PT.19

Early the next morning, Grace did as promised in bringing Kitty a fresh outfit, although she didn't agree with Kitty about leaving the hospital so soon. "Momma, I really wish you'd reconsider and give yourself a few more days to..."

"Et et. Grace, enough. I've made up my mind. This conversation is over. Understood?"

Pursing her lips, "Yes, Ma'am."

Carefully making their way back to the Winsor Inn they entered Kitty's room. "Ok, Momma, will you at least agree to rest until Poppa and I make the arrangements for our return home?"

Kitty began to object, but quickly standing behind her, "Yes, she will." Matt quickly added, "And I won't take NO for an answer."

"Matt Dillon…"

"Kitty, no argument."

Huffing out a breath, "Alright, damn it."

Feeling defeated and removing her jacket, she sat on the edge of the bed. "I thought maybe we could go have lunch." She enticed him, tilting her head.

"You'll stay here. I'll have something brought up. Go on, in bed now. I'll go check the train schedule."

Lowering her eyes, "Oh, alright."

Matt ordered a tray to be delivered to the room then made his way to the train depot running into Marc Jennings along the way.

"Matt, good afternoon. How's Kitty?"

Well, not happy about Grace and I wanting her to rest but..."

"Ah, giving you a fight huh? Strikes me as a bit stubborn."

"That's putting it mildly." Matt snickered.

"Matt, I sent word to Judge Huntly in Topeka. He agrees with me about moving the hearing. He believes he should preside over this case being as he was the one who made the initial decision. But it will be a few weeks, so that gives you time to take Kitty home and get her rested."

"Thank you, Marc." Matt shook his hand with him before he walked away.

When Matt returned, he, Grace and Kitty sat eating and talking about their trip home.

Just as they were finishing up, there was a knock at the door. When Matt answered, "Marc? Please come in."

"I'm sorry I don't mean to interrupt but since you said you were all heading back to Dodge, I thought I'd come and talk to you now instead of having Kitty come in to my office. If Kitty doesn't mind."

Smiling up at him, "Oh no, not at all, Marc. Please come in."

Sitting down in on the chair beside Kitty. "Now, Kitty, I know Matt has told me you remembered what happened the night you were… uh…"

"Taken?"

Nodding. "Yeah."

"Yeah, I did, I do." Shaking her head, she was running the memory through her mind again.

"Well, it started when a man rushed through the ceremony hall and bumped my table. Plates and glasses spilled and my dress was soiled. The waiters quickly helped me and one of them lead me out a side door, and up here to our room to clean up and change. While I was changing, I realized I wasn't alone. Joey. Joey was here. She said she needed me to…"

Now rubbing her hand over her face, "Well, she wanted me to go with her to show me something. Once we were down the hall two men joined us. Mason and Lane is what I came to know them as. They forced me to go with them to a small house. At first, they wouldn't tell me a thing. Then, as I insisted, they told me I was just an insurance policy."

Again rubbing her hands together. "Mason told me his boss wanted to hold me to get Matt to back off and come over to their side. He said that him fighting them he was too powerful and they knew I was his Achilles heel. And as long as they had me he would do as they wanted. But I told them they were wrong. I told them Matt didn't fold to threats. Not for anything. Nor would I want him to or let him."

"I understand." Marc said. "Ok, then what happened?"

"They received a call and panicked. They said something about having to move, that Matt was on to them. And while they were trying to move me to another location, we had an accident. The wheel fell off the carriage. It flipped over. The one named Mason was hurt. He had a broken leg and a bad laceration. I did what I could for him, cleaning it up. I bandaged him up and secured his leg. I went looking for water.

When I returned, the other one, Lane, he pulled a gun on me. He had fixed the wheel and pistol whipped Mason. I don't know why but he was panicking. I knew their names and faces. He was gonna kill me too. I was trying to talk him out of it. Anyway, something startled him, the gun went off and hit me in the shoulder. I ran, hid in the trees and kept moving along the creek bed.

I knew the bullet went through but I was bleeding and I was trying to keep moving. I must have hit a slippery spot and fell in the water. The current was stronger than I thought. I tried swimming but it was sooooo cold and I was getting so tired. There was a large tree branch floating nearby. I grabbed hold of it to stay afloat. Then I woke up in the hospital. Matt and Grace told me two old men and Festus found me."

"That's good, Kitty. You did real good. I'm happy you're doing better and I wish you a speedy recovery. Don't you worry about anything. You just concentrate on getting well. Matt, I'll get in contact with you when you are back in Dodge and I hear from Huntly. Ladies, good night and have a safe trip home." Tipping his hat, he turned for the door.

"Marc, I'll walk out with you."

As Matt and Marc walked down the hall, neither noticed the shadow watching them from the corner.

TBC