The Shoes Come First: A Jennifer Cloud Novel

by Janet Leigh

Chapter 22

  My outhouse came to a screeching halt. Neither Caiyan nor I was vaulted from the vessel. This was good; I was finally starting to gain a little control over my vessel. I stepped out but didn’t recognize my surroundings. Caiyan came and stood by my side.

  “I feel like I should be with Marco,” I said.

  “Marco will be fine. His thick racing suit slowed the bullet, and I don’t think it hit any major organs.”

  “Is that why Mahlia is still alive? Because she only injured Marco?”

  “Aye. Ace will take Marco to Gitmo, and they will take care of him there in the infirmary. After he is stabilized, they will move him to a place and make it look like an accident. The local medics will be called, and he will be placed in a normal hospital, where he will get a lot of unneeded press to increase his already enormous popularity.”

  “Where are we?”

  We seemed to be at the mouth of a large cave somewhere in the mountains. The vessel had changed our dress once again to the western wear from before. Caiyan sported a gash on the side of his neck, reminding me of our meeting in the dark staircase.

  “I’m sorry about your neck. I hope it doesn’t scar.”

  “I have many scars, lassie, and none of them were as exciting to receive as this one, yeah?”

  I’m pretty sure I blushed. The singing in my head was louder here. “Do you think we are supposed to go in the cave?”

  “Won’t know unless we try.”

  Caiyan led the way. We were in the basin of a canyon with big boulders that surrounded us. I knew if Gertie were here, she could probably tell us some historical fact about these mountains. Caiyan walked through the mouth of the cave with me in tow.

  Not too far inside, a large rock blocked the path.

  “Open Sesame.” I waved a hand at the large rock.

  “Funny.” Caiyan cocked a grin at me. “If it had moved, I would have raced you inside to find the magic lamp.” Caiyan pushed, and the rock rolled out of the way surprisingly easily.

  “It’s not real, probably man-made.”

  Beyond the mouth of the cave, light and air were filtered in from a small opening in the roof. I looked up and saw a full moon.

  “Caiyan, the moon is full here. Tonight in this time.”

  He looked up, nodding his head in agreement. “Maybe it’s the reason you could still travel.”

  Around the room were empty cages that looked similar to jail cells. In the last one, a girl huddled into the back of the cage singing softly to herself. I slowly walked up to the cage and asked her if she was OK. She looked up at me with huge, frightened brown eyes, then a hopeful look came over her face. She stood, hesitantly coming over to the cell door. I blinked twice, because in the moonlight she looked exactly like my sister Melody, except she was extremely pregnant. She wore a simple cotton dress, and her feet were covered in moccasins.

  I put my hand to the cell door and pulled, but it wouldn’t open.

  “Villa has the only key,” she said sadly.

  Caiyan smiled and put his hand on the lock. It tumbled open.

  “You are one with us?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Caiyan said. “Is this the secret cave where Pancho Villa is rumored to keep his treasures?”

  “Yes,” she explained. “This is the Sierra Madre Mountains. Down that tunnel is an old mine shaft. At the bottom is a vast treasure collected by Villa and his hombres.” She shuddered and pointed toward the mine.

  “I was not supposed to travel in my condition, but the mountains are the only place where I can find a special vine that helps with my pregnancy. I was so sick after the first baby; I wanted to make sure this time would be different. That’s when Villa snagged me. He saw my key and thought he could sell it.”

  I opened the neck of my western shirt, revealing the key. Her eyes glowed with happiness. I removed the key and placed it around her neck. The key began to glow, and my key reappeared around my neck. Amazing.

  “You are family?”

  “Yes,” I said, and she reached out and pulled me into her arms.

  “We should go now,” Caiyan said. We walked out of the cave in time to see a whirlwind develop in front of us.

  The girl giggled. “My husband. He is coming to rescue me.”

  A large teepee materialized. Paintings of wolves and Indian hunters with spears adorned each of the sides. Out stepped a man with straight black hair pulled back in a ponytail. He was wearing faded jeans and a plaid shirt, but the Native American characteristics were undeniable.

  He looked at us apprehensively at first, but the girl ran toward him. He swept her off her feet in a big hug.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t know what to do with our baby boy. I had a day’s ride on horseback to the neighbor’s ranch and asked them to keep him. Are you well?”

  “I’m fine, and thanks to these good people, I have my key.”

  Now that we were out of the cave, I could see the darker skin of the Indian girl.

  “I am Jeremiah Cloud, and I am grateful to you for saving my wife.”

  “That means you are Mahalo Jane,” I said.

  “Yes. These people are from our future family,” she said to Jeremiah.

  “I’m Jennifer Cloud.” I was overwhelmed by the fact that I was standing in front of my great-grandparents and they were so young and happy.

  “Let’s go, my love, before Villa comes back to get you for himself,” Jeremiah said.

  Mahalo Jane laughed. “Even Villa didn’t want me in this condition,” she said, patting her big belly.

  “Dinnae you want to get the gold?” Caiyan asked, pointing toward the mine.

  “No. Taking what doesn’t belong to you only leads to trouble. Villa will get his in the end,” Jeremiah said, wrapping a protective arm around his wife. “Besides, I already have my treasure.”

  “Thank you again, and many safe travels to you.” She smiled, then followed her husband to his teepee. Just as she was about to enter, she turned and looked at us thoughtfully.

  “What do I name this one?” she asked, rubbing her big tummy.

  “You name her Elma, Elma Jane.”

  “Elma Jane,” she replied cheerfully. “A girl. I was hoping for one.” Then she turned and entered the teepee. I saw her tilt her head upward to Jeremiah, and he placed his mouth over hers. The wind whipped up, there was a loud crack, and they were gone.

  I looked up at Caiyan, and he was grinning down at me. “I think I know how you got your gift. Yeah?”

  “Yeah. My great-grandfather and great-grandmother both had the gift. But wouldn’t that have at least made my grandfather or my father a defender?”

  “True, but that was before the WTF. I haven’t heard anything aboot either of them, and Elma never mentioned it.”

  “Ya know, I have seen that teepee somewhere.” I tried to remember, because I was sure I had seen it before.

  “Let’s go, lassie. More adventures are waiting.” He eyed the cave, mulling over right and wrong. I could tell he was struggling to keep from helping himself to some of Villa’s riches.

  “We should probably go before Villa returns.” I motioned toward the clearing where Jeremiah’s teepee had disappeared and called for my vessel.

  “Aye, you come from a good stock of people.”

  I smiled as we entered my vessel, and in the next instant, I was back in my garden at home.