He couldn’t answer, too focused on attempting to slow their speed over the rocky terrain while at the same time trying to get a good look at the rear license plate of the black truck disappearing in the distance.
This wasn’t an accident.
The right front tire of the SUV struck a rock with a sickening thudding sound. Instantly, the car lurched to one side, throwing poor Bruno roughly to the opposite side of the crate area. Cam knew they’d blown out a tire, but there was nothing he could do about it now.
Bringing the SUV to a jerky stop, he shifted into park and glanced at Evie. There was no doubt in his mind the driver in the pickup truck had tried to kill them.
11
Bruno! Evie didn’t wait for the SUV to come to a complete stop before bailing out of the passenger seat. She ran around to the back, frantically searching for the button to lift the hatch. It opened so slowly she ducked underneath. Wrapping her arms around Bruno, she buried her face against his fur.
“Are you okay, boy?” Her voice cracked as she lifted her head and ran her fingers over his thick pelt and down each of his extremities. She hadn’t heard him yelp, but everything had happened so fast she could have missed it. “You’re not hurt?”
Bruno licked her cheek.
“Evie, we need to get out of here.” Cam’s voice had her spinning to face him. “We can’t be here if the black truck returns.”
Swallowing hard, she nodded. But then she spied the flat tire. “We’re walking?”
Cam turned and scanned the area. “Yeah, I don’t think we take the time to change the tire.”
“But—” She bit her lip. Walking wasn’t going to get them very far.
“My Jeep is at the Haven Suites.” He gestured to the open field. “We’ll run for as long as you’re able, then walk.”
“But our stuff...” She sighed and shook her head. “Never mind. Let’s go.”
“I’ll carry your backpack.” Cam made quick work of shoving the laptop inside, then shouldering the pack. She knew he was in better physical shape than she was, so she didn’t bother to protest.
As it was, Bruno and Cam could both go faster than she could.
“You go first,” Cam said. “I’ll back you up. Keep Bruno beside you.”
She couldn’t believe they were going to try outrunning a truck. She set out at an easy pace, keeping a wary eye on the uneven ground. The last thing she wanted was to fall flat on her face.
Cam stayed behind her. She wasn’t sure why he hadn’t taken the lead, until she realized he was covering her back in case the truck did return.
Lifting her heart, she silently prayed for strength and endurance.
Cutting through the field helped put distance between them and the road. As she jogged, she tried to envision the location of the Haven Suites in comparison to the highway. How far would they have to go on foot? Two miles? Five? Her feet were already screaming in protest as her breath sawed in and out of her lungs.
She made a mental promise to get in better shape once this nightmare was over.
“Are you okay?” Cam’s low, husky voice wafted toward her. She risked a quick glance over her shoulder before focusing her attention back on the uneven terrain. Cam wasn’t breathing hard or even sweating. Was he a man or a machine?
“Fine.” She pushed the single word through her tight throat. There was no way she could have a conversation while jogging. She wasn’t even sure how long she’d be able to keep running.
Cam was silent for several minutes. She badly wanted to slow down to a walk but gritted her teeth and kept going.
Just as she was beginning to think the truck wasn’t going to return, she felt Cam touch her shoulder.
“Head for the cluster of trees to your left. Hurry!”
She didn’t waste her breath to respond. Instead, she dug deep, picking up her speed as she angled toward the trees. Thankfully, Bruno seemed to think this running for their lives was a big game and eagerly loped alongside her.
They’d barely reached the trees when she heard a crack of gunfire. Collapsing to the ground, she put her arm around Bruno and pulled him close, her heart hammering in her chest. Cam stayed on his feet, holding his weapon with both hands.
Had he fired the shot? As if in response, she heard another crack of gunfire. She sucked in a deep breath. The shot hadn’t come from Cam.
