throat. Randy staggered down the embankment and fell face-first into the rushing water. Jeff lunged for him, but Randy was too far out of reach, his body already swirling away in the rapid current.
Tears blurred Tessa’s vision. Jeff raced toward her, looping an arm around her waist and forcing her into the forest.
All around her, trees loomed indistinguishable from each other in her misery. Branches reached out like knives, cutting and ripping through her clothes, her skin. She stumbled over a small shrub. Jeff’s hand on her arm kept her upright when she’d have fallen down onto the decaying forest floor.
For what seemed like forever, they ran, her body abused by the forest, her lungs aching, her heart as heavy as her waterlogged boots.
Finally, Jeff pulled her into the hollowed-out remains of a fallen dead tree.
Shivering, she sat as her mind replayed the image of Randy falling into the frigid water. Was he dead?
A knot of guilt rose up from deep within her soul and constricted her chest. If he hadn’t helped them...
“Shhh,” Jeff crooned in her ear. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed some warmth back into her limbs. “Breathe.”
“Randy.” The word came out on a sob.
“I know, I know,” Jeff whispered, his voice reflecting the sorrow and regret she felt. He pressed her head to his chest. His heart beat in a fast staccato against her cheek. She let the rhythm lull her to a dreamlike state where the cold couldn’t reach her.
“Hey, hey!” Jeff’s voice penetrated through the fog in her brain. “Don’t sleep. You need to stay awake.”
“So sleepy,” she mumbled. Her teeth clattered. Her heart pumped at a sluggish rate. She fought to keep her eyes open. Her limbs had gone numb. And strangely she didn’t care.
“It’s the cold.” Jeff grasped her wrist. Her pulse had slowed, just like her breathing. Even the shivers had slackened. He had to get her to someplace warm and dry where she could shed the wet clothes and shoes. If he didn’t, she was at risk of going into shock.
What he wouldn’t give right now for her bag of essentials.
But it wasn’t only the cold seeping in that was shutting down her system. She was no doubt struggling with witnessing Randy being shot. Jeff would give anything to wipe that memory from her mind, but he couldn’t. Only time would lessen the horror of it.
He listened to the forest, straining to hear their pursuers. The waterfall had become a dull roar underscored by the sound of barking. Jeff had to assume Sherman’s men had crossed the river and were tracking them. Which meant they couldn’t stay within the shelter of this dead tree. It would be only a matter of time, most likely minutes, before they were discovered.
Forcing his numb legs to move, he shifted and got his feet beneath himself. “Come on, sweetheart, we have to keep going.”
Tessa shook her head. The tie that had held her red curls back was long gone now. Her hair fell over her face, muffling her voice, “Can’t we rest more?”
“No.” A sense of urgency niggled at the back of his neck, galvanizing him into action. He slipped his arms under hers and lifted her to her feet. “Just a little farther. Randy said there’s a campground not far from here.”
Once upright, she swayed. He caught her about the waist. “One foot in front of the other,” he coaxed.
His words were meant for her, but he found he needed them, too. His limbs were chilled to the bone. Movement hurt. Each step radiated upward in a spark of pain. But he forced himself to do as he said, put one foot in front of the other.
Had the cold water forced the men and dogs to turn back? Jeff prayed so with every fiber of his being.
Up ahead, through the inky shadows, the dark outline of an out-of-place structure took shape. A small travel trailer nestled amid the trees.
His heart pounded, flooding his system with a burst of adrenaline. Renewed with energy and hope, he swept Tessa up into his arms and carried
Tears blurred Tessa’s vision. Jeff raced toward her, looping an arm around her waist and forcing her into the forest.
All around her, trees loomed indistinguishable from each other in her misery. Branches reached out like knives, cutting and ripping through her clothes, her skin. She stumbled over a small shrub. Jeff’s hand on her arm kept her upright when she’d have fallen down onto the decaying forest floor.
For what seemed like forever, they ran, her body abused by the forest, her lungs aching, her heart as heavy as her waterlogged boots.
Finally, Jeff pulled her into the hollowed-out remains of a fallen dead tree.
Shivering, she sat as her mind replayed the image of Randy falling into the frigid water. Was he dead?
A knot of guilt rose up from deep within her soul and constricted her chest. If he hadn’t helped them...
“Shhh,” Jeff crooned in her ear. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed some warmth back into her limbs. “Breathe.”
“Randy.” The word came out on a sob.
“I know, I know,” Jeff whispered, his voice reflecting the sorrow and regret she felt. He pressed her head to his chest. His heart beat in a fast staccato against her cheek. She let the rhythm lull her to a dreamlike state where the cold couldn’t reach her.
“Hey, hey!” Jeff’s voice penetrated through the fog in her brain. “Don’t sleep. You need to stay awake.”
“So sleepy,” she mumbled. Her teeth clattered. Her heart pumped at a sluggish rate. She fought to keep her eyes open. Her limbs had gone numb. And strangely she didn’t care.
“It’s the cold.” Jeff grasped her wrist. Her pulse had slowed, just like her breathing. Even the shivers had slackened. He had to get her to someplace warm and dry where she could shed the wet clothes and shoes. If he didn’t, she was at risk of going into shock.
What he wouldn’t give right now for her bag of essentials.
But it wasn’t only the cold seeping in that was shutting down her system. She was no doubt struggling with witnessing Randy being shot. Jeff would give anything to wipe that memory from her mind, but he couldn’t. Only time would lessen the horror of it.
He listened to the forest, straining to hear their pursuers. The waterfall had become a dull roar underscored by the sound of barking. Jeff had to assume Sherman’s men had crossed the river and were tracking them. Which meant they couldn’t stay within the shelter of this dead tree. It would be only a matter of time, most likely minutes, before they were discovered.
Forcing his numb legs to move, he shifted and got his feet beneath himself. “Come on, sweetheart, we have to keep going.”
Tessa shook her head. The tie that had held her red curls back was long gone now. Her hair fell over her face, muffling her voice, “Can’t we rest more?”
“No.” A sense of urgency niggled at the back of his neck, galvanizing him into action. He slipped his arms under hers and lifted her to her feet. “Just a little farther. Randy said there’s a campground not far from here.”
Once upright, she swayed. He caught her about the waist. “One foot in front of the other,” he coaxed.
His words were meant for her, but he found he needed them, too. His limbs were chilled to the bone. Movement hurt. Each step radiated upward in a spark of pain. But he forced himself to do as he said, put one foot in front of the other.
Had the cold water forced the men and dogs to turn back? Jeff prayed so with every fiber of his being.
Up ahead, through the inky shadows, the dark outline of an out-of-place structure took shape. A small travel trailer nestled amid the trees.
His heart pounded, flooding his system with a burst of adrenaline. Renewed with energy and hope, he swept Tessa up into his arms and carried
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