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“Hey!” Quentin yelled, his footsteps slapping the ground as he bolted after them. Courtney tripped again and almost fell. Jacquie grabbed her, trying to keep her up and moving, and tweaked her side in the process. She groaned, crying out as she held onto Courtney.
“I can’t go any further. My insides are screaming, and my incision is starting to bleed,” Courtney cried.
They were almost to the door. “We can make it,” Jacquie assured her.
“You can’t get away,” Quentin called, his voice much closer than Jacquie liked. She glanced over her shoulder. He was almost on them.
Right before they reached the door, it opened in front of them. Jacquie gasped, ready to barrel right through it, and saw Chase standing in the doorway, a look of surprise on his face.
“Jacquie, this way!” He gestured toward them.
“Help us!” she cried.
He grabbed hold of Courtney, put his arm around her waist, and started running with her into the woods. Jacquie followed right behind them, breathing heavily, the pain in her ribs wearing her down. She couldn’t think about that right then. They had to get away from Quentin. She looked behind her again, Quentin had followed them out of the barn. Aiden was right behind him.
Jacquie had made it across the open area and almost into the trees when Quentin stopped and raised his arm, a pistol in his hand. He fired just as she entered the tree line, the shot hitting the tree next to her head, spraying her cheek with bark.
Too close!
“He’s going to catch us.” She ignored the throbbing in her head and the aches in her limbs and pumped her legs faster. She had no doubt that he wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet in her as soon as he had her in his sights.
“Not if I can help it. Come on.” Chase led them deeper into the woods, as far and as fast as he could.
“I’m coming for you!” Quentin shouted and laughed.
“Let them go,” Aiden roared, his voice thick with frustration. “We don’t have time.”
“Screw you. We can’t afford to let them go. Come on, we have to find them.”
“No way.”
A gunshot echoed through the air.
Chase froze.
Jacquie saw the fear on his face as she bent over, trying to catch her breath. “You can’t go back,” she said, knowing he wanted to go after his brother, but she didn’t think she could get Courtney out of there on her own. “You can’t leave us.”
Indecision warred across his face.
She stood firm and waited, unwilling to beg.
He nodded and put his arm around Courtney once more. “I won’t. I promise. Come on, this way.” They pushed through but only made it a few more minutes when they heard Quentin barreling through the brush after them.
He let go of Courtney. “Keep following this trail and you’ll find Aiden’s car across the road, beneath some trees. Josh should be here soon.”
“You’re leaving?”
“No, I’m staying behind to slow him down. Hurry.”
She hated the idea, but knew they’d never make it otherwise. “Thanks, Chase.”
She and Courtney clung to each other and moved through the trees along the trail as fast as they could. She didn’t have time to think, to consider what might have been happening behind her. She had to focus on Courtney and getting her to safety.
A few minutes later they heard a struggle—two men fighting—and quickened their pace. They heard a gunshot, then another just as they broke free to the road and saw a silver sedan parked behind some brush under a tree.
They hurried toward the car and found the keys on the seat. Courtney had just got in the car as Jacquie started the ignition. She pulled out onto the road moving fast toward the barn when Chase stepped out of the bushes, his shirt covered in blood. Startled at the sight, she slammed on the brakes, bringing the car screeching to a halt. He didn’t seem too injured, thankfully, and breathed a long sigh of relief when he opened the back door and dived in.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
