CHAPTER ONE
Sam had just spent a whole month with her Aunt Sue and now it was coming to an end Sam couldn't wait to get back.
On her last night she received a phone call
"Sam, is that you honey?" Came the familiar voice of her grams
"Yeah, how are ya grams?" asked Sam
"Good" said grams
"Great, I've got to go but im so excited about coming home!" said Sam
"Bye dear" said Grams and they both hung up
The next day Sam was on the familiar road to River Bend Ranch and couldn't be more excited. It felt as though it had been years.
As soon as the car rolled over the bridge and up to the house Sam leapt out of it to be greeted by Grams and her dad, Wyatt, standing there with smiling faces
"Hey!" shouted Sam
"Hello Sam" said Wyatt
He hugged her tight and then let go
"Wow you've even grown a bit Sam" said her dad jokingly
Sam found this a bit strange because her dad never really said that unless he was avoiding something.
Next Sam ran over to the barn to hug her little mustang Ace.
"ACE!" shouted Sam running towards the little mustangs stall
She hugged his little brown head tight. She really missed him.
"Sam? Dinner dear" Said Grams poking her head in the barn
"Yep be right there" said Sam and gave one final kiss on his nose and ran to the house.
As Sam sat at the table there was an awkward silence only broken by the cat wanting to go out and scratching the door.
"So, you enjoyed stayin with Sue?" asked Wyatt
"Yeah but I missed all you guys too!" Said Sam
The next day at school Sam was just closing her locker when a girl came up to her
"Um hey that's Samantha Forster's locker" Said Jen
Sam turned around
"OH my Sam!" Squealed Jen.
"Haha Jen" Said Sam
"Wow you have changed" Said Jen
The bell rung loudly and Sam and Jen agreed to meet at their usual table for lunch.
"How are you?" Asked Jen
"Huh? Good" said Sam
"Good?" asked Jen
"Yeah..." Said Sam
"Has your dad told you the news?" asked Jen
"No" said Sam
"Um Sam, something happened while you were away" Said Jen
"What?" asked Sam
"Sam, Linc shot the phantom" Jen said bluntly
Sam froze, this could not be happening
Just then their convosation got interrupted.
"Hey! Look who it is" Said the familiar voice of Jake Ely
"Haha Jake" Said Jen
"Sam? Any one in there" Asked Jake
"Oh, what sorry, im not hungry, bye" said Sam and got up and ran off
"Did you just tell her?" Asked Jake
"Yeah" Said Jen
Jake went to go after her but Jen pulled him back
"Just let her be for a bit" said Jen
Jake sighed.
Sam ran into the girls toilets crying so hard there was tear stains on her cheeks
"This can't be happening!" Sam shouted to her reflection in the mirror.
"If only I had been there!!" Shouted Sam
A few hours later, Sam exited the girl's toilet and headed for the bus, which if she had waited any longer she'd miss…
"Sam, here" rushed Jen sitting at their usual seat
Sam sat.
"You were in the bathroom for 2 hours Sam" Said Jen
"Yeah I know" Said Sam
"Look they didn't say he was killed try talking to Brynna tonight, she aught to know something" Jen said
Sam sighed "Yeah I'll try"
Jen's last comment annoyed Sam abit, why hadn't Brynna mentioned this earlier?
When Sam got home she questioned Brynna about it.
"Um Brynna, why didn't you tell me about the phantom!" Asked Sam
Brynna sighed
"Well, I knew you would be really hurt by this" Said Brynna
"And?" said Sam
"He isn't dead Sam, Linc shot him and the phantom managed to gallop away" Said Brynna carefully.
"So, is he ok?" Said Sam a little frustrated
"We are not sure Sam, no one has seen him since" She said
"WHAT! Haven't you got someone out there!!?" Yelled Sam
"Sam, you need to understand, we have a lot of things we need to get done before we can send a search out but im skipping a lot" Said Brynna
Sam's blood boiled she was so disappointed in Brynna, She expected more.
"Brynna! He could be in pain!" Yelled Sam and with that she grabbed her coat and ran out, if no one was going find the phantom she was at least going to try.
"SAM! What are you doing!?" shouted Brynna from the front porch as Sam ran for the barn.
The next moment Sam was galloping across the range, putting all her trust into Ace's skill and link with the Phantom.
"C'mon Ace, we have to find him boy" Sam whispered as they ran head long into the wind. As they started to slow Sam turned back to see how far they had gone, River Bend was out of sight. But Sam was following the Calico Mountain line, to the Phantom's last seen spot.
As she approached his well hidden den at the very foothills of the Calico Mountain's Sam sensed he had to be hear.
She dismounted Ace and ground tied the little mustang. And begun to clime.
A familiar soft whinny reached Sam's ears. It was him. Sam slowly walked up to him. He was in terrible condition, with his usual shimmering sliver coat now a dull stressed shade of silver. Sam felt a pang in her heart.
"Oh god" Sam whispered
He replied with a rumbling dull neigh
Sam's eyes scanned him, she soon found the injury. It was his left shoulder.
Sam's brain strained to think of how she could help him. She didn't know how but she did know she had too.
Just as she was cleaning it up a bit the Phantom flinched and turned away
"What is it boy?" Asked Sam
He was in no condition to gallop away, Sam was furious with Linc how on earth could he hurt the Phantom.
But once again the Phantom proved stronger than Sam first thought, something had terrified him and he managed to canter away, further up the mountain.
Sam turned toward the range, a familiar silver Cadillac was fast approaching.
Linc Solcom was at the wheel.
Sam grabbed Ace and pulled the confused horse into a cave. And ushed him to be quite.