Bodacious Creed and the Jade Lake by Jonathan Fesmire

Author:Jonathan Fesmire
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: western, wild west, steampunk, robots, San Francisco, Chinatown, adventure, science fiction
Publisher: Jonathan Fesmire
Published: 2021-08-07T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Creed gazed down the road. Halfway down the block was Pinel's stable, and across the street a saloon, still open at 1:30. A few men stood outside, as at many pubs, talking drunkenly. Creed opted not to walk that way, as inebriated men were likely to call out to them.

"We'll be safe soon." Creed figured the Chinese girl wouldn't understand, yet the sound of his voice might offer comfort.

The streetlights shined here, but no one traversed the road. He made his way to O'Leary's store, where the sign above the door proclaimed, "Miner's Pledge: Hock, Pawn, and Sell."

Creed smiled at the young woman but remembered his mask hid his expression. "We're almost there." He lowered her so he could take out his key, which he kept in his right jeans pocket. The iron slipped into the lock.

When he turned it, creaking, whirring, and chattering greeted him. Inside, cogs tumbled. Wasn't it like a tinker to complicate a lock? O'Leary must have enjoyed designing it.

Creed pulled the door open and motioned for the woman to enter before him.

He didn't dare hit the lever to turn on the lights behind the sales counter. The shop smelled musty and of old things. Creed gripped the girl's hand. She held on tight, her palm damp with sweat, and he led her behind the counter. They entered O’Leary’s stock room, a space covered with shelves of assorted goods. Creed swung a tall case toward them, revealing the door to headquarters. She gasped at the backyard. A million stars overhead gave the trees a diaphanous glow.

"This is a safe place." Still holding her hand, Creed led her up the stairs to the porch and into the kitchen.

He removed his mask. While she watched him, he mimed bringing a fork to his mouth. She put a hand to her belly and nodded. Unsure what she would want to eat, Creed opened the heavy door to the mechanical icebox and let her gaze in briefly, then turned her attention to the counter.

“An apple?” Creed asked.

She picked one from a full fruit bowl and took a big bite. When he gestured to the cold food, she shook her head.

Creed stepped toward a door and said, "Follow me."

She seemed to understand that well enough. They entered the downstairs hallway. To the left was the library door, and in front of them was the curving staircase. He walked up as her bare feet moved softly against the carpet behind him.

Upstairs, he opened the door to one of the bathrooms. It contained a lidded toilet and a bathtub with a pump. She sighed and smiled, then put the apple core and stem in her mouth and chewed. She lifted the toilet seat, but as she began to shamelessly lift her gown, Creed shut the door and waited.

A minute later came the flush before additional water pumping into the tub. A minute later, she came out.

Creed opened the guestroom door across the hall.

Another door down the hallway opened. Dressed in nothing but

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