Cera's Place (13 page)

“Do we just walk right on board?” Cera whispered.

“I don’t see anyone watching the plank.”

“I guess I should have thought of this before, but how do we find the girls? It’s a big ship. We can’t search it all.”

“They might be in steerage, where the other passengers bunked, or in the cargo hold. I doubt they cared whether the girls were comfortable.” He checked his gun. “Are you ready?”

She nodded, but her eyes betrayed her anxiety.

Jake squeezed her hand. “Stay behind me.”

“Wait!” Cera said suddenly. “You don’t have to do this. It’s my problem, not yours. I don’t want you to get hurt again.”

He touched her cheek with his fingers, stroking a thumb over her mouth. “I made my choice and I’m not going anywhere, except on that steamer. Now, let’s go.”

After climbing the gangplank, they found the nearest staircase. They had gone down only one deck when in the distance they heard whistling. Jake motioned for Cera to stay put while he moved toward the sound. Around the first corner, a young deckhand mopped the floor. Jake came up from behind and grabbed the boy around the neck.

“I have a gun.” He shoved it into the boy’s back for emphasis. “Keep still unless you want a hole blown through your middle.”

“Please don’t hurt me!” The boy’s voice came out in a high-pitched squeak.

“Do you know where the Chinese girls are being kept? And don’t you dare lie to me.” He shook the boy a bit to suggest what would happen if he did.

“They’re…they’re in the steerage compartment.” The boy’s hand trembled as he pointed down the corridor. “It’s that way and to the left.”

Cera came up behind them and laid a hand on Jake’s gun. “We don’t have a quarrel with this one. I’m sure he’ll let us go about our business.” She smiled at the terrified boy. “We’re here to help those poor Chinese girls. Do you understand?”

The boy bobbed his head. “Sure, I’ve seen what goes on here. Those girls ain’t like the other passengers.”

“So we’re going to steerage, and you’re going to continue mopping this floor like you never saw us.” She turned to Jake and hit him lightly on the arm. “Give him some money.”

He stared at her as if she was crazy. “What? Why?”

“Just do it,” she ordered. “Look at the poor thing. He’s practically wearing rags.”

He pulled out a bill and grudgingly gave it to the boy. “You know, you’re the successful saloon owner. I’m the penniless drifter. If anyone should be handing out money, it’s you. We were headed in the right direction anyway. It isn’t like the boy helped us a whole lot.”

He wasn’t sure if Cera heard his complaint since she was already half way down the corridor. He hurried to catch up and then pushed her aside, taking the lead. She opened her mouth, but he cut her off with a shake of his head.

“My gun’s bigger.”

Her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t object.

They turned left at the end of the corridor and continued for a few more minutes until a foul odor stopped Cera in her tracks. She covered her nose and mouth with her hand and looked at Jake.

“We’re getting near steerage,” he whispered.

Her eyebrows shot up in horror, but Jake shrugged indifferently, motioning with his chin for them to keep going.

When they came to the door of the compartment, he held up his hand. Inside steerage, rows of berths stood two tiers high. The revolting smell came from the garbage, human waste, and vomit covering the wooden floor. In the far corner, the men they sought stood arguing with their backs to Cera and Jake. The Chinese girls sat huddled in a circle at their feet.

“I count only five men,” he whispered.

“The Quinn fellow’s missing. What do we do now?” Cera asked.

He didn’t know. The berths didn’t provide enough coverage for them to go in shooting, but before he could come up with a solution, a shout from behind made any kind of plan a moot point.

“Hey, you there! What do you think you’re doing?” Quinn hollered from the far end of the hall.

“Damn!” He pushed Cera in front of him. “Go!”

Running toward them, Quinn fumbled with his gun. “Boss! Boss! I think it’s the soldier from the saloon. Boss! Come quick!”

The crack of gunfire echoed in the narrow corridor. Cera ran with Jake on her heels as bullets pinged the walls around them. Within seconds, the sound of pounding feet told them Biggs and his men were in hot pursuit.

After turning a few corners, they found a staircase to the upper deck and made their way to the gangplank, but three men now guarded the ship’s only exit. Swearing, Jake pulled Cera behind a large capstan. “Can you swim?”

“Can I what?” she hissed in alarm.

“You know—water—swim—get away from the bad guys.” He pantomimed with his arms.

Her eyes moved from the ship’s deck, to the shore and back. “I can, but I’m not going to like it.”

Smiling, he replied, “That’s my girl. Follow me.”

Moving along the ship’s rail, Jake stopped when he found what he needed. Picking up a long coil of rope, he threw it over the side.

“You first.” He held out a hand to help her, but Cera brushed past him. Grabbing the rope, she slid into the water with a small splash. “Man alive!” he muttered, looking over the side. At the bottom of the rope, Cera treaded water as she waited for him.

He sucked in a sharp breath when his body hit the cold water. “Ready?” he asked, but Cera’s teeth were locked tight. She only nodded in response.

Moving stealthily, they swam to the neighboring pier. He boosted Cera onto the wooden planks before pulling himself up. Hoping the darkness would hide their escape, they hurried toward the boardwalk.

“Over there!” a voice cried from the ship. “I see them, boss!”

“How the hell did they get off the ship?” asked another voice.

“Don’t just stand there, you idiots,” Biggs yelled. “Go after them!”

Jake grabbed Cera’s hand and headed toward a group of warehouses. After passing the first few buildings, he veered off the main road. Running between two warehouses, he stopped suddenly and pointed to an open window. “In there.”

Shoving a box under the windowsill, they climbed through and Jake closed the window behind them. The warehouse was empty except for several large crates in one corner and a pile of packing blankets. Grabbing several blankets, he chose the largest crate and tugged the lid off. “Empty. Quick, get in.”

After Cera climbed in, he threw the blankets on top of her before getting in and lowering the lid.

“Now…what?” She hugged her knees to her chest, trying to control her shivering.

“We pray they don’t tear apart every warehouse looking for us. Our guns are wet. We won’t be able to fight if they find us.” Jake picked up a blanket, wrapped it around Cera, and pulled her into his arms. He drew the remaining blankets over them. After a few minutes, he felt her body still. “Are you warm enough?”

Cera nodded and snuggled deeper into the blankets.

“Good.” He rested his cheek on the top of her head and tried to steady his breathing. The doctor had warned him he needed rest to heal his injuries and the doctor had been right. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

“Are you all right?”

“Just tired,” he mumbled back.

She shifted her body in the cramped space, knocking against his upper body in the process. When he jerked at the contact, she asked, “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”

Reaching inside his shirt, he felt his left shoulder. His hand came away sticky. “Looks like I got hit during our escape.”

“You’ve been shot?” Cera sat up, butting her head against the lid.

Hoping to reassure her, he felt the wound again. “More like bit. Feels like a chunk is missing, but there’s no bullet.”

She reached for his shirt. “We need to clean it out before it gets infected.”

“It will keep.” He pulled her back into his arms as he fought to control his own shuddering. Going into shock was not an option at this point.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered into his chest. “This isn’t even your fight and now look at you.”
“Cera, I can take care of myself, but do you realize the danger you’re in?”

“I can take care of myself, too.” She tried to push away from him, but his arms held tight. “These men are kidnappers and murderers. That’s all I need to know.”

“I admire your righteousness, but these men aren’t going to let you get in the way of their livelihood. They won’t think twice about killing you.” His hand found her cheek in the darkness and stroked it lightly.

Cera shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I have to find absolute proof of Biggs’ crimes to bring to the authorities.”

“Based on what the chief of police told me earlier tonight, absolute proof may not be enough.” After telling her the story of the escaped prostitutes and the bribing of the district attorney, he added, “So, you’re not only fighting Biggs. You’re also fighting the Chinese Tong and some of the most influential people of the city. I don’t see how you are going to win this war.”

“I will find a way,” she promised. “I have to find a way.”

“Then let me help you.”

Before she could answer, they heard rattling at the warehouse’s door.

“Quinn, has this one been checked yet?” Biggs asked.

“Naw, but it’s still locked. How could they have gotten in?”

“I don’t know, maybe the same way they got off the ship with no one seeing them,” Biggs replied sarcastically. “Damn idiot! Break the lock.”

Three sharp blows sounded from outside the door.

“It won’t break.”

Biggs swore a long string of curse words involving Quinn and his mother. “Find the others and meet me back at the carriage.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

Jake and Cera stayed still until it was quiet outside.

“Are we safe?” Cera whispered.

“I don’t know, but I think we should sit for a while longer.”

“Ginger is going to tan my hide when I get back to the saloon. I promised her I wouldn’t be long.” She pounded the floor of the crate with her fist. “This whole night was a waste of time. I nearly got you killed, I’m no closer to putting Biggs in jail, and I didn’t even help those poor girls on the ship.”

“Take it easy,” he advised, rubbing her hand. “If you’re bound and determined to bring this man down, we’ll find a way.”

*****

After making their way through the maze of warehouses without seeing Biggs and his men, Jake hailed a hansom cab. He watched Cera, as they rode back to the saloon in silence. Despite all that had happened in the past few hours, she seemed composed, though her tightly clasped hands in her lap hinted at a chink in her armor.

As they approached Kearny Street, Cera hit the roof of the cab and called out, “Driver! Don’t stop! Take us to the next block.” Turning to him, she explained, “We’ll use the saloon’s back entrance.”

He nodded in understanding. “Good idea, in case someone is waiting for us.”

When they walked into the kitchen, Ginger started in on them. “What the hell happened to you two? Do you know how worried we’ve been? Isaac’s been yelling at me all night for not telling him what was going on.”

Cera looked down at her wet, dirty clothes. “I’m sorry, Ginger. I know I put a burden on you that you didn’t deserve.”

Ginger clicked her tongue. “At least tell me it was worth it—that you found some proof?”

“After I put on some dry clothes, I’ll tell you what happened tonight,” Cera replied, avoiding the question. “Jake, let Ginger take care of your shoulder and then you should head back to your room to rest.”

Disagreeing, he shook his head. “What if Biggs shows up here?”

“I’ll be fine. Biggs isn’t stupid enough to hurt me in my own saloon with all these people around. Besides, I wasn’t the one they recognized. I’m more worried about them coming after you again.”

He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. “You’re worried about me? Why, I’m touched.”

Cera rolled her eyes as she headed toward the back staircase. Stopping on the first step, she called over her shoulder, “I’m serious, Jake. You look like a walking corpse. Get some sleep. Ginger, you’ll find a chunk of flesh missing from his left shoulder. After you bandage it, make sure he gets into a cab. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

“You heard her.” Ginger led him to a nearby chair and pushed him down. “And when she uses that tone, there’s no arguing with her.”

“You mean she has other tones?”

Ginger chuckled but stopped when she opened his coat. The front of his shirt was dark with blood. “She’s right, though. You need to get straight to bed.”

He sighed. “There you go again, Red, trying to get me between your sheets. You really need to move on. You know it won’t work between us.”

“Oh, brother,” Ginger groaned as she poured alcohol on his wound. “Now you’re delirious.”

******

Biggs waited inside the entrance of the Buddhist temple. He hated meeting Yee here, but the old man was furious over the night’s events, so he didn’t dare refuse. A few feet away, the Chinese guards watched him with blank expressions. Turning away from their unmoving eyes, Biggs pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the perspiration from his face and neck.