DEAD/ALIVE - Chapter Twenty
Kyle looked around the sparsely occupied dining car, before he leaned close and whispered to Kid.
"You know I got trouble keeping you…Well…who are you today?"
"I'm Thaddeus. And Heyes…he's Joshua."
Kyle silently mouthed "Thaddeus" and pointed to Heyes and mouthed "Joshua." He nodded his head confident that he wouldn't forget, which wasn't reassuring to Heyes or Kid.
Heyes met Kid's eyes and nodded his head indicating that he wanted to speak to him in private.
"Keep drinking that coffee, Jane," Heyes said as he pushed away from the table.
Jane made a face and mumbled under her breath, "Fuckin' horse piss"
Kid joined Heyes standing in a corner of the dining car.
"You do realize one of us is going to have to sit with Jane."
"I was thinking the same thing…have fun."
"Not even a coin toss?" Heyes gave Kid a pained look.
"Nope."
"Just an educated guess…you probably would like to spend the first night…well…reacquainting yourself with Joanie.
"Good guess Heyes." Kid said with a smile.
"So how are you going to get any peace and quiet with Jane and Kyle around? How are you going to give that woman of yours your full attention that she deserves?"
Kid suddenly looked concerned, as he looked back at the table.
"How about we put them up for a night when we get to San Francisco? Kind of like the quiet before the storm…"
"Good idea Heyes." Kid said quickly, looking relieved. Although...might be a mute point if you can't keep Jane reined in for the next couple days. I don't envy you, Heyes." Kid said, slapping his partner on the back as he started back to the table.
Heyes started to sputter, "Well that ain't fair. Aint we going to share watching duties?"
Kid stopped and turned, "Nope." He said, then continued back to the table and their recently served food.
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Meg didn't know how long it took for her shaking to subside. She hugged herself, fighting back tears of pain and fear. She had better get herself together and find Joshua and Thaddeus before Dan decided to return. She stood up, trying to steady her breathing and balance. Drawing in a deep breath she took her coat and placed it over her small bag.
She quietly made her way to one of the train's lavatory designated for women to clean herself up, as she clutched her purse. She looked in the mirror and was shocked by her appearance. Quickly washing her face, she patted a towel to her face and gave each cheek a hard pinch hoping to add color to them. She ran a quick comb through her hair and stared at the frightened face that reflected back in the mirror. With a heavy sigh she headed out the door.
There was only one place they could be and that was the dining car. Making her way through the passenger cars she caught a glimpse of Dan in the last car, pretending he was reading a paper. He slowly lowered it as she hurried past down the aisle.
Looking through the etched door window she spotted Joshua and Thaddeus sitting at a table with two men she had never seen before. She held her hand on the door for a moment, before drawing in a deep breath and entering the car.
Heyes looked up and smiled as he waved her towards their table.
"Meg" he said as he pulled a chair out for her.
Meg held her hand up and shook her head, "I don't want to impose…"
"You're not. We would have invited you but you were sleeping."
"Meg, this here is Kyle," Kyle politely nodded his head. "And Jane."
Meg hoped she hadn't conveyed her surprise, learning that Jane was a woman. Jane eyed her suspiciously. She had seen the confusion flash across her face. Jane had seen it many times and it made her angry every time.
Jane already didn't like the woman.
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"No Jane, you are sitting with me."
"I ain't leaving my fucking medicine…" Jane started to protest.
Heyes grabbed the bag, surprised by the weight. He picked the bag up with a groan.
He opened his mouth to say something, but immediately closed it when he saw Jane's look. Heyes shook his head, "Come on."
"Keeping watch are ya Joshua? I need fucking looked on like a snot nosed kid?"
Heyes sighed and moved towards the first passenger car with Jane reluctantly following after him.
Meg had already returned to her seat and turned away when she saw Jane glare at her. She quickly bunched her coat up and laid her head down, closing her eyes as she pretended to sleep.
"Sit." Heyes said.
"I ain't a damn dog…" She stopped when she saw the anger on Heyes' face.
Surprised, she slowly sat down, as she studied Heyes' face. He was serious.
"Please Jane. We will be in San Francisco in a couple days. I can't disappoint Joanie…It'll hurt her if you didn't see this trip all the way through. You want to hurt Joanie?"
Jane looked at Heyes and slowly shook her head. Jane looked sad. "No…I've hurt her enough. My Joanie Stubbs…she was the only friend I had in Deadwood. Pushed everyone else away, but she…I owe her. I owe her."
Jane settled back in seat.
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Kyle hated to interrupt Kid; he looked deep in thought.
"Umm…" He thought for a moment, "Thaddeus", proud that he had remembered Kid's alias, "I hate to bother you being you look like you are doing some deep thinking…I know when I do deep thinking I don't like people pestering me…not that it happens too often…" Kyle didn't miss the exasperated look growing on Kid's face. Kyle knew it meant get to the damn point.
"So being you…well you know. The ladies are…they like you a lot. I was thinking you could help me with a problem I have with Jane."
Kid suddenly looked uncomfortable. Hearing details about a possible physical relationship between Jane and Kyle was something he didn't want to think about or visualize.
"I'm not sure I'm the person you want to talk to. Joshua would be much better…" Kid said quickly.
"Joshua?" Kyle looked perplexed, then brightened, "Oh yeah…Joshua. He does alright with gals but I think he thinks about other things more."
Kyle started looking disappointed. With a sigh, Kid said, "Alright…I'll try but Jane ain't what you call a normal woman."
He saw gratefulness in Kyle's face. Kid knew he was going to regret this.
"So you know when I decided to stay, Jane made it clear that there would be no…well you know…poking or anything that comes before poking…or related to poking…"
"Kyle, I get it." Kid wanted to scream at Kyle to stop talking. "So what can I help you with?" Kid asked, almost cringing.
"One night I wake up and Jane is in bed with me. She ain't nekked or anything but… Was I suppose to do something? I was too scared to move…I don't know what she wanted." Kyle said sadly.
Kid looked sympathetically at Kyle. He could tell Kyle cared about Jane, but how much. He was going to find out.
"We went to Devil's Hole some months ago." Kid said.
Kyle looked surprised.
"When you went missing, them boys looked for you. They looked hard for you. We eased their minds that you were okay. They would be glad to have you back…"
"I appreciate you saying that but I ain't going back. What would Jane do without me?"
Kid smiled, "I was just saying if you ain't happy…"
"I'm happy, just confused."
"Women are confusing," Kid said with a laugh.
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"So who is this Soapy fella?" Jane asked Heyes as she tried to fight the urge to grab a bottle and down it. Her foot tapped nervously as she squirmed in her seat. Maybe if she focused on a conversation it would help subside her urge. She wasn't optimistic.
Heyes smiled. "A friend. A good friend."
"Didn't one of you say he was fucking rich?"
"He's done well…might more than well."
"He must be fucking old. I don't know no young person that's well off…Maybe that addict whore Alma Garrett back in Deadwood, but that was more from her fucking lucky dead husband…" Jane started to laugh, "Guess lucky and dead don't exactly go together. That Soapy must have been born with a fucking silver spoon in his mouth."
Now it was Heyes turn to laugh, "If Soapy had a silver spoon in his mouth…you can bet it was stolen or he got it through a con."
"What's he doing with Joanie? Or what she fucking doing with him? An old man…probably with some impure thoughts…"
Heyes' look stopped her. "Jane it ain't nothing like that. Soapy took her in like she were kin as he done me and Thaddeus. He loves her like a daughter and would do anything for her. You'll see."
"Well what kind of fucking name is Soapy? He unusually clean or what? Can't be his Christian name."
"You know," Heyes said thoughtfully as he rubbed a hand across his chin, "I don't know if we ever knew Soapy's real name… Maybe Jefferson...but he has gone by Soapy for so long…"
"Kind of like you and fucking Thaddeus," Jane said with a grin.
Heyes gave her a cautious look.
"Don't get your drawers in a fucking knot, Joshua. Your secret is safe with me" Jane said, pressing a finger to her lips.
Heyes cast a look at the sleeping Meg. He watched for several moments, satisfied she was asleep.
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"Thaddeus," Kyle slowly said the name conveying how unfamiliar it felt saying it. Kid sighed, he had been content to go back to dreaming about Joanie but it looked like playing a mute around the folks of Deadwood, had pent up a lot of jawing for Kyle.
He leaned his head close and whispered to Kid, "Are you going to be Thaddeus forever?"
A sad look crossed Kid's face, "Don't know." He said slowly shaking his head, "Talked to Lom a while back. Governor gave it to us, only to have another take it away. Funny thing is, that rumor you heard about us getting it…appears that a whole lot of folks heard it too and believed it. Been awhile since anyone tried to take us in alive or dead. Maybe one day they'll just forget about us and leave Heyes and me in peace."
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Meg had pretended she was asleep, as she mentally stored the information for Dan. She hated to do it. She liked Thaddeus and especially Joshua, but her fear of Dan was greater than any feelings she had for the two men. She knew she would falter if she thought of what Dan had planned for them. She wondered what they had done to him to cause such hatred.
Meg stirred and stretched, before sitting up. She smiled at Heyes and Jane. Heyes returned her smile, but Jane only glared.
"Seems all I've done is sleep," she said.
"If you've never been on a train…does have that effect on folks." Heyes said.
Jane continued to glare, until Meg excused herself and headed for the washroom. Behind her she heard Jane say, "I don't fucking like her."
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Meg was reaching for the handle, when a hand grabbed her by the wrist and forced her into the small room. It was Dan.
"I have more information," she said frantically trying to get the words out before he hurt her. "They are going to see a man named Soapy. Rich man who lives in San Francisco. There is someone living with him. A woman named Joanie Stubbs. I think she is from Deadwood. Do you know her?"
Dan loosened his grip on her wrist, as he slowly said, "That whore…Joanie Stubbs. So she didn't die in the fire with her other whores. Bet Cy Toliver would pay plenty of money to know her whereabouts." Dan smiled, "Anything else? Where's that fake woman and mute going?"
Meg looked confused, "Mute?"
"Yeah…that fucking mute that follows that Jane around like a fucking lap dog. Think she calls him Monkey or something."
"He ain't no mute. He talks as clear as you and me. His name's Kyle. An old friend of Joshua and Thaddeus."
"Well ain't this one fucking small world. Why in the fuck would someone pretend to be a mute?" He wondered as he cracked the door and looked out before quickly exiting the washroom.
Meg sucked in a quick breath before grabbing the sink for support. Thankfully she had given him enough information so he hadn't hurt her.
She closed her eyes, then opened them before brushing tears away.
"I'm sorry Joshua. I'm so so sorry." She whispered.
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Author's Notes: For those not familiar with the series,"Deadwood" - Cy Toliver was the owner of The Bella Union - a saloon and brothel. Joanie Stubbs served as its Madam. His relationship with Joanie started at the age of 14 when she was purchased from her father. Although he professed to love Joanie, she was more of a possession to him.
Alma Garrett is also a character from Deadwood. She was a New Yorker that moved to Deadwood with her husband, Brom, who was ordered killed by Al Swearengen. Brom's claim made her a very rich and powerful woman who is addicted to laudanum, impregnated by Seth Bullock (who is married to his brother's widow)...a very complex character on the show.
I'm sure I don't need to remind fans that the character Soapy Saunders was based on a real con artist, Jefferson Randall Smith who had the nickname "Soapy" because of his con with bars of soap.
