In all the trains and banks they robbed, they never shot anyone...until now.  Has Kid Curry taken a wrong turn on the road to amnesty?  Can Hannibal Heyes find his missing partner before it's too late?  






Hannibal Heyes shook the canteen before opening the cap and taking a long drink of water.  He removed his bandana and poured some of the precious liquid on it, wiped his face and then tied the wet material around his neck again.  “That feels better.”  He took off his hat and was running his fingers through his matted hair when he noticed the birds.  Four large birds rode the thermals as they flew in a circle around their prey near a rock formation.  Heyes squinted against the sun, straining his eyes in the direction of the predators' quarry, then, knitted his brow as he placed his hat back on his head and reined his gelding toward the boulders.

One vulture landed near the rock formation.  As Heyes drew closer, the form of a human came into view.  A cold sweat came over him, despite the heat of the day, and he spurred his horse forward, shouting and flailing his arms at the threatening scavenger.  He dismounted before his gelding had come to a full stop and scrambled toward the figure.

“Kid?” he called out hesitantly.  Heyes knelt and slowly rolled the man onto his back.  “Kid!”  Curry’s face was sunburned and his lips cracked.  His skin was hot to the touch.  “Don’t you be dead, you hear?!” he admonished, placing an ear to his partner’s chest.  He held his breath, listening for some sign of life, then swallowed hard and lay three fingers carefully along his partner’s neck.


Monday Morning – Two Weeks Earlier

“Heyes, I know I’ve said it before, but I don’t like the idea of us separatin’.”  Curry, frustrated, tightened the cinch of the saddle too hard, causing his horse to turn and try to nip him.

Heyes frowned as he tied his saddle bags down.  “I don’t like the idea myself, but we’re outta money and got two jobs delivering papers that have to be made by Wednesday and we can’t be in two places at once. Lyman is right in the middle so we’ll meet there after we’re done.”

“I know,” the Kid agreed as he mounted his bay.  “That don’t mean I like it though.”

After cinching his saddle, Heyes put a leg up on the stirrup and swung himself on.  “It’ll probably be less than a week – five days at the most.”  The men grasped hands.  “See you in Lyman.”

“On Friday!” the Kid said, as he reined his gelding to the mountains.

“At the latest,” Heyes called out.  “And last man back buys the other a steak dinner!”

Curry turned and grinned before spurring his horse into a lope outside the town limits.


Friday afternoon

Heyes eased into a chair on the Lyman Hotel’s porch with his legs propped up on the rail.  He lit a cigar and sighed contently as he took in the town’s activity, giving a dimpled smile to two young women as they walked by, laden with packages of all shapes and sizes.  In the distance, he heard the blacksmith pounding out metal and saw a young boy run across the road in front of him pushing a hoop ahead of him with a stick while a few girls played jacks on the boardwalk.  Meanwhile, raucous laughter and piano playing from several saloons beckoned him almost like a siren’s call.

“Guess you owe me a steak dinner, Kid,” Heyes said to himself as he stood and stretched before crossing the street and heading to the Lucky Penny, the least boisterous of the saloons.


Saturday

Heyes walked down the stairs of the hotel to the lobby desk.  “Excuse me.”

A portly gentleman stood behind the counter, stuffing messages into cubby holes.  He turned and smiled.  “How may I help you, Mr. Smith?”

“My friend didn’t arrive last night, did he?”

“No, sir.”  The man shook his head.  “I would have given him a key to your room, as you requested.”

“There wouldn’t, by chance, be a message for me?”  Heyes leaned forward to check the cubby hole with his room’s number on it.  It was empty.

The clerk glanced at the last few notes in his hand.  “No, there doesn’t appear to be.  You could go past the telegraph office.  Maybe there’s one now.”  He looked apologetic.

“Where is that?”

“Take a right out of the hotel, then a left once you pass the bank.  It’ll be on the left side of the street.”

Heyes tapped the counter as he turned to leave.  “Thanks.”


That evening, Heyes sat at a low stake game of Twenty-One, glancing across the room at a poker game with a lot of money on the table.  He sighed in frustration, watching the other game.  One of the players at the other table was clearly drinking too much and another was showing all the signs of being a professional gambler.

“Did you want a card?”  The dealer’s voice brought him back to the present.

“Huh?” Heyes questioned.

“Another card?” the dealer repeated in irritation.

Heyes looked at his cards.  “Oh… Hit me.”

“Twenty-two; the dealer wins.”

The drunk playing poker across the room abruptly stood up, chips and cards falling on the floor as he tipped the table.  “I saw you cheat,” he bellowed at the professional gambler, pulling his gun.

Heyes sighed.  He threw down his cards, gathered his meager winnings, and left.


Sunday

Heyes walked out of the hotel and looked up and down the street, finding no one milling around.  There were two churches in town.  Inside one of them he could hear the non-harmonious sounds of a choir, whose sense of pitch equaled that of the off-key piano accompanying them.  In the other, he heard the booming shouts of a fire and brimstone sermon.  Heyes yawned and, ignoring the reverend's warnings of doom, headed toward the nearby café for a coffee and breakfast.  On his way there, he glanced toward the livery.  Taking a slight detour, he poked his head in the stable.  Seeing only his own and a few unfamiliar others, his shoulders slumped and he turned away.

“Where are you?”


Heyes paced his room.  “Where in the heck are you, Kid?” he mumbled.  Hearing a horse slow in front of the hotel, he hurried to the window and glanced down.  Not the Kid.

Heyes sighed heavily and continued his pacing.  “You should have been here already.”


Monday

“Sir, are you checking out?” the hotel clerk asked.

“Yes.”  Heyes stood at the counter with his saddle bags over one shoulder and his rifle in his hand.  “Was there a …”

“No, sir, no messages for you,” the clerk replied with a condescending smile plastered on his face.

“Can I leave one, just in case my friend, Thaddeus Jones, comes?”  Heyes pulled a sealed piece of paper from his pocket.

“Certainly, sir.”  The clerk took the proffered note.  “However, we only hold messages for one week.”

“Appreciate it.”  Heyes paid his bill and left town, heading towards the mountains.


Tuesday

Heyes stretched after getting off his gelding, leading his horse to the water trough.  Removing his bandana, he wet it using the trough’s pump and wiped his face clean from the sweat and trail dust.  Once the chestnut quit drinking, Heyes led his horse to the hitching post outside the Evanston Horseshoe Saloon, rubbed its nose and whispered, “My turn now, huh?” before making his way inside.

Waiting a moment for his eyes to adjust, Heyes glanced around the room briefly looking for his partner’s familiar face as he made his way to the bar.  When the bartender looked up, Heyes threw a nickel down on the counter and held up a finger.  “One beer, as cold as you got ‘em.”

“Comin’ right up!”  The man filled a glass and slid it down the bar to Heyes’ waiting hands.

Heyes closed his eyes as he took the glass to his lips, savoring the first few gulps of thirst quenching beer.  When he opened them again, he found he had less than a moment to take in the sight of someone rushing up behind him in the bar mirror.  His eyes widened in shock as he put down his drink on the bar but there was little time to react before the man was pressing against him, pinning down his right arm and hissing in his ear.

“We need to talk, now, Heyes!” the man hissed in his ear.

Heyes looked over his shoulder to see the stranger who knew him.  “Lom?  What are you…”

The hold on his arm strengthened.  “Come with me.”

“Okay, but…”  Heyes barely had time to grab his glass with his left hand before he was manhandled to a back corner table.  Shaking off Lom’s grip, Heyes scowled but he sat down next to the sheriff.  “What’s this all about?”

“Why don’t you tell me? Lom growled.

The dark eyes grew black.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Lom leaned forward.  “Where’s your partner?”

“Why?”

Lom’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the man across the table from him.  “It’s a simple question.”

Heyes glared back at the lawman.  His shoulders slumped.  He sighed.  “I don’t know where he is,” he admitted staring at the glass of half-finished beer in his hands.  “I’m looking for him, too.”

“Are you protecting him?”

Heyes looked up, startled by the anger behind Lom’s words.  “What?  No!”

Lom snorted.  “You don’t know where he is?”

“No, we were both doing a delivery job and he never…  What’s this all about, Lom?” Heyes demanded, again.

“I was hoping that you would tell me,” Lom replied angrily, pulling out a newspaper from the inside pocket of his jacket and throwing it down between them like a gauntlet.  “Is the Kid running with another gang, maybe?  Or are you in this too?”

“What?”  Heyes’ eyes snapped down to the newspaper.

He took the Evanston Examiner and scanned the news until he found the article and read the headlines, “Kid Curry Sought for Evanston Bank Robbery, Murder!”  Heyes silently read the rest of the article, his face morphing from shock to disbelief.  He looked up into Lom’s face when he had finished.  “No, Lom.”  He shook his head.  “You know as well as I do that the Kid would never…”

“It’s there in front of you,” Lom snarled as he gestured to the newspaper.  “In black and white!  Curry even bragged to folks who he was before killing the teller.  What am I supposed to think?”

“I don’t know who that was, but it certainly wasn’t…”

“Witnesses have his description down perfect,” interrupted Lom, “– even the sheepskin jacket and the brown hat with silver and turquoise conchos.”  Lom found his voice rising and quickly lowered it.  “Sound familiar?”

Heyes smacked his hand down on to the newspaper lying on the table, his eyes almost black with anger.  “The Kid wouldn’t do that – you know that, Lom!” he hissed.  “And he wouldn’t up and join a gang again of his own free will!”

A saloon gal had begun making her way over to their table, but had paused when Heyes slammed his hand on the table.  Lom looked briefly in her direction and shook his head.  After waiting the few seconds as she walked away, he folded his arms.  “I honestly don’t know what to think, Joshua,” he said emphasizing the alias almost as an accusation, “so why don’t you give me your story as to what’s been going on?”

Heyes sighed.  “We were down on money and took two different delivery jobs.  I headed southeast and the Kid came this way.  He was going to a ranch between Lyman and Evanston.  We were supposed to meet in Lyman on Friday, but he never showed.  I waited ‘til Monday and then decided to go look for him.  Stopped everywhere between there and here.”  Heyes took a sip of beer.  “I just came from the ranch.  The papers were delivered so I know he came by this way.  And that’s all I know.”  He took the paper up and scanned the contents as if looking for something.  “When did the robbery happen?”

“Friday morning.”

Heyes put the newspaper back down and stared suspiciously at Lom.  “This is kinda far from Porterville.  Now that’s got me to wondering what you are doing here, Lom?”

“The governor heard about it and sent me down here to look into things since I’m an ‘expert’ on Heyes and Curry.”  Lom’s voice lowered further and he looked down as he reluctantly admitted, “Curry’s amnesty deal is gone, Heyes, and, when they catch him – they’ll hang him.”

Heyes closed his eyes.  “Lom,” was all he could manage to say.

Lom touched Heyes on his sleeve and Heyes opened his eyes acknowledging the gesture.  “Listen, I’ve been here since yesterday and I’ve learned a few things.”

Heyes ran his hand through his hair and sat up.  “Of course,” he said.  “What’ve you got?”

“Well, you’re not gonna like this but, according to the sheriff here, the robbery was done by Ma Harper’s boys.  Apparently they’ve been running around in this area lately camping out at either Brown’s Park or Robber’s Roost – they’re not sure which.  Two of the Harpers were recognized during the robbery along with Clint White…same as the Kid…”

Heyes shook his head.  “It wasn’t the Kid.  There’s no way he’d get involved with that lot!  Ben is plain mean and Josh is a killer.  Heck, Chris was a kid last time I saw him.”

“I hope not,” Lom told him.  “Right now I really don’t know what to think.”

“Don’t, Lom,” said Heyes.

Lom shook his head.  “You find the Kid and bring him to me.  I’ll listen to what he has to say.  If there’s any doubt, then I’ll do my best to help you.”  Lom stood up and looked down at Heyes.  “But, so help me, if he really did this, I’ll be there when they put the noose around his neck.”

Heyes stood up and spit out, “You won’t have to be there, Lom, because I promise he didn’t do it!  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get my partner and find out what really happened.”

Lom acknowledged Heyes’ anger with a nod.  “Be careful!  I don’t want to hear you’re involved in the next robbery.”

Heyes merely turned away but Lom grabbed his arm again.  “The governor’s about to withdraw his deal with you, too.  There’s a lot at stake here.”

Heyes’ eyes narrowed and Lom withdrew his arm.  “Yeah,” he answered.  “There’s a lot at stake – my partner’s life!”  Grabbing the paper off the table and adjusting his hat, Heyes marched from the saloon.


Heyes took off his hat and untied the bandana, using it to wipe the sweat from his head.   He opened the canteen that had been hanging on his saddle horn and took a long drink.  The land became more desert-like with few trees.  The gelding wound around the sage when a trail was no longer visible.

Heyes pulled out the newspaper and began summarizing the details aloud.  “The Harper gang came into the bank around noon.  There were five of them, so the three Harper brothers and two more,” he reasoned.  “The bank had customers – businessmen, women, and children.  A blond man, wearing a brown hat with silver rectangular conchos and wearing a sheepskin jacket boasted he was Kid Curry.  An older teller didn’t move fast enough and was killed by this Curry.  Only $500 was stolen and the bold gang quickly rode out of town.  They didn’t have the manager open the safe, but took only the money from the teller’s windows.”

"Something feels off," Heyes mumbled to himself.  “Friday is the best day of the week for finding a full safe, yet the gang left without even trying to open it.  Don’t sound like they were really after a big score.  It’s like they were there for another reason, but what?”

That evening, Heyes camped on the trail, alone.  He crouched closer to the flames of his small fire and pulled a blanket around his shoulders as he shivered.  “So help me, if you’re curled up in a warm bed while I’m out here freezing…”

Heyes took a bite of jerky.  “Hope you have something to eat, even if it is jerky.”

A lonely coyote called, searching for its mate.

Heyes turned his head in the direction of the sound. "Missing your partner, are you?" He turned back toward his own campfire. "Me too, my friend. Me too."


Wednesday

Near a river Heyes saw a man watering his horse.  Drawing closer, he smiled with recognition.  “If Kyle Murtry and Clint White aren’t related, I would be surprised.  Hope you don’t remember me, Clint.”

“Howdy,” Heyes forced a smile, as he rode near the man.  “Mighty warm today.  Mind if my horse joins yours for a drink?”

Clint, surprised, drew his gun and aimed it at the traveler.  “Whatcha doin’ in these parts?  Purty dangerous area to be travelin’.”

“Oh, really?”  Heyes feigned ignorance.  “Why’s that?”

“This here is outlaw country.”

“It is?” Heyes did his best to act nervous.  “I’m looking for my brother.  He went missing a few days ago.  Maybe you’ve seen him?”

Clint shrugged, his gun still pointing at Heyes.  “I dunno.  People who get lost ‘round here tend to stay lost.”

“Well maybe you remember seeing him?  What he wears is pretty distinctive.  He’s got this sheepskin jacket and he always wears this brown floppy hat with silver decorations around it.”

“Hey, now wait a minute!” Clint’s gun hand went briefly down as he squinted at Heyes in irritation.  “That’s what Kid Curry wears!”

As soon as Clint said the words ‘Kid Curry’ Heyes had his gun out and aimed straight at the other man.

“Drop it!”  Heyes’ eyes were dark with anger.  Clint looked up at him in shock before complying.  Heyes got down off his horse and stalked towards him.  Clint took an unconscious step back but Heyes grabbed him by the shirt.  “And just how would you know what Kid Curry wears?  Where is he?!”

Clint’s eyes widened.  “Who… who are you, mister?” he stuttered.  “Why you want to know?  You ain’t the law, are you?”

“Where’s my partner, Clint?” Heyes growled.

“You… you know me?”  White’s eyes grew large.  “I don’t know your partner, mister.”

“You just said you know what he wears!” Heyes told him.  “Now where is he?”

Clint swallowed hard.  “You’re Hannibal Heyes, ain’t ya?”

Heyes let go of Clint, picked up his gun from the ground and put it in his own holster.  He kept his own gun trained on the other man the entire time as he backed up towards his own horse and mounted.  Then he gestured to the other horse still by the stream. “Get on your horse, Clint, and take me to Kid Curry, NOW!”

“Okay, okay…” White mounted his horse.  “They’re this a way.  They’ve been waiting for you.”

“Who?” demanded Heyes as he followed White’s lead.

“The Harper brothers – Ben, Josh, ‘nd Chris.  Me and Les Harris, too.  We’re stayin’ at Brown’s Park, for the time bein’.”

“And my partner?”

“Oh…er…he’s with ‘em,” Clint told him sheepishly as Heyes nodded for him to get going. “…But you’ll need to be talking to the others,” he added as he led the way.


Chris Harper was lying on the ground scanning the area around him from his lookout post.  He remembered the conversation of several days about keeping vigilant…


“So I’m sendin’ Clint up to the watering hole…”

“Clint?” Chris interrupted.  “Why would you send Clint, Ben?  He ain’t got a brain in his head except for figurin’ dynamite.”

Josh snirted.  “Anyone who loves workin’ with dynamite don’t have a brain.”

"I'm not sure Heyes has been to Brown’s Park before and I don't want it to take days before he figures out how to find us.  If I send Clint up to the waterin' hole, hopefully Heyes will see him, and follow him right to us."

“But does Heyes know Clint?  What if he don’t recognize him?” Chris asked.

“Heyes is a genius.  Even if Heyes don't know Clint, he'll follow.  You can trust me on that.”  Ben poured three drinks from the whiskey bottle.  “It’s more important that I know ahead of time that Heyes is on his way.  I don’t want no surprises.  Anyone on the lookout has to pay extra attention and get back here on the double when they see Clint leadin’ him here.”

“He better come soon!”  Josh downed his drink.  “I’m gettin’ tired of waitin’ for him.”

“Me, too!”  Ben swallowed his whiskey.  “That reminds me.  We better take it easy on Curry.  We don’t need Heyes bein’ mad about the bruises on his partner, you hear?”

“Yeah, I hear,” Josh…


Chris started from his thoughts as he saw two riders in the distance.  “Well I’ll be…” he muttered.  “He got ‘im.”  He got up and rushed over on to his horse and didn’t rein up until he was in the midst of the camp.

“Ben!” he hollered jumping down from his horse.  “Ben!”  Ben hurried out of the cabin.  “Clint’s got Heyes!”

Ben rubbed his hands together gleefully.  “Perfect!”  Josh emerged from behind Ben as he went over and patted his younger brother on the back.  Ben turned to Josh.  “Put on the hat and jacket,” he instructed him.  Josh nodded and went back into the cabin as Ben looked at the other two.  “Chris, go get Les and be ready to cover me.”

Fifteen minutes later, Clint led Heyes into the compound in a valley that ran along the Green River.  Heyes quickly took in the corral, two cabins and the several smaller sheds, making up Brown’s Park.

They rode up to the first cabin, where Clint dismounted while Heyes, warily, stayed on his gelding.  “We’re here!” the stocky man announced.

Ben Harper came out of the cabin.  “Welcome to Brown’s Park, Hannibal Heyes!”

“Ben Harper.”  Heyes raised a brow.  “Heard you’ve been waiting for me.”  Then he saw another man come up behind Ben in the doorway of the cabin, a man wearing an all too familiar sheepskin jacket, and brown hat with conchos around it, and he went still.  “Kid?”

“Heyes,” came the muffled reply.

The man was in shadow and Heyes was having trouble making him out clearly as he squinted into the sunlight. “Wha…?” he started to say but was distracted by the clicking of two guns and he glanced around.  Chris and Les had come from the back and side with their guns pointed at him.  He turned back to ‘the Kid’ trying to see him more clearly, but the man had retreated back through the cabin door.  Heyes’ eyes narrowed.

Ben crossed his arms.  “Give Chris your gun, Heyes, and then get off your horse.  We have some catchin’ up to do, my friend.”  Heyes’ eyes went to the cabin where ‘the Kid’ had disappeared.  Ben caught his look and smiled.  “Come on in and we’ll have us a drink.”

“I want to see my partner first,” Heyes growled as he handed his gun over and dismounted.  “Not the one posing as the Kid.”

Ben’s eyes narrowed.  “All in due time, Heyes.  Chris, make sure our guest doesn’t have any other weapons with him before we go inside.  Clint, take care of the horses,” Ben barked out his orders.

Chris frisked Heyes and relieved him of a knife in his boot and a small derringer.  “He’s clean.”

“Good.  Let’s go, Heyes,” Ben beckoned with his hand.

Chris gave Heyes a slight push towards the cabin.  At the entrance, Heyes stopped and glared as Josh tipped Curry’s hat back, and smiled from beneath it.  “Why you…”  Heyes lunged towards the man, but Les and Chris quickly grabbed both of his arms and pulled him back.

“Glad to see ya remember me, Heyes,” Josh jeered as Heyes continued to struggle in the arms of his two captors.

Chris and Les pulled Heyes into the cabin and set him down hard on a chair.

“Can you sit there and talk like a gentleman or will they need to tie you to the chair?” Ben asked, smugly.

Heyes shook himself free of the hands still holding him.  “You don’t need to tie me, just tell me where my partner is.”

Curry is fine,” Ben snarled down at him.  “And, if you just do as you’re told he’ll stay fine an’ you’ll be able to see him.”  He fetched a bottle of whiskey and two glasses from a shelf at the back of the cabin and poured two drinks, gave one to Heyes and sat down in front of him.

Heyes waited, not touching the drink, but Ben gulped his down and poured himself another.  “It ain’t poisoned,” he sneered at the ex-outlaw.

Heyes shrugged and picked up the glass.  “What do you want, Ben?”

“We’re gonna rob a train,” Ben told him, “and you’re gonna help.”

“And if I don’t?”  Heyes set the glass back on the table.

“We’ll kill the Kid,” Ben replied.  “Like I told ya, he’ll be fine so long as you do as you’re told.”

Heyes rolled his eyes.  “Your gang’s been doing fine ‘til now.  What do you need us for?”

Josh came up behind Heyes’ chair.  “We ain’t never done a train before.  You’ve gotta help us with the plannin’.”

Heyes turned around to look at Josh.  “And if I plan this, will you let us go?”

Ben smiled.  “Sure, Heyes.  Just as soon as the job is done and we’re back here safe.”

“And how can I be sure of that?”  Heyes turned back to ask him.

“You’ll just have to take my word on it,” Ben replied smugly and downed his second glass.

“No,” said Heyes and Ben’s expression went from surprise to outrage.  Heyes could sense the other gang members tensing up around him.

“You don’t got no choice!” Ben shouted.  “I swear we’ll kill him if you don’t.”

“And you don’t know what you’re asking,” Heyes snarled back.

“You mean about going straight, an all?  Yeah, the Kid mentioned somethin’ about that.  A waste of your talents, Heyes.  I’m doin’ you a favor and you WILL help us.”

Heyes closed his eyes for a moment.  “Let me see the Kid.  Then I’ll decide.”

Ben glared.  “Fine,” he ground out and looked up to Chris and Les.  “Go fetch him.”

A few minutes later, Curry was escorted into the cabin.  His hands were tied behind him and Chris and Les each had a hold of his arms.  They stopped just inside the cabin door.

“Kid!”  Heyes started to stand.

Josh, holding a gun behind him, grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back down.  “Just stay seated.”

Curry blinked, his eyes adjusting to the light.  “Heyes, what are you doin’ here?”

“Looking for you.”  Heyes took in the bruises on the Kid’s face, his dirty clothes and the walking stiffly.  “Are you okay?”

“Been better,” Curry replied.

Ben got up and went around the table to stand in front of Heyes, blocking his view of the Kid.  “All right, Heyes.  You’ve seen the Kid.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Heyes caught Josh signaling to the other two to take the Kid away again.  Curry began to struggle as he was manhandled back out of the room.  “Heyes, whatever they want…Don’t do it!” he shouted back through the door.

There was the distinct sound of a punch being thrown as Chris’ voice snarled.  “Shut up!”

Heyes attempted to stand up to go after his partner, only to be held back by Josh behind him, his hand digging painfully into his shoulder.  “That wasn’t necessary!” he shouted as Ben went over to the door, closed it and leaned against it.

“You saw the Kid,” Ben sneered at Heyes.  “What’s your decision?”

Heyes shrugged Josh off in anger. “What train are you planning to rob?” he gritted out.


As the sun was setting, Josh and Chris led Heyes across the compound to a shed, unlocked the door and pushed him inside.  The few last rays of sun shining through the cracks showed Curry sitting and leaning against the corner on the other side, his face and shirt wet with sweat and his hands still tied behind him.  He looked up as the door was closed and locked, and seeing Heyes, his shoulders slumped and he gave a half-hearted yank at the bindings behind his back.

“Here, let me do that.”  Heyes went over to his partner and squatted down next to him looking him in the face before signaling the Kid to move.  “Got quite the shiner, too.”

Curry leaned forward so Heyes could get to his hands.  “Yeah, well you should see the other guy.”

“I did, and you look far worse.  Your wrists are a mess, too.”  Heyes gently untied the leather thongs and put his hand briefly on the Kid’s shoulder as he took in their surroundings.  “It’s hot in here.”

“Yeah, it is now.  Just wait 'til nightfall.”  The Kid eased his hands forward and rolled his shoulders a few times.  He sighed.  “That feels better.  So what do they want?”

Heyes brought over a bucket of water and sat down next to him.  “You don’t know?”

“Nope, they haven’t told me anything.”  The Kid rinsed the blood from his wrists.  “Just kept askin’ where you were.”

“You didn’t tell them and they beat you.”

Curry shrugged.  “How did you find me?”  He struggled tying his bandana around a wrist.

Heyes took off his bandana and tied it around one of the bleeding wrists and then helped the Kid with the other.  “Lom told me.”

“Lom?”  The Kid looked at his friend with a puzzled frown.

Heyes sat back, straightening his legs and crossed them at the ankles.  “I backtracked looking for you.  Saw Lom in Evanston…”

“Lom was in Evanston?” Curry interrupted.  “Why?”

Heyes sighed.  “He’s investigating a robbery there because it seems Kid Curry murdered a teller.”

“WHAT?!”  Curry sat up and stared at his partner.  “When did this happen?”

“The day we were due to meet up…last Friday.  There are a lot of witnesses who are more than willing to testify that Kid Curry was involved so Lom was sent straight over to sort things out.”

Curry was shaking his head as Heyes talked.  “It’s not possible.”

Heyes gave him a weary look.  “Unfortunately, there are enough people who say it is.”

The Kid winced and put his head into his hands.

“What actually happened was that Josh Harper wore your hat and jacket during the robbery.  Made sure the folks in the bank knew he was Kid Curry and then shot a teller who was moving too slow.”

Curry looked back up at his partner bleakly.  “How do you know?”

“He showed me by dressing up as you.  At first glance he sure looks like you, too, and if he told everyone he was you…”  Heyes left the rest of the sentence hanging.

Curry’s head went down again as he digested this.  “Damn.”

“So Lom’s here because you’re now wanted for murder…”

“Just keeps gettin’ better and better, don’t it?”

“And I’m sorry, Kid, but the governor also immediately removed his consideration for your amnesty.”

The Kid just shook his head.  “Of course he did,” but then he looked up at his partner.  “I just don’t understand what this is all about.”

“What’s it always about, Kid,” answered Heyes darkly.  “They wanted me to come get you and to help them with their first train robbery.”

“They talked about wantin’ to rob a train?”  Curry searched his partner’s face.  “We’re not goin’ to…”

“What choice do we have?” Heyes asked.  “If we don’t, they’ll just kill us.”

Footsteps came closer and wood scraped against wood as the bar sealing them inside was removed.  Josh opened the door with his gun drawn.  “Just stay where you are.  No need to get up.”

Clint came in with two plates and cups.  “Here’s your dinner, boys.”  He put the food on the ground in front of them and left.

“See you in the morning,” Josh sneered, as he left and bolted the door shut.

“At least they’re feeding us,” Heyes commented as he reached over and handed a plate to his partner and took one for himself.

“Yeah, I haven’t been starvin’.  The Kid took a bite of the fish.  “Nice thing about bein’ by the river.”

“I know you delivered the papers.  How did you get here?” Heyes asked, as he took a bite of a biscuit.

“Well, Wednesday afternoon, I delivered the papers at the ranch and was headin’ to Lyman…”


Curry was nearing a rock cropping when several shots buffeted the path before him, sending up rocks and dust, spooking his horse.  As the Kid fought to gain control on his bay, five men surrounded him, guns drawn.

“Get your hands up!” one of them ordered.

The Kid glared as he raised his hands, still holding on to the reins.  “Of all the luck,” he murmured.

One rider, with dark blond hair, came up on the right side and removed Curry’s gun from its holster.  He stopped and stared, before breaking into a smile.  “Why, if it ain’t Kid Curry.”

Curry looked at the man and those surrounding him.  “Josh Harper… Ben… Chris.”  He turned to see the other two men in the gang.  “Les Harris and Clint White joined up with you, huh?  What are you doin’ in these parts?”

“We’re lookin’ to do better for ourselves,” said Chris, the youngest-looking of the men.  “Movin’ up closer to the railroad lines to rob us a train.”

“Haven’t heard of you boys robbin’ trains before.”

“Oh, we haven’t yet,” Ben, the leader, informed him.  “Haven’t heard much about you and Heyes lately.”

“Can I put my hands down, seein’ you have my gun?” Curry asked, as he slowly moved his arms down.  Ben nodded so he continued.  “Me and Heyes retired from the business.”

“You what?!” exclaimed Josh.  “Why’d you do a dang foolish thing like that?  You and Heyes were so successful.”

“Yeah, well, time’s a changin’.  Safes are gettin’ harder to open, posses are gettin’ bigger, and word gets out too fast with the telegraph.”  The Kid leaned on his saddle horn.  “Maybe you boys should think about it, too.”

Ben spit out some chaw.  “Damn shame with as smart as Heyes was at plannin’ jobs.”  He smiled as though he came to a decision and squinted when he stared at the Kid.  “Where is Heyes?”

“Don’t rightly know where he is.”  Curry returned the stared.

“What?  You not knowin’ where your partner is?”  Josh chuckled.  “Where one is, the other is usually nearby.  Everybody knows that.”

“And if I said I didn’t know, I mean, I don’t know.”  The Kid sat up straighter.  “It’s been nice chattin’ with you, boys, but if you’ll give me my gun back, I’ll be goin’ now.”

“Don’t think you’ll be goin’ nowhere, Kid.  Not without tellin’ us where Heyes is.”  Ben turned to his younger brothers.  “Josh and Chris, Curry is gonna be our guest for awhile.  Until he remembers where his partner is.”

“And if I refuse?” Curry spat.

“Don’t see you’re in any position to say, one way or another.”  Ben beamed, as he ordered, “Josh, make sure you have him covered.  Chris, tie his hands up, nice and tight.”

The Kid's legs tightened on the saddle and his foot moved to spur his horse, just as four guns cocked.

Ben rode up and put the barrel of his pistol at the Kid’s temple.  “As I see it, Curry, you have two choices.  You can let Chris tie your hands or you can wake up with a splittin’ headache and hurtin’ from ridin’ like a sack of potatoes.”

Kid Curry put his hands behind his back and allowed Chris to tie them.

They rode for a few hours, twisting along the paths around rock croppings and sagebrush, leading into a valley.  Crossing the Green River, they came to an area with several cabins, a corral, and a few small sheds.  Curry noted the dilapidated condition of the buildings.

Ben held out his arms.  “Welcome to Brown’s Park, Curry!  Clint and Les, you’re on guard duty.”

“Shore thing, Ben,” Les said, as he reined his horse around.  “Com’on, Clint.”  The two gang members went back the way they came.

Josh and Chris, meanwhile, pulled the Kid from his gelding as Ben dismounted his horse.  The brothers each held his arms when Ben walked up to them and spit some chaw on Curry’s boot.  “You’ve had a couple hours to think.  So where’s your partner, Kid?”

Curry glared, his blue eyes becoming glacial with anger.

“I’m talkin’ to you!  Ain’t polite not to answer back.”  Ben backed up.  “Brothers, maybe we should teach Curry some manners.”

Chris punched and then back-handed the Kid’s face; his lip split.  Josh smiled and quickly turned, putting his fist into the Kid’s stomach, causing him to double over.  Chris threw a blow to the back of his head, making him fall to the ground.  Curry grunted and moaned, but did not cry out or say a word.  The brothers continued to work him over.

“Okay, that’s enough.”  Ben looked down at the Kid when his brothers were finished.  “Where’s Hannibal Heyes?”

The Kid looked up with one good eye and the other swelling.  “Go to hell!”

Ben kicked him in anger.  “Get him out of my sight!  Put him in the old tool shed.”  He put a pinch of tobacco in his mouth.  “Gonna have to figure out a way to flush out Heyes.”


“So they did the robbery in Evanston just to get you here?”  The Kid repeated almost to himself.

“Yeah,” said Heyes quietly.  “I’m really sorry, Kid.”

Curry looked at him.  “Don’t you go makin’ this all about you!  It’s my reputation on the line and it’s my amnesty that’s gone up in smoke.”

Heyes smiled at the Kid’s banter and his effort at normality.  “You think it’ll be any different for me once this is all over?” he asked.

“You reckon we’re still gonna be alive when this is all over?” countered the Kid.

“Good point,” conceded Heyes.  He looked around the shack again and yawned.  “Not the most comfortable room.”

“Nope – hot during the day and downright chilly at night without my jacket.  Suppose I know why now…” Curry held up a blanket.  “They gave me this instead.”  The last rays of daylight penetrated the threadbare cloth and two large holes were worn through its center.

“Nice,” said Heyes.  “Well, you’d better keep that since I’ve still got my jacket.  Have you been in here the whole time?”

“Pretty near.  They let me out a couple times a day to stretch.  Got to wash in the river one day.”  Curry paused for a moment before confessing.  “That was after they went off and left me hog-tied all day and night in here.”

Heyes’ eyes shot to his partner’s in shock.

“Soon after I got here.”

“They needed to rob the bank,” Heyes muttered.  “That would have been last Friday.”

Both men were silent for a moment as all that had happened sunk in.  However, almost against his will, Heyes was overcome by another yawn.  “Think I’ll get some sleep.”

The Kid gave a half-smile.  “Haven’t been sleepin’ well?  Worryin’ about me?”

“About you?  Nah…” Heyes smiled and settled down, tucking his jacket around him for warmth.

“Heyes?”

“Hmm…”

“Now that you’re here, what are you going to do to get us outta this?”

“Not sure, Kid, but I’ll figure something out.”

"Guess we're in it pretty deep this time, huh?"

"Pretty deep," Heyes agreed.

"Think you can think us out of it?"

“Sure, Kid, if I was allowed to get enough sleep!”

"Heyes," the Kid began, tentatively, after a few moments of silence.  "Now that my amnesty's gone, maybe me and you should..."

"Go to sleep," Heyes cut in.  "We'll get through this together."

"But if we can't..."

"Hey."  Heyes lifted himself on one elbow and looked his partner in the eye.  "Have a little faith, would you?  I said I'd figure something out, and I will."

Curry wrapped the blanket around himself, as he shivered, and lay down.  “Don’t need to get proddy.”


Thursday

Curry and Heyes, faces flush from heat, glanced at each other as they heard footsteps and the sound of the bar being lifted.

Heyes pulled out his pocket watch and flipped it open.  “It’s about time you got us out of here,” growled Heyes as he stood.  “It’s after ten and heating up in here.”

“One at a time, Heyes,” Josh said, with his gun out.  “Les and Chris, you take Heyes now.  Clint and I’ll bring out Curry in a few minutes.”

Given a few minutes by the river to get cleaned up, Les and Chris led Heyes to the main cabin as Josh and Clint brought the Kid down to the river.

“Good mornin’, Heyes.  I trust you slept well?” Ben asked with a smirk from the cabin door.

Heyes ignored his question.  “You didn’t have to beat the Kid up like that,” he snarled.

He didn’t have to be so stubborn when we asked where you were;” Ben countered.

Heyes watched as Josh led his partner from the river back into the shed.  His face scowled.  “Hey, where are they taking the Kid?”

“Back to the shed, Heyes,” Ben said as he turned to go back into the cabin.  “Now get in here if you want a coffee and something to eat.”

“What about him?”  Heyes’ eyes never left Curry.

“We’ll take him something to eat.  We have a robbery to discuss.”

Heyes marched into the cabin and up to Ben.  “I’m not planning the robbery without my partner.  I need him.”  Heyes put his hands on his hips.  “So bring him in here, now.”

Ben got in Heyes’ face.  “This ain’t the Hole, Heyes, and you’re not in charge.  I am!”

Heyes’ voice lowered in anger.  “You may be in charge here, but you need me.  Otherwise, you wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to get me here.  Now, if you want this job done right, I need the Kid.  We’re a team and he’s always helped with the details of a job.”

The two leaders stood off, each waiting for the other to back down.  Then Ben stepped back, his face flush with anger.  “Get Curry in here!” he barked to his brothers.

A few minutes later, Heyes and the Kid were sitting at opposite ends of the table.  Heyes smirked at a still fuming Ben.  “Now, I think you mentioned coffee and something to eat…”

Curry gave the brothers a wide, innocent smile.  “Sounds good to me.”


The entire group was gathered around the table with cups of coffee and dirty dishes.

“I need the schedule, a map and I need to know what that train’s carrying.”  Heyes sipped some coffee.  “And paper and a pen, too.”

Ben went over to an old dresser and opened a drawer.  “Here’s a map and the most current schedule; I got it before the bank job in Evanston.”

“You know you don’t have to kill innocent folks to rob a bank, don’t you?” Curry said quietly.  “Now the law and everyone in that town want you dead.”

“Shut up, Curry!  I only wanna hear from you when you’re helpin’ Heyes plan.  Got that?”  Ben’s face was flush with anger.  He turned to Heyes.  “So why do you have to know what it’s shippin’?  We ain’t sharin’ with you.  You just get your smart aleck partner back.”

Heyes looked up from the schedule.  “What it’s carrying will determine what kind of safe to expect.”  He held his cup up for more coffee while waiting for an answer.

“There’ll be a payroll in it,” Ben reluctantly told him as he poured more coffee.

Heyes blew into his cup, cooling the hot liquid, before taking a sip.  “And where did you hear about this payroll?  From a reliable source?”

“Of course!  Josh and Chris were playin’ poker with some fellow who told them.”

The Kid cocked his head.  “It could be a set-up.”

Josh, sitting beside Curry, lifted his hand to slap him.  “Ben told you to shut up.”  The Kid quickly caught his hand, mid-air; the two glared at each other.

“Don’t you dare hit him,” growled Heyes, immediately standing up.  “The Kid is right.  It’s happened before.  Someone mentions a possible payroll and the posse is in the train waiting for it to be stopped.”

Josh glowered at the Kid as he pulled his hand back.  After a moment, Heyes then also sat down again.

“Okay,” Heyes continued, “assuming there’s really a payroll, how much?”  He began writing notes down on the paper.

Chris leaned over to see Heyes’ notes.  “Man said something about $2,000.”

“Not enough to be in the newest model safe then, probably.”  Heyes scratched some more and then opened the map to get his bearings.  “It’ll be traveling along this path, Kid,” he said, looking up at his partner while his finger touched the marked railway line.  “Where do you think is the safest place to stop it?”

Curry started to get up and instantly two guns cocked.  He raised his hand up half way.  “I’m just lookin’ at the map,” he said, irritated.  He walked closer to his partner and they both studied the map.  “Well, there’s a bend here and the beginning of an incline, if I remember right.”

“You’re right,” Heyes agreed.  “I know the area you’re talking about.”

“So what if there’s a bend and an incline?” Ben asked.

“Train has to slow down for both.”  Curry scowled.  “It’s a good place to stop a train.”

“How do we stop the train, even if it’s goin’ slow?” Chris asked as he peered at the map.

“If there’s trees, you can cut one down and lay it over the track so the train has to stop.  But you have to do it far enough ahead so the brakeman can stop it without derailin’.  Or you jump on it after the tender and make your way to the engine,” the Kid explained, as he continued to study the map.  “Yeah, Heyes, that’d be the best place.  And then there’s this stream here that you can follow to cover your tracks from a posse.”

Heyes stared straight ahead, not seeming to see anything.  When he attempted to rise, Ben pushed him back in the chair.

The Kid turned to Ben.  “He’s not goin’ anywhere,” he told the room in general.  “He just needs to pace…does his best thinkin’ when he does.”

There was a pause as the Kid and Ben stared at each other and then Ben took his hand away from Heyes’ shoulder to let him stand.

“Thanks, Kid,” Heyes said absently as he began walking around the room.

Les began to gather up the empty plates from the table.  “So, you’ll show us the best way to stop the train here,” he said to Curry, “and then we just hold it up like we would a bank.”  Josh and Chris grinned in anticipation.

“It doesn’t work quite like that,” Curry said.  He glanced at his partner and noticed he was still pacing in his own world.  “A train is different than a bank in that more men are better.  With us seven, two can cover the engine, two will walk up and down each side of the train, two usually get the passengers out and then they’re joined by those in the engine, and one will break into the safe.  Almost could use another man to help with the safe.”

“Seven?  Who said you’re goin’?”  Josh scowled.  “I don’t like you much, Curry.”

The Kid shrugged.  “Don’t particularly care for you, either, Josh.”

“I’ll be deciding who’s goin’ or not here,” barked Ben.  “Now, Curry, if you’re done lookin’ at the map, go back to where you were sittin’!”

Curry leaned over to the table and grabbed his cup.  “Mind if I help myself to some more coffee?”

“So you can throw the hot pot at us?”  Chris scoffed.  “Just sit down and Les can pour you some.”

Curry just shook his head in disbelief.  Les took his cup and poured more coffee.  He handed it to Curry, once he sat down at the end of the table.  “You and Heyes sure got it down good,” he commented.  “So good, no one needs to get hurt.”

“That’s the idea.”  The Kid scowled at Josh.  “No need for anyone to get hurt.”

“Shore wish I could’ve rode with the Devil’s Hole gang when you two were leadin’ it,” Clint said, with admiration in his eyes as he looked at Curry and Heyes.

Les dried the last plate and joined the others at the table with his coffee.  “Yeah, I heard your robberies were high dollar ones, making $2,000 seem like chump change.”

Curry smiled.  “Well, not all of our robberies were high dollar ones.”

“Sheesh, you two think of everything!” Clint exclaimed.  “No wonder you were so successful.”

“That’s enough talkin’!”  Ben snapped as he stood up quickly, knocking a chair back onto the floor.  “If you don’t have anything to say about this robbery, don’t say anything.”  He pointed to Curry.  “Especially you!”

Les studied the map.  “So when we escape, we follow the creek here.”

“We ain’t followin’ that creek!”  Ben sat down again.  “That’s the wrong way.”

“But Curry said…” Clint whined.

“Curry ain’t in charge, I am!” Ben shouted as he pounded on the table.

Heyes stopped pacing near Ben, his eyes dark.  “The Kid is right – you escape by walking the horses in the water.  That way the posse can't track you down.”  Heyes paused and glanced around the roomful of would-be train robbers before continuing.  “You wanted us to plan this robbery; you need to do it our way!”

Heyes and Ben stood off again, their faces inches from each other as they glared, neither willing to back down.  After a few tense minutes, with everyone quiet and awaiting the outcome, Ben stepped back and threw his coffee cup against the wall.

“Josh and Chris, outside!”  Ben walked to the door in a huff.  “Les and Clint, shoot ‘em if they so much as move!”

The three Harper brothers walked away from the cabin down to the corral.  Ben slammed his hand against a post.  “Dang it!”

Chris watched him with concern.  “Ben, they’re walkin’ all over us,” he said.

“Shut up, Chris!”  Ben glared at his brother.

Josh leaned back against the corral fence.  “No, Ben.  We gotta do somethin’.  I mean, jus’ look at Les and Clint.  They’re lappin’ it up.  Them two bein’ together just ain’t workin’.”

“Yeah,” Chris agreed.  “With Curry there, Heyes is jus’ actin’ like he’s the leader.”

Ben put a foot on the lower rung of the fence, eyes narrowed as he stared out past the horses.  “Well then, we gotta show ‘em that he ain’t.”

“What we gonna do, then?”  Chris slapped his hand down on his leg in frustration.  “We need ‘em.”

“Don’t need both of ‘em,” Josh commented, keeping a hand near his gun and his eyes on the cabin.  “Need Heyes to open the safe, but we don’t need Curry no more.”

Chris copied Ben’s stance.  “But Curry said we need more men…”

“I don’t care what Curry said!” spat Ben.  “He and Heyes ain’t in charge!”

Josh pulled out his gun and checked the chamber.  “I say Heyes is smart enough to do the job with less men, and we kill the Kid.”

“Won't work.”  Ben shook his head.  “Heyes won't help us if his partner is dead.”  He rubbed his chin, thoughtfully.


The Harpers walked confidently back to the cabin with their new game plan.  Heyes was sitting at the table studying the map and schedule with Curry beside him.

“Train leaves Green Valley station at ten in the morning so it should be in this area around four.”  Heyes traced the path with his finger.

“And it shouldn’t get to Evanston until six at night.  Gives us two hours before a posse forms since there isn’t another town…”

Ben stormed over to the table and cast a cursory glance at the maps and timetables spread out over it.  “You done plannin’?” he snarled.

Heyes and Curry turned their heads in unison towards the Harper brothers.  Curry’s eyes narrowed in suspicion as he took in the three brothers.  Heyes just shrugged.  “Reckon we’ve worked out most of what we can here,” he told Ben.  “However, some things…”

He wasn’t allowed to finish.  “Good.  Get ‘em out of my sight,” he snarled to his brothers.

“You want us to plan this robbery or not?”  Heyes scowled, his eyes dark with anger.

Ben picked up a chair and smashed it against the wall.  “You just said you’re done!” he yelled.  “Outta my sight!”

Heyes looked at the Kid and imperceptibly shook his head in disgust.  Curry shrugged his shoulders as Josh and Chris pulled out their guns and aimed at them.

“You heard Ben – outside with both of you!” Josh ordered, waving his gun.

Warily, Heyes and Curry stood up and walked out of the cabin.

“Back to the shed,” Chris directed them.  “Clint and Les, get out here and saddle up three horses.”

“Ben sure has a temper,” Heyes grumbled, as he headed back to his prison.  “Wants us to plan this robbery, but then gets mad when we do.  When I was the leader of the Devil’s Hole...”

“Shut up, Heyes!” Josh ordered from behind the pair, with his gun pointed at Curry.

Chris opened the door to the old shed.  “You first, Heyes.”  He waved his gun, indicating that Heyes should enter.

Heyes grunted and walked past Chris into the shed.  When he had just passed inside the doorframe, Chris gave him a firm shove, making Heyes stumble into the wall.  “Hey!”

Chris quickly closed the door and barred it.  “Okay, Curry, over to the corral.”

The Kid hesitated before getting pushed in the back by Josh.  “We goin’ somewhere?”

“Kid, don’t go anywhere with them!” Heyes shouted from his prison.  “You want that robbery planned right; you bring the Kid here now!”

“Move, Curry!”  Josh shoved hard.

The Kid began to fall forward, but quickly regained his balance.  He turned and glared at Josh.  “Stop pushin’ me!”

“Don’t you tell me what to do!”  Josh raised his hand to slap the Kid, but Curry again caught it midair.  Josh’s face reddened in anger as he pulled back his arm.  “Why you…”  He cocked his gun.

“Gonna shoot an unarmed man, Josh?” Curry asked, provokingly.

Heyes began to hammer frantically at the door as he listened to what was happening.  “Hey!  What’s going on?  Don’t you dare shoot him.  I WON’T help you!”

Josh ignored the hammering.  Instead he uncocked his gun and handed it to Chris before bending down and charging towards the Kid.  Josh’s head hit the Kid in the torso so both fell down.  Quickly, both were up on their feet again with their fists up.  Josh caught the Kid in the jaw, but Curry countered with a punch to the stomach and then the head as Josh doubled up.  Chris watched the fight with a smile until he saw Curry coming out the victor.  He came up from behind and hit the back of the Kid’s head with a gun butt.  Curry fell, losing consciousness.
“Why’d you do that?!” Josh yelled at his brother.

“Because you were losin’!”

“Do what?  What happened?”  Heyes shouted pressing his ear to the wood briefly as he tried to hear what was going on.  “Kid!?”

“Shut up, Heyes!” Chris hollered.  “Les and Clint, bring the horses over here.”

“Kid!  What did you do to him?”  Heyes continued to yell as he tried looking through the slits of the shed.  He pounded on the door.  “Let me outta here!”

The horses were led out of the corral to near the shed.

“Clint and Les, help me throw him over the saddle.  Then get something to tie him down so he won’t fall off.”

Chris held the bridle of one while the other men lifted Curry over and onto it, lying sideways with his feet on one side, his head and arms on the other.  Clint and Chris then tied the Kid down as Josh checked the other horses.

“He’s still bleedin’ pretty good,” Clint commented as he helped tie the Kid to the saddle.

“Bleeding!?” Heyes shouted.  “Ben, if your brothers kill my partner…  I’m no murderer like Josh, but I’ll hunt you all down and kill you!”

“Okay, we’re done.  Let’s go, Chris.”  Josh mounted his bay and took the reins of the horse holding Curry.

Heyes heard the creaking of a saddle, followed by the sound of horses.  “Ben!  I swear…”  He pounded on the door again before leaning his head against it in defeat as the hoof beats faded.


The sun was descending in the sky as the Harper brothers traveled away from it, into the harsh wilderness.

“We should be in Colorado by now.  This should be far enough, don’t’ you think?” Chris called out.  “I’m gettin’ tired and we need to get back tonight.”

“Yeah, this is good.”  Josh dismounted and cut the ties holding Curry.  He grabbed the Kid’s belt and pulled down, letting him fall to the ground.  “Gimme a canteen.”

Chris handed one to his brother and wiped the sweat from his face.  “We oughta give him a bit better odds than that.”

“Why?  Who cares if he dies?”

Chris rolled his eyes.  “We said we wouldn’t kill ‘im.  If Heyes finds out…”

“’If Heyes finds out’,” Josh mimicked Chris.  “He ain’t gonna find out, is he?  And, anyway, I ain’t afraid of Heyes.”  Josh dropped a single canteen by Curry and mounted his horse.  “Let’s go.”

Chris shook his head at his brothers receding back and took out another of the full canteens strapped to his saddle horn and dropped it next to the first one on the ground.  “Good luck, Curry.  You’re gonna need it,” he said and rode off behind his brother back to the camp.


It was dark and Heyes was shivering when he heard footsteps approaching, then the sound of the bar being removed from the door.  He looked up, hoping to see his partner.

Ben opened the door with his gun drawn.  “About time you shut up, Heyes!”

Clint walked into the shed with a glass of water and a plate of beans.  “Here’s your supper.”

“Where’s the Kid?” growled Heyes.  “What have you done with him?”

Ben smirked.  “He’s where he ain’t gonna cause no more trouble for us.”

“Where is he?!” Heyes repeated.

Clint backed up out of the door.

“We’ll tell you when the job’s done and we’re back here safe.  Until then, you just remember that we’re in charge.  You ain’t!”  Ben closed the door and barred it once again.

To be continued...