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She dared another glance above the rocks. One of the two men jumped over the side of the boat into the shallow water. Was there anywhere better to hide? If only she had a cave or a big tree to climb.
The dog whined, and she shushed him with a touch. She picked up a rock and hefted it in her hand. It was the only weapon she had, but it wouldn’t be effective in a direct confrontation. She’d have to ambush the guy.
Creeping along the rocky landscape, she moved toward where she’d left the kayak. Maybe she could knock him out while he bent over to retrieve it. If he had a gun, she could take it. While she’d never shot a gun, how hard could it be? Point it and pull the trigger.
But when she peeked up again, the man wasn’t moving toward the kayak. Instead, he was making a sweep of the island. He was easy to spot in his red plaid shirt. He’d stumble across her hiding place any second. She had to come up with another plan.
Her throat tightened at the thought of being found. She looked around again. There was a tree whose branches might bear her weight. Maybe she could launch a rock at his head from above. Or just hide. The dog would be found, but maybe they’d think she perished in the water.
A vain hope though. The kayak had clearly been pulled ashore. The men would know she had to be here somewhere and wouldn’t give up until they found her. Could she get the kayak to the water and escape before they saw? She shook her head. Even if the searcher didn’t see her, the other guy still in the boat would notice. He was scanning the area with binoculars.
She scrabbled back on her belly toward the trees. It was only when she reached the trunk that she realized she’d have to stand to climb it. The leaves were four feet from the base, and the men would immediately see her.
She was doomed to be found. Could she get the dog to attack? She put her hand on his head. “Attack!” she said in a hoarse whisper.
Scout looked at her with soulful eyes, and his tail thumped the ground. Not a surprise there, but all hope left her chest. She might as well rise holding her hands up.
But she couldn’t bring herself to give up all hope. Maybe they’d get called away or someone else would come. She had to cling to the possibilities.
She crawled back to the rocks and peered up again. Her slight movement had caught the man’s eye, and he grinned and came toward her. His red hair glinted in the sun breaking through the clouds.
“There you are. I knew there was nowhere to hide here. Come on out, and I won’t hurt you.”
She clutched the rock and stood. “What do you want?”
“Just a little game. It will be fun.”
She knew better from the glint in his muddy-brown eyes. Before she had a chance to change her mind, she launched the rock at his head. To her amazement, it struck him on the forehead, and he stumbled with a groan.
But he didn’t go down. His fists clenched, and he came toward her. “That’s going to cost you.”
Twenty-Eight
By dinnertime Jon had a signed purchase agreement for the house in hand as well as a lease for the downtown property. It had been a productive afternoon. He eyed his car as he got out in the lot at the B and B and locked it. Tonight he’d put it up for sale online and see what happened.
Though it saddened him to let it go, it was the right thing. The red Jag wasn’t a family car. What would Annie think if he showed up one of these days with a van? He grinned at the thought as he jogged up the walk to the house.
Annie met him at the front door, and he swooped her into his arms. “It’s done, love. We can start work on that aging beauty in a few weeks.”
She whooped and kissed him. “I can’t believe it! Kylie will be over the moon. I can’t wait until she gets back.”
“I called Lars too. He agreed to drop the custody suit.”
She kissed him again. “Where’s your Superman cape?”
He held her close against his chest. “In my pocket.”
Her satellite phone went off, and she stepped back to answer it. “LEO Pederson. Oh, hey, Max.”
When Annie’s smiled dropped off, Jon knew something was wrong, and he stepped closer.
“No, I haven’t heard from Sarah.” She glanced at Jon. “You haven’t heard from her, have you?”
“Nope.”
Annie’s eyes went wide as she listened. “I’ll talk to Mason, and we’ll come right away.”
“What’s happened?” Jon asked when she ended the call.
