What Doesn't Kill You 28

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

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Kitty came to slowly and painfully. Her cheek was swollen and her lip was split. She tasted blood at the corner of her mouth. She had no idea how long she had been out, but sensed it wasn't long enough as she looked up into the angry countenance of Clay Warren.

"I'm glad you decided to rejoin us, Kitty." He sneered. "I would hate for you to miss anything."

Kitty groggily looked around the room to see exactly who he meant by 'us' but saw only Clay. "Us?" she questioned, plucking up her courage. "You got a mouse in your pocket?"

Clay clenched his fist and raised his hand, but hesitated and then put his hand back down to his side. "You would like for me to knock you senseless, wouldn't you?" He snarled. "You wouldn't see or feel anything that way. Well, it's not quite that easy, dear lady. I want you awake for when your darling Marshal arrives."

Clay started to turn away but then abruptly raised his fist again and punched her in the stomach, knocking the air from her lungs. It was several minutes before she was able to take a full, albeit painful breath.

"He's not stupid, Clay." She finally managed to say. "He knows… you'll be waiting on him. He won't…. just ride in here, no matter…. what you do to me."

Clay gave her a slow deliberately evil smile that chilled her more than any cold wind ever could.

"He'll come, Kitty." He told her confidently. "I have you. He will come."

Kitty struggled not to let her fear show, but she knew he saw it any way by the gleam in his eyes. "What do you plan on doing, Clay?" She asked. "You kill me, and Matt won't stop until you're dead. You kill Matt and you'll have more people after you than you knew existed."

Clay gave her a contemptuous smile but said nothing as he resumed his pacing, pausing only occasionally to glance out the window.

Kitty understood that nothing she said would make any difference to the maniac in front of her, but his sinister stares and endless pacing was working on her nerves. "Clay, you know this is senseless. How would killing us help you any?"

Clay turned to her and started to say something when the door opened and two men entered, dragging an unconscious Matt Dillon in with them and dumping him on the floor.

An evil grin lit Warren's face as he stared down at Matt then up to Kitty's startled and terrified expression. "You're about to find out." He said.

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Kitty landed painfully on her side against the sharp surface of the bottom stair, hands still tied behind her back, after Clay's men tossed first her then Matt into the cold, damp and darkened root cellar. Although she didn't think anything was broken, she was certain her ribs would be painful tomorrow. That is if there was a tomorrow for her and Matt, and right then that was looking doubtful.

After being unceremoniously dumped onto the floor in the house, Matt was trussed up and Clay patiently waited some time for him to come around. But Matt remained unconscious. A fact that Kitty both celebrated and worried over.

When, after two hours, Matt had still not awoken, Clay had them taken to this hole in the ground and the door locked above them. He had decided he would return to Dallas for the night and ride back out in the morning, certain he would find them both alert and perceptive of his painful touch.

Kitty took a deep breath, rolling onto her hip, struggling to sit up.

"Hang on a minute, Kitty, and I'll help you." Matt said from beside her, startling her into a gasp.

"Matt?" She whispered. "Oh, God, Matt. Are you alright?"

"My head hurts," he returned in the same whispered tone, "but I'm fine. Give me a couple of minutes and I think I can get out of these ropes."

Unable to see him, she could only gage the truth of his words by his voice and hearing the strength contained in those few words was better than any music she had ever heard. His presence beside her gave her a measure of comfort she sorely needed right then.

Unknown to all in the room, Matt was actually awake when he was dragged into the room, and thrown on the floor at Clay's feet. Having an idea of Clay's intentions, he had decided his best course of action was to play dead for a while and see if he could wait out the villain.

When Harmon went to tie his hands, he flexed his arms so that when he relaxed the ropes were somewhat loose. Both of his plans worked. Within minutes, after being left in the dark cellar with Kitty, he had his hands free as well as hers.

Pulling her into his arms, his lips sought hers and without the benefit of a glimmer of light, the two lovers sought and found the reassurance each needed at that moment. "It's going to be alright, Kitty." Matt murmured. "We haven't come through of all this just to fail now."

'You have a plan?" she asked softly, tremblingly.

Matt nodded against the top of her head. "I've got an idea anyway. First thing we need to do is get out of this cellar."

Kitty pulled away from him. "They locked the door, Matt." She said keeping her voice low. "And I wouldn't be at all surprised that he's got men guarding it."

"Me neither," Matt answered. "But that's good. We gotta have someone to open it."

Though Kitty couldn't see his face, she could hear the confidence in his tone. Once again, Matt Dillon was facing tough odds, but once again, she had no doubt, he would best them.

TBC