Ranch Life 25

I don't own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.

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Matt, Joe and Denny rode back down the road for quite a distance but at first pass they saw nothing as the ground was very dry and rocky at that point. "Boys, lets walk a while and have a closer look." Matt said.

All three men dismounted, walking abreast of each other scanning the ground for any sign. Matt was the first to spot them. Tracks of a large horse setting deep even in the hard ground.

"Look here," he called the other two men over. Kneeling down beside his find, Matt blanched as he studied the imprints noticing the direction they were heading.

"He's headed for the ranch," he yelled. "Let's go"

Quickly all three men mounted and raced back towards the ranch.

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Kitty stopped at the presence of the man in her home. "Who are you?" she demanded weakly, her heart trip hammering in her chest. 'What do you want?"

Max smiled. Though he meant the expression to be ingratiating it came off as sinister to Kitty. "I want you." he answered simply. "You come with me now."

Kitty's frightened mind was trying to make sense of this terrifying situation and figure a way out of it. The front door was now locked, she remembered, and the loathsome man in front of her was blocking the way to the back door. She was not about to go anywhere near the upstairs, for fear of placing the children in danger.

Stalling for time, she tried talking to him. "You know, I can't come with you." she said praying fervently that Matt would come back. "I'm expecting my husband back any minute now. I have to wait on him."

Max shook his head. "No you don't. He's gone. I saw him and two other men ride away." To Kitty's ears Max sounded for all the world like a child asking a friend to come out and play but he looked for all the world like a monster. "You come now," Max said again. "Let's go back to my tent and have some fun."

As he spoke, Max reached out for her but Kitty danced easily out of his way. Max tried again, this time lunging forward, but Kitty evaded his grasp again, managing to scoot past him, racing towards the back door. But her luck wouldn't hold. Just as she had the door knob in hand, Max grabbed her from behind pulling her into his chest.

"I got you." he said in a sing-song voice. "Now you come go with me," he repeated. "I won't hurt you. I promise."

Kitty wanted to scream, fight or claw his eyes out but she did none of those things. Three innocent children were upstairs and she was going to do nothing that might bring them downstairs and expose them to this fiend.

Trying desperately to remain calm, she unwillingly allowed him to push her in front of him out of the door into the yard beyond. However once outside away from the house, and the children, Kitty began a frantic struggle for freedom, arms and legs flailing as he began to drag her towards the woods, where he had tied his horse.

Kitty's struggles were becoming weaker as the much stronger man held tightly to her, but whether out of luck or precision, she managed to at last land a well heeled boot into a tender shin, causing her would be captor to loose his hold on her as he reached for the injured ankle.

Once free, Kitty ran screaming for help, hoping at least one of the ranch hands was near enough to offer assistance. None of them were near but one set of ears did hear her cries and those ears belonged to Bravo.

Ramming himself against the side of his enclosure, time and time again, Bravo finally managed to break free and ran towards the house and the sound of Kitty's voice.

Kitty saw Bravo coming and stopped, realizing that the bull would not hurt her. Bravo raced past her bellowing, snorting and head shaking as he charged the hateful creature running after her.

Max, attention solely on the prize he sought, did not at first notice the 1600 pounds of prime beef hurdling towards him until it was too late.

Quickly stepping to the side as Bravo charged past her, Kitty watched in amazement as Bravo literally skewered the man's clothes with his horns and tossed him into the air.

No sooner did Max land, than Bravo was on him again, hooking his horns into his shirt and chucking him aside. Though screams could still be heard echoing around the ranch, they were no longer coming from Kitty.

Maximillian Morgan the Strongman, had pinned himself against the house, begging for mercy from a bull.

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As Matt tore into the yard of the ranch, he heard Kitty scream, then silence then what sounded like the scream of a man. Dashing around the side of the house, he came to a complete halt at the sight that greeted his bewildered eyes.

With his back solidly against the wall of the house, and a look of immense pain and abject terror on his face, a large man stood perfectly still as Bravo stood in front of him, daring him to move.

Kitty stood beside Bravo, stroking his enormous neck and whispering endearments into his shaggy ear.

"Hello, Matt," Kitty welcomed him. "I sure am glad you're back. Can you please do something with this man, before I let Bravo have him again?"

"No, please," the man palely whimpered. "Please don't let it get me again. Please"

Matt looked at the crazy sight in front of him and did the only thing a sane man could do in that situation. He laughed.

TBC