Yankton

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Montana

As soon as I entered the Gem my nose was immediately assaulted by another kind of stench. I've been in some pretty crummy dives in my life but none of them have ever smelled this bad. Bad whisky, vomit, stale cigar smoke, p***y dead mice and God knows what else all mixed to create a "cologne" a fifty gallon drum of glade couldn't cut. I slowly made my way to the bar carefully looking around at the clientele. Miners, saddle tramps, s**t shovelers all sat around nursing their drinks or playing cards and chuck-a-luck the forerunner of keno. Approaching the bartender, I casually asked, "I'm looking for Montana." The bartender studied me for a moment then said, "she's with a customer right now." "No problem," I replied, "I'll wait." The bartender shrugged, and replied "suit yourself mister, gonna buy a drink?" "Yeah, gimmie a beer." When he came back with my beer, I gave him a dollar gold piece and said keep the change but when miss Montana shows up tell her I'd like to speak with her OK?" The man looked at me funny, and replied, "Sure mister."

I was about to find a table when a couple men slid up next to me, dressed in an odd assortment of clothing one of them asked me, "Mighty strange looking pistol you're packing there, mind if I ask what kind it is?" Turning to him and smiling, I replied, "Sure, it's a model 1911 Colt automatic. It fires a .45 caliber round, holds seven rounds in the magazine, it weighs approximately three pounds with a loaded magazine, and has a maximum effective range of fifty meters, and mister it will definitely ruin your day if it has a need to talk to you, any more questions?" I could see the expression change on the mans face and I knew what was coming next, but his partner put his hand on the mans shoulder, and quietly said, "Don't Frank, we don't need this right now." The man stood there for a moment glowering at me then turned and the two men left the saloon. I relocated to a small table to study my surroundings. As I sipped on my beer I looked around and thought to myself, "If this Swearingen guy tried to operate a place like this in 2013 the state as well as the feds would shut him down in a New York minute.

I was watching men trying there luck on the chuck-a-luck wheel when I felt the presence of someone slide into the chair next to me, without even looking I knew it had to be Montana unless men wore cheap perfume in 1876. "Bartender says you're looking for me?" Turning around I stared into the face of a vary attractive woman even by modern standards. Light brown hair pulled back with what were considered bangs in this time, green eyes, and nice lips. "Two things," I said, One…Ford Chevy, and this." tossing the small envelope in front of her she gave me the oddest stare, almost like I was a ghost. She sat there for a moment before opening the letter and reading. When she was finished, she continued to look at me for a long moment. "So your Brian Yankton?" I nodded, "Marsh is dead?" nodding again I replied, "about a month ago, bone cancer, but they had him doped with enough morphine so he wasn't feeling any pain." She then looked around the place and quietly said, "Can you help me get out of here?" I studied her for a moment then said in my best Clint Eastwood imitation, "This Swearingen asshole must be a real great guy to work for, I've got a young lady up at my place already on the run from this fucker, she says he tricked her into coming out here thinking she was going to work in a hotel, instead she finds out he wants to turn her into a w***e, two of Swearingen's gorilla's are lying dead because of it." Her eyes got big and she started to say something when a voice bawled out, "Montana! We've got a paying customer here requesting your services, now if you're quite ready." I turned to see a medium sized man with whiskers giving us the stink eye, "That him?" I asked. She nodded, and said, "If you're truly willing to get me out of here I'm ready to go.

'He's going to claim I owe him a hundred dollars but that's bullshit, I owe him nothing. Watch out for Mike and jack there next to him they'll just as soon kill you as to look at you." I took a deep sigh and said, "Let's do it," and stood up. Swearingen and his goons approached thinking Montana hadn't heard him, blocking his way while Montana scooted around them I said, "The lady has decided to terminate her employment with you Swearingen." "Who the f**k are you?" he asked glaring at me. "The man who took care of those two monkeys you sent to bring that sweet young lady back, and the man whose gonna escort miss Montana safely out of this s**t hole, now if you don't mind please move aside, your clogging up my sinus's with your body odor. Immediately his walloper's made their move one that I was ready for. When I was in the marines one of my buddies taught me a mix of Korean kick-boxing and karate, I caught the first man full in the neck with a flying kick snapping his neck immediately, followed by a roundhouse punch to the other man's solar plexus driving upward driving his stomach up into his esophagus causing a geyser of blood to blast out of his mouth. Swearingen caught short by the immediate loss of his men attempted to take a swing at me, but I caught him in the leg with a powerful kick dropping him like a sack of potatoes. As he lay writhing on the floor I dropped down next to him and stuck the tip of my Ka-Bar into his throat, and growled, "Listen up f**k-face, I'm taking Montana away from here, likewise that young lady you were going to turn into a w***e. come after me and I'll kill you, the best part of it is you won't see it coming. Every time you step out into the street or stand out on your balcony could be the last moment of your life. I won't announce myself. Or let you know where I'm at, all you'll know is that your f*****g head is blowing up." Pushing a little deeper, I added, "Got that?" "Yes, yes, don't kill me," he gasped. Standing up I noticed Montana holding a carpet bag and indicating the door Shouting to the room I said, "Anybody want's to leave dickweed here says it's OK and he won't hold it against you!"

Carefully backing out of the front door Montana and I hurried up the street, we didn't speak until we were halfway up the hill towards my house. I considered myself in pretty good shape, but humping up this hill was tough, "This is worse than humping the 'Stan," I muttered. Montana's ears perked up, "The "Stan," what's that?" "Just a place where I killed a lot of people," I muttered between breaths. Arriving at the cabin, I knocked heavily on the door, "Miss Bishop, it's me, Yankton, I'm unlocking the door, so don't shoot OK?" When I unlocked the door I noticed that the professor had installed a top of the line Schlage lock and deadbolt, he must have known something. Upon entering, Melonie came out from one of the small rooms holding the Colt in her hand, "Miss Bishop, it seems we have another refugee from Mr. EA Swearingen, this is Montana, AKA Abigail Carter." At that Montana made a feeble attempt to hit me, "Don't call me that, I hate that name, it's Montana, and just Montana, got that?" "If you say so ma'am," I replied, however I think Abbie is a nice name, I've known a couple "Abbie's" in my time, one was a really squared away marine." Montana gave me a strange look as if my comment didn't register. "Well MISS Montana," I replied, gesturing towards Melonie, "This is miss Melonie Bishop who also had a run in with Swearingen earlier today."

"I remember seeing you," said Montana, "Swearingen wanted to turn you into a w***e, that's another reason I wanted out of there, he's done that with too many innocent girls lately, I make no apologies for what I am, but I became a w***e willingly, the girls he brings out here from the east don't." Montana then reached over and shook Melonie's hand. Melonie then gave me a concerned look and said, "Sir, um, nature is calling might I go outside to the privy, her red face indicating her embarrassment at even having to bring the subject up. "Actually Miss, I don't recall seeing one out there.

Pointing to a door, I asked, "What's in there?" "I don't know sir, I haven't looked," replied Melonie. I went over and opened the door, "Hot damn, it's a toilet," I exclaimed, "Kinda looks like one of those fancy composting things." Turing to both women I said, "Here's your privy, it appears that there's a small sink in here as well, I know how you ladies don't like talking about these things, but these toilets are designed to compost the waste the urine…" "We get the picture Mr. Yankton," injected Montana. "Yeah, I think we'd better figure out how to operate this thing, let's check it out," I replied. Reading the instructions printed on the stool I explained to both of them how the device operated, both were completely amazed and marveled at it's design. Tapping on the toilet Melonie said, "What is this material, it's not wood, it doesn't feel like metal, most curious." "Miss Bishop," I replied, "It's called plastic and that toilet is not a product of this century, go ahead and use it, I'll explain later." I checked the small plastic sink with it's one tap which produced a weak stream of water, "It appears that this sink is mainly for washing your hands after using the potty," I observed. Glancing around the cabin, I noticed two small rooms, no doubt bedrooms, a kitchen area with a tin sink with a hand pump, as well as a wood cooking stove with what appeared to be a large cylindrical tank, no doubt for hot water which upon closer inspection revealed a line coming out of it with a faucet. There was an area in one of the corners surrounded by a couple of those dressing partitions you see women standing behind in westerns. Sure enough there was a metal bathtub just waiting for "Saturday night."

Melonie continued to comment over the fancy toilet when I invited both women to have a seat at the table, whereby Montana asked me, "I'm curious, Mr. Yankton, what exactly are your intentions concerning miss Bishop and I?" "Yes," added Melonie, I was wondering the same thing." "I've also got a few other questions about you as well," said Montana, but those can wait, are we to become your personal harem or is there some darker purpose in that mind of yours?" I stood up and announced to both women, "Ladies, we have a lot to discuss, and I have a lot of explaining to do, but first off, would any of you like anything to drink." "Whatcha got?" asked Montana, "Just a minute," I replied, "I'll be right back." I just now realized that the iron door to the tunnel was disguised on this side with paneling to hide it from curious eyes, after a few moments trying to figure out to open the door, I finally found a hidden catch which caused the door to open, "One moment ladies." I returned from the chamber dragging a Coleman cooler, as well as a box of MRE's, along with my laptop and camera setting the box of rations as well as the laptop and camera on the table, I opened the ice chest. "Well let's see I've got Coors and Corona, um that's beer to you ladies, and oh yeah, got some Mountain Dew here as well." By now, both women were poking through the box of MRE's and looking at my laptop. I opened a Corona long neck and handed it to Montana then asked Melonie what she wanted. "I don't partake of alcohol Mr. Yankton." "Well here's a Mountain Dew then, it's called a soft drink, non-alcoholic." Since it was in a can Melonie looked puzzled by the pull tab. "Sorry," I replied, and opened it for her, she still looked at the can so I apologized for my boorishness and found a drinking glass in one of the cupboards.

Montana then gave me another one of her "looks," and pointed to all the stuff on the table, "Care to explain all this…Paraphernalia as well Mr. Yankton?" Before I could answer, she half-way held up her beer and said, "This is quite good beer, and ice cold, but this bottle is quite unfamiliar to me Corona, and brewed in Mexico of all places, however I just see more questions." "Quite right miss Montana," I said, but first I think a couple things need to be established first. One, as far as my intentions go, they are totally honorable," pointing to one of the small bedrooms, I continued. "I'll put the other bed in there so you ladies can share that room to sleep in, I will always ask permission before I come in, if for any reason any one of you turns me down I will stay out, I brought my own bedding, so I will use that other room. As far as cooking goes, I prefer to play that one by ear, if any of you feel like cooking something feel free to jump right in, however I'm a pretty fair cook in my own right so I don't mind doing the cooking, in fact I've got some dishes I think you ladies might like."

Lastly, I've been thinking about the three of us, how about this, how about we form a temporary three-way partnership, a partnership of mutual interest. We stay together for as long as we all agree things are to our liking, I have things I wish to accomplish, and I'm sure you two do as well, if nothing else than for the adventure, so I purpose that whatever our differences may be, we all go forth, what say you ladies?" Both of them looked at each other, then at me, then Montana spoke. "Answer our questions first Mr. Yankton, for starters, who are you really, and what are you doing here?"