He gritted his teeth, scanning the darkness. Shadows shifted among the sagebrush. Blaze counted each one and tried to anticipate their movements.
“Over here!” one of Wilder’s men shouted, the torchlight swinging across the field.
“They see us!” she whispered.
“Keep moving!” he urged, hauling her up. They sprinted across the uneven ground, legs burning and lungs heaving. Rocks cut into their palms and knees as they stumbled through gullies and dips in the terrain.
“Split up here!” Wilder’s voice carried across the field.
“They’re gaining on us!” Rachel gasped, clutching his arm.
“Not if we keep the gullies between us!” Blaze said. He ducked low again, peering through the shadows. One of the Riders swung a torch, the flame illuminating their escape route.
“Damn kids! They’re still alive!” Wilder roared. “Don’t let them vanish!”
Blaze held his breath longer than he should have, dragging Rachel through another dip. Rocks and dry sagebrush tore at their clothes and skin, but he didn’t stop. Their lungs burned, their hearts pounded, and their ears rang with gunfire and hooves.
“Blaze, I’m scared,” Rachel whispered, her voice trembling.
“I know,” he said, pressing her close. “But we’re not done yet. We’ll make it. Just a little further.”
A torch flared nearby, illuminating the tops of the gullies.
Blaze pushed Rachel down behind a boulder.
“Crouch here,” he said.
Bullets kicked up dirt and rocks around them, sending shards into the sagebrush. Sparks from the burning ranch reflected in the darkness, painting fleeting images of twisted shadows and flames.
“They’re not giving up,” Rachel whispered, her voice tight.
“But neither are we,” Blaze replied. “Keep moving when I say. Ready?”
Rachel nodded, trembling. Blaze counted to three, then bolted from cover, dragging her across a shallow gully.
Their boots skidded over loose dirt and rocks. A hail of gunfire followed them, whistling dangerously close. Blaze shoved Rachel down when a bullet struck the edge of the gully.
“Move! Move!” he shouted, yanking her upright again.
They scrambled through thick sagebrush. He scanned constantly. Every shadow could hide a Rider; every crack of a twig could give them away.
“They’re still behind us,” Rachel gasped.
“Yes, but we’re not caught yet!” Blaze shouted. He grabbed her hand, dragging her through a narrow gap between rocks. Gunfire exploded behind them, the Riders shouting orders and curses as they fanned out.
“Stop!” Wilder bellowed behind them.
“They’re small, but fast,” another rider said. “Don’t underestimate ’em!”
Blaze dragged Rachel through another dip, the desert night wrapping around them like a cloak. They stumbled over rocks and dry brush as their lungs burned, but they refused to stop.
“They’re . . . they’re fast,” Rachel panted, almost whispering.
“Yes, but we’re faster,” Blaze said. “Just a little further. You can do this!”
The Riders were relentless, shouting, and urging their horses on. Blaze counted their voices, trying to anticipate their approach.
Every step could be their last. Rachel tripped again, almost falling face-first into the dirt.
