Page 36 of Trail to Trouble
“That’s good. Any other distinct features?”
“To your right, ten yards away is a huge white pine stump full of woodpecker holes. Just beyond that is a hill with a drastic slope, and to the left of that is a low rock ledge that Ts into the hill. If we keep moving in the direction we’re going, we’d hit the end of the ledge where it slopes down to the height of the ground level we’re on. It’s fairly level to our left. Right next to us is a large downed clump of trees with a huge exposed root ball and a large hole in the ground.”
“Perfect. We aren’t that far from the river, which is pretty narrow at this section. It may look as if the woods don’t end, because you’ll see the woods on the other side of the river from this vantage point, but know the river is there. It cuts between two rocky ledges standing about five feet or so above the surface of the water. We would have canoed that way tomorrow to get to the branch of the river we’d use to return to base camp. Still, I don’t want you to go that way. Keep going south along the river to get to Iron City.”
“What? By myself?”
“The best thing for you is to keep moving. My job is to keep you safe, and to do that, you need to go.”
Hunter fell to his side.
“No, no, no. You have to open your eyes. Wake up. Please,” Hannah pleaded.
He wanted to open his eyes, but he couldn’t. He wanted to spring up and lead her out of the woods, but he couldn’t move. Something tightened around his shoulder. Whatever it was suppressed the throbbing there. Then his temples pounded less. Was he dying? Nope, his lungs still burned, and his torso ached with every breath he took. Suddenly, he felt as if he was moving, but he knew it wasn’t under his own power.
“Sorry, this might hurt,” Hannah whispered.
She pushed him, rolling him to his stomach, then she pushed him again, and he fell, hitting the ground with a thud, landing on his back. Fell? What? Hadn’t he already been sprawled out on the ground? A knife stabbed at his spine and hip. Something made a crinkling noise. Warmth washed over him.
He willed his eyes open to find Hannah’s face only inches from his. He wished he could see her clearly. He wished he could save her.
“Stay quiet. You need to be silent. I’ll send help.”
Then, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, lingering only for a moment before his eyes fell shut.
ChapterTen
Hannah stoodand stared down at Hunter’s body, covered lightly with branches, leaves, and dirt. Just enough to hide the silver color of the survival blanket she pulled from her backpack to cover him with. It had worked great to drag him to this spot, and it should keep him warm in the event she didn’t get back to him until after dark. Not that it got that cool during the past couple of nights, but if his injuries sent him into shock, the blanket would help. Only his face was exposed from the blanket and soil, but a leafy branch she’d found camouflaged it.
She hated leaving him, but his only chance of survival was for her to get help. Her only chance of survival was to get as far away from the shooter as possible.
“I’m coming for you!” a voice echoed in the distance.
Her heart beat wildly. It sounded like Sebastián. She felt sick. She caused all of this. When the man yelled again, she decided it wasn’t him. The tone wasn’t right. Her mind had played a trick on her.
She spun and ran in the direction Hunter had told her to, leaping over downed trees, uneven soil, and low rocky ledges. The brightening light beyond the tree line let her know she was almost to the river. She kept her eyes focused ahead, glancing down regularly so as not to trip. She knew the person who’d killed Alyssa was on her tail.Alyssa. Poor Alyssa.Was Bianca okay? They had heard no shots other than the ones directed at them. That had to be a good sign, for Bianca’s sake.
Alyssa, her friend, was dead. Tears blurred her vision. She swiped them away with her hand, but they kept coming. She needed to stop crying to mitigate the risk of tripping, but she couldn’t. Her foot caught under a small downed tree and she tumbled forward. Hands flailing uselessly. She hit the ground hard. Pain shot through her right forearm when she pushed herself up and glanced at her arm. A few scrapes and a good-sized gash bled. She swiped the blood with her left hand, but it just kept coming. She pulled off her headband and quickly wrapped it around her arm over the gash. That was all she had time for now.
With her first step, she realized she’d banged her knee pretty good, too.Walk it off.
At a brisk, painful walk, she reached the river, but kept herself tucked just inside the tree line to avoid being seen. Only a mile or so to Iron City—to help.
A shot rang out. She flinched. It sounded close. Could he see her?
Her heart sank, and she swallowed hard. Had the shooter found Hunter? She’d done her best to hide him in the hole created by the root ball of the fallen tree.
She moved quicker. Even if the shooter hadn’t found Hunter, he was in tough shape and still needed help.
Her feet scrambled for good footing. Her knee and arm hurt like hell, and her breaths came harder. How far had she gone? Iron City had to be close. Help had to be close.
She blinked rapidly to relieve the pain from the sweat in her eyes and to clear her vision. It worked for a moment when she glimpsed a stone bridge ahead. Her heart raced. A bridge. If there’s a bridge, there’s a road. Adrenaline rushed into her, and her strides lengthened.
When she got to the bridge, she climbed the low, rocky bank and hoisted herself onto the road. Relief washed through her when the city came into view. She ran like her life depended on it, as it did. Hunter’s life depended on her. Bianca’s life depended on her. Choking back a sob, it was too late for Alyssa.
Hannah ran past businesses and people on the sidewalk. The folks eyed her strangely. Why wouldn’t they? She probably looked like a hot mess, but she didn’t care.
A young man, mid-twenties or so, appeared beside her, keeping pace.
