Unshown Moments from The Pillagers S13

"I'm with Kitty Russell and we're in trouble." Newly whispered.

Instantly Festus turned around, his look of irritation gone, to be replaced by one of concern. "What'd'ya mean, in trouble?" He demanded as he headed back to the young man's cell. Where's Miss Kitty?"

Newly's eyes shifted to the other cell where Turner was thankfully still asleep. "Take me in the other room where we won't wake him." Newly nodded at the snoring man in the other cell.

Not trusting the young man but unwilling to take a chance on Kitty's safety, Festus unlocked the door as quietly as he could and held it open as he pulled his gun and held it on the dark haired man and led him into the front office, closing the door to the cells behind him. "Alright, git to jawing."

"Yes, Sir." Newly nodded as he took a seat next to the small square table in the middle of the room. "Well, my name is Newly O'Brian and I was traveling on a stage with Kitty Russell when it was taken over by a couple of Manez's men."

"Manez!?" Festus had heard the name and knew he didn't care for what he'd heard.

"Yes, Sir." Newly nodded.

"My name's Festus, not sir." The hill man told him. "Mustache back in there one of em that took the stage?"

"No." Newly answered. "But he works for Manez just like they do."

"Why'd they take you and Miss Kitty?" Festus asked just as the door opened and Matt stepped in.

"What's going on?" Matt asked.

"Matthew. This feller here said Manez took him and Miss Kitty. He kept Miss Kitty while this feller come to town to git some medicine from Ol' Doc."

Matt's eyes grew hard and watching him, Newly instantly understood that Kitty Russell was something more to him than a fellow citizen of Dodge.

"She's not hurt, Marshal." Newly told him instantly. "And if you'll help me, I can see to it that she doesn't get hurt."

"Tell me everything." Matt demanded.

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"Doc! Doc!" Festus' voice was high pitched and excited as he sat outside the Caldwell's small farmhouse and waited for Doc or someone to emerge.

Taking a scrub of his mustache, Doc stepped out on the porch and looked up at the hill man with a frown. "Festus, what in tarnation are you hollering about?"

"Miss Kitty." Festus answered. "She's…" the rest of his words died on his lips as Doc disappeared back inside the house only to return a moment later with his bag and coat.

"How bad is she?" Doc asked as he hurried into his buggy.

"I don't know." Festus answered. "She ain't back in Dodge."

Doc had just taken his seat and was reaching for the reins when Festus answered. "What do mean, she ain't back in Dodge? Where is she?"

"Well, best we know, she's out to the Black Meza mines. Manez is got her."

"Manez?" Doc's throat went dry as he considered that information. "You going to take me out there?"

"No, Sir." Festus shook his head as Doc got the buggy moving and they headed out. "They's a young feller come in to Dodge a looking fer some medicines from you. He's a treating Manez's brother and Manez is a holding Miss Kitty til this feller, Newly, returns. Matthew said I was to git you back to town so's you kin git this Newly what he needs."

Doc nodded but didn't say anything more. He'd give this 'Newly' what ever he needed including himself if it meant getting Kitty away from Manez and home safe.

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"It's not a bad thing to have the friendship of Manez. I have a woman like jue in San Miguel."

"My sympathy is with her." Kitty said drily, showing a lot less fear than she currently felt and all of her disgust.

"I have a woman like jue, yes." Manez smiled sickly. "Jue will be like her. A little tear perhaps at first, and then a smile." He halfway chuckled at the thought. "Always, it ends with a smile."

"Not from me." Kitty told him. "I won't smile at you." She forced the bile back down as she watched his eyes harden at the thought of what he planned on doing with her. Despite Newly's efforts to keep her safe, she wasn't sure he would succeed. Her wrist still hurt from where Manez had gripped it earlier but she resisted the urge to rub it. She wasn't about to give the cutthroat next to her, the satisfaction.

"Jue are not eating." Manez pointed down to her full plate.

"I'm not hungry." She turned away, nauseated at looking at him.

Manez chuckled harder this time. "Maybe, jue want to be with me now instead of later. Huh?" He reached out and ran a finger across the curve of her face. "What do jue tink?"

Kitty jerked away from him. "I think if you don't back away from me, I'm going to be sick."

The mirth on Manez's face dried up. "Jue tink you are too good for me? Huh? Jue tink this lawman is better than Manez?"

"Yeah, I do." Kitty answered. "As a matter of fact, I think just about anyone is better than you."

Manez raised a hand to hit her but was interrupted by Ganns. "Turner and the doc…" He stopped when he realized he'd interrupted something. "Want me to go?"

Manez lowered his hand and shook his head. "Take her back to where Juan is. Have her watch him until de doctor returns."

Kitty swallowed hard but said nothing as she quickly got to her feet and followed Ganns back to the injured boy. She'd been saved from Manez this time, but she doubted it'd be his last attempt unless Newly was successful in getting Matt's attention.

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After Matt locked Newly back in the cell, he returned to the jail office. Not until he closed the door between he and the cells did he let down his guard and show the fear and worry he now felt. Though he'd never been face to face with Manez, he'd heard enough about him to fear heavily for Kitty's safety even more than in times past.

Stepping over to the stove, Matt picked up the coffee pot and poured himself a cup of black liquid but he sat it down without taking a drink. He kept seeing Kitty in his mind's eye, being held by Manez. And though he tried hard not to, he thought of all the things that man could do to her.

Slamming his hand on his desk, Matt took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He wanted nothing more than to grab his horse and head out there right then but he knew that would make it worse. So forcibly, he calmed himself down and sat down at his desk, knowing he would not be getting any sleep this night.

A few hours later, when Festus and Doc returned to town, Matt was still sitting at his desk, a now cold cup of coffee on his desk.

"Matthew?" Festus quieried when he walked in, Doc behind him. "Me and Doc, here, got back as quick as we could. You put that Newly fellar back in his cell?"

Matt nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, he's told me all he knows. Now all we can do is wait."

"You think about getting some rest?" Doc asked, noting the exhaustion on the big man's face.

Matt shook his head. "I don't think that's going to happen tonight."

Festus glanced over at Doc. "Well, I guess I orta git us some coffee going. Looks like we gonna need it."

Doc nodded and then moved over closer to Matt. "She's going to be alright, ya know. You gotta believe that."

Matt looked up at Doc and for just a moment the pain and fear showed before he was able to push it back. "Yeah." He managed.

Festus, making coffee, noticed there wasn't any water in the bucket. "I'll be right back." He told the other two as he left the jail.

Taking the opportunity, Doc reached out and took Matt's arm once again getting Matt to look at him, defenses down. "She knows you'll be coming, Matt. She's smart and strong and she has you to hold onto. She'll be alright. I promise you."

Matt closed his eyes and dropped his head and Doc could feel some of the tension leave him. "Thanks, Doc. I guess, I just needed to hear that."

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Kitty stood pensively in the small cavern with Newly's homemade weapon in her hands as Newly cautiously left her sight and headed back out. A few seconds later, she heard the first shot and jumped slightly. A couple of minutes after that, she heard more shots and closed her eyes, praying that Matt and Festus and whoever else had come to free her and Newly from Manez.

Kitty turned and saw the sleeping boy hadn't been disturbed by the gunfire. Turner was straining at the ropes that bound him but Newly had tied him too tight. He wouldn't be of any concern unless Manez came out ahead. And if that happened, that one shot she got off would be for her. She'd already decided that. She had been close enough to Manez to know she didn't want to be taken away with him.

But if Matt was out there, she needed to be where she could get to him no matter what else happened. Gripping the makeshift gun tightly, she finally began to move and was close to the exit when the gunfire ended. She had no way of knowing who had ended it, but something told her it was the man who owned her heart.

Matt stared down at the dead man, Manez, for a second before turning back towards the mine. He hated killing but if Kitty was hurt, he'd bring Manez back just to kill him again. But he breathed a sigh of relief as he saw her headed his way. Instantly, he reached out and gripped her arms, mindful of the two men coming down towards them.

"Kitty, you okay?" He searched her face and form for any sign of injury.

"I'm fine, Matt." She nodded. "I'm okay. Manez dead?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, anyone else in the mine?"

"Yeah," she answered. "Manez's brother and one of his men. But the brother is hurt and the other is tied up." Kitty looked up earnestly at him. "I sure am glad you're here."

Matt smiled happily. "Me too. You sure you're alright?"

Kitty nodded. "I am now that you're here. When I saw that Newly was going to get to town, I knew that you'd be coming afterwards and that's when I knew I'd be okay."

Matt pulled her close. "Come on. We'll get those men secured and then I'll get you back home."

Kitty started to walk beside him but suddenly pulled up sharp and looked up at Matt. "We're not going back on that stage are we?"

Matt chuckled. "I think we can find something else."

"Good." Kitty grinned. "Then take me home, Cowboy."

End