5
Loveless quietly, almost cautiously, crept closer and closer to the unaware West. Jim was busy combing through the heightened activity of the busy Chicago street; the streetlamps danced a flickering jig, adding a fiery tint to the streets and was keeping the darkness just out of reach, scores of people floated about, Venders dotted the area, advertising their wares, music pushed its way past the clatter of the trolleys and carriages. An opening in the traffic caught his attention and James gave a little sprint into the street, leaving Loveless just short of reaching him.
The little man almost shrieked aloud from frustration, as he only was able to catch the dust from a passing cart, disappointment sent a wave through his body, and his dissatisfaction with himself began to gnaw at his gut. He knew that West was being watched and he thought he spied one of the knife wielding brothers earlier, he was positive that if he did not make contact with West soon, it could be the beginning of the end, for both their worlds.
Loveless started for the shadows when a dress boutique, a storefront away, captured his attention. His look of defeat vanished, as the wheels of his brilliant mind began to turn.
**********
Moments later, the boutique's mannequin, made a jostled way out of the store, bumping into two ladies on their way in, Loveless began to perspire, not only did he underestimate how warm it would be under the thickness of the dress, or how cumbersome it was going to be to manipulate the dummy in any kind of humanly fashion, he also did not realize how dangerous it was going to be crossing the hectic avenue.
He did however split a portion of the dresses hem to see and made a slit along the side for one of his arms to facilitate any motor needs. Only after a few steps, did he start to manage under the fussied-up life sized doll. She was gussied-up from head to toe; the wide brimmed hat was complete with light feathers around its crown, velvet poufs covered the shoulders with long satin gloves that ran down the arms, a girdle was underneath the bodice of the dress, below that, a wide cascading dress, adorned with well-placed ribbons and bows, all in slightly-varied hues of green. The untold layers upon layers of skirts underneath made it difficult, for the warmer Loveless got the more they latched upon his head and face and he had to fight to maintain his sight.
He was correct with his assumption that even though the body and face of the mannequin was made of wood with cotton filling, fitted together with a thick burlap skin, he would get little-or-no interaction with the crowd, for the only curious looks he got was from the two ladies that he had encountered at the store's door.
With two close calls, both with wagons, behind him, the slightly unbalanced green lady made it across the street. Loveless was beginning to tire, the struggle to keep the dummy upright and navigating the busy street was starting to weigh him down and he still had to enter the shop and find West.
**********
Jim was engrossed in thought at the counter near the rear of the shop as the mannequin clumsily made its way through the door. The few patrons and the shopkeepers became speechless, overcome with a curious yet cautious silence, as the faceless dummy slowly hobbled passed them. Jim was waiting for the brand of cigars he wanted, they were stored in the back and one of the shop keeps was to return soon, in that short amount of time West had fallen back into this latest encounter with Loveless; What was he up to, and what kind of madness did he intend to introduce this time.
The stillness of the room crept across Jim's back, raising the tiny hair on the back of his neck to a cold attention; he spun around and was taken back with the burlap-skinned lady.
A faint voice came from its midsection, "Don't be alarmed Mr. West…"
The head of the mannequin vaulted from its shoulders as the machete smashed through it's neck, cotton and wood fibers sprayed in every direction, exposing Gash on the opposite side, armed with a yard long steel blade, with Slice and Hack bringing up the rear, having let everyone out, they locked the door and turning over the 'CLOSED' sign in the window.
The clerk appeared from the back with a handful of cigars, "Sorry Mr. West, we only have six of the…" his words trailed off upon the site of what had transpired in his absence.
"Do you have a back door to this place," West quietly asked the stunned clerk.
"Y-Yes," answered the frightened man.
"You better use it."