Reaching over the console, I'm about to circle my fingers around the gun when someone opens my driver's side door, and drags me out into the rain.
"Don't touch that gun." The voice is gruff and hoarse, the hand circling my wrist is rough and calloused.
Looking up, there's a tall man, rain pouring off the brim of his cowboy hat. Over his chest, there's a bulletproof vest with LIVESTOCK AGENT in yellow letters across the front. At his side, a radio chirps. He pulls it to his mouth. "I've got her. She's on my ranch. I'll let you know if I need help." When he's done, he looks at me. "Stay here, and don't move. I don't want to handcuff you."
At this point, I didn't plan on still being in this world, so I'm completely thrown off as he goes over to the passenger side, and gets the gun. Quickly, he clears the chamber and then looks over at me. "Am I in trouble?"
"No, but what you are going to do, is come with me." He walks back over to where I am. "Nah," he shakes his head when he notices me looking at my car. "You're gonna be stuck if you try to drive it out of here, and I don't trust you to go somewhere else and try this again." He nods over to where there's a horse standing, waiting patiently. "Hope you ride, cause that's how we're gonna get out of here."
I don't.
Squeezing the cross necklace hard, I close my eyes and take a breath. This one doesn't hurt. Not nearly as bad as the three thousand before it.
Two
Chase
My eyes are on her as she sits in the rain. Probably should've offered her a jacket, but more than anything, I want to secure this gun and make sure she can't make any sudden moves. There's a lot on my fucking conscience, and I don't want this added.
Her eyes track my movements as we head toward the horse. "I'm gonna keep you safe," I promise her.
She doesn't say anything, but I get on, and then reach down to help her up. When she's pressed against my back and her arms go around my waist, I turn my head behind me. "Hang on, we gotta get out of this weather."
Her arms tighten, and when I'm certain she has a good hold on me, I squeeze my legs, and the horse under me runs faster. It's hard to see as the rain comes down sideways in front of us. The sun is close to setting, and if we're out here when it's dark, it's going to be dangerous and cold quick. There's a part of me that wants to talk to her, ask why she was planning on ending it today. There's another part of me that wants to be done with all of this, not get involved.
Getting involved got me in deep shit before.
Bending down low, we fly through the rain and across the flat land now that we're out of the mountains. In the distance, the house is like a beacon in the darkness of the night. The lights I left on when I went to find her are calling to us. The smoke from the fireplace curls up against the sky.
When we get there, I bring the horse to a stop, and let her off at the back door.
"Go on inside. I'll be in there as soon as I take care of the horse."
"You trust me?" She asks over the sound of the rain beating down all around us.
No. "Yeah, I have your gun, and there's nothing you can use in there, so don't even think about it."
Her eyes are dark and sad as she nods.
"Go on and get warm."
I rush through taking care of Blackjack, and then hurry inside. I don't expect to find her asleep on the couch, but that's where she is when I enter. For the first time since I was called out to the pasture, I relax.
My clothes are soaked through, and my nerve are shot. Looking back at her, I see she's still asleep, her chest rising and falling with her breathing. Hurrying to my bedroom, I peel off the bulletproof vest, and then go about taking my clothes off. They make a loud thud as I throw them in the corner of my bathroom.
Grabbing a towel, I dry off as much as I can before putting on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. I'd like to wake the woman up, but she needs sleep, and I need a few minutes to get hold of my emotions. There are a lot of things I've done as a police officer and now a livestock agent, but this? It's touched me in a way that nothing else has.
When I'm in better control, I head back to the living room. She's still asleep, so I step over to the window, and pull back the curtains. It's coming down harder out there now, not looking at all like it's going to let up any time soon.
The fire is getting lower than I like, and out here electricity is iffy when the weather is bad. I carefully, and as quietly as possible put another log on the dying embers, and stoke it. The woman is still asleep,so I slip into the kitchen, and turn on the old radio.
Even in the information age of technology where everyone is connected, it's the most reliable way to get news. Although the entire world seems to be on a twenty-four hour news cycle, that's not how it is out here. Especially when the weather is this awful. There's no streaming, no cell phone, and no cable. The only thing that's ever been able to be counted on, is this radio. When it comes to life, I tune it into my favorite station, and listen intently.
Blackwood county remains under a severe storm warning and a flash flood warning. Many bridges over near Blackwood Falls State Park have had water come over them, and we're hearing reports of them being washed out. If you must be out in this tonight, please use extreme caution. Turn around, don't drown.
"Does that mean we're stuck?" Her voice is softer than I'd imagined it would be. Rougher, with the remaining edges of sleep around it.
Sighing, I glance back at her. "Don't know, but more than likely."
