the night. But he had no idea just how determined Casey was.
Contents
CHAPTER
FOUR
Twilight
had come and gone when Casey finally forced herself to stop. It was too dark to
see the tracks she was looking for. She wanted to keep going, though. She was
tempted to get out her flashlight and follow the trail on foot, if that’s what
it took. But she knew that would be too risky. Tracking in the dark was a
fool’s errand. She turned to meet Jack’s gaze as he reined his horse in beside
hers.
“I hate
the thought of Jesse being out there alone with this lunatic.”
Jack
nodded. “I know.”
She
sighed, then nodded toward Jack’s left. “There’s a tight grove that way. It’ll
give us a little more shelter from the night wind.”
He
turned his horse and headed for the cluster of trees she’d indicated. They
didn’t make a fire that night. They hadn’t brought anything along with them
that required it. From now on they’d survive on jerky, trail mix, protein bars,
and water. They laid their bedrolls directly on the ground and turned in as
soon as it was too dark to see their hands in front of their faces. Jack found
it vaguely amusing that the dog stretched out between them. He couldn’t imagine
any more effective chaperone.
Morning
came more quickly than he’d have liked. He woke feeling tired and cold. He’d spent
a fair portion of the night dreaming about things that he couldn’t quite
remember in the light of day. He thought they’d involved the dog, but he wasn’t
sure. It took them only minutes to pack up and get moving. By mid-morning Jack
detected a distinct nip in the breeze. He was wearing his jacket, as was Casey.
He glanced up through the trees and saw only blue sky and large fluffy clouds
that were moving overhead at a surprisingly quick pace. He focused once more on
Casey. She stopped as she approached a large boulder.
She
studied the ground for a long while, then lifted her gaze and gave Jack a
smile. He frowned. “What?”
“Jesse
led him to a dead end.”
Jack
shook his head. “A dead end? How’d he manage that?”
She
waved to their left. “This trail leads straight up the side of the ridge. It
ends at a rope bridge that isn’t big enough for horses. Jester will have to
either leave his horses behind or turn around and come back down the trail. He
hasn’t, which means he’s somewhere ahead of us.”
Jack
glanced up the trail she’d indicated. If she was right, then this thing might
be over by nightfall. The problem was, Jester might be waiting up there for
them. He glanced back at Casey.
“I’ll
take point.”
She
shook her head. “Don’t be ridiculous. I know the terrain better than you do. It
isn’t easy going. If he’s up there waiting for us, Chance will let us know.”
Jack
sighed. She always had to do things her way. She turned her horse and started
up the trail. At first it was a relatively gradual incline. Then it began to
grow increasingly steep. They’d been riding for nearly half an hour when the
dog suddenly barked and darted forward. Casey had her rifle out almost as
quickly as Jack drew his gun. The dog disappeared behind a large group of
rocks, then came back out a few moments later accompanied by someone. Jack
immediately guessed it must be the boy, Jesse. Casey jumped off her horse and
ran to him.
“Jesse!”
The boy
grabbed her with every bit as much enthusiasm as his brother had the day
before. Jack got off his horse as Casey led the boy toward him. She was
checking him for injuries as she questioned him.
“What
happened?”
He
started relaying the story from the beginning. For the most part it was
virtually identical to the scenario Casey had outlined the day before. The boy
cried when he talked about Jester shooting at his brother and Paul. Then he
cried harder when Casey explained that Terry was okay. He said Jester told him
they were both dead. She folded him into her arms and met Jack’s gaze over the
top of the boy’s head. Then
Contents
CHAPTER
FOUR
Twilight
had come and gone when Casey finally forced herself to stop. It was too dark to
see the tracks she was looking for. She wanted to keep going, though. She was
tempted to get out her flashlight and follow the trail on foot, if that’s what
it took. But she knew that would be too risky. Tracking in the dark was a
fool’s errand. She turned to meet Jack’s gaze as he reined his horse in beside
hers.
“I hate
the thought of Jesse being out there alone with this lunatic.”
Jack
nodded. “I know.”
She
sighed, then nodded toward Jack’s left. “There’s a tight grove that way. It’ll
give us a little more shelter from the night wind.”
He
turned his horse and headed for the cluster of trees she’d indicated. They
didn’t make a fire that night. They hadn’t brought anything along with them
that required it. From now on they’d survive on jerky, trail mix, protein bars,
and water. They laid their bedrolls directly on the ground and turned in as
soon as it was too dark to see their hands in front of their faces. Jack found
it vaguely amusing that the dog stretched out between them. He couldn’t imagine
any more effective chaperone.
Morning
came more quickly than he’d have liked. He woke feeling tired and cold. He’d spent
a fair portion of the night dreaming about things that he couldn’t quite
remember in the light of day. He thought they’d involved the dog, but he wasn’t
sure. It took them only minutes to pack up and get moving. By mid-morning Jack
detected a distinct nip in the breeze. He was wearing his jacket, as was Casey.
He glanced up through the trees and saw only blue sky and large fluffy clouds
that were moving overhead at a surprisingly quick pace. He focused once more on
Casey. She stopped as she approached a large boulder.
She
studied the ground for a long while, then lifted her gaze and gave Jack a
smile. He frowned. “What?”
“Jesse
led him to a dead end.”
Jack
shook his head. “A dead end? How’d he manage that?”
She
waved to their left. “This trail leads straight up the side of the ridge. It
ends at a rope bridge that isn’t big enough for horses. Jester will have to
either leave his horses behind or turn around and come back down the trail. He
hasn’t, which means he’s somewhere ahead of us.”
Jack
glanced up the trail she’d indicated. If she was right, then this thing might
be over by nightfall. The problem was, Jester might be waiting up there for
them. He glanced back at Casey.
“I’ll
take point.”
She
shook her head. “Don’t be ridiculous. I know the terrain better than you do. It
isn’t easy going. If he’s up there waiting for us, Chance will let us know.”
Jack
sighed. She always had to do things her way. She turned her horse and started
up the trail. At first it was a relatively gradual incline. Then it began to
grow increasingly steep. They’d been riding for nearly half an hour when the
dog suddenly barked and darted forward. Casey had her rifle out almost as
quickly as Jack drew his gun. The dog disappeared behind a large group of
rocks, then came back out a few moments later accompanied by someone. Jack
immediately guessed it must be the boy, Jesse. Casey jumped off her horse and
ran to him.
“Jesse!”
The boy
grabbed her with every bit as much enthusiasm as his brother had the day
before. Jack got off his horse as Casey led the boy toward him. She was
checking him for injuries as she questioned him.
“What
happened?”
He
started relaying the story from the beginning. For the most part it was
virtually identical to the scenario Casey had outlined the day before. The boy
cried when he talked about Jester shooting at his brother and Paul. Then he
cried harder when Casey explained that Terry was okay. He said Jester told him
they were both dead. She folded him into her arms and met Jack’s gaze over the
top of the boy’s head. Then
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