Samantha Bassett
Death Rider
Copyright © 2021 by Samantha Bassett
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmittedin any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise withoutwritten permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distributeit by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it arethe work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localitiesis entirely coincidental.
Samantha Bassett asserts the moral right to be identified asthe author of this work.
(0428-01)
First edition
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To Desiree,
For kindness, support and shared stories…
“Out of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most.”
— Mark Twain
Contents
Prologue
I. A CHANGE OF SCENE
1. Losing Track of Time
2. An Honest Day’s Work
3. Learning The Ropes
4. Day’s Off
5. Fresh Faces
6. Mother And Daughter
7. Riding Lessons
8. All Change
9. She Speaks
10. Consequences
II. DISCOVERIES
11. Taking Charge
12. Assumptions Made
13. Cross Country
III. ACCUSED
14. Realisation
15. A Mother’s Loss
16. Visiting Time
17. Moving on?
18. Letters From Home
IV. ALL ALONE
19. Night Thoughts
20. A Career in Germany
21. Discoveries
22. Loose Ends
23. Moving Pictures
24. Innocent Until Proven Wrong
25. The Hunt is on
26. Lost or Found
27. Unwelcome Visitors
28. All Things Considered
29. Maintaining Momentum
30. Three’s a Crowd
V. HOPELESSLY SEARCHING
31. After The Act
32. Things to do…
33. Error of Judgement
34. Rush
VI. DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE
35. New Beginnings?
36. Birthday Greetings
37. Treatment
38. Rain And Sunshine
A Note From The Author
About the Author
Also by Samantha Bassett
Prologue
I walk alone in the darkness, clutching the note in my hand. I’m sure this is some sort of wild goose chase, a ridiculous joke. However, there is the terrible risk of discovery, so I push on despite the lateness of the hour and despite the fact, I don’t want to be here. The author of the note was clear that I needed to come to this lonely place, that it would be in my best interest and, that to ignore their clear instructions would be, as they had put it ‘bad news’ for me. I can only guess what they meant, but, with as many skeletons in my closet as I, it paid to be careful.
I push the awful thoughts from my mind as I turn the corner, it’s dark here, there are shadows cast by the moonlight, but only enough light to see where I am heading.
I hear footsteps behind me. “Oh Christ, it’s you! I should have realised that if anyone would be behind this nonsense, it would be you. So go on, spit it out! Say your piece…”
The sudden movement. The rush of crushing pain. My face contorted in shock. I look down watching somewhat detached at the dark liquid appearing before me. I start crying as if emotion would serve me in this situation.
Stupidly my last thought on earth will be ‘I shouldn’t have worn my best blouse’.
I
A Change of Scene
“A year has passed since the adventures encountered by the staff of the Glebe Farm Equestrian Centre. So, what has happened during that time? We sent our reporter Desiree Merritt-Noble to find out…”
Horse & Hound
1
Losing Track of Time
I lay there, staring at the ceiling, listening to my beautiful wife beside me, my beautiful wife who had stolen the duvet and was snoring louder than our yard tractor in high gear. I prod her, the tone changes. There is silence for a moment before she starts again. I snuggle into her body, she sighs lightly, her breathing quickening for a moment as she dreams. I feel her heartbeat, my chest against her back, the sound of the wind blowing across the bay beyond the windows making me glad to be warm and cosy with the one I love.
Ours had been a quick romance. Proposing to someone when you think you’re about to die is not something I would recommend to anyone, however, even though we had only known each other for a short time, it was clear we were soul mates. We’d been to hell and back together and, if that isn’t a good reason to grab hold of a woman and never let her go, I don’t know what is.
I still couldn’t comprehend, almost a year on from when it had all happened, that this was all mine. Not only the redhead beauty in my arms, who, despite her snoring was everything to me, also the stables, gifted to us just a few months before by my sister, who had, in a series of twists of fate, accidentally stolen the money to purchase them from a major league gangster.
I know it sounds ridiculous after we had been made orphans in a terrible accident, thrown apart and then brought back together just in time to be hunted down and almost killed, in my case, twice. But who’s counting?
Kate goes silent. I’m torn, do I enjoy the moment of peace and try for some sleep or do I see if she is still alive? A loud snort and more snores confirm the latter and preclude the former. I lean down, grab my watch from the floor, having fumbled it from
