Chapter 2

Tonight would be the night he went ahead with his plan. His plan involved a certain redhead, a redhead he had been thinking about the last two years. The moment he set eyes on her, he knew he wanted her for his girl. The only problem was he quickly realized that she wasn't available. She was the Marshal's girl. He knew that Matt Dillon was still Marshal of Dodge City and was certain that Kitty was still his girl. Taking the Marshal's girl would be the ultimate revenge against him.

The streets of Dodge City were deserted when he made his way down them on his horse. For the last several days, he had been watching the Long Branch from afar. He dismounted his horse and made his way to the back alley of the Long Branch. There he would wait and break in once all the lights were out.

Closing time had finally arrived at the Long Branch, and Bill and Kitty were more than pleased to see the last customer leave. They were both exhausted. Bill was just finishing wiping down the countertop, and Kitty was finishing wiping down the last glass.

"Kitty, I'll lock the front when I leave," said Bill as he turned down the light by the bar.

"Thanks, Bill. I'm going to take these empty bottles out back and then I'll lock the back door."

"Alright, goodnight Kitty. I'll see ya tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Bill. See ya tomorrow."

Kitty grabbed the crate of empty bottles from behind the bar and headed towards the back door, unaware of her fate. She opened the door, stepped outside, and placed the crate to the left of the door. As she turned around to go back inside, a hand went over her mouth and a gun to her back. Kitty was totally taken by surprise. This was the last thing she expected.

"Don't make a sound and you won't get hurt. Now you and I are going to walk to my horse and mount him. If you scream. I'll shoot you," a menacing whisper coming from her captor.

Kitty, fearing for her life, did as she was told. She and her captor came to his horse and he helped her mount, and then he quickly mounted behind her. Once they were both mounted, they headed south. Kitty had no idea who had taken her. So far he had always been behind her, out of her view. Right now she was too scared to turn around and look. She just held the saddle horn and stared straight ahead, praying that she wasn't riding towards her death. They had been riding for several minutes, when her captor started talking again.

"You know, I've been planning on taking you for a while now. My original plan was to break into the Long Branch after closing and take you, but you made it so much easier by stepping outside tonight."

That voice, it sounded so familiar, but Kitty couldn't quite place it. She knew she had heard it before. Kitty wanted to know who had taken her. So she decided to ask him the most obvious question she could think of asking.

"Who are you?' Kitty asked in a trembling voice.

"Never mind that right now. You'll find out soon enough."

"Well if you're not going to tell me who you are, then tell me why you've taken me."

"That's simple. I'm getting back at the Marshal for making me leave Dodge City."

Kitty could not believe it. This was Matt's worst nightmare, that someone would use her to get him. It was never really her nightmare. If it was, then she wouldn't have become involved with him. She wouldn't have been his girl for the last few years. Even now, as she was being taken further and further from Dodge, she still didn't regret being Matt Dillon's girl.

Kitty was not sure how long they had ridden before they came to a cabin. The man behind her rode the horse close to the porch and dismounted. He then helped her down. After tying the reins around the porch rail, he ushered her inside the cabin. It was pitch dark in there. Kitty had no idea where to go, but her captor did. It was obvious this was his cabin and he was very familiar with the layout. He guided her several paces into the cabin and told her to sit down. She did as she was told and sat down on a bed. When she realized it was a bed he had taken her to, dread filled her. She felt him sit on the other side and she was petrified. She had no idea what he had planned.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to try anything. Lie down and go to sleep," he told her as he reclined next to her.

Sleep was the last thing that Kitty wanted to do. How could she sleep when a man, who wanted to get revenge on Matt, was right next to her. She had been dreading what her night would be like in her room without Matt. Now she would do anything to be alone in her room than with this man in some remote cabin. As much as she fought the battle of sleep, sleep was starting to win. She had been exhausted when the Long Branch closed, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

Morning came and Bill Pence arrived at the Long Branch to open up for the day. He had been working behind the bar, when he happened to look upstairs at Kitty's door. Bill noticed it was open, but didn't think too much of it. It wasn't rare for her to meet the Marshal for an early breakfast. Bill took down the last chair and heard the bat wing doors open. He turned around and was surprised to see the Marshal.

"Good morning, BIll. I stopped by to see if Kitty wanted to have breakfast this morning," Matt told Bill.

Bill's face lost its color. "I thought she was with you. Her door is open and I just assumed she was probably having breakfast with you."

Matt looked up towards Kitty's room and noticed the open door. "Are you sure she's not up there?"

"Marshal, I've been here for at least twenty minutes and no sound has come from that room," Bill answered.

Matt looked at Bill and both men quickly ascended the stairs to Kitty's room. They walked in and noticed the bed was still made. Kitty had not slept in it. Her nightgown was still draped over the chair in the corner. Matt had a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"When did you last see her?" Matt asked Bill.

"At closing I told her I would lock the front door and she said she was going to take the empty bottles out back and lock the back door when she was done."

"Alright, let's check there first," Matt said.

Matt and Bill left Kitty's room and rushed to the back door of the Long Branch. They opened the door to the back alley and looked outside. They saw the crate of empty bottles, but no sign of Kitty. Upon further inspection, Matt noticed two sets of footprints, a smaller set with a larger set. This confirmed Matt's suspicions that Kitty had been taken, and she was taken hours ago which meant she and her kidnapper were that much further away from him.

TBC