The Deadly Document - Part 5

Heyes crossed the street and was about to enter the hotel when he heard a gun click to his right.  Slowly turning his head, he saw Strutford standing not a foot away.

“How you doing, old friend?” he said, putting an arm around Heyes’ shoulder and a gun against his side.  “Let’s go have a little chat.”  Heyes walked along the boardwalk, feeling the gun pressing into his ribs, Strutford matching his stride step for step.

“You know, you don’t have to do this,” Heyes assured him as they headed down the boardwalk.

“Yeah, I do.” Strutford said.  “I’m not gonna be squeezed by a couple of cheap chiselers.”  They arrived at a hotel and Strutford marched Heyes through the lobby and up the stairs.

“I thought we offered you a fair deal,” Heyes said as Strutford pushed him into his room.  Then he felt his head explode and everything went black.

****

Strutford didn’t show up first.  And neither did Heyes.  Tara sat miserably quiet on the bed, her gun lying beside her, as Curry paced up and down the room, stopping to look out the window at the street below for any sign of his partner.  It had been nearly half an hour, and he had seen neither hair nor hide of Heyes or Strutford.  Curry was thinking hard on what to do next.

There was a knock on the door.  Curry stopped dead in his pacing.  He turned from the door to Tara, pointing for her to take up her gun and be ready.  He loosed his gun in his holster, then asked who it was.  The same young boy’s voice from the day before answered he had a message.

In one blurred movement, Curry swung open the door, grabbed the boy and whipped him into the room, slamming the door behind him and drawing his gun.  “Wow,” the boy breathed.

“Where’s my friend?” Curry said chillingly.  The boy’s expression immediately changed from one of intense awe to abject fear.

“I don’t know, mister, really I don’t!” the kid stammered.  “This man just gave me $1 to deliver this message to you, and to bring back your answer.”  The boy’s terrified glance moved slowly from Kid’s eyes to the gun he held.  It seemed like an eternity before Curry spoke.

“All right.” He said quietly, holstering his gun.  “Let me have the message.”  The boy handed it to him, eyeing the door.  But Curry had his foot up against it, so he just stood rock still and waited.  Curry finished reading the note, looked up at the boy, then pulled the door open.

“Wait outside.”  The boy wasted no time in exiting the room.  Curry thoughtfully shut the door behind him.

“What is it?” Tara asked quietly.  Curry was grateful to hear her control the fear in her voice.  He was feeling a bit frightful himself.

“Strutford wants the boy to deliver the document to him.  Then he says he’ll let Heyes go.”  Curry said.  Tara was thinking that Strutford would betray his word and kill Heyes, a thought that was not far removed from Curry’s own.

“Can you follow the boy back to Strutford?” Tara asked.  Curry nodded.

“I figure that’s what I’ll have to do.  Strutford might be expecting me.  But I’ll have to play my hand as it is when I get there.”  Curry motioned for Tara to sit by the window.  “I want you to watch the boy when he leaves and let me know what direction he’s gone in.”  Tara nodded.

Curry picked up the phony, blank telegram the boy had delivered the last time, which was still lying on the table.  He folded it up then swung open the door.  The boy jumped back as though he were listening at the door, a startled look on his face.

“Here ya go.” Curry said, handing him the paper.  The boy took it and shoved it deep in his pants pocket then ran down the hall.  Curry turned to Tara, nodded, then slipped out and quietly shut the door behind him.  He crept down the hall to the stairs in time to see the boy exit the hotel.  Curry hurried after him.

Tara hid behind the curtain and waited for the boy to appear.  He finally did and crossed the street, going down an alley on the other side.  Curry appeared below the window moments later, and Tara pointed him in the right direction. 

“Good luck,” she whispered, watching him follow after the boy.

Heavily she sat back down on the bed, the gun in her hand.  How could she have let them get into this trouble for her?  She did give them fair warning, but they seemed determined to help her, and she really thought they could.  She prayed no harm would come to them.

But Strutford, something had to be done about him.  Her body tensed as hot anger consumed her.  She would never be safe as long as he was alive.  And he had to pay, pay for what he did to her father, pay for what he was doing to her new friends.  Somehow, she would make him pay.

*****


 Curry followed the boy down a back alley, up a second one and finally into a hotel further down the main street.  He watched him climb the stairs, then quickly went up after him.  He walked down a hallway and came to another where half way along he saw the boy knocking at a room door.  Curry flattened himself against the wall, waiting for the boy to return.  In moments he did, not looking behind him, and scurried away down the stairs.

Okay, so I know which room is his, Curry thought.  What do I do now?  

*****
 


“I tried to tell ya,” Heyes said.  He was tied to a chair, Strutford pacing before him with the paper the boy delivered in his hand

“Then why didn’t he say so,” Strutford growled, waving the blank note.

“He’s not gonna tell ya what he’s gonna do.”  Heyes shook his head.   “But he’ll bring that document to the sheriff, sure as shooting, if I’m not back in oh, I guess you got about 20 minutes.” Heyes said confidently.

Strutford glared at Heyes, trying to see in to him.  But Heyes wore his best poker face, and Strutford could glean nothing.  He couldn’t take the chance.  He needed that document.

“So you misplayed your hand,” Heyes said gently.  “No harm done.  You let me go, and we’ll make the exchange later.”  Heyes waited, hoping the bluff would work.  He kept his expression.

“Why don’t you shut up,” Strutford warned him.  “You better hope your friend doesn’t go to the sheriff.  If he does, he’ll never see you again.”

*****

Curry made up his mind.  Strutford knew by now that he hadn’t sent a message, and he couldn’t wait any longer to find out what he might do to Heyes.  He silently made his way along the hallway and stopped before Strutford’s door.  He could hear two voices; he realized with relief that one of them was Heyes’.  With a deep breath, he slowly turned the knob, then pulled his gun from its holster and pushed open the door.

Heyes was tied in a chair, and Strutford stood before him.  He had no time to draw his gun with Curry’s already pointed at him.
 


“Now why wasn’t I invited to the party?”  Curry asked, shutting the door behind him.  “Untie him,” he motioned Strutford with his gun.  “You all right Joshua?”

“Wonderful.  We were just having a little chat.”  Heyes said as Strutford stepped back from freeing his hands. “Our friend here was thinking of changing the deal.”

“But I suppose now he’s changed his mind,” Curry said softly, his gun still focused on him.

“Did Tara give the sheriff the document yet like I told her?” Heyes asked.

“She was just about on her way when I came looking for you.” Curry bolstered the bluff.  “We got 10 minutes to call her off.”

“What shall we do Mr. Strutford?” Heyes asked smiling.  “I wouldn’t mind the sheriff having your document, but that $2,000 is kinda appealing.”  Strutford looked like he would burst a vessel, his face red with anger.

“Or are we still on at the old cabin?”  Heyes continued pleasantly.

“I’ll be there.”

“Great!  Looking forward to it.”  Heyes and Curry quickly quit the room.

 “I told him you and Tara would bring the document to the sheriff if I wasn’t back in an hour.” Heyes explained as they hurried down the stairs.  “He didn’t believe me at first, until you arrived.  What was on the note you sent him? 

And how’d you know where I was?”

“I gave him the fake telegraph.  And I followed the boy back here.”
 
 “You know Kid, I’m impressed.  I must be rubbing off on you.”  Heyes grinned.  “So we’re on as originally planned at the cabin in one hour.”

“Think he has any more tricks up his sleeve?” Curry asked.

“We’re just gonna have to wait and find out.”

Tara is turning out to be a stronger woman than she first appeared.  I'm wondering how long it'll be before she goes after Strutford herself.  Heyes has also underestimated his opponent and nearly paid a heavy price for it.

Great chapter, things are truly in motion.
Heyes pays for his initial mistake of asking for too little money, but true to form he recovers and uses his silver tongue as if he still held the upper hand.
Kid gets some nice action (not just a quick draw; I loved all the blurry action you put into a moment), but you don't reduce him to action man.
You show how well the boys work together, even when apart, Kid unknowingly following Heyes' timeline (and Heyes knowing not just that but also when his partner will show up) and then supporting his bluff without losing a beat.
And in all this you even manage to let them keep their outwardly friendly demeanor and humour. I loved Kid's line: "Now why wasn’t I invited to the party?"
I also loved the way you let Heyes thank his partner, it's so much in character "“You know Kid, I’m impressed.  I must be rubbing off on you.”  Heyes grinned.". You really have the boys down to a t.
Somehow I don't believe that the boys are just going to wait to find out if Strutford has finally given in (and I doubt he has).
Tara shows some interesting development too. While she was alone, she was simply scared and running. With the boys, some hope entered. Now that she feels responsible for the boys being in trouble she doesn't go all weepy, instead she finds some backbone and anger. Good for her! Somehow I think she'll get out of this a stronger woman, not just a needy thing who needed rescuing.
BTW, do I get points for spotting a blooper? I believe there are two "Heyes" too many in this chapter (not that there could ever be too much Heyes...). I know the boys have the unfortunate habit in the series to blurt out each others real names, usually in front of temporarily deaf lawmen. But judging from the lack of Tara's reaction to the new name for Joshua, you did not intend for Kid to follow this habit. Am I right?
"“Strutford wants the boy to deliver the document to him.  Then he says he’ll let Heyes go.”  Curry said.  Tara was thinking that Strutford would betray his word and kill Heyes, a thought that was not far removed from Curry’s own."

Wow, what can I add to Stepha3nie's comments?  She's come close to covering the whole thing.  I had a feeling that Heyes was going to run into trouble before getting back to the hotel room and he sure did.  Strutford is no fool he he has no idea who he is up against and that is certainly in the boys' favour.

Agree with the previous comments here that Tara is coming into her own.  So nice to find a young woman who has some backbone and isn't going all wimpy on us.  So great character development there.

Quite enjoying this.  On to the last chapter.

I like the way you write the Kid.  Some people make him much dimmer than Heyes and I never thought that he was.  He was a brain and uses his strategic thinking to great effect in this chapter.  Another great chapter.

Thanks - I really appreciate your comments.  Glad you are enjoying the story !