Chapter 13

"I need a plastic bag filled with ice. The young lady was assaulted by that jerk and she's injured her wrist." I asked with a genial smile on my face.

The manager told the high school student working behind the counter to get me what I asked for. She quickly retrieved a bag and I had the ice pack to take to the girl. Her hand touched mine as she handed the ice pack to me. She let it linger there and I looked into her eyes. Adoration poured out of her into me. I broke contact with her. I returned to the side dining room.

I asked the injured young lady what her name was and she told me it was Rachel Weiss. She said she was going home from Hebrew school and had stopped for a bite to eat. She thanked me as the ice took effect and cooled her hand. The swelling was reduced and she was very grateful to me. I stayed with her for a little while longer and when she assured me she was all right I took my leave.

"Lilah Tov" I said to her as I was leaving. Her eyes grew big and a broad smile came to her lips.

"Shalom" she replied. "Todah."

The cop cars and the lookie-lous had left. I swung on to the bike, pulled on the helmet and was on my way home. I turned onto my street and noticed a car parked on the street across from my house and down a bit. That wouldn't be unusual, except it was in front of the McNeill's place. They were on a cruise. I rode past and glanced in as I passed. There were two rough looking characters in the car. I turned the corner at the end of the street and pulled into the alley. I killed the switch and ran back to the corner of the fence. I watched as the pair got out of their car. Trio, that is as a third man got out. They were dressed in black and pulled ski masks over their faces. They crossed the street, heading for my house. I edged along the fence keeping low. I crept from house to house until I was at my neighbors place. I pulled out the wallet. First thing out was a Kevlar vest. I put it on under my leather. Ski mask for me came next along with some bootblack cream. I circled my eyes and mouth and pulled the mask on. I knew there would be no contrast between mask and skin. Next I pulled out the XD-9 with the extended and threaded barrel. I removed the cap and pulled out the Sayer silencer. It's virtually unknown except for certain entities with plausible deniability. I screwed it on, and pulled out the 2-45 round clips and slapped one into place. The other I put in my back pocket as backup. I then pulled out two flash-bangs putting one in each jacket pocket. The commando knife was next and it was strapped to my left ankle. I strapped the unsilenced, sub compact XD-9 with the ten round clip to my right ankle. I put two throwing knives in the sheaths built into the jacket. I was ready.

I went through the neighbor's yard and scaled my fence. I kept as low a profile as I could. I quietly let myself down into the yard. I was behind a bougainvillea bush and well hidden. The big problem was the darkness. Then I could have slapped myself. I pulled the wallet and extracted the night vision goggles I'd need. I crept over to the side of the house, being careful to remain under cover as much as I could. I stayed low and got to the corner of the house. I carefully looked around the corner. One member of the trio was at the back steps, keeping lookout. I dialed the light scope in and discovered he had a silenced Mac 10. I waited. He relaxed a bit and took his hand off the trigger/receiver mechanism. One shot to the temple took care of him. He dropped like a lead balloon. Keeping low and out of sight of the windows, I grabbed his body and pulled him out of sight. It was easy; I pulled him under the porch.

I stealthily made my way into the kitchen. I stopped and listened. Someone was upstairs. Were both up there or did they split up. Then I heard a second sound coming from the downstairs bedroom. The room was being ransacked. I'd take this one first. With the barrel of the silencer, I slowly pushed on the door. As it opened, I saw him. He'd pulled most of the drawers out of the dresser and he was inspecting them, looking for who knows what. While he was busy with that, I edged into the room. Just before I was ready to strike, the door hinge hit the rust spot I was going to fix and it squeaked. The man turned, raising his gun as he did. Fortunately for me I was quicker and put two into him. He melted to the ground. I crawled over to him. I could see he was in pain. One of the bullets had impacted directly over his heart, onto his vest. The other actually hit flesh, his arm. I pulled out a bb filled sap and gave him a love tap that sent him to dream land for a while. From the wallet I pulled the plastic zip ties and secured his feet and hands behind his back. Then I pulled out a ball gag and forced it into his mouth, cutting off his ability to warn his buddy.

Two down and one to go. I made my way over to the stairway. I didn't use the upstairs bedroom or bath, so whoever was there was looking for something out of the ordinary. I knew no one would find the stash and safe room I'd built into the house. I made my way up the stairs, being careful not to step on the riser that gave the warning squeak when trod on. By now I'd figured this was a retaliatory raid for my work a few months ago. While leaving through Brussels, I'd had to dispatch a couple agents that were following me.

I made it to the top landing of the stairs without being discovered. To my left was the bedroom. He was in there. I was ready. I still had 42 rounds in the clip and another full clip. I crawled to the doorway and looked in. I didn't see anyone. I brought the lowlight goggles up and still couldn't see anyone. I discarded the glasses. I heard a thunk and the wood above my head splintered. I quickly ducked and pulled back. Thwap, Thwap, Thwap. I put three rounds into the room. It was answered with a pwitht, pwitht, pwitht, pwitht. Four more rounds came from the assassin. I couldn't determine the direction yet, but I did know he was using a Glock with the standard silencer. It's sound is unmistakable.

I put another three rounds in the room and was answered with three. This time I managed to see a little movement. Diagonally across the room, behind the bed was the third big man. I could see we'd have ourselves a standoff. He couldn't get out and I couldn't get in. I had to resort to the flash bang. I got ready, pulled the pin and released the safety. I counted to four and gently lobbed it through the door onto the bed. It landed right in the center. I closed my eyes tight and covered them with one hand. I fired my gun once and turned my back to the door. Even covered up the way I was, the white light was blindingly bright and the boom still rocked me, despite the ear protectors I wore.

Carefully I entered the room. I saw the third man lying on the floor. His clothing and mask were burnt from the flash-bang and his eyes stared blankly. He feebly resisted as I placed the plastic zip ties securely to his ankles and wrists. I then grabbed his feet and dragged him out of the bedroom and down the stairs. I pulled him to the front door and then went and got the other one. He was just coming around so I sapped him again. I had both at the door. I retrieved a special cell phone from under one of the boards in the closet. They hadn't searched there yet. I pushed #2 speed dial and waited.

"194782265 bravo 911874" I said when the line connected. There were two clicks, a tone and another click.

"Line is secure" came a female voice from the other end.

"I need a cleanup." I said and waited. "Three, one dead, two disabled"

"194782265 alpha tango 912879"

"Ten minutes"

I hung up. I went to the back door. I pulled a trash bag out of the drawer by the washer. I exited and went under the porch. I pulled the corpse out and fastened the bag to his head. That eliminated the mess from the blood. I pulled the body around the side of the house, staying in the shadows as much as I could. Just as I got to the front corner, a van pulled up. I was set and ready, my Springfield ready. Then I saw the signal coming from the red LED light. I returned the countersign and 4 men in black got out. Silently, they approached. Two of them picked up the package I had been dragging and made quick work of getting it in the van. The other two followed me back to the back door. The first two caught up as we were entering the house. I showed them the remaining intruders and told them I hadn't questioned them or anything. I was told it would be taken care of. Pentothal would be used during interrogation and we'd have an answer by tomorrow about the attack. I knew they would violate these men's civil rights, human rights, Geneva Convention or any other rights they imagined they had before the night was through. They would be dead by morning and their bodies incinerated.

The van was there a total of four minutes thirty seconds and was gone. I had the chore of cleaning up. I knew they wouldn't find anything in this house because I never brought work home. I bent over to straighten up the living room and remembered.

"I want a picture taken two minutes ago of the house. It's in perfect condition and everything is put away and in its place. There are no bullet holes in any of the walls and there is no burnt bed or marks that a flash-bang would leave. I pulled the picture from the wallet and looked around. Everything was as it had been yesterday. The acrid smell of the gunpowder was also gone. I smiled to myself. As I sat on the couch, I glanced at the coffee table. There was a copy of Texas Highways travel magazine. It had a field of bluebonnets on the cover, touting Wildflower drives, top picks for 2011. On the back cover was something about Waco. That reminded me of my previous thought.

I got out the wallet. I wished. "I'm going to go to sleep tonight. In the morning, when I wake up, I will be in 1873 Kansas. Dodge City to be exact. I will be in the Dodge House hotel room 11. I will have all the clothes and equipment necessary to look like I fit in. I especially will have a double rig of Colt SSA revolvers, in .45 Long Colt calibers. I will have a new Winchester 73 chambered for the round. I will have a real nice horse and saddle at the livery stable. I will talk as someone who lives in the time era and no one will be the wiser. I will have all the money I would need without becoming bait for road agents, scudders and highwaymen. No one will ever see the wallet except me."

With that out of the way, I went into the fridge and got out a bottle for Sprite. I turned on the TV and watched three or four episodes of old westerns to refresh my mind on the time and place. I know it's fictionalized but close enough. The episodes were made back when the writers took fewer licenses and tried for more realism.

I finally was sleepy enough that I went to bed. I woke refreshed. The room was changed, so I knew it had worked. I dressed in the period clothing and strapped on my guns. I tried the draw. It was smooth and almost like they jumped into my hands. I was still as fast as I had been when I was competing in the fast draw competition. It was one of the reasons the company recruited me. I was quick, still am. I exited the room, placing the flat crowned, flat rim hat on my head. I went down stairs and stopped at the front desk.

"Where's a good place to eat?" I asked the man. He told me to how to find Delmonico's, the finest eatery in town. I told him I was obliged to him and that I'd be staying over a few days. He said that was fine. I went to eat. The food was as advertised. I thoroughly enjoyed the breakfast feast. I paid the man with a shiny new silver dollar and told him to keep the change, but give some so the cook and the waiter for their service. I told him I'd be eating here for the next few days, to keep sharp.

Agreement came from his end and I left. I started strolling toward the stable to check on my horse and tack. Part way there I my travel was interrupted by a tall man, with a tan vest and a single rig holster worn like he knew what to do with it. He stopped me and asked my business. I politely asked him why he needed to know. I noticed the badge pinned to his shirt under the unbuttoned vest.

"My name's Matt Dillon and I am a US Marshall. I work here in Dodge and it's my business to be nosy. So again I'll ask you your name and your business.

I answered by reaching into my wallet and pulling out an identification card. I handed it to Marshal Dillon.

"Hummm. James West. US Secret Service. Washington, DC. Interesting Mr. West. What brings you to Dodge City?"

"President Grant has me hunting down an evil genius, Dr. Miguelito Loveless. He is threatening to take over the west. I'm here with my cohort, Artemus Gordon, but he's in disguise and sometimes even I don't recognize him. He's a trained actor and able to make himself virtually invisible."

We chatted amiably for a short time then he continued his rounds and I went on to the stable. I asked Mr. Grimmick how Buster was. He told me about Buster needing the left rear shoe looked at. I asked about a blacksmith and was told that Quint Asper had a shop down off Main and he did excellent work. He warned me that Asper was half Comanche but that didn't bother me. I took Buster to the blacksmith and Quint told me he'd put on four new shoes, plus trim the hooves and frogs for $2.00. I said deal and he got to work. I told him I'd come back after awhile and went down the street towards the general store. I looked around at all the stuff. I didn't need to buy anything but had fun comparing what they had for sale with what I'd paid recently at Wally World for the similar item. I did pick up some hard tack and jerky though. I was planning on riding to Waco, trailing a wagon train so I would need some supplies. I was about to leave when I saw it in the gun rack. The octagonal barrel was browned instead of blued. It had a sleek walnut stock that was well oiled. I asked the retailer about it.

Mr. Jonas, the storekeeper, took the weapon down and handed it to me. The heavy gun was beautiful. I checked the breech and saw it was stamped .45-120. This was the magnum of the Sharps line. It would easily throw a projectile, with accuracy 600-1000 yards. I had to have it. I asked how much. Mr. Jonas was a bit reluctant to say. Maybe he though it was too high. I didn't care what he said; I wanted the gun. When it came out he wanted 67 dollars for I, I handed him three double eagles, a half eagle and two silver dollars quicker than he could blink. I then asked if he had shells. I said he had ten boxes at three dollars and I dropped another eagle and a double eagle on the counter. He reached under the counter and pulled out the rounds. He placed them in an old flour sack and handed them to me. I thanked him and was just leaving when a couple of rough individuals brushed past me.

"Hey, watch where you're..." he stopped speaking when he saw what I was carrying. "Just watch it" he finished.

I didn't speak. I just sat down on the bench outside the store and listened. I heard something I didn't like and grabbed a kid as he came running by.

"Hey kid, here's a dollar. I need you to run, not walk to the Marshal's office. The store is about to be robbed and that nice man in there is in trouble. Do you think you can do that? Run tell the marshal?"

"Yes sir, I run fast." He replied.

"Get him here quickly and I'll get you a treat from the store." The boy was off like a shot. I checked the action on my Colts, found them good and stood up. I moved over to the doorway, slipped inside and stood up against the wall by a coat rack filled with coats. I was not visible to the counter. One man was looking at one of the displays on the counter and the other was on the opposite side of the room, examining some shirts. I waited patiently for them to make their move. NOTHING happened. They stayed on opposite sides of the room.

Mr. Dillon came in and passed right by me. He didn't see me. This was good. That meant the others didn't either. I watched as he approached the man on the right side of the store. I don't think he noticed the other man. Or he wasn't paying attention to him at the moment. I positioned myself so I could see everything and had a good line of sight for the second man. The one on the right started arguing with the marshal and then made the mistake of trying to draw. Dillon outdrew him and got the man in one shot. The other man started to draw but I already had my Colt in my hand. I dispatched the man. Dillon spun towards me.