Spirit Warrior

2. Present day-2

Jacob listened with frustration as Billy explained where they were heading. They needed to head south and were on the backside of a man called Sam Whitewater’s ranch. That was about all Jacob was able to pull from the words running out of Billy’s mouth. He still wasn’t clear what a ‘truck’ was or why a horse would need a trailer. He figured that might be some kind of a wagon.

Pulling back on the reins, he drew his horse to a halt beside his brother. Unease washed through him as he studied the back of Billy. What if this was a trap? What if Spirit Pass didn’t really take them to the future, just to the other side of the mountain? What if… His mind shied away from the thought of what would happen if they really had gone to the future. Would they be able to find Indy in her world?

“Did you understand half of what he just said?” he muttered under his breath.

Jonathan gave him a sharp nod and explained that Indy had shown him some images from her life here. Jacob wished she had shown him a few of them. He’d much rather know what he was facing instead of using his imagination. He had never thought of himself as being a very imaginative guy before, but right now, his mind was thinking of all kinds of horrible things.

Jacob restlessly fingered the gun at his waist. Comfort swept through him to know that they were not completely defenseless. Dropping his hand back to his thigh, he followed Billy and his brother this time. The dogs, seeming to sense they were back on familiar ground, ran back and forth along the small line of horses. The only sound was the panting of the dogs, the occasional snort of one of the horses, and the creaking of the saddles as they moved downhill.

It took about half an hour before they came to a wide road. Jacob’s eyes immediately went to the ground to search for tracks. Confusion darkened his gaze as he saw impressions unlike anything he’d ever seen before mixed with the hoof marks from several horses. Long lines as far as he could see in both directions ran in parallel lines.

“Wagons?” Jonathan asked, pulling back again now that they were on the wider road.

Jacob shrugged as he studied the indentations. “I’ve never seen anything like this. They are too wide and there are funny lines through them. If wagons created it, they are bigger than any I’ve ever seen,” he muttered.

They continued down the road in silence for almost ten minutes before Billy’s loud curse rang out as they rounded another bend in the road. Jacob sat back in his saddle and watched the man with narrowed eyes as he half slid, half fell off Jonathan’s horse. An amused smile quirked his lips when Billy rubbed his ass and walked funny as he turned in a circle.

“What’s wrong?” Jonathan asked.

“Those sons-of-bitches took my truck,” Billy groaned, running his hands over his hair and bending over with another loud curse before he straightened and looked down the road. “It had to be them. I had locked it. They must have taken the keys when I was unconscious,” he added as he started to frantically check his pockets.

Jonathan was about to reply when the ground began to vibrate and a low growling noise filled the air further down the road. Jacob and Billy’s horses danced nervously, forcing Billy to grab for the reins while Midnight remained calm. The dogs stood in the middle of the road and began to bark in excitement.

“What is it?” Jonathan called out, nudging his horse over to where Billy was standing.

“Help, I hope!” Billy grinned. “My ass can’t take much more of riding a horse, and Rosalie will kill me if I don’t find the truck.”