Hey everyone! Im back with a new chapter! Hope youre all having a good summer so far! Alot goes on in this chapter. Now that Samuel is gone, Zane tries his best to assume the hostage's role, especially when comforting Hailey. Zane and you guys get to become more familiar with Christopher and Tony. Here you'll also see much more of Gale, and more things. Read on!

Winded, Zane set Hailey down on a fallen log before collapsing on the ground, trying to catch his breath. Hailey curled up on the log, bawling her eyes out.

"T-they're going t-to kill him…" She said between sobs. "N-Not again…"

Zane propped himself on an elbow.

"What do you mean?" He asked her. It was clear they had come across Picazo before, but she never elaborated on how or where.

Hailey was too tore up over leaving Samuel behind to answer. She continued to cry.

Zane got up and walked over to her, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Hailey." He said calmly. He helped her sit up and dried her tears, and sat down next to her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and let her lean against him. He had seen Samuel do this many times when comforting her or just being affectionate. He tried to be there when Samuel couldn't.

"Listen to me." Zane said to her. "We are not abandoning Samuel. I would never allow that. It is unacceptable, especially since I am indebted to you both for saving my life. Now it is my turn to do the same."

"Zane, t-they're going to kill him!" Hailey cried. "I don't know what I'm going to do! This is all my fault!"

She started sobbing. She buried her face in his shoulder. "He's going to die because me!" Sobbing racked her whole body.

Zane rubbed her arm.

"We are not letting him die, Hailey." Zane said. "Not if I have anything to say about it. We are going to rescue him, no matter what it takes. It will be the last thing I ever do if I have to. We will not rest until he is safe again. Okay?"

Zane could barely see Hailey's nod.

"Okay…" she choked.

"Okay." Zane repeated. He wiped Hailey's eyes again.

"I will not let Samuel die, Hailey." He said.

Hailey nodded again, a little more composed. "I trust you…"

"But what are we going to do?" She asked.

"You said the authorities don't go after them, correct?"

"Y-yea." Hailey said. "Everyone who tries just disappears."

Zane opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly was cut off when something walking through the trees made them both jump to their feet.

Zane grabbed onto Hailey, getting ready to run.

There was a long low bay as a bloodhound appeared from the trees. The dog shook his coat and barked.

Hailey gasped.

"Red!" Hailey cried. She dropped to her knees. "Come here boy!"

Red trotted over and nosed Hailey's hands. She pet his head.

"Oh, Red." She said, scratching his neck. "Where did you come from?"

Red walked away and began to walk the way he had came. He stopped several yards away and looked back as if expecting them to follow.

Hailey cocked her head in confusion. Then a couple moments later her face lit up.

"I have an idea!" She yelled. She ran after Red, who darted into the trees, baying.

Zane ran after them.

"Hailey!" He called. "Wait!"

He caught up to them, dodging trunks and jumping logs and boulders.

"Hailey!" He called again over his heaving breath. "What are you doing?!"

"We need to get to town!" Hailey called back. "And get Tony and Christopher!"

Suddenly Hailey stopped. Zane did the same.

"What is it-" he began, but was cut off.

"Shhh!" She said.

He went quiet. He strained his ears for anything unusual, but all he heard was the sound of the night woods and Red's panting.

Hailey put her fingers to her mouth and let out a long, sharp whistle. It was loud. Zane heard it echo through the woods.

Zane looked at Hailey quizzically. She held up a hand as if to tell him to wait.

A few minutes passed, when there was a whinny coming from the dark and the sound of hoof beats on the forest floor. Using his thermal vision, he picked up two large heat signatures to his right.

Two horses emerged from the trees, letting out whinnies as they galloped to their owners.

"Ranger!" Hailey called as the black horse ran up to her. He almost barreled into her as she threw her arms around his neck. "Oh my god, thank god you're safe!"

Ranger nickered as if to respond.

Zane was delighted to see Gale too. The grey horse trotted up to him, but instead of stopping he walked in a circle around Zane slowly, his head low, as if inspecting him for any injuries.

"No need to worry about me, Gale." He said as the horse nudged his chest. "I am not injured. I am elated to be reunited with you." He stroked Gale's forelock.

Quickly, Zane did a scan on Gale. Beside a couple of scratches, the horse was unharmed.

Hailey jumped on her horse's back. "We need to go!"

Zane followed suit, and the two galloped east back to Elkhorn, following Red.

…

Black skies began to give way to grey streaks of light to the east when Hailey and Zane came galloping back to the house. They dismounted their horses and ran inside.

Hailey ran upstairs to her room, and Zane ran to his. Quickly they changed and met at the bottom of the stairs. Hailey was wearing her hat.

"Here," Hailey said breathlessly as she tossed him something.

Zane caught it and saw it it was a blue bandanna.

"What is this for?" He asked.

"You're going to need it for where we're going. Grab your hat too!"

Zane didn't have time to ask further because she was already running to Samuel's room.

He followed. He saw her crouched in front of his gun safe, which seemed to had been left open. He watched as Hailey took a rifle off of it's rack and a small silver gun from one of the slots in the door. She loaded both, slinging the rifle on her shoulder and taking a holster, clipping it to her belt, and slipping the revolver in.

She tossed Zane a holster from the safe.

"Clip that to your belt." She said, taking another gun and tossing it to him. "Too heavy for you?"

Zane looked. It was a revolver as well. He hefted it in his hand and held it.

"It is satisfactory." He said.

"Great." Hailey replied. "It's yours."

Zane slipped it in his holster.

Hailey took a couple boxes out of the safe and peered in them. She grabbed them both and ran out of the room.

"Come on!" She yelled.

Zane ran out after her, to their horses which were waiting for them.

Hailey put the two boxes in Ranger's saddlebag and the two saddled their horses before they mounted up.

"Follow me!" Hailey said before she galloped, Gale and Zane hot on their heels.

They rode down the road, and into the town, passing a few streets and taking a few turns. They came to a small cabin with a simple lawn and a red Chevy pickup in the driveway when Hailey jumped off and ran to the door.

"Tell him." She said breathlessly, offering no further explanation as she ran to Ranger and galloped off into town again.

Zane looked after where she left and was about to call after her when suddenly the door opened.

"Zane?"

Zane whipped around and saw a man standing there in the doorway, with reddish-blond hair and green eyes. He didn't recognize him.

"Do I happen to know you?" He asked.

The man nodded.

"I know you." He said. He sounded panicked. "You're the key to the prophecy. Samuel's been boarding you in his house."

He strode forward and offered a hand. Zane took it and they shared a firm shake.

"Christopher." The man said.

Zane nodded. "Zane. Nice to finally meet you."

"You too." Christopher replied. He looked around.

"Where's Hailey and Samuel? Are they alright?"

"Hailey just left and instructed me to stay here and explain to you," Zane said. "Samuel's been captured."

Christopher gasped.

"WHAT?!" He cried. "By who?!"

Zane explained to him how they were captured by the horse thieves, and then how Samuel came to rescue them and exchanged himself for their release.

By the time he was finished, Christopher's face was as white as a sheet and was of pure horror.

He turned in the doorway.

"No!" He yelled. "Not again!" He said as he bolted inside.

Zane cocked his head. Why was everyone saying not again? What happened nine years ago that Picazo had mentioned?

He was snapped from his thinking as suddenly clattering hooves came up behind him.

Zane turned to see Hailey and Ranger with another scrawny man and Red, riding on a white and brown pinto horse. He had black hair, brown eyes, and tan skin, dressed similarly like Hailey. He had a holstered handgun on his belt.

"Tony, Zane," Hailey said, giving the two a brief introduction. "Zane, this is Tony. He and Christopher are Uncle Sam's friends."

Zane opened his mouth to speak but was cut off when there was a commotion of whinnies and thudding hooves. In a blaze of yellow, Christopher appeared before them, dressed and armed, mounted on a palomino horse.

"Hailey!" He cried when he saw her. He skidded to a halt next to Ranger. "What happened?!"

"I went out in the middle of the night to find out who was stealing from my traps-"

"Why would you do that?!"

She flinched. "I was angry and I couldn't help myself." Hailey explained, out of breath. "Zane ended up following me and we both got caught, then Uncle Sam came and exchanged himself to release us."

Christopher's grip on his gun tightened.

"I'm going to kill those damned fuckers…"

He began to ride off, but Hailey stopped him by blocking his horse.

"Wait!" She said. "Look, they know we're out here, and by the time we get there, they're most likely going to be gone before we get a chance to save him. I have a different idea."

"Hailey, stand down. You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Yes, I do!" She yelled. "Who was the one that was there that day! It was ME! The only person who knows more about them besides Uncle Sam is me!"

"I wouldn't be talking if I were you." He growled, giving her a smoldering glare. "You're the reason for this!"

Hailey was quiet as she was suddenly struck by a wave of tears she tried to fight back. Christopher said nothing as he walked his horse for the west exit of the town, anger radiating from his body. Tony and Zane gave each other an awkward, mystified glance. A thick, uncomfortable silence fell around the four as the air became tense, knowing Christopher had ripped into Hailey about something she would never forgive herself for.

Even though it was dark, the tears she had unsuccessfully tried to hide were visible, trickling down Hailey's face.

"Just like the last time, too…" She choked.

Then Ranger whipped around and the two galloped away, heading east.

"Hailey, wait!" Zane called as Ranger's tail disappeared around a house. He urged Gale to a trot to where they had disappeared. It was a road that led into the forest, swallowed by darkness in the early morning hours. There was no sign of them.

"Where have they gone?" Zane asked Tony as he rode up beside him.

"I don't know…" Tony said. "I know Hailey caused Samuel to be caught from what I heard, but aye guey…" he shook his head. "That must have killed her!"

Zane nodded, remembering the look on her face when Christopher cut into her. "Yes."

"Should we go look for her?"

"En efecto."

Zane gave Tony a confused look.

"Oh, my bad, señor." The Chechacan corrected himself. "Indeed."

Together the two trotted down the road, calling for Hailey.

They went a mile down the road, but they couldn't find her. They rode around town, the surrounding forest, and even went back to the trapline.

Two hours of calling her, and she still hadn't turned up. Now the sun had clearly began to rise as the sky turned from grey to orange.

"She couldn't have gone far." Tony said.

Zane nodded. "I concur. Being in emotional distress like she was, it would severely impact her ability to ride."

They rode from the square back to Christopher's house, who had returned at the same time they did.

"I couldn't find him." Christopher said, shaking his head. "Red's limping and I couldn't find any sign of him."

"Hailey ran off after you snapped at her, now we can't find her either." Tony said.

Christopher sighed and dropped his face into his hand. "Great…just great…"

"You shouldn't have done that…" Tony said. "She's already shamed enough…"

Christopher clenched his fists in anger.

"None of this would be happening if she hadn't gone after those damned cowards!" He seethed.

Tony rested a hand on Christopher's shoulder.

"Yes, it may be her fault."

"It is…"

"But we can't change it now."

"Tony is right." Zane said, adjusting his grip on Gale's reins. "While dwelling on what could have been done is a natural response to these situations, it will not aid us. We must focus on rescuing Samuel rather than ponder."

"He's right, amigo."

Christopher heaved a great sigh.

"Fine…" he muttered. "I didn't mean to rip into her like that…it's just deja vu…and this time worse."

Tony dropped his head and sighed.

"I know where she's going…" The blonde said. His horse picked up the pace as they began to ride out of town, taking the northern path that Hailey had seemingly disappeared.

Tony and Zane caught up with him.

"Where?" He asked. "The ranch?"

Christopher nodded. "We have to get to her before she goes off and tries anything. I don't want what happened last to happen with her too."

"If you don't mind me asking," Zane said over the clopping of hooves. "What is it that happened nine years ago that everyone keeps mentioning? I understand if it's particularly sensitive, but I think I would better understand what is happening if I had context, especially since Hailey seems to recognize the leader as Picazo."

Christopher and Tony both flinched at the mention of the name. Christopher looked over to his friend.

"Should we?" He asked.

Tony glanced back and gave a quick nod. "Si. Él tendrá que averiguar con el tiempo."

Even though Zane didn't understand what Tony was saying, Christopher, sighed and cast a solemn look to the ground.

"Fine." He said. "But this ain't for something for you to go running around and telling everyone, understand?"

Zane nodded. "I am fully aware of that."

Christopher nodded. "Good."

There were a few moments as the trio rode in silence, Christopher fiddling with his reins.

"It happened in May…" he began. "Hailey was five and she had just gotten Ranger…"

Thanks for reading! Next chapter soon! Constructive criticism and reviews are greatly appreciated!