There were half a dozen of them, armed to the teeth. Kanesha was in the middle of them. I was actually quite proud to see that she was gagged as well as bound.

She’d no doubt given them good reason to do so. Yes, this was my…friend? I rather thought she might be, for all that I’d somewhat fought against it.

Gagged and bound, and when she saw me, her eyes showed horror.

I couldn’t even mouth trust me or similar. They’d see it too.

“Let her go and I’ll come with you.” I kept my voice even.

“Oh, we’re not taking you anywhere.” One of them pushed Kanesha away from the group. She stumbled and fell to the ground.

I hesitated, moving towards her.

“Step away.”

I did so, smiling, and kicking in her direction. Giving up a blade had been a no brainer. If she could cut free, she could fight or run. Either way, she wouldn’t be helpless.

They pulled guns. I tossed the second knife at the nearest of them, not aiming to kill. To disarm. Killing them could get me arrested. Cutting them up was reasonable self defense.

As they fired, I rolled to the ground, landing next to the bike. Which just seemed to be a bike, but I sensed something. Almost…amusement.

So, I stayed next to it, using it as cover for a moment. Kanesha was trying to get the bonds off of her wrists.

One of them moved towards her. “Stop fighting, or you both die.”

“Nobody dies today,” I informed him, suddenly confident, and then leapt onto the bike. “Kanesha!”

She moved, at that point, trying to get towards the pillion, but there were too many bullets flying, she had to drop again, tossing the knife I had given her into somebody’s leg.

He yelped and dropped his gun. I hit the panic button, but I doubted it would do any good.

Then the bike moved under me, no cue, I hadn’t even kicked up the stand, and I reached to pull Kanesha behind me.

It wasn’t a bike any more, although I could still hear the roar. What I felt under me was a horse. A powerful one, leaping over the men and into the night, running faster than any equine had a right to, the grass under her hooves.

“What the…”

“Trust me. Hold on.” She weaved through a tree, sporadic fire still following us.

It was only then that I realized I’d been hit.