you?”
“Su-san-nah.”
“What?”
He gestured at the soldier, them himself, then pointed at the distant hills.
She shook her head. “No, I can’t.”
“ Iyokipi , Su-san-nah.”
She stared at him, trying to see his face in the darkness. He wanted her to help him escape. She knew it, just as she knew he hated having to ask for her help.
Muttering a very unladylike oath, she knelt beside the soldier. If he was dead, there was no way in hell she was going to help the Indian escape. But he wasn’t dead, only out cold.
She searched his pockets but couldn’t find a key. Calling herself a hundred kinds of a fool, she went around to the front of the building and peered inside. There was no one there.
Closing the door behind her, she went through the desk until she found a ring of keys.
Black Wind was waiting for her, his hands fisted around the bars set in the heavy wooden door. She could feel his gaze as she put first one key and then another into the lock until she found the right one.
Instead of unlocking the door, she withdrew the key and took a step backward. “You won’t hurt me, will you?”
He stared at her hard for a moment, then shook his head.
“Shoot, you don’t even know what I’m saying.”
Certain she was making the biggest mistake of her life, she unlocked the cell door, then stepped back as he opened the door and stepped into the room, ankle chains rattling.
Taking the keys from her hand, he squatted on the floor and unlocked the shackles from his ankles. They were raw and red from the iron’s constant chafing. Rising to his feet, he tossed the manacles aside.
Moving toward the back of the room, he took several boxes of ammunition from a shelf, then went through the drawers of the desk. He grunted softly as he removed a knife in a beaded sheath, then pulled an amulet of some kind out of the drawer. He slipped it over his head, shoved the knife into the waistband of his clout, then left the building.
Susannah followed Black Wind outside, stood in the shadows, watching, as he bent over the unconscious guard. Removing the man’s jacket, he shrugged it on, slipped the ammunition into the pockets of the coat, then picked up the rifle.
Motioning for her to follow him, he headed toward the stables.
As if she had no mind of her own, Susannah trailed after him, her heart pounding wildly. She knew she should cry out, call for help, but she couldn’t. No man deserved to be locked up for three years just for butchering a cow.
Tate Sapa dispatched the stable guard with a blow to the back of the head, then dragged the man inside and dumped him into an empty stall.
Moving quickly, he found the black stallion, slid a bridle over its head and led it outside.
“I hope you make it back home,” Susannah said.
He stared at her a moment, his dark gaze moving over her face. She shivered, wondering if it was caused by the cold wind stirring the dust, or by the sudden desire that blazed in the Indian’s black eyes.
She swallowed hard, knowing she would never see him again, wondering why the thought filled her with such sadness. She didn’t really know him, after all.
“Su-san-nah.” He closed the distance between them. Slowly, he lifted his hand and caressed her cheek. She had not realized how tall he was. The top of her head barely reached his shoulder.
Oh Lord , she thought, he’s going to kiss me . She swayed toward him, then gasped as he caught her around the waist and thrust her onto the stallion’s back.
Before she could think or cry out, he was up behind her, his heels drumming into the horse’s sides. The stallion bolted forward.
There was a shout from one of the sentries, a warning to halt and be recognized, followed by a gunshot, more shouts, more gunfire.
She heard Black Wind grunt softly as they raced by one of the sentries. For a moment, she thought he had been shot, but then he kicked the horse again, demanding more speed, and she decided she had been mistaken.
The sounds
“Su-san-nah.”
“What?”
He gestured at the soldier, them himself, then pointed at the distant hills.
She shook her head. “No, I can’t.”
“ Iyokipi , Su-san-nah.”
She stared at him, trying to see his face in the darkness. He wanted her to help him escape. She knew it, just as she knew he hated having to ask for her help.
Muttering a very unladylike oath, she knelt beside the soldier. If he was dead, there was no way in hell she was going to help the Indian escape. But he wasn’t dead, only out cold.
She searched his pockets but couldn’t find a key. Calling herself a hundred kinds of a fool, she went around to the front of the building and peered inside. There was no one there.
Closing the door behind her, she went through the desk until she found a ring of keys.
Black Wind was waiting for her, his hands fisted around the bars set in the heavy wooden door. She could feel his gaze as she put first one key and then another into the lock until she found the right one.
Instead of unlocking the door, she withdrew the key and took a step backward. “You won’t hurt me, will you?”
He stared at her hard for a moment, then shook his head.
“Shoot, you don’t even know what I’m saying.”
Certain she was making the biggest mistake of her life, she unlocked the cell door, then stepped back as he opened the door and stepped into the room, ankle chains rattling.
Taking the keys from her hand, he squatted on the floor and unlocked the shackles from his ankles. They were raw and red from the iron’s constant chafing. Rising to his feet, he tossed the manacles aside.
Moving toward the back of the room, he took several boxes of ammunition from a shelf, then went through the drawers of the desk. He grunted softly as he removed a knife in a beaded sheath, then pulled an amulet of some kind out of the drawer. He slipped it over his head, shoved the knife into the waistband of his clout, then left the building.
Susannah followed Black Wind outside, stood in the shadows, watching, as he bent over the unconscious guard. Removing the man’s jacket, he shrugged it on, slipped the ammunition into the pockets of the coat, then picked up the rifle.
Motioning for her to follow him, he headed toward the stables.
As if she had no mind of her own, Susannah trailed after him, her heart pounding wildly. She knew she should cry out, call for help, but she couldn’t. No man deserved to be locked up for three years just for butchering a cow.
Tate Sapa dispatched the stable guard with a blow to the back of the head, then dragged the man inside and dumped him into an empty stall.
Moving quickly, he found the black stallion, slid a bridle over its head and led it outside.
“I hope you make it back home,” Susannah said.
He stared at her a moment, his dark gaze moving over her face. She shivered, wondering if it was caused by the cold wind stirring the dust, or by the sudden desire that blazed in the Indian’s black eyes.
She swallowed hard, knowing she would never see him again, wondering why the thought filled her with such sadness. She didn’t really know him, after all.
“Su-san-nah.” He closed the distance between them. Slowly, he lifted his hand and caressed her cheek. She had not realized how tall he was. The top of her head barely reached his shoulder.
Oh Lord , she thought, he’s going to kiss me . She swayed toward him, then gasped as he caught her around the waist and thrust her onto the stallion’s back.
Before she could think or cry out, he was up behind her, his heels drumming into the horse’s sides. The stallion bolted forward.
There was a shout from one of the sentries, a warning to halt and be recognized, followed by a gunshot, more shouts, more gunfire.
She heard Black Wind grunt softly as they raced by one of the sentries. For a moment, she thought he had been shot, but then he kicked the horse again, demanding more speed, and she decided she had been mistaken.
The sounds
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