Chapter 3

The logging trail was a nightmare of sharp turns and loose rock, but I knew it better than anyone. My father had taught me, the legendary Marshal who had put the Iron Vultures' original leader behind bars.

My horse was sure-footed, responding to my every command. We moved as one, a desperate race against time. The wind whipped at my face, and the rhythmic pounding of hooves was the only sound besides my own ragged breathing.

Halfway there, about an hour into the ride, I saw a figure blocking the path ahead.

It was Sheriff Brody. His patrol car was parked sideways across the narrow trail.

Relief washed over me for a split second before I saw the look on his face. It wasn' t friendly. It was hard, disappointed.

"Sarah," he said, his voice flat. He and Caleb had been friends since the academy. He trusted Caleb completely.

"Brody, thank God," I panted, pulling my horse to a stop. "The Iron Vultures are attacking the town. They' re using explosives on the bank vault. The women and children are trapped inside."

He didn' t react. He just stared at me.

"Caleb called me an hour ago," he said slowly, his eyes never leaving mine.

My blood ran cold.

"He warned me you might be coming this way," Brody continued. "He said you were having some kind of jealous breakdown over him taking Amber to the festival."

I couldn' t believe what I was hearing. It was a lie. A vicious, calculated lie. He knew. He had to know I would try to get help. He was reborn, just like me. He was actively trying to stop me.

"He said you contacted the bikers yourself," Brody said, his voice laced with disgust. "That you set this whole thing up to scare Amber out of town. He asked me to intercept you... to save you from yourself."

"That' s insane!" I screamed, my voice cracking. "Brody, you know my father! He destroyed that gang! Their new leader is the old leader' s son. He' d kill me on sight! Why would you believe Caleb?"

"Caleb is my friend," he said, his jaw tight. "He' s the captain of the deputies. He' s a good man. And right now, he' s worried sick about his wife, who he thinks has lost her mind."

He took a step forward, pulling out a pair of handcuffs. "I' m taking you back, Sarah. We' ll get you some help."

I tried to wheel my horse around, to flee, but he was too fast. He grabbed the reins, his grip like iron. I struggled, a primal scream of frustration tearing from my throat. The movement sent a sharp, stabbing pain through my lower abdomen.

I gasped, clutching my stomach.

Brody' s expression softened for a moment, but his resolve didn' t waver. He secured my hands behind my back with the cold metal cuffs.

"It' s for your own good," he muttered, leading me and my horse back toward the town I had just fought so hard to escape.

My own plan was now in ruins. All I could think was that I had to get away, get to the state troopers, a higher authority. But I was trapped.