Point of No Return

Two Weeks Ago

Harris Town, WY

Kid and Heyes leaned against the bar in the dusty saloon. They knew better than to come back here. It had been well over twenty years since they received their amnesty, and showing up in a place like Harris Town, especially now, could easily jeopardize their freedom. Harris Town was lawless, it always has been. Within 30 minutes from the Devil's Hole hideout, it catered to the local outlaws. The sheriff, and the man they were there to meet, had a simple philosophy when it came to the town's regulars – "don't cause trouble in my town, and we'll all get along just fine."

Kid's eyes continuously scanned the room for trouble. He noticed everything; the table in the back that was being used by a trio of poker players; the saloon girl that leaned against the stairs and watched that same table, or to be more accurate, watched as her partner swindled the other two players with a marked deck. There was also the drunk at the end of the bar that had trouble standing upright as he raised his hand for another drink; the bartender that tried to pacify the drunk by giving him watered down gin, hoping to slow the man's continued decline into inebriation. Then there was his partner, Hannibal Heyes. To anyone else he appeared calm, relaxed, but Kid saw nervousness in his eyes as he too watched the room. Every few minutes Heyes would shift from one foot to the other and then subtly, as he took a sip of his beer, looked towards the door.

Kid leaned in close and spoke softly, "Heyes, if you don't stop, I'm gonna brain ya."

"Stop what? I'm not doing anything."

"Yeah you are. You're nervous, and that's making me nervous."

Just then Heyes spotted Sheriff Stevens coming up the walk towards the saloon, "Here he is." They watched as he walked through the swinging doors, spotted the two reformed outlaws and walked over to greet them.

It had been over twenty-five years since they first met Kenneth Stevens. Kenneth had joined the gang just a few months before they went to make peace with the law. They always liked him; he was young, but loyal and they could always count on him to do his part. Quickly, he became a valued member of Devil's Hole. It wasn't long after the governor came through with their amnesty that they heard the rumor that Kenneth was going for one as well. They couldn't have been happier when the word came down that not only was he granted full amnesty, but had also pursued a career on this side of the law.

"Heyes, Kid." He tipped his hat to his former leaders. "Sure wish we were meeting under better terms."

"So do we." Heyes motioned to the bartender for fresh beers for all.

"Well, I've got news, but I don't think either of you are going to like it."

Kid took the beers as they were offered by the barkeep, he handed one to Kenneth, one to Heyes, and kept one for himself. The three then headed to the table in a far corner. "Well, after the year we've had, that doesn't much surprise us."

Reaching the table, Heyes grabbed the chair with the best view of the door; Kid took the chair where he could continue to watch the room and Kenneth sat between them. He leaned over and spoke softly, "I just came back from a conference in Cheyenne. The banks and railroads are starting to lean heavy on the Governor about Devil's Hole. The warrants are ready; they just need a name to put on top of them. And you know what names they are thinking. They can't prove it yet, but they have at least one witness that swears it was none other than Heyes and Curry."

Heyes looked again towards the door, "We heard."

"Have you tried to go out and talk to the gang?"

"We can't risk going out there. If the law found out, they wouldn't have any doubt what names to put on those posters. Coming into town is risky as it is." Heyes sighed, "Kenneth, have they been in lately? If we could just catch up with them..."

"The gang was in here last weekend, but I think they are running short of cash. One of the girls said that Tanner, one of the mean ones, tried to get away without payin'. Boys, I wouldn't be surprised if they have a job in the works."

Kid thought for a moment, "Perhaps you could talk to them."

Heyes smiled at his friend's desperate attempt at a solution. Both of them knew that outlaws were notorious for ignoring advice, especially if said advice came from the other side of the law.

"Kid, I would love to, you know that. But I've got to admit, since they've changed leaders, this town has been booming. According to Thompson," he nodded towards the barkeep. "The bar sales have grown by over 100% in just the past six months. This country might be suffering a recession, but that gang has been keeping our local economy not just alive, but thriving. I hate what it's doing to the two of you and I'll do anything I can to help, but you need to understand my situation as well."

Kid and Heyes tried to understand, but they realized what the true cost was, and exactly who was going to end up paying for it.

Heyes finished his beer, "Look, if you see them, just tell them we were here."

The two stood and after saying their goodbyes, silently walked out the door.

Two Years Ago

Porterville, WY

Easter

The yard outside Kid's house was crowded with people, just as it always was after the Easter sermon. Children ran, laughing and playing, weaving in and out between the legs of the adults. Long tables were set up with white tablecloths and chairs all around. The women sat huddled in a group near the tables while the men hovered around the house steps.

Still in his Sunday's best, Kid walked to the base of the steps and looked out over all the people that had gathered. It had been a long twenty-one years since the two reformed outlaws had gained their amnesties. For him, what started out as a small plot of land had developed into a fifty-seven acre cattle ranch. It was a business that was not only getting by, but had become the most respected beef supplier in the area. If anyone asked where to purchase quality beef at a fair price, you went out to Curry Ranch. Kid was proud of what he developed, and proud that he developed it honestly.

Heyes noticed that his friend had fallen deep in thought and admiring the same view, he walked up beside him. "Still can't believe this is all real, can you?"

"Nope, I guess a part of me is still expecting to wake up and see that this was all just a dream and you and I are still wanted with $20,000 on our heads."

Heyes knew how the Kid felt. He felt the same way every day as he walked into the local bank as an employee, instead of as a bank robber. Shortly after they had settled down in Porterville, he was offered an opportunity as a teller. It took the bank awhile to completely trust the former outlaw, but soon enough they realized just how valuable an employee he was and they gradually started giving him more responsibilities. Over time, he slowly moved up the ladder and five years ago was promoted to bank president, a fact that he still could not believe. "I know exactly what you mean." Heyes said with a smile.

A young man crossed the yard. Heyes raised his hand to greet him and the man walked up to him. "Missed you in church today Ryan."

The young man nodded, "Yes, Mr. Heyes, my apologies, I overslept."

Heyes extended a hand and the young man firmly accepted it, "Not me you should be apologizin' to. But it is good to see that you were able to make it out here at least."

"Yes sir, even wild cattle couldn't keep me from the annual Easter lunch."

Kid also reached out and received a firm handshake, "Where's Angela. Not like you to show up without her on your arm."

"Oh, she will be along in a little while. She, uh, wanted to ride in by herself."

Heyes looked concerned, "Everything okay?"

"Oh, yes sir, everything's fine. We're just in a bit of a disagreement. As I'm sure you know, now that I've finished my schooling we've been talking about traveling some, you know, see the world before we settle down and start a family."

"I've heard her mention that. What seems to be the problem?"

"Well, it's nothing really. Just she wants to travel out east, see New York and Boston. I would like to explore a little more around here. See what all Wyoming has to offer, that's all."

Heyes admired the young man. He was smart, talented. Just like most of Porterville's youth, Heyes had been there to watch as the infant became a boy and then grew into the man that stood before him now. Perhaps it was just the outlaw in him, but he was always a bit concerned with Ryan. There was always something a bit too familiar, something that told him that trouble might lie ahead. That was why, even though he had never been completely devout, he always encouraged church-going with Porterville's youth. He hoped that if they had a faith to hold them up, that maybe they wouldn't fall into a 'sinful' life, and thus, spare them the troubles that he and Kid became so accustomed to.

One Year Ago

Somewhere between Cheyenne and Porterville

On a train

"I'm telling ya Kid, those were solid bulls, a good buy."

"I don't doubt they weren't solid bulls, Heyes, just not the kind that will make me a profit. Look, you stick to making sure I've got money in the bank, I'll take care of which steers to buy."

"Fine, but when cattle prices start to rise next year, don't come complainin' to me."

Each year, he and Heyes would travel to Cheyenne for the annual cattle auction. Kid would pick out the steer and Heyes would be there to present the letter of credit from the bank. This year Kid had been told that, thanks to the recession, he could get a good deal on some quality beef. But once he got there he realized that half of what was offered was too skinny to be worth it. By the time he fattened them up with feed it would have cost him more than if he just paid full price for the ones at a farm closer by.

Suddenly they felt the train come to an abrupt halt. Turning to look out the windows they saw the riders as they approached the front car. "What are the odds, Heyes?"

Heyes peered out the side, "Judging by the pistols pointed at the engine car, I'd say the odds are pretty high."

At the front of the passenger car a pair of outlaws boarded with rifles pointed at the ready, "Now don't none of you get brave or nuthin. Just exit the back of the car."

The half-filled train slowly emptied with Kid and Heyes being the last to exit. Along with all the other passengers they made their way to a clearing and, after being disarmed, sat on a log to wait. Two of the bandits stood guard, each with rifle in hand.

Kid leaned closer to Heyes, "Well, at least they don't seemed aimed at robbing us, yet."

Heyes watched the situation unfold. Most of the action took place down at the end of the train, at the baggage car. He knew that would be where the safe was held.

The majority of the passengers were elderly. So much so that Heyes felt confident that he and Kid were probably the youngest of the group. Due to the older ages, none of the passengers appeared to be the sort to cause trouble, so Heyes hoped that would give the gang a certain level of confidence and thus reduce the amount of force that they would feel the need to display. Heyes also knew that the gang still wouldn't take any chances and that was why one bandit continued to hold a gun on the train conductor.

As they waited, Kid began to get restless. "You know, I wouldn't mind knowing what gang this is, give us a good idea what kind of trouble we might be facing if they don't manage to get into that safe."

Heyes agreed, "There's only one way to find out." He stood, and with hands in the air, he slowly approached one of the men keeping guard. "Excuse me, sir. If you don't mind me asking, what gang is this?"

Heyes was stunned at the answer, "Devil's Hole Gang, now get back in your place."

"Devil's Hole…" Heyes returned to his spot on the log to find Kid just as pale as he felt.

Twenty minutes later the gang started to prepare to leave. From the satisfied looks on their faces, and the absence of an explosion, Heyes had no doubt that the safe had been cracked.

As the gang prepared to leave and the cars emptied of all weapons, they allowed the older passengers to re-board the train as they remounted their horses. Kid immediately came to the aide of an elderly woman who had trouble making it on the train without the benefit of a platform. Just as Heyes was about to assist an older gentleman, he saw a tall man making his way toward the horses. Tipping his hat and apologizing to the older man, Heyes followed, "Ryan!"

Immediately he was greeted with each outlaw turning, guns at the ready. The object of his attention turned and locked eyes with the former outlaw. A smile crept across his face as he quickly addressed his men, "Put the guns down boys, can't you see he's unarmed."

Heyes walked up to the younger man. "What the hell are you doing?"

He smiled, "I'm getting away with $15,000. Not bad for one days work, don't you think?"

Heyes ran his hand through his dark hair, "If your father knew …"

"Then go home and tell him. But right now, we have about ten minutes before that posse shows up. I'm sure you, of all people, can appreciate the urgency of the situation." With that, he tipped his hat, turned, and remounted his horse. Then, with the rest of the boys he rode off, leaving Heyes lost in confusion.

Six Months Ago

Porterville, WY

The air was alive with excitement. Porterville was having its fall festival and there was reason to celebrate. After almost thirty years, a torch was being passed. It had been thirty years since a young Lom Trevors, fresh from being an outlaw, walked in and took over the post of Sheriff. Now, that post was being passed on to his youngest boy, Travis. After the official ceremony, several gathered around the young Trevors, ready to congratulate him.

"Congratulations Travis, I always knew you'd make your ma proud." Heyes slapped the young man on the back.

Travis grinned and looked down at his feet. "Thank you, Mr. Heyes. I sure am glad you and Mr. Curry were able to make it out."

Standing just to the left of Heyes, Kid smiled, "Wouldn't have missed it for the world."

Coming up from behind, an older and grayer Lom walked arm in arm with a beautiful petite blonde. And in her arms she carried a dark haired toddler. "You had better not have, or else Lom would have sent a posse after the two of you."

Kid nodded to the child in her arms, "Fine young boy you have there, Mary. Spittin' image of his father."

"Speaking of, where is Josh, anyway?" Heyes asked, referring to Lom oldest boy.

"The Doc put Michelle on bed rest. She's not due for another month and a half and Josh, of course, doesn't want to leave her side." Lom turned serious, "Heyes, Kid, mind if I speak to you two for a moment?" He signaled towards a quiet area where they could talk.

Leaving the fan-fare they found a nice shade tree and Kid leaned up against it, one foot propped up as he faced Lom and Heyes.

Lom pulled a leaf from the tree above, "I'm sure you've heard Devil's Hole is getting pretty active."

Heyes looked at Kid, then back at Lom, "We've heard."

"It doesn't look good for you boys. It didn't take long for word to get out that you two were on the train they stopped outside of Cheyenne. Now I've done everything I can to assure Pacific and Western that you had no part in it, but boys, the rumors… And you know that safe was opened, just like you would do it." Lom nodded towards Heyes, "Plus, it doesn't help that a couple of the passengers reported that you went up to talk to Ryan."

"I went to confront him!"

"I know that, and you know that, but the Bank and the Railroad doesn't know that. I'm just saying that something has got to be done."

"Lom, Heyes and I have been up to Harris Town three times already. They won't meet with us. And according to Kenneth, the law is watching every trail in and out. If we get within a mile of that hideout, they'll know. Hell, even being in that town is risky enough."

"All I'm saying is, this is getting bad, boys."

One Month Ago

A Small Town in North Wyoming

The doors to the bank slammed open and seven men rushed inside. Each had a pistol cocked and ready in his hand. The lead bandit was tall, wore jeans and a blue shirt with a tan vest. He wore a brown hat that was worn low, but his blond curls still were visible underneath. Over his face, he wore a blue bandana but even with the mask in place, his excitement shone through. He rushed the teller's bar and shoved a hay sack underneath and yelled, "Fill it!"

The nervous teller fumbled with the drawer as she tried to do as commanded. The bandit pointed to the other tellers, "Yours too, come on, we ain't got much time!"

Each worked, trying their best to do as told. Within minutes, they all had their drawers open and the bag was passed around, each filling it in turn and returning it to the man. As his gun arm swept the room he made one last command, "Now don't none of you be stupid and follow us, you here!" Each person nodded in fright.

Behind him, one of the other men whispered, "Come on, Heyes is waiting for us, we've wasted enough time, let's go!"

Present Day

Porterville, WY

Kid Curry stepped into his kitchen to take a quick drink of water and to get out of the noon sun. The day had started out hard and judging by the temperament of his cattle, it was just going to get harder. Looking down, he noticed just how bad it had already been. His jeans and shirt were covered in mud and dust; there was a hole in his pants just above his right knee where he had gotten into an entanglement with his fence. Judging by the dried blood that formed over the still healing cut, Kid decided – the fence won. Just as he prepared himself to head out the back door there was a knock on the front. He wasn't expecting any visitors and was surprised when he saw Hannibal Heyes standing on his doorstep. It was customary for the two former outlaws to get together every few nights with friends for a beer or two, but they had just seen each other the night before, and the instant he saw his friend he wondered if something bad had happened. When Heyes showed him the paper, he knew that his gut feeling had been right.

"I'm going to kill them; I'm going to kill them!" Heyes ranted as he threw the paper down on the table.

Kid picked up the paper and read the headline: "Devil's Hole Strikes Again: Curry and Heyes' reward set at $15,000 a piece, payable dead or alive." Sitting on his sofa, he read aloud, "Notorious outlaws, Curry and Heyes, successfully robbed the Wells Fargo…" In shock he just looked up at his friend.

"Read on, it gets better." Heyes said with a sarcastic smile.

"They, along with the Devils Hole gang got away with a quarter of a mil…" Kid couldn't continue, swallowed hard and skipped ahead. "In light of this development, the Governors of Wyoming and Colorado have issued an arrest warrant for the two outlaws. A reward of fifteen thou…." He stopped for a moment, and then skipped ahead again, "Has been offered on each, payable dead or alive..."

Kid sighed and put his head in his hands. It had been almost twenty-five years since he and Heyes had pulled their last job, and almost twenty-three since the governor of Wyoming had granted them amnesty. They thought they had moved past the lives they once lived. They thought that working honest jobs and making an honest living in southern Wyoming would be enough to put that past behind them.

Kid looked up and watched as Heyes paced back and forth. He was still surprised at all of the changes he had made in the past twenty plus years. Heyes still had the same dark hair and dark eyes, but he held himself with respect and dignity. He had grown older, but it was only in his eyes that you could see just how hard the past fifty-four years had been on him.

Heyes tugged at the tie around his neck. He felt old, tired. These days he spent more of his time behind a desk than on a horse. He liked it that way. He liked having the respect of the townspeople. He liked being able to walk down the street and not only have people know who he was, but to be greeted with a wave of the hand, instead of the gun. As he turned, he saw his best-friend sitting, just watching him. Kid had barely changed a bit since their outlaw days. His hair was shorter, but still just as blond. He had gained some weight from all the hard labor, but looked healthy, well fed.

"Well… any ideas?"

Kid stood. "You're the one with the ideas, remember?"

"I was the one with the ideas, remember? I retired from that business a long time ago." Heyes corrected.

"Yeah, well, I was never in that business. My business was security, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember." Heyes stopped in front of the ottoman and sat, now looking up at Kid, "Kid, what are we going to do?"

"The way I look at it we've only got one choice; we have to go back to Devil's Hole."

Heyes sighed, "Kid, if we do, and we see them… I really might kill them."

An hour later, they saddled the horses and were prepared to ride out.

"Kid, I think we should stop and see Lom first."

"Do you think he'll be able to do anything?"

Heyes sighed, "I don't know, I just don't know. The least we can do is let him know that we're working on it."

It was mid-afternoon when they rode into town.

As they passed the sheriff's office Kid couldn't help but laugh.

"And what is so funny about our current predicament?"

"Nothing, with everything going on, I was just wondering if Lom ever got a lock on that side door."

Heyes chuckled as well, "He did, I saw it the last time I needed to see Travis. But the window in the back still has a loose lock."

"Guess Travis is lucky we're out of that business."

They looked at each other, and immediately, their smiles faded.

About 10 minutes out of town, the two finally pulled up to the hitching post at their destination. It was a modest house, with a modest yard. The house was two-story colonial, white, with a picket fence surrounding the immediate premises. To the right of the house stood a large oak tree, and from one branch hung a wooden swing. The yard was littered with toy horse and carriages and other assorted toys. After tying up their horses, they slowly made their way to the door.

After a light tap, they could hear someone from inside, "I'm coming, just give me a… gosh dernit, Mary, would you have Josh pick up Ben's toys when they are over. Now, I'm not going to be able to walk flat for a week." Heyes looked back at his partner, both trying to hold in a laugh.

As soon as the door opened, they could hear the lady of the house, "Well, if you would just wear the shoes I bought you, like I said, you wouldn't hurt your feet!"

The gentleman yelled back, "It's my house and I will walk around it as I see fit." Turning back, he became serious at the sight of his friends. "Well, now, I wish I could say this is a surprise…"

Kid looked back behind Lom, "Is this a bad time?"

"No, Kid, its fine, come on in." He opened the door wide, "Just mind the toys, those little blocks will cripple ya."

They made their way into the Trevor's spacious living room. Kid saw that Lom was right, there were children's toys strewn around the room. On one side, Mary was bent over picking up a few of them. Standing erect, she turned to face the boys. Quickly, she broke out in a grin and walked over to them. She was still just as lovely as the day she married Lom. As she walked up, both boys quickly removed their hats as she placed a light kiss on each of their cheeks.

"Boys, it is so good to see you. It has been too long."

Kid smiled, "Yes ma'am and congratulations on the new addition. That makes three grandsons, doesn't it?"

"Yes, we keep hoping for Travis to find himself a nice young girl and settle down as well, but alas, he seems to take after his father a bit more than Josh does."

Lom walked up and placed an arm around his wife, "Now Mary, let's not rush the boy. He's only nineteen."

"Exactly, he's nineteen. Half of the girls his age are already married with kids on the way. Besides, if he's old enough to wear a badge, he's old enough to have a family and to give me a granddaughter."

"Now we're getting to the truth boys, it's all about getting a girl."

"Oh hush now." She playfully swatted at her husband. "Well, I better leave you boys alone. I'll get the rest of the toys in a bit." Her tone changed, became serious, "You two be careful, you hear?"

With a nod, they said in unison, "Yes ma'am." "We will."

Lom gestured to the couch that sat on the far side of the room, while he sat in the arm chair just across from it. "Now, to the issue at hand; I'm guessing it is safe to say you've seen the paper."

Heyes swallowed, "Devil's Hole Strikes Again? Yeah, we saw it."

"And you're here because you think I can somehow help out." Lom put his hands together in front of him, "Boys, I just don't know."

Kid pleaded, "Lom please."

Lom looked from one to the other, "When was the last time you two made it up to Devil's Hole anyway?"

Heyes looked over to Kid and then back to Lom and reluctantly answered, "Two weeks ago."

Lom stood, "Two weeks ago!"

"Damnit Lom, you know why we had to go up there! Because of this! Because we knew that if we didn't, this would happen."

"You knew about the heist? You knew they were going to break in to the Wells Fargo Clearing House?"

Kid stood, "Of course we didn't know. But we knew something was about to happen. We've been trying to stop this for almost a year now, you know that."

Heyes looked at the carpet and desperately asked, "Lom, you have to help us. You're the only other person we can turn to."

Sitting back down, "Heyes, I know what this means to the two of you, but… the new governor… He's just not as forgiving as the one that gave you amnesty. Hell, he even campaigned on the promise to be tough on crime."

Kid half-laughed, "That's why I voted for him."

"Look, at this point no one short of the President can help. Wells Fargo is in Denver, crossing state lines, boys. As far as the law is concerned this is a Federal crime, with Federal sentences. I'm sorry, but it's out of my hands."

With a solemn smile, Heyes rose to stand by his partner, "Its okay Lom, we understand. We knew coming out here that it would be a long-shot. No, I think this is something only the two of us can do anything about now."

The three then made their way back to the front door. Lom asked, "And what, exactly, are you boys going to do?"

Looking at each other, Heyes spoke, "Go back to Devil's Hole. Perhaps, we can somehow do some damage control there. Maybe if they return the money…" Heyes couldn't finish, knowing how foolish and dangerous that proposition was. Plus, even if every dime was returned, it wouldn't undo the damage that had already been done.

Lom put a hand on Kids shoulder as they walked out the door. "Again, boys, I'm sorry. If there is anything I can do for you, just let me know."

Kid tried to smile, "We will. Give Mary our good-byes, will you?"

Lom just nodded as he watched the two mounted their horses and headed north. He didn't want to think about where his two friends were headed, or about what they would face when they got there. He didn't want to think about how their lives would change if they couldn't somehow fix this; about the reality that they would then have to face. The two had lost so much over the course of their lives, he just wasn't sure if they could handle this too.

"What are you thinkin' about Kid?" Heyes asked, as they rode through the valley just outside of Devil's Hole the following day.

"Thinkin' about when we were in the gang, about how familiar this trail used to be. Now it's foreign, hard, dirty."

"It was always hard and dirty. We were just riding too hard to notice."

"Ya know, I've been thinkin' a lot about everything we've been through since we left. Everything was going so good for awhile… Yet, Heyes, why didn't you ever remarry?"

Heyes shifted uncomfortably in his saddle, "Never really thought about it. My priorities just seemed to change after Susan died. How about you?"

"Same here, I suppose. Besides, after losing Bethany that way…" Kid thought back to the memory of coming back to the farm; of seeing the arrows stuck in the wood; the cattle slaughtered; knowing the Indians had attacked. Finding her…

"I know what you mean. How long has it been?"

"Twelve years… Nineteen since Susan?"

"Twenty, next week."

"You know they'd try to fix this for us, if they were here today."

Heyes laughed at the thought. "Yeah, especially Bethany. I don't think I ever met a woman that could get as fired up as her. She'd probably ride into the Hole and single handedly end this quick; just like she did with that saloon girl that accused you of trying to romance her."

Kid laughed. "She had a temper all right. Susan would probably ride in and convince every one of those boys to repent and go straight. I don't think a day went by that I didn't see her with a bible in hand."

Heyes smiled at the memory. "She could save anybody. Ya know if it hadn't been for her, I would probably still be spending every night in the saloon. If it hadn't been for her, I would have never been given the chance at the bank. Hell, I probably would have ended up chasin' heifers with you."

"Aw, come on now, Heyes, there is something to be said about chasin' heifers."

"Oh, I agree. But nothing beats sitting behind a desk counting dollar bills."

"Right, counting dollar bills; taking orders from someone else; hoping the bank doesn't get robbed…" Kid paused, the tone becoming serious once again, "Heyes, what do you think is going to happen when we get in there?"

"I don't know Kid. That's assuming we even get in; they might just shoot us on the spot."

"They won't shoot us."

"No, but they might shoot our horses. I've heard about a couple of the fellas ridin' in the gang; they're not going to be happy with us when we tell them why we're here."

Up ahead, they could see dead man's point. Pulling their horses to a stop, they looked around. "You think the rules still apply?"

Heyes shrugged, "There's only one way to find out." They slowly walked their horses the rest of the way, then stopped. Heyes pulled his gun from his holster; he pointed it to the sky and fired three slow shots then re-holstered his gun as they both scanned the area. "Well?"

"I don't…" Kid stopped, "They're there." Looking at each other, they both breathed in deep, not sure exactly what type of greeting they would receive.

Behind them, they heard the familiar sound of a rifle being cocked, "Well, well, now who have we here?"

The two turned in their saddles and saw a short man standing on a large rock. His was dirty with about an inch of dust covering him from head to toe. He wore a wide-brimmed hat that covered his eyes and held a rifle that was pointed directly at Heyes.

"Name's Hannibal Heyes, and this here is my partner, Kid Curry."

The man jumped down from his perch and slowly strutted to get a better view of the infamous outlaws. "Heyes and Curry you say?"

"Yes sir."

"Name's Tackett, Henry Tackett." From behind Henry came three more men on horseback, all holding revolvers. "Get their guns boys. Surely you two remember the rules."

Kid nodded, "Yeah, we remember."

Two of the outlaws quickly dismounted and unarmed Heyes and Kid. After they climbed back on their horses, one of the men walked his horse to the front and led the group into the hideout. Henry then returned back to the lookout from which he came.

As they rode into the center of the outlaw camp, Kid noted some of the subtle changes from the last time he had been there. To their left, the leader's cabin appeared more worn, with a few more of the boards on the porch needing repair. On the right, the gang's main cabin looked larger, but then again, perhaps it was just his perception of how small the cabin had felt during the time he lived there. The rest seemed unchanged, as if it had been waiting patiently for their return.

As they came to a halt they saw the door to the leader's cabin open and a large man came out. He was tall, six foot, easy. He had dark hair and dark eyes. His clothes were clean, unlike that of all the other men that had gathered around. There were seven men in all. Each appeared to be in different states of unkemptness and each wore their guns low and tied down, which was customary, even back in their day. They all stared at the two strangers and Heyes wondered just how warm a reception they would get when they finally discovered their identities. The tall man spoke, "Tanner, who are these men?"

The man that led them inside the hide-out jumped down from his horse; walked up to the man and whispered in his ear.

The man grinned, wide, "Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry! Legends! Please, come down, come down. Tanner will take care of your horses. Aye, Tanner, their guns, they are one of us, there is no need to keep them unarmed for this long."

Choosing not to correct him quite yet, they both just gratefully re-holstered their weapons and walked up and shook hands with him. Heyes said, "Much appreciated. You are?"

"Clevenger, Matthew Clevenger."

"So, you're in charge of the gang?" Kid questioned.

"Me? No, only while our illustrious leaders are in town. They will be back, shortly."

"Good, 'cause that is who we came to see."

"Aye, of course, of course. You must have heard about Denver, eh?"

"You could say that." Heyes tried to smile but Kid could see just how strained his friend had become.

"Aye, big job! That job alone will set us up for a good six months, maybe longer. Now," he put his arms around both of their shoulders, "we must have a drink as we wait. Besides, there are a couple of our boys that swear they play poker better than even the famous Hannibal Heyes; perhaps you could prove them wrong, eh?"

Heyes laughed as he looked over to the other cabin. He thought back to all the poker hands that he had played in there and the good times they had. With a smile and a shrug of the shoulders from Kid, they let Clevenger lead them into the cabin and to the table that awaited them.

Sitting in the gang's cabin, Heyes pulled in his winnings. Despite the fact that his time at a gambling table had markedly decreased over the years, his talent still remained.

As they went through each hand, the boys asked about various jobs the Devil's Hole pulled in years past. Come to find out, myths and rumors abound, to which they mostly corrected. No, they never kidnapped the President's daughter, that was just a foolhardy scheme that was never taken seriously. Yes, they opened several safes with nitro, but no, they didn't advise attempting it. As they began to discount the story that a one, Wheat Carlson, attempted to also break into the Wells Fargo Clearing House, they heard the three shots signaling the arrival of someone new. Kid and Heyes looked at one another, then hesitantly stood and walked outside.

The time had come.

They stood nervously watching the entrance. This moment had been coming for almost a year now. For the better part of twelve months they had tried to connect with the new leaders of Devil's Hole and had been thwarted at every turn. Coming all the way back into the Hole was their last resort. To do so had risked signaling to the law that they had indeed fallen back into their outlaw ways. But now everything had changed, and they both knew the risk of doing nothing was far greater than the risk of doing something.

They weren't quite sure what they were going to say, or how whatever they did come up with would be received. Worst of all, they weren't sure if any idea they had would be able to change the situation. So, with great anticipation, they watched as the two riders pulled up to the cabins and dismounted.

They were both young, too young to be in this line of work, Heyes thought. Ryan was in front; he wore faded jeans and a red shirt; he also wore his gun low and tied down. To his left, stood a woman of average size, with dark brown hair was tied back, but still fell over her shoulders. She wore tan pants and a dark blue shirt, her black hat was worn high and her blue eyes radiated underneath her dark curls. She signaled to one of the men, "Tanner, take our horses." After the horses had been led away, they both took a deep breath and slowly walked to greet Kid and Heyes. She swallowed, hard, "This is a surprise."

Heyes' eyes darkened, "Is it? $15,000 reward, that's a pretty high achievement."

She tried not to smile, "Well…it was a pretty big job."

Kid interjected, "I'm glad you think this is funny, cause we don't."

"Don't worry, Mr. Curry, I take this very seriously. We almost lost one of our boys on that job; the risk we took was well understood."

Kid stared at the girl that he thought he knew so well. He had been there the day she was born; watched as she grew, as she flourished. He couldn't believe that the same girl that once demanded that the congregation tithe the full 10% was now standing in front of him, the leader of an outlaw gang. He shook his head in disbelief, "Angela, do you realize what you are doing, what you're getting into to?"

She smiled, "We got away with over a quarter of a million dollars, do you realize that was more than the two of you did your entire careers?"

Heyes temper began to flare, "Do you realize how hard they chased us for $20,000? Do you have any idea how much harder they'll chase you for 30? Damnit Angel!" Heyes turned away in frustration.

With all seriousness, she addressed Heyes, "Face it, Pa, I'm not your 'angel' anymore."

"No, Angela, you've proven that time and again this past year." Kid turned to his own son, "Twenty years. You realize that's what you are facing, right? Twenty years!"

"We know that, but that's only if we get caught. With this last job, if things get to hot, we can disappear, hide."

"And what about the bounty hunters? What are you going to do when they try to take you in dead, instead of alive? Ryan, you were supposed to protect her, keep her from getting hurt. You both know this is wrong."

"And you didn't when you were leading this gang?"

Kid ran his hand through dark blond hair, "Yes, son, we did. But the two of you… You know how hard it was for us to get our lives back. You heard our stories of being shot…"

"Of seeing our friends die at the hands of a posse..." Heyes chimed in as he reentered the conversation.

"How many times did we tell you to not follow in our footsteps?" Kid asked.

Angela smiled, "But don't you understand? This is our right, this is our heritage, hell, this is our inheritance." With delighted eyes, she looked around the camp that she had made home. "This is where Ryan and I want to be."

Heyes just stared at what had become of his 'little girl', his 'little angel.' She had his quick wit, his silver tongue. And Ryan had the same temper, the same quick draw as Kid. All four had the same thirst for excitement, adventure; except Kid and Heyes had already realized that the price of this type of adventure was just a little too high. Raising them, hard as they tried, they knew they were headed to this moment. From the outside they appeared no different than any of the other local children, but they saw it. They saw the storm that was brewing just beneath the surface; the camaraderie that lent itself to trouble and mischief. Separate, there was never trouble; together, it was nothing but. It had been like that from the time they could walk all the way up to when they left home two years ago. He had hoped that they would settle down as the aged, but deep down he knew better. Never did a night pass that he did not worry about what laid in store for them. Desperate, Heyes had to give it one last try, "Angel- Angela, we can go to the governor, make a plea…"

Angela took a step back, "Pa, I don't want to leave. Look, Kenneth told us you were here a couple of weeks back. Please, don't. Don't risk your own freedom coming back up here."

"I second that. Look, we've got a bit of money in our pockets now, perhaps we'll come back to visit, soon."

Kid sighed, "You can't do that."

"Why not?"

Heyes looked solemnly at his little girl, "Because, the U.S. Marshals have started coming out to the house. They are waiting for the two of you. Also, we just got word that they've started monitoring the telegraph office. Any wire that comes in for us that looks suspicious, or any credit to the bank…well, let's just say they'll notice and will try to trace it. And," he let out a heavy sigh. "We'll have to cooperate with them if they do."

"It's not safe for you two to come back home again. Heyes and I figure it's only a matter of time before they start watching any trips we make out as well. This is your last chance."

Ryan walked over and took Angela's hand in his, "We're staying here."

Heyes walked up to Angela, held her face in his hands and looked deep into her eyes, "I wanted better for you."

He could see the tear that threatened to betray her tough exterior, "Pops," Heyes closed his eyes at the endearment he hadn't heard in so many years. "I want to be here; I'm happy here; I'm happy with Ryan. Don't worry; he'll take care of me, just as I take care of him. We make a great team. After all, we learned from the best."

Heyes took in a deep breath and held on tight for just a moment more. Then with hugs to both, Heyes and Kid retrieved their horses and made the slow ride out of Devil's Hole. They weren't sure when, or if, they would ever see the two of them again. As they rode, Kid asked, "Are you sure we did the right thing back there, just leaving."

"What else were we going to do, Kid, tie them to their horses, take them at gun point?"

Kid half-laughed, "Would that have been such a bad idea?"

"They've made their home, there's nothing we can do about that now." Heyes thought back to the first moment he held his little girl. It had been both the happiest and the saddest moment of his life. Within moments of staring into her blue eyes the midwife appeared and broke the news that his wife had not survived delivery. From that moment on, she became his life, everything he did revolved around her – she was his angel. And with Kid and Bethany, the three of them set out to raise her. Less than a year later, Ryan was born and the two quickly became inseparable. Never did he or Kid imagine just how similar their children's lives would mirror their own. He could only hope that the time would come that they would see just how bad a decision it was to become an outlaw. He said a small prayer that when that time came, somehow, they would be able to truly follow in their footsteps and find freedom once again. But for now, there was nothing he could do, no longer did he have the power to change their lives, it was in their hands and with that he knew the answer to Kid's next question.

"Heyes, what are we going to do now?"

"The only thing we can, Kid, we're going to have to just let go."