The Fugitives 21
I don't own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.
Author's note: Mathison County in MO is completely fictional, therefore anything that occurs and the terrain it occurs in, is purely imaginary.
I must also give high praise and thanks to LadyBrit for her advice on all things medical.
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Kitty woke early with a large arm wrapped securely around her middle and warm breath at her neck. Though last nights gentle loving was nothing compared to other times they had spent together, it had felt good to once again be with the man she loved.
Slowly, so as not to wake him, Kitty pulled herself from his embrace and trudged out back to the privy. Upon coming back in, she found Matt not only awake, but up and just about dressed. "Morning" he greeted her warmly.
"Well, good morning," she returned. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't, I've been awake for some time. It felt so good to have you lying beside me again; I didn't want to let you go."
Kitty moved into his outstretched arms and rose up on tip toes. "That deserves a kiss."
But just as their lips met, a shout was heard from outside. "Hello, the house."
Automatically, Matt pushed Kitty behind him, as he reached for his gunbelt. "Stay back" he ordered.
Cautiously he went to the window and looked out. Al Jarvis was standing in the yard, holding Doc in front of him, with a gun to his head. "You all had better come out of there." He warned. "That is if you want this old man to live."
Doc tried jerking away but Jarvis had too tight a hold of him. "Let me go." Doc demanded.
Hearing Doc's voice, Kitty automatically moved towards the door but Matt grabbed for her. "Kitty, you can't go out there."
"He's got Doc," she hissed. "I can't sit in here and let Jarvis hurt him. Doc wouldn't be here at all if it wasn't for me."
"Kitty," Matt tried, but she had already pulled away from his grasp and was out the door. "Let Doc go." She said when she stepped out. "It's me you want, not him."
Jarvis grinned. "Un huh. He helped you break out of prison. He's going back with you, along with the other men that helped you."
"There were no other men," Doc spoke up. "I did it by myself."
Jarvis shook his head. "I read tracks too well for that, old man. There were at least three men that helped her break out. I want them all."
Inside the shanty, Matt moved away from the window and towards the side. Looking out from that window, he could see several men had surrounded the place.
He didn't know where Festus and Eustice were, and he couldn't take a chance on them being able to do anything. He knew the only choice he had now was to go out there, and try to keep Doc and Kitty from being hurt.
Swiftly, he pulled his shirt tails out of his pants, placed his gun in his waist band and covered it with his shirt.
"There are only two of us left," Matt called as he walked out the door behind Kitty. "The other one got shot when we broke her out."
Kitty whirled around to him, "Matt, no, go back." She warned him.
Matt spared her a loving glance, before turning his attention back to Jarvis. Walking out, he made sure to keep Kitty safely behind him. "There's no need to hurt any of us. We'll come with you."
An evil grin lit Jarvis' face, as he roughly shoved Doc away from him and towards Matt. Raising his head, he started to call out to his men when a shot rang out, and Jarvis fell where he stood. Instantly other shots were heard, as the prison guards and the Haggens began to fire at one another.
Matt whirled around and pulled his own gun, firing at the nearest guard, as he grabbed Doc by the arm, and quickly pushed him down out of the line of fire.
Kitty instinctively headed towards safety, towards Matt, when out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Jarvis. He wasn't dead, and he had his gun aimed at Matt. "Matt look out." She screamed, as she ran in front of him.
Jarvis fired twice at that moment, and his bullets found their mark in her. Matt whirled around just in time to catch Kitty in his arms as she fell, dropping his gun in the process. Weaker now, Jarvis raised his gun again, but dropped it a second later, as another shot was heard. The final shot.
Festus stepped out into the yard, and moved over quickly to Jarvis. Kicking him over with his foot, he glared down at the menace. "He's daid." He declared, as he looked back to where Matt was kneeling in the yard, cradling Kitty in his arms. "Matthew?" He asked fearfully. "She ain't…?"
Doc, who had just knelt down beside her, shook his head as he began to examine her. "Let's get her inside." He said, solemnly.
Swiftly, Matt picked her up and carried her back into the cabin, as the Haggens began to come out of their hiding spots, and moved towards the downed guards, checking them over.
"Let's get these murderers out of here." Eustice said to his kinfolk. As quickly as they could, the men began to pick up the dead guards and haul them away.
No one noticed the one lone man who managed to stay hidden; until he was sure the coast was clear. Rising quietly from his hiding place, he swiftly retraced his steps, and left the area as quickly and quietly as he could.
As he mounted his horse, Hobson took one more look behind him, then turned and raced away. He had to get back to tell Mathison what happened, and where Kitty Russell could be found.
TBC