News about Jess coming into Laramie didn't reach the Sherman Ranch until the noon stage rolled into the sound of the stage rattling down the road refocused Slim' attention away from the feed bins he was busy filling. Setting the feed bag down beside the bin, Slim raised his arm in a greeting and went to greet the stage as Mose pulled it to a stop.
"Howdy Slim! Where's young Mike?" Slim looked around and found himself alone.
"He's probably around here somewhere. That boy deserves a break anyhow." Slim walked forward and started to unclip the horses from the stage.
"Did ya hear about Jess?" Mose's words struck a chord in his heart. Not trusting himself to speak, Slim shook his head no. "The town's buzzing because that Marshal the Territory sent after him just brought Jess back to jail. Word is the Territorial Judge should be arriving in Laramie by Monday."
Slim's hands stopped. "When did Jess get into Laramie?"
"Oh, early this morning I figure." Slim bowed his head and took a deep breath, Daisy's words from last night washing over him. "I'd have thought you'd be in Laramie already, before I could finish my sentence."
Slim unhooked the spent horses from the stage as fast as his fingers could move. Mose meant well, but his words had cut Slim to the core.
"There's a lot of work to do around here." With his back turned, he could tell Mose was shocked.
Slim took the horses by their halters and lead them to the corral so they could eat while he changed the teams. Untying the fresh horses from the coral fence he led them over to the waiting stage and hooked the traces into place. Mose glanced at his pocket watch.
"Right on time as always Slim. I'll see you for the afternoon stage." Slim waved goodbye as Mose climbed into his seat on the top of the coach.
Turning around, he saw Mike starting to strip the horses of their harnesses and curry them. A few strides from his long legs brought him up next to Mike. Reaching out he gathered the heavy harnesses in his arms and slung them neatly over the top rail.
"Slim?" Mike had was exchanged his curry comb for a regular soft brush. Meticulously the boy ran the brush gently through the horses hair. "Is it true Jess is back in Laramie?"
Slim closed his eyes at the question. "Yes, that's what Mose said."
"When do you think Sheriff Cory will let him come home?" Mike stuck the handle of the curry comb in the back pocket of his britches and used his free hand to scratch a silky neck of the horse closest to him; giggling when the horse leaned into it showing a rare form of equine affection.
"Well Mike, I don't know. It isn't as simple as that." Mike stopped scratching and brushing the horse and looked up at him seriously.
"You don't think he did it do you?" Mike went back to brushing down the horse. "Jess would never hurt you or me. Especially not Daisy. Jess didn't shoot me, he cares about us. I bet he went after the man who did shoot you and he's just visiting with Sheriff Cory; telling him all about how he caught the man who hurt you."
Slim shook his head out of view of young Mike. It was always so simple to kids when they were faced with problems. He wished he had the same view of all his life struggles like Mike did. Picking up a rag, Slim rubbed down the horses thinking how to answer Mike's question.
"Of course Jess didn't hurt me Mike. We know that for a fact, but some people may not see it the same way. Jess won't be coming home for a while until he can get Mort's help." It was so hard to make Mike understand why things were different this time than any other time Jess got into a scuffle. "Jess'll be home soon enough. Now, these horses have had their limit of spoiling today. Why don't you go on into the house and tell Daisy to get ready to go into town."
Slim watched as Mike slipped through the fence and ran to the house yelling for Daisy at the top of his lungs. It might be good to find answers to this mess...
Austin pulled his horse and his prisoner's to a halt at the top of the rise looking down on Laramie. After over half a day of hard riding he'd finally made it to this growing town. Hank was steadily looking sadder as each mile drew him closer to Laramie. It was expected Hank feared for his life from Max but Austin had to make sure the truth came out about what happened to Jess before it went any farther.
Nudging his mount with his heels, Austin sent the horses cantering down into Laramie. It was easy to see why Jess had taken a liking to this sleepy town. Laramie wasn't a big town, but it had potential to be one day. Well kept shops lined the streets of Laramie and a sparse number of citizens and drifters milled around from shop to shop.
Delicious smells wafted through the air from a Cafe making Austin's mouth the smells of the Cafe drifted away to be replaced by the rowdy laughter and music spilling out of the bat wing doors from the Saloon. Then the sound of a steel forge and the smell of coal burning assaulted his senses. Austin was almost sad his glimpse into the town was over when they pulled in front of the Sheriff's Office.
Austin stepped down onto the dirt street and motioned for Hank to climb down. Once Hank had tied the horses securely to the hitching rail he pushed his prisoner to the front door of the jail. Stepping into the Office behind Hank Austin hoped he wasn't too late.
"Come on Jess you don't expect me to believe that!" Slim gripped the iron bars and glared down on his partner. He'd bank everything he had that Jess was taking that fall for someone else. Why was he being so stubborn so not to tell him the truth of why he'd gotten shot? "Jess you know I can help you, but you have to tell me the truth!"
"I've already told you the truth Slim. You just need to come to terms with that. Oh, and on your way out could you tell Mort to request a steak for dinner at the Cafe?" On the bed, Jess was sprawled out serenely making Slim being to lose his temper.
"Jess please! I have a right to know!" Slim pounded his fist against the iron bars. This was a losing battle, it was like Jess didn't want to be saved.
"You already know the truth Slim. Now I don't want to see you anymore." Jess stood and put his back to Slim making to clear the conversation was over. Not once in the whole ten minutes Slim had been to see Jess, had his partner greeted him at the cell door. Slim began to argue with him, but Jess cut him off. "Get out!"
Slim shuffled out of the cell room and into the main Office as a man wearing a badge shoved another man inside.
"Sheriff Cory?" The lawman held his hand out to Mort. "I'm Sheriff Len from a small town close to Casper."
"Close to Casper?" Mort warily shook the strangers hand.
"Oh, well the town's so small we haven't even named it." The second man cast a pitiful look to the entrance he'd just come through.
"Who's this?" Mort pointed to Sheriff Len's prisoner.
Sheriff Len started to speak but was but off as Marshal Conner come through the door. Maybe Mort should invest in a revolving door. Marshal Conner and Sheriff Len looked at eachother like they knew one another well.
"Len! Why are you here?"
"I caught the culprit who poisoned Jess. I figured he may come in handy to help Jess clear his name so I brought him to Laramie as soon as possible." All three men turned their attention to the man standing by the Sheriff.
"I'm beginning to think Jess doesn't want his name to be cleared at all." Slim's voice turned the attention of the lawmen to him. "I'm Slim Sherman."
A puzzled gaze passed Mort and the Marshal's face at his comment yet, strangely the look didn't grace Sheriff Len's. It was almost as if...he already knew. Sheriff Len knew more than he let on, Slim was sure of it.
"Hmmm. So he wouldn't talk to you either?" Mort rubbed his chin. "If I didn't know better Jess is covering up for someone. Someone important enough to him not even to let you in Slim."
"Not just Mr. Sherman, but everyone." Marshal Conner turned his attention to the prisoner beside Sheriff Len. "Hank, what do you have to say for yourself?"
Hank dipped his head. "Nothing Marshal except, I'm guilty. I was the one who poisoned Jess by stopping Danny that day. I told him I'd pay him extra if he took my glass to the bar and had it refilled when I was playing poker. Danny needed the money so bad he set the tray down right away. I had more than enough time to slip the poison into the food after I'd given the house a round of drinks on the house. No one was the wiser."
"Why? Why poison Jess when you didn't even know him?" It was Sheriff Len who spoke up.
"I was paid to by this old man. I never saw him face to face; he always sent his men to do the work for him but they said his name was Max Carter. The leader of the Carter Gang." Mort stepped closer.
"How's the Carter Gang tied into this? Are they responsible for what happened to Slim?" Hank hesitated but thought better of it as he saw the three lawmen hovering over him like vultures.
"I don't know if they're responsible for Mr. Sherman getting shot but I do know they said they wanted Jess died to tie up loose ends. Loose ends aside, I heard Max wanted revenge on Jess for killing his oldest son. What was his name again... Joseph, no…"
"Johnny." It was Sheriff Len who supplied the name.
"Yes that's it!"
"Well that's no good. While we know the Carter Gang wants Jess Harper dead we still don't have proof or evidence that proves his innocence for shooting Slim." Mort sat down heavily on the edge of his desk. Inside Slim felt hope fading from his heart.
"Maybe we could get Jess to help us out, now that we have Hank here." Marshal Conner suggested. Walking over to Mort's desk the Marshal threw the keys at Sheriff Len. "Get Jess out here with us. Maybe we can get Jess to start talking."
Austin clutched the keys in his hand, wary of the hard gaze Mr. Sherman was giving him across the room. He was dancing on the line following Jess like he did, but his conscience wouldn't allow him to turn his back on his friend. Rounding the corner Austin took in Jess standing with his back to the doorway.
"Jess." Jess whirled around and stepped closer.
"What are you doing here!?" Jess hissed under his breath and cautiously looked at the entrance Austin had just walked through; expecting someone to walk through the door and discover their secret. "You're going to get yourself hung, you know that? Max's men will be sticking close until the trial is over. If they see you..."
"Let me worry about the Gang. Max paid the Saloon keeper to poison you. I brought him here to try and help you out of this mess." Austin unlocked the cell door letting Jess come out. "Max doesn't know enough to clear you of the charges, I may have to-"
"Don't even think about it Austin. Now, we better get out there before they start asking questions." Jess walked around Austin to lead the way out into the main office.
As Jess entered the office he avoided the gaze of Slim and Mort who looked at him expectantly. Beside Marshal Conner, was the man who he assumed was the Saloon keeper Austin had told him about. More than anything, he wanted to strangle that man with his bare hands.
"Jess do you know this man?" Marshal Conner asked him. At his back, he could feel and hear Austin standing stiffly waiting for his answer. To keep Austin's secret he had to answer these questions carefully. If he gave too much away, questions would arise that he couldn't answer.
"No, I've never met him before in my life. Should I?" Jess didn't miss the quick glance Mort and the Marsha shared.
"Len found this man was responsible for poisoning you. Hank here also told us the Carter Gang paid him to do it. Apparently, Hank has reason to believe Max Carter is out for revenge after you killed his son is that true? How do you know Max Carter?" Austin shifted behind him and Jess sensed Austin was a hair's-breadth away from speaking up.
"I reckon I ran into a Max along the trail adrift about five years ago. I can't say as it's the same man Marshal, things can get sorta hazy after five years."
"How hard is it to remember one name? Max Carter would be a name that'd stick in your mind even after a couple years." Marshal Conner tipped his head to the side evaluating Jess' response.
"I'm sorry Marshal, when you're out on the range far away from anybody most folks don't tend to use their last names. I have no way of knowing if the same Max I knew back then is this same Max you're talking about."
"Come off it Jess, why are you making it so hard?" Slim burst out from his place against the back wall where he'd been standing quietly.
"I can't give you information I don't have! How hard is it for you to understand I'm guilty?" Jess clenched his hands purposefully. He had to make this believable.
"No you're not Jess." Deafening silence followed Sheriff Len's quiet words. "You never shot Sherman, you tried to save him and came after me to save my life as well."
"Sheriff don't." Jess slowly turned to face his friend.
"I'm sorry Jess, but I'm not going to let you take the fall for something you never did. It's about time I came to terms with my secrets." Shock registered across all the faces in the room. "Jess does know Max. My name isn't Len, it's Austin Carter. Max is my Pa. Five years ago my brother Johnny came across a young man wandering in the desert. That man was more of a boy really. It was Jess here. Anyway, Jess was on foot and all alone suffering from lack of water. Then Jess was about 17, my brother felt sorry for him and brought him back to our camp. I nursed him back to health."
"Austin stop, you've said too much!" Austin looked sadly at Jess and shook his head.
"You're wrong Jess, I haven't said enough. Once Jess healed up enough to understand who we were, he was in too deep to get out. Outlaws aren't ever pleasurable company. Johnny had a tendency to beat on Jess. One day I caught Johnny in the middle of beating Jess and he wasn't stopping. I...I pulled him off Jess and Johnny swung at me. I had no choice but to defend myself and Jess. We exchanged a few punches and Johnny fell. I thought he was just unconscious at first. I didn't know he was dead until my Pa returned to camp after he'd robbed a stage. Max blamed Jess for Johnny's death and nearly killed him. I stood up for Jess and the Gang left, I've been traveling around on my own since then."
"How were you pulled into it again?" Marshal Conner looked like someone had punched him in the gut.
"Max never forgave Jess for Johnny's death even if it was my fault. He must have tracked Jess down to the Sherman Ranch and decided to take away what Jess cared about the most, Mr. Sherman." Austin gestured to Slim. "Max set Jess up for a murder, only Jess managed to get away before Max was ready. Jess got to the Ranch in time to save your life, but not soon enough to completely stop it. Jess has spent the last five months trying to find me so I didn't meet the same fate. Ironically, Jess didn't find me until the Marshal brought him to me."
"Is that true Jess?" Mort asked Jess. Grimly, Jess nodded.
"You were right Jess was covering up for someone, me. I'm wanted in several territories for murder." Austin fell silent, he could already feel the noose forming around his neck and pinching off his air.
Deflated, Jess plopped down in a chair pulled up to Mort's desk and ran a hand through his hair. After all the trouble he'd gone through to keep Austin's name out of it, it was all for nothing. Austin had thrown caution in the wind and willing put himself at the mercy of the law.
Austin pulled his gun out of the holster and offered it to Marshal Conner. Time slowed to a halt as the bullets shattered the glass window panes. Jess dove out of his seat and crashed into Slim, bringing him to the floor out of the spray of bullets. Looking around the room, Jess saw everyone else on the floor clutching their guns; waiting for the gunshots to cease.
"Mort! Throw me a gun!" Carefully, Mort inched his way closer to the desk drawer where he kept Jess' gun belt and inched it open.
Jess moved forward at a crouch the instant his gun skittered across the floor to him. Resting his shoulder against the wall under the window he double checked the cylinder. Eventually the shooting barage stopped giving Jess a chance to glance out the window.
Five men were scattered in the street purposefully sneaking closer intent on seeing the damage they'd done to the men inside. Jess pulled the hammer with a quick flick of his wrist and leveled the gun on the men through the window. Out of the corner of his eyes Jess caught Austin and Marshal Conner take their places beside him.
"It's the Carter Gang alright." Jess pointed to the man leading the men forward. "That's Max Carter there." A loud voice from Max confirmed Jess' information.
"Can you hear me in there!?" Max yelled from where he stood boldly in the middle of the street far away from any type of cover.
Mort cocked his rifle and put the stock to his shoulder. "We hear you! What do you want!?"
Outside Max put a hand on his hip cockily. "You know what I want lawman! Send Jess Harper and my Son out and I'll let you live!"
"That's not open for negotiation! They stay here and you're going to jail, Carter!" Muscles tensed as Mort's words echoed through the street.
"Just for the tally books, what about the Saloon keeper you paid to poison me? Don't you want him back?" Jess shrugged his shoulders at the looks he got from the multiple men around him at his dark question.
"Ha, ha!" Outside, Max cackled at Jess smart question. "That's why I like you Jess! You hide your madness under a coat of sugar. If things had happened differently we might have gotten along!" Max laughed even harder cruely. "As for the Saloon keeper, you can keep that yellow-bellied gambler! It was never about you Jess!"
Jess' brow furrowed in confusion. How was it never about him?
"What do you mean! Why else have I been running from the law these last months for something I didn't do?!"
Max laughed all the harder. "If I wanted revenge on you for Johnny I never would have left you alive five years ago! Sometimes you have to sacrifice the little fish to catch the larger prize! If I framed you for the murder of your partner then you'd lead me right to the person I want! My son!" Austin locked eyes with Jess from where they huddled under the window.
Jess gritted his teeth in anger at falling into Max's trap.
"You hear me Harper!? You're the one that gave me what I wanted! I'll have to thank you for that favor Jess! What do you say? Send Austin out and we leave peacefully!"
Marshal Conner pulled the hammer back on his six shooter. "Well what do you all think?" All five of them shared a dark smile.
Simultaneously, they opened fire on the vulnerable men standing in the street. Completely unprepared, the Carter Gang scrambled for safety as the rounds struck them. Three men laid motionless in the street as the remaining two members huddled behind some old crates.
"That made quick work of those rascals." Slim spoke up as he refilled the bullets in his gun.
"Well Max is still alive, that canny coon." Marshal Conner shifted restlessly. "I figure if he use the back door of the jail we might be able to flush him and the other man out."
"Maybe they'll give themselves up?" Mort suggested hopefully.
"Don't count on it. My Pa ain't one to give up easily." Austin restlessly drummed his fingers on the handle of his gun. "He's like a bull dog with a bone. Who else do you think he's stayed free this long?"
"Carter! Give it up! It's five against two, you'll never survive!" Slim called out to the two men hiding behind the cover of the crates.
"Never!" Came the muffled reply.
Jess pushed away from the window and headed to the back door in a crouch. Slim called out at him to stop but he ignored it. He wasn't going to wait a second later to get Max being bars or in the ground; whichever came first. Clearing the back door, he snuck through the back alley.
Soon he was less than ten feet away from where the outlaws were hiding. Jess pressed his back against the wall trying to get as much cover as possible before he made his position known.
"Come out with your hands up!" His deep voice growled. He gave into the honed instinct to duck as a volley of bullets whisted over his head.
Fanning his hand he emptied his gun, waited for return fire that never came. Pushing to his feet Jess crept forward wishing he had his gun belt so he had extra ammunition. Abruptly, he rounded the crates and took in the scene before him. Both men were dead, lying in their own blood.
The Marshal came up beside him with his gun drawn. Sadly he looked down at the men and stuffed his gun back in its holster.
"You certainly know how to get things over with quickly." Jess let out a bark of laughter.
"That's one way to look at it." He turned and went back inside the Jail. He didn't have to turn around to know the Marshal had followed him.
Pushing through the doorway his eyes scanned everyone inside for injuries. Hank the Saloon keeper was still leaned against the wall under the window looking shaken but alive. Slim was busy picking up his spent casings and didn't seem hurt in the slightest. The same thing went for Mort.
"Jess-" Austin stood in the middle of the room looking at a growing stain of blood spilling over his hand. Jess raced forward and grasped Austin's shoulders right as his legs gave out on him.
Jess guided Austin gently to the floor and pulled his hand away from the gunshot wound in his stomach. An untold amount of blood seeped through Austin's shirt and onto the floor.
"Jess I-"
"Shhh. Don't talk, the Doctor'll be here and minute and he'll patch you up in no time. It'll be like it ever happened." Jess put his weight on the wound trying to stall the bleeding until the Doctor arrived.
"Pa, is he?" Austin gasped out the words out through his pain.
"He's dead. I'm sorry Austin." As the blood continued to flow showing no sign of stopping, Jess knew there was no chance Austin was going to live.
"Don't be...had no choice. Jess, thanks." Jess leaned over his fallen friend.
"Thanks for what?" His arms trembled with his aching heart.
"You gave me a chance...to live. Thank you. Partner." Austin let out his last breath. Jess stared down at his dead friend in shock.
"Jess are you alright?" Slim sidled up next to him.
"It's strange isn't it? The way you could be alive one moment and gone the next. There's no lights, no ruckus. Just gone." Slim gripped Jess' shoulder. "I tried to protect him like he did to me five years ago, but I didn't cut it. I failed. I knew him for a shorter time than I knew you yet, why does it hurt so bad?"
Slim took an offered blanket from Mort and gently spread it across Austin's frame. It concerned him to see such a hollow look in Jess' eyes.
"Because you two had the same partnership you and I have, given the chance. Loyalty bound you too together five years ago and still lives to this day. I must admit it was a shock when you left without any explanation. I thought… Never mind what I thought. I understand why you did it now. Loyalty is one of your strongest traits. You've always been loyal to me, Daisy, Mike and Austin. I'm sure Austin was grateful that you looked out for him to the end." Slim gently pulled Jess to his feet and clapped his shoulder.
"Come on Pard, let's go home."