The Rescue 33

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kitty awoke nauseous and trembling again. But it wasn't morning sickness. That had seemed to subside dramatically around the time of her wedding three weeks ago and had just about disappeared completely up until the last three days. No, what ailed her now was, in a way, a lot more serious and a lot harder to treat.

Kitty was having nightmares. For the third night in a row she dreamed of a blond haired man that had come to hang her and kill Matt. In each night's disturbing vision, she would see the man approach, rope in one hand, gun in the other, with a maniacal grin on his face, his green eyes lit up as he told her of his plans.

"I'm gonna shoot and gut that man of yours," he said night after night. "And then I'm gonna string you up, kicking. That brat you're carrying won't change what's gonna happen to you. It's gonna go with ya." Each time he would say it, he would laugh. And each time he laughed, she would awake, trembling and scared out of her mind, until she was reassured that it was only a dream and Matt was there beside her and her child was still living, safe inside of her.

"You okay?" Matt asked as he sat up beside her and pulled her into his arms.

Kitty nodded against his chest. "I am now." She shivered.

"Want to tell me about it?' He asked, lightly stoking her back in a soothing circular manner.

For several moments Kitty kept still and quiet. It wasn't that she didn't trust Matt enough to share her torment with him, but she wasn't sure she trusted herself to keep from falling to pieces when she did. Besides, she hated to add to his burdens.

But finally, taking a deep breath, she sat up and looked over at him. "For the last three nights, I've been having a dream, a nightmare really, about a blond haired man. He has a rope and a gun and he keeps saying he's gonna kill us and our baby. Matt, I… I couldn't… if… if he…"

She did break down then into great heaving sobs and Matt knew the best thing he could for her right then, was to hold her and reassure her with his strong arms and kisses that she was safe and that he would do anything to keep her that way. When she finally quieted into sniffles, he spoke quietly but assuredly. "No one is gonna do anything to us, Kitty. We've not come this far, to fail now."

Kitty looked up at him, doubt clearly shining in her eyes. "But, Matt, I'm a… they have a warrant against me. They… if anyone finds us, they can hang me. They can…"

"They cannot do anything that I don't let them do." He answered a little gruffly. "Honey, I know how precarious our position is, but I also know it's not hopeless. Somehow, we will find a way to fix this. You've just got to give it some time and trust that it's gonna be okay in the end. I don't know how, but it will."

Kitty studied his face for a long time. But she saw doubts there, despite his words. However, she also saw determination and love and strength, all things she knew were needed to sustain them both.

Suddenly a thought came to her and she sat up straighter. "Matt, let's leave here, today if possible or tomorrow. Let's go back to the cabin or south or west, I don't care but let's go. Let's…"

"Kitty," Matt shook his head. But she wouldn't let him interrupt her.

"No, Matt. Listen to me." She said with an urgent plea in her voice. "Right now, I'm 6 months along but I'm still able to travel. And although there's still snow on the ground, it's not as bad as it was since the weather cleared up last week. If we leave soon we could get out of here and go someplace safe before it's too late and I can't travel. Matt, please."

Matt could tell how serious she was and he saw the fear in her eyes of remaining there any longer than necessary. "Kitty, even though you think you can travel," he started trying to reason with her, "I don't think you realize how difficult travel this time of year is up here. Even though the weather has cleared up, it's still dangerous out there."

"No more so than it is here." She said with a determined glint in her eye. "I have no intentions of sitting here, Matt Dillon, and waiting for the next shoe to drop and the next Quaid Hill to show up looking to hang me. Now, wedding ring or not, and snow or not, I'm going to leave here as soon as possible. They probably still don't know that you helped me, so if you want to stay, you go ahead. They won't be able to do anything to you if I'm not with you."

Matt heard the angered hurt in her voice and he realized she would do just as she said, regardless of whether he went with her not. Still he had to try one more time. "Honey, if it's about that dream…" He reached for her but she pulled away and got up from the bed.

"No, Matt!" She said with a shake of her head. "I mean yes, the dream is part of it. But it's not all of it. Matt, I know you don't believe me, but there's something bad going to happen if we don't leave here. I can't tell you how I know it, I just do. We're in danger here."

With a deep sigh, Matt got up and crossed the chilly room to her side, bringing a blanket with him which he wrapped around her. "I did not say I didn't believe you." He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her eyes up to meet his. "And there is no way on earth, I would ever let you leave here without me beside you. I just worry about you is all. I don't want something else to happen to you like it did on our way here."

Kitty leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him. "I don't either, that's why we have to go, Matt. Please. We have to."

Matt sighed again and held her tightly. "Alright. We'll go. It'll take me a day to get things arranged and we'll need to calm Doc down, cause you know he'll fuss, but we'll go."

Kitty buried her head in his chest in relief. "Thank you," she breathed. "Thank you."

As the two held each other, neither one was aware of the three men just about to head their way.

"You're sure this trading post is where that old man went?" The three men had once again settled into the town's only watering hole and Ak had shared with them what'd he'd been able to find out.

Grafton studied him and his partner closely. He didn't want them with him and had no intentions what so ever of sharing the bounty money with them once he killed the red head and her man. But until he knew what he was walking into and knew exactly where his quarry was, he needed the two misfits as back up.

"Of course, I'm sure." Ak Blint snapped until he saw the look in his unlikely companion's eyes and looked away. Ak Blint, though by no means the biggest, strongest, smartest or even bravest of men, had still always thought of himself as above the norm. He certainly had his tag along friend Harry Tiller under his thumb.

But men like Pat Swarner and Grafton were stronger than he was and he knew it. These men were real leaders in his world and he knew he'd best not forget it if he wanted to live long.

Grafton looked around the saloon, hoping to spot the girl he'd spent several nights with, but she didn't seem to be around. If he'd cared to give it any thought, he might have realized she wasn't there, because his last time with her had left her physically unable to work for a couple of days. But even if he had of thought of it, it wouldn't have mattered. He wouldn't have cared.

"Well," Grafton pushed back from the table. "I'm gonna go to my room and get some sleep. I'm heading out at dawn in case you gentlemen would like to join me. I figure to get there by dark tomorrow and stake my claim to a certain red headed murderer."

Without a second's thought, Blint and Tiller rose as one and followed Grafton from the saloon.

TBC