An Outlaw for Christmas: Book One, the Colorado Chronicles

By Mary Elizabeth Thomas

Madison Kabe was a successful archaeologist who never dreamed that the discovery of a lifetime would be the United States Marshal she found in 1864. He was seeking the same outlaw she was looking for from 2015. Madison found the treasure she was seeking in this Marshalls strong arms.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Oct 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504366830

Mary Elizabeth Thomas

Mary Elizabeth Thomas is a well-known author, blogger and public speaker based in Colorado Springs. Mary’ s work includes the ongoing creation of a romance novel about online romantic connections called “Red Flags”. In addition to her novelettes and blog writings, she has a motivational page on Facebook called “Quitting is not an Option”. On that page, she writes under the name of Susan Garthwaite Gelder. In the upcoming time travel, historical chronicles called “The Colorado Chronicles”, the first of the series is called “An Outlaw for Christmas” and is based in her hometown of Colorado Springs.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Who is that Man?

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T HAT NIGHTMARE CAME back again….you know, the one that makes your heart pound and your throat is so dry you cannot swallow. Her hands were clutched so tightly that her nails were digging into the palms of her hands. She had seen his profile in that nightmare, but never his face.

When one is woken up by a nightmare, one’s mind immediately races to analyze the dream….what woke the person up? What was happening in the dream? Why is she shaking uncontrollably as if in horrible fear? Madison pushed up from the bed and in the dim light of the street lights coming in the windows, walked to the kitchen, flipping on the stove light to illuminate the area. She had made coffee the night before, stored it in the coffeepot in the refrigerator. After taking it out and pouring a cup, she put that cup in the microwave and set the timer. What was that face in the dream? WHY did he frighten her? Better yet, was he just a dream or someone she actually knew?

With her nerves already on edge, the microwaves’ sudden ding just sent a high voltage shock all through her. Drawing on her Thai Chi classes, she took a deep breath in and let it slowly out. Her hands were still shaking, but she was determined to figure out why that dream had her so rattled.

Coffee in hand, she drifted over to the kitchen table, sitting in the chair that faced the bay. Moving the first sheaf of papers to the right side and after taking a sip of coffee, the cup seemed to make a too-loud clang as it came down on the table. Take another deep breath, woman. Wrapping her fingers around the coffee cup, she took another sip, then glanced up at the clock on the wall. 3:11 a.m. it glared. Rather strange for her to be awake at this time.

She had just taken a job to locate western artifacts, a job which she greatly loved. Her first find was lying next to the papers, safely enclosed in a small glass fronted box. A Rose Springs arrowhead from Oregon, it was a beautiful black obsidian pointed arrowhead. No doubt it will make the new owner quite happy she was sure. It was in nearly prime condition. Her shaking had settled down and she picked up the arrowhead. She had been very excited when she found it.

Turning the arrowhead over and over in her fingers, she kept thinking about the nightmare. Another sip of coffee, another deep sigh. She may have stopped trembling, but there was a tremor deep inside that could not be stilled. She laid the arrowhead back in its box, snapped the box shut and laid it on top of the files, taking a final swallow of coffee. Her bare feet found their way back down the hall to the bedroom. She had calmed down enough to lay her head back onto the pillow and TRY to resume sleeping. She was going to have a busy day very soon and had to get some rest.

Sleep must have found her, because her head came up off the pillow at the sound of banging on my front door. Obviously, this night was going to be full of unwanted interruptions. Another shot of adrenaline. She jerked her head toward the clock….it read 6:56 a.m. Just short of the alarm going off, someone had banged on the door. Curious. Slightly grumpy, Madison grabbed the bathrobe from the footrest and swung it on as she loped down the hall. Just a minute! She felt like grumpy cat, but tied the waist sash and jerked open the door.

There was nothing there but an empty hall. Not one person in sight! She glanced downward and there was a beautiful bouquet of pink Periwinkles, deep pink Myrtle flowers and paler pink Lilacs, Picking up the vase and inhaling the intoxicating aroma, she felt surrounded by the scent and slightly giddy. Her inquisitive nose was poked by an envelope as she inhaled! Coming inside the apartment and after a last left to right peruse of the hallway, she closed the door and brought them to the kitchen table.

Curiosity got to her and she opened the envelope. One single plane ticket lay inside and it was brought out for examination. There was no note, no information,…just a ticket! To Colorado Springs, Colorado. And it was posted for one week from today.

Her mind was like an uncontrolled engine and was slamming in a myriad set of thoughts all at once. Who? How? Where? Carefully laying the ticket on top of the notebook, she inhaled, then slowly exhaled.

Strangely enough, it was not that there were flowers delivered to the apartment door at 7 a.m. that got under her skin, but the fact that they were Forget-Me-Nots! As clear thinking began to take over, Madison started to examine… the choice of flowers that someone had selected….someone who KNEW of her fascination with the meanings of flowers and colors. This person knew her well! Her head jerked up and she ran to the front windows, fully expecting to see someone…ANYONE on the street. The deliverer had to have left the building.

There was no one there but Mr. Rogan walking his toy poodle from building 208 and Miss Carol from building 216 watering her gardenias. They slipped a sly grin at each other as if no one would see, but besides them, there was no one on the street and Madison knew they wouldn’t have run down three flights of stairs that quickly.

Her attention came back to that explosion of colors on the kitchen table. Stopping in front of the bookshelf to look for The Language of Flowers and other comparable texts, she looked to see what books would help her. Grabbing all the books that covered the subject of flowers from the shelves, she went to the table wondering who had done this. Jake from the office? Lilly from the motor pool? That was only one piece of this now growing puzzle.

Researcher that she was, she grabbed a notebook, making a list of the flowers in the collection that had been sent. Someone may call her paranoid, but most admirers send roses, not specific selections. OK…first Forget-Me-Nots, then the color. A sudden impulse demanded coffee to go along with the research. The clang of dishes and utensils needed music and she flipped on the Josh Turner CD. NOW the atmosphere was just right! Creamer added to the coffee gave it a softer flavor. When the coffee in the cup was a perfect color of a paper bag, she licked the spoon, then put it on the spoon rest and went to join all the books on the table.

OK…Forget-Me-Nots! It was quite nearly a given on the meaning, but one should not assume anything. In that moment that one ASSUMES, we begin to mess up the true intent of the research. That was her own quote and she invite coworkers to use it at any time. OK…..Remember Me Forever. OK…easy, breezy. Now the color. Why pink? That meant love, understanding and respect. A sip of coffee and a thought….remember WHO? Or might it be remember WHAT? Hmm.

Fingering the bouquet, Madison wrote down the next selection: Myrtle flowers. This was interesting! Marriage or love in a marriage. A sudden chill went down her arms. Was that a reaction to the description or was it just the weather? Rubbing her arms, she drew on the sweater that was on the chair’s armrest. What made her think it was just too cool? OK…keep looking…Flower #3, Lilacs. The first emotions of love.

The coffee was beginning to cool…She must remember to get down the coffee cup warmer. OK….REMEMBER….LOVE….MARRIAGE. Trying not to frown, she realized that this combination of clues is stretching her thoughts way past the norm. And of course, the ticket to Denver. Another sip of cooling coffee makes her think…WHOSE love? WHOSE marriage?

The phone ringing broke into those thoughts. It was Jake and he was terse. You are coming in today, aren’t you? Jake was Madison’s assistant but way too often, he acted like her sitter. She had the choice to be irritated or to smile and because the day had way too much drama already, she chose the smile. A glance at the wall caught her off guard - it was already past 8 o’clock!

Jake’s voice was obviously sharp and Madison was aware that there was something else in the mix besides not being at the office. There was a need to let him know that she was preparing to leave, but at the same time, she was interested as to WHY he was calling. It was not his normal pattern to call just because she was later than usual. Is everything OK, Jake? You sound a bit tense. His sharp indrawn breath was obvious…Well, sure, if you call a reception area full of flowers ‘OK’! What would you like me to tell your visitor regarding your arrival?

She could feel the crimple of her brows as she quickly went over in her mind the schedule for the day…….it did not include any visitors. Jake, who is the visitor? I do not have anyone on my schedule. I wanted to keep today free to go back to the dig near Sand Creek. She heard the loud exhale and the rustle of paper pages. He signed the visitor log and showed his I.D. as required…It lists him as Mr. Russell Crowley, Ft. Collins, Colorado. Madison’s brow furrowed more deeply as she ran that name through her mind. I do not know anyone by that name. Did he state his business?

He says he has an artifact in his possession which he did not show me and he will not show to anyone but you. Alright, the man now had her attention. Please make him comfortable and I will be there in thirty minutes. Please feel free to pull out the muffins from the kitchen and offer him some. The snort was pretty obvious. The expensive ones? Jake was a high stakes archaeological assistant, very good at what he did and she accepted his attitude because of that. Yes, please. If he is a paying customer, we treat them very nicely, Jake.

Hurried goodbyes, scrambled movements, stripping off clothes down the hall as she ran for the shower, the world turned to a blur. Hot water felt good running down her back, but a sudden strong smell of baking rolls broke into her world. Mrs. Garthwaite next door must be baking again. She was always creating the most wonderful things. Madison’s world right now had to rotate around shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. There was a specific pattern for everything she did in her life. But the clean smells, the hot water, the frantic scrubbing…that had priority right now. It was time to rinse, then shut off the water, then grab for the towel. Hurry, hurry. Her head down, hurriedly drying off her hair while her mind raced through colors and flowers. Getting dressed was not the least bit organized, but more like a frantic dance, a wild salsa. If an arm had gone into a pant leg, she would not have noticed much. More on her mind was the collection of artifacts from the front room before leaving. The last dab of eyeliner, of lipstick, a scarf, a hat, a jacket, the briefcase, the artifact case. Breathe!

Normally, the trip to the office is a walk of six blocks, but today since she knew this mystery visitor was waiting, she flagged down a taxi. Exactly 25 minutes after the phone call, she paid the driver, gathered the gear and stepped in the front door of the office. The office had just been officially opened less than two weeks and she was so proud to see her name on the front door that she always stopped and read it! MADISON KABE, ARCHAEOLOGIST Her sister thought it was too exorbitant, but she thought you just call it like it is.

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Chapter 2

Every Now and Again

T HE LOBBY WAS an eruption of flowers! Madison was brought up abruptly for a moment because every counter, every desk, every table was an explosion of colors and aromas. Wandering through a maze of nosegays, she spied the visitor in the recliner chair sipping coffee. A man totally out of her line of thinking was sitting there. He was about 55 years of age, maybe 60. Brown hair with obvious gray on the sides. The LENGTH was a bit out of style because it was down around his shoulders, but men who were considered a bit eccentric never quite matched the average man on the street.

He was dressed in a stylish leather jacket, a bit in the western fashion, and a wide brim, Tim McGraw style hat. When he saw Madison, he immediately rose, put down the magazine, coffee and tipped his hat to her as well.

Mrs. Kabe? Benjamin Long at your service. I was wondering if I could talk to you for a bit. What seemed to be a genuine smile caused her defenses to come down and she reached her hand out to shake his. He took her hand, but turned it over to kiss the back in a gentlemanly fashion. She smiled, a bit startled, took back her hand and immediately began to walk to her office. Gesturing to the right, she directed him into the correct doorway. Her office was cluttered with a dozen projects, but absolutely organized in her mind.

Mr. Long, please sit down. She pointed toward the couch. May I get you something to drink? He held up his hand to decline as he sat down on the couch and began to rummage through his briefcase.

Madison took a deep breath, Please allow me to be a bit confused,…you just introduced yourself as Benjamin Long, but signed our log as Russell….Crowley was it? She had been pouring herself a cup of green tea at the kitchenette in her office and when she was finished stirring, Madison took it over to her desk.

Would you be so kind as to explain the difference? As a single woman, I am always on the edge of skeptical. Madison sat down and took a sip of tea as she watched him put on protective gloves from his briefcase, then look up at her with a grin. He had horn rimmed glasses sitting on the edge of his nose as he carefully pulled out a protective case and laid it on the coffee table. Excitement was visible by his actions and the look on his face. Mrs. Kabe, I am actually Benjamin Long and that is my real name. The other name is my pseudonym which I use to protect my trail. Here he stopped to gesture to the case. I have many people who tailgate me because I am very respectable at finding archaeological goods and they would want to take these things for their own benefit."

Because her curiosity to see what he had was more than she could handle, she set the teacup down and slipped out from behind the desk, coming over to his side on the loveseat. There was a cloth cover over the protective box and it was almost as if he had a huge secret which he wasn’t ready to expose as yet. Madison clutched her hands together and put them in her lap to ensure him that she would not compromise whatever he had in there. At this point, he laid one of her business cards on the table and read it as if it were a booklet…Madison Kabe. Then he grinned like a Cheshire cat. Please indulge me and put the exact signature of your name on this blank piece of paper as if you were signing a professional document. I will reveal my reasons in a moment.

Because her curiosity was running high, she picked up the pen and signed her name, then pushed the paper across the table. Thank you. Now please allow me to show you the reason I am being so secretive. Slowly, he slid out the protective box and removed the cloth cover and Madison almost felt at this point as if she were at a Top Secret facility and under intense scrutiny. He looked up, grinned and unfastened the lock to remove a very old hotel registry. At the top, it read Fountain Colony Boarding and the date read March 10, 1864.

At this point, he took a deep breath, slid over the paper where she had signed her name and then finally uncovered the hotel registry. Without touching the hotel registry paper, he ran his finger down the list of names and slowed when he neared the bottom and stopped as he looked up. Please observe, Mrs. Kabe. Madison could feel the cold chill of adrenaline racing through her as she looked where his finger hesitated. Her breath stopped…her heart pounded like a drum. There on the line was an exact duplication of the signature she had just written moments ago. Madison Kabe, March 10, 1864.

Her head jerked up and she saw him grinning. His head began to nod as he spoke. Now you see why I am so secretive? How did THIS signature… and here he tapped the small paper……look EXACTLY like THIS paper? Here he pointed to the hotel registry. Unless you WERE there! And how did you get there?

The world began to spin uncontrollably…..colors whirled, the sense of up and down was becoming mixed. A dull sense of someone holding her arms and moving toward the back of the couch and the sharp tang of smelling salts under her nose. The horrid sharp scent was enough to bring her around and she began to throw arms out. Her alarm was giving her voice, No, no! Here Long jumped into the fray, Madison! Pay attention! Focus…! Slowly, life began to come back to sensibility…colors began to ebb to where they belonged.

She was speaking, What? What is going on? A man’s deep voice brought her more to earth. Madison,…take a deep breath. Focus on my voice. Can you see my face? Frowning…she tried to focus…it began to make sense once again. Yes. What was going on? A deep chuckle. Pretty straight up, the reality that you were in 1874 was too much to comprehend. Her eyes flew open.

Impossible! But…that WAS my signature….unless… Her eyes flew to Long’s face. Ah…you are about to accuse me of forgery. I guarantee you that I am good at what I do, but forgery is not one of my gifts. Long watched her slowly close her eyes and ran for a waste can to put under her head, just in case. Mrs. Kabe, please keep an open mind. There are so many possibilities in this world that we have not even touched. The office door flew open and Jake was there with a glass of cold water and a washcloth, handing them both off to Mr. Long. Obviously, somewhere in the fracas, Long must have called for help.

Madison was immediately the archaeologist again, sitting up straight. Mr. Long took position to her left and wiped her damp forehead, offering her a drink which she gladly accepted. I am so sorry. I have never done that before. I apologize. Long frowned as he shook his head. No need. It had to have been a shock to try to process all that information. But then, you would…no, let’s take a break. Do you carry a purse? I want to take you to a local café for some food -- you need it -- and we will talk a bit more in depth. Very much out of character for her, Madison gathered her purse from her desk and followed Mr. Long out to the flower encased lobby and after a short explanation to Jake, out the door to the cafe. The Cooler air outside actually made her feel a lot better. Maybe all the flower aroma had been too much. As she walked, she tried just focusing on what was immediately around her…flowerpots, birds, neighbors, paper trash on the ground. Take a deep breath…. It was all beginning to make more sense as they turned into the entrance way to the local eatery. A clearer head did serve her better, she surmised. Once seated, aided with cold iced tea and the promise of a good breakfast, she looked at Mr. Long’s face.

Please tell me what in the hell just happened. Benjamin Long never lost his grin and drew in a deep breath. Mrs. Kabe, this is not my specialty. I can only share what I have studied and what I have experienced. This whole picture boils down to time travel and that is very hard for your very practical mind to wrap itself around. Here he gazed out of the large glass window at the front. The great 20th century scientist Albert Einstein developed a theory called Special Relativity. The ideas of Special Relativity are very hard to imagine because they aren’t about what we experience in everyday life, but scientists have confirmed them. He took a moment to let this sink in and for himself to take a drink of coffee as breakfast was placed in front of them both. Madison had not realized she was even hungry until the eggs and bacon suddenly looked very tantalizing. She reached over, got a piece of bacon and began to nibble.

Mrs. Kabe, are you a pretty open minded woman? Here Long took another sip of coffee and allowed her to think about her answer. She speared up a bite of eggs from her plate, bit it, chewed on it, then put down her fork and sipped on her iced tea. You know, Mr. Long, I always thought I tried to be. This may take some processing, but I am trying my best to stay out of the way and let things unfold as they will.

Putting his coffee down,, he exhaled deeply. I am very glad to hear you are open…because the things I have to introduce you to is going to require some pretty big open thinking. He had been looking out the large window, but here he stopped, grinned and pulled out an envelope from the inside of his jacket. It was encased in a larger green envelope that looked exactly like the one she had received in her flowers. Her recognition and surprise was obvious as she sat open mouthed, pointing at the piece. I see you know what this is. You got one exactly like this one because you see, I am to escort you to Colorado to make sure you not only get on the plane, but meet all your connections. Rather like a guarantee.

How does shock and amazement become even larger? As far as Madison was concerned, it just did. The fun is not over yet! Please look at the larger package it came in. He handed her a larger mania type envelope. It was from a Denver law firm, which was postmarked August 1867. Her mouth again open, she just kept starting at it. The signature on the hotel artifact was very hard to process….now her mind was running at cosmic speed, thoughts running into thoughts, possibilities ramming into what-ifs and all pushing for the front of the line. Long very easily picked up on her mayhem….maybe because he had experienced it himself. This envelope… and here he pointed to it with his finger… contains a letter that was written in 1861, addressed to ME. telling me of your business HERE and NOW and giving me explicit instructions to see that you saw the hotel artifact and to ensure that you were escorted to Colorado Springs. Well, it wasn’t Colorado Springs yet, but it will be. Think about THAT for a minute! His grin became a genuine laugh. Did he totally understand the absurdity of this picture? Oh, YES.

Madison’s hands came up off of the table and held on to both sides of her head, as if to hold in all the crazy scattering thoughts. She took a very big deep breath and closed her eyes. Mr. Long….if this wasn’t so absurdly impossible, it would be crazy. She looked up and he was nodding gently, with that perpetual grin on his face. I am extremely aware of that, Mrs. Kabe…and please call me Benjamin. I have applied as much research and study to this situation as I have to the Bog People research when I worked at the anthropology department of Florida State University. He stretched his arms up and hooked his hands behind his head. This is not fabricated or created for our enjoyment. That letter…that hotel page…that all actually came from the past…..AND from someone who knew where I would be and where YOU would be!

Madison’s mind was right on the edge of losing it again, but her disciplined thought patterns took over…she KNEW it was a huge amount of information to process. Both Madison and Long seemed to hook the same thought at the same time….Let’s say it is possible… began Madison. Yes! responded Long, A beginning to the analyzing.

IF this is all real….and actually happening as it was meant to, then it would require someone who had knowledge of their future. And if that is true, then it would have required someone who had been a time traveler THEMSELVES….that is the only way they could have gotten information about the future. Long smacked his hands together as if having made a huge discovery on his own. YES! Madison grinned at the response from nearby visitors to the coffee shop.

It would appear, my dear Mrs. Kabe, that you and I will be flying to Colorado Springs this week! There is a lot of preparation that must be done first as well, I DO hope you are not in the middle of any projects…. He began to pull out his wallet, flagging down the waitress. Madison frowned. No,…nothing that cannot be handed over to Jake. He is very adept.

I hope he is ready to take over for a long time….If this goes through as it is supposed to, I sincerely do not know WHEN you will be back! They rose and began to go towards the front door…back to the office.

Madison took that comment in, but remained calm. Long could sense her mind humming as he took her elbow and escorted her out to the exit. When we get back to your office, we will need to start getting things done immediately. Things to arrange for to turn over to your assistant,…things to purchase for the trip to the Springs,…things to….. Here Madison jumped in.

Mr. Long, uh…Benjamin…, is this trip like FOREVER?

Chapter 3

How Long is Forever?

S HE HAD STOPPED in the middle of the sidewalk. He took her elbow again. Let’s keep walking, my dear. And to answer your question, I sincerely do not know! But think as we walk,…alright? If we find the portal that is described in my letter, AND if it is a permanent portal, then trips back and forth MAY be possible. Probably WILL be possible. He sighed as they arrived at the office and caught the elevator upstairs.

Two independent whistle-blowers from the U.S. national security state came forward with congruent, sophisticated, and extensive insider accounts of their experiences with Tesla-based time travel technology developed by the U.S. Department of Defense. They did back and forth travels. But even if continuous travels were possible, who is the person on the other side and what do they want? What if you love it there, want to stay to begin a new life? You would definitely have an advantage of future knowledge. But then again, your life HERE would have to be shut down, so to speak.

As they walked in the door, their conversation came to an abrupt halt. Madison and Long were both intelligent enough to be aware of keeping some things under the table, especially where it touched on things as questionable as time travel. Madison immediately addressed her assistant who was in the flower strewn lobby. Jake, would you please get in touch with the law firm. I need to talk to them right away. As he left, she led Mr. Long to her office.

Grabbing a notebook, she began a mad list of To Do’s: Bank, Business, personals, Contacts. The phone rang and she immediately dropped the notebook. This is Madison Kabe, how can I help you? Oh, Mr. Bishop, thank you so much for calling. Just a moment. Here she turned to Mr. Long. Please make yourself at home. This is my lawyer and I will be just a moment. She returned to her call and Long began to gather a couple of notebooks and pens from the table in the corner.

He knew that first things had to come first……if she were going to go back, she needed clothes of the era and cash that was in use at the time. Luggage of the time, makeup, jewelry, books perhaps. Even things as common as paper and pens HAD to be from that time. The ramifications of overlapping time sensitive items was scary to even consider. He knew of seamstresses in this area and that had to be begun immediately. They had to create everything she would need and this before the flight next week.

Then of course, there were all the things they had to leave HERE under lock and key…her California state identification card, any photographs, any laminated cards. Keys, hair pins, rings, glasses, personal grooming effects like combs and brushes, toothbrushes, eye drops, lip balm. He shook his head….she might well as just leave everything!

While Madison was giving instructions to her lawyers regarding things that concerned her business, Long was studying the pictures that were provided to him of the original train station. Both in the back AND in the front was ground level. Considering that Madison would be wearing women’s boot style heels of that era, it was good to be all on one level. Less to plan on. She had to leave everything behind….mints, lip balm, aspirin, makeup, jewelry, cash, women’s effects of ALL kinds. ANY cross over of time sensitive effects could have profound effects on the time continuum!

Madison suddenly flopped on the sofa next to the table. Ok…the law firm is going to take over my bank accounts and hold them in perpetuity or until I show up again, whichever comes first. I instructed the lead lawyer that I was going on a very remote dig where I would not be available and was not allowed to bring modern items so as not to affect the native civilization with our way of life. Hell, Benjamin! I even told him that some of those natives hadn’t even seen a modern woman! Here the laugh rather burst out of her. And that is not even a lie, is it? Anyway, instructions will be to hold any cash reserves until 2115, then if I have not returned, they are to turn over any amount to the Archaeological Society. What a creepy feeling….like I am planning my own funeral! She shook her head

Long pushed himself up from the couch. Madison, do not look at it as an END. No, no,…this is a beginning! Just because you are leaving here does not mean a thing. It is rather like going from Arkansas to Italy. Except your return trip plan is totally unknown, How exciting! You will be arriving right at the time that gold is being mined…and molybdenum. Maybe you will discover a vein and become a rich woman! He threw back his head and laughed, Madison frowned. Sure, you chuckle, but you don’t have to wear a corset! But her laugh came out in a gush…more like a nervous reaction than amusement.

"Sorry,…the image of a man in