Ch 3.
I watched, as if I was a bird of prey, as the Lancer family worked on their ranch; breaking wild horses, mending fences, and gathering lumber for a new barn. It was not until the fourth day of staying on my perch that I realized one of the ranch hands was watching me. He stayed by the trough, twirling a piece of straw around his middle finger. Brushing some dirt from his trousers, he tilted his hat and shook his spurs before walking away.
The crescent moon slowly slid behind dark grey clouds. It was at this moment I knew I would be safe to make my decent. I walked quietly to the balcony and swung my leg over. Slowly, I lowered myself down making sure to bite my lip whenever the stabbing pain arose from my wound. Three lousy feet, that is how far I was from the ground. To some that would be an easy jump, but try falling that far with a bullet hole in you! I lay on the ground gasping for a few minutes before slowly pushing myself up. With a slight limp I walked toward the barn; then I heard his voice. It was low and slightly aggressive.
"Well, the rumors are true. Heard there was some wild cat the Lancers took in. They asking you anything?"
I stared at him, anger filling inside me. "Well, yeah Tucker they are asking me questions! Think they are just treating my wounds for the fun of it?"
He stepped closer. "I asked you a question, don't play games with me girl!"
"What? You don't like my answer? Maybe you should ask a better question! Like, how come it took you almost a week to get back here? Wouldn't JP be asking what happened to me? Or did you all think you could double cross me?"
Tucker's top lip curled and he grabbed my shoulders. "Don't play smart with me. We had to split those cattle up. JP did ask about you that is why I am here, to check on you."
"You are here to make sure I keep my mouth shut. You're right Tucker, I am smarter then you. You try anything against me, I will tell the Lancers."
His nostrils flared, his eyes widened, but Tucker stood still and slowly released his death grip. He backed away and walked back to the bunk house. I watched as he went inside before collapsing to the ground. My back pressed against the barn wall, my elbows propped on my knees and my hands clasped together pressed against forehead. Tears streamed down my face, more out of anger then sadness or fear.
Out of instinct, for whenever I was angry or scared, I would ride a horse. She perked her ears up as I entered her stall. Her nostrils blew warm air across my face and she stomped her hoof. I opened the stall door, grabbed her black mane, and swung up bareback. We trotted out together into the cool air, the crescent moon once again appearing behind the clouds. We turned toward the pastures, I let my horse have here head. I could feel the energy flow through her as the trot became and gallop. Just like me she was tired of being coped inside.
The wind blew through our hair until we stopped by an old, burned tree. I slid from my horse as she walked toward a nearby stream. It was at this moment I realized how alone I was. The scream bellowed from the depths of my stomach out of my mouth. It was supposed to be a simple job, how did I end up stuck between betrayal and an old memory? JP was never one to cross, nor was he one to cross a crew member. After all these years, would he consider me, a woman, part of his crew? The question swirled around in my head as I stoked a fire beside the tree. I chewed on a small stick as I watched the sparks dance in the night. Then my mind floated back to Johnny Madrid or as he would like to be called Lancer. Rubbing my sore hand, I came to the conclusion punching him in the face was a childish act. My father would have swatted me if he had known his daughter had done such a thing. Yet, I would have been much more a lady if my father hadn't been murdered. My father liked Johnny, he never had a son before. Maybe that was the problem, he trusted that Johnny had become part of the family. I pondered the events of that day in my head once more.
"Luna, stay by me. I can't have you wondering off". The animal lifted her head at her name and walked back toward the tree. I laid down and watched the stars shoot across the night sky. My eyes slowly closed as the moon once again slinked behind a cloud.