PT.11

Kitty was getting extremely tired but was more concerned with trying to think of something to do and figure out where they were. The injured man, she had overheard his friend call him Mason, he was stirring in his sleep. When checking on him, she could see he was beginning to become warm.

His friend sat quietly by the small fire.

"Hey. We need to find a way to cool down your friend here. He's beginning to get fevered. Some cool water would help." When he didn't respond, she looked up. "Are you listening? I know you hear me. What's wrong with you? We gonna sit here or you gonna try and find a way outta here? You have any idea where we are?"

"No, Lady, none."

"Well, I'm gonna go see if I can find water." She started to walk away. Hey! Wait. You think I'm stupid? You think I'm just gonna let you go?"

Turning, shoulders squared, "GO? Go where? I don't know where we are either. I thought I heard running water."

While waiting for her to check for the water, Lane, the second man began trying to fix the carriage. He tried righting it and propping it up and seeing if he could get the wheel back on enough to get Mason help. He was beginning to think Harriman's plan was falling by the wayside.

Matt, Harriman and Matt's friends headed back to the Winsor Inn. They needed to get Harriman to tell them everything. All Matt could think about was Kitty being out there with... Well, that was just it. He didn't know who. Was she alright or would they or did they hurt her?

They'd be losing daylight before long. He wondered what she was thinking? He'd never forgive himself if...

"Matt? Matt?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, "Oh, Tom. I'm sorry. I was just..."

"I understand, Matt. Matt, I called the local constable. Now before you tell me I shouldn't have, just listen to me. Let them handle Harriman and his people. We have more important things to do."

"We?" Matt repeated.

"Sure, we. You don't think the guys and I are gonna let you do this alone, do you? Matt, Kitty is a good woman."

"She sure is." Joey added. "And, Matt, we're not taking no for an answer."

As they were all preparing to head out once again, there was a knock at the door. Tom quickly opened the door. "Can I help you?"

"I'm lookin' fer Matthew Dillon."

"Well, Partner, come right on in. He's here. Matt? You know this man?"

Surprised, "Festus?"

"Matthew, yer a sight fer sore eyes. Me and ol' Ruth been a ridin' all thru the nights ta git here."

"Festus, I want you to meet some old friends. Tom, John, Sam and this is Joey."

Festus' eyes widened. "JOEY? I ain't never seen me a shemale name of Joey?"

"This here is a good friend from home, Festus Haggen."

"Well, Mr. Haggen, it's Josephine. But my friend's call me Joey."

"Aw foot, you can call me Festus. My daddy was Mr. Haggen."

"Well, Festus, we were just headed out."

"Matthew, ya know where yer headed, do ya?"

"We're going to try and track them from the last place we know she was."

"Well, Matthew, if'n ya show me, I'll git to trackin' fer ya, directly."

Nodding, "Let's go." Smiling.

Matt knew with Festus helping, they had a better chance of finding where they went after the first place.

Tom walked next to Matt. "Matt? You trust Festus, do ya?"

"Aw, completely. Best tracking man I know and he'll never quit. Festus loves Kitty. He's family."

The constable, Marc Jennings, questioned Harriman for hours. Harriman refused to talk. But he did say he knew nothing about Kitty's disappearance.

Kitty was right about the water she'd heard. Unknown to her, or the men, they were close to Rock Creek. Rock Creek was a free flowing tributary of the Potomac River, which emptied into the Atlantic Ocean via the Chesapeake Bay. It was about 32.6 miles long.

Lane had managed to get the wheel reattached. When Kitty returned, Lane stood staring at her, holding a gun.

"Wait a minute. What are you doing?" Kitty saw he had fixed the carriage. "I don't understand. Look we can get Mason help. No one has to know about any of this." She was trying to stall him, slowly backing up.

"Mrs. Dillon, you know our faces our names."

With a light nervous laugh and swaying her head, she was slowly taking steps back. "But nothing happened more than a carriage ride. Right?" She was smiling at him, never taking her eyes off the gun but shaking inside the whole time. Suddenly a loud snap of a branch caused him to fire the gun and Kitty screamed.

Matt, Festus and friends returned to the first location, questioning everyone and anyone who might have seen Kitty with one or two men.

Festus went to tracking any signs of them, including the carriage tracks behind the building that were left due to the brief rain. The wheel left small tracks of mud. Very few people used the back of the building but it had been mentioned that two men were seen taking a carriage behind the building and later seen in the company of a beautiful redhead.

Festus was hot on the trail.

TBC

A/n for those questioning , Yes Matt and Kitty are late 60's roughly in this time