SquidgeWorld Archive

Chapter Text

Yuma Arizona, hot as all get out, and nothing to endear it to the two men who rode towards it. It was still hours before they would get there, they were riding slow as the horses were lathered, in the one hundred and six degree heat. They were crossing the Sonoran Desert, in the full heat of the day.

Saquaro cactus littered the desert with its tall arms, up to twenty feet in height, but offering no shade. They had not seen any cotton wood trees, as it would have let them know there was water nearby. The land gave a bit of color now and then with Apache Plume, six feet of greyish leaves and silvery puffs of fruit heads, with white feathery looking flowers.

Heyes looked over at his cousin, seeing the red face, and how he looked like he had just come out of a bath, with his clothes on. "Kid, next time I say lets cross the desert, just shoot me."

The kid turned to him, his eyes narrowed against the suns brightness. "That will be easy, Heyes. For a man so smart you sure are dumb."

Heyes seemed to sulk at that comment, and glanced at the land around them. He spotted a sidewinder moving to the left about six feet past the Kids horse. He picked up his canteen and shook it, hearing nothing. "Kid, you got any water left?"

"Nah, Heyes I drank it all, I was thirsty. Though I don't know why, I mean I am only..." he raised his voice, "riding in the desert with an idiot!" He quickly regretted his comments to the other man, but he hated the heat, and was thinking of ice water.

"No need to get mad at me, Kid. I'll make it up to you; I'll buy you a beer."

The kid gave him an exasperated look and turned to watch the ground in the distance, shimmer. Heyes did not like to have his cousin mad at him. It bothered him, and he did not want to be in the desert, he had thought they would have been there by now. Only a couple hours had turned into two days. Kid was grumpy as he always was when he missed a meal. He had missed several, since neither man had felt like eating in the heat, just drink water, and now they did not have any.

Heyes looked up and saw a large bird overhead circling, and wondered if it was a buzzard. "Hey kid, that buzzard overhead is waiting for us to fall."

The kid looked up and then smiled. "That ain't no buzzard Heyes, that's a eagle." It figured he would make it out; after all, he had the eyes of one, thought his cousin.

Kid rode along thinking evil thoughts against his cousin. What he would do to him, when they got to town. Why couldn't they have gone where he had wanted to go. But no, Heyes had chosen for them. Then the kid glanced at his cousin, seeing he was as miserable as he was, and his heart softened. Maybe he had been too hard on him.

The sound of a rifle firing startled their horses. Heyes jerked and went down, and as Kid pulled his 45, he felt the pain and the ground coming up to meet him. Kid knew no more as he lay there, next to his cousin.

Several horses came riding up, and two men got down and went over to Heyes and Curry. The tall man on the Sorrel watched. "Well, is he dead?"

"No the blond one is alive."

"I want the dark haired one, only. Leave the blond for the buzzards." His men lifted Heyes up and threw him over the extra horse they had brought along. The five riders rode off leaving Kid lying there, unaware of what was happening. Blood dribbled down the side of the horse that held Heyes dripping on the desert sands.

Kid came to with a terrible headache. The sun was going down, but it still was not cooler. "Heyes..." he mumbled as he tried to sit up. He had never seen a cactus spin before in the air, but this one certainly was. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he looked around again. "Heyes?" He did not see his cousin anywhere.

A lone wolf howled in the distance, and the kid felt like howling too. He was alone. What had happened to his cousin. He found his gun still on his hip, his horse still standing there, along with Heyes horse. Who ever it was had taken his cousin and best friend. He sat up, took his bandana from his back pocket and put it around his head, covering the crease there. Then put his hat back on and stood up.

Slowly he managed to mount his horse. He was not too sure he would be able to get far. Nevertheless, he was not leaving Heyes out there with whomever it was who took him. Glancing down he saw the prints and turning his horse, pulling Heyes along, he followed the tracks. He would do so until dark, then start again in the morning.

The kid rode watching the ground, like one of his bullets he zeroed in on the tracks and followed relentlessly. The heat was forgotten as Kid thought up what he would do to the men who took his cousin. Heyes came around and found himself tied to a chair in a library, looking around he found he was alone. He looked around the obvious expensive room, and saw that the room was beginning to darken, as he could see the shades of a colorful sunset outside the open window. Fire burned inside his body, his side was on fire, and each breath he took made it worse. Now he remembered, he had been shot. Kid! What had happened to him? Where was he? Heyes looked around the room, but saw no body lying on the floor. Did they kill him? If they did, he would kill the ones who did, even if it took his last moment on earth to do it.

The ropes pulled at his arms and he felt his stomach roll, turning his head towards the right side of the chair, he threw up. The door opened at the sound, and a tall muscular cowboy came into the room, his gun drawn. He looked at Heyes as the dark haired outlaw turned away from the mess, and laid his head back against the wall behind him.

"Mister Marlow isn't going to like that, you messin up his floor."

Heyes did not even open his eyes. "Too bad, his carpet is ruined too, and this chair. Cut me lose and I will leave before I mess up anything else."

"Do you take me for stupid?"

Heyes just smiled a slow smile, as the world again faded out. The cowboy turned and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. He had to report this.

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Heyes woke again hours later, opening his dark expressive eyes he saw the room was lit up and heard the sounds of movements in a leather chair. He looked around and his eyes met the man who sat at the desk. The older man, with the steel grey hair, and ice blue eyes glared at him.

"It's about time you woke up."

"Do you always make your guest sleep in chairs?" The old man looked at Heyes, and took out a cigar from a wooden box from his desk, cut the end off, and put the cigar in his mouth and lit it. Heyes watched him.

"You are not my guest, and you have a smart mouth on you boy." "I try. Where is my friend?"

"Don't know, and don't care. Dead probably, my men left him out in the desert." Heyes eyes turned black with anger, and his eyes bore into the old man, with a promise of retribution. He had to get out of here, and find the Kid.

"Guess you want to know why you are here?"

"Well it would help pass the time, so why am I here?" The old man smiled a cold smile, and puffed on his cigar, blowing the smoke towards Heyes.

"You are here for two reasons....one you robbed my private train about two years ago."

"And the second reason?"

"It's the reason I didn't just kill you straight off. You are starting a new life, and you will work for me, live here and..."

"I rob you and now you want to hire me?"

"Shut up, and listen. You have someone else to thank for you being alive. If you want to stay that way, you will do what is expected of you."

"And that is?"

At that moment, the door opened and a beautiful young woman of around nineteen walked in. She was well dressed, and she turned and looked at him. She reached out and touched his cheek, and he pulled away. "It's all right, Hannibal, father isn't going to hurt you."

"Not going to hurt me? He already has." The girl looked at him seeing the blood, and turned to her father and pointed at Heyes.

"Father, you promised he wouldn't be hurt, and he is bleeding to death. Get a doctor for him. He's no good to me dead."

"I have sent for a doctor, and he is on his way here now. I was just telling the boy why he is here."

"I am sorry about you being hurt, I never wanted that. You will like it here."

"I am sorry Miss, but I am not staying here."

"My name is Jennifer, and soon to be your wife."

Heyes stared at her, and wondered if when he fell off his horse he had hit his head, and was dreaming. Had she said they were getting married?

"I don't even know you, I'm sure I would have remembered. Why would you want to marry me?" She ran a hand through his hair.

"You do know me, a year ago we met. Two drunken cowboys in a town were accosting me and you rescued me. So gallant you were, like a knight in shining armor.

"Ah lady, a simple thank you would have worked nicely. Then I could be on my way."

"You don't understand Hannibal, I fell in love with you that day. Father wasn't very happy about that, and you either marry me and settle down or Father hangs you."