here, with two lovely children, I'm single and have no child…"

Crossing his arms over his chest in an interrogative way, Jim replied, "Are you sure of that? You were quite a seducer in the past… and you slept with many women… You could be the father of many children, Artie, who knows?"

Realizing that Jim could be right, Artemus said, "You know what? I actually never thought about that… You could be right, or not. Who knows? But I'd like to be a dad one day… "

Jim smiled. "You'll be a great dad Artie."

The telegraph key suddenly came to life and Jim acknowledged the transmission before Artie and he heard the message.

Placing the precious violin under his arm Artie translated the morse code in time with the staccato of the telegraph key, "Michelito Loveless… escaped… during transfer to federal court… New assignment… find him… and put him behind bars again, ASAP. Signed Robert T. Malone…. Director of the Secret Service." He heaved a long resigned sigh. "Why am I not surprised Loveless escaped? Like father like son. We arrested Loveless Sr. a dozen times and he escaped each time – and then he died. And his son took over, and he's a lot worse than him!"

Reaching out toward the coffee table, Jim took hold of his steaming mug of coffee and said, "I'm sure that he'll find us before we find him."

Using his free hand to pick up his mug filled with Jim's 'passable' coffee, he said, "But he'll take his time, he needs to find something 'creative' to get rid of us. And we are in no hurry to see him again," he said. And then he took a sip.

The older man headed toward the dresser, settled both the violin and his mug on the table and took the carafe of whiskey sitting there. He poured the liquor into two glasses then joined his best friend on the couch. "I'd like to propose a toast," he said. He gave Jim a glass of liquor and raised his. "To Ulysses S. Grant, the best President of the United States, ever!"

Smiling, Jim raised his glass too. "To Ulysses S. Grant, the man who saved us. Without him, we'd be both dead and buried now," he added.

They downed the whiskey in one gulp.

Suddenly realizing something Jim snapped his fingers. "I knew I had forgotten something! A postman brought a packet for you. I put it in your room."

Frowning Artemus said, "What? It could be a bomb! Who sent it to me?"

Shaking his head, Jim replied, "It didn't explode so it's not a bomb. The name of the sender is not on the packet, but I know who he is."

Intrigued, Artie stood and left the room. He came back a couple of minutes later to the parlor car holding a blood-stained dress in his arms.

He sighed. "Loveless!"

Jim nodded. "Yes, Loveless. You see it wasn't lost." He smiled. "And with it, you'll be able to be the grand old lady of the Secret Service again - Artemis Gordon – you just need to find a good cleaning product to remove the blood stains and your dress will be like new."

Holding the dress against his frame, Artie said, "I have the right product to remove all stains, including blood stains." He paused, smiled playfully and asked, "What about going to eat a good steak in the Gold Dice saloon in good company Jim?"

Guessing what his companion had in mind, Jim chuckled and replied, "Good idea Artie! I'd be delighted to go there with Miss Artemis McAllister."

The end