Evangeline, Alone. (Book 1): Evangeline, Alone

by Styles, M. A.

  Jack smiled to himself. Good for them, he thought, though he couldn’t understand how it was possible. He was exhausted too, but was far too riddled with guilt and questions about what they were waiting for to let his mind shut down at the moment. He wanted to ask Mac what this was all about, but just couldn’t find the words, or the courage. He still felt that they didn’t deserve any explanations from her, or anything at all to be honest. He felt that shame and embarrassment rise in him again. He knew better than to have let this happen, but he did anyway.

  He stood up trying to work out some of his frustration, and started to shake the stiffness from his legs. Out in front of him was this great, giant unknown just staring him in the face, and he was standing there simply waiting for it. It made him remember the last time he was facing nothingness and questions. He had been alone, because people had died. And they killed. And they went mad. He still remembered. He would never forget.

  “You know we all have been out here before,” he said to the hills, pushed by his memories. “When it all started. By ourselves mostly.” He was still looking forward out to the soggy hills of short dried grass. “We know what to do out here. I know we seem like idiots, and we definitely weren’t smart about this. Coming out here. Following you. We just haven’t had to think about it for a while. Being stuck out here. And I’m really sorry for all of that.” He turned to Mac sheepishly, still sitting atop the rock, knees up, elbows resting on them. She gave him a nod, and he quickly turned back to the openness. Or was it emptiness. These times have changed everything.

  “I get it, Robin Hood,” she said. “But if you haven’t thought about what you would have to do out here, you all are idiots.”

  His head shot around to look at her again. His face stricken with the realization of what she just said, and by the truth of it. He was about to agree with her when something loud and strange sounded from where Mac had walked off to before. He backed up to the boulder and tried to crane his neck around the trees to the space between them and the fence, but saw nothing. Mac stood, wiping her hands on her pants, towering over him from the top of the rock. Then he heard the sound again and realized what it was. The loud huff and snort. It was a horse.

  Where the fences led to meet the gate, a large, beautiful horse emerged, white with black and brown spots all across its body. Its black mane billowed just slightly from a small breeze, and atop it sat a young man. A wide brimmed and worn out Stetson sat on his head blocking out his face from the sunlight.

  “Well, holy shit. I guess ya haven’t died yet then,” he said flatly, a subtle accent sneaking in.

  Then Jack noticed another horse coming up behind him, tan with a black mane, and just as huge and gorgeous. The rider suddenly swung their leg over their horse, dismounting, and walked very fast and purposefully at them. Mac jumped down quickly, and started forward stepping in front of Jack, and right into the rider’s path.

  “You fucking bitch!” the rider on the ground yelled, reaching out for Mac and wrapping her in a bear hug. It was obvious from the voice it was a woman, but when her hat fell off, the long blond braid and face made it plain to see. “I thought you were dead this time, Evie. I really did,” she said softly into her ear. Then she stretch her arms out, pushing Mac away to take a good look at her, a giant smile across her face.

  “Not just yet. Haven’t had the time for it at the moment,” Mac said with a smirk.

  The other rider had gotten off his horse, and went over to give Mac a hug. As he let go, he handed her the same bright orange hunting vest from before and took a step back. A sly smirk slid across his face. “The boss is gonna wanna see you.”

  Mac let out a deep sigh. “Yeah, I assumed.”

  The two riders looked past Mac for the first time, at the three strangers standing at their gates. Then they looked back at Mac, an eye brow raised.

  “Not by choice, but not going to be a problem,” Mac said, walking back to the boulder and grabbing her pack. “Grab your stuff. We’re going in,” she said to the block three.

  The trio exchanged glances, and then looked at the male rider. He bounced his eyebrows at them and grinned. “Who’s up first?”

  CHAPTER 11

  The Ranch

  The male rider let out an ear splitting whistle, then walked back and mounted his horse still grinning. Out of the woodline clomped another horse, brown from head to toe. The rider, a middle aged man, gave Mac a huge smile and tipped his hat to her.

  “Alright, sweetheart,” the grinning young man said to Cara. “Come on up.” He gave the saddle a pat.

  Cara looked to her left and right in exaggeration, then pointed to herself

  “Me?” she said with a tone of indignation. “I’m sorry, who the fuck are you?”

  “Cara! Get on the horse,” Mac said, lips tight as she strapped her pack to the back of the woman’s horse, not even looking up at her.

  She clenched her teeth at the whole scenario. “Well excuse me, but I’m not exactly Annie Oakley here. How would you like me to do that?” Jaw flexed, she looked up at him with her arms crossed.

  The man let out an innocent laugh at the whole thing, and politely put out his hand. “Here, grab on. I’ll pull you up. Use my foot as leverage, then swing your other leg on over.”

  She brushed some hair out of her eyes and mumbled to herself. “Sure. I’ll just swing my leg right on over.” She stepped over to him and took his hand. He immediately gave her a yank up she was not ready for, and ended up flopping her small body against the horse’s.

  The man looked a little wide eyed for a moment. “Ok,” he paused thoughtfully as she took a deep breath trying to calm her irritation. “How ‘bout you climb on up the rock, and we’ll go from there.”

  Cara turned and looked over at the rock, and walked to it, mumbling once more. “Climb on up on this horse. No, climb this boulder instead.”

  Jack started to chuckle as she passed him, hearing her comment, and she gave him a playful slap on the arm.

  “Here,” he said and knelt down on one knee. “Just use it like a stepping stool and pull yourself up the rest of the way.”

  “Sure,” she said sarcastically. She raised her foot up onto his thigh, and grabbed his hand so he could help her on to the rock. Jack gave her a grin and a shrug. When she got to the top, the man rode the horse right up to her at the rock, and put out his hand once more. Now she felt too high, and tried to decide if she was supposed to take a flying leap onto its back.

  “Ok, so take my hand, and with your other one, grab for my far shoulder. Use them both to get the rest of your body over Tank, and settle yourself down on him,” the rider said.

  She sighed again. “Tank, huh?” She took his hand and followed the rest of his directions. Suddenly she was on a horse. No, she was on Tank. And she was nervous. She grabbed around his chest as the horse took a few steadying steps to adjust to the new weight.

  “Ok, I am going to have to be conscious to get us back. So could you just let up a bit, so I can breath?” he said with a strain in his voice.

  “Sorry,” she said flustered, and immediately loosened her grip.

  “Don’t be. I can tell you’ve never done this before,” he said, turning the horse to head back from where they came.

  “How’d you know?” she said sarcastically, and he let out a boisterous laugh.

  “Alright, Ms. Oakley, here we go.” And they were off trotting away. You could hear her squeal of fear and his laughter fade into the woods.

  The female rider then stepped into the stirrup of her horse, swinging her opposite leg over, and looked at Charlie with a tilt of her head.

  “Hi, Sir,” she said with a polite smile. “You’re next.”

  “Uh,” he said, looking at Jack. “I’m good. I can just walk.” Jack looked over at him with disbelief, making Charlie lower his gaze a bit down to the ground.

  Mac stopped what she was doing and straightened her back, turning slowly to face him. She stared at him unblinkingly.

&
nbsp; “Charlie.”

  “Yup?” he said, only raising his eyes up a bit at her.

  “Get on. The damn. Horse,” she said, accentuating every part, each sterner then the next.

  “Yup,” he said, immediately walking over to the boulder. Jack give him the same leg up as he did Cara.

  The woman walked her horse up to the rock. “Same as your friend, ok?” she said, putting her hand out for him.

  He nodded at her, and licked his lips in concentration. It went surprisingly smoothly, and before he knew it, he was on the back of the horse with his arms awkwardly around the woman’s waist.

  “Well, ok. There you go!” she said warmly. “Charlie, was it?” He gave her a tight lipped nod. “I’m Rae, and this is Thor.” She started to slowly turn the horse around.

  “Alright, Robin Hood. Any objections?” Mac said with on eyebrow raised as she walked back over to the boulder and leaned against it.

  “Actually, yeah,” he said as he saw the man with the all brown horse bring it over to the rock next to them. “You should take it. I can walk behind.” He suddenly feared that she was just dropping them off at this unknown place with these people, and leave them there to take off on her own.

  As Rae started to move the horse towards their destination, she turned her head slightly back to them. “She’s got a ride.” Though she said it flatly, it had weight enough to land hard at Jack. Enough to know there was no debating it.

  The man on the chocolate colored horse raised his chin up and peered down at him stern faced suddenly. He reached out his hand.

  “Well, ok then,” Jack said softly to himself. He looked quickly at Mac, then took a breath, grabbed the man’s hand, and pushed off and up from the boulder, giving himself enough height to use the man’s foot to get himself up there. Though it was clumsy, he got his leg over, and almost slid right off the other side. But he did it.

  “Alright back there?” the older gentleman asked.

  Jack grinned to himself a bit from the accomplishment and what he imagined it looked like as he did it.

  “Yeah, I’m good. I’m Jack.”

  “Jack. This is Aries. I’m Henry.” He gave a pull on one side of the reigns directing the horse to turn back when the sound of hooves closing in quick caught their ears. The man suddenly stiffened and pulled up on the horse to stop it in its tracks.

  From the other direction at the gate was a great black horse coming in fast. A black haired man rode in looking straight ahead, not even glancing at them as he passed. Henry didn’t even flinch as the whoosh of air flew at them in their passing, but Jack couldn’t look away.

  The man stopped the horse right next to Mac who grabbed his out stretched hand, pulling herself up with ease in one fluid motion like it had been practiced between them for years. And then they were off like he had never stopped to get her in the first place.

  “See,’ Henry said. “She’s got a ride.” Then they trotted off in the direction the other three had gone, following somewhere behind them.

  They entered the woods. Their right sides following the path of the barbed wired fence, and beyond that, a different side of the same hill they had been staring at since they got there. The path began to turn, wrapping itself around the mound of earth that shielded whatever was waiting for him on the other side of that fence. Once they rounded the curve, the fence straightened out again, but seemed to double up. As they approached Jack began to notice that though the fence was formidable, about six feet high with sporadic thick posts holding up the layers of spiked and rusted wire, it was also open at the spot they were headed for. You wouldn’t know it unless you were heading in at the right angle, maybe looking for it, but it just suddenly opened into a pathway like the entrance of a maze, just wide enough to fit the horse.

  Henry took him in slowly making turns here and there, carefully. Large trees dotted the way. Suddenly they were climbing up the hill. Jack could see the other three horses ascending over the crest. The large black stallion was in the lead as it was about to reach the summit. They picked up speed as the steepness increased. Jack tightened his grip a bit around Henry’s waist. The other horses and his friends had disappeared over the horizon, into that silent unknown, and Jack waited. He held his breath for the last bit of distance they had to close. In front of them was a clear path they were following. It had been formed by many passes, no longer shielded by the tall, dry overgrowth of the field. He followed the trail up with his eyes realizing they had finally reached the plateau, and his mind froze trying to comprehend what he was seeing.

  To the side stood plowed empty land that seemed to stretch for acres. Further off was what looked like an arbor. Tall stakes were sticking up, thick strings connecting them all in rows, dried vines curled around it all. Behind that was a small village of pole tents; four or five of them, their white canvas and plastic tarp weathered, patched, and stained with dust. Wooden fences encircled them. As they passed, Jack saw why. Each seemed to house a different kind of animal. Pigs, chickens, goats, and off in the distance he heard the moo of a cow. Beyond that stood a gorgeous, dark red stained barn. Its doors stood wide open showing a long tunnel of horse stalls. A few people milled about inside. He noticed his friends and their chauffeurs entering it on their horses. They followed them into the barn where they had already dismounted, and were putting them away in their respective stables, pulling off saddles and hanging them on hooks.

  “I’ll just drop you here with your people,” Henry said to Jack, putting out his arm again to help him dismount. “Aries goes all the way near the end.” Jack used the man’s forearm to steady himself as he slid off the horse, without an ounce of grace.

  “Thanks,” he said. The man nodded in return, and started towards the opposite end.

  Jack took a look around and walked over, joining the rest of the group. He noticed above each stall was a strip of black board with a name written out in chalk. Vandal, Oden, Crixis, Electra, Diablo, Draco. The names just kept going. There must have been at least ten stalls with unique names over them. He walked up next to Charlie and Cara, their heads on a swivel, taking everything in too. Mac took her pack off of Rae’s horse, and shouldering it again. Watching her do it made him readjust the child’s one on his back.

  “What’s with the names?” Cara asked bluntly.

  The man who rode Tank started laughing. “You wanna tell ‘em, Nicky?”

  The man with the black hair turned to him, taking a deep breath, and patted down his horse as a middle aged woman came and led it away. “A lost bet, that’s what.”

  Rae rolled her eyes. “Here we go.”

  “Let’s just say, I was right, as usual, and he was wrong. So I got to name all the new horses from there on out,” he said opening his hands to showcase the line of names above the stalls like he was Vanna White. “Well, for the most part anyway,” he frowned at the man he called Nicky. “Somebody re-negotiated some terms, and let’s just say, I am a bit restricted as to the chosen monikers,” he said suddenly serious, though a big grin stretched across his face.

  “Yeah,Wyatt, that’s because my horse, Brutus, would’ve been named Ninja, Draco would’ve been called Count Dracula, and I believe you were hard set on Vandal being called… what was it?” he asked Wyatt, face scrunched up.

  “Hamburglar,” he said with a straight face. “I still feel very strongly about that one, and continue to be disappointed.” He shook his head feigning disapproval, “But let’s just say the terms of the bet became a bit of a compromise upon some strong opposition. Plus he has a penchant for mythology that always seems to prevail. I try to keep them tough, though. You know? Intimidating.”

  “Alright, let’s get going.” The man he called Nicky started towards the opened stable doors.

  As they all followed after him, Jack’s eyes wandered up, taking more of the place in. There was a loft that rose high up toward the peaked beams. Some hay was piled high in one of the corners. Crates stacked up against walls, but the wood was so richly colored,
and the architecture so well done, the place was almost awe-inspiring. Much more so than anyone would expect a barn to be.

  As they entered the cool outside air again, they started off towards the side of what looked like the rise of a cliff side. The stone face rose tall, speckled with plant life, jagged shale showing in the open spots. The sheer face of it was shocking, and comforting all at once. It was a natural security fence in the simplest of terms. But then he noticed at its base, to the side of the barn, and the end of the plowed fields, stood a log cabin about twenty yards away. Though this cabin was about four times the size of the largest cabin Jack had ever laid eyes on. The front rose up from an outstretched wooden porch. The double front doors looked like they were each a single slice from the trunk of a redwood. Above it laid a balcony dotted with patio furniture, even a few open umbrellas over glass tables. Behind the outstretched ledge was the cabin’s face that rose up in a wall of windows, meeting at its peak, forming a reflective triangle. Beyond that the house just kept going. Paver stones were expertly laid with precision, creating entrancing pathways and flower beds all over the front and sides. A gazebo sat off down one of the paths towards what he assumed was near the back of the house.

  “What are we looking at here?” Charlie asked in a whisper of confusion as he stepped up to Jack’s side, followed by Cara.

  “Is it a resort or something. Like a friggin’ spa retreat? A couples get away and shit?” Cara questioned.

  “Well, come on folks! Time to meet the boss.” The rider that brought Cara in, Wyatt, was a few feet away from them with Rae, Mac, and Nicky. He flashed them a bright white smile, then wrapped his arm around Rae, pulling her into him and planting a big kiss on the side of her head. She smiled up at him, shaking her head side to side and breathing out her exasperation.