Chapter 48 HIM

Chapter 48

HIM

Smoke clogs my throat and fills the air with floating gray particles. An ember lands on my arm. I swat it off, but it's left a small red dot. I can see the fire over the treetops now. Orange flames reach for the sky through a thick haze of black smoke. My phone—which I would ditch if I didn't need updates on the fire—shows the wildfire has changed direction. It's headed straight for me at locomotive speed.

I'm sure the authorities can track my phone, maybe even my car. But the fire might help me. The road to the cabin is closed. No one can follow me here.

"Move!" I tighten my grip on Paige's wrist and drag her across the yard. She pulls back. I'm not sure if it's fear or defiance, but she's going to get me killed.

My getaway plan would have been perfect if the fucking wind hadn't shifted direction. My neighbor broke his leg and can't use his cabin. It's sitting empty, and I won't be connected to it—a perfect place to hide. I know there's a boat here. My stupid neighbor is always yammering on about it. So I'm not trapped.

But who would have predicted a fucking forest fire?

I should just let Paige go like I did the boy. I didn't want to deal with two hostages, and kids are a pain in the ass. Besides, I hope retrieving the boy will slow down anyone on my tail.

Paige won't get away. The fire is everywhere. The forest is going up like a giant pile of straw. From the looks of what's coming, the only way out is the river. If I leave her here, Paige will burn for sure. I'd like the pleasure of killing her, though. I've earned it. Paige also makes a useful hostage. Her father's money and position give her value. Thanks to the sheriff, I can't return to my house. I'll need to start over. New name. New location. New vehicle. The works. Cash will be necessary to obtain this new identity.

Lots and lots of cash.

New documents aren't cheap these days.

Daddy the Senator should be willing and able to pay a nice ransom for his spoiled little princess. Maybe enough to set me up. It's my best option.

My only option.

I need this little bitch. I yank harder. She resists. Her feet slide in the dust. Paige is small, but uses her weight instinctively, sinking her ass toward the dry weeds and patches of dirt on the ground. Too bad I'm bigger. I haul her forward. She stumbles across fifty feet of dry ground between the cabin and the old wooden dock. At the end of it, a fishing boat bobs on the water. The river looks calm, but I know the current is swift. The neighbor has told me more than I ever wanted to know about his fishing trips.

I thought luck was with me when the kid pedaled into the trap the cops set. Now I hope it hasn't changed, that I'm not trapped, that Paige and I will float away from the fire—away from the authorities. I'll toss my phone in the river. No one will be able to track us.

Paige sits down on the dock.

What the fuck? Does she want to die?

"Get up." I reach for her other arm and lift her. She doesn't weigh much. I toss her over my shoulder, fireman-style. Paige thrashes, throwing me off balance. I'm forced to put her down.

"Get on the boat," I order, giving her a shove. Momentum carries her forward. She has no choice but to jump onto the boat. I untie the lines. I toss the stern line onto the boat. The water immediately pulls the aft end of the boat away from the dock. The current is stronger than it appears on the surface. I wrap the bowline around a post once. With the line in hand, I prepare to climb aboard. But Paige is on her feet. She steps onto the sidewall and leaps back onto the dock. Anger and frustration swell as I grab her wrist with my free hand.

She whirls and strikes out with a bare foot. Paige has no leverage. Her kick is weak, but it connects with my balls. Not much strength needed there. I double over. Nauseating pain radiates through my whole body. My legs fold, and I go down on my knees on the dock. I drop the rope. The boat drifts away from the dock. I try to snag the rope, but it slithers out of my reach, landing in the water.

My breaths rasp. I choke on a mouthful of smoke. Paige breaks free, squirming backward on her ass, her bound hands making her movements awkward. She flips onto her hands and knees and finally scrambles to her feet. She sprints down the dock, away from me.

The dumb bitch leaves the dock and runs straight into the woods.

Straight at the fucking fire.

I turn to the boat, but the current is carrying it away. Even if I jump into the water and manage to swim fast enough to catch up, it's damned hard to climb into a boat that large from the water, especially while it spins and drifts with no one at the helm.

How am I going to get out of this?