Chapter 15: Gathering the troops

Throughout the afternoon I got as much information and local color as I could from Inez Plum. Once I knew a little more about what was going on, my next concern was to find all of the other members of the group. Once we were back together, all we had to do was get Sue out of jail and go home. As unrealistically optimistic as that plan was, I was most worried about Sue. Civil rights wasn't a burning cause in the 1860s and I had visions of prison rape scenes in my head as I stepped out of Inez's room, intending to make a tour of the town.

Reaching the hotel lobby, I saw Andrea walk in from the street. We sat down at a table in the saloon and began to talk about our adventures. She told me what she knew about the Sheriff, especially his voyeuristic tastes, and her new friend Peaches. Without knowing where Bert and Ernie were, I decided to take Inez with for a walk around town.

It was late afternoon and many of the town's residents were beginning to promenade in the street, socializing with each other. As we passed the scene of the abortive dog-shooting, I surveyed the area. Discovering that Inez's husband owned the bordello the cowboys had come out of, I asked Inez about the small barn close by. She shook her head sadly and told me the gossip about the Witbiers. She said that the Sheriff felt that Mr. Witbier was spying for the Yankees, but everyone in town knew that that was only an excuse since the Sheriff obviously lusted after Margaret Witbier. She lowered her voice, crossed herself, and told me that she had heard the Margaret was now a sex slave in the jail, servicing the Sheriff and his men.

"I pray for her." That was all Inez would say about Mrs. Witbier's jail sentence as we returned to the hotel.

While Inez was busy overseeing dinner preparations in the hotel, Andrea and I strolled around the edge of town, surreptitiously working our way toward the Witbier's barn. Sneaking inside, we were greeted with the business end of Augie Witbier's shotgun. I introduced myself and was about to try and disarm the boy when Bert jumped down from the hayloft. We congratulated ourselves on surviving this far, but wondered what to do about Sue.

Andrea came up with the plan. She and Peaches would lure the three guards into the saloon after dinner. While the guards were distracted, Bert, Ernie, and I would break into the jail and free the Witbiers and Sue. The only unanswered question was where the Sheriff would be, but Inez had assured me that he always took his meals in the hotel. Although Augie wanted to go into the jail shooting, I didn't want any gunplay. I told Bert and Ernie to keep lookout while I went into the jail, unlocked the cells, and got the prisoners out. He didn't tell them about my plans to use my necklace rather than the 9mm that I carried.

We heard the hotel's dinner bell ring right on schedule and put the plan into motion. Andrea and Peaches got the guards to come to the saloon for drinks. I positioned Augie on the hotel balcony where he could watch the front of the jail. Bert and Ernie watched the street that ran behind the jail. Once the guards had left, I calmly opened the jail's door and walked in.