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She felt Angie’s hands reach for her, but it was too late. Bailey hit the ground, rolled over the edge, and down the side of the hill. She heard the gun fire, the bullet digging into the bank beside her. The next one struck her leg, the pain tearing through Bailey’s thigh.
“I’m going to kill you!”
She heard Angie’s scream, and knew she’d be coming down the bank. Seconds later Bailey rolled into the water. She dived under and let it carry her downstream.
The current was strong, and her thigh was on fire, but the cold water would slow the bleeding. She couldn’t allow herself to stop, she had to keep moving or Angie would catch her. Coming up for air, she heard a shot whistle over her head, and dived under again. Lifting her head when her lungs felt like they were about to burst, she searched for Angie. She was some distance behind her now.
Kicking with her good leg, she used the last of her strength and dived under again. The next time she came up, she couldn’t see Angie at all. Struggling to the bank, she dragged herself out. Looking up, she saw the cave. If she could reach that, she’d be safe... she had to be.
They had been searchingalong the river, where the tracks stopped. Someone had rolled down that hill. They’d found blood at the bottom.Please don’t let it be Bailey’s blood.Every minute that passed without him finding her, his fear for her grew.
“Stop!” Fin was in front of him, and it was he who raised his hand. “Someone is up ahead.”
Lifting his rifle, Joe moved closer, and together he and Fin walked slowly until they could see who it was. Jack and Luke followed.
“Angie,” Fin whispered.
She was standing at the base of the hill that led up to Trainer land. Feet braced, arms raised, and in her hands was a handgun. As he watched, she fired off a shot. Raising his gun, he fired, the bullet lodging in the ground at her feet.
“Drop the gun, Angie!”
She turned, eyes wide, gun still clasped in her hands, now pointed his way.
“Joe!” She screamed his name. “It’s Bailey, Joe! She’s gone crazy and tried to shoot me! I-I wrestled the gun off her.”
“Drop the gun or one of us will shoot you, Angie. Even if you get off a shot, there are four guns here. The numbers are not in your favor.”
“I-I don’t understand.” She dropped the gun. “I just told you, it was Bailey, she’s gone crazy.”
“No more lies now, Angie. We all know what you’ve done. Now tell me where Bailey is.”
“No, it’s me you want, not her!”
“Tell me where she is,” he said as calmly as he could manage.
While Fin moved in and grabbed the gun, and Jack her, he watched Angie’s eyes go to the top of the hill, and knew then where Bailey had run to hide.
“Take her back, and hand her over to Chief Blake,” he told Fin.
Angie screamed his name as Jack and Fin took her away.
“It’s a big area, Joe. How the hell will we find her?” Luke came to his side.
“I know where she is.”
“Where?”
He didn’t answer, just started climbing until he reached their special place. She’d climbed down here all those years ago, using a rope, and he’d climbed up it many times to meet her.
“Bailey?” He called her name as he climbed, but it was as he reached the top he heard her voice.
“Joe!”
He hurried inside and found her sitting at the back, and the relief was acute. She’d torn her shirt into strips and tied them around her thigh. Blood colored the bandage red.
“Bailey,” he rasped, dropping to his knees before her. “Jesus, your leg.”
“It’s Angie, Joe. Sh-sh—”
