Jane stood there watching her go. Just as Sam closed the gate behind her, Jane heard Doug’s crew coming down the side of the mountain from the right-hand side.

Moving the gate was a slow process. It slammed with a bang as people flooded down the mountainside. There was no way to open it again in time to get Jaclyn safely inside before the attackers ascended upon them.

Jane screamed to Jaclyn, “Run, Jaclyn, run and hide! They’ll catch you!”

Jane was frantically pulling the gate open. Jaclyn started to run along the river’s edge, where the flowing water pulled back the mud and left less slippery stone. Thinking fast, Erika ran to Artaz. Star was already mounted, and Erika jumped up in front of her.

“Whatever you do, don’t let go!” Erika yelled while driving her legs into Artaz.

Artaz leaped forward. In a flash, they flew around the edge of the wall, splashing through the river. They hit the beach and galloped. The mud flew in the air as they pounded along the river bed. Then, she saw Jaclyn running in fear as fast as she could. Artaz was soaring now; his hoofs were clacking across the rock. Somehow, he found solid footing every time. Erika was a short distance from Jaclyn. They were going to make it. Then, all of a sudden, a truck came into her view from her left. The engine roared as the truck bound across the mud. They were closing in on Jaclyn! Erika realized she would never make it before the truck and pulled back hard on Artaz, causing him to come to a sliding stop.

As Artaz spun around on his heels to scamper back to the compound’s safety, Erika heard Star scream, “They have her.”

“There’s nothing we can do now except get out of here,” Erika shouted. She was out of her head to be running after Jaclyn. All that would come of it was her and Star getting captured as well. Then she heard the men from the truck shouting.

“There it is! The horse. That girl is riding it. Get it!” They quickly turned and started chasing Erika down, but before they could get their truck rolling through the deep muck, Erika was back around the wall, galloping toward the bridge.

Erika raced across the camp. They tied Jaclyn up like an animal in the back of the truck. The men were laughing at her and hitting her. She screamed in horror for someone to help her, but there would be no help. She would become another victim in a world that no longer had sympathy for the defenseless.

Erika could not help her now. Too much time was wasted already. The giant hooks were pulling on the walls. Some were starting to fall. She watched Sam and Jane retreat to the designated point for the final attack. The marauders were shooting guns and throwing spears at Jane and Sam. Jane and Sam were firing back, but their ammo was limited, and Erika knew it. Sam ran back to the cover point. Erika was forgotten in the fray. The bridge would be blown, and Erika was on the wrong side!

She dug her heels deep into Artaz. They galloped toward the bridge. She could see Jane getting ready to hit the switch, but in a second, Jane was standing there with a spear directly through her eye, and it was coming out the back of her head. Screaming for Jane, Sam shot the spear thrower dead in his tracks. Sam went to fire again, but the only sound was: click. . . click. He was out of bullets and the marauders were closing in. Erika jumped off a galloping Artaz and rolled over to the generator. Artaz hit the brakes quickly on the bridge when he felt Erika jump. Star instinctually moved up and gripped the reins. Yanking on one rein, Star wheeled back around toward Erika. A group of men were closing in. She hit the switch. As she looked back, she saw Artaz with Star at the reins.

Erika leaped up in front of Star, and they tore across the bridge that was blowing up almost underneath them. They turned to get Sam and saw a bullet rip through his chest. Debris rained down on them as the bridge and the men exploded.

Artaz was now in a wild gallop, completely panicked from the barrage of gunfire aimed at them. He barreled up the hill uncontrollably. Star suddenly clenched Erika tightly and screamed. Artaz shied violently, and it took all of Erika’s strength to stay seated in the saddle. He dodged left and right, fear fueling his wild scramble up the mountainside. He ran like never before. Halfway up the hill, he collapsed into a lifeless mass.

During the crash, Erika and Star were launched through the air. They were knocked unconscious. All that could be heard was the quiet of an unbelievable night. As Erika lay there somewhere between reality and unconsciousness, she told herself, this is all just a horrible nightmare, and I’m going to wake up. What is this life?