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When the silence of the forest surrounded them once again, they ran and rested and ran some more until the sun peeked up over the mountains. Early-morning light washed everything with a warm glow, and she felt her strength returning.
They stopped only briefly to eat the protein bars Zane had gotten from Clarence’s saddlebag.
It seemed to her that they’d been running in circles, but she knew Zane was smarter than that, and knew the area well enough to be choosing their direction carefully. He must be trying to figure out a safe way to get down off the mountain, back to the river and back to Fort Madison.
The landscape opened up to flat meadow that was partially covered in snow. She shaded her eyes from the glare. In the distance, she spotted a red and blue object that looked out of place.
She ran toward it. As she drew closer, more colors became evident. It was a backpack. She knelt down.
The backpack was empty. Another hiker who had been robbed maybe?
Zane knelt beside her. He bolted to his feet and glanced around.
Heather stood up, too, studying the partially snowy landscape. She spotted a yellow object attached to the branch of a tree and ran toward it. She pulled the fabric free of the branches, her chest tightening. The fabric was from a man’s bandanna.
She glanced up just as Zane disappeared into another part of the forest. Her feet pounded the earth as she followed after him, stepping through patches of crunchy snow and into the trees. The canopy of evergreens cut the light by half as she stepped deeper into the forest. Her breath caught when she glanced down at the ground. Dribbles and several huge circles of dried blood spotted the snow.
Her chest felt like it was in a vice. She tried to tell herself that the blood could be from an animal—but there had been no sign of teeth or claw marks on the belongings they’d spotted. The backpack and bandanna looked like they’d been discarded by human hands.
Zane burst through the trees. His expression was like none she’d ever witnessed before. Eyebrows knit in anguish, his skin the color of rice. Eyes filled with fear. He glanced over his shoulder and then back at her.
“What is it?” She stepped toward where he’d looked.
He grabbed her arm at the elbow. “You don’t need to see this.”
She pulled away, not able to let go of the idea that she had to know what was going on in these mountains. She darted toward where Zane had come from.
She found the man’s body propped up against the tree. The body had not started to decompose, so he must have been here a short time. The bloodstain on his chest revealed that he had been stabbed.
Light-headed, she whirled away, slamming into Zane’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her away from the gruesome sight.
Her mind reeled. Murderers. She’d been so focused on running for her life that reality hadn’t sunk in until she saw the dead man. They were trapped on this mountain with bloodthirsty killers.
She rested for a moment in the security of Zane’s arms, trying to calm herself. But her mind raced at a thousand miles an hour. She fought to get a deep breath.
She could barely get the words out. “What happened...there? Did they kill him so they could get his stuff?” She pulled away from him, then paced back and forth gripping her somersaulting stomach. “Do they have so little regard for life?”
He stepped toward her. “Calm down.”
“Calm down?” Her words splintered as they spilled from her lips. Her legs felt like were made of rubber. She’d only come up here to spread her father’s ashes. How had things gotten to this point where she was fighting to get away from men who acted worse than animals?
He reached out for her.
She darted away, shaking her head. “What is going on here?”
“Heather, please.” He stepped toward her.
“You knew these men. You were one of them.” Really, if Zane hadn’t told her that he used to be under the influence of someone like Willis, she never would have guessed it. Was it really possible a man could change so radically?
“I am nothing like them.” Zane’s voice was tinged with anger. “Not anymore. And this is way over the top. We never did anything like that when I was with Willis.”
“It looks like they are getting more desperate or bloodthirsty, then. What is driving them?” Her voice was barely above a whisper. Her mind clouded as a fear she had never felt before invaded her awareness. She turned nearly a full circle. The killers were out there waiting to attack again, looking for the chance to take her and Zane. But after they used them for whatever they had in mind, would she and Zane die, too?
“Heather, please don’t give up.” He stepped toward her and cupped his hands on her shoulders. “We need to get back to town so the authorities can come up here and deal with these men.”
She nodded slowly. He was right. They could not stop fighting or give in to fear.
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