To: Joshua Smith. Flatlake, CO

From: Sheriff Lom Trevors, Porterville WY.

Good news for Smith, not Jones. Meet in usual place for reasons.

"No, I ain't goin' nowhere near that place, Heyes. Tell him we had an argument and you don't know where I am." Kid's arms were folded defensively across his chest and he was glaring down at the telegram as if it were going to bite him.

Heyes sighed and blew out a heavy breath, wanting to try and convince his friend to at least visit with Lom, because something just didn't add up, he needed to know what was going on, and would prefer that they found out together, so they could plan accordingly.

But judging by the set of Kid's jaw, he realised that his chances of success were small. But he tried anyway. "He won't believe me, Kid, and it don't sound like he's planning on arresting you."

They were in the cheaper of the two hotels in the fast growing town of Flatlake, perched on the large bed. Kid stared down at the stark words once more, swore under his breath, before picking the paper up, scrumpling it into a ball and lobbing it into the small trash can by the door. After a moment of silence, he sighed and turning back to Heyes, his face grim, said angrily. "Well he's hardly gonna to say it in a telegram is he? Besides it don't matter if he believes you or not. If I'm in Mexico, there ain't no way he can prove otherwise."

"Kid, we at least oughta go and see what he has to say." Heyes paused and swallowed before adding softly. "Or maybe, I'll just send a telegram saying thanks, but no thanks, and come with you."

Kid stared at him for a minute then at the trash can before his gaze rested back on his face. "All right, Heyes, you win, we'll go find out what Good Ole Lom has to say for himself. But you're goin' in first and I'm followin', expecting trouble."

Heyes let out a breath he'd been holding. "Wouldn't expect nothing less. Kid." He then pulled his own gaze away from his partner's grim face, as he hoped Lom would bring them news they could work with, because he knew without a shadow of a doubt if Kid's chance of amnesty was gone, then his would be too. There was simply no way he could take his freedom on those terms. He still knew how to open just about any safe, and he had a plan for one last big score. Governor Hale and his fancy ass friends would soon regret their stupidity in only awarding amnesty to one half of the best outlaws the west had ever seen.

Kid laid a hand on his arm and said firmly. " I don't like that look, Heyes. I'm meant to be the rash one.. don't be stepping on my toes none."

Heyes turned to his partner and didn't even try to hide his wicked grin as he stood. "Well, ya know Kid...sometimes even good things need a bit of shaking up."

"Heyes..." Kid's tone held a note of concern that Heyes understood, because though their partnership tradition liked to cast Kid as the stubborn impulsive one, it wasn't the whole truth and both of them knew it. "You gonna clue me in Heyes?" Heyes winked again and strode to the door laughing a little at Kid's frustrated. "Guess that's a no..."

Heyes paused with his hand on the door and looked back to meet his partner's eyes, as he said dryly, "Well it's just a back up plan Kid, mebbe we won't even be needing it. But if we do you'll be the first to know."

"That don't exactly reassure me any, Heyes..." Though his tone belied the words, and a hint of amusement was creeping out from under the concern in his expression. Heyes grinned when Kid joined him, and as they left the room together grumbled good naturedly. "One day I'm just gonna up and die on ya, because my heart can't cope with the strain of bein' your partner."

Heyes snorted and shook his head as he said firmly. "Your heart's gonna give up on ya? You ain't the one who has watch his partner draw on folk at least three times a week."

"Heyes..." There was a hint of real annoyance in Kid's reply, but then with a small laugh he added. "Well if a lotta people weren't so bad at poker, and others weren't dumber than your average mule, mebbe I wouldn't need to..."

Heyes chuckled as he replied. "Well you got a point there, Kid, I gotta give you that."

With his mood surprisingly light for the news they'd just received, as they rode to meet Trevors, Heyes glanced over at his partner, riding a little ahead. Even in profile he looked pensive, but despite the edge of tension emanating from him , Heyes didn't think he was about to change his mind about their trip. A feeling confirmed when Kid looked over and with a small smile, slowed his mount to allow Heyes to catch up with him.

X

They waited until dusk had fallen before approaching the cabin, and Kid swore when he saw two horses tied up. " I told you Heyes, somethin' ain't right. You go on, and I'll ride aways down there and wait for you." Heyes squinting in the settling dark saw Kid wave down the hill and start to head in the direction he was pointing.

"Lom wouldn't do that to us, Kid!"

Heyes tried to sound confident, but the two mounts were bothering him too and he wasn't sure of what he was saying and he knew his partner had picked up on it when he snorted and said drily. "You ain't got that short a memory Heyes, you know as well as me, Lom don't always trust us, and he had us locked up in Porterville." He paused and then added a little less harshly. "And we don't know what pressure that walk-off Governor is puttin' on him."

"All right, Kid, but promise me you won't go anywhere without us talking about it." Heyes gripped his friend's forearm with a squeeze, feeling the tension that matched his own and tried not to hold his breath as he waited for his partner to answer.

Kid sighed and snorted, but Heyes with a huge sense of relief felt the muscles under his hand relax slightly and he felt rather than saw Kid give a sharp nod. "See ya soon, Heyes. I'll be camped near that big rock we passed 'bout a mile back."

But before the Kid could start off, the door to the cabin opened, and Lom a lantern in his hand appeared and he said loudly. "Its safe boys, no law here but me. You got my word on that."

Heyes sighed and shouted back. "We ain't sure about this Lom, maybe you just oughta let Kid go and you can talk to me on my own."

"Boys don't be foolish I might not always trust ya, but I haven't ever lied to you. Coffee's on the stove and I even brought something good for us to eat."

Heyes felt Kid shrug and nod and together they headed towards the cabin door and Lom stood aside to let them in as Heyes said. "So if it ain't no other law who does the horse belong to?"

Lom sighed as he said. " We oughta get comfortable first as I ain't sure you're gonna like this, but hear me out all right?"

Heyes exchanged a look with his partner who's hand was hovering round his gun, his face grim. "Whatcha thinking Kid?"

"I'm thinkin' I'm hungry and tired, Heyes, and that Lom better start tellin' us what's goin' on."

Heyes turned back to Lom with a grim smile. "You heard him, Sheriff..."

Lom flinched slightly at the formal address and waved them to sit in the surprisingly well lit and almost comfortable cabin, just as the door to opened behind them. Kid's gun was drawn and pointing at the door and Heyes wasn't far behind. The man who entered was a similar build to Heyes, though slightly taller and his hair was a shade or two lighter. He looked between the drawn guns and then over to Lom, a worried expression to his face as he said. "Guess you ain't told them yet?"

"I was just about to. Now Kid, Heyes. This is Joshua Harper."

Heyes swallowed hard as he glanced over at Kid who was glowering as he said angrily. "Harper? Don't he run with the James Gang? What's he doin' here?"

Heyes swallowed hard, as the tension in the small cabin went up another notch to nearly unbearable. While he knew little of the gang, he knew that Kid had run across them in the time they'd been separated, more than once, and it hadn't ended well. In fact if he remembered what Kid had told him right, it'd ended with Kid in jail for three weeks with a bullet in his shoulder.

Harper smiled a little nervously, his own hand hovering over his gun as he said calmly enough that Heyes was pretty impressed. "They told me 'bout your troubles with 'em, but I weren't with them then and I ain't with them now. I'm in the same boat as you fellas, wanting my slate wiped clean. I ain't never killed no one and I don't intend to." He moved his hand away from his weapon and let his arms settle by his sides his head cocked to one side.

Kid exchanged a glance with Heyes and when his partner nodded and holstered his gun, a beat later he did the same before turning to Lom as Heyes said. "Guessing this is the reason you were talking about, Lom."

They were soon sat round the long table that was new since their last visit here and Lom with his gaze taking them all in, reached into his pocket and handed Heyes a stuffed envelope. "First things first, here ya go, Heyes, you're a free man as of midnight tonight." He let out a deep breath and said added. "Then that's where it gets kinda complicated." He nodded over at Harper and waved at him. "Now, Joshua over there has gone and got himself married to the Governor's niece, and him and his sister ain't exactly pleased."

Heyes interrupted as he heard Kid give a low growl. "What's that got to do with me getting amnesty and Kid not?"

"Gimme a chance to explain." He turned to Kid his face darkening as he said. "Matherville and West Bend that's what its got to do with."

Heyes glanced over at Kid and saw him pale as he said softly. "Oh."

"Now we can explain 'bout that Lom."

"I'm sure you can, Heyes, but the Governor ain't listening."

"You ain't telling it right Trevors, you're worrying 'em!" Harper interrupted quickly with a glare at the older man. "Mary's Uncle ain't convinced that I'm serious about her and he wanted to make me wait a year, but well she's expecting." He smiled reflectively then talked quickly. "I think he was planning on me dying before the six months is up, but Mary, she insisted that he promise to give me a fighting chance as she don't want to raise our baby alone." He smiled apologetically over at Kid. "So Hale figured pairing me up with the fastest gun in the West was his best solution."

Lom talked over Harper, "It ain't that simple, word of that man Bilson dying and Briggs getting shot by some baby faced drifter called Thaddeus Jones, got back to the Governor and he's wondering whether Kid Curry is as reformed as I'm telling him. He gets to wondering if only thing between Kid Curry and a noose is Hannibal Heyes. So he figures six months apart is a good way of finding out."

Heyes snorted. "He's an idiot Lom and if you figure he's right you're an idiot too. Bilson did his best to kill us by stranding us in a desert, then tried to finish the job in a dusty street, and the less said about Briggs..."

"Heyes..." Kid's voice was strangled. "Let 'im finish." Heyes glanced over at his partner who looked miserable with hunched shoulders and he sighed before glaring back over at Lom.

Joshua snorted. "You sure know how to drag things out, Sheriff. Long and short of it is, we got six months to keep our noses clean and if we manage we're free and clear. " He looked smug and drew out a bundle of papers. "Even got it in writing right here and a copy is filed with a fancy lawyer out in Cheyenne and Mary is holding the third. There ain't no way he's gonna wriggle out of his promise."

Kid snorted and looked over at Heyes his expression amused. "Now why didn't we think of that?"

Joshua laughed. "Probably same reason you introduced yourself at every job you pulled and didn't bother wearing a mask..." Heyes bristled and Kid laughed, earning himself a kick in the shin from his partner, replaced by a look of gratitude when he sobered and said. "Least we didn't shoot no one when we was robbin' them."

Heyes nodded. "And we didn't never steal from the passengers. So don't be so smug Mr Harper. You ain't exactly done much to cover yourself in glory."

The smile fell away from Joshua's face and he looked away. Lom cleared his throat trying to break the sudden tension with little success as he said. "Now boys, seems like you got some working out to do, but I'm figuring this oughta work."

Heyes glanced over at Kid who nodded as Heyes said. "It's kinda a lot to take in, so me and Kid wanna talk about it before we agree to anything." He glanced down at the papers he still held in his hand as he said. "There any other conditions I oughta be concerned over?"

Lom shook his head and Kid and Heyes stood to go to the barn where they could talk things over properly both carrying a lantern.

X

Once they were alone, with the lanterns hooked on the rafters, Kid's shoulders slumped, and he couldn't quite meet Heyes' eyes. But Heyes walked over to him and gripped his shoulder. "You killing Bilson ain't never gonna be something we gotta regret and I've said all I gotta say 'bout Briggs. This ain't really about that, its about Joshua in there and Hale is just using you to make a point."

Kid met Heyes' gaze briefly before looking down at his gun. "It ain't that simple Heyes and you know it. I always said you'd be more likely to get amnesty...and here we are, just proving my point."

Heyes swallowed before saying. "It's up to you, Kid, because I ain't sure I'd last six months with him. We can ride outta here..."

Kid shook his head. "No Heyes, I gotta try, I have to know..."

Heyes didn't insult either of them by asking what he had to know and only said. "If you're sure."

Kid snorted and shrugged. "I ain't sure of nothin' Heyes, but least its in writing this time."