Kitty lay sleeping on the cot. Her hands were tied over her head, and her feet were bound as well. Jude was drinking with his men. Clemens walked around the side of the tent, keeping out of view. The others were drinking and partying. Quietly he made his way into the tent. Her head was turned, facing the left side. Her blouse was undone and opened, baring her undergarments. He quietly stood there for a few moments, watching her breathe. 'She sure is pretty.' He thought to himself, as he watched the rhythm of her breast rise and fall to her somewhat steady breathing. Occassionally, she would moan, but he stood watching her, taking in the sight of the pretty redhead. He had known many women in his day, but this woman belonged to a U.S. Marshall and that made the idea of taking her, even sweeter. Nothing would sit in a man's belly worse than finding out another man took his woman and it would be sweet. He'd make sure she'd remember him. Slowly Clemens knelt over her. Kitty wasn't sure what it was that woke her, whether it was the feeling that someone was watching her or the smell of liquor on his breath as he leaned down over her, but she woke, looking into the dark eyes of one of Jude Bonner's dog soldiers. She opened her mouth to cry out, but his hand quickly covered her mouth. Clemens brought out his knife. It was a long shiney bowie knife. She could see the dim lights of the moon causing the blade to glisten. Her eyes widened with fear and she swallowed hard. He reached down with the knife, and used the tip to slowly drag her skirt up her legs, baring her black stockings.

Jude sat with LaFete. The men were dancing and laughing. They were celebrating the release of Virgil Bonner, because they felt sure that the big Marshall would get Virgil out and bring him to Jude. No one ever turned Jude Bonner down. He was the leader of the Dog Soldiers and the most ruthless of them all. LaFete spoke to Jude and Jude laughed at whatever was said to him. He then felt something in the pit of his stomach. Something he had never felt before, almost like a premonition, as though he knew something was about to happen. Getting up from his seat, he began to look around. Noticing his uneasiness, LaFete stood up.

"What's the matter, Jude?" LaFete said, worried as he glanced around him.

"Don't know." He answered.

"Did you hear something?" He said trying to see if anyone was moving out in the brush.

"No. I have a feeling. I – I don't know." Jude looked around then he saw the figures in his tent. He saw someone move in the tent. Before LaFete realized what was happening, Jude took off for his tent.

Jude entered the tent with LaFete right behind him. Clemens had his hand still over her mouth, but now he was on top of her, between her thighs, thrusting into her, hard and fast. Jude's eyes glared at him as he turned to see Bonner standing at the entrance. LaFete, saw that look before, only once before, when Bonner had killed a man with his bare hands after he had taken Jude's woman. He killed both the man and her, because she had wanted to leave him. LaFete remembered the look as he strangled her to death. Knowing this, he stepped back as Jude pulled Clemens off of Kitty. Her skirt fell over her private area, covering her from view, but still her legs were bared.

"I didn't do nothin'. She enticed me. She wanted it." He said looking into the mad eyes of his leader.

"I'll kill you." He said as he struck Clemens in the jaw. Clemens fell to the ground and Jude grabbed him and threw him out of the tent.

LaFete watched as he picked up the knife and looked at Kitty. LaFete knew that he was out of control, as he loomed over Kitty holding the knife. She turned away and cried, waiting for him to kill her. As he stepped towards her, LaFete grabbed his arm. "She didn't do nothing. She's been in here hogged tied since you been out there. She ain't had no time to entice no one." Jude looked down at LaFete's hand on his arm. "She ain't Bess. And she ain't you'rin. She belongs to that big Marshall, remember." Jude lowered his hand which held the knife and he looked at LaFete.

Jude dropped the knife to the ground and fell to his knees. LaFete nodded to two of the men standing there and looked down at Clemens. The two men lifted him up and drug him out of the tent.

Jude looked at her bared thighs. He gently pulled the dress down over her, his hands caressing the bare skin of her thighs as he did so. Kitty continued to keep her head turned and her eyes squeezed shut.

"What have you done to me, woman? What is this spell you've cast upon me?" He said as his hand slid up her belly to rest beneath her breast. His mouth hovered over her breast, then his lips caressed her warm skin, sliding from the top swell of her breast up to her neck.

"Please….don't!" It came out as a whisper, but Jude had heard her plea. And it angered him more.

Standing up, he looks back as LaFete entered the tent again. "When I'm through with you woman, you're gonnawishit was me whohad taken you again, instead of them." He pointed to the closed flap of the tent, but the laughter and rowdy men could be heard inside by her. LaFete looked at him, realizing what was to come. He watched as Jude Bonner stood up and furiously walked out of the tent.

Looking down at the woman lying on the cot, her eyes shut, tears streaming down her face, for the first time in his life, he felt pity for another human being. Knowing what was instore for her, he felt a moment of regret, just for a moment, then he smiled at her, turned on his heels and left.

to be continued……