SquidgeWorld Archive

Kid Curry could count on one hand how many times he'd seen the current look his cousin's face wore and he wondered how the man standing in front of the West Peak Saloon put it there. He shivered despite the sweltering heat. He made no motion as he watched the face change from anger to shame. Just who was that man?

"Kid, I'm not feeling too good. I think maybe I'll go back to the hotel for the night." Heyes wore his poker face as he turned to face Kid.

Kid's worried blue eyes bore heavily through the man. "You go on ahead. Some sleep and I'll be fine." To dispel the worry, he patted his partner's shoulder.

Kid signed, torn between worry and Heyes' desire to be alone. He had no doubt that was what Heyes really wanted.

"Okay, Heyes. I'll go check out them girls, maybe play a little poker. I'll be along later." Kid didn't miss the visible relief on the dark haired man.

They parted company. Before entering the saloon, Curry turned back for a last look at his friend. Heyes still stood in the road, his head hung low. Kid's curiosity peaked and he decided to find out what he could about the stranger who upset his cousin so.

From his advantage point at the bar he watched the stranger play poker badly. The man was tall and wearing an extra thirty pounds on his frame. Two teeth were blatantly missing and his clothes were torn and dirty. He tried to draw to an inside straight and lost.

"Thaddeus. Why are you so interested in Bartlet?" Janie draped an arm over her favorite customer.

"I was that obvious, huh?" Kid smiled as he hugged his favorite girl.

"Not really. Seeing as I'm a working girl and all, it bares to watch what's going on around ya." Janie stole a sip from Curry's beer.

"What do you know about this Bartlet?" Kid gently tugged the beer away.

"That he is a disgusting and vile man. No girl in here will go with him no matter the price." She scrunched her face in disgust.

"That bad?" Kid said jokingly.

"That bad. Why are you so interested?" Both looked over at Bartlet as he screamed in frustration throwing down his cards.

"Joshua seems to know him." Kid replied thoughtfully.

"Oh, Sam Bartlet's been in town a few months, but he is very wealthy. You can't tell by the looks of him, but he is. Perhaps Joshua had business with him." Janie patted an arm before moving away. "Business calls, darling."

Kid flipped a hand in goodbye. Janie was smarter than most saloon girls and he wondered if that's why he liked her so much. Why Heyes liked her, too. They always had to compete to get to her first.

Wealthy? Maybe Big Mac or Silky knows him. Kid left the saloon drafting the `wires' in his head. He didn't like that he was doing this behind Heyes' back, but he knew better than to ask his partner outright. There were few secrets between them and it was apparent Bartlet was one of the few.

Kid awaited the replies. Silky and Big Mac had both heard of Bartlet, but it was Silky's added message that bothered him the most. "Keep B away from JS."

Kid retreated to the room to find the former outlaw asleep, but restless. The man was writhing on the bed and he knew his friend was having a nightmare.

"Heyes. Wake up." Kid prodded the man until he woke. He stopped the hand that moved toward the gun belt. He frowned realizing Heyes wore it asleep. It was a dangerous thing to do and they only did it in case of trouble. In fact Heyes hardly ever wore it to bed.

"Kid?" Brown eyes focused on blue wondering what he was woken for.

"You were dreaming, Heyes. You wanna talk about it." Kid removed his boots.

"I don't remember it." Came the reply and Kid winced inwardly at the blatant lie. He wasn't surprised by it though. The nightmares had been gone for more than ten years and never once when he had them had he shared them. What had Bartlet done to rattle his partner enough to cause a nightmare?

Kid finished undressing. "Well in that case you mind making room for me so I can sleep, too?" Kid kept his voice light not wanting to let the man know what he was planning.

"Sure, Kid." Heyes rolled to the side allowing more room.

Soon they were asleep, though both not well or deep.

During breakfast, Heyes brought up the subject of leaving to which Curry agreed. "Where do you want to go Heyes?" He knew where *he* wanted to go, but he had to play it cool

"I dunno." The former outlaw toyed with the eggs on his plate. Kid watched in concern feeling déjà vu with the whole situation. The only difference was that he was a man now. One who could protect his cousin the way he had been protected for all those years ago.

"I've been thinking. Every time we visit Soapy lately, it's `cause we need something. How about we visit and take a break for a while? We have the money." Kid swiped bacon from the plate across the table.

Heyes smiled, but it no where met his eyes, which were clouded with a hint of sadness and shame. "That's a good idea. Let's check the train schedule." And the man rose.

"After we're done eating, Heyes." Kid swallowed some biscuit. As concerned as he was he still managed to smile to himself on the con. It wasn't often he could con his cousin and by the time he'd find out about it, it would be too late.

"Tell you what, you check the schedule and I'll wire Soapy were coming." Kid scooped the last of the eggs onto the fork. He was also going to wire Silky as well, but he didn't have to tell his partner that. He didn't like the deception, but he was going to get to the bottom of this no matter what.

He sipped the last of the coffee and rose with Heyes following.

He rattled off two wires and just barely got the second one off when Heyes found him.

"We're in luck. Train leaves in an hour and I bought two tickets. Let's pack and be on time for a change." Heyes slapped the man's back jovially.

The train ride was short and thankfully not held up. Heyes did pay a visit to the baggage car and returned to remark to Kid, "It's a Brooker 404."

Kid stopped reading the newspaper. "Tell me you didn't open it." He knew for a fact Heyes had never had the opportunity to open one before.

"Relax, Kid. I only played with it for a few minutes. I figured I'd need at least an hour to get it opened." Heyes teased his cousin.

Kid met the grin with his own and for a minute nearly forgot there was a problem. He might have for real if he could have forgotten the look on Heyes' face last night. No, it would a long time, if ever, if he forgot the rage that loomed just below the surface yesterday. Rage that turned to shame.

When they arrived in San Francisco, Kid knew he'd have to get rid of his cousin. "I'm feeling a little pent up. If you don't mind, I'm gonna pay me a visit to Miss Penny's place."

"Kid, can't you go a day without getting any?" Heyes rolled his eyes.

"Nope. We go without too much as it is, so I gotta get me some when the opportunity is there. I'll see you later at Soapy's." Kid strolled off before Heyes could change his mind to join him.

"Kid, if you waited for my wire, you wouldn't have wasted your time coming here." Silky held the door a crack, not inviting him in.

"Silky, I know you know what's going on. Or what went on a long time ago and I'm not leaving here until you tell what that was." Kid flashed his own angry look, his jaw set in determination.

Silky knew the look and knew Kid wouldn't go away without answers. "I can't tell you what you want to hear. I promised Heyes I'd never tell a soul. Don't make me break that promise, Kid." Silky softened his tone. "If anything I think you should drop it. Pretend it never happened. Pretend you never saw Bartlet."

Kid stood on the steps hearing the words. "I can't do that. You didn't see Heyes' reaction to the man. Whoever he is and whatever he did....he hurt him something awful." Silky saw the anguished look his friend wore.

"That he did. It was a long time, son. It's best forgotten." Silky had his own anguished look as he remembered too.

"I won't make you break a promise, Silky, but when I find out what he did, Bartlet had best make himself scarce from me." Kid stepped down intending to leave.

"Kid." Silky had one last thing to say. "We all have difficult choices to make in our lives."

"What are you getting at Silky?" Kid turned around.

"I'm saying that what happened was partly Heyes' choice. Not one he wanted, but a necessary one. You really should drop this, Kid. If you pursue this, you're not going to like what you find." Silky closed the door.

The rest of the week was spent pleasantly with Soapy. The days filled with sunshine and walks in the ocean and the nights filled with poker at Soapy's house. Finally, Heyes was restless himself and paid a visit to Miss Penny's leaving Curry alone with Soapy.

Though, Soapy was a legend on the con circuit and not a worldly business man Kid figured it wouldn't hurt to ask him about Bartlet.

"Sam Bartlet?" Soapy's eyes widened in shock.

"Yes, Sam Bartlet?" Kid noted the astonished look.

"Tell me you boys don't have business with him?" Soapy poured himself a drink.

"We don't. We ran into him before he came here and he seemed quite the character. Just asking is all." Kid willed himself calm.

"He's a terrible man. Stay away from him." Soapy replied.

"We don't plan on seeing him again." *Until I find out what he did to Heyes*

"He sells people." Soapy handed Kid a whiskey.

"He WHAT!" Kid couldn't have been more shocked than if his family came back to life.

"He sells people. Men, women, children. To others for a price. Sometimes he keeps them for himself." Soapy sat down on a very expensive couch.

"How can he do that? It's illegal." Kid could hardly think.

"He doesn't sell them for work or anything, but for sex. Those he sells also get a commission." Whole city knows about it, but since sex and business isn't illegal..." Soapy paused. "It's how he made enough to get a stake in business."

Kid sickened as he realized what his cousin had done. The first two years on their own had been difficult. He had been sick so much. Heyes had taken off everyday for a few months and came back with money. He thought his cousin had stolen it and he now knew just how he got the money.

And the bruises. Heyes always had an excuse as to how he got them and he was too sick and weak to question it. They had been from beatings. Heyes had sold himself and allowed the beatings to buy medicine to keep him alive.

He didn't hear Soapy calling his name as he threw up across the antique rug. He didn't hear Heyes returning and didn't see Soapy and Heyes kneeling over him as he retched.

"What wrong with him?" Heyes held his friend back so he wouldn't fall into his own vomit. Kid was too sick to answer him so he addressed it to Soapy.

"I don't know. We were talking and then he was sick." Soapy said with great concern.

"What were you talking about?" Heyes said absentmindedly as he patted Kid's back. The retching turned to dry heaves

"A man called Sam Bartlet." Soapy held out a glass of water.

It was Heyes turn to be sick. "I can't...I can't...I gotta" Heyes ran from the room pale and shaking.

Confusion clouded Soapy's mind until he finally understood. He knew their earlier years had been hard on them, but he had never known just how awful it had been. He knew now and he angered at the world for leaving children to such a cruel fate.

Kid fell back on his ass breathing hard. Soapy handed him the water still in his hands.

He closed his eyes for a second before sipping it. He wasn't sure, but he though Heyes had been there for a minute. "I thought I heard Heyes."

"You did." Soapy patted his shoulder. "He knows you know and he ran."

He was still trembling. "Ran where?"

Soapy shook his head.

"I have to find him. Silky. I'm going to Silky's." Kid left leaving Soapy to clean up the mess.

The look on Curry's face was enough for Silky to let him in. "Is he here?"

"He's in the garden. Wait...before you go, may I something." Silky stopped Kid with an arm.

"You were never to know. He never wanted you to know."

"How'd you know?" Kid curiosity was peaked.

"I'm a man with needs like anyone else. I was a customer until I found out about the children. I went to Bartlet's house one day to purchase a women and I saw things that no one should see much less do. I pulled him off Heyes and I guess you can I say I rescued him. Neither us ever went back." Silky voice was touched with sadness.

"He's deeply ashamed of himself. And you were never to know Kid. He doesn't know you came here already for information so he's not expecting you." Silky walked upstairs to give his two friends the privacy they needed for the long overdue conversation.

Kid walked out the back door to find Heyes on a stone bench. He kicked a pebble and Heyes looked up. A look of complete horror crossed Heyes' face and he stood desperately for an escape. He wouldn't be able to withstand the look of contempt on his cousin's face. He eyed the wall and its height thinking he could pull himself up.

Before he could leap up he felt arms holding him in place.

"Let me go. Please. I can't. Please don't make me stay." Heyes said plaintively

"I don't know what you think I'm going to say, but I'm not going to hurt you." Kid replied hugging the quaking man tighter.

"I can't face you." The voice broke Kid's heart. Heyes had done something no one should have to, to save his life.

"Heyes, you did it to save my life and I'm grateful to you. More than you'll ever know." Kid wanted to see his friend's eyes, but by the tension in the body he was holding told him Heyes wasn't ready yet.

"You don't understand." Kid willed the man to relax.

"So tell me." He leaned his head on his partner's shoulder.

"It wasn't just women." Heyes whispered.

"It's okay. It's okay, Heyes. You did it for me." Kid decided it was time and he turned the man around. Unshed tears teamed his partner's eyes. He was stunned at the depth of pain and fear and shame in them. It was the fear that bothered him the most. Heyes had never feared him before and it hurt to think that he was afraid of him now.

He pulled him close. "Let it go Heyes." And he did. Kid felt wetness on his face, though no sounds were made. He'd never seen the man cry before; at least not since before they lost their families. Even on that day the boy didn't cry.

They stayed that way for a long while. Kid had a suspicion his partner was crying for far more than prostituting himself. Heyes had grown up too soon and in doing so he allowed himself to be the little boy for a little longer. His cousin had sacrificed so much to keep them alive all these years and he gripped him a little harder, marveling at the man he was holding; grateful that he could share his life with him.