Red came into the kitchen at the Old One’s looking pleased with herself. She dumped a brown paper package onto the table.
What you got there then, asked Tumbleweed.
Ah ha, said Red, Just the only piece of pink material in the store. The train brought supplies in yesterday, and I saw Mrs Hassett taking a huge bundle of stuff in. I nipped in quick and found her putting this up on the shelf.
Pink? said Riviera with more than a hint of incredulity. Pink? You’re serious?
Red ignored her, and shook out her treasure. See, she said, enough for two new shirts. I’ll get the Old One to help me cut them out tonight. Anyone want a new bandana from the scraps?
Nancy stuck her hand up, then quickly put it down again as Riviera raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow in her direction. Red saw it, winked and gave her a quick thumbs up behind Riviera’s back.
Just then Mule stuck her head in the door. Anybody seen Casey? she asked, I could do with her to help fix the wagon wheel.
In fact, nobody had seen Casey since the day before. Riviera went to check the barn and confirmed that Jet wasn’t there either. While Casey could take care of herself better than most, nonetheless with the bad feelings the Boss had towards the Storm Riders, Mule suggested they take a look round town to start with. They took a section each. Calypso said she’d go see the Sheriff, see if he knew anything, and Riviera and Steel looked in the direction of Uncertainty Row. If there was one place in town that somebody could disappear that was it. They both checked their guns and saddled up.
I’ll check Black Canyon said Scotia. Blackjack picked up a couple of ropes from the barn and headed out with her.
An hour, two cups of coffee, and three slices of Mrs York’s spiced pumpkin pie later, Calypso left the Sheriff’s office with a grin and went to see who she could find round town. It wasn’t long before she’d picked up everyone apart from Scotia, Blackjack, Riviera, and Steel, and moseyed them along to the railway station.
Ok, said Yorkie, what’re we doing here, and why is there suddenly all this secrecy involving Casey, and why are my boots covered in chicken feathers? Sure enough, there were piles of chicken feathers blown into corners everywhere.
The train’s coming in, said Calypso, and the Sheriff thought we might be interested.
PonchoCat laughed. And I thought my trainspotting days were over. Just let me get my knife out and I’ll etch an engine onto my belt.
Five minutes later and the platform rumbled as the train arrived in Determination for the second time. The whistle blasted from about 100 yards out, steam pouring from the engine chimney. And the whistle kept blasting out till the brakes brought the train grinding to a halt in front of them, steam curling out over their boots.
Goddang!! yelled Mule covering her ears. What does that driver think he’s playing at.
The whistle stopped and the train’s noised simmered down to a quiet hissing. Mule took her hands off her ears, and the whistle let out one last almighty blast right in front of her. She balled her fists and started towards the engine cab.
I’ll give him a good hiding, that noisy sonofa…. And she stopped.
Hey y’all, I’m steamin’ and a rollin’! shouted out Casey, and with a whoop she threw her hat out over the platform and swung out onto the engine step.
The Storm Riders stood and stared, except Calypso who strode over and shook Casey’s hand as she jumped down. Heard you’d got yourself a trip on a train yesterday, she chuckled, but what’re you doing back?
I’ll tell you what she’s doing back, said Mule, and decked Casey with a swift jab to the jaw. That’s for bursting my ear drums.
Casey laughed and held up her hand to Mule, who took it and pulled her back up.
You need to do some more heavy lifting, Mule, she chuckled, that punch would hardly tickle a bed bug! She shouted up to the other driver that she’d see him next week, then held her hands up to fend off questions as she let Jet out of the truck behind. They mounted up and started heading back to Old One’s when they heard shots from the direction of Uncertainty Row.
Hey Steel and Riviera are over there, yelled Calam. C’mon let’s get going!
They spun in that direction and rode fast.
Uncertainty Row was the pit end of Determination. Every low life, scum bag was drawn to the place, and the Boss did a good deal of his recruiting there as well as running half the operations. If you were new in town and feeling down on your luck, the Row would suck you in to the gambling, drinking, opium dens, and every sordid bit of trading you didn’t want anything to do with. The Mayor did nothing to help the Sheriff clean it up. He was in the Boss’s pocket and he got a good cut from the Boss to make sure town policies never could quite get a grip on the place.
The Riders rode through the Row towards where another three shots rang out near the gambling house. They leapt off their horses and ran to the door. Just as they got there a figure came crashing through one of the windows, knocking Bilbo off her feet. A weasely no good scrambled to get up, aiming a kick at Bilbo, who grabbed his foot and twisted it so he fell heavily. Vegas leapt over and knocked him cold with a single punch. A woman of some ill repute ran screaming through the door, followed by two drunks making a staggered get away. The sound of crashing, smashing, and yelps of pain came from inside. Casey looked at Mule and PonchoCat, and the three of them charged through the door guns drawn.
Steel was standing in the middle of the gambling room with a head under each arm, and arms and legs kicking and flailing behind her. She knocked the two heads together, and looked up at the Riders standing there. Riviera was at the top of the stairs pulling a coat over the head of what looked like an otherwise naked man, then she aimed a kick at his pasty rear end and he came crashing down the stairs.
Look out Steel, she yelled, and launched herself over the banister onto the bar top. Steel whirled too late as the bartender came up from behind his hiding place with his shotgun ready. He let off a shot just as Riviera’s boots slid along the bar, aimed a kick at the gun and jolted it upwards, then stunned him with a swinging kick to the back of the head. The shot missed Steel and took more plaster off the ceiling. That was enough for Steel who lunged forward and dragged him by his shirt over the bar.
Allow me, said Casey. Steel didn’t blink, she just held him up in front of her. Casey pulled her fist back, paused, took his chin in her hand and angled it better towards her, then let fly. He went straight down backwards, lifting dust and a floor board.
And that, said Riviera, is how it’s done. And she drummed a quick flamenco beat with her heels on the bar, clapped her hands together, and took a bow.
And you, said Steel, looking pointedly at Casey, you weren’t in here. Mind telling us where you’ve been.
Certainly, said Casey, and the Riders strode out and continued back to the Old One’s.
Well, said Mule as they rode down Main Street.
Nothing to it, said Casey, and she cast a quick wave over at the Sheriff’s office. Sheriff thought it was about time we made a point to the Boss, and I thought it might be easier if just one of us did it. No need to go getting into a big showdown. So at the railway opening yesterday I told him where he could shove his threats, jumped on the train and headed out. Normality’s only 15 miles across the border and the train pulled in there. I had me a look around and then signed up with the railroad. It’s been a long time since I drove an engine and I wanted that back.
Is that it then, asked Calam, are you heading out?
No way, said Casey, when the train comes to Determination the driver will have done a full shift, so I’m driving the train back, I’ll do a few shifts, travel about a bit, then I’ll ride back in from Normality and hang out here till the train comes through again, maybe bring the train in once in a while. You lot can’t do without me anyways. Look at the mess you made back there.
She chuckled, reached over and tipped Riviera’s hat off.
That evening was one heck of a good night. The Riders pushed back the bunks in the bunkhouse, brought the food down from the kitchen, and cracked open the beer and whisky. The Old One laughed as she looked round at her Storm Riders, singing, dancing, Casey and Blackjack in yet another card game, Riviera trying to get Calam to play flamenco, PonchoCat showing Scotia how to crack a whip and getting her whip taken off her by a stung Yorkie. They were all there, they were all happy. Spring had come to Determination and with it a new breath of life and hope.
