Page 49 of Flashback

Branches whooshed past his face as he ran. Ash and smoke still rose from the blackened trees around them until he had to fight for breath and cough out the dirt.

Each step sent a fine gray dust into the air. Maybe Dakota could use that to obscure the man’s sight. He scuffed his feet a few steps, making plumes of dust clouds.

Heavy footfalls behind them didn’t slow.

The shooter was gaining on them.

Up ahead the slope grew steeper. Allie hit a patch of loose dirt. She listed sideways and started to slide downhill.

Dakota reached down and grabbed her arm, helping her back up.

“Thanks,” she said, her voice breathy.

Dakota glanced back but couldn’t see the shooter. He held his gun ready—just in case. In front of them, the creek flowed between two boulders in a huge wall formation that blocked their way. So much for following the creek to the river.

“Where do we go?” Allie wiped hair out of her face and sucked in air.

“We have to keep moving.” He helped her up and over the rocks. If they couldn’t make distance count, they needed coverage. They climbed down from the boulders and found a deer path on the other side.

“Let’s go.” He held her hand as they continued running. “Maybe we’ll lose him.”

“I…hope…so…I can’t…run much farther.”

But she continued to jog a decent pace with him. Here the trees were green again, the forest pristine.Thank You.The green provided extra foliage and cover as they ran.

The sound of falling rocks behind them meant the stranger was making his way through the boulders too, right on their tail. Dakota found a burst of speed.

Suddenly the path ended. Huge spruce and pine blocked their way. But there was open area beyond them and the sound of rushing water. They had to be close to the river. Dakota pushed through the fringe of branches and froze.

Pebbles fell down the cliff wall in front of him and dropped into the raging river over twenty feet below.

“Stop, Allie!” He grabbed her just as she was about to run through the tree branches and off the face of the mountain.

She gasped. He held her against himself while she found her bearings.

“What are we going to do?” She clung to his shirt, her hazel eyes wide.

“There’s no way back.”

Allie leaned over the cliff edge.

“We don’t have time to debate this.” Even now, footfalls were moving toward them, slightly drowned out by the sound of the river. A wild river, deep from the spring runoff, rushed down the mountain in a wide stream of tumbling white water. “We have to jump.”

She shook her head.

“Allie.” He squeezed her hand. “This is our only chance. I need you to jump as far out as you can. Once you hit the water, keep your feet in front of you and let the river take you downstream. I’ll find you.”

A fierce barking sounded on the wind.

“That’s Scout!” Allie whipped around, looking for her dog.

Noise on the path behind the trees grew louder. The shooter was close.

Dakota released her hand. Turned to cover her. “You have to jump. Now!”

With one last look at him, Allie clenched her jaw tight. She closed her eyes and leaped. Her scream echoed off the canyon walls.

TEN

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