Dark Horse

THE DIRECTOR ACT ONE [FADE IN: EXTERIOR: PALM BEACH EQUESTRIAN CENTER--SUNSET] Flat, open fields of scrub stretching to the west. A dirt road running north onto equestrian center property and south toward small horse farms some distance away. No one around.The fields are empty. No people, no horses. Sunday night: everyone has gone home. ERIN stands at the back gate. She's waiting for someone. She's nervous. She thinks she's here for a secret purpose. She thinks her life will change tonight. It will. She looks at her watch. Impatient. Afraid he won't show. She's not aware of the camera filming her. She thinks she's alone. She's thinking: maybe he won't come, maybe she's wrong about him. A rusted white van approaches from the south. She watches it come toward her. She looks annoyed. No one uses this back road this time of day.The gate to the show grounds has already been chained shut for the night. The van stops.The side door opens. A masked ASSAILANT leapsout. ERIN No! She starts to run toward the gate.He catches her arm from behind and spins her around. She kicks him. He backhands her across the face, knocking her sideways. She wrenches free of his grasp as she stumbles, and she tries to run again but can't get her feet under her.The assailant knocks her down from behind, coming down on top of her, his knee in her back. ASSAILANT Stupid cunt! He pulls a hypodermic needle from the pocket of his jacket and rams the needle into her arm. She makes a sound of pain and starts to cry. He pulls her to her feet and shoves her into the van.The door slams shut.The van turns around and drives away. Life changes in a heartbeat. [FADE OUT] Chapter 1 ELENA Life can change in a heartbeat. I've always known that. I've lived the truth of that statement literally from the day I was born. I sometimes see those moments coming, sense them, anticipate them. I see one coming now. Adrenaline runs through my bloodstream like rocket fuel. My heart pounds like a piston. I'm ready to launch. I've been told to stay put, to wait, but I know that's not the right decision. If I go in first, if I go in now, I've got the Golam brothers dead-bang.They think they know me.Their guard will be down. I've worked this case three months. I know what I'm doing. I know that I'm right. I know the Golam brothers are already twitching. I know I want this bust and deserve it. I know Sikes is here for the show, to put a feather in his cap when the news vans arrive and make the public think they should vote for him in the next election for sheriff. He stuck me on the side of the trailer and told me to wait. He doesn't know his ass. He doesn't even know the side door is the door the brothers use most. While Sikes and Ramirez are watching the front, the brothers are dumping their money into duffel bags and getting ready to bolt out the side. Billy Golam's 4 X 4 is parked ten feet away, covered in mud. If they run, they'll take the truck, not the Corvette parked in front.The truck can go off-road. Sikes is wasting precious time.The Golam brothers have two girls in the trailer with them.This could easily turn into a hostage situation. But if I go in now, while their guard is down . . . Screw Sikes. I'm going in before these twitches freak. It's my case. I know what I'm doing. I hit the button on my radio. "This is stupid. They're going to break for the truck. I'm going in." "Goddamnit, Estes--" Sikes. I click the radio off and drop it into the weedHoag, Tami is the author of 'Dark Horse' with ISBN 9780553801927 and ISBN 0553801929.