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I listen for signs of life inside the cabin. Nothing. Fuck, where is she? And who the fuck does the vehicle belong to?
An irrational spark of jealousy ignites. My gut quickly extinguishes it. It’s not a secret rendezvous between lovers. Simone is in danger.
“Lie down,” I tell Jasper. He does what he’s told, but I don’t know how long that will last. His training is a work-in-progress. “Stay!”
I stand, press my body against the wall, and cautiously turn the doorknob.
Slowly, I push the door open…
49
Simone
I disappear farther into the forest, trying to orientate myself as I step on decomposing leaves and slippery mud. My sneakers sink and slide, but I keep on running.
I dart between the trees, their trunks too narrow to provide much cover. My breathing is fast and ragged, and my heartbeat isn’t any quieter.
I’m not as unfamiliar with the area as the man is, but that doesn’t mean much. All I know is that I’m heading in the opposite direction to where I need to be—the road.
Growing up, I rarely wandered off the trails. Unlike Aiden. I didn’t want to risk getting lost.
Now, I don’t have that luxury. Sticking to the trails makes it easier to find me.
On the other hand, running on the trail might make less noise than me traipsing through the underbrush.
Using the cover of the storm to drown out the noise, I continue running, taking care not to trip or fall. Cursing that Lucas is the one who runs mountainous trails while I stick to the familiar streets in Maple Ridge. My lungs burn from the challenge of the steep incline.
A loud bang echoes through the forest. Small pieces of bark from a tree to my left splinter the air, pushing my pulse skyward.
I release a startled gasp, and my feet stumble under me.
Shit, shit, shittedy. Shit.
The snapping of stepped on undergrowth warns me my assailant is rapidly approaching. I cut to the right, not bothering to be quiet.
I risk a glance over my shoulder at the forest behind me, and the world vanishes from under my feet. A shriek alerts him where to find me.
I tumble down a steep incline, protruding rocks and sharp undergrowth doing nothing to slow my descent. If I survive this, I’ll be one big bruise and scrape tomorrow.
I land on my side, the impact knocking a pained grunt from me.
There’s no time to inventory the damage. I stagger to my feet and scan the area for a place to hide. My only chance of survival is circling back to the cabin, grabbing my car keys, and getting the hell away from here.
A ledge protrudes not far from where I fell, tree roots forming a shelter. I stumble toward it, doing my best to ignore a dull ache in my ankle. Fear pushes me forward.
The slope to the hiding spot isn’t as steep as the one I fell down. I scramble up it, my sneakers slipping on the wet leaves. A loud crack splits the air, followed by a resounding boom. The noise vibrates through the forest, mocking me. Reminding me life is short.
I push the thought aside.
I’m going to survive this.
I’ve got to survive.
The hiding spot is filled with spider webs. The image of their owners and other insects crawling over me and biting me scuttles into my brain. Without giving it another thought, I jam my body into the small space and squeeze my eyes shut. My heavy breath and rapid heartbeat seem to echo off the dirt wall behind me.
I strain to make out any signs that the man is closing in on me. The only noise I hear is the storm pelting down. Maybe he returned to the cabin. Or better yet, maybe he’s driving away.
I’m about to crawl out of my hiding space, but then change my mind. For all I know, he’s standing on the ledge where I fell, waiting to fire a round of bullets into me.
