Chapter 5

Suddenly Rick knows what he has to do. He makes a quick check of the cabin and heads out to the barn and saddles up Shadow. He’s going to go down the mountain. He’s going to see what’s goin’ on at Hidden Valley Farm.

* * * *

After putting Shadow, without untacking him, in his stall in the main barn down in the valley, Rick heads for the house. Rusty, Ed’s Australian cattle dog, gets up from the porch and comes up to him, tail wagging. “Where was you last night?” Rick asks as he reaches down and pets the animal. “You’re supposed to run off intruders. Didn’t do much of a job, didja?”

He checks the open garage as he walks by. Both his and Ed’s Blazers are there, and the F-150 is parked in its usual place under the carport next to the horse trailer.

Took Jerry’s…whatever,Rick thinks. In his haste to get away the previous night he hadn’t even checked to see how Jerry had gotten to the farm.