Chapter 18
Dakota had never traveled before, and it was all so new to her.
She was happy that she got to do it with Blade, though.
When she was with him, everything was a little better.
He just understood her and knew how to make her feel safe.
He always had, and she was eternally grateful to have a friend like him.
Traveling nonstop wasn’t easy, and although they were on a revenge mission, she was happy to be spending time with Blade. She doubted she would have enjoyed it as much if she were alone.
Getting to Rapid City had been their longest ride so far, and as they got closer, Dakota could feel herself getting more anxious.
She couldn’t remember Daniel Evans, but Blade had told her that he was the man who had murdered her mother.
Daniel had worked on one of the neighboring farms that supplied milk to the dairy in Silver, which his mother had owned at the time.
Dakota wiped the sweat from her forehead, watching Blade as he ate his lunch. They hadn’t stopped in town for a couple of days, but they still had enough food.
“I want to kill him,” she said, the words tasting bitter on her tongue.
“Daniel?”
Dakota nodded. “Yes. I feel like it is something I have to do.”
“Killing somebody isn’t something you can take back. It’ll stay with you forever,” Blade pointed out.
“I know, and I want it, too.” Dakota took a bite of her beans and washed it down with a sip of coffee. “Maybe I’ll be less angry—I don’t know . . .”
Blade ran a hand through his hair. It was longer now, almost hanging on his shoulders. “Are you sure?”
Dakota didn’t have to think about it. From the moment Blade had told her about his plan all those years ago, she knew that it was her destiny too. He could kill all the others, but Daniel Evans was hers to end. “Yes, I have to do it.”
“Okay,” Blade agreed. “I get it.”
“It’s only fitting, considering we’re in Dakota.”
Blade laughed at that. “I guess. Might as well make your first kill as memorable as possible.”
When they were done eating, they continued on their way.
The sun was high in the sky, beating down on them.
It was terribly hot. Squinting her eyes, Dakota looked over to where Blade was riding a few feet ahead of her.
His shirt clung to his back, outlining his muscled body.
Dakota pulled her eyes away and looked up at the sky again.
Looking at Blade in that way caused her stomach to knot and her skin to tingle. Such thoughts were better ignored.
“It’s so hot today,” she said, needing to distract herself.
“Yeah, I think it might be the hottest day I’ve felt this summer, but look at the sky—there’s a storm coming.”
Dakota followed his gaze. He was right, but Blade was seldom wrong. Clouds were gathering above them, gray and thick but still far apart.
“It might blow over,” Dakota stated, hoping that it would. She really didn’t want to get stuck in a thunderstorm.
“Doubt it. They’re moving in fast.”
They traveled in silence for the next couple of minutes, and every time Dakota looked up, the clouds were thicker.
The storm wasn’t going to blow over. The bright blue sky that had looked down on them as they ate lunch was gone, replaced by dark gray, leaving only a few rays of sunlight to escape through the cracks.
The wind was picking up, too, causing the long grass to rustle and the lonely trees to sway.
As they continued, the heat from the day faded, and soon enough, Dakota could feel the cold wind chilling her flesh. It was a good thing they had brought thick coats.
“We’re going to have to find cover,” Dakota stated as she positioned Riot next to Africa.
“I was thinking the same thing.” Blade pointed at some hills in the distance. “Those are our best option.”
The hills were far off, and Dakota hoped that they would reach them before it started to rain. Blade was right, though; it was their best chance to find shelter. There was nothing but open plains, except for a few lonely trees, in all directions.
They were halfway to the hills when the first distant growl of thunder roared. Dakota’s heart sped up. She had never been caught in a storm out in the wild before, but she had heard stories, and some of them didn’t end well.
“We’re almost there,” Blade assured her. It was as if he could read her mind. “Let’s speed up a little.”
Pushing Africa and Riot to go faster, they galloped toward the hills. There was more thunder, and Dakota could see lightning strike in the distance, but they were going to get to their destination before it started to rain. She just hoped that there was some sort of shelter to protect them.
“Keep your eyes open!” Blade yelled over the wind. He looked up at the sky. “We don’t have a lot of time.”
They made their way through the hills, following an overgrown and rocky path. On any other day, Dakota would have suggested a few spots they had passed, but they simply wouldn’t provide the shelter they needed.
“Over there,” Blade said, excitement clear in his voice.
Dakota looked where he was pointing and saw a dark notch in one of the hills. “A cave?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.
Blade nodded. “I think so. Let’s go see.”
As they got closer, the darkness they had seen took on form, and it was clear that it was, in fact, a cave.
The mouth was partially obscured by rocks and boulders, and to its left, there was a lonesome tree clinging to the hillside.
The wind whipped at it violently, and it swayed as if it was going to be ripped out of the ground at any moment.
Moving as fast as was safe on the rough terrain, they made their way to the mouth of the cave.
Blade jumped down from Africa and immediately headed inside, leading Africa into the cave behind him.
Dakota followed his lead and rushed in after them.
The cave was dark and cold, but it was dry and big enough to provide shelter for them and their horses.
“This will do.” Blade let go of Africa’s reins and pulled his axe from one of his saddlebags.
“For a moment, I thought we weren’t going to find anything,” Dakota said as she followed him to the mouth of the cave.
“Never fear,” Blade said with a smile as he stepped outside. “I’ll always protect you.”
Dakota’s stomach contracted again, and she could feel heat rising to her face. It was a good thing it was so dark, or Blade might have noticed her blush.
Blade made quick work of the tree, chopping off branches and throwing them to the ground.
When they had enough wood, they carried it inside.
By the time they had the fire going, the sky had turned black.
From where they sat, they could see lightning striking more and more often, and the thunder was so loud it caused the ground to shake beneath them.
A few minutes later, the rain arrived, slamming down on the roof. The fire was nice, but she still felt cold, so Dakota dug her coat out of her bag and pulled it on.
“Good idea,” Blade agreed, doing the same.
For a while, they just sat there, watching the fire and listening to the rain. As scary as it was, it was also beautiful in a way.
***
Sometime in the early morning hours, the storm subsided, and by the time they had eaten breakfast and left the cave, the sun was peeking through the clouds.
The fire had kept them warm, and the cave had kept them dry.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad night. They were both eager to get to Rapid City, though, and hoped that the storm had passed completely.
A couple of hours later, the sky was clear and bright blue again. The earth around them was still wet, and they had moved from open prairies to more wooded terrain. The air smelled damp, and their clothes were smudged with mud. She didn’t mind being dirty as long as they were safe.
As they traveled, Dakota realized just how big the storm had been.
Hours had passed, and as far as she could see, everything was still wet.
Rain was a good thing, but considering the terrain they were traversing, she would have preferred dry land.
There weren’t swamps, but there was a big patch of wetland ahead of them, and given the amount of rain that had fallen, it was going to be much trickier to navigate than usual.
Riot’s and Africa’s hooves sank into the muddy ground as they walked. “I don’t like this,” Dakota stated, starting to feel a little panicked.
“That makes two of us.” Blade shifted in his seat. “Do you want to turn back and see if we can find a way around?”
Dakota hesitated for a moment before replying. “How far do you think this stretches?”
“You see where those big trees are up ahead?” Blade pointed to two huge trees. “There’s an incline. The ground should be relatively dry beyond there.”
It wasn’t too far, maybe another twenty-five feet or so. “Finding a way around could take forever. I’m sure we’ll be all right if we just go slow.”
Blade nodded. “Then we continue.”
The ground beneath them became more uneven with every step, and before long, Dakota was seriously reconsidering her decision. “This was a bad idea.”
“Yeah,” Blade agreed. “But it wouldn’t help to turn around now.”
“Just a few more steps, Riot,” Dakota whispered as she ran her hand through her horse’s mane.
They were nearing the trees and the upward slope when, without warning, the ground beneath Riot’s feet gave way, causing his front legs to sink deep into the ground. Riot let out a frightened neigh as he started to struggle beneath her.
Dakota’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest. They never should have entered the wetlands. They should have found another way, but it was too late, and now they were in big trouble.
Blade’s eyes grew wide as he turned to see what was happening. “Hold still,” he instructed.
Dakota and Riot must have chosen the worst spot to walk because the ground in front of Blade and Africa appeared to be steady and even. Blade carefully turned Africa around and walked over to where Riot was still struggling.
“It isn’t quicksand. He’s just stuck.” Blade pulled a rope from one of his bags and slipped down from Africa’s back.
The mud was deep, coming up to below his knees. Blade didn’t seem too worried, but Dakota was battling to keep herself calm.
“I’m going to tie the rope around Riot and then pull him out with Africa,” he told her. “I’ve seen it done before.”
“Okay, just be careful.”
“Always am,” Blade replied with a smile.
Dakota knew it was a lie he liked to tell. Blade was generally a responsible person, but when it came to his own well-being, he tended to be reckless. Nevertheless, she didn’t argue. Instead, she watched as he looped the rope around Riot and then got back onto Africa.
“Hold on tight,” Blade instructed, and then urged Africa to move in the opposite direction.
Africa was a strong horse, but even with all his strength, it took a while to free Riot.
When his hooves finally got loose, he stumbled to the side but managed to keep his balance.
Dakota let out a deep breath and leaned forward, embracing Riot.
For a moment, the four of them just stood there, happy that the worst was over.
“All right,” Dakota said, sitting up straight. “Let’s get out of here.”