Doc turned his weathered face up to the barkeeper and shook his head. "I haven't got any money," he cried.
"Then you'll spend another night in jail," Sam replied harshly. "You aught to be getting used to that bunk by now. As much time as you spent there since getting out of prison."
"Prison," Matt said stepping between Doc and Sam. He clearly didn't understand what was going on but if he was going to try and fix the situation, he had to start some where. "How much does he owe, Sam?"
"A dollar, Mister," Sam said eyeing the stranger with distrust. "You want to pay it!"
"Yes," Matt said reaching for the money from his pocket but he found none. "I seem to have misplaced it."
"Alright, Moore," Sam said pushing Doc down the boardwalk. "Let's go!"
"Wait," Matt said grabbing Sam's arm. "Where's Kitty, she'd never charge Doc for a drink!"
"Kitty," Sam said with a sleazy grin. "She's the one that gave them to him! If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have had so many. This old coot always did have a soft spot for that woman."
Matt watched and then shook his head as Sam all but dragged Doc toward the jail. Pushing thought the doors of the Long Branch, he stepped inside and stopped. Looking around, he couldn't believe his eyes.
Walking across the normally pristine saloon floor was a task in itself as his boots kicked up nothing but filth. Dirt, sand and Matt could only guess what else met him at the bar.
Looking around at the dusty trail hands, his eyes fell on a man he hadn't seen in years. Looking much the same, just a bit older, was Bill Pence. He stood at the end of the bar but it wasn't the man that interested the Marshal, it was the woman he was with.
Kitty was dressed like any other saloon girl but Pence made a great deal out of keeping her close at hand when a cowboy approached her.
As she turned around, their eyes met for the briefest second but she looked away without even the slightest recognition. But, it was just enough time for Matt to see the bruises on her face and the timidity in her eyes.
"Where are you going, Matthew?" Micheal asked sliding up to the bar beside him.
"How?" Matt asked before stopping himself. "Never mind, I don't think I want to know!" Turning his head sharply, he said, "I'm getting ready to go over there and take Kitty out of here!"
"But, she doesn't know you," Michael said quietly. "Your friend, Doc didn't know you either!"
"Yeah," Matt said looking at Micheal. "Why don't they?"
"They don't know who you are because to them, you never existed! You asked to never be born and that's why I'm here. To show you the lives of the people you care the most about, if you had never been born!"
"Is that why Doc's name is Moore?
"Calvin Moore," Michael said evenly. "That's his name. It's who he is! Without you to stop him, I'm afraid he shot and killed Clem Maddow! It was revealed in court that he was indeed Calvin Moore and responsible for the death of Roger Beauregard as well. The only reason he's even out of prison is because of the good work he did while locked up. The warden granted him parole when it was discovered that he was dying."
"Doc's dying?" Matt asked sadly as Michael nodded.
"Indeed he is," Micheal said with a nod. "Poor soul, he'll end up some where other than where you're going."
"And, Kitty?" Matt asked watching the woman he loved. "What happened to her? She was the owner of the Long Branch."
"She never had the drive to become anything other than what you see," Michael said with a firm nod. "Without you, she just accepted what she was and this is where she decided to stay!"
Before Matt could ask any more questions, a loud commotion from outside brought everyone's attention to the doors of the Long Branch as several armed men stormed the saloon.
Matt turned back around to Micheal as a man spoke, but just as before, he was gone.
"Give us yer money and yer jewelry and no ones gonna die!"
The Marshal turned slowly around as the man that spoke approached him.
"Festus," Matt said as the hill man stopped in front of him.
"Do I know you, Mister?" He asked looking Matt up and down. "Ya don't look like no one I'd recollect having met before. How you know ma name?"
"Now wait a minute," Pence yelled from behind the bar. "You Haggens done robbed me once before and I ain't going to allow it again!"
"Shut up, fat man," Festus said leveling his pistol in Pence's direction.
Matt watched in shock and horror as Festus drew back the hammer and fired.
"No!" Matt yelled as Pence went down.
"He's dead!" Kitty screamed a few seconds later as Festus smiled at Matt. "It ain't ma first and it won't be ma last!"
