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Olivia nodded. She stepped up to him; her head only met his shoulder. She reached higher to press a kiss to his lips. “Ready. Where are we headed? I thought we were going to stay in Laramie for a while.”
“No, I figure it’s probably wise to keep moving. Let’s head north to Montana. I hear it’s beautiful up there.”
She eyed him with a thoughtful expression as she pulled on her coat. Paul knew she picked up the undercurrents of his tension but thankfully didn’t let it worry her. He was happy to bear the burden of his edginess until he knew what caused it. Maybe it was nothing. He rubbed the back of his neck where the muscles coiled tightly. It would be the first time his “six sense” failed him but he would be glad if it turned out to be nothing.
He threw open the hotel door and hustled her out. He couldn’t get Olivia into the car fast enough. He tucked her into the passenger seat then locked the door before shutting it. He jogged to the driver’s side, slid behind the wheel and started the car. His gaze bounced everywhere, looking for something or someone out of place. He quickly pulled from the parking lot and got on the highway. For some reason he knew he needed to get Olivia out of Laramie and as far away as possible. He didn’t think they’d been located yet but he wasn’t going to linger a second longer than necessary. He didn’t bother stopping at two stop signs – totally out of character for him, but the edginess was turning into full blown stress. Silence stretched as he pushed the car as fast as the snowy conditions would allow.
“What is it, Paul?” Olivia’s voice sounded nervous and her earlier happiness was gone. When he threw her a look he saw she was biting her lip with worry as she huddled low in her seat.
“It’s nothing, honey. I’m just being cautious; don’t worry. You’re safe.” But the feeling in his gut told him he was lying. He would do whatever it took to keep her out of harm’s way. He only hoped he could hold his promise.
“You keep saying that but I feel afraid. What is it?” She touched his arm. “Did you see something? Were Ethan’s men at the hotel?”
“No, it’s just a feeling I’ve learned to never ignore. That’s why I wanted to get on the road.”
“I’m sorry I took so long at the hotel. You were trying to get me out of there faster and I was pretending I was on vacation without a care in the world. Pretty stupid.”
“Let’s not worry about it. So far we’re alone out here and no one’s following. Maybe my hunch is nothing.” He glanced at her and noticed the dark circles under her eyes. “We’ll grab something quick for breakfast in the next town. It’ll be awhile. Why don’t you tip your seat back and try to get some sleep?”
“Okay. I am really tired. I had a hard time staying asleep in the night.” Olivia did as he asked. She settled back in her seat but kept her face turned toward him. She also kept her hand on his sleeve. “We’ll go to Montana and find a cabin in the mountains?” she asked around a yawn.
Paul threw her a reassuring smile. “Sure, honey. I’ll hunt for moose and you can make us stew over an open fire.”
“Sounds – dreadful,” she answered with a sleepy laugh as her eyes slipped closed.
Paul continued to drive along the back snowy highway. It had been plowed but snow kept falling, making the road slippery. He pushed the speed as much as he dared, wanting to put distance between them and Laramie. The edgy feeling hadn’t dissipated no matter how many times he checked the empty scenery in his rearview mirror.
After two hours and nearly eighty miles on the lonely two lane road, Paul forced himself to relax. He’d gripped the wheel so tight his hands ached. He glanced at the passenger seat. Olivia had slept the entire time. She looked cramped and uncomfortable but her brow was smooth and she wore a serene expression. At least her dreams weren’t troubled.
Paul glanced in the mirror again and watched an old battered pickup pull onto the highway behind him. He didn’t think much about it until the truck started closing on him. The roads were icy and the driver seemed reckless to go so fast. “The fool,” Paul muttered under his breath. If the other driver wasn’t careful he’d end up in the ditch. Paul continued to keep an eye on the vehicle. Every second brought him closer. As he entered the oncoming lane to pass, Paul slowed down. He expected the fool to go blazing past. He didn’t expect the truck’s occupant to pull out a gun and aim for his face. The sound of a bullet pinged against his fender.
“Oh no you don’t!” Paul ground out through clenched teeth. Before they could take him out he stepped on the gas to charge past the truck. The road was icy and his tires slipped on the surface. He fought the wheel to maintain control. Another shot rang out.
Olivia stirred in the passenger seat and became instantly alert. “Paul? What’s wrong?”
When she tried to sit up Paul pushed her back. “Keep down; they’ve got a gun.”
“Who does?” she asked fearfully. She struggled to sit but Paul held her in place with one arm.
“Stay put, honey. I need both hands on the wheel to drive these roads and I don’t want you getting shot. Keep down.”
“Shot?”
Paul continued to mutter grimly under his breath. His sedan was no match for the big engine in the old pickup. And he didn’t know these roads well enough to out-manoeuver the truck. The best he could do was hold his position until a new opportunity came along. “Get the cell phone and call nine-one-one. I’ll give you instructions when you get them on the line.”
As she dug in the bag for the phone the pickup rammed into the back of their car. Olivia let out a startled cry. Paul fought to keep the car on the road as it fishtailed violently. “Dammit!” he hissed. The truck pulled into the oncoming lane again and tried to side-swipe Paul. He was ready for them. “Hang on, Liv honey!” he shouted as he jerked the wheel. There was a loud crunch and scrape as the two vehicles met side to side. Overhead they heard the sound of an incoming helicopter. “Please say that’s the cavalry coming to our rescue.”
Olivia turned in her seat. “I don’t think so, Paul. It’s black with no sheriff markings. I think we’re in trouble.”
Paul hated the fear and resignation he heard in her voice. He knew she would fight Ethan with every last breath but he didn’t want her to face that monster again. “I’ll die before they get their hands on you. Hold on!” He stomped on the gas again as he drove the car into the front fender of the pickup. The pickup swerved and started to spin out of control. As the truck flew toward the ditch on the opposite side, the passenger aimed a shot at Paul. Another shot rang out, this one from the helicopter. Olivia screamed when the rear window shattered. The rear tire blew as well - at those speeds and on an icy road there was no way for Paul to maintain control. He fought the wheel but the car flipped. Olivia screamed again as the car rolled, then all went black.
TWELVE
Paul slowly regained consciousness to find himself strapped to a board in a moving vehicle. He couldn’t move his arms and there were bands across his chest and thighs making him completely immobile. Paul’s eyes snapped open. “What the hell is this?” He didn’t like being restrained. When he fought to be free, someone pressed a hand to his chest. He glared at the paramedic, realizing he was in an ambulance. “Get me out of these restraints, now!”
“Easy, buddy, we have to strap you in. It’s protocol. As soon as we get to the hospital they’ll determine the extent of your injuries, but it looks like you have a mild concussion along with some contusions. Nothing’s broken and no internal trauma from what we can tell but they’ll run more tests to be sure. You’re going to be just fine. After seeing the rollover and the condition of your car, you should feel lucky.”
Lucky? He didn’t have time for this nonsense! “Where’s Olivia? Is she okay?” He glanced frantically around the back of the ambulance but there was only him and the paramedic. “Where is she?” He fought against his restraints again as panic took hold. He had to get to Olivia! He didn’t need a hospital. “Tell me where she is!” he demanded when the paramedic gave him a perplexed look.
