June 25, 1899

Tombstone. 

“Morning Ali,” I waved to her as I walked over to the saloon this morning. 

“Good morning! How are you today?” she smiled at me. 

“I’m alright, how are you?” I asked, waving over to Sirus in front of the hotel. 

“I’m doing just fine, thank you.” 

“Anythin’ exciting goin on around town today?”

“Been quiet since I got here.” 

“Hmm might just get some work done then,” I chuckled. 

“Didn’t get too much rest last night. Normally I would welcome the quiet in the morning. Today however, it’s making me want to close my eyes.” 

“Yeah, I can see what you mean there,” I nodded and pulled out my notebook. “Fallin’ asleep over there were ya, Si?” I looked over at him. 

Pet walked out of the hotel and smiled at me and Sirus and Ali. “Oh hello, you two. It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?” 

“Yeah, t’is the life I lead these days,” Sirus nodded. 

“Hey there Pet. Rather quiet.”

“Quiet huh? Well, let’s shake up the place,” Pet suggested as she waved to Ali. 

“Shake up how, Rev?” I asked. 

“Oh hmmm... I don’t know. I’m sure we can think of something,” she threw her head back and screamed, “It’s too dang quiet!” She smiled at us and said, “There, that should do it.” 

“Geez Pet, we’re awake,” I jumped at the shout. 

“Just checkin’,” she giggled. She looked up at the clock tower and asked, “What the heck is up there?” 

“You haven’t seen that yet, Pet?”

“Nope, I’ve been out of town a lot. What is it?” 

“Clocks have been stolen. Someone wrote ‘It’s time to let my people go’ on all four sides.”

“Who would want the clocks?” 

“Can’t do much without anyone else taking my back on things. I need to hire a bodyguard.”

“Oh now that’s a perk. What do they need to do?” 

“Keep me safe since I don’t seem to have a partner to do so. Richie won’t wear guns... I can’t do the job well by myself without gettin’ kidnapped or threatened.”

“Ya know what ya need instead?” 

“What do I need?” 

“Ya need a loud mouth, down and dirty, get in your face broad! She’ll run ‘em all away. That’ll work.” 

I chuckled and watched as Bee walked over and then Skyla came and joined Sirus. The group continued their morning banter and I listened to them, trying to wake myself up. 

“So Trin, about the missing items,” Skyla started. 

“You mean the clocks?” 

She nodded and said, “We need Wedge, I fear, or another ranger. I cannot make the track without one sadly.” 

“Yeah there’s no way we can retrieve them on our own, even if we might know where they are. Well sure that too.”

“And a wagon in case we find ‘em.” 

“Mmhmm.” 

“I wonder who has a wagon I can use... Gonna have ta go all over hell in creation,” Sky shook her head with a straight face but then smirked. 

“Not much I can do about it on my own, Sky. I need a bodyguard. Someone I can trust to protect me before I go wanderin’ outside of town again,” I said. 

“I hear that, I do. Hopefully we’ll find ya one soon.” 

“Wish that nephew of yours were around.”

“Yea, he comes and goes a lot... His uncle tries ta keep him on his toes.” 

“I see,” I chuckled. 

“If you see Wedge will ya send him my way?” Sy asked. 

“Sure will.” 

“Good good,” she smiled. 

Sky and Sirus bantered back and forth and I smiled as I watched them. We met a woman who had been away from town for a couple of years and she told me her name was Shaya. They talked about shopping in Wislow and then Jess and a man named Blue came over to talk with us.  They talked about how packed Kate’s was the night before and what a great night it was. 

***

This evening I received a wire from Skyla saying that she needed to talk to me. I went to the hotel and retrieved some coffee and was surprised when Alvin waved at me. 

“Hey folks,” I nodded to them as I walked back over with my coffee. 

“How have you been miss detective?” Alvin asked. 

I gave a short glance to Punk and shrugged, “Alright I guess. Haven’t seen you in a few days, Al.”

“Yeah... I’ve been on uhm.... Vacation.” 

“Vacation huh? Feeling all relaxed and refreshed and whatnot?”

“Mayor gave me a free 3 day vacation,” he said and I chuckled softly. 

“He send ya anywhere nice?”

“Hell, I slept most of the time, so I don’t know. “

Ya’ii walked over then as well as Sage, and I listened to them talking about how the man who hurt Little Chief had payed the Apache way and how he missed a good fight. Ya’ii asked how I was doing and I told her about what had been happening in town. Ali and Gabe said goodnight and then I looked over to Punk, not wanting to walk over to the office without being escorted. 

“Hey Punk?”

He raised an eyebrow at me and asked, “Detective?”

“Can you do me a favor? I know this is gonna sound out of the blue but... Can you walk me back to the office? I just don’t feel safe walkin’ around alone out there.”

He walked up closer to the edge of the boardwalk and raised the other eyebrow. “What’s going to happen with you from here to there? Not like there’s anyone that would try and harm little poor old you.”

“You’d be surprised. Please?” I asked, not liking begging but not wanting to take any chances. 

He let out a sigh of annoyance and shook his head. “Fine.” 

“Thank you,” I smiled and lead the way to the office. 

Inside, I saw a sealed envelope on my desk and looked at Punk with confusion. I opened the envelope and hesitated before reading it out loud, looking at Punk as I read: 

“ TO PINKERTON:  

WE EAR YOO BEEN LOOKIN WEAR YA SA’POSE NOT TO.

‘MEMBER TIS A WORNING!! THERE NO TIME EAR!!!

THERE BE VERY “BOOMIN’” CONS’ICKENS IF’N YA’ STICK YA’ KNOWS WEAR NOT SA’POSE TOO!

WE WATCHIN’ YOO!! WE LET YOO NO DEMUNDS SOON!!

YOO BEEN WORNED!! 

It’s time to.. LET MY PEOPLE GO!!!

SIGNED

XX”

I blinked, reading the letter, and looked over at Punk with fear in my eyes. He gave me a sympathetic nod and asked, “What the hell have you gotten yourself into now, Trin?”

I shook my head and tried to control my emotions in front of him. “Ghenna... They must be talking about...”

He nodded slowly nd walked a bit closer. “Let me see that.” 

I handed him the letter and asked, “You know about Ghenna?”

He read the letter carefully and then says, “Well, judging from the verbiage and grammer, these fellas don’t seem to be too bright.” He waved the letter by me and cast a puzzled look at me then. “Ghenna? You been snoopin’ around Ghenna?!”

I stepped back slightly out of the metaphorical line of fire and looked at him with a sigh. “I was doing my job. Lot of good it did me.” 

He handed the letter back to me and said, “Well, you can tell a lot from the way they wrote this letter. Obviously, they are implying some sort of ‘loud’ consequence for you.” He rubbed at his chin and I nodded grimly. “Boom? Only one thing that can make a sound like that.”

“What am I supposed to do? Stop doing my job?” I sighed. 

“Well what the heck are you supposed to do? You don’t really do your job very well,” he chuckled. 

I glared at him and said, “I already feel guilty enough, Punk... I’m sorry, I can’t keep callin’ you that. I should just call you Blake... it’s more normal.”

“Whatever happened to Poe?” he laughed. 

I briefly remembered making out with him in the hotel room in Bisbee and then shook my head. “Poe was a liar. At least Blake tells it like it is.”

He looked at me, a bit more seriously this time, with what appeared to be some kind of agenda behind his look. “Well, is this about that missing clock tower? What do you plan to do.”

I sighed, “It’s not like there’s anything I can do. Just because I know where it is don’t mean I can go out there and carry it home.”

“Well where do you think is it?” he nodded. 

“Don’t matter. It’s out of my hands now anyway. I just... want whoever sent this note to get that.”

“Some people maybe able to help you with that, that quote was from something biblical in nature.”

“Of course it was. Moses said it to Pharaoh.”

“Take the letter.. let’s see if anyone at Kate’s may have be of some help.”

“Yeah, I might. I just... I should get some rest or try to. Seems like tomorrow will be a busy day.”

“Well, around this time.. you get more mouths talkin’ at Kate’s. But if you have to rest, then go ahead.” 

“I guess I should. Blake... thanks for this,” I took the letter back from him and set it in a drawer. “I appreciate your help. Think I’m just gonna curl up in one of these chairs here with the door locked.”

He nodded, his gaze following the drawer, and said, “Perhaps, tomorrow then. And next time some outlaw tries to shoot you, just tell them my name, will ya?”

I smiled at him and wanted to reach out and hug him but just sighed, “I will. Thanks, Blake...”

He nodded with a smile before turning towards the door. “Well, don’t tell them Blake.. tell them it’s Punk.” He rose one hand to wave goodnight before walking out the door. “Sweet dreams, Agent Paige.”

I curled up in a chair and tried to sleep, hearing the door click locked as it closed.