This is Prompt No. 79-Club
Two nights later, Mitchie stood in front of her mirror, buttoning each of the dull brass buttons on her rather used gray uniform. She pulled on the waistband of the pants, trying to pull the pants up a little further so that they did not look quite so long. Obviously, the last person to wear this uniform had been taller. She studied herself in the mirror, fingering her short hair and running her fingers through it. Caitlyn had just given it another trim so that it looked presentable as a lieutenant's hair might. Tonight was the night, Mitchie knew, that would test her newfound skills, and she was anxious as well as excited.
She crossed the room and sat of her bed, curling up against the pillows as she fingered the file that held all of Lieutenant Perry's information. Though the Lieutenant had never existed, the UUS had enough contacts that would vouch for his existence. She would at least be safe on that account. Mitchie flipped through the file again, running over every single fact given to her that she had had to learn.
A tap at the door made Mitchie jump and she hurried to answer the door. Caitlyn stood there, dressed in a bright, low cut dress with white lace around the edges. "Are you ready to go?" she asked.
Mitchie barely heard her. She was staring at her friend in shock. Why, she was positively indecent! "What are you wearing?" she managed to ask after a long moment.
Caitlyn rolled her eyes. "You'll understand when we get there," she told Mitchie. "You remember the general's advice, right?"
Mitchie nodded, remembering the few lessons in card games he had given her over the past two days. "But I don't understa-"
"You will when we get there," Caitlyn responded. She eyed Mitchie up and down and asked, "Does the uniform fit you?"
Mitchie nodded. "The trousers are a little long, but I can make do."
Caitlyn nodded. "Then we'd better get going," she said and stepped aside so that Mitchie could make her way out of her room. "This way," she said.
Mitchie followed her and found herself striding toward the other end of the base than she was used to. Soon, she and Caitlyn were riding up and rope system that looked very much like a shelf. A shelf it turned out to be as Caitlyn stepped out first to help Mitchie out. Mitchie looked around and realized that this dingy little place she was now in must be the old house they had all talked about. "This is the house, right?" she asked in order to be sure."
Caitlyn nodded and led the way outside where the two young women found a horse saddled and ready to ride. "Dear Nate," Caitlyn said, smiling for the first time that night. "He thinks of everything." She mounted first and then said, "You can ride behind me until we get close to the place."
Mitchie chose not to ask questions and just nodded, swinging up into the saddle easily now that she didn't have to worry about skirts and petticoats getting in the way. She hung on the Caitlyn as the latter grabbed the horse's reins and spurred it on in the direction of the army camp that Mitchie had once been a part of.
But soon, it was obvious that the two young women were heading further into the civilization of Virginia. Lights appeared in town and Caitlyn reined her horse in. She motioned for Mitchie to dismount and then said, "Go on until you reach the town. You'll find a place called The Red Cat. Come find me in there." She smiled at Mitchie for the first time and said, "Good luck, Lieutenant Perry." And then she was gone, urging the horse on towards the town.
Mitchie walked swiftly in the direction Caitlyn had gone, willing herself to get to wherever she was going quickly. The faster she arrived, the quicker her mission could begin and end, hopefully with good results. She fingered the pistol secured at her thigh and touched the hilt of the knife secreted under the cloth of her other thigh. Everything was primed and ready for use, but Mitchie hoped she wouldn't need them.
As she drew near the town, she could hear the sound of course laughter, and the beat of a tinny piano screeching out an old tune. Mitchie looked around her, noticing that the streets were mostly deserted, and that the few people that were still on the streets were headed toward a large building at the end of town. She squinted and was able to make out the sign, painted in a blood red color: The Red Cat.
"Oh no," she whispered quietly. She made her way down the sidewalk, forcing herself to keep her head up as she passed other men heading the same way. "Remember you're a soldier," she reminded herself as she tipped the brim of her hat to two saloon girls hanging around the front door to the saloon. "Evening, ladies," she said, surprised at how easy it was to slip right back into the mannerisms and the way of talking she had adopted before.
The two women cooed a hello as Mitchie passed and she forced herself not to blush. If only they knew! As soon as she stepped inside, Mitchie wanted to turn and run. The whole saloon was lit up with bright kerosene lights that made the ugly colored walls look reasonably colorful. A haze of smoke hung in the air from the many patrons that were smoking cigars or cigarettes, and everyone had a small glass in hand filled with a bronze-colored liquid. Mitchie gulped. This was not a place for respectable women. Upon thinking such a thought, Mitchie squared her shoulders. Tonight, she was not a woman. Tonight, she was Lieutenant William Perry of the Confederate Army fourth division.
She squared her shoulders and took a more calculating look around. Few people were acknowledging her presence, which was a good thing since she kept staring, unaccustomed to this kind of behavior. But her jaw dropped when she looked toward the bar, for there, flirting with another, drunken soldier, stood Caitlyn. She had her hands on the soldier's arm and she was laughing away even as she handed him another glass of whatever concoction he was drinking. She looked up and spotted Mitchie, her mouth still hanging open, and motioned for her to come closer.
Mitchie wove her way through the crowd and found herself at the bar. Caitlyn batted her eyelashes at her and said, "Well good evening, soldier. Care for a drink?"
Mitchie, too stunned by this uncharacteristic behavior of Caitlyn's, simply nodded and seated herself on a convenient stool. The drunk soldier next to her took her silence for admiration and slapped her hard on the back, saying, "She's a beauty, isn't she?"
Mitchie just nodded and slid onto the next seat, further away from the intoxicated man. Caitlyn came back, drink in hand and handed it to Mitchie, leaning over the table and whispering in her ear, "It's just dyed water."
Mitchie nodded and took a sip as Caitlyn moved away and waited for the other girl to return with further instructions. She did, a few minutes later by coming to sit on Mitchie's lap. Stunned, Mitchie could only blink at Caitlyn, who put her arms around Mitchie's neck and whispered, "Work with me here, or we're both dead." Complying, Mitchie put her arms loosely around Caitlyn's waist, listening as she started speaking in hushed tones.
"See that man over there?" she asked, giving an almost imperceptable nod in the proper direction. Mitchie turned and looking, almost immediately finding the man in question. She shivered as she looke at his rough, cruel features. Caitlyn went on. "His name is Nigel Lipsce. You want information, he'll give it to you, but only over a game of poker. You need to find out where the largest force of Confederates are stationed." She slid a small wad of notes into Mitchie's hand. "I hope you remember what the general taught you," she said, "because you, my dear Lieutenant Perry, are about to play some poker."
