Pt.6

"Revenge"

Festus' rode Ruth hard, catching up with Matt.

"Festus, the girls told me that someone took Kitty. That a man carried her down Front Street and I followed these wagon wheel tracks, but it rained a while ago, so it's becoming harder to follow."

"Matthew, don't you be worryin' none. We gonna find Miz Kitty and the little girl. Miz Kitty's real smart. She be finding a way to be ok. You can sure count on that. I gaurontee it."

"Festus… Never mind. Let's just keep going."

As they continued to ride, looking for signs, they saw Jake come riding towards them. "Matt, is that you?"

"Yeah, Jake. And Festus."

"Well, you saved me a trip. I was just coming into town to see you. Whoever has been on my property, has been back I think."

"Why do you think that?" Matt asked. He was not listening very closely, he was too distracted.

"Well, Matt, someone has been in my root cellar and I'm missing… Matt, are you listening?"

"Oh, sure, Jake, you were saying?"

"Matt, what's wrong?"

"Festus and I have been riding most of the night, looking for… Jake, Kitty's been taken."

"Matt, what are you sayin'?"

"Someone took her during the dance last night, along with Katie Ronniger."

"Wait, I remember her. Isn't she the little wild girl, Kitty found about five years out in the badlands?"

"Yeah, that's her. Jake, I think they may be in real trouble."

"Matt, what can I do?" Jake said quickly.

"Jake, I think they may have come this way, but with the rain last night, tracking is getting thin."

Kitty continued to work on getting her hands loose. Her wrist and hands were now bleeding. She could still hear the voices above her. Looking over at Katie, she said, "Honey, try to stay quiet. Ssshhhh."

She felt her way around for a door, when she found it above her head, it wouldn't budge. "Oh, damn it!"

Still feeling light-headed, she worked her way back to Katie. "Honey, can you hear me?"

Katie just moaned. "Ok, Sweetheart. If you can try to move to the corner as far as you can. Do you understand?" She could hear Katie sliding around.

Kitty could feel the wood cage but also the chain wrapped around it. "Damn, damn, damn! Ok, don't be scared. I'm gonna try to break this."

She sat back a bit and began kicking at the wood. It took several kicks but then she heard the wood crack. Katie screamed. "No, honey, it's ok. I'm gonna do it some more, ok." But while she began to kick, she heard a noise then suddenly saw a bright beam of light shone in her face that was blinding and a loud voice.

"Hey! What you be a doing down here?"

Then Kitty felt someone grab her arm and toss her. When she tried to stand, she felt a hand come across her face and knock her back and heard, "Oh, no you don't, Missy."

Now holding her jaw, "Who are you? And what do you want?"

With the little beam of light coming in, she could see just enough to grab a piece of wood that had broken off the cage. Quickly swinging it and hitting him in the back, knocking him to the ground.

Quickly grabbing Katie by the hand, she said, "Honey, quick. Come on, we have to get out of here."

They ran up the stairs and stumbled, but ran right into Ruba Lee Mathers and Lemond.

"Where do you two think you're going?" She was pointing a shotgun at them.

Kitty try to fight her but she shot and hit Kitty in the leg then pushed her back inside the doorway. Katie began to run, screaming wildly.

Lemond caught up to her, but not before a man on a horse came along. "Hey, Fella! What's the problem?"

"Oh, this here is my kid sister. She is having a fit cuz she doesn't want to move on. Ma made me fetch 'er."

Katie yelled out. "Miss… Kitty… hurt!"

Then the man asked. "What's she sayin'?"

"Oh, she's carrin' on bout some stupid kitten. It got hurt and Ma said she had to git rid of it. Ya know'd how kids are."

"But, what was that shot I thought I heard?"

"That was Ma, just puttin' the animal out of it's misery, that's all. None of yer concern, Mister."

"Well, it sort'a is. This here is my boss's property, so that means you're trespassing."

"No, sir, we're jest passin' thru."

"Ok, see that you do."

LeMond grabbed Katie and pulled her away, screaming.

The rider continued to ride but couldn't help looking back over his shoulder, feeling sorry for the little girl.

TBC