Wild Horses by D'Ann Lindun Page A

brother.”
    A low moan slipped out of her as she joined him. The horse half reared and his eyes rolled wildly. “Hold Gato.”
    Jake took the gelding from her, and she fell to her knees next to the body. Face-up, he laid spread eagle with his arms thrown out as if to ward off something. Not something. A herd of horses. His clothing had been torn from his body and dozens of hoof prints branded his skin. One of the running horses had stepped on his cheek.
    Bile rose in her throat as she remembered the wild jump Gato had made here. With shaking hands, she reached out and tenderly wiped mud and blood from the face. “Jake,” she cried, “this isn’t him. This is not Martin.”
    “What?” He leaned over her shoulder. “Are you sure?”
    “Positive.” She rocked back on her heels. “I haven’t seen him for a while, but I’d know my brother anywhere.” She wiped away more gore. “See? Martin has a running horse tattooed on his neck. This man doesn’t.”
    “Maybe he had it removed.”
    Her fingers lingering on the man’s neck felt a flutter. My God he had a pulse. “Jake, this man’s alive.”
    “What?” He knelt beside her and replaced her fingers with his own. “Just barely. He needs immediate medical attention. We shouldn’t move him. If he has a neck or back injury, we could paralyze him if we move him.”
    “Getting help is going to be very difficult. Cloud and Rojo are somewhere with the wild horses. Rojo is used to being handled, but Cloud is another story. I don’t know if we’ll ever catch him.” She glanced at him. “And you’re in no shape to walk. I’ll go.”
    He shook his head. “You shouldn’t be riding in the middle of the night. It’s dangerous.”
    She stared at him. No man had ever taken her well being into consideration before. “Galloping is dangerous. Following a trail I’ve known all my life is a piece of cake.” She glanced at the injured man. “Besides, I don’t have any medical training to help him.”
    “Who said I do? You do know the way better than I do, though, so you should probably go for help … if you’re certain you can make it safely. “
    “I’m positive.”
    Frowning, he nodded. “Okay.”
    “I’m going to saddle Gato. I’ve had enough bareback riding for one night.”
    “Be careful.”
    “I’m not afraid.” Even as she said the words, a chill skittered down her back. Had she imagined the man in the trees, or had someone actually been there? What had spooked the mustangs? They had been running as if they were being chased. Where had the injured man come from? Why had he tried to turn the herd? If he knew anything about horses, he should’ve known that it would be impossible. Sort of like stopping an ocean wave with a surfboard.
    After Castaña saddled Gato, she went inside the cabin and picked up a sleeping bag and a thermos. She stowed the coffee in her saddlebags and carried the sleeping bag back to Jake. “I’ll be back as soon as I get hold of the sheriff. There’s no way to drive in here so he’ll have to ride, too. Don’t look for me until morning.”
    Jake brushed a strand of hair off her cheek. “Don’t put yourself in danger.”
    “I won’t.” She opened her left saddlebag and lifted out her pistol. “I have this.” Then she swung up on the gelding and reined him toward the trail.
    • • •
    Castaña couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being followed. Her skin had goosebumps and her scalp tingled. She watched Gato for any signs of nervousness, but he didn’t seem fazed by the night and strode along in an easygoing manner. The rain let up, but an eerie mist swirled around in its wake. The clouds parted and a half-moon glittered through. Like dancing ghosts, the fog swayed and twirled around the trunks of the cottonwoods. She was imagining things again, just like she thought she’d seen the man in the trees. Nothing was out there. Nothing.
    She’d ridden these hills since she’d been a small child, but it