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“As I said, let’s get moving.” He led the way through the forest and gave the rope a sharp tug, causing Ivy’s body to lurch forward and forcing her to walk, or indeed be dragged behind.
“Where ye be taking me? As ye can see, there ain’t much civilization out here.”
“Fort William is about three hundred miles west of here. It looks like a good three days walk.”
“Three days?” she said, struggling to keep up with her bad leg. “In the wilderness?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“We’ll not survive,” she exclaimed, panic raising her voice. “We’ll starve to death, for certain. Or worse, freeze.”
“A very good possibility, ma’am. Perhaps you should have thought of that before fleeing from the train.”
“I was running for me life,” she said in her defense. “I hardly had the time to be stopping and considering me options.”
He seemed to ignore this. “I should be able to hunt and find us food. If you know what you’re doing, the land will provide for you.”
“And ye know what ye be doing?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“How is that?”
“I’ve been doing this a long time.”
“What? Capturing helpless females and be returning them to what is more than certain their death.”
He stopped walking so suddenly, she stumbled trying not to collide with him. Turning, he stared down at her. His eyes looked more black than hazel in the early morning light. And tho
ugh they did not look utterly unkind, they did not necessarily look compassionate either. She stiffened her spine.
“I hardly think you’re the helpless female kind.”
He turned and began walking once again. She watched his back. He was tall, a good head taller than herself. His shoulders were broad beneath the bulky jacket. If he wasn’t her enemy, she would have found some comfort in his huge frame. Though she hated to admit it, the surroundings were new to her and Ivy recognized when she was out of her element.
But Sam Michalski was right on one account. She was no helpless female. Just out here, in this unending wilderness, she felt suddenly very fragile.
“Perhaps it best we head back to the train.”
“What for?”
“Well, perhaps there be someone who can—“
”They’re dead.”
He said it so matter of fact, she thought she must have heard him wrong. She blinked. “All of them?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“God almighty.” She stopped in her tracks, feeling all of a sudden very ill. Her arms were yanked out in front of her, as Sam hadn’t noticed her halting. When he did, he stopped and looked back.
“What? Are you trying to convince me you feel empathy? Sorry, don’t buy it.” With a jerk of the rope, he pulled her forward.
His harsh words hadn’t even penetrated Ivy’s brain. The Radford’s were dead. A hollow feeling tugged on her chest. She recognized it immediately. Loss. Though she had never been close with the Radford’s, they had treated her well considering. Not many had.
Her poor leg suddenly pinched. Biting down a cry of pain, she however, could not stop herself from stumbling. With a grunt, she fell to the earth and onto her hands and knees.
It was only then that she realized how horrible her stomach felt. The impact of her body pitching forward reverberated on her stomach and Ivy couldn’t stop the vomit if she tried. She despised vomiting. It made her feel wretched, empty, weak. All the things she hated, and certainly could not afford at that moment.
