The Rescue 14

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The next morning, the trio rose early and quickly dressed. While the men went out and readied the horses, Kitty used the very last of their supplies and made them a quick breakfast. Though she'd woken nauseous once again, she pushed it aside and went about her chores. If Matt thought her sick, he would refuse to let her go and would send Festus in alone.

As soon as the horses were ready, the men quickly ate while Kitty busied herself in pinning her hair up and disguising herself as best as possible. With almost no makeup and hair pulled severely back into a bun, she hid as much of her looks as she could. Of course when a woman was pretty as Kitty Russell, that was difficult to do.

When the men sat down to eat, Matt questioned why she wasn't eating. But she waved him off, saying she'd eaten while he and Festus were outside. Seemingly mollified, Matt accepted her answer and escorted her outside, when she was ready, and helped her onto her horse.

The travel for most of the day was fairly easy. Though the temperature was cold and a fairly stiff breeze kept at their backs for a large portion of it, they still made fairly good time. Later that afternoon, they had reached the hardest part of their journey and according to Matt their last.

"The trail, from here on in, is gonna be a little rough," he informed his traveling companions. "But once we're through it, we'll be almost there."

Festus sat atop his mule and looked at the steep trail down the slope of the hill. Narrow and strewn with jagged rocks, it looked awfully dangerous. "Matthew, don't ya reckon we oughta try and walk these here animals down? That there trail don't look none too safe a riding."

Matt sat for several seconds surveying the narrow track down the hill then glancing over at Kitty. Though she'd made no complaints and had kept her self rigid and upright in the saddle, she didn't look right to him. And he was almost positive she hadn't eaten anything, despite what she'd told him. Looking back down at the trail and then once again at her, he nodded. "Yeah, Festus, but only you and me. Kitty, you stay right where you are and we'll lead your horse down."

"Oh, no, Matt." Kitty protested. "It'd be too hard for you to lead my horse and your own. I can walk just as easy and…"

"No, Kitty." Matt stopped her. "You stay put. I won't have any problems leading your horse."

Kitty wanted to argue, but truth be told, she really didn't feel well. The nausea was back. Sitting back in the saddle, she wearily nodded her head. "Alright." She agreed. "Lead away, Marshal."

Matt gave her a half grin and took the reins of her horse. "You just hang tight to that saddle horn and we'll be there by nightfall."

Tying his horse in behind Kitty's, Matt urged her mount forward and they began their trek down the mountainside.

They had made pretty good progress and were getting close to the bottom, when suddenly a shot rang out. Kitty felt a sharp pain in her right shoulder and she suddenly lost all feeling in her arm. Looking down, she saw a bright blossom of red appear on her shoulder just before blackness enveloped her completely and she quietly slipped from the right side of the saddle.

Matt, upon hearing the crack of gunfire, immediately ducked, pulled his gun and turned back towards Kitty. He'd just reached her side when she slid from the saddle and into his arms.

Festus had also drawn his gun and was scanning the area around them for some sign of where the shot had come from. To their left he saw a figure rise from the surrounding rocks and move further down. Taking careful aim, he fired but he could tell his bullet fell way short. "Matthew, we'd bess git off'n this trail. We's clean out in the open here."

Matt, who'd been thinking the same thing, anxiously scanned the surrounding area. On a plateau just below and to their right was a small copse of evergreens. Looking back down at Kitty, he was reassured by the steady rise and fall of her chest but only slightly. Matt looked back up at Festus and pointed to the small grove of trees.

Festus nodded. With gun still raised, he kept low and close to his mule and cautiously inched forward.

Matt, settled Kitty on the ground just long enough to recapture the reins of the horses, then picked her back up, cradling her tightly in his arms as he walked in a crouch beside the horse down to the only sanctuary close enough to reach. The action was painful on his knees, especially his right one, but he refused to give into it. He had to get her to safety.

At an agonizingly slow pace, they crept forward towards the trees, trying to keep the horses between them and their assailant who had not taken another shot or made any other attempt on them. But Matt wasn't taking any chances.

When they finally reached the shelter of the small copse of trees, he gently laid Kitty down and pulled her shirt back enough to examine her wound. It wasn't too bad, and if they could get her to the post and help, she stood a good chance.

"Matthew?" Festus knelt down beside him afraid to ask.

"It's not too bad, Festus." Matt told him. "But we need to get her to that trading post."

"They a doctor there, is they?" Festus wanted to know.

"Doubt that." Matt answered. "But at least she'd be inside out of the cold and maybe there might be someone there that could help."

Festus nodded as he swiveled his head and scanned the area around them. "You know these mountains better'n I do. Ya got ya any idee how we get to that there trading post without getting our selves shot at again."

Matt shook his head. "No. But we're through the worse of that trail. The rest is pretty easy and the trails wider from here on out so we can put the horses in pairs and walk in between them. We're only about a mile or so from the trading post so it shouldn't take us too long to get there."

Festus looked down at Kitty. "Yer better with a gun. Ya want I should carry her?"

Matt considered it but shook his head. "No, Festus. She's mine, I'll carry her." Getting to his feet, he gingerly picked her up and held her tightly. "Let's go."

Several yards away, hidden deep in the sheltering rocks, Quaid Hill sat and waited for his quarry to come out of the thick section of trees they'd gone to ground in.

Hill hadn't expected to find them, hadn't even expected that they were anywhere near there when he'd taken his horse and left the post. He was simply getting away for a while, trying to decide if he should cut his losses and do as Brody suggested or stay for a while longer.

But then he'd spotted them. Coming down the trail, bold as brass. Despite the male clothing she was wearing, Hill recognized the woman and his blood ran cold. Recklessly he had pulled his rifle and fired. Though he was sure his bullet had found its mark, he wasn't sure he'd killed her. Thinking about it, he hoped he hadn't. He wanted to hang that whore.

Half an hour went by before suddenly he saw movement. His prey was coming out of their hiding spot. Only they were no longer riding boldly along. They were smart, using the horses for cover.

Sitting back on his heels, he grinned as he placed his rifle back into his scabbard. "It's okay." He chuckled. "I know where you're going and how to get to you. You're mine now."

TBC