Page 65 of Stilettos and Outlaws

Billie Bob quickly shut the gate.

Max skidded to a stop next to me and nickered wildly.

“I know. You’re safe now. You’re safe.” I petted him and slowly poured the oats into the trough. I eyed the back gate.

“Go ahead. Try to run. I’m an excellent shot,” Bass taunted. “Let’s go before I decide to gut-shoot you.”

My back spasmed as I climbed over the fence. I was in serious need of some muscle relaxers.

“No food or water for you until you learn some manners.” Grabbing my ponytail, Bass dragged me inside the smaller outbuilding and threw me into a metal cage with a piss bucket in the corner.

“You’re smuggling people too, huh?” I tried not to show how much pain I was in.

Bass locked the door, turned and left without saying a word.

My shoulders sagged in relief when I heard the semi-truck start up and leave. Bass probably wouldn’t be back for a couple of hours, and I needed to be long gone.

Edgar scratched at the door and whined.

“Give me a second.” A grin curved my mouth as I examined the lock. Easy peasy. Taking the lockpick out of my bra, I inserted it into the lock, twisted and poof! It opened.

Miss Kitty meowed.

Max whinnied.

Bodacious bellowed.

Huh? It sounded like they were standing at the door. I turned the knob, and they all rushed in, pinning me against the wall. “Back up, you’re squashing me. C’mon back.” They all licked me at once. Ugh. “Okay, okay. I love you too, but we need to leave before Bass, and his crew come back.”

Max nosed a bridle hanging on the wall.

“Good idea. I’m not in any shape to walk very far.” I quickly fastened the bridle on him.

My eyes widened when I noticed three complete pipe bombs lying on a table. I rubbed my hands together. Paybacks were a bitch. I set the timer on the first one for twenty minutes. It should give us enough time to get out of range.

Reaching for the other two I stopped dead as a sudden thought hit me. Had Chuck made them? Probably. After a careful examination they looked safe. Very cautiously, I picked them up and carried them outside.

The critters followed me.

Hmmm. Where would I get the most bang for the buck? I needed my smoke signal to be seen for miles. My gaze settled on a large five-hundred-gallon propane tank. Perfect. I set the timer for twenty minutes.

Tapping my chin, I looked around for another spot, and my jaw dropped. Someone had dropped a cellphone! I snatched it off the ground. Damn. No bars, but it was evidence. One glance at my watch and I placed the last bomb next to the smaller outbuilding.

I tried to mount Max, but my abused muscles locked up. I gritted my teeth until the pain subsided.

Miss Kitty skittered up my leg. Meow.

“I know. I’m being a pansy.”

Bodacious snuffled my hair. I didn’t even want to know how much bull snot I had in my hair.

Max nuzzled my face.

“Sorry, buddy, I’m really banged up.” I led him over to a stump and used it to get on Max’s back. “Let’s go before everything goes boom.”

Max broke into a gallop with Bodacious and Edgar running behind us.

Ow. Ow. Ow. As soon as we were two miles from the ranch, I slowed him down. It was all I could do to stay upright.

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