Chapter 11
The sun rose up from the east. It was Friday, September 1st, 2006.
John woke up early and took a shower. Afterward, he ate his standard bowl of Cocoa Krispies. He got dressed in his Western Snacks and Vending Company shirt, grabbed the bag of loot and left his apartment.
John rushed to his Mustang in his apartment parking lot and drove off.
John drove straight to the nearest coin shop and went inside with his bag of loot.
In the empty lot behind the Wild Cactus Saloon, Clint and Merijildo woke up. They walked to the front of the saloon and didn't see any horses.
Clint's stomach growled. "Let's get some grub," he told Merijildo, and he agreed.
Clint looked down the street and saw Martha's Country Kitchen restaurant down the street a bit. And farther down the street past the restaurant was a library.
"There's a place to eat," Clint said and pointed at Martha's place.
He walked off in that direction.
Behind the Western Snacks and Vending Company building, Bart woke up when he heard the sound of cars while they parked in the parking lot.
He got up and stretched. He lightly kicked Charlie in his butt cheeks. Charlie woke up, and he got up and stretched.
They put on their cowboy hats and walked around to the front of the building. Bart pulled on the front door handle, and it opened, and he smiled.
"Let's get the bastard," he told Charlie who grinned at the thought of getting their loot.
Bart and Charlie entered the foyer where Kim worked as the receptionist behind a desk. She saw Bart and Charlie. "May I help you?" she asked, then cringed as she caught a whiff of their body odor.
"Yes Ma'am," Bart said then removed his cowboy hat. He noticed that Charlie kept his hat on. He swatted his hat off his head.
"Where're your manners?" he scolded Charlie who chased after his hat and picked it off the floor.
"We want to see John Mathers," Bart told her.
"I don't believe he has shown up for work yet," she said.
"Would you know where he lives? It's important we see him," Bart said.
"No, but his girlfriend Angie Dawson does. One minute please," she said then picked up her phone and pressed a number.
"Angie, I have two men looking for John. They said it's important," she said over into the phone.
"I'll be right out," Angie replied from the phone.
The receptionist hung up the phone. "Angie Dawson will be out in a minute. She can help you," she said.
Bart and Charlie paced in the foyer while they waited.
Angie entered from a side door and saw Bart and Charlie. She shook her head in disgust at the sight of them, as they reminded her of John.
Charlie glanced at Angie and got horny, as it's been six months since he's been with a saloon gal.
Outside, John pulled his Mustang into the parking lot of Western Snacks and Vending Company building. He was ready to resume his life and prepared to forget about his outlaw ways.
Angie looked at Bart and Charlie. "Are you fellow outlaw geeks like John?" she asked.
"We're old friends of John if that's what you mean. So, do you know where he lives? We want to surprise him!" Bart said.
"Yeah, surprise him," Charlie added with a smirk.
"Whatever," Angie said then walked over to the receptionist's desk and grabbed a piece of paper and pen. She wrote down John's address for Bart.
From outside, John left his Mustang and walked to the front door.
"Here's John's address," Angie said then added Bart the paper.
Bart looked at it. "Thank you, ma-am. And remember, don't tell John you saw us. We want to surprise him," Bart said then shoved the paper in his shirt pocket.
Angie looked at the front door and saw John outside.
"There's no need, John's outside the front door," she told Bart and Charlie.
From outside at the entrance, John placed his hand on the door handle. He started to open the door then saw Bart and Charlie inside the foyer with Angie. He stared for a few seconds to make sure he wasn't having a hallucination. He realized it was for real, and they tracked him back to the future.
Crap! John screamed in his head. He turned around and ran back to his Mustang.
Inside the building, Bart and Charlie got pissed when they saw John run away.
Angie watched while Bart and Charlie ran out of the front door.
"I hope you boys have fun playing cowboys and outlaws," Angie said and shook her head in disgust then realized that maybe John wasn't done with his stupid outlaw obsession.
"What was that about?" the receptionist asked Angie.
A man poked his head out of the side door. "Angie, tell Richard somebody tied two horses to the dumpster out back," he said, closed the door.
"Men who refuse to grow up," Angie said then opened the side door and left.
Bart and Charlie stood outside at the front door, scanning the area for John. They saw him. They watched while John ran to his Mustang, got inside, and started it up.
Bart and Charlie ran around to the back of the building to their horses. They untied them from the dumpster and got in their saddles.
They galloped their horses away, down the side of the building and then to the front of the building.
John screeched his Mustang out onto the street, leaving rubber and smoke, and he raced away.
Bart and Charlie galloped their horses to the parking lot. They saw John's Mustang while he raced down the street.
They galloped after him, and cars screeched to a stop while their horses ran out in front of them.
John raced his Mustang in fear of the two outlaws. He thought he was free and clear in 2006, but he thought wrong. He was now being hunted. He looked in his rearview mirror and saw Bart and Charlie on horses galloping after him.
He made a right turn down another street.
John looked in his rearview mirror and saw Bart and Charlie while they made the same turn and were still after him.
John looked forward, and his eyes widened when he saw that traffic had stopped. He screeched on his brakes and came to a stop behind the traffic.
He looked in his rearview mirror and saw that Bart and Charlie gained ground. He looked over to his right and decided that was his only choice.
He turned to the right and headed to the sidewalk.
People dove for cover while John drove his Mustang down the sidewalk.
People watched while Bart and Charlie raced their horses on the sidewalk after John.
John drove his Mustang into a newsstand; newspaper, magazines, candy, and snacks flew everywhere like a bomb exploded.
John drove his Mustang off the sidewalk with people diving for safety.
He drove off the sidewalk and down another street.
Back at Martha's Country Kitchen, Clint and Merijildo finished their eggs and bacon breakfast with hot coffee. People stared at the two and wondered why they were dressed like a cowboy and Indian. Some came up with the theory Hollywood was in town to make a western movie.
The waitress brought them their check. "You can pay me or at the register," she told them.
Clint looked at the check.
He reached in his shirt pocket and removed six silver dollars.
He handed them to the waitress.
She looked at the coins, and her eyes popped out when she saw their dates and the condition.
"I'll take care of this," she told them then walked away with a smirk. She discreetly pocketed the coins and decided to pay for their meal herself. She knew these coins were worth a lot more than the price of their meal.
Clint and Merijildo walked out of the restaurant.
John raced his Mustang down another street where traffic got thick. He glanced at his rearview mirror and saw Bart and Charlie hot on his tail.
Bart and Charlie closing in on the Mustang. They both whipped out their pistols and aimed, and they fired at the Mustang.
Bullets penetrated the back of the Mustang. Then a bullet shattered one of the taillights.
John's Mustang screeched a left turn and raced down another street.
Bart and Charlie galloped a left turn on their horses and chased after John.
Police sirens were heard way off a few streets over.
Two police cars raced down the street and screeched a turn on the street the chase pursued.
The two police cars raced after Bart and Charlie's horses and raced up behind them.
"Pull over!" the lead police officer called out from his loudspeaker.
Bart and Charlie turned around and saw the police car closing in on them.
"They don't look friendly, Bart," Charlie said intimidated.
"They look like the law," Bart responded.
Bart and Charlie both fired their pistols at the police car.
A bullet penetrated the radiator, and another one penetrated the hood.
Bart and Charlie fired again at the police car.
Another bullet penetrated the hood while another one hit the windshield. The hood to the police car flew up and blocked the driver's view. The police car swerved, clipped a parked car, and flipped in the air.
How will I write up this report? The police officer thought while the car was upside down in the air.
The second police car continued the chase.
The airborne police car crashed on top of the second police car.
People watched from the sidewalk while the two crashed police cars veered toward some parked cars. They ran for cover while the police cars crashed into the parked cars.
Bart and Charlie stopped their horses and looked in awe at the mangled wreckage.
"Wow!" Charlie cried out.
They turned around and saw John's Mustang was gone, and Bart got pissed.
"Let's see if the Devil's Cowboys can help us. Make our gang bigger like we planned back home," Bart said.
Bart saw a man walk down the sidewalk.
"Where's the Wild Cactus Saloon from here?" he asked the man.
"Down two streets. Turn left and head down there for another three streets then turn right. It will be down that street," the man replied, afraid he might get shot then pointed in the direction they should ride.
"Thanks, partner," Bart said then tipped his hat.
Bart and Charlie galloped their horses down the street where the man pointed.
Back at the Wild Cactus Saloon, Clint and Merijildo paced up and walked down the sidewalk. Clint hoped Bart, Charlie and John would soon show up. The saloon looked empty as the Devil's Cowboys didn't arrive yet.
Mel Lincoln walked down the sidewalk heading to the library.
Clint saw Mel while he walked in their direction.
Merijildo saw Mel and had a robust strange feeling about him. Clint noticed Merijildo's peculiar look.
"What's the matter?" Clint asked as he thought that his breakfast didn't agree with him and might barf.
"Me know him," Merijildo replied while he stared at Mel.
Mel Lincoln saw Merijildo and smiled.
"Excuse me. We're looking for an outlaw called the Kissing Bandit. His real name is John Mathers," Clint addressed Mel.
Mel Lincoln heard Clint, but he studied Merijildo over and had a strange feeling he knew him.
"Oh yeah, John Mathers. Young kid always wanting to hear stories about the old west. He recently wanted to know about the location of Crazy Hole," Mel said.
Merijildo's eyes lit up, as he knew that the Apache Indians used the name Crazy Hole.
"Do you know where he lives?" Clint asked.
"No. He just visits me at the library," Mel replied.
"Thank you," Clint said then they watched while Mel walked away.
Clint and Merijildo watched while Mel walked down the sidewalk.
Down and across the street, unbeknownst to Clint and Merijildo, Bart and Charlie walked their horses down the sidewalk.
"We better ditch these horses," Bart said while he glanced at the stares everybody gave him.
"How will we get around to catch the Bandit?" Charlie asked.
Bart looked down the street and saw the Wild Cactus Saloon. "We'll wait until our friends show up. They'll help," Bart said. "They have faster horses than what we have."
Charlie smiled. Bart shooed the horses away.
They ran down the sidewalk with people moving out of the way of the horses.
Across the street, Mel walked twenty feet from the saloon when that strange feeling became extremely strong. He removed his wallet and opened it up, and he removed an old faded laminated photo.
It was the same photo Merijildo had back in 1883 that he thought he lost in Crazy Hole. But left it in the Marshal's Office floor.
A tear ran down Mel's cheek. "Great Grandfather!" he said while he turned around and looked back at Merijildo.
Then the same strange feeling came over Merijildo, and he looked back at Mel.
"What's the matter?" Clint asked when he noticed Merijildo.
"Me have strange feeling me know that old man," Merijildo said.
Clint glanced at Mel then he saw something across the street and his eyes widened with hatred. "You're under arrest Bart Stone and Charlie Chandler!" he yelled out.
Merijildo looked across the street and saw Bart and Charlie on the sidewalk.
Across the street, Bart and Charlie stood on the sidewalk behind a parked car with pistols aimed. Bart and Charlie fired shots at Clint.
People on the sidewalks on both sides of the street scattered for safe cover.
Clint ducked behind a parked car. He whipped out his pistol and aimed over the hood of the car. He fired a shot at Bart and Charlie. He sensed something wasn't right, and he glanced over and saw Merijildo on the sidewalk in pain. Merijildo was shot, and Clint got pissed aimed then fired another shot at Bart and Charlie.
Across the street in a coffee house, a table full of yuppies drank Latte's. A bullet shattered the coffee shop window, and the yuppies all screamed. Most dropped their Latte's on the table and floor, but one dropped his Latte in his lap. They ran to the rear of the shop in a girlish panic.
Back outside, Clint peeked over the hood of the car he ducked behind. "You're under arrest for killing Elmer," Clint yelled out.
"Mathers shot and killed him, not us," Bart yelled back.
Bart and Charlie aimed their pistol from the hood of the car. They both fired shots at Clint then ducked behind the car.
"Where's that kissing bandit kid?" Clint yelled then he took aim and fired a shot over the hood of the car.
"Don't know. But when we find him, he's dead," Bart yelled.
"Yeah. He stole our loot," Charlie added.
"The money was never yours. It belonged to the people of Oak Creek," Clint yelled.
Bart and Charlie took aim from over the hood of that car then heard police sirens. They ducked down by the fender. "It's those future lawmen, Bart," Charlie said.
"We better git, they might be pissed for us shooting at their fancy stagecoach," Bart said.
Bart peeked over the hood of the car. "Now!" he told Charlie.
They stood up and fired their pistols at Clint then ran down the sidewalk.
Bullets penetrated the front fender of the car Clint hid behind.
Bart and Charlie jumped over people who lay on the sidewalk for protection while they ran away.
Clint peeked over the fender and saw Bart and Charlie while they ran away.
He glanced over and saw Merijildo unconscious on the sidewalk. He rushed to his side where he saw the blood that oozed from Merijildo's left shoulder. Clint got concerned and felt Merijildo's neck for a pulse, and he looked relieved.
Mel ran over to Clint and Merijildo, worried that his great grandfather was dead. "Is he okay?" Mel asked Clint.
"He passed out," Clint said.
"Good. I thought my great grandfather was dead," Mel said.
His comment went over Clint's head at first then it dawned on him what he said. "What did you say?" Clint asked to make sure he understood Mel.
"I said, I thought my great grandfather was dead," Mel repeated.
"You're a great grandfather?" Clint asked.
"Yes, my name is Mel Lincoln," he said then removed his wallet and showed Clint the faded laminated picture that Merijildo recently showed him back in 1883.
Clint looked amazed at the picture. "He thought he lost it in Crazy Hole. Guess he didn't," Clint said.
"I figured you might have come from there," he said then looked down at Merijildo and smiled.
Farther down the street, Bart and Charlie ran down the sidewalk. Then they heard the sound of six Harleys. They looked and saw Bear lead the other Devil's Cowboys down the street while they headed to the Wild Cactus Saloon on their Harleys.
Bart and Charlie ran out in the street and waved Bear down.
Bear stopped his Harley, as did the rest of the Devil's Cowboys.
"Get us out of here. We had some trouble back there with a Marshal that's after us," Bart said.
"Hop on," Bear told Bart and Charlie.
Bart looked at the Harley and looked a little hesitant. He got on the back of Bear's Harley while Charlie got on the back of Jesse's Harley.
"We voted you in. You're now official members of the Devil's Cowboys," Bear told Bart.
"Good, now get us the hell out of here," Bart said.
The Devil's Cowboys turned their Harleys around and raced off in the opposite direction.
"Does time travel hurt?" Bear asked Bart while they drove down the street.
"It stings for a little bit," Bart replied.
Bear looked like he had a scheme in mind while they drove down the street. Bart and Charlie hung on a little scared.
Back at the Wild Cactus Saloon, two police cars screeched to a stop. Four police officers jumped out of their cars. They got their pistols out of their holsters and cautiously walked over to Clint with their pistols aimed.
"Put your gun down and lie down on the ground with your hands behind your back!" one police officer yelled.
Clint obeyed the officer's orders. "I'm the Marshal from Oak Creek. I'm here to arrest the Kissing Bandit, Bart Stone, and Charlie Chandler for murder," Clint said while on his stomach.
The police officer kept his pistol aimed at Clint while his partner handcuffed Clint. Another officer picked up Clint's pistol from the sidewalk.
Another police officer saw Merijildo unconscious with a bloody shoulder.
"We need an ambulance at the Wild Cactus Saloon," the officer said into his radio microphone.
Clint looked worried while one of the officers pulled him up on his feet.
Five minutes had passed and Channel 5 News Reporter Tony Martinez stood with a microphone in front of a cameraman.
Behind him, two police officers put Clint in the back of a police car.
From inside the police car, Clint looked around and saw the ambulance nearby.
Merijildo lay on a gurney as two EMTs loaded him into the back of an ambulance. Mel stepped on the rear bumper of the ambulance. The EMT stopped him.
"I'm his great-grandson," Mel told the EMT's.
The EMT allowed Mel inside the back of the ambulance.
Then it dawned on one of the EMT's what Mel just said. "Did he say great-grandson?" he asked the other EMT.
"That's what he said. The old geezer must be confused," the other EMT replied.
They closed the rear door and walked to the front and got inside.
The ambulance siren blared while it drove off down the road.