A Portal for Your Thoughts

by Jeffrey M. Poole

  AnnaBelle cleared her throat and physically pushed Cecil out of the way.

  “I’m sorry; you’ll have to forgive Cecil for his impetuousness. I tried to tell him that…” AnnaBelle trailed off as she took notice of the three stern faces before her. She clasped Cecil’s hand tightly in her own. “What’s happened? Where’s Luther?”

  A single tear trickled down Cora’s face. She was unable to look her friend in the eye. AnnaBelle sighed and looked over at Sarah.

  “Hello. I do not think we have been formally introduced. I am AnnaBelle Cook. Cecil is my husband.”

  “Sarah Miller,” Sarah automatically answered as she extended a hand. “I’m Steve’s wife.”

  Shock registered on AnnaBelle’s face as she slowly turned to her new tenant.

  “Steve? You found your wife already? Good for you! I am impressed.” AnnaBelle squinted her eyes as she studied Sarah’s face. “Do I know you? Have we met before?”

  “I’ve seen you in the Silver Spike a few times,” Sarah admitted. “However, we have never met until today.”

  Cecil’s glanced worriedly over at Cora.

  “What happened to Luther? Who took him? Was it the sheriff?”

  Cora nodded again. She evidently thought she couldn’t keep her voice from breaking. Cecil muttered a curse under his breath. He looked over at Steve and forced a smile.

  “That imbecilic moron still thinks Luther and Cora are sitting on one of the richest veins of silver in this county. No amount of explaining will convince him otherwise.”

  “What’s going to happen to Luther?” Cora asked in a very timid voice.

  “Knowing the sheriff as well as I do he’ll probably keep Luther incarcerated until he gets what he wants.”

  Steve scowled. “And when he doesn’t? He wants a silver mine. Luther doesn’t have one to give. This isn’t going to end well for him.”

  Sarah took both of Steve’s hands and held them tightly.

  “We need to do something.”

  “I’m not sure how much we can do.”

  Sarah fixed him with a stare.

  “I am certain we can lend a hand here.”

  Steve returned Sarah’s frank stare and nervously cleared his throat.

  “Sorry, let me rephrase that. I’m not sure how much we should get involved.”

  Sarah hesitated a few moments as she considered their predicament. She suddenly smiled and looked over at Cora’s tear-streaked face. With a triumphant grin, she looked back at her husband.

  “Oh, I think we need to get involved.”

  Steve was taken aback. “What? Why? Have you forgotten our previous conversation?”

  “What’s going on?” Cecil asked suspiciously. “What do you two have planned?”

  “We’ll have to explain later, Cecil,” Sarah told him. “I’m sorry. A bigger issue has just presented itself.”

  Steve folded his arms across his chest.

  “Nuh uh. You need to explain yourself. I’m under the impression if we get involved we could end up changing a few things back home and I really don’t want to mess with that.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ll explain. First, let me ask a few questions.” She looked at each member of their small group. “Are we all in agreement what’s going to happen to Luther if we don’t get him out of jail?”

  Everyone nodded, including Steve.

  “Good. Now. Cora, the next question is for you. Do you have any children?”

  Cora slowly shook her head no. Sarah turned back to Steve and smiled, as if to say what more do you need? To Steve’s credit, comprehension slammed into him hard and fast. His eyebrows shot up as he stared at Cora.

  “What? Why do you stare at me so?”

  “You don’t have any kids?”

  “No. I just said that I don’t.”

  Steve met his wife’s eyes.

  “There’s some incentive for you. Hoo, boy. Count me in.”

  Confused, Cecil looked first at Sarah, then Steve, and finally back at Sarah.

  “What just happened? What does having kids have to do with Luther?”

  Steve gave Cecil a cryptic smile.

  “Let’s just say that I am, er, highly motivated to keep Luther safe.”

  Cecil nodded.

  “Good. That goes for me, too. Whatever it is you’re planning, count me in.”

  “You might want to rethink that, buddy,” Steve told him as he slapped a hand on Cecil’s shoulder. “Luther’s in jail. I’m going to bust him out.”

  “Excellent. As I said before, count me in.”

  “What exactly do you think you’re going to be able to do?” Steve asked. “I appreciate the help but you probably ought to sit this one out.”

  “And what, pray tell, do you think you’re going to be able to do?” Cecil countered. “You just get into town and you think you’re going to be able to pull off a successful jailbreak? You don’t know this town, you don’t know where to hide, and you certainly don’t have the resources to pull this off. Not without help.”

  “He’ll have help,” Sarah informed him. “Me.”

  “You?” Cecil scoffed. “No offense, ma’am, but you’re not in any position to render aid. Not dressed like that.”

  Sarah glanced down at herself and had to suppress a giggle. She’d have to concede the point to Cecil. At the moment, wearing her full length Victorian style gown, she certainly didn’t present the appearance of someone that was capable of assisting in a jailbreak. Then again, little did Cecil know that she alone could get Luther out of jail without anyone even knowing that she had been there.

  “Luther is a friend of mine,” Cecil announced, using as firm a tone as he could command. “I want to help and you will need it. Therefore, I’m going with you.”

  “Fine. You can come with me. I could use a guide.” Steve looked over at Sarah and frowned. “However, I need you to stay put.”

  As expected, Sarah was on her feet and spitting mad in just a few seconds. Sarah angrily stalked over to her husband and put both hands on her hips, as if daring him to refuse her.

  “Are you kidding me? No one is capable of pulling off this jailbreak better than I am! You can’t possibly think it’s too dangerous for me. Not after everything we’ve been through!”

  Steve smiled and held up both hands in a show of surrender. “Trust me, I know. You are more than capable of handling yourself. However, I need you here.”

  “Why?”

  “To look after my, uh, well, I need you to look after Cora. Can you do that for me?”

  “What do you think will happen here?” Sarah asked, confused. “I can be of more use to you by your side.”

  “And I want you by my side; however, you know how these things go. We drove off two of the sheriff’s men. I need you here in case he tries to retaliate.”

  Sarah slowly nodded. “Alright, I’ll give you that one. What’s your plan? How are you going to bust him out?”

  Steve shrugged and gave her a sheepish smile. “Haven’t a clue. I’m making this up as I go.”

  ****

  It was a few minutes after sunset and the temperature was steadily dropping. The streets slowly emptied of people as more and more of the townsfolk moved inside for the remainder of the night. The small residential houses went dark and quiet early on but the saloons were the exact opposite. All two dozen or so saloons in the greater Coeur d’Alene area were a hive of activity as saloongirls strutted in front of their respective establishments and beckoned to passerbys. Beer and whiskey flowed freely while numerous card dealers went to work.

  One street in particular, with only a handful of large buildings scattered along the road, had only one structure that showed any signs of life. It was a two story Romanesque style building composed of local brick and stone masonry. Bright light streamed out of long narrow windows along the northern half of the edifice.

  “What can you tell me about that place?” Steve whispered as he and Cecil knelt by a copse of trees just south of the building�
��s formal entrance. “I don’t know what I was expecting to see but that certainly wasn’t it.”

  “I assume you’ve seen a great many jails?” Cecil countered.

  “Of course I have,” Steve retorted. “And in the movies they never made ‘em look like that.”

  “Movies?” Cecil repeated. “What’s that?”

  “It’s way too hard to explain. Forget about that for now. Have you been inside that building before?”

  Cecil nodded. “Only one time.”

  “Tell me as much as you can remember.”

  “Once you step inside the front entrance you’ll find two flanking offices and a double height cage room. There are five jail cells up on the mezzanine along with a small jailer’s office.”

  Steve groaned. “The cells are up on the top floor? I would never have called that one.”

  “What’s your plan?” Cecil asked.

  “I can only think of one way. Break him out from the inside.”

  “Meaning you’ll allow yourself to be captured?” Cecil asked incredulously. “Help me understand something, friend. What makes you think you can successfully break out of a jail cell in a two story building without alerting the entire town? Did you hit your head on something?”

  Steve smiled and patted Cecil patronizingly on his back.

  “There are some things that are better left unsaid.”

  “This is madness!” Cecil sputtered. “You don’t even know he’s in there!”

  That drew Steve up short.

  “Are you saying he might not be? Where else could he be?”

  “The sheriff has his own private compound up in the mountains. No one who goes up there ever comes back alive.”

  “Not true,” Steve countered with a smile. “Obviously the sheriff goes up there. Clearly he makes it back in one piece.”

  “You know what I mean,” Cecil scolded. “If the sheriff hasn’t taken Luther up there yet then he most certainly will soon.”

  “All the more reason to get him out of there,” Steve told him. “Now listen up. Once we’re out of there we’ll need to beat a hasty retreat. See if you can find some transportation and meet us behind the Silver Spike, okay?”

  “If you make it that far,” Cecil muttered as he slipped away into the night.

  Steve turned to look back at Coeur d’Alene’s town jail and shook his head. He really shouldn’t be doing this as he had no idea what would happen once he made it inside and came face-to-face with one of his ancestors. These people had guns. Guns shoot bullets and no matter how hard he tried he would not be able to melt the bullets before they made it to their targets. Arrows, sure, but bullets? That was a different story.

  How could he not do anything? How could he not help out? He had heard Sarah ask Cora if she had any children yet. She hadn’t, which meant unless he helped Luther successfully break out of jail then the chances are he’d cease to exist.

  Steve swallowed nervously and slowly stood up. There was no time like the present; even though the present was the past and he fervently wished he and Sarah were back in their present. Steve chuckled to himself. Had he spoken that last statement out loud in front of Sarah she would have laughed in his face.

  As he approached the jail’s front entry a deputy, who must have been watching from one of the windows, slowly sauntered down the stairs. He was hastily buckling his gun belt around his waist when Steve finally stopped in front of him.

  “This is no place for you to be, stranger,” the deputy warned him as he finished buckling his belt. His right hand rested on the hilt of his Colt revolver. “State your business.”

  “I’m here to see someone,” Steve began, but was cut off by the deupty’s short bark of laughter.

  “You’re here to see someone? At this hour? What kind of fool do you take me for? Visiting hours are from 10 to 2. Come back then.”

  Steve crossed his arms over his chest and thought about what he could do to get himself arrested. Several possibilities sprang to mind. He could punch the deputy. That was sure to get him an overnight pass to the jail. Maybe he could insult the sheriff? Perhaps a not so subtle reference to the sheriff’s parental lineage would do the trick?

  “If you don’t move off I’ll personally grant your wish, only it won’t be in a way you’ll like, I guarantee it.”

  Steve smiled. Well now! This was going to be easier than he thought.

  “You know what? I think you’re mistreating your prisoners. I demand to see the insides of one of your jail cells. Now!”

  The deputy’s eyes widened with disbelief. Clearly no one ever waltzed right up to the jail and demanded to be let inside. The deputy shrugged. He pulled his gun and trained it on Steve.

  “You want it, you got it, pal. You’re under arrest.”

  Steve decided to play along. “For what? Wanting to make sure you’re not mistreating your prisoners?”

  “Oh, you’ll see for yourself how well we treat our prisoners,” the deputy sneered. “You’re gonna have yourself a ringside seat. Get inside. Now.”

  Steve reluctantly raised his hands and allowed himself to be led up the steps into the jailhouse. The deputy snickered loudly behind him as the front door slammed closed behind them. Steve paused as soon as his eyes adjusted and he saw the two story holding cell. Three men were inside, lying on cots. None of them elected to look up.

  “You’re putting me in there?” Steve asked. He squinted at the man closest to him. Was it Luther? He looked at the other two. Unfortunately all three had their backs to him so he couldn’t tell if one of them was his relative.

  Steve automatically began walking towards the large cage but was pulled to a stop when the deputy grabbed his collar and yanked him to a stop.

  “Where do you think you’re going? You wanted to see a cell, right? Well, your wish has been granted. Start walking. Head for them stairs right over there.”

  Steve looked down the hall and saw a flight of steps leading to the second floor. While he grudgingly headed towards the steps he mentally hoped that Luther wasn’t one of the men in the large holding cell. It was out in the open! How was he supposed to discreetly melt the bars of the cell when everyone in the whole damn building had a front row seat?

  The deputy gave him another shove as he made it to the top step. Steve stumbled forward. He would have taken a nasty crack to the head had he not caught himself on the bars of the cell directly in front of him. There was no one in the cell.

  Steve turned to give the deputy a scowl. “Would you take it easy? I almost took a header right into those bars.”

  The deputy stared at him for a few seconds.

  “You almost took a what?”

  Steve shook his head. “Forget it.”

  The deputy smiled and unlocked the cell farthest on the right, the same one Steve had almost collided with.

  “Consider it forgotten, friend.”

  Chuckling loudly, the deputy pushed Steve into the cell and locked the door behind him. The deputy whistled merrily as he clomped back down the stairs and disappeared from sight. Steve looked at the cell adjacent to his. Two men, dressed in dirty long-sleeved blue shirts and equally dirty brown trousers looked back at him. Steve gave them a smile.

  “Whatcha in for, buddy?”

  Both men stared silently at him.

  “What were you two arrested for?” Steve translated. He spoke in slow, careful tones he was sure the other two men would be able to understand.

  Neither man in the adjacent cell said a word.

  “Right. You two are certainly a talkative bunch. I don’t suppose either of you are named Luther?”

  One man looked at the other. Both slowly shook their heads no.

  “Figures,” Steve mumbled under his breath. He moved around the tiny 7’ by 9’ cell to see if he could tell who was in the other cells. He already knew the next cell over had two men in it. Past that he could see two loudly snoring men in the third. The fourth cell appeared empty and there was a single man in the fifth and fina
l cell furthest away from him. He, too, appeared to be asleep on a cot.

  “Excuse me,” Steve whispered, in the loudest voice he dared to use, “but could any of you fine gents tell me if there’s a Luther present?”

  The two men in the third cell awoke and sat up on their cots. Steve repeated the question for them. The two men looked blearily in his direction before collapsing heavily back onto their cots. Within moments twin resonating snores echoed loudly through the cells.

  Steve rose up on his tiptoes to see into the fifth cell at the end of the row. The lone occupant was still stretched out on his cot.

  “Excuse me down there,” Steve repeated, this time a little louder, “but could you tell me if your name is Luther?”

  “Keep it down, pal,” one of the men in the next cell over hissed at him. “You don’t want to attract attention in here. Trust me.”

  “How many deputies are in here right now?” Steve softly asked the tenants of cell two. “Is it just the one guy?”

  The man who had spoken to him earlier nodded.

  “Come sunup two more idiots will arrive to relieve the one already down there.”

  Steve nodded. “Just the one guy. That’ll do.”

  “What is it you think you’re gonna do, friend?”

  “I’m getting out of here,” Steve promptly told him as he turned to face the thick iron bars before him.

  The second man in cell #2 finally spoke.

  “Not unless you got a stick of dynamite hidden up your arse you’re not.”

  Steve approached the two men watching him from the adjacent cell and squatted down until he was eye level with them.

  “If I get you out of here, will you keep your mouths shut and do as I say?”

  Both men swung their legs over their cots and stood up. Together they approached Steve and squatted down low.