A bullet whizzed past the trees and suddenly Phillip fell…Jade got on her horse shocked but knowing that an enemy was nearby…it was time to go. She looked back at Phillip, her friend, her companion, a man to be trusted had fallen. She rode hard as Daxton, Garvin, Will, and Johnny pursued her.

“Never going to make it, Jade.” She said to herself, but she pushed the thought to the side and rode on. As the yells of her enemy reached her ear, the pounding of hooves, the sweat on her brow dripped down to her neck, the water as she reached the stream splashed onto Rowdy’s hot side and her boots, and she breathed the hardest she ever had before she thought of her mother and her father’s wide open arms in years past when she came back from outside for dinner, Phillip falling to the ground pain written on his face, her grandmother on her deathbed saying she loved her and to take care of herself, and the last day with her mother, what would this end like? Would she ever find her mother? What about the father? Would they go back to her ranch ever? Would she live through the day? Rowdy went up the hills and valleys as Johnny got closer to her slowly, Rowdy was tired of running and his leg was slightly hurt, Jade did not know when it happened but felt bad for him…he was trying, he was just not as fast tired and injured. Johnny lassoed Rowdy and pulled, Rowdy fought but it was of no use. Daxton grabbed Jade as she kicked, Rowdy strained for her, but Daxton pulled her onto his horse and put his hand around her waist and the more she struggled the tighter he held…it was no use, he had her.

“No matter where you go girl, we will be right behind you.” She was beginning to believe it.

“Daxton,” Will called.

“Yes?” He replied.

“Put her on Rowdy, I am tying him to my horse, I don’t want her to slow you down.”

“Sounds good.”

They tied her to Rowdy who was tied to Will’s horse, they rode side by side and every once and awhile she would get a little behind him, but there was no escaping-not this time. Not with being tied to Will, or that many men, or Rowdy being injured, it was not going to happen. She knew it. After what seemed like hours they made it to a small cottage. Jade was too tired to take in what it looked like besides it was a tired old shack that was all oak with windows with thin curtains, she was carried off her horse and they dragged her to a small bed in the very back, she was tied to a post and she soon fell asleep behind the curtain.