Kate saw the scratching in the dust and the blood trail leading to the large rock jutting up from the landscape. It was on a hill, surrounded by a couple trees. 

The man in black didn't have a gun; she knew that much. When she'd burst through the door and shot his... crewmates, henchmen, whatever... he'd been in the toilet. She'd shot him in the leg as he was climbing out the window, and she knew there was nowhere in the middle of the desert that he could go for help. 

Kate approached the rock cautiously, her gun in her hand and the hammer cocked. 

When the man in black, knife in hand, leaped from the rock she was prepared.

***

John was good man. He was, unquestioningly, the best thing that had ever happened to her. He gave her a home and a life, he was teaching her how to read, and she'd never been happier. Mark was a friend, and there were times when the two of them were able to just walk and have a quiet conversation- but, when it counted, Mark always sided with Matt. Matt himself was straining at the bit, rebelling against John openly where he previously grumbled to himself. 

But, still, it was lonely.

Kate jumped at an opportunity to accompany John on the trip into town. Not that Valentine, Nebraska could really be called a town, even on its best day. But compared to the rest of Cherry county, Valentine was Paris. (Hell, even Paris, NY dwarfed it.) 

She loved the town. The bustle. The people. While John was negotiating in the store, she had a chance to just relax and watch the society she so rarely got a glimpse of except through books. She particularly enjoyed watching the women walking, talking, shopping. She had spend most of her life surrounded by the same three men; just leaning against the corner of the general store and watching the dozen or people on Main Street was a feast for the eyes. 

It was, at least, until she felt a couple arms snake around her waist and lift her off her feet so fast that she lost her hat. She tried to yell as she was carried a few paces back behind the building, but she was dropped, falling to her knees.

"Get in the wagon, girl."

She inhaled, gathering the air to yell and summon John, but a boot shot out to kick her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. When her eyes opened, there was a knife a few inches from her face. A man, not unlike most men she'd seen in the crowd, was holding it. Glancing around quickly, she could see two other men with him. 

"That was stupid. Yell again and I'm going to cut you. Stay quiet, and I won't cut you. Nice and simple. Now get in the wagon."

Kate nodded, standing, and walked meekly to the wagon with her eyes down in the dirt. As she climbed into the wagon, she suddenly jumped forward, simultaneously reaching for the reins and shouting.

"JOH-"

Her voice was cut off as the man grabbed her foot and tripped her, sending her to her side on the wagon, she kicked out, but soon the knife was gleaming in front of her once again; its wielder forced her into the back of the wagon, keeping the blade close to her at all times. Now they were moving- the other two men were driving. Frantically, Kate looked around, hoping to see anyone- but they were pulling away from the town, and she knew the odds of meeting anyone on the road was slim. She forced herself to relax for a few more moments, taking deep breaths, hoping to lull the man into a false sense of security. When she couldn't wait any longer, she jumped again- this time trying to throw herself backwards off the moving wagon.

But the man had anticipated it,  grabbing her jacket and preventing her from going over. This time, he pushed her down against the bottom of the wagon. She did her best to kick at him, struggling to build up momentum as the weight of his body restricted her movements, but he brought the knife down in a line near her left eye and she froze.

"I swear to God. If you yell again, I am jabbing this thing in your eyeball."

She nodded, glaring, and he pulled the knife back. She could see the blood- her blood- on the tip. The town was growing smaller in the distance. 

Kate tried a different strategy, throwing herself at the man and trying to push the knife into his chest, but his gloved fist cracked into her temple and the world went black.