DisPLACEd: The Iron Horse

Chapter Twenty

Reb knocked and entered the caboose, seeing the light was still on inside. "Hey."

Aadita looked up from her book, giving a tired smile. "Hey."

"No change?" Reb asked, her eyes flicking to Dodge.

"No. He's been out for a few hours, since the last dose."

Reb closed the door and stepped forward. "Yeah, about that. I don't think it's such a good idea for you to be here at the moment."

"What do you mean?"

"Things are getting pretty bad out there. They're angry at Dodge and I don't want you getting caught up in it."

Aadita considered Reb's words, surprised by the genuine look of concern in her eyes. "I can't leave him. He's my patient."

Reb nodded. She had already known the answer before she came in there. "Promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise."

Reb walked back to the door, resting her hand on the knob. "It might be a good idea to let him start to wake up now, too. If they come for him, he'll need to defend himself." With that, Reb left.

Aadita set her book down and stood at the side of the bed. She placed the chloroform and cloth inside one of the drawers. Watching him closely, she noted the steady rise and fall of his chest. His forehead was no longer covered in sweat, and the rasping as he breathed had settled. He would be OK. That is, if the men on the picket line didn't have something to say about it.

Ryan knew he would find Harley in the dance hall. "Come on, let's go." He walked right up to her, grasping her arm and leading her to the door.

She pulled away from him. "What are you talking about?"

"We need to stay together. Reb's getting Aadita and then we'll go get Jake." He reached for her again but she dodged him.

"What's happened?" She knew tensions were high, but nothing to warrant this reaction.

"Nothing...yet. But they're angry, they're drunk, and they're itching for a fight."

Harley looked back to Kate who stood alone at the bar. The other girls were taking a much needed break after their last few days.

Kate saw the hesitation in the girl's eyes. "Listen to the boy, Harley. We're down to our last couple of bottles. You don't want to be here when they're cut off."

"We can't just leave you to deal with them." Harley crossed her arms and turned back to Ryan, trying her best to look stalwart. "I'm staying here. You can get me if you need me."

"No," he stated plainly.

"No?" She mimicked his posture.

He reached for her again but she dodged him. "Harley!"

"Leave me alone, Ryan." Harley walked away from him.

Ryan opened his mouth to argue but gave up. He turned with a huff and left.

"Close that curtain boy," Dan barked at Jake. He sat at his desk, attempting to appear calm. A cigar was held aloft in his hand, a slight tremble giving away his nerves. He was a military man, but here he was severely outnumbered and without a proper weapon. Those odds disturbed him.

A rattle and thud sounded from the back of the caboose, causing Dan to drop his cigar. He fumbled with it and stamped it out in the ashtray.

The telegraph officer hurried in, his eyes wide and hair a mess.

"David, where did you come from?" Dan questioned him.

"The back window, sir. Many men are out the front," he spoke between gasping breaths.

As if on cue, the shouts from outside grew louder.

"When are the troops arriving?" Dan asked, turning in his chair.

"Th-They're not, sir."

Jake stepped away from the window. "What? Why?"

David looked from Jake to Dan, not sure who to deliver his answer to. "They are busy dealing with the clashes at the Powder River Country. They said they will get here when they get the chance, but it's not their first priority. They...They are not Durant's biggest fans, sir."

Dan's jaw clenched. "Tell no one," he instructed David.

"Yes sir." David did an awkward bow and left for the back room to exit via the window.

"So what are we going to do?" Jake asked.

"I am going to continue running this railroad until Mr Durant returns." Dan began shuffling through papers on his desk.

"I'll be right over here," Jake mumbled. He turned back to the front window and the events outside.

Hell on Wheels was silent. It wasn't unusual for early morning, but a heavy blanket of tension shrouded the town. Jonathan emerged from the fog, followed by three men. One guided a horse, the strap wrapped around his hand. His other arm was slung over it's neck, providing a comforting caress.

Drunken men laid passed-out in the dirt, their snores singing a cacophony. The picketers had devolved into a shamble of a group after midnight, no longer able to form a coherent line.

Jonathan and his companions stepped over and around them, weaving their way toward a cart filled with construction tools.

The track in front of them had suffered the brunt of the aggression. Metal laid in twisted heaps, dirt clumps and rocks scattered along the path. Surprisingly, the town was still standing, relatively unscathed.

"Are ya sure this's a good idea Johnny?" One of the men asked. His moustache twitched as if it could feel the worry, too.

"Shhhh." Jonathan put a finger to his lips. He spoke in a whisper: "We need ta go back ta work 'fore they lay us all off. This is tha only way I can get out West. I'm not lettin' Eli mess it up for me." Jonathan grabbed hold of the cart and reached out for the horse's lead. He tied the two together, giving a few tugs to secure it. "Get in tha cart."

The three men moved to the back of the cart. The first jumped up, reaching back to help the next up. The last had just given Jonathan a nod and swung one leg onto the transport when he was yanked backwards, hitting the ground with a thud.

Jonathan turned in time to see Eli's fist right before it impacted his face, knocking him down. He looked up through blurred vision. He and his companions were outnumbered two-to-one.

"Where d'ya think you're going Five Strikes?" Eli bent down and grabbed Jonathan's collar, lifting him slightly.

Jonathan's hands grasped the same spot, trying to hold himself up. "Let go of me Eli."

Eli looked back to his friends. "Did you hear that boys. Five Strikes thinks he can talk like a man."

His lackeys laughed, continuing to rough-up the other three men.

"Why don't we see if Johnny is as grown as he thinks he is." Eli pulled Jonathan to his feet. He took a step back, raising his fists. "Come on then. Show me what ya got."

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