"Monty, come out here for a second, I'd like to have a word with you." Heyes beckoned to him from the doorway.
"Sure, Heyes."
Monty checked the bindings on Stafford and then walked out the door and followed the limping outlaw leader away from the office area. Once they were far enough away not to be overheard, Heyes stopped. He could see Allie and the Kid coming in through the outside door. His partner nodded to him and drew Allie into the office.
"You've had all night to think on it, Northrup. Are you still willing to throw in with us?"
"I am." Monty wondered how Heyes got so battered; his clothes were covered in a fine dust and he had new bruises on his face. It was obvious that something had happened to him in the past few hours and he was curious to know what it was.
"If you do, you can't be choosy about how I do things," warned Heyes.
"Fair enough. I draw the line at killing anyone, though. Other than that, I'll be fine. It ain't my first time on this side of the law. The way I see it, the law's kinda like a line in the sand. It can get blown around depending on the storm that's brewing. Right now, this looks like the place to be."
Heyes grinned widely at the analogy; he liked this man. "Good. I draw the line at killing, too, and don't want anyone with me who doesn't."
Monty weighed the wisdom of asking his next question, but decided he needed to know. "What about Curry? I hear tell he's killed a few men."
All the good humor fled Heyes's face and his eyes hardened. "Only in self-defense and only if he had no other choice; my partner isn't a killer, Northrup."
Monty had already decided for himself that Curry was okay, but it paid to ask the right questions and despite knowing that Heyes was an accomplished liar, he trusted him. The man was a puzzle to him. He was wanted dead or alive and the law believed he was dead. He could go anywhere; do anything, but he was right here helping Miss Harcourt and her family. Lord knows, he wished Heyes had been around to help his Martha and his little girl in their time of need. He'd be right proud to help this man. "Guess I ought to know better than to believe them dime novels."
Mollified, Heyes continued, "I'll expect you to follow directions and be honest with me. If you want out, tell me. I only want men with me who want to be with me. The Devil's Hole gang isn't a lifetime membership like some gangs. This is one gang you can quit alive and kicking. If it turns bad for you, I only ask that you come to me first."
"Will do."
"Glad to have you aboard, Monty." Heyes shook his hand and slapped him heartily on the back. "I want you to make it your job to stay with Stafford. We're going to leave you with him in a few minutes. Keep him here for an hour and then turn him loose. I want you to make sure he goes to Slade and then you stay on Slade. Can you do that?"
"Should be easy."
"Okay, follow my lead. I'm going to set Stafford up." Heyes limped back to the office and went inside. The Kid was sitting at the desk again with his feet up and Allie was seated in the chair Monty had previously occupied. He could tell that they were both still annoyed with him and he hoped they'd play along. "Monty's going to stay here and keep an eye on Stafford while we hide the loot."
Monty was startled by the reference to a robbery, but kept silent. That explained Heyes's appearance and why he'd been gone so long. He watched Stafford jerk to attention and ask, "What loot?"
"I just robbed the Merchant's Bank of Denver."
"That's impossible!" sputtered Stafford.
"Oh, believe me, it wasn't easy, but it was possible," Heyes reached into his jacket and pulled out the two account books, tossing them onto the desk where Stafford could get a good look at them.
"How did you get those books?! They were in my safety deposit box!"
Allie reached out and picked one up, leafing through it. These two small books had caused her family a lifetime of trouble.
"Put that down! You have no right to read that; it's confidential." Stafford was feeling panicky and began to swear. Allie pointedly ignored him and the Kid leaned in to read over her shoulder. It was all there, every illegal transaction Cash Harrison had ever made. The Kid grinned and took the book from Allie, picked up the other one, and tucked them both away in his sheepskin jacket.
"Box number 278," Heyes pulled out the key and threw it on the desk, too. "You ought to be a little more careful about your personal finances."
"You robbed me!"
"Not just you, Stafford; but you were the reason everyone else got robbed," laughed Heyes. "If it weren't for you, I never would've tried to open that safe."
"You're lying. That safe is impregnable!"
"Not anymore." Heyes reached in and pulled out the twenty thousand dollars he had taken from Stafford's box. "Monty, take this."
Monty stared at the large bundle of bills. "Heyes, I can't take that. I didn't do nothing to earn it."
Pleased with his newest gang member, Heyes held out the cash to him. "Yes, you did. I took this from Stafford's box. Didn't he promise you the twenty thousand dollar reward if you led him to us?"
"What?!" yelled Stafford, struggling against the ropes that held him.
Monty looked at Heyes in surprise and then slowly smiled, "Why, yes, he did. Guess I did earn this, didn't I?" He reached out and took the money. "Much obliged, Heyes." Tucking it into his own coat, he happily patted his now bulging pocket. That money would go a long way if he was careful.
"Put that down! That's my money!" cried the accountant indignantly. That was his emergency fund. Enough money to get far from Denver quickly and he needed it.
"Nope, it's not. It's Monty's now and the books are mine. It was real nice of you to explain about those. I figure Harrison will pay a pretty penny to get them back, don't you? Of course, that means you just lost your hold over him." Heyes leaned into the man's face and watched as the fear crept in. Stafford cringed. Heyes had him where he wanted him. "Kid, Allie, let's go. Monty you stay here and make sure Stafford stays put. I'll take care of him later." He nodded and walked out; his partner and Allie following behind.
"What now?" asked the Kid.
"We're going back to Soapy's. I need to change and we're dropping Allie off."
OOOOOOOOOO
"Heyes, are you all right? You haven't said a word since we left the warehouse." Allie was still angry with him, but now she was beginning to worry. He was pale and obviously in pain.
"I've been busy thinking, Allie. It's not all about you," Heyes trotted on a ways ahead as Allie's ears burned at having those words thrown back at her.
"You arrogant, pig-headed heathen!" She spurred her horse to catch up and she scowled at him. "How dare you? You owe Jed and me an apology."
"I have nothing to apologize for," said Heyes coldly.
The Kid jogged up alongside Allie and his partner. "Yeah, you do. You owe me an apology for not telling me what you were planning."
"And you owe me an apology for not waiting to hear what I had to say and for trying to blow yourself up!" Allie reached over and punched Heyes hard in the arm.
"Hey, cut that out. What is the matter with you today? Poking and jabbing me where I'm hurt, I thought you said you loved me."
Allie turned a few more shades of purple and sputtered out, "What is the matter with me? With me you ask?"
"Heyes, this ain't helping," said the Kid neutrally. He didn't like the particular shade of purple that Allie was becoming. He'd seen that look before.
Allie and Heyes both turned to him, "Shut up!"
"Hey! You owe me an apology, too. Both of you do." Curry looked at each of them, his own temper heating up quickly.
"What do I have to apologize for?" Allie was now frowning at the Kid.
"Well, if you hadn't of upset Heyes so bad, he wouldn't have gone off and robbed the bank without me."
"He's right, Allie. You do owe him an apology," Heyes looked at her reproachfully.
She looked from one to another and snarled. "I'm not apologizing to either of you cretins!"
"Well, I'm not apologizing either," said Heyes stubbornly.
"You still owe me an apology, Heyes," the Kid reined up his horse and waited.
"You ain't getting one, Kid, neither is Allie," Heyes pulled up, too. Seeing the two partners halting behind her, Allie turned her horse back towards them; pulling up between the two.
"Why not? Are you too famous to apologize?" said Allie derisively.
"I have nothing to apologize for. I made a plan, I calculated the risks, and I pulled it off by myself. I took the risks and I made my choices. You weren't part of the plan and I don't owe either of you an apology."
"Like hell you don't!" growled the Kid, dropping his right hand to rest on his gun belt.
"Don't threaten me, Kid. If you were going to shoot me, you'd of done it a long time ago." Heyes turned to Allie. "Look, it just happened. Corky had the key and I had a plan. If I'd told you, you would have wanted to come and it would've been distracting.
Allie allowed herself a tiny smile at the thought of Heyes finding her distracting. "You don't mean distracting; you mean dangerous. You didn't tell us, because you knew you might kill yourself and you didn't want us there."
"You weren't part of the calculations. The job was safer for me without you!" Heyes's voice took on that gravelly sound that meant he was losing his cool.
"Just how do you figure that?" asked the Kid sarcastically.
"Because I wasn't worrying about you two!" yelled Heyes, completely exasperated.
"So you weren't trying to kill yourself, Heyes?" There. It was out; the question that needed to be asked. He could see Heyes thinking it over, but he didn't reply for a long time and the Kid waited pensively for an answer. He'd know a lie if he heard one.
"No, I'll admit the future was looking pretty bleak to me at that moment, but I didn't want to die. If I'd wanted to die, all I had to do was let my hand get shaky or cut that fuse too short. There's lots of ways to die while robbing a bank, if I'd wanted to die I'd be dead."
Heyes clucked to his horse and rode ahead as Allie and Kid stared at his stiffened back. He was either really angry or his was really hurting.
"You were right, Jed; he won't risk our necks but he's more than willing to risk his."
"Yep."
"That's all you have to say? How are we going to stop him?"
"I can't stop Heyes from shaking hands with the devil and neither can you. Risk is what's made us famous. We've done things no one else dared to do; except Heyes, he dared it. By the same token, I've also watched Heyes angst over every detail of a job making sure he has made it as safe as possible. He'll spend months planning a job and he won't do one that he doesn't believe in; I've seen him walk away from more than a few.
Look, Heyes and I both know our lives are gonna end up in prison or dead. I'm beginning to think Heyes has already decided how he wants it to be and I think maybe I agree with him. At least he's going to have fun on the way out." He spurred his horse to catch up to his partner.
"Morons!"
OOOOOOOOOO
"What are you doing?!" cried Stafford. Monty had pulled out his hunting knife and stood up from the desk with a nasty little smile.
"Northrup, you can't. Don't kill me. Please, I beg of you; don't kill me. I'll pay you twice what Heyes did. I swear I will." Tears were coursing down the accountant's face and he felt his bladder straining with his fear.
"Shut up, you damn fool. I ain't gonna kill you." Monty stepped behind the bound man and sawed at the ropes.
"You aren't? Why?"
"Cause I ain't no killer. I may be a lot of things, but I ain't that." He had nearly sawed through the ropes, leaving only a few corded strands untouched. He tucked away his knife and began packing up his bedroll and belongings. "You work at those ropes awhile and they'll give. Now, I've gotta be on my way."
"Wait! Why are you doing this?" Stafford couldn't believe his luck. This dumb lummox was setting him free. He'd make this awful man pay for turning on him.
Monty patted his pocket. "I figure I got what I came for. I'm heading home, Stafford. Don't come after me. I'll be watching for you. You do and I'll figure it as self-defense." He banged open the door and left, leaving Stafford yanking wildly at his bindings. A few minutes later, the accountant heard a horse galloping away.
"I'll kill you, Northrup. I swear I will."
OOOOOOOOOO
"Here, I'll take the horses," said the Kid. Heyes was looking pretty done in and he couldn't help taking pity on him. Now that he understood that Heyes had been after the books all along, that he hadn't been pulling the job in anger, he was ready to forgive him for being left out of the heist. He understood his partner better than anyone. A Pierce & Hamilton Model 78 had simply been more temptation than the man could bear. Curry led the three horses across the yard to Soapy's barn.
Heyes limped away from Allie without a word. He was too tired and too sore to speak; he needed to lie down before he fell down. She watched him hobbling up the stairs and into the house. She wanted so much to help, but she knew he'd never admit to needing it. What on earth did she see in this irritating, arrogant, insane man? Sighing, she walked towards the barn to help Jed with the horses.
There was a small note tucked under a coffee mug sitting on the kitchen table. Heyes slid it out and read it:
"Dear Heyes,
When I returned home, the ladies persuaded Jordan and me to take them out to run a few errands. Don't worry, we are well-armed against all comers except for two very determined women.
Soapy"
"Damn it!" he growled, mangling the paper and dropping it. This was the last thing he needed. He had been counting on having the ladies safe and secure in Soapy's mansion. Stafford would be loose by now and who knew how long it would be before he got to Slade. Once Slade was riled, there was no controlling the situation. Slade was a wild card. He hated not knowing where his friends were. Muttering angrily to himself, he slowly and shakily made his way up the stairs.
OOOOOOOOOO
"I miss Patches. I hope he's doing all right," Allie linked her arm through Jed's as they walked back to the house.
"He'll be fine. Sy has him at a farm about ten miles east of here. There ain't much out that way so no one will be looking for him there."
"Do you think this will be over soon?"
"I sure hope so. I'm ready for a few quiet, safe months of bank robbing," he laughed, trotting up the steps and holding the door open for her. As he followed her in, he immediately spotted the crumpled note on the floor. Allie had, too, and picked it up. "What's it say?"
"It's from Soapy. He's taken Mother and Esther out shopping. Jordan went with them."
"If Jordan went with them, they'll be fine. The man's more dangerous than he looks. Allie, would you put some coffee on? I think Heyes's going to need it. I'm going to check on him."
OOOOOOOOOO
The Kid tapped softly on the partially closed door and slowly opened it. He could hear the sound of a bath running down the hall and Heyes was lying on the bed, shirt and pants off, and his long johns pulled down to his waist. He was sound asleep. Good, he needed the rest. The Kid walked down the hall and turned off the water before returning to his partner's room. He lifted a quilt off the foot of the bed, opening it up to spread over his cousin, but stopping short at the sight of the livid bruises covering Heyes's chest and arms. He'd taken more of a beating from that explosion than the Kid had realized. When Heyes woke up, he'd worry about doctoring him; right now it was best to let him sleep. He gently tucked the blanket in being careful not to touch Heyes any more than he had to. Turning away from the bedside, he looked at Heyes's clothing that had been carelessly strewn about the floor. Heyes must be hurting; he was usually real fussy about his clothes. Picking up the shirt, the Kid heard something fall out of the pocket and saw a glimpse of Heyes's lucky coin just before it rolled under the bed. Funny, he couldn't remember the last time Heyes had suggested a coin toss. Kneeling down, he slid under the bed and grabbed the coin. He felt the lump in it before he held it up to his face and saw it. It was unmistakable; the coin had been dented by a bullet. Cursing softly, he dropped it into his own pocket.
OOOOOOOOOO
Monty followed Stafford discreetly. Years of hunting in the Texas hill country, where there was limited cover, had taught him excellent tracking skills and how to avoid detection. This man had no skills at all; tailing him was a piece of cake. The accountant had made a beeline for his apartment and Monty waited in the shadows down the street. It wasn't but five minutes or so, before an agitated Stafford came out carrying a small bag. He knew that Corky had burgled the man's home and he chuckled at the thought of the chaos Stafford must've found. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy. He did wonder, though, what was in the bag.
Stafford took off on foot at a half-run. Monty remounted his horse and jogged along in the alley paralleling the street. He could see the erstwhile detective between the houses, but the man wouldn't see him unless he stopped and looked hard for him.
Stafford never gave a thought to being followed. He was in a panicked sweat and his only thought was to get to Slade's. Slade would protect him; he had to; they were in this together. If Harrison was coming, he was coming for both of them. He stepped out into the street to hail a passing cab. Climbing into the carriage, he collapsed back into the soft, cushioned seat, willing his heart rate to slow. Thank goodness, that little thief hadn't found his bag. He was a big believer in preparedness. The bag contained two thousand dollars and a small derringer. He had hidden it behind a panel in his armoire just in case he had to leave at a moment's notice and wasn't able to get to his money in the bank; he was glad he had.
"Where to, Mister?" the cabbie called down from his perch.
"Slade Freighting Company, 214 East Yampa," yelled Stafford.