Two weeks, Matt thought angrily as he made his rounds late one night. And still, Doyle reported no signs of Eaton. The Marshal didn't want to admit it to anyone but himself, but he began to have doubts about whether Eaton truly existed. How was it possible the man was going back and forth from the states to Mexico undetected! It just wasn't possible, at some point, someone should have seen something.

Stepping though the double doors of the Long Branch afterward, he glanced around at the patrons before making his way across the saloon to the table occupied by Doc and Kitty.

"Evening, cowboy," Kitty said trying to be as jovial as she could. "Can I buy you a beer?"

"Thanks, Kitty," Matt replied with a heavy heart as he sat down beside them.

Sam brought over a beer for Matt and refreshed Doc and Kitty's drink before turning to Matt.

"Any news about Festus, Marshal?"

"No, Sam," Matt replied softly as the barkeep nodded before heading behind the bar.

Matt shook his head as he looked from Kitty to Doc. "As much as I hate to say it, I think it's time we..." Matt began but got cut off by his deputy.

"Doc!" Newly said rushing though the doors of the saloon. "Barney just handed this telegram to me for you! I think you'd best read it aloud."

Doc narrowed his eyes as he took the paper and read over the message before turning to look at Matt. "Expect us on the next new moon," he said meeting Matt's eyes. "It's signed, F!"

"That's gotta be Festus," Newly whispered taking a seat next to Matt.

"Us," Matt replied quietly looking at Newly. "He must be bringing Paco with him."

"Well, that only makes sense to me," Doc replied. "Didn't you say the boy had no family since his mother died."

"Yeah," Matt said sadly as he remembered Paco's mother. "When's the next new moon?"

"Let me think now," Doc said thoughtfully. "I believe it's about a week away."

"That means, he's already in the states," Matt said looking at Newly.

"You think we should go after them?" the deputy said as Matt shook his head no.

"No. We'd most likely miss them on the trail," Matt said with a grin. "Festus is to smart to run into anyone out there, he knows when and where to travel to avoid contact with people. If he says he'll be here, he will! We just have to be patient and wait."

"Why would he risk his life coming back here?" Kitty wondered aloud as Matt looked grim.

"I don't know, we'll just have to wait until he gets here to find out," Matt replied eagerly.

Festus waited in a thick grove of trees near a creek for Paco to return from the telegraph office outside of a small town in Texas. He didn't like the idea of sending the boy in alone but had little choice, he had to send something to Matt warning him of their impending arrival or things could have gotten ugly had he been caught sneaking into Dodge. The way he figured it, going into town in the middle of the night with no moon was the best way to avoid being seen at least until he had a chance to show Matt the evidence he'd collected against Eaton. If he couldn't have the man himself, he could only hope what he had was enough to at least cast doubt on the situation.

After Miguel had written the letter, Festus had questioned him at great lengths about Doyle's involvement but the wormy account had sent the telegram anonymously to the agent which made the hill man realize the lawman had been acting on a tip and nothing more. But the hill man was confident that Eaton had to have help coming from someone. The question was, who?

Drawing his gun, he moved further into the grove upon hearing a horse approaching.

"SeƱor, Festus," Paco said sliding off the horse they had traded his tiny house and barn for before they left Mexico. "It is done!"

"Good boy," Festus said stepping out of the trees. "Anyone follow you?"

"No," Paco replied looking back. "I did just like you said, I just told him what to send and to who."

"Alright then youngin," Festus replied with a wiry grin. "We'll make camp here and wrestle us up a mess of fish for supper before heading out tonight."

The week crept by slowly and as if that weren't enough, gathering storm clouds only added to the worry as Matt, Kitty and Doc waited in his office one moonless night.

"Here comes the rain," Doc said pulling pack a curtain to peer outside. "Looks like it's going to be a bad storm and with no moon to see by..."

"I'll put on a pot of coffee," Kitty said putting a hand in Doc's arm. "Try not to worry."

"Me," Doc said with a snort. "Why would I be worried! Festus knows what he's doing, right?"

"Right," Kitty said watching the physician take a seat at his desk before looking worriedly at the Marshal.

"I've got Newly keeping an eye open downstairs," Matt said looking at Doc. "He'll be here."

Festus slide off his horse, bringing a sleepy Paco with him. Pulling his coat around the boy, he pulled the horses into the alley behind Doc's office and tied them up before checking the street.

The rain afforded him some cover against Dodge's street lights as he quickly made his way down the alley and climbed the stairs to Doc's office. When Festus opened the door, his friends rushed to get him inside.

"Anyone see you?" Matt asked as Festus shook his head. Matt looked around outside before closing and locking the door before turning back to the hill man. "He's asleep?" Matt asked as Festus looked down at the boy in his arms.

"Yeah," Festus said with a grin. "Give out on me when we crossed the Cimarron."

"Festus," Kitty said giving the hill man a squeeze. "You're soaked to the skin!"

"C'mon in here," Doc said opening the door to his spare room. "There's a cot for the boy already set up and I got clean clothes in the bureau. Get yourself changed and put the boy to bed and then we'll talk about why your here."

"Alright," Festus said before looking at Matt. "The horses are in the alley."

"I'll have Newly take care of them," Matt replied. "He knows what to do."