hair and slammed it to the ground. Not aware that she'd leaped to her own feet, that her lungs were burning with her own screams, Reece stared through the glasses when the man's hands closed over the woman's throat.
Boots beat against the ground; the body bucked and arched. And when it went still, there was the roar of the river and the harsh sobs ripping out of Reece's chest.
She turned, stumbling, slipping and going down hard on both knees. Then she shoved herself to her feet, and she ran.
It was a blur with her boots slithering on the path as she took the downhill slope at a crazed speed. Her heart rammed into her throat, a spiny ball of terror while she stumbled and slid around the sharp switchbacks. The face of the woman in the red coat became another face, one with staring, baby-doll blue eyes.
Gmny. It wasn't Ginny. It wasn't Boston. It wasn't a dream.
Still it all mixed and merged in her mind until she heard the screams and the laughter, the gunshots. Until her chest began to throb, and the world began to spin.
She slammed hard into Brody, struggled wildly against his hold.
"Stop it. What are you, crazy? Suicidal?" Voice sharp, he shoved her back against the rock face, bracing her when her knees gave way. "Shut it down, now! Hysteria doesn't help. What was it? Bear?"
"He killed her, he killed her. I saw. I saw it." Because he was there, she threw herself against him, buried her face against his shoulder. "I saw it. It wasn't Ginny. It wasn't a dream. He killed her, across the river.
'"Breathe." He drew back, gripped her shoulders. He angled his head down until her eyes met his. "I said breathe. Okay, again. One more time.
"Okay, okay. I'm okay." She sucked air in, pushed it out. "Please help me. Please. They were across the river, and I saw them, with these." She lifted her binoculars with a hand that simply wouldn't steady. "He killed her. and I saw it."
"Show me."
She closed her eyes. Not alone this time, she thought. Someone was here, someone could help. "Up the trail. I don't know how far I ran back, but it's up the trail."
She didn't want to go back, didn't want to see it again, but he had her arm and was leading her.
"I stopped to eat," she said more calmly. "To watch the water, and the little falls. There was a hawk.
"Yeah. I saw it."
"It was beautiful. I got my binoculars. I thought I might see a bear or a moose. I saw a moose this morning at the lake. I thought…" She knew she was babbling, tried to draw it back inside. "I was scanning the trees, the rocks, and I saw two people."
"What did they look like?"
"I… I couldn't see very well." She folded her arms over her chest. She'd taken off her jacket, spread it on the rock where she'd had lunch, To soak up the sun.
Now she was so cold. Into-the-bone cold.
"But she had long hair. Dark hair, and she had a red coat and cap. She had sunglasses on. His back was to me."
"What was he wearing? '
"Um. A dark jacket, and an orange cap. Like hunters wear. He… I think… Yes, I think he had sunglasses, too. I didn't see his face. There, there's my pack. I left everything and ran. Over there, it was over there." She pointed, and quickened her pace. " They were over there, in front of the trees. They're gone now, but they were there, down there. I saw them. I have to sit down."
When she lowered herself to the rock, he said nothing, but took the binoculars from around her neck. He trained them below. He saw no one, no sign of anyone.
"What exactly did you see?"
"They were arguing. I could tell she was pissed off by the way she was standing. Hands on her hips. Aggressive." She had to swallow, focus, because her stomach was starting to roil. And shivering, she picked up her jacket and put it on. Wrapped it tight around her. "She slapped him, then she shoved him back and slapped him again. He hit her, knocked her down, but she got up and went after him. That's when he hit her again. I saw blood on her face. I think I saw blood on her face. Oh God, oh
Boots beat against the ground; the body bucked and arched. And when it went still, there was the roar of the river and the harsh sobs ripping out of Reece's chest.
She turned, stumbling, slipping and going down hard on both knees. Then she shoved herself to her feet, and she ran.
It was a blur with her boots slithering on the path as she took the downhill slope at a crazed speed. Her heart rammed into her throat, a spiny ball of terror while she stumbled and slid around the sharp switchbacks. The face of the woman in the red coat became another face, one with staring, baby-doll blue eyes.
Gmny. It wasn't Ginny. It wasn't Boston. It wasn't a dream.
Still it all mixed and merged in her mind until she heard the screams and the laughter, the gunshots. Until her chest began to throb, and the world began to spin.
She slammed hard into Brody, struggled wildly against his hold.
"Stop it. What are you, crazy? Suicidal?" Voice sharp, he shoved her back against the rock face, bracing her when her knees gave way. "Shut it down, now! Hysteria doesn't help. What was it? Bear?"
"He killed her, he killed her. I saw. I saw it." Because he was there, she threw herself against him, buried her face against his shoulder. "I saw it. It wasn't Ginny. It wasn't a dream. He killed her, across the river.
'"Breathe." He drew back, gripped her shoulders. He angled his head down until her eyes met his. "I said breathe. Okay, again. One more time.
"Okay, okay. I'm okay." She sucked air in, pushed it out. "Please help me. Please. They were across the river, and I saw them, with these." She lifted her binoculars with a hand that simply wouldn't steady. "He killed her. and I saw it."
"Show me."
She closed her eyes. Not alone this time, she thought. Someone was here, someone could help. "Up the trail. I don't know how far I ran back, but it's up the trail."
She didn't want to go back, didn't want to see it again, but he had her arm and was leading her.
"I stopped to eat," she said more calmly. "To watch the water, and the little falls. There was a hawk.
"Yeah. I saw it."
"It was beautiful. I got my binoculars. I thought I might see a bear or a moose. I saw a moose this morning at the lake. I thought…" She knew she was babbling, tried to draw it back inside. "I was scanning the trees, the rocks, and I saw two people."
"What did they look like?"
"I… I couldn't see very well." She folded her arms over her chest. She'd taken off her jacket, spread it on the rock where she'd had lunch, To soak up the sun.
Now she was so cold. Into-the-bone cold.
"But she had long hair. Dark hair, and she had a red coat and cap. She had sunglasses on. His back was to me."
"What was he wearing? '
"Um. A dark jacket, and an orange cap. Like hunters wear. He… I think… Yes, I think he had sunglasses, too. I didn't see his face. There, there's my pack. I left everything and ran. Over there, it was over there." She pointed, and quickened her pace. " They were over there, in front of the trees. They're gone now, but they were there, down there. I saw them. I have to sit down."
When she lowered herself to the rock, he said nothing, but took the binoculars from around her neck. He trained them below. He saw no one, no sign of anyone.
"What exactly did you see?"
"They were arguing. I could tell she was pissed off by the way she was standing. Hands on her hips. Aggressive." She had to swallow, focus, because her stomach was starting to roil. And shivering, she picked up her jacket and put it on. Wrapped it tight around her. "She slapped him, then she shoved him back and slapped him again. He hit her, knocked her down, but she got up and went after him. That's when he hit her again. I saw blood on her face. I think I saw blood on her face. Oh God, oh
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