Kid Curry slept peacefully, sprawled naked across the bed. Both arms rested above his head, folded across the pillow where his head rested. In the concave curve of his armpit rested the head of his companion, her arm resting comfortably across his chest, one leg intertwined with his. Still sleeping, he brought his arm down behind her back, finding a comfortable resting place on her bare hip. She moaned softly and shifted her body closer against his.
The slight noise and movement of the mattress beneath him was enough to waken him.
"You comfortable darlin?" he whispered.
She smiled at the sound of his sleepy voice. "You ready for another round?"
Kid laughed. "Not tonight. You pert near wore me out."
Both awake, they both shifted in the bed, both coming to rest on their side, bodies raised slightly by the support of an elbow planted firmly on the mattress, heads propped up in the palm of a hand, faces just inches from each other.
"Gonna be morning soon," Kid said and reached out to wipe a thin strand of hair from Brandy's face and to kiss her soft, pout y lips.
"I hate the thought of you leaving, Jed."
"Me too,"
"But your mind's made up?"
"Yep," he said and nodded.
"You ever coming back?"
Kid smiled at her. "Hope to."
Brandi rolled over and sat on the edge of the bed. She knew what hope to really meant. She slowly pushed herself off the bed, slid her feet into slippers, and grabbed the robe that hung on the bed post.
"I'll make you breakfast," she said as she walked out of the room.
Kid Curry was a mere twenty-two years old. For the past three years he had been on his own. The departure from his life long friend and partner Hannibal Heyes had not been easy. Neither had the ensuing three years. But Heyes had chosen to join a gang of outlaws, The Devil's Hole Gang, and at the age of nineteen, joining a gang had not been what Kid had envisioned as his future. So they had parted, amicably, but painfully all the same.
Kid had spent most of the past three years drifting. The absence of his lifelong partner, his cousin, mentor, and friend had uprooted him and he had lost what little direction he had once had. He had found himself often in minor scrapes and altercations, and had spent his fare share of time in jail cells for frequent infringements of the law.
But then, three months ago, he met Brandy, a free spirit herself, Brandy was the first woman who had managed to rein him in, offering him the allure of adventure, the pleasures of intimacy without commitment, the security of an unwavering, yet undemanding love.
But in spite of all that, he still felt restless, unsettled, yearning for something he could not, or perhaps more accurately would not, quite identify.
Kid pulled himself out of bed and got dressed. He walked into the kitchen and saw Brandy standing at the table scrambling a bowl of eggs. Her back was to him and he walked up to her, slid a hand into her robe, cupped her breast and kissed her on the cheek. She arched her back and leaned her head against his chest.
"You smell good," Kid said, sucking in the aroma of her hair.
She smiled. "You smell like leather, and maybe a little rain."
Kid withdrew his hand and reached for a cup on the shelf. He poured himself a cup of coffee and took a gingerly sip of the hot brew. Then he leaned against the counter and watched her work.
"That partner of yours must have a powerful hold on you," Brandy said as she poured the eggs into the frying pan.
"Former partner," Kid corrected. "And he ain't got no hold. Not anymore."
"Then why are you so hellbent on finding him?"
Kid took another sip of his coffee. "Something's just gnawing at me. I don't know what it is, Brandy. Maybe I just gotta make sure he's alright...And I ain't got to find him. I know where he is."
"Prison?"
Kid laughed. "I wouldn't need to see him if he was in prison."
"Why do you need to see him now?"
Kid sighed. "Because like it or not, he's still a part of me. I've told you our history, told you why I left...But I can't seem to find a way to close that chapter... And I'll just keep drifting through my whole life if I can't do that."
Brandy stirred the eggs till they were just a little wet, the way Jed liked them. She lifted the pan from the stove and set it on the table. Then she pulled the toasted bread from the oven and tossed two pieces on each plate. Kid sat down and Brandy sat across from him.
Kid ate heartily while Brandy played with the food on her plate. "Well, if you get all that resolved..."
"I'll come back."
She stared at him and as he lifted the fork to his mouth, their eyes locked.
They both knew he would not be back.
0-0-0-0-0-0-
Denver was a long ways from Wyoming, a long way from Devil's Hole. Kid spent four days in the saddle, three nights sleeping under the stars. He had some trouble finding the deadline of Devil's Hole. The camp was secluded, and well camouflaged. But when he finally located the deadline, he pulled his horse to a stop and lifted his gun from the holster, firing one shot into the air.
"Who goes there?" a voice called from a rocky ledge high above him.
"Kid Curry. A friend of Hannibal Heyes!" Kid shouted in return.
"Stay put. It's gonna be a while waiting while we check."
Kid sighed heavily and shifted in his saddle. It was nearly an hour before he heard the voice call out to him again.
"You can come in."
Kid nodded and gently kicked his horse to advance. It took nearly half an hour to reach the compound. At the edge of the clearing, Kid spied Heyes standing on the porch of the leader's cabin. He looked thinner than Kid remembered, had at least a two day's growth of stubble on his face, and a pensive look in his eyes.
Kid brought his horse to a halt in front of the hitching post and slowly dismounted and tethered his horse. As he walked slowly up to the cabin, he saw the corners of Heyes' mouth stretch into a wary smile.
"Heyes," Kid said as he took the final step onto the porch.
Blue and brown eyes locked and Heyes' smile slowly relaxed and spread across his face. He held his arms out and Kid stepped into the embrace, both men slapping the other on the back.
"Come in, come in," Heyes said eagerly.
Kid's eyes scanned the surroundings. "You the leader now?" Kid asked.
Heyes nodded. "Big Jim got arrested almost a year ago. He's in prison for a pretty long stretch."
Well," Kid said slowly, "You said you wanted to be leader."
Heyes walked over to the cupboard and pulled a bottle of whiskey and two glasses from the shelf. He motioned for Kid to sit down while he poured them each a drink.
"So tell me about you," Heyes said as he sat down in a chair across from Kid.
"Ain't much to tell. Drifting mostly."
"Life been good to you?" Heyes asked, filling his shot glass a second time.
Kid shrugged. "Can't complain."
"So what brings you here?" Heyes asked as he swallowed the whiskey in one hard gulp that did not go unnoticed.
"You."
"Me?"
Kid shook his head. "Just been having a gnawing feeling about you, Heyes. You alright?"
Heyes offered Kid more whiskey but Kid declined. Heyes filled his glass a third time but wasn't quick to drink it. A half laugh, half sigh escaped him and he smiled nervously. "I'm fine. Never better."
"So you took a liking to the outlaw life, uh?"
"Yea," he said quickly. "How long you staying?"
Kid shrugged. "Ain't thought about it."
"Ah."
"There was a knock on the screen door and Heyes' eyes darted in that direction.
"Heyes?" Kyle said from the other side of the door.
"Come on in, Kyle," Heyes said to him.
Kyle opened the door and entered. He smiled when he saw the Kid.
"Kid!," Kyle exclaimed. "I wondered if you'd ever be back."
Kid smiled at Kyle. "Good to see you, Kyle," Kid said.
"Heyes, me and some of the boys thought we'd ride into town this afternoon. We wondered if you wanted to come, or if you wanted us to bring you anything?"
Ordinarily Heyes would have told Kyle to bring a couple of bottles of whiskey but he quickly decided against that.
"No, I don't need anything Kyle. Thanks."
"Not even..."
"No, nothing, Kyle," Heyes interrupted.
Kyle nodded and turned his attention back to Kid. "You staying a while, Kid?"
Kid looked at Heyes who kept his focus on Kyle. "Well that all depends on what Heyes says, Kyle," Kid replied
"Kid will be staying as long as he wants to stay, Kyle," Heyes replied and gave Kid a quick smile.
"Well, I think that's a fine idea," Kyle said.
"You boys have a good time tonight," Heyes said and gave Kyle a nod toward the door.
"We will, Heyes," Kyle said and walked out of the cabin.
Kid slipped out of his Sherpa and tossed it on an empty chair. Then he leaned back in his seat and folded one leg over the knee of the other.
"You wanted for anything yet, Heyes?"
Heyes laughed. "Where have you been, under some rock?"
Kid smiled. "Not had an opportunity to go reading any wanted posters lately."
"There's a two thousand dollar bounty on me now," Heyes said proudly.
Kid gave a whistle. "Coming up in the world, ain't ya?"
"How about you? Any trouble?" Heyes asked.
Kid shook his head. "A few nights here and there. Disorderly conduct mostly."
"Ah, avoided the hardened criminal life, uh?"
Kid didn't answer but he did continue to watch Heyes closely.
"You know I told you I'd come back when Big Jim was gone."
"That you did. Are you coming back permanent?"
"Depends. You need someone watching your back?"
Heyes wasn't sure how to answer. He wanted Kid to come back. He wanted to be partners again. But he didn't want to guilt Kid into coming back. "Well, it's still in tact so far."
Kid nodded. "I can see that." I can see a lot of things, Kid thought but didn't say.
Heyes finished his whiskey and reached for the bottle.
"Might early for a fourth one, don't you think?"
"You gonna start telling me when I can drink?" Heyes asked defensively.
"Let's not start, Heyes," Kid replied.
Heyes nodded, but corked the whiskey bottle.
Heyes leaned back in his chair. "You remember that thrill we both felt robbing that Union Pacific?" Heyes asked.
Kid smiled. "Never felt like that before or since," Kid replied.
"Well, we're planning a bank job right now. You want in, for old time's sake?"
"What bank you planning on robbing?"
"The one in Purgatory. They got an old Pierce and Hamilton safe. It's an easy one to crack."
"When you planning on doing it?"
"About a month month."
"Who you got spotting you?"
Heyes smiled. "You, I hope."
Kid smiled. "I would like to get that feeling back again."
"Then you'll stay?"
"Yea Heyes, I'll stay. I don't know if it will be permanent. But I'll stay through that job."
"Partners?" Heyes asked.
Kid gave a wary nod. "At least for the next month."
"You can have the spare bedroom."
"Other fellows won't mind?"
"I can handle them."
0-0-0-0-0-
The next two weeks passed smoothly once the others realized that Kid's fast gun did warrant him the privilege of staying in the cabin. Wheat occasionally express a bit of resentment, but like he had always done with Big Jim, Wheat backed down to Heyes, offering nothing more than a sarcastic comment here and there.
Kid had made a point of visiting the bunkhouse almost every day. Not to flaunt his standing, but rather to establish some level of rapport with the gang members, knowing that during a heist, everyone needed to feel confident in the level of support that each person provided. He often spent a couple of hours helping whoever was assigned barn duty, and the only chore he stayed far away from was cooking.
Kyle still had unbinding respect for Kid and often followed him around the compound like a lost puppy. Kid was quite tolerant of this which just encourage Kyle even more. Kid even accompanied Kyle on lookout duty one afternoon.
"It sure is good to have you here," Kyle said.
Kid smiled. "Thanks, Kyle"
"Heyes has missed you something fierce."
"He has?"
"You may not of noticed yet, but he's took to drinking more since you two separated."
Kid looked at Kyle with concern
"Is it a problem?" Kid asked.
"I reckon not yet. I mean he's still the best at planning a job, and he ain't never been drinking just before a job but..."
"But what?"
"But I think he was headed in that direction."
"Ah,"
"He been drinking much since you got here, Kid?"
Kid shook his head. "Just that first day."
"Probably kind of nervous about what you were doing here, maybe wondering if you'd be staying or not."
A sad smile formed on Kid's face. "Maybe," he said.
"Well, like I said, it's good to have you here, Kid."
From the train robbery job three years ago, Kid had learned to tolerate Wheat's weak attempts at defiance, knowing Wheat was spot on when it came to an actual heist. He found Preacher to be a bit religiously over zealous to Kid's liking and often wondered how Preacher rationalized his choice of profession with his religious spouting, but chalked it up to a to-each-his-own attitude.
Throughout the first two weeks, Heyes worked alone on the plans for the bank robbery. Once he had an idea in motion, Heyes' mind went into overdrive, and the aide of others only served as a distraction. Kid often stayed clear of the cabin when Heyes was working on his plans
By the beginning of the third week, Heyes was ready to begin preparations with the other participants. He first reviewed every detail with Kid and welcomed Kid's comments and input and gave each suggestion careful consideration, adding some of Kid's ideas to the plan, while discarding others. The partnership began so solidify once again.
Next, Heyes met in the bunkhouse with the others. As instructed, Kid casually moved about the room, studying each man to determine his understanding of the plan. Occasionally Kid interjected some comment reinforcing what Heyes had just said and each time this happened, Heyes gave Kid a slight nod of approval.
"Kyle will guard the back door, Wheat will guard the front. Kid will watch the window and spot me. Preacher, you'll be out back with the horses, Lobo, you're to be behind the counter, Hank, you'll be in the alley keeping an eye on the sheriff's office.
Wheat bristled a bit when Heyes announced Kid would be doing the spotting, but he remained quiet. Watching the front and back doors were the second most risky and important jobs, behind Kid's spotting.
"Anyone got any questions?"
Kyle's hand shot into the air.
"What is it, Kyle?"
"Will we be leaving as one group, or split into two?"
"One so long as no one sees what we're doing. If anybody spots us, we'll break into two groups and meet back here," Heyes explained
"Any more questions?"
Kyle's hand shot up again. Kid couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Yes, Kyle?"
"Who's gonna be in which group?"
Heyes didn't care who traveled in which group so long as they split in to two groups if necessary and everyone made it back safely to Devil's Hole.
"Ah, Kid, me, and Wheat in one group. The rest of you in another."
Kyle nodded his understanding and had no more questions.
"Alright, every night right here at seven to go over the plans. Understood?"
Everyone mumbled or nodded their understanding.
"Alright then," Heyes said standing "Come on, Kid."
Heyes and Kid walked out of the bunkhouse and returned to the cabin.
"It sounds very well planned out," Kid said once they were inside.
Heyes reached for the whiskey and shot glasses and poured them both a drink.
"Yep. Easy as slicing a piece of cake."
"Don't get overconfident, Heyes," Kid warned.
Heyes smiled. "That's one thing I never do before a heist. Sometimes I get pretty cocky after a heist, but never before."
Kid smiled and sipped his drink.
"Heyes,"
"Uh?"
"I'm glad I came back. Just thought you ought to know."
Heyes smiled. "Me too, Kid...Just thought you ought to know."
They finished their drink and Kid noticed that Heyes corked the bottle and returned it to the cupboard. They sat around talking of idle things for another hour before retiring for the night.
0-0-0-0-0-
The day of the heist had finally arrived. Late afternoon everyone involved checked and rechecked their guns, made sure their gun belts were well stocked with bullets, reviewed their particular roles and responsibilities and finally headed out to the barn to saddle their horses, after which they mounted, and headed to Purgatory,
Arriving well after dark. They moved around the outskirts of town, entering a side street that led to the alley behind the bank. Everyone dismounted and quietly approached the backdoor while Preached moved the horses deeper into the darkness of the alley.
With his saddlebags slung over his shoulder, Heyes pulled his lock pick from his boot and skillfully opened the back door. Everyone scanned the room and determined his assigned position. Kid moved to the window located just a few feet from the safe where Heyes was already crouched down and wiggling his fingers to limber them up. With his left hand Kid raised the bottom of the window shade a couple of inches to peer outside. In his right hand he held his .45 cocked and ready to fire. Ky;e and Wheat, guarding the doors, did the same with their guns.
Heyes didn't need the light from a lantern. He just needed the room to be quiet as he pressed his ear to the tumblers and worked the knob. Pensively he tried the handle. The safe did not open. He repeated the process a second time and again the safe did not open. Wheat glanced nervously at Heyes and then at Kid.
"Thought you said this was as easy as slicing a piece of cake," Kid whispered.
"Shh, I've almost got it," Heyes replied.
One the third try, the safe door opened. Heyes glanced and Kid and then at Wheat and smiled.
"Hurry up," Wheat coaxed.
Heyes stuffed the saddle bags with the money, then closed the safe.
"Let's go," Heyes announced.
"No! Wait!" Kid said urgently as lowered the shade.
"What?" Heyes mouthed silently to Kid.
"Sheriff," Kid replied silently to Heyes.
They all stayed perfectly still until Kid heard the foot steps fade.
"Now," Kid announced and they all quickly made their way to the back door where Preacher had the horses waiting. They mounted rapidly and kicked their horses into a gallop. As they entered the street from the alley, shots were fired by the sheriff standing out of view and leaning against the corner of the brick building.
Kid slumped forward but stayed on his horse and was able to keep up with the others. They rode fast and hard and likely reached Devil's Hole before the sheriff even had the posse formed.
Reaching the compound, Heyes and Kid pulled up to the cabin. Heyes jumped of his horse and ran to Kid's side, helping Kid off his horse as Preacher, who served as the camp's medic, came running up to offer assistance.
"I'm alright," Kid said. "It's just a graze to the shoulder."
"We'll decide how alright you are once Preacher gets a look at the wound," Heyes said and, grabbing the saddle bags, helped Kid into the cabin with Preacher close behind.
Heyes sat Kid in a chair and Preacher helped Kid remove his shirt and Henley while Heyes tossed the saddle bags on the table and pumped a pan of water and grabbed some bandages from a cupboard drawer.
"I'm fine, really," Kid repeated. "Stings a little, but it's not bad."
Preacher cleaned the wound and had to agree with Kid. "Bleeding's stopped already," Preacher said as he bandaged Kid's minor wound.
All the other men stood around anxiously on the porch, seeing no need to be inside where they would likely just be in the way.
Once Kid's arm was bandaged and he'd gotten his Henley back on, Preacher wrapped a makeshift sling around Kid's neck and slid his arm into the sling.
"Alright, the rest of you can come in. We'll count this up and divvy it, Heyes announced.
The rule of the Hole was that the money from every heist was divided among all the men equally, even those that did not participate in the actual heist. Once the money was counted, it was determined that each man got five thousand dollars from this heist.
As was also customary after a heist, Heyes pulled three full whiskey bottles from the cupboard, along with a shot glass for each man and they all celebrated with a victory drink. Then everyone began migrating back to the bunkhouse, leaving Kid and Heyes alone in the cabin.
Heyes poured them each a second drink.
"Feel the same thrill this time, Kid?" Heyes asked
"Tempered a bit by injury, Heyes." Kid replied, then smiled, "But, yea, same great thrill."
"So are we back to being partners? Are you the newest outlaw of the Devil's Hole Gang, Kid?"
Kid smiled and raised his glass to clink with Heyes' glass.
"Outlaws and Partners, Heyes," Kid replied.