By the time the sun began to appear on the eastern horizon Lom and the Kid had broken camp and were back in the saddle. Lom eyed his friend who hadn't said more than five words this morning. He was already up and had coffee ready when he'd kicked Lom's boot to rouse him. He doubted the man had gotten much sleep.
"What's your plan?"
"Ain't got one…other than to get Heyes."
"And how do you figure you're gonna do that?"
"Won't know until I get there. Gotta figure out where they got him and how many of 'em there are. Real hard to have a plan when you don't know what you're up against."
They rode in silence after that, the miles falling behind them as they got closer to their destination. Dismounting, they left their horses farther back in the trees continuing on foot. They crept stealthily as the farmhouse came into view, both men spinning with their guns drawn when they heard a twig breaking. They both blinked at the sight of a grinning Kyle.
"Howdy Kid, Lom."
"Shhh…what the hell are you doin' here?" the Kid asked in a loud whisper.
"We's here to save Preacher."
"What do you mean we?"
XXX
Heyes struggled to free himself, freezing when he saw Hank and Lobo. Once he stopped struggling he was released and he turned to see Wheat.
"What the hell are you boys doing here? Not that I'm not grateful to see you."
"Kyle said they had Preacher…didn't know you were here too."
"They took Preacher to Porterville to find the Kid. Wheat, do you know who that is down there? It's Johnny Landown and Bill Wheeler."
"Yeah I know, we bin watchin' the house for a couple hours. There's two more in the barn…Bob Turner and Joe Burns. That's a real bad bunch."
"Yeah, believe me I know."
Wheat eyed the bloody torn wrists. "Best let Hank have a look at you."
They all turned as Kyle, Lom and the Kid joined them. Heyes eyed his partner with a grin. "Good to see you feelin' better Kid."
His cousin said nothing, but reached out taking one of his arms and looking at his injured wrists. Hank put a hand on the Kid's shoulder. "Let me have a look at him Kid, I brung some medical supplies just in case."
The Kid backed away and along with Lom they listened to Wheat as he told them about the four men he had seen. They all knew that Heyes would be found to be missing soon and they had to be ready. The Kid and Lom had no intention of letting these men get away and together with the rest of the men they started trying to come up with a plan. Heyes was thinking as he listened to the men as they came up with and discarded ideas.
"Why don't I just go and knock on the door?"
Everyone stopped talking and stared at him in disbelief…everyone but his partner.
"What are you thinkin' Heyes?"
"They obviously think I'm still locked in that room…they wouldn't expect me to be knocking on the door. I can stand off to the side and when the door opens we take them. But we need to hurry."
"That just might work Heyes," Lom said thoughtfully.
Wheat, Kyle, Heyes and Lom would take the house and Hank, Lobo and the Kid would take care of the two men in the barn. Once Heyes saw that everyone had taken their positions he took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Who's there?"
Heyes nodded at Wheat.
"It's me."
"Well just who the hell is me?" Johnny growled as he threw open the door, Bill Wheeler beside him. He stopped in his tracks, his mouth dropping open when he saw Heyes standing there smiling and with a gun in his hand. Before either he or Bill Wheeler could react Wheat and Lom entered and quickly relieved them of their guns.
"But…how…you were…"
"Y'all forgot who it was you was dealin' with didn't cha," Kyle said with his trademark grin. Heyes couldn't help but chuckle.
While the men were being tied up, Heyes walked over to a chair, picking up his gun and his hat.
"That's better," he said as he put his hat on, handing Lom back his pistol as he put his Schofield into its holster.
They took the prisoners outside, joining up with Hank, Lobo and the Kid who were waiting with the two from the barn.
After getting the four secured on their horses, Lom turned to Wheat. "There's rewards on all four of them. Wheat if you want to help us take them back to Porterville you and Heyes can split it with everyone."
Heyes shook his head. "Lom give the rewards to Wheat and the boys. After all if it hadn't been for them who knows what might have happened…me and the Kid will be happy with a steak supper and a couple drinks…and maybe a small poker stake," he added with a grin.
"I reckon I can help ya with that, the rest of the boys can head back to Devil's Hole and I can bring Preacher back with me. Gotta say Lom this lawman stuff don't seem so hard to me."
"You reckon you could be a sheriff Wheat?" Kyle asked.
"It's not always this easy. I don't get this much help most of the time…and you'd love all the paperwork."
"Don't think Wheat'd like doin' that part," Kyle admitted.
The two cousins grinned as they listened to the exchange before looking at the group of men they'd once ridden with.
"I want to thank you fellas for your help."
"Well shucks Heyes that's what friends do...help each other."
"You're right Kyle and you boys have always been good friends. And Hank, thanks for doctoring my wrists."
"Weren't nothin' Heyes."
"All right, c'mon we better be heading back to Porterville," Lom said climbing into the saddle.
"Shit! Porterville…the g…the meeting…"
"We'll talk about that later Heyes, let's go. There's a steak supper waitin' for us. Thanks again boys."
"Kid, I swear that food is all you ever think about."
The Kid mounted up and grinned down at his best friend. "Nope it surely ain't Heyes."
XXX
They had been on the road for several hours and Heyes had been chattering nonstop to his partner who was riding slightly behind him.
"I tell ya Kid, it was pure genius when I found that nail stickin' out by the door. Took me a long time to get myself loose rubbing that rope against the nail, but I persevered and sure enough it worked. Then there was the window. They told me it was nailed shut, but it wasn't…it had been painted and it was the paint that sealed it shut. Had me stumped for a bit but then I remembered they didn't take my lockpick, so I used it to scrape the paint away…took a while, but I finally got it open enough to sneak out. Good thing I'm thin, you sure wouldn't have been able to fit through that window. I tell ya it sure was good to get out of there Kid…Kid?"
Heyes turned his head when he got no response and saw his cousin riding with an arm resting on the saddle horn, his eyes half closed. "Hey you listenin' to me?"
The Kid raised his head and eyed his partner. "Heyes I stopped listenin' to you five miles back."
Heyes glared at Wheat when he heard him burst out laughing, and judging from Lom's shaking shoulders he figured he was laughing too.
"I swear that man never stops talkin'," Johnny moaned.
Heyes glanced back at his partner catching him trying to hide a grin. He shrugged his shoulders as he tried to explain. "I just thought you'd like to know how I got out."
"I do Heyes, but maybe you can tell me tomorrow."
"Yeah, maybe you're right, you look tired."
"So do you."
"Well it was a long…" he stopped midsentence when he saw his partner looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Right, tomorrow…maybe once we get to Porterville…and you can tell me about the g…our mutual friend."
"Heyes…" the Kid growled menacingly…and Heyes stopped talking.
XXX
They stopped at sundown, two men keeping a watchful eye on the prisoners while the other two got a fire going to heat some supper and brew some coffee. With their hands untied so they could eat, Lom and Heyes handed the four men a plate…Heyes stopped in front of Bill Wheeler, glaring at him as he held the plate, remembering the last meal that had been tossed down to him. Wheeler looked up at him knowing what he was thinking. After several seconds, Heyes handed him the plate before turning and joining his friends at the fire.
With the simple meal over, and everyone else bedded down, Wheat and the Kid sat side by side drinking more coffee as they took their turn guarding the camp.
"How's that amnesty workin' out for ya Kid?" he asked quietly.
"Ain't too sure anymore Wheat. We were heading to Porterville for a meeting with the governor…that's the second one we've missed."
"What're ya gonna do if he don't give it to ya?"
The gunfighter sighed. "Dunno, guess me 'n' Heyes'll need to talk about that."
They talked softly to each other for the next three hours, both grinning as they recalled some of the more colourful stories of the days when they were in the gang together.
XXX
Heyes and Lom took a walk around the camp making sure everything was as it should be, meeting back at the fire. The prisoners were still sleeping and the Kid and Wheat were taking their turn for three hours of sleep.
"How's your wrists?"
Heyes glanced down at the bandages and shrugged. "All right I guess...Lom what about the governor?"
Lom sighed, his head lowering…he really didn't want to have this discussion right now. He raised his head to look at this man he had known for many years, seeing the worry in his eyes.
"We'll talk about it when we get to my place."
Heyes could read people very well and his shoulders drooped as he watched the sheriff. He closed his eyes knowing that the governor had taken the offer off the table. When he opened them again he lifted his shoulders and met Lom's look.
"Guess that means me and the Kid'll be havin' a talk soon. Gotta figure out what our options are."
"Don't make any decisions until I get in touch with him, tell him what happened. We're bringin' back four wanted men, including one that escaped from prison…that should convince him that it wasn't your fault you missed the meeting."
Heyes snorted in disbelief, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders. "We'll see Lom…we'll see."
XXX
Saturday mid morning found Preacher sitting down at Lom's table drinking a cup of coffee…laced with the last of the whiskey he'd found. Hearing the sound of a buggy, he got up, one hand holding his aching ribs, the other holding a gun. Parting the curtains with the tip of the barrel, he saw a well dressed man step down from the fancy buggy and stride to the door. He let the curtain fall back down, wondering what he should do. Then came the knock on the door…Preacher hesitated. The knock sounded again, louder.
"I know there's someone in there I saw the curtain moving. Open up, it's Governor Francis Warren."
Taking a deep breath and raising his eyes heavenward he opened the door just as the governor was raising his fist to pound on the door again. He gasped when he saw the bruised face of the stranger who stood in the doorway.
"Lom isn't here."
"Good Lord man, what happened to you?"
"Got beat up…" he mumbled thinking that should be pretty obvious. He stepped back as the governor pushed his way inside.
"Sit down Mr…what's your name?"
"Folks call me Preacher…sir."
"Preacher?"
"Lom sure ain't gonna like this," he said softly looking everywhere but at the man sitting across the table from him. He saw his half full cup. "There's coffee." He started to rise again, but the governor reached out a hand stopping him.
"Sit, I had coffee in town. What I want to know is what happened to you and where is sheriff Trevors."
"Well, Kyle…my friend and I were minding our own business…"
The governor sat quietly for half an hour listening intently as Preacher told the tale of how he'd been beaten and why. When Preacher stopped talking Warren sat forward resting his arms on the table…the two men eyed one another silently.
"So, you know about the amnesty that they weren't supposed to talk about."
"Now in their defense they only told me and Wheat. I mean they had to tell someone why they were leavin' the gang and Wheat was the next in line to be leader when they left."
"Yes, but they promised…"
"You want to talk of promises…let's talk about politicians and their promises…"
Warren sat back in his seat his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Those blessed boys have been trying to stay out of trouble for almost three years the only thing keeping them goin' some days was the thought of a promise made by more than one governor. I remember one time when Heyes brung the Kid in shot up real bad cos Devil's Hole was the only place he felt they could stay safe while his partner healed. They deserve to have that promise kept."
Governor Warren sat chewing his lip thoughtfully for several minutes finally asking Preacher if there was pen and paper anywhere.
XXX
The group of eight men had been back on the trail again early Saturday morning, continuing throughout the day having decided not to stop again until they got to Porterville. It was Wheat that saw the rider heading slowly toward them when they were only a couple hours from town.
"We got company…is that…it's Preacher."
"Doesn't anybody listen to me? I told him to stay in the cabin."
They all pulled to a halt once they met up with the man who was obviously in pain.
"Dammit Preacher, what the hell do you think you're doin'? I told you to stay put."
"Got a message for ya," Preacher said, reaching inside his pocket pulling out an envelope and handing it to the sheriff. He smiled at Heyes and the Kid. "Howdy boys."
They smiled nodding in return, while Lom ripped open the envelope and read the message on the single sheet of paper.
"Well I'll be damned," he exclaimed. "Heyes, Kid…it seems you two have a meeting in town."
"Huh?" Heyes frowned in confusion.
"You heard me, now let's go…this is one you don't want to miss…and you'll be owing Preacher a thankyou after."
Epilogue
The following day Lom, Heyes and the Kid stood watching the private stage leave, taking the governor back to his office in Cheyenne. Wheat and Preacher had headed back to Devil's Hole earlier, with Lom's promise that he'd send for the rewards for them, Preacher feeling good about what he'd been able to do for his friends and Wheat still shaking his head in disbelief. As the stage slowly disappeared, the two ex outlaws turned to the sheriff of Porterville who grinned proudly at them.
"Congratulations boys," he said slapping both of them on the shoulder.
"I'm still havin' a hard time believin' we finally got it," the Kid said shaking his head slightly.
"Thank goodness Preacher didn't listen to you Lom and opened that door or we might be headin' for Mexico right now."
"Sure do wish I'd been a fly on the wall for that conversation," Lom chuckled as he tried to imagine the governor's reaction to the outlaw known as Preacher. "Now, c'mon let me buy you boys a drink."
The three men walked side by side toward the saloon, proud smiles on all their faces. They would relax comfortably in Porterville for a few days thinking about how finally having the elusive amnesty would affect their future…a future they were now looking forward to.