Читать книгу Presumed Dead - Angela Strong Ruth - Страница 14

FIVE

Holly jumped at the sound of Shaw’s voice, shifting more of her weight into Preston. The officer drew his weapon. Blood raced through her veins like a dam had burst. Preston didn’t know the police had his description and had falsely assumed he was the one trying to kill her. And now it would look like he was kidnapping her. She had to get him to the ground before he got shot, too.

Panic pushed through her toes onto the lid of the toilet seat, sending her hurtling out the window. Preston tipped backward with her sudden weight. His arm wound around her waist, but it wasn’t enough to slow her descent.

Solid dirt rushed up to meet them. Preston took the brunt of the landing, softening the jaw-jarring impact, but a nearby bush scratched against her injured arm, setting it on fire all over again. “Oh,” she moaned without meaning to. She clamped her mouth shut, despite the fact she was still tumbling along the ground.

“Stop,” Shaw called again into the blackness.

But the momentum of the crash kept them sliding downhill. She rolled after Preston over a rock and through the pine needles. Small plants and shrubs knocked them about like pinballs.

“Let the woman go.”

Holly slowed to a halt, the bare skin below her shorts burning from the scrape of stone. A flashlight beam sliced through the dark, forcing her to lift her good arm to shield her eyes to keep from being blinded. But it didn’t keep her from hearing the report of gunfire as Shaw fired what she hoped was a warning shot. But what if it wasn’t?

Her heart drummed against her lungs. She couldn’t handle any more gunfire. Especially not from the person supposed to be protecting her. “No. Don’t.”

A second shot drowned out her words.

She couldn’t wait and hope Shaw realized he was after the wrong guy. She darted to her feet, reaching through the darkness for Preston. Had he been hit?

The beam of light flashed over Preston’s form running toward her. He was fine. But they had to get out of flashlight range if he was going to stay that way.

His hand caught hers. Tugged her toward the trees. Toward the road. Where would they go?

Third shot. Leaves rained down from overhead. That one came a little too close to be a warning shot.

She couldn’t move fast enough. Her feet seemed to trip over every pebble, her ankles twisted on uneven ground. Yet the wind brushed against her as if she were riding the Jet Ski. Her pulse certainly roared louder than an engine.

She held her injured arm up as high as she could to protect herself from running into something or falling on her face, though a stabbing pain reminded her how weak her shoulder muscle was. She probably wouldn’t be able to catch herself if she tried. Please, God, get us out of here.

* * *

They were almost back to his truck. But that didn’t change the fact a police officer was chasing them. As if running from the bad guy wasn’t terrifying enough.

Shaw must have thought he was the bad guy. And it didn’t help that they couldn’t stop sliding down the hill when the officer yelled for him to stop. He would have gladly turned himself in rather than dodge bullets.

He couldn’t blame Holly for freaking out at the sight of a gun after what she’d already been through. He’d just blame her for trying to climb out the window in the first place. This was exactly why he’d needed to say goodbye. Now the people who were supposed to be helping her were hunting her.

Holly panted next to him as they burst from the woods onto the road. He pulled her arm to guide her toward the Chevy with one hand and dug in his pocket for keys with the other.

Grass crunched and footsteps pounded behind them. Static crackled. “Code eight. Requesting backup. Kidnapping in progress at Cedar Glen.” The voice wheezed between sentences and grew faint.

They were going to make it. Preston would have to drive into the mountains and lie low for the night—after he got Holly to the police station. She could report him if she wanted to. At least he’d know she was safe.

Preston swung Holly toward the passenger door and let go of her hand so he could run around to the driver’s side. She stared back into the woods as he turned the key in the lock and reached across to unlock her side. “Come on.”

She jerked the door open with a squeak and buckled herself onto the bench seat before twisting around to watch for Shaw behind them. “He called for help. The police are going to chase us. They are going to catch you before we find your saboteur. I’m so sorry.”

He started the engine and stepped on the gas, keeping his headlights off to avoid detection. Just up around the corner, he’d take a left onto the highway, then another left onto a back road. No flashing lights or sirens yet.

“They aren’t going to catch us, Holly. But you are going to turn yourself in. You’ve got enough to worry about without running from cops and trying to solve my problem.”

She covered her face. “I know. I just don’t want to think about my problems anymore. It makes me feel so alone.”

If only he could be there for her the way he wanted to. Preston glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure they still weren’t being followed. All clear. “I know, doll.” Doll. He didn’t mean to keep using the old nickname. He’d practically forgotten about it until it had slipped out. He should have forgotten about it, given it up. Just like his sister had given up playing with her dolls.

He needed to keep his eyes on reality and not on what he wished it to be. He focused forward.

A Jeep darted onto the road in front of them. Preston slammed on the brakes to keep from rear-ending it. Holly’s head whipped forward. His mouth went dry and his heart lodged itself in his throat at the idea of causing her even more pain.