Chapter Four
The room was hot and stuffy, even with the window open. The breeze, if you could call it that, did little more than rustle the chintz curtains. Joshua was lying on the bed, fully dressed, with his eyes clinched shut. He had come here directly after leaving Kid in the saloon to deal for himself.
His first thought, watching the action unfold in front of him, was that this was the perfect opportunity for him to get free from the outlaw and return to his life in Porterville. He had, in fact, come back to the room intending to get his things to do just that. It was only then that he suddenly realized he couldn't remember much about his life in Porterville either. He remembered he worked at the bank and that Lom Trevors had gotten him the job. But hard as he tried, he couldn't remember how long he had worked there or where he lived; whether he had a family or who his other friends might be.
When he tried to remember and realized his past was mostly a blank, he panicked and lay down on the bed. He closed his eyes and tried to remember, but it wasn't images of his life that he saw reflected in his mind's eye; it was Kid Curry's face that floated there in the blackness behind his eyelids.
Joshua ground the heels of his palms into his eyes, trying to push the images out of his mind. "No!" he shouted to no one at all except the visions that insisted on tormenting him. "I am Joshua Smith," he said decisively and with finality.
The room seemed to grow hotter; the walls felt like they were starting to close in on him. Joshua forced himself to breathe slower, regain control. He tried again to reconnect to his life as Joshua Smith; his ordinary, commonplace, safe life. He knew that in Porterville he had a home, somewhere he belonged, maybe a wife and kids--a real life.
He longed for that life and decided the only way he would be able to reclaim it was to return to Porterville.
Joshua felt pangs of regret that he couldn't do more for Kid Curry but in reality, he believed there was little he was capable of doing to help him. Besides, Curry was a wanted man. If he got careless and allowed himself to be caught, what was Joshua supposed to do about it? He didn't even know how to use a gun.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, his fingertips grazed the cold steel of the weapon lodged in the holster tied securely around his right thigh. The metal felt like ice against his fevered skin. It sent a shiver up the length of his arm. He was mystified and afraid. If he didn't know how to use a gun then why had it felt so natural for him to be wearing one? He had been so comfortable carrying this gun that he had barely been aware of it there, resting firmly against his leg for all this time.
Joshua pushed the worry out of his mind and set about getting ready to leave to go home. Checking out, he asked the desk clerk, "Which way to Porterville?"
"Porterville? Wyoming? Well—head straight down the mountain the same way you came up and then head north. You're a long way from Wyoming though. Gonna take you a while to get there."
"That's ok. I got nothin' but time. At least for now. Hopefully, that'll change once I get back home."
"Well, good luck to you then. Thanks for staying. Come back again," the clerk called after him as Joshua left the lobby.
Joshua followed the road down the mountain for the rest of the day, following his instincts more than anything. He wondered where Kid Curry was now. Had the bounty hunters turned him into the law back in Pike?
As he rode, his thoughts wandered where they would and he didn't try to rein them in. To his surprise and fear, he realized he was thinking mainly of Kid Curry. He 'saw' himself standing with Kid at a bar, Kid shooting the holster clean off some cowboy's gun belt. He 'saw' them riding through the dusty streets of some one-horse town and digging up caches of gold dust under the watchful eyes of hostile Indians. He 'saw' them walking through the desert, sunbaked and parched after being stranded there by a smiling jackal. 'But these images aren't real,' he thought. 'I never lived these things. I'm only imagining how it might have been.' Satisfied with his own explanation, Joshua rode on.
Finally exhausted, both mentally and physically, he stopped for the night. After making camp, he fell asleep under the open sky and dreamt.
It was almost noon the next day when Joshua came upon the men in a clearing not far off the road. The bounty hunter was enjoying a lunch of beans and bread while Kid sat tied up, leaning against a rock. Joshua's heart skipped a beat but he kept his face neutral as he approached. Kid saw him first. He too kept his face expressionless. Only his eyes revealed any hint of recognition, but he had never been happier to see anyone in his life.
Joshua smiled broadly at the bounty hunter, ignoring Kid's presence for the time being. "Morning."
The bounty hunter glanced up at Joshua, squint-eyed, and grunted in an unwelcoming manner. Joshua's smile never faltered. He continued, "Name's Joshua Smith. I sure am glad to see you. Do you know I've been riding all morning and you two are the first people I've met up with all day. Sure is a lonely way to travel."
The bounty hunter shoveled more beans into his mouth, not at all interested in having a conversation with some anonymous traveler.
"Would you mind if I joined you?" Joshua asked, starting to dismount his horse.
"Yes."
"Pardon?"
"Yes. I would mind if you joined us. Now you just get back on that horse of yourn and get moving."
Joshua's smile slipped from his face, "No need to get proddy. I was just thinking we both might enjoy a little company. I didn't—"
The bounty hunter set his plate of food down on the ground and stood up to face Joshua. "As you can see, I already got company." He gestured towards Kid Curry. "I don't need any more so, like I said, you can just get back up on that horse and get out of here."
Joshua hesitated, all traces of a smile gone from his face. "All right. If that's what you want. I never meant to push in where I'm not welcome. I'll just be on my way."
Dismissively, the bounty hunter turned his back on Joshua. As he knelt down to pick his plate of beans from the ground, Joshua deftly slid his gun from its holster and leveled it on the other man's back. The gun felt comfortably solid in his hand, like it had been made just for him. He had to admit that holding it felt exciting. "Stand up," he ordered. The bounty hunter hesitated, plate in hand, crouched on the ground. "Stand up, I said."
The bounty hunter stood. As he turned to face Joshua, he flung the plate of beans in his direction, trying to throw the other man off. Smoothly, Joshua stepped out of the way. "Uh, uh, uh. Now you want to share and it's just too late. You ought to try to be nicer to people you meet out on the trail. Maybe these things wouldn't happen to you if you were more polite."
"What do you want? I ain't got but a few dollars on me."
Joshua smiled. "What? Do I look like a thief to you? No, I'm not interested in robbing you. I just don't like bounty hunters, is all. Something about 'em just sets my teeth on edge. Now take your gun out of its holster there and toss it away, nice and easy like. Don't try anything funny."
"Now listen here, mister. I don't know who you are—"
Joshua smiled. "That's right, you don't. Frankly, neither do I. But seeing as how you don't know who I am or what I'm capable of doing, don't you think maybe it might be best if you just do what I say?" His face hardened in a no-nonsense expression. "Get rid of the gun," he ordered in a voice that matched his expression.
The bounty hunter sighed and tossed his gun away. Joshua's good-natured smile returned. "Now I'm gonna have to tie you up. And I'm gonna tie you up good and tight because I don't want you getting loose any time soon. But don't worry, I'm sure someone will come along in a day or two and untie you."
Kid Curry watched as Joshua tied up the bounty hunter. He felt elated. He was sure that Heyes had finally remembered who he really was and that everything would be just that way it used to be again now.
"Heyes. Am I ever glad to see you," Kid said excitedly as Joshua came over to where he sat.
Joshua chuckled softly. "I have to admit I was a little surprised to see you myself."
"Well, what are you waiting for? Untie me."
"No."
Kid's blood ran cold. "What? What do you mean, no?"
"I mean, I'm not going to untie you." Joshua reached behind Kid and worked the knots on the rope that bound his hands.
"What!" Kid shouted, not believing what he was hearing. "Untie me, Heyes, now! Quit fooling around."
"I'm sorry, Kid, I can't. I'm glad I could help you by taking care of the bounty hunter but I still aim to go back to Porterville to try to reclaim my life. I can't have you interfering with that. So I'll loosen the knots a little bit. You'll be able to work yourself loose in an hour or so. By that time, I'll be gone."
"But Heyes, be reasonable," Kid pleaded.
"I am being reasonable. I just need to find myself again. You can understand that, can't you?"
"But you're looking in the wrong place, Heyes. I can help you if you'll only let me. Please." Kid was feeling desperate. He could tell by the look on Heyes' face that he wasn't making any progress convincing him. A feeling of panic threatened to overwhelm him. "Please Heyes, don't leave me here."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Curry. I really am. But my life is waiting for me elsewhere."
Joshua swung himself back in the saddle and with one last glance back at Kid Curry pointed his horse north towards Wyoming.
Kid made a final desperate attempt to stop his friend from leaving, "Heyes! I swear to you, Heyes, if you leave me now we'll both regret it. I'll do something that will make sure we never get that amnesty!"
Kid could not believe what had just happened. He didn't even move for a long time after Heyes left; he just sat staring at nothing, his boyish face set in a fearsome scowl. The bounty hunter watched him for a while before setting to work on his own bonds. Heyes had done a good job on the knots though and he made very little progress on loosening them. All he really accomplished was tearing up the skin of his wrists. Finally, frustrated and exhausted from his efforts, he worked up the courage to verbally poke at Kid Curry.
Smirking, he said, "Friends like that, I guess you don't really need enemies, eh?"
"Shut—up," Kid answered.
"Dangdest thing I ever saw. That was Hannibal Heyes, right? Thought you two were tight. Whatsamatter? You finally going your separate ways after all these years?"
"I told you to shut up and I meant it."
"If it was me—and my partner left me out here like this, well I'd—"
"I'm not telling you again. Shut your mouth—or when I get loose from these ropes, I'm gonna shut it for you."
The bounty hunter smirked again and lapsed into silence, having decided he had pushed Kid Curry just about as far as he dared. Kid, in his anger and frustration, started pulling at the ropes that held him. Before long his wrists were raw and bloodied, but he was free.
"I don't suppose there's any chance I could get you to untie me?" the bounty hunter asked.
Kid smiled darkly. "I'd sooner let the coyotes eat you for lunch."
"That's what I figured."
Kid untied his horse from the tree where she stood tethered and gracefully mounted her. Tipping his hat at the other man, he said, "Take care now. Oh, and thanks for all the hospitality you showed me. Wish I had more time to return it, but I got things I need to take care of." Then he rode away.
Alone once again, Kid was free to plan what his next step should be. For the first time, he started to think that maybe he should just let Heyes go. Maybe he would be able to start a new life in Porterville. Lom would be there when he arrived. He'd help Heyes.
"Yeah, who's there?" The man wearing the tin star cautiously approached the door to his cabin. In his line of work, a man couldn't be too careful. You just never knew who might come knocking, especially at this time of night.
"It's me, Lom. Joshua Smith. Lem'me in."
Sheriff Lom Trevors swung the door open widely. His smile was just as wide, seeing his old ally standing on his doorstep. "Joshua. Come in. I've been worrying about you ever since-- Well, never mind that. I'm just glad to see you."
"Me too, Lom. I need your help."
"Oh? How's that," Lom asked, casually.
"I've had a mite of trouble lately." Joshua looked Lom over, noticing that he was fully dressed, right down to his gun and badge. "Going somewhere, Lom?"
"Matter of fact, I was. I just got word that the bank over in Emmit was robbed tonight. That's one reason I was worrying about you."
"Me?"
"Yeah. It seems that the man who robbed the bank looked something like Kid Curry."
Lom searched Joshua's face for any reaction but the enigmatic ex-outlaw's expression remained passive. He wanted to ask Joshua about the Kid but before he got the chance to get the words out, he felt someone enter the room from behind him. He whirled around, hand reaching for his gun as he turned, only to find Kid Curry standing there, his gun already in hand.
"You oughta get a lock on that side door, Lom."
"Kid?" Joshua said, in wonder.
"Yep, it's me." Kid flung a laden saddlebag on Lom's kitchen table. "And there's the take from the bank robbery. I'm here to turn myself in, Lom."
Joshua's face was no longer passive. Anger sparked from his eyes and his face was contorted with barely contained rage. "What the hell were you thinking, Kid? Why did you do that? Now what chance do we have of getting that amnesty?"
A triumphant smile spread across Kid's face. "Aha! You said We!"
"What?"
"You said 'WE', Heyes. What chance do WE have of getting the amnesty." Kid's heart felt lighter than it had in days; it was all he could do to refrain from whopping in relieved laughter.
"No, I didn't," Joshua replied. There was an uncertainty in his voice that hadn't been there seconds before. His eyes seemed to go out of focus for several heartbeats in time. When he looked at Kid again, Kid sensed a subtle change had taken place. Even then, Heyes chose to ignore it.
"But the answer is none. The amnesty is gone. You've really done it this time." Joshua started pacing the room, fingertips strumming against his lower lip. He was deep in thought. But he couldn't concentrate like he wanted. He tried to force his mind to deal with the problem at hand, protecting the amnesty. But his thoughts wandered to other things; things like—why was it so important to him to protect the amnesty, why was he having memories of his times with Kid when he had only known the man for a few days, why did he suddenly feel more like Hannibal Heyes, outlaw leader than Joshua Smith, bank employee.
A thin line of sweat broke out across his upper lip and he realized that maybe he'd been wrong these last few days. He had to give serious consideration to what Kid Curry had been telling him all along—that he was more than what he remembered right now.
With deliberate effort, he forced these thoughts out of his mind and refocused on the only thing that was important right now, at this very moment—the amnesty and protecting Kid.
Lom and Kid watched; Heyes' ritual was familiar to both of them. They could not see the inner turmoil that was boiling within him but they both knew that Heyes was busy coming up with a plan. It was a wonderful thing to watch really. Nobody could think things through quite as single-mindedly as the ex-leader of the Devil's Hole Gang. But more than that, they took it as a sign that Heyes was finally on the road to recovering his memory. Kid was so happy he could barely contain himself. He knew he still had to give his partner time to heal completely but each passing minute seemed to be bringing Heyes closer to him.
Finally, hoping to force Heyes into action, Lom broke into Heyes' contemplation. "Kid, I got no choice but to arrest you."
Heyes' head snapped around. It was his turn to watch Lom and Kid. "Yep, I guess that's so, Lom," Kid said, contritely.
"What—are you forgetting how hard we've worked, Kid? You can't just—"
"There! You said it again," Kid said triumphantly.
"What? What did I say?" Joshua asked in exasperation.
"You said We."
Heyes grimaced and shook his head impatiently. "I don't know what you're talking about. Besides, we have more important things to deal with right now." Dismissing the Kid, he turned to Lom. "Lom, give me a chance to make this right. I think I have an idea that might get Kid out of this mess that he's gotten himself into."
"Heyes, listen to me. I don't want you to get me out of this. I knew exactly what I was doing when I robbed the bank. Heck, the only thing that kept me trying for that amnesty was our partnership. Now that you don't remember what we had, well, let's just say I'm not interested anymore. I might as well serve my time and get it over with. At least then I can stop running."
"No Kid, I can't let you do it. I haven't been wanting to admit it…not even to myself…but I've been having flashes of memories every since I left you in that saloon. Memories of things we've done together. And until I know for certain, I just can't let you do it."
Kid laughed jubilantly and grabbed Heyes by the shoulders, gripping him tightly, "I knew it! I knew you'd come to your senses eventually."
"Well, things are still a little confused in my head but I am starting to realize you were probably telling the truth. What we have to worry about now is clearing you in the robbery. Lom, you said that the robber just looked like Kid Curry, right? No positive identification?"
"Yes, that's right, but it's only a matter of time—especially now that he's turned himself in—"
"Forget about that. All we have to do is return the money to the bank. Once they have it back, you can convince them to just forget about the whole thing and then our amnesty will be safe again.'
"Heyes, forget about it." Kid grinned mischievously.
"No, Kid. I'm not going to—"
"I said forget it, Heyes. Look in the saddlebags."
Heyes stared at Kid, wondering what he was talking about. Finally, he undid the straps on the saddlebags and looked inside. In disbelief, he reached in and took out their contents. "What's this?" he asked, looking at the stacks of newsprint in his hand. "Where's the money, Kid?"
"Well, that's the funny part. You'll appreciate this, Heyes." Kid wrapped his arm around Heyes' shoulder and said conspiratorially, "There is no money."
"No money."
"Nope, no money…cuz there was no bank robbery."
"What?" Heyes couldn't believe his ears. He had been outsmarted by his own partner.
"Yep. Me and Lom, we cooked this whole thing up to help you." Kid laughed again, pleased with himself and how his plan had turned out.
"To help me."
Kid smiled widely. "Yep. And it worked too. You admitted that you're starting to get your memory back."
Heyes shook his head and chuckled softly. "Kid, if I wasn't so relieved that you didn't do something as stupid as robbing a bank, I think I'd be tempted to flatten you."
"You know something Heyes? It would be worth it. I've missed having you around. That Joshua Smith is an ok guy but he does tend to wear on a man's nerves after a while."
Kid Curry and Hannibal Heyes turned to say goodbye to their friend. "Thanks for letting us stay here, Lom," Heyes said, shaking his hand. The ten days he and Kid had spent at Lom's home had been emotional ones for everyone involved but they had been just what Heyes needed to make a full recovery. He'd also used that time to try figure out for himself why his mind had tricked him into forgetting who he was, if only for a little while.
"It was my pleasure. I'm just glad you got yourself back to normal."
"Before we go, I have to ask…have you heard anything more from the governor?"
"No, nothing. Sorry, boys."
Heyes hid his disappointment well. "Well, keep trying, will ya, Lom? It sure would be nice if we really could just be average, law-abiding citizens some day."
Heyes and Curry swung themselves into their saddles and, with one last nod at Lom, rode off. They rode in companionable silence for a while until Heyes said, his voice strained and emotional. "Kid, I'm sorry for putting you through all that."
Kid looked at Heyes. For a split second, he thought about telling his friend how worried he had been that he had lost him for good. "You couldn't help it, Heyes. You got hurt. It's ok."
"I been trying to figure out why I was so desperate to be 'just Joshua Smith' and I think I might have found the answer."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. I think I'm just tired of this life of running all the time. I want to be able to settle down somewhere. Put down some roots and maybe have a family. It's been a really long time since either one of us has had that."
"That's understandable."
"I know…I know it is, but the thing is…maybe I shouldn't be so anxious about it. It'll happen someday, I know it will. And until it does, we'll just keep doing what we've been doing. Keeping one step ahead of the law."
"Look at it this way Heyes. At least you don't have to work in a bank, surrounded by all that money and temptation."
"Not to mention Miss Porter."
Kid grinned. "That was the temptation I was talking about."