She let her fingers trail lower along the girdle, trying to figure out how it was secured. The restraint limited her reach. Craig didn’t seem to notice or care what she did. She discovered the metal line in the material that probably held the girdle-like binding in place. It was tough to blindly try to figure out how to release the tension on it. There were no ties or holes to indicate it had locks. It was frustrating.#p#分页标题#e#
She tried to assess her injuries at the same time. Her jaw hurt just under her chin but she wasn’t sure why. Maybe her head had flopped around when he’d been running. Her ribs and lower back ached from being crushed between his hairy body and the thick binding but the fact that she could feel her legs made her think her spine hadn’t really snapped.
She watched Craig’s head, ready to freeze her motions at the mere sign that he might look at her again. He didn’t. A little chunk of metal on the side of the girdle jabbed her thumb. She tested it, feeling it out. It might be some kind of release.
She ignored the pain and dug her thumb against it, trying to force it to move.
It did—the tight pull around her back eased when the two sides of the belt came apart.
Craig didn’t seem to notice what she’d done. She assumed he must have fallen asleep. Dusti frantically glanced around to study her surroundings. She held still, knowing the second she tried to climb off his back that he’d awaken. She needed a plan before she tried it.
A dirt path, if it could be called such, sat a little to her left. It probably led to Decker Filmore. She turned her head, quickly spotting a very tight cluster of trees with a few large boulders behind it. The spaces between the trunks were so narrow they might not even allow her to ease through, but Craig was bigger than her. It meant he definitely wouldn’t fit. Two gigantic boulders resting next to each at an angle had created a slight curved space, where trees had grown in close proximity. The limbs had tangled in a lot of places, probably from being confined in such a shallow area. Each of the massive rocks were over thirty feet in height. She looked for a gap between them that she might be able to escape through but the trees blocked her view.
Maybe I can climb it, if there’s not enough space to get between the boulders. It seemed a daunting undertaking but her only other choice was to run along the path. Craig would be on her in seconds flat if she tried to make a run for it. The trees and rocks might keep him away from her long enough to give her a chance of escape. It was the only option.
She slowly lifted up with care. Craig didn’t stir. She took a breath and tried to ease her leg out from under him but it was pinned. She closed her eyes and silently cursed. She tested her other leg and it slid out easily from under his belly. It was just her right foot that was the problem. She leaned back down, resting against his hairy back. She pulled her left leg out more, away from her.
She wiggled those trapped toes, trying to pull her foot free. He rolled a tiny bit, to her surprise. She must have tickled him a little with that slight movement. Whatever the reason, her foot wasn’t trapped any longer.
Dusti pushed up fast and lurched to her feet. She sprinted toward the trees and the huge boulders. A loud snarl assured her that Craig was wake and not happy. The ground bit into her tender feet but she ignored the pain as she ran. She twisted sideways, tossing her body between a gap in the trunks.
Her skin scraped across rough bark in a few places but she managed to squeeze through. She tripped on something just a few feet past the trunks and a sharp jab of pain stabbed at her lower leg. It sent her sprawling on her side in a bed of dirt and dry leaves. Her shoulder hurt too from the impact with the ground. A second later, she didn’t have time worry about any of that.
Craig was attempting to push between the trees to reach her but his broad shoulders hung him up. He reached in with one clawed arm to swipe at her but only caught air since she was already using her legs to put more space between them. She sat up when she felt safe, instantly spotting blood on the ground.
A snarl jerked her attention up. Craig twisted, trying to fit his chest through the gaps in the trunks. Wood creaked a little but he still couldn’t get through. He was too broad. He glared at her, snarling. There was a promise of pain and punishment in the malevolent look he gave.#p#分页标题#e#
She glanced around, seeing her new predicament. The two boulders turned out to be one massive one. There wasn’t a gap to be found, and the wall of rock was too sheer. It looked impossible to climb without gear. At least the trees would shield her from Craig until he either broke through or found a way to get over the boulder, maybe by climbing the trees to reach her.