Lawyers, Guns & Money

Clem had been true to her word, not wanting to stay at Black Cove with Vic, and Heyes had stayed at the hotel with her. The Kid and Vic stayed at the cottage alone, except for Wanda who continued to run the household for them. The Kid had been true to his word and stood beside Vic when she confessed to Wanda what she had done.
Wanda had looked at Victoria and shook her finger, and laughed. “ Wha makes ya think it was you, honey?” was all that was ever said on the subject.
Vic and Jed went to McTavish to arrange for Mr. Garrett and his diving suit to be sent for. She had deposited the gold in the bank vault and sent out negotiators to the museums. Vic put in an ad for a new foreman and two new hands. The Kid wished he could stay to interview anyone that showed up, but Vic reminded him that she’d done it before he came along and she could do it again. She started the search for a new horse, she started everyday business again, but at night, she would cry whenever Jed touched her. He would just hold her until she cried herself to sleep.
Wanda managed to talk Jed into inviting Heyes and Clem to the cottage for dinner the night before they planned to leave. Vic had actually put on a dress for the occasion, a low-cut lavender silk and gossamer one she had purchased in Venice. The foursome sat awkwardly at the table, pushing food around on their plates and trying to think of small talk.
Suddenly Heyes blurted out, “ The Emperor has no clothes!”
Clem looked dumbfounded. The Kid dropped his fork and looked at Heyes like he had lost his mind. A slow smile crept across Victoria’s face, “ Well, someone had to say it. And I for one am not happy to see it.”
Heyes looked at her with understanding, “ Ladies, I can assure you that the Kid and I are profoundly disposed to return to you as quickly as possible. We will be miserable each and every day; and think only of you each and every night.”
Vic was holding back the tears, “ And we shall be waiting for you…”
The Kid squeezed her on the thigh, “ You talking to him or me?”
“ Come back to me if you want that answer.” She smiled. Clem looked exceptionally displeased.
Vic suddenly felt like she didn’t want to waste this last night together, “ I have a vintage 1835 Mouton Rothschild in the wine cellar, why don’t we open it and have a toast; and then drink ourselves silly?”
The Kid slapped the table, “ Darlin’, now you’re talkin’” I see sex in the future.
Vic got up and grabbed one of the oil lamps from the sideboard and headed out the door, “ Who wants to come with me?”
“ Where are you going?” the Kid asked suspiciously.
“ To the castle, have you seen a wine cellar here in the cottage? Get real.” Heyes immediately stood to follow, eyeing Clem. She just folded her arms over her chest and sat quietly at the table. Curry jumped up as well; he’d be damned if he was going to let the two of them go alone.
Vic took the key from the urn in back and they proceeded downstairs this time. Into the old servants quarters, past storage rooms, into the basement. She led them to an old oak door and reached inside of a wooden scroll for the key. They walked down a spiral staircase into stone passageways.
“ Well, somebody really valued their wine.” Heyes joked.
“ This was the old dungeon when the castle stood in Cornwall. It apparently has the correct temperament for storing wine. She came to a stone archway and pulled out a stone, then turned it. A counterbalanced door opened silently. She took the cover from the lamp and lit a wall torch right inside the door. It revealed a high ceiling room with rows of wooden shelves, cradling bottles of every shape and size. A sliding ladder was connected to the ceiling for the bottles situated close to the top. She lit a torch on the other wall and pulled it out to hold up for a better view. “ I think it was the third row in,” she started scouring the shelves as the boys walked around the room. “ Maybe it was the fourth.”
Heyes slapped the Kid on the shoulder and pointed to a humidor against the far wall. “ Don’t ya just wonder what’s in there?”
“ I say let’s help ourselves. I think I own it!” Curry laughed. The boys poked through the cabinet for anything exotic and still smokeable as Vic spied her prey on the sixteenth shelf up. She wheeled over the ladder and started up, trying to hold the torch at the same time.
“ A little help here, gentlemen.” She requested. The Kid came to hold the torch for her and Heyes followed, still trying to light his cigar. The matches seemed old, because whenever he would strike one, it would flicker for a moment and then go out.
“ Uh, Vic, come down and I’ll go up and get it.” The Kid suggested.
“ You don’t have any idea what you’re looking for.” she was still climbing.
“ It’s time I learned, right?” he suggested more urgently. He didn’t want to let on to Heyes that if he looked up, he would be able to look right up Vic’s dress. She’s wearing the black silk stockings! Oh hell, dead puppies, cow carcasses, circling vultures, Heyes’ smelly fee, Kyle’s dirty teeth, how long has it been?
Thankfully, he was still engrossed in trying to light that fool cigar. It was becoming more of a quest to Heyes now. He was bound and determined to use the entire box of timbers if he had to; but he was going to light that cigar, and he wasn’t going to scorch his face trying to light it on a torch. He instinctively turned his back to the wall and finally got a match to stay lit. He puffed away, nice, still smokable, downright smooth. Are these Cubans? By the second puff, something was eating at him. He pulled another match out and lit it facing the wall and it flickered and went out. He turned his back to the wall and the match would stay lit. Well, old castles are breezy… He turned back to the wall and the first ashes from his cigar went drifting off on a wisp of air. Heyes’ mind started to turn something over and over.
“ There’s something behind this wall.” He stated simply.
Vic looked down and the Kid turned around. “ What are you on about?”
Heyes pulled out a match, and tried to light it in front of the wall, “ See there’s a breeze here.”
“ It’s an old castle, Heyes, there’s a breeze everywhere.” Vic almost had her hand on the bottle.
Heyes was poking around the wine bottles that rested against the wall, looking for a crack or light, or anything out of the ordinary.
“ Got it!” Vic yelled. “ Oh wait, it’s stuck. Damn it, c’mon.” She pulled harder but the bottle refused to move. Maybe if I turn it, it will loosen whatever has it stuck. She turned it and Heyes heard a loud click! And was promptly hit in the face with the shelf that had been resting against the wall just a moment ago. “ Ow!”
The ladder started to slide and Vic lost her footing and fell backwards. Curry was under her in a second and caught her smoothly. He was rewarded with a shy smile.
Heyes pulled the shelf and it swung open easily, leading to darkness. He grabbed a torch and walked through the doorway. “ Spider webs! Spider webs! “ he warned as he fought his way through them.
The Kid and Vic looked at each other and shrugged. “ Why not?” He put her smoothly down and grabbing the other torch, followed Heyes. The trio walked into the tunnel, and down a slight incline straight into another door. Heyes pulled his lock pick out and tried to open the heavy old lock without breaking the pick. Click! Ah, Heyes, you’ve still got it!
They opened the door with a creak and a glittering called to them from the darkness. Heyes went in first and the Kid grabbed Vic’s hand and led her through. They held the torches up high and could make out the outlines of piles and strange, odd shapes. There were two more torches on the wall and Heyes and the Kid each reached out to light one. They roared to life and Vic screamed. Heyes and Curry looked at each other, and then down at the floor where Vic had fainted. Heyes and Curry looked back up at each other and simultaneously took a few steps forward. Somehow, they knew it was only the beginning, they saw a pile of gold bars at least ten feet high on the right, there were large trunks overflowing with jewelry and gold links. Another contained gold coins. There was a golden suit of armor against the left wall and a massive golden throne that must have stood eight feet tall. There were statues, busts and all manner of candlesticks and tableware, all gold and bejeweled. There was a replica of a sailing ship over twelve feet long, done in gold and platinum and jewels. It was named the West Wind.
Heyes and Curry looked at each other in stunned disbelief for a moment and then screamed in unison, “ We’re rich! We’re rich!” slapping each other on the back and marveling at the sight before them. They heard the rustle of a dress as Vic stood back up and started to walk toward them.
“ You’re rich! You’re rich!” they screamed in unison.
She walked past them silently, touching different objects as she passed them; feeling their coldness. She turned back around to them and put her hands to her face, “ You’re free!” and she started crying. The Kid step up to put an arm around her and let her head rest on his shoulder as she started to take it all in.
Heyes was wandering forward, lighting torches as he found them along the walls, revealing more immense stacks of gold bars. Heyes picked one up and turned it over. It bore a twenty-four carat seal from a mint whose name he couldn’t make out. “ They must have discovered the mine was flooding and decided to move the loot. “ He swung around and pointed at Vic. “ Didn’t you say this castle was brought in stone by stone?”
Vic nodded, now holding the Kid around his waist.
“ And underneath the building materials, they smuggled it into the dungeon. What we found at the mine must have just been remnants of what they couldn’t get out or was simply dropped in the move.” Heyes was excited as he put it all together. He started running down the length of the wall, lighting torches, and the Kid let go of Vic to head down the opposite wall, lighting all he could find. It was cavernous, and they were winded and running out of breath after at least half a mile. “ It must stretch the entire floor plan of the castle,” Heyes managed to get out.
They turned back around and were awestruck by the sheer magnitude of the display behind them. Swords and shields, trunks upon trunks of God only knew what. To the back another tower of gold bars, this one ten feet tall, but stretching another twelve feet wide. A line of golden sarcophagus lined up beside the gold bars, stretching as far as they could see.
They heard the clatter and noise from the front of the room and saw Vic pawing through trunks, moving from pile to pile, searching. She would run to another section, with her gossamer dress trailing like a ghost behind her in amongst the treasures of a man long dead. She dug through mountains of metal, stone, artwork; haphazardly running through the corridors formed by each assemblage of fortune. Finally, she turned to them frazzled and yelled, “ Where is it?”
“ Where’s what?” Curry asked.
“ The tiara!” Vic hissed with annoyance. “ Haven’t you been paying attention?”
The Kid turned to Heyes. “ I’ve been paying attention, haven’t I?”
Heyes nodded, “ She had my attention when she smacked me in the face with ten thousand dollars; and I have no idea what she’s talking about.”
She threw up her hands, “ My great-great grandmother’s tiara! You know, the Duchess of Cornwall, Dread Pirate Morgan’s wife. The only thing I asked for out of this whole bloody deal!”
The Kid hung his thumb in his gun belt, “ Trust me darlin’, that ain’t the only thing you’ve asked for; sometimes you’re downright needy…”
The daggers from her eyes cut him off.
He looked around at the massive jumble of items. “ Now, if I were a tiara, where would I be?”
Heyes surveyed the tremendous space around him. “ I’m sure we’ll find it, it just might take a year or two.”
“ We will find it and we will find it now…” she stamped her foot. “ Now start digging!”
The Kid glanced sideways at Heyes, “ See what I mean?” They commenced with a random search they saw as hopeless; but whenever Vic would cast her eyes in their direction, they would dig more furiously.
A scream rang out against the stonewalls, and the trio turned around to see Clem standing by the doorway, wide-eyed and breathless.
Curry looked nervously at Heyes, “ Uh oh…”
“ Clem, good news about the wine...” Heyes started.
“ Oh, hell no!” Vic screamed and started to run toward Clem. The Kid grabbed her around the waist and picked her up off of the floor to stop her. “ You’d better just back outta here real slow and forget…”
“ It’s done, Vic!” Curry stressed. “ And we can’t undo it. Now, I’ve actually thought about this possibility, so trust me.” He put her down, but didn’t let go of her.
Clem had her hands to her cheeks just walking though the jungle of treasure like she was walking in heaven. Touching this, grabbing at that, turning things over in her hand and in her mind. “ It’s glorious.”
Heyes came running up and lifted her up, turning circles. “ You said it, Clem; you said it.”
Vic watched them kissing, laughing, mentally dividing up her family fortune. She wasn’t sure how this was going to work. Jed was her husband, but then Heyes was family, his cousin. She grudgingly liked the man, so sharp, so witty, and handsome in a way completely different than the Kid. He deserved the happiness that he thought money was going to buy him. She was just a little on edge knowing that it was going to buy Clem as well. She just decided to put it out of her mind for now and think of happier things; the man she loved and enough money to buy his freedom. Enough to care for their children for generations to come.“ It might be in a box,“ she looked up at Jed. “ a square one and probably made out of velvet.”
And you’re just now passing on this little detail, Jed thought.
Vic walked with less enthusiasm through the accumulation of a lifetime of pirating. Stopping to open trunks and move trays or artwork. So many things, that they were just things to her; nothing more. All she wanted was one little piece and she had no idea where it was. Clem's squeals of delight were just passing through her ears now, she had gotten so used to them. She seemed insatiable. She barely heard Heyes’ stern voice.
“ Clem, put the tiara down and back away! Do it, now!” he was barking.
Curry was on his way over to where they stood. “ Vic, Vic? We’ve got one. Is this it?”
She turned and walked to where they were. In Clem’s hands was a platinum tiara, with four fleur-de-lis points rising from the circular band over laid with large matching square cut diamonds. Three fleur-de-lis points had an emerald set in the center of thirty carats and the fourth an emerald of fifty carats. The bottom of the band was circled with squared one-carat emeralds. She was mesmerized and she held out her hands slowly. Heyes took it from the disbelieving Clem and placed it reverently in Vic’s hands. She immediately felt something surge through her; she let her fingers run over stones, the curves, the points. She knew the last person to touch it was Elisabeth over one hundred and fifty years ago, and she was overcome by it. From hers hands to mine. She looked up at the group and barely whispered, “ This is mine. It’s for my wedding day.”
The Kid frowned and Heyes looked amused. “ Victoria?”
She was placing it lovingly in a small green velvet box, tying it closed with a well-worn green ribbon. “ What?”
“ We’re already married.”
Heyes stifled a laugh.
Vic looked bewildered. “ In the eyes of God, yes. But didn’t we agree to do it legally when you were able?”
“ Yes, but I thought that would be just signing a paper or two.” The Kid said hesitantly. Trying to recall the exact conversation.
Vic clutched the box to her chest, “ You thought dead wrong.” Was all she said as she swept toward the door. “ We are done here for the evening.” She announced as she walked through.
Clem put her hands on her hips and looked at Heyes, “ Well, the nerve!”
Vic poked her head back through the door. “ I said we are done here this evening. Gentlemen, would you kindly see to the security of this room temporarily until more permanent arrangements can be made? We need to get up early tomorrow; we have a lot of errands! So, don’t be too long. Coming Clem?”
“ Well, I’ll just…”
“ Did I make that sound like you had a choice?” Vic butted in, “ You are now coming with me.”


She was still dressed when the Kid returned from the castle. She had the box open on her dressing table, just staring at the contents within. She turned to him and melted his heart with a smile. He hadn’t seen her smile in over a week. He hadn’t done a lot of things in over a week and he was pretty sure she didn’t know what it was doing to him. When she would lie next to him, crying herself to sleep; he just wanted to kiss it away, love it away, but he was afraid of spooking her. He didn’t ever want her to think he had taken her by force; but it was unbearable to lay so close to her and have no release. Deep down he wanted to lose control.
He walked up to her and put his hand on her bare shoulder. She put her hand on his and tilted her head back and just silently looked at him. He looked at her exposed throat, knowing exactly what spot to kiss that would turn her on. Not knowing if he would get slapped for trying. She was a handful all right, but there was something about possessing something that dangerous that thrilled him.
“ This means you won’t have to leave me, doesn’t it?” she said hopefully.
“ I won’t have to leave you.” He said, still captivated by her bare throat. “Does this mean you’ll stop crying whenever I touch you?”
“ I’m sorry,” she said slowly, still looking up at him. “ I didn’t mean to make you think I don’t want you. It’s because I want you so much, the thought of being without you was unbearable.”
He reached out and touched her throat and just ran his fingers up it and onto her neck. He saw her close her eyes and bit her lip, resting her head on the back of the chair.
“ Victoria…”
She opened her eyes. “ Tell me, Jed.”
“ Something has been building up in me, having to be so close to you and not touch you.”
He watched her lick her lips, spellbound. “ Tell me, Jed.”
He just stood there, not knowing what to say or how to say it. She stood up and slowly turned around. “ Tell me,” she implored. She reached out to touch him and he had to resist the urge to jump back.
“ When we start, I won’t be able to hold back; I won’t be able to think straight.”
He looked her right in the eye to size up her reaction, her understanding. “ If you can’t handle that, don’t start anything.”
She reached up to touch his cheek, “ What do I do?” she whispered.
He grabbed her hand and kissed it. “ Just relax, hold on and go with it, no matter what happens. Do you trust me that much?”
His answer was her immediate kiss upon his lips. Her answer was to be immediately thrown against the wall. His arms pinning hers against it. His lips hard on hers in a bruising kiss. He bit her lip and then delivered a devastating kiss. She tried to free her hand to get to the buckle on his gun belt, but he just restrained her with an iron grip. Curry reached up to kiss each of her fingertips and began forcing her legs apart with his. Through the layers of linen, silk and gossamer, she could still feel his erection against her belly. His chest was in front of her face and she reached out to kiss it through the fabric of his shirt. His response was to reach down and tear it open, letting it fall off of his chest.
Her lips were on his hot skin now, kissing and working her way to his nipples. He just leaned his head against her hands and let her mouth work on his chest, his skin. She kissed and licked his skin and then would blow her cool breath on it. She proceeded to his nipples and sucked them hard one by one. Then she bit one. He instantly lifted up and looked down on her. He put his hands around her throat and then drew them to her shoulders. Urgently, he began ripping the dress off of her body. Yards of the most expensive fabrics in Venice shredded with his calloused hands; hands removing anything that restricted his access to her. She stood against the wall, looking at him as he reached down and unbuttoned his pants. He drew out his cock and balls, but had no interest in removing his pants or boots. He lifted her up, “ Wrap you legs around me.” He commanded. As she brought hers legs up to his waist, he pushed between them and guided his cock into her in one swift and devastating plunge. She screamed in pain and pleasure but he was beyond hearing. He grabbed her shoulders for leverage and began an uncontrolled pumping into her. There were no kisses, no whispered words of love. For the fist time, the Kid was fucking Victoria.
She closed her eyes, trying to relax and go with it. He was relentless and she could feel drops of perspiration falling on her forehead. It seemed to go on forever, he continued his frenzied pace; using her body and loving it. Abruptly, he wrapped his arms around her and backed away from the wall. In an instant he crossed over to the bed and let them fall together, still joined. It was such as jolt that she swore she could feel him at the entrance to her womb. She threw her head back, crying out, trying to find her pleasure also.
Curry put his feet on the floor, grabbing her by the hips and pulling her down to the end of the bed. He raised her legs to his shoulders and looked at her as he kissed each one in turn. Still holding her eyes, he began to lean forward, pushing her legs toward her shoulders. She grabbed at the coverlet of the bed and wrenched it between her hands. Then the Kid began his frantic thrusting again, harder and harder until she screamed out and turned her head to bite down on the cloth. She felt he would split her apart, he was insanely deep within her, bruising the entrance to her womb with his maddening pace.
She could hear a deep growl starting in his chest, but she kept her head turned away. It grew louder and traveled up his throat. He pistoned into her like a freight train as he threw his head back and uttered a primal growl. He stopped and just hovered over her for a moment, eyes closed and covered with perspiration. Then he lowered himself on to her and laid his head between her breasts. She didn’t know why she was breathing hard, but she was. She didn’t know what else to do except wrap her arms and legs around him and hold him tightly.



The next morning over breakfast, the Kid pulled out a leather pouch and placed on the table. “ Heyes, Clem, I’ve been thinking.”
“ That’s dangerous, Kid. You’re better off leaving that to me.” Heyes reminded him.
“ No, I’ve put considerable thought into deciding how much of a share everyone should get, since everyone feels entitled.” He could feel Vic tense up and he put a hand on her thigh and squeezed gently.
“ And what did you come up with?” Heyes inquired.
“ Draw for it.” Curry explained as Vic dissolved into a fit of laughter.
“ He’s …a…gunfighter…and…he’s…telling…you…to…draw…” She couldn’t continue, she was laughing so hard. Heyes smiled and Clem rolled her eyes. The Kid looked over at her with an insulted look on his face.
“ What we’re going to do is…” Kid started again.
“ Draw for it…” Vic was nearly hysterical and banging on the table. Wanda was looking on, chuckling to herself. Vic had laid her head on the table, holding her sides and still laughing.
“ Would you like to take a moment in the other room?” Curry suggested, clearly impatient.
“ Okay…don’t…shoot…anyone while I’m gone.” She banged on the doorframe as she was passing through.
“ Ya’ll wan sum more coffee?” Wanda asked, still chuckling, “ missy there might be awhiles.”
Peals of laughter could be heard from the parlor and finally Clem spoke up. “ Well, we should just go on without her. She knows what her share is; it’s everything that’s left over.”
“ We all do it together.” Curry shook his head. “ Besides, she doesn’t know what I’m going to do.”
Heyes starting laughing and Curry put his head in his hand and just rubbed his temples.


When everyone had pulled themselves together, the Kid started again. “ In this bag are poker chips with amounts on them from a thousand dollars to five million dollars. We’re going to let fate decide.”
Vic looked at him and mouthed the words FIVE MILLION?! He just patted her leg again and continued.
“ Are we all agreed?” he looked around the table. He could see Heyes had already made up his mind, but Clem was still working on it.
“ Fine with me.” Vic said first, shocking Curry.
Heyes nodded, “ I’m in.”
All eyes went to Clem. “ Now’s there’s a lot more there than that in that room. Five million just isn’t fair.”
“ That is my wife’s inheritance you’re talking about, not a bank. You deserve a finder’s fee and since no amount was discussed up front, I thought we could just leave it to fate.” Curry wasn’t pleased with her resistance. What did I see in her again?
She crossed her arms stubbornly but finally relinquished the fight. “ I want to go first.” Curry held out the pouch to her.
Vic held up her index finger and thumb, making a pretend gun. “Draw.”
Clem thrust her hand in the pouch, closed her eyes and drew out a chip. “ Ten thousand?! A lousy ten thousand?”
“ Now Clem, I remember when you thought that was a lot of money.” Heyes reasoned with her. She wasn’t pleased, but said no more.
Heyes rubbed his hands together and thrust one in the pouch. He pulled it out and opened one eye to see three million dollars. “ Hot damn!” Clem threw her arms around Heyes and gave him a kiss.
Vic glanced sideways at the Kid to gauge his reaction, but he just sat there stone-faced. She didn’t know if she should say anything about her feeling that Clem would break Heyes’ heart. Maybe she was wrong, or maybe he wouldn’t believe her. She just sat silently.