He lifted his head enough to see a horse in front of them. Two riders. Jude in front, and behind him…
A woman with a long braid.Jess.
She sat upright, so maybe she wasn’t hurt. That was more than Gil could have hoped.
Thank You, God.He let himself slump, honing his focus to staying on the animal and keeping his pain tamped down so he didn’t black out.
The horses splashed through the creek as Jess gripped the saddle she was seated behind. She couldn’t see anything ahead unless she leanedaround the bulk of man in front of her, but thick woods lined both sides of the water.
How long had it been since she and Gil crept away from the apartment? Not more than ten minutes surely, or fifteen at the most.
She had no idea who these three strangers were who’d appeared from nowhere on horseback and saved her and Gil.
Guardian angels or kidnappers? She’d never seen them before. They seemed to know Gil, but that offered little comfort. Her father's men were clever and not above deception. Jedidiah might have hired mercenaries from town for this very situation.
The horse she rode stayed in the lead, the rescuer/kidnapper keeping them in the creek bed. Jess had pointed them in this direction so the water could conceal their tracks. But staying in the creek meant they had to move slower to avoid all the hazards in the water.
How long until Jedidiah’s men saddled horses and pursued them? Her father only owned six mounts—seven if they used Gil’s horse too—and the animals grazed in a valley south of their mountain. It would take the guards a few extra minutes to catch and mount the horses, but then they could move at a faster pace if they stayed on shore, not worrying about leaving tracks.
How much time did they have?
She twisted in the saddle, and her eyes found Gil, slumped over the neck of the horse he rode, just behind her. The younger man sitting behind him met her eyes, but she didn’t waste energy on him.
Was Gil alive? Surely, he was. If he’d been shot, wouldn’t they be tending the wound or trying to stop the bleeding?
Still, she had to know. "Is he all right?"
Gil raised his head, and relief swept through her. Pain marked his features, and he slumped again, but he was conscious.
"I'm fine, Jess. Are you hurt?" His voice sounded tight and weak.
The question raised the memory of rough hands, the explosion of pain when the guard plunged a solid blow to her jaw. Because of the angle he’d held her, he’d not been able to use his full force. That probably explained why she didn’t have a broken jaw. Yet her head throbbed, the pain shooting through her ear. She would have a bruise there, no doubt.
"I'm fine." She looked to the man riding with Gil. "He has a broken rib. Be careful with him."
The fellow looked barely more than a youth, but dipped his chin. "I've got him.” His voice sounded a little like Gil’s. Or maybe that was her imagination. Wishful thinking?
She turned forward again, blinking back a sting of tears. The pain and fear and…all of it. It caught up with her. The last hours, her father’s cruel decision, Jedidiah’s threats, Gil’s injuries. Ezekiel’s death.
It was too much. Too much.
She couldn’t think about any of that or she’d collapse in a puddle and drip right into the creek.
She focused on the jarring trot of the horse beneath her. The night air. The chirping crickets. The moon that gave just enough light for them to see by.
Each stride took them farther from her father's grasp. And brought them closer to...what? She didn't know.
Sheneededto know who these men were.
She leaned forward so the man in front of her could hear. "Who are you?"
He turned his head enough for his words to reach her. "I'm Jude. Gil's brother." He nodded to the men behind them. "That's Miles with Gil, and Two Stones bringing up the rear."
Gil's brothers.
Relief flooded through her. Not kidnappers or hired guns, but family.Thank You, God.He’d heard her desperate pleas and sent rescuers.
"How did you find us?"
