Read Online Wild Horses by D'Ann Lindun - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: D'Ann Lindun
Tags: Suspense
Ads: Link
galloping through the trees. Double damn. How had he been so careless? Now not only did he not have a horse or a suspect, he was stranded God only knew how many miles from the cabin. He wasn’t even positive he could find his way back. He spat out a mouthful of dirt. “Hell.”
He groaned as he stood. Might as well get started. He had a long walk ahead of him.
• • •
“He was right here.” Castaña pointed to the last place she’d seen the injured man. Not only was there no sign of him, Jake and her horse was also gone. She tamped down her fear and met the skeptical look of Agent Staton.
“Are you certain you didn’t lead us out here on a wild goose chase, Miss Castillo?”
She was getting a little tired of the agent’s attitude. “Why would I want to do that?”
He lifted his bent shoulders. “You tell me.”
“What I’m telling you is there was a man who was hurt very badly lying right here when I left last night.” She studied the ground, but it was difficult to tell anything in the mud. Jake’s tracks came and went, but it was impossible to tell where they led. “Let’s check the cabin.”
She mounted Gato and waited for Staton and Perez to get on their own horses. Three other men and a woman from the Search and Rescue Unit also accompanied them, but they stayed horseback while Castaña and the FBI men dismounted. Castaña led the group toward the cabin. The sun had just begun to rise over the canyon walls, promising a glorious day ahead. Much easier to search for Martin than in a storm.
Only Castaña, Staton and Perez entered the structure. Everything looked exactly the way it had the night before. Except Jake was gone. “I don’t understand this,” Castaña admitted. “Where did they go?”
“Could the man maybe come to and not been hurt as badly as you thought? Maybe they decided to walk out,” Perez suggested.
“Maybe.” Castaña didn’t think either one of them could walk a mile, much less several. “But it seems unlikely with the cabin right here.”
“Well, these fellows aren’t here,” Staton said. “So why don’t we have a cup of coffee and think over our options?” Without waiting for an okay, he reached for the coffee pot and grounds. “Do you have water?”
Castaña pointed to a jug in the corner. “Help yourself.” While the agent poured water in the coffee pot, she built a fire outside in a ring of rocks put there for that purpose. The Search and Rescue team had dismounted and tied their horses to the fence. She hoped a herd of mustangs didn’t come along and spook them. Last night had been crazy. Something out of a bad dream.
The group settled around the fire, warming their hands. Although it would be a sunny day, the sun’s rays hadn’t reached the canyon floor yet and a chill still hung in the air. They’d left the Castillo ranch at 5 A.M. , as soon as everyone could assemble. The team leader was a slim, quiet cowboy named Ron Sparks. He wore a tall Stetson and had a handlebar mustache reminiscent of another time.
The woman, a petite strawberry blonde, had introduced herself earlier as Patty McRae. She had a wide, friendly smile and sparkling blue eyes. Castaña liked her immediately. She couldn’t say the same about the other two on the team. One, tall and skinny, and his companion short and stocky, joked and talked in loud voices most of the way. The taller one made Castaña’s skin crawl the way he looked her over like a filly in a sale ring. She hadn’t been introduced to them, and didn’t wish to be.
The Search and Rescue team had brought along an extra horse for the injured man. Where was he? Castaña couldn’t imagine. To the east was the ranch, behind her the cabin and the dead end corral. Below them the canyon. It led to nowhere special that she was aware of. She studied the west. Miles and miles of forest. There were meadows where the wild horses holed up and streams for them to drink from. There were millions of places she’d
He groaned as he stood. Might as well get started. He had a long walk ahead of him.
• • •
“He was right here.” Castaña pointed to the last place she’d seen the injured man. Not only was there no sign of him, Jake and her horse was also gone. She tamped down her fear and met the skeptical look of Agent Staton.
“Are you certain you didn’t lead us out here on a wild goose chase, Miss Castillo?”
She was getting a little tired of the agent’s attitude. “Why would I want to do that?”
He lifted his bent shoulders. “You tell me.”
“What I’m telling you is there was a man who was hurt very badly lying right here when I left last night.” She studied the ground, but it was difficult to tell anything in the mud. Jake’s tracks came and went, but it was impossible to tell where they led. “Let’s check the cabin.”
She mounted Gato and waited for Staton and Perez to get on their own horses. Three other men and a woman from the Search and Rescue Unit also accompanied them, but they stayed horseback while Castaña and the FBI men dismounted. Castaña led the group toward the cabin. The sun had just begun to rise over the canyon walls, promising a glorious day ahead. Much easier to search for Martin than in a storm.
Only Castaña, Staton and Perez entered the structure. Everything looked exactly the way it had the night before. Except Jake was gone. “I don’t understand this,” Castaña admitted. “Where did they go?”
“Could the man maybe come to and not been hurt as badly as you thought? Maybe they decided to walk out,” Perez suggested.
“Maybe.” Castaña didn’t think either one of them could walk a mile, much less several. “But it seems unlikely with the cabin right here.”
“Well, these fellows aren’t here,” Staton said. “So why don’t we have a cup of coffee and think over our options?” Without waiting for an okay, he reached for the coffee pot and grounds. “Do you have water?”
Castaña pointed to a jug in the corner. “Help yourself.” While the agent poured water in the coffee pot, she built a fire outside in a ring of rocks put there for that purpose. The Search and Rescue team had dismounted and tied their horses to the fence. She hoped a herd of mustangs didn’t come along and spook them. Last night had been crazy. Something out of a bad dream.
The group settled around the fire, warming their hands. Although it would be a sunny day, the sun’s rays hadn’t reached the canyon floor yet and a chill still hung in the air. They’d left the Castillo ranch at 5 A.M. , as soon as everyone could assemble. The team leader was a slim, quiet cowboy named Ron Sparks. He wore a tall Stetson and had a handlebar mustache reminiscent of another time.
The woman, a petite strawberry blonde, had introduced herself earlier as Patty McRae. She had a wide, friendly smile and sparkling blue eyes. Castaña liked her immediately. She couldn’t say the same about the other two on the team. One, tall and skinny, and his companion short and stocky, joked and talked in loud voices most of the way. The taller one made Castaña’s skin crawl the way he looked her over like a filly in a sale ring. She hadn’t been introduced to them, and didn’t wish to be.
The Search and Rescue team had brought along an extra horse for the injured man. Where was he? Castaña couldn’t imagine. To the east was the ranch, behind her the cabin and the dead end corral. Below them the canyon. It led to nowhere special that she was aware of. She studied the west. Miles and miles of forest. There were meadows where the wild horses holed up and streams for them to drink from. There were millions of places she’d
Similar Books
