Another bullet whizzed by as she kept her head down while she weaved between the boulders that covered the sandy mountain. When the ground leveled out, she raced across it, her cover almost nil.
An opening in the ledge ahead was her best chance for disappearing. Not even hesitating before the tall, wide, almost white entrance of what was sure to be an endless tunnel system, she ran inside. The coolness hit her, helping her to think more clearly.
She rounded a corner and three darker openings greeted her. Choosing the one to the far right, she raced down it, the light getting dimmer and dimmer. Finally, she stopped and listened. Voices echoed off the cave walls, making it impossible to tell how close they were. All she knew was they were inside, and they were looking for her.
Chapter Four
Garrett slowed the truck, letting it roll forward a few feet down the road to Cole’s so the trailer would be in the shade. A cloud of dirt in the distance told him the wind must have kicked up a dust devil in the valley. Turning the truck off, he jumped out.
He walked around the front of his vehicle and looked for Riley. A lone truck was parked near the house, and since it was the same one that was there two days ago, it had to be hers. Maybe she was in the barn.
Striding toward the structure, he stopped to give Black Jack a pat, the horse greeting him as he approached. The outdoor stall attached to the barn was actually the perfect solution for a claustrophobic horse. He had a new appreciation for the quirks of rescue horses. Stepping into the dimness of the barn, he noticed the ATV parked at the very back.
Listening, he heard no movement. “Riley? You here?” When silence greeted him, he moved forward. She must be in the house. Opening one of the stall doors where she said she’d put the new horses, he scanned it. She’d even added food and water. Guinness and Blaze would appreciate that.
He headed back outside, watching the front door as he strode to the back of the trailer. He didn’t actually need Riley’s help to get the two geldings settled into their new quarters. He just thought she’d want things done her way.
Unlocking the back, he lowered the ramp before untying the lead on Guinness. He was an American Quarter horse similar to Black Jack with a black mane and tail, but his body’s color was much darker. Clicking, he walked Guinness out and led him toward the barn.
Lady, in the north corral trotted over and shook her head. Guinness didn’t even see her, his focus on Black Jack as they moved closer. Garrett could feel the tension between the two horses as he walked Guinness into the barn. He’d let Riley know that the two may need time to get used to each other.
Once Guinness was settled, he returned to the trailer for Blaze. It was obvious why he’d been given that name, the blaze of white on his nose gave him a friendly appearance.
As he walked the horse toward the barn, Blaze pulled toward Lady, blowing air quickly out his nostrils, obviously excited to see her. She watched him avidly, her ears straight up.
“Not yet, buddy. Let her enjoy her alone time. Haven’t you learned anything about females after all these years?” He chuckled as he patted the animal to redirect him. As they moved past Black Jack, Blaze tried to greet the other horse.
Not sure how that would go, he kept them separated, though his feeling was Blaze would acclimate a lot faster than Guinness. Once he had Blaze settled in, he strode back outside. Where was Riley?
He could leave the paperwork for the two geldings on the porch or under her windshield wiper, but he wanted to talk with her again. She was an enigma, and he didn’t like enigmas. He needed to figure her out.
It was no different from when he was a curious thirteen-year-old and he wanted to know what Area 51 was really about. It took months of research, a whole summer to be exact, but he’d concluded the government purposefully fueled stories of aliens to hide what they were really doing there. His hypothesis was it had to do with advanced weaponry, not all of which was successful. Since the government didn’t want the public to know about either the weapons or the failures, it subtly encouraged the stories of aliens, staying completely silent on the true goings on there. Even as a teenager, he’d thought that a brilliant strategy.
But he doubted that Riley’s closed demeanor was meant to instill curiosity in those who met her. Now knowing she’d been in the military, he had no doubt her persona was to cut questions off before they were raised.
Lifting the ramp, he slammed it shut, locking it while keeping his eye on the front door. Unfortunately for Riley, he was persistent, and despite questioning his motives for being so intrigued, he couldn’t leave without talking to her again.
When she didn’t come outside at the loud bang, his senses when into high alert. Something wasn’t right. He had the same feeling when a fire was acting strangely. Sometimes it meant they were gaining control, but sometimes…
Striding to the house, he ran up the three steps to the porch, yanked open the screen door and banged on the closed front door. He focused on listening, waiting to hear footsteps inside, a yell, anything that indicated she was okay. When all remained silent, he tried the door. It was unlocked, which just made him more uneasy.
Entering the white hallway with wainscoting running its length, he quickly ducked his head in the two front rooms, but there was no sign of her. In fact, the house felt eerily empty. Visions of her lying on the floor unconscious filled his head. “Riley! You in here?”
Not waiting for an answer, he strode down the hall, checking the kitchen, family room, master bedroom, sun porch on the back, even the half bath. Heading back for the stairs at the front, he yelled again. “Riley O’Hare! Where are you?”
Bounding up the steps to the second floor, he made a quick inspection of each of the three bedrooms and bathroom. Now that he’d ascertained she wasn’t in trouble, he exited the house more calmly. Walking outside, he took stock of the area.
Her truck was here as was the ATV. So unless she’d taken off with someone, which was possible, though unlikely as she knew he’d be here with more horses, that meant she had to be on the ranch somewhere.
Movement in the south corral caught his attention. It was Lucky and Phoenix running between their mothers. Maybe Riley had gone for a ride. Stepping off the porch, he once more headed for the barn.
The only time he’d seen Riley soften was when she’d hugged her black and white paint. The horse wasn’t outside, so was she in the barn? After a quick inspection, he had his answer. She had to be out for a ride.
Still, it didn’t set well that she would ride out knowing he’d be arriving. Maybe she was at Cole’s. It couldn’t hurt to head out and check…but on which horse? Though the horses he’d just brought had no particular issues, his gut told him Wyatt would be pissed if he showed up and one horse was missing.
He had no doubt Wyatt would arrive within the hour if not sooner. He really needed to talk to Riley about the man before he arrived. Decision made, he grabbed a saddle and bridle and walked out to Black Jack. “What do you say, boy. Ready to stretch your legs?”
The fine horse’s ears pricked up as he opened the stall and saddled him. In short order, they were galloping down the road to Cole’s. When they arrived, he tied Black Jack to the small corral and looked around. He called out a few more times. The silence seemed to laugh at him. It had to be about noon and the desert was as silent as the dead.
