The Contract

An ATC to Mannon

By

AZgirl66

Chapter 11-The Search Continues

"Doctor Adams! Just the man I wanted to see," Matt angrily announced, as he entered the jailhouse, slamming the door. He was trail-worn, dirty, and exhausted, but he had experienced a wave of adrenalin at the sight of the town doctor.

Doc looked up from the checkerboard that had become a battleground for him and Festus and replied, "Welcome back, Matt! Any news?" he swiped his moustache.

"As a matter of fact, I did learn something new," the lawman said, hooking his thumbs through his belt. Matt soberly stared at Doc, completely ignoring Festus, sitting just a foot away.

"Wael, whad'ya find out, Matthew?" Festus tried to break the tension in the room, looking from one friend to the other.

"Doc, would you like to tell Festus what I discovered?" Matt bit out.

Doc slowly stood, never taking his eyes off his dear friend, "Now Matt, listen here…"

"No! You listen here," Matt took a step closer to Doc, leaning over so he could look straight into Doc's baby blues. "I talked to Sue, Kitty's girl, in Pueblo," he began.

Doc focused on the checkerboard at first, uncertain how to begin.

"Matt," he offered, "Kitty begged me to keep it private. Begged me. Said that you would go off half-cocked and get yourself killed."

Matt replied through gritted teeth, "I guess we'll never know what I might have done at the time, will we?"

Festus, still seated at the small, worn table, curiously scratched his temple, "What in tarnation are you two talkin' 'bout?" Before either man could answer, he added, "Matthew, did you see hide nor hair a Miz Kitty?"

Matt continued to glare at Doc. Doc tugged at his ear and waited for Matt to answer Festus.

"No, didn't find any trace of her, none at all." Matt walked to the map of Kansas on the wall, hanging behind his desk. He studied it for a moment before speaking, unable to turn to face his friends. "Mannon raped her…that's what Sue told me, Festus."

"W h a t ?" Festus asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Festus," Matt whirled around, pointing at Doc. "Our good friend, the doctor here, knew. That's right. He. Knew."

Matt's mouth was a straight line as he waited for Doc to say something, anything, to justify his past silence on the matter.

Festus broke the stillness. "Doc…why didn't ya say nothin'? That theyre coulda been a 'portant piece a' information," he offered.

Doc spoke with sadness in his eyes, "Festus, if a patient asks me to keep something private, I'm bound to that. You both know how much I love Kitty. It nearly killed me when I found her on the floor of the Long Branch."

"The floor of the Long Branch?!" Matt exclaimed.

"Yes…" Doc paced the small office as he relayed the story, "Kitty was laying there on the barroom floor, broken glass all around. I helped her to her room, cleaned her up, examined her. I sat with her a while and then Sue came in to take over, so I could keep an eye on Festus, here," he motioned toward his friend.

"And…" Matt waited.

"The next day, Kitty asked me to fetch Mannon for 'er. She said she wanted to give you an edge-"

"You didn't!" Matt shouted, eyes as wide as saucers.

"I did," Doc nodded. "I trust Kitty. She said she had a plan to help you. All she was thinking about was you, Matt. How Mannon was faster. How he could shoot ya dead in the street," Doc tugged at his ear before continuing, "Mannon came to see her and that was the last time I saw Kitty. I got called away to the Bozier place for a broken arm," Doc sighed deeply and sat his weary body back down.

Festus approached Matt, asking, "What now, Matthew? I kin find 'er. I know I can." He reassuringly placed his hand upon Matt's shoulder.

Matt walked back to the map on the wall. He flicked a spot on the map with two fingers and explained, "Here's the plan, Festus. I hope you're willin' to help me."

"Does a monkey got fleas?! Course, I'll help ya find Miz Kitty! She's my friend, too."

"What are ya thinkin', Matt?" Doc chimed in.

"Festus and I are going to retrace Kitty's exact path from Dodge." Doc and Festus both nodded while Matt continued, "We'll leave on the midnight train bound for Denver, just like Kitty did. Now we know she didn't stay on the train until the end of the route, so at each stop we'll get off and see if anyone remembers seeing her in that town. If someone did, we may be able to figure out which direction she was headed."

"And Miz Kitty's so purty and friendly, someone's bound t' r'member her," Festus smiled as he spoke, "I'll go see 'bout gettin' us some tickets right quick." Festus jangled out the door with a determined look on his face.

Matt stared at the floor, then studied his dearest friend's sad expression once more.

"I'm still mad at ya, Doc."

"That makes two of us, Matt."

"You shoulda trusted me."

Doc stood to address Matt. He wiped a tear from his eye and said, "You're probably right. I hope t' never have to make a choice like that again."

"Doc?"

"Yeah?"

Matt lowered his voice, "I know this is a strange question. But is there any chance…any chance at all, that Mannon could've gotten Kitty pregnant?"

Doc looked up at Matt. Suddenly, the six foot, seven inch, fearless marshal seemed like a scared, little boy. "Matt," Doc said slowly, "pregnancy's always a possibility. But what makes you ask such a thing?"

Matt ran his fingers through his hair. "I dunno. I had a weird dream…just a silly dream. Forget I asked."

Doc patted Matt on the back gently on his way to the door. He paused with his hand on the knob, his back to his friend.

"And Matt?"

"Yeah?"

"Send me wires, so I know where ya are and that you and Festus are okay."

"I will, Doc. I promise."

And with that, Matt started to prepare for his journey while Doc shuffled his way across Front Street, with his hands buried deep in his pockets and his head hung low.

TBC