Chapter 13
The two former outlaws spent the rest of the day following Pierce from one location to another as he moved from saloon to saloon, having a drink or something to eat. He hadn't done any serious gambling or stayed too long in any one place.
"What do you suppose he's up to?" Kid exclaimed in frustration, after Pierce had left another bar after only one short drink.
"I don't know, it's like he's just killing time. It's almost like he's waiting for someone," Heyes' face suddenly lit up. "He's waiting for us," he said quickly.
A skeptical frown settled on Kid's face. "How do you figure that?"
"He just found out his contact double crossed him and sent a posse after the train, but maybe he doesn't know there was no money in the safe. Maybe he's waiting for us to find him and give him his cut—or maybe he doesn't know that Ridley is dead."
"Or maybe he's waiting to kill us because Blackburn told him we were working for the law?" Kid said curtly.
Heyes shrugged. "Yeah, maybe that too."
"Well, anything is better than this hiding in the shadows and waiting," Kid said, pulling his gun from its holster and checking the rounds. "How do you want to do it?"
"I'll let him get a look at me and hope he follows me into the alley. You stay out of sight and cover me. I'll find out what he's planning to do. If Pierce turns me in, I may need you to break me out."
Kid nodded. "Good luck," he said, solemnly.
Heyes waited until Pierce was about to cross the street, and then stepped out from the alleyway. He caught Pierce's attention and the two men locked eyes for a moment. Heyes ducked into the alley and waited.
Pierce rounded the corner and looked cautiously at Heyes. "I wondered if you were going to show up here. How many men made it?"
Heyes looked at the ground for a moment before answering. "Just me, and two of the boys—Jackson and Cooper. Jackson has some lead in him though. I sent them back to the Hole."
Pierce studied Heyes for a minute, taking in the news. "Curry's dead?" he asked finally.
"That's what I said, isn't it?" Heyes snapped. "Now I want to know what went wrong. Who double crossed us?"
"I've taken care of the problem. That's all you need to know," Pierce said simply. "You ride back to Devil's Hole, tell the others to sit tight until I get there. I have to figure out a new plan—and without Curry, I'll need a new gunman."
"I know some people, why don't we ride out together?" Heyes' question sounded more like a threat than a suggestion.
Pierce shook his head. "I told you I have things to do first. In case you haven't noticed it yet, I'm widely respected in this town. One word from me and you'll be facing a lynch mob. It would be your word against mine. Who do you think the sheriff would believe?"
Heyes had no doubt about the answer. "Alright, I'll ride out," he conceded. Turning slowly, he walked toward the corner, half expecting a bullet in his back. If White tries to shoot me, will Kid's bullet find him first?
At the corner, Heyes let out a sigh of relief and quickly headed to the street. He continued on toward the livery stable, watching the street for any signs of Pierce following him. Taking a detour, he walked behind the livery stable and took a position where he could see the street. Neither Pierce nor Curry came his way. Settling in to wait and watch, Heyes sat down on a barrel and waited.
After a few minutes, Pierce strolled onto the main street and headed for the hotel. After the man disappeared into the building, Heyes returned to the street and waited. After a few minutes, he saw another man that he recognized—William Jennings. Alright, here we go, Heyes decided, wishing he had Kid's gun by his side.
Heyes darted onto the street and grabbed Jennings from behind. One hand went over the man's mouth as the other took hold of his right arm and pulled him quickly into the alley.
Heyes spun Jennings around and looked into the man's face. Wide eyed, Jennings stared back at his abductor. In one quick move, Heyes released Jennings and drew his gun. "Start talking," he commanded.
"What are you doing?" Jennings asked shakily.
"Somebody set us up—set us up to be shot dead by a posse. Since you were the one I gave the information to, I have to suspect you."
"It was Blackburn—I didn't know," Jennings pleaded. "He insisted on taking the money off the train before you stopped it, and then he must have told the local law to move in."
Heyes stared menacingly at the detective. "I don't like being shot at," he said in a low voice.
"I—I don't blame you. That wasn't supposed to be part of the plan."
"Well, what is the plan now then?" Heyes asked, his gun still leveled at the detective.
"You have to stop Pierce."
Heyes narrowed his eyes and studied Jennings' face. "I just walk up to Pierce and tell him he's under arrest?"
"No, of course not. He'd never give up that easily," Jennings said quickly. "The only way to stop him is to kill him."
"I'm not a killer, Mr. Jennings, I never was," Heyes said with a slow shake of his head. "Why don't we just go to the sheriff and tell him that the Kid and I were working for the railroad?"
"No, with Blackburn connected with the gang I'll be suspect too. I have no evidence against the leader except what you can provide."
"First, tell me what happened to the money from the robbery?"
"I don't know. Blackburn had it so he must have stashed it somewhere before he got shot."
"I just talked to Pierce and he didn't ask about the money. Don't you think that's strange? All this for the money and he doesn't even ask about it?"
"Maybe he thinks you have it," Jennings' voice sounded weak.
Heyes' laugh had no humor in it. "No, he never would have let me walk out of there if he thought I had the money—or knew where it was. That means he has it, but there was no mention of it in the newspaper that came out this morning."
"I'm sure there's an explanation," Jennings replied.
"Uh huh, there is. Pierce already has it—and you gave it to him. You had to be in on this. Both you and Blackburn had access to the declaration of valuables from the passengers. Blackburn had the key to the safety deposit box, but only you spoke to the railroad president. If Blackburn had been doing this by himself—he wouldn't have let you go to Howard. So that either means you two are in it together, or you've been doing this by yourself. Either way, I'm assuming Howard doesn't know anything about this. The only thing to wonder about now, is whether you and Blackburn were partners, or you were working alone. But it really doesn't matter right now, does it?" Heyes' face showed almost no emotion as he cocked his gun.
Jennings sighed and slumped against the building, then began to speak softly.
"He got suspicious when you first mentioned the insurance declarations. Started watching me like a hawk. He thought maybe you two were in on it too. He took the money off the train and sent the posse in to wait for you. I suggested we tell the posse to let at least a couple of the gang get away, that way they'd lead us to the ringleader. That convinced Blackburn for a while that maybe I wasn't really the inside man."
"Then what?" Heyes prodded.
"After the gang killed the guards and crew on the train, no one would know the money had been removed. You'd think Pierce had set you up, and kill him. I would, of course, arrive too late to stop the killing, but I'd arrest you two. No one will believe that you were helping the railroad. I'd keep the money and no one would ever know."
"The plan hinged on us doing a lot of killing for you."
"You're outlaws, killers—I didn't think you'd hesitate. When you left those railroad men alive you put a wrinkle in the plan. Since there were witnesses left alive, the railroad knew that Blackburn and I took the money. When Pierce shot Blackburn, he told me to tell the railroad that Blackburn had been feeding information to the gang and I had discovered him, but he wouldn't give me the money back. Without returning the money, my career will be over."
"Isn't Piece afraid you'll identify him as the gang leader?"
"You don't understand. It's complicated," Jennings looked down at the ground.
Heyes waited.
"If I implicate him, I implicate myself, Pierce is my father. My real name is William Pierce. Jennings was my mother's name," he added softly.
Heyes stared at the younger man.
"You mean you set your own father up to be murdered? What kind of son would…"
"No," Jennings interrupted, "What kind of father sets his own son up to take the fall if something goes wrong. To spend my whole life fulfilling his vendetta. You see, he was injured defending the train from a hold-up about ten years ago. Instead of giving him a reward—they fired him. They said he couldn't do his job any more. It took him years to recover, but he did, and he started planning his revenge from the day the railroad fired him.
"He started grooming me to take a job with the railroad and start working my way up. Once I was in a position to get the kind of information he needed, he began rounding up the others. Ridley, Shorty, and Kinsey. I never knew he planned to kill all those passengers. I thought they were only going to rob them. Once it started, I couldn't stop it."
"Why not just stop giving him information."
"Ha, you don't know my father. You don't tell a man like that no. At least I never could."
Heyes looked at him with sympathy now. As hard as it had been for him growing up without a father, he couldn't imagine growing up with a monster like Pierce.
"So you came up with a plan?"
"That's right, send you and Curry in to kill him. At least that's what I expected you to do. I never figured on you two being so law-abiding."
"You found out about the Wainwrights," Heyes said tonelessly, "You knew the Kid's connection and you set them up to be victims, didn't you? You expected us to go off in a blind rage and kill the whole gang?"
"Something like that. With Curry's reputation as a gunfighter, I thought it would be guaranteed."
"I'm taking you to the sheriff's office and you're going to tell the deputy on duty about Pierce. I'll tell the railroad that you didn't know what your father was up to, and that you came to us to help apprehend him."
Jennings hesitated for a moment. "No, it won't work," he said finally. "You'll just have to kill me now. I don't want to hang." Jennings began backing away.
"Don't," Heyes warned, "I'll shoot you in the leg. You won't die, but it will hurt like hell."
Jennings stopped and gave Heyes a look of defeat.
Heyes breathed a sigh of relief and took a step toward Jennings. Before he reached the other man, a shot rang out and Jennings stumbled backwards and fell. Heyes whipped around and saw Pierce standing a few yards behind him.
"Always was yella," Pierce scoffed, looking down at his fallen son. "We could have gotten away with a fortune and nobody would have ever known."
Heyes stared at Pierce, not bothering to veil the disgusted look on his face.
"Drop the gun, Heyes," Pierce said slowly.
Heyes didn't move, he continued to point his own gun at Pierce. "You'll kill me if I do—this way, maybe my bullet will hit home first," Heyes threatened.
"Somebody heard that shot and will be here to investigate any minute. You can come with me and we'll start up another gang," Pierce offered.
"You were right about somebody hearing the shot," a voice called from the doorway.
Heyes smiled.
"You," White turned to face the new arrival.
"I thought you were dead?"
"Where's the money, Pierce," Curry asked coldly.
"Aha, I knew it. You want your share of the money." Pierce smiled. "Tell your partner to put his gun away."
"I don't think so, Pierce," Curry said coldly. "Tell us where it is or we go the sheriff and tell him what we know."
"You won't do that," Pierce said, with humor in his voice. "You two will go down with me, no one will ever believe that you were helping the railroad. You've burned your bridges, so you might as well join up with me."
"You're wrong, there was a letter," Heyes said smoothly.
"The one in the sealed envelope? Supposedly from the president of the railroad?" Pierce laughed.
"Even if it was a fake, it will still prove that Jennings duped us. It'll prove what our real intentions were," Heyes continued.
"I destroyed it," Pierce said with a smirk.
"Except the letter wasn't in the safe deposit box."
"Impossible. I took the key from Blackburn right after I killed him. I opened up the box and removed the letter. Then I burned it."
"Without opening the envelope."
Pierce's smile faded.
"How would you know that?"
"Because if you had, you'd have known I switched the letters. There was a blank piece of paper inside that envelope you burned."
Pierce's smile faded. "Where is the letter?" he demanded.
Heyes grinned broadly. "I mailed it to the sheriff in Pine Bluffs for safe keeping. So you see, we do have options."
"What do you want?" Pierce asked.
"I want the money," Curry repeated. "Tell me where it is, and I'll tell my partner not to shoot you."
Heyes gave his partner a curious glance. What are you doing Kid?
Pierce laughed and a grin spread across his face. "You had the key all along. It's in the safe deposit box over at the bank. Now, can we put these guns away and go get the money and ride out of here?"
Curry nodded and all three men slowly holstered their guns.
As soon as the guns were put away, all hell seemed to break loose. Men rushed into the alley from both directions, shouting for the outlaws to raise their hands and stand still. Rifles, shot guns, and pistols were all leveled at the men in the center of the alley.