Victor White left the livery stable and walked along the street until he found the doctor's office. He noted that there was a lamp still lit, which indicated to him that there were also activities in the room.

White drew his lips tight in thought and then moved down the street to where he was to meet Larry Talbot and the rest of Crawford's group. White estimated that they would arrive around four in the morning, which would give them time to get organized and go over the plan to rescue Roy Crawford.

White pulled at his collar to close it from the cool night air as he walked along the dark street and into the alley to the assigned waiting place near the bridge at the foot of the mill.

Victor White settled sat down on the bridge allowing his feet to dangle. The moon was starting to show which caused the shadows to look more eerie. White pulled a cigar stub from his vest pocket and stuck in between his teeth. He then pulled a match from his vest pocket and flicked the end with his rough thumbnail and the match sparked to light. White cupped his hands as the touched the match to the cigar and he drew a breath. The cigar glowed red in the dark night. White was content to wait for the others.

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Larry Talbot, Harry Dyer, and Ben Preston, mounted their horses and rode off into the night toward Dodge City. Evelyn decided that she would return to her homestead once daylight broke. She found comfort in the heat of the common room at the stage stop. Evelyn gripped her hands together near her chest and hoped that Larry and other men were able to rescue Roy for her.

Talbot and the others seemed to be making good time, and part of that was that the moon was now almost completely clear of the clouds from the storm that blew through the area. Talbot ordered the men to slow their pace, not only for the timing of their arrival in Dodge, but also he didn't want to wear the horses out. He felt that the mission had to go quickly, even if it meant spilled blood but he didn't want tired horses for the get away.

It was now going on to four in the morning. Larry Talbot had been to Dodge during cattle drives, so he knew enough of the town to know where he and the men need to go for the rendezvous with Victor White.

Talbot led the men down a small back street toward the bridge and mill. He could see the glow of White's cigar in the distance. The only sounds that could be heard were the horse's hooves and the slight gurgle from the creek that led past the mill and under the bridge.

The riders pulled up near where Victor White sat. He lazily looked up at the group, "Seems like you made good time," he said gruffly in a hushed voice. If one didn't know him, he would have sounded annoyed, but it was just his mountain man nature.

Talbot dismounted and was followed by the other men, as the pulled their horses closer to where Victor White sat. "What did you find out?" Talbot asked as he handed his reins to Ben Preston.

"The town drunk is a good source for information," White laughed as he stood up. "He said that the marshal took Crawford up to the doctor's office because he was shot," White stated and then spat out some residue left from the old cigar.

"Where's that office?" Talbot asked.

"On the main drag. It's above the general store," White said as he drew his left sleeve across his whiskered face.

"Right. I remember that now. It's near a saloon," Talbot stated.

"Could be. I didn't notice," White huffed with a shrug. "But what I did notice, was there seemed to be someone still awake up in the old sawbones's office. There was a lamp lit," White stated.

"Hum," Talbot murmured to himself. Now he had to take this into consideration for the planned rescue. "Alright, this is what I want each of you to do. We'll strike at six o'clock. That way most of the town is still asleep which should make our escape that much easier…" Talbot started to out line his plan to the group of men. His men nodded in understanding

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Doc walked from the back room. He had managed to get a few hours of sleep while Festus stayed in the main office. Festus yawned and stretched as he watched the doctor reexamined the outlaw. Doc lifted Crawford's wrist and met some resistance as Crawford was coming to. Doc didn't let go and continued to read the man's pulse, "It appears you'll live," Doc grumbled at the man laying on the examination table.

"No thanks to your digging around in my leg, which hurts like hell," Crawford growled.

Doc snorted and then turned to Festus. The physician looked at his watch. The time was five fifty in the morning, "Festus, thanks for staying last night. You can go now. You're likely starving," Doc almost chuckled.

"If you feel it's okay, Doc," Festus looked past the doctor at the outlaw.

"I'll be fine. In an hour or so, I'll have Matt take him to the jail," Doc said as he walked with Festus to the door. Festus nodded and stepped out onto the landing at the top of the stairs. "I'll see ya later, Doc," the hill man smiled and walked down the stairs. Doc brushed his right hand across his greying moustache as he watched the deputy cross the street.

Wilbur Jonas strolled up the street and noted Festus walking across to the restaurant. His eyes then turned to his store and he reached into his pocket to retrieve the ring of keys so that he could open for business for the day.

Jonas quickly stepped inside and pulled off his suit coat and tied the white apron around his waist. The first order of business was to get the bushel baskets of produce out onto the boardwalk. Jonas lifted a basket of apples and walked to the door then set the basket on the wooden shelf in front of the store. He did the same with the cabbage. Upon his third trip to the boardwalk he looked up into the barrel of a gun.

Jonas' mouth dropped open as Ben Preston pushed him back into the store, closing the door behind him. "Here, now," Jonas said as his eyebrows knit together, "what's this about?"

"Put the basket down and move to the back room," Preston ordered the store owner.

"I most certainly will not!" Jonas barked at the gunman.

"Have it your way," Preston stated as he quickly brought his gun down over Jonas' left ear causing the store owner to drop to his knees. The room spun wildly and Jonas blinked to try to make it stop spinning. By bow, Preston had taken Jonas by the lapel and dragged him into the storeroom at the back. The last thing Preston remembered being told by Talbot he didn't want witnesses.