Chapter 12

Jon swung the door wider and grabbed her hand, pulling her out the door and down the stairs. They slid down the drive, their feet sliding on the heavy wet snow. He didn’t slow, hoping the momentum down the incline would keep them upright.

He felt her skid behind him, her sneakers no match for the ice and snow. They both crashed to the bottom, snow took on the consistency of razor blades as his shirt bunched up on his shoulders.

He jammed his knee as his boots jolted them to a stop at the coastline. “C’mon,” he whispered into the night, ignoring the pain. He could do that, he’d done it before for far less of a reason. He looked back, the shimmering blanket of snow filled sky cast her face in a bluish light. Her eyes were black ringed with pain and exhaustion. She didn’t have enough strength back to be heading out into this weather. He took a moment and cupped her face. “We’re going to be fine,” he said definitively. “We’re going to get out of this.”

She nodded, but didn’t say a word. He was worried, she was far too pale and the bloom of blood was spreading across her chest, but her grip on his hand was strong. She was strong, and he was counting on that strength to get them both to the Ranger Station.

They moved along the incline, hiding in the shadows. While the iridescent sky helped them to see, it also put them in the spotlight. Quickly and as quietly as possible they hugged the wall of sand and rock. He slid on a patch of ice, swearing as a jagged rock scraped along his palm as he grabbed for purchase.

She cried out and tumbled to her knees. Jon bent to pull her back to her feet and felt a blast of rock explode over his shoulder. “What the fuck?” he gasped. “Is he shooting at us?” Incredulous didn’t even come close to the words tumbling around in his brain.

Another dusting of debris rained down on them as a second bullet pierced the rocky coastline. The crack of the bullet echoed around the basin of the lake and Cam curled into herself hugging her knees in close. “Just go,” she whispered, tucking her chin into her knees rocking.

“No, we are getting to that Ranger Station. Get up!” He ordered, using a voice that sounded far too much like his father’s.

“He only wants to kill me, Jon. Just go, leave me here and go to the Ranger.”

He pulled her to her feet roughly. “What? You think he’s going to let me live now that I know who he is?” He shook her. “We need to move now.” Her eyes were wide and shocky, not really seeing him at all. “Cam, snap out of it.”

She crumbled in his arms, screaming when another bullet ricocheted and splinters of rock gave credence to Jon’s words, but still she sagged against him. “I can’t.”

“You can and you will if I have to haul you over my shoulder.” He gripped her upper arms. “We’ll make a better target, but-“

“No!” Her watery legs finally stood solid as she gripped his shirt. “God you’re stubborn,” she said with a sniffle.

“One of my best qualities,” he said and pushed her in front of him. They crawled around into the shadows and the silence was unnerving. He felt along the facing, trusting it to bring them to the path that wound up into the security and safety of the Rangers. They pushed forward until they came to a copse of trees. He laid a hand along her back, curling his fingers into her shoulder when he felt the violent shiver drill down her spine. “C’mon let’s rest for a second.”

The wind whirled around them, as snow stung his cheeks. They hadn’t had time to get to their coats so their jersey t-shirts and sweats were the only shield they had against the elements. Crouching down behind the largest of the trees, he settled her in front of him, her back to his front as he surrounded her, trying to give her his warmth. He rubbed her arms to fight some of the cold. “How’re you doing?”

“I have a psycho ex-fiancé that wants to kill me, other than that I’m just freezing.”

He chuckled and tucked his chin into her neck. “Did he cut you badly?” He asked on a low voice, fighting the anger and the outrage that wanted to spill out.

“No, it’s really just a scratch. The cold has actually helped to stop the bleeding.” She said, pressing a palm against her bloodied shirt.

He wrapped his fingers around her hand, and felt the jackhammer beat of her heart. He held her tighter, trying to give her as much heat and comfort as he could for the five minutes they had before they needed to move again.

He’d walked every inch of this beach in the week since he’d been there and knew the terrain well enough to be confident that the walk from his place to the Park Ranger Station was about two miles. Of course he could run the two miles in about fifteen minutes, but these weren’t running conditions. And Cam wasn’t in any shape for him to suggest it.

“I’m sorry Sweetheart, but we have to get moving again.”

She nodded as they stood. Jon peered out into the night; he didn’t know what to look for or where a seasoned cop would put himself. Would he just pick them off from long range? He didn’t think so. He seemed like he needed the hands on approach. The knife he liked to use made him think it needed to be up close and personal.

They laced fingers and he curled her into the wall, making sure he was on the outside. It would take longer to get to the station, but the shadows were the only thing that could really keep them safe. He cursed as the snow kicked up again. He was out of his element in the worst way and he had no idea how he was going to keep both of them alive.

The swirling snow shrouded them in such a dense quiet that he couldn’t even hear Cam’s footsteps. His nerves started to hum in awareness. Where was Lucas? And what kind of game was he going to play?

Pushing clammy sweat out of his eyes he caught sight of the Ranger’s lights. “There’s the path,” he yelled into the swirling wind. “We’re going to make it, Cam.”

She nodded and started climbing. He could see the mechanical, jerky movements of her arms and legs as hypothermia and shock settled on her shoulders like a new skin. He’d worry about the aftermath of this night when they got to the station, right now the mere fact that she was still walking was enough.

He caught her as she missed a stone and tumbled back against him. “I’ve got you, Sweetheart.” She turned into him, huddling into his arms as violent shivers wracked her shoulders. “Just a little bit more,” he said into her hair.

She nodded and screamed as a tree branch came at them both.