Page 70 of Protecting You

A thick branch poked from beneath dead leaves and pine needles. She freed it from the wet ground, ignoring the dirt and bugs. It was as long as a baseball bat, but thicker. A little unwieldy, but she’d wield it anyway.

Hurrying toward Callan and the guard, she glanced into the woods. Flashlights bounced in their direction, men calling to each other, some in English, some not.

Ignore them. One thing at a time.

She choked up on the stick like she used to playing softball with her cousins, aimed for Benson’s head, and swung.

The man toppled to the side. He wasn’t unconscious, but he was down, for now.

“Get up!” She spoke to Callan, who was moving too slowly. “Come on,come on!”

She dropped the stick, found Callan’s bag, then grabbed his hand and yanked.

He seemed to come back to himself, blinking as he looked around. “Which way?”

She kept ahold of him and ran.

He stumbled at first but seemed to gain energy as they moved. They still had so far to go.

Shouts behind them told her the guards were close.

“They found Benson,” Callan said between huffs.

He understood Arabic?

She understood enough to know they needed to get out of there, fast. Her lungs were on fire by the time a low rock wall came into view. Beyond it, a house.

A nice, normal house, so incongruent with the situation.

Almost there.

Almost there.

A shout came from the side.

A gasp stole her breath.

She craned her neck and spied a woman running toward them. The housekeeper who wasn’t.

A little behind, but not far enough.

Alyssa had no energy, no ability to push faster or harder.

Callan overtook her and propelled her forward. But they weren’t going to make it, and even if they did, that rock wall wasn’t going to stop this guard.

She was getting closer. Alyssa could hear her breathing behind her.

A warm hand grazed her shoulder.

She yelped, stumbled. If not for Callan’s firm hold, she’d have fallen.

But the woman gripped her upper arm and yanked her around. Alyssa was falling, flailing.

Callan’s hand slipped away.

Her knees hit the ground.

The not-housekeeper shouted for her compatriots.

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