The Chase Begins: Bibles and Bones in the Forest

 

CHAPTER 1

 The stallion’s hooves pounded the frozenearth along a narrow path through New York State’s rugged forest.

Twenty-three-year-old Laura Murillo leanedforward in the saddle. “Faster, Champ, faster!”

Vapor poured from the horse’s nostrils,and despite below-freezing temperatures, sweat beaded on Laura’s forehead,mingling with the black curls escaping her helmet.

She thanked God that the former racingthoroughbred still had plenty of spirit. She prayed he wouldn’t spook and buck.

Laura heard the approaching ATV squeezingthrough snow-draped pine boughs hanging over the twisted path, then aresounding gunshot.

OhGod, let someone hear.

But Laura knew she had wandered too farinto the wilderness and that the dense forest muffled sound.

Her mind screamed. Why did I come back here again? Whatwas I thinking? I could pay for this with my life. Champ too.

Laura forced back her panicked thoughtswith characteristic determination etched into her attractive face. She knewevery inch of the forest; one of its old, hidden trails was a mile ahead. Eventhough Champ was in full gallop, they seemed to move in slow motion.

At last, they reached the trail, and Laurapulled on the rein, instructing him to turn. The heavy brush swallowed them asanother gunshot blasted. Laura held her breath as the ATV approached, crackingbranches and crunching snow before fading past them up the narrow path.

Still, danger wasclosing in, and she had to warn the others. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tP_t5RMzxphtU2_HeK-sXZdi6xEPQFMT/view?pli=1

Find out more in Bibles and Bones in the Forest, Coming Soon from MillerWords, LLC and Flora Reigada