Chapter 19

chapter

nineteen

Sawyer cursed at himself as he dragged on his pants. He knew better than to let his guard down like that, especially out here in the wilderness with a killer on the loose. But being with Lucy, holding her, loving her, had driven every rational thought from his mind. All he'd been able to focus on was the feel of her skin against his, the sounds of her pleasure, the way she clenched so tightly around him as she came apart in his arms.

Now, cold dread trickled down his spine as Zelda's warning growl vibrated through him. He quickly buttoned his pants and reached for his boots, jamming his feet into them. He didn't know where his shirt was. Hopefully still draped over Lucy's shoulders, but he wasn't about to waste the time looking for it.

They needed to move.

Sawyer stood, every muscle tense and ready for action. Zelda pressed against his leg, a comforting weight grounding him as his other senses strained to pick up any sign of danger. The scent of pine and damp earth filled his nose, but underneath it was something else. Something that made his gut churn with unease. "We need to go. Now."

He heard the rustle of fabric as Lucy finished dressing. "I don't see anything," she whispered, fear making her voice tremble slightly. "But something feels… wrong."

"It's okay." He hoped he sounded more confident than he felt. "We're going to be fine. But we need to get moving."

He grabbed their packs and blankets, hastily stuffing everything inside. He slung his pack over his shoulders and handed Lucy hers before picking up his cane.

He gripped the cane tightly in one hand and reached for Lucy with the other. "Stay close to me."

He felt her small hand slip into his, her palm cool and slightly clammy. He gave it what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze as they set off into the dense forest, moving as quickly and quietly as possible over the uneven ground.

The only sounds were their ragged breathing and the crunch of pine needles beneath their feet. Sawyer strained his remaining senses, trying to pick up any indication of pursuit, but all he could hear was the thudding of his own heart.

They had only gone maybe a hundred yards when a sharp crack broke the stillness of the forest behind them, like the snap of a large branch. Or a gunshot.

Lucy gasped and stumbled, her grip on his hand tightening to the point of pain. Zelda froze beside him, her entire body vibrating with tension.

"Fuck," Sawyer swore under his breath. "Run!"

He took off, trusting Zelda to guide him. He hated he had to let go of Lucy, but he needed both hands free for better balance or he was going to end up face-planting into a tree or sprawling over some unseen root. And they didn't have time for that.

Lucy kept pace beside him, her breathing coming in sharp, panicked pants. They crashed through the underbrush, branches whipping at their faces and snagging their clothes.

Another crack echoed through the trees, closer this time. Sawyer's heart seized in his chest. Definitely a gunshot.

Who the fuck was shooting at them?

"This way," Lucy gasped, tugging him sharply to the left. He followed her lead without question.

They barreled down a narrow game trail, the dense foliage providing a little cover from whoever was taking potshots at them. The terrain was treacherous, full of hidden roots and rocks that could easily trip them up. Sawyer stumbled more than once, and Lucy was right there by his side, pulling him up when he did.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," she panted as they ran, repeating it like a mantra.

Another shot rang out then, closer still, followed by the sharp whizz of a bullet flying past them. Sawyer flinched instinctively, pushing Lucy further ahead of him. "Go!"

He'd be damned if he let anything happen to her because he was lagging.

"No." Her hand closed around his again. "We're staying together."

"Stubborn."

"Learned it from you." She guided him as they made a sharp turn, veering down a steep incline. The scent of water filled the air— a river.

Suddenly, Lucy let out a terrified yelp and vanished from his side, her hand tearing from his.

"Lucy!" he roared, spinning wildly on the spot.

"Sawyer!" Her shout was swallowed in the thunderous roar of rushing water. His heart slammed against his ribs as he lurched forward, cane probing the ground in front of him. Zelda whined at his side.

A gunshot cracked again, this time so close he could feel the air splitting apart near his head. A bullet whizzed past, punching a hole into a nearby tree with a soft thwack , sending splinters into his cheek.

Too close.

He had to find her and get out of here.

"Lucy!" he shouted again.

"I'm okay," she called from somewhere below him. "Get back from the ledge! The ground is very unstable there. I'll find a way back up to—Sawyer! Behind you!"

Even before her warning left her lips, he felt the other presence closing in behind him. He didn't think. He threw himself over the edge after Lucy. His shoulder connected with something hard and unyielding, and a shout of pain tore from his lungs. He bounced and rolled for what seemed like an eternity, then plunged into freezing water. He gasped and choked, flailing to keep his head above the surface.

Zelda.

Shit.

She would've followed him. She was trained to stay by his side.

He had just enough time to take a lungful of air before the fast current pushed him under again. A heavy weight knocked into him from behind— Zelda. He could feel her wet fur against his skin and grabbed onto her harness, kicking toward what he thought was the surface. He broke through the surface, sucking in a desperate breath. Zelda was paddling furiously beside him, her doggie instincts taking over.

"Lucy!" he shouted again.

"Over here!" Her voice echoed back to him from somewhere downstream. "There's a log jam. When you hit it, swim to your left, and you'll reach the bank."

He turned his body toward the sound, pulling Zelda along with him. "Keep talking!"

"Oh, don't you worry. I have a lot to say. You're a fucking idiot," she snapped. "Jumping off a fucking cliff."

"You jumped, too."

"I fell. It wasn't a choice. You know how many people I've peeled up from the bottom of a cliff? If you were just a little bit off, you wouldn't have hit the river. Oh my God. I can't decide if I want to kiss you or kill you when we get out of this."

"I'm a fan of the first option," he called back, smiling despite the pain radiating through his shoulder and the freezing cold water numbing his limbs.

She sounded close now. Just a little more, he told himself. Then he could grab Lucy and kiss her senseless, silencing that sharp tongue, reminding her that he may be an idiot, but he was her idiot.

The river was tossing him around like a rag doll, rocks and fallen logs looming out of nowhere. He could see most of them as they bobbed past him, and he did his best to avoid colliding into anything that could bruise or break bones. Suddenly, a wave crashed over his head, shoving him under, slamming him into a submerged boulder, and pain exploded in his ribs. He lost his grip on Zelda, lost all sense of direction as water filled his lungs. His chest burned. His body bucked against the frantic need to breathe, and he reached out for anything that could anchor him. But there was only the icy kiss of the river, the cruel lash of the current.

Air. He needed air.

He heard Lucy's panicked shouts growing nearer even through the murky underwater chaos. "Sawyer! Keep your head up!"

He kicked toward what he hoped was the surface, but his boots felt like they were filled with lead. His hand caught on something that felt like tangled roots and slippery rocks. Using all his strength, he pulled himself toward it. The surface came crashing back as he broke through, choking and spitting out water. He sucked in lungfuls of air, harsh and raw.

"Zelda!" His voice came out as a croak. His heart pounded at the terrifying thought of losing her. His girl.

"Sawyer! Sawyer, she's okay. I've got her," Lucy yelled from somewhere on his left. "Move to your left. You're almost there."

Another wave hit him, and he was pushed under again. But this time, he kept his grip on the log, holding on even as the river tried to tear him away.

He couldn't die here. Not like this. Not after everything he and Lucy had survived. Not after he'd finally broken through those tough walls of hers.

With all the strength he had left, Sawyer pulled himself along the log until his feet hit solid ground. Gritting his teeth against the cold, he clawed his way up the bank, slipping on the wet grass and mud. The world tilted sickeningly as he crawled onto flat ground, coughing and retching.

"Fuck…" He rolled onto his back, gasping for air, and realized he still somehow wore his backpack. He struggled out of it and laid back in the cold mud again. His whole body ached with an intensity that made him grimace.

The sound of frantic panting and scuffling approached. He reached out with a shaking hand and Zelda licked it. She flopped down on top of him, knocking the air from his lungs, and pushed her face against his, whimpering as her tail flew like a whip.

He didn't even care that it hurt and hugged her. "There's my good girl. She's the best, bravest girl."

Lucy threw herself down next to him, wrapping her arms around both him and Zelda. "God damn it, Sawyer. You could have died."

"Hey now, you started this. Jumping off a cliff…" He managed to wheeze out a laugh between coughs. His whole body was shaking uncontrollably from the cold and adrenaline.

"Fell," she corrected faintly, but the fight had gone out of her voice. He felt a hot tear hit his cheek and gently nudged Zelda aside so he could pull Lucy into his arms.

She fit perfectly against him, her body molded to his despite the layers of wet clothing between them. She was shivering and burrowed deeper into his side, burying her face in the crook of his neck. He held her tighter, stroking her damp hair with trembling fingers.

"I was so scared," she whispered. "I thought… I thought you were going to die."

"I didn't," he said gruffly, smoothing a hand over her back in comforting circles. "I'm here. We're okay." When she gave a soft sob, his heart all but shattered. "Shh, sweetheart. We're okay."

He pressed a kiss on her forehead, his chapped lips lingering on her cold skin. She was crying quietly, her body shaking with silent sobs. He was freezing, and as the adrenaline faded, bone-deep exhaustion set in, but he didn't care. All he cared about was the woman in his arms, the woman who meant everything to him.

Finally, Lucy shifted against him and lifted her head. "We can't stay here. Whoever was shooting at us could still be out there. It will take him time to cross the river, but we're wasting our head start."

There she was. His strong, brave park ranger was back, taking control of the situation. Relief unfurled in his chest, loosening the knotted muscles around his shoulders. He never would've said it out loud, but he'd been worried there for a moment as she clung to him, terrified the stress of the last few days had finally broken her. Hell, she hadn't even sobbed like that in the cave after the Shadow Stalker left her for dead. But he should've known his Lucy was made of stronger stuff than that.

He slowly sat up, grimacing as his battered body protested the movement. Every-fucking-thing hurt. "Right now, I'm more concerned with getting dry and warm. You're shaking like a leaf."

"S-so are you," she said through chattering teeth.

Thankfully, the sun was coming up. He could feel it burning away the dampness of the night and it promised to be a hot one. They needed to find shelter, let their clothes dry out, and then keep going toward the?—

Fuck.

Cell phones.

His stomach dropped as the thought struck. He groped around for his backpack and dug a hand in one of the pockets for the phones. When he pulled them out, they were all dripping.

"Oh, shit," Lucy muttered, and he heard her digging through her bag. "Mine are soaked, too."

"Do any of them turn on?" He picked through them until he found his phone in its rugged case. He hit the button to turn it on, then raised it to his ear to listen for the tones indicating it was starting up. Nothing. He pried it out of the case and shook water off it, then tried powering it up again.

"Come on. Come on."

The stupid thing was supposed to be waterproof.

"Nothing," Lucy said after a long moment. "They're all dead."

No phones meant no way to call for help, no lifeline to the outside world. And a killer was out there somewhere, hunting them.

He shoved the phones back into his bag and pushed himself to his feet, gritting his teeth against the pain that lanced through his shoulder and ribs. Zelda pressed against his leg, and he reached down to stroke the wet fur of her ear. It steadied him. "Let's stick to the plan. Find a safe place to dry off, and I'll see if I can get one of the phones working again."