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Kyle strode toward him. “Think about it. She wasn’t that far ahead of me, but there isn’t one footprint up the bank or down the other side. Hell, she can’t fly.”
His logic dropped slowly. When it hit, Travis glanced at the log he was leaning against and followed the length of its massive trunk to where it disappeared into the shadows above.Shit!It was so damn obvious. He’d been concentrating so hard onnotfinding Jordan he’d missed the only possible answer. Worse—he’d underestimated Kyle.
Kyle hopped onto the dead tree. “So, how about that bet?”
“Okay, I’ll play along.” Mentally kicking himself, Travis allowed admiration to color his tone to satisfy Kyle’s ego. “But there isn’t much light in those trees. The moon will set within the hour, and it’s hard to track when it’s pitch black. Why don’t we wait until morning?”
“She’ll be long gone by then. I can find her now.” Kyle stared into the darkness of the tree-covered slope. “She won’t go far for fear of getting lost again. I’ll just put myself in her position and do what she would do. Watch and learn.” He motioned for Travis to follow.
Kyle took the most direct route to the top of the ridge. After studying the terrain for a few minutes, he signaled Travis to stay put. Moving cautiously, he covered another fifty feet before disappearing into the shadows.
Travis followed Kyle’s path, applying all of his training to move soundlessly. The moon disappeared behind a cloud, and the breeze picked up, bringing its pre-dawn chill. The cold seeped through his heavy clothing, and he couldn’t help wondering if Jordan was warm enough. She didn’t have food or water. Obviously, she hadn’t prepared for whatever sent her into the high mountains in sub-freezing temperatures.
He located Kyle, half-hidden in some young saplings ahead and to his left. Following the man’s line of sight, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. What was the guy waiting for? Travis positioned himself strategically in the shadows and observed. After about ten minutes, his taut nerves stretched to the breaking point, he’d had enough. One instant, he was about to step from cover, cross to Kyle, and insist they return to camp until morning.
The next, he spotted Jordan.
*****
SHE PAUSED FOR A SPLITsecond outside the Jeep to get her bearings. Patrick’s shout toget the womanprodded her into a sprint. His harsh words landed like physical blows and ended any delusion she might have had that he would take pity on her.
She ran, not looking back, concentrating on putting distance between herself and her pursuers. She’d managed to surprise them and gained a few seconds’ head start while the men regrouped, but all too soon, she heard heavy footfalls on the hard-packed ground behind her. She would have to move off of the road, but not yet. The hillside rose sharply on her right and dropped away to a chasm of darkness and treetops on her left. Ahead, the road made a sharp switchback and disappeared. If she could extend her lead, maybe she could find someplace to hide in the woods until they gave up the search.
A series of gunshots exploded the silence. Jordan heard the whine of bullets as they passed on both sides and above her head. She ducked and ran faster.
As she started into the curve, she chanced a hurried look over her shoulder. Only one man was behind her, and Kyle lost ground with each stride. She increased her speed as the road straightened in front of her and continued to angle downhill. He would know she’d left the road as soon as he came around the curve, but with any luck, she could find a hiding spot before he figured out which way she’d gone.
They would undoubtedly expect her to choose the easy course, downhill, so she would go up as fast and as far as possible. Jordan could thank Katie for bulldozing her into training for a half-marathon earlier in the fall. The race had been canceled due to the pandemic, but the extra miles she’d put in would save her ass now.
It was at least fifteen feet up a steep incline to reach the edge of the trees, and the men would easily spot her tracks in the loose dirt. Just ahead, a large, dead tree had fallen. Its top rested at the road’s edge, its trunk jutting upward and vanishing into the darkness.It’s perfect.Without breaking her pace, she leaped from the roadway onto the downed tree and scrambled upward, using broken branches that poked haphazardly from the trunk to stabilize and maintain her momentum. Upon reaching the tree line, she jumped to the ground and crouched, trying to quiet her breathing and the hammering of her heart.
Kyle jogged into view, faltering as he surveyed the empty roadway, then slowed to a walk. Moonlight glanced off the handgun he carried. He couldn’t see her, but it was only a matter of time before he guessed where she’d gone. Choosing the straightest path to the top, she picked her way over the steep ground. The Jeep’s rumble announced the arrival of Brody and Travis, and voices raised over the engine noise spurred her on until a bright beam of light played through the trees to her right.They’re using a spotlight.She hugged the far side of a large pine until they moved on, then continued her climb, moving as silently as possible. If she could reach the top of the ridge and drop over, they’d have to leave the road and their vehicle to find her. Surely, they didn’t want her back that badly.
Minutes later, she reached the highest point and started down the other side. A short distance farther, another fallen tree blocked her path. In toppling, part of the tree’s roots remained embedded in the earth, with dirt mounded on both sides of the trunk, forming an opening deep enough for Jordan to crawl into and lay flat.
The smell of damp earth surrounded her as she burrowed deeper into the roots until she started to feel safe for the first time in hours. Eventually, her breathing slowed, but she remained alert and watchful, straining to catch the slightest sound. After her hasty passage, the noises of the forest gradually returned. The hooting of owls, the snuffling of small, nocturnal creatures, and even the stomping and snorting of larger animals comforted her. It was impossible to judge the passage of time in the dark, cozy lair until the moon disappeared, a sure sign dawn’s gray debut wasn’t far off.
Jordan didn’t want to think about Travis and the magnetic attraction she’d experienced when they first met, but in the looming silence,hewas the elephant in the room. She’d assumed he was a good guy because he’d rescued her from Kyle at the bar and not only made sureshegot home safely but had exacted a promise from Liz to call a cab.Not an easy sell.
Jordan had thrown herself at him and been hurt and embarrassed when he’d rejected her. She’d been the hot mess upon sober reconsideration, and Travis had been a gentleman from start to finish. But now, she knew what he was—a scumbag, no better than Brody or Kyle. Despite Travis’s participation in her attempted kidnapping, her stomach still fluttered when she thought about him, which was stupid and infuriating.
The cold seeping from the ground finally prompted her to move. Her limbs were numb and unresponsive at first as she tried to crawl from her hiding place. After several minutes of rubbing the blood flow back into her arms and legs, she stumbled to her feet and brushed the damp earth from her clothes.
Her plan hadn’t gone beyond escaping from the men. Now that she’d achieved that much, what was next? Morning was just around the corner; she’d finally be able to see what she was stumbling over. If she kept going in the direction she was headed, she might never find her way out of these mountains. She had to return to the road, though that was a terrifying prospect. The road led downhill, and if she followed it, she would eventually find civilization. People. Alex. She’d just have to be careful who she decided to trust.
“Well, well, well...we meet again.”
Jordan whirled at Kyle’s voice, and fear clamped an iron band around her chest. He leaned casually against a tree a short distance away as though he’d been waiting for her.Run!Instead, she froze, her hesitation enough time for Kyle to raise his gun and point it at her.
“Gotcha.” His hand moved slightly, and she heard the safety go off.
He’s going to kill me.
Time slowed. She didn’t dare look away from the gun, but a movement to her left startled her.
Travis? He strode toward her, a mix of anger and determination on his face. “Brody wants her alive.” He spoke to Kyle, but he looked straight at her.
“So what?”
