Lara sang softly to Maisy as they trooped along in the cool shade of the forest canopy. The little girl was growing fussy as time wore on. The nap cut short by the excitement on the road had taken a toll on her disposition. There was no way the child could realize her crying might bring more danger down upon them. Hopefully, Maisy would nod off again soon and wake up happier. Well, once she’d been changed and fed, which was always the first order of business after a nap.
The deer path was rough and strewed with obstacles like fallen limbs and the tops of substantial boulders peeking up from the rich earth, as well as tree branches sticking out to impede and poke them. Lara was careful not to trip or to allow the sharp ends of the branches to scratch Maisy, who sat face-forward in her sling across Lara’s chest.
“Let me take point now,” Ethan said. “I can clear the way for you. I think we need to pick up the pace. Our pursuers may or may not be able to figure out which way we went, but I don’t want to risk any of them catching up to us.”
Lara stopped and faced him. “I’d say you’re right, if we even knew where we were going. This deer path helps keep us under the radar of those who are hunting us—for now—but we have no idea where the trail will lead. Eventually, we’re going to end up in a spot where a human being can go no farther, or else the path will take us to another area where people are. And where there are people, we can assume our enemies will be looking for us, also.”
Ethan produced a compass from his pack and consulted it. “From what I remember of the map, if we continue on this trajectory, we should come out very near one of the main campgrounds.”
“Right where Drayton’s people will be swarming.”
“But don’t forget law enforcement is also converging on the area. I anticipate a lot of standoffs taking place where the cops can’t actually arrest the obvious hard cases, because hanging around a campground or driving through a federal forest is not illegal. But on the other hand, the thugs won’t be comfortable sticking around certain areas where the cops are. We could use that tension to our advantage.”
“How?”
Her tone emerged sharper than she liked, but they had to have a better plan than slinking around in the forest until the bad guys went away. Maisy would need more formula well before the danger faded. Besides, they had no gear for living indefinitely in the outdoors, and should they get caught in a violent storm without shelter, the results could be disastrous—especially with an infant in tow. Not to mention the very real danger from wild animals like bears or cougars. It was a marvel they hadn’t yet seen anything more vicious than a pika, a small rabbit with round ears and no tail.
Ethan cupped Lara’s shoulder with a warm hand and tickled Maisy under the chin with the other. “I think we can handle ourselves in the forest until dusk starts to fall. Then I want us to creep in close to a main road. As soon as we spot a law enforcement vehicle, we’ll flag it down and let the cops drive us out of here.”
“Sounds simple.”
Ethan’s gaze bored into hers. “I hope it is, but the plan also depends on circumstances lining up to our advantage.”
“So we’d best pray. I’ll take you up on your offer to lead now.” She stepped to the side and motioned him ahead of her.
At least they had a plan, as tenuous as it might be, but it was better than having no idea what to do next. Running and hiding was getting very old. Their surroundings might be incredibly gorgeous, and every breath of fresh air rich with scents of moss and pine, but it was difficult to appreciate nature’s attractions when one never knew if the next second might hold a deadly ambush.
They trekked onward for about another ten minutes then Lara called a halt.
“We have to do something with Maisy. Her crying is getting louder.”
“Agreed.” Ethan set down his pack, propped the shotgun against a tree and then helped Lara undo the straps on the baby harness.
Once freed of the contraption, Lara was able to cuddle the baby and bounce her while speaking in a soothing tone. The fussing eased off a little.
“Would you mix one of those bottles for her?” Lara asked. “It’s not time for her next feeding, but it might help settle her down. Maybe even get her to fall asleep again.”
A few moments later, Lara perched on a rocky outcropping and eased the nipple into the child’s mouth. The crying tapered off and silence dropped like a feather around them. Lara scarcely dared breathe as she listened intently for any human-type noises that would indicate the baby’s fussing had led their enemies to them. Ethan also seemed frozen in place except for the swivel of his head as he searched their environment for threats.
Gradually, forest noises made themselves known to Lara’s senses... A rustle in the fallen pine needles nearby, probably a mouse. Little chirps and warbles from different species of birds. And the whisper of the wind sifting through the branches of the white-bark pine trees surrounding them.
The tense muscles around her spine began to relax.
Then a pair of sharp reports cracked through the air, distant but distinct, coming from a direction at a right angle to the path they were following. A shiver ran through Lara’s body.
“A hunter?” Lara ventured.
“I don’t think so.” Ethan shook his head. “Sounded like handgun fire to me, not a hunting rifle. Thankfully, the shooter wasn’t someone directly behind us on our trail, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a party converging on our location from another direction.”
“Who or what could they be shooting at?”
“I hope only a wild animal.” Ethan shrugged. “Or maybe one of Drayton’s big-city crew got spooked by a wilderness noise.”
Lara bit her lip against blurting out the possibility she didn’t want to consider. Maybe the tension between the cops and the thugs had turned violent. Again. How could she bear more bloodshed in their wake?
“I think we need to go now,” Ethan said, scooping up their belongings. “Just carry the baby in your arms and do whatever you can to keep her quiet.”
Lara offered a wordless nod and followed on his heels, allowing his bulk to part the branches ahead of them and offer safe passage for Maisy and her. The baby did go back to sleep until they stopped again at noon. They changed her and played with her, then they ate some of the trail snacks from Lara’s go bag and drank some of the water from Ethan’s backpack.
Soon they were on the trail again, now with Maisy back in her sling. Their route contained very few stretches of level terrain. It was mostly uphill or downhill, sometimes at a fairly steep grade, and Lara gratefully accepted Ethan’s steadying hand. Baby-on-board definitely affected her balance, and she didn’t care to risk taking a tumble with her precious cargo.
From time to time, other deer paths bisected the one they were on, and Ethan used his compass to select the route that kept them headed roughly for a road where they might find law enforcement vehicles. They also might find enemy transportation, but telling the difference by the markings—or lack thereof—shouldn’t be difficult. At least that’s what Lara kept telling herself.
Dusk was closing in on them when they finally came upon a road. It wasn’t paved, but it was wide and freshly graveled, indicating a main artery through the forest. In silent accord, Lara hunkered down next to Ethan behind the cover of some leafy bushes that concealed their presence while allowing them to observe the road from a few yards upslope.
“If a police or marshals service vehicle comes along,” Ethan said quietly in her ear, “let me make the approach and stop them. Only show yourself if I motion you to come.”
She turned her head and gazed into his eyes. “And if you don’t tell me to come? If there’s a problem?”
“You take off and let me handle it. I’ll get clear, and I will find you.”
“But—”
He pressed a finger against her lips. “Trust me.”
She grasped his hand and squeezed it. “I do, Ethan. More than anyone else on this planet except for my mother, and you’re right up there with her. But I don’t know how I’d cope if something happens to you.”
The sheer intensity of the declaration from her own mouth took Lara’s breath away. Just how deeply was she coming to care for this man? Could this depth of emotion be real? Lasting? Or was it born of the desperation of their situation? How could she know?
His entire countenance softened. “You’d carry on. You’re a fighter, Lara. I trust you to do what’s right.”
Her insides turned to mush. Matt had never said anything remotely like that to her. He’d always encouraged her dependency and highlighted her weaknesses. Why was she continually comparing Ethan to Matt? There was no comparison, and it was about time she broke the habit of analyzing men through Matt-colored lenses. Something like an electric shock flowed through Lara. Wasn’t that defensive thought process a form of still letting Matt control her? Why had she never seen that simple truth before?
There was no time to examine the stunning self-revelation as vehicle headlights appeared on the road, along with a steady crunch of gravel. A sedan proceeded toward them at a sedate pace. Friend or foe? Both types of people were looking for them.
“It’s a county sheriff’s vehicle,” Ethan hissed urgently in her ear. “I’m going to flag them down.”
Lara opened her mouth to acknowledge his message, but he was already gone. His long legs carried him to the verge of the road in a few strides. One arm waved for attention while the other held the shotgun at the ready. The vehicle braked so suddenly to a halt that it skidded on the gravel. Lara’s heart lightened as the vehicle door opened and a woman in a uniform hopped out. Something had finally gone right.
“Not a sound!” A voice growled low and menacing behind her as a hard object poked her in the back of the head.
A gun? Lara’s brain went woozy as if all the blood had drained from it.
“You’re coming with me,” the harsh voice continued. “Let’s move.”
“Lara!” Ethan called up the hill toward the bushes where they had taken cover. “Come on out. It’s time to go.”
There was no response. His gaze searched the hillside, but gathering dusk hid many details. Where were she and the baby? He called out again, but no answer came.
“Something’s wrong,” he told the sheriff’s deputy, who had introduced herself as Cherise Taylor. “Draw your gun and follow me.”
Ethan led the way up the hillside to the bushes. His insides twisted. No one was there. They had to have been taken, which meant that the Draytons had at least one thug on their payroll who knew how to track and how to move silently in the wilderness. He shouldn’t be surprised. It was only to be expected that the father and son had reached out to a woodsman in this situation.
How could he find them now with night closing in? But find them—and quickly—he must. The abductor could choose any moment to kill Lara and make off with the baby. The only thing that might have kept him from doing the deed already was the need for stealth and speed to put distance between them and Ethan. That, and he would use Lara as a mule to carry the baby until they reached a safe destination. Safe for the abductor, not for Lara or Maisy.
Ethan quickly and concisely explained the situation to the sheriff’s deputy.
“I should call for backup to come to this location,” she said.
“Negative. The law will swarm to this spot but so will the bad guys, and we could easily end up with multiple casualties. Pull your car over and shut it off, then rejoin me. I’m going to look for an indication of which way our perp took Lara and the baby.”
“Will do,” she said. “I’ll be on your six as soon as you know which direction to go in.”
Keeping the shotgun at the ready, Ethan palmed his flashlight from his utility belt and shined the beam over the surrounding terrain. There! A broken twig testified to recent passage, and farther on, a flower had been crushed by a foot. Clever. The abductor wasn’t taking his captives back along the deer path into the interior of the forest. He was moving them parallel to the road just inside the tree line. The objective must be to meet up with a vehicle carrying Drayton muscle.
“Change of plan,” he said to the deputy as she came up to him. “The direction Lara and Maisy are being taken tells me the perp has called his friends to come meet them farther up the road. Take your car and keep driving slowly like you were before. I’ll stay on the trail here. I’d like to stop the kidnapper by stealth before he reaches his friends, but failing that, you’ll be there to back me up if we all converge on the perps’ getaway car. We cannot allow them to get Lara and Maisy into the vehicle.”
“Understood.” Cherise jerked a nod.
“Take this with you.” Ethan stripped off his backpack and handed it to the deputy. “I don’t need the bulk when I’m trying to move quickly and quietly.”
Cherise took the pack and loped off toward her vehicle.
Ethan moved on foot as swiftly as he was able in the gloom, along a slope that got steeper the farther he went. It wouldn’t do for him to make a misstep and take a tumble, possibly sprain an ankle or worse. At least he could be assured that the terrain was also slowing Lara and Maisy and their captor. Ethan had turned off his flashlight so as not to betray his position, but he was able to make out trampled grass along the route, assuring him that he was still hot on the scent.
A twig snap and a soft cry close ahead alerted Ethan that he was nearly on top of his quarry. He slowed to a creep, ears straining for further direction.
There!
A growled curse wafted out of the gloom mere paces away. He made out a shadowy figure almost straight ahead of him.
“Move faster!” ordered a harsh whisper.
“Do you want me to go top over tail down this hill with the baby strapped to me?” retorted an indignant female voice.
Ethan used the sound of the conversation to ease closer to the confrontation.
“How about I put a bullet in you right now and take that baby?” the man snarled.
Ethan surged forward and slammed the butt of his shotgun into the man’s head. The abductor crumpled like a rag.
“How about you don’t,” he said to the unconscious thug.
“Ethan!” Lara cried out.
The next thing he knew, she was in his arms. He hugged her close, but Maisy squawked against being crushed between them and they separated. With one hand, Ethan caressed the infant’s downy head, and with the other, he cupped Lara’s soft cheek.
She leaned into his palm. “You found us so fast. Thank you!”
“There’s no way I was letting you go.”
His heart skipped a beat at what he heard his mouth say. Did he mean those words in more than an immediate sense? When this was all over, did he want to explore the possibility of something more permanent with her in his life? He firmed his jaw. Poor time to be asking himself those questions. They needed to put distance between themselves and the bad guys.
The crunch of tires on gravel brought him into a crouching turn. He motioned Lara to remain silent. The vehicle suddenly blipped a siren and flashed its lights.
“Good. It’s Deputy Cherise. Let’s get out of here before any enemies show up.”
Ethan assisted Lara and her precious cargo down the embankment. They soon caught up with the sheriff’s vehicle and piled into the back seat. Ethan closed the car door just as another vehicle’s lights appeared around a bend ahead and closed on them rapidly.
“Swing a U-turn fast as a yo-yo and blare those lights and the siren. We’ve got to make a run for it.”
“On it.” Cherise cranked the wheel even as she accelerated the vehicle.
The car performed a sliding turn, and they blasted up the road in full-pursuit speed—only they were the ones being chased. Maisy, still in her baby harness attached to Lara, reacted to the loud siren by adding her wails to the din. Lara cuddled the child close and attempted in vain to comfort her.
“Now call it in,” Ethan yelled to the driver. “You can be sure our pursuers are also reaching out for their cronies.”
Using hands-free mode, the deputy notified all law enforcement vehicles in the area to converge on their location. The gravel road reached a terminus with a paved highway. Ignoring the stop sign and without slowing, the deputy whipped the vehicle into a rubber-burning, tail-swishing turn onto the larger thoroughfare.
The abrupt change of direction threw Lara into Ethan’s shoulder, and she cried out. Maisy’s bawling ramped up a notch. Ethan resisted the impulse to wrap his arms around the pair. Sure, he needed to keep them safe, but the hired guns in the SUV nearly riding their bumper were the greater threat. Ethan pumped a load into the barrel of the shotgun.
He glanced over at Lara. “I’m going to take a page out of your book and add my own twist.” Then he looked toward the driver. “Roll down my window, please, Cherise.” The rear windows of law enforcement vehicles had to be operated by the driver.
The sheriff’s deputy complied, and Ethan leaned his torso outside. Humid night air created a slipstream around him. He pointed the shotgun’s barrel at the pursuing vehicle’s hood and pulled the trigger. Instantly, smoke geysered from the SUV’s engine, and the vehicle began swerving all over the road.
“You did it!” Lara cried even as their driver let out a whoop.
Ethan eased back into his seat and Cherise powered up the window.
He blew out a long breath. “Now we keep on driving and see who reaches us first, the good guys or the bad guys.”