Chapter 14

Ike failed to arrive from his run and that sparked worry for Teaspoon and the riders. Something strange was going on and he simply could not explain it. He decided to mount a party to go searching for the missing rider.

Buck was still recovering and thus Sam stayed to keep an eye on her patient with Rachel's assistance. Noah also stayed behind in case another rider arrived. Teaspoon left his deputy in charge of the town and mounted up his horse to help search for Ike. The remaining riders started the search for Ike unsure what they would find. They rode slow on the trail looking for clues.

Jimmy seemed to be enjoying himself. His head bobbed up and down as he rode. Lou noticed he had something in his ears that looked futuristic. She asked, "What you doing, Jimmy?"

He perked up and removed one of the ear buds, "Nothing, just listening to some of that music that Sam brought."

Kid asked, "What music? I don't hear any music."

Jimmy showed him, "This little thing here is called an 'ear bud' and Sam connected it to her phone so I could listen to her music while we were searching."

Kid asked, "You can hear that phone way out here?" He assumed Sam had her phone back at the station.

Jimmy dug the device out of his pocket, "She let me take it."

Lou couldn't help but asked, "Just what music are you listening to?"

"Don't know," he shrugged. "It's called '80's play list'."

Billy asked, "Is it terrible?"

He shook his head, "Some of it I don't mind. Some of it I do mind."

Lou shook her head, "I can't believe she let you take her phone."

Jimmy asked, "Why not?"

"In the future they all live by them there phones. It's everything to them folks. It's her whole life. She needs it for her work, to contact her friends, take pictures, buy things, it's everything. And she let you use it to listen to that awful music." she shook her head.

Jimmy grinned, "She must like me."

Lou replied peeved, "Great." She noticed they were getting closer to the area where she and the horse were hit by the bolt. "This is the area where I was hit by the lightning." She pulled the reigns, "Maybe we should go around?" she suggested fearing being struck again.

Teaspoon stated, "This is where Ike would have gone and that is where we have to go." He then cautioned, "Be careful boys." He pushed forward hoping to find Ike alive and well.

Some time had passed and they were nearing the end of the granite field. Lou thought they had made it out safe and sound when the group was hit by some kind of electric wave and bright flash of light. Everyone paused unsure just what happened.

Kid asked, "What was that?"

Lou soured, "I'm afraid to find out."

Teaspoon had pushed forward and soon found a large road before them. He halted the horse, "Boys!" he called back.

Lou's shoulders slunk as her worst fears came true, "It's a road. We must be back in Sam's time." She then looked to Jimmy, "Give me her phone?"

He became defensive, "She said I could use it."

"We will need it here." she huffed at him and held out her hand.

He handed her the phone and was most surprised to find Lou knew how to operate it. She swiped the screen and looked for the date. "These here phones are all set to the same time and date. I can use to find out where we are. We are one day after Sam and I left." she figured. "It's been 24 hours in Sam's time."

A loud roar was heard in the distance. The riders looked on as a row of loud motorcycles were roaring by on the road ahead. They looked at one another in surprise and then looked to Lou who was now their guild in this strange new world.

"Motorcycles." she told them. "They call 'em bikers. Maps," she used the phone to find their location. "Okay, I can use this here phone to get us from here, which is called Highway 10, to Sam's house."

Kid asked, "Why go to Sam's house?"

"We need someplace to stay." she figured.

Teaspoon agreed, "We will need a base of operations while we are in this place. Doc's house would be our best bet. Does Doc have stables for the horses, Lou?"

"No, she has a friend who has stables though." she recalled. "I can call her friend, explain we are in a bit of a pickle and need a place to board the horses until we can find a way to fix this."

Teaspoon stated, "Do that." He then watched a string of tractor trailers went rolling by on the highway with traffic tailing behind. The road look dangerous to him. "I think we better stay off that." he declared.

Lou had dialed the number for Sam's friend. "Becky? This is Lou, Sam's cousin."

The riders could only hear Lou in the conversation.

"We're good. Um…I was wondering if I could ask a favor. I have five horses that I need to board. Do you have room?" she waited a reply. "One is my horse. Um…Sam's horse, that one you let her borrow, is with Sam right now and she's not here." She paused again, "Sam is visiting some friends with your horse. She will get it back to you soon as she comes back." Lou's face wrinkled for she hated being deceitful. She then perked up, "You can board my horse and the other four. That's is wonderful. I don't know how I can ever repay you." She paused again, "Right, put in on Sam's bill." she agreed. "Yes, you need to pick the horses up. We're on highway 10." She then pondered, "Could I ask another favor. Can you give us a ride to Sam's house? That would be great. Thank you, Becky." she disconnected the call and let out a sigh of relief. "Sam's friend will board our horses and give us a ride to Sam's house."

Kid asked, "Then what? How do we get back?"

"I don't know how we get back but I think we will just have to stay low for now. Least we will have a place to stay for a while." she figured.

Billy asked, "Ya think Ike might have come here too?"

The riders traded glances unsure.

Lou figured, "He could have. I'm not sure where he would have gone though."

Teaspoon figured, "Once we get to Sam's house we can start looking for Ike. Maybe someone in town saw him."

Kid agreed, "Could do that."

Short Time Later

The riders and Teaspoon had watched as the horses were loaded on trailer and then found themselves in the cab on a massive pickup truck that Becky drove. Becky was a lady who loved horses. She had fierily red hair and freckles and dressed much like Sam did with boots, jeans and a flannel. Becky remembered Lou and was pleasant to the new friends.

Lou sat in the front seat with Teaspoon as Becky drove and the boys were tucked away in the backseat. She spoke to Lou, "So where is Sam, Lou?"

"Visiting friends." she replied. "It's very remote."

"How was your ride on the old Pony Express trail?" she wondered. She noticed her passengers looked as if they just stepped right out of the 1800's.

"Good," she responded.

Becky looked in the rear view mirrors and saw the shock and awe on the faces of the boys in the back. She assumed they were very sheltered and perhaps were members of a strict religion. She asked, "Where are you fellas from?"

Teaspoon answered, "They are orphans who work for me."

"Oh," she replied a bit surprised. She figured they must be of some religion. "You don't look Amish…" she pondered what religion they could be.

Lou quickly thought of a cover, "They are part of a program for…troubled youth."

"Ah," she gave a nod believing the cover. "Sam a volunteer?"

She nodded.

"Just like her, ya know. She volunteers all the time. I heard she was offered a job in one of them big city hospitals making twice as much money and turned it down to stay here. That's our Sam!"

"Yes ma'am." Lou agreed.

Soon Becky pulled an massive rig towing the horse trailer before the driveway of Sam's small house. She stated, "Well, here ya are. Tell Sam that I said 'hi' next time you see her."

"Will do," Lou gave a nod and then had to reach across and open the door for Teaspoon who had no idea how to get out of the truck. They filed out of the vehicle and waved goodbye to Becky who then pulled away to take care of the horses.

They looked about the neighborhood. The nearby neighbors were giving them odd looks as they watched the riders stand before the home. The riders noticed the green lawn and how the houses were neatly built in rows.

Teaspoon figured they were an odd sight to see for the neighbors looked rather odd to him. He knew they were not blending in. "Maybe we should get inside, Lou." he suggested.

"Right," she agreed and led them to the front door. She went to a potted plant hanging on the awning and found a small box that Sam hid the spare key in. She retrieved the key and unlocked the home and quickly led them inside. Once inside she closed the door hoping to not alarm any neighbors for she feared the police would be called.

The boys stood in the entry way and took in the new surroundings. Some items looked familiar such as the furniture but other things some looked very strange.

Billy asked, "What is the big black box on the wall, Lou?"

"That's the television that I was telling you about." she explained. She led them into the kitchen, "This is where you find the food and water. See!" she turned on the faucet, "Running water." She grabbed a glass from the cupboard and went to the fridge and got a glass of ice water and handed it to Teaspoon. "Water and ice dispenser."

He took the glass, smelled it and then gave a taste. "That's a nice touch." he concluded.

Kid asked, "What's the box looking thing there?"

"Microwave." she told him. "That is the stove and oven. Dish washer, trash, freezer." she pointed.

Billy stated amazed, "It's just like you said."

"Yup," she nodded.

Jimmy asked, "Flushing commodes?"

"One upstairs and one down stairs. When I was here with Sam she let me use a guest room with a bed. She only has two beds including the guest room. I can take her bed. I guess someone can sleep on the sofa. Two can share the guest bed."

Jimmy smirked, "Why not have one of us double up with you, Lou?" He knew Teaspoon did not know Lou was a girl.

She threw him a look.

Teaspoon concluded. "I'll take the sofa. Jimmy and Billy can take the guest room and Lou and Kid can take Sam's room."

Kid stood smiling to himself.

"I can take the sofa." Lou volunteered.

"You know the house and the time. You sleep in Sam's room." he wouldn't hear of it. "Now, from what I gathered, the folks here don't dress like we do."

Billy grinned, "I saw some girls with hardly anything on at all."

"I saw that too," he agreed. "We will need to get clothing to blend in and search for Ike. If we got pulled here then I imagine he got struck by that lightning too." He looked to Lou, "Where do we find clothes around these parts?"

"Mall," she winced.

"Is this mall close?" Kid asked.

She shook her head, "You have to drive."

Kid sighed, "We're stuck in this house. We don't have one of them there horseless contraptions."

"Yes we do," she smiled. "Sam owns a car and it's in the garage."

Jimmy stated, "Let's see it!"

Lou then led them out of the kitchen to the garage. She swung open the door and inside sat the red Subaru. She motioned, "Right there. She just filled it up with gas too."

Kid asked, "How do you work it?"

"Sam drove but I watched and I think I can handle it." Lou assumed. "It's not that hard." She recalled, "You start it with a key, then move this stick and turn to wheel to steer it. There two pedals. One to stop and one to go."

Teaspoon asked, "You sure you can operate that thing there, Lou?"

"I don't think we have much of a choice." she figured. "Walmart might be easier on Sam's charge account and it is closer. I have to use her cards. They don't use money like we do."

Jimmy walked up to the car. He found the handle and managed to open the door. He looked inside, "I think we can all fit but it will be tight." He looked back at Lou, "I suppose we should get to this Walmart place."

She mentioned, "You need to take your gun belt off, Jimmy."

He refused, "I don't think so."

"They won't let you in the store." she figured. "When I was here the first time I didn't wear my gun at all. I kept it in the closet. Folks here don't walk around with a gun. You will cause a scene. Someone will call the law. Everyone has a phone like Sam's. They will take your photograph and put it online and then everyone will see us. You really cannot wear it."

The riders all looked at Teaspoon for guidance.

"We don't want to cause a scene, Hickok. If Lou says leave it then leave it." he figured.

"Fine!" he huffed.