"Into the west came many men, some were good men and some were bad men. Some were good men with some bad in them, and some were bad men with some good in them. This is the story of two pretty good bad men…" Well not exactly. Truth is those two pretty good bad men, Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry, were the most successful outlaws to ever hit the Wild West. They grew up to effectively change the course of the American Frontier during their reign; they even did a lot to change railroad schedules as well. Eventually it boiled down to the Governor of the Wyoming territory promising them an amnesty, even after fifteen long years of train and bank robbing, but we're not here to talk about that. No, our story goes back when they pulled their first job as members of the Devil's Hole Gang, sixteen years ago… "

"Jed you in?" A boy of no more than fifteen looks over his cards at his dozing cousin, his chocolate eyes full of mystery and wonder.

The "kid" version of Kid Curry thrusts his head up, with a king of spades stuck to his sweaty forehead. "Wha…?" His blue eyes cross to examine the foreign card stuck to his tanned head. Fun at first, it soon gives the fifteen year old a headache so he merely peels the card from his skin.

Heyes wipes back his brown hair from his perspiring skin before sighing, "Jed, imagine how the others would react if you did that at the game. Now let's go, we'll be late." Heyes picks up his dusty black hat from the dresser and straightens out his messy clothes. One had to be careful around this bunch of outlaws as they could dish out worse punishment than your own parents, and that's saying something.

"Who plays cards at two in the morning," Jed asks mournfully as he follows Heyes' suit, but he places his hat on backwards. He stumbles to the door, his baby blue eyes only half-open.

"Our bosses do." Heyes reaches out for the Kid just as he falls into the doorframe. Struggling to keep him up, Heyes tries to talk him into awareness. "Now don't you do that. You know how hated we are already."

"I just can't understand why we can't rest, that's all. You know as well as I do how far we had to run from that posse," Kid says slumping into a nearby chair.

"They had to do just as much running, if not more." He reaches down and fixes his cousin's hat. With a dimpled smile, Heyes pulls his partner to his feet. "Put on your best face and don't say anything stupid, you hear. I think I may be close to befriending Ol' Jim Santana…Look, you stay awake and I'll buy you your first whisky."

For the first time since the job, Kid's baby blue eyes sprung to life. They hold, once more, their child-like joy as if Heyes' word was the best to go by. "You mean that?"

Another smile spreads across Heyes' face, "Yes Jed I mean it, but you have to stay awake."

"Don't worry Heyes I will…Oh and Heyes?"

"Yeah," Heyes responds as he slings on his brown corduroy jacket over his broad shoulders and walks through the door.

Kid puts on his own sheep wool-lined jacket as he follows Heyes out into the abandoned hallway outside their hotel room, "Don't call me Jed. It wears on me."

A short chuckle escapes the witty outlaw before he remarks, " All right your highness. What am I supposed to call you?"

"Everyone calls me Kid, so I suppose that name'd fit just right."

"Suits you perfectly J-. I mean, Kid," Heyes agrees, knowing how well it did suit his cousin. Kid swells with pride from Heyes' agreement to the name after all, it had been the first thing they had agreed upon for weeks. Kid had held onto his "baby face" structure ever since birth and the lightness of his eyes reveals the curiosity that always lingers there. However, those innocent structures had an inimitable way of changing on a dime to features he could only describe as that of a fight between a rampaging drunkard and a boulder with the drunk losing every time. Kid is always the boulder in every instance he meddles into and the poor fool to tangle with him, was the drunk. Heyes held a high respect for Kid because of this despite him being a year or two younger than him.

Heyes leads the way all the way downstairs into the smoke filled room. Other smells of whiskey and questionable substances linger throughout the room as well. Pretty saloon girls hang by the bar, scoping out possible targets. The other gang members sit alone at a corner table. Seeing the two finally come into the room, they annoyingly beckon them over.

"What took you?"

"We were practicing."

"Oh so it'll be even sweeter when we beat you kids."

"Kyle!" Everyone turns to the owner of the gruff voice capable of taking all of their attention. A plump Mexican American with strong facial features glares at all under his command. His brown eyes and dark hair contribute to his intimidating disposition. It didn't help that he also holds in his hand a silver six-shooter, probably already cocked. "Now these boys deserve to be here as much as any one of you. As I recall, they had pulled double the weight you yella' bellies did. You either give them respect or you deal with me." The outlaws round the table grumble and glare at the two newcomers. As for Heyes and Curry, they hold their own against the fixed stares of the others but deep inside, were dreading being among men that would shoot you as easily as look at you. Jim senses the tension and announces his retirement, "I suggest you all get some rest." With that, Jim leaves for his suite upstairs. The rest follow close behind him, heading for separate rooms. Heyes and Curry remain at the table and order some drinks.

Heyes pushes his hand through his auburn hair before looking back to Kid, "Wanna play a round or two?" A couple rounds go by and Heyes wipes Curry's money supply.

"Heyes I don't know how you do it."

"Gotta have a little faith Kid and someday you'll be just like me."

"If that's true, then saloon girls everywhere would have something to look forward to." One of the giggling saloon girls from the bar ventures over to their table. Taking a seat by Kid, she slowly wraps a finger around one of her many caramel curls. Her starry cerulean eyes gaze longingly into Kid's and they both seem to be lost in their own little world. "Hello handsome."

"Why hello ma'am." Kid seems to be a little uncomfortable with the sudden presence of the lady but quickly recovers when he sees Heyes' nod of approval. "What's your name?"

"Let's discuss it over some drinks, huh?" The saloon girl takes her seat across Kid's lap and drops her hair so it tickles his mouth just a bit. Clearly enjoying herself, she swabs the hair away from Kid's lips strand by strand. Kid swallows hard but doesn't show his nervousness. Heyes was always better with women so having this girl all over him is quite a shock.

Kid raises his hand to the bartender as if he'd done it all his life, "Bartender!"

"Coming right up mister." The bartender delivers the drinks.

After consuming their drinks, the saloon girl gives Kid a smile that Heyes knows all too well. She slips her hand into his and leads him up from his chair. Finding nothing to say, Kid sputters out the first thing to cross his mind. "What's your name?"

She looks almost confused, "Why do you want to know so bad, huh?"

"It's only polite ma'am."

After a glance of pure shock, she grins from ear to ear as she answers with one word, "Shelly."

"You want to lead the way Shelly?" Kid holds his arm out to the first woman to ever look at him as he takes up her offer. Shelly gladly accepts the offered arm and leads her blonde Adonis up the stairs to her room.

Heyes takes another swig from his beer and decides the others should be knocked out cold by now so it'd be safe to go upstairs. Then again, maybe it'd be safer to stay down here tonight. There's only so far befriending the leader could get you. Besides, he'd have to do it all over again if Jim quit or worse…got killed. Maybe he should become leader…Right, I'd have a better chance of...of…seducing that girl over there. Through the corners of his eyes, he spots a beautiful specimen he'd like to claim. Despite his knowledge of women, he knows nothing of saloon women. Her black hair is pulled back into a ponytail of curls. Each curl seems to sparkle and shine like a sea of stars in the night sky. Two of the stars had ventured to her face where they found lodging in her doe brown eyes, but her face radiates the very power of the sun.

She notices his staring and walks over to him. Putting on his best smile, which seems to have melted her heart, he watches her swan-like gait as she skates across the floor and floats into a chair beside him. She raises one leg to cross it over the other, revealing her stockings going all the way up to her high thighs. Her voice is a lustrous one, ironically not common in most saloon girls. "So I saw your friend go up with Shelly."

"That's about right ma'am."

"You realize you won't be seein' him at least til noon tommaraw, maybe longer if he's good…that gives us time to have some of our own."

"If you don't make me broke by the time my partner comes back, that is. Name's Heyes, what's yurs?"

The saloon girl flashes him a quirky smile at his question, nevertheless it is the finest example of a gentleman she's found yet in this desolate wasteland of a country. "Such a gentleman."

"Thank you ma'am," Heyes says tipping his hat to the lady.

"Name's Eveland," she introduces herself all lady-like and boring for the young outlaw. She adds with a whisper in his ear, "But under our circumstances, call me Evee."

Each outlaw had unique experiences that night. Such experiences, that written, would weave a tale not acceptable for the young minds so let's skip on to the next morning. Early next morning they stumble into their reserved rooms, clearly drunken from the rich encounter of the night before. Lying in their own beds, both close their eyes to sleep. A few moments pass by before Santana comes barging into their room.

"Alright you ninnies. Rise to the day." When neither rises, Santana takes the bottom cover of each bed and yanks hard, causing its occupants to fly onto the floor. The first couple of groans bring chuckles of laughter to Jim's bulgy face. "First romp with a saloon girl, eh? I wasn't as tired as you two but I know the feeling. Now come on, I got another job for us. Downstairs in five minutes you hear, or I drag you down each step."

The two young men lie on the floor, lifeless and oblivious to everything but their aching muscles. "Heyes," Kid calls out.

"What," is the muffled answer.

"Whose idea was it to run away?"

Heyes stands to brush himself off, "Yours Kid all yours."

Kid stands and combs back his blonde locks with his shaking hands. "Yet you made a mistake Heyes."

Gathering his gun belt and hat, Heyes looks back, "How'd you figure that?"

"Well, you agreed with me."

Heyes stands agape at the truth in that statement. "You know Kid sometimes I wonder…"

"So that's the smoke I see. I thought a prairie fire was ablaze in that mind of yours." Kid's eyes, full of laughter, dance at the chance to jab at his cousin, irritating him is always fun, when you did it right.

"Kid, now keep that insultin' to yourself when we meet up with the gang," Heyes remarks dryly. Hopefully his message gets through Kid's thick head. Sometimes he could be so stubborn, no wonder he always had to protect him during childhood. Kid commences to go through the door, but Heyes thrusts an arm out to intercept his hot-blooded cousin. "Kid, I'm not going to let you out this door until you cool down that temper of yours."

Kid reaches down to his hat and plops it squarely on his brow before adding, "What am I going to do, say something stupid when we're already in the gang?"

After a brief moment of silence, Heyes nods, "Yes…yes I think so." The playful expression had gone from his face, and Kid's too. "I…if you don't keep your mouth shut," Heyes raises his fists in defense. "I'll knock you into next week."

Kid raises a hand to knock Heyes' fists from his level but meets resistance from his steadfast cousin. He has to make it clear to Heyes he won't say anything so he could go down and have breakfast like any normal outlaw of their gang's standings, "Well I won't. I'll be meek as a mouse, you hear? I give my word."

"What kind of promise is that?" Heyes lowers his fists a little in confusion but soon returns them to their post.

"I'll have you know that that promise is a solemn promise. Now come on Heyes." Kid goes up to remove Heyes' fists and succeeds this time. "We're partners."

Convinced that Kid has simmered down some, Heyes smiles warmly before patting his partner's shoulder as they walk out to meet the gang. Turns out, Santana wants to rob the bank at Fort Worth. The job runs smoothly, until the posse catches up to them. Being the leader, Santana has to carry the money back to the hideout (all $55,000 of it). The rest of the gang members, including Heyes and the Kid, make it back to the hideout. Couple of days later, they receive word Ol' Jim had gotten the drop on from that posse and tossed in jail. The sentence totals to thirteen years. Everyone wonders what to do, except Heyes. His eyes are bright with all the promise that scheming can bring…….