"Heyes I don’t care if they made Teddy president it ain’t worth putting up with this city and these clothes for a week," Kid Curry grumbled as he was jostled along the sidewalk up the mall to the Capital.

"Now Kid it’s a big honor us being invited," Heyes said but tried to loosen the strangle hold the new suit had on his neck all the same.

"He only invited us cause he can’t stand these politicians any more than we can," Kid grumbled and suddenly stopped. "I don’t believe it!"

Heyes turned and followed his partner’s glance over to a tall tree to the right of them. There sitting under it was an old man, an Indian.

"It can’t be," Kid continued.

"I heard Teddy asked for him to be here," Heyes said softly.

"You think he remembers us?" Kid said just as softly back.

"I doubt it, we were just a couple of white men who tried to trick him like everyone else,
Heyes said remembering.

"But there is a difference," the Indian said meeting their eyes and they looked startled realizing he had heard them. "You gained this Apache’s respect."

******************************

"Heyes how did we let Caroline talk us into coming back out here?" Kid sighed as they came to a stop in the small Indian camp.

Pulled from their horses they were pushed down onto the ground and Heyes looked around desperate for a means of escape.

It was a small tribe of Chiracahua’s, perhaps no more than 35 in the band, all men, which was going to make it harder.

"Well you got a plan yet?" Kid asked his voice strained.

"Kid we just got here, at least let me catch my breath before you demand miracles!" Heyes shot back annoyed, but it was more with himself for not having one than his partner asking.

"Hey look!" Kid said excited and Heyes glanced up to see Edward Fielding being led out of a teepee with an older Indian of perhaps 50. "He’s still alive! That’s good for us right?"

"I don’t know he doesn’t look too happy," Heyes said worried.

Fielding was led over to them. He looked healthy enough and he was untied, but they both got the impression that was more to do with him not being a threat than any real status with the men of the tribe.

"Gentlemen," he said coming over and crouching down with them.

"Mr. Fielding," Heyes said cautiously. "You seem to be doing better than us."

"Not by much. I’m afraid Geronimo does not take me seriously."

Heyes swallowed as Kid groaned, "Geronimo?"

"Yes he’s the leader of this band of Chiracahua. And after all he has been through with his people he is rather less than trusting."

"We’re doomed," Kid said matter of factly.

"I’ve explained you mean them no harm," Fielding said distracted.

"Oh I think they were real worried about that," Heyes said glumly. "Is there any chance we can talk to Geronimo?"

"You really think that will help?" Kid asked.

"Might, does he speak English?" Heyes said hopeful.

"As a matter of fact he does. His Spanish is better, but you should have no trouble communicating with him. Ah it looks like you are being sent for. Good luck gentlemen," Field said rising as Kid and Heyes were pulled to their feet and to their surprise found their ropes cut as they were led into a teepee at the center of the camp.

"Mr. Fielding says you mean us no harm," said a quiet voice from the back of the dark enclosure. "I find this interesting, it would make you the first white men that ever has."

Kid and Heyes looked at each other.

"Ah yes sir, we were just collecting something for a friend who left it buried here," Kid said hesitantly.

"You are aware this land was given to my people before the gold strike are you not?"

Heyes sighed, "Yes sir I had heard that."

"Then what you take is ours."

"Yes sir, I guess when you put it that way you are right," Heyes conceded. "Therefore we’ll just leave the gold we collected with you and go and you won’t see us again I promise."

"You give me back what is mine with no penalty for taking it and presume that is enough? If an Apache took gold from a white man would he be allowed such a thing?"

"No sir, he wouldn’t," Kid said. "But we don’t have anything to bargain with and we were just kind of hoping…"

"My people hope too and still they are lied to and murdered and those permitted to live are starved and moved like cattle."

"What if we had something to buy our freedom with?" Kid said suddenly and Heyes looked at him worried. "What if we could get you the rest of that map with the remaining marks where the gold is hidden? Would that ensure our freedom?"

Heyes was looking at him like he was crazy now, but Kid was excited and not to be swayed.

"My people are hungry. Gold speaks every language, we could bargain with such a thing."

"Hang on a minute I need to talk to my partner…" Heyes said suddenly seeing what Kid was up to.

"So how is this thing done, you do not have the rest of the map with you."

"No sir, my partner would have to go back and get it," Kid said calmly and Heyes closed his eyes disgusted with himself for not guessing what his cousin had been up to.

"Sir I really need to talk to my partner," Heyes said through gritted teeth.

"And you would stay to guarantee he would return?" Geronimo said interested in this more than the gold.

"Yes sir, I’d be your insurance," Kid said.

"No you wouldn’t cause I’m not going," Heyes said ignoring the Apache leader completely now. "Kid there is no way I am leaving you here while I…"

"I will let you both discuss this," Geronimo said a twinkle in his eye. "Let me know when you have reached an agreement."

Ten minutes later they were once more tied up in a teepee and it was probably the only thing keeping them from coming to blows.

"Kid you have made some bone headed moves…"

"Heyes you can break into that safe and get that map in a heartbeat," Kid said cheerfully.

"And what happens if I can’t? Or the army rides in? Who do you think they are gonna kill first?"

"Heyes I’m not gonna get killed. Its gonna be a lot easier with just one of us needing to escape and Fielding can distract everyone while you break into the safe…"

"Fielding!"

"Yea, no reason he has to stay if they have one hostage."

"Kid you are flat out crazy if you think I’m gonna leave you here alone."

"Heyes I can’t break into that safe, you can."

"Oh and we just steal from Carolyn I suppose?"

"She stole from them."

Realization suddenly hit him. Kid would never be so cavalier with a lady, even a lady as questionable as Carolyn, property. "You don’t think I’ll get back with the map."

"Heyes I don’t want to die."

"No your thinking the army is gonna get here first and your trying to save one of us before it does. Well what makes you think you get to get killed. I get a say in this!"

"Heyes," Kid said calmly. "No one is gonna get killed. It’s just the best plan."

"Yea, a plan you thought of, you know how your plans work out!"

"You got a better one?"

"No, but I’m not leaving you!"

"Heyes I promise you I will not get killed. If I do you can flatten me."

"Ha ha, very funny," Heyes scowled darkly. "You know Smithers is going to be watching that safe, not to mention Carolyn. I guess I could force them to give it to me. You realize they are gonna put it together who we are after this, especially if I open that safe. There goes our amnesty."

"True," Kid said. "But why don’t we worry about escaping the Apaches first and that later?"

Heyes went quiet his mind ripping through the plan from every direction trying to find a way out. It was a good plan; it gave one of them a chance. Odds were though that whoever went would never get back before the Apaches had to move camp and being in a hurry would they want to take prisoner along?

"Kid its not gonna work. We got a better chance if we stay together," Heyes said stubbornly.

"Heyes just once will you let me plan things," Kid yelled this time angry. "Now I can get away. I always got away when we played Indians as kids and I can do it again. Just go for crying out loud!"

"I’m older I should stay…"

"Heyes I am no longer a 8 years old and I don’t need my older cousin looking after me. In case you haven’t noticed I’ve been looking after you for some time now. Look we both know I have the better chance at escaping, you think too much. Please Heyes, I can’t do it if I’m worried about you slowing me down!"

"Slowing you down!" Heyes said angry now just as Kid had hoped. "Since when have I ever slowed you down? You’ve gotten a little full of yourself haven’t you?"

"Heyes you’re going if I have to have them strap you to a horse and led out of here!"

"You know what you are? You’re an ingrate. All these years I’ve been looking after you and you pick today to get all uppity. All right I’m going, but so help me you better be alive when I get back or I will shoot myself and come after you understand?"

"Just get the map Heyes."

********************************

To say Hannibal Heyes was angry did not even begin to cover it. To add to his problems Fielding had refused to leave with him stubbornly believing he was making some headway. This meant his cousin was trapped because Heyes knew Kid would protectively consider the man when he made his move and it could cost him dearly.

That Kid would make a move Heyes had no doubt. If he was honest he had never known anyone better at escaping than his younger cousin. As a child he would always be the first one to find a way to get free of whatever constraint held him even if it meant landing on his head or nearly killing himself. Jedediah Curry just didn’t take captivity well.

But all that changed with Fielding remaining behind. With the army growing restless time was his enemy and Heyes being Heyes he had to think six steps ahead that if he did get the map and free his partner how he could keep them from endangering their amnesty.

And so he rode out of camp that morning and break neck speed leaving the men trailing him hard pressed to keep up and his partner breathing a sigh of relief.

But what he didn’t do was go back to town.

**********************

"Sit, eat," Geronimo invited and with a grateful nod Kid took the place of honor next to the older man. "The dark haired one, he is your family?"

"Ah yea my cousin," Kid said rubbing his wrists and picking up the food offered him.

"You are all each other has," Geronimo said nodding understanding.

"Why you say that?" Kid said nervous at the man’s insight.

"The way you fight to be the one left to die. There is great power in your protection of your kin when you are all that is left. Tell me of your family."

Oddly comfortable with the man Kid found himself opening up and sharing about the farms in Kansas, the raid and the death of their families. He soon realized why.

"Twice I have returned to find my family butchered, my home burning, twice I have cried out to God for answers such as you did. We are brothers of the same suffering," the Apache leader said quietly. "It appears we both have much against the soldier."

"Not the soldier, bad men, they don’t have to have a uniform or be white or Indian. My mother said evil just picks men to ride, doesn’t care what color they are."

Geronimo nodded and then looked up.

"We hunt tomorrow, you will come."

Kid looked up surprised trying not to be too hopeful, could he mean they were going to give him his gun?

"You confuse me white man, I would see how you hunt, it tells much of a man."

Kid nodded and finished his meal. He might just beat Heyes to town if they put his gun in his hand.

**********************

He hadn’t mentioned it to Kid, didn’t want to have him think he was wavering or longing for the old days, but with so much free time the safe had just gnawed at him. He had actually lasted two night before picking it for the challenge and had spent a good twenty minutes exploring its contents, along with a very interesting article on Carolyn’s Barney he found in her safe deposit box. Barney had not only been unlucky, he had been wanted and rumor had it sacrificed his partner to get himself clear in his first skirmish with the Chiracahua. That gold had more blood on it than was fair.

He had also taken a glance at the map and the remaining caches so it wasn’t very hard to draw…

**************************

Geronimo watched with approval as Kid strapped on his gun. He had gauged the man correctly, this was a warrior. He felt a ripple of concern run through his men, who did not trust this white man or understand why their leader would give him a weapon and make them vulnerable.

But they did not challenge him and together the hunting party rode out with Geronimo in the lead.

The hunting had become sparse in the high summer and it would be interesting to see who made the first kill, if any.

As for Kid he forced himself to relax and shake off the six sets of eyes watching him. He had hoped the band’s need of food would distract them and give him an opening, but so far he felt like the only prey they had their eyes on.

He had picked his target, a young man no more than twenty who was nervously trying to prove himself among the older warriors. He was cocky and boastful and made it a point to taunt Kid every chance he got. He was their weak link and if he were going to escape it would be because of him.

To everyone’s surprise the hunt went well that day. Geronimo made the first kill, a young buck, followed my Kid bringing down two plump prairie fowl that took off in flight, but were no match for his speed.

The young warrior had pretended not to be impressed, merely collected the catch and made a point of tying them to his horse, but Kid’s skill was not lost on the others.

His prowess with a gun did more to ease the tension than if he had not used it and he noted more than one warrior nodding in approval at the shots no one else had been quick enough or accurate enough to make.

They were heading back down past the rocks that ringed high above the camp when Kid saw his chance. He had fallen in with the young brave waiting for the right moment.

It never came.

The mountain lion beat it.

It leapt with a growl smelling the blood from the birds on the boy’s horse and startled the young man could do nothing, but throw his hands up in fear to protect himself from the creature hurtling down on him.

It was the perfect chance to escape and Kid knew it even as he drew and fired.

Moments later the group stood around the shaken young man and the dead cat.

One of the braves excitedly examined it and spoke to Geronimo in Apache.

"He says one shot from your gun could not have killed so large an animal," Geronimo said hiding a smile.

"I didn’t fire one shot," Kid said calmly.

"I know, but you fired so fast it sounded like one," Geronimo said and bending down nodded his approval at the way the six bullets had entered the animals head almost simultaneously, killing it instantly and saving the man.

Standing he looked at Kid, "Your friend would be angry with you. It was your chance."

"Yea, but he’s probably got some great plan to save me and I would hate to ruin it for him," Kid sighed resigned.

"You all right?"

They all turned to see Heyes riding up out of breath obviously having heard the shots.

"You know him well," Geronimo said.

*****************************

"Heyes there is no way you could have gotten back to town and gotten that map and dug up those four bags of gold!" Kid said confronting his friend as they saddled up their horses. "And what happened when Caroline gets someone else to come out here and she finds four of them are gone?"

"Kid the way I see it Caroline gets six, and the Apache get six, seems fair enough."

"She ain’t gonna see it that way, besides we got one, so she only gets five and you still haven’t told me how you knew where that gold was located…" Kid stopped as Heyes made a point of checking his cinch so he couldn’t see his eyes. "You saw the map. Heyes! You opened that safe while we were in town!"

"Will you stop yelling, your gonna make them not want to let us go," Heyes said trying to calm him down.

"So what’s to stop them from going after the other six, they have the map? Caroline is gonna have every bounty hunter and sheriff putting the pieces together for her…"

"No she isn’t, her gold is safe. See I only re-drew part of the map accurately. Six of those X’s don’t lead anywhere."

Kid stared at him; "Geronimo is not going to find that amusing."

"Oh I think he might, he did get half the gold and besides with the soldiers coming they probably won’t have time to dig up the rest anyway."

"And what about Fielding, you feel all right leaving him here?"

"Yea I think Geronimo trusts he’s trying to help him. We’ll just go back say we got captured and Fielding got them to free us, make him a big hero."

"You never had any intention of leaving me did you?" Kid sighed disgusted as he mounted his horse.

"And have you die thinking I couldn’t come up with a better plan than yours? Not on your life," Heyes grinned.

*************************

"It has been many years, I am pleased to see you still ride together," Geronimo said rising stiffly.

"He’s a hard one to shake," Kid smiled genuinely pleased to see the Apache leader. "Are you here for the inauguration?"

"Your President gives me hope. He thinks perhaps I will be allowed to go home some day. I miss the land of my people," and he added with a twinkle in his eye. "I still have your map Mr. Heyes."

Heyes smiled, "When did you learn our names?"

"Not long after you left. I checked into what two white man rode together as brothers, one as clever as a fox, the other as fast as an eagle, it was not hard to learn after that."

"Well I hope you get to go home this time," Kid said sincerely. "From what I read your people got a real bad deal from the government. Can’t say I abide with anyone being treated such."

"Teddy’s a good man, he’ll help you if he can," Heyes said optimistically, but it didn’t reach his eyes. His own faith in the government having been tested one to many times.

"Ya know I’m still not sure why you let us go even with Heyes bringing the gold," Kid said interested as the man fell into step with them.

"It is simple, you do not kill off the last buffalo."

The two ex outlaws frowned confused.

Geronimo smiled sadly, "I had found two white men that, while as cunning as me, I respected and trusted. I was afraid if I killed you I would never find another."