Jimmy cast Kid a disgusted 'I'll deal with you later' glance. "Do you always have to make those snide remarks, Kid"?

Harvey closed in on their camp. Clicking back the hammer, he moved towards Jimmy. Lou looked down at the ground as the tall man began stepping around her. He stopped with his forceful stature over her and peered bitterly down. "You know, I don't like the idea of living in a country where a woman can shoot a man and get away with it. My arm is gunna take a long time to heal." He grinned devilishly. "Course then, you ain't exactly what I'd call a woman."

Enrage steamed up inside of Lou, but her erect countenance showed nothing. He deliberately kicked her as he stepped in front of Jimmy. Kid started to grab his gun, which he knew would probably be a futile attempt. Instantly Harvey had moved with lightning speed and Kid had second thoughts about the whole idea when Harvey's gun found its way into his face.

Harvey Cutter looked at him in a mocking scolding manner. "I really wouldn't try anything if I was you. Never know who might die next." He snickered.

Pursing his lips, Kid backed down. He inched closer to Lou.

"Don't you think that we've had enough games for right now"? Jimmy asked crossing his arms.

Cutter seemed quite provoked by the statement. "Is that all you think this is, Hickok. Or have you grown extremely stupid over these last few years? Somehow I remember you having more sense. Course when I knew you, you weren't the famous 'Wild Bill' either. Funny how fame can change a man."

Jimmy shrugged. "Could be. But at least my stupidity don't go causing me to strangle innocent people."

Harvey laughed. "Well, if you needed this information for the South like I do, you might try anything."

There was a bewildered expression on Jimmy's face as he took in the facts his old friend had just thrown in his face. He didn't try to hide it. Harvey Cutter stealing military secrets for the South!?

Kid moved hesitantly forward. "Is that what this was about? We're carrying something for the North and you want to steal it for the South"?

Seeming quite pleased with himself, Harvey chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't have said it like that exactly, but if that's what you want to say, OK. Seems this war causes people to pay high prices for valuable pieces of information. But I honestly didn't believe that you wouldn't even know what you had....sure makes my job easy!" He laughed in a distasteful manner, which caused all three of the riders to shudder.

Lou glanced up at him, wanting to say anything to stop his horrible racket. "We ain't allowed to open it, nor do we ask questions. Our job is to deliver the mail, not pass it on to low-life Southern sympathizers."

Jimmy and Kid both closed their eyes in frustration. There were some times when Lou could have held back. This was unmistakably one of them.

Seeing the anger build inside of him, Jimmy quickly tried to distract him before he lashed out at Lou. "How come you tried to get the document last night before we'd stopped in St. Joe to get it? That doesn't make sense, Harvey."

"Let's just say my contact wasn't reliable. Now where is it"?

Jimmy stood up, and the two men were eye to eye. "I can't give it to you and you know that."

Harvey was half-heartedly apologetic. "I'm sorry to hear that. Now it means that I'll have to be more forceful." Without hesitation, Harvey fired a shot to graze Hickok's arm. Jimmy winced, and doubled over slightly. Pain shot up through him. With strained effort he pushed himself back up. This was not a fight that he was going to give into.

"Jimmy!" Kid and Lou cried in unison.

"I still can't let you have it." Jimmy stood his ground. Stubborn perseverance was going to win out on this one.

Cutter shrugged, undisturbed by the lack of cooperation. "OK, James, if that's how you want it. I'll just keep going." He pulled his weapon up and took another shot.

Jimmy turned in time to hear Kid yelp in pain. That was the last straw. Without thinking, Hickok jumped at Harvey using all of his weight to knock him off of his feet. A shot rang out and Jimmy expected to feel pain once again. Instead he was relieved to see that the gun had been tossed a few feet away.

Lou seized the opportunity of the two men's struggle to take a dive for the gun. She was enraged. First he tried to kill her, then he shot Jimmy, and proceeded to shoot Kid....it would be stopped there. "Hold it!" She ordered. Even though it was dark, Jimmy could almost see the anger coming from her eyes. He had only heard her use that tone of voice one other time, and that had been enough for him.

"Get down on the ground....now!" She moved closer to him. Jimmy slowly backed away. "Give me one good excuse why I shouldn't fire gun this right here."

"Lou, let me take it." Kid said soothingly as he braced his wounded arm.

She reluctantly turned to him. "Are you alright"? He nodded affirmatively and gently took her arm, forcing her to hand over the gun. "I'll be fine. Come on, we need to take him in."

Jimmy began tying Harvey. He figured it was time they knew the truth of his old friend's past. The secret had been hidden long enough. "Kid, Lou, I think there's something that I guess I should tell you."

Take me to Part Seven!