Ghost Town

by Michael Collins

  They were all looking at the mayor.

  ‘Oh! My apologies,’ said Elber, ‘This is William Dalton the town mayor, he has been stuck in this time loop for 100 years, this is my wife Edie mayor and this is Amos whose father his Samuel who you are already acquainted with.’

  The mayor shook hands with them.

  ‘And this is Ritchie Dalton mayor your great great grandson,’ said Elber.

  The mayor walked over to Ritchie.

  ‘Nice to meet you Ritchie,’ he said smiling.

  ‘You too grandfather,’ said Ritchie, ‘You don’t mind if I call you grandfather, do you?’

  ‘Of course not, in fact I quite like it,’ said the mayor.

  ‘I have heard so much about you,’ said Ritchie.

  ‘Hope it wasn’t all bad son?’ said the mayor.

  They both hugged each other.

  ‘You just vanished into thin air Grandfather, my father often talked about you when I was a kid and what happened all them years ago in Dethrock,’ said Ritchie, ‘I got myself books on the town to see if there were any clues as to what could have happened to you, but I always came up blank and now you are stood here in the flesh and I am speaking to you, wow!’

  The other three were watching the unusual reunion.

  ‘I have seen my grandmothers grave too.’

  The mayor sadly looked down to the floor.

  ‘History says she was murdered grandpa,’ said Ritchie.

  ‘She was Ritchie it was Bart Flanagan,’ he said.

  He put his hand on Ritchie’s shoulder.

  ‘She was an amazing women Ritchie, she was so beautiful and far too young to die, she had her whole life in front of her,’ said the mayor, ‘She was a great asset to the town and always going out of her way to make sure other people were okay, even at her own expense.’

  ‘It sounds like she was a remarkable women Grandfather?’

  ‘When the raw gold was going to be eventually shared out we were going to up sticks and move to San Francisco, she wanted a little house there where we could enjoy our retirement years, fate dealt us a cruel blow though Ritchie, and it was all down to Bart Flanagan and his son’s,’ he said.

  ‘I found this little box behind one of the dresser drawers in your house mayor,’ said Edie passing it over to him.

  ‘A. D. Anna Dalton,’ said the mayor opening it up, ‘She used to keep her little trinkets in here.’

  He looked in the box with a tear in his eye, his eyes opened as though he was in shock.

  ‘Where did this come from?’ he said.

  ‘I think it’s an earring if you look closer,’ said Elber.

  ‘Well it certainly wasn’t Anna’s, she never wore them!’ said the mayor,

  ‘It has got a little indent in it too, perhaps a little jewel was in there,’ said Edie.

  The mayor looked upset he closed the little box and he put it in his pocket, Ritchie felt for the poor man, he had only just met him but felt like he had known him for years, the mayor’s head shot up making everyone jump.

  ‘Oh, my god!’ said the mayor.

  ‘What is it?’ said Ritchie, ‘What is it?’

  ‘Oh my god Ritchie I remember now it’s all coming back to me!’

  Everyone was watching the mayor.

  ‘Remember what grandfather?’

  ‘Anna, she knew something, she was going to tell me something just before she died, Bart Flanagan knew something too he remembered his words when he saw him running from the mayor’s house, he was frantic and looking for his sons, he was running towards the church,” I am sorry mayor your wife knew too”. Those were his exact words, I have to go and see Anna,’ said the mayor.

  ‘When did you see her in this timeline mayor?’ said Elber.

  ‘It was when I left the saloon Isiah Flanagan had just been shot in the shoulder about 2:30pm.’ He said.

  ‘The thing is mayor you need to go about the same time so that you don’t bump into your old self, this could disrupt your timeline cvagain and you will end up back in the dynamite store, ‘said Elber.

  ‘I understand what you mean Elber, I will pick my time carefully in due course,’ said the mayor.

  Amos turned towards Elber.

  ‘Where’s my father then Elber?’ said Amos.

  ‘He has gone down to the bank to check it out as that is where it all seems to kick off,’ said Elber, ‘Ritchie if you and Amos can hang about the saloon area me and Edie will be near the bank, Samuel will pass on to me any instructions in how to change the timeline in our favour and hopefully let them poor souls of Dethrock go to rest.’

  ‘Mayor! If you can wait round the back of the church, I don’t think it will be a good idea if you bump into Crampton again,’ said Elber.

  ‘I need to go and see Anna,’ he said.

  ‘That’s fine mayor but try and hold out till 2:30 pm and keep your eyes peeled,’ said Elber.

  *****

  By 1850, most of the easy to find gold had been collected and attention turned to extracting gold from more difficult locations. With the gold being more difficult to retrieve, Americans began to drive out the foreigners to get at the gold that was left. Laws and taxes were brought in for any claim finds. A miner’s tax of $20 a month was brought in the equivalent of $570 in today’s money. The native American prospectors began organized attacks on foreign miner’s. particularly Latin Americans and Chinese.

  By the beginning of 1849 word of the gold rush had spread around the world and overwhelming number of gold seekers and merchants began to arrive from every continent. It is estimated the 90,000-people arrived in California in 1849 and by 1855 over 300,000 had flooded into California.

  Through good fortune and hard work the lucky ones reaped the benefits. As the gold rush progressed local banks and dealers issued bank notes or locally accepted bank note currency. In the early days, as in my story it was too risky to keep the gold in a bank so they hid it and shared it out at a later date. Had I lived in them times I would have felt very insecure not knowing where my gold was or when they were going to share it out, or for that matter would they share it at all. Town banks would have the towns folk sign documents as proof that they were entitled to their share of the gold in that particular town, if the main breadwinner died or was killed the gold would pass on to the immediate family and like in my story the documents were kept in the banks safe, I read this while looking for information on the gold rush and I personally don’t think it was worth the paper it was printed on. MC

  *****

  Samuel had made his way to the bank He decided to have a look around before Bo and Joe arrived to rob it, he went to the rear first and noticed the saddlebag was still there at the side of the container under the barred window, to the right of the window was a metal door it had no handle and could only be open from the inside, he then went straight through the solid wall into the bank safe room the manager was sat at his desk still doing his paperwork, he was smoking a big cigar and had a glass of whisky at the side of him.

  Jake Reynolds was another immigrant who had come to the Dethrock valley in 1846 with his wife, when news of the gold rush spread they came from the east coast and found refuge with Jethro Crampton and William Dalton. Jake had a good education when he was young and with his knowledge of accounting he was given the job of bank manager, him and Emilia had two children a boy and a girl. The town had its own school which was down by the railway station.

  The big black safe stood at the back of him, Emilia his wife kept walking through from the cash desk with documents and cash. The towns gold was held elsewhere as this was nothing to do with Jake Reynolds.

  *****

  Eli Mindel was outside the rear of the saloon, he wiped the sweat of his forehead with his handkerchief, Crampton who was now familiar with the loop had told him earlier that Bart Flanagan would leave the bar first followed by Bo and Joe at 2:10pm, this would just leave Isiah in the saloon.

  ‘You know what you have to do Eli?’ said Crampton.
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br />   ‘Yes sheriff,’ he said.

  He watched Bart leave followed by Bo and Joe then he went to the back door of the saloon and opened it, he peeked his head through and saw Isiah Flanagan with his back to him, the bartender was behind the bar and Eli put his finger to his lips, he walked up slowly behind Isiah and thrust the butt of his rifle into the side of his head behind the ear. Isiah keeled over onto the floor, Eli dragged him through to the back door and outside the back of the saloon, Isiah was moaning with pain so Eli whacked him again with the butt and he was out cold. He propped his gun up against the saloon wall and picked up Isiah’s turret gun and cocked it. He went over the road to the bank and went around the back in view of the window and waited.

  ‘So where is the gold kept then!’ said Joe.

  ‘I don’t know the sheriff stashes it somewhere for safety,’ said Jake nervously.

  ‘Where?’

  Eli saw that Emilia was stood with her back to the window, he felt no remorse about what he was about to do, he lifted the turret gun and lined her up in the sights firing two shots and blowing her head off. Eli could hear the screaming coming from the bank as Emilia hit the floor, he heard Joe shouting at Bo to go and get their father and saw him running out of the bank. Eli waited by container outside the bank for the sheriff.

  The sheriff was outside the saloon talking to Bo then he saw the mayor coming across the street,

  ‘I am going to talk to your brother over at the bank Bo don’t do anything stupid,’ said Crampton

  The sheriff then made his way to the bank, when he got there the door was still locked.

  ‘Open the door Joe and I promise I won’t hurt you,’ said Crampton.

  Joe could hear Crampton but was still in shock at what had happened to Emilia Reynolds, blood and brain were splattered all over his face.

  ‘I didn’t shoot sheriff! I didn’t shoot!’ shouted Joe.

  ‘Well if that is the truth open the door and let’s talk about it!’ said Crampton.

  ‘Can’t do that sheriff, I don’t trust you,’ said Joe.

  Crampton put his fingers in his holsters and flicked the triggers forward, he made his way round to the back of the bank he passed Eli by the container and nodded to him in acknowledgment. Eli went across to the water pump well to take cover. The Dethrock stream ran down the valley, then underground to the town. This naturally made subterranean stream flowed under the town to the well outside the bank, then the well overflow carried on to the main river just outside Bone Creek 5 miles away.

  The towns people collected their water from this point which saved them walking the half mile or so to the main stream up the valley. Crampton bent down and opened the saddlebag taking out some dynamite he took the knife out of the sheath in his left boot and cut the fuse down to about one inch in length.

  He put the knife back in the sheath and without raising his voice, he spoke into the broken window.

  ‘Open the door Flanagan or I am going to throw this fucking dynamite in even if it means killing all of you.’

  ‘I would do as he says young man,’ said Jake with tears in his eyes still holding his wife, ‘Because he will do it.’

  Joe was sweating and both his guns were at the ready.

  ‘Just let him in and talk,’ said Jake, ‘I can vouch you didn’t shoot her, at least then it’s only robbery and not murder.’

  Joe was backed into a corner and he knew it if he tried to shoot his way out the sheriff would kill him for sure, he decided to take his chances and give himself up.

  ‘Okay sheriff I will open the metal door!’ shouted Joe.

  The door clicked open and the sheriff shouted through.

  ‘Okay Joe put your guns down on the floor where I can see them don’t make any stupid moves or I will blow your fucking brains out,’ said Crampton.

  Joe put the guns on the floor and the sheriff came into view at the door with the stick of dynamite in one hand.

  ‘Very sensible young Flanagan,’ said Crampton.

  ‘The shots came from outside sheriff I didn’t shoot her honest,’ said Joe.

  Jake took his coat off and put it over his dead wife, he went back to the table and sat down, he picked his glass of whiskey up and drank it off in one go, his cigar was still burning in the ashtray.

  Joe put his guns onto the floor, the hostages were cowering in the corner with their hands on their heads.

  ‘Kick them over to the door Joe very slowly,’ said Crampton.

  Samuel was watching the events unfold from the side of the open safe.

  Crampton picked the guns up one at a time and threw them outside, Eli picked the guns up and put them in a saddlebag, Crampton walked into the safe room putting the dynamite on the desk. He pulled one of his huge revolvers out pointing it at Joe, he then took the handcuffs off his belt and told him to turn around while he cuffed his hands behind his back, he pulled his other gun out.

  ‘Young Flanagan here didn’t shoot my wife sheriff,’ said Jake.

  ‘Yes, I know,’ said Crampton, ‘Eli Mindel shot her.’

  Jake Reynolds stood up, he was just about to run around the desk to get at Crampton.

  Crampton pointed his guns at him.

  ‘Don’t be stupid Jake I need you alive for the time being at least.’

  Jake reluctantly sat back down his chair.

  ‘That’s better,’ he said, ‘Now then let’s get down to business, Eli?

  Eli came to the door.

  ‘Yes sheriff!’

  ‘Bring the gold in now,’ said Crampton, ‘Keeping his guns at the ready in case anyone made a silly move.

  Eli had opened the metal container outside where he had been stashing the towns gold through the night, there was probably about 80 kilos of raw gold, and bit by bit he brought it into the bank and put it in the huge safe.

  ‘What the hell?’ said Jake picking up his cigar from the ashtray.

  Samuel was watching from the safe. ‘You seem quite shocked Jake? ‘said Crampton, ‘You are witnessing the only robbery in history where the bandits bring the loot into the bank,’ he laughed.

  ‘What’s going on sheriff?’ said Joe.

  ‘Well it’s quite simple Flanagan I am putting gold into the safe and I am going to rob it sometime yesterday,’ said Crampton laughing at his own wit.

  Joe and Jake looked at Crampton as though he was mad, Samuel knew exactly what he meant though.

  ‘I don’t understand,’ said Jake.

  ‘You don’t have to Jake, all I want you to do now is to write down the combination to the safe,’ said Crampton pushing the pencil and paper in front of him.

  ‘I won’t do that sheriff,’ said Jake.

  Crampton leaned over the table and pushed one of his guns into Jakes belly and pulled back the hammer with his thumb.

  ‘You have got one minute to write down the combination Reynolds, if you don’t I am going to start with the soft parts of your body and work my way up,’ said Crampton nudging his gun in between Jakes legs.

  Dribbles of sweat were running down Jake Reynolds brow, the cigar still lit in his mouth he noticed the dynamite on the table.

  Eli Mindel put the last of the gold in the safe.

  ‘That’s the lot sheriff,’ he said.

  Crampton lifted his gun and turned around to face Eli for a moment.

  ‘Get the documents out of the safe Eli now and stack them on the floor!’ said Crampton.

  Eli made his way towards the safe.

  Jake Reynolds knew he was in a no win situation so he took his chance and grabbed the dynamite he lit the fuse with the cigar it started fizzing straight away, he stood up behind his desk backing into the safe and closed it shut.

  ‘What the hell!’ exclaimed Crampton turning around to face him again.

  ‘Fuck you Crampton!’ screamed Jake holding the short-fused dynamite.

  Crampton fired four shots which slammed into Jake’s chest, he fell back against the heavy black safe, he was dead as he started to slide do
wn the door leaving a streak of blood and still holding the dynamite.’

  ‘Everybody out!!!’ screamed Crampton.

  Crampton, Joe and Eli leaped out of the door into the back yard as the dynamite exploded blowing the metal door clean of its hinges, all the windows blew outward glass flying everywhere, screaming came from the inside as the hostages tried to scramble out of the door, Crampton stood up his face badly cut with the flying shards of glass, he still held his guns and opened fire on the hostages as they tried to get out. Joe couldn’t believe what he was seeing, the sound of Crampton’s guns like cannons blasting the hostages back into the wrecked building. He turned around looking for Eli, splinters of glass stuck in his face from the explosion. Joe was laying on his stomach Crampton grabbed the handcuffs pulling him up, Joe screamed in pain.

  ‘Watch him Eli!’ screamed Crampton as he went back into the bank, the blast from the initial explosion seemed to have killed the fire slightly.

  He got to the safe and pulled what was left of Jakes body away, the safe was locked and Jake was the only one with the combination.

  ‘Damn you Reynolds!’ screamed Crampton kicking his lifeless body.

  The towns folk were running into the bank with buckets of water from the well to extinguish the fire.

  Crampton ran back outside.

  ‘Eli!’

  ‘Yes sheriff!’

  ‘Get to the saloon now I want Bo and Isiah!’ said Crampton, ‘And keep your eye on Dalton I don’t trust him he knows something.’

  ‘Will do sheriff,’ said Eli.

  Crampton led Joe to the church and took him inside. The mayor was round the back of the church he saw Crampton leading Joe Flanagan inside the church.

  Crampton pushed Joe onto the floor in front of the trap door.

  ‘Seems to me it’s not your lucky day sheriff, how are you going to get your blood gold now without the combination?’ said Joe smirking.

  ‘Leave that to me young Flanagan,’ said Crampton, ‘And I don’t know why you find it so fucking funny.’

  Crampton opened the trap door up and got some rope from the back of the church.