Thief of My Heart (Watty Awards Finalist 2012)

Chapter 13

Kid Curry climbed out of the stagecoach and was greeted by a grim faced Pat McCreedy.  

"Big Mac?  What are you doing here in Buckton?"   Kid extended his leather gloved hand to the robust older gentleman who he had come to call his friend.  He was one of few people who knew who he and Heyes really were.  Something must be wrong or he wouldn't be here.   "Any word from Heyes?"

Mac eyed Kid over the rim of his small round spectacles.  "No.  No word yet.    I came here to meet you. I've got something to show you."

Kid didn't like the sound of that.  Mac looked serious.  He just had a bad feeling. 

"I came here in my own private coach as soon as I got your telegram.  I knew you wouldn't be able to get a stage to Alpine so I came to get you myself.  Riding to Alpine on horseback will take too long and I don't know how much time we can spare."   They climbed aboard the waiting coach.  Once inside Mac threw a newspaper onto the empty seat beside Kid.  "Read that article on the front page."

Kid picked up the paper and read silently to himself.  The ex-outlaw froze for a moment , then slowly raised his blue gaze to the older man in the seat opposite him.  "What are we waiting for, get this thing moving,"  Kid said impatiently.

"I've already got you a horse with gear and supplies ready to go at the livery in Alpine.  We should get there by day break."

He knew it.  He just knew it.  Heyes was in trouble.  That article told about a group of deadly outlaws who were in the area.  Posses were out looking for them but they hadn't  had any luck yet. These men were murderers and rapists and thieves.  They had already murdered one family and taken their young daughter captive.  No one had heard from the girl since.  Then they had attacked a traveling circus, killing everyone except two teenaged girls.  One of the girls was found miles away, raped and murdered.  The other was still missing.  If Heyes had happened upon them.... Kid didn't even want to think about what they might do to him.  If they would kill women and children they wouldn't think twice about gunning down a lone man.  Especially an armed man like Heyes.  

Kid tried to sleep in the private coach as it made its way toward Alpine over very rough and rocky land.  But it wasn't really the rough ride that kept him awake, he'd slept through rougher rides than this before.  No, it was the nagging feeling deep in his gut that Heyes needed help that kept him from getting any rest.  "Can't this thing go any faster?"  he barked out as he took his hat off and slammed it angrily  onto the empty seat beside him.  Mac didn't reply, knowing Kid Curry was just anxious for his friend's safety.  And to tell the truth so was he.

They arrived in Alpine just as the sun began to rise.  He wasted no time, and headed straight for the livery. He checked the gear and supplies Mac had ordered for him and found he had everything he thought he'd need including a rifle with extra ammo and extra ammo for his Colt .45.  He was mounting the big dark brown bay gelding when Mac arrived at the stable behind him.  "You find him.  I want both of you boys back here  safe, you hear?"

Kid knew he and Heyes had come to mean alot to the older man and he could hear the concern in his voice.  "I'm going to do my best, Mac.  I just hope I'm not too late."

Mac watched as Kid Curry rode north towards the Trans Pecos.  The sun was rising in the east.  He had a long and treacherous trail ahead of him, and he was going on no sleep.  But if anybody could find Heyes it was the Kid.

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Kid rode almost nonstop.  He'd rode the horse pretty hard, stopping only long enough to check the ground for tracks.  So far he'd only come across a few wagon tracks that appeared to be  weeks old.  And the further north he rode the soggier the ground became.  If there had been tracks here they had been washed away by the torrential rains.  Riding terrain like this after such a heavy rain was dangerous.    A gulch or ravine might appear out of nowhere and he'd ride right into it.  But he was not going to stop.  He'd keep going as long as he and this animal could go one more mile.   Every mile north was hopefully a mile closer to Heyes.   He hadn't been this worried about his friend since he'd taken that bullet to the head back in Hollistown.  But even that was different than this.  Then he could see Heyes and knew he was alive, even if he was injured.  This time he had no idea where he was, if he was hurt, or if he was even alive.  That scared the pants off of him.  What would he do if he found Heyes dead,  or what if he never found him at all.  He searched for hours, until the sun was getting low in the sky.  It would be dark in a few hours.  When it got dark out here, he'd have no choice but to stop.  Everybody knew the skies in southwest Texas were the darkest skies the good Lord had ever placed in the heavens.  But as soon as the sun rose again he would continue to search.  No matter how long it took or how far he had to go, he wouldn't give up.    As he watched the sun begin its descent behind the western mountains,  Kid Curry did something he hadn't done in many years.  He prayed.