Chapter 9 - The Stampede
The sudden, chaotic thunder of heavy hooves hitting the wooden fencing shook the entire ranch house foundations. Ray spun around toward the open front door, startled by the massive noise coming from the direction of the stables.
"What the hell is that?" Ray muttered, his grip on Ethan loosening for a split second as he looked out into the darkness.
It was all the opening Daniel needed.
With an explosive roar, Daniel lunged forward, ignoring the pistol in Claire's hand. He didn't aim for Claire; he dove straight into Ray's midsection, tackling the larger man backward through the open front doorway and sending them both crashing down the wooden porch steps into the muddy yard.
The Glock in Claire's hand barked twice, the bullets splintering the wooden doorframe inches from Daniel's head as she scrambled to follow them outside.
"Ray! Shoot him!" Claire screamed, stepping out onto the porch with the pistol raised.
Ray grunted as he hit the wet gravel, the impact knocking the wind out of his lungs. But Ethan slipped from his arms during the fall, tumbling sideways into a soft, deep mud puddle near the porch steps.
Daniel scrambled up from the mud, ignoring the heavy blows Ray was throwing at his ribs, and lunged toward his son. He scooped Ethan up into his arms, checking the boy's face. Ethan blinked open his eyes, coughing softly as rainwater hit his face.
"Daddy...?" Ethan whimpered, wrapping his small arms tightly around Daniel's neck.
"I've got you, buddy. I've got you," Daniel panted, turning around to face the porch.
Ray had scrambled to his feet, wiping mud from his face, while Claire raised the pistol directly toward Daniel's chest, her hands shaking with absolute fury.
"Give me the boy, Daniel, or I swear I'll put a bullet through both of you right here in the mud," Claire shrieked, her face distorted by pure malice.
Before she could pull the trigger, the ground beneath them began to vibrate with a terrifying, rhythmic intensity.
From the darkness of the pasture, a massive, shadowy form came barreling around the corner of the house. It wasn't just Apollo; half a dozen frightened horses, spooked by the gunshots and the open gates, were stampeding directly toward the front yard, their eyes wild and hooves pounding the earth like rolling thunder.
Ray yelled out in panic, diving sideways out of the path of the charging animals.
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Claire turned to fire, but the blinding headlights of a second vehicle—appearing suddenly at the end of the driveway with its high beams flashing—caught her directly in the eyes, temporarily blinding her.
A police cruiser with its siren wailing and emergency lights spinning skidded to a halt across the gravel driveway, the tires throwing up a massive spray of mud.
