The Stolen 18
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 Night
The first thing Matt saw, was the back of a man with a struggling woman in his arms. The sight infuriated the Marshal and he grabbed the man, punching him hard to the face and midsection.
When he was certain the man was out he turned back to Kitty, only it wasn't Kitty. He wasn't sure who it was, but it wasn't Kitty.
Seeing the Marshal's badge Matt had pinned back on his shirt, the woman, girl really, instantly began to cry. "Oh thank God, Marshal," she cried, "he…he was going to….." She dissolved into tears as she threw herself into his arms.
Matt stood there for a moment, not sure what to do. It was obvious this girl was not here of her own volition, but why, and where Kitty was he didn't know.
Pushing her back from him, he gently took her arm and led her over to a spot beside the fire. "Are you alright?" he finally managed to ask. "I mean, did he hurt you?"
The woman shook her head still sniffling.
Matt was relieved to hear that. "What's your name, Ma'am?" he asked.
"Maggie," she answered. "I was….was taken by some men…" She was still shaking and Matt instinctively reached a hand out to her.
"Were you in a camp with a bunch of other women?" he asked, realizing that she must've been another one of Manley's victims.
She nodded her head yes, shuddering at the memory. "They hurt my friend Liza," she said sadly. "There was a lady in there with us, she tried to help us. I don't know what happened to her though. Wish she was here now."
Matt nodded, thinking of poor Annie. "I'm sorry Maggie. She can't be here." He didn't want to her that Annie was dead.
Maggie nodded her head sniffling again "I know," she cried. "I saw. She was the first one they sold. That red haired lady would sure make me feel better." Maggie's sniffles turned back to full fledged wails, as she again buried her head in his chest.
Matt stiffened at the girls words. She was talking about Kitty, not Annie. Kitty. His heart ached for her but he knew he couldn't continue his pursuit of her, at least not yet.
His badge dictated that he escort Maggie to safety, and the man on the ground to jail. He had ignored that badge, when back at the camp, but he knew he couldn't do it now.
"Maggie," he patted her arm, "don't worry. Everything's going to be alright. I don't think we're too far from Dodge City. I'll take you there and we'll see to it that you get home. Okay?"
Maggie nodded. "Okay," she sobbed.
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Saturday Morning
Kitty sat crossways on the wagon bed and watched as the scenery passed by, trying to get an idea of where she was. Her mind though was in a jumble.
She had spent the previous night, tied to a tree praying fervently that Matt would come, but he didn't, which meant only one thing to her. He was hurt or dead. She knew in her heart that he wasn't dead. She felt him there. Which meant he was hurt, or in some way unable to come for her.
Griggs had not tried to hurt her so far, but she wasn't holding out any hope that he would continue to leave her alone He had already told her of his plans when he got her to San Antonio, and the thought made her angry. She was bound and determined he would not get her there. Though how she was going to accomplish that, she wasn't sure.
She hadn't been able to escape while at the camp, but her situation had now changed. She was no longer in an armed camp and feeling responsible for 30 other women. She was one on one with a fat smelly man. And she knew how to handle those kinds of men.
TBC