Louie sipped on his drink and set the glass down in front of himself. Sam was about to offer another when a strange look carried over Louie's face. "Louie? You okay?" Sam asked.

His eyes lifted to Sam's. "Where's Miss Kitty?"

Sam set the bottle down on the bar. "Miss Kitty and the Marshal have gone to dinner at Delmonico's. Why?" Sam was concerned.

"No time Sam...I have to see Miss Kitty!" Louie almost ran from the Long Branch leaving Sam even more puzzled.

Louie hustled across Front Street and practically burst through the doors of Delmonico's. "Miss Kitty! Miss Kitty!" He huffed.

Kitty look at Louie with a mixture of confusion and horror in her eyes. "Louie. What on earth is the problem?" She asked sternly.

"That man. The one from earlier. I remember where I saw him before..." Louie continued to gasp for his breath.

Kitty and Matt were now standing. "Who is he Louie?" Matt questioned as Kitty tried to calm Louie down.

"I saw him with Doc the night that Doc went missing. He's the one..." Louie's eyes fill with tears.

Kitty and Matt exchanged looks and Matt motioned for Kitty to say put. "Don't worry." As they both knew that Red had over heard their early conversation.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Festus filled Doc in on the last few days. They both heard the door open and the voice that asked for Doc was all too familiar. Doc grabbed Festus by the arm and pulled him close. "Festus. That voice. I'd know it anywhere. He's the one that took me to Old Dodge Town and then beat me up!" A look of panic washed over the doctor's face.

Festus nodded and stood to walk to the doorway only to be looking down Red's pistol. "Well. Now I have to kill two. Makes no never mind to me." Red sneered at Festus who blocked the doorway into the back room.

"You could make it a sight easier on yerself if you put down that gun..." Festus offered but wasn't going to budge yet he couldn't draw his gun without being shot dead. Red had him cold.

"You make it easy deputy. Step aside so I can finish that old pill-pusher off. Then you...or I could do you first and then him. As I said. Makes no never mind to me." Red moved closer and then he stopped as he heard someone rapidly climbing the stairs. He froze and looked briefly over his shoulder, which was enough for Festus to pull his gun.

Red still had his head turned but he saw Festus' move. He swallowed hard and decided that even though his shot was now going to be off, he'd fire anyway. The bullet hit Festus in the left thigh and as he fell fired off one shot hitting Red just below the sternum. Red clutched his chest and staggered forward falling onto Doc's desk.

Doc had a presence of mind to roll out of the far side of his bed and press himself against the wall. Red continued toward the bedroom and fired one shot into the down mattress causing a plume of feathers to fly into the air. Then there was silence and Red fell face first to the floor.

Matt burst through the door with his gun drawn. Quickly he surveyed the sight and entered the room. "Festus? Where Doc?"

Festus winced as he tried to stand. "Old Doc's in the room, Matthew. He's all right."

Matt sighed and by now Kitty and Louie were at the doorway. "Doc?" Matt called.

"I'm okay Matt. It was close." Doc slowly appeared in the doorway to the bedroom. "Festus? How do you feel?" Doc slowly bent over to see his friend.

"It went right through Doc. I'll be okay." Festus finally go to his feet.

Matt moved over to Red and removed the gun from his cold dead hand. "Louie. Could you go and get Percy Crump?"

Louie nodded, "Sure thing Marshal." Then he quickly left the office.

"Matt help me with Festus." Doc asked as he did his best to steady the wounded lawman. Between the three of them the got Festus to the examination table. "Now don't go pokin' and a prodin'...it went clean through!" Festus complained to the doctor as he tore a hole in the deputy's pant leg. "Now who's gonna pay fer new britches if you go tearing at them like that!

"Oh, hush up! I might even convince the Town Council to buy you a new pair of britches." Doc muttered as he examined the wound.

"Well I sure hope so! I tried claiming them before, Matthew, cause I was in the line of duty and all..."

Matt's eyebrows rose and he looked from Festus to Doc and then over to Kitty. Quietly he backed away nudging Kitty to follow leaving Doc and Festus to settle the great britches debate.

The End