Page 103 of The Vigilante's Lover
I take a tentative step out, making sure the floor is sound, then push through the mess to find a way out.
Then I hear it.
An explosion outside.
The land mines.
“Mia!” I shout, and crash through the debris.
2: Mia
Oh God, oh God, oh God.
I have to get to the house. Jax is hurt. Maybe dead.
Oh God.
The round hay bale that hit the land mine is still partially intact. I think I can make it roll again. If I keep pushing it ahead of me and letting it set off the bombs, maybe I can get to the house. And Jax.
He could be dying in there. I picture his body on the floor. His face contorted in pain.
I have to get inside.
I push the tattered remains of the hay bale ahead of me. Now that I’ve seen how much explosive power the land mine has, I’m less afraid. If I can just get this bundle close to the next bale, I’ll be halfway to the house.
The hay is a lot harder to roll now that it’s less round, but it’s also half the weight. I shove it hard, keeping it a little ahead of me. I reach a small dip in the field, and another big push sends it straight for the next one.
Then it blows again.
Damn it. There’s too much distance between where it went off andthe next hay bale. I can’t go any farther. The next land mine could be in my path.
I stare at the house, so afraid for Jax that I want to collapse to the ground. The side wall has caved in, and part of the roof has blown on top of the rest. I know the front must have fared even worse than the back, since he was outside my bedroom and it looked out on the road.
The temptation to run is so bad, so bad. I snatch the video cam from my pajama-top pocket. I push the button again and again to call him.
Still nothing but static.
If it was destroyed, how could Jax have possibly survived? He was holding it.
I’m so stuck. I can’t walk any closer to the house.
I can go back to the car, but then what? Roll Jax’s Aston Martin ahead of me to let it take the bombs?
Maybe.
I try to picture Jax walking to the house. What spots did he avoid? Did he zigzag as he avoided the mines? He bent down at one point, probably looking at one. If only he had two of whatever gadget told him where they were. I could use it now.
Maybe I should just go back to the car. Call for help. The fire department. He’ll need medical attention anyway. Maybe we can lie about who he is, and the Vigilantes won’t catch him.
I’ve never been in any situation like this.
Think, Mia. Don’t panic.
Then I see it.
The back door. It moves.
At first it just shifts a little. Then it falls flat onto the back porch.
