Chapter 5: A Hero's Price

Jimmy burst into the hotel room. Kid fumbled for his gun. “Jimmy!” Kid seemed surprised to see him. “You find that letter?” Jimmy asked. “No” Kid looked at all the papers and clothes around him. “This could take hours. Someone made a real mess of this place. “Nevermind.” Jimmy seemed excited and impatient. “It’s not here anyway.” He said to a confused Kid. “How do you figure?” Kid asked. “Come on.” Jimmy was out the door before Kid even had a chance to respond. Kid slipped his gun back into his holster and hurried to catch up to Jimmy. Jimmy and Kid headed up the stairs of the three story white house that they had enjoyed dinner in on their first night in Fort Smith. “Oh well this is a pleasant surprise!” Mrs. Mackenzie greeted the boys at the door. “Come in. I’ve just put on a pot of tea.” “I’m afraid this time we’re here on business.” Jimmy pushed past her. Kid followed. “Where is he?” Jimmy commanded. “Tobias is out.” She seemed worried. The seriousness in Jimmy’s voice scared her. “Where’d he go?” Kid asked. “I don’t know.” She looked like she was going to start crying. Kid suddenly felt bad for bullying her. “You boys looking for me?” The Marshal came in from the back door. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Cody stormed out of the stables. Rachel and Lou knew right away that something was wrong as he strode to the bunkhouse muttering to himself. “I’ll go talk to him.” Lou offered. Rachel nodded. “Come on Zeke.” She looked down at the scruffy brown and white dog who was more than happy to follow her back into the kitchen. Lou caught up with Cody at the bunkhouse. “How was Rock Creek?” “I’d rather not talk about it Lou.” Cody snapped at her unnecessarily. “Fine.” Lou was ruffled by Cody’s coldness. She headed back to the main house. “So how’d it go.” Rachel inquired. “I dunno what’s eatin’ him.” Lou replied. “I guess something upset him in Rock Creek.” She grabbed a biscuit off the table. Biting into it she went back outside. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Fort Smith’s Marshal was shocked by the story he had just been told. Kid looked at Jimmy, then back at Marshal Toby Mackenzie. “Well?” Kid asked. “Yes.” He thought, then he added slowly. “I will help you. I think I know where to start.” He was still coming to grips with the information he had been told, his words came slow and heavy. “There is a house just outside town.” He looked at his wife who decided it was best if she left the room. “That is where the girl will be.” The Marshal looked up at Kid then at Jimmy. “You are absolutely certain about this?” “Yes.” Jimmy nodded. “Show us this house.” Before leaving the house the Marshal brought Kid and Jimmy over to his gun cabinet. Each picked a rifle in addition to their six gun. “If you’re right. Then they will be well armed.” Turning to his wife as they left he called. “Lock the doors and windows. Don’t answer for anyone. Even friends are enemies right now.” She nodded. Even though she didn’t know what was going on, she knew it was serious. She started locking as the three men left. They rode for about twenty minutes. Ahead they could see the house. A stream of light from the open door way formed a path, under the night sky. Jimmy could hear them yelling at the girl, hitting her. This infuriated him. He felt like charging in there guns blazing. But, he knew better. The three men took their places in the overgrown brush surrounding the house. “We move in on the count of three.” The Marshal tried to run things the way he would with deputies. “One..two..” Jimmy Hickcock saw a man emerge from the house. With a roar of the Henry rifle he had picked at Marshal Mackenzie’s home, the man fell to the ground. A shot was fired from inside the house, skimming the ground by Jimmy’s feet. He ducked back into the bushes for cover. Marshal Mackenzie fired at a figure by the window of the house. The window shattered. A man inside cleared the remaining glass from the sill with the butt of his rifle and returned fire. Mackenzie fired again. This time he had found his mark, the man by the window fell. Jimmy moved in closer to the house. Kid fired at the men as Jimmy ran. Slowly Kid tried to move in close to where Jimmy was. Marshal Mackenzie stayed further behind. A bullet tore its way into Jimmy’s thigh. He muttered a curse and pulled himself to cover. “You okay?” Kid called to him. “Yeah.” Jimmy winced. He stopped to reload his pearl-handled Smith and Wesson American .44 Kid aimed the Winchester rifle at the men in the house, squeezing the trigger. They retaliated with a volley of gunfire. “This isn’t working Jimmy.” Kid shouted, tossing the now empty rifle aside for his trusty Colt Peacemaker. “Yeah.” Jimmy was fighting the throbbing burning in his leg. “I’m going in.” Kid announced confidently. “Kid no.” Jimmy protested. “These men are trained gunfighters. You’ll never make it.” “Maybe not.” Kid said thoughtfully. “But I gotta try.” Jimmy knew the determined look on Kid’s face all too well. He knew there was nothing he could say to stop him. He muttered curses to himself as Kid ran towards the house dodging bullets, and dragged himself to his feet. Marshal Mackenzie had made it down to where Jimmy had taken cover. “You’re shot.” The Marshal observed with concern. “I’m fine.” Jimmy didn’t like pity. “Cover me.” He demanded, as he hobbled up to the house. The gunplay for the moment had subsided. Jimmy broke into a run seeing a crumpled Kid leaning up against the side of the house. “Kid!” Jimmy hollered, forgetting about anything else that might have been going on. Kid was weak and he looked up at Jimmy with a look that sent chills up his spine. Jimmy had seen that look many times before. It was the look of a man on the brink of death. “I got them.” Kid sputtered. “I got them all.” Jimmy peered in through the window. There lay the two men he had shot; the one Mackenzie had shot, and the remaining three men. They were all dead. Lacy had been shot too, not badly but with everything that had transpired she was really shaken up. She sat in the corner of the room sobbing. Kid felt sleep drifting over him. It was peaceful and calm. “Kid.” Jimmy shook at his shoulder. Kid did not respond. “Kid!” Jimmy shouted. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Buck and Noah were in the corral surveying the new stock that had been brought in for the Express that morning, when they saw the rider approaching. “Who could that be?” Noah wondered aloud. “Dunno, but he’s not one of ours.” Buck let his hand rest on the handle of his gun. “Be on your guard.” He warned. With everything that had been going on with the Pony Express, Buck didn’t want to take any chances. The exhausted rider rode right up to them, pulling the sorrel mare to a swift halt. “Where’s Cody.” M.J panted. “Cody?” Noah wondered who this rider was. “Cody a friend of yours?” “I guess that’s a matter of perspective.” M.J answered honestly. “Look. We need help.” M.J pleaded. “And theres no time to waste.” “Slow down boy.” Noah tried calming the young man. “Start at the beginning. What happened.” “McCanles.” The pallid boy choked out. “McCanles is back.” To be continued....... Back to the Library        More to come soon  E-mail the author