Hostage: Kitty's Fate, The Morning After

Chapter 8

Gunsmoke

Note: Okay, I was in a hurry to post this so if there are any problems, errors, spelling and such please forgive. Also, the violence, well, it has gotten out of hand, but Jude Bonner, anyone who'd shoot a woman in the back as he had done, even on Television, had to be a bit screwed up in the head. Please forgive the violence, but for the times, I believe it to be tame. KR

And so we begin…..

Bonner looked at the unconscious Marshal lying on the bed. He pulled his long hunting knife from its sheath and leered at Kitty. Kitty only saw hatred in his eyes for the big man. "Please don't hurt him." Her words came out strangled and whispered.

"I should kill him for what he's done." Bonner said looking at LaFete who smiled.

Bonner shoved Kitty into LaFete's arms. "Maybe cut out his heart and feed it to the dogs, what do you think, Reds."

"I'll do whatever… you say, just…..don't hurt him, please." She breathed deeply as the tears continued to fall down her face. She pulled her arm from LaFete's grasp and stepped up to Bonner, looking into his dark empty eyes. "I'll go with you. Just leave him be. You'll have us." She said as he pondered the thought. She then tried to keep calm, as she took his hand in hers and gently placed it on her large belly. The baby took that moment to kick against the hands pressed on her Mommy's tummy. "We'll go with you, quietly, but only if you leave him alone." Jude looked at his hand beneath his. This is what he wanted, his woman and his child. He could live without killing the marshal. It really didn't matter to him, because by the time he would wake up, Jude, Kitty and the baby would be long gone.

"Let's go out the back way. You make one sound, and I'll come back here and gut me a Marshal, you got that, Reds?" He said squeezing her arm. She scrunched her face in pain, but not a sound came out of her, as she bit down on her lower lip. "That's a good girl." He gently lead her out the bedroom door, LaFete in front of them, making sure the path was clear. They went out the back door and down the back steps. There were two horses waiting and one was bareback, with just a blanket or two over its back. Bonner jumped up onto the horse as LaFete took Kitty's arm. He then leaned over, grabbed her about the waist and lifter her as though she weighed nothing, up onto the horse in front of him. She continued to cry silently as they slipped out of Dodge. No one would see them going up the back alley, and out of town. The sun was still high, she figured close to noon. All she prayed for was for someone to find Matt and take him to Doc so he could help him. He had to be safe. The horse quietly trotted along the alley and as they came to the back gate at the old freight office, she saw her last chance slipping away. She felt as though her world had collided with death itself. She would never see Matt again. Bonner would probably kill her first. Her lips moved, but no words were uttered yet, she spoke one name to the wind, as silent as she could as her heart broke, 'Matt.'

OOOOOOOOOOOO

As the evening sun began to slipped down the barren hills of Boot Hill, Festus headed for the Long Branch. He knew that Matt had wanted to spend time with Kitty, but he had said he would be back later. Thinking that the two had just gotten into, well, whatever married folk did, he decided to let them be. But now, some 5 hours later, he felt as though something was wrong. Festus made his way over to the Long Branch. It was about half past five and the place was just beginning to get some business going. Sam was at the bar, cleaning the glasses as usual. Festus saw him and walked over to him.

"Hey Sam, you seen Mathew?" He asked as he stepped up to the bar.

"No, not since early this afternoon, after he brought the trays down." He said pouring Festus a cold beer. "Here ya'go, Festus sure is dry out there." He said.

"No thanks, Sam, I gotta find Mathew…." As he spoke one of the young women screamed as the Marshal came stumbling out of his and Kitty's room. He held the back of his head, but when he let go, there was blood covering his hand. "Mathew!" Festus yelled as he ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Matt fell to his knees and then onto his abdomen. He passed out again. Festus knelt down, Sam had come up right behind him. Festus gently pulled him onto his back. He then looked up, pulled his pistol from the holster and slowly headed threw the door which led to Kitty's door. Leaning against the wall, he slid down the hall, rounded the bend and slowly pushed her door opened with his pistol. The room was empty. Kitty was nowhere in sight. He found the buttonhook on the floor and knelt down to pick it up, then came across a bear's tooth necklace. "Bonner." He got up and rushed out the door. When he came out, Doc was on his way up the stairs. He looks at Doc. "She's gone, Doc. Jude Bonner took her."

Doc knelt down and looked Matt over. Festus knelt beside him. "How do you know it was Bonner?" He asked Festus. Festus held up the necklace and Doc remembered back to when Bonner came into town, with Kitty. He wore that same necklace. Doc had wished he could have strangled him with it at the time. "Let's get him in the room where he can be comfortable." He said to Festus who nodded his head to Sam and some of the other men now standing around.

Matt groaned in his barely conscious state. One word slipped from his lips, or name, as Doc tried to calm him. "Kitty." It came out as a raspy whisper, and then he was unconscious once again. Doc looked at Festus and he at Doc. How were they going to tell Matt? Newly came rushing into the saloon and up the stairs as the men lifted the Marshal and carried him back to his room.

"Newly, saddle up our horses, we're gonna go after them." He said as he goes into the room.

"What's happened?" Newly said confused. He didn't know what was going on. Festus looked at him and took his hand, placing the necklace in Newly's hand. Newly said nothing more, he turned and headed down the stairs. Sam and Burke and two other men followed after him. They would be a small posse, but nonetheless a posse.

Festus watched as Doc worked on Matt. He then looked at Doc. "You take care of him, Doc." He said as he started for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Doc said looking up from Matt.

"I'm going to bring Miss Kitty back, Doc." He said to him.

"You're going to get yourself killed is what you're going to do. Do you think that Kitty needs that on her conscience?" He said looking into the back.

"Whadda ya 'spect me to do, Doc, jess sit here. They got Miss Kitty, who knows what they'll do this time. Maybe hurt her and the babe." He said the anger evident in his voice.

"Bonner ain't gonna do no such thing." He pulled a bottle of Alcohol from his bag.

"How do you know that? After what he done to her last time…." He didn't finish as Doc interrupted him.

"Now you listen to me, Festus. I know that Bonner is an animal, but I also know from Kitty, he wants the child. He wants her. He has some sick idea in his head that she belongs to him. I need you here helping me with Matt. Those soldiers Matt told me about yesterday, will be here in the morning, you and Newly can ride out then, but for now, you're to stay here. I won't let you put your death on Kitty's conscience." He said angrily. He gently began to tend to Matt's wound on the back of his head.

"But, Doc….."

"No, buts, Festus." He said looking into dark eyes. Festus knew that Doc was right, Bonner was a cold blooded killer. But the thoughts of her being alone with him, brought the horrifying memory of what had been done to her. He had seen the bruises and bite marks, he had helped Doc undress her and he remembered the sickening feeling in his gut at the sight of bruises on her inner thighs.

"All right, Doc, calm down fer ya' bust a cork." He headed for the door.

"Where ya' going?" Doc asked suspiciously.

"I'm gonna tell Newly to forget about it till the soldiers get here." He opened the door.

"Festus, I want you're word as a Hagan, that you won't try to sneak out of here before the soldiers get here." He knew Festus was itching to get at Bonner.

"Don't ya' trust me, Doc?" Festus said as he looked into the old grey eyes of his friend.

"Not as far as I can throw you." He said taking the bloodied sponge from Matt's head and putting a clean one on. "Your word as a Hagan."

"All right, Doc, all right, you got my word as a Hagan." He then headed out the door. "Dern, blasted fool!" He said quietly as he left the room. Newly was coming back into the saloon as Festus came down the stairs.

"We're ready to go, Festus." He said handing him a rifle.

Festus looked at the rifle and then at Newly, Burke, and Sam. "Unsaddle them and put them back in the stalls." He said defeatedly.

"What? What about Miss Kitty?" Sam asked him.

"Those dog soldiers have her." Burke chimed in.

"You think I don't know that. I know they got her, I also know that Bonner ain't gonna hurt Miss Kitty. He intends to keep her alive, least ways till that babe is born." He headed out of the saloon and Newly said nothing as he climbed onto his horse. "Where'd ya' think you're a'goin'?" Festus asked him.

"To find Miss Kitty." Newly said. But he didn't get a chance to say more. Festus grabbed him about the waist and pulled him from the horse. Both men ended up on the ground.

"Now you listen here, Newly, I made Doc a promise, we'd wait for the regimen arriving in the morning. He made a good point, do ya' think Miss Kitty wants your blood on her hands?" He said as he straddled Newly's hips and held him by the collar. "I know how you feel about Miss Kitty, we all love and respect her, but we need to keep her as safe as possible. When the regimen gets here in the morning, we'll be riding out." He said standing up and reaching out his hand to Newly. Newly took his hand and stood up.

"I'm sorry fer getting' rough with ya' but sometimes you can be a dern stubborn fool."

"Well, then, I'm in good company, cause Doc always says the same about you." Newly said dusting himself off. "I'll put the horses away." He said untying their reins.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

They had been riding for close to 8 hours. Kitty's entire body hurt. And she had to relieve herself once again. Bonner was getting tired of these constant stops, but it wasn't her doing and she tried to tell him that the last time, but all she got was backhanded. She knew then that he wasn't going to let her go. She'd find the opportunity sooner or later and she'd try to get back to Dodge, but for now, there wasn't a moment in sight. She'd follow him like a good girl, but sooner or later, she'd find a way out of his hell.

"Don't let that pretty little head of yours start to thinkin' about runnin', Reds. Cause I'll find you, no matter where you go." He said as he gently placed his hand on her belly. Kitty angrily shoved his hand off of her. "Don't be so unfriendly, Reds. We've got a past together, this little one is proof of it."

"She's not yours!" She said angrily.

He grabbed her by the throat and pulled her head painfully back to look into his dark lifeless eyes. "It's mine, alright." He said as his mouth came crashing down on hers. Kitty tried to use her free hand, striking him on the thigh, but he didn't budge. This time he did the biting, and bit clear through her lip. Kitty cried out in pain.

"Oooow!" She cried as she finally pulled away. There was blood on her hand and running down her chin. He had bit her and now she feared for the life of her child. Kitty sobbed as he took the reins and continued on.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll keep that mouth of yours shut, Reds for the duration of this journey." He followed LaFete and the other two men down along the ridge. She was tired and she was hurting, but she knew if she spoke another word, she'd receive a beating. "LaFete, find us a place to set up camp!" He yelled to him, as he held onto the woman in front of him. "We'll rest till dawn then continue on." He told the men.

LaFete for his part looked for a flat area, with grass for the animals. He knew that there was a stream not far, about 200 feet from a small oasis. They'd be able to see anyone coming from all directions. "Right over there, it's not far from the stream and it's open enough to see any direction."

"Fine, we'll set up camp. I want to leave just be for dawn." He said as he and Kitty trotted over to the area. When they stopped, Jude Bonner slid down the side of the horse, and immediately grabbed Kitty around the waist and pulled her from the horse before she could even think of trying anything. He handed his reins to one of his men, still holding onto Kitty's arm. "I'll be right back. I'm sure Reds has to take care of some business. You set up camp." He said as he drug Kitty up the slope and towards the stream on the other side. At the stream, she knelt down and took a piece of white cloth, ripping it from her petticoat, and used it to wipe the blood from her face. Jude stood there beside her and looked around. He thought the place was familiar it reminded him of the first time he had taken her. Kneeling down next to her, he watched as she carefully cleaned the cut lip. "Hey Reds." He said to her. She looked up. "Doesn't this place remind you of something?" He asked her. Kitty looked around and a sickening feeling entered the pit of her stomach. 'God no, please.' She heard herself crying inside as the nightmare returned.

He smiled at her. One thing he liked about her, was the fact that he could read the terror in her eyes. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her to her feet.

"Please, no." she whispered, her hand protectively going to her belly. His only response was to turn her around and shove her towards the hill. Kitty began up the hill and almost fell to her knees, but Jude grabbed her about the waist and they continued up, heading back towards camp.

To be continued……..