Earthbound (20 page)

We walked inside and the saloon wasn’t too
busy. I guessed it was early yet. Most of the locals were probably
still on the ranch or whatever it was they did up there. And it was
a big room that probably made it feel even emptier, with a whole
upstairs area.

I spied something on the wall. I gave Pace’s
arm a tug. “Take a look at this.”

We crossed over and saw something that was
downright impressive. Or scary. Or both. It was a Wanted poster. On
the left was a rather flattering hand-drawn portrait of Pace.
Looked kinda like him, they got his face just right. On the left
was me. Or somebody’s idea of me. I looked like a feral beast. At
first I felt insulted, and then I decided that I kinda liked
it.

Pace read me the poster. “WANTED – for Bank
Robbery across the Great Plains. Armed and Considered Dangerous.
Five Thousand Gold Coin Reward. Shoot First, Ask Questions
Later.”

“I like it,” I remarked. “Except the shoot
first part.”

“Guess we’re getting famous. Or is it
infamous.”

We took a seat at the bar. While we waited
for the barkeep to come over, we both looked around the saloon in
search of the same thing – cute girls. Didn’t find any. Not a
single one. There were a few woman there though. Now I’m using the
word woman instead of girl on purpose. These weren’t no girls. They
were older, some my mother’s age when she passed on. But they were
all dressed up nice and all. Their boobs would kinda hang out when
they leaned over, which I noticed they did pretty much all the
time. Not that I’m complaining. It looked good on some of ‘em. Not
all.

Maybe the cute girls in town were still hard
at work. Or maybe this settlement wasn’t as blessed as some of the
others. But either way it made me feel a little better that we
weren’t gonna be spending much time in Conrad.

We bought two shots of whiskey from the
barkeep who didn’t seem interested in looking at our faces. But he
was a talker.

“Where you from?” he asked.

“We’re just in town from Augusta,” Pace
replied.

“Augusta, huh,” the barkeep replied. “Hear
it’s nice up there.”

“It’s homey,” Pace said.

“Heard you had a might of trouble up there.
Those bank robbers. Never hear of such a thing in all my
years.”

Pace feigned surprise. “I know! Bank robbers!
One could only imagine!”

“Course those bank robbers will have a
different experience if they try to rob our bank,” the barkeep
said. “We’re prepared round here.” The barkeep picked up his
shotgun which was leaning against the bar, checked to make sure it
was loaded, and placed it right back where he found it. I wondered
if he knew who we were – if he was trying to scare us off – or if
it was just bar talk. But that barkeep still hadn’t looked us
directly in the eye. I decided he was just talking.

“We weren’t so lucky in Augusta,” Pace
said.

“Heard all the able-bodied men had gone off
looking for ‘em, were misled to come here, and they were right back
home under their noses.”

“That’s right. We were with the posse
actually.” Well, Pace wasn’t lying exactly.

“They’ll get theirs.”

The barkeep finally gave us eye contact. He
didn’t recognize us, that’s for sure. Pace sure as hell didn’t look
like a bank robber in that getup. In fact, I think in that moment
the barkeep just decided he liked us. He grabbed a bottle of good
liquor and gave us each a shot. “On the house,” he said. Then he
leaned in and spoke to us in low tones. “I hear these bank robbers’
days are numbered. The Great Plains Holding Company is seeing to
that. Word has it there’s a man tracking them down. Goes by the
name of Shādo Shay. He’s not from around here.”

I have to admit, just hearing that name gave
me a bit of a chill. Or maybe it was just the idea that the Great
Plains Holding Company had brought in a professional, maybe since
we’d done such a good job destroying their robots.

Pace didn’t seem concerned though. Or maybe
he just wanted to get more info out of the barkeep. “Any idea what
this Shādo Shay looks like?”

“I hear he’s tall,” the barkeep replied. But
that’s all he had to offer.

After he walked away to tend to other
customers, I whispered to Pace. “What do you think about this Shādo
Shay?”

“I don’t know,” Pace replied, thinking on it.
“If all he’s got for him is being tall, then I’m not too
concerned.”

The barkeep came back and refilled our shot
glasses. “Don’t suppose you know any of the lawmen from Great
Falls?”

“Haven’t had the pleasure,” Pace
responded.

“Hmm. Okay, we’ll they got one of them here
on the lookout for those bank robbers.” I kinda froze up for a
second. “Figured you might know them from your posse. I don’t
suspect he’ll be collecting the reward any time soon. Doesn’t seem
like he’s got his mind set on it.”

As soon as the barkeep moved on, Pace kicked
me under the table. “Keep your head lowered,” he muttered.

“How am I supposed to keep my head lowered
and look around for one of the Nuggets?” I asked.

Then I saw him. He was slouched in a chair at
one of the tables with his feet up, drinking whiskey and talking to
one of the uglier girls in the saloon. He seemed happy about that.
Guy’s got no taste in women.

It was Birkin. It had to be Birkin. I’d
clocked him a few times in the past. He’s the type who’d think
blasting me through the chest with a shotgun would be payback.

“Think he’s scouting for us?” I asked.

“Definitely,” Pace replied. “I’m sure Boze
sent him up here to keep an eye out, since this is one of the few
places we haven’t been to yet.” Fortunately Birkin’s an idiot. But
he’s an idiot with a shotgun. Not a friendly combination.

“Let’s get out of here,” I said. But before
we could get up to leave, someone spoke to us.

“You boys looking for a good time?”

That voice came from one of the older women
walking around the saloon. For me the answer to that one was an
easy no. Pace seemed interested though. Whatever. He must have
mommy issues.

“You are kind to ask,” Pace responded
quietly, “but we must be on our way.”

“So soon?” the older woman purred. “Sure you
wouldn’t like to come upstairs first? We have some girls up there
that are probably more your speed. Why don’t you boys go upstairs
and see if there’s anything you like?”

We glanced up at the second level. Not sure
why I didn’t notice before, the girls up there were way prettier I
have to say, and more appropriate for our age. A few of ‘em looked
like they were chatting up customers, but most of ‘em weren’t doin’
nothin’. Just sittin’ there.

“Let’s go upstairs,” Pace whispered to me.
“Then we can sneak out the back.”

It was a terrible idea. But the way Birkin
was sitting I thought he might see us heading out the front door.
Maybe there’d be a better way upstairs and out the back. We got up
and snuck right past Birkin. Man, that woman he was talking to was
ugly. When we got upstairs I started looking around for the exit,
but Pace had different ideas. It took about two seconds for the
girls upstairs to swarm around us.

“We need to go,” I said.

“Why? Birkin’s downstairs, not paying no mind
to us. Doesn’t even know we’re here. What’s the hurry? Don’t you
think we should have some fun before Shādo Shay tracks us
down?”

Pace chatted cordially with the girls and I
followed along, not talking, drinking steadily. I really just
wanted to go rob that bank.

But yeah. Those girls were awful cute.

One of the cutest girls we saw asked our
names. A blonde, she had this just luminous smile. Pace got that
look in his eye. He’d struck paydirt. “My name’s Clark Lewis. And
this is my friend James. James Garfield.”

I tipped my hat politely.

“What’s your name, beautiful?” Pace
asked.

“Gwen.”

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Gwen.”
Pace took her hand to his lips and kissed it. Lame move. He’d seen
it in some movie somewhere. Very old fashioned. But Gwen seemed to
like it.

Gwen spoke with a kinda lilting tone. Like
some kind of a musical instrument. “You’re new in town. Rapid
City?”

“Augusta.”

“Is that so? I figured you as more of a big
city boy.” Gwen draped her arm around Pace’s. “Please do tell me
all about Augusta.”

“Buy you a drink?” Pleased, Gwen nodded. Then
Pace looked at me for approval.

“Downstairs…” I reminded Pace.

Pace glanced over the banister. “Doesn’t look
like that’s a problem.”

“What’s wrong?” Gwen asked. “Do you have a
wife downstairs or something?”

“A wife?” Pace laughed heartily. “No ma’am.
We’re not married.”

“Just someone we’re hoping to avoid,” I
explained.

“No problem,” Gwen said. “We have a back
room. We can go back and talk. Have some privacy.” Of course Gwen
was talking to Pace, not me. He glanced at me, pleading for
approval. I thought for a second. Figured a few things out. I
motioned for Pace to step away from Gwen.

“You know what this place is?” I asked. Pace
nodded. We’d heard about these kinda places. None of ‘em existed
back in Great Falls. Guess they didn’t have some kinda puritanical
issue with that in Augusta. “You go in that back room with that
girl, she’s gonna charge you.”

Pace kinda smiled. “Come on Ash. You think
she’s going to charge
me
?” He headed back to Gwen but
realized something first. He circled back and muttered in my ear,
“don’t pick the first one who pays attention to you – pick one you
like.”

Gwen led Pace arm in arm through a dimly lit
rear door. I wasn’t sure what to do next, picking someone and
paying them didn’t sit right with me at all, so I excused myself
from the other girls and stood at the railing and kept my eye on
Birkin. If things got bad I could handle him if I had to.

I felt a delicate hand on my shoulder.
Definitely female. I turned and saw this girl. Long dark brown
hair. Big green eyes. Some kind of elevated cheekbones that made
her face look refined. She was no Becca, that’s for sure, but I
guess some guys would find her pretty.

“My name is Sage. Buy me a drink,
cowboy?”

“I’ve already got one,” I replied. That
cracked her up. It took me a few seconds to get it. “Oh! Buy
you
a drink!”

She laughed and placed her hand on my
shoulder again. “It is okay. You’re new at this aren’t you?”

“Yeah. This is new for me. I mean I’ve had
girlfriends… I mean, nothing serious. I mean, just one or two…” The
more I spoke, the more Sage laughed.

“What is your name?” she asked.

“Garfield. James Garfield.”

“Oh, named after the U.S. President I see!”
Effing Pace, always naming me after Presidents. I needed to get a
list and memorize all those guys’ names so at least I’d know.

But there was a bright side to the whole
President thing. I could tell Sage was smart. She’d done her book
learnin’. And her eyes kinda lit up talking about some dead
President. Just the way Becca would.

I squinted at Sage for a second. She did look
a little like Becca. But not nearly enough.

“Have you been enjoying yourself tonight,
James?”

“I was. I mean, my best friend is so girl
crazy and he’s been without for a couple a weeks so, you know.”

“I’m surprised to hear that you have not yet
been enjoying yourself. Perhaps I can alter that.”

Sage spoke kinda funny. Her voice was kinda
mannered or something. She didn’t speak like anyone I’d ever heard
before.

“Um, sure. I, uh…” Maybe it was all the
liquor I was downing quickly but I was getting lost in Sage’s face.
“You remind me of someone.”

“I hear that often,” she replied with a
knowing smile. “Does that please you?”

“I dunno.”

“You do not seem the type to like crowds.
Would you like to go somewhere where we can be in private?”

“No, sorry, if that’s how people like to do
things that’s fine for them I suppose, but…”

Before I could finish that sentence I saw
movement up the stairs. Sure enough it was Birkin, walking upstairs
with that uglier girl. Guess he was ready to go in the back room
himself. Didn’t really have any options, so I grabbed Sage by the
arm and led her quickly through the dimly lit door.

Sage laughed playfully. Couldn’t tell whether
it was genuine or not. Since everything was for hire, I’m thinking
not. “James, you certainly changed your mind in a hurry!”

The noise from the canteen died down quickly.
We passed a series of private rooms, many of them seemingly
occupied by grunts and groans. One of those grunts, no doubt, came
from Pace. Whatever.

“Is there another way outta here?” I asked
Sage. “My friend and I need to make a hasty exit.” I turned and saw
Birkin walking through the dimly lit door.

“I’m sorry James, we do not. Just the way we
came in.”

Birkin was seconds away from seeing me. I
tilted the brim of my hat as low as I could. Damn it. Didn’t have
much choice. “All right, where do we go for a little privacy?”

Sage’s delicate hand grabbed mine and I
followed her through an opened curtain and shut it behind me. We
were in a small booth, containing only a cot and some puzzling
equipment that I had never seen before. At least Birkin wouldn’t
see me, at least for the moment.

Sage draped herself over the cot.

“Sit down and join me, James.”

“That isn’t my real name,” I blurted out. I
wasn’t sure what else to say.

“I am not surprised. I will call you whatever
you want.”

“Call me… Asher.” I couldn’t think of any
other name.

Sage reached out her delicate hand for me.
“Okay Asher. Come sit. This is your time. Do as you like.”

I was there, I kept telling myself. We could
just talk. Why not? I took her hand and sat gingerly on the edge of
the cot. None too close. She smiled and leaned back, waiting for
me.