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Chapter 48

FORTY-EIGHT

Shiloh barely had time to stuff her coat behind the sofa before the door flew open and Evan filled the entrance. They'd made it to the door only minutes before he arrived. Trembling, she made herself look busy by adding more wood to the fire, but she could feel his eyes boring into her. She turned to look at him. He was looking at her strangely as if assessing her. With trembling legs, she straightened.

"Move the bookcase into the corner." Evan stared at her and then scanned the room. "Callie, get in here and move the bookcase. I need to set up two camp beds. You're getting roommates in the morning."

They rushed to do as he asked and heaved the bookcase along the wall. The moment they'd made a space, Evan dragged in two camp beds and dropped them onto the floor. He went outside and came back with a plastic bag. When he motioned her closer, Shiloh winced but, not wanting to cause trouble, went to stand before him. "That will be nice." She forced her lips to curl into a smile.

"You learn fast." Evan cupped her chin and turned her face back and forth. "I like that about you. I might keep you. Although if the other girls are prettier, you'll be auctioned."

Shiloh frowned. "Auctioned? What is that?"

"That"—Evan dropped his hand—"is another word for money." He righted the cots and tossed the bag on them. "Sleeping bags. The girls won't be here for long. Callie will be leaving soon and then it's just you and me." He tousled her hair and then went to the door. "I'm late for work. I'll be by later. I only work a couple of hours tonight. Seeing as it's Saturday, most of the miners are in town letting their hair down." He chuckled. "Maybe I should bring a few home to meet you?"

Terrified, Shiloh backed away shaking her head.

"No? Okay." He walked out and locked the door, his laughter echoing behind him.

After he'd left, Shiloh stared at Callie. "Maybe we should leave when he goes to work? It will be easier in the forest now it's not full dark yet."

"How far do you figure we'll get in a couple of hours?" Callie frowned. "We don't know the forest or which way to go. He'll come by when he gets home and see we're missing. It's better to wait until he's asleep, then we'll have eight hours at least before we're missed."

Shiloh nodded. "Okay, but we'll get everything ready before we escape. We'll go to the house when he leaves for work and collect what we need. We can leave it in the forest and collect it along the way."

"Good idea." Callie smiled. "The moment we hear him leave I'll start on the lock."

They had everything set and waited for the sound of Evan's truck arriving home. He came to the door, unlocked it, and walked in. Shiloh could smell beer on his breath, and she took a step back when he came toward her. She gathered her wits and lifted her chin, frowning. She needed to say something to make him go back to the house. "You look so tired. Did they work you really hard today?"

"Yeah, I am tired, but not because of work, because Doc expects me to do all his chores as well." Evan ran a hand down his face. His nails were dirty and unkempt, his skin grubby. "I hope Bonnie has something nice for supper. I'll see you in the morning." He turned to go and neglected to lock the door behind him.

"He's been drinking." As usual, Callie's voice was just above a whisper. "He'll sleep well tonight."

Time dragged by and then they heard the familiar sound of Bonnie coming toward the cabin. The swish of her chained feet made a strange noise. They'd eaten supper. Why had she left the house? The key in the door turned and the door opened a crack. Keeping her voice low, Shiloh stepped away from the door. "What are you doing here?"

"He's asleep. Get these chains off me so we can get out of here." Bonnie waved them outside. "Hurry, just in case he wakes up." She waved a flashlight. "It's only small, but I found a new battery for it and I have a spare in my pocket."

"Okay." Callie bent and fiddled with the manacles and then held them up in triumph. "We'll get our coats."

Soon they were running along a dirt road into the dark forest, the small flashlight bobbing ahead of them. They'd been moving for a few minutes when they heard a roar from behind them. Evan had discovered them missing and was as mad as hell. His voice boomed through the forest, making wildlife scatter. The sound of a shotgun blasted, followed by more cursing. Terrified, Shiloh turned to the others. "He's going to kill us. We need to find a place to hide."

"There's not many thick bushes but follow me." Callie turned into the forest, winding through tree trunks, her tiny flashlight hardly visible in the tangle of trees.

A door slammed and an engine roared. Headlights lit up the darkness as Evan's truck headed along the road straight for them. Panic gripped Shiloh. "He's coming."

Running after Callie with Bonnie close behind, terror had Shiloh by the throat and she gasped in each breath. Frightened of the dark, and with spiderwebs hanging down all over, created her worst nightmare. Underfoot, roots and dead vines littered the underbrush. She tripped and ran into trees. She could hardly make out Callie running ahead of her. Dead bushes reached out like long witch's nails to claw at her clothes and legs. Branches whipped across her face and tangled in her hair. Behind her she could hear Bonnie's labored breath and staggering footsteps. Powerful beams lit up the forest as Evan turned the corner and they were trapped in the headlights like deer. The truck screeched to a stop, a door slammed, and he ran toward them. His flashlight lighting up the forest with every step. Panting, Shiloh kept running, but Evan was faster and fitter than she'd believed possible. He came crashing through the forest like a bull elephant screaming his arrival.

Shiloh increased her pace, catching up to Callie. "Run faster."

"I see the river." Callie veered off to the left. "Come on, it will be easier to run along the sand."

Legs aching, Shiloh grasped the back of Callie's coat, as the terrain sloped down toward the glistening river not far ahead. Behind her, Evan was still yelling obscenities at them. A scream pierced the darkness. Evan had caught Bonnie and she was fighting for her life. Evan's flashlight beam moved erratically up and down. As Bonnie screamed, thuds echoed through the forest. "He's beating her with the flashlight. Change direction and run."

Nausea swam over Shiloh and she tugged at Callie's coat as they reached the river. "Turn off your flashlight. He won't be able to see us down here. There's enough moonlight for us to find our way in the dark along the riverbank. Head upstream. That's the direction of the road. It must lead to a town eventually. Most towns out this way are by rivers."

"Okay." Callie slipped down the riverbank, climbing over boulders, and turned right.

Following, Shiloh tripped and fell, rolling down almost into the river. From the forest, the sound of Evan's bellowing was getting closer. She scrambled to her feet. Ahead, she made out Callie hiding behind a boulder and ran to her side. A wide bright beam hit the river and Shiloh made herself as small as possible. She cupped her hand to Callie's ear. "Don't make a sound. He's right above us."

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