The Stolen 13

I don't own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.

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Friday Morning

As she had the morning before, Kitty stood and watched the sun come up over the camp. Only she was far less rested than she had been the previous day. She hadn't been able to sleep after seeing Matt. He had told her to trust him and she did, but she knew what he was up against here.

Annie reappeared with some more of the thin slop she called breakfast, but Kitty wasn't hungry. She was in too much turmoil to even think about it.

"Ya don't eat, ya'll get sick," Annie told her.

"What do you care?" Kitty snapped at her angrily. "After tonight you won't see me again anyway. You, and that man you're with, will just steal more women to sell."

Annie stared sadly but intently at her for a moment without reply. "I'll leave ya a bowl," she said finally as she turned and walked off.

Kitty silently watched Annie as she walked away. She didn't understand this woman or why she did what she did. She seemed to want to help, at the same time that she was clearly in Manley's employ.

Shaking her head, Kitty realized nothing made sense to her right then as worried as she was. Worried about Matt, worried about the other women and worried what would happen at the auction.

Matt had said another man was with him, but she had no idea who he was and two men, she knew, were not going to be much good against the virtual army Manley had working for him.

Not for the first time, her thoughts returned to Matt. Praying for his safety, as well as success in his plans, she turned back to the barn. The day was going to be another warm one, despite the earliness of the season.

But the thought of what the day was going to hold for her, and the other women, chilled her to the bone.

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Matt warily walked around the camp, watching the day's activities. Tom was asleep back in the tent that Manley had given them for the night.

Looking around, he could tell by the preparations that Manley was planning on quite a few people. As he walked about, he watched as a hay wagon was moved into position under the spreading boughs of a large oak tree and then lanterns were hung around it from the lower branches.

He supposed this would be the platform for the sale.

Walking past the enclosure, Matt happened to spy Kitty sitting with some of the other women. Looking at her, it was all he could do to keep from jumping the fence and trying to carry her off. He knew he would be shot, before he got a foot closer to her, but he still wished.

Steeling himself against the onslaught of anger and fear at seeing her there, he walked on past.

The aroma of fresh coffee assailed him and Matt ambled over to the blond headed woman as she stirred something in a pot that looked vaguely like old clothes. Her cooking talents looked doubtful but at least the coffee smelled good. "Mind if I have a cup of that coffee?" he asked as he approached.

The woman looked up but said nothing as she picked up a cup and filled it for him.

"Thank you," he said as he reached for it. However when he pulled his hand back from her he found more than a cup of coffee in it. Somehow as she had handed him the cup, she managed to press a silver dollar with a touch of red paint into his palm.

"They's some trees behind the barn," she told him. "Be there in an hour."

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Tom woke to find Matt already up and gone. He knew his fellow Marshal well enough to know that he would be up and out, trying to figure a way to protect his woman as well as the others and themselves.

He understood that Matt cared about the woman, but he didn't understand why Matt didn't just stand back and let things work they way they planned. Even if the woman was sold he knew they would get her back, eventually.

Scratching his head, Tom got up and grabbed his hat. As he left the tent he looked around for his partner. He found him standing by a fire, with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Any more of that?" he asked as he approached.

Matt nodded and reached for the pot as Tom grabbed a cup. "Met our contact" Matt said quietly. "Gonna meet her behind the barn in a little bit."

"Her?" Tom questioned somewhat stunned. The only women he had seen were the victims behind the fence.

"Yeah her." Matt confirmed. "I found her here cooking something and she handed me the coin. I don't know what her story is, but I guess I'll find out when I talk to her."

"You mean we'll find out," Tom corrected him.

Matt shook his head as he monitored the area, making sure no one was around. "No, Tom. I'm meeting her alone. I don't want any uninvited guests to that meeting and I need you to make sure I don't get any."

"Don't like it, Matt" Tom said. "Could be a trap."

"Yeah it could," Matt agreed, "and if it is and you were with me, then we'd both be walking into it."

Tom nodded at the truth of it. "Yeah, guess that's so. Alright I'll just hang around out here then."

Matt nodded, took another sip of his coffee and set the cup down. "See ya later," he said as he walked off.

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Kitty stood outside of the barn and watched Matt and Tom as they talked. The very sight of him sent a tingle down her spine, but she knew she couldn't show it. She couldn't show any emotion, save fear and anger, both of which were very real. She knew Matt well enough to know, he would move heaven and earth to save her, but she wasn't sure that would be enough.

Wrapping her arms tightly across her chest, she shook her head trying to clear it of the thoughts that were slowly trying to envelope her. 'Matt is here and I'll be safe', she kept telling herself. But reality was warring with what her heart was telling her. The reality of an armed camp and an area enclosed with barbed wire.

She looked back over at Matt, just as he raised his gaze to her. Words weren't necessary, as he communicated his love and reassurance to her. Kitty lowered her eyes, for fear her longing for him would be seen by others, besides Matt. When she raised her head again, he had placed his cup down and was walking away.

Turning, she went back into the barn to escape the torture, of being so close and yet so far from the man she loved.

TBC