Cowboy Girl Annie (5 page)

Annie said amicably, “Big Ed, reckon
both you and Jake could be right.” She stared at her full cart,
thinking about the situation. She'd sure like to find a way out of
this box canyon mess that wouldn't be so pleasing to Big Ed. Even
though the man was mean enough to steal a fly from a blind
spider.

She tried to keep her voice calm and
quiet. “Well, if you say so you say so, Big Ed. I'll make a deal
with you. You can have anything you choose in my shopping cart, but
I want to keep the jewelry box in the bottom. That’s one thing I
will fight you for, Big Ed.”

She stiffened to her full height
with a look of steel right into the large man's eyes so he knew she
meant it.

Jake, behind her, sucked in air
through his clenched teeth like a tire going flat. Push come to
shove, she didn't know if she could count on Jake for much help.
Who knew he was such a scariedy cat?

Big Ed looked where Annie pointed.
He surveyed the bent cornered, scuffed up, dirty jewelry box at the
bottom of the shopping cart.

He turned on a snaky smiled as he
agreed with Annie in a patronizing tone. “Sure, Annie, you can keep
the jewelry box if it's that important to you.” He put his hands up
with the palms toward Annie and Jake. “Hey, I ain't out to rob
anyone. Just trying to start my protection business to help all you
folks out. Don't intend to make it hard on anybody. I got to make a
living too you understand.”

Annie parted the junk on top of the
jewelry box and lifted the box up with both hands. She hugged it
close to her. “Much obliged, Big Ed. This box is real special to
me.”

Slowly, she opened the lid toward
her. A flicker of sadness passed through her as she remembered she
hadn't gone back after the ballerina. It was probably too late now.
By now, the ballerina would surely be buried in the mountain of
trash at the city land fill.

Annie placed her hand inside the box
and slowly drew out the revolver. “But I'm partial to the rest of
my stuff in this here shopping cart so I've decided not to share.
Skinny Jake is keeping his bag of goodies, too.

Big Ed, you need taking down a peg
or two for trying to steal from poor folks. So I'm telling you to
keep your thieving hands out of my cart and off Jake's knapsack,”
she commanded in a cold voice.

Jake expelled shakily, “Ooooh,
Annie!”

“
Who do you think you are? Annie
Oakley?” snorted Big Ed. He folded his arms over his chest as
though he wasn't impressed by the threat even though he was looking
down the barrel of Annie's gun.

“
Much obliged, Big Ed. I’ve been
trying to think of that gal’s last name all morning. Yeah, that’s
who I think I am. Want to see how good I can shoot?” Annie gripped
the handle of the gun with both hands and pointed it at the man's
middle. “Take my word for it, you don't really want to find out the
hard way, that I am a crack shot. I was taught by a darn good
carnival show shooter back home in Montana. At this range and
aiming at a bloated gut like your's I can't miss the
target.”

“
You aren't being very smart to buck
me,” Big Ed warned. “I can back off now, but there will always be
another time when you aren't quite so prepared shall we say. I
ain't going to forget this sass from you when we meet
again.”

“
I figured that, but you've gotten a
look at how I can protect myself. You best think twice about trying
to get too close to me from now on, and Jake, too. We have each
other's back covered. We see you coming anywhere near me or him,
and I will shoot you. No warning or questions asked,” threatened
Annie in a cold tone of voice.

“
Are you throwing your hand in with
this old heifer?” Big Ed asked, looking over Annie's shoulder at
Jake.

“
Reckon so. Looks like she's holding
all the right cards now, ain't she?” Jake sneered, getting braver
as he saw Big Ed and his men backing down. “You won't have much
luck ganging up on two of us watching each other's back the way I
see it. You might as well go try your bully act on some poor dudes
that can't defend themselves.”

The bakery's back door slammed
shut.

“
Hey, what’s going on out here?” A
man dressed in a large white apron with the bakery logo on the bib,
yelled.

He dropped his bag of garbage as he
stared at all of them, trying to assess the situation. His face
paled when he spotted the gun in Annie's hand.

“
You should go back inside, Mister.
We’re just settling a little dispute,” explained Annie, keeping her
eyes on Big Ed.

“
Not behind my bakery, you’re not.
I’m calling the police,” he yelled as he disappeared
inside.

Chapter
9

Big Ed's demeanor changed at the
mention of the police showing up. “Let me go now, Annie, before the
cops come. No hard feelings I assure you. I won’t bother you or
Jake no more,” he pleaded, looking really worried.

“
Listen to him, Annie. You’ll get in
trouble for having that gun. We best all scram fast before the cops
show up,” insisted Jake low enough that Big Ed couldn't hear
him.

Annie retorted over her shoulder,
“I'm here to tell you there's no place around my campfire for a
quitter's blanket. Now I’ve kind of forgotten. Is your name Skinny
Jake or Chicken Jake?”

Jake flinched. “Aw, Annie, that's
just plain mean. This is no time to pick on me. Listen to reason
for once. I'm on your side. Be sensible about this.”

“
I'm trying to be sensible, but I
don't think so clear when I'm mad. Big Ed made me as mad as an old
wet hen,” Annie said, wavering the gun barrel in Big Ed's
direction.

“
You ain't got much time to make up
your mind, and I don't intend to stick around until the cops come,”
Jake said. Annie didn't offer to move. Jake got in her face. “I've
heard there's only two theories about how to argue with a woman,
and so far, I don't expect either one to work on you. I figure
neither one works so I give up. Stay here and wait for the cops to
come, or leave with me, because I'm out of here
now.”

“
Jake, see ya later, ya hear,” Annie
said softly.

The skinny man turned and trotted
down the alley to the other end. He paused long enough to look back
a second at Annie's back and disappeared from sight.

Annie backed after Jake, keeping the
gun aimed at Big Ed. As cowboys were fond of saying if you're brave
enough to speak your mind you better ride a fast horse. Annie
figured she'd done enough damage. It was time for her to take
off.

The big man didn't wait for Annie to
get out of sight. A police car siren whined in the distance. He
turn tail and trotted back to the street. He stopped so fast at the
alley entrance that his men bumped into him.

Annie chuckled. Big Ed wasn't going
to make it to his car for a fast get away. The cops already had his
car surrounded and were just waiting for him to cross the
street.

Her holding a gun on Big Ed wasn't
going to be as much of a problem to him as the police arresting him
for some peddling charge like disturbing the peace.

After they got him caught, the cops
shouldn't have any trouble coming up with a more serious charge.
Annie was willing to bet from the way that big man and his men took
off there were plenty of charges for the police to pick from what
she knew about his reputation.

She backed to the end of the alley
and looked both ways. Jake was no where in sight. So much for him
having my back.

Annie crossed the street and walked
into a wooded area of the park. The sirens blared louder. Strobe
lights colored the trees in reds and blues from where the police
car was parked in front of the bakery.

By that time, Annie was too far away
for the cops to bother her. Her worse worry was finding her chicken
livered friend, Jake, again. He had the right idea when he told Big
Ed he and Annie would be watching each other's back.

Now she just had to convince Skinny
Jake to stick to the plan. If they didn't, Big Ed would pick them
off one at a time to get even. He'd make an example of them so he
could make the rest of the homeless people in town
miserable.

It took quite a while for her to
hunt for Jake, and she had about run out of places to look. Later
that evening, she found him under the interstate bridge. Jake was
standing by an old fuel barrel filled with burning trash. Other
shadowy figures sat or lean against the bridge abutment, sharing
the warmth from the barrel.

“
About time you showed up,” Jake
joked when he saw the irked look on Annie's face.

“
I've been worried about you with Big
Ed sort of hot under the collar. I've been looking for you ever
since you turned tail and ran off. I just about gave up finding you
tonight,” Annie complained.

One of the nearby homeless men was
Wild Jim. He straightened up and moseyed over to the barrel. With
his hands out stretched to enjoy the heat, he stared at the blaze
as he whispered out of the side of his mouth, “Trouble is coming,
says I. Coming for you two. You aren't going to last out the night
unless you hide out of sight, says I.”

“
Much obliged for the warning, Wild
Jim.” Annie shifted her gaze to Jake. “We appreciate knowing that,
don't we, Skinny Jake?”

“
Girl, I just was going to tell you
the same thing. You best be real careful. Word on the street is Big
Ed put a hit out on you,” Jake warned.

“
I figured that would happen. On you,
too?” She asked.

Jake looked grim as he nodded. “I
didn't hear that but I reckon.”

“
Take it from this horse's mouth. I
hear things, says I. You both are on the hit list. Bounty has been
put out by Big Ed I hear. Get away fast, says I,” Wild Jim warned
and went back to leaning on the bridge abutment.

“
Big Ed has plenty of guys working
for him. No doubt they're scattered out searching for us. No matter
where we go there will be eyes everywhere watching for us. Jake, my
advice is stay away from street lamps and highly populated places.
Burrow down somewhere out of sight like a mole. That's what I aim
to do,” Annie reasoned.

“
I'm here to tell you I'm scared
there ain't no place safe enough for the two of us to hide since
you opened your big mouth and told Big Ed off,” grumped
Jake.

“
Don't worry none about me bitin' off
more than I can chew with Big Ed. My mouth probably has a whole lot
bigger bite than you think,” bragged Annie, lowering her jacket
pocket to show Jake the pistol handle.

“
That gun don't do you a bit of good
if you cain't shoot straight,” hissed Skinny
Jake.

“
What makes you think I cain't?”
Annie retorted.

“
You told me your pa taught you to
shoot so you could hunt with him. You told Big Ed a carnival quick
draw taught you to shoot. Which was it?” Jake
asked.

“
So I lied to Big Ed. I was bluffing
cause I wanted to put a scare in him,” Annie
said.

“
Somehow I knew that without you
telling me. So how good can you shoot?” Jake
asked.

“
Up close I won't miss. I'll just
pretend I'm shooting one of them Montana snakes. I hit those
varmints every time,” Annie said with confidence.

“
Guess that will have to do,” replied
Jake. “You got any idea where a safe place to hide from Big Ed is?”
Jake asked.

Annie said in a low voice, “I might.
Why?”

Jake shrugged. “I just wondered
cause we're both going to need such a place. We might as well hide
in it together.”

Annie got as close as she could to
whisper in his ear so Wild Jim and the others couldn't hear. “Near
the end of town is a storm drain large enough for both of us to
crawl in until daylight. I've used it many a time in bad weather.
That's where I'm headed right now.

Seems to me I heard you say we were
going to watch each other's back. You coming with me now?” Annie
gripped the bar on her shopping cart, ready to shove
off.

Jake shrugged as he shouldered his
knapsack. “Why not? Beats standing out here in the open like
setting ducks.”

Chapter 10

They walked away from the bridge and
ended up on dark streets in the slum district. Annie relaxed some,
feeling a little bit safer in the dark away from street
lights.

She broke the silence. “Wonder what
Big Ed thinks the two of us is worth? Price wise for the bounty I
mean.”