In the Shadow: Day 11

Word Count: 66,037

Summary of Events:

Parker and Linwood greeted fellow officers sent to join them in the pursuit of Parthenia and Osborne before setting out from Frank to join the two constables from the NWMP detachment in Frank who had begun the pursuit the day before. Rowynna thought, with disappointment, about how she'd been lied to by Vella, and worried that Parker might get hurt or killed before he could marry Della, which would, she knew, devastate her sister. Parker was investigating a crevice when he and his horse were set upon by a cougar; Parker killed the cougar because it wouldn't stop chasing them and then went to reinvestigate the crevice, which contained some young animals, but it was too dark to see what kind . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Regardless of what they were, it was unquestionable that they weren’t the humans he was looking for, so Parker returned out and swung aboard Saskatchewan just in time to hear some gunfire for himself.

He wasn’t sure about what his gunfire had sounded like to others, but this sounded like more firing, which suggested an exchange of fire, meaning that Oran and Parthenia had likely been sighted, so Parker goaded Saskatchewan to a canter — he didn’t dare go faster on the rocks, considering how Saskatchewan had stumbled before — and followed the direction of the gunfire.

The trees cleared ahead of him and Parker saw the sorrel and the bay — the latter with an obviously female figure aboard it — surging away from what was already almost half of his fellow officers gathered and taking turns firing in response to the bullets Oran was throwing over his shoulder.

Saskatchewan picked her way down the slope carefully while Parker leaned back in the saddle and as soon as they hit the more level ground along which the chase was happening Parker shouted, tightening his legs against Saskatchewan’s sides.

Immediately his mare surged forward and in a matter of moments was not only caught up to his fellow officers, but steadily passing them. Parker drew out his gun calmly as he focused on the fugitives aligned between Saskatchewan’s ears.

As soon as he’d passed Linwood, who was leading the charge, Parker aimed for Oran’s gun and fired, he was positive he saw a spark as his bullet glanced off the gun.

Oran fired back twice before pulling his gun back in front of himself; Parker guessed that he was reloading, and at top speed no less; that was rather a feat.

Suddenly one of the other constables emerged out of the trees in front of Oran, who startled, then fired his gun three times; the constable clutched at his shoulder and looked to be in pain.

Sure that the chase could continue while someone else tended to the injured man, Parker didn’t ask Saskatchewan to slow down as he flew past his comrade, a glance over his shoulder showed him that what he’d suspected had happened, one man had stopped, the rest were riding on behind him.

As he chased them onward, however, Parker found that Saskatchewan was beginning to flag, as, it seemed, were the horses of his comrades still hot in the pursuit with him, until all of them slowed to a canter, not able to continue at the frenetic gallop, and thus Oran and Parthenia, still galloping, quickly disappeared from view.