difficult for her to make her way through the woods safely, but she couldn’t stand to be in the same house as a person who had lied to her, a person who was indirectly involved in essentially ruining her life. Even if he had good intentions, she couldn’t take it.
Dustin didn’t stop her with his ability, and Gabrielle irrationally felt angry that he was confident enough not to pursue her into the woods. After all , she thought bitterly, it’s not like I really have anywhere to go. I’d be walking right into their hands if I went back home .
It took her a moment to recognize what was wrong; pausing in the midst of the trees, Gabrielle looked around and noticed that there were none of the animal sounds that she had become so used to that she had started to ignore them. Not a bird was singing, there was no rustle of animal movement.
Her heart pounded. She told herself reasonably that she could have been the cause, but she felt the hairs on the back of her neck standing up on end in instinctive alarm. She opened her mind as broadly as she could, casting her thoughts around; she wouldn’t hear Dustin, but if there was someone else, a hunter maybe or someone she could trust, she’d hear them.
Gabrielle felt the brush of her mind against another mind, unmistakable.
There she is .
She heard the thought, muted and quiet. Gabrielle looked around, seeking the source of the thought. It wasn’t Dustin—she had never heard direct thoughts from him, and the touch of the mind wasn’t the same.
Gabrielle bit her lip, feeling like a doe surrounded by wolves she knew were there but couldn’t track. Gabrielle knew that she would only have a moment or two to react. She couldn’t shout for Dustin—he might not be able to get to her quickly, unless he was already after her, and besides, she couldn’t alert her would-be assailant to the fact that she knew he was there. She wondered if they had somehow managed to get Dustin already. She thought about the situation fast.
DUSTIN ! she called out with her mind, putting as much volume into her mental voice as possible. DUSTIN, THERE’S SOMEONE HERE! HELP !
Chapter Eleven
Just as she finished her mental shout, she heard movement in the woods nearby. Gabrielle didn’t know what she was up against. She could stand and see about fighting off whoever it was that was after her, or she could make the more prudent decision and try and get back to Dustin.
Looking around quickly, she realized that she wasn’t entirely sure where she had come from. The woods were dense around her. She picked a direction and began to run, away from the sound, from the presence she had felt. It would be easier to fight in the clearing, she thought. The rustling behind her increased and Gabrielle picked up her pace, trying in vain to feel for Dustin’s presence. She didn’t even know if he had heard her shout—if he was receptive.
She could feel two people behind her—the one who had tipped her off to the potential attack, and another person whose mind had been all but silent before. Gabrielle could hear their thoughts; they were after her. They had others after Dustin. They wanted to get the job done quickly, but they didn’t need to be quiet, not this far removed from society. There was no one to call the cops. These thugs were more sophisticated than the ones who had come after her before.
Gabrielle barely felt the brambles and branches that smacked against her as she ran, fueled by adrenaline, trying to think of what she should do. If other thugs were after Dustin, she would need to get to him; they’d have a better chance of fighting off this group of would-be abductors if they were together.
Gabrielle reached the edge of the wood and wheeled around. Her two pursuers were crashing through behind her, coming upon her quickly. They realized that she had stopped, and they slowed down. Gabrielle could read them well enough to know that they weren’t simple thugs, hired for the expedient of
Dustin didn’t stop her with his ability, and Gabrielle irrationally felt angry that he was confident enough not to pursue her into the woods. After all , she thought bitterly, it’s not like I really have anywhere to go. I’d be walking right into their hands if I went back home .
It took her a moment to recognize what was wrong; pausing in the midst of the trees, Gabrielle looked around and noticed that there were none of the animal sounds that she had become so used to that she had started to ignore them. Not a bird was singing, there was no rustle of animal movement.
Her heart pounded. She told herself reasonably that she could have been the cause, but she felt the hairs on the back of her neck standing up on end in instinctive alarm. She opened her mind as broadly as she could, casting her thoughts around; she wouldn’t hear Dustin, but if there was someone else, a hunter maybe or someone she could trust, she’d hear them.
Gabrielle felt the brush of her mind against another mind, unmistakable.
There she is .
She heard the thought, muted and quiet. Gabrielle looked around, seeking the source of the thought. It wasn’t Dustin—she had never heard direct thoughts from him, and the touch of the mind wasn’t the same.
Gabrielle bit her lip, feeling like a doe surrounded by wolves she knew were there but couldn’t track. Gabrielle knew that she would only have a moment or two to react. She couldn’t shout for Dustin—he might not be able to get to her quickly, unless he was already after her, and besides, she couldn’t alert her would-be assailant to the fact that she knew he was there. She wondered if they had somehow managed to get Dustin already. She thought about the situation fast.
DUSTIN ! she called out with her mind, putting as much volume into her mental voice as possible. DUSTIN, THERE’S SOMEONE HERE! HELP !
Chapter Eleven
Just as she finished her mental shout, she heard movement in the woods nearby. Gabrielle didn’t know what she was up against. She could stand and see about fighting off whoever it was that was after her, or she could make the more prudent decision and try and get back to Dustin.
Looking around quickly, she realized that she wasn’t entirely sure where she had come from. The woods were dense around her. She picked a direction and began to run, away from the sound, from the presence she had felt. It would be easier to fight in the clearing, she thought. The rustling behind her increased and Gabrielle picked up her pace, trying in vain to feel for Dustin’s presence. She didn’t even know if he had heard her shout—if he was receptive.
She could feel two people behind her—the one who had tipped her off to the potential attack, and another person whose mind had been all but silent before. Gabrielle could hear their thoughts; they were after her. They had others after Dustin. They wanted to get the job done quickly, but they didn’t need to be quiet, not this far removed from society. There was no one to call the cops. These thugs were more sophisticated than the ones who had come after her before.
Gabrielle barely felt the brambles and branches that smacked against her as she ran, fueled by adrenaline, trying to think of what she should do. If other thugs were after Dustin, she would need to get to him; they’d have a better chance of fighting off this group of would-be abductors if they were together.
Gabrielle reached the edge of the wood and wheeled around. Her two pursuers were crashing through behind her, coming upon her quickly. They realized that she had stopped, and they slowed down. Gabrielle could read them well enough to know that they weren’t simple thugs, hired for the expedient of
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