Heyes gave Gardner a malevolent smile that didn’t reach his eyes, which glittered with a fury that even Curry had rarely seen.  His hand gripped his gun firmly, his finger tense on the trigger, and Curry was concerned that he meant to kill Gardner.

“Joshua…” he said quietly, his tone cautionary.

Heyes briefly flicked his gaze to Curry, who shook his head.

“Don’t…” he said softly. Aside from the fact that Heyes disliked violence and had never killed anyone, if he were to kill Gardner now not only would that put their chance for amnesty at risk but Curry knew that Heyes, in the cold light of retrospection, would never forgive himself for committing a cold blooded act of murder. 

For a long moment, nobody moved.  Gardner trembled with fear at the murderous look in Heyes’ eyes while Curry held his breath as he watched Heyes struggle with the dilemma of whether or not to pull the trigger.

In a sudden move, he released the trigger and thrust the gun angrily at Curry, slamming it against his chest, Curry just managing to catch it before it fell to the floor.  Both Curry and Gardner gave mental sighs of relief, albeit for different reasons.  Then, before either had chance to take stock, Heyes turned and swung a hefty blow to Gardner’s jaw that sent him sprawling to the ground, dazed.

He stood over him, his fists clenched, and Curry could tell he was contemplating whether to give Gardner the same treatment that he had given to him.

“He’s not worth it, Joshua… Leave it…” Curry said quietly, hoping Heyes would heed his words.

As he watched, he saw Heyes' fists unclench, and his fury release in a shuddering sigh. He could tell he was still angry, but the irrational fury that had temporarily possessed him had subsided.

“We need him, to take us to his sister.” Curry said now, trying to focus Heyes’ attention on the matter in hand.

After a moment, where Curry could see him trying to bring some rationality to his thoughts, he nodded.  Curry breathed a sigh of relief.

“Let’s take him back to the hotel.” he said now, returning Heyes' gun to him.

He bent to haul Gardner to his feet, removing his gun from his holster and putting it in his own. Then, holding tightly to one arm, he put his own gun under Gardner’s jacket and pressed the barrel into his back and then marched him back towards the hotel, Heyes following a few paces behind, his dark eyes full of malevolence.

“Not a word.” Curry warned him as they entered the hotel and headed upstairs, trying to make it look like they were three friends having been out for the night.

Once inside the room, Heyes crossed to the window and stood with his back to them, looking out, still too angry to even look at Gardner.

“Help me tie him up.” Curry instructed, unwilling to put his gun down until Gardner was safely secured.

Heyes mentally shook himself and got some rope from their belongings.  Curry pushed Gardner down onto a chair and Heyes began to tie his hands and feet to it.

Once he was securely tied, Curry gagged him with his bandana.

“I don’t want to hear a peep out of you.” he told him, “Not if you value the lives of your brothers and your sister. Do you understand?”

Gardner scowled at him but gave a nod of compliance.

“Right.  We’ll set off for El Paso tomorrow.” he told them.

Now that Gardner was securely tied up, Heyes turned, abruptly, and left the room without a word.”

With a glower at Gardner, to warn him to heed his words about not making a sound, Curry followed, locking the door and heading downstairs after him. 

He found him outside, his hands spread on the railing at the front of the hotel, staring blankly ahead, his expression unreadable.

Curry moved to stand alongside him.  Heyes didn’t acknowledge his presence.

Presently, Curry said, “How did you find us?”

Heyes gave a deep sigh.

“I woke up.  It was dark.  You weren’t there, so I guessed you’d gone out to get supper.  I looked out of the window and saw you come out of the saloon and go around the side.  I wondered what you were waiting for… then I saw him… I saw you follow him… I was worried… so I followed behind…”

“He said his sister is in El Paso, but Briscoe couldn’t provide the whereabouts so we need him to take us to her.” Curry explained.  “Their family are from El Paso but he and his brother, Eric, went to prison for a while, for cattle rustlin’, and afterwards they moved away.  Briscoe couldn’t say where to, but, when they ambushed us, I remember Gardner saying that he had been watching you while we were here, so I guessed he might be living here. I decided to hang out at the saloon.  If he was living here, it was a sure bet he’d turn up there sooner or later.  Luckily, it was sooner.”

“Gardner.” Heyes said presently, “That his name?”

Yeah, Jake Gardner.  The other guy that was with them, Eric, is his brother.  Their eldest brother, Michael, is in El Paso and I guess the sister, Mary, is with him.  Briscoe said that when they went to court for cattle rustlin’ Michael wouldn’t stand up for them, so I guess they either fell out over it, or maybe they chose to move away to spare the family name or somethin’.”

“I can’t imagine him wanting to spare anyone’s reputation.” growled Heyes, “More likely they threw ‘em out.”

“Dunno.” said Curry, “But he knows where they are, so we need him to take us there... Preferably in one piece.”  he added, glancing across at Heyes, who was still staring out into the darkness,  “Are you O.K. with that?” he asked anxiously. Even though Heyes wasn’t, by nature, a violent man, preferring a words rather than war approach to conflict, it didn’t mean that he wasn’t capable of violence if circumstances dictated it. Curry knew only too well the darkness he kept buried deep within him, since the murder of their parents while they were still children, and what he was capable of when crossed, or his sense of justice and fair play were affronted, and was concerned, given the treatment he’d received at Jake’s hands, and the reasons behind it, that Heyes was struggling to contain that darkness and that it might explode, unpredictably, into violence.

Heyes said nothing for several minutes, as he wrestled with his emotions.

​

Presently, he bowed his head and let out a sigh, before giving a nod.

Curry reached out to put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Come on then, let’s get some sleep.” he said, steering him back inside the hotel, praying that Heyes would indeed be able to keep a lid on his anger and resentment towards Jake, and Mary’s attacker, until, if, they were able to clear his name.

*    *    *

They set off for El Paso shortly after dawn the next morning, before there were many people around who might spot their departure. 

Curry first went out to get a horse for Gardner to ride and to collect their own.

On his way back, with all the horses, he stopped off at the front desk to pay the hotel bill so that they could leave without any delay.

They untied Gardner and ushered him downstairs in the same fashion they’d  brought him in the previous night, with Curry’s gun pressed surreptitiously to his back.  He had stored Gardner’s gun in his own saddlebags for the time being, as an extra precaution.

Once mounted up, Curry and Heyes flanked Gardner’s horse, to prevent him making an escape, and they rode sedately out of town.

Once out of sight of the town Curry had tied Gardner’s hands behind his back and then led his horse, just to make sure he didn’t try to make an escape.

Heyes moved to ride a few yards off to the side of Curry, not wanting to be anywhere near Jake Gardner.

They rode until midday, mostly in silence.  Gardner was wary of risking any retribution from his captors, and Heyes was busy with the combined effort of trying not to look as uncomfortable in the saddle as he felt and to keep his desire to beat Gardner to a pulp under control. Curry, seated in between them was afraid to antagonize either, and so made little attempt at conversation.

At midday, they stopped by a narrow stream to give the horses a chance to drink while they ate.

Curry untied Gardner and signalled for him to dismount and to sit down on the ground, while Heyes went to refill their canteens.

They ate a brief lunch of cold meat, biscuits and fruit, before Curry told Gardner to get back on his horse and tied his hands behind him. Then they set off once more.

By the time they made camp that evening, the atmosphere was strained and Curry wasn’t relishing another three days of travelling in virtual silence.

After they’d eaten, Curry tied Gardner up securely for the night.

Heyes, tired and in pain after a second day in the saddle, rolled out his bedroll and in minutes was asleep.

Curry sat for some time, watching them both and wondering what was going to happen when they reached El Paso.

*    *    *

It was early evening on the fourth day of travelling when they arrived in El Paso.

All of them were weary, not only physically, but mentally too, after the laborious journey in virtual silence.

Curry decided they should get a hotel room for the night rather than have Gardner take them straight to his sister, so that they could be fresh for whatever the meeting might bring. He himself was weary, not only from the travelling but also because of the strained atmosphere that had perpetuated the journey, Heyes having virtually retreated into himself and Gardner sullen and uncommunicative. Heyes looked exhausted, the long journey having taken its toll on his battered body, so a night in a hotel bed would do him, and Curry too, the world of good.

Curry went in to book a room while Heyes waited outside on their horses with Gardner.

Once again, they ushered him up to the room with Curry’s gun pressed surreptitiously to his back and after giving him the last of their food, for supper, they once again tied him up and gagged him.

Curry suggested he and Heyes go over to the restaurant across the street, to get themselves a cooked meal but Heyes, aching and feeling nauseous after another day in the saddle, declined, so Curry left him to it and after taking their horses up to the livery he went to the restaurant alone.

After his supper, he went over to the saloon, feeling in need of a drink, not just to wash the travel dust out of his throat, but to sooth his jangled nerves. The last four days hadn’t been easy, on any of them, and he felt the need to relax for a while and prepare for whatever tomorrow would bring.

When he got back to their hotel room, Heyes and Gardner were both asleep.

​

With a sigh he undressed an got into bed and in minutes was asleep himself.

Early the next morning, Curry took Heyes over to the town’s newest Bath House and paid for them to get hot baths and a shave and get their clothes laundered, to make themselves presentable after four days on the road.

Afterwards, they went back to the hotel to release Gardner and then took him over to the restaurant with them for a late breakfast.  Personally, Heyes would have preferred to let him starve but had acknowledged that they needed to keep him in relatively good shape if he was to show them where his sister was and so didn’t object when Curry suggested they pay for his breakfast for him.

They sat at a corner table and Curry made sure Gardner was closest to the wall and then sat down next to him.  Heyes sat opposite Curry.

“How far is it to where your sister is?” Curry asked Gardner as they ate.

“About four miles west of town.” Gardner reluctantly replied.

“Good.  Shouldn’t take us too long to get there then.” Curry glanced across at Heyes, but his gaze was fixed somewhat apprehensively on his plate.

They finished eating and headed to the livery to get their horses.

“O.K.  Lead the way.” Curry told Gardner.  They hadn’t tied his hands now that they’d arrived in town, but Curry still had his gun and Gardner knew, if he tried to make an escape, they would run him down, so he turned his horse and set off at a slow trot in a westerly direction.

Exchanging glances, Curry and Heyes followed.

Half an hour later, Gardner slowed his horse to a stop.

Curry and Heyes brought their horses alongside and followed his gaze to a ranch half a mile ahead.

“Is that it?” asked Curry.

Gardner nodded,  “That’s my brother’s ranch.”

“And that’s where your sister is?”

Gardner nodded again, his expression hardening as he remembered why they were here.    Over the past few days, on the trail, he’d had to admit that neither of these guys seemed like the type of person who would do that to a woman.  After what he’d done to the one who called himself Smith, if it had been him, he would have taken his revenge on him, but, despite the anger he could sense in him, Smith had kept his council and, apart from the night they’d captured him, he hadn’t laid a finger on him.  But he did fit the description of the guy who had attacked his sister and he too was keen to see what his sister would say when she saw him.  If she would see him.  What he would do if she confirmed that he was indeed her attacker, he hadn’t yet considered, but he was certain that he wouldn’t leave the ranch alive.