November 11, 1899

Tombstone. 

Watson and I rode out towards the fort and saw Matt and Suzy standing at the entrance. “Morning folks,” I greeted them and they said hello back. 

“You know the cavalry payroll was attacked in Pearce Saturday right?” Suzy asked me. 

“Yes, indeed. We got there at the tail end of it,” I nodded. 

“I was stuck in Benson...” Matt sighed. 

“Ok need to find out who else was involved besides Rikki,” Suzy told me. 

“We can offer our detective services if you need assistance with that.”

“Great, hope you can find out,” she smiles. 

“The rumor has it that Ansar was involved as well..” Matt smiled. “Trin can find the others.. she is good at that.” 

“Yes, I saw Ansar there,” Suzy nodded. 

“Ansar’s still around, huh? And thanks, Ranger,” I smiled at Matt. 

“Trin, you know the Ghenna tunnels?” 

“I’ve never been in them personally, but I’ve heard of them, yes,” I looked over at Matt knowingly. 

“Why don’t you come with us? I’ll show them to you a bit.” 

I nodded and followed them off to Ghenna. 

Ghenna. 

We stopped at the entrance and I followed them inside the tunnels, staying close to Matt. It was impressive with all the different passageways and the water flowing through them ankle-deep. We walked up the ladder to the roof and I couldn’t help but breathe easier now that we were outside. 

“This is quite the view...” I looked around. 

“Okay, see where we are now,” Suzy said. “You can cover most the town from here. See they have it set up so they can run from roof top to roof top.” 

“Are the tunnels own by anybody or just need to be careful who we encounter inside?” Matt asked. 

“Mostly outlaws use it to sneak around and hide,” she replied. 

“Very well...” 

“I’ve heard about it a lot recently.... things happening in those tunnels,” I put in. 

“So if your looking for someone in Ghenna, have some through the tunnels and come up here others come up the hill,” she suggested. “Come on, follow me.” 

“This will require a lot of scoutin’,” Matt nodded and we continued to follow through the town. 

As I was walking along one of the ramps, I fell and landed on my ankle hard. Grabbing for it in pain, I heard Matt call, “Trin... Where are you?” 

“I... entrance of town,” I looked around, blinking. 

“She is here, Captain!” Matt shouted to Suzy and they came down to the ground where I was laying. 

“I think I... twisted my ankle... Damn narrow pathways,” I muttered, feeling it swell. “I need help getting up here... I think I can limp it just... it’s starting to swell.”

“Can you ride your horse, Trin?” Matt helped me stand. 

“Good thing Watson’s still around,” I got up onto the horse with Matt’s help, feeling my ankle throb with pain. 

“So now you know a lot of the secrets of Ghenna,” Suzy said. 

“Indeed, .. and will require more exploring...” Matt nodded. 

“I don’t intend to explore it on my own, that’s for sure,” I said. 

“Yes the tunnels are easy to get confused in,” Suzy agreed. 

Matt noticed the flag on one of the buildings and asked, “Is this the place for the Wild Bunch?”

“Yes,” Suzy nodded and I remembered when Jac had showed me the hideout months ago. 

“He will take you safely to the clinic...” Matt pet Watson’s nose. 

“Yeah... Should get this ankle wrapped. I’ll look into this, Suzy... Find out who was involved.”

We split up then and I rode towards Allen Street again, figuring I’d have better luck finding a doctor there. 

Tombstone. 

I limped into the clinic and looked up when I saw Libby enter. I held my ankle in pain and she asked, “Miss Trin... what’re you doin’ in here all by your lonesome?”

“Waiting for a doctor... I kinda sprained my ankle over in Ghenna... Rode here to see if anyone was around... We were doing some investigations and I fell off one of those narrow ramps and...”

“Well let me wash up and I’ll take a peek and see what ya have goin’ on there,” she nodded. 

“It’s swelling and throbbing pretty badly.”

Libby washed up and got some gauze out and some other medications. She turned towards me and said, “You know, that Ghenna sounds like a dangerous place.... I only walked through the streets of it once... but dang if I don’t hear more folks gettin’ hurt up that-a-way.” 

“It sure is... It’s not a place I’d go on my own, that’s for sure. We’re trying to look into this whole attack on the payroll on Saturday...”

Libby left the supplies on the counter and came over to me. “I’m going to guess it’s that ankle there,” she pointed to my swollen ankle. “You sure are busy these days... I reckon that’s a good thing... but I do hope you take rest now and again.” 

“It is... We needed more cases and I went out to the fort to see if they needed our help. Didn’t think we were gonna go to Ghenna.”

She sat next to me and looked over the ankle. “I’m gonna try to be gentle as I can ma’am... but I am pretty sure this is gonna hurt a bit when I get to pokin’ and proddin’.” 

“I trust you, Libby... Thank you for being here... It hurts like heck. Gonna be riding around everywhere I think.”

Libby gently checked the range of motion on my ankle and slid my boot and sock off, rolling up my pant leg a bit. “I reckon so... this sure is sprained real good. At least you didn’t break it.” 

I winced at the pain as it pierced through my foot and nodded, “Glad it’s not... broken...”

“I’m goin’ to put a poultice on it, and wrap it to keep it as still as we can. I’d recommend a cane for while ya recover... to keep from puttin’ too much weight on it. Since I know tellin’ you to keep off of it is just like me whisperin’ into the wind,” Libby grinned. “But when you are restin’... keep it elevated.” 

“Yeah... you know me too well, don’t you, Libby?” I smirked a bit. 

“Well enough, ma’am!” she laughed and started to combine some ingredients into the mortar, grinding them and making a pungent and menthol-scented concoction. She started to count out twelve white pills and put them in an envelope. She brought it and a funny contraption made of light metal over to where I was sitting. 

“What is that?” I looked at the metal thing with confusion. 

Libby spread a cloth over her lap and brought my foot to rest on her knee. “It’s a new thing... got it not long ago, supposed to be a kind of ankle splint... figured we could try it out on ya,” she said and started to apply the poultice to my ankle. 

I sniffed at the smell and winced a bit, “That smells nasty.”

She rubbed a lot of poultice on the ankle and said, “This should work on gettin’ that swellin’ down some... and there’s a bit of opium in there, too, which should work on the pain some.” She wrapped a layer of gauze around the arch of my foot and then up to just above the ankle, then slid the splint over my heel so the long part extended up around my ankle, then tightly wrapped the gauze around it and secured it with safety pins. 

When I cringed at the word ‘opium’ she handed me the envelope of pills and said, “This here is Aspirin... will help with pain and the swelling... and won’t cloud yer mind or anything like that.... Take one or two every eight hours, with food or milk. There ain’t much opium in that poultice... just enough to numb up yer ankle a bit ... maybe last an hour or two.” 

“Just some... bad memories with opium,” I nodded. 

She helped work my sock and shoe back on and said, “Yer boots will wear a bit tight with that splint on... but that’s alright... will help keep that ankle from bendin’ every which way. I reckon we’ve all had some bad experiences with that stuff.” 

“That’s good... How long do I gotta wear the splint for?”

“A week... at least... especially if you’re walking around,” she said and we heard the door open. “Hey there Max!” she greeted the boy as he came into the clinic. 

“Mis Trin!” Max held me a cookie. “Don’t get dead! I’m sorry!” 

I smiled a bit and took the cookie from him. “Thanks hon. Oh I won’t... It’s just a sprained ankle.”

“You’re fixin’ to be a doctor, Max?” Libby looked from me to him. 

“Good to see you back in normal clothes, Max.”

“Ima be a cavalry man Missus and Miss Suzi said I can join now,” he shook his head. 

“Now? How old are you, Max?” Libby raised an eyebrow. 

“Hey Libby... Thanks for fixin’ up my ankle... Were you around Saturday when the calvary got attacked on payroll?” I asked. 

“I’m most seven but she said I can,” he said. 

“Well, even if ya could... what’s the rush?” Libby wondered. 

“Cuz I hafta keep people safe, like Mr Matty and Miss Mary,” Max said and I smiled, Then he turned to me and said, “I seen it, Miss Trin...dat cavalry and the shooting.” 

“Ya did, huh? Ya remember any names?” I asked and looked at Libby, “See, I can work while sitting down.” 

“Good thing, ma’am... less time you spend on that ankle, faster it’ll heal up,” Libby chuckled and I nodded. 

“Mr Matty was dere, and hmmm Mr Wedge.” 

“What about the bad guys?”

“I seen him on da street,..and I said he was a bad guy. Den he was real real mean to me...oh and somebody called him Jack I fink.” 

“Jack?”

“I fink. Den I saw him and dey had him in handcuffs” stops. “THHHHHHHHHHHey.” 

“No ma’am... I sure wasn’t.... was out collectin’ specimins in the wild.” 

“Hmm... Jimmi and Starling were around too... I could ask them. What else do you remember, Max?” 

Max looked at me sternly and said, “You can’t walk. Yer not LLowed.” 

“There are other ways to get around, you know...” I looked at him. “Do you have a cane or something, Libby? I have one at home but need to get there to get it.”

“Sure thing... let me get you one...” Libby went to the back corner to look for a cane. 

“Dey went up the hills behind dem houses and dat man shooted from da hills. Two men...dere was two. And den everybuddy yelled go for cover and I did,” Max told me. 

“What else, Max?” I asked, nodding. 

“Den I saw you and Mr Alex and I went to get you for help,” he said. 

Libby came back with a cane for me and I stood, using the cane for support. “There, see, Max? I can walk....” I limped around with the cane, trying it. 

“She ain’t never gonna sit Missus Doctor,” Max sighed. 

“That’s the way... use it in step with your injured foot,” Libby nodded. 

“Yes I will... I’ll sit on my horse,” I chuckled at Max. 

Libby smiled and looked at him, “Well you know, I knew that when she come in with it... we’ll just have to hope she sits some at the end of the day!” 

“I promise I’ll sit... Alex will make sure of it.”

“I’ll tell him on ya!” Max promised. “And den ...are you mad I took cookies? I was so so hungry and you lef your windows open.” 

“I don’t mind at all, hon,” I smiled. 

“It ain’t stealin if its friens,” Max nodded. 

“You still hungry Max?” Libby looked at him. 

“No Missus. Miss Abby showed me dem cakes in dat hotel” 

“Thank you for coming and making sure I got healed up,” I handed her some coins. 

“Of course Miss Trin... glad to have been of service,” Libby smiled at me and then looked to Max, “Ahhh good thing Max.” 

“Guess I should ride home and rest, huh? Playing piano this afternoon is gonna be interesting..”

“Yes Ma’am... and put that foot up when you’re restin... will help take down the swelling.” 

“Will do. You got any more information for me, Max?” I looked at him. 

“No Missus but I can get some.” 

“Just be careful,” I smiled. “See you guys,” I said and winced at the pain but headed outside. 

I talked with Loreh and then Sam and Carl came over. I asked them if they were there at the attack on Saturday.

“Yes indeed. Arrested two,” Carl answered. 

“Suzy asked me to look into who was all involved. Who’d you arrest, Carl?”

“Jack and some new guy,” he scratched his head and said, “Ben, I think.” 

“Got last names for them?” I asked but he shook his head. “It’s a start I guess.”

“Was it just the attack near Goldfield or was there more?”

“A bit near benson ma’am. Got them treated and arrested there.” 

“Any idea of any other names? Probably a bunch of folks involved, I reckon.”

“No ma’am. I got there when it went all down, I do reckon.” 

“They asked me to track down an official list of all involved.”

“Maybe Matty or someone like Wedge will know more.” 

“Thanks Carl,” I nodded. 

Calling for Max, we got on our horses and he led the way home, making sure I got back okay. 

***

Coronado. 

This evening I lay back on the couch with my foot up on a pillow, waiting for Alex to come home. I heard his horse come outside and soon Alex walked into the house. I smiled and said, “Darling, welcome home.” 

“Hey babe! Are you okay?” he looked at me on the couch. 

I shifted a bit and winced at the pain. “I uh... Sprained my ankle today in Ghenna...”

“Oh no! Can I get you anything? Would you like some tea while you tell me what happened?” he leaned down and gave me a kiss. 

I kissed him back and said, “Tea would be fantastic.”

Alex headed into the kitchen and boiled some water and then came back and sat on the couch, handing me the cup. I took the tea and rested my foot up in his lap, being careful where I was putting the heel. “Thank you dear...” 

“You’re welcome,” he held his foot carefully in his lap. Does it hurt?”

“Only when I try to walk on it.”

“Yeah it looks pretty swollen. You’ll have to stay off it for a few days.”

“I promised I’d be riding around more than walking around. Watson will get well-used.”

“Good thing you’ve got a reliable horse. You said it happened in Ghenna?” 

“Yeah... I went over to the fort today to see how everyone was after the attack on Saturday. Suzy asked us to look into who was all involved in the attack... Then she suggested I come with her and Matt to Ghenna to show us the tunnels... So we walked through there and then went up to the top where the view was incredible... On our way down we were walking down this narrow ramp and I kinda fell off it... Landed hard on my ankle and twisted it. “

“Ouch,” he raised his eyebrows. 

“Not really sure what Ghenna has to do with the case, but I think she was just showing Matty around there. Max saw me in the clinic. I think he’s gonna force me to rest if it kills him,” I chuckled. “He said he’d tell you on me otherwise.”

“Good kid! I’m glad you’ve got him to look after you when I’m not around.”

“Uh huh. He led the way back home to make sure I got home okay too.” 

“I like that kid more and more,” he grinned. 

“I’m so glad you’re here though,” I exhaled and finished my tea, setting the cup on the table.  

“I’m glad to be back home. I’m glad you weren’t hurt too badly today. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you,” he looked into my eyes. 

“Just nice to have an injury that’s not a bullet wound...” I winked. 

He swept me up in his arms then and carried me upstairs, laying me into bed. We fell asleep almost instantly, both exhausted after a long day.