Something Different

by JoJo

When he came off the nightwatch, picking his way down through the brush in the dark, nearly blind with fatigue, Lobo caught Heyes wide awake. It didn't surprise him any, but he did stop to wonder as he wrapped himself up in his blankets and turned his face towards the fire. Trouble was, wondering just made him more tired than ever. Half a sensible thought came to him about why Heyes made such a good leader, even though he got so blamed nervous, but then sleep rolled over him like a quilt and he fell to snoring gently, almost in rhythm with Dutch whose nose was perilously close to his crooked elbow.

Out on the watch position, Kyle chewed and paced, just to keep himself awake. He wasn't even thinking about the job tomorrow. He only had breakfast on his mind, and the vague anxiety that Heyes wouldn't leave time for them to have any. His anxiety had been set off by Wheat's complaining earlier in the evening that he didn't think Heyes had planned tomorrow's job well enough.

Wheat was sure getting uppity, and sometimes even when he hadn't been drinking. True to form, Kid Curry, who sniffed trouble like a bloodhound, had heard the voices raised over the supper-fire and came padding over to see what was happening. The more uppity Wheat got, the more watchful the Kid became.

"What's eating you boys?" the Kid had asked in that deceptively mild, soft-voiced way of his. Kyle had jumped like he'd just sat on a bee.

Wheat, though, had tried a little belligerence. Every day a little more.

Didn't cut any ice with Kid Curry though.

"Ain't any call for you to be complaining, Wheat. You need to be sleeping. There's a long ride back to Devil's Hole tomorrow," the Kid had said, managing to sound both reasonable and sufficiently threatening at the same time.

And Wheat had muttered himself into silence. No point doing anything else, Kyle thought, when Heyes' loyal lieutenant could shoot the spots off a bug at fifty paces.

Wheat was sleeping peacefully enough now, wedged in between Lean and Fincus, his hat over his face.

Heyes nodded at Lobo as he came back, the solemn nod of a general to his foot-soldier the night before battle. He watched Lobo hunch himself down and snuffle his way into sleep next to the others. Heyes felt a pang of guilt at his insistence they camp out near the railroad tonight. Damn it all to hell, he was getting more nervous, with each job they pulled.

But, in truth, Hannibal Heyes had never slept much before committing crimes. In the old days it wasn't nerves that kept him awake, just the incessant tick-tick of his brain going over the plan to come and the next few down the road. No, it was excitement and anticipation that had always locked his eyes open in the hours before they rode.

The prospect of a $50,000 haul was still pretty exciting, but there were powerful other things working on Heyes' mind at the moment. Like how he could hardly be bothered to squash Wheat anymore. How it almost amused him that Wheat was making tentative attempts to overthrow him. How the Kid was covering up that he'd had enough of all this but he wouldn't say so in a million years, not unless he thought Heyes didn't need him any longer.

Not far from where he sat, Kid Curry lay asleep, the side of his face pillowed in one hand. A faint breeze ruffled his hair. In the dying glow of the firelight Heyes could just make out a little twitch catching the corner of his mouth. He smiled, feeling warmth in his chest.

"Wheat's bellyaching," the Kid had said when they had stretched out side by side ready for sleep.

"Should I be worried?" Heyes had asked him.

The Kid had folded his hands behind his head. "Oh, he's fixing to defy you, Heyes, no doubt about it." He'd been staunchly pessimistic as usual, although he spoke in a comfortingly calm fashion. "But maybe it won't be tomorrow. No, Heyes, you just carry on worrying about the train, and let me worry about Wheat."

"I'm not worrying about the train."

"All right."

"I'm not, Kid. I'm not worrying about the train. There's nothing different about this train from any other train."

"If you say so, Heyes."

And the Kid had shifted on to his side, just giving him a half-smile before he settled himself and shut his eyes. After a few more minutes, without opening his eyes again, the Kid had said,"Go to sleep, Heyes."

"I am asleep," Heyes had said a little crossly.

After a bit he struggled to a sitting position and whispered, "Kid, you awake?"

The even breath sounds told him no.

And Heyes had continued to sit there wondering why he felt so un-nerved about tomorrow's job. Like there was a change coming. The slightly suspicious look Lobo gave him as he came back into camp just made him feel it more than ever.

This time tomorrow, Heyes thought, I'm going to be rich. Or dead.

It was the same thought he had before every job.

He glanced over at the man who would be rich or dead with him.

Or maybe not. Maybe tomorrow something different.

ENDS