The next morning after breakfast, Matt saw Kitty off on the stage to Ballard. "Kitty don't forget to let me know when you get there."
"Matt, I promise. Please take care of yourself. I'll be back before you know it."
The stage took off. Kitty's thoughts went back to her last stage rides about 4 months ago.
She and Matt had been going to St. Louis for a vacation, and they had both been so happy. At a stage stop, Matt got a message that he had to return to Dodge for a trial. She was angry and had refused to return with him. She didn't want to acknowledge his disappointment and the fact that he couldn't ignore an order from a Federal Judge to appear at a trial. She got back on the stage, and a man named Will Stambridge was aboard. She hardly noticed him at first, but when the stage was robbed, he was wounded in the process of protecting her, and she tended to him. When they got back to Dodge, she was still confused and angry at Matt, and Will wanted to see her. He was charming and attentive. Then he bought property for the purpose of offering her a home and the possibility of a family. She didn't want to leave Matt, but was questioning the impact that his job had on her life. Then when Matt stopped a mob from lynching Will, she got a stark reminder of how important Matt's job was. She knew he had to continue to do his job, and she also knew with certainty that she belonged with him, needed to be with him and always would. She sighed as she remembered how curt she had been with Matt when he tried to tell her that Will was a gunslinger, and how she hadn't bothered to be discrete going around town with Will, knowing that Matt and everyone else would see them. Through it all Matt had been – well Matt – kind, understanding, and patient. He showed such respect and love by giving her time and space to make her own decision. After Will left Dodge, Kitty wasn't sure she could even look Matt in the eye. He just smiled at her and accepted her with no recriminations, just love and understanding. Maybe she shouldn't be leaving Matt now to take a trip he didn't want her to take. No that's silly, it's for just a week or so, Matt knows that, and with the Long Branch closed for repair she'd never have a better opportunity to go and visit Claire.
The stage finally arrived and Claire stood at the stage depot smiling. "Kitty, I'm so glad to see you. Sorry it was the Long Branch being closed for repairs that gave you the time. Come on I'll take you to your room upstairs at the Golden Nugget."
Kitty got settled in and went to the telegraph office to send a wire, "To Marshal Matt Dillon, Dodge City, Kansas. Arrived in Ballard safely. Will be in touch. Kitty."
Then Claire and Kitty went off to have dinner at Milly's restaurant not aware that they were being watched.
The man watching them was named, Jim Brown. He was part of the Johnson brothers' gang. They had been in and around town for a few days now, working on a plan.
Dodge City
Matt had received Kitty's telegram and was sitting in his office doing some paperwork, when Doc walked in.
"Hi Matt, you want to have dinner? Kitty made me promise that I'd make sure you ate regular."
Matt shook his head, "Doc, I don't need a keeper, but yep let's go eat. Say, did I tell you I got the wire from Kitty, saying she arrived?"
"No, but I'm not exactly surprised. I don't know what you are so all fired up worried about. Maybe, you've been too tense for too long and just can't relax."
"That's not it Doc, I just have a bad feeling about the trip. Are Festus and Newly well enough to look after things, if something happens and I have to leave town?"
"Now Matt, nothing is going to happen. In answer to your question, I'd say that if things stay quiet and Burke helps, the two of them should be able to handle things. Festus is getting around real fine on crutches. He actually seems to enjoy the hopping and hobbling, and he'll be good as new soon. Newly can do anything that doesn't endanger his ribs.
Ballard
Kitty and Claire were catching up on each other's lives. Kitty told Claire about Stambridge. Claire told Kitty about her own growing relationship with the new blacksmith, Nick. Kitty enjoyed watching Claire run her saloon. It gave her some ideas about changes she might make in the Long Branch.
Two days after Kitty's arrival a note was left with a bartender for Claire. She opened it. It was an invitation to a business owners' meeting. It seemed that several business owners wanted to form an association to figure out how they could benefit one another. The meeting was to be held the next morning at a old, abandoned school house that was three miles outside of Ballard.
"Kitty look at this note. This is the kind of thing I've wanted to see happen for a while. It doesn't say who the organizer is, but I guess that doesn't matter. Problem is that, tomorrow morning I'm scheduled to meet a new whiskey drummer."
Kitty looked up,"Claire can I meet the drummer for you? I don't know the specific of what you want, but I have a general idea."
"Thanks Kitty, but I really have to negotiate for myself. Hey, but you could go to the business owners' meeting as my representative. I'll give you a letter to make it official. You know what my general interests are, and what a saloon owner needs. Would you be willing to do that?"
Kitty nodded, "Of course Claire, I'll help in any way I can."
The next morning Kitty took Claire's wagon and drove out to the school house for the meeting. She saw several business owners arrive – Fred, the head of the Ballard Bank, Nick, Claire's new beau, who owned the blacksmith shop, Milly, who had the only restaurant in town, Anna who had recently opened a dress shop and several others that she didn't know or only recognized by sight.
Kitty stopped her wagon in front of the schoolhouse. Men were there to take care of the horses and wagons that came in. A nice touch, Kitty thought.
Kitty started to walk into the room and a man walked up to her, "I'm Brad Johnson, I'm sorry but this meeting is by invitation only. You are not a Ballard business owner."
Kitty thought the man's name sounded familiar but couldn't place why, "Oh, I'm here to represent the owner of the Golden Nugget. She couldn't make it. Here is the letter stating that I'm here to see to her interests. My name's Kitty Russell."
The man looked at the letter. It didn't please him, and the woman seemed very pushy to him, but he decided to let her in.
There were 11 business owners in the room. The doors were shut and locked and Brad Johnson walked to the front of the room.
"Hello Folks. I want everyone's attention. I'm Brad Johnson. Please stand up, put your hands on your heads, and don't move. My companions are going to search you for weapons and valuables."
There was confusion as everyone started talking. A gun shot was fired, and a woman went down. It was Anna McGray, the owner of the dress shop. People started moving towards her.
Brad Johnson had his gun out, "Step back, it's only a flesh wound, and my brother will take care of her. I didn't want to kill her, I just wanted to prove a point."
Everyone obediently put their hands on their heads, as Johnson's men went around and searched them. Brad kept his gun on them.
Nick, the blacksmith, paid close attention to his captors. There were 6 men. Brad was obviously the leader. The biggest man was named Billy Johnson, he treated everyone roughly. Then there were two men who must be twins, they were identical except for some ugly scars on one's forehead and cheek. The scarred man was called Claybourne. He seemed a strange one, laughing loudly when he found a gun and playing a little with the watches he found in men's pockets. The other twin was called Carl, he was calm and serious. Another man was looking at Anna's wound, Nick didn't catch his name. The 6th man was named Jim Brown, he seemed to be a good friend of all the brothers, but particularly Brad.
Brad spoke again, "Folks, we are going to be here for a little while, before we move on. If you are well behaved, I'll be providing food and water. Any one of you causes trouble, you all will suffer. That's how it will work. Now everyone take a seat."
Kitty found herself sitting beside the restaurant owner, Milly. "What do you think they want?" Kitty whispered.
Milly looked around, "Well seems like everyone here owns a business. My guess is that they figure they can get a pretty big ransom for us."
Kitty started to respond, but saw Brad Johnson standing over them. "You ladies are awful chatty. If you know what's good for you, you'll be quiet." He walked away, but they knew he was watching.
All of the hostages were given food and water and were gathered together to move out. Everyone but the Anna the wounded women.
Kitty looked at Anna and then at Johnson, "What are you going to do with her? She needs real medical care, does your brother know what he is doing?"
"You really are pushy aren't you? I don't like pushy women. Your only concern should be that the business you represent thinks enough of you to spend some money to get you back."
After Brad spoke, Claybourne Johnson laughed oddly and squeezed his hands together, as Billy shoved Kitty towards the door.
The 10 hostages were blindfolded, loaded onto wagons and driven away. Jim Brown followed in a wagon, sometimes getting out to cover tracks and other times driving to make tracks to confuse anyone who tried to follow.
Meanwhile Brad remained inside with the wounded Anna. Her wound was minor, and had been tended to by Jace, the youngest brother. Everyone called him Doctor J. He had some medical training but quit long before becoming a doctor. Brad took Anna by her good arm, "Alright honey, you are going to take this note to the Sheriff of your fine town. It says who we have, how much money we want, and where and how it has to be delivered. You showing up with that wound will let them know that we're serious."
Anna just nodded. She was still a little stunned by the events.
"Now Anna, that's your name right?" She nodded again. "I love that name. It was my mama's name. Now Anna you came riding side saddle on a horse, and we have that same horse and saddle ready for you, so let's go."
A man helped Anna onto her horse and she rode back to Ballard.