Page 89 of Deadly Attraction
Body aching, vision dimming, he crawled forward, then grabbed the foal’s back legs and pulled her away from the barn.
Fresh oxygen rushed into his lungs and he fell to the ground and rolled over near the flat front wheel of his truck. Before he could wipe his eyes or check to see if the foal was still breathing, a loud crash came from inside the barn.
In slow motion, the right side of the building tilted. The sounds of splintering wood rose over the licking flames. Down, down, down, the side seemed to be curling in on itself, the roof breaking apart. For a moment, it stopped, suspended, then the entire side crashed to the ground.
A new burst of flames shot out from the now crooked barn doors and Mitch backed himself up against the truck, throwing up an arm in front of his face to block the heat and debris.
Ash rained down. He felt heat on his head and knocked a burning chunk of hay from his hair. Once he ascertained nothing else on his body was on fire, he reached over and felt for a pulse in Hope’s neck.
The foal’s tongue lolled from her mouth, her body lifeless. Rubbing her chest, her back, her muzzle, he searched again for a pulse.
There!A weak heartbeat. Hope stirred under his hands. Massaging her some more, he spoke to her softly. “Come on, girl. Take a deep breath. You’re safe now.”
At least, he hoped she was.
The foal blinked her eyes open and twitched. Next thing he knew, she was on her feet, her spindly legs carrying her off, hopefully to her mother.
His own legs and feet were less cooperative and he ended up sitting on his haunches when he tried to rise, his lungs rattling from the smoke inhalation.
And then,boom!Just as Mitch was about to climb back inside the truck and hightail it to the house, a gun went off.
