CENTENNIAL
Drena Hills
“Fortune does not change men,
it unmasks them.”
-
Suzanne Necker
Historical Note: The
What isn’t as widely known is the
west coast’s attempt to do it first…
Devil’s Hole,
“Heyes is here.” the announcement came
more like a warning and sent a new ripple of tension through the crowded
bunkhouse.
As one the group of 7 men looked over
to the door of the cabin’s supply room that had hastily been transformed into a
make shift hospital.
Lobo hobbled to the window his leg
bandaged and pain showing clearly in his battered and beaten face.
“He look as mad as I think he is?”
Preacher asked walking over and by passing the coffee on the pot belly stove poured
himself a drinking glass full of whiskey and held it not sure who needed it
more himself or the man arriving.
“Sure rode in like it,” Lobo managed
to answer before the door swung open hard and Hannibal Heyes entered the room
seething with a rage worthy of a Biblical reckoning.
“Where is he?” he said his tone soft
and even, but no one in the room was fooled by it. Hannibal Heyes had a way of keeping his fury
in check until the precise moment or person he wanted to detonate it against
appeared.
“He’s in with the Doc,” Preacher said noting
Hank, who had been sent to find Heyes, had found the good sense to stay outside
and see to the horses. He and Lobo both
knew without asking who their leader was asking about.
“He took a bullet to the side saving us,” Preacher
added. “He only got out alive thanks to
that fella over there, name is Grayson.”
Heyes had not missed the stranger in the
room, Chinese was his first guess, and gave him a nod of thanks. Sensibly the stranger said nothing wisely
letting the drama play out without any further involvement from him.
“Can I see him?”
“Uh the doctor said he would be right
out, he’s a bit cranky what with us sort of borrowing him from his practice and
then giving him three wounded men at a time so you might want to let him finish,”
Preacher said trying to give Heyes a moment to calm down. The adrenalin of the ride and the news of the
ambush had him primed to go off like nitro.
“This…doctor?” Heyes questioned
knowing the lack of skill and outright incompetence available in the medical
profession this far west.
“Civil war vet,” Jim one of the newest
members of the gang, a friend of Lobo’s, spoke up. “At the time he was the only one available so
I convinced him we would make it worth his while.” He grinned after the word convinced and Heyes
had no doubt the country doctor had been given little choice in accompanying
them.
“My partner, how bad?” Heyes said
keeping his emotions in check.
“The bullet creased his right side
along the upper rib cage,” Grayson answered surprising Heyes with the precise
assessment making him wonder if the man had medical training. “We were able to stop the bleeding; he was
conscious and helped us with your other men.”
For a moment Heyes took it as a
chastisement for not asking how Wheat and Kyle were, but neither Lobo or Preacher
had noticed. They had no doubt their
leader was worried about their fellow gang members and retribution would be
just as equal for them.
“What happened?” Heyes asked Preacher
who raised the bottle of whiskey in offering only to have Heyes shake his head
no.
“Well they damn near beat Kyle to
death. Wheat tried to save him and took
a pretty awful pistol whipping for it. Lobo,
Will and I were next in line when Kid arrived with Jim and Hank. Heyes I ain’t never seen Kid so angry I
thought he was the right hand of God the way he came in there gun blazing. Only reason were alive is because he risked
his life against that mob.”
“Kid gave us a chance to get to our
guns,” Lobo went on quickly eager to make sure Heyes knew they had done their
part. “Saloon was crazy everyone
shooting and all. Grayson here got
caught up in it all and gave us a hand.
He helped us get them out while Kid kept everyone against us down.”
Heyes turned to the stranger, “I’m
obliged.”
“I have no good feelings towards the
railroad myself,” he answered formally.
“And I am not comfortable watching men so outnumbered being savagely
beaten for the amusement of others.”
“You could have just left,” Heyes
pointed out. The man hadn’t flinched at
either Heyes’s question or his scrutiny of him, what was more he didn’t seem in
awe of him either, which Heyes respected.
“Would you have?” Grayson replied
simply.
Heyes was surprised to find himself
biting back a smile and then turned as the door opened and an older man of
perhaps 45 emerged wiping his hands and looking weary with life and the folly
of man.
“My partner?”
“Is fine, how the hell did you get
here so fast?” Kid said right behind the medical man. He had managed to shrug what was left of his
bloody shirt on and Heyes noticed his ribs were tightly bandaged.
“Should he be up?” Heyes asked the
doctor.
“No,” the man said simply. “But he said it would be safer for everyone
if you saw he was fine, he isn’t by the way.”
The voice was dry and southern and Heyes was somehow comforted by it.
“Figured you would want to hear from
me what happened,” Kid said standing by a combination of grit, stubbornness and
a firm grasp on the door frame.
“Well tell me sitting down,” Heyes
growled helping him over to a bunk, the only man Curry would have permitted to
do so.
Kid took a moment to lean back and
closed his eyes. Heyes pretended not to
notice and took his time pulling up a chair giving no indication of the
desperation he felt for a name he could direct his fury at.
“It was
“Union Pacific
“He has about 20 hired guns waiting
for us at Creole’s,” Kid continued.
Heyes nodded he had been suppose to
meet his partner and the gang at the hole in the wall saloon in the middle of
nowhere for a little hoorahing after their last job. Creole would never have set them up; he had
been a member of the gang once himself.
“He didn’t,” Kid said reading his
mind. “They killed him.”
Heyes swallowed, Creole had been one
of those gang members Heyes had gently talked out of the business, not having had
the greed or ruthlessness for it. He had
been a good friend and a loyal one.
“How?”
“Hung him in the middle of his own
saloon,” Kid said his voice rough. “Only
reason I missed walking into the ambush is Hank’s horse threw a shoe and I gave
him a ride back.”
Heyes got up trying not to think about
what might have happened if his partner had not been delayed.
“We haven’t hit the Union Pacific in
months,” Heyes said trying to make sense of it.
“Mr. Huntington was sending you a
message Heyes,” Preacher spoke quietly.
With a sudden violent outburst Heyes
flung the chair against the wall.
“That son of a…”
“Heyes calm down it didn’t work,” Kid
said wearily.
“Tell that to Creole,” Heyes shot back
and then regretted it when he saw the pain in his partner’s eyes. “Why?” he asked suddenly calm and his men
shifted uneasy, this was Heyes at his most dangerous.
“He does not want you to interfere
with the journey of his Centennial train,” Grayson said quietly.
Everyone looked at him.
“Seems some folks back east in New
York have decided to see how fast they can send a train straight across the
country without stopping in celebration of the 100th birthday,” Jim
explained. “
“And he’s afraid were gonna
interfere,” Preacher said downing his drink.
“Then,” Heyes said looking up eyes
dark and unreadable. “Let’s not
disappoint him.”
*********************************
The hired gunman shifted uncomfortably
at the two dark eyes staring him down in the expensive opulent office. He had faced a lot of men in his time, but
this middle aged ‘clerk’ with his cold as death eyes sent a chill through him
like no man with a gun ever had; maybe because those men still had their souls.
“Well Mr. Green,” Al Balfur said with
a smile that never reached his heart.
“Mr. Huntington asked you a question.”
“Answer my assistant,” Collis P.
Huntington demanded his voice hard.
Damn, the gun hand thought, you’d
think they were asking about a delivery of beef.
“Roughed them up real good Mr.
Huntington,” the man tried and the fourth man in the room swore under his
breath.
“That’s not what Mr. Huntington paid
you and your men to do,” Balfur said tapping his fingers against the ledger he
carried.
“Yes sir but we run into some
trouble.”
“You had 20 men, there were seven of
them. isn’t 3-1 odds good enough?” Balfur said running the interview while the
two other men watched fascinated.
“Well normally sir, but they had Curry
with them.”
“And it surprised you that the one of
the leader’s of the gang was with his men?”
the impatience and loathing in Balfur’s voice almost made the gunman
lose his temper, but then he met the man’s eyes again and he swallowed.
“Jes we figured they would be all
together, he arrived after, kinda surprised us like.”
“Amazing Mr. Green, I believe you
assured us that nothing surprised you or the men you would hand select.”
“We left most of them near for dead,
yep we sure did and Curry I think he took a bullet as well!” the man said trying to redeem himself.
“You think?”
“Hell Collis I told you this wouldn’t
work,” fellow grocery turned railroad baron Mark Hopkins swore from his chair
on the sidelines. “Now you’ve gone and
riled them up and they’ve been quiet of late and with Jarrett and Palmer moving
the date up to beat us we don’t have a chance.”
“I will not let a couple of
insignificant theater owners upstage my railroad,”
“Our railroad
“Those brigands aren’t in any shape to
retaliate!”
Jess Green bit his bottom lip
remembering the way Curry had entered the saloon like a one man regiment. Rumors were strong that his cousin and him
watched each other’s back and took any affront on the other real personal.
“This way Mr. Green,” Balfur said suddenly
opening the door.
Green looked at
“Wait for us as arranged, Mr.
Huntington may still have need for your services,” the man said dismissing him.
Jess Green didn’t have to be asked
twice making his way quickly to the stables of the rich man’s home and heading
out as soon as he mounted. He had been a
fool to take this job. Everyone knew the
Devil’s Hole Gang were too well led to take on and now he was caught between
the two sides with no out in sight.
Disgusted he decided to head south, find a bottle and crawl into
it. With a little luck no one would come
looking for him there.
************************************
“Where’s Heyes…did he…” Kid sat up violently as the nightmare
climaxed breaking his sleep and leaving him drenched with sweat diving for his
gun.
“Jed! I’m right here!” Heyes said
quickly putting the coffee he had just retrieved down on the dresser and taking
a seat on the edge of his cousin’s bed.
Kid fell back against his pillow and
took a moment to recognize where he was.
“How did I get here?” he said
realizing he was in his own room in the Leader’s cabin.
“Preacher and I brought you back. Boys were afraid you’d get startled in your
sleep and shoot one of them,” Heyes said lightly. “How you feeling? You slept almost 20 hours.”
“Hungry, how are Kyle and Wheat?”
“Healing up, found your selves a hell
of a doctor,” Heyes said. “And that
Chinaman Grayson can actually make a decent cup of coffee,” he added offering
his cup.
“I’ll settle for water if it’s not too
much trouble,” Kid said gingerly attempting to move again and see how painful
it was going to be.
Heyes nodded and rising poured a glass
and moved to help him sip it.
“I can drink my own water Heyes!” Kid said
irritable at being so weak he cousin thought he had to coddle him.
“Course you can and right after that
you can go out and take your turn at look out.”
Kid scowled at him darkly, but managed
to sit up on his own and taking the glass took a sip desperately.
“Doc said he wanted to see you as soon
as you woke up,” Heyes said going to the door knowing his partner would want a
minute alone to get his strength back.
“He still here?” Kid said grateful for
his partner’s actions, but neither man expecting him to mention it.
“Yea we thought it best for him as
well as us,
“You have a point there.”
“Kid what do you think of this
Grayson?”
Kid frowned remembering, “A good man
to have at your back in a fight.”
“Good because were going to need some
extra men for this job, especially with Kyle and Wheat down.”
“Heyes you can’t go after
“I know I can’t take his power, but
his pride? His pride is mine.”
***********************
“Jimmy who taught you to play poker, the devil
himself?” Hank said disgusted throwing in his hand as the bunk house laughed.
“Now Hank you know he only gave Heyes
private lessons,” Preacher grinned as Jim pulled in his money from the pot.
“Yea well I think we should get those
two against each other in a game,” Lobo grinned.
‘Good is he?” Jim asked amused.
“Mister only thing Hannibal Heyes does
better than outlawing is poker,” Kyle said from his bunk where he was watching
weakly, but definitely on the mend.
“Ceptin you ain’t gonna get him in a
game till Kid is on the mend,” Wil said firmly.
“Looks after his partner does he?” the
Doctor asked sitting back curious.
“Cousin,” Wheat said quietly. “Though more like brothers if you ask me.”
“Well if you boys are up to discussing
me and Kid then I guess I better put you back on the duty watch,” Heyes said
from the door way.
“I’m ready to take the next spell!”
Wheat said embarrassed to be caught talking about the man and with great effort
he moved to swing his feet off the bank.
“Steady Wheat Kid all ready asked for
the next shift,” Heyes told him kindly and forced him back down. “Doc my partner is awake you wanna take a
look at him?”
The man nodded getting up from poker
game and picking up his bag.
The group watched them leave and then
someone whistled.
“Hot damn,” Hank said relieved. “Now things are gonna get interesting!”
“How do you mean?” Jim asked.
“Cause if Kid is better that means
Heyes can put his mind to other things,” Preacher said wistfully. “Which means Mr. Huntington is about to find
out what it means to corner a grizzly.”
***********************
“You’ll live,” the doctor said closing his medical bag
and looking around the wanted man’s room in the Leader’s cabin. It didn’t fit his image of what the ‘fastest
gun in the west’s’ place should look like, but then neither did this boyish young
man sitting in front of him.
He had expected a cold blooded killer, but Jedediah
Curry had without trying completely shattered his preconceived notion of what a
‘gunslinger’ was like.
The room was sparsely furnished and
despite the money he knew the gang had taken showed no exaggerated emphasis of
it. In fact most of the items scattered
across the small dresser and tacked to the walls were more souvenirs of the
adventure than proof of the riches. A
poster to a theater production in
He was beginning to wonder if a violent time such as
this forced men into such positions to protect themselves and their own. Curry certainly had shown his loyalty to his
men in saving them and the man had asked more questions about their recovery
than his own as he had looked him over.
“That’s good Doc cause if I know my partner he’s
getting real fidgety about now,” Kid said sitting up and reaching for his
trousers.
“I suppose my suggesting you take it easy for a few
more days is out of the question?” the man asked knowing the answer.
Kid let a small smile escape liking the man. He was genuinely surprised at how well he
felt and truly grateful for the care he had given.
“You done a great job Doc I’m much
obliged,” Kid said sincerely.
“Then perhaps is there a chance your
partner will allow me leave?” the man asked dryly.
Kid grinned, “I apologize about the
boys taking you Doc. I promise you’ll be
well paid for this.”
“Just make sure I don’t have to do a
return trip,” the man answered closing his bag and reaching for the door as
Heyes walked in looking distracted. For
a moment a flash of alarm crossed his face at the sight of the medical man as
if fearing he hadn’t kept a close enough watch on his younger cousin and the
doctor’s blue eyes softened at the concern and how vulnerable it made the
outlaw leader look.
“Everything all right?” Heyes asked
almost keeping the worry out of his voice, but the doctor had learned to read
men even better than the poker player he was talking to.
“Better then you are,” Kid said noting
for the first time his cousin’s rumpled appearance and bloodshot eyes. “When was the last time you slept?”
“Can’t sleep, got word
Kid paused, “Heyes that’s only two
weeks from now we can’t possibly come up with…” he sighed seeing his partner
grin. “You’ve come up with something haven’t you?”
“Doc wanna thank you for all you did,”
Heyes said offering his hand dismissing the man politely. “Preacher said Wheat and Kyle are healing in
record time, won’t be up for this job, but it’s a miracle they made it at all.”
“Just keep in mind I have a limited
supply of miracles,” the man growled and stomped out.
Heyes grinned taking a seat across
from his cousin’s bed. “I like him, good
doctor too.”
“We only steal the best,” Kid said
standing and fastening his trousers and then looking around for his shirt.
“Slow down were not in that big of a rush,”
Heyes chided him with a smile.
“Heyes if your planning what I think
you are planning we don’t have enough time if we do rush,” Kid grumbled but
took a seat back on the edge of the bed trying not to show what a relief it
was.
“Speaking of which,” Heyes said
appearing not to notice. “We are going
to be down two men down and I need extra as it is so I’m thinking of giving
this Grayson a try.”
“The way he waded right in to help I
agree,” Kid said. “And I imagine if what
we’ve heard about the railroad using those
Heyes nodded, but said nothing.
“Something bothering you?”
“No, just prefer to know a man better
before offering him a job. Which brings
me to Lobo’s friend, Jim, I wanna use him with me on this job,” Heyes said
relaxing now that he had his partner back to bounce things off of.
“Lobo trusts him,” Kid said slowly not
liking the idea all ready and suspecting his injury had something to do with
Heyes’s decision. “Said he saved his
life, ex military is my guess.”
“Mine too, something about him he’s
not telling us though.”
“Heyes if you eliminated every man who
joined this gang who had a secret we wouldn’t have anyone to ride with. Besides having seen those two in a fight I want
them on our side for this, but I’ll be up for…”
“No I need you elsewhere and Jim is
the only man I can see passing himself off as hired help on that train besides
you and me.”
“Hired help? Heyes what the hell are you planning?”
Heyes grinned wickedly. “Feel up to breakfast? Come on out by the fire and I’ll tell you!”
****************************
You could have heard a pin drop as
Heyes stepped in front of his men 2 hours later and prepared to explain the ‘job’,
though every man there knew it was far more than that. They were thieves and not a man there would
deny it, but they had never fallen into the brutality that often came with
their line of work and took a rather secret pride in that.
The example that their leaders had set for loyalty and
partnership had rubbed off on them and now they wanted nothing more than to give
payback to the man who had hurt their own and so brutally ordered their demise.
None of the men had missed that the map Heyes had tacked
to the wall covered three states. As a rule the map was usually for a small
area of a state or territory they would be working in. Combined with the
telegrams Heyes had been sending and receiving during the past two days it was all
they needed to know something big was up and the excitement in the room was
almost physical.
“We know from the telegram we got from
Silky that
The fair haired handsome man smiled,
“How nice of Mr. Huntington to include us.”
Heyes grinned back, “Tell me if you
still think that after your done bowing and scraping to all them rich folks. The train will have two luxury cars, a
freight/mail car and a caboose tethered to the engine and tinder.”
“I thought he was trying to get there
fast?” Kyle said confused.
“Yes, but he wants an audience doing
it,” Heyes explained. “Mr. Huntington
has collected a group of affluent souls to make the trip with him in order to
raise his social standing and that is going to be his downfall. With the train moving at maximum speeds at
all time it would make stopping it either deadly for the passengers or for us
trying to board it, which is why Jim an I are going to get on when it starts.”
“You’re going to
“Leave in the morning,” Heyes
confirmed. “This will allow me to work
on that brand new safe Mr. Huntington has on board at my leisure.”
“Well hell Heyes we want a part!” Hank
said worried.
Heyes grinned at his eagerness,
“You’ll get it. The first hit will be at
the Summit Tunnel at the
“But we ain’t?” Lobo asked confused.
“No, but were gonna make Mr. Huntington
think we have,” Kid grinned clearly enjoying the thought. “Man is gonna see he’s just missing a few
trinkets and some champagne, but that his safe was untouched. That should make him feel real secure that
any trouble from us is behind him.”
“So where do we hit it?” Lobo asked. “What about when it takes water?”
“Thought about that,” Heyes admitted, “But
we figured that will be when they are most on their guard, same when they
change engines and tinder boxes. We
don’t want this turning into a blood bath on either side.”
“So where?” Wheat said exasperated
knowing full well Heyes enjoyed ringing every drop of suspense out of his
plans.
“Snow shed?” Jim asked confused.
“Winter up here gets a bit hard on the
railroads, especially when they were building it so the railroad company built
this long shed covering the tracks, nearly a mile long, even had living
quarters in it during construction,” Preacher grinned. “Bet they never figured how handy that would
make it for a group of fellas wanting to board it!”
“You boys will hide out in there and
Jim and I will use the tunnel to get to the engine and stop it. I’ll have the safe open by then and after
paying Mr. Huntington our respects we’ll be on our way,” Heyes explained.
“But won’t
“No,” Kid explained. “Not after we blow his engine sky high and
leave the rest of his train sitting out there stranded. By the time they get another engine out he
will be too far behind to keep going.”
Everyone looked at each other. It was daring, imaginative and more
importantly a Hannibal Heyes plan.
“There would be considerable risk
should Mr. Huntington discover you were aboard that train,” Grayson said
quietly.
“Ah but he isn’t going to! Just like a magic act,” Heyes smiled. “It’s
all a matter of where you make people look.”
**********************
“You take care of yourself Heyes,” Kid
said offering his hand to his partner as he boarded the train headed to the
Heyes smiled, “Kid we settled this, I
need you to make sure all the pieces fall into place just right I can’t trust
anyone but you to make that happen.
Besides if anything goes wrong I’m gonna want you coming after me.”
Kid nodded clearly not happy with this
part of the plan and nursing a suspicion Heyes had given him the least
dangerous job because he had been hurt. “You
just keep your head down.
“I will,” his partner smiled and
offered his hand, “Good luck.”
“Same here.”
Kid walked away passing Jim as he
moved to enter the train separate of Heyes.
Every precaution was being taken to ensure no one remembered the two men
together.
“Good luck to you,” Kid said offering
his hand.
“Thank you,” the man replied with a
smile. “I’ll make it a point to watch your partner’s back.”
“Just remember you do,” Kid said with
a look that made the man understand exactly what the consequences would be if
he didn’t.
“I understand about partners Mr.
Curry,” Jim said honestly and turning boarded the train.
Kid turned and found Grayson waiting
armed with a stack of maps and timetables.
“Well it looks like you and me got a
few details to iron out,” Kid said clearly not relishing the thought.
“I have prepared a schedule and list
of supplies,” the man said handing Kid a clear concise timetable noting all the
details for each stop and a few suggestions they hadn’t thought of.
Kid whistled, “Grayson I think Mr.
Huntington had you working on the wrong part of his railroad. Did Heyes see this?”
“Yes sir, he approved my
calculations.”
“Approved he must have bought you a
drink.”
“I do not drink sir.”
“One thing at a time Grayson, first
let’s get you wanted then we’ll move on to other vices.”
****************************
Hannibal Heyes had long ago learned
that the wealthy and important members of society were almost completely
oblivious to those people hired to tend to them. In fact unless something displeased them the
odds were they would not even notice the servant who poured their drink,
brought their bags or cleared their dishes.
The newest
But keeping such pampered blue bloods
happy required staff capable of blending in effortlessly as they ensured the
comforts of the well to do, which was where Silly O’Sullivan had come in.
A well placed word here and there and
the calling in of a favor or two had ensured the two outlaws a place on the
special train in the capacity as waiter and kitchen help.
Jim had been surprised when Heyes had
taken the harder less interesting job in the hot kitchen section of the supply
car, but when he realized such a job made him virtually invisible and ensured
him long gaps of time to disappear back into the freight end of the car where
the safe was kept he had understood.
The Brooker 202 was new and presented
quite a challenge to open, if it could be opened. The kitchen position would give Heyes the
time to find out.
The only possible obstacle Heyes could
see was
As for the passengers they were a
mixed group of three women and 6 men all terribly rich, bored and demanding
with exception of a tall, radiantly beautiful woman of perhaps 25 who actually
thanked Heyes when he helped her with her bags.
“Looker ain’t she?” one of the kitchen
helped nudged one of the men working along side Heyes to load supplies as she
boarded the train. “Grew up in China of
all places, daddy made his fortune in tea and opium, and a nice little fortune
it is so keep your ideas to your station lad, Warren Delano only wants the best
for his little Sara.”
Heyes absorbed the information without
comment. He was keeping a low profile
even among the crew who for the most part had taken to ignoring him and passing
on to him the lowliest tasks they could find.
Jim however had taken a different tact making it a
point to be open and aggressive in making his presence known even to the point
of charming the ladies unashamedly.
Heyes couldn’t fault how he effortlessly moved through the rail baron’s
guests as if he belonged there and once more he wondered what had brought such
a man so far off the straight and narrow.
Heyes’s first encounter with
The ensuing argument allowed him a
chance to study the man and like any good poker player he made a quick analysis
and liked the weaknesses he saw.
Smiling Heyes turned back to the stack
of dishes waiting. As soon as he
finished he was off shift and would curl up in the freight car…right next to an
impossible to open safe that made his fingers itch.
************************
Jim maneuvered the large tea tray to
the front of the dining car effortlessly despite the movement of the
train. He had been surprised to find out
how much space the newly designed passenger areas had, but still couldn’t
justify it against the time it would sacrifice pulling them. The man had let his ego interfere with his
goal and the result was going to cost him.
“Thank you, Jim wasn’t it?” Sara, a
young lady he had made a point to find out the name of, smiled up at him as he
set out her service.
He smiled back; the woman was one of
the few passengers that had acknowledged his existence. An heiress, she was an oddly free spirit not
confined to a chaperone despite her unmarried state.
“Just the way you like it ma’am,” he
told her pouring a cup and as she breathed in the aroma she look up surprised
and delighted.
“You found Chinese tea!”
“Yes ma’am,” he smiled. “I heard you mentioning you preferred it and
I checked with one of the crew and found he had some.”
She laughed delighted, “How very kind
of you Jim! And yes you are right I’m
afraid I’ve been spoiled concerning my tea while abroad.”
He smiled and was about to comment
when he saw one of the older ladies frowning at him and quickly excused himself
to move on to his next task.
He knew Sara Delano was a very rich
heiress and any man, no matter what his station was to be seen as rival to the
other eligible men on the train. What he
hadn’t realized is that his attention to her would also spark a reaction from
the other women.
“I simply must have Collis talk to the
help! That waiter is flirting with poor
dear Sara again,” Mrs. Astor said fanning herself horrified, more because it
had not been directed at her. “Of course
it is not her fault growing up among savages as she did, poor thing doesn’t
know not to encourage the servants, but I think he’s taking advantage.”
James Roosevelt looked up from the book
he was attempting to read. He was an
older man and still wondering what he had been thinking when he had accepted
“You know her?” the woman asked. “Collis is doing her father a favor bringing
her home to him.”
“A sixth or seventh cousin, I would be
happy to see that she is not being molested,” he said formally.
“Thank you James; terrible how uppity
the working class is becoming! I must
mention it to Collis and see to it that he has the man removed first stop we
make.”
Heyes paused from cleaning the dishes
to catch this conversation and groaned.
Quietly slipping back into the kitchen he found Jim and pushed him into
the space between cars.
“What’s your game Jim?” he growled.
“She spoke to me and I was being
polite,” he replied innocently.
“Well were coming up on Summit Tunnel,
lets hope the arrival of the Devil’s Hole Gang creates a distraction from you!”
Jim nodded, “Sorry just trying to be
friendly.”
“Remember your place,” Heyes warned
firmly. “We have a job to do.”
Heyes walked away and Jim let his eyes
wander back to Sara.
“Yes, I do.”
********************************
“Robbed? Robbed! That is impossible! This train is going 70 miles per hour! A record!”
“All the champagne is gone sir and the
lock box with the cash for the stops that we kept atop the safe in the freight
car is gone. We found this note,” the
servant said hand shaking.
“I’ll toast you in hell
“Must have done it in the tunnel,” the
man shrugged. “Didn’t get into the safe,
small loss.”
The man’s lack of concern at the
violation made
“Yes but sir they didn’t get into the
safe and at least we know they have made their attempt and are long behind us,”
his valet Michael said soothingly.
“Probably one man, saw how strong our
defenses are and made the best of what he could,” Balfur decided.
“I’ll see to it Mr. Huntington,” and
without being excused he walked away.
“I don’t trust that man sir,” Michael
said with a small shudder.
“Neither do I, but as long as I’m
paying him I will tolerate him. When a
man is playing against the devil he often needs demons on his side.”
********************************
Heyes stood up and leaned back against
the safe taking a long deep breath. He
tended to forget such things as breathing when he was listening for tumblers,
especially ones as quiet as those on the new Brooker 202.
They had just entered Nevada and the land would be
flat and open giving the train a chance to get up a good head of steam and eat
up some of the miles and time they had lost climbing the Sierras to leave
California.
The attack by the ‘gang’ had been the
talk of the train and with Balfur eluding Huntington had staged it for their
amusement the impromptu thrill had excited the passengers all ready eager for
distractions.
For the moment no one believed the
attack had been an inside job thanks to the slow speed the train had been going
up the hill and the length of the tunnel.
The riders Heyes had paid to watch the train go by had also added to the
illusion.
Now it was just a matter of reaching
And then he heard the woman’s scream.
**************************
“Look I told you Balfur was breaking
into her room, I stopped him!” Jim said exasperated as he was held tight
against the wall of the train by Balfur’s two flunkies.
“Liar!” Balfur swore pushing his hair
back and touching a sore lip where Jim’s punch had downed him. “I caught him about to enter her room and
attack the lady!”
“Miss Delano?”
“I don’t know. I was asleep. I awoke to find the two men
fighting and that knife on the floor,” the woman said surprisingly calm
standing barefoot in just her dressing gown.
“Lock him up!”
“We’ll be passing through Lost Creek
in an hour,” his valet pointed out.
“They have a sheriff.”
“I do not have time for sheriffs, lock
him up and send a telegram to Green.
Clearly more security is needed.”
Heyes volunteered himself into helping
rustle Jim off to the freight car where ropes were found and he was securely
trussed up against the wall.
While the two other men with him
argued over guard duty he finally got a chance to speak to him.
“What are you trying to pull?” Heyes
hissed tightly.
“Balfur tried to kill her.”
“And you just happened to be passing
by?” Heyes said cynically.
“Yes.”
Heyes rubbed his forehead fighting a
headache.
“I couldn’t just let him kill her.”
“Why would Balfur want to kill a woman
on a train that he is being paid to protect?” Heyes growled.
“I don’t know, but you have to protect
her he is going to try again!”
“That would be insane.”
“Unless it’s the reason he’s on the
train!”
The argument ended and Heyes was
forced to retreat back to the kitchen where he sunk into a chair with a groan.
When had robbing trains gotten so
complicated?
*************************