Page 109 of Turn the Tide
Chapter 8
Twelve-year-old Donny Thomas had never been so scared in his life. He kept his hands tight on the ATV’s grips as they raced through the Forest, his father laughing like a crazy person every time they flew over a puddle and plowed through more mud. Whenever Donny tried to move further away to keep Freddie from touching him, his father scooted closer. His breath stank, his body stank, but it was his laugh that made Donny worry he was going to pee his pants.
This was worse than what happened nine months ago. At least then, when his father had tried to take him away, his mother had been there to try to stop him. Donny’s teeth started chattering and fury washed over him when he remembered how Freddie had gone after his mama with a knife. He’d thrown her around, too, and she still had a little bit of a limp.
Now he was all alone with his father, and he was terrified. What was his dad planning?
“Where are we going?” he asked.
Freddie snapped at him. “You just drive and let me worry about the important stuff.” And then he started muttering to himself like a complete lunatic. Donny realized he really was crazy. He strained to make out the words, but with the pouring rain, it was hard to hear.
They continued their mad dash through the Forest while Donny tried to figure out what to do. Should he try to leap off the ATV? But Freddie was behind him and had him caged between his arms.
Then he heard Freddie say something that sounded like “She’s going to pay,” and everything inside him turned to ice. Freddie planned to hurt his mama again. No. Not if Donny could stop it.
Without giving himself time to think, he waited until they got close to the next ditch, then he gripped the right brake as hard as he could. The ATV spun sideways and tipped over, their momentum slinging them both off into the mud.
Donny yelled when he landed hard on the ground just past the ditch. He tried to move, to run, but he couldn’t catch his breath.Get up, go.
He turned onto all fours, then pushed up to his feet and raced over to the ATV. Freddie was lying a few yards away, not moving. The ATV was on its side, so he quickly unscrewed the gas cap to let the fuel run out. That way Freddie couldn’t come after him. He had to warn Mama that Freddie was coming. Donny had a prepaid cell phone his mama gave him for emergencies. Their old trailer was the only place around that they could sometimes get a signal. Or at least enough to send a text.
“Get back here, you little—” Freddie shouted as he staggered to his feet and charged after him.
Donny didn’t stop. Just took off running as if his life depended on it.
He had to warn Mama.
***
“Sarah!” Marco crawled out from under the bike and raced to where Sarah had landed several feet away. He crouched beside her, thankful for the tiny bit of protection the tree offered from the still-driving rain. This storm should have moved through by now, but it was raining harder than ever. He studied her still face, heart racing, thankful the helmet hadn’t come off during the fall.
“Sarah. Can you hear me?” He patted her cheeks, frustrated that his hands left mud on her pale skin. He tried to wipe it away. “Sarah?” Her eyelids fluttered, and his breathwhooshedout in relief. He put his hand to her neck, gratified to feel her pulse jumping under his fingers, erratic but definitely there. He patted her cheeks again. “Sarah? Wake up, Princess. Let’s go.”
“Still being insulting, Sanchez?” she whispered as her eyes opened.
When she started to sit up, he put out a hand to stop her. “Hang on a second, and let’s make sure nothing’s broken.”
He ran his hand down her right leg and bit back a curse when she jerked away from his touch. He checked her left leg, relieved that it seemed okay, same with her arms and neck. “No pain anywhere?”
“Just my right knee.” She sat up and scooted backward to lean against the tree, breathing hard from the effort.
“How bad is it?” he asked.
She straightened the leg, then slowly bent the knee and sucked in a breath, ran her hands over and around it. “I don’t think anything’s broken, at least. Pain is mostly on the inside, so I’m thinking MCL strain, at the very least. Let me make sure I can walk on it.”
Despite her matter-of-fact tone, her face had gone pale. Marco helped her to her feet, but the moment she tried to put weight on the leg, her knee gave out. He caught her before she fell and tucked her against him while she muttered in frustration. “Dang it. Definitely strained something. Hope that pop I heard doesn’t mean it’s torn.”
“Do you have an Ace bandage?” he asked as he helped her sink back down against the tree.
She nodded and pulled one out of the first aid kit still strapped over her.
He pulled up the leg of her scrubs and quickly wrapped the bandage from below the knee all the way above it, partway up her thigh. “Better?”
“Thank you, Marco.” She looked down at her leg. “You do good work. There should be some ibuprofen in my bag.”
He gave her a couple, and she swallowed them dry, then said, “I’ll be okay here now. Go find Donny. We can’t leave him with Freddie.”
“No argument, but I am not leaving you here alone. We’ll talk about Donny after we get out of this weather.” He crouched down beside her, secured her helmet again. “Put your arms around my neck so I don’t drop you in the mud.” Before she could protest, he scooped her into his arms, and his heart clenched at the hiss of pain that escaped before she bit it back. “Sorry, Princess.”
