A/N - This story takes place after the episode "Stagecoach Seven"
Clint Weaver was mad. He was more than mad, he was downright furious. He'd been seeing red ever since he got cheated out of twenty thousand dollars by a crazy old codger and a few 'upright' citizens. He deserved that money. He was the one that had identified those two. He sat brooding as he looked out of the hotel room he'd holed up in. He and his gang had split up and gone to different towns to elude the posse that had chased them away from the stagecoach stop-over. They were to meet back up tomorrow outside the town he was in. It had been over three days ago, and he was still mad. Well, he wasn't going to be angry for long. He had a plan to get that money that was rightfully his. And this time, he was going to get it at ANY cost.
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Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry had finally made it to Sassafras City. It had taken them three days to get there. They picked that particular town because it was far from the route that Stagecoach Seven took, plus it was so out of the way, surely Clint Weaver wouldn't think they had come this far. Heyes figured that Weaver would be none too happy about losing that bounty money, and if that posse hadn't caught him and his gang, he'd be out for revenge. The horses they had bought at the ranch needed a much-deserved rest, so after the necessary check of the local law, they relinquished them to the care of the livery stable.
"Well Kid, hotel or food first?" Heyes knew the answer before he even asked.
"Do you really need to ask that?" Kid had already turned toward the nearest cafe.
"You go ahead and order me whatever the special is today. I'll be back as soon as I check us into the hotel. I'll feel better when I know we have a place to sleep tonight." Heyes changed direction and disappeared into the hotel lobby as Kid entered the cafe.
"Welcome to Sassafras City," the clerk said upon seeing Heyes. "What can I do for you?"
"Howdy. I need to get a room, preferably with two beds."
"I think we can accommodate you. Let me check...ah yes. Here we go. Room 7. That'll be five dollars."
"Five dollars!"
"Yessir, five dollars. Unless you want a room in the back, on the first floor, with one bed and no window."
Heyes wasn't pleased, but after the recent events he and Kid had endured, he resigned himself to just pay it. He was too tired to haggle. "Alright. Here." He received the room key and a smug smile from the clerk. Heyes turned and left to meet back up with Kid at the restaurant. 'Kid better not have been eating out of my plate again...', he thought crossing the street.
If Heyes hadn't of been in such a disgruntled hurry, he would've notice someone look over their newspaper and watch him leave. "Well, well, well," the someone muttered to himself. "I guess lady luck decided to smile on us after all..."
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Heyes planted himself in the chair across the table from Curry. "How much of my food you ate?"
"Heyes! Are you accusing me of stealing!" Heyes rolled his eyes. "So, did you get us a room?" Curry never slowed down the shoveling of food into his mouth.
"Yeah. Do you know how much that guy charged me!"
"No, but I'm sure you're gonna tell me." Kid's fork was still long enough for him to get a drink of coffee.
"FIVE dollars! Can you believe that!"
"FIVE! What's this world coming too? That's highway robbery! What's next, a dollar for a beer?"
They both fell quiet as they ate their supper. Neither one noticed the fellow with the eye patch exit the hotel, look at the cafe window, then retrieve his horse and ride off in a hurry.
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Clint Weaver watched from the hotel porch as Patch rode up at the edge of nightfall. "I thought I told everybody to meet outside of town tomorrow," Weaver growled as Patch dismounted.
"Now I know Clint. But I got some news you'll want to hear tonight! Guess who I just seen ride into Sassafras City?"
"Who?" Weaver leaned forward, his aggravation with his minion disminishing as his curiosity was piqued.
"Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry!"
Clint's mouth broke into an evil grin. "Did anybody but you recognize 'em?"
"Don't think so. Heyes got 'em a room at the hotel. They was eating at the cafe when I rode out."
"Good! Go gather the rest of the boys and meet me back here. You remember where they are? Then we'll get on our way to Sassafras City. They AIN'T gittin' away this time. I'll make sure of that."
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Kid Curry awoke about an hour after dawn the next morning. He stood up and stretched while he looked over at Heyes. All he could see of his cousin was the dark hair. The rest of him was buried in his quilt. He walked over and glanced out the window. There wasn't much activity on the street yet. But he saw what he was looking for. The cafe had just opened for breakfast. Turning around, he nudged the lump in Heyes' bed. "Heyes...Heyes you awake?" Startled, Heyes threw back the quilt and swung his fist, barely missing Kid. "Watch it will ya!"
"Huh?..." Heyes sat still, squenching his eyes against the rising sun coming through the fuzzy window. "What is it? Did he leave?"
Now it was Kid's turn to be confused. "What are you talking about!" Heyes just stared at him like he should know. Kid concluded that Heyes had been in the midst of a dream when he woke him.
"What are you talkin' 'bout?" Heyes slurred, not yet fully awake. "Didn't you see him!"
Kid had had enough. He reached and got the glass of water sitting beside Heyes' bed and proceeded to throw it in his partner's face.
Heyes glared at Curry. "WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR!"
"You wouldn't makin' no sense! Why can't you wake up like a normal person!"
"You're one to talk! Everytime I wake you up, you jerk up like you been shot!"
"Well, I'm going over to get some breakfast. You wanna go?"
"No. Just bring me an egg sandwich back. I'll get dressed and go get our horses saddled up so we can leave as soon as you're done eatin'."
"Alright. I'll meet you at the livery stable." Kid got dressed and headed to the cafe. Heyes then dragged himself out of bed and also got dressed.
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The Weaver gang had rode most of the night to reach the outskirts of Sassafras City just before sunrise. They decided to wait out there for the two ex-outlaws to leave town and then grab them. From their vantage point, they could see most of the main street. Phil shook Clint out of his snooze. "Clint, ain't that Heyes yonder walking towards the livery stable?"
Clint looked where Phil was pointing. "It sure is! But I don't see Curry nowhere. No doubt he's close by though. Actually, this might just work out better for us. We'll get Heyes first, then it'll be easier to get that gunslingin' partner of his. Let's go." Weaver urged his horse forward, followed by his gang.
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"Hello? Anybody here?" Heyes called, looking in the livery door.
"Yeah," came a voice from the back. "I'm on my way to get some breakfast. What can I do for you?"
"I've just come to get my horses."
A middle-aged man walked out to stand in front of Heyes. "Okay. You can pay me, then I'm going after some food. Feel free to go ahead and get your animals." The man took Heyes' money, then left.
Heyes walked inside and started gathering his tack together. He was going over to collect his saddle, but never made it. The men seem to come out of nowhere and before he knew what was happening, he was on the ground holding his hand over the newly inserted bullet in his leg.
"Howdy Heyes." Clint Weaver snarled down at him. Heyes opened his mouth to answer Weaver, but the blow to his head silenced him before he could get a word out.
