The Orphan’s Defender (Preview)

Chapter One

“Faster,” Jeremiah urged his horse as they maneuvered between the trees.

Greywind picked up speed, running faster than he had ever run before. The horse’s gray, almost silver-like mane glistened under the late afternoon sun as his footfalls echoed on the wind.

“That’s it, boy, we have to lose them.” Jeremiah glanced over his shoulder and then focused his eyes on the landscape in front of him. The vegetation wasn’t thick enough for him to hide and he was struggling to get away from the four men chasing him.

To his right was a heavy incline leading to thicker vegetation. Pulling on Greywind’s reins, Jeremiah steered his horse toward it as bullets whizzed by. The outlaws chasing him were hot on his heels and he had to find a hiding spot before one of their bullets landed.

He glanced over his shoulder again. He had put some distance between them, but he was in no way in the clear, and the outlaws chasing him weren’t giving up. He was going to have to take the fight to them—but if he wanted to survive, he needed to be clever.

Jeremiah steered Greywind up the grassy incline and into the thick vegetation where the pine trees gave way to elms. The trees were big, causing a shadow to fall over him as he brought Greywind to a stop and slipped off of the horse’s back.

The forest went quiet all around him. He had managed to dodge his pursuers’ sight and it was time to act. Scanning the area, Jeremiah saw a fallen elm to his left. The branches stuck out in all directions, supplying him with the cover he needed. He ran over to the fallen tree and positioned himself behind it.

His pursuers were quiet, but they couldn’t hide the sound of their horses’ footfalls. The leaves rustled and every once in a while Jeremiah could hear a horse’s blow. The animals could sense danger, and he could only hope that Greywind would keep quiet. He’d had the stallion for years and had grown fond of him.

Jeremiah retrieved his Winchester repeater from his back and aimed it toward the area from which he had entered the denser forest. The wind had picked up and he listed carefully. To his right came the thumping of hooves hitting the ground, and he turned just in time to see one of his pursuers stepping out from behind a tree. Without hesitation, Jeremiah aimed his rifle and pulled the trigger.

The bullet landed and the outlaw toppled off his horse, causing the animal to neigh and run off. The sound of his gunfire echoed through the woods and a flock of birds took off, their wings brushing the air and rustling the leaves above.

Seeing movement in the leaves ahead of him, Jeremiah raised his rifle while keeping his back against the fallen tree for cover. The movement came again, and this time he saw the distinctive shape of a man sitting atop a horse. Aiming for the man’s chest, he pulled the trigger. A loud, pained cry filled the air and the man slumped to the ground.

“You’re not going to get away with this,” a familiar voice called. “You might have won the fight, but we’re going to win the war.”

Jeremiah didn’t reply, not wanting to give away his position to Russo, whom he knew better than he cared to. He did turn around and peek through the branches of the elm he was hiding behind, though, and saw movement up ahead. It was Russo and the other outlaw.

Moving his rifle into position, Jeremiah took aim. If he acted quickly, he could take them both out before they spotted him.

“Come on,” Russo instructed as he took off in the direction from which they came, and the other outlaw followed him. “We’re going to find you!” Russo called, his voice growing softer as the two men disappeared out of sight. “And when we do, we’re going to kill you.”

They were gone, but the threat remained, and Jeremiah had no doubt that they would in fact come looking for him. All he could do was hope to get far enough away that they couldn’t find him. If only they had stayed a moment longer, things would have been different. He would have taken the shot and been rid of them.

Jeremiah sat there for a little while, wanting to make sure they were gone before he got up and made his way over to Greywind. He was continuously astounded by the stallion. Throughout the entire gunfight, he hadn’t made a sound.

“I guess we can go now,” he said to his horse and was just about to mount him when he heard moans. It wasn’t loud, but it was human, and he needed to take care of it. “I’ll be right back.”

Shaking his head, Jeremiah walked over to where the closest outlaw lay sprawled on the ground. The man was dead, so he took the rifle that was still clasped in his hand and removed the unused bullets. Robbing the dead wasn’t his favorite pastime, but a man did what was needed to survive.

The moans came again, so Jeremiah made his way over to the first outlaw he had taken down. The man was flat on his back, holding his pistol in his one hand and clutching his chest with the other.

Jeremiah felt bad as he looked down at the man. He knew him well, and killing him had never been Jeremiah’s intention, but he had to protect himself. Howard moved his arm as he stared up at him.

“No,” Jeremiah said softly as he bent down and removed the pistol from Howard’s hand. It looked almost new, so he pushed it into the back of his belt.

Howard’s shirt was soaked in blood, and he was quickly losing color. The wound was fatal. He wouldn’t survive more than a few minutes. Closing his eyes, Jeremiah took a deep breath before getting back up and focusing them on the dying man again.

Jeremiah could see the anger and fear radiating in the outlaw’s eyes. He’d always said he was scared to die. Jeremiah had always laughed and told him it was a part of life. He’d never thought he would be the one to cut the other man’s life short.

With each breath he took, he spat up more blood. There was nothing Jeremiah could do to save him.

“Why did you do it?” Howard asked, his voice catching in his throat as he moaned from the pain. “Why did you betray us?”

There was no time for an explanation. Howard was fading fast and suffering something awful. Taking his Colt from his holster, Jeremiah pointed it at the man’s head. “I’m sorry,” he breathed and pulled the trigger.

Chapter Two

Memories flashed through Jeremiah’s mind as he turned his back on the dead man and walked away. He and Howard weren’t friends, but they had had some good times together. But he’d had no other choice. It was his life or theirs, and Jeremiah chose his own.

His breathing was labored, and his heart raced in his chest. He didn’t particularly enjoy taking lives, but sometimes one had to do what was necessary. On shaky legs, he returned to Greywind, who welcomed him with a happy neigh. That was what happened when you raised a stallion from a young age. Greywind was as close a friend as Jeremiah had ever had.

“I didn’t have a choice,” he said as he ran his hand through the horse’s mane. “They would have killed you and me both.”

Jeremiah could have left Howard to his own devices, but it wouldn’t have helped him. The man was surely going to bleed out, so in a way, Jeremiah had shown mercy by killing him. Drowning in your own blood would be a miserable way to go.

Greywind neighed again and Jeremiah took a step back. “We’d better get going,” he told his trusted horse. “Before they come looking for us with reinforcements.”

Focusing his eyes on the two saddle bags he carried with him, Jeremiah carefully checked that they were still secure. “Can’t risk losing them,” he said, pulling the straps a little tighter before mounting Greywind.

There was still some sun left and Jeremiah intended to make good use of it. “Let’s go,” he instructed as he tightened his calves around the horse. Soon, they were galloping through the forest.

Usually when the last rays disappeared, Jeremiah would stop for the night, but after what had happened, he chose to keep going. They had escaped the dense forest and were now traveling through a more open landscape that was easier to traverse. The full moon in the open sky helped too, providing just enough light for him to see where he was going.

Greywind was moving at a steady pace and felt strong underneath him, but they would have to stop at some point. His horse needed to rest, and his own eyelids were becoming heavy. He didn’t want to stop, but Russo wasn’t somebody to mess with—and that was exactly what Jeremiah had done.

They would come looking for him, although he doubted that it would be so soon. Jeremiah didn’t like taking chances and wanted to put as much space as possible between him and the scene of the gunfight. The farther away he was, the harder it would be for them to find him.

When he couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore, Jeremiah finally decided it was time to stop. He had no idea what time it was, but a few hours of sleep would be better than nothing. “Slow down, boy,” he told Greywind.

Jeremiah took in their surroundings as they walked and spotted a boulder to his right. It was windy and the big rock would provide some resistance. “This will do. Stop here.”

Greywind followed his command and came to a stop in front of the boulder. It wasn’t cold but the wind had a chill to it, so Jeremiah decided to make a fire before trying to get some sleep. He left Greywind to graze, knowing the stallion wouldn’t wander too far, and collected some dry branches. Once he had stacked them in place, he tied Greywind to a nearby tree, just to be safe, and grabbed one of his saddle bags.

Crouching down in front of the pile of wood, Jeremiah could feel the muscles tense in his legs. He had ridden too long, and his body was aching. The wind had picked up since they had stopped and howled around them. The only other sounds were the loud chirping crickets and rustling leaves.

Jeremiah didn’t mind the silence. He had always found it peaceful, but he was too worked up to appreciate it. “A warm fire will help calm me down,” he stated as he looked toward Greywind, who was happily grazing. The horse couldn’t talk back and probably didn’t understand a word he was saying. It didn’t matter. Jeremiah enjoyed Greywind’s company and always found solace in talking to his trusted companion.

Taking his matches out of the front pocket of his saddle bag, Jeremiah lit the fire and watched it grow. “That’ll do,” he said with a smile as he put his matches away and sat back, leaning against the boulder. The fire crackled, causing shadows to dance around them. It was a beautiful night, but Jeremiah felt restless.

He hadn’t eaten all day, and now that he was finally taking a break, his adrenaline was wearing off and his hunger setting in. From the bag, he retrieved a parcel wrapped in brown paper and laid it on his lap. Dried meat was one of his favorite things and he had enough to fill his belly.

Chewing on the meat, Jeremiah allowed his thoughts to roam freely. He didn’t like where his mind went, though. He was hoping to make a clean escape. Killing those men was never part of his plan.

“I had to do it,” Jeremiah repeated, glancing at Greywind. “It was the only way to make sure I get to be with my Anna.”

He folded closed the package in his lap and placed it back in his saddle bag. He hadn’t eaten much but his stomach was in knots, and he couldn’t take another bite. Reaching into his ratty trench coat, Jeremiah pulled out a beautiful black scarf with red roses on it. The material was soft and the design delicate.

Lifting the scarf to his nose, Jeremiah inhaled deeply. The scent that still lingered on the material helped his body relax. “My plan is working,” he reassured himself.

Greywind neighed as if he understood, and Jeremiah smiled at his horse. “Everything will be all right. You’ll see,” he told him. “We’ll be in paradise soon.”

Everything was going to plan, except for the two murders earlier that day. Jeremiah wouldn’t let that stop him. He would do whatever it took to make sure his plan came to fruition.

Lying next to the fire, Jeremiah closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the flames He was tired, but sleep wasn’t coming. After a few minutes, he sat up at retrieved an old book from his saddle bag. Reading it always helped put him to sleep.

Looking at the cover, he read the title: Paraíso en Playa Tesoro. The cover was a painting of a white sandy beach with bright blue water and green hills in the background. Turning to page thirty-two, Jeremiah started to read from where he had last stopped. He had read the book many times before, but it didn’t matter.

Las playas de arena blanca están tranquilas y el agua es tranquila. Con vistas impresionantes, disfrutarás de todo lo que Playa tiene para ofrecer.

As Jeremiah read, his eyelids started growing heavy and he laid back against the boulder. Soon enough, he drifted off to sleep and into a magical dream. He was there, on the white sandy beaches in Playa. It was even more beautiful than he ever could have imagined.

The sand was soft under his bare feet and the ocean stretched out in front of him. The water was bright blue, but somehow he could see the ocean life inside of it. Fish swam around happily, and coral swayed with the tide. Looking up, he noticed that there wasn’t only one sun, but two. It was strange, but it didn’t frighten him.

The beach was completely empty, except for him and Greywind. His trusty stallion stood not too far from him, eating from a tray filled with fruit and sugar cubes. The horse’s mane blew in the breeze and his silvery coat shone under the bright sunlight. It was perfect, except for the fact that somebody was missing.

Anxiety crept up Jeremiah’s spine as he slowly turned around to fully survey the area around him. Behind him was only white sand as far as he could see. In the distance, a movement caught his eye and he started walking toward it. He had only taken a few steps when he noticed what it was.

The two outlaws he had shot and killed were approaching him. Their clothes were soaked in blood and their skin was a pale grayish color.

The sound of stomping hooves and frantic neighing pulled Jeremiah out of his dream. He had slumped over and was lying on his side. For a second, he was disoriented, but then the sound came again—this time accompanied by growls.

Terror rose within his body as he realized it wasn’t a part of his dream. Slowly, he pushed himself up so that he was sitting and glanced toward his right where he had tied Greywind to the tree for the night. Surrounding his horse were three snarling wolves.

Jeremiah had seen many wolves and recognized their growl, but he had never been so close to one, never mind three. Greywind could outrun them, but he was tied up and the wolves were hungry.

For a second he just sat there, wondering what to do. His aim was good, but his rifle was in his saddle holster and he had left it on Greywind, so that was out of the question. He could use his pistol, which he had with him, but he wasn’t sure he would be able to take out all three wolves before they got to him.

Maybe the sound would scare them and he wouldn’t even have to worry about the other two, but it was too risky. If they attacked him, he was as good as dead. He had to consider how much ammunition he had left, too.

Traveling alone was dangerous. There was a good chance he could run into bandits looking for an easy target, or even Native Americans. If he did, he would need all his ammunition to protect himself. He would shoot them if it was necessary. First, he would try a different tactic.

Greywind was still putting up a fuss, kicking at the ground and neighing loudly. The wolves were focused on him and hadn’t noticed Jeremiah yet. Moving as quietly as he could, Jeremiah shifted toward his dying campfire. There were still a few sticks smoldering and he carefully took hold of one of the bigger ones.

He was hoping to go unnoticed until he got to his feet, but the sound had caught their attention. With a loud growl, the closest wolf turned toward him, followed by the other two.

There was no more time to contemplate. Jeremiah jumped to his feet and waved the stick around. Burning embers fell all around him as the wind howled, causing the stick to burn brighter. The fire was enough to keep the wolves at bay, but one was braver than the rest and lunged forward, baring his sharp teeth. The wolf was big, and Jeremiah acted on impulse, hitting the creature with the stick.

The sting of the fire stopped it for a moment, and as it regrouped and readied itself for another attack, Jeremiah pulled out his pistol, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

The big animal was pushed back by the force of the bullet and collapsed on the ground. The bullet had landed right between its eyes. The sound, and seeing their companion killed, was enough to scare off the other two wolves. Jeremiah watched as they fled into the darkness.

Tossing his burning stick away, Jeremiah walked over to Greywind. “It’s all right,” he said softly. “I’ve got you.”

The horse stomped his hooves and neighed loudly, clearly still frightened. “They scared me too,” Jeremiah said as he placed his hand on Greywind’s shoulder. “But I took care of them. They’re gone. You can relax now.”

It took a few minutes to calm Greywind, but the horse trusted Jeremiah and was soon calm enough to ride. It was still dark, but Jeremiah was wide awake, so without overthinking it, he grabbed his saddle bag, secured it to Greywind’s saddle, and mounted his horse.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said as he leaned forward, encouraging Greywind to move. The stallion didn’t hesitate.

Chapter Three

Mattie sat on the floor in her small bedroom. Outside, in the main living area, she could hear her parents talking. They tried to keep their voices down, but she could still hear most of what they said, even through the closed door. She knew her parents loved each other, and her mother took really good care of her. Her pa did too, when he was home.

They hadn’t been living in the cabin for too long. They had moved there a couple of months before her sixth birthday, which they celebrated last week. Mattie didn’t like it there. She missed their old house and her friends and toys. There was nobody around to play with, except for Curly.

Mattie ran her hands through the fur of the small black dog. He groaned and turned onto his back so that she could rub his belly. Mattie had grown up with Curly and he followed her everywhere she went. She loved her dog, and she knew he loved her too.

On the other side of the door, her mother was telling her father that they were out of money and the food he had bought the previous week was almost finished. Mattie knew they were poor, although she didn’t quite understand why. Her pa had a job, after all. That was why he went away for weeks, sometimes months at a time.

“I know, Fran,” her father said, his voice catching in his throat. “I’m trying my best.”

There was a slight pause before her mother spoke. “I know. I just don’t know what to do.”

“I’ve got another job lined up. It’ll pay more, and tomorrow I’ll go hunting.”

Mattie stopped listening at that point and focused her attention on the dolls in front of her. Her grandmother had made them for her right before she passed away. Thinking about her grandmother made her want to cry. She loved and missed her nana. They had all lived together in a big town, but then her nana had gotten sick and went to heaven. After that, her mother and father had started arguing a lot, and they had moved to the cabin. Nobody ever explained anything to her. All Mattie knew was that they had to leave their house and belongings behind.

She picked up one of the dolls and removed the braid from its stringy hair. Her mother was teaching her to braid hair but every time she tried to do her own hair, she wound up tangling it. Placing the doll on the floor, Mattie pushed her knee on it so that it wouldn’t move and started braiding.

She could still hear her parents talking and the sound of cupboards being opened and closed. It was almost time for dinner. She missed her mother’s cooking; lately, they had been living off of bread, but Mattie never complained. She wanted fruit pies and sugar cookies, but her mother had told her they couldn’t afford it and Mattie could see how sad that made her.

Suddenly, Curly sat up beside her, his ears pointed as if he had heard something. Mattie stopped braiding and placed her small hand on the dog’s shoulder. “What is it?” she asked. Curly only acted like that when he heard somebody approaching the cabin, which almost never happened.

The dog let out a low growl and stood up, his eyes glued to the door. Seeing Curly act like that scared Mattie and she turned to look at the door, too. The house was dead quiet. Mattie got to her feet and walked to the door, slowly pulling it open. At that very moment, both her mother and father came running into the cabin, shutting the door behind them and locking it.

Mattie’s mother ran to her and crouched down in front of her. “I need you to hide,” she whispered. “Get under your bed and don’t come out. No matter what happens.”

Seeing the fear on her mother’s face, Mattie felt her heart pick up speed. She had no idea what was going on, but she knew it wasn’t good.

“Now,” her mother instructed.

Mattie shook her head. She didn’t want to be alone.

“I have to help your father. Just hide,” her mother ordered.

Mattie didn’t want to but did as her mother said. She was a good girl, after all, and her mother always knew what was best. Once she was under the bed, her mother called Curly and then closed the door behind her, leaving Mattie completely alone.

Mattie moved as far back as she could and pressed her body tightly against the wall. From where she laid, she could see the bottom half of her bedroom door, but since it was closed, she had no idea what was happening.

The house was still quiet, but then Curly started barking uncontrollably, and it definitely wasn’t an excited bark. A few minutes later, she heard the front door opening loudly. There were voices she didn’t recognize, and they were speaking a language she didn’t understand. She heard her mother screaming and her father yelling. The voices were angry, and there were a lot of loud noises. They were opening cupboards, almost like they were searching for something.

Tears stung in Mattie’s eyes as she listened to the commotion. Curly was still barking and growling, and then her bedroom door flew open. Mattie covered her mouth with her hand, trying to stop herself from screaming. From under the bed, she saw dark-skinned men, clad in feathers and fur, drag her parents out the front door. Curly ran after them, and then there was a gunshot. Unable to stop herself, Mattie gasped, and a second later, two dark eyes were looking directly at her.

Mattie screamed as the feathered man reached under the bed, grabbed her by the hair, and pulled her out from underneath. She tried to grab onto the leg of her bed, but her hand slipped and a big nail that was sticking out from the wood stuck into her arm. The feathered man didn’t stop pulling and the nail tore through her arm.

Mattie shrieked in pain, but the man paid her no mind. Instead, he picked her up and carried her to the front door. Mattie tried kicking but the man was big and easily held her in place as he walked.

Nothing seemed out of place. The house was exactly as it was when she had gone to her room to play earlier that afternoon, except for the food on the table.

There were more feathered men outside the cabin. One of them pointed at her and started yelling. The other joined in, speaking hurriedly. Mattie couldn’t understand what they were saying, and she didn’t really care. All she wanted was her parents, who were nowhere to be seen.

There was some more yelling and then the men scattered in all directions. Some mounted their horses and took off at a clip, while others ran away on foot. The man carrying her started running with her in his arms.

Mattie was scared beyond belief. Her arm, which was bleeding, hurt something awful and all she wanted was for the man to let her go. He ran far but as he reached the trees that led to the stream, he let go of her and she fell to the ground. He didn’t stop to check on her. He just kept running.

By this time, the sun had already set, and the sky was turning a dark blue as the stars started to appear. Mattie looked around frantically. “Ma!” she called, hoping that the feathered men had left her parents there as well. “Pa!” There was no answer.

Mattie stumbled into the trees, clutching her arm with her hand. She had to find her parents. She kept on calling them but there was no answer. She couldn’t see properly in the dark and the shock of what had happened was settling in. Somehow, she managed to make her way out of the trees, but her tiny legs couldn’t carry her much further.

Feeling tired, sore, and terrified, Mattie collapsed to the ground. She used the last of her energy to crawl to a nearby log. Lying back against it, Mattie cried until she fell asleep.

Chapter Four

Jeremiah and Greywind continued to ride south as the first rays of sunlight appeared on the horizon. It had been a hell of a night and Jeremiah didn’t even want to think of the previous day or the nightmare that was still playing in the back of his mind.

Looking over his shoulder, Jeremiah shook his head and let out a heavy sigh. “I messed up real bad,” he breathed. He could taste the smoke in the air and hear the crackling of a raging wildfire. In his hurry to calm Greywind, he had inadvertently started the fire. The land was dry, and with the strong wind, the dying embers had quickly turned into a full-fledged catastrophe.

The flames lit up the dark blue sky behind him as he rode away. The wildfire would burn for a long time and probably destroy a big part of the land. All he could hope for was that there weren’t any people living in the area.

Trying not to think about it, Jeremiah focused on his plan. He still had a ways to go, and he needed his strength, so once they were far enough away from the fire, he brought Greywind to a stop. It was early morning, but the sun was already beating down on him.

“I need to eat something,” he told Greywind as he dismounted. “You can graze for a while.”

The land was dry but there was some wild grass for Greywind to eat. There were no trees for shade, though, and nothing to be seen but open plains in all directions. That was fine; Jeremiah wasn’t planning on staying long. He just wanted to have a quick meal and stretch his legs before they continued. After what had happened with the fire, he didn’t want to make another one just yet, so instead of making breakfast, he simply ate some leftover beans and rice.

It wasn’t the best meal, but it filled the hole. What he was craving most was a strong cup of coffee, but without a fire, he couldn’t boil water. Instead, he settled for a few sips of water. Feeling a little better, and more alert, Jeremiah mounted his horse and continued on his way.

Together, he and Greywind crossed the sparsely vegetated land. The thick forest from the previous day was long gone and the land that spanned out in front of them was barren.