"Well look who decided to grace us with his presence today," Doc said as Matt walked in Delmonico's for breakfast.
"Morning Doc."
"You look like the wind a'blowing the tumbleweeds up a mess, Matthew," Festus said as Matt took a seat beside Doc.
"Gee, thanks Festus. Two days travel and no sleep will do that to a person. I need some coffee."
"Well it's the only thing good in here this morning. The cook is frying up rubbery eggs and the steak was like chewing on a piece of worn leather," Doc said as he rubbed his mustache.
"Hmm, must not be too bad Doc. Festus here seems not to be complaining."
Doc looked at Festus stuffing his face with steak and said, "Well, why would he when I'm paying! I don't know how I get talked into things like this. If it isn't breakfast it's a beer at the Long Branch!"
"It's not just you Doc. Festus has a way of talking all of us out of something," Matt said with a laugh.
"Aww, fiddle, you ol' scudders, I can buy my vittles or my drinks anytime I want. You two just happen to be around when I'm a'going and the way I figur' the more I talk, the more ya'll forget who's buying!"
"That's how you figure it huh Festus?" Doc said and looked at him.
"Oh yeah Doc. You see, it's a system. In a group, with all the jibber-jabber, eventually someone will say, 'let me buy you a beer' or 'I got this,' and there ya' go."
"Yeah Doc, there ya' go," Matt said as he sipped his coffee and a man approached him.
"Dillon?" The gruff voiced, five o'clock shadowed man said.
"Yeah, who's asking?"
"Oh nobody in particular. I just wanted to know if I was right," the man said as he tipped his hat and walked out.
Doc and Festus both looked at Matt. They both had the look of waiting for him to say something.
Matt looked at them both, took one bite of his eggs and steak, and said, "What?"
"What? A strange man comes up to you and asks who you are, and all you can say is what?"
"Well, I don't know him Doc."
"Well he sure knows you Matthew. What're you gonna do?"
"Finish my breakfast, leather and rubber and all," Matt said and took another bite.
Festus squinted his eyes and looked at Doc. Doc looked at him and played with the toothpick he had picked up, not that he needed it all that much since his breakfast still sat on the plate.
"You're not worried Matt?"
Matt put the fork down and looked at Doc and said, "Doc, if I went around thinking about all the men that want to kill me, I'd be old and gray like you!"
"Hmph, old and gray huh? Well think about that when you may be on my examining table while I conduct your autopsy!" Doc said, stood, and adjusted his hat and walked out of Delmonico's.
He stood there just outside the door and watched the man that had approached Matt walk into the Long Branch. Doc knew that he needed to be there.
When Doc walked into the Long Branch, the stranger was up at the bar hugging Sam. Doc looked confused and walked over to Kitty.
"Well morning Doc. Let me guess, a little something to wash down the bad breakfast?"
"No... No... Not now Kitty. It wouldn't sit well with what I didn't eat. No, that stranger hugging Sam, you know him?"
"Doc, that's Sam's brother Parker."
"Sam's brother?"
"Yeah Doc. Why?"
"Well, he just walked up to Matt over at Delmonico's and asked him who he was."
"Parker?"
"I was sitting at the table when he did. Wouldn't tell Matt his name either. Me and Festus had the same look and you know how rare that is."
"Oh, of course. You and Festus agreeing with each other? It must be going to rain." Kitty said with a smile.
"How well do you know Parker, Kitty?"
"Oh, just met him a couple times. Seems like a good man. Why Doc? You thinking something else?"
"Well, don't tell Sam, but I think he's here to kill Matt."
"Oh Doc, I think you've been hanging around Festus too long!"
"Well, in this case, you may just be right Kitty. You may just be right. But I do hope that you are wrong," Doc said and turned to head out. He paused as he got to the swinging doors and looked towards Sam talking to his brother and shook his head.
A couple of hours passed and Parker had made his way over to the Dodge House for a room. He stared out of the window over to the Marshal's office. Parker saw Festus sitting in the chair just outside. Festus was humming and whittling as he sat there.
Parker knew that Matt knew who he was by now. Matt was in the Long Branch and was sure that Sam could not hold his tongue. At least Sam did not know that he was hired to kill the beloved marshal. And he was willing to bet that Marshal Dillon was not going to tell Sam either.
Parker could easily do it from his room in the Dodge House, but that would be the coward way. He knew that he had to face Matt personally to do the job. Parker knew it had to be at the right time and with people around. They had to see what was going to happen. They had to see their marshal go down.
It was why Parker had been paid. He had to get his money's worth. It was as good a time as any Parker thought and headed out to wait.
Parker leaned against the joint post in front of the Dodge House and stared at the Long Branch's doors. As soon as he saw Matt come out of them, he was going to step onto the dirt and call him out.
Parker rolled a cigarette as he leaned, lit it, and sucked in with a deep inhale. As he exhaled slowly, Matt stepped out and looked both ways taking in the city he protected. Parker glanced again at Festus still sitting in front of the Marshal's office. Parker grinned because he knew that once he called Matt out, Festus would not be sitting there long.
As Matt began to walk, Parker threw down his cigarette and stepped into the street.
"Marshal! Marshal Dillon!" Parker yelled.
Matt stopped and turned to look. He saw Parker standing in the street ready. Festus had already jumped to his feet and was almost to Matt when Parker made him stop.
"No deputy, I don't want you. I just want the Marshal. I want him to know who it is that's gonna kill him! You take another step, and I'll kill you first. And you'll be a freebie!"
Festus just glared at Parker with those squinted eyes, but did not say anything. Festus went to take another step, but Doc, who had walked up behind him, took his arm and stopped him from doing so. Festus turned and looked at Doc and said, "You ol' honry scudder, why'd you stop me? Matthew needs my help!"
"Oh, and I guess you being dead will help him a lot!"
"Ah Doc, I wasn't gon' t' get myself shot at."
"Let Matt handle this Festus."
"But Doc!"
"Don't 'but' me Festus. Now stay still!"
"Parker, you don't stand a chance either way. If Festus didn't kill you first, I'd kill you second."
"I don't think so Marshal. You may be fast, but I know I can take you."
"Don't be stupid Parker. Who paid you to kill me?"
"Doesn't matter who Dillon. What matters is that I get the job done. Now are you gonna draw?"
Sam had made his way to the swinging doors where Kitty was standing. Kitty turned to him and said, "Sam, you shouldn't be watching this."
"I'm sorry Miss Kitty, but that's my brother out there. I should be watching this. He'll never stand a chance against Mr. Dillon."
"Me and you know that, Doc, Festus, and Matt know that also. But does your brother Parker know that?"
Sam turned to head to the bar. Kitty watched Sam go and come back out with the shotgun he always kept behind the bar. Sam headed to the door and was about to exit when Kitty stopped him.
"Sam, don't. You'll only be in the way. Stay here. Please? For me. Let Matt handle it."
Sam just looked at Kitty and knew he could not disobey her. However, he did get in front of her and had the shotgun ready.
"I'm not gonna draw Parker. I'm gonna turn around, and head back to the office."
"Oh no you aren't. You're gonna face me like a man. You aren't gonna turn your back on me."
"I am. You won't be able to shoot a man in the back, even if you were paid to kill." Matt said and turned around.
As he did, Parker went for his gun.
"Matthew, look out!" Festus yelled.
At the same time, the shotgun sounded and Parker hit the ground.
Kitty was rubbing her ears as Sam threw the shotgun down and ran out into the street to his brother. Matt stood in the same spot and watched Sam run to his brother lying on the ground.
Doc ran as fast as he could to Parker and Sam's side. Matt finally made his way there as well.
Doc looked at Sam and then up to Matt and just shook his head. Sam kneeled there by his brother looking at him then Sam finally looked up to Matt.
"I couldn't let Parker do it Mr. Dillon. I just couldn't. When you turned your back Marshal, and Parker went for his gun, I had to pull the trigger."
"He was your brother Sam," Matt said.
"I knew what he was Mr. Dillon. Brother or not, I couldn't let him kill a friend," Sam said as he stood.
Matt tipped his hat and stuck out his arm and squeezed Sam on the shoulder and said, "Obliged to you Sam. But..."
"Don't Marshal. It's okay. I know what I did was right. I've always been the better brother," Sam announced and then began to walk away and back to the Long Branch where he belonged.