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As he, intent on taking her life, searched for her.
Her insides turned to jelly and she had to fight back the fear. If she could just noiselessly slide away, creep down the side of the building, toward the river and—
A text came in. Though silent, the phone screen lit.
“What the fuck?” Tyson said, staring out as she pressed the phone to her body, smothering the screen. A pause. Obviously he didn’t know what he’d seen out of the corner of his eye. He said, “Something’s not right.” She closed her eyes, hoping not to cause any reflection if he angled for a better view of the porch.
Please, God, don’t let him see me. She willed herself into the wall and held her breath, not moving an inch as he continued to stare into the darkness.
Nikki’s mind screamed: Run! Run to the river! It’s your only way out.
But it wasn’t much of a chance and against her screaming brain, she held back, her back flat against the siding. He had a gun, no, two guns, now Ashley had one, and other weapons and night-vision goggles. If she took off now, he’d find her in a second. He was still uncertain about what he’d seen. So she had to be careful, not tip him off.
“Let’s get out of here,” Ashley said, and there was movement inside, lighter footsteps.
“I’m not sure it’s a good time. I think someone’s out there. Waiting for us to make a move.”
“Again: paranoid.”
“Shut up!”
“Okay, fine,” Ashley said angrily. “You stay, but I’m leaving.”
Yes, just go. I have everything recorded!
Ashley added, “I can’t stay any longer anyway. Ryan will get suspicious. He probably already is.”
“Ash, c’mon. You can handle him. Just wait . . .” More footsteps. And the creak of a door opening. The French doors just ten feet away. The ones between her and her escape route to the river. Her throat went dry as sand. In a second he would step onto the porch and then it would be all over. He’d find her and put his damned gun to her head.
Without thinking, she crouched low, beneath the slightly open window, and started creeping along the side wall, moving away from the river and closer to the forest. If she could just vault over the rail.
She caught a glimpse of Tyson, backlit by the lantern as he stepped outside, only a thin panel of glass panes separating them. He snapped his night-vision goggles over his eyes with one hand, while in the other he clutched his pistol.
Oh. Dear. God.
She slipped silently along the wall, rounding the corner of the porch.
“Hey!”
Oh, shit!
Footsteps followed.
“Ash!” he ordered, yelling so loudly his voice echoed through the surrounding forest. “She’s out here! Damn it! Cut her off! Go out the front!”
No! Oh, no!
She moved more quickly and then heard the front door moan as it opened.
No!
She was trapped!
She eyed the railing.
There was no time!
Tyson rounded the corner just as she tucked herself into the alcove on the far side of the chimney, the stones pressing hard against her back.
