Page 66 of Glimmer in the Darkness

He jumped to his feet and helped her stand, worried about the wooziness that had her gripping the tree trunk for more support.

Lord, infuse her with strength.

He snatched his gun from the bracken, laid his free hand on her back, and led her to the path. They climbed up, him alternating between studying the map and gazing at the surroundings, looking for any sign of a shooter.

It was impossible to know where to go, but somehow, they made their way around the hill where the cave was hidden and to the base of the rocky slope.

He pulled her off the path to the rock where they’d hidden their backpacks.

But the backpacks were gone.

He settled Cassidy against the rock. “I’m going to look around. They have to be here. I must have forgotten where—”

“He took them, James.”

He wasn’t willing to accept that answer. He needed his map.

He walked around, checking behind trees, in a depression, around rocks. The backpack, his map, the medical supplies—all gone.

Settling beside Cassidy, he leaned against the rock, and once again, studied the woefully deficient map on his phone. The last thing he wanted was to go back the way they’d come. There had to be a faster way to the Jeep—or any road—from here.

Yes. There was a road—not the one they’d come in on, but another one—that seemed like it wasn’t too far down. “If we can make it down to here”—he pointed to the spot—“we should have service enough to call the police and—”

“What? No. You can’t do that. They’ll arrest me.”

“You were shot. We need—”

“I was grazed.”

“You could’ve been killed.”

Her eyes filled. “I know. I know.”

“We need to report it.”

“When I’m safely away, you can call the police. I’m not going to jail today.”

Surely they wouldn’t take her to jail. Rather than argue, he stood and held out his hand to help her up.

Gun in its holster, gaze on the map, he led Cassidy in the direction of the road. One way or another, they needed to get back to his Jeep. He didn’t know how they’d do that if she refused to let him call the police. It wasn’t as if he could call his friends for a ride. Neither Vince nor Reid would look kindly on the fact that he’d gone on this journey with Cassidy.

Lead us, Lord.

They needed all the help they could get.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The loud bangs had scared Ella, and she’d tried to scream, but the gag the man had shoved in her mouth kept the noise from coming out.

She lay still on the ground, waiting for another bang, but none came.

The man had tied her hands behind her back, her feet together. And he’d wrapped her chain around a tree trunk so she couldn’t get away.

She’d asked him what was wrong, and he’d only said that the cave wasn’t safe anymore. Could it be more dangerous than when the bear got in? What kind of monsters were there now?

He promised he’d be back for her and left her in the woods, all alone. Where was he? What was he doing?

Why didn’t Daddy come?