Assassins of History- Transference Read online

  Caleb whispered, “Let me do all tha talking. Ya know that tha marshal and tha Gill family err distantly related, don’t cha?”

  I looked at him in shock and then murmured, “No I didn’t, but it would explain why he took such a long time to try to find my assailants a few nights ago.”

  We arrived at the marshal’s office and entered what was a one room building with two cells in the back of the room. Each cell had one cot and I bet every bedbug in the county had taken up residence there. Once you entered the office, there was a desk to the left of the door and a cot in a corner to the right of the door for the law officer assigned to night duty. Two chairs faced the desk and the marshal indicated for us to sit down.

  Leaning back with his elbows propped on his chair arms and his fingers making a church and steeple over his chest, he snapped, “Okay, tell me what happened?”

  Caleb began describing what had occurred prior to my appearance and then gave a harrowing account of the shootout. Several times the marshal glanced at me with incredulous looks.

  Once Caleb recounted the story and the weaponry I utilized, the marshal finally spied the bulges made by the twin colts stuck in my belt underneath my coat and sat forward warily. I thought it was quite humorous. He went from being a Type A personality to an attitude of fearfulness. I was able to keep from smiling because I wanted this meeting to end without a hitch and I wasn’t about to give the marshal a reason to hold me.

  Finally, in a reasonable voice the marshal asked Caleb, “Will yar brother and mother back up your story?”

  Caleb replied, “I know my mother will, but Joshua was unconscious when tha shootout went down.”

  The marshal looked at me and curtly asked, “Is that what happened?” I nodded in the affirmative. He suddenly spoke in a belligerent voice, “What were ya doing therah?”

  I replied kindly, “I was on my way back to Shepherdstown and thought I’d stop again to pay my respects to tha Throckmorton’s for tha use of their horse in tha capture of tha Yankee Cavalry.”

  The marshal’s face turned pale. The fight with the Yank cavalry must have reached his ears. He suddenly realized I must have been the civilian described as the guide for Mosby and a participant in the engagement. I believe he also recognized the political and perilous consequence if he didn’t tread lightly in dealing with my part in the Throckmorton farm shootout. All of these significant factors were evident by his sudden change in demeanor and his approach to a possible solution to his dilemma of me being armed and dangerous when he said, “Okay, I understand all tha circumstances, but I’ll need to confiscate yar pistols.”

  It took me a minute to see his ploy of disarming me, which would make it easier for him to arrest me. I blushed and a look of fear crossed my face. The marshal smiled at my discomfort. I thought quickly for a solution and it came to me like an arrow hitting a bullseye. I bucked up and, looking the marshal straight in the eye, stated, “That will be impossible Marshal. These pistols were given to me by Captain Mosby for my protection and only he can confiscate them.”

  When I mentioned Captain Mosby’s name, the marshal’s jaw dropped, his face turned red and a look of sheer terror spread across his face. The shoe was now on the other foot. I knew I had somehow struck a nerve. I didn’t want to lose a chance of thwarting this possibly corrupt official, so I pressed my luck by adding, “I’ll be glad to send for Captain Mosby to corroborate my statement.”

  The marshal quickly back peddled, “No, if Captain Mosby gave ‘em to ya for yar personal protection, then they’s yars.”

  I looked the marshal squarely in the eye, trying to ascertain why he had relented in my disarmament so quickly, but he looked away. I didn’t know what was going on. Ultimately, I needed to get to the bottom of his fear of Mosby, but that was something that would have to wait.

  The marshal’s deputy suddenly burst into the room and practically shouted, “Jones Gill twas one of tha bodies, but Seaborne t’wern’t tha other man kilt. It t’was one of Gill’s old gang, Lemuel Ellis.”

  Caleb and I turned around to face the deputy and he realized that he had said too much without knowing who was in the office with his boss. I turned around quickly to face the Marshal and he gave the deputy a withering glance. The deputy lamely uttered in a low voice, “I just thought ya’d like to know.”

  I suddenly realized that I had eradicated only one of the threats to my life instead of two. It must have shown on my face because the marshal grinned. He knew Seaborne Gill would retaliate quickly.

  I looked at him and tried to muster the most evil leer I could. It must have worked because the marshal suddenly said, “Well, I guess that’s all I needed ta know. Y’all can leave now.”

  Caleb and I nodded, got up, walked past the red-faced deputy and headed out the door. The townspeople had scattered, but there were enough of them left to point at Caleb and me and whisper back and forth as we walked toward the doctor’s office. I felt like a bull facing a matador in a corrida and everyone was taking bets on how long I was going to last.

  We made it to the doctor’s office to meet with Mrs. Throckmorton and get the doctor’s diagnosis. The doctor had dressed Joshua’s wounds. Then he elaborated on Joshua’s condition, “He’s pretty well beat up. I don’t know if’n tha head injuries will addle his brain so I’d like to keep him for a day or two and see what happens.” He turned to Caleb and continued, “Your Mom wants to stay herah and look after him, which is mighty fine with me. I ‘spect you boys need to get a room at tha hotel for tha time being.”

  Caleb embraced Mrs. Throckmorton and reassured her, “He’s gonna be alright Ma.”

  She broke down and sobbed, “I ain’t never seen such evil as those men.” Caleb hugged her and she cried for a few moments. Then she abruptly straightened up, stepped back from him and said, “Y’all go on and go ta tha hotel. I’ll be alright.” Caleb pledged, “If’n ya need us for anything, come get us.”

  She looked at me and I nodded that I was included in this promise. Then she suddenly hugged me and sobbed, “Oh thank ya! I prayed for help and ya showed up. Ya saved us and I ain’t even thanked ya.”

  I wrapped my arms around her and didn’t know what to say. So I just held her until she quit crying. She got it out of her system and released her hold on me. She stepped back and, dabbing her eyes with the apron she still wore, reiterated, “Y’all go on ta tha hotel. We’ll be alright.”

  We again gave our promises to help and then took our leave. Caleb and I were silent as we headed to the local hotel to procure a room for the night. We both were in our own private worlds of woe. I was thinking about what Seaborne Gill was going to do to me and I expect Caleb was concerned over the sudden setback to his family.

  We arrived at the hotel and the same clerk that was on duty the night I was assaulted by the Gills was manning the desk. He gladly checked us in amidst a multitude of questions about the shootout. I finally cut off all interrogation by lying, “The Marshal is still investigating and doesn’t want us blabbing about it.”

  The clerk sullenly gave us our keys. We quickly vacated the lobby and ascended the stairs to our second floor room. I know I needed to eat some food, but was too exhausted by the shootout, the interrogation by the town marshal and learning I still had Seaborne Gill to deal with. Caleb was tuckered out too. I propped a chair against the bedroom’s door knob and we both flopped in our respective beds and went immediately to sleep.

  

  The Dark Mage’s Log: ‘Earth 3’ Date: 18620919

  Employing the stealth mode for his ACV, Jargunn had followed the rescued humans and the imposter in the slow-moving earth vehicle. It seemed it would take all day to get to the ‘Earth 3’ town of Harpers Ferry.

  Jargunn landed his ACV, put it in stealth mode, sent it into orbit, implemented his personal cloaking device and stayed in town long enough to see the procession through town.

  Dodging Earth animals to prevent any wild demonstration, he positioned himself to listen and record fro
m afar the interesting exchange between one of the rescued males, the imposter and the local authority, who was called a town marshal. Once the meeting had concluded, Jargunn journeyed back to Axeylon 5.

  Jargunn dutifully stood in the Imperial Throne room and reported to Lord Dendaras what transpired at the confinement office.

  “So, he challenged the town marshal, did he?” said Lord Dendaras in a barely audible voice while rubbing his chin with his right forefinger.

  “Yes, Sire,” replied Jargunn.

  “Well, this Mr. Hager, our imposter, is looking more interesting by the moment. Do we have any information on him?” queried Lord Dendaras.

  “Yes, Sire,” answered Jargunn. “From the clothes he buried, which I recovered, our hospitable Laboratory recovered his DNA and traced his existence. His Name is Shelton Owen Woods, a simple mid-level salesman in a small agricultural state in a 21st century ‘Earth 9’ country called The United States. I believe Jardean is working on an assignment there now.”

  Lord Dendaras snapped, “Never you mind about that. Continue.”

  “Yes, my Lord," Jargunn responded. “This Shelton Owen Woods has never accumulated a great fortune or been a courageous being. His only admirable quality is that he did train in a fighting art for twelve years. He never was an exceptional student, but he did learn a few moves.”

  “That would explain his escape from the men who accosted him at night in that ‘Earth 3’ town,” Lord Dendaras observed.

  “Yes, Sire,” Jargunn dared to utter with a patronizing tone.

  Lord Dendaras jerked forward and pointing at Jargunn declared, “Jargunn, for a human to learn a fighting art is one thing. It is quite another for them to utilize it to the degree our imposter did on the servant of the Newcomers.”

  Jargunn had snapped to attention at the onslaught of the Lord’s rebuke. Fearing he had gone too far, Jargunn replied in a conciliatory voice, “Yes, my Liege.”

  Lord Dendaras scrutinized Jargunn very closely for almost a minute. Jargunn felt the small rivulets of blood begin to run down his back and stain his uniform.

  Lord Dendaras slowly drew back into the sanctity of his throne and commanded, “Back to your mission Watcher.”

  Jargunn wheezed in relief, “Yes, my Master.” He abruptly bowed, clicked his heels, about faced and marched from the throne room.

  Lord Dendaras smiled when he saw the back of the Watcher’s stained uniform.

  

  Caleb and I awoke almost simultaneously about 6:00 a.m. the next morning. Sluggishly we washed our faces and ran our fingers through our hair. “I really needed to get a comb,” I thought. Then we staggered down the hotel stairs and ambled to the doctor’s office.

  We banged on the door and were shushed by the doctor. Mrs. Throckmorton had tended to Joshua during the night and had been relieved of her monitoring by the doctor around 5:00 a.m. She was asleep on a couch in the doctor’s office and he wanted her to get some rest.

  We retired to the doctor’s examination room, and he informed us, “Joshua rested well during the night. He hasn’t regained consciousness, but as soon as he does, I’m a-gonna evaluate his condition and I’ll let ya know what I find out. Ya might as well get some breakfast and come back later.”

  We both thanked him and returned to the hotel. On entering the dining room, I spied Captain Mosby seated in one corner by himself. Once he saw us, he motioned us over. I introduced him to Caleb, but, before we sat down at his table, the horses outside at the rail went berserk. We went to the window and looked out. There didn’t seem to be any reason for the sudden display of terror, but horses at the hotel hitching rail were being calmed by the local citizenry. Then, all of a sudden, the horses quit behaving in such a disconcerting way and resumed their normal placid existence.

  I looked at the Major and he just shrugged his shoulders. We went back to our table.

  

  The Dark Mage’s Log: Earth 3 Date: 18620920

  Jargunn arrived back on ‘Earth 3’ and followed the imposter and his friend to the hotel in stealth mode. He caused quite a stir when he forgot about the effect he had on Earth animals and walked by the rail in front of the hotel where the horses were tied. They went loco. One pulled its reins away from the rail and galloped down the street. Two others reared up, whinnying to the top of their lungs. A few passersby lent a hand in calming them down, but they didn’t quit their rants until Jargunn went into the hotel.

  Jargunn took up a station at the end of the dining room, an area rarely, if ever, occupied. He had a front row seat to the conversation between the rescued male, the imposter and Captain Mosby, the hero of the brief battle previously witnessed two ‘Earth 3’days ago.

  

  When we were seated again at the table, a waitress brought coffee, a big dish of hominy grits, a plate of biscuits, bowls of gravy, a platter of eggs sunny side up, and a stack of ham steaks on a tray. Caleb and I lit into the food like a pride of lions. Captain Mosby joined us but didn’t display quite the same frenzy. He let us settle down from our ravaging of the victuals. Then he eyeballed us for a moment and in a low voice said, “What’s this I hear about a shootout at a farm on tha River Road?”

  I shrugged my shoulders and looked at the Captain with an “I don’t know” look on my face. Caleb quickly came to my rescue and related the essence of the story. When he got to where we were interrogated by the marshal, Captain Mosby suddenly sat up in his seat. I stopped Caleb and supplied the context of the marshal’s interrogation. When I had finished, I asked, “Once I mentioned yar name to deny his order to turn over my pistols, ya should have seen his face. Why is he so scared of ya?”

  Captain Mosby grinned and responded, “It is a good thing that ya did use my name. Ya don’t know who tha marshal is, do ya?”

  “Not really,” I answered.

  Captain Mosby leaned closer and began, “Tha marshal’s name is Owen Gill. He is kin to Jones Gill or should I say he was kin to Jones Gill, who ya eliminated so extremely well. I believe tha marshal is a Unionist and tha reason tha Yankee cavalry unit we intercepted was down in this area was to rendezvous with Owen Gill and get information about our Confederate outposts.”

  “Tha marshal and I had a confrontation a while back when he bamboozled some of my troopers into jail for some loud drinking at one of tha local saloons. I put tha fear of God in him when I entered his jail and poked him a few times with my saber to make him let my men out of his hoosegow. That was tha last time he rode rough-shod over my troopers. He knows I’ll kill him if he does it again.”

  Mosby continued, “I also believe he was in cahoots with Jones Gill and got a cut of every robbery that Jones Gill instigated. According to tha local residents, tha marshal was living high on tha hog when Gill was running wild in this region. Brand new boots, expensive cigars, a new saddle and two new horses were just a few things he was able to afford supposedly on a town marshal’s salary. The marshal musta thought, since Jones Gill and his brother got out of jail, that things would be like old times. But I guess ya sort of brought that to an abrupt halt. I can promise ya that as long as our cavalry troop is billeted in Harpers Ferry, what’s left of tha Gill gang won’t try anything around here. But, if I were ya, I’d be very careful once I got back to Shepherdstown.”

  I stared at the Captain for a moment and let his information soak in.

  The Captain turned to Caleb and, leaning toward him, said in a conspiratorial voice, “Caleb, I’ve heard good things ‘bout yar family. I believe ya are a patriot and can be trusted, but we are still keeping an eye on tha Marshal and I wanna catch him red-handed passing information to tha Yankees. So I would appreciate it if ya would keep all this information to yarself. I would love to hang Gill for treason along with his whole clan.”

  Caleb nodded his agreement and stated, “Ya can rely on me, Captain.” Mosby smiled and, clamping Caleb on the shoulder, declared, “I know I can.”

  I finally came to my senses after contemplating what Captain Mosby
said. I leaned forward and requested, “What can I do to help?”

  The Captain grinned and rejoined, “Be on tha lookout for anything out of tha ordinary; anyone acting differently; or anyone that’s new in town. Shepherdstown has a lock on tha C&O Canal, a shallow ford on tha Potomac River and even an old rickety bridge over tha Potomac. It is an important place and well worth tha effort of a Yankee raid. So, keep vigilant. If’n ya think something is out of kilter, have tha local telegraph office contact me, or else send a rider to our outpost.”

  I nodded my concurrence. We all stood and shook hands. Then Caleb and I left for the doctor’s office.

  Once we got to the doctor’s office, he informed us, “Joshua has regained consciousness. Some of tha puffiness of his face has gone down and now he can see out of his right eye. He has some blurred vision, but he doesn’t have any nausea. He needs to be looked after for at least another day. Let’s keep him until tomorrow morning and see how he fares.”

  We both expressed our gratitude that Joshua was recovering and agreed to the doctor’s plan of further medical care. Mrs. Throckmorton was still sleeping so Caleb and I retired back to the hotel and occupied porch chairs to wait until she woke up.

  Chapter 10

  The Dark Mage’s Log: Earth 3 Date: 18620920

  Jargunn trailed the Earthlings, but he was getting tired of just following the humans around as ordered, witnessing their foibles and listening to their primitive conservations. This was boring work. So, he slipped back into the hotel dining room and watched the pair from a hotel window. It was expedient that he did, because he got a front row seat to a rather unexpected and quite different exchange.

  

  Sitting peacefully in the rocking chairs, I was able to sort of let myself unwind. I nodded off for a few minutes, but jerked awake when I heard, “Well, Mr. Hager, is this any way for a local hero to spend his time?”