Page 70 of Scorched

One shot was all she’d get.

“It’s time.” Cain turned his gun on Luke. “Should I start with him or you?”

Her arm tensed. As she drew it from behind her back, a flurry of motion burst into her peripheral vision. Before she could react, a small, dark shadow slammed into the man’s arm, knocking the gun loose. It flew across the sloping concrete, skittering to a stop three feet short of the rising river water.

Oh, God. It was Brandon. Elise held her breath as her son scurried across the concrete to stand in front of Luke, his face fierce and scared at the same time.

“You little brat!” Cain dove for the gun.

“Duck, Brandon!” Elise cocked her arm, prayed for a miracle and let loose. Throwing into a stationary catcher’s glove was a lot easier than at a moving target. But her rock hit Cain in the head, stopping him short of his gun. He stumbled and fell, rolling over and over until he tumbled into the water. The current picked him up and carried him downstream, past the bridge and out of sight of the flashlight Elise held.

Brandon ran for the gun and kicked it into the dark, muddy water roaring past.

“Run, Brandon!” Elise scooped Luke up in her arms. His little body wiggled against hers, filling her with relief. “Hold still, little guy. We’ll get you home.”

Uncertain whether Cain had been revived by the cold river water, Elise knew she had to get to her car as quickly as possible.

Brandon stumbled behind her, slipping in the muddy ruts left by Cain’s truck.

Weighed down by Luke, Elise slowed and turned, extending the hand holding the flashlight for him. “Grab the flashlight and hold on.”

Brandon latched onto the light and pulled himself up next to her. Then he let go and charged forward. “Come on!”

Getting to the top of the hill seemed to take forever. Elise slipped at least another five times, crashing to the ground on her elbows. She rolled to the side to keep from crushing Luke. Brandon had disappeared, hopefully making it to the car and the cell phone to call for help.

Luke wiggled to get free. “Let go, Mom. I can walk.”

Unable to push herself back to her feet without letting go, Elise released him.

Once free, Luke stood in the mud, slipped and scrambled to his feet, running after Brandon.

With rain dripping down in her eyes, and mud coating her arms and legs, Elise struggled to get up.

Before she could take a step, the ground shook behind her and a large hand grabbed her ankle.

Barely balanced to begin with, Elise crashed to the drenched earth, the wind knocked from her lungs. But she held onto the flashlight, its heavy batteries making it the only weapon she had left to save herself and her boys. “Run, Luke! Run, Brandon! Hide!”

Fingers grabbed the back of her calf and Trevor Cain crawled up her body, one hand at a time.

Trapped on her stomach, Elise rolled from side to side, unable to flip onto her back. She swung the flashlight out to the side.

His grunt told her she’d made contact, but not enough to get him off her back.

Again, she swung the heavy flashlight.

He let go of one of her legs long enough to grab the flashlight and yank it from her grip, tossing it into the bushes, the light shining off in another direction.

Now, it was her against him. Darkness swallowed them, rain pelting her face and running into her eyes. She kicked, she rolled, but he was heavy, and the mud made it too slippery for her to gain purchase. Elise needed a miracle about now to save her and her boys.

Cain climbed onto her back, straddling her hips with his. He yanked a handful of her hair, pulling back hard until she thought her neck would snap.

“I should have killed you first.” He slammed her face into the mud.

If the ground hadn’t been so soft and moist, the force of his brutal slam would surely have broken her nose. As it was, her mouth and nostrils filled with mud, choking off her air.

He lifted her head again for another slam.

Elise spit and blew the mud from her nose, gasping for breath. Was this the way it would end? She prayed Luke and Brandon were far, far away and hiding low in the bushes. She prayed it would all end very quickly and painlessly.

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