I continued moving closer, determined not to allow fear to paralyze me.
With no light fixtures until I reached the barn, only the moonlight was guiding my way. Even with the noise, the walk and the surroundings were creepy as hell.
My fur baby was jumping up and down, trying her best to get over the recently fixed fence.
“Whoa, Ellie May. Stop. Just stop.”
She was having none of obeying her mommy dog.
The utter chaos of constant barking was as jarring as the anxiety pooling in my stomach. Finally, the horses whinnied from inside the barn.
A clear indication.
There had to be an intruder inside. While I couldn’t see a vehicle, that didn’t mean anything. The bastard could have parked on the small access road that led to the back of the property. To another few acres where the fencing needed repair.
I lifted the shovel over my head, scanning right to left before unfastening the shiny new gate latch. Ellie May was even pushier than before, slamming both her paws against the gate. I moved closer to the barn doors, trying to keep my nerve.
Now the shovel was in both hands, every muscle taut like a drum. I was only two feet away when the barn door started moving. Stumbling backward, I took several scattered breaths and took a position just like a baseball player ready to hit the home run.
Only I was eager to knock the block off whatever idiot was stupid enough to invade my privacy.
Of course, I was terrified as I should be.
Only there was no stench of kerosene like a few months before, so I was hopeful the situation was different. Fantastic. Now I was comparing a horrific crime scent to what could amount to nothing more than a bear sighting. With another dog engaged in the fight. Ellie May wouldn’t quit barking. Neither would the other dog.
I was leaning more toward an attempted burglary of some kind. Although other than my laptop and maybe one of my mother’s antiques, there was nothing of value to steal. Besides, what kind of criminal brought their pup to a crime scene?
An idiot.
It seemed everything was at a dead standstill, enough so I could catch my breath. Then everything moved into slow motion, the hinges creaking on the wooden door.
Just like in a slasher flick.
As soon as I sensed movement, I took a step forward, swinging the heavy shovel.
“What the…” The voice was deep, dark, and highly pissed off.
Why the hell hadn’t the light over the barn come on? Had I angered every spirit in the heavens today?
Or was it all about my naughtiness from the night before?
Something stopped the swing in midair, the force and strength jarring every muscle and bone in my body.
At the same time, the inertia from being stopped in midair pitched not only me but also the person keeping me from cracking his head open to the ground with me landing on top of the intruder.
We both exclaimed, the air knocked out of us.
Stunned to my core, I couldn’t move for what seemed like a solid thirty seconds, although it couldn’t be.
Then I started to fight like a lion. With one hand still on the shovel, I fought with my fears and with the huge man wiggling under me to take full control. As soon as I managed to slap my other hand on the wooden handle, I jammed it against the intruder’s throat.
“The hell…” His voice was strangled. I’d caught him off guard. I guess he didn’t understand women were damn good at protecting themselves.
“Take that.” My words were ridiculous, but I didn’t have time to find the right ones.
Where was Ellie May and why wasn’t she helping her mama dog fight the attacker?
My momentary blip in paying close attention to what I was doing allowed my attacker to get the upper hand.
