Walker: Surrender

Chapter 11

*TW for mentions of sexual assault, kidnapping, captivity, torture*

Under the cover of darkness, a truck and horse trailer pulled up at a BLM holding corral, the truck's headlights illuminating the surrounding landscape. Inside the facility just over a dozen mustangs of varying ages and colors were being held, having been trapped on federal land and transported to here. The tallest horse, a palomino with blue eyes and a mane and tail like snow, trotted around the group, attempting to herd them together to protect them against this new threat.

'Wow.' The driver, a male in his late forties remarked as he finished drinking his iced coffee. 'Just look at those beauties.'

'They seem... frightened.' His female partner commented, watching the mustangs.

'Can you blame 'em?' He questioned with a shrug. 'Rounded up, separated from their families, locked in cages. All in the name of clearing grazing land for cattle ranchers. Disgusting. These animals were born free.' He looked at his crew made up of the woman seated in the passenger seat next to him and another two guys in the back seat. 'Y'all ready to do some good?'

'Yeah, yeah. Let's do it.'

They set to work, the driver reversing the trailer up to the gates of the corral. One of the guys led a saddled horse out of the trailer and mounted up, ready to herd the mustangs away from the gate until the trailer had been backed into position.

Tying a chain around the gate the woman waved for the driver to go on and the gates were ripped from their hinges, the mounted cowboy maintaining his position in the gateway as the woman and two other guys moved the gates aside so the trailer could be reversed up. Once the trailer was ready the mounted cowboy worked with those on foot to get the herd loaded up, the woman smiling as she watched the horses being loaded up. When the mustangs were all on board the partition was closed and the cowboy loaded up his horse, locked the trailer shut and joined the others back in the truck.

'Stop. Stop!' The facility manager shouted as he ran onto the road, trying to stop the horse thieves. 'Hey... Whoa, oh!'

The driver didn't stop.

The man was hit by the truck and sent flying off the side of the road but they continued on, not even bothering to go check on him. Inside the truck the crew whooped and cheered, the woman and the driver exchanging high-fives as they settled down for the long drive back to where the mustangs had been gathered from.

When they arrived at the federal land they stopped the truck, the cowboy leading his horse out of the trailer first and then the gate was opened, the mustangs flooding out of the trailer. The woman smiled as they witnessed the horses gallop off into the night, watching until they disappeared from view.

Another herd had been saved from slaughter.

~~~~~~

Morning.

Maddie rolled over, sighing as she looked at the clock. 7:35.

Another day had arrived.

Another day to battle through.

Bubbles, stirred from her sleep, padded across the covers to her and nudged her cheek with her cold nose, purring loudly. 'Hey darlin...' She smiled sadly, rubbing beneath the cat's chin. 'Morning.'

Bubbles purred louder, relishing the attention.

She lingered there, watching the minutes tick by on her clock. It was Wednesday morning. That's right... She remembered after a moment. Jenny is bringing Rose by to spend the day.

Since Stella wasn't going to college now, their road trip had been canceled. Maddie was half grateful for that too since she hadn't been looking forward to the trip either. She still didn't like to leave the ranch. Being here she was safe, well, she felt safer being here then in town and that was enough for her. She was quite content to stay right here.