Page 124 of Finding Amanda

Tears distorted her vision. She would never have the chance to make things right with him. She would die without ever telling Mark how much she loved him.

No, she would survive. She squeezed the pepper spray in her pocket, sniffed, and blinked back the tears. "He loves me," she repeated, angry at the way her voice cracked when she said it. She continued, making the next statement as powerful as she could. "And he will kill you."

"Perhaps.” Gabriel sounded pensive, not at all afraid. "I think Mark will decide he should stay out of prison to raise his girls. But you may be right. In which case, I'll have to handle it. I'm not afraid. I don't think your little soldier can outsmart me."

Her temper flared.Stay calm, the voice said.Not yet.

But he could stop at any time, and then it would be too late. They'd already been walking for ten minutes. How far into thewoods did he intend to go?Tell me when,she prayed, hoping someone was listening.Show me what to do.

They angled around a wide curve, and she saw an old, dead tree had fallen across the path about fifteen yards in front of them, a tangle of branches and twigs blocking their way.

He slowed his pace as they approached. This was it—he'd kill her now. She had to act.

He looked over her head into the woods beside her, then into the woods on the other side. He walked slowly forward. His attention was diverted. Maybe he wouldn't notice the thick root that poked out of the ground in their path. Gripping the pepper spray, finger on the trigger, she stepped over the root and prayed he'd stumble.

He did, and in that moment she whipped the pepper spray out of her pocket, aimed it at his face, and pressed the button.

He turned, spewing an angry curse, and let go of her arm.

She bolted into the forest.

Just a few steps in, her heel caught on a root, and she fell, loosening her grip on the pepper spray. It rolled away. She wanted to grab it, but Gabriel was right behind her, screaming, one hand covering his eyes, the other reaching out for her.

She yanked her foot just in time, climbed to a crouch, and shot into the thick forest.

His arrogant demeanor gone, Gabriel screamed and swore.

She ran. Small, bare bushes filled the space between the trees, grabbing at her clothes.

Gabriel was following. She could hear him but dared not look. She must have missed his face when she'd aimed the pepper spray. It should have stopped him for a few minutes at least, but he was still on his feet. From the pain in his voice, at least some of the chemicals had hit him. But not enough—not nearly enough.

At least she'd slowed him down, and that gave her theopportunity to put some distance between them. She crashed between two pine trees only to land in a thorn bush. Ignoring the sharp stabs of pain on her hands, she yanked the branches from where they'd stuck on her wool coat and backed away, turning to her right, aiming only to be away from him. She avoided the clumps of snow as best she could, hoping he wouldn't be able to see her footprints on the moist bracken in the dim light.

She chanced a look behind her. He was not far.

"You'll never get away from me, Amanda." All his false warmth and confidence were gone. All she heard in his voice was cold hatred.

"I will hunt you down, and I will kill you. I was going to make it quick and painless, but after this . . ."

She ran faster. She was afraid to look as panic rose in her chest and threatened to erupt in a scream.

He’s not that close. You’re getting away.

She tried to believe that. Even so, she expected to feel his hand on her at any moment. Fear spurred her on. She had to find a place to hide.

"You'll pay for what you've done!"

She scanned the woods. Forest in every direction, but it seemed to drop off up ahead and to the left. She aimed in that direction and prayed she'd find a place to hide. Sure enough, about twenty yards ahead, the ground descended into a small depression. She ran, scurried down the hill, and looked behind her. She couldn't see him.

A tree had fallen across the hole. Its upturned roots formed a thick, chaotic ceiling over the opposite side. She picked her way to it, grabbing slippery tentacles for support. As she'd hoped, the overturned tree created a good hiding place. If she could stay hidden until the sun went down—it couldn't be long now—maybe she could escape in the darkness.

She burrowed beneath the tree, enduring a sharp pain to her head as a branch caught her hair. She yanked her scalp away and settled in the moist dirt, bending her knees to hide her feet, not knowing if she succeeded. The hole was so small, once inside, she couldn't move her head. She stared upward into the darkness between the thick roots, which twisted from the tree's violent downfall and curled around her head like a noose.

And then she waited. And prayed.

CHAPTER THIRTY

After double-checking the map on his phone, Mark turned left, adjusting the wheel as his back tires slid on the snow-covered road before finding purchase. He was close now. He'd been off the highway for a few miles, picking his way along deserted back roads. In the summertime, these streets would be crowded with tourists. But it was off-season. Not another car in sight.

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