Disclaimer: Alias Smith and Jones does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses, etc. are entirely fictitious.
Plan B
A/N – story presumes the details on the wanted posters are not entirely accurate.
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"We need to get going," urged Kid in a quiet tone.
The tall blond man gestured to the end of the alley where Wheat, Preacher and the new guy, Jenkins, were waiting with the horses. Kyle picked up his pace and hurried out the bank door with only a small grumble.
"T'weren't no fun at all," muttered Kyle. The small man hoisted the satchel containing the unused dynamite over his shoulder. "Heyes got that combination right off."
"Quieter that way though," commented Lobo. He followed Kyle at a slower pace, carrying the crowbars and other heavy equipment that had also not been needed. "I like it when we don't have to blow things up."
Heyes sauntered leisurely out of the bank in time to see Lobo almost run into Kyle. The smaller man stopped smack dab in the middle of alley and turned to face his friend with a wounded expression.
"Blowing things up is fun," insisted Kyle. His voice rose higher as he argued, "This job was too quiet!"
"It ain't quiet if you two keep yapping," hissed Kid in annoyance. The handsome blond scowled and made a shooing motion with the shiny colt. "Get to the horses."
Heyes stopped walking and looked at Kid in surprise. In the darkened alley, it was hard to see the expression on his cousin's face. The dark haired outlaw leader hefted the carpet bag full of money and shook it. The satisfying sound of bundled wads of bills hitting the insides of the carpet bag could be heard. Heyes, with Kid backing him up, had taken over leadership of the Devil's Hole gang less than a year ago when Big Jim Santana had been captured and sent to prison. The first few months had been rough. But this job, like the last three, were meticulously planned.
"Why are you so proddy?" asked Heyes. "We'll be well out of here before the sheriff's next patrol."
"Just think we should be goin' is all," responded Kid. The blond gave Heyes a nudge. Together the outlaw leader and his partner followed Kyle and Lobo.
"This is another flawless plan," boasted Heyes. "And…"
Kid body slammed Heyes up against the wall of the bank.
"Ooomph," gasped Heyes as the air rushed out of his lungs. Dark brown eyes looked at the blue eyes mere inches away from him. "Now Kid, what did you go do that for?"
The sound of shots being fired drowned out Heyes' question. The slender criminal mastermind turned his head, trying to see past his partner. Wood splintered beside his face as bullets slammed into the wall of the building. Heyes felt the body covering him shudder. A line of red sprang up on the sleeve of Kid's coat.
"Kid! You hit?"
"Time to leave," growled the younger outlaw. The blond grabbed Heyes by the shoulders and shoved him further down the alley. "Move!"
Heyes ran towards the waiting horses. He nearly tripped jumping over the tools Lobo had dropped. Ahead of Heyes, Lobo and Kyle were now mounting their horses. Heyes looked over his shoulder. Kid was right behind him. In the waning moonlight, Heyes could barely see the figure at the other end of the alley. A youngish looking man was frantically trying to reload a pistol, shouting all the while.
"Sheriff! Sheriff!"
"Who's that?" demanded Heyes as he reached his horse. Foot in the stirrup, and then he was swinging himself up into the saddle.
"Don't know, don't care," responded Kid as he began to mount. "Just go!"
The sound of another pistol shot let them know that the man in the alley had finished reloading. Heyes twisted his head to look around the town. The man's shouts were waking the good folks of Simpsonville. Lantern lights were beginning to show up at windows throughout the town.
"Kid," asked Heyes anxiously looking at the blood on his cousin's sleeve, "are you okay?"
"Just a scratch. I can ride," answered Curry as he settled himself in the saddle. "Go!"
Another figure joined the man at the end of the alley as Heyes spurred his horse a few steps forward. Out of the corner of his eye, the observant gang leader saw moonlight reflect on a badge. The sheriff raised his rifle. The crack of the rifle shot was almost immediately followed by a squeal of pain as Kid's horse reared. Heyes watched as Kid struggled to stay on the horse and get the wounded, frightened creature under control.
"Kid," shouted Heyes.
The twenty-two year old gang leader started to turn his horse. If Kid's horse went down, Heyes determined he would double up with his cousin. It was only a short ride to where the gang's next change of horses were waiting. Wheat, Kyle, Lobo and Preacher circled around the outlaw leader and his partner. The outlaws fired well placed shots into the floorboards of the hotel porch, above the bank door, and into the water trough in front of the saloon. The shots were meant to discourage the citizenry from following the gang and buy time to get away, but the shots didn't seem to discourage the two men in the alley. The sheriff, and the younger man with him, continued to move towards the gang. Heyes could now see a small star like the sheriff's on the chest of the pistol wielding young man.
"Looks like Simpsonville finally got a new deputy," observed Wheat as he placed a shot into the porch railing near the approaching lawmen.
Kid got the big bay he was riding under control. A trickle of blood, similar to the one on Kid's arm, showed on the flank of the big animal. The frightened creature's wild eyes and rapidly blowing breath gave an indication of how hard Kid was working to keep the animal under control. The blond gunman pointed in the direction that Jenkins had disappeared. The road out of town led to the distant mountain range and a myriad of trails where they could find the safety of Devil's Hole.
"Ride!" ordered Kid.
Kyle, Lobo and Preacher moved forward to surround Heyes. Wheat lingered a moment near Kid. Heyes' sharp ears heard their quick exchange.
"Plan B?" asked Wheat in a low voice.
"Maybe," grunted Kid with a concerned look at his horse. "Too soon to tell."
Heyes had only a moment to wonder what plan the Kid and Wheat were talking about before his cousin shouted to the milling men.
"Go!"
The men spurred their horses forward. Heyes was forced into the lead, followed closely by Kyle, Lobo and Preacher as they reached the edge of town. He looked back over his shoulder. Wheat, trailed by Kid, followed behind them. Heyes saw the sheriff raise the rifle again. The sound of another shot echoed through the night. Kid jerked once, then leaned forward on his horse. Heyes tried to rein in, but couldn't surrounded as he was by Kyle, Lobo and Preacher. The Kansan could only watch as Wheat reined in and circled back to Kid. His partner struggled to sit up, said something and waved his hand forward before slumping again. Wheat turned and spurred his horse on, leaving Kid behind.
"No!" shouted Heyes.
The outlaw leader spurred his horse forward, trying to get out from where Lobo and Preacher had him penned in. Heyes almost got away from the gang, but Kyle's horse blocked him. Lobo and Preacher surrounded Heyes again as Wheat joined them.
"Get out of my way!" shouted Heyes. "I've got to get Kid."
"Plan B," announced Wheat grimly.
The other outlaws nodded as if they already figured that out. Heyes didn't even pause to wonder what Plan B might be. In the distance, Heyes watched as the sheriff, his deputy and other townspeople surrounded Kid and his horse. In the lantern light, Heyes saw Kid hauled off the wounded animal. Curry didn't stand. His knees buckled as his feet touched the ground. The two men holding him began to drag him towards the nearest building. Other men were running towards the livery stable. There would be a posse soon.
"Time to go," said Wheat.
"Boys, go on without me," ordered the outlaw leader.
"Can't," replied Wheat. "'gainst orders."
"What?" spluttered Heyes. "Who's orders? I'm in charge here!"
"Kid's in charge of security," reminded Wheat. "You said so yourself."
Heyes remembered. When he took over leadership of the gang, Heyes had said there were only three rules. First, no hurting any of the people they robbed. Second, follow Heyes' plans to the letter. Third, Kid was in charge of security, do what Curry said and we'll all be safe. But now Kid wasn't safe. Heyes struggled to turn his horse, but the other riders milling around him made it impossible. Against his wishes, Heyes found himself riding away from Simpsonville and Kid.
"Kid's been shot," argued Heyes. "He can't be in charge of security."
"A good plan accounts for the unexpected," recited Wheat.
Heyes rolled his dark brown eyes in exasperation at hearing his own words tossed back at him. The other outlaws pressed closer, surrounding Heyes, urging their mounts to an even faster pace on the long flat road leading west into the mountains.
"And Kid said if anything happens to him," continued Wheat, "we got to get you safe."
"None of my plans include anyone getting shot," yelled Heyes over the sound of galloping hooves.
"Kid's plan did," responded Kyle with a tone of awe. Kyle's hero worship for Kid Curry was well known. The smaller man twisted his head to look Heyes in the eyes. "Contingency plans Kid said."
Dark brown eyes clouded over as Heyes remembered explaining the definition of the word contingency to his cousin in Texas over a year ago.
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Upon his release from the Valparaiso Home for Wayward Boys, the older of the two Kansas cousins had found life outside challenging. Times were rough. Jobs and food were hard to find. The apprentice program the school had arranged for Heyes didn't work out. The newspaperman decided he didn't need an assistant. Out of desperation, Heyes left the area promising to return for his younger cousin. Heyes would never forgive himself for not being at the gate two years later to meet his cousin when the younger boy had been released from state custody.
"I'm sorry Jed," apologized Hannibal Heyes as he faced his younger cousin after several years' separation. "I should have been there when you got out, like we originally planned."
Heyes had travelled north looking for work. Unable to find any, the young man joined the Plummer gang. After the gang's last heist, Jim Plummer disappeared with the take, leaving behind a lot of angry, hungry outlaws. The remnants of the Plummer gang each struck out on their own. After selling his horse and most of his gear, Heyes had barely enough money for a stage ticket south.
"The stage I was on was held up," explained Heyes, "and the folks on the stage thought I was part of the robbery attempt."
The robber, a former member of the Plummer gang, had greeted Heyes as a long lost brother. The arresting sheriff, and subsequent judge, didn't believe Heyes' protests that he hadn't been involved in the stage robbery. The dead robber couldn't corroborate Heyes' story and the other passengers wouldn't. Six months in the recently opened Nebraska state penitentiary was like attending a criminal finishing school. Heyes learned more about lock picking there than he had learned in the home for wayward boys. And a master's instruction on safe cracking techniques was a bonus. But the cost of this education was very high. By the time Heyes returned to Valparaiso, Jedidiah Curry had disappeared.
"I tried finding you," explained Heyes. "Old man Pruitt said he thought you signed on with a trail drive going to Cheyenne."
Heyes had returned to Wyoming without his cousin. Needing food and shelter, and having a known criminal past, the dark haired outlaw soon joined Big Jim Santana's gang. Over time, rumors about a young blond that was impossibly fast with a gun trickled northward from Texas. Two years after his first botched attempt to reunite with his cousin, Heyes finally heard a name to go with those rumors. The dark haired outlaw travelled south again.
"You're getting quite a reputation Jed," said Heyes.
The further south the dark haired man rode, the more he heard about the young blond gunslinger. With his youthful appearance, and a quick draw that was impossibly fast, Kid Curry as his cousin was now known, had a reputation for being fearless, fast and fond of the ladies. Heyes had finally caught up with the younger man at this noisy saloon in San Antonio. The dark haired older cousin traced his finger around in a circle on the walnut bar.
"Faster than anyone, shoots two bullets with one shot," continued Heyes softly, "killed two men…"
Jed's blond head jerked up at Heyes' last words. His cousin's blue eyes glared at Heyes.
"Ain't killed nobody," objected Jed.
"Well I was kinda hoping that rumor was in the same category as shooting two bullets with one shot," said Heyes in relief. He gave his cousin a dimpled smile.
"That ain't a rumor," replied Kid Curry. "That's a fact."
"What?" asked Heyes in confusion.
Leaving the saloon, the two men found a quiet spot by the river for a shooting demonstration. If Jed was gratified by his cousin's amazed expression, he tried hard not to let it show.
"I can usually hit what I aim for," answered the blond. "But there's always going to be someone faster. So far, I've been lucky not to have met that person."
After four years separation, Heyes was overjoyed to find his cousin. Secretly, Heyes had hoped that working together they could settle down, find something legal to do and Heyes could get out of the outlaw business someplace where no one knew his name. But his little cousin was now grown into a big man, with a big, dangerous reputation. A reputation that could get Jedidiah Curry killed. Getting his cousin out of Texas alive was more important to Heyes than getting a fresh start in a different state.
"What do you say?" coaxed Heyes. "We could be partners. Ride the Chisolm Trail, make our way north."
"Dunno," objected Jed. "I don't like cold."
"Neither do I Kid," agreed Heyes.
The Kansan smiled again, but the raised eyebrows above the blue eyes reminded Heyes that he had never been able to pull one over on his cousin. Jed dropped his gaze again.
"But Texas is too hot," continued Heyes.
He would plead, wheedle and cajole to the best of his silver tongued ability. While Heyes hadn't seen any wanted posters on his younger cousin, he knew the blond's reputation would attract men seeking to make their own reputations by killing the young fast draw. Too many people in Texas knew what Kid Curry looked like. In Heyes mind, further north, where people didn't know yet what Kid Curry looked like had to be safer. Or at least Heyes hoped so.
"We won't go as far as Canada," promised Heyes. Then he added the best clincher he could, the truth. "I've missed you."
"Me too," blurted out Jed.
The younger man gulped and looked up at Heyes. The dark haired outlaw smiled at his young cousin.
"I thought you were dead," said Curry. The young blond man looked down quickly, but not before Heyes saw the tears glistening in his blue eyes. "Glad you ain't."
"If we ever get separated again," said Heyes, "we'll have to make plans on where to meet up and how to keep in touch if we can't make it on time, you know… contingency plans."
"What?" asked the younger man. "What's a contingency?"
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"Contingency plans," muttered Heyes. Remembering that Wheat had referred to this as Plan B, Heyes asked, "How many contingency plans?"
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Heyes didn't get the answer to his question until much later. As the sun began to rise, the gang stopped in the shelter of a tree lined watering hole to change to the fresh mounts that they had left grazing. The pretty blue roan mare that Heyes favored was missing.
"Looks like Jenkins took his horse and Blue Belle too," said Lobo shaking his head. The big outlaw walked Kid's black gelding over to Heyes. "Reckon Kid would want you to take…"
Heyes snatched the reins out of Lobo's hands.
"Yeah," said Heyes. "I'll take Kid's horse and go back for him."
Wheat pointed his pistol at Heyes.
"Now Heyes," objected Wheat, "I can't rightly let you do that."
Heyes barely glanced at the weapon. He tipped his black hat back on his head, placed his hands on his hips and glared at Wheat.
"What are you talking about Wheat?" demanded Heyes angrily.
"Kid's orders are to get you safe," answered Wheat.
"Heyes," added Kyle, "we's jus' following Kid's orders."
"What about my orders?" snapped Heyes.
"Plan B says if Kid gets shot or captured, make sure Heyes gets out safe and back to Devil's Hole," explained Wheat with a slow drawl. The big man raised his pistol towards Heyes for emphasis as spoke. "And don't listen to any arguments Heyes makes, even if you have to point a gun."
Heyes sniffed in frustration. The dark haired outlaw leader would bet good money that Kid's plan also told Wheat that he better not even think about shooting that gun. Heyes took a deep breath and stuffed all the worry about Kid away into the back corner of his mind. Heyes tucked the anger, about Jenkins running out and stealing Blue Belle and Heyes basically being kidnapped by his own men, into other corner's of his mind. Now wasn't the time. He took another deep breath and exhaled slowly before speaking.
"So once we get to Devil's Hole, Plan B is done," replied Heyes sounding quietly self-assured as he began to move his saddle from the horse he had been riding to Kid's horse.
Wheat, Kyle, Preacher and Lobo exchanged glances. Kyle looked confused. Preacher shrugged noncommittally. Lobo nodded. Wheat squared his shoulders and puffed out his chest before answering Heyes.
"Yeah, Plan B is done when we get you back to Devil's Hole," agreed the burly man.
"Good," responded Heyes as he mounted Blackie. The Kid's black gelding nickered as Heyes settled into the saddle. "Does Kid have any other contingency plans I should know about?"
Kyle's face brightened. He knew the answer to that question.
"Two others," blurted out Kyle. "Plan A and Plan C."
Wheat's hiss of annoyance let Heyes know that maybe Kid hadn't wanted his contingency plans known.
"That's all?" asked Heyes.
The four outlaws facing him nodded.
"What are they?" demanded Heyes.
The other horses had been saddled now. Wheat, Preacher and Lobo mounted as Kyle continued to talk.
"Plan A is the easiest," allowed Kyle. "Iffen you gets shot or captured, we have to do what Kid says and get you back."
"And what if we both get shot or captured?" asked Heyes.
A worried expression crossed Kyle's face. He chomped on the wad of chewing tobacco in his cheek a moment before answering the leader of the Devil's Hole gang.
"That's Plan C. It's the hardest," replied Kyle. He held up his hand and began ticking the details off on his fingers. "First, if you both get shot or captured, we's supposed to go to Nevada. Then we gots to get jobs in the silver mines. And lastly, forget everything we ever knew about outlawing and you and the Kid."
Heyes blinked. His young cousin managed to surprise Heyes once again. Kyle mounted his horse.
"Well let's get moving," urged Heyes. It would take all day to get to the gang's hideout. "We need to get to Devil's Hole so we can begin work on my next plan."
"And what's that?" asked Wheat as if he didn't know already.
"How to rescue Kid," answered Heyes as he spurred his horse forward.
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