Festus and Sam watched as Matt stood beside Kitty and Doc spoke softly to him. Feeling as though they were intruding, the two men, gathered up their things and left Doc's office.
Festus stepped down the stairs and came to the bottom step, before Newly O'Brien. In a soft voice he spoke. "You folks go on home now, Doc's takin' care of things." The crowd immediately began to disperse. Newly watched as they began to shuffle away.
"How is she, Festus?" He said with fear in his eyes.
"T'ain't good t'all, Newly. She took quite a beatin'." He said looking up at the doc's door, wondering what was going on. "It t'ain't gonna be good for them thar Dog Soldier neither. I ain't seen that look in Matt's eyes, never." He slowly made his way passed Newly and headed for the jail.
Matt stood beside Kitty. She had looked up at him, but only for a moment, when he had told her that he needed her. Now, she was unconscious again, and he needed so badly to say more to her. So much more. She knew he loved her. With all his heart, but there were few occasions that he had told her. If he said the words now, she would think they were out of guilt.
"What did they do to her, Doc?" Matt said looking at the burn on her face. He leaned closer and pulled the blanket down, slightly from her naked body, revealing the bite mark on her neck. Her breast, arms were badly bruised. He slowly moved to her legs and pulled the cover up over her thigh revealing the tell-tale bruising of a brutal attack.
"She wasn't just raped Matt. She was abused and violated, repeatedly. She was raped repeatedly. They took turns at her, Matt. They beat and humiliated her." Doc said in anger. Matt looked down at his friend, then at Kitty. As he looked at the woman he loved, he tried to think of how he was going to get her through this. How many of Jude Bonner's men had their turn at her? How many of his men was he going to have to kill?
His hand trembled as he brought hers to his lips. He gently opened her hand, his lips caressing the inside of her palm. "I love you." He said in a whisper, so low that Doc didn't even hear. Sitting down beside her, he made himself comfortable for the vigil. He was not moving from that stool until she improved. Doc moved to his desk and sat down. He began to write in his log, making notes of some of the injuries she as acquired. Glancing up at Matt, he shook his head, then returned to his bookwork.
The hours ticked away, and with each minute, Jude Bonner was getting further and further away. 'It won't matter.' Matt thought. 'I'd go through hell and back to make him pay for what he's done to Kitty.' Matt leaned up and gently laid his hand on her abdomen. 'No matter where he goes, I'll find him and I'm going to kill him.' He said as he gently touched her cheek.
'I'm so cold. Everything hurts. Where am I? Doc? Doc? Where are you? OH, please God, help me. Make the pain go away. Matt?' She thought before she felt something warm against her cheek. "Ummmm, hmmm." She managed to get out.
"Doc!" He said a bit nervous as Doc got up and came over to him. He gently took hold of Kitty's hand to check her pulse. Then listened to her heart.
"She's doing better. She's breathing easier as well." He told Matt with a hopeful gleam in his tired eyes.
Matt looked at Kitty and walked over to the cabinet by the window. Looking down at his badge, he took it off and placed it on the counter.
"No Matt, not like this. Go after him, but do it with in the law." Doc pleaded with him.
"If it was anything else, Doc. Anything else." He put his hat on and began to leave. "Take care of her, Doc. If I don't come back, tell her….tell her…" Matt didn't know what he wanted to tell her. His words seemed caught in his throat as he turn to leave.
Doc sat down beside Kitty. "I hope you make it back, for both your sakes, Matt. I don't think she will make it alone." He said as he gently took her hand in his and bowed his head. "Dear God, please be with them both." He stated quietly. He looked up at Kitty as she moaned again. "You gotta come back to him, young lady. You gotta come back to us. Festus and I, well we need ya' too. I love you, Kitty. I've never told you, but I love you. You're the child I never had. A daughter that I'm very proud of. So you just get yourself better, ya' hear." Holding her hand, a tear gently slid down his cheek as he closed his eyes. He did not notice the tear that fell down her face as well.
Three days had passed since Matt and the others left Dodge to track down the Dog Soldiers. Kitty now stood in her room in the dark, staring down on Front Street. She was mending, yet her body still ached, almost as much as her heart ached.
The streets were barely lit by the lights from the saloons, and such. But Kitty could hear the horses making their way into town even in the dark. She knew instinctively that it the Marshall and his Posse bringing in Jude Bonner and his men. The thought of him riding into town made her skin crawl and her stomach lurch in fear. But she could not walk away from the window. As the men came dragging into town, with the Dog Soldiers tied and reined in, she stepped to the side of the window, as if they could look up and see her. But the darkness in the room, kept her from view. Yet, an overwhelming sense of exposure gripped her like a vice. Her heart pounded against her breast and she could hear it beating rather loudly in her ear. Stepping further into the darkness, she touched her throat as they began to file past the Long Branch, surrounded by the Posse. Jude Bonner, was bringing up the rear, with Matt Dillon and Festus Hagan on either side of him. His hands were tied behind his back and Festus had a tight grip on the reigns of his horse. He wasn't taking any chances in letting this scoundrel go. It was his duty to make sure that Bonner made it back alive and able to stand trial and even hang for his atrocities.
Jude Bonner moved in his saddle, trying to relieve the pain in his hands, as the ropes were tight. Stretching his neck, he looked up and for a moment, he thought he had seen her standing there. But there was nothing but darkness behind those white lace curtains that hung in the window. Somehow, he felt as though she was watching him. But he knew that she would not be there. She would not be looking out the window for him. So what was it that caught his gaze and held it. Festus saw him looking up at the window. But all he could see was darkness. Looking back at Jude, he stared into his dark cold eyes. "She ain't for you, never was, never will be." He said in a low menacing voice. "You so much as look her way again, and I promise you, I'll be leavin' your carcass for the buzzards." Matt looked back at the two men and Festus' only response was to tip his hat.
"Let's get these men into jail, so's we can all finally get some rest." Matt said as he continued on his way. Strangely enough, he did not look up at the window. In fact, someone who knew Matt, would say, he purposely avoided looking up at the window.
This move, did not go unnoticed to Kitty as she looked down on the huge man on the horse as he continued past the Long Branch and on to the Jail.
Matt dismounted his horse in front of the jail and tied the rein to the post. He then untied Jude's hands and pulled him off of the horse. Shoving the prisoner, Jude stumbled up the steps towards the jailhouse, but caught himself on the door. He suddenly swung around to hit Matt in the jaw, but that was a move Matt was hoping for. Jude's fist flew into the air, making contact with nothing, while Matt's dug into Bonner's side. An audible crack would be heard as Matt's fist connected with Jude's ribcage. Matt then grabbed him by the collar and opened the door and shoved the man in the office.
Slowly one by one, the men dismounted then took hold of their prisoners, taking them into the jail. Newly and Festus watched as the man filed into the jail. Burke and Mosely held the cell doors opened. Three cells and 12 men. Well, it would be crowded, but that wasn't none of their concerns. These men were animals, they might as well sleep like animals crowded into a small space. There was no sympathy, no concern for their welfare. Newly looked on, as they sat down and looked up at him. His thoughts ran back to Miss Kitty. He couldn't fathom what they might have done to her. Looking on at these mangy dogs made him wanna retch. They had possibly destroyed one of the kindest people he had ever known. 'They would pay.' Newly thought to himself.
Festus turned the key in the lock. His gaze set upon one dog soldier in particular. K'Lingy smiled at him as he pulled a long red lock of hair from his pocket. He took the strand of red hair and gently passed it under his nose and inhaled the fragrance. "You'd be lucky to get out of here alive." He said pulling his bowie knife from his boot. "Then again, I could save the law a little time and effort ifin' I was to cut you up for coyote bate." K'Lingy barely flinched, but Festus could see it in his eyes. "Or maybe I'll just hand you over to the chief of the Apache's. He's a good friend of Matthew's." He breathed deeply as he continued. "See if you bunch of cowards can take it as well as you give it." He said, sheathing his knife in his boot. "I think I'd just rather see you hangin' from a noose, watch your dead carcass's blowin' in the wind." He turned and walked
out, grabbing Newly's arm and pulling him out of the room with him. They left the door opened as they walked out.
The evening had worn on slowly. Festus sat at Matt's desk waiting for Matt and Newly to relieve him. It was nearly dawn, and he had hoped that Matt had either gone over to the Doc's to see Kitty, if she was still there or that he had gone to his place and gotten him some shut eye. But as the big Marshall entered the jail, Festus knew that neither of his hopes had occurred. Matt looked tired and his mood was even darker than before. He walked into the jail, hung up his guns and his hat and walked over to the coffee pot. Never uttering a word to Festus. He looked up out the window as he began to pour himself of hot-relatively fresh coffee. His mind was on other things as he poured the coffee out and over the cup. "Dammit!" He said angrily as he slammed the pot down and threw the cup down as well.
"You alright thar, Matthew?" Festus asked immediately trying to clean the broken cup up.
"I'm fine, Festus." Matt said grabbing a towel and cleaning up the spill from the floor.
Jude Bonner stood at the edge of the cell, looking towards the door, listening to Matt and Festus. "You sure about that, Lawman?" Bonner said as he held onto the bars smiling broadly. Matt came to the entrance of the cell and looked at Bonner. There was nothing but pure hatred in his eyes. It was something that Bonner was quite used to. Having killed many men and women in his path, there was always the same defiant-hatred held within their eyes. Why would this big Lawman be any different?. After all, Jude Bonner had kidnapped his woman, brutalized her and sold her to the highest bidder. He enjoyed this game. It was always a game to him. Kill, and take. No one was his boss, especially no white man. He wouldn't be told what to do by no white man. And even if they hang him, he spirit would avenge his death. These were the white man's laws, not his.
"You have something you wanna say, Bonner?" Matt said standing there at the door.
"How's it feel, Lawman?" He said standing there grinning at Matt.
"How's what feel, Bonner?" He asked, knowing that his next question wasn't concerning his burned hand.
"How's it feel, Lawman, knowing I had your woman?" He said spitting as he emphasized his delight in tormenting the Marshall.
"You make me sick, Bonner, you and your dog soldiers. You act as though you live by some code of honor, but there is little honor among thieves and murderers. Mostly there's stealing and killing. You're nothing more than an animal and Kitty was just another one of your victims." Matt said standing straight and tall.
"You don't feel betrayed by your woman?" He said trying to goad Matt into an argument.
"You forced her against her will, she didn't betray me, and nothing you can say would ever make me think otherwise." Matt said as he glared at him.
"Eleven, Lawman." He said to Matt, whose furrowed brow gave away his confusion. "Eleven of my men had their turn at her. That's right, I had her, then I sold her to the highest bidder and so on and so forth. K'Lingy, over there, he was # 4, Lafete, you killed him, but he was the third…..shall I go on, Lawman." He laughed at Matt.
Angrily Matt grabbed him through the bars and spun him around so his back was to Matt. Matt then proceeded to tighten his arm around Jude Bonners throat. "I'll kill you, I'll kill you!" Matt yelled as he tightened his arm on Bonner. The two men in the cell tried to pull the big Lawman off, but they were unable to do so. When he was angry like this, it took a great deal to get him to back off. Something short of cocking him on the back of the head with a pistol, maybe, because he was an ornery cus' as Festus would say. It was Festus who came rushing in with his gun drawn and ready. He pointed it at the two cell- mates and the slowly moved away from Jude and Matt.
"Matthew! Matthew, let him go!" Festus yelled, but Matt's anger blinded him and he could hear nothing. Festus finally shoved his pistol into Matt's ribs and Matt realized what he was doing. He pulled his arm free and shoved Bonner away from the bars. Bonner fell to the cot and immediately began to laugh at Matt.
"You ain't helpin' none, Matthew by let that thar mangy mutt, rile you." Festus said as he closed the door to the cell. Matt stalked around his desk and sat down.
"Did you hear what he said about her, Festus? Did you hear him tell me what they'd done to her?" He said seething with hatred for the man in the next room.
"I done heard him, Matthew. But ifin' you was to lose your temper and kill that scoundrel, you'd be killin' Miss Kitty fer sure." Festus said as he walked around the desk and poured Matt a cup of coffee. He set the coffee on the desk.
"How do you figure that one, Festus. If he's dead, he can't hurt anyone every again, especially not Kitty." Matt said as he wrapped his hands around the hot mug and stared into the dark liquid.
"That woman loves you more than anything in this world. Losin' you would kill her. It would be the straw that done broke that camel's back. She's been through enough, don't ya' think?" He said standing at the edge of the desk.
"I wanna kill him for what he's done to her. I wanna kill him with my bare hands." Matt said had he continued to stare into the cup. Festus watched as the big man's hands shook with anger.
"Let the law handle it, Matthew, ain't that what you always be tellin' folks?" Festus said leaning over the desk.
Matt barely looked up at him to register his agreement. "Yeah, okay." He said as he stood up and walked around the desk. He goes over to where his gun-belt hung on the peg and took his hat. Placing the Stetson on his head, he reached up for the gun and looked at the closed door. Bonner and his men, were laughing inside and Matt wanted nothing more thank to go in there and kill him. "I'm gonna go get cleaned up and maybe get some rest for a spell. Get Newly to take over for a bit." He told him as he headed for the door. As Matt walked out the door, Newly was coming in.
"Marshall!" He said tipping his hat. Matt nodded then headed out. Newly watched the Marshall leave. He felt a great deal of regret for the man. To have the woman you love, brutalized, and humiliated in such a way that she may not recover, emotionally, it had to be tearing Matt Dillon apart. "Hey, Festus." Newly said trying to figure out what was going on. From the looks of the Marshall, he was riled up somethin' fierce.
"Newly." Festus said walking over to the door. Newly walked over to the coffee pot and saw the broken cup in the trash basket. He then took the last remaining cup from the shelf and poured a cup of coffee. Festus stood looking out the door, watching Matt Dillon walk away brooding.
"How's the Marshall doing?" Newly said sitting on the edge of the desk.
"You just done saw him tar' outta here like a wild cayote, what do you think?" Festus says shutting the door. He then walked over to the table and sat on the corner. "He just about choked the life out of that varmit, Bonner, in there." He said angrily pointing to the door which led to the prisoners.
"What happened?" Newly said as he stood up.
"I just told ya', Bonner was goin' off at the mouth and Matthew tried to kill him. Bonner's set on pushin' Matthew over the edge, that's fer sure." Festus picked up his hat and looked at the rim. "He just might succeed in the doin' of it too." He said trying to figure out what was so damn interesting about his own hat.
"Has the Marshall been to see Miss Kitty since he's been back?" New asked sipping from his cup.
"Don't reckon he has." He said looking up at the door. "That thar is the telling of itself." Festus stood up and looked up at the door again. Placing his hat in place an idea came to him. "Newly, you keep an eye on those varmints. I'm gonna find Doc." He said as he headed out the door. "Newly," he said turning back. I don't care if they's a causin' a ruckus or what, don't go in there without Burke or Sam. I'll send one of them over." He said. Newly only nodded his head in acknowledgement.