by Jovana
The men dressed in silence, the swaying of the ship subtle but noticeable. What would they say when they found her? Would their conversation regarding love continue, or be forever silenced?
* * * *
As she peeped through a long crack in the door, Lila saw Clint leaning against the rail of the ship as if he were looking in the water. A flash of wild grief ripped through her when she saw the hurt look on his face.
“It’s hopeless,” he said, and then turned toward Val. “Why would she do this? Doesn’t she know how we feel about her?”
“How do you feel?”
“I care a great deal, but she doesn’t know that. She thinks we’re nothing but a couple of horny cowboys who want to fuck the hell out of her and then lock her up. Val, she thinks we’re using her. Do you blame her for running away?”
“But it’s our job to bring her in, Clint, no matter how we feel about her.”
“Job, hell! What has she done that’s so bad? She’s not a killer. All we have to do is return the jewels she stole and…I don’t know about you, but once she does that, I’m not pressing any charges against her.”
“Clint, my God. You’re going to let her go free to keep doing what she’s doing?”
“Of course not. I want to help her. All she wants is to be able to take care of herself in this Godforsaken country.”
Val lowered his head. “I wish I could be sure of that. God, that first night…if we’d just kept our hands off her. Now we’re in way too deep to just turn her in and forget her.” He turned and looked at Clint. “You know the rules. We’re going to have to contact Pinkerton and have them put someone else on the case. We’ve become personally involved.”
“Val, we can’t tell them that.”
“No? All right, you think of something.”
Her heart sang with delight. She wasn’t just a piece of meat to them. She quickly opened her mouth to call out to them, to let them know where she was, but somehow she couldn’t. What if this was another trick? Was it foolish of her to believe they were sincere? She’d seen enough Pinkerton men to know that they’re the no-nonsense type who wouldn’t dare let how they felt interfere with their job.
And then another fear reared its ugly head.
They had announced boldly that she was La Flame at the poker game. They might have warned the others about interfering, but she knew that slowly the truth would come out. What about the captain, and the other Pinkerton men? Suddenly, she knew that before this was all over with, the whole world would know. She felt so alone and began to tremble when she thought of what might happen to her. Her only answer was to get away.
She looked over at the small rowboat, longing for the night to come. She no longer planned to simply hide under it. She had decided she would somehow launch it into the water and sail away on it toward land. Getting lost in the thick, wooded area was her only chance. It might be scary, but it would be better than being caught.
And yet, what if they were saying what was in their heart? She hated to be pulled in two different directions. Look at the scam they had pulled on her up to now, pretending to be riverboat gamblers when all along they were the roughest, toughest cowboys she’d ever met.
She stayed silent, waiting to see if they said anymore. Her heart melted when she peeked through a crack and caught Val’s big, beautiful, sturdy body. She remembered his smell, his smile. And then there was Clint. He was such a scamp. His eyes were always glittering with mischief, but the minute they looked at her, the mischief would vanish, and his eyes would turn soft. It looked to her like love…even though neither would ever say it. If they did feel something for her, how could they even consider locking her up?
The answer was simple. Clint had said it earlier. They were just a couple of horny cowboys who used women like they did alcohol.
Chapter 11
She shivered in her sleep, the moist night air and gentle slap of the water against the boat waking her up to a deep darkness. She sat up, rubbing her chilly arms and hearing the cool wind push against the boat, causing it to groan. The lazy rocking motion was gentle and soothing, and could have easily rocked her back to sleep, but she finally managed to rise up and look through the cracks where she saw the dark night with all its stars glittering brightly on the water.
She gazed over the vacant deck, but all was quiet. She didn’t know how late it was, but apparently everyone was either in their cabins or the casino. She moved to open the door and crawl out when suddenly she heard footsteps, and then a voice. This time, the night provided her a shadow to lurk in, so she quickly moved backward into it.
Clint and Val slowly came into view. They stopped and looked out at the water while Val lifted his leg and rested his booted foot on the rail while he smoked his cigarette. Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him and turned around.
“Clint? Val? What are you men doing on deck at this hour?”
“Hello, Captain. We just had a little too much to drink and came out to get some fresh air.”
“Well,” he chuckled, “be careful you don’t fall overboard.”
“What are you doing out walking around? Isn’t it rather late for you?”
“Oh, I’m just making the last minute rounds. I’m on my way back to my cabin now.”
“Say, Captain, what time tomorrow will we be pulling into port?”
“Around two. By the way, I thought since you requested the cabin next to hers, you might want to know that Ms. Palmer will be leaving the ship tomorrow. She’s a little shaky about the thefts we’ve had on board. I’m sorry that didn’t work out for you.”
“Thanks, but Clint and I may be leaving, too.”
“Are you giving up on your pursuit of the lovely Ms. Palmer?”
“No, not entirely.”
The captain smiled. “Ah, that’s good. Well, I’ll see you gentlemen tomorrow. Good night.”
“Yes, good night, Captain.”
…you requested the cabin next to hers…
I knew it, she thought. It’s true. They had planned this little charade from the beginning!
As she sat there seething, the two cowboys slowly walked away and headed back to the casino. When they were gone, she crawled out, being careful that no one was around, and hurried toward the rowboat. She needed to find a way to launch it into the water. She turned abruptly when she heard a voice behind her.
“Good evening, Ms. Palmer, or should I call you La Flame?”
Lila looked around and saw Dakota, the cowboy who had tried to save her from Val and Clint in the Poker Den. Now he stood looking at her while he leaned against the rail of the ship, smoking a cigarette.
He looked down at what she was doing. “Need some help?”
“No, I’m just…”
“I know what you’re doin’. You’re tryin’ to get that rowboat in the water so you can get away.”
“Get away? Get away from what?”
“Look, lady,” he said, throwing his cigarette in the water and standing tall with his feet planted wide apart. “I ain’t stupid. I know who you are. I just played it innocent in the Poker Den when I found out there were three Pinkerton men in there. The thing is, I was comin’ to your defense for a reason. I been lookin’ for you ever since then.”
“Why?”
“Why?” he repeated as he hooked one hand around his gun belt, and the other rested on his gun. “Can’t you guess?”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
“It’s like this, lady, I can get you off this ship, but it’ll cost you.”
She looked around at the rowboat, and felt sore from her efforts to lift it and get it into the water. “Yeah? Well, I don’t have any money.”
“Who the hell wants money? I’m talkin’ about the stash you’ve accumulated since you been on the riverboat. I’ve heard all the talk goin’ around about people’s jewels being taken. I just want…” he hesitated and then cast her a cunning side glance. “Half?”
“I don’t have it. It
was taken from me when I was arrested.”
“Well,” he said as he pulled his gun. “I guess I’ll just have to turn you in for the reward.”
Fear danced up Lila’s spine as she saw the gun barrel pointing at her and the look of insane greed on his face.
“Of course, I could change my mind if you suddenly came into some money, or if you pulled one more heist and took it to cabin 14 on the upper deck and left it in the wall safe under one of those pictures of people fucking each other. Oh, don’t worry. It’ll be open.” He chuckled. “I have a terrible memory. I’m always forgettin’ the combination, so I never lock it. Anyone could come in there and steal me blind.” Suddenly, his smile faded and his gaze turned deadly. “Of course, in your case, you’ll be putting something in instead of taking it out. Right?”
“That’s blackmail.”
“Nah, it ain’t blackmail. It’s me bein’ smarter than you. See? It ain’t blackmail at all.”
“I won’t do it.”
“No? Too bad, ‘cause if you don’t, I’ll kill you. What’dya think about that?”
She looked down at his gun. “With that? Guns are not quiet. You might draw a crowd.”
“I’ve already thought of that,” he said, leaned over the rail and looked down into the water. “Oh, I was wonderin’…can you swim?”
“No. Never saw any need to learn…’til now,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
“Well, you’re gonna learn real quick. If I can’t shoot you, then I’ll just have to throw you overboard.” He looked down at the rowboat. “In case you’re wonderin’, that rowboat is chained to the deck. You would’ve never got it in the water.”
“Oh, God,” Lila murmured, feeling stupid. She should’ve known.
With his eyes on her, Dakota smiled a rattler’s smile as he advanced toward her. “Don’t bother me none. People are easier to launch than chained up rowboats.”
She backed up as he kept coming toward her. She stumbled on thick ropes, metal poles, folded up wooden chairs, and a million other things it seemed while trying to get away from him.
“Stay away,” she whispered, wishing someone—the captain, Val or Clint, anyone—would somehow show up and save her from this dusty, dirty, long-haired, mean-talkin’ cowboy.
But it didn’t happen.
Before she knew it, he jumped her, and they struggled. Suddenly, he leaned down, grabbed her legs, and leaned her over the rail. Fear flooded her as she stared down at the water—at the deep, dark waves that held death—and knew it would take just one more move, and she would be in the water.
Chapter 12
“We’ve been up and down this deck a hundred times,” Val said. “Where the hell could she be?” He walked along slowly, looking around. “I didn’t know this riverboat had so many damned hiding places. She could be anywhere.”
“I’m about beat, Val. Bein’ in this rockin’ boat’s like bein’ in a cradle. I don’t know how much longer we can—”
“Help!”
He turned and looked down the long deck behind him. “Did you hear that?”
Val looked at him, and followed his gaze to the end of the deck. “Hear what?”
“I thought I heard someone calling for help.” He shook his head and chuckled. “I guess I’m—”
“Help!”
He jerked his head back up. “I know I heard it then.” He looked at his brother. “Val, someone’s in trouble. We’ve gotta find ‘em, and fast.”
“Maybe we should separate.”
Clint looked down at the end of the deck and pointed. “I don’t think so. It came from down there.”
“You’re sure you heard something?”
“I know I did.”
The two of them hurried down to the end of the deck. When they rounded the end, they saw a struggling cowboy pull out his gun and begin to hammer the butt against someone’s fingers as they struggled to hang onto the rail.
“Hey! Drop your gun, cowboy!” Val shouted with his gun drawn and pointed.
While the cowboy whirled around and lifted his hands, Clint rushed up to the person hanging on for dear life and saw that it was Lila.
“Oh, my God, Lila. What in hell are you doing?”
“I thought I’d go for a swim,” she quipped irritably as he pulled her aboard. “What the hell do you think I was doing? That bastard was trying to kill me. He wouldn’t use his gun because it was too loud, so he tried to throw me overboard.” Realizing that she should be thanking him instead of yelling at him, she said, “Oh, God, I’m sorry.” She wrapped her arms around him and began to cry. “Thank you. I was terrified out there.”
“That’s okay. It was a silly question, and I deserved the answer you gave me,” Clint said. “Besides, you’re probably in shock. Come on. I’ll take you to your cabin.”
While she walked along beside Clint, she looked back at Val. He was searching the man, and then pushing him along as he headed for the ship’s hoosegow.
As Lila walked beside Clint, she was stiff, and still a little in the dark about how this whole thing got started. Finally, she stopped, and turned to Clint. “Clint, is it true that you and Val are doing this just for the money on my head?”
“Where the hell did you hear that?”
“Never mind. Please just answer my question.”
“No, of course not. The truth is, we’ve decided to refuse the money. I mean, the way things have gone, we wouldn’t feel right about accepting it. Why the hell would you ask such a thing?”
“Why? Why shouldn’t I? Dakota—”
“Dakota? You’re listenin’ to that dumb cowboy now?”
“Well…” She hesitated. “I’m sorry, it was stupid.”
“Lila, listen. We’re not accepting the money because we got involved. Hell, we don’t even want to turn you in, but because of that scene in the Poker Den, we have no choice. God, I wish you hadn’t done that.” He looked up at her, his eyes questioning. “Why did you, Lila?”
“Because I’m stupid, because you…” She hesitated. “Because I didn’t believe you, because I found out you were with Pinkerton. God, Clint, so many reasons.”
“We tried not to get involved, but ever since that first night when we saw you in your soap bubbles…I mean, we knew what we were doing was wrong, but we couldn’t help it somehow. But it’s done, and we need to make some decisions. First and foremost you need to turn in everything you have. Not only the jewels from the robberies you committed on The Desire, but even those you might have stolen elsewhere. If you do this, and with no prior record, there’s a good chance you might be paroled.” He said his next words carefully. “But if you don’t, Lila, you’ll likely go to jail.”
“This is a mess,” she whispered. “I guess I have no choice.” She looked up at him, and with a trembling voice, she said, “What will happen to you and Val?”
“That’ll be up to the Black Dispatch, but we’ll most likely lose our jobs. Don’t worry about that, it’s not important. The important thing is seeing that you do the right thing. No more stealing, not even a pencil from the telegraph office when you wire us to let us know how things are going with you.”
“Oh, no!” she hissed, feeling a deep dread begin to grow inside her.
“What do you mean no? Are you refusing to stop stealing?”
“Clint, I simply can’t let go.”
“My God, Lila, does stealing mean that much to you?”
“I’m not talking about stealing. I’m through with that. I’m talking about you. You and Val. Clint, I know I act like I want to kill you most of the time, but I love you. I love you both.”
She turned and leaned against the rail and looked down into the water because she couldn’t bear to see the surprised look on Clint’s face now that he knew how she felt. “When I was hanging onto the rail, something happened to me. I let go of all the greed I felt. It was strange. I could almost hear the splash as it fell into the water. I would have been right behind it if you hadn’t been there. Being
free from it has opened my eyes about so many things. First of all,” she said, turning to him, “my name is Sadie Beal, not Lila Palmer. I’m from Wyoming. A rundown little town called Thunder Mesa. My ma and pa used to own The Last Chance Relay Station.” She hesitated. “They’re dead now, and I’m not even sure it’s still there.” She took a deep breath and extended her hands as if she were giving up. “So, Mr. Pinkerton Detective, I’m yours. Do your worst.”
“Let’s back up here. You said something back there, something about lo—”
“I don’t remember anything like that.”
“Sure you did. You have to—”
“You must be mistaken.”
“No. You said it. I want to hear it again.”
“Clint, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about the word, lo—”
She looked at him with steady, dry eyes, and said, “You must have been hearing things, Mr. Morgan. You’d better watch that. A Pinkerton man having hallucinations? Very bad.” With that, she turned and walked away.
Clint stood there looking at her lovely form as it was slowly swallowed up in shadows.
Chapter 13
The next morning, Val and the captain were in his office looking down at the jewels that were spread out on his desk. “According to the list you gave me, everything’s there. The thief’s been caught and is in custody. I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry this had to happen on The Desire.” He gathered the jewels up, put them back in the bag, and punched them down in his pocket.
“Val, if you knew from the beginning that she was on board, why didn’t you tell me? I thought your interest in Ms. Palmer was romantic.”
“It was…and it wasn’t.”
The captain scratched his head. “I don’t understand that.”
“I let you think that because I couldn’t tell you the truth. Pinkerton’s security would have been breached, and the truth would have ruined everything. I’m sorry, but it had to be that way. I guess I don’t have to tell you that it got kind of complicated.”
