LEAPER OF THE
GANG
"The farther backwards you
can look, the farther forward you are likely to see."
-
Winston Churchill
New Mexico
1881
"Oh
boy."
Hannibal
Heyes was a good enough poker player that his face did not register a reaction
to the uncharacteristic response from his partner to the challenge that had
just been directed at him.
How
many times Kid Curry had been called out or challenged Heyes had lost count,
but fortunately all usually ended the same, there was no one faster than Curry,
no one.
Usually
it was some drunken cowboy taking imagined offense or a bad loser in a poker
game who challenged his cousin to go for his gun. The majority never knew it was the legendary outlaw they had
called out and Heyes wondered how many, drunk or otherwise, would have had the
same response had they known who they were going up against.
But
this was one of those rare, dangerous times where the man knew exactly who Kid
was and was either after the bounty or the reputation. He was slightly younger than Kid, heavier
and Heyes could smell the sweat on the man despite the cold dampness of the
room brought on by a rain that hadn't ended in days. The man was sweating, not a sure sign he was afraid, but a good
one.
Everyone
else at the bar had cleared away, but as always Heyes stood close in support to
back him up. It was more than trust or
loyalty it had to do with being partners.
Partners stood their ground with you.
Kid had never faced down a man alone and if Heyes had any say in the
matter he never would.
"You
gonna draw Curry?" the man sneered.
"Al?"
Kid said under his breath and this time Heyes frowned. He had seen his partner too many times in
this situation. He was like granite,
cold, hard and unreadable. He never
acknowledged Heyes or ever showed a breath of fear. What had unsettled him so?
Heyes
looked around and saw it just as the man drew on his partner; two men, in the
balcony.
Heyes
went for his gun just slightly behind his partner. Kid tended to bring the curve up on what was considered fast, but
remove him from the equation and Heyes was fast, faster than most. He aimed for the two men, instinctively
shielding his partner from them as he did.
He hit one just as the second's bullet hit him, but he still managed to
fire a second time taking the man down before he himself fell back against the
bar.
.
He
kept his eyes open just long enough to make sure his partner was safe and was
relieved to see the man he had saved was standing unhurt; there was only one
small problem, it wasn’t his partner.
******************************
I've
made a lot of dangerous leaps in my time.
I've stared down some pretty frightening and even bizarre circumstances
without a clue as to why or what I'm doing, but that moment instantly moved to
the front of the list.
My
first thought was I'm in a movie, a western and I glanced around hopeful for
the camera. I was quickly disappointed,
this was no set, all the walls were in place and further more Hollywood could
not recreate such 'atmosphere'. Maybe
it was the smell of damp cloth, or tobacco or stale whiskey. Perhaps it was the
black rain pounding on the tin roof and puddling up under the door that kept
blowing open. But I instantly knew I
had leapt back farther than I ever had before and by the look of the man in
front of me I was in a lot of trouble.
He
didn't look like one of your movie cowboys either. His clothes were functional and dirty and the only thing clean on
him was his gun. I noticed he had
removed his right glove and then looking down absently saw I had as well.
A
quick glance in the mirror over the piano showed I was a man, early twenties
with fair hair, blue eyes and a baby face.
I was dressed in worn, but well fitting clothes that felt comfortable. Unfortunately so did the gun tied to my
leg. I swallowed, I had seen enough
westerns as a kid to know a gunfight and even after many afternoon games of
Cowboys and Outlaws as a child I didn't feel overly confident for the role I
had landed in.
I
sized up the man I was facing. He might
have been younger than me and he was nervous, no matter how much he
bluffed. The man I had leapt into was
not even sweating. My hands felt dry
and relaxed. I had the feeling he had
done this before, which didn't help me any as the plastic cap gun I had played
with didn't begin to measure up with the weight on my hip.
I
turned slightly sensing a presence behind me to right. It was another man, the only other man in
the room who hadn't dived for cover at our face off.
He
caught my eye and while he didn't smile the look he gave me made me turn back
feeling oddly confident and less alone.
How
the gun got in my hand I'm still not sure.
The man across from me went for his gun and mine just seemed to
magically leap into my hand. I fired
once aiming and hitting his gun arm. He
went down with a cry and I just stood dumbfounded staring at the weapon in
amazement.
As
I did the man behind me fired twice and I looked up and realized his fast
action had saved my life. Two men, in
the rafters, had been waiting to back up their friend. I turned to thank him and saw one of their
bullets slice through his chest.
The
room went a little mad after that.
People were yelling and hollering and even as I moved to try and help
the man who had saved me I caught two names.
Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry.
It
seemed infamy had caught up with me at last.
************************
NEW MEXICO
1999
"Ziggy
so help me if you don't!"
Admiral
Al Calavici took in account the fact there were ladies present to finish his
dire predictions in Italian even as he faced the man who had appeared in the
imagining chamber looking every inch a legend and had drawn his gun so fast
even Al, jaded at best, had whistled.
It
had not been a good half hour. They
were on intruder alert and half the base was on shut down mode making movement
difficult at best. Above them in the
distance the warning siren bleeded into the room, the reason for Al’s tirade. They had enough tension in the room with the
Leap having taken them by surprise.
"Steady
cowboy," Al said even as he glared up at Ziggy.
"Where
am I? Where's my partner?" the man
asked in a cold steady voice.
He
isn't afraid; Al noted impressed. He
had seen a lot of strong willed, dangerous and important people leave that
chamber, but no matter what all had been overwhelmed at being whisked from
their world to this overwhelming room of lights and strangers. But this man wasn't. He didn't understand, but at the same time
he wasn't going to let it dictate his actions . He had the clever sense to keep his mind focused on what he could
handle and break the rest off in bite size pieces. Al knew this because it was exactly how he had handled a similar
will numbing situation once.
"What's
your name cowboy?" Al said quietly offering the man a cigar with the
respect he would only show an equal.
"Jones,"
came back the one word reply and the man refused it with a slight move of his
head.
"I
don't think so, not the way you drew that gun," Al said lighting his and
evaluating the man. "Too old to be
Bonny, same baby face though, partner huh?
His name wouldn't be Hannibal Heyes would it?"
The
reaction was very, very subtle, just a shadow over his eyes something only a
fellow outlaw and poker player would catch.
"Don’t
worry statute of limitations is long up on your crimes," Al said meeting
Kid's eyes as the guards raced in naturally ten minutes late and aimed their
rifles at him.
The
man didn't flinch in fact Al being a betting man would have given him odds on
taking out all three of them with that pop gun, just by the way he held it.
"I
didn't get your name," the outlaw said quietly.
"Al
Calavici…"
"Admiral
shall we…"
Al
waved the guard back, but it got a small smile from the outlaw.
"Admiral
huh?"
"Yea
you ever serve?"
"No,
my grandfather was a sailor though."
“Irish?”
Al grinned.
The
man nodded.
"I
hear next to us Italians they made the best pirates. That or they made up the
best tales about it."
“So
I hear,” the outlaw said seeming for all indication to relax slightly and Al
smiled inwardly at how he had cleverly managed to move a step to the right by
the casual action. With the arrival of
the guards he now knew where the exit was.
"I'm
afraid I'm going to have to take your gun, son," Al said simply.
"And
I'm afraid I can't let you do that."
They
understood each other and both grinned confusing the room. Warriors recognize and respect one another
he had once told Sam.
Sam! Brother I wonder what he jumped into?
"Yea
and I'll bet you could take out most of this room, but I'll also bet you
wouldn't endanger these ladies," he said pointing to the Tina and Dr Beeks
who had taken to a corner with Gooshie behind them. "Now you start shooting, they start shooting,” he said
waving a cigar at the guards. “And
bullets ricochet. So what do you say,
let’s put down the guns and talk about this somewhere we can get a beer…Mr.
Curry."
Kid
Curry didn't react to Al's guess and he let ten full seconds go by before he
slowly holstered his gun and was instantly rushed by the guards.
He
didn't take that or being dragged from the room well.
Al
had a feeling it was going to take a lot more than a beer to make this up to
him.
*************************
"Where's
Jed…" Heyes whispered hoarsely as the stranger above him dashed around the
room yelling for water and towels.
"Don't
move I've got to stop the bleeding," Sam said.
"Who
are you?" Heyes whispered.
"A
friend and a doctor, trust me."
"My
partner…" but he was gone again.
Sam
uncharacteristically swore under his breath and bit back a tide of rising panic
at his conditions. He had gotten the
men in the bar to help him move the wounded man over to the doctor's office,
which turned out to be more of a one room medieval torture chamber in Sam's
eyes. The doctor was nowhere to be
found, so he had taken over grateful not to be hindered by 'professional' help
from the time.
Setting
the man down on the examining bed he ripped open the bloody shirt and winced at
the wound. It had gone deep and just
missed his heart. A saloon girl that
had followed them over returned with towels and water and then she too fled
like the others. No one wanted to be
around Kid Curry if his cousin were to die.
His
hands were cold and it took a moment to make them obey him to start a
fire. Leaving water to boil he found a
bottle of whiskey under the sink and poured it over the instruments. It would also do to keep handy should his
patient wake up during the operation since he saw no sign of ether or any other
sedative.
He
was sweating now despite the chill in the room and he stopped and forced
himself to relax. Where the hell was
Al?
As
if reading his mind he heard the 'door' opened and exhaled at the familiar
figure.
"What
the hell did you do to him!" Al yelled indignant.
"Me? I didn’t' do anything, except find myself in
a gunfight!"
"Oh
boy," Al said studying his handlink and then the figure on the bed. "Don't tell me that's Hannibal
Heyes."
"Yea,
bullet wound to the chest. He saved my
life."
"Kid
ain't gonna take this well. They were
partners you know, more than that cousins, only living relative the other had.
Did you know they were the most successful outlaws in the history of the
west?"
"Thank
you Al I read the dime novels too," Sam said crankily dipping the towels
in the hot water and moving them over to the bed.
"You
read dime novels? Really? Next you'll be telling me you read comic
books."
"I
did," he said and then sighed at Al's interested look and knowing they
would not move on until he confessed.
"Superboy, happy?"
"I
knew it," Al said pleased with himself.
"You farm boys stick together.
He's one ya know. Kansas, him
and the Kid lost their parents in the border wars during the Civil War."
"Yea
I remember reading about Lawrence and them, that peacemaker on your wall always
intrigued me."
"What?"
Al said staring at the handlink as if it had betrayed him.
"That
six gun you have in a case on the wall in your office. Antiques not really your style."
"Toto
I don't think were in…" Al said suddenly remembering and frowning.
"Al
do something useful, give me his vitals."
"You
gonna take that bullet out of him?"
"I
am if I can keep him from going into shock and get him stable."
"He
saved your life huh? That fits. Oh its 1881, you and Heyes, your Kid Curry
by the way, fastest gun in the west and from what I've seen the planet, are
currently trying to go straight, Governor of the Wyoming Territories has
promised you an amnesty if you clean up your act."
"But
they don't get it, he betrays them," Sam repeated sadly from memory. "Curry dies and Heyes spends the next
20 years in prison emerging a broken man who is never heard from again."
"History
ain't always nice Sam. How's he
doing?"
"I'm
gonna try for the bullet, let me see those vitals again?"
Al
turned the link and Sam grimaced, they weren't good, but they weren't going to
improve.
"There
is an 44% chance you are here to save his life," Al went on trying to
remain business like.
"Al
I'm the reason he got shot. If Curry
would have been here he would have taken out that second man before he got a
shot off! Heyes moved in front of me to
take that bullet."
"Yea,
thought as much," Al said soberly.
"What
are the other reasons I might be here?"
"Amnesty."
Sam
looked up surprised, "Really?"
"Yea
strange there is another reason, but Ziggy is holding out on me, we got some
weird things going on back there Sam, intruder alert just as Curry
arrived. He was able to walk right into
the control room."
"You
find the intruder?"
"No,
they think it was a glitch in the system, but they were working on it when I
left. Curry is not going to be happy to
find his partner shot up."
"I
don't think Heyes is too amused either."
"So
how does it feel to be the fastest gun in the west?" Al smiled weakly.
"Frightening. I might have his speed, but I don't have
his…"
"Presence?"
Al guessed.
Sam
nodded, "Is it true he never killed anyone who didn't draw on him
first?"
"So
the story goes."
Sam
picked up the knife, "You think its true?"
Al
considered the way Curry had surrendered rather than endanger the lives of the
women. "Yea I think it might be,
unless he finds out his partner is dead, then I'd say all bets would be
off."
And
clicking his handlink he was gone.
*********************************
Al
walked quickly back to his office distracted.
He knew for a fact he hadn't had a six gun on his wall when he had got
up that morning, but just as he was sure of that he was also sure he would find
one now when he returned.
Leaping
tended to do little things like.
People, personal objects changed as the influence of Sam's leaps were
felt. Sometimes he didn't notice, other
times, like when Sam suddenly had a wife and a daughter he did.
Reaching
his room he pulled the case off the wall and extracted the weapon surprised to
find it cleaned and loaded. The balance
was good and he suddenly realized where he had seen it before. In Kid Curry's hand not more than an hour
ago.
The
alarm went off just as the explosion did tearing off the wall that held his
door and instinctively he leapt behind his desk saving his life as a rain of
bullets ripped through his room.
Slamming
the button under his desk he raised up and fired off a shot pleased when he
heard a yowl and rolled towards the emergency opening Sam had insisted their
offices have. It wasn't in the plans,
it wasn't even known to the rest of the people in the complex and when Sam had
demanded it he had mumbled under his breath about farm boys and secret passage
ways.
He
wasn't mumbling now. It had saved his
life and as it slid closed behind him he blinked at the bright New Mexico
sun. A new siren was going off now, one
he didn’t recognize and peering around the side of the building he watched in
amazement as personnel all ran into the structure and shut down began
commencing.
What
the hell was going on? You didn't leave
the compound unattended unless you were expecting… Al's eyes flew open wide, he suddenly knew where he had heard
that siren before, it was the air raid one from his youth. They were about to be bombed!
*******************************
Hannibal
Heyes opened his eyes and took a moment to take stock. He felt horrible, but not as horrible as he
expected he should. In fact all things
considered just being alive was a surprise to him.
"So
how you feeling?" the voice asked and he frowned at the man wearing his
partner's clothing. He had Kid's
coloring, but that was all.
"Where's
my partner?"
Sam
smiled, man had a one track mind.
"He's fine, safe, he's with a friend of mine."
"And
who are you?"
"Sam
Beckett," he said surprised he felt no inclination to lie. "I'm a
doctor."
Heyes
considered this and accepted it.
"You the one who patched me up?"
"Yes
sir I am."
"Thank
you." And with that he moved to get up.
"Whoa,
what do you think your doing?" Sam said in horror pushing him back down.
"I
need to find my partner."
"You
need to rest, I told your partner is fine."
"And
not here," Heyes said simply.
Sam
sighed understanding. They both knew
Curry would never leave him hurt like this, their loyalty to one another was
legendary. Before Sam had never quite
understand a bond like that between two men, but then he had gotten a partner
of his own and understanding had come with experience.
"He'd
be here if he could."
"Sheriff?"
"No,
he's not a prisoner, he's just…well trapped for the moment, but he's
safe."
Heyes's
intense brown eyes bore into his and he realized that even weak and hurt he was
still a very dangerous man and every inch an outlaw leader.
"Dr
Beckett you aren't making any sense and I'm not staying until you do."
Sam
exhaled and finally pulled up a chair and sat down.
"All
right I'm gonna tell you a pretty amazing story, which I don't expect you to
believe, but I feel I owe you the truth."
"All
right," Heyes said willing his eyes to stay open despite his worry.
"Mr.
Heyes have you ever read any Jules Verne?"
*******************************
"An
atomic bomb?" Al said under his breath confused and then looking up
scanned the cloudless blue sky doubtful.
Suddenly his attention was diverted to six figures hurrying two captives
over to a large truck, the only one still remaining in the yard due to the
alert and one that did not belong there..
"Gooshie! Tina!" Al said straightening shocked as
the two were pushed into the back and a moment later the truck began to move
without hindrance due to the lock down.
Cursing
he glanced around and realized he was alone, barely armed and
transportation-less. The lockdown had a
two-hour cycle before an all clear would unlock the facility and until then no
one was getting out or in…which was just what they hoped he realized. There wasn't any bomb, but the automatic
protection in place would think there was with the right code theoretically
cutting the entire facility off from the world and allowing the terrorists to
get away.
But
with what? Gooshie and Tina? Or what they knew?
Starting
to run he reached the truck as it began to roll out the gate and raising the
gun fired. The first bullet went awry
as he got the feel, but the second hit the gas tank and the third a back
tire. The truck didn’t slow, but the
tarp covering the back lifted up and suddenly fire from an AK40 ripped the
ground around him.
He
would of died had not someone pushed him clear and down behind a watch post.
“You
gonna shoot at people, might wanna consider they could shoot back,” Curry said
dryly.
Al
stared at the man trying to be annoyed, but too impressed for it to work.
"How
did you get out of there?"
"Got
a lot of experience getting out of jail," Kid said simply.
Al
felt a smile forming in spite of himself as he glanced over at the barn where
Sam and some of the others kept their horses. Funding yet hadn’t been found to
shield the animals from a nuclear attack.
"How
good are you at tracking?"
Kid
Curry considered this and finally made his decision about him. "Best, well second to my partner, he's
the champeen tracker of all southern Utah," he added poker faced in some
private joke..
Al
weighed his options and made a decision.
"I
need your help."
Kid
leaned back. He was confused, his
partner was missing and his whole world was missing.
“All
right, lets start with a bit of trust, my gun?”
Al
looked down at the weapon. It meant he
would be unarmed.
Kid
watched his eyes understanding. This
man felt the same way he did with being without his gun. The bond of kinship grew.
“Well
if were only gonna have one of us armed might as well be the best shot,” Al
said finally and handed the gun over to him.
************************************
Heyes
finished the soup and gratefully took a sip of the coffee Sam offered him. It was the third time he had woken up and
each time he felt himself gaining strength.
The man was a hell of doctor he had decided after inspecting his
wound. No infection, no cauterizing the
opening, hell there wouldn't even be a scar worth showing.
Of
course he was completely insane, but it was a pleasant amiable sort of madness
that Heyes found interesting to converse with in his current half dream like
state.
"Sam
wasn't it?" Heyes said causing the man to turn from his periodic calling
out for someone named Al.
"So
what year were you from again?"
Sam
frowned, "I've probably told you too much all ready."
"Any
word from Al?"
Sam
looked at him and gave him a small crooked smile, a salute to a man as clever
as he was but in different ways.
Hannibal Heyes was living up to everything he had ever read about
him. He was unquestionably the most
unorthodox imaginative leader ever forged on the wild frontier of any
nation. His methods were marked with
originality, ingenuity and a devil may care madness that bordered on
genius. His success came from his men's
loyalty, his complete disregard for what had been marked impossible and a
wicked delight in seeing the mighty humbled.
He had been compared at one time to almost every great leader of men in
history and that was perhaps what discerned he was like none of them.
The
tragedy of his ending and his partners had always bothered Sam. The world could not afford to waste men like
that.
"So
do we get the amnesty?'
The
question jarred him back. Sam was no
poker player and what he knew was instantly read in his face by Heyes who
nodded and sunk back deeper in the pillow, he himself allowing no reaction.
"Mr.
Heyes."
"Just
Heyes," the man said quietly.
"Things…change
when I…arrive, this might as well."
Heyes
looked at him, "It was an impossible dream at best, but I've always been
funny that way, never can quite get myself to give up on life even though I
know the odds."
"Comes
from being a farmer's son, I am too," Sam said at his surprised look.
"Indiana."
"You
sure know a lot about me."
"Your
pretty famous where I come from. My
friend Al really admires you both. He
has your partner's gun on his wall…" Sam stopped. "At least I think he does or he
did."
"You
sound like my head feels," Heyes said.
"I don't suppose you have any more of that whiskey?"
"Not
really the best thing for you," Sam said and then seeing his face
nodded. "I'll get two
glasses."
*************************
"I
guess the boom is off," Kid Curry said dryly as he and Al dismounted at
the edge of dust worn town and tying up their horses peered down the main
street.
Curry
had been true to his word easily tracking the group after it made its way on
foot across the rocky terrain when the truck died. With the airstrip out of reach they had made for a ghost town three
miles south.
"Little
livelier last time you were huh?" Al said spotting the truck at the end of
the street, its hood up and steam coming out of it.
"Yea,
might say that, eight saloons and a silver strike, things tended to get
interesting on a Saturday night," he kept talking but his eyes were
scanning the street like the best commando's Al had known. They were out numbered with only one gun,
but he was feeling more confident with ever second.
“Tell
me something,” Al said passing him the canteen and watching him drink. “How did you get out of there?”
Kid
shrugged and wiped the water off his mouth with his sleeve as he handed the
precious commodity back.
“Saw
that Doc lady open the door with that poker card, then the second fella did it
when he brought me something to eat.
Realized they both had one.
Waited till they came in together and figured he’d open it for her when
they left, so I slipped hers out of her pocket.”
Al
grinned, so much for high tech security.
All it took to escape the waiting room was a good eye and fast hand.
Curry turned back and
checked his gun, "How you wanna do this?"
Al
looked at him, "Sounds like you got an idea?"
"Yup,
but its gonna take some timing, normally…"
"Normally
you'd have a partner you could rely on and not worrying about him doing his
job," Al finished.
Kid
bit back a grin, "No insult intended, we just know each other pretty
well."
"None
taken, I won't let you down, those people are real important to me."
"And
so is my partner, so before we go any further how about you tell me where I can
find him?"
“I
can’t…those men have the…map to where he is.
I need that along with those people to contact him.”
“Try
again,” Curry said dangerously.
“Look,”
Al said frustrated. “I want to talk to
my partner too. Now he’s the only thing
keeping Heyes alive and if were going to help them we’ve got to get Tina and
Gooshie and the handlink back!”
He
got the last word out and Curry slammed him against the wall, gun drawn. “Maybe we better start with what you mean by
keeping him alive?”
***************************
"Jenkins
brother, he went and got the law, there at the saloon now," the small
voice whispered at the door and Heyes squinted to see the slight outline of a
woman, one of the saloon girls who Kid had been generous too, what was her
name? Janie?
Sam
turned back as the woman scurried away back in to the darkness. "What are you doing?" he said
aghast as Heyes sat up and reached for his gun belt.
"Its
called running for your life. You get
used to it after a while."
"You
won't have a life if you start bleeding again."
He
frowned noting the look on Heyes's face.
"All
right, but I'm coming with you."
*******************************
Al
looked down at the hand that was holding him firmly against the war and waited
patiently for Kid to simmer down long enough for him to continue. He knew of at least eight martial arts move
that would send the man sprawling off him, but he felt he was justified in the
action, after all he had just told him his partner was shot.
"What
do you mean the gunfight went wrong?"
"There
were two other men in the rafters."
"I
know," Kid said confused, this clearly would have not been a problem to
him. "I'm pretty good with this
gun."
"Yea,
but you weren't there."
Kid
let Al free and suddenly looked very young and very alone. "Heyes…"
"He
got the, took a bullet for you, I mean Sam, whatever. Sam was working on him when I left, he's a doc, a good one,
brilliant they say."
"I
want to go back…now!"
"You
don't think I want to send you back?
Look if we can get back that handlink and Gooshie and Tina we can at
least see how he is doing."
It
was all Curry needed to hear. Taking
the gun from Al he checked it and spun the cylinder with a cold determination.
"Get
them out."
"We
only got the one gun and they have semi automatic rifles."
"Just
get them down," Kid said.
"Crazy,"
Al muttered, but he was grinning. It
was good to watching the back with a man as mad as he was…and as dangerous.
******************************
"Make
for the stables?" Sam asked.
"No
they'll expect that," Heyes said.
"We have to make them think we caught the 2:08."
"The
train?"
"Yea."
"How
did you know when the next train was?"
Heyes
grinned, "I'm wanted remember?"
"And
when we catch the train?"
"We
don't, we make them think we did and chase it and then we head for the
stables."
"And
ride out?"
"Nope. Make it look like we did and catch the
stage."
Sam
had to laugh, "No wonder they only ever caught you…" he stopped.
There
was little light, but he could see enough of Heyes's eyes to know that had been
a mistake.
"Mister
I don't know if you are real or not, but first moment we get to sit and catch
our breath you and me are gonna have us a talk."
***************************
Later
Al would enthrall many a group of drinking buddies with the tale. A one man assault team he would recount in
awe. Curry was six places at once and
made every bullet count. He disregarded
every practical sane rule Al had ever been taught on entering hostile
territory, moving on blind fury and wild tried and true experience.
Al
true to his word got Tina and Gooshie behind the bar taking out the captor
assigned to them with a whiskey bottle, mercifully empty, and then picking up
the man’s weapon moved to help.
Curry
had fired his last bullet and was turning as the final two men raised their
rifles to fire.
Al
beat them to it.
Kid
blinked at the impressive future of the rifle and finally managed a sly grin.
"Wanna
trade?"
Al
grinned back and started to laugh as Tina came around the bar and hugged him.
"Ma'am,"
Kid said putting down his gun on the bar and picking up the AK40.
And
then he leapt.
***********************************
"Heyes,
I think the best thing to do is surrender you can't go any further," Sam
said as he helped the man down from his horse and pulled him into the shelter
of the high rocks they had made for after leaving the stage.
"They
still on our trail?" Heyes said weakly.
Sam
looked down at the cloud of dust coming from the horses following their trail.
"Yup,
looks like 7 of them."
"Not
that many, if I had…"
"If
you had?"
Heyes
smiled, "My partner can be a little terrifying when he's mad."
"Yea
and you haven't got him," Sam said disgusted sitting down next to
him. "I might be able to shoot as
fast as him, but…"
"Don't
worry about it," Heyes said and then added with unwavering
confidence. "Kid is still out
there."
“Heyes,
about that…”
Heyes
held his eyes, “Partners don’t give up easily Doc.”
Sam
grinned softly and then it slipped from his face as Heyes drifted off to sleep.
It
would take an army to scare that bunch off.
And
then he leapt.
****************************
CHEYENNE,
WYOMING
JULY 4, 1884
"Oh
boy."
He
said it softly, but one of the men in the room heard and with a puzzled look of
recognition turned and frowned at him and then blinked as if something had come
into focus.
He
was in an office, a grand, stately room, turn of the century by the
furnishings, sitting at a massive desk that dominated the room. He still found
himself waiting for Al to arrive, the sound of the door to open, but he knew Al
wasn't coming any more. In helping Al
he had sealed his own fate.
"Sam?"
He
looked up amazed at the dark haired man who seemed strangely familiar. He was looking at him like he could see
him. For that matter everyone was
looking at him and he realized the tension in the room was as thick as a knife.
Three
men wearing badges, with guns pointed at two men, one who had said his
name. Two other well dressed men stood
smugly waiting and watching, enjoying themselves.
"Well
Governor our little trap worked, I knew Heyes and Curry would take the
bait," one of them said.
"I've
waited a long time for this Heyes," sneered the other. "What you did to my railroads…"
"A
trap Lom?" the dark haired man said quietly and he realized there was a 4th
sheriff in the room who had not drawn his gun.
"I'm
sorry boys I didn't know. The Governor
gave me his word.”
The
man gave him a look that could have melted stone. He glanced down at the papers in front of him. Governor…he was the Governor?
“Hannibal
Heyes and Kid Curry trapped at last!” one of the men laughed.
On
the names he remembered. He was
remembering a lot about past leaps now that Al was gone. It was little compensation for losing your
best friend, but he took comfort where he could. And oddly enough Heyes was looking at him like he could see him,
Sam. He frowned and remembered their
last encounter. Heyes had been near
death and had thus able to see him, it seemed the ability had not left him.
“Gentlemen
I would like to talk to these two men alone,” Sam said standing and giving
Heyes a slight wink, which made him blink and suddenly bite back a hint of a
hopeful grin.
“Governor
I don’t think…”
“Governor
this is most unorthodox!”
“Governor
I warned you…”
“NOW
gentlemen!”
The
room emptied with the one Sheriff, Trevors?
Going last he gave them a sorrowful and confused look.
“Hello
Doc,” Heyes said turning to him as the door shut.
“Hello
Heyes I see that little last stand thing worked out,” he grinned back.
“Someone
wanna tell me what is going on?” Kid said confused and angry. He looked dangerous as hell and Sam could
see where this was going. Curry would
not let them be taken or betrayed without a fight.
“Kid
remember back a few years that story you told me about your friend Al?”
Kid
looked up sharply, “Yea, you said I was crazy.
Couldn’t explain the gun that scared that posse off, but you were sure I
was crazy,” Curry said annoyed.
“Well
this is Sam.”
“Heyes
this is the Governor of the Territory of Wyoming. The man I might add who just sold us out to those…”
“You’re
here for your amnesty?” Sam said
understanding. “But they don’t…it’s a
trap! A railroad magnet named James
Buchanan blackmails the Governor to betray you threatening to ruin his
political career.”
Kid
and Heyes looked at each other, this was news to him.
“Then
what happens?” Heyes pressed.
Sam
looked down and then up sharply.
“Doesn’t matter because gentlemen as Governor of the Territory of
Wyoming I hereby grant you amnesty!”
******************************
“Heyes?”
“Yea?”
Heyes mumbled sleepily from his bed.
The
hoorah had lasted three days and he was quite sure there wasn’t a saloon they
hadn’t visited or a woman they hadn’t kissed in their joyous celebration.
Between
Sam and him they had easily drafted a foolproof legal document for the
‘Governor’ to sign. Then Sam had called
in the men waiting along with the press Buchanan had assembled smugly to
witness the outlaws downfall. But to
everyone’s amazement the Governor had instead announced the amnesty and before
the stunned group signed the papers as all around them photographer’s bulbs
flashed.
Buchanan
had not been a happy man, but his objections were pushed aside by the
excitement the decision caused.
“You
think what he told us about his friend Al, about him not remembering him cause
he changed things and him being trapped, you think that’s all true?”
“Kid,
the more I think on the whole thing the more my head hurts.”
“Don’t
seem right him helping us and all those people and then getting trapped
himself.”
“Yea,
I know,” Heyes said with a heavy sigh.
“So
what we gonna do about it?” Kid asked simply.
Heyes
turned off his back to look over at him, “Do about it?”
“Yea,
wouldn’t be right we don’t try and help him somehow.”
Heyes
stared at him, “Kid, if all this is true I don’t see how we can stick around
until the future to warn this guy’s partner.”
“Could
write him a note,” Curry said stubbornly.
“And
mail it to the future?” Heyes laughed.
Kid
sighed, “I don’t know Heyes, you’re the genius, you’ll think of something.”
His
partner was asleep a moment later, but Heyes found himself staring at the
ceiling frowning. A letter to the
future…
Getting
up he walked over to the hotel desk and picking up the pen and stationary began
to write.
**********************************
NEW MEXICO
And
Sam leapt.
He was sorry to leave the
two now ex-outlaws. They had been able
to have a drink before he had leapt and it had given him a chance to explain
how now he wandered time alone due to the consequences of his leaping.
He smiled remembering Curry
being indignant and worrying about how Al would take such news. The two men had a loyalty and attitude that
was pleasantly similar.
He blinked and froze. The room he had landed in was dark, but
oddly familiar.
Cautiously he moved forward
and was surprised he knew where to find the door opening in the shadows.
Gingerly he pushed it open
and froze staring at the familiar lights and shapes of the control room outside
the imaging chamber. It couldn’t be…
“Hello Sam.”
He turned and found Al
smiling at him, eyes a little more misty than he would have preferred Sam to
notice.
“Al…but you…”
“Yea I know, but I got a
letter warning me.” He held up a faded
envelope with the name ‘Admiral Al Calavici’ on it. “It was in a metal lock box I was given when I graduated
Annapolis. Seems they had been holding
on to it for the last 80 odd years along with this.” And reaching down he held up a Peacemaker Colt 45.
“But if you know then…”
“I was warned so when I met
you and all this began to seem possible I made sure Ziggy took measures to keep
reminding me. Welcome home Sam.”
“But Donna and Beth and…”
“Your family and mine are
waiting outside for you including your daughter and your brother,” he grinned
impishly. “And my kids for that
matter. Time for you to appreciate all
the good you did.”
“I’m home?” Sam said sure he
would wake up, sure he would leap and it would all be snatched away.
“Your home Sam,” Al said
clapping him firmly on the shoulder and then grinning, “You ought to know by
now partners don’t give up that easily!”