Tag: cowboys
Agents of the Vault – Part 20
Part 20 of The Agents of the Vault is here! Was anyone hit in the opening gunfight between Jane and Grisom? Listen and find out!
If you want to subscribe to the Grantcast, you can do so with iTunes, or by using this feed in your favorite podcatcher. Enjoy! And let me know what you think of the story in the comments here, as we go along.
Also, if you prefer a PDF version of this part to read, CLICK HERE for that.
Finally, if you’d like to support my projects, visit www.patreon.com/saturdaymorningmedia
Agents of the Vault
Part 20
By Grant Baciocco
Charlie scanned the street outside for signs of Jane but could only see her horse. In the gunfight, she must have bailed off of it and it now stood still in the middle of the street.
Seconds later, Grisom came stumbling into the room, gun in hand, holding his belly. Charlie could see a red stain spreading on Grisom’s pale linen shirt.
“Grisom!” Charlie said, crossing to him and helping him sit on the edge of the bed. “Is it bad?”
Grisom winced and for the first time, pulled his hand away from his wound and looked down. The blood flowed faster now that he was not applying direct pressure. He quickly placed his hand back over the wound and pressed down hard.
“Kid,” Grisom said between winces. “Gut shots ain’t ever good.” Grisom took a deep breath. “Fetch my bag over there.” He indicated his saddle bag which was next to the trunk that held the writing desk.
Charlie crossed the room, snagged the bag and quickly brought it back to the bed. Charlie flipped it open and look expectantly at Grisom.
“There’s a small vial in the bottom.” Grisom grunted. “Filled with dirt.”
Charlie rooted around in the bag as Grisom lie back on what was left of the bed. Charlie’s fingers found a small glass vial at the bottom of the bag and held it up in the dimming sunlight. It was filled with dirt as Grisom had said. Charlie looked at Grisom who was hoisting up his shirt, exposing the gunshot wound.
“Take the top off the vial and hand it to me son.” Grisom said breathing heavy. Charlie followed his directions, tossing the lid to the vial onto the floor and handing it over to Grisom. Grisom took it and bunched his shirt up to get a better view of his wounded stomach. Charlie stepped back, nervous, but ready to help if he could. “You ever hear of Samuel Whittenmore kid?”
Charlie, perplexed at the sudden change of topic, shook his head as he watched Grisom slowly begin to tap out little flecks of dirt onto the pulsing gunshot wound. “Whittenmore was 78 years old when he fought in the Revolutionary War. He caught some British soldiers returning from the opening engagements at Lexington and Concord and, all alone mind you, took some shots at them. Killed one redcoat with his rifle, pulled out his pistols, killed another and mortally wounded one more. The British rushed him and this tough son of a bitch pulls out his sword to fend them off.”
The vial was now empty, a small pile of dirt on the wound was soaking up the blood making it a dark muddy brown. Grisom threw the vial aside and began rubbing the dirt into his wound, gritting his teeth with every movement.
“What happened?” Charlie ask, instinctively crossing to the corner of the room where some discarded bedsheets lie. He began to rip them into strips to form a bandage. Charlie didn’t know much about medicine, but everything about rubbing dirt into a fresh wound seemed absolutely wrong.
“The British laid into him.” Grisom replied. “Shot him in the face. Bayonetted him repeatedly. Left him for dead.”
Charlie crossed back to the bed and began helping Grisom bandage the wound best he could.
“Hours later, when, Colonial soldiers found him,” Grisom continued. “Whittenmore was, amazingly, still alive. They took him to a doctor who said there was no hope of his survival.” Grisom let our a pained chuckle, “Tough old bastard lived another 18 years, finally stopping at 96 years old.”
“Sounds like a tough old man.” Charlie said, binding the bedsheets tight around the wound.
“He was.” Grisom said, attempting to catch his breath. “There’s not doubt he was tough as nails. But he had also happened to fall into patch of dirt there that the natives use to use as a healing area. Legend had it that the dirt in that area had healing powers and it’s said to have kept him alive.”
Charlie nodded and helped Grisom tie off the knot of torn bedsheets now circling his midsection as a makeshift bandage. “And that’s what was in that vial?”
“Yeah,” Grisom replied, with a slow measured exhale. “Theres another vial of it in that bag. You might as well take it and put it in your pocket, just in case.”
Charlie picked the bag up again and rooted around inside of it until he found the duplicate vial. Feeling the cool glass in his hand, he regarded the small flecks of dirt tumbling within for a moment and then slipped it into his pocket. Putting the bag down he walked over and helped Grisom sit up on the edge of the bed.
“That dirt going to heal you?” Charlie asked.
“Heal me?” Grisom said with a cough. “No, but it might just keep me alive until someone gets to me that can.”
Charlie nodded and the prairie silence filled their room. There air was still.
Suddenly sensing an absence, Grisom whipped his head around and scanned the room. “Where’s Doris?”
“She took to ground, right after you left. She heard something and took off.”
“Charlie, if anything happens to her—“
Charlie held up his hands, “I know, Grisom, I know. But she had it in her head to do something and she went to do it.”
“Dammit.” Grisom said, wincing and grabbing his side as he did. He sat quiet for a moment then turned towards Charlie, “You trust her enough on her own?”
“I do.” Charlie said, nodding. Confident he was right.
Grisom smiled weakly and then winced, putting a hand against his side. He let out a long slow exhale.
“What do we do next?” Charlie asked.
“We wait and see what Jane does.” Grim grunted.
©2015 Grant Baciocco/Saturday Morning Media – www.SaturdayMorningMedia.com
Agents of the Vault – Part 17
Part 17 of The Agents of the Vault is here! Now in Trinity, Grisom, Charlie and Doris try to come up with a plan to deal with Jane and the Pinkertons. They also need to figure out what to do about Leland.
If you want to subscribe to the Grantcast, you can do so with iTunes, or by using this feed in your favorite podcatcher. Enjoy! And let me know what you think of the story in the comments here, as we go along.
Also, if you prefer a PDF version of this part to read, CLICK HERE for that.
Finally, if you’d like to support my projects, visit www.patreon.com/saturdaymorningmedia
Agents of the Vault
Part 17
By Grant Baciocco
The cart carrying Charlie, Grisom and Doris rumbled into the small settlement, down the road that had, at one time, hoped to the be the main thoroughfare of the bustling city of Trinity. Weeds grew wildly in all directions and large tumbleweeds piled into the streets having come to rest on the side of the buildings. The buildings were in various states of dilapidation. The blue sky could be seen through the walls and the rooftops. Grisom steered the horses towards the tallest of the buildings, the hotel. “When we stop, Charlie, you help me get the Vault trunk up to the top floor of the hotel.”
“Right.”
“And me?” yelled Leland over the roar of the wagon, “What about me, dammit?”
“We’ll come back down for you.” Grisom spat. “The desk is our main concern. We will untie you and arm you, but we need to make sure the desk is safe.”
Leland continued to grumble his displeasure at playing second fiddle to the crate, but neither Grisom nor Charlie payed him any attention as they unstrapped the trunk with the desk in it from the back of the wagon. Both men strained as they carried it up onto the rickety old porch of the hotel. Grisom kicked the door open with his foot. The dilapidated door, nearly coming off its hinges as it swung wide and slammed into the inside wall. Grisom pulled the crate towards the staircase that looked even worse for wear than the door.
“Those stairs gonna hold us and this crate?” Charlie asked, trying to disguise the waver in his voice.
“Here’s hoping.” Grisom grunted as he mounted the first step.
The stairs were shaky, but, luckily, they held as Charlie and Grisom climbed them. At the top of the stairs, Grisom made a left and then another left and headed for the hotel room that overlooked the street, or what there was of it.
“I want you up here kid,” Grisom said as they sat the trunk back up against the wall furthest away from the windows. He was out of breath and took a second to catch it. “With your aim, you’ll be better advantaged from up here.”
Charlie nodded. “Where will you be?”
Grisom looked out the window pane, out across the prairie where five specks grow bigger and bigger by the minute. He figured Jane to be 5 miles off or so. “I’ll meet them in the street.”
“What?” Charlie said, “That’s suicide. You know Jane will shoot you on the spot.”
“She won’t shoot me until she knows where the trunk is and it’s in her possession.” Grisom said, turning to Charlie. “That’s why you are the last line of defense.
Charlie lowered his head and then looked across the room at Grisom, “And Leland.”
“I’ll arm him. I’ll post him on the stairs.”
“You trust him?”
“What choice do we have?”
“And Doris?”
At the sound of her name, Doris popped a head up out of the saddle bag slung over Charlie’s shoulder. She looked at Charlie, then Grisom, clearly understanding the gravity of the situation.
Grisom looked at her. “Doris, if Jane takes the stairs, and gets into the room, you get out through the window, get to ground and burrow. You do not surface until you don’t hear any sound for three days. Understand.”
Doris was clearly troubled, but nodded her understanding.
Grisom smiled at her. “You are more important than what’s in the trunk. You cannot get captured by Jane.”
Doris whistled in agreement.
Grisom looked back up at Charlie. “Look, kid, it’s going to be all right. There’s only five of them. You and I have faced steeper odds. We can take them.”
“And if we can’t?” Charlie asked.
“We will.” Grisom said, nodding his head. He crossed the room to the trunk and, with his finger, began tracing symbols on the padlock that kept the trunk sealed. “I’m also going to call for back up. I just hope they make it here in time.”
The padlock on the trunk popped open and Grisom slid it off the latch.
“Go down and get Leland untied and bring him up here.” Grisom said as he popped the latch on the trunk. Charlie nodded and headed downstairs. Doris at his heels.
©2015 Grant Baciocco/Saturday Morning Media – www.SaturdayMorningMedia.com
Agents of the Vault – Part 13
Part 13 of The Agents of the Vault is here! Grisom, Charlie and a reluctant Leland head out to find Doris!
If you want to subscribe to the Grantcast, you can do so with iTunes, or by using this feed in your favorite podcatcher. Enjoy! And let me know what you think of the story in the comments here, as we go along.
Also, if you prefer a PDF version of this part to read, CLICK HERE for that.
Finally, if you’d like to support my projects, visit www.patreon.com/saturdaymorningmedia
Agents of the Vault
Part 13
By Grant Baciocco
There was no real sleep for anyone in those remaining hours before the sun started to crawl across the prairie floor in the east. Leland had not been untied and being hogtied made it difficult to get any rest. His arms and legs ached. Charlie and Grisom were unsympathetic. Grisom kept watch as there was still the threat of the Pinkertons finding them. Charlie’s wound kept him awake, but even if he hadn’t been hit by that arrow, he would have been awake with worry about Doris. He’s wanted to set out immediately, but Grisom had been right. There would be no way to track the indians in the dark.
When it was finally light enough to leave, they had the cart packed. Leland was happy to be stretched out in the back of the wagon as they’d finally untied his hands from his feet, though he was now tied to the wagon. They rode out to where Doris had been taken. The indian’s buffalo hide disguises were scattered where they had lain in wait. Grisom hopped off the wagon and looked them over closely. Finally he stood.
“Pawnee.” Grisom said solemnly.
“Well that’s fantastic.” Leland piped up from the back. “Nothing more I like to do than start my day tracking down some Pawnee injuns.”
Grisom let the buffalo skin drop to the ground. He walked around where the skins were looking for tracks. After a few minutes of following tracks for a few yards from the circle, he pointed south east. “They went that way. Probably camped near the Platte river.”
Grisom turned back towards the wagon and climbed back in. “River’s about half a day’s ride from here, I’d figure.”
“We’re headed away from Yankton.” Charlie said quietly.
“We are.” Grisom replied.
“And since we’re headed back partially the way we came, we may run into the Pinkertons.” Charlie said, the realization dawning on him.
“We may.” Grissom said, matter of factly.
Charlie was silent for a minute as the cart rambled on. “We don’t have to go after her, if it’ risks the trunk.”
Grisom smiled, “Kid, there are some things more important than that trunk. You’re prairie fire is one of them.”
Charlie smiled at Grisom. Still he couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty for sidetracking their mission of getting the trunk to Yankton. He was pretty sure that a true Agent of the Vault would sacrifice anything to keep the historical artifacts safe and sound.
They rode most of the morning in silence. Leland had fallen asleep with the rocking of the wagon and Charlie found himself dozing as well. It wasn’t until the sun was high overhead and Charlie heard a loud whoop, that he roused awake. He looked around nervously.
“Easy.” Grisom said quietly. He pointed straight ahead where, about 20 yards ahead, two indians on horseback were approaching the wagon. “Scouts.”
Charlie shifted uneasily.
“Take it easy kid, they aren’t posturing hostile. They are just checking us out.” Grisom said as he slowed the wagon. He then reached behind them and slapped Leland on the shoulder.
Leland sputtered awake, “What? What’s happening?”
“Shut up Leland. We’ve got company.”
Leland craned his neck around and saw the riders approaching. He sighed, “This is where it all ends. Fantastic.”
Grisom back handed him. “Shut up, or we’ll leave you with them.”
When the scouts were close, Grisom brought the cart to a halt. He whispered out of the side of his mouth, “Hands up. Do NOT reach for you gun.”
Charlie nodded and raised his hands along with Grisom.
The scouts approached stone faced. One stopped in front of the cart, the other made a long slow circle, inspecting everything about the cart. Glaring extra long at Leland, who refused to meet the indian’s gaze. The investigating scout then met back up with the other scout at the front of the wagon.
“Where are you going?”1 one scout asked.
Grisom cleared his throat and spoke back in the best Pawnee he could remember. “We come to see your chief. We believe your braves may have taken something from us in a raid last night.”
The two scouts looked at each other. “We do not know of this.”
Grisom nodded, “Perhaps not. But we would like to speak to your chief.”
The two scouts conferred with each other for a minute. “Why is the man in back there bound?”
Grisom turned and indicated to Leland. “He is a thief. We are taking him for trial in city.”
“You travel with a thief. Perhaps he is the one who took what you are missing.”
Grisom shook his head. “No. What was taken was a prairie fire.”
At those words were spoken, the scouts got nervous. This, to Grisom, was a clear indication they had the right group of Pawnee.
Grisom continued, “We only want to speak to your chief. We come bearing no harm.”
The scouts again spoke softly with each other for a moment. One of the scouts looked at Grisom.
“You will ride with us to camp. But first, all guns must be given to us.”
Leland spoke up from the back, “Don’t give them your guns! Don’t be fools.”
Grisom pulled out his pistol and reached back and clocked Leland in the head.
“Fine. We will turn over our weapons. We will want them back when we leave.”
The scout nodded as the other one rode up and began collecting the firearms. Two pistols and a shotgun from Grisom and Charlie’s pistols. The scout carefully looked over the contents of the back of the wagon and then returned to the other, dividing up the guns between them.
“Follow us.” Said the first scout and Grisom started the horses following them as they rode towards the river. After about 10 minutes Grisom and Charlie could see the village ahead. One of the scouts let out a whoop and a minute later, two braves rode up to meet them. They stopped for a moment as the scouts and the braves talked softly. The scouts handed the guns to the braves and then rode back past the cart.
“Where are they going?” Charlie asked.
“Back out to their post. We’re in their hand’s now.” Grisom replied, indicating the two braves. One of the braves motioned for them to continue and they did. After a few more minutes of riding, they were at the camp.
“Rest your horses here.” The brave said, a squaw came towards them with two water buckets. She placed them down for the horses to drink.
One brave dismounted. The other took his horse, and the guns and rode off. Grisom and Charlie climbed down off the wagon. Charlie gingerly favoring his leg.
One of the braves looked at him, “What’s wrong with his leg?”
“One of your arrows from last night.”
The brave nodded. He motioned to the squaw and barked out an order.
Charlie looked at Grisom, “What did he say?”
“You are to go with her to their medicine man. He will look you over.”
“I don’t think I want—“
Grisom cut him off, “Go. This backtracking will make it longer until we see a real doc. Their medicine man is better than nothing. I think they want to help us.”
“But what about what Leland said?” Charlie whispered tersely to Grisom. “Keeping us healthy just so they can torture us?”
“Don’t believe anything Leland tells you. Ever.” Grissom replied, putting a hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “Now go with her.”
Charlie nodded and started hopping in the direction of the squaw who walked to him and let him put his arm around her shoulder to help him walk.
The brave indicated that Grisom should follow him. At this moment, Leland came to and looked around.
“Grisom. Hey! Where are you going?” he whispered.
“To see the chief.”
“And you’re going to leave me here?” Leland replied, indignantly.
“Someone has to watch the gold and the trunk.”
“Untie me then.”
“Not going to happen. If they start messing with our gear, you holler and I’ll come running. Otherwise you stay here and shut up.” Grisom replied. Then with a smile added, “You cause any trouble, I’ll leave you here. You know what they do to white men don’t you?”
Leland slunk down in the back of the wagon as Grisom walked away after the brave. They came to a large tent in the center of the village. All around the Pawnee people were curious as to the three white men in the camp, but other than lingering stares they went about their business. The brave motioned for Grisom to stand outside and he ducked into the tent. A moment later he reappeared, holding the tent flap open for Grisom to enter.
Inside the tent it was dark and smoky from several small bowls of smoldering sage. At the far side of the tent sat the chief. A large imposing man, older than most of the men he’d seen so far wearing elaborate, ceremonial robes. The brave indicated a spot for Grisom to sit and he did, removing his hat and bowing reverently. The Chief returned the bow, but eyed Grisom wearily.
“Why are you here?” the Chief said after a moment.
“Some of your men have taken something that belongs to my friend.” Grisom answered.
“The one with the hurt leg?”
“Yes.”
“Your friend, the boy, was in possession of a sacred thing. A thing belonging to the land. A prairie fire.”
“Yes. That is correct.”
“My scouts saw the prairie fire running along side your wagon as you crossed the land. I sent them to retrieve it.” The Chief said. He stared at Grisom. “How did he come into possession of such a thing?”
“His father’s father was given the egg of the prairie fire, by the mother who was dying during the great drought many years ago.”
The Chief nodded solemnly.
“It is not right for man to keep what belongs to the earth, especially one so sacred as a prairie fire.”
Grisom nodded. “Yes. I agree with you, Chief. But this prairie fire was not born in the wild. She was born with man, so man is all she knows.”
The Chief’s eyes narrowed, “What is the boy’s purpose with it?”
“Purpose? To protect it. Keep it from men who’d take it away. Men who would use her for bad purposes. Harness it’s fire for war. Attempt to make more and use them in battle.”
The Chief shook his head and looked to the dirt floor of the tent. “These things must not happen.”
Grisom nodded in agreement. “Yes. You are correct. That is why the boy is protecting him.”
The Chief nodded. “You have two large trunks in the back of your cart.”
Grisom nodded. “Yes. One is filled with gold. Gold stolen by the man who is bound in the back of the cart. The other trunk must get to Yankton. The big city north of here. Inside of that trunk is an item of great importance.”
The Chief looked at Grisom, “You seem not like the other white men we have encountered. You seem not bent on greed. Taking the land, making it yours.”
Grisom smiled, “That is true. My life is preserving history.”
The Chief nodded. He called out to the brave who had been standing outside the tent. The brave entered and crossed to the Chief. The Chief spoke quietly to the brave. He nodded and then crossed and exited the tent.
“You must know, the reason I sent braves to capture the prairie fire is because I believed it was traveling with men because it had been captured. My braves thought the boy had been sleeping and the prairie fire was escaping. We meant only to capture to release onto the prairie later tonight when you had ridden on.” The Chief was quiet. “The prairie fire has been missing from the plains for many years. My braves were surprised to see another one.”
“Another one?” Grisom asked, raising his eyebrows. “You mean you have seen another one?”
Grisom’s question was answered when the brave returned to the tent and held open the flap and in came Doris and another prairie fire behind her. Doris saw Grisom and leapt into his arms, kissing his face repeatedly.
Grisom held her away from his face, “Okay, okay. I’m glad to see you.” He began petting Doris who whistled happily and snuggled down into his lap, but he was staring at the other prairie fire.
The other prairie fire stared back. Sniffing wildly in the direction of the newcomer that his fellow prairie fire was whistling over. Grisom held out a hand but the prairie fire took a step back. Doris looked quizzically at him and whistled three low whistles. The other prairie fire took a tentative step toward Grisom. Grisom, again, held out a hand. The prairie fire sniffed at it.
“Pahaat has lived near our tribe for decades. He is free to come and go, we do not hold him, yet he prefers to stay amongst our people. He has been our great secret.” The Chief said.
Grisom nodded, scratching behind Doris’ ears, “Much like Doris here has been the boy’s great secret.”
The Chief continued, “We believed him the last one. When we saw yours we wanted to get them together. Perhaps they are the last two prairie fires alive.” The Chief was quiet for a moment then added, “We would like to release them into the prairie where hopefully they can bring the population back.”
Grisom nodded, “That is not up to me. Or up to you. I think this will be a question for Charlie, the boy. And for Doris.”
At the sound of her name, Doris perked up and looked at Grisom, stopping her pawing game with Pahaat.
The Chief stood, Grisom rose as well, Doris tumbling to the ground and tackling Pahatt. The Chief looked at Grisom, “We shall ask the boy.”
“Yes.” Grisom nodded. “But remember, he is a boy.”
The Chief laughed. “As we all were until life opened our eyes to it’s grand design.”
Grisom nodded and stepped aside so that the Chief could exit the tent first. The brave motioned for Grisom to follow. Doris and Pahaat scampered around Grisom’s feet.
The Chief, Grisom and the brave walked across the village. Doris and Pahaat tumbling and roughhousing as they walked behind them. The Chief led them to where the medicine man was. The brave stepped inside the medicine man’s tent and a moment later reappeared.
“He will be out soon.” The brave said.
Suddenly from across the camp there cam a whoop. A brave came riding through the village of tents towards the chief. Others in the Pawnee tribe scattered as the brave thundered up to the Chief. The brave hopped down from his horse and crossed to the Chief. He whispered in his ear.
The Chief looked at Grisom, “You have those that follow you. Brave say that they found your camp. Found buffalo hides my braves left. Headed this way just now.”
Grisom scoweled. “Pinkertons. The greedy, evil men I spoke of.”
“Brave say woman rides with them.”
Grisom smiled, “This women is their Chief but she is greedier and more evil than the other white men you have met.”
The Chief smiled for the first time.
“We must go quickly. They are after the trunk. We must get away from you, your people before she finds this village. She will bring nothing but trouble to you. Blood.”
The medicine man’s tent opened and Charlie came out. He was limping, but not as much as before.
“Good as new.” Charlie said to Grisom. “Almost.”
At the sound of Charlie’s voice, Doris let our a screech that had all covering their ears. She barreled over to him, crawled up his leg and clung to his neck.
“Hey there girl!” Charlie said, hugging her tight. “I was worried about you.”
Doris replied with repeated licks on the face.
Grisom turned to Charlie, “Glad to see you’re okay kid, but we have to get a move on.”
“Why?” Charlie replied in between being slobbered on by Doris.
“Jane is on her way.”
Charlie nodded, “Well, I got Doris, so I am ready go.”
“Kid, I want you to meet Pahaat.” Grisom stepped aside and revealed Pahaat who’d been sitting on the ground next to Grisom’s feet.
Charlie’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. Doris stopped her outpouring of affection and turned to see what Charlie was looking at. When she saw Pahaat, she shimmied down Charlie and tackled the other prairie fire.
“There’s another one?” Charlie asked.
Grisom nodded, “Yes. And the indians think maybe they should stay together.”
“Stay together? How am I going to handle two of them?” Charlie replied with a laugh. He looked from the tumbling prairie fires up to Grisom’s face. The moment he locked eyes with the older man, he realized what was being suggested. Charlie’s heart sank.
“You didn’t promise that did you?” Charlie demanded.
“No,” Grisom replied, “Of course not. I told them that it’d be your decision and you’d decide what’s best for Doris.”
Charlie looked down at his friend, playing roughly with Pahaat. They batted at each other’s tails and tumbled wildly around in a ball.
He looked back up at Grisom.
Grisom smiled, “It’s up to you kid, but we gotta hurry. Jane and her men are en route now. We need need to get going or there’ll be no way we can escape without her seeing us.”
Charlie looked again at Doris. He clicked his tongue and she immediately stopped roughhousing and trotted over to him.
“Hey girl,” he said, patting her between the ears. “Listen, Do you want to stay here with Pahaat or do you want to come with us?”
The Chief chuckled. He looked at Grisom, “He talks to it?”
Grisom nodded. “Yes. And she understands him. Does Pahaat understand Pawnee?”
The Chief shook his head, “No one has ever thought to talk to it. Just an animal.”
Grisom shook his head and pointed to his temple, “Very smart.”
They both looked back down at Doris. First she took a few steps towards Pahaat, who got into a defensive position, assuming a tackle was incoming. But then Doris turned and looked back at Charlie. She looked him in the eye.
She then slowly walked towards Pahaat and embraced him. Their tails entwined for a moment. Then Doris whistled to him. He nodded and whistled back. Then in a heartbeat, Doris ran back to Charlie and scampered up his leg and arm to take her spot on his shoulder.
Charlie looked at Grisom, “She’s made up her mind.”
Grisom shook his head with a smile, “It would appear so.”
“Grisom,” Charlie said, “Tell the Chief I will bring her back. But she is not ready to stay just yet.”
Grisom nodded and relayed Charlie’s message to the Chief. The Chief nodded and said to Grisom, “I understand. He seems to have a good heart. We look forward to the return of the other prairie fire.”
Grisom nodded to the Chief and then turned and helped Charlie limp back to the cart.
The Chief sent a brave after them. “Chief say we take you west around big rock. Best to avoid those who chase you.”
Grisom nodded, “We’ll be happy for the escort.”
Moments later Charlie, Doris and Grisom were on the cart. Leland, was thankful they were on their way, and they headed out of the Pawnee village.
1 Translated from Pawnee.
©2015 Grant Baciocco/Saturday Morning Media – www.SaturdayMorningMedia.com
Agents of the Vault – Part 10
Part 10 of Agents of the Vault. Grisom and Charlie cut out across the prairie towards Yankton.
If you want to subscribe to the Grantcast, you can do so with iTunes, or by using this feed in your favorite podcatcher. Enjoy! And let me know what you think of the story in the comments here, as we go along.
Also, if you prefer a PDF version of this part to read, CLICK HERE for that.
Finally, if you’d like to support my projects, visit www.patreon.com/saturdaymorningmedia
Agents of the Vault
Part 10
By Grant Baciocco
The sun began setting behind them as the day wore on. Charlie had woken and had been steering the cart for awhile, giving Grisom time to rest. Most of the afternoon had been spent listening to Leland try to get Grisom and Charlie to let him go by offering them the entire haul of gold.
“You can get away clean. They’ll think I have it all. Think of what you could do with all that gold.” He’d coaxed, unsuccessfully. After about an hour of this constant pleading, Charlie had Doris shut him up with a fireball that dissipated inches from his face. Leland had been close to silent since, muttering quietly now and then, but for the most part, silent. Doris was now curled up between Grisom and Charlie, fast asleep.
Grisom roused when it began to get cold. He scanned the horizon then took a deep breath. “We’d better start to thinking where we’ll bed down for the night. Better to sleep now and get an early start before dawn.”
Charlie nodded. “There’s a flat spot up ahead near that bluff.” Charlie pointed out.
“Head for it.” Grisom replied. “I think we’re going to have to keep a watch out tonight.” Grisom said, looking behind them.
“You think she’s behind us?”
“I know she’s behind us.” Grisom answered. “Just a matter of how far behind. And she doesn’t have a cart loaded down with gold slowing her any. We just can’t risk pressing on thorough the night and driving the cart into ditch that could put a wheel out. No, we’ll take turns watching. I’ll take the first shift since I’m fresh.”
“I’ll make us some supper with what we took from the cabin.”
Grisom nodded. “Good, but it’s gonna get cold. We can’t build a fire. We can’t tip our hand to where we are and have her ride up on us.”
Charlie nodded again and pulled back on the reigns, bringing the cart to a slow halt near the flat spot he’d seen. The horses, glad to stop, whinnied. This woke Leland up.
“You guys gotta let me take a leak!” Leland whined, twisting his prone body around so he could look up at Grisom and Charlie.
Grisom looked over at Charlie. “You wanna chaperone or me?”
Charlie took off his hat and wiped his brow with his sleeve. “I got an idea. Why don’t we let Doris chaperone him?”
At the sound of her name, Doris raised her head groggily and gave Charlie a quizzical look. Charlie looked down at her, “What do you say girl? Can you chaperone Leland here to heed nature’s call?”
Doris, understanding completely, made a dour face, her long tongue sticking out in disgust.
Charlie chuckled. “I’ll make you a deal, if Leland here tries to run off, fashion himself a weapon out of a stick or something or even just looks at you funny, you have our permission to burn him to a crisp.”
This perked Doris right up. She loved using the full extent of her fire powers at any chance she could, so though the thought of accompanying Leland disgusted her, the possibility of being able to use her full fire ball was too good to pass up. She agreed and Charlie and Grisom, who’d slid off the cart, dragged Leland down from the bed of the cart to the ground and undid his hands.
Charlie looked Leland in the eye, “She’ll do it to. Go and come right back. One whistle from me and you’ll be burning up.”
Leland nodded and then looked down at Doris with a twinge of fear. Doris stared back up at him and motioned with her tail that he should get going. Leland sighed and trudged off away from where they’d stopped. Doris trotted behind him, almost like a guard escorting a prisoner to the gallows.
Charlie kept an eye on Leland and Doris as they walked away from the cart so Leland could do his business. Grisom began taking down three bedrolls he’d taken from the cabin and began lying them out.
“What are we going to do with him?” Charlie asked.
“Leland?” Grisom replied.
“Yeah.”
“We’re going to take him to the authorities in Yankton along with the gold.”
“No, I mean what are we going to do with him on the way there. I can tell Doris has had her fill of him and it would seem that you are on the short end of your tether with his gum flapping as well.”
Grisom stopped spreading out a bedroll and looked after them. “Well,” he said, “He continues his whining, I’ll just knock him out again. I have no qualms with him being comatose the rest of the way.”
Charlie nodded, then turned to get the food they’d taken from the cabin down out of the cart.
“That protection on the trunk was something else.” Charlie said.
“Mmmmm hmmmm.” Grisom replied. “It’s a Keep Out. An ancient protection that prevents people from getting into what the person who casted it don’t want them to get into. They put it on it in New York.”
“Sure sent Leland flying across the ground.”
“Mmmmmm hmmmm. That Keep Out should hold us until Yankton and the Vault.”
“Is it going to prevent her from getting inside of it?
“Possibly. Unless she has a breaker with her.”
Charlie looked over at Grisom. “A breaker?”
Grisom nodded. “Yeah. Those who can break witchery cast on an object.”
Charlie was silent for a second, taking this in. “Think she’s has one?”
“She might.” Grisom replied. “But that’s why I brought you along.”
“Me? I don’t know anything about breakers or witchery.”
“No but your a good shot. Breakers are just like the rest of us, bullets are their weakness.”
Just then they heard a low whistle and they both turned to see Doris leading Leland back towards camp. Doris shepherded him over towards Charlie who picked up the leather strap they’d used to bind his hands and made to rebind them.
“Is that really necessary?” Leland asked. “I mean, we’re in the middle of nowhere and you have this..” Leland stopped himself before insulting Doris again. He cleared his throat and smiled a smile that was far from genuine “You have Doris watching over me. Where am I going to go?”
“Nowhere.” Grisom answered. “And the reason you are going to go nowhere, is because you’re going to have your feet and hands bound. Can’t risk you slipping off on one of the horses in the night. And if you feel like complaining about it, we’ll gladly gag you as well.”
Leland didn’t retort. He just sighed heavily and allowed his hands to be tied, looser than they were when he’d been in the back of the cart, but still tight enough to prevent escape. After he was bound, Charlie led him over to his bedroll and sat him down on it. He then returned to the food.
“We’ve got us three cans of beans here. But with no fire to warm them up, I guess it’s just these biscuits.” Charlie said.
“Well, maybe Doris could warm them up for us.” Grisom replied. “It’s not totally dark yet and a few blasts from her and those cans will be nice and warm.”
Charlie looked at Doris who was sitting at full attention. “Whattya say girl? You in for helping us cook dinner?
Doris nodded excitedly and turned a small circle.
Charlie found a flat rock and brought it over near the bed rolls. He opened each of the cans with his pocket knife and set them on the rock and took a step back. Doris was standing nearby eagerly panting, excited to use her fire breath.
Charlie looked down at her, “Okay, listen, you have to take it easy. Not too much fire or you’ll burn them okay?”
Doris nodded, somewhat frustrated and stared transfixed at the cans. The hair along her spine stood stiff and her ears were twitching.
Charlie smiled then said, “Okay, go for it.”
A low whistle escaped from Doris’ mouth as she opened it. A small ball of blue flame appeared between her long incisors and quickly grew in size.
“Easy.” Charlie coached. “Easy. We want to be able to eat this stuff.”
Doris’ eyes began glowing red and she made a sound much like a cough. In that moment, the blue ball of fire expanded to twice it’s size and hit the three cans of beans squarely and then dissipated.
From his bedroll, Leland laughed. “That’s it? All that for…that tiny blue ball of flame? What in tarnation have I been worried about? The worst she could do is give me a mild burn. Lukewarm beans for dinner. It’ll be just like being on a cattle drive.” He cackled again. Doris spun and growled loudly at him.
“Doris.” Charlie barked. “No. Down.” Doris settled uneasily on her haunches. Charlie put on a riding glove and reached down and picked up one can. He brought it over to Leland. “Here’s your beans.”
Leland smirked and took the can from Charlie. Instantly he knew he’d made a mistake. The can immediately blistered both his hands. Screaming, he threw the can forward and the beans inside spilled out onto the prairie floor, bubbling and steaming as they hit the cold night air. “What the hell you trying to do to me?”
Charlie laughed, “Oh, I’m sorry, I thought they were lukewarm. My mistake. That’s all you get tonight though, Leland. Better eat them before the prairie critters do.”
Doris whistled in merriment at Leland’s discomfort. He had sore hands and the realization that his dinner was now cooling on the dirt floor of the prairie.
Grisom and Charlie tucked into their respective cans while Doris was allowed time to go hunting for her food, coming back with two prairie dogs she sloppily ate near Leland, just because she knew it would thoroughly disgust him and it did. Between not eating much, the blisters throbbing on his hands and the sight of Doris slurping down prairie dog intestines, Leland was feeling uneasy and lied down to try and sleep.
Grisom took the first watch while Charlie laid back on his bedroll with Doris curled up next to his left hip. She snored peacefully next to him as he gazed up at the stars and smiled.
©2015 Grant Baciocco/Saturday Morning Media