Chapter Text
He leaned back in the seats of the train car, tipping his hat forward over his eyes. Heyes was plain out tired. The trip from San Francisco was taking forever.
California. This wasn't the first time he had been there, nore was it to be his last, he reckoned.
He'd been there for a favor of Silky's. The old man had wired him, telling him he was needed by his side in San Francisco, for a opening of a new Casino. They were growing like mushrooms from the ground these days, and even though Casinos had been around for quite some time now, there where still investors all over, who thought an establishment like that was a good thing to invest in.
He closed his eyes, trying to find a comfortable position for his somewhat sore and aching body.
Around him were the familiar sounds of other passangers talking, the trains bumping into every joint in the rails, the train whistle sounding every now and then.
As he rarely slept, he still managed to get a little bit of rest, well needed when he was going to meet with the Kid back in Rocky Creek.
His thoughts drifted back in time.
It had now been six months since he and Curry had to leave Chyenne alone to get Tynan into Fort Pierre by herself. Not that they doubted her.....she had been fully capable to handle him alone. It wasn't that. The problem layed within him.
It had been the hardest and the worst thing he had ever done.....leaving her! And it had been the longest six months in his entire life. And he had been miserable ever since.
As for a detour about four months ago down to New Mexico, they were now back up around the border of Nebraska and South Dakota. Having traveled back and forth, taking odd jobs and constantly trying to avoid trouble, they finally had found a spot, more by accident than by purpose. Well, he had to admit to himself, that accident part wasn't quite right either. He knew fully well why they were there....the real reason, as that particular place laid just 3 miles from Spring Valley.
About eight weeks ago they had, not without hesitancy and caution, returned to Chyennes home town, Spring Valley, Heyes having high hopes of meeting her again, just to find her being out of town, and not about to return in two months.
It was Sherman, the merchantile owner, that had willingly told them everything.
How Chyenne had returned that day six months ago, first clammed up, then yelling about a no-go sheriff named Tyler and an idiot Tynan. Her temper had grown even worse than before she had left and one day she had just got fed up with Stan and his molestations, and had simply taken a firm grip around his balls. Even though his pants made the grip less accurate, she had squeezed the hardest she could and twisted it around.
Sherman recalled he had never ever heard such a scream in his entire life, and just thinking about it made his face turn ashen.
Heyes could also remember the chill he had felt when Sherman had told that story. Even Curry had looked a little pale.
After that incident, her father Sheriff Hal Murray, in agreement with his wife Gena, had made arrangements for Chyenne to make a visit to her aunt over in California. The need for a change of scenery for Chyenne was urgent. Strange enough, Sherman had told them, she had never mentioned why she had come back alone....and not in their company.
That was a thing however, both Curry and Heyes had been greatful for.
Then they had left, and as it was, just before he had been summoned by Silky, they had found a small enough town just 3 miles from Spring Valley, to settle in for a while. The town of Rocky Creek. They had been there for three or four weeks now, and maybe the lack of a sheriff's the reason for them to have been able to stay put for so long. They had gotten along on different jobs, helping the towns people with various things, like mending fences, painting the new church and the old school, sometimes helping old Fred in the saloon and so on. They had been regarded strangers at first, as customary, but as the days went by they were soon welcomed, and they were also offered better accommodations.
.
Heyes snapped out of it as he felt the train slow down and pull to a stop. Spring Valley !
He grinned a little at the memories and stood up, and as he tipped his hat back just a little, he shook his head. He grabbed his saddlebag in a firm grip and stepped off the train.
Standing on the platform his eyes squinted up the mainstreet.
He started to walk, heading for the livery stable, where he had left his bay a week earlier, he paid the man and got his gear. Going into the stall, he patted the bay's neck and greeted the mare as an old friend.
”Are you glad to see me.... ?” he began as he started with the bridles and then worked on the saddle and the cinch.”Now let's see if we can get ourselfs out of this place ....go back to see the Kid.....how's that sound ? ”
The mare snorted and bobbed her head up and down as if she knew exactly what Heyes was talking about......
He led her outside and mounted, then he stole a look at the sheriff's office.
No.....she wasn't there. He knew that off course....but he couldn't help looking.....just maybe...if he looked hard enough...he would see her..
His eyes lingered as long as they could as the mare trotted her way north out of town taking him away.
Well, he thought, might be the best after all........he smiled a sad smile as he turned the bay into a galop, heading for Rocky Creek and the Kid.
Jed Curry stood outside the barn, looking at his throbbing thumb with a scowl on his face. Just seconds before he had, without knowing so, learned some of the kids in town a whole set of new and colorful words. They had been hiding behind the barn hoping to catch a glimps of him, maybe using his gun. There were rumours going around town, as one of the men accidently had seen him twirling his gun and firing a shot deep in the woods about a week ago, that maybe just maybe he was a gun man. The kids hunkered down, there were four of them, all of them wanting a glimps. But to their disappointment he was just using a hammer.....and he wasn't even good at it. The tirad of different kind of colorful words did make them bulge their eyes though......
”Can you say that ??” one of the boys said with eyes big as plates, turning to his comrades.
”Thaddeus did......I guess it's okay then...” the oldest of the boys figured.
”I would get a serious whoppin' if I'd even think the words....” another boy stated and his cheeks went red.
”I'd say you would get in deep trouble if your parents found out you was'n sneaking around here...” a voice of icy calm said from behind them.
They all turned around with fear and saw Kid standing behind them, legs apart as in a standoff.
All of the boys felt the stare from the cowboy with the blue eyes. That's what the ladies in town used to call him, Blue eyes. They also knew that from eavesdropping, a thing they had been doing a lot lately.
”Sorry Thaddeus ” the oldest said taking his responsibility, ”just curious is all !!!”
Curry raised his eyebrow.
”About my skills with a hammer ??” he said chuckling as he displayed his thumb to the boys.
They looked down on the ground in unison, shaking their heads.
Now he knew what was coming his way.....he rolled his eyes a little. Last week, after Heyes had left for San Francisco, he had been restless as usual, so he had taken his gun and taken a walk....deep into the woods. There, as he had estimated, he thought it was a safe place to practis accurate shooting.
He had thought he had heard something then, but as no one had stepped forward, he had dismissed it.
”No...Sir..”the oldest boy said and glared at his gun, ”...with the gun....”
Now Curry knew that somebody had seen him. He slowly shook his head at his own clumsiness.
”Oookayy.....now...why would you think I would be any good with a gun ??” Curry tried to fuss out of it the best he could. Then he added a pretended cold stare at the boys. They looked at each other as to want anybody but themselfs to get them out of this situation. Curry grinned inwardly as he saw them squirming, as to try and find a good enough reason for them to be at this very spot, spying on him.
”Old Jenkins told us.....” one of them finally uttered, ”Said he saw you some days ago....out in them woods...”
Ahhh, that explaines it. Old Jenkins.....some blabbermouth this town was blessed with. Not a thing could happen that he didn't know about. A kid lost a thoot, he knew. A wagon lost a wheel, he knew. The preacher blew a fart....well, he knew.
Curry sighed and gave the boys a frowened look.
”Now..you go on home! You boys are old enough to know, not to listen to what old Jenkins is blabbin' about.....”
”But can you please...” one of the boys tried.
”I will do NO such thing.....can hardly hit a barn from the inside.....” Curry shivered as he said that last part, lying did not sit well with him, not even for a good cause.
The four boys looked at him with different levels of disappointment. Then one of the boys thought he had a some sort of a news flash.
”Then....why do you keep your gun tied down like you do ?? Huh? ”
All the others turned their heads to look at Curry. He had that holster, and that gun tied down for a reason....the boys wanted to know the reason.
Curry's face went blank. He scratched his head discreately, as his brain almost cooked, trying to think of a good enough reason for it.....not only saying the plain lie as it's just for show off.
As in a sudden act of mercy, Curry heard the familiar sound of hooves and raised his head in that direction. He hastily adressed the boys one last time.
”Now...you go on home ! Now get......” he shushed them on, as he saw a bay coming around the bend in the road.
The boys scattered like ants as the rider came into view.
The Kid blew out the breath he was holding, those boys surely could get under the skin if they wanted. He shuttered. Ha ! Kid Curry......afraid of small boys....naaah, that was to put it wrong.. ...he wasn't afraid of the boys.....it's what they almost suspected.....that's what he was nervous about.
They, him and Heyes, had a pretty good life as it was right now. They weren't shot at, no posses were chasing them, they weren't accused for cheating at poker or else.....life was good !He did not want to mess that up ! The proximity to Spring Valley was a different thing all together, but nothing they could do anything about. Not that Heyes complained or anything.....
Nobody in town knew who they were, to them, they were just two honest law abiding citisens by the name of Joshua Smith and Thaddeus Jones. Taking odd jobs, here and there, where ever they seemed to pop up.
With a broad smile he walked up to meet his friend.
”Saved by the bell......” Curry blew out and grinned at his friend.
”Those tough criminals gave you a hard time ? ” Heyes grinned back as he had seen the boys flee head over heels seconds earlier.
”Ha ha....very funny.” Curry said with feign hurt, ”Those guys were mean...I tell ya ! Almost had me for a second there .”
Heyes dismounted laughing and gave his friend a pat on the back.
”I can't leave you alone for a week.....as soon as I turn my back, trouble's coming your way....”
Curry gave his partner a loopsided grin and shrugged his shoulder.
”Can't help that I'm desireable........” he said and wrinkled his nose, then he added, as to get himself of the hook a little, ”How was San Francisco ? How's Silky?”
The bay snorted at Heyes' side, giving him a nudge with his muzzle.
”I'll tell you all about it later” he said, taking the reins, ”Gotta let this little lady rest a little.....I think she wants to get rid of the saddle and reins...”
He glanced over Kid's shoulder, looking at the small boardinghouse they lived in. The property belonged to the town doctor and his wife. It still was work to be done on the house and the barn right next to it, and they had been promised to stay there if they could fix the house and the barn.
With not much say, they had their hands full. The doctor, Lorne Nolan, and his lovely wife Millie, were two nice and decent folks they had met about two days after they had come to town. As they had walked out from the saloon that day, a small boy had come leaping down the dusty street outside. Concentrated and busy, holding a stick, trying to keep a big wheel turning, he did not see the stage coming round the corner. Seeing it from the corner of his eye, Curry had reacted in a fraction of a second. Throwing himself out in front of the stage, he had pushed the boy out of the way. But doing so, he himself had gotten hurt as he had landed wrong and dislocated his knee.
Millie had been a witness to the whole incident, and had rushed to Currys side immediately. As he in serious pain had gritted his teeth, she had just said that a simple dislocation was no challenge for her Lorne. Curry had mumbled some unspeakable words at her lack of empathy, but had later been happily surprised at her husbands skills as a doctor. After just one day, he was up and about as if nothing had happened, and he had no pain what so ever. The man was a professional, no doubt about that. After the heroic endeavour on Curry's behalf, both Millie and Lorne seemed it was only fair, that the boys could stay at their boarding house, for free....instead at the hotel that charged more than was called for. As their assets nowadays were somewhat limited, they had accepted .