by Kim McMahill
Niki was so relieved Sarah and the girls appeared to be unharmed that no matter what Deuce hated for her to do, she would do it without hesitation.
“Frank, got matches on you?”
Frank nodded and listened.
“Under the circumstances, I don’t think Cal will mind. I want you to torch the hay shed. There’s probably only a little bit of last year’s hay left inside since he sold this season’s first two cuttings to us and the last cutting is still in the field. If you can find some gas in the barn great, but if not, just do the best you can to create as big a diversion as possible. Burning hay puts up a lot of smoke and the fire is almost impossible to put out, so it should keep the soldiers occupied for a long time. Once you’re sure it’s going to burn, get back to your post. Hopefully you can make it back to the woodshed without being seen. I’ll cover you, but if I have to shoot, it’ll blow the plan.”
Deuce turned and looked at Niki. She could tell he was having a difficult time with this part of the plan.
“I hate you getting so close to the house, but we need you to sneak over to the girls’ window and try to get their attention. Hopefully they’ll be able to open the window for you. Convince them to follow you back to the horses and get them mounted and ready to ride. I’m counting on the burning shed to draw the rest of the soldiers out of the house, which is when I’ll go for Sarah and we’ll all meet up at the horses.”
Niki and Frank listened, wide-eyed. The plan was dangerous, but with a little luck it might work.
“If anything happens to me and Sarah ride like heck and try to get back to camp. Cal would rather have his girls returned to him safely than none of his family,” Deuce said as he placed Niki’s Lady Smith and Wesson in her hand and gently folded her fingers over the small grip.
He didn’t release her hand for several seconds as his eyes locked on hers. The concern in his gaze bore into her, but she appreciated when he said nothing. The strength and warmth of his large hand engulfing hers instilled all the comfort and courage she needed. When he finally released her, she stowed the pistol, handed him the rifle and jogged off toward the lilacs.
Niki positioned herself behind the bushes near the bedroom window where the girls were being held. She could see Frank, crouched low, making his way toward the barn. She let out a small sigh of relief when he disappeared inside without being detected. Soon he emerged and darted toward the hay shed, something red swinging in one hand and carrying something white and much heavier in the other. The hay shed’s backside faced the house, so Niki couldn’t see what was going on, but as Frank hustled back toward his post, she assumed he had been successful and he had clearly not been spotted by the guards on the porch.
She took a deep breath, slipped out from behind the lilac bushes and inched toward the house until she could peek into the window. Lacy and April sat cross-legged on one of the twin beds and held each other’s hands, heads down, and appeared to be praying. The image of the two young girls doing the only thing they could to help their mother nearly brought tears to Niki’s eyes. They appeared so angelic and fragile in the dim light of the bedside lamp, but neither looked to have been harmed.
Niki glanced around the room. The door was still closed and she didn’t see anyone else present. She gently tapped on the window and April looked up. Niki placed one finger to her lips and motioned the girls toward the window with her other hand. April and Lacy slipped off the bed and rushed to the window. After considerable effort they were able to raise the window enough for Niki to get her fingers under the pane and push up.
“Be very quiet,” Niki whispered. “Frank and Deuce are going for your mom. But for now I need you to follow me. Do you both understand?”
The girls nodded and without being asked, quickly slipped on shoes and sweaters and scrambled through the window, into Niki’s waiting arms. The girls stood patiently as Niki edged the pane back down into place, hoping if anyone checked the perimeter of the house they would think the girls were still inside.
“Are you both okay?” Niki asked while hugging them tightly.
Lacy and April nodded their heads while returning the embrace, grim expressions on their young faces.
“I can’t tell you how relieved I am to see you two. Now, not another word until were away from the house. Let’s hurry.”
Within moments, Niki was jogging through the cover of the trees behind the ranch house, holding onto each girl by the hand. When they reached the horses, hidden amid dense brush, she untied Frank and Deuce’s horses and led them to a more open space to make it easier to help April and Lacy mount.
Niki was glad she had a hold of Traveler’s and Frank’s horses’ bridles when a loud explosion shook the night and a flash of light lit the sky. The horses reared back, pulling her a few inches off the ground and dragging her backwards, but she held on, keeping them from breaking away.
She glanced over at Storm, fearing he had probably broken away and was heading for the Blackburn ranch. Relief swept over her as she watched April holding the horse’s rein close to the bit and comforting the big gelding with gentle strokes down his nose and soft words.
Only a ten-year old ranch girl would be so mature, Niki thought as she realized the girls had no intention of crumbling under the pressure.
“Can you two handle the horses if I give you the reins?”
They both nodded. Niki helped each girl into a saddle, handed them the reins and mounted her own horse, speeding up the get-away once Frank and Deuce returned. Niki refused to believe there would be any other outcome.
Frank ran up to the horses, gasping for breath, but smiling. He leaned forward, hands on his knees, and held up one finger, signifying he needed a moment. As soon as he could speak, he stood and went to April’s side and stroked his hand down the black horse’s neck.
“It’s amazing how hard a propane bottle will blow when you add a little gasoline and fire to a haystack,” he said, excitement clear in his eyes.
“Glad you enjoyed the pyrotechnic display. It wasn’t quite as fun for me as the horses nearly dislocated my shoulders as they yanked me off my feet.”
“Sorry about that, but it’s a good thing you had a hold of them and they weren’t still tied up or we might have had to make our getaway on foot.”
“What about Deuce and Sarah?”
“I didn’t see them, but the house sure cleared out when the bottle went off, so I’m confident he can snatch her in all the commotion,” Frank said as he swung into the saddle behind April and took the reins.
“How many are there?” Niki asked.
“Seven,” April said.
At the same instant Frank replied, “Five.”
Niki reined Storm around toward the house and listened as men yelled in a language she didn’t understand. There were no gunshots, so she had faith Deuce and Sarah would appear soon. If Deuce had been spotted, Niki had no doubt he would have been shot or at the least the soldiers would have tried.
“If they’re not here in two minutes we better ride,” Frank stated, glancing at his watch.
“We can’t leave Mama!” Lacy cried as she swiveled around in Deuce’s big saddle in order to focus her pleading eyes on Niki.
Niki was surprised at how well Traveler behaved with Lacy’s slight weight in his saddle. The young horse was high-spirited and seldom stood still, yet with the small child on his back he acted like an old dude horse rather than a well-bred skittish colt.
“She’ll be fine. If we have to go I’ll leave Storm for her and Deuce and I’ll ride with you. We have a meeting place already set, so it’s part of the plan. I don’t want you to worry, everything will be fine.”
Despite her words, Niki did not want to leave without Deuce and Sarah. Their chances of escape were greatest if they stuck together. Sarah probably only weighed one-fifty, but with Deuce at six-foot-two and one-hundred-ninety-five pounds, the two of them would make an incredible load for any horse making a hasty retreat, even Storm. Lacy was slight, probably only for
ty pounds, making her a much better doubles partner for Deuce on Traveler, which had yet to develop the defined muscle tone of Niki’s older gelding.
Frank looked at his watch, but before the words came out of his mouth, Sarah and Deuce burst through the trees. Deuce grabbed Sarah around the waist and Niki grasped the woman’s forearm and between the two of them, Sarah was hauled into the saddle behind Niki without Deuce hardly breaking a stride. He yanked a jacket out of his saddlebags and placed it around Sarah’s bare shoulders and slapped Storm on the rump.
“Go, we’re right behind you.”
Frank and Niki urged their horses into a gallop and before long Deuce and Lacy rode up alongside.
“I don’t think they even realize anyone’s missing yet,” Deuce said. “When that propane bottle went up, everyone raced outside. I snatched Sarah right off the porch while the soldiers ran for the shed. I about got clobbered for the effort, but luckily she realized it was me before she knocked me out cold.”
“I’ll bet those guys figure out pretty quick they’re three people short,” Frank added. “Once they realize it’s pointless to try to extinguish a roaring hay fire with garden hoses, they’ll go looking for their hostages.”
No sooner had Frank uttered the words than they heard the motor bikes’ engines fire.
“Pick up the pace,” Deuce ordered. “They’ll be on us quick. There’s only one way we could have gone without being seen, straight out the back, and it won’t take a genius to figure that out.”
The horses galloped through the thin stand of trees. For once Niki wished for the dense growth that could rip a rider off a horse, or more importantly, slow a dirt bike down. As is, the bikes would have no problem following until they reached the higher steeper hills further behind the ranch house.
“We don’t want them herding us like a bunch of cattle in a slot canyon,” Deuce yelled as they heard the dirt bikes closing in. “Split up, head for higher ground and make for the old campsite.”
Niki wasn’t thrilled, but thought it was a pretty good plan. If the three bikes split up to follow each horse, each rider only had one bike to elude and couldn’t be pinned between multiple bikers. She watched as Frank and Deuce peeled off to each side and disappeared into the trees. She maintained a straight course, which would eventually lead to the boulder field. Sarah clung tightly to her waist and Niki could hear the jacket wrapped around Sarah’s shoulders flapping violently behind. She was thankful Storm had matured to the point where the noise and motion did nothing to spook him or break his concentration.
“Oh my God, Niki, all three are still behind us and gaining. None split off,” Sarah cried directly into Niki’s ear. “What do we do? We can’t outrun them for long, especially riding double.”
Niki’s mind whirled and a very dicey and dangerous plan came to mind. She heard Frank’s voice in her head warning her not to do anything risky, but all she could think about was reuniting Sarah with her daughters. She had to make certain the soldiers didn’t get another chance to put their hands on any of the Stephens’ family.
Not again...what is it with me and dirt bikes?
“Tie the jacket around my neck. As soon as we crest this ridge, you’ll see a fairly flat area strewn with huge boulders. I’ll slow Storm and you bail and hide. They’ll never spot you in the dark and if the coat’s still flapping behind me hopefully they won’t notice we’re one rider short. When the coast is clear, head straight up and in about a quarter of a mile there’s an old campsite next to the creek and that’s where we planned to meet if we got separated. If you don’t feel safe doing that just stay hidden and I’ll come back for you. I’m going to lead the bikes away from you and where the others plan to rendezvous.”
Before Sarah could argue, Niki reined Storm up next to a huge boulder and nearly pushed Sarah to the ground. Sarah scrambled behind a boulder just as the bikes crested the hill.
Niki held Storm up for a second to make sure the soldiers saw her. When she was certain they had spotted her and all three veered in her direction she kicked Storm into a run. The moon was now high in the sky, providing her with plenty of light and the dirt bikes’ headlights illuminated the area ahead of her for a short distance.
Please be true that horses can sense these things and have much better night vision than we do.
Niki prayed as she slowed Storm enough to allow the bikes to gain on her.
She maintained a pace to stay just ahead of the bikes, not worrying much about gunfire since the trees were dense enough to make an accurate night shot from the back of a moving dirt bike very difficult. She wove in and out of the trees until the vegetation started to thin as Frank had mentioned earlier.
“Okay, boy, I believe this is our cue. Don’t let me down now,” Niki whispered as she put her heels to Storm’s sides.
A burst of speed exploded from the big gelding, nearly catching Niki off balance with his immediate and volatile reaction to her command. She struggled to regain her center of gravity, grasped the horn with all her strength and leaned low over the horse’s neck.
Storm stretched out his full length and ran into the darkness. He no longer tried to dodge obstacles, but plowed through, breaking branches and small trees as he pushed ahead. Shapes flew by in a blur as they barreled toward death or safety.
Niki knew they had finally reached the gully when she no longer felt solid ground beneath Storm’s hooves. Her stomach lurched as if she were upside down on a roller coaster. She felt a scream crawl up her throat, but swallowed it down before it could escape her lips.
Storm’s front hooves slammed into the earth on the far side of the gully and one back hoof slid off the edge as he landed. His strong front shoulders and back hooves frantically scrambled for purchase, sending dirt and rocks crumbling away. Niki could feel every muscle in the horse’s body bunch as he struggled to overcome the forces of gravity pulling him back. He dug in and with extreme effort the horse finally pulled himself to safety.
As Storm worked to navigate the last of the slope, lunging forward to avoid sliding backwards toward the abyss, the lead bike went airborne. A scream pierced the night and the driver panicked and bailed. The two bikes following close behind tried to stop, but were unable to break their momentum before sliding off the edge and crashing to the bottom of the gully.
Niki was glad they hadn’t known the area and had lost control. An experienced rider in daylight could have probably cleared the drop, since she had been able to do it on a horse. She had no idea how much damage had been done or the extent of the injuries, and had no intention of waiting around to find out.
She reined Storm around and slowly followed the deep earth cut for about a quarter of a mile up hill. The gully gradually became less and less deep until she was able to cross over to the other side and back track to the boulder field.
“Sarah? Are you still here?” Niki whispered, fearing other soldiers could possibly be en route to help the original three.
She waited, straining to hear a reply over Storm’s labored breathing or any indication they were being tracked. After calling out several more times and getting no answer, Niki relaxed a little, believing Sarah had made it to the rendezvous point, and to a safe reunion with her daughters.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The sound of rolling rocks and metal shoes clinking against stone made Niki reach for her pistol. Her shaky hand fumbled to free the gun from her coat pocket, panic preventing her fingers from functioning properly. The thought of fleeing crossed her mind, fearing she would be unable to defend herself any other way, but before she could turn Storm away from the noise, Traveler burst into view.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Deuce demanded as he rode up next to her and grabbed Storm’s rein as if expecting Niki to run.
“If I had kept going up the rise I would have led the soldiers straight to the rest of you and our meeting place. I wasn’t sure if I could out-maneuver all three by myself for long with Sarah riding double. Storm’s strong, but carrying
two adults up hill at a full run is a lot to ask of even him.”
“This is exactly why I didn’t want you along. You have too much faith in that damn horse and not enough fear. What if you’d been caught?”
Niki had to stifle an outburst of hysterical giggles. She had never been so frightened in all her life, except for when she saw the gun pointed at Deuce’s head. Her heart beat still hadn’t slowed to normal after it had escalated in rhythm to Storm’s pounding hooves before he left the ground. The scream she had swallowed felt as if it were festering in her gut and nausea continued to boil in her stomach. Even the previous flight from the control tower paled in comparison to her blind charge for an abyss in the dark. When she thought Storm wasn’t going to clear the gully, she was sure her life would have flashed before her eyes if there had been time. But instead of allowing Deuce to know how scared she was, she forced her voice to remain strong and calm.
“I only did what I had to. I gave you and Frank time to get Sarah and the girls to safety and I neutralized the immediate threat. The men on the motorbikes will not be a problem anymore tonight, maybe not ever. Unfortunately, the price on my head has probably risen considerably.”
Deuce didn’t ask what she had done to the soldiers. At the moment he was pretty sure he didn’t want to know. He had no doubt the truth would only make him terrified for her all over again. And, it didn’t really matter. Niki was safe.
“We couldn’t have just ridden off without you as if nothing happened,” Deuce growled. “If you’d gotten caught I would have come after you and most likely we’d both be dead.”
“I’m sorry if you think I put you in danger, that wasn’t my intent. Lacy is only six and April just ten. Those girls have their whole lives ahead of them and they need their mother. I have a lot less to lose. If Papa doesn’t make it, I have nothing left.”