DEAD/ALIVE Chapter Eleven
When Kid and Heyes had a private moment in the darkened railcar, they bent their heads together. Kid whispered, "What if Kyle is right? What if we did get our amnesty?"
"First, Kyle right, that might be a first...One telegram to Lom would give us the answer. And an answer we could be sure of. Might make a difference if you and Joanie are contemplating a future together. It would also mean we'd be forgiving a certain saloon owner from trying to kill the both of us...which to be honest don't sit right with me."
Heyes watched Kid's face as he worked through different scenarios, until he finally said, "Don't sit right by me either. He strikes me as someone who does what he pleases, when he pleases, to whoever he pleases. Ain't right that he don't suffer no consequences." Kid unconsciously rubbed the two fingers on his left hand that had been broken.
"We still have time to think about it."
Kid nodded, but Heyes saw a hardness in Kid's eyes that told him time wouldn't change his mind.
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"Kyle, where were you headed?" asked Heyes, as he handed him some food.
Kyle nodded his head in thanks before he took a seat on the floor of the train car. He slowly looked up with a sad expression on his face and sighed.
"One of Wheat's grandiose ideas. Something about Kansas and cows. If Wheat can't explain it, there is no way I can. Never knew the particulars. You know if the boys ride...I ride too."
"Now what?" Heyes asked cautiously.
"Can't say I know...Can't I just stay with you and the Kid?" Kyle begged. "I won't be no trouble. I'll clean and feed the horses for you and I'll try harder not to make Miss Jane mad at me."
Heyes laughed, "Not sure that's possible. She's more than a little temperamental.
But if you want to get back to Devil's Hole…" Heyes' tone trying to encourage Kyle that it would be the best solution.
Kyle cut Heyes off, "There ain't nobody there. You know I don't like to be alone." Kyle hung his head, "Iffing you don't want me to stay I'll understand Heyes, with no ill feelings towards you nor Kid neither."
"We're headed all the way to Cincinnati, Ohio. Jane's got a personal matter that she needs tending to."
"I understand,"said Kyle sadly. He placed his food down and dropped his head into his hands, "Guess when the train slows, I'll hop off...Not sure how far I'll get, being I ain't got money or a horse," He said as if talking to himself, but he watched Heyes through parted fingers.
Heyes closed his eyes. If Kid were here he knew exactly what he would say, but Kyle had always been one of the few who had maintained loyalty to him and Kid once they had left the gang. The timing couldn't have been worse, but maybe it was time to pay him back.
"Next stop I'll get you a ticket." Heyes said slowly. He knew Kid wasn't going to be happy.
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"Here," Heyes said as he handed Kyle a ticket. Kyle's face brightened. "No need for you to ride all the way with the horses. But remember it's Joshua and Thaddeus, Kyle...Joshua and Thaddeus."
"Joshua and Thaddeus...Joshua and Thaddeus." Kyle repeated. "And don't you worry about Miss Jane. I won't even look at her. Still haven't figured how looking at her makes her nekked but if she says so, I ain't going to argue."
Heyes closed his eyes. There wasn't any doubt that this was going to end poorly.
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"Hi...um….Thaddeus."
Kid looked away from the window and was surprised to see Kyle in the railcar.
"What are you doing here?" Kid asked as he nervously looked around.
"Well...um...Joshua bought me a ticket."
Heyes had a sheepish look on his face.
"Why?" Kid said as he glared at his partner. "I think we need to talk….Privately."
Kyle stood unmoving.
"Privately Kyle."
"Oh...you want me to….Here I'll just take a seat here." Kid continued to glare at Kyle. "Or maybe here?" Kyle looked to Kid for approval. Giving up he said "I think I'll go check on the horses."
"Good idea Kyle." Kid watched as Kyle headed back to the stockcar. Once Kyle disappeared Kid quickly turned to confront Heyes.
"Why?! Like we don't have our hands full." Kid said in a hushed whisper.
"Well, what was I supposed to do?" Heyes replied in an angry whisper. " Don't tell me Kyle ain't put his neck out for you a time or two. For the both of us."
"It's just trying to keep Jane from killing him, which you can't deny appears to be a full time job."
"It's only for a couple more days. What could go wrong?" Heyes said confidently.
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Heyes knew immediately that this had been a mistake. It had hoped a decent meal in the dining car would brighten everyone's spirits. Unfortunately it had the opposite effect.
"You can't eat with your eyes closed Kyle!" Heyes said exasperated. Heyes could feel Kid's stare bore into him. He was furious.
"But... Jane said…" Kyle said as turned towards Heyes' voice, his eyes still squeezed tightly shut as his arm inadvertently hit Kid's glass, almost tipping it over. Kid's quick reaction righted the glass before the contents could spill onto the table.
Kid shook his head and pushed angrily away from the table. "I'm done!" He said as he gave a Heyes a final look before throwing his cloth napkin down and stomping away.
"Well…," Jane said as she reached for Kid's unfinished plate, "Sounds like he ain't fucking coming back. It'd be a shame to waste all this food."
Heyes' eyes followed Kid out of the dining car before he turned to Jane.
"Jane, tell Kyle he can eat with his eyes open...Please," he pleaded.
Jane chewed a piece of her steak slowly as she considered Heyes' request.
"Okay...he can...if he fucking squints."
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"Where's Jane?" Heyes asked as he dropped his hat on the seat and ran his hand through his hair before sitting down heavily.
"I told her if she was going to drink she could keep the horses company-."
"Kyle's cleaning and feeding-"
Both men's eyes widened, "Dammit" they both jumped out of their seats.
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Heyes had his hand on the door ready to fling it open when he heard laughter coming from the other side. He stopped and looked at Kid. Kid shrugged his shoulders, "You think she's laughing because she threw Kyle off the train?"
They slowly opened the door and peered in.
"Come on in boys!" Jane said drunkedly, as she held the whiskey bottle up. Jane and Kyle were sitting cross-legged on the floor of the boxcar. "Just in fucking time for you to be the judge. Old Monkey here says he can spit chew further than me. I'm reckoning you trust these boys to be fucking fair?"
"Never met a more honest pair." Kyle said slurring his words. He began laughing at his joke. "I remember once when Heyes here-." Kyle stopped and clamped a hand across his mouth. Kid and Heyes looked at Kyle with horror on their faces.
Jane looked at Heyes. "I've been meaning to ask you...How come they fucking call you Heyes? Is it because Hannibal is such a mouthful? Or a reminder that no mother that loved her fucking son would ever name him that?"
Heyes looked from Jane to Kid. Kid hadn't moved. He was still staring at Jane in disbelief.
Kyle started babbling, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"Shut up Kyle!" Kid said through clenched teeth
"How long have you known?" Heyes asked quietly as he took a seat on a hay bale. Kyle turned away, not trying to give either one any eye contact. Kid took a seat beside Heyes with his arms crossed glaring at Kyle.
"Now don't get mad at Monkey here. He didn't tell me nothing I didn't fucking already know. I'm the one that ought to be mad...You boys not trusting me enough to tell me the fucking truth. Damn near comical watching you two trying to hide who you are. I mean Smith and Jones...What dumbass came up with those names?"
Heyes smiled a small smile, "Not us...It might not even matter if we decide to get some business straightened out in Wyoming."
"Well...don't fucking worry," Jane said slapping Heyes on the knee, "You'll always be fucking Joshua and Thaddeus to me. You know Monkey here ain't so bad...I mean you can't look at him for too fucking long, for fear of going blind but maybe I was too harsh on him. He might work out to be a likable fella."
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Kid grabbed Heyes by the arm. "There is no way I'm getting back on a train with them two. I'm just letting you know in advance before it becomes an issue."
Heyes nodded fully understanding Kid's frustration.
"You good enough to ride?"
"Better be...cuz if I ever needed some fresh air and peace and quiet it's now. You put me back into that train with them two and I can't guarantee nothing bad isn't going to happen."
"They do make your head hurt don't they?"
"And when you get Kyle a horse it better be the slowest damn nag you can find. I don't mind if he tags along but he better be trailing a good two to three miles back."
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CINCINNATI, OHIO
While Kid and Kyle went to get another horse and supplies for their trek back to Deadwood, Heyes accompanied Jane to the house of Bill's widow,
"This looks to be the house." Heyes said as he dismounted. Jane hesitated before she dismounted. She reached inside her deerskin jacket and withdrew the stained and battered letter. Heyes raised an eyebrow. He hoped the letter was in better condition than the envelope.
Jane knocked on the door and continued knocking until they heard the door start to open. An older woman, who appeared to be in her early fifties answered. Her dark hair was streaked with gray. There was a strong look in her eyes and her posture conveyed her strength. She looked suspiciously at the two strangers standing on her porch.
"Yes?" She said in a thick french accent.
"Are you Agnes? Agnes Thatcher Lake?"
The woman nodded.
"I'm Jane…" There was no recollection in the woman's eyes.
"Jane Canary...friend to your deceased husband."
The woman looked annoyed, "Which one? I've had several." She said cooly.
"Bill….Wild Bill Hickok." Jane said as her voice started to rise in anger. "I made a promise to him to hand deliver this letter should something befall him."
Jane held the battered letter out. Agnes reached for it and quickly read the enclosed letter without a hint of emotion or sorrow. She re-examined the envelope, "That's it? No money?" She said as she turned it over in her hand.
Jane couldn't contain her anger, "Bill didn't have no fucking money. If you were looking to score off that marriage you're in for one hell of a surprise!"
Heyes had his hand on Jane's arm. As the conversation continued he tightened and tightened his grip as he felt her rage build.
"I'd been proud every fucking day God gave me on this earth being Mrs. Bill Hickok...You fucking ungrateful bitch!" Jane roared as she struggled to pull away from Heyes' grip. "Bill must have been deep in the cups or you must have been one hell of a lay for him to marry a gold digging whore like you."
She stared Jane in the eyes and slowly smiled as she dropped the letter to the ground before backing inside and slamming the door.
Jane threw herself at the door and began kicking it.
"Come outside you gutless whore so I can teach you some fucking manners." Jane screamed.
Heyes quickly looked around to make sure the screaming had not attracted spectators before he knelt and picked up the letter and tucked it into a pocket. He took Jane by the arm.
"Let's go Jane." Heyes said firmly.
Jane was sobbing in anger and sorrow as he pulled her away from the door.
"She's not worth it. Jane... She's not worth it."
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Kid and Kyle were waiting at the livery. Kyle was mounted on his new horse. Their saddlebags bulged with supplies.
Obviously it had not gone well judging by Heyes' and Jane's faces.
"Jane…" Kyle said excitedly.
Kid quickly turned, "Shut up Kyle!" He snarled.
"If you're ready...Let's get the hell out of here." Heyes said quickly.
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Kid and Kyle were already asleep when Jane approached Heyes who was kneeling by the fire stirring the embers with a stick.
"Read it to me, Joshua. I saw you pick it up. I know you got it."
"I don't know why I did that, Jane. It just seemed... important. It's written in Bill's hand and probably the last thing Bill ever wrote. Are you sure you want-."
"If I'm fucking asking you to read it, I'm thinking I fucking want to hear it. If I knew how to read I'd have done it myself."
Heyes sat down and withdrew the letter from his pocket. Jane took a seat next to him. as Heyes began to read:
"Agnes Darling, if such should be we never meet again, while firing my last shot, I will gently breathe the name of my wife -Agnes- and with wishes even for my enemies I will make the plunge and try to swim to the other shore."
"Agnes...Darling…" Jane snorted and raised her bottle to the sky. "Bill...you sure as shit didn't know how to pick women."
Heyes could see she was hurt and wishing those words were written for her.
Heyes held the letter out to Jane. "Take it Jane."
"Well why in the fuck would I want to keep a letter to Bill's whore?"
"Because it's in Bill's hand."
Heyes continued to hold the letter out to her, until she snatched it out of his hand and stuffed it back inside her jacket.
"Might keep it in case I run short of fucking wiping paper."
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