Page 10 of Redemption in the Dark (The Righteous 5)
“Here.” Marcus held out a backpack. “Has all the usual standard crap, but I added some of those oatmeal cookies you’re obsessed with.”
“Thanks.” He took the pack and looked up at the sun that was now high in the sky.
“You know I’d go if you really wanted me to, right,” Marcus said, making Wolf smile. He looked over at his partner and gave his shoulder a shove.
“Awe, are you worried about me?”
Marcus shrugged. “She did almost knock you out. I’d call that impressive.”
“Agreed. I better get going if I want to find her trail before dark,” he said and stepped toward the man holding the anxious stallion that was now prancing in a small circle.
“Hey, Wolf?” He turned to look over his shoulder at Marcus. “You think she did it? She kill that cop?”
“It’s not my place to judge.”
“Yeah, I guess. Call me when you have a check-in point established,” he said before turning and walking away.
Wolf focused on the man with the stallion. “Hey there, I’m the one that will be riding,” he called out.
“He’s not normally this feisty, but I think he’s feeding off all the energy. He’ll be fine once you get out on the trail. You won’t find a more sure-footed and trusted partner.” The man gave a gentle tug on the reins, and the stallion halted, his big dark eyes fixing on his approach.
He held out his hands and spoke softly to the spirited animal. Slowly, he reached out and ran his hand over the shiny coat on the horse’s neck. He loved the feel of muscle that rippled under his touch.
“I’m going to be your partner for a little while. You okay with that,” he asked the horse and waited for the stallion to give him a sign that he’d been accepted. His head swung around and nuzzled at his pocket. “What’s his name?”
“Viho, he’s always been a true leader. Here, he likes these.” The man held up a small baggie of pink mints, and the stallion made soft noises as he dug into the bag and handed one over for Wolf to feed the stallion. A smile spread across his face as the horse picked up the treat and crunched it.
“Viho, huh? Yes, Chief is a good name for him. Thanks for these, and I promise to make sure he comes back without a mark on him.” Wolf stuffed the treats into his pocket, quickly put his pack into the saddle bag, and then put his leg in the stirrup of the western saddle to mount up. “Anything I should know?”
“He loves speed, will go through anything, and can swim like a fish. You won’t have any issues catching who you’re after with this one. Take all the time you need, I’m running out of space on my farm and…” The man lowered his voice. “The Marshal’s office is paying me by the day.”
He gave a little chuckle and nodded. Wolf had mixed emotions about that but pulled his ball cap on a little tighter and turned the stallion in the direction of the back trail. He needed to focus on his task, and thinking about soft caramel-colored eyes wasn’t going to get the job done.
“Alright, Viho, let’s see what you got.” With a soft kiss of his lips, the stallion took off down the path, and he felt at home with the thundering feet beneath him. He picked up Maeve’s tracks as soon as they stepped into the trees, and once more, she surprised him by sticking to a very narrow deer path that weaved through the forest.
He slowed the pace to a gentle lope, and even though he was hunting down a fugitive, he couldn’t help taking a deep breath and taking in the stunning surroundings of the area. He could clearly see the imprint of the boot marks in the soft dirt at a steady pace.
“Who are you, Maeve,” he asked out loud.
The sun was setting in the sky, and he needed to find a place to camp for the night. A perfect spot appeared as the stallion stepped out into a wide-open field.
“Whoa, Viho,” he said and leaned back in the saddle. The stallion had barely broken a sweat. He gave the stallion a pat as he dismounted and loosened the saddle for the night. “You and Maeve seem to be cut from the same cloth,” he teased and then laughed as Viho poked at his pocket for a treat.
He gave in and handed the stallion two mints before pulling off the bridle to be replaced with a halter. He ground-tied him so he could mill around and eat his fill. Viho lifted his head, his ears twitching as he focused on the sky a moment before the loud growl of thunder announced the coming storm.
“I hope you don’t mind getting wet,” he said to the stallion and got a dirty look from the horse.
He quickly gathered what he needed to make a bonfire and pulled on the raincoat as he sat down on a log to eat a protein bar for dinner. Wolf stared into the swaying flames as lightning flashed overhead and had his mind racing back in time.
“Where the fuck is everyone,”Jimmy asked as they crouched behind a piece of rubble.
“I don’t know. I can’t reach them on coms. How did you get here?” Wolf inspected Jimmy and his shoulder. It was most certainly out of the socket.
“Last thing I remember is the helo going down and then waking up as you smacked me. I know you always wanted to hit me, but you could’ve waited until I wasn’t out cold you asshole. Fuck, that hurts,” Jimmy said as Wolf pressed a little harder to access the damage.
He had no idea how Jimmy could joke at a time like this. “So you don’t know if Kes and Ringo made it?”
“No clue. Have you seen Duke,” Jimmy asked.
