Pt.11

Return To Dodge

Entwined Hearts

With two quick steps, he pushed his way through the batwing doors.

Trying to swallow down the fear, "What do you want, Mannon?" Kitty spit out.

"Whiskey." He smiled. Two glasses!

Kitty swallowed hard. Horrible memories came flooding back. She motioned to Hannah for a bottle and a glass then slamming it down before him. "I said what do you want?"

"Nothing much, Red." Then he looked to Hannah. "I said TWO glasses." When Hannah reached for another, Kitty held up her hand. "I'm not drinking, especially not with you."

Now chuckling, "Awe, Red."

Kitty stood with her jaws tight. Walking over to the bar, staying close to Hannah. "You still didn't answer my question."

Snickering at her, "Just gonna sit here and wait for the big man."

"Well, he's not here, so you can just leave."

Shaking his head, " I'll wait. He'll be here. I'm sure of it. He'll be here!"

Later….

Mannon began growing impatient, after waiting for several hours.

"You!" Looking at Hannah, startling both Kitty and Hannah. "Go find that nice brave young Mr. Newly O'Brien….was it?"

Hannah looked to Kitty.

Then he slammed down his glass. "GO NOW!"

Kitty nodded, "Go ahead, I'll be fine."

Hannah left to go find Newly, running into Obie. "Miss Hannah, what's wrong, Ma'am?"

"It's that crazy man, that Mannon. He's in the Long Branch with Miss Kitty. He sent me for Newly. He's crazy. I don't trust him, not at all."

"Come on let's go." Obie took her arm.

Mannon slowly got up, walked to the doors, shut and locked them, turned and smiled an evil smile at Kitty. "Deja 'Vu."

"What do you want Mannon?" As he came closer, "Don't come near me. You stay away from me."

From outside everyone could hear crashing sounds coming from the saloon and Kitty screaming! Obie and Newly were pounding on the doors. "Mannon open the door!" Obee began to yell, "I'll blow it open!"

Then Mannon yelled back, "I'm gonna open this door, but if I see one gun, Red here is dead."

"Newly," Obie said, "let me shoot him."

"NO! Obie. He'll kill Miss Kitty."

"Ah, Newly."

"Ok, Mannon," Newly called out. "No guns. There's no guns."

When Mannon opened the doors, Newly, Hannah Obie, and the others, all took a deep breath. Mannon was standing with Kitty in a choke-hold. Their attention went straight to her face. Her lip was split, her cheek swollen, eye bruised, blood running from a cut above her eye.

"OK, now, Mr. O'Brien. This will get the big Marshal here right quick. You see to it."

When Newly just stared at Kitty, Mannon broke his gaze. "NOW BOY MOVE!"

Mannon dropped Kitty to the floor, and walked calmly across front street to the Dodge House.

Hannah and Obie quickly picked Kitty up off the floor. Obie carried her up to her room.

"Oh, Kitty, I know I shouldn't have left you with that monster!"

Shaking her head, "No, Hannah, he would have hurt you." She mumbled.

"Oh, like he did you."

"I couldn't let him hurt you… ohhhhh ouch….."

"Let me see about cleaning you up." Hannah said.

"I just need to lie down. I'll be fine." Kitty told her.

"Sure you will."

"I need to go check on Doc." Kitty suddenly remembered.

"No. I'll do that, and Bess is there. You just rest."

Newly rode as hard as he could, knowing he had a place in mind to find Matt and he hoped he was right.

Matt didn't sleep much, he was thinking about what Jake had told him about Mannon. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the image of Mannon and the last time he was in Dodge. Then Kitty's face, battered and bruised. So he decided to pack-up and ride back.

But then he heard the sound of a rider. Being cautious, he waited, slowly peering out a crack pointing his gun muzzle out. "Hold it right there, don't move!"

"Marshal? Marshal Dillon? It's Newly. Newly O'Brien."

Matt relaxed, opening the door. "Newly? What?"

"Marshal, you've gotta hurry. Mannon's in Dodge and he's… he's got Miss Kit.."

He didn't even have a chance to finish. Matt was on Buck in a flash. "Let's go, Newly!"

Newly could barely keep up….

TBC