Chase the Sun
Disclaimer: I do not own SkipBeat or the story that this title makes allusion to. In the interest of creating a more western feel, some of the names of the main characters have been slightly altered.
Chapter 10 – Independence
St. Louis, the day of Maria's escape:
Todd Middleton looked back over his shoulder and watched as the boy walked around the corner of the main stable. When the boy had disappeared from view, he expelled a frustrated breath. That young puppy was headed west and here he was stuck making piddling wages building fancy homes for people who probably wouldn't give him the time of day after the homes were done. This certainly wasn't the life he had dreamed of when he ran away from North Carolina.
That young'un's got a long, hard road ahead of him, but at least he's chasin' his dream. That thought lingered with him for the rest of the long day as he worked steadily alongside the others in his crew to put the finishing touches on the framing for house number 47.
When Todd arrived back at the site on the following morning, he knew right away that something was wrong. Men were angry and shouting, kicking up dust and threatening the foreman. The man might have been in danger had he not been backed up by three of the biggest men Todd had ever seen. As he drew closer he heard the man speaking, "…not my doing, men. They're halfway to Colorado by now and they took the money with them. I coulda lit out too, but I thought you men deserved to know the truth."
Todd felt his heart sink. Ever since gold had been discovered in Colorado, men from all walks of life had been suddenly dropping everything to head west. The town of St. Louis was flooded with talk of the fortunes that had been made in California before that territory tapped out. Nobody seemed to recall that there were twenty times as many men who lost everything chasing the precious metal. When the boulder strike was announced, people wasted no time packing up and heading west in the hopes of repeating the miracle of '49. Now it seemed that the company owners, two partners, had run off as well… and probably with Todd's wages for the month.
The early-birds, robbed of their revenge and furious at the turn of events, spun around and stomped down the road past Todd. He stepped up and met Mr. Palmer's eyes, "They're gone?"
"That appears to be the case, Todd; the surveyor's gone too. I'm sorry lad. You've been a good, steady worker and you deserve better, but there's not much I can do about it." Todd couldn't begrudge this man. Unlike the arrogant partners and that drunkard surveyor, Mr. Palmer had treated his workers with respect.
Todd surveyed the worksite, "We have all of the equipment still. Couldn't we just keep working?"
"There isn't any money for material or wages, son. Truth is, I'm gonna be hard-pressed not to have solicitors breathing down my neck for the payments. I have to sell everything just to try and break-even."
Todd shook his head sadly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Palmer." He did feel bad for the man, but he was also beginning to understand his own dilemma. His rent would come due tomorrow. His pantry was nearly empty. He took a deep breath and expelled it before saying, "I guess I'd better go lookin' fer a new job. God be with you, Mr. Palmer."
He turned to leave, but halted when Palmer called after him, "Todd, just a moment."
He turned back and looked at his former foreman quizzically, "Yes?"
"It'd be much easier to get a good job if you show up with your tools. Pick out a wheelbarrow, a pick and shovel, and a hammer."
When Todd started to protest, Mr. Palmer said, "Take them. It should make up for this month's wages and it'll help you find a job. Just don't tell anyone I gave 'em to you. If they ask, tell them you bought the equipment."
Todd didn't argue further. The foreman was right: it would be easier to find a job if he had tools. Working quickly, Todd selected the best example of each tool, placed them in a good wheelbarrow, shook Palmer's hand, and headed back the way he came.
As he walked, Todd thought about the various sites in the booming city where construction was in-progress. He thought considered the different contractors and what he had heard about the foreman. His job wasn't the first that had been lost in the past month. Several other sites had been shut down as more and more people headed towards Colorado.
West. That's where everyone is headed to make a new life for therselves. And here I am, stuck doin' the same old thing. Todd's mind drifted back to the previous day and the young boy who was taking his big chance. Todd didn't believe that the boy was meeting his party, but he also hadn't believed that he had the right to stop the boy. If'n he's got the gumption to strike out west, then who'm I ta stop him?
He halted there in the middle of the street and replayed his own thoughts out loud, "That boy had got the gumption, then what happened to you Todd ol'boy?" He stood there for another minute, ignoring the other people on foot and horseback who went by him and looked at him as if he had lost his mind. When he broke out of his thoughts, Todd turned the wheelbarrow down a side-street and headed back towards his home. He was going to collect his things and he was headed west.
Independence, Missouri, on the day after the Takarada Wagon Train arrived
Kyoko muttered to herself as she walked past yet-another group of loitering young men who looked her over instead of stepping out of her way. Some talked silently among themselves and laughed, but a couple of the bolder ones called out to her. One man in his early twenties stepped off of the boardwalk that he and his cronies had been blocking so that he could intercept her, but she glared at him with such intensity that he shivered and turned back to rejoin his friends.
Kyoko knew that she had been foolish, leaving the train and venturing off independent of everyone else, but she needed a few important spices and sundries. She also needed time away from the rather intense feelings that seemed to invade her soul whenever she was too near to the tall scout, Ren Tsuruga, and her best friend was currently occupied searching for medical necessities with Doctor Kijima.
Kyoko would have even appreciated Maria's assistance, small as the girl was, since the girl had demonstrated wisdom beyond her years. Unfortunately, Maria was safely locked away in Independence's only fashionable hotel, awaiting a cable from her father in Boston. The poor girl had endured scolding, bathings, scrubbings, and more scolding from her grandfather, but she was still adamant about joining the wagon train. By now Kyoko felt that she knew the wagon train leader well enough to guess that the man was secretly proud of his granddaughter… not that he intended to let her know that.
"Kyoko Mogami?" Kyoko was startled to look up and see a beautiful, elegantly dressed woman looking at her. It took a moment, but then she recognized the woman as the owner of the saloon in St. Louis. She was so surprised to see the woman in Independence that she didn't remember to be embarrassed about their previous meeting. "Miss Shouko?"
The woman smiled tentatively. She obviously also recalled their previous meeting and she felt strangely guilty for her part in the incident, "Miss Mogami, I'm surprised to see you here. I assumed that you headed back east."
Kyoko lifted her chin with a touch of pride, "No ma'am. I am a member of the Takarada Train. We're headed to Oregon as soon as we replenish our supplies. Are you also headed west?"
"Yes, we're headed to Boulder. There's always the need for another hotel and saloon in a boomtown."
"We?"
Shouko Aki hesitated, but then she nodded, "Yes, we. I've asked Sho Fuwa to be my partner. It is a rough area, so it is always wise to have someone who is good with a gun to discourage trouble-causers."
"I see," Kyoko felt the rush of anger and sadness sweep over her, but she schooled her expression so that the lady couldn't see it.
"Unfortunately," Aki Shouko said with a note of exasperation in her voice, "Our wagon train leaves in an hour and Sho is nowhere to be seen. If you see him, could you send him my way?"
Kyoko blanched, "I sincerely hope that I don't see him, Miss Shouko."
The gorgeous lady smiled sadly, "I understand. I sincerely apologize for any minor part I played in that scene, Miss Mogami… And I wish you well on your journey."
Kyoko returned her farewell and then both ladies went their separate ways.
Ten minutes later, after several more failed attempts to locate the goods she needed, Kyoko turned a corner and heard a ruckus. One look told her that there was a scene taking place in front of one of the many tent-cities erected around the perimeter of the once-quaint little town. There was a large group of people gathered around to watch several men sitting at a table. They must be gambling, Kyoko thought. She usually preferred to avoid such gatherings, but the flash of something familiar made her step up and push through the throng.
As she suspected, there was her childhood friend, playing Poker. From the small pile of coins in front of his seat and the look of disgust on his face it was clear that he wasn't doing well. Kyoko looked at the others and saw that a blue-coated, dangerously handsome young officer had a nice stack of money, as did several others. "Read 'em and weep," one scruffy-looking man said as he laid down a royal flush. The others threw down their cards in disgust, but Kyoko noted that only Shotaro seemed to be truly upset. It's your own fault, you fool. Gambling never…
Kyoko saw a look pass between several of the other players, including the officer. As the cards were dealt again, she watched the men carefully. She never played cards, but she had an amazing eye for detail. There! She saw the player who was dealing pull a card from the bottom rather than from the top. She watched again and… there! "They're cheating!"
Every eye turned toward Kyoko. Only then did she realize that she had spoken aloud. Several hostile men stood from the table, but the sergeant and Sho remained seated. Sho looked over and his eyes widened, "Kyoko, I thought you went back east!"
"I did not! I chose to go west and make my own way, no thanks to you."
The game forgotten for a moment; Sho scoffed, "Go home, Kyoko. The west is no place for a plain, boring nobody like you. It isn't safe!"
"I'll go where I choose and when I choose. You no longer have any say in the matter. You don't even have the common sense not to sit down at a poker table with people who are cheating you!"
"Now just a minute, Missy," the scruffy looking man growled. He stepped forward as if to grab Kyoko, but the sound of a falling chair and the cocking of a pistol silenced everyone. "Keep your hands off of her, Smith." Sho's voice was cold and dangerous now. The man stepped back. Sho kept his gun pointed at the man while sweeping the others with his glare, "I suspected that this was fixed. Now I know. I'll just take my money and…"
"Do you really think that I'll let you do that?" The officer asked without any trace of emotion.
"Reino, you may think that you're pretty handy with that gun on your hip, but we both know who's faster," Sho sneared "If it was just you and me, without your little followers, then you'd be dead before your hand even touched your weapon. Now I'm going to take what belongs to me by right, and I'm going to take my girl…"
"You're not 'taking your girl' anywhere, Shotaro," the men snickered at the girl's use of Sho's full name. She had fire in her eyes. "I am not your girl, nor will I ever be." She nodded her head towards the men, "Good day to all of you." With that she wheeled and walked briskly away.
Sho was furious, but he kept his pistol steady until he had gathered the approximate amount he started with and walked away in the opposite direction of Kyoko.
"Are you really gonna let that girl and that guttersnipe get the best of you, Reino?" the scruffy scout demanded.
"All in good time, Gents. If we finish off everything here in Missouri, then what fun will we have on the trail? Besides, I think that I might have a little fun with that bit of lace." Reino looked down the street where Kyoko had disappeared. He could almost taste the power of hatred emanating out of her. It was exhilarating.
"She doesn't seem like your type, Sergeant," another soldier interjected. "I thought you liked the busty, mature ones."
"She's not, but Fuwa obviously cares about her, so that makes her a good tool for torturing him." He rose from the table, ignoring his cards and his remaining money, "I think that I'll go for a stroll."
oOoOOoOo
Ren Tsuruga took steady aim and waited for a clear target as the herd moved through the underbrush. Behind him, back a good twenty yards, Yashiro watched the near-legendary man as he and his horse sat as still as any statue in Rome. Yashiro felt a sneeze coming on and he scrunched his nose in an attempt to stave it off. He knew that any movement might alarm the herd of antelope, so he tried desperately to will his nose and lungs to cooperate.
Then a stray swirl of wind sent a small tuft of dust up into his face. In an instant his nasal passages contracted and Yashiro sneezed explosively. There were two loud reports of Ren's rifle before Yashiro could even gather his wits enough to look up. When he did, his eyes met the glare of the younger man, "Yukihito, why do you insist on coming along on these hunts?"
Yashiro grinned sheepishly, "I don't want to miss the action. Who knows what might happen."
"The action, as you describe it, just ran away."
Yashiro looked over at the underbrush, "Well, you did manage to shoot two."
"Two antelope will barely make a dent in our needs, Yukihito. I'm going to need to enlist some serious help if we ever hope to keep this train fed. We'll need to preserve our dried goods for as long as we can, so game will be our primary source of food for the foreseeable future… providing that someone doesn't keep frightening it all away."
Yashiro dismounted to join Ren as they both began the work of gutting the kills. Over the past week Yashiro had become increasingly immured to the task, but he knew that he would never like it. To distract himself even further, he said, "I wonder what she's doing right now? I know that she wanted to go into town to make a few purchases."
Ren knew his companion's devious tricks now, so he didn't reply. Having failed in his first attempt, Yashiro casually commented, "You don't suppose that she would go into town alone, do you? I know that Kanae is with the doctor… so who do you suppose…"
Ren glared at the man, but the question lingered in his mind. She wouldn't be that foolish, would she? As the minutes ticked on, he began to feel concerned. Working quickly, he completed his own carcass and moved over to assist Yashiro with his. With deft slices the work was done quickly, the antelope were tied to the rumps of the horses, and the two men were on their way toward Independence again.
oOoOOoOo
Sho Fuwa was fuming as he stomped down the dirt road towards the wagons that he and Aki Shouko were soon to drive west. A look at the sun told him that he had lingered at the gambling table too long, and he ground his teeth. He did not wish to endure the scolding of another female right at the moment. Instead he turned and slipped into the nearest saloon.
Seated at the table nearest the door, he saw two of the that cheat Reino's flunkies walking along. He was tempted to confront the pair, but the sun was hot and he didn't really care to leave his comfortable chair. The two men stopped near the door and continued a conversation they had been having. "I thought the Sergeant liked full-figured women."
"Sure he does. Like he said, that little bit of lace used to belong to Fuwa. You know how much Reino enjoys tormenting the kid. What better way than to go after his girl?"
Sho was out of his seat and out the door before he could think it through. "What did you just say?"
The scruffy scout lounged on a wooden chair in front of the saloon. The other man, one of Reino's privates, stood leaning against a support pole. The scout was the one who answered. He spat chew at Sho's boots and said, "What I said ain't none of yer business. Sergeant Reino will settle…" He stopped speaking as the barrel of Sho's Colt pressed between his forehead. The private stepped forward to intervene, but fast as lightening Sho reared the weapon back, striking the butt of the pistol on the side of the private's temple and returning the weapon to its former position before the young man could collapse to the boardwalk.
"Now," Sho said through gritted teeth as he pressed the end of the barrel against the scout's forehead, "answer my question."
"The sergeant, he… he followed that girl. That's all I know!" The man was clearly terrified now.
"Where? Which direction?" Sho said, icy terror running through his veins.
The scout pointed to his left with one shaking arm, "That way… honest!" Before he could say any more, Sho's fist struck him in the jaw. Sho was already halfway down the boardwalk as the man slid off of his chair.
oOoOOoOo
Kyoko was finally in luck. She found everything that she still needed on her list, though she had to pay far more than she had anticipated for the items. She felt guilty spending Takarada's money like this, but the man had been insistent. As she stepped out of the mercantile store she was greeted by several of the ladies from the train. Now that her and Kanae's names had been cleared several of the females of the train who had previously avoided her were finally beginning to warm up to her.
While she was speaking with them she began to feel distinctly uncomfortable, but she couldn't quite isolate the source of the feeling. She excused herself from the ladies, gathered her bags, and headed back towards the wagon train. The feeling didn't go away; instead her disquiet increased in intensity until she felt certain that she was being followed. Several quick glances back revealed nothing, but her disquiet increased.
And then, as she glanced back, she suddenly crashed into someone. Strong hands grabbed her and she jerked her head up to herself in the grasp of the dangerously handsome sergeant from the poker game. With a squeak she tried to pull away, but he held fast. "Where are you going, little miss?" He asked in a sultry, menacing voice.
"Back to the wagon train. Now, if you'll please…" Kyoko tried to push away, but to no avail. When she looked up at his face she found that the sergeant's eyes were somehow mesmerizing her. She wanted to pull away, to fight; but she couldn't
"Now I don't see the need to hurry. I was hoping to spend time with you. You intrigue me with all of that delicious anger. It makes me want to get to know you better." Reino released one hand to reach up and touch Kyoko's hair, but she couldn't find the will to pull away. "There are so many things that I'd like to…"
"Get . Your . Hands . Off. Of . Her." A murderous voice instructed even as a pistol pressed against Reino's temple. Reino released Kyoko and she, now that the odd spell was broken, stepped back quickly. Sho barely glanced over, not taking his eyes off of the sergeant. "Get your stuff together and head back the way you came from, Kyoko. Better yet, go back east where you belong. You have no business out here."
Sho's condescending tone was the perfect balm to soothe Kyoko's frayed nerves. In a moment she had regained her full senses, and with them her anger. "I'm going west, Sho. I'm going to make a name for myself and years from now, when you come crawling to me to bail you out, I'll shut the door in your face… thank you for helping. Good day." And then Kyoko walked briskly away.
Sho Fuwa turned his full attention back on the skinny sergeant, "Now we'll see how you do when there's no one else to help you…"
oOoOOoOo
"I don't know what her connection is with the Kid, but he addressed her by name!" one female voice gossiped.
Another voice joined in, "And that other one, the good-looking sergeant… I swear that man was going to kiss her right there in the middle of the street. And her just standing there!"
Ren paused from the act of cleaning his rifle to glance over at Yashiro, "What are they talking about?" The pair of hunters had returned to the camp earlier, but Ren's worries over Kyoko were alleviated when he saw her walking quickly into camp. She had been flushed and distracted, but at least she was safe. When he had greeted her, she had acted sheepish, as if she didn't wish to be in-company, so Ren had left her to her own tasks.
"I… I couldn't say," Yashiro answered cryptically.
Ren picked up on the careful wording and faced the man fully. "Yashiro?"
Yashiro fidgeted again, but wouldn't look up at the taller man. Once again, this time with Ren's perfect gentleman's smile, he said, "Yashiro?"
"Okay, fine: Kyoko went out alone to find a few items. She walked clear across town. While she was out she was accosted by this man named Sergeant Reino. Another man, someone who seems to know Kyoko, saved her. If the ladies who saw it all were right, then it was the Fuwa Kid." The entire explanation was out in less than thirty seconds. It took Ren a full minute and a half to make sense of it.
As luck would have it, Kyoko chose that moment to appear with food for both men. Yashiro mumbled a guilty thanks, but Ren held Kyoko's eyes while he took the food and asked, "So you were accosted by a Sergeant Reino and then saved by your good friend, Sho Fuwa?"
Kyoko flinched, "Well yes… and no… Shotaro is not my fr…"
"So you went out into town completely by yourself?" Ren asked with a tight expression. Kyoko could actually feel anger emanating from the man and it made her skittish.
Kyoko started to apologize, but Ren set the food down and said, "I'm glad to hear that you have a protector. I guess that you won't be needing my help anymore. Good night, Ma'am."
And with that, Ren Tsuruga stalked off into the dark.
Notes: Sorry for the long, long delay on this update. I took on too much at once and something had to suffer… of course it hasn't been as long as The Shadow's Heart, but that is another story. No promises on when this will be updated again. I'm trying to finish Hidden in Plain Sight first.
You'll find out more about what happened to the two trouble-causing ladies and their families in the next chapter... as well as what will happen with Maria.