Tempted
By JoAnn Baker
This is a very short response to a story challenge. The time period is outlaw days.
Hannibal Heyes led his horse across the dry wash and looked nervously back as his horse stumbled over the rocks and up the other side of the riverbed.
"Think they can track us over this?" Heyes called anxiously to the rider who was a few yards ahead of him.
"I'm sure of it," the other man answered grimly. "Here," he said curtly, riding alongside Heyes and thrusting a canvas sack toward him. "That's half of the take. We split up and work our way back to the hole."
At Heyes questioning expression, he continued. "If one of us is caught, at least they only get half the money. Take it, Hannibal, and don't ride straight for the hole--they'll be watching the trails. Now go!"
Heyes reached for the sack and caught the other man's eye. He gave a curt nod and then he was off, riding west, away from the hideout and away from the lawmen that would be scouring the area. He rode hard for the first few miles, and then slowed to give his horse time to recover. There were no towns for another 20 or 30 miles, at least none large enough to ride in unnoticed. He would have to camp in the hills tonight.
As he stretched out on the ground, alone and cold, he began to reflect on day. The robbery had gone off as planned, with no trouble until they finished with train and started their ride for Devil's Hole. About 10 minutes from the train, a cloud of dust appeared on the horizon and the outlaws began to make out a group of riders heading their way. From the speed and direction of the group it gave every indication of being a posse heading directly toward them. Jim Santana, the gang's leader, had ordered the men to break into pairs and scatter.
Heyes rode with Big Jim Santana, who carried the money. Jim always held onto the money until the gang regrouped at Devil's Hole, or some other agreed upon location, and then gave each man his share. But this time he'd given half to Heyes. Did Santana think he would be caught? Big Jim had never been caught. He was the leader of the Devil's Hole Gang and seemingly invincible.
Heyes shivered as a cold wind whipped through him. He had opted to forego a campfire in case any members of the posse, or anyone else, was close enough to see the light. Was it that cold? Or had he shivered from some sense of foreboding. What if Big Jim didn't return to the Hole? What if he was captured? Who would lead the gang then? Heyes knew Jim had been grooming him to be his second, but he wasn't sure the others would follow him as willingly as they'd followed Santana. No, Santana would elude this posse as he always had eluded every posse and lawman before. But if he didn't—what then? Heyes shivered again as he looked at the canvas bag on the ground. There must be close to ten thousand dollars in that bag. The train had been carrying a payroll and all of the money was in large paper bills.
Heyes rolled over and tried to get comfortable on the bed of pine needles. He thought more about the bag lying next to him. For ten thousand dollars, he could disappear and live well. He could even ride south and look for his friend Jed. The two had been riding together ever since they had run away from the Home for Waywards in Kansas, but they'd separated last spring. Jed was somewhere in Colorado or New Mexico, he thought. He could buy a ranch. If he could find his friend, Jed could help him raise cattle. He was tempted.
But there were eight other men waiting for their share of that ten thousand dollars, and they would surely hunt him down if he didn't show up. He didn't relish the thought of being hunted, and ten thousand dollars was reason enough to do it. No, he'd hide out until it was safe and then ride back to Devil's Hole.