Page 100 of Dark Roads
“Yeah.” If he didn’t fall into the pit now, I was as good as dead. I took another struggling breath, rubbed my wounded arm over my mouth so it would look like I was bleeding.
“My lung,” I wheezed. “I think I punctured my lung.”
“Stand here.” He motioned with the gun to a spot in front of him. The pit was between us. I’d have to walk closer, then stop so that he’d come the rest of the distance. I stumbled forward. It wasn’t fake—my legs were weak and cramping from the run. I stepped onto the dirt, and when I thought I was near the edge of the pit, I rolled my eyes back into my head and dropped.
“Goddamn it.” Footsteps running toward me. I’d landed on my side, couldn’t see him. I kept my breathing shallow, waited for the sound of the branches snapping. He was only a couple of feet from me. Why hadn’t he fallen yet? Was I in the wrong spot? Then, finally, everything shifted and slid—but the ground was breaking around me. I was too close to the edge. I clutched at roots, felt his large body hit the back of my legs, and then he was grabbing at my ankles as he went in. My hands slipped from the roots and I fell with him, clods of dirt raining down upon us.
He landed beside me, then rolled so he was sitting on top of me, with his arm across my throat—just enough pressure to hold me still. If I moved, I’d choke. His head blocked the sky.
I clawed at his face. He swung his gun across my forehead, bolts of pain and white lightning behind my eyes. I sagged.
“Freeze!” The voice came from above. Male. Another cop. Maybe Thompson. The arm lifted from my throat. I gulped air. My head was pulsating, the ache stretching around and squeezing like it was filling with blood.
“You’re under arrest for assaulting an officer.” Vaughn wasstill astride me and breathing hard. He looked over his shoulder. “I found Hailey. She just tried to kill me.”
“No!” My voice came out husky, winded. “He’s lying.”
Metal noises. Vaughn was undoing his handcuffs. He turned me over, rough and fast, so fast that my face slammed into the dirt. He snapped the cuffs on one wrist, then the other.
I wanted to argue, wanted to explain to Thompson, but Vaughn yanked on my arms, his knee digging into my hamstrings. I cried out, and my mouth filled with dirt. He gripped me under my shoulders. Thompson leaned over and lifted me out—Vaughn pushing from behind. Thompson laid me on my stomach. Noises behind me. He was helping Vaughn out of the pit.
I turned my head. They were standing a couple of feet away. “Don’t leave me alone with him. He shot my dog—Beth ran away. They need help!”
Vaughn shook his head. “Hailey faked her disappearance. Jonny was probably in on it. Beth found out somehow. I had a hunch she was lying about what happened with Mason, so I followed her up the mountain. When I confronted Hailey, she stabbed me.” Vaughn pointed to his thigh where the blood was seeping through his pants.
“It was self-defense!”
Vaughn looked at Thompson. “I’ll take her in.”
“I’ll do it,” Thompson said. “You’re hurt.” Thompson reached down and pulled me up by my waist, helping me to my feet. I staggered from the sudden rush of blood to my head.
“You have to believe me. He beat me up.”
Vaughn snorted. “Convincing, isn’t she? That’s how she got me into her trap.”
“You should’ve called for backup.”
“You telling me procedure, Thompson?” Vaughn’s voice deepened. The two looked at each other for a long moment, then Vaughn nodded. “We’ll talk about this later.”
“It was me. I phoned you.” I twisted to face Thompson. The words rushed out. “He was taking photos of me—not just me. Other girls too.”
“Shut the fuck up.” Vaughn stepped forward, but Thompson moved in front of me. Vaughn got right up close to him. “What do you think you’re doing, Officer?”
“Protecting the witness,sir. You’re out of control.”
“I’m out of control? What do you call defying a senior officer? Go ahead and report me, destroy your career. I’ll have you working a desk if you’re lucky.” Vaughn moved around to grab me, but Thompson quickly rotated us so that I was still behind him.
“She’s not going anywhere with you.”
“Tell me you aren’t believing this shit! She’s delusional.” He gestured around the woods. “She’s been living like an animal. She needs a psych evaluation.”
“I don’t know. Her story makes sense. I’ve been watching you, Vaughn.”
“Is that so?” He was so close he was almost nose-to-nose with Thompson. The muscles in his neck were tight. He smelled of sweat and blood.
“You’re threatening me?”
“I don’t make threats.” He shoved Thompson in the chest, sending him stumbling backward. Thompson let me go, and I fell to my knees, off balance. Thompson launched himself on Vaughn, grabbing him in a bear hug, tackling him. They rolled around, grappling for Thompson’s gun.
