Wind rustled through the grass and spurs jingled quietly as Zane walked alone across an empty field. The journey had finally begun to get the best of him. Exhausted from riding and fighting for almost three weeks and becoming overwhelmed by everyone at the ranch yard, he saw to it that Gale was groomed, fed, and watered before wandering the ranch, looking for a quiet place to rest his weary mind.
He had been walking for a time, past gates, barns, and water troughs when his search brought him to a stretch of metal pipe fence that ran along the top of a hill. Down below was the other side of the pasture and the ranch yard off in the distance. Other than the cattle quietly grazing a few yards away, he was completely alone.
The cool breeze blew as Zane climbed up and sat on the top. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, taking off his hat and wiping his forehead. He turned his hat over in his hands as he looked out at the horizon.
It was late evening at Flint River ranch, big puffy clouds glowing orange as they drifted lazily on the breeze across the purple sky. The setting sun cast it's last rays of light from behind the clouds before it sunk behind the mountains in the far distance. It was quiet, save for the chirping of a cricket hidden somewhere in the grass and the occasional swish of a cow's tail. Finally alone, Zane sighed and dropped his face into his hands, letting his mind wander.
Three weeks. That's what Hailey had said that they were riding across the desert. Had it really been that long? His memory banks confirmed that it had, but it didn't feel like it had been. He had been so hellbent on rescuing Samuel that the days were muddled with each other. Even now that all of them were back home safe, Zane's mind still felt fuzzy as the rush of the ride began to wear off.
Zane looked up at the dusky sky, his spot on the hill offering him a sweeping view of the prairie. Far down below he could see the ranch yard, trucks and horses slowly leaving as the other ranchers returned home to their families.
Home. To their families.
Zane looked longingly to the north, the mountains that marked the outer edges of the country of Mt. Horn no longer in sight. But somewhere far beyond these rolling grassy hills, they lay, and beyond those mountains was his home. His brothers. His family.
He had been in Mt. Horn for almost four months. And that was a long time. Anything could've happened. How were the other ninja? Had they managed to stay together? He knew the team had almost fallen apart last time he vanished. Would they be strong enough to pull through a second time?
And what about Morro? Had he gotten any farther in his conquest of Ninjago? Or had the ninja stopped him? Zane was almost certain the prophecy was speaking of Morro as the threat of Mt. Horn's darkest hour. What did that mean for the team? Would they be able to stop him before he reached here?
Zane shook his head. 'Of course they would.' He thought. "They're stronger than that. I have faith in them."
Zane sighed. He had no idea when or how he would be able to get back. Hailey and Samuel had told him they'd help him, but...since then he hadn't heard them mention anything of the sort. They hadn't forgotten, had they?
Zane looked down and absentmindedly flicked at a clod of dirt that clung to his jeans and happened to see his dusty boots, scuffed and worn. He was definitely a far cry from his former self. This had become his life now, trading his ninja gi to learn the way of the Mt. Horns. He loved their way of life and would miss it terribly when he left. But what would his brothers think if they saw him like this? Would they be upset with him because he left the way of the ninja? He didn't abandon it willingly, he had to. But would that matter to them? Would they refuse to let him back on the team?
What if he stayed this way? Forever? He loved Mt. Horn and the ranch, but he couldn't spend the rest of his existence hiding who he really was. The longer he stayed, the more he was putting himself at risk of being found by the wrong people.
Zane groaned and dropped his face into one of his hands. This whole cluster was starting to become even more frustrating than before.
"How difficult must this be?" He mumbled. "All I wanted was to just go home…"
His only answer was the whispering of the breeze as it made the grass sway. Zane sighed again as he was met by silence, tormented by the uncertainty of it all.
"Figured you'd be up here."
Zane's head shot up and he turned to see the source of the voice behind him. It was Hailey, standing behind him.
"How did you find me?"
"You're a quiet person. Quiet people like quiet places. This is the quietest spot on the ranch." She said, walking forward and sitting on the fence next to Zane. "I was starting to worry, y'all had been gone for a while…"
Zane nodded and sighed, resting his chin on his hand as he shifted his gaze back out to the hills. "I see…"
"I brought you this. Here," She said, holding out one of two mason jars she held in her hands. It was filled with ice cubes and a dark liquid and garnished with a lemon slice.
"I don't drink alcohol, remember?" He said.
"It's ain't that. Its sweet tea. Try it."
Zane accepted the glass and took a sip. He wasn't used to drinking cold tea of all things- go figure- but it was good. He nodded but said nothing. Silence stretched between the two of them as they both gazed out at Flint River ranch sprawled below them.
"Beautiful place, ain't it?" She asked Zane. "All this you see here is over two hundred years in the making. With enough hard work, my ancestors tamed this land from wild plains to a functioning cattle operation to maintain the Rangston family name. Been here for two centuries and hopefully, it'll stay that way for many more."
Zane nodded. "Yes." he said, offering no conversation afterward.
Hailey took a sip of her tea and glanced over at Zane. Sensing something was off, she leaned forward and studied the nindroid's features.
"Zane, y'all don't look so good." She said, a concerned look on her face. "You okay?"
Zane took a sip of his tea and sighed, closing his eyes. "May I ask you something?"
"Of course you can."
"Has anything been said about my return to Ninjago?"
Hailey took another drink. "Great-grandpa and Samuel were talking about it earlier today, but…" She sighed. "Nothing's set in stone yet. Trust me, Zane, we're tryin', but there ain't much we can do."
"H-how long do you think?" He asked, unaware of the lump forming in his throat.
"Zane, if I'm gonna be honest, probably not for awhile…"
Zane dropped his head in defeat. "I understand…" He turned away as tears pricked his eyes. But he didn't understand at all. He just wanted to go home. Was it too much to ask? Apparently so. But why?
Hailey saw Zane's distress and rubbed his shoulder. "Aye, Zane," She said as she tried to comfort him. "We'll get you back, no matter how long it takes."
"D-don't misunderstand me," Zane sniffed. "I love it here, b-but…" He looked up at the darkening sky. "I cannot stay. The longer I am here the more danger I put you, Mt. Horn, and Ninjago in." He wiped away a stray tear. "And besides, I-I miss my family-I mean, not that I don't consider you family too-but-but…"
Hailey set down her tea and lightly squeezed Zane's arm as he struggled to find the right words. "Zane," She said. "It's okay. I completely understand what you're saying. You have every right to feel how you feel. We're still gonna get you back no matter what. One way or the other."
Zane swallowed thickly. "Okay…" He muttered.
Hailey's hand didn't leave Zane's arm as they sat in silence once more.
"Well, I'll tell you what," She said. "You may be a nindroid, but that doesn't mean you can't use a nice shower and a hot meal. I put dinner on before I came up and I'm gonna go back to check on it. How about y'all come back with me so we can get you cleaned up and fed, yeah?"
Zane nodded weakly. "Okay…" He said again.
Hailey smiled. "That's it." She said. She chugged the last of her tea before jumping off the fence. She jerked her head. "Let's head then, shall we?"
Zane finished his tea before climbing down and following Hailey back to the house, who's windows shone warmly in the approaching night. They both wiped their boots clean before walking inside. The house was relatively small but had everything one needed. The floors were made from polished wood, the kitchen was complete with appliances. A woodstove sat in the corner of the living room, and trophy mounts, pictures, and painting adorned the walls. The warm smell of something cooking filled the air.
"Dinner won't be done for another half hour, so you can take a shower while I finish things up," Hailey said as they walked down the hallway. "Bathroom is the second door to your left, and the spare bed is right across." She opened a small door which was a closet filled with towels and bedsheets. She pulled one out and handed it to Zane. "Take your time. You need it."
Zane nodded and slipped through the door. Hailey walked back to the kitchen. On the stove was a pot of shredded chicken simmering in broth. Sitting at the table was both Clemens and Samuel, conversing amongst themselves. Both looked up as Hailey walked in.
"Hey, there you are," Samuel said. "I was wondering where you went."
"I left to find Zane." She answered as she opened a bag of pancake mix and poured it into a bowl of water and mixed it to finish fixing up her chicken dumpling. "Found him sitting on the fence at the top of pasture seven."
"Oh really? Where is he now?" Asked Clemens.
"In the shower. I told him he should get one since dinner's gonna be ready."
"How is he?"
"Any progress on getting him home?"
Both men shook their heads. Hailey grimaced.
"He ain't doing so hot right now." She told them. "We've gotta find a way soon. I talked with him up on the hill. He's getting really homesick, and I don't know how much more he can take being here." She began dropping spoonfuls of batter into the pot before covering it with a lid. She pulled up a chair next to them. "I know Zane isn't very expressive, but y'all can see it in his eyes...he's not okay."
…
The cool water from the showerhead left trails on Zane's body as it washed away the dirt, sweat and grime and left his titanium exterior the cleanest it had been in almost a month. As he scrubbed his hair, the shower floor became almost black as it was purged from all the dust and mud. He finished bathing and turned the knob to shut the water off before stepping out and drying himself off. Though the shower did help refresh him somewhat, it didn't ease his toiling mind or the tightness he felt in his chest.
Zane stood in front of the bathroom mirror, drying his face. He had just about finished when something caught his eye. It was on his upper lip, a rough jagged line of his skin that appeared thicker and rougher than the rest, as if it hadn't healed right.
Zane reached his hand up and gingerly touched it with his finger. It was a scar. A scar dealt by the outlaw he had fought- and killed- at the beginning of Samuel's rescue.
The gunshot. The acrid smell of gunpowder. The way his eyes had widened in shock when he was hit. The way he fell to ground dead. The blood dripping onto the sand as his eyes glazed. Zane groaned and clutched his head as it replayed in his mind over and over, trying desperately in vain to block it out.
He knew he had to do it. Only one would have walked away alive. It was him or that Untamed man. But none of that helped ease the fact that the nindroid had intentionally taken his life. And the man's body was still out there, left to rot in the desert. When-or if-he saw his brothers again, no doubt they would want him to tell every detail of his adventures here. And he couldn't lie to them. He'd have to tell him what he had done. How would they take it?
Zane rubbed his eyes and stared back at his reflection in the foggy mirror. His face was etched with weariness, his eyes full of exhaustion. He didn't look or feel like himself at all. Sure, he had been tired before, but nothing like this.
He wasn't the same. He hadn't been since he came here. When he looked in the mirror, he saw only the shadow of his former self. Who was he? Was he still a ninja? Or was the Mt. Horn side of him finally taking over? When-or if-the other ninja lay eyes on him again, what would they see? Their brother? A stranger? A murderer?
Zane sighed and shook his head before finishing drying himself off. He was tired of it. He didn't know how much more he could bear.
He wrapped the towel around his waist and picked up his clothes before walking across the hall to the bedroom he was staying in. It was rather simple, with a bed, nightstand, dresser, as well as a leather armchair in the corner. Zane placed his dirty clothes on the chair and changed into a pair of flannel pajamas that had been laid out for him on the bed. He gave a sigh of relief at the feeling of being clean and finally wearing fresh clothes.
The fatigue he had been fighting off for hours had finally begun to get the best of him. Through droopy eyelids he looked at the alarm clock that sat on the nightstand. It was eight thirty, he had only been in the shower for ten minutes. He could take a quick nap.
Zane threw back the covers of the bed, his limbs feeling like lead with every move he made. Weariness weighed down on his shoulders. He felt his eyes close as he swung himself on the bed. He was sound asleep before his head hit the pillow. He didn't hear the soft knock on his door some time later.
"Zane?" Came an elderly man's voice as Clemens poked his head in. "Zane? Soup's on if you're ready."
There was no reply. Clemens opened the door and peeked inside. "Oh…" He said when he saw Zane asleep.
Hailey appeared behind him. "Grandpa?" She asked in a hushed tone. "Everything alright? Where's Zane?"
"Sssh." He said quietly. "Look."
Hailey saw Zane passed out on the bed. She quietly stepped past her grandfather and knelt next to the bedside to see him out cold.
"Should we wake him?" She asked.
"No, let him sleep." Clemens said. "He needs it."
Clemens leaned forward and carefully lay the covers over the sleeping nindroid. Then he jerked his head. "Come on," he said. "Let's not disturb him."
Hailey got up and rubbed Zane's shoulder. "Poor chap. He's been through so much…" She looked at her great grandfather. "He was so tired, you could see it in his eyes…" Clemens nodded.
The two left the room and closed the door, leaving him in the dark to sleep. It had been a long hard journey. After what was too long, Zane was finally able to get some well-deserved rest.
…
The moon shone softly upon the treetops as it began to rise slowly into the inky black sky. The forest was completely dark, save for the green glows of a few ghost warriors as they stalked silently through the trees. Morro had finished conjuring his small army with the Allied Armor and they were ready to leave for the southern frontier to search for Zane.
But so were the ninja. If they got to the ice ninja first, Morro's plans for releasing the Preeminent would be ruined, so they needed a head start.
The ghosts had been walking through the forest for a time before they approached the edge of a clearing. There beyond the trees the Bounty sat, its windows glowing from the light that came from within. Soul Archer who was leading the others held up his hand and signaled for the others to stop. They halted and took cover behind some bushes at the clearing's edge.
"What's the plan?" One of the ghosts whispered.
"Morro instructed us to delay the ninja as much as we can by any means possible." Soul Archer said. "Bansha, Ghoultar, and the ice ninja were able to cross those mountains because they could withstand the winter due to their nonhuman nature. But the others cannot. The Bounty would be their only means of getting past. If we can destroy or at least damage it, it'll buy us time."
…
The ninja and Wu all sat at the table, surrounded by mountains of paper and books. Since Lloyd's discovery that Zane was still alive, they all had been working night and day to get any bits of information as they could. They went through almost every library, read through every book they could get their hands on, and asked just about everyone they knew, but their search was just about fruitless. Cole set down the book he was reading.
"You know, we've been at this for days now, and I think this is just about as far as we're gonna get as far as research goes." He said. The others looked at each other and nodded. Jay sighed happily.
"Finally, no more reading! After all this, I never want to see another book or scroll again!"
"Cole's right." Lloyd said. "We've done enough research. Now it's time to start thinking about how we're gonna get there." He grabbed one of their maps and pinned it to the wall for the others to see. "We know Zane was last seen here." He drew a dot where the village they fought in was before they lost him. He pointed to Cole. "And you said you saw him run south, correct?"
Cole nodded.
"I was doing some digging at the museum." Kai said. "I found a small archive of books there and mentioned something about mountains surrounding this frontier."
"Okay." Lloyd said. He drew some mountains on the map. "If Zane went south he must have gone over those mountains. I suggest we do the same. Based on what we've seen, if we go back to the village where he was last seen, it should be a straight shot from there-"
Suddenly the lights flickered and went out, plunging the entire Bounty into darkness.
"What was that?" Kai asked, holding up a flaming fist for light.
"The power's out." Cole said.
"Maybe a fuse blew?" Jay asked.
"No, the backup generators would have kicked in by now." Nya said. "Something else is wrong." She got up and fumbled around the drawers for a flashlight and clicked it on. "I'll go check it out."
Nya walked out of the room and down the steps and opened the door to the brig. Her flashlight panned across the dark hull before it settled on something. Nya gasped and dropped her flashlight.
The ninja jumped to their feet as a scream came from below.
"Nya!" Kai cried as the four ran down to the brig. When they got there, the flashlight was on the floor. A ghost soldier was gripping Nya with one hand and destroying the generators with his sword in the other. He growled when he saw the ninja come to confront him. Kai leapt at him, forcing the ghost to let go of Nya as they battled.
Jay picked up and saw the damage. "He got the generators!" he cried. "We've got no power!"
Suddenly someone else ran up behind them. The three turned to see Wu. Their master jumped out in front of them and used Spinjitzu to free Nya from the ghost, who got up and fled.
"That's the least of our worries!" The sensei said. "Come quick!"
The ninja followed their master to the deck. Looking over the rails they were horrified to see dozens of ghosts come out from the trees and begin hacking away at the Bounty, the hull, the thrusters, anything within reach. Within moments the entire bottom half was in shreds. The ninja were about to leap into action to save what they could, only to be stopped by Soul Archer flinging arrows at them. Lloyd jumped to avoid one flying his way and knocked the others over.
"Ugh!" Jay cried. "This guy again?!"
A sharp whistle cut through the air. Almost immediately the ghosts stopped their rampage and went back into the trees. The ninja got up and watched in confusion.
"What are they doing?!" Cole said.
"I don't know!" Lloyd answered.
Suddenly there was a roar as a familiar green glowing dragon flew over their heads. It circled once in the sky before stopping and hovering over the ship, with Morro on its back. He laughed when he saw the shocked looks on the ninja's faces below.
"Fools, all of you!" Morro jeered. "You should've spent more time trying to find me than some stupid books! You may think you're close to finding the ice ninja, but I'm already two steps ahead of you!" He held up a completed map and waved it triumphantly in the air. "I'll have that bucket of bolts in my hands before you can even get this scrap pile off the ground!"
"You won't find Zane!" Lloyd shouted at the ghost. "Not in that place! You won't even know where you're supposed to go!"
"And that's where you're wrong, green ninja." Morro sneered. "I sent two of my army after the ice ninja, and even though they didn't catch him, one returned back to me. They helped me draw this map and will tell me everything I need to know!"
"You can't get him! We won't let you!" Nya said.
"Oh, yes I will. And even if you do manage to fix your poor ship, we better not cross paths! If you so much as dare to get in my way, your precious master of ice will be nothing but a pile of screws and wires by the time I'm through with him!"
Morro turned his dragon and they flew off, vanishing into the darkness of the southern horizon. His soldiers disappeared into the forest and followed him, leaving the ninja to watch them go.
"He has a MAP?!" Jay cried. "How does he have a MAP?!"
"You heard him." Kai said. "One of his soldiers was there and told him about it."
Cole growled in anger and summoned his power dragon, about to pursue Morro and his army. But Lloyd jumped in front of him, which stopped the earth ninja.
"Cole, no!" He said. "Don't!"
"Don't?! What do you mean don't?! He's going after Zane right now!" He said. "We're just supposed to sit here and let him catch him?!"
"We are not letting Morro capture Zane, Cole." Wu said firmly. "But we are not by any means able to take him on at the moment. He has a whole army, and us a broken ship."
Cole seemed hesitant, but after a moment gave in and sighed, his dragon disappearing from under him. "Alright Sensei, I understand."
Wu nodded.
Nya walked into the control room, pressing a few buttons. The screens remained black. She sighed and walked back outside, joining the others as they inspected the damage the ghosts had inflicted onto the Bounty. One thruster was damaged, all the generators were destroyed beyond repair, and the bottom had large holes where they had ripped out the boards of the hull.
"They destroyed our power sources, so all of the Bounty's systems are offline." Nya said. "With the five of us here, we can fix her up enough to fly within a few days. I say we should focus on the generators first so we can keep tabs on Morro while we fix the rest, so we're better prepared for a fight if need be."
"And then what?" Jay asked.
"Morro's already got a head start on us." Lloyd said. "We can't waste any more time. The second the Bounty is back in commission, we're headed down south."
…
Fatigued eyes cracked open to see the ceiling as Zane awoke with a yawn. He sat up in bed as he groaned and rubbed his face as his surroundings slowly came into focus. He was still in the guest room of the ranch house, and still in bed. The room was still dark. What time was it?
Zane tossed the covers off of him and got out of bed. He walked over to the window and lifted back the curtain. Golden morning light slanted on the floor. He also heard mooing, voices, and the clanging of gates. Even though it was early in the morning, the ranch had already come to life.
Zane looked around his room and saw his clothes had been cleaned and laid back out on the chair. Deciding to get dressed, he took off his pajamas and put on his shirt. He continued and had just finished buttoning and zipping his pants when there was a knock at his door.
"Hey Zane, y'all decent?"
Zane finished putting on his belt. "Yes, you're clear to come in."
The door opened and Clemens was standing in the doorway, already his pants and boots were covered in dust.
"Morning chap," The old man greeted. "How'd you sleep?"
"Good morning Clemens. I slept well." Zane said. Clemens grinned and nodded.
"That's swell." He said. "Y'all were plum-tuckered out when Hailey and I came to check you last night. That ride must've done a number on you, eh?"
Zane smiled in return. "Yes, but I feel much better now." He heard the clamor again coming from outside. Clemens saw him trying to figure it out where it came from.
"The brand inspector showed up about an hour ago." Clemens explained. "We've started sorting the cattle y'all brought back. You mind helping? We can always use an extra set of hands."
"Of course."
Zane followed Clemens out of the house and through the ranch yard to the corrals. Several people on horseback were moving the cattle through the pens and alleyways with cowdogs. One by one they'd be caught in a squeeze chute before being released into several other pens by a swinging gate Hailey was operating. People stood on the fences with flags, paddles, and prods to direct the animals. Stock trailers were backed up to the ramps with their doors open, waiting to load the cows once they had been sorted.
The two walked over to the chute, where one person was running back and forth between working the chute and flagging cattle through the alleyway, looking flustered.
"Hey, Brody!" Clemens said. "Go ahead and just guide the cattle through, I got someone to cover y'all at the chute!"
The man nodded and jumped onto the fence, doing as he was told. Clemens gestured to stop the cattle and walked Zane over to the chute. Another man with a clipboard was standing there and the nindroid was introduced to him briefly as the brand inspector. Clemens showed Zane how to work the chute before going to oversee the rest of the work.
"Run 'em on through!"
The gate opened and the first cow came barreling in. Doing as he was told, Zane pulled the lever and the bars caught the animal at its neck, restraining it.
"Alright, take a look here." The brand inspector said to Zane, handing him the clipboard. "These are all registered brands within the county. Your job is to find which brand the cattle have so we can sort them right."
Zane took the clipboard and nodded. He looked along the cow's body for any markings when he saw what looked like the number forty four and the letter A combined together. Zane scanned over the brands on the paper.
"This animal belongs to the Forty-Four A." He said.
"Forty-Four A!" The brand inspector shouted over the commotion.
"Forty-Four A!" someone relayed.
Zane pushed the lever up and it released the cow and it ran down the alleyway to be corralled into the pen. No sooner had the first one left did the second come in. Zane pulled the lever and the chute doors came down. He looked at the animal and spied a brand on its shoulder. He flipped through the pages.
"W-Bar-W." He said.
"W-Bar-W!"
The next one came, this time with no brand.
"No brand!"
"No brand!"
"Whitfield-LaMott!"
"Whitfield-LaMott!"
By now, Zane had gotten into the rhythm, working the cattle with the chute and looking and calling the brands, the others repeating it down the line. The going was quick, and by late morning all the cattle had been sorted and loaded onto their respective trailers.
Hailey jumped down from her spot on the swinging gate and walked over to Zane, dusting the dirt off her jeans.
"Well?" She asked. "How was that for your first task as a ranch hand?"
"Did pretty well, I reckon." said Clemens from behind them riding up on his horse. "You're a fast learner. You'll know all the odds and ends in no time."
"So, besides the usual routine, what else do you need done today?" Hailey asked her great grandfather.
"Ah, let's see here…" Clemens said, rubbing his chin in thought. "There's a couple sections of fence on pastures three and eight that need maintenance, go ahead and tag and band any newborn calves while you're out checking cows, um...go and take ol' 762 and some bales up to the ladies on pasture five, ah...Oh! Yeah, move out the tractors in the barn over here and sweep it all out so we'll have a nice place to throw the party, and...I think that does it…"
"Alright then, guess I'll be going."
"Hey, ah, take him with you, won't ya?" Clemens said, pointing to Zane. "No harm in letting him get some more dirt on his hands."
"Okay," She jerked her head. "Come on, then."
Zane followed Hailey across the yard to one of the stables, a wooden structure with a tin roof and concrete floor. Outdoor runs were attached to the stalls. Several horses poked their heads out to see the newcomers. They walked towards the end of the stable where two empty stalls were used as a feed room and a tack room. Hailey picked up a few rubber feed pans and buckets. They dumped in different feeds and supplements in different amounts before going in and placing them in the stalls for each horse. Zane was placing a bucket in a stall when he heard a whinny and a familiar white horse came to greet him.
"Hello again, Gale." Zane said, stroking his horse's nose. "I'm glad to see you getting some rest, too."
They cleaned and filled the water buckets and put alfalfa in the hay nets before opening the stall doors to let the horses into their runs. They were just putting the scoops away when Hailey pulled out a bag of cat food and got a big scoop.
"Cat food?" Zane asked. "Horses don't eat cat food, do they?"
"What?" She said. "Of course they don't, silly. This is for the cats."
"Cats?" Zane asked as they walked out of the stable. "I didn't know you had cats."
"They're not pet cats, they're stable cats. See?" They approached a group of empty tin bowls where a handful of semi-feral cats sat and wandered. A few meowed to greet the two when they saw Hailey with their morning meal.
"This is my favorite one," She said, bending down to give one of the cats a scratch, a grey-blue shorthair with yellow eyes and a piece of her right ear missing. "This is Blueberry. She just gave birth to some kittens last year."
Zane smiled and bent down, giving Blueberry a pat on the head. The feline closed her eyes and purred in appreciation. A ginger tabby cat brushed itself against Zane's leg, but as he went to pet it the cat hissed and swatted at his hand.
"Bailey!" Hailey said. "Quit being an ass you ginger-butt!"
They finished filling the bowls for the cats before walking over to one of the smaller barns.
"Usually if I'm going to check cows I just saddle up Ranger, but since both our horses need rest and I'm gonna be doing some hauling we'll be taking Patriot out and about today instead."
She slid the barn door open. Sitting amongst some ATVs and four wheeler vehicles was an old red-on-white two-tone truck covered in dust. She got in and started it, pulling it out of the barn.
"Get in!" She yelled over the cranking diesel engine. "We gotta go check some cows!"
Zane slid into the passenger seat. The backseat was full of tools, boxes, and bottles. He reached to put on his seatbelt.
"Oh, no no no, we don't do that here."
Zane looked at her like she was crazy. "What?"
"You don't need your seatbelt. We're on private property."
"But we're in a moving vehicle?"
"Okay, okay. Unwritten ranch rule number one: You don't need seatbelts. We're gonna be getting in and out and it'll just get in the way."
"O-okay…" Zane said, putting it back.
"Ready?"
"Yes."
They drove out of the barn and across the yard to a smaller shed. She jumped out before unlocking the door and coming back with some supplies.
"This is what we're using to tag calves today if we get any." She said, dumping the contents on the center console. "Ear tags, tag pliers, and elastrators if there's any bulls. You'll be helping me out with that today."
She shut the door and they drove past the corrals and up to a gate and dirt road that led out to one of the pastures. She stopped in front of it.
"Unwritten ranch rule number two: Shotgun riders always open and close the gates."
Zane got out and opened the gate as Hailey drove through before shutting it behind her. He got back in the truck and they drove through the pasture and up at the top of the hill. The cattle were down below. They drove down the hill towards the small herd, some of the animals stopping in their grazing to watch them as they approached. Hailey drove her truck slowly and leaned out the window as they drove along the cows. Zane did the same.
"What are we looking for exactly?" He asked her.
"Nothing in particular." She answered, not looking away from the herd. "Just making sure nothing is wrong: downed cows, injured cows, or in this case also since its calving season- we're seeing if any of the pregnant heifers and cows had their babies since we last checked."
"So...we're looking for newborn cows?"
"Exactly. If you see a baby cow and it looks like it was just born and ain't got a tag, just holler."
Zane leaned out of the window and looked over the hood of the truck. He was scanning the herd when he saw something in the grass ahead of them. He gasped.
"Stop the truck!"
The truck jolted as it suddenly came to a stop.
"What?" Hailey asked.
"Look!"
In front of the truck, curled up in the grass was a brown calf, shivering in the cool morning air. They both got out and walked up to it.
"That's a baby alright." Hailey said. She grabbed an ear tag and wrote some numbers and letters with a marker before placing it in the tag puncher. She lifted the calf's back leg. "It's a boy. He's pretty tiny, so we won't band him just yet."
She put the puncher up to its ear and squeezed it, the calf mewled as the tag pierced it ear. Then there was a deep moo as a brown and white cow came walking over, alerted by its newborn's distress. Hailey grabbed Zane's arm as they backed away.
"It's alright mama." Hailey said as they kept their distance. "I just needed to tag your baby, that's all."
The mother stood over her calf and snorted. The two got back in the truck and went on their way. They fixed a stretch of fence that needed attention and checked the water trough before moving onto the next pasture. She grinned as the cows came into view.
"These are my favorites," She told Zane. "These are all my retired show cows." She leaned out of the window. "GOOD MORNING LADIES!"
Hearing her voice and the truck, these cows came trotting over, unafraid unlike the previous ones. Two cows even stuck their heads through the window and licked at Hailey's arm while she gave them chin scratches. Zane was watching when suddenly his hat was sntached off his head. He turned and saw one of the cows had grabbed it and was chewing on it.
"Hey!" he said. He reached for his hat. "Give that back!"
Zane pulled the hat out of the cows mouth but not before it was covered in saliva and cud. He sighed in dismay as Hailey tried to desperately stifle a laugh.
"We can get it cleaned up. Here," She grabbed Zane's hat and tossed him a brown and tan snapback with the family brand embroidered on the front, the same one she was wearing. He beat the dust off of it before placing it on his head as they continued checking the herd.
"All's well here." Hailey said. "On to the next."
They drove on to the next pasture and did the same as the other two. Several cows had calved and Zane and Hailey spent some time getting the calves from their mothers to be tagged. Hailey was writing a number on a tag and was loading it in the puncher when she looked at the last calf to see who its mother was. When she saw, her soul left her body.
"Aw, shit…" She muttered. "Not this one, not today…"
The cow in question was ear tag number 437, also known to all on the ranch as "Betsy the Killer". She was a black cow and was meaner than sin. No one could touch her babies and escape from her wrath unscathed. The only reason Clemens insisted on keeping her was because she was such a productive mother. Everyone on the ranch knew of her violent tendencies and refused to have anything to do with her, so the task of tagging her calves always fell on to Hailey.
But…
Hailey looked over to Zane, who had busied himself letting one of the gentler cow's calves suckle on his finger.
"Hey, Zane!" Hailey said. "You mind tagging the last calf for me?"
Zane nodded and walked over. Hailey handed him the tag puncher and pointed.
"That little baby, over there, you see him?" She said.
Besty had turned and wandered down the hill, leaving her calf alone for a rare few moments.
"Go tag him, and quick!" Hailey said, pushing Zane in its direction. She made sure he was going the right way before quickly ducking behind the door of her truck.
Zane looked back and saw her. "What are you doing?"
"Er- nothing!" Hailey said. "Hurry up!"
Zane shot her a confused look. Hailey gestured to keep walking.
"Strange…" He muttered as he walked to the calf. "She's acting like I'm going to get hurt doing this. It's only a calf…"
The calf had taken interest in a stray piece of grass and looked up at Zane with its big eyes that he had come to find were absolutely adorable.
"Hello there, little one." He said as he approached slowly, holding his hand out. "This will be quick, I promise."
Just like Hailey had showed him, he wrapped one arm around the calf and held it against his body as he reached around with the other to its right ear. He positioned the puncher and squeezed the handle, the calf mooed in distress for a moment as it was tagged, but stopped as soon as Zane got up. He patted the calf as he got up and began walking back to the truck when suddenly there was an angry bellow and the pounding of hooves behind him.
"ZANE!" Hailey yelled, still hiding behind the truck door. "LOOK OUT!"
Zane turned around and gasped. Betsy had dropped what she was doing when she heard her baby in distress and was now charging at Zane with a vengeance, hatred glowering in her eyes.
"RUN!"
Zane dropped the puncher and ran for his life, Betsy hot on his heels. He ran clear across the pasture in the blink of an eye. He was almost within arm's reach of the gate when suddenly his body was jarred and he felt his feet leave the earth.
"AAAH!" He yelled as Betsy headbutted him, sending him flying over the fence and crashing to the ground on the other side.
Having one offender taken care of, Betsy turned her attention to the other. Hailey's heart stopped as she saw Besty glaring at her.
"Oh, fuck me…"
Zane groaned and coughed, looking up to see Hailey in Betsy's path of rage. He jumped up.
"RUN HAILEY RUN!"
Besty charged and Hailey dove under the truck door before running around the vehicle. Betsy slammed into it and clipped Hailey as she chased her around Patriot, and in an almost ninja-like way Hailey cleared the top of the gate and landed next to Zane on the safety of the other side. Stopped by the gate, Betsy had resorted to glaring at the two through the fence. She got up and dusted herself off.
"YOU GODDAMN PIECE OF MEAT!" Hailey hollered at Betsy. "YOU'RE LUCKY YOU'RE MY GRANDPA'S FAVORITE OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE GROUND YOU TO BURGER MYSELF!"
Betsy soon lost interest into trying to kill the two and went on her way, collecting her calf as the herd moved downhill to get water. Once the coast was clear, Hailey and Zane scrambled into the truck and peeled out of the pasture.
"You okay?"
Zane only nodded, still rattled by Betsy's murder attempt. It was something he would not soon forget.
"Ugh, I've had enough of cows for one day." Hailey huffed, leaning back in the seat. "How bout we go back up to the house and clear out the barn, yeah?"
They came back to the yard and grabbed a quick breakfast before setting to work on the barn. A handful of tractors sat inside, so Hailey and Zane worked together to back them out and park them outside. Then they worked to sweep out the dust and dirt from the concrete floor so the inside was clean enough to host people. Then Hailey came around in Patriot with a trailer hitched to it and they went to retrieve the bulls.
"This is Tuffy." Hailey said, pointing to the brown and white muscular bull with stubby horns. She jumped the fence and walked up. "He's one of our best herd sires. He looks mean, but in reality he's just a big grass puppy. Aren't you, you big boy?" She asked before giving him kisses. Tuffy huffed and licked the side of her face. "Awwwwww."
They got Tuffy loaded in the stock trailer before driving to another pen. This time they backed up to the gate of another bull, a light gray one with huge ears, a droopy face, a nose ring and a huge hump in its back.
"Uh, what kind of cow is that?" Zane asked as they got out and walked over. "He's unlike any I've ever seen…"
"That's a brahman bull." Hailey said. "They're a breed more resistant to harsh hot weather. I bought him from an auction not long ago for a little genetic project I'm doing, combining the heat resistance and hardiness of the longhorn and brahman and then crossing those offspring to more feed efficient breeds. My goal is to create a line of stock tolerant of extreme heat and poor range conditions while still maintaining efficient weight gain."
Zane nodded. "I see."
Hailey grabbed a paddle and a prod from the bed of her truck. "Now be careful, I haven't really had much time with this guy so I don't know how he is in terms of temper, so just use caution."
The brahman bull was standoffish when he saw the two come into the pen, but after a few waves of the paddle it lumbered into the trailer with Tuffy. They closed the doors and locked everything in place before driving out to one of the pastures to turn out Tuffy. Then they drove to the next.
"Again, careful." She reminded, handing Zane the paddle. He nodded and opened the trailer door, but the bull didn't walk out. It sat there, staring at the two with its wrinkly face and droopy ears.
"Hmm." Hailey said. Zane waved the paddle. Still, it didn't move.
"Let me see." Hailey said, reaching down from one of the slats. She tapped the bull in the rump with the prod. Still, it did nothing. It didn't want to move, even as Hailey tried to encourage it with some more forceful taps. She sighed.
"Sorry man," Hailey said as she pressed the button on the prod, an arc of electricity between the two prongs. "Y'all have left me with no choice."
She tapped the bull with the activated prong quickly. This time there was a clatter as hooves scrambled along the rubber floor as the bull leapt out of the trailer, bellowing and flailing its horns in anger. Zane leapt out of the way to avoid the bull as it charged across the field. His eyes went wide as he saw it wheel around and face him.
"Oh no, not again!" Zane said as the bull pawed the ground.
Hailey saw Zane's danger and jumped down from the trailer. She couldn't have Zane get hurt or killed by a cow of all things a second time.
"HEY!"
Zane and the bull looked to see Hailey standing there, prod in hand. The bull turned its body towards her and snorted.
"Zane," She said, not breaking eye contact with the bull. "Get to the truck."
"What?"
"Get to the truck. Hurry, while I've got his attention."
Zane wanted to protest but immediately closed his mouth as the bull pawed the ground again. Cautiously but quickly he got into Patriot and watched the bull and Hailey with a bated breath from the window.
The bull bellowed and charged, Hailey spinning to avoid its horns. It turned again and chased Hailey down, her dodging its attacks by twisting and turning every which way. The bull was in such a frenzy trying to run her over he turned too hard and lost his balance, tipping over. She whipped around and ran for Patriot as the bull scrambled to its feet. She leapt into the bed of the truck.
"Go, go go!" She yelled, banging on the roof as she saw the bull charging their way. Zane slid across the seat and gunned the gas pedal as they raced out of the pasture, the bull lost in the dust. Zane leaned back and opened the back window.
"Are you okay?!" He asked over the roaring diesel.
"Yeah! Just take her back to the yard!"
They drove back to the yard and unhitched the trailer. Done with the livestock for right now, Hailey and Zane resorted to passing the afternoon maintaining and repairing the tractors, implements and ranch rigs as well as small odd and end jobs- Zane's favorite being feeding the bottle calves.
Soon it was pushing evening when Hailey crawled out from the last tractor she had been working on, covered in oil. She heaved a sigh and took her hat off before wiping her head and replacing her hat back on her head.
"Damn, and we still have to feed cows after this…"
"We do?"
"Yeah. Pasture seven and three are runnin' pretty low on forage, but we don't rotate them to a new pasture for another month, so we're feeding hay in the meantime." She put her tools away and jerked her head to Patriot who was sitting outside of the shop. "Sundown will be here soon, and I don't like feeding cows in the dark."
They climbed back into the truck and drove to the far end of the property, where a massive heap of hay and alfalfa bales sat underneath a massive roofed structure.
"Ugh, the oat hay's all the way in the back." Hailey groaned as they pulled up. She backed Patriot up to the pile. "We're gonna have to walk across…"
They climbed the mountain of bales until they reached the top. Hailey hopped from bale to bale to avoid falling and getting stuck in the holes, Zane following her footsteps. They were almost to the back when Zane's foot slipped and he almost fell through, except Hailey managed to reach back and grab him by his shirt just in time.
"You okay?" She asked him as she hauled him up. He brushed off his shirt and nodded.
They reached the back and worked together to toss the heavy bales of hay across the top of the pile and into the bed of Patriot. Then they got back in and drove out to one of the fields. Hailey pressed one of the pedals and pulled on the gearshift. Zane was very confused when he saw Hailey open the door and get out.
"What are you doing?!" He asked.
"Feeding cows! What else does it look like?" She yelled as she climbed into the truck bed. "Come on!"
Still baffled, Zane did as he was told.
"Unwritten ranch rule number three," Hailey said as she helped him onto the bed. "Always put your truck in neutral when feeding the cows!"
The two began cutting the twine off the bales as the cows came running over at the sound of Patriot's engine. The truck rocked as it ambled along, running over rocks and squirrel holes, but thanks to his ninja skills and her experience, neither of them had any trouble keeping their balance as they tossed the flakes of hay out of the back, the cows running up to the hay before gobbling it up. The sun was starting to go down when they finally came back to the house. They had just busied themselves to getting the hay off their clothes when suddenly Hailey's phone rang.
"Jackson? Hey, whats up?" Hailey answered. "Coalinga?...Uh, duh, is that even a question? Of course I would...Nah, he won't have any issues. My grandfather adores you. What time would you be able to get me? Seven? Okay, see you then. Love you, bye."
Hailey looked down at her oil stained clothes. "Ugh, good thing he won't be here for another couple hours, I have a lot of cleaning up to do…"
"If you are looking for ways to get oil off your skin, I suggest you use that can of WD-40 sitting in the cupholder."
…
Knock knock knock!
Clemens stood up from the table he, Samuel, and Zane were all sitting at. "Now who could that be at this hour?"
He walked over to the door and opened it. Standing on the porch was the boy Zane recognised as Jackson. Clemens cracked into a big wide grin.
"Jackson!" he said. "How are ya' doin' son? Come on in!"
"I'm good, thank you sir." Jackson said as he stepped inside. He smiled and nodded to the other two still at the table.
"Hailey!" Clemens hollered down the hall. "Jackson's here!"
"Just a minute!" Came a faint voice from the bathroom.
The old rancher turned back to Jackson "So you're riding tonight in Coalinga I heard, huh? Who'd you draw?"
"Yup. Was hoping for Air Time but I ended up drawing Bodacious instead."
"Bodacious?! You drew Bodacious?!" Clemens said. He grimanced. "I saw him slam a kid like you at the fair a couple years back. Came off the arena in a stretcher. He'll be hard for sure, but if you ride him long enough he ought to get you a hell of a score."
Zane leaned over to Samuel, confused. "What are they talking about?" He asked in a low voice.
"Bronc riding." Samuel answered. "It's a rodeo sport. Jackson's riding a bronc tonight at Coalinga's rodeo."
Hailey walked out into the living room, having cleaned up after the day. She had swapped her dirty old jeans for a clean pair and was wearing a nice tank top instead of her dirty button down as well as her ranch hat and a few touches of makeup. Jackson saw her and his eyes lit up.
"You look amazing…" He said as they embraced.
"Thank you." Hailey said. "I missed you so much…"
Zane heard Samuel huff irritably and could feel his eyes roll.
"Well you two have fun now!" Clemens said as he gestured to the door. "Coalinga's a bit of a haul in the dark. Good luck on your ride at the rodeo tonight, son!"
Jackson smiled and nodded. "Thank you sir, I'll bring her home safe." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and they began walking out.
"If you don't mind me asking," Zane said. "What is a rodeo?"
Samuel opened his mouth to answer but saw Jackson and Hailey about to leave. A mischievous grin spread over his face. "How about I show you?"
Samuel stood up. "Hey Hailey, Jackson!"
They stopped. Hailey looked at her uncle. "...Yes?"
He narrowed his eyes and grinned diabolically.
"Zane here has just been dying to see what a rodeo is-"
"What?" The nindroid said. "Samuel, I was just a-"
"Shhh!" Samuel said. "Roll with it." Zane fell silent.
"Like I was saying, he's been asking me about it, so I figured tonight would be the perfect opportunity."
Hailey scowled. "Uncle Sam, I know you don't like that I'm dating but-"
"No buts! You're taking Zane to the rodeo and that's final!"
"But Uncle Saaaaaam…."
"Ah-ah-ah!" He tsked. "What did I say?"
"Oh Sam, stop it!" Clemens said. "Let the two kids have their fun!" But his plea fell on deaf ears.
"I am not taking Zane to the-"
"Yes you are!" He said. He grabbed the nindroid by the arm and hauled him to the door before pushing the three out onto the porch.
"I am not-" Hailey began again, but was cut off by her uncle throwing a wad of cash at them.
"YouaretakingZanetotherodeowhetheryoulikeitornotiknowwhatyouteenagersdoheressomecashuseitonfoodgasboozewhateverjustdontdieorgetarrestedloveyouhaveagoodtimeBYE!" He said before slamming the door shut and locking it.
Hailey scoffed. "Uncle Sam!" She yelled. She stomped up to the door and pounded her fist on it. "Uncle Sam! You better open this door or I'll knock it down myself!"
The porchlight then turned off, leaving them in the dark. She sighed.
"He ALWAYS does this!" She grumbled. "ALWAYS! I can never have any alone time with you!"
Jackson wrapped a comforting hand around her shoulders. "I know, baby, I know. But we'll still have fun."
"Okay…"
He looked up at Zane. "So you're our chaperone, huh?"
Zane looked around, seeing he wasn't getting out of this situation any time soon. "I-I guess so…"
"Alright, great!" Jackson said, smiling in an attempt to lighten the situation. He jerked his head to the old black Chevrolet, its diesel engine cranking quietly as it idled. "Let's get going then. We won't have much time to spare if we wait any longer."
The three of them climbed in. Jackson got behind the wheel and pulled up the center console for Hailey to sit next to him as Zane clambered into the backseat, which he shared with Jackson's bronc saddle and duffel bag. The truck ambled out of the yard and drove down the beat up asphalt roads until they reached the highway.
Coalinga was an hour's drive from Flint River. Jackson and Hailey sat together in the front, talking and laughing as they swapped bits and pieces of conversation. Zane was silent, staring into the dark open country, the only light for miles being the headlights of the occasional tractor still churning up dust, some old country music playing out of the speakers.
Zane tapped his fingers on the armrest absentmindedly to the guitar as he let his mind wander once more. This journey he had embarked on a few months ago had not gone at all like he had planned. He loved it here, and he loved the people, but he needed to leave, not go to some rodeo. FSM knows what the status of Morro and the ninja were at this point. The longer he stayed, the bleaker the situation looked. He was becoming desperate.
For a fleeting moment Zane thought of taking things into his own hands. Perhaps he would saddle up Gale tonight and the two would leave the ranch and make the expedition back north together?
'No, that won't work at all." Zane thought to himself. 'I was barely able to survive the range the last time, and I'm not even human. Gale wouldn't last a day in those mountains. I'm not risking his life for that.'
Zane thought for a time, but was unable to come up with any feasible way where he could leave by himself. It looked like he would have to wait up on the Mt. Horns to find a way, or for some other event to intervene.
Destiny does have a funny way of working out, after all.
It turned out that Coalinga was a small rural town on the edge of a massive oilfield that sat at the bottom of the hills. They pulled into the rodeo grounds and parked in the back among other trucks, semis, and stock trailers. Jackson killed the engine and the three got out, Zane handing Jackson his saddle and rein. They followed him to a building with an open window.
"I take you're here for the broncs tonight?" The woman there asked Jackson. He nodded.
"Alright hon, let me see your ID."
Jackson slid his driver's license to the woman who looked at it and checked something off a list. She handed it back to him before vanishing and returning with a square piece of paper with Jackson's name on it and the number 16.
"Here you go, young man." She said handing it to him. She saw Hailey and Zane. "Are they with you?"
"Yep! Moral support." Jackson said with a grin. The woman smiled and nodded.
"Okay then, good luck tonight!"
They left the building and followed a path into the rodeo grounds. Zane took the opportunity to look around his new surroundings.
It was a full house tonight. Bright lights shined down on the arena and bleachers, which were already jam packed with people, and more flowing in from the main entrance. Behind the bleachers he could see the tops of tents which the smell of food wafted from. Jackson led them through behind the chutes, no less busy than the bleachers. People yelling over others as they shouted directions, and others competing in tonight's rodeo getting ready. Barrel racers were tacking up their horses, ropers warming up and tossing lassos at plastic cow heads jammed into hay bales, and the roughstock riders suiting up in their chaps and spurs. Zane was taking it all in when suddenly-
Oof!
The nindroid-whom was disguised of course- bumped into the arm of another person.
"Why don't you watch where you're going pretty boy?!"
Zane looked up and saw about a twenty year old man slightly taller than him staring down with a disgusted look on his face.
"Sorry," Zane apologized. "I didn't see you."
"Yeah, sure," he retorted. He coughed up a wad of chewing tobacco and spat it on the ground and scuffed it up with his boot. "Next time you decide to be a half-blind dumbass it'll be your face here next!"
A hand grabbed Zane's wrist as Hailey pulled him away from the situation before he could say anything.
"Zane? Zane!" Hailey said. "Hey, whatever you do, stay away from him."
"It was only an accident!" Zane said as they kept walking. "I don't see what warranted that kind of reaction from him."
"Jack's an asshole." Jackson said. "Like Hailey said, just stay away from him and you're good."
They reached a bench outside the locker room and he set his bag and saddle down when suddenly a great rumble came from the pens. Zane looked just in time to see a herd of bulls charging down the alleyway, snorting and tangling horns as they were corraled and sent through the chutes, the bucking horses following suit soon after.
"It's gonna be a great show tonight!" Hailey said as she watched the roughstock run by. There was a voice over the loudspeaker. She nudged Zane and jerked her head. "Now come on, it's about to start. We've got the best seats in the house!"
The three stood at the fence and watched. The anthem played with a cowgirl taking the flag around the arena on her horse before the calf, breakaway and team ropers made their runs. After that came some games such as cowboy poker followed by goat tying and cow-cutting. The night wore on with the steer wrestlers, bullfighters, and the barrel racers.
"Hey, Zane!" Jackson said to the nindroid after a while, halfway through the bullriding. "Hailey and I are gonna grab a bite to eat, are you hungry? We have some time before I'm up."
Zane shook his head. "No thank you, but I appreciate the offer."
"Okay, cool. You mind staying here and watching my gear then?"
"Of course not. I know you and Hailey wanted some quality time together, so I'll leave you two be." He shot the boy a serious look. "You heard what Samuel said. No trouble."
Jackson grinned. "Of course not." He took Hailey's hand and he led her out of the chutes and the two disappeared into the crowd. Zane watched them go before turning his attention back to the arena, standing on the fence to get a better view. He watched as a bull entered the chute next to him before being fitted with the bullrope and the flank strap. One young man stood at the top, straightening out his helmet and jamming the mouthguard inside his mouth before lowering himself onto the bull's back. He wrapped the loose end around his hand.
"Alright folks, give it up for number 23, Garrett Guidotti on Two Steps From Hell!" The announcer said. The chuteman yelled something and the rider nodded. The metal gate flew open and the bull charged out into the arena, flailing its back end into the air, dirt and drool flying everywhere. The scoreboard on the other end began to time his ride. He hung on tight, but Two Steps was too much for him, throwing him off into the fence at 3.8 seconds. Zane winced as the panels rattled. The rider stumbled up from the ground and made his way back to the chutes as the pickup men steered the bull to the back gate.
"You good?" Yelled someone as he came back. He nodded.
"Yeah!" He said as he climbed back over the fence. "Gave me one hell of a ringer though!"
The bullriding went on and Zane watched. But towards the end though, there was still no sign of Hailey and Jackson, and soon the first of the broncs were being pushed into the chutes.
Zane grew more concerned as the time went on. He thought about going to look for them, but remembered about Jackson's tack. He knew better than to leave it unsupervised.
"I guess I'll go wait then…"
Zane stepped off the fence and walked back over to where Jackson had left his gear. He saw his duffel back had been knocked over, it's contents spilled on the ground.
"Oh, no!" Zane said, scrambling to pick everything up. He saw a piece of paper on the ground and picked it up. "His number…"
He was almost done putting everything back in when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He saw another young man, dressed in his chaps and spurs and holding his bronc rein in one hand.
"Hey, buddy, need some help pinning your number on?"
"Uh-its not-" Zane began.
"Oh, its fine, here." The man said, taking the number from Zane's hands and fastening it to his back before he could protest. "There. Good luck tonight!"
The man tipped his hat and went on his way. Zane craned his neck to see the number 16 pinned to the back of his shirt. He sighed.
"I guess this is the safest place for it as of now…" He looked around, but still no sight of the two. "Where are they?"
The first of the saddle bronc riders were turned out of the chutes, one of them getting their hand tangled in the rein and was being dragged and kicked at by the horse, and ended up getting shown out by a pair of paramedics and. Another knocked out cold after his horse slipped and fell on top of him. Zane grimaced as he watched him be taken away on a stretcher. He hoped Jackson wouldn't meet that same fate tonight.
"If they even get here." Zane said, looking around. "Where are they?! It's been over an hour…"
Zane got up and was about to go look for them when another hand on his shoulder stopped him. "Huh?"
It was a chuteman. "Look, pal," He said "I don't think now's the best time to be wanderin' off. You and a few others are up soon."
Zane was baffled. "Me? But I'm not-"
"Thirty four, fifty six, seventy five, three, sixteen!" Said a crackling voice over the loudspeaker. "Your horses are in the chutes! Make sure you're ready. Again, thirty four, fifty six, seventy five, three, sixteen! Your horses are in the chutes! Get ready!"
Sixteen. Sixteen was Jackson's number! He was up next!
Zane rushed off to find him but the chuteman dragged him back.
"Now look, I understand getting cold feet during your first ride." He said, ignoring Zane. "But that doesn't mean you can just run away from it!"
"I'm-I'm not Jackson!" Zane said.
"Well of course you are! Why else is that number on your back?"
Zane craned his neck to see it still on there. He facepalmed. "It was a mistake! I'm not Jackson! I don't even know how to ride a bronc!"
Something was said over the loudspeaker. The chuteman pointed to Jackson's saddle.
"Look, if I don't get you on your horse on time my boss is gonna have a hell of a night grilling me about it, just get tacked up won't ya?"
He turned around before Zane could say anything else he left to get back to work.
"I-How many-why-" Zane sputtered flustered. "I'm not Jackson! Is anyone even listening to me?!"
"Hey! Sixteen!" Someone off to his left yelled. "Get tacked up! You're getting screwed down soon!"
Zane huffed and rifled through Jackson's bag. He and the boy were about the same size, so everything fit.
"Fine, fine!" Zane grumbled as he slipped on the spurs. "But I'm taking this all off as soon as Jackson gets back!" He looked up at the entrance to the chutes. Still no sign of them.
"If he even gets back…what are they even doing?!"
Meanwhile, Hailey and Jackson waited in line for funnel cakes and boba tea, completely unaware of the time. Jackson wiped the sweat off his forehead and ran a hand through his slightly disheveled hair.
"Whew." he said. "It's been awhile," he said, fixing his belt. He shot a sly grin at Hailey. "You good baby?"
Hailey smiled back and nodded. "Oh yeah." She looked up at the sky.
"Say, you think we should go back and check in with Zane? We've been gone awhile…"
"Nah, we're good."
They may have been good, but Zane was not. Not while standing by his-or what was supposed to be Jackson's- chute. He watched the man two chutes down lower himself into the saddle and grab hold of the rein.
"Alright boys, open 'er up!"
The gate flew open and the wild horse flew upwards, taking the man with it in a tangle of leather and horsehair. He didn't even last two seconds as the horse left him spinning in the sky before coming back down to earth with a crash.
"Sixteen? Sixteen!"
"H-what?" Zane said, seeing the chuteman waving a hand in his face.
"There's one more ahead of ya!" he shouted over the yells and clanging of gates. "Make sure y'all get screwed down!"
Zane was frozen, clutching the saddle with white knuckles. Get screwed down? What did that even mean?
The chuteman saw Zane's hesitation and rolled his eyes. "Hey, you two! Help him won't ya?"
Two other riders and another chutehand came over to help him. One took his saddle as he climbed over the chute and the other took his rein. His mind was racing as he and one of the riders was placing the saddle and tightening the cinch. Out of everything that could have possibly happened tonight, now he was stuck in a rodeo?! As if facing a band of murderous horse thieves wasn't enough. He didn't even know how to ride a bucking horse. There was nothing to hang on to. How was he even supposed to stay in the saddle? What if he got injured?
Jackson and Hailey finally got their food and sat down. Jackson's phone pinged with a text and he fished it out of his pocket. He happened to look up at the time and his heart dropped.
"Oh my god, we've been gone for almost two hours!"
Hailey spat out her boba. "What?!" She cried. "What about your ride?! You're supposed to be going any second now!"
"Coming out of chute number three is number sixteen, Jackson Granger on Bodacious!" said the voice on the loudspeaker in the distance. "Give it up folks!"
Hailey looked at her boyfriend. "But you're not-"
Suddenly their eyes went wide as they finally put two and two together.
"SHIT!" Jackson said as he leapt to his feet. Hailey followed.
"So much for a quickie!"
The thundering of the crowd roared in Zane's ears, the thudding of his heart almost drowning them out, feeling like a sledgehammer in his chest. "I'm not Jackson!" He said over the crowd, gripping the edges of the chute like his life depended on it. "I can't do this!"
"Well son, that number on your back says otherwise." The chute boss said over the clamor, looking at his clipboard. "Alright boys, get him in!"
"No, wait!" He cried. A couple hands pried his fingers from the bars and he was lowered into the saddle of Bodacious, an unruly bay mustang. "I'm not-"
"Easy pal, you'll be fine!" Said one of the riders. The bronc rein was shoved into Zane's hand. "Hand back, arm up." He got Zane into the right position. "Just lean back, mark out and rake him, you'll do good!"
"What does any of that even mean?!" He cried. But the rider didn't hear, leaning back behind him.
"Alright boys, he's good to go!" he yelled to the chutehands.
"What?! No!"
One of the hands jumped down and took hold of the cord attached to the chute used to pull it open. He nodded.
"Oh, no, no no no!" Zane said. "Get me out of here!"
"Zane?!" Shouted a familiar voice. "Where are you?!"
Zane gasped and peered through the slats of the chute. It was Hailey and Jackson running his way!
"Jackson! Hailey!" Zane yelled. "Help!"
"Wait!" Hailey yelled at the chutemen as they ran over.
"Stop!" Jackson cried. "You've got the wrong guy!"
One of the chutmen that had gathered at Zane's chute nodded. "Alright boys, let 'er rip!"
"NO!" Hailey and Jackson yelled as they made it to the chute just as one of the hands pulled on the rope.
"NO!" Zane cried.
But it was too late. The metal gate flew open.
Uh-oh. Looks like Zane's in trouble yet again, and it looks like Jackson and Hailey have some *ahem* explaining to do... Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Be sure to drop a review on your way out! Stay healthy and safe! RealtreeGal, out!