PT.11

Old Flame Revisited

Hurrying to Doc's office, Matt pushed the door aside for Kitty. "Doc? Sam says you wanted me? Said Jake is awake."

"Well, yeah, he is and he was babbling on and saying your name."

"Can I see him?"

"Go on, but not too long. He's lost a lot of blood and he need lots of rest."

"Sure, Doc." Matt said.

Opening the door to the back room, seeing his good friend Jake lying in the bed, pale and worn looking, this was a place he can recall being one too many times. Sitting quietly next to him, "Jake?" Touching lightly on his arm. "Jake, it's me, Matt."

Slowly his eyes fluttered. "Ma-ttt?"

"Yeah, Jake, it's me." Jake tried to move but Matt placed his hands on both shoulders. "Whoa, not so fast. You stay still."

"Matt? I had to warn ya. They run me down; wanted to rob…" Jake 's voice dwindled, then he shut his eyes.

Doc, standing along with Kitty in the doorway, "OK, that's enough." He said. "Matt, he's a mighty sick man."

"Yeah, Doc, I know but I need to find who did this."

"And you will, but not right now. He needs rest." Doc restated.

Standing to walk into the outer room, Kitty handed Matt a cup of coffee. "Matt, did he tell you anything, anything at all?"

"Kitty, all I could make out was that he was coming to warn me and I think something about a robbery. Then he passed out."

Shaking his head and wiping his upper lip. "No, Matt, I gave him a good dose of laudanum. He'll sleep for a while and that's good."

"Doc, Jake was in an awful hurry to get to me and got back shot for it."

Then tilting her head, "Matt, what is it you think he was trying to warn you about? There isn't anything coming in. There's no payroll, is there? All the drovers are gone."

"Kitty, I'm not sure." Then thinking for a moment. "There is gold that is supposed to come through Dodge and put into the bank till it can be transported. I arranged it with Mr. Botkin. But nobody knows about it."

"Well, Matt, it looks like somebody does. But how did Jake know what this person, or persons, were planning?" Kitty asked.

"I guess we won't know until Jake can tell us. But I can't take the chance."

The two men, still sitting at the Long Branch, watched Sam as he cleaned up. Then Ned asked, "Hey, barkeep, another bottle, and what'a you know about that Marshal running out of here like he was on fire? Heard they drug a dead man into town."

"The Marshal and deputy brought in a man alright. The Marshal's friend. He's been back shot." Sam said as he finished. "Takes a real coward to back shoot a man." Sam continued.

Ned jumped. "Hey!"

Quickly, Marv grabbed him by the arm. "Sit down. Relax. You want to give us away?"

Ned sat back down. "So, barkeep."

Sam turned and looked at the two, saying, "Fellas, we'll be closing here right shortly. Weather's pretty bad." Sam was getting a bad feeling from these two.

As Ned and Marv were pushing thru the batwing doors and Matt a Kitty were leaving Doc's office, Matt said, "Kitty, I'll walk you back to the Long Branch then I want to take a look at Jake's things."

Festus came from the stable. "Matthew? Ya see them there horses? They have Jake's brand on 'um. What'a they be in Dodge fur?"

Matt now looked in the direction of the horses tied up in front of the Long Branch and started towards them.

Marv realized Matt was curious about the horses.

As Matt headed off the stairs towards the saloon, two shots rang out. Matt quickly grabbed his arm and Festus scanned the street.

Then Festus yelled out. "MIZ KITTY!" A bullet grazed Matt's arm but Kitty had been hit, dropping her to the ground. As Matt and Festus ran and crouched by her side, another shot rang out and Festus turned and returned fire only to see that it was Dolly he had shot.

Now Doc was out and down the stairs. "Matt! Matt, what happened?"

"She's hit, Doc."

Festus was still stunned. He was beside himself that he shot a woman.

"Matt, can you get her upstairs?"

"Sure, Doc. Doc, is she alright?"

"Well now, I guess I'll have to see. But not here in the street."

Howie was now leaning over Dolly on the porch of the hotel. She was sitting, whining she was hurt.

Marv was now confused where the shots were all coming from. He knew he only shot once. He walked across the street to the Dodge House and as he looked down, "Well, well? If it ain't…"

Before he could finish, Dolly still in tears, said, "Marv? How'd you find me?"

Reaching down to help Howie pick her up, Howie looked at Marv and said, "Do you think you can get her up to Doc?"

"Oh, sure I can." Marv replied, with a snicker. Marv carried her up the stairs. "Doctor? This one needs your help as well." He sat Dolly in the chair. She sat quietly.

"Doc, how is she?"

Doc was digging into Kitty's side trying to remove the bullet. "Lucky it caught her rib. Matt, hand me that alcohol." Doc cleansed the wound and bandaged her side. "She's gonna feel this later."

"But, Doc, will she be ok?"

"Matt, Kitty Russell is a strong woman and has survived a lot worse."

Then both Doc and Matt glanced over at Dolly and Doc said in a harsh voice, "Now, Young lady, let me see that shoulder. Festus' shot went clean through. You're lucky it's a through and through. Let me clean it up and bandage this and make you a sling."

Then Matt blurted out, "What were you thinking?"

Lowering her eyes, "Oh, Matt Darlin', I could lose you to…"

"Stop! Dolly, just stop. Let me make this clear. You can't lose me, you didn't have me and never will."

Then they heard Kitty moan and Matt rushed to her side. "Kit, you're alright. I'm right here, Honey." Sitting down close to her, not paying any attention to anyone that was in the room.

Dolly thought she was just going to leave, and as she went for the door, Festus opened it, squinting his eyes. "Yer a stayin' put. Matthew, what'cha think we gonna do with her?" Festus saw the way he sat by Kitty's side. "Matthew?"

"Take her over to the jail."

"Matt? You can't put her in the jail." Doc said.

Thinking for a minute, then without looking up, "Lock her in her room, then. I'll deal with her later." Then he looked at Doc.

Festus agreed to lock her in her room and then said, "Matthew? Them two yahoo's that was shooting, I'll a lock them in the jail. What ya think they was shootin at ya fur?"

Matt just waved him off, saying, "Later, Festus."

Doc agreed to let Matt take Kitty to the Long Branch, since Jake was still in his office. Sam agreed to keep a watch on her till they could get Ma Smalley to come over. Then Matt went to question Marv and Ned.

Matt had put together his theory that these two must have been headed to Dodge and stopped at Jake's, left their horses and took two of his. But Jake overheard their plans to wait for the gold to come through Dodge and when Jake went to ride into Dodge to warn Matt, they stopped him by shooting him, leaving him for dead.

As Matt pressed for details, they fought amongst themselves. Finally Ned blurted out, "If you weren't so side tracked with blondie…"

"Shut up, Ned."

"Marv, I done told ya that Dolly was trouble from the git go."

Matt stood in front of them. "What's Dolly Winters got to do with this?"

Ned waved a hand. "Ahhhhh, she's his woman. Or was."

Matt was furrowing his brows. "What do you mean?"

"Dolly was with us up till about two weeks ago."

"Shut up, you idiot." Marv yelled.

Ned now had enough to drink that he was just talking.

"She knew what you two were up to?" Matt asked now looking face to face with Ned.

"Sure she knew. Till she got greedy and stole all Marv's money."

Matt was seeing red!

"We tracked her down, we did. And just our luck, this is where the train was bringin' the gold we was after."

Matt locked them back in the cells and headed out the door. Headed straight for the Dodge House!

TBC