Page 52 of The Chase

Page List

Font Size:

“I have her cell phone. She was in this truck,” Guthrie said. “I don’t have a way to track her now. Not without her cell on her.”

There were a handful of trails that wove through the small wooded area they were in now. It was raining. There…in the dirt. “Footprints.”

Two pairs. Fresh. One was bigger than the other, wider.

Kurt started after them, aware of Gene telling his two younger brothers to take the two paths that wove to the left and the right. Kurt had been there before.

All of the trails ended up at the same place—the water’s edge.

He and Gene took the center one.

47

Maybe this was damned stupid.Maybe he should just get back in his truck and start driving. He could even leave Texas, skip out on his parole and everything. He could just take what he had and disappear. Probably couldn’t cross the border or anything—he’d be flagged if he did, he suspected—but there were at least forty other states he wouldn’t mind seeing some day. Maybe he could drive around for the rest of his life, just work when he needed to.

Sleep in the damned truck.

Pick fucking beets or carrots for cash when needed. He’d done a work release doing that once. It wasn’t that bad.

He shouldn’t hurt the girl more than he had.

That would just get him more time if he did get caught.

He should just knock her out and leave her there by the water. Maybe she’d roll into the reservoir and just save him the trouble.

Then again…the Hillers had robbed him of fifteen years of his life.

They fucking owed him something.

Dwayne kept going, increasing his speed.

Until he saw the girl on her knees just up ahead.

She struggled to her feet.

Then he was on her.

The girl just keptfighting.

48

He saw them first.It was raining, the sun would be setting soon. The trees shaded the path. But he saw.

Kurt cursed and just ran.

He dove, hitting Yunderhall full force.

The two of them rolled as he heard her brothers calling her name.

Gene was there. He’d get Greer to safety. For now…

Yunderhall was going to pay for what he had done to her. Now…and fifteen years ago.

Thiswas the man who had killed Kurt’s brother. But more…this was the man who had hurt the girl Greer had been. Who had caused the scars and the nightmares she’d told him she still had to this day. This man had hurt so many people. People Greer loved.

And that had just hurt Greer even more.

Kurt pulled back his fist and struck.