"When two soul mates are apart, they don't feel quite right; it's as if something is missing. When they are together, they feel at peace." ~Shelly Wu
"Did you find her at the hotel?"
"No, Governor. There was no Mrs.Vanderbilt at the hotel. The desk clerk said she checked out yesterday morning."
"Did he know where she was heading?"
"I don't know, sir."
"Well, did you ask him?
"No, sir."
Clayton Ramsey turned slowly to glare at the young man who worked for him. "Then go and ask him now, you idiot!"
The young man ran to the door and down the stairs. "Why must everyone around me be such a disappointment and an obstacle to my goals. All I've ever asked is that everyone around me simply be as diligent and as focused on what I want as I am." He pinched the bridge of his nose in dismay. "Is that asking too much, Milton?"
"Certainly not, Clayton,"
"You would think all these ruffians who work for me would be more grateful. After all if it weren't for me granting them all amnesty and then giving them jobs they would all be in jail or living in squalor."
Dr. Graves handed the governor a glass of brandy. "Here drink this and then I will give you some of my special tonic to sooth your nerves."
"Thank you, Milton. You're the only one who understands me. You and Bartholomew." He turned the snifter of brandy up and drained half of its contents in one long swallow, then winced at the burning sensation in his throat. Dr. Graves gave him a small shot glass with a clear liquid inside. He swallowed it then chased it with the rest of the brandy. "Why can't people just do as I ask them to do? When they don't cooperate then they force me to do things that I don't want to do. I'm not a bad person, Milton, really I'm not."
"Of course not, Clayton," the doctor said as he led the man he had known for twenty years to the bed in the apartment over his office. "Now lie down and get some rest. Things will look better in the morning."
"All I wanted was to create an heir. Is that so wrong? Obviously my son wasn't going to get the job done. If she had only cooperated, then she would have been the mother of the heir of the president of the United States and she would never have wanted for anything. Now she is forcing me to once again do something that I do not want to do. When her outlaw lover ends up dead she will only have herself to blame, not me."
"Yes, Clayton. You are right as always."
"Has anyone heard from my son?"
"The servants said he was not home when the fire started. But no one knows where he is."
"Pity really. If he had been lost in the fire it might have worked to my advantage. I could have had those two on murder charges instead of attempted murder and I definitely would have gained many sympathy votes from the public." His eye lids were growing heavy. "Then his existence wouldn't have been a total waste. Milton, I still want to go ahead with my plans to create that heir. So don't leave town until I have Evangeline back."
"I won't Clayton. I'll be here to look after things."
"But what about my daughter?"
"Megan is being taken care of properly. And Bartholomew is on the trail of your daughter-in-law. Don't worry about a thing." Dr. Graves took the empty glass from his sleeping benefactor's slack hand. "There, there, Clayton. All your secrets are safe with me. Of course it will continue to cost you to keep them that way." He poured himself a glass of the expensive brandy and lit one of Clayton's choice cigars. He settled onto the velvet covered sofa and propped his feet upon the arm. A broad smile covered his face. "And after learning that your beautiful young conquest is heiress to a fortune herself, I think my price just went up."
They had stayed awake late into the night, sharing their hopes and fears for the future, and one thing that they were both adamant about - their days of being apart were over. He had promised her that no matter what happened, no matter what trials may come in the future, they would ride the storm out together. And she had assured him that no matter where the future led them, whether riding hard to make it to Mexico, or hiding in the mountains until they could take a ship to Europe, she was strong enough to endure. She would always be strong as long as he was with her. He was her strength, and she was his. This must be what people meant when they said soul mate. The person you find in your life whose soul grows into the perfect fit for your soul. Like liquid forms to the shape of a glass, he had poured his soul into hers, filling the empty spaces, fitting perfectly.
But there had been a slight change in him since last night after she had remembered what Clayton had been trying to do to her when the fire had started. There was a brooding darkness that seemed to be looming behind his eyes. He was trying hard to mask it but she could see it. She knew he was holding in the anger he felt.
"Whatcha cookin'?" she asked in a low voice, raspy with sleep.
"Rabbit," he said around a smile as he turned to look at the woman he loved with everything he had. One week ago he was in the darkest place he had ever been in his life, all because he thought he would live the rest of his life without her in it. Now here he sat, looking into her sleepy eyed, beautiful face while he cooked a rabbit for their breakfast. The sun was rising outside and his spirits were rising with every hour that he spent with her. Last night they had spent hours just talking and growing closer than he had ever dreamed possible. They had made a pact of sorts last night as they lay in the fire light side by side facing each other. Neither of them really came right out and said the words but it was understood between them as they talked about worst case scenarios in the days to come. He would not go back to prison. He would die first. And he would not die dangling at the end of a rope. If he went out, it would be in a blaze of glory, riding hard with the wind on his face and the promise of freedom before him. Even if that promise was never to be fulfilled. She had understood what he meant and he knew that should that happen she would do whatever she had to to make sure that she wasn't far behind him. He didn't bother telling her to go on with her life and live and be happy, because he knew that like him, she would never be happy without him. A vital part of his being would be missing should anything happen to her. A part so vital that he would not want to trudge through life merely existing without her. And he knew that she felt the same way.
He had not slept very well last night. Although she was full of faith that everything was going to work out for the best he just couldn't shake this nagging feeling that the end of this was not going to be pretty. That feeling came mostly from the darkness inside of him. It had awakened last night when he'd found out that Clayton Ramsey had tried to rape Evie. Thoughts he didn't even want to speak had come into his head after that. Visions of doing harm to another human that he had never entertained before would not leave his brain. He had thought about telling her just how dark and angry his heart had become since he had been released from prison. They had promised each other last night that there would never be any secrets between them. But he didn't want to ruin their time her together in this peaceful paradise with any morbid or angry thoughts. And so he kept it to himself.
"It smells heavenly. I don't think I've smelled anything that good since I was snuggled up to you at that barn dance back in Red Rock."
"If my memory serves me correctly, and I have no doubt that it does, you were the one who smelled heavenly that night. How do you feel? Any more memories?"
"Nope. No more memories. Sometimes I think I'm going to have one and then it goes away. Poof, like a dream that you are just about to remember but then it goes away. I feel normal. I think all the traces of that drug are gone. Of course I've had the best nurse in the world taking care of me so I was bound to get better. The only thing wrong with me is that I'm hungry and my feet are cold."
He looked thoughtfully down at her bare feet and made his way toward her. "Yeah. We'll have to take care of that as soon as we can." He sat next to her feet and took one of them in his warm hands and gently massaged the warmth back into them. "When Kid gets here we'll have to come up with a plan to go into town and get you a pair of shoes."
"I know you don't want to entertain this thought but....what if he doesn't come?"
He smirked a little and shook his head. "No, I don't think you have to worry about that. He'll be here."
She loved his unwavering faith in his best friend. It was part of what made him who he was and only a small part of what made her love him so much. And she knew he was right. Kid would be here. "My feet are starting to warm up, but my stomach is still very empty. How long before the rabbit is done?"
"Not long. Another fifteen minutes and you'll be tasting it instead of smelling it."
"Can I smell you in the meantime?" She reached for him and he came willingly into her waiting arms. He rested his head on her breast as she caressed his hair and his shoulders. She put her nose to the top of his head and inhaled his scent, finding comfort in its pleasant familiarity. "Do you really remember how I smelled at that barn dance?" she asked.
"Um hmm. Remembering things like how you smelled, what your skin felt like, the sound of your voice, the color of your eyes, the way your hair felt when it ran through my fingers...all those things were what kept me from going insane when I was in prison. Living to experience all of those sensations again are what kept me going."
"You look so much better now than when I saw you that day in that place, I wept like a baby when I got into the coach. Not just because I thought I might never see you again, but because my heart was bruised from seeing you so thin and scared and all of your pretty golden brown hair was gone."
"Being shaved clean every week and having to work hard out in the fields was bad, but I could have lived with that. It was the God awful silence that I couldn't stand. It was like hell on earth. And that's why I mean it when I say that I won't go back there. I'd rather be dead."
"I'm glad I haven't forgotten all of those things like I have the last night I spent in that mansion,
A tremendous guilt washed over her. She had all but squashed that dream for him when she had married another man and didn't explain to him why. She lifted his head from her breast to look deeply into his brown eyes. "I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine what you must have felt when you found out I had married Clay. I know you've forgiven me, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive myself."
"It's over now and I don't want to talk about it anymore. Not about prison, or your fake marriage. I only want to talk about what we're going to do once we get out of this latest mess. I only want to talk about happy things. If we talk about bad things I'm afraid a side of me that you wouldn't like might make itself known."
"What are you talking about? Do you think I can't handle you when you're angry. I've seen you angry and at your worst. I'm not afraid."
"That night on your balcony when I was cruel and hateful to you, the one person I love most of all in this world, well, that was just a small bit of what I've felt raging inside of me. I've considered outright murder in the past month. You know that's not like me. When I thought that another man had touched you, something...I don't know how to describe it...came alive inside of me. And last night when you told me what Clayton had tried....It's like a dark side of myself that I never let out before, took over. A side of me that could be very hurtful and cruel and dangerous. You are the only thing that keeps that side of me from taking over. And being here where I know we're both safe helps too. If anything ever happened to you, I don't think I could stop it from consuming me."
She hugged him tighter to her breast. She didn't like what he was telling her. It scared her a little. "That's why you're going to make sure that nothing happens to me. And when Kid gets here he will make sure nothing happens to any of us."
He held on to her as if his very life depended on it...and perhaps it did. He reluctantly removed himself from her embrace and stood. "The rabbit should be ready soon. You want to go wash up while I take it off the spit?"
The faint sound of a horse's hooves on rock echoed in from outside. "Some one's coming up the pass. I bet that's him. But just in case, get as far back into the dark end of this crevice. Don't come out until I tell you it's clear." He picked up the hunting knife he had used to skin the rabbit and handed it to her. "Use it if you have to." She shook her head and disappeared into the dark recesses of the mountainside.
Once she was out of sight, he slid the Smith and Wesson revolver from his holster and cocked it. He could hear the horse getting closer, its hooves now plodding on the grassy earth. He waited until he knew the rider had stopped before he stepped out into the light of day and aimed his gun. He quickly uncocked it when he saw the familiar and welcome face of Kid Curry.
"I figured you would get here this morning. I guess Martha got my message to you."
"Yeah, she got me the message." Kid dismounted.
"Evie, you can come out now," Heyes called out, but felt stupid when he turned to find her already standing there. "Didn't I tell you to stay put until I said it was all clear?"
"Haven't we had this conversation before?" she asked sweetly as she emerged completely from the dim cavern. Her face lit up with excitement when she saw Kid standing near Rusty. "I knew it was Jed. I'm so happy to see you!" she squealed as she ran.
A warm smile crossed Kid's face as he held out his arms waiting to embrace the young woman he thought of as his little sister. His smile faded as she flew past him and threw her arms around the neck of the chestnut stallion behind him. He looked to his partner who could only shrug and raise his eyebrows.
"Oh, Rusty, I've missed you so! It killed me to send you away." She kissed the powerful furry jaw of the massive beast she loves so dearly. "But I wasn't worried about you. I knew I was putting you in good hands." She turned her attention to the sullen Kid Curry behind her. "Don't think I've forgotten about you," she said as she leaped towards him and he caught her up in a big bear hug. "I'm happy to see you too, Jed."
He exhaled a long sigh. "And I'm glad to see the both of you in one piece. I didn't know quite what to expect. Martha didn't really know what was going on. She just said that she saw you ride off with Evie while the governor's goons were shooting at you."
"Yeah, they shot at us but they were too busy trying to put out that fire to give chase. You didn't have any trouble finding my trail I see."
"No, you left me good enough signs, but not so good that the untrained eye would see them. I covered our tracks the best I could and I left some false trails. I hope that throws them off our scent long enough for us to come up with a plan."
"We can't come up with a plan until I know exactly what we're facing. Do you have any idea what's going on in Cheyenne? Am I a wanted man once again?"
Kid looked soberly at his partner. "We both are." He went to his saddlebag and withdrew the folded paper. He handed it to his partner who only had to read a few sentences to know they were in deep trouble. He was wanted for arson, kidnapping and attempting to murder the governor. Hanging offences. And Kid was wanted as an accomplice to all three crimes. As they had always done, the boys held a mute conversation with their eyes, both conveying to the other that they each understood the gravity of the situation.
"What'll we do, Heyes?" Kid asked in a low voice as they walked casually, putting some distance between themselves and Evie. She was content at the moment to fawn over the horse she loved. Heyes would let her have a few moments of happiness before he had to give her more bad news about the trouble they were in.
Heyes didn't answer. Because he didn't really have an answer. He looked past his partner's shoulder at his sweet Evie. Why did they have to do anything? Now that Kid was here he had everything he wanted and needed right here on this mountain. He saw no reason to leave it. He turned away from Kid and walked slowly eastward to stand and look out over the sea of green formed by the forest below. This place was surreal. As his eyes swept over the purple hued slopes of Eagle's Peak in the distance and white cottony clouds that swam in an endless blue sky he could almost hear the strains of Evie's favorite Beethoven songs wafting on the breeze. He felt a peace here that he never felt anywhere else and now that Evie and Kid were both here with him, he felt like he had come to the end of a long and tiring journey and he was ready to rest. And the dark thing inside of him, though still alive seemed to have gone to sleep for now. He was afraid if he left this mountain, the first thing it would do was come fully awake and head out to find Clayton Ramsey. If that happened the word "attempted" would be removed from the word murder.
"I think I'd like to just stay put a while, Kid, if you don't mind," Heyes said without taking his eyes of the beauty of the surrounding countryside.
"What do you consider 'a while,' Heyes? A few days? A couple of weeks?"
Heyes drew a deep breath. He knew Kid wasn't going to like his answer. "I was thinking more like a few months. Six or seven maybe."
"Six or seven months? Heyes, have you lost your mind?" Kid came to stand closer to his partner, not wanting to raise his voice too loudly for Evie to hear. "You know good and well that we can't stay up here that long."
"Why not? We got everything we need. There's plenty of fresh, clean water, plenty of wood for fires, sturdy shelter, lots of game for hunting and fish in the lake. I don't see the problem."
"Heyes, we're in the mountains, remember. You know what the winters in the mountains are like. Three feet of snow will be on the ground by the end of September. That's three months away. We can't survive in an open cleft in the mountainside a whole winter and you know it. We'd have to have tons of supplies and a permanent shelter. And carrying all those supplies up that narrow ledge is near impossible. You should know because we've tried it before and it didn't work. That's why we only came here to stay for a day or two before we headed back to the hole."
"We've got a couple of months to make trips into town and get a little at a time. And I don't see why we couldn't build something to cover that opening and seal ourselves inside. We could make a door to get in and out. It will be better than a house. I got everything I want and need right here and I just don't see the sense in leaving. If we stay up here for the winter everybody will think we've gone to Mexico or that we're dead. They'll stop looking for us and we can go wherever we want."
"If we start making trips into town and buying up household goods, people are gonna start asking questions. Then people will get suspicious and that could be the end for us. We can't take that kind of risk and you know it. And you may have everything you want and need up here but I don't. We've got to come up with a plan to get out of here and get to Porterville."
"Porterville? Why Porterville? You think Lom can help us now?"
"It's worth a try ain't it? I sent Livvy there to tell him what's going on. Maybe he can help us." Kid's face went from angry to sorrowful in a split second.
Heyes looked at his partner's crestfallen face and he felt like the biggest fool this side of the Mississippi. "Hey, Kid, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking about Livvy and the baby. I don't guess you would want to stay up here for very long would you?"
Kid dropped to the grassy earth beneath him and rested his forearms on his raised knees. His head hung low and he stared at the ground as he spoke, "No, Heyes, I can't stay here."
"Something else is bothering you. What is it?" Heyes asked as he sat down beside his partner.
"She said she couldn't marry me." His voice was almost inaudible but Heyes heard what his friend had said.
"When did she say that?"
"Yesterday morning before Martha came in and told us what was happening. She said it was because of the gun fight but I don't believe her."
"What gunfight?"
Both men's heads turned around to find a barefoot Evie standing directly behind them.
"What gunfight?" she asked again.
"Some stupid kid challenged me to a gunfight in the middle of Cheyenne yesterday morning and Livvy saw the whole thing from her hotel window. When I came into her room afterwards she said she couldn't marry me because she didn't want Gabby to grow up with all that violence around. I don't know why, but I don't believe her. I think it's something else."
"What has gotten into that ninny headed aunt of mine? I know for a fact that she's loopy headed in love with you. Are you sure you understood her correctly?"
"She asked me to lay my gun down. I don't think I misunderstood."
"She asked you to what? You just wait 'til I get a hold of her. Why, I've never heard such nonsense in my life. She knows that you can't live without your gun. She was bluffing. I hope you called her on it."
"Well, actually, I gave up my gun."
Heyes and Evie looked at each other in disbelief, their mouths slightly agape.
"Oh, she gave it back to me when I had to leave. But...."
There was a long pause before Heyes finally asked, "But what?"
"I'm afraid she really meant it. I don't think she intends to marry me at all."
A look of sympathy and understanding passed between Evie and Heyes. Evie jerked her head in the direction of the cave indicating she wanted to talk to Jed alone. "Uh, oh, uh I guess I best be checking on that rabbit. You two just wait here and we'll have breakfast shortly."
Evie plopped down on the grass beside Jed. "You realize I know exactly how you feel. It wasn't that long ago that a certain outlaw that we both know and love left me alone and heartbroken."
He gave her an affectionate smile that was trimmed with sadness. "Yeah, I remember."
"And you know it didn't take him very long before he realized that we were meant to be together and that leaving me was the stupidest decision he had ever made. And I have no doubt that Livvy will soon come to here senses about you and her as well."
"One big difference though. Heyes had somebody telling him what a fool he was being." He jabbed his thumb into his own chest. "Me to be exact. Who knows how long it will be before you or I ever see here again."
"It shouldn't be that long. A few more days and we'll be leaving I'm sure."
"You sure about that? Heyes told me he plans to stay up here on the mountain for the winter."
"The whole winter?"
"He didn't let you in on that part of his plan I gather."
"No, he did not. Oh, well, no matter. I'll just have to change his mind."
She started to rise when Jed placed a gentle hand on her arm. "Evie, I'm scared. I'm afraid she's going to take Gabbie and disappear and I'll never see either of them again."
Evie reached for him and pulled him into her arms. Her heart was breaking for this man she loved like a brother. And she was furious with Livvy for putting him through this. She knew that Livvy loved Jed. They had a child together. What was she thinking? Evie had to talk to her and make things right. "Don't worry about a thing. She's the one who's scared I believe. And all it will take is me and Martha to make her see what a fool she's being. And the sooner I get to have that talk with her the better." Evie didn't want to admit it but she too was now afraid that Livvy night disappear with Gabbie. They had to find her aunt as soon as possible.
Evie left Jed and joined Heyes who was squatting next to the fire, sliding the steaming hot meat from the spit and onto a plate. "This should cheer Kid up. He never met a meal he didn't love," Heyes said with a smile on his face. His smile slowly faded as his gaze traveled up the length of Evie's body and he saw the tapping bare foot, the fisted hands set firmly on curvaceous hips and the stern set of her full lips. "The whole winter? When were you going to ask my opinion on the subject? I thought we were in this together?"
"Now don't get testy. I'm just being practical." He stood and carried the plate, mounded with steaming meat to the blanket that was spread on the mossy ground inside the cave.
"Practical. Practical? How practical is freezing our behinds off in snow up to our eyeballs?" she asked as she followed him.
"I don't know? How dangerous is it to leave this mountain right now?" He handed her the newspaper.
She didn't have to read far to understand. "Oh my God. Is he serious? Is he seriously telling everyone that you kidnapped me and that you set fire to that house?"
"Yep, that's what he's saying alright. And who do you think is going to believe me and Kid over him. I'll tell you who...nobody. It's bad enough that we're former train and bank robbers. Add kidnappers, arsonists and attempted murderers to the list and there won't be a man out there who won't shoot us down or string us up if we're spotted. This is the only place we've got left that nobody knows about where we can disappear and feel safe. The only thing waiting for me if I leave this mountain is that hell hole of a prison or a noose. So you'll have to forgive me if Kid and Livvy's love life isn't high on my list of priorities right now."
"Then I guess it's time we talked about something that we've haven't talked about in a long time. Maybe it's time we go our separate ways, Heyes."
Evie spun around to find Kid standing just outside the entrance. Evie watched in stunned silence as the two men she loved most in the world, who she knew loved each other, silently stared at each other for what seemed like forever. Hannibal Heyes had the uncanny ability to communicate with his eyes. And he did it best with his lifelong friend and partner. And she could see a wealth of words coming from the expressions on both men's faces.
Heyes finally broke the silent exchange. "I'm sorry, Kid, but you know if we leave this mountain right now it wold be the most foolish mistake we could make. We are in deep trouble and it's too risky."
"If Evie were still out there would you be on this mountain right now?"
Heyes looked away from his partner for a moment. He was being selfish and he knew it. But he couldn't help himself. At the same time, he knew that if the situation were reversed, KId would not only expect Heyes to leave and find Evie, he would go with him to help and watch his back. "No. No I wouldn't."
"Then how can you expect me to stay here when not only Livvy but my daughter are out there alone. We don't have any idea what Ramsey is capable of. He could use them as bait to draw us out or anything. I need to get to them, Heyes. I need to find Livvy so we can all disappear until things calm down. And I need to find her before she disappears with my baby to some place where I can't find her at all."
Heyes turned his eyes to his sweet Evie. She had to be his priority now. She was what mattered most. They had endured so much to be together. He was not going to risk it now because of Kids fears that Livvy might run from him. He and Kid had discussed splitting up briefly when they had first went straight in hopes of getting an amnesty. Kid was afraid his reputation with a gun would hinder Heyes in getting it. But Heyes had shot the idea down quickly. At the time they were all each other had. There was no question they would stick together no matter what. But now...
"Kid I don't expect you to stay. But you can't expect me leave either. I know there was a time when we would have had each others backs no matter what. But if Livvy and Gabbie were here and safe and Evie was the one still out there, I wouldn't expect you to leave them and risk your own safety to go with me either. If you decide to leave Kid," Heyes paused and looked deeply into his partner's eyes, "I'm sorry but I can't go with you."
Evie could see the momentary hurt in Kid's face and then the resignation. He simply nodded his head in understanding. "I guess I'll head out in the morning then. The longer I stay here the greater my chances of losing Livvy and Gabbie.
Evangeline couldn't believe this was happening. The two people she thought of as a pair of gloves, two things that simply did not work without the two of them being together, were going to go their separate ways. She could not let it happen.
"Now wait a minute. Nobody's going anywhere until I have a say. You two just do not work without each other. And are you forgetting the fact that we are family. And family just doesn't leave family."
"I cannot stay here, Evie. You heard Heyes. If you were out there he'd be gone already. And I don't blame him for not coming with me. It puts you and him in danger. To be honest I'll probably have a better chance of not being recognized if I'm alone."
"Are you crazy? The two of you have been the most celebrated citizens of Cheyenne for weeks now. Everybody know what you look like. Do you really think that Clayton has not offered a reward for the two of you? Every man in the territory will be after you."
"Maybe so. But that's a risk I've got to take."
"You're not much good to either Livvy or Gabbie if you're dead, Kid. I think you should stay here at least a couple of weeks. Let things settle down a little before you head out," Heyes reasoned.
Kid looked at the ground a moment, contemplating his choices. "No. You know you'd already be gone Heyes if the situation was reversed."
Heyes couldn't really say anything because he knew Kid was right. Evie however had plenty to say.
"This makes me so angry! The two of you have done absolutely nothing wrong. You haven't committed any crimes and here we are on the run once again, hiding in caves not knowing what the future is going to hold. And now the two of you are considering splitting up! Well, one things for sure. When Clayton Ramsey, Jr. says he'll do something he certainly does it. He said he'd make sure you were blamed for crimes you didn't even commit. And now here you stand, accused of something as bad as attempted murder, when he's the one who's a......"
The boys looked at her in confusion, waiting for her to finish her rant. But she stood there silently with her brows drawn together in concentration. Her sudden, sharp intake of breath told them she had found what she was searching for in her brain. She looked at the two men in front of her with her mouth agape.
"What is it? What's the matter?" Heyes asked.
"I remember. I remember everything."
Heyes came to her and grasped her shoulders. "What do you remember? Tell me everything."
"The night before the fire, Clayton was gone so I went downstairs to the kitchen thinking that everyone was gone. But Clay was there. He was sitting in the dark all alone. He was as sober as a judge too when he told me everything."
"What did he tell you?"
"He's a murderer."
"Clay is a murderer?" Heyes asked skeptically.
"No, his father is. He murdered Clay's friend Nicholas and he murdered Clay's mother. And his sister Megan was witness to it."
"Is that why she went mad?"
"She isn't mad. She's kept sedated with some sort of drug so that she appears to be mad. Clayton pays the doctor that I met to keep her in a perpetual state of delirium."
"Dr. Milton Graves?"
"That's him."
"I'm sure that whatever you ingested is the same thing he uses to keep Ramsey's daughter from
spilling the beans. This changes everything."
"What's our next move, Heyes," Kid asked.
"Did I hear you say 'our' move?" Heyes asked his partner.
"Yeah. If that girl's a witness to her father murdering her mother, then it seems to me all we need to do is get her away from that doctor and let her tell the truth. This might be our only chance to clear our names and put Ramsey where he belongs...in jail. I figure that's more important than following after Livvy right now."
"Where does he keep his daughter?"
"She's in Riverton at Clayton's estate."
"I guess that answers your question, Kid. Our next move is to go to Riverton and do some real kidnapping. We have to get that girl away from that doctor and get her sobered up so she can tell what she saw."
"We can head to Porterville after we have her and she can tell Lom. And I can find Livvy while we're there."
"Sounds like a perfect plan, gentleman. So I guess our next stop is Riverton?"
"No, our first stop will be to find you some shoes," Heyes said. "Then we head to Riverton."
"Did you find her at the hotel?"
"No, Governor. There was no Mrs.Vanderbilt at the hotel. The desk clerk said she checked out yesterday morning."
"Did he know where she was heading?"
"I don't know, sir."
"Well, did you ask him?
"No, sir."
Clayton Ramsey turned slowly to glare at the young man who worked for him. "Then go and ask him now, you idiot!"
The young man ran to the door and down the stairs. "Why must everyone around me be such a disappointment and an obstacle to my goals. All I've ever asked is that everyone around me simply be as diligent and as focused on what I want as I am." He pinched the bridge of his nose in dismay. "Is that asking too much, Milton?"
"Certainly not, Clayton,"
"You would think all these ruffians who work for me would be more grateful. After all if it weren't for me granting them all amnesty and then giving them jobs they would all be in jail or living in squalor."
Dr. Graves handed the governor a glass of brandy. "Here drink this and then I will give you some of my special tonic to sooth your nerves."
"Thank you, Milton. You're the only one who understands me. You and Bartholomew." He turned the snifter of brandy up and drained half of its contents in one long swallow, then winced at the burning sensation in his throat. Dr. Graves gave him a small shot glass with a clear liquid inside. He swallowed it then chased it with the rest of the brandy. "Why can't people just do as I ask them to do? When they don't cooperate then they force me to do things that I don't want to do. I'm not a bad person, Milton, really I'm not."
"Of course not, Clayton," the doctor said as he led the man he had known for twenty years to the bed in the apartment over his office. "Now lie down and get some rest. Things will look better in the morning."
"All I wanted was to create an heir. Is that so wrong? Obviously my son wasn't going to get the job done. If she had only cooperated, then she would have been the mother of the heir of the president of the United States and she would never have wanted for anything. Now she is forcing me to once again do something that I do not want to do. When her outlaw lover ends up dead she will only have herself to blame, not me."
"Yes, Clayton. You are right as always."
"Has anyone heard from my son?"
"The servants said he was not home when the fire started. But no one knows where he is."
"Pity really. If he had been lost in the fire it might have worked to my advantage. I could have had those two on murder charges instead of attempted murder and I definitely would have gained many sympathy votes from the public." His eye lids were growing heavy. "Then his existence wouldn't have been a total waste. Milton, I still want to go ahead with my plans to create that heir. So don't leave town until I have Evangeline back."
"I won't Clayton. I'll be here to look after things."
"But what about my daughter?"
"Megan is being taken care of properly. And Bartholomew is on the trail of your daughter-in-law. Don't worry about a thing." Dr. Graves took the empty glass from his sleeping benefactor's slack hand. "There, there, Clayton. All your secrets are safe with me. Of course it will continue to cost you to keep them that way." He poured himself a glass of the expensive brandy and lit one of Clayton's choice cigars. He settled onto the velvet covered sofa and propped his feet upon the arm. A broad smile covered his face. "And after learning that your beautiful young conquest is heiress to a fortune herself, I think my price just went up."
~*~
The tantalizing smell of roasting meat penetrated the fog of her sleep dulled senses. Her eyes slowly opened to behold for the second time in as many days the most beautiful sight she could have hoped to see. Hannibal Heyes sat next to the fire at the mouth of the cave, his perfect profile illuminated by the orange glow of the flames. Beyond his profile of perfection outside the cave was the pink and yellow painted canvas of daybreak peeking over the mountain top in the eastern sky. She raised herself up on her elbows and simply enjoyed the view for a moment. Her love for this man was overwhelming. He overwhelmed her emotions, her senses, her mind and her body. There was nothing she wouldn't do for him and she knew there was nothing he wouldn't do for her. Not only was there complete and total love between them, there was complete and total trust. That trust had been tested over the past few months, but they had made it through that test to become closer and more deeply in love and more secure in their relationship than they had ever been.
They had stayed awake late into the night, sharing their hopes and fears for the future, and one thing that they were both adamant about - their days of being apart were over. He had promised her that no matter what happened, no matter what trials may come in the future, they would ride the storm out together. And she had assured him that no matter where the future led them, whether riding hard to make it to Mexico, or hiding in the mountains until they could take a ship to Europe, she was strong enough to endure. She would always be strong as long as he was with her. He was her strength, and she was his. This must be what people meant when they said soul mate. The person you find in your life whose soul grows into the perfect fit for your soul. Like liquid forms to the shape of a glass, he had poured his soul into hers, filling the empty spaces, fitting perfectly.
But there had been a slight change in him since last night after she had remembered what Clayton had been trying to do to her when the fire had started. There was a brooding darkness that seemed to be looming behind his eyes. He was trying hard to mask it but she could see it. She knew he was holding in the anger he felt.
"Whatcha cookin'?" she asked in a low voice, raspy with sleep.
"Rabbit," he said around a smile as he turned to look at the woman he loved with everything he had. One week ago he was in the darkest place he had ever been in his life, all because he thought he would live the rest of his life without her in it. Now here he sat, looking into her sleepy eyed, beautiful face while he cooked a rabbit for their breakfast. The sun was rising outside and his spirits were rising with every hour that he spent with her. Last night they had spent hours just talking and growing closer than he had ever dreamed possible. They had made a pact of sorts last night as they lay in the fire light side by side facing each other. Neither of them really came right out and said the words but it was understood between them as they talked about worst case scenarios in the days to come. He would not go back to prison. He would die first. And he would not die dangling at the end of a rope. If he went out, it would be in a blaze of glory, riding hard with the wind on his face and the promise of freedom before him. Even if that promise was never to be fulfilled. She had understood what he meant and he knew that should that happen she would do whatever she had to to make sure that she wasn't far behind him. He didn't bother telling her to go on with her life and live and be happy, because he knew that like him, she would never be happy without him. A vital part of his being would be missing should anything happen to her. A part so vital that he would not want to trudge through life merely existing without her. And he knew that she felt the same way.
He had not slept very well last night. Although she was full of faith that everything was going to work out for the best he just couldn't shake this nagging feeling that the end of this was not going to be pretty. That feeling came mostly from the darkness inside of him. It had awakened last night when he'd found out that Clayton Ramsey had tried to rape Evie. Thoughts he didn't even want to speak had come into his head after that. Visions of doing harm to another human that he had never entertained before would not leave his brain. He had thought about telling her just how dark and angry his heart had become since he had been released from prison. They had promised each other last night that there would never be any secrets between them. But he didn't want to ruin their time her together in this peaceful paradise with any morbid or angry thoughts. And so he kept it to himself.
"It smells heavenly. I don't think I've smelled anything that good since I was snuggled up to you at that barn dance back in Red Rock."
"If my memory serves me correctly, and I have no doubt that it does, you were the one who smelled heavenly that night. How do you feel? Any more memories?"
"Nope. No more memories. Sometimes I think I'm going to have one and then it goes away. Poof, like a dream that you are just about to remember but then it goes away. I feel normal. I think all the traces of that drug are gone. Of course I've had the best nurse in the world taking care of me so I was bound to get better. The only thing wrong with me is that I'm hungry and my feet are cold."
He looked thoughtfully down at her bare feet and made his way toward her. "Yeah. We'll have to take care of that as soon as we can." He sat next to her feet and took one of them in his warm hands and gently massaged the warmth back into them. "When Kid gets here we'll have to come up with a plan to go into town and get you a pair of shoes."
"I know you don't want to entertain this thought but....what if he doesn't come?"
He smirked a little and shook his head. "No, I don't think you have to worry about that. He'll be here."
She loved his unwavering faith in his best friend. It was part of what made him who he was and only a small part of what made her love him so much. And she knew he was right. Kid would be here. "My feet are starting to warm up, but my stomach is still very empty. How long before the rabbit is done?"
"Not long. Another fifteen minutes and you'll be tasting it instead of smelling it."
"Can I smell you in the meantime?" She reached for him and he came willingly into her waiting arms. He rested his head on her breast as she caressed his hair and his shoulders. She put her nose to the top of his head and inhaled his scent, finding comfort in its pleasant familiarity. "Do you really remember how I smelled at that barn dance?" she asked.
"Um hmm. Remembering things like how you smelled, what your skin felt like, the sound of your voice, the color of your eyes, the way your hair felt when it ran through my fingers...all those things were what kept me from going insane when I was in prison. Living to experience all of those sensations again are what kept me going."
"You look so much better now than when I saw you that day in that place, I wept like a baby when I got into the coach. Not just because I thought I might never see you again, but because my heart was bruised from seeing you so thin and scared and all of your pretty golden brown hair was gone."
"Being shaved clean every week and having to work hard out in the fields was bad, but I could have lived with that. It was the God awful silence that I couldn't stand. It was like hell on earth. And that's why I mean it when I say that I won't go back there. I'd rather be dead."
"I'm glad I haven't forgotten all of those things like I have the last night I spent in that mansion,
A tremendous guilt washed over her. She had all but squashed that dream for him when she had married another man and didn't explain to him why. She lifted his head from her breast to look deeply into his brown eyes. "I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine what you must have felt when you found out I had married Clay. I know you've forgiven me, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive myself."
"It's over now and I don't want to talk about it anymore. Not about prison, or your fake marriage. I only want to talk about what we're going to do once we get out of this latest mess. I only want to talk about happy things. If we talk about bad things I'm afraid a side of me that you wouldn't like might make itself known."
"What are you talking about? Do you think I can't handle you when you're angry. I've seen you angry and at your worst. I'm not afraid."
"That night on your balcony when I was cruel and hateful to you, the one person I love most of all in this world, well, that was just a small bit of what I've felt raging inside of me. I've considered outright murder in the past month. You know that's not like me. When I thought that another man had touched you, something...I don't know how to describe it...came alive inside of me. And last night when you told me what Clayton had tried....It's like a dark side of myself that I never let out before, took over. A side of me that could be very hurtful and cruel and dangerous. You are the only thing that keeps that side of me from taking over. And being here where I know we're both safe helps too. If anything ever happened to you, I don't think I could stop it from consuming me."
She hugged him tighter to her breast. She didn't like what he was telling her. It scared her a little. "That's why you're going to make sure that nothing happens to me. And when Kid gets here he will make sure nothing happens to any of us."
He held on to her as if his very life depended on it...and perhaps it did. He reluctantly removed himself from her embrace and stood. "The rabbit should be ready soon. You want to go wash up while I take it off the spit?"
The faint sound of a horse's hooves on rock echoed in from outside. "Some one's coming up the pass. I bet that's him. But just in case, get as far back into the dark end of this crevice. Don't come out until I tell you it's clear." He picked up the hunting knife he had used to skin the rabbit and handed it to her. "Use it if you have to." She shook her head and disappeared into the dark recesses of the mountainside.
Once she was out of sight, he slid the Smith and Wesson revolver from his holster and cocked it. He could hear the horse getting closer, its hooves now plodding on the grassy earth. He waited until he knew the rider had stopped before he stepped out into the light of day and aimed his gun. He quickly uncocked it when he saw the familiar and welcome face of Kid Curry.
"I figured you would get here this morning. I guess Martha got my message to you."
"Yeah, she got me the message." Kid dismounted.
"Evie, you can come out now," Heyes called out, but felt stupid when he turned to find her already standing there. "Didn't I tell you to stay put until I said it was all clear?"
"Haven't we had this conversation before?" she asked sweetly as she emerged completely from the dim cavern. Her face lit up with excitement when she saw Kid standing near Rusty. "I knew it was Jed. I'm so happy to see you!" she squealed as she ran.
A warm smile crossed Kid's face as he held out his arms waiting to embrace the young woman he thought of as his little sister. His smile faded as she flew past him and threw her arms around the neck of the chestnut stallion behind him. He looked to his partner who could only shrug and raise his eyebrows.
"Oh, Rusty, I've missed you so! It killed me to send you away." She kissed the powerful furry jaw of the massive beast she loves so dearly. "But I wasn't worried about you. I knew I was putting you in good hands." She turned her attention to the sullen Kid Curry behind her. "Don't think I've forgotten about you," she said as she leaped towards him and he caught her up in a big bear hug. "I'm happy to see you too, Jed."
He exhaled a long sigh. "And I'm glad to see the both of you in one piece. I didn't know quite what to expect. Martha didn't really know what was going on. She just said that she saw you ride off with Evie while the governor's goons were shooting at you."
"Yeah, they shot at us but they were too busy trying to put out that fire to give chase. You didn't have any trouble finding my trail I see."
"No, you left me good enough signs, but not so good that the untrained eye would see them. I covered our tracks the best I could and I left some false trails. I hope that throws them off our scent long enough for us to come up with a plan."
"We can't come up with a plan until I know exactly what we're facing. Do you have any idea what's going on in Cheyenne? Am I a wanted man once again?"
Kid looked soberly at his partner. "We both are." He went to his saddlebag and withdrew the folded paper. He handed it to his partner who only had to read a few sentences to know they were in deep trouble. He was wanted for arson, kidnapping and attempting to murder the governor. Hanging offences. And Kid was wanted as an accomplice to all three crimes. As they had always done, the boys held a mute conversation with their eyes, both conveying to the other that they each understood the gravity of the situation.
"What'll we do, Heyes?" Kid asked in a low voice as they walked casually, putting some distance between themselves and Evie. She was content at the moment to fawn over the horse she loved. Heyes would let her have a few moments of happiness before he had to give her more bad news about the trouble they were in.
Heyes didn't answer. Because he didn't really have an answer. He looked past his partner's shoulder at his sweet Evie. Why did they have to do anything? Now that Kid was here he had everything he wanted and needed right here on this mountain. He saw no reason to leave it. He turned away from Kid and walked slowly eastward to stand and look out over the sea of green formed by the forest below. This place was surreal. As his eyes swept over the purple hued slopes of Eagle's Peak in the distance and white cottony clouds that swam in an endless blue sky he could almost hear the strains of Evie's favorite Beethoven songs wafting on the breeze. He felt a peace here that he never felt anywhere else and now that Evie and Kid were both here with him, he felt like he had come to the end of a long and tiring journey and he was ready to rest. And the dark thing inside of him, though still alive seemed to have gone to sleep for now. He was afraid if he left this mountain, the first thing it would do was come fully awake and head out to find Clayton Ramsey. If that happened the word "attempted" would be removed from the word murder.
"I think I'd like to just stay put a while, Kid, if you don't mind," Heyes said without taking his eyes of the beauty of the surrounding countryside.
"What do you consider 'a while,' Heyes? A few days? A couple of weeks?"
Heyes drew a deep breath. He knew Kid wasn't going to like his answer. "I was thinking more like a few months. Six or seven maybe."
"Six or seven months? Heyes, have you lost your mind?" Kid came to stand closer to his partner, not wanting to raise his voice too loudly for Evie to hear. "You know good and well that we can't stay up here that long."
"Why not? We got everything we need. There's plenty of fresh, clean water, plenty of wood for fires, sturdy shelter, lots of game for hunting and fish in the lake. I don't see the problem."
"Heyes, we're in the mountains, remember. You know what the winters in the mountains are like. Three feet of snow will be on the ground by the end of September. That's three months away. We can't survive in an open cleft in the mountainside a whole winter and you know it. We'd have to have tons of supplies and a permanent shelter. And carrying all those supplies up that narrow ledge is near impossible. You should know because we've tried it before and it didn't work. That's why we only came here to stay for a day or two before we headed back to the hole."
"We've got a couple of months to make trips into town and get a little at a time. And I don't see why we couldn't build something to cover that opening and seal ourselves inside. We could make a door to get in and out. It will be better than a house. I got everything I want and need right here and I just don't see the sense in leaving. If we stay up here for the winter everybody will think we've gone to Mexico or that we're dead. They'll stop looking for us and we can go wherever we want."
"If we start making trips into town and buying up household goods, people are gonna start asking questions. Then people will get suspicious and that could be the end for us. We can't take that kind of risk and you know it. And you may have everything you want and need up here but I don't. We've got to come up with a plan to get out of here and get to Porterville."
"Porterville? Why Porterville? You think Lom can help us now?"
"It's worth a try ain't it? I sent Livvy there to tell him what's going on. Maybe he can help us." Kid's face went from angry to sorrowful in a split second.
Heyes looked at his partner's crestfallen face and he felt like the biggest fool this side of the Mississippi. "Hey, Kid, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking about Livvy and the baby. I don't guess you would want to stay up here for very long would you?"
Kid dropped to the grassy earth beneath him and rested his forearms on his raised knees. His head hung low and he stared at the ground as he spoke, "No, Heyes, I can't stay here."
"Something else is bothering you. What is it?" Heyes asked as he sat down beside his partner.
"She said she couldn't marry me." His voice was almost inaudible but Heyes heard what his friend had said.
"When did she say that?"
"Yesterday morning before Martha came in and told us what was happening. She said it was because of the gun fight but I don't believe her."
"What gunfight?"
Both men's heads turned around to find a barefoot Evie standing directly behind them.
"What gunfight?" she asked again.
"Some stupid kid challenged me to a gunfight in the middle of Cheyenne yesterday morning and Livvy saw the whole thing from her hotel window. When I came into her room afterwards she said she couldn't marry me because she didn't want Gabby to grow up with all that violence around. I don't know why, but I don't believe her. I think it's something else."
"What has gotten into that ninny headed aunt of mine? I know for a fact that she's loopy headed in love with you. Are you sure you understood her correctly?"
"She asked me to lay my gun down. I don't think I misunderstood."
"She asked you to what? You just wait 'til I get a hold of her. Why, I've never heard such nonsense in my life. She knows that you can't live without your gun. She was bluffing. I hope you called her on it."
"Well, actually, I gave up my gun."
Heyes and Evie looked at each other in disbelief, their mouths slightly agape.
"Oh, she gave it back to me when I had to leave. But...."
There was a long pause before Heyes finally asked, "But what?"
"I'm afraid she really meant it. I don't think she intends to marry me at all."
A look of sympathy and understanding passed between Evie and Heyes. Evie jerked her head in the direction of the cave indicating she wanted to talk to Jed alone. "Uh, oh, uh I guess I best be checking on that rabbit. You two just wait here and we'll have breakfast shortly."
Evie plopped down on the grass beside Jed. "You realize I know exactly how you feel. It wasn't that long ago that a certain outlaw that we both know and love left me alone and heartbroken."
He gave her an affectionate smile that was trimmed with sadness. "Yeah, I remember."
"And you know it didn't take him very long before he realized that we were meant to be together and that leaving me was the stupidest decision he had ever made. And I have no doubt that Livvy will soon come to here senses about you and her as well."
"One big difference though. Heyes had somebody telling him what a fool he was being." He jabbed his thumb into his own chest. "Me to be exact. Who knows how long it will be before you or I ever see here again."
"It shouldn't be that long. A few more days and we'll be leaving I'm sure."
"You sure about that? Heyes told me he plans to stay up here on the mountain for the winter."
"The whole winter?"
"He didn't let you in on that part of his plan I gather."
"No, he did not. Oh, well, no matter. I'll just have to change his mind."
She started to rise when Jed placed a gentle hand on her arm. "Evie, I'm scared. I'm afraid she's going to take Gabbie and disappear and I'll never see either of them again."
Evie reached for him and pulled him into her arms. Her heart was breaking for this man she loved like a brother. And she was furious with Livvy for putting him through this. She knew that Livvy loved Jed. They had a child together. What was she thinking? Evie had to talk to her and make things right. "Don't worry about a thing. She's the one who's scared I believe. And all it will take is me and Martha to make her see what a fool she's being. And the sooner I get to have that talk with her the better." Evie didn't want to admit it but she too was now afraid that Livvy night disappear with Gabbie. They had to find her aunt as soon as possible.
Evie left Jed and joined Heyes who was squatting next to the fire, sliding the steaming hot meat from the spit and onto a plate. "This should cheer Kid up. He never met a meal he didn't love," Heyes said with a smile on his face. His smile slowly faded as his gaze traveled up the length of Evie's body and he saw the tapping bare foot, the fisted hands set firmly on curvaceous hips and the stern set of her full lips. "The whole winter? When were you going to ask my opinion on the subject? I thought we were in this together?"
"Now don't get testy. I'm just being practical." He stood and carried the plate, mounded with steaming meat to the blanket that was spread on the mossy ground inside the cave.
"Practical. Practical? How practical is freezing our behinds off in snow up to our eyeballs?" she asked as she followed him.
"I don't know? How dangerous is it to leave this mountain right now?" He handed her the newspaper.
She didn't have to read far to understand. "Oh my God. Is he serious? Is he seriously telling everyone that you kidnapped me and that you set fire to that house?"
"Yep, that's what he's saying alright. And who do you think is going to believe me and Kid over him. I'll tell you who...nobody. It's bad enough that we're former train and bank robbers. Add kidnappers, arsonists and attempted murderers to the list and there won't be a man out there who won't shoot us down or string us up if we're spotted. This is the only place we've got left that nobody knows about where we can disappear and feel safe. The only thing waiting for me if I leave this mountain is that hell hole of a prison or a noose. So you'll have to forgive me if Kid and Livvy's love life isn't high on my list of priorities right now."
"Then I guess it's time we talked about something that we've haven't talked about in a long time. Maybe it's time we go our separate ways, Heyes."
Evie spun around to find Kid standing just outside the entrance. Evie watched in stunned silence as the two men she loved most in the world, who she knew loved each other, silently stared at each other for what seemed like forever. Hannibal Heyes had the uncanny ability to communicate with his eyes. And he did it best with his lifelong friend and partner. And she could see a wealth of words coming from the expressions on both men's faces.
Heyes finally broke the silent exchange. "I'm sorry, Kid, but you know if we leave this mountain right now it wold be the most foolish mistake we could make. We are in deep trouble and it's too risky."
"If Evie were still out there would you be on this mountain right now?"
Heyes looked away from his partner for a moment. He was being selfish and he knew it. But he couldn't help himself. At the same time, he knew that if the situation were reversed, KId would not only expect Heyes to leave and find Evie, he would go with him to help and watch his back. "No. No I wouldn't."
"Then how can you expect me to stay here when not only Livvy but my daughter are out there alone. We don't have any idea what Ramsey is capable of. He could use them as bait to draw us out or anything. I need to get to them, Heyes. I need to find Livvy so we can all disappear until things calm down. And I need to find her before she disappears with my baby to some place where I can't find her at all."
Heyes turned his eyes to his sweet Evie. She had to be his priority now. She was what mattered most. They had endured so much to be together. He was not going to risk it now because of Kids fears that Livvy might run from him. He and Kid had discussed splitting up briefly when they had first went straight in hopes of getting an amnesty. Kid was afraid his reputation with a gun would hinder Heyes in getting it. But Heyes had shot the idea down quickly. At the time they were all each other had. There was no question they would stick together no matter what. But now...
"Kid I don't expect you to stay. But you can't expect me leave either. I know there was a time when we would have had each others backs no matter what. But if Livvy and Gabbie were here and safe and Evie was the one still out there, I wouldn't expect you to leave them and risk your own safety to go with me either. If you decide to leave Kid," Heyes paused and looked deeply into his partner's eyes, "I'm sorry but I can't go with you."
Evie could see the momentary hurt in Kid's face and then the resignation. He simply nodded his head in understanding. "I guess I'll head out in the morning then. The longer I stay here the greater my chances of losing Livvy and Gabbie.
Evangeline couldn't believe this was happening. The two people she thought of as a pair of gloves, two things that simply did not work without the two of them being together, were going to go their separate ways. She could not let it happen.
"Now wait a minute. Nobody's going anywhere until I have a say. You two just do not work without each other. And are you forgetting the fact that we are family. And family just doesn't leave family."
"I cannot stay here, Evie. You heard Heyes. If you were out there he'd be gone already. And I don't blame him for not coming with me. It puts you and him in danger. To be honest I'll probably have a better chance of not being recognized if I'm alone."
"Are you crazy? The two of you have been the most celebrated citizens of Cheyenne for weeks now. Everybody know what you look like. Do you really think that Clayton has not offered a reward for the two of you? Every man in the territory will be after you."
"Maybe so. But that's a risk I've got to take."
"You're not much good to either Livvy or Gabbie if you're dead, Kid. I think you should stay here at least a couple of weeks. Let things settle down a little before you head out," Heyes reasoned.
Kid looked at the ground a moment, contemplating his choices. "No. You know you'd already be gone Heyes if the situation was reversed."
Heyes couldn't really say anything because he knew Kid was right. Evie however had plenty to say.
"This makes me so angry! The two of you have done absolutely nothing wrong. You haven't committed any crimes and here we are on the run once again, hiding in caves not knowing what the future is going to hold. And now the two of you are considering splitting up! Well, one things for sure. When Clayton Ramsey, Jr. says he'll do something he certainly does it. He said he'd make sure you were blamed for crimes you didn't even commit. And now here you stand, accused of something as bad as attempted murder, when he's the one who's a......"
The boys looked at her in confusion, waiting for her to finish her rant. But she stood there silently with her brows drawn together in concentration. Her sudden, sharp intake of breath told them she had found what she was searching for in her brain. She looked at the two men in front of her with her mouth agape.
"What is it? What's the matter?" Heyes asked.
"I remember. I remember everything."
Heyes came to her and grasped her shoulders. "What do you remember? Tell me everything."
"The night before the fire, Clayton was gone so I went downstairs to the kitchen thinking that everyone was gone. But Clay was there. He was sitting in the dark all alone. He was as sober as a judge too when he told me everything."
"What did he tell you?"
"He's a murderer."
"Clay is a murderer?" Heyes asked skeptically.
"No, his father is. He murdered Clay's friend Nicholas and he murdered Clay's mother. And his sister Megan was witness to it."
"Is that why she went mad?"
"She isn't mad. She's kept sedated with some sort of drug so that she appears to be mad. Clayton pays the doctor that I met to keep her in a perpetual state of delirium."
"Dr. Milton Graves?"
"That's him."
"I'm sure that whatever you ingested is the same thing he uses to keep Ramsey's daughter from
spilling the beans. This changes everything."
"What's our next move, Heyes," Kid asked.
"Did I hear you say 'our' move?" Heyes asked his partner.
"Yeah. If that girl's a witness to her father murdering her mother, then it seems to me all we need to do is get her away from that doctor and let her tell the truth. This might be our only chance to clear our names and put Ramsey where he belongs...in jail. I figure that's more important than following after Livvy right now."
"Where does he keep his daughter?"
"She's in Riverton at Clayton's estate."
"I guess that answers your question, Kid. Our next move is to go to Riverton and do some real kidnapping. We have to get that girl away from that doctor and get her sobered up so she can tell what she saw."
"We can head to Porterville after we have her and she can tell Lom. And I can find Livvy while we're there."
"Sounds like a perfect plan, gentleman. So I guess our next stop is Riverton?"
"No, our first stop will be to find you some shoes," Heyes said. "Then we head to Riverton."
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