Elizabeth Lawrence
Journals #44,#45,#46, and #47, Copyright 1995

The Night of the Assassin

A priest is handed a blanket. Inside the blanket is a rifle. The priest carries the rifle and blanket inside a building. Jim, Artie and Ambassador Griswold are staying in the house of Don Tomas. President Juarez is about to make a speech in the town square. Jim notices the priest with the rifle setting up in a high window. Artie throws Jim a bottle of wine to Jim, who throws it in front of the horses, scaring them. The assassin misses. Jim races along the tops of the houses to get to the assassin, get attacked and throws the attacker off the roof. The attacker is revealed to be American. Griswold tells Jim and Artie that two hours before the assassination attempt, he had asked Juarez to look into the border and Juarez had refused. Don Tomas announces that martial law has just been declared. Anyone on the streets after dark would be shot on sight. Naturally, Jim and Artie see this as a dare.

Jim heads for a pottery shot, where he sees a man sneaking inside. The man, Perrico, asks an American to leave. Jim jumps the American, Frank Halverson, who paid him. A woman screams and Jim and Halverson run. Soldiers shoot Halverson in the leg. Jim escapes into a building. Soldiers search the building, only to find Jim and a woman kissing. The soldiers leave and the woman slaps Jim. Jim leaves. Halverson is taken to Abalos prison. In Abalos, Perrico confesses to sheltering Halverson. Halverson is taken to Barbossa and questioned. Jim and Halverson's "father" arrive at the prison, with a pass from President Juarez. Jim and Barbossa talk while Artie talks with Halverson in his cell. Halverson says he will reveal who hired him, and give them a letter of proof, in Texas. Artie hands Halverson a pill which will put him to sleep for eight hours.

Jim and Artie search the pottery shop for the letter. They are interrupted when men with guns appear out of large vases. They are led by the woman Jim was kissing. She asks "Col. Halverson" about what he and his son talked about. Jim interrupts by starting a fight. The woman and her men leave. Jim and Artie find the letter, which turns out to be useless, behind a picture of President Juarez. Jim rides to the prison with a "priest." Jim sneaks inside, makes it to Halverson's cell, and is caught by Barbossa. Halverson grabs Barbossa and Jim knocks him out. Jim and Halverson meet Artie in the morgue. They propose to stick Halverson in a coffin and Halverson objects. Jim knocks him out and they stick him in anyway. Jim goes back over the walls and looks for the coffin. He finds and opens it only to find Artie tied up inside.

Artie tells Jim that Halverson doesn't know who hired him, but he did tell Artie where the key is. They decide to go after the key and head for the pottery shop. The woman who kissed Jim searches the pottery shop. Jim shows her the key and asks if that's what she's looking for. She introduces herself as Col. Lupita of the Mexican secret police. She shows Jim and Artie the door the key opens. Jim unlocks the door and discovers a secret passage. Jim follows it into Don Tomas' house. Don Tomas says he was only the middle man. The real boss turns out to be Barbossa. Barbossa is about to have his men arrest Jim when Artie and Lupita arrive. Lupita shoots Barbossa. Back at the train, Jim, Artie and Lupita toast their success. Jim and Lupita discuss their kiss. Artie complains that he wasn't kissed, so she kisses him -- and then slaps him. Artie, Lupita, Jim and Lt. Ramirez go to dinner.

The Ratings are:

Artie disguises:       nine stars
Jim fights:            five stars
Kissing:               three stars

Total:                 seventeen stars

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