Ecclesiastes Three 14

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Kitty gratefully sank into her office chair. Her feet hurt and she was exhausted but she was happy to be out of the barroom. The brief encounter with the scarred stranger had frightened her a little, though she wasn't sure why. She had been working downstairs now, for several weeks and had already had several such encounters.

But this one felt different. It felt almost evil but familiar in some way. Shaking her head, she attributed it to her being pregnant. Doc had warned her that her emotions and moods would be affected by it and that little things could upset her easily. She assumed that was the case here.

Just then, she heard a knock on her office door followed by Doc's voice. "Kitty?"

"Come on in, Doc." She answered glad to see the old man who had become so dear to her in the past weeks.

As the door opened, Doc shuffled in carrying his bag. "Festus came and got me. Said you weren't feeling well."

Kitty shook her head. "Oh, I'm fine, Doc. Honestly. Just got a little tired is all. It's been really busy tonight."

"Looks like it still is." Doc agreed as he opened his bag and took out his stethoscope. "And you had no business being out there so long."

"Don't scold me, Doc." Kitty said seriously. "I had two people out tonight. I had to work. Besides it didn't do me any harm."

Doc's brow furrowed as he looked at her. "Didn't do you any harm? Young Lady, your feet are swollen and your heart rate's too fast. You're pale and look about ready to collapse. I would say that was harm."

Kitty sighed and shook her head. "Alright, but I'm out of there now and I promise not to go back in tonight. Will that suit you?"

"No," Doc tugged at his ear as he placed his stethoscope back into his bag. "But it would if you'd go on upstairs and lay down. Sam can handle whatever takes place out there."

Kitty knew the physician was not going to leave her alone until she complied and in truth she was extremely tired. "Alright," she nodded, wearily getting back to her feet. "Let me tell Sam..."

"Un huh." Doc shook his head. "You just go on upstairs. I'll tell Sam."

In the last six weeks, Kitty had learned not to argue much with the town doctor. So, smiling wearily and without another word, she climbed the back staircase to her rooms above.

Doc watched her leave with a shake of his head and a scrub of his mustache. Memory or no, Kitty Russell was still a stubborn and determined woman. And he was glad for that. Those qualities had gotten her through some tough times. Turning, he grabbed his bag and started back into the bar room, only to run headlong into the Dodge City Marshal headed towards the office.

"Doc, she okay?" Matt's voice was calm and controlled. His countenance was anxious. "Festus said she went to her office not feeling good."

"Oh, she's alright, Matt." Doc answered with a sigh. "Hard headed along with exhausted but otherwise fine. I sent her to her rooms to get some rest."

Matt relaxed a little but scanned the bar room as though he expected to see her lingering in the room.

"What are you looking for? Doc asked. "I told you, I sent her upstairs to her rooms."

"I know." Matt answered; an uneasy expression still on his face. "But…" He hesitated. Looking around him, he saw nothing out of the ordinary and nothing to arouse his suspicions, except the hair on the back of his neck, which was currently standing on end.

"But what?" Doc asked; himself taking a look around the room. "You see something?"

Matt shook his head. "No, I don't but something just feels off. Not sure why. That's why I hurried over here when Festus came for me."

"Well, whatever it is, it's not Kitty." Doc answered, heading towards the bar. "She'll be fine after she gets some sleep. How about a beer?"

Matt gave the physician a suspicious grin. "You buying?"

"Just one." Doc replied sternly.

"Well, I can't turn that down." Matt replied.

Neither the physician nor the Marshal saw the tall, scar faced man leave the saloon.

Silently he slipped through the shadows and made his way towards the back of the building. He had overheard the old doctor say she had gone upstairs. He wasn't sure but figured there would be stairs in the back, as most places like this had. He knew with the noise of the still raucous saloon goers downstairs, he stood a good chance of finding and reclaiming her, without anyone being the wiser, till he had already escaped with his trophy.

Locating the back stairs, he silently climbed to the top and tried the door. It was locked but it wasn't much of a deterrent to the determined man. Slipping a small pocket knife in the lock he flicked it back and forth several times until the lock gave and the door opened. Stepping in quickly, he made his way noiselessly down the hall, till he located the only door with light spilling out from under it.

Kitty was disturbed from brushing her hair, when a knock sounded at the door. "Yes?" she called. But no one answered.

"Who is it?" She called again.

"Sam," a gravelly voice answered. He had remembered the name she'd called the bartender.

It didn't really sound like Sam, but she could think of no one else who would come up there right then. "Just a minute," she answered as she rose and went to the door.

It wasn't Sam.

"Hello, sweetheart." The man sneered as he pushed her back and came in the room. "Thought you could get away from me, did ya? You oughta know better."

Kitty's heart caught in her throat as she took a step backwards. "Who… who are you?" She asked, her pale face reflecting her fear. "What do you want?" As she asked the question though, a brief scene flooded her mind of this very man advancing on her in another room, at another time, a snarl on his lips.

"What's a matter, red? Ya act like ya don't want me?" In two strides he was beside her, pulling her unwillingly into his arms.

"NO!" She yelled as she struggled desperately to free herself from his grasp. "Let me go!" She cried, pummeling him ineffectively with her small fists.

Ignoring her flailing arms, he chuckled as he bent his head to hers and forced a kiss to her lips. Another flash of memory assailed her just then, a glimpse of another man with blond hair and a mustache. "Miss Kitty." That man had said as he held her hands tightly and forced a kiss on her as this man was doing.

When his tight grasp lessened for just a moment, she managed to pull one hand free and scratched him down one cheek. "I said, let me go."

"Not likely." He growled once again tightening his grasp. "You're coming back with me. Back where you belong. I don't let go of what's mine."

Kitty's pulse raced and her struggles became even more frantic. Panic overtook her as yet another small picture of a farm house with boarded up windows entered her mind. And yet another glimpse of an old woman with blue eyes. "She's a dead woman, right now!" The old crone had yelled through a window as two men held guns on her.

She didn't know what these flashes had to do with this man but she knew she didn't want to go anywhere with him. "NO!" she yelled kicking him in the shin. "You will not hurt me again."

Releasing her in favor of grabbing for his leg, he cursed her and doubled his efforts to grab her. But she managed to avoid his hands as she kicked him yet again and then ran towards her fireplace. Grabbing the first thing she came to, she whirled around and struck him on the shoulder with a fireplace poker twice before he managed to grab it from her hands.

"You little…" He screamed as she pushed him back and raced for the doorway. But despite her assault on him, he managed to reach her just as her hand touched the knob. "I told ya..." He grunted. "You're going with me." He pulled her back against his chest squeezing her painfully.

Just then another flash came of a dark haired, mustachioed man pulling her to him. "I'm gonna take yer woman." The man had grinned.

"NO!" She yelled again as she managed to get one arm free again and rammed it back sharply into his ribs. Though she had no way of knowing for certain, she thought she might have heard a rib crack. Jerking away from her, he pulled back his arm and backhanded her, knocking her to the floor. "That's more like it," he said as he bent down towards her. "You're gonna pay now."

"Leave her alone." Matt demanded from the now open doorway. Despite Doc's assurances of her wellbeing, he had felt compelled to come and check on her. He was now glad he had.

The man hesitated only for a moment, but it was enough for Kitty to kick him again and scramble backwards towards Matt. Seeing her possibly escaping him, the loathsome monster pulled his gun and aimed it at her. "Get back here." He snarled, pulling back on the hammer.

But Matt was quicker and in a moment, he lay on the floor, his unfired gun still in his hand.

"Kitty?" Matt called as he cautiously stepped closer and grabbed the gun from the fallen man's hand.

"I'm alright," Kitty managed.

Matt looked back down to the dying man. "She… was… mine." He gasped. "I… I…" His voice faltered then and his eyes rolled back in his head as he died.

Matt whirled back around to Kitty and swiftly reached down, pulling her into his arms, carrying her out of the bedroom and down the hall to another room. He barely paused as he kicked the door open and carried her inside, laying her on the bed.

Kitty held tightly to his neck, refusing to let go, even after he had laid her down. Tremblingly, she cried as she clung to him, adrenaline and fear still coursing through her veins.

Matt sat down beside her, and held her tightly, murmuring words of reassurance. "It's alright, honey. It's gonna be okay. It's alright, Kitty."

At that moment, Kitty realized it would be okay. As long as the man, who held her, continued to do so, she would fine. "Oh, Matt." She buried her head even deeper into his chest, feeling for the first time, in six weeks, like she had come home.

TBC