Chapter Text
Darkness and pain. That’s all that existed. He tried to claw his way back to the light, but awareness brought more pain. His back hurt. Fire shot through his right shoulder. Someone was talking, but he couldn’t figure out who. Someone else was screaming. His jacket was wet. Why was he wet? He tried to speak, tried to ask what was going on. But it was too much effort. He struggled even to draw breath, let alone expend enough to make a sound. Losing the battle, he faded back into unconsciousness.
******
“Hey, Candy! Better hurry it up!” Joe tossed his bag up top of the stage and pulled himself into the coach. He nodded to the two women already inside and scooted to the far side of the seat to make room for his friend to board as well. Candy followed him in and purposely jammed his elbow into Joe’s ribs when sitting down.
“Oh sorry, buddy. Did I getcha?” His wide grin belied his innocence and Joe glared back before shaking his head and laughing with the other man. He and Candy were traveling back via stage from San Francisco after successfully negotiating a cattle contract. They were on the last leg of the journey and should be home the following morning. As the stage pulled out of town, Candy slumped down in the seat and pulled his hat down over his eyes, fully intending to sleep most of the way. Joe chatted with the two women as they watched the countryside go by.
Eventually they heard the driver slow the team and felt the stage respond. Joe nudged Candy and looked out the window. “Wake up. We’re at the relay station.”
Joe and Candy jumped down first, turning to help the two women down as well. They turned as they heard hoofbeats and saw the stagecoach from the other direction pulling in as well. Five people got off: three kids and a man and a woman, presumably all one family. Each stage would be here until the station master and drivers got their teams both switched over, normally there was about a half hour layover. Joe took the time to stretch his legs and walked around the station. Candy went inside with everyone else from both stages. Joe was walking back from behind the station building when he heard more horses. Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, he turned to head back around the station. Both stages were already in, who else would be pulling up to a stage relay?
He pulled to a sudden stop and stayed hidden around the corner when he saw who it was. The group had ridden in with all their guns drawn and faces covered with bandanas. There were eight of them. Joe figured they had been watching the stage lines and waited until a day when both had shown up together to proceed with their hold-up. He drew his own sidearm, then paused. What good would he do against eight opponents? But there were three women and three children inside, he had to try to stop this group before they harmed everyone. Thinking quickly, he hoped Candy would hear what was happening and bolt the door. He looked back toward the outlaw group and swore quietly under his breath. There were only six now. He had lost track of two of them.
Joe shouted out toward the group “Hold it! If you know what’s good for you, you’ll drop your weapons. There’s six of us and-” Joe was cut off abruptly by a sharp blow to the back of his head. He dropped his revolver and felt someone shove him forward. He stumbled around the corner and out into the open.
“He’s lying. We went all the way around and checked the barn. It’s just him. Everyone else must be inside.”
Joe grimaced and felt the back of his head. His hand came back sticky and covered in blood. At least he was still conscious this time. He regained his balance and smiled grimly when he heard the heavy bolt drop into place on the stage station door. The smirk dropped from his face when the gang members heard it too and turned to him with menace.
“Yer gonna get them to open that door.”
“I don’t think so.”
“You will if your life means anything to you.” The man seemingly in charge stalked over to Joe and loomed over him. Joe pulled himself as tall as he could and glared back. They stared each other down for a few moments before the sound of glass shattering rang out and Joe felt his arms abruptly yanked behind him and a sharp pain shot through him radiating out from just under his right shoulder blade.
******
Inside the station, Candy jerked his head up when he heard Joe’s initial shout. In two long strides, he was at one of the windows. He flattened himself to the wall and peered out the window just enough to see what was happening. He exhaled harshly when he saw Joe be shoved out in front of a group of armed and masked men.
“It’s a hold-up. My friend is out there. Looks like he tried to pull something over on them and got caught. Throw that bolt. Everyone, get down and behind something.”
The station master, Sam, followed direction immediately, bolting shut the door and urging the other passengers away from the windows. The three kids looked up at Sam and Candy as they turned over the large wooden table to shelter the passengers behind. Candy looked back down at the kids and smiled. “Don’t worry. My buddy out there. He’s gone through this before. If there’s anyone who can talk them down, it’s him.”
“What’s gonna happen?” The oldest kid pulled the younger two down with her.
“Well, those bad men. They’re gonna tell us to open the door. They’re tryin’ ta get money and whatever else they can from us. But we’re not gonna let them. So you just stay here. Keep down and outta sight. Let us take care of it.” The girl nodded and held tight to her younger sibling’s hands. Their parents joined them as well as the other two women.
“Sam, what do you have in the way of weapons and ammunition?”
“Got a rifle and a shotgun.”
“I’ve got my sidearm and a shotgun as well.” “Same here.” The two stage drivers both joined the conversation.
“Well, choose a window. We’ll wait for them to make the first move. Is there a back door to this place?”
“Not as such, but there’s a loose board you can slip in an outta if you need ta. Can’t see it from outside though.”
“Any windows in the other room?”
“Nope. Didn’t wanna have more glass than was necessary.”
Candy nodded, mentally preparing himself for what was likely going to become a shoot-out with his friend stuck outside right in the middle. He turned back to his window and watched outside as the leader of the gang tried to intimidate Joe. He grimaced when he heard Sam break the glass in his window and knew that Joe’s situation was about to get worse. Sure enough, there was a flurry of movement and he watched his friend’s arms get yanked behind him and he saw the late afternoon sun reflect off something in the outlaw’s hand before Joe cried out and fell to his knees. The man behind him laughed and kicked him in the back between the shoulders and he fell forward into the dirt, unable to catch himself with his hands now bound. He was hauled roughly behind a wagon and dropped again into the dirt.
The next half hour was loud. Gunshots echoed around the small building as all the outlaws spread out and fired toward the station and the men inside the station fired back. Shadows were growing long when the leader called for his men to stop and he shouted toward the building. “How about it? Ready to open up yet?”
Candy shouted back, “Release him. Then we’ll decide.”
“Nuh-uh. You open up or we’ll kill him.”
“If you wanted him dead, you would have already done it. You aren’t killers. If you let him go, we’ll have to unbolt the door to help him.” Candy was really pressing his luck here. He had no idea who this group was. For all he knew, they were already wanted for murder and wouldn’t think twice about adding Joe to the list.
“We’ll see how you feel about it in the morning. Maybe he’ll live, maybe he won’t. You can have that on your conscience.” The last of the light was fading, but Candy could see that Joe still lay where they had tossed him. The gang members had moved about a bit, and it seemed that they were settling in for the night. He just hoped Joe’s inherent stubbornness kept him alive.
******
The sun had fully set now. Inside the station, it was completely dark. They had avoided lighting any lamps so they didn’t give any movements away to the gang holding them siege. They held a conference in whispers.
“You’ll get yerself killed, going out there now!”
“I’ve got to. I don’t know what they did to him, but my friend might not last the night without help. Last I saw, they had just left him there. They know he won’t be going anywhere by himself, and they won’t expect me. Now show me that loose board.” Candy finished rubbing soot all over his face to make him blend in with the night. Sam shook his head, but led Candy to the far wall and pulled aside a single board, the opening just large enough for the man to slide through. Candly slipped through and disappeared into the dark.
******
Joe lay where he had fallen. He was slightly on his left side. If he stayed still, the pain in his right shoulder was held at bay. However, the longer he held still, the more he concentrated on the pain that was developing in his wrists and arms from being bound in such a position for so long. He licked his lips, wondering if anyone would give him water if he asked for it. But all the gang members had moved away from him and had bedded down for the night. Joe squirmed around a bit to try and make out the dim shapes. It looked like there were two left with guns still aimed at the building. Great. Even if he could get loose, there’s no way he would get through the front door without being caught. He gasped as he moved a bit too far the pain in his shoulder ratcheted up five levels. He dropped his head back down. Movement was making him dizzy. Maybe he lost more blood than he had realized.
A shape loomed suddenly out of the darkness and a hand clapped over his mouth before he could make a sound.
“Stay. Silent.”
Joe was jerked to an upright position and the figure tossed him over his shoulder. Joe inhaled sharply but didn’t cry out even as the pain ramped up again. The sudden change of position caused his head to swim and he flopped limply onto Candy as the other man hauled him quickly and quietly away. Joe was aware of movement, he felt himself lowered back down and leaned gratefully back against something hard. Maybe a rock? No. It was wood. The station building? But how did Candy get out without being noticed, and more concerning, how were they going to get back in? He tried to open his eyes but they were just too heavy. He slipped back into the haze and trusted Candy to get them out of this.