Chapter 21

CHAPTER

TWENTY-ONE

Stephen could hardly sleep. He listened to every sound, knowing he couldn't let down his guard, especially considering those guys were still out there.

For a while, he'd monitored the radio. But the guys on the other end must have gotten wise to it. They'd stopped communicating, and he hadn't heard anything for several hours.

He didn't like not knowing what was going on.

He'd also tried to contact Gage several more times, but none of his messages had gone through.

Stephen prayed his friend was okay. If he'd been captured, Stephen hadn't heard anything about it on the radio earlier.

As he lay there, he glanced across the fire to where Heidi was sleeping.

She looked almost angelic as her ringlet curls fell across her face. She seemed so different from him—but in a way that was fascinating. She was smart and wholesome. His upbringing and his job had made him hard. But around her . . . he felt like a better person.

She shivered on the ground, and his heart panged. He wished he had something to comfort her with, to keep her warm. He'd even love to pull her into his arms to keep her warm. But that would be inappropriate.

Still, a guy could dream.

But someone like Heidi would never want to be with someone like him. He was too rough around the edges. There were too many unknowns surrounding his past. What if something triggered him one day and he were to hurt her?

He'd never forgive himself.

No, Heidi deserved only the best.

Stephen wasn't the best. He was broken.

Finally, at five a.m., he rose.

It was still dark outside, but daylight wouldn't be their friend in this situation.

They needed to get moving and try to put more distance between themselves and the men chasing them.

Getting away would be treacherous, and Stephen prayed God would watch over them.

Heidi hadn't rested well, and she suspected Stephen hadn't either.

Her head was still full of cobwebs as she and Stephen got ready to start their day.

Stephen had grabbed a water bottle from his bag. "Drink some of this. You don't want to get dehydrated."

She took it from him and took a sip. The liquid felt refreshing, but her stomach rumbled. She was hungry. However, eating could wait. She'd rather get to safety first.

"How's your shoulder now?" Stephen asked. "Do you mind if I take a look?"

"Sure." She pulled her sweatshirt down and rolled her neck away to get her hair off the spot.

As Stephen's fingers moved over her skin, her blood raced. Why was she having this reaction? Why did her skin feel on fire?

And why, as Stephen leaned close, did she imagine what it would be like if he were to press his lips against her skin?

Inappropriate , she scolded herself. There would be no kissing.

Especially not with Stephen.

She needed someone with a stable job, with a background similar to hers.

At least, that's what she thought she needed.

"It looks good," he murmured. "No sign of infection."

"That's good news." But her voice cracked.

The sooner he stopped touching her bare shoulder, the better.

He released the collar of her sweatshirt, and it sprang back toward her neck.

She let out a breath.

"You ready to get moving?" Stephen asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be." She handed the bottle back to him, and he slipped it into his backpack.

He made sure the fire was extinguished and kicked dirt over it to try to hide the ashes.

A few minutes later, the two of them started walking away from the area where they'd slept.

Stephen kept a hand at her elbow as they traveled through the darkness. The trees looked skeletal with only the moonlight illuminating their branches. Occasionally, an owl hooted or dry leaves cracked under the weight of a small animal.

Rocks jutted into their path without notice, and they could only see a few feet in front of them.

Stephen reminded her several times to watch her step. That there could be cliffs or crevices anywhere, and he didn't know the terrain well enough to avoid the hazards.

"Were you ever a Boy Scout?" Heidi asked, using a sapling to keep her steady as the ground sloped downward.

He raised his eyebrows. "What?"

She shrugged, trying to keep her thoughts occupied and off the danger around them. "You seem like the type who would have been a Boy Scout."

He let out a soft chuckle. "Maybe in a different life I would have been."

"Did they teach you survival skills through Project Elevate? I can only assume that was the case." As her foot began to slip, Stephen gripped her arm more tightly, and she found her balance.

But her pulse kicked up a notch.

"They taught us pretty much everything," Stephen explained. "Languages. Survival skills. Every type of physical training you might be able to imagine."

"Sounds tough."

"It was, but the program weeded people out pretty quickly."

She glanced at his face in the darkness, wishing she could make out the fine details. "How did you even discover what was going on with Blackstone?"

"Nathan's sister came looking for answers." His voice turned grim. "The two of them had gone to separate homes while in foster care. I don't think when Nathan entered the program that the leaders knew exactly how determined Tori would be to find him. One thing led to another, and the truth became apparent. Only the truth wasn't exactly what I wanted it to be."

They walked a couple of moments in silence. Her thoughts raced. She wanted to know more about this man—beyond what she'd learned on the job. And he seemed open to talking, to sharing.

She skirted around another tree, grateful the ground was leveling out some. Soon, the sun should peek over the mountains.

"What about you, Heidi?" Stephen asked before she could question him more. "What do you do when you're not working for Rafferty?"

She let out a breath and shrugged. "It's going to sound lame, but I'm still trying to rediscover exactly who I am. For four years, every free moment I had was poured into taking care of my mom. I think I forgot about myself in the process. Since she's been gone . . . I've been trying to remember who I am."

"What kind of things did you like to do before your mom came to live with you?"

Her mind raced back in time. "I used to love traveling. Trying new restaurants. Chasing the sunset."

"Ever been married?" he asked, then hesitated. "That's probably too personal, isn't it?"

"Considering everything that's happened, I think we're way beyond the too-personal portion of getting to know each other." She flashed him a smile. "And, no, I've never been married. I was engaged once."

He hurried in front of her and offered his hand as they came to a small creek.

She carefully hopped on the large river rocks to get across.

"What happened—if you don't mind me asking?" Stephen dropped her hand.

She instantly missed it.

"Bryant liked to travel also," Heidi told him. "He wanted to live a more carefree lifestyle. When I had to take care of my mother, that put a real crimp in his plans. So he left."

"Ouch." He grimaced. "That couldn't have been easy."

She shrugged. "It wasn't. But it's better that I discovered his character before marriage rather than after. I mean, Bryant wasn't really a bad guy. At least, he was honest with me."

"That's one way of looking at it." Stephen twitched his head as if uncertain.

Heidi cast a glance at him. "What about you? Have you ever been married?"

"I guess it's only fair if I ask you that you can ask me also. But the answer is no. Never been married. I've dated some, but it's hard to maintain any kind of relationship with my schedule. This job is the type where it's easier just to be single, I suppose. I've been unattached for most of my life. It's what I'm used to."

She drew in a shaky breath as they started uphill. The air was thinner up here, and her lungs burned.

"I'm sure that's the way Rafferty wanted it," Heidi said. "He wants all his guys unattached, doesn't he? I noticed that about Blackstone soon after I started working there. That none of the guys were married or seemed to have a significant other in their lives. I just didn't understand the reasons. Now it's starting to make sense."

"It's a job where they want you to give everything, I guess you could say."

"I get that. Rafferty likes for me to be on call 24/7."

Just then, a sound cut through the air.

A chopping noise.

She and Stephen paused. The wind kicked up, tugging at her hair as the sound became louder. When she looked up, she saw a light.

A helicopter, she realized.

Had the men who were chasing them tracked them down again?