by Sable Hunter
“How’s your research coming for your dissertation? Have you dug up any new vanishing stories?”
“Oh, I have.”
Journey couldn’t help but smile. Lou jumped on the topic like a dog on a bone. “In 1949, an ex-soldier named Tetford vanished from a crowded bus with 14 other passengers. They all testified that he was asleep in his seat. His destination, the Soldier’s Home in Bennington, Vermont, was the first stop. When they arrived, Tetford had vanished. His luggage was still onboard, but he wasn’t. No explanation, he’d just disappeared.”
Before Journey could respond to the account, Lou had gone on to the next one. “In 1809, a British diplomat named Benjamin Bathhurst vanished into thin air. He and a companion were returning to Hamburg after visiting the Austrian court. They stopped for dinner at an inn in the town of Perlberg. After the meal, they returned to the carriage and Bathhurst walked to the front of the carriage to inspect the horses. While the traveling companion watched his progress, the diplomat disappeared in front of his eyes. Never seen again.”
Lou inhaled a deep breath, giving her ample air to talk some more. “And in 1975, this couple was driving from New Jersey to New York City late one night via the Lincoln Tunnel. Just on the other side, the man pulled over to wipe the condensation from their windshield. The wife volunteered to do the back window so they could hurry. They both got out to do the job quickly and as the husband finished his window, he glanced back to his wife – and she was gone. There one second, gone the next.”
“Good gracious. Where do you find this stuff?”
“I’ve been astounded at the information that’s out there.” She held up her hand. “Last story, but the best one of all. You’ll see some similarities to Reno’s experience in this case.”
Journey felt the tears rising again, but she fought them back.
Lou was in fine form, deep in her element. “This one takes place at Stonehenge, of all places, in the year 1971. This was before they limited the public’s access to the sacred site. Anyway, this whole van full of hippies decided to camp out within the circle. They brought their drugs and their sleeping bags and, by all accounts, had a love-in. About two a.m. a severe thunderstorm blew in over the Salisbury Plain that put a damper on things, but they didn’t abandon their plans. A policeman, who happened to be driving by, reported seeing bright bolts of lightning in the area, striking trees and even the standing stones themselves. Another witness, a famer, said the entire ancient monument was lit by an eerie blue light so bright, it almost hurt to look at it. Both witnesses heard screams, and as they watched, the campers started to disappear, sinking into the earth as they faded away. When they rushed to the scene, there was nothing left in the standing circle except their camping equipment. Isn’t that crazy?”
“Yea. Crazy.” Journey swallowed back tears. “Lou, there’s something I haven’t told you.”
“What is it, honey?”
“I think I told you that Saul’s brother, Emory, grew up to be a writer.”
“You did, yes.”
“Well, I found his book and he wrote a story about Ela called The Wise Woman.”
“How neat.”
“Not neat.” She proceeded to tell how Emory wove the cowboy, Rio Grey, into his tales. “In The Wise Woman, he said Ela was murdered a few days after Rio disappeared.”
Lou tried to make sense of what she was saying. “So, you think it was more than a story. You think Ela was already dead when Reno went back on the full moon?”
“What if she was?” Journey knew her voice was shrill, but she couldn’t help it. “What if he can’t come back?”
Lou was a loss for words. “He’ll tell you in the journal, one way or the other.”
“I’m giving you fair warning, Lou, so put on your thinking cap. If Reno can’t come back to me, you and Kota are going to help me go to him.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
For almost three hours, Cole rode beside his brother as they traversed the land that lay in the shadow of Packsaddle Mountain. Reno told him amazing things about how he’d ridden Traveler through an open portal that somehow existed in a solid stone wall. He revealed to Cole the wonders the future held in store. With obvious love in his voice, he did his best to explain the mystery of Journey. “No one could ever convince me we weren’t meant to be together. I know its hard to believe, but it was like she was expecting me. She knew me almost as well as I knew myself.”
“How could she know you? How is that possible?”
“Saul wrote a journal, recounting everything he could think of about our time together and things I’d told him. That journal was passed down through his family and ended up with Journey. She also had a tintype portrait of me that she kept under her pillow at night.”
“Dang. That’s romantic as hell.”
“The way we met was so random, yet so perfect. As I was leading these raiders away from the children, they chased me into this box canyon. When I rode through the solid wall of that canyon, I found her on the other side, being chased by what turned out to be almost a mirror image of those same men. Hell, one of the thugs chasing her was a descendant of one of the bastards chasing me.”
Cole marveled at what his brother told him. “You were right. My mind is boggled.”
“It’s okay if you don’t believe me…” Reno began before Cole interrupted him.
“Oh, I believe you. I remember the strange things mother used to say about you and your future. Is this the girl at the end of the rainbow?”
Reno told him about the times he’d seen the rainbow with Journey. He also told his brother of finding their mother’s grave after all those years. “I was so afraid her resting place would be lost, but there it was. Little Tess grew up to ensure Sojourner’s memory was preserved.”
“And who was the one who gathered the information to clear me? Was it Journey?”
“No. It was Saul. He becomes a lawyer and he worked tirelessly to clear your name. A little late, but he did it anyway.”
“And because he did this, you were able to bring knowledge of evidence that would clear my name from the future.” Cole understood. “That’s why this all happened, Reno. You were sent forward in time to learn how to stop the massacre and how to save me.”
“Yes, and to meet Journey. With my whole heart, I believe that to be true.”
Cole grew quiet as he stared out across the land that meant so much to his brother. “You plan to leave, don’t you? You intend to return to the future to be with her.”
Reno noticed there was no emotion in Cole’s voice. “I hope to, yes.” He let out a harsh breath. “No, that’s not true. Hope is far too weak a word. If there’s any way in the world to make this happen, I must go, Cole. I love her more than life.” With a heavy heart, he told his brother about Ela and how she’d help him. “You can imagine how I felt when I returned and found out she’d been dead almost a month.”
“What will you do?”
“Ela has a son. I plan on asking him to help me.”
Cole nodded. “I won’t let you go by yourself. When do we leave?”
* * *
Even the best laid plans tend to go astray. A series of unfortunate events delayed Reno’s trip to the Indian village. First, a storm blew in bringing a ton of rain and a lightning storm the likes they’d never seen. One bolt struck the windmill and set it afire. The resulting blaze and multiple other lightning strikes set off a cattle stampede that sent the herd trampling over Fancy’s garden and right through the middle of the corn crop. On top of all that, the cattle were scattered over all creation. If they didn’t want to lose the entire herd, the men needed to round them up quickly and drive the cattle home.
To accomplish what needed to be done in a timely manner, every hand was needed. Cole did his part, his introduction to ranch work turned out to be a trial by fire. Two days of solid work by the entire crew was required to set everything aright.
By the time night rolled around on the second day, Reno and Cole felt lik
e they’d been beaten with a wet rope. All they wanted to do was take a dip in the creek and go to bed. “You want to race?” Cole asked as they hobbled down the path to the spring-fed pond.
“Not hardly.” Reno could barely creep. “I’m sore all over. I just want to curl up somewhere and sleep for a week.”
“I’m with you, brother.” Cole threw their drying rags on the ground and crept into the pond behind his sibling. “Damn, it’s cold. I thought the water would be warmer.”
“It bubbles up from the ground. The temperature stays about the same all year round.” Reno pushed away from the bank to float on the surface. “Feels good to me.”
“Yea, it’s getting better.” Cole sighed, staring up into the night sky. “Tell me something about the future.”
Reno pushed his hands through the water, paddling softly. “There are things known as robots, I guess you could say they’re like mechanical people. They have brains, of a sort. These machines can be taught how to do anything. Many folks are afraid these robots will steal all the jobs.”
“I guess they work for lower wages, don’t they?”
“And they’re smart. There’s something called artificial intelligence that enables these robots to learn and think for themselves.”
“You make them sound almost human.”
“I think that’s the problem. Someday, it might be hard to tell the difference. Robots might take over the world.”
“That’s really strange.” Cole sighed, then went on to pursue another topic. “Whatever happened to that letter Father gave you? Did it turn out to be worth anything?”
“It’s in the safety deposit box at the bank. I don’t think it’s worth a lot right now, but in Journey’s time, the damn thing is estimated to be worth millions of dollars.”
“Christ, how much is a million dollars?”
Reno laughed. “I don’t rightly know. It’s a bunch, I’ll tell you that.”
“So, Journey has all this money?”
“No, no one has the money. Her great uncle just has it locked away for safe keeping. Since Mrs. Bixby didn’t really lose all her sons to war and turns out to be a Southern sympathizer, he’s worried about protecting Lincoln’s reputation. Personally, I don’t see what difference any of that would make.”
“Neither do I. When you go to the future, you can sell it and be rich.”
“I don’t think so. I’ve already located a job as a ranch hand. I just want to be able to take care of my family. I don’t need money to be rich.”
Cole edged over to pull himself up to sit on the bank. “Will we go to the Indian village tomorrow?”
“Bright and early. I can understand if you’d rather stay here. The thought of getting back in the saddle isn’t a pleasant one.”
“Nope, you’re not getting rid of me that easy. Until you’re gone for good, I want to spend every moment I can with you. We’ve already missed too much time together as it is.”
Reno felt like he was being tugged in two different directions, but as much as he loved his brother – there was no contest. Not when it came to his wife and child. “I have to be honest with you. Making the decision to leave Journey, even to help you and Ela, wasn’t an easy one.”
“I don’t imagine it was.” Cole paused to consider the matter. “However much I appreciate the choice you made, if I’d been in your shoes, I might have chosen differently.”
Reno hit his hand at an angle against the water, splashing his brother liberally. “Now, you tell me.”
Cole laughed uproariously and Reno was hit afresh with the realization of how much he’d miss his brother when the time came for him to go.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. “Hey, what time is it?”
“I don’t know, nearly ten, I imagine. Why?”
“I have to send a message.”
Cole watched in wonder while his brother faced the sliver of a moon.
“Journey, it’s me. I see the moon and I know you’re looking at it too. I love you. I hope you’re doing well, and I miss you more than words can say. You’ll be hearing from me soon. I promise.”
“Well, that was bizarre.”
Reno chuckled. “Stick with me, brother. That won’t be the strangest thing you witness by far.”
“How do you plan on letting her hear from you?”
“If I get a package from Boston soon, I’ll show you.”
With that cryptic reply, the brothers trudged to the bunkhouse, ready for a good night’s sleep.
* * *
Bright and early the next morning, the Black brothers and Clay set out for the Indian village led by Chief Mangas, Ela’s brother. The tribe lived west of Enchanted Rock, so the trip would take most of the day. As they traveled, they took turns trying to outdo one another in outrageous claims. Of course, Reno had the advantage – but not by much.
This round, it was Clay’s turn to go first. “A few weeks ago, I traveled south to a little town called Bandera. Believe it or not, I was asked to preach a revival meeting.”
“Well, that’s great, Clay.” Reno knew how much this meant to his friend. “Did you baptize anyone?”
“I did. The last night of the revival, I dipped fifteen souls in the blue waters of the Medina and led the congregation in observing the Lord’s Supper. When the service was over, I realized I had leftovers. Not wanting the extras to go to waste, I sat down by the river and treated myself to a picnic.”
Reno was already smiling. He didn’t know what Clay would say next, but he bet it was going to take the cake. “What happened?”
“I guess I drank a little too much of the fermented grape juice, because when I looked up there was the biggest, ugliest beast staring at me from across the river that you ever did see.”
Cole’s eyes grew big. “What kind of beast? One of those wild men?”
“No, this one walked on four legs and had a hump on his back.”
“You mean a camel?” Reno laughed. “An honest to God camel?”
“You’re dern tootin’ it was a camel. I wanted to see it up close and personal, so I waded across the river to take a gander. When I got close to the ugly son-of-a-bitch, the nasty creature hawked up its cud and spit in my face. I chased that goldarned animal all over the place. I learned later that the army brought the bastards here about fifteen years ago and when they didn’t pan out, they just turned the suckers loose.”
“You sure can cuss for a preacher man.” Cole laughed. “That’s a good story, but I bet I can beat it.”
“Let’s see you try.” Clay shifted in the saddle, ready to listen.
“While living in Boston, one of my favorite places to visit was the Smithsonian museum in New York City. You could literally see anything there. I was lucky to know one of the curator’s and he would take me into the vault to see some of the stranger items which never sees the light of day as far as the public is concerned.”
“Like what?” Clay was already intrigued, and Cole was just getting started.
“They have a collection of shrunken human heads from a tribe in South America.”
“Did you touch one of them?” Reno asked, remembering that Cole used to have problems catching a bug to put out of the house for their mother.
“No, but I looked at them real close. They were pitifully ugly.” He paused for effect. “But what I saw a few weeks later made those shrunken heads look like kid’s toys. Rupert took me in the back to show me something they were going to throw away.”
“Throw away? I didn’t know they threw stuff away.”
“Sometimes, apparently. They made the decision to throw these things away because knowledge of their existence would challenge our view of the world as we know it.”
Reno and Clay both waited with bated breath. “Well, what was it?” Clay finally yelled.
“Giant skeletons.”
“Giant what?” Reno asked, a bit confused.
“Giant giants. Huge people. Some over twelve feet tall with bright red hair. They were found i
n caves in the Grand Canyon. Rupert said the Indians told stories about them and said they were cannibals.”
“Really? You saw these skeletons?” Reno was intrigued. He’d missed his brother so much.
“I did. I even touched one.” He held up one finger. “With this finger.”
“Whooo, you’re brave. What did the Smithsonian do with the giant skeletons?”
“Rupert said they would be put in the same place as the others. Deep in the Atlantic Ocean. They sent those skeletons of honest to God giants out on a barge in the ocean and pushed them overboard.”
“That has to be a crime.” Clay thought for a minute. “I would’ve like to see one of those red-headed rascals for myself. I could’ve told that story when I preach about David and Goliath.”
“What about you, Reno? What can you tell us?” Cole asked, anxious to hear from his brother.
“Well, mine isn’t that crazy, but it’s funny as hell. When I was with Journey, she took me to several stores that stay open twenty-four hours a day. They sell gas to horseless carriages and lots of drinks to thirsty people. They’re called convenience stores, because they’re located all up and down the roads making them – convenient. They also sell rubbers for sex. I bought a box that glowed in the dark.”
Clay and Cole roared with laughter. “Now, you’re just making shit up, Reno,” Cole said when he caught his breath.
“No, I’m completely serious.”
“Lord, I can see you now.” Clay laughed some more. “What was it like to use one that glowed in the dark?”
“I’m saving them for hard times.”
Reno’s joke sent them into gales of laughter again.
“That’s not all,” he continued with his story. “They also sell these little contraptions, sticks that a woman can pee on and it tells her whether or not she’s going to have a baby.”
“How does it tell her?” Clay asked with a straight face. “With a wee little voice?” He spoke in a faux high-pitched tone. “Congratulations! It’s a girl!”
