When Lightning Strikes

that whispered of people long gone and a time forgotten.

"Hear that?" he whispered, slowly pulling the hat off his head and running splayed fingers through his damp hair.

Lainie strained for a noise worthy of "that." It took a long time, but gradually she became aware of the low, thudding heartbeat that came from far away.

"What is it?"

"Horses. Ten or twelve of them, I'd say."

Lainie's pulse picked up. "Joe Martin," she breathed, feeling a tingling sense of anticipation.

Killian cursed harshly and plunged the dusty hat back on his head. "Let's go."

"Are they far behind us?"

He glanced backward, his eyes narrowed. "One m

ile, maybe less."

"I'm tired," she said. "Maybe we should make camp."

He laughed. It was a sharp, unexpected sound that echoed through the stillness. "Nice try, lady."

Lainie saw him turn toward her, and her stomach dropped to somewhere around her knees. "No, please?"

He smiled. "Hang on."

She surged forward and clutched the saddle horn just as he smacked her horse on the butt.

Chapter Five

f

Killian slumped in his saddle. Exhaustion pulled at him, rounded his shoulders, but still he kept moving. Captain plodded onward, his huge hooves plunking and sloshing through the slow-moving stream that had long ago gouged this canyon from the mesa above.

He closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the night. Plunk, splash, plunk, splash. He tried to hear the faraway vibrations of a dozen running horses, but couldn't.

Maybe they'd lost the posse. Only the finest Indian tracker could follow hoofprints in moving water, and they'd been winding their way through this jet black canyon for hours.

But he didn't believe they'd lost them. Not if Joe Martin was in the lead. For a long time Killian had lived on instinct, and he'd learned to trust his gut feeling. And right now his gut was telling him to keep going.

"It's impossible," the woman muttered behind him.

He knew he shouldn't ask. God knew he didn't give a shit what she thought about anything, but somehow, with them out here all alone, he felt compelled to respond. "What's impossible?"

"I'm tired."

"That's not impossible. I'm exhausted." 56

57

"But I'm asleep."

"Yeah, sure you are."

"Hey!" Her voice held a sudden sharpness, as if she'd just thought of something. "Maybe if I dreamed I went to sleep, I could actually wake up."

Killian couldn't think of a response, so he kept his mouth shut.