Jane watched as the shadows under the trees gradually swallowed six riders one after another. It was hard to stay still at that sight, even harder than she had thought in the moment she realized there was nothing she could do about Leo´s decision.
Her lover was not only attractive and gentle; Leo Akanishi was responsible, composed during tense situations and a very good shooter, but he was also too empathetic sometimes and stubborn as hell. She loved him for what he was like, and she would have never wanted him to change, but still… No matter Leo promised to be careful and he had the others with him, her heart squeezed anxiously, when she saw him leaving.
At first, Jane wanted to insist on going with them to Ohio, before her common sense pushed itself forward and she realized even without Leo telling her, that it would be safer for everyone if she stayed in Leadville.
Leo swore to come back as soon as possible and she believed him. He always kept his word and thanks to the railway, which enabled much faster travelling than a few years ago, they would be probably together again in just a couple of weeks. Nevertheless, it didn´t make any easier to let him go.
Jane was well aware of the constant danger upon their heads and she couldn´t disagree with Leo´s intention to let the situation calm itself down a little, but she just could not keep calm while not having him close. However, she didn´t let her worries show themselves, when they parted… As the Riders´ leader of such a young age, he needed their trust, not doubts. Jane was determined to support Leo despite her own inner fear.
Suddenly, a hard hand squeezed her shoulder gently and tore her away from deep thoughts. Jane glanced to the side, at Cullen, who was there with her to see the little group off just a mile north of the city.
"He´ll be fine," the man said, with a surprisingly calming tone.
Cullen seemed to change his attitude, after that private conversation with Leo. As if the young leader told him something what managed to ease the man´s suspicion and worries. Jane knew there was also a sensitive side in the older man, though he almost never showed it. She was grateful that he tried to encourage her.
"I know," she smiled a little before looking in the direction of the leaving group for the last time and her eyes immediately focused on the last visible figure.
The black-haired Rider stood there, on the edge of the dim light and forest shadow, as he stopped and turned his horse to look back one more time as well. Jane knew she wouldn´t be able to stop worrying, until her lover would be back again, but still she smiled and raised her hand for a parting wave. She saw that Leo relaxed somehow, and waved back. Then he was gone, going after the rest of his companions.
Jane took a deep breath and looked at the temporary Riders´ leader: "Let´s go… We have a job to do as well."
Cullen just nodded and gave her the reins of her mare back, which he guarded while she was parting with Leo before. She could still feel the warmness of his kiss on her lips and she prayed to feel it again soon. Till that moment, they had to gather as much information about Tabor as was only possible and to do it inconspicuously. That man proved himself a very dangerous opponent.
***
The first goal on the long way of the six-rider group, which they had to achieve, was Denver. They chose the northern road leading out of Leadville, which was the newest one and the most comfortable to use for fast riding. It was more risky than to proceed through the forest directly to the east, as there were many other travelers using it, but Leo insisted they had to move fast, so they took their chances, while keeping on alert.
Quite soon, they arrived at the crossroads, which connected their road with the path heading across the mountains to the west, but their journey took them in the opposite direction. For the whole first day, they were quite lucky; they met only a small convoy consisting of three carts and two families, heading toward their naive silver dreams to Leadville. The migrants didn´t give their fast riding group more than one curious glance, not even to Leo with his hat deep in his face. The beginning of their trip went without any significant issues.
Before the dusk, they picked the leeward side of the path and camped a few hundred yards away from the road itself. While Leo and Oswald remained in their temporary camp to take care of horses and set up a fire; Ryo, Koki, Kame and Jin set off to the darkening woods to gather some wood and water.
Two Riders kept cheerfully chitchatting about their mission, which finally got Ryo out of Leadville, and Koki didn´t seem to be upset about heading toward just another adventure either. In comparison with them, the pair of new members following them were very silent.
Jin could not help but notice that Kame kept suspiciously quiet since the day before, when it was decided they would accompany Leo on the way to Ohio. Noticing Kame´s serious expression, he figured something was bothering the younger one, but he was not sure about what it might have been. Jin just felt there was something Kame was not comfortable with, despite that he didn´t talk about it. He wanted to ask him, but it was better to leave it for later, when they would be out of reach of any other curious ears.
Ryo and Koki proceeded forward quickly, a little down the slope, with all their water containers on long strings around their necks or in their hands. They were increasing their distance from the other two, as Kame and Jin moved under the trees gathering some dry sticks for the fire, which was supposed to protect them during the cold night.
Jin threw some dry branches onto the growing pile and checked the direction in which two Riders went off searching for the nearest streamlet. He made sure they were nowhere in sight anymore and then searched for Kazuya´s figure in the shadows. He spotted him further than he expected; the younger one was creating his own supply pile near the huge old stump. Jin quickly headed in the same way, picked up some stick here and there, secretly observing his handsome boyfriend. He reached the pile when the younger one finished gathering the next portion as well.
"I think we have quite enough," Jin noted, brushing the wooden chips and needles off his coat.
"Yeah," Kame just murmured in agreement and grabbed the rope, which was waiting for its purpose to tie the sticks in one big heap. Jin helped him to place all of them properly, holding the heap down while the younger one tightened the knot.
Kame started dragging the pile toward the one Jin gathered. The older one walked just behind him, wondering if his hunch was worth asking questions, because when Kame was so silent, it usually meant he didn´t want to talk at all, or he was angry.
Kazuya stopped and let the rope fall. Then he crouched next to Jin to help him prepare the next wood supply for transfer in the same way.
"Is something bothering you, Kame?" Jin asked finally, when they were finished.
Kame straightened up and glanced at him, his expression a little surprised and then hesitant. This reaction confirmed to Jin that he was right.
"What is it?" he insisted on his question.
The younger one looked around the darkening woods, listening to their surroundings for a while.
"They can´t hear us now," Jin said quietly.
Kame focused down on his hands, trying to get some sticky resin off them.
"Well, yes, there is something," he spoke finally, in a somewhat careful tone. "It´s just that I thought you wanted to stop your brother in what he´s doing. But this mission, for which you had volunteered us, doesn´t seem too much like persuasion to me. More like you support Leo in all of this."
Jin sighed a little. Of course, he remembered what he had said before he left Bozeman. He had intended to put some sense into his little sibling and prevent him from doing anything more stupid than so far. Leo´s leadership of the Riders, with everything the gang was doing, it was like asking for a death sentence. After Jin finally found him and got to know about all the circumstances, it was not so easy to stick to his previous intentions, but he still wanted do protect him.
"That´s right," he admitted heavily. "I still want Leo to leave this gangster´s life, Kame. It´s just more complicated than I had thought…"
Kazuya raised his head, and focused his fierce stare on the older one: "You know that the longer this takes, the bigger is the chance for it to end very badly."
"I´m aware of that," Jin reacted a little upset about the accusation he noticed in the younger´s voice. "But this is for a good thing, Kame. They´re doing this to help someone! You know that, don´t you?"
"I do, but… We must not get involved in all of this too much, Jin," Kame hesitated a little about what to say next, almost regretting he even started with it. He disliked saying so selfish things, but he really didn´t like how much Jin was starting to be involved with the Riders, instead of the opposite, which he somewhat expected. "Leo is your brother, but he´s a wanted criminal. He risks too much with this journey. And if we´re caught in his company, we will be all screwed," Kame felt like an incredible coward talking that way, but he just wanted to remind Jin that what they got into was not any game. Somehow, he felt that Jin didn´t want to see how dangerous it was, because he really wanted to be with his brother and help him in anything instead.
"You talk as if we never did dangerous things," Jin snorted back, obviously angry now.
"We did," Kame agreed, thinking hard about how to say it more nicely. "But we didn´t have the Marshalls breathing on our backs. It´s simply too risky to…"
"Don´t tell me you´re so scared of my brother´s company," Jin interrupted him roughly. "You didn´t have to come, if you didn´t want to."
Kame stiffened hearing the harsh accusation, suddenly lost on words. He just realized that Jin was quite sensitive when it came to his family.
The upset gunman grabbed his rope, ready to head back to their camp. Even though Kame didn´t know how to explain what he meant in a better way, he could not let him leave like that; Jin misunderstood awfully what he meant to say. He stepped in his way hastily, stopping him with one hand placed over his chest.
"Jin, wait…"
The older one stopped, and stood there for a while with his head low. When he finally raised his eyes, he observed Kazuya with a weirdly hurt look, which squeezed the younger´s throat. Kame took a breath to apologize, but Jin was faster.
"I know you´re right," he huffed out kind of depressed.
The younger one squeezed Jin´s shoulder shaking his head.
"But I should not have put it like that," Kame tried to soften the sharp edge of his previous statement.
"What should I do?" Jin asked him fiercely. "Leo is a grown man now and he can make his own decisions. It´s not like I can grab his collar and take him back to Montana!"
"I know… We just have to figure out another way," Kame reacted softly, realizing only now that Jin really needed to get this out of himself. It was probably quite hard for him to decide what to do in this situation.
"I just want him to be safe," Jin stated firmly then. "And if that means I have to go along with their plans for now, I will do that."
"I get it, really," Kame assured him. "And I´m always on your side, even if it means helping gangsters for a while," he tried to lighten the atmosphere up with a smirk, before he got serious again. "I came here for you, Jin, not for your brother, that´s the truth. But he´s a good guy, as well as the others, and I really don´t mind helping some old lady… I´m just worried," he stated simply in the end.
Jin´s face finally brightened up: "I get it, too… I´m sorry I snapped at you, Kazu. Being honest, that´s what I liked about you from the very first day."
At that, Kazuya smiled, relieved that their little discussion concluded in a good way and happy about that warm look Jin was giving him. He stepped aside a little, intending to take and drag away his wood supply as well, but this time, it was Jin´s hand stopping him from the movement.
"I realize that this little trip will be dangerous," he said, while pulling the younger one back to himself by his coat. "But we can deal with it together, can´t we?"
An encouraging and at the same time sad smile curved Kame´s lips. He slowly raised his hand to scrub some dry needles off Jin´s cheek.
"We can," he confirmed firmly then.
Neither of them was sure about whose initiative it was this time, but they didn´t really care, when their lips united in a loving kiss. Jin´s fingers squeezed the clothes, which was separating him from the younger one, while Kame´s hands found their way up around his neck and his body closed their distance to the minimum possible.
Jin almost choked on the sudden wave of heat, which flooded him, when Kame got so close. Just that was enough to make his heart beat faster. Would he have reacted like that even if they didn´t have to hold back in front of the others? And was it only him, or…?
Just one glance in the eyes of the young man in his embrace told Jin that Kame was influenced by that as well. He captured the younger´s lips hungrily, earning for their sweetness and shivering reaction, when he sucked on them. Kame pulled back, escaping the needy attack, only to force Jin to take two steps back and lean over the strong tree bole behind. Then the younger one pressed himself against Jin´s body again, savoring on the next kiss no less eagerly than on the first.
By the time they lips separated, Jin had already opened the younger´s coat, his cold hands forcing his way up under the shirt´s cloth, finding the warm skin there and soothing it gently.
"I miss you…" the words escaped Jin´s lips hoarsely.
"But I´m right here, silly," Kame reacted sheepishly, his fingers playing with the hair on Jin´s neck.
"You know what I mean," Jin replied heavily, his eyes burning.
He pushed himself away from the tree and changed their positions before Kame could protest. Breathing heavily, Jin let his hands wander further down, the fingers touching the skin just above the belt.
Kame´s eyes were wide and shining and he spoke hoarsely now, too: "Jin… They might be coming back the same way…"
"Is that frustrating or exciting for you?" the older one asked.
"The dirty talk now?"
Mocking Kame gasped for breath, when Jin punished his cheeky note by letting one of his hands go even lower and pressed against his groins with his palm. He watched the younger´s reaction defiantly.
"Any other smart remarks?" he asked with his eyebrows raised.
Instead of response, Kame grabbed both sides of his collar and pulling Jin´s face close he sealed his lips with a heated kiss. That was enough of a reply to make Jin forget breathing and his hands to handle with the annoying belt…
"If you do not help me with this, I swear I´ll kick your ass!"
A sudden loud exclaim tore the hungry lips apart and left both of them breathless, staring into the woods startled.
"Call others for help, you idler!"
"You must be kidding me," Jin whispered commenting the approaching voices.
"I´ve told you," Kame murmured gloomily.
Jin leant forward dangerously close again.
"Next time, I´ll just cover your mouth," he announced hoarsely.
Fighting against the opposite wish, Jin released his hold around the younger one then, and grabbed the rope with the wood supplies once again, while Kame gathered his shaking legs as well to take his own pile.
*
They returned to their temporary camp with dusk, the still arguing couple of water carriers on their heels. It was just in time to feed the dying fire, which their colleagues set up. Avoiding looking directly at anyone, Kame took care of it right away, while Jin sat down next to his brother discussing with Oswald; they were counting something on the piece of paper, probably trying to figure out the best way to Ohio.
Koki settled with his legs crossed on the opposite side, encouraging Kame not to be stingy with the sticks and make some proper bonfire, while Ryo let the flask with water to circle around, before he went for some bread and dried beef from their supplies.
In the end, also Ryo and Kame gathered around the cheerfully beaming campfire – a very satisfying result of Kame´s skillful hands, which Jin didn´t forget to observe while the younger one was moving around. Actually, he was so busy with watching the slim figure from behind his hat, that he almost didn´t catch the words going out of his brother´s mouth, which were already directed at everybody, and not just to Oswald.
"So, that´s it," Leo folded up the paper and took the water bottle, which Ryo handed him over. "We should be fine with all the expenses even if we buy the return tickets from our savings."
"Will we have anything left for some souvenirs?" Koki asked curiously.
"I suppose you understand it´s more important for us to get there with the fastest possible train than buying some crazy stuff again," the young leader glanced at him strictly.
"Who said something about crazy things?" the blonde one defended himself. "I just want to bring something nice back to the others. You should do some shopping as well, Chief, maybe Jane will not be so upset then," he grinned calculatingly.
"Let me deal with my girlfriend, Tanaka," Leo snorted, while Jin finally comprehended what was said about the way of their upcoming travelling.
"Wait a moment… Did you say train?" he asked startled.
"Yes," his brother nodded. "How do you think we´re going to get there? By boat?"
"But Kuro hates trains!" Jin complained immediately. "He went crazy the last time I took one with him!"
Ryo and Koki seemed to be confused, so Kame just pointed toward the place, where they left the horses for the night, to make the owner of that name clear also for them.
Leo blinked, as if he was not sure if his brother was serious or not, before he shook his head: "We´re not taking the horses with us, Bro. We will leave them in Denver."
"Leave… them?" Jin was the confused one now. "But…"
"It would be too much of unnecessary troubles to take them with us," Leo explained extremely patiently. "We have a friend in the city; he will take care of them until we get back."
"Ah, so… That´s good," Jin admitted, but still didn´t seem to be happy about it.
Kame could easily imagine why it bothered him. The older one did not ever separated from his horse unless it was inevitable; Kuro was always his best and most loyal friend for years.
"Can this friend of yours be trusted?" Kame asked Jin´s brother seriously then. He was not exactly thrilled to leave Ukushi in some stranger´s hands either.
Leo´s look was sharp, but not upset, when he replied firmly: "Yes, I trust the guy."
Kame just nodded, while Jin was obviously overthinking something again.
"How long does it take to get to Ohio, anyway?" the older Akanishi asked to cover his upset mood.
"Two or three days, depends on which train we will be able to catch," Oswald responded to him this time. "We have to transfer twice."
"Did you use this way to go there before?" Ryo asked after he gulped down the last piece of his dinner.
The older man nodded: "Yes, I went to see my sister twice like this. It takes long, but it´s much faster than riding on any horse."
"Nah, I think it will be damn boring," Koki noted. "Just sitting there in the wagon, doing nothing but staring out of the window…"
"We can buy you a bottle of whiskey for the trip and you´ll sleep over the half of it," Ryo huffed caustically.
"Really? That´d be great!" the blonde Rider beamed with joy, ignoring the fact Ryo was making fun of him.
"I´ll be rather grateful for something boring," Leo informed them with a somewhat sad grin. "It will be much faster than to ride, and that´s our point."
"Got it!" Koki agreed excited. "But I want that bottle!"
*
In the good mood and excited expectation of the following happenings, they prepared for sleep, with Ryo keeping the first watch.
Jin covered himself with one of the heavy furs they took with them, right next to the young man, whose eyes reflected the fire, when he caught their glance.
"Good night, Kazu," Jin murmured gulping down the hot stuff in his throat, which appeared there out of nowhere.
"…night," the younger one replied in a quiet voice and rolled over on his side.
With a hardly suppressed depressed sigh, Jin settled to sleep too. It was fun to travel in a bigger group, but who would say it could be so annoying as well? At least he could hope in some good dreams.
***
Their arrival to Denver was accompanied by strong shower, which chased the citizens away to their homes, so the streets were much calmer than the last time Kame or Jin rode through them. First, they found the man, which Leo mentioned before, who was supposed to take care of their animals. He was a good-natured blacksmith, who welcomed Leo with a bear hug, while Ryo informed Jin and Kame that the Riders saved his daughters a few months ago.
Then Jin insisted on getting all his things back before they set off, so while Leo, Oswald, Ryo and Koki remained seated in the cozy kitchen with the blacksmith´s wife, he and Kame headed to the Blake Street Saloon once again. Only this time side by side, with which they greatly surprised the receptionist.
Mrs. April scolded both of them first, for leaving their stuff behind without paying in advance for the room, which she couldn´t rent to anyone else because of it. In the end, Kame managed to calm her down and she allowed Jin to take the key from the room. The older one let Kame deal with the talkative woman with her endless questions, and he headed up to gather his precious guitar along with the rest of things.
It took them longer than they thought to get back to the blacksmith´s place, especially when they had to walk as they let the horses behind already, not to bring any curious eyes toward the forge building.
Leo was a little upset when they finally appeared, snorting something about notorious restrainer. When they finally headed into the streets again, with Leo hunching down in his coat and hat, walking in the middle of their little group, it was already almost noon. That brought Koki and also Jin to constant complaining about their empty stomachs, until Kame cut it with buying four huge tortillas at the market they passed, reminding them those were his last savings and next time they can just eat their own hats. Ashamed Jin insisted on sharing his portion, which Kazuya accepted under the irresistible influence of his puppy eyes.
*
The Union Pacific station building was quite huge, with three impressive entrances and orange notice high above their heads. The train station was opened just half a year ago and everything about it was clean and new. Already from the outside, they could hear humming of the crowds in there, rushing for their trains, or parting with their dear ones and the sharp whistle of the locomotives, which they couldn´t see directly, but they spotted the black smoke going up to the sky.
Jin had already been there, passing the hall on his way from Omaha, and Leo and the others were familiar with it as well. Just Kame stared at that fuss and hustle for the first time, obviously amazed.
Oswald and Ryo went to buy the tickets for everyone, while the rest of them waited outside, with Jin, Koki and even Leo smoking and their eyes jumping from one side of the busy street to another. Also Kame seemed to be restless, as he kept studying the faces of passing people. During the busy afternoon, nobody paid them any serious attention. It was more like just glancing at the revolvers alongside their hips made the people look away and continue on their way hastily.
Despite that, all of them were relieved upon Oswald´s and Ryo´s return with tickets in their hands. They were lucky, their train to Kansas City, where they had to make the first transfer, was about to depart within half an hour.
They gathered all their stuff and one after another entered the impressive white building, leaving the busy streets of Denver behind.
Jin stopped right between the doors, when he realized that Kame was not behind him. He glanced back to find him standing on the pavement and looking around again. Frowning a little, he made a couple of steps back to him.
"What is it?" he asked.
The younger one seemed to be seriously bothered with something, all tense and motionless before he shook his head: "Nothing…"
"Nothing?" Jin repeated, noticing his anxiety.
"Just a strange feeling, nothing else," Kame assured him, trying to convince also himself. "Maybe from the journey, I´ve never travelled like this."
"You´ve never ridden a train before?" the older one raised his eyebrows surprised.
"I have never had a chance," the younger one shrugged, putting on carefree face, but Jin still noticed his nervousness. He smiled a little, pulling Kame gently by his arm toward the entrance.
"Don´t worry, Turtle, you have your shell with you," he stated and when Kame stared at him dumbfounded, he added grinning: "Me."
With Kazuya smiling as well now, they disappeared inside the building, neither of them looking back anymore. If they had, maybe they would have noticed a sinewy man with dark stubble of a beard over his face, who was smiling awfully, as he watched the group of gunmen entering the train station building.
Ralph Harvey doused his cigarette on the wall of the building behind which he was hiding. He really hadn´t expected that the prolongation of his stay at the Blake Street saloon would have paid off so much. He almost couldn´t believe it, when he spotted Kamenashi talking with Mrs. April at the counter downstairs.
Following him and obviously his friend Akanishi through the streets was not a big deal at all and he almost started to laugh aloud when they appeared again, in front of the ´Sherman The Blacksmith´ house, with the youngster, who wore a hat too big for his head, in the middle of their little circle.
The satisfied bounty hunter set off across the street, intending to ask at the counter which train was leaving the soonest. He would have welcomed a little trip, anyway. It would be convenient to get away from his upset and not quite generous temporary boss, who was not satisfied with the current results of his mission of capturing the leader of Black Riders…