it back when they get to the next town. Is that how it works? Chances are slight that someone in law enforcement would show up and check your horses to see if all of them are accounted for, especially if you only did this every couple of months. And especially if you were good friends with the sheriff, right, Mitch?”
Mitch took a step away from the livery, toward the horses outside the stable.
“All I want is the girl,” Sheriff Carney said. “She’s coming for a saddled horse, isn’t she? Tell me when you expect her, and then maybe I can go easy on you and your family.”
Mitch whirled and dove toward Sheriff Carney. It was fast and unexpected. Carney pulled his pistol to clear it from his holster, but he realized he’d made a mistake, playing this conversation so relaxed.
Mitch’s broad shoulder hit the sheriff squarely in the chest, knocking him against the wall. His head slammed back with a thud, dazing him. Before he could breathe, Mitch was on top of him, pinning his arms with his legs, sitting squarely on his chest.
Carney was looking straight up, but Mitch’s face was in a shadow, and Carney couldn’t read it. He tried squirming, but the man was too big. Mitch pushed the gun away from Carney’s reach.
“Don’t make this worse, Mitch. Surveillance cameras show me getting here. You kill me and nothing will show me walking away. Any investigation leads right to your door. Let me up right now, and let’s talk through a way to keep you from being sent to a factory.”
“What’s wrong with allowing a few horses to travel unsupervised now and then? What’s wrong with a little freedom? I’m tired of all this.”
“Tired enough for death by stoning?” Carney was trying to think of a way out of this. “Mitch, I don’t want that to happen to you. All you need to do is let me know when someone comes to you for an illegal horse.”
Then he heard a whirring sound. A sickening thump. Mitch tilted sideways, fell off Carney’s chest.
Carney pushed off his hands into a sitting position. It took him a moment, and the light at the entrance of the livery, to make sense of what he saw.
An outline of a man stood in the light. He held a pitchfork like a baseball bat. Poised to strike again.
Carney was in no position to raise his hands to protect himself from the thunderous blow to his head. The pain lasted only a heartbeat, then all sensation disappeared into a black void.
EIGHTEEN
L eading the horse by the reins, Caitlyn was halfway through the gate when a monstrous figure rose from a low set of bushes just outside the fence. She took a half step backward and nearly lost her grip on the reins.
“You’ll have to turn the horse back into the livery. It’s past curfew.” The voice speaking to her was male. He sounded young—and apologetic.
She had no idea who he was or of his intent. But anyone out after curfew was disobeying the law. She knew she should feel terrified, but so much had already happened, she felt numb. She had to trust her instincts.
She wasn’t an expert rider but had spent enough time in a saddle to ride comfortably. She calculated about ten steps between her and the stranger. She turned the horse slightly to put him between her and the man for protection, then stepped into the stirrup with her good leg, ignoring the pain in her injured foot, and swung up quickly into the saddle.
The man had already lunged toward her. Much quicker than she expected for someone of his bulk. Before she could urge the horse toward the opening in the brush, he took the reins from her.
“I think the sheriff is looking for you,” the voice said. “If not, you’re still breaking curfew. And stealing a horse.”
Caitlyn thought of jumping down and trying to sprint, even with her sore ankle. Theo was back in the trees. Maybe she could warn him as she fled.
But with his other massive hand, the man reached up and locked one of her wrists in his fingers. “I can squeeze harder,” he said, “but I
Mitch took a step away from the livery, toward the horses outside the stable.
“All I want is the girl,” Sheriff Carney said. “She’s coming for a saddled horse, isn’t she? Tell me when you expect her, and then maybe I can go easy on you and your family.”
Mitch whirled and dove toward Sheriff Carney. It was fast and unexpected. Carney pulled his pistol to clear it from his holster, but he realized he’d made a mistake, playing this conversation so relaxed.
Mitch’s broad shoulder hit the sheriff squarely in the chest, knocking him against the wall. His head slammed back with a thud, dazing him. Before he could breathe, Mitch was on top of him, pinning his arms with his legs, sitting squarely on his chest.
Carney was looking straight up, but Mitch’s face was in a shadow, and Carney couldn’t read it. He tried squirming, but the man was too big. Mitch pushed the gun away from Carney’s reach.
“Don’t make this worse, Mitch. Surveillance cameras show me getting here. You kill me and nothing will show me walking away. Any investigation leads right to your door. Let me up right now, and let’s talk through a way to keep you from being sent to a factory.”
“What’s wrong with allowing a few horses to travel unsupervised now and then? What’s wrong with a little freedom? I’m tired of all this.”
“Tired enough for death by stoning?” Carney was trying to think of a way out of this. “Mitch, I don’t want that to happen to you. All you need to do is let me know when someone comes to you for an illegal horse.”
Then he heard a whirring sound. A sickening thump. Mitch tilted sideways, fell off Carney’s chest.
Carney pushed off his hands into a sitting position. It took him a moment, and the light at the entrance of the livery, to make sense of what he saw.
An outline of a man stood in the light. He held a pitchfork like a baseball bat. Poised to strike again.
Carney was in no position to raise his hands to protect himself from the thunderous blow to his head. The pain lasted only a heartbeat, then all sensation disappeared into a black void.
EIGHTEEN
L eading the horse by the reins, Caitlyn was halfway through the gate when a monstrous figure rose from a low set of bushes just outside the fence. She took a half step backward and nearly lost her grip on the reins.
“You’ll have to turn the horse back into the livery. It’s past curfew.” The voice speaking to her was male. He sounded young—and apologetic.
She had no idea who he was or of his intent. But anyone out after curfew was disobeying the law. She knew she should feel terrified, but so much had already happened, she felt numb. She had to trust her instincts.
She wasn’t an expert rider but had spent enough time in a saddle to ride comfortably. She calculated about ten steps between her and the stranger. She turned the horse slightly to put him between her and the man for protection, then stepped into the stirrup with her good leg, ignoring the pain in her injured foot, and swung up quickly into the saddle.
The man had already lunged toward her. Much quicker than she expected for someone of his bulk. Before she could urge the horse toward the opening in the brush, he took the reins from her.
“I think the sheriff is looking for you,” the voice said. “If not, you’re still breaking curfew. And stealing a horse.”
Caitlyn thought of jumping down and trying to sprint, even with her sore ankle. Theo was back in the trees. Maybe she could warn him as she fled.
But with his other massive hand, the man reached up and locked one of her wrists in his fingers. “I can squeeze harder,” he said, “but I
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