Bullets whizzed past. Carly swallowed a scream. The stallion raised his head in panic, and she could see the white of an eye and foam flying from his mouth. The cowboy prodded the animal with his heels. Whether propelled by fear or loyalty, Carly couldn’t guess, the black lowered his head and increased his speed. He churned at the earth with devil-driven madness. She closed her eyes and buried her face against the horse’s neck. The sounds of approaching riders echoed in her ears. Hooves pounded like thunder. Rifle fire cracked like lightning. Bullets whistled like the wind. Carly held her breath until her lungs burned and ached, yet she couldn’t force herself to breathe. Finally the sounds seemed farther away; the thunder was a dull rumble and the lightning was no more. They started a rocky ascent. Carly opened her eyes and peered back, under her companion’s arm. She couldn’t see anything in the gloom of night.
