PT.8

Through all the ovations, no one had noticed the man in dark clothing. His was face not visible, his hat pulled down low to hide is eyes. Pushing through the room in a rush, knocking into the table splashing the glasses and plates towards Kitty who was now jumping up, shocked. "UGH!"

Waiters quickly rushed to her side. "Oh, Ma'am. Here. Let me help. Come with us."

They were now ushering her out of the large room away from all the guests. "Here. Come this way. There's a back hall to the elevator. No one will see you. You can get up to your room if you'd like to. Well, I mean..." Now he was shying away from her eyes.

"Thanks. I understand. I appreciate that, ummm..."

"Joseph, Ma'am."

"Joseph." She repeated. "I would like to get out of this." She said, waving her hands over the mess. As she started to leave, she stopped. "Oh, Joseph? Please, can you let my husband know where I am?"

"Your husband, Ma'am?" He asked.

"Matt Dillon. He was on the podium."

"Oh, yes, Ma'am. I'll get word to him right away."

As Matt walked off the podium, he felt as if he'd been kicked in the gut. A feeling came over him. He scanned the room, not meeting eyes with Kitty. He saw the waiters righting the table she had been seated at. "What happened? Where's my wife?"

"Oh, Sir, there was an accident. A man knocked over the table and..."

"AND WHAT?"

"Well, the lady, she..."

"She what?" Matt was becoming impatient.

"Joseph escorted her out, Sir. Her dress, it was well, soiled."

Matt headed straight for their suite. As he entered, "Kitty? Kitty Honey. Are you alright?"

Suddenly he realized there was silence. He saw the soiled dress thrown across the chair. The room looked disheveled. Fear set in. "KITTY!" Then he spotted a note attached to the pillow.

Dillon, what we want is real important to us and what we have, we figure, is real important to you. She's quite beautiful. So, the sooner you do what you need to do, and stop standing in our way, you'll get her back. People listen to you. We saw that. So fix this, or...

Matt crumbled the paper in his fist. His insides were fighting fear with anger.

"Ah, Kitty Honey, I'm so sorry. Honey, I'll find you. I promise. I can't put you through this again. If it's the last thing I do. I'll bring you home."

Matt knew exactly what he had to do.

Changing quickly, he left the room, running into Tom, John and Sam.

"Hey, Buddy. Where's the fire?"

"Not now, Boys. I have to go."

"WHOA. Matt, what's wrong?" Tom asked.

"It's Kitty, she's gone. She's been taken. I can't explain now. I have to find her."

John spoke up. "Matt, where? How? Who did this?"

"Pacific Railroad is behind it."

"Matt, what do you need tell us, Buddy? We got your back. I need to go to the office of South Pacific railroad."

Matt, John, Tom and Sam headed out, walking into the office, unannounced, of E.H Harriman. Matt reached across his desk as the secretary followed.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I tried to tell them you were busy."

Matt now had him by the collar. "You'd better start talking."

Stuttering, "I… I..."

"Shall I call for a constable, Sir?" The young woman asked.

"YOU DO THAT!" Matt shouted. "I think they'd be interested to hear what Mr. Harriman has been up to."

"Sir?"

"No! No. You can go." Harriman shook his head.

Still holding him up, "Where is she?"

"Who?"

"MY WIFE! Where is Kitty? And you'd better pray she's not hurt."

"I… I don't know what..." Matt now lifted him higher. His face was turning redder.

"Alright. Alright, put me down. We'll talk."

Matt dropped him hard! Harriman looked around the room at the four men.

"Harriman, you'd better start talking."

"Look, Dillon, all you have to do is talk to that judge friend of yours and those ranchers and just allow progress to take place. You'll all be compensated, handsomely at that."

"Harriman, I'm running short on patience."

"No one was going to hurt the woman. We just knew she'd be your Achilles heel. And from your reaction here tonight I'd say we were right on target."

"Well, you're going to take me to Kitty."

"Oh, well, I..."

"That wasn't a request." Harriman was now looking down the barrel of Matt's gun.

"Matt?" Tom asked. "Let's not lose our head."

"No one will as long as I find Kitty unhurt."

Tom, John and Sam all looked at one another rolling their eyes.

TBC