So I lied this one shot that is now getting a second chapter is going to end up being 3 or possibly 4 chapters!
This chapter starts just a day after the last one. Now let's rejoin Clare and Owen's gang on the trail.
Glossary~
*Eucher ~ outsmart
*Calaboose ~ jail
*Hog Killin' Time ~ a good time
*Come a Cropper ~ fall to ruin
Ch. 2 Don't Know Where I'm Going, Only God Knows Where I've Been
(CLARE)
"We'll keep heading west, get as much distance between us and the township as possible," Owen tells us over breakfast. After leaving the old farm house we rode most of the day stopping only to rest the horses and eat a little. We'd camped in a cave on high ground and the boys took turns keeping watch. We are still in the cave it is almost dawn and we are eating before riding out.
"We'll need more money soon, got another mouth to feed now," Lucas states and I stop eating the cornbread I was having for breakfast.
"Yeah but she'll earn her keep, she'll make a great distraction for robberies," Owen says.
"I know that I'm just saying we are going to need more money and more supplies soon," Lucas replies.
"I'll do anything, almost anything anyway, not to go back to Jake but I should probably mention that I haven't fired a gun. Well not since Drew, Adam and I took their dad's shotgun for target practice at Ryan's Pond," I tell them.
"You and Adam were ten," Drew speaks up.
"Better learn you some shooting skills, knife ones too. Fitzy you're best with a knife teach her some skills. Lucas you're the best shot make sure she can shoot straight if she ever needs to. Might as well start practicing now we're in a good place for it," Owen commands so Lucas stands up. He grabs his guns, I grab Dad's pistol, Lucas and Fitz stole from the saloon for me, and follow him out of the cave and into some trees.
"Start with two hands, use your bottom hand to steady the gun," Lucas tells me so I hold the gun with two hands. Meanwhile in each of his hands is one of his two Colt Peacemakers. Lucas has six guns all together, the wood handled Colt Peacemakers in a double holster worn around his hips. Two very fancy ivory handled and engraved Colt Double-Action one of which is kept on a shoulder holster and the other in an ankle holster he fashioned himself. The guns themselves he told me were a gift from a girl, a very grateful lover as he put it. Finally he carries a Winchester Lever Action shotgun in his horse's saddle and on his back is a Winchester Lever Action rifle. He never goes into town with all those guns, in fact he usually only carries his ankle holster into town but on the trail and especially robbing banks and trains all that firepower is a good thing. "There will be some kickback so brace yourself. When you get used to it and better with a gun you'll hardly feel it. Feel the trigger on your finger and get used to the gun in your hand before you even aim and take a shot. The better you know the gun the better you'll be able to shoot," Lucas instructs shooting his own guns off.
I spend a while shooting with Lucas, after about an hour I can actually hit what I'm aiming at. Took a while to get used to the kickback and the aiming, of course hitting a tall tree that's not moving and hitting a person are two different things but Lucas says we'll practice a little every day. It's almost nine now and Owen wants to get riding so we saddle up. Owen leads, Fitz is just behind him, Drew is in the middle with me and Lucas brings up the rear. We can only ride for so long before we need to stop and let the horses drink and rest. Owen finds a stream and we stop, drinking some ourselves and eating more cornbread for lunch.
"Come on I'll teach you some knife skills while the horses rest," Fitz says taking my hand after we've both eaten.
"I don't have a knife," I comment.
"You can use this one," he replies pulling a small knife from his coat. It's got a thin blade and a light wooden handle. Strapped to his ankle in a black leather sheath is a large knife, the handle is bone and the blade kept clean. "This knife here," he says taking the one from his ankle sheath, "is perfectly balanced. A gift from a Kiowa friend who also taught me how to use it. In close quarters a knife is much better than a gun."
First he shows me how to hold a knife and as soon as I have that down he shows me how to stab someone and cut them. Then he demonstrates throwing a knife but we don't have time for me to learn that as Owen calls for us to mount up. Riding hard for the next three hours before stopping again, we let the horses rest and eat grass while Fitz teaches me more about fighting with a knife, how to stand, hold the knife and not let myself get hurt. Then Drew shows me how to fight, properly throw a punch and kick and where to hit to really hurt someone.
We ride west for the next six days and now we're far from my home and friends but what's important is we're far from Jake and the sheriff. We stay pretty close to the lakes and out of most of the big cities and towns. We cross into the U.S. since it's easier to ride over the terrain and then we get to Detroit, it's the biggest city I've ever seen. The little township I'm from looks like nothing compared to this. Great tall buildings and paved streets, more than one bank and saloon and I count three hotels on our ride in. We tie up the horses and check into the hotel, Owen gets three rooms two for the boys and I have my own. Owen checks in under different name, he checks us all in under different names.
"Adam pack you any dresses?" Owen asks me after we meet in his room.
"A skirt and blouse," I reply.
"Good, go down to the front desk and tell them to draw you a bath. Clean up and go to a dress shop, get a nice dress but nothing too fancy don't want to draw too much attention to yourself. Get a bonnet to hide your hair it'll help disguise you. The rest of us already got wanted posters all over, if we didn't wear masks and disguise ourselves we wouldn't have come here," Owen instructs giving me some money.
"Lock your door when you take the bath we'll be getting supplies. When we're back I'll knock on the door three times, don't leave for the dress shop before we're back one of us will go with you," Drew tells me.
"I can't go to the dress shop alone?"
"You've never been to a big city, proper ladies don't go unescorted and they don't dress like that," Lucas says.
"Since when am I proper lady?"
"It's part of your disguise," Owen replies.
I smile and take the money putting in my coat pocket then I go downstairs and tell the front desk I would like a bath. The boy behind the front desk tells me it'll be in my room directly. I go back to my room and after a moment there's a knock on the door, I open it and two men bring in a copper bath tub. I sit on the bed and they begin filling it with hot water then they leave. I lock the door and undress, peeling off the layers of clothes caked in dust after days of riding. I slip into the tub and release a pleased breath, the hot water feels so good against my skin I relax and sink into the water. I stay in the bath until I hear the three knocks on the door meaning the boys are back. I get out and dry off; dressing in the skirt and blouse, using my fingers to comb through my hair and when I'm dressed I go across the hall to Owen's room and knock.
"Well now look at that, almost forgot what you looked like all clean and in a dress," Lucas comments when he opens the door.
"Drew take her to the dress shop, say she's your sister," Owen tells him and Drew nods.
I grab the money from my room and walk out on Drew's arm; we go down the street nodding to everyone and smiling. Drew changed and cleaned up too so we fit right in with the proper folk in this big city. We go into the dress shop and after a short time of looking around and trying on a few things I buy a light blue dress with white buttons, and I buy a white bonnet. Then we return to the hotel and I show them the dress. Owen says we'll stay at the hotel for five nights, after a couple of days we'll rob a couple of banks near the outskirts of town using borrowed horses. Hide the money outside of town, circle around and let the horses return and we'll return to the hotel and stay a couple of more nights before leaving town.
"I know why you ain't been caught yet you eucher the local law," I grin after Owen tells me his plan.
"I ain't gonna get sent to no calaboose, we use our brains the law don't catch us," Owen replies and I smile. "Come on let's go down to the restaurant and get some grub," Owen says.
"Good I'm starving we ain't had a proper meal in days," Lucas comments as we leave the room.
(OWEN)
"Lift your skirt," Fitz tells Clare and she goes a little pale. She only goes pale for a second before she lifts her skirt above her boots because she trusts us, she knows none of us would ever hurt her or do anything like Jake. "Here we picked these up when we got supplies, knife on your right ankle, Colt on the left. Your dress will hide them, if shooting starts then you get low meet us at the hiding spot," Fitz instructs her as he ties the holsters to her ankles.
"Run and hide?" Clare asks putting the weapons in the sheaths.
"Better than being shot, you're still learning to use the weapons you aren't one of the boys yet," I remind her.
"The way she fills out her blouses she won't ever be one of the boys," Lucas speaks up and Clare blushes.
"You distract them we'll do the rest," Drew tells her and she nods.
"See you boys soon," Clare waves leaving the room.
Aside from her new blue dress and bonnet to hide her hair she's got a beauty mark painted just above her lip and another near her nose. We can't very well put a fake beard on her like the rest of us. The four of us leave the hotel; we'd spent the last couple of days preparing for the bank robberies. We already hid a change of clothes and our disguises near the first bank. We all have black duster coats, black hats and fake black beards. We got the beards from some friends of Fitz, a theatre family that make their own makeup and props and everything. They made us the beards and they look pretty real, they keep us disguised. To further disguise ourselves we have black neckerchiefs we cut eye holes in and tie around our heads. Once we're dressed we grab the borrowed horses from the stables and ride to the bank.
"This is a hold up, everyone empty your pockets and you behind the counter start filling the bags with money," I command as Lucas gets behind the counter with Drew and helps the bank employees fill the bags with money. While we're getting on the money out front the man who was helping Clare in back has come out leaving the safe open and she's helping herself to money then she slips out the back door. "Now you turn the sign so the bank is closed," I order one of the bank employees as Drew and Fitz tie up the other employees and bank customers. Once the bank looks like it's closed I knock out the last employee so we have a head start. We ride calmly across town to the second bank, Clare is already here pretending to open an account and doing a mighty fine acting job.
"Well just where does my money go? I want it to be secure, my father is trusting me with this he's simply too ill to leave his bed," she says.
"It will be very secure Miss I assure you, we keep the money back here in a safe," the man tells her taking her into the back.
"This is a hold up, everyone empty your pockets and start putting money in the bag," I command and see the man in back trying to close the door. "Girl take the sack and you open the safe and fill it up," I instruct handing the bag to Clare and pretending like I don't know her.
With a gun in his face of course the man listens and starts filling the sack. When he's done I take it from Clare and push him out to the front while she slips out the back. Just like the last bank we make it look like it's closed and tie up everyone in the bank. Then we calmly leave the bank and get on our horses riding out of town to the hiding spot, Clare's already here in the old trapper's cabin. Drew whistles the whistle he and Adam use and Clare comes running out of the cabin to us.
"That was a hog killin' time. Never had so much fun, last time I went running for my life I was just terrified," she says with a grin throwing her arms around me as soon as I dismount. Before I can say anything her lips attach to mine. I put my arms around her and kiss her back; she pulls away after a second with hot cheeks and looks down. "Sorry don't know what came over me," Clare apologizes.
"No need to apologize for it, I enjoyed that more than the robbery. I think you fit in just fine. You're more excited than Drew after his first time," I grin as we take everything into the cabin.
"It was a thrill but what about the people we stole from won't it hurt them?" Clare asks.
"No we're not that mean we do our research hitting banks that can afford it, ones where the flush people bank. Don't want no one to come a cropper because of us," I reply.
"What's this?" Lucas asks pointing to the pile of money already on the floor of the cabin.
"Oh I took that from the first bank," Clare informs us.
"It sure is easier with her distracting them and helpin' us steal," Lucas comments.
"Sure was, let's count what we got," I nod and Clare smiles.
"One thousand six hundred and twenty four dollars that ought to hold us a while," Lucas comments when we're done counting the loot.
"Yeah that should, let's get packed and changed send the horses back," I command.
The four of us take off our duster coats, beards and hats packing them in the saddle bags and picnic basket borrowed from the hotel. We put on different hats and leave the cabin so Clare can change back to her skirt and blouse. When she comes out dressed we mount up, Clare riding side saddle, and head back toward the city leading the borrowed horses behind us and send them back into town. We spend the next couple of hours riding around to the other side of town along the outskirts and then back through to the hotel. We all dismount and Drew helps Clare down then we go into the hotel where everyone is talking about the robberies.
"Did you folks enjoy your picnic?" Henry asks. He runs the hotel with his family and several employees.
"Yes we did, we'll return the picnic basket after we clean it out. What's going on here?" I ask.
"Two banks were robbed on opposite ends of the town, no one was killed but they near cleaned out the banks. Got a posse out looking for the bandits right now," Henry replies.
"We're lucky we didn't run into them on our picnic, Mama told me to take care of you," Drew says staying in character since everyone thinks he's Clare's brother.
"I coulda handled a couple of bandits," Lucas shrugs.
"It was more than two, I heard it was a whole gang as many as ten," Henry tells us.
"Ten? My how horribly dreadful, let's go upstairs I think I need to lie down now," Clare remarks still playing the delicate proper lady she's supposed to be. Henry nods to us and we go upstairs to the room I'm sharing with Drew.
"The way people are talking they'll never know it was us," Fitz grins.
"Nope the rumors will just get bigger and we'll be legend by morning. We stay two more days then we ride out. We're going to Winnipeg," I inform them and Fitz smiles.
"I hope they haven't changed the show I loved the last one," Fitz grins.
"What show?" Clare asks.
"You'll see," Drew tells her, "we got friends all over and Winnipeg is just one place."
(FITZ)
"We make camp here," Owen orders stopping his horse.
"Where are we?" Clare asks dismounting form her horse.
"About half a day's ride from Winnipeg," Owen replies.
"Does that mean sleeping in a real bed and getting a bath?" Clare asks hopefully.
"Yep both of those but if you're really feeling dirty there's the river there, we can keep an eye on you from here," Drew tells her.
Clare smiles and goes down to the river bank, she undresses behind the bushes and we hear her getting in the water. She's been with us over six weeks now; we haven't robbed nothing else since those banks in Detroit that money has carried us and we still got plenty left. She does make us more respectable when we go into town, looks less suspicious when we have a lady with us, she camps with us by the fire but she always gets her own hotel room. We haven't been to a town in over two weeks now just a couple of outposts. While Clare is bathing in the river the rest of us start taking all the tack off the horses and building a fire. When all the tack is off except the bridles I grab all the reins and start walking to the river.
"Fitz where are you going?" Drew questions.
"To water the horses," I reply.
"Oh no you ain't Clare is bathing down there you wait right here until she's out," Drew orders.
"I wasn't going to look or nothin'," I reply.
"Everyone just stay right here by the fire until Clare gets out, I love you all like brothers but if one of you tried to look at her in the buff I will shoot out your eyes," Drew warns us. I shrug and let the horses start eating grass. Clare gets out of the water a few minutes later, we hear her getting dressed and then she runs over.
"That water is freezing but I do feel better," Clare says with chattering teeth.
"Come on by the fire, Lucas take the horses down to the water," I tell him taking off my coat and putting it around Clare. I sit her down by the fire and hold her to get her warm.
"Here this will help," Owen comments taking off his coat and putting it around Clare. He sits on her other side and now we're both keeping her warm.
Drew and Lucas make dinner and Clare's dry and warm by the time dinner is ready. Owen takes first watch and Drew, Lucas and Clare get right to sleep but I can't sleep so I get up and go sit with Owen.
"You know we both look at Clare the same way," Owen remarks after a few minutes.
"Yeah I know, she's pretty amazing but if you want to be with her th…"
"That's really up to her," Owen interrupts me.
"Yeah it is and whatever she wants I'll respect," I tell Owen.
"Me too," Owen nods and we go silent again.
"Well if I've got second watch I should try and sleep," I reply after a while.
"I'll wake Lucas for second watch get some sleep," Owen tells me.
"Yeah dreaming about Clare bathing in the river," I comment and Owen smiles.
"I'm already dreamin' about that and I ain't been asleep yet," Owen responds and I laugh getting into my bedroll.
I fall asleep after a few minutes and I do dream about Clare, I'm still dreaming about Clare when Lucas wakes me for my watch. I yawn and pour myself some coffee, putting my coat on and sitting at the vantage point Owen chose for the lookout. I'm sitting there a while sipping my coffee when I hear footsteps, light ones on the dirt and I grip my knife ready to pull it. The footsteps are coming from camp and I turn my head to see Clare's figure lit by the moon.
"You should be asleep," I tell her letting go of my knife.
"I was, had a dream Jake found me," she says sitting next to me.
"If we see him again we'll kill him," I assure her.
"I know but it doesn't keep the dreams away. Adam and Maya's wedding is in three months and every time I think about them or my other friends from home I dream about Jake. I know I'm safe with all of you now. Not bad with a gun myself now and I'm just as handy with a knife, Jake comes near me again I'll gut him myself. Drew's been more a brother to me in the last six weeks than Jake ever was."
"He did take to being your brother right quick," I grin. I look over at her, the moonlight shines in her hair, her eyes sparkle and she looks almost angelic. I can't help it and I turn my head joining our lips in a chaste kiss. Clare gasps slightly, surprised by the kiss for a second and then she kisses me back. Her hand resting on the side of my face as her lips part just a bit. "Just had to do that, been wanting to for weeks but if you want to be with Owen I'll understand," I tell her when I pull away.
"I'm fond of all of you, however I do have a special affection for you and Owen," she replies and I smile.
She sits with me a while longer before yawning and going back to bed. Shortly after she returns to bed I wake Drew for last watch. I fall asleep and dream about Clare again. Owen wakes us before dawn to eat breakfast and we get riding as soon as the sun is up.
"Well there it is," I smile as we ride into Winnipeg and approach our destination, "looks just the same as I remember."
"Lynch's Variety Theatre?" Clare asks looking at the building, "What's at Lynch's Variety Theatre? And who are the Lynches?"
Like I said this will end up being a 3shot possibly a 4shot, we didn't even make it to Maya and Adam's wedding. Now when the next chapter will be I'm not sure. November might need to be a month of one shots.