"If he makes one wrong move, shoot him."
Carmen gripped the rifle, her finger around the cold steel of the trigger. She wasn't sure she could shoot a human being, but the guard didn't know that. She met his icy gaze with one equally determined.
Alex searched him and retrieved his phone. Then, retrieving the rope that Carmen had used to tie his hands, he formed a noose and placed it around the man's neck.
"Now I want you to saddle that horse outside."
The man frowned at him. "Saddle it yourself, dude."
Alex reached for the rifle and Carmen surrendered it to him gratefully. He pointed it at the man and spoke softly.
"You'd be a lot less trouble to me dead and no one would blame me."
The man gave him a hateful look, but he started out the door. Outside, he saddled the horse with Alex watching. He left the cinch loose and stepped back, watching Alex with a crafty expression. Obviously he thought Alex knew nothing about horses. As a matter of fact, Alex might want him to believe that.
Alex ordered him to back up against the fence and tied him to a post. Alex walked back to the horse and tightened the cinch. He checked the canteen and mounted. Kicking his foot free of the stirrup, he reached down for Carmen. When she swung up behind him, she put her arms around his waist. He kicked the horse into motion, bringing it to a halt in front of the guard. He pointed the rifle at the man's forehead and cocked it.
"I could make sure no one followed."
The man looked up at him, beads of perspiration forming on his forehead. His legs trembled as Alex continued to aim the gun at the man's forehead between his eyes.
Alex was wasting time they needed to escape. He was trying to get even for the way the man had held the gun at Carmen's head. Carmen knew he wasn't going to shoot the man, but the guard didn't know it.
The guard didn't faint. What he did was much worse. He wet his pants. Carmen looked away. "Let's go, Alex."
Alex let the hammer down and shoved the rifle into the boot. Without a word he kicked the horse into motion. They left the man tied to the post.