Chapter 17
The sun rose and shined through John's truck windows for the start of Tuesday morning. It was September 5th, 2006.
The sun hit John's face. He woke up and sat up in his seat. He had a splitting headache from the whiskey and a small knot on the side of his head where he hit his window sill. His eyes crossed, and he immediately opened up his door and ran out of the truck.
He bent over and vomited into the dirt. He stood up and looked around and remembered his situation.
He walked back to the truck and removed his backpack and duffel bag. He opened up the duffel bag and removed his cowboy hat and old western clothes. Nobody was in sight, so he quickly changed clothes. He left his 2006 clothes in the truck floorboard. He looked just like he did when he went back to 1883 minus his cartridge belt and pistol.
He shoved his backpack in the duffel bag and walked to the horse trailer and went inside through the side door.
John backed his horse out of the trailer. He got in the saddle of his horse with his duffel bag in hand.
He rode his horse off to the trail.
Back at Alicia's house, she cooked breakfast that consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, and coffee, and Clint acted like the gentleman and assisted.
They ate with idle chitchat, and after they finished, Angie and Alicia sat at the dining room table and drank coffee.
Clint went to the living room and played the piano, and his classical song sounded soothing.
Angie looked at the "Outlaws and Lawmen of Arizona" book. She looked at the section on "John Mathers; alias the Kissing Bandit" and saw the picture of John, Bart, and Charlie in Rattlesnake.
"This is so weird seeing John in a history book," Angie said while she stared at the old picture. "This is exactly what he wanted," she added. She took another sip of her coffee. "I thought he was flipping out with those stories of traveling back in time to become an outlaw."
"But there's now a strange twist. He recently bought back everything he stole," Alicia said.
"I don't have a clue on what he's up to," Angie said then closed the book.
Alicia looked over at Clint and smiled over the sight of him at the piano. "Hard to imagine a talented man wanting to become a western Marshal," Alicia said, then her eyes widened with an idea. "Clint, why don't you show me where Oak Creek was once located," Alicia yelled out.
Clint stopped playing the piano, and he got up and walked into the kitchen.
"We'll need some horses. I don't think that thing you call a car can make it in the mountains," Clint said.
"I know of a place where we can rent some," she said, then she looked over at Angie. "It would be safer if you stayed here. We have units on the lookout for the Devil's Cowboys," she added.
"Okay, I'll just chill and watch TV," Angie replied.
"Help yourself to anything in the fridge," Alicia said.
"Let's go, partner," Alicia said to Clint.
He smiled and assisted her out of her chair.
"I'm really loving this!" she told Angie.
Angie looked jealous while she watched Clint escort Alicia out of the kitchen. She remembered something; then he grabbed her cell phone, turned it on. She had a missed phone call from her mother, and she cringed that she forgot. She quickly punched in her mother's phone number.
"Mom, it's Angie."
"Where are you? Dad and I are worried, sick. You didn't call us with your flight information," her mom said in a panic.
"I'm so sorry. Something came up, and I didn't leave Phoenix."
"Are you alright?" her mom asked.
"I'm fine. Just some serious work stuff came up, and I was the only one that could fix it," she lied but didn't want to tell her the truth because that would worry her to death.
"Are you coming home soon?"
"Hopefully, in a couple of days," Angie replied.
"Okay, honey. Call us," her mother said.
"I will," Angie replied, then disconnected her call.
Angie laid her cell phone on the table and looked worried.
Elsewhere in the Phoenix area, Bear and the Devil's Cowboys left the trailer and rode to another friend's house in Apache Junction, where he picked up four pistols.
They rode off on their Harleys.
John rode his horse down Dutchman's trail to Miners Needle.
He stopped his horse thirty feet from Crazy Hole. He got out of his saddle, removed his shirt, then used it and covered his horse's eyes. He looked at Crazy Hole then looked the area over, as he wanted a last glance at 2006.
He walked his horse inside Crazy Hole.
He entered Crazy Hole and removed a flashlight from his duffel bag. He turned it on, and his flashlight illuminated the cave while he walked his horse deeper into Crazy Hole.
He soon came upon the Priest carving on the cave wall. He looked at the hole that remained after he dug up Bart's saddlebag. He reached in his duffel bag and removed the small transplanter. He looked at the hole then went to the left of it, and he started to dig.
Twenty minutes later, John dug up Charlie's saddlebag. He opened it, and there was Charlie's take on all the robberies. John shoved Charlie's loot in the duffel bag, but while he did that, he didn't notice an 1880 silver dollar fall out and drop back into the hole.
He looked at the tunnel to the right. "I want to go back to September 19th, eighteen eighty-three," he said.
He walked his horse into the tunnel with his saddlebag. The blue plasma light illuminated the tunnel while John was inside.
Back in 1883, blue plasma light illuminated Crazy Hole while John walked his horse out. He removed his shirt off the horse's head. He wore the shirt then looked around the area.
He looked back at Crazy Hole, and he knew he couldn't return. He hoped to somehow leave Angie a message that he loved her and extremely sorry he screwed up. He tucked his shirt in his jeans and got back in the saddle of his horse with his duffel bag in hand.
He saw four horses that grazed one hundred feet from Crazy Hole. He recognized two of them as being Bart and Charlie's horses. He suspected the other two belonged to Clint and the injured Indian.
He rode his horse off to the south with his duffel bag tied to his saddle.
Back in 2006, Bear and the Devil's Cowboys drove to another friend's house in Mesa. He picked up three more pistols, and then they drove off on their Harleys.
Alicia drove Clint to Rusty's Desert Horse Ranch and Stables.
She knew Rusty, as he was a detective she worked with when she first started. Rusty was kicked off the force after the department got sued when Rusty pistol-whipped a career child molester into a confession. He believed in the old ways of police work, and that wasn't accepted during these times. His wife then left him two months after that because of his heavy drinking. So he bought the horse ranch and tried to make it a successful business. But he spent some of his profits at the Devil's Playpen and loved to visit Melinda.
Alicia walked into the stable.
"Rusty, it's Alicia," she called out.
Rusty came out of a stall and saw Alicia. He smiled as it's been years since he's seen her. "Alicia, how have you been?" he asked while he walked over to her. He gave her a quick hug.
"Good, listen, this is Clint Bartley," Alicia said.
Rusty and Clint shook hands.
"You haven't been in here for a while to ride," Rusty said.
"I know, do you have two horses for us? We want a quick trip into the Superstition Mountains," she said.
"No problem," Rusty said then walked over to some stalls.
"How's business?" she asked.
"Terrible," he replied while he went into a stall and walked a horse out.
Thirty minutes later, Alicia and Clint rode off into the Superstition Mountains on some horses.
Bear and the Devil's Cowboys drove to another's friend's house in Avondale. They picked up an additional pistol, and then they drove off on their Harleys.
Alicia and Clint rode their horses for an hour, then Clint stopped at an area where there was nothing but flat ground and scrub brushes.
"This looks like where Oak Creek was located," Clint said, seeing the Salt River close by. He got out of the saddle of his horse.
Alicia got out of the saddle of her horse.
Clint looked around and saw some small pieces of wooden foundations in the dirt. "Yep, Oak Creek used to be here at one time. But there's nothing left of the place," Clint said.
"Nature has a habit of erasing evidence from a long-ago era," Alicia said while she looked the area over.
Clint looked around and saw a clump of brushes fifty feet away to the south. It looked familiar, and he ran to the bushes.
He stomped his way into the brushes and revealed a couple of old tombstones.
Alicia ran over to Clint.
"It's our old cemetery," Clint told her, then one of the tombstones caught his attention.
He moved deeper into the bushes. He looked at the tombstone and saw the faded letters. "Here lies Elmer Filson, Born August 9th, 1830, Shot September 17th, 1883 by Three Outlaws," his tombstone read.
Clint's eyes welled up as he brought back that horrible memory of Elmer's dead body in the dirt street.
Alicia pushed her way into the bushes. She saw Elmer's tombstone and noticed Clint was upset. She placed her hand on his shoulder for support.
"I'm sorry about your deputy," she comforted him.
"He was also a dear friend," Clint said while he got out of the bushes.
They spotted another tombstone to the left of Elmer's. "Here lies Peter Yoemans, Remains Found September fourteen, eighteen eighty, Cause of Death Unknown," Peter's tombstone read.
Alicia glanced at Peter's tombstone while they got out of the bushes, but didn't think anything of it.
Clint looked around the area that once was Oak Creek, and then he had a strong hunch. "I think it's high time I do my job and catch Elmer's killer," Clint said determinedly.
"We have APB's out, and every cop in Phoenix has a photo of them. Plus, we are now convinced they're with a motorcycle gang called the Devil's Cowboys." Alicia said.
Clint's hunch got stronger. "Can you take me to Merijildo?" he asked her.
"No problem," she said.
Clint looked determined while they walked back to their horses.
They got out of the saddles of their horses and rode away.
The Devil Cowboy's rode their Harley down a Phoenix street. Bart rode with Bear on his Harley while Charlie rode with Billy on his Harley.
They turned their Harleys down another street.
Bart's eyes widened, and he pointed straight ahead. He saw John's Mustang as he recognized the bullet holes in the rear.
"There's Mathers!" Bart yelled out while at the same time he whipped out his pistol.
The Devil Cowboys raced their Harleys after the Mustang.
Inside the Mustang, Rodney drove and had Cassie, a seventeen-year-old cheerleader in the passenger seat. Rodney knew he was going to get lucky with her. Those bullet holes in the rear impressed the hell out of her.
"Baby, you'll about to find out why they call me the Italian Stallion!" Rodney said with a cocky tone.
He leaned over and rubbed the inside of her thigh. She looked at him, and then here, eyes suddenly widened.
"Ahhhh!" she screamed and pointed at his door window in a panic.
He looked worried and pulled his hand off her thigh.
He looked out his window and saw Bart on the back of the Bear's Harley with a pistol aimed at them. Rodney screamed a girlish scream at the sight of Bart. He got so scared, he crapped in his pants, and then he realized what he did and looked sick.
Bart motioned at Bear to leave. "It's not Mathers," Bart said from the outside. Rodney and the cheerleader watched while the Devil's Cowboys raced off down the street.
Rodney blushed and lifted his butt off his seat. The Mustang swerved all over the road.
The cheerleader sniffed the air inside the car, and it stunk! She soon realized Rodney crapped in his pants. She got the dry heaves and rolled down her window. She stuck her head outside and sucked in the fresh air.
Rodney swerved the Mustang all over the road while he avoided sitting in his mess. She banged her head into the window, sill, and passed out. This is not what Rodney had in mind for his hot date.
Alicia and Clint rode their horses back to Rusty's Desert Horse Ranch and Stables. They turned in their horses and got back inside her car, and she drove off.
Thirty minutes later, the Devil's Cowboys rode their Harley's into the parking area of Rusty's Desert Horse Ranch and Stables. They parked their Harley's and walked to the big stable.
Inside the stable, Rusty finished putting Alicia and Clint's horses away in their stalls. He walked out of the stall and was surprised to be greeted by Bear.
"Hello, Rusty," Bear said with a smirk.
"Ah, Bear. What are you doing here?" Rusty replied, a little nervous.
"I need some horse riding lessons for me and the boys and then let us take the horses for a ride. And you will give us lessons for free," Bear said.
"Free?" Rusty replied, a little intimidated.
"Yeah, because Melinda will free the next time you visit. Heck, I'll even throw in Candy," Bear said.
Rusty thought about doing it with two girls, and he liked that idea. "It's a deal," he said then walked to another stall with a horse inside.
Back in 1883, John galloped his horse to Stone Creek.
He rode down the main street and looked fearful someone would recognize him as an outlaw. But while he rode deeper into Stone Creek noticed he was the Kissing Bandit.
He rode his horse between the bank and the building next to it. He stopped and got out of the saddle of his horse then he opened his duffel bag. He reached inside and removed the cloth bag marked Stone Creek.
John reached in his duffel bag, removed, and glanced at the note.
"To Whom It May Concern. I'm sorry for robbing your bank. Here's your money back. Please forgive me. John Mathers, alias The Kissing Bandit. I'll never rob again as I quit being an outlaw," John wrote previously on his note.
John tucked the note in the bag then set the bag by the wall of the bank.
He got in the saddle of his horse turned his horse around and rode away.
John rode out of Stone Valley then galloped his horse in the direction of Phoenix.
In 2006, Alicia drove Clint to the St. Joseph's hospital. She parked her car in the lot, and they walked to the hospital.
Inside his hospital room, Merijildo lay in his bed and pressed the buttons on the bed controls. The bed moved up, then it moved down. Merijildo had a ball while he repeated the up and downward movement of the bed, as it was like a carnival ride to him.
Mel read a magazine in a chair at the other end of the room. He smiled at his great grandfather while he watched him having a great time with the bed.
Clint and Alicia entered the room.
Merijildo saw Clint and smiled. "Clint, look at the fancy bed," Merijildo said while he used the control, and the bed moved up and down, having a ball.
"Could you please us alone?" he asked Alicia.
"No problem," she said, then left the room.
Clint walked over to Merijildo, who stopped the movement of the bed. "We're going back to Oak Creek." Clint turned to Mel. "Can you get us two horses and a rifle?" he asked.
"Sure. I'll call my son Victor. We have horses at our stable," Mel said, then opened up his cell phone and made a call.
Merijildo got out of the bed and walked to the bathroom door.
Clint looked while the backside of the gown flapped and exposed Merijildo's butt cheeks.
"Whoa. Merijildo. You can't go home dressed like that."
Merijildo felt his exposed butt cheeks. "I do feel drafty on my butt," he said.
Merijildo went inside his bathroom to change into his regular clothes.
"Victor, dad. I need you to pick me up at the St. Joseph's Hospital," Mel told Victor from his cell phone.
"Are you hurt?" Victor asked, extremely concerned.
"I'm fine. I'm with some friends, and they need a ride. Plus, have two horses and rifles ready," he told Victor.
"Horses and rifles? What's going on, Dad? I'm worried about you," Victor said.
"Don't worry. It'll make sense when you meet my friends and hear their story," Mel said.
"I'll be there," Victor replied.
Mel placed his cell phone in his pocket just as Merijildo came out of the bathroom in his 1883 clothes.
At Rusty's Desert Horse Ranch and Stables, the Devil's Cowboys received riding lessons.
Jesse sat on the horse and looked intimidated while his horse rode around in circles. Then his horse galloped, and Jesse leaned to the side and almost fell out of his saddle. He sat straight up, then he started to ride like a professional and looked like a cowboy.
Back in 1883, John rode his horse into old Phoenix. While he rode, nobody noticed him or mention that he was John Mathers, alias the Kissing Bandit, so he felt safe.
John rode around Phoenix until he found the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach office. He stopped his horse by the side of the office. He got out of the saddle of his horse, opened up his duffel bag, and removed a cloth bag marked "Lincoln" and a note.
"To Whom It May Concern. I'm sorry for robbing your stagecoaches. Here's your money back. Please forgive me. John Mathers, alias the Kissing Bandit. I'll never rob again as I quit being an outlaw," John previously wrote in this note.
John shoved the note in the bag, then laid the bag by the wall of the office.
He got in the saddle of his horse and rode off.
Later that day, John rode down three other streets of Phoenix. He finally rode upon the office of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company. He got out of the saddle of his horse, reached in his duffel bag, and removed a cloth bag marked "Southern Pacific" and a note.
"To Whom It May Concern. I'm sorry for robbing your train. Here's your money back. Please forgive me. John Mathers, alias the Kissing Bandit. I'll never rob again as I quit being an outlaw," John previously wrote in this note.
He dropped the note in the back, then placed the bag by the wall of the office. He looked at the sky and knew the night would be here soon. He got in the saddle of his horse and rode off.
John rode out of Phoenix and headed to the Superstition Mountains.
Back in 2006, at the St. Joseph's Hospital, Mel cracked open Merijildo's hospital room door. He peeked out and saw Alicia down at the nurse's station.
"Have any updates on the Devil's Cowboys?" Alicia asked Hector on her cell phone.
Alicia didn't notice Clint, Merijildo, and Mel while they sneaked out of the hospital room. They ran toward the elevators at the end of the hallway.
"Have everybody keep their ears and eyes open," she told him.
A Nurse at the station looked down the hallway, then her eyes widened and got upset. "Hey! He can't leave yet," the nurse yelled.
Alicia looked at the nurse then looked at down the hall. She saw Clint, Merijildo, and Mel waiting at the elevators.
She quickly put away her cell phone. "Where you going, Clint?" she asked.
The elevator doors opened, and Clint, Merijildo, and Mel rushed inside. The doors closed just at Alicia ran up to them.
Outside St. Joseph's Hospital, Victor drove his 2002 Chevy Silverado through the parking lot. He stopped by the front doors, and he waited then looked at the front doors, curious about what his father's antics.
The front doors slide open, and Mel, Clint, and Merijildo rushed out.
Mel saw Victor's truck, ran over to, and Clint and Merijildo followed.
Mel opened the passenger door for Merijildo, who looked amazed at the sight of a vehicle while he sat inside. Clint looked lost while he stared at the pickup, and Mel noticed.
"You can sit in the back," he said.
Mel got inside the cab, and Merijildo slid to the middle. Clint climbed in the bed of the pickup and sat down.
Victor drove off and looked at Merijildo, then at his father.
Merijildo looked around the truck in amazement. "What this strange thing called?" Merijildo asked Mel.
Victor looked concerned with his comment. "Did this old man escape from the mental ward of the hospital?" he asked.
"No. This old man is your great grandfather, Merijildo. He came from Crazy Hole," Mel told Victor.
"Oh," Victor said, as what he said didn't sink in. Then it hit him, and he slammed on his brakes. In the bed, Clint banged his head on the back of the pickup bed.
Victor looked at the back window. "Who is that guy in the back of the pickup?" Victor asked.
"Clint Bartley. He Marshal of Oak Creek," Merijildo said.
"Dad. I think we should take him back to the hospital," Victor said.
Mel removed his wallet and removed the old picture of Merijildo. He showed it to Victor. "Remember this?" he asked.
Victor looked at the picture then he looked at Merijildo. He quickly looked at the picture, and his eyes widened in shock. "Hello, great, great-grandpa. I'm your great, great, grandson," Victor said then extended out his hand to Merijildo.
Merijildo smiled and shook his hand.
Victor drove away through the parking lot.
Alicia rushed out of the hospital front doors. She stopped and looked around the area. Victor's pickup truck was already gone from the parking lot.
"Where did he go?" she said out loud while she scanned the area disappointed Clint was gone.
She walked over to her car in the parking lot.
Victor drove his pickup to his ranch. He parked by the garage, and they all went inside.
Later on, Victor, Mel, Merijildo, and Clint ate dinner and talked retreated to the back porch, where Merijildo told stories of their ancestors.
The Devil's Cowboys finished their riding lessons from Rusty.
They drove off in their Harley's back to the doublewide trailer. They immediately drank beer, and then the stress of horseback riding hit them, and they all fell asleep.
Alicia and Angie ate dinner and watched a movie.
Alicia was preoccupied with Clint's whereabouts.
Angie was preoccupied with John's locations.
They didn't pay close attention to the movie while they thought about their men.
Back in 1883, John camped out in the Superstition Mountains. He snacked on some beef jerky and snacks he bought at Wal-Mart in 2006. He finished and bedded down on his blanket in the dirt and stared at the star-filled sky. He wanted to kick himself in his butt for screwing up his life with his stupid outlaw obsession.
His eyes welled up while he wondered what he would do for a living in 1883 Dodge City. His duffel bag and backpack were secured to the saddle of his horse. The horse was tied to a nearby tree.
"Maybe I can be a bartender, that should be easy. All they seem to serve is a glass of beer and a shot of whiskey," he said to himself, then his eyes welled up. "I should have gone to college," he added.
He heard some critter of the night, and he jumped up startled. He quickly loaded his pistol with some bullets. He lay back down and kept a watchful eye on the desert.