A man broke out of the trees and pulled out a gun faster than any other man Jade had ever seen, he was about twenty and had very dark eyes, Jade looked him up and down and then to Will to see what was going to happen.

“Finally, I caught up with you. I need someone…you.” He pointed at Jade and nodded his head for her to stand up, she obeyed slowly.

“You should be ashamed-all of you. I want the girl, and I will leave, but first I got some rope-for all of you.”

Jade knew whatever he was, he was not a good guy, this guy…was just another enemy.

After having Jade tie all of them up and fast and tightly as she could inflicting pain on all of them out of pure revenge he grabbed her and they…left.

He forced her onto Rowdy, and he grabbed Rowdy’s reins on his all black horse and they rode. Just after three minutes Jade grabbed out a knife she had gotten after tying Will and cut the reins to Rowdy, she grabbed both sides, the horse reared, and they were off, the man turned his horse around with little hardship and rode after her like thunder in the night sky. She rode hard her face to Rowdy’s main and her hands holding onto the two sides of the bridle, so she could direct him. She looked back at her new captor who was getting a rope ready and whirling above his head, she knew his game, he was trying to lasso her-but, she was not planning on loosing this time. She wants down a slippery slope and gained a few feet between him and her, Rowdy jumped avoiding the stones in his path…he reared at a log in the path but kept going. The man slowly gained, but then Rowdy went the fastest he had ever gone. The only way the man could make it now was taking another path that led them to the same river quicker, the only problem was that he knew another path. He got to the river seconds before she did and blocked her path, he said out of breath:

“You won’t give up! All the time I was following those men you trying to escape made it harder…” he breathed: “and harder to find you! But, this time I win.” He pulled Rowdy with a rope and it wrapped around the horse’s neck, he did not hurt him, just pulled at him, the man got down and tied his horse to a tree, Rowdy shook his head and so did the other horse, they both knew something was going to happen. Jade jumped off Rowdy and began running to the opening of the woods into the valley, the man easily caught up with her grabbing both her arms as she kicked and screamed for someone…something to help. He laughed at her eager attempts.

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“Oh, give up, won’t you?” He pushed her down by a tree and tied her, so she would stay.

“If you let me say one thing, I can tell you why I wanted you.” She looked at him and listened.

“I don’t want to hurt you, I may seem rough, I just got a little…angry, when you were so hard headed, but I understand it, I would have done the same thing.” She jerked at the ropes, and gave up and just listened to his boring speech.

“I was looking for you because I am on your side! I know what those men are like, they did the same thing to my father, looks like both our fathers are just gamblers.” He sighed.

“Where is your father now?” Jade asked shyly.

“He is…dead.”

“Oh…” Jade bit her lip.

“I don’t want that to happen to you and your Dad, even if your father messed up. Your mother hired me to find you.”

Jade jerked her head up and the word “mother,” she asked:

“Where is she?”

“She is at Willsborough.” Jade gasped and leaned in. “Let me guess, they said they did not know where she was?” Jade nodded.

“They were just leading you on.”

“Really? But…mother…” Jade looked straight into his eyes, but she did not look at him at all.

“By the way, I am Joan.”

“Nice to meet you,” she whispered: “I am obviously Jade.”

“Yeah.” He smiled.

“I have a question,” he cocked his head, “if she is captured how did…you get hired?”

“Oh…well, she, uh…” Jade bent her head and then looked up.

“How?” She asked angrily.

“I…well, she hired me before she was captured, sorry, I just did not want to remind you of that first day…I know it was hard. You see, I knew her from years ago, and she saw me riding, I knew something was wrong and she gave me a very short story, and I basically rode to find you. I know it is hard to believe, but it is true.” He waited for her to respond.

“No, it makes sense, sounds like something when you are in a rush and everything is going wrong.” Jade smiled but inside she knew that he was lying, he was out for her in some way, she did not know what his job was…but, he was lying. He was. She knew it.

He had untied her by that time, they ate then slept and in the morning, they were going to her mother and were going to free her.

But, Jade had the information now, and Joan, no matter why he tried to get her…it did not matter, she was leaving, now.