Chapter Nine

Elly's hooves cracked the ground like lightning. In three strides, she reached a canter, in five she was galloping. Signs, windows, and doors whipped by in a blur as I held on with nails and limbs. Muscles frozen. Mind paralyzed. Mouth held open with gums flapping uselessly.

The unforgiving wind assaulted my face, bringing tears with a taste of sandy dryness. Hands became hooks digging deeper into her mane as her legs hammered the street below. Eyes squinted ahead in vain. I sucked in air with clenched teeth. Legs squeezed her sides by their own will. My gut screamed in pain.

I am on a galloping horse with no saddle, reins, nor any tack to speak of. I am going to die.

Something long and thin slapped into my face. Strands of inedible material scraped against my gums and tongue. A grotesque expression crossed my face. I spat out Elly's mane, with globs of trailing spit blown away by the wind. Keep your damn mouth closed.

My head turned aside. Out of the corner of my eyes, two yellowish beams of light raced towards our rear, lighting up our bodies against the urban night environment. Temporarily blinded, I was forced to look away at the passing buildings till the blurred spots in my vision faded to nothing.

Then came the mechanical roar from our rear. Dark shapes of men, clinging to the sides of the truck's bed as the white pickup bounced over an unseen pothole. Their yells were unmistakable in any language rising in excitement as distance closed between them and us. Tires screeched as the truck unexpectedly lunged ahead.

Don't panic! Her mane slapped the top of my kevlar helmet, repeatedly. My six-foot frame molded itself to her back in desperation. The chin strap rattled by the wind. Tremendous pain tore into my stomach with relentless passion, synced to her gait, stopping before it reached my chest. Desperation was all I had to choose.

Fingers dove themselves underneath, exploring, searching for the cause, the source of my tormenting pain and touched the hard carbon fiber frame that was the cause. My own damn rifle pinned between Elly and myself thrusting into my soft belly.

Don't look down! I clenched my teeth and lifted my head to her flowing mane smothering me. I grunted. I pried the strands off my redding face. I must get to her spot, I will get to her spot. But first I need the reins- I mean mane under my control.

A sudden bounce lifted me momentarily off her back. My head leaned over her side. Dark asphalt was moving as a smearing blob. Her legs were a blur to my shocked expression. Fear arose. I yelped. Whatever you do, don't freeze up. I froze up.

I blinked before burying my face into her mane. Blackness was all that could be seen, a tiny comfort, a slight reprieve between a rock and a hard place. Then came the yells over the sound of hoofbeats. The inhuman scream of a truck bringing the enemy ever closer and my doom with it.

Another bounce came. Something hard and metallic collided with Elly's hooves and flung aside. My eyes popped open. By sheer chance, I ended up nearer to her withers than before with intense pressure of the rifle's barrel on my chest. Now was my chance.

Finding a rhythm to her gait, I willed the muscles in my arms to work. One pull at a time, my body inched its way up her back, scraping her coat like a copperhead's belly. The hard shape of the rifle loosened beneath me then freed by my right hand. A small victory for me. I held the rifle against her right side as the pain faded. Another pull with my left hand still holding onto her mane. I froze, sensing a slight disturbance. A great fear swept over me, straight down my spine to the tips of my toes.

I've made a stupid, fatal mistake.

The rifle in my hand weighed only a few pounds, a few more than needed to tilt me to the right side. Shoulders became uneven. Head counter-leaned left. My back strained while my hips shifted off center. Knees dug into her sides without thinking. Back contoured to resist the sliding.

The inevitable was happening before my eyes, like a cruel fate. The world became uneven, crooked as it passed by. Pain rose in my neck as my body tilted to Elly's right side. This was my destiny, as a novice, for not learning a damn thing about horsemanship in the saddle. This was falling in slow motion. Legs squeezed her sides with all they had, fighting against reality. Here be my doom, my death.

Elly's now crooked ears flipped to my direction. I grunted a face-saving plea discernible only by her superior horse hearing.

"H-e-l-p m-e."

The world grew ever more crooked. Galloping hooves pounded in my ears. The passing asphalt from below came into view. I waited…for my fall.

Strong pressure clamped onto my left boot, almost crushing my toes. The sliding stopped. But that wasn't the weird part. Hooves changed tempo. A powerful pull on my left foot turned my falling into reverse. Like a glove slipping onto a rough, callous hand, I slid back onto her back, straight and level still far from her spot. I blinked my eyes in confusion. Where did her ears and head go? Her back flinched and the pressure on my left foot released. Her neck uncurled from her side, revealing the truth. She saved my life, with her own damn teeth. I was dumbstruck.

The tempo of her hooves changed again. Her gait became unlike something I ever experienced. It's not a trot, nor a complete canter. It is a blend which is currently wacking my unprepared body. I held on with a death grip, teeth chattering. Rifle back on shoulder. It was unnatural as hell. She really is an alien horse.

Elly swung wide, in her own special gait, turning in a half circle back towards the incoming white truck. My eyes widened. Arms shaking. Alien horse my ass! She doesn't know the dangers of playing chicken with fully loaded pickup with armed men.

The truck roared with the smell of burning hot rubber in the air. Horse and machine raced toward each other. Men in the back hollered, brandishing their rifles. Through the blinding lights, my eyes caught the driver's smirking grin above the shiny front grill.

Deer in the headlights, my eyes transfixed by the ever brightening glow. One moment I was staring into the eyes of my enemy, the next moment, my momentum shifted. Hands strained. My body resisted the force as I struggled to scream. Their faces turned from aggression to shock then astonishment as I was pulled away. The pickup flew by two lengths before I was taken into darkness.

Complete utter blackness.

I clung to her like a child, straining my neck to search for any hint of light. Something that would tell me where we were- where I was. There was nothing that my own retinas could pick up. There was only darkness and the wind in my face.

Where were we? Her hooves reverberated off the passing walls. Her breathing grew louder in my ears. Did we fall down a hole? No, I would have noticed that. There is no moon, no stars, no source of light for my eyes. There was only blackness. Did we jump into an empty warehouse? Through a side door? I had no answer.

I fumbled around her back in a slight panic at the sound of her now heavy breathing. The air became suffocating with dryness that parched the throat, like a bad case of sore throat. Is that a bad sign? How fast are we moving? I can't even tell the gait. Her heavy breathing drowned out the sounds of her hooves.

She pressed on with an irregular trot, delving deeper in the blackness. Her loud breathing echoed off claustrophobic passage. Boots scraped against the walls. We could barely fit in here, as is, as a horse and rider. My eyes blinked to no avail. There was nothing but endless darkness. I grew worried.

Sound of glass being crushed under hooves. I sat upright, letting the wind blow into me. A loud thud came from underneath me followed by an unknown object bouncing off the wall. I could feel her hooves making contact with the crushing of glass. My hands wiped their sweat into her damp mane. I closed my eyes and regretted it. Something solid and hard impacted the front of my helmet.

I shrunk to her back as if I was being shot at. Her withers somewhere beneath me. What the hell was that? I have a headache and I swear I can see stars or bright little lights like those bugs who make light.

I am losing my sense of place in this darkness. I hated it, really hated it. My form was now out of rhythm with hers. My body rocked as her gait began to take its toll. A pale light appeared far ahead. I groaned. Hands tightened their grip on the mane.

The faint light grew and grew into an enormous blob. I blinked as we slipped inside the blob of light and the half moon flashed. Before my eyes could adjust, we emerged from total blackness onto a deserted moonlit street. Elly came to a gradual stop with her heaving sides pressing my legs.

My head, on a swivel, scanned the area before turning attention to her.

"Are you alright?" I whispered.

Her ears flexed. "I must- catch- my breath."

Is she alright? It must be exhausting for her to carry me while being chased by a bunch of gun toting teens from the city. Those boys don't have a lick of sense on how to drive that pickup. I bet they've never…been off road in their lives.

At least we are safe here on this deserted street. It was quiet on this block. I glanced up at the upper floor windows finding nothing of note. The siding held grim and mold from rain from long ago.

Elly's head turned to the side. Her one ear swiveled to me.

"Come into my spot. Lest I throw you on the next gallop." Elly said between breaths.

I nodded, realizing I still gripped her mane in my hands. It is fine, we're safe. I released, letting the strands drop below her neck. I wiped the sweat off on my thighs.

I did as she asked, legs gripping her sides unusually tight. I hope she won't mind. My nerves were already on edge. I exhaled slowly. Must get my heart to stop beating so quickly.

"I did not think they would be there." Elly gasped. "My ears didn't pick up their presence until they saw us. We must be cautious."

Her heavy breathing slowed somewhat, as her head dropped a bit, eye still on me. Heat radiated from her moist coat. She curled her neck to rub her nose against her leg.

"These roads are no longer safe." Elly said.

I nodded again. She turned to look down the dark end of the block. My eyes followed.

Her breathing soon lost its rashness, settling down into quiet, prolonged breaths that seemed on the edge of desperation. Or is what the sign of the chase pushed her body too far. I did not know what she was fully capable of. She did save my life but how much did it cost her? She is an alien horse and they must have their own limits. What could be hers?

The mare's ears twitched.

"Elly?"

From the top of her head, her ears did not budge one inch my way. I leaned over her withers. I thought about reaching out to touch her neck, I guess, to reassure her. Why was she being so nervous? She seemed so horse-like, like the ones back at home at the family ranch.

The enemy was long gone. We escaped them. They have no idea where we are unless they have prepositioned spotters, civilian or otherwise. I sniffed the air with an open mouth, trying to get a sense of the surroundings. There was nothing worth mentioning except the dryness of it all. Is there something else out there? Feral dogs? Wolves? Unlikely. Lions or some other predator in this part of the world?

Her sides expanded and contracted against my legs. Her very breath sounded like a steam engine, hot steam rushing out of her nostrils. Even my thighs began to feel the heat coming off her. I moved closer to her withers, still in her spot.

My ears were alert as I swung my gaze out onto the dark street. They listened for the slightest man made sound. Crickets chirping. Rats scuttling along the sidewalks. No sign of life, human life, not even recent ones. Only the moonlight kept the long shadows at bay.

Is there something she hasn't told me about? My hand reached out to her neck and froze from an inhuman mechanical scream.

Elly's attention snapped to the direction of a far intersection a block away, nostrils flaring. Not two seconds later, wide beams of yellow light lit up the dead intersection to the rumbling of an engine. Hands dove into her mane, grasping it like reins.

The white pickup emerged into the intersection and screeched to a halt. The back end of the truck stuck out in the intersection. The bright headlights lit us up against the urban sprawl. My eyes burned with spots in my retinas. I shielded my face with one arm. Shadows disappeared, fleeing to their hiding places.

Should I fight?

Elly snorted and turned her entire mass around, facing the opposite of the enemy. Her ears angled towards them. Her thick legs started plopping below at a walk. The truck remained still.

Can we escape from them?

The brakes squeaked and the truck creeped forward. Tires scraped over loose sand. Their faces were too far to be seen. Shadows hid their figures as they clung to the bed of the pickup.

Elly kept walking. They followed.

Hands grew itchy. My rifle was well within reach yet something made me hesitate.

A light twitch, unabated tension deep within the horse herself. An unspoken feeling…of being stalked.

Like lions, I grimaced, on the hunt for their prey. They know these roads, At least one of them does. We don't have a chance. We're playing in their own damn backyard.

Hands dove for her mane, grasping it. Her pace picked up a bit, her ear twitching. It was coming. Tension was in her muscles as her legs stiffened on the pace. My thighs squeezed. Please don't stop.

The wheels on the truck rolled ever onward.

They know these streets like they live here. They must have been in this area all their lives. I growled in defiance. Damn, how can we expect to lose them? We're playing into their trap. The truck was barely at a trot, as far as gaits go. It's tires cutting through accumulated sand on pavement. They're getting smarter.

The air became suffocating to the point of breathing through my teeth. Eye twitched. I looked back to see the ends of their rifle barrels now pointed at us through the pale moonlight. It was too dark to see anything more. I gave her mane a tug. I had to stay calm. Yet under their gaze there was a strange sense of desperation.

BAM!

Elly launched like a rocket up the street, throwing me backwards, ripping the mane out of my hands. Hooves pounded asphalt. Her neck fully stretched as the wind rushed past my ears. I regained a hold of her now flowing mane, noticeably thinner in one spot.

Tires spun, turning sand into a dust cloud as the engine roared behind us. The truck revved high as it lunged forward towards us, to the hollars of men.

I crouched down on Elly back. My fingers were being mercilessly ripped out of her mane. Grim determination held me from sliding down her back and falling off her rump to the filthy street below. Hooves relentlessly hammered the asphalt, throwing up bits of sand.

Up a quarter of a block, our only salvation, an alley big enough for a horse her size to slip into, half blocked by a rusted green dumpster, so close yet so far away. My eyes were drawn to our rear. So confident they were, the driver flashed the brights and laid on the horn. My ears were ringing.

Elly, galloping hard, angled for the opening of the alley. I pressed my face into her withers as I made myself small. Anything to help her run faster. She must go faster. Please! I could not risk pulling my weapon. I just need to hold on.

The truck was close, closer than I could ever imagine. The front grill gleaming in the moonlight. I could discern the Persian words they screamed. Their eyes, close enough to be seen, filled with rage. Rage for their prisoner and the beating to come. The driver's face twisted into some sick pleasure as he aimed the truck's front at Elly's rump to my own terror. I prayed for my fate, mumbling as Elly drove her legs harder than she ever had. My life was in hers.

Passing the dumpster, Elly leaped.

Sheer blackness embraced both rider and horse as we made a bone jarring landing inside the alley. Behind, the pursuing truck passed with an inhuman scream, briefly illuminating the alley's stone walls before it faded back to darkness. I groaned, letting out some of the tension inside. My hand held my left leg in pain from being side-swiped by the dumpster sharp corners.

Elly trotted unseen in the darkness, to the ever rising sound of her breaths. My thighs were drenched in sweat. Heat radiated inside this narrow passageway. The dry still air gave no comfort to its intruders. She pushed on. The uneven path curved 90 degrees, forcing the mare to slow to a walk. Hooves collided with trash and unknown metallic debris. I lay low on her, chin barely touching her withers. Elly's breathing grew desperate.

A faint gray blob appeared in front, growing larger every tap of her hooves. Garyness rose around us, driving out the pitch blackness. Elly huffed, gasping for air. My eyes blinked from the light bleeding into my retinas. I slipped my rifle from my shoulder into my hands in one smooth motion.

The silver half-moon arose above with the company of numerous stars. A line of buildings side by side appeared before our eyes. Elly came to a staggering halt, stopping before the moonlight reached the tip of her nose. Her sides heaved against me as we stood in view of a barren street. Both ends of the road held not a soul in sight. A stray cat watched us from his perch on top of a perimeter wall across the way. Did we beat them here? My finger came off the trigger.

"Dismount." Elly gasped, neck sagging.

I glanced at the end of the street then back at the alley from where we emerged. I was expecting a fight yet it was quiet except for the lonesome crickets. Chapped lips went with the smell of rusting decay. I was getting warm under my uniform. My legs lifted themselves off her hot sweaty sides.

I peered over the edge to the pavement below. Even with my six-foot frame, I was hesitant. But an order was an order, even from her. If she wasn't going to lay down then…I slung my rifle and took a deep breath. This was going to hurt.

Arms swooped down, enclosing around her slick neck. In one smooth motion I slid off and swung till my boots smacked the ground. Legs became instant jelly. In a panic, I clung to her neck, body pressing into her drenched coat. Ankle throbbed like a hidden knife dug itself inside my foot. I held my tongue, waiting for the agony to fade.

Warm droplets fell onto my cheeks. I looked up. Sweat glistened along the entire length of her neck. Streams of sweat pooled on her chest and traveled down her stocky legs. She was heaving. Steam rose off her slick coat as the heat reached my skin, like smothering embers. She was hot and slick to the touch, almost like a frying pan. Sweat dripped off her as she continued, gasping for breath.

"Elly?"

My arms slipped from her neck as I wobbled on my uncertain footing. The mare gave no reply

Of course she isn't ok. Just look at her! She is in terrible shape. She tried to race against a truck and is losing the fight…badly. You have to tell her what a modern ICE can do in a vehicle and that she has no chance. She can't compete with a truck with that much horsepower, not when she has to carry you also. It's killing her and you know it.

Isn't it obvious? They're going to run her down till she is completely spent. The enemy knows these streets, these alley ways. They know the best spots to catch you unaware and corner us. And when they do…are you going to surrender then? I bit my lip hard.

I took a long look at her. Elly's head was down, mane draped by her feet, breathing heavily. She hadn't moved nor acknowledged me. It was so unlike her to be beaten, on the losing end. I shook my head. Something has to be done. I have to do it. I sighed and stepped away, following along the alley's wall. I will do it. I'm a damn soldier of the big red one.

I turned and gazed upon the street before us. First things first, take a look at the lay of the land. That is what my army training has taught-drilled into me. I propped up on my elbow against the stone wall.

The moonlit street was more of a back alley road through a commercial district who had seen better years in the past. Only one side of the street had a walkable sidewalk. The other side was empty pavement and a long hard pueblo wall, devoid of any fixtures, a real eyesore.

That would make an ambush a fat chance in hell.

To my left was a sharp corner filled with trash bins of all shapes with the same tone of green. Discarded newspapers overflowed one of the bins, spilling out into the narrow two lane street big enough only for two sedans to pass side by side. A small garden or rather, the remains of one sat at the edge of the corner with a lively young tree recently planted.

To the far right were empty gray stores that haven't seen a single customer in years. Many had Persian letters on the windows in big bold colorful letters, their meanings lost to me. Terrible places to hold up in. I wouldn't want to be caught dead in there, thin walls and no back rooms. Farther down the street was an adobe wall that seemed out of place next to the row of storefronts. The wall's height was above my head. The faintest smell of smoke tingled my nose. I wiped it on my damp sleeve. It was quiet here, not even the noise of birds or rats except for Elly's still heavy breathing now growing softer to the ears. Oh I forgot about the crickets.

I went right and shuffled down the street, glancing over the windows and boarded up doors of the empty storefronts.

I looked up, scanning the rooftops for a good position, something better than ground level with no cover. My eyes flashed over the windows searching for an ideal spot for myself. Somewhere I can perch myself to have the best view over the block.

I came to a wall separating a courtyard from the street. A small wood stained 2x4 door was the only visible entry way into the hidden courtyard. It was shattered at where the door handle would have been. I used the barrel of my rifle to push open the small courtyard door. It creaked as it swung inward, revealing nothing. Maybe I could say there were pieces of stone material in a cluster in the yard but it was all just a dirt yard with nothing worth mentioning.

I backed out of the doorway, hearing heavy footsteps nearby, approaching. I swung around before staring into the eyes of a pissed off mare.

"Do you mock me?" Elly's voice boomed, sending a chill up my neck.

She stepped into me, corralling me with my back to the door. Her head dropped. We met eye to eye. Her ears stood firm directly at me.

"I am not done." She snapped. Her hot breath seared my cheeks as my rifle dropped low. I pressed against the courtyard door.

"I will not allow you to put yourself into danger." She huffed, stamping her hoof. "Not while I still have the strength to carry you." Her horsey accent came out in force.

The strong smell of sweat hung about her, hoof idly scraping the ground. I glanced to the side then back to her. Her face showed no hints but her eyes told enough.

"We can't outrun them." I held my hand to my lips. "I mean we don't have a chance of escaping them." Should I tell her the truth?

I lowered my head. Her eyes followed.

"It's a truck with a lot of well…horsepower- if you know what I mean and it never tires. It isn't something you or I can escape from…easily." I stepped aside putting a little distance between her and me.

Elly flexed her ears then veered her head away. She gazed up the street towards the cluster of trash cans on the corner. She gave a loud defiant huff.

"I know." She spoke, turned her gaze onto me and stepped back half a length. I felt the sudden release of tension. Damn my nerves. I eased off the side gate. Hand dropped from my face.

"We can try to hide," I said.

The alien horse blew out a long chorus of air. Was that defiance? Rage? She turned her rear to me and stepped off the sidewalk into the open street. My eyes followed her legs, trying to discern her mood. Even in your world you must be something. She immediately stopped and swung her head back to me.

"I am…" She paused, shifting herself into a dominant posture. "...I am only out of breath." She spoke with a fading touch of horsey accent.

"You will remain here, out of sight human." She flicked her tail as I watched, seemingly putting on a display before walking up the street.

I clutched my rifle in relief, letting out an almost silent groan, hoping she didn't- wouldn't hear it. I stared at her feet. They made no sign of stopping. Thank God.

I hobbled back to the alley, slipping into the safety of darkness. Hand against the rough sided wall. My gaze drew over to the mare approaching the trash cans in an inquisitive nature. The cat was long gone. Good riddance. Nobody wants to see this shit show. Elly halted in front of the row of trash cans and stretched out her neck.

How do you plan on taking on that truck, by yourself? I ran my fingertips over the wall's coarse surface coming back covered in soot. I wiped it on my knees.

There were at least four men, one driver and three riders in the back, well armed with a rifle each. I saw at least one had a scope and kevlar vest. What were you planning to do, lure them away from here while I stayed hidden in this dark alley alone?

How noble you are. Defending me from the enemy determined to catch me. This isn't a fight you can win. The only reason they haven't shot you is because they want me…alive. You're nothing to them once they catch me. Maybe you'll be a consolation prize.

My trigger finger involuntarily tapped against the gun's receiver. I leaned against the wall and sighed. You have no way to defend yourself. I, at least, have a weapon. I glanced at the rifle's barely visible outline in the shadows. One semi-automatic rifle against four untrained, undisciplined young men with their Ak's which puts my odds at a severe disadvantage.

Shit, even if I took out two of them by surprise, it was still two against one with a radio, help would be on the way. I was no better off engaging them in a firefight than escaping on foot with my bad ankle. If I had a vehicle of my own…would that mare- allow me…to get inside one? She would not let me leave her sight, not even for a moment. No, that wouldn't be a good idea. I don't know these streets.

My boot scraped the loose sand. Lost in thought, I did not see something flash by in my peripheral vision.

Clunk! BANG BAng bang…

A rolling garbage can passed by spewing trash on its way down the street. My eyes darted to the presence of a mare flinging a plastic lid to the side with her teeth.

What the hell is she doing?

Her hoof made contact with a second can beside her, lid still on. It rolled in a hurry, across the street, onto the curb and stopped at the wall. Her ears spun as she stepped onto the curb. She towered over the cans looking them over as if she was in a damn street market. Her nose sniffed the tops eagerly.

A third trash can was kicked aside, it flipped end over end and landed in the middle of the street with a large dent preventing it from rolling. Its lid warped, refusing to pop off. I winched. Chest began to throb while I averted my gaze. Don't think about it.

She was making quite a lot of racket. Noisy enough to draw attention in the middle of the busy street in daylight. At this time of night, even the crickets stopped playing. They knew they were beat. You must be quite a character in your world. I sat down, cralding my rifle next to the corner, letting the shadows conceal me.

She started on a fourth, sniffing the lid before clamping her teeth down on the handle and ripping it off with ease. A simple tap from the side of her leg and it fell over dumping stacks of newspapers on the curb.

A mechanical roar reverberated off the sides of buildings, rattling upper windows before it came down to our level. We froze. Elly's ears made wide sweeps as I snapped up my rifle. Shit was getting real.

"Elly!"

My voice croaked. My hand reached out, trying to draw her attention. She remained unmoved, rear towards me. Her ears faced the street corner and not me.

"Damn it," I growled.

Rifle went up against the corner. Iron sights came up to my face as I kneeled. I peered through them. The range was short, only 20 or 30 paces. It was perfect, almost perfect. Yet why was my trigger finger shaking? Is it because that large mare was standing in the line of fire? What was she thinking, standing on the street corner? She turned my way and began walking back. Her ears pointed behind her.

Yes, thank god! She'll be out of my line of fire and I'll be able to shoot unhindered. I waved her on before another loud, mechanical roar, I gulped.

Remember your training. Don't make it easy for them. You are in the US army, the best in the world! I went to my left knee, easing the pressure off my right foot. If anything they should be the ones afraid.

An inhuman scream came louder than before followed by screeching of tires. They were close, less than a block away. Elly's ears perked and she stopped on the sidewalk and turned her entire self around to face the corner. My eyes widened. What in the hell is she thinking?

She turned her head to me, ears facing the opposite direction. The rumbling of the incoming pickup grew higher with every breath I took. She swayed her head then swung to face the corner. Fingers gripped the trigger guard. My heartbeat was in my throat. This isn't good.

Twenty yards, it had to be between me and the street corner, I judged. Enough for me to conceal myself while providing a wide field of fire. If she could lure them closer to the alley's end at 10 yards and get them to slow down. I'll be able to snag two of them off three rounds if I am lucky. Any others could be dealt with as they'll be pissing themselves. Easy prey if they try to run; stand and fight and the odds will not be in my favor. This will be over in less than 3 seconds. A slight grin came to my lips. If all else fails, I can retreat down the alley and find a hiding spot. That will mean I'll have to abandon Elly. My attention drew to her, stepping off the curb onto the street. Could she be? No, that doesn't make sense.

My limbs trembled from excitement rushing unimpeded through my body. My eyes blinked, watching Elly stand in the open daring to face the enemy on her own. Vibrations of the approaching vehicle rippled through the air.

My finger slipped onto the trigger. Lure them close, Elly, I'll shoot them, dead.

The white pickup slid into view, humming as the driver feathered the gas, wheels running over loose sand. I counted the distance, silently.

20 yards…

The truck cut the sharp corner dangerously.

19 yards…

The men in the back swayed, brandishing rifles

18 yards…

Young faces with excited expressions and black hair. Not one above thirty. All eyes on Elly

16 yards…

15 yards…

Man behind the wheel, the oldest, swerved to avoid the trash cans in the road and mare herself.

13 yards…

Elly stepped further from the curb.

11 yards…

Driver spotted me.

10 yards..

Truck revved, lunging ahead. Tires squealed.

9 yards..

8 yards.

Elly spun around, dropping her head-

7 yards!

-and delivered a kick to the side of the passing truck.

Crunch! The truck swerved. Tires breached the curb. The driver's face flashed in terror as he spun the wheel, avoiding an oncoming light pole. The truck screeched past me, bringing a rush of air and the screams. The men in the back toppled over. The pickup left the curb to the street heading for a boarded up storefront with bay windows and red, yellow signs on the opposite side. The front wheels slammed sharply to the left and the truck swayed, both left tires lifted from the ground and the truck flipped over spilling men and material everywhere in a clusterfuck. It rolled upside in a final resting state, tires still spinning. Silence reigned.

Bodies on the street, still as could be the moment they hit the ground. Limbs in unnatural poses. Faces hidden by their helmets from the moonlight. No one stirred. Not one sound except the sound of a dying, sputtering engine. Fragrances of exhaust and oil salted the air.

My body trembled. Heart raced in my chest. It was…over already. They had every advantage against us. We were hopelessly outgun, a no win situation. They had the mobility, the firepower and the numbers. I had…me. I didn't even pull the damn trigger. The truck was top heavy, complete idiots.

My m4 clattered to the ground, hands shaking uncontrollably. I was scared, close to shitless. I thought I was going to die, no, I knew I was going to die. I would never let myself be captured by them. The shame itself was worse than death. To be paraded on TV for family and friends to see my face back home. That couldn't, no shouldn't happen.

I was ready to give up my life, to fight to the bitter end, here and now. There would be no surrender, just my last breath clutching my rifle. They would only have my cold body to display. A coward I would never- my vision grew blurry. I noticed the taste of blood in my mouth.

My eyes swung over to the mare approaching with her head and tail held high.

Just who the hell are you?

"James," Her sweet voice reached my ears.

Elly stood tall and proud before me. Mane pushed aside with a puff of air. Feet equally positioned apart. Head cocked. She had done the impossible. She had driven away a threat that I couldn't possibly have done it on my own. She saved me. Now, I wanted to thank her for everything but my lips refused to budge. My hands trembled still.

"You must get on me," Her ears directed at her rear.

Grabbing my rifle, I struggled to rise to my feet. In response, she sank to her knees next to me without hesitation. I slid onto her back with relative ease, right onto her spot. She rose off the ground in one smooth motion almost like she had practiced this many times before. It felt good to have her beneath me, between my legs. It felt familiar like where I belonged, where I was the most safe. Hands ceased trembling. Her mane never felt so good before.

Elly swung her head to eye me.

"I must ask of you." She spoke precisely.

"What?" I replied.

"Do not let go of me."

Without warning, her legs propelled us into a steady canter. Buildings and signs flew by in a blur to the tune of distant gunfire. The city was quiet except for the sound of her hooves defying the silence of the night streets. The half moon shone ahead of us.

I'll never let go of you.