Winter's Refuge

Chapter Eleven

LOM

I thought the Kid might change his mind and not come with me to visit Heyes. Chrissy looked so alone watching us leave. They had started to bond again. But the bond between him and Heyes was strong. I doubt anything could break it.

As we rode, we talked about his plans for the little ranch. We figured it would be at least a year before they could return to Winter's Refuge in Wyoming. By that time, Heyes would be off probation and his pardon granted. I knew that last part was going to take a lot of work, if Heyes could even do it at all. The US Marshals leaders had vowed to track down the anonymous benefactor behind the illegal wanted poster and reward offered on Chrissy.

Our appointment to visit was Wednesday morning at ten. The governor had made the announcements of their pardons and amnesties on Tuesday. I bought a copy of each of Cheyenne's two newspapers. We read them as we ate breakfast in the same restaurant I ate every time I visited Heyes.

Governor Grants Pardons

Monday afternoon the Governor of Wyoming granted pardons to Jedediah 'Kid' Curry, Hannibal Heyes, and Christina McWinters. He also signed amnesties for any crimes that were not covered in their trials. At this writing, Mr. Curry, who served his time in the Arizona Territorial Prison, and Miss McWinters, who served her time in the Colorado State Correctional Facility, have been released.

Hannibal Heyes still has six months to serve on a separate murder charge that happened while in the Wyoming Territorial Prison. Then he will be granted a pardon and amnesty.

It was never established whether Miss McWinters was married to Hannibal Heyes or Kid Curry, although she does wear a ring. She was convicted of aiding and abetting Heyes and Curry's escape. She is the sister of the McWinters brothers and is rumored to know the location of their hideout Devil's Hole. The McWinters Gang is thought to be responsible for three train robberies and four bank robberies just in the last three months. Three innocent victims were murdered during their robberies.

It is rumored that a private citizen has placed a five-thousand-dollar reward on Miss McWinters. It is payable when she reveals the location of her brothers' hideout or her death. Under Wanted Dead or Alive on her poster it says, "An eye for an eye and a sibling for a sibling," leading this reporter to believe that the reward is being posted by a sibling of one of the victims of the McWinters Gang.

There are still men alive who were once part of the Devil's Hole Gang when it was led by Heyes and Curry. Under their leadership, they never shot anybody. It is thought that these men will take the location of Devil's Hole to their graves. Perhaps being a woman, Christina McWinters will be more easily convinced to reveal the location.

The current locations of Kid Curry and Miss McWinters are unknown, but it is thought that she will return to her ranch, Winter's Refuge, in Wyoming.

I finished reading the article and handed the paper to the Kid. I didn't like that the reward on Chrissy had been mentioned, increasing the number of people who knew about it….and might try for it. The Kid had eaten little of the steak and eggs on his plate, but his oatmeal bowl was empty and he motioned for a refill.

"Don't seem right eatin' steak and eggs when Heyes ain't here to enjoy them, too," he said.

Seeing he was nervous about the meeting, I told him, "Just relax. Be yourself. That's what he needs right now; the partner who has always had his back."

ASJ*****ASJ

HEYES

I saw Doctor AIden A. Arden yesterday and am feeling more in control as I ate my breakfast of unrecognizable mush with all the other prisoners. He told me I was to have a visitor today and I hoped Lom had brought me another book, even though it was less than a month since the last one. Holding onto the idea of a visitor gave me a focus, allowed me to ignore the challenges from the other prisoners, real or imagined. Dr. Arden has convinced me that I see imaginary aggression in other prisoners when it is only curiosity, I have come to believe him.

After breakfast I was returned to my cell. I have not yet been assigned my work for the day in anticipation of my visitor. I know it will be the broom factory. It is always the broom factory. And I'm resigned to making brooms. I can do it now by rote while I think of other things. Usually, now those things are the apologies I have to make to the Kid. Dr. Arden has made me understand each choice I made growing up led us to where we are, serving twenty years in prison. But I still say most of them are not my fault.

Oh, Lom will say hopeful words about the governor and a pardon. I told Dr. Arden I will smile and nod at Lom and not say anything. I will not tell him that I have lost all hope for a pardon and Dr. Arden is helping me to accept almost seventeen more years in here.

When the guards came to get me, I put the book I was reading on top of my stack of books. I have kept every book Lom sent me here in my cell, my own private library. No one can take away my library privileges to these books.

I was shackled and manacles were placed on my hands. I had come to accept this normal procedure. Struggling against it is fruitless, I have accepted that with the doctor's help. I choose my battles, my rebellions now with planning. I like the control that way.

I was surprised I was taken to Dr. Arden's office and the restraints were removed before the guard knocked on the door. I am never restrained when I visit the doctor.

I entered with the guards at my back. They shut the door behind me and left to wait in the hall. Dr. Arden sat behind his desk; I have decided he does that as his show of power. It is an imposing desk, bigger than most made of hard mahogany with swirls curved into the edges. My eyes were drawn to him out of routine, but there were three other men in the room with us.

"Hiya, Heyes."

I turned at Lom's voice and saw his easy smile was strained. He stood and extended his hand. I looked for permission from the guard to shake hands, but there was no guard in the room with us.

"Shake hands with your friends, Heyes." The doctor knew what I was thinking.

It felt good to shake Lom's hand. Made me feel more like a human instead of a prisoner. I was still confused why we were meeting here instead of the visitor room. Not that I objected to no restraints. I held Lom's hand too long after we shook, but the human contact felt revitalizing.

I didn't recognize the other two men. The older one sat in the other visitor chair next to Lom. The other man looked out the window. He was built like a strong guard and had attempted to slick his short hair down. But there was something familiar about him. "Kid!" I exclaimed as he turned around and his blue eyes fixed on me. "Kid!" I repeated as I took a step toward him before looking to the doctor for permission.

The Kid didn't have the same restraint and rushed at me and easily lifted me off my feet. "Heyes! Heyes, I missed you!"

I grabbed him with the first feeling of happiness I'd felt in three years. I was crying but didn't care, the part of me that was missing was standing in front of me. I wouldn't have recognized the Kid if I hadn't seen his eyes. He was muscular with a back broad from hard work. It was obvious to me we had traveled different roads in prison. He put me down and touched the latest bruises on my face, then spun me around and right there lifted my shirt and saw the layers of lash scars on my back, topped with the healing ones from two weeks ago.

I shrugged my shoulders and pushed down my shirt, but I couldn't stop smiling at him.

I heard the older man cough to get my attention, but Lom was the one that spoke. Someone had added another chair by the desk, and he motioned me to it. He was serious now and his words were cautious. I looked to the Kid, but he had taken up a position by the door, arms crossed in front of him. A serious expression now appeared on his face. I turned back to Lom.

"Heyes, the governor has made some decisions."

From his expressions, I knew it was bad news for me. The Kid was here so I was hoping at least he had gotten his pardon. I couldn't tell anything by anyone's faces, maybe I had lost that skill in prison.

"Heyes, this is my friend Colin, he's an aide to the Wyoming Governor."

I held my tongue as I remembered my last comments about the governor to Lom. Lom didn't seem to hold it against me as he continued.

"The governor has finally granted the Kid a pardon and amnesty."

As Lom talked, I couldn't keep the smile off my face. I looked at the Kid, but his expression was still unreadable.

"And he has made a decision about you." I slumped back into the chair preparing myself for the denial of my pardon, my condemnation to another seventeen years in this place.

"He had granted you a pardon and amnesty BUT it is with conditions."

I couldn't believe what he was saying. I looked to the doctor, and he nodded his confirmation. Then I realized what he had said. He had said BUT. In my experience BUT usually meant no.

"B..but?" I heard my voice raise and I fought to keep control of my emotions, disappointment starting to cloud my thoughts.

"Two conditions." Lom was watching me carefully and I focused on his words. I needed to stay in control and not let the wrath I felt at times take over.

"The first one is you must serve six more months for the murder of..."

"Self-defense!" I broke in irritated. My thoughts were in long complete sentences but the horrid never ending times in the dark cell had robbed me of speech. Each word was a struggle. "Not my fault. Attacked. Didn't start it. B–board said self-defense." Even though my speech was broken,I knew I was speaking fast; I couldn't help it. My silver tongue had turned to lead three years ago. But this was better than I had talked in years. The words were coming easier. Maybe it was seeing the Kid.

"Mr. Heyes." The doctor held up his hand to get my attention. "Mr. Heyes, the decision has been made. As we discussed before, it was self-defense, but the concern was your uncontrolled violent rage afterwards. Be silent and think for a moment. You are being given an opportunity here."

I trusted Dr. Arden. I had learned to respect him, also. So, I sat as still as I could but my mind was racing. Six months more. I had learned to accept some responsibility for some of my actions. The ones that were my fault. My outburst here was my fault.

"I'm sorry..interrupted you, Lom. Please continue." I smiled at the doctor as my sentence flowed out almost normal. It felt good, natural.

I could feel the Kid's gaze at my back, and I looked over my shoulder and gave him a quick grin which he returned.

"Heyes, your first condition is that you must serve six more months in general population without getting into trouble."

I nodded but I had not been able to spend more than a month in general population in over two years. I tried to hide my concern by asking, "Second condition?"

"Parole for six months, with a set address and a job." Lom looked directly at me when he spoke. "The Kid and I have already arranged both."

His last words changed something in me. The Kid and Lom believed in me. They believed I could do six months without getting in trouble. Something broke inside of me then and healed when I looked at the Kid. I had things I needed to say to him, take responsibility for all the things I had done wrong as I had been learning from Dr. Arden.

"I'm sorry!" I walked over and stood in front of him. He put a hand on each of my shoulders and smiled.

"That's okay, Heyes. We're startin' a new life now."

But I needed to apologize for all the mistakes I had made, a lifetime of mistakes. "No, Kid, I need … apologize." I looked over at Dr. Arden and he nodded. I think he saw the change in me.

"I'm sorry I didn't take better care of you in Valparaiso," I started and the words and sentences poured out of me with no difficulty "And it was a bad decision to run away from there. You were okay there. It was me that needed to get out. And I convinced you to follow me."

"We're partners, Heyes. Always have been. Always will be."

"No, I need to say this. So many mistakes I made with you...Jimmy Jay and I stole that blueberry pie off of Miss Fedler's cooling bench when we were in school. I know your pa gave you a whipping, but he'd already done it by the time I found out. Still, I should have told you. I encouraged you to buy that first gun and get good at it. I was always proud of how good you are with it. And first stealing and then robbing. Those were my ideas. I talked you into it."

"Didn't have to try too hard to convince me if I remember."

I didn't hear his answer. Apologizing, confessing was making me feel powerful. "It was my idea for us to join a gang when we got back together and my idea for us to lead that gang. I liked us being partners, being the leaders. And we were successful. I dragged you into that life, Kid. All my fault. My fault you were shot in the leg in one of our first jobs. Bad planning. And when you were shot the year before we were captured, you was hurt bad. That was my fault, too. I didn't know that the cheating man at the table had a friend at the bar. My fault you were shot." I started to talk faster and paced. Dr. Arden gave me a look to settle down, get control, but I could not stop.

"My fault you almost died. My fault I laid with the woman you loved, Chrissy, for comfort not passion because we thought you were going to die. My fault we came down out of the Nevada silver mine when we did. I missed the life of a bar, having a crowd around, missed not reading a newspaper for months and months. It was my fault we didn't stop at dark, and you fell and hit your head and my fault we were captured. If your pardon was delayed at all, that was probably my fault, too."

I stopped. The Kid had stepped back. Something changed. He stood with gunfighter readiness; his arms crossed on his chest. His expression had turned hard. Lom felt it, too. He stood between me and the Kid. Leading me back to my chair, he indicated some papers on the doctor's desk.

"We need you to sign these papers, Heyes."

"What am I signing?"

"That you accept the governor's offer of a pardon and amnesty in return for doing six more months in prison with good behavior, followed by six months of parole with Jedediah Curry and Lom Trevors as your parole officers." The man from the governor was firm as he pointed to the desk. "It's the only offer you're going to get, Mr. Heyes."

I was under control. In fact, I felt good that I had confessed my mistakes to the Kid. But I was concerned about him. He was angry at me. I couldn't stand the Kid to be angry at me. We were partners. I needed him and he needed me.

I signed the papers where Lom pointed but kept looking back at the Kid.

"Kid, whatever I said. Sorry…. I'm… sorry. Need you…, Kid." I heard the pleading in my voice but didn't care. I heard my speech failing but didn't care.

"Heyes, I got your back." the Kid said, but his tone was cold, detached. "Always have, always will."

Lom was talking to me, and I pulled my attention from the Kid. "Heyes, the Kid and I have permission to visit every two weeks. Anything you need?" I wasn't sure but I felt the same change in attitude from Lom. It sounded like disappointment.

"Lom, sorry …hurt you, too?" I tried to apologize to him. Something was wrong and I couldn't tell what it was. I couldn't read people like I used to.

He didn't accept my apology, just repeated his question. "Anything you need? Cookies? Socks?"

I tried to concentrate on what he was saying. I looked at Dr. Arden and he mimicked a deep breath. I did that. Twice.

"Books. Cookies… good." Then I thought for a minute and indicated the paper on the doctor's desk. I wrote: "Stack of books in my cell. Could I start sending them home with you a few at a time? Is that all right, Doctor?"

"Yes, Heyes, that's fine. Shows me you are looking forward to a future after prison."

"Yes, Heyes, but only a few at a time. Can take a couple today, if it's okay?" Lom answered. "And Kid made you something to keep you busy while you serve your six months."

The doctor rose and I knew that signaled the meeting was over. I needed to try one more time with the Kid.

"Kid, Sorry!" I extended my hand. I was trying to make amends. He took it as one would shake the hand of a business associate. Thanks…visit.. Glad you….pardoned. Proud!"

"Just watch yourself, Heyes. I'll see you in two weeks." He was anxious to leave.

Lom tried to smooth over Kid's attitude. "We'll wait in here for the books to take with us. Keep your nose clean." We shook in a sincere handshake. He put his left hand on my arm and added, "We have confidence you can do this, Heyes. Listen to your doctor."

LOM

"Kid, come sit down," I told him as he watched Heyes walk out of the office still apologizing without knowing what he had said wrong.

I knew. I heard his apology about Chrissy. The Kid sat on the edge of the chair next to me, his anger and hurt visible but under control.

Dr. Arden smiled at him. "Congratulations on your pardon, Mr. Curry. I have heard only exemplary reports of your time in prison."

"Thank you, doctor," the Kid answered, but said not an extra word.

"Did Sheriff Trevors also send you books?"

"Yes, sir."

I knew Dr. Arden felt Kid's anger. That was his job. And I could see he was concerned about the Kid, but didn't know what had closed him off.

I spoke up to ease the awkward silence. "The Kid donated his books to the prison library when he read them."

Kid felt the awkward silence, too. "Figured I could read them again any time I wanted…long as I kept my library privileges." He reached into his pocket. "Forgot to give him this. Is it all right if I leave it with you for him?"

I recognized the box with the lock puzzle he had made. Dr. Arden opened it, looked in and gave the Kid a quizzical look. The silence was broken, and the doctor wanted to keep the Kid talking.

"Made it for him to keep him busy. It's a lock that takes three keys. Want him to see if he can open it without the keys. Then I'll give you a key each time I come. See how long it'll take for him to open it."

I heard a caring for Heyes in the Kid's voice and I could tell the doctor did, too. "Okay, I don't see any harm, only good in him having a puzzle." The doctor caught the Kid's eyes, but the Kid did not flinch or look away. I could see the doctor mentally comparing the effects of prison on the two partners.

"Mr. Curry…"

"Just Jed. Looks like we're goin' to see a lot of each other in the next six months."

"Jed, why are you mad at Mr. Heyes?"

The direct question caught me off guard, but not the Kid. He had developed great self-control and with that, presence. "That's between me and Heyes, Dr. Arden. Don't mean I won't be there to help every step of the way."

I admired the Kid. He had indeed matured. He had vowed to take care of his family and Heyes was part of the family. Even with the hurt Heyes' confession had caused, the Kid was still there for him.

"Might help me help him if I knew what it was." Dr. Arden leaned forward. I knew he worked with many prisoners, and it was evident he wasn't used to the resistance he was getting from the Kid.

"Might help, might hurt, but it's personal between me and Heyes. And it's goin' to stay that way." The Kid's voice was quiet, but his words were almost a threat. Dr. Arden backed off.

A guard knocked, then entered with three books. The Kid took from him, looking at the titles. "You send us all the same books each month, Lom?" A smile grin accompanied his words, and I knew he wanted the previous topic dropped.

"Usually, Kid, but not always. Heyes didn't get books on blacksmithing."

ASJ*****ASJ

We were on the train back to Bridgeport, Nebraska before the Kid came out of his own thoughts. We had an hour and a half to kill before our train left. Kid went shopping for clothes that fit him and I went to eat. I had never seen him pass up a meal before, but I had not known him for three years. When we met on the platform only ten minutes before the train left, he carried two wrapped parcels and a new blacksmith's hammer. We boarded in silence; the Kid kept tossing the heavy hammer in the air and easily catching it. It stopped when we sat down, and I saw that it was a new habit. And that hammer could be a very dangerous weapon in a strong man's hands.

"Did you know, Lom?" He looked forward, not turning as he spoke.

"Found out when you did, Kid."

I was surprised at Heyes words until I thought about them later. But I was not going to tell the Kid that Chrissy had told me she didn't know who the father was when she was pregnant. I understood now, she had been with both of them.

Kid stared at the back of the hat of the lady in front of him for twenty miles. I didn't disturb his thoughts. I was trying to sort out my own.

"What do you think he meant for comfort, not passion?" Kid asked softly.

"They thought you were going to die that night. Dr. Lewis had them say their goodbyes to you," I answered. I wasn't sure how to answer. I wasn't sure of my own feelings.

"I don't remember. Just remember pain and darkness." The Kid shook his head trying to remember. "And Chrissy telling me she loved me forever."

"Something to think about, Kid, before you make any decisions," I told him.

"No decisions to make, Lom. Heyes, Chrissy and Chrissy's child are family and I vowed to take care of my family."