“We need to be wary, Harris. Any tribes we come across will not treat us as family,” she murmurs and glances behind them nervously. She’s had an uneasy feeling for the past day that they were being watched or followed.
“I was thinking the same thing,” he replies. Three days in the saddle and they are sore and exhausted. They avoid game trails with Vanessa’s keen eyes and travel during the day and sleep at night. Working together to build camp has become routine, and Vanessa watches with a smile as he guides the horses along the side of a steep cliff face. They stop halfway up to look down on the river rushing below them, and she smiles at him.
“It’s so beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as home,” Harris says with a smile. “We can camp along the river at the bottom,” Harris suggests.
“That’s hours away,” she quips. They had a hard ride crossing the mountain range behind them and the steep cliffs will take time to find a way to the bottom for them to cross.
“Or,” Vanessa says climbing out of the saddle and stretching, “we can camp here and watch the sunset over the river.” She winces against the sore muscles and smiles when he dismounts.
“Are you hurting?” His eyes trace her with concern.
“Yes.” She smiles and steps closer to his body, “Can you rub away all my aches?” she teases.
“I am a doctor, you know.” He rubs her shoulder, and she groans in pleasure.
“Is that a yes?” She asks snuggling into his chest.
“Definitely a yes,” he kisses her softly and pulls her into a hug. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he sighs. “Let’s make camp in the trees up ahead.”
Harris guides the horses to the edge of the trees and starts the process of pulling off the saddles, while she begins to gather wood for a fire. “I have some jerky and biscuits left.”
“I’m starved,” Vanessa says as she moves further into the trees. She works quickly anticipating snuggling by the fire with his hot body keeping her warm. It is amazing how her body craves his touch, taste, and feel.
A smile of contentment flickers as a cold breeze blows her hair away from her face. When the birds fall quiet, she straightens and looks around with concern. The sudden silence causes her mouth to go dry, and her heartbeat accelerates. Unseen eyes watch her as she slowly bends to pick up the next stick and draws a knife from her boot. A flash of movement and snap of a twig is her only warning.
The Apache brave scouted ahead and followed their tracks for the last mile. Vanessa doesn’t bother to scream. Instead, she tosses the firewood in his direction and reveals her hidden blade. His eyes show his confusion at the Indian knife, but still, he draws his own knife, bigger and stronger than hers. He smiles and lifts his hands.
Harris creeps in from behind the Indian with his rifle raised, but Kimani shakes her head no, and calls to the brave, “Watch out for the bear,” in Shoshone. He hesitates in surprise just as she hopes.
“Moba?” He glares at her, clearly confused now. Harris brings the butt of his rifle down on his skull, knocking him to the ground in a heap.
“Harris! How did you know?” she gasps.
“Too quiet,” he keeps his rifle pointed on him and orders her to run to his saddle and get a rope.
Vanessa runs and swiftly ties the Indian up. She rips a piece of her skirt off the bottom and makes a gag. “It’d be easier to shoot him,” he grumbles.
“Yes, but he was scouting ahead, I didn’t want to warn the others.” Fear has her hands shaking, “We have to go now! They won’t be far behind him!”
“Agreed, let’s go!” Together they run back to camp and hurry to saddle the horses and mount. “If we…” he starts to say.
A hoot of warning calls out from behind. The way they came is clearly blocked. An answering call comes from the opposite direction, causing them to both startle. They are closing in all around them.
“Oh, God”, she hisses.
An Apache war cry sounds out, and he turns to her. “Vanessa, we can outrun them!”
A war cry followed by gun shots, and horror fills Harris’s eyes. “It’s too late for that,” she murmurs.
His heart beats rapidly as he glances at the cliff behind them. She jolts when the third call rips through the night. “Harris!” Fear for his safety has her kicking her horse and moving towards the cliff. He kicks his horse and blocks her attempt.
“Listen to me, Vanessa,” he shouts.
“No! They are closing in around us and the way back down is blocked.”
“You’ll break every bone in your body if you land wrong.”
Vanessa leaps from her horse and pulls the reins to calm her mount. Harris immediately jumps down to follow her and grabs her upper arm.
“Harris,” he silences her with a firm kiss.
“I can’t lose you, Nessa. I only just found you,” he says hoarsely.
Tears fill her eyes at his admission. She reaches up and cups his face and kisses him softly, pouring all her love and passion into it. He tastes the saltiness of her tear and wonders at it.
“I need you to trust me, as I have trusted you. It’s the only way. I know what comes next. If they catch us, you will wish you’d jumped to your death.” Determination flickers in her eyes, and he knows she’s right.
Three braves break through the trees behind them. One pauses and releases an arrow, barely missing her by a fraction. Harris nods, releasing his horse. Hers quickly follows, and he smacks them on the rump, shouting, “Ya!” Sending them in the direction of the Indians and buying them some time. He
