The lone rider came riding in from the range slumped in the saddle. Blood and sweat trickled in to his eyes. He trusted his horse to take him home where ever home was, he couldn't remember. By the way his horse acted he was almost there. He struggled not to succumb to the darkness that tugged at him. How easy it would be to fall asleep and not fight, but he knew he couldn't do that there was a family that would greave for him if he left them. He couldn't do that to them. For the first time there where actually people who cared what happened to him and he couldn't let them down.
He was almost back home from looking at some horses in Sacramento. When he had been jumped by two men he had never met. They had tied him up and threatened to kill him and make sure his body was never found. He didn't even know what they wanted. Some how it didn't seem like they were after money. It seamed like they were after revenge. For what, Heath doubted he'd know, he didn't care what they were after either, there was only one thing he wanted now and that was to survive. How he escaped he didn't know. All he knew was he had to make it home or his beloved new family would never know what had happened to him.
He had run through the night but he mustn't have been quiet enough. They had figured out with in minutes that their prisoner had escaped. The slug that was supposed to knock him from his horse burned as it ripped through his shoulder. He gritted his teeth and urged Charger to run faster as he concentrated on staying conscious, alert, and most importantly on his horse.
He had finally lost them or they gave up the chase until morning around midnight. Heath couldn't stay on his horse any longer. the darkness took over and he slid to the ground banging his head on a rock just above his eye.
He awoke the next morning with a sharp pain in his head and shoulder. Charger stood fatefully next to his fallen rider. Heath slightly smiled through the pain, Charger always had been a good mount. Heath slowly made his way to his feet almost passing out from the effort. Charger took a step towards him to steady him. Heath caught the horse's main to keep from falling. He slowly made it to stand next to the saddle. He placed his foot in the stirrup and pulled himself aboard. He slumped over the saddle horn, as it was too painful to sit up in the saddle. The loss of blood and the large head wound made his head swim with a swarm of black wasps.
Charger tugged on the rains waiting for permission to head home. Heath dropped the rains putting himself in the horse's care. Charger took off at a careful lope in the direction that Heath hoped was home.
Heath closed his eyes tight as the wasps in his head almost became too much. Immediately he knew that was a bad idea. The deep wound above his eye burst open and started to bleed. The blood stung his eye as it mixed with his sweat and ran in to his eyes. He blinked to try and cut the stinging but it didn't work so he settled for ignoring it.
Charger snorted at the sound of a horse and rider coming up fast. Heath snatched the horn and shouted with all his energy to Charger who took of at a run. The run was rough but if it kept him alive it would do.
"Heath!" the voice from the rider called, "Heath stop!"
"No!" Heath yelled shortly as he spurred Charger on.
"Heath it's me!" The rider yelled as he reached for Charger's reins and pulled the horse to a stop.
Heath looked up for the first time and realized he was safe.
"Nick!" Heath sighed
"Heath what happened?" Nick asked concerned at he looked his brother over.
The wasps threatened to over take him again as he tried to gather his thoughts.
"Two men…" Heath stammered fighting against the darkness, "they… they jumped me on my way home."
"Who Heath? Who jumped you?" Nick asked, as he steadied his swaying brother but he didn't get his answer, Heath had passed out.
The next thing Heath knew he was waking up at home. His head and shoulder was wrapped.
"Audra?" Heath asked as if trying to convince himself that he really was seeing his sister.
"Heath!" Audra exclaimed springing form the chair she was sitting in, "How do you feel?"
Heath blinked, "like I got jumped by two men bent on revenge." Heath said trying to sit up.
"Just lay still, you lost a lot of blood." Audra ordered as she pushed him back down into bed, and headed towards the door, "Mother, Jarred, Nick!" she called in to the dark hallway, "He's awake!"
Moments later three bodies rushed into the room.
"What time is it?" Heath asked groggily.
"A few hours before dawn." Audra chirped.
"You've been out for almost five hours," Victoria told her adoptive son, "Nick brought you in. Said he found you running from something but you were too week to stay awake long enough to tell him what."
"I was riding home after looking at those horses Nick wanted me to check out. I was almost home when out of no where I was jumped. All I remember after that was that they seemed to not be interested in the money I had in my pockets. They seemed to hate me for what I don't know. I've done some things I'm not proud of but I didn't think I would be hunted for them." Heath said softly as he struggled to remember everything he could.
"Maybe you saw something you shouldn't have." Jarred suggested
"Or wan a poker game and they held a grudge." Nick piped in.
"It doesn't matter why they are after you it just matters that they're after and we will do everything in our power to make sure you're safe" Victoria announced firmly.