Captive Hearts 11
Author's note: There was a question from a reader as to why Matt was portrayed as selfish in a previous chapter. I certainly did not intend to give that impression. As always when I detail a character's thoughts I try to look at it from their perspective. Matt never saw himself as the valiant hero. He was human and he knew it and oft times he placed blame on himself that he didn't own. It was only my intention to show that conflict of wanting to do what was right by both Kitty, Emma and his badge and questioning himself, something I think he would do. I apologize if I was unclear.
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Festus and Newly sat solemnly at the small table in the jail office the next morning, listening as Matt told them everything he'd been able to learn about Wade Dawson. "This man is dangerous, boys." Matt said as he paced over to the window. "He'll kill at the drop of a hat and for no reason at all. If he ever gets close to Kitty again…"
"Matthew, we ain't a gonna let that happen." Festus vowed. Looking over at his friend, he saw Newly nodding his head vigorously in agreement.
Festus looked down as he thought of the woman lying now over in Doc's office. The one everyone thought had abandoned her friends and the man she loved. The burden of what had really happened to her weighed heavily on him. "If'n I hadn't been so blame headed stupid my ownself a year ago, she'd a never got took in the first place." He added softly.
Matt looked over gratefully at his friend as he shook his head. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, Festus. But you and I both know you had nothing to with what happened."
"Matthew, I know'd she was a getting' on that there stage. I see'd her do it and I didn't try and stop her. If'n I had of… well…"
"She would've ignored you and gone anyway." Newly put in. "Truth is, Festus, what happened to Miss Kitty wasn't your fault, or the Marshal's or even Miss Kitty's. Wade Dawson held that stage up and kidnapped her and Wade Dawson is responsible for all of what's happened since."
Matt glanced at Newly. He wanted to agree but deep inside the guilt gnawed at him as strongly as it did Festus. If only he'd gone after her, he kept telling himself.
Sighing he turned away from the window and looked at both men squarely. "Right now, the only thing that matters is that we protect Kitty, Emma and Miss Horton and we find that bastard before he can hurt anyone else."
"Where ya want to start, Matthew?" Festus eyed him. He knew all too well how Matthew felt about Miss Kitty and he wasn't about to let the man take off on his own to avenge her.
"Well, I'm not sure." Matt said as he turned to the stove and poured himself a cup of coffee. Taking a sip he started to say something else till the acrid taste practically choked him. "Festus what you'd you put in this?" he asked setting the cup down and pushing it away.
"Wael that there's my Aint Thede's recipe, Matthew." Festus declared. "It takes a heap of doing to make it like that but it shore is something when it gets done."
"I can't argue with that." He grimaced.
"Marshal," Newly brought the conversation back from Festus' attempt at coffee. "Do you suppose the army has any idea where Dawson is? Or would even be willing to send troopers with us to find him?"
"No, Newly." Matt shook his head, crossing his arms against his chest. "As a matter of fact, I'd like to keep the army out of this as much as possible."
"Why, Matthew?" Festus asked. "Ain't they posed to be re-spons-e-ble fer findin' him?"
"No, Festus, they're not. Dawson is a civilian. The army might never have raided that camp at all if it hadn't of been for the large number of Indians Dawson had working for him, as well as the captives. At any rate, responsible or not, I don't want them involved any more than necessary."
"You sound like ya don't trust em', Matthew." Festus glanced over at Newly see affirmation in his dark brown eyes.
Matt sighed and shrugged. "I don't know if I can. Miss Horton told me that she heard different things that led her to believe somebody in the army may have been in cahoots with Dawson. She never heard any names or any specifics though. Still I don't think we can afford to take any chances. So let's not involve the army unless we have to."
"Alright, Marshal." Newly stood up. "Then what do we do? Do you think we should ride back down south to where Dawson had his camp?"
Matt shook his head. "No, I doubt that'd do any good, Newly. He won't hang around there. Besides I have a feeling, he's more likely to come to us."
Festus squinted up at him. "Ya think he's gonna come here after Miss Kitty, do ya?"
'Yeah, I do, Festus. If he does have a contact in the army then he knows by now that she's back here and I don't doubt he'll come here looking for her."
"Then we just sit here and wait for him to come?" Newly crinkled his brow. He didn't like what he was thinking. "You're not thinking of using Miss Kitty as bait for him, are you?"
A small smile lifted the corners of Matt's mouth for a second. "Yes and no." he answered.
Newly and Festus exchanged puzzled looks before turning them on their boss. "Wael, what does that there mean, Matthew?"
"You boys remember the old Martin ranch, south west of town here?"
Both men nodded. "It's been a while since I was there but I member it." Festus rubbed his chin in thought.
"Me too. If I remember correctly, Mr. Martin passed on a couple of years ago and Mrs. Martin sold the place and moved back east." Newly said.
Matt nodded. "That's right. I have an idea we could take Kitty and Emma, as well as Miss Horton, out there and kinda hide them. If Dawson thinks they're here, he'll come here and we'll stand a better chance at getting him without the women being in danger."
"Well, Matthew, how do ya know that new owner'd even let ya on the place? Might be he don't won't no body out there. I know'd I ain't see'd him in town none."
Matt grinned as he stood up and absently picked up his abandoned coffee cup. "Oh you see him every day, Festus. And I can guarantee, he won't have any problem at all with Kitty being out there." He said as he took a drink of the acrid brew in the cup, choking harshly on it.
Newly suddenly understood. "You mean… you own the ranch?"
Matt nodded. Tossing the coffee, he drank a dipperful of water to clear his throat of the horrible brown liquid. "I bought it for …. Well, it's mine. And I think the women would be a lot safer out there then here in town. We'll need to go out and make it ready though. I seldom go out there and the house doesn't have too many furnishings.
"I'll hep you, Matthew." Festus volunteered.
Matt smiled. "Good. Tell ya what, you go down to the stable and get as big a wagon as Hank has and meet me in the alley behind the Long Branch."
"The Long Branch?" Festus questioned.
Matt smiled. "I want Kitty to be comfortable and I'm pretty sure Hannah will help me do that."
TBC
