Free Indestructible: V Plague Book 7 by Dirk Patton

moments he got to his feet and stepped over the
edge, slowly working his way down the slope.  He had covered half the distance
to the tank and neither of the men had moved.  Joe paused and after waiting a
short time he called out something in Osage.  His voice was clear and strong in
the hot mid-day air. 
    Both men jerked, immediately starting to turn around in a
stumbling and uncoordinated fashion.  That removed all doubt.  They were
infected.  Adjusting my aim slightly, I pulled the trigger and one of them spun
to the ground and lay still.  Shifting slightly to the right I fired as soon as
the red dot settled on target. 
    The second man fell and I quickly stood and made another
scan of the area.  Still clear, but it bothered me that I couldn’t see a large
swath of the horizon because of the upper edge of the depression.  Standing, I
started down, catching up with Joe where he waited for me.
    “I was hoping you were wrong,” he said when I walked up.
    “Me too.”  I walked past him, heading for the tank and a
long drink.
    The water was cool and it felt wonderful to bend over and
submerge my sunburned head.  We both drank our fill and replenished our
supply.  I took a few moments to dig through my pack , finally remembering that
I had a shemagh stuffed in the bottom.  Soaking it in the water, I wrapped it
around my head and face.  Re-energized, I walked over with Joe to check out the
horses. 
    There was an appaloosa and two roans, contentedly munching
the thick grass growing in the damp soil at the base of the windmill.  The appy
raised its head and watched us with big, brown eyes as we approached, the roans
continuing to graze. 
    “You know how to ride?”  Joe asked.
    I looked at the horses, none of which had saddles.  True to
tradition, the Osage warriors had been riding bareback.  I hadn’t been on a
horse in probably twenty years and had never been on one without the benefit of
a saddle.
    “Fucking white man,” Joe said when I just stood there
looking at the big animals, not saying anything.  “Just don’t fall off and
break your stupid neck.”
    “Really funny, asshole,” I shot back.  “How the hell do I
get on his back?”
    “Her, dumb ass.  Jesus, you really are thick, aren’t you?” 
Joe laughed at me.  “OK, first, you’d better get to know the horse.  The appy’s
the biggest, so you’re on her.  I’ll take one of the roans.  Come up in front
of her, no sudden moves, and get to know her.  Talk to her in a calming voice,
then rub her head once she relaxes.”
    Following his instructions I got to know the animal.  There
were a couple of false starts when I thought she and I were going to have a
problem, but soon we were getting along famously as I rubbed her head. 
    “OK, so what now?”  I asked, keeping my hand going.
    “Get on.”  He demonstrated.
    Watching him, it looked so damn easy.  One second he was
standing next to the horse, grasping its mane at the animal’s withers with his
left hand, then the next second he made a little skipping-leaping motion and
was seated on its back.  He looked at me and shook his head, dismounting with
the same fluidity.
    “Stand like this,” he said, positioning himself next to the
horse’s left front leg, facing rear.  “Grab a fistful of mane right here, take
a little skip and leap up as you throw your right leg over her back.  While
you’re jumping, reach up and grab her withers with your right hand to pull
yourself over.  Like this.”
    He did it again, and it looked just as magical the second
time, but the hell with it.  I’ll try almost anything once.  Making sure my
rifle was slung securely down my back I moved down the side of the horse and
grabbed her mane where Joe had showed me.  Taking a breath I took a small skip
and leapt, reaching for her far shoulder with my right hand.
    I slammed face first into the side of the horse and crashed
to the ground.  Fuck that hurt!  Joe began laughing in a