The early summer's day was fast drawing to a close as Jed and Billy let themselves in through the now familiar rear door of the Denver Pike Tavern carrying in their pockets the last wagers of the day. Much to both theirs and Han's relief Silky had a rule that any bets placed after eight o'clock at night were held over until the following day.
In comparison to the Velvet Slipper, the Pike was a huge establishment. The bar area was almost half as big again with an additional space at one end given over to a small stage and several rows of seats. There was a separate dining room serving breakfast, lunch and supper and next to it a small cigar store. The rooms on the floor above housed more girls too, the majority of whom could be viewed in various stages of undress as they leant over the railings of an internal balcony encouraging the men below to spend some time with them.
A cute young redhead with feathers in her hair, her hips accentuated by the ruffles on her garish yellow dress, raised a tray of foaming beer glasses above her head as she wove her way through the noisy throng. "Back so soon?" she enquired of the two boys as they hurried toward the bar.
Jed flashed her a dazzling smile and was delighted to see her already rouged cheeks appear even pinker.
"Looks like Phoebe's taken somethin' of a shine to ya." Billy had to shout in order to make himself heard.
"You wait 'til I'm a famous gunman," Jed yelled back. "All the girls are gonna be fallin' over themselves..."
Billy laughed. "You hafta be allowed to wear that gun of yours first. Need to grow a mite taller too."
Responding to the last remark Jed playfully punched Billy on the arm and the two began to circle each other feigning a fistfight in the middle of the busy saloon floor. Without warning two large hands seized each of them by their shirt collars, manhandling them through a door and down a dark flight of stairs into a dimly lit cellar.
"Stop foolin' around and get the money out," ordered Titus Flyte, pushing them roughly toward a table where there was a large ledger and a metal cash box.
The two boys quickly emptied their pockets then stood to one side while Titus laid out the betting slips and counted the cash. Several minutes later the man turned, his pig-like eyes enveloped by an ugly frown.
"You're short," he growled.
"Told ya so," sniggered Billy, nudging Jed in the ribs.
Jed was about to reply with a good humoured jibe of his own when, faster than he had ever imagined the big man could move, Titus' hand flew past him whacking Billy hard on the side of the head and sending him sprawling on the dirt floor.
"Hey! He was only joshin' me," complained Jed, helping his dazed friend to his feet.
"Shut yer mouth or you'll get the same," snarled Titus. "Where's the rest of the money?"
"That's all we was given," explained Jed, pulling out the lining of his pockets. "You got any more, Billy?" he asked, hastily pulling out his friend's pockets to show they too were empty. He pointed to the table. "It's all there, Mister Flyte."
With Billy swaying a little on his feet beside him Jed picked up one of the betting slips. "Alonzo's writin' ain't so good. This looks like an eight, but what if it's a five?"
With a low growl Titus turned the lantern up a little and squinted at the slip of paper. "That ain't no five."
"Maybe you counted wrong," Jed suggested, unwisely.
"You callin' me a liar, boy?" Titus roared.
Jed shook his head. During their regular visits to the Pike they had, on several occasions, witnessed the bloody results of Titus Flyte's volatile temper, and always felt lucky that it was never directed at them. It now appeared that their luck had run out.
The lamplight accentuated Titus' grotesque features as he took a menacing step forward, casting an ominous shadow on the cellar wall.
"Damn kids! Thieves the lot of ya! You ain't no different from them other two yer boss tried to saddle us with. Well, they ain't gonna be stealin' no more, and neither are you."
Jed had always doubted that Silky's previous runners had absconded with the money, and this confirmed it. Now fearing that they too would be murdered, Jed grasped Billy's arm and backed away pulling the unsteady boy along with him.
Suddenly, Titus made a lunge at them, but his bulky frame made it a clumsy one, and Jed was ready for him. Pushing Billy to one side he quickly ducked out of the way, leaving the brute grasping at nothing except the musty cellar air.
"C'mon, Billy," Jed urged, hastening toward their only exit.
Although Billy's head was still spinning and his ears ringing he made a valiant attempt to follow Jed up the dark stairway, but he was barely half way up before he stumbled, giving Titus the opportunity to reach out and seize the waistband of his pants.
"Leave him alone! He didn't take your money!" yelled Jed as he watched Billy being dragged back down the stairs.
Titus ignored him; he was too busy hoisting Billy to his feet and growling in his face, "I'm gonna teach ya what happens to them what think thievin's funny." Clenching a fist he pulled back his arm.
Terrified of what was about to befall his friend, but knowing any cry for help would not be heard in the noisy saloon above, Jed took the only action open to him; he launched himself off the open stairway straight onto the wide expanse of Titus' back.
Wrapping his left arm around the man's thick neck he clubbed at the bald head with his right fist. Titus gave a strangled roar and spun around trying to shake his assailant loose. Jed increased his grip.
"Run!" he yelled, breathlessly, but Billy didn't move. Shocked and dizzy from the ferocity of the earlier blow, and with the memory of Fox Flanagan's frequent assaults fresh in his mind, he was paralyzed with fear.
Still unable to shake Jed from his back Titus Flyte stumbled across the cellar and hurled himself backwards into the wall. This unexpected move succeeded in expelling all the air from Jed's lungs in one loud "Ooff" and slammed the back of his head so hard against the wall that he instantly loosened his grip and dropped unconscious to the ground.
Titus glanced unemotionally at Jed's limp form on the floor at his feet before once again turning to Billy. "Now," he sneered, his mouth twisting cruelly, "you an' me got some unfinished business."
Oooooo-OOO-ooooo
Across town, the Velvet Slipper was also having a busy night. Men stood shoulder to shoulder at the bar where Alonzo and Monty strove to keep up with the constant demand for drinks. A mediocre piano player was hammering out his limited repertoire on a tinny-sounding upright, the roulette wheel spun, and the dice cage rattled. Several poker games were in full swing, and both Jenny and Hannibal were dealing blackjack. Even young Hoyt appeared to be run off his feet collecting empty glasses and emptying the spittoons.
Silky O'Sullivan opened the office door and surveyed the room through a blue haze of smoke before checking his pocket watch. It was getting late and Jed and Billy had not yet returned from the last run. Waiting for receipts for their wagers was a group of regulars who were all seated together at a table, holding empty glasses, and showing mounting signs of impatience. Disgruntled patrons and empty glasses were something Silky didn't like to see, so he put away his watch and sauntered over to join them.
A portly fellow with large mutton chops and a threadbare grey frock coat took it upon himself to complain. "Bin waitin' a while fer them tickets, O'Sullivan."
"My apologies gents, there's been a slight delay."
"That so?" the man said, a hint of scepticism in his voice.
Silky smiled amiably. "I run an honest house here, Eb — you know that. I'll even stand you all a beer to make up for the delay. How's that? And anyway, you can go home whenever you please 'cause I guarantee you'll have a ticket by morning or your money back." He shrugged. "Can't say fairer than that."
Eb considered this for a moment then nodded. "Y' ain't never skinned us yet, so I guess yer good fer it." He grinned at his companions. "We'll take that beer though. Won't we, fellas?"
Leaving Eb and his friends happily drinking their free beer Silky made his way over to the other side of the gaming floor. Arriving at Jenny's table he bent down and whispered something in her ear, causing her to shift her gaze from the cards to Han who was currently reciting a saucy limerick while shuffling the deck. The men at his table laughed uproariously.
"Don't say anything to Han yet," Jenny said, a worried frown creasing her brow. If Jed was missing that meant Billy was too.
"Yeah. Could be worrying over nothing." Silky smiled wanly and continued to hope that his new runners had not somehow fallen foul of the Flyte brothers. They were violent men — a fact he had conveniently put out of his mind, until now.
ooooo-OOO-ooooo
It was a little after one o'clock in the morning by the time the last person had stumbled drunkenly out into the night.
At the sight of Monty bolting the doors Jenny hurried into the office where one look at Silky's face told her that Jed and Billy had not returned.
"Is the saloon empty?" asked Silky.
"Monty's locking the doors right now."
"Good. We'll start a search."
Jenny sighed. "I'll go tell Hannibal."
Hannibal Heyes placed the last of the coloured chips in the table drawer and locked it with a small brass key. Whistling quietly through his teeth he picked up the calico money bag containing the evening's takings and weighed it in his hand. It had been a long, but fun night, and his table had made a good profit for the house. He was so captivated by the pleasant jingling sound the coins made that he didn't notice Jenny approach his table.
"Hannibal, honey," she said gently.
Han grinned up at her. "Busy night, huh?" He playfully rattled the bag. "Did pretty good." Bringing his hand up to his mouth he whispered in jest, "And I didn't cheat, not even once."
When she didn't smile back Han was immediately on the alert. "What's the matter?"
Jenny got straight to the point. "Jed and Billy haven't come back from the Pike."
Han's stomach lurched. "What time was the run?"
"Sundown, I think."
"Sundown! That was hours ago!" Han couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Silky's organising a search party and—"
"How long has he known?"
Jenny shrugged.
Sensing she was covering for him, Han's eyes darkened. "How long?"
"About four hours," Jenny's answer was only a little louder than a whisper.
Spying Silky at the bar speaking with Alonzo and Monty Han leaped to his feet and angrily strode over to look the man in the eye. "Too busy making money to worry about two kids, huh?"
"My dear boy, we're taking care of that right now," placated Silky.
Unable to shake off of an almost overwhelming sense of fear at the thought of Jed going missing again, or worse, Han glared at Silky. "If anything's happened to him, I swear I'll—"
A pair of strong hands took hold of Han's trembling shoulders and gently eased him away from his benefactor. "Calma, Meester Hannibal," Alonzo said firmly. "Meester Silky, he not to blame for thees. Monty, an' me we go out now; we find 'em."
"I'm coming too," announced Han.
The three older men all exchanged a concerned look before Silky said, "It's too dangerous, Hannibal."
"We need to take guns then."
"No!" Silky's response was adamant.
"Then how do you propose we take these villains on?"
"What villains?"
Han waved his arms expansively. "The Flyte brothers, of course. They're bound to have something to do with this."
"We don't know that yet," said Silky, levelly, "but if it turns out they do, it'll need careful handling."
"Oh yeah, the same kind of careful you've been with Jed and Billy's welfare, I suppose?" yelled Han, sarcastically.
"Now you listen to me," Silky yelled back, "I happen to be real fond of those two, and—"
Desperate to get the search started, Jenny pushed her way between them. "Y'all won't find them standing here hollerin' at one another." Looking directly into Han's eyes she said a little more softly, "I know you want to go look for them, but Hannibal honey, you're much too vexed right now. If you lose your head out there, you could end up dead, and where would that leave Jed when he gets back? You should stay here with me. I know it's hard, but it's the right thing to do. You know it is."
His anger curbed by Jenny's logic Han allowed himself to be steered away from the bar. Looking back Jenny tilted her head toward the door signalling to the others that it was time for them to leave.