Ch 16
Rachel met Cody in the station yard just as Ben took the pouch and headed off. He pulled to a stop.
"Where's Noah? Y'all find Jimmy?"
"Teaspoon wants you in town now."
"What's going on?"
"You'll find out when you get there."
Cody turned his horse and rode straight to the jail. He noticed the town was quiet. He walked in to find Teaspoon at his desk. He saw Jesse sitting in the cell.
"You wanted me?"
"Have a seat, Cody."
"Something happen to Hickok?"
"Seems like it did, didn't it, Jesse."
Cody glared over at Jesse.
"Teaspoon, let me..."
"Shut up Cody!" Screamed Teaspoon.
Cody jumped back.
"You and your stupid ideas! Only you went too far this time, now this town wants Jimmy's head!"
"It wasn't supposed to happen that way, I swear. Sides he was doing it to me too!"
"He didn't drug you and get a posse out to hunt you down like a dog!"
"So that's why the town is so quiet."
"Get in the cell."
"What, you can't be serious. I can help!"
"We don't need anymore of your help. Get in the cell with Jesse."
Cody walked in the cell as Teaspoon locked the door. He watched as he went and put his hands back over his face.
"Teaspoon?"
"What?"
"Is Jimmy ok?"
"I don't have a clue."
Kid and Lou sat in the next town that afternoon. They sat in the saloon. A few hours later, and their man came walking in. He went to the bar. They watched him. He walked over to a pretty saloon girl. She sat on his lap. When he smiled, he was missing his front teeth. He was their man. They waited until he went up with the girl. Kid and Lou followed at a slow pace. They watched them go in the room. Lou knocked on the door. The man opened it as Kid pushed him back in with his gun. Lou ran over and quieted the girl.
"Quiet. This man has been killing girls in every town he stops. Do you want to be the next?" Said Lou.
The girl shook her head and left.
"You're gonna come with us." Said Kid.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. You are gonna clear our friend's name." Said Lou.
"Who would that be?" Smiled the man.
"Just our friend. That's all you need to know."
"Where is this friend?"
"Sweetwater."
The man started laughing.
"You mean that young fella."
"Him. And you're going."
"Don't think so." The man said as he started to grab for Kid's gun. Lou couldn't shoot him. They needed him. She ran over and hit him in the back of the head. He fell to the ground. Kid pushed him out the window as Lou gathered their horses. He threw him across his horse and hurriedly left town.
Noah and Jimmy raced across the plain the next morning with fifteen men behind them. Noah turned to head to the creek to lose them. He saw the other half of the posse coming from the other direction. He looked to see Jimmy riding beside him. He didn't know where to go.
Jimmy watched Noah. He saw the men closing in. He had to do something before they started shooting and hurt Noah. Noah shook his head. Jimmy nodded.
"No! Jimmy!" Yelled Noah as Jimmy hauled back on his reins pulling his horse to a stop.
Jimmy turned around to face the men coming in. He threw his guns on the ground and put his hands up. The men circled him. Noah rode back up behind the men. Buck and Ike came up behind the other side.
One of the men pulled up beside Jimmy. Another grabbed his guns off the ground.
"Get off your horse murderer!" Yelled the man.
Jimmy looked around at all the faces. Some familiar, some not.
"Just take him into town! That's what y'all wanted!" Yelled Noah.
Two men threw ropes around Jimmy and proceeded to drag him off his horse. Noah jumped down and started screaming. Buck and Ike tried to push forward. Buck looked to Ike and pointed back toward town. Ike nodded and jumped on his horse. He ran toward town.
Jimmy fell on the ground. The men hauled him to his feet.
"You're gonna hang you murderer!"
"He ain't a murderer! We don't even know!" Yelled Buck trying to push to the center.
Jimmy didn't say anything. He just stood and looked at the men in his face.
"What you got to say for yourself? You killed an innocent young girl in cold blood. You're gonna pay for taking away Bill's daughter! That was all he had left!"
One man hit Jimmy in his stomach with his gun. Applause rang out through the crowd. Jimmy doubled over. Another man kicked him in the face. He fell onto his back.
"Stop!" Yelled Noah and Buck who kept getting pushed to the back.
They kicked Jimmy a few more times. The men backed away and started to tie him better. They surrounded Buck and Noah. The two started fighting their way out but the men got the better of them. They tied them up. The posse walked over to Jimmy who was laying on the ground.
"Time to go killer."
They hauled Jimmy to his feet and pulled him to his horse. They pushed him up in the saddle. He slumped forward on his horse. They tied his hands to his saddle horn.
"Let's go. Bill should get the satisfaction of seeing his daughter's killer hang."
Buck and Noah struggled against their ropes as they watched Jimmy get led back into town.