The air in the Long Branch was tight with anxiety, and stifling in its
stillness. Kitty couldn't stop pacing. Doc sat, a cup of untouched coffee
in front of him. Sam was standing like a statue behind the bar, and Burke,
Louie, Harker, and most of the town's citizens sat at the tables in stony
silence. Doc pulled his pocket watch out and glanced at it: 11:35. Less
than a half hour left, and there had been no sign of Festus or Matt. He
looked at the large sack on the table in front of him. It was about three
thousand dollars shy of the required ten, but it was all the cash Dodge
City could muster on such short notice.
He looked up at Kitty, "Why don't you sit down for awhile...."
"I can't, Doc." She paced a few more steps then turned back to the old physician, "Where the hell are they, Doc? Festus has been gone since early this morning. What could have happened?"
He shook his head, "I don't know."
"We're running out of time!"
"Kitty, we're just going to have to pay them the money, and hope for the best."
"But we don't even have the amount they demanded. Doc......what if they kill him?"
Doc stood and walked over to her, taking her by the arms, "We can't think like that, Kitty. Close to seven thousand dollars in cash ain't nothin' to sneeze at."
A young man entered the Long Branch, and all eyes darted to the stranger. He quickly surveyed the room, and decided to address Kitty and Doc.
"You the ones in charge?"
Doc glared at the man, "Who are you?"
"I'm here about the money."
"Where's Matt Dillon?"
"You bring the money at midnight, south end of town, and we'll give you Dillon."
"How do we know he's still alive?"
"If'n you don't come up with the cash, he'll be dead for sure." The young man started for the door, and then turned once again to Adams, "Old man, you bring the money, and you come alone. At the first sign of trouble, Dillon's dead. You got it?"
"Yeah, I got it."
The man disappeared through the swinging doors of the Long Branch, and Kitty leaned into Doc Adams. He put his arm around her, and kissed her softly on the side of the head.
"It'll be okay, Kitty."
She turned into him, putting her arms around his neck, holding him for a moment.
"You be careful, you hear me?"
"Shhh....I'll be fine."
Everyone in the saloon was on his feet as Doc Adams put his hat and coat on. Newly stepped forward, holding his rifle. "Burke and I won't be far behind, Doc. We'll keep you covered until the trade is completed."
"Just make sure you two stay out of sight. I get the feeling these fellas'll kill Matt at the first sign of anything other than me and the cash." Burke spoke up, "You can count on us, Doc."
The old man nodded as he picked up the sack with almost seven thousand dollars in it. Doc squeezed Kitty's extended hand, and then walked out of the Long Branch. Newly and Burke shadowed behind, keeping a watchful eye on him, and their rifles close at hand. One thing for sure, if something went awry, Doc wouldn't be caught alone and unarmed.
With the wind chill, and the falling snow, Adams figured the temperature to be well below zero. Doc tried to burrow deeper in his coat as he ambled down Front Street, heading toward the edge of town. The wind whipped snow up into his face, and he had to squint to keep it from stinging his steely blue eyes. He sent up a silent prayer that Matt was okay, but some part of him had doubts about this whole setup. He wished Festus was with him. He was worried about what could have happened to the deputy, and something must have, or he'd have been back long before now.
Doc knew he couldn't dwell on that at the moment; he needed to have his mind on the business at hand. Still, he was worried about Matt and Festus. He saw a lantern ahead, and as he drew closer, Doc realized there were several men and horses. He guessed there were about seven of them: and none looked big enough even in the dark to be Marshal Matt Dillon. A sense of foreboding fixed itself in the pit of his stomach. Of all the possible scenarios that entered his mind, none would end well.
He looked up at Kitty, "Why don't you sit down for awhile...."
"I can't, Doc." She paced a few more steps then turned back to the old physician, "Where the hell are they, Doc? Festus has been gone since early this morning. What could have happened?"
He shook his head, "I don't know."
"We're running out of time!"
"Kitty, we're just going to have to pay them the money, and hope for the best."
"But we don't even have the amount they demanded. Doc......what if they kill him?"
Doc stood and walked over to her, taking her by the arms, "We can't think like that, Kitty. Close to seven thousand dollars in cash ain't nothin' to sneeze at."
A young man entered the Long Branch, and all eyes darted to the stranger. He quickly surveyed the room, and decided to address Kitty and Doc.
"You the ones in charge?"
Doc glared at the man, "Who are you?"
"I'm here about the money."
"Where's Matt Dillon?"
"You bring the money at midnight, south end of town, and we'll give you Dillon."
"How do we know he's still alive?"
"If'n you don't come up with the cash, he'll be dead for sure." The young man started for the door, and then turned once again to Adams, "Old man, you bring the money, and you come alone. At the first sign of trouble, Dillon's dead. You got it?"
"Yeah, I got it."
The man disappeared through the swinging doors of the Long Branch, and Kitty leaned into Doc Adams. He put his arm around her, and kissed her softly on the side of the head.
"It'll be okay, Kitty."
She turned into him, putting her arms around his neck, holding him for a moment.
"You be careful, you hear me?"
"Shhh....I'll be fine."
Everyone in the saloon was on his feet as Doc Adams put his hat and coat on. Newly stepped forward, holding his rifle. "Burke and I won't be far behind, Doc. We'll keep you covered until the trade is completed."
"Just make sure you two stay out of sight. I get the feeling these fellas'll kill Matt at the first sign of anything other than me and the cash." Burke spoke up, "You can count on us, Doc."
The old man nodded as he picked up the sack with almost seven thousand dollars in it. Doc squeezed Kitty's extended hand, and then walked out of the Long Branch. Newly and Burke shadowed behind, keeping a watchful eye on him, and their rifles close at hand. One thing for sure, if something went awry, Doc wouldn't be caught alone and unarmed.
With the wind chill, and the falling snow, Adams figured the temperature to be well below zero. Doc tried to burrow deeper in his coat as he ambled down Front Street, heading toward the edge of town. The wind whipped snow up into his face, and he had to squint to keep it from stinging his steely blue eyes. He sent up a silent prayer that Matt was okay, but some part of him had doubts about this whole setup. He wished Festus was with him. He was worried about what could have happened to the deputy, and something must have, or he'd have been back long before now.
Doc knew he couldn't dwell on that at the moment; he needed to have his mind on the business at hand. Still, he was worried about Matt and Festus. He saw a lantern ahead, and as he drew closer, Doc realized there were several men and horses. He guessed there were about seven of them: and none looked big enough even in the dark to be Marshal Matt Dillon. A sense of foreboding fixed itself in the pit of his stomach. Of all the possible scenarios that entered his mind, none would end well.