“Good girl. I hear you in the water. Get across for me.” Boone was panting, and she hoped he was getting close. “Once you’re on the other side, run outside the tree line and keep going as long as you can. If you keep going you’ll eventually hit Rockin’ C property. Kendall called Chance and Clayton, and they’re coming along your side of the creek on horseback. They were already in the area working.”
She pulled herself from the water and gasped when a bullet lodged in the wet clay by her head.
“He’s shooting at me again.”
“Dammit! Get up that creek bank and outside the tree line, baby! Keep going!”
His steely-voiced orders energized her, and she leaped to her feet and scrambled through the tree line and out of sight. She crouched and ran as best as she could. Her legs were feeling a little rubbery, and she knew blood loss and shock might be catching up to her.
She needed to find a hiding place because she wasn’t sure she could make it very far on the bank. She heard a splash in the water and a curse. Peeking through the thick brush she was relieved to see Frank had run down the creek bank, hoping to cut her off before plunging in. All he’d succeeded in doing was entering the creek at a much deeper place than she had. He floundered around, and she hoped like hell his gun got wet. That miscalculation on his part might buy her some extra time.
A rabbit darted out in front of her as she crawled along, giving her an idea. Gauging how far down the creek she was, she peeked through the brush again. Frank was still floundering around and not watching for her. He might have been an excellent marksman, but he couldn’t swim for shit.
Noting the terrain of the bank on her side, she went down another hundred feet or so and then, despite her deathly fear of moving closer to him, she carefully slithered through a space between two tightly spaced oak saplings and rolled into their trysting spot as quietly as she could. Leaves crunched and crackled under her, and she prayed he didn’t hear the noise they made as he continued splashing.
Knowing she couldn’t stay exposed, even though he wouldn’t be able to see her unless he was standing on the upper edge of the hollow, there was only one place to seek shelter. Noise from her phone drew her attention. She put it to her ear as she crawled toward the hollow tree. The splashing noise Frank made sounded no closer, so she whispered, “Shh, Boone. He’ll hear me.”
“Baby, be careful. Where are you?” Boone’s strong voice reassured her as though he was there holding her hand.
“Our spot down the creek. I’m going to crawl into the tree.”
“Please, please be careful.”
They had not explored the tree more thoroughly the last time they’d come to the creek, and now was no time to regret that fact.
The ancient oak was large in circumference. Maya cocked an ear to locate Frank and scampered into the tree as quickly and quietly as she could when she realized she no longer heard him in the water. She carefully backed from the large opening at the base of the tree until her back was against the other side of the hollowed area.
She pulled her feet as close to her as she could and was satisfied no sunlight shone on any part of her. The wounds in her arm, shoulder, and side set up a painful throb as she tried to calm and quiet her breathing. She listened hard but couldn’t hear well over the pounding rush of blood in her ears.
She bit her lip when she heard Frank growl from the edge of the creek bank. He was nearby. All she could do was pray that being a city boy, he wouldn’t see the track in the leaves she must have left behind as she’d rolled down the incline and that he wouldn’t notice a blood trail.
She jumped spasmodically when she discerned a slight, shifting sound to her right.
Oh no.
Maya held her breath, realizing she was not alone. The hollow tree had at least one other occupant. She heard the shifting again and the rustle of leaves. Frank sounded like he’d moved a few feet away as he muttered to himself. She knew no relief as she debated pointing the lit screen on her phone in the direction of the sounds.
She put the phone to her ear and whispered, “Boone, I’m in the tree. I don’t think I’m alone. Frank is nearby. Should I look?”
“It can’t be any worse than what is waiting for you outside. Whatever happens, we’re going to deal with it. Stay quiet and safe. Be my brave girl, okay? We’re on the other side of the creek now. He doesn’t even know we’re here yet. Fucking city boy doesn’t know anything about tracking. I can see the tree you’re in. He’s about ten feet down from you. Stay where you are. ”
“’Kay. Hold on.” Boone murmured in assent, and Maya slowly turned the lit screen on her phone to illuminate a bit of the interior of the tree at a time, hoping to not startle whatever occupied the tree with her.